The Daily Northwestern — October 31, 2022

jireh l. drake seeks to alter views on justice

collectively about how to create change and make society better.”

By DAVIS GIANGIULIO daily senior staffer @giangiuliodavis

jireh l. drake may be an artist, but that’s not the only way they define themselves. They’re also a writer, sculptor, drawer and organizer.

“I wear a lot of hats,” drake said. “I don’t really like being pigeonholed into one thing.”

Now, drake is adding North western Women’s Center’s Feminist in Residence Fellow to the list of hats they’ve worn.

The Feminist in Residence program is a year-long aca demic commitment where a fellow works to further gender justice research by creating a specific project within the NU community.

Associate Director of the Women’s Center Njoki Kamau was part of the selection com mittee that chose drake.

“We liked the way that jireh engages the public,” Kamau said, “that idea to think together

She said drake’s focus on restorative rather than puni tive justice fits well with the Women’s Center’s annual theme, “Lessons From Harm Reduction.” The center hopes to explore means of healing over punishment, she added.

Art is critical to organizing and successfully spreading movements’ messages beyond just direct action initiatives, drake said.

“Organizing is just as impor tant as the visuals,” they said. “Thinking beyond flyers, post ers and banners, like what else can we do?”

They said artistic creativity in organizing was evident in action they took against Michael Toomin, a Cook County judge who came under fire for resist ing juvenile justice reforms. drake said Toomin’s actions dis proportionately harmed Black and brown youth.

drake used mud stencils to lay a message opposing Toomin on public pavement, which they said made the art appear as if it was burnt onto the concrete. They

City celebrates Día de los Muertos

Latinos en Evanston North Shore hosts annual event for Latine holiday

By KIMBERLY ESPINOSA and MAIA PANDEY the daily northwestern @nedaziakim @maiapandey

Latinos en Evanston North Shore hosted its annual Día de los Muertos celebration Saturday to honor family and friends who

have died and to bring commu nity members together for food and music.

The intergenerational event, hosted at the YWCA Evanston/ North Shore site, included infor mational tables about the origins of the tradition, free hot chocolate and pan de muerto and a range of

activities for children. While adults sat by the altar or at the commu nity tables, children colored and watched a movie.

“Latinos en Evanston North Shore wants to commemorate and join the Latine community for these kinds of cultural events,”

LENS Vice President Fabiola

Alfonso told The Daily in Span ish. “It is a celebration from our Latin American countries.”

The event also featured a multi-tier altar, or ofrenda, with candles, marigolds and objects of remembrance, meant to

Ald. Bobby Burns takes on cannabis business, politics

By SAUL PINK daily senior staffer

@saullpink

Eighteen years ago, can nabis was illegal across most of the United States, and Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) was an Evanston Township High School student who occasion ally smoked marijuana with his friends.

Today, recreational cannabis is legal in Illinois, and Burns serves as the 5th Ward alder person on City Council. He’s become a pioneer of a more progressive approach to regu lating recreational drugs — and a fledgling entrepreneur in the Illinois cannabis industry.

Three months after his election in April 2021, Burns’ company, Herban Garden, was awarded one of the first 40 marijuana craft

growth licenses in the state. Burns hopes to construct an eco-friendly greenhouse in

Chicago, where his team can cultivate the crop and sell products at dispensaries.

“I realized that I need to be a part of this industry so I can help ensure, even by my par ticipation, that marginalized groups and minority groups are represented in the indus try,” Burns said.

The path has not been smooth for Burns. Still, he said the experience has been a les son in the realities of business and politics — from financing a startup in an evolving industry to eliminating cannabis testing for Evanston employees.

Growing pains

At 36 years old, Burns said he no longer consumes cannabis, but he recognizes its benefits.

“I’ve always understood cannabis and appreciated its ability to heal and to help people manage stress levels,” he said.

He’s also working to make the new industry more inclu sive and address the inequities of Illinois’ earlier drug poli cies that disproportionately affected marginalized groups.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Black people were 7.5 times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis posses sion in Illinois when the plant was illegal.

While Burns’ goals are broad, the details of building Herban Garden have proven difficult.

Craft growth applicants must present a detailed plan for how they will keep their

facility secure and consistently grow the plant, as well as how the business will ultimately be profitable. Most applications are more than 100 pages long.

Burns called on Justice Can nabis Co., a Chicago-based multistate cannabis company that promotes inclusivity, for free assistance in filing the application. The company has helped many applicant groups with the process.

Cole Eastman, an attorney on Burns’ team, said some applicants pay consultants up to six figures for help.

“Just because your cultiva tion plan indicates that you know how to grow cannabis does not necessarily mean the owners of that company know

gigio's pizzeria

As NU’s Feminist in Residence, drake furthers gender work

Kimberly Espinosa/The Daily Northwestern

Latinos en Evanston North Shore dedicated its altar this year to immigrants and women who have died from domestic violence.

Illustration by Anna Souter

Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) is the founder of cannabis company Herban Garden, which was awarded one of the first 40 marijuana craft growth licenses in Illinois.

Community leaders give tour on city’s Black history

By TALIA WINIARSKY the daily northwestern @winiarskyt

Before the 1960s, when Northwestern did not allow Black students to live on campus, the Emerson Street YMCA provided them with beds. When Evanston Township High School did not permit Black students to use their pool, the YMCA offered them a place to swim. And when Black political scientist and civil rights activist Ralph Bunche conducted research at the Uni versity, he lived at the YMCA.

However, the Emerson Street YMCA no longer stands today. It closed in 1969 in an effort to deseg regate the town’s two YMCAs. Condominiums now exist in its place.

The former site of the YMCA was one of the highlights in a Saturday tour of Black history in Evanston, led by local historian Dino Robinson and Evanston Community Foundation Director of Community Leadership Karli Butler.

Robinson is the former acting director and founder of the Shorefront Legacy Center, a community-based archive that collects stories of Black history on the North Shore. He said he looks to history to understand the present, and how to combat present issues.

Lack of affordable and accessible housing has been a prominent issue throughout Evanston’s history, Rob inson said. Archival work can be a resource for current activists on how to best achieve their goals, he added.

“We’re doing this movement now, (but) has this been done before?” Robinson said. “Who were the players then? What were the issues then? How do they relate to now? How does it inform us now?”

About 30 students, faculty and community mem bers loaded onto the bus for the tour, which drove through central and west Evanston. Attendees learned about prolific residents in Evanston’s Black history, places of importance to the Black community, as well as Black resistance to systemic racism in the city.

The tour highlighted the activism of several Evan ston residents, including married couple Drs. Isabella Garnett and Arthur Butler, who opened the Evanston Sanitarium in 1914 as one of only a handful of hospitals in the area that accepted Black patients.

Robinson also said Evanston was a

popular destination for pre-eminent Civil Rights activ ists, including Martin Luther King Jr., who visited thrice in 1958, 1962 and 1963. King advocated for fair housing in the city and delivered sermons, and also spoke at NU. Activist and writer W.E.B. Du Bois visited in 1931 to campaign on behalf of Edwin B. Jourdain, the city’s first Black alderperson.

The history of Evanston is intertwined with But ler’s own family. Butler’s grandparents frequented the Emerson YMCA, she said, attending social events like youth dances.

More than half a century later, her grandfather qualified to receive reparations, but passed away before his lottery number was chosen.

She said learning about the history of the city has affected the way she is raising her 10-year-old son, adding it has historically been harder for Black students to succeed in Evanston public schools. It has also informed her work promoting racial equity

through ECF, she added.

“Growing up, I had my grandparents to teach me this history and I’m sharing the same thing with my son, who’s in the Evanston public school system,” Butler said. “I’m purposely positioned to be in this role, just because of the historical context that I bring.”

First-year history graduate student Semiu Adeg benle said he gained a new perspective on the racial history of the U.S. on the tour. As an international student from Nigeria, Adegbenle is studying for the first time at an American school this year.

He said he was surprised to learn about how Evanston codified racism in its laws because he previously thought such explicit policies mostly existed in the South.

The tour also helped him better understand Evan ston as a historian, Adegbenle said.

“It shows you that the space itself is like a living organism that is changing and adapting. Sometimes

you may be living in a building without knowing that you’re actually in this place that has its own history, its own genealogy,” Adegbenle said. “If we understand space in that way, it also increases our consciousness.”

taliawiniarsky2026@u.northwestern.edu

Setting the record straight

Clarification: A story in the Oct. 23 paper titled “NULWU talks one year of action” has been updated to more accurately reflect Dan iel von Brighoff’s position at Northwestern. Von Brighoff is a metadata services workgroup library assistant.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photo courtesy of Dino Robinson

By TALIA WINIARSKY the daily northwestern @winiarskyt

complete with rainbow ribbons instead of the usual bird feath ers, for the event celebrating the 104th anniver sary of Poland’s independence.

Ogarek, one of four members of the alliance who attended, said Chicago has a strong Pol ish community. It’s home to one of the largest Polish immigrant populations of any U.S. city.

“They often call Chicago the capital of ‘Polonia’ — the word for Polish people living abroad,” Ogarek said.

The run brought together immigrants and people of Polish descent of multiple genera tions. Before starting the event, organizers gave directions and led warmups in both English and Polish. Organizers and attendees also stood for both the American and Polish national anthems.

By the finish line, attendees could grab a tra ditional pierogi, a ptasie mleczko — a chocolate and marshmallow dessert meaning “bird’s milk” in Polish — and other Polish cultural foods.

Weinberg junior Mikey Wolski said he saw seven family friends at the event, and being at events with Polish people makes him feel “a bit more at home.”

“Everyone being Polish creates a vibe where you almost know each other without knowing each other,” Wolski said. “Just because you’re Polish, I feel like I already know you better.”

PASA Social Chair and Weinberg junior Magda Slowakiewicz said she enjoys attend ing club events in addition to the race, such as the Polish Culture Night the organization holds in the spring. Last year, the club hosted a traditional folk dancing group for the event

and ate Polish foods, including different types of pierogies.

Slowakiewicz goes home to the South Side of Chicago every weekend, where she speaks in Polish with her parents. But when she’s on campus, she said she has the club to connect with other Polish people.

“When I’m (on campus), at least I have some people that I can talk to about my Polish heritage, traditions, cultures, things like that,” Slowakiewicz said.

Ogarek said he was not always proud of his heritage. When he was younger, his parents forced him to attend Polish school every Friday.

Ogarek said he would have prefered to not speak Polish and instead be “like the other kids.”

He now has a new perspective and hopes to share his culture with everyone. He teaches his girlfriend Polish words and takes his friends to hidden Polish food spots in the city. Ogarek said he also encourages everyone to come to the club’s events.

“The first line of our mission statement is that the Polish American Student Alliance is open to everyone,” Ogarek said, “no matter their heritage or descent.”

taliawiniarsky2026@u.northwestern.edu

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A Polish workout group holds up its banner after leading a group warmup before the 5K.

New management leads lakefront after allegations

By AVANI KALRA daily senior staffer @avanidkalra

Content Warning: This story contains men tions of physical violence and sexual misconduct, including sexual assault

After a report determined city officials failed to properly address systemic sexual misconduct and physical abuse along Evanston’s lakefront, newly appointed lakefront manager Tim Carter had only two months before the start of sum mer to reimagine the city’s beaches.

In July of 2021, WBEZ reported on a petition signed by more than 50 female lifeguards and other lakefront employees who alleged sexual misconduct against Evanston lifeguards in sum mer 2020. Zoe Cvetas, who is in her fourth year of lifeguarding on Evanston’s lakefront, signed the 2020 petition.

“There was this whole situation of verbal abuse and sexual assault that was going on throughout the beach,” Cvetas said. “And the city didn’t do anything about it. The guys who girls were writing about were still working at the beach.”

The report sparked the resignation of former City Manager Erika Storlie, along with punitive measures for other Evanston officials.

Cvetas said she felt uncomfortable that adults knew minors were being sexually assaulted and verbally assaulted at work, but she loved work ing at the lakefront. When leadership changed and concerns were addressed, Cvetas decided to return for the summer of 2022.

“It’s just one of my favorite places to be,” Cvetas said. “I wanted to come back and make it a better place, so people could enjoy it as much as I did when I first started.”

Immediately after Carter’s appointment in April, he completed a series of 137 interviews in 10 days with former and prospective lake front lifeguards –– a new development in the hiring process for the lakefront.

Previously, leadership was determined by a physical ability test. The test largely favored male lifeguards according to Gabby Sloane, who has worked at the lakefront since 2017.

“In the past, how quickly you swim, how

fast you run, is how you got to leadership positions,” Carter said, “which unfortunately, typically, meant there were a lot of male staff at the top.”

Carter said the hiring system permitted a dangerous culture at the city’s lakefront.

This year, Carter selected people for posi tions based on skill set and leadership ability. Though he was judging potential lifeguarding candidates in his first week interviews, Carter said the interviews were also an opportunity for prospective employees to ask questions.

“It was the first time I was meeting everyone at the lakefront,” Carter said. “I don’t know if I had all the answers at that time, but I certainly was trying to make people feel safe … they had my word.”

Carter said the department took several steps to address inequities on the lakefront, beyond just dismissing the lifeguards mentioned in the complaint. In collaboration with Parks and

Recreation Director Audrey Thompson, Carter introduced a human resources team.

The team was available before, during and after shifts to speak with lifeguards. Thomp son and Carter also changed the rules about reporting HR concerns so complaints were not directed to a direct supervisor, but could go straight to HR.

“In previous beach culture, there was a hier archy and a chain of command,” Carter said. “And you were not allowed to break that chain of command. You could be punished.”

To dismantle the chain of command, both Thompson and Carter gave lifeguards their personal cell phone numbers and direct contact information for HR.

But one of the biggest changes made to the lakefront this summer was the end to physical training, Cvetas said.

The petition included allegations of rampant physical abuse within the lakefront’s chain of

command. Carter attributed those allegations to physical training, which was often used as a form of punishment.

At the start of shifts, lifeguards are often required to run half a mile, swim a certain distance or perform another task to keep up endurance. In previous years, physical training was also used as a punishment for being late or breaking a rule.

“Before, people in charge would come around to the beaches and basically, if they didn’t like you, they would make you do some extreme type of PT (physical training) out of spite,” Cvetas said. “And they would hold that power and control over you.”

This year, Cvetas said physical training only occurred in the mornings under supervision. Because lakefront staff were also often friends outside of the beach, Thompson said the physi cal punishment aspects often resembled hazing.

“We don’t have to punish you,” Thompson said. “We can make you feel like you’re a part of this and that you want to do it because you want to be prepared to save lives.”

But, when Cvetas worked as an assistant lakefront coordinator this summer, she said supervisors’ limited capacity was sometimes detrimental to her role.

Carter and Thompson made it a priority to hire more women in leadership positions. But, Cvetas said a decreased ability to discipline paired with a primarily female leadership team led to some issues.

“We couldn’t really tell (lifeguards) what to do in a sense,” Cvetas said. “It was really hard to gain that respect that I felt like I had for my boss when I was starting out. They didn’t have the same respect for us.”

Carter said he doesn’t think Cvetas’ obser vations had to do with sexism. She said she was constantly frustrated and felt some of her lifeguards did not treat the lakefront as a real job this summer.

“We did have a couple of men on the leader ship team,” she said. “The way that the guards would look at or listen to them, the males, was different to how they listened to the females. Especially the young men, who are just starting out at the beach.”

avanikalra2025@u.northwestern.edu

Esther Lim/The Daily Northwestern

Zoe Cvetas, who is in her fourth year of lifeguarding on Evanston’s lakefront, said the culture shifted significantly this year under new leadership.

22 Reasons to Get Excited this Season

Want a reason to make it out to Welsh-Ryan Arena this season for men’s and women’s basketball? Look no further: The Daily compiled 22 reasons to get excited for Northwestern basketball’s 2022-23 season.

Giveaways galore

Northwestern fans may not camp out in tents for weeks for a ticket to basketball games like at Duke or win recognition for obnoxious fan behavior like at Maryland. But those who play their part to fill the stands are often rewarded with cool merch — or perhaps a slice of pizza. From sleek thermals to cozy sweats emblazoned with Wildcat pride, fans cheering on the team rarely leave empty-handed. The morning after a basketball game, stu dents wear the evidence of their sportsmanship, leaving FOMO in their wake whether NU has won or lost.

— Ilana Arougheti

Having spent the past three seasons as the Cats’ assistant direc tor of basketball operations, program legend Bryant McIntosh is finally back on the court –– this time, as an assistant coach. At 27, McIntosh is one of the nation’s youngest collegiate coaches and is actually much closer in age to players than to his fellow coaches. Let’s see if the program’s all-time assistant leader can draw up plays to lead NU back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, when McIntosh was team co-captain.

— Lucas Kim

Graduate students Sydney Wood and Courtney Shaw are back in the purple and white for one more year. Wood, who is coming off an injury that ended her 2021-22 season, will look to return to her junior year form, in which she was a Big Ten AllDefense selection averaging 2.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Shaw, the Cats’ leading rebounder last season, will

The Cats’ matchup at the Gavitt Tipoff Games will be perfect for all the college basketball sickos out there. NU, which finished among the bottom five teams in the Big Ten last year, will meet Georgetown, which has not won a Big East matchup since 2021. The matchup will also be a fun crossover moment for George town assistant coach Pat Baldwin Sr., who played for the Cats and served as an assistant coach in Evanston from 2013-17. This game will surely leave fans saying, “Yes … Ha Ha Ha … Yes!”

— Charlotte Varnes

Plenty of Big Ten superstars will visit Welsh-Ryan Arena this season. The marquee name on the men’s side is Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, along with fellow NBA-caliber big men Hunter Dickinson of Michigan and Purdue’s Zach Edey.

While all-world Iowa guard Caitlin Clark won’t return to Welsh-Ryan this year, the women’s team will face potential AllAmerican guards in Indiana’s Grace Berger, Maryland’s Diamond Miller and Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon.

— Russell Leung

With a packed Big Ten conference schedule in the latter half of the season, local matchups will provide an excellent preview for what’s to come. Matchups against UIC, DePaul and Chicago State will make the upcoming seasons even more exciting than past years. While NU’s matchup against DePaul was canceled last season due to COVID-19 precautions, Cats basketball fans will not be disappointed again. The men’s and women’s teams will be hosting both DePaul and UIC for the first time in several years, creating opportunities to instill new rivalries in the Chicago area.

— Aayushya Agarwal

NU will head south of the border for its early season tourna ment this year. The Cats will play host to Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 18 at Welsh-Ryan Arena before heading to Cancun, Mexico a few days later. Collins and crew are in the Cancun Challenge Riviera Division with a bout against Liberty awaiting on Nov. 22. The Flames are led by guard Darius McGhee, who was second in the nation in scoring last season (24.6 ppg).

Depending on the result against Liberty, NU will face either No. 15 Auburn or Bradley. Needless to say, the Cats getting a crack at the Tigers provides a phenomenal opportunity to boost this team’s non-conference resume.

— Alex Cervantes

Five players exited Evanston in the offseason and Collins replaced them with a quartet of freshmen and one graduate student. Tydus Verhoeven, the 6-foot-9 transfer from University of Texas at El Paso, should likely get minutes right away on the frontcourt. Forward Luke Hunger is an exciting prospect who is projected to play the most time of the four-player freshmen class, slotting in as a stretch four while also offering some depth at center. Forward Nick Martinelli might see some minutes but finds himself in a logjam at the wing position. Guard Blake Smith and forward Gus Hurlburt will likely not see much action in their first year in Evanston.

— Alex Cervantes

Fourteen of the 17 All-Big Ten selections from last season are gone. The individual firepower, highlighted by three top 10 picks of the 2022 NBA Draft, has exited the conference, leav ing in its wake a fair number of players who have yet to star on their respective teams. Only three Big Ten squads — Indiana, Michigan and Illinois — are ranked in the preseason Associated Press poll. Roster turnover, including at NU, has ravaged the conference. For the Cats, this essentially means every team is beatable. Collins said it himself, NU was close to pulling off a couple upsets last season. In a down year for the conference, the Cats might be able to string together an upset or two.

— Alex Cervantes

Since starting her athletic career at NU, sophomore guard Jillian Brown cemented her spot as a key shooting asset and versatile defensive player. Brown’s contributions to the Cats’ playmaking ability only grew through the last season, and with the absence of Veronica Burton, Brown’s two-way ver satility is not only necessary, but sets the sophomore up for a record season. With her rebound and assist numbers, Brown’s breakout should make her a top scorer for NU.

— Sam Lebeck

Former associate head coach Kate Popovec’s departure for Bradley in April led to an off-season shake-up on the women’s basketball coaching staff. Now, long-time assistant coach Tangela Smith moves into the associate head coach role, joined by new assistant coaches Brittany Johnson and Maggie Lyon on the sideline. The Daily caught up with Lyon and Johnson about their

the Cats.

— Charlotte Varnes

new frontcourt

the men’s team

If you’ve followed NU for years and suddenly don’t recognize its post players, it’s not just you. The transfers of Pete Nance and Ryan Young and the graduation of Elyjah Williams will force new faces to step up alongside senior forward Robbie Beran. Junior Matthew Nicholson, the 7-foot center, should play a significant role, while freshman forwards Luke Hunger, Gus Hurlburt and Nick Martinelli will also battle for meaningful minutes. UTEP graduate transfer Tydus Verhoeven rounds out the revamped frontcourt.

— Russell Leung

Deep women’s basketball sophomore class to increase production

Women’s basketball boasts a deep sophomore class that looks to contribute in big ways this season. The group of Brown, Caileigh Walsh, Hailey Weaver, Melannie Daley and Mercy Ade musayo are back for round two with the Cats after a successful first year at NU. Brown and Walsh were the Cats’ third and fourth top point scorers for the 2020-21 season, respectively. Daley came in at third for steals. With the loss of top point scorer Burton, this class will help fill that gap for NU.

— Kate Walter

Fun non-conference women’s basketball home games

Although the Cats’ main focus will be its perennially-daunting Big Ten schedule, don’t forget about its exciting slate of nonconference home games. The big draw is the Nov. 16 showdown against preseason No. 9 Notre Dame, one of the sport’s all-time great programs, and star point guard Olivia Miles. The tilt will provide early insight on how far NU can go this season. Other standout opponents include Penn, Air Force and Valparaiso.

Collins faces former teammate Jeff Capel

It’s not often that former teammates and long time friends face off as coaches. But on Nov. 28, Collins’ Cats will play Jeff Capel’s Pittsburgh for the third time in four years. Last time the teams played each other, Pitt narrowly won in a 71-70 nail biter. This time, Collins will hope to best his former backcourt mate at Duke for three years. In Collins’ senior season and Capel’s junior season, the duo led the Blue Devils in scoring, each averaging 16 points per game. The two even overlapped as Duke assistant coaches from 2011-13.

— Lucas Kim

Boo Buie leading the charge

With key contributors from last year’s team departing the pro gram, it will be even more pivotal for 2021-22 leaders’ to lead the charge this season. One of these players is senior guard Boo Buie, who played in all 31 of NU’s games last season and averaged 14.1 points, a career best. The Albany, New York native is one of only four seniors on the current roster, making his veteran experience valuable for a young and inexperienced Cats team. For a successful 2022-23 season, NU will need Buie to continue performing at a high level both on and off the court.

— Aayushya Agarwal

Chase Audige set to return to form

After missing seven games in the 2021-22 season with an injury, redshirt senior guard Chase Audige was a key contributor upon his return. With many old faces leaving the roster, Audige will have an even greater pivotal role in this upcoming season than in previous years. The Coram, New York native averaged 9.8 points and a BigTen second-ranked 1.8 steals per game. With more opportunities and a full season of games ahead, there is no limit for Audige’s

— Aayushya Agarwal

Men’s basketball holds Big Ten Tournament in

The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will be held March 8-12 in Chicago at the United Center for the 11th time. The annual tournament has taken place at the end of the regular season since 1998. The Big Ten Tournament champions receive an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. While the Cats have yet to make an appearance in the championship of the Big Ten tournament, NU is poised for a potential deep run in the conference tournament.

Celebrity and alumni visitors at Welsh-Ryan Arena

When men’s basketball played Wisconsin last January, my roommate pointed out former NBA journeyman Evan Turner sitting courtside. A student next to us insisted that Turner would never willingly watch a Cats basketball game, until a photo on Turner’s Instagram story proved him wrong. Visits to Welsh-Ryan bring occasional celebrity and alumni sightings.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II and women’s hoops legend Lindsay Pulliam have also made returns. “Seinfeld” and “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has graced the arena’s seats. The return of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Burton? A hoops homecoming for former University President Morton Schapiro? We’ll find out what this season holds for Welsh-Ryan’s courtside seats.

— Saul Pink

Will NU be dancing in March?

To dream or not to dream, that is the question. Both men’s and women’s basketball will have uphill climbs if March Madness hopes are going to be realized. Replacing a player of Burton’s caliber is a tall task for any program, but two early season tests against No. 20 Oregon and No. 9 Notre Dame offer potential resume boosters in non-conference, while potential victories against ranked opponents like Indiana, Nebraska and more in Big Ten play can help the women’s squad make a tournament push.

The men’s team may not face a top-25 opponent until January, so posting a near perfect non-conference record and rattling off a few Big Ten upsets is paramount. Will the Cats be dancing in March? Who knows. But isn’t the real journey the friends we make along the way?

— Alex Cervantes

TIP-OFF

Sports Editor Charlotte Varnes

Designers

Gronich

Mittal

Wildcats revamp

By ALEX CERVANTES daily senior staffer @cervantespalex

In the span of a month and a half, 1,769 career points departed Northwestern’s frontcourt this offseason.

Wildcat stalwarts Pete Nance and Ryan Young headed south, joining the two historic programs situated on Tobacco Road: North Carolina and Duke, respectively.

Their exits left a gaping hole down low, which coach Chris Collins admitted he would have a hard time filling. Collins recruited the pair of players as the Cats’ big duo of the future, and while Nance and Young did spend four years in Evanston, a return for a fifth year didn’t ultimately pan out.

“No one is going to singularly do the things that Pete could do,” Collins said. “He was unique in his skillset, and we tried to use him in that way. (And) Ryan, the low-post scoring option that he became (made him) a four-year player in our program.”

So, the burning question as the 2022-23 season approaches: who will fill the void?

The answer is a triumvirate of young and old, all of whom are new or inexperienced to Big Ten play: graduate student forward Tydus Verhoeven, junior center Matt Nicholson and freshman for ward Luke Hunger. Collins said he envisions the three-headed attack will produce something simi lar to that of their predecessors.

Verhoeven is making his third stop at the Divi sion I level, after spending five total years between

Duquesne and the University of Texas at El Paso, respectively. His career stats don’t jump off the page — he averaged a career high 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season — but bring ing his veteran presence to Welsh-Ryan Arena this year made him a “key pickup,” Collins said.

The 6-foot-9 forward’s defensive mobility and potential switchability on the perimeter makes him a vital piece for the frontcourt, regardless of how much he can produce offensively. Still, Col lins said he expects Verhoeven to “play around the basket” and work off the guards.

Verhoeven might still be getting acclimated to the shift in climate from west Texas to Illi nois, but he’ll lean on his postseason experi ence with the Miners to help lead this new bunch down low.

“When you play postseason basketball, it’s just a different feel,” Verhoeven said. “That’s something I want to really bring back here because this is a great program they have here, everything’s going right for them.”

Outside of senior forward Robbie Beran, who is more of a wing than true big, Nicholson is NU’s lone frontcourt returner who has seen Big Ten action.

The 7-footer has only once seen the floor for more than 10 minutes in a con ference game — the upset victory over Michigan State last year. In an impact ful 13 minutes of action, Nicholson recorded five points, six rebounds and three assists. He also picked up four fouls in that span, leaving his career average for fouls per 40 minutes is nine.

Intrigue surrounds how

front court

Nicholson will operate with more playing time, especially in a group that doesn’t boast a ton of depth. “He was a guy last year who sat behind Pete and Ryan and learned under those guys,” Collins said. “Now, it’s his time. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s physical, he’ll kind of be more of a low post guy.”

Collins never wavered from the deci sion to platoon Nance and Young last season. When one came in, the other came out, and vice versa. It was a welcome sight when the duo saw time on

the floor together.

This year, Collins expects to feature different frontcourt tandems more frequently. Hunger’s ability to stretch the floor, combined with the sheer fact that Beran cannot play 40 minutes every game, leaves room for him to tinker with different frontcourt combinations, he said.

“There’s going to be packages where you’ll see those guys on the floor together,” Collins said.

Pairing Hunger alongside either Verhoeven or Nicholson still gives NU the fourth man outside the arc, but defensively it raises some concerns about whether Hunger can guard on the perim eter and stick with some of the wings at the four position in the Big Ten.

Nevertheless, standing 6-foot-10 and weigh ing in at 255 pounds, Hunger may just be physi cally ready. He said competing day-in and dayout with Verhoeven, Nicholson and Beran at practice has made him a better player, and his ability to shoot the ball adds another dimension.

“I’ll be able to play the four and the five to stretch the floor, kind of add a different player to our offense,” Hunger said.

There is a palpable buzz surrounding what Col lins and this group can do.

Clearly in the hot seat, Collins will deploy a retooled frontcourt this season, certainly hoping they can help right the ship on Lake Michigan.

“Anytime you start a new season, it’s fresh,” Collins said. “You don’t carry any of the good or the bad from previous years. Everybody’s 0-0.”

alexcervantes2024@u.north

Johnson talks return to NU

basketball assistant coach this year. Prior to NU, Johnson served as an assistant coach at the Uni versity of Tennessee at Chatta nooga for nine seasons and had a dynamic, All-Big Ten career at Ohio State.

“If you can’t beat them, hire them,” Coach Joe McKeown said. “She just brings a lot of energy … she’s jumped right in recruiting and working with our players.”

The Daily spoke with Johnson about what she is looking forward to this season, Big Ten play, her coaching style and more.

This interview has been lightly edited for brev ity and clarity.

The Daily: How has your experience at Northwestern been so far?

The staff, coach Tang (Tangela Smith), coach McKeown and the rest of them have really welcomed me (with) open arms. Anything that I need help with they’re there for, learning the system. They have done a phenomenal job.

The Daily: What’s it like being back in Illi nois as a coach?

Johnson: It’s great. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back in my home state. (I’m) still not used to the weather yet. I’ve been pretty spoiled with the Tennessee weather, but it’s nice to be back.

The Daily: You’re familiar with the Big Ten, having played at Ohio State. How are you bring ing your experiences playing in the Big Ten to coaching a Big Ten team?

Johnson: The Big Ten’s really physical, a lot of great players, great shooters. (Things like) getting their shots off quickly because it’s a fastpaced conference, finishing guards, finishing at the rim with contact. It’s a great conference, and I’m excited to be back in it.

The Daily: You and Maggie Lyon are both first-year assistant coaches. Have you been showing each other the ropes?

Johnson: Definitely. We’ll ask each other questions, because she actually played for Coach McKeown, so she knows his systems, his philosophy. If I have a question, she’s there, and if she has a question, (I’m there). So yeah, we definitely found each other.

The Daily: What are you looking forward

to this upcoming season?

Johnson: Everything — being back in the Big Ten and at this Power-Five level. I’m looking forward to every little thing, learn ing under Coach McKeown, learning from Coach Tang (Tangela Smith), and just kind of bringing it to my game as far as like coaching style. I’m excited for it.

katewalter2025@u. northwestern.edu

NU reckons with season without burton

By NICOLE MARKUS daily senior staffer @nicolejmarkus

As the three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Northwestern women’s basket ball’s Veronica Burton was a force with which to be reckoned.

But Burton has left to play professionally with the Dal las Wings. This season, the remaining Wildcat players step up to face the impact of her absence on and off the court.

“(Veronica’s) legacy is in her unselfishness,” coach Joe McKe own said. “Our p l ayers just have incredible respect for her, so… you don’t replace (players like Burton). But what it does, it creates opportunity for other players.”

NU has a young roster, fea turing five sophomores and

Center was the perfect place to return to it, to help strengthen the messaging, and the visuals of it and install more posters than I ever could.”

the

pandemic

do we not gather in

how

said.

on public spaces is carried throughout drake’s work.

While their pieces have been featured in art muse ums and galleries, they said displaying their work outside of these institutions is more rewarding.

work that I create (is) for my community and folks that look like me,” drake said. “So that’s why I look to public spaces.”

They recently commissioned RJ 27, a public art installation of 27 restorative justice posters on pub lic transportation. The pieces’ focus is “injecting abolitionist-seeded ideology” into passengers’ minds while they commute.

The project, which originally started in 2017 and took place over two weeks, is now the focus of drake’s time at the Women’s Center.

“I’ve always hoped to return to this project,” drake said. “I just thought that the Women’s

OF THE DEAD

welcome loved ones from the afterlife. Alfonso said LENS kicks off event planning in August by choosing a theme for the altar and organizing other events around Hispanic Heritage Month from midSeptember to mid-October.

This year’s altar was dedicated to immigrants and women who have died from domestic violence. Volunteers gathered the day before the event to decorate the altar and community members were invited to place a photograph on it.

La Catrina, a symbolic skull figure created by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, was a key element of the LENS altar this year. The skull is now prominent in global Day of the Dead cel ebrations, though it was popularized during the Mexican Revolution.

Its inclusion symbolizes how the holiday’s tradi tions have evolved over time, Alfonso said.

“We try for people to see the different cultural elements,” Alfonso said. “This year we brought La Catrina … which became part of the celebration after the Spaniards colonized our countries, (but) the Day of the Dead has existed long before the Spaniards colonized our countries.”

Evanston Township High School teacher Anto nio Marquez performed several Flamenco-style songs at the event. The lights dimmed as Marquez strummed his guitar in front of the candle-lit altar.

Though he usually only sings in front of friends or in his living room, Marquez said he has per formed at several local Latine community events and meeting other Evanston residents has been a highlight of these performances.

RJ 27, like much of drake’s other work, focuses on restorative justice not only in institutions, but also in interpersonal relationships, they said.

This connection is part of the reason why Wom en’s Center Director Sarah Brown is excited to work with drake.

“They give us restorative justice as the momen tous work of institutional accountability and an every-moment act of re-orienting our relationships, one that calls for such generosity and forbearance that it is perhaps just as challenging and as revo lutionary as our biggest political dreams,” Brown said in an email to The Daily.

drake said returning to RJ 27 is an honor and a bless ing. Their goal is to plaster Chicago with the project.

They also hope to change the public percep tions of abolition as a movement that is only seen as destroying an old system.

“Abolition is not about absence. It’s about gener ating,” they said. “This is this thing, it’s harmful … if that did not exist, what will we make?”

davisgiangiulio2025@u.northwestern.edu

“Latinos need opportunities to gather at posi tive events like this, where you can meet some of your peers and people from other races as well,” Marquez said.

ETHS juniors Grace Juarez and Sophia Robles are both members of the school’s Latino Advisory Committee. They decorated and sold skull-shaped cookies at the event to fundraise for the Los Años Dorados, a LENS initiative that organizes support services for elderly Latine community members.

Both got involved with the LENS celebration through the advisory committee, which works to support and organize programming for Latine students at ETHS. Robles said the educational ele ments of the four-hour festival were also valuable.

“I just hope that when people leave this event today, they have a broader understanding of not entirely the whole Hispanic culture, but (that) they understand what Day of the Dead is and its significance,” Robles said.

People often confuse Día de los Muertos with Halloween because of their proximity, she added, even though the two days have different origins and purposes. While Halloween takes its roots from an ancient Celtic tradition celebrating the end of sum mer, Día de los Muertos is an Indigenous tradition that honors deceased family members.

Along with educating residents about the cel ebration, Juarez said the event allowed residents to be in community with one another.

“Everyone here, in some way, knows each other,” Juarez said. “So you (can) just eat some pan and some hot chocolate and just live the moment.”

kimberlyespinosa2026@u.northwestern.edu maiapandey@u.northwestern.edu

BOBBY BURNS

how to grow cannabis,” Eastman said.

Herban Garden also applied for the license as a social equity applicant — a program designed to lower barriers into the industry. To qualify, a majority owner of the com pany must be an Illinois resident who lives in an area disproportionately impacted by cannabis-related arrests, has been arrested for a cannabis-related offense or has a fam ily member who was arrested for a cannabisrelated offense.

Illinois also gives preference to veteranowned businesses. To qualify as a social equity applicant, Burns brought on his uncle, Regi nald Burns, as a majority owner. A Vietnam veteran, his uncle is also from Englewood, Chicago, which has a Black population of more than 90%.

When Herban Garden was awarded the license in July 2021, Eastman said he was speechless.

“I couldn’t work for the rest of the day,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was really exciting.”

Raising seed money

After obtaining a license, Herban Garden struggled to raise funds and get the business operational.

Burns said if the company doesn’t raise the $10 million necessary for its launch, it will either sell its license or merge with a larger cannabis company, which goes against his goal of start ing an independent, minority-owned business.

Evanston native Asia Lustig, a former Jus tice Cannabis Co. employee who met Burns when she was an intern for the city, is a partowner of Herban Garden.

“These licenses are seen as a golden ticket to making money, and that’s really not true if you don’t already have money,” Lustig said.

Herban Garden was conditionally approved a year ago for the state’s Social Equity Canna bis Loan Program, which provides low interest loans to social equity applicants. But Eastman said the company still hasn’t received the loan.

Burns applied for a property in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood for his greenhouse. It is eligible for the Chicago Recovery Grant, which aims to fund local development in under-resourced neighborhoods. Herban Garden has yet to hear back about the grant.

Illinois craft growers are initially allowed a maximum 5,000 square feet for canna bis plants. Growers can eventually obtain approval from the Illinois Department of Agriculture to increase in increments of 3,000 square feet, maxing out at 14,000 square feet.

Scott Redman, the founder of the Illinois Independent Craft Growers Association, said

this rule makes it hard to quickly start a profit able business.

“People say, ‘Oh, it’s just growing weed,’” Redman said. “But no, it’s growing a very spe cific plant to very specific and high standards … the final product has to be as consistent as pharmaceuticals.”

Harvesting new ideas

Along with Burns, cannabis also holds par ticular importance for Evanston at large: the city’s 3% tax on recreational cannabis funds its initial reparations program, the Restorative Housing Program.

However, only 16 of 132 eligible recipients were paid in the city’s first round of repara tions payments, which grant each person $25,000 to use on property purchases, mort gage payments or housing repairs. Evanston currently has only one dispensary: Zen Leaf on Maple Avenue.

Burns, a member of the Reparations Com mittee, said Evanston should use the program as an incentive for dispensaries to open up in the city.

“ We’ve tied the success of cannabis to this important social initiative, which gives us every incentive not only to get you here, but make sure you’re successful,” he said.

Burns said it is difficult for craft growers to launch in Evanston due to a lack of empty warehouse space for growth facilities. Evan ston’s cannabis tax only applies to sales at dispensaries within the city.

With his business, Burns hopes to prove that local politicians can balance public ser vice with other jobs. Burns said the $15,990 annual salary for councilmembers and lack of funds for alderpeople to hire staff make it difficult for lower- and middle-income candi dates to justify running for office.

Burns also wants to “address the stigma” around cannabis users — something he pushes for as the 5th Ward’s representative.

In May, City Council passed a resolution proposed by Burns that eliminated cannabi noid screening for city employee applicants. Revised parameters, which passed Monday, allow cannabinoid testing for “safety sensi tive” positions and “instances of reasonable suspicion.”

Burns said his ultimate goal is to create an environmentally sustainable business that edu cates users about responsible cannabis use.

“Even places like Evanston are still not going to allow you to show up completely — with a certain level of nanograms in your sys tem,” Burns said. “We want to educate people about the power of this plant and how to use it responsibly, so that they continue to do the work that they want to do.”

saulpink2025@u.northwestern.edu

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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.

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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

‘1919’ explores Black resistance and hope in Chicago

By ASHTON GOREN the daily northwestern @ash_goren

Steppenwolf Theatre presented “1919” this October, a lyrical play about the 1919 murder of Black teenager Eugene Williams near Chi cago’s segregated lakeshore. The story, adapted by J. Nicole Brooks from Eve L. Ewing’s poetry collection of the same name, explores Black resistance, fortitude and hope.

“1919” follows July 1919 protests after Wil lam’s death, which called into question systemic issues of racism and discimination that are still prevalent today.

Communication Prof. Tasia A. Jones and Ph.D. candidate Gabby Randle-Bent codirected the show. Jones said Williams’ story reverberates today.

“This play is about the past, the present and our

future,” Jones said. “It’s super meaningful that we get to tell a story that encompasses not only our history, but we also get to reflect on that history and how it relates to our present moment.”

“1919” is the first Steppenwolf for Young Adults production since before the COVID19 pandemic. The show’s audience is primar ily Chicago high school students who attend weekday matinees for free.

Jones said students engage with “1919” dif ferently than adult audiences, and she and Ran dle-Bent structured the play with young people in mind. She said she hopes to give students an opportunity to see themselves onstage and connect the story to their own lives.

“1919” will tour at five Chicago Park District locations with free admission. Aspects of the show, like lighting elements and actor move ment, will have to adapt to different perfor mance venues. Jones said she is interested to see how the story will live in new spaces with

local audiences.

“The story is very closely rooted in the South and West sides,” Jones said. “There have been people in the audience who are like, ‘I remem ber that,’ because they are very connected to this history.”

One way the play reconciles with history is by incorporating a headstone for Eugene Wil liams into the set.

Max Thomas, a Chicago native who plays Human 3 in “1919,” said until recently, Wil liams never had a headstone.

“Every time we reveal the headstone, it’s very difficult for me,” Thomas said. “It’s a reminder that we are finally able to see (Eugene’s) full name and the time he died, and he was really forgotten for a hundred years.”

Randle-Bent and Jones are both mothers and Northwestern academics. Randle-Bent said their co-directing partnership thrived because they share similar livelihoods and worldviews.

She said they cared for each other in addition to supporting each other’s work and ideas.

Typical rehearsal spaces also have common practices that are rigid and unaccommodating, such as short breaks and hierarchical structures, Randle-Bent said. She said she approached dis mantling the rigor of theater by casting aside exclusive procedures.

The team had regular check-ins at the begin ning of rehearsal to see how the cast was feel ing. At the end of rehearsal, they sang along to theme songs from Black sitcoms. Jones said they built a community where actors could be vulnerable, laugh and have fun.

“We were building a world that made sense for us, and that meant knocking down the things that didn’t make sense,” Randle-Bent said. “I think that’s a really cool way to lead a revolutionary action.”

ashtongoren2024@u.northwestern.edu

Q&A: Andy Frye discusses ‘Ninety Days in the 90s’

By CAMILLE HAINES the daily northwestern

Chicago author Andy Frye released his book “Ninety Days in the 90s” in June. The story takes readers back in time to Chicago in the ’90s, featur ing a host of pop culture references and broader themes.

“Ninety Days in the 90s” follows Darby Derrex, who accidentally travels back in time to the 1990s after returning to Chicago to run a record store. Derrex is faced with the choice of going home or staying in the past forever.

Frye has covered sports and music for publica tions like Forbes, Rolling Stone and ESPN. The Daily spoke with Frye about his experiences writ ing the book.

This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

The Daily: Where did you get the inspiration to write “Ninety Days in the 90s?”

Frye: In the beginning, I didn’t know the heck I was doing. I got an idea. I was walking around, listening to all my Spotify playlists, which are mostly ’90s rock. At the time, I was listening to a band, and I thought about them playing at little clubs like Jack’s Lounge or Double Door. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to time travel back to that?” I decided if I cared about this idea in two weeks, then I’d give it a crack and see if I can write something.

The Daily: If you were to start the writing pro cess over, is there anything you would change?

Frye: It would have been nice to have written it in three years instead of five. But I think if you’re going to write a book, you’re going to need to know how to do it and how to see yourself through the process.

When you get a new book out, you meet other people who have their first books out. You can tell when somebody has just said, “It’s the fifth or sixth draft, this is good enough,” and writers who

have labored to make sure the story gets through and the characters shine in a way that makes it a better read. I guess I could have done it in two or three years, but it probably wouldn’t have been as good of a book.

The Daily: Outside of this book, you’ve also

written for many publications. Besides “90 Days,” what is your favorite story that you’ve written?

Frye: I got to interview Billie Jean King twice. The most recent time was a couple of weeks ago. Billie Jean King is super talkative, and both times I’ve interviewed her, people come on and they’re like, “She needs to go. We gotta get her off the phone.”

And I’m just listening. And then she’ll be like, “No, no, we’re talking here. We’re having a good conversa tion. So what were you saying, Andy?”

The Daily: Is there anything else that you want readers to know about your book before reading it themselves?

Frye: You don’t necessarily have to be a ’90s music expert, a grunge aficionado or only into punk to like it. The way I kind of pitch it is that it’s a fun, time travel adventure. It’s pop culture heavy, but it really, I think, reads well from anywhere, from Gen Z readers up to Gen X.

Photo courtesy of Michael Brosilow

Illustration by Olivia Abeyta

Andy Frye holds his book “Ninety Days in the 90s” about the Chicago scene in the 1990s.

Reel Thoughts: ‘GOT’ prequel brings fresh stories

By NICOLE MARKUS daily senior staffer @nicolejmarkus

Warning: This article contains spoilers.

“Game of Thrones” was known for the excite ment and suspense that came every Sunday night with new episodes. “House of the Dragon,” the show’s Targaryen-focused prequel, perfectly encapsulates this feeling while bringing a fresh setting and style.

HOTD is an adaptation of the novel “Fire & Blood” by George R. R. Martin (Medill ’70, ’71). The show makes no effort to spare viewers the gore associated with GOT. As the season progresses, the audience sees wars, executions and, rather slowly, King Viserys’ death in Episode Eight.

But HOTD does stand out from GOT in other ways. The original show became known for show casing dozens of characters, each with a unique but eventually converging storyline. GOT was like a puzzle that viewers put together each week, until its disappointing and unexpected ending. HOTD instead focuses on the ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-intertwining Targaryens and, much to viewer delight and awe, their dragons.

Despite having their pick of all of Westeros to wed and rule, HOTD depicts a deeply incestuous royal family who, as the show aptly mentions, can only destroy themselves.

And destroy themselves they do.

Infighting, messy politics and eventual vio lence are the hallmarks of an impending civil war

that viewers recognize as the “Dance of the Drag ons,” which will take place in season two.

The story starts in King’s Landing, within the castle known as the Red Keep. Set 200 years before GOT and 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen, HOTD begins with a bang reminiscent of its pre decessor. Queen Aemma dies in a horrifying birth scene, leaving Viserys wifeless, Princess Rhaenyra motherless and the Iron Throne heirless.

Then the game begins. Upon learning about his brother Daemon’s arrogant and insensitive behavior, Viserys names his only child Rhaenyra as his heir. The problem? Her womanhood.

Although the lords of the noble houses bend the knee to Rhaenyra, it is clear from the start that her ascent to the throne will not be easy or without conflict. After Viserys marries Lady Alicent Hight ower (Rhaenyra’s childhood best friend) and finally produces a male heir, the confusion surrounding the succession of the seven kingdoms only deepens.

What makes HOTD so stressful to watch is its use of misunderstanding. This pattern is show cased when Ser Criston Cole reveals his and Rhaenyra’s impropriety to Queen Alicent even though she was really asking about Rhaenyra and Daemon’s drunken night at a brothel. Because Rhaenyra swore on her mother’s grave that she had not acted inappropriately, Cole’s confession creates a rift so deep between the women that it arguably gives way to the resulting civil war.

The other major misunderstanding in the show, this time between Alicent and Viserys on the night of Viserys’ death, leads Alicent to believe (or want to believe) that Viserys wants their first born son, Aegon, to sit the Iron Throne. Though

Viserys never publicly wavers in his support of Rhaenyra and her claim to the throne, the High towers take this opportunity to usurp the throne and instill Aegon without informing Rhaenyra. Again, this sets the Greens (Alicent’s side) and the Blacks (Rhaenyra’s side) up for war.

