The Daily Northwestern — May 8, 2023

The Daily Northwestern

Evanston Made hosts event for local artists

Shoppers buy local goods, artwork from city Maker’s Market

By CAMILLE HAINES the daily northwestern

Local artists and shoppers gathered on the fifth floor 1800 Maple Ave.’s parking garage Sunday for the fifth annual season of the Maker’s Market.

The garage was lined with tables covered with vibrant paintings, handmade jewelry and intricate three-dimensional works. Customers gathered around the front table to learn various art techniques and to scope out a prize that would later be given to the winner of a raffle.

APIDA Book Club returns to NU Book club restarts after a year hiatus, students read graphic novel

By KAAVYA BUTANEY daily senior staffer @kaavya_butaney

Northwestern’s Asian

Pacific Islander Desi American Book Club returned after a year-long hiatus just in time for APIDA heritage month.

The club met every quarter in past years, according

ROTC helps train incoming military

schedule, Orbeck wakes up at 5:30 a.m. sharp, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for Army ROTC physical therapy, an intensive morning workout regimen on campus.

to Assistant Director of the Multicultural Student Affairs Rignesha Prajapati.

But this year, the club selected just one book and will host discussions

Thursday and this upcoming Tuesday. Twenty-seven students who signed up for the club

Farmers’ Market

By COLE REYNOLDS the daily northwestern @charcole27

The event, hosted by Evanston Made, gives shoppers the chance to shop handmade goods from local artists and allows newer artists the opportunity to sell in a low pressure setting, according to Liz Cramer, co-director of Evanston Made.

“We really wanted something where our members had the opportunity to bring their work to a market with a relatively low barrier,” said Cramer. “We had members

who wanted to know how to build their brand and this was a great way for them to talk to the public and get great feedback.”

Evanston Made is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Evanston artists develop their brands. The Maker’s Market is one of many programs Evanston Made has established to benefit their members.

Outside of shopping, the market also offered chances for attendees to try making artwork of their own and a group of sketchers who drew people as they shopped.

Local artist Northwestern Communication graduate student Samantha Kurit makes a variety of art, but her specialty is custom portraits of animals. She moved to Evanston recently to study at Northwestern. She said this was her first time selling at the Maker’s Market, but she is planning on coming back.

“Everything has been good so far,” Kurit said. “The people are super friendly and it’s been really nice.”

From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. the event hosted about 50 artists, Cramer said. But she said she expects that number to rise

for spring

By JOCELYN MINTZ daily senior staffer @jocie_mintz

Weinberg freshman Aaron Orbeck’s grandfather served in the Marine Corps. Now, as part of Northwestern’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, Orbeck hopes to follow in his footsteps and serve in the military.

“I felt like this path will be most applicable to my life goals,” he said. “I’m exploring everything, and it’s good to be getting a degree.”

Orbeck is one of seven freshmen and 10 total NU students in the program who are training to join the military after graduation. In exchange for their service, cadets receive partial or full scholarships to the University.

As a part of his training

Outside of physical therapy, ROTC members also take a military science class and participate in weekly labs at Loyola University Chicago with ROTC members from five other Chicago-area universities. During the labs, they apply skills like military formations and operations that they learn in the classroom.

For Weinberg senior Nico Moralez, labs are an opportunity for him to practice his leadership, which he said is important for the Army Reserve.

“We get prepared to actually perform well when we serve,” said Moralez, whose parents were both army officers. “That’s what we’re working on.”

After graduating the program, ROTC members can

See ROTC , page 6

The pop-jazz fusion music of Chicago-based band ~Nois echoing through the 1800 Maple Self Park last weekend could only mean one thing: The Downtown Evanston Farmers’ Market was back. Saturday marked opening day for the weekly market, which had been on its seasonal hiatus since November. Over 50 vendors open shop at 7 a.m., though drizzly weather limited the initial turnout.

But as skies lightened and the rain dissipated, the crowd arrived, according to Chris Dudlak (Weinberg ’87), the manager and farmers’ market vendor of Evanston-based Old Town Oil. Once that happened, Dudlak said the products started to fly from the shelves.

Dudlak claimed her spot at the market, the one Old Town Oil has had since the COVID19 pandemic, flanked by Great Harvest Bread Co. and El Molcajete Sauces. She said she

enjoys seeing vendors return year after year. And many of the customers, she said, are regulars too.

“It’s a very faithful farmers’ market crowd, I’ve noticed,” Dudlak said.

Evanston resident and SESP Senior Advisor Christin

Glodek said she’s been going to the market sporadically for 20 years. The root vegetables and aged cheddar cheese piqued her interest on Saturday, she said.

Saturday felt like a reunion of sorts for Myra Gorman, the farmers’ market manager. She

said she enjoyed seeing familiar trucks roll into the parking lot before the market opened.

“When the vendors start pulling in, there’s a lot of hugs,” Gorman said. “I mean, we are one big family.”

Illustration by Lily Ogburn

» See APIDA BOOK CLUB, page 6

» See MAKER’S MARKET, page 6

Natural Habitat Evanston aims to plant 85 trees

By CASEY HE the daily northwestern

@caseeey_he

Using a shovel’s blade to measure, Piper Rothschild mapped out the size of a round hole for a sapling. The hole needs to be twice as wide as the sapling’s root, she instructed the community volunteers around her.

She then dug the tip of her shovel into the turf, used her body weight to push it in and began digging. Other volunteers joined her in the labor, and half an hour later, a new tree stood outside Evanston Township High School.

The tree planting event Thursday is a part of Natural Habitat Evanston’s annual spring planting. This year, the group plans to add 85 trees around ETHS, Evanston/Skokie School District 65 schools and in the 5th Ward, NHE lead Leslie Shad said.

NHE is a program under Climate Action

Evanston — formerly Citizens’ Greener Evanston — that focuses on making the city greener and more wildlife-friendly.

“Trees are important because they draw up moisture from the ground and release it through their leaves to cool (the weather),” Shad said. “They also provide shade and windbreak and pick up stormwater, and all of that is really important for climate action.”

On Thursday, NHE planted trees of different species native to the U.S., including oak, hackberry and pecan. Shad said the group uses a variety to accommodate many native species of birds and insects and promote biodiversity.

