The Daily Northwestern – October 16, 2017

The Daily Northwestern Monday, October 16, 2017

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 8 SPORTS/Football

3 CAMPUS/Speakers

Jackson sets record as Cats get Big Ten win

Academy Award winner comes to campus, discusses playwrighting, diversity in industry

Find us online @thedailynu 4 OPINION/The Spectrum

In journalism, treat all stories with empathy

Ex-ETHS teacher accused of groping

Two arrested in connection with student robbery

Chicago police arrested an 18-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl Thursday in connection with last week’s robbery of a Northwestern law student, according to a Chicago Police Department news release.

According to the Saturday release, police positively identified Chicago resident Rashawn Duniver, 18, as one of the law student’s attackers and charged him with felony robbery. Police also arrested a 14-year-old girl and charged her with one felony count of robbery.

Duniver turned himself in at the 5th District Police Station, the release said. He was also charged in connection with the robbery of a 25-year-old man that occurred roughly 30 minutes after the NU law student incident, the release said.

On Oct. 8, Duniver allegedly approached the law student and knocked him to the ground. He then continued to beat him until he gave up his cell phone password and laptop, the release said.

A judge ordered Duniver held on $40,000 bond after he appeared in court Saturday. Duniver will next appear in court Oct. 19.

News affairs officer Thomas Sweeney told The Daily that besides the two arrests on Thursday, police had no further information on leads for the other offenders.

— Elizabeth Byrne

Police investigate after alumni allege sexual misconduct

By RISHIKA DUGYALA

daily senior staffer @rdugyala822

knowing your story.”

The author and host of “The Daily Show” spoke at an event sponsored by The New York Times, the first in a series of talks held on college campuses to foster discussion about important issues, Times reporter John

Police are investigating reports of sexual assault against a former Evanston Township High School teacher, Evanston police Cmdr.

Joseph Dugan said Friday.

Dugan said school officials called the Evanston Police Department “right away” Wednesday after some ETHS graduates — through tweets and posts on a private alumni social media page — alleged the teacher had initiated inappropriate sexual contact with them during his tenure roughly 20 years ago.

In a Thursday statement, District 202 superintendent Eric Witherspoon said following the allegations, officials had determined that the “acting teacher”

» See NOAH, page 6

» See ALLEGATIONS, page 6

Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer

“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah speaks on Sunday in Cahn Auditorium. Noah discussed his experiences as a black man living in South Africa and the United States in a conversation with John Eligon (Medill ‘04).

Trevor Noah talks race, comedy About 1,000 people gather to hear ‘The Daily Show’ host speak

By ALAN PEREZ

daily senior staffer @_perezalan_

Early in his comedy career after immigrating to the United States from South Africa, Trevor Noah said he didn’t understand why black Americans aspired to visit

Africa.

Noah said he found the desire “hilarious,” especially because he wanted to emulate black Americans he saw in music videos with mansions and gold chains. But he soon realized his mistake, he said.

“It’s funny because you don’t realize how many black Americans have been robbed

of a place they believe is their home,” Noah told about 1,000 people in Cahn Auditorium on Sunday. “Then you understand beneath the funny, the pain that’s attached to it. You come to realize how much you took for granted something that you never even thought of as a privilege, and that is

Lil Uzi Vert drops mic at Blowout

Over 2,000 people pack Riviera Theatre for rapper, opener MØ

NU gets 6th place in solar decathlon Group builds solarpowered house for global competition

By KEERTI GOPAL

the daily northwestern

Lil Uzi Vert broke down the barrier between audience and performer at Friday’s A&O Blowout, traversing the balcony and dropping his mic into a sea of students.

More than 2,000 people packed into Chicago’s Riviera Theatre for the event, filling the dance floor and crowding the upper level. The concert, organized by A&O Productions, featured headliner Lil Uzi Vert and opener MØ, as well as a guest performance from Chicagobased rapper and songwriter G Herbo.

A&O co-chair Louisa Wyatt said the show was a huge success.

“I’m really, really proud of this show that we put on,” the Medill senior said. “It was hands down the best Blowout that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

After the release of Lil Uzi Vert’s single “XO Tour Llif3” last March, Wyatt said A&O anticipated that his album would be a hit, and jumped at the chance to book him.

With 2,420 tickets reserved, this was the biggest Blowout in the past four years, A&O head of finance Aditya Jain told The Daily. The McCormick senior

High 62 Low 47

By EMILY CHAIET

the daily northwestern @emilychaiet

Jeffrey Wang/Daily Senior Staffer

Lil Uzi Vert headlines at A&O Blowout, joined by opener MØ and Chicago artist G Herbo. Lil Uzi Vert interacted with the audience at Friday’s event, climbing onto the balcony and dropping his microphone into the crowd.

attributed high attendance to A&O booking talent well in advance and anticipating rises in popularity.

MØ, the opener, interacted with the audience during her 40-minute set, leaning into the crowd and climbing onto box seats.

When Lil Uzi Vert came out on stage, he danced with the winners of the box seat raffle contest, climbed onto the balcony and sang with the audience — even

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

dropping his mic into the crowd, asking students to perform “XO Tour Llif3” themselves.

“It was really sick,” Weinberg freshman Kumail Syedain told The Daily. “I wrestled my way to the front, I got hit in the face a couple of times … but once you got there it was really good. One of my favorite concerts.”

Before the rapper’s set, A&O projected a statement on the backdrop of the stage that encouraged non-black students

not to use the N-word while singing along to Lil Uzi Vert’s songs. The statement said nonblack students “alienate” black peers when they say the N-word, which is inappropriate for the inclusive A&O shows.

Wyatt, who wrote an op-ed in The Daily last year on the topic, said she was proud of the statement A&O made at Blowout.

“This was a really big move » See BLOWOUT, page 6

After two years of planning and building, Northwestern’s solar decathlon team earned sixth place in an international smart home competition Sunday.

