The Daily Northwestern - May 2nd, 2024

The Daily Northwestern

3 CAMPUS/Context

As NU reaches agreement, other universities see mixed results

Encampment agreement brings tensions down on campus amid division

By SAMANTA HABASHY daily senior staffer @habashysam

Five days after student demonstrators started a pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow, Northwestern Divestment Coalition representatives and University officials reached an agreement Monday. In the agreement, the University promised additional support for Muslim, Middle Eastern North African and Palestinian students and faculty — in addition to more transparency about its investments — in exchange for the removal of all but one of the tents on the lawn and the removal of non-NU-affiliated individuals from events.

Organizers will continue to demonstrate on the Meadow through June 1, as outlined in the agreement.

“This agreement was forged by the hard work of students and faculty working closely with members of the administration to help ensure that the violence and escalation we have seen elsewhere does not happen here at Northwestern,” University President Michael Schill, Provost Kathleen Hagerty and Vice President for Student Affairs Susan Davis said in a Monday message to the NU community.

While some hailed the agreement as a historic win for student activists, negotiators on both sides of the bargaining table have attracted criticism for offering concessions to reach a compromise.

» See REACTION, page 6

4 OPINION/Demonstration History

e encampment agreement is a “remarkable achievement,” columnist Martha Biondi writes

AGREEMENT REACHED

VIDEO/Agreement

Hear from organizers about the agreement

Students strike, rally at e Rock

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators push for divestment on May Day

By JERRY WU

senior staffer

Demonstrators staged a May Day strike Wednesday, calling on students and teachers to abstain from a ending class and show solidarity with Palestine and divestment e orts. Around 9 a.m., about 50 students gathered at e Rock to rally while handing out iers to oncoming passersby that read “No grades. No class. No nals. Strike for Gaza on May 1.” Others painted e Rock with an image of the Palestinian ag, and the crowd chanted phrases including “From the River to the Sea, we will all be free” and “When Palestine is under a ack, when Columbia is under a ack, leave your class and don’t go back.” e strike comes a er an agreement reached on Monday between the Northwestern Divestment Coalition and the University to deescalate the ve-day encampment set up by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on Deering Meadow. It also follows the resignation of seven

members of the President’s Advisory Commi ee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate. Demonstrators held daylong informal programming, from singing and learning Yiddish resistance songs to culminating in a no-tent “sleepover” on Deering Meadow. During the midday gathering, protesters sang a song featuring the lyrics “occupy Northwestern, we shall not be moved.”

University representatives later arrived on scene and handed out le ers notifying demonstrators they were in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct. e le er, from the O ce of Community Standards, explained that students failed to comply with the requests or instructions of a University o cial or emergency personnel and were in violation of the Interim Policy for Student Demonstrations. Some NU Jewish students have described experiencing mixed feelings, including discomfort and safety concerns, during the deescalated demonstration.

University spokesperson Eliza Larson told e Daily in a statement that some faculty

University representatives arrived at

members were also noti ed that holding class at any protests, proposing alternate assignments or canceling classes can be exclusionary or discriminatory. ose actions could justify a grade appeal or a complaint to

out letters to

the O ce of Civil Rights, the message added.

The spokesperson also pointed to the interim demonstration policy that reads “on

Seven members of Advisory Commi ee on Antisemitism step down

By JACOB WENDLER daily senior staffer @jacob_wendler

Seven members of the President’s Advisory Commi ee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate stepped down from the commi ee Wednesday, e ective immediately.

A le er addressed to University President Michael Schill cited Schill’s decision not to consult the committee on the agreement reached Monday between administrators and the organizers of the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow.

“It is essential that the University develop appropriate and timely recommendations to address and prevent antisemitism and hate,” the members wrote in the le er obtained by e Daily. “However, in light of the University leadership’s decision not to utilize the commi ee for its stated purpose, we can no longer continue to serve in this role.”

In the agreement, Northwestern committed to reestablish the now inactive Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility and answer questions from “internal stakeholders” about the University’s nancial holdings. It also agreed to “provide and renovate a house for MENA/Muslim students” on campus and allow demonstrations to continue protests on Deering Meadow through June 1. In exchange, demonstrators agreed to take down all tents except one and only use approved devices to project or amplify sound.

» See COMMITTEE , page 6

ree plainti s sue Northwestern

Breach of contract suit cites “dystopic cesspool of hate”

By NICOLE MARKUS and JACOB WENDLER daily senior staffers @nicolejmarkus / @jacob_wendler

Three plaintiffs brought a breach of contract lawsuit against Northwestern Wednesday, citing a “dystopic cesspool of hate” present at the proPalestinian encampment on Deering Meadow.

The lawsuit — brought by two graduate students and one first-year undergraduate student at NU — alleges that NU breached a “modest core promise” to students when it opted to allow the encampment to continue throughout the weekend despite demonstration policies stating such encampments are prohibited.

“Northwestern’s refusal to enforce its own policies is thus a breach of contract, in addition to being a total embarrassment to the broader Northwestern community,”

the lawsuit reads. The lawsuit, filed in the Cook County Circuit Court, alleges the University allowed the encampment to become “increasingly hostile to Jews” and that “the encampment featured open support for Hamas.” The plaintiffs seek class certification for Jewish students at NU who did not participate in the encampment. It cited images of the proPalestinian encampment on Deering Meadow and an image of an individual wearing a hoodie that depicted Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida, alleging the individual “barked at passersby demanding they state whether they speak Hebrew.” It also included photos of signs at the encampment, one depicting a Star of David with a red slash through it and another showing University President Michael Schill donning devil horns, an antisemitic trope that harkens back to medieval-era “blood libel”

» See LAWSUIT, page 6

Sonya Dymova/The Daily Northwestern

The Rock to hand

demonstrators that said they were in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct.

Jacob Wendler/The Daily Northwestern

Per the agreement, just one “Medical Tent” — consisting of several connected white canopy tents — remains on Deering Meadow as of Thursday morning.

Community split on RLTO amendment proposals

By LILY OGBURN daily senior staffer @lilyogburn

Leading up to City Council’s vote on changes to Evanston’s residential landlord and tenant ordinance, city residents are split on the amendments’ impact.

Evanston’s Housing and Community Development Committee recommended 13 amendments aiming to improve the city’s RLTO and better align the ordinance with rules in Cook County at its April 16 meeting. The amendments include requirements for housing providers to disclose utility costs and shorter lease renewal notice times for tenants.

