The Daily Northwestern — January 18th, 2024 by The Daily Northwestern

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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, January 18, 2024

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 3 CAMPUS/Anniversary

4 OPINION/Free Speech

NU Grad Workers reflect on one year

Institutions should protect free speech, writes alum, First Amendment expert Stephen Rhodes

Find us online @thedailynu Scan this QR code to hear more about Evanston’s MLK Day celebration

High 24 Low 12

City not ready for migrants asylum seekers have reported Evanston lacks struggle to obtain work funds, housing for they permits, limiting their employand housing opportunipossible newcomers ment ties when settling. Similarly, By SHREYA SRINIVASAN

daily senior staffer @shreyasrin

After living on the floors of police stations and warming centers, an asylum-seeking Venezuelan family of four arrived at the home of Evanston resident Kristin Huzar in early 2023. She planned to house them for a few days while they found their bearings. They ended up staying with her for nine months. Huzar, with the help of community members and local food pantries, supported the family during their stay by fundraising $8,000 for their food and educational support. Now, the family lives in a studio apartment in the 5th Ward. Huzar, an ESL teacher at Nelson Elementary School in Niles, Ill., however, said the city should have offered more aid for migrants like the family she took in. “I got zero help from the city,” Huzar said. While navigating the U.S. immigration system, many

limited state and federal funding has contributed to a “tough” housing situation for new arrivals to the city, said Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th). “In my opinion, to solve this problem we really need federal funding to be able to do something about it,” Geracaris said. “We have some city funds that we set aside for aid for migrants and refugees that are already living in Evanston.” Since Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced in November a 60-day eviction policy for new arrivals in Chicago from migrant shelters and police stations, many migrants have been seeking housing in nearby suburbs. In response, nearby municipalities like Rosemont and Aurora, Ill. have already passed restrictions on unscheduled bus drop-offs to regulate migrant intake. In a Jan. 8 news release, Evanston announced that the city was encouraged by the state to direct migrants to a “centralized location” in Chicago for processing. The city

» See MIGRANT INFLUX, page 6

Samantha Powers/The Daily Northwestern

Eig said the creation of “King: A Life” took six years, hundreds of interviews and a team of fact-checkers.

Medill alum commemorates MLK

Jonathan Eig talks new King biography at annual keynote address By SAMANTHA POWERS

daily senior staffer @SQPowers04

Jonathan Eig (Medill ’86) commemorated Martin Luther

King Jr.’s life — flaws and all — at his keynote speech Tuesday in Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall. An award-winning biographer, Eig spoke about the creation of his newest book, “King: A Life.”

Eig’s newest book on King is a National Book Award Nominee, a New York Times Bestseller and a Barack Obama Summer 2023 Read. Eig detailed King’s career as a moral leader, from the

Montgomery Bus Boycott to the March on Washington. But he also emphasized King’s flaws, including his extramarital affairs and his

» See MLK KEYNOTE, page 6

Live4Lali provides harm reduction Groundskeepers Mobile outreach center “The Stigma Crusher” offers city resources By CARLOTTA ANGIOLILLO

the daily northwestern @carlottaang76

Six months ago, Live4Lali’s purple truck — parked around the corner from the Howard Street Red Line station — may only have garnered suspicion or curiosity from passersby. Since mid-July, however, the vehicle has become a familiar sight to Evanston residents. “People recognize us now. It’s really refreshing,” said Alex Mathiesen, Live4Lali’s director of programs. “It’s empowering because they’ll see the truck rolling down the road, and people will come riding up and be like, ‘Man, I’m so glad I didn’t miss you today.’ Every time we go out there, we see 60 people-ish, and it’s continuing to grow.” Live4Lali aims to mitigate not only the immediate harm caused by substance use but also the subsequent legal, social and health issues, according to its website. The truck, known as “The Stigma Crusher,” is Live4Lali’s

Recycle Me

mobile outreach project, and it provides harm reduction resources, like safe injection kits and naloxone, to people with substance use disorders across different Chicago-area suburbs. The truck also administers food, personal care items and masks as well as assistance with finding treatment and recovery options. “Every single person that we serve takes food from us, every single one,” Mathiesen said. “We’re not just out there handing out needles and pipes. We’re there to be a hub for a community initiative, to get people into wherever they need to go.” The truck is located on West Howard Street near Chicago Avenue from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Mathiesen, who himself is a former heroin user, said lived experience is essential to Live4Lali’s organizational identity and guides its programming. “We believe very firmly in the ‘nothing for us without us’ mentality,” Mathiesen said. Live4Lali also partners with other organizations in

tend NU campus

Assistant Groundskeeper Team keeps flowers Foreman Steve Camburn, planted, roads clear now in his 36th year with the started as a gardener and through the seasons team, now oversees the 23-member By MARY RANDOLPH

daily senior staff

Carlotta Angiolillo/The Daily Northwestern

Live4Lali’s mobile outreach project, also known as “The Stigma Crusher,” provides harm reduction resources to Evanston residents on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

the Evanston area, including local nonprofit Connections for the Homeless. Both groups share a philosophy of supporting each individual’s specific needs regardless of where they are in their recovery process.

Alaina Slempkes, a community nurse at Connections for the Homeless, said Live4Lali provides training for drug overdose prevention to

» See STIGMA CRUSHER, page 6

Sitting under several photos of Northwestern’s campus throughout the seasons at groundskeeping’s Ridge Avenue office, Lead Groundskeeper Nigel Chesters and groundskeeper Marco Montoya joke around about their memories from over the years. The office is filled with knickknacks and photos of the group’s favorite sports teams and home to the people responsible for all of NU’s grounds. Chesters and Montoya have been part of Northwestern’s groundskeeping team for 26 and 24 years, respectively, and said most of their colleagues have similar tenures. With essentially “no turnover,” Chesters said, the team knows the campus — and one another — intimately.

grounds team. Camburn said their jurisdiction includes everything from trees and flowers to concrete and benches to garbage pickup. “We handle almost everything outside the footprint of the building — and sometimes, even the ivy growing up the side of the building,” Camburn said. The groundskeeping team starts their day at 5 or 6 a.m. Most team members are assigned to one of eight oncampus areas, mowing, pruning, trimming or doing any number of tasks the campus requires that day. Right now, Montoya is mainly responsible for the fleet of vehicles and machinery the groundskeeping team uses, he said, working with the larger Facilities Management department’s two mechanics to ensure their gear is ready

