The Daily Northwestern — February 4, 2020 by The Daily Northwestern

The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, February 4, 2020

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Post-backlash, NUQ band event moved Anti-LGBTQ pushback led to “safety concerns” By TROY CLOSSON

daily senior staffer @troy_closson

Northwestern University in Qatar canceled an event over the weekend featuring a prominent Lebanese band whose lead singer is openly gay, following online backlash to their appearance. Members of the indie rock band Mashrou’ Leila were set to take part in a discussion about “media revolutions in the Middle East” at the campus on Tuesday. The group was scheduled to speak as part of a talk entitled “Language and the Rhythm of the Street” hosted by NU-Q’s Media Majlis, a museum that examines and leads discussions on content of media, journalism and communication. Over the past week, backlash to the band’s Doha event increased on social media as some users began tweeting an Arabic hashtag stating “we refuse Mashrou’ Leila’s discussion,” demanding the band — whose repertoire includes songs addressing homophobia, gender equality

and sectarianism — not be allowed to speak. “This is against our cultural standards and societal norms,” one Twitter account posted. NU spokesperson Jon Yates said the University and band “mutually agreed” on the decision to cancel the Qatar campus event. The talk is planned to be rescheduled on the Evanston campus. Yates added that the decision to relocate was made “out of abundance of caution due to several factors, including safety concerns for the band and our community.” “We hope that event will facilitate a larger discussion around the ideas that drive the band’s art and music,” the statement read, “and about aspects of civil liberties and freedom of expression that are not always open to such discussions in all parts of the world.” The event’s cancellation in Doha led to a number of NU-Q students and faculty members expressing their disappointment on social media. Others also began using a separate hashtag roughly translating to “we welcome Mashrou’ Leila” in response. “Hosting the event in Evanston isn’t the same as » See NU-Q, page 6

Caroline Megerian/Daily Senior Staffer

Weinberg sophomore John Magloire argues that the trial for President Trump’s removal was not a waste of time. Political Union sided with Magloire in an 8-16 vote.

PU: Is Trump trial waste of time? Political Union attendees voted no 8-16 with one abstention Monday By EMILY SAKAI

the daily northwestern

Northwestern University Political Union debated whether the trial for President Donald Trump’s removal is a “waste of

time” at its Monday session. Meeting attendees voted against the resolution 8-16 with one abstention, deciding that the trial was not a waste of time. The vote comes after House managers and the president’s legal team closed arguments

on Monday. The Senate is set to vote on his removal on Wednesday. Since the Senate voted against calling witnesses last Friday, Trump’s acquittal has been all but certain, leaving it up for debate with some whether the trial was a waste of time.

Prior to arguments, seven participants voted for the resolution and eight voted against it, while seven abstained. The meeting began with four-minute opening speeches from the » See POLITICAL UNION, page 6

FreeSpeechNU seeks to ease issues Robert Crown ASG-formed task force to facilitate talks on political demonstrations By YUNKYO KIM

the daily northwestern @yunkyomoonk

The Associated Student Government has formed a task force titled FreeSpeechNU, meant to facilitate talks between students and administrators on policies surrounding political demonstrations. FreeSpeechNU was founded last quarter as the response to the repainting of The Rock over Homecoming weekend, Henry Molnar, the founder of the initiative, said. Molnar, who is also ASG’s chief of staff, said he wanted to create a united space to guarantee protection on anonymous demonstrations and political speech regarding The Rock. Last quarter, The Rock was painted with phrases including “F--k John Evans,” criticizing the University’s recent refusal to remove Evans’ namesake from certain campus buildings. The message was later painted over by the University, citing profanity. “After seeing some concerns with the whole rock cover-up, I felt like there wasn’t a sufficient enough response from the student body, from ASG or from the

nears completion 18 months after breaking ground, center’s almost open By JACOB FULTON

the daily northwestern @jacobnfulton1

Daily file photo by Joshua Hoffman

Passersby view the Rock, which was painted Homecoming weekend and criticized Northwestern’s inaction following student demands to remove University founder John Evans’ name from campus buildings.

administration,” Molnar said. “I just want to do something about it and as we started to dive more into it, just more and more free speech issues started to come up.” The Weinberg senior also told

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The Daily that the task force is in the process of meeting with the administrators to ensure students’ rights to speech are being maintained and that there are specific policies in place to support them.

One problem with demonstration policies at NU, Molnar said, is that they are too broad. While The Rock is commonly » See FREE SPEECH, page 6

After breaking ground nearly 18 months ago, the Robert Crown Community Center is nearing completion. Introduced in January 2017, the project was intended to replace the original center due to high maintenance costs and deteriorating facilities. The city initially budgeted renovations at $17 million, with plans for two fully functioning ice rinks, a new library branch and a number of baseball fields. However, in the years since, the project’s costs have ballooned, increasing from a later projection of $30 million to a final price tag of over $53 million. A nonprofit organization called Friends of the Robert Crown Center pledged a portion of the funding, but Evanston residents have expressed concerns about the increase, saying they don’t want to pay more in taxes because of the price change.