Political Science Prof. Chloe Thurston, a member of the HCDC, said she is “pretty happy” with the proposed amendments because they address issues raised by residents in public comment over the past year.

Thurston said one of the most important amendments is a limitation on late fees, which would restrict housing providers from charging more than $50 or 5% of rent for late rent payments, whichever is lower. She added that Evanston previously imposed no limit on the amount housing providers could charge for late fees.

“Evanston has a pretty big affordability problem right now,” she said. “Renters are paying a pretty large share of their monthly income to rent, so having high late fees can add to their burden.”

Thurston said housing providers raised significant concerns about the amendment to lease renewal notices despite it being one of the more “tenant friendly” changes. According to an April 16 city memorandum to HCDC, the proposed amendment would “limit the time that tenants can be required to respond to a lease renewal to 30 days before lease expiration.”

Currently, housing providers typically arrange leases 60 to 70 days in advance, according to Aron Bornstein, an Evanston housing provider.

“Tenants would get more time to decide

whether they want to stay or explore other options,” Thurston said. “Landlords voiced concerns that this could increase the length of time their units stay vacant in between tenants.”

Daniel Schermerhorn, president of Schermerhorn & Co. Property Management, said the lease renewal notice amendment will have a “huge impact” on the Northwestern student population. Schermerhorn said most NU students secure off-campus housing several months in advance, which would become difficult if

housing providers are unaware of which tenants are moving out until 30 days before they leave.

He also said the change could impact renters beyond NU students. Schermerhorn said the amendment will speed up the housing search and moving process to a 30-day cycle, in addition to increasing the demand for housing. He added that the amendment will drive up prices in an already expensive Evanston market.

“We’re not really sure what (the City’s) trying to achieve or what they’re trying to improve, but this doesn’t seem like an improvement,” he

said.

Bornstein said while he believes the changes are “well-intentioned,” he agrees with Schermerhorn that the student housing market will be impacted dramatically by the amendments.

The amendments, combined with penalties housing providers could face if they fail to meet the new standards, would drive small and medium-sized housing providers out of Evanston due to potential price increases, he said.

“A small-time landlord that gets hit with that type of penalty is going to look to exit the market,” he said. “We’re really hoping that the City Council will bite into it and act more rationally in terms of these penalties.”

Dominic Voz, the director of fair housing at Open Communities, a fair housing agency, said the organization is in support of all 13 amendments.

Voz emphasized that limiting late fees is a necessary amendment.

“There’s this idea that (unlimited late fees) will motivate the tenants to be compliant to pay their rent on time,” Voz said. “Really, what we often see is that it exacerbates crisis situations, financial hardship and that it ends up becoming a punishment for poverty.”

Voz said there are more amendments needed in order to make Evanston a “leader” in fair housing for tenants.

Open Communities supported several proposed changes to the RLTO that were not agreed upon by the HCDC. This includes a just case eviction amendment, which would require housing providers to supply evidence of serious violations of rental agreements in order to justify evictions.

Voz said Open Communities will continue to advocate for just cause.

“We just see this as a big way to level the playing field between landlords and tenants, (and) provide tenants a mode of stability in their housing,” Voz said.

City Council will vote on these amendments in the coming months.

lilyogburn2026@u.northwestern.edu

Illustration by Lily Ogburn

As NU deescalates, other universities see mixed results

By DAVIS GIANGIULIO and LILY OGBURN daily senior staffers @giangiuliodavis / @lilyogburn

When Northwestern’s pro-Palestinian encampment started on Deering Meadow Thursday morning, it followed the stead of multiple other protests that had been ongoing at universities across the country.

But the resolution to the encampment — a deal between demonstrators and NU administration announced Monday — appears to be a first at a private university, according to an Instagram post by NU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.

While demonstrations continue on Deering Meadow — permitted until June 1 under the terms of the deal — the tents are mostly gone at NU. If demonstrators do not comply with University police, NU spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso said the response could face suspensions for students or disciplinary action for faculty.

“If non-affiliated individuals refuse to leave campus, Northwestern will take steps to have them removed from Deering Meadow,” she added.

Other campuses, many of which still have tents pitched, have seen rising tensions and police action this week whilst NU protesters and administration have deescalated the situation with no arrests.

In exchange for the demonstrators taking down all tents except one, the University promised to provide pathways for students to engage with the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees, including reestablishing an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility in the fall.

The committee could consider divestment proposals from University members. The University also promised to cover the cost of attendance for five Palestinian undergraduate students and committed to providing an “immediate temporary space for MENA/Muslim students,” with a permanent space in development.

Most notably, the University agreed to disclose to “internal stakeholders” its investments through its endowment funds. The concession by the University comes after years of demands from activists across multiple different student organizations for disclosure.

Hurd Anyaso told The Daily that “Internal stakeholders” includes current students, faculty, staff and

trustees.” She also said the ACIR “will provide a forum for ethical and social issues that may be raised by members of the Northwestern University community in connection with the management of the University’s endowment.”

The University has said students and faculty who break the agreement will face consequences such as suspension and disciplinary action, and protesters have promised to hold the administration accountable for its end of the bargain.

NU appears to be one of the first schools to have found an agreement with demonstrators. Other schools have reached agreements since NU did, still have encampments ongoing or have ended demonstrations through force.

At Columbia University, where student activists sparked nationwide solidarity protests and encampments, protests continued this week after negotiations between demonstrators and the university failed. The Columbia administration announced Monday after failing to come to an agreement with protesters that it would begin having dialogues with organizers to find solutions to the activists’ critiques.

Columbia said it offered to disclose to students the university’s direct investment holdings, make investments in Gaza’s health and education infrastructure and expedite the timeline for proposals to the Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing, which considers any divestment proposal.

Columbia protesters rejected the deal. They said the agreement didn’t address the university’s indirect investments, outline a path to amnesty for alreadydisciplined students or provide a strong-enough path toward divestment.

After the deal’s rejection, Columbia gave protesters a deadline of 2 p.m. on Monday to disperse from the encampment or face suspension. However, many protesters stayed, and have taken to occupying a campus building, Hamilton Hall. The building was also occupied in 1968 when anti-Vietnam War protesters entered its doors.

In response, the university closed several buildings on campus and threatened students who are occupying Hamilton Hall with expulsion.