» See GROUNDSKEEPERS, page 6

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

2 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

AROUND TOWN

Local teen eliminates language barriers in healthcare By ANAVI PRAKASH

daily senior stafferbridge the @anavi_52

An aspiring doctor, Samuel Yousefzai has volunteered with several home health agencies that help patients in their homes. During one visit, he said he was helping a nurse who was struggling to communicate with an Assyrian patient. The Roycemore School senior, who is also Assyrian and has experience translating for his great-grandparents, offered to help. “I ended up translating for them, and I was able to see how much better the meeting was able to go,” Yousefzai said. “I think communication is one of the most important things. Not only is it important for the patient to understand what the nurse’s instructions are, it’s also important for the patient to be able to describe what they’re feeling.” After helping that patient, Yousefzai said he realized he could use his translation skills to eliminate language barriers in medicine — a field he is passionate about. “That patient I met was when I realized that this is the way I should be helping out because I truly believe that that patient would not have gotten even half the care he needed if it wasn’t for that communication barrier being broken,” he said. So, he created nonprofit organization Bridge the Gap Interpreting in 2020 to pair translators with patients through the home health agencies he had worked with. Yousefzai said he contacted people he knew who spoke various languages. He said he wanted to recruit translators from the agencies he worked for because they understood healthcare. Juliet Ashuty, one of those translators, speaks five languages: Assyrian, Farsi, Turkish, Armenian and English. She said she thinks interpreting for patients is more than just getting them medical help — it’s prioritizing and building relationships with patients. “We want to help them,” Ashuty said. “We want to talk to them, we want to help them with

Photo courtesy of Samuel Yousefzai

Samuel Yousefzai meets Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi after winning the Youth Philanthropist of the Year in 2022. He won for his work with his nonprofit, Bridge the Gap Interpreting.

their problems.” For his work with Bridge the Gap, Yousefzai was named the Youth Philanthropist of the Year in 2022 by state Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.). Mark Terrado, whom Yousefzai describes as a mentor, was especially proud. Terrado, a nurse, said it is important to put care into the “language the patient understands” to build trust between the interpreter and the patient. Terrado said Yousefzai’s first-hand experience through Bridge the Gap will make him a better person and physician. Now, Yousefzai said he plans to expand Bridge

the Gap to the national level. “So many patients across the country who are under those agencies, they do not have proper translators,” he said. “So, we can get as many translators as we want, and we can try to help it.” Yousefzai’s ultimate goal is to break language barriers in healthcare. The success of Bridge the Gap in the Chicago area demonstrates that it is possible to achieve the goal on a national level, he said. Yousefzai is currently researching how obesity is shaped by different social factors like race and gender. He hopes to apply the research skills he

learns to his work battling language obstacles in the healthcare system. This work is important to Yousefzai because it helps him solve the problem at its roots instead of simply trimming it down. “I’m cutting the branch(es) as much as I can,” he said. “There’s a little problem here, I try to fix it. Little problem here, I try to fix it, but I cannot keep that on forever. I believe (by) looking in the main issue of asking yourself ‘why is this an issue?’ we can help stop language barriers in healthcare.” anaviprakash2027@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

ON CAMPUS

Grad union reflects year into negotiations By SAMANTHA POWERS and JERRY WU

the daily northwestern @sqpowers04 / @jerrwu

Just over a year after the Northwestern University Graduate Workers received formal recognition from the University, union leaders are reflecting on what has — and hasn’t — changed. After years of community organizing, NUGW held its first election, winning a supermajority of support to file with the National Labor Relations Board to certify the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America as its collective bargaining body in January 2023. This move also earned the union formal recognition from the University, and bargaining negotiations kicked off. Since then, 13 bargaining sessions have been completed, with the University canceling an additional two. A University spokesperson previously told The Daily that the University canceled its Nov. 14 meeting because it needed more time to review NUGW’s economic proposals, which the union presented to the University Oct. 19. Another University spokesperson previously told The Daily that NU canceled its Nov. 30 meeting because its lead negotiator tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. She said the University extended three other bargaining sessions from half-day to full-day in light of the cancellation. NUGW and the University have reached tentative agreements on 24 of 32 proposed articles, and seven are still in negotiation. The next session is scheduled for Feb. 1. Peter Cummings, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is a member of NUGW’s bargaining committee. He said the union makes people feel like they are a part of something. “Academics usually tend to be pretty politically engaged, and I think for a lot of us, this is the first kind of tangible moment of participating in a participatory democracy,” Cummings said. “And I think it’s exciting.” Cummings is one of two bargaining committee members representing the Chicago campus.

He said people on the Chicago campus can feel isolated in their labs, but added the union has been able to bring people together. Cummings said the union’s goal is ultimately to negotiate a contract as quickly as possible. After the University gives its best and final offer, the bargaining committee — and then the union at large — will vote on it. NUGW’s bargaining sessions and interactions with the University have to abide by laws and jurisdictional rulings to remain in good standing. Union members must come to agreements directly with the University over proposals including payments of compensation, medical benefits, retirement, employee and tax assistance, tuition and fees — all of which are still being negotiated. If members find the University’s final offer to be unsatisfactory, Cummings said the union is prepared to strike. He said the strike pledge will launch Jan. 29, and he hopes it will force the University to take their demands seriously. “We don’t want to (strike),” Cummings said. “But if they’re not going to meet this moment right now, and realize that they have these resources and they can make this happen … we will move. But again, our goal is to get this done as quickly as possible and not strike.” Cummings said graduate workers love their work, but they also hope to raise the standards of higher education through fair treatment and competitive pay. The NUGW’s organizing co-chair Emma Kennedy, a sixth-year art history Ph.D. candidate, has been responsible for organizing workers and liaising with different organizers and departments to disseminate information to workers. “I think that we all really wanted our contracts to be done in 2023,” Kennedy said. “But the University didn’t quite agree.” Kennedy said Fall Quarter brought in the first cohort of graduate workers to jump right into a legally recognized union, causing an uptick in union membership and involvement in the last year. “The last year has been exciting because we’ve just been continuing to grow, expand and welcome in new organizers,” she said.

