SPORTS Men’s Tennis Arvid Swan takes coaching beyond the court » PAGE 8
Students discuss misappropriation of black culture » PAGE 3
THE SPECTRUM Montalvo Financial instability rarely discussed at NU » PAGE 4
High 36 Low 14
The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, March 3, 2015
DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Find us online @thedailynu
Prof’s column sparks backlash By OLIVIA EXSTRUM
daily senior staffer @olivesocean
Sean Su/Daily Senior Staffer
FEMALE FILMMAKER Golden Globe winner and creator of Amazon’s show “Transparent” Jill Soloway speaks to the Northwestern community about her experience as a female filmmaker. She discussed the challenges filmmakers from minority groups face, sharing advice about pursuing a career in film.
‘Transparent’ creator visits NU By JEE YOUNG LEE
the daily northwestern @jennajeeyoung
Jill Soloway, a Golden Globe winner and creator of Amazon’s show “Transparent,” spoke Monday at Northwestern about her experience as a female filmmaker and the experience of filmmakers from historically underrepresented social groups. About 60 people attended Soloway’s talk in Norris University Center as part of the Contemporary Thought Speaker Series. “We try to bring speakers who have something to say about issues that affect students right now,” Joe
Evanston ranked in top 10 of best downtowns list
Evanston was ranked one of Livability. com’s top 10 best downtowns for 2015, the website announced Monday. The website’s editors concentrated on small to mid-sized cities and focused on growing housing values and populations to find cities that were prospering, according to the website. They also looked for areas with strong arts scenes, walkable streets and construction projects, as those are considered signs of economic and cultural growth. “We’re really in a new golden age of American downtowns,” Livability editor Matt Carmichael said in a news release. “Throughout cities large and small, the energy and resources focused on restoring Main Streets and urban cores is paying off.” According to the website, Evanston’s downtown area has a mix of urban and suburban qualities and social and economic diversity, which led it to put the city in the top 10. It also noted that downtown Evanston has a large cultural scene that attracts a “creative class” and many transportation options, which allow for stress-free travel to and from downtown. Evanston ranked 10th on the list, with Pittsburgh coming in first. — Tori Latham
Eichenbaum, a Weinberg senior and chairman of the series, told The Daily. “There has been a lot of interesting discussions about identity on campus, so Jill Soloway seemed like a great fit.” As she began her speech, Soloway said she wanted to tell the audience about the truth about her experience as a producer, whose responsibility entails the search for directors for television shows. She said she is currently looking for writers and directors who identify themselves as female, queer or people of color. “Diversity is something that I deal with as a producer because there are so many white cis males who are ready to take those jobs,”
Soloway said. Soloway said she thinks about how to bring to the industry people who are not white, male and cisgender, who she said dominate film. “I realized recently that protagonism is privilege, and portrayals of male protagonism are perpetuators of privilege propaganda,” Soloway said. “All art is propaganda for the self.” Soloway said those who identify as female, queer or people of color lack the opportunity to be protagonists in television shows, and the film industry should allow these groups the chance to write narratives representative of their lives. » See SOLOWAY, page 5
In the wake of alleged sexual misconduct between a Northwestern professor and students, an opinion piece written by Communication Prof. Laura Kipnis has prompted strong student reactions, including a letter against the article’s sentiments penned and signed by student representatives from several groups on campus. Kipnis’ piece, titled “Sexual Paranoia Strikes Academe” and published Friday in The Chronicle of Higher Education, criticized university policies that prohibit romantic and sexual relationships between professors and students, arguing the policies give students an inaccurate sense of vulnerability. “It’s been barely a year since the Great Prohibition took effect in my own workplace,” Kipnis, a Radio, Television and Film professor, wrote. “Before that, students and professors could date whomever we wanted; the next day we were offlimits to one another — verboten, traife, dangerous (and perhaps, therefore, all the more alluring).” In January 2014, NU rolled out a new policy that explicitly prohibits romantic relationships between faculty and undergraduate students, reasoning that students are inherently less powerful than faculty members and such relationships carry a “risk of coercion.” In the article, Kipnis discussed the alleged 2012 sexual assault of a thenMedill freshman by philosophy Prof. Peter Ludlow, and referred to the student’s claims as “melodrama.” As of Monday
evening, the article had received more than 480 comments. In response to Kipnis’ remarks about the alleged assault, the public letter signed by more than 40 students says she “spits in the face of survivors of rape and sexual assault everywhere.” “Kipnis’ full-throated support of sexual encounters between faculty and their students is anathema to the safe culture of healthy sexuality towards which the Northwestern community ought to aspire,” students wrote. “Professor Kipnis does not speak for us.” Students from organizations including Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, Rainbow Alliance, College Feminists and the Asian Pacific American Coalition signed the letter on Monday. Communication junior Zoe Pressman, an RTVF major who signed the letter, said she found the article “absurd, offensive and all over the place.” “Where she mocked students who came to her privately to express discomfort … she mocked them for coming forward and being too vulnerable,” she told The Daily. “Then she flipped it around and belittled some of her friends for not speaking up about their personal sexual harassment.” In an email to The Daily on Monday, Kipnis said she hopes her article sparks discussion. “I completely understand that not everyone’s going to agree with my point of view,” she wrote. In the article, Kipnis mentions two separate instances in which two students — one male and one female — requested to not watch assigned films because they » See CHRONICLE, page 5
D202 board candidates discuss ETHS issues By BEN SCHAEFER
the daily northwestern @BenSchaefer27
The five candidates in the upcoming election for District 202’s school board discussed Evanston Township High School and the problems facing the school in a forum Monday evening. Mark Metz, Anne Sills, Jonathan Baum, Adrian Dortch and Monique Parsons gathered in the ETHS auditorium and answered questions from dozens of parents. Specific issues discussed included common core curriculum standards, the achievement gap in Evanston students and looming threats to education funding that could emerge from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed changes to taxation and funding. The candidates cited their experience in government and community organizing when they addressed solutions to possible funding issues. Sills spoke about her extensive knowledge of the state’s pension struggles, while Baum emphasized the need to audit the efficacy of various programs and cut expenditures when necessary. Parsons expressed concern for protecting funding for children’s centers, which are facing cuts under Rauner’s 2016 budget and an immediate deficit.
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
Ben Schaefer/The Daily Northwestern
CANDIDATE PANEL District 202 school board candidates discuss their platforms during a forum discussion. The five candidates pitched their plans for Evanston Township High School ahead of the April 7 election.
