For actor Beanie Feldstein, friendship is the “most
important thing” in her life, both on- and off-screen.
Feldstein discussed how relationships with co-stars, directors and other colleagues have shaped her at Northwestern Hillel’s
donated $5 million to create an intensive summer writing workshop and an endowed storytelling professorship at NU.
Wednesday celebrity speaker event, which drew a crowd of about 300. Throughout the conversation, she also emphasized the importance of her identity as a queer Jewish woman and discussed her
Evanston voters decided overwhelmingly to replace the city’s “winner-take-all” voting system with ranked-choice voting Tuesday night. Proponents of the referendum say the change will lead to fairer elections and less acrimonious campaigns.
The vote made Evanston the first municipality in Illinois to adopt the system. 82% of voters approved the measure with 98% of precincts reporting.
second-choice candidates receive their first-place votes. The process continues in rounds until one candidate achieves a majority.
“We’re just so happy to see an overwhelmingly positive mandate from Evanston,” said Rebecca Ratliff, campaign manager for RCV for Evanston.
Ahead of the election, RCV for Evanston organized local volunteers to phone-bank and canvas in favor of the referendum.
By NICOLE MARKUS daily senior staffer @nicolejmarkusAuthor George R.R. Martin (Medill ’70, ’71) spoke about his time at Northwestern, “Game of Thrones” and his life in between at a Wednesday Medill event.
Martin is the author of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, which was later adapted into the acclaimed television shows “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon.”
“Few people in the last generation have had the cultural impact that (Martin) has had in books and in television,” University President Michael Schill said at the event. “In an age of fragmented audiences, George has been able to bend the popular imagination in his direction with timeless themes of human hope and struggle, told with unmatched vividness and power.”
The Medill alum recently
Medill Dean Charles Whitaker, who moderated the conversation, expressed his appreciation for Martin’s contributions to his alma mater.
“I can’t tell you how grateful we are that you’ve made this tremendous investment in storytelling in Medill and Northwestern,” Whitaker said.
Martin said he started writing science fiction and fantasy during his childhood. His motivation for coming to NU stemmed from a desire to experience the world beyond the confines of his neighborhood, he said.
At NU, Martin experienced a tumultuous time, including the Bursar’s Office Takeover in 1968.
Throughout his collegiate career, Martin continued to practice storytelling. During a class on Scandinavian history, he asked the professor to write a fiction paper instead of the traditional research paper. His professor loved it so much
wide-ranging resume.
“My North Star has always been friendship,” Feldstein said. “Friendship has led me through my life and made me
The procedure will go into effect for the city’s spring 2025 mayoral, city clerk and City Council elections. In a ranked-choice voting system, voters rank candidates from highest to lowest preference, instead of voting for a single candidate. If a candidate wins 50% of the first-place votes, they win.
If no candidate secures a majority, the individual with the fewest votes is eliminated and their voters’
Voters’ approval of the referendum swings Evanston away from its current system, in which the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not hold a majority. All other elections, including school board races and county elections, will continue to go to the candidate that receives the most votes.
Mayor Daniel Biss is among many Evanston officials that encouraged residents to vote “yes” on the referendum. Biss has long advocated for ranked-choice voting: he introduced a 2017 bill as an Illinois state senator that would have enacted ranked-choice voting for state elections.
Evanston voters showed up across the city’s polling locations Tuesday to exercise their civic duty, hold political candidates accountable and decide the country’s future.
Voters said various Illinois issues drove them to the polls –– namely women’s reproductive rights at stake in Illinois Supreme Court elections, Evanston’s ranked-choice voting measure and the gubernatorial race.
Jazmin Jones-Oliver, who is originally from Florida, voted in Evanston for the first time this midterm election. She said the most important thing for her was voting for future generations.
“That’s how I cast my vote — what life do I want for my children and grandchildren? That’s who is really going to be impacted by the things we vote on today,” Oliver said.
Evanston had early voting leading up to the election, lasting between Oct. 24 through
Nov. 7 at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center. Today, 25 number polling locations were open from 6 a.m. to 7
p.m. including the Evanston Public Library, Noyes Cultural Center, Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center and
A health assessment in July revealed that residents of the historically Black 5th Ward have a life expectancy five to 13 years shorter than residents in local predominantly white neighborhoods.
Every five years, the Health and Human Services Department conducts the Evanston Process for Local Assessment of Needs (EPLAN) to holistically look at the health of the city and plan for specific areas that need improvement.
Health department Community Health Specialist Kristin Meyer conducted the study and said data was gathered based on census tracts rather than by ward. Census tracts are small subdivisions of the county used to collect census data.
Evanston currently has 19 census tracts as of 2020, with one tract corresponding closely with the 5th Ward. The tract had a life expectancy of 75.5 years, as compared to 88.8 years in the tract roughly representing the 7th Ward.
“If you only looked at (Evanston’s) average life expectancy, it would be higher than the U.S. average,” Meyer said. “But when you start to drill down by geography, race and ethnicity, we see a really different picture emerge.”
Meyer said the study highlights a pattern of concentrated wealth and privilege in non-Latine white populations in the Northern and Eastern portions of Evanston. She said Western Evanston shows economic and health disadvantages, particularly in the 5th Ward, which has been historically redlined.
Director of Community Leadership at the Evanston Community Foundation Karli Butler said herself and others were shocked when they first heard the study’s results at a data walk hosted by the city and Evanston Cradle to Career.
“You could hear people like ‘Wow.’ There were reactions of, ‘This is terrible,’” Butler said. “There was a sense of urgency to address this. It’s not right, it’s really upsetting.”
The health department has conducted several focus groups, data walks and other community
forums to receive public input on the data since its release. Meyer said the health department also partnered with the ECF during the last few months, to hear what people thought was needed to improve health and well-being across the city.
While Meyer said the Health and Human Services Department is reaching out to the entire community, she said it’s concentrated on soliciting input from the 5th Ward.
“Because the findings center around disproportionate harm, (5th ward residents) need to be at the center of imagining the solutions,” Meyer said. “They are the experts on the problem because they’re living it, so it was our responsibility to take the data to them so they can have ownership over their own narrative.”
The health department found three overarching priorities to help address these disparities.
The first priority is mental and emotional well-being, which Meyer said must include
acknowledging collective trauma as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the uptick of community violence seen in recent years.
The second is climate resilience, recognizing that the climate crisis is a public health issue and its disproportionate impact on people who are low income, have disabilities or are housing insecure.
“A big finding of this report is how much the environment and community around us shapes our health,” Meyer said. “Our choices are shaped by the resources we have access to and those resources are different depending on how much income we have.”
Racial inequality is the third priority. Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) told The Daily health inequalities and income inequities have long correlated with race.
Burns said he’s glad the assesment’s public data is making people aware of these disparities
“It’s an important time for change because
people are alert and ready to make a difference,” Burns said. “We have an opportunity to seize and create the type of change that we’ve needed for a while now.”
Meyer said Health and Human Services plans to make a recording of some of the EPLAN findings, particularly connecting the patterns of health inequity to Evanson’s history of redlining, in the next few months.
She added the hope is to disseminate the results more broadly, beyond participants of city-organized meetings.
“The problem of desegregation doesn’t just live in the past,” Meyer said. “When you drill down to a neighborhood level we see these patterns where health falls on those geographical and racial lines so this presentation will try to tell that story.”
ellajeffries2025@u.northwestern.edu“The academic profile is higher than the activist profile, but the activist profile is what I adore. It’s not a profile per se, it’s a practice of humility, and also courage. The practice evolves in a loveless state. The state’s animus against you keeps you disciplined, and that discipline enables your capacity to love the most vulnerable. And the way you are positioned in struggle radiates beyond any kind of linear, unitary animus. If violence is arrayed against me because I’m Black, or if I’m female, queer, or undocumented, add more. You can do an additive approach like a vulnerability index, but that still could not deal with the multidimensional reality of people who literally kept communities alive, and are keeping them alive. What if the most hopeful people are those without hope in the system?”