Rothschild, a certified TreeKeeper with the Illinois nonprofit Openlands, said she volunteers several times a month during the spring to plant trees.

She said tree planting is an easy and inexpensive way to fight climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and improving air quality. And trees are “obviously beautiful,” she added.

“Everyone likes oak. They’re the keystone species, and they host a lot of moths and caterpillars and butterflies,” Rothschild said. “But my favorite really is the hackberry … It has a

warty, punky bark. They grow and last a long time and provide a lot of shade.”

Ellen Fierer, a science teacher at ETHS, led about 30 students in her AP Environmental Science class to participate in the tree planting Thursday.

Students learned about the importance of trees to the environment and biodiversity from Shad and NHE co-lead Allison Sloan. Then, with instructions from experienced planters like Rothschild, they took turns working the shovels and other gardening tools.

“(Tree-planting) connects back to things they’ve already learned, and they can participate in making what we talked about as

important happen,” Fierer said. “ I think it’s good for them to get their hands dirty.”

Evanston residents joined the action too. Tanya Marquez, who heads the green team at the Evanston-based consulting firm ZS Associates, organized around 20 of her colleagues to try their hands at planting trees.

She said her team often collaborates with Evanston organizations like NHE, creating volunteer opportunities for employees to raise awareness for environmental issues.

“I don’t have a yard, so it’s nice to be able to get out, work in dirt and plant trees,” Marquez said, holding a rake she used to level the soil

after her colleagues finished planting a tree. “This is a way that we can impact the earth and nature in a positive way.”

Shad said she’s glad to see many community members joining her and NHE in their mission. However, she said Evanston currently takes down more trees than it plants each year, meaning the city is behind on increasing its canopy.

“People will say ‘Well, we can’t plant our way out of climate change,’” Shad said. “But we can make some headway (for) reducing the heat impact on our citizens, as well as increasing biodiversity.” caseyhe2026@u.northwestern.edu

Casey He/The Daily Northwestern

A group of community volunteers plants a sapling. The event is a part of Natural Habitat Evanston’s annual spring planting.

‘Uncle’ Zab befriends NU Safe Riders

By JESSICA MA daily senior staffer @jessicama2025

While most cars are either black, white or gray, Safe Ride driver Zabiuddin “Zab” Ahmed is known by students for his bright orange Nissan — an easy find in the darkness of night.

“People love the orange car very much,” Ahmed said. “It’s very easy to recognize.”

Before arriving at Northwestern, Ahmed drove for Uber for almost seven years. After being referred to the program by a friend, he began working for Safe Ride at NU, where he has since struck up friendships with his passengers.

Ahmed said he enjoys being a Safe Ride driver because of the service’s social environment. He loves to learn about students’ lives, he said.

“I try to mingle with people,” Ahmed said. “I have a hobby of meeting different communities of people, talking and (learning) about their culture.”

Ahmed is from south India and grew up in several different countries, including the United Kingdom and Dubai. He also lived in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for an electric manufacturing cable company prior to moving to Chicago.

Ahmed now spends his mornings operating two gas stations that he owns in Chicago’s South Side. Ahmed said managing his own business feels like a “180-degree” change from his work in Saudi Arabia.

After working in the morning, Ahmed typically drives for Safe Ride from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., depending on his availability and comfortability. SafeRide drivers can select the times of their shifts each night.

Ahmed said he is “continuously working day and night.” He added he’s really tired but enjoys working.

“I’m a workaholic, moving here and there,” Ahmed said. “I keep on moving. That’s the reason I work almost everyday here.”

When SESP junior Freskida Sejdiu lived on campus her freshman and sophomore year, she said she frequently rode with Ahmed, since she often returned to her dorm late.

“He always made sure to go into the parking lot

(near 2335 Sheridan), so I wouldn’t have to walk, since it was late at night,” Sejdiu said. “He started becoming a regular. He was super kind.”

Ahmed said he encourages students to concentrate on their studies. Students need to see the value of education, because parents and guardians are investing in their futures, he said.

The rides typically last two to five minutes, Ahmed said, but he often provides advice to riders, taking on a parental role in the process.

“I’ll try to ask them, ‘Hey, how’s your studies are going?’” Ahmed said. “It’s not part of my job, but usually, I take it very personally.”

While Ahmed is on the move in his Nissan, he keeps candies, snacks and water in the vehicle for his passengers. Whenever Ahmed’s wife makes biryani, he shares it with students, he said.

First-year McCormick graduate student in engineering management Shiv Singh refers to Ahmed as her “Uncle.” Singh, who is also from

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India, said Ahmed reminds her a bit of home. Like her relatives, the Safe Ride driver always checks in on her.

“It’s just about that caring factor,” Singh said. “It’s always nice to talk to someone elderly about your interviews, about your day.”

Ahmed said he has a “very big family” he cares deeply about. He has seven kids — six daughters and one son.

From their rides together, Sejdiu added she’s learned about Ahmed’s family. His thoughtfulness reflects in the way he remembers details about her life, she said, as well how he discusses his children.

“My undergraduate experience, my Safe Ride experience, was transformed by him,” Sejdiu said. “He’s a great addition to the Northwestern community.”

jessicama2025@u.northwestern.edu

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Zabiuddin “Zab” Ahmed drives an orange Nissan, where he stashes snacks, candy and water for passengers.

A&E arts & entertainment

Kaibigan sees record attendance at Pinoy Show

By KAAVYA BUTANEY daily senior staffer @kaavya_butaney

Kaibigan hosted its 21st annual Pinoy Show on Saturday in front of a crowd of over 300 attendees, the highest in the club’s history.

This year’s theme was “Every Kaibigan All At Once,” inspired by the Academy Award-winning movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” The mainstage performance pulled from the movie’s complex motherdaughter relationship and multiversal travel, depicting a young Filipina woman learning to accept her culture. She travels through different universes, meets Bruno Mars and Lea Salonga, eats chicken adobo and talks to iconic Filipino American activists.

Between scenes, Kaibigan played video skits like “Love Kailand,” a parody of “Love Island.” Students also performed songs like Mars’ “Talking to the Moon” and traditional Filipino dances like Pandanggo sa Ilaw

and Tinikling.