The Daily Northwestern

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Established in 2016, NUGW announced it had won the election to unionize on Jan. 12 last year.

Jake Cohen, a second-year Ph.D. candidate in interdisciplinary biological sciences, was elected as the union’s secretary. He said NUGW’s interaction with the University has been different since the election. “The communication with the University has been more formalized and actual,” Cohen said. “There is more of a direct communication with the University, although it’s not always the smoothest and most respectful interaction.” Sara Bowden, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in music theory & cognition, was one of NUGW’s co-chairs during the election. They said their participation in the union has been the most meaningful part of their time at NU. Bowden said it felt “awesome” to step into a union-protected job the day after the election. “The whole election showed us that when we all come together, through small conversations, and through meetings and town halls, we can create a lot of change that will benefit every single person on campus,” Bowden said. samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

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4 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

OPINION

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com

Universities should promote debate and resist censorship STEPHEN ROHDE

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

We are experiencing another dark chapter in American history. The right to voice dissent and our commitment to free speech are under serious attack. Hamas’ brutal attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli Defense Forces’ unrelenting destruction of Gaza, settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and a spike in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have triggered deep divisions at American universities. Speakers have been canceled, student organizations have been banned, and politicians, alumni, donors and others are demanding that colleges crack down on political advocacy they label “hate speech.” As an undergraduate at Northwestern in the 1960s, I protested against the Vietnam War. What I learned inside and outside the classroom helped prepare me for a life committed to the belief that the greatest threat to democracy is when those in power seek to suppress robust and open debate — especially on highly charged political issues. On Oct. 4, 2001, I returned to Northwestern to address a group of students about the one-month anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. With the attacks still fresh in everyone’s mind, I told the students that my own patriotism was “about diversity and equality.” Sept. 11 changed each of us, I said, “but it did not change the Constitution and it did not change the Bill of Rights.” I quoted Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” 22 years later, much of what I said then applies today. Fundamental principles of free speech and academic freedom are deeply misunderstood, prompting authorities to suppress free and open debate. Let’s be clear. Public colleges and universities, like all arms of the government, are bound by the First Amendment. And many private institutions, including Northwestern, are bound by comparable standards of free speech set forth in student and faculty handbooks and in university policies.

The current Northwestern student handbook assures students they “will be free from censorship in the publication and dissemination of their views as long as these are not represented as the views of Northwestern University and do not violate any University policies.” Students are also “free to form, join, and participate in any group for intellectual, religious, social, economic, political, or cultural purposes,” according to the handbook. But these freedoms are not absolute, just as the First Amendment is not absolute. There are

”

When accurately understood, these fundamental First Amendment principles make clear that many of the recent threats to free speech on campus promote a dangerously distorted interpretation of the law.

- STEPHEN ROHDE, op-ed contributor

certain narrowly defined exceptions to the First Amendment, including personal insults that are intended and likely to produce an immediate violent response (“fighting words”); speech directly targeting a single individual or small group with intent to instill a reasonable fear they will be subjected to imminent violence (“true threats”); intentional incitement of imminent violence that is likely to happen imminently, or the solicitation of acts of violence against specific individuals (“incitement”); and speech in the workplace or educational institutions that is sufficiently severe and pervasive to create a hostile environment or alter the conditions of employment or education (“harassment”). Contrary to popular opinion, there is no First Amendment exception for “hate speech” unless it falls within one of the exceptions listed above. Vile, shameful, offensive and hateful speech, standing alone, is constitutionally

protected. In a unanimous and ground-breaking 1969 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that “the constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action.” The Court added that merely advocating the moral necessity of force and violence — without engaging in or taking concrete steps to engage in violence — is not against the law. When accurately understood, these fundamental First Amendment principles make clear that many of the recent threats to free speech on campus promote a dangerously distorted interpretation of the law. For example, on Oct. 25, 2023, the Anti-Defamation League and The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law wrote a joint letter to nearly 200 American colleges and universities urging them to investigate the activities of campus chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine for “potential violations of the prohibition against materially supporting a foreign terrorist organization.” That’s a very serious accusation. In fact, to date, student chapters of SJP have been suspended at Columbia, Brandeis (unaffiliated with the center), George Washington and Rutgers. Two chapters in Florida are in limbo. However, the joint letter does not accuse SJP of engaging in any conduct that would qualify as an exception to the First Amendment. Instead, it simply accuses SJP of disseminating “anti-Israel propaganda” that is “often laced with inflammatory and combative rhetoric,” calling for “confronting and ‘dismantling’ Zionism on U.S. college campuses,” and chanting statements like “We are Hamas” and “We echo Hamas.” As we have seen, these forms of speech are all constitutionally protected unless they cross the line into one of the exceptions, which the letter does not allege. Other statements made by pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli groups — such as claims that Hamas or Israel has engaged in “genocide,” the chant “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”— are also constitutionally protected, provided they do

not fall within one of the exceptions. It is not antisemitic to criticize Israel or its policies and it is not Islamophobic to criticize Hamas, Palestinians or their policies. But even antisemitic and Islamophobic statements, other than those that fall into one of the exceptions, cannot be censored under the First Amendment — though they can and should be roundly condemned. Almost 100 years ago, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. explained that the Constitution protects not only “free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.” When the heavy hand of censorship is wielded by government officials or college administrators, no one is safe, be they pro-Israel, pro-Palestine or any other viewpoint that those in power choose to suppress. If today the speech you loathe is censored, tomorrow the speech you love can be censored.

”

We are experiencing another dark chapter in American history. The right to voice dissent and our commitment to free speech are under serious attack.