As the 2022 midterm election results started pouring in, Northwestern students followed races around the country. Though these students spent Election Day in Evanston, many were invested in hometown outcomes.
SESP sophomore Mia Xia, who grew up in Texas, said she was most interested in the state’s gubernatorial race. Xia said she voted for Beto O’Rourke (D) and convinced family and friends to follow her lead.
“I think (Gov. Greg) Abbott and Republicans in Texas don’t represent marginalized people or my personal values,” Xia said. “It’s really important for me to see the people who need the most aid get represented in Texas government.”
Though O’Rourke lost the position to Abbott, Xia said his efforts to rally people to the polls will slowly help shift the state. However, she did express worries about how Republicans will continue to determine the state’s political direction in the next few years.
For Weinberg junior and Chicago resident Jane Clarke, the Illinois gubernatorial race sparked some concerns. Clarke worried Darren Bailey (R), who incumbent J.B. Pritzker (D) funded during the primaries, would be too “crazy” as governor.
After Pritzker’s victory, she said she felt glad he would continue to lead Illinois. Clarke said he has done a good job as governor so far, but hopes he will continue to address a host of issues, including the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“We’re in the Midwest among a lot of states that are banning abortion,” Clarke said. “(We should) make sure that we’re protecting people who are coming from states like Wisconsin, Iowa and places where it’s going to be really hard to get an abortion after the Dobbs decision.”
Clarke also followed several local elections after working with a Democratic campaign in Evanston this summer.
Weinberg senior David Grow followed the
senate race in Ohio, backing J.D. Vance (R). Grow said Vance aligns with his personal views on issues like abortion and gun control.
Vance’s victory shows that Ohio is shifting from a battleground state to a more conservative stronghold, Grow said. He added he’s “excited and happy” to see where the state is headed in the future.
“I hope he just doesn’t forget where he came from, which is a kind of rural Ohio town where there’s people struggling,” Grow said. “We need someone who’s going to go out there and fight for regular Ohioans, not just what the Democrats want.”
Weinberg sophomore Victor Criollo is following two races closely: a representative race in his old district, New Jersey’s 7th Congressional
District, and the Georgia senate race. Neither race has been called at this time, but the New Jersey seat is expected to flip to the Republican candidate.
Criollo has donated to Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D) campaign in the past. He said he hopes Democrats don’t suffer massive losses, and that young people will keep showing up to the polls even if the results don’t go in their favor.
“I hope American voices get heard and the people get to show national and local leaders the issues they really care about and the way they want to see America progress,” Criollo said.
Davis Giangiulio contributed reporting. joannahou2025@u.northwestern.edu
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This fall, Ryan Hilinski’s life as a quarterback for the Wildcats and his role as a Northwestern student intersected in an unlikely but salient place — social media.
One of Hilinski’s classes is COMM_ST 227: Communication & Technology, a lecture class in the Communication Studies department that explores the impact modern technologies can have on mental health and overall well-being. The discussion on the harmful aspects of social networks, such as body image and negativity, caught the junior’s attention.
As NU’s starting quarterback for the beginning of the 2022 season and a starter in previous seasons for the Cats and South Carolina Gamecocks, Hilinski has been a fixture in the spotlight, on the field and online. His social media presence reflects that — he has more than 25,000 followers on Twitter and more than 47,000 on Instagram.
Hilinski’s social media presence is a prime example of the duality college athletes face in using social media. The California native has used his accounts to promote brands such as Degree and Portillo’s through Name, Image and Likeness, and utilizes Twitter and Instagram to engage with fans and commend his teammates. But with NU (1-8, 1-5 Big Ten) in the midst of a turbulent 2022 season and Hilinski shifting out of the starting lineup, social media platforms haven’t been a hospitable place for the Cats.
With today’s college football landscape making social media a near necessity, Hilinski said he approaches social media with intentionality — making the most of the platforms’ unique opportunities, while tuning out the crowd noise.
“With social media and athletes, if we use it the right way it can definitely be positive, but when you start reading the comments you start reading all of the comments and the bad stuff people have to say about you, it can be harmful,” Hilinski said. “If you have a good crew around you like we do at Northwestern, it can be very positive.”
From Hilinski and his teammates to coach Pat Fitzgerald, NU knows social media can easily become a distraction.
In the Cats’ run to the Big Ten Championship in 2020, NU football’s social media accounts recorded some of the highest growth rates in the nation as fans could publicly celebrate their team’s romp through the Big Ten West. But with NU in the rut of an eightgame losing streak this season, discourse has taken on a much more negative — and at times, toxic — tone, from users second-guessing decisions to calling for
new faces at coordinator positions.
“There’s very little fact, there’s a lot of opinion on social media,” Fitzgerald said. “You’ve got to be able to decipher that and be mature, and not ride the roller coaster when things are great of being too high and when things are challenging of being too low.”
Hilinski said he deletes social media apps during the season, while graduate running back and captain Andrew Clair follows the social media advice Fitzgerald gave the team — paying attention to coaches and teammates rather than Twitter opinions.
“For us not performing to our capabilities, fans have a right, media has the right, everyone has a right to voice their opinion,” Clair said. “A lot of times, they don’t really know what’s going on behind doors, behind the scenes and people are just speaking from surface things they see.”
Still, both athletes see moderation as the best way to build a personal brand on social media.
In addition to his posts promoting NIL partners, Hilinski has used his accounts to highlight his family’s foundation, Hilinski’s Hope, which aims to destigmatize the conversation around mental health and support student athletes. Social media platforms have also provided players the opportunity to draw attention to their teammates’ accomplishments and identify with NU’s brand. When converted defensive lineman Duke Olges came on the field as a tight end and
hauled in a touchdown against Iowa, the Cats’ players immortalized the clip on their Instagram stories.
“It does take a lot of responsibility, especially as a college player and depending on where you are, it can be a lot and take a toll on you,” Clair said. “Just knowing the ins and outs of who you are, what your brand is, what you’re trying to do and accomplish, social media can be very beneficial.”
Social media — and college football itself — does not look the same as it did when Hilinski and Clair started their college careers. Illinois did not adopt NIL legislation until June 2021, and since then NIL has revolutionized personal branding in a college athletics context. The rapid pace of change has raised the stakes further, and the line between promoting a personal brand and becoming a distraction has thinned.
Hilinski said his approach to social media has shifted over his four years in college football. His goal now is to prioritize the results on the field above all else.
“Social media is great in building your brand and all of that stuff, but when that becomes more important than the other stuff in your life, then you need to make a change,” Hilinski said. “I’ve seen that with a couple guys and talked with them about it, but it’s definitely something you learn as you go.” johnriker2023@u.northwestern.edu
When tough times approach, the weak vanish and the strong remain ready to fight for victory. This mentality describes Northwestern’s football program in more ways than one — regardless of the outcomes, the squad is a brotherhood through thick and thin.
Ahead of another difficult contest against Minnesota (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten), the Wildcats’ (1-8, 1-5 Big Ten) fueling factor is their camaraderie on and off the field, according to junior running back Evan Hull. A central component to NU’s offense, he said the team’s bond powers them through hard defeats — such as last week’s 21-7 loss to No. 2 Ohio State — and inspires them to give one hundred percent on the field.
“I think what really shows growth is everybody sticking together through (this season),” Hull said. “That’s not something you can measure but you can
feel just in the locker room and out on the field.”
The Cats will need a brotherhood bond Saturday as they face one of the most prolific offensive units in the Big Ten conference. With an impressive run game and star studded running backs like sixth year running Mohamed Ibrahim, who has rushed 1,083 yards thus far in the season, NU’s defense and defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil will be put to the test once again.
