NORTH BY NORTHWESTERN
WINTER 2016 northbynorthwestern.com
BASKETBALL STAR ASHLEY DEARY IN THE BOARDROOM CTECS FROM LAST NIGHT
MORE THAN JUST A HOUSE
CONTENTS: PREGAME LIFE ADVICE — 5
Professor Susan Phillips talks maximizing time.
Diversity and Inclusion Chairs — 13
NBN checks in one year later.
QUAD INSIDE DIAL UP — 22 What was originally just a radio show moves beyond WNUR to share new music and art across campus.
WHY THE LATE START? — 18 An inside look into the origins of the quarter system’s unusual calendar, and why it’s remained in use for decades.
FEATURES MORE THAN JUST A HOUSE — 38 A symbol of hope for generations of Northwestern’s Black community.
IN THE BOARDROOM — 30 Board of Trustees and Student Body relations.
GENIUS RATS IN HEVANSTON — 10
Rodent residents on the rise.
NU REBRANDING — 14
Enhancing the Univeristy’s Identity.
BRINGING THEIR A-GAME — 34 Behind the scenes of Northwestern athletes’ off-field success.
HANGOVER DM BINGO — 46 Take this into the tent.
SPOTLIGHT TINDER SWAP — 21
Two friends, two Tinders and two quests for love.
POLAR BEAR PLUNGE — 42 Editor vs. Lake Michigan
DM ALTERNATIVES — 45 Do this instead.
WINTER 2016 | 3
*Cover Design by Brooke Sloan
WINTER 2016
WHAT FONT ARE YOU? NORTHBYNORTHWESTERN.COM
NORTH BY NORTHWESTERN managing editor Megan Fu creative director Brooke Sloan photo director Julia Song senior feature editors Martina Barrera-Hernandez and Sam Hart senior section editors Ricki Harris and Ben Zimmermann associate section editors Naib Mian and Trevor Bohatch assistant editor Anna Waters senior design editor Florence Fu designers Krish Lingala, Caroline Levy, Jocelyn Liao, Madison Rossi, Samantha Spengler assistant photo director Emma Sarappo photographers Ethan Dlugie, Allison Mark, Jacqueline Tang, Emma Sarappo, Mia Zanzucchi art directors Florence Fu and Brooke Sloan contributors Martina Barrera-Hernandez, Libby Berry, Andy Brown, Trevor Bohatch, Rosalie Chan, Will Fischer, Danette Frederique, Alex Furuya, Ricki Harris, Sam Hart, Hannah Johnson, Lela Johnson, Madeleine Kenyon, Jeremy Layton, Mollie Leavitt, Marlene Lenthang, Jason Mast, Naib Mian, Jackie Montalvo, Emily Moon, Malloy Moseley, Katherine Richter, Julia Clark-Riddell, Madison Shirey, Austin Siegel, Harrison Simons, Maddy Sims, Jacqueline Tang, Carolyn Twersky, Mira Wang, Anna Waters
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editor-in-chief Morgan Kinney executive editor Tanner Howard managing editors Elizabeth Santoro and Ashley Wood assistant managing editors Amal Ahmed, Andy Brown and Austin Siegel news editors Jason Mast and Caroline Spiezio features editor Madeleine Kenyon assistant features editor Samantha Max life & style editor Mira Wang assistant life & style editors Hannah Curcio and Natalie Ser opinion editor Carolyn Twersky entertainment editor Fai Nur assistant entertainment editors Madeline Coe and Claire Fahey sports editor Will Fischer assistant sports editor Rob Schaefer politics editor Mollie Leavitt assistant politics editors Abby Blachman and Lauren Sonnenberg writing editor Alex Daly writing assistant editor Walter Ko photo editor Jimmy Yook video editors Medha Imam and Margaret Corn interactive editors Stephanie Minn and Matthew Zhang social media coordinators Fai Nur and Andy Brown magazine liaison Leo Ji creative director Nicole Zhu
Merriweather
PREGAME
LIFE ADVICE FROM A PROFESSOR BY EMILY MOON Susan Phillips is a professor of late medieval and early modern literature and culture at Northwestern who studies Chaucer, Shakespeare and everything in between. When she’s not working on her upcoming book on 15th to 17th century phrasebooks, she is building Legos with her 5-year-old son.
Photos by Emma Sarappo
“I think that there’s so much pressure on students, imposed by society, imposed by parents, imposed by themselves, to maximize their time here by doing as many extracurriculars as they can and getting as many certificates or minors or majors as they can. I understand that pressure. But I would encourage students to think differently about maximizing their time here. I don’t think it’s about credentialing. Maximizing your time can be pursuing a major and doing that very well, or it can be dabbling, pursuing a range of interests, digging deep into a field rather than trying to do everything, or just giving yourself the time to think—to think. College is four years. It’s the only time in your whole life when your job is to think—to take courses, to explore ideas, to have your mind blown on a kind of daily basis by the ideas you come into contact with, whether that’s in the classroom or in conversations in the dorm or with friends elsewhere…So just breathe. Pursue things in depth.You’re never gonna get the chance to do this again.” WINTER 2016 | 5
Each quarter at Northwestern takes years off each of our lives.The academics are no joke and stress is not a foreign feeling to students on this campus. Sure, we all love this place dearly (just me? okay, cool), but for the sake of sanity, letting loose every once in a while is a must—enter the Primal Scream. At 9 p.m. on the dot the Sunday before finals week screams can be heard across campus. One of Northwestern’s long-standing traditions, the Primal Scream is one last-ditch attempt to blow off steam before we willingly allow finals to once again consume our lives.The tradition was originally introduced by Communications Residential College, also known as East Fairchild or CRC, in 1982 and took place in the old Library Plaza. The Primal Scream is one of Northwestern’s many traditions encouraging #PurplePride (March through the Arch, anyone? Wildcat Dash?). “[Northwestern’s traditions] are a great way to make it through even some of the toughest time on campus. It shows how strong our campus culture is,” says Noah Star, president of Northwestern’s Associated Student Government. While the idea behind the Primal Scream sounds glorious, many students at go-to study locations on
campus are reluctant to partake (not so #PurplePride). After all, it can be a little awkward belting out your feelings in the middle of a silent library. On the other hand, some locations put their all into the Primal Scream and those who wish to participate always congregate to the Rock, Norris,Willard and other campus dorms. Louisa Wyatt, Medill sophomore, joined in on the tradition beginning with the Fall Quarter of her freshman year. Wyatt went with two seniors at the time, Kayla Hammersmith and Peter Cleary, who had been documenting each scream for the entirety of their Northwestern experience. Following their graduation, these two seniors passed their project along to a handful of underclassmen, including Wyatt. “We usually just sit in Core and film ourselves on Photo Booth,” Wyatt says. “We never take part in the scream, but rather sit and take it all in with our viewers—we post the video on Facebook.” Although Wyatt documents participation in the Primal Scream, Core was hesitant to partake in the Primal scream at first. “There’s always a delay as people work up the courage to start screaming,” says Wyatt. “No one wants to break the ice and end up screaming alone.There’s definitely a group mentality to it that we, as documentarians, never have to deal with.” Senior David Cohen has always been a huge fan of the Primal Scream. So much so, in fact, that he almost got arrested for it in periodicals the Winter Quarter of his junior year. “At 9 p.m. I shouted as loud as I could, expecting all of my friends to be doing it with me, but they left me out to dry,” Cohen says. Minutes later, a librarian came over and threatened to call the police, having never heard of the tradition. After researching the Primal Scream, she let Cohen off with a warning. He plans to never partake in the scream again. “It was my understanding that this is supposed to be an entire community event,” says Cohen. “Clearly this isn’t the case, and I was punished for trying to maintain a dying ritual. In my ideal Northwestern, at 9 p.m. each Sunday of reading week all of the building and outdoor spaces of Northwestern’s campus will be filled with the screams of Northwestern students.”
PRIMAL SCREAM Screamin’ since 1982. BY LELA JOHNSON 6 | northbynorthwestern.com
Photo by Jackie Tang
PREGAME
WILDCAT FAMILY
BY MIA ZANZUCCHI
Packing our resumes with activities we may or may not have actually been interested in, staying up many nights to get good grades, cramming for the SAT, realizing we should probably take the ACT too and writing about ourselves over and over again gave us the opportunity to come to Northwestern. Despite all the hard work, most decide where they attend school by looking at proximity or distance from home, finances, or the availability of a particular degree. There is one thing most prospective Northwestern students don’t have to think about — professor parents. For those who do, having someone who once changed your diapers also teach at a top-tier university you attend can lead to some delightfully unique situations.
“Nick Offerman and my dad were really good friends in the ‘90s,” Godinez says. “They did shows together, they were roommates. So when Nick came here, he asked the whole crowd, ‘Does Henry Godinez still work here?’ Then he said something along the lines of, ‘Is he still ripped? Because that dude almost turned me gay!’” Lucia Godinez, Communication sophomore Professor Henry Godinez
“Freshman year and entering into college, I thought it was going to be a hindrance and really annoying [to go to her dad’s school],” Jona says. “But over the last four years, it’s really become such a source of strength and comfort and it’s been amazing having my family so close.” Tali Jona, Weinberg senior Professor Kemi Jona
From Top to Bottom, Photos by Julia Woojae Song and Emma Sarappo
WINTER 2016 | 7
PREGAME
GETTING THE GIFT Northwestern’s campaign endowment simplified. BY CAROLYN TWERSKY We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, a University-wide fundraising effort, has been raising money to improve different aspects of education and student life across Northwestern’s campuses. After two years of fundraising, the University recently announced it had raised $2.77 billion of the target $3.75 billion. Who are the big names behind the donations? And where is all this money going? We broke it all down for you.
$2.77
WHO?
BILLION RAISED
112,860 DONORS
600
FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEERS
The names you should know:
$101 million
gift by alumna Roberta Buffett Elliot
$100 million
WHAT?
gift by School of Law alumnus J.B. Pritzker and his wife M.K. Pritzker
The money raised so far will establish:
$92 million
48
gift by Northwestern Trustee and alumnus Louis A. Simpson and his wife Kimberly K. Querrey
endowed professorships
$25 million
239
gift by alumni Patrick G. Ryan and Shirley W. Ryan
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$141.7
million in scholarships new scholarships and fellowships
GENIUS
RATS IN HEVaNSTON Reports of rodent sightings are on the rise. BY: MIRA WANG
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The front door was a no-go zone for Kevin Harris. Shortly after moving in Fall Quarter, the Weinberg senior noticed rats—lots of them— scurrying back and forth in between the two big bushes outside of his apartment on Clark. “They come out right when it gets dark,” he says. “If you stand out there for five to ten minutes you’re pretty much guaranteed to see one scurry across from one of the bushes or out from one of the planters.” Harris and his roommates contacted their landlord, who put out bait boxes for the furry pests, and even invested $20 of their own money into a little rat poison, vigilante action. But the problem only got slightly better. “We lived and coped and learned how to adapt,” he says. Reports of rat sightings are on the rise: from 390 in 2013 to 1180 in 2015, according to a report prepared by Evanston’s assistant health director. On the bright side, the area of Evanston directly surrounding Northwestern University doesn’t seem to be a “rat hotspot.” In 2014, a heat map displaying rat service requests in Evanston showed the largest rat hot spot at the intersection of Main and Dewey in South Evanston, with smaller hot spots closer to campus, including Sherman and Noyes. Harris, who is an off-campus ambassador, hadn’t heard of any Northwestern students who had outright rat infestations. But students—and their parents—still call the Office of Off-campus Life to ask about rodentrelated problems. “The rat problem is pretty sporadic,” says Anthony Kirchmeier, who has been Northwestern’s director of off-campus life for four years. “It comes up sometimes and isn’t an issue at other times, but it is definitely a recurring problem.” Kirchmeier says he advises students to connect with city resources, like the handy 311 reporting service. “The 311 service is the go-to city service,” says Myrtil Mitanga, another off-campus ambassador. “You can call if your apartment is
too cold, if you need information about snow parking or other snow-related things, or if you have rats.” Here’s how it works: The resident calls, texts or submits an online request to 311. The 311 operator logs the complaint into the database, which then alerts the City inspector responsible for that area. Within 24 to 48 hours, a city inspector and a pest control operator from Rose Pest Control, a citycontracted company, will check out the area, place bait boxes if necessary and inspect the area for overflowing garbage, large shrubs and other contributing factors for rat fertility. The system is web-based and very fluid, says Carl Caneva, Evanston’s assistant health
“They come out right when it gets dark. If you stand out there for five to ten minutes you’re pretty much guaranteed to see one scurry across from one of the bushes or out from one of the planters.” - Kevin Harris, Weinberg senior
director. Notes made on specific cases are attached online, so inspectors and contract pest control operators have access to the same information, without having to file separate paper reports. Updates are sent real-time to residents in the same way that they logged their complaints. The whole process is rather seamless. Right after filing the complaint, residents are prompted to check a release/liability box on an online form to allow the pest control operator access to the property and permission to take action. The complainant has a week to do so when the request is still live on the website. “Sometimes there is a lag from filling out
that form, but we try to do everything in our power to make that a quicker piece,” says Caneva. “We’re not making them print it out or come to the City to fill it out.” Evanston’s health department has made the rodent problem a priority this year and for the past couple of years, said Ike Ogbo, the City’s public health manager. In 2016, the City renewed its contract with Rose Pest Control for the fourth year in a row, and two years ago, the health department began a “rodent academy” training program for all City staff. All of the City’s field staff—property maintenance inspectors, health inspectors, street sanitation workers, public works employees—were given a 30-minute training session about what rodents eat, where they hide and how to spot rat evidence. “They, too, have a responsibility to report what they find to 311,” Caneva says. “What we’re finding is that staff were seeing those things out in Evanston but not reporting.” Caneva adds, “It was not as though they were making the choice not to report, we hadn’t done the necessary training to provide a solid background of information on rodents.” This year, the goal is to extend that rat education program to the public with increased board meetings and face-to-face time with residents to draw greater attention to the rodent problem. The City will also begin pre-baiting in the spring. Inspectors will look through alleys and neighborhoods and release a report on which areas are at the most risk for rat infestations. Combined with the past three to four years of rat hotspot data, Caneva hopes that the City will be able to knock the rat population down right during breeding season, so the usual summertime spike in sightings can be avoided. For now, though, the City’s health department advises rodent-wary residents to dispose of trash in city-approved bins with closing lids and to report any rat sightings as soon as possible. “Limit the amount of waste outside,” said Caneva. “Rats will eat anything, even the most disgusting things you can imagine.”
