The Daily Northwestern — May 30, 2018

Page 1

The Daily Northwestern Wednesday, May 30, 2018

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 8 SPORTS/Sideline

3 CAMPUS/Student Government

Allen hopes to revamp Northwestern baseball

ASG Senate leaders present caucus reform, plan to reapportion legislative seats by school

Find us online @thedailynu 4 OPINION/Schwartz

Letter from the Editor: Reflecting on a quarter

High 75 Low 67

Agrawal’s death investigated as suicide Student in critical Official ruling on cause of death is still pending, may take weeks By SYD STONE

daily senior staffer @sydstone16

The Evanston Police Department is investigating Weinberg senior Ananya Agrawal’s death as a suicide,

Evanston police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said Tuesday. Glew said Agrawal was found and pronounced dead at 630 Emerson St. on Saturday night. Becky Schlikerman, spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office,

told The Daily in a Tuesday email that an official ruling on the manner of death is still pending, and the ruling will “likely take several weeks.” Glew said EPD has evidence independent of the medical examination indicating Agrawal’s death was

a suicide. However, he said, there are “complicated factors” to the case that might delay an official ruling from the medical examiner. Glew added that a toxicology report is still pending. » See AGRAWAL, page 6

Man found guilty of sexual abuse Chicago man was convicted of 2016 assault at Evanston spa

condition after fall Twenty-year-old male in medically induced coma By JONAH DYLAN, COLIN BOYLE and SYD STONE

daily senior staffers @thejonahdylan, @colinbphoto, @sydstone16

A 20-year-old Northwestern student is in a medically induced coma after sustaining “significant” injuries from an incident Monday at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, Evanston police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said Tuesday. The male student was taken to Evanston Hospital on Monday afternoon after falling from the fourth floor of the fraternity house at 2313 Sheridan Rd., University spokesman Al Cubbage said

Monday. Cubbage said there is no indication that the incident occurred during a party or activity at the fraternity house. Glew said the student is in critical condition. There is no indication of foul play, he said, adding that Evanston Police Department officers have interviewed witnesses and others associated with the student. “There’s no definitive piece of evidence or circumstance we can point to that makes this an intentional jump or an accidental fall due to ill-advised behavior,” Glew said. Glew said EPD is leading the investigation on the case. Out of respect for the family and because the incident is still under investigation, Glew said EPD cannot comment on the student’s identity. » See HOSPITAL, page 6

Judge rejects suit against University Retirement plan mismanagement claims dismissed

By JONAH DYLAN and PETER KOTECKI daily senior staffers @thejonahdylan, @peterkotecki

Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer

Art of Health spa, 1638 Orrington Ave. A man was found guilty of sexual abuse last week in a case stemming from a 2016 incident at the spa.

By SYD STONE

daily senior staffer @sydstone16

A Chicago man was found guilty last week of sexually abusing a woman in a case

stemming from a 2016 incident. Kai Wang, 31, was convicted of attempted sexual assault but acquitted of more serious sexual assault charges on May 23, Evanston police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said. Wang was arrested in

October 2016 after a 19-yearold woman told police that Wang groped her during a massage at Art of Health spa, 1638 Orrington Ave. Glew said the Evanston Police Department detective bureau conducted the investigation into the incident.

Glew said some of the incident at the massage parlor was caught on video, although the Chicago Tribune reported that the video was missing about two minutes of footage. » See CONVICTION, page 6

A United States district court judge dismissed a lawsuit Friday that alleged Northwestern mismanaged its employees’ retirement and voluntary savings plans. In his opinion, Judge Jorge Alonso dismissed all seven of the plaintiffs’ counts and denied their recent motion to file a secondamended complaint. “Plaintiffs’ amended complaint is massive: 287 paragraphs over 141 pages,” Alonso wrote in his opinion. “Most of plaintiffs’

allegations, though, are not specific to the defendants and the plans in this case.” The Northwestern plaintiffs — including a staff nurse at Northwestern University Health Service and a former research assistant at the Office for Sponsored Research — originally filed the lawsuit in August 2016. Plaintiffs alleged they were financially harmed because the retirement and voluntary savings plans included excessive or imprudent fee options. They argued that the defendants’ inclusion of these options prohibited the plaintiffs from being able to grow their retirement savings by investing in options that were prudent and had reasonable fees. Such options, the suit alleged, » See DISMISSAL, page 6

Cubbage to step down after 2 decades as NU’s voice By MADDIE BURAKOFF

daily senior staffer @madsburk

When Al Cubbage (Medill ’78, ’87) was looking to pursue a master’s degree in journalism, he knew Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism was the only place he really wanted to be. Since then, he’s just kept coming back. Now, after receiving two Medill master’s degrees, marrying his wife in the Shakespeare Garden, raising two sons in Evanston and spending more than two decades serving as the public voice of the University, Cubbage is taking a step back and retiring from his current position as vice president for University Relations. Cubbage, who has served in the

role since 1997, will step down this summer. After a long stretch in what he described as a “somewhat stressful job,” Cubbage, now 65, said he found it was the right time to follow the example of his wife — a former Northwestern librarian who retired in February. After July, he will be free from his vice presidential responsibilities: overseeing a department of about 60, leading NU’s internal and external communications, and serving as the University’s chief spokesman. “It’ll be a change,” Cubbage said. “The job is a 24/7 job, and all of a sudden it won’t be there.” In addition to his role in University Relations, Cubbage is also an adjunct lecturer at NU and said he plans to continue teaching his course in Integrated Marketing Communications for the time

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

being. A search committee is still in the process of finding his replacement, who will hold the title of Vice President for Global Marketing and Communications. University President Morton Schapiro told The Daily it would be a difficult task to find a successor for Cubbage, who he said is “unflappable” under pressure and always looks to do what’s right rather than what’s convenient. “All too often things go wrong … and this guy is always there, and he always treats everybody with respect, and gives everybody the dignity they deserve,” Schapiro said. “Going forward without him is really daunting for me, personally and professionally.” » See CUBBAGE, page 6

Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer

Al Cubbage. After 21 years heading Northwestern’s University Relations department, Cubbage is preparing to step down from his role this summer.

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8


2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018

AROUND TOWN Council approves special use permit By ELIZABETH BYRNE

daily senior staffer @lizbyrne33

Aldermen voted 6-2 on Tuesday to approve a special use permit for a 17-story, age-restricted property development located at 1727 Oak Ave. The development was previously introduced at a City Council meeting on May 14. The proposed development will include 169 rental units, a dog park, a pool and 139 parking spots. “It provides the much-needed inventory for seniors who like to age well in this community,” Ald. Peter Braithwaite (2nd) said Tuesday in favor of the development. “By adding additional inventory, that helps to stabilize the housing for our seniors.”