- STEPHEN ROHDE, op-ed contributor

We need a broad, outspoken, non-partisan reaffirmation of what Justice William J. Brennan Jr. called “a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open.” Stephen Rohde is a retired constitutional lawyer who graduated from Northwestern in 1966. He is the author of two books and numerous articles on the First Amendment and constitutional law. 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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Jewish students at NU stand with Palestine, call for open discourse On college campuses nationwide, students and organizations claiming to speak for all Jews have pushed a harmful agenda that argues criticizing Israel and calling for a free Palestine is inherently antisemitic. We are a group of Jews who write to condemn institutions like Northwestern for their failure to account for the breadth of opinion in the Jewish community. We argue that while safety from antisemitism is a constant concern for the Jewish community, it should in no way take priority over conversations about the loss of more than 24,000 Palestinian lives in what some United Nations experts have called a genocide in Palestine. Northwestern’s administration conflates criticism of Zionist beliefs with harassment of Jewish students for their ethno-religious identity. We saw this in President Schill’s email describing the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as promoting the genocide of Jews. To argue that this slogan calls for the mass murder of Israelis fails to acknowledge the suppression of freedom for Palestinians who have been illegally occupied under international law and subjected to cruelty at the hands of a government that is not their own. This misrepresentation creates an environment where pro-Palestinian speech is actively suppressed. Across the country, we have seen groups that advocate for the freedom of Palestinians and criticize the state of Israel silenced or even banned. As Jews who do not support Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the government’s apartheid of Palestinians, we feel a responsibility to support these groups and express solidarity with Northwestern’s Students for Justice in Palestine. We cannot sit idly by while atrocities are being committed in our name. Nor can we watch as the claim of antisemitism is cheapened to stifle dissent. Even calls for a ceasefire — what should be a necessary, pro-peace statement — have been criticized

as “ignoring the context” or condoning Hamas. But how can the level of bloodshed we are witnessing in Gaza create peace? De-escalation, even without a clear idea of what postwar justice looks like, is better than wanton destruction and vengeance. As Jews, we are all too familiar with the trauma of genocide — many of us are directly connected to the horrors of the Holocaust. This is precisely why we have a responsibility to speak out against genocide in all forms. To say “never again” applies to today. It requires standing up for the Palestinians that Israel has killed, the thousands more presumed dead, the hundreds of thousands currently starving and the millions forcefully displaced. It is within this context that we call upon University leadership to protect the freedom of speech of students advocating for Palestinian liberation with the same fervor as any other student group on campus. We call for the created President’s Advisory Committee On Preventing Antisemitism and Hate to be transparent in its dealings and to uplift marginalized campus voices, investigating serious cases of Islamophobia and anti-Palestine hate along with antisemitic incidents on campus. Northwestern’s history of institutional antisemitism is painful and undeniable. Until 1964, Northwestern had admissions quotas on Jewish students, limiting their presence on campus. The first and most obvious step in combating antisemitism would be providing an official definition of it, something Northwestern has not done to this day. While it is key for the commission to define antisemitism, as Jewish students, we warn and preemptively reject the adoption of definitions that conflate and fuse anti-Zionism with antisemitism in order to stifle criticism of Israel. In particular, we join the ACLU, B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and more than 100 other Israeli and non-Israeli experts and groups in calling against the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. Using this definition would effectively ban the use of words such as ‘apartheid’ in any campus discourse about Israel. We worry that Jewish identity has become entangled with unequivocally supporting the modern state of Israel. We repudiate the idea that

these are inextricably linked, and we do not believe that our own safety should come at the expense of others. It must be recognized that Zionism itself is not a solution to antisemitism. The Zionist movement routinely allies itself with conservative, antisemitic figures who support Israel. This past November, the Washington March for Israel featured Pastor John Hagee, an Evangelical Christian with a known history of antisemitic comments. Additionally, the premise that Jews will only be free with the existence of an ethno-nation state absolves all other countries of the responsibility of combating antisemitism within their borders. Antisemitism must be combated, but when legitimate criticism of Israel is declared antisemitic, the fight against antisemitism is severely weakened. We reject zero-sum thinking that the freedom of one group is contingent upon the suppression of another. We can empathize with fellow Jews in their desire for a safe space for our people after a long history of persecution. However, safety from antisemitism and safety from Islamophobia are mutually compatible ideas and should be understood as shared goals against a mutual force of oppression. And for those who believe Palestine is already free, or that Palestine only needs to be freed from Hamas, we beg you to look beyond mainstream media sources, turn to Palestinian journalists on the ground and listen to Palestinians demanding liberation from Israeli oppression. Nothing absolves Israel of its violations of international law. As college students thousands of miles away from the actual bombing in Palestine, we recognize our privilege in being able to discuss these ideas in op-eds and classrooms. We ask our fellow American Jews to decenter themselves from the conversation and turn their focus to Palestinian voices. As Jews, now and forever, we seek safety from antisemitism. However, we recognize that this need is not more pressing than (and cannot occur in the absence of) the safety of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and the world. Throughout this piece, we refer frequently to Israel’s crimes and occupation. The persistent breaches of international law and UN resolutions by Israel have been well documented by

many sources, and we encourage you to examine the research of B’Tselem, Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International’s report on apartheid and UN Human Rights Watch. In solidarity, Northwestern Jewish Students for Palestine — Signed by 23 Northwestern students

The Daily Northwestern Volume 146, Issue 3 Editor in Chief Avani Kalra Opinion Editor Ethan Lachman Assistant Opinion Editor Chiara Kim

Managing Editors Lily Carey Colin Crawford Shannon Tyler Jacob Wendler Ashley Lee Micah Sandy Danny O’Grady

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.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

Math Digital Materials project helps 1,200 students By LEAH SCHROEDER

daily senior staffer @lmschroeder_

In the inaugural quarter of the Math Digital Course Materials Project, 1,200 students enrolled in eight calculus courses were relieved of the all-too-familiar stress of covering the cost of textbooks. The project provided $87,296 in funding through the Office of the Provost for access codes to course textbooks and online homework systems for students in eligible courses. The funding will last the entire academic year. “Course materials are such a burden,” Northwestern Open Education Librarian Lauren McKeen McDonald said. “Anything that we can do to provide greater access and alleviate that burden is a good thing for our students.” The Associated Student Government pioneered the idea for a course costs relief program in Spring 2023. SESP sophomore and co-chair of the ASG Analytics Committee Adrian Ayala-Perez said senators chose math as an area of focus for funding due to the subject’s high enrollment. “Considering how many students use this

service, we found it was very important for us and something that the university could do,” Ayala-Perez said. Once funding was approved, the Department of Mathematics faculty successfully negotiated with Pearson Publishing Company to pay $62 for each student’s textbook and homework system. Math Prof. and Director of Calculus Aaron Greicius was approached by ASG and the Office of the Provost to take on the responsibility of shifting costs to the University and distributing Pearson access codes to the math students. “I’d like to see students paying less to acquire course resources, specifically in the math department,” Grecius said. According to McKeen McDonald, recent survey results reflected overwhelmingly positive feelings about the initiative, with instructors reporting that the program reduced friction at the start of the term and students reporting that they feel more supported by the University and that they are better able to complete their courses. All individuals surveyed agreed on one thing: the program should be continued. leahschroeder2026@u.northwestern.edu

Illustration by Cassie Sun

The funding for the new program will last through the end of the academic year.