WINTER 2016 | 11
GENIUS
Sargent Hall in Amazon Prime series “The Man in the High Castle.”
STARGENT
BY ANDY BROWN
T
his Winter Break, I binge-watched “The Man in the High Castle” on Amazon Prime. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a dystopian show based on a book by the same title that depicts an early 1960s universe in which the Axis Powers have won World War II and Nazi Germany and Japan have taken control of America. I was on episode nine within a couple of days, but had I broken my gaze for about three seconds at the 8:30 mark, I might have missed something truly incredible... My eyes did not deceive me. Sargent Hall, home of arguably the longest lunch lines in the Western Hemisphere, also makes a guest appearance as a rehabilitation hospital. I was immediately curious. Why, out of all the buildings in the world, did the exterior of Sargent immediately scream “vintage Nazi hospital” to a location scout? I did some digging and found that “The Man in the High Castle” did absolutely no filming in Evanston or Chicago. The vast majority of it was done in and around Vancouver and Seattle. Something didn’t add up, but then it hit me: This wasn’t the first time I’d seen Sargent used as a hospital on screen. In the 2008 film “The Express” (a biopic on Ernie Davis, the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner), various scenes were filmed on or near campus. Ryan Field, for example, was used to represent Dallas’
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Cotton Bowl. Near the end of the movie, when Davis is in a Cleveland hospital for leukemia treatment, the establishing shot used for the early 1960s hospital was, again, the front of Sargent Hall. Interestingly enough, the cars are parked in the exact same places as they were in “The Man in the High Castle.” In fact, it’s the exact same shot as the one used in the movie. The only differences in the show version are the people who appear to have been airbrushed out; a “Reich Rehabilitation Hospital” sign on the front; and some alterations to the lighting. The movie and show were made by two different sets of production companies, so the only way the show would have access to that footage is by buying it from somewhere else. After sending out to every one of the six production companies credited with helping film “The Man in the High Castle,” Jack Glascott from Scott Free Television was the only one that got back to me. Coincidentally, Glascott works for executive producer David Zucker, who is a Northwestern alumnus. After some investigating on their end, (and apparently to the bewilderment of Zucker, who probably doesn’t usually deal with things of this nature), Glascott was able to confirm that it was, in fact, purchased footage of Sargent Hall. “I’d imagine it’s repeatedly showing
up as the exterior shot for a hospital in various productions because it’s listed as a hospital stock shoot from wherever it’s being purchased from,” Zucker said in an email. Where did the stock footage come from, and again, why Sargent? Katharine Heus, also at Scott Free, reached out to the Art Department for answers. Her report, via email, is as follows: “We bought the footage from Getty Images, and … it was listed as a Cleveland hospital. Unfortunately, the link to the clip is no longer available from Getty. So, while it absolutely looks like the building from Northwestern, we don’t really know for sure—all we know is that our intention was to get something that looked like a hospital and that we got it through Getty.” Unfortunately, Getty Images never got back to me about the origin of the shot that unmistakably looks like Sargent. Ostensibly, the shot was filmed so long ago that the rationale for likening Sargent to a vintage hospital has been lost in the shuffle of time. This is where my quest for the truth came to a screeching halt. But your quest has just begun, and the time is nigh to #StayWoke. Keep your eyes peeled the next time a 1960s period film or television show pans over to a hospital scene, because you never know—Sargent could be making another cameo.
Image created by Jocelyn Liao, photos courtesy of Ethan Dlugie and Amazon Prime
NU’s beloved dining hall as a 1960s hospital and more.
Photos by Julia Woojae Song and Emma Sarappo
CHECKING IN A YEAR LATER BY MARTINA BARRERA-HERNANDEZ
Diversity and Inclusion chairs discuss goals and ideas for the future. More than a year ago, the Panhellenic Association (PHA) created the Diversity and Inclusion Chair for all sorority chapters. While all chapters were required to implement this new position into their governing boards, guidelines about how to select these officials and what their positions would entail were left open to interpretation to each individual chapter. Now, NBN checks in with Diversity and Inclusion chairs to discuss progress, goals and challenges.
“Kimberly and I have put a lot of work into the D&I position this year, bringing in [Campus Inclusion and Community] staff for workshops, sending events and articles to the chapter, and leading dialogue sessions with members.We’ve had mostly positive feedback from our chapter, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, is that it’s going to take more than two people in each chapter to change our community. If Greek organizations and college campuses really want to become more inclusive, we’re going to need effort from every single member of our communities, alongside ongoing national support. It won’t be easy, but we have hope that this position can play a part in the movement towards greater inclusion across college campuses.”
“Something special that Diversity and Inclusion does in Gamma Phi Beta is that we have a committee instead of a single chairperson/ director. I think this is really important because as the position and idea is so new, we wanted to have as many voices be heard and represented. Rather than have one person make all the decisions regarding D&I in our chapter we allow lots of ideas to be thrown around and scrutinized which allows for more collaboration and innovation for the role. Some things that we have started doing are a weekly newsletter to which members can contribute feature ideas (we just did one on Chelsea Handler’s new show and her episode about race).” Sienna Parker, sophomore, Gammi Phi Beta
Kimberly Chow, sophomore; Paige Kaliski, senior, Alpha Chi Omega
“It’s a super important position, especially in PHA sororities that have been historically white. I’ve started a Facebook clothing bank in Chi Omega, which is for sisters to upload photos of business clothes and formalwear for other sisters to borrow.When our formals roll around, we set up a clothing rack so sisters can borrow formalwear for one night instead of buying new clothes.A few times a quarter, we also have a Sustained-Dialogue-style discussion on various topics.The last one was about race and racism, while the next one will be on heteronormativity. Generally, the discussion focuses on how we, as a chapter, can continue to improve.” Wan Kwok, junior, Chi Omega
“I think the most important thing for our chapter and for PHA as a whole is to adopt the idea that diversity and inclusion should be in our thought processes all the time. There is not a predetermined formula that will tell us,‘if we do x, y, and z, then we’ll be ‘diverse’ and we can stop thinking about it’ or like ‘congratulations we did all of these things now we are officially ‘inclusive.’ It doesn’t work like that; it’s not a checklist. It’s a mindset and a way of thinking that we all have to adopt as individuals.And it’s important to know that that can be really challenging, because it has to come from a place of continual humility and empathy. It is certainly daunting, but I think it feels good to know that you are at least trying something.” Angelina Strohbach, sophomore, Delta Zeta WINTER 2016 | 13
GENIUS
NEW YEAR, NEW NU Solving Northwestern’s identity crisis. BY BEN ZIMMERMAN It all started with a new profile picture. Northwestern’s official Facebook page changed its profile picture on June 5, 2015—its first update since 2013. The photo featured an “N” in a revamped and modern typeface, which the caption said would be used only in “very select cases” such as social media. This simple change generated hundreds of likes and comments within hours. But it was just the beginning of a rebranding process years in the making that could be key to enhancing Northwestern’s worldwide reputation. In the fall of 2013, a committee launched by President Morton Schapiro concluded that the University should focus on creating a new brand identity. Schapiro hired Mary Baglivo, a marketing veteran and Medill graduate school alum who previously ran a major ad agency, as the University’s first chief marketing officer. As the head of what she refers to as a “little start-up,” Baglivo has spearheaded Northwestern’s efforts to streamline and enhance the University’s image across all platforms, from a new slogan with a flashy video, to a revamped website and new typefaces. “Our goal was essentially to create a more cohesive and compelling brand platform for Northwestern,” Baglivo says. Baglivo and other administrators launched the rebranding effort largely as a way to boost Northwestern’s reputation and make the University stand out in the face of increasingly competitive college admissions. “It’s really all about our intellectual agenda,” Baglivo says. “We’re looking to increase the academic reputation of Northwestern, because that helps us attract the best, brightest, most interesting and diverse students and faculty and staff. If we can 14 | northbynorthwestern.com
put together the best people in the best-funded facilities, we think that we can accelerate the opportunities to discover things that will help change the world.” The marketing team began holding conversations and focus groups with students to determine a possible message, and then used an in-depth survey to test the success of various ideas. The team settled on a message highlighting interdisciplinary work and studying across various fields. They started the campaign with simple changes such as the new “N” as part of a more modern and cohesive font identity. “We looked like a really dysfunctional family,” Baglivo says of the typefaces and logos used before the rebranding. The team then rolled out a new, redesigned website to highlight the new branding and message, in addition to all new admission materials and updating the messaging of the new Segal Visitor Center. They also helped launch The Garage, a collaborative space to work on group projects, as part of the brand’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. But perhaps the most visible part of the rebranding effort to many students was the release of a promotional video, entitled “Take a Northwestern Direction,” which was one of the major slogans of the campaign. The video featured Weinberg senior Kalina Silverman discussing unique interdisciplinary work as part of a customizable “Northwestern direction” that any student can take, played over drone footage of the campus and other flashy shots of interesting research. “I was really anxious about what my identity would be,” Silverman says of her thoughts as she started school. But, she says, she was able to create her own unique experience combining
Greek life, athletics, study abroad and other extracurriculars to form her own “Northwestern direction.” “The whole message really resonated with me and my Northwestern experience,” she says. “You can be a Northwestern student and do this and this and this, which can be totally unrelated, but combine to form your experience here.” Now that the new identity has been created and launched, Baglivo and her “little startup” will start to tell stories that relate to their brand and release content across various platforms that further their message of interdisciplinary work and innovation, Baglivo says. The team has also set out metrics to test the success of the rebranding, including the University’s ranking compared to peer institutions, student satisfaction levels and alumni participation rates. They hope that promotional material, like the video, can help attract prospective students as well as unite existing Northwestern students and alumni, Baglivo says. “Brands can build community,” she says. “Just being part of a shared idea is powerful. When people graduate and become young alums, that Northwestern narrative should really be continued in a way that’s relevant for them to stay involved.” For the rebranding campaign, Baglivo wanted to use Northwestern’s name as part of the school’s new message to make it stand out compared to schools named after their founders or locations. She decided to use the name’s geographical direction as part of their slogan that highlights the ability to form a unique college experience. “It is a terrible name for an institution of our caliber,” Baglivo says. “We can make it mean something.”
This is written in Northwestern’s new custom font, Akkurat.
old new
old new
old new
WINTER 2016 | 15
genius
B*TCH PEAS WHAT ARE YOUR SWIPES REALLY WORTH? BY ROSALIE CHAN Sophomores and other upperclassmen who choose to live in dorms often revel at the idea of moving to the Block Plan for their food needs.This lets them use meal swipes in dining halls or as “equivalency meals” to spend at food spots in Norris or around campus. But, while the Block Plan is definitely flexible for different tastes and preferences, does it give students good bang for their buck? NBN took a look at the surprising costs of meal plans on campus to see how they measure up to individual meals.
TWO OF THE MOST POPULAR MEAL PLANS
ENTRY PRICES WITH WILDCARD Between $7-$12 EQUIVALENCY MEAL PRICES Between $7-$9
WILDCAT WEEKLY 14
VS.