However, not all aldermen supported the development. The new rental property raised concerns about parking for nearby buildings and traffic congestion as it passed through committees to council over the last few weeks. The plot currently contains a surface parking lot and the Shand Morahan Plaza. During the public comment section of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, some Evanston residents urged aldermen to vote against the new development. Several residents from Sienna Court, a neighboring condominium building at 1740 Oak Ave., said they were worried about the increased traffic as a result of the development. “This is a very difficult site,” Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) said. “It’s on a truck route, it’s on a very sharp curve, it is a very congested, very potentially dangerous location … The site development allowances are

Daily file photo by Colin Boyle

Ald. Peter Braithwaite (2nd) listens during a City Council meeting. Braithwaite advocated for the 1727 Oak Ave. age-restricted development that passed City Council 6-2 on Tuesday.

SUMMER STORAGE

$49

FOR ANY SIZE BOX

INCLUDES: UNLIMITED SUPPLIES FREE IN-ROOM PICK UP STORAGE FOR THE SUMMER FREE DELIVERY INSIDE YOUR ON-CAMPUS ROOM OR WITHIN 2 MILES OF CAMPUS

too excessive for this site and I am concerned as to how we’re pushing some of these buildings together in such a difficult location.” Fiske and Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) both voted against the development. Kurt Sheffer, a Sienna Court resident, told The Daily he ultimately disagreed with the council’s decision to move forward with the development, but will still “try to make the best of the situation.” He also spoke during public comment about the proposed public amenities and affordable housing units in the building. “We were burned by the developer who built our building, who made a lot of promises he didn’t live up to,” Sheffer told The Daily. “And so, to hear this developer making promises, we’re going to stick with it to ensure that those promises are followed up on.” Sienna Court is home to 20 families from the Center for Independent Futures, a nonprofit organization that provides housing for individuals with disabilities. Some Sienna residents said the lack of parking would limit the availability for caregivers who visit the CIF families. Several residents raised concerns about crossing the street with the potential of increased traffic and fast drivers. According to city documents, the new development will add “enhanced” crossing signs and re-stripe the existing midblock crosswalk on Oak Avenue to increase pedestrian visibility. During the discussion of the proposal, Braithwaite said he was committed to finding resolutions regarding the parking questions raised by Evanston residents. He said he talked with the developers to establish designated parking spaces for caregivers from Sienna Court. “The goal is to provide the maximum amount of opportunities that the 20 households within the Sienna development need to make sure that they have a decent quality of life,” Braithwaite told The Daily. “We’re going to work really hard with the developers and all the stakeholders to make sure they help us.”

POLICE BLOTTER EPD investigating arson after structure fire at Rice Education Center The Evanston Police Department is investigating reports of arson after a fire broke out at Rice Education Center on Sunday night. The Evanston Fire Department called EPD to the building in the 1100 block of Washington Street after a structure fire started in the center’s laundry room at about 7:10 p.m. After EFD determined the incident may have been connected to arson, EPD arrived on the scene at about 8:30 p.m., Evanston police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said. Police have a juvenile suspect who was seen in the room around the time the fire started and has a history of arson, Glew said. Investigators checked the suspect but did not find anything in plain view that could have started the fire, he added. Nobody was injured in the fire and the incident is pending investigation by the juvenile bureau of EPD, Glew said. ­— Julia Esparza

Setting the record straight A column published in Tuesday’s paper titled “US, North Korea Summit will bring us one step closer to a united Korean Peninsula” misstated North and South Korea’s history of walking in unity during the Olympics. The teams had walked under a Unification Flag at the 2006 Olympics and in several games prior. The Daily regrets the error.

elizabethbyrne2020@u.northwestern.edu

Take NU with you, wherever you go. Sign up for The Daily's email list to get the headlines in your inbox.

The Daily Northwestern

Email Newsletter Sign up at: dailynorthwestern.com/email GET YOUR BOXES AT: THE ARCH + TECH BUILDING 5/30-6/ WHY USE USS: YOUR STUFF WILL BE IN YOUR ROOM BEFORE YOU ARRIVE WE ARE THE ONLY APPROVED STORAGE VENDOR FOR

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS

TWITTER: @thedailynu FACEBOOK: thedailynorthwestern


THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018

ON CAMPUS ASG leaders talk seat reform at forum By GABBY BIRENBAUM

the daily northwestern @birenbomb

For as long as Associated Student Government Senate institutional memory stretches, residential senators have formed the least active senatorial caucus, Political Union senator Alex Smith said. “They have a sad rate of chronic truancy,” the Weinberg sophomore said. “I believe that less than half show up on a consistent basis.” To remedy the inactivity, Smith is sponsoring a reform that would replace ASG’s apportionment by housing; instead, seats would be allocated by undergraduate school. Smith and ASG parliamentarian Henry Molnar presented the reform to an audience of five at a Tuesday forum at Annenberg Hall. Currently, ASG divides Northwestern’s campus into seven districts, in which 15 seats are apportioned based on population size, and five seats are reserved for those who live off-campus. Under the proposed reform, the 20 seats will be divided up by school: nine to the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, three each to the McCormick School of Engineering and the School of Communication, two each to the Medill School of Journalism and the School of Education and Social Policy, and one to the Bienen School of Music. “We feel as though people feel a stronger connection to their undergraduate school than they do to (their) housing district,” Molnar said. Smith said residential senators’ lack of participation has contributed to several problems, including Senate’s consistent failure to get quorum, low engagement in Senate and an inability to gauge students’ level of representation for any residential district. The reform would strengthen Senate participation by making elections more competitive and the nature of Senate seats “more prestigious,” Molnar said. The potential to represent one’s undergraduate school and the large pools of students eligible for each seat should incentivize students to run for

The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Peter Kotecki

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

General Manager Stacia Campbell

stacia@dailynorthwestern.com

Holly and John Madigan Newsroom Phone | 847.491.3222 Campus desk

campus@dailynorthwestern.com

City desk

city@dailynorthwestern.com

Sports desk

sports@dailynorthwestern.com

Ad Office | 847.491.7206

spc-compshop@northwestern.edu Katie Pach/Daily Senior Staffer

Henry Molnar speaks Tuesday at Annenberg Hall. Molnar presented on reforms to Associated Student Government Senate seat apportionment.