But what really starts the dance off is not these misunderstandings, as Rhaenyra is still able to dem onstrate restraint and passion for Westeros after the usurpation of her throne by Otto Hightower, Ali cent and Aegon. Instead, it is the accidental death of her second son Lucerys by Alicent’s second son,

Aemond with his monstrosity of a dragon, Vhagar. HOTD Season One is deeply engaging, thrill ing and devastating to watch. Each episode’s jampacked plot left the audience with much to dis cuss, with new details emerging every week from perceptive fans. Season 2 will likely be released in 2024, with the franchise’s Sunday night phenom enon hopefully continuing long into the future. Until the dance begins, viewers will be left to continue finding easter eggs and new details.

nicolemarkus2025@u.northwestern.edu

Stars speak at NU at Chicago Humanities Festival

By GIDEON PARDO and CHRISTINE HOLTGREIVE the daily northwestern

Campus visitors discussed topics ranging from public art and culinary exploration to American extremism as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival fall event, hosted in part at Northwestern on Saturday.

Founded in 1989, the Chicago Humanities Fes tival has expanded into a year-round program that hosts authors, performers, artists and more to speak throughout the Chicago area. Hosted across campus, the festival returned to NU this year after a COVID-19 pandemic hiatus.

Actor Jeff Garlin, who plays a leading role in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” discussed his time as a young comedian in Chicago’s Second City improv troupe, as well as his experience working with “Curb” co-star Larry David and his recent mental health challenges.

Garlin also mentioned he is currently develop ing a new project, which will be filmed in Chicago

and partially set in Evanston.

Phil Rosenthal, creator of “Everyone Loves Raymond”, shared his experiences traveling abroad for his Netflix documentary series, “Some body Feed Phil.”

For Rosenthal,exploring new countries and eating great food with his family, who are featured throughout the series, were among the highlights of the filming process.

Rosenthal joked that the furthest he ever trav eled as a child was from his home in New York to Atlanta for a bar mitzvah. But while filming the show, he visited countries around the world including Japan, Vietnam and Italy.

He said encouraging the audience to travel is one of the show’s goals.

“The world would be better if we both got to experience a little bit of each other’s experiences,” Rosenthal said.

Elsewhere, reporter Andy Campbell and for mer Capitol police officer Michael Fanone sat down with history Prof. Kathleen Belew for a

moderated discussion on the threat of radicalism to American democracy.

Campbell detailed his experiences covering the rallies of far-right extremist groups, and Fanone spoke about the trauma of guarding the Capitol Building during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Both men also described the numerous threats they have received for speaking out about extremism — and the safety measures they have taken in response.

Fanone also publicly testified in front of the House of Representatives about the Jan. 6 attack.

“I’ve spent a lot of time looking over my shoul der,” he said.

During the “Innocent and Behind Bars” speak ing event, Northeastern law and criminal justice Prof. Daniel S. Medwed explained how innocent people are often convicted by the justice system.

In identifying leading issues with the justice sys tem, Medwe pointed to the misconception that DNA evidence will always free the innocent, plea bargains that coerce the innocent into accepting jail time and an overemphasis on the importance of the trial.

Medwed then outlined possible solutions, includ ing passing criminal justice reform, electing progres sive prosecutors and changing police confession pro cedures. He also emphasized the need for empathy for people behind bars, especially as incarceration rates have continued to rise in the United States.

“There’s not any difference in crime rates — there’s a difference in policing,” Medwed said.

He added that incarcerated people are not fundamentally different from anyone else, and incarceration is often a function of circumstance, including racial and social inequities.

Chicago Humanities Festival member Julie Hanna said the variety and strength of the day’s discussions affirmed the festival’s importance.

“They have all kinds of amazing speakers. A lot of it is cultural, it’s not necessarily all hot-button political stuff,” Hanna said. “It’s really a great and important civic organization.”

gideonpardo2025@u.northwestern.edu christineholtgreive2024@u.northwestern.edu

Liner Notes: Arctic Monkeys rejects ‘Recession pop’

By ELENA HUBERT daily senior staffer @elenahubert25

Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys’ frontman, must have learned a lot from fellow Brit and short-lived prime minister Liz Truss. Both seem to have egre giously miscalculated what people need to survive high inflation and economic pains.

You may have heard of “recession pop”: the Tik Tok-fueled theory that to subvert the current dark ness of economic ruin, pop artists are developing

upbeat music to transport their listeners to the club. Forget the melodrama of Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” — Beyoncé’s “CHURCH GIRL,” for example, will have you “drop it like a thottie” and party the pain away.

Casting aside the band’s roots in energetic punk rock, Turner catalyzes the counterculture to reces sion pop with “The Car,” the band’s newest album released last Friday. In just 10 tracks and 37 minutes, Arctic Monkeys somehow created a record more depressing than the economy’s upheaval.

There’s nothing wrong with the musical matura tion of a band with a current median age of 36 that

got huge when its members were teenagers. But from the band who had thousands screaming the bassline of “Brainstorm” at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival, I beg for some soul-lifting guitar riffs instead of haunting strings.

Like the artistic genius he is, however, Turner knew this would be my reaction to the album. The band, who once sarcastically quipped “Who The F–k Are Arctic Monkeys?” with their aptly titled 2006 EP, is self-reflecting. It’s a fitting theme for the band, who recorded the album in a converted mon astery in rural England last summer. In “The Car,” the band is doubtful of their public and personal persona and, in true “AM” fashion, the meaning of love.

Kicking off a depressing album with — surprise! — a depressing tone is “There’d Better Be a Mir rorball,” but the album’s opener and lead single does little as either. Lead singles and openers typically excite a listener for what’s to come, but “There’d…” seems to have the aim of saddening them. Musically, the track leaves a lot to be desired in sleepy drums and strings, but thematically, the “mirrorball” focus signals at the self-reflection Turner winds through with buttery vocals.

Turner’s lyrics throughout “The Car” are a defi nite highpoint. Though lines such as “Lego Napoleon movie / Written in noble gas-filled glass tubes” take a bit of unraveling, their underlying meanings offer a glimpse into the psyche of the notably shy Brit.

“You’re getting cynical and that won’t do,” Turner sings on “There’d…”, pointedly both at his lover inside the song and the judgmental listener outside the song.

Bright spots in the album’s shadows are “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” and “Body Paint.” In the former, a short segue to funk, Turner croons “Blank expressions invite me to suspect I ain’t quite where I think I am,” likely referencing fans of the formerly punk rock band who fail to recognize it

today. Likewise, “Body Paint,” the album’s other single, paints Turner as “a master of deception and subterfuge” atop lively orchestration and drums.

Reflecting on the album, Turner told British mag azine The Big Issue, “If the idea was to do something that met these expectations, hypothetically, it’s hard for me to even know what that would be.”

Countered by the album’s reflections, Turner’s naivete resembles that of a teenager bent on doing the opposite of what they’re expected to do, or of a ragtag band of teens who shot to global fame for “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.” Although Turner might claim not to know where he is, a return to his fun, rebellious rock roots is what we need.

elenahubert2025@u.northwestern.edu

arts & entertainment

Illustration by Anna Souter Rhaenys Targaryen rides her dragon Meleys after Aegon’s coronation.

Monkeys’

“Whatever

Northwestern falls to Iowa in seventh straight loss

By CHARLOTTE VARNES daily senior staffer @charvarnes11

IOWA CITY, Iowa. – Entering Satur day’s contest, Northwestern and Iowa’s storylines felt similar.

Both teams sat in the basement of the Big Ten West. Both entered on losing streaks – the Wildcats with six straight losses, the Hawkeyes with three. Both have struggling offenses. Both are under fire from fans for the decision to retain coaches rather than fire them.

But the matchup between Iowa and the NU emerged as a battle of contrasts.

A vibrant Iowa City crowd of yellow and black leapt to its feet, while a small crowd of purple sat sullenly in a corner of the stands. An ever-moving, seemingly unstoppable Hawkeyes’ offense met an error-prone Cats’ defense. Iowa’s nationally-ranked defense stymied an NU offense that seem ingly had no key in the ignition.

“We’ve got to find a way to win a game,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “Nobody likes the way this feels right now. This is not why you do what you do.”

The Cats (1-7, 1-4 Big Ten) fell to the Hawkeyes (4-4, 2-3) by a 33-13 score, giv ing Iowa fans something to cheer about as the program hit .500 and tallied another Big Ten win.

The Hawkeyes’ offense – notably, one of the nation’s worst – ended up becoming the

story of the game. Iowa’s 33 points marked a new season-high, and its most since November 2021. The Hawkeyes appeared seemingly unstoppable, scoring on each of their four series in the first half.

