The Daily Northwestern — February 4, 2022

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The Daily Northwestern Friday, February 4, 2022

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Amid a national wave of collegiate advocacy pushing to reform campus mental health resources, Northwestern students call for overhaul of Counseling and Psychological Services

By CAROLINE BREW and MAIA PANDEY

daily senior staffers @carolinelbrew, @maiapandey

Content warning: This story contains mentions of eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

Three weeks into his freshman year at Northwestern, Sahibzada Mayed was involuntarily escorted to the hospital by University Police.

Mayed had moved from Pakistan only a month earlier. After learning he was one booster shot short of the Illinois vaccination requirement, he sought an exemption due to his lifelong phobia of needles and injections.

As part of that process, Mayed was required to meet multiple times with Counseling and Psychological Services to provide proper documentation of his phobia for what was then called Northwestern University Health Service.

During his sessions with CAPS, Mayed’s counselor expressed concern that he may have an eating disorder based on his appearance.

Mayed explained he was instead struggling with long-term gastrointestinal issues.

“When people have eating disorders, sometimes they don’t want to seek help, but they really need it,” he said. “I understand that perspective, but the only problem was (CAPS)

» See IN FOCUS, page 4

Evanston hosts Hygge festival

Muslim students advocate for transparency in halal food options

The Danish festivities included pastries and yoga

Students have initiated dialogue between NU and Compass Group

By SELENA KUZNIKOV

the daily northwestern @selenakuznikov

With baked pastries, crafting and community yoga, Hygge Fest offers Evanston residents an opportunity to slow down and get cozy.

The fourth annual Hygge Fest, organized by Downtown Evanston, is a combination of events running through the month of February that aims to support small businesses while celebrating the traditional Danish festival. The Danish phrase of “ hygge,” pronounced

Recycle Me

“hue-gah,” refers to coziness and comfort throughout the bitter cold winter months.

The purpose of Hygge Fest is to bring that taste of comfort to Evanston residents.

Hygge Fest events include making candle holders, crocheting rugs out of t-shirts and baking sourdough bread from scratch. The festival has both free and ticketed events hosted by individual small businesses in Evanston.

Bookends & Beginnings owner Nina Barrett said the business has been involved with Hygge Fest since the inaugural event.

“I was on the lookout for events that fit in with the overall spirit of hygge,” Barrett said. “That is creating a

» See HYGGE, page 10

By SAMA BEN AMER

the daily northwestern

W hen Weinberg sophomore Ayesha Baig saw the label for halal food next to pork chops at Sargent, her first instinct was to post a picture on Snapchat.

“I came to campus as a freshman my Winter Quarter and I walked in (Sargent Hall) and I’m trying to figure out, ‘What can I eat here?’” said Baig, a Daily op-ed contributor. “And I see the singular halal sign that was there that day. I go toward it and it is grilled pork chops. I was so

» See HALAL, page 10

Daily file photo by Seeger Gray

A dining worker scoops food in Allison Dining Hall. Muslim students advocate for transparency in halal food options.

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | In Focus 4 | A&E 6 | Classifieds & Puzzles 10 | Sports 12

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

AROUND TOWN

Pasta Luna is one of Evanston’s last ghost kitchens

By AVANI KALRA

the daily northwestern @avanidkalra

At the start of the pandemic, Scott Anderson, Prairie Moon’s marketing director, was at a loss.

Anderson was considering opening a second restaurant centered around Italian food, but Prairie Moon couldn’t even serve its own patrons indoors.

He decided they would still open an Italian concept, Pasta Luna, but this time from inside Prairie Moon’s kitchen. The restaurant wouldn’t have to invest in a new kitchen or staff but could benefit economically.

Pasta Luna is a takeout and delivery restaurant offering customizable and pre-assembled pasta dishes. Anderson said the experience is built around the company’s motto: “Pasta Fasta.” Patrons receive their pasta quickly and in a recyclable classic Chinese takeout box.

Customers ordering food cooked in Prairie Moon’s kitchen can choose from two menus –– Prairie Moon’s regular American Regional Fare, or the Pasta Luna menu.

Pasta Luna is one of Evanston’s last ghost kitchens.

“I first heard about the ghost kitchen model from the CEO of GrubHub, and that was completely shocking,” Anderson said. “I didn’t fully understand it. When the pandemic came, I thought, ‘This might work for us.’ ” Ghost kitchens are restaurants that operate through an entirely takeout and delivery model.

Often, the kitchens have no physical seating or

Evanston’s confirmed COVID-19 cases are rapidly declining Confirmed COVID-19 case numbers in Evanston have been rapidly declining with a 41% reduction from last week.

The city reported 281 new positive cases in the last seven days compared to last week’s 477. This

Daily file photo by Allie Goulding

Pasta Luna is a takeout and delivery restaurant offering customizable and pre-assembled pasta dishes.

operate out of another restaurant’s kitchen.

The online food delivery services market is growing and restaurants like Prairie Moon found success in operating takeout-only while dine-in was closed in Illinois, according to USA Today.

Farmhouse Evanston implemented ghost

kitchens in 2020, all of which closed last summer.

General Manager Philip Cocco said the restaurant opened a barbeque concept, a mac and cheese service and an Italian to-go option to help make up for revenue lost while indoor dining was closed.

“We had to buy different ingredients and cook

week’s positivity numbers constitute 59% of last week’s and 38% of what was observed in the week prior, which saw 740 positive cases.

Though case numbers have been significantly dropping, the seven-day moving average positivity rate is seeing a slower decline at 2.15% this week. The seven-day moving average saw a 0.75 percentage point reduction, compared to a 2.01 percentage point reduction from the week prior.

Cook County and Illinois overall saw steeper reductions than Evanston. In Cook County, the

test positivity this week was 4.7%, down 3 percentage points from last week. Compared to last week’s 13.8% test positivity, the state is now at 8.2%.

Vaccination rates in the city, Cook County and the state have continued increasing. As of Thursday, 96.4% of Evanston residents ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a 0.5 percentage point increase from last week. In that age group, 86.2% of residents are fully vaccinated.

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different recipes,” Cocco said. “You’re basically setting up three different lines in the kitchen. When the restaurant got busy again over the summer, we didn’t have the room.”

Bob’s Pizza began as a ghost kitchen operating out of Whiskey Thief Tavern and has since taken over the tavern’s space.

General Manager Mark Hayashi said Bob’s originally hoped to refresh the tavern’s menu and offer high quality pizza. When restaurants reopened after a second shutdown, Hayashi said the pizza business was successful enough that his team decided to shift Bob’s into the restaurant space.

Now, it is a popular spot for Northwestern students and a sit-down establishment with a full bar.

“At first it was Whiskey Thief Tavern serving Bob’s Pizza,” Hayashi said. “Then we married the two concepts for a little bit and finally decided to shift to 100% Bob’s Pizza.”

Despite changes in other Evanston ghost kitchens, Anderson decided to keep Pasta Luna in operation as a ghost kitchen even after indoor dining reopened. Anderson said that was in part because the kitchen services a different customer base, so it still provides a second stream of revenue.

Anderson’s team worked to differentiate the ghost kitchen from its host restaurant, creating a new logo and motto.

“We wanted to be very affordable,” he said. We were concerned about everyone surviving COVID19 financially, so we wanted to give our customers a completely new third option.” avanikalra2025@u.northwestern.edu In Cook County, 77.3% of individuals ages 5 and older have received at least one dose — a 0.5 point increase from last week — and 69.3% are fully vaccinated. In the state, these percentages are 74.1% and 66.3%, respectively.

The Food and Drug Administration will meet on Feb. 15 to discuss making the first two doses of a three-dose Pfizer primary vaccination series available for children ages 6 months to four years.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

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ON CAMPUS

NU quarantine policy causes confusion

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By JOANNA HOU

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

daily senior staffer @joannah_11

The Daily Northwestern

Editor in Chief Isabelle Sarraf

General Manager Stacia Campbell

When Weinberg junior Michelle Um tested positive for COVID-19 two days after Winter Break, she had to isolate in her off-campus residence with roommates who were negative for the duration of her illness.