Senate, Molnar said. Smith said being able to tell others, “I am a senator representing Weinberg as opposed to … District 4,” would add to the cachet of the position, thereby incentivizing attendance. Previously, students needed 20 signatures from peers in their residential district to run. Under the new rules, students would need 30 signatures, but they would not all need to be from peers in their undergraduate school. However, students can only run for a seat in their home schools. “We want these elections to be super competitive,” ASG vice president for public relations Gabrielle Bienasz said. “So, we really need (there) to be a low barrier to entry.” In terms of representation, the number of seats do not exactly parallel the number of students in each school. For example, though McCormick comprises 22.3 percent of the student body and SoC encompasses just 12.5 percent, they are both allocated three seats. Molnar said the Senate Reform Committee,

which worked on the proposed reform, spoke to representatives from each school and considered historical levels of involvement in ASG in apportioning the seats. As SoC has traditionally had a large presence in ASG and very few McCormick students have been involved, they were chosen to receive the same amount of representation. However, he said the apportionment numbers are subject to change in the coming years as undergraduate school populations fluctuate. Smith said he expects the reform to pass. He said senators have been amenable and the lack of residential senator participation will work in his favor. The legislation will be introduced as new business Wednesday, and then voted on next Wednesday. It would go into effect during Fall Quarter if it passes. Though Molnar said Senate’s influential role necessitates attentiveness and feedback. “The Senate actually does hold a lot more power than people realize,” Molnar said. gabriellebirenbaum2021@u.northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847-491-7206. First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2018 The Daily Northwestern and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Northwestern, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $175 for the academic year. The Daily Northwestern is not responsible for more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run.

Check out DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM for breaking news

Attention advertisers! Our last print issue of spring quarter is coming sooner than you think: Friday (June 1st). Graduation Issue: June 18th Ad Deadline: June 11th Email ads@dailynorthwestern.com or call 847.491.7206


OPINION

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com Page 4

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Letter from the Editor: An end-of-quarter reflection ALEX SCHWARTZ

DAILY COLUMNIST

Last Spring Quarter, I wrote a column arguing that hate speech should not be free speech. I received a litany of nasty emails and comments calling me a fascist and saying that I didn’t deserve free speech if I opposed it for others. I’ll admit that the piece could’ve been worded better and that it didn’t represent the full scope and nuance of my argument. But I found it interesting that most people who contacted me addressed me as if I had single-handedly ripped the First Amendment from the pages of the Bill of Rights, as if I had shoved my column down their throats and forced them to read it. It was amusing and concerning to me that they felt my opinions were so significant and consequential that they warranted a response. They failed to see me as a human with an idea. And because I am human and inherently flawed, they failed to realize that my ideas are, too. Some people may agree with what I say, and some may

disagree. That same imperfection is true for all humans, for all ideas. Running this section for a quarter has taught me that. It doesn’t matter how solidly written a column is; there’s always room to poke holes in an argument. On the other hand, there’s almost always room to find humanity and goodness in a poorly-written column. As hard as it is to suppress that immediate visceral reaction on social media to something we view as bad, we have to make an effort to think in as balanced a manner as we can muster. I’m not saying that this is easy in the slightest. Politics is personal, and abstract policy decisions made by a group largely made up of old, straight, white men can have concrete and devastating effects on marginalized populations. It’s incredibly frustrating to deal with people who possess enough privilege that they’ll never be personally impacted by most of these actions. The ability to debate these things is, in itself, a privilege; we need to be cognizant of that. But through it all I maintain the belief that, on many issues, we need to engage with each other in order to make real change happen. We have a responsibility to show our opponents the human

angle on every story, and we need to operate on the belief that no one should suffer at the hands of another. That being said, I still stand by what I wrote over a year ago. There are some opinions that I believe we cannot amplify and that we have a duty to prevent from entering public debate. Among these are Nazism (and other outright bigotry), glorifying rape culture and denying climate change — if there is an opinion that I believe violently attacks a person or group of people out of pure and unfounded hatred, I will not run it. Make no mistake — I don’t advocate for government-sponsored censorship of these opinions. It’s hilarious how many times angry commenters have told me to read “1984,” as if every single person who went to high school in America hasn’t already had that tired narrative drilled into their heads. Instead, I believe in a kind of social censorship of these ideas, a collective agreement among individuals that there are certain things we don’t tolerate in conversation or online. And I believe this page is a non-governmental, social institution that can — and should — participate in that. It may seem hypocritical of me to come out so strongly against these opinions, considering that

many columns published this quarter have been results of these larger “censor-worthy” frameworks. For the most part, I believe that these opinions should be debated and connected to the more insidious ideologies they come from. They are specific enough to be picked apart in public discourse, and I publish them with that intention. Just as we run columns that seem like “trash” to some, we welcome Letters to the Editor as published responses to them. As Opinion Editor, I’ve constantly had to walk the line between what’s acceptable and what’s not. I’ve had to decide whether to engage or step back. And I’ve had to make judgements about what this community needs to hear. I won’t claim that I’ve done a perfect job at any of that, but I hope you will continue to listen and contribute respectfully to the conversation. Alex Schwartz is a Medill sophomore. He can be contacted at alexschwartz@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

Opinion section should try to move beyond limitations MARISSA MARTINEZ

DAILY COLUMNIST

I applied to be assistant opinion editor Winter Quarter because a second leg surgery prevented me from walking anywhere to report, and I had dabbled in opinion during high school. Writing for the past two quarters has been a mixed bag: I have been able to share thoughts that are important to me, but I have also received more hateful comments and emails than ever before, often attacking my intelligence or ability to think. While I don’t regret writing for this desk, its limitations have become clear, both in the context of Northwestern and society. I’ve learned a lot about opinion and its role in journalism. This section must adhere to logistical requirements that affect our content. For instance, we generally have to publish two or three columns, four times a week, regardless of how many columns we have lined up. Unfortunately, we can’t always be selective with the pieces we publish, which leads to more half-hearted columns than I’d like. Additionally, we don’t have a large pool of consistent writers. It is difficult, especially around midterm and final seasons, to get people

to commit to writing weekly. In addition, we as editors need to ensure more hard facts are stated clearly in columns, as it is hard to argue with the truth. But when editorials and columns are published with little-to-no outside sourcing or with biased sourcing, we fail the audience by not giving them the basic knowledge needed to fully understand the writer’s point of view. It shouldn’t matter whether readers agree with a particular piece or not — there are essential, indisputable truths associated with every topic, and writers need to acknowledge them, no matter how much they prove our own experiences wrong. On a broader scale, we do not publish as many diverse opinions as I would like. In terms of subjects, we tend to write about personal identity or political science, specifically foreign and domestic policy, more than anything. While this is a reflection of our writers’ passions and interests, there are so many other topics to be examined and broached. There are schools outside of Medill and Weinberg that hold incredible writers. There are identities we have not specifically sought out and represented properly. And this matters. The Daily is trying to diversify, and while I applaud the genuine attempts made by senior staff members to improve and expand, we aren’t there yet. These efforts do not and should not only apply to our City or Campus sections — Opinion has the unique

ability to offer people the opportunity to directly address the Northwestern community and Evanston at large. As editors, we need to make sure the messages we publish are truly reflective of the audiences we serve. Many of the columns I write have to do with my personal experiences. I have a unique take on things like race, given my experiences as a multiracial woman, and I often explore these sides through my columns. I am proud to share my thoughts, regardless of how “controversial” they may seem. However, there is a danger to painting experiences as global truths, something that is all too easy to do. As individuals, we can never let a single story stand for an entire group or community — even if the world expects underrepresented minorities like myself to provide these narratives. Through both working for this desk and my Peer Adviser training, I’ve had to remind myself that my experiences are my own, and we always have to acknowledge context and background. Unfortunately, our section does not have a lot of room for true dialogue surrounding what we publish. Letters to the editor are a great way to include voices from students, alumni and members of the Evanston community. But sometimes, due to the inherent delay in publishing, the conversation is too disjointed to mean much. As a result, the comment sections on Facebook and our website are where most of the

