The Daily Northwestern — April 22, 2021

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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, April 22, 2021

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Act may require Asian American curriculum

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Community reacts to Chauvin verdict Despite conviction, local organizers say more work is needed

BY MOLLY LUBBERS and ALEX PERRY the daily northwestern @mollylubbers, @whoisalexperry

Content warning: This story contains mentions of police violence.

Waverly Long/Daily Senior Staffer

Rev. Michael Nabors of Second Baptist Church, the main organizer of the vigil, speaks about remembering the Black men, women and children who have been killed by police. Nabors emphasized the number of trials in which justice has not been served and urged the community to continue the fight for justice.

Residents honor George Floyd

At interfaith vigil, community leaders call for further anti-racist action

BY WAVERLY LONG daily senior staffer @waverly_long

Over 60 Evanston residents gathered to honor George Floyd and affirm the work of the Black Lives Matter movement at a vigil Wednesday evening, a day after the conviction of former Minneapolis

police officer Derek Chauvin.

The gathering, held at the Downtown Evanston Farmers’ Market, was sponsored by numerous churches and synagogues, alongside the city and Northwestern.

Rev. Michael Nabors of Second Baptist Church, the main organizer of the event, honored the lives of the Black men, women and

children who have been killed by police, emphasizing in his speech the number of trials in which justice has not been served.

He then read a statement written by a Northwestern Ph.D. student, who stressed that though the verdict of the Chauvin trial was just, the result isn’t indicative of systemic change.

“The police state that is naming

Chauvin guilty is the same police state that killed George Floyd,” Nabors read. “We have to sit with the fact that the contours of antiBlack power actually requires these occasional breaks and movements of justice in order to keep the very wheels of anti-Black power turning.”

» See INTERFAITH VIGIL, page 6

Evanston and Northwestern community members continue to grieve George Floyd following Tuesday’s conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

For many, this verdict is not enough.

Before local activist Darlene Cannon heard Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, she said she expected him to be found innocent — not because he wasn’t guilty, but because she thought the system would protect him.

“I was happy there was accountability, but saddened that George Floyd lost his life. His daughter has to grow up without a father,” she said. “Black people live in fear.

People just want to be free, and we just want to live.”

Weinberg freshman Zai Dawodu also said she didn’t expect Chauvin to be found guilty on all three charges. When she heard the news on social media, Dawodu said

she started crying.

“It was a step in the right direction — like a little bit of hope that maybe America can become better,” Dawodu said. “We don’t have to have cops killing people and if cops do kill people and maybe we can get some justice for it.”

Despite the jury’s verdict, Cannon said Chauvin’s conviction won’t prevent further police violence.

Just before the verdict was read, a police officer shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio. With every killing, Cannon said Black people have to live and relive trauma.

“The current system that we have in place, obviously, is not working,” Cannon said. “We have to reimagine what safety means, and most importantly who gets to be safe, and who doesn’t, who gets to go home alive, and who doesn’t.”

McCormick freshman Nick Baird said while he likes to think reform is possible, the lack of change in the past year is pushing him to believe abolition is necessary.

Baird said he hopes the verdict impacts police forces to “see their flaws and try to address them.”

An Evanston Fight for Black Lives organizer, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, said for justice to be realized, police and prisons need to be abolished and replaced with life-giving institutions.

» See REACTION, page 6

Council may cut Pandemic changes affect admissions Board of Ethics Test-optional policies, virtual accessibility cause record low admit rate Replacement to be voted on at April 26 council meeting

BY JACOB FULTON daily senior staffer @jacobnfulton

City Council is slated to vote on a proposal to eliminate Evanston’s current Board of Ethics on April 26.

Currently, the Board of

Ethics, which reports to the Rules Committee, serves as the accountability body for the city’s elected officials and consists of five residents appointed by the mayor. Under the proposal, the board would be eliminated entirely, and instead be replaced by a Special Counsel, which the mayor would appoint and City Council would approve.

The Special Counsel would

» See RULES, page 6

BY DIEGO RAMOS-BECHARA the daily northwestern @d_ramos42

Waiting for her March 26 admissions decision from Northwestern, Sofía Meléndez said she felt two emotions –– anxiety and excitement.

Once her phone buzzed with an email notification, Meléndez said she mustered all her courage and opened the decision letter, letting out a joyful scream when she saw she was admitted into the

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class of 2025.

“That entire day had just been a complete build-up of anxiety,” Meléndez said. “So when I saw that decision, my first instinct was to cry and call all my friends. I was so overwhelmed.”

NU admissions have always been competitive, and the pandemic only heightened this difficulty. The University saw its lowest acceptance rate in history this year, admitting just 6.8 percent of the 47,633 first-year applicants this

» See SELECTIVITY, page 6

Daily file graphic by Carly Schulman

Northwestern’s acceptance rate fell to 6.8 percent this year, the lowest in University history.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

AROUND TOWN

Act may mandate Asian American history curriculum

By YIMING FU the daily northwestern @yimingfuu

Samantha Fajardo, a first-generation Filipino American and a freshman at Oakton Community College, remembers flipping through her sixth grade social studies textbook and seeing a small paragraph titled “The American Influence in the Philippines.”

“I got so excited,” Fajardo said. “I went home, I told my grandma. She’s like, ‘Oh! I didn’t know you guys were learning about that!’

And then I sat there for the next two years not learning about it.”

Because her textbooks barely covered Filipino American history, Fajardo said she felt like she didn’t “deserve” to learn about people who looked like her. But that could change soon for children across the state from similar backgrounds. In an effort to incorporate more representative curricula throughout the state, the Illinois House of Representatives passed the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act Wednesday, legislation which would require one unit of Asian American history to be taught in all Illinois K-12 public schools.

If the bill — which is co-sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) — passes the Senate, Illinois will become the first state to require the teaching of Asian American history in public schools.

Gong-Gershowitz said the TEAACH Act is important because White-centric history textbooks often make Asian Americans invisible.

“Most people are ignorant about the contributions of Asian Americans to our shared history,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “And it’s time for that to change.”

Asian Americans are the fastest growing population in the United States. In Illinois, the APIDA population increased by 64 percent from 2000 to 2018, and Asian Americans currently make up 5.8 percent of the state’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Illustration by Meher Yeda

If the Illinois Senate passes the TEAACH Act, the state will become the first in the country to require the teaching of Asian American history in public schools.

Gong-Gershowitz, who grew up in Illinois public schools, said her stories were missing from the curriculum. She said she didn’t learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act, which allowed for the deportation of and discrimination against her grandparents until law school.

Albert Chan, a social studies and Asian American studies teacher at Niles North High School in Skokie, said the lack of Asian American representation in school courses leads nonAsian students to fall back on stereotypes about their Asian and Asian American peers. Additionally, this limited education causes Asian

and Asian American students to reject their identity to fit into the dominant White culture.

“We’re constantly told that we have no value as Asian people because we don’t have representation anywhere — in media, in positions of power, or in our textbooks in school,” Chan said.

During her freshman year of high school, Fajardo experienced this firsthand. She said throughout that year, she had an “identity crisis” and was bullied for her interests and culture.

As a result, Fajardo stopped caring about

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school work and her grades dropped. In an effort to fit in, she changed her hair, clothes and music taste.

“I would put a clip on my nose at night to get rid of the flatness,” she said, “I even used skin whitening products that were Asian brands, which I regret.”

Fajardo went to Niles North, a few miles away from Evanston. In her senior year, she took Chan’s Asian American studies class, one of the only high school Asian American studies courses in the country.

Fajardo said the class was like “an epiphany moment” that reignited her passions. She said she made a playlist with Asian and Pacific Islander artists — which she listened to every day — and made a presentation about sexual assault towards the Asian community that she presented to her class.

“I was so invested in that class that I would take every opportunity Mr. Chang gave us and go even further,” Fajardo said. “I use my voice outside of school to stand with the Asian community.”

A challenge in implementing Asian American history into curriculums moving forward, Chan said, is determining which events and groups Illinois teachers will cover in their classes.

Asian American history is an extremely broad term, and Asia has about 50 countries, which presents a diversity of experiences impossible to condense into one unit.

Overall, Chan said the bill will provide the groundwork for Asian American studies to be taught in schools. From there, he said he hopes more Asian American and ethnic studies courses will emerge.

Fajardo said the TEAACH Act is a small step towards a more inclusive education system.

“I hope by the time I have kids and they’re in high school, there’ll be more,” Fajardo said.

“There’ll be Asian history, there’ll be Latinx history, Black history. There’ll be Indigenous history. And that’s why I think like this TEAACH Act is so important to everyone.” yimingfu2024@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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ON CAMPUS

Group calls for support of grad students

By YUNKYO KIM daily senior staffer @yunkyomoonk

For the past year, graduate students have met with University administrators to demand Northwestern prioritize students with marginalized identities. The administration has largely responded with hesitancy, according to some students.

Sarah Peko-Spicer, an organizer of CoalitionNU and Ph.D. candidate, said the collective has demanded inclusive healthcare, increased funding for affinity spaces and other support systems after a year of pandemic mobilization and appeals to the University.

“I personally am rethinking if this is an effective pathway to be working down,” she said.

“Are we just wasting everyone’s time sitting in these meetings?”

Still, Peko-Spicer said she hopes a projected return to campus may rejuvenate organizers after a difficult year where the graduate students’ academic and life responsibilities were exacerbated, particularly for caregiving students and those of marginalized identities.

In Fall 2019, members of The Graduate School affinity groups began meeting to consider collective action after sharing frustrations with leadership, forming CoalitionNU. One of their efforts resulted in an anonymous March letter to administrators, calling for the removal of Teresa Woodruff, former TGS dean. They also urged University leadership to prioritize the wellbeing of students of marginalized identities through funding, space provision, childcare and more.

“TGS is responsible for cultivating an accessible and equitable environment that values diverse backgrounds,” the letter stated. “Under Dean Woodruff ’s leadership, TGS has fallen short of these goals and, in so doing, has harmed the underrepresented communities they have pledged to support.”

Since then, at least one demand has been realized — Woodruff left Northwestern at the

end of the 2019-20 academic year. The group has since held regular meetings with Interim Graduate School Dean Kelly Mayo, PekoSpicer said.

CoalitionNU’s demands have largely stayed the same since the pandemic began, PekoSpicer said.

Peko-Spicer emphasized that the coalition prioritizes advocating for University support of Indigenous graduate students, like by designating an outdoor space in the Chicago Campus for land-based spiritual practices.

In addition, the University has failed to prioritize mental health of graduate students, Peko-Spicer said. Along with advocating for inclusive insurance coverage, CoalitionNU is still pushing for the hiring of more mental health counselors for the Graduate School community and expanding the list of referrals to therapists. The group has also been trying to internally prioritize the well-being of its members in the last year.

Ph.D. candidate Erique Zhang said the coalition’s demands shifted to include police abolition and supporting NU Community Not Cops and undergraduate activist organizations.

Many of the coalition’s members helped draft a June 2020 petition calling for the abolition of University and Evanston police and for investment in life-giving practices for Black students, they said.

“I do actually think a lot of the organizing has shifted to focus on abolition,” Zhang said.

I think that’s good… at this point, that’s where our priorities are lying.”

Ph.D. candidate Andrew Hull, unity committee chair and former co-chair of Northwestern University Graduate Workers, said the group often collaborates with the coalition.

Many NUGW and CoalitionNU members overlap. Both are united in their goals, Hull said, and NUGW has incorporated the collective’s demands into its own letters to the University. “(Coalition work) puts fantastic pressure on the administration itself,” Hull said. “I think just as importantly, it reveals to other graduate

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CoalitionNU’s demands have largely stayed the same since the pandemic began. It has also shifted focus to abolition work.

workers just how much power we have when we work together.“ Their collaboration also shows that graduate students are not alone in their struggles, Hull added.

CoalitionNU’s organizers have a lot of responsibilities beyond the collective that contribute to these struggles, Peko-Spicer said.

The group’s organizers are currently writing dissertations, looking for jobs and completing other graduate tasks.

Still, Peko-Spicer said she is able to see that CoalitionNU is really a collaborative effort.

Through organizing in the past year, she saw other activist groups on campus share visions of what the University could become. This convergence, she said, showed her the power of collective organizing.

“One of our organizations on its own is something that the University can fight and stop,” Peko-Spicer said. “But when we continue to build out and build up together, I think that’s going to be an unstoppable force.” yunkyokim2022@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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Woojae Julia Song for Block Club Chicago/CatchLight Local Chicago

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From left: Hugo Espino uses his phone, Oliveros Espino prepares a plate behind the counter and a single customer eats inside the restaurant on January 29, 2021. The song on the radio and the sound of the customer eating are the only sounds in the room.

Alum’s photo series captures immigrant restaurants

By LAYA NEELAKANDAN

daily senior staffer @laya_neel

Multimedia storyteller Woojae Julia Song (Medill ‘19) has always been interested in the food scene in her Uptown Chicago neighborhood. As a result, when COVID-19 hit, she immediately saw the beginnings of a story.

“The (Uptown) restaurants really reflect the broader community, and once the pandemic started, it was pretty clear early on that local restaurants and small businesses were being impacted pretty directly,” Song said. “And we’ve seen communities of color and immigrant communities face additional challenges.”

As a fellow with CatchLight Local Chicago — an initiative that supports Chicago-based journalists — Song partnered with a local newsroom, Block Club Chicago, to work on a long-term project.

Inspired by the restaurants she frequented and Block Club’s local focus, Song decided to profile three immigrant-owned restaurants: Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House, Tasting India and Phở Loan.

Over the course of a few months, Song developed relationships with the restaurant owners and captured their lives through her camera lens. Song said it was important for her photos to show the owners in their work environment.

“I wanted to make it clear that for most of the pandemic, these chefs and owners have been working in places that are usually bustling, and now they’ve been empty and quiet,” she said. “That sense of quiet and emptiness is something I wanted to convey for people who saw the photos.”

When crafting her photos, Song thought about the size of the restaurants, the food they served and the aspects of the business most important to the owners. She said it was important to tell nuanced stories of these immigrant restaurant owners because of the varying reasons they entered the industry, whether out of necessity or because of a career dream.

However, Song emphasized that the three restaurants she profiled are not representative of the entire immigrant experience. She said there are over 70 small businesses in Uptown that are immigrant-owned or BlPOC-owned, and they all have their own unique stories.

“It really takes time to build these relationships,” Song said. “Speed in journalism is something that gets emphasized a lot, but for me, I’m grateful to have had the time to work on the project and make a difference.”

Jasmine Sheth, owner of Tasting India — one of the restaurants Song profiled — said the project’s focus on diversity appealed to her.

Sheth added that having someone in the room taking pictures of her while she was preparing food made her more aware of her own cooking process.

“I tend to be in my zone when I’m cooking and prepping, so having her around was interesting because it gave me a different perspective of how other people view my process and my food,” Sheth said. “She brought a lot of excitement for the food and cuisine.”

Although she hasn’t yet seen all of the photos, Sheth said her favorites were the portraits of her, where she stands with one hand on her hip as the sunlight beams down on her. Sheth said Song had a specific vision for the photoshoot, which created a comfortable flow for the afternoon.

Song’s editor, Max Herman, said Song already had the concept of the project in mind when she started the CatchLight fellowship. The two would periodically check in, Herman said, to review the pictures and discuss new ways to visually represent the restaurants.

For example, Herman had been to Golden House before and spoke with Song about how to best capture the way the neighborhood favorite adapted to the pandemic. “(The photos) bring out a feeling of nostalgia — it’s a real preservation of days past and the classic diner that has stood the test of time,” Herman said. “It was about bringing out the character of these places.” Herman also said although Song is a multimedia journalist who “does a little bit of everything,” this project especially showcased her visual storytelling talent.

This project allowed Song to dive into both

reporting and photography, since she did most of the interviewing herself, Herman said. But as compared to her previous fellowships, this particular one was more visually-based.

“This really helped prove to her that she’s more than capable of creating these neighborhood-based visually-driven stories,” Herman said. “It was a true multimedia experience, but also a visually-minded experience.”

Her photos and captions are currently on display outside the 3rd Space at 4956 N. Sheridan Road through April 27.

The exhibition will showcase the pictures on windows, Song said, with short captions in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to make it as accessible as possible. She said there will also be an in-person event on April 24 for people to try food from the profiled restaurants.

Ultimately, Song hopes the exhibition will resonate with people who view her pictures and educate them about the realities of some immigrantowned businesses.

“I really wanted to create a space where people can look at the photos and read the stories at a slower pace,” Song said. “I’m hoping that people see the stories and see that each person has a different experience.” laya@u.northwestern.edu

Levy talks finding personal voice, importance of identity

By DIEGO RAMOS-BECHARA

the daily northwestern @d_ramos42

Everyone has a story, but attendees of a Wednesday night School of Communication event learned how to use theirs to make an impact.

In an event titled “Your Story is Your Superpower,” Nikki Levy (Communication RTVF ’99) taught audience members how to break down their “origin stories” and use them to channel their unique voices.

“You have to appreciate yourself — otherwise, it doesn’t matter,” Levy said. “Nobody’s going to appreciate your writing if you don’t appreciate your unique voice.”

Levy is the host and creator of the podcast “Don’t Tell My Mother!” which invites celebrities to tell true stories they would not want their mothers to know.

Levy most recently served as the head of scripted content for DreamWorksTV at NBC Universal.

The event consisted of a showing of a TED Talk and a roundtable discussion. The talk, which opened the evening, featured Andrew Stanton, the filmmaker behind films like “WALL-E” and “Toy Story.”

At the beginning of the clip, Stanton spends the first few minutes elaborating on an extended metaphor –– which one would assume might lead to a thought-provoking discussion about the ingenuity of humanity’s ability to build houses and develop infrastructure, Levy said.

Courtesy of the Office of External Programs, Internships and Career Services

The poster promoting the event “Your Story is Your Superpower” featuring alumna Nikki Levy (Communication RTVF ‘99). In the event, Levy helped attendees find their “creative voice.”

But as the metaphor is about to reach its conclusion, Stanton pulls back and makes a punchline, revealing that the extended metaphor was a joke in disguise.

“We think he’s going to say this important thing, and then he makes that joke,” Levy said. “He has created intimacy with the whole TED audience, which makes us like him even more by the time he says his joke. That’s the beauty of finding and capitalizing on

your creative voice.”

Levy said it’s important to understand and appreciate the choices, circumstances and aspirations that make someone who they are since together they formulate one’s identity and strengthen writing skill, which she says is excellent for anyone who wants to work in marketing or create pitches.

The key to discovering students’ creative voices

is assessing their “logline,” Levy said, which includes their interests, career aspirations, demographics and uniqueness.

In the roundtable discussion, Levy then proceeded to attempt to help audience members “discover their own voices,” asking students one-by-one questions about their future. She began with graduate student Eboni Bryant-Rodgers.

“I like to do work that helps people in some way or helps to evoke some type of emotion,” Bryant said. “I want to do something that helps somebody else.”

Levy dug into Bryant’s answer and learned that her reasoning for saying this derived from love stemming from the caretaking of her younger sibling. Levy then made the connection between the two and called it Bryant’s “logline.”

Multiple audience members got the chance to experience this, as Levy encouraged them to reflect on their lives thus far and to dig out the roots of “what makes you ‘you.’ ” Graduate student Rebekah Sigman, another attendee, said she wasn’t sure what to expect going into the event, but she said she enjoyed it.

“I’ll attend any event that includes ‘storytelling’ in the description,” Sigman said. “While I was not expecting to find my creative voice tonight, I will say I’m leaving this event knowing and appreciating a lot more about myself.” diegoramos-bechara2024@u.northwestern.edu

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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Immersive FRIENDS exhibit returns to Chicago

By MELINA CHALKIA

the daily northwestern @chalkiamelina

“I’ll be there for you…” and now “Friends” will be there for Chicago, too.

After its successful launch in 2020, The FRIENDS Experience has reopened its doors to the Chicago area, offering an exclusive and interactive peek into the lives of everyone’s favorite friends.

The immersive exhibit, located at 540 N. Michigan Ave., offers 12 immersive set recreations from the hit 90s sitcom — including Central Perk, Monica and Rachel’s apartment, Joey and Chandler’s apartment and the stairwell from the iconic Pivot scene. The exhibit also showcases original costumes, props and scripts signed by the entire cast.

The exhibit was first installed in 2019 in New York City and Boston to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, according to senior creative director Terry McMahon. Due to its success, the experience expanded to Chicago and is projected to reach other cities and countries in the future, he said.

The FRIENDS Experience was produced by entertainment company Superfly X, a spin-off from its comedy festivals, which includes set recreations as a way to celebrate various comedy TV shows. Jonathan Mayers, founder and CEO of Superfly X, said the team was encouraged to create the “Friends” pop-up after seeing the comedy festivals gain traction.

Mayers said the team put their attention to detail to create an immersive experience

Melina Chalkia/The Daily Northwestern

“I KNOW!” The “Friends” set has arrived in Chicago to give everyone an immersive peek into the world of the popular sitcom.

for visitors. The experience is unique, he said, because it moves away from the traditional museum exhibit structure.

“We have fans come through The FRIENDS Experience and get emotional,” Mayers said.

“We all have these engagements and emotional connections with the space and people in these shows, because you are inviting them into your

home.”

The whole experience lasts about 45 minutes and can be enjoyed either individually, in a group of 15 people or as a private access tour, Mayers said.

As part of the production process, McMahon, senior creative director, said he had to know every small detail of “Friends” and choose the most

iconic pieces of the show, such as the opening fountain scene and the Central Perk hangouts between the six friends.

“It was a lot of figuring out what sets and what moments we wanted to highlight,” McMahon said. “We tried to bring all these sets into life, which was very fun because it’s never bad when your homework is to watch TV.” McMahon said he is particularly proud of the Lego recreation of the Central Perk, in which visitors “mesh” the nostalgia of watching “Friends” and playing with Legos as a child.

Monica Saenz De Viteri, who visited the event with her daughter, said she recommends it to all those who grew up with the show in addition to the next generation of “Friends” viewers.

“The staff was super friendly and helpful and the set-up was amazing,” De Viteri said. “I truly enjoyed the experience.”

For Patricia Popichak, looking at the iconic purple door from Monica and Rachel’s apartment gave her goosebumps. She enjoyed seeing the apartments and the coffee shop “where all the magic happened.”

Popichak fell in love with the dynamic of the group in the show because the characters were relatable and “stood the test of time together.” At the time, she said she was too young to understand the depth of the characters.

“The most interesting fact was the amount of coffee this crew drank — (Lisa Kudrow) apparently had the most,” Popichak said. “At the final place we visited, Central Perk, we grabbed a couple of coffees and sat (down), appreciating just how much joy this set brought to us.” melinachalkia2023@u.northwestern.edu

Porchlight performance highlights NU alums, new actors

By OLIVIA ALEXANDER

the daily northwestern @oliviagalex

Evanston stage director and vocal coach Brianna Borger said she was “trepidatious going into casting” for Porchlight Music Theatre’s latest performance.

“I was like, I don’t know if we’re going to find anyone who can do some of these pieces,” Borger, who directed the show, said. “We need some really specific people.”

But then, two recent Northwestern alumni sent in their audition videos.

Chloe Howard (Communication ‘19) and Clare Kennedy (Communication ‘20) performed in “New Faces Sing Broadway 1961,” which is available for streaming now through May 16. The virtual concert is part of a Porchlight series which highlights specific years in Broadway history, featuring actors new to Chicago or to equity theater as a whole.

The host, who is always played by an established Chicago actor, guides the audience through the performance and intersperses pieces of Broadway history between musical numbers. The show’s

music comes from musicals released that year.

“1961 was really fun,” Borger said. “It contained some of my favorite shows and music (like) ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ and ‘Camelot,’ some really wonderful scores that have stood the test of time.”

Borger said “New Faces” is unique because audiences are exposed to songs that have “fallen by the wayside.” In a typical “New Faces” concert, she said viewers will often recognize up to half of the songs, but many are from shows that didn’t run for long, or have a large following.

One featured musical is “Showgirl,” a onewoman show originally performed by Carol Channing. Howard said the form of a one-woman show has become less popular in recent years.

“That’s such a cool thing — there aren’t a ton of shows like that anymore,” Howard said.

“It just speaks to the way that the industry has morphed.”

In the concert, Howard also performs “Our Language of Love,” a duet from the musical “Irma La Douce” alongside another new face, Abraham Shaw. The two both received individual coaching from Borger on Zoom, but their first time working together in-person was during filming day itself.

Shaw said he appreciated the opportunity to

work in-person during the pandemic, but still acknowledged its challenges.

“It’s not the same type of connection as you know, you can’t feel the person and you’re not in front of them in-person, but there still was a kind of connection,” Shaw said. “It was really cool to be in-person and do that again.”

For Kennedy, “New Faces” is the first theatre opportunity she’s had since graduating from Northwestern in June 2020. She said the performance helps young actors like herself break into the performance industry.

Additionally, Kennedy said the opportunity is a solution to what she calls a “performance drought” caused by the pandemic. She said she hopes people who watch it will see that performers are still “at it” in Chicago and are ready to return to the theater just as much as the audience members are.

“People are so hungry for entertainment and theater and arts that we’ve all just kind of adjusted and accepted that this is how it is for now,” Kennedy said. “Even though it’s in this format, we still have to create, in spite of everything else that’s going on.” oliviaalexander2024@u.northwestern.edu

Courtesy of Brianna Borger

Promotional photo for “New Faces Sing Broadway 1961.” The cast features actors new to Chicago and equity theater.

Molitor highlights APIDA artwork in Evanston

By LAYA NEELAKANDAN

daily senior staffer @laya_neel

Photo courtesy of Melissa Raman Molitor

One of Molitor’s pieces entitled “Offering,” made on papyrus. Molitor is a local artist, art therapist, community activist and educator who recently launched the Kitchen Table Stories Project to center the voices and stories of the APIDA community.

Local artist, educator, community activist and art therapist Melissa Raman Molitor recognized there was no collective artistic space for the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American community in Evanston — so she decided to create one.

“The ultimate goal is to create collective power through art and to claim space in the community using stories and cultural wisdom,” Molitor said. “The purpose of the project is to center voices and stories of the local Asian and Pacific Islander diasporas.”

Her Kitchen Table Stories project showcases work by the APIDA community in Evanston and surrounding areas, giving them a sense of space and belonging. The project will launch on a virtual platform, but Molitor said there will be an exhibition next summer featuring artwork of all mediums by APIDA artists.

Molitor said her work stems from her own experiences of finding her identity. As the daughter of Filipino and Indian immigrants, she said she has had to navigate her hyphenated identity as a first-generation American.

“I am really interested in how we can use art to explore the search for identity in displaced spaces,” Molitor said. “My personal artwork connects to issues of colonialism, displacement, immigration, discrimination and racism.”

As someone who is a “perpetual foreigner,” Molitor said she wants to claim space that is generational so her children can build upon those roots as well — an

idea that aligns with the mission of a nonprofit she founded called Kids Create Change. The nonprofit centers young people’s voices and promotes self-advocacy and activism through art.

Drawing from all of these experiences, Molitor said she decided last year to create Kitchen Table Stories, especially after the spike in anti-Asian racism once the pandemic began.

“There’s been an evolution of racism that has existed with regards to the pandemic, especially the increase in racism against Asians in America,” Molitor said.

Angela Lyonsmith, her colleague at the School of the Art Institute Chicago, said she admires Molitor’s passion for everything she does.

“It’s so important that she’s making these connections for (the APIDA community to) gather and nourish each other,” Lyonsmith said. “She’s an amazing artist… she’s a powerhouse.”

Lyonsmith also emphasized that Molitor had started working on Kitchen Table Stories for a year, before the recent string of anti-Asian hate crimes.

Jimmy Bulosan, another colleague of Molitor’s at SAIC, echoed Lyonsmith’s sentiments. He said the creation of a collective space for the APIDA community in the Evanston area is “long overdue.”

“She’s essentially creating spaces for forgotten people of society,” Bulosan said. “As a fellow Filipino, to see that in action and to see that come to life the way that she’s done it is one of those things that just falls in line with the fact that representation matters.”

Bulosan said he also admires Molitor’s ability to balance her many talents and titles while being a practicing mixed media artist at the same time. He said Molitor

understands what art can do for people, especially if they’re struggling.

As Kitchen Table Stories continues to grow, Molitor hopes to further develop it to also include resources for the APIDA community. The Evanston Art Center recently awarded her the Curatorial Fellowship to expand upon the project. She said she wants the project to be ongoing, so there is a sense of permanence in the space she’s creating.

“I’m interested in the stories and the voices and the artwork that we traditionally find in the margins or that are not centered as the dominant narrative,” Molitor said. “Art as a method of healing justice is really the underlying foundation for this project.” laya@u.northwestern.edu

arts & entertainment Editor Laya Neelakandan Assistant Editors Diego Ramos-Bechara Olivia Alexander Designer Meher Yeda Staff Melina Chalkia

6 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

RULES

INTERFAITH VIGIL

have specific legal training and be familiar with the city’s Code of Ethics, but ethics investigations would still be based on resident-filed complaints, similar to the current Board of Ethics. Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) said at an April 12 Rules Committee meeting where the issue was discussed that she supported the proposal, and said the benefits of a Special Counsel are twofold.

“One of the problems that we’ve run into over the years is sometimes not having a quorum at the Board of Ethics or not having every seat full,” Wynne said. “In this instance, we always have an administrative hearing officer there.”

Wynne also said the appointment of a Special Counsel may address impartiality issues. The board’s current five-person structure means an individual opinion can’t decide the outcome of a case. But the board’s residency requirement may affect its members’ perceptions of elected officials, and therefore their rulings — a requirement that wouldn’t be in place for the Special Counsel and could consequently result in a more unbiased perspective.

Some residents, including Evanston resident Misty Witenberg, expressed concerns with the amended accountability process. Witenberg, who ran for city clerk in the municipal elections, said she was worried the change could concentrate too much influence in the Special Counsel role, and asked committee members to vote against the proposal.

According to the proposal, the replacement stems from a surplus of ethics complaints, which have caused board delays and cost Evanston tens of thousands of dollars, despite less than half of the complaints receiving hearings and only two resulting in judgements against elected officials. However, Witenberg also expressed concerns about the potential price tag of a Special Counsel.

“We’re now going to be paying Special Counsel to do what the board mostly used to do,” Witenberg said. “They did it for free. So if we’re talking $30,000 a pop, that seems like a lot of unnecessary spending.”

The ordinance will be one of the last issues the current City Council will vote on, as the April 26 meeting will be its last.

Ald. Don Wilson (4th), who won’t return to the dais in May, said the proposal could offer a more efficient way to handle ethics concerns the city may face.

“The Board of Ethics, despite a valiant effort, over an extended period of time really had a lot of difficulty in getting through their work,” Wilson said. “I respect that there are concerns but despite those concerns, I think that people are going to find that this is going to be a much more satisfactory way of addressing this.”

After recognizing those who fought for justice following the death of George Floyd, Rev. Eileen Wiviott of the Evanston Unitarian Church said there is still a lot more to do.

She emphasized the need to reimagine the meaning of community safety, urging the community to find nonviolent solutions.

“We know that we need to reimagine restorative justice as an alternative to punishment and death,” Wiviott said. “We know that we must commit ourselves today and every day to dismantling white supremacy, systemic racism and criminal injustice in every form, so that we can all be freed.”

Mayor-elect Daniel Biss’ said the community has a “sacred responsibility” to not only come together and mourn, but to continue to push for change. He emphasized that the verdict does not signify the end

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From page 1

fulton@u.northwestern.edu

SELECTIVITY From page 1

year.

NU isn’t the only institution that’s seen a recordlow acceptance rate. Yale University and Duke University reported significant drops this admissions cycle, with the leading cause being a rise in applications, according to The Washington Post.

NU’s acceptance rates actually increased from 2018-19 to 2019-20, a trend reversed in this year’s cycle. What caused this increase in selectivity? Many signs point to test-optional policies.

Liz Kinsley, director of undergraduate admissions, said the rise in applications was partly due to NU’s test-optional policy. Still, she said it was not the only cause.

Kinsley said financial barriers that often prevent students from engaging with and touring NU

REACTION From page 1

The need for continual action Last Sunday, EFBL and NU Community Not Cops led a protest to honor the lives of Adam Toledo and Daunte Wright and advocate for the abolition of police.

The EFBL organizer said she has noticed a difference in the number of people involved right after Floyd’s death compared to now. In comparison to EFBL’s protest last May, which drew a much larger crowd, The Daily reported about 700 people marched last Sunday.

“People will feel like this (verdict) was justice, and therefore there’s no more work to be done, and not recognize that it shouldn’t take another death for people to feel moved enough to start chiming in and doing the work, especially White people,” she said. “This death, every death before this, should be enough anger to hold on to, enough motivation to say this can’t happen again.”

of the fight for justice.

“It’s really critical that we establish in our shared understanding that what occurred yesterday was not the solution, but a step that calls upon us to enact the solution,” Biss told The Daily.

Biss said Evanston’s public safety system currently focuses on guns, chases and tactics. He said it’s crucial for the city to build humanistic solutions rather than deploying violence.

Evanston Police Chief Demitrous Cook said he wants the Evanston Police Department to take a community-oriented approach and “understand the values in the different communities.”

Moving forward, Nabors said he hopes Evanston leaders will collaborate to dismantle systemic racism.

Nabors told The Daily he feels local leaders’ willingness to come together and work through issues is something that makes Evanston unique.

According to Nabors, a committee representing 40 sectors in Evanston — including NU and the Evanston

Community Foundation — has been meeting weekly throughout the pandemic to develop strategies to fight COVID-19. He said leaders should take a similar, sustained approach to fighting racism.

“I think that we have struck gold (by forming this committee),” Nabors told The Daily. “Using that as a catalyst for transformation and change to begin to tear down some of these issues that continue to plague Evanston — that’s gonna be beautiful.”

Looking forward, Pastor Rosalind Henderson of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church urged the community to work toward creating a more just society.

“It is my prayer that the walls containing division, racism, bitterness and hatred will be crumbled by the floodwaters of unity, peace and love for all mankind,” Henderson said. “In addition, let us get practical recognition (of) the injustice of the past by building a future based on equality and social justice.”

in-person were reduced as the University had no choice but to reach out to prospective students virtually.

“The lower admit rate was a function of our larger applicant pool,” Kinsley said. “In addition to our testoptional policy, another new factor in the admissions landscape this cycle was our digital programming.”

Bridgette Adu-Wadier, a QuestBridge Scholar with a full scholarship, said the University’s online programming made engaging with the NU community very accessible.

Adu-Wadier said she did not submit SAT scores and had reservations about standardized testing. Raw scores don’t make up the aggregate of a student and are therefore an “inadequate” way of determining a candidate’s qualifications, she added.

“Even when I was studying for the test, I just felt like it was pointless. I felt jaded about it,” Adu-Wadier said. “It’s a flawed metric. There’s more to me than just

a few numbers.”

Meléndez said she was fortunate enough to take the SAT three times, while Adu-Wadier’s exam was cancelled three times.

Wadier said her criticisms of standardized testing build on existing arguments that they should not be used in the admissions process, citing data indicating inherent bias favoring affluent, White and Asian American students.

Northwestern has yet to comment on whether they’ll continue their test-optional policy beyond the most recent application cycle, but Meléndez said it should. “(Standardized testing) only advantages the wealthy White people who can afford preparation,” Meléndez said. “It’s not indicative of your actual ability to succeed in the future.”

Dawodu said she’s heard people call George Floyd’s death an “awakening” — but as a Black person, she’s always been aware of police violence. Dawodu was also frustrated by people who had been silent for months, but suddenly posted something about the verdict.

The EFBL organizer also said some of the reactions to Floyd’s death are disrespectful, including when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanked Floyd for “sacrificing” his life for justice.

“It takes the burden off of the fact that he was literally murdered by people,” the EFBL organizer said. “That also makes it seem like this was something Black people aspire to do, as if like, ‘I hope one day I get killed by the police so that my name is remembered forever.’ I don’t ever want to be a hashtag.”

police,” she said. “Because when we call the police, we kind of set the tone for the police officer in his mindset, as to how he’s going to be reacting to that person.”

The EFBL organizer said members of the Evanston community need to educate themselves, as well as give their time and physical presence to help.

Cannon shared similar sentiments, and said people need to come together, be angry and get involved to continue to push for systemic change.

But while community members look toward the work that still needs to be done, there is above all a feeling of loss.

“Today’s not a day of rejoice,” Cannon said.

“I’m sad. I’m very sad because we saw the life leave George Floyd’s body right in front of us, and we saw that man kneel on his neck with no remorse…

Change is the thing that I hope and pray for, for this country.”

Looking forward

Betty Ester, president and co-founder of the Citizens’ Network of Protection, said it’s important people understand alternatives to calling the police.

“We need to think about why we are calling the

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ASG discusses removing guaranteed PHA, IFC seats

By JOSHUA PERRY daily senior staffer @joshdperry

Associated Student Government discussed a constitutional amendment to abolish guaranteed Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association Senate seats during a Wednesday meeting.

The amendment, authored by PHA Senator and Weinberg junior Pamela Chen and co-sponsored by 14 ASG members, addressed the movement to abolish IFC and PHA at Northwestern.

“With the (Abolish NU Greek life) movement that happened this past year, Greek life is on the decline at Northwestern — as it should be,” Chen said. “It perpetuates White supremacy on campus, heteronormativity and sexism.”

The passage of the amendment would effectively remove Chen’s Senate seat. Still, she said she proposed it to oppose systemic racism and intolerance she sees at the heart of Greek life’s influence on campus.

The amendment would level the playing field in ASG, removing the guaranteed privilege granted to IFC and PHA through constitutionally-assured Senate seats, Chen said. Under the amendment, the two Greek life governing bodies would still have the right to represent themselves at the Senate, but they would have to apply for a Senate seat like other student groups do.

Daily file illustration by Emma Ruck

Associated Student Government introduced an amendment to abolish Greek life Senate seats and formally established the Policy Research Committee Chair.

ASG will vote on the amendment during next week’s session. “(I wanted to) reject and dismantle the structural power that White Greek life councils have in ASG and make it so that if they want Senate seats, they have to

apply for them like normal student groups, and they don’t have a constitutional provision that guarantees it to them,” Chen said.

Additionally, senators voted on legislation to officially establish the Policy Research Committee and

Policy Research Chair position on ASG’s executive board, which has been led by Weinberg junior Margot Bartol in a trial state for the past year.

The committee serves to bring forth a nuanced analysis of student issues recommended by other committee chairs, the legislation stated. It will provide recommendations for action and communicate research findings to University administrators.

The legislation was passed with all but two Senate votes. Bartol expressed gratitude towards the members of the Policy Research Committee and the members of the Senate for supporting the new addition to the executive board.

“I’m really proud of my committee, they did an amazing job,” Bartol said. “I feel very legitimized.”

ASG President Juan Zuniga said making the Policy Research Committee part of ASG’s formal structure was a step in the right direction.

The committee brings a more human lens to the way ASG addresses student issues and helps strengthen its approach to finding solutions, he said.

“There’s a very clear connection to how we can, as ASG, use research to go and actually influence our policy, especially by not necessarily just relying so much on data,” Zuniga said, “but just figuring out a way to make sure that we’re capturing students’ perspectives, especially those who have not necessarily been in the room all the time.” joshuaperry2023@u.northwestern.edu

Election results finalized, seating four new aldermen

By DELANEY NELSON daily senior staffer @delaneygnelson

Final election results confirm that City Council will have four new aldermen sitting on the dais this May. Newcomers Clare Kelly, Jonathan Nieuwsma, Bobby Burns and Devon Reid will all fill seats in the 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th Wards, respectively.

After a highly contested aldermanic race in the 1st Ward, challenger Clare Kelly defeated three-term incumbent Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) by a margin of 26 votes, according to Cook County election results.

Illinois State Board of Elections campaign finance

reports indicate Kelly raised nearly twice as much as Fiske throughout the race, and spent about 35 percent more than the incumbent.

Kelly is a long-time activist and Evanston Township High School teacher running for the first time.

She campaigned for the city to take more aggressive action on issues of racial equity, affordable housing and town-gown relations. She was endorsed by the Organization for Positive Action & Leadership, the Community Alliance for Better Government, Reclaim Evanston and Evanston Fight for Black Lives.

The 1st Ward race was one of the most contested throughout the election cycle and was too close to call on the day of the election. In February, Local activists criticized a Fiske campaign newsletter, saying the

newsletter’s “Civility Matters” paragraph contained coded racism targeting local activists.

Just over a week before the general election, political committee Evanston Together LLC sent out mailers endorsing Fiske and other incumbent candidates.

In the 2nd Ward race, Ald. Peter Braithwaite (2nd) will keep his position, having won over 52 percent of the vote and leading challenger Darlene Cannon by 71 votes.

Longtime climate organizer Jonathan Nieuwsma defeated community volunteer and small business advocate Diane Goldring in the 4th Ward race, and will fill the seat of Ald. Don Wilson (4th), who was ousted in the February primaries.

Community organizer and political consultant

Bobby Burns won the 5th Ward aldermanic race, beating gun control activist Carolyn Murray by 274 votes.

Burns will succeed Ald. Robin Rue Simmons, who did not run for reelection.

In the 8th Ward, current City Clerk Devon Reid won just over 51 percent of the vote, defeating Ridgeville Park District Commissioner Matthew Mitchell, who conceded the race days after the general election.

In addition to Braithwaite, these newcomers will join four incumbent aldermen on the dais in May, as Alds. Melissa Wynne (3rd), Tom Suffredin (6th), Eleanor Revelle (7th) and Cicely Fleming (9th), all won re-election to their seats.

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MOVING ON

Northwestern defeats Rutgers, advances to Big Ten semifinals

By SKYE SWANN the daily northwestern @sswann301

Daily file photo by Kelsey Carroll

No. 3 Northwestern defeated No. 6 Rutgers 2-1 Wednesday to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

“We just needed to come out today, start strong, and we did,” coach Tracey Fuchs said. “(Rutgers) is a great team and they tied it up, but we just kept playing.”

Following two upsets from the Scarlet Knights (9-6, 5-4 Big Ten) in the regular season, coach Tracey Fuchs said the team “played great hockey” on Wednesday to end the losing streak.

NU’s offense came out with high intensity. The Cats penetrated the defensive zone to earn three corners, and the last one was the lucky charm.

Redshirt senior forward/midfielder Lakin Barry tipped the ball into the cage to give NU a 1-0 lead.

The Cats slowed down in the next fifteen minutes, taking only one shot in comparison to the four from the previous quarter. The Scarlet Knights

SOFTBALL

capitalized and freshman forward Bridy Molyneaux soon tied the game at one.

NU opened up the second half with a goal from redshirt sophomore Bente Baekers, giving the Cats the 2-1 lead they’d keep for the rest of the game.

The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week scored her reverse shot — and fifth goal in four games — off Rutgers senior goalie Gianna Glatz.

The Cats’ defense was put to the test when freshman midfielder Katie Jones sat out with a green card, giving the Scarlet Knights a man-up opportunity.

But freshman goalie Annabel Skubisz rose to the occasion, blocking the Scarlet’s Knights three corner attempts.

“Our corner defense was amazing today,” Fuchs said. “That was the difference in the game.”

Skubisz stepped up by totalling three saves and blocking all seven penalty corner attempts. Fuchs said the Houston native has gained “a lot of experience” this season filling in for injured senior goalie Florien Marcussen.

Sophomore midfielder Alia Marshall was another critical player to the Cats’ strong defensive performance.

She held the tight box formation in each of the Scarlet Knights’ seven

corners to clear the ball outside of the arc around the cage.

Marshall said the backline felt the pressure in the second half, but stuck to their game.

“We knew that if we had the ball then (Rutgers) couldn’t score,” Marshall said. “On defense we wanted to keep marking tightly and keep good pressure on the ball.”

NU will face seventh seed Ohio State Thursday night in the semifinals of the tournament. To increase their chances of victory, Fuchs said the Cats need to capitalize on the scoring zone, especially since Rutgers outshot them 10-6 on Wednesday.

Despite sweeping the Buckeyes 2-0 in the regular season, Fuchs said the team has “its work cut out for them” with Ohio State Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Mackenzie Allessie, adding that she thinks Thursday’s game will be a good matchup.

“We just have to go out and play our game,” Fuchs said of the semifinal matchup. “We didn’t have a great second half so we just want to improve every game.” skyeswann2024@u.northwestern.edu

LACROSSE

Wildcats win three of Cats end perfect regular season four against Hawkeyes

By NATHAN ANSELL the daily northwestern @nathanjansell

Extra-base hits. A late comeback.

A grand slam. And a once-in-alifetime pitching performance. Last weekend, Northwestern’s series with Iowa had it all.

Strong performances from the mound and from behind the plate powered the Wildcats (21-7, 21-7 Big Ten) to three wins against the Hawkeyes (15-13, 15-13 Big Ten) this weekend, keeping NU at third place in the Big Ten. It all started on Friday, when junior pitcher Danielle Williams became the first NU pitcher since 2005 to throw a perfect game. She needed just 90 pitches to retire 21 Hawkeye batters.

Williams credited her teammates’ great defense in helping her achieve the fifth perfect game in Cats history. “(My teammates) played outstanding,” Williams said. “I knew I could trust them the entire time.”

NU’s offense was electric as well on Friday. Graduate utility player Morgan Newport homered, junior catcher Jordyn Rudd went 3-for-4 from the plate and senior second baseman Rachel Lewis was a double away from hitting for the cycle.

Lewis led the team with seven hits over the weekend.

“It’s her mentality,” coach Kate Drohan said. “She takes one on the chin, her chin’s split open, she puts a little piece of tape on it, she gets back on the field, no problem. That’s the kind of mentality we need leading our program.”

In the first of Saturday’s games, Iowa recorded a five-run first inning, eventually extending their lead to 7-1. But NU didn’t give in.

The Cats responded with eight runs in two innings, including back-to-back home r uns from junior shortstop Maeve Nelson and sophomore left fielder Angela

Zedak. Williams pitched two more perfect innings to earn the save, striking out five Hawkeyes for a 9-7 win.

“We looked at it one run at a time, one at-bat at a time, one pitch at a time,” said Zedak, who had four extra-base hits during the series.

“Break it down, make it smaller, try to score one run an inning. Soon enough, we were in front.”

The evening contest was a defensive battle at first, but the Cats broke the game open with consecutive runscoring hits from Newport, Nelson, Zedak and sophomore pitcher Sydney Supple. Iowa’s defensive miscues in the sixth inning led to three more runs for NU, who would go on to claim a third straight victory by a score of 7-4.

Williams’ career streak of 28.2 scoreless innings against the Hawkeyes ended in the sixth inning, at which point Supple took over on the mound.

“In true Danielle Williams fashion, she just does whatever the team needs her to do,” Drohan said. “Each weekend, she’s gotten tougher and tougher.”

The final game was a different story. Iowa’s Lindy Milkowski hit a grand slam in the first inning, and the Hawkeyes never relinquished the lead. Although Zedak homered for the second time in the series, the Cats only managed six hits, losing 5-2.

Even though NU couldn’t complete the sweep, the Cats rebounded from last weekend’s four losses against Minnesota. Zedak attributed part of the Cats’ success to mental toughness.

“The Minnesota series was definitely disappointing… but you can’t bring that into future games,” Zedak said. “It was like, ‘It happened. It sucked. It’s over, move on, focus on Iowa, go get the weekend.’ And that’s what we did.” nathanansell2022@u.northwestern.edu

By CHARLOTTE VARNES the daily northwestern @charvarnes11

In 2009, Pixar released “Up,” Microsoft just launched Windows 7 and “Viva La Vida” won Song of the Year at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

It was also the last time No. 2 Northwestern captured a perfect regular season campaign — one that culminated in a 23-0 record and a victory in the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship.

A lot has happened for Wildcats lacrosse since 2009. NU has notched two more national titles and won the first Big Ten Tournament title in program history in 2019. The Cats have also had a fair share of losses, barely finishing the season above .500 in 2016 and 2017. But through it all, NU never managed to finish the regular season undefeated — until now.

Behind six goals from junior attacker Izzy Scane and scores from seven other players, the Cats defeated Michigan 19-10 on Sunday to secure the team’s first perfect regular season since 2009.

“I’m really excited,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “That was our goal, to make it through the regular season undefeated. I think we did it, and we did it in a really dominant fashion.”

Scane agreed with her coach’s sentiment, saying the perfect record was what NU hoped for heading into the season and that the team looks to maintain the mark during the postseason. She added that the accomplishment displays how the team’s commitment to practice during quarantine and the fall paid off.

NU has reached new heights in 2021, leading the nation in scoring offense with an average of 20.6 goals per game. The Cats dominate many NCAA statistical categories, ranking first nationally in draw controls per game and points per game, second in scoring margin and fourth in assists per game.

Kelsey Carroll/The Daily Northwestern

Izzy Scane drives toward goal against Michigan. Scane, the nation’s top scorer, notched six goals against Michigan on Sunday.

Aside from team statistics, several NU players are attracting national attention. Scane, graduate student attacker Lindsey McKone, senior attacker Lauren Gilbert, graduate student attacker Sammy Mueller and senior defender Ally Palermo all were placed on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List — an honor given to the top player in college lacrosse.

Scane in particular has established herself as a frontrunner for the award, as she leads the nation in goals scored and goals per game, breaking NU’s single-game goal record in the process. She has also been named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week five out of seven weeks this season, in addition to being named the US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Player of the Week once.

Scane said her teammates have played a big part in her success this season, especially when it comes to recognition from the Tewaaraton and other award committees.

“As much as you can look at my points and goals and assists, you

have to give as much credit to the girls who are making draw controls, caused turnovers, cutters,” Scane said. “That’s definitely what I focus on — just thanking my teammates for the stuff they do every day.”

Scane is backed up by a number of other strong attackers and midfielders. Gilbert is fifth in the country for goals scored, with 50 on the season. In total, the Cats have six players who have notched 15 or more goals in 2021.

Even while NU has enjoyed a successful season, their wins have come during conference-only play, meaning some may find it difficult to compare their successes to teams in other conferences. Despite this, the Cats are certain they can survive and thrive in the postseason.

“We’re going to bring it every day,” Mueller said. “This team is good, and while we do have a Big Ten-only schedule, we are going to prepare every game like it’s our last and we’re going to come out firing.” charlottevarnes2024@u.northwestern.edu