“Our numbers have been larger than ever before,” said co-producer and Weinberg junior Abby Burt. “Before the pandemic, our record was 200 tickets, but now we’re past that. This year is bigger and better than ever before.”

Seniors typically produce the show, although not this year, according to co-producer and Medill senior Allison Arguezo. Last year, she said five seniors split the work, but she worked alongside two other students this year.

“With a lot of seniors, it’s just their last time to be involved in campus things,” Arguezo said. “It’s just that last little thing that you do before you graduate.”

Weinberg sophomore and former Kaibigan secretary Francis Velasco rounded out the co-producer team.

Velasco said he picked up his role with only six or seven weeks before the show to ensure that the show would happen. He credited committee heads and members with making the show possible.

Especially because Kaibigan is relatively small,

Arguezo said she’s proud everyone could pitch in and create a beautiful show.

Kaibigan’s place as a cultural group is important to many of its members, including Arguezo. She called it a “tight-knit community” where everyone is welcomed with open arms.

“Kaibigan helped me learn more about Filipino culture since I grew up in a place that there wasn’t a lot of Asian people,” she said. “The only other Filipino people that I knew were my own family … It really just helped me learn more about my roots.”

Weinberg freshman and costume and props committee head Donald Texeria recorded a music video for the show, showing Texeria rapping near The Rock and in Seafood City Supermarket.

He said the Pinoy Show hasn’t included a parody of a popular song in several years, so he wanted to bring the tradition back. Texeria performed a parody of Ice Spice’s song “Munch.”

“My favorite line is ‘I’m not a dog, I’m a f–king lechon,’” he said.

Kaibigan founder Joseph Graciosa (WCAS ’06) attended the show, eating with a group of Kaibigan alumni before the event.

Graciosa founded Kaibigan in 2001, when he was searching for a group of Filipino students at NU after he left his homogeneously white hometown in Wisconsin, he said.

“I brought every single Filipino I saw on campus, like, ‘Hey, let’s form a club,’” he said. “We’ll enrich our own culture and bring the culture to campus and educate others about it.”

Pinoy Show began when the club came together to bring the “Filipino flavor” into a cultural show for the campus, he said.

Graciosa said he loved putting the show together, from practices to late nights brainstorming to the cast afterparty.

“I’m just so proud, right, that the newer generations would keep it going,” he said.

kaavyabutaney2026@u.northwestern.edu

Reel Thoughts: ‘Guardians’ is Gunn’s goodbye to Marvel

By JACOB WENDLER

daily senior staffer @jacob_wendler

Warning: This article contains spoilers.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is not just the end of the road for Marvel’s favorite band of extraterrestrial misfits. It’s also James Gunn’s goodbye to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The final installment of the trilogy, which hit theaters across the globe Friday, marks Gunn’s send-off from Marvel as he departs to lead DC Studios with producer Peter Safran.

In the threequel, Gunn presents audiences with the jovial banter and ensemble dynamic Marvel is known for while bringing a darker edge that has set DC stories apart in the past.

Lucky for Gunn — and for viewers — Marvel granted him the leeway to imprint his mark on all three “Guardians” entries, and it paid off. Gunn’s beloved troupe of eclectic guardians has avoided the relentless churn of the MCU content machine that has chewed up other franchises like “Ant-Man” and “Thor” and has led to disappointing sequels.

Picking up where the lighthearted “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” left off, the film establishes a somber tone from the first frame, acknowledging the bittersweet sentiment of the movie for the cast and Marvel fans. The plot is then jumpstarted by a gilded Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), a near-indestructible newcomer to the MCU soon revealed to be the human weapon of the merciless High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).

As per usual, the guardians traverse bizarre and bewildering worlds such as an uncanny “CounterEarth” and a flesh-like corporate headquarters to help save their friend, cracking jokes along the way. Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) dark backstory simultaneously unfolds through flashbacks interspersed throughout the film.

While Poulter’s performance as a depthless supporting character lands flat, Iwuji gives audiences one of the most compelling antagonists Marvel fans have seen in years. While Jonathan Majors’ “Kang the Conqueror,” set up to be the predominant villain of Marvel’s new phase of content, is needlessly complex in “Loki” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” Iwuji is simple and frightening.

It helps too that the film’s protagonists give some of their best performances yet. Zoe Saldaña brings a new and sharper edge to her portrayal of Gamora, Karen Gillan reliably delivers Nebula’s dry humor and Pom Klementieff gets a well-deserved spotlight as Mantis.

The cast is rounded out with a pleasing guest appearance from Nathan Fillion, who fits seamlessly into the universe Gunn has built and provides some of the strongest punchlines of the film.

While Cooper’s voice-acting is strong in the flashbacks, Gunn’s heavy-handed approach to Rocket’s origin story — coupled with bumpy and unnatural transitions — impedes the movie’s flow and lends itself more to pity than empathy, a challenge Linda Cardellini’s second MCU character, the sentient otter Lylla, is unable to save. While Gunn’s vision is clear, he ultimately fails to deliver the dark humor Tim Miller achieved in 2016’s “Deadpool.”

While the movie suffers from the same protracted

runtime of other recent movies, the film’s primary plot gives the group the send-off it deserves. Thankfully, Gunn resists the temptation to further the broader MCU story arc and allows the guardians to tackle their personal battles without distracting cameos from other Avengers. He also pushes aside the now-tired multiverse trope for a more straightforward battle-centered plot.

With an ending that had many in the theater tearing up, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is able to overcome its rough patches to round out one of Marvel’s strongest franchises. Still to be seen is whether Gunn can achieve the same tactful balance of humor, sentiment and gloom with his new DC Universe. jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu

Illustration by Danny O’Grady

The final film in the “Guardians” trilogy is the last full-group performance from the band of extraterrestrial misfits that first appeared in 2014.

Kimberly Espinosa/Daily Senior Staffer

Annual KASA show combines new and retro themes

By KIMBERLY ESPINOSA daily senior staffer @nedaziakim

Northwestern’s Korean American Student Association hosted its annual KASA Show 2023: NU-TRO at the Ryan Family Auditorium on Friday with a special performance from headliner Jae Park, commonly known as eaJ.