Personal stories, not statistics, effect change RUBY PHILLIPS

DAILY COLUMNIST

From publishing columns about my unhealthy drinking habits to my struggles with mental health, I have been more honest about my personal experiences in my columns for this desk than I ever have before. Exposing myself like this wasn’t particularly empowering or satisfying like I thought it would be, but the only reason I was even able to be more confident about doing so was because our current divisive political climate demands it. What divides us today is our inability to appreciate the points of view of the other side. Stories and personal narratives seem like the only successful method to make people listen or care. Personal experiences are not universal truths or fact, but that doesn’t mean they can’t demonstrate the complexity of seemingly black and white issues in society. Stories humanize opinions. Facts and statistics can sometimes swallow individuals whole and make people forget that when we hear something like “1 in every 6 women has been a victim of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime,” that means one in six women have actually had to experience those feelings and traumas. Words and numbers can describe the pattern or enormity

of a problem, but personal narratives force people to be introspective about how they contribute to a problem and force them to understand why it happened. During my Peer Adviser training, one of the first lessons we went over was that empathy is crucial in relating to people from different backgrounds. If we could break down those walls and get to know our incoming students’ personalities, then no matter how much we differed, we could build meaningful relationships. We all want reciprocity in our beliefs, to be validated and listened to, no matter what our opinion is. In writer Dr. Brené Brown’s talk on empathy, she argues that to truly empathize with other people and help them with their pain, one must find their own painful experiences. But Dr. Brown missed a crucial point about empathy: Our experiences and identity shape and limit what we can relate to. Empathy cannot always transcend race, gender and class. Some fathers and brothers can’t see that catcalling is inappropriate until they witness the women in their life experience it. So, stories are the closest thing people can get to true empathy, to feeling with others. They are crucial for catalyzing action and helping others support a certain point of view. The idea that opinions should be tied to our own narratives is what motivated me to share mine. The columns I have felt the most passionate about, that left me the most bare, were often the hardest stories to tell. That act alone can be revolutionary. No one wants to be the first person to step

forward, claim a horrible experience and suddenly be the spokesperson for that entire group. Nor do people want to have to look back on their stories and reevaluate what happened to them. Often, when we think about our lives, we would rather remember the good parts than claim politicized experiences. But it took me hearing stories of other students struggling with their mental health and women finally grasping their own assault to realize the same things had happened to me. Those who can speak up are able to release personal narratives that they’ve held close for too long. That kind of bravery mobilizes people and inspires them. It emboldens some to speak up by validating their own experiences. And it causes others to change their opinions and realize the existing systemic patterns that make them one of many. It forces people to not only understand the gravity of the situation, but to also search for a solution. Working on this desk this past quarter has showed me that stories are contagious and powerful. Be proud to tell your story, even if it contrasts with public opinion, because you never know who needs to hear it and what it will teach them. Ruby Phillips is a Weinberg sophomore. She can be contacted at rubyphillips2020@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

discourse occurs. Comments allow for a quick way for people to interact with each other and bring in outside sources. But, as with any internet conversation, the comments can devolve — sometimes, it feels like a lot of people want to give the most snarky response or “edgy” meme without thoughtfully acknowledging the problems with any given column. From an editorial point of view, I encourage readers to submit columns of their own and put in the work to flesh out their valid thoughts, so there can be a record of dissenting thought. Opinion has a lot of potential, but we are still confined by our limitations — both inevitable and self-imposed ones. It’s important to remember that there are a million sides to any story, and this section can never cover all of them, nor should we pretend to. We cannot ignore these problems — Opinion is too important to the community. That’s why it’s essential that we constantly strive to improve the section, and that readers work with us and hold us accountable. Marissa Martinez is a Medill freshman. She can be contacted at marissamartinez2021@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

The Daily Northwestern Volume 138, Issue 131 Editor in Chief Peter Kotecki

Opinion Editor Alex Schwartz

Managing Editors Maddie Burakoff Troy Closson Rishika Dugyala

Assistant Opinion Editors Marissa Martinez Ruby Phillips

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office. Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed and double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 300 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar. Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily’s student editorial board and not the opinions of either Northwestern University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.


THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018

Aldermen discuss uses for Oakton Street property By CATHERINE HENDERSON

the daily northwestern @caity_henderson

Aldermen held the termination of the lease with Smylie Brothers Brewing Co. in committee during the Administration and Public Works meeting Tuesday, requesting direction from city staff about negotiations with the company and a proposal for future use of the property. According to city documents, the lease at 2222 Oakton St. was meant to last 10 years at a monthly rent of $13,645.83, with the first 18 months rentfree to accommodate construction. Last month, however, company owner Michael Smylie requested a termination of the lease due to a lack of funds. Aldermen voted to delay action on the termination of the lease at the May 14 City Council meeting, waiting to negotiate with the company. The city currently owns the property, which was previously used as a recycling center until 2010. In 2015, former Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl put the property up for sale, but just three years later, the city has to find another buyer or renter. Ald. Thomas Suffredin (6th) told The Daily that the situation with Smylie Brothers — which rents the property — demonstrates the advantages of

Daily file photo by Lauren Duquette

Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) speaks at a city meeting. Rainey and other members of the Administration and Public Works Committee discussed possibilities for 2222 Oakton St. after Smylie Brothers Brewing Co. requested to terminate its lease.

