Survivor of Darfur genocide speaks out » PAGE 3
sports Softball Allard prepares for the pros after 5 years at NU » PAGE 8
opinion Cui On studying economics at NU » PAGE 4
High 56 Low 50
The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
OK Go confirmed for Dillo By tyler pager
the daily northwestern @tylerpager
OK Go, an alternative rock band, will open Dillo Day on Saturday, Mayfest announced Tuesday night. Mayfest teased OK Go on its website Monday night by posting a picture of the treadmills from the band’s Grammy award-winning music video, “Here It Goes Again.” Michael Bass, Mayfest’s director of concerts, said bringing a band to Dillo Day is always a priority. “We want a band that everyone knows the name of it, but what we don’t want to do is back down and get kind of a one-hit wonder throwback,” the Communication junior said. “While those definitely have their ups and downs, like Smash Mouth was a very popular act, we wanted someone with a little more perhaps musical legitimacy. OK Go is just about as good as it gets.” The band, which is originally from Chicago but is now based in Los Angeles, is known for their creative music videos. Some of their famous videos include “This Too Shall Pass,” which features an elaborate Rube Goldberg Machine, and “A Million Ways,” which became the most downloaded music video in 2006. OK Go’s performance is also in advance of their upcoming national tour, which will accompany the release of their new album, “Hungry Ghosts” in October. “Hungry Ghosts” is the band’s first new
Find us online @thedailynu
NU work affects new NIH policy By olivia exstrum
the daily northwestern @olivesocean
Source: Facebook
READY SET GO OK Go, an alternative rock band, will open Dillo Day on Saturday. The band, which is known for their elaborate music videos, will be releasing a new album in October.
album in four years. Because Dillo Day will be the band’s precursor to their tour, Bass said he does not know what the show will look like. “Every tour brings something different to the table, but I can assure you that it’s going to be interesting, creative and something different than four guys on stage playing instruments,” he said. “I think creative is what their MO is. They just love to think outside the box, and I
think you’ll see that on stage.” Mayfest spokesman Ian Robinson added that someone involved in the booking process from the band’s end is a Northwestern alum and attended Dillo Day as a student. Robinson said the connection has added to the band’s excitement for the performance. “They are practicing before, » See ok go, page 6
The work of two Northwestern researchers was influential in a recent policy change by the National Institutes of Health, which will require that researchers include their plans for balancing male and female cells and animals in preclinical studies with few exceptions. The new policy will be put into practice beginning in October, and researchers seeking grants from NIH will be able to bypass the new requirements with only “rigorously defined exceptions.” Teresa Woodruff and Dr. Melina Kibbe worked with the NIH to institute the change, which Francis Collins, NIH director, announced on May 14. “While it’s a step in the right direction, still more needs to be done,” said Kibbe, a professor of surgery and vice chair of research in the Feinberg School of Medicine. “Simply requiring researchers to ‘describe their plans’ is not quite there.” Woodruff, vice chair for research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, began advocating for gender inclusion in preclinical studies in 2008 and 2009. She said she realized that many studies excluded examples with female components, normally only using male subjects. “I realized that there are so many
discoveries that could be made by Simply including requiring both sexes,” researchers to Woodruff said. “I ‘describe their thought this plans’ is not was an area that needed quite there. to be advoDr. Melina Kibbe, cated for.” professor of These surgery in the ideas culFeinberg School minated in of Medicine a paper by Woodruff and two colleagues, published in 2010 in Nature, an interdisciplinary science journal. The paper, “Sex bias in trials and treatment must end,” called for journals, funding agencies and researchers to give women and men equal attention in both studies and in the clinic. “60 Minutes” picked up the story in February and filmed Kibbe and Woodruff over a two-day period. The pair said the show’s national platform was very helpful in increasing awareness about the issue. The two researchers began working together when Kibbe told Woodruff about a breakthrough she had made in her research. When Woodruff asked if there were
“
» See health, page 6
Methane in city parks harmless Students, admins object to Angels site By paige leskin
the daily northwestern @paigeleskin
By rebecca savransky daily senior staffer @beccasavransky
After a website ranking Northwestern women based on their physical appearance spurred multiple student complaints, administrators and student leaders responded this week commending the NU community for the way they addressed the issue and asking students to continue taking steps to foster a safe campus environment. The website, Morty’s Angels, was live from Friday to Saturday and asked people to choose “who is hotter,” to create a top 50 list. Currently, the University is still not aware of who created the website, said Joan Slavin, director of NU’s Sexual Harassment Prevention Office and Title IX coordinator, in an email to The Daily. She noted her office is encouraging anyone to share any information they know about who is behind its existence, however she added the University is unsure if the creators are affiliated with the NU community at all. During the time the site was active, multiple students filed complaints with the Department of Campus Inclusion and Community about the website’s existence. Students indicated the website
was “objectifying, humiliating and demeaning to women,” among other issues in emails to Slavin’s office, she said. She noted the website may be in violation of the University’s sexual harassment policy. “The University’s Policy on Sexual Harassment provides that sexual harassment can include any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile or offensive environment for others,” Slavin wrote. “Comments about students’ attractiveness (including ranking people based on how ‘hot’ they are) could create a sexually hostile environment in violation of this policy.” Slavin said students also stated their photos and names were misused without their consent. Lesley-Ann Brown, executive director for Campus Inclusion and Community, responded to student complaints Tuesday, noting the website was not affiliated with the University. The site, mortysangels.nu, was registered through the .nu domain, which is not owned by the University, Brown said. She added that Slavin had emailed the site requesting it be taken down and thanked individuals for voicing their concerns. “Thank you for making us aware » See angels, page 6
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
Testing of the ground underneath a south Evanston park where a landfill once stood revealed methane levels were minimal and harmless, Evanston fire department Chief Greg Klaiber said in a presentation to City Council on Tuesday night. After testing of the area around James Park revealed high concentrations of methane gas, the city hired a firm to conduct tests in March 2014 at sites 50 feet below the surface at indoor and outdoor locations around the parks, including Dawes Elementary School, 440 Dodge Ave., the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., and some businesses on Howard Street. Klaiber told council the testing found methane levels to be minimal. “What we have found were zero or negligible levels of methane gas inside the facilities, as well as outside,” he said. “We’re nowhere near (explosive levels). I believe there’s no imminent threat to public safety in or around James Park and the facilities.” The city began monitoring the park and its surrounding neighborhood after testing of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago site at 3500 Howard St. in Skokie showed the presence of methane gas. “When I found out that there was high levels of methane gas below the
“
I believe there’s no imminent threat to public safety in or around James Park and the facilities. Greg Klaiber, Chief of Evanston fire department
surface in this area, my number one concern, of course, is public safety,” Klaiber told the council. “Methane gas is a compressed gas. It is an asphyxiant, it’s colorless and odorless. So problems can occur in a confined
space.” He also updated the council on Evanston’s Lovelace Park, where testing showed similar low levels to James Park of methane gas. “Dependent upon what we find and the source of the methane at James Park, will kind of determine what action we’re going to take moving forward at Lovelace Park,” he said. Klaiber said he met on Monday with users of James Park, including sports teams, to deliver the same report on methane levels. The city will continue to ensure that the community is well informed on the matter, city manager Wally Bobkiewicz said. However, Ald. Ann Rainey (8th), whose ward contains James Park, voiced her displeasure with the public outreach
Paige Leskin/The Daily Northwestern
level check Evanston fire department Chief Greg Klaiber presents results of methane gas level testing to City Council. The tests revealed that methane levels near city parks were harmless.
thus far and said she wasn’t aware of a meeting on the issue that Bobkiewicz said was scheduled for Thursday. Bobkiewicz also updated council on a meeting with members of Community Animal Rescue Effort to talk about the funds they raised when operating out of the Evanston Animal Shelter. Although the meeting with » See council, page 6
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8