NU-TRO, this year’s KASA Show theme, aimed to travel back in time with a fuse of new and retro performances. The show’s programming included a performance by NU’s Taekwondo Club, skits and KASA Presents, which included performances by students, headliner eaJ and a dance by KASA’s 2022-23 exec board.

KASA external president and one of this year’s KASA Show emcees, Weinberg senior Jefferson Xu said the broad theme differs from previous years, when themes were curated around trending shows like the 2021 release of “Squid Game.” This show still played off some recent releases, though.

“We did notice one popular drama (this year), ‘Twenty Five Twenty One.’ It was going back into the historic era,” Xu said. “There are some aspects of the retro theme that you can see throughout the show.”

Pre-recorded skits acted out by KASA members were based on scenes from K-dramas like “Twenty Five Twenty One” and “Reply 1988.” The skits ranged from the romantic to friend dramas, sometimes

incorporating songs and dance.

After KASA’s Exec Dance, more students moved toward the stage to see eaJ of former K-rock band DAY6, who is now making his transition from the K-pop scene to the international pop world.

While there was a KASA show last year, Xu said COVID-19 still placed some restrictions on the performance. Last year’s venue was also off campus, so he was excited to have the show held at NU.

This year’s show had 577 attendees, the largest turnout since before the pandemic, according to Xu.

Weinberg freshman Yena Son said KASA was one of the first campus communities she was really interested in being a part of — starting during her college application process.

This year, Son served on the KASA Show Committee and performed with KASA Presents. She and eight other students performed a cover of K-pop group NCT Dream’s “Candy.”

“KASA Show really helped me get closer with a lot of people that I didn’t expect to get close to and I didn’t have the chance to get close to before,” Son said. “It was just really nice being able to gather in general and support each other.”

Preparations for the committee and rehearsals began during Winter Quarter and increased throughout Spring Quarter, Son said.

Weinberg sophomore Jae Choi, another performer for KASA Presents, said participating in the show is a good opportunity to get involved with the KASA community.

“It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Choi said. “It’s always fun.”

Choi danced in KASA Presents’ opening group act with a cover of K-pop group Seventeen’s “_World.” Audience members crowded the stage with excitement.

He said he’s excited to expand his role with future KASA Shows and says he’ll likely participate in KASA Show until his senior year.

Xu joined Northwestern as a transfer student during his sophomore year, when KASA had taken a hiatus

from hosting the show.

That break has left the group with some lasting logistical challenges around planning the show. However, with robust programming this year, Xu said he hopes the planning process will improve.

“I hope that next year it will continue where we left off,” Xu said. “We have a pretty good foundation.”

kimberlyespinosa2026@u.northwestern.edu

Lemon Twigs transcend time and space in new tour

By LEXI GOLDSTEIN and VIRGINIA HUNT the daily northwestern @lexipgoldstein

The Sleeping Village was wide awake Saturday night for an electric show by indie rock band The Lemon Twigs.

Headed by brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario, the band of Long Island natives garnered critical acclaim for its musical accomplishments achieved at a young age. Only a day prior to the sold-out show this weekend, the band released its fourth studio album “Everything Harmony.” The 13-track album explores somber themes woven into dreamy melodies and catchy riffs.

With a shimmering red dress and a glimmer in their eyes, opener Josephine Network warmed up the crowd with ’80s-reminiscent funk-rock songs, including “Howdy Girl” and “No One’s Rose.” The

band’s quirky energy and cheekiness entranced the crowd with each guitar strum and strike on a moonshaped tambourine.

Time turned back a few decades when the ’60s sound and aesthetic of The Lemon Twigs took command of the stage. The brothers jumped into “The One,” riling up the crowd with the ironically upbeat song about heartbreak and loneliness.

Tracks from the band’s 2020 album “Songs for the General Public” dominated half the setlist, which also featured songs from the new album and material from its debut album, bringing the audience along a retracing of The Lemon Twigs’ entire discography. Reza Matin and Danny Ayala joined the brothers onstage.

Under the haze of stage lights and fog, the group’s pure musical ability shone. Both brothers showcased multiple guitar solos — their raw talent emphasized by continuous eye contact with the audience throughout intricate guitar riffs and behind long,

shaggy haircuts.

The small venue created an intimate exchange between the crowd and the band, letting members joke with the audience throughout the performance. The music alone could have created a euphoric experience for fans, but witty commentary only heightened the show.

When performing fan-favorite track “Queen of My School” — which was written in Chicago — the band displayed the epitome of its unique sound. A thoughtful mix of provocative lyricism and classic rock sounds combined to form the identifiable, funky style that places the band in a league of its own.

An acoustic encore featuring a hauntingly soulful rendition of “Corner of My Eye,” a single off the band’s new album, gripped the crowd with its romantic lyrics. The stripped-down song allowed Brian D’Addario’s vocals to take center stage.

The rest of the band joined the D’Addarios to close the show with “As Long As We’re Together,”

a cover of “Rock On,” and a surprise cover of Tom Petty’s “Feel a Whole Lot Better.”

The Lemon Twigs celebrated one last hurrah in Chicago on Sunday night, before crossing the border for shows in Canada.

lexigoldstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

virginiahunt2026@u.northwestern.edu

Waa-Mu presents rom-com musical ‘Romance en Route’

By KARA PEELER daily senior staffer @karapeeler

Love is in the air at Cahn Auditorium.

The 92nd annual Waa-Mu Show, “Romance en Route,” is a romantic comedy musical following six characters’ interwoven experiences of love and heartbreak all the way from O’Hare International Airport to Paris.

The story explores romance as couples both lose love to find love. Characters Eve and Xander meet on a plane to Paris to rendezvous with their respective partners, Lexi and Jenna. There’s also hopeless romantic and ever-optimistic flight attendant Tristan, who meets cynical hotel concierge Matthieu in Paris. Together Tristan and Matthieu meddle with the fates of the other four in a matchmaking ploy.

“Romance En Route” began its run April 28 and will run a total of six shows through Sunday in Cahn.

The Waa-Mu Show is an annual musical

tradition written, performed and produced by Northwestern students. According to Waa-Mu Co-Chair and Communication senior Madeline Oberle, this year’s team comprises about 100 students, including 22 performers.