The 2017 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon was held in Denver, and saw Northwestern’s first entry into the competition.

“The project really speaks for itself,” said construction manager Andrew Crane, a McCormick senior. “A bunch of inexperienced kids built a house and it turned out really well. I am incredibly proud of this project.”

Houses were judged on numerous criteria, including architecture, home life and innovation, McCormick senior Sophie Sisson said. “House by Northwestern” placed first in communications and market potential and third in engineering.

Vivien Ng, the house interior designer, said the solar home was constructed in three parts so it could be transferred from Evanston to Denver. The house was shipped in eight separate FedEx trucks, the McCormick junior added. Once the house was sent to Denver, the team had nine days to reassemble it, she said.

“It was incredible how quickly we got it together,” Ng said. “I don’t know if I would be able to do this again. It seems like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I think it’s worth it.”

Crane said the house can run solely on solar energy and uses structurally insulated panels to provide optimal insulation for the home. Rather than rely on a furnace, the air conditioning and heating use a heat pump, he added.

The 994 square foot home features two bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as a sunroom, mudroom and garage.

Ng said the house was sold to someone in the baby boomer population, which was the target demographic.

After surveying baby boomers, Ng said the team found that boomers did not prioritize » See SOLAR, page 6

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

2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017

AROUND TOWN

Residents walk to raise awareness of food insecurity

By CLARE PROCTOR

the daily northwestern @ceproctor23

More than 250 participants filed out of the First Congregational Church of Evanston on Sunday for a mile-long walk to fight hunger.

The CROP Hunger Walk — an annual event sponsored by faith-based organization Church World Service — has attracted people across the North Shore for the past 25 years to combat local and global food insecurity, said Jon Skogen, Church World Service liaison to the North Shore.

Skogen said Church World Service makes an effort to supply people with more than just food — it also works to install a sustainable lifestyle.

“Instead of just giving a community food, we would provide a family with chickens,” he said. “They of course would turn into a flock of chickens. So, they could eat the chickens and also they’re able to share or sell those in their community.”

CROP Hunger Walks take place in more than 1,000 locations across the nation, raising over $10 million each year, Skogen said. This year, the walk raised more than $10,000 via online donations and $4,000 through cash and checks.

Seventy-five percent of total funds go to Church World Service’s global mission while the rest helps local beneficiaries, according to the walk’s website. This year, Interfaith Action of Evanston, Soup at Six, Family Promise, St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen and Second Baptist Soup Kitchen will each receive 5 percent of the funds.

These local organizations serve food to as many as 110 hungry or homeless individuals on any given day throughout the community, said Rev. Ann Rosewall of the First Congregational Church of Evanston, the host church of this year’s walk. “(The walk is) an anchor for us,” Rosewall said.

“It is a reminder that it’s not just the work that we’re doing locally, but because CROP is connected to Church World Service, our efforts are

The

Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer

North Shore community members walk to raise awareness and funds for populations facing food insecurity. More than 250 people participated in the CROP Hunger Walk, sponsored by Church World Service.

also making an impact around the world.”

Jarrod Gaither, chair of the walk’s planning committee, selected the beneficiaries for the event.

He said the money the walk raises does “a lot of good work” for the selected agencies, even though each one only receives 5 percent of the funds.

Gaither, who has been on the planning committee since 2013, said he has participated in the North Shore CROP Hunger Walk for the past seven years.

Alex DeMarco, director of youth ministry for

Northminster Presbyterian Church, said he led a group of nine confirmation candidates in eighth and ninth grade.

“People here have connections of all kinds,” said DeMarco, who participated in the walk for the first time this year. “Just to see the coming together of people from different Evanston circles to tackle one issue, that’s … what I find so neat about it.”

DeMarco said his students learned how to connect with their community and make a connection

between “faith and service” through the walk.

Skogen said he organizes events like Sunday’s walk to both help people who face hunger insecurity and bring attention to the issue. “(We need) just a continued awareness that it is everywhere,” Skogen said. “It doesn’t matter if your community is ‘wealthy’ or not. There is need everywhere. Whether it’s here or other parts of the world, (we should) keep our eyes open for that.” clareproctor2021@u.northwestern.edu

ALLISON DAVIS Lecture Series

Adrienne D. Davis

HAVE YOU

Professor Adrienne Davis serves as Vice Provost and William M. Van Cleve Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis. She is renowned for her scholarship and teaching on gender and race relations; theories of justice and reparations; feminist legal theory; and law and popular culture. She has written extensively on the gendered and private law dimensions of American slavery and is the co-editor of the book, Privilege Revealed: How Invisible Preference Undermines America (NYU Press). A Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, Professor Davis directs the Black Sexual Economies Project at the law school’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Work and Social Capital and is founder and director of the Law & Culture Initiative.

HEARD

Irregular Intimacies and the Sexual Politics of Democracy: A Racial Genealogy Although courts have now settled the issue of marriage equality between same sex couples, intimate practices that depart from the norm continue to pose regulatory and cultural conflicts. Examples of such irregular intimacies include polygamy, prostitution, and pet inheritance. This lecture takes up these examples as more than quixotic irregularities. Rather, it approaches them through the lens of what it characterizes as the original irregular intimacy—slavery and its shadow families. This racialized lens excavates slavery’s sexual political economies, demonstrating how their norms, if not their rules, remain at work in shaping what we might think of as the sexual politics of democracy and the possibility of good intimate citizenship.

Monday, October 16, 2017

4:30–6:30p.m.

McCormick Foundation Center Auditorium 1870 Campus Drive • Northwestern University • Evanston, IL

the

news

Reception to follow. Free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations required.

LISTEN TO THE DAILY NU PODCAST

For more information, contact Elizabeth Foster at wcas-events@northwestern.edu.

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM/PODCAST

2017

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017

ON CAMPUS

‘Moonlight’ writer shares experiences

By LUCIA BOYD

The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Peter Kotecki

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

the daily northwestern

One day after watching Thursday’s premiere of the Northwestern student production “In the Red and Brown Water,” Academy Awardwinning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney shared how his experiences as a black, queer artist helped shape the script.

The Friday event — attended by about 215 people at the Josephine Louis Theater — was hosted by the Black Arts Initiative and was part of “Black Arts International: Temporalities and Territories,” a weeklong series of conferences.

McCraney said the event was like “coming home” for him, because Communication Prof.

Henry Godinez, one of McCraney’s college professors, co-directed the NU production of his play.

Aspiring playwrights should draw from their own background and embrace their individuality when writing because everyone has a unique perspective, McCraney said. He added that his experiences as a Christian and as a black, queer person in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami shaped his identity, and later his plays. He said interactions with drug dealers, sex workers, teachers and librarians also affected his plays.

“People think, ‘Oh, you went and researched this culture and then created this (play),’” McCraney said. “I grew up with those stories, and I just put them on stage. It’s low-key what Shakespeare did.”

The NU production of his play was “thrilling,” McCraney said, because it reminded him of his own background. With tears in his eyes, he said the decision by the main character, Oya, to take care of her sick mother rather than attend school reflects his own regret of leaving his mother while she suffered from AIDS. McCraney, who also co-wrote the movie “Moonlight,” said he tries to bring attention

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

Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney poses at the 89th Academy Awards in February. McCraney spoke about how his experiences as a black, queer artist have influenced his scripts at a Friday event.

to social issues by telling stories of individual lives.

“I wrestle in the upending of supremacy and patriarchy all the time, but not to use them as global words, but more so to really talk about how they affect lives,” McCraney said.

Though his work as chair of playwriting at Yale University keeps him busy, McCraney said he has begun work on a new TV show pitch with Oprah Winfrey. At the same time, he said, his students have inspired him to write more plays.

It was a “wild experience” to perform for and meet McCraney, Communication junior Jordan Moore told The Daily. He said the

cast didn’t know McCraney attended the show Thursday until he came backstage and hugged them, leaving the group “awestruck.”

Moore said he enjoyed McCraney’s talk Friday and learned about the artistic process behind “In the Red and Brown Water.”

Communication freshman Liana Runcie, an aspiring playwright, told The Daily she appreciated the University inviting a speaker whose talk inspired hope about her own dreams.

“I am in a place where I can produce work that Oscar-winning writers can appreciate,” Runcie said. “Having that input is so valuable.” luciaboyd2021@u.northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern is published Monday through Friday 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; 847-491-7206.

First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2016 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 $175 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

Kellogg offers paid research opportunities.

PLAY GEO WIN PIZZA Wildcat GeoGame dailynorthwestern.com/geogame

If you’re interested in social perceptions, decision-making, consumer preferences, or economic behavior, and would like to help contribute to research at Kellogg School of Management, join the Kellogg Research Registry!

Register to be contacted about upcoming online research projects here: kell.gg/registry .

IRB STU#STU00008432

OPINION

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com Page 4

Monday, October 16, 2017

Treat all stories with empathy, not just the close ones MICHELLE ZHANG

the

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

My high school district has a painful history with suicide. During my senior year, two peers I’d known for years took their lives within three months of each other. One of them went to my elementary after-school program, the other was in my sixth-grade homeroom and had been in many of my high school classes.

In total, three students and one recent alum from my school district committed suicide that academic year. Although my peers, teachers and I mourned for a long time, this wasn’t new to us. My school district has lost too many young people to depression and suicide, going all the way back to 2009. The district also happens to have a reputation of being successful and academically rigorous — after all, Stanford University is only a few miles away. Although most mental health professionals agree that a person’s depression cannot be boiled down to a single cause, it was easy for people to assume correlation was causation: “These students are killing themselves because they’re too stressed out from school.”

Parents, community members and even outsiders rallied behind this statement, and created an agenda to reduce stress in schools for the sole purpose of saving students’ lives.

In the months following the suicides, local

Spectrum

news became national news. Although it started with local newspapers covering the subject rather objectively, bigger media outlets — including The New York Times — saw my community’s painful history as a unique story and jumped to write about it. I couldn’t help but feel angry, knowing these companies were making money off their stories about the deaths of my peers.

The most famous example made it on the cover of The Atlantic’s December 2015 issue, during my freshman year at Northwestern.

It was extremely painful to read, especially because the article read more like a dramatic fiction novel than news coverage. At one point, the article described a victim as “the last kid who’d died.” Was it fair to describe my classmate, a funny, cynical bike enthusiast who deserved a much happier life, simply as a “kid who’d died”?

I knew that, like many featured stories in magazines, readers would consume it as deep “food for thought” and then forget about it a few months later. It hurt even more when NU students asked me about the story, expecting easy answers to questions like “Did you personally know any of them?” “Why did they kill themselves?” “Was it really because of how stressful it was?”

We are constantly told to listen empathetically to our friends and family. It has been

generally accepted for years that friends who empathize are the best kind. As a teacher-intraining, one of the most important skills I’ve learned is the ability to appropriately respond to a vulnerable student. Because teachers are mandated reporters, we also have the responsibility of looking out for our students’ wellbeing beyond the classroom.

But why doesn’t this empathy extend beyond our direct line of sight, beyond the people we know personally?

I understand that it is inherent for us to be curious and ask simple questions, especially when dealing with confusing and scary news.

But why do we immediately disregard the empathy we show our loved ones when reacting to more distant news?

Part of it comes from the fact that journalism is usually written to present facts in an objective manner. It is easy to take what journalists or reporters say at face value, especially when they tell stories from a perspective similar to our own — an outsider’s perspective. The Daily’s opinion editor Mariana Alfaro concisely explained that reporters will sometimes “just pop by, get quotes and leave — carrying with them certain stereotypes and oversimplifications.” Often, this frames a story into a simple dichotomy where one side of the story is pitied, vilified or completely rejected.

Especially in 2017, where journalism bursts into our daily lives as news break left and right, it is vital to not only sympathize, but to actively empathize with the people behind

these stories. If you’re reading about a controversial political issue, try to understand the perspective with which you disagree before classifying it as wrong. If you’re reading about the tragic destruction of a city after a natural disaster, go beyond the visceral reaction of saying “Wow, that’s horrible” and instead ask “How can I help rebuild their community?”

Or even if you’re just reading a story about a local restaurant closing down, support their business one last time as a gesture of thanks to the owners.

When we learn how to empathize with strangers, or even our enemies, we not only honor the integrity of the people in the stories we read, we also develop a much deeper understanding of the people around us. We become better at effectively supporting our own ideas. We need to stop skimming articles in our news feed and forgetting about the stories two weeks later, off-handedly causing pain to the people whose lives are ingrained in those forgotten stories. By reading journalism empathetically, we can spark productive conversations, become civically engaged and learn how to see the world in color.

Michelle Zhang is a SESP junior. She can be contacted at michellezhang2019@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

Third-party tickets not viable in 2020 election due to system

MICHAEL WOLFE

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

On Aug. 1, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R- Tenn.) and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced hearings, hoping to manufacture bipartisan legislation that could stabilize the Affordable Care Act. But then, partisanship stuck its petulant head in: The White House and Republican leadership backed the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill, a radical policy change that they attempted to rush through Congress. Weeks later, Graham-Cassidy also fell through.

In September, a Gallup poll uncovered two astounding statistics: just 16 percent of us approve of Congress today and 60 percent of us have expressed desire for greater thirdparty representation. The bottom line: we aren’t happy with our government. However, while a third party seems appealing in principle, it cannot succeed in our current political climate.

U.S. partisanship is the highest it has been in decades. Pew Research found that 50 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of Democrats find discussing politics with opposing party members to be “stressful and frustrating.” This sense of enmity is causing political gridlock.

While some believe President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 bout have created momentum for a third-party

challenge in 2020, I wouldn’t bet on it. No independent has won an electoral college vote in 58 years. Our modern political process creates major barriers for third-party candidates.

Even before third-party candidates worry about votes, they will have to battle their way onto ballots. Unlike “duopoly” party candidates, others must fight ballot access restrictions in every state. States like Texas impose absurdly early registration deadlines for third-party candidates; in 2016, the deadline occurred before the major party primaries had finished. These restrictions create major problems for third-party candidates. Last year, for instance, the Green Party could only secure ballot positions in 21 states.

Further, media obstruction has intensified over time. Political debate restrictions have blocked third-party candidates from the public eye. The Commission on Presidential Debates, which is responsible for organizing televised presidential debates, is a private, major party-run organization. This allows prominent Democrats and Republicans to exclude third-party candidates by setting unrealistic criteria — including requiring candidates to have 15 percent average support in major national polls to be on a debate.

In 1992, the CPD succumbed to pressure and agreed to feature independent candidate Ross Perot in debates; he shot up from eight percent polling to 19 percent of the popular vote largely due to this exposure. This taught the CPD the threat of a third party. Since then, rules have been aggressively tightened.

In 2012, for example, Green Party candidate Jill Stein wasn’t allowed to debate because her poll numbers didn’t meet the CPD’s criteria.

She was then arrested for standing on the debate site property in protest.

To give third-party candidates a fighting chance, we must reform our system. We may need to look to the past for solutions.

Prior to 1930, ballot access laws were lenient: presidential candidates only needed 50,000 signatures to appear on ballots for every state.

Consequently, third parties were viable competitors. The Progressive Party placed second in the 1912 election, when former president Teddy Roosevelt finished with 27.4 percent of the vote. According to political analyst Richard Winger, this law was changed only to “thwart the Communist Party.”

We must also consider other countries’ systems. In Ireland, for example, voters rank their preferences of candidates. Through multiple vote-counting rounds, candidates who are eliminated have their votes dispersed across remaining competitors. This benefits third parties by encouraging voters to understand all candidates’ positions, and by increasing the viability of non-major party candidates. Since 2016, Maine, along with 11 U.S. cities, have pioneered the use of this system.

Despite controversy, in an August vote this year, 52 percent of Maine citizens continued to support the new system.

Finally, we must no longer permit “duopoly” parties to control political media exposure. The CPD has faced lawsuits in almost

every election cycle since its creation, according to The Hill. The U.S. District Court of Columbia in 2017 ruled that the CPD must reconsider its debate criteria. As citizens, it is our duty to work with organizations such as “Level the Playing Field” to continue pressuring the CPD to act. If not for reforming its criteria altogether, the CPD should cut its debate threshold in half so legitimate third-party candidates can communicate their ideas. Had this threshold previously existed, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson would have made the cut in 2016. Further, Ross Perot would have seen the debate stage in 1996.

Following the third failed Senate attempt to replace Obamacare during the Trump administration, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) addressed the Senate, declaring: “We’re getting nothing done my friends.” Looking ahead to future elections, it is time for change. Voting for third parties does not have to be a wasted vote. In order to defeat partisan politics, we must stand up for alternative perspectives.

Michael Wolfe is a Weinberg freshman. He can be contacted at michaelwolfe2021@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

The Daily Northwestern Volume 138, Issue 21

Editor in Chief Peter Kotecki

Managing Editors

Allyson Chiu David Fishman Garrett Jochnau

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office.

Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed • Should be double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number.

• Should be fewer than 400 words

Opinion Editors Mariana Alfaro Troy Closson

Assistant Opinion Editor Alex Schwartz

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.

Join now for FREE ENROLLMENT! Visit club for details. Offer expires 10/31/17.

WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED: - Over 140 weekly Group Fitness classes including Pilates • Yoga • Barre • Boxing BODYPUMP™ • Spinning® and more!

- Amenities include Climbing • Swimming Personal Training • Basketball Massage • Steam room Sauna • Kids Club

GREAT RATES FOR NU students and staff!

ChicagoAthleticClubs.com Evanston Athletic Club 1723 Benson Ave. 847-866-6190

Chicago Athletic Clubs is a proud partner of:

EAC_NU_0916_$0_10.333x15.875.indd 3

9/29/2017 4:11:42 PM

6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

ALLEGATIONS From page 1

had purchased a ticket for the “Showcase ETHS! A Tribute to YAMO’s 60th” event on Sunday.

ETHS officials issued a no-trespass order, which Witherspoon said would “prohibit (the teacher’s) presence on campus and at any school-related or schoolsponsored activities and events.”

Dugan said if someone receives the order and still violates it, the school can call the police to arrest the individual for “criminal trespass.”

Screenwriter and former ETHS student Jeffrey Lieber, 48, said he initially shared his story on Twitter.

Lieber told The Daily the drama teacher would use sexual innuendo, grab students’ genitals and grope them.

“What became apparent very quickly is that if you wanted to be part of this club, you had to play these games,” Lieber said. “You had to deal with the sexual innuendo, deal with the abuse.”

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, the teacher denied the allegations and said he didn’t know why they were being raised now.

“I’m not a sexual predator, for goodness sake,” he told the Tribune. “I’m a grandfather.”

When some of Lieber’s former classmates saw his tweets and mentioned the teacher would be attending the Sunday reunion event, Lieber said he posted in a closed Facebook page for YAMO alumni, prompting the police investigation.

Within 24 hours, Lieber said his post had nearly 300 comments — a third of which, he added, were people sharing their own experiences with the group. “(These are) stories of students who found a home in the theater only to be driven away by the behavior,” Lieber said. “We all knew this was out there, but the

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 sheer size and scope of it really kind of overwhelmed me.”

Writer and producer Ben Wexler, another ETHS graduate and Lieber’s peer, tweeted Wednesday that he too was assaulted. Wexler said although people may think it would be easy to stand up for oneself, it isn’t in the moment — the teacher cast all the plays, and Wexler’s dream was to become an actor.

“I’m not mad at my 17 year-old self, who didn’t think it was that big a deal (and) didn’t want to make waves,” Wexler wrote. “I’m mad at my 30 year-old self, who knew better. Who knew there were still kids being taught by this guy.”

Lieber said he confronted the teacher in a letter after he left for college, but the teacher “made all the usual excuses” and said the situation was a misunderstanding. Lieber added that his only regret was not going public during that time.

However, he said, he finds it hard to believe that the “secret” remained only among students while the teacher was employed.

“Given the fact that this has been going on since the early 70s (until) the mid 90s, how could people not know?” Lieber said. “I would like there to be a public looking at of who knew what when and why it wasn’t stopped.”

Lieber said he already spoke with Evanston police.

Dugan said the investigation is still in the preliminary stages, and detectives are trying to reach and make interview arrangements with more ETHS graduates.

“We’re taking the allegation very seriously,” Dugan said. “We want to talk to everyone, no matter if it’s a witness, potential victim or anyone of the sort.” rishikadugyala2019@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Allie Goulding

Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave. Police are investigating online reports of sexual assault against a former ETHS drama teacher.

SOLAR

BLOWOUT

sustainability in a house. Still, Ng said it was important to give them the requested design elements while also incorporating renewable resources.

“Our approach was to do some research by reaching out to our target demographic and finding out what they actually wanted in a home and designing around that,” Ng said. “Our challenge was to fulfill all of those needs, and I think our house is a good solution to that.”

NU’s solar decathlon team started planning the house’s design in 2015. Construction began in June 2017 and the house was finished Aug. 23.

Help from sponsors and contractors ensured efficient construction, Crane said. He added that companies such as Evanston Lumber, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and other sponsors were essential in completing the project.

Sisson said she is very proud of the house and how the team performed in the Solar Decathlon.

“Our objective with this project was to show that you can have sustainability without compromise,” Sisson said. “You can be just as comfortable and have a beautiful home that can also be sustainable. You don’t have to have this association of sustainability and sacrificing comfort.”

for us,” she told The Daily. “This was the first time we were that explicit about saying we completely condemn this, we are going to put it in front of everyone’s face before the headliner comes on.”

Though Wyatt said it was hard to tell whether the message achieved its goal, she felt it was a step in the right direction.

McCormick sophomore Matthew Wertheim, who attended the concert, said he appreciated the announcement but did not feel that it solved the problem.

“I definitely saw people who were not black saying it,” he said. “I don’t think one message, no matter how many times they say it, will stop someone who really, really doesn’t care or just wants to say it.”

Wyatt said progress was made because use of the N-word was much less noticeable this year than at past A&O concerts.

At the end of the headliner’s set, a net burst over the dance floor, showering the audience with confetti and heaps of purple and white balloons.

“I’m really, really, really happy with the show,” Wyatt said. “Seeing how excited everyone was, it looked like everyone was having a really good time, and that’s the reason we do this.”

emilychaiet2020@u.northwestern.edu

keertigopal2021@u.northwestern.edu

From page 1

From page 1

NOAH

From page 1 Eligon (Medill ’04) said. The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications hosted the event.

Noah reflected on his experience growing up in apartheid and compared how South Africa and the U.S. deal with race.

He took questions from Eligon, who asked him to begin by reading a passage from his memoir, “Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood.”

In the passage, Noah wrote about being placed in a challenging academic class of mostly white peers, but he wanted to join a class of black peers. Noah said he chose the second class because he felt more comfortable, defying advice he received from his school.

Medill sophomore Selah Holland told The Daily that Noah’s story about having to choose between two parts of his racial identity resonated with her because her mom is white and her dad is black. Holland said the discussion was productive because of Noah’s popularity.

“Having a TV personality like Trevor Noah definitely brings more people in,” she told The Daily. “It makes people more interested as opposed to somebody less known. It’s really

great that non-marginalized groups — white people — sit and listen to perspectives like those of Trevor Noah.”

Noah urged white people to have conversations about race, though it may be frightening and uncomfortable. Good can come from Donald Trump’s presidency, he said, because it exposes racial tensions and gives people the ability to “see how bad things really are.”

Medill senior Eric Miller told The Daily he enjoyed Noah’s pointed comments toward specific members of the audience.

“He did a very good job of speaking to anyone and everyone,” Miller said. “It was very interesting to watch that play out.”

Though the talk primarily focused on national issues, Noah also addressed issues concerning college students.

Noah gave advice to students studying to become journalists, saying they would be especially important during the era of “fake news.”

He said some countries try to convince people that “there is no such thing as real.”

“There is real; there are facts,” Noah said. “If you’re getting into the field of journalism, just believe in that. Keep hammering home those facts …They will come to your aid.” alanperez2020@u.northwestern.edu

DAILY CLASSIFIEDS Place a Classified Ad

Daily Policies

CLASSIFIED ADS in The Daily Northwestern are $5 per line/per day (or $4 per line/per day if ad runs unchanged for 5 OR MORE consecutive days). Add $1/day to also run online. For a Classified Ad Form, go to: dailynorthwestern. com/classifieds FAX completed form with payment information to: 847-491-9905. MAIL or deliver to: Students Publishing Company 1999 Campus Dr., Norris-3rd Floor Evanston, IL 60208. Payments in advance are required. Deadline: 10am on the day before ad is to run.

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 9-5; Fri 9-4. Phone: 847-491-7206.

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

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

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.

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 16, 2017

Help Wanted

DAILY CROSSWORD Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Admin Assist Real Estate investment firm located in Evanston near NU campus seeks reliable part-time office help. Casual work environment and flexible schedule. Please contact Stan. Call 847-440-8410 or Email stan@jenningsrealtyinc.com

Post a Classified!

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

Join the yearbook team!

We create the printed volume that chronicles a year at Northwestern. No yearbook experience necessary. Interested?

Now anyone can post and manage a classified ad.

Go to: DailyNorthwestern. com/classifieds Questions?

Call 847-491-7206

DAILY SUDOKU

Edited by Rich Edited Norris and JoyceNorris Lewis and Joyce Nichols Lewis

by Rich

Email: syllabus@northwestern.edu

FOR RENT Prime location. (right here)

Will build to suit. (free ad design)

Great price!

(Fridays are free*) D a i ly Puzzle SPot

Inquire within. 847-491-7206 or 10/16/17

Level: 1 2 3 4

© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

spc-compshop@northwestern.edu (*Pay for 4 days. 5th day is free!)

ACROSS 1 Baseball putout, often 4 Digital readouts, for short 8 No more than 14 401(k) kin: Abbr.

15 Settled on a rail 16 Abs exercise 17 Source of valuable metal 19 Holy __: brat 20 Isaac’s eldest 21 Golden State wine region 23 One World Trade Center topper 24 Sales team 25 Early record player 27 Give it __: make an effort 29 Work’s opposite 30 Fibber or Molly of old radio 32 Rationale 34 Repair 37 Beatles song used as wake-up music on the last Space Shuttle mission 40 Mariner’s “Help!”

41 Tear to pieces 42 Makes, as money 43 “Buona __”: Gino’s “Good evening” 44 Former trans-Atl. fliers 45 Revolving blade sharpener 50 Thing to scratch 53 Cut again, as grass 54 Bring into the firm 55 About 66.5 degrees, for the Arctic Circle 56 Musician Keys 58 Extinct since way back when ... and, in a way, what each set of circles represents 60 Poland Spring competitor 61 Words to Brutus 62 Dist. you can see 63 The “S” in GPS 64 Pest-control brand 65 Md. summer hrs.

10/16/17

By Frank Virzi

DOWN 1 Striped big cat 2 Got up 3 Islands visited by Darwin 4 On the __: at large 5 Like Saran wrap 6 Bahraini money 7 Assembly instructions start 8 Put-on 9 Violates a “private property” sign 10 Brown played by Candice Bergen 11 “Blame It __”: 1984 film set in Brazil 12 Disdain 13 Little pigs number 18 Looked for prints 22 Intensifies 26 Actress Lena 28 1967 Neil Diamond song title line preceding “Go to my head” 30 British sports cars 31 Pigeon sound 32 Less-traveled way 33 Sch. with a Phoenix campus

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

34 Grade school crush, often 35 Quaint quarters 36 Kisses, in romantic letters 38 Hoity-toity manners 39 Detesting 43 Polar expedition vehicle 44 Taken care of 45 Mortarboard tossers

10/16/17

46 Race with batons 47 “What’d __?”: returning traveler’s query 48 Lubricated 49 Campus midshipmen’s prog.

51 Dog or coyote 52 Nuclear trial, briefly 57 “Ready, __, fire!”

59 Staple or nail driver

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017

FIELD HOCKEY

Wildcats defeat pair of ranked opponents in overtime the daily northwestern @bretthaensel

Northwestern certainly likes to keep its fans on the edge of their seats.

The No. 9 Wildcats (12-4, 5-1 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to six with weekend overtime wins over No. 22 Iowa (5-10, 1-5) and No. 24 Massachusetts (11-5). NU’s resume now includes victories over six ranked opponents.

The Cats were no strangers to overtime battles entering the weekend, having already played in two earlier this year, and coach Tracey Fuchs said she has grown confident in her team’s crunch time mettle.

“We’re battle tested,” Fuchs said. “We’re confident now going into overtime, and I couldn’t say that when the season started. But now I really think we’ve come into our own, and I know we can score goals.”