“We need board members who know the state budget, know its priorities and can stay on top of things in that area,” said Parsons, who is the chief operating officer of the McGaw YMCA. “We need to allow the administration to go through the budget line by line and see how priorities can be met, then meet with elected
officials to give them the ammunition to fight for our schools.” The Evanston/Skokie PTA Council, ETHS Parents Engaged and the League of Women Voters of Evanston sponsored the event. Valerie Krejcie of the latter group moderated the debate. Each candidate commended the
progress of collaborative efforts between Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and D202, and proposed plans to continue and expand on the relationship that emphasized parent involvement, college readiness and collaboration between » See SCHOOL BOARD, page 5
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
Around Town Rice professor discusses Middle East sectarianism By BILLY KOBIN
the daily northwestern
A Rice University professor spoke Monday at the Evanston Public Library on sectarianism in the Middle East and how the region’s history of coexistence has slowly been forgotten. Ussama Makdisi, a history professor and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation chair of Arab Studies at Rice University, spoke to an audience of about 50 people on the origins of sectarianism in the modern Middle East. The talk was the second event in a series of discussions and lectures organized by EPL, 1703 Orrington Ave., and Northwestern’s Program in Middle East and North African Studies. Makdisi has written several award-winning books about Ottoman and Arab history, U.S.-Arab relations and U.S. missionary work in the Middle East. He discussed how both Americans and people in the Middle East, when thinking only of the Islamic State group, are unfortunately forgetting the region’s “rich history of pluralism” during the Ottoman Empire. “There is simply no such thing as Sectarianism with a capital ‘S’ that is the same in the region over time,” Makdisi said. “There was a part of Islam in
Police Blotter Chicago man arrested in connection with attempted defacement A 20-year-old Chicago man was arrested near the Evanston-Wilmette border in connection with possession of spray paint with intent to deface on Friday afternoon, police said. Police were dispatched to the 2600 block of Bryant Avenue after receiving a call that there were four men going underneath the Chicago Transit Authority tracks by the Canal Shores Golf Course, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said.
Billy Kobin/The Daily Northwestern
DISCUSSING CONFLICT Ussama Makdisi, a professor of history at Rice University, speaks at the Evanston Public Library. Makdisi discussed the origins of sectarianism in the Middle East.
every Arab Christian.” Makdisi said the Ottoman Empire allowed, for a time, a society of diverse and unequal systems. However, Makdisi said the rise of nationalism, Western imperialism and reformation changed the empire. Coexistence and diversity gave way to equality and similarity. “Many states, many great empires in the 19th Following footprints in the snow, police discovered the 20-year-old man using a can of red spray paint on the concrete structure of the CTA tracks and arrested him, Dugan said. The other three men fled the scene northbound, he added. The 20-year-old was charged with violation of a city ordinance and is scheduled to appear in court April 13, police said.
Two cars’ tires damaged in the same intersection
The tires of two cars parked in the same intersection near downtown Evanston were punctured overnight and discovered Saturday
(!009 (/52 &2%.#( 349,% 45%3$!93 n 0-
century… including the United States, struggled with new notions of secular equality, new notions of citizenship and struggled to reconcile these notions with longstanding convictions of either racial or religious supremacy,” Makdisi said. Makdisi said that as European powers and outside forces tried to install the new system of equality in the Middle East, violence and conflict started, and morning, police said. One of the damaged cars, a 2008 Ford, had both tires on the driver’s side of the vehicle damaged, Dugan said. The owner of the car is a 22-year-old Evanston resident. The second car, a 2011 Toyota, is owned by a 21-year-old woman from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is friends with the owner of the Ford and was visiting Evanston, Dugan added. The Toyota had its driver’s side rear tire punctured. Both cars were parked on the intersection of Lake Street and Judson Avenue overnight Friday. — Julian Gerez
h%XECUTIVE #HEF 2ENE ,ORENZANO IS ELEVATING CREPES TO AN ART FORMv
williamkobin2018@u.northwestern.edu
Setting the record straight In Monday’s print edition, the story “Activist calls for forgiveness” misstated Anna Radakrishnan’s organization. She is co-president elect of SASA. The story “‘Orange’ actress talks career” misstated the day Natasha Lyonne spoke on campus. She spoke Saturday. The Daily regrets the errors.
The Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies
!.9 37%%4 #2´0% !.9 3!6/29 #2´0%
4)2%$ /& '2%!39 "!2 &//$ #/-% 3%% 7(9 4(% #()#!'/ 35. 4)-%3 )3 3!9).'
conflict is seen today. “Sectarian violence between (Ottoman) Muslims and Ottoman Christians occurred primarily in the 19th century, and violence between Arabs and Jews occurred mainly in the 20th century,” Makdisi said. “Today, in the 21st century, we’re talking all about Sunni and Shiite conflict.” Lorena Neal, a librarian at EPL, said the talk is part of an ongoing partnership between the library and NU that aims to provide an in-depth look at the Middle East. “The Middle East is a constant source of news and controversy,” Neal said. “There is a lack of information often about what the basis is for all the issues that arise out of the Middle East.” Gayle Anderson, an Evanston resident, attended the talk and said she thought it was interesting that Western intervention caused more conflict in the region, even though Western nations wanted to help the Ottoman Empire. “I liked the new perspective,” Anderson said. Makdisi closed with how the current conflicts in the Middle East did not start long ago. “The Middle East, in other words, is not just inheriting age-old religious identities but has also inherited a process of unmaking that began in the 19th century,” Makdisi said.
at Northwestern University presents
2015
KNESSET ELECTIONS : A Shift in Israeli Politics ?
Today is the last Winter Quarter print issue! First Spring print issue: Tues, April 1 Contact The Daily Northwestern at 847-491-7206 or Email spc-compshop@northwestern.edu to book your ads!
