The Daily Northwestern - April 22nd, 2024

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The Daily Northwestern

3 CAMPUS/GREENOUT

ASG hosts Earth Month celebration by Deering

4 A&E/Ball announcement

Smino to return to Northwestern, headline A&O Ball Friday in Chicago

Resident group advocates for Gaza Coalition urges City Council to pass resolution for permanent cease re

By MELISSA DAI daily senior staffer

Evanston resident Maha, who is Palestinian American, said she moved her family to the city over 20 years ago for its “progressive” community — where “people are open and share values of decency, dignity and social justice.” But in the past few months,

Pritzker hit with Title VI complaint

Students allege “anti-Palestinian” environment at NU

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffer @beatricedvilla

Palestine Legal announced on Wednesday that it filed a complaint against the Pritzker School of Law with the U.S. Department of Education for a ‘hostile Anti-Palestinian environment.’ In a news release, the organization said it is representing four Northwestern Law students who alleged they have faced discriminatory practices from fellow students, professors and administrators in the wake of the IsraelHamas war.

e Palestinian students, who were not identi ed in the release, allege NU has failed to adequately address their safety concerns. According to the release, students have been followed, recorded and subjected to threats of doxxing. “As law students, our commitment to advocacy is paramount to the careers we are pursuing,” one anonymous complainant

said in the release. “Yet those of us advocating for Palestine nd ourselves navigating a hostile and unsupportive environment that challenges our fundamental right to education and to speak freely.”

The complaint comes as Israel’s continued ground and air o ensive in Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian authorities. e military campaign follows the militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 a ack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.

“

e University and its law school denounce acts of discrimination or harassment, and we will continue to support our students, faculty and sta ,” University spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso wrote in an email to the Daily.

Palestine Legal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to an Instagram post from the organization, one of the complainants lost 130 family members in Gaza since the Oct. 7 a ack, with another six taken as hostages by the Israeli military.

Maha, who did not provide her last name, said she’s been nothing but “disappointed and disheartened” by the city she once loved.

“It may not have been perfect, but City Council always made an

e ort to rectify whatever problems and concerns community members had,” she said. “Until it came to the Palestinian people.”

» See CEASEFIRE , page 6

8 SPORTS/Lacrosse Northwestern takes Big Ten regular season title

Ryan Field case rejected in part

County judge sides with NU, city a er rst hearing of suit

By SHUN GRAVES the daily northwestern @realshungraves

Dealing an early blow to residents opposing public-facing concerts at Ryan Field, a county judge dismissed three counts in the Most Livable City Association and 13 stadium neighbors’ complaint against the city on Friday.

One of those three counts alleges Biss’ tie-breaking vote did not meet the council’s majority threshold. Another says NU’s project changes the site’s use so fundamentally that it should have required a zoning map amendment, a more stringent process. e last argues a wri en protest by Most Livable City should have triggered a supermajority vote under state law.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Pamela McLean Meyerson rejected those arguments in Friday’s oral decision. She also granted Evanston’s requests to deny the residents damages, a jury trial and a orney’s fees. e decision comes as the

demolition of NU football’s longtime fortress nears completion. e University’s $800 million project will build an entirely new arena that will also feature commercial concerts, the focus of many neighbors’ ire.

After Mayor Daniel Biss broke City Council’s tie in November on the zoning change to allow concerts, the Most Livable City Association and 13 stadium neighbors sued the city. In the months since, the University had filed to intervene.

Meyerson acknowledged both sides’ arguments but called the plainti s’ claims “not sufcient” because of Evanston’s home rule status. The city argued it followed its own rules regardless, and Meyerson agreed, holding City Council’s ve-person majority su cient for approval.

She also denied the residents’ call for a map amendment because the Ryan Field zone’s boundaries did not change. And, with regard to their argument that state law would have required a six-vote majority following Most Livable City’s protest, Meyerson said the home rule city had already created a

» See RYAN FIELD, page 6

Nobel laureate gives GES keynote Nadia Murad advocates for survivors of genocide, sexual assault

By EDWARD SIMON CRUZ the daily northwestern @edwardsimoncruz

Content warning: This article has mentions of sexual assault and violence.

Nadia Murad, a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, discussed the role of community and perseverance in social change during the capstone talk for the Global Engagement Summit on Saturday. The student-run summit spanning from Wednesday to Sunday, brought together delegates from around the world, each working on projects promoting various social causes. Delegates attended programming like group workshops, individual mentoring sessions and speaker events. Murad founded Nadia’s Initiative in 2018 to support communities affected by violence and survivors of sexual assault. The organization proposes “local solutions to local problems” in a “communitydriven” approach to change, she said.

According to Murad, this

approach enabled her organization to create sustainable solutions even when governments and other institutions did not support their work.

“You are building something for generations, and not just for a day or two,” she said. Murad, a member of the Yazidi ethno-religious group, grew up in a village in northern Iraq that was invaded by the Islamic State group in 2014. IS began a systematic campaign to eradicate Yazidi people in what the United Nations has classified as a genocide.

Several months after being abducted and sold into sex slavery, Murad escaped from IS control. She said “silence was not an option” and began telling her story publicly, collecting evidence of the Islamic State group’s crimes for a UN investigative team and writing her 2018 memoir, “The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State.” Murad said she has been telling the world about the IS’s acts of sexual violence so people don’t forget the group’s actions and become better equipped to prevent atrocities. “When marginalized people are taking over and telling their stories … and find people supporting them, there is no way you will go back,” she said.

Weinberg sophomore Sanjana Shankar, a delegate representing the student organization Partners In Health Engage, said Murad’s talk gave a voice to “a lot of people who don’t have the opportunity to give a voice to themselves.” Shankar works at PIHE to

page 6

Daily file photo by Henry Frieman

For months, the Evanston Ceasefire coalition has petitioned City Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Photo courtesy of Paige Bohart Murad discussed the importance of holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable during international conflict.