Communication junior Matheus Barbee, who plays Tristan, said Waa-Mu’s “vast legacy” of telling NU students’ stories is what makes the show so special.

“The sheer magnitude of the task and the level of excellence to which it’s been carried is going to leave people in awe,” he said. “I hope that in their hearts, they feel like they want to go give someone a hug. I feel like that’s really like what this story is asking us to do, is to remind us that love is everywhere.”

The show’s scenic design featured movable sconces that adapt the stage to an array of distinct settings — an airport, a plane, a hotel, a bridge and the streets of Paris. This year, undergraduate students helped design the costumes and set, rather than only graduate students, according to Barbee.

The pitch behind “Romance en Route” started with a true story from Waa-Mu writer and ensemble member, Communication sophomore Sadie

Fridley. Fridley was on a flight when she overheard the people in front of her, Matthew and Trisha, were going to visit their partners — also named Matthew and Trisha.

After listening to them and feeling like the plane seatmates were meant to be with each other instead, the idea for “Romance en Route” was born. In a nod to the name quirk, Oberle said the names Jenna and Eve are meant to sound like derivatives of Genevive, with Xander and Lexi coming from Alexander to mimic the matching names on her flight.

In the writers’ room, Oberle said it was clear from day one that Fridley’s pitch would become the show selected.

“It’s just a silly rom-com that also goes against so many of the tropes that make people hate romcoms as a field (because) of how white-centric they are,” Oberle said.

Four of the show’s six leads and more than half the cast are people of color, according to Oberle.

The show also extensively includes queer relationships without falling into the trope of emphasizing a gay awakening or tokenizing queerness, Oberle added. Barbee said “Romance en Route” makes the rom-com genre more reflective of different sexualities.

“We all love a good rom-com, we love how it makes us feel, we love the joy that it brings us,” Barbee said. “Being able to tell that story through the lens of queer relationships, through song and through dance is very exciting and very beautiful.”

Weinberg sophomore Avery Powers, the Waa-Mu music coordinator and writing board member, said that while the show is reminiscent of 2000s rom-coms, what sets it apart is the diverse depictions of types of love and healthy breakups.

“There’s obviously conflict between the characters, but it resolves so perfectly where everyone who’s meant to be ends up with each other,” Weinberg freshman Anand Choudhary, who plays Matthieu, said. “And then it’s just this perfect little happy ending.”

Choudhary said the Waa-Mu community grew close, especially as students rehearsed four hours a day during the week and eight hours on Saturdays

leading up to the show.

He said the musical evolved throughout the yearlong process of being written and produced, with changes made even days before the first performance.

Marketing Director and Communication sophomore Efren Ponce said Waa-Mu is on track to reach its ticket sales goal for this year, which is “a win for everyone” and “a testament to everyone’s worth.”

He said sales have generally fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic, so the organization is still “getting its footing.”

Later this year, Waa-Mu will release a Spotify album for all songs in “Romance en Route,” according to Oberle. The final performances of “Romance en Route” will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Powers said even when the team had to dedicate lots of time and effort, the love and care for the show still shone through.

“I hope (the audience) just leaves feeling a little warm and fuzzy, believing in love and also believing in the humanity of people,” Powers said. karapeeler2025@u.northwestern.edu

arts & entertainment

Editor Ella Jeffries

Assistant Editors

Lexi Goldstein

Beatrice Villaflor

Design Editors

Valerie Chu

Danny O’Grady

Anna Souter

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Kirn

“Romance En Route.” The 92nd annual Waa-Mu show at Cahn Auditorium runs six times from April 28 to May 7.

Lexi Goldstein/The Daily Northwestern

Ziye Wang/The Daily Northwestern

FARMERS’ MARKET

From page 1

While the majority of the stands are returning, the market also welcomed seven new stands this year.

They include Mima’s Toast Bar, WillPOWER Your Day, Inc., Green Cuisine, Insanely Awesome Bakery, LeMaster Family Kitchen, Kikwetu Coffee Company and Gracie Pie Apothecary.

To decide which seven would earn slots, all new vendors went through two rounds of tasting: one with the farmers’ market staff and another with a not-for-profit board, according to Gorman.

MAKER’S MARKET

From

while the market continues through October.

Elaine Sage focuses on art prints, but also makes collages and paints. Sage is a member of Evanston Made, but has never publicly showcased her work. Despite her nerves, she said fellow artists and shoppers made the experience

APIDA BOOK CLUB

From page 1

received a hardcover of this year’s book — Hiromi Goto’s “Shadow Life” — for free, Prajapti said. The graphic novel centers around an older Japanese-Canadian woman being followed by the shadow of death.

When Prajapti came into their position in Fall Quarter 2022, they said some students requested the return of the APIDA book club.

Weinberg sophomore and former Daily staffer Sanjana Rajesh was one of those students. She said she wanted to continue to support Asian American writers and continue to create a community around their books.

Prajapati said they aimed to pick “easier” books. “Shadow Life,” a graphic novel, is not as intense of a time commitment as a longer book, they said.

“(Students) don’t have to spend months trying to read and students also really enjoyed that when we were discussing,” she said. “They were like, ‘Yeah, I read that in like two hours.’”

Prajapti said in the past, the Asian American Studies Program faculty and MSA staff picked the book.

The club previously read books like Ocean Vuong’s “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” and Michelle Zauner’s “Crying in H Mart,” One Book One Northwestern’s 2023 choice.

This year is the first that students picked the book, voting among several different options.

Weinberg sophomore Abhi Nimmagadda said while he voted for a different book, he enjoyed the final selection.

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For the first time in her 12-year tenure as market manager, she said, one prospective vendor — Mima’s Toast Bar — received every single firstplace vote from tasters.

“In the past, everybody has voted differently. And then I just kind of average up all the points,” Goman said. “But I didn’t have to worry about averaging their points because all of their points were first place.”

The toast bar prepares avocado toast, grilled cheese and other toasted foods. During testing, Gorman said, founder Ramona Smith fried up grilled cheeses in a lower level of the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center while the tasters sampled

great.