YORAM PERI , Abraham S. and Jack Kay Chair in Israel Studies, and Director of the Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies, University of Maryland at College Park
ELIE REKHESS , Crown Visiting Professor in Israel Studies, Associate Director for Israel Studies, Northwestern University
Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 5:00 pm
Watch for Dance Marathon coverage at Dailynorthwestern.com
McCormick Tribune Forum 1870 Campus Dr., Evanston campus jewish-studies@northwestern.edu • www.jewish-studies.northwestern.edu Free and Open to the Public // No RSVP Required Co-sponsored by: The Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies , University of Maryland
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
On Campus Alpha hosts misappropriation discussion By SHANE MCKEON
the daily northwestern @Shane_McKeon
Alpha Phi Alpha hosted a discussion Monday on the misappropriation of black culture, touching on topics from slang to hair to Iggy Azalea. The discussion, which more than 30 people attended, focused on how other cultures, particularly mainstream white culture, appropriate black culture, and when the act is and isn’t acceptable. African American Studies Prof. Michelle Wright moderated the discussion, which was held in Lunt Hall. Wright asked attendees for their “most egregious examples” of misappropriation. Responses included the appropriation of black slang, some of which, Wright noted, has moved into standard American English over the last 100 years. “African Americans are relatively unique in the world in that so much of our language has fed into the mainstream, and has been doing so for over a century,” she said. “So there are now a lot of terms that are viewed as white.” Wright cited slang terms “cool” and “hot” as examples. Another response was the misappropriation of black music in mainstream white culture, specifically with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea’s recent success. Many attendees said Azalea, who is white, misappropriates black music, with some pointing to her refusal to acknowledge hip hop’s roots. “There have been black women who do what Iggy Azalea is doing now and they’ve been doing it for 30 years,” Weinberg freshman Joy Holden said. “She knows nothing about this culture and the roots under it.” Wright also discussed a series of hypothetical situations that focused on an element of black culture — such as a style of dance or music — and asked attendees who has the right to decide what should and shouldn’t be done
with that aspect of culture. Alpha Phi Alpha is a historically black fraternity. Weinberg sophomore Dami Arowolaju, an Alpha Phi Alpha member who helped organize the event, said there is a lack of understanding between different groups on campus, particularly between students of color and white students. “One of the biggest things on this campus is students not understanding the deeprooted issues that face other groups because they don’t experience it,” Arowolaju told The Daily. “They’re not immersed in the black community, so they don’t understand what black people feel and how they think.” Weinberg senior and Alpha Phi Alpha president Cameron Dickerson told The Daily the
goal of the discussion was to provide a space where attendees could discuss their views on misappropriation and come to some understanding by the end of the event. Wright closed the meeting on a positive note, noting the global influence of black culture. “Blackness is so freaking complex, and that’s what I love about it,” she said. “And that’s not a weakness, that’s an incredible strength, because I don’t know of any other identity that is so polyvalent … that has such an amazing impact on global culture when it comes to language, when it comes to music, when it comes to politics.” ShaneM@u.northwestern.edu
The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Ciara McCarthy
eic@dailynorthwestern.com
General Manager Stacia Campbell
stacia@dailynorthwestern.com
Newsroom | 847.491.3222 Campus desk
campus@dailynorthwestern.com
City desk
city@dailynorthwestern.com
Sports desk
sports@dailynorthwestern.com
Ad Office | 847.491.7206
spc-compshop@northwestern.edu
Fax | 847.491.9905 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847-4917206. First copy of THE DAILY is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2015 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $175 for the academic year. THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is not responsible for more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run. Sophie Mann/The Daily Northwestern
CONSIDERING CULTURE African American Studies Prof. Michelle Wright speaks at Alpha Phi Alpha’s discussion on wrongful appropriation of black culture. More than 30 people attended the discussion, which covered topics that included slang, hair and Iggy Azalea.
NOYES BARBER
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY BIENEN SCHOOL OF MUSC WWW.PICKSTAIGER.ORG 847.467.4000
AND STYLING SHOP
Check out DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM for breaking news
Family Owned Since 1953 Call Today For An Appointment! 916 Noyes St. Evanston
Family Owned Since 1953
contemporary music ensemble
& claire
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
chase
7:30 P.M.
$6/4
F (847) 866.6565 E
Get the week's biggest stories in your inbox The Daily Northwestern
Email Newsletter
PICK-STAIGER CONCERT HALL
BEN BOLTER, CONDUCTOR
Sign up at: dailynorthwestern.com/email
OPINION
Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
the
PAGE 4
Spectrum
Financial instability rarely discussed at NU JACKIE MANTALVO
DAILY COLUMNIST
This essay is part of The Spectrum, a weekly forum in our Opinion section for marginalized voices to share their perspectives. To submit a piece for The Spectrum or discuss story ideas, please email spectrum@dailynorthwestern.com. It was Jan. 6, 2015, and I was fighting my jet lag as I sat crunching numbers for my painting class. The course materials added up to just over $100 and I currently had $71.82 in my bank account. While searching through the Blick website, adding prices together for the things I knew I absolutely needed, the cost of my other books weaved into my thoughts: “How would I pay for six books for my English class? Or four more books for my journalism class?� I’ve been teetering on the line of being financially stable for the vast majority of my memory. It’s not uncommon at Northwestern to be financially insecure. However it is rarely talked about and, when it is, it’s often with hushed tones discussing the stresses of paying tuition and buying books. Living paycheck to paycheck as a college student and balancing tuition payments and sorority dues is extremely stressful. I currently have two jobs here at NU, and still I’m stressed about all my expenses. I’ve had to borrow money from friends just to have materials I need for class. I am so grateful for them, but it is humiliating to walk up to someone and admit you need their help financially, especially at a university where everyone appears to be well off. Shame is a big part of why it is a topic
that is often swept under the rug. How does someone explain why they can’t go to your philanthropy event or buy the Derby Days shirt, not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t afford to spend that extra $5? I also don’t want to bring it up with friends who have the money. Making them feel guilt for something they have no control over — whether it’s guilt about their money or my lack of it — makes me feel as uncomfortable as I do when I have to call my mom and ask for money, and she tells me she doesn’t have any to lend me. This is not a pity party. Living within my means has taught me a lot about myself and what it means to be mature. I’ve known how to do my taxes since the age of 16. I know how to get creative when it comes to means of earning money: I sign up for every psychology study, Kellogg study and Frances Searle study I come across, and even use online sites, like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk or Swagbucks, to make a few dollars here and there. I’ve learned to prioritize what is important in my life. I might not order food on GrubHub very often, or buy a Starbucks coffee every morning, but I’ve saved $10 per paycheck to plan a trip to another country. The biggest thing I hope to get from the NU community is conscientiousness. Although I would love to attend every Dance Marathon event as a member of the public relations committee, and I’d love to support your Greek organization’s philanthropy, sometimes I have to say I can’t, and it’s not because I don’t want to. Jackie Montalvo is a Medill sophomore. She can be reached at jacquelinemontalvo2017@u.northwestern. edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.
Dance Marathon should enact canning guidelines MEREDITH GOODMAN
DAILY COLUMNIST @merbear_77
Although I only did Dance Marathon once during my four years at Northwestern, I truly love the event. It brings all of campus together (or at least enough people to fill a gigantic tent outside Norris University Center), re-energizes campus during the dead of winter and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities. However, if there is one thing I could change about DM (besides the concept of not sleeping for 30 hours), it would be the canning. DM canning has gotten out of hand. I understand that participants in DM have to raise a large sum to be able to participate ($400, to be exact) and that canning can bring in a good amount of money, particularly during big NU sporting events. However, some of the DM canners have taken to potentially dangerous tactics to raise money, and I want DM to address these. Potentially dangerous canning, you ask? Consider the four DM canners I saw this Sunday night at Skokie Boulevard right by Old Orchard Mall in Skokie. Three of them were standing on the very thin medians in the middle of the street, two of them soliciting cars from the left turn lane. One of them was dancing between cars on the middle of the road. Perhaps the only safety measure that was in place to protect them from getting hit by a car that evening was their bright yellow DM vests, acting as a sort of warning sign for drivers. Why would anyone feel the need to can for DM in the middle of a busy road at night? This practice is dangerous, and frankly, I question how much money these particular canners raised. I doubt drivers waiting at Skokie Boulevard had enough
time to dig cash out of their wallets to give to canners. Canners wouldn’t even have enough time between lights to inform drivers what DM is and what charity they were raising money for. DM should communicate to dancers that canning in the middle of the street is dangerous. I went to the DM website to see if the organization had any existing guidelines for canning, and in a subsection of the “Fundraise� page of the “Students� tab, I found a short page describing some informal rules for canning. The page mentions that students can go canning while wearing special yellow bibs and using specific DM In consideration cans. It also says that students can go canof student at Ryan Field on safety, I would ning specially approved encourage DM days. Finally, under a section entitled to explicitly “Glenview Canning�, warn students there are three suggested street corners not to can in to can at: “Glenview the middle of & Harlem, Glenview extremely busy & Waukegan and Waukegan & E. Lake streets. Avenue.� Canning at busy street corners is a good idea as long as students stay safe, but canning in the middle of the street could put students at risk. I greatly enjoy the energetic spirit of fundraising for Dance Marathon, and I want to continue to see students canning. However, in consideration of student safety, I would encourage DM to explicitly warn students not to can in the middle of extremely busy streets.
“
Meredith Goodman is a Weinberg senior. She can be reached at meredithgoodman2015@u.northwestern. edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.
The case for Northwestern’s misunderstood art program HEIWON SHIN
DAILY COLUMNIST
“I’m an art major,� I say. “Wait, like ‘actual’ art? Not art history?� Many question again, disbelieving. Every time I meet new people, students and professors alike, or every time I run into the “what’s your major?� question, this has become an expected scenario. Somehow, I find that many people think being an art major at Northwestern is just weird. Art history is OK, but ‘art’ art — “the real thing� — apparently doesn’t quite fit in with what people associate with NU. Perhaps many people see NU as an academic institution where “non-academic� and vocational fields like art don’t fit in. I understand that they don’t meet many art majors: There are few at NU. So in a way, it may only be natural that people have preconceived notions of an academic institution and art’s place within it. Once people come to terms with me pursuing art as a major, they ask me what I draw or paint. The side comment? That I must do it well to be a major.
That’s only the nice side of the story. During the summer at my internship, I met art school students and alumni. When I told them I’m double majoring in journalism and art at NU, they immediately didn’t take me seriously as an art major. “Oh you can’t be doing the real thing,� they said. Clearly, they think that NU can’t have an actual art program because we’re known for academic achievements and in their minds academics and art are mutually exclusive. Whatever “the real thing� people make art to be, I would like to clarify the art program here at NU, emphasizing the formal name: art theory and practice. Especially in the upper-level classes, it’s very theory-intense and the practice derives from theory. For instance, the course Color in Culture discusses what color and space means in art. We then apply the theories to create various pieces that specifically address materiality, multiple senses and iconography. Although aesthetics and skill sets are part of the vision for the art department, art theory and practice, at its heart, is about ideas. Think Marcel Duchamp’s urinal piece: That was a pure idea. If craft is all that art is, then perhaps Duchamp would not have been a great artist because he didn’t make the urinal to begin with. It’s also doubtful whether he would do a good
job making one. The point of the piece is not on the object of the urinal itself. Rather, the point is changing the relationship between the audience and an object, making the audience recontextualize such a banal everyday object — a urinal — as a piece of art. At the same time, art, at least at NU, isn’t the exclusive and pompous thing where no one understands it except some elite group of incomprehensible crazy artists, though we may
“
Although aesthetics and skill sets are part of the vision for the a art theory and practice, at its heart, is about ideas.
be crazy in a good way. When I encourage my friends to consider taking art classes as a break, some of them just say that they can’t draw or paint or make things look pretty and immediately dismiss it. Like I said before, art theory and practice is not pure skills but ideas. So, if anything, it should be more accessible to students who may be more comfortable with essay writing.
Another way of understanding art theory and practice is Montaigne-esque essay writing: exploring ideas and expressing opinions on certain issues. Some art may be straightforward like your classic five-paragraph essay with a thesis, argument, counterargument and conclusion. Not all art is like that, however. NU students should not be afraid to explore what the art theory and practice department has to offer, including the 300-level classes and the major. It definitely expanded the way I literally and metaphorically see things. Skills like questioning, analysis, creativity, spatial understanding, etc, that students use and develop in other departments or majors can not only transfer over to but also further develop through art theory and practice classes. Yes, the art theory and practice department is not engineering that builds concrete things, or writing that reads linearly. Perhaps it’s closer to deconstructing concretely understood things. But because the department shares similar skill sets in theory that are practiced in very different ways, NU students have much to gain. Heiwon Shin is a Medill sophomore. She can be reached at heiwonshin2017@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a letter to the editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.
The Daily Northwestern Editor in Chief Ciara McCarthy
Managing Editors
Volume 135, Issue 87
Sophia Bollag Jeanne Kuang
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside THE DAILY office. Letters have the following requirements: t 4IPVME CF UZQFE t 4IPVME CF EPVCMF TQBDFE t 4IPVME JODMVEF UIF BVUIPS T OBNF TJHOBUVSF TDIPPM DMBTT BOE QIPOF OVNCFS t 4IPVME CF GFXFS UIBO XPSET
Opinion Editors Bob Hayes Angela Lin
Assistant Opinion Editor Naib Mian
They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar. Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of THE DAILY T TUVEFOU FEJUPSJBM CPBSE BOE OPU UIF PQJOJPOT PG FJUIFS /PSUIXFTUFSO University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
Soloway From page 1
She added that filmmakers whose influence has been marginalized should begin or continue producing their work and confronting challenges that lie ahead. Despite the difficulties people in minority groups face in film industry, opportunities are increasing due to the expansion of distribution channels, Soloway said. “Social media allows and encourages people to have a voice and share their voices,� Soloway said. “I hope that you will allow each other to be the subject, to be the protagonist and to have a privilege.� The speech was followed by a Q&A session. Soloway answered questions from the audience and elaborated on her points mentioned in the speech.
Chronicle From page 1
would be mentally or emotionally triggering. Kipnis wrote that many students are “cocooned from uncomfortable feelings.â€? Communication senior Noa Wiener, who told The Daily she believes she was the female student mentioned in the story, said she had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder about a month prior to the incident and approached Kipnis with her concerns. Wiener took Kipnis’ class “RTVF 379: Secrets and Liesâ€? in Spring Quarter 2014. “At the time she seemed really understanding,â€? Wiener said, “but she apparently used it in an article a year later to mock me for it ‌ It’s really hard to read about a private conversation you had with a professor
School Board From page 1
educators in the two districts. Dortch, who is running in both the D202 and D65 race, spoke in favor of consolidating the two districts. The election will take place April 7. Early voting will be available from March 23 to April 4 at several locations throughout Evanston, Skokie and Chicago. Becky Zwolinski is a member of Parents Engaged and has two sons, one who attends ETHS and one who graduated from the school in 2012. She said she appreciated the format of the forum that allowed candidates to speak to the strengths of their platform with
“I thought Jill Soloway was a great speaker, and she made me think about the ‘otherness’ of people who aren’t white, cis male in Hollywood,� Communication sophomore Caroline Kelly said. “She gave me the message that I need to remember to make my own art to overcome challenges.� Communication sophomore Samantha Rose, a member of CTSS and an organizer of the event, said Soloway’s unique vision and experience as a leader in the film industry motivated her and other members of the series to invite her to NU. “I hope that people can see similarities and apply some of the ideas that she presents to their own experience at Northwestern,� Rose said. jeelee2018@u.northwestern.edu in a mocking tone about something that’s hard to deal with anyway.� Wiener said she was going to take another class with Kipnis, but plans to drop it. She said she also plans to talk to her adviser about the article and possibly file a formal complaint against Kipnis. Although there is a possibility the student mentioned wasn’t her, Wiener said, she believes the article is still unacceptable. “Something should be done about it because I think this could be a thing other professors could point to and say, ‘Look what this professor said, it’s fine, it’s just a silly taboo,’� she said. “I would like to see some sort of repercussions just so she understands the effect something like this has on her students and her class.� oliviaexstrum2017@u.northwestern.edu a well-balanced approach. “I don’t feel like there’s any big, burning issues, but they all seem like aware and intelligent people,� Zwolinski said. “To me it’s about how they process and approach issues.� Baum and Metz are both seeking reelection. Candidates for the D65 election will take part in a similar forum Thursday, March 5, at the Joseph E. Hill Education Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave. That event will begin at 7 p.m. The candidates for D65 include Omar Brown, Jennifer Phillips, Richard Rykhus and Dortch. benjaminschaefer2017@u.northwestern.edu
Across Campuses Three-legged dog to get 3-Dprinted limb from UC Davis students Hobbes the terrier mix can do a lot, for a dog with three legs. He can climb stairs, graze the backyard and jump roughly 4 feet in the air – more than high enough to clamber onto the bed with his owner, Andrea Bledsoe. Even so, Bledsoe and a few of her fellow UC Davis graduate students are determined to give him a fourth leg. They’ve cast him in a plaster mold, fitted him for harnesses and tried a few materials in an effort to come up with a design for a prosthetic limb, which they plan to produce with a 3-D printer. The project took root after Bledsoe, a veterinary student, adopted Hobbes from a pet clinic, where he was taken about two years ago with a badly broken front left leg. The break had healed incorrectly, and the veterinary surgeons were forced to amputate, she said. Fortunately for Hobbes, his owner’s friends Randy Carney and Holly Abney have a knack for materials science and animal anatomy, respectively. The two put their heads together to find a way to help their furry friend and started on what’s turned out to be a challenging extracurricular project. “When he goes on long walks, he starts to get fatigued, and it seems that it’s because he has this weird hop he has to do to move forward,� said Carney, a postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry and molecular medicine. “And he’s so young and full of energy that it seemed like a waste if he couldn’t get moving like he wanted to.� Carney, who has a master’s and doctorate in materials science, initially thought he could mold a leg from carbon fiber but later decided it could be done more cheaply and safely using a 3-D printer. When he found out there was a public-use machine at Arcade Library in Sacramento County, the choice was clear. Put simply, the library’s 3-D printer creates an object by putting down layers and layers of melted material. First the operator sends a design, either pre-existing or created using computer software, to the printer, which is loaded with a spool of hard plastic. A small motor feeds the filament through a metal extruder, which heats up to melt the material. The machine lays out the melted plastic in the shape demanded by the design – a process Carney likens to a “hot
glue gun that moves in three directions.� Once a novel and futuristic concept, 3-D printing has become increasingly accessible to Sacramentans in recent months, through schools, co-working spaces and, perhaps most notably, the Sacramento Public Library system. Since spring 2013, the Arcade library has provided a 3-D printer in its “Design Spot� free of charge, and it’s been immensely popular. The small room set aside from the books gets 15 to 20 visitors each of the three days of the week that it’s open. People make everything from holiday gifts to miniature artworks – but Hobbes’ leg will be the first medical device, said Design Spot volunteer Tom Sanderson. Just a few weeks ago, the Fair Oaks library purchased its own 3-D printer with money raised by selling used books. Library officials there haven’t yet decided whether they’ll make it available for general use or for classes only, but word got out and people are already calling, according to library services assistant Sabrina Hill. Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library bought a printer in the fall and uses it to teach monthly 3-D printing classes for adults. “They’re fascinating machines,� Sanderson said. “It gives some of our clients a new way to think about the world. Maybe we don’t have to run to the dollar store to get something anymore. We can print it if we have a 3-D printer at home. Or we can come here!� Jim Carroll, a retired Roseville resident, takes classes at Hacker Lab in midtown – the only other spot offering 3-D printers and education to everyday folks. Carroll recently purchased his own 3-D printer – consumer models sell for anywhere from $300 to $2,000 – and has been making knickknacks such as screw caps and coffee cup holders. Though sales of consumer-friendly 3-D printers so far have been limited to tech-savvy hobbyists, industry analyst Gartner Inc. projects the market will grow 97 percent annually over the next five years, with 826,000 printers being sold per year by 2017. Those looking to explore the third dimension have an important choice to make: they can take a pre-existing digital design from a massive free archive called Thingiverse, or come up with their own using computer-assisted design software, a far more intensive process. — Sammy Caiola (The Sacramento Bee/TNS)
Post-baccalaureate Certificate Programs " Advance your career with a range of programs in areas including business, finance, IT and management, or create a custom program that meets your goals. " Build your academic resume in preparation for advanced study in areas such as business, education, medicine or law. " Attend convenient evening courses on Northwestern’s Evanston and Chicago campuses.
Apply today — the summer quarter application deadline is May 1. 312-503-1177
6 SPORTS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
Swan
wants to be pushed, who wants to have hard practices, wants to have coaches who are on them a lot.”
Shropshire to grow into first-team All-Big Ten performers and maximized the potential of countless other charges. “Compared to some of my peers in high school, I feel like I improved a lot more in college compared to a lot of people,” Smith said. “Obviously Arvid is a big part of that.” Senior Alberto Zanotti, who is in his fourth year under Swan’s tutelage, agrees. “He has a lot of knowledge in the tennis world,” Zanotti said. “The whole sphere of logistics, he knows how to take care of all of his guys.” Being able to point to his developmental credentials has only helped Swan on the recruiting trail, where the Cats have posted top-25 recruiting classes in his tenure. But credibility with more talented high school athletes hasn’t changed his commitment to success through hard work. “We recruit certain types of kids. We want kids that, No. 1, love the sport and want to get better,” he said. “For us it’s finding that right fit of somebody who
Elite people
From page 8
Swan’s work on the sideline doesn’t stop when the lights drop in the Combe Tennis Center and his players set their rackets down for schoolbooks. In fact, that’s when the real work begins. “These guys are here and their parents aren’t, so Chris and I have to be willing to help them in any way that they need,” Swan said. “Making sure that we’re taking care of academic requirements, that we’re helpful in ways outside of tennis and academics and that we’re available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.” For every moment the players spend on the court, there are countless more where tennis takes a back seat. The team has only nine active members on its roster on any given year, so Swan is able to give each player a lot of individual attention and enter into a personal mentorship role. Swan calls himself a sounding board, an advice-giver and an accountability director. His efforts to make himself available for his players outside of the sport doesn’t go unnoticed with his
team. Zanotti calls Swan an expert who “wears a lot of masks.” “Whenever I get injured or need help academically, he’s always there to help,” sophomore Strong Kirchheimer said. “With the upperclassmen he helps them get internships and look for jobs when they get out of here.” The same commitment to hard work that maximizes the tennis talent of his charges is also a crucial tool for developing players outside the lines. “In practice they’re always facing adversity and in the matches they’re facing adversity,” Klingemann said. “They learn how to deal with it so when they hit the real world, whether that’s professional tennis or a job, they’ve already gone through all the adversity.” A lasting impact Swan doesn’t stop teaching his players once they graduate. Smith, who graduated last year, still speaks with Swan almost every day as he tries to break into the professional tennis scene. “He was always good about making recommendations and making calls and helping people out,” Smith said.
Swan takes great joy in developing his players off the court, and said keeping connections with his former players is probably the most satisfying part of his job. Klingemann says that Swan’s intense approach to preparation is a manifestation of the care he has for his players and program. “He always wants what’s best for his players or even just what’s best for me and what’s best for other people around him,” Klingemann said. “That shows in helping the guys on the team with jobs and really any situation they’re in outside the tennis court.” Swan knows there are two sides to his job, and he takes both parts seriously. “I don’t just look at this as, you know, I’m the tennis coach really,” he said. “I’m in charge of nine guys’ lives for four years, so that’s a pretty significant responsibility.” It’s not explicitly in his job description, but Swan seems to take as much pride from building great people as he does from anything tennis can provide. For him, coaching is about more than the match at hand. maxschuman2018@u.northwestern.edu davidlee2017@u.northwestern.edu
Softball
Cats see improvement in California tournament Southern Utah
Stanford
Northwestern
No. 14 UCLA
Northwestern
Northwestern
Cal State Fullerton
Northwestern
0
5
7
9
12
By KEVIN CASEY
daily senior staffer @KevinCasey19
Persistent, and almost illogical, confidence has been the hallmark of Northwestern early this season, and the results finally reflected it this weekend. The Wildcats, who entered Friday with a 4-9 record, blitzed through much of the Louisville Slugger Invite over the weekend, posting three consecutive victories before falling to No. 14 UCLA 8-2 on Sunday. The slate of wins pushed the Cats within striking distance of .500 at 7-10. But more than that it provided relief for a squad that had consistently found ways to lose close. “It’s definitely a good momentum shift for our team,” junior infielder Andrea Filler said. “But we knew it was coming too. It just took a little while for us to gel together.” That gelling was wholly evident on the offensive side. Prior to the four-game affair
8
4
in California, over-reliance on the home run ball had been a concern for the Cats, as swinging for the fences forced the team away from its identity as a grind-it-out, death-by-basehits outfit. In California, NU got the best of both worlds. The Cats belted six home runs in the four games over the weekend, previously knocking out just 8 over the season’s first 13 contests. And it was the same story with hits, as NU’s season average of 6.1 per contest was surpassed by the 29 it produced in the four Louisville Slugger Invite contests. This led to a massive rise in offensive production, averaging 7 runs per contest at the Louisville Slugger Invite versus a season average of 5 per game. The long ball attracts eyes, but senior infielder Anna Edwards said that the focus on hitting the ball on the ground and making the opposing defense work played out well over the weekend. And the Cats capitalized with more runners
2
on base. “We did a really good job with our base running,” Edwards said. “And we did a really good job in situations of moving runners, doing the little things right.” NU got things rolling from the start with a 9-0 win over Southern Utah on Friday, in a contest where senior outfielder Olivia Duehr shined to the tune of 5 RBIs. Filler was the leader in game No. 2, as her 4-for-4 showing with 3 RBIs allowed NU to stay in the contest before junior infielder Brianna LeBeau’s single gave the Cats the goahead run and eventually the 5-4 win over Cal State Fullerton in eight innings. Edwards had her breakout in a 12-7 win over Stanford, as the senior posted 4 RBIs on the day after compiling just two total in the first 15 games of the season. The swift turnaround was the product of the confidence that the team has tried to incessantly cultivate. “It was going up there, being aggressive and trusting my skill set,” Edwards said. “And just
letting these last couple of weekends go.” The loss to UCLA was a sour note to end a highly productive weekend and halted NU’s four-game winning streak dating back to last Sunday’s victory against South Carolina. And with the Bruins’ 6-run second, there was proof that NU’s big innings woes are not completely off the table. But for a team whose morale had to be taking some dings while the losses piled up, the immersion back into the winners’ circle came at a very good time. Some issues persist, yet NU appears to be headed on the right track. As the schedule heats up, the added value of a string of victories could do wonders for the Cats. “You get in a little bit of a rut losing a couple of games in a row, and this weekend gives us a breath of fresh air,” Filler said. “We’re excited to take on those Big Ten teams as we near conference play.” kevincasey2015@u.northwestern.edu
&#+.; %.#55+(+'&5 Place a Classified Ad CLASSIFIED ADS in The Daily Northwestern are $5 per line/per day (or $4 per line/per day if ad runs unchanged for 5 OR MORE c onsecutive days). Add $1/day to also run online. For a Classified Ad Form, go to: dailynorthwestern.com/classifieds FAX completed form with payment information to: 847-491-9905. MAIL or deliver to: Students Publishing Company 1999 Campus Dr., Norris-3rd Floor Evanston, IL 60208. Payments in advance are required. Deadline: 10am on the day before ad is to run. Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 9-5; Fri 9-4. Phone: 847-491-7206. It is the policy of The Daily Northwestern to accept housing advertising only from those whose housing is available without discrimination with respect to sexual orientation, race, creed or national origin. The presumption is therefore, that any housing listing appearing here is non-discriminatory.
Help Wanted Tutor Needed - basics on MAC laptop For 82-yr-old; sharp but scared Lives near campus; $20 per hour Text me at 773-230-8638
For Rent 2157 & 2201 Ridge Walk to Class! 1, 2, 3 & 4 Bd Apts - Sept. 1 2015 -Lrg apts w/ hardwood flrs. -Remodeled kitchens and baths. -Plenty of closets for storage. -Laundry rm on site. -Heat, water & gas incld. -Management on site. CALL 847-424-0357
&#+.; %4155914& FALL RENTALS 817 Hamlin 1 Bedroom Hardwood Floors Eat-In Kitchen (1 Bed) Laundry Includes Heat 1br $1005/mo 912 Noyes 1 + 2 Bedroom Apts Hardwood Floors Walk-In Closet Breakfast Nook Air Conditioning Includes Heat 1br $1000/mo 2br $1170/mo 847-424-9946 (O) 847-414-6549 (C) JJApartments60201@ gmail.com
&#+.; 57&1-7 Complete the grid so each ROW, COLUMN and 3-by-3 BOX (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
1509 Hinman for Rent Summer/Fall 2015 Steps from Northwestern Walking distance from downtown Evanston Vintage courtyard building Recently renovated apartments Spacious floor plans Kitchens with dishwasher / microwave Heat & water included Free storage Call 847-720-7800 or email, leasing@bjbevanston.com www.bjbevanston.com
Post a Classified! Now anyone can post and manage a classified ad. Go to: DailyNorthwestern. com/classifieds Questions? Call 847-491-7206
FOR RENT Prime location. (right here)
Will build to suit. (free ad design)
Great price! (Fridays are free*) D A I LY PUZZLE SPOT
Inquire within. 847-491-7206 or 3/3/15
Level:
© 2015 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
spc-compshop@northwestern.edu (*Pay for 4 days. 5th day is free!)
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | SPORTS 7
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
Wilimovsky wins Big Ten title, sets new record By TYLER KENDALL
the daily northwestern @tylerskendall
Northwestern had an exciting end to the Big Ten Championships on Saturday when junior Jordan Wilimovsky won a Big Ten title and shattered a school record in the process. Wilimovsky won the 1,650 freestyle on the final day of competition with a time of 14:33.50, which broke the NU school record and the pool record at Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The Saturday win is Wilimovsky’s first career Big Ten championship title and guarantees him a spot at the NCAA Championships later this month where, as of now, he will enter competition as No. 1 in the nation for the 1,650 freestyle event. That win was not the only record Wilimovsky broke during the week. The junior surpassed the 500 freestyle school record on Thursday and placed third overall in the event. Wilimovsky received All-Big Ten first-team selection honors for his performances. “Jordan was on all weekend,” coach Jarod Schroeder said. “He really took a step forward because typically he goes to a meet like that and focuses on the mile and has a decent 500, but this week he took a big step forward in the 500, too. During the mile I knew it would be good based on the 500, but I didn’t know it would be that good.” NU as a team finished in ninth place out of 10 schools after four days of competition at the Big Ten Championships. NU’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award went to senior Andrew Seitz after the closure of the meet. NU was down a top diver, sophomore Andrew Cramer, due to a concussion, Schroeder said. The team therefore could not rely on the cushion of points that usually comes from the diving events. Despite the ninth place finish, the team was happy with the performance it put forth at Big Tens and was up cumulatively more than 30 points from during last year’s competition, Schroeder said. The coach added he was
“happy the entire weekend” with the way the team performed. “We were missing one of our best divers so lost some points there,” senior captain Will Rosler said. “But overall we actually had a pretty big jump in points from last year to this year, so we put ourselves on a pretty good upward trajectory.” Rosler had personal bests in the 50 and 100 breaststroke events, with times of 21:06 and 57:16 respectively. The championship also saw multiple successful performances in the relay competitions, many of which almost beat school best times and successfully surpassed personal bests. During the first day of competition, in the 200 medley, the team of sophomore Andy Jovanovic, seniors Uula Auren and Mark Ferguson and freshman Almog Olshtein swam the third-best performance in NU history and placed fifth overall with a NCAA “B” cut time of 1:25.93. This relay team along with two additional swimmers, freshman Nick Petersen and sophomore Jack Morris, will continue to practice and head to a “last chance” competition next Saturday at Georgia Tech to see if they can shave off some time to qualify for NCAAs. “We missed the NCAA cut by three tenths of a second,” Schroeder said. “We had some slow exchanges, so if we can clean-up those exchanges we’ll do it. A lot of times you don’t know what you’re going to get a week after a conference meet so we’re going to bring six guys down there. If someone’s feeling off, we might slide someone else in there.” Later that day, the 800 free relay team of sophomores Charlie Cole and Jonathan Lieberman and freshmen Alex Snarski and Gage Kohner swam the second-fastest time in school history during the brief program and placed sixth overall in the event. The team’s time of 6:26.76 was shy of the school record by 0.59 of a second. Overall, the Cats were excited about their performance and felt the team displayed great effort and times during competition, showcasing a positive trend over the years for NU. “In my four years here it was the best overall in terms of each individual going best times
Men’s Swimming
Sean Su/Daily Senior Staffer
JUMPING OFF POINT A Northwestern swimmer leaps into the pool. The Wildcats had a handful of strong individual performances, but struggled as a team at the Big Ten Championships, placing ninth out of 10 schools.
and performing out of their comfort zones or what they expected,” Rosler said. “From top to bottom we carried the energy pretty well.” NU’s effort was evident this weekend as the team kept a positive attitude throughout the meet. Ultimately, NU is excited about the future of the program and that promise is being recognized by other teams in the competition. “Obviously ninth place isn’t where we
wanted to finish, but our guys are swimming well and taking steps forward,” Schroeder said. “I got a lot of compliments from other coaches that really loved the way our guys competed this weekend. They felt like every session our guys were doing things special and not every team can say that.” tylerkendall2018@u.northwestern.edu
Need an apartment? Find the perfect place to rent for the summer or next fall.
Check out the daily classifieds in this issue, and online 24/7 at www.dailynorthwestern. com/classifieds
TWITTER @thedailynu
Built in 1880 and carefully maintained by loyal Northwestern alumni, the house’s oak-paneled library, elegant dining room and inviting sun parlor provide a comfortable and upscale atmosphere for your department’s meetings and events. The historic John Evans Alumni Center, on the corner of Sheridan and Clark, is available during the daytime, evenings, and weekends.
For information and rates, contact the Northwestern Alumni Association office at: (847) 491-7200 or jecreservations@northwestern.edu.
FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS FOLLOW US ON
FACEBOOK thedailynorthwestern
WEBSITE dailynorthwestern.com
SPORTS
ON DECK MAR.
3
Men’s Basketball Michigan at NU, 8 p.m. Tuesday
ON THE RECORD
I’m in charge of nine guys’ lives for four years, so that’s a pretty significant responsibility. — Arvid Swan, men’s tennis coach
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
@DailyNU_Sports
Swan takes coaching well beyond courts By MAX SCHUMAN and DAVID LEE the daily northwestern @davidylee95
Arvid Swan wears a gray and purple Northwestern hoodie and matching sweatpants almost every day. It makes sense. Ever since the former Michigan standout took NU’s men’s tennis head-coaching job in 2007, he has been all about the Wildcats program. The eighth-year coach currently has a 112-91 record, but has been 51-26 in the past two-and-a-half years. In 2014, Swan was named the ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year after leading the team to its third consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Even so, the coach says he doesn’t like things to be about him. He said he wants all the attention to focus on the team. He rarely barks orders in practice, leaving associate coach Chris Klingemann to shout unfinished yet menacing threats such as, “If I catch you walking in that hallway…!” Swan seems to prefer to walk up to his players and provide them with nuggets of insight. Those who know Swan best say he has a “dry” sense of humor, the kind that takes some getting used to. Swan is rarely the center of attention because he likes to defer to others. But he has been the central figure in the resurgence of the NU program. Elite program A series of plaques listing the Cats’ Big Ten Championship seasons loom over the six courts of the Combe Tennis Center. Compared to the women’s tennis team’s 14 championships, the men’s nine look paltry. It is also a reminder: It has been a
long time since the glory years of NU men’s tennis. There are even three empty slots waiting to have championship glory etched onto their purple surfaces. The team hasn’t had a prolonged stretch of dominance since Harry Truman was president, and it last stood atop the conference in 1990, when Swan was only 15 years old. Before Swan’s tenure as coach, NU was a respected team but never really in the running for a championship berth. The year before Swan’s arrival, the Cats had just finished a 10-14 season and only made it to the quarterfinals of Big Tens. In his first season, Swan pulled together the 12th-ranked recruiting class in the nation, igniting a new era for the team. The men’s squad was no pushover, but Swan had bigger aspirations. “My goal is, we keep trying to work towards being a championship-level team,” Swan said. “And once you do that once, you want to be consistently there. (Women’s tennis coach) Claire Pollard has been consistently there for 16 years, so that’s what we’re working towards as a team.” This season, Swan finally has the squad in position to make the leap as an elite program. NU sits at No. 20 in the national rankings thanks to inspired play against one of the toughest schedules in the country. “This is the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Klingemann said. “Now we finally have the horses to go and do what we’re trying to do.” But Swan always looks to improve. He has plans written up for each of his players about what they need to practice and is constantly pulling players aside during practices and games to give them a couple more pointers. “That’s the focus, getting better and better each match,” Swan said. “Our
schedule has never been harder, never been more challenging. I think the guys are up for it, just, ‘Hey, today I’ve got to get better.’ Then hopefully by the end we’re there.” Swan said he rarely looks past the day-to-day grind of the team because all he can control is how much the squad improves that day. That kind of drive flies in the face of history saying NU’s years of dominance are long gone. Swan doesn’t have time to reflect on history. He’s too busy making it.
That focus on hard work mirrors Swan’s personal approach to his game from his days as a player. “I put in a lot of time on the court, I put a lot of time out in terms of conditioning,” he said. “I wasn’t the most physically-gifted as an athlete so it was important that I do all the little things to get better as a player, so the one thing I
think I bring is that kind of approach to my program.” On the player development front, Swan’s methods unquestionably get results. His mindset has pushed former athletes like Spencer Wolf and Raleigh Smith and current sophomore Sam » See SWAN, page 6
Men’s Tennis
Elite players Swan’s favorite on-court memories from his tenure are not the singular triumphs of his team, but rather the journeys of the players that caused them. “We’re trying to win in the moment, but as you look back you kind of say, ‘Okay, this guy went from where he was as a freshman to where he was as a senior from a tennis, a maturity, an academic perspective,’” he said. “I’m not going to look back and say, ‘Hey, that match, we really did well in that match,’ but I remember who played that match or who went from a certain level of player to a completely different level.” Coaches in all sports talk about their “process,” a set of guidelines that will lead a player to long-term success if adhered to through adversity. For Swan, that process centers on his players’ unmatched passion for practice. “We expect everybody to work really hard on a daily basis,” he said. “Tennis is kind of a grind-it-out sport, you’ve got to be able to do it day-in and day-out. You can’t have bad practices.” Swan makes sure that his team practices 20 hours a week, the maximum amount allowed by the NCAA, and ensures the time is used to the fullest.
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
STRONG RETURNS Arvid Swan takes a hands-on approach with his athletes. The coach has mentored numerous successful tennis players and lifted the Northwestern men’s tennis program to new heights.
NU seeks revenge on Wolverines at senior night By BOBBY PILLOTE
daily senior staffer @bobbypillote
Northwestern will bid farewell to three seniors Tuesday night in its final home game of the season against Michigan. Guards Dave Sobolewski and JerShon Cobb and center Jeremiah Kreisberg will be suiting up for the last time on the purple Welsh-Ryan Arena court as the Wildcats (14-15, 5-11 Big Ten) seek to take revenge for an early season heartbreaker against the Wolverines (14-14, 7-9). As a campaign that has been dominated by freshmen, close defeats and losing streaks draws to an end, three upperclassmen will be ending chapters of three very different journeys. Kreisberg, a graduate transfer from Yale, has played one season at NU but said he’ll still feel emotional being honored in front of fans as part of senior night. The big man didn’t get to play in his undergraduate sendoff because of injury, and was skeptical if he would ever play basketball again. “To be able to play a full season at
Michigan vs. Northwestern Evanston 8 p.m. Tuesday
a place like this has been everything I could ever want,” Kreisberg said. “I’ve been able to improve, contribute and play at the highest level.” Always slated as junior center Alex Olah’s backup, Kreisberg has appeared in 22 games this season and averaged 6.9 minutes per contest. His stats have been underwhelming, and he’s been overshadowed by freshman forward Gavin Skelly late in the season, but Kreisberg, a dual citizen of Israel, said he plans to pursue a professional career there after completing his graduate degree. Cobb has been at NU five years – the longest of this season’s graduating class – and has had an incredibly polarized career over that time span. Ranked as the No. 90 recruit in his class by Rivals.com, Cobb started 25 contests as a true freshman, averaging 7.4 points and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes per game. But then a promising 2011-12 campaign was hamstrung by
injuries, and Cobb was suspended the following season for failing to meet academic standards. He returned in 2013 in an uncertain position thanks to the arrival To be of new head able to play coach Chris a full season Collins, but emerged as a at a place like key sidekick this has been to forward Drew Craweverything ford. Cobb I could ever has battled want. through a Jeremiah litany of Kreisberg, ailments this Senior center season to continue to be a productive player and said he is determined to be on the court Tuesday night. “These fans have been through a lot with me,” Cobb said. “I want to show my appreciation.” Sobolewski followed a career arc similar to Cobb’s. A darling of the Bill Carmody era, Sobolewski started 65 games his freshman and sophomore years under the former
“
coach and averaged 35 minutes per contest. His shooting percentage and playing time declined precipitously his junior year under Collins, but Sobolewski has recovered some of his form this year to be a valuable, if unspectacular, contributor off the bench. It comes as no surprise his favorite memory as a Cat is from his freshman season. “Beating (then-No. 6) Michigan State my first year was a lot of fun when they stormed the court,” Sobolewski said. Collins said he expects Cobb and Sobolewski to be in the starting lineup Tuesday, and all three seniors will be necessary for beating a Michigan squad that narrowly defeated NU, 56-54, in the teams’ last meeting on Jan. 17. But the key to success, as it has been all season for a young Cats team, will be less experienced players making an outsized impact. “It’s really important for the non-seniors to get you off to a good start,” Collins said. “The first couple minutes is going to be emotional.” bpillote@u.northwestern.edu
Men’s Basketball
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
END OF THE LINE JerShon Cobb maneuvers around a defender for a layup. The senior guard has battled through an injury-riddled year to make contributions in his final season.