Despite fiscal controversies, the city has almost finished construction on the center, with both ice rinks already open for public use. The building housing public meeting spaces, athletic facilities and an Evanston Public Library branch is slated to open near the end of February. Once the new facilities open, John Devaney, the project manager for the center, said the old building will be demolished to make way for soccer fields and a new parking lot. “After we get through next spring, we’ll have these wonderful fields and scoreboards, and the tennis courts are probably under 10 years old and we’ll have this wonderful new building,” Devaney said. “There’s just so much the center will offer for the community.” Devaney said the new buildings are a much-needed update from the previous location, with expanded technology in library facilities and more seating in both rinks. Library board president Shawn Iles said he doesn’t foresee a hard opening for the center; instead, the library will host multiple events to appeal to the community. » See ROBERT, page 6

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

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

AROUND TOWN

ETHS boys varsity basketball stresses team bonds By MOLLY LUBBERS

the daily northwestern @mollylubbers

The huddle: it’s an old staple of team sports. But for the boys who don Evanston Township High School jerseys and play in Beardsley Gym, it’s a fairly new ritual. Junior Blake Peters, who has played with the ETHS boys varsity basketball team since his freshman year, said his team huddled up less frequently in years past. However, after their first loss this season, they decided to circle up before every game. Junior Logan Talmage said the huddles help them “stay together like a family.” The Wildkits have won 21 games out of 24 this season. The team is currently ranked fifth in the state, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, but many players said they don’t worry about their rank — their biggest focus is on playing each game and working together. “As a team, we’ve come together more, and I think that’s helped us,” Talmage said. “And even though we’ve been going through some rough spots lately, I think since we’re sticking together, we’ll definitely be able to get through it, and probably even improve from it.” Last week, the Wildkits lost two games in a row before winning on Saturday against Oak Park and River Forest High School. Assistant coach Rudy Meo said the team can grow from the losses. “Those moments are teachable lessons too,” Meo said. “They’ll help us with the growth that we are experiencing right now.” The week before that, the Wildkits won against

POLICE BLOTTER Phone stolen during fight

An 18-year-old man had his phone taken Saturday, possibly by three men. All of the people were attending a party in the 2100 block of Oakton Street when a fight broke out on the sidewalk Saturday around 6 p.m., Evanston police Cmdr.

Bloom High School’s team, which has multiple seniors committed to Division I college teams. Many people doubted the Wildkits would win, junior Elijah Bull said. “Our coach, our staff, the players, we came in focused,” he said. “I feel like we were prepared to win the game even though people didn’t think we would. We came out strong. We didn’t come out playing scared, we came out playing confident, and it was a great win. The locker room was very excited after the win.” Bull added that in general, their success takes many people by surprise, since many consider the team as too young to succeed. Only juniors comprise the Wildkits’ starting lineup, and just a few seniors play for the team. Starter Isaiah Holden said every time he steps on the court, he knows the Wildkits are a special team. “This year, I felt like we were going to be a very good team, just knowing how much my teammates work out and be in the gym,” he said. “Knowing that we’re the underdogs, we just have to work harder than other teams and I feel like we’ve been doing a good job with that.” Last year, three seniors — whom Meo called the “all-time winningest trio in Evanston history” — graduated. During the 2018-2019 season, the Wildkits made it to the State Championships for the first time since 1984. If the Wildkits qualify for the championships this year, it would be at least the fourth state championship game in ETHS history, according to Illinois High School Association boys basketball season summaries. Holden said a win would mean a lot to them and their fans, because the team placed third in Class 4A in 2018

Brian Henry said. While the fighting happened, someone took the man’s phone. He did not notice until after, when he went to Steak ‘n Shake to call the police. When the police showed up to the scene, the man was uncooperative in providing information, Henry said.

Joshua Hoffman/The Daily Northwestern

Junior Elijah Bull dribbles the ball as a player from Loyola Academy falls beside him. Bull played with the Wildkits his freshman year before transferring to Niles North High School when he was a sophomore. This year, he transferred back to ETHS and said that when he returned to the team, it felt like he “already had family there.”

and second in 2019. Before they can think about the championships, they need to advance to and through the playoffs. Many players said it was important that they not underestimate their opponents. “We can’t let (winning) get to our heads because we have a big stretch ahead of us,” junior Jake Vasilias said. “In the playoffs, we have to keep focus and stay locked in.” Holden and Bull both said people may only see the wins, rather than the work they put in. The team practices nearly every day and watches film of their playing to improve.

Beyond practice, Holden added that the team’s “brotherhood” helps them succeed. Many of the players have played together or against one another since they were children. Now, they bond through team dinners and spending time with one another outside of basketball. “If someone has an off game, then the next person’s going to step up and contribute, and that doesn’t come without having that brotherhood,” Holden said. “We’ve become so close that we all know how one another plays. That’s special.”

Man arrested for bicycle thefts

at $320, at the same location on Dec. 31. The man was arrested at 1740 Oak Ave. around 5:30 a.m. The apartment building had experienced many bicycle thefts and had put up cameras to get surveillance footage. A motion detector signaled the security guards at the time of the theft, Henry said.

A 49-year-old man was arrested Thursday when an apartment complex security guard called the police after seeing on surveillance video that the man was cutting a bike lock in a locked residential storage unit. The police arrested the man for theft before connecting him to a previous theft of a bicycle, valued

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

ON CAMPUS

Certain drug use up post-school shootings By SAMANTHA AGUILAR

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The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Troy Closson

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A study conducted by Northwestern, Yale and Stanford researchers reports the rate of antidepressant use among youth rises in the wake of fatal school shootings. School shootings have become a more regular occurrence in the United States, with the annual number rising from 16 in 2011 to a high of 116 in 2018, according to a study from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School. “Antidepressants and prescriptions were a very good measurement because they are objective and cover the entire U.S.” researcher and SESP Prof. Hannes Schwandt said. “It’s really important that we observe prescriptions before and after a shooting and also in schools that didn’t experience a shooting to identify the causal effects.” By looking at 44 schools and 15 shootings, researchers, including economics Prof. Molly Schnell, found that antidepressant use among people under 20 rose by 21 percent on average in the local communities where fatal shootings occurred. The study found that the total cost of a school shooting for U.S. society is often underestimated. Schwandt said these negative effects are still being seen three years post-school shooting. “What was shocking was that these effects are persistent,” Schwandt said. “Effects on mental health make it very likely that there will be effects on educational, career, and social outcomes.” Increases in antidepressant use are the same in areas with high and low concentrations of prescribing doctors. The study did not find evidence that previous undiagnosed mental health conditions caused this increased use. “There has been research showing that mental health issues in childhood are very costly in both the short and long term,” Schwandt said. “There was of course a hope that maybe a school shooting doesn’t have a lasting impact but that’s not what we found.”