“It is such a high energy, happy place,” said Sage. “Even if I don’t sell anything, it has still been wonderful.”

For members of Evanston Made, their work does not stop with the market. The organization offers First Saturday Art Events where Evanston residents can find art exhibits and activity pop-ups around the city the first

“I feel like it was grappling with a lot of questions that were not necessarily existential in a ‘Oh, no, nothing matters kind of a way,” he said. “I was able to get a new perspective on how it is that I wanted to live my life.”

Nimmagadda, a Comparative Literature major, said the book club offered him the chance to read literature by Asian authors. Though APIDA characters are becoming more common in the publishing industry, he said he still rarely comes across Asian stories in literature.

Nimmagadda attended the in-person discussion on Thursday, which had six participants and snacks.

“The discussion was honestly phenomenal,” he said. “It was kind of awkward at first, because none of us knew each other from what I could tell. But as we started talking … Oh my gosh, it just kept flowing because it was like we were all there because we all liked the book.”

The book club let him engage with Asian American literature and learn how other Asian American people see themselves in a world which is not “clearly delineated,” he said.

For Rajesh, books help her learn about experiences and populations different from herself.

“I just looked at this like another way to build community and to meet people who have similar identities to me or have similar interests or want to talk about certain topics,” she said. “An Asian American specific space is a place to talk about Asian American issues and talk about things that impact our community.”

kaavyabutaney2026@u.northwestern.edu

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an ad. Corrections must be received by 10am on the day before ad runs again, call 847-4917206. All Classifieds must be paid in advance and are not accepted over the phone. To run online, ad must run in print on same day. The Daily does not knowingly accept misleading or false ads and does not guarantee any ad or claim, or endorse any advertised product or service. Please use caution when answering ads, especially when sending money.

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DAILY SUDOKU

her products above.

Gorman said she was impressed with the simplicity of the Mima’s menu, especially kid-friendly items like toast and jam.

“I mean, who doesn’t want a piece of toast and jam,” she said.

Mima’s started three years ago in a back kitchen at Katich Breads, Smith said. Dusan Katic, the Katich’s head baker, asked Smith to make avocado toast one day during the pandemic, and she’s been making it with Katich bread ever since. She expanded to Evanston this year at Katic’s urging.

“Evanston’s going to make you famous,” Smith remembers Katic telling her.

Saturday of every month.

Cramer said the market pulls from a variety of artists with different experience levels. Both vendors and customers enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, she added.

Lily McQuarters and her mom Rebecca Phend are both art lovers and like to come to all the local events that spotlight local artists and business owners.

ROTC

From page 1

choose whether to join the Army for four years of active duty or sign up for eight years in the Reserve. In the Reserve, they participate in two weeks a year of required training and serve for one weekend each month. Orbeck said he prefers the Reserve because it allows him to pursue a civilian job right after graduation. Moralez hopes to attend medical school.

Moralez serves as the command sergeant major, which has increased his time commitment towards ROTC. He calls it “running everything” because his position requires that he create plans for the younger cadets to follow.

His close relationship to other ROTC members encouraged him to take on a leadership role.

“When I was a freshman, I really looked up to my senior because he showed me the ropes. He was a mentor to me,” Moralez said. “Since then, I’ve wanted to be able to do that for other people as well.”

Moralez remembers entering NU as a freshman in search of belonging. ROTC provided that community, which he said he found “massively rewarding.” His major agrees.

Maj. Gerry Sapienza (Kellogg ‘21) is a cadre member at Northwestern enlisted in the Army Reserve. As a cadre member, Sapienza teaches military science classes and oversees training activities. He aims to turn “cadets into lieutenants,” he said.

He has known Moralez since his freshman year, and one of his favorite parts of the job

Smith calls the stand her “retirement gig.” A teacher, Smith said a few of her former students now flip the toasts on the Mima’s flat top grill.

“It’s nice to build something where I’m not the only one who benefits from it,” Smith said.

The avocado toasts in particular, she said, were fan favorites on Saturday. One customer broke out dancing after their first bite, according to Smith, and other vendors have been receptive to her as well.

“(The Evanston market) is so diverse. That’s what I love about it,” Smith said. “You feel like everybody is welcome.”

colereynolds2026@u.northwestern.edu

“We buy a lot of handmade jewelry or things that are upcycled,” said Phend. There’s a lot of local people whose booths we like to stop by.” Evanston Made is hosting two more Maker’s Markets this season. The next one will be on August 6 and the final one of the season will be on October 8.

camillehaines2026@u.northwestern.edu

is watching his students develop into leaders. “Nico’s grown a lot over the past four years, and it’s been cool to see his evolution,” Sapienza said. “When you’re a freshman or a sophomore, you come in and have no idea what’s going on, and then by the time you’re a senior, you’re running things.”

The program’s small membership makes leadership opportunities even more meaningful. Moralez is the only member of his class, but loves seeing the freshmen make connections and form community, he said.

Because NU’s ROTC has so few members, the program cannot hold classes and training on campus so students commute to Loyola. However, Sapienza said that the Northwestern administration has been supportive of aspirations to eventually hold classes on campus and grants cadets early morning gym access.

“If we ask for something, administration will help us out,” he said.”They’ve recognized that the ROTC program brings a perspective that is beneficial to the community at large.”

Sapienza believes that holding ROTC classes and labs on the NU campus will make training easier for cadets by getting rid of the long commute.

Both Orbeck and Moralez hope to see the program grow in numbers. Moralez said he’s grateful to be involved.

“I feel very passionate about this program, and I’m sure other people feel that way as well,” Moralez said. “If I didn’t have this opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to attend school here.”

jocelynmintz2025@u.northwestern.edu

DAILY CROSSWORD

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Indigenous community members release birch boat

By JAY DUGAR

daily senior staffer @dugar_jay

Indigenous students and community members gathered at the beach outside the Northwestern Sailing Center on Friday morning to launch a hand-crafted birch bark canoe for its inaugural trip on Lake Michigan.

Indigenous community members took the canoe for a roughly five minute long trip in Lake Michigan before returning it to the shore to be placed in the Segal Visitors Center. More than 100 people helped hand-craft the canoe in 2021 under the leadership of then Center for Native American and Indigenous Research artist-in-residence Wayne Valliere.