getting someone to purchase the building instead. “I would love us to put together a well-crafted request for proposals and see what comes out of it,” Suffredin said. According to city documents, several other

businesses are interested in the location, including the Peckish Pig, an Evanston-based restaurant in the 8th Ward, and First Ascent Climbing and Fitness, a Chicago rock climbing gym. Evanston ReBuilding Warehouse, a nonprofit promoting waste reduction,

also made a case for the building at the Tuesday meeting. During the meeting, Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) said potential buyers or tenants should pay property taxes, but a nonprofit might seek a tax exemption. As Evanston continues to struggle with balancing its budget, she said having a tax-paying buyer or tenant at this property could help fund “basic needs” in the city. Ald. Cicely Fleming (9th) said she was inclined to sell the property and see what developers have to offer. She said the property could be a “huge investment” for the council, helping the city’s finances after years of debt. “I don’t like the idea with going with just a restaurant,” Fleming said. “I would also like to leave it open to see what the market would bring us.” However, she cautioned City Council from “going down two roads at one time” by pursuing nonprofits and businesses at once, suggesting the city make a decision about a buyer in the near future. Rainey said the city needs to focus on getting “a good deal” and be careful selling the property, which is located in her ward. “Don’t just jump because it’s good money,” Rainey said. “We have to think these things through.” catherinehenderson2021@u.northwestern.edu

Committee expands Divvy use to low-income residents By SAMANTHA HANDLER

the daily northwestern @sn_handler

The Transportation and Parking Committee voted Wednesday to start a program that expands Divvy bike use to low-income residents. The program — Divvy for Everyone — allows income-eligible residents who are 16 years old or older to buy a one-time Divvy annual membership for $5, according to city documents. Usually, annual Divvy memberships cost $99, single rides cost $3 for a 30-minute trip and one-day passes cost $15. Jessica Hyink, the city’s transportation and mobility coordinator, said she plans to roll the new program out in June. She said it will draw in people who would not

have participated otherwise. Hyink said city staff will use the same eligibility guidelines that the Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department uses for its fee assistance programs. She added that there is no direct cost to the city for the program, and the fees will go back into the cost of operation for Divvy. According to city documents, eligible residents can sign up for the program in person at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center and at Parks, Recreation and Community Service facilities. Hyink said there is no technology required for residents to enroll, and unemployed residents can sign an affidavit letter to prove their eligibility. “What’s so great about this program is we’re eliminating financial membership barriers,” Hyink said. “Currently, the one-time ($)99 fee is just too much

for a lot of people to pay.” The Divvy program may also receive more advertising revenue in 2019, Hyink said: Chicago has a contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield to advertise on all bikes, including the ones in Evanston, and Chicago has offered to include Evanston on the contract starting next year. Hyink said the city could look into acquiring more docking stations for the bikes, so the program could expand more into west Evanston. She said there are about three wards in the city that do not have docking stations either within the ward or on the border. She added that the city could buy three stations from Oak Park at a reduced rate. And, because the Divvy program is currently under its $304,000 budget, Hyink said the city could use the rest of the allocated funds to pay for the docking stations.

Ald. Cicely Fleming (9th), who serves on the committee, said the city cannot purchase the stations at the moment with budget cuts looming, especially because the Divvy program is also up for cuts on the priority-based budget survey. She added that she does not know when the city will be ready to purchase the stations. However, Fleming said she approved the $5 program because there is no cost to the city and because it would add “a few” more riders. “I go back to my initial concern with Divvy, which is that it’s not really accessible to a lot of people in the city,” Fleming said. “On the other hand, then we’re not necessarily ready as a council to say, ‘Go ahead and buy three new stations.’” samanthahandler2021@u.northwestern.edu

YEARBOOKS

ARE HERE

5/15 – 5/26 at

NORRIS: GROUND FLOOR

Monday thru Friday 10 am – 3 pm

NUsyllabus.com


6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018

AGRAWAL From page 1

Agrawal, who was from Mumbai, India, was a member of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity and played the saxophone in the Northwestern University Marching Band for two years, according to a Sunday email from Dean of Students Todd Adams. The chemistry major was recently named the recipient of the Chemistry Department Scholar Award for his

HOSPITAL From page 1

Pi Kappa Alpha chief marketing officer Brent Phillips said in a Tuesday statement that the chapter is cooperating with authorities and is appreciative of NU administrators’ and the counseling center’s support. “Out of respect for the young man, the

DISMISSAL From page 1

were not available and the defendants therefore did not satisfy their obligations as fiduciaries, or trustees. NU’s defense was handled by the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block. Craig Martin, who served as lead counsel for the defense, said the dismissal was a “well-reasoned and just result.” “The basic claim or allegation was that, without being very legal about it, was that Northwestern did not manage these (retirement) programs well,” he said. “And contrary to that, Northwestern’s approach to them has been quite good. They’re wonderful employee benefit programs and very consistent with recruiting and attracting talent to the university.” The first count alleged that Northwestern breached its fiduciary duty partly because it allowed TIAACREF — a third-party service provider — to mandate that the CREF Stock Account be included in investment plan options. Plaintiffs argued that because that fund underperformed and charged an excessive expense ratio, it should not have been made available to plan participants. That count was dismissed for failure to state a claim. The third count alleged that Northwestern breached its fiduciary duties by letting the plans pay record-keeping expenses through revenue sharing — in which mutual funds share some of the annual fees with the record keepers — and by allowing these fees to become excessive. It was dismissed because the allegations did not constitute a breach of fiduciary duty. The fifth count, which alleged that the range of investment options was too broad and that some of the fees charged by the funds were too high, was also dismissed for failure to state a claim. The second, fourth and sixth counts alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and claimed the defendants’ actions mentioned in counts one, three and five were also prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, which establishes minimum

work and honors thesis. Representatives from Northwestern Student Affairs met with Agrawal’s family members Monday after they arrived in Illinois, Glew said, to notify them of the cause of death. A funeral and burial will be held Tuesday in the state, he said. The Phi Mu Alpha fraternity will hold a memorial Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Alice Millar Chapel. sydstone@u.northwestern.edu family, and friends, the Chapter will refrain from further comment at this time,” Phillips said. Troy Closson contributed reporting. colinboyle2020@u.northwestern.edu jonahdylan2020@u.northwestern.edu sydstone@u.northwestern.edu standards for most voluntarily established pension plans in private industry. These counts were dismissed because the judge ruled the fees were reasonable. The seventh count alleged the defendants failed to monitor fiduciaries prudently, directly resulting in the loss of tens of millions of dollars in retirement savings. However, because plaintiffs did not respond to the defendants’ move to dismiss this count, the court deemed the claim abandoned. In addition to dismissing the seven counts, Alonso rejected four more proposed counts. In the past two years, the firm Schlichter Bogard & Denton has filed class action lawsuits on behalf of employees at many universities — including Northwestern — alleging the institutions charged excessive and unreasonable fees for their retirement plans. Some of the lawsuits, such as one against the University of Pennsylvania, were dismissed. A similar lawsuit against New York University, meanwhile, is set to go to trial. Last week, the University of Chicago settled a similar lawsuit — in which the plaintiffs were represented by a different firm than Northwestern’s plaintiffs — for $6.5 million, becoming the first of about 20 universities to settle after allegations of employee retirement plan mismanagement. Jerry Schlichter, a managing partner at Schlichter Bogard & Denton, said the firm plans to file a motion to reconsider. “We continue to believe that Northwestern employees and retirees have been paying excessive fees and that employees in billion dollar plans should not be paying retail fees when there are other, lowercost, identical options available,” Schlichter said. “We intend to continue to pursue this on behalf of the employees and retirees of Northwestern.”’ Rishika Dugyala contributed reporting jonahdylan2020@u.northwestern.edu peterkotecki2018@u.northwestern.edu