But they provided a big service to their country presidential election. Salgado-Alvarez suggested hosting a town hall ASG Senate honors and made a great sacrifice.” The guidelines remained largely unchanged for senators to address their constituents. proposal would require the University from last year, with two key changes. ElecSESP sophomore and NU College Demovets, approves Election to His celebrate National Poppy Day by handing tion dates were moved up to Feb. 8-10, and crats representative Aimee Resnick encouraged red poppies — a symbol worn by citizens the commission implemented a $200 cam- senators to join the new Community Relations Commission guidelines out around the world to honor active service mem- paign spending limit to mitigate the effects of Committee. The committee will conduct stakeThe Associated Student Government Senate met Wednesday and passed two resolutions: one to honor alumni veterans and active service members and another to approve Election Commission guidelines ahead of its February presidential election. The first resolution passed this quarter, presented by NU Political Union Speaker Edward Dowd, would create a day of remembrance for members of the Northwestern community who have served in the military. “My grandparents and great-grandparents all served in the military, so I grew up with that,” Dowd said. “They’ve always been very modest. They don’t really talk about that stuff.

bers and veterans. Dowd said Northwestern houses several plaques commemorating Northwestern’s deceased military alumni, located in Alice Millar Chapel and outside Sargent Hall. “We have these small little tokens on campus that represent service that Northwestern alumni have done,” Dowd said. “The issue is, how do we bring that to the student community? They do a great job representing (veterans), but I think it would be great to spread that awareness to students.” The second resolution to pass, presented by Election Commission Chair Paul Graham, outlined the guidelines for the upcoming ASG

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financial inequity — candidates will not be allowed to spend personal funds on campaigns. Instead, funding will come from the Election Commission. Senators broke into working groups to continue drafting legislation for the quarter. The working group on safety is conducting a survey on lighting at night on campus. Other working groups focused on examining policies on Zoom classes during cold weather, getting more gluten-free food into the dining halls, providing more Safe Rides during times of heightened need and replacing broken musical instruments for low-income Bienen students. Weinberg sophomore and Senator Kaitlyn

holder meetings with community leaders and unify civic engagement efforts across campus, she said. SESP senior and Speaker of the Senate Leah Ryzenman said it is important for students to vote in the upcoming presidential election. “(The ASG presidents) put so much time, effort, energy and commitment into communicating with admin and actually following up on things to make sure that so many of these projects are getting accomplished,” Ryzenman said. “You want candidates who are willing to do the same to be the ones that get elected.” — Isaiah Steinberg

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6 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

MLK KEYNOTE From page 1

struggles with anxiety and depression. Eig said he thinks people love King more when they see that he was human, too. “Sometimes it feels like we’re living in times when nothing can get done,” he said. “It feels like it’s hopeless. King felt that way too.” Eig added that as King’s legacy has grown through the establishment of a national holiday and the erection of a national monument, his true message has been distorted. In addition to advocating for civil rights in the South, King spoke out against northern racism, housing injustice, job discrimination, economic justice and the Vietnam War, Eig said. According to Eig, King often chose the morally wise choice over the politically wise one. “King can still serve as a model, but we have to remember that he was a radical,” Eig said. “We can’t let people get away with watering down his words.” The creation of “King: A Life” took six years, hundreds of interviews and a team of fact-checkers. Eig said through it all, the principles he learned at Medill in the 1980s stuck with him. Medill Dean Charles Whitaker, who moderated a Q&A with the biographer after his keynote, said Eig has established himself “not only as an industrious journalist, but as one of the most talented writers of his generation.” Eig has also written biographies of some of America’s most famous figures — Lou Gehrig, Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson, to name a few. Whitaker said Eig has consistently brought new insights into these iconic

figures through his books. Northwestern President Michael Schill said at the event that Eig’s book treats King not only as a legend, but as someone of flesh and blood. “This book is destined to be one of the definitive statements of a life that has shaped our nation and all of us in this room,” Schill said. Student a capella group Soul4Real performed the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” at the event. Audience members stood, swayed and sang along. Their next performances, featuring “summer in winter” themed songs, are Feb. 22 and 23. McCormick senior and Soul4Real President Jayden McCarrell said the group learned harmonies for the Black National Anthem by listening to a recording rather than using sheet music. “We learned it orally, so there was nothing ever written down,” McCarrell said. “While we were learning, it was a ‘find the harmony’ moment.” Eig said King reminds people that protest leaders don’t have to be perfect, but they have to be passionate enough to get back up when they’re knocked down. In his speech, Eig remembered King’s final words before he was shot in 1968 as told in his biography: “Okay, I will.” “We have to preserve King’s message, we have to remember his words and we have to remember his call to action,” Eig said. “Because the way to make change is to remain vigilant, to never lose hope and to say, ‘Okay, I will.’” samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

MIGRANT INFLUX From page 1

has also “actively sought suitable local shelter options for migrants” but found the process challenging, it said in the release. When reached for comment, City Spokesperson Jessie Mayo said the city has no additional information to share. Director of Health and Human Services Ike Ogbo did not respond to a request for comment. Evanston currently has a Refugee Assistance Fund of $50,000 and provides refugees funds for housing, food and other services. Residents also voted to grant $645,000 from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to an affordable refugee housing project in the city’s participatory budgeting pilot, which was approved by City Council. The plan is set to be implemented this summer, Geracaris said. Still, Evanston currently lacks a suitable shelter to house migrants, which must have a sufficient number of bathrooms and kitchens, Geracaris said. Apart from the Refugee Assistance Fund, Evanston does not have any other city-backed programs to provide funding for migrants. Beyond that, it is very difficult for migrants to find private housing in Evanston, where housing costs are generally high, Geracaris said. “One of the things that make it extremely tough is that folks show up and they’re not allowed to work legally,” he said. “Once they get here they have to apply for asylum, and while they’re waiting to receive asylum and have a stable immigration status, during that time they can’t work.” Currently, Illinois is providing up to $9,000

GROUNDSKEEPERS From page 1

STIGMA CRUSHER From page 1

Connections’ staff, among other services. “Some of our participants may use substances or be actively drinking or engaging in substance use, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t believe that we can provide support to them,” Slempkes said. “We still believe they should be able to receive housing and support. We try to approach all of our participants without judgment.” Maryann Mason, an associate professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, said she is a “strong proponent” of harm reduction because of its efficacy in preventing overdoses. People with little knowledge of the research and data behind harm reduction often falsely believe the approach promotes drug use, according to Mason.

