The Daily Northwestern — October 5, 2020 by The Daily Northwestern

The Daily Northwestern Monday, October 5, 2020

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EVANSTON UNITED

Hundreds gather to honor Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and march for Black lives

By MAIA SPOTO

the daily northwestern @maia_spoto

Family members of Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor led a march and rally in Evanston Saturday to condemn systemic police brutality and urge people to vote in the upcoming election. Hundreds of participants shouted chants,

including “No justice, no peace,”“Say his name” and “Say her name,” as they marched from the Jacob Blake Manor to the Ebenezer-Primm Towers. State and local leaders, including longtime civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), called for reform in the criminal justice system. “There’s a pattern that’s around the country,” said Jackson, whose advocacy organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, helped sponsor the event. “And we as a nation must stop it.”

Jackson also led the crowd in chanting “I am somebody.” Earlier in the afternoon, Schakowsky extended her gratitude to activists fighting centuries of racial injustice. She called on residents to vote as volunteers passed around fliers with QR codes directing people to voter registration information. Justin Blake, Jacob Blake’s uncle said people » See MARCH, page 6

ASG Research Institute to EPL to use CARES Act grant streamline info gathering money for unemployed people Group aims to fortify proposals with deeper insight

Program provides technology to help build job skills

By EMILY SAKAI

By DELANEY NELSON

daily senior staffer @em_sakai

For Associated Student Government, turning ideas into policy takes research. Much of Fall Quarter is spent on research because each ASG committee’s ideas need to be investigated thoroughly before being pitched to Northwestern administrators. But this year, a new committee entirely dedicated to research is coming to ASG — the Policy Research Institute. The Institute was chartered in the spring, but the idea of having a designated body for

research has been floating around ASG over the last year, Margot Bartol, chair of the Policy Research Institute, said. “What the committee is tasked with doing is researching the complex, long-term initiatives that ASG has that kind of overarch any one particular committee,” Bartol said. The Weinberg junior said for each issue, the committee will pay attention to who is impacted, what NU has done in the past and what peer institutions are doing, as well as coordinating efforts between ASG committees. The Institute will have the ability to view projects at a macro level, Bartol said.

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Weinberg junior and ASG Chief of Staff Elizabeth Sperti said because of the amount of research involved in ASG projects, the new committee is necessary to “streamline the information process” so an overwhelming amount of research isn’t falling on individual committee members. “Having an entire committee dedicated to this kind of work probably not only means that the quality of our research will be better, but I am hoping that it will also be presented more clearly,” Sperti said. “Not only informing the student body more effectively, » See POLICY, page 6

daily senior staffer @delaneygnelson

The Evanston Public Library plans to use grant money from the CARES Act to fund services for unemployed people in Evanston, according to a news release. The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the Evanston Public Library a $149,023 grant in September. Since the pandemic began, Evanston’s unemployment rate has increased, sitting at 10.2 percent by the end of August. EPL has put the “Ready to Work: Bridging the Digital Divide for Tomorrow’s

Workforce” program in place, which will provide the community with access to technology and services to help people build skills to become “job ready.” As a part of the program, EPL plans to provide people with WiFi hotspots, access to computers and individual training with Technology Tutors. Other services include free access to online courses that will prepare individuals for a variety of fields and technology skill development courses. The library plans to provide access to some courses and written materials describing resources in several languages. “The Library is committed to breaking down the barriers to services for residents in need

and is constantly exploring the frontiers of what equitable access to resources means to Evanstonians,” EPL Executive Director Karen Danczak Lyons said in a news release. “This grant will allow us to more effectively respond to the economic downturn and serve those who have the fewest resources in bouncing back from it. This is a time of unparalleled need in our community and the Library is here to help.” EPL was one of 68 recipients of the IMLS CARES Act Grants, which are meant to support museums and libraries during the pandemic. delaneynelson2023@u.northwestern.edu

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8

2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

AROUND TOWN

Residents talk Fair Tax referendum before election By DELANEY NELSON

daily senior staffer @delaneygnelson

This November, Illinois residents will decide if they want the state to change its tax system from the current flat tax system to a graduated income tax. The Illinois Fair Tax referendum would introduce a progressive income tax and would require a supermajority to pass. Supporters of the amendment say installing a graduated income tax will create a more equitable tax system while providing the state with needed revenue. The Illinois Constitution currently mandates the same income tax rate for everyone, which now sits at 4.95 percent. According to Senate Bill 687, the Fair Tax would gradually increase rates for those who make $250,000 and up. Kathy Tate-Bradish, a board member of the League of Women Voters of Evanston, said the proposed system, which would make wealthier people pay more in taxes, is truly fair. Tate-Bradish has been doing voter outreach with the organization to advocate for the amendment. “It’s fairer because that isn’t coming out of people’s necessary spending,” Tate-Bradish said. “If you’re taxing somebody who earns $22,000 a year at a 14 percent rate in the state, that comes out of real spending decisions: food, or diapers? New shoes or Salvation Army again?” Tate-Bradish said a graduated income tax is the only current solution to create more revenue for the state of Illinois without increasing the burden on people with lower incomes. With a flat tax,

Evanston gets $500,000 grant to improve Main Street infrastructure

Evanston has received $500,000 in grant funding from the Cook County Department of

Daily file photo by Meghan White

Illinois residents will vote on the Fair Tax referendum this November, which would change the state’s tax system from the current flat tax system to a graduated income tax

those who make less money have to pay a greater proportion of their income. She said it makes sense that people with more money should pay taxes at a higher rate, and in doing so provide the state with a considerable amount of revenue. “The revenue has to come from someplace, and we can’t encourage everybody to smoke marijuana so that we can tax it,” she said, referencing the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act that went into effect this year. Annette Wallace, an Evanston resident, will vote in favor of the initiative because the taxes in Illinois are unfair, she said. Wallace has paid taxes in

other states, but in Illinois, she has gotten the least money back and has faced the greatest tax burden. Wallace said she would expect people who make $250,000 and up to be upset, but still hopes Evanston residents vote in favor of the amendment. “Most people don’t make $250,000 a year in Evanston,” Wallace said. “There are a number of people who make $250,000 a year. I would think that they might be upset about it. But the liberals wouldn’t be, I hope. I’m always hoping.” According to the United States Census Bureau, the median household income in Evanston in 2018 was $77,848, well below the $250,000 tax bracket.

Transportation and Highways to improve infrastructure and facilities along Main Street, according to a Tuesday news release. The city is one of 30 municipalities to receive funding across Cook County as a part of the 2020 Invest in Cook initiative, which is distributing $8.5 million to local governments across the county.

The project plans include improving sidewalk access, increase ADA accommodations and allow pedestrians to access transit easily, among other improvements. Water main changes are slated to be finished during summer 2021, with other portions of the project scheduled to wrap up throughout 2022. “Main Street not only provides residents with

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Tate-Bradish said she expects the ballot initiative to do well among Evanston voters, partly because Evanston property taxes are known to be high. If the government installs a graduated income rate, the city will rely less on property taxes to fund education and other social services, and Evanston residents may hope to eventually have their property taxes lowered, Tate-Bradish said. While some residents support the tax change, Blair Garber, Evanston Township GOP committeeman, said installing a graduated income tax will drive wealthy people and businesses out of the state and hurt the middle class. He said the flat tax has been the only financial decision the state has gotten right, and changing it would be a mistake. The problem, Garber said, is the state’s Democratic establishment sees Illinois’s fiscal troubles as a revenue issue rather than a spending issue. Garber said instead of changing taxes, the state should pursue a constitutional amendment that would reduce public employment benefits. “This is going to be another in a very large nail in Illinois’s fiscal coffin,” Garber said. He later added, “When it comes to taxes, there’s only one pocket that the money’s coming from, and that’s ours.” While Garber doesn’t support the amendment, he said Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) doesn’t put forward bills that won’t pass, so he would be astonished if the Fair Tax referendum failed. Garber said he is planning on leaving Illinois at some point in the future in favor of a red state. delaneynelson2023@u.northwestern.edu a vital connection to public transit, it’s also home to some of our city’s most unique and vibrant businesses,” Mayor Steve Hagerty said in the release. “These improvements will support safe transportation for all users and strong economic growth for years to come.” — Jacob Fulton

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

ON CAMPUS

Gender and Sexuality Studies turns 45

The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Marissa Martinez

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

By VIVIAN XIA

daily senior staffer @vivianxia7

General Manager Stacia Campbell

stacia@dailynorthwestern.com

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Northwestern. Founded in 1975 as the Women’s Studies Program, the program has broadened its scope to be more inclusive, changing its name to the Gender Studies Program in 2000 and then the GSS Program in 2012. Anthropology Prof. Mary Weismantel was the director of the program during its most recent name change, and she said she was the person who “pushed (the change) through.” “We already had people who are teaching sexuality studies,” Weismantel said. “Sexuality studies is a related but distinct field of study from gender studies, so it’s important to recognize that.” Weismantel added that the program also changed its curriculum so undergraduate and graduate students would be required to take at least one course in gender studies and one course in sexuality studies. The name change was also in part a response to the creation of the Sexualities Project at Northwestern, which helps fund collaborative and interdisciplinary research on sexuality. SPAN was founded 10 years ago by sociology Prof. Héctor Carrillo and humanities and sociology Prof. Steven Epstein. Carrillo currently co-directs the program alongside linguistics Prof. Gregory Ward. “This all coincides with the time when it became clear that it’s very hard to separate gender studies from sexuality studies,” Carrillo said. “There’s so much overlap between gender diversity and sexual diversity that we needed to have a focus as a program but also within SPAN that allowed us to explore cutting-edge topics.” Carrillo added that as time passes, the notion of diversity also changes and expands. So, as a result, the GSS Program has changed to foster greater diversity and inclusion. Communication Prof. Janice Radway, the current director of the GSS Program, said the name

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Northwestern’s Gender and Sexuality Studies Program was founded in 1975, making this its 45th year. It was initially founded as the Women’s Studies Program but then changed its name to the Gender Studies Program and then the GSS Program to be more inclusive.

change reflects how the field has been “dynamic and responsive,” changing in response to the activism of younger women, undergraduate students and graduate students. She said NU’s GSS Program is unique because of the “sort of equal and happy emphasis” on both gender and sexuality and equal interest in both gender and sexuality studies. “We are beginning to have as many courses focusing on trans and non-binary issues as we have on, for instance, feminist history and on feminism,” Radway said. “We have a large interdisciplinary faculty that we draw from across the campus.” In response to the protests and activism surrounding Black Lives Matter and anti-Black racism, Radway said the program is discussing what they can do to make the courses more intersectional and to put Black feminist thought in the foreground. “We have tried to think creatively about how we can continue to foreground questions about antiBlackness, about racism, about policing and governmentality and the way it operates unequally and

unfairly across different populations,” Radway said. For Weinberg junior Sarah Eisenman, the program is one of the few places on campus where she felt she could critically engage in gender and sexuality studies — something she had been passionate about but never studied in an academic context. The program’s niche classes, like one Eisenman took on gender-affirmation surgeries in Thailand, constantly change her perspective on gender and sexuality through an academic lens. That class in particular, she said, was interesting because it was one of the first chances she got to explore gender and sexuality studies in a non-Western context. “There’s a big effort being made on the part of students as well as faculty to make sure we’re covering these gaps and taking into account the voices that haven’t been heard and historically ignored in the discipline itself,” Eisenman said. Isabelle Sarraf contributed reporting. vivianxia2023@u.northwestern.edu

Wildcat Crossword Wildcat Crossword: Philosophy of Puns

by Henry Alford

HENRY ALFORD 1

29 31 34

50 55

"Philosophy of Puns" Mon. 10/05/20

ACROSS 1 Title for Quixote 4 Pasta sauce name 9 Team of workers 14 "Call Me Maybe" singer Carly ____ Jepsen 15 Kendrick with a Pulitzer 16 Site for searching 17 !!!!, philosophically? 20 Devilish 21 Back in the day 22 PET _____

43 Strike callers, informally 47 The loneliest number 48 President with a positive test 49 Govern 50 Instagram sections 51 Takes it slow, at first 54 Target audience of a product, philosophically? 58 "______ there yet?"

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Gangster's gun State bird of Maryland Stress the off-beats Brought under control "I get it now!" Pro "The Masked Singer" network Milestone _____ about Average of your ABCs? Sprint

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“Philosophy of Puns”

45 Welcome Tooth extractors to The Daily's new 46 student-created Popular Nissancrossword puzzle. back every Monday 50 Come Vitamin that is also a during fall quarter for a new crossword. plane Answers on Thursdays. 52 "Say it again for the ACROSS people in the back!" Title for Quixote 53 142003 outbreak Pasta sauce name 54 9Turner who rebelled Team of workers "Callanger Me Maybe" singer 55 14 Fierce Carlycontraction ____ Jepsen 56 Poetic 15 Kendrick with a Pulitzer 57 16 AIDS virus Site for searching 17 20 21 22 23 25 28 29

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!!!!, philosophically? Devilish Back in the day PET _____ Northern hemisphere? Dance move resembling a sneeze Gridiron measurement Disposable picnic need, philosophically? 31 Mediterranean island nation 33 "The Tortoise and the Hare" storyteller 34 Go by 36 Sharp or flat, musically 38 Sound of soup eating 39 Do-over button 40 Repairman for broken safes, philosophically? 43 Strike callers, informally 47 The loneliest number 48 President with a positive test 49 Govern 50 Instagram sections 51 Takes it slow, at first 54 Target audience of a product, philosophically? 58 "______ there yet?" 59 Detox organ 60 Mess up 61 A capella part 62 They're often at odds with odds 63 Org. operating out of O'Hare

DOWN 1 Formal, as attire 2 Southern Mexican state 3 Bees think it's the bee's knees 4 Prepare for the future 5 Best Actor winner Malek 6 Starve 7 Gangster's gun 8 State bird of Maryland 9 Stress the off-beats 10 Brought under control 11 "I get it now!" 12 Pro 13 "The Masked Singer" network 18 Milestone 19 _____ about 24 Average of your ABCs? 25 Sprint 26 "This is not ______" (safety notice) 27 Catchy song 29 "Thx" counterpart 30 Lesson giver 32 Nachos, or mozzarella sticks 34 Father of X AE A-12 35 Time founder Henry 36 It might get your goat 37 Sorta 38 ____-mo camera 39 Basketball hoop feature 41 Signs of a sellout, abbr. 42 Hamstring, e.g. 44 American Civil War weapon 45 Tooth extractors 46 Popular Nissan 50 Vitamin that is also a plane 52 "Say it again for the people in the back!" 53 2003 outbreak 54 Turner who rebelled 55 Fierce anger 56 Poetic contraction 57 AIDS virus

OPINION

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Monday, October 5, 2020

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A letter in support of abolishing the Greek system, from your sisters

We Stand with You. We became aware of the move to dissolve the sororities at Northwestern University from our national organizations and articles in The Daily Northwestern. We’ve chatted privately and on social media, because even after all these years, many of the friendships we

formed from our days as Thetas and DGs have remained. The Greek System helped us to widen our social network, find our voices and form lifelong friendships with like-minded, powerful and brilliant women. We also experienced rape culture, microaggressions (though we didn’t have that word back then) and binge drinking. We hoped and naively believed that things had evolved, but it’s clear that this system — which was designed to reinforce patriarchy, classism and racism — is not able to transform and it’s time to move on. With time, distance and the wisdom that

comes with experience, we recognize that a panhellenic system isn’t necessary to create an environment where women can express their authentic selves, explore their roles as leaders, and create lasting relationships. We were catalyzed by what we read and we dug around a little bit online to learn more about the Abolish Greek Life movement with which we were previously unfamiliar. We have to tell you, we are unbelievably proud of the stand you’ve taken against racism, discrimination and inequity. You have acted bravely in the recognition that the limitations of the

system render it obsolete. Your move was brave, selfless and a shining example of how to be agents of change. Our country needs more young people like you who are willing to abandon traditions that no longer serve the community and reckon with the discomfort of change in the pursuit of equity. Your families must be so proud of the fine, brave young adults they raised. Continue to do the hard work you’re doing and know that these alumnae stand firmly behind and beside you. — PHA alumnae

Rhetoric and the inclusion of women in STEM fields SIMONA FINE

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

In 1947, American metallurgist Ernest Kirkendall controversially published his third and final paper accompanied by pages of discussion written by preeminent scientists doubting his results. Kirkendall’s thesis research kicked off a years-long battle over the veracity of his work, but once his discoveries were accepted in 1950, they changed the field of materials science forever. As we studied Kirkendall’s observation in class, which has since been named the “Kirkendall Effect,” my professor also told us this last paper was co-authored by Alice Smigelskas, an undergraduate student in his lab, attempting to prove to us that undergraduates could perform groundbreaking work. She ended this conversation revealing that when she tried to look Smigelskas up, no more information about Smigelskas’s research or contributions could be found after her marriage. While the story about Smigelskas was meant to inspire us, I couldn’t stop thinking about how

a female researcher — who was an integral part of a landmark paper — had been able to vanish from the collective scientific memory. As one of only four women in the class, it felt like that could uniquely be my future, while my classmates may have been remembered for their work.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about how a female researcher — who was an integral part of a landmark paper — had been able to vanish from the collective scientific memory” Recent hiring decisions in the materials science & engineering department have prompted a series of discussions about the lack of underrepresented populations in the major. I attended two of these diversity and inclusion meetings, one with the lab group I work for and the other with a combined group of undergraduate and graduate students.

Despite being one of two women in my year in the major, I haven’t had explicit issues with sexism specifically within materials science. While I often feel isolated or scared of speaking up during a class lecture related to my major, I attribute these tendencies to my experiences in general engineering spaces. Some reflection reminded me of moments where I reacted differently to my male classmates because of my position as a woman in the class. Both were instances where professors were clearly not motivated by any form of prejudice, but used language in a way that surprised and alienated me. During Winter Quarter, one of my professors began speaking about academic lineages, constructed by analogizing your Ph.D. advisor to a parent and the advisor of your advisor to a grandparent. However, instead of using a genderneutral term, he referred to the Ph.D. advisor as an academic daddy. As he flipped through photos of white men he termed as academic daddies or grandaddies, the blatant use of such explicitly gendered language made me feel excluded. To stare at the screen upon which no women were depicted was isolating enough, but the masculine terminology accompanying it seemed to solidify that this was an ostracizing space in which I was unwelcome.

As an English major, I am taught to close read, to think about why authors chose the words they choose, and how these terms enhance or detract from their argument. If engineers want to promote a more inclusive environment, they must also use rhetoric to their advantage and harness its power for the creation of an embracing space. In order to construct a more comprehensive narrative of what identities people in STEM can hold, professors need to think about the words they use and what those expressions may unintentionally reveal. Small edits to the transcripts of my professors’ stories could drastically change the meaning and perception of their words, especially for students who aren’t straight white men. The world of materials science is progressing and integrating, and if we’ve really moved past the era in which female researchers could vanish into thin air after marriage, then we need to evolve our language to accompany this shift in culture. Fine is a McCormick junior. She can be contacted at simonafine2022@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

The dangerous side effects of marijuana legalization in the U.S. TENNY TSANG

DAILY COLUMNIST

Forty years ago, U.S. federal and state governments considered marijuana a dangerous, detrimental drug that no law-abiding citizen should possess, much less consume. Yet, we see a very different picture today, with an increasing number of states fully legalizing marijuana in response to a nationwide call for policing reform that would counteract racial disparity in drug arrests. While this is certainly a dire issue that needs to be addressed, I believe legalization is not the solution. Advocates of legalization, including Jesse Wegman of The New York Times, fail to address major side effects of the drug in their articles. Wegman’s opinion piece in support of legalization presents a rather straightforward argument. One of his main issues with the enforcement of cannabis law lies in the contrast between the written law and the consequences in real practice. To him, the war against marijuana possession is a “futile strategy” that costs more than

$3.6 billion per year but which leads to no visible improvement in reducing general usage, the objective of the codified law. This is arguably his strongest point, and I do agree that things need to change if the law is not yielding the intended results. But Wegman abruptly jumps to legalizing marijuana as the solution without adequately addressing negative effects of the drug itself. Studies show that marijuana is the second leading substance for patients receiving drug treatment and that the rate of marijuana-related hospital visits has increased significantly, though, overall, weed-related cases make up a very small percentage of total hospital patients. THC, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, has nearly tripled in potency since 1993, and pediatric poisonings caused by accidental ingestion of edible marijuana products remain a serious concern. In addition, marijuana smokers also tend to hold longer breaths and deeper inhales than cigarette smokers, resulting in greater exposure to tar. Another issue that needs to be remedied is the racial disparity in an overwhelming number of drug arrests as well as severe punishment for minor offenses, as Wegman points out in his article. He

tells the stories of two men, Bernard Noble and Jeff Mizanskey, sentenced to painfully long jail time for minor offenses of cannabis possession. After receiving harsh penalties, offenders often encounter difficulties in finding employment, loans and benefits due to their criminal record. It is clear that equal application of the law is not being recognized under the current circumstances, and the most vulnerable pay the largest price. But while the severity and impact of sentencing must be reevaluated, going straight to abolishment, as Wegman recommends, has been proven inadequate. Although the number of drug arrests decreased overall across legalized states, racial disparity in drug arrests persists with significantly higher Black arrests compared to Whites. In Washington, for example, there are five times the number of marijuana-related arrests for Black populations compared to other ethnicities, even after an overall drop in arrests. Hence, legalization is still somewhat inadequate in addressing racial inequality for drug arrests. As more and more states pass legislation legalizing marijuana, the drug is becoming the next “Big Tobacco,” as German Lopez wrote in his Vox article. The big concern is that the drive for profit could encourage inappropriate marketing that

leads to increased drug abuse. Pause for a moment and think: What would our world look like if marijuana becomes a social norm, readily accessible in stores just like tobacco or alcohol, a substance that kids can just ask their older friends to buy for them? Can you trust the public to behave responsibly? How do we hold violators accountable? All of these are pressing issues left unaddressed by legalization. Those in support of legalization have brought to light the ineffectiveness of an all-out war against marijuana and the significant racial disparity in drug arrests, thus signaling the need for change to the current level of drug patrol. However, the inherent dangers of the drug itself call legalization into doubt as the preeminent solution. Allowing marijuana is a wild gamble that could undermine public health in a post-legalized world.

Tenny Tsang is a Medill junior. He can be contacted at TennyTsang2022@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern. com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

The Daily Northwestern Volume 142, Issue 5 Editor in Chief Marissa Martinez

Managing Editors Austin Benavides Sneha Dey Molly Lubbers Jacob Ohara

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office. Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed • Should be double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 400 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar.

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Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily’s student editorial board and not the opinions of either Northwestern University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

Students lose belongings after building closures By BINAH SCHATSKY

daily senior staffer @binahschatsky

When the pandemic upended housing plans, many students could not return to pack up belongings — a closet full of clothes, electronics and sometimes wads of cash — left behind in their dorm rooms in March. In an April 14 email, Residential Services detailed the accommodations it would offer to Northwestern students who left campus due to COVID-19. The University had contracted two independent companies: Reebie Storage and Moving Company, which would pack leftover student belongings, and University Student Services, which would handle shipping and storage. “We would not be offering this program if we did not have confidence in the services provided by USS and Reebie, our preferred vendors,” Carlos Gonzalez, executive director of Residential Services, wrote. For many students, the process did not go as planned. On Sept. 16, Communication junior Jenna Howard-Delman posted a yes or no poll in the NU Class of 2022 Facebook group with the following question: “Did Northwestern University lose/dispose of belongings you wanted to keep?” As of Thursday evening, the poll garnered 68 responses, with 39 voting their belongings had been lost or disposed of. Howard-Delman emailed Reebie instructions about the contents she needed and spoke to Reebie over FaceTime, but a significant portion of her belongings were left behind and ultimately disposed of.

Video: Illinois museums adjust to new COVID guidelines, procedures

Once Illinois entered phase 4 of its COVID-19 reopening plan, Chicagoland museums could open with safety precautions in place.

“First and foremost, I did not do everything perfectly,” Howard-Delman said, referencing waiting too long to contact the company. “However, the mistakes I made should not have resulted in what happened.” The lost items, which Howard-Delman said came out to about $5,000 in value, included winter boots, high heels, bedding and skincare products. Communication junior Tyler Felson said Reebie did not pack any of his belongings for storage. The total value of the items Felson had left in his room — including dress shoes, a winter jacket and a suit jacket — came out to $1,215.19, according to Felson’s estimate. Felson does not know what happened to his belongings, and assumes they were thrown out. “Thankfully, it’s not winter yet, so I have the things that I need, for the most part,” Felson said. “And, honestly, if there’s anything that this whole time of our lives has taught me is that I don’t need that much s–t to get by and be happy.” According to Reebie CEO Richard Licata, the project — which involved moving the belongings of about 1,700 students and required about 60 moves per day — was an “unusual” task for the company that usually handles office and building closures, turnovers and similar tasks at NU. Licata said that of those 1,700 students, Reebie heard reports of mistakes from just 40, which is about 2 percent. He also explained that the University seems to have not communicated certain restrictions to its students. For example, Reebie was unable to pack liquids and gels such as skincare and certain medicines. Licata noted several stories in which Reebie packers found cash in student rooms — in one instance as much as $1,600 — after Eden Juron Pearlman, the executive director of the Evanston History Center, said that they decided to wait to reopen and based some of their reopening decisions on what friends and colleagues did. Marcy Larson, the VP of marketing and business development at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, said that the museum has limited capacity to below the mandatory 25 percent because of the popularity of their exhibit, “Notorious RBG:

Daily file photo by Colin Boyle

560 Lincoln and Kemper Hall. When students hurried home in March in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, many left most of their belongings behind in hopes that they would be back for Spring Quarter.

which the company contacted the University to return the money to the students. He also noted that accounts manager Robert LoBianco returned to campus about 100 times to personally retrieve items students reported were left behind in the packing process. “If (students) had anything that was The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” following the recent death of Ginsburg. Public and Community Engagement Manager for the Chicago History Museum Erica Griffin said that the pandemic has allowed the museum to develop more virtual programming, and they have been able to tell a wider range of Chicago stories.

essential… they could make arrangements to get that stuff ahead of time before we went in to pack,” Licata said. “If I had $1,500 stashed in a drawer, I would definitely have contacted the University.” binahschatsky2022@u.northwestern.edu Scan this QR code with Snapchat or your smartphone camera to view an accompanying video on Chicagoland museums reopening during COVID-19.

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MARCH

From page 1 need to “push at every door and corner” to get justice for those affected by police brutality. “We’re about unity,” Justin Blake said. “We’re about solidarity. We’re about peace. We’re about pressure. And we’re about justice, and getting justice done for little Jake, and Breonna Taylor and all those other ones.” The event took place a week after a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for Breonna Taylor’s death, and over a month after police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Police were stationed along the route, though the event was a peaceful protest. A video from Twitter shows over 70 police gathered outside Evanston Police Department prior to the march. Speakers said the White House and key lawmakers in Washington, D.C. have “obstructed justice” by passing legislation that infringes on human rights. To

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 usher in change, speakers charged those in attendance to vote. “We gon’ take our protesting to the polls,” Bianca Austin, Breonna Taylor’s aunt, said. “And we gon’ show them that our voices count… we gon’ go to the end of the world, not the road. We gon’ go to the end of the world. And then when the world ends, give us a spaceship.” Evanston Fight for Black Lives organizer Nia Williams shared an original poem and spoke on the importance of collective action. She said EFBL is pushing the city to defund Evanston Police Department’s $56 million budget by 75 percent and reinvest those funds in community resources. Evanston’s 2020 adopted budget for policing is double the budgets for parks and recreation, health and libraries combined. Another EFBL organizer, Katia Bell, said divesting from EPD and investing in education, health and other services will strengthen and support — rather than control — the Evanston community. Williams said reimagining public safety will foster

an environment of “radical and intentional love.” “The revolution will not be televised because the revolution begins in our own communities,” she said. “The revolution is guided under the premise that we will not let our community starve. We will not allow the world to erase our lives, and we will not allow our Black lives to not matter.” Bell said while voting is “extremely important,” Evanston residents also need to organize off the ballot. She said she hopes her neighbors will get involved with local organizations like EFBL, join together as a community and call out everyday racism, sexism and homophobia. Additionally, Bell said hearing Jackson speak and witnessing generations of activism converge were the most compelling parts of the rally. “Our people never settle for less,” she said. “They always continue the fight. After all these years, they’re still going… even if they’re not seeing change, that doesn’t stop them from continuing to want to see change.” Jacob Blake, who spent years of his childhood

in Evanston, attended Evanston Township High School. His late grandfather, a former pastor at the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church, championed a push for affordable housing that culminated in the construction of facilities like the Ebenezer-Primm Towers, the destination of Saturday’s march. Toward the end of their speeches, family members video called Jacob Blake and turned his face to the rally. The crowd erupted in cheers. His father, Jacob Blake Sr., said Jacob Blake is currently in “incredible pain.” However, Jacob Blake is attending physical therapy up to four times each day and “working hard” to heal. “Now I have no choice but to stand for my son, because he cannot stand,” Jacob Blake Sr. said. “To walk for my son, because he cannot walk. To understand that we need to change laws. And if we do not change laws, we kick in the door, and change some laws.”