However, the Cats’ performances in the trenches against Ohio State — especially under the extreme wind conditions — was something of which coach Pat Fitzgerald said he was proud. The secondary held their own with one of the best offenses in the No. 2 Buckeyes, silencing Heisman Trophy candidate C.J. Stroud to a season-low of 79 passing yards.
Junior defensive back Cameron Mitchell attributed the group’s brotherhood to the trust the players have with one another. He said the defensive line has made strides down the stretch this season, noting the individual play compared to their collective movement as a whole. Mitchell’s role as one of the leaders of the defense pushed him to really be a leader for
the younger players on the team and demonstrate to them the beauty of the bond the team creates with these games.
“Our secondary is a really experienced group and we have been playing with each other for a little while,” Mitchell said. “Just going out there and trusting each other and knowing what we’re all capable of is a big deal.”
This leadership has been a crucial factor to NU’s calm composure on both ends of the field. Whether it’s the players on the field or the coaching staff, the Cats have relied on a strong belief in one another’s ability to compete against more accomplished opponents, despite the eight-game losing streak.
Yet, the squad’s offense must pull out all stops against a mediocre Gophers’ defensive line. Although starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan left the Ohio State game early due to an injury, his vision and ability to capitalize on the blitz plays could cause trouble for Minnesota.
“Our staff put together a really good plan to be prepared for the elements,” Fitzgerald said. “We pretty much executed except for a couple plays and those ended up being the difference in the game.”
Hull and junior running back Cam Porter have contributed to the rushing scheme, gaining 172 out of the 206 total rushing yards versus the Buckeyes. Hull said there is full trust in Sullivan’s lead, allowing him and Porter to give it their all on the plays. Considering the successful production for the first half of last week’s game, the Cats could look to replicate this tactic Saturday.
While the season has been far from the outcome NU expected or hoped for, the benefits of this year has been the building of the team, helmets on or off. Despite it being early to call this season a quits, the Cats are hoping their strength in brotherhood can fuel the potential to be successful next year.
Still a young team, the commitment to creating and strengthening this bond is something that will make the program more of a threat for future seasons. The Cats are hoping this bond can help spark a victory over Minnesota this weekend.
“I would call (the team) a brotherhood,” Hull said. “I think the adversity we have gone through has made us tighter.”
Fighting the rain and gale-force winds, Northwestern nearly pulled off a miracle Saturday against No. 2 Ohio State.
The Wildcats (1-8, 1-5 Big Ten) played like a team renewed: the secondary exposed seemingly all of the Buckeyes’ (9-0, 6-0) weaknesses, sophomore quarterback Brendan Sullivan showcased his electric playmaking ability and the play was gritty across the field. But Ohio State is ranked among the best of the best for a reason, and a second-half comeback sealed NU’s eighth straight loss.
Now, taking to the skies for a contest against Minnesota, the Cats are in search of their first victory in the United States in 389 days. The Golden Gophers, ranked fifth in the Big Ten West, look to win their third straight contest against NU.
Here are a few things to keep an eye on as Minnesota and the Cats meet on Saturday.
leading to “advantageous” situations on third downs. It will be worth watching whether NU’s defense can hold strong against the gritty Golden Gophers’ offense.
Temperatures are dropping, the wind is whipping and Big Ten football is heating up.
Saturday’s contest against the Buckeyes drew national attention for the wild weather. Winds reached up to 80 miles per hour in Cook County during the game, which nearly went into a weather delay.
The Cats’ matchup against Minnesota will make it two in a row. Sure, there won’t be wild winds. But the high will be 31 degrees on Saturday — a significant drop from a balmy, 62 degree kickoff temperature against Ohio State.
Fitzgerald said the sudden weather changes make Big Ten football fun. Ahead of kickoff against the Golden Gophers, he said the Cats are focusing on taking it all in stride.
“You (have) gotta lean into it,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s what we talk about here: you embrace it and you enjoy it.”
Sure, it was a loss. But after losing eight straight matchups, holding the No. 2 team in the country to just 21 points – its lowest total since facing Notre Dame in September – feels like an achievement.
The Cats’ defense delivered a dynamic, all-around team performance on Saturday. Junior linebacker Bryce Gallagher led NU with seven tackles, joined by 11 other teammates who recorded at least one tackle. Their efforts were key to stymieing the Buckeyes, who looked out of their element during much of the first half.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald credited the Cats’ defense for their strong performance Saturday, saying the number of pass breakups and one-on-one situations stood out to him.
“I don’t think that had a lot to do with the wind,” Fitzgerald said. “It had a lot to do with the way our guys executed.”
On paper, the Golden Gophers should pose less of a challenge. Minnesota’s offense ranks sixth in the Big Ten — seemingly less frightening than Ohio State’s No. 1 unit.
But the Golden Gophers know how to make plays when it counts, ranking first in the Big Ten in third down conversions. Fitzgerald said Minnesota is efficient on first and second downs,
Did you know that NU can still win the Big Ten West? Well, now you do.
Regardless of whether this perfect storm can happen, the Cats’ contest against Minnesota begins the march toward the end of the season and, eventually, the Big Ten Championship.
Sitting at 1-8 and riding an eight-game losing streak, the stakes are high for NU’s next three matchups against the Golden Gophers, Purdue and Illinois. Perhaps bowl eligibility is out of the question. Perhaps achieving the Big Ten West title is unthinkable. But the Cats have a chance to rack up their first win since Week 0 and prove that a dynamic performance against Ohio State wasn’t a fluke.
For Fitzgerald, focusing on the basics has been key to readying for the tough task ahead.
“We (have) got to continue to stress what’s important, and that’s fundamental football,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s consistent execution. It’s playing clean football for 60 minutes.”
charlottevarnes2024@u.northwestern.edu
4 Michigan (4-0, 7-0)
2 Ohio State (3-0, 6-0)
16 Penn State (2-1, 5-1)
Maryland (2-2, 5-2)
Michigan State (1-3, 3-4)
Indiana (1-3, 3-4)
Rutgers (0-3, 3-3)
18 Illinois (3-1, 6-1)
Purdue (3-1, 5-2)
Nebraska (2-2, 3-4)
Minnesota (1-2, 4-2)
Iowa (1-2, 3-3)
Northwestern (1-2, 1-5)
Wisconsin (1-2, 3-4)
1. Can NU’s defense recreate the Ohio State magic?
million of self funding in late September — according to Illinois State Board of Elections filings. Bailey has raised over $2.4 million as of Sept. 30.
After an embattled campaign, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been re-elected to his role for a second term, according to the Associated Press. With 92% of votes reported, Pritzker received 54% of the votes. Pritzker is an heir to the Hyatt Hotel franchise fortune and has a net worth of $3.6 billion.
His opponent, Darren Bailey, is a Republican and state Senator from Xenia, Illinois.
Bailey has received 43% of reported votes.
Pritzker reported over $80.8 million raised this election cycle — including $20
Pritzker focused much of his campaign on his economic track record, as well as Bailey’s stance on abortion. Reproductive health care has been heavily restricted across the midwest, with Illinois becoming a sanctuary state for reproductive rights.
The SAFE-T Act, signed into law under Pritzker, was a major talking point for Bailey. He alleged that the legislation, which eliminates cash bail, allows violent criminals to walk free. However, supporters of the act argue that the practice perpetuates financial inequities, so its implementation would level the playing field for all defendants.
Bailey also honed in on Pritzker’s COVID-19 pandemic policies throughout his campaign. He first gained notoriety after filing a lawsuit opposing the governor’s stay-at-home mandate, and he has since positioned himself as a foil to pandemic-era restrictions, which he has said harmed local businesses.
“We have earned the right to take pride in this state,” Pritzker said in his victory speech Tuesday night. “And I remain humbled that you’ve chosen me again to be your governor.”