Residents discuss visions for affordable housing

By HANNAH WEBSTER the daily northwestern @hannahe_webster

Evanston and Skokie residents voiced their concerns on housing affordability Saturday at Homing in on Housing, a housing forum hosted by Community Alliance for Better Government and Skokie Neighbors for Housing Justice.

Held at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, the event brought together speakers to share about their housing struggles and successes and invited attendees to develop a vision and path to improve housing in the north suburbs.

Sebastian Nalls, president of Community Alliance for Better Government, said the forum was an opportunity for residents to voice their housing needs and “serve as a rallying cry for political action.”

During the forum, affordable housing advocate Gail Schechter said the historical suburban discriminatory housing policies were a result of racism, not chance.

Schechter also pointed to 2019 employment data, which revealed that only 13.9% of Evanston workers live in Evanston. In Skokie, the employee residency rate was 9.6%. The low rates reflect high costs of living in northern suburbs.

Attendee Jill Graham said that Evanston should ensure housing stock reflects the wages of all Evanston workers, ensuring that “anybody who works in Evanston and would like to have their family live in the community where they work would be able to find a place that they could afford to live.”

“This is all about valuing people,” Schechter said. “Not just valuing land.”

Four Evanston and Skokie residents participated in a panel discussion moderated by Evanston activist and producer Meleika Gardner.

home in the 5th Ward thanks to a Community Partners for Affordable Housing program, which empowers individuals and families to secure housing.

Rios said after moving to Evanston in 2023, she experienced recurring houselessness.

Through Impact Behavioral Health Partners, a local organization supporting adults with mental illnesses, Rios secured housing for herself and her family.

“I wanted to make Evanston a home for myself and my children,” she said. “I loved the community, I loved the people and I just felt really safe in Evanston.”

After hearing from panelists, attendees participated in small group discussions about their visions for the future of housing in Evanston and Skokie. In groups, they also discussed the path each municipality could take to reach those goals actions individual residents can take.

Skokie activist Charlie Saxe said that most of the attendees prioritized “robust, inclusionary zoning” and affordable rentals.

Saxe added that attendees focused on how residents can vote to replace current Evanston councilmembers with people more responsive to affordable housing concerns.

“Our mission is to humanize housing, recognizing that our friends, family, neighbors are all impacted by the housing policies in our communities,” Nalls said. “Their stories must help us shape the future and inspire true change.”

hannahwebster2027@u.northwestern.edu

William Carter, a resident in the 2014 Wesley Ave. apartment building, described the “frustrating struggle” he and other residents of 2014, 2018 and 2024 Wesley Ave. buildings are facing after being told to vacate their homes.

Panelist and Skokie homeowner Catharine White said she owns a house that she “can’t afford.” She added that once she moves out of that house, she will likely be unable to live in Skokie due to high rental rates. White said she’s discovered that she “is not an anomaly” and that other older, single Skokie residents also struggle to afford housing in the area.

Evanston has told the Wesley residents to move out by May 13 after the city deemed the buildings’ stairs and landings unsafe in early February.

“All we want is commitment to our future in Evanston,” Carter said.

Evanston residents Dorothy Gill and Cynthia Rios shared their path to securing housing through assistance from community programs.

Gill said she was able to purchase her first

Setting the record straight

An article in Wednesday’s paper titled “Students form survivor advocacy group” misattributed a statement about Survivor Advocacy through Greek Engagement’s outreach to fraternities.

The Daily regrets the error.

Hannah Webster/The Daily Northwestern Evanston and Skokie residents collaborated to express their concerns and goals for housing in the northern suburbs on Saturday at the Homing in on Housing forum.

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffer @beatricedvilla

e Associated Student Government Sustainability Commi ee hosted GREENOUT on Saturday a ernoon to raise awareness about environmentally sustainable practices. A endees visited club booths on Deering Meadow that had food and activities commemorating Earth Month 2024.

Weinberg sophomore and ASG Sustainability Commi ee co-chair Melanie Tapia said the group puts on the festival to “showcase the various intersections of sustainability,” which extends beyond recycling and composting.

“ ere’s a lot of di erent ways that we can implement sustainability and have conversations about environmentalism that can be really positive,” Tapia said.

Bienen and Weinberg sophomore and Wild Roots treasurer Orly Lindner said hosting the event in a central location on Northwestern’s campus exposed students to environmental clubs and their respective initiatives.

Organizations such as Fossil Free NU, Wild Roots, Cats Who Compost and Menstrual Equity Activists displayed posters about their projects and goals.

SESP sophomore and ASG Sustainability Commi ee member Trinity Colón said about 17 clubs a ended the event this year and estimated that hundreds of a endees came over the ve-hour event.

“It brings a lot of awareness to the fact that it is Earth Month and that people should be a li le bit more conscious in general,” Lindner said.

McCormick senior and Menstrual Equity Activists Treasurer Anushka Nair taught a endees to make beaded bracelets that tracked their menstrual cycles.

Nair said the organization wanted to promote sustainable menstruation through the activity.

“ ere are a lot of years in someone who menstruates’ life in which they’re using disposable period products,” Nair said. “ e products accumulate a lot.”

Nair added that disposable products tend to have microplastics which can take around 500 years to

degrade, causing them to amass in land lls or in aquatic environments if ushed down the toilet. So, Nair said, using sustainable products can help protect the environment and save consumers’ money.

One popular booth, led by Rewear, gave students like Bienen freshman Willa Mosenson the opportunity to go thri ing. Mosenson said Saturday’s booth had a good selection with low prices. Students could drop their clothes at the booth and sell them — each item had a price and payment information pinned.

“It’s nice that people can reuse, or people can nd clothes that they can reuse, for things coming up instead of going out and buying and wasting new material,” Mosenson said.

Tapia said the commi ee considered how to make GREENOUT as close to zero waste as possible while still making it engaging for students. She said Saturday’s event is proof these goals are not mutually exclusive.

