The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, May 2, 2017
DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 8 SPORTS/Men’s Golf
Find us online @thedailynu
3 CAMPUS/Speakers
Crisis reporter Jason Motlagh talks career, desire for adventure abroad
NU starts slow in Big Ten Championships
4 OPINION/Letter to the Editor
Questions linger after Ramzan crew accident
High 51 Low 39
Racially charged fliers reported Fliers falsely attributed to black student groups By MARIANA ALFARO
daily senior staffer @marianaa_alfaro
Fliers denouncing relationships between black and white people, reportedly seen on campus Friday, falsely listed five black student organizations as its creators. The fliers said black people who date white people are “alt-right” and that such relationships “will not be tolerated.” None of the groups listed as its authors said they had any part in creating the posters. The poster falsely listed the African Students Association, the Alliance of African Scholars, the National Association of Black Journalists, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and FMO as its authors. Cheron Mims, outgoing coordinator of For Members Only, NU’s black student alliance and one of the five groups mentioned in the poster, said the groups did not create the poster and do not condone its statements. “ We support people regardless of who they
NU football player arrested, suspended
Northwestern defensive end Xavier Washington has been suspended indefinitely from the football team after being arrested Sunday, a University
choose to date or whatever they choose to engage in, that’s not our focus,” she said. “Our focus is on building community … and this flier is an attack on our ability to do so.” Mims said her group was made aware of the poster Friday. She filed a complaint to University Police but had not heard back on any leads or updates on the case as of Monday morning. Though Mims said she has not personally seen one of the fliers on campus, friends and community members concerned by the fliers’ contents reached out to her. UP communications officer Carl King deferred comment to University spokesman Bob Rowley. Rowley told The Daily in an email that the posters have been removed since posting signs of campus is reserved for members of the Northwestern community. Rowley said the beliefs expressed in the flier “are in direct contradiction” of NU’s values of inclusion and community. “(NU) is also committed to the principles of free inquiry and free expression, which are central to the mission of the University,” he said. “Incidents of hate and » See FLIER, page 6 spokesman said in a statement. Washington was arrested in connection with possession of a controlled substance early Sunday morning near the intersection of Brown Avenue and Simpson Street, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said. Dugan said officers were called to a disturbance in the
Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer
The McCormick Foundation Center lobby. The Medill School of Journalism will no longer be reviewed by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Medill pulls out of accreditation
Journalism school decides not to renew status with review council By MARIANA ALFARO
daily senior staffer @marianaa_alfaro
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is not reapplying for accreditation 1900 block of Foster Street at about 3:30 a.m. Washington fled on foot, and was stopped by officers who found 0.5 grams of cocaine on his person, Dugan said. Washington was charged with one felony count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance. The University is currently
under the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, an international organization that evaluates journalism programs in colleges and universities. Medill Dean Brad Hamm told The Daily the school’s administrators no longer agreed with the
investigating the matter, the statement said. Athletic department spokesman Paul Kennedy deferred comment to the University. Washington is a consistent starter for the Wildcats. The Texas native is a Communication junior.. — Ben Pope
Author Zadie Smith to speak at NU By ALLYSON CHIU
daily senior staffer @_allysonchiu
Award-winning author Zadie Smith will speak at Northwestern on May 11, the Contemporary Thought Speakers Series announced Monday. Smith will be joined by African studies and comparative literature Prof. Michelle Wright in Ryan Auditorium for a conversation followed by a Q&A session with students. Smith’s novel “White Teeth,” published in 2000, won multiple literary awards and was named one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923-2005 by Time. Smith was also named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People
in 2006. CTSS co-chair Samantha Rose, a Communication senior, said members of the group are “really big fans of Zadie” and had been wanting to bring another author to campus. CTSS polled NU students after inviting Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Smith’s name was one of the names that kept appearing in responses, Rose said. Rose said Smith’s novels –– which focus on issues including race, class, gender, sexuality and immigrant experiences –– will resonate with an audience because “she’s writing about things people care about.” The topics Smith focuses on in her books as well as her » See CTSS, page 6
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
Source: Zadie Smith on Facebook
Author Zadie Smith. Smith will be speaking at Northwestern May 11 as part of an event hosted by Contemporary Thought Speakers Series.
terms imposed by the accrediting organization. Hamm said in a statement that the move was motivated by concerns regarding ACEJMC’s leadership, transparency, and the strength and expediency of its review process. The University of California, Berkeley also decided to not reapply for
accreditation this year, Hamm said. “By not continuing to be a part of this group, we’re saying that we’re very hopeful that all schools have a better model going forward because we have a great » See MEDILL, page 6
Transgender locker room policy passes School board votes to let transgender students choose By RYAN WANGMAN
the daily northwestern @ryanwangman
The Evanston Township High School/District 202 board voted six to one at a meeting Monday to pass a policy that will allow transgender students to use the locker room of their choice. The policy, which was introduced last month, was crafted after the Board Policy Committee decided it needed language to better support its gender discrimination policy. ETHS superintendent Eric Witherspoon commended the board for taking “a huge step forward” at Monday’s meeting in front of more than 50 students and parents. “I hope you understand that this board just made history,” Witherspoon said. “These are people who have put in place statements and policy about honoring transgender students
in a way that no other district that we know of in the state has (done).” During the meeting, audience members held up homemade posters and typed-up signs urging board members to vote for the policy. A multicolored sign distributed at the door by a student read “Vote Tonight For Equity.” Previously, transgender students could use the bathroom of their choice at ETHS but had to request access to a separate locker room. Students, teachers and administrators who spoke to The Daily last fall, however, shared different interpretations of those procedures, and none could point to any public documentation. Board member Gretchen Livingston, who voted for the policy, said the board had an obligation to “do better” for its students. She said transgender students having to use a separate locker room was a problem that required the board to take another look at its policies and procedures. “Simply put, we do not » See D202, page 6
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8