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth won the U.S. Senate race for Illinois over Republican candidate Kathy Salvi, clinching her second Congressional term.
As results came in, Duckworth maintained around 60% of the vote, though her lead dropped several percentage points throughout the night. Duckworth came in at 55.8% of the vote, with Salvi at 42.4% and Libertarian candidate Bill Redpath at 1.7%. In Cook County, Duckworth won with a 74% majority.
The Associated Press initially called the race with zero percent of the vote reported, just minutes after Illinois polls closed at 7 p.m. Duckworth, who has served in the Senate since 2016, was projected to win by a 15.3 point margin, according to a FiveThirtyEight poll updated Nov. 8. The incumbent created a major fundraising gap over her opponents, swaying voters in the democratic stronghold of Illinois.
Duckworth was also the first Thai American and first woman with a disability elected to Congress, as well as the first female double amputee in the Senate.
Salvi, a political newcomer, is a Chicago-area attorney. She defeated six other candidates in a heavily contested Republican primary in June, and focused her campaign on combating crime and lowering inflation.
Redpath was the former chairman, treasurer and representative of the Libertarian National Committee and ran as the Libertarian candidate for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020.
Duckworth served as a U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District for two terms from 2013 to 2017 and as the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. An Iraq War veteran, she currently chairs the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee.
In her victory speech delivered just over an hour after the race was called, Duckworth spoke about combating gun violence, protecting access to reproductive health care, and supporting parents, families and veterans.
She highlighted the state’s role in driving American innovation,
emphasizing how “Illinoisans have led the way.”
“My life is the American dream come true, and I’m honored to get to keep working to help every kid in every pocket of Illinois to realize their own dreams, too,” she said.
Illinois news network WGN9 reported that Salvi released an official concession statement following Duckworth’s speech, wishing her the best in supporting all Illinoisans.
As an immigrant and a veteran, Duckworth also said Tuesday’s win inspired her to continue helping others achieve what she had.
While serving in Iraq in 2004, Duckworth lost both her legs in a helicopter accident. She received a Pur ple Heart award, which honors military personnel wounded in battle, and has been an outspoken advo cate for veterans’ rights throughout her political career.
Ahead of the election, Duckworth spent far more than her opponents. The incumbent raised $20.4 million and spent $14.6 million, while Salvi raised $1.1 million and spent just under $968,000, according to OpenSecrets.org.
As she looks to take on her second term as Senator, Duckworth said building on the work of her first term will be crucial to achieving equity, both across the U.S. and across Illinois.
“We are a state uniquely posi tioned to keep powering this nation as we have done for so long,” she said. “But what we have accomplished in the past doesn’t determine what we will achieve in the future. We can’t let up now.”
lilycarey2025@u. northwestern.edu
greater majority.”
Schakowsky has been in the role since 1999, and prior to that, spent eight years in the Illinois General Assembly. She campaigned on protecting women’s reproductive rights, preventing gun violence and protecting senior citizens’ access to social security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Within the 9th district — which includes Evanston, Skokie and other northern Chicago suburbs — Schakowsky took 75% of the Cook County vote and 51% of the McHenry County vote and 53% of the Lake County vote.
Schakowsky currently serves as the senior chief deputy whip and as a member of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, House Budget Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee in the United States House.
Rice — a “Republican in philosophy,” according to his website — promised to practice nonpartisan governing. He said would disown his affiliation with the Republican party if elected, though he ran as an unopposed Republican in the party’s primary.
FiveThirtyEight gave Schakowsky a 99% chance of winning the seat. In 2021, she took 71% of the vote.
Schakowsky said after her victory at 10:05 p.m. that she would spend the rest of her night watching races across the country, hoping to see a Democrat majority sweep the nation. She said it could mean the most progressive and transformative congressional session in history addressing reproductive rights, gun violence and affordable healthcare.
“If we do keep the House and Senate, then right away, we could actually undo the Dobbs (v. Jackson) decision and make sure that in the United States of America, reproductive rights that abortion rights are protected,” Schakowsky said.
Ward west of McDaniel Avenue, which belongs to District 17. In the statehouse, Gabel has focused on juvenile-related criminal justice initiatives and was appointed as assistant majority leader in the new Speaker of the House’s leadership team
Her reelection campaign focused expanding Medicaid coverage and protecting abortion rights. She’s endorsed by the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action and Gun Violence Prevention PAC.
Hutchinson, who won the Republican nomination, is a private attorney and president of Wilmette-Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce. His platform has centered on pushing for stronger parental involvement in public education and
jorjasiemons2024@u.northwestern.edu
Residents appear to have voted in favor of an Illinois amendment that may enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution.
The legislation, dubbed the ‘Workers Rights Amendment’ among activists and named Amendment 1 on the ballot of Illinois Voters, gives workers a state constitutional right to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions.
The amendment needed three-fifths support of those voting on the issue or a simple majority of all ballots cast in the 2022 election to pass.
The amendment’s passage stands directly
in contrast to “right-to-work” laws, acts that prohibit requiring workers to join a union as a part of their employment. In theory, workplaces could require employees to join unions after Amendment One is passed.
Illinois is surrounded by three states on its borders that have “right-to-work” laws actively in place.
Data shows that “right-to-work” laws weaken unions. A 2022 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed that passage of such legislation leads to a drop of about 4% in unionization rates five years after adoption.
Illinois would be the fourth state to enshrine in its constitution collective bargaining rights.
davisgiangiulio2025@u.northwestern.edu
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) is projected to win the District 17 state Rep. by a margin of 16,357 votes, according to unofficial election results.
The incumbent Democrat won 70.82% percent of the vote in Tuesday’s unofficial count. Her opponent Bradley Martin received 29.18% of the vote.
Gong-Gershowitz has served residents of Evanston’s 6th Ward who live west of McDaniel Avenue since 2019. She is a lawyer and the former director of the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, which provides free legal services for housing, immigration and domestic violence law.
One of Gong-Gershowtiz’s biggest policies during her most recent term was the TEAACH Act, which mandated Illinois public schools teach a unit of Asian American history. She also contributed to legislation such as the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, which continues to protect abortion rights in Ilinois after Roe v Wade was overturned in June.
Gong-Gershowitz’s priorities include public education, environmental protections, women’s rights and immigration rights. She is the chair of the state house’s Judiciary Civil Committee and Immigration and Human rights committees, and she sits on the Mental Health and Environment and Energy committees as well.
Bradley Martin is the founder of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies and a senior fellow at the Haym Solomon Center, a public policy group aimed at combating antisemitism and advocating for the First Amendment.
Martin said he would rescind the SAFE-T Law, which furthers police reforms like requiring body cameras at departments statewide by 2025, as well as expanding detainee rights. Martin’s top issues include public safety, school choice and Illinois’ economy.
Gong-Gershowitz has secured her third state house term after tonight’s election.
This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available
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We engage in peer support all the time, often out of necessity — as a fugitive act. Peer support can be life-saving and life-preserving, a disruption to the death-making institutions constantly working to erase our existence and deny our humanity. Peer support can be a revolutionary act, resistance to the oppressive tactics and carceral logics that render us as inhuman and commodities.
Peer support is not a novel concept. Us queer, disabled, BIPOC folks have been engaging in mutual aid and peer support for a long time, in the midst of systemic inequities and institutional violence. Furthermore, peer support doesn’t require formal licensure or need legitimization from the very institutions that need to be abolished.
To me, abolition is an act of radical worldmaking, the ability to dream of and conceive worlds that set us free. Abolition is a pathway to new beginnings, to liberating worlds that are devoid of carceral enclosures. Abolition is not limited to defunding the police or shutting down prisons. It is about building de-carceral futures — building the present from the futures we imagine. This is important to articulate because
we cannot rely on institutions; they don’t keep us safe. Institutional support can never be enough. Abolition is how we become free and how we seize the freedom to create our own realities. Recently, I’ve noticed an uptick in peer support initiatives at institutions of higher education, including formal pathways for student-led discussions around mental health and wellness.