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Prescription pill bottles. A recent study reports antidepressant use among youth rises in the wake of fatal school shootings.

This study attempts to answer what the longterm cost of a school shooting is on a community, but students who have lived in a community affected by a tragedy can describe how youth react immediately following a shooting. Maria Aragon, a Medill freshman, attended high school just five miles away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of a fatal shooting in 2018 that killed 17 people. Aragon remembers being instantly angered upon hearing the news of a shooting so close to home. “I felt like my blood was boiling,” Aragon said “I needed to do something.” She explained that in the following days there students and community members experienced mixed reactions. The March For Our Lives movement was created soon after the shooting, and

Aragon said the emotional effects did not leave her for some time. “A couple weeks later I was just driving home and I felt so afraid,” Aragon said. “I called my friend and I told her I didn’t know why, but I felt so scared.” Ultimately, Aragon said the tragedy awakened a sense of advocacy in herself and peers. She said that her friends and community members moved past the typical news cycle that often accompanies school shootings to focus more on prolonged gun control advocacy. Schwandt hopes that the research he co-authored will spark conversation and inspire further study into the long-term effects of a school shooting. samanthaaguilar2023@u.northwestern.edu

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Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Navigating marginalization, microaggressions in Asian studies MIRA YANG

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Racism and discrimination aren’t always overt and loud. They can manifest in more subtle ways, ways that are often ignored or deemed “not hateful enough” to cause emotional damage. The recipient of these blows, or microaggressions, may recognize comments or actions as racist, but may not speak out about them in fear of seeming too sensitive. Other times, microaggressions aren’t even recognized as racism at all. But they add up — they’re constant, and because they’re ignored, they often continue throughout one’s lifetime. No matter how confident people from marginalized or underrepresented communities feel about their identities, microaggressions create unsafe spaces and make individuals feel like perpetual outsiders. Growing up as one of the only Asian Americans in predominantly white elementary and middle schools, I often experienced microaggressions and teasing. My peers would laugh at my Chinese middle name and the lunches I brought, and I was often mistaken for the only other Asian female students. The list went on, but I didn’t truly reflect on microaggressions and their impact until this year when I enrolled in my first class in the Department of Asian

Languages and Culture. I had always wanted to take a course in Asian American studies at Northwestern, so I was excited to enroll in Modern Chinese Popular Culture II, a course that promised discussion on Chinese literature and film and asked questions about the role of popular culture in Chinese identity. I was initially a bit skeptical about the professor being white, but I decided to enroll regardless and even convinced a friend to take it with me. There were many red flags beginning on day one, when the professor struggled to tell my friend and I apart. Even by week four, he still mistook Asian students for one another and was unsure of the names of some Asian students but not students of other ethnicities. He invalidated the backgrounds and experiences of Chinese and Chinese-American students by being nonchalant about their experiences and the experiences of their family members, people who actually lived during the periods of Chinese history we discussed in class. He didn’t want us to include historical perspectives or translation notes, yet at the same time we could ask him for sources and references about Chinese history and language. When students of non-Asian backgrounds referred to elements in movies as “weird” or didn’t understand some of the cultural references in the Chinese films, the professor failed to help them understand, instead shifting the focus to the films “innuendos” or romantic plot lines.

My experience in this class was reminiscent of the Intro to Buddhism class I took last winter, where the white professor rarely deferred to the perspectives of Asian Buddhists and classified a lot of traditional elements as “hocus pocus” rather than recognizing the religion’s personal and cultural value. My friend and I agreed the course seemed to focus on the religion in a white, Western, scholarly way. It essentially othered and ignored Buddhist cultures and people. My Asian literature class was taught similarly. After the fourth week, I dropped the class after a particularly harrowing class where the professor made an insensitive joke about the coronavirus, called elements in a Chinese film “exotic,” and commented that the dress that the female protagonist was wearing in the film was “tight” and “left nothing for the imagination.” I don’t intend to identify or target specific perpetrators of microaggressions, but simply help everyone recognize microaggressions as being harmful and discriminatory. Students of all backgrounds have important stories to share, and these stories cannot continue to be brushed off or invalidated. This is especially true when the perpetrators making these discriminatory remarks are people in power. Without any negative feedback or backlash, they will continue to hurt students of color without consequence and regard. Since many racist stereotypes have been normalized in American culture, marginalized

students are sometimes fearful or unable to recognize microaggressions towards them until they have been worn down. When speaking to my friends of color on this issue — both from Northwestern and from other colleges in the U.S. — they all had long lists of stories to share. Being mistaken for another student, having your name shortened or changed without permission or being deemed a “model minority” who couldn’t possibly face oppression are just a handful of the microaggressions that people of color face. In order to protect marginalized individuals growing up, in college and in the workplace, we must allow our culture to see how ignoring “smaller” acts of racism can prevent accountability of people in power, can create environments that completely invalidate the ideas and identities of certain individuals and continue to normalize racism and perpetuate potentially dangerous stereotypes. Being affected by microaggressions doesn’t make you sensitive: It gives you the tools to help others recognize them and create a safer culture of inclusivity for all. Mira Yang is a Weinberg sophomore. She can be contacted at mirayang2022@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.