“I don’t think it’s the only practice we should have, because overdoses can have consequences that last, even if you survive, but it’s the place where we need to begin,” Mason said. “It helps people who are already using at that level be safer and in some cases actually reduce their use.” Mathiesen described substance use as a devastating illness rooted in shame and isolation. He said Live4Lali supports harm reduction because it can decrease some of these negative impacts. “Harm reduction enables people to believe that they are worthy of something again,” Mathiesen said. “If I can give back to people that are like me, to let them believe in themselves again, I believe positive change can happen.” carlottaangiolillo2027@u.northwestern.edu

for the cold and snow. Montoya said his favorite part of his work comes later in the year, after the ice has melted away. “I like to be outside, enjoying the weather, trimming, especially in the spring when all the flowers, the tulips, start blooming,” Montoya said. In the spring, the groundskeeping team is responsible for planting hundreds of flowers around campus. Though parts of the job can be monotonous, this task — and the praise it often leads to — is rewarding, Chesters said. “You have an instant change,” Chesters said. “A lot of the stuff we do, you don’t see much of a change. But when you get a plan and put in 200 plants all at once, it’s like, ‘Wow, look at this!’” Camburn said the groundskeeping team’s jobs look different across the weeks, months and years, but they adapt accordingly. This year, he said, they’re addressing rabbits on campus,

for refugees in rental assistance, but eligible candidates need to have secured authorization to work. Geracaris said the number of people the RAF has supported has not been “huge”. According to The Chicago Tribune, about half of the funds had been spent to help 14 migrants as of last May. Current migrants in Evanston are living in apartments usually set up by community members, said Geracaris. He added that he has personally helped sponsor refugees through the Chicago-based aid organization RefugeeOne. Huzar said she and her team found a landlord who was willing to lease to the Venezuelan family without a credit history, a struggle Geracaris also noted. Still, Huzar praised the support she’s seen migrants receive from Evanston/Skokie School District 65, particularly noting the Evanston School Children’s Clothing Association, a program that provides clothing to children in need. “The only negative part of the experience of housing them was that utility bills were really, really large, and now I’m still kind of digging myself out of that hole,” Huzar said. Huzar and Geracaris both expressed concern over high rent prices in Evanston. To help address this issue, Huzar said she would like to see the city create incentives for residents to house new arrivals, which could be cheaper than providing funding for a shelter. “I wish the city of Evanston stepped up and said ‘Hey, I know you’re housing these people, here, you know, let’s give you some resources,’” Huzar said. shreyasrinivasan2026@u.northwestern.edu “annihilating” hundreds of plants and working with the school’s landscape architect to introduce more native plants to campus. In his time with the school, Camburn has worked on landscaping around Kellogg Global Hub, Sheridan Road and the Weber Arch. “There’s been quite a bit of change to the landscape over the years, and I’ve been part of that and affected it in some way and assisted in a big part of that growth,” Camburn said. A poster sits on the walls of the groundskeeping office with the acronym “RISE” — Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence. Looking up at the poster, Chesters said this “mantra” feels reflective of groundskeepers and their role on campus. After a quarter century on the job, he said he appreciates his ability to work with his hands, have reasonable hours, be outdoors and interact with NU students, faculty and staff. “It’s a good community, and it’s a good job,” Chesters said. maryrandolph2026@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

MLK Day celebration offers space for reflection By ANAVI PRAKASH

the daily northwestern @anavi_52

Evanston resident April Fuller went to the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center Saturday morning to watch her friend coach a boxing class. Fuller remained at the community center into the afternoon because she saw the setup for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and she felt inclined to stay, she said. “It’s a day of reflection,” Fuller said. “It makes me think about what I want to do with my life and how I can help people.” Fuller was one of nearly 200 community members who attended the city’s annual MLK Day celebration on Saturday. The celebration has been held at the community center for the last 13 years, according to Tim Rhoze, the event’s organizer. This year, the event was emceed by Niles Township High School Choir Director Matthew Hunter. It featured several musical performances and an original poem by Evanston Township High School junior Gracie Puricelli. Carlis Moody Jr. — a pastor at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ — spoke about discrimination and inclusivity in his keynote address. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) also spoke at the event, both discussing Evanston’s Restorative Housing Program and the importance of action over words. The reparations program’s goal is to shrink the opportunity and wealth gaps Black residents in

Five Illinois voters file petition to kick Trump off the ballot With two months to go before its presidential election primary, Illinois could join Colorado and Maine in barring former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary and general elections. A group of five Illinois voters filed a petition on Jan. 4 seeking to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary and general

Evanston have experienced due to housing discrimination. Evanston is also the only city in the country allocating funds to a reparations initiative, Burns said. “As we get ready for 2024 in the city of Evanston, we ought to look at the best of what we’ve done and look at the example of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and understand that values aren’t enough and words alone don’t get it done,” Biss said. “All of those things, together with action that changes lives, is what we ought to aspire to.” Ted Williams III, creator of the musical “1619: The Journey of a People,” said he was “honored” to perform a selection of the musical’s songs in Evanston, which he called “a special place in the nation.” Williams and two of his cast members performed “Booker T. or Web,” “Steal Away” and “We Shall Overcome,” — three songs from the musical. For Puricelli, MLK Day serves as a reminder to continue creating respect, safety and equity in her community, which are all things that King emphasized. “It’s kind of like a yearly reminder that we have something to uphold and to work towards, and we have to build on that every single year,” she said. Pastor Carlis, as he is known by the community, further discussed respect, not only for one another, but for one’s self as well, in his keynote address. He also talked about how change can be a good thing. “Martin Luther King was telling us we had a choice,” he said. “We could go with the status quo, or we could risk whatever we are, whoever we are for the better good. You can’t be afraid of change. Pastor Carlis’ children, part of the group MC4

election ballots. Voting rights group Free Speech For People filed the objection on behalf of the voters. The petitioners say Trump’s behavior on Jan. 6, 2021 — when his supporters violently attacked the U.S. Capitol — violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which disqualifies candidates who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the government or provided “aid or comfort” to people participating in an insurrection. “Our predecessors understood that oath-breaking insurrectionists will do it again, and worse, if allowed back into power,” Ron Fein, legal director

Anavi Prakash/The Daily Northwestern

MC4 Music performs Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center.