However, the creation of such programs that are deeply intertwined with carceral institutions perpetuates similar threads of violence and oppression. For example, I am thinking of the Associated Student Government’s new “student-led” peer support program.
from the desire for freedom. They were created as a band-aid to somehow close the gap between institutional support, student skepticism and lack of trust. They come at the cost of obscuring the efforts of student activists and abolitionist movements.
MAYED, Op-Ed ContributorAs disability justice scholar and activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha articulates it best, “inclusion without power or leadership is tokenism.” We need to hold institutions accountable and continue our pursuit of freedom. We need to move beyond the performative and demand intersectional justice. We refuse to be silenced.
We don’t need new language to define “peer support.” We don’t need more folks to prescribe what peer support is and can be. We understand peer support through lived experience and as political engagement to counter interlocking systems of oppression. We see peer support as urgent and necessary. Peer support is apparent at NU in the absence of culturally affirming and dignifying mental health services.
Student-led does not guarantee studentcentered, nor does it mean survivor-centered for survivors of trauma, institutional violence and systemic harm. Relying on the same oppressive tactics that center liability over humanity creates initiatives rooted in carcerality and reproduce similar inequities. Mandated reporting laws are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disregarding individuals’ autonomy. It is noteworthy that such programs were not born out of struggle, nor
Institutionalizing peer support is dangerous and rooted in cultural hegemony. The concept of peer support isn’t something new, yet is often presented as a “liberal” and “progressive” agenda. Peer support is essential for us to survive as relational beings. We see threads of peer support in diverse, non-white cultures and how holistic wellness is defined beyond the clinical. The medicalized and pathological perspectives of mental illness are apparent in heteronormative and dominant cultures.
Students engage in transformational efforts to survive and preserve their humanity and that of their peers. There is an intergenerational legacy of community care and organizing work here. Initiatives such as Fund Our Care Collective and Reform CAPS have persistently advocated for life-affirming support and resources to invest in student mental health and wellbeing. Yet, too often, these efforts are met with “reforms’’ that are merely a slap-in-the-face. No task force or committee can fix the University’s “mental health crisis.” No amount of diversity and inclusion training can exonerate them for the harms they have caused. We need justice and accountability. NU, put your money where your mouth is.
Sahibzada Mayed is a McCormick senior. They can be contacted at sahibzadamayed@u.northwestern. edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, 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.
There is no place where I feel more at home than Shabbat services at Hillel, surrounded by other Jewish students praying proudly and passionately. During the past three years, that hour on Friday nights has become my refuge; a break from the fast-paced nature of Northwestern and a shelter from anything bothering me. Recently, services have been especially meaningful as there has been more to escape.
It’s no secret that being a Jew in America over the last couple of weeks has been physically and emotionally difficult. From Kanye’s tweets rekindling age-old tropes that Jews control the world to antisemitic attacks on Jewish political candidates to the broad threat last Thursday against all synagogues in my home state of New Jersey, it has felt like a tidal wave of hatred toward Jews.
This isn’t new. Antisemitism is factored into the Jewish experience. Growing up, I was taught by family members and religious leaders that I am part of a persecuted people — that we’ll always end up the scapegoat. I learned early on that my pride in my Judaism was my biggest defense against antisemitism. Something I wasn’t taught, however, was how to face hostility within environments that encourage advanced education and critical thinking: college campuses.
NU’s population is a medley of students, diverse in experiences and opinions, united by calls to fight for something greater than ourselves. This only works if we build one another up in the process. Unfortunately, I rarely see this on campus. I have instead faced hostility several times throughout my NU experience, most recently last
weekend.
As a social-justice-oriented student, I could focus on a student group’s invocation of social justice to rally support while actively diminishing — and literally papering over — other causes.
As a student who cares about constructive discourse, I could focus on that group’s refusal to engage in conversation about the nuances of a very real, complex conflict.
And as a Jewish student, I could focus on members of that organization telling me I cannot understand what it feels like to have my identity attacked.
Instead, I choose to focus on what I love.
I love being Jewish, every part of it. I love attending Shabbat services and dinner, I love spending my days at Hillel, I love studying Jewish texts, I love baking challah with my mom, I love setting up the Seder plate, I love chanting Haftarah, I love wearing my Hebrew name around my neck.
I love Israel. In a place and time fixated on cancel culture, I’m sure this simple threeword phrase may get me canceled by some.
criticizing a government and harming a people. Because that line can get blurry, words really matter.
“From the River to the Sea” is a slogan used by Hamas — a terrorist organization — as a rallying cry to destroy the entire State of Israel and all of its Jewish inhabitants. The phrase originated more than 30 years ago, evolving from language in the 1988 Hamas charter that promoted the destruction of Jews, echoing Adolf Hitler’s messaging on the merits of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
This is where I draw the line.
”The harmful rhetoric adorning the walls of campus buildings and populating my Twitter feed doesn’t extinguish my Jewish pride, it ignites it. I am more proud to be Jewish than anyone could ever hate me for it.
- LILY COHEN, Op-Ed Contributor
But it’s a crucial part of my Jewish identity.
I love America. I criticize the U.S. and Israel, their leaders, systems, and laws, while feeling immense passion for and commitment to the success of both nations. Criticism is not the antithesis of patriotism; it’s a reflection of it.
Still, I understand there is a line between
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When that slogan is plastered around the walls of buildings where I study, when it’s hung across The Arch that I walk under every day, when it’s painted over The Rock that I helped paint only five hours earlier — in support of voting for gun safety and reproductive rights — I take offense. I feel hurt. I get angry.
Spewing hate will never end in peace, and tearing down other causes is not a constructive way to promote your own.
When similar situations have taken place on campus in the past, I’ve remained silent, writing down how offended, hurt and angry I am, leaving it in the safety of my Google Drive. But, nothing ever changes, so I’m done staying silent. I’m done being blamed for the actions of the Israeli government. I’m done being told I’m undeserving of a safe, secure Jewish homeland.
I will still go on Birthright. I will still attend Hillel services. I will still don my Hebrew necklace. I will not relinquish my pride in my Jewish identity just because someone doesn’t like all that my identity entails.
The harmful rhetoric adorning the walls of campus buildings and populating my Twitter feed doesn’t extinguish my Jewish pride, it ignites it. I am more proud to be Jewish than anyone could ever hate me for it. But pride doesn’t protect students from harmful rhetoric — only concrete action can do that.
The NU administration should consider “From the River to the Sea” as a hateful slogan and treat it as such.
To my fellow Jewish students: Take pride in your Judaism. Call on the University to condemn a terrorist organization’s tagline. Speak up when you too take offense, feel hurt or get angry.
To students who promote or subscribe to the harmful messaging that frequently covers this campus: Come talk with me. Ask questions. And, maybe at some point, join me for a Shabbat dinner.
As I sit in services this Friday, I’ll feel especially grateful to be here and especially proud of my Judaism. I hope every NU student gets to feel just as connected with their identity and as proud to be who they are. I hope this campus can become a model for campuses across the country in how to appreciate one another and their causes while fighting for one’s own. And I hope we can eliminate hate and build one another up along the way.
Lily Cohen is a Weinberg junior. She can be contacted at lilycohen2024@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, 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.
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.
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Abolition is how we become free and how we seize the freedom to create our own realities.
SAHIBZADA
”
The Daily Northwestern
Last year, McCormick junior and computer science major Dilan Nair saw his friends creating a four-year Northwestern plan on a spreadsheet and thought, “I can do better than that.”
So he did.
His first product, Plan Northwestern, was an online tool that allowed students to visualize and organize classes they have taken, hope to take and will need to take throughout their time at NU.