U.S. should ban direct-to-consumer prescription drug use WESLEY SHIROLA

ASST. OPINION EDITOR

Rarely these days does a relaxing hour of watching TV, reading a magazine or listening to the radio go by without encountering an advertisement for a prescription drug. Indeed, there has been a remarkable increase in such direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug marketing budgets over the years, skyrocketing from $1.3 billion in 1997 to over $6 billion in 2016 — a 361 percent increase. This is cause for concern and should be taken seriously. With mounting evidence that DTC prescription drug ads may do more harm than good, it is time for the U.S. government to take the drastic step of banning such ads. After all, the U.S. remains one of only two countries in the world — the other is New Zealand — to allow this practice. DTC advertisements for pharmaceuticals were made legal in 1985, but only became widespread with the easing of guidelines in 1997. Today, DTC pharmaceutical ads are regulated by two sets of guidelines, each of which has drastically different thresholds for approval. This can make it difficult to ban an ad that meets one set of requirements but doesn’t meet the other. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, requires all DTC advertising to be accurate and not misleading, to reflect balance between harms and benefits and to make claims only supported by substantial evidence. However, The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a trade group representing pharmaceutical companies’ interests, requires ads to educate patients about treatment options, to increase awareness

about diseases, to motivate patients to consult their doctors and to increase the likelihood that patients will receive appropriate care. The contrast between these two sets of guidelines is stark. While the FDA guidelines use clear wording, the PhRMA wording is much more ambiguous and open for interpretation, creating a lower bar for advertisement approval. DTC advertisements have only been around for a little over two decades, yet they have already had a drastic impact on the advertising landscape and sharply contrast forms of legal pharmaceutical advertising permitted in other countries. In the U.K., for example, pharmaceutical companies are only permitted to advertise over-the-counter medicines DTC; prescriptiononly medicines can only be promoted directly to healthcare professionals who are authorized to prescribe or supply the product. Pharmaceutical companies, like other companies that have products to sell, use DTC advertisements to increase the volume of drugs sold. In 2008, a U.S. House Commerce Committee discovered that for every $1,000 spent on DTC prescription drug advertisements, 24 new patients became customers of the pharmaceutical industry. Even more alarming is a 2003 research report that found that prescription rates for prescription drugs with advertisements were nearly seven times greater than for prescription drugs that were not advertised. While physician surveys conducted by the FDA have found that many physicians think that DTC advertisements make their patients more involved in their health care and that such ads increase patients’ awareness of possible treatments, DTC prescription drug ads are likely to cause more harm than good for patients, their physicians, and the healthcare field as a whole. Revamping the aforementioned guidelines is not the answer, however. Ensuring the accuracy of pharmaceutical advertisements — if this

is even possible — does not change the fact that the average consumer lacks the medical knowledge necessary to interpret the messages of these ads as well as decide whether a certain drug is right for them. The FDA surveys mentioned earlier, for instance, found that 65 percent of physicians believe DTC ads confuse patients about the relative risks and benefits of prescription drugs. Additionally, around 75 percent of physicians surveyed believe that DTC pharmaceutical ads mislead patients into thinking that a drug works better than it actually does. Drugs for diseases as serious as lung cancer or diabetes cannot possibly be explained in the scope required for legitimate understanding in a 60 or 90 second TV commercial. An advertisement released in 2019 by Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical company, for the advanced lung cancer drug Opdivo, for example, is full of vivid imagery of expansive skies and smiling faces, suggesting an open road to a healthy future. The average five-year survival rate for the type of lung cancer Opdivo is designed to treat is a meager 24 percent, and yet the ad proclaims Opdivo gives patients “A chance to live longer.” The fact that Opdivo has the potential for major side effects including suicidal ideation is only briefly mentioned at the end in a rapid-fire list of this and other possible side effects. It is highly unlikely that consumers are capable of understanding the realities of taking Opdivo, as well as the countless other drugs from DTC advertisements. Most viewers also fail to notice the tiny font at the bottom of their screens that states, “For adults with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with platinumbased chemotherapy” and “Half of Opdivo patients were alive at 9.2 months versus 6 months for chemotherapy. Results may vary.” This is definitely a chance to live longer, but I

would presume that most patients who see this ad do not understand the stark reality of the statement. The oversimplified message, dramatic imagery and bubbly patients seen in the Opdivo advertisement are by no means unique. Most DTC pharmaceutical ads follow the same outline. After all, pharmaceutical companies know this approach sells drugs. What incentive do they have to change what works? I can’t think of any. Americans trust the pharmaceutical industry and they trust DTC pharmaceutical advertisements to inform them about potential life-saving drugs. This is not unreasonable. Presumably, the pharmaceutical industry wishes to save lives with their drugs. If this were the case, though, pharmaceutical companies would discontinue their use of DTC advertisements and allow licensed healthcare professionals to assess the efficacy of a drug and its suitability for their patients. For me, the simple fact that the U.S. is one of only two countries in the world to allow such advertising is worrying enough. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that pharmaceutical companies will voluntarily end DTC advertising on their own. We see again and again that profits tend to trump safety. It’s time we actually appreciate the reality of this observation. It is up to the federal government to step in and ban DTC prescription drug advertisements. This will not only promote patient safety but will reinforce the role of physician and uphold the ethicality that is crucial to any healthcare system. Wesley Shirola is a Weinberg junior. He can be contacted at wesleyshirola2021@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 141, Issue 20 Editor in Chief Troy Closson

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POLITICAL UNION From page 1

lead debaters, Weinberg sophomore Elizabeth Sperti, who spoke for the pro side and Weinberg sophomore John Magloire, who spoke against the resolution. Weinberg junior Molly Molloy moderated. “We all already knew what the outcome will be,” Sperti said. “This isn’t about the Ukraine incident. It’s about the Democrats’ venting their hatred of Trump.” Sperti also questioned Democratic lawmakers’ decision to impeach Trump for abuse of power

