The Daily Northwestern — October 13, 2022

Players talk next season at Big Ten Media Day

Bailey’s nomination signals shift right

over the past, and accelerated in recent years, the party isn’t interested in social moderates anymore.”

NEWSLETTER

Scan this QR code to subscribe to the Daily Digest, our daily newsletter!

4 OPINION/Diversity Report

The Daily’s 2021-22 staff diversity report

55 Low 46

By KATE WALTER daily senior staffer @katewalter03

Darren Bailey’s nomination as the Republican gubernato rial candidate in Illinois has led experts to consider the future of the state GOP.

Bailey, a state senator from Xenia, Ill., defeated Aurora mayor Richard Irvin and ven ture capitalist Jesse Sullivan in the June primary with 58% of the vote. He has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and will face Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) in the general election on Nov. 8.

Experts, including Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson, view Bailey’s VVvictory over more moder ate candidates as evidence of a rightward shift in the Illinois GOP.

“The Republican Party for the past couple of decades has moved ever closer to the right,” Pearson said. “The party used to be run by basi cally fiscally conservative, socially moderate Repub licans… But as we’ve seen

Bailey has built his politi cal platform around criticiz ing Pritzker’s COVID-19 response, making headlines in 2020 for refusing to wear a mask during a legislative ses sion and suing the governor over his stay-at-home order.

Chicago crime has also been a focus of Bailey’s guber natorial campaign. In 2019, he co-sponsored a resolu tion in the Illinois House to separate Chicago from the rest of the state and has fre quently referred to the city as a “hellhole.”

Jeff Fiedler, the execu tive director of the Chicago Republican Party, said part of this conservative turn among Illinois Republican constitu ents can be attributed to Trump. Fiedler said he sees similarities between Trump and Bailey’s ways of commu nicating with voters.

“(Bailey’s) style of plain speaking…and addressing issues in ways that people could understand them without having to get too far into the weeds…the people that voted for him like that,”

Walking cross country in their shoes NU alum documents journey to support unhoused Chicago residents

By LEAH SCHROEDER the daily northwestern @lmschroeder_

Sam Rezaei (Weinberg ‘22) has walked over 1,900

miles since June 17. He and his friend, Oberlin College senior James Dill, have been walking along state highways, sleeping in tents and loading up on supplies at convenience stores — covering between 25

Experts reflect on city mental health Around World Mental Health Day, community members talk access

By AVANI KALRA and SAUL PINK daily senior staffers @avanidkalra, @saullpink

For about a year, Evanston’s elected officials have been working to address health care professionals’ concerns about a lack of adequate mental health resources in the city.

Though Monday marked World Mental Health Day, Patti Capouch, chief executive offi cer at Impact Behavioral Health Partners, said there are still not enough options available for those experiencing mental health crises in Evanston.

“There’s transition … with not having a city manager and having new council members,” she said. “The city honestly

hasn’t really funded mental health services on a consistent basis.”

Still, Capouch said mental health resources have become an increasing priority for City Council in recent months. Last spring, Evanston allocated $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward a “Liv ing Room,” a no-cost walk-in and call-in resource center for adults experiencing mental health crises.

But a fully operational Living Room is far from opening.

“I think that they have requests for proposals that are due this month, and that’s something that we’ve been lack ing,” Capouch said. “I’m excited

and 30 miles six days per week.

Rezaei and Dill are walk ing from New York City to Los Angeles, a roughly 2,800mile journey, to help support unhoused Chicago residents.

The two have started an

Instagram account and blog to document their journey as well as a GoFundMe fund raiser, so followers can donate to their cause. On the road

Hindu youth bond over shared values

New student group creates space for NU Hindu community

By KAAVYA BUTANEY the daily northwestern @kaavya_butaney

Hindu YUVA at North western, a new student group founded in Spring Quarter, is aspiring to bring together a com munity that celebrates Hinduism beyond traditional texts.

Led by undergraduate and graduate students alike, the group aims to create a space that is both spiritual and social, fourth-year McCormick Ph.D. student and Hindu YUVA Trea surer Akhil Singla said.

“We needed a certain envi ronment where we’re not just doing a scripture reading and where we’re (not) just doing a party,” Singla said. “(It was) something in the middle of that, where we’re hanging out with our Hindu friends and learn ing more about ourselves at the same time.”

With branches across North America, Hindu YUVA aims to bring Hindu youth together to understand and appreciate the cultural and religious aspects of Hinduism.

Just a couple months after the NU chapter’s founding, it was able to connect to the larger Hindu YUVA commu nity, according to Singla. In

IL Governor’s race brings a new GOPconservative brand

Courtesy of Sam Rezaei

Sam Rezaei (Weinberg ‘22) smiles after a day of walking with his stroller and supplies. Rezaei and his friend James Dill are embarking on a walk across the country.

Illustration by Olivia Abeyta

Some mental health professionals say there are not enough public mental-healthcare options in Evanston.

Students, parents call for new attendance policy

By AIDAN JOHNSTONE and NICOLE MARKUS the daily northwestern

At this academic year’s first Evanston Town ship High School District 202 school board meeting, community members called on the district to change its attendance policies.

Advocates told board members Monday they feel the current policy is ableist, arguing that the current policies do not acknowledge the various reasons a student may be tardy and have impacted students’ social-emotional learning.

“Many students on tardy probation currently are disabled, (and) these students are being excluded from school-related activities,” ETHS parent Kristen Scotti said. “Not all disabled students have 504s or (Individualized Educa tion Programs). Evaluation processes are time consuming and costly — folks with privilege have better access.”

504s and IEPs allow for individualized edu cation plans and disability accommodations for students. Some students face financial barriers to access alternative learning plans.

Currently, ETHS only allows students to have six absences. If students are 10 minutes late, it is registered as an absence, or an extreme tardy, instead of a tardy.

Students who receive more than 10 tardies are placed on “detention probation,” meaning they cannot attend school events.

“It does not seem that punitive punishment is a good response to tardies — it seems like it’s a sign to (ask),‘What support does the kid need?’” ETHS parent Chris White said. “I don’t know where this policy comes from. It seems very counter to everything else we’ve heard tonight of all the efforts of equity.”

Last year, attendance records meant stu dents were not able to attend social events like Homecoming. The policy also excluded these students from participating in extracurricular clubs, including affinity spaces.

Though parents have raised concerns with ETHS administrators in the past, attempts to change the school’s attendance policy have not been successful.

“When two other parents and I tried to address this issue with a dean, we were told that disabled students do not have any inher ent right to attend ETHS events,” Scotti said. “I hope I don’t need to remind anyone here that this view is in opposition to federal law.”

Scotti referenced the Americans with Dis abilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities.

The district also offers perks to students with perfect attendance records. A student speaker at Monday’s meeting said they were not able to participate in a school-sponsored trip to Six Flags because of their attendance record.

Community advocates also argued that the

policy is classist. While some students may drive to school, others use public transporta tion and may live farther away from the school. Parents like Scotti said the policy directly dis criminates against lower-income students.

“We have notoriously late buses for students who rely on public transportation to get to school,” Scotti said. “These students are being further marginalized by tardy violations that act to further exclude them from the school environment.”

Student board representatives also addressed the board about a recent ETHS suspension. On Sept. 30, ETHS senior Mayra Bazan Gonzalez brought pepper spray in her bag to the school’s

homecoming football game, since she had to walk home that night.

Pepper spray is a banned object at ETHS. As a result, security at the game immediately suspended Bazan Gonzalez and placed her on “expulsion recommended” status.

A petition that calls for an end to her poten tial ETHS expulsion currently has over 2,600 signatures.

“This punishment is extreme, unfair, and ignores the nuance of her situation,” the peti tion states.

nicolemarkus2025@u.northwestern.edu aidanjohnstone2026@u.northwestern.edu

PHOTOGRAPHERS WILL BE IN NORRIS FOR A LIMITED TIME. Several poses will be taken – in your own clothes and with cap and gown. Your choice will be available for purchase. All senior portraits must be taken by Prestige Portraits/Life Touch. $10 sitting fee required.

SIGN UP FOR YOUR SENIOR YEARBOOK PORTRAIT DON'T GET LEFT OUT! SCHEDULE YOUR PORTRAIT

Monday Nov. 1 through Friday, November 20 @ NORRIS Sign up at: www.OurYear.com NU Code: 87150

questions? email: syllabus@northwestern.edu or go to: www.NUsyllabus.com

CLASS OF 1988 NU SYLLABUS YEARBOOK

Daily file photo by Jorge Melendez

Community members advocated for changes to Evanston Township High School’s attendance policy.

‘Gays and Gospel’ honors Black singers

By PAVAN ACHARYA the daily northwestern @pavanacharya02

The sound of drums, piano chords, clap ping hands and vocal riffs filled the Alice Mil lar Chapel on Tuesday during the “Gays and Gospel” event.

School of Communication Dean E. Pat rick Johnson and Communication Prof. Kent Brooks, director of Religious and Spiritual Life, led the special lecture and performance honoring Black queer gospel singers from the past and present.

“We are especially honored to host this collaboration between the School of Com munication and the Office of Religious and Spiritual life,” University chaplain the Rev. Kristen Glass Perez said during the event.

Johnson spoke about multiple gospel art ists throughout the event, providing profiles of Thomas Dorsey, Rosetta Tharpe, Willmer “Little Ax” Broadnax, James Cleveland, Syl vester, Yvette Flunder and Tonéx. Johnson said except for Tonéx, these artists had to hide their queerness in order to be accepted into the gospel music community.

Johnson and Brooks performed with a student band after each profile, presenting each artist’s music. Some songs included “It’s a Highway to Heaven” by Dorsey and “Make Me Over” by Tonéx.

The band was comprised of vocalist and Bienen junior Olivia Pierce, lead guitarist and Bienen senior Shanth Gopalswamy, bass gui tarist and Bienen senior Jesse Lear and drum mer and Weinberg junior Jack Shurtleff. Pierce and Brooks were the lead singers for most of the songs performed. But Johnson also sang and even performed a solo in falsetto when the band performed “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by Sylvester.

Following the artist profiles, Johnson and Brooks shared their own experiences in church and gospel spaces.

Johnson told the crowd he learned how to express his queerness in his church in rural Western North Carolina as a child. He said

he felt comfortable expressing himself in that space.

“I was a fat boy with a high butt and a big voice who had a chance to shine every Sun day,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he was able to push the con fines of gender in the church through costume, such as a choir or preacher’s robe. He then proceeded to dance through the rows of the chapel to music played by the band and a beat contributed to by event attendees.

Brooks spoke of his first real Gospel hero, his brother Larry Brooks. He said his brother was a prodigy who thrived in the spotlight and was a regional celebrity in North Carolina.

Brooks said his brother decided to come

out to their family as a freshman in college.

“I like to think that music provided Larry a balanced way to do that,” Brooks said.

Brooks sang a tribute to his brother, “Pre cious Lord, Take My Hand” by Thomas Dorsey. The performance was very emotional for him, he said.

Organizers were also keen to acknowledge the significance of the day on which the event occurred.

“On National Coming Out Day, (we) affirm and acknowledge the cultural impact of a history of LGBTQ+ people who have stood proudly and openly inside their homes,” John son said.

pavanacharya2025@u.northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com

Editor in Chief Jacob Fulton eic@dailynorthwestern.com

General Manager Stacia Campbell stacia@dailynorthwestern.com

Holly and John Madigan Newsroom

Phone | 847.491.3222

Campus desk campus@dailynorthwestern.com City desk city@dailynorthwestern.com

Sports desk sports@dailynorthwestern.com Ad Office | 847.491.7206 spc-compshop@northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern is published Monday and Thursday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847491-7206.

First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indi cated otherwise, is Copyright 2022 The Daily Northwestern and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Northwestern, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $100 for the academic year. The Daily Northwestern is not responsible for more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run.

Check out

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM for breaking news

Daily file illustration by Angeli Mittal Attendees clapped and danced during the “Gays and Gospel” event in the Alice Millar Chapel Tuesday, while listening and learning about multiple Black and queer gospel artists.

e

OPINION

the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com

Daily Northwestern’s 2021-22 Diversity Report

ways to improve retention has been critical going into recruitment this fall.

Since its creation in 2018, the diversity and inclusion team at The Daily Northwestern has released annual staff diversity reports to remain transparent about our composition and coverage. While we are constantly striving to maintain and improve equity initiatives at the paper, The Daily is still far from internally representing its commitment to diversity.

Newsroom diversity determines the range of perspectives in the room when we report, edit and design our content. It also informs the subjects that we ultimately cover in the Northwestern and Evanston communities.

The following metrics reflect our newsroom composition for the 2021-22 academic year. This year, the diversity report encompasses data from all three quarters, outlining the changes in the paper’s composition from fall to spring. We are committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse staff, and we welcome feedback from the community on any part of our diversity and inclusion efforts.

Editor’s Note: The number of responses received between quarters during the school year fluctuates. In Fall Quarter 2021, our sample size was 85, which increased to 99 in Winter Quarter 2022 and decreased to 73 in Spring Quarter 2022. Comparisons between quarters should be examined with this in mind.

Race

This year, The Daily became more specific with racial and ethnic identification, breaking down our former category of Asian into East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander. This change was gradually incorporated, so there may be some gaps in the data displayed. Pacific Islander data remained combined with East Asian data until Spring Quarter. Finally, the Daily still does not have a more specific tracking system for Latine sources and is working on diversifying our data collection to incorporate details about cultural backgrounds.

The Daily’s demographics mostly line up with the University’s Class of 2025 profile. We slightly overrepresent white and Asian American staffers and underrepresent Latine and Black staffers. Since our Asian American data is more specific than NU’s, which is still grouped under one category, making direct comparisons is more difficult.

The Class of 2025 is 12% Black and 16.8% Latine compared to 5.5% Black and 12.3% Latine staffers on The Daily as of spring quarter. In fall, The Daily’s staff was 4.8% Black and 8.4% Latine. The slight increase in spring quarter is not due to an increase in Black and Latine staffers, but rather a decrease in overall staff members.

During the 2021-22 academic year, The Daily had only one Indigenous staffer, and no Indigenous staffers in leadership positions. The continued underrepresentation of staffers of marginalized identities in the newsroom affects our culture and coverage at all levels. Finding

The Daily is also working on how to count biracial and multiracial staff. We currently track individuals who identify with multiple races by counting them in each category, so numbers exceed 100%. This is consistent with how NU composes its class profiles.

Gender and sexuality

The Daily’s staffers predominantly identify as cisgender women, which has been a consistent trend since we started collecting metrics in 2018. During Spring Quarter, 2.7% of staffers identified as nonbinary or gender queer, which declined from Fall Quarter with 7.1%. This may be due to the overall decline in staffers from winter to spring. However, the number of LGBTQ+ staffers remained fairly consistent from fall to spring, from 40% in fall to 38.3% in spring.

The majority of staffers on The Daily’s spring editorial board identify as LGBTQ+. A majority of the editorial board also identifies as cisgender women, consistent with the numbers for all staff.

Socioeconomic diversity

According to the University’s undergraduate admissions office, 61% of students receive financial aid. At The Daily, 50.7% of spring staffers reported receiving financial aid, compared to Fall Quarter’s 44.7%. Since last fall, the number of first-generation students has declined from 4.7% to 2.7%. However, the number of lowincome students increased from 11.8% in fall to 13.7% in spring.

The Daily can be a significant time commitment, especially for editorial board members, which makes the paper an often inaccessible space for students who need to work during the school year. While The Daily has implemented some measures — including stipend programs — to alleviate the issue, we are always looking for more ways to support FGLI students.

Takeaways

This year, The Daily took several steps toward improving diversity and inclusion, though there is still work to be done.

Beginning in spring 2021, copy editors spent multiple quarters revising The Daily’s style guide for more inclusive and representative language. In March 2022, we began using the term Latine instead of Latinx, added Indigenous terminology and created more specific guidelines for describing gender identity.

Staffer retention has been a consistent issue at The Daily. Though staff numbers increased between fall and winter, from 85 to 99, it decreased notably in spring to 73. Newsroom representation is essential, not only because The Daily is committed to inclusion, but also because increased diversity means more thorough coverage of our campus and Evanston. The Daily is working to become a more accessible space.

Publishing a diversity report ensures we hold ourselves accountable, and we encourage other student papers to take similar initiatives in their newsrooms.

The

Managing Editors

Angeli

Maia

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 300 words

They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar.

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.

Editor in Chief Jacob Fulton

Opinion Editor Kadin Mills

Assistant Opinion Editor Colin Crawford

Research group discovers ‘forever chemicals’ disposal

By DAVIS GIANGIULIO daily senior staffer @giangiuliodavis

A Northwestern research group has discov ered a new way to properly dispose of “forever chemicals.”

Forever chemicals, known as PFAS, are human-made chemicals that are categorized as surfactants — compounds that decrease surface tension. They are used in manufacturing dispos able items like food packaging products and Tef lon. However, these chemicals don’t break down naturally and there is no universally recognized solution to properly dispose of them.

That’s where the NU research group, led by chemistry Prof. William Dichtel, comes in. The group discovered a certain procedure that can break down the chemicals. The process involves heating PFAS in a dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium hydroxide mixture that breaks the PFAS chemical bonds.

Dichtel said the researchers originated the idea from recent research suggesting a way to dispose of PFAS, which the NU group success fully pursued.

“(The papers) suggested that some of these forever chemicals might have this kind of Achil les heel, or this weak point that would allow them to be degraded under more mild condi tions,” Dichtel said. “That really proved to be true.”

Brittany Trang (TGS ’22), a former member of the research group and lead author of the study published in the journal Science, discov ered the solution.

Trang said the discovery is significant because cities currently consume excess energy when trying to destroy PFAS.

“Incineration is the only one that’s used in a municipal fashion, and there’s proof that that is actually not destroying PFAS and instead just spreading them around the community,” Trang said. “These high-energy things are not targeted to PFAS specifically, but the idea is if you put a lot of energy into the system, eventually we will end up breaking things.”

The group’s solution, on the other hand, is relatively simple and necessitates a less energyintensive environment, Trang said.

She added that the remedy went unknown for a long time because ideas for destroying PFAS were often viewed from an engineering perspec tive, relying on infrastructure that already exists for dealing with the chemicals.

“People hadn’t approached this from a chem istry standpoint before,” Trang said. “This more unique way of doing it allowed us a lot of insight into what might work.”

Mohamed Ateia, a former research associate with Dichtel’s group who has an environmental engineering background, said he believed the blend of engineering and chemistry perspectives allowed for the breakthrough.

The discovery, Ateia added, is extremely sig nificant for materials chemistry.

“What we opened here is a new door that no one even knocked before,” Ateia said. “This whole field of chemistry is very young, we’re talking about decades compared to chemistry age. So we are still learning.”

While the discovery is consequential, group members also acknowledged its limitations.

The most important caveat is that the pro cess only applies to PFAS with carboxylic acids, which make up only about 40% of all forever chemicals, Trang said. The group doesn’t know yet if it applies to sulfonic acid PFAS and other

types of forever chemicals.

Trang also said the impact of the research won’t be applicable for a while, as municipality treatment plants won’t be able to implement the procedure overnight. However, Trang and Dichtel think the more immediate consequence of the finding will be the further investigation it inspires.

“Recognizing these mechanisms … will hope fully inspire us and others to go try to find ways to get some of those other forever chemicals to enter these degradation pathways,” Dichtel said.

davisgiangiulio2025@u.northwestern.edu

Press play on The Daily's video coverage of Northwestern and Evanston.

western daily north

Listen to The Daily Northwestern's podcasts and audio coverage of Evanston, Northwestern, mental health, culture, politics and more.

on

Ava Mandoli/The Daily Northwestern Technological Institute. The new study is a breakthrough in the fight to properly dispose of forever chemicals.

MENTAL HEALTH

to see they’re finally looking to restore some services that might have been lost with some funding decisions.”

In August, Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare’s crisis emergency response program began oper ating full-time, meaning Illinois residents can access a free mobile crisis line any time of day. Evanston invested in the program, which main tains a relationship with the Evanston Police Department.

At Evanston’s last City Council meeting, Tril ogy officials presented on the program’s prog ress, successes and challenges.

“We do offer mobile responses any time of day, any day of the year,” Chris Mayer, clinical director of crisis services with Trilogy Behavioral Health, said at the meeting. “Our partnership (with EPD), I believe, is strong … they have the highest engagement of any police agency.”

Some community members have expressed concern that police may respond to excess calls to Trilogy, which could further escalate certain situations and not ultimately serve the person in crisis.

Though emergency services like the Living Room and Trilogy are crucial, Capouch said it’s also important for Evanston residents to have access to more long-term counseling and therapy options.

Some mental healthcare agencies in Evanston have waiting lists of 200 to 300 people, she said, so it’s important for the city to invest in systems that follow up on immediate care. Capouch said she works on providing long-term care to her clients at Impact Behavioral Health Partners.

“It’s very difficult for folks who need therapy to get it,” Capouch said. “We look at participants and how we can help them live independently.”

ILLINOIS GOP

From

Fiedler said.

With a focus on socially conservative issues, Bai ley is “certainly not in the mold of (Bruce) Rauner or Irvin,” Kent Redfield, prof. emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield said.

Bruce Rauner, the former Republican governor of Illinois, lost his bid for reelection against Pritzker in 2018 by 16 percentage points. Many Republicans grew frustrated with Rauner after he struggled to get his agenda through the Democratic state legislature.

Rauner’s support from the Republican base and conservative donors was further stymied when he signed a bill in 2017 expanding abortion coverage for Medicaid recipients in Illinois. In comparison to Rauner, Bailey calls himself “proudly pro-life” and has come under fire for comments he made in 2017 comparing abortion to the Holocaust.

However, in last Thursday’s gubernatorial debate, Bailey said that there would be little he could do to change Illinois’ abortion laws as governor.

Mental healthcare providers at Impact work to understand their client’s long-term goals, Capouch said. Consistent investment in longterm mental healthcare could make a big differ ence in the city, she added.

The city currently contracts with AMITA Health St. Francis Hospital to provide free support, education and counseling. It has also advertised additional resources including Call 4 Calm, a free emotional support text line, as well as forthefrontlines.org, a website for healthcare professionals and essential workers.

However, most of these resources do not serve children experiencing mental health crises. Diana Samano, a social worker at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, said the pandemic has largely increased anxiety in children.

“They see a lot of people in public wearing masks, and they’re not used to that,” she said. “You have to reassure them.”

North Shore Pediatric Therapy works directly with children facing mental health concerns and refers patients to other services like speech or occupational therapy. But the program does not take Medicaid and only works with certain insur ance policies, Samano said.

Still, Capouch said she feels hopeful about the future of mental healthcare investment in the city. She worked with a coalition of health care providers to emphasize the importance of mental health at the start of the pandemic, and said the city has strengthened its commitment to resources since.

“We wanted to come together to make sure that we were helping Evanston residents con nect to services,” she said. “The pandemic has really brought mental health to the forefront, … Mental health is essential.”

avanikalra2025@u.northwestern.edu,

Pearson said Bailey’s nomination might spell danger for moderate Illinois Republican candi dates in competitive elections this fall.

“Republicans had been hopeful that they could start making some gains this year,” Pearson said.

“But there’s a lot of concern with Bailey’s perfor mance, whether he’s the guy that could actually help in some of these competitive down ballot races where Republicans could win seats.”

During their debate Thursday, Pritzker and Bai ley offered opposing views on the SAFE-T Act, a comprehensive criminal justice reform package that Pritzker signed into law in 2021. With just under a month until Election Day, the two candi dates are set to debate again in Chicago on Oct. 18. Pearson said the outcomes of this election will reflect the current state of the Republican party in Illinois.

“When the dust settles on Nov. 9,” he said, “the question becomes ‘Where goes the Republican Party?’ and ‘What is left of the Republican Party?’”

katewalter2025@u.northwestern.edu

COAST2COAST

From

since June, they plan to reach their final destina tion in around two months.

“I knew I wasn’t going to quit. I knew (Dill) wasn’t going to quit, but there was still doubt,” Rezaei said. “I remember thinking ‘I don’t know how the hell I’m gonna do this for the next five months,’ but here I am. Each chal lenge we go through gives us more confidence.”

The trip was born from a late-night text in January when Rezaei had the idea out of a desire to challenge himself, he said. He and Dill had thought about creating a charitable cause behind the trip as they prepared but wanted that cause to develop naturally.

During the walk, Rezaei said the two met a previously unhoused person at a gas station and learned his story. The conversation was both touching and illuminating of the chal lenges that unhoused people face, he said. That pushed the pair to start a fundraiser to raise money for unhoused Chicago residents.

“Homeless people are not respected that much and sometimes are seen as a nuisance,” Dill said. “As far as charity, I can’t think of anyone who needs it more.”

Rezaei and Dill have raised $7,444 as of Tuesday for a charitable endowment which they plan to contribute to several Chicago organizations for the unhoused.

The Night Ministry, one of the charities they will support, provides human connection, housing support and health care to unhoused and impoverished Chicago residents.

Night Ministry Communications Manager

YUVA

From page 1

September, along with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University, the NU chapter co-hosted 208 students from across the country at the Hindu YUVA National Sum mit Charaiveti in Chicago. The summit occurs every four years but was postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singla said it was “energizing” to see hun dreds of people at the event. The summit inspired him to think more about his culture.

“Hinduism is not a specific religion based on a book,” Singla said. “It’s a way of life. But how do you reconcile those thoughts in your daily life?”

Singla said he also enjoyed the event’s com munal activities, such as performances of bha jans — devotional Hindu songs — and dances with glow sticks. He said Hindu YUVA at NU members are looking forward to hosting Wild cat Diwali Ramleela on Oct. 23, a celebration which will include performances from a classical music and dance group.

Another central element of Hinduism is sewa,

Burke Patten said he appreciates Rezaei and Dill’s efforts.

“It’s wonderful they’re undertaking this walk. We wish them the best of luck,” Patten said. “Folks who are unhoused, they’re our commu nity members. They’re our neighbors. Our com munity is only as strong as all its members are.”

Rezaei and Dill said they’ve both been moti vated by the kindness of strangers along the way. After long days, like when they walked for 24 hours straight and covered about 63 miles, Rezaei said they love meeting people and talk ing about their cause.

Though they’ve struggled to maintain moti vation and momentum, Rezaei said he and Dill, who have been friends since eighth grade, have been a support system for each other.

“We were so infatuated with the idea of the trip. Then that whole buzz goes away and you realize, ‘We’re gonna do it every single day, and we’re going to be away from our families in the middle of nowhere,’” Rezaei said. “During the times that (Dill) is down, I’ll push him and during the times that I’m down, he’ll push me.”

Both Rezaei and Dill said they have grown from the trip, both mentally and physically.

Rezaei said he has always considered himself to be a persevering person, but this walk has put this personal strength into action.

“The most rewarding part is when you look at the map, and see, ‘Wow, I made a dent in this country.’ I could trace with a finger the route that we went through,” Rezaei said. “It’s so rewarding to see where you are and where you’ve come from.”

leahschroeder2026@u.northwestern.edu

or public service, according to fourth-year Kel logg Ph.D. student and Hindu YUVA Events Coordinator Partha Mishra. One of the club’s goals is to aid the broader campus and city com munity through activities like volunteering with Campus Kitchen.

“We wanted a platform where you can really do something more about society,” Mishra said.

For some of the members, Singla and Tiwari included, Hindu YUVA is also a chance to define Hinduism on their own terms — including find ing a way to celebrate their religion away from their homes and families.

Weinberg senior and Hinda YUVA Vice Pres ident Arushi Tiwari said she found a similar feel ing of community in the organization’s on-cam pus chapter. Along with Hindu YUVA, Tiwari helps lead OM at NU as one of its co-presidents.

“Once you come to campus, for me at least, it was the first time I was away from home, and I was looking for a community on campus,” Tiwari said. “First, it was OM, and now it’s (also) Hindu YUVA. (They’ve) become like a home away from home.”

kaavyabutaney2026@u.northwestern.edu

DAILY PUZZLES & CLASSIFIEDS • HELP WANTED • FOR RENT • FOR SALE

Classified Ads

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

It is the policy of The Daily Northwestern to accept housing advertising only from those whose housing is available without discrimination with respect to sexual orientation, race, creed or national origin. The presumption is therefore, that any housing listing appearing here is non-discriminatory.

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

HELP WANTED ADS are accepted only from advertisers who are equal opportu nity employers. The presumption, there fore, is that all positions offered here are available to qualified persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual ori entation, marital status, age, handicap, or veteran status.

Complete the grid so each ROW, COLUMN and 3-by-3 BOX (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk

SOLUTION TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Amanda Rafkin

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

After calls for change,

By KAITLIN BENDER-THOMAS the daily northwestern @iamkaitlinb

Evanston Township High School has altered two single-gender restrooms to serve as allgender restrooms, a move some students say is emblematic of progress for the school’s LGBTQ+ population.

ETHS upgraded the facilities at the beginning of this school year, according to assistant superin tendent and principal Taya Kinzie. The two new restrooms are located in a “central area of the building,” and bathroom stalls have been adapted for privacy, Kinzie said.

According to a 2019 op-ed in The Evanstonian, ETHS’ student newspaper, limited accessibility to gender-neutral bathrooms has been a concern among LGBTQ+ students for several years.

Last year, sophomore Jexa Edinberg, who is nonbinary, started a petition on Change.org called “More Gender Neutral Bathrooms at ETHS.” They said they faced difficulties using the bath room between classes due to the inconvenient locations of and long wait lines at existing genderneutral restrooms.

The petition accrued nearly 400 signatures.

Edinberg said they don’t feel like the petition influenced the recent change. Though they feel the school could do more, they said the new bath rooms still make them hopeful for the future.

“Someday, I would like to see all bathrooms being gender neutral,” Edinberg said.

The newly-modified facilities are located in the east wing of the first floor, but unlike the other gender-neutral restrooms, they have multiple stalls and do not require an access code. Access codes were originally implemented for increased privacy, according to Kinzie.

ETHS junior Onyx Condon said although they are happy the school added additional genderneutral bathrooms, it should have happened sooner.

“It’s ridiculous that it took them that long to do that,” Condon, who is transgender, said. “(Being) Trans, non-binary, and (having) gender-neutral bathrooms in general, isn’t a new concept to the world.”

Amelia Anderson, a junior at ETHS who identifies as LGBTQ, said they were caught by

surprise the first time they used one of the modi fied facilities.

Anderson said they were confused as to why their stall didn’t have a sanitary dispensary bin and why there was a male-presenting student in the stall adjacent. They were unaware until they exited and noticed the sign denoting it was open to all genders.

Anderson said they don’t mind being in a rest room with people of various gender identities, but they are not used to it.

Prior to the changes, Anderson said they pri marily used the women’s restrooms because they were much easier to find. However, now that they know about the new restrooms, they said they will

adds all-gender restrooms

use them more frequently.

“It’s good to have all-gender bathrooms,” Anderson said. “There is some kind of impor tance, and there’s a reason why most genderneutral bathrooms are single ones.”

According to the ETHS website, students seek ing increased privacy can receive access codes to the private gender-neutral restrooms by filling out a Student Advocacy Form. Parental consent is not required.

Condon said he prefers the multi-stalled gen der-neutral restrooms because he found it difficult to obtain access codes to the private facilities. It took him over six months to get the codes, he said, and he has friends who received codes that

don’t work.

Due to a disability that makes it hard to walk, Condon said they hope the school will continue to provide gender-neutral restrooms on every floor.

He added it would be better if the school added more stalled gender-neutral restrooms to avoid crowding and lines, but any progress would be beneficial.

“We’ve gotten so used to just having to deal with whatever we can get,” Condon said. “If we can get something, that’s good enough for right now.”

kaitlinbender-thomas2025@u.northwestern.edu

Illustration by Olivia Abeyta

ETHS has modified two single-gender restrooms to be gender-neutral after LGBTQ+ students pushed for better accessibility.

Wildcats talk upcoming season at Big Ten Media Day

By ALEX CERVANTES daily senior staffer @cervantespalex

Coach Chris Collins and three Northwestern men’s basketball players — senior guard Chase Audige, senior guard Boo Buie and senior forward Robbie Beran — made the trek north to Minneapolis, Minnesota for Big Ten Media Day on Tuesday.

The Wildcats enter the new cam paign on the heels of a 2021-22 season that failed to meet expectations. In its wake, significant contributors departed Evanston in the offseason.

Nevertheless, Collins is as excited as ever for a fresh slate of NU hoops.

“We have five of our top seven scor ers back from last year, a number of veteran players,” Collins said. “We feel like we’re gonna have a chance to be very competitive this year.”

Here are three takeaways from the Cats’ appearance in Minnesota.

All eyes on experienced perimeter Collins made it clear that NU will “go as far as the perimeter goes.”

That leaves the Cats’ success up to Buie, Audige and Beran. NU’s lead trio combined for just over 30 points per game last season and will be called on for much more this season. For the Cats to be successful, all three will likely have to be double-digit scorers, a mark only Buie hit last year.

Regardless, optimism abounds, and there is hope that the trio can meet Collins’ lofty bar.

Audige highlighted junior guard Ty Berry and sophomore guard Brooks Barnhizer as offseason standouts. Their growth, along with a leap from sophomore guard Julian Roper II, gives

Collins a solid six-man rotation on the perimeter. In the end, though, Audige said it might be Beran’s play that’s the most important.

“When Robbie’s good, we’re good,” Audige said. “His energy, his defense, when he’s hitting shots, that’s some thing that can really take us over the edge as a team.”

Taking stock of the frontcourt Collins said it himself: you can’t replace the production of Pete Nance and Ryan Young, who transferred to North Carolina and Duke, respectively. NU will have to take a collection of parts and try to get close to where it was with Nance and Young’s leadership.

When Nance and Young announced their transfers, the Cats lost 32.3 per cent of their scoring and 30.1 percent of their rebounding from the 2021-22 season. That void will have to be filled by NU’s trio of big men in graduate student Tydus Verhoeven, junior Matt Nicholson and freshman Luke Hunger.

All three are almost entirely inexpe rienced to Big Ten play — Nicholson has seen the court in just 14 conference games in two years — but each offers up something different for Collins and the Cats.

Nicholson is your prototypical Big Ten center, standing 7-feet and weigh ing in at 255 pounds, and should play more this season, per Collins. Audige expressed optimism towards Nichol son’s growth this summer.

“If I can give an MVP award, it would be to Matt Nicholson,” Audige said. “Just his energy, how much he’s gotten better.”

Verhoeven is experienced at the D-1 level and is a strong defender and “very mobile big guy,” Collins said. Hunger,

the youngest of the bunch, is more of a modern day big man. He can stretch the floor and very well might be the most skilled of the trio, too.

All in all, Collins and company aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, they’re just hoping these three can compliment the backcourt.

Buie and Audige talk shot selection

The pair of returning Cats is going to be the focal point of the Cats’ offense once again in 2022-23. With that, NU fans can expect the ball to be in their hands even more this season, which also raises concerns of shot selection.

Buie and Audige are both looking to improve on this.

“As long as someone’s making the shot, that means we’re all scoring,” Buie said. “That’s been the real focus this year, just getting the best shot every possession.”

Last season, Buie and Audige finished first and third in field goal attempts, respectively. Buie shot 39.7 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from distance. Audige, although ham pered by an early season injury, was no better, shooting 33.8 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range.