Music, also performed at the event. Other performers included the Faith Temple Combined Choir and the Evanston Children’s Choir. Stephanie Mullins-Wine , whose daughter is a member of ECC, said the event was a good opportunity for children and community members to

learn about being “inclusive and not racist.” “There’s still a lot of racism around, even in our community,” she said. “And I feel like this (event) just brings a lot of awareness to the fact that they still need to work on it.”

of Free Speech For People, said in a statement. Many Republican officials, including U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Oakland), have argued that voters, not state leaders, should decide whether Trump returns to the White House. Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy called the objection an “anti-democracy attempt to limit the voting rights of Illinois citizens” in a statement to television station WCIA. The Illinois State Board of Elections has not specified when it will evaluate the petition. But the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Trump can be left off states’ election

ballots on Feb. 8, more than a month before Illinois’ primary on March 19. Trump campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said in a statement that nationwide efforts to erase Trump from ballots would “disenfranchise” voters. “We are confident that the fair-minded Supreme Court will unanimously affirm the civil rights of President Trump,” he added.

anaviprakash2027@u.northwestern.edu

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SPORTS

Thursday, January 18, 2024

@DailyNU_Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Northwestern defeats Maryland in close match-up By LUCAS KIM

daily senior staffer @lucaskim_15

Following a tight road loss to No. 15 Wisconsin last Saturday, Northwestern returned home to face a hot Maryland team fresh off a nine-point victory over No. 10 Illinois. The Wildcats (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten), who entered Wednesday having won five of their last six home conference games, looked to avert a third consecutive loss to the Terrapins (11-7, 3-4 Big Ten) after their last meeting resulted in a 75-59 rout in College Park, Maryland. Both squads began the game with their eyes focused firmly on the basket. Maryland scored on three of its first four offensive possessions, but NU kept it close through the first five minutes with the game knotted at 9-9. Despite the ‘Cats suffering a nearly four minute scoring drought over the back end of the half, the Terrapins’ lead never increased more than three. With Maryland

dominating the glass and NU winning the turnover battle, the teams continued to go back-and-forth, combining for nine lead changes by the end of the first frame. Junior guard Brooks Barnhizer’s 3-pointer with two minutes remaining in the half helped NU gain a 28-23 lead, the largest of the game up to that point. He poured in a first-half high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. The ‘Cats entered halftime with a 32-28 advantage thanks to graduate student guard Boo Buie’s buzzer beater floater, with the game seemingly destined to end up as a lowscoring, defensive battle. The wire-to-wire action persisted in the second half, as Maryland star guard Jahmir Young scored his sixth bucket of the game to even the score at 39-39. Over the next three minutes, NU rode a 6-0 run to gain its largest lead of the game, capped by graduate student guard Ryan Langborg’s layup. With both squads starting the second half a collective 0-of-10 shooting from behind the arc, the game resorted to a gritty, paintheavy skirmish as foul and free

throw numbers skyrocketed. This trend continued down the stretch as Young and Buie traded five consecutive baskets with the latter getting the last laugh on a layup that solidified the result. Here are three takeaways from NU’s home victory over Maryland. 1. Barnhizer leads impressive defensive showing for the ‘Cats Barnhizer provided an immediate spark on the defensive end. The junior guard, who entered Wednesday averaging 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, logged four steals and a block within the first 10 minutes. Throughout the half, NU translated defensive prowess into instant offense, tallying nine points off turnovers compared to Maryland’s two. The Terrapins, having averaged 11.6 turnovers per game this season, ended the half having given the ball up 10 times. On the other end, the ‘Cats were able to capitalize, only turning it over three times.

2. Buie makes Wildcat history, displays continued improvement as playmaker Barnhizer’s made jumper with a minute remaining in the half may not have seemed like anything special, but the basket marked Buie’s 529th career assist, placing him in sole possession of second place in school history. The preseason All-American passed NU legend Michael “Juice” Thompson, who ended his storied college career with 528 assists in 2011. Buie entered the game averaging a career-high 4.9 assists per game and collected 7 assists against Maryland, marking his ninth game this season with at least five assists. 3. ‘Cats turn up the physicality in the second hal The 3-point line was not friendly to either team, but especially NU. The ‘Cats started off a cold 1-of-8 from beyond the arc following the break. With the 3-pointer not on either team’s side, both teams took the

Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern

battle into the paint, with every second half point earned in a proverbial war of attrition. Coach Chris Collins ensured that his team attacked the paint and got to the charity stripe. Despite garnering only two free throw attempts in the first half, NU ended the game with 22 attempts

MEN’S BASKETBALL

from the line. The ‘Cats attacked the glass as well, securing a six-rebound advantage and eight offensive boards in the second half, including three from senior center Matthew Nicholson. lucaskim2025@u.northwestern.edu

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Wildside breaks turnout record Michigan State beats NU 92-72 Wednesday

