The Daily Northwestern — October 1, 2020 by The Daily Northwestern

The Daily Northwestern Thursday, October 1, 2020

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City adds ‘Black Lives Matter Way’ Braithwaite, ETHS coach propose switch after street painting By JACOB FULTON

daily senior staffer @jacobnfulton

Isabelle Sarraf/Daily Senior Staffer

Members of the NU community participate in a die-in protest on Sheridan Road, by Deering Meadow.

Workers, students stage die-in

Service workers, allies call attention to recent safety demands By ISABELLE SARRAF

daily senior staffer @isabellesarraf

Northwestern dining and hospitality workers and student allies hosted a die-in Wednesday afternoon to call attention to recent demands for COVID-19 health and safety

protections. Participants lay on Sheridan Road for seven minutes and 28 seconds, one second for each person and family that depends on Compass Group, NU’s food service provider, to ensure health and safety on the job. Across the street were dozens of protestors, shouting “SALUD!” in response to

chants demanding better treatment for campus employees. “We are here for the thousands of workers in our nation who have lost their lives to COVID-19,” a chant leader said to the crowd. “What’s at stake is our lives.” According to a news release from UNITE HERE Local 1, the union representing

subcontracted dining hall and hospitality workers at NU, 81 percent of these workers are Black or Latinx — communities which have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis in Evanston, Chicago and nationwide. The union’s demands for » See DIE IN, page 6

City Council approved a resolution renaming a portion of Dodge Avenue “Black Lives Matter Way” in a Tuesday meeting. The section of Dodge Avenue, located between its intersections with Church Street and Lake Street, received the honorary designation after an application was put forth by Evanston Township High School Head Basketball Coach Mike Ellis and Ald. Peter Braithwaite (2nd). Ellis said the application followed a weekend in which the ETHS basketball team painted the words “Black Lives Matter” on the same portion of Dodge Avenue. ETHS senior Isaiah Holden said he was thankful for the ability to paint the street, and hoped to see a lasting impact in the community as a result of the recognition. “It was a very memorable moment to see how the

community came out together, painting the street (to say) ‘Black Lives Matter,’” Holden said. “It was important to the basketball team because we have to make a change. Painting the street, I feel like that was the first step into making that change.” The street painting was supported by the city, but impending winter weather may affect the condition of the paint. As a result, ETHS senior Elijah Bull said renaming the street, which is located in front of the high school, will serve as a more permanent commitment of Evanston’s support of Black lives. “It will be a great opportunity to create an honorary sign going up right on Dodge to emphasize the idea of Black Lives Matter and equality,” Bull said. “With the upcoming weather conditions during the winter, the Black Lives Matter painting may fade. So it’s just another great opportunity to reinstate the idea of Black Lives Matter.” The resolution passed unanimously, with limited discussion. Before its approval, Braithwaite said he was thankful for the initiative the ETHS basketball team took to paint the street, as well as Ald. Robin Rue » See STREET, page 6

Mayoral candidate hopes to bring fresh perspective to city College junior and longtime Evanston resident focuses on racial justice, community engagement during run By JACOB FULTON

daily senior staffer @jacobnfulton

Sebastian Nalls said the moment he knew he would run to be the Mayor of Evanston was last year, when the city was in the process of funding and rebuilding the Robert Crown Community Center. Nalls has lived in Evanston for most of his life and grew up in the city’s 9th Ward — right near the Community Center. He attended preschool and multiple summer programs at Robert Crown, and said many minority families

use the facilities for their children as well. However, in the funding process, the city struck a deal with Beacon Academy, a local private school, to guarantee $500,000 in donations in exchange for access to the center’s new gymnasium during after school hours. Though the deal eventually fell through, Nalls said it was concerning to him that the city would even entertain the possibility of exclusive access based on funding. “People of color, this is their only place to actually go and use the recreation facilities,” Nalls said. “I was working for the city of Evanston at the

time, and we pride ourselves on fighting for equality and listening to our neighbors and being there for each other. But then we do something like this that actively counters those narratives.” So Nalls knew he had to try to make a difference. Nalls, a 2018 Evanston Township High School graduate and current junior at Purdue University, announced his mayoral candidacy on August 29. Since then, former State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss announced his plans to run. Current mayor Steve Hagerty has not yet said whether he plans to run for another term.

Nalls said despite the possibility of notable candidates running against him, he remains unconcerned about his competition. As a young person with personal experiences with issues like policing and COVID-19, he said he is uniquely situated to bring a fresh perspective to the mayoral office. “Ever y single generation has their turning point, and there are issues that are brought to the table that need to be solved,” Nalls said. “My generation has hit that turning point — there are issues on the table here in the city » See NALLS, page 6

Evan Robinson-Johnson/Daily Senior Staffer

Sebastian Nalls. The 2018 ETHS graduate is running for Evanston mayor.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020

AROUND TOWN

As juvenile arrests creep up, city leaders seek change

The referrals mean EPD is beginning to reroute minors from juvenile arrest to a community-based process that doesn’t involve the very traumatic elements of an arrest and won’t result in a permanent record, he said. “I have to infer from Cook’s statement that his hope is that we can build a community where arrest is the exception, and not the rule,” Keenan-Devlin said.

By DAISY CONANT

daily senior staffer @daisy_conant

Iain Bady was arrested at 12 years old. After he rode on the back pegs of a bicycle a friend drove into traffic at a stoplight, Bady was arrested and brought to the Evanston police station in July 2017. He was cited with violating an Evanston ordinance that prohibits the operation of a bicycle in any way that obstructs traffic flow. Now 15 years old, Bady described the impact of the realization he had been racially profiled by Evanston Police Department as he spoke during an August 31 city Q&A session. During the conversation, Evanston Police Chief Demitrous Cook apologized directly to Bady for EPD’s conduct during the incident. After Bady shared the experience of his unfounded 2017 arrest and the challenges it brought him and his family, Cook asserted that the higher rate of arrest for Black youth in Evanston “had to stop,” adding that he hoped “not to have any juveniles in the station.” “When you look at interaction with youth as young as Iain when he was 12, and the interaction with youth that may be younger than him, you’ve got to look at an aspect of trauma that has never been addressed in law enforcement,” Cook said. “Historically, we’ve had a lot of youth destroyed, their reputation and criminal history, by arresting them at such a young age.” For some local restorative justice leaders, the chief ’s statement was a promising indicator of positive change — especially coming on the heels of last year’s spike in juvenile arrests by EPD, breaking a trend of steady decline since 2015. Betsy Clarke, the president of the Juvenile Justice Initiative, said she was encouraged when she heard the chief ’s response, noting she believes it would be a good first step to reversing that spike — and the trauma it could inflict on Evanston youth — as well as build trust in neighborhoods that have been concerned about over-policing. “The police should find ways of dealing with conflict involving children that don’t involve bringing them to the police station,” Clarke said. “There might

A reactive approach versus a proactive solution

Graphic by Carly Schulman

be a few exceptions, but in every case possible, that should be the default.”

The impact of an arrest

Patrick Keenan-Devlin, the executive director of the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, has spent the bulk of his career representing minors who have been arrested and petitioned to court in the Circuit Court of Cook County for prosecution. He’s witnessed both the arrests and processing of minors at the police station, and described it as “an incredibly traumatic affair.” “There is nothing adult about a 17-year-old sitting in a jail,” Keenan-Devlin said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever sat in a jail cell with a child who has not wept openly out of fear, confusion.” According to EPD’s annual reports, the Juvenile Bureau, which handles investigations involving juvenile victims and/or alleged offenders, arrested 112 minors in 2019, 17 of which were arrested by School Resource Officers (SRO’s). This number was a jump from the previous two years, which saw an average of 76 juvenile arrests by the bureau — the lowest in a decade. “These are not statistics — they’re kids,”

Keenan-Devlin said. For many local advocates, this spike was alarming, especially considering the efforts of the Evanston City Council and the Alternative to Arrests committees over the past two years to create an “off-ramp” from the juvenile court system available to EPD. When EPD is faced with arresting a minor, Keenan-Devlin explained, the department can issue C-tickets “where possible and appropriate” for myriad non-violent ordinance offenses and misdemeanors, citing youth for low-level offenses instead of arrest. They would then be referred to the juvenile administrative hearing process — a forum that recently relaunched in September after being on pause due to COVID-19 — where they would work with a social worker to develop an individualized repair of harm agreement. According to data he received as a member of the Alternative to Arrests committee, Keenan-Devlin said EPD has referred 19 individuals to the juvenile administrative hearing process since the forum launched last July. While low, he said he sees these referrals as a good initial indicator of progress towards harm mitigation.

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However, some community members don’t have as much faith in Cook’s promise. Mollie Hartenstein, an organizer with Evanston Fight for Black Lives and an ETHS alumna, said she has seen Cook make broad statements appealing to community requests, only to have them walked back at a later period by himself or other members of EPD and city leadership. Sarah Bogan, a fellow EFBL organizer and ETHS alumna, highlighted a flaw she sees in Cook’s assertion: alternatives to arrest don’t seem feasible if significant portions of EPD’s budget aren’t reallocated to fund those programs. If those alternatives aren’t readily available in all cases, she said, only so much harm can be mitigated. Bogan and Hartenstein said preventative measures should incorporate plans to end conditions that foster criminalization. Some of the EPD officers she has spoken to do recognize the need for mentorship programs, reparations, and “more for the Black and Brown communities in Evanston,” Bogan said. However, she added that they don’t necessarily agree that having disproportionately high numbers of police in wards where significant portions of the city’s Black and Brown populations live is a problem, or that it may not be their job to intervene in every case. “If we want to stop [youth] arrests, I don’t think that police should be the ones necessarily handling these situations,” Bogan said. “There should be a different hotline for youth when something’s happening, so there can be a proactive intervention that’s coupled with [counseling and social services]... We’re trying to stop this at the root, not just react. You can’t take an action such as ‘we’re going to stop arrests’ without having a solution to the problem.” daisyconant2022@u.northwestern.edu

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020

ON CAMPUS

Trump, Biden clash in chaotic debate By DAISY CONANT and JAMES POLLARD daily senior staffers @pamesjollard, @daisy_conant

President Donald Trump did not commit to withholding a declaration of victory until an independent commission had confirmed the results of this November’s presidential election on Tuesday night. The first presidential debate between the incumbent Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, was marked by frequent appeals to the American people from Biden and incessant interruptions from Trump. “A reporter earlier in the day asked me if I thought that this debate would be more like a debate or more like a spectacle,” Communication Prof. David Zarefsky said. “I said spectacle, so I think I got that prediction right.”

Election integrity

With recent polls showing the president down by nearly double digits nationally and behind in crucial battleground states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Trump sowed doubt in the election’s integrity, calling it a “fraud like you’ve never seen.” When asked the same question, Biden refuted the claim that counting mail-in ballots is a fraudulent process, warning that ballots will “take time” to count. “If it’s a fair election, I am 100 percent on board,” Trump said. “But if I see tens of thousands of ballots being manipulated, I can’t go along with that.” However, The Washington Post found a “miniscule” number of possible fraudulent ballots in states with universal mail-in voting.

Race and policing

Trump refused to condemn white supremacists when prompted, instead calling on the Proud Boys — viewed by many as a far-right extremist group — to “stand back and stand by.” The debate also came after a historic summer featuring over 100 straight days of protests for racial justice in Portland and across the country,

many of which included calls for defunding the police. On Tuesday night, Biden lamented police brutality as an issue resulting from “some bad apples in the police department.” His administration, he said, would convene a group of civil rights advocates and police chiefs to find solutions that would hold officers accountable. Barraged by accusations of being against “law and order” and reminders that he authored a 1994 crime bill that many criminal justice advocates say contributed to mass incarceration, Biden also condemned violent protests.

Climate change

Talk of specific policy plans took up only a fraction of the debate, and the issue of climate change took up even less. Trump evaded confirming whether he believed in the science of climate change, instead blaming recent wildfires in the West Coast on forest mismanagement and touting the economic benefit of his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. “I haven’t destroyed our businesses,” Trump said. “Our businesses aren’t put out of commission. If you look at the Paris Accord, it was a disaster from our standpoint. And people are actually very happy about what’s going on because our businesses are doing well.”

Campus reactions

Partisan groups around campus defended their respective candidates’ performances following the debate. In a statement to The Daily, Northwestern University College Republicans said Biden’s policies would “hamstring” the country’s economic recovery. “In a messy first debate, President Trump began strong and offered compelling arguments on the key issues of the debate — his positions on SCOTUS, Law and Order, and the economy revealed the would-be weaknesses in a HarrisBiden Administration,” the group stated. Weinberg senior Adam Downing, the programming director for NU College Democrats,

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urged students to vote be it via absentee ballot or in-person. For Downing, the debate showed that Biden is the right candidate to serve as president. “If you look at who responded with poise and who responded with intelligent, factual-based answers, versus just rhetoric and fluff and lies, Joe Biden comes out not only the winner of the debate but clearly the man for the next president of the United States,” Downing said. But the two groups’ respective confidence in the candidate’s performances went largely unreflected in a Zoom debate watch party for student members of various residential colleges. For many, including Communication freshman Jordan Muhammad, the debate was disillusioning, and had little influence on whom they plan to vote for by November. “I was not super impressed,” Muhammad said. “I’m not at all more excited by looking at the course of disrespect from both sides. I wasn’t impressed by very much of the content, and I’m not really looking forward to the future. So if anything, I’m demoralized, but nothing much has changed.”

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The first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. Trump and Biden squared off on key issues like the pandemic, economic recovery and policing.

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4 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020

A&E arts &

entertainment Jack Austin/The Daily Northwestern

Chicago alternative rock band SŌK practices at the Music Garage following the release of “Jawbreaker” and as they prepare to record more material.

Chicago rock band SOK talks COVID effects, new single By JACK AUSTIN

the daily northwestern @jackaustin10

Dressed in a David Bowie t-shirt, a black beanie, and with dyed pinkish orange hair, Alexis Ploen struts around the studio with confidence, swinging her whole body with the beat and belting out poetry. Her band, SŌK, backs her up with instrumentation, creating high-energy songs with socially aware lyrics. Members of the Chicago band describe their sound as “hybrid alternative rock.” The group formed in December 2018 and recently released a single, “Jawbreaker.” The band originally was spelled “Soak” but had to change the name to avoid confusion with the Swedish folk artist with the same name, Cameron Carlson, the drummer, said. “I kind of like the idea of soaking in the human experience and just absorbing everything you possibly can from emotions, the fear of existing,” Ploen, lead vocalist and songwriter, said. “That is one of the goals of art — to just soak in that

human existence.” The songwriting process for the band varies, but is usually jam-based, meaning the band has a general structure for the song but improvises together, making each performance of the song unique. Often, Ploen comes up with chords, lyrics and melody, and then takes it to the band to jam and polish it. Other times, Nick Bilski, lead guitarist, comes up with riffs and the band brainstorms accordingly. Ploen said she was inspired by “edgier female vocalists” while writing “Jawbreaker,” which has been her proudest work to date. “When you see those few who stick out and are incredible at what they do, it’s really exciting,” Ploen said. “I adore (Patti Smith) for blending poetry and rock and roll, Janis Joplin’s aggressive way of singing the blues, Billie Holliday with the context of the songs she was singing. I respect the innovation they brought in their respective fields.” Because SŌK is an alternative rock band with a lead female vocalist, they get compared to popular bands like Paramore, Ploen said. However, Ploen said she incorporates more of an “angsty feminist”

perspective in her lyrics. The band gains a lot of strength from their diversity in musical taste and inspiration, Jonah Nink, the bass guitar player, said. “Alexis and I are huge classic rock nerds,” Nink said. “A lot of that stuff is misogynistic and can be racist at times. I think you can learn from that and apply that same energy to stuff that isn’t making those same mistakes.” Ploen added that they can ride the energy of classic rock, but revisit it for a younger and more progressive audience. She also said they like to experiment, drawing influences from a lot of places including metal and classic rock. Bilski and Ploen agreed that their EP release show was one of the most rewarding experiences as a band. That night, they sold out of all their merchandise and were only eight people away from selling out at the Subterranean in Wicker Park. “That was rewarding. It was snowing really bad that day. I was like ‘nobody’s probably going to come,’” Bilski said. “It was packed, it was one of those shows where you pick up the guitar and everything feels like butter, like everything is magic.”

Normally, the band practiced one to two times a week at Columbia College, where three of the members are art and music students. Since the pandemic, SŌK members have only rehearsed twice, but are planning to practice regularly at the Music Garage, a recording studio. COVID-19 also spoiled the band’s plans to go on tour outside the Chicago area. However, Bilski said this time presents the band with an opportunity to reassess their priorities, strengthen their existing sound and find a path forward. For now, the band said they want to focus on growing together and releasing material they are increasingly proud of. COVID-19 has been one of the largest obstacles the band has faced, and has only exacerbated their fear of losing momentum. “This is so momentum based, the minute you lose that it can be really hard to recover,” Nink said. “That’s all we really can do, especially with the pandemic. Keep writing, keep recording, keep doing live streams just to get some type of forward motion going.” jonathanaustin2023@u.northwestern.edu

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020

‘The Long Term’ showcases incarcerated voices, art By YONJOO SEO

the daily northwestern

The Block Museum of Art presented a virtual screening Thursday of film “The Long Term,” which features an animation made up of drawings created by incarcerated individuals with long-term sentences. The film was created as part of the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project, a program that has created opportunities for men in the Illinois Stateville Correctional Center to participate in arts and social science classes. The animation emphasized a need to reform the criminal justice system and work with, rather than against, Black and brown communities with higher rates of incarceration. “Our goal was to make work that could be both pedagogical and creative with a model that inside artists would be educators to outside communities about issues around criminalization and incarceration,” Sarah Ross, co-director of art and exhibitions for PNAP, said. Interviews with incarcerated individuals, and a Q&A and discussion between a former PNAP student and organizers, followed the screening. The presentation was part of One Book One Northwestern programming around criminal justice reform. This year’s One Book choice is Bryan Stephenson’s “Just Mercy,” which brings attention to the need for criminal justice reform. The animation showed how the notion of time was redefined for people serving extended sentences. Some

of the opening scenes were of a person being pushed into an hourglass, and empty calendar pages being flipped through just to reveal more.To further illustrate the internal struggles the prisoners face, there was a drawing of a person kneeling while holding a worn and cracked clock on his head, possibly a reference to the Greek Atlas holding the weight of the world. Eric Blackmon, a former PNAP student, said the classes PNAP offered gave incarcerated people an opportunity to learn what they could have achieved, adding it was a shame to see so many lives go to waste inside prison walls. “(Incarceration) should be about rehabilitation,” Blackmon said. “It should be about somebody being a better person walking out of the prison than they were walking in.” One scene in “The Long Term” featured a hand reaching out of a prison into a neighborhood, taking a part of it every time it returned to the prison, which continued to grow as parts of the neighborhood kept disappearing. Ross said the idea for the scene came after noticing how prison populations grew as the number of contributing members of society decreased, adding incarceration was actually taking away from communities. “The lack of imagination in the American criminal justice system has made this narrow funnel (of thinking) that the one way (to) get any kind of relief is only to lock people up,” Ross said. The prisoners addressed the emotional impact of these systemic issues in the audio that accompanied the drawings. The artists talked about watching each

Daily file photo by Sean Su

The Block Museum. The Block Museum screened “The Long Term,” an animation drawn by incarcerated artists.

other’s children grow older each time they visited, and fearing dying in prison. Damon Locks, another co-director of art and exhibitions for PNAP, said animation was a medium for the incarcerated artists to express themselves in a way that was accessible and understandable to the public. Locks said art can bring their conversations outside

of prison walls. “Art is something that can surpass most barriers,” Locks said. “So when you put intention behind art, you can stir so many complex emotions and that is invaluable.” yonjooseo2022@u.northwestern.edu

Chicago a cappella to hold virtual October concert By OLIVIA DEMETRIADES

the daily northwestern

With the cancellation of almost all in-person concerts due to COVID-19, Chicago a cappella, an ensemble of professional singers, will host its annual Cabaret Night on Oct. 3 on Zoom for the first time ever. The hour-long concert will mix live solo performances with prerecorded group numbers for the audience to watch from the comfort of their own homes. Among the performers are Northwestern alumni Emily Price (Bienen ‘02), Chelsea Lyons (Bienen ‘17) and Ace Gangoso (Bienen ‘12), who will be singing a mix of pop, showtunes and jazz. While most of Chicago a cappella’s concerts feature large ensemble numbers, the cabaret style allows individual singers to have much more freedom with their song selection. “The point of it is to give our audiences glimpses of our singers’ personalities and tastes,” Executive Director of Chicago a cappella Matt Greenberg said. “This is a chance for them to peek behind the curtain.” The cabaret format also allows singers to perform

in real-time, minimizing the chance of connectivity issues that could disrupt a larger group number. “When everything was cancelled and we weren’t sure what was going to happen with the new season, this was something we could move online because we wouldn’t have to worry about coordinating singing live together,” Price said. Virtual rehearsals and concerts present many challenges for both the performers and the audience. Zoom webinars are a “whole new language,”

Greenberg said, and no matter how long the singers rehearse, there is always the possibility of technical difficulties. Lyons said she found it challenging to motivate herself to rehearse her songs. While the singers have had a few Zoom rehearsals together, they mainly practice their songs at home on their own. “I’ve learned that I really needed something that was scheduled, so that I had some time to get into the right headspace,” Lyons said. “I had never realized how

Courtesy of Lauren Carrane

Chicago a cappella’s Cabaret Night 2020 will be hosted on Zoom, with live solo performances and two prerecorded group numbers.

much the driving time to rehearsal put me in the zone.” Price, Lyons and Greenberg agreed that there is also a unique level of intimacy from seeing the singers performing in their own homes. Letting others look into your comfortable space while performing requires a certain vulnerability and is a treat for audiences, Price said. “You might get a glimpse of what’s in the dresser behind them or in their closet, or the painting on the wall,” Greenberg said. “And because performers are in their homes, their guard is down and they’re a little more relaxed.” Greenberg said it is a “dark irony” that the mere act of singing in a group is one of the worst ways to spread COVID-19. He anticipates that the choral world will be one of the last performance communities to return to in-person concerts. But given the seeming hopelessness of the situation, he sees the need for music now more than ever. “It’s hard to understand how valuable art and music are in one’s life until you don’t have it,” Greenberg said. “My hope is that even in a small way, an event like this will try to alleviate some of the pain.” oliviademetriades2023@u.northwestern.edu

‘Little Fires Everywhere’ producer talks Emmy nom, show arcs By VIVIAN XIA

daily senior staffer @vivianxia7

After f inding that none of her earlier scripts ever got made into movies, Northwestern alumna Attica Locke (Communication ‘95) decided to walk away from Hollywood. Instead, after three years, Locke came back around to writing in Hollywood, landing her a position as co-executive producer of Emmy-nominated show “Little Fires Everywhere.” In addition to producing, Locke has published work as an author and television writer, notably critically-acclaimed novel “Black Water Rising” and Netflix’s “When They See Us.” The Daily sat down with Locke to discuss her work on the show and her reaction to its Emmy nomination.

Courtesy of Gina Ferazzi/Los AngelesTimes

Third from left, co-executive producer Attica Locke stands with the writers of Emmy nominated Hulu show “Little Fires Everywhere.”

The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. The Daily: What is “Little Fires Everywhere” about? Locke: It is about motherhood, race, class and late 90s culture. But it’s essentially a story about a Black mother and her daughter (who) move to Shaker Heights, Ohio, this planned “perfect community.” (They) burst into this White family and (the show examines) how they tangle with each other. There are two daughters — one of the Black family and one of the White family — that wish they had each other’s moms. In the midst of this, there’s a trial about an adoption that is being challenged, so lots of things about motherhood. The Daily: How do you feel about “Little Fires Everywhere” getting nominated for an Emmy? Locke: I was very happy! I’m very happy -I think that the show deserves that. I’m super proud of the work that we did, and this just feels like a kind of cherry on top of the whole experience. The Daily: And did you expect to be nominated for an Emmy at all? Locke: No, but not because I thought it wasn’t good enough — I don’t think we said the word “Emmy” ever during any of the process of making the show. We were just trying to make a show that we would watch that we thought people would love (and) would be funny, challenging and deep. In fact, the day of (the) Emmys, I forgot it was even happening and somebody sent me a congratulations text. The Daily: How did you get the opportunity

to be co-executive producer of the show? Locke: So basically my agent said, “Do you want to go meet on this thing based on ‘Little Fires Everywhere?’” and because I’d read the book, I was like, “Oh yeah, I’ll take the meeting!” I really, really, really loved that book, but at the time I was super busy and I was like, “Ah, I’m probably not going to do it, I just have too much other stuff going on.” But when I sat down to meet with the executive producer, Liz Tigelaar, I simply, within ten minutes, was like, “Oh I’m obviously doing this job.” She’s great. I just liked her a lot. I thought she was calm and smart and funny and grounded and humble, and these are all the kinds of things you’re going to want in a leader and that you’re going to want in an executive producer when you’re working long hours together. You want somebody who’s even-keeled, who’s smart but knows they don’t have all the answers.

been exactly the book — that’s not the point of adaptation.

The Daily: Since you read the book, how do you feel about how the show is versus the book — do you think it captured the big themes? What are some of the differences? Locke: It is definitely different from the book, and that was on purpose. We wanted people who had read the book to not feel like it was just a paint by numbers, that they could find something new in the show. And I think for the most part, it is absolutely the spirit of the show, as rather the spirit of the book to the degree that even when Celeste Ng came to visit our writer’s room, she was pitching on story ideas for things that never appeared in the book, like she kind of went with the idea. She kept calling it like it was a cover of a song that she’d done. It had its efforts, but it had its own kind of different flavor, too. So I think it’s not exactly the book, but it couldn’t have

Editor Rebecca Azin

vivianxia2023@u.northwestern.edu

A&E arts & entertainment

Assistant Editors Yonjoo Seo Jack Austin Designers Emma Ruck Carly Schulman Staff Olivia Demetriades Vivian Xia

6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020

STREET

From page 1 Simmons’s (5th) support for the resolution. City Council has faced criticism from residents and activists for the extent to which it implements plans to support racial equity, but Braithwaite said before the resolution passed that it’s indicative of the city’s climate as a whole

NALLS

that the honorary naming process for the street faced little pushback. “This is significant, and there are many towns and communities that would not have an opportunity to do this,” Braithwaite said. “I take pride in the fact that it’s going to pass in our Council.”

From page 1 of Evanston that need to be solved, and we need to address those issues in a timely manner because they impact everyone in the city on a daily basis.”

A “natural leader” since childhood

jacobfulton2023@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Binah Schatsky.

The painted street in front of Evanston Township High School. On Tuesday, City Council voted to rename the portion of Dodge Avenue “Black Lives Matter Way.”

DIE IN

From page 1 these subcontracted workers include training, quarantine pay, hazard pay, a moratorium on all discipline for COVID-19-related absences, and health insurance for laid-off workers. Noah Carson-Nelson, lead research analyst for the union, said Compass recently extended health insurance contributions for laid-off workers for the month of October after the union delivered a petition to the company. However, they said the union has still not heard a response from the University about the petition’s demands. In an email to The Daily, a Compass spokesperson said the union’s proposal seeks a 41 percent jump in compensation in the first year, which he said would increase the cost of each meal plan by about $1,200 per year. Compass has taken “every possible step” to assist its associates impacted by the pandemic, the spokesperson said, including providing them with free groceries and counseling on how to file for unemployment. He said Compass had

asked the union to hold a bargaining session Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the union seems more interested in creating media events than in creating a good, workable contract for its members,” the spokesperson said. Yiraida Berrios, a cashier in Elder dining hall, was laid off from her job back in March when the University shut down due to coronavirus concerns. She said she was originally supposed to go back to work this fall, but since then, the University has closed Elder due to fewer students living on campus than planned. Now, Berrios — living paycheck to paycheck — is facing the expiration of her health insurance. She said she was rushing to take her daughter to necessary doctor appointments now, “before it’s too late.” “I’ve been here for 10 years, I love my job,” Berrios said. “When you build a house, you’ve got to build it on concrete. I feel like I’ve built my house in sand, and the water just came and took it.” isabellesarraf2022@u.northwestern.edu