Valliere, who is Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe, is a birchbark canoe builder and artist.

The canoe released Friday was originally supposed to launch in October 2021. However, windy conditions prevented Valliere, his team of apprentices and members of the NU and Evanston community from releasing the craft.

Medill Prof. Patty Loew, director of CNAIR, helped organize the canoe launch. Loew, who is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, said canoes are integral to the identity of the Ojibwe people. The canoe’s launch is a way to bring the community together, she said.

“Building a canoe in an area that was deeply Indigenous, has always been Indigenous and hopefully will always stay Indigenous was such a powerful act,” Loew said. “It really was empowering for all of us.”

Director of Native American and Indigenous Affairs Jasmine Gurneau, who is a descendant of the Menominee Nation and is enrolled with the Oneida Nation, also helped organize the event.

Gurneau, who grew up on Lake Michigan, believes the canoe itself is an important reminder of the indigenous presence in the Evanston and Northwestern communities.

“This canoe represents our connection to each other,” Gurneau said. “That’s why it’s so important that it be in the visitor center, because this should be the first thing that visitors see when they come to Northwestern. It

reminds them, and all of us, that native people have a presence here.”

The canoe’s launch site sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires — the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa — and the Menominee, Miami and HoChunk nations.

Before the canoe was taken into the lake, SESP Prof. Megan Bang, who is of Ojibwe descent and also helped organize the event, spoke on the canoe’s significance.

Indigenous people remain present in Chicago, Bang said, even though the state fails to represent their interests.

“We’re here now, and we will always be here. Our policy makers may not be remembering that so well,” Bang said. “We have a number of legislative agendas, but hopefully there will be good news not very long from now.”

Bang said the state of Illinois should implement a recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day and be required to teach Indigenous history

in K-12 schools. She added that some policy victories should be celebrated, like the guaranteed right of Indigenous students to wear tribal regalia at their graduations.

“What I think about this beautiful canoe and what it brings back for us is, it’s kind of an act of revitalization,” Bang said. “It’s not just the canoe, it’s all of the culture that comes with it.”

jaydugar2025@u.northwestern.edu

Jay Dugar/Daily Senior Staffer

Four people are carrying a handcrafted birch bark canoe from the Northwestern Sailing Center to the shore of Lake Michigan. The canoe was released for a brief trip on the lake, before being taken to the Segal Visitors Center.

Wildcats win Big Ten Tournament title, No. 1 seed

By JAKE EPSTEIN the daily northwestern @jakeepste1n

No. 1 Northwestern charged into Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium to face a familiar and formidable foe in a highstakes championship clash on Saturday. As coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s team vied for its third Big Ten Tournament title, No. 10 Maryland looked to avenge its regular season finale loss to the Wildcats and spoil its archrival’s march into mid May.

“Maryland’s an amazing team, and we knew we had to come out and play strong as a full group,” graduate student attacker Izzy Scane said. “Their defense was going to be high pressure, sending early doubles. Everyone had to play unselfishly.”

While the Terrapins (14-6, 4-2 Big Ten) answered each of the first half’s questions on countering their highflying opponent, the Cats (17-1, 6-0 Big Ten) forced their opponents back into their shell during the second half. In a 14-9 championship clincher, NU’s A1 attacking arsenal and lockdown defense were on full display.

Just 55 seconds into the first frame, graduate student attacker Elle Hansen bounced the game’s opening tally beyond Maryland goalkeeper Emily Sterling.

“(Hansen) scored a huge goal for us in the beginning of the game, and that really sparked us,” senior attacker Erin Coykendall said. “Plays like that, where people come up and make a big play right off the bat (are) huge for us as a group.”

Less than three minutes later,

Coykendall evaded a Terrapin troop and fed Scane. The Tewaaraton frontrunner stepped into a net-piercing effort, doubling NU’s advantage to 2-0.

But Maryland attackers Chrissy Thomas and Libby May packed a powerful counterpunch, as Thomas grabbed the Terrapin’s first goal and found May for the leveler with 2:51 left in the quarter. The teams ventured into the second quarter tied at two.

One minute into the ensuing frame, Maryland attacker Hannah Leubeckeer spun into a side armed snipe to capture the Terrapins’ first lead of the night — the Cats’ first second quarter deficit since facing then-No. 3 Boston College on Feb. 19.

As NU stared down a similar dilemma as in its February fight, a common combatant corrected the Cats’ course: senior attacker Dylan Amonte.

She first drew a yellow card on May, before tallying a game-tying goal off Scane’s feed. After May buried a bottomleft shot to give Maryland a 4-3 lead, Amonte stepped up to the eight-meter and equalized once more.

“I call Dylan a gamer because every time you need a big moment, (or) a big play, she steps up and is lights out every single time we needed to come up big,” Scane said. “She’s one of my favorite players in the world because she does all the little things that create for everyone else.”

Both teams traded the next four goals, knotting the matchup at six-apiece heading into the half’s closing seconds.

With the clock ticking below the 30-second mark, Coykendall and Scane conjured a moment of magic. The Spencerport Sniper evaded a quadruple team

SOFTBALL

and fed a wide-open Scane, who buried her 80th goal of the campaign. The Cats carried momentum into the locker room, heading into halftime leading 7-6.

From there, the team never relinquished its advantage.

Coykendall fired two free-position flames past Sterling, while freshman attacker Madison Taylor responded to Terrapin midfielder Kori Edmondson’s player-up goal with a bounce shot to increase NU’s lead to 10-7 –– with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter.

While Thomas cut the deficit to two, graduate student attacker Hailey Rhatigan

NU triumphs in Rutgers series

By SKYE SWANN daily senior staffer @sswann301

After scoring 40 runs in its final home series against Nebraska last weekend, Northwestern (35-11, 20-3 Big Ten) had to achieve one final regular season task before preparing for the Big Ten tournament. This weekend, the Wildcats headed to conclude its conquest against Rutgers (32-24, 9-14 Big Ten) in Piscataway, N.J.

NU continued its forward momentum during the series, taking two of three games against the Scarlet Knights. But, more importantly, the Cats were named outright Big Ten regular season champions on Friday for the second straight year following a nine-run victory over Rutgers.