Off-campus students have reported poor communication from Northwestern on what to do after testing positive and subsequently recovering.

Some have struggled to isolate away from their roommates, while others have felt unsure about University guidelines for returning to campus.

Um had to continue sharing her bathroom and other common facilities with her roommates. She said the experience was difficult because they all wanted to maintain their distance as much as possible.

“The University should provide isolation housing for people who don’t live on campus, especially since a lot of people who live off campus may have roommates, or they may be in a situation where they can’t quarantine by themselves,” Um said. “And if the University deems it necessary for students to not spread COVID, I feel like they should provide housing.”

Medill senior Margo Milanowski said NU did not inform her about quarantine guidelines or isolation protocols after she tested positive on Dec. 31, 2021. After Milanowski tested negative, she said it took the University an additional two weeks to clear her symptom tracker, a delay which briefly restricted her from facilities like the gym and library.

NU’s case management team was inconsistent in communications, Milanowski said. Upon first contact, she said a case manager initially told her someone from the team would follow up with quarantine guidelines, but no one ever did.

“I’ve had other friends who have tested positive after me on campus, and they got the calls with the specific guidelines,” Milanowski said. “No one ever reached out to me, so it was really up in the air about what I was supposed to be doing anyways.”

Milanowski was dog-sitting for a family in

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Students have struggled to communicate with Northwestern about COVID-19 quarantine and isolation protocols.

Evanston when she tested positive for COVID19, so she chose to quarantine at the family’s house because they were out of town. Luckily, dog-sitting while positive allowed her to isolate from her seven roommates, she said.

Weinberg freshman Isabel Knight, who lives nearby, tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 26, but waited five hours until NU approved her request to leave campus and quarantine at home.

“The website (said) to email COVID case management, so I emailed them and got an automated email back saying to email quarantine housing,” Knight said. “After that, it was a waiting game.”

Knight said she actively avoided on-campus quarantine and made the choice to do so at home after hearing stories from friends and other students about NU’s Quarantine and Isolation housing. Students in 1835 Hinman have raised concerns about having isolation housing roommates

and being underfed, among other issues.

Isolating at home has helped Knight’s mental health as she deals with COVID-19. She said doing schoolwork and catching up on classes is much easier at home. There, Knight said she can connect with her family and take a break from NU’s fast-paced culture.

Even with some hidden benefits, Um said she hopes University communication with students improves. She said COVID-19 can be a difficult experience for some people and that NU should treat individual experiences with care.

“They could have better communication with those who tested positive,” Um said. “(They should be) helping those who don’t really necessarily have the means to quarantine students by providing them with housing and meal plans.” joannahou2025@u.northwestern.edu

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ignoring the medical history.”

Mayed’s counselor shared their concern with NUHS, which prompted a doctor to order blood work. That required Mayed to face the very phobia that caused him to reach out to Health Services and CAPS in the first place.

When one of his tests came back showing high levels of sodium, NUHS ordered additional blood work. The night before this appointment, NUHS told Mayed it needed to reschedule. He decided to wait until morning to respond so he could coordinate with his adviser, who accompanied him dur ing the first round of blood work for support.

The nex t morning , an assistant dean of students sent Mayed an email explaining they had received “concerning information” about him. If he did not go to the Dean of Students Office, the assistant dean would call his parents or UP, the email said.

“This was my third week of Fall Quarter freshman year,” Mayed said. “Can you just imagine reading that email?”

Mayed and his adviser met the dean of students, who took them to Searle Hall — which housed NUHS and CAPS — to meet Mayed’s doctor and therapist. His therapist told him he was unable to take care of himself and posed a danger to himself and others.

That was when UP arrived. The officers admitted him to Evanston Hospital for selfharm or harm to others under involuntary commitment.

Mayed was discharged two and a half hours later. He said the emergency room doctor said they were unsure why he was admitted, and referred him to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in disorders of the digestive system.

The gastroenterologist confirmed what Mayed said all along: he did not have an eating disorder. But even after this assessment, he said all of the referrals and treatment plans CAPS suggested were for outpatient eating disorder programs.

“The problem was I never got the help that I needed,” Mayed said.

University spokesperson Jon Yates told The Daily in Februar y that NU does not comment on indiv idual students’ cases, but he said the University has worked since

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

2019 to change its emergency response policies to prioritize non-police intervention and reduce instances of hospital transit.

Two years later, Mayed, now a McCormick junior, is one of the leaders of Reform CAPS, a student activist organization founded in May 2021 advocating for an overhaul of NU’s student mental health services. The group’s demands include increased transparency of policies, accountability for mishandled cases, reduced wait times and a larger counseling staff.

The organization has advocated for these re f o r ms by painting The Rock , hosting student for ums and meeting with administrators. Reform CAPS has also published more than 25 mostly anonymous negative student experiences with CAPS through its Instagram account in addition to other resources to support mental health.

“A major goal of the movement as we started was to provide an outlet to students that have had experiences with CAPS that were not heard,” Mayed said.

Reform CAPS launches after years of student concerns Reform CAPS is not the first to highlight these issues with NU’s mental health services.

In 2013, students reported long wait times for appointments and a shortage of counselors.

In 2016, CAPS removed its 12-session limit, but students said its services still relied disproportionately on outside referrals.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SESP Prof.

Emma Adam, a developmental psychologist, said uncertainty about the future has particularly impacted young adults — from job hunting to bouncing between remote and in-person classes.

“Young adults are more likely to be living alone or in small household si zes,” Adam said.

“Because of the pandemic restrictions, they can’t see friends and connect.”

Up t o 50% of young adults reported experiencing clinical levels

of depression and anxiety at certain points in the pandemic, Adam said. In a 2020 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, eight in 10 young adults said they could have used more support for their mental health.

While the pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues among students, Adam said this is not new — youth depression and anxiety have been rising since the early 2010s.

University President Morton Schapiro told The Daily in November 2021 that administrators have worked to expand CAPS for several years. Garrett Gilmer, executive director of CAPS, also told The Daily in January the office has received “considerable funding” in the past five years to increase staff and services.

“Every time they came to me and said, ‘Can I have more funding to hire more people?’ I’ve said yes,” Schapiro said in November. “And this wasn’t just last year (or the) year before. It was the whole time.”

Despite increases in funding, students have said mental health services are still lacking.

Since October, Reform CAPS leaders have met weekly with Assistant Vice President of Wellness and Dean of Students Mona Dugo and CAPS leadership to discuss their demands.

Though CAPS leadership has committed to working with the organization, Reform CAPS leaders said the administration has yet to make substantive changes. “(The administration) consistent l y s ay s we’re here to support student wellness, we have these resources, you should u s e t h e m ,” Reform CAPS l ead e r a n d SESP sophomore Genni Bogdanowicz said. “ Then when students tr y to use them, they’re left alone and traumatized and voiceless.”

Inconsistent wait times create barriers Fo r s t u d ent s h o p ing to access resources from CAPS, Bogdanow icz said wait times are one of the first — and largest — obstacles in seeking care.

To access CAPS therapy, students must start with a care plan meeting. Students could previously see and book available appointments online months in advance. But CAPS altered its process so students can now only make these initial appointments two weeks in advance.

Yates said in November 2021 CAPS made this change because students frequently skip or cancel appointments scheduled more than 14 days out. Students looking for urgent help can refer to same-day access services, he said.

Schapiro told The Daily in November 2021 the average wait time for a non-emergency appointment is three days. However, according to the CAPS website, students can expect to wait a week for a care plan meeting and another week to meet with an ongoing therapist “except during busy times of the year.”

In contrast, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University and Washington University in St. Louis all say the average wait times for their counseling services are less than a week.

When Weinberg sophomore Kim Burghard consulted CAPS for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis in May 2021, they said there were no appointments listed for the rest of the month.