Susan Ye moved to Evanston with her family 15 years ago, and she first met Nalls’ family on Halloween of that same year. Nalls was a child when Ye met him, but she said she remembered his kindness. From a young age, Nalls would help coordinate the block parties that his neighborhood hosted, and he worked to make sure other kids felt included, Ye said. “Even as a kid, Sebastian was a natural leader — he’d help organize and do activities for the little ones, like my son and his brother,” Ye said. “Progressively, he’d build to even coordinating one of the block parties a few years later. And there were exchange students at the high school that year and he included them in this so they could have that experience as well.” Beyond the block parties, Nalls has continually been involved in the Evanston community. Ye said she has seen him participate in events like neighborhood cleanups and ward meetings. Additionally, Nalls said he has worked for the city’s Parks and Recreation department for the past six summers, including leading two of the department’s summer programs the past two years. Ye said Nalls’ high level of community involvement sets him apart from other potential candidates. “It’s important to know who you’re mayor for — who are your communities, what are their needs and concerns and who are they as people?” Ye said. “Being out there and present, not just at a parade, but at times when people need help and support, is very important.”

Making a difference from the sidelines

In high school, Nalls was a member of the ETHS basketball team. His senior year, he served as the team’s manager, a job he continued with the Purdue basketball team when he went to college. Rudy Meo, one of the team’s assistant coaches, said Nalls always carried himself differently from the other team members, but one moment during his senior year showed the impact Nalls could have on those around him. It was the end of the season, and the team had made it to the state-wide final four. The team was losing, Meo said, so Nalls gave a motivational speech. “When he spoke, you could just feel it and hear it in his voice, the power he had,” Meo said. “That was a moment that I’ll always remember. It’s typically either captains or coaches who will try to help motivate and inspire guys, but this was

different. Out of the years that I’ve been coaching, I’ve never had a manager be able to step up and say those things.” As the team manager, Nalls was always the first to volunteer at events like youth camps and mentor the team’s younger members, Meo recalled. Since graduation, Meo said Nalls has returned to visit the team multiple times, having conversations with younger players he mentored and helping coaches in any way he can. Nalls’ younger brother is a member of the current team, and Meo said that has also strengthened Nalls’ commitment to supporting them. “For Sebastian to be a manager and return, we haven’t had many managers, probably very few, who would come back and still lend a hand if needed,” Meo said. “So that says a lot about his character as well.”

Prioritizing the city

As a current college student, Nalls said many residents might question his capability to run the city. However, he is committed to moving back to Evanston to fulfill his mayoral duties if elected, and will finish his education remotely. The time commitment is no different from many previous mayors who have balanced a full-time job with their leadership positions, he said. Additionally, Nalls will commit to an opendoor policy if elected, holding consistent community meetings to get residents’ input on issues that matter to them, he said. Cheryl Lackey, an Evanston resident who has known Nalls for years, said she trusts him to prioritize residents’ needs over other pressures he may face as mayor. “I’ve seen him in situations where he’s had to make a decision that wasn’t always the most popular one,” Lackey said. “But he made a decision for what’s right. So I think Sebastian would be a mayor that would serve the entire community.” Nalls said his dedication to engaging with the community during the school year is a testament to his commitment to the city. He wants to travel the world, but he always imagines himself returning back to Evanston, his home. Evanston’s atmosphere is unlike any other city he’s been to, Nalls said, and he hopes to be able to bring about positive city-wide change if elected. “We have the possibility here in Evanston to create things that exist in no other city in America,” Nalls said. “We have the possibility to lead every other city when it comes to issues like racial equality and environmental stability, and I think we should be taking that responsibility with open arms. At the end of the day, that’s who we are as Evanston. That’s a responsibility and we’ve got to get it done.” jacobfulton2023@u.northwestern.edu

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020

Parents group on Facebook causes heated discussions By EMILY SAKAI

daily senior staffer @em_sakai

With over 4,000 members, the Northwestern University Parents Group on Facebook provides parents and family members with the opportunity to ask questions, share milestones and connect with others who have children attending NU. But in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, tensions on the page have left some family members wondering if the spirit of the group has been lost. Created in 2014, the group is not officially associated with anyone from the University and does not grant students or administrators admission. The page is extremely active, with members posting several times a day and some posts racking up hundreds of comments. The contents of posts range from requests for restaurant recommendations in the Evanston area to photos of students celebrating the first day of classes. Vikram Kaura, parent of a McCormick freshman, said he found the page to be a helpful resource. “I think it’s a good place to see if somebody has a different opinion or better information. So, it is useful even for very practical things like information on specific residence halls,” Kaura said. “By and large, people are helpful, and it’s constructive conversation that goes on.” But posts are not limited to informative ones. Several posts are open-ended, asking parents to share their thoughts and opinions about certain NU-related topics, while others include even more broad political discussions. A particular topic that attracted posters was University President Morton Schapiro’s Aug. 28 decision to cancel in-person classes and

City Council approves Alternative Emergency Response subcommittee

City Council approved the formation of an Alternative Emergency Response subcommittee on Tuesday.

Illustration by Cynthia Zhang

Heated discussions in the NU Parents Group leave members concerned about the nature of the page.

on-campus housing for underclassmen. Family members turned to the page to find out what others were doing in terms of housing for their children, which led to conflict when some disagreed about whether it was acceptable for underclassmen to look for housing in Evanston. Ann Turner, parent of a Weinberg sophomore, joined the group in March 2019 when her child was first accepted into NU. At first, Turner said she was pleased with how “eager to help” other families were, but over time she

noticed a change in the interactions on the page. “I think some of it is the result of just the current change in our political climate,” Turner said. “There’s also an awful lot of parent shaming and people trying to persuade others or bully others into taking positions or actions, against or towards the University.” Though there are still “plenty of delightful posts,” she said differences in opinion on topics such as mask-wearing and student calls

The subcommittee, which will be chaired by Ald. Cicely Fleming (9th), was initially proposed at an Aug. 31 Human Services Committee meeting. Other members include Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th), Connections for the Homeless’ Community Outreach Manager James Barnett and Maureen McDonnell, executive director of PEER Services, among others. Soon, the subcommittee will begin plans for the city’s Alternative Emergency Response pilot program,

which is slated to be incorporated into the 2021 budget. The subcommittee seeks to establish a method of responding to emergency situations that incorporates social workers or other health professionals who would be more equipped to handle mental health crises or domestic violence situations than a typical police officer might be. The implementation of this program comes after months of calls to defund Evanston Police

to abolish Greek life have led to “animosity.” Another sophomore parent, who chose to remain anonymous, said the Facebook group has been an “unpleasant place to be” lately because of “inflamed tensions” across the country, causing some parents to leave the group. She said the most heated topic on the page has been the Abolish Greek Life movement, because parents who had positive experiences in Greek life want their children to have the opportunity to join. “Unfortunately, the parents that seem to be speaking out more are these sort of white, privileged parents who are insisting that their kids are fearful of even speaking out in favor of Greek life, because then they’d be accused of being racist,” the parent said. “It feels like they’re disparaging a movement that is being spearheaded by primarily minority students, or students in other marginalized groups.” While some defended Greek life on the page, others members applauded students for taking the initiative to dismantle it. The entire conversation seemed strange, the parent said, because as adults, NU students are “perfectly capable” of managing their own social organizations. Because of concerns of page contents “leaking” to students, the moderators posted a warning to members, Turner said, asking them not to screenshot page content and share it with their students or allow their students to use their accounts so that the posts stay in the group. “What is in this group that is so, so secretive that you wouldn’t discuss it with your students?” Turner said. “I’m just a little boggled by that.” emilysakai2023@u.northwestern.edu

Department from many residents and activists. Over the summer, Mayor Steve Hagerty also hosted a series of Q&As about the role of EPD within the city, including a session discussing alternative methods of policing in other cities. The subcommittee will begin to meet in the coming weeks.

Students Publishing Company offers its deepest condolences to the family of Holly Williams Madigan ’62, who passed away last week. The signature leadership gift from the Madigans and their commitment to journalism's future continues to support the staff of The Daily Northwestern.

— Jacob Fulton

SPORTS

@DailyNU_Sports

Thursday, October 1, 2020

BASEBALL

Baseball players discuss summer league experiences By SOPHIA SCANLAN

daily senior staffer @sophia_scanlan

Dating all the way back to the 19th century, college students have spent their summers playing in baseball leagues. They provide an opportunity to develop skills, meet other athletes from across the country and engage in fun competition. Northwestern players routinely spend their summers in such leagues, and many were slated to do so this summer. Juniors Mike Doherty and Shawn Goosenberg, for instance, planned to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer — a premier league that has produced many major leaguers. But when the CCBL cancelled its upcoming season on Apr. 24, the players had to make other arrangements. Doherty found a spot with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms in the Coastal Plain League. Because of the pandemic, the season went a bit differently than usual. The start of the season got pushed back to mid-June, and only around 40 fans could be in the stadium at a time — though more sat on trucks outside the stadium to watch. “It was a little weird,” Doherty said. “It was a different culture.” Players also had to get their temperature checked before entering the clubhouse. They weren’t required to wear masks on the field, but coaches warned that things would change if players weren’t socially distancing in the dugout and bullpens. However, Doherty said the rules about masks weren’t really enforced, except for when the team went to get food or between batting practice and the game.

“(It was) probably for an optics kind of reason,” he said. However, the Kalamazoo Mac Daddies of the Northwoods League — where Goosenberg ended up playing — required masks on at all times, but not when playing on the field.TheyThey also weren’t allowed to go to bars, either. Additionally, no families hosted players, so Goosenberg and his teammates had to live out of a hotel for the season. Goosenberg said despite the differences from a normal summer of baseball,the level of play in the Northwoods League was still high. “Definitely the top players on all the teams were equivalent to Big Ten play or any other team we play at Northwestern,” he said. One of Goosenberg’s teammates this summer was junior first baseman Anthony Calarco. The Wilmette native was lined up to play for the Conejo Oaks of the California Collegiate League but the day after he signed, the league canceled the season. Like Goosenberg, Calarco heard about the team from one of his coaches at NU, and several other freshmen joined, including infielders Vince Bianchina and Ben Grable and outfielder Ethan O’Donnell. Over the two and a half months he was in Kalamazoo, Calarco led his team in nearly every category, with a .321 batting average, a .423 slugging percentage and 44 hits. Even with a shortened season, he still felt like he improved his game. “I really showed that I can finally play at this level,” he said. “I’ve never really shown (that) in my college career and I’m hoping to bring it into school ball.”

Courtesy of Anthony Calarco

sophiascanlan2022@u.northwestern.edu

CROSS COUNTRY

FOOTBALL

Roundtable: Upcoming season Coach Miller talks By ANDREW GOLDEN and PETER WARREN

daily senior staffers @andrewcgolden, @thepeterwarren

It has been a whirlwind offseason for Northwestern football, but for the first time since last November, there is a Wildcats game on the calendar for the current month. With a little over three weeks until NU opens against Maryland, Daily senior staffers Andrew Golden and Peter Warren try to answer some of the biggest on-field storylines of the forthcoming season.

Other than starting quarterback — where it appears Peyton Ramsey has an edge — what most interests you about the Northwestern offense? Andrew Golden: The most intriguing position group to watch heading into this season is wide receiver. New offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian has stressed the importance of getting the ball to playmakers and allowing them to create in space. I’m interested to see which wideouts step into that playmaker role. Riley Lees showed last season that he was reliable regardless of who was in at quarterback. The Wildcats slotted a lot of players at the second wide receiver last season — Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman, JJ Jefferson and Berkeley Holman, to name a few. With those players, as well as Genson Hooper Price, Bryce Kirtz and Malik Washington from the 2019 recruiting class, it should be interesting to see which players separate themselves in camp. Peter Warren: We know the offense is going to look different this season, from a faster pace to the return of tight ends. But I am curious how much of Bajakian’s new-look offense will be installed by the season starts. The loss of many

in-person practices throughout the pandemic has meant less time for the entire offense to get in sync. Sure, the team has had ample time to study the playbook and memorize many plays. But running a play is a coordinated dance. All 11 players have to be in step with each other for the play to work the correct way. I wonder if NU will be ready to have an open playbook by Week 1, and if not, when it will happen.

How much of an impact will the loss of Rashawn Slater have on the offensive line? Peter Warren: Slater is one of the most talented players to suit up for Northwestern over the last few years, and his loss on the line — both from a talent and experience level — will be tough to replace. But one player in particular should give the Wildcats faith that there shouldn’t be a significant decline at the position. Junior Ethan Wiederkehr started when Slater was injured against Nebraska and was named NU Offensive Player of the Week after the performance. He also started after Gunnar Vogel was injured at the end of the season. Whether Wiederkehr or Vogel start at left tackle, there will be some growing pains. But the spot won’t be a turnstile for opposing pass rushers to bypass on their way to the quarterback. Andrew Golden: Slater is going to go down as one of the greatest linemen in school history, and it’s going to be hard for the Cats — let alone any team — to replace a first-round talent like him. But if there’s any silver lining for Kurt Anderson’s group, it’s the fact that they only allowed 23 sacks last season, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. They are returning three starters from last season and adding Wiederkehr and elite recruit Peter Skoronski into the mix provides the Cats with some continuity and talent heading into the

season. Bottom line: it’s certainly a big loss, but NU has the pieces to make it work.

The defense returns eight starters from last season. Who is one player who didn’t start last year you’d expect to make a big impact on that side of the ball? Andrew Golden: Last season, sophomore A.J. Hampton started a game last season as a result of injuries in the secondary and struggled when he played, which makes me think he’s going to be a really crucial player for NU this year. Two years ago, Greg Newsome was thrown into the fire as a true freshman alongside senior Montre Hartage and went through growing pains himself before becoming the Cats’ premier corner last season. The same can happen for Hampton. With a year of playing time and experience, Hampton has the opportunity to step up for the Cats at corner, a position they’ve struggled to get consistent play from in recent years. Peter Warren: Ever since arriving on campus three years ago, senior Earnest Brown IV has been in the mix on the defensive line. And while he has shined over the last two years as a pass rusher, Brown has never had a chance to be a three-down lineman. Now, with Joe Gaziano off to the City of Angels, this is Brown’s season to shine as a starter opposite Samdup Miller. Brown has big playmaker potential rushing off the edge in passing situations, with his scoop and score against Nebraska in 2018 the current top highlight of his career. The Texas native hasn’t played in many running situations over his three years, but has the skills to be an effective defender against the run. andrewgolden2021@u.northwestern.edu peterwarren2021@u.northwestern.edu

squad training program By CHARLOTTE VARNES

everybody’s symptoms, making sure we’re washing our hands regularly, sanitizing everything and really keeping our distance.

Coach Jill Miller’s first year leading Northwestern’s cross country team ended abruptly as the NCAA canceled winter and spring sports in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the start date of the Big Ten’s cross country season still up in the air, Miller spoke to The Daily about her squad’s current training program for the 2020 season, whenever that may be. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

The Daily: What silver linings have you seen over the past few months? Miller: We started really working on the mental side of the sport, and how we could not only be strong athletes, but use our minds to optimize that physical growth. We had more time and more space to connect on some topics that we possibly wouldn’t have if we were grinding through a competitive season. It’s also allowed us more time to discuss social issues and feel like we can be really impactful as a group.

the daily northwestern @charvarnes11

The Daily: What first went through your mind when you found out the Big Ten cancelled fall sports? Miller: I won’t say that it really shocked me. It really made us pause, take a deep breath and analyze, ‘OK, with competition pulled off of the table, how do we create an experience for our student-athletes where they can grow?’ The Daily: With all this uncertainty, what is practice like now that there’s no real postseason or idea of when competition will come back? Miller: I think our student-athletes really thrive with the weekly structure they were used to in years past, so practice doesn’t look much different, minus the masks and that we’re all six feet apart. The difference is, without preparing for a specific competition, we’ve dialed back some of the intensity of the work. The Daily: How else are you following social distancing requirements? Miller: We’re masked when we’re in groups. We even stay masked when we’re six feet apart from one another.That’s something that’s an adjustment for a lot of our athletes. We look at it as our version of altitude training. When we’re inside, we’re certainly much more cautious in terms of checking

The Daily: What is your mindset regarding the potential for NCAA postseason competition to be held in the spring? Miller: We have to figure out a way that’s equitable across the country. If we’re talking about cross country in January through March, we have to think about weather and travel constraints there. If we’re thinking about an indoor track season, we have to think about health and safety being in a confined space with all those athletes. So, there are a lot of issues on the table we’re still working through. The Daily: How are you conducting workouts with the possibility that you could be jumping into track or cross country? Miller: We’re making sure to have a really well-rounded schedule to make sure that they’re strong aerobically, full of energy and feeling good in terms of mileage and intensity. I think it won’t be a situation where we’re told, ‘Okay, in one week you’re going to start racing track’ or, ‘In one week, you’re going to start racing cross country.’ We’ll have time to get more specific with the training when the decisions are made. charlottevarnes2024@u.northwestern.edu