Fast forward to Halloween this year, when Nair launched Paper, a new version of his courseplanning vision. The site merged Plan NU and Salad, a quarterly class schedule visualizer created by McCormick senior Andy Xu.
Paper now offers two main functions: “Plan,” which provides a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of a student’s time at the University, and “Schedule,” which allows for a closer view of a specific quarter through a weekly class schedule. Nair also added new features such as the ability to export schedules and to save multiple versions of schedules.
McCormick sophomore Annie Edwards is currently transferring into the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. She said Paper has helped her navigate her new academic pursuits.
“Last year, I had maybe one class that I could choose for myself, and the rest of it was already planned out for me,” Edwards said. “But now that I have so much more flexibility, having a tool where I can look at what classes are available is helpful.”
Nair said his interest in Paper, which he refers to as his “child,” comes from a humble beginning: the block-building video game Minecraft. As a kid, he learned to export his own plugins into the game and started receiving commissions to do the same for others.
Nair said he still remembers the first plugin he coded from a YouTube tutorial. Although he was a beginner, the comment section helped him debug his first error.
In the same way, Nair’s projects are fueled by online knowledge compiled over time by different coders, he said.
“Paper is powered by so many different
community projects,” Nair said. “Same with anything you see online. It’s a bunch of small things that other people make that come together.”
Nair also acknowledges change as part of Paper’s natural growth.
Though one of the harder parts of product development, incorporating feedback and criticism from NU community users was crucial for Nair.
“I can test (the product) on my own. I know how it all works,” Nair said. “But if I give the product to someone else and have them experience it, I don’t know if they’ll have the same experience.”
For Nair, learning is all about doing, and that often means taking his projects outside of the lecture hall. This year, the computer science department is sponsoring the “doing.” The department covers data storage costs and provides independent study course credit for his work on Paper.
“For the first year, Plan NU was something that I would (work on) in my free time on top of my classes,” Nair said, “and I learned four times as much from doing this than I do in any of my classes.”
Nair also partnered with the Office of the Registrar and NU Information Technology, which provided him with more accurate course data. Dustin Levell, senior assistant registrar, first reached out to Nair about giving him access to this information. But Nair isn’t the first to work with the Office of Registrar, with other courseplanning sites like Serif preceding Salad.
According to Levell, it’s a common pattern for websites to pop up and disappear once their creators graduate. Xu, who is graduating in 2023, had been looking for someone to take over Salad when Nair reached out to him.
“There is definitely a cycle of students coming
to campus, building something and then once they leave, whatever they build just gets left in the background,” Xu said. “It’s a great thing that Dilan is doing — he’s picking off where I left off and not allowing Salad to die.”
However, Nair’s goal is to make Paper self-sustaining by automating the data collection system. He said he might have to construct a team to manage Paper after he graduates, but for now, he’s determined to continue realizing his own vision.
But for someone who spends so much time helping others plan their academic journeys at Northwestern, Nair lives his on the edge.
He appreciates the irony.
“In terms of my classes, I’m a very YOLO kind of guy,” Nair said. “This quarter, I didn’t finalize my schedule until the Friday after classes started.”
estherlim2025@u.northwestern.edu
Democrat stronghold, with 73% of Cook County voting for Democratic gubernatorial incumbent J.B. Pritzker this year. Resident Mary Dolan said that even though Illinois leans blue, she wanted to ensure women’s reproductive rights are protected this election.
“Where we live the outcome is fairly likely, but given how the world has changed, I feel like I needed to make sure that Pritzker is our governor because I am worried about what will happen to reproductive health freedom,” she said.
Ian Lukidis, an Evanston resident of 20 years, said he came to the polls because “it’s the right thing to do.”
Lukidis, who usually votes Democratic, said he is not always happy with the range of candidates and measures voters on the ballot. He was excited to vote for Evanston’s rankedchoice vote measure, though.
“It is an objectively better way to determine what the general population wants. (Politicians) have to appeal to a broader part of the population, it holds people accountable better,” Lukidis said.
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The Democratic Party of Evanston also endorsed ranked-choice voting. Jane Neumann (Medill ‘76), who has been the Democratic Party of Evanston’s lead on the initiative, hopes the new system will lead to more inclusive campaigning.
“I think it will result in candidates trying to appeal to a broader group of voters, and I think they’ll have to be a little more civil to avoid alienating voters who oppose them,” Neumann said.
Ald. Devon Reid (8th), who did not support the measure, said he isn’t opposed to ranked-choice voting in principle, but has issues with how the referendum ended up on the ballot.
He said City Council should have introduced a specific ordinance delineating how the system would be enacted, including details like ballot design. Instead, the referendum simply asked voters if they “want” to use ranked-choice voting, without specifics of what it will look like.
“If you look at the wording of the referendum, it’s not instructive as to what we’re adopting. It’s not self-executing,” Reid said. “I think voters indicated a lot of interest in changing our election system, but it’s now up to the council to do this right.”
While it may be the first city in Illinois to
Lukidis wasn’t the only voter who expressed concern about the spread of misinformation and falsehoods by politicians and the media.
Doug Paige, a resident of Evanston since 1978, said people have been polarized by rampant misinformation.
“I wanted to exercise my right to vote,” Paige said. “I’ve been bothered by a lot of falsehoods and dishonesty on the part of way too many people in the media and politicians, so just for my conscience’s sake I wanted to put my two cents in.”
He said in Evanston, he felt lucky he could vote without feeling intimidated –– and he worries others in the state and country may not have the same privilege.
Lifetime resident Roy Conley said, like every election, this one is important. Though the future of abortion rights, climate change policy and other issues are more secure in Illinois, Conley said people should still participate in democracy.
“Even though here in Illinois, here in Evanston, we don’t have a lot of issues a lot of voters face, we still have to participate … to put forward that vision of how we want to run our country,” Conley said. “Voting is how we change the country.”
adopt the system, Evanston is part of a group of cities and states around the country to use ranked-choice voting. According to electoral reform organization FairVote, 56 cities, counties and states use the system, totaling 11 million voters.
Evanston adds another 51,000 registered voters to this pool, joining the ranks of five cities in Minnesota and one jurisdiction in Michigan in using the system.
Maine and Alaska have adopted rankedchoice voting for both statewide and federal elections. The voting system gained nationwide attention when New York City adopted it for its municipal elections, including the 2021 mayoral race.
Today, Portland, Seattle and Nevada voters also saw ranked-choice voting referendums on their ballots. The measure passed in Portland, while the races in Nevada and Seattle are too close to call.
Solomon Lieberman (Medill ’09), an advisor for RCV for Evanston, said he hopes ranked-choice voting will better support democracy than the antiquated previous system.
“Most of these candidates today are trapped in an antediluvian system,” Lieberman said. “So let’s fix the system and then see what they can do.”
saulpink2025@u.northwestern.edu jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu
the person that I am. To be a part of these movies where friendship is at the core and is the love story of the movie, it’s meant so much to me.”
This year, Feldstein played Fanny Brice in the first Broadway revival of “Funny Girl” alongside Jane Lynch and Ramin Karimloo. She’s also received praise for her performances in Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut “Booksmart” and Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.”
Communication senior Rachel Mandelker said she was excited for Feldstein’s visit to NU because of their shared interests and identities. As a Jewish woman interested in performing arts, Mandelker said she came to the event, in part, to hear Feldstein’s thoughts on how Judaism has impacted her career.
“It’s really cool to see a public figure who is very obviously Jewish and is very proud of their Jewish heritage,” Mandelker said. “She’s a really great representative of that.”
Throughout the conversation, Feldstein emphasized the importance of increasing Jewish representation in the performing arts industry.
Mandelker also said she was looking forward to hearing Feldstein’s take on portraying Monica Lewinsky in FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story.” Playing Lewinsky, Hillel’s spring celebrity speaker, was “the hardest thing (Feldstein has) ever done,” especially given the relationship she built with Lewinsky throughout the production process.
“It’s one thing when you want to do right by
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that he submitted it to the American-Scandinavian Review, which Martin said is when he lost his rejections “virginity.”
Getting denied from the magazine took away some of his fear of future rejection, Martin said.
“I sent (the paper) to Playboy and discovered there wasn’t a lot of interest in Playboy in the Russo-Finnish War of 1808,” Martin said. “I started sending out those stories to professional magazines, and one of them sold. That became the first professional sale I ever got.”
After graduating from NU, Martin continued to write short stories and eventually began working in Hollywood on various projects.
Martin said he started writing “A Song of Ice and Fire” after several of his television pilot and feature film
the director, the scripts, the character — it’s all emotional,” Feldstein said. “It’s another thing entirely when that person is in your phone, in your house, someone you love.”
Hillel Programming co-Chair Phoebe Chapnick-Sorokin said she was excited by the insight Feldstein could offer, especially for students interested in theatre and acting.
Given Feldstein’s repertoire, the Weinberg senior said she knew the actor would be a hit with students.
“People look up to her and have positive views on her,” Chapnick-Sorokin said. “We just thought that she would be someone who would really captivate the Northwestern community.”
Throughout the night, Feldstein continued to discuss how the friendships she’s made have shaped her career. From inviting “Booksmart” co-star Kaitlyn Dever to be a bridesmaid in her wedding to signing on to film “Merrily We Roll Along” over the course of two decades with longtime friend Ben Platt, Feldstein said the people with which she surrounds herself have gotten her to where she is today.
As parting advice for aspiring young professionals in all fields, Feldstein stressed the importance of uplifting others and building community when opportunities arise. These chances, she said, will arrive for everyone when the timing is right.
“You’re never competing. I really believe that what is meant to be yours will find you,” Feldstein said. “All you can do is your best and be most authentically yourself.”
fulton@u.northwestern.edu
scripts were not picked up. Despite enjoying writing for television, Martin said it was “not emotionally satisfying” to see the stories go nowhere.
“A Song of Ice and Fire” is especially known for its intricately designed characters and storylines, and Martin said he believes characters are the heart of fiction. According to Martin, he never followed popular advice from famous writers who said to “write what you know.”
“I lived in the projects, I didn’t know anything beyond Fifth Street. How could I write about spacemen and aliens and knights?” Martin said. “But the lesson is, it doesn’t matter, that’s just the furniture. Write what you think it would feel like to be a knight. Try to imagine that and put your own feelings into it — that makes the characters come alive.”
nicolemarkus2025@u.northwestern.edu
Scan this QR code with Snapchat or your smartphone camera to watch members of Northwestern’s K-Dance talk about their experience in the group. K-Dance is a K-pop oriented dance group. Students have the opportunity to participate in performances, gigs, and even music videos. For many members, K-dance is more than just a club; it’s a community. Reporter Elisa Huang profiles the group!
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SOLUTION TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
After Illinois lawmakers voted to legalize adultuse recreational cannabis in 2019, business partners Jermell Chavis and Evanston resident Jonah Wine applied for a dispensary license, hoping to open an Evanston dispensary.
But after three years of applications and obtaining a perfect application score, the two have not yet been granted a license.
Cannabis is something Chavis has always been interested in. After returning home from serving two tours in Iraq as a marine combat veteran, he’s motivated to attain justice for his home community, which was hit hardest by the war on drugs.
Chavis said the Black and brown people from his community on Chicago’s West Side were heavily criminalized for something that “should never have been illegal in the first place.”
Wine and Chavis are not alone in their struggles. Evanston’s 5th Ward Ald. Bobby Burns also seeks to open a dispensary in addition to the city’s singular store, Zen Leaf on Maple Avenue. Burns said he wants to make the cannabis industry more inclusive, addressing inequities that disproportionately affect marginalized groups in Illinois.
Chavis has an expungeable cannabis arrest, qualifying him as a social equity applicant. This is an initiative created to help erase barriers to groups historically impacted by harsh cannabis law enforcements. Illinois also gives preference to veteran-owned businesses.
Once they submitted their application in 2019, Wine said he was irked that their top-scoring application did not receive a license. Meanwhile, Wine said applicants who were connected to multistate operators and billion dollar companies got accepted, even without a perfect score.
“You receive a license just because you’re rich, it makes no sense,” Wine said. “We’re helping to bring inspiration to communities and helping to fight the war on drugs but we’re being shut out completely.”
Chavis said that there are a limited number of licenses available and the hefty fees attached to them, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, gave
Cannabis dispensary license hopefuls sue the state after not being awarded a license.
an advantage to multistate operators who were already billion dollar companies. Some submitted over $250,000 in application fees, he said.
Chavis said the duo could only afford one application.
“The fact of the matter is the majority of licenses went to those that were tested multistate operators or politically connected,” Chavis said. Chavis and Wine sued the state in 2021.
Their attorney, Dan Shapiro, says the lawsuit involves claims of violation of due process and equal protection and, as of last week, is now up on appeal. This means that the appellate court has 35 days to file a response brief. It will then make a decision on whether it will hear oral
arguments, or make a decision based on the briefs.
“I couldn’t help them directly on the application,” Shapiro said. “And then my role grew with them once they realized they wanted to contest the fact that they weren’t awarded the license.”
No matter the outcome, the two said they are going to keep pushing until they see their ambitions come to fruition. The two bonded over their strong passions for hip-hop, fashion and pop-culture, and they want to bring that to their dispensary.
“We’re trying to bring a new take on the weed game,” Chavis said. “We want an urban, hip-hop feel, something to counter the (hemp and CBD
online store) Cookies.”
After getting their license, the pair hopes to open dispensaries on Howard St. in Evanston, as well as in Chavis’s home neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. Evanston is looking to bring more dispensaries to the city to use the 3% cannabis tax to fund the city’s Restorative Housing reparations program.
Chavis said being able to provide economic support and help develop his community will make the process worth it.
“Getting our license would feel like winning the championship,” Chavis said.
ellajeffries@u.northwestern.edu
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Look beyond the 27 made free throws and 47.6% shooting from beyond the arc.
While those are impressive marks, the 49 points from Northwestern’s upperclassmen trio is the most important number from the Wildcats’ season-opening 85-54 victory Monday over Chicago State.
Senior forward Robbie Beran, redshirt senior guard Chase Audige and senior guard Boo Buie will be under the magnifying glass as NU’s engine for the season. The three captains will be called on to carry this bunch over the next five months, and they stepped up to the plate against the Cougars.
“Those guys have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” coach Chris Collins said.
“Last year was obviously disappointing because we felt like we had a team good enough to play in the NCAA Tournament. We didn’t get it done, but they’ve gotten better.”
Collins said the trio established a team environment of “grit and determination and fight and toughness” this offseason, which the Cats will need as the season labors on.
Although the 31-point victory might make it seem otherwise, the Monday night
clash saw minimal offensive sparks in the opening minutes. Two minutes passed before the first field goal: a three-pointer from junior guard Ty Berry. NU would eventually separate from the visitors courtesy of a 21-5 run in the back half of the opening frame, led by the three captains and Berry.
Beran tallied 14 of his game-high 20 points in the first half while also anchoring a Cats defense that held Chicago State to 21 points and 21.2% shooting. Collins heralded Beran as an “underrated defender” and the captain of the team’s defense, but the Virginia native said the team’s defensive success wasn’t due to his individual play.
“It’s really just a team effort,” Beran said. “We did a pretty good job the whole game staying in our gaps, playing together, playing solid, team defense.”
Alongside Berry, who hit four triples in a 14-point performance, Beran, Audige and Buie propelled NU offensively due to their frequent trips to the charity stripe. The trio shot a combined 24-of-26 from the free throw line, as NU drew 28 fouls against the Cougars.