“It was urgent since I needed a diagnosis to get accommodations and medication,” Burghard said. “I was really struggling during midterms week, and … it’s like putting my entire academic stuff on hold while I’m trying to get an appointment.”

After finally booking an appointment, Burghard had to rearrange their schedule to attend because of limited slot availability. Burghard said CAPS sent them three therapist referrals the next day — none of whom took their insurance.

Burghard ultimately decided to wait until summer when they returned home to get an ADHD diagnosis, which meant they were unable to get accommodations or medication for the remainder of the academic year.

“I struggled a lot more last year than I probably needed to,” Burghard said. “CAPS just doesn’t help alleviate any of the stress or problems that students are going through, especially if it’s urgent.”

Students report inadequate emergency support CAPS launched same-day services last quarter, and Gilmer said 293 students have accessed them as of Jan. 18. Though the administration has cited same-day appointments as an emergency resource to The Daily, students have also reported long wait times for these services — including the CAPS crisis hotline.

Two students, who will remain anonymous due to privacy concerns, said they called the hotline early Fall Quarter after a friend confided in them about experiencing suicidal ideations and self-harm.

A CAPS staff member told them a counselor wouldn’t be available for at least an hour and a half since the two therapists on call were in a meeting, the students said.

“I did not feel there was any sort of urgency whatsoever,” one of the students said.

After calling a second time and rearticulating their concern for their friend’s immediate safety, a CAPS representative still said the students would need to wait, they said.

It wasn’t until they cal led an on-call number listed for the Dean of Students Office and a staff member called CAPS directly that a representative followed up.

W hen the students and their friend got to Searle, they said the counselors on call said they were not seeing students in-person, and all they could do was call 911.

“They were like, ‘Do you need a blanket? Do you need water?’” one of the students said.

“I was like, ‘I need you to help me because I am a child, and I don’t know how to take care of someone who’s having a panic attack. I haven’t been trained for this.’”

The CAPS counselors said they would call the paramedics, the students said. But after several conversations with the students’ friend, the counselors still hadn’t placed the call.

A third counselor arrived and spoke with the student to gauge their condition, the students said, and the paramedics were finally called.

According to their phone and text logs, about seven hours passed between when one of the students placed the initial call to CAPS and when they left Searle after the paramedics had arrived, they said.

Gilmer told The Daily in January 2021 CAPS can accommodate most requests for same-day virtual appointments when a student calls the hotline, but the “brief wait times” can range from 30 to 90 minutes. Yates told The Daily in November that students who contact the hotline should expect to receive a follow-up from CAPS the next business day.

While the two students who called the hotline were directly informed of this policy, they said they have not received any further communication from CAPS since.

Leaders of Reform CAPS said they have also heard several inconsistent stories from students who have called the hotline. Bogdanowicz said these experiences reflect how difficult it is for students to navigate the office’s services.

“A lot of their policies are unclear,” Bogdanowicz said. “Students are unable to know what may happen if they call the crisis line in terms of confidentiality, wellness checks, anything like that.”

CAPS diagnoses conflict with outside professionals’ Like Mayed, other students have reported negative experiences receiving a formal diagnosis from CAPS. A Weinberg sophomore and international student, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy concerns, said they received a diagnosis

After his experience with CAPS, Mayed said he wanted a copy of his counselor records for personal review. The clinical director at the time told him to receive the records, Mayed needed to contact his counselor, which he said forced him to speak with “the same person who’s caused the harm.”

“There’s no accountability structure at al l,” Mayed said. “Current leadership has been working hard to just be like, ‘We’re available if you want to talk,’ but that’s not sufficient … If CAPS causes harm, I’m not going to go back to CAPS.”

ing demand for counseling services, a drastic increase in the number of people experiencing mental health struggles is likely not the chief cause.

“People are more comfortable identifying themselves as having mental health disorders and systems of care for treatment have evolved because (of it),” Jordan said. “We still don’t have enough community mental health services to meet the needs of all Americans, so (it’s) really important for universities and colleges to recognize this to grow their capacity.”

To address student demands, CAPS plans to better solicit student feedback, hire more staff of diverse backgrounds and increase its services, Yates said. NU is “not immune” to increased pressure on mental health services worldwide, he added.

Mayed said he is only “cautiously optimistic” about the University following through with these reforms because of its past responses to s t u d e n t activist groups.

“Obviously, it’s not great PR in terms of students sharing their experiences,” Mayed said.

“To what extent are we actually seeing change, or to what extent is it just dealing with a situation at hand to calm it down?”

A changing future for collegiate mental health Even before the pandemic, university mental health services across the countr y struggled to meet community needs — and students have advo cated for better support.

According to a 2021 report by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, college counseling centers nationally have reported a surge in demand over the past two decades. Mental health advocacy movements have gained traction at NU’s peer institutions.

Brown University had similar issues with its counseling services but has overhauled its system in the past two years after listening to student demands. Reform CAPS leaders said they are using Brown as an example in their meetings with administration f o r h ow NU can implement

carolinebrew2024@u.northwestern.edu, maiapandey@u.northwestern.edu

livi

O by aA yta be

CAPS last published an annual report since the 2017-18 academic year, which included common concerns, student demographic data, the number of quarterly visits to CAPS and results from a satisfaction survey.

These reports have since paused because CAPS and the Division of Student Affairs both underwent changes in leadership f ro m 2 0 1 8 to Februar y 2021, Gilmer said.

While Gilmer said the repor ts w ill resume for the 202122 academic year, Reform CAPS has called for further transparenc y in the of f ice’s policies and procedures.

These details should be readily available on its website, Reform CAPS l ead er an d Communication junior Catherine Z. said.

“A lot of our demands are just based on questions that we have that aren’t answered anywhere in the CAPS platform,” Catherine Z. said. “What happens when I call the crisis line? … How do I schedule an appointment?

Who will be deployed in a crisis situation?”

CAPS does not currently provide a place on its website for feedback or questions. Yates told The Daily in November the best way for students to submit feedback regarding CAPS is

reforms.

Feinberg Prof. Neil Jordan, who researches mental health services, said while there is ris-

ns

Reform CAPS has also advocated for a more diverse range of counselors to address the myriad experiences of students.

Almost everyone Mayed met at CAPS during his freshman year was white, he said, which

Students call for increased transparency, accountability

to directly contact Gilmer. As of November, the office was developing an electronic feedback portal in accordance with student demands, he added.

o ati str

A lack of diversity leaves students isolated

forced him to endure “racist, stereotypical” comments about health care in South Asian countries. Rather than acknowledging the cultural context of his health concerns, the employees he encountered imposed their own assumptions about his health, he said.

“The sole thing that they were going off of was appearance, BMI,” Mayed said. “It’s a very known fact that (people of ) Asian backgrounds or BIPOC might have different ideals than your normative, white-centric BMIs.” Gilmer said CAPS does not publicize the demographic breakdown of its team because it qualifies as personal information.

Specific demographic categories also do not fully encompass all “identitybased information,” he said, and the office is committed to assembling a diverse staff trained in cultural humility.

Because of the shortterm therapy model CAPS employs, the service refers most students seeking long-term, specialized therapy to outside providers. However, options for diverse providers are limited in the referral database.

Students can apply search filters like racial identity, religion, sexual orientation and specialty on the website. As of Feb. 3, the database has 153 options for Caucasian professionals, compared to 26 Asian and Asian American specialists, 13 Black, nine Latinx, nine multiracial or biracial, one Middle Eastern and North African, and zero Native American.

The Weinberg sophomore used a CAPS referral to book a therapist, but said the white psychiatrist trivialized their experiences as a BIPOC student.

“If you’re a (person of color) who is trying to look for someone who you can empathize with, who you can feel comfortable with — which is the purpose of therapy — it’s even harder,” they said.

Illu

from CAPS that felt rushed and inaccurate.