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020 and obstruction of justice over bribery, seen as a more specific and explicitly impeachable offense. Opposing Sperti’s position, Magloire said the impeachment had value in what it showed the American public about the Republican party. “That the trial is going to end with acquittal does not mean that it is a waste of time,” Magloire said. “At least now voters have a clear image of how government functions when Republicans are in charge.” Weinberg senior Jake Gordon, a former Daily columnist, said during floor discussions that even though Trump’s actions were immoral, they did not seem extreme enough to warrant

impeachment. Gordon added he was not convinced that Democrats had a strong enough reason to pursue impeachment, considering that the trial would not end in Trump’s removal or change voter’s opinions. “Why does their need to be a political goal and agenda? Shouldn’t we impeach people on principle?” Weinberg sophomore Pamela Chen said in response. Responding to the floor discussion, Sperti said she rejects the idea that the impeachment is important in holding the president accountable, and that doing so does not change peoples’ minds.

FREE SPEECH

ROBERT

used to display political speech, the only guidelines pertain to advertising issues, he said. Current regulations around The Rock do not outline any policies around political statements or profanity. Intentional or not, ASG senator Daniel Rodriguez, said this vague language can be damaging for some student communities. “We just want to make sure that we make (policy) that is specific, that it will be able to work for students and be able to work for the administration and (keep) everyone happy,” the Weinberg and SESP sophomore said. FreeSpeechNU members have been meeting with Lucas Christain, assistant dean of students at the Office of Student Conduct, Molnar said. The group also plans to add more specific language to The Rock’s advertising policies. Megan Radcliffe, who is a member of FreeSpeechNU, said it was important for ASG to advocate for student free speech through comprehensive legislation and communication with The University. “The main sentiment shared by all students on campus is just (that) we deserve to have our voices heard, and not silenced by random specific regulations and gray areas,” the Bienen freshman said. Still, Molnar and Rodriguez emphasized that participation by ASG was not enough. For now, the task force is composed of ASG senators. However, they are actively looking for collaborations from other student groups and communities across campus to create larger input around legislation on free speech. “We really want to open it up for everyone, because it seems like it should affect everyone and not just a certain few,” Rodriguez said. In addition to talks with the University, the task force is collaborating with Medill freshman Zach Kessel to draft specific free speech legislation at a future ASG session. Kessel, who is a Daily columnist, submitted free speech legislation to ASG at a Jan. 15 meeting. It was postponed indefinitely, due to concerns the language was not comprehensive.

“The branch won’t have one sort of grand opening, because there’s multiple constituencies the staff is working for,” Iles said. “There’s a number of different events — they’ll have something that’s aimed at young children, something that’s aimed at our Spanish-speaking population and something that’s aimed at adults.” Though the center has faced financial issues and delays in construction, Devaney said he is excited to see the impact the completed project will have on the city. Miguel Ruiz, the supervising librarian for the Robert Crown branch, said he hoped the new facilities would create a central space for residents of southwest Evanston to gather and build community. “We’re trying to connect with community organizations and community members to see how they envision themselves in this space and what we can do to continue to cultivate a welcoming environment,” Ruiz said. “We’re absolutely and continuously committed to meeting the diverse expectations and needs of Evanston residents.”

From page 1

She said that the government should be reluctant to use “the most heavy-handed way of holding someone accountable.” Magloire addressed the pro arguments and argued that the impeachment brought national attention to the president’s wrongdoings. “If this impeachment was a waste of time, then we might as well get rid of the institution of impeachment,” Magloire said in his closing statement. “The point is that we are sending a message that if you’re the President of the United States you cannot commit a crime.” emilysakai2023@u.northwestern.edu

From page 1

yunkyokim2022@u.northwestern.edu

jacobfulton2023@u.northwestern.edu

NU-Q

From page 1 hosting it here,” one student tweeted. “A sad day for freedom of speech and the fight for equality. It’s unfortunate that in this day people still choose hate over peace & coexistence.” In a statement to The Daily, NU-Q Prof. Justin Martin said in a statement to The Daily that the event’s cancellation relayed the message to students on the Doha campus that they would “need to leave and go to Evanston” for a campus supporting freedom of expression. One Qatari journalist tweeted Friday that they had contacted the Qatar Foundation about the talk and were told that the organization was in contact with NU-Q about stopping it, and that the event contradicted its mission. The organization founded NU-Q in partnership

Daily file photo by Julia Esparza

The Robert Crown Center at 1701 Main St. The new center is slated to open near the end of February.

with the University, and also helped bring the other five American universities in Education City to Doha. The Qatar Foundation did not respond to request for comment. Mashrou’ Leila has dealt with homophobic backlash at other events in the past. When concert-goers at one of the band’s 2017 shows in Egypt waved pride flags during their performance, more than 70 were arrested in one of the largest crackdowns on the country’s LGBTQ community in years. In a separate event this July, Lebanon’s Byblos International Festival canceled a concert by the band following calls from church leaders accusing the group of blasphemy, as well as death threats directed toward members on social media. The festival’s organizers similarly cancelled the performance “to maintain security

and stability.” Members of Mashrou’ Leila did not respond to request for comment and the band has not yet released a statement on the matter. In 2017, however, after an event with the band in Amman was cancelled, the group’s lead singer Hamed Sinno spoke out about homophobic backlash to the group’s scheduled performance. “If you go online and gauge what people had a problem with, people were making the most atrocious homophobic remarks,” Sinno told Newsweek after the 2017 performance cancellation in Jordan. “If the government is listening to the people, then the government is acting upon those homophobic remarks. I do think that (homophobia) is also the issue (the government has).” troyclosson2020@u.northwestern.edu

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American Studies

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

Informational Session for Prospective Majors

Are you drawn to the idea of doing original research? Are you excited to choose a set of courses customized & tailored to your educational or career goals? Are you intrigued by studying history, identity, & culture from an interdisciplinary approach?