$12.99 per meal WILDCAT BLOCK PLAN $16.55 per meal
CHICAGO BOOZY BRUNCH
Continuing Saturday night into Sunday morning. BY JACQUELINE TANG
Finish off your weekend with a Sunday morning boozy brunch to prolong addressing all your homework that you’ve left until the last minute. FOR PEOPLE GOOD AT CHUGGING: Taverna 750 Ready to put your case race skills to the test? Head over to Taverna 750 in Lakeview, where you can down as many mimosas as you want before the entrée course is served in their special brunch deals. For $24, you get mimosas and two courses, and for $29 you get mimosas, two courses, and two martinis. Make sure to try Taverna 750’s classy take on bacon in their Duck Bacon EBLT (fried egg, bacon, lettuce, tomato). If mimosas aren’t really your thing, go for the Adult Chocolate Milk that features their house made chocolate liqueur. And for a complete spin down memory lane, pair your Adult Chocolate Milk with their decadent mac and cheese. FOR BOTTOMLESS DRINKS: Dolce Italian Mimosas, Bellinis and Bloody Marys, oh my! Dolce Italian, on the north side of Chicago, takes an Italian spin on brunch. Their special Bubbles Package includes bottomless glasses of your drink of choice. You can choose from the mimosas, Bloody Marys or the classic Italian Bellini. And if you thought pizza couldn’t get any better, check out their brunch pizza, which features poached egg and sausage gravy. 16 | northbynorthwestern.com
FOR PEOPLE LOOKING TO SPICE THINGS UP: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! If you’re feeling adventurous and looking to stray away from the typical brunch staples of eggs and pancakes, stop by Cafe BaBa-Reeba for an experience that’s as colorful and lively as the restaurant’s name. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Lincoln Park is one of the hottest tapas bars in Chicago, and they bring the heat in the morning, too. Start with their pintxos, which are bite sized tapas, and then move on to their brunch tapas. Paella fans will fall in love with their Breakfast Paella which has bomba rice, Spanish sausages and a scrambled egg crust. Make sure to check out their Bloody Mary bar where you can make your own perfect version of the drink. If you have room for more booze, their sangria is $25-28 [or just make it ‘begins at $25 a pitcher?] a pitcher — white peach sangria, anyone? FOR BYOB: m.henry m.henry is only a short five mile ‘L’ ride from Northwestern. Nestled in Andersonville, the restaurant doubles as a bakery, with a to-go counter in the front of the store. When it’s not below freezing, you can opt to sit in the quaint outdoor seating area. Though known for the Bliss Cakes, their ultra fluffy pancakes, m. henry’s emphasizes fresh and seasonal ingredients, so their menu items will change depending on the season. Make sure to try the “Fannie’s Killer Fried Egg Sandwich,” perfect to help mitigate any hangover you’re experiencing.
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Oh the places you’ll go BY DANETTE FREDERIQUE
“You can steer yourself any direction you choose” —but don’t forget your WildCARD. The Intercampus’ first Chicago stop at the Loyola ‘L’ station drops riders off in the heart of Rogers Park, a Northside neighborhood known for its ethnically diverse population and student-friendly atmosphere.
THAI SPICE RESTAURANT: 1320 W. DEVON AVENUE Devon Avenue boasts hundreds of delicious restaurants specializing in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, but Thai Spice is not to be overlooked. This cozy BYOB restaurant has 4.5 stars on Yelp and provides “spiced-to-order” Thai noodles and curries. Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 5 p.m.- 11p.m. | Price Range: $$ Spotlight Menu Items: Green Curry and Chicken Pad Thai | Walking Distance from Sheridan/Loyola Stop: 0.4 mi, 8 min BOPNGRILL: 6604 N. SHERIDAN ROAD The Korean-American fusion options offered at this restaurant have earned the founding chef Will Song a spot on the Food Network’s popular show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and PBS’s “Foodphiles,” among other media outlets. Open daily from 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. | Price Range: $$ Spotlight Menu Items: Kimchi Signature Burger topped with caramelized kimchi, a fried egg, American cheese, bacon, togarashi mayo and shredded cabbage | Walking distance from Sheridan/Loyola Stop: 348 ft, 1 min
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AWASH ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT: 6322 N. BROADWAY STREET Dining at an Ethiopian restaurant means eating with your hands from a shared, large, round platter of vegetables and meats served in spiced sauces. At the base of this platter is a layer of injera, a spongy, soft bread, which diners tear with their fingers and use to scoop up their food. Open daily from 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. | Price Range: $$ Spotlight Menu Items: Sigana Atkilt, lamb meat slow cooked and served with string beans, carrots and potatoes in a mild sauce and Kik Aitcha, yellow split peas sautéed with onions and other herbs and spices. Walking distance from Sheridan/Loyola stop: 0.3 mi, 7 min
Looking to spend a fun afternoon downtown? The Intercampus shuttle’s second stop at the University’s medical school drops students just steps from the bustle of Michigan Avenue.
GHIRARDELLI ICE CREAM & CHOCOLATE: 830 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE Indulge in an endless assortment of chocolates of all flavors and forms at the Ghirardelli store on the Magnificent Mile. This store offers hot chocolate, milkshakes, banana splits and all kinds of baked treats. Open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.- 10:30 p.m. and until 11:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Price Range: $$ | Spotlight Menu Items: Sea Salt Caramel Hot Chocolate and Warm Brownie Sundae Walking Distance from Arrival Ward: 0.3 mi, 6 min
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART: 220 E. N. CHICAGO AVENUE Established in 1967, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art has provided the city with thought-provoking exhibitions, artistic performances, events and free daily tours. There is a suggested admission fee of $7. Open Tuesday from 10 a.m- 8 p.m,Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., closed Mondays. Price Range: FREE Walking Distance from Arrival Ward: 0.1 mi, 3 min
LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY: 821 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE This award-winning theater group is a national leader in theatrical arts. It was founded by a group Northwestern graduates, including Friends star David Schwimmer, in 1988. Open from noon until 6 p.m. on Sundays and Tuesdays and noon to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, closed Mondays. Price Range: Varies depending on tickets Walking Distance from Arrival Ward: 0.3 mi, 5 min
WINTER 2016 | 17
GENIUS
Time for Change?
BY EMILY MOON
This January, a Northwestern University task force recommended modifying the quarter system to allow for an earlier start to the school year. To realign the calendar with semester schools, the plan would split Winter Quarter, add additional breaks and create opportunities for 5-week or 15-week courses. But after nearly eight decades of task force scrutiny and countless complaints about the unusual structure, why has the University stuck with such a polarizing academic calendar? It all comes down to one man. One man and $36 million. When Walter P. Murphy donated this sum, equal to over $600 million today, to the University in 1939, he required only that the Technological Institute, now the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, establish a cooperative learning program for students to alternate time on campus and in the field. Due to the program’s structure, the University Senate concluded that “the quarter system is practically imperative,” according to a 1941 committee report. Murphy, an entrepreneur who made his fortune patenting parts for the railroad industry, hoped the Institute would “couple a world class engineering education with the principles of co-op,” says Helen Oloroso, assistant dean and director of the McCormick Office of Career Development. “A gift of that size was unheard of at the time,” Oloroso says. The donation funded
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the entire construction of the Technological Institute building, uniting the engineering programs and faculty under one roof. But its impact extended well beyond Tech. When the Institute adopted the quarter system to accommodate co-op in 1942, the semester-run College of Arts and Sciences had little choice but to play along. A report favoring the quarter system said widespread adoption would synchronize the two calendars and provide greater course variety and flexibility. Moreover, it would be a boon to the war effort, since the Naval ROTC, made up of one-third engineers, was struggling to operate on two systems at once. The quarter system’s summer term would allow students to graduate earlier to join the war effort. “If the Institute is so important to the college, then anything that will aid the Institute such as adopting the quarter plan should be seriously considered,” wrote committee chair Malcolm Dole in a 1941 report. Despite opposition from College faculty, the system stuck. Since then, it has been subject to countless Daily Northwestern editorials and task force inquiries. While one March 1943 article disparaged the system for cramming information “down our throats in as little time as possible,” others told students to suck it up. “Anyone who is in school for an education should be looking for something better to do than sip Cokes,” the Daily wrote in February 1943. Faculty never abandoned the fight, however. University task forces in the 1960s and 1980s examined the system’s success, often with inconclusive results. University Archivist Kevin Leonard says he’s never been able to explain why the University kept
the system around, especially since it has garnered many complaints over the years. “It’s like the force of tradition,” he says. “It seems to me that we do it this way because it’s the way we do it.” Although the 1988 Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience came out against the quarter system and proposed solutions including a semester plan, a follow-up committee issued no mandate for change, supposedly “in light of the many imponderables involved in so major a matter.” Professor Gary Saul Morson, who served on the 1988 Task Force, says these committees often encounter inertia. “The recommendations went nowhere,” he says, citing what he called a “basic pattern” in opinion that made the shift to semesters impossible. “Since I’ve come here, students generally prefer quarter system and faculty don’t.” While some faculty condemn quarters for their hurried pace and intensity, students like the variety the system provides. According to the 2014-15 ASG Student Survey, 62.5 percent of students prefer the quarter system and only 20 percent favored a shift to semesters. Still, quarters come at a cost. Oloroso says the timing of the current academic calendar disadvantages students seeking internships or co-op positions, since most employers function on the semester system. The Task Force’s proposition will remedy this, says Task Force Chair Indira Raman. The new “10-5-5-10” calendar would begin in late August and end in May, providing for a more traditional academic year. “We thought, ‘How can we retain the good parts of the quarter system and overcome some of the complications?’” Raman says. “[The “10-5-5-10” plan] is a way to accommodate a whole variety of possibilities without forcing a particular possibility on anyone.” The plan would mean big changes for Northwestern, but it still leaves us one of the few elite universities left on the quarter system. Nearly 80 years later, with over half the student body in support of quarters, it’s hard to blame Murphy. Intensity has simply become part of the process. We’re not sipping Cokes anymore.
Illustration by Samantha Spengler
The story behind Northwestern’s unique academic calendar.
How to succeed with CARTER CAST One Kellogg professor’s advice on what it takes to succeed.
BY MADDY SIMS
Phot o by E m m a S a r a ppo
In his book set to come out in a little over a year, Carter Cast, an associate clinical professor at Kellogg, reveals his findings on what derails the careers of even the most talented people. As a professor at Kellogg and a working venture capitalist, Cast, 52, has seen a lot of the business world. He got his MBA at Kellogg, and started off marketing for big brand names like PepsiCo. Then he moved into developing Internet start-ups, like Blue Nile (now a million dollar company). After such an impressive track record,Walmart’s Internet division recruited him, and he eventually became CEO. But it wasn’t always a straight shot to the top for Cast. Focusing primarily on his strengths early in his career left him with a huge blind spot, revealing the importance of identifying weaknesses and addressing them. To help others avoid what he calls “career derailment,” Cast’s book will explore the common weaknesses that hold professionals back. “I believed that there had to be some well-researched reasons that people’s careers flat-lined, or they get demoted or they get fired,” Cast says. Cast has spent his time digging into existing academic research and interviewing over 60 people— ranging from unemployed people to CEOs. While the book won’t be published for another 18 months, Cast gave NBN a sneak peek at his findings.
The five major “CAREER DERAILERS,” according to Cast:
INTERPERSONAL ISSUES. “It comes down to not being deft and not being tactful,” Cast says. “Running rough shot, being a bull in a china shop. Pursuing your objective so one-dimensionally that there are people who get run over or bruised along the way.” The biggest takeaway: don’t get too cocky. DIFFICULTY BUILDING & LEADING TEAMS. Picture this: you’re working on a group project and cranking out all the work yourself (also known as every group project you’ve ever done.) You do such a good job that your boss promotes you to a management position. “But then [you] don’t know how to manage a team, motivate a team, communicate effectively with a team, garner resources for the team, align with other department to be able to get the team’s agenda pushed through in a complex organization,” Cast says. “That transition from me to we is not an easy one, and people trip up.” Cast’s solution to this derailer? Take people from other departments out for lunch and find out what they’re doing. POOR ADAPTABILITY. “The antidote to this one is remaining the learner. Always be the learner, always be the student,” Cast says. In other words, stay curious, and keep up with technology and changes in the field. Change is good! Embrace it, or you might miss the train on the fast track. BEING NON-STRATEGIC. Translation: specializing in one specific area and not taking time to see how the pieces all fit together outside of what you’re doing. The fix? Take lateral moves, says Cast. “Raise your hand and be on task forces so you can learn to be on other cross-functional groups,” he says. “It’s important to take advantage of workshops that are offered…your goal is to have a nice view of how all the pieces fit together,” Cast says. NOT DELIVERING ON PROMISES. Maybe it’s because of poor planning, but it can also be due to being a people pleaser and never saying no. It can even be the result of someone who struggles with grandiosity—they’re all talk. “The problem with this derailer is that people slowly back away from you because your word isn’t your bond,” Cast says. “People lose confidence, and you lose credibility.”