On the other end of Manhattan, negotiations between New York University administration and demonstrators have reached a “standstill,” according

to NYU’s Palestine Solidarity Coalition. NYU spokesperson John Beckman told the coalition the university “is moving forward with disciplinary processes.” NYU’s encampment on the Greene Street Walkway is the second encampment on the campus, emerging after police swept demonstrators’ original encampment at the Gould Plaza and arrested 120 demonstrators.

NYU administration began negotiations with encampment organizers on Saturday, with student demands resembling those of organizers at NU and Columbia. The ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ is demanding that NYU disclose financial investments in “weapons manufacturers and companies with an interest in Israeli occupation,” shut down NYU’s Tel Aviv campus, offer protections for students and faculty penalized for protesting and disclose NYU’s relationship with the NYPD.

On Monday, Beckman said in a statement that no agreement was reached with organizers. Beckman’s statement said the university gave demonstrators the option to leave the new encampment without consequences, or the university would “move forward on conduct charges.” Demonstrators refused to leave the encampment without the university’s commitment to meeting all of their demands.

However, NYU PSC told Washington Square News that Beckman’s account of the negotiations was “misleading.” The group clarified that students never agreed to leave the encampment. “We will not leave until our demands are met, and nothing less,” the statement said.

There are also risks that come with achieving a deal. Some believe the NU administration has legitimized protesters who broke the University’s demonstration policy, which was amended Thursday morning. Others have criticized NU activists for accepting an agreement that lacks a commitment to divestment from Israel by the University.

Many elements of the deal between NU administrators and protesters resemble those other universities are offering demonstrators, including disclosure of investments and pipelines to review proposals for divestment. While NU activists accepted those terms, students at other universities are attempting to win more from their administrations.

Ultimately, the NU Divestment Coalition called the agreement a “first step,” with a hope that it “serves as the floor, not the ceiling.”

davisgiangiulio2025@u.northwestern.edu

lilyogburn2026@u,northwestern.edu

Aviva Bechky/The Daily Northwestern

Demonstrators began taking down tents on Monday after organizers reached an agreement with administrators.

OPINION

Biondi: The encampment agreement is a remarkable achievement

MARTHA BIONDI GUEST COLUMNIST

In 1968 and 1985, student demonstrators at universities across the United States made history. In both years, a nationwide mass uprising involving hundreds of thousands of students took over the front pages. Their actions were inspired by deep moral convictions against the war in Southeast Asia, against racial exclusion on campus and against apartheid in South Africa, especially U.S. support for apartheid.

The extraordinary bravery and commitment of students pushed this country in new and better directions.

- MARTHA BIONDI, Guest Columnist ”

In 1968, most Americans still supported the war in Vietnam and most opposed the creation of Black Studies departments. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan condemned Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress as terrorists. The extraordinary bravery and commitment of students pushed this country in new and better directions.

Young people were out front: sitting in, chanting, demanding, studying, marching and ultimately transforming American attitudes and policies on all of these issues. The protesters didn’t win every demand. On some campuses, especially those that experienced police raids, students felt bruised, betrayed and defeated. And yet, their witness and sacrifice

reverberated, accumulated and inspired.

Black students at Northwestern occupied the Bursar’s Office in May 1968 not long after police very aggressively ended a building occupation at Columbia University. Thankfully, in Evanston, cooler heads prevailed. NU was later hailed for taking student demands seriously and engaging in good faith negotiations. The students claimed an important victory — even though they didn’t get everything they wanted.

And one central demand — the creation of a Black Studies department — would continue to inspire administrative opposition and another round of student protest for a few more years. Crucial to remember is that agreements lock in gains, but they don’t prevent future action to hold the institution accountable.

At Columbia in 1985 — where I was one of the students blockading Hamilton Hall — the protest inspired scores of other student actions across the country. They demanded that Columbia divest the $32.5 million it invested in companies that did business with South Africa.

The Deering Meadow encampment for divestment and Palestinian freedom has sent a clear and powerful message.

- MARTHA BIONDI, Guest Columnist ”

It was extraordinary to be inside a history-making moment, and yet it was also extremely humbling to appreciate that we were one small corner of a global struggle for justice. The huge national wave of student protests — in conjunction with a host of other actions — helped pressure Congress to overturn Reagan’s veto of sanctions against South Africa in 1986. It was a rare and historic

moment of grassroots foreign policy making.

The Columbia blockade became iconic and is now regarded as one of the most important student protests of the divestment movement. But, ironically, the blockade ended without a commitment to divestment. The administration refused to budge. But the committee that was set up to look into things actually worked toward a major divestment of university funds from companies doing business in South Africa by the end of 1985.

Sometimes, movement outcomes that seem mixed or even disappointing in the moment can, with time, prove critical.

- MARTHA BIONDI, Guest Columnist ”

In these ways, 2024 looks a lot like 1968 and 1985. It’s part of a nationwide upsurge that’s saturated the media with issues and voices demanding to be on the front page.

The protests are grounded in deeply felt moral conviction. They show students using the leverage and stage they have to oppose both U.S. foreign policy and their institution’s complicity. The Deering Meadow encampment for divestment and Palestinian freedom has sent a clear and powerful message to our community, and to the world. As in years past, administrators have been under extreme pressure from many sides to engage in crackdowns, arrests and punitive acts. NU thankfully — again — opted for negotiations.

To the students who created the “Northwestern Liberated Zone” and the staff, faculty and community members who supported them, these earlier cases of student protest offer an important lesson: Sometimes, movement

outcomes that seem mixed or even disappointing in the moment can, with time, prove critical in achieving political change.

What some students in 1968 or 1985 regarded as painful concessions is now understood by historians as transformative gains. And this should hearten NU students who sacrificed so much for the encampment and may be disappointed that the agreement reached with the administration does not include all their demands.

While we didn’t win the moral and just demand of divestment, the agreement stands as a significant, even remarkable, achievement. Disclosure of investments — won through hard work and commitment on the ground — may become a first step toward divestment.

We have opened a window, reshaped relations, and begun a conversation.

- MARTHA BIONDI, Guest Columnist ”

In the United States, a society whose media and elected officials almost completely ignore Palestinian voices, rights, dignity and national aspirations, we have opened a window, reshaped relations and begun a conversation.

Martha Biondi is a professor in the Black Studies and History departments at Northwestern. She can be contacted at m-biondi@northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

Vishnick: NU has not done enough to combat antisemitism

As an alum of NU, to say that I’m extremely disappointed is a grave understatement. Instead of shuttering the vile and antisemitic hate speech the protesters have spewed, instead of acknowledging their incitement of violence toward Jews with slogans such as “Death to Israel” and “Free Palestine from the River to the Sea,” instead of educating them with real history — not revisionist history littered with falsehoods, which an esteemed institution like NU should be doing — administration chose to provide room for this to propagate.

To say that I’m extremely disappointed is a grave understatement.

-ALYSE VISHNICK, Guest Columnist ”

the University’s endowment, for the pursuit of academic advancement through research and for Jewish life on campus.

donated $402 million to the University, according to the DoE report published on October 13, 2023, and Northwestern received over $600 million in funding to establish a journalism branch in Doha in 2008.

Alyse Vishnick (WCAS ’99) is an NU alum. She can be contacted at CAS avishnick@gmail.com. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

The Daily Northwestern Volume 146, Issue 5

I understand that free speech should be protected, but what we’ve witnessed is hate speech.

- ALYSE VISHNICK, Guest Columnist ”

They chose to fold to the mob instead of standing up for what is right, though it may be unpopular. They even extended the liberty of participating in these protests to faculty and staff. I understand that free speech should be protected, but what we’ve witnessed is hate speech. Substitute another minority for Jews or Israel, and I believe the circumstance would be completely different.

I’m also sure this is obvious to most, but Jews are a small minority. It is difficult to combat racism with numbers. Introducing a forum for antisemites to voice their opposition to investing in and having partnerships with Israel will likely yield disastrous results for

One must question the motive. Why is Israel myopically focused on year after year for boycott, divestment and sanction? Why are the same antipathy and outrage not reserved and expressed for the Islamic Republic of Iran, China, Myanmar or Syria? These countries are egregious perpetrators of the abhorrent crimes of which Israel is accused. The motive is clear. This is pure and unadulterated antisemitism cloaked under a veil of anti-Zionism.

Ensuring all students’ physical safety should be paramount.

- ALYSE VISHNICK, Guest Columnist ”

Moreover, one must question why the University administration struck this conciliatory stance.

Could it be because NU receives a large amount of money from foreign donors, such as Qatar? Between 2001 and 2021, the Qataris

Ensuring all students... can freely use all of NU’s facilities should also be a priority.

- ALYSE VISHNICK, Guest Columnist ”

Or could it be because the administration fears alienating a larger group at the expense of a smaller one?

Regarding inclusivity, fully funding two Palestinian professors per year for two years and five Palestinian students for their undergraduate studies for the sake of diversity seems counter to upholding the values NU aims to foster.

Is NU going to oversee the curriculum and classes to ensure antisemitic tropes and misinformation about Israel are not being taught? After all, thoughtful education must be the solution to antisemitism.

Are Jews — who make up around 2% of the US population and less than 0.2% of the global population — afforded the same generous scholarships? Contrary to what is being peddled, not every Jew is white, wealthy and grew up with privilege.

Ensuring all students’ physical safety should be paramount. Ensuring all students, regardless of race, national origin, gender orientation and religion, can freely use all of NU’s facilities should also be a priority.

The question remains: What means does the administration plan to take to safeguard Jewish students’ rights, who are the targets of hate all too often? And what are the consequences for breaching the school code of conduct?

Editor

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Faculty express concerns over lack of NU transparency

By SAMANTHA POWERS & ISABEL SU daily senior staffers @sqpowers04 / @isabelsu_

University President Michael Schill addressed the University’s response to the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow at a biannual Faculty Assembly Monday afternoon.

After five days of demonstration, negotiators for the Northwestern Divestment Coalition came to an agreement with the University to end the encampment. NU agreed to permit protests — only by members of the campus community — on Deering Meadow through June 1.

In exchange, the NU Divestment Coalition, which organized the encampment, will commit to leaving only one aid tent on the lawn. Students will also use only pre-approved devices to project or amplify sound.

After a welcome statement from Chemistry Prof. Regan Thomson, the Senate’s president, Provost Kathleen Hagerty and Chief Financial Officer Mandy Distel provided an overview of the University’s budgeting process. The remarks were followed by comments from Schill and Hagerty on the campus climate.

“We were hoping to avoid the situation that happened at other schools, where there has just been a lot of violence and then there’s nothing to show for it,” Hagerty said. “We’ve made some progress and we’ll see, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

The Faculty Senate was not involved in drafting or approving the agreement, English Prof. and Faculty Senate committee member Barbara Newman said in a Monday morning email to faculty.

One of the commitments the University made in the agreement was to reestablish the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility, which was first introduced as an advisory body to the Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee in 2016 and has since become inactive.

At the Feb. 7 Faculty Senate meeting, Chief Investment Officer Amy Falls said she hoped to revive the committee and nominate faculty for three-year terms by this spring.

The previous iteration of the ACIR has considered divestment proposals before. In 2020, the committee recommended that the board consider a proposal from student group Fossil Free

NU calling for the University to divest from the top 100 coal, oil and gas companies. The board rejected the proposal.

Some faculty members expressed disappointment that the meeting wasn’t entirely dedicated to discussion of the encampment.

Thomson said he asked University leadership for the budgeting process overview to be moved to a future meeting, but his request was denied.

At Monday’s meeting, Schill focused on outlining the terms of the agreement.

“The health and safety of our students, our faculty and our staff, including our police officers, is, was and always will be our number one concern,” Schill said.

He added that he has made “unpopular” decisions in the past based on this same tenet, and he is prepared to do it again.

Schill discussed incidents of antisemitism on campus, including a sign found near the encampment depicting a Star of David with a red line through it and one that depicted Schill with devil

horns, an antisemitic trope that harkens back to medieval-era “blood libel” accusations against Jewish people.

He also acknowledged the pain that Muslim and Palestinian students at NU are feeling right now.

“They have lost friends, they have lost families in the war in Gaza, they are scared to walk the streets of Evanston and Chicago,” Schill said.

He added that he wants to “investigate and persecute hateful acts” and maintain a commitment to freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Schill left the assembly before the floor was opened to comment. Hagerty said she wouldn’t take any questions but welcomed statements.

“I think that it’s a bunch of bulls—t that you’re not answering any questions,” a faculty member who introduced herself as Lauren said to Hagerty. “To not be accountable to the people who are part of this Northwestern community, I think it is absolutely heinous.”

Other faculty expressed disappointment at the University administration’s lack of transparency in its negotiation process.

History Prof. Rajeev Kinra said Hagerty and Schill’s update to faculty was “deeply insulting.”

“I mean, it’s a slap in the face,” Kinra said. “They may well be negotiating in good faith with the students, but they have not been treating the situation in good faith or with any real degree of knowledge about the actual situation in Gaza.”

Schill said the University received support, including letters and official guidance, from faculty during the negotiation process.

He added that he and Hagerty looked forward to hearing the recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Free Expression and Institutional Speech that he established in February.

“I’m hoping that Northwestern can be a model for the rest of the nation to emulate,” Schill said. samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu isabelsu2027.1@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Victoria Benefield

At Monday’s previously scheduled Faculty Assembly meeting, Hagerty and Schill took time to discuss the “campus climate” in the wake of the encampment.

REACTION

From page 1

While negotiators from the NU Divestment Coalition ceded on demands for divestment from Israeli companies, administrators did not fully enforce the interim addendum to the student demonstration policy announced April 25, which prohibited the unauthorized use of tents.

“Michael Schill just released a statement providing tangible steps for divestment today,” an organizer said on Deering Meadow after the agreement was announced on Monday. “We have been working tirelessly to bring you this statement, that we are very proud of, and hope you guys can be proud of this milestone we made.”

An immediate reaction

After organizers announced the agreement Monday, two Palestinian students spoke at the Meadow. They said they were proud to “have a seat at a table that we’ve never had before.”

The organizers said Palestinian voices were centered consistently throughout the negotiations.

“Following the lead of Palestinian voices in our collective, we have fought for the demands of the Northwestern People’s Resolution for divestment,” one organizer said. “We have achieved the first step towards divestment, which is disclosure.”

Demonstrators’ original demands were outlined in a document titled the NU People’s Resolution, which demanded that the University divest and cut business ties with Israel.

But, in the hours after the agreement was announced, demonstrators turned to social media to express their disappointment about the deconstruction of the encampment. More than 200 comments were posted on the coalition’s two-part post about the agreement, with many voicing concerns about a lack of transparency from the negotiating committee and the fact that the agreement didn’t include full divestment.

A student protester told The Daily he was discouraged when he heard about the agreement, since NU did not agree to the demand for divestment.

“I’m disappointed because, going into the negotiations, you ideally have disclosure and divestment,” he said.

Organizers recognized the complaints when they addressed the crowd Monday, but stressed to demonstrators that the agreement did not represent the end of negotiations. They said the tents did not define the cause.

“It’s not about the tents; it’s about liberation for Palestine,” an organizer said. “The misconception is that the tents are our only leverage … but that’s where they’re wrong because our power is not in the tents, the tarps, or the piles of water bottles; it’s in us coming together.”

Palestinian students involved in NU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine released a statement Monday about the agreement. In it, they said they chose to negotiate because of the parameters provided by the University and because of a desire to avoid disciplinary action.

“We were compelled to act strategically to protect our fellow Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students from potential harm on campus — a responsibility we will always hold above all,” the statement read. “We ask for your trust in us, knowing that we, as Palestinian organizers, made the most informed and strategic decisions for the cause given the composition of our university.”

The Middle Eastern North African Student Association, the Muslim-cultural Student Association, Jewish Voice for Peace and FossilFree

NU released a joint statement in solidarity with the negotiators on Monday. MENA also released a separate statement supporting the NU Divestment Coalition’s decision.

Dan Murrieta, a member of JVP, said many of his peers felt there were several significant wins in the agreement. The University’s promise of a cultural center for Muslim and MENA students was one of great importance to him as a Jewish person still looking for a space aligned with anti-Zionism to practice his faith.

Within the negotiation, the University said it would reserve a permanent space for MENA and McSA students on campus, which is expected in 2026.

“The opportunity to have something like that is incredibly important for religious equality at Northwestern,” he said. ”For Muslim students to have this space, for Jewish students to have this space. Everyone deserves to be able to practice their faith here.”

Disappointment with negotiations

Other groups on campus expressed dissatisfaction with the University for engaging in negotiations, especially after some students said aspects of the encampment felt violating and antisemitic.

Wendy Khabie, a national co-chair for the Coalition Against Antisemitism at NU, said the organization is “very glad” the administration was able to avoid violence but that too much offensive behavior has gone unchecked.

“What happened during the course of the encampment was a public mockery of Jews,” Khabie said. “They assailed Zionists, they heckled and harassed Jewish students, and they hung posters that were reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s.”

Khabie said CAAN is frustrated the University did not enforce the interim addendum on its demonstration policy announced April 25, which prohibited the use of tents or amplified sound without approval. She said any progress CAAN has made with the University administration on fighting antisemitism has come to a “grinding halt” as a result of the agreement.

Other groups and individuals echoed their disappointment that the agreement did not include sanctions for antisemitic incidents reported to the University. NU Hillel released a statement condemning what it called NU’s tolerance of “virulent and intimidating” antisemitism on campus. In addition, seven members of the President’s Advisory Committee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate — including NU Hillel Executive Director Michael Simon and Kellogg Prof. Efraim Benmelech, one of the committee’s two co-chairs — stepped down Thursday due to internal disagreements and Schill’s decision not to consult the committee on the agreement.

Three students filed a lawsuit against Northwestern Wednesday for its response to the encampment, criticizing the lack of enforcement of the new demonstration policy.

Jewish groups including the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League — a non-profit known for its efforts in combating antisemitism — and the Jewish Federations for North America released statements criticizing the agreement.

In particular, the ADL called the agreement “reprehensible, dangerous” and an example of “failed” leadership.

“For days, protesters violated campus codes of conduct and policies, intentionally fanned the flames of hate and antisemitism, and wreaked havoc on campus life,” the ADL wrote in the statement. “Instead of holding the perpetrators accountable, the University rewarded them.”

The organization also downgraded NU from

COMMITTEE

From page 1

The letter also said the committee was not able to reach a consensus on a statement condemning recent antisemitism on campus.

The committee — announced in November — began its work in January and originally included 16 members, including faculty, students, trustees and administrators.

The letter was signed by Kellogg Prof. Efraim Benmelech — one of the committee’s two co-chairs — as well as Weinberg senior Lily Cohen, NU Hillel Executive Director Michael Simon, University trustee Paula Pretlow, Economics Prof. Martin Eichenbaum, History Prof. Daniel Greene and Feinberg Prof. Philip Greenland.

University spokesperson Jon Yates told The Daily the University was “disappointed” with the resignations, noting that “The University has no tolerance for antisemitic or anti-Muslim behavior” and that its “commitment to

LAWSUIT

From page 1

accusations against Jewish people.

The lawsuit quoted a video message released by Schill Tuesday evening in which he addressed the incidents of antisemitism, noting that the issue is “personal” to him.

“Rather than enforce its express and implied promises to Plaintiffs that Northwestern is a place of civility where free expression is governed by transparent, content-neutral codes of conduct, Northwestern twisted itself into a pretzel to accommodate the hostile and discriminatory encampment, legislate around it, and ultimately reward it,” the lawsuit reads.

In addition, the suit criticizes the agreement reached by administrators and encampment organizers on Monday which allowed demonstrations to continue on Deering Meadow through June 1 under University policies.

The University promised additional

MAY DAY

From page 1

weekdays, demonstrations at The Rock may not occur until after 3 p.m., when most classes in adjacent buildings have concluded.” Demonstrators were at The Rock in the morning, well before 3 p.m.

Participants returned to Deering Meadow on Wednesday evening to listen to political science Prof. Wendy Pearlman deliver a dialogue on Palestinian national mobilization and resistance.

She remarked that the student organization’s efforts were not coincidental, saying

a “D” to an “F” grade on its scale of “protecting against antisemitism” and called on Schill to resign in a joint statement with StandWithUs and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

Conversations to continue

The Evanston/Northshore NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said Monday that as open communication becomes more difficult, NU’s agreement represents something to be celebrated.

“The ability for the Northwestern administration to come to an agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters is newsworthy,” Evanston/ Northshore President Rev. Michael Nabors said in a statement to The Daily. “But more important is this; the administration and student protestors have found common ground. It happened because somehow, a door of communication was opened.”

Nabors said he was “heartened by this effort to reach common ground” as a faith leader in the Evanston community despite the fact that both sides would inevitably have criticisms of the agreement.

In a statement to The Daily, ACLU Illinois spokesperson Edwin Yohnka also praised the ability of negotiators to find a compromise without violence or escalation.

“The restraint and willingness to continue discussions make clear that dialogue and not confrontation is the appropriate response to free expression on our college campuses and elsewhere,” he said.

NU is the first university in the United States to reach such an agreement with demonstrators as encampments protesting the war in Gaza have grown violent across the nation.

News of encampments like NU’s have spread across the globe. The New York Times published an image of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza strip standing next to a sign that read “Thanks for your solidarity! Northwestern University.”

In the days since the agreement was announced, Palestinian students at NU have

protecting Jewish students, faculty and staff is unwavering.”

“We will continue to engage with all members of the Committee – including the members who have resigned – and other Jewish members of our community, to ensure the vital objectives of this Committee continue,” Yates wrote.

In a Wednesday afternoon message sent to the NU Hillel community, Simon explained his decision to resign from the committee, noting his belief that that “our University must be a place to live, learn, explore, and connect without fear, even and especially when we disagree with one another.”

“I accepted my appointment to the Committee last fall with the expectation that we would make a good-faith effort toward achieving these goals,” Simon wrote. “Over time, it has become apparent that the Committee is not able to do so.”

jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu

support for Muslim, Middle Eastern North African and Palestinian students and faculty in the agreement — in addition to more transparency about its investments — in exchange for the removal of all but one of the tents on the lawn and the removal of non-NU-affiliated individuals.

“By negotiating with and capitulating to the demonstrators, Northwestern explicitly acknowledged its own breaches, and actively invited future lawless activities by rewarding them,” the plaintiffs wrote in the lawsuit. “In other words, Northwestern’s entire course of action has all but guaranteed that these types of ‘encampments’ continue until all ‘demands’ are met.”

The University did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

nicolemarkus2025@u.northwestern.edu

jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu

“you’re not just a bunch of atomized individuals that all of a sudden come together.” Pearlman commended students’ efforts in organizing the more than 100-hour-long encampment on the Meadow.

“I’m proud and incredibly grateful and in awe of what you guys were able to do,” Pearlman said. “I think it’s great that you guys have a bit of space now to make this movement sustainable. If it ever comes to the point of doing an encampment again, you guys will be in that much of a stronger place.”

jerrywu2027@u.northwestern.edu

continued to emphasize that the agreement does not represent the end of their work, but rather the beginning.

“The agreement is an amazing step toward our end goal of divestment,” one Palestinian student organizer told The Daily. “Speaking as one of the Palestinian voices behind this, I have been emboldened and revitalized by the decision that was made, and I’m ready to keep pushing.”

The agreement also included a stipulation that “the University will engage students in a process dedicated to ensuring additional support for Jewish and Muslim students within Student Affairs/Religious & Spiritual Life.” Student organizers said the commitment could include the hiring of a new rabbi on campus, although University spokespersons did not comment on the proposal.

Weinberg junior Paz Baum, a student organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace, emphasized that the divestment coalition’s work is not yet finished. She said the agreement is one step of many that she and other students are prepared to make in pursuit of their original demands.

“Because this agreement meets that demand of disclosure, that means that we have a foothold in the path toward divestment,” Baum said. “We are still (going to demonstrate) on Deering, we are going to occupy that space until the last day of class, and that signifies that we are not going anywhere.”

For many, the agreement is a jumping-off point. One MENA student said while she’s often felt hopeless when presenting demands to the University, the agreement has finally provided her with hope.

“I personally feel a lot more empowered through what has happened in the past week,” she told The Daily. “It’s the only thing that could have happened. This is the most coverage and attention Palestinian students have gotten on campus, which is monumental.”

Shannon Tyler and Jacob Wendler contributed reporting.

samantahabashy2026@u.northwestern.edu

Jacob Wendler/The Daily Northwestern

Encampment organizers agreed to remove most tents, restrict the demonstration to University affiliates, limit the use of noise amplification systems and observe Evanston’s noise ordinance.

Jewish students lobby in Washington

By SAMANTHA POWERS daily senior staffer @sqpowers04

A group of 15 Jewish Northwestern students lobbied in Washington on Wednesday for the passage of the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act, which passed the House of Representatives in a 320-91 vote.

If the policy passes the Senate, the U.S. Department of Education will be required to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism to inform its enforcement of federal statutes that prohibit discrimination against students.