After moving to campus in fall 2020, they began meeting concurrently with a counselor and psychiatrist, both from CAPS. The sophomore said their psychiatrist diagnosed them with bipolar disorder after a single session lasting about two hours.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by intense mood episodes that can last for several days or weeks. To diagnose the disorder, a doctor may perform a physical exam, conduct an interview or ask the patient to keep a regular chart of their moods, according to the Mayo Clinic.

After the diagnosis, the student began meeting with their CAPS counselor weekly and their psychiatrist every two weeks. While these sessions were helpful, they said both the counselor and psychiatrist “insisted” they start taking medication.

They began taking Lamictal and Wellbutrin that fall — medications which can spur negative side effects.

The student said they began experiencing rashes, a known side effect of Lamictal, as well as increased anxiety. However, under the CAPS short-term therapy model, the student’s sessions were scheduled to end in winter 2021.

“You cannot leave a person who’s on medication like Lamictal and (Wellbutrin) alone,” the student said. “When you take a mood medication … and you drop it cold turkey, you get psychological distress.”

Realizing the negative side effects of the medication, the student called the CAPS hotline several times for a consultation about their persistent anxiety. They said the guidance from the hotline representative was “very condescending.”

“I remember calling the emergency line so many times telling them, ‘Hey, I have a rash … I’m completely alone, I’m having a panic attack, I need help,’ and they were just telling me, ‘What do you want us to do?’” they said. “I didn’t have a psychiatrist to talk to (anymore), so I felt like they just left me there.”

The CAPS representative advised them to check into the emergency room, but the student said they worried an ER visit could incur a high medical bill.

To connect with another ongoing psychiatrist, CAPS told the student they would have to undergo the diagnosis process again, which the student said felt unfeasible in the middle of Finals Week.

The student said they continued experiencing withdrawal symptoms, anxiety and depressive episodes throughout the summer.

Last quarter, they connected with a psychiatric center in Chicago that gave them a separate, non-bipolar diagnosis after a longer screening process with multiple specialists.

Gilmer told The Daily in January 2021 CAPS clinicians work directly with students to assess symptoms and evaluate their history and then determine a treatment or referral.

“Depending on the presenting concerns, assessment may include psychometric testing (by an outside provider), review of previous treatment records, consultations with close family or friends (only when authorized by the student) and conversations with the student,” Gilmer wrote in the January email.

The student added they did meet with a CAPS counselor twice this fall in virtual, same-day sessions. These sessions were far more helpf ul because the counselor specialized in anxiety, they said.

“You might get a decent person if you call and you’re having a crisis on the right time on the right day,” they said. “But most of the crises don’t happen on the right time and on the right day.”

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By ANNIE XIA

the daily northwestern

Lipstick Theatre’s upcoming production “Sunrise Coven” conjures themes of healthcare access from a brew of quirky characters. The group will put on four shows this Friday and Saturday in Shanley Pavilion.

In the play, a middle-aged nurse works with the local witch to illegally provide affordable prescription drugs for the town’s residents by using the coven as a religious front. Over the course of the play, genuine magic intertwines with the medical world.

Communication junior and Director Kara Toll explained how their double major in global health and theatre helped her search for a story involving healthcare.

“Studying global health gives me a lot of perspective about issues I’m really passionate about,” Toll said. “Finding ways to incorporate that into my storytelling makes me incredibly excited.”

For Weinberg sophomore JoJo Holm, one of the set designers, theatre has the power to explore the show’s ideas of medicine more persuasively than scientific information.

She believes that the emotional appeal of art like “Sunrise Coven” will impact people’s opinions on topics such as universal healthcare more than just learning facts on the subject, Holm said.

“A lot of science isn’t accessible to the general population,” Holm said. “Scientists don’t know how to communicate their ideas. With art, it’s all about communicating your ideas. If you can’t make the audience feel something, you haven’t

done your job.”

Communication sophomore and the show’s producer Frances McKittrick described how the show conveys the message that medicine exists in more forms than the Western conception.

She added the play bridges between Eastern and Western medicine, as well as alternative practices like witchcraft.

“All walks of people can be healers,” McKittrick said. “Witches are healers. Veterans are healers. Moms are healers.”

Not only does the play emphasize taking care of people, but its production is centered on the need to take care of the environment and the importance of sustainability. The organization did not buy anything new for the show — all props, costumes and stage pieces were bought secondhand, borrowed or sourced from other theatre groups.

The two eight-feet-tall shelves were constructed out of wood from The Dolphin Show’s set for “Merrily We Roll Along.” The giant curtain was patched together from borrowed bed sheets and the curtain from the Jewish Theatre Ensemble’s fall production. The stethoscope was coincidentally purchased by Holm’s mother at a garage sale last summer.

Communication freshman Arwen-Vira Marsh, who plays the witch, described the sentiment they hope the audience will feel after walking away from the show.

“I really hope they have someone they want to give a call and say, ‘Hey, I’m wondering how you’re doing,’” she said. “And if they don’t have someone, at least feeling like they were seen in all of us characters on stage.” anniexia2025@u.northwestern.edu

Grammy-nominated Mykal Kilgore to sing in Chicago

By RAYNA SONG

daily senior staffer @raynayu_song

R&B singer Mykal Kilgore, who performed at the 2021 Met Gala, spoke with The Daily about his songs and upcoming performance at The Promontory in Chicago on Feb. 19. Kilgore released his latest single “The Man in the Barbershop” in September 2021, and he was the first openly gay artist nominated in the “Best Traditional R&B Performance” category at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The Daily: Where did you draw your inspiration for “The Man In The Barbershop”?

Kilgore: It happened in real life a few years ago. I met a man in a barbershop, and I thought he was very handsome and interesting, but then he mentioned his girlfriend. We remained friends afterwards, and it has always been a sweet memory, since I was not treated badly because I was queer and decided to speak about that. It was someone who said, “I totally respect that. Thank you, but I’m just not interested.”

The Daily: What message do you hope to send

with the song?

Kilgore: I want to make it easier for people to tell the truth about who they are. I want people to see themselves reflected back and feel courage enough to do the same thing, to reflect themselves for others to see. I want this to be so common that it doesn’t feel strange to hear a man speak about another man in a loving way in a song.

The Daily: What was your experience performing at the Met Gala last September like?

Kilgore: As an independent artist and as a queer person who started their career in theatre in theme parks and cruise ships, to be able to ascend to such a place — it’s humbling to look around the room and feel, ‘Oh wow, all these stars are here,’ but it is also a reminder that the possibilities are endless.

The Daily: How does your identity impact your music?

Kilgore: It impacts my work immensely because I have to live in this queer body, and I also have to live in a Black body. If you are an artist, it’s your job to do your best to get to know yourself and to feel your feelings. In this process of creating work and doing theatre and television and film, it really feels like I’m just trying to take masks off.

The things that I can’t take off, I realized this is

Photo courtesy of Vogue

Artist Mykal Kilgore performs at the 2021 Met Gala.

who I really am. And the audience can’t have my art without my queerness or without my Blackness. It’s in every note, every rhythm, every breath.

The Daily: Do you have any advice for aspiring students at NU?

art. We’ll figure out that something is art in years or generations. The focus should be on making good craft, like doing the things that you know, respecting your training and work ethic and being as excellent as you can, and then let the art take care of itself.

Kilgore: Focus on the craft. Don’t try to make

raynasong2023@u.northwestern.edu

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Colbert’s comedy club, No Fun Mud Piranhas, returns

By CLARE ZHANG

the daily northwestern @clarezhang_

Last summer, Communication sophomore Ethan Gomberg attended a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During the audience Q&A, he asked Colbert about his experience as a theatre major at Northwestern. One name Colbert mentioned stuck out to him: No Fun Mud Piranhas.

Gomberg researched the history of the club, which

had not been active since the start of the pandemic. It was an improv group, but not just any improv group — it was the only one on campus with no auditions.

He decided he wanted to bring them back to the stage.