CONVICTION From page 1

At the trial last week, Wang’s attorney said there was a lack of DNA evidence presented and that the woman’s testimony was inconsistent. The attorney said the woman was angry because she didn’t get the kind of massage she wanted but still thanked Wang as she left. Prosecutors, however, said he woman was in shock after the incident and was afraid to say anything until she left the massage parlor. The woman had told Wang she was uncomfortable with the way he was touching her after he

CUBBAGE From page 1

Cubbage grew up in Iowa and stayed in the state to study communications at Grinnell College, and then to work as a reporter and editor at a small-town newspaper in Pella. He said the “on-the-ground” journalism experience let him write about a whole slew of different topics and reinforced the necessity of getting things right — because, he said, anyone he wrote about might bump into him around town the next day. He left for Chicago to study journalism at Medill and worked at the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights for about 10 years. Eventually, though, Cubbage said he moved over from “hack journalist” to “PR flack,” pursuing his master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications at Medill and working in public relations for the Pace suburban bus service and Drake University — where he also received a law degree. Part of what motivated the switch was a desire to be — quoting the musical “Hamilton” — in “the room where it happens,” Cubbage said. “I always felt as a reporter that I was sort of on the sidelines writing about what was happening,” Cubbage said. “It’s the difference between being an impartial observer and being an advocate.” Since joining Northwestern’s University Relations team in 1997, Cubbage said he has seen a lot of changes — from new buildings cropping up all over campus to social media transforming the entire communications world. When he started in the role, he said the University’s website was essentially just a list of six links and CAESAR was “truly basic,” so a lot of his focus was on bringing NU into the digital age. Anne Egger, NU’s director of publications, said Cubbage has “really gone with the flow” of the changing media world and brought his team along with him. “We’re a group that has really evolved,” Egger said. “Everybody is really receptive to change, and I think that’s a good legacy for him, that he’s set a good tone.” Over all his years at Northwestern, Cubbage said one of the most memorable occasions was the 2001 celebration he headed for the 150th

allegedly reached under the towel, inappropriately touching the woman in the breast and vaginal area, Evanston police told The Daily in 2016. Wang then wrapped his arms around her, but the woman was able to escape the situation, police said. Prosecutors said Wang could receive anything from probation to seven years, according to the Tribune. Wang is currently in police custody and is being held at Cook County Jail without bond as he awaits sentencing. Glew said Wang’s next court date is June 20 at the Skokie Courthouse. sydstone@u.northwestern.edu anniversary of the school. He recalled bringing out a massive cheesecake weighing hundreds of pounds at Deering Meadow and chartering CTA trains to shuttle Wildcats down to a Chicago Cubs game. Stephanie Russell, executive editor of the Northwestern alumni magazine, described Cubbage as a “person of great integrity” who cares deeply about his staff, leading them on mini golf outings and an annual bike ride through the North Shore. Russell, who has worked with Cubbage throughout his entire time at NU, pointed out that Cubbage still helps maintain a commemorative plaque that was installed during the sesquicentennial. “Over the years since then, the ivy on the building has kind of grown around the plaque and he’ll sometimes just wander over there … with his clippers and clip back the ivy so it doesn’t hide the plaque,” Russell said. “That just really says to me how devoted he is to Northwestern. He’s a true purple alum through and through.” Moving into his partial retirement, Cubbage said he plans to go to more Cubs games and looks forward to being able to ride his bike more — although he’ll miss his current commute, which takes him on a daily “journey through campus” biking along the lakefront. Cubbage said he’s had to face some tough situations as the public face of Northwestern and has had to make an effort to be both “transparent” and “thoughtful” knowing that his words will be interpreted as the voice of the University. However, Cubbage said he’s also enjoyed some “great, wonderful experiences” in his role. He said it’s been easy to advocate for a cause that he truly believes in: higher education in general and Northwestern in particular, a school that he said prepares its students to be “valuable members of their communities.” “My greatest satisfaction, honestly, comes from knowing that hopefully I’ve been a good influence and a good helper to many, many people, both in my role as a manager and as a teacher … and hopefully to the University,” Cubbage said. “Northwestern is a great place. It was a great place when I got here, and I think it’s an even better place now.” madelineburakoff2020@u.northwestern.edu

DAILY PUZZLES & CLASSIFIEDS • HELP WANTED • FOR RENT • FOR SALE Classified Ads

For Rent

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an ad. Corrections must be received by 10am on the day before ad runs again, call 847-4917206. All Classifieds must be paid in advance and are not accepted over the phone. To run online, ad must run in print on same day. The Daily does not knowingly accept misleading or false ads and does not guarantee any ad or claim, or endorse any advertised product or service. Please use caution when answering ads, especially when sending money.

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an ad. Corrections must be received by 10am on the day before ad runs again, call 847-4917206. All Classifieds must be paid in advance and are not accepted over the phone. To run online, ad must run in print on same day. The Daily does not knowingly accept misleading or false ads and does not guarantee any ad or claim, or endorse any advertised product or service. Please use caution when answering ads, especially when sending money.

HELP WANTED ADS are accepted only from advertisers who are equal opportunity employers. The presumption, therefore, is that all positions offered here are available to qualified persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, handicap, or veteran status.

It is the policy of The Daily Northwestern to accept housing advertising only from those whose housing is available without discrimination with respect to sexual orientation, race, creed or national origin. The presumption is therefore, that any housing listing appearing here is non-discriminatory.

Help Wanted

CUSTOMERSERVICE

@EVANSTONAPARTMENTS.COM

Post a Classified!

Now anyone can post and manage a classified ad. Go to: DailyNorthwestern. com/classifieds Questions? Call 847-491-7206

DAILY SUDOKU Complete the grid so each ROW, COLUMN and 3-by-3 BOX (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

05/30/18

Level: 1 2 3 4

© 2018 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

APARTMENT RENTALS 847 869 1444 3 BLOCKS FROM NU ½ BLOCK FROM FOSTER “L” FOSTER AND MAPLE 2-3-4 BEDROOMS FROM $1,175 RENT ENTIRE APT OR WE CAN PROVIDE ROOMMATES UNFURNISHED OR FURNISHED MODERN AND SPACIOUS DEDICATED PARKING AVAILABLE EVANSTONAPARTMENTS.COM

DAILY CROSSWORD Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis


THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018

Illinois Democrats in Congress push Rauner to enact health care changes

Daily file photo by Colin Boyle

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) speaks at Northwestern in 2016. Schakowsky joined 10 other Democratic representatives from Illinois to push for health care reform in the state.