NU began the weekend slate with a trip to Iowa

No. 9 Northwestern

No. 24 Massachusetts

No. 22 Iowa

No. 9 Northwestern

5

By BRETT HAENSEL

1

4

2

City, where star junior midfielder Puck Pentenga shined again. Pentenga was the team’s offensive catalyst against the Hawkeyes, scoring a hat trick in the win.

However, Iowa gave the Cats everything they could handle, finishing a late goal to send the game to overtime. From there, NU seized the game, notching a goal just five minutes into the extra period to win a game it controlled from the very beginning. The Cats outshot the Hawkeyes 17-7, setting the stage for another prolific effort against Massachusetts.

NU got another goal at the end of the half from junior forward Pascale Massey, who noted that her

team-leading ninth goal was key for NU’s confidence heading into the second half.

“It brought a lot of momentum into the second half,” Massey said. “To come in halftime going up is really important for any team.”

The Cats picked up right where they left off, controlling play and racking up five more penalty corners in the second period. But even with 16 more shots on goal than the Minutemen in regulation, NU could not secure the goal it needed for insurance.

The Cats then conceded another late equalizer, as the visitors scored with just over a minute left in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Eight minutes into the second overtime period,

sophomore defender Kirsten Mansfield slapped home the winning goal off a rebound from a penalty corner.

“We don’t give up,” Mansfield said. “We just keep on going full force. (The ball) rebounded off the goalie, and I was just able to finish it in off the rebound.”

Mansfield’s heroics kept NU undefeated at home, moving the team to an impressive 7-0 at Lakeside Field.

But the Cats will have to stay focused as they continue battling for a conference title, with perhaps their biggest game of the season yet coming next Friday against No. 3 Michigan, currently undefeated in Big Ten play.

“Next Friday night we’re basically playing for a chance to win a Big Ten title,” Fuchs said. “We’ll be ready. It’s going to be a great match, and we’re excited to go down to Ann Arbor and play our hearts out.” bretthaensel2021@u.northwestern.edu

VOLLEYBALL

NU falls to Maryland, Ohio State in weekend matches

By PETER WARREN

the daily northwestern

CHICAGO — It was a tale of two Northwesterns this weekend.

Friday, the Wildcats (12-8, 2-6 Big Ten) played well against Maryland (14-6, 3-5) but fell in a heartbreaking five-set loss 34-36, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22, 17-15.

Saturday, NU — which played both games at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Chicago — was thoroughly outplayed and outclassed as Ohio State (11-8, 4-4) won in a sweep 25-13, 25-18, 25-15.

“I was happy on the way we fought in (Friday’s match) but totally disappointed in (Saturday’s) match against Ohio State,” coach Shane Davis said.

In Friday’s contest, the Cats and Terrapins went back and forth all night and neither team won a set by more than three points.

“That was the closest five-set match I have ever played,” said senior setter Taylor Tashima, who had a career-high 62 assists.

The evenness between the two teams was apparent from the start. In the marathon first set won

by NU, there were 13 match point situations and neither team could string together a run of more than four points.

The match came down to the wire in the winnertake-all fifth set. After a kill by senior outside hitter Symone Abbott tied the score at 15-15, Maryland rattled off two consecutive points to secure the victory.

“When we lost we were just all like, ‘Did we really just lose that set?,’” freshman middle hitter Alana Walker said. “It was just the fact we had so much confidence, so much energy and we were going back and forth and we really thought we would come out strong.”

Abbott and freshman outside hitter Nia

Robinson were both on fire against Maryland.

Abbott tied a career-high with 29 kills and Robinson’s 25 kills were the most in her career.

The following day, NU looked like a completely different team. The Cats could not sustain a rhythm against the Buckeyes on offense and had trouble communicating.

Abbott and Robinson had only seven kills with 16 errors in 45 attack attempts. In the third set, Davis benched Abbott, who is currently in fifth place in program history for career kills.

“It was clear early on she was not ready to go and so instead of letting that ride through like we normally have, it was time to make a change and put her on the bench,” Davis said.

Sophomore outside hitter Allie Lindroth replaced Abbott in the lineup and had two kills in the third set.

Going forward, Davis said he’d like to see the team improve its culture. He also said to expect

some changes in personnel.

Walker, who had eight kills, one solo block and two block assists Saturday, said if the Cats came out with more energy, the result may have been different.

“If you have energy and you are talking and you are loud and you are having fun it changes the game completely,” Walker said. “I just wish we would bring that every game, because I think if we would have brought that this entire game I think it would have been a different result.”

Though Davis was unsure if Friday’s emotional loss affected NU the next day, he said it did not matter.

“If they want to play in the Big Ten, if they want to play for Northwestern, then they have to be ready to go,” Davis said. “They have to be able to manage those emotions and be prepared to play. They need to expect a little bit more out of one another and themselves.” peterwarren2021@u.northwestern.edu

Take NU with you, wherever you go.

Sign up for The Daily's email list to get the headlines in your inbox.

Get real-life experience.

Work for The Daily Get real-life journalism experience. In class, you'll learn how to write an event story or produce a video. At The Daily, you'll interview people about actual news and get practice writing for your peers and neighbors. You'll chase stories against the pros and build your skills under deadline. And you'll have fun along the way.

Daily alumni go on to work for major news outlets, including: The New York Times, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, ESPN, The Wall Street Journal, Deadspin, People, and Vox. Contract us for more information:

EMAIL joinus@dailynorthwestern.com OR VISIT dailynorthwestern.com

The Daily Northwestern

Email Newsletter Sign up at: dailynorthwestern.com/email FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS

TWITTER: @thedailynu FACEBOOK: thedailynorthwestern

SPORTS

ON DECK OCT.

20

ON THE RECORD

We came in with a great plan and came out and executed.

It wasn’t perfect; we just kept playing.