The IHRA definition of antisemitism — adopted by the Department of State and over 30 IHRA member countries — includes both rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism directed at Jewish individuals, institutions and facilities.

IHRA includes “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination,” like calling “the existence of a State of Israel … a racist endeavor,” in its working definition of

antisemitism. However, the group notes “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”

Students visited representatives’ offices to advocate for the bill, connect with proIsrael organizations like StandWithUs and the Anti-Defamation League, and share concerns about incidents of antisemitism on campus that occurred during a more than 100-hour pro-Palestine encampment on Deering Meadow.

Medill sophomore Toby Khabie went on the trip. He said students met with representatives including Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Michelle Steel, R-Calif.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.; Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Rudy Yakym, R-Ind.; Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.; and Blake Moore, R-Utah. Some students also met with staff from the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

“As much as I’m very much in support of protesting, there are ways to do it that don’t harm other populations,” Khabie said. “And this encampment was very harmful to Jewish students.”

A sign found near the encampment depicted a Star of David with a red line crossing through it. Another sign depicted University President Michael Schill with devil horns, a historically antisemitic trope that harkens back to medieval-era “blood libel” accusations against Jewish people. Schill condemned both incidents in a video message to the NU community Tuesday night.

The encampment culminated in a Monday agreement between the University and demonstrators. Jewish NU students expressed mixed feelings about the recently deescalated demonstration, with members of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organizer of the encampment, expressing support as other Jewish students voiced discomfort.

Khabie said there are still problems for Jewish students on campus, but that the passage of the bill made him feel that his voice was being heard.

“I hope that most college students respect the fact that Jews are the ones that get to define antisemitism,” Khabie said.

samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

Schill discusses agreement, counters hate

By CASEY HE, SAMANTHA POWERS, & BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffers

@caseey_he / @sqpowers04 / @beatricedvilla

University President Michael Schill released a video statement on the Monday agreement reached between the NU administration and pro-Palestinian activists after a five-day encampment on Deering Meadow.

“I am proud of our community for achieving what has been a challenge across the country: a sustainable de-escalated path forward,” Schill said.

In the agreement, Northwestern committed to reestablish the now inactive Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility

and answer questions from “internal stakeholders” about the University’s financial holdings. It also agreed to “provide and renovate a house for MENA/Muslim students” on campus and allow demonstrations to continue protests on Deering Meadow through June 1. In exchange, demonstrators agreed to take down all tents except one and only use approved devices to project or amplify sound.

In his statement, Schill acknowledged incidents of antisemitism at the encampment over the past several days, citing a poster with a red slash through the Star of David and another of himself depicted with devil horns, an antisemitic trope that harkens back to medievalera “blood libel” accusations against Jewish people.

He said these incidents should be “condemned by all of us,” and that it starts with him.

Schill added that issues of antisemitism are “personal” to him, sharing stories of his Jewish ancestors facing persecution in Poland and Russia before finally settling in Israel.

“I understand the hurt and worry felt by so many in our community,” Schill said in his statement. “Jewish students are feeling threatened and unsafe. Muslim and Palestinian students are feeling like their voices need to be heard. It can be difficult to find a path forward, but it is vital that we try.”

caseyhe2026@u.northwestern.edu beavillaflor@u.northwestern.com samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

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Thursday, May 2, 2024

SPORTS

LACROSSE

Northwestern to face Johns Hopkins in semifinal

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

Just before a lunch break at July’s U.S. Women’s U20 National Team tryouts, coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and Johns Hopkins coach Tim McCormack watched a pack of Team USA hopefuls challenge Blue Jay assistant coach Jill Girardi on the draw under the relentless summer sun.

Nearly 10 months later, Amonte Hiller and McCormack will occupy opposite ends of Martin Stadium’s sideline Thursday as No. 1 Northwestern takes on No. 12 Johns Hopkins in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal. The game will mark Girardi’s return to the stomping grounds where she broke program draw control records in a standout career from 2018 to 2022.

Amonte Hiller said Girardi left a lasting impact on the Lake Show and appears to have swiftly made her mark in Baltimore. Junior midfielder Samantha Smith, a back-to-back first-team all-conference selection, matched up with Girardi every day in practice as a freshman.

“To be able to practice against the best every single day gives you a lot of confidence that when it becomes your turn, you can go out and do it,” Amonte Hiller said. “(Smith) learned a lot from Jill, and I’m very excited that Jill has taken her passion into the game now (through) coaching.”

While the No. 5 seed Blue Jays (11-6, 2-4 Big Ten) upset No. 4 seed Michigan in Saturday’s quarterfinal to book their Evanston trip, the Wildcats (13-2, 5-1 Big Ten) haven’t seen game action since they clinched the regular season conference title in Ann Arbor on April 21.

The teams last met in NU’s March 16 Big Ten opener, when the ’Cats won 14-9 behind graduate student attacker Izzy Scane’s seven-goal flurry. Scane, who is just seven goals away from snapping the NCAA’s career goals record, said finding close-range opportunities will likely be an emphasis Thursday — as it was less than 50 days ago.

“A lot of working a zone is getting into a middle and either creating space for the girls on the outside or being the one to catch the ball in the middle and finish,” Scane said. “The big thing with that is just going hard to cage and making sure you’re not just staying low pressure on the outside, but

MEN’S GOLF

really penetrating the D … doing the best you can to be a threat.”

Junior defender Sammy White missed NU’s last battle against Johns Hopkins due to a lower-body injury, but she remained active in defensive scheming from the sideline. With her six-game injury spell reminding her of her love for the sport, White returned for the final four regular season games, earning second-team All-Big Ten Honors.

White said the Blue Jays constantly move on the attack, keeping opposing defenses on their toes.

“The defenders said after that game that (it) was really tiring, and they moved a lot,” White said. “We’ve been working on a lot of picks, a lot of switches, a lot of slips and all that stuff … I’m ready to be aggressive and not let them run all the actions they want to run.”

Johns Hopkins deploys a balanced scoring unit with plenty of supporting options behind attacker Ava Angello. The 6-foot sophomore has scored 45 goals and added 13 assists in 17 games this season.

With Angello’s elite height, she possesses the uncanny ability to simply shoot over defenders, White said.

She and sophomore attacker Madison Taylor are the two highest scoring second-year players in the conference, but Taylor has outscored Angello 12-5 in the points column during the New York natives’ two collegiate matchups.

“She’s a really cool person, and we both always cheer each other on,” Taylor said.