Bring your questions and your curiosity; learn if the Program in American Studies is the right Major for you.

Wednesday, February 12th

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

2/4/20

Level: 1 2 3 4

Kresge Centennial Hall 5-520 amst@northwestern.edu

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle DAILY CROSSWORD Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Madeline of “History of the World, Part I” 5 Respectful address to a woman 9 Declare void 14 Sailing or whaling 15 Jackson 5 hairdo 16 Golden-egg layer 17 Line on a Yankee uniform 19 Lather, __, repeat 20 Have a share (of) 21 Arachnophobe’s worry 23 “__ questions?” 24 Lean (on) 26 “Gorillas in the Mist” primate 27 Youngest “American Idol” winner 32 Skirt fold 35 Facts and figures 36 Square root of IX 37 Open and breezy 38 Like babies’ knees 40 Laugh really hard 41 Rule, briefly 42 Pueblo-dwelling people 43 Numerical relationship 44 Several characters on TV’s “The Americans” 48 List-ending abbr. 49 Throw hard 50 Morse code word 53 Portable charcoal grill 57 How some chew gum 59 Novelist Wharton 60 Washing machine feature shown graphically in this puzzle’s circles 62 Free-for-all 63 “The African Queen” screenwriter James 64 Gas in a sign 65 Burpee buy 66 Hospital section 67 “¿Cómo __ usted?” DOWN 1 Phi Beta __ 2 Lai or Thai

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

2/4/20

By Robin Stears

3 Name of eight English kings 4 Condé __ 5 Sharpie, for one 6 Off the beaten path 7 Dadaist Jean 8 “The Simpsons” bar 9 Marcus __, victorious commander at Actium 10 “I’m drawing a blank” 11 Zilch 12 44-Across’ land: Abbr. 13 Levi’s alternatives 18 Mystic’s deck 22 Sickly pale 25 Language that gave us “kvetch” 27 Gatsby of “The Great Gatsby” 28 Remind nonstop 29 Run amok 30 Fuzzy fruit 31 Fodder holder 32 Henry VIII’s last wife Catherine 33 In __ of: substituted for 34 Energy units

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

38 Cook just below a boil 39 Network absorbed by The CW 40 Possesses 42 Bums a ride 43 Piece from the past 45 On chairs 46 Smaller and weaker 47 Smoothed out the wrinkles

2/4/20

50 Cuts into cubes 51 Portion out 52 “Laughing” scavenger 53 Garment edges 54 Bordeaux notion 55 Gallbladder fluid 56 Part of Caesar’s boast 58 Holiday song ender 61 Ryder Cup coadministrating org.

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Sensory experiences in store for local plant shop visitors By ZOE MALIN

daily senior staffer @zoermalin

Upon stepping into Cultivate Urban Rainforest and Gallery, the temperature changes and the humidity rises. Even the smell is different, resembling a mossy fragrance. Louise Rosenberg founded the plant shop, located at 704 Main St., in 2015. It’s covered floor to ceiling in green leaves, immersing customers in a sensory experience. Rosenberg said owning Cultivate has been the “coolest and most wild ride” of her life. “Cultivate increases the fold of people who value houseplants,” Rosenberg said. “We’re building community and sharing love.” Rosenberg’s first love — her cats — inspired her to open a plant shop. Many plant varieties are toxic to animals, and Rosenberg struggled to find a resource that noted which types are safe. She eventually came across the ASPCA Poisonous Plants list and began rebuilding her collection accordingly. Around the same time, Rosenberg decided she was ready for a change in her life. When the storefront became available, Rosenberg knew it was meant to be. It formerly belonged to Dave’s Down to Earth Rock Shop, a store she grew up visiting. Rosenberg called the building’s landlord and later opened Cultivate’s doors. The plants at Cultivate are sourced from wholesale distributors across the country. Some come from local growers, while others are transported from Florida, for example, to Evanston by truck. Rosenberg fills Cultivate with a unique selection of aquatic plants, ferns and succulents, but said it has the largest selection of tropical plants. She aims to carry varieties customers can’t get in “big box stores.” Lee Hanten works at Cultivate as a plant care and sales specialist. He said his role is to keep plants “alive, healthy and thriving.” This is quite a feat considering the number of diverse plants in the store, and new additions each week. Hanten was a long-time customer at Cultivate before becoming a staff member. He thought he knew about houseplants at the time, but quickly learned otherwise. Hanten said there is a lot involved in owning plants, which he is “loves” sharing with those who come into the store. “We help customers thrive in their space,” Hanten