Despite dropping one against Rutgers, multiple NU players had fruitful weekends in the batter’s box, including graduate student outfielder Skyler Shellmyer, freshman infielder Kansas Robinson and sophomore infielder Ayana Lindsey, who played left field. The trio shined at the plate in Friday’s opener.

Robinson jump started the Cats’ offense in the first inning, scoring off an RBI from graduate student Nikki Cuchran. The infielder’s success continued in the second with a home run over the right field fence — her first of three runs driven in during the contest. Lindsey padded NU’s offensive onslaught by scoring two runs of her own, contributing to a dominant 11-2 showing that concluded in six innings.

Shellmyer was also a thorn in Rutgers’ side Friday, scoring a run to top off a strong offensive performance against the Scarlet Knights.

Graduate pitcher Danielle Williams dominated in the circle Friday registering a one-hitter over five innings. Junior pitcher Lauren Boyd followed up Williams, allowing just two hits in one inning pitched on Friday.

Following up on a strong series opener, the Cats struggled to connect at the plate Saturday. NU scored just three runs in the second game of the series — a low for the squad since its 3-0 victory against Michigan on April 23. Even given the team’s low-energy presence at the plate, senior outfielder Angela Zedak provided a spark for the Cats with a homerun in the sixth inning and an RBI single in the seventh.

The outfielder’s offensive prowess carried over into Sunday’s game. In the top of the second inning, she launched her third home run of the weekend. While NU’s offense remained stagnant Sunday, scoring only two runs in the game, Zedak’s ability to consistently hit the longball was a promising sign of the

rumbled and stumbled inside to give the Cats an 11-8 lead entering the final frame.

Following a crucial save from graduate student goalkeeper Molly Laliberty on the fourth quarter’s opening possession, sophomore midfielder Samantha Smith blazed beyond her Maryland marks on a clear. She left no doubt on her signature sidearm shot, extending NU’s edge to 12-8 with 13:36 before the championship crowning.

After Rhatigan ripped a rifle to the top right corner to stretch the lead to five, Laliberty closed any window of a Terrapin comeback.

“To win two conference championships (at Tufts) was so special, and to get to do that on an even bigger stage is such a gift,” Laliberty said. “It’s been a really amazing journey so far, and we have a lot more to accomplish.”

Leubecker grabbed a goal for Maryland at the eight minute mark, but Scane — the Tournament MVP — sealed the 14-9 victory on an empty net, capturing the program’s first Big Ten Tournament championship since 2021.

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

MEN’S TENNIS

Season ends with loss despite first set sweep

By ALYCE BROWN daily senior staffer @alycebrownn

This past weekend, No. 28 Northwestern fell just short of a super-regional berth — a disappointment that consistently plagued the program’s postseason hopes in recent years.

The Wildcats (21-10, 7-2 Big Ten) battled through the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship on Friday and Saturday, hoping to complete their impressive season-long campaign with a deep postseason run.

NU needed all four points from the singles matches, and the start of each match was an impressive testament to the squad’s power. The Cats won every first set — quite the feat against a Kentucky roster packed with nationally ranked singles players.

The Cats quickly started converting those first sets into points. Yatsuk and Thieneman picked up the first two points for NU in straight sets, followed closely by a point from Blekher who rallied in his third set after being bageled in his second.

squad’s offensive depth. Graduate student shortstop Maeve Nelson joined the fun as well, picking up where Zedak left off, homering to lift the Cats to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.

After the fourth, NU continued to hold the Scarlet Knights scoreless throughout the rest of the game, shutting them out and concluding their regular season play until the Big Ten Tournament.

The Cats success over Rutgers was due in-large part to Williams’ performance in the circle. Williams pitched seven innings Sunday giving up zero runs and six hits while allowing three walks. The southpaw also reached a career milestone Sunday, securing her one hundredth career win. Williams is now the seventh Big Ten softball pitcher to have achieved this accolade.

The Cats will be back in action later this week for the first game of the Big Ten conference tournament.

skyeswann2024@u.northwestern.edu

The team faced UCLA (12-11, 3-5 PAC12) in its first round matchup. Right out of the gate, NU picked up the doubles point with 6-2 victories on the top two courts, putting themselves on top heading into singles.

The Bruins bounced back, picking up some early singles momentum. UCLA’s Giacomo Revelli and Gianluca Ballotta defeated graduate student Ivan Yatsuk and junior Presley Thieneman to pull away with an early 2-1 lead.

From there, the Cats took back their courts. Graduate students Simen Bratholm and Steven Forman each tallied a point for NU, and the clinching point came from junior Gleb Blekher. The consistent clincher’s teammates stormed Blekher after he propelled them into the NCAA Tournament’s second round.

The Cats’ second round match Saturday against No. 4 Kentucky (26-4, 9-3 SEC) shifted from a nail-biter into a heartbreaker. It was, coincidentally, a near repeat of NU’s second round matchup in last year’s NCAA tournament, where Kentucky knocked the Cats out 4-2.

This year, Kentucky started strong, picking up the doubles point without much fanfare after tallying wins on Courts 2 and 3.

NU’s prospects were looking up. Suddenly, the Cats led 3-1, and after picking up those three back-to-back points, momentum seemed to be swinging toward NU. But as the battle to pick up its final point began, Kentucky started to pull ahead.

Kentucky grabbed a point over Bratholm on Court 3 before picking up a tight one over Forman on the top court — and, all of sudden, the match was tied 3-3. Everything came down to the final few games of graduate student Trice Pickens’ match on Court 4.

Pickens was locked in a tight battle in his third set against Kentucky’s Taha Baadi, but with a few final points, he was overwhelmed, dropping his final set 4-6.

NU’s loss ended its tournament run in the second round, but it capped off an impressive display against one of the top teams in the nation.

The Cats’ 2022-23 season — one marked by important wins and high rankings that signal a promising future for the program — has come to its conclusion. With this year’s roster having been packed with graduate students, next year will be an interesting one for the Cats as they look to improve on this season’s success while introducing fresh faces.

alycebrown2025@u.northwestern.edu

Photo courtesy of Northwestern Athletics

Daily file photo by Mary Randolph