City reacts to proposed cashless ban

By CASEY HE the daily northwestern @caseeey_he

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Evanston bakery Hewn always accepted cash payments.

But in early 2020, the business pivoted to online sales only.

When the bakery reopened to walk-in customers, co-owner Julie Matthei said the business decided to keep its cashless policy to minimize bookkeeping tasks and reduce risks of theft and counterfeit bills.

“For some businesses, it makes a lot more sense for them to take cash, and I totally respect it,” Matthei said. “I was one of those businesses for many years prior to COVID. But COVID allowed us to see things a little bit differently.”

However, City Council is considering an ordinance that would make it illegal for Evanston businesses to deny cash payments to ensure people without cashless payment methods can still shop at all city businesses.

After heated debate at a Jan. 23 meeting, the council referred the ordinance back to the Economic Development Committee and the

Equity and Empowerment Commission for further discussion and research.

Ald. Devon Reid (8th) told the Daily he proposed the ban last year. He said he became aware of the impact of cashless businesses on the unbanked population after hearing from multiple community members and public commenters.

Citing data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Reid said the percentage of the population without a bank account in Illinois is higher than the national average. The lack of access to a bank account also disproportionately affects the Black and Latine communities, the data shows.

“Some people just have to use cash because that’s all they have access to,” Reid said. “In other cases, some folks are just more cautious about where they want to use their debit card or something that could potentially compromise their identity.”

Sue Loellbach, manager of advocacy at Connections for the Homeless, said although her organization does not track people’s banking status, the majority of the several hundred unhoused people her organization serves have no bank account.

She said she thinks COVID-19 may have increased the number of people without a bank account.

“(COVID) impacted people’s income in a lot of cases,” Loellbach said. “Many people lost their jobs, and it’s harder to have a bank account for many people if you don’t have enough money.”

She said Connections’ first priority is to help people find housing. Afterward, case managers can help their clients set up a bank account to help them achieve financial stability

In order to understand the prevalence of cashless businesses in Evanston, the city sent out a survey to all registered businesses in the city to collect information regarding their payment policies. Thirty-three of the city’s 830 businesses responded to the survey. Among the respondents, the majority said they accept cash and have no plan to go cashless in the future. Only seven businesses said they currently do not accept cash. Despite the survey results, Reid

» See CASHLESS , page 10

“I made so many friends the first time and was super hyped that I got the chance to do it again,” said Jack Izzo, who first appeared in the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament in 2018 as a high school senior. “The best part of it was being able to go back and see everybody.”

Dozens crowded the first floor of Norris University Center on Tuesday afternoon to watch Jack Izzo face off against Stanford University senior Avi Gupta and University of Texas » See IZZO, page 10

MGC chapters aim to create safe haven

Council leaders say they are working to cultivate community

By KAAVYA BUTANEY the daily northwestern @kaavya_butaney

At a predominantly white institution like Northwestern, some view Multicultural Greek Council chapters as a safe haven for multicultural students.

MGC has eight NU chapters recognized by Fraternity & Sorority Life and about 30 to 40 active members, according to MGC President and Bienen sophomore Magen Zeng.

“MGC as a whole is just a safe place to express yourself, feel like you’re not judged, and there’s power in unity,” Zeng said.

Omega Delta Phi President and Weinberg senior Alberto De La Isla said it is important for MGC to be a safe space at a majority white institution.

“(We are) trying to make sure that we are welcoming and very inclusive and a safe space for those who want to find community,” he said.

MGC supports minority and first generation-low income students who are typically left out of campus activities or feel out of place, according to De La Isla.

Kappa Phi Lambda President and McCormick sophomore Fay-Ling Laures said she joined her sorority because of its three pillars: sisterhood, cultural diversity and community service.

“I thought that it would be a really great way to make girlfriends, which I have been lacking in my engineering career,” Laures said. “We do work I care about and find meaningful.”

The organizations encourage professional success as well. Zeng said she joined Sigma Psi Zeta partially to follow the paths of successful alumni, like those who later attended Harvard Law School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for graduate school.

De La Isla said there is a strong focus within ODPhi to utilize the chapter’s resources

» See MGC , page 10