Students Publishing Company, Inc. manages and guides the long-range planning of The Daily NorThwesTerN and the Syllabus Yearbook. We have three student board member positions open for Fall '24 through Spring '25. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to apply. The Board meets approximately two times per quarter.

For an application, contact Stacia at s-campbell@northwestern.edu.

For example, the dining supplies used for food were all compostable, according to Tapia. Moreover, Tapia added that the commi ee created a waste management plan.

“It’s not zero waste, but I think it’s a good start,” Tapia said.

Colón, who is on the education and advocacy branch of ASG Sustainability Commi ee, said it is important for students to remain linked within the network of sustainability clubs present at GREENOUT through interacting with organizations outside of the event.

“We do this because we love the Earth and we love the land that we are on and nature around us,” Colón said.

William Tong contributed reporting. beavilla or@u.northwestern.edu

A&E

a discounted price — and fewer processing fees.

Maggie Rogers’ ‘Box Office Week’ fosters bonds

By MAYA WONG the daily northwestern @mayaw0ng

At 3 a.m. on Friday, fans began lining up outside of Chicago’s House of Blues to see singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers wperform the fourth show of her e Don’t Forget Me Tour.

By 6:30 a.m, the line extended nearly three blocks, covering two bridges atop the Chicago River. Taking place exactly one week a er the release of her third album, “Don’t Forget Me,” the concert was the last of four intimate release shows before Rogers embarks on her rst arena tour in May. Tickets were only sold in person the day of the concert. e performance was part of Rogers’ “Box O ce Week,” where fans could purchase tickets for the release shows and her fall arena shows for

Rogers encouraged them to “come buy a ticket like it’s 1965” on social media, an attempt to combat issues with reselling and gouged prices.

“It’s a lot more e ort to get tickets, so it de nitely deters problems that you have with online ticket sales,” said Lexi Karaivanova, a superfan who ew in from North Carolina and waited at the venue the entire day. “It’s not as fast or convenient, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our generation. It’s not something we’ve ever had to do.”

Tickets sales began at 10 a.m. for entrance into the 1,000-person venue.

Weinberg freshman Lena An arrived at 6:45 a.m. and bought her ticket more than ve hours later. She said that although she enjoyed the face-to-face interaction of buying a physical ticket, there were potential accessibility issues.

“I think it is a bit stressful, and it takes a certain

kind of privilege for somebody to take so much time out of their day to go and get a ticket,” An said. e release concert tickets sold out before 2 p.m. e show itself started around 8:30 p.m., and Rogers played a 100-minute set with no opener.

Despite the long wait and missing three lectures, McCormick sophomore Libby Raymond said the ticket-buying process only enhanced her concert experience.

“It de nitely made the concert a lot of fun because you could tell everyone there really loved her and knew all her songs,” Raymond said. “Her fan base is really nice and welcoming, so it wasn’t uncomfortable to stand in line with them for six hours.”

One fan marked numbers on people’s hands to ensure nobody was cutting in line. Another handed out signs saying “We won’t forget you” to be held up during the album’s lead single “Don’t Forget Me.” Someone else made a shirt printed with “& btw the

Knicks lost” (a kicker line from “So Sick of Dreaming”), which Rogers donned for two songs.

Karaivanova said they’ve made many friends at Rogers’ previous shows, so they knew they’d “be in good hands.”

Packed into the small venue, her fans were enamored, singing and swaying along to every song, despite the album releasing only one week before. In her 100-minute set, Rogers performed the entirety of her new album, along with six other songs from her discography — all fan requests that she played on the y.

When her fans held up the “We won’t forget you” signs during the show’s penultimate song, Rogers teared up.

“It’s ironic that I made this album called ‘Don’t Forget Me,’ cause you all make me feel so seen,” she said.

mayawong2027@u.northwestern.edu

Local indie-rock band Friko prepares for U.S. tour

By MAYA RAVI the daily northwestern

Fresh o the heels of its debut album, indie-rock band Friko set o on its rst tour across America on April 6. e band is comprised of Evanston Township High School alumni Niko Kapetan on vocals and guitar and Bailey Minzenberger on drums.

Friko encapsulates the spirit of Chicagoland’s rich musical heritage while carving out a unique sound. eir debut album “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here,” released on Feb. 16, explores the essence of Chicago, Kapetan said. e album takes a deep dive into the members’ experiences growing up in the area. e band’s sold-out show at Wrigleyville’s Metro on

March 1 marked a signi cant milestone in its musical journey. Now, Friko is leaving its beloved hometown for a coast-to-coast tour.

Kapetan, the band’s frontman, said Friko’s music has a deep connection to his upbringing in the city.

“I think (our inspiration) comes from growing up and loving a lot of Chicago bands,” Kapetan said. “Chicago has been a great city to grow up in, and we just love all the people in the scene here. It just feels right to just be like, ‘yeah, we’re Chicago.’”

While at ETHS, Kapetan and Minzenberg both played in bands with classmate Jackson Hamrick. Hamrick stayed in touch with the band a er graduation and began to work with them as their audio engineer. Now, 10 years a er their meeting, Hamrick will continue to support Friko remotely as it tours the country.

Smino set to headline

By MARY RANDOLPH daily senior staffer @marywrandolph

Grammy-nominated musician Smino will headline A&O Productions’ annual Ball, with local artists Ausar and m.e.h. opening, A&O announced Sunday. Smino performed at Dillo Day in 2016 and opened for Carly Rae Jepsen at A&O’s 2018 Blowout concert. With one more album and one more EP under his belt, the rapper will return to headline Ball at Metro in Chicago at 7 p.m. Friday.

Hamrick said his friendships with Kapetan and Minzenberg made for a natural transition to his work with the band.

“We both grew up in Evanston, and we were both very musically minded people, so we just kind of naturally connected,” he said. “I’m really proud of them, and I’m happy that I get to be a part of it.”