The ongoing Northwestern project

ALLEN

From page 8 or I can be a doctor, or a baseball coach,’ I think that’s a positive. And if there’s a positive that can come out of it, I don’t want to squash that either.” Instead, Allen has tried to use his unique status not to direct attention toward himself, but to further a Major League Baseball-led effort to increase youth baseball participation in lowerincome and minority households. While black athletes represent 45 percent and 39 percent of NCAA men’s basketball and football rosters respectively, they make up just 4 percent of the NCAA baseball population, according to a 2016-17 NCAA report. But among the three sports, baseball has the highest rate of high school athletes who go on to play in college (and, in many cases, receive partial scholarships) — suggesting that if more minority athletes start playing grade school baseball, there could be more affordable college opportunities for those athletes. Allen said the efforts he’s involved with focus on bringing baseball equipment, fields and organized leagues to 11- and 12-year-olds in inner cities, who otherwise would likely get their athletic fix through basketball. The Chicago White Sox have pioneered the campaign locally, and Allen said he wants to help introduce it to the Washington, D.C., and Seattle areas next.

Despite his charitable efforts on the side, the Cats’ program has done little to shake its reputation as a perennial loser after three years of the Allen era. Save for a strange and probably flukey lateseason run to the 2017 Big Ten title game with a sub-.500 record — even the skipper himself admits that team simply “got hot for about six weeks” — Allen’s teams have gone absolutely nowhere. A year ago, after that rousing championshipgame run and with the men’s basketball team still riding the high of its historic first NCAA Tournament bid, the former program seemed perhaps just a step or two behind the latter in their synchronous, collective rise. That perception, however, went down in flames this spring. “The hard thing when you look at men’s basketball is that they had almost a ladder effect, whereas we’re going to have our own path,” Allen said. “What I hope is that when we look back in six, seven years, we’re going, ‘Yeah, though we took a little dip here, we still did reach the same thing (as they did).’” The multitude of both hard-to-fathom blowouts (22-1 against Indiana, for example) and heartbreaking defeats clearly weighed on this year’s roster. “Everybody’s just been having a really difficult time,” junior outfielder Ben

The 11 Illinois Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote a second letter Tuesday pushing Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to protect constituents from spikes in health insurance premiums. According to a news release, U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) led nine others in writing the letters following President Donald Trump’s executive order dismantling parts of the Affordable Care Act. The group mailed Rauner the first letter on April 13, outlining six ideas to stabilize insurance rates in Illinois, including providing a basic plan for coverage, strengthening oversight of insurance marketplaces and passing a state-level individual mandate. In the most recent letter, representatives said Dickey said late in the year. “Losing two extra-inning games is not the way you imagine your senior weekend going,” senior catcher Jack Claeys said after a seasonending series loss to Belmont. The numbers were almost as ugly as the results. Six relievers who made double-digit appearances had ERAs of 6.00 or higher. The majority of NU’s batting order hit worse than .237. As a team, the Cats averaged more than one wild pitch and more than one hit batter per game. “We need more consistency,” he said. “That consistency was not there for really any stretch of the season, and when you’re not consistent, it’s hard to (determine), ‘Who do we use in this spot?’”

‘It takes someone special’

It was in Pullman, Washington, around the turn of the current decade, when Allen discovered his passion for recruiting. “I really fell in love with the recruiting side of it, getting to know kids and their families,” he said. “Someone had told me, ‘If you don’t like to recruit, coaching is not (for you).’” Those skills have been put to the test in recent years, as Allen now must battle other schools for recruits. Not an easy task considering NU’s lack of winning tradition, strict academic standards

they had concerns about “serious negative consequences,” particularly for constituents relying on Get Covered Illinois — a website available through the state where people can compare health plans. Tuesday’s letter cited data from the progressive think tank Center for American Progress, estimating that average premiums will increase by $1,211 in Illinois. The end of the individual mandate and the expansion of short-duration plans without basic protections are at the root of this increase, the letter said. “The evidence is mounting that Trump Administration decisions to sabotage the Affordable Care Act will have serious consequences for our constituents,” the group wrote in the letter. “Illinois could act now to … avoid higher rates next year. Yet, each day that goes by makes it more difficult to act effectively.” Rauner has yet to respond to the Democrats’ request. — Catherine Henderson

and cold, not-fit-for-baseball weather. On the Wednesday afternoon Allen finds himself keeping one eye on his television, the temperature outside is actually pleasant. But it is even warmer in Hoover, Alabama, where the Aggies and Bulldogs are finishing up their second-round tournament game. Allen half-watches while he talks, and as he does, an unmistakable undertone of chip-on-hisshoulder determination slowly arises. It’s day four of the offseason. The coach is preparing for a long summer: “Two and a half months to figure out how to create that culture (of ) consistency,” he calls it. Soon, it’ll be time to hit the road and put together another recruiting class. And his pitch to every prospective member brings out a rarely seen fire in the typically laidback coach’s words. “I ask (them) the question: ‘Are you the type of guy that needs a guarantee, or do you trust in me that we can go do something special?’” Allen said. “Anyone can go say, ‘Georgia’s the No. 8 team in the country, they look good, they’ve been winning, I’ll go there.’ It takes someone special to see the vision and say that, ‘I want a challenge … but I want to be one of the first that gets to a regional here at Northwestern.’” benjaminpope2019@u.northwestern.edu

Order your 2019 yearbook on CAESAR 1. Log on to CAESAR 2. Click "Profile"

4. Check "order" and click save

SAVE 10% if you order the 2019 Syllabus yearbook today!

3. Click "Syllabus Yearbook Orders"

FOR INFO AND ALL THINGS YEARBOOK VISIT

www.NUSyllabus.com


SPORTS

ON THE RECORD

“The hard thing when you look at men’s basketball is that they had almost a ladder effect, whereas we’re going to have our own path.” — Spencer Allen, baseball coach

@DailyNU_Sports

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

THE SIDELINE

Allen seeks new identity for Northwestern baseball

Source: Northwestern Athletics

Spencer Allen looks out from the Miller Park dugout. Three years into his tenure, Allen said he is seeking to get more consistency out of his Wildcats.