This quarter, Gomberg registered No Fun Mud Piranhas as an official NU organization and now holds weekly in-person meetings open to all. Gomberg is excited about the group’s progress and continued growth, he said.

In the fall, Gomberg attended auditions for improv groups on campus and saw that many talented students didn’t get cast. This confirmed his belief in the need

Photo courtesy of Ethan Gomberg

No Fun Mud Piranhas members, freshman Liam Hubbard (left) and sophomore Tej Bahri, take center stage in an improv game. Currently, No Fun Mud Piranhas is Northwestern’s only no-audition improv group.

for an audition-free improv group on campus, he said.

“I wanted to fill that need for students interested in improv, interested in performing, to build their skills and practice and have fun in this lower stakes environment,” he said.

From there, his mission to expand the group began.

Gomberg reached out to some of his friends to ask if they were interested in joining. He didn’t know how to contact many of the people he had met during the audition process, but he invited any of them that he happened to see around campus.

No Fun Mud Piranhas held their first meeting in November. It was run by Communication sophomore and NFMP secretary of education Eli Civetta, who has over seven years of improv experience.

For each meeting, Civetta chooses and runs the improv activities and said he makes sure to give positive feedback after each round. Civetta also tries to vary the games in each meeting, he said. If the first game focuses on scene structure, the next will focus on building characters.

After the meeting, he puts the name of each game in the club GroupMe and asks people to like the message if they liked the game. Gomberg keeps track of the best quotes throughout the meeting and puts them in the chat for everyone to vote on their favorite.

“Everyone that’s in the room knows what it’s like

when something doesn’t land, or a joke bombs, so nobody’s negative about it,” he said. “But when something goes great, everyone laughs and everyone’s clapping.”

Students who come to a meeting are given titles, ranging from applause coordinator to secretary of bathroom breaks. It breaks the ice and speaks to the non-hierarchical nature of the club, Weinberg freshman and co-president of suggestions Nina Kronengold said.

“They just wanted to give everyone a little say, a little power in the club,” she said. “Everyone’s equal, everybody is just there to have a good time and appreciate the comedy that each person uniquely adds.”

Gomberg is optimistic about the club’s future growth, he said. He registered No Fun Mud Piranhas as an official NU student organization at the beginning of Winter Quarter and met several interested students at the virtual winter club fair.

As more people hear about the club, Kronengold hopes to see more women at the meetings, and to provide a community for those who want to practice improv without a major time commitment, she said. “(We’re) making it something where you don’t want to miss a club meeting,” she said. “Where you feel like, oh, if I’m not there, it’ll feel different.” clarezhang2024@u.northwestern.edu

Cobra Kai’s fourth season continues adaptation legacy

By ANDRÉS BUENAHORA

the daily northwestern @andresbuena01

This article contains spoilers.

Cobra Kai never dies.

The Netflix series’ fourth season was released on Dec. 31, debuting at #1 on the streamer’s Top 10 in the U.S. chart. The series’ newest season sees tension continuing to rise between the two warring dojos: Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate.

Conflict abounds as Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) struggle to work together, leading to a hilarious Twitter rant by Lawrence and a rematch of the pair’s original showdown 38 years after 1984’s “The Karate Kid.” This dramedy parallels action and comedic beats effectively, with lovable banter between the two former rivals building off of entertaining, fast-paced fight sequences.

Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) and Miyagi-Do students pick on new kid Kenny Payne (Dallas Dupree Young), whom Cobra Kai student Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) soon takes under his wing. Retaliation ensues.

Hawk is ambushed by the Cobra Kais at his favorite tattoo shop, as they shave his signature Mohawk off. After his former bully apologizes following the

All-Valley tournament, Payne attacks him, seeking revenge. He’s stopped only by Keene, who’s horrified at the monster he’s created.

“It’s Cobra Kai,” says Payne without remorse, after Keene questions him. “No mercy.”

Immediately afterward, Keene visits his father in a scene packed with emotional punch that has taken four seasons to set up. Keene breaks down, admitting his heart has been full of hate for Lawrence and realizing what his father had warned him earlier in the season: Cobra Kai is dangerous.

The two embrace, and Keene’s tears show the mark of a heartfelt moment that’s been brewing since the show’s debut. The scene also introduces one of the saddest and most symbolic dynamics of its storyline: Lawrence’s failure as a father and his desperation to redeem himself through Cobra Kai, through his students and, finally, through being the father Keene has always needed but never had—until now.

Meanwhile All-Valley champion Tory Nichols (Peyton List) strikes an unlikely friendship with the very woman who threatens her in the season premiere: Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler).

This is a refreshing take on the previous season’s character arcs, as Amanda slowly begins to recognize her own privilege and how difficult Tory’s life must be as Tory is forced to care for her younger siblings, find a job while on probation and manage the demands of Cobra Kai.

Illustration by Olivia Abeyta

Tension rises between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do in the Netflix series’ newest season, which mixes fight sequences with emotional drama.

Season four of Cobra Kai manages to strike the balance between honoring key aspects of the franchise by bringing back an iconic villain in Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) while crafting compelling stories with fresh faces, finding a breakout star in 15-year-old Dallas Dupree Young.

The brilliance of this show is its rich character development and knack for honing emotionally real characters with trauma and past experiences that influence their personalities, values and decisions in profound ways.

From Lawrence’s abusive stepfather to LaRusso’s

upbringing in poverty to Silver’s PTSD from the Vietnam War, we see how each character’s past changes them — for better or for worse.

Showrunners Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have picked up right where season three left off, heightening tension and creating suspense leading up to the climactic All-Valley tournament. The use of jump-cuts, montages and a musical score that captures the show’s tone sets up the continuation of one of the best film to television adaptations in history. andresbuenahora2024@u.northwestern.edu

Season two of Netflix’s ‘Cheer’ filled with tension, trauma

By KARA PEELER

the daily northwestern @karapeeler

Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault, child abuse and disordered eating.

This article also contains spoilers.

From glittery costumes and high hair bows to flashy music and intense athleticism, it’s clear Navarro College from the Netflix exclusive docuseries “Cheer” does not come to play. But did they stay on top during the second season? I would say no.

Season two of “Cheer” premiered on Jan. 12 — two years after the first season was released. Season one was a hit amongst viewers, likely because it was a feel-good tale of hard work and success. The docuseries highlights Navarro College, a Texas community college, hoping to earn its 15th title at the NCA & NDA College National Championship.

The 2020 championship was canceled due to the pandemic and Navarro adjusted their practices to include mask-wearing, quarantining and regular testing.

Many Navarro cheerleaders were thrust into the limelight. But that’s where it went downhill. Coach Monica Aldama was absent for the first part of the season to appear on “Dancing with the Stars,” and cheerleaders spent less time practicing because they were appearing in interviews and talk shows galore.

The team also seemed to turn on itself. Major figure La’Darius Marshall even left the team and continually publicly denounced Navarro and Aldama. Season two features more internal competition and less of a familylike environment compared to the first, though the docuseries did highlight growth.

The focus of the show shifted from improving the team to spotlighting their rivalry with Trinity Valley Community College. This created an intense competitive perspective, unlike the first season which shared Navarro cheerleaders’ personal obstacles. The new angle hooked viewers, myself included, but it was surely more cut-throat than feel-good.

The season also deals with formerly beloved Jerry Harris’ felonies. Harris was arrested by the FBI for allegations of possession of child pornography and further indicted for charges like solicitation of sex and explicit

photos from minors.

The team struggled with the news, trying to balance their relationships with Harris and his alleged crimes.

Two twin boys told their story on camera, along with their mother’s input. The docuseries also included insight from Sarah Klein, their attorney and an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse. She highlighted similar patterns of abuse and cover ups in cheer and gymnastics, along with emphasizing it is important not to place loved ones on a pedestal, a contrast to the team’s reactions.

I support those editorial choices, but the producer’s decision to keep positive depictions of Harris, along with not detailing the devastating allegations until episode five, are distasteful.