Alice Avery, who works with Friko as a video content director, also a ended ETHS but only became involved with the band through a serendipitous social media connection. Avery saw a video of Kapetan playing live on Instagram and was inspired to a end one of the band’s live shows in Evanston.

“ ey’ve been working on those songs for a really long time,” she said. “It’s been a really cool process to watch. ey are de nitely very dedicated, and they try to be honest with the music that they make and also just how they behave in general. ey’re real people.”

Kapetan said the band is excited to keep sharing that honesty throughout its tour in the months ahead. e band started its tour in Lakewood, Ohio, on April 6, and the tour includes 27 stops before Kapetan and Minzenberger return to Chicago, where they’ll make their Lollapalooza debut in August.

Kapetan said he feels excited for the journey ahead. “We always love playing,” he said. “I’m just excited to

Friday’s A&O Ball in NU return

Smino described his music as very personal in Sunday’s press release. “I’m not trying to be like anyone else’s art,” he said. “I’m just trying to be the art that’s coming out of me. It’s just honest.”

Chicago-based singers and rappers Ausar and m.e.h. will each perform an opening set. In the release, Ausar said he is “just trying to change lives with his music.”

m.e.h., a recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s Contemporary, Urban and Popular Music program, said she is “working on perfecting her cra .”

Free event tickets for NU students will be available through the Norris Box O ce Monday at 3 p.m., and A&O will provide free transportation on Friday to and from the Wrigleyville venue

maryrandolph2026@u.northwestern.edu

e rapper is most known for songs like “Wild Irish Roses,” which has over 100 million streams on Spotify, and has collaborated with artists like J. Cole, Saba and Doja Cat. In 2023, he visited Chicago on his “Luv is 4Ever Tour,” which he co-headlined with rapper JID.

Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern

Smino, headlining A&O’s Ball event Friday, is visiting NU for the third time.

The Buffalo Exchange hosts Earth Day thrift event

By JILLIAN MOORE the daily northwestern @jillian_moore7

A line stretched down the block from the Buffalo Exchange in Andersonville Saturday as customers waited for their allotted 10 minutes to rummage through boxes of used clothes, shoes and accessories on sale for $1.

The cash-only Earth Day event took place across Buffalo Exchange locations nationwide, with Chicago stores in Wicker Park and Andersonville participating. All proceeds benefited Goats of Anarchy, a nonprofit dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of farm animals with disabilities.

Melissa Haskin, the store manager of the Andersonville location, said the nationwide campaign started in 1997 and has since raised more than $800,000 for nonprofits like The Elephant Sanctuary, Pollinator Partnership, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Humane Society of the United States.

“Part of our mission statement at Buffalo is just supporting environmental initiatives,” she said.

According to the 2024 Resale Report by ThredUp, a popular app to buy used clothing, the U.S. secondhand apparel market grew 11% in 2023 — a rate seven times faster than the broader retail clothing market.

Weinberg senior Kate Austin, who went

to the thrifting event as an early birthday celebration, said the low prices took the pressure off of purchases.

“We could just impulse buy it, and if I end up not liking it, I could give it to a friend or give it to a thrift store, kind of recycle it,” she said.

People arrived as early as 10 a.m., an hour before the store opened. Employees ushered groups into an outdoor area stacked with boxes of clothes, where they had 10 minutes (with five-minute and two-minute warnings) to find armfuls of items — including clothing from Michael Kors, Levi’s and GUESS.

Chicago resident Carleigh Keme said curiosity drove her to the event. She said she felt surprised by the turnout and the fast pace of the shopping spree.

“I thought I was going to be just in and out, and I’m kind of intimidated, a little bit,” she said. “I’m here for the experience.”

The pieces included in this event were chosen from those that aren’t selling at full price in-store, Haskin said.

Haskin said although “every year it’s crazy,” giving people the opportunity to reuse clothes aligns with the company’s environmentally-focused mission.

“Nothing goes to a landfill at Buffalo Exchange,” she said. “It’s all going to go to other people that need it.

jillianmoore2027@u.northwestern.edu

Chicago Latin Film Festival held at NU for second time

By BETSY LECY the daily northwestern @betsy_lecy

The Chicago Latino Film Festival is bringing Latin American culture to Northwestern through film in a two-day event Tuesday and Thursday.

The film festival is a 40-year-old Chicagobased tradition that introduces new voices of Ibero-American cinema, documenting the history of its artform and encouraging cultural expression in a weeklong downtown event. Its influence spread to NU in 2018, when the Department of Spanish and Portuguese

contacted the festival. This is the second time the festival has been held at the University following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and financial reasons.

The department introduced the festival to campus to provide an event for those interested in Spanish culture, said Spanish Prof. Reyes Morán, a committee member of the NU initiative.

They’ve also found connections between the films and the department’s curriculum.

“It ties nicely with a lot of our curriculum,” committee member and Spanish Prof. César Enrique Hoyos Álvarez said. “So it’s a way for students to also see how these films are somewhat related or tied to the topics that they go over in class.”

The movies featured at NU are the documentary “Water for Life” and the drama “Allà, cartas al corazón.” These are a “rare” selection that viewers will not be able to see elsewhere, committee member and faculty lecturer Isabella Vergara Calderon said.

The NU committee selected the two out of the festival’s 50 feature films and 35 short films they thought would be best received on campus, Calderon said.

“They ask us to pick two films that best resonate with our students on campus and also the community outside of campus and connect both spaces together,” she said.

But the festival cannot come to campus each year, and the committee is unsure if NU will host it in 2025, Calderon said.

The department’s ability to host the festival depends on their budget to buy film rights and

venue availability, Calderon said.

Fundraising is a significant factor in paying for the films, and there is a collaborative effort among various organizations to fund the festival, including the radio, television and film department, the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program, the Language Resource Center and the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities.

The festival isn’t limited to Spanish students at NU. The intention was to open it to the community and whoever wanted to learn more about the films and the themes within them, Hoyos Álvarez said, and Tuesday’s film attracted around 30 people.

“Water for Life” told the story of three individuals in Honduras, El Salvador and Chile who refused to let government-supported industries and transnational corporations take their water. Following the film, producer Rick Tejada-Flores participated in a Q&A event.

Evanston resident Mary Lucas attended the Tuesday film with her husband Isidro Lucas, a former Chicago Latino Film Festival board member. Mary Lucas said she loved the film and thought the photography was “outstanding.” Isidro Lucas agreed.

“It was very, very good,” he said. “The pace is great, the personalities are played up and the images are extremely compelling.”

The festival will feature Mexican drama “Allà, cartas al corazón” on Thursday in Lutkin Hall at 5:30 p.m., with opening remarks from the director, Montserrat Larqué, and a closing reception. elizabethlecy2027.1@u.northwestern.edu

Backlot Coffee forms quintessential spring study spot

By KUNJAL BASTOLA and RACHEL SCHLUETER the daily northwestern @kunjal_bastola / @r_schlueter26

With decadent pastries and refreshing beverages, Backlot Coffee is the quintessential spring quarter study spot.

Coffee purists can grab a classic americano, flat white or cappuccino. Backlot Coffee also offers tea, including matcha, chai and fruity iced teas. We were craving a cold iced coffee and ordered two of Backlot Coffee’s specialty drinks: the oatmeal cookie latte and cardamom rose latte

If you like sweet coffee, the oatmeal cookie latte is for you. It was creamy with hints of cinnamon and maple. The espresso flavor was rich but not overpowering.

Located at 2006 Central St., this coffee shop is a short trip on the intercampus shuttle or 201 Central/ Ridge bus. When we visited on a sunny Monday afternoon, Backlot Coffee was packed with customers. The shop’s large windows and botanicals invite patrons to stay for a while.

The cardamom rose latte was the perfect blend of spice and floral flavor. Each sip rejuvenated us to power through our midday slumps.

In addition to craft drinks, Backlot Coffee offers a plethora of pastries. Visit in the morning for a full selection of donuts, muffins, scones and breads. In the spirit of bright springtime flavors, we tried the key lime pie cookie and lemon poppyseed loaf.

The cookie was crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, and the key lime custard topping was tart and citrusy. The buttery, sweet cookie balanced well with its acidic filling.

The lemon poppyseed loaf was soft and chewy, with the lemon flavor coming through in each bite. The layer of icing added a tangy kick to the pastry.

Backlot also serves many savory lunch and breakfast options, including bagels, empanadas, sandwiches and burritos. It also offers gluten-free and vegetarian substitutions.

We opted to try the veggie burrito, which consisted of a grilled tortilla wrapped around rice, black beans, roasted peppers, onions and cheese. It came with a side of salsa. Each bite was warm and gooey, with the vegetables, cheese and salsa forming a perfect lunch combination.

In addition to kitchen items, Backlot has a fridge stocked with grab-and-go items, such as yogurt

parfaits and juices.

The interior was cozy and full of Evanstonians, adding an air of small-town charm to this local spot. The warm Backlot staff add to the shop’s friendly neighborhood vibes.

For a study spot without the hustle and bustle of downtown Evanston, look no further than Backlot Coffee.

kunjalbastola2026@u.northwestern.edu

rachelschlueter2026@u.northwestern.edu

Rachel Schlueter/The Daily Northwestern Backlot Coffee boasts a vibrant interior with hanging plants and artwork, along with plenty of seating.

Joshua Sukoff/The Daily Northwestern Rick Tejada-Flores, a producer of the documentary “Water for Life,” answered questions from the audience in a Q&A following the film.

Jillian Moore/The Daily Northwestern Customers rummage through boxes for secondhand clothing at the Buffalo Exchange in Andersonville. Used clothes, shoes and accessories were on sale for $1.

TITLE VI

From page 1

In addition, the release alleges that Pritzker professors have made anti-Palestinian comments, like calling the displacement of Palestinian civilians from Gaza a “two-week vacation” and celebrating the doxxing of pro-Palestine Harvard University students.

MURAD

From page 1

promote maternal health on campus and abroad. She said she was inspired by her peers at the summit and the speakers whose events she attended.

RYAN FIELD

From page 1

sufficiently detailed process, thus superseding state law.

beavillaflor@u.northwestern.edu

The complaint requests that NU take remedial actions for Palestinian students to receive equal services and support. “If the law school refuses to care about its Palestinian students, we call on federal civil rights officials to ensure their rights are protected,” said Palestine Legal’s Michael Ratner Justice Fellow Rifqa Falaneh in the news release.

“Taking my inspiration and using that as momentum to propel my work forward with my student organization is going to be really imperative in the coming weeks,” Shankar said. Starting in 2020, Murad oversaw the drafting of the Murad Code, which lists best practices for documenting survivor experiences of sexual violence.

CEASEFIRE

From page 1

Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis, Israeli officials said, the Israeli government’s bombardment and ground invasions of the Gaza Strip have killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials.

Over the past several months, calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza have emerged across the globe. In the U.S., more than 100 municipalities, including Chicago, have passed ceasefire resolutions.

Evanston hasn’t been one of them.

Maha said City Council’s lack of action amid the war in Gaza has shown “morally bankrupt leadership.”

“We as a city have to stand up and oppose this ethnic cleansing,” Maha said. “Do we need a genocide here in Evanston in order for City Council to have some empathy and sympathy for the Palestinian community in Gaza?”

In December, the city’s Equity and Empowerment Commission voted unanimously to withdraw a resolution calling for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages by Hamas. At the meeting, opponents to the proposed resolution voiced concerns about its lack of direct reference to the Oct. 7 attack and its potential impact on the safety of Evanston’s Jewish community.

Shortly after the EEC’s decision, a revised resolution began circulating — one that calls for a ceasefire, condemns Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and demands the release of all hostages it holds. Behind this resolution was a newly formed group of Evanston residents advocating for Gaza: the Evanston Ceasefire coalition.

“A group of us who were very upset after the meeting started coming together, and we thought we could write our own resolution to respond to people’s concerns,” said Evanston

Murad encouraged attendees to spread awareness and educate themselves on sexual violence prevention. She said justice systems must hold perpetrators of sexual violence accountable.

resident Lesley Williams, a founding member of the coalition. “Our goal is for City Council to pass it to show their support for a permanent stop to the killing.”

Since December, Evanston Ceasefire has garnered community support for the resolution through an online petition, which currently has over 1,400 signatures, Williams said.

Resident Sara Mountjoy-Pepka said Evanston Ceasefire does not have official leadership roles. Rather, it is a “coalition of individuals who came together because they care,” she said.

Mountjoy-Pepka, who is Muslim, added that her newborn baby, who is Pakistani and white, motivated her to speak up about the conflict in Gaza.

“Having a baby made me realize if I want to raise him to have principles, ethics and be unashamed of being Muslim and having brown skin, I have to demonstrate a complete lack of shame in speaking out for what I think is right,” Mountjoy-Pepka said.

Now, Mountjoy-Pepka assists with Evanston Ceasefire’s Instagram. Alongside other coalition supporters, she also plans and attends local events that draw attention to the issue and maintain political pressure, she said.

Meanwhile, Evanston Ceasefire supporters have taken their advocacy directly to City Council. Williams said many residents have pushed for a resolution during council meetings, ward meetings and one-on-one conversations with councilmembers.

At the March 25 City Council meeting, 10 out of the 20 public commenters used their allotted time to urge councilmembers to consider the ceasefire resolution. Maha was one of them.

“We are in the midst of a genocide, the first genocide of this century,” she told the council. “While you all are not caring about it and looking

Even with the three counts’ dismissal, NU and Evanston had not tried to dismiss one of the four counts. That count — the civil complaint’s most elaborate — alleges the city engaged in “secret negotiations” in favor of NU for a “capricious” zoning change that ultimately violated the residents’ due process rights. A lengthy court battle could follow as discovery of evidence on the one remaining count looms. Meyerson scheduled a status update hearing for the morning of June 26.

“We have to make sure that we don’t only focus on the military side of how to defeat these groups, but we need to bring them to the courtroom for the whole world to see what they have done,” she said.

GES prioritizes solutions developed alongside “the people that are disadvantaged in their own communities,” according to Weinberg senior and GES co-Director Asher Bank.

shungraves2027@u.northwestern.edu

“We’ve proven this works, we’ve proven there’s a need for it, we’ve proven that people get something out of it,” Bank said.

edwardcruz2027@u.northwestern.edu

Bank said although the first summit took place in 2005, GES is continuing to rebound from the effects of the pandemic. Previous keynote speakers have included sociologist Janice Johnson Dias in 2023 and climate activist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in 2022.

all smug, we are besides ourselves with grief.”

Following the public comments, an individual in the audience interrupted the ensuing agenda item to call for a ceasefire resolution.

The person called out about the “dehumanization” and “slaughter” of Palestinians in Gaza.

“How can we convince Evanston that Palestinian children are just as important as our children?” the person shouted from the audience.

Though city officials and councilmembers initially attempted to ignore the audience member and proceed with its agenda, Ald. Devon Reid (8th) eventually responded, saying he doesn’t have the “bandwidth” to focus on a ceasefire resolution.

Mayor Daniel Biss also chimed in, trying to direct attention back to the meeting agenda and saying councilmembers “have to be able to do the work of the city.”

According to Evanston Ceasefire supporters, councilmembers have echoed this viewpoint for months, saying that they cannot allocate attention to the conflict in Gaza on top of their local responsibilities.

Williams, who is Jewish, said she views this stance as a “lapse in moral leadership.”

“When mass human atrocities are going on, it should not be business as usual,” Williams said. “City Council’s business is not more important than the murder of 30,000 people. Stopping this should be a priority for every community.”

In an interview with The Daily, Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said a resolution passed in Evanston would have no impact on outcomes in Gaza. Though he personally supports a ceasefire, City Council must focus its time and energy on “making change in the community of Evanston,” he said.

But Evanston Ceasefire supporters disagree, saying the issue directly affects the city

— especially its Palestinian, Arab and Muslim American communities.

“This is a refusal to acknowledge the deep pain and suffering that these people are experiencing right here in our community,” Williams said. “To not have your city government recognize that trauma with a resolution feels like a deep betrayal to so many people in the community.”

City spokesperson Cynthia Vargas said in a statement to The Daily that the councilmembers prefer not to weigh in on issues beyond the city’s purview “unless doing so unifies the community.”

Weinberg sophomore Evgeny Stolyarov, an Evanston Ceasefire supporter, said the ceasefire resolution fits this exception.

Stolyarov, who is Jewish, serves as the national representative of the Northwestern chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization that he said “centers Jewish life away from the state of Israel and fights for Palestinian solidarity.”

“City Council has talked a lot about how a ceasefire resolution is very divisive, particularly for Jewish residents of Evanston,” Stolyarov said. “With JVP, we want to remind them that Northwestern students are Jewish residents of Evanston, and that many of us are not seeing City Council’s excuses as valid.”

Despite Evanston Ceasefire’s ongoing efforts, Nieuwsma said there are currently no plans to bring the resolution to an official vote in City Council.

But Mountjoy-Pepka said the coalition isn’t giving up.

“Although I’m extremely disappointed that Evanston has absolutely fallen on its face with this issue, I am inspired and able to get out of bed each day knowing that not everybody is falling on their face,” she said. “These folks keep me going. Nobody’s going away. We know it’s not over.”

melissadai2026@u.northwestern.edu

Alumni spend A Day With Northwestern learning

By SAMANTHA POWERS daily senior staffer @sqpowers04

Close to 300 alumni and other community members gathered at Norris University Center to learn from professors at the top of their fields for A Day With Northwestern. The day-long speaker event, hosted by the NU Alumni Association, featured topics like astronomy, AI and news, along with democracy and diversity.

The windy Saturday opened with an interdisciplinary panel on how to live a “happy, healthy and thriving life.” After a day of learning and socializing, alumni attended a career celebration of NU’s Director of Bands Mallory Thompson, who became the first woman to fill the position in 1996.

Jacqueline Thomas, senior associate director at NU Alumni Engagement, said organizers aimed to represent the University’s values through the day’s speakers and topics.

“At Northwestern, you’re spoilt for choice, because there’s so much incredible work going on here,” Thomas said. “Every session we’re looking at, we’re looking to amplify (University priorities) and make sure to spread those out to our community.”

Thomas said organizers planned to make the event more accessible to students and looked to build alumni engagement from the ground up. Students received a discounted ticket price for the day — which was as low as $1 with a promotion code.

Most attendees were from the Chicago area, according to Thomas. Veena Jain (Weinberg ’91) brought her husband, Veerender Samderiya, to Evanston from the Naperville area.

Two Weinberg juniors win Barry Goldwater Scholarship for 2024

Weinberg juniors Melany Morales and Kate Carver received the 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the University announced Tuesday. The award is given to students planning to pursue a career in natural sciences, mathematics or engineering.

Morales and Carver join a select group of 438 Goldwater Scholars from a total of 1,353 nominees across

Jain, who studied Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and then pursued law, said she branched out from her area of expertise through Saturday’s lectures.

She attended “Beyond Astronomy: Chasing Spacewarps and Stardust with Giant Telescopes and Artificial Intelligence” and “Blueprints for Safety: Engaged Science and the Story of Collaborative Gun Violence Prevention in Chicago.”

She said attending the day of programming reminded her of her undergraduate years.

“It is interesting for me that I was here a long time ago,” Jain said. “I was a volunteer, not for this program, but for a different program, and now I’m on the other side.”

Standing by her side, Samderiya said he enjoyed the opportunity to be in a college environment again. At a catered lunch, he and other attendees enjoyed music and conversations with friends new and old.

“We just ended up talking to new people that we met randomly,” he said. “We had a really good conversation at the lunch table with a student, just getting to know the real life (at NU).”

Feinberg Prof. Theresa Bender Pape gave a talk titled “Rebuilding Brain Power” about neuroplasticity. With decades of experience in her field, Pape said it was important to make her talk accessible.

At the beginning of her lecture, Pape used a poll to ask the audience how comfortable they felt with their knowledge of the brain. She said this feedback informed her talk’s structure.

“I probably had to break it down so that everybody could understand,” Pape said. “I live and breathe with nerds, so it’s important that we

the country. Many scholars have gone on to publish research in leading journals, discover cures for diseases and teach the future generation of academics.

“Kate and Melany are stellar students with high levels of resilience and maturity,” Office of Fellowships Associate Director for STEM LaTanya Veronica Williams said in a Tuesday news release. “I am sure that they will follow in the path of previous Goldwater winners and go forward to make great contributions to their fields of study.”

Morales, a neuroscience and psychology major at NU, is involved in the University’s Infant and Child Development Center, the Language, Education and

communicate well to the public, who have very limited knowledge of science.”

Pape said the talk was beneficial to both attendees and her work. She said she was able to give advice to attendees with loved ones of those facing brain injuries, and that feedback helped her stay “in touch.”

David McGrath (McCormick ’21) attended the talk on astronomy, which he said was far off from his area of expertise, product development. He said the experience opened his mind to new things.

Reading Neuroscience lab, and Northeastern University’s Plasticity in Neurodevelopment Lab.

She said she aims to continue to research the relationship between childhood experiences and language and social-emotional developments.

“This scholarship signifies not only personal achievement, but also the supportive community that has propelled me forward,” Morales said in the release.

Carver, a neuroscience major with a data science minor, has worked with the Perera Lab at the Feinberg School of Medicine for the last two years. Her research includes studying how patients respond to certain drugs based on their genetics in order to improve

McGrath called himself a life-long learner — since graduating from Eastern Illinois University with his bachelor’s degree, he has pursued outside learning opportunities like A Day With Northwestern.

“Since I’ve left school, I probably have done more in my life and my career to actually accelerate my learning… whether it’s certifications, outside study, or going back to school,” McGrath said.

samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

viable treatment options.

When Carver’s sister was born, she was diagnosed with a developmental delay. A genetic sequencing later confirmed that variants on a gene responsible for neural development contributed to the developmental delay. Carver said she plans to use her understanding of genetics to benefit other families.

“What keeps me going is knowing that there’s a little bit of magic in the work we’re doing, that it has a significant impact on families downstream,” Carver said in the release.

Jerry Wu

Samantha Powers/The Daily Northwestern Alumni enjoyed a catered lunch to the sounds of smooth jazz between lectures.

SPORTS

LACROSSE

No. 1 Northwestern wins regular season Big Ten title

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

Almost a year ago, coach Hannah Nielsen took an underdog Michigan squad into Evanston for an NCAA Tournament bout, drawing up a near-perfect scheme that fell just short of stunning the eventual national champions.

While the Wolverines lost 8-7, the mid-May matchup marked a telltale sign that Nielsen’s program had arrived on the national scene — and it commanded respect.

Fast-forward 343 days, No. 1 Northwestern and No. 4 Michigan met in Ann Arbor with the outright Big Ten regular season crown on the line Sunday. Once again, the Wildcats (13-2, 5-1 Big Ten) and the Wolverines (14-2, 4-2 Big Ten) battled relentlessly in a back-and-forth affair, but NU carried just enough composure to nab a 13-12 victory.

With the win, coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s group captured its second consecutive conference regular season title and the Big Ten Tournament’s No. 1 seed. For senior defender Kendall Halpern, the game marked an ideal scenario for the ’Cats.

“To go chase a title — a regular

season title — is exactly where we want to be,” Halpern said following her team’s defeat of Ohio State a week prior.

Michigan set the tempo from the opening draw, slowing the game’s pace to limit NU opportunities in its attacking zone. Nielsen’s game plan appeared simple, yet effective. Her team chewed clock in possession to avoid a footrace against the conference’s most potent scoring unit.

Defensively, the Wolverines keyed in on graduate student attacker Izzy Scane. Behind Michigan defender Maddie Burns’ tenacious effort, the Wolverines held Scane shotless in the first half, and the ’Cats entered halftime down 6-4.

Then, NU painted the draw circle purple as the gothic garbed circle crew pulled down nine consecutive draw controls in the third quarter.

Junior midfielder Samantha Smith and freshman midfielder and defender Madison Smith staunchly snatched momentum from Michigan attacker Lily Montemarano, and the ’Cats transformed a comeback effort into a backbreaking push.

NU’s Tewaaraton nominee trio of Scane, graduate student attacker

Erin Coykendall and sophomore attacker Madison Taylor evaded consistent pressure to combine for six of the ’Cats’ seven third-quarter

goals, which vaulted the visitors to an 11-8 advantage heading into the last 15 minutes.

After storming back from a sixgoal deficit in an April 14 victory against Johns Hopkins, the Wolverines launched another late run Sunday afternoon. Michigan scored four consecutive conversions following a Scane free-position goal, knotting the game at 12 with five minutes left.

Inching toward the cage, graduate student attacker Dylan Amonte fired a howitzer beyond Wolverine goalkeeper Erin O’Grady, dealing the decisive game- and championship-clinching blow as the clock ticked under three minutes.

Although Scane, Coykendall and Taylor combined for 14 points, NU’s dogged defensive display differentiated the two foes in crunch-time. Scooping the season’s most vital ground ball thus far, junior defender Sammy White allowed the ’Cats to ice the onegoal victory.

Amonte Hiller’s group will return to Martin Stadium May 2, when NU will face the winner of No. 4 seed Michigan and No. 5 seed Johns Hopkins in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal.

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

Wildcats take two of three games in Purdue series

By AUDREY PACHUTA the daily northwestern @audreypachuta

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Riding an eight-game win streak and standing firmly atop the Big Ten standings, Northwestern traveled to The Hoosier State for a weekend series at Purdue.

In a series that featured both a run-rule shutout and an extra inning comeback, the Wildcats (29-9, 15-2 Big Ten) won two of three games against the Boilermakers (22-22, 9-8 Big Ten) to clinch their 12th consecutive conference series victory.

With graduate student pitcher Ashley Miller starting in the circle for Friday’s series opener, coach Kate Drohan’s squad built its lead handily throughout the game without giving up a run.

Following a scoreless first inning, the bottom half of NU’s lineup came alive in the second, scoring three runs.

Senior infielder Hannah Cady singled to left field, freshman catcher Emma Raye followed with a walk and sophomore infielder Bridget Donahey moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Freshman infielder Isabel Cunnea and junior outfielder Ayana Lindsey both notched RBI singles, while an additional run came across on a fielder’s choice play.

The ’Cats plated two more runs in the following inning when graduate student outfielder Angela Zedak walked and scored on Donahey’s two-run shot — the first of her two Friday homers.

NU flipped its lineup in the top of the fourth inning, adding another run to its tally when sophomore infielder Kansas Robinson tripled and sophomore outfielder Kelsey Nader followed up with a sacrifice fly.

In the last inning of the series opener, Donahey and Cunnea hit back-to-back home runs, extending the lead to nine before the game ended in run-rule fashion in the bottom half of the inning.

Following Friday’s convincing victory, the ’Cats suffered a 2-1 defeat Saturday, halting their nine-game win streak and marking their first loss in April.

Graduate student pitcher Cami Henry started the game in the circle and pitched 5.1 innings — her longest outing in a purple and white uniform to date.

“My number was called today, and I knew I was gonna give it my best whether it was two innings or six innings or the whole game,” Henry said. “My mindset is to go as hard as you can for as long as you can and know that you have teammates behind you to pick you up.”

The game remained scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning when the Boilermakers strung together a hit-by-pitch, single and double to put two runs on the board.

With two outs and a runner on first, NU’s corner infielders crept in, positioning themselves for a potential bunt or slap hit.

Instead, Purdue’s Sage Scarmardo ripped a hard ground ball down the right field line to extend the inning before Tyrina Jones drove both runners in with an RBI double.

Despite the ’Cats’ swift effort to claw back from the two-run deficit, Lindsey’s leadoff triple in the fifth inning followed by Robinson’s

RBI single were not enough to complete the full-scale comeback.

“We were just too passive at the plate today,” Drohan said.

NU stranded nine runners on base and didn’t record a single extra base hit in the defeat.

Drohan’s squad wasted no time getting on the board in Sunday’s decisive game. Robinson and Nader opened the matchup with consecutive doubles to plate the team’s first run before it had recorded an out.

NU’s lead was short-lived as the Boilermakers surged ahead by two runs, powered by an RBI double in the second inning and an additional run in the third before Zedak equalized the score with a sixth-inning two-run homer.

In a prolonged stalemate, the game extended into extra innings before the ’Cats seized control with a four-run surge in the top of the ninth, fueled by Lindsey and Nader’s RBI singles and a Purdue error allowing Robinson to reach base.

Freshman pitcher Renae Cunningham made her third start of the season Sunday, pitching three innings and allowing three runs on four hits before Miller took over for the remaining six innings in relief and earned the 7-3 victory.

Following its successful stint in Indiana, NU will travel to Cornhusker territory for its penultimate series at Nebraska next weekend.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Henry Frieman

Graduate student pitcher Ashley Miller winds up for a pitch. Miller pitched in all three games at Purdue, earning two wins and her fifth complete-game shutout of the season.