By BEN POPE

daily senior staffer @benpope111

Spencer Allen’s office at Miller Park is fairly nondescript, save for the television mounted on the wall. Early on a Wednesday afternoon, it is tuned to the SEC baseball tournament, in which Texas A&M is on its way to upsetting No. 8 Georgia. Allen is in that office, watching the game, but he wishes he wasn’t. He wishes he was in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Big Ten’s equivalent affair. He wishes his Northwestern team had followed up its 2017 lateseason surge with its projected 2018 breakthrough. He wishes the Wildcats hadn’t instead finished 17-32 overall and second-to-last in the conference. Allen’s honeymoon in Evanston is over. The perfect upward ladder to success that Chris Collins’ basketball team followed and that Allen imagined for the baseball program has been knocked down to the dirty, ugly ground. The going-on-fourth-year coach knows it’s his job to make sure

he isn’t watching Georgia baseball this time next year. “In a twisted way, it’s fun sitting here figuring out, ‘OK, how are we going to get back to playing in the Big Ten Tournament this week and not watching on TV here,’” Allen said. “It’s fun to dig in and figure out how we’re going to get better.”

Shaped by models

Charting Allen’s career prior to his arrival in Evanston looks like a 7-yearold threw a few handfuls of darts at a United States map. The Olympia, Washington, native played at Oregon State and Iowa State, then jumped into coaching and made stops at Iowa, Purdue, Washington State, Creighton and Illinois before getting his first head job with NU. It was not the volume of locations, however, but the experiences at each stop that molded him into the refreshingly positive and innovative 37-yearold that arrived at NU athletic director Jim Phillips’ doorstep in 2015. As a player, Allen earned a scholarship to baseball power Oregon State but “quickly, quickly found out what

college baseball was all about,” he said. Deciding he wasn’t cut out for the Pac10, he ended up in Ames, Iowa, where he batted a respectable .263 over two seasons while planning a jump into a graduate assistant role. Then Iowa State canceled its baseball program. “Now looking back, I understand, looking at the athletic program,” he said. “But at the time, (my reaction) was probably sadness, frustration and then going, ‘Oh crap, what am I going to do?’” Allen became a high school history teacher, at least for a little while. Then, he got a volunteer assistant job at nearby Iowa. Finally, in 2004, came a real job on a real coaching staff at Creighton. There in Omaha, Allen said he learned from head coach Ed Servais how to structure practices in thoughtful and effective ways, jumpstarting what has become a career-long focus on the importance of practice. Even later at Washington State, where Allen was primarily deployed as recruiting coordinator, then-Cougars skipper Donnie Marbut saw that keen eye in

his young assistant. “The thing about Spence is that he was always looking at a practice and thinking, ‘How can we make it better?’” Marbut said. “He wasn’t just a status quo type of person. … He was always passionate about the game, and he wanted to continue to elevate (the team).” He learned not only from personal mentors like Servais, Marbut and Oregon State coach Pat Casey, he said, but also from national college baseball icons such as UCLA’s John Savage and Virginia’s Brian O’Connor. By 2015, during his final assistant stop, Allen helped guide Illinois to a 50-10-1 record and NCAA Super Regional berth. He was ready to take over a program.

An identity conundrum

NU, of course, was not an obviously appealing choice. Despite the planned renovations to Miller Park, which were completed midway through Allen’s 2016 debut season, the program sported an unsightly history of ineptitude, having not made the

NCAA Tournament since 1957 and having gone 18-36 during previous coach Paul Stevens’ final campaign. The June 2015 announcement that Allen would replace the retiring Stevens would likely not have received much, if any, national attention if not for one unrelated fact: It made him the first black baseball coach in the Big Ten — ever. That milestone sparked a wave of media attention into that racial vacuum within the sport’s leadership. For Allen, though, the fanfare surrounding the title of “Big Ten’s first black coach” was immediately something he was hesitant to incorporate into his identity. That hasn’t changed in the time since. “There have been a lot of more influential people than me that have come before me that helped pave the way, (so) it’s not something I want to make a big deal,” he said. “Now, on the flip side of that, if there’s a young boy out there that sees, ‘Hey, maybe I can be the President of the United States, » See ALLEN, page 7

BASEBALL

Eight Cats prepare for collegiate summer ball season By PETER WARREN

the daily northwestern @thepeterwarren

While Northwestern’s season ended 10 days ago, some Wildcats are not finished playing baseball for the summer. Eight Wildcats will play collegiate summer baseball with seven different teams across four different leagues. All of these NU players competing in summer leagues are position players. “Baseball is a repetition sport, so you have to play the game,” coach Spencer Allen said. “It just provides that overall repetition. Summer ball is very important for us for sure.” Junior shortstop Jack Dunn will return to the Lakeshore Chinooks in Mequon, Wisconsin, for the second consecutive summer. The Chinooks are one of 20 teams that play in the Northwoods League. Last summer with the Chinooks, Dunn hit .287 with a .356 on-base percentage and 11 stolen bases while splitting time between shortstop and third base. He said he learned a lot from his teammates last summer. “When you are there with other players, you try to pick their brains a little bit and see what they do and how they go about their business,” Dunn said. “See if I can get some tips or

advice from other players around the league.” Also playing in the Northwoods League this summer is Dunn’s double-play partner, sophomore second baseman Alex Erro. Erro will play with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Two Cats — sophomore third baseman Charlie Maxwell and freshman catcher Jack Kelly — will spend their summer together. The duo will play with the Brockton Rox in Brockton, Massachusetts, of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Last summer, Brockton was coached by former Northwestern assistant coach Tad Skelley. Maxwell, who is an Evanston native, said going away for the summer lets him see new parts of the country and play with people from many different backgrounds. “Last year, I was out west (to Oregon) and I didn’t know a single person in the entire league,” Maxwell said. “Kelly and I are actually living together. It will be nice to have him there to push me and make sure I’m getting my work in and obviously I’ll do the same for him.” Freshman outfielder David Dunn, who missed the last 39 games of the 2018 season due to an injury, will return to game action with the Worcester Bravehearts — who are

also members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League — in Worcester, Massachusetts. Jack Dunn said he is excited for his brother to stay healthy and get some reps in while preparing for next spring. “Just for him to get out there and be healthy and getting back to playing the game will be huge for him,” Jack Dunn said. “I know he will make some big strides.” Also playing in the Futures League is junior outfielder Ben Dickey. Dickey will play with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. In 2017, Dickey played with the Lake Erie Monarchs in the Great Lakes Collegiate League. This summer, fellow outfielder and freshman Casey O’Laughlin will play with the Flat Rock, Michigan-based team. Sophomore catcher Nick Paciorek is travelling the farthest from Evanston. Paciorek will spend his summer in Portland, Oregon, as a member of the Portland Pickles. Maxwell said his favorite part of playing summer ball is that there is one focus for the summer: playing baseball. “I love summer ball,” Maxwell said. “It is a great opportunity to get better and to just focus on baseball for a while.” peterwarren2021@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Brian Meng

Ben Dickey slides into home plate. The junior will play with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks this summer.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.