SPOTLIGHT
Evening in Evanston
Filling the SPACE
BY LIBBY BERRY
The only concert venue right in our backyard. If you’re an NU student looking for dinner and a show but don’t want to drop $20 on an Uber all the way downtown, SPACE, a concert venue right here in Evanston, might be just the ticket. SPACE, or the Society for the Preservation of Art and Culture in Evanston, opened its doors in spring 2008 with the intention to “do something a little bit different” according to current general manager Davis Inman. Affiliated with Union Pizzeria, SPACE mainly functions as a performance venue but also includes a recording studio often used by visiting artists. “I think there was this kind of cross-disciplinary kind of idea behind the whole building and doing a couple of different creative things that were all connected but were each sort of standing on their own,” says Inman, suggesting that this relationship is what sets SPACE apart from other venues. Although it boasts a strong connection to the folk and singer-songwriter community, SPACE also attracts a variety of talent, bringing in artists from the blues, jazz, Americana and emerging indie-folk veins. According to Inman, different types of shows pull vastly different crowds and for some more renowned artists, the venue even draws patrons from neighboring states. SPACE is also open to fans of all ages, including those under 21. “We love being in the same neighborhood as Northwestern,” Inman says. “We’re always excited to see college students come out to our shows.” Samantha Friske, a Communication freshman, started interning with SPACE during Winter Quarter. “I kind of knew I really wanted to go into the music
business in some way,” Friske says, and SPACE seemed like the perfect opportunity when she stumbled upon it while still attending high school in Wilmette. Although she couldn’t apply until college, it was worth the wait. “Everybody there is so nice,” she says. “The musicians are incredibly talented.” Friske has two roles at the venue: marketing and promotion, as well as working in the box office. “They really want you to learn and grow,” she says. “If you are interested and if this is something you’re passionate about, they’ll be open.” SPACE also looks to promote new musical talent from the area. For example, Ryley Walker, a young folk artist from Chicago, opened SPACE’s New Year’s Eve show. “That felt special,” Inman says. “He’s touring all over the United States and Europe, and he’s one of the exciting younger artists of Chicago. He’s a really interesting person to present at SPACE.” Always adding new shows to their schedule, SPACE has a full lineup for its spring season. Visiting artists include Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire and Chris Pureka, a singer-songwriter who has performed with acts like The Lumineers. In addition to musical performances, Inman says SPACE is also trying to bring in more comedy shows in an effort to appeal to a college audience. He hopes that students who haven’t been to SPACE consider stopping by. “It’s like a community,” Friske says.“I feel like Northwestern students haven’t really found that yet.”
Let Me Buy You a Drank The Deuce and beyond. BY JACKIE MONTALVO
The Deuce:
Duuuude!!! Mark II, baby! Do you love forfeiting your personal space, hard-earned cash and dignity to spend an evening of your sweet, sweet, short life swapping spit in a poorly lit, cramped dance room? Then this NU staple is for you! You can always count on seeing, among a sea of freshmen, a group of 25-year-old men hanging out at the bar.
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Nevins:
Often described as “the Deuce for older people,” Nevins draws a slightly different crew of NU students. Here you’ll find more seating and lights so that you can actually see the person you are or are not about to make out with, and two bars so the wait for your Miller High Life and Fuzzy Navel is significantly cut down compared to other bars in the area.
Bangers and Lace:
Bangers and Lace is decorated with animal heads, so if you’re a hardcore animal lover, or if you have a secret “Night-at-the-Museum”inspired fear that the heads will come to life at dusk, this may not be the place for you. With strict horizontal ID requirements, make sure you and your date remembered to change your IDs when you turned 21.
La Macchina:
Oh, you had lunch here the other day with your parents? Same. La Macchina doubles as a café in the morning, makeshift bar at night. We know it as the replacement for the Keg, your family calls it “that cute little lunch place.” The booth by the window where you’re enjoying your meal might just be the very same spot where you almost barfed.
TINDER SWAP
Two friends set each other up on blind Tinder dates in hopes of finding the perfect match. BY MARTINA BARRERA-HERNANDEZ AND TREVOR BOHATCH
THE RULES:
1. Only meet in public places. 2. No oldies or NU students. 3. Stay off your own account. 4. Send picture and conversation with date one hour before.
DATE #1: THE BODY BUILDER
DATE #1: THE BESTIE
Well whatever I thought my type was, this guy was pretty much the exact opposite. He is a bodybuilder—he even showed me competition shots of him all oiled up posing in a speedo. What more could a girl ask for on a first date? We had zero chemistry and the conversation was like pulling teeth—just when I thought I couldn’t hang out with him for another minute, I remembered that I had just finished recruitment and had been trained to hold awkward conversations with strangers and get into the ~deep zone~: “Tell me about your family,” I asked. “What do you love about bodybuilding?” To make matters worse, we met up at Sherbucks (seriously, Trevor, why?) and every other person who walked in knew me. One of my PA kids came over to give me a hug and immediately noticed the bulk of muscle sitting to my right. Swipe left, sorry dude.
“Don’t set me up with some boring, senile guy,” I told Martina and one of her best friends at a birthday party the night before my first date. Little did I know her best friend (yes, the one that was standing with us) was my date. We met at Patisserie Coralie the next morning and I proceeded to apologize profusely, caught redhanded on the first date. But he was really cool about it. We talked for almost an hour and a half at random and never really ran out of things to say, which was refreshing. This was a good start. As he runs in the same circles as me on campus, I definitely wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on this one (that’s one of my rules), but I’m really glad Martina did!
DATE #2: THE CUTIE
DATE #2: THE HIGH SCHOOLER
The idea of having to go on another date sent me into an oblivion of existential angst—Who am I? What is Martina? What is the meaning of life? I begrudgingly threw on a flannel and dragged myself to Peet’s and was met by a green-eyed cutie. He originally wanted to be a high school history teacher, but is now training to become a police officer because he has two younger sisters and wants women to feel safe. OKAY TAKE ME NOW SWIPE RIGHT SWIPE RIGHT. While I don’t think I would’ve picked him out for myself or met up with him if not for the sake of #journalism, I’m really glad I did. We even went out a second time. Who knows? Maybe by the time you’re reading this we’ll be honeymooning in Paris.
It was a cold, windy Friday night—12-year-olds were sitting next to me taking duckface selfies with their Andy’s custards while a dad announced to the entire store that it was his daughter’s birthday and that everyone should sing along. That’s when I knew this was about to be the worst. Having pulled an all-nighter the night before the date, I was truly not in the mood to make small talk or pretend I was interested in anything except returning to the luxury that is a Bobb double—especially when he was 45 minutes late, but I decided to try and persevere. There was just no chemistry. We talked about high school for the majority of the date, which made me want to take the dull spoon out of his concrete and push it into my eyeball.
DATE #3: THE TRAVELER
DATE #3: THE HOT HUNGARIAN
I was a little nervous for this one because I knew he was a 10/10 from the pictures Trevor sent me from his profile before the date. We met up at Peet’s (his pick too, points for being a Peet’s guy) and ended up talking for two hours about our travel experiences and his upcoming year abroad. He was incredibly well-dressed, listened to my rant about loving the dentist, and Jewish (this one’s for you, grandma), but he definitely clued into the fact that the person he was sitting with was not the same person who messaged him to grab coffee. Trevor and I are polar opposites over messaging, and my date called me out on it. Apparently that didn’t phase him at all, because we also went out a second time (look at that 2 points for Trevor). Catch me on the next season of The Bachelorette. Date #3, will you accept this rose?
“Is this your first time meeting up with someone from Tinder?” he asked in a beautiful Hungarian accent. “Yes,” I replied and stared off into space like the liar I am. If we get married, our entire relationship will be based off deceit. He was so nervous, but that kind of made him even more endearing. He was perfect—looks and brains! He is studying at a local college and planning to become a physician. We talked pretty casually about travel and what brought him to America. He also took an hour long train to come see me, which was really sweet, then missed the one back home and had to Uber. We saw each other for dinner a second time and have plans for a third. Moral of the story: I should stop dating Americans. WINTER 2016 | 21
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A RADIO SHOW GOES BEYOND THE AIRWAVES TO SHOW OFF NEW MUSIC AND ART. BY HANNAH JOHNSON s the temperature dropped toward zero on a Wednesday night in January, it was only beginning to heat up in the WNUR radio studio in Louis Hall. “It’s done got real cold real fast,” Medill sophomore Jack Blackstone (Jack Crackstone) said as he kicked off the first Dial Up radio show of 2016. After bantering about everything from the bone-chilling weather to the significance of Kesha’s smash hit “Tik Tok,” members of Dial Up were ready to start their three hour show full of energetic, eclectic music. But with a newfound focus on artistic endeavors ranging from creative stickers and podcasts to videos and live music at La Macchina, Dial Up has seen a complete transformation in the past year. What started off as a weekly radio show by six music lovers has evolved into an ever-growing art collective, with three new members and ventures ranging from an online magazine to DJing parties on campus. The group’s off-beat sense of humor and unique taste of music, alongside the individual members’ different passions and
Illustration by Samantha Spengler
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talents, has garnered a fan base both on campus and worldwide. From the beginning, Dial Up has been a way for a group of close friends to hang out and bond over their shared passion for music. The radio show, which is a part of WNUR’s Streetbeat program, began last year with current juniors Michael Martinez (Stamina Jones) and Bomani McClendon (BOMANI) alongside sophomores Jack Blackstone, Ajoni Hopkins (Lazy Anwar), Andrew Jennings (Archie) and David Nkemere (Dave Prime), all of whom formed a tight friendship living in Willard. It’s this friendship that makes Dial Up so unique, as the show is an everyday part of the group members’ lives. Outside the studio, the group is constantly together, exchanging ideas, music and visions for Dial Up. This translates into a show that flows as seamlessly as a conversation between good friends, because that is exactly what it is. “It’s kind of cool because working with your friends is never actually work,” Jennings says. During their weekly show from midnight to 3 a.m. on Thursday mornings, the group rotates DJing sets and handling the microphone, chatting with their listeners, doing sketches and cracking jokes, often at the expense of each other. All of the DJs play sets of different songs that they mix together to create a cohesive sound. Nkemere says that the music they play ranges from “super duper lovey dovey R&B music” to music you could “hide a dead body to.” While it’s full of fun and jokes, members of Dial Up agree that this year the show is more mature. Last year, shows could be packed with upwards of 35 people in the studio, a rowdy atmosphere that Jennings describes as a “miniature party.” The DJs needed to shout into the microphones and play music that would keep up the energy in the room, distracting the group from their vision for the show. “It’s a totally different vibe, when you have [so many] other people in the studio,” Hopkins says.
“Sometimes you kind of just want to play what you like and not what would cater to a crowd.” This scaling back has allowed members to hone in on their individual ventures within Dial Up. Beyond their unique tastes in music, everyone in the group contributes their own talents and passions. From graphic design (Nkemere) to podcasts (Blackstone and Martinez) to writing (Jennings), each member uses their skills to lead the group into new ventures. “Everybody having different talents just makes it always refreshing because whatever you possibly need, it’s just within a person away,” Nkemere says. These different talents have brought Dial Up beyond the airwaves. The group has found huge success in their online magazine, with readers on campus and worldwide.The magazine has featured everything from crossword puzzles to “Dial Up Financial Consulting” to an insider’s guide to Chicago, showing off the group’s’ range of skills, interests and senses of humor. Dial Up’s Summer 2015 and Fall 2015 magazines quickly spread across the Internet, with fans around the world devouring it’s colorful illustrations, in-depth articles and sarcastic commentary. The magazine gained praise through social media from a wide range of people, including rapper Brandun DeShay, a former member of hiphop collective Odd Future, and members of the Los Angeles punk scene. Strangely enough, the magazine reached readers in Russia. “It’s just not in Russian, so that’s just interesting,” Nkemere says between laughs.“I don’t know how that happened.” In addition to working on their Winter 2016 magazine, the group has many new projects in the works. Nkemere is currently designing apparel, as well as a new sticker pack, following the group’s wildly successful Canada Juice stickers last winter. The stickers, which parodied the expensive Canada Goose winter jackets worn by many students, can be found on students’ laptops and water bottles across campus.
“We just made 200 and truthfully, we were thinking we were probably just going to throw them away, but people went nuts for it,” Nkemere says. As Dial Up grows in popularity on campus, the group has also grown in numbers, with freshmen David Latimore, Jeff Birori and Sehmon Burnam joining the team this winter. Latimore and Birori were Streetbeat apprentices last quarter and later introduced Burnam to the rest of the Dial Up group, all becoming close friends with the original members. “All of the guys that are in Dial Up now are very accommodating and very accessible, so they just made the transition period very easy for us,” Latimore says.“They were kind of a creative outlet for us.” With three new members and a solid fan base on campus, members hope that this is just the beginning of Dial Up’s success. “I definitely do see this taking off and actually being something of substance that’s not just recognized by the Northwestern student body, but potentially the Chicagoland area or Midwest area,” Latimore says. Dial Up’s newest project hopes to expand the group’s influence and presence in the local music scene. Beginning in February, Dial Up has partnered with La Macchina Cafe in Evanston to host events with live music at the restaurant every other Friday. By bringing in smaller, local artists to perform, as well as DJing their own sets, Dial Up members hope that the events will be a platform to introduce music lovers in the area to new tunes. “I think it’s pretty cool that there’s going to be a spot a little closer to us, especially Evanston residents, people at our school, to go to expect different music,” Nkemere says. But while Dial Up is ever-evolving, the members’ passions will always be the guiding force for the group’s future endeavors. “We are all music lovers at the root of it,” Nkemere says.
Illustrations by David Nkemere
*not illustrated: David Latimore (Magic Williams), Jeffrey Birori (JEFF), and Sehmon Burnam (Slim)
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Junior Ashley Deary shows off her defensive prowess grabbing a board in the Wildcats Jan. 24 loss to Indiana.
STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT
BY WILL FISCHER
Junior Ashley Deary’s defensive focus makes her an offensive asset.
If you blink, you might miss it. It’s Jan. 3, and the Northwestern women’s basketball team is hosting Big Ten foe Nebraska. It’s early in the game, and the Wildcats are on defense. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, a purple-andwhite thief has snatched the ball and is sprinting down the court towards the 24 | northbynorthwestern.com
basket. The ball is laid up for two points and the Nebraska players wonder: What just happened? Ashley Deary happened. The Wildcats’ junior point guard is a constant nightmare for opposing teams, leading the country in steals with 56 so far this season and averaging 3.4 steals per
game as of Feb. 14. Deary is the Energizer Bunny on speed—she darts quickly and stealthily around the court, sacrifices her body by diving on the floor for loose balls and ventures places most opponents would consider breaking their personal bubble, getting uncomfortably up in everyone’s grill. “In my opinion, she’s the best defender in the country,” senior Maggie Lyon says. “I would not want to play against her. She can get a steal from anybody. She just has that mentality that nobody is going to get past her, that nobody can play against her, that she can D-up any player in the country and I’d put her against anybody.” Defense has always been Deary’s focus. Growing up in Texas, her dad, an allconference wide receiver and running back at Texas State, coached her along with Ray Mickens, a NFL cornerback who enjoyed a 10-year career in the pros. Mickens, a guy who made his living off defense, had a huge impact on the young point guard. “[Mickens] always stressed defense,” Deary says. “Our defense would always create our offense, we were always defensively sound and we would press full court all the time. I was taught at a young age that defense is a really important part of the game and that offense wins games but defense wins championships.” It takes a special kind of player to commit as relentlessly as Deary does on the defensive side of the ball. Above all, it takes heart. Deary is listed at just 5-foot-4, but her height has never been an issue. “[My dad and Mickens] taught me how to play with heart, which is really big to me,” Deary says. “They never have [focused on my height]. They said you’re probably going to be short, so go ahead and play like you’re 10 feet. I used to look at it as a bad thing, but now I look at it as a blessing. Not many people are my size and have had the success that I’ve had.” Admittedly, defense and heart can only take you so far. To compete at a high level in college, Deary knew she had to become a complete player. In her time at NU, she has done just that. While still excelling on defense, Deary’s point, assist and rebound averages have all increased from freshman to junior year. Just look at some of her statlines from this season: 28 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals against Indiana; 15 points, eight assists, eight steals and six rebounds in the Nebraska game; 13 points, 10 steals, seven assists and four rebounds versus Eastern Washington. Head coach Joe McKeown could not be happier with the improvement of his point guard. “[Deary] is one of the best point guards in college basketball, and I’m saying that objectively after 30-something years in our game,” McKeown says. “She just does everything. And here’s what she does best—whatever she needs to do for us to win. She doesn’t have to score, she’ll get it
Photos by Mia Zanzucchi
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done defensively sometimes, she’ll get the ball to the right people at the right time, and she’ll take out the other team’s best player.” Deary might not have the presence or starpower of preseason All-Big Ten selection Nia Coffey. She might not have the sharpshooting ability of the veteran Maggie Lyon. She probably doesn’t even have the scoring prowess of fellow Texan Christen Inman. But she doesn’t need to. Deary has been able to take a little bit of each of those talents and combine it with her defensive excellence, transforming into a steadyfaced leader with a do-it-all mindset as point guard of the ‘Cats. “A lot of it has been being able to be comfortable out there on the floor,” Deary says. “The game has slowed down a lot for me from a point guard’s perspective. Once I got comfortable, I felt like I was really able to be myself, play basketball and not worry about the rest of it.” After Deary’s 25-point, 12-assist and three steal performance in a 86-62 win over Western Michigan on Nov. 22, McKeown
even compared his point guard to what he considers “maybe the greatest point guard in women’s basketball history.” McKeown drew a parallel between
“The game has slowed down a lot for me from a point guard’s perspective. Once i got comfortable, I felt like I was really able to be myself, play basketball and not worry about the rest of it.” - Ashley Deary, junior Deary and Dawn Staley—a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2013 and voted one of the top 15 players in WNBA history. “[Dawn and I] were in Colorado with the USA teams and I said [Deary] needs to be Dawn Staley,” McKeown says. “I think Ashley has some of [Staley] in her,
DEARY’S STEAL DOMINATION AVERAGE PER GAME
and I think we are starting to see it. I have great respect for Dawn, she has won at every level, understands what it’s like to win championships and I think Ashley is starting to feel that a little.” McKeown even had Staley give his junior point guard a phone call during the offseason. As far as advice goes, there is no better point guard to talk to in women’s basketball than Staley. “[Staley] gave me a call and it was just point guard to point guard, giving me advice about going into my junior year and the responsibilities that are going to be given to me—some of them wanted, some of them unwanted,” Deary says. “It was really motivating to hear from her knowing that she has had a highly successful career, professionally as well as in college.” McKeown’s notable comparison may be lofty, but his point is clear. With her excellence on defense, an increasingly do-it-all mindset and lots of heart, Deary will certainly be someone to watch as she tries to leave her legacy on Northwestern women’s basketball. Just make sure you don’t blink—you’ll miss it.
AS OF FEB. 14, 2016
4.27
Only player in the country who averages over four per game.
CURRENT SEASON
111
Leads the nation, next highest total is 95 Broke NU single-season record and counting Only 14 away from breaking Big Ten single-season record
CAREER TOTAL
281
Broke NU record in December On pace to break Big Ten record if she remains healthy next season
WINTER 2016 | 25
QUAD
RACING TO THE TOP
Northwestern Formula Racing team gears towards success. BY MARLENE LENTHANG
26 | northbynorthwestern.com
Members of NFR work on the iron skeleton of their newest car, NFR16. campus groups dedicated to car building and racing. Baja SAE, for example, focuses on surviving the toughest punishments of off-road terrain, from snow to hills and even bogs. NUSolar focuses on integrating a complex electrical system from an array of solar cells in order to compete, pioneering ecological vehicle designs. Despite logistical differences, these teams share a diligent work ethic that includes all-nighters and over 50 hours a week when it comes time to finalize a build. The team meets on Wednesdays, but spends Saturdays in the shop, minting out every part and welding ideas into structural bones. Although it is easy to tire of a demanding schedule and the task of building a car, the team’s key is to be excited about what project they are currently working on. “It’s much easier to put 40 hours a week in towards the end of the season if you’re there working with your friends,” explains Murrell. “You’re there because you believe that this car is going to do great things.” As the team prepares for FSAE Michigan in mid-May,
largest and longest running FSAE international competition, they build upon the lessons of past years. The team has learned the hard way that the massive time commitment doesn’t always ensure success. “One year the team went to competition, and the first time we tried to drive it, our drive train just inverted on itself and broke irreparably,” Murrell says. “That was really heartbreaking...spending nine months of your life working on a car to have it break after one event was really tragic.” Since then, with rolled up sleeves and full dedication, 2015 became NFR’s strongest year yet. The car exceeded past marks in competition and won the best pushbar award for their smart design of the part of the car that allows the vehicle to turn. This year with their eyes on the prize, the team is bigger than usual and has added changes to the NFR16 such as enhanced aerodynamics, suspension and a pedal box. The team’s goal for the upcoming competition is to finish the endurance race this year, a tough feat that barely a quarter of the teams reach. “We’re trying to be up there with the faster teams this
year. Now is the prime time for NFR,” says Ana Acevedo, a second year member of NFR. Seeing a car zoom by on a highway or watching NFR’s latest model whiz along Sheridan, it is not easy to see the extensive brainwork, handwork and time that is invested into making a growling and tough engine or an elegant and aerodynamic frame. NFR does that every year, with nine months to breathe life into an idea, formula and metal. Months are spent working away at the Ford shop or test driving at the NFR garage in Henry Crown Sports Pavilion. Every detail is considered and reconsidered, in fact only engine team members drive the vehicles for their attentiveness to the nuances in the engine’s gurgle. “I think the most exciting part of it all is getting to see the car run and drive. We’ve put cumulative thousands of man-hours into building the car and tons of money into getting the car to run,” Jay Welch, McCormick junior, says. “It also doesn’t hurt that the fruit of our labor is fast as hell, sounds mean and looks pretty cool too.”
Photo by Ethan Dlugie
A deep rumble cuts across campus. Shaking and rattling, zooming past campus walkways, with glowing Northwestern purple lights from under the belly, NFR15 is a black bullet shaped racing car designed and built from start to finish last year by Northwestern students. The car zooms through the campus garages easing through spirals, donuts, and sharp turns coming to a pause to the eruption of cheers by the Northwestern Formula Racing team, the tinkerers and molders who created the vehicle. NFR is a student organization now in its tenth year, which builds and tests a formula-style racecar every year. The group is essentially a student-run car manufacturing company where every detail from design to production is deliberated and handled by students, all in line with the official rules which span over 100 pages. The rules are set by Formula SAE, which is one college-based competition organized by SAE International, a global association of engineers in transportation fields. The group also hosts Formula SAE competition where 120 student designed cars come together in a series of races that judge the design, acceleration, efficiency and endurance of the student made cars. The most extraordinary part? Starting from zero. No money, no machine, zip. Just intuition, faith, innovation and a ticking clock to create a full-blast racing machine. In that aspect, “we truly are a miniature car company,” project manager Tiernan Murrell, a McCormick senior, says. “We have a one-year design cycle that requires extensive design reviews, modeling, testing and building throughout the entire process.” NFR is just one of the several
SHERIDAN’S OWN SHOWSTOPPERS NU’s live music scene takes off. BY MADELEINE KENYON It’s Monday night, and though you’re at a concert, you’re still a Northwestern student, so your to-do list looms in the back of your mind no matter what else you’re doing. You’re at SPACE, the Society for the Preservation of Art and Culture in Evanston, and just as you’re getting settled in your surroundings while simultaneously crafting your history paper’s thesis statement in your head, electronic artist Lawless enters. His effortless stage presence instantly draws in the crowd, and you miraculously forget about all eight of your student groups. The audience is completely engrossed, following him through every twist the music takes—every riff on his guitar, every unexpected Nirvana clip incorporated into his music. Then you realize that he is your fellow classmate. Sheridan Road Records is Northwestern’s first student-run record label, and the organization wants to give exposure to as many campus musicians as possible.They organize concerts to give performance opportunities to everyone from seasoned producers with Chicago gigs under their belts to your dorm neighbor who responds to requests to silence his 2 a.m. guitar playing by countering that “maybe you should quit hating on these dope licks.” Northwestern is swarming with musical talent, and Sheridan Road Records is the platform ensuring that audiences hear it. The group formed last Winter Quarter under co-founders Kate Camarata and Melissa Codd, both Bienen seniors. They aimed to organize live performance events to create a unified music scene at Northwestern by bringing together artists of all genres. Since then, they’ve staged concerts in a range of venues, including the label’s launch party at a member’s house, a concert-turned-open mic at Norris this quarter and “study break” event at Kafein. One recent event, Space Jam, was their largest, located at SPACE in November. “There are a lot of music groups on campus, but they all promote a different style or a different genre, and the opportunities to play on campus are really slim,” Camarata says. She notes that the wide array of settings in which Sheridan Road Records organizes concerts, particularly informal venues, helps facilitate an inclusive, communal mentality among artists. “It’s very much an attitude that anyone can do it if you want to,” she adds. There is no shortage of artists itching to get onstage.Victor Lalo, a junior in McCormick who performs under the name Lawless and produces music with electro, hip-hop and reggae influences, relished the opportunity to perform with Sheridan Road Records at SPACE in the fall. "That was the most fun I’ve had,” he says about his opportunity
to work with the label. “It was a really high point. To actually be onstage … You’re just in the zone, in the moment, and it’s surreal. It’s a unique experience that I don’t have anywhere else.” The label’s founders and the performers agreed that the live performances Sheridan Road Records organizes expose a new dimension of students’ musical personas, benefitting musicians and audiences alike. The “physical aspect of bringing [musicians] together is huge,” according to Jacob Skaggs, a 2015 Communication graduate and member of Northwestern-based band Coffee Breath. From the artists’ point of view, Sheridan Road Records provides musicians with “the benefit of having a show bigger than they would normally have on their own,” he says. “It’s surprising that they’re just students,” Camarata says. “Sometimes you forget.When you’re watching, you’re like, ‘I was in math class with this dude.’” In order to offer exposure to a growing number of artists, however, the Sheridan Road Records founders says they must spread more awareness of the label itself, which has progressed considerably since its formation. They shared that they frequently receive emails from Northwestern musicians asking about performance and collaboration opportunities, along with other aspects of production that the label helps with in addition to promoting artists, but they says making the Sheridan Road Records name more prominent on campus is still the toughest challenge. “It’s gotten a lot better, but it’s also difficult because you’re always inundated with flyers or Facebook invitations or notifications,” Camarata says. “There’s so much stuff to join here.” But both Camarata and Codd predicted a promising future for their label. “Everyone likes music, just like they like food. And everyone knows about Spoon. So why can’t we be like Spoon?” Codd reasons. Despite their senior status, the founders have ambitious plans for the label’s future, which was clear when they quickly rattled off a long list of ideas for future events and ways they plan to expand the label beyond the concerts they regularly hold. This included compiling a recording session video series, which they would release as a way to promote artists, and the creation of an offshoot campus music publication — anything they can think of to increase awareness of the vast talent pool of student artists and build a true community surrounding it. “It’s just a cool culture to have around if you can just go across the street and listen to live performances of your fellow Northwestern peers,” Codd says. “That’s a great opportunity.” WINTER 2016 | 27
FULL HOUSE BY RI C K I H ARRIS One fraternity brings a Sorority Quad tradition to North Campus. T he me n of Phi Th e ta De lta c o n s ide r Ho u se Dire c to r Ha na J ohnson a fr i end a nd a resou rce.