By JAKE EPSTEIN

daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

Last winter, a Northwestern men’s basketball student section seat became the hottest ticket in town. Seemingly overnight, Wildcat fever overtook the Evanston campus, with students turned away from Welsh-Ryan Arena’s doors just minutes following NU’s January 2023 tipoff against Illinois. With high demand for student section tickets, NU Athletics implemented a ticket standby line, where students without reserved tickets could better their chances of admission. Every student in the standby line will be admitted 30 minutes prior to NU’s tipoff against Maryland Wednesday, according to a graphic sent by NU Athletics. “Everything sort of took off during the magical men’s basketball season last year,” Weinberg senior and NU Wildside Programming Chair Vir Patel said. Flash forward a little more than a year later, students have stormed the hardwood twice in a pair of upsets over AP No. 1 ranked Purdue and sprinkled in two Ryan Field rushes that followed footballs’ overtime comeback victory against Minnesota and bowl-eligibility clincher over the Boilermakers. The ‘Cats punched their ticket to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, winning 13 contests in front of their home fans. Both improbable and palpable feats throughout NU Athletics came to fruition in Evanston. From the crux of an NCAA lacrosse championship run to the FBS’ largest single season turnaround in 2023, the ‘Cats crafted history in their proverbial backyard. During this hallmark of home athletic heights, NU Wildside, the organization that runs the student section, has sponsored giveaways to help drum up support for the ‘Cats. Now, Wildside hopes to shatter Welsh-Ryan Arena’s student attendance record of 1,746 — set during volleyball’s matchup against then-No. 1 Wisconsin in September — Wednesday night. For Wildside president and Communication junior Kayla Cohen, student athletic support has grown leaps and bounds since she was a member of the NU cheer team as a freshman. She said there had been a handful of times when students were turned away from games due to a lack of seats allocated

By AUDREY PACHUTA

the daily northwestern @audreypachuta

Daily file photo by Esther Lim

NU Wildside looks to break the Welsh-Ryan Arena student attendance record of 1,746 during Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game against Maryland. The record was

to the student section, but not to the scale that happened last year. “Too much student attendance was never a problem,” Cohen said. “We’re now at this point where people are acknowledging the importance of the fans. The team, NU Athletics and coaches all want us in attendance.” With availability in upper deck seating Wednesday night, Andrew Cass, associate director of marketing and fan engagement at NU Athletics, coordinated with Wildside to ensure as many students as possible would be able to attend the game against Maryland. To Cohen and her peers, every game incorporates plenty of behind the scenes planning to get the wheels churning and maximize student engagement. Of utmost importance — each game’s chosen theme. “Each game is its own project,” Cohen said. “Every single game is an opportunity for success.” In what’s been named Student Night, the student section will don neon colors to accompany bright balloons buoyed beside the bleachers. Although the typical ticket amount will remain intact on the claim website, Cohen said students in the standby line will be given general admission tickets prior to tipoff. Weinberg freshman Lauren Weizer was among the first students on

campus when the new points system was announced for men’s basketball ticketing claim windows. She said she attended an event from each fall sport, racking up points but gaining valuable introductions to new games in the process. Weizer said she looks forward to potentially playing a small part in history and escaping the reality check her first Evanston winter has presented this week. “It’s been a tough few days — a lot of us are reckoning with the funk of the cold,” Weizer said. While Weizer and plenty of her classmates have taken full advantage of the school’s sporting events since she arrived on campus, Cohen said she hopes students who haven’t experienced live game action filed into Welsh-Ryan Arena Wednesday night. Cohen and Weizer echoed that anytime approximately one-fourth of the student body gathers behind the team, an electric atmosphere ensues. “This is a game where people not connected with Northwestern sports — or those who don’t have that many points — can show up and see the game atmosphere,” Cohen said. “This (was) our last opportunity to go for the record.” jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

Following a decisive defeat against in-state rival Illinois, Northwestern faced an uphill battle for a bounceback victory against Michigan State Wednesday. Hopes for a victory dimmed early as the Wildcats (7-11, 2-5 Big Ten) fell 91-72, marking their fifth loss in conference play this season. After the first 10 minutes of play, NU was down by 10 points. Early struggles were only par for the course, as the ‘Cats soon fell into a much deeper hole. Less than four minutes later, the Spartans (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten) had increased their lead to 21, as they opened up the second quarter with a 13-2 run to put the visitors further in the rearview mirror. NU generated momentum at the end of the first half, as the ‘Cats poured in eleven points in the final four minutes and forced two Spartan turnovers. However, the surge proved insufficient to spur a sustained comeback effort, as NU trailed by 22 points at the intermission. Coach Joe McKeown missed his fifth consecutive contest due to illness, with associate head coach Tangela Smith maintaining her post as acting head coach. In seven games sans McKeown this season, the ‘Cats have struggled to string together positive results with just one victory, while their opponents have outscored them by a margin of 611- 426. Here are three takeaways from NU’s loss to Michigan State. 1. First quarter turnovers dig an early hole for the ‘Cats Despite recent improvements in ball handling, excessive turnovers have NU’s achilles heel this season, defining a dismal early conference stretch. Sporting the Big Ten’s least favorable turnover margin, the ‘Cats encountered a formidable opponent in the Spartans. Michigan State boasts the conference’s best turnover margin

and ranks fourth nationally. Opening Wednesday’s contest, NU fell back into familiar habits that have plagued consistent progress. They turned the ball over six times in the opening five minutes, putting them on pace for a 48-turnover performance early on. Unlike in games against Penn State and Ohio State, where early turnovers dictated the tone for the entire game, the ‘Cats were able to rectify their sloppy ball handling after the first few minutes. The squad still racked up 13 lost possessions and allowed Michigan State to generate 19 points off turnovers. 2. NU’s defensive woes persist Ranked 315th out of 348 Division 1 teams in defensive field goal percentage, an inability to put pressure on their opponents continues to be a fatal flaw for the ‘Cats. NU has fallen by margins of 20 points or more in nine of their 18 games this season, falling by 40 or more in three of these occasions. The ‘Cats allowed the Spartans to rack up 50 points in the first half on a 19-of-32 shooting clip, including eight outside conversions. After Sunday’s loss to Illinois, graduate student guard Maggie Pina discussed her frustration with the team’s lack of physicality. Four days removed from that defeat, the squad showed little improvement in their matchup against Michigan State. 3. The ‘Cats look towards their first rematch of the season Following the loss to Michigan State, NU returns home to WelshRyan Arena to host Penn State next week. When the ‘Cats traveled to Happy Valley two weeks ago, they lost by forty points and accumulated a season-high 30 turnovers. To entertain any hope of revenge against the Nittany Lions, ball security must improve drastically from their last matchup. audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu