1 YEAR LATER
Evanston budget down $9.3 million
General Fund could decrease to net zero by 2027
By ISAIAH STEINBERG daily senior staffer @isaiahstei27
Evanston’s General Fund balance is projected to decrease to nearly zero by 2027 if the property tax levy is not increased, Budget Manager Clayton Black said at Tuesday’s Finance and Budget Commi ee meeting.
Evanston’s property taxes, which have remained mostly unchanged since scal year 2020, will contribute about $9.4 million to city operations in 2025, keeping the city’s portion of revenues from property taxes constant, according to the city’s proposed budget this year.
“A majority of the City
Council told us that, as long as we have the reserves we have, there’s a hesitancy to raise property taxes, so we did not include that in our proposed budget,” Black said.
The city was able to keep the property tax levy at due to one-time permit revenue from Northwestern for the Rebuild Ryan Field project and from sta vacancy savings, Black added. e city projects $128.4 million in General Fund revenue, excluding operating transfers, and an ending fund balance of $39.7 million by the end of 2025, which is a decrease from between $45.0 million and $52.3 million in 2024, Black said in his budget overview presentation. e decrease is due in part to stagnating revenue from sales taxes, he said. To prevent the decrease in General Fund revenues, city
Faculty
By KELLEY LU daily senior staffer @kelleylu_
Following Northwestern’s recent move toward institutional neutrality and the announcement of new demonstration policies, some faculty members have expressed concern about the lack of transparency regarding enforcement of these protocols and their implications on academic freedom.
“All these announcements that central administration sends out, whether it be (University President Michael) Schill or (University Provost Kathleen) Hagerty, it’s all about defending freedom and defending speech, but it’s actually all about closing it down,” Spanish and Portuguese Prof. Jorge Coronado said.
Alongside universities across the country, the President’s Advisory Commi ee on Free Expression
and Institutional Speech wrote that faculty, sta and administration should make statements not as o cial representatives of their NU institutions “to avoid coercing dissenting community members into silence.”
The updated demonstration policy, released in September, includes restrictions such as set times to demonstrate at e Rock, policies for hanging up yers and banners, and mandatory removal of face masks and coverings by students when asked by authorized University o cials.
Coronado said he was not surprised by the new policy and statement but was shocked at the extent of the restrictions, calling the additions “a severe restriction of academic freedom.”
“We have a right to speak from our expertise, whether that be individually or collectively, as scholars, not only a right but a responsibility to speak about these ma ers,” he
said. “It seems to me that the goal is to stop statements in o cial capacities from these sorts of faculty and to stop collective statements from departments and units.”
He said the University was unclear on who the statement applies to and how it will be enforced, which might cause people to refrain from speaking out.
Coronado said that, because of the ambiguous enforcement procedures, “some understand that if they go against these new restrictions, there might be some form of retribution.” He pointed to the misdemeanor charges of three faculty members and a graduate student over the summer for their involvement in April’s proPalestinian encampment.
Political science Prof. Jacqueline Stevens said these actions “make it clear that (Schill) is not somebody who actually upholds those kinds of values.”
Coronado and Stevens are both on the executive commi ee
of NU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, dedicated to advancing and protecting academic freedom and its principles at the top of the Faculty Handbook. Stevens said because of the lack of transparency, the statements on institutional neutrality lack credibility.
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, a ack on Israel by the militant group Hamas, Schill made his own statements condemning the actions of Hamas and emphasized the stance as “the view of Mike Schill, citizen, Jew and human being.” She said despite Schill labeling his addresses as personal and separate from the University, “he needs to explain why the policy outcomes that are coming out under his leadership all just happened to line up with the policy preferences of Mike Schill, individual.”
One year after Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that escalated decades of devastation in the Gaza Strip and sparked turmoil on college campuses across the U.S., Northwestern’s campus was marked by vigils, ceremonies and demonstrations to honor
thousands killed in the last year.
o cials. Israel’s ongoing o ensive in Gaza has since killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian o cials.
7th Ward Ald. Eleanor Revelle endorses Mundy
By NAOMI TAXAY daily senior staffer @naomitaxay
After nine years of driving environmental change in Evanston as the City’s alderperson for the 7th Ward, Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) is not running for reelection in 2025.
Revelle was first appointed to the position by Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl in 2016, after Jane Grover, the former alderperson for the 7th Ward, resigned. She then ran unopposed in the 2017 election, and won reelection in 2021 against challenger Mary Rosinski.
Rosinski, a realtor and political activist, is again competing in the 7th Ward Council race, along with attorney Parielle Davis and Public Safety Civil Service Commission Acting Chair Kerry Mundy. Revelle told The Daily that she endorses Mundy for the position.
The Daily spoke with Revelle about the work she’s done on City Council and what her future holds.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: When did you first come to Evanston, and how did you get involved in the city’s politics?
Revelle: I came to Evanston in the ’70s because my husband got a job teaching at Northwestern and I loved Evanston’s very active civic life. I thought it was a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
I got involved with a number of nonprofit organizations — the League of Women Voters, Evanston Community Foundation. And then, sustainability and climate issues became a real passion for me. So I helped found an organization, Citizens’ Greener Evanston, which is now called Climate Action Evanston, and it was sort of from that push that I joined the City Council.
The Daily: What are some of the things you’re proudest of accomplishing in office?
Revelle: Supporting climate policies and making sure it remains a priority in terms of spending. Buildings are the biggest source of our greenhouse gas emissions, and in my early term we passed a benchmarking ordinance, which requires larger buildings to document and report their energy consumption. We’re working on approving a building standards ordinance.
I was really a leader in terms of Evanston getting a composting program, plastic bag ban, supporting our Divvy Bike program. I’ve been active in the “natural habitat community.” We have a lot of local volunteers who work to restore native plants, particularly along the canal. There’s a lot to do, and sometimes it seems like we’re inching forward, but we have to keep working on it from as many angles as we can.
The Daily: What do you wish you could have done more of?
Revelle: Another big priority for me was affordable housing, and I would say that remains to be a huge problem. I’m hopeful that Envision Evanston 2045 will give us the opportunity to change zoning and really encourage building more housing. The more housing we build, the more affordable housing will be available. So I’m hoping to vote on that before I leave the Council.
The Daily: Do you have an endorsement for your successor?
Revelle: I am endorsing Kerry Mundy.
The Daily: What priorities do you have in the next few months before leaving office?
Revelle: Oh boy. Before I leave office, we need to approve the new comprehensive plan and the new zoning code. We need to decide, as a community, what we’re going to do about the Civic Center. Are we going to renovate the current building or build a new one, and how will we pay for it?
We need a new police and fire headquarters because the one we have is too small. We need to upgrade our city service center, where we take care of all of the city vehicles.
The 7th Ward has all the fun stuff. We have
Harley Clarke, we have Ryan Field.
The Daily: What is it like to represent the ward NU is in? Especially considering the controversy over the new Ryan Field?
Revelle: There were two issues. One was, are we going to give the special use permit to build the new stadium? I even had reservations about that, but I did vote yes. I don’t think residents appreciate how big it’s going to be. Everybody talks about how it’s going to be smaller. It’s smaller in the sense that it’s going to have fewer seats, but physically, visually, it’s going to be much bigger than the old stadium.
But the real challenge was the idea of having concerts at the stadium. I was trying to support the view of the residents who did not want the concerts. Obviously, I was outvoted on Council. But I think if you ask (Dave) Davis, who’s NU’s community relations guy and the person I interact with the most, he would say I’m an easy person to work with. I think I’ve managed to keep good
relations and good conversations with Northwestern, and still try to represent my constituents.
The Daily: What went into your decision to leave City Council?
Revelle: Well, it will be nine years, I think that’s a pretty long time. The whole Ryan Field thing in particular, it’s been extra strenuous. I get a lot of emails from residents, and I think a big part of my job is to respond to constituents, try to answer their questions, deal with their frustrations — it’s hugely time consuming. I’m ready for a break.
The Daily: What are you going to do with that break?
Revelle: I’m not sure yet. I haven’t had time to figure it out. I’m pretty sure I’ll do something with Climate Action Evanston. Right now, there’s still a lot to do.
naomitaxay2027@u.northwestern.edu
Shreya Srinivasan/The Daily Northwestern
Revelle is endorsing 7th Ward candidate Kerry Mundy for the April 2025 Consolidated elections.
Northwestern updates Title IX policies
By KELLEY LU daily senior staffer @kelleylu_
In addition to the updated demonstration policies rolled out by Northwestern, the University’s Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance also announced updates to its policies in September.
Effective Aug. 12, 2024 to Sept. 1, 2025, the primary changes include updates to the Office’s Policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct and a new policy on mandatory reporting for University employees.
Policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
The latest version of the Policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct details a more comprehensive definition of discrimination and harassment.
The list of examples of harassing conduct has now extended to include the “use of racist, antiSemitic, or anti-Arab slurs or hostile behavior” and “defacing an individual’s property with hateful symbols, such as a swastika or noose.”
These policies come after the pro-Palestinan encampment in April, where students’ actions and the University’s handling of the encampment faced allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia. The previous policy was in effect from April 12, 2024, to Sept. 1, 2024.
Symbols such as the Star of David with an X through it or slurs against pro-Palestine demonstrators materialized during the encampment
NU dining workers’ union launches petition for Allen Center workers
A petition released by UNITE HERE Local 1, the union representing service workers at Northwestern, gained traction this week in support of employees who will lose their jobs at the Kellogg School of Management’s James Allen Center
— instances that the updated policy appears to bar.
The policy also includes a new section on recordkeeping, where the University will maintain records of discrimination, harassment or retaliation complaints, resolution processes and outcomes, reports on misconduct of discrimination, harassment or retaliation, and the actions the University took to resolve the report.
These records will be kept for at least seven years.
The Free Expression and Academic Freedom section also expanded its enforcement criteria in the updated policy. For example, acts of discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct and retaliation are newly described as “unlawful.”
The section also introduced a section on review and conduct on instances of academic freedom violations reported in discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct or retaliation investigations. The policy says the University has the ability to take disciplinary measures in cases that “create a hostile environment in the University community.”
Reporting by University Employees of Disclosures Related to Discrimination and Harassment
The new policy also outlines the responsibility of University employees to report violations of prohibited conduct, including discrimination and harassment.
Before a reporter — someone disclosing prohibited conduct to the University — approaches a non-confidential University employee, the employee must disclose their reporting
when the establishment closes for construction. The center hosts the Executive MBA and Executive Education programs and will be replaced by a new building as part of the Full Circle Campaign, a $600 million campaign focused on expanding Kellogg’s business education programs.
Compass Group and UNITE HERE Local 1 have been in ongoing negotiations since the workers’ previous three-year contract expired at the end of August. There are currently over
obligations under this policy. The reporter can then choose to continue their disclosure to the employee or be directed to a confidential employee.
However, employees are not required to disclose their reports in certain circumstances including “Public Awareness Events” such as vigils, protests and other public meetings held on campus where “individuals may disclose incidents of prohibited conduct.”
These newly defined policies appear to align with the University tightening restrictions on on-campus demonstrations, including banning protests at The Rock before 3 p.m. weekdays and the use of amplified sound there before 5 p.m.
Employees who fail to report details of prohibited conduct to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance may face University discipline, including employee termination.
Confidential employees, such as licensed medical and mental health professionals, may disclose misconduct with the reporter’s written permission.
These employees are only mandatory reporters in circumstances involving the abuse of minors or elders or in which the student appears to physically harm themselves or others.
Students are encouraged to report misconduct to the University or seek help from resources provided by NU. Individuals can also choose to report anonymously through other University channels.
kelleylu2027@u.northwestern.edu
100 workers employed at the center who will be displaced when construction begins.
“No workers at Northwestern should be hurt because of Northwestern’s new development initiatives,” the petition reads. “As members of the Northwestern Community, we believe that all workers at the Allen Center should continue to work on the Evanston campus during construction.”
— Cassie Sun
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LTE: Students reject Compass mistreatment of Allen Center workers
On anksgiving Day, over 100 campus workers will be le stranded as reconstruction of the James Allen Center begins. With limited job security protections, workers at the Allen Center will either be discharged or relocated with no promise of continued employment.
e Allen Center is the home of the Executive MBA and Executive Education programs on campus, with over 150 guest rooms and several dining spaces. Impacting over 15 workers, the initial stages in the rst round of relocations from the Allen Center to other Compass locations will begin as early as Oct. 11.
Many of the workers at the Allen Center have been part of the campus community for several decades. ey have endured perennial sta ng shortages and well-documented instances of verbal abuse, all the while serving as the bedrock of our community. Many workers rely on this job to feed their families, maintain vital health insurance and keep a roof over their heads.
Seeing opportunity for lower costs, workers are the rst to be cast aside by their employers, their identities erased as they are reduced to numbers in the pro t-crazed calculations of the University and its subcontractors.
“I am a part of the University community,” one Allen Center worker told us. “Alongside my co-workers, we have made this University more than just a classroom. We perform our responsibilities with true care for each person who visits us. But to the company and the University, I am nothing more than an object. I wish that just one time I didn’t have to fight for our work to be compensated as we rightly deserve.”
All food-service workers on campus are hired by an international company, Compass Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom. In 2024, Compass reported an annual revenue of over $40 billion.
rough Northwestern’s contract with Compass Group, dining hall workers are technically employed by Compass, not NU. As a result, NU diverts the blame of worker mistreatment to Compass, while Compass evades responsibility for supporting workers through any major decision made by the University, such as the Allen Center reconstruction.
Hiding behind the cover of its subcontracted service, NU de ects responsibility, conveniently
OPINION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ignoring that it, as the contractor, has the power to hold Compass accountable. In the blameshi ing between two multi-billion dollar institutions, workers are le su ering.
Once the Allen Center closes for reconstruction, the futures of over 100 workers will be uncertain. Based on conversations with workers, Compass has outlined a vague plan for how
Despite living and working in Evanston for decades, some workers may be forced to move to the NU Chicago campus or other Compass locations in Chicago, such as the United Center.
- STUDENTS ORGANIZING FOR LABOR RIGHTS
workers may be relocated, but the company will not guarantee continued employment. Despite living and working in Evanston for decades, some workers may be forced to move to the NU Chicago campus or other Compass locations in Chicago, such as the United Center. Many may be laid o . Compass’ decision to move workers away from campus comes in the context of reports of understa ng and forced overworking in dining halls and Norris University Center, also under the Compass contract. One worker shared that they resorted to medication to make it through the workday a er being forced to complete the workload of several people alone. e next day, they had to call in sick, unable to work through the pain.
ere is, without a doubt, a need for the Allen Center workers on campus, but Compass continues overworking those already in the dining halls while using the Allen Center workers to make pro t elsewhere.
In ongoing contract negotiations between Compass and the Allen Center employees, represented by the union UNITE HERE Local 1, workers are demanding higher wages, comprehensive bene ts and most importantly, job security. In 2009, as workers struggled with unlivable wages and NU launched its own multi-billion dollar capital campaign, students launched the rst Living Wage Campaign. In 2020, students
launched the second Living Wage Campaign as workers ba led mass COVID-related layo s. In 2024, workers are still ghting for dignity and fair wages. While NU’s endowment has grown to $14.4 billion, the University o ers an insulting 80-cent wage increase and refuses job security for workers who have spent decades at NU.
“It has been incredibly stressful to know that I will not be able to return to work at a place where I have dedicated so many years of e ort and dedication,” another Allen Center worker told SOLR. “I frequently felt pain, but I never took days o , because the students were like family to me. One day, they noti ed me that the building was going to be demolished, which meant I was going to lose my job. is was devastating.”
Workers across campus have rmly stated that they will not sign any contract that does not include job security for the workers at the Allen Center.
As students, we must use our privilege to amplify worker voices and recognize that our college experience would be impossible if not for the endless labor of campus workers. We are strongly positioned to pressure the University and Compass in ways that make the ght pub-
While NU’s endowment has grown to $14.4 billion, the University o ers an insulting 80cent wage increase and refuses job security for workers who have spent decades at NU.
- STUDENTS ORGANIZING FOR LABOR RIGHTS
lic. In solidarity with workers, we can show the entire campus, the Evanston community and the alumni and donor networks how li le NU values campus workers and how that can and must change going forward.
e next several months of the contract negotiations will likely be de ned by an obstinate and uncompromising Compass denying the basic rights of the workers, who are uni ed and energized in their demands for justice. NU and Compass will try to divide the campus community, convincing students it isn’t their ght
to win, too. ey will try to convince us they are negotiating in good faith and that the workers are the problem.
But we know who is responsible. It is not the workers, unsure where their next paycheck will come from or if they will still be employed in two months. It is NU and Compass with their combined $54 billion between their endowment and revenue, respectively. We also know who truly holds the power. It is not the few NU and
NU and Compass will try to divide the campus community, convincing students it isn’t their ght to win, too. ey will try to convince us they are negotiating in good faith and that the workers are the problem.
- STUDENTS ORGANIZING FOR LABOR RIGHTS
Compass executives holding out on a deal. It is the workers and students, empowered in their collective action.
“During meetings with our manager, I and my co-workers feel intimidated and undervalued,” another Allen Center worker said. “But, we have stayed strong and demonstrated our capacity to learn and face new challenges. Today, I am asking for the support of the community and the University to protect our future at Northwestern, so that I can continue contributing to this institution that we value so much.”
As students, we must match the workers’ energy and show up ready to stand up for what is right. And in doing so, let us not forget the people we are ghting both for and with — people who have been a part of the campus community for decades, people who make the University’s intellectual and academic pursuits possible. People who rely on NU to support their families, people who have dedicated their careers to building our community, who are now being told — without remorse — that they are expendable.
Signed,
Students Organizing for Labor Rights
Behrens: Don’t use my body as a conversation piece
is summer, I found myself in a bit of a professional exile to work my summer internship in Wilmington, Delaware. While being so far away from my home in the Midwest, I embarked on a campaign I called “Hot Bryden Summer.” Hot Bryden Summer was about prioritizing my health in every way possible — mind, body and soul. is included being more health-conscious: eating clean but not becoming overly obsessive with my food choices, working out and changing my outlook on life. I found myself surrounded by people who made it possible. Intern friends, long-distance friends and even my manager at work all supported me in overcoming my past struggles.
I’ve always had deep issues with food consumption, ba ling what can only be described as a binge eating disorder throughout high school and dealing with the a ermath during my freshman year of college, unassisted. Over the past two years, I have slowly lost weight, though from June to today, I have lost a more noticeable amount with more targeted a empts at achieving health.
I could dive into the di erences in treatment I have received in the rst two weeks of this quarter alone and write an op-ed about beauty standards or biases people hold against fat people, but that is not the goal of this piece. While I am severely disappointed in the way that someone’s weight a ects their interactions with others in 2024, I am even more disappointed by the outwardly harmful comments
that I have received as a result of my weight loss. I do appreciate the sentiment behind these comments, and I completely understand that people make them with good intentions, but they do not have a place in the conversation.
e following are comments I have received in the past week:
“Wow, the transformation is insane.”
“You lost a lot of weight!”
“You’ve lost SO much weight. Your jawline is so pronounced!”
“You’re giving Ozempic.”
As we walk around campus today and going forward, I hope people are more mindful of how their comments about someone’s body a ect not only them but also the culture on campus.
- BRYDEN BEHRENS
I have no idea how to respond to any of these comments. Is it a thank you? Do I beg them for further validation? Do I tell them my whole life story of how big of a struggle it has been to get here? How do I deal with their backhandedness?
With eating disorders, side e ects of medications and chronic illness so commonplace in society, commenting on how someone’s
body has changed — negatively or positively — is simply unacceptable. Beyond these causes, weight uctuations are extremely common among people. I am lucky that my weight loss was intentional, not the product of one of the factors listed above, nor the product of a weight loss-inducing drug like Ozempic. No, it wasn’t easy, but neither was the alternative. I am aware I look di erent than I did when I le for the summer. at was the goal, and my journey is far from over. Still, I will remain steadfast in combating the body-focused, backhanded compliments I have received since the start of classes. As we walk around campus today and going forward, I hope people are more mindful of how their comments about someone’s body a ect not only them but also the culture on campus. We are so beyond judging someone for their weight or “transformation.” e truth is, we likely don’t know the full scope of that person’s journey, and we de nitely don’t have the right to comment on it.
Instead of commenting on how someone’s body has changed, consider commenting on other qualities. “You’re glowing,” “You look amazing!” and “You’re radiating con dence,” all go a long way, free for interpretation and void of awkwardness.
For those struggling with body image issues, please know that it gets be er, and I am always here for you. You are more than what your mind (and society) tells you.
P.S. Everyone can have a Hot (insert your name) (insert any season OR life).
Bryden Behrens is a Weinberg senior. He can be contacted at bryden@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Le er to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. e views expressed in this piece do not necessarily
re ect the views of all sta members of e Daily Northwestern.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 147, Issue 3
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Construction on Main Street to wrap up by Oct. 20
By KELLEY LU daily senior staffer @kelleylu_
A er three years, major construction on Main Street is nearing completion. Main Street business owners said the projects, coined Main Street Improvements, have impacted their sales.
e last project of the initiative, which includes new sidewalks, curb replacements and new plants, is set to nish before the Evanston Main Street Fall Fest on Oct. 20, said Katherine Gotsick, executive director of the Main-Dempster Mile. e rst phase was a water main replacement in 2021.
Squeezebox Books and Music, a book and musical record store on Main Street, has experienced fewer sales because of the construction on the street, owner Tim Peterson said.
To a ract customers, he said his sta took to social media.
“We found a lot of ways in terms of marketing to our customers and social media, telling people workarounds, encouraging people to come in, telling them it’s not as bad as it seems, which is the truth,” Peterson said.
Construction has made businesses on Main Street less accessible to customers, Dotstick said. e projects are all-encompassing, including everything from streetlight improvements to new signage for businesses.
“In some cases, (businesses) had to cut hours because they couldn’t sta all their hours,” Gotsick
said. “In some cases, they had to cut sta . In a couple cases, they just closed for a week because it made no sense to open.”
The Main-Dempster Mile is an economic
development special service area that uses its tax funds to help local businesses. e service area hosts events to help businesses, including Touch a Truck on Main Street, which gave families the opportunity to
see the di erent vehicles used on the street, Gotsick said. ey also included business features on their social media and messages urging support for local businesses, she said.
“We did what we could, but you can’t make construction less painful,” Gotsick said.
La Principal — a Mexican restaurant on Main Street — has seen li le impact on its business, owner Eric Young said.
“We’re operating at the same level,” Young said. “We haven’t had to lay o sta . We haven’t taken a big hit in our sales.”
Young accredits the minimal impact to the fact that the business receives the most foot tra c during the evening, when construction usually is not occuring.
“Aside from some dust, some logistical, (and) some parking, maybe you had to hustle every now and then,” Young said. “Just li le hiccups that were involved with construction. Aside from that, we had minimal impact. I really believe that the city and the engineering crew and the construction crew were really professional, and did their best to minimize impact all up and down Main Street.” e improvements on Main Street are meant to help make the area more accessible and safer for pedestrians in addition to giving it an updated look, Gotsick said.
Both Peterson and Young said they are happy about these improvements.
“We all know that (Main Street) needed a faceli ,” Young said. “It needed that accessibility. It needed the new lights. It needed to be safer and more welcoming. I’m glad it’s here. I’m excited that it’s here, and I’m looking forward to the next 10 years of operating on Main Street.”
kelleylu2027@u.northwestern.edu
Pritzker welcomes most diverse class a er Supreme Court ruling
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law saw the highest number of rst-generation and students of color in its incoming class of students this academic year. e enrollment of rst-generation students increased from 18% to 23% from last year, and the percentage of students of color increased from 52% to 54%, according to an email from Sco Hendrickson, Pritzker’s associate dean of marketing and strategic communications. is is the rst incoming class in Pritzker since the Supreme Court overturned race-based a rmative action last year, barring universities from explicitly considering race as a factor in the admissions process.
Hendrickson also wrote to e Daily that the incoming class has “the highest combination of LSAT and GPA in our history.”
e median LSAT distribution remained at 172 since last year, while the median GPA distribution increased from 3.92 to 3.95.
e preliminary data for NU’s undergraduate class of 2028, released Sept. 25, also saw an increase in minority group enrollment.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to terminate race-conscious admissions, the University implemented a set of new changes to its application last September.
According to the report, the undergraduate class of 2028 saw an increase in the percentage of Black or African American students, reaching 15.4% from 14.2% since last year. e percentage of Hispanic or Latino students also rose to 17.5% from 17.2% last year.
Diya Raj/The Daily Northwestern
— Cassie Sun
A&E
arts & entertainment
‘Sweet, Juicy & Rebellious’ exhibit opens at Dittmar
By CLAIRE KIRWIN the daily northwestern
Nestled between the Shake Smart line and lake view study spots on the rst oor of Norris University Center, a curated collection of uorescent fruit photographs by artist Linye Jiang catches the eyes of passersby. Her exhibition “Sweet, Juicy and Rebellious” premiered Sept. 26 at Northwestern’s studentrun Di mar Memorial Gallery.
Jiang grew up in Shenzhen, China, in what she describes as a “conservative, yet open” environment. At 14, she discovered an online gay novel wri en by her father. Two decades later, he opened up to Jiang about his sexuality, she said. Curious about the way her father could embody traditional male roles in her house as a husband and father while showcasing his gay life online, Jiang began to explore ideas of homosexuality through photographs.
“I just did these fruit portraits,” Jiang said. “I modied the fruits because I learned this term in Western culture that they call gay men ‘fruity’ because they think they’re sweet, juicy and so .” Jiang said she experimented with cu ing the fruits
to show rage and elements of violence and adding decorations, such as sparkles and gli er, to showcase queerness. A er taking photos of the fruits, she printed them out, laser cut them and covered them in resin with acrylic, neon pink sheet paper.
e project has been ongoing for Jiang, but the exhibit was installed in the gallery last month and will run through Oct. 21.
Weinberg sophomore and registrar and student supervisor Elyse Malamud was in charge of curating Jiang’s exhibition. Jiang submi ed her portfolio of “Sweet, Juicy and Rebellious” to the gallery team last year and was chosen during the Spring Quarter.
e Di mar curators were drawn to the unique medium that Jiang experimented with. ey were excited about highlighting a queer story in the space, Malamud said.
“ e medium of the pieces really stood out to us,” she said. “She has a very unique style and the combination of the acrylic with the resin a orded the gallery the opportunity to have three-dimensionality in the space and creativity in the way that the pieces were installed.”
e exhibition consists of 20 photographs and two contrasting videos titled “Warmth” and “Tenderness.”
Kimberly Mills, assistant director for art and programs at Norris, said she feels the exhibition allows the gallery team to o er a safe space to explore gender identity through the language of art.
“It allows us to continue to address the things that are relevant to students and allow us to discuss [themes] and navigate [them] in a number of ways,” Mills said.
Discussing gender identity also made Jiang consider the societal expectation placed upon women to be vulnerable and expressive. She said it inspired her to begin exploring the ways in which femininity and strength could be shown through fruit.
“I wanted to use this theory to celebrate these qualities,” Jiang said. “I take two of the qualities of the fruit, sweet and juicy, and put another opposite quality, like rebellious, into the title because they can happen within one person. ey can be juicy and so , and rebellious and tough.”
At the opening reception of “Sweet, Juicy and Rebellious,” over 100 students, sta and community members ltered through the gallery throughout the night. In the last 30 minutes of the reception, Jiang and fellow artist Marvin Veloso had a conversation surrounding the installation, during which students
asked them questions.
Veloso, who is pursuing a master’s degree in the Department of Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, said Jiang’s work “activated the space.” He said her portrayal of queerness through fruits provides space for trauma and healing to “live alongside one another.”
“I o en look at history of LGBTQ+ activism in the U.S., (and its) history is o en loaded with violence and trauma,” Veloso said. “O en people turn away from that. It’s visceral, it cuts deep and it unse les us. But that’s something that I can’t turn away from because I’m still trying to process that, and to turn away from it would not resolve that trauma.”
Veloso will give a performance lecture called “Alimentary A ects” in the Di mar Gallery ursday, where they will share 21 notes on the exhibition.
Veloso said he hopes the performance will continue to foster organic conversations surrounding the subtleties and extremes of queerness.
“Art prompts us to have a conversation and confront these histories of queer and gender struggles for justice,” he said. “Art is necessary for education.” clarekirwan2028@u.northwestern.edu
SPACE expands property, continues construction
By KARINA EID daily senior staffer
For as long as Split Single band member Jason Narducy can remember, Evanston has been trying to grow its rock culture by establishing various venues around the city. However, Evanston SPACE, a live music hall that opened in 2008 located on Chicago Avenue, was the only spot that survived — and succeeded.
“ ey did everything right,” Narducy said. Now, the venue, which currently shares a hallway with Union Pizzeria, is expanding its music hub next door to 1243 Chicago Ave. e building used to house two stores: Interiors Et Cetera and Another Time, Another Place Antiques. e venue itself will not change. SPACE has continued hosting shows throughout the entire construction project. is week alone, concertgoers can pick from musical acts like John Craigie, Christian McBride & Ursa Major, and Martin Sexton. Davis Inman, SPACE’s talent buyer, said the new additions to SPACE will include a lobby, bar and bathroom.
Rosemary Anguiano, SPACE’s marketing and ticketing manager, said there will be a separate
entrance that will make SPACE much easier to nd for rst-time guests, as the venue is currently tucked away in the same location as Union Pizzeria. ese new features also mean shorter lines for the bathroom and drinks, so guests can grab a cocktail before a show.
SPACE also plans to add an outdoor back patio. Inman said he expects the patio to lend itself to large private events.
“You could have a really nice wedding ceremony outdoors in this sort of patio area, and then the wedding indoors at SPACE with music and food,” Inman said.
He anticipates that the lobby will be done rst, likely by this spring. e patio is anticipated to be complete later, but uncertainties around construction make it di cult to know exactly when, Inman said.
Anguiano said the construction is well underway.
“It’s constantly changing every time you go past,” she said.
Once the construction is nished, Evanston residents can expect a grand opening party, similar to SPACE’s Holiday Jamboree and 15th anniversary party last year, Anguiano said.
“We’re excited for people to see it. I think it’s gonna be great,” Inman said. “I think people are gonna really love the new spaces.”
Narducy, who has played in countless venues throughout his career, said he still considers SPACE one of his favorites. In fact, he played his rst “hometown show” in 41 years at SPACE with his childhood band “Verböten” on Saturday.
Narducy said the construction would provide more comfort for concertgoers, reducing the long
lines and congestion toward the front entrance of Union Pizzeria before shows.
“I think the experience of going to a show will be so much greater, so much be er, just (from) the touches and the amenities,” Inman said.
karinaeid2027@u.northwestern.edu
Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern
SPACE has begun its construction project at 1243 Chicago Ave.
Clare Kirwan/The Daily Northwestern
Block Museum highlights activism in new exhibition
By LAURA HORNE
the daily northwestern
The Block Museum’s latest exhibition, “Dissident Sisters: Bev Grant and Feminist Activism, 1968-72,” captures the spirit and solidarity of American protest through photographs by Brooklyn photographer and musician Bev Grant.
The exhibition opened Sept. 18 and will be on display until Dec. 1. Located on the first floor of the Block Museum, the showcase is free and open to the public.
Seventeen featured photographs highlight the intersectionality between three movements: the Black Panther Party, women’s liberation and protests against the Vietnam War. The photographs on display include children enjoying breakfast through the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast Program, the 1968 Miss
America protest and a G.I. burning his draft card.
“My camera was my weapon or my tool to express my political views and to fight the oppression that was all around and to fight for liberation for women, for Black people (and) for whoever needed it,” Grant said.
Grant said she began taking photos in the late ’60s. She engaged in a practice she called “participant-based photojournalism,” documenting the movements while also fighting alongside them.
At the time, Grant’s photography was only seen on a small scale as Grant worked primarily for activist filmmaking group Third World Newsreel and occasionally shared photos with an underground newspaper called Liberation News Service.
Although Grant only took photos from 1968 to 1972, she kept her negatives long after. She rediscovered her photos in 2017 and spent
that summer learning how to scan and digitize them. Grant is now represented by OSMOS, which facilitated the Block’s acquisition of her work.
The Block’s curatorial team discovered Grant’s photographs at an art exposition in 2022. The Block’s Academic Curator Corinne Granof said the team was immediately “struck by the power of them.”
“In some ways, the 17 photographs felt a little like they each had their own statement,” Granof said. “But then, we were able to bring in library material and create these larger stories.”
In “Dissident Sisters,” Grant’s photos are surrounded by buttons, news clippings and other pieces from the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives.
Although the Block discovered Grant’s photos over 50 years after their conception, its
staff believes their themes are still relevant.
“(The exhibition) showcases a long history of political activism and protest that is not unique to this moment,” said Lindsay Bosch, the Block Museum’s Associate Director of Communication, Marketing and Digital Strategy Lindsay Bosch. “I think our students will enjoy the opportunity to think about the really long arc of the ways that these dialogues have been in play throughout American history.”
Grant said her photography was a way to connect the oppression she has experienced as a woman to that of others, helping various groups combat injustice by drawing attention to their struggles and highlighting their humanity.
“I wasn’t looking for the militancy, you know, what the mainstream media was looking at,” she said. “I was looking for the heart.”
laurahorne2027@u.northwestern.edu
Rico Nasty to headline A&O Productions’ Blowout
By BETSY LECY daily senir staffer
@betsy_lecy
Washington D.C.-born and Maryland-raised musician Rico Nasty will headline A&O Productions’ annual Blowout, with student artist Perl opening, A&O announced Monday. With her debut full-length album “Nightmare Vacation” under her belt, nearly one billion streams and sold-out shows, the rapper will take the stage at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 8 p.m. on Friday.
The rapper is most known for her hit “Smack A Bitch,” and high-profile collaborations with Doja Cat in “Tia Tamera,” the late XXXTentacion in “#PROUDCATOWNERREMIX” and Kali Uchlis in “¡aquí yo mando!” In 2020, she became an ambassador for Rihanna’s lingerie brand Savage X Fenty,
and made a cameo appearance in the Savage X Fenty Show.
A&O Productions described her music as innovative in a Monday news release
“Many artists change the game. However, Rico Nasty reinvents, recharges and reimagines it with every move,” the release said.
“[She] infuses airtight rap with uncontainable punk energy, hyperpop unpredictability, industrial intensity, and just the right amount of heavy metal attitude.”
Medill freshman Jared Perlmutter will perform an opening set. Perlmutter will be releasing new tracks in the coming months, including one that will be heard exclusively at Blowout.
Free tickets for NU students will be available at 6 p.m. on Tuesday on the Norris Box Office website.
elizabethlecy2027.1@u.northwestern.edu
Art Institute to host three free tours for NU students
By CLARA MARTINEZ
the daily northwestern
Weinberg sophomore Amber Constante is no stranger to the Art Institute of Chicago, home to famed works like Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” and Georges Seurat’s pointillism in “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.”
Although Constante grew up in the Chicago area and has enjoyed the museum’s artwork many times, she plans to attend Northwestern Night on Thursday to take advantage of free tours available for NU students, faculty, staff and their guests.
“It’s an opportunity for students to get out of campus and explore the city and explore all
the cultures that are present,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to expand every student’s bubble just not keep them on campus in Evanston, this little microcosm.”
While admission to the Art Institute is free for undergraduate students who display their Wildcard, Northwestern Night is open to any guests that come with students, faculty or staff from 2 to 8 p.m. Three exclusive guided tours begin at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Associate Director of Student Organizations and Activities Joe Lattal said the event has been held twice each year since the University began its partnership program with the Art Institute in 2012. He added that each night offers unique tours based on the museum’s current exhibits
and any themes that the University is focusing on that year.
Attendees can participate in a tour related to the themes of One Book One Northwestern’s selection “The Night Watchman,” engage with a collection by Hispanic artists in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month and learn about anatomy on a tour based around the human form.
Lattal said the Anatomy and the Human Form Tour was inspired by the proximity of NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine to the Art Institute. He said it gives graduate students an opportunity to see exhibits that are typically only free to undergraduate students year-round.
This tour piqued Constante’s interest because she said she wants to learn about the
development of anatomy across many epochs of art.
“I know medieval art had weird anatomical positioning and all that stuff, so (I’m curious) how human form is understood through art over the years,” Constante said.
Communication sophomore Isabela Castilho said she plans on meeting her professor and classmates from her Art 240: Introduction to Sculpture class at the Art Institute because she is beginning to explore art this quarter.
Castilho said the “calm” and “therapeutic” qualities of art prompted a new interest outside the bounds of her theatre major.
“I’m suddenly interested in art,” she said. “I started really enjoying art and painting and sculpture-making, and so I really want to learn more about it.”
Whether students have been to the Art Institute in the past or are taking the Purple Express into the Loop for the first time, Lattal said every attendee will gain something different from the experience.
“The Art Institute of Chicago is a crown jewel of the Chicago area attractions,” Lattal said. “Our hope is whether it’s someone’s first visit to the Art Institute in their whole life, or it’s just an occasion to go back for the first time in a while, that people in the community decide to come out on Thursday.”
claramartinez2028@u.northwestern.edu
Illustration by Madison Rozwat
Students, faculty, sta and their guests will have free access to the Art Institute of Chicago for Northwestern Night on Thursday. Attendees can also take part in three exclusive tours around the museum.
Daily file photo by Jonah Elkowitz
Rico Nasty, grouptherapy. and Perl are set to take the stage at Welsh-Ryan Arena for A&O Productions’ annual Blowout concert Friday.
“It’s disingenuous to expect that the people who are working in an institution and executing the orders of their leadership are not going to not feel coerced into pursuing certain outcomes on the basis of what their leaders are saying,” Stevens said. She added that the administration limited guardrails in enforcing when and how to charge a violation, which builds an “inequality in the ability of the faculty, compared to the administration, to enforce the protocols in any particular instance.”
Stevens said faculty a empted to question Schill on
Like in October 2023, members of Students for Justice in Palestine and the NU Jewish community organized vigils to mourn the lives lost in the Middle East, held on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Like the previous fall, SJP held a walkout to bring light to the war’s death toll and NU’s ties to Israel.
But this year, the anniversary was characterized by an air of tension following the rollout of new University policies cracking down on protest activity and high-pro le clashes between student activists and administrators, culminating in the ve-day proPalestinian encampment on Deering Meadow that deescalated at the end of April following an agreement between administration and student organizers.
In September, NU unveiled a set of new demonstration policies that bar overnight demonstrations and prohibit demonstrations at because e Rock before 3 p.m. on weekdays and the use of ampli ed sound in that area before 5 p.m.
sta prepared a list of 38 alternate ideas which could be implemented beginning in 2026 to increase fund balances and address the $23 million de cit between revenues and expenses in the proposed budget, Ald. Devon Reid (8th) said.
Ideas include a $1 million increase to the property tax levy, increasing the Wheel Tax and parking meter rates, implementing a tax on delivery eet companies using city streets or issuing more street cleaning tickets.
e di erence between revenues and expenses on
his decision-making about the encampment agreement in April’s biannual Faculty Assembly, but they were unable to before he le the assembly.
University spokesperson Erin Karter told e Daily that violations against the Statement on Free Expression and Institutional Speech are not enforceable because it is not currently a policy.
“ e statement guides leadership, including the president and provost, in taking actions and making decisions about institutional communications,” Karter said. “Discussions across the University will inform, over time, whether institutional speech components of the statement will be developed into policy or protocol that will include formal expectations.”
University President Michael Schill also announced new measures to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus last month after facing calls for his resignation from Jewish groups and the dissolution of his Advisory Committee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate.
To honor the lives lost in the Israel-Hamas War, about 20 members of the NU chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and the NU community gathered at the lakefront Sunday evening to participate in a Tashlich, a Jewish atonement ritual.
“We are a group of people who individually believe in a free Palestine and a safe Palestine for all,” Weinberg senior and JVP member Paz Baum said Sunday.
“We come together as a group, mostly a group of Jewish students, and we then are using our tradition to ght for this tenet of Judaism, which is that every life is precious.”
Also on Sunday, about 35 students attended an SJP-sponsored vigil outside of Deering Library honoring the lives lost in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. e event featured readings of Palestinian poetry
the budget is due to reserve funds not appearing as revenues on the budget, Black said.
“I really encourage members of this commi ee and Council to take seriously the charge of looking at some of these new revenue sources, particularly those that will bring revenue that’s more equitable and that also spreads the cost out,” Reid said.
However, several rates will change for Evanston residents if the 2025 proposed budget is adopted: Water rates will increase by 23.3%, solid waste rates will increase by 7.5%, and sewer rates will decrease by 13.5%.
To meet its public safety pension fund obligations for 2025, the city will need to lean heavily on reserves from previous years of tax levies, Black said. e city
Faculty Senate President and McCormick Prof. Jill Wilson said Faculty Senate members were invited to present at the commi ee discussions about the Statement on Free Expression and Institutional Speech.
She said the rst o cial Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year, which is scheduled for Oct. 16, opens the oor for topics faculty choose to discuss, including the topics of institutional neutrality and demonstration policies.
“As the Faculty Senate identi es issues that we want to push back on, I think we can take those to administration, but it’s a democratic process, and we want to give those chances, those things a chance to arise from the deliberative process,” Wilson said.
and the Quran, candle lighting, prayers, community re ections and a moment of silence to honor those who have died during the con ict.
e next day, on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack, SJP staged a walkout from class and picket by e Rock in honor of the lives lost in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.
A little after 1 p.m., demonstrators began to chant outside e Rock, using bullhorns and other sound ampli ers.
“Your classes are less important than genocide. ey never will be more important,” one organizer said. “Genocide is more important than this university.”
University spokesperson Jon Yates told e Daily that those present at Monday walkout violated several of NU’s new policies on organizing by disregarding bans on demonstrating at e Rock before 3 p.m., using ampli ed sound before 5 p.m. and “failing to comply” with on-site o cials.
“Northwestern has already begun an investigation to determine the identities of those who violated policies,” Yates emailed e Daily. “As the individuals are
plans to contribute $29.6 million to police and re pensions in 2025, up from $25.6 million in 2024, according to the proposed budget.
Finance and Budget Commi ee member David Livingston said the city should have raised the property tax levy this year to avoid the future projections.
“A snapshot in time looks ne,” Livingston said. “Two years from now, we’re below our target level. ree years, we’re almost at no reserve. So we need to acknowledge that there’s going to have to be incremental revenues over the next couple of years to maintain the pension funding that we want.”
Reid said the city should not rely on raising property taxes to increase revenue. Instead, he proposed implementing more user fees to cover the cost of city services,
e AAUP’s NU executive commi ee has since sent a le er to University o cials calling for the retraction of the demonstration policy and its related protocols. e le er urges the administration to reconsider “the immense use of administrative resources now restricting education” and to align policies in accordance with the “principles of the AAUP, including academic freedom and shared governance.”
“I think navigating the restrictions means following what we understand to be the basic tenets of academic freedom and what we hope should be meaningful faculty governance,” Coronado said.
kelleylu2027@u.northwestern.edu
identi ed, they will receive disciplinary noti cation from the University.”
More than 200 NU community members gathered Monday evening on Deering Meadow for a candlelight vigil commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.
“We’re gathered here tonight to remember and mourn the lives lost and shattered in Israel one year ago today, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” said Medill junior Madeleine Stern, Wildcats for Israel president and former Daily sta er.
Organizers led attendees in songs and prayers throughout the evening. e vigil opened and concluded with the singing of songs of peace. Between songs, speakers recited poems and read stories and testimonies of released hostages and family members of those who were killed in the Oct. 7 attack.
Participants were invited to hold candles, Israeli ags, yellow ribbons and red owers during the vigil.
Many attendees described the vigil as a site for both mourning and hope.
such as fees imposed on greenhouse gas emi ers.
Discontinuing Evanston’s trash collection service, which could save the city approximately $7 million annually, could also help the city avoid raising property taxes, Reid said.
e 2025 proposed budget will likely be adopted by City Council at its Nov. 25 meeting, Black said, following public discussion at City Council and ward meetings.
“I’d like to be optimistic, but it’s up to nine councilmembers to make decisions,” Black said. “We’re si ing in a nice fund balance going into next year’s budget, so that’s a really good thing.”
isaiahsteinberg2027@u.northwestern.edu
Faculty Senate President Jill Wilson talks priorities
By LEAH SCHROEDER
daily senior staffer @lmschroeder_
After three years in the Faculty Senate — including one year chairing the Educational Affairs Committee — McCormick Prof. Jill Wilson took office as the Senate’s new president on Aug. 1.
The Daily sat down with Wilson to discuss her plans to foster additional dialogue within the Senate during meetings, reform CTECs and address other issues that may come up with empathy.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: What inspired you to become president?
Wilson: I have found it really interesting just to understand how things worked behind the scenes. I really enjoyed getting to know other people on the Senate. I think it’s easy in our schools to talk to the people we know and that are around us.
The Daily: What have you been able to learn about campus from the different people you’ve interacted with?
Wilson: Many of us really have the same goals, and that’s to support our students and to have a really great university. We may think differently about what that means or how to get there, but I think at heart, all faculty really want to support their students and each other.
The Daily: How would you describe your style of leadership?
Wilson: I really care about getting to know people, not just talking past each other. This year so far, I’ve prioritized really trying to interact face-to-face with people. Our Executive Committee, for the first time this year, had a face-to-face meeting at the end of August so we could be in the same room together, establish some relationships and talk about the things that we needed to do.
The Daily: What are some of the main goals and initiatives of the Senate this year?
Wilson: There was a push to reform CTECs. We’re really pushing for a more holistic review of teaching that’s not just about CTECs but is about self reflection and observation, lots of different data points to evaluate teaching. I think the committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities is going to be taking a close look at free speech and academic
freedom. Lots of faculty have had questions about understanding exactly what academic freedom means in our context.
The Daily: There were a lot of unexpected topics that came up in Faculty Senate last year. Do you have any insight into how you would deal with topics like that?
Wilson: For me, it’s about seeing the people behind the sentiments. There were lots of hard conversations last year, and I expect there will be more hard conversations this
year. But again, it’s about seeing who’s behind the statements that are being made. We may differ on different issues, but I think everybody really cares about doing their best for their students and for this campus. It’s about trying to see that person behind it, and think about what is caring for them in that particular moment and through that conversation, so that we can all move through it together.
leahschroeder2026@u.northwestern.edu
Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern
This is Faculty Senate President Jill Wilson’s fourth year in the Senate.
NU gears up for road test at maryland
By CHARLIE SPUNGIN daily senior staffer
@charliespungin
For the rst time under coach David Braun, Northwestern has dropped two consecutive games. Having bounced back from every loss during the last two years, Braun’s squad will look to avoid making it three straight losses against Maryland. e Wildcats’ (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) 41-24 defeat to then-No. 23 Indiana makes Friday night’s primetime outing in College Park all the more important. With a di cult conference schedule ahead, the ’Cats will have to seize the day.
On Sept. 28, the Terrapins (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) took on the Hoosiers and su ered a similar loss, falling 42-28. Coach Michael Locksley’s team is coming o a bye this week.
NU and Maryland have faced o four times previously, with the ’Cats prevailing in three of the outings — including last season’s victory at Ryan Field.
Here’s what to watch for as both teams hope to avoid falling to 0-3 in conference play.
Maryland’s passing o ense
In his rst year at the helm of the Terrapins’ o ense, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. ranks fourth in passing yards and is tied for fourth in passing touchdowns in the Big Ten. He has ourished under center, throwing for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns in each game this season. It doesn’t get easier for NU. Wide receiver Tai Felton leads the Big Ten in both receptions and receiving yards with 46 and 642, respectively. Both gures rank in the top ten in the nation. Although
Felton le his last game prematurely with injury, Locksley said he expects him to return to the lineup this week.
rough two conference games, the ’Cats have already faced o against some of the Big Ten’s top signal callers in Washington quarterback Will Rogers and Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Both threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns against NU.
“We have to do a be er job of forcing the quarterback to process post-snap,” Braun said. “From the conversations we’ve had over the last couple days, I’m con dent that we’re going to get that cracking.”
Felton has exceeded 100 yards and a touchdown in four of his ve games this season. Braun said the defense has to be aware of where he is lined up at all times.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back eran Johnson is coming o a game where he had three pass breakups and was named to the Pro Football Focus Team of the Week. He presumably will be matched up with Felton.
Braun also noted that the team cannot “strictly just gameplan around trying to shut down one guy,” acknowledging the other playmakers that Maryland has at its disposal.
“Credit to Maryland and Indiana,” Braun said. “I think what makes these guys so di cult to defend is not only just the one primary receiver who maybe gets the most notoriety. ere’s a ton of depth in that room at Maryland.”
Winning the turnover margin
e Terrapins’ turnover margin is tied for the NCAA-high with James Madison. Beyond Edwards Jr.’s ability to take care of the football — having
thrown just two interceptions this season — Maryland forces turnovers more than almost any team in the country.
“We got to nd a way on Friday night to ip that narrative,” Braun said. “It’s an impressive stat. It’s a credit to all three phases of their game in terms of protecting the football and nding ways to take it away.”
e Terrapin defense has picked o the opposing quarterback eight times, while recovering six fumbles. Just four players in the Big Ten have notched three interceptions this season, and Maryland has two of them in defensive backs Glendon Miller and Jalen Huskey.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch and the ’Cats played turnover-free football against Indiana, a vast improvement from his Big Ten debut against Washington on Sept. 21.
On the other side of the ball, however, the ’Cats failed to force the Hoosiers to blink as Rourke and company had zero turnovers and scored on seven consecutive drives to solidify a dominant 41-point showing.
“For us, the equation for winning football here at Northwestern is to win the turnover margin,” Braun said. “Against Indiana, there was some opportunities for takeaways that we didn’t capitalize on, and those potential takeaways could have played a critical role in a di erent outcome.”
NU’s defensive line
On Saturday, NU failed to record a sack for the rst time this season. In each previous game in this
year’s campaign, the defense downed the quarterback at least twice.
Rourke also threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, the best performance by a quarterback against the ’Cats this season. Indiana’s 529 total yards marked the most that NU has faced under Braun’s tenure.
“We got to win rst and second down to get third down situations, which we struggled with the last two weeks,” defensive line coach Christian Smith told e Daily on Tuesday. Braun echoed a similar sentiment in his Monday press conference, speci cally pointing to the juncture toward the start of the fourth quarter. With the score 27-24 in Indiana’s favor, the Hoosiers converted a third and nine that could have forced a three-and-out. ey went on to score a touchdown on that drive.
In Maryland’s most recent outing — which also came against Indiana — they allowed ve sacks. Last year, the ’Cats recorded six sacks, a seasonhigh, against Maryland in a victory. If the defensive line can bring similar production, NU could nd itself in the win column in Big Ten play for the rst time this season. Smith has already outlined the key to success Friday night.
“It’s being con dent in ourselves, reading our keys and rushing together,” he said. “( eir) quarterback is mobile. He can run around a li le bit, so I think it’s not only about just one guy. It’s about having great rush lanes and four guys working on a string.”
charliespungin2027@u.northwestern.edu
kirtz bounces back
By JAKE MOZARSKY the daily northwestern @jmozarsky
Northwestern graduate student wide receiver Bryce Kirtz has experienced a whirlwind collegiate career, playing under two di erent head coaches, undergoing four knee surgeries, connecting with a plethora of di erent starting quarterbacks and making two bowl games. But, Kirtz said it feels like a blur.
“Six years is a long time,” Kirtz told e Daily. “But, it goes by so fast.”
e graduate student has been a central part of the Wildcats’ past two seasons. Kirtz is one of the ve team captains for 2024, and he was part of last season’s leadership core that brought NU to an 8-5 record and SRS Las Vegas Distribution Bowl victory.
It hasn’t been easy for Kirtz, who has had his fair share of injuries — including four knee surgeries — that kept him sidelined for contests. But over the past two years, he has played his best football for NU, totaling 61 catches for 969 yards and ve touchdowns. Kirtz has also been healthy. Dating back to last season’s opener against Rutgers, he has played in 17 consecutive games.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career,” Kirtz said. “I’m just really grateful to be healthy now, and I just really want to thank the training sta and my teammates for keeping me going. I’m really thankful and just blessed.”
Now in his nal year at NU, Kirtz has embraced the veteran role, especially with a young starting quarterback in redshirt sophomore Jack Lausch.
In the past 10 games, Kirtz has played with three different signal-callers — Ben Bryant in the 2023 season, graduate transfer Mike Wright and Lausch. Kirtz said all three have brought di erent dynamics to the game.
“Ben is cool, calm and collected, Jack is intense and Mike is really laid-back, but it’s all the same at the end of the day,” Kirtz said. “ ey know what I’m capable of and just combining our two skills and guring out how we’re going to help each other in the game. … ey’re really talented, they know football and they
Saka returns home
By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n
Northwestern redshirt sophomore defensive end Anto Saka circled Friday’s game on his calendar the moment the Big Ten released its 2024 schedule. For the first time in his collegiate career, Saka will return home to Maryland for a homecoming of sorts at SECU Stadium.
Saka told The Daily on Tuesday that he’s been accumulating as many tickets as he can for the contingent of family and friends he expects to attend the Wildcats’ clash with the Terrapins. The Phoenix, Maryland, native said he’s gathered 27 tickets thus far, with hopes of rounding up a few more.
“Hopefully we get a win,” Saka said. “It’s always good to come back home, see family and play against the people I grew up playing with and against.”
The 6-foot-4-inch, 247-pound edge rusher will look to wreak havoc on passing downs less than 50 miles south of his high school stomping grounds of Loyola Blakefield, where Saka soared to national prominence as a four-star recruit and received 34 collegiate offers.
Saka has tallied a team-high 2.5 sacks in four games played, making a marked impact amid a limited snap count. He missed his team’s Week 3 matchup with Eastern Illinois due to injury, but Saka battled back into the lineup for the Big Ten opener at Washington the following week.
He said he carries the same mentality whenever he steps on the field.
“Blow it up,” Saka said with a chuckle. “That’s really all it is. Step on the field and make something happen.”
Saka’s production marks a continuation of a breakout 2023 campaign when he finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks. He became the first NU player to record three sacks in his first five collegiate games since 2008.
For assistant defensive line coach Christian Smith, Saka’s steady growth speaks to coach David Braun’s underlying vision of cra ing the conference’s preeminent developmental program.
“Anto has a ton of potential, maybe the most on this football team,” Smith said. “He’s taking advantage of his potential, his natural ability of being explosive, twitchy — but he’s a technician
as well. (He) uses his hands really well in pass rush and works the edge. When you’re an athlete like that, it sets up a lot of other things in your game.”
Smith said Saka’s skill set opens up a bevy of opportunities for his teammates on the defensive line, and the edge rusher was pivotal to the unit’s signi cant improvement last season. But, Smith added that Saka’s hunger to improve is the most pertinent facet of the redshirt sophomore’s game.
“He’s never going to be satis ed,” Smith said. “He comes in and asks what he needs to do. But, the thing he was doing best in fall camp was that he took huge strides in the run game. His snap is only going to go up.”
With Saka redshirting during his true freshman campaign, he could merely watch Maryland secure its rst-ever victory over the ’Cats. During that Terrapin victory, then-backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. stepped in for an injured Taulia Tagovailoa, leading Maryland to a 31-24 win.
Two years later, Edwards has thrived in his newly-minted starting role, and Braun said pass-rushers like Saka, redshirt sophomore linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. and redshirt junior defensive end Aidan Hubbard will be essential to the week’s game plan.
Saka said he has full trust in his team’s scheme and its ability to throw Edwards, who took ve sacks in his previous game against Indiana, o schedule.
“I’m trusting what the coaches have for me, trusting they will put me in the right position and I’m trusting my teammates — who are ballers — are gonna do their job,” Saka said. “Coach is working. He’s cooked up a wonderful game plan, so we just gotta go out there, follow our keys and do our jobs.”
Smith and Saka both reiterated a desire to put Saturday’s loss to the Hoosiers rmly on the back burner.
During the defeat, Saka snapped a six-game streak with at least a half-sack and NU failed to record a sack for the rst time this season.
“We’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got work to do to reach our goals of being one of the best D-lines in the Big Ten,” Smith said. “Last game we let the o ense down. Giving up 41 points is unacceptable … ey know that. at’s credit to the leadership in the room and the standard they set forth for me to hold them accountable.”
jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu
really helped me become a be er player as well.”
As the ’Cats enter a critical stretch of Big Ten play, Kirtz and Lausch have begun forging a connection. Kirtz had a team-high 10 receptions for 128 yards on Saturday against Indiana, and while it did not result in a win, the o ense took considerable steps.
e veteran in the relationship, Kirtz said he wants to instill con dence in the sophomore.
“Just le ing him know that ‘I trust you’ — relax out there, and do your thing,” Kirtz said, relaying his advice to Lausch. “Just think of it like practice. Make sure he trusts me and calm him down.”
Lausch will make his h start of the season on Friday night against Maryland, and with it comes more time to build a relationship with his receivers. Kirtz caught Lausch’s season-best 47 yard completion Saturday against Indiana.
In the receiver room, Kirtz is one of the most trusted veterans, along with graduate student wide receiver
A.J. Henning. Kirtz and Henning have been the top passing weapons for NU.
Since Henning came over from Michigan in 2023, they have formed a relationship both on and o the eld.
“I de nitely like having another guy in there that can help the room out,” Kirtz said. “Him just helping me out there and helping the quarterback as well. A.J. plays the slot, so he sees a li le di erent than what I see … really having that extra backup out there makes the game easier for everyone.”
While NU has a di cult schedule — including bouts against nationally ranked teams in Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois — Kirtz and the team’s goal remains the same: reach a bowl game.
e graduate student has been at NU since 2019 and caught a touchdown in last year’s Las Vegas bowl against Utah. He called the week “quite the experience.”
Kirtz wants to end his NU career right. For him, that’s easy.
“Having a good time with my teammates one last time,” Kirtz said of his goals for the season.
Anna Watson/The Daily Northwestern
Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern
Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern
Anna Watson/The Daily Northwestern
Roesch and Schornstein carry club bond to NU
By HENRY FRIEMAN
daily senior staffer @henryfrieman
Rain poured down on Kennedy Roesch as she lined up for a penalty kick in the ECNL National Championship game for the San Diego Surf, one of her final touches before transitioning to the Division I level.
The freshman striker took her run in the water-slicked grass and buried a powerful effort above the goalkeeper’s grasp. She sprinted to celebrate with her teammates, including defender Tanna Schornstein, as her squad clinched club soccer’s highest honor.
“It was one of my favorite goals I’ve ever scored,” Roesch said. “It was one that I’ll probably never forget.”
About three weeks after hoisting the trophy in Seattle with the Surf, Roesch and Schornstein traded sunny California for the windy shores of Lake Michigan, joining Northwestern’s women’s soccer program in mid-July.
The two teammates have started all 14 games for the Wildcats, logging key minutes for the squad throughout its 2024 campaign. Roesch has scored a team-high five goals, while Schornstein has played 1,256 of the 1,260 minutes of games this season.
Roesch and Schornstein have lined up together for about seven years, primarily with the Surf. They both credit the program for bringing their skills to the collegiate level.
“The soccer knowledge that our club gave us, these abilities to do the simple things right and do them right every time, I think that’s huge,” Schornstein said.
Roesch was four years old when she first laced up a pair of soccer cleats, playing in a local recreational league.
When a teammate’s grandfather saw Roesch, aged six, dribbling down the field with both feet, the grandfather encouraged Scott Roesch
UPCOMING GAMES
WOMEN’S SOCCER
vs. UCLA
ursday, Oct. 10 @ 6 p.m. | Martin Stadium
MEN’S SOCCER at Rutgers
Friday, Oct. 11 @ 6 p.m. | Piscataway, NJ vs. Wisconsin
– Kennedy’s father – to sign her up for a local club team.
“She was able to use both feet naturally — you don’t see that from a lot of kids (that age), you’ve got to develop your weaker foot,” Scott Roesch said. “She’s always had this intensity about her and this real strong will to win, and we saw that really early.”
Kennedy Roesch spent two years with a local club team, Hotspurs USA, before joining the San Diego Surf, a 30-mile drive from her home. Scott Roesch said driving to practice would take 45 to 75 minutes, depending on rush-hour traffic.
“We didn’t know how this would pan out … so that’s honestly the reason we took her to Surf,” Scott Roesch said. “Let’s take her to the best club in San Diego, and she’s either gonna rise to the occasion or she’s going to fail. She’s proven to the occasion.”
During her nine-month club seasons, Kennedy Roesch traveled to the Surf’s Del Mar facility four days a week for 11 years.
Schornstein met her on the practice pitch about eight years ago. The two formed a bond through the long training shifts.
“She was really good, and we always had to play against each other,” Schornstein said. “We got closer as time went on.”
Kennedy Roesch committed to NU on Oct. 3, 2022. Twenty days later, Schornstein committed to play for the ’Cats.
Before a Surf game, Schornstein informed Kennedy Roesch that she was joining her at NU.
“We’re about to warm up, and she goes, ‘Kenna, guess what? I committed,’” Kennedy Roesch said.
Kennedy Roesch had wanted to play at Stanford all her life, Scott Roesch said.
The Roesch family prioritized academics and encouraged her to visit other schools before setting her sights on the Cardinal, but Scott Roesch said the decision ultimately fell to her. She picked NU.
“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little bit and try something different,” Kennedy Roesch said. “Northwestern academically is profound. But from a soccer standpoint, this is a program that is growing. It has the potential to be something. The coaches here, the people here and the culture here has so much potential. … I wanted to be a part of that.”
I possibly can, every moment I’m out there.” Kennedy Roesch is focused on contributing to the NU offense as best she can.
Schornstein echoed Roesch and said the academics the university offers weighed heavily on her decision to commit. She viewed herself as a good fit in head coach Michael Moynihan’s squad and bought into the ’Cats’ culture. ***
Both players slotted into Moynihan’s starting XI for the season opener against Boston University. With NU’s top two scorers last year, Ella Hase and Meg Boade, transferring out of the program, Kennedy Roesch immediately filled the vacant striker role. Following the graduation of defender Danika Austin, Schornstein filled the gap in the back line.
“I love to score,” Kennedy Roesch said. “I feel like I have that hunger and desire to score, and honestly, I just want to do the best I can for my teammates. I want to win, too.”
Moynihan has featured freshmen players prominently in his starting lineup this season. According to NU Athletics, freshmen have accounted for more than a quarter of the total minutes played this season.
With five regular-season games remaining, both Kennedy Roesch and Schornstein are looking to finish strong and make a last-gasp push for the Big Ten Tournament.
Tuesday, Oct. 15 @ 7 p.m. | Martin Stadium VOLLEYBALL vs. Ohio State
ursday, Oct. 10 @ 7 p.m. | Welsh-Ryan Arena at Wisconsin Sunday, Oct. 13 @ 1 p.m. | Madison, WI
WOMEN’S TENNIS
ITA Regional Championships
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Sunday, Oct. 13 | East Lansing, MI
MEN’S TENNIS
ITA Regional Championships Thursday, Oct. 10 - Sunday, Oct. 13 | East Lansing, MI FOOTBALL
vs. Maryland
Friday, Oct. 11 @ 7 p.m. | College Park, MD
FENCING
Remenyik ROC/RJCC
Saturday, Oct. 12 - Sunday, Oct. 13 | Ryan Fieldhouse
SWIM & DIVE
vs. Miami (Ohio)
vs. USC Sunday, Oct. 13 @ 1 p.m. | Martin Stadium FIELD HOCKEY
Saturday, Oct. 12 @ 11 a.m. | Norris Aquatics Center
When the pair moved onto campus and began going through training camp, Kennedy Roesch said she appreciated having Schornstein going through the process with her.
“We didn’t have much time off, so it was a quick change,” Kennedy Roesch said. “Leaving our families a bit, and not seeing them much while also transitioning quickly was a lot. I think having someone else (with me in the same boat) was probably the best-case scenario.”
Against Boston, Kennedy Roesch made an instant impact, first assisting on a Caterina Regazzoni goal before scoring one of her own in the eventual 3-2 victory.
Schornstein has been crucial in a defense that is conceding just one goal per game. Most of the ’Cats’ attack is built out of Schornstein’s spot on the right flank.
“I feel like I’ve just learned so much as both a person and a player,” Schornstein said. “(I’m) making sure that I’m just doing the best
“We have the optimism and confidence to turn it around.” Kennedy Roesch said. “It’s just one game at a time from here on out.”
Schornstein carries a similar mentality to her fellow California native.
“We have a couple of big games coming up in UCLA and USC. … hopefully (we’ll) have some huge upsets, which would be awesome,” Schornstein said. “(But I) just want to soak in every moment, enjoy it, and do the best that we can.”
henry ieman2027@u.northwestern.edu
Buie inks Exhibit 10 deal with Knicks
By HENRY FRIEMAN daily senior staffer @henryfrieman
Northwestern basketball’s all-time leading scorer is headed to the Big Apple.
The New York Knicks announced Monday that they signed former Wildcats guard Boo Buie to an Exhibit 10 contract.
Madness appearance. In his fifth year with NU, Buie averaged 19 points per game with five assists per game. He also earned the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year award.
Spencer is rostered with the Golden State Warriors.
Oct. 12 @ 11 a.m. | St. Andrews, Scotland
WOMEN’S GOLF
at St. Andrews Links Collegiate Saturday, Oct. 12 @ 11 a.m. | St. Andrews, Scotland
Buie spent the summer with the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged nine points per game, two assists per game and 1.4 rebounds per game in the NBA2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas.
The 24-year-old earned First Team AllBig Ten honors last year after guiding the Wildcats to their second consecutive March
“Forget about the records — he’s given us a cool factor,” Collins said, donning a white headband in Buie’s honor, after he broke the NU scoring record. “His impact is going to be long-standing because of not only what he’s done and how he’s impacted our winning but what his presence has meant here the last couple of years.”
Three NU alumni actively play in the NBA or its minor league system, the G-League. Guard Chase Audige is on the Windy City Bulls, the G-League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls. Forward Pete Nance plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers and guard Pat
The Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, nonguaranteed contract that permits a player to join a franchise for the training camp and preseason. If Buie makes the Knicks’ roster and is not cut before Oct. 21 or his deal is converted into a two-way contract, he will be paid the minimum NBA salary of $1.15 million dollars. If he is waived but spends 60 or more days with the Knicks’ G-League affiliate, he will be paid up to $50,000.
The Knicks are currently in the NBA preseason, and Buie could potentially feature in their preseason clash with Washington Oct. 9.
henry ieman2027@u.northwestern.edu
Daily file photo by Anna Watson
Daily file photo by Anna Watson