said. “Not everyone knows that more than a plant store, we are a resource.” Beyond selling houseplants, Cultivate also sells retail items like jewelry, posters and books. The store also offers workshops, which Rosenberg said are BYOB and open to those of all ages. Plant Parenthood, a how-to class on plant care, takes place every month. Sessions help attendees choose the right plant for their lifestyles and teach skills like how to avoid pests and water plants correctly. Rosenberg said indoor plants come with less instruction tags than outdoor plants, and often, people don’t know how to keep a plant alive when they bring it home. Plant Parenthood educates new and experienced plant owners alike. “Plants help people learn how to take care of things,” Rosenberg said. “Along the way, they might even help people take care of themselves a little better, too.” Additionally, Cultivate hosts hands-on terrarium building workshops. Rosenberg believes an important aspect of creating is using materials that speak to the individual, so she has attendees customize their terrariums right down to the color of soil used. Rosenberg provides an array of plants, glass and other materials while she explains how to construct the terrariums. She said the workshop lets people get their hands dirty and destress. Plant-lovers can also engage with one another during the store’s plant swap event. People bring healthy indoor houseplants or rooted cuttings to Cultivate and exchange them for someone else’s. Where there are no plants covering Cultivate’s walls, Rosenberg carefully curates art for the space. The shop exhibits different artists’ work on a rotating basis, but pieces are always themed around the natural or ecological world. Each artist featured gives a gallery talk. Exhibits have an opening celebration and closing reception. Katherine Gotsick, executive director of The Main-Dempster Mile, said Cultivate is the “definition” of a neighborly business. She admires the care staff show customers and the store’s ability to gather people around nature. Gotsick said Cultivate is especially “refreshing” to visit during Evanston’s grey winter days. She always leaves feeling “brighter” due to the plants and the people who work there. “Louise is the real deal,” Gotsick said. “Cultivate embodies her living her passion out loud.” zoemalin2022@u.northwestern.edu

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Louise Rosenberg opened Cultivate Urban Rainforest and Gallery in 2015. She fills the store tropical plants, succulents and ferns.

The plants at Cultivate are sourced from wholesale distributors across the country. Some are from local growers.

Zoe Malin/Daily Senior Staffer

Cultivate hosts workshops and plant swap events. It also showcases work by featured artists.

SPORTS

ON DECK FEB.

Softball NU at Tennessee, 2:45 PM Saturday

ON THE RECORD

He expects me to be great every single day... He wants to make sure I’m bettter every single time I’m out there. — Patrick Mahomes, quarterback

@DailyNU_Sports

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

HEARTBREAK AT HOME

The Cats falls twice at home against Vanderbilt, Princeton No. 13 Vanderbilt

By GRAYSON WELO

the daily northwestern

After claiming its first win of the season on January 25, Northwestern returned to the Combe Tennis Center for its inaugural weekend of home matches. On Friday, the Wildcats struggled to maintain momentum and fell to No. 13 Vanderbilt 2-5 for the second time this season. NU picked up its two points against the Commodores in singles; sophomore Clarissa Hand defeated Vanderbilt senior Emma Kurtz 6-1, 6-4 and junior Caroline Pozo beat Vanderbilt freshman Dasha Kourkina 6-2, 5-7, 1-0. Despite the loss on Friday, the Cats seemed energized Saturday morning before facing No. 17 Princeton as Fall Out Boy blasted over the loudspeaker and NU slammed overheads to finish off its warm up. However, the energy dwindled throughout the three-hour match as results increasingly favored the Tigers, and the Cats again lost 2-5. Freshman Briana Crowley and sophomore Hannah McColgan won the first match of the day at two doubles, defeating Princeton senior Clare McKee and freshman Zoe Howard 6-2. However, NU ultimately lost its other two doubles matches, giving Princeton the lead heading into

Northwestern

singles matchups. Senior Julie Byrne and Hand together lost by a small margin of 4-6 at the one doubles spot, a disappointing loss for Byrne who said she underperformed. “On points I usually play well on, I wasn’t executing, so I have to take the blame on that one,” Byrne said. “It’s such a quick set that if you don’t win those deuce points, it gets away from you.” Despite a lackluster doubles performance, Byrne picked up one of two points for the Cats with her singles win. The senior defeated Princeton sophomore Brianna Shvets 6-3, 6-3 with a combination of deep baseline groundstrokes, angled slices and drop shots. “My focus this year is the mentality of looking to come in. I’m an all court player, but I’m good at the net, so I’m just always trying to be aggressive and come in,” Byrne said afterwards. “A lot of players like to play a very one dimensional way, so if I can put in some slices and hit some volleys, it

WRESTLING

Northwestern loses 19-18 on the road against rival Illinois

On Sunday, Northwestern traveled to Champaign, Illinois for a battle against in-state rival Illinois, where they lost 19-18. The Wildcats have now lost four of their first five conference games, with their lone win coming against Indiana. Despite the lack of team success on Sunday, NU still had a lot of individuals who performed well in their respective weight classes. Five Wildcats from four different grades won their matches Sunday — redshirt freshman Lucas Davison, redshirt sophomores Tyler Morland and Yahya Thomas, redshirt junior Ryan Deakin and senior Shayne Oster. Deakin, the No. 1 wrestler at the 157-weight class, brought his record

On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. Several Northwestern alums had an impact in the victory despite not stepping on the field. One of the biggest minds in the Chiefs’ game plan is Kansas City quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka, who has been a major factor in the development of Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes threw for 286 yards and had three total touchdowns. “He expects me to be great every single day,” Mahomes said before the game on Wednesday about Kafka. “He goes out there and doesn’t let me be satisfied with… having success. He wants to make sure I’m better every single time I’m out there.” Before becoming a coach, Kafka

Daily file photo by Alison Albelda

graysonwelo2023@u.northwestern.edu

SOFTBALL

to 13-0 this season by pinning Fighting Illini class Eric Barone. Thomas won the match before Deakin and, after the redshirt junior’s victory, Oster and Morland won their respective matches as well. Initially down 11-0 heading into those matches, NU jumped out to a 15-11 lead with three wrestlers remaining. However, the Cats only won one of those matches and, in the final match, redshirt freshman Jack Heyob lost a majority decision to Illinois class Luke Luffman in the 285 bout. This is the second straight time that NU has traveled on the road to Illinois and come up just short. Two years ago, the Wildcats faced the Fighting Illini on the road and lost by one point, that time by a score of 18-17. However, last season, NU blew out their in-state rival 25-12. — Andrew Golden