Graduate student Hana Johnson is not your average House Mom. She’s 23, wears a maxi skirt that sweeps the floor and a small gold hoop on her left nostril. But perhaps the most surprising thing about her role is that you can’t find her in a sorority house; instead, she lives in the fraternity house of Phi Theta Delta. Sororities have house moms, dorms have Resident Assistants and yet, most fraternities have managed to escape any requirement for adult supervision. Phi Delt, however, has had a house director since 2013. Johnson’s position in the Phi Delt house, where she lives with 25 boys, is to act as the liaison between the members of the chapter and the Housing Corporation, a group of alumni volunteers that focus on managing the facility. Her main responsibilities include working with the house manager to make sure the house is up and running, whether that’s calling an exterminator or fixing a broken radiator. Her role as disciplinarian, however, is limited. Johnson refers to herself as a mere adviser in situations involving conduct, noting that it’s not in her job description to stop the boys from having their friends over.The only time she would get involved, she says, is if a situation seems inappropriate. But while the idea of a house director might initially sound less-than-ideal to a fraternity, sophomore house manager Derek Chapman says the brothers of Phi Delt have an incredibly positive relationship with Johnson, who he describes as “more a peer of ours, rather than a university employee that we put up with.” Johnson even bakes for them on occasion and never fails to miss the house’s traditional Wednesday night viewing of “Survivor.” “I [try to] go to Hana on a weekly basis for business stuff,” Chapman says. “But I would say a couple times a week I see her door open and a random brother is in there having a conversation with her.” Current IFC President and Phi Delt member Will Altabef attributes the success of their current and previous house directors to their willingness to adjust to the culture of the house. The key to making it work is establishing a good relationship, according to Altabef. 28 | northbynorthwestern.com
“She definitely is an authority figure, but in much more of an advisor role, not a babysitter,” he says. “I feel like I have an advisor and a resource and a friend.” Johnson, a graduate student in SESP studying higher education administration and policy, was hired this summer after a thorough process led by the first and former Phi Delt House Director Casey Talbot. Though Johnson admits the cost-free living is a perk, it’s the educational value that drew her to the position, which she considers “good practical experience.” Her Kappa Kappa Gamma affiliation at Kansas State University has made her especially fond of Greek life, and as an only child, she was excited to experience something completely different. “They feel like brothers in some way, even though I’m somewhat of an authority figure,” she says. “But it’s just been fun to get to know them, what they’re excited about, what their lives at Northwestern are like, and just hear about their experiences here.” Johnson, who also serves as a graduate assistant in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, confirmed that as certain other fraternities renew their leases with the University, they, too, will be required to have a house director. “It’s not a bad idea. I think if it brings more trust to the Greek system, I think it’s a good idea, certainly. But there’s so many different ways it can go,” says former IFC President Mark Nelson, noting how difficult a change like this could be. “I think there’s a comfort in having someone outside the fraternities in the house at all times as a resource.” Sigma Phi Epsilon has also employed a house director, and Delta Upsilon and Beta Theta Pi are in the process of hiring house directors for Fall 2016, according to Cynthia Rose, the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life in the Office of Student Affairs. “I hope that it’s a positive thing for the community at Northwestern,” says Johnson of the impending change. “I think in a lot of ways it’s helpful to have someone to challenge you and say ‘hey, is your chapter the best it can be?’”
Phot o by E t ha n D l u g i e
QUAD
30 | northbynorthwestern.com
IN THE BOARDROOM A LOOK INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE STUDENT BODY BY: JULIA CLARK-RIDDELL
Illustration by Brooke Sloan
Fifty students chanted for divestment on a frigid November night outside the revolving glass doors of the Allen Center. The Board of Trustees was holding its quarterly meeting inside, and the students of Fossil Free NU wanted each trustee to hear their demands. Security guards had stopped the students from standing too close to the door, so students shone their cellphone lights on the impenetrable concrete and opaque glass face of the Allen Center from across the street. Christina Cilento, the SESP junior and co-leader of Fossil Free NU, held a megaphone in her mittened hands and shouted, with practiced conviction, the group’s demands: immediate divestment of coal holdings, a meeting with the Board’s investment subcommittee and the creation of a socially responsible investment committee that included student and faculty representatives. Fifty voices echoed her demands into the dark night and waited for a response. All they heard was the whispering wind, singing off Lake Michigan. Through the Allen Center’s glass doors, a few people in suits stood around in the lobby.After roughly half an hour, NorthwesternVice President and Chief Investment Officer William McLean, who is not a trustee, stepped through the revolving door. He spoke to Cilento and her co-leader Scott Brown and told them most of the trustees had already left the center. Still, he promised to find a trustee to hear their demands. Ten minutes later, McLean emerged with the Executive Vice President Nim Chinniah, who stood quietly, hands in the pockets of his overcoat, while the students read him their requests. Chinniah serves on some of the Board’s committees, but he is not a trustee. The students cheered at Chinniah’s arrival. When the students finished reading, McLean announced that the University had made progress by becoming the third university, after Harvard and UC Berkeley, to sign on to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investing.After a couple choruses of “Not good enough!,” many of the protesters dispersed. But Cilento, Brown and the rest of Fossil Fuel NU followed a tip that the trustees were eating dinner in The Garage, an on-campus space devoted to innovation and entrepreneurship. When they arrived, Northwestern police officers met the students at the building’s front door and barred them from entrance.The protesters went up to the parking garage and took an elevator down to a hallway outside The Garage, where again they were met by NUPD. “I wasn’t scared they were going to arrest us, because we weren’t doing anything illegal,” says Brown. “But it did feel like the University’s immediate response—in a moment of not knowing what to do—was to send out security, which reflects their attitude toward activists and activism on campus: a fear-based and a gut reaction of ‘Let’s get this thing under control’ rather than ‘Let’s listen to what the activists have to say.’ ” Blocked at all avenues from speaking to the managers of Northwestern’s $9.8 billion endowment, the students were unsure of what steps to take
next. But by a stroke of luck, the chairman of the investment committee, T. Bondurant French, stepped out of the elevator. “I came off the elevator and everyone was there,” French says. “We had a productive 10 to 15 minute conversation.” Crowded together in that small hallway, the students read French their demands. He responded by saying the Board was trying to accommodate student groups, and that only the smallest fraction of the endowment is held in coal. He declined to verbally commit to divestment, and the groups went their separate ways. This interaction between the Fossil Free NU divestment group and the Board of Trustees is emblematic, in many ways, of the relationship the Board has had with Northwestern’s student body in recent history. While McLean and certain members of the board have agreed to meet with undergraduate student groups, most trustees have limited interactions with undergraduates. And the students seeking change usually find themselves stopped by institutional roadblocks, left to feel silenced, superficially appeased or disregarded. Meanwhile, despite their recent steps towards transparency, the Board remains, to most students, an elusive institution obscured behind layers of bureaucracy and $9.8 billion dollars. The majority of the Board’s information on undergraduates comes from surveys conducted every other year, says Marilyn McCoy, vice president for administration and planning who is the administrative contact overseeing the Board of Trustees. McCoy says the Board uses the surveys to get to know “the everyday people” on campus, and Chinniah says that the Board’s Student Affairs committee speaks with panels of students, such as student athletes, at least once a year. But from the perspective of student divestment activists, a once-a-year panel with selected students is not enough. “I think the Board doesn’t really know anything about the students,” says Brown, who—along with Cilento—has met with Board members probably more than any other student on campus. “The Board barely interacts with students at all, despite the fact that they’re making decisions which are directly impacting the entire student body.That’s a problem because they’re representing us.” A coalition of undergraduates from Fossil Free NU, the Associated Student Government (ASG), NU Divest and Unshackle NU hopes to change the Board’s fraught relationship with the student body.The coalition seeks to form a committee on socially responsible investments, comprised of students, faculty and administrators, that can make recommendations to the Board about how they should invest. Students say the committee could revolutionize the amount of access that students have to the Board, even though the committee’s decisions would not be binding. “The Board has ways of hearing about students, but from my understanding, they’re not likely to give in to people-power movements, WINTER 2016 | 31
as they haven’t for either of the three divestment campaigns on campus,” says Noah Star,ASG president and Weinberg senior who is working in the student coalition to form the committee. “The committee will create an institutional avenue for students to present campaigns to the Board of trustees.” Marcel Hanna, a Weinberg junior and a member of NU Divest and Unshackle NU, says that he’s working to create the committee because he’s seen Fossil Free’s meetings with the Board fail to pay off. “It’s about making a statement and setting up a framework so that future divestment movements don’t have to do what we’re doing right now,” Hanna says.“As a student body we have to apply pressure on the Board and administration. As it stands, the Board can do whatever it wants — we’re working on changing that.” However, the Board, including French and the investment subcommittee, has not been receptive to the idea of the socially responsible investment committee. “I love talking to the students,” says French, an NU alum (BA ‘74, MBA Kellogg ‘76) and investment manager who has been a trustee for 11 school years. “They are very thoughtful and cordial. Their arguments are very reasoned, and while I can’t speak for the rest of the Board, I can say we’re willing to listen. That’s the one thing that bothers me is when students say we’re not accessible. We’ve been very accessible.” French says that the investment committee has been accessible and transparent, citing the recent adoption of the Principles for Responsible Investing, without the guidance of students from the proposed committee. However, in a press release distributed on the same day of the Fossil Free NU protest, McLean had directly credited Brown and Cilento as the driving forces behind the adoption of the Principles for Responsible Investing for their work to raise “the issue of socially responsible investing.” Stuck in the position of frequently mediating between students and the Board, McLean has kept his opinion on the proposed student recommendation committee closer to his chest. Even his way of speaking, his constant and warm Southern drawl as he sits with his hands folded in his lap, reflects the moderacy he espouses. “Managing $10 billion needs to be our focus, and my office right now is 32 | northbynorthwestern.com
spending a lot of time meeting and dealing with students instead,” says McLean when asked whether or not he supports the students’ plan for a recommendation committee. He says he believes the Board might adopt “two out of 10” of the committee’s recommendations. He ended with a smile, saying that, “the student observer model we have seen works at large institutions.” According to the Association of Governing Bodies, 20.1 percent of independent—read: private—universities had some form of student representation on their boards in 2010,compared to over 70 percent of public universities. Only 8.5 percent of independent universities had students with voting power on their boards, which is something Northwestern’s student coalition has not requested. Cornell University, for example, has a student representative on their Board. McLean says he’s “sympathetic” to the students who want the Board to be more transparent but also that his office has told
“Has the board been accessible? Absolutely yes... But is the Board going to do everything the students ask for? That’s not how the Board works. And if you say the Board hasn’t heard the students because they’re not implementing what they’re asking for, that’s unfair. “ — NIM CHINNIAH, executive vice president at Northwestern University students about their holdings whenever they ask. This December, McLean confirmed with the students of NU Divest that the University has direct holdings in two of the six corporations, G4S and Caterpillar, that NU Divest had called for divestment from. However, he had taken 11 months since ASG passed NU Divest’s resolution to provide the students with the requested information. In fact, he had told them in February that Northwestern had no holdings in those corporations at all. Because Northwestern’s holdings are not public, outside parties could not investigate McLean’s statements. Jacqueline Stevens, a Northwestern professor of political science and legal studies, says that she hasn’t seen evidence that public universities—whose endowment information is required to be public—have compromised profits by publishing detailed reports on their investments. The University of Texas system, for example, published after
fiscal year 2014 that they had a $25.4 billion endowment, the second largest endowment in the country. “On the one hand, the University can make unsubstantiated claims that keeping financial information private is profitable,” Stevens says. “On the other hand, we know that publiclyheld firms are required to provide information about investments and expenditures to prevent corruption and hold accountable people in positions such as those held by French and McLean. Without revealing this information, it’s impossible to learn whether funds from the We Will campaign are benefitting NU students or private interests of people managing funds.” In the absence of support from the Board, the student coalition plans to create the committee through President Morton Schapiro’s office. Schapiro’s office declined to comment, stating that McLean spoke on their behalf, though McLean’s statements were ambiguous. Still, students are confident that they can establish the committee. “We bank on the fact that once we show the Board what it looks like to have something like this institutionalized, they’ll see that it works in their best interest,” Star says. Star also adds that he thinks the student recommendation will have a larger purpose than just to help divestment campaigns have an audience with the Board. “The committee would become an additional strategic avenue and a known quantity to the student population,” Star says. “For example, maybe a student studying something finds new green technology that they think the University should invest in.They could go to the committee and present their findings. The committee democratizes the way that people can present information, and I think that this lowers the barrier to entry in many ways.” Out of the three divestment campaigns on campus, only the oldest group, Fossil Free NU, has been able to organize to meet with a few board members. NU Divest has met with McLean “a couple of times,” Hanna says, and they are planning on setting up a meeting with the Board. Unshackle NU, as of press time, doesn’t have plans yet to deal with McLean or the Board. It took Fossil Free NU over a year of organized protests, meeting with McLean and writing formal letters to get an audience with a single trustee. Since Nov. 2014, Brown, Cilento and other FFNU members have met with French four times—with trustee John Eggemeyer attending one of those meetings, and trustees Christopher Galvin and David Weinberg attending the last meeting that occurred on Jan. 27. In these meetings, Brown says French has been “adversarial” as if “he feels that because he has so much experience in the field that he knows better than the students would.” Brown says, “It’s like he meets with us in order to tell us why he thinks we’re wrong.” The first hurdle that student groups face