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras looked effortless, going 21-for-30 while tallying 220 yards. He had no trouble, connecting on wide-open pass after wide-open pass. Highlights like Petras’ opening score and wide receiver Arland Bruce IV’s 23-yard touchdown run late in the game had Hawk eye fans on their feet, bringing electricity and momentum to Kinnick Stadium.

Fitzgerald credited Petras, saying he played his best game of the season amid what he called the Hawkeyes’ “best game of the year.”

But it wasn’t just Petras that pow ered Iowa’s victory. The Cats’ defensive breakdowns, missed tackles and miscues certainly helped Iowa’s cause. Quiet indi vidual performances only added to NU’s woes, as no individual recorded more than 10 total tackles. Senior defensive linemen Adetomiwa Adebawore was not his usual disruptive self, finishing without a tackle and only making it on the stat sheet with a single quarterback hurry.

Fitzgerald said he has tried to urge play ers to show up to compete on gameday.

“We need our best players to play better,” Fitzgerald said. “I challenged them a couple weeks ago that (in) Big Ten football, (if) you’re a starter, you’re expected to perform and play well.”

Cats come in fifth at Big Ten Championship

By KATE WALTER daily senior staffer @katewalter03

It’s been 36 years since Northwest ern last saw this level of success.

After breaking into the national rankings for the first time since 2002, the No. 29 Wildcats placed fifth at Big Ten Championships on Friday for their highest finish at the conference meet since 1986.

Graduate student Rachel McCa rdell and senior Kalea Bartolotto led this historic effort, earning All-Big Ten honors with their seventh (20:23) and eleventh (20:29) place finishes in the 6K.

“It’s just very validating that we have been doing the right things, like (we’ve been) right to trust the pro cess,” McCardell said of the team’s historic performance. “And it just confirms why me, Hannah (Hall), Olivia (Verbeke), all of us chose to come back for this fifth year.”

McCardell’s finish represents a 56 place improvement since her 63rd place finish at the Big Ten Champi onships her freshman year. Bartolotto snagged a personal best time at the championship meets and earned AllBig Ten second team honors.

Graduate student Ari Marks crossed the line in 16th place with a time of 20:39. Sophomores Anna Hightower (21:12) and Ava Earl (21:14) finished within seconds of each other in 40th and 43rd, respec tively, mirroring their performances at NU’s last contest: the Bradley Pink Classic.

Coach Jill Miller said her runners “gave us everything they had,” noting that the team’s score of 116 points was closer to first place No. 23 Michigan State with 78 points than sixth place Penn State with 159 points.

In just the past three seasons, NU has climbed eight places in its Big Ten finishes, finishing 13th as recently as 2019. The Cats placed three runners

in the top 20 on Friday, exceeding last season’s Big Ten’s Performance when McCardell was NU’s sole top20 finisher and the team took seventh overall.

Coach Jill Miller said the team is proud of this growth and is ready to keep improving.

“We’ve really climbed to the upper echelon in our conference,” Miller said. “So I’m really proud of all of them for all of the work that it’s taken to get us this far, but it leaves them wanting more.

The Cats have the chance to earn their second-ever Nationals berth since 2002 at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in less than two weeks.

Currently ranked second in the Midwest region, only falling behind nationally No. 3 Oklahoma State, NU will have to hold its ground against other teams to achieve automatic qualification for NCAA Championships.

“Oklahoma State is a team that is going to battle for the National Cham pionship ultimately,” Miller said. “But teams like Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa State, Bradley are going to show up ready to run because everybody wants that second spot, the auto bid to the National Championship.”

Regionals are held at Gans Creek in Colombia, Missouri – a course the Cats are already familiar with after rac ing at the Gans Creek Classic earlier this season.

McCardell said NU is proud of its historic Big Ten’s performance and wants to build upon its success in the future.

“The vision is that next year and years after we move up past just fifth place and that, you know, fifth place seems (like) old news,” McCardell said. “While we’re really excited about the success that we’ve been having, we do view it as a stepping stone for the program and where it’s going.”

Defensive breakdowns only made mat ters worse for the Cats’ offense, which, at times, appeared beyond its depth. Sopho more quarterback Brendan Sullivan started his second game for NU, going a competi tive 23-for-30. But he managed just 159 yards, and Iowa’s defense sacked him seven times for a loss of 54 yards.

Sullivan frequently connected with junior running back Evan Hull, who fin ished as the Cats’ leading rusher on Satur day. Hull credited Sullivan’s strength, saying that he has the necessary confidence to lead as quarterback.

“He’s getting his feet wet,” Hull said. “That can come with struggles, but I’ve seen him take them head-on and embrace them and continue to get better.”

Now, NU will regroup before taking on No. 2 Ohio State next Saturday. The Buck eyes have won eight straight, while the Cats ride a seven-game losing streak.

Junior linebacker Xander Mueller said there will be no changes to preparation ahead of the weekend’s matchup. He said the team has embraced attacking each week at practice since the summer, and they’re ready to do the same this week.

For Fitzgerald, preparation for the Ohio State game began immediately following Saturday’s loss.

“Number one, they’ve got to walk out of the locker room and leave this (in Iowa),” Fitzgerald said.

charlottevarnes2024@u.northwestern.edu

NU gets revenge against Rutgers

By LUCAS KIM daily senior staffer @lucaskim_15

When Northwestern tied Rutgers earlier this season, the Wildcats knew they were the better team.

“Our second half last game, we just completely dominated,” junior mid fielder Josie Aulicino said. “Rutgers couldn’t even breathe trying to build out of the back.”

So when the Scarlet Knights –– the reigning Big Ten regular season champi ons –– were announced as NU’s opponent for the first round of the Big Ten Tourna ment, the Cats remained confident.

No. 20 Rutgers (13-4-2, 5-3-2 Big Ten) entered Sunday’s match as the seventh seed, but failed to pull off the upset as No. 12 NU (14-3-2, 7-2-1 Big Ten) stood its ground and won 2-1.

Seven minutes in, however, the game didn’t seem to be going the Cats’ way as the Scarlet Knights quickly put one on the board.

A well-placed through ball narrowly avoided two NU defenders and rolled right into the possession of Rutgers forward Riley Tiernan, who snuck the ball past graduate student keeper Mia Raben from a difficult angle.

“It was kind of like, ‘Well, what just happened and how are we going to respond?’” coach Michael Moynihan said. “And it was just a matter of feel ing it out.”

After another dangerous Scarlet Knight possession, the Cats seemed in trouble, but senior midfielder Rowan Lapi turned the tables in spectacular fashion.

Receiving the ball from well outside the box, the captain sent a powerful, left-footed strike into the left side of the net. The Rutgers keeper got a slight touch on the ball but not enough to keep it out.

“I knew she was gonna hit it,” Auli cino said. “It was just one of those moments where I saw her take the touch, and she just looked up and she wanted it. It was like a change in mood.”

Lapi’s 21st-minute goal ignited an

NU offense that tallied 17 shots total, including nine shots on goal.

Shortly following halftime, another long-range goal firmly put the Cats in the lead. This time, junior defender Nicole Doucette held the launch codes.

A few feet from the sideline, Doucette sent a cross into the box which bounced over two NU players and ended up in the far side of the net. Anticipating a touch from one of the two Cats, Scarlet Knight keeper Mea gan McClelland failed to stop the ball after it continued on its original path.

Following the goal, focus then shifted onto NU’s defense, who were losing energy due to Rutgers’ threeforward formation. In response, the Cats moved to a four-back formation, which made it easier for them to con tain the Rutgers offense.

“We had talked about it at halftime just because of the spacing,” Moynihan

said. “It was a good call. I thought we really shut them down after that.”

The score remained 2-1 for the remainder of the game, propelling NU to the tournament semifinals for the first time since 2017. The team will face sixth seed Penn State on Thursday.

The two teams last played each other in 2021, when the unranked Cats pulled off a 2-1 upset victory over the No. 12 Nittany Lions.

NU will look to build upon its two consecutive wins as it takes on Penn State.

“Getting the win against Ohio State was really good for us in build ing momentum back after two losses,” Lapi said. “Now that we got this one under our belt, especially coming back from behind, I think we have a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Alyce Browni/The Daily Northwestern

Claudia Arriaga/The Daily Northwestern