FOOTBALL NEWS

NU alum Mike Kafka helps Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV

gives me a better chance.” Coach Claire Pollard said Byrne and McColgan, who also won her Saturday singles match, are two of the team’s more successful net players. Both players hail from across the pond — Ireland and England respectively — where tennis is played on different court surfaces more suited for net play. Pollard added that in today’s game the ability to play at net is increasingly difficult due to the speed of the ball. Moreover, Crowley and Hand battled in their singles matches despite losing in the end. Crowley lost to Princeton junior Stephanie Schrage in three sets 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 3-6, while Hand fell to Howard 6-7 (6-8), 2-6. Both players grew visibly emotional and frustrated during their matches, which Pollard said may have hurt their on-court performances. “Both of the two girls that were physically deteriorating as the match went on are two of the most vocal, so perhaps today it wasn’t as helpful as it sometimes is,” Pollard said. “But that’s who they are, and I never ask someone to not be themselves.” After this weekend’s losses, NU’s record totals at 1-3. However, the Cats still have until the end of the month to make adjustments before the start of the Big Ten season.

was a Wildcat from 2005 to 2009 and led the team to the Outback Bowl during his senior season. He threw for 4,265 passing yards, 887 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns over his career. In addition to Kafka, David Girardi is the offensive quality control coach for the Chiefs, but before that was a defensive graduate assistant for the Cats from 2014-2017. After winning the Super Bowl, Northwestern football’s Twitter account celebrated the two, tweeting, “Congratulations to Super Bowl champions @MikeKafka3 & @DGirardi12! #ProCats.” On the other side of the field, the 49ers also had Northwestern connections. Justin Chabot, a national scout, Ryan Kessenich, an area scout and Ben Peterson, the head of player health and performance all spent time in Evanston at some point in their respective careers. — Peter Warren

NU should expect to win in 2020

BENJAMIN ROSENBERG

SPORTS COLUMNIST

It’s a line Kate Drohan has used so often, it has almost lost its meaning. “Our goal, year in and year out, for the last 18 years, has been to get to Oklahoma City.” For those who have been around Northwestern’s coach for long enough, the line may seem strange — Drohan rarely talks so openly in public about the long term. But for the first time in at least a decade, her goal should not be taken lightly. The Wildcats should be open about reaching college softball’s promised land — because they have the pieces in place to get there. Last year’s 47-13 record and Super Regionals appearance was something of a surprise. After NU graduated a seven-member senior class in 2018 that included four starting position players, many figured the Cats would get worse before they got better. Instead, they had their best season since making four straight Super Regionals — including two Women’s College World Series — from 2005-08. That’s because they had freshmen fill nearly every void on the roster, and they had a group of upperclassmen who were more than happy to nurture them and help them grow. Catcher Jordyn Rudd produced at an all-Big Ten level both behind and at the plate. Shortstop Maeve Nelson became one of NU’s main power sources while making huge strides defensively. Skyler Shellmyer’s speed was a major asset in center field, and she gave the Cats an instant shot of energy every time she made a play. Nikki Cuchran was a hitting

machine, coming up clutch time and time again against top pitchers during the stretch run. And then there was NFCA National Freshman of the Year Danielle Williams, who carried the pitching staff for most of the year, striking out nearly 10 batters per seven innings while compiling a 1.55 ERA. All of those freshmen are now sophomores, with a year of college experience under their belts. They weren’t fazed by much a season ago, but nothing is new to them now. What’s more, they’ll be able to serve as mentors for another strong crop of freshmen, which includes catcher Ashley Schultz, outfielder Angela Zedak and pitcher Sydney Supple. Williams will have more help in the circle than she did a year ago. Supple was a top-10 recruit in the country according to Softball America, junior Kenna Wilkey was a solid second option last season and seniors Morgan Newport and Kaley Winegarner pitched well in limited work. NU will also have Lauren Dvorak, who redshirted her true freshman season in 2019, at its disposal. Here’s another scary thought for the rest of the Big Ten: the Cats got better as last season progressed. NU lost a few games early against teams like Loyola Marymount and North Carolina that it likely would have won later on in the year. Nelson is a perfect example of the Cats’ in-season growth. After starting slowly, she hit a team-best .329 in Big Ten play, with seven of her 11 home runs coming in conference games. And despite making 11 errors in NU’s first 22 contests, the shortstop did not commit a single error in conference play. But Nelson, like many of her teammates, struggled down the

stretch as the Cats faced some of the best pitchers in the country in May. Five of their six losses during that month were to Minnesota or Oklahoma, who both played in the World Series — and all five of those losses were shutouts. Nelson’s dropoff was especially significant, as she tallied just one hit in 12 May contests. NU will learn from facing pitchers like Minnesota’s Amber Fiser and Oklahoma’s Giselle “G” Juarez. Veterans like the versatile Newport and junior second baseman Rachel Lewis will be big parts of NU’s leadership core. With returners at all but two positions, the Cats have the perfect combination of experience and youth to make a deep postseason run. If last year’s mentality was “We Believe,” this year’s is “We Expect.” The Cats will not be catching anybody by surprise this season. They’ll be preparing for the postseason by facing seven of last season’s 16 NCAA regional hosts, including four World Series participants. When the current seniors were freshmen, NU was a paltry 25-29, its worst record in Drohan’s 18-year tenure. The pace at which Drohan and her staff have turned this program back around is nothing short of remarkable. All that’s left is that final step — getting to the sport’s biggest stage. And all of a sudden, that stage doesn’t seem so far away. Benjamin Rosenberg is a Medill junior. He can be contacted at benjmainrosenberg2021@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.