POLICY

institution had done it.” The Institute, still in its first year, only has a few members, and Bartol is in the process of onboarding more as ASG goes through recruitment. Nevertheless, the Institute has already been involved in ASG projects. Bartol worked over the summer comparing university financial aid offices, looking at how they function generally and in the context of COVID-19. During her research, Bartol found that while NU’s Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid is “incredibly opaque,” it is “not doing as poorly” as some of its peer institutions. “I don’t want to say ‘we do better’ because I don’t know if what we do is a better system. But it gives you some perspective on the other systems that could be there and could be so

much more frustrating,” Bartol said. “There are schools who are miles above us, but there are few of them.” Weinberg senior and ASG President Juan Zuniga said he’s excited for the potential projects that might come out of the Institute, and what it could mean for ASG going forward. He mentioned possibilities in projects surrounding financial aid and student mental health services. “This is the first year we’re doing something like this. I think it’ll be really cool because people always talk about, ‘What if we did more research in comparison to other schools?’” Zuniga said. “It makes it a really good case for Northwestern to start shifting towards something that will help students.”

From page 1

Daily file photo by Yunkyo Kim

Policy Research Institute Chair Margot Bartol at a previous ASG meeting. The Institute, ASG’s newest committee, will oversee research for ASG’s long-term, inter-committee projects.

but more effectively convincing administrators, which in turn, affects everybody.” An important part of the committee’s work is identifying how NU ranks among peer institutions in certain areas, and looking at what systems are in place at those colleges and universities that are helping them succeed. Plus, Bartol said, NU administrators want to be aware of what’s working at other schools. “It’s a lot easier to convince someone to do something if they’ve seen that it’s already worked,” Bartol said. “Administrators are going to be much more likely to be open to an idea if a more prestigious or similarly prestigious

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SCAN researchers aim to analyze COVID blood By ZOE MALIN

daily senior staffer @zoermalin

Anthropology Prof. Thomas McDade, director of the Laboratory for Human Biology Research, is no stranger to antibody testing. His lab routinely develops antibody tests and has used dried blood spot samples — a method of collecting blood through a finger prick — for over 15 years. In April, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country, McDade realized the work he was doing in his lab could be applied to the challenges the medical community was facing with coronavirus antibody testing. “Some early antibody tests were inaccurate and had high rates of false positives, and for others to be done, people had to come into hospitals, which were overwhelmed,” McDade said. “Dried blood spot methods could solve both of these problems.” While he created a new antibody test for SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, his colleagues at the Feinberg School of Medicine were also developing one using serum, or blood plasma samples. They decided to collaborate and founded Screening for Coronavirus Antibodies in Neighborhoods (SCAN), launching the study in mid-June. “We found that the results from serum perfectly mirrored those from the blood spots,” said Feinberg Prof. Alexis Demonbreun in a news release. McDade, the principal investigator of SCAN, said the study’s purpose is to analyze who is exposed to COVID-19, what predicts transmission and why. SCAN also seeks to address why there are inequities in Chicago around who is getting sick, having the most serious COVID cases and dying, McDade said. People can express interest in participating in

SCAN by filling out a form online. McDade said not everyone is chosen to participate, however. “We can’t test everyone who wants to be tested due to limited resources,” McDade said. “We can, however, limit enrollment to ensure that we get a representative sample of Cook County, so people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities and so on.” After people are chosen to participate in SCAN, a collection kit is sent to their home. Participants prick their finger and a single drop of blood is stored on special filter paper where it dries, according to the release. The samples are then sent to a lab, where McDade said coronavirus antibodies are quantified with high levels of precision. Different research centers across Northwestern are affiliated with SCAN, including the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing. Rana Saber, director of research application design and development for the Institute, assists with the logistical aspects of randomly selecting SCAN’s participants and sending people their test kits. Saber said one of SCAN’s strengths is its accessibility. Participants collect a blood sample in their homes, which she said is relatively painless, and don’t have to go to a medical clinic to get tested. Since kits are sent to participants, she said little effort is required overall. “This type of at-home antibody testing has been really beneficial for folks,” Saber said. “People have been vocal about how appreciative they are to be a part of this study.” SCAN originally received funding to test 1,000 people in 10 Chicago neighborhoods, McDade said. It has since expanded to 3,000 across all zip codes in Cook County. With additional funding, he said he could see the study testing around 5,000 people overall. SCAN is also now researching immunity, and hopes to understand immunity based on prior exposure to COVID-19, as well as how that might impact risk

Isabelle Sarraf/Daily Senior Staffer

The Screening for Coronavirus Antibodies in Neighborhoods (SCAN) study was launched in mid-June. It uses dried blood spot samples — a method of collecting blood through a finger prick — and sends kits to participants’ homes.

for future infection. Over the next few months, SCAN will analyze data as it receives more samples from its subject pool. The plan is to report results through papers published on the SCAN website and in various journals. McDade and other investigators already released one report in a paper on medRxiv, the preprint server for health sciences, according to the news release. As SCAN grows, Saber said what researchers are

learning about COVID-19 is constantly evolving. She said much is still unknown about the coronavirus, so overtime, the questions SCAN seeks to answer will change, too. “It’s a beast that keeps growing, which is fantastic,” Saber said. “That’s exactly what we want to happen to gain as much knowledge as possible.” zoemalin2022@u.northwestern.edu

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

City renegotiates union contracts amid pandemic By SAM HELLER

daily senior staffer @samheller5

Evanston has renegotiated its contracts with the city’s unions as the pandemic continues to take a hit on the city’s economy. Around 80 percent of all of the city’s roughly 750 employees belong to a union. The city currently has four union contracts: one with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), two with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and one with the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The largest of these unions is the AFSCME union, which includes hundreds of employees, from library workers to sanitation workers. The FOP union is split into two divisions: sergeant and patrol. While the sergeant contract only includes around 25 workers, the patrol contract includes all other members of the Evanston Police Department, including 311 operators and tow truck drivers. Both handle negotiations separate from one another. “The relationship between the city and the unions is a civil cooperative relationship,” Evanston Human Resources Manager Jennifer Lin said. “As an HR division manager, I very much appreciate the relationship I have with all four of the unions.” There have not been any major issues between the city and any of the unions in recent history, and all of the unions were able to properly and civilly negotiate their 2019-2022 contracts before the January 2019 deadline, she said. However, the city has had to renegotiate these contracts due to COVID-19. Early into the pandemic, the city approached the various unions and explained the need for budget cuts, and how this would affect the unions. For non-union workers, the city’s tightened budget means they will all have to take 10 furloughed days and a higher health insurance premium starting in 2021, Chief Financial Officer Hitesh Desai said. Unions would have to work with the city to renegotiate their contracts. “This just happened because of COVID, but everyone was locked in until 2022,” Desai said. In renegotiating, the first union the city came to

Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer

The Evanston Fire Department. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Union concluded new contract negotiations this past Tuesday.

an agreement with was AFSCME, who agreed to take 10 furloughed days, similar to the non-union workers’ situation. However, they will not see an increase in premiums, Desai said. The IAFF union fully concluded their negotiations this week, as the city council passed their new contract on Tuesday. They took a slightly different deal from AFSCME. Desai said they agreed to take no wage increases in 2021 and 2022, and in return, the IAFF union was able to avoid the layoff of approximately three firefighters as well as other concessions from the city.

Even though these negotiations started months ago, no agreement has been made with either of the FOP unions, Desai said. While Desai said that these negotiations are still ongoing, Illinois FOP attorney Kimkea Harris said there is nothing left to discuss. “At this time we are not negotiating with (the city),” Harris said. “They asked us to consider waiving for our wages, and we weren’t engaging in that.” Harris said the city explained the negative financial impact COVID-19 has been having and wanted

the FOP unions to take a deal similar to that of the fire department. But Harris said FOP is not planning to accept changes to the agreement made in 2019. Similarly, the FOP patrol union also went into mediation when negotiating their current contract back in 2018. At that time, the city wanted the unions to take a zero percent wage increase. The city offered concessions in lieu of the raises, including increases in benefit time and generous wage increases for much of the staff in 2020, Harris said. samuelheller2022@u.northwestern.edu

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SPORTS

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Monday, October 5, 2020

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Former Wildcats adjust to new life in Europe leagues By GREG SVIRNOVSKIY

daily senior staffer @gsvirnovskiy

Photo courtesy of Abbie Wolf

WOMEN’S CLUB SOCCER

Upperclassmen to return to team workouts By HALEY FULLER

daily senior staffer @haley_fuller_

After months of being apart and off the field, the women’s club soccer team is ready to get back to practicing. Although the team only missed a few scrimmages in the spring, they are missing out on their entire fall season, usually consisting of 11 games played in September and October. But, after two months of HIIT workouts over Zoom during Spring Quarter, juniors and seniors are preparing to return to the field this fall. Northwestern Recreation is allowing upperclassmen to practice, but no more than 25 players are allowed to attend, and all players must wear masks and practice social distancing. Because the team is mostly sophomores, only about 11 people would be able to practice. Despite the added difficulties of running drills with a small cohort, however, Weinberg junior and captain Emmeline Leggett is thrilled to get back to practice. “I will do whatever so that we can play, and I want to play regardless, even if it’s just two people, and we want to kick the ball around,” she said. “I definitely want to play and I just want to get back to feeling somewhat normal.” Although their league, the Women’s Midwest Alliance Soccer Club, canceled all fall competitions, there is still hope for the spring. Weinberg senior Grace Leupold has played soccer since she was five years old, and said she was sad to lose out on her senior season, especially after studying abroad last fall. “I was super excited to come back

and then play my senior year,” she said. “Club soccer is such a huge part of my life at Northwestern, so it’s been pretty hard thinking about maybe not having any sort of resemblance of a season this year.” Despite the loss of the bulk of their season, Leupold is living with another girl on the team, and the two of them have been doing soccer workouts together to stay in shape. Not every player has had the same oppor tunities, however. Medill sophomore Hannah Cheves is in Evanston this fall. But despite her proximity to the field and her teammates, she won’t be allowed to practice under the guidelines for club sports. She’s played soccer since she was four years old and has missed being on the field, especially after leaving campus so abruptly in the spring. She said it’s hard to see the upperclassmen being able to practice, especially after months away from the team. “I love playing and liked being able to play with them. I definitely feel like we didn’t have enough time to bond during the spring and have fun,” Cheves said. “I was looking forward to having spring (scrimmages) and warm weather and being able to be outside.” Leggett said not having a fall soccer season has been strange for her. Soccer practice is a “staple” for Leggett, especially after playing since she was three. It’s continued to be a large part of her life at NU, she said. “I really miss it. For me, it’s always been that soccer and practice was a nice break in the day,” Leggett said. “And I feel like without that, I don’t have as much of a routine. I don’t see as many people... It’s just another thing that we don’t have.” haleyfuller2022@u.northwestern.edu

When Abbie Wolf looked up Zamora, Spain for the first time, she thought it would be a tiny town, “with a bunch of churches like the 1300’s.” She’d never been before, but was set to sign her first professional contract there after a fouryear collegiate basketball career at Northwestern. What she found instead was a city — about 62,000 people call Zamora home — that in 1072 bore witness to the assassination of the Spanish king of Castile, Sancho II. Now, a vibrant and cosmopolitan plaza mayor marks Zamora’s center — and it’s the first place Wolf and her teammates went after getting to Spain. “I don’t use my GPS everywhere I go, so I guess I know my way around. I have my coffee shop now. It’s starting to feel like home,” Wolf said. “Northwestern will always be home, but this will be a good substitute for now.” Wolf chose to play in the Spanish league last spring primarily because she learned the language in school and has a cousin who lives two and a half hours southeast in Madrid. By April, after signing with a Spanish agent, she’d received and signed a contract offer to play for Club Deportivo Zamarat in the Liga Femenina Endesa. The team

announced her signing in June. “Her physical power, together with her power of intimidation and intensity of play and the speed of her actions, will make her one of the references of Quesos el Pastor for the next season in the Endesa League,” the team said in a press release. Wolf got to Spain in August and has spent the last few months noticing the differences between American and European styles of basketball. In Europe, games are faster with more finesse, and there’s less physicality and scouting, she said. “I was like, ‘ Wow, I’m taking the court as a professional basketball player. This is legit,’” Wolf said. “Over here they play a little faster and shoot more threes… (But) it’s still obviously the game of basketball.” However, COVID-19 has complicated her basketball routine. Wolf ’s first stop when she touched down in Spain was to a clinic for a PCR test. The team facility has shut down twice because of potential outbreaks. Players can only access the weight rooms and training centers at specifically designated times. But she’s still finding a way to practice — by playing in parks. “This is not what I expected out of professional basketball,” she said. “You have to do what you have to do to be a professional athlete.” Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah — a skilled center for Northwestern

from 2015 through 2019 — also knows what it’s like to have a career reshaped by COVID-19. She was playing for Pallacanestro Vigarano in Italy when the virus struck there. Kunaiyi-Akpanah played just 20 games in Italy, but averaged 8.3 points and 15.7 rebounds per game, making 5 starts. Still, the pandemic forced Kunaiyi-Akpanah to wonder if she’d ever play in Europe again, she said. Now, she plays in the Belgian league at Basket Namur Capitale. “Going into my second season, I was worried for sure because I felt like if this COVID thing is gonna go on, am I even going to be able to travel, am I going to have to wait?” Kunaiyi-Akpanah said. “Getting the visa to come to Belgium was a whole other debacle because everywhere was closed. I’m just grateful that I’m here, I’m happy to be here. It’s gonna be a great season.” Kunaiyi-Akpanah remembers being in Wolf ’s position. Just a year ago, she was the rookie —- experiencing European basketball for the first time, getting used to the independence and accountability of the professional level. “I’ve never been there before, I’d never spoken the language before — everything was just new,” she said. “Especially coming from Northwestern, from home. The (Belgian) team was really helpful in that whole process.” gregorysvirnovskiy2022@u.northwestern.edu

FOOTBALL

Team tackles new challenges By GREG SVIRNOVSKIY

the daily northwestern @gsvirnovskiy

As he has for the last three training camps, senior Andrew Marty is heading into the summer with no real idea of where he sits on the quarterback depth chart. But for the first time, the Cincinnati native knows he’s in the running for serious game time. This time last year, he was behind the struggling duo of Hunter Johnson and Aidan Smith. Since then, Marty has made his NCAA debut, and first start, the later in which he rushed for 111 yards and two scores along with a passing touchdown in a 29-10 defeat over Illinois. Things are different now. “I said it after the Illinois game, I was going to put a perspective in my head that I was going to be the starting quarterback heading into the offseason,” Marty said. “I really owned that and wanted to build on that.” He’s busy training for the upcoming season, engaging with fellow quarterback Peyton Ramsey about the Cincinnati Bengals and playing out his role in Northwestern’s offensive picture. And he’s learning a new brand of offense under Mike Bajakian, building on his arm strength and buying into a season set to be played without fans in the stands. “Every year I’ve been faced with some kind of quarterback competition,” Marty said. “Separation of reps, I don’t really handle it. I’ve loved working with our guys. This new offense is super fun. It’s exciting stuff. But in terms of reps, you can ask Coach about that one, but I really let him handle that stuff.”

Disruptive tendencies

Senior linebackers Blake Gallagher, Paddy Fisher and Chris Bergin have spent their entire NU careers playing together. They’re the stalwarts of the defense, and last year combined for

127 solo tackles and 17 tackles for loss. “That bond that we’ve built over these past couple of years is huge, especially in a weird year like this,” Gallagher said. “We’re kind of all on the same page. We’ve been out there, we’ve had the experience with each other, we kind of know what each other’s gonna do. We can play off of each other.” The trio leads a defense that struggled to make game changing plays. Last year, the Cats compiled just seven interceptions, down from 12 the year prior. After forcing 15 fumbles in 2018, NU recorded just 10 last season. Gallagher said the defense is focusing on recovering those disruptive tendencies. They’ve found new drills to sharpen their skills and are preaching a hungrier mentality. “Our goal is to be the best defense in the Big Ten,” Gallagher said. “We set out goals every year for our linebackers to be the most physical linebacking corps in the Big Ten and that hasn’t changed in our time here. That’s what we’re gonna go out and try to do this year again. Just pride ourselves on stopping the run.”

Scholastic Success

Senior long snapper Tyler Gillikin was announced Thursday as a semifinalist for the annual William V. Campbell Award. Sponsored by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, the award recognizes academic excellence in collegiate football. Almost 200 schools each nominated one athlete for consideration. In a statement on Twitter, the program congratulated Gillikin on “balancing Big Ten Football and Feinberg Med School.” In November, NFF will announce 12 to 14 finalists, with each receiving $18,000 in scholarships earmarked for postgraduate education. Later, one member of the class will be chosen as the winner, with their postgraduate

Daily file Photo by Joshua Hoffman

Andrew Marty takes off with the ball in a Nov. 2019 matchup against Minnesota at Ryan Field.

scholarship increased to $25,000.

Injury report

Sophomore lineman Sam Stovall and junior receiver Jace James are medically retiring from collegiate football. The news was first reported by WildcatReport’s Louie Vaccher on Thursday.. This is the third straight year Northwestern is grappling with the medical retirements of players expected to be in the rotation. Both James and Stovall were set to see significant increases in playing time and responsibility. The loss of Stovall is an especially acute blow to an offensive line that’s already seen star lineman Rashawn Slater opt out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Stovall played in nine games last year and was expected to start this fall. James also appeared in nine games last year, catching 10 passes for 92 yards and a team leading two touchdowns. His absence comes as Northwestern’s offense looks set to rebrand itself under new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and quarterback Petyon Ramsey. gregorysvirnovskiy2022@u.northwestern.edu