The Blue Jays also boast the Big Ten’s draw control leader in midfielder Jennifer Barry. McCormack’s transfer portal splash from Boston University has pulled down 107 draws this season, including five pivotal draw controls against the Wolverines Saturday.

While the ’Cats held Barry to just one draw control in March, Amonte Hiller said Johns Hopkins’ circle unit seems to have hit a significant stride as of late, but Samantha Smith and freshman midfielder and defender Madison Smith have been tested throughout the campaign.

“There’s probably not a team that has more experience against the top draw people across the country,” Amonte Hiller said. “We’ve played against the best of the best, including Hopkins. We feel like the breadth of experience we’ve gained has put us in the position to have great knowledge … but we really have to fight for every play.”

Between the pipes, graduate student goalkeeper Molly Laliberty and Blue Jay goalkeeper Madison Doucette will both look to help drive their

Svärd, NU win Big Ten championship

By LUCAS KIM daily senior staffer

@lucaskim_15

For the first time since 2006, Northwestern has claimed the conference’s top spot.

In a wire-to-wire victory, the Wildcats put forth their most timely performance of the year, shooting a 23-over 863 to capture first place at the Big Ten Championship over the weekend. Coach David Inglis’ squad dominated competition, leading the 14-team field after each of the three rounds.

Sophomore Daniel Svärd won his second individual championship in as many years. Svärd joined Luke Donald and Sid Richardson as the only two-time individual Big Ten champions in program history.

The second-year phenom led an NU squad that placed four players in the top 10 and accumulated a double digit-stroke lead through 54 holes.

Despite high winds gusting throughout the weekend, the ’Cats grabbed a quick advantage on day one, carding an even-par 280 to take first place.

Both Svärd and graduate student James Imai hit a 2-under 68, securing four birdies each. Sophomore Ethan Tseng contributed with a 1-over 71.

NU’s first round score was the lowest of the entire tournament, helping the ’Cats gain a six-stroke lead over

then-second place Michigan State heading into day two.

With weather conditions worsening and wind speeds surging to 30 miles per hour, teams struggled Saturday. NU tallied a 14-over 294 as its lead was cut to just three shots by the ascending Spartans.

Pacing the squad in round two was junior Cameron Adam, who delivered a 1-over 71 on the day.

With only a narrow advantage over Michigan State, the ’Cats’ prospects of victory were far from guaranteed. However, NU’s day three performance put an emphatic stop to any potential comeback attempt.

The ’Cats logged a round-best 9-over 289 to secure the title. Svärd once again led the pack with a 2-under 68, marking the day’s lowest scoring result and moving the sophomore atop the individual leaderboard at 1-over.

Joining Svärd in the top 10 by the tournament’s conclusion was Imai (+5) tying for third, Tseng (+9) tying for eighth and Adam (+10) finishing in 10th place.

With the win, NU finally ascended the hump after collecting six top-five results — including two runner-up finishes — during the regular season.

The conference title also ensures the ’Cats an automatic bid to NCAA Regionals, which will occur in six different sites beginning May 13.

lucaskim2025@u.northwestern.edu

teams to a Saturday championship shot. Doucette started in her junior and senior seasons at NU, before Laliberty stepped into the fold last season.

After a year away from the college game, Doucette has enjoyed a standout season under McCormack, making nine pivotal stops in Johns Hopkins’ quarterfinal victory. Graduate student attacker Erin Coykendall said a goalkeeper of Doucette’s caliber challenges an opposing offense to fine-tune its shot selection.

“She’s been killing it this season,” Coykendall said of her former teammate. “Especially with a good goalie, you know you’re gonna have to take quality shots and place them.”

With a championship appearance and potential No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament well within reach, the ’Cats have remained laserfocused on themselves and the imminent challenge ahead, White said.

For Amonte Hiller, who is vying for her third conference tournament title in four years, a season’s worth of trials have built up to this moment.

“We’ve been tested a bunch this season,” Amonte Hiller said. “We know people are going to come after us, and why wouldn’t they?”

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

BASEBALL

Wildcats drop fourth straight loss in 3-2 road defeat to UIC

By GENA JONES the daily northwestern @genasports

With the Willis Tower and the rest of the Chicago skyline overlooking the outfield, Northwestern took on UIC Tuesday night for the teams’ second meeting this season.

In their last matchup, the Wildcats (13-27, 2-13 Big Ten) were torched by the Flames (28-13, 11-7 MVC), falling 18-5 in seven innings. Early April winds intensified NU’s pitching woes, but UIC’s explosive performances at-bat were the final nail in the Wildcats’ coffin.

This time around, coach Ben Greenspan’s squad made it a closer game but ultimately lost 3-2 to the Flames.

Tuesday was the same song to a different tune. A UIC first-inning run

secured a quick lead, and a strong pitching rotation protected the hosts from the ’Cats’ offense.

With the Flames doubling their advantage in the fifth inning, a fielding error allowed UIC to fill the bases in the bottom of the sixth and score a run on a single by catcher Jackson Fisher.

The hosts’ batting marathon was brought to an end by a double play from sophomore second baseman Owen McElfatrick, but not before NU’s deficit increased to three.

Just when the handful of fans dressed in purple and white grew accustomed to strikeout after strikeout, senior third baseman Vince Bianchina homered over the right field wall to put the ’Cats on the board.

With flood lights lighting up Curtis Granderson Stadium, NU seemed to have woken up. Freshman pitcher Garrett Shearer fanned consecutive

Flames batters in the seventh inning to give Greenspan’s offense a chance to cut into the lead. McElfatrick continued to be a dual asset for the ’Cats during the top of the eighth, tallying his eighth homerun of the season and NU’s second unanswered score.

With the visitors down one entering the top of the ninth, two walks and a clutch steal by Bianchina would bring the visitors a hit away from a tying score, but a strikeout left the ’Cats winless in their competition against UIC this season.

Bursts of offensive activity in the seventh and eighth innings were electric but ultimately proved too little, too late for NU. The ’Cats will spend the rest of the week preparing for their upcoming weekend series against Iowa.

genajones2025@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Esther Lim

Sophomore Daniel Svärd hits the ball. Svärd is one of three players in program history to win multiple individual Big Ten titles.

Gena Jones/The Daily Northwestern

Freshman pitcher Griffin Mills tries to score on a grounder by junior left fielder Drewbie Pinkston.

Daily file photo by Henry Frieman