Harris is currently being held without bond at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

He pleaded not-guilty, but if convicted, he will face a minimum sentence of 15 years for each of the four sexual exploitation counts and a minimum of 10 years for the enticement charge.

The series falls short in another area this season.

Many young cheerleaders look up to Navarro members

The Weekend Ahead: Campus shows open

By RAYNA SONG

In this comedy about healing, an ex-nurse practitioner works with a witch to create a pharmacy-coven that provides affordable care to the community.

If you’re looking for weekend plans, check out some of the student performances premiering on campus.

Friends of Friends with Benefits — TBD Fisk Hall 217 Saturday 6:30 p.m.

Open-mic. Students previously signed up to perform neo-inspired theatre.

daily senior staffer @raynayu_song

Sunrise Coven — Lipstick Theatre Shanley Pavilion Friday 7 and 10 p.m., Saturday 2 and 7 p.m.

Temptation — Graffoniks (Graffiti Dancers x Tonik Tap)

like Gabi Butler, who has two million Instagram followers. That’s why it’s so problematic the show doesn’t properly counteract promoting disordered eating.

Butler described doing her “watermelon diet cleanse,” in which she eats nothing but watermelon for the sake of “removing all that toxic stuff.” Producers could have included commentary from a dietician or doctor to show how unhealthy — mentally and physically — such “diets” are, especially for athletes. I fear young viewers who idolize Butler will try the diet to be just like her.

I am still invested in the characters’ lives and would watch a third season, even if the show’s mood changed entirely. It just wasn’t what viewers were expecting. I hope producers will take public critique to heart and adjust accordingly.

Navarro may have lost, but the show doesn’t have to share the same fate. karapeeler2025@u.northwestern.edu

arts & entertainment Editor Rayna Song

The Wirtz Ballroom Friday and Saturday 7:30 and 10 p.m.

Graffiti Dancers and Tonik Tap will perform in this dance show.

Assistant Editors Alexa Crowder Audrey Hettleman Kaila Nichols

SASA Show — South Asian Students Alliance Cahn Auditorium Saturday 7 p.m.

The SASA Show shares South Asian culture through dance and music in this annual performance.

Designer Fiona Wang

raynasong2023@u.northwestern.edu

Staff Annie Xia, Clare Zhang, Andrés Buenahora, Kara Peeler

8

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

Main-Dempster Mile celebrates Lunar New Year

By CHIARA KIM

the daily northwestern @chiarafkim

More than 70 guests of the Main-Dempster Mile’s Lunar New Year Celebration watched as a white, gold and red lion danced down the red lantern-decorated sidewalk last night near the intersection of Dempster Street and Chicago Avenue.

The event was a collaboration between the MainDempster Mile, Evanston Pride, Kids Create Change and Melissa Raman Molitor, an Evanston artist, educator and art therapist who works to increase visibility and representation of the Evanston’s Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Molitor said the event was important to cultivate a sense of belonging for Asians and Asian Americans in Evanston.

“Evanston does not have a history of supporting the visibility and representation of the Asian community,” Molitor said. “It’s really important … for us to feel like we belong to the community.”

Molitor said community-building events like this celebration are also an important opportunity for all Evanston residents to learn about a new culture and set of customs.

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Katherine Gotsick, executive director of the Main-Dempster Mile, passed out informational postcards explaining traditional Mandarin New Year’s phrases and traditions such as the red envelope tradition, where parents and grandparents give their children red envelopes filled with money.

Molitor said the postcard was helpful to raise awareness and education around the holiday and its customs.

Organizers distributed wish envelopes containing gift cards and candy, mirroring the “hóng bāo” wish envelope tradition. Other treats at the event included hot tea, which was provided by Dozika, a local restaurant.

The Seven Star Lion Dance Group also performed during the event.

Chicago resident Kam Cho formed the group with six of his friends in college. Cho, who has danced since grammar school, said it is important to learn about other cultures.

“It’s always great to have a diverse culture,” he said, “just to share that knowledge.”

Cho said the lion dance represents prosperity and good fortune. He said the eating ceremony, during which the lion “eats” oranges and lettuce tossed from the crowd, represents the lion returning prosperity and good luck.

Northwestern graduate student Graham Pritchard and his fiancee, Qing Mao, stumbled upon the celebration.

Pritchard said he was not expecting something to be happening on Main Street, but it was nice to see lanterns and red envelopes hanging from the trees, along with the lion dance.

Mao said it is important to have diversity and representation, adding there are students in Evanston from around the world. Originally from China, Mao appreciated how the scene felt familiar to her.

“It is really nice,” she said.

“It just feels like home.” chiarakim2025 @u.northwestern.edu

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

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The Main-Dempster Mile hosted Evanston’s first ever Lunar New Year celebration. Scan this QR code to watch the celebration, featuring two Lion Dance performances.

Seeger Gray/The Daily Northwestern

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HYGGE

From page 1

sense of coziness and conviviality and it is especially something that we try to do in February because that tends to be such a depressing, dark, cold month.”

Bookends & Beginnings will host two different workshops this month: a two-part event detailing how to create a sourdough loaf from scratch on Feb. 15 and a writer’s workshop on ways to make writing a comforting experience on Feb. 22.

Evanston Made, a nonprofit arts organization, is hosting a series of events as part of Hyggefest. From Feb. 1 to 28, it will offer community and art-focused events at Canal Shores Golf Course as a part of the organization’s Winter Wonderland experience.

Lisa Degliantoni, the founder of Evanston Made, said the concept of hygge has made the community organization more sensitive to the crafts that take place in cold weather.

“There’s always so much emphasis spent on summer events,” Degliantoni said. “There really wasn’t that much awareness around the types of chill out, reading and art crafts that hygge promotes.”

Newport Coffee House, located at 622 Davis St., decided to offer a special for a drip coffee and cinnamon roll for $6.95 as part of Hygge Fest.

Newport Coffee House barista Matthew Suckling said the coffee shop joined Downtown Evanston’s fika crawl — similar to a bar crawl, but based on the Swedish concept of fika that entails slowing down and reconnecting with yourself and others.

“It’s an opportunity for people to get together with friends and take a break from work, and enjoy,” Suckling said. selenakuznikov2025@u.northwestern.edu

HALAL

From page 1

astonished.”

Baig said this failure was indicative of a larger problem that Muslim students deal with every day.

Halal food refers to the dietary standard Muslims often follow. This standard specifies the way certain meats should be prepared and prohibits other foods like pork and alcohol.

After Weinberg sophomore Assem Belhadj encountered a similar mistake at Allison Dining Hall, he decided to do something about it.

Belhadj worked with Associate University Chaplain and Director of Interfaith Engagement Tahera Ahmad and another Muslim student to establish a halal dining committee within the Muslim-cultural Students Association. They set up a meeting with dining representatives from

Kappa Kappa Gamma suspends operations

By ISABEL FUNK

daily senior staffer @isabeldfunk

Northwestern’s chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma announced Thursday it would suspend operations effective immediately, according to an email obtained by The Daily.

The announcement comes amid a movement to abolish Greek life at NU, as several Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association chapters recently suspended operations.

Kappa’s members began the process of surrendering the chapter’s charter in fall 2020, with three-fourths voting to surrender according to a Facebook group post. However, Kappa’s national headquarters voted to reform the chapter instead.

In March 2021, Kappa voted to undergo a reorganization in which all collegiate members were given the option of remaining active members, becoming alumnae members or resigning their membership, according to the letter. Following this reorganization, two active members remained.

According to the letter, the chapter has since “not met basic fraternity expectations.” The letter further states the chapter has questioned its bylaws, operated without a budget for the 202122 academic year, did not complete responsibilities and “was unaware of basic resources and essential functions.”

During this year’s recruitment process, which concluded Jan. 18, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life reported difficulty communicating with Kappa. The campus fraternity and sorority life adviser contacted Kappa staff regarding concerns about the sorority’s preparedness for recruitment, according to the letter.

Northwestern and Compass Group, NU’s food service provider, to initiate dialogue between them.

