The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, October 25, 2016
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Cats hold No. 13 Minnesota to 0-0 tie
Former NBA coach Doug Collins speaks with J.A. Adande in Medill event
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City to test water in south Evanston Traces of chemicals discovered in pipes concern residents By NORA SHELLY
daily senior staffer @noracshelly
Allie Goulding/The Daily Northwestern
Weinberg senior Jackson Paller (center) helps lead a group of protesters during a demonstration for affordable higher education in Illinois. Hundreds of people gathered for the event, including students from Student Action NU.
Students protest debt in Chicago NU student organization joins higher education protest downtown
By ALLIE GOULDING
the daily northwestern @alliejennaaa
In collaboration with two Chicago-based grassroots organizations, Northwestern students participated in a protest Monday against overwhelming student debt and the availability of resources for students of color and from low-income backgrounds. The protest in downtown Chicago was organized by The People’s Lobby and Fair Economy Illinois, groups who organize support for public policies and candidates that aim to lessen the power of large corporations.The organizations
are affiliated with numerous student groups at universities in Chicago, where they organize trainings with university chapters to help them recruit interested students. Most of the protesters, who started at the Congress Plaza Hotel and moved south toward the Art Institute of Chicago, were students from universities across the city. Some participating NU students attended as members of Student Action NU, a group formed this year for students to organize around social justice issues with an intersectional perspective. Scott Brown, a co-founder of Student Action NU who helped organize Monday’s
protest, said he wanted to raise awareness about the impact of student debt as well as funding for higher education in Illinois. “Northwestern students care a lot about social justice and want to change a lot of the problems they see in this world, and I think that organizing is a really powerful way to do that,” the Medill senior said. “It’s not just about protesting, but also building relationships, campaigns and gaining power, so you can influence change and make the world the one you want to see.” The protest, called “Shut it Down for Higher Education,” was part of Moral Mondays
Illinois, a monthly protest series by Fair Economy Illinois that aims to bring attention to prevalent issues in the state. This was the first one led by students, said Gabby Koones, a Moral Mondays media liaison. “These protests are saying we want to bring awareness to these issues in Illinois, and we try to do them in downtown Chicago,” Koones said. “It has a big impact on the streets and daily lives of everyone, so they can see what’s going on.” Protestors were demonstrating in favor of a state bill that would allow undocumented students to receive » See PROTEST, page 6
The city is planning on testing water in 40 south Evanston homes and 20 other sites as part of an ongoing look at water quality in the city. In response to the discovery of black crust in and near water lines in south Evanston last year, city officials tested the water around James Park. Two compounds that were found in the water, phenanthrene and fluoranthene, are both constituents of coal tar and are harmful in larger concentrations than found in Evanston water. The city has done three rounds of testing so far in Evanston, said Kimberly Richardson, assistant to the city manager. This round of testing includes 15 sites that previously have been tested and 40 residential sites requested by residents, as well as one site in each ward. Richardson said the city was trying to be as transparent as possible with the water testing. “ There were residents who filed some concerns, who wanted to have their (water) tested,” she said. “ The city … believes that the water is safe and that the results will be significantly below the potable water standards.” The city has refiled a
lawsuit against ComEd, an electric utility company, and Nicor, a natural gas distributor, this May over materials found in water pipes. In 2015, the city found black crust inside of a Dodge Avenue waterline, that is believed to be the same material as coal tar found at the Skokie Manufactured Gas Plant Site, which is just west of the city on Oakton Street and McCormick Boulevard. The city believes the materials, which are not harmful at the levels found in Evanston water, were brought to the area by gas lines last used in the mid20th century. The lawsuit was refiled in May after an independent testing laboratory confirmed coal tar in places on water lines around James Park. In south Evanston water both chemicals were found in concentrations 99.9 percent below the amount that exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level. The concentrations also passed potable water standards set by the Illinois EPA. Leo Sherman, who is involved in James Park Neighbors, a citizens group that formed to address concerns about the water quality, said he welcomes the water testing. “We needed to test actual people that drink the water in a lower-volume type situation like homes,” he said. Sherman said he has had his water tested by the city » See TESTING, page 6
Council approves NU, city continue talks on new dorm lawsuit settlement director of community development, said the city is “waiting to hear back” from the University as to whether it will revise its
By YVONNE KIM
By TORI LATHAM
daily senior staffer @latham_tori
Aldermen unanimously approved Monday a $150,000 settlement agreement in a civil rights suit brought against the city in 2014. The plaintiff, Michigan resident Sean Rattray, sued the city and other defendants following an incident involving police officers that occurred in Evanston on Nov. 9, 2012, according to council documents. He additionally brought claims of excessive force, false arrest and malicious prosecution against the individual officers involved in the situation, according to a
legal memorandum. The settlement approved by the city gives Rattray $150,000 from the city’s Insurance Fund and ensures the prejudice claims brought by Rattray against all defendants will be dismissed once the payment has been received. The agreement is not an admission of liability by the city, according to council documents. “The city of Evanston takes claims of these sorts very seriously and wanted on the one hand to be fair to the taxpayers of Evanston as well as fair to the individual involved, and sometimes that takes time,” city manager Wally » See LAWSUIT, page 6
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
the daily northwestern @yvonneekimm
Northwestern is still searching for a way to accommodate its planned two-year live-in requirement slated to go into effect next year, after Evanston residents voiced concern about University plans to build taller than a city ordinance allows. Administrators have been in conversation with Evanston about expanding the residential hall at 1835 Hinman Ave., after John D’Angelo, vice president of facilities management, said the dorm must be taller in order to have enough beds to make the plan viable. The proposed height of 85 feet would require a zoning variance, which must be approved by the city, as it exceeds 45 feet. Mark Muenzer, Evanston’s
application. He said city officials have encouraged administrators to lower the building height. D’Angelo said some sort of
Katie Pach/The Daily Northwestern
The residential hall at 1835 Hinman may undergo changes to accommodate the two-year live-in requirement. Administration previously encountered concerns from residents when the building’s proposed height exceeded Evanston’s zoning variance codes.
variance — whether it be in height or setbacks — will have to be achieved no matter what. “The (zoning) code is written in a very, very general sense,” D’Angelo said. “It does have provisions in it because it understands that there are a lot of projects that are going to require a variance.” The live-in requirement will require all first- and second-year students to live on campus. University President Morton Schapiro said one goal of the plan seems to be creating “the kind of inclusive community we dream about.” At a Northwestern UniversityCity Committee meeting last month, a resident criticized the proposal, saying she feared the University encroaching too much on the surrounding neighborhood. D’Angelo said the process of receiving community feedback » See HOUSING, page 6
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