Collins said Chicago State’s defensive switchability made it hard for the Cats to establish rhythm in their offensive sets, in turn forcing the hosts to “attack pressure” and get in the paint.
“We got downhill, we got ourselves to
MEN’S SOCCERthe free throw line,” Collins said. “When you play teams that pressure like that, you (have) got to combat that with force and physicality.”
While NU lived at the free throw line and hit 84.4% of its attempts, Audige was the focal point of the team creating good looks against the Cougars.
The New York native posted a gamehigh nine assists, finding teammates on the perimeter and inside throughout the contest. The Cats’ leading assist man last season, Buie, recorded six assists of his own.
“We got great looks,” Beran said. “Coming into the game we said we wanted to pass up good shots and get great shots and I think we did that.”
Despite the scoreline, Collins and company still have several kinks to iron out in the season’s infancy.
The Cats turned the ball over 14 times after averaging under 10 per contest last season. Chicago State also out-rebounded the hosts on the offensive glass 14-13 and notably held a 10-3 margin at intermission, which Collins said “hurt a little bit.”
Nevertheless, a win is a win — especially when it’s by 31 points.
“All in all, (it’s) great to be 1-0,” Collins said. “Good to get a win (and) a lot of guys played well.”
alexcervantes2024@u.northwestern.edu
After five years and 65 starts, graduate student midfielder Bardia Kimiavi’s career at Northwestern has come to an end. The Virginia native bagged eight goals and added nine assists in his time with the Wildcats, including three goal contributions in 2022. Kimiavi has been a regular fixture in NU starting lineups across two different coaching staffs.
His love for soccer began far before his time at Martin Stadium, though. Kimiavi was born in Iran, where he said “soccer heritage runs very deep.” He began playing in organized leagues soon after moving to the United States at one-and-a-half years old and hasn’t stopped since.
The Daily spoke to Kimiavi about his love for the game, his time at NU and what the future may hold after he graduates.
“Why I Play” is a Q&A series where Wildcats discuss their love for their sports and how they got their starts. This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: What was your recruiting journey like, and what made Northwestern the right fit?
Kimiavi: I ended up committing to Northwestern in May of my junior year. I was deciding between Northwestern and Stanford at the end. The first (reason I chose NU) was the proximity to home. The second (reason) being Chicago is so close, and Stanford is beautiful, but it’s in the middle of nowhere. I love that here, you have a campus feel, but then anytime you want, you can go to Chicago.
The third was that I wanted to go somewhere where I felt I could make an immediate impact and one that lasted throughout my time there. Stanford at the time was (coming off) back-to-backto-back national championships. I felt I would kind of be a product of what the people before me created. I wanted to go somewhere where I felt I could help build that foundation. And so, obviously, the results weren’t super favorable all the time, but I wouldn’t say I have any regrets coming here.
The Daily: It was a roller coaster of a
season, but are there any moments that stand out now that it’s over?
Kimiavi: We had a players’ meeting after the Western Michigan game. We were coming off a 4-0 loss to Villanova and then a 3-0 loss to Western Michigan. And, at some point, you’ve got to put your foot down and be like, ‘Enough is enough.’
I was telling the guys in that meeting, ‘On paper, this is the most talented team we’ve had since I’ve been here, but it’s the worst start that we’ve had, so something’s clearly not clicking.’
Coach (Payne) says it all the time, and it sounds cliche, but it really does take 29 guys to produce a championship caliber team. Whether you’re playing or not, you’re helping the guys in training or you’re supporting from the bench, and once everybody really bought into that, then we started playing better, (and) some more results started coming our way.
The Daily: After five years, what’s something you’ll look back on and remember forever from your time at NU?
Kimiavi: My sophomore year, we went to Maryland, and they were coming off a national title. Ludwig Field over there
is probably one of the best atmospheres to play in in college soccer. You’re gonna hear (the fans), you’re gonna feel them. I think I ended up scoring in like the first five minutes, (but) they got an equalizer in the first half. We ended up scoring two more in the second half to make it 3-1. Maryland is the closest game that we play to my home, so just having my whole family there — the little Persian hype squad in the stands in a sea of red — (was awesome).
The Daily: What are your post-grad plans?
Kimiavi: My dream has always been to continue playing. The MLS and USL preseasons start up typically around February (and) March, so I’m planning on trying to explore those international opportunities before that, probably starting around January. If nothing works out overseas, then I’ll give it a crack here with some of the MLS, USL clubs. Then (if) worst comes to worst, if I can’t find a fit that I like, my aspirations definitely are to stay within the sports industry. But if I could paint my ideal life, it would be to play for as long as I can and then coach for as long as I can.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALLWalking into an anticipated season opener, Northwestern simply couldn’t keep up with No. 20 Oregon in Eugene.
Despite a tenacious effort, the Wildcats (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) received a humbling 100-57 beating at the hands of the No. 20 Ducks (1-0, 0-0 Pac-12) on the road, ending their 13-game seasonopening win streak under coach Joe McKeown.
Behind 15 points from sophomore forward Caileigh Walsh, nine points from sophomore guard Jillian Brown and seven points from senior guard Kaylah Rainey, NU struggled to gain any offensive momentum and trailed the entire regulation.
The Cats faced a significant off-season loss with the departure of Veronica Burton, who was drafted to the WNBA’s Dallas Wings. Yet, the team returned ten of its top 12 scorers from the 2021-22 season, including graduate forward Courtney Shaw and graduate guard Sydney Wood.
However, the two leaders were absent on the court. They combined for just seven points total — a disappointing statistic for the former All-Big Ten honorable mention and All-Big Ten honoree.
Although Wood missed most of last year with a season-ending injury, she remains a central component to NU’s offensive unit with her leadership on and off the court, according to Shaw. And yet, her whopping five points versus the Ducks Monday begs the question of how much of an offensive threat Wood will pose for the team in a season where the attacking unit will be the deciding factor in most contests.
The Cats got off to a sluggish start, blindsided by Oregon’s fast pace transition game and high-pressuring defense. NU’s younger team appeared outskilled on all ends of the court, tending to play a one-versus-one game rather than team ball. In the first half alone, the Cats faced a double digit deficit mainly off of turnovers and points from the switched possession. It was hard to watch a team,
previously so effective on the attack, struggle to connect and put points on the board.
As the game progressed into the second half, the group was still missing a spark to ignite the offense into the next gear. The Ducks’ power forwards and guards moved effortlessly inside the paint and controlled the pace of play in a way that forced the Cats to leave players free for open shots at the rim.
Walsh played a key role for NU’s offense, stepping up big time versus Oregon and proving she could hold her own. One of the top recruits in her class, Walsh finished her freshman season in 2021-22 with 40 blocks and averaged 7.4 points per game. Coming out of Monday’s contest, she led the team and recorded six rebounds, helping fill the shoes of a missing offensive threat after Burton’s exit.
After its disappointing opening faceoff, the Cats have some serious concerns to address as they prepare to battle Big Ten competition in the future. A majority of their games last year came down to a shooting contest, meaning there must be a player to step up to kickstart the offense.
McKeown said NU aims to return to the Big Ten Championship this season and replicate its success from the 2019-20 season. But if the Cats can’t remedy these offensive errors early on, the chances of a strong postseason run are very unlikely.
NU’s central players, like Shaw and Wood, must step up inside the paint and lead the younger teammates on the floor. Missing those opportunities Monday against the Ducks, the Cats need to be more proactive on the post as they dive deeper into the season and play heavy pressure defense units.
As it returns to Welsh Ryan Arena on Sunday to host the University of Pennsylvania, NU has more than enough time to make these adjustments and come back strong for these upcoming weeks at home.
Not facing a conference opponent until early December, the Cats must utilize this home tour to ready themselves offensively for the high stakes 2022-23 season ahead.