— Justin Jackson, running back

Men’s Soccer NU vs. No. 6 Michigan State, 7 p.m. Friday

@DailyNU_Sports

Monday, October 16, 2017

SHELLED Wildcats beat Maryland as Jackson breaks rushing record Northwestern

By TIM BALK

daily senior staffer @timbalk

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Looking down the barrel of its first 0-3 start to Big Ten play since 2013, Northwestern responded against Maryland on Saturday and put a dent in the win column amid a brutal stretch of October contests.

The Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) shook off a slow start and overcame a pair of turnovers in a 37-21 victory over the Terrapins (3-3, 1-2).

NU’s offense stole the show, recovering from a dispiriting homecoming effort against Penn State and rolling up more than 500 yards.

On a day of emphatic stat stuffing, senior running back Justin Jackson became the program’s all-time leading rusher, multiple receivers nabbed career highs in receptions and junior quarterback Clayton Thorson approached a career-high in pass attempts.

“Great job bouncing back by our offense, especially our offensive line,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “To get Justin Jackson to become the alltime leading rusher in our program’s history, it doesn’t happen without an O-line that’s been in front of him.”

Fitzgerald said the offensive line, which has received criticism during NU’s slow start in conference play, responded on the practice field this week and carried it into the game.

37

Maryland

21

The line helped shield Thorson, who was sacked just once, and paved the way for a 171-yard performance from Jackson. The Cats more than doubled their total offensive output from their 31-7 loss one week earlier.

Maryland scored first, taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a pass from Max Bortenschlager to D.J. Moore.

Bortenschlager, the Terrapins’ thirdstring quarterback entering the season, has seen himself tossed into the fire due to injuries. Though he finished with three touchdown passes, NU limited the sophomore signal caller to 17 completions on 38 passes.

“The D-line did a really great job,” senior linebacker Brett Walsh said.

“It seemed like (Bortenschlager) was uncomfortable all game.”

The Cats’ defensive front also shut down the Terrapins’ often explosive rushing attack, holding the home team to 31 yards on the ground in the first half. Meanwhile, Thorson and the NU offense started to roll, posting 21 second-quarter points to take a 24-14 lead into the break.

Thorson hit on three of his first nine passes with an interception mixed in, but rebounded to toss for 293 yards.

“Just got to move on, it’s a long

game,” said Thorson, whose 49 pass attempts were three short of his career-high. “In the first quarter, if you let that determine the rest of the game, you’re done. That’s why we play for four quarters.”

The first quarter Saturday also saw Jackson make his mark on the NU history book with a four-yard run that pushed him past Damien Anderson to first in the school’s career rushing list.

Jackson said he did not know he had broken the record following the rush.

“First quarter, early on, I think we were down, so I definitely wasn’t thinking about that,” Jackson said.

“We came in with a great plan and came out and executed. It wasn’t perfect; we just kept playing.”

Maryland threatened at moments in the second half in front of a thinning announced crowd of 38,325, but never got closer than 6 points. NU largely kept the ball on the ground while running out the clock on the Terrapins in the fourth quarter.

The Cats will take the victory home to Evanston with Iowa set to visit next week and No. 21 Michigan State the week after. With losses to No. 7 Wisconsin and the No. 3 Nittany Lions now in the rearview mirror, the road victory gives NU something to build on as it battles deeper into an unforgiving Big Ten slate.

“We’re going to get knocked down, but they’re going to get up,” Fitzgerald said, “and that’s what I saw today.”

Lauren Duquette/Daily Senior Staffer

timothybalk2018@u.northwestern.

FOOTBALL

Offensive line gets back on track in win

By MAX SCHUMAN

daily senior staffer @maxschuman28

Graphic by Ruiqi Chen

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It was no secret among Northwestern fans: through five games, the Wildcats’ offensive line had been a major area of concern for the team.

Those worries crescendoed a week ago, as NU faced penetration and pressure from Penn State’s defense all day in a discouraging loss.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald called out his offensive line for its struggles after that game, and senior center Brad North said his unit took the criticism to heart.

“We met as a unit on Monday, and the collective sentiment was our attitude … just wasn’t where it needed to be,” North said.

After paving the way for an offensive turnaround in NU’s (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) 37-21 win over Maryland (3-3, 1-2), the Cats’ offensive line quieted the critics. All game, NU’s front kept junior quarterback Clayton Thorson clean and opened holes for senior running back Justin Jackson. The Cats capitalized by racking up 531 yards in their best offensive performance of Big Ten play this season.

When the dust settled, the offensive line had surrendered a lone sack while setting the table for Jackson’s 171-yard day. Fitzgerald lauded his line for the muchneeded bounceback performance. “(I) went after them a week ago, and I think they handled it well,” Fitzgerald said. “You don’t play well, you have high expectations,

and I think they shut the noise off and went to work. They did a good job today.”

After looking uncertain in the pocket against the Nittany Lions, Thorson looked comfortable for much of Saturday’s contest, using the time his line provided him to find open receivers underneath.

Meanwhile, Jackson had his best game of the season, using his line’s blocking to find space with relative ease.

Both of NU’s backfield stars were quick to give credit to the offensive line for helping them get back on track.

“Running behind these guys today, I think they were challenged by not only our coaches but our team,” Jackson said. “And, I mean, what a response.”

The Terrapins’ defensive front didn’t pose the same challenges as Penn State’s or Wisconsin’s. And with the heart of the conference schedule still to come, the Cats’ offensive line will have ample opportunity to prove themselves a solid unit. For a night, though, NU’s blockers were the toast of the team.

North, while gesturing to Jackson and Thorson in the postgame news conference, said he and his fellow linemen were just doing their jobs.

“This is my running back and my quarterback. I don’t want them to get tackled by the bad guys,” North said. “That’s the goal every week, to keep them clean, to keep them on their feet.” maxschuman2018@u.northwestern.edu