The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, January 9, 2018
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Thorson tears ACL, to be out for months
Newly-renovated Willard Hall reopens to students after over a year of construction
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NU endowment could be taxed New figure puts Northwestern in higher threshold By ALAN PEREZ
daily senior staffer @_perezalan_
A story about NU’s endowment appeared Dec. 31 on The Daily Northwestern’s website.
Allie Goulding/Daily Senior Staffer
Kyle Queiro tiptoes down the sideline on an interception return. The senior safety scored a touchdown on the return to help Northwestern to a Music City Bowl victory.
Wildcats survive losing several key playmakers in 24-23 bowl win By MAX SCHUMAN
daily senior staffer @maxschuman28
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The road to victory was a rocky one, filled with twists and turns. But as the clock ran out on the 2017 season, Northwestern, once again,
NU receives most-ever early applications
Northwestern received a record number of applications in both the Early Decision and regular applicant pools, and anticipates a decline in acceptance rates for both groups, University officials told The Daily. After receiving the most Early Decision applications in its history this year, the University admitted 1,072 early applicants into the class of 2022 on Dec. 14, associate provost for University admissions Michael Mills told The Daily in an email. Early applications for firstyear students totaled 4,049, making the Early Decision acceptance rate about 26 percent. This is slightly down from last year’s Early Decision acceptance rate of 28 percent, Mills said. The number of students admitted through Early Decision represents another record high for the school, a University spokesman told The Daily in an
found a way to get it done. In a Music City Bowl marred by injury and questionable officiating decisions, the No. 21 Wildcats (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) clung to a narrow lead for much of the game and outlasted Kentucky (7-6, 4-4 SEC) 24-23 on Friday. A serious leg injury to junior quarterback Clayton Thorson early in the game email. NU is targeting an incoming class of 1,925 first-year students, Mills said, and projects that around 54 percent of that class will be filled by the newly-admitted early applicants — though the number who will attend NU is not final because Early Decision students can withdraw based on financial burden. The class of 2020 was the first in which Early Decision students made up more than half of the incoming first-year class. The proportion of NU’s entering class coming from Early Decision has been roughly 50 to 54 percent for the past five years, according to University officials. NU is “comfortable” with that level but “(does) not wish to see it go any higher at this time,” the spokesman said. Overall, NU had received 40,418 first-year applications for Fall 2018 as of Monday, Mills said, representing an alltime high for the University and about an 8.5 percent increase » See ADMISSIONS, page 6
hampered NU’s offense, but a slew of timely defensive plays helped secure the Cats’ victory in spite of the adversity. The final key play came on a do-or-die 2-point conversion for Kentucky with just 37 seconds remaining. NU’s defense forced a tough throw from quarterback Stephen Johnson that hit receiver
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Tavin Richardson’s hands and fell incomplete, clinching a bowl victory for a program that has now seen just four in its history. Following Thorson’s secondquarter injury on a trick play, the Cats turned to Justin Jackson as they have so many times before. » See BOWL GAME, page 6
Newly-published figures by the Northwestern Investment Office indicate the University’s endowment has reached the threshold for a new endowment tax enacted Dec. 22 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. University officials are still uncertain, however, what impact the tax will have on NU. The Office published on its website that the endowment had grown to roughly $10.5 billion at the end of August 2017, completing the fiscal year with a 6.7 percent growth rate — up from last year’s $9.8 billion value. The new figure suggests NU could join other private colleges — those with more than 500 students and assets with a market value of at least $500,000 per full-time equivalent student — in paying the 1.4% excise tax on
annual net investment income. The University currently reports 20,500 full-time equivalent students, meaning its assets have an estimated value of $510,000 per student. This figure could qualify NU for the tax beginning as early as next year. Jonathan Yates, director of media relations for NU, told The Daily last week it wasn’t clear if the University would be immediately subject to the tax. The previously-reported figure of $9.8 billion would have placed the endowment’s value at roughly $480,000 per student — just under the tax threshold. Al Cubbage, vice president for University relations, echoed Yates’s uncertainty in a Friday email to The Daily. Despite the new figure, he said, it’s still unclear to the University whether it will begin paying the tax this upcoming year. However, it looks like NU will eventually face the tax. “We anticipate that the University would be (subject to the tax) in subsequent years, assuming the endowment continues to grow,” Cubbage said. “When that occurs, we’ll pay the tax. But we don’t know precisely what the impact may be.” » See TAX, page 6
Aldermen vote on harassment policy City adopts changes following new Illinois-wide requirement By KEERTI GOPAL
the daily northwestern @keerti_gopal
One week before the state deadline, Evanston aldermen voted unanimously in favor of adopting a new city sexual harassment policy in accordance with recent changes to Illinois law. The resolution follows state legislation passed in November, mandating that all governmental units enact new sexual harassment policies by Jan. 15. The act requires policies to include four main components: a prohibition of sexual harassment, details on procedures for reporting harassment, protection against retaliation towards harassment reporters and consequences for both violating prohibition and knowingly making a false report.
The resolution adheres to the Illinois Human Rights Act’s definition of sexual harassment and utilizes the Illinois Whistleblower Act to protect employees reporting violations of regulations from employer retaliation. It is a distinct change from Evanston’s previous policy, which human resources division manager Jennifer Lin said was much less extensive. “The previous policy was a few paragraphs that were in the personnel manual,” Lin told The Daily. “Now a stand-alone policy is required by state law. Lin said the new policy’s main changes include adding examples of different kinds of sexual harassment — such as verbal, nonverbal, sexting and texting — and adding details on various ways to report harassment. Ald. Robin Rue Simmons
Katie Pach/Daily Senior Staffer
Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (6th) thinks at a City Council meeting. Aldermen adopted a new sexual harassment policy to comply with a new state law at the meeting Monday.
(5th) told The Daily that the current national climate, with harassment infiltrating government, entertainment and business, has raised awareness about the importance of such policies.
“I have no knowledge of any issues (in Evanston) relative to sexual harassment,” Rue Simmons said. “But I think » See HARASSMENT, page 6
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