During their first meeting Fall Quarter, Belhadj said certain issues were difficult to articulate to the dining representatives.

“We brought up all of the concerns that everyone’s been saying and tried to organize them into different categories,” Belhadj said.

“One was mislabeling, the other was lack of options and then the other one was cross contamination. There’s definitely this gap between what’s going on behind the scenes and what students feel.”

To better communicate these issues, Belhadj developed a survey for students to record instances of oversight in the dining hall.

“The majority of the responses expressed distrust of Northwestern dining because of mislabeling,” Belhadj said.

Daily file photo by Owen Stidman

The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house. The national headquarters announced the chapter would be suspended effective immediately.

On Jan. 12, Kappa withdrew from recruitment.

“We cannot, in good conscience, bring new members into a chapter that is not functioning at a very basic level,” the letter said.

According to the letter, national headquarters considered several factors in the decision to suspend operations, including a 30% decrease in students interested in participating in recruitment over the past two years.

Kappa was placed on probation by its national headquarters in spring 2019 due to concerns about the sorority’s disregard for the well-being

of its members. Students have also repeatedly raised concerns about the chapter’s failure to promote diversity and inclusion.

The sorority faced controversy in 2014 after canceling a “Jail N’ Bail” event where Kappa planned to “arrest” volunteers who would raise “bail” money for a nonprofit organization.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated when further information becomes available.

Ahmad said the problem can be addressed with more transparency between students’ needs and Compass.

She added that students’ concerns about halal meat are because of miscommunication.

“If people knew that all the meat actually is already halal except certain pre-processed or pre-packaged meat, I think that the concern would be minimal,” Ahmad said.

In a statement from Compass Group, dining representatives wrote that all of their certified halal proteins are from certified halal vendors.

Still, Baig said her faith in NU Dining hasn’t improved since her initial experience.

“Sometimes in (Sargent), they won’t have the halal sign on their chicken and then that’ll make me second guess it because it’s happened before,” Baig said. “There’s so much stress now that I’m not willing to make jumps and overestimations.”

Additionally, some Muslim students are concerned about halal meat being cooked in wine.

Despite the ongoing anxiety Muslim students experience at dining halls, Ahmad said Compass and NU Dining have been receptive to feedback and have started implementing some changes as a result of Belhadj and other Muslim students’ advocacy.

Among other changes, Compass has developed 40 recipes without alcohol to better accommodate Muslim students’ needs, Ahmad said.

“That actually is really helpful in general for Compass, not just for Northwestern,” Ahmad said. “(Because there are) so many other campuses they can utilize that for and we’re really proud that the Northwestern Muslim community is at the frontier of new dining habits.”

isabelfunk2024@u.northwestern.edu

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

ACROSS 1 Colorful chatterbox 6 Needing a refill 9 Either of two “Monday, Monday” singers 13 Ohno in the Olympics 14 Mahershala of “House of Cards” 15 ’50s vaccine pioneer 16 Appreciation for Jay-Z’s music?

18 Big name in Civil War fiction 19 A play may have just one 20 Terminates 21 Sanctioned by Islamic law 22 Kitchen address 24 Compilation of angry blog posts?

26 Fizz up 28 Rights wrongs 29 Much of E. Europe, once 30 Squeal 33 Feb. NC hours 34 Jamaican drink garnish?

38 With 15-Down, brow-wiping comment 41 Crew pair 42 Disney bigwig 45 Exchange 48 Blue hues 50 Deckhand unable to raise the sails?

54 Moderate 55 Bug 56 One following a point 58 Penn in NYC, e.g.

59 Online cash-back deal 60 “In Rainbows” rockers, and a hint to what changes four puzzle answers 62 Cubist Fernand 63 Lager alternative 64 Tee choice 65 March time 66 Aleppo’s home: Abbr.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

2/4/22

By Pam Amick Klawitter

67 Fourth circle of hell inhabitant, in Dante DOWN 1 Half a percussion pair 2 Boeing 3-Down 3 See 2-Down 4 Lofty peak 5 Scarf (down) 6 Michelle’s White House predecessor 7 Worker with Lane and Kent 8 “Let Them All Talk” actress Dianne 9 Island thanks 10 Sea otter prey 11 They’re not real 12 Handwriting __ 15 See 38-Across 17 Concession ending 23 Klinger on “M*A*S*H” 25 Room access 27 Volunteer State sch.

30 Placeholder abbr.

31 Goof 32 Survivalist Stroud

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35 Jay of “Last Comic Standing” 36 Lemon on “30 Rock” 37 Feverish feeling 38 Haifa native 39 Hotel option 40 Turnpike reading 43 They remove bad marks 44 Bring back to Broadway

2/4/22

46 U.S. IOUs 47 More evasive 48 Wine region near Cuneo 49 One might get a return 51 Razor choices 52 Devious 53 Ready for the operation 57 Ian of “The Hobbit” 61 “Bali __”

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

LET IT SNOW

After a mostly snow-free December, Northwestern experienced more than 10 inches of snowfall this week. While the wind may persuade people to stay indoors, the snow brought them outdoors — from the student who has

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three midterms the next day to the student who’s from the sunny Bay Area — with soaring snowmen, snowball fights and surfboard sledding.

— Gabe Bider and Angeli Mittal

Gabe Bider and Angeli Mittal/The Daily Northwestern

The Daily Northwestern Winter 2022 | An independent voice since 1923 | Evanston, Illinois EDITOR IN CHIEF | Isabelle Sarraf PRINT MANAGING EDITORS | Laya Neelakandan, Delaney Nelson, Alex Perry DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR | Jordan Mangi ___________________ DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAIRS | Waverly Long, Madison Smith ___________________ SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Emily Sakai ASSISTANT SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Sheena Tan AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Maia Spoto ASSISTANT AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Avani Kalra NEWSLETTER EDITOR | Skye Swann ASSISTANT NEWSLETTER EDITOR | Ali McCadden WEB DEVELOPER | Alex Chun ___________________ CAMPUS EDITOR | Isabel Funk ASSISTANT EDITORS | Caroline Brew, Emma Rosenbaum, Iris Swarthout ___________________ CITY EDITOR | Yiming Fu ASSISTANT EDITORS | Olivia Alexander, Aviva Bechky, Avani Kalra

SPORTS EDITOR | Patrick Andres ASSISTANT EDITORS | Nathan Ansell, Kyle Leverone, Lawrence Price ____________________

AUDIO EDITOR | Will Clark ASSISTANT EDITORS | Lucia Barnum, Ari Bernick, Hannah Cole ___________________

OPINION EDITOR | Lily Nevo ASSISTANT EDITORS | Divya Bhardwaj, Sterling Ortiz ____________________

VIDEO EDITOR | Katrina Pham ASSISTANT EDITOR | Grace Wu ___________________

PHOTO EDITOR | Angeli Mittal ASSISTANT EDITORS | Gabe Bider, Jonah Elkowitz, Joanne Haner ____________________ A&E EDITOR | Rayna Song ASSISTANT EDITORS | Alexa Crowder, Audrey Hettleman, Kaila Nichols ____________________ ILLUSTRATION EDITOR | Olivia Abeyta DESIGN TEAM | Sara Gronich, Bailey Richards, Fiona Wang ASSISTANT EDITORS | Evelyn Driscoll, Janya Sundar, Wendy Zhu __________________ DEVELOPMENT AND RECRUITMENT EDITORS | Wendy Klunk, Russell Leung, Josh Perry

COPY EDITORS | Joanna Hou, Nicole Markus ASSISTANT EDITOR | Kara Peeler ___________________ IN FOCUS EDITORS | Rebecca Aizin, Jacob Fulton ___________________ GENERAL MANAGER | Stacia Campbell SHOP MANAGER | Chris Widman ___________________ BUSINESS OFFICE STAFF Julia Narvaez Munguia, Minjee Jung, Erin Zhang ___________________ ADVERTISING PRODUCTION STAFF Sama Ben Amer, Molly Burke, Stephen Council, Seeger Gray

SPORTS

Friday, February 4, 2022

@DailyNU_Sports

MEN’S TENNIS

NU steels itself as opponents arrive in Evanston

By NATHAN ANSELL

the daily northwestern @nathanjansell

Fresh off a split at the ITA Kickoff Weekend, coach Arvid Swan and Northwestern’s men’s tennis have three more opponents in their sights.

The Wildcats’ (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten) first visitors to the Combe Tennis Center will be Princeton (1-2, 0-0 Ivy League). Both of the Tigers’ losses so far have been to ranked teams, and coach Billy Pate is one of the longestserving coaches in all of collegiate tennis. Swan, who considers Pate an a close friend, praised the veteran coach’s discipline and doubles acumen; the two also faced off multiple times when Pate was in charge at Alabama.

“He’s an outstanding recruiter,” Swan said. “He’s had a lot of very good teams over the course of his career. Utter respect for him professionally, but I also really like him as a person too.”

The Cats have another connection to Princeton’s coaching staff. Brett Forman, the older brother of NU senior Steven Forman, was a volunteer assistant coach for the Tigers in 2020.

Princeton has had mixed results in doubles, but their No. 2 duo of Ryan Seggerman and Will Peters are undefeated so far this season. The Tigers’ singles lineup is headlined by Seggerman and No. 26 Karl Poling, both seniors and former First Team All-Ivy League selections.

“It’s a really good one-two punch,” Swan said. “Both players (have) very different styles, but they pose a big challenge.”

The first of two opponents for the Cats on Sunday, Duke (3-1, 0-0

ACC), has faced NU every year since 2014. The Cats have won a majority of these contests, including the second leg of last year’s ITA Kickoff Weekend, when the Blue Devils found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-0 sweep.

Swan said he admired coach Ramsey Smith’s team’s composition.

“Obviously, they have a really good player at the top of their lineup, Garrett Johns has a lot of experience playing there,” Swan said. “But then you look at how deep they are. When you look at their four, five and six, all three of those guys have had unbelievable junior careers.”

Like NU, Duke also has two nationally-ranked singles players — Johns, No. 76 in the nation, and No. 38 Faris Khan. Both have 2-1 singles records in this season’s dual matches.

Johns and Sean Sculley, a pair ranked No. 39 in the nation, lead Duke’s doubles onslaught.

“Sculley is pretty dynamic on the doubles court, ( Johns) does a good job of setting them up with specific plays,” Swan said. “They’re really good on serve, but they’re also good returning. They can play aggressively or they can back off and play a little bit defensively as well.”

Illinois-Chicago (1-4, 0-0 Horizon League) will conclude NU’s weekend slate. The Flames will play the Cats twice this season, just like they did in 2020.

Both of those matches resulted in 4-0 victories for Swan’s squad.

“They’re always one of the top teams in their conference,” Swan said.

“We know that we’ve got to be ready to play, even though it’s our second match of the day.”

UIC has experimented with its singles lineup quite a bit already. Coach Hans Neufeld has deployed nine

Gabe Bider/The Daily Northwestern

different singles players in this season’s dual matches. Pelle Strandberg, playing atop the order, has a teambest three individual wins so far.

After five matches, the Flames are winless in doubles competition.

“We should be pretty focused at that point,” Swan said. “Our guys are

WOMEN’S TENNIS

capable of making good adjustments through the match.” nathanansell2022@u.northwestern.edu

MEN’S GOLF

Team preps for Sunday road test Cats ride momentum

By ALEX CERVANTES

the daily northwestern @CervantesPAlex

After splitting a pair of matches at ITA Kickoff Weekend in Raleigh, N.C. last weekend, Northwestern is preparing for a road battle against Georgia Tech on Sunday.

The Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) fell to Wake Forest last Saturday, before edging out Penn State the following day. This is NU’s third consecutive road trip to start the season before hosting a trio of matches in the following weeks.

The Yellow Jackets lost two successive 4-3 matches last weekend, the first to Old Dominion and the second to then-No. 14 Michigan.

Georgia Tech has a trio of ranked singles players in No. 38 Kylie Bilchev, No. 69 Ava Hrastar and No. 85 Carol Lee. Bilchev and Hrastar

also rank 12th in the country in doubles.

The Cats’ lone ranked singles player remains senior Clarissa Hand, who sits at No. 94. The pairing of juniors Christina Hand and Briana Crowley remain 58th in the doubles rankings, but have only played together once in three matches this season — a 6-1 loss to Vanderbilt in the opener.

Five NU players have featured in all three matches in singles play: Clarissa Hand, sophomore Maria Shusharina, junior Justine Leong, first-year Sydney Pratt and graduate student Ema Lazic. Christina Hand, Crowley and senior Hannah McColgan have each played once, with McColgan most recently earning a key straight sets victory en route to the Cats’ win over Penn State.

Despite some shifts in the six players on the singles card, NU’s doubles pairing has remained the

same over the past two matches. The Cats secured their first doubles win of the young season against the Nittany Lions.

Georgia Tech, regardless of its pair of losses, has won both doubles points this season. Bilchez and Hrastar were dominant against the Wolverines, blanking their opponent 6-0.

If Pratt and McColgan remain first on the sheet for doubles, they will have a tough task on their hands.

Georgia Tech received votes in the latest ITA Top 25 team poll, so it will be a tough test for the Cats. Following the match against the Yellow Jackets, the NU will play host to Notre Dame for the first home match of the season in Combe Tennis Center. The Cats will have a pair of home matches on Feb. 20 against Harvard and Miami Ohio to close out play this month. alexcervantes2024 @u.northwestern.edu

Joanne Haner/The Daily Northwestern

from fall season

By KYLE LEVERONE

the daily northwestern @kleverone15

White snow and gray slush on the ground, winds whirling from the north, and temperatures near the single digits: golf season has arrived.

Northwestern starts its 2022 spring campaign in February with the Big Ten Match Play tournament in tropical Palm Coast, Fla..

No. 28 NU comes in as the secondbest nationally ranked team in the Big Ten behind No. 22 Purdue. Nine other Big Ten schools will be participating this weekend.

The event is formatted as a singleelimination tournament bracket and lasts from Friday to Saturday. Each team match will include six individual matches.

As the No. 2 seed in the tournament, Northwestern will have a first-round bye and play the winner of the Iowa/Minnesota match on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning will consist of the semifinals, and the afternoon will reveal the champion.

Graduate students Varun Chopra and Eric McIntosh along with junior John Driscoll III all finished with two individual wins in the tournament last year. But after going into the event as the No. 1 seed, the Wildcats finished in sixth place, losing to Penn State 3-2.

Looking to lead NU to a better finish this time around, Chopra comes into this tournament leading

the team in scoring average from the fall, shooting a 70.27 in four tournaments. Following close behind is fellow senior David Nyfjall, who averaged a 70.92 in four events as well.

With the two seniors at the helm, the Wildcats were able to finish 14th in national scoring, finishing with an average of 283.25 and 3.75-under par.

Overall, the team comes to the Hammock Beach Resort Ocean Course riding some fall season momentum. As the late September host of the Windon Memorial Classic at Lake Shore Country Club, the Cats finished second in a 14-team field including several Big Ten opponents.

One week later, NU brought home the hardware after finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the Hamptons Intercollegiate tournament in New York. Nyfjall finished top-10 in both events.

With the momentum from the fall season, solid senior leadership, a chip on their shoulder from last year’s disappointing finish and a little bit of sunshine, NU appears in a good spot to contend in this year’s Big Ten Match Play tournament.

On a whiteboard in the locker room of last week’s practice round course, Eric Gleacher, the donor of NU’s Gleacher Golf Center, wrote, “The most valuable logo you’ll ever wear is the N on your chest.”

With that in mind, the Wildcats look to add a “No. 1” next to the “N” after Saturday. kyleleverone2023@u.northwestern.edu