The Daily Northwestern Wednesday March 4, 2020
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Bajakian, Fitzgerald design new offense
MENA students head to ICNA Relief Refugee Resource Center and Food Pantry
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Martin: Evans name will stay on buildings Board chairman said 2017 vote to keep won’t be reconsidered By AUSTIN BENAVIDES
daily senior staffer @awstinbenavides
Jacob Fulton/The Daily Northwestern
Board of Ethics acting chair Carrie Von Hoff. Hoff will remain on the board in a temporary role until other board members are appointed to serve a full term.caption caption caption caption caption
Ethics Board reviews complaints Process advances on complaints against Ald. Rainey, Mayor Hagerty By JACOB FULTON
the daily northwestern @jacobnfulton1
Evanston’s Board of Ethics decided the jurisdiction of a complaint against Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) and took under advisement the jurisdiction of a complaint against Mayor Steve
Hagerty and former corporation counsel Michelle Masoncup during a Tuesday meeting. Fifth Ward resident Misty Witenberg and city clerk Devon Reid filed the joint complaint against Hagerty and Masoncup, alleging that in the spring of 2019, the defendants abused their power as mayor and corporation counsel, respectively, and
failed to act impartially. By taking Witenberg and Reid’s complaint under advisement, a jurisdiction decision was delayed to a later meeting. The complaint alleges that Hagerty and Masoncup retaliated against Reid after he attempted to sue the city to gain access to more documents in his role as Evanston’s Freedom of Information
Act officer. The complaint cites an attempt to censure Reid after multiple city employees filed claims of harassment against him as the basis of the allegations against Hagerty and Masoncup, because the city has not pursued censure against » See ETHICS, page 5
Board of Trustees chairman J. Landis Martin said the Board will not reconsider its decision to keep John Evans’ name on the John Evans Alumni Center other campus spaces. The decision to maintain the name was announced in June 2017, after Northwestern’s Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force recommended that the University remove Evans’ name from the alumni center and from a room in Norris University Center. Evans is the founder of Northwestern who was deemed “deeply culpable” in the Sand Creek Massacre, an 1864 attack by American soldiers that killed about 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, by a 2014 University of Denver study. A Northwestern report from earlier that year found Evans did not directly plan, but held partial responsibility for being one of many people who helped create a situation leading to the massacre. Since trustees’ 2017 decision, demonstrations have
occurred across campus calling for Evans’ name to be removed for campus spaces. In October during Homecoming weekend, the Rock was painted with the phrases “F—k John Evans” and “THIS LAND IS COLONIZED.” In a February interview with the Daily, Martin said after the task force’s recommendation was sent to the Board, he chaired an ad hoc committee of seven or eight board members that decided to keep John Evans’ name on campus. “We recommended to the Board that we not remove the names because we felt that would be a bad precedent and that it wasn’t justified in this particular case,” Martin said. Martin maintained that the decision will not be reconsidered in the future. University President Morton Schapiro told the Daily in October that he plans to respect the Board’s decision and not bring up the topic in the near future. “(The Board of Trustees) thought long and hard… at the end of the day, the name stays on,” Schapiro said. “I have my own strong views about this, but I respect the prerogatives of the board.” Martin said he supported the task force’s other recommendations, including increasing the level of » See EVANS, page 5
Weighing in on U.S. anti-Semitism, panelists reflect on rise Northwestern profs., community leaders discussed different ways it’s dealt with, has shown up in society By JASON BEEFERMAN
the daily northwestern
Community leaders and residents discussed the recent rise of anti-Semitism and its historical context at Beth Emet Synagogue on Tuesday. From 2015 to 2017, the Midwest saw a 110 percent increase in reported incidents of anti-Semitism, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s 2018 Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents. Lara Trubowitz, the education director for ADL’s Midwest region and associate director of the ADL’s National College & University programs, said she has even seen a surge of incidents in elementary schools. “More and more, I am getting calls from superintendents who are saying things like, ‘My second graders are starting to do Heil Hitler salutes,” Trubowitz said. The panel also included Northwestern Crown Family
Center for Jewish and Israel Studies professors David Shyovitz and Sara Yael Hirschhorn, who examined anti-Semitism through a historical and contemporary lens. Shyovitz described how the different frameworks in which anti-Semitism is referenced can change the approach to dealing with it. Shyovitz said antiSemitism has been historically viewed as either a virus — a living thing that won’t go away and will only mutate — or as a toolkit that is not inevitable, but rather brought about by the the actions of people. “If we think about anti-Semitism as doing things, then there’s nothing we can ever do because it’s eternal and unchanging and everlasting,” Shyovitz said. “If we’re going to fight anti-Semitism in 2020, let’s think about what it’s doing in 2020, rather than trying to fit it into this 2000 or 5000-year-old history.” Attendees also included » See ANTISEMITISM, page 5
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Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty speaks to community members about the rise of antisemitism on Tuesday. The event, hosted at Beth Emet synagogue, featured a panel.
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AROUND TOWN Politico panel examines food systems By MAIA SPOTO
the daily northwestern @maia_spoto
Food industry leaders considered harnessing local farmers, plant-based diets and urban farming to maximize environmental sustainability in a Tuesday Politico Live event at Loyola University Chicago. Liz Crampton, a Politico agriculture reporter, moderated the discussion, “On the Menu — The Food System of the Future.” She said a 2019 report in The Lancet medical journal called for a 50 percent reduction in the world’s current intake of red meat and sugar to fight global warming and benefit human health. “More people are making the connection between what we eat and how it impacts the environment,” Crampton said. Chef Rick Bayless was one panelist examining the intersection of food production and sustainability. He said his work with local farmers has impacted his perspective on environmentalism. Bayless founded the Frontera Farmer Foundation, which awards grants to small Midwestern farms. He said fostering a closer relationship between food producers and consumers will maximize food’s cultural value and minimize food waste. “We never use the word ‘commodity’ in our restaurants, because that really demeans what that stuff is,” Bayless said. “I think that really demeans what (the food) is. Even if it has come from a commodity farm, somebody was actually planting that stuff, watering that stuff, harvesting that stuff… it’s something that somebody has nurtured along to nurture us.” He said people can respect food by cooking at home regularly and learning to incorporate a variety of ingredients, rather than throwing away products that have surface-level blemishes. Additionally, Bayless advocated for “lean, everyday eating” practices, in which individuals consume little to no animal protein during weekdays. He said plant-based weekday plates can balance out heartier weekend “feasting.” Erin Fitzgerald, CEO of U.S. Farmers and
POLICE BLOTTER Man arrested on 13 charges A 29-year-old Chicago man was arrested Monday in connection with 13 charges, including unlawful possession of a weapon and several traffic violations. Police were patrolling Howard Street when they stopped a vehicle for equipment violations. During the stop, they saw a handgun within the vehicle, Evanston police said. The driver was previously convicted of a felony, which led to the unlawful weapon possession charge, Evanston Police Cmdr. Brian Henry said. Police told the man to stay still, but he backed up the vehicle to try to flee, Henry said. The man backed up into the police vehicle and ran out the passenger’s side, Henry said. A foot chase ensued, and Evanston and Chicago police arrested the man after he ran into Chicago.
Face masks taken from apartment
Maia Spoto/The Daily Northwestern
From left to right: Liz Crampton, Rick Bayless and Rodger Cooley. Crampton, a Politico agriculture reporter, moderated the panel “On the Menu — The Food System of the Future.”
Ranchers Alliance, said the agriculture industry can embrace both plant- and animal-based options to practice sustainability while preserving consumer choice. She said farmers can use marginal dairy farm land to grow other foods. Fitzgerald also said dairy cows play a role in upcycling, among other environmental benefits. “Having a conversation about ‘either-or’ is probably not the right conversation,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s more of an ‘and’ conversation.” Fitzgerald added that farmlands need business protections so they can continue providing ecosystem services through carbon sequestration and animal habitat preservation. Rodger Cooley, the executive director of Chicago Food Policy Action Council, said sustainable food systems need to evaluate their impact on communities of color and empower marginalized groups to take on leadership roles.
Furthermore, Cooley said an increased focus on urban farming can offer a solution that promotes both sustainability and equity. “Start seeing broadly,” Cooley said. “How do we reimagine our community? We have all these empty lots because of years of disinvestment. How do we start taking control of these spaces that we didn’t have before, and really use them as a space to create community health?” The Walton Family Foundation sponsored the panel. Alongside work in other sectors like education, the foundation supports conservation and food production efforts by working with farmers and fishermen in their ecosystems. Crampton also announced that Politico will launch a new coverage area focusing on sustainability within its policy reporting organization, Politico Pro. maiaspoto2023@u.northwestern.edu
A resident reported to Evanston police that three boxes of respirator face masks were taken after being delivered to the common room of an apartment in the 1700 block of Ridge Avenue, Henry said. The resident received a notification that they had been delivered, but they were missing. The masks were valued at $991. The police currently have no suspects, but Henry said they may be able to access video surveillance to investigate. — Molly Burke
Setting the record straight An article in Tuesday’s paper entitled “Fossil Freeze” was published with an illustration that included incorrect representation of a Fossil Free Northwestern demonstration. Members held posters protesting Northwestern’s complicity in climate injustice. The Daily regrets the error.
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ON CAMPUS
MENA students help at refugee center
The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Troy Closson
eic@dailynorthwestern.com
By ANUSHUYA THAPA
the daily northwestern @anushuyathapa
A dozen Northwestern students enrolled in Arabic language courses volunteered at Islamic Circle of North America Relief Refugee Resource Center and Food Pantry in Rogers Park on Feb. 22. NU’s Middle Eastern and North African Languages program enabled students to volunteer at a refugee center as a way of practicing language and engaging with the community. The students assisted the center with logistics such as registering the names of refugees, food preparation and the distribution of supplies and food. They spoke to both the refugees and the onsite personnel in Arabic when they could. “Usually students don’t have access to the community who speak the language they’re learning,” said Middle Eastern and North African languages Prof. Rana Raddawi, who accompanied the students during their visit. Raddawi said the use of language in context was important to language learning. She gave the example of memorizing vocabularies of different foods versus asking real Arab-speakers their preferences in a conversational exchange at the refugee center. “With their energy, enthusiasm, politeness, this humanitarian view of them that I could see during the trip… That was very nice,” Raddawi said. Weinberg junior Samuel Cullen bought four bags of supplies from a nearby supermarket and donated it to the center, a gift which Raddwai said exceeded all expectations. Maher Said, a Ph.D. student from Lebanon and a teaching assistant for the MENA languages program, said helping others is a joyful experience, even when doing so in a non-financial way. “A lot of people can’t afford donations, but there are a lot of other easy ways to help the needy,” Said said. He said volunteering at soup kitchens, for example, is a low-effort, once a week activity that
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Northwestern students distribute supplies to refugees at ICNA Relief refugee center.
could bring a lot of positive impact to people’s lives. Growing up, he said he used to volunteer at orphanages and refugee centers in the Middle East. Helping refugees in the U.S. was an extension of his experiences, even though the refugee centers here are better off than others, Said said. For Weinberg freshman Haruka Ichimaru, the bus ride to Rogers Park was when she first realized the disparity between her circumstances and those of the community she would engage with. “You can see the changes in the area and the district, the changes in the demographic, the changes in socioeconomic status, which is so different from our little bubble of Northwestern,” Ichimaru said. Since the trip, Ichimaru said she has reached out
to nearby refugee centers hoping to continue her efforts to help fulfill the immediate needs of the community with which she hopes to remain involved. “I don’t want that event to slip away,” Ichimaru said. “I don’t want it to just be one thing that happened on that Saturday, and just let it go.” Many students, Raddawi said, wrote her emails after the trip asking for addresses of other refugee centers they could work with. Raddawi said there are plans to make this trip a tradition of MENA language courses, and recommended similar programs to students learning other languages that would help them engage with their communities.
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by Henry Alford
“Super Tuesday”
Welcome to The Daily's new student-created crossword puzzle. Come back every Wednesday for a new crossword. Answers on Thursdays.
"Super Tuesday" Wed. 3/04/20
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ACROSS 1 Leno and -z 5 Popped, as pills 9 Several 13 More than several 14 Despite 15 Envelope sticker 17 Democratic candidate with a smoking-related injury? 20 Wilhelm's rank 21 Yoko ____ 22 Check out 23 Prefix meaning same 25 Historical period 27 Major Saudi Arabian commodity 28 Sleep the day away 31 Democratic candidate who's just okay? 34 School singing group 37 Manziel's school, on scoreboards 38 Largest Florida Key 39 Pizza spot in Norris 41 Flash the pearly whites 44 Shakespeare's foot 46 Went faster than 48 Former Democratic candidate who's a real page-turner? 51 Aliens 52 Come to a close 53 ___ Fran 54 Egyptian canal 57 QB Manning and inventor Whitney 59 Public opinion 61 Infamous Greek city-state 65 Former Democratic candidate who got beaten up? 68 Notoriously slow pest 69 "Understood." 70 Teen's issue 71 Deciduous tree type 72 You, back in the day 73 Vietnamese new years
DOWN 1 Pirate Sparrow 2 The al. in et al. 3 Cartoon Bear 4 Hide the money 5 Type of warm underwear 6 Meal preceder 7 German unifier von Bismarck 8 More sharp 9 NNW opposite 10 Other, across the border 11 Sweet drink 12 Estevez who starred in "The Breakfast Club" 16 "Get Out" director Jordan 18 ____ Speedwagon 19 2006 mockumentary starring Sacha Baron Cohen 24 Egg 26 Out of breath 28 "I'll tell you the truth," in text 29 ____ carte 30 Magazine you'll find in Main Library 32 Kindle read 33 Stone of "Zombieland" 35 "Holy!" 36 Straightens hair 40 Membership fees 42 Allow 43 Applies early 45 Where a 47-down sits 47 Member of the 45-down 48 Nerds 49 Plugged, in a way 50 At all 55 Prefix with pen 56 Famous food reviewer 58 Watery milk 60 Motivate 62 Poke base 63 Where NUDM will take place, with "the" 64 Birthday numbers 66 Golfer Ernie 67 Golfer's aid
OPINION
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Looking at literature from a non-Christian perspective SIMONA FINE
COLUMNIST
It’s the second lecture for British literature and my professor projects a list of 26 authors on the board. These writers were all featured in “The Western Canon,” as defined by literary critic Harold Bloom. As we read over the list, my professor and classmates pointed out the lack of diversity among these revered authors. Most are white, male and wrote in English. However, there was one distinction we did not touch upon in our discussion: religion. Predictably, the vast majority of these writers practiced some form of Christianity. Just as we cannot assume that white and male is the default, we should not assume Christian is either. Neglecting religion when considering the range of the writers we read is just as problematic as ignoring the genders or races of these authors. Religion, or one’s rejection of religion, can contribute to the context and perspective of an author and their works. I’ve found that some professors just assume that students are familiar with the religious undertones or allusions at play in a text. For example, when I took a medieval literature class in the fall, we read “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” in which the titular Sir Gawain feels shame upon
choosing to preserve his own life instead of willingly sacrificing himself to his opponent. When discussing this decision in class, I did not fully comprehend the guilt he was feeling after choosing to live. All that was ringing in my ears during class was the Talmudic phrase “to save a life is to save a world” that I had learned in my many years of attending religious school and synagogue, a very different concept than the tradition of martyrs in Catholicism. In order to understand the self-reproach Gawain was experiencing, I needed to be familiar with this tenet of his religion. Although the poet who wrote the piece is an unknown figure, we were taught that he is generally thought to be a devout medieval Christian, and his beliefs clearly impacted his work and the characters he created. It shouldn’t be rendered harder for students of one faith to analyze a text than students of another religion. When we discuss writers who are associated with specific political movements, professors generally explain the tenets of their beliefs to students. Additionally, before examining historical works, the teachings of that time are explored first to provide context. For example, as we delved into John Milton’s writings, my professor explained his perspective on relevant laws and conflicts that impacted the texts we were reading. However, as we examined Milton’s poetry in our discussion section, my teaching assistant asked students about parables that were vaguely referenced in the work.
These biblical stories had been cited but not explained in the margins of our anthology, so I was utterly confused about how these allusions furthered the overall meaning of the piece. Yet, the TA still seemed surprised when everyone was unfamiliar with the tales, providing a summary only after all the students were unable to answer. Just as we study the intellectual environment writers worked in, we should contextualize an author’s works in their religious and spiritual beliefs, treating the writer’s religion as an external influence on their writing and not as an intrinsic element. This would enable all students and not just those fluent in Christian symbolism to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the arguments of the texts. Both survey and upper-level classes could be studying texts of authors of non-Christian religions and delving into the contrasts between these pieces and those of Christian writers. Not only would this give all students the opportunity to learn about more belief systems and cultures, but it would demonstrate how those convictions manifest themselves in writing, just like how Christian symbolism appears and is analyzed in writing. This summer, I visited the Franz Kafka Museum which went in depth into Franz Kafka’s biography and body of work. Exhibitions at the museum discussed how Kafka rejected Judaism at some points in his life but also went through periods of heightened interest in the religion he was raised in, both
of which impacted his writings. For example, the anxiety and alienation of being Jewish in the antisemitic environment of pre-WWII Prague is reflected in the tense, nightmarish situations his characters are placed in. Without understanding this religious context, a full understanding of Kafka’s publications would be impossible. The Northwestern Department of English currently offers a class titled “The Bible as Literature,” which strives to read and evaluate the Bible using traditional techniques of literary analysis. In addition to this class, Northwestern could provide similar classes that scrutinize the Quran or the Vedas or other influential religious texts with these methods. As we analyze the works of Christian writers, we cannot assume that knowledge of Christianity is ubiquitous. Instead of perpetuating the idea of a default religion, we should strive to read and teach literature written by people of other religions to gain new perspectives and expand the canon of thought. There are so many excellent and influential writers of all faiths and our syllabi should reflect that. Simona Fine is a McCormick Sophomore. She can be contacted at simonaf ine2022@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.
A possible solution to a broken U.S. political system WESLEY BLAINE
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
My cousin picked me up from the airport and immediately started talking politics. He does not like Donald Trump but dislikes the candidates that are running against him. I was hesitant to wade into this political tsunami. I am a moderate who wants to someday live in a purple country. I envision a day when Democrats and Republicans can work together for the betterment of everyone. Until that day comes, I feel inspired to help.
Congressional term limits are deadlines that would encourage Congress to work together to achieve goals that help the majority of Americans For instance, I know the psychological toll our political system puts on us, so I volunteer at a suicide intervention hotline. Callers routinely tell me that our current political climate makes them angry, anxious and even suicidal. Answering the phone, we recommend coping strategies like setting limits on news consumption or avoiding news all together. Why can’t we participate in our political
system without feeling like one side is always winning while the other side is losing? Why can’t our system work for everyone, all of the time? I believe it can improve with structural changes at the federal level. For starters, we need mandatory term limits in Congress. As it stands now, someone can camp out in Congress for life. This enables senators and representatives to fight with the other side, get nothing done and then complain to their constituents that ‘the other side’ is the problem. A term limit is a deadline, and a deadline is a powerful psychological device that elicits action. As a writer, if I did not have an editor giving me a deadline, I would waste my time playing Xbox, throwing a Nerf football with my son or endlessly flipping through Google News. Similarly, congressional term limits would encourage Congress to work together to achieve goals that help the majority of Americans. Or not. If they chose to fight, bicker and do nothing for eight years, then their empty legacy would reflect that. I also believe that we need to leverage congressional salaries to incentivize legislative progress. Right now, the average person in Congress is paid $174,000 a year. They get this money whether they do their job or not. What if everyone in Congress earned a base salary of $80,000? And what if there were financial incentives in place if they hit certain objectives? One objective would be balancing the budget. If Congress balances the budget,
everyone gets a $30,000 bonus. Another objective would be showing up to vote. If they vote 75 percent of the time, they get a $5,000 bonus. If they vote 100 percent of the time, they get a $20,000 bonus. Incentivized pay is commonplace in the private sector because it works. Human nature moves toward what pays the most. Both salesmen and CEOs know this. Business owners know this when they pay their staff a bonus based on key performance objectives. These objectives could be set, and monitored, by an independent and anonymous committee that could function like the anonymous committee that monitors the Kentucky Derby. This would ensure that the rules are being followed without any risk of bribes or financial contributions.
We need mandatory term limits in Congress. As it stands now, someone can camp out in Congress for life What if we also abolished the political party system? This would be difficult and take a lot of change. Change is hard but necessary because our current system is broken. A system that serves the party in power while neglecting everyone else is not what our Founding Fathers envisioned for us. Labels and stereotypes are also unhealthy and
psychologically damaging. Yet the political party system is a label that includes multiple stereotypes. Democrats are stubborn donkeys. Republicans are unchanging elephants. Democrats are atheists. Republicans are religious zealots. Democrats burn the flag. Republicans salute it. These labels and stereotypes are unfair, unhealthy and create tension and dissension among us. Labeling a candidate as a Republican or a Democrat forces us to take a side. This is driving us apart as a nation instead of bringing us together. It’s a wedge when what we need is a bridge. I see this as proof that we have become The Divided States of America instead of The United States of America. If we abolished the political party system, it would force candidates to run based on their beliefs and ideas instead of a party label that comes with stereotypes. It would also force constituents to understand what each candidate stands for instead of making a voting decision based on whether a candidate is a donkey or an elephant. I realize that my ideas contain flaws. I encourage you to add to what I’ve put forth, with the goal of creating a political system that serves everyone, all the time. Wesley Blaine is a graduate student at Northwestern. He can be contacted at wesleymurph2022@u. northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 141, Issue 41 Editor in Chief Troy Closson
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020
ETHICS
From page 1 other employees for similar cases. The potential censure was tabled during a July 2019 City Council meeting, but Witenberg said the defendants’ actions leading up to the meeting and recommendations in favor of Reid’s censure should be considered biased actions and an abuse of power. In a memorandum sent to the board, the board’s counsel Yordana Wysocki, who is not a city employee, said the board has jurisdiction over some of the allegations of a violation of impartiality based on some of the evidence provided against both parties. She did not recommend that the board adopt the complaint of abuse of power related to either defendant.
ANTISEMITISM From page 1
Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen and Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty. “There’s an underbelly to the world. I’ve seen that underbelly here in Evanston (with) the rising hate that is out there,” Hagerty said. “I want you to know that I and the vast, vast majority of Evanstonians stand with our Jewish brothers and
Research team identifies potential drug target in virus causing COVID-19
A team of scientists, including researchers from Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, have identified a potential drug target in a newly mapped protein of the virus that causes COVID19, also known as the novel coronavirus. This protein, called Nsp15, helps COVID-19 replicate. The findings suggest that drugs previously in development to treat Severe Acute Respiratory
EVANS
From page 1 concentration on the American Indian Studies department as well as better supporting the indigenous community on campus. He added that discussing whether Evans’ name should be removed is “what we should be
While presenting more information, Witenberg said neither claim should be deemed outside the board’s reach at the meeting. “Until you have an opportunity to actually go through and digest it, which I intended to present when the other parties were present so they could argue them, no claims should be dismissed,” she said. The board’s acting chair Carrie Von Hoff said at the next meeting, they would decide whether the matter fell in the Board of Ethics’ jurisdiction, and that there would be a written consensus declaring whether the board planned to act on the complaint. Resident Dan Coyne filed the complaint against Rainey, alleging that Rainey’s statements in the City Council and Rules Committee meetings on April 1 were in violation of the city’s Code of Ethics.
According to the complaint, Coyne said Rainey engaged in “prohibited political activity during ‘compensated time’” the night before the election for the board of commissioners for Ridgeville Park District by making disparaging comments about Coyne and Rob Bady, who were both candidates in the race. Coyne’s complaint also included an incident that occurred during public comment for a meeting of the board of commissioners. Rainey attended the event as one of Coyne’s constituents and said he had “no business running for public office.” The complaint argued that in Rainey’s role as an alderman, she abused her authority by campaigning against Coyne and Bady. The board has agreed to take up the case at its next meeting, where it will deliberate and announce
a decision. At the end of the meeting, Evanston resident Albert Gibbs called on the board to consider what he felt would be the most honorable path forward as new members. Throughout the meeting, both complainants and attendees emphasized that the board’s new membership represented the possibility of a fresh start. “As a city and as representatives of city government, to move forward, united and collective, it can’t be that whoever appoints you can dictate to you how you’re supposed to conduct yourself,” Gibbs said. “I would like to see that the way you’re going to handle this and the way you do it shows that truth and law will be the order of the day.”
sisters, and we always will.” Trubowitz also spoke about the various symbols neo-Nazi groups use. She said white supremacists have tried to spread a narrative that Jewish people “are trying to contribute to the destruction of the white race in America.” Beth Emet Synagogue’s senior Rabbi Andrea London said the quantity and gravity of the facts and history of anti-Semitism can be a lot to process.
“The mood is a bit of overwhelm, of ‘Wow this is quite serious and we’re not exactly sure how to address all these things,’” London said. “This was a very high level conversation with a lot of, not only information we can use, but also trying to think of the academic context of anti-Semitism.” Despite the heavy subject matter, the talk ended with a song that looked toward the possibility of peace. Keyboardist-composer Barb Wertico and
Cantor Kyle Cotler ended the night with the performance of an original song whose lyrics are taken from a speech given by the late Beth Emet Rabbi Peter Knobel at a vigil for the Tree of Life synagogue shooting last year. The song was completed after Rabbi Knobel passed away last March. “Love can conquer hate,” Cotler sang. “Love can conquer hate.”
Syndrome could now be used to combat the novel coronavirus, according to a Monday release. The inhibition of this protein by the drug can slow viral replication, which is why the drugs designed to target Nsp15 can be developed into effective treatment against COVID-19. The international team of scientists, led by NU microbiology-immunology Prof. Karla Satchell, is probing the structure of the virus and trying to stop it from replicating. “The newly mapped protein, called Nsp15, is conserved among coronaviruses and is essential in their lifecycle and virulence. Initially, Nsp15 was thought to directly participate in viral replication,
but more recently, it was proposed to help the virus replicate possibly by interfering with the host’s immune response,” said Andrzej Joachimiak, a University of Chicago professor and member of the research team. By mapping a 3D protein structure of the virus, the scientists will be able to determine how to interfere with the replication of the pathogen. The investigation of the Nsp15 protein in the past was short lived because of the SARS epidemic naturally fading out, the release said. COVID-19 has killed almost three times as many people in eight weeks than the SARS virus did in eight months, according to Business Insider. The research
team is investigating how this virus has become more contagious compared to the SARS and MERS coronaviruses by mapping the Nsp15 proteins. “While (COVID-19) is very similar to the SARS virus that caused epidemics in 2003, new structures shed light on the small, but potentially important differences between the two viruses that contribute to the different patterns in the spread and severity of the diseases they cause,” said Adam Godzik, a professor at the University of California’s Riverside School of Medicine and contributing researcher.
doing” and should lead to more conversations about Evans and other founders. Provost Jonathan Holloway told The Daily in a Monday interview that, in general, when it comes to removing names of controversial figures from buildings, the bar to do so “should be really high.” “At minimum, a university should be mature
enough to have a conversation about that person and that person’s legacy,” Holloway said. “However, if a name is seen as being out of line with the university’s values — deeply subjective again — then you’re at a different place (in the) conversation.” But Martin said what contributed to the Board’s decision was that, overall, Evans’
conduct ultimately didn’t merit the removal of his name. “We feel that (Evans’) conduct didn’t rise to the level of taking his name off of anything,” Martin said. “And then on balance, that his conduct during his life was exemplary.”
jacobfulton2023@u.northwestern.edu
jasonbeeferman@u.northwestern.edu
— Isabelle Sarraf
austinbenavides2022@u.northwestern.edu
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6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020
Medicaid antibiotics often misprescribed, study shows By ELEANOR COLLIGAN
the daily northwestern
A study co-authored by Northwestern’s Chief of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder (Weinberg ‘92, Feinberg ‘97) found that 45 percent of outpatient Medicaid antibiotic prescriptions had no clear rationale behind them. The study concludes that the current antibiotic stewardship, the effort to improve how antibiotics are prescribed and used in the United States, is ineffective at combating the overprescription of antibiotics, which is prevalent nationally. “The study we co-authored was an effort to get our hands around all outpatient antibiotic prescribing in the United States to Medicaid patients,” Linder said. The researchers came to this conclusion by analyzing Medicaid data from 2003 through 2014 on antibiotic prescriptions to determine how many were appropriate. From this data, the researchers only included filled prescriptions in the study. Analyzing data from Medicaid, which is a federal health insurance program for people with lower incomes, is significant because Medicaid is the largest single source of long-term health care in the United States. The study found that 28 percent of antibiotic prescriptions were prescribed without an office visit to a physician. Additionally, 17 percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were prescribed without a diagnosis of a bacterial infection. Dr. Michael Fischer, an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the lead author of the study, said the overprescription of antibiotics can be partially attributed to physician’s fear of
not being thorough enough with treating illnesses. “There’s a fear by patients and by clinicians that if you don’t use an antibiotic, something bad could happen to the patients,” Fischer said. Fischer added that due to this fear, many antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily, when they should just be reserved for patients who are very sick. Another reason for antibiotic abuse in the U.S is the time pressure physicians feel, Fischer said. “It gets harder and harder to say ‘I’ll have a lengthy conversation with someone about why I’m not going to do this,’” Fischer said, “And the person may not be very happy with me, versus just giving an antibiotic.” Dr. John Spehlmann (Feinberg ‘86, ‘88), who is affiliated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said patients often expect a prescription for antibiotics as a part of good health care, citing bronchitis as something people tend to misdiagnose themselves with. Spehlmann also said many doctors prescribe antibiotics because they assume that’s why patients are coming to them. “And the expectation when they come up with that, is that if you’re a compassionate, caring person, as a physician, that they’re going to try to give you something to make them feel better,” he said. To combat antibiotic abuse and potentially being inappropriately prescribed antibiotics, Linder recommends telling your doctor that you only want to be prescribed an antibiotic if you really need it. “If you say right at the outset that you’re not (just going for antibiotics),” Linder said, “That actually makes the visit probably go much better and you’ll probably get better medical care.” eleanorcolligan2023@u.northwestern.edu
Source: Northwestern News
Study co-authored by Northwestern research finds that 45 percent of antibiotic prescriptions have ‘no clear rationale’ behind them.
Family affair: Students navigate political differences By EMILY SAKAI
the daily northwestern
Isabelle Sarraf/ The Daily Northwestern
Campaign office for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in Indianola, Iowa.
In all four early contests in the 2020 Democratic Primary, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was the decisive favorite among young people age 17-29. Since his 2016 presidential run, young voters have been an integral part of the Sanders coalition and have stuck with him in 2020. His popularity among that cohort serves as a weakness for more moderate candidates such as former Vice President Joe Biden, who is more popular among older voters. This division along generational lines is one of the most notable in the Democratic primary. Many Northwestern students who favor a progressive ideology are experiencing the direct impacts of this divide within their families. Medill junior Jack Daleo said he would support either Sanders or U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the primary, favoring them for their progressive agendas. “The moderate candidates aren’t going to make anything happen,” Daleo said. “It’s the way the country’s been going for years. We need to see some actual change happening in this country.” Daleo said his parents disagree with his support of progressive candidates, favoring moderate candidates including Biden. He said his father encouraged him to vote for Biden and was skeptical of progressive policies that seem “too extreme” and “will never happen.” Noel Buonomo, a Medill sophomore who has written for The Daily, said she sees a “generation barrier” in the way her relatives view climate change — an issue important to younger voters. She said she plans to vote for Sanders in the primary
while her parents will most likely not vote in it. “The older members of my family tend to be more conservative,” Buonomo said. “It does really bother me that we hold such different beliefs, especially on issues like reproductive rights and climate change, because it does directly affect me and my generation.” The generational divide as displayed in the recent Democratic primaries, however, goes beyond what policies impact which generations. Weinberg freshman Matt Norambuena said though he agrees with Sanders on issues of health care, education and climate change, the reasons he voted for him were more personal. “Most establishment politicians end up compromising to something that doesn’t really alter the status quo, and they take money from all these corrupt organizations,” Norambuena said. “Bernie has stayed true to his values. I know that he’s authentically himself, and he’s not going to let anyone influence him.” Norambuena said though his parents align policywise with Sanders, they were hesitant to support him because they are “less hopeful” for the changes that can be made in the future. He said when he discusses politics with his parents, they call him idealistic, and they see Sanders as less electable than a more moderate candidate. Norambuena disagrees with them by pointing out that young people will be less likely to vote at all if they do not have the option to vote for a candidate that offers something new. “The more liberal candidates are more focused on revolutionary change,” Norambuena said.“So are young people. Older people are less willing to accept that, because they haven’t seen change.” emilysakai2023@u.northwestern.edu
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020
Local artists build pollinator habitat scuplture By SAMMI BOAS
the daily northwestern @boassamantha
In an upcoming family workshop event on March 7, families can help artists Emily Moorhead-Wallace and Janet Austin create a pollinator habitat sculpture that will be unveiled in time for Earth Day. Moorhead-Wallace and Austin received the Evanston Arts Council Cultural Funds Grant to finance the sculpture. The two have worked together before on projects like the Chicago Tree Project and are both members of Chicago Sculpture International. “It’s interesting to merge art and science, and a lot of my work deals with ecological issues and man’s interaction with nature,” Austin said. “By
offering this as a partnership with the eco center, we have the support of the community, which is really important.” Moorhead-Wallace said the pollinator habitat sculpture will be built out of steel and include shelves that can hold wood boxes. The boxes will be stuffed with natural materials, like sticks and pinecones with hollow centers, so the pollinators can rest inside them. During the family workshop, participants can help trim the material and fit it into the boxes. The Ladd Arboretum, next to the ecology center, will display the finished sculpture. Moorhead-Wallace said she hopes that community members will maintain the sculpture in the future and replace the boxes with new material from their yards. “The environment needs our support, and a lot of
people have been cleaning up their yard and getting rid of a lot,” Moorhead-Wallace said. “You see it as yard waste or trash, but actually we need to keep that around for the insects. There’s been a huge decline in pollinators, especially with the light pollution.” The artists are also working with the Natural Habitat Evanston group to create their sculpture. Natural Habitat Evanston will ask members to attend the March event to educate workshop attendees about pollinators. The group is also working on a larger initiative called the Pollinator Pledge. The goal of the pledge is to encourage Evanston community members to reduce their use of pesticides and leave their leaves for the pollinators. Natural Habitat Evanston Co-Lead Leslie Shad said that there have been many collapses in the insect population internationally, so the group is trying to
do what it can to offset the decline locally. Shad said lawns are the biggest crop in Evanston. Since lawns are cut flat and are often sprayed with pesticides, there’s not a lot of wildlife value in them. Lawn mowers and leaf blowers release harmful carbon emissions, and leaf blowers also damage hearing. “The more and more we have lawns, the more and more we cut everything and everything is all cleaned up,” Shad said. “So something like the sculpture, which will have little tubes, cubby holes and and crevices for little creatures to crawl into — it generates more habitat for insects. I think the sculpture at the ecology center will really demonstrate the need and good practices for helping insects in our yards.” samanthaboas2023@u.northwestern.edu
NU program aims to encourage spiritual renewal By RAYNA SONG
the daily northwestern
Every year, Religious and Spiritual Life puts on 40 Days of Spirituality, a program organized to celebrate spiritual renewal. This year, the 40 days last from Feb. 1 to March 11. Since Feb. 1, Tiffany Song, a program assistant in Religious & Spiritual Life, has been posting a spiritual suggestion every day on the program’s official Instagram page. The posts range from “make a calming or nostalgic playlist” to “eat vegetarian today.” Song said among all the activities under 40 Days, her personal favorite has been the daily Instagram posts, also referred to as the 40 Days Calendar, because the posts can be very cute and fun with the use of emojis and stickers. The Instagram page has more than one hundred followers, and many are Northwestern students. Bienen freshman Eugene Hwang, who follows the Instagram page, said he enjoyed the posts that allowed him to calm down or get closer to other people, such as making a prayer list or forgiving a grudge. “It’s good to spend time on something to calm down for a bit and love life and everything that
comes with it,” Hwang said. “Life is always hectic with a schedule dictating our lives, but the 40 days really gives us time to take some time to enjoy life around us.” Victoria Linner, a Communication senior, said she remembered one of the posts suggested to “go to bed early tonight.” “I remember thinking to myself, ‘oh yeah that’s not gonna happen,’” Linner said. Linner said the Instagram posts have the potential to be helpful to the community, but it’s probably doing more for individual followers, because people are more likely to be involved in individual actions than community-focused ones. In addition to the daily Instagram posts, 40 Days of Spirituality also offers other activities such as Soup and Substance, a simple meal of soup and bread held every Wednesday in which participants discuss topics related to spirituality, and Walk the Labyrinth, where participants walk through a web for relaxation in Parkes Hall. Song said all of these programs are open to students and faculty, and they are all free of charge. Song added that 40 Days has been actively adapting to the needs of its participants. She said there was a woman who wanted to come to Soup and Substance, but had a gluten sensitivity, so the program organizers made arrangements to have
Daily file photo by Owen Stidman
Free spiritual activities are offered at Parkes Hall every week.
gluten-free soup for everyone. Song said the program would like to reach more Northwestern students, because a lot of the participants are NU staff members. She would want to learn what students would like to see or discuss
in the program, what they would like to practice or if they know someone who practices spiritual exercises, such as tai chi.
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SPORTS
ON DECK MAR.
4
ON THE RECORD
Stats are stats. It was time for a change. — Pat Fitzgerald, coach
Men’s Basketball NU at No. 24 Wisconsin, 8 p.m. Wednesday
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
NU-LOOK OFFENSE What Northwestern’s offense will look like in a post-Mick McCall era
@DailyNU_Sports
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Miller Kopp’s emerging stardom By CHARLIE GOLDSMITH
daily senior staffer @2021_charlie
hits for his most of the season so far. After a poor batting performance in its series against South Florida, in which NU only scored seven total runs — and five of them came in the same game — the Cats’ rebound batting performance against UIC shows the potential the South Carolina series revealed. NU faces Western Carolina and South Carolina-Upstate this upcoming weekend on the road before they return to play their first home game against Kent State on March 13.
Before sophomore forward Miller Kopp became Northwestern’s leading scorer and before he became the secondbest three-point shooter in the Big Ten, he was one of the worst consistent starters in the conference. During his freshman season, Kopp averaged 4.9 points per game and shot 31.9 percent from three-point range. Only two starters in the Big Ten averaged fewer points per game than Kopp last season. So he came up with a plan to improve over the summer. Kopp would keep a journal logging every three-point shot he made to track his progress. “Every day, there were between 300 and 400 makes from three,” Kopp said. “That’s not shots, just makes. I just got stronger and shot with conviction, knowing that if I shoot it the same way every time, it should go in.” By the end of the summer, he logged over 20,000 made threes. The results have shown this season –– Kopp averages 13.3 points per game while shooting 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. He scored a team-high 21 points in the Wildcats’ win Sunday over Nebraska, and heading into NU’s (7-21, 2-16 Big Ten) game Wednesday at No. 24 Wisconsin (19-10, 12-6), Kopp is the 15th leading scorer in the Big Ten. Kopp knew he’d have to shoot the ball well to be a successful college basketball player. Early in his high school career, Kopp told his coaches he didn’t want to be “one of those tall kids that got put on the block and forced to become a post guy.” “He wanted to be a small forward so he could take those skills to the next level,” said Ron Crandall, Kopp’s high school coach. “There’s no separator for that other than the ability to shoot the ball.” Kopp had a hitch in his shot until the end of his junior year of high school. Every time before he shot the ball, he would bring the ball down to his waist. So it took longer for Kopp to get the shot off, giving defenders more time to contest it. After taking thousands of repetitions early in the morning before school and after practice, Kopp transformed his shooting form by the end of his junior season. Because Kopp became a better shooter, he set his school’s record for three-point percentage and picked up offers from Butler, Georgetown, Vanderbilt and Northwestern. “Until Miller gets perfection, he’s not really that happy,” Crandall said. “We live in a society where we want instant gratification, but most everything in life worth having is deserved because you’ve earned it. Miller really understood that. He said if I’m going to become a great shooter, it’s going to take repetitions.” In his sophomore season, Kopp has consistently been the team’s best player. He’s scored in double figures in 16 of his last 18 games, and he’s responsible for five of NU’s 11 20-point games this season. Kopp may be the most improved player in the Big Ten, but he said he still has room to grow. “I’m definitely getting a lot more attention,” Kopp said. “All the opponents know the plays run for me, and they know to take me out of the game and take away my transition threes. Because of that, I still definitely have to become a better shooter.”
— Gabriela Carroll
charliegoldsmith2021@u.northwestern.edu
Daily file photo by Joshua Hoffman
Hunter Johnson steps back to throw. The junior quarterback is one of the many quarterbacks in competition for the starting spot in 2020.
By CHARLIE GOLDSMITH
daily senior staffer @2021_charlie
It didn’t even take a full day of practice for Northwestern’s new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian to start trying to get the offense to play at a faster tempo. As the Wildcats did elevenon-eleven drills on the first day of spring ball last week, Bajakian had one eye on the offense and one eye on the play clock. He wanted the quarterback to snap the ball in 20 seconds or less, and was checking to see how much progress was being made in that area. If the quarterbacks can be faster and more decisive in 2020, Bajakian said the offense will be better than it was last season. “The ability to process quickly is
vital at the quarterback position,” Bajakian said. “We stress that with these guys. Bullets were flying today for the first time, and things were moving a little faster. But now that they’ve been in it one day, that mental processing part will become second nature for them.” The Cats haven’t committed to a specific scheme yet for next season, but Bajakian said the offense will be built around three principals –– tempo, physicality and effort. NU has room to improve in all three of those areas coming off the team’s 2019 campaign. The Cats finished the year with the fourth worst scoring offense in the country, and their four quarterbacks combined for just six touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 12 games. NU fired offensive coordinator Mick McCall after the season, and head coach Pat Fitzgerald said
it was time for the Cats to make sweeping changes to the offense. “Stats are stats,” Fitzgerald said. “It was time for a change.” Instead of hiring an inexperienced candidate to run the offense, NU hired a new coordinator who’s run multiple different schemes at five different stops over the last decade. Bajakian coached star wide receiver Antonio Brown in Central Michigan’s spread offense, a vertical passing offense with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a power run system at Boston College last season. Most years, Fitzgerald spends equal time meeting with the offensive and defensive coaches. This winter, he’s met almost exclusively with the offense to design a new scheme with Bajakian and the other offensive coaches. “We need to get a sense for what our personnel is going to
look like and who’s going to step up and make plays,” Bajakian said. “We’ve included some stuff from last year’s scheme, we’ve added a lot of new stuff and we’ve tweaked some stuff.” Junior running back Isaiah Bowser, senior receiver Riley Lees and junior receiver Kyric McGowan are expected to be featured players in Bajakian’s new offense. But the offense will be tailored to the quarterback who wins the competition during the preseason, and the scheme won’t be finalized until the season starts. “It’s an ever-changing process,” Bajakian said “Really, even at the end of spring ball compared to what our offense will look like at the end of training camp is probably going to look quite different.” charliegoldsmith2021@u.northwestern.edu
BASEBALL
Northwestern’s bats rebound against crosstown foe UIC
Northwestern cruised to victory against crosstown foe University of Illinois Chicago 8-2 on Thursday. The Wildcats (4-6) started off the scoring with sophomore center fielder David Dunn’s two-run homer in the first frame, and kept up that fast pace. Junior right fielder Casey O’Laughlin added a third off a triple from first-year shortstop Evan Minarovic.
UIC homered in the third and scored another run in the fifth to close the gap to two, but a homer from senior left fielder Kyle Burnett Jr. in the sixth and a three-run seventh inning created a four-run deficit the Flames couldn’t come back from. Senior pitcher Hank Christie made his first appearance on the mound Tuesday, pitching two scoreless innings before being pulled for first-year Jack Dyke. Dyke pitched the remaining seven innings and surrendered two runs on eight hits. Tuesday was Dyke’s first credited
win, and his third appearance as a reliever. He didn’t walk a single batter, and struck out six, a promising performance from a young player on a struggling NU baseball team. One of the biggest offensive performers was first-year first baseman Stephen Hrustich, with two runs on two hits. Hrustich was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Feb. 24 after the Cats’ series against South Carolina, the first since Christie in 2017, and he continues to prove he is a strong hitter. Sophomore designated hitter Jack Anderson also hit well against UIC. He batted in two runners on two