Both players can get hot in a hurry and torch opposing teams, but they can just as quickly fall victim to contested jumpers and deep pull-up three-point ers. When it goes in, it’s a great shot; when it doesn’t, it’s an even more glar ing mistake.

“I’ve really tried to make an empha sis on moving the ball,” Audige said. “I’ve learned over the years it’s not about my shot, it’s a team shot, it’s about making the right play.”

alexcervantes2024@u.northwestern.edu

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Cats hold down home court at Wildcat Invite

By KATE WALTER daily senior staffer @katewalter03

Northwestern had the home court advantage at this weekend’s Wildcat Invite while hosting six opponents.

The Wildcats achieved an impres sive 10–2 doubles record and a 13–9 singles record over the course of the weekend, taking on South Florida, Michigan State, Kansas, Marquette, Iowa State and Chicago State.

NU was fiery from the start on Friday, with junior Aino Alkio and sophomore Kiley Rabjohns winning

their doubles match against Mar quette 6–4. Both went on to win their singles matches against the Golden Eagles as well. Senior Christina Hand and sophomore Justine Leong also commanded the court, winning both their doubles and singles matches that day.

Alkio remained successful through out the weekend, winning all three of her singles matches against players from Marquette and USF. Sophomore Sydney Pratt, Rabjohns and Hand each walked away with two singles victories.

Prior to the Wildcat Invite, the Cats sent two players to the ITA Women’s All-American Championships in Raleigh, North Carolina from Octo ber 1-4. The tournament featured top players in NCAA Division 1.

Junior Maria Shusharina advanced to the third round of the pre-qualify ing draw at the tournament. Gradu ate student Clarissa Hand competed in the qualifying draw but did not advance past the first round.

Last season, the Cats achieved their 26th consecutive NCAA Tour nament berth and made an appear ance in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Graduate student Clar issa Hand, NU’s only ranked singles player for most of the spring, returns to the program this year for a final season of eligibility.

To wrap up fall play, the Cats will compete at the ITA Midwest Region als, the ITA Fall Nationals and the Miami Invite. Dual season play begins in January.

katewalter2025@u.northwestern.edu

FENCING

NU heads to North America Cup

By CHARLOTTE VARNES daily senior staffer @charvarnes11

When Northwestern competed at the 2022 October North America Cup over the weekend, it was quite different from a typical college tournament.

The Wildcats’ results were individual, not team-based. Fencing in an open-age category, NU faced off against a mix of recruits, seasoned veterans and fellow college athletes. USA Fencing hosted the event, meaning some of the Cats’ former club teammates and coaches were present.

But coach Zach Moss said it was a per fect opportunity for growth.

“The way they reset after a loss, the way they dealt with pressure and were still able to fence within themselves, was really positive to see,” Moss said. “That’s one of the challenges within our sport — how do you respond to pressure? How do you deal with loss?”

Fourteen athletes attended the meet, competing in a mix of saber, foil and epee. NU’s top performers included freshman sabre Megumi Oishi, who finished 43rd; freshman epee Anna Damratoski, who tied for 60th and foils sophomore Rowan Park, sophomore Yejine Lee and fresh man Allison Lee, who all tallied top-70 finishes.

Moss said the diversity of ages compet ing at the event presented “unique chal lenges” — players might take on a teen ager trying to get recruited or someone in their late 20s or 30s with a strong tactical game. He said the weekend’s bouts acted as a test for the Cats, allowing them to see what they need to work on individually and as a group.

For Oishi, the October NAC was a familiar event. She attended the compe tition several times as a youth fencer, and

this season’s NAC marked her first time at the event with her college team.

Coming from a small fencing club, Oishi said she appreciated the support system she has at NU. Help from saber coach Dennis Kolakowski and cheering teammates made for an especially encour aging environment, Oishi said.

Some of NU’s future recruits com peted at the October NAC as well. See ing recruits at tournaments is a great way to continue building relationships, Moss said. While future Cats were at the tourna ment with their youth club teams, Moss said they were still able to connect.

One of the Cats’ current players even stacked up against a member of the Class of 2027, but Moss said it’s not ideal when future and current Cats compete.

“One way or the other, somebody’s unhappy,” Moss said. “We worked through it.”

With just two tournaments under their belt, the weekend’s matchup was also an important learning opportunity for the Cats’ underclassmen. It was NU’s first

time traveling this season, which Oishi said led to bonding opportunities and becoming more integrated with the team.

After two consecutive weekends com peting, NU will take a break until the Temple Open on Oct. 29. The program will focus on elevating individual play and continuing to improve team culture and work together over the next few weeks, Oishi said.

Moss said the early part of the sea son tends to focus on building physical stamina after spending a summer training individually. Now, he’s hoping to move the team toward more of a technical focus.

The Temple Open is another indi vidual meet, which Moss said provides more opportunities to assess individual play ahead of the college season.

“It’s another testing grounds to see, ‘Where are we at?’” Moss said. “‘What do we need to focus on as we transition into regular season events? Where do we need to improve?’”

charlottevarnes2024@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Joshua Hoffman

Angeli Mittal/Daily Senior Staffer

2022 All-Big Ten honorees Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina on the court. Both players competed at the ITA Women’s AllAmerican Championships from Oct. 1-4.

Seeger Gray/Daily Senior Staffer