The Daily Northwestern Monday, February 3, 2020
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Residents canvass in Iowa for 2020 Evanstonians made the trip ahead of caucus By ISABELLE SARRAF
the daily northwestern @isabellesarraf
Zinya Salfiti/The Daily Northwestern
Students perform during Harambee, held at Norris University Center on Friday. The event kicked off Black History Month programming at NU.
Harambee kicks off BHM events
FMO’s annual program has brought community together since 2009 By ANUSHUYA THAPA
the daily northwestern @anushuyathapa
For Members Only hosted the annual Harambee celebration at Norris University Center on Friday to kick off Black History
Month programming. The event, co-sponsored by Multicultural Student Affairs, featured student and community performances, including dance, song, and spoken word. Harambee, named after the Swahili word for “all pull together,” has been a community
Students express concerns on flu Community talks prevention when in close quarters By ARIANNA CARPATI
the daily northwestern @ariannacarpati1
Northwestern has seemingly been hit particularly hard with a wave of influenza this year. Many students have expressed concerns about prevention while living in dorms and going to class with those who have the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that there are approximately equal numbers of flu A and B cases in the United States this year. In previous years, flu A has been far more prevalent than B. At this time last year, only 2 percent of cases were reported as influenza B. This year, flu B levels are at 52.7 percent. Northwestern researcher Dr. Robert Lamb said he has been studying the flu for 40
years. Lamb explained the flu vaccine always protects against flu A and flu B. “I would put in a plug for the vaccine right now. That is, you are way better off to have the vaccine, even if it’s not a perfect match,” he said. “You probably can still get (the flu) but it’s much harder to get it once you’ve had the vaccine.” Since flu A has been the prevalent strain in recent years, Lamb thinks people are more likely to have developed natural antibodies in addition to the protections provided by the vaccine. However, people are mostly dependent on the vaccine to prevent flu B, since it has not circulated much in previous years. Lamb said he does not think the University is obligated to quarantine sick students due to the infection’s short recovery time — however, he emphasized that roommates of flu-infected students should repeatedly wash their hands and take » See FLU, page 6
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
event at Northwestern since around 2009. The event was originally hosted on Sunday afternoons where black communities from surrounding neighborhoods could have a place to celebrate after attending mass. D’ana Downing, a graduate assistant at Multicultural
Student Affairs, gave the Native American land acknowledgment in the form of a poem about the African-American Father of Chicago, Jean Baptise Point du Sable, and his marriage to the daughter of a Potawatomi chief. » See HARAMBEE, page 6
All eyes are on the state of Iowa, where the caucuses could shift the tide of the Democratic presidential race. The Iowa caucuses, considered one of the most important stages in the presidential primaries, are the first time Americans can demonstrate their support for the 2020 candidates on a national and official scale. The results from Iowa are typically indicative of which candidates’ message resonates with voters, and have historically predicted the eventual nominee. Since 1976, six eventual Democratic nominees have won Iowa, including Barack Obama, John Kerry and Al Gore. In recent weeks, Evanston residents campaigning for several Democratic candidates traveled to Iowa in an effort to get out the caucus and attend lastminute rallies to hear what the candidates had to say to their constituents. Genevieve Fleming, an Evanston Township High School junior, said she visited Iowa Jan. 16 through 19 as part of a trip for
students taking a civics course. Though she’ll only be 17 years old by Election Day in November, Fleming said she believes it’s important for people to see young folks organizing on the ground. Fleming canvassed in Iowa City for Democratic candidate Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur gaining traction among young voters and rising in recent polls. She said she attended a town hall where Yang spoke about his plan to implement his Freedom Dividend, a version of universal basic income that would distribute $1,000 a month to all U.S. citizens over the age of 18. “(Yang) talked a lot about how that plan could help reverse the gender wage gap,” Fleming said. “I liked that idea because no one else is speaking about that at the moment.” Meg Welch, a volunteer organizer for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), said she has supported Sanders since his 2016 presidential campaign and is canvassing for him in Bettendorf, Iowa ahead of the caucus. Welch is currently running on the ballot to be a pledge delegate to represent the 9th District of Illinois at the Democratic National Convention. She said she supports Sanders because his message and platform have been » See IOWA, page 6
Community embroiders memorial quilt Residents worked on Transgender Lives Matter Witness Quilt on Sat. By JACOB FULTON
the daily northwestern @jacobnfulton1
Just as a quilt comes together with dozens of pieces, members of the Evanston community united to embroider squares of fabric with the names of transgender individuals who died in 2019 on Saturday at Evanston Public Library. The event is part of a long-term project by Evanston-based artist and activist Melissa Blount, who started making political art with her Black Lives Matter Witness Quilt, which was completed in 2017. Since then, Blount has continued her art, with a focus on textiles and issues of race and gender. In 2019, she unveiled “Black Girl Magic,” a 26-piece alphabetical exhibit recognizing black women throughout history. Now, she has started the Transgender Lives Matter Witness Quilt, commemorating the lives of murdered transgender people and their stories. Blount describes herself as an “accidental activist,” as she was inspired by her husband’s work. » See QUILT, page 6
Daily file photo by Colin Boyle.
Melissa Blount. The artist and activist hosted a sewing circle at the Evanston Public Library for her Transgender Lives Matter Witness Quilt.
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