when demanding action from the Board of Trustees is simply understanding how the Board works.While Northwestern’s endowment has detailed and exhaustive website, the Board of Trustees’ website has only a 72-word statement—a reflection of the fact that details of their inner workings are not layman’s knowledge. The Board meets once a quarter, over the course of a single weekend.The Board is split into 13 subcommittees, on topics like Finance, Governance and and Audit, Risk, and Compliance. Each of the subcommittees meets at the beginning of the weekend before the entire Board comes together later in the weekend. The committees all make recommendations to the larger Board, which makes decisions through consensus. “If the Board can’t reach a consensus, then they know something’s wrong, and they go back and work on things further,” McCoy says. French says this consensus style has contributed to a friendly work environment between the trustees. “Some boards get into disagreements,” French says, “but we see none of that at Northwestern. Everyone contributes and works hard.” The process for making investment decisions begins with McLean and his staff researching and making recommendations every quarter to the Board. Then, at their quarterly meetings, the investment subcommittee of 32 trustees discusses the recommendations and how they relate to asset allocations and risk management. Within the investment subcommittee, another subcommittee of 11 members approves the money managers that the University trusts to make their direct investments. The endowment must make 6.5 to 7 percent growth off of Northwestern’s roughly $10 billion dollar endowment each year, French says, in order to pay out the desired 4.5 to 5 percent of their growth to the University each year. (The 2-3 percent difference between those numbers goes to inflation.) “Calculating pay-out is a complicated balancing act, as we have to weigh the needs of our current students with the needs of future generations,” says McCoy. This requirement for steady growth forces board members to be wary of divestment calls. “When you start constraining where your money can be invested, you reduce your investment results,”
French says. He pointed to the sometimes suboptimal returns of public pension plans that are subject to political interference of legislators looking to promote local investments. “We don’t think the endowment should be a political tool,” he added. “Students want it to be a policy tool, trustees don’t.” French says the Board has had a “robust discussion” about the endowment’s role in a university’s policy, and he says the Board decided “the University can make social statements— with professors’ research, through centers that work on things like climate change—but we think it’s important that the endowment focus on investment results.” French says that he, and other trustees— especially alumni trustees like himself—make an effort to reach out to students in groups on campus that they were a part of when they were students. French, for example, says he hangs out with the swimming team, the fraternity he was in and Kellogg students when he’s on campus. But French’s efforts to connect with the
“It’s about making a statement and setting up a framework so that future divestment movements don’t have to do what we’re doing right now.” — MARCEL HANNA, Weinberg junior and member of NU Divest and Unshackle NU students are not mandatory or institutional. And when the trustee body remains largely white and economics and business focused, certain voices on campus are bound to be heard more at those interest-based interactions. One thing French and the students seem to agree on: the goal of the Board is to focus on profits. “The Board has one goal, as far as I can tell, and that’s to make money for Northwestern,” Brown says. “That doesn’t mean they’re ignorant of social responsibility or that they’re close minded to it. They’re not evil demons, they’re people. But at the same time, that’s not their priority.” As of mid-February, Northwestern has three divestment movements: NU Divest, which is currently focusing on divestment from private security firm G4S and construction corporation Caterpillar, Fossil Free NU and Unshackle NU, a campaign announced on Jan. 19 for divestment from private prisons. “Where does it stop?” McLean says, later adding that the University has only fully divested
one time: from Sudan in the 1990s and “only because the U.S. government advised it.” The University did partially divest from apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s as well. Maybe here rests the underlying tension. The administration and the Board appears fearful that if they grant space to the students, even if they understand why students would want such space, it will be pushed open until Northwestern cannot continue to make gains in profit and reputation. And the students are becoming increasingly cognizant that those gains stem directly from their ongoing oppression. “This isn’t a bunch of students saying their feelings are being hurt,” Hanna says. “This is our name and our money directly investing in the murder and systematic oppression of people around the world, especially people of color.” Fossil Free NU had its fourth meeting with members of the Board on Jan. 27. At the meeting, Brown says they discussed the hesitations the Board’s investment committee has toward divestment: that the endowment will lose profitability, that the students will continue to make divestment demands and that the endowment’s role is to support the University’s socially responsible actions, not to act socially responsible itself. Brown and the Fossil Free NU students asked the trustees for an audience with the full Board at their next meeting. “They basically expressed the sentiment that they feel they’ve already given us enough unprecedented access to the trustees,” Brown says. Chinniah, who has also worked with the University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University, says he has been impressed with the lengths French and McLean have gone to accommodate students. “Has the Board been accessible? Absolutely yes,” Chinniah says, “Has the Board considered every request? Absolutely yes. But is the Board going to do everything the students ask for? That’s not how the Board works. And if you say the Board hasn’t heard the students because they’re not implementing what they’re asking for, that’s unfair. It’s completely the opposite.” Faced with a wall of rich and powerful administrators and a ticking clock, the coalition of students is pushing forward through the winter to build the socially responsible investment committee. But after two years of being told their voices are heard, and after being left out in the cold last November, the students are approaching the University’s promises with trepidation. “We have to be wary of the administration throwing us a bone,” Hanna says. “We have to look for actual change instead of symbolic gestures.” On Feb. 15 the Board of Trustees refused to meet with Fossil Free NU in March saying their “utmost attention needs to be on investment matters.” The student group plans to hold a sit-in or demonstration in response to the decision at the Board’s meeting in March. WINTER 2016 | 33
BRINGING THEIR A-GAME BY JEREMY LAYTON
You may think you know Northwestern sports.You may know that the football team finished thirteenth in the country in the College Football Playoff poll this year and made it to the Outback Bowl. You may know that the women’s lacrosse team is one of the elite programs in the country and has won seven national championships since 2005.You may know that although the basketball team has never made the NCAA tournament, they have a promising young core of talent and a fantastic coach that may just get the monkey off their back sooner rather than later. As a football fan, you may have woken up at 8 in the morning, donned your purple attire and sat outside in 20-degree weather to cheer on your Wildcats. As a basketball fan, you may have painted your chest and stood in the front row of the student section at Welsh-Ryan Arena in the hopes that this year might finally be the year. But this story is not about touchdowns, slam dunks or goals. It’s not about what goes down on the field; it’s about everything that happens behind the scenes, before and after practice, and not only with the athletes but also with the people in the athletic department who rarely get their fair share of the credit. It’s about how Northwestern has crafted a unique reputation of having elite academics paired with a competitive athletics program. During the fall of 2015, Northwestern student-athletes posted a record-breaking academic quarter, finishing with an overall average
With many hoping for on-field achievements, Northwestern Athletics embodies off-field success.
Photo by Emma Sarappo
GPA of 3.26, and all 19 programs finished with GPAs above 3.0 for the first time since the school kept those statistics. They led the Big Ten with 103 Academic All-Americans, one of only two schools in the conference with more than 100. Northwestern also earned first place in a December Time Magazine study that ranked all of the Top 25 football teams by graduation success rate (without penalizing those who leave early to join the NFL), well ahead of academic and athletic peers such as Michigan, USC and Ohio State. And all of this is just what goes on in the classroom; they’re also one of just a handful of schools to have never been in major trouble with the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Much has been written about Northwestern’s academic culture, and how the team takes the “student” part of student-athlete very seriously. But Northwestern’s high academic standing and near-perfect record with the NCAA is a collective effort, one that starts at the top with Athletic Director Jim Phillips and trickles down all the way through the athletic department.What happens on a day-to-day basis behind the scenes that has turned Northwestern into the class act of the NCAA? What is it that we do differently from other schools? If you ask anyone in the athletic department, they would simply say at Northwestern, we “do it right.” But the answer is far more complicated than can be summed up in a single phrase. Northwestern is a rare breed of university; a private school with academics that rival the Ivy Leagues as well as athletics that compete in a Power Five conference (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12). It’s a major draw for students, and it’s also what attracted Athletic Director Jim Phillips to the school in the first place. “There’s just not very many places in the country that, from that perspective, are trying to do it at that level in both areas,” Phillips says. “So you have some that have carved out the academic piece, and then I think there are others that strive to have excellence athletically, but Northwestern is just one of a few schools that really tries to aspirationally top it at both.” But to Phillips, it’s not enough to just have independent success in each area. All student-athletes are held to the same academic standards as every other student, and the entire athletic staff has made an attempt to instill an academic culture on every team. It’s reflected in the 3.26 average GPA from the fall, but it’s a long process that starts where building any great team would start: recruiting. For a school that’s not considered to be a traditional athletic powerhouse, Northwestern recruits well. Clayton Thorson was a top-300 football player when he came out of Wheaton North High School, and Victor Law and Aaron Falzon were among the 100 best recruits in basketball during their high school years. But many of the best recruits, no matter the sport, couldn’t even play at Northwestern if they wanted to—before the coaches even make contact with the players they’re interested in, the athletic department is required to view their academic performance. If there is any reason to suspect that the potential recruit won’t succeed as a Northwestern student, they’re immediately passed over. Any suspected lack of commitment to academics, such as poor grades or low standardized test scores, is immediately seen as a red flag. “We don’t want to bring anyone in who won’t be successful [in the classroom],” says Chris Bowers, the director of player personnel for Northwestern football (a position that ultimately coordinates recruiting for the team). “Do we lose kids or have a challenge getting young men because they don’t want to ‘do the work,’ or they think it will be too hard for them? The answer would be [...] if you don’t want to do it, we don’t want you anyway.” Christopher Watson, Northwestern’s dean of Undergraduate Admissions, has the final say on whether or not a student-athlete is admitted to the University, but the athletic department preWINTER 2016 | 35
“We have a three-point academic plan here. One, you’ you’re going to go to class. And three.. you’re going to
screens every potential recruit’s academic standing so thoroughly that admissions rarely has to reject any of them. Watson would be the first to admit that having a background in athletics boosts their admissions profile, but also concedes that most students that go to Northwestern have something beyond grades and test scores going for them.To him, excellence in athletics is no different than excellence in theater, music or debate. “Admissions is fairly open, and we’re fairly open about how things work,” Watson says. “But when it comes to the athletic component, there are a lot of schools that shut down… There are certainly universities out there that will accept—if you’re an NCAA qualifier, you can get in to the university, no question about that. And I don’t doubt that Northwestern plays against some of them.” Bowers adds, “I would argue that in football recruiting, the only school that is our equivalent in football and academics is Stanford.” The Wildcat football team, which rosters 107 players, had a collective team GPA of 3.133 this fall, one of the highest in school history, and one of the highest nationwide. It’s a result of the hard work the athletes put in, but also of the athletic department, who make an effort not to bring in anyone who isn’t committed to performing at a high level in the classroom. “You’d have a hard time finding a hundred kids like that anywhere,” Bowers says. “If you just went to campus and found 100 male undergrads, of freshmen through seniors in about equal numbers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a group of guys with a GPA of 3.0.” Some of the “intelligence factor” translates onto the field, too. In football, for example, Northwestern has made a habit of recruiting superbacks, a position that is essentially a hybrid between a fullback, tight end and slot receiver. Considering the superback has to block, run and catch the ball, it requires a large skill set, and according to Bowers, it’s the hardest position to recruit for. “You have to be a really smart guy if you want to play this position,” says superback Dan Vitale. “You got your quarterbacks, and you got your superbacks–those are the two guys who need to be smartest on the team. You have to know everything.” Vitale, who was a standout student at nearby Wheaton Warrenville South High School and an academic All-American at Northwestern, is likely to be drafted in the upcoming NFL Draft, and recently played in the Senior Bowl. When it comes down to it, all NCAA athletes are students first. But at Northwestern, everyone in athletics takes the term “studentathlete” seriously, from the players to the administrative staff. When they come here, they know that first and foremost, they are a student and playing Big Ten sports is a bonus. Recruiting is certainly important in maintaining Northwestern’s reputation for academic excellence, but it’s not the entire story, and no amount of evaluations can perfectly predict what a student-athlete will do in his four-plus years in college. Even the smartest, most highly motivated kids can fall by the academic wayside without the proper 36 | northbynorthwestern.com
guidance, especially when they have to devote so much of their time to their sport. As a result, a ton of work goes into academic support and compliance to keep Northwestern’s student-athletes functioning at a high level. Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald often likes to crack a joke about academics. “We have a three-point academic plan here,” he often says, according to Bowers. “One, you’re going to go to class. Two, you’re going to go to class. And three…you’re going to go to class.” Sounds simple, but one might be surprised how much the very basic element of education is ignored at other schools with top athletic programs. Northwestern’s coaches and athletic staff know the importance of going to class; in fact, the football team deliberately practices early in the morning during the offseason to get their players out of bed, in turn providing added motivation to attend class. “You’re not going to sleep past football,” Bowers says. “The freshman comp teacher is not going to come get you out of bed... But if you turn your alarm off and sleep through practice, and we’ve
3.26 Average GPA of
Northwestern student-athletes had that happen, someone is going to come knock on your door.” Bowers isn’t sure when the team switched to the morning routine, but he confirmed that after the switch, grades went up exponentially and stayed there. Making sure that student-athletes attend class every day is one of the ways the administration promotes a culture of compliance at Northwestern and avoids trouble with the NCAA. Throughout its history, Northwestern has completely avoided any sort of major trouble with the governing body of collegiate athletics.There are four levels of violations (more recently, the bottom two and top two have been grouped together), and violations can range from anything as minor as officers talking to potential recruits more than once a week, to anything as major as paying a recruit to attend their school. The NCAA’s rulebook is nearly 400 pages long, and anyone who works in a collegiate athletic department will be the first to tell you how silly some of the rules are. “We can’t talk to any potential recruit before their junior year of high school,” Bowers says. “Say, if before their junior year, a potential recruit messages you. Even if it’s about a visit, you can’t message them back. He can call you and you can answer, but you can’t initiate conversation with them in any way before their junior year. Completely insane rule.”
