The Daily Northwestern Wednesday, February 12, 2020
DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 8 SPORTS/Lacrosse
3 CAMPUS/Events
NU comes up clutch in Big Ten Match Play
SASA hosts event on South Asian enagement in upcoming 2020 Census
Find us online @thedailynu 4 OPINION/Bright
How to foster a culture of voter participation
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SESP dean discusses all-gender facilities School’s students addressed need in Annenberg Hall By EMILY SAKAI
the daily northwestern
Emma Edmund/Daily Senior Staffer
Tuesday’s ACIR meeting in Guild Lounge. Students expressed concerns at the lack of a trustee decision on Fossil Free Northwestern’s divestment proposal.
Students demand divestment timeline As ACIR proposal sits with trustees, many shared concerns at meeting By EMMA EDMUND
the daily northwestern @emmaeedmund
Students demanded a timeline from the Board of Trustees on its decision regarding Fossil Free Northwestern’s divestment
proposal at the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility meeting Tuesday. Philip Greenland, the chair of the ACIR, said he was told he could expect a decision on the proposal by Tuesday’s meeting. Greenland said he most recently asked the board about a possible
decision last Thursday before the meeting, but as of Tuesday’s meeting, the trustees had no update. Fossil Free’s proposal calls for Northwestern to divest from all of its holdings in the top 100 coal companies and the top 100 gas and oil companies, as well as for reinvestment in non-fossil fuel
companies, especially those that place emphasis on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The document cites millions of dollars of University investments, including $45.4 million in companies such as BP. » See ACIR, page 7
Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy students and faculty gathered Tuesday to share thoughts and possible solutions to address the lack of allgender restrooms in Annenberg Hall, which houses SESP. The town hall, hosted by SESP dean David Figlio, comes after student activists called attention to the fact that Annenberg’s restrooms are not inclusive of transgender or non-binary students by posting fliers and all-gender restroom signs throughout the building. Addressing a group of several dozen concerned undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff, Figlio first apologized for the delay in updates, saying that every solution they explored seemed to lead to a “closed door.” The issue is of “fundamental importance” to SESP leadership, Figlio said, and he has a personal connection to it through people he cares about. Despite leadership’s commitment to the issue, there are
difficulties in making an allgender restroom in Annenberg, mostly due to Evanston coding laws and the physical architecture of the building, Figlio said. He added that while his goal would be to have an all-gender, multi-stall restroom in Annenberg, this would mean either making costly renovations or violating the city code. SESP leadership instead has focused on building a single-stall restroom, despite its potential “othering” aspects, Figlio said. “We think we have a place that may possibly work,” Figlio said. “We’re trying not to make the perfect the enemy of the good.” SESP senior and Associated Student Government executive vice president Adam Davies pointed out that legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker updated Illinois’s restroom laws as of Jan. 1, designating all single-stall public restrooms as all-gender. Therefore, Evanston’s single-stall coding laws are out of date, showing room for advocacy, Davies said. The Evanston code says that if a building has two single-occupancy restrooms, one is designated for males and the other for females. They added that there has been a precedent set for all-gender » See BATHROOMS, page 7
Residents weigh French talks free speech on campuses possible bus change Iraq War veteran speaks on culture of enmity at colleges during NUCR event
Concerns arose re: proposed bus route shifts on North Shore By EVA HERSCOWITZ
the daily northwestern @herscowitz
North Shore residents expressed concerns about the impact of proposed bus route changes on the elderly and people with disabilities at a Tuesday public hearing. The hearing, held at the Levy Senior Center, was the fifth of six hearings organized by Pace — the suburban bus
division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area — on proposed route changes in the north suburbs. The changes would discontinue Routes 210 and 421, alter Routes 215, 225, 226, 422 and 423, as well as create Route 424. Cheryl Crawford, the director of human resources and volunteer services at Glenview’s Kohl Children’s Museum, said restructuring Route 423 will create transit difficulties for employees with disabilities. Many employees » See PACE, page 7
By ARIANNA CARPATI
the daily northwestern @ariannacarpati1
David French spoke about the First Amendment clash on college campuses on Tuesday in Seabury Hall. French was invited by Northwestern College Republicans. He is an attorney, an Iraq War veteran, and is currently the senior editor at the online political magazine, The Dispatch. French spoke about the culture of enmity that is arising in the country, particularly on college campuses. He said people are clustering into like-minded enclaves,
which leads to the growth of their common viewpoint. “I want people to understand that free speech is fundamentally part of our social compact,” he said. He added that the country’s population is becoming increasingly negatively polarized, as people join political parties due to hatred of the other side rather than support of their own. Despite the decrease in government censorship over the past 20 years, French said, people are more afraid to speak up than ever because the pressure to suppress one’s views is coming from their peers as opposed to top-down censorship. McCormick junior Zachary Kornbluth, secretary of public
relations for College Republicans, created advertising for the event. He said in the wake of the Jeff Sessions event, the group thought it would be relevant to bring in a speaker who was knowledgeable on the topic of free speech. “(We hope students will gain) an appreciation of free speech, of hearing other people’s viewpoints,” he said. “He isn’t a supporter of Trump and I know that can kind of be a lightning rod so that may help us get our message across.” In his talk, French said if people see someone being unjustly persecuted, they should stand with the person, even if they have different » See FRENCH, page 7
Owen Stidman/Daily Senior Staffer
David French spoke about free speech on college campuses.
Nzinga-Johnson named NU’s interim Chief Diversity Officer The Women’s Center director will assume new role, formerly held by Jabbar Bennett, on Feb. 14 By AUSTIN BENAVIDES
the daily northwestern @awstinbenavides
Women’s Center director Sekile M. Nzinga-Johnson was appointed Northwestern’s interim chief diversity officer and associate
provost for diversity and inclusion on Tuesday. Jabbar Bennett, the inaugural and current chief diversity officer and associate provost for diversity and inclusion, will step down on Feb. 14 with Nzinga assuming the role on Feb. 15. Nzinga-Johnson will continue
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
her positions as a lecturer in gender and sexuality studies and as director of the Women’s Center. Her past work at NU includes serving as the co-chair of the University’s Gender Queer, Non-Binary and Transgender Task Force and helping develop and co-author the upcoming task
force report. Nzinga-Johnson is currently a member-at-large for the National Women’s Association’s governing council and was awarded the Evanston-Northshore YWCA’s Women in Leadership Award. She was also the founding director of Nazareth College’s women
and gender studies B.A. program. In an email to the Daily, Northwestern spokesman Bob Rowley said Bennett’s departure came after “accomplishing a great deal” as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer of the University. “The search for Jabbar Bennett’s permanent successor will
begin shortly, and details of the search process are being finalized, with a goal of filling this position as soon as possible,” Rowley said in an email to the Daily. austinbenavides2022@u.northwestern.edu
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
AROUND TOWN MOSAIC Co-op offers conscious off-campus living By ANIKA MITTU
the daily northwestern @anika_mittu
Leaving for college often represents the first move away from home for many young adults. But for some students, such as SESP senior Lily Zhang, moving away helped them find the place that felt most like home: the MOSAIC Co-op. “It felt more like my home than my parents’ place,” Zhang said. “MOSAIC was definitely one of the strongest support systems I’ve had.” Many residents said the MOSAIC Co-op — a housing community spread across two houses in Evanston — provides a strong sense of home and family by giving them a group of people to come home to after a long day. Originally founded by two Northwestern students who were disappointed with a lack of off-campus community, the Co-op strives to create a space for residents to bond, according to its mission statement. The two houses, one named the Zooo and the other named the Treehouse, differ from a group of friends just sharing a house. The residents of the Co-op place an emphasis on the social, economic and political environmental consequences of their actions, according to MOSAIC’s website.
POLICE BLOTTER Chicago man arrested for battery, trespassing A 20-year-old Chicago man was arrested Monday and charged with batter y and trespassing. The incident took place around 2:50 p.m. at Whole Foods, 1640 Chicago Ave. A 28-year-old Chicago man told officers he was entering the building from the roof lot when he was stopped by an individual and asked for money, Evanston police said. Evanston Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said the man reported he told the 20-year-old
This plays out prominently in a few ways; for example, all of the meals served in the house are vegetarian. By bringing together residents that respect sustainability and social justice, the Co-op facilitates natural friendships, Zhang said. Treehouse resident Schelly Murphy said that her love for social justice made it difficult to live with roommates who were not as passionate, inspiring her to seek out MOSAIC. “I’m pretty big into activism and I’ve had experiences of living with people who did not share those views,” Murphy said. MOSAICalso facilitates a family environment by running both residences democratically, meaning that all house members help decide how the house will function in terms of chores and administrative tasks. Chores, including cooking dinner or grocery shopping, are split amongst residents. Residents also develop tight-knit bonds based on planned group activities, including open-mic nights for the Evanston community and movie nights where housemates gather on the couch to watch someone’s favorite film, Zhang said. Residents also can meet four to five times a week for communal dinners, according to the MOSAIC website. Some said their favorite Co-op memories come from the random
that he wasn’t allowed to be on the roof and threatened to call the police. When the 28-year-old took his phone out of his pocket, the 20-year-old started yelling, grabbed the man’s chest and started shaking him, Glew said. The man filed a complaint, and Whole Foods’ loss prevention officer said the 20-year-old has been asked to leave the property multiple times. The store filed a complaint for trespassing when police arrived. The 20-year-old Chicago man is scheduled to appear in court on March 11.
conversations that happen over the dinner table. “At dinner, someone will be like ‘I’m going to be getting a tattoo’ or ‘I’m getting my ears pierced’ and someone else will say ‘Oh, I’ve thought about doing that for a while, do you want to go together?’” Zhang said. “It’s pretty spontaneous and happens pretty regularly.” Though residents share unplanned moments together, the co-op also organizes larger celebrations. For example, the Treehouse held a Lunar New Year celebration, complete with boiling and eating homemade dumplings. Resident and SESP graduate student Sunny Suntharanund said that event became one of her favorite memories in the Co-op. Residents come and go throughout the year, with move-in times scheduled around the quarter system, meaning that members and house dynamics are constantly changing. When residents leave, some opt for a send-off party, in which residents go around and share their favorite part of living with that person along with lighthearted roasts. Others have a quiet departure. “It’s always sad because it’s one person who was a part of our family for a certain amount of time leaving,” Suntharanund said. “The transitional nature of the co-op is difficult sometimes because of that.”
Even after residents leave the Co-op, many stay in touch with one another. Zhang, for example, moved out of the Zooo last year, but she said she still feels connected to the residents and goes back to visit. The changing nature of the houses means that new members are relatively common in both residences. Membership is not very competitive, according to membership chair Schelly Murphy. The application process, consisting of short answers and then an interview, is mostly meant to ensure that the individuals truly value community and also want to live consciously, rather than simply wanting a place to live. Murphy said that the houses usually accept everyone they interview if they have the space. They sometimes reject applicants if they don’t fit the values of the houses or if they make another resident feel unsafe. Because of shared values, Zhang said Co-op residents get along naturally. “The transition felt very smooth because most of the people were people I would have been friends with anyway,” Zhang said. “Just living with a group of people who are your friends and are really supportive and are constantly there is really helpful.”
A tan 2006 Mercedes-Benz, parked in the 800 block of Brummel Street, was damaged Saturday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., police said. The vehicle belonged to a 28-year-old Evanston man.Glew said the responding officers found sugar water in the car’s gas tank, and the cover of the gas tank was broken off. There were also dents in the passenger door of the vehicle. Glew said police do not have enough evidence to arrest anyone yet.
Vehicle damaged with sugar water
anikamittu2023@u.northwestern.edu
Setting the record straight An article published in Tuesday’s paper titled “Council votes to allow alcohol sales at Welsh-Ryan” misstated how many other Big Ten schools sell alcohol in their basketball stadiums. Northwestern is the 9th school in the Big Ten to allow such sales. The Daily regrets the error.
— Jacob Fulton
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
ON CAMPUS SASA talks 2020 Census engagement
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www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Troy Closson
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By ISABELLE SARRAF
stacia@dailynorthwestern.com
Northwestern’s South Asian Student Alliance and the South Asian American Policy & Research Institute hosted a workshop Tuesday in Parkes Hall emphasizing the importance of South Asian engagement in the 2020 census. Representatives from SAARPI discussed the need for reporting accurate census data, and how the South Asian community is at risk of being undercounted in the census due to the changes in this year’s count. They also facilitated conversation about how students can ensure the campus community is counted in the census. Varsha Kalangari, a research and civic engagement intern at SAARPI, said the organization’s research, which develops policy recommendations, has indicated the importance of starting conversations about the census in South Asian and immigrant communities across the country. She added that this year’s count is especially important to South Asian communities in Chicago because of the threat of an undercount. The population numbers counted from the census, she said, can redefine a community’s representation in the government, its infrastructure and its overall federal funding. “Chicago is known for a lot of Indian (grocery) stores and produce — that’s why at our local Costco you can get Indian ghee, paneer and naan,” she said. “A large reason for that is because of census data. (The government) knows that certain pockets of Indians live in certain communities so they know how to stock it accordingly.” Eighty-nine percent of South Asians in Illinois live in the Chicago area, according to a 2013 SAAPRI study. Shobhana Verma, the institute’s executive director, said the invisibility of marginalized communities in traditional census work is a major contributor to the undercount. She said the lack of direct outreach within South Asian
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Shobhana Verma, SAAPRI executive director, speaks to an audience of Northwestern students. She discussed the importance of reporting accurate census data, and how the South Asian community is at risk of being undercounted.
communities causes the adult population to be uninformed about the importance of an accurate census count. Verma added that older generations are at a disadvantage in reporting themselves in the census because this year is the first online census. South Asian immigrants and first-generation Americans, she said, have political action and civic engagement low on their priority list. This lack of awareness can be detrimental to the resources allocated to South Asian communities, she said. “Huge government programs — sometimes with an undercount of 100 — can be taken away,” Verma said. “Those programs have a huge impact when looking at long-term engagement and resources that go to our community members. All of that depends on our representation and what the numbers look like.”
Weinberg junior and SASA co-president Aditi Rathore said she appreciated the timeliness of the workshop because the census is starting to be counted in about one month. She emphasized that there is a lack of education on the census among college students. Rathore said she had no idea about the role South Asian college students can play in ensuring their personal communities get an accurate census count. “I’ve had challenges bringing up conversations around this with my family and my local community — I’m from the Chicagoland area,” Rathore said. “Whatever excuse it is, not just in terms of census participation but also broader political engagement. I think, for me, this does hit close to home.”
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"Oscars Party" Wed. 2/12/20
ACROSS 1 It follows wind 5 Chilean poet Pablo 11 Tribute poem 14 Berry used in smoothies 15 Less tilted 16 Sleep stage, abbr. 17 *A Best Supporting Actor nominee being generous?
41 What each subject of the starred answers is 42 Popular hammock brand 43 *Sleep with a Best Actor nominee? 47 Arctic huts 48 Last places 53 Former Heat star Dwyane 55 Painter Bob
6 7 8 9
Profoundly immoral Made some edits All together Tallest mountain in North America Braz. neighbor Zoo primate Sandwich spot Release Ooze through Dangerous
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“Oscars Party”
50 Fashion to offerings The Daily's new 51Welcome Tomate student-created crossword puzzle. Come 52back Winter downpour every Wednesday 53during Criedfalland cried quarter for a new crossword. 54Answers Plus on Thursdays. 56ACROSS Kleenex target It follows wind of Justice 591 Department 5 branch, Chilean poetabbr. Pablo 11 Tribute poem 6014Miracle-____ Berry used in smoothies 15 Less tilted 16 Sleep stage, abbr. 17 *A Best Supporting Actor nominee being generous? 19 Muhammad who flew and stung 20 Awards show host 21 Bart Simpson's sister 22 Inches or pounds 23 Brand with peanut butter cups 25 "Farewell!" 27 *A Best Actor winner's NBA team? 31 Musician's degree, abbr. 34 Chicago airport code 35 Wipe out 36 Court attendant 38 Pageantry 40 Painter Veronese 41 What each subject of the starred answers is 42 Popular hammock brand 43 *Sleep with a Best Actor nominee? 47 Arctic huts 48 Last places 53 Former Heat star Dwyane 55 Painter Bob 57 Gold or silver 58 Giant Manning 59 *Posing a question to a Best Actor nominee? 61 Anti-drug ad 62 Suit salesman
63 Medicinal plant 64 2000 pounds 65 Escape in 66 Where eggs are laid DOWN 1 "Real Time with Bill _____" (HBO show) 2 Caesar's opening line 3 Cyclist Armstrong 4 Insta approvals 5 + opposite, abbr. 6 Profoundly immoral 7 Made some edits 8 All together 9 Tallest mountain in North America 10 Braz. neighbor 11 Zoo primate 12 Sandwich spot 13 Release 18 Ooze through 22 Dangerous 24 "Get outta here!" 26 Farm beasts 28 Suffix with contradict 29 Robert de ______ 30 Joan of Arc's title, abbr. 31 Monmouth Univ.'s conference 32 Tampa native 33 Make an accusation 36 Some gas stations 37 Strike or spare 38 BFF 39 All over again 41 Projectile weapon 44 On the backside 45 First-year baller 46 Frolic 49 Put on the tele again 50 Fashion 51 Tomate offerings 52 Winter downpour 53 Cried and cried 54 Plus 56 Kleenex target 59 Department of Justice branch, abbr. 60 Miracle-____
OPINION
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Wednesday, February 12, 2020
How we can foster a strong culture of voter participation ZACH BRIGHT
OPINION EDITOR
This is the fourth column in “Democracy DoOver,” a weekly series exploring and making the case for improvements in how we elect public servants and ensure effective representation by all levels of government. Voter participation in the United States has been lackluster. According to the Pew Research Center, only 55.7 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in 2016, lagging behind other democracies. Feelings of apathy and disempowerment, along with some people’s inability to take the time to cast a ballot, are likely contributors. It’s important to inculcate a sense of civic duty in up-and-coming generations so that all people feel connected to the political system. (Not just political science majors who have the audacity to think they know how to fix the entire government through a weekly series of columns in their college paper.) It’s important to bring in all voices and earnestly extend that
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A different perspective on experiences with Asian Studies classes
In her op-ed titled, “Northwestern Asian Studies courses can marginalize students through microaggressions,” Mira Yang addresses some important issues. Two of these are microaggressions and the role that professors, specifically Northwestern professors teaching Asian Studies courses, may contribute to creating microaggressions. Yang writes that she has experienced microaggressions in the courses. I, on the other hand, have had a different experience. My background is similar to Yang in that I am also an Asian-American who grew up and went
opportunity so people have a say in deciding who represents them. Structural reforms are a start. They are easy to propose, just difficult to execute. For one, election day should be a federal holiday. People who might not have the luxury of skipping out on their job should have the time to cast a ballot. Automatic voter registration is another obvious step that would boost accessibility, so that no one has to worry about having to cut through red tape to carry out their constitutional right. Sixteen states already implement this rule, which leads to higher turnouts. Solutions, not confined to this list, help tackle societal problems that can shut out marginalized voters for a multitude of reasons. Something less evident but still worth seriously considering is ranked-choice voting. On the surface, it might seem difficult for residents to grasp. In reality, however, the system is relatively straightforward. Say three candidates are running for office. Candidate A gets 40 percent of the vote, Candidate B gets 35 percent and Candidate C gets 25 percent. The candidate who secures the lowest number of votes is eliminated, and the votes cast for them are redistributed to whoever was the secondchoice of each individual voter. After this redistribution, votes are tallied and this process
is repeated until a candidate wins a majority. This system already functions in counties and cities across the country. The example earlier mirrors the 2018 San Francisco mayoral election, wherein three well-positioned candidates were jostling for the office. Because more than two viable candidates ran, no candidate won an outright majority, making the rankedchoice vote all the more helpful to ensure that a majority of voters got a candidate that they could agree upon, be it as their first, second or third choice. Another great arena for action is the proper management of the Federal Election Commission. This body is a watchdog responsible for ensuring that elections are carried out without foul play or interference. Yet there are multiple vacancies, which are preventing the commission from carrying out its duty. How can Americans feel it is their duty to vote if the agency is being neglected under the current administration? However, we can’t simply legislate problems away and expect turnout to rise. Familiarizing students with voting as part of their upbringing, inside and outside of the classroom, might change the political culture. Even allowing high schoolers to vote at an earlier age would help them navigate the nuances of politics
before, transitioning into adulthood. Over half of the roughly 20 million students who attend college live at least 100 miles from their hometown, presenting geographic limitations that limit voting that becomes a habit. There are some good signs that point to increased turnout among newer voters. Turnout nearly doubled from the 2014 elections to the most recent midterm elections. Still, eligible millennials and Gen Z votes combined make up less of a total share of votes compared to Gen X, as well as boomers individually. I love my dad but I don’t want his generation to have a disproportionate amount of political power to make decisions that will impact mine. The immediate solutions to revitalizing turnout across the country start with policy. In the long-run, creating a culture that values and feels valued in its political process will ensure that future generations have their voices heard.
to school with primarily white students. Growing up, I did feel marginalized for my identity for the same reasons as she mentions. Adults mistook me for other Asian students. I was teased for having a different lunch, and for my Chinese last name. I am also enrolled in one of the classes that Yang cites in her op-ed. I acknowledge that her experience is her truth, but I want to bring to notice that it is not everyone’s truth. It is not mine, for example. I also want to emphasize that I am just another student with a perspective on this. Everyone has their own experience and perspective on this which is why I felt I personally did not perceive any of the professor’s comments to be prejudiced or ever feel that the class was an unsafe space. Additionally, I have a critique of the internal logic of Yang’s op-ed. Yang states “I don’t intend to identify or target specific perpetrators of microaggressions,” but she specifically names the courses in her piece. This effectively targets the two courses,
and it is not difficult to then identify the two individuals teaching those courses. Further, when Yang writes that although she was excited to take a course on Chinese culture, she says, “I was initially a bit skeptical because the professor was white.” The race of the professor makes Yang question whether the course would be conducted appropriately. I can see where Yang is coming from, but I think it is problematic to reduce the professor to only his race. Some initial questions come to mind. Would someone in the same way question the credentials of a Chinese professor teaching a course on Western culture at a Chinese university? I would argue no one has a direct relationship to 8th century Tang dynasty poetry, but can people still teach it? And who would be the best person? Or what about Medieval European history? Thinking about the role of the personal identity of a professor leaves me with more questions than answers. Ultimately, I do think Yang addresses important
issues that should be brought out to the open. She questions how personal identity, such as race, can play into the role of a professor, particularly for a department where race is a core dimension of the discipline, such as Asian studies? How, then, do we address diversity in academia and how does Western influence complicate Asian studies? How might some professors contribute to creating microaggressions, and what can be done? I want to note that I am open to discussing with the original op-ed author further, or anyone else for that matter. I invite more of these difficult yet crucial conversations — about the power dynamic between students and professors, about personal identity in academia, about racism and microaggressions. I think the more time and space we invest in bringing these ideas out to the open and discussing them, the better.
Zach Bright is a Medill sophomore. He can be contacted at zacharybright2022@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
— Michael Ma, WCAS ‘21
Ways for us to genuinely appreciate international cinema ALEXANDRA CHANG
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
As a Korean American hoping to work in the entertainment industry, seeing Bong Joon-ho win an Academy Award for Best Director and “Parasite” win Best Picture — in addition to other accolades — made Sunday a particularly memorable day for me. The recognition of Asians in the entertainment industry comes once every blue moon in America, so while shocked, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of awards that Koreans brought home. At the same time, I experienced a lot of confusion as I navigated the remarks directed toward South Korea on social media platforms and in everyday conversations. This is largely because these comments were coming from members of my community who I have not previously noticed participating in discussions about representation.
The majority of these comments were congratulatory, and many seemed well-intentioned, but there were a few remarks that were disheartening. While there will always be controversy about who should win at the Oscars, I believe the comments specifically surrounding “Parasite”’s Best Picture victory and Bong Joon-ho’s Best Director victory are rooted in America’s history of colonization and imperialism. First, some made comments that “Parasite” only won Best Picture because it was a “strategic” or “smart” move by the Academy to compensate for its past failings to recognize artists of color in addition to international talent. Similarly, some remarked that “Parasite” only won because it was a foreign film, and its victory would make the Academy appear “woke” or “cultured.” These comments would be immediately followed by their own “genuine” opinion that “Parasite” obviously should have won and that they just lacked faith in the Academy to make the “correct” choice. However, these reactions differ significantly from my own (and most other Koreans); I responded with sheer joy, not questioning the reasons for why
“Parasite” won. Instead, I thought that “Parasite” was simply the Best Picture. The discrepancy between my reaction and the reactions of others when “Parasite” won leads me to questions. The most difficult comments to hear were those surrounding Joon-ho’s translator. As a first-generation American with immigrant parents and grandparents, I am used to having conversations with those who speak English with an accent, Konglish, or just plain Korean; in fact, three out of four of my grandparents are unable to speak English. Thus, it’s difficult to hear “woke” people actively acknowledging the time it took for Joon-ho to finish his speeches — which were already shorter than others. Even the acknowledgement of the presence of a translator is a microaggression, similar to comments about how ASL interpretation is “unnatural” or “inorganic.” Language, specifically English, is just one more subtle way that people in positions of privilege assess the “intelligence” and value of people in American society. These beliefs and judgements have imperial roots and are undergirded by histories of oppression that are overlooked.
After “Parasite”’s groundbreaking victories, it is important to discuss where to go from here. First, we must understand that the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite still holds true. Furthermore, the victory of Parasite must not give the Academy a ticket to revert to their longstanding and outdated trends. I fear that people will now use “Parasite” as an excuse to stop recognizing international films at American Awards ceremonies, at least for some time. However, if this week’s congratulatory remarks came from a genuine place, people should know that “Parasite” is not the only exceptional international film, and people should continue watching international films. Not because they are trendy, but because they are films worthy of appreciation. Alexandra Chang is a Weinberg sophomore. She can be contacted at alexandrachang2022@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 141, Issue 26 Editor in Chief Troy Closson
Managing Editors Gabby Birenbaum Samantha Handler Marissa Martinez Heena Srivastava
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
Williams shares experiences with data journalism By VIVIAN XIA
the daily northwestern @vivianxia7
Washington Post investigative reporter Aaron Williams spoke about the importance of data visualization, statistics and journalism at the McCormick Foundation Center Forum Tuesday. At the Post, Williams is a data reporter, combining the fields of journalism and data science in his work. During the event, Williams spoke about a few of his projects, including the Washington Post’s “Murder with Impunity” series, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for explanatory reporting in 2019. In this project, The Post gathered data on homicides in 55 of the country’s biggest cities over the past decade. It found that there are areas with a high number of unsolved cases and how black victims were the least likely of all racial groups to have their killings result in an
arrest. The project took two years to complete, as gathering data was very difficult because it wasn’t readily available, Williams said. “What’s really cool about this (project is that) I think we’ve all been there, whether it’s in your community, where you grew up, where you live now, where you’re like, ‘I see this thing all the time, but I haven’t seen anybody report about it,’” Williams said. Williams said what took this story to the next step was how his team gathered the data and overlaid it with the murder rate to show who is impacted by unsolved homicides. He also spoke about his projects that examined segregation and the opioid epidemic, where he showed the audience a couple of the visuals displaying data that went along with them. Through these visuals, Williams demonstrated the importance of graphical representations of data to the audience. “Data visualization is really important to me because we can not only just see where we’ve been but where we are and ask questions about where we’re going,” Williams said.
Williams’ talk was followed by a Q&A that was moderated by Communication Prof. Nicholas Diakopoulos. He said it was inspiring to have someone operating at such a high level of capability and visibility visit the University to share some of their knowledge and expertise. “There’s a lot that we can learn from practitioners like Aaron through these types of visits from the industry,” Diakopoulos said. Medill junior Justine Banbury said she came to this event to learn more about data visualization because there are not many classes offered at Northwestern that teach this skill set. Banbury said she found the event to be very helpful because she found information on how she can start learning more about the field. “There’s not a lot of classes or guidance about if you’re interested in this what you should start doing,” Banbury said. “(Williams) gave us some of his work and you can email him and there are some actionable things you can start doing.” vivianxia2023@u.northwestern.edu
Owen Stidman/Daily Senior Staffer
Washington Post investigative reporter Aaron Williams speaks about his projects and the importance of data visualization.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Wildcats defeat Fighting Irish with tough singles win By GRAYSON WELO
the daily northwestern @graysonwelo
Coach Claire Pollard has said Northwestern needed to do a better job dealing with their emotions on the court. Then this weekend, the Wildcats played like a team that’s learned its lesson. Northwestern left South Bend with its second win of the season after defeating Notre Dame 4-3 in a tight match last Friday. NU started off strong and picked up the doubles’ point, giving the Cats a leg up heading into singles. In doubles, freshman Briana Crowley and sophomore Hannah McColgan beat Notre Dame senior Zoe Spence and sophomore Zoe Taylor 6-4. Sister duo freshman Christina Hand and sophomore
Clarissa Hand beat Notre Dame junior Ally Bojczuk and redshirt sophomore Julia Lilien 6-4. With a one set structure and no-ad scoring, players have little time to find their rhythm in doubles. Earning the doubles’ point can differentiate between ultimately winning and losing, but the Cats were on the winning side of that dilemma in Friday’s match. “When you play no-ad scoring, every point really matters,” Pollard said. “I’m not sure we’re there yet making great decisions throughout every point, but that will be a sign of growth that you’ll see from us throughout the season.” Although Pollard said doubles pairings are subject to change throughout the beginning of the season, Crowley and McColgan have been successful at the second doubles spots, winning their last two doubles matchups against Notre Dame and Princeton.
McColgan said she and Crowley both enjoy coming to net which creates a good dynamic between the partners. In singles, NU split its matches to earn 3 points and seal its victory over the Fighting Irish. unior Inci Ogut beat Notre Dame junior Cameron Corse 6-2, 6-4. After losing her singles matchups against Vanderbilt and Princeton, Ogut picked up the Cats’ only singles win in straight sets last Friday. Ogut said she did not change any technical aspects of her game, but instead focused on playing with an aggressive mindset which gave her an edge over her opponent. While Ogut finished her match with relative ease, NU battled for its other two singles wins. At sixth singles, McColgan overcame losing the first set to beat Notre Dame sophomore Maeve Koscielski in three sets 2-6, 7-6, 6-1. At third singles, sophomore Clarissa Hand
played Notre Dame junior Ally Bojczuk. Although Hand stumbled in the first set, she fought back to win the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. Hand’s win gave NU the deciding point over the Fighting Irish, ending the match. As an upperclassmen and more experienced member of the team, Ogut said she will continue to work hard for the team and strives to lead by example in practice. Similarly, senior Julie Byrne takes her leadership role seriously on the court and off the court. “I try to teach the underclassmen and everyone any small tips like even ‘if you lose the first set, you win the first game of your second set’ — some unwritten rules,” Byrne said. “As well, in practice leading by example and letting your tennis do the talking.”
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6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
How accessibility impacts services for homeless By MOLLY LUBBERS
the daily northwestern @mollylubbers
Shelters and warming centers can provide a place for homeless people to escape harsh conditions during the winter. But for disabled individuals, homeless services are not always accessible, said Cathleen O’Brien, community organizer of housing at Access Living, an advocacy group for disability rights. She added that disabled people can be more vulnerable to homelessness because of low employment, discrimination from landlords and financial reasons. “Disabled people often have to make a choice between affordable and accessible housing,” O’Brien said. “So we’re often some of the first people pushed out, because we were already renting at the top of our budget in order to have an accessible place.” On any given night, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness estimates that 24 percent of people experiencing homelessness meet the federal definition of chronically homeless, according to a 2018 report. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines a chronically homeless individual as someone with a disability who has either repeatedly experienced homelessness or has been homeless for at least one year. Barry Taylor, vice president for civil rights and litigation at Equip for Equality, said it is vital that homeless services are accessible. “If it’s not accessible, it has potentially dire circumstances and consequences,” he said. “If people can’t get into a shelter and go somewhere else, it can lead to the extreme situation of someone dying.” Last year, a lawsuit was filed against city-funded Chicago homeless shelters for discrimination against people with disabilities. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff Laura Martin, who has rheumatoid arthritis, was turned away from multiple shelters due to her difficulty walking. O’Brien said the lawsuit exemplifies a larger problem in Chicago. She noted other examples of discrimination, such as shelters not communicating with deaf people, excluding people with wheelchairs and turning a blind man away. Unlike Chicago, none of Evanston’s homeless services are fully city-funded and run, said Ike Ogbo, Evanston’s director of health and human
Across Campuses Student safety, well-being in focus following deadly shooting at a Texas university
DALLAS — Campus safety and student well-being are in sharp focus following a deadly shooting at Texas A&M University-Commerce last week. Already, university officials have announced stepped-up security efforts that include more around-the-clock monitoring of dorm entrances, increased police patrols and a safety audit. Texas A&M-Commerce president Mark Rudin told the campus community that although the school has made a lot of progress in safety, officials should always aim to do better. “We live in a world now where what happened on our campus can, unfortunately, happen anywhere,” he said in a letter announcing an updated action plan. “We have been diligent when it comes to safety and security, and we need to be proactive and constantly reassessing if we are doing enough.” But what can public universities do to better secure residence halls where students expect to be safe? Authorities say Jacques Dshawn Smith, 21,
Eva Herscowitz/The Daily Northwestern
The women’s side of the shelter at First Presbyterian Church. The church also has a warming center on the same floor.
services. Instead, community organizations like Connections for the Homeless and Interfaith Action of Evanston provide homeless services. Both groups receive some money from the city. Ogbo said Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department doesn’t monitor their services for accessibility. “We have faith in these community partners that provide services to the community,” Ogbo said, “and we haven’t had any deficiency or issue (related to inaccessibility) that has been reported to the department.” Interfaith Action director Sue Murphy said the organization receives funding through the city, but the majority comes from other sources. Connections for the Homeless receives the Emergency Solutions Grant and the Community Development Block Grant, which is federal funding passed through the city, said Jennifer Kouba, associate director of development at Connections for the Homeless. Connections for the Homeless has some accessible locations, such as drop-in services at its main office, 2121 Dewey Ave., Kouba said. Another location, 1458 Chicago Ave., offers drop-in services and Hilda’s Place, which is an overnight shelter for men. These are located in the basement of Lake Street Church, which requires someone to walk a short flight of stairs to access, she said. Kouba added that the organization will partner
with First United Methodist Church to open Daisy’s Place, an accessible transitional shelter for women, this spring. Interfaith Action of Evanston, a nonprofit that partners with Evanston faith institutions, offers warming centers and overnight shelters from mid-November to March, among other services. Overnight shelters rotate to a different location after a three-week period, while warming centers occur Monday through Friday on a daily rotating schedule. Murphy said there is not a single approach that all the facilities under Interfaith Action take to provide accessibility to disabled people. However, she said they haven’t been made aware of any issues with their current facilities. As part of Interfaith Action of Evanston, First Congregational Church of Evanston provides a warming center and overnight shelter. At both of their locations, there are electric lifts to help wheelchair-users access the building, church administrator Miko Fentanes said. “We’re open and affirming and we try and show we welcome every human being,” Fentanes said, “no matter who you are.” Meanwhile, Beth Emet Synagogue is part of the overnight shelter program through Interfaith Action, and independently provides a weekly soup kitchen. The synagogue has a committee that works to make its services accessible and inclusive, soup kitchen chair Leslie Levin-Shulruff said.
gained access to Pride Rock residence hall, where he was seen in the elevator about 1 a.m. Feb. 3. No evidence of forced entry was found in the dorm room where his ex-girlfriend Abbaney Matts, 20, and her sister Deja Matts, 19, were found dead later that morning. Smith and Abbaney Matts were not students at the school; Deja Matts was a freshman there. Abbaney and her 2-year-old son, who was injured during the incident, stayed the night with Deja after driving her back to the campus late Sunday, according to family. Facilities at public universities and colleges are generally open to students, staff and visitors during business hours as state institutions. But residence halls tend to have more limited access by design. Most dorms have a controlled entrance that’s accessed with an electric card, monitored by a person, or both. Authorities haven’t said how Smith was able to enter the residence hall. University officials declined to answer questions about specific security measures at Pride Rock. “We cannot speak to the specific circumstances surrounding this targeted incident on the campus as this is an active investigation that multiple law enforcement agencies are still conducting,” Rudin
said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. Texas A&M-Commerce’s 2019 security report noted that exterior doors to most on-campus residence halls are equipped with electronic card access that is connected to a centralized software system with 24-hour recording. Front desks at the dorms had been staffed from 8 a.m. to midnight but will now be monitored at all hours. Interior doors at the residence halls are key-locked with deadbolts and have peepholes. Dorm residents are prohibited from propping or forcefully pulling open any door at a residence hall, according to a university handbook. Students may be subject to disciplinary action for doing so. Other area universities listed similar security systems in place at residence halls, according to their annual security reports. The University of Texas at Arlington, for example, has a card-access system at each residence hall entrance as well as to the areas where the student rooms are. Some residence halls have rooms that also require an access card to enter. -The University of North Texas in Denton noted that the residence halls have electric-card access and are supervised by trained staff who lock doors on a schedule and ensure that guests are escorted
Levin-Shulruff said Beth Emet recently built more accessible bathrooms and is currently constructing a parking lot ramp to make the building more accessible. At the soup kitchen, they have another door with a ramp for wheelchair users, and volunteers can assist guests travelling down the food line, she said. First Presbyterian Church, another member of Interfaith Action, holds its warming center and shelter on the ground floor of the church. The door leading to the facility has a ramp rather than stairs, said Caryl Weinberg, director of missions. Weinberg added that many people in need of services will line up at the shelters for two to three hours before they open at 9 p.m. She said that can be difficult, especially if the weather is bad, because people may have to stand in line to guarantee a space in the shelter. “If it’s raining, if it’s snowing, they get soaking wet, if it’s really cold, they’re freezing by the time they get in,” she said. “So the shelters are great, and the warming centers are great, but there’s still a gap. It’d be nice to see the city be able to help out with some of those things, I know we’re doing things a step at a time.” Waiting in line could present challenges to disabled people, as some physical disabilities prevent standing or sitting for long periods of time. Ogbo said the city is discussing solutions for when facilities reach capacity. “We’ll continue to work with our community partners but also know that there’s a need when those shelters are at capacity,” he said. “We are working towards a city-designated shelter so if those shelters are overwhelmed, we will have some place for people to be accommodated.” City-funded services would fall under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, but both O’Brien and Taylor said it would be better to go beyond the ADA requirements. Taylor said it’s important for groups to ask disabled people about their concerns for services and include them in the planning process for improvements or new initiatives. “The best way to figure out those accommodations is an interactive process, where you engage with the person just going to figure out what they think makes sense,” he said. “And then you evaluate your resources and try to figure out how to best meet those needs.” mollylubbers2023@u.northwestern.edu by a dorm resident. At the University of Texas at Dallas, dorm doors are generally unlocked during the day but the lobbies are monitored by staff who check in guests. Colleges and universities are required to release annual security reports under a federal law named after Jeanne Clery, who was raped and murdered in her dorm in 1986. Though the residence hall had automatic locks, her attacker was able to gain access to the dorm because doors had been propped open with pizza boxes. Schools must constantly reassess security measures, particularly after a tragic incident like Monday’s deadly shooting, said Abigail Boyer, associate executive director of the Clery Center. And that includes focusing on ongoing efforts to educate students about why safety measures must be followed, she said. “We are a society that wants to be polite and let the people behind us in,” Boyer said. “But that can be dangerous. That’s why the prevention work that we do to focus on minimizing safety risks are just as important as focusing on facility needs.”
-Eva-Marie Ayala The Dallas Morning News
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American Studies
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
ACIR
“The fact of the matter is, our planet is dying, and I feel stupid having to say that, because everybody knows it,” said Weinberg sophomore Sarah Fernandez, representing Fossil Free. “I’m frustrated because they have enough privilege to be able to ignore the fact that the planet is dying, that humans are dying, but other people don’t, and other people are living that reality every day. Us as students are trying to advocate for those people, and it’s incredible how there’s not much more attention to this.” The ACIR holds an open meeting every quarter in Guild Lounge, allowing students to voice their
concerns about university investments. The committee was created to take proposals regarding investments related to the University’s Endowment from the Northwestern community and eventually make recommendations to the Investment Committee on the Board of Trustees. In early 2019, members of a regrouped Fossil Free reintroduced a 2013 divestment proposal to the committee. The new proposal was passed and recommended for approval by ACIR in June 2019. Students were frustrated about the difficulties in speaking with the board and with the board’s infrequent meeting times. “It feels like we have no leverage here, which is incredibly jarring,” SESP sophomore Cate Durudogan
said. “It’s frustrating when they hold this incredibly powerful position and just say, ‘Oh we don’t meet, so we don’t have enough time to do this.’ Well, then maybe someone else should have that decision-making power.” Students also expressed concerns with the trustees’ lack of action at November’s ACIR meeting, which had over a hundred undergraduate attendees. At Tuesday’s meeting, students requested a timeline from the board or a way to further communicate with them. Board members generally agreed that a timeline is a reasonable request, and Greenland reiterated that he communicates to students what he knows. “We do have a line of communication,” Greenland said. “We’ll use it. We used it after the last meeting.” At the end of the meeting, some students pointed
out that ACIR and the student body should ultimately be on the same side. Fernandez said she could see why ACIR members might be frustrated with Fossil Free or other concerned students, and she said the group has been put between the students and the trustees. “You are the ones that are shouldering all of this frustration and all of this anger, from the student body, not them,” Fernandez said. “We’re on the same side and you guys are being used (by the trustees) for them to not have to be accountable to these things that we’re demanding of them. We’re on the same side and we’re just trying to push it forward.”
BATHROOMS
PACE
multi-stall bathrooms by other buildings at Northwestern, including Northwestern Hillel and the temporary Black House. “There’s space for this to occur at the Evanston level and the state level,” Davies said. “It’s time for Northwestern to take a stand.” Third-year doctoral student Ally Reith wondered why the University could not make one or more of the single-gender restrooms all-gender and “absorb the code violation?” Figlio said there is an institutional risk involved with him making an official act violating Evanston code, saying that it would be “counterproductive” to his goal of including all-gender restrooms throughout the University. He added that he was concerned about the “potential legal risk for Northwestern” based on the public’s use of the building on the weekends. One attendee brought up the idea of having one or more of the restrooms be designated as all-gender for weekdays and changing the signs back on the weekends. Many audience members showed their support for this proposal as it would provide trans and non-binary students a prompt, though temporary, solution. Figlio said if it can be done legitimately, then he’ll do it. In the future, Figlio hopes to hold more open community discussions about the topic, and invited the attendees to reach out to him with any ideas they might have. “How it happens, when it happens, I can’t say,” Figlio said. “But it’s going to happen. And I am on your team as far as that goes.”
living in Evanston and Rogers Park currently transfer from the Chicago Transit Authority Purple Line to Route 423, which drops them off directly at the museum. Restructuring the route would force employees to walk from the El station to Kohl Children’s Museum — a difficult walk for employees who use walkers and wheelchairs. “Trying to navigate their way from the metro station to the museum is far, especially in the winter,” Crawford said. “There’s snow and ice on the ground, and people don’t shovel. There’s an impact on future recruits; there’s an impact on patrons. It’s a much longer way all around and not direct.” These changes, which are part of the second phase of a transit coordination proposal following a 2017 transit study conducted with the CTA, would take effect in August. According to a Pace release, the plan intends to streamline routes, increase frequency on arterial roads, reduce waiting times and better connect riders to CTA trains. The original study guided
these service recommendations, which aim to increase ridership and service new markets. The first phase of changes, which adjusted service on Route 208 and Route 213, took effect August 2018. In response to a proposal to discontinue the 205 Chicago/Golf Road CTA bus route, residents voiced concerns that students would lack sufficient transportation to and from Evanston Township High School. In response to feedback, a revised service plan added six morning trips over two hours and six afternoon trips over two hours in the peak direction. Several proposed changes may impact Evanston residents. Under one change, riders leaving the Howard Street El station would no longer have a direct route to Westfield Old Orchard on the Route 215 bus. Instead, they would need to board the Route 226 bus at the CTA station and transfer to the Route 215 bus at Crawford Avenue and Howard Street in Skokie. Under the proposed changes, Evanston resident Dan Joseph said the only bus that runs directly from Old Orchard to Howard is the 97 Skokie CTA bus. This bus departs from Old Orchard on Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. and Sundays
at 8:50 p.m., leaving Old Orchard employees who work after these hours without a direct commute. “We need everybody’s help to urge elected officials to get CTA to listen and work with Pace and RTA to extend those last evening trips,” he said. Skokie resident Tyler Sutherland said altering Route 226 creates a nearly mile-long gap between the Howard CTA Station and the Jefferson Park Transit Center. Sutherland said this gap means families with young children and elderly people have to cross a bridge over Interstate 94 to reach a stop that takes them to the transportation center. “This winter being an anomaly, I can only imagine what that will be like in a standard year,” Sutherland said. “Some reconsideration of the routes would be wise.” Pace board member Chris Canning said board members will review the public testimonies and “refine” the proposed changes as needed. After receiving a synopsis of public comments, emails and letters in April or May, board members will vote on the proposal. He added that the current plan isn’t set in stone.
“(I got) an interesting take on the political aspects of free speech and how it functioned on college campuses specifically,” she said. French welcomed questions from the audience and gave anecdotes from his experiences in college and law school, when he found himself in positions where others refused to hear his point of view. He stressed that although lawyers have won many cases against censorship and speech codes at universities, people have lost a cultural appreciation for free
speech. “Free speech has been indispensable in every positive social movement in the history of the United States, and remains indispensable to those who are interested in social change,” French said. “And that, very fundamentally it’s one way that a really diverse pluralistic society hangs together is by preserving our mutual civil liberties.”
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emilysakai2023@u.northwestern.edu
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FRENCH From page 1
views. Acts of allyship will create bonds of fellowship that the country currently lacks. When people refuse to defend the rights of others, he said, free speech becomes a power, not a right. Weinberg sophomore Elizabeth Sperti, a legal studies major, said she gained interesting legal perspectives on the First Amendment.
emmaedmund2022@u.northwestern.edu
evaherscowitz2023@u.northwestern.edu
ariannacarpati2023@u.northwestern.edu
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SPORTS
ON DECK FEB.
13
ON THE RECORD
“David made a really great birdie to clinch it. It was very dark, and we were basically playing by moonlight. — coach David Inglis
Women’s Basketball No. 19 NU at Michigan, 6 p.m. Thursday
@DailyNU_Sports
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
MEN’S GOLF
Northwestern notches win in Big Ten Match Play By CHARLIE GOLDSMITH
daily senior staffer @2021_charlie
Daily file photo by Alison Albelda
Had the match lasted any longer, Northwestern would have been playing in the dark. In Big Ten Match Play last weekend in Palm Coast, Florida, the Wildcats advanced to the championship, and then that match against Penn State went into a tiebreaker round. As sophomore David Nyfjäll lined up to play the 17th hole, it was getting hard to see outside. The entire tournament came down to his match, and he needed to birdie even though it would be hard to find the pin. But Nyfjäll finished the hole in two shots, leading NU to a tournament victory for the first time since 2018. “We were almost at our ending point because we really couldn’t see much of what was going on,” coach David Inglis said. “But then David made a great birdie to clinch it. It was very dark, and we were basically playing by moonlight.” Thirteen Big Ten men’s golf teams participated in the tournament, which was the start of the Cats’ spring season. They played four head-to-head matches and won all of them, giving NU its first win in Big Ten Match Play since 2017. In the Big Ten Tournament last year, the Cats finished in 13th place. But ten
months later, they opened their spring season looking like the best team in the conference. “It was a great team performance for the whole week going undefeated,” Inglis said. “More than anything else, it’s nice to win, especially against your Big Ten rivals. And it’s great to start the spring season with a good performance. The work we’ve been putting in at home has shown up in our competition.” Senior Everton Hawkins and freshman James Imai also helped lead NU to a victory. They both won all four of their individual matches at the Hammock Beach Ocean Course. The Cats advanced to the championship match against the Nittany Lions by winning three times earlier in the week. NU beat Purdue 3-2 on Friday morning and defeated Iowa 4-1 on Friday afternoon. Then, the Cats beat Nebraska 4-2 early Saturday before winning the tiebreaker round against Penn State that night. Inglis said winning a tournament where every shot mattered was great preparation for the rest of the season. “Playing under that pressure, that’s great learning for all of our players,” he said. “To deal with those emotions and that pressure, that’s going to serve them well when we get in that position going forward.” charliegoldsmith2021@u.northwestern.edu
MEN’S BASKETBALL
How NU’s recent late struggles impact team By JOHN RIKER
the daily northwestern @thejohnriker
Northwestern has shown flashes of greatness over their 12 conference games. But the young Wildcats (6-16, 1-11 in Big Ten) have just a single win to show for it. While jumping out to surprising early leads over favored opponents hasn’t been a problem for NU, the team’s inability to close in the final minutes has been their downfall. During a recent road trip to Rutgers, the Cats came closer to winning a Big Ten game than they’ve been all season, playing its first overtime game of the year. NU led by 18 at one point, were up by double-digits with just over five minutes to go in regulation and had a chance at a buzzer-beater on the final possession of regulation. But they couldn’t convert any of those opportunities to a win. Instead, the Scarlet Knights held the Cats to one field goal over the final seven minutes of regulation and controlled the overtime period, finishing off
Daily file photo by Alison Albelda
Inci Ogut hits a forehand. The Northwestern junior won her singles match in straight sets.
Michigan vs. Northwestern Evanston, Illinois 8 p.m. Wednesday
them off 77-73. The loss came just days after NU surrendered an eight point lead at home to Purdue in the final four minutes and lost on a buzzer-beater. “We’ve had four or five of these over our last seven, eight games,” coach Chris Collins said. “It can go one of two ways. It either makes you tougher and you keep fighting or you back down. There’s no lack of fight in our group.” The Cats’ youth is certainly a factor behind the recent late-game collapses. But the opponents that have handed NU these last-second losses — expected tournament teams like Maryland, Purdue and Rutgers — give the team little margin for error. “(Losing) is a difficult part and (they’re) in a year this year with the Big Ten as good as ever,” Collins said. “Every night you’re playing NCAA tournament-quality opponents.” That trend continues on Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena, when the Cats will face Michigan (14-9, 5-7) for the first time this season. This year’s Wolverines aren’t the national contenders they have been in recent years — they’re tied for tenth in the conference. But Michigan is coming off wins over two ranked Big Ten teams in Rutgers and Michigan State. With NU’s losing streak now at seven and time running out to make up ground in the Big Ten, a home upset of Michigan would go a long way in giving the Cats a much-needed boost of confidence and help to start flipping the narrative of the season. Despite the string of demoralizing losses, Collins believes his team is still fighting. “You find where you have to dig down to,” Collins said. “We have a lot of young players that can be winning players in this conference, and I just want them to stay the course.” johnriker2023@u.northwestern.edu
Cats deserve better marketing The place to be Monday night was Welsh-Ryan Arena. The No. 19 Northwestern women’s basketball team was playing at home for only the second time in three weeks and were one of the hottest teams in the country heading into the game. But as my friends and I returned to campus, we weren’t talking about the incredible performance of Veronica Burton or the electrifying shooting of Lindsey Pulliam or the tuxedo the Michigan State manager was wearing. We were talking about what one fan called “a marketing failure.” For the first time all season, the athletic department went big with the promotions at a women’s basketball game. That meant free Chick-fil-A and a white long-sleeve shooting shirt with Northwestern basketball scripted in purple on the front. While the department was at least a month late on putting together a big game day promotion for women’s basketball, my friends and I were excited about it all day. We got to the game about 30 minutes early, and walked to the concourse to pick up our treats. The Chick-fil-A was there, but the shirts were not. Knowing that they sometimes give away shirts at the half, I didn’t worry and grabbed a sandwich. When halftime rolled around, I went to get a shirt. However, I was not given one. None of my friends were. We dumbfoundingly were told we needed to have a voucher. No one told us anything about a voucher –– not the person who scanned our Wildcards, the person who handed out the Chick-filA or the social media posts advertising the game. And we weren’t the only ones to miss the message. As others got shirts, plenty of people stood around the table, looking confused and angry. Even with the Wildcats up 20 and without a shirt, I stayed until the end of the game with my friends. And even
then, we didn’t immediately head for the exits like most fans, staying for the entirety of the fight song and waiting until both teams left the floor. That was the biggest mistake we made. When we walked to the shuttle stop, we saw over 100 students needing a ride and one lonesome shuttle rolling onto Ashland Avenue. We tried to get on, but there was no chance. We could have waited for another shuttle, but that was the only shuttle. It was past 10 o’clock. It had been three hours since we had left for the game. We all had work we had put off to be there, and waiting an unknown amount of time for a shuttle was impractical. So we called a Lyft and headed back. As we sat in the Lyft, we were frustrated, annoyed and disappointed. And it wasn’t the first time. Two winters ago, the wrestling team held a promotion that featured Chickfil-A and a giveaway clothing item: a white crewneck with “Pack Patten’’ blazed across the chest. As I walked up Sheridan Road to Patten, I saw people walking south with the sweatshirt over their shoulder and sandwiches in their hands. By the time I got there — 30 minutes before the match started — they were all out of both. And unlike most of the people who received the freebies, I stayed and watched the Cats defeat ranked Rutgers. Then in November 2018, the men’s basketball team hosted Georgia Tech for the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. It was the first game of the year where the team whipped out its beautiful gothic threads. So in conjunction with the uniforms, they held a gothic crewneck giveaway. This time, I got there more than 35 minutes before, and once again, I left with nothing. I’ve talked with others over the years who have also left these games emptyhanded. It is incredibly frustrating to have incidents like these happen, especially
when many students grab a shirt and immediately leave. It feels like a slap in the face to those who stay for the games and are constant supporters of the teams. I understand it can be difficult to estimate how many people will show up to a game, especially on a campus like this one. And it is impossible to know who is going to stay for the game or just take a shirt and leave. But, why not always overestimate and have more shirts than necessary? The extras can always be repurposed. If there is going to be a voucher system, it needs to be made abundantly clear beforehand. Because people aren’t going to be looking or asking for something they don’t know exists. If there are going to be game day shuttles, there needs to be enough ready at the end of the game to take all of the students back to campus, not just a group while others wait in the freezing cold. Last week, I opined about how more people should attend women’s sports, and two weeks ago my colleague Charlie Goldsmith wrote about the shrinking crowds at men’s basketball games. The lack of fans — especially student supporters — is a problem for the athletic department. Promotions like last night’s can solve some of these woes. As the old business adage goes, you can’t overpromise and underdeliver. So at Wednesday’s men’s basketball game against Michigan — where fans are being promised free hats, shirts and food — I hope they have enough. Because if not, how will Northwestern get those same students in the door again? Peter Warren is a Medill junior. He can be contacted at peterwarren2021@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to sports@dailynorthwestern. com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.