’re going to go to class. Two, go to class.”
- Chris Bowers, Director of Player Personnel
The fact that Northwestern has never committed a top-level violation groups them with only a small group of Division I programs, Boston College and Stanford the only two others from the Power Five conferences. Northwestern, like every other Division I program, employs a team of compliance officers, who work on a daily basis to ensure that every player and member of the athletic staff is following NCAA’s rules. But at Northwestern, compliance is not just something that the dedicated officers deal with. Every December, each member of the athletic department (staff and coaches) is required to take a multiple-choice compliance test, which is designed to familiarize every single member of the staff with the wide variety of the NCAA rules. According to Aaron Hosmon, associate director of athletics for compliance, Northwestern is the only school in the Big Ten that does this, and one of the few nationwide. “We present it as one of our shining rules,” Hosmon says. “We have a huge staff, maybe 200 or so staff members, so there’s a big group of them that don’t engage with the rules on a day-to-day basis. But we really look at compliance as a shared responsibility of the entire department.” Often times, it’s not the university officials themselves that get athletic programs into trouble; rather, it’s outside influences such as boosters or agents who offer recruits or players impermissible benefits. Reggie Bush, for example, famously had his 2005 Heisman Trophy vacated after an investigation determined he took hundreds of thousands of dollars from an agent while still at USC. For that reason, the compliance department at Northwestern forges relationships with everyone around them, from the student-athletes to the boosters and everyone in between. “We don’t look at ourselves as cops,” says Jane Wagner, assistant athletic director for compliance at Northwestern. “We are very visible, we’re around and I think that helps for us to build a relationship with coaches and student athletes. We can walk down the hall and say ‘hi’ to the student athletes, we know them all, and they’re comfortable coming to us and asking questions, or telling us if they made a mistake.” The fact that everybody knows the rules not only has kept Northwestern out of trouble, but it’s also given them a reputation that has extended throughout collegiate athletics. Bowers, who would admit he’s “not a compliance guru,” has gotten calls from other programs that didn’t know the rules. An officer at Ball State called him last year, asking whether or not he was allowed to pay for a potential recruit’s checked bag. “His own compliance office didn’t know the rule, so they called us.” Hosmon adds that the world of compliance is a collaborative space and officials are constantly in communication with each other, but Northwestern’s reputation speaks for itself. “I don’t lose sleep over compliance,” Hosmon says, “mainly because of the people around me. That’s such a key.” If you click to a sports website on any given day, the chances of
finding a story about a Division I program in the NCAA doghouse are quite high. In September of last year, legendary basketball coach Larry Brown was caught for failing to report academic fraud on multiple occasions, and his team, the Southern Methodist Mustangs, was banned from the postseason for three years. This January, Missouri’s basketball program was found guilty of three major NCAA infractions. A few weeks later, Louisville’s basketball program, which won the national championship in 2013, self-imposed a postseason ban in light of a number of claims saying women were paid to have sex with recruits. All of this sensationalized coverage certainly casts a negative shadow over the NCAA, and makes it out to be a sketchy operation with members that constantly break the rules. But negative stories tend to get the most press, and overshadow the positive ones. Northwestern’s academic success, which has soared to new heights this year, is one of them. They recruit the right kids. They hire the right staff members. They ensure that all of the rules are being followed to the letter.
Northwestern is 1 of 3 power conference teams to avoid major trouble with the NCAA The future looks bright for Northwestern athletics as a whole. The football team finished with 10 wins for the second time since 1997, the men’s basketball team got off to the best start in school history before struggling in Big Ten play, and the University broke ground for a brand new athletic facility this past November, which is sure to attract recruits and transform the University’s athletic capabilities. But the culture among the athletic programs is already something to be envied–and makes the winning even sweeter. “I’m really proud when we have athletic success, but nothing makes me more proud than when we have academic and social success,” Phillips says. “I really believe we try to represent what’s good in college athletics.These men and women challenge themselves at a really difficult school, with a really difficult course load. And then to try and play big time athletics? That’s pretty daunting. But these young men and women do it beautifully.” “It’s cool to do well in school here, even on the football team,” Bowers says.“That’s rare on a football team. You’re not ostracized as a nerd. We chuckle about Justin Jackson the ball carrier, but Justin is a great student. And when an 1,000-yard rusher is kicking butt in the classroom, that’s special.” WINTER 2016 | 37
MORE THAN JUST A HOUSE On Friday, Nov. 13, days after protests and racist threats flared up on the University of Missouri campus, about 20 Black students at Northwestern met at the Black House. They had decided a few days earlier that they wanted to stand in solidarity and advertised their action over a Facebook event page, where over 1,100 expressed interest in attending. “I looked out the window and there were a ton of people standing outside,” SESP sophomore Michelle Sanders says. The porch of the house quickly turned into a platform for voicing Black students’ frustrations. As momentum picked up, the gathering, about 300 strong, marched up Sheridan Road to Technological Institute. Although prompted by the events in Missouri, they marched for more than Mizzou. They marched for Northwestern, for Black students everywhere, for Black lives everywhere. Communication sophomore Sarayah Wright, who was part of the march, described it as both raw and thoughtful. Black cis, queer and trans women as well as femmes (those who do not necessarily identify as women but whose gender presentation leans toward femininity) were called to the front. “Those people are often erased,” she says. Chanting slogans like “Mama, Mama, can’t you see, what Northwestern’s done to me,” students gathered in front of Tech before continuing to the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, where a groundbreaking ceremony was taking place for a $260 million sports complex. To the protesters, the ceremony demonstrated a lack of resolve by administrators to address issues that were important to them, pointing out the disconnect between which buildings the University chooses to renovate and which they do not. “We could tell where the administration’s priorities were,” Wright says. Students stood outside curtains that walled off the ceremony, directing their demands at President Morton Schapiro in an effort to disrupt the event. “They ended up trying to speak over us and diminish that we were there,” Sanders says. “After a while, we got fed up, went through the curtains and took over the space.” Wright and Sanders described audience members pushing and shouting, telling them to “go home,” “be respectful” and that “your time is up.” “You don’t have to be yelling slurs, but we’re hearing the same thing,” Wright says. “You’re looking at us and seeing a violent, angry Black threat.”
38 | northbynorthwestern.com
Photo courtesy of Northwestern University Archives
A symbol of hope and solidarity for generations of Northwestern’s Black community. BY NAIB MIAN
Photos by Julia Woojae Song
After shouting their demands, attracting the attention of national sports media covering the ceremony, the protesters left, chanting, “You can’t stop the revolution.” They concluded their march outside by forming a healing circle, joining together to express support for each other. “You look around and see each other celebrating each other — recognizing that us being here is revolutionary,” Wright says. “It was great to see each other fighting for belonging, fighting to be validated and heard.” Resistance and Resilience The history of Black activism is long at Northwestern — some students feel that their very presence here is resistance. “Every breath we take is an act of liberation,” Wright says. The door for that existence was opened in 1883, when the first Black student was accepted to Northwestern, but a strict system of racial quotas limited numbers until the mid 1960s. Between 1965 and 1967, the number of Black freshmen registered at NU rose from five to 70. By the spring of 1968, there were about 160 Black students on a campus of 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Facing failed promises of integration into campus life and hostile interaction with white students, For Members Only (FMO) and the Afro American Students Association, the representative organizations for Black undergraduate and graduate students, called for a voice in decisions being made about them. In April of that year, they sent a list of demands to the University administration. The University refused to yield power to them, and on May 2, members of the administration invited students to discuss their concerns. Students had something else in mind. The next morning, about 100 Black students entered the Bursar’s Office, the University’s financial administrative office at 619 Clark St. They chained the doors and participated in a sit-in. Over the course of two days, the students and administration underwent negotiations. Students walked out the next evening having effectively pressured the administration to acknowledge the history of white racism at the University; create Black student committees to advise on financial aid and recruitment; provide separate housing facilities; and promise to set aside a recreational space on campus — the first step towards founding the Black House. On Oct. 10, 1968, the vice president of student affairs released an implementation report on the Black Student Agreement that followed the sit-in. Included was the repurposing of 619 Emerson St. to include activity facilities, FMO meeting space, a library and study room, conference rooms, an informal lounge and a counselor. This space would come to be known as the Black House, and in 1973 it moved to its current location at 1914 Sheridan Road. “People think the Black House’s purpose is to be a hub for activism or subverting whiteness,” says Charles Kellom, director of Multicultural Student Affairs. “But that’s connected to how people understand blackness.” The fight to establish and maintain that space, however, has influenced the collective memory and sentiment surrounding the space. “It was meant to be a Black student union, a space to gather, but because of the ways in which it was fought for and how public that space is, it also serves as a symbol for the fight for equity and justice on campus,” says Lesley-Ann Brown-Henderson, Executive Director of Campus Inclusion and Community. That history is not just one of progress to be celebrated but also one of violence that must be acknowledged. Creating physical resources on campus was not enough to remedy a history of racism that was embedded in the culture of higher education where white students were often openly hostile to students of color. “It was not uncommon to have trash and pop bottles thrown at you when you walked down Sheridan Road,” says Ce Cole Dillon, a 1978 SESP graduate who served as president of the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association. “The majority of students felt
like they had the right to say: you’ve invaded our world, and we don’t want you here.” Although this kind of blatant racial violence is less common now, Cole Dillon says the basic systems and implications are the same. “This sense of entitlement, that ‘you are here at our grace,’ it has lessened, but it hasn’t gone away,” she says. Northwestern’s Black House therefore stands not only as a site for activism on domestic and international issues but also as a salient symbol worth defending in and of itself — a symbol of cultural resistance and resilience. As the 50th anniversary landmark approaches, perhaps the greatest tribute, as well as reminder of how far the University still has to go, is the ongoing action of students on campus. Administrative Changes Meet Student Pushback This past August, as part of its restructuring, CIC announced changes to the Black House and the Multicultural Center to renovate certain areas, move in staff offices and consolidate student group spaces. CIC had recently expanded to include Multicultural Student Affairs, Social Justice Education and Student Enrichment Services. In an effort to consolidate the staff of these departments, BrownHenderson says co-locating in one or two spaces would help them stay in contact and hear the experiences of students first hand. With budgets allocated on a September to September fiscal year, Kellom says a significant portion was saved up by the summer, the end of the budgeting year, presenting them with the opportunity to pursue the alterations. But for students and community members, the timing felt like an opportune moment to circumvent them while they weren’t on campus. “They presented the changes in a way that we wouldn’t know the damages to the communities served,” Sanders says. “It seemed like there was nothing we could do.” The process represented a typical approach that systematically overlooked them. Black students and alumni held a conference call the day after the changes were announced. “There was a blatant disregard for our reaction and input,” Wright says. “The main issue was how it undermined our relationship with the Black House.” Kellom, who became director of MSA less than a month before the changes were announced, says they made an effort to vet the ideas and inform the community, but not many students participated in the Google Hangouts held on the proposed changes. “It makes perfect sense that students felt their voices weren’t included, and I was sorry for that,” he says. “No one wanted to exclude student voices, but this seemed like one of those situations
SESP sophomore Michelle Sanders, School of Communication junior Sarah Oberholtzer and Weinberg senior Yjaden Wood lead student protesters in a chant on the steps the House. WINTER 2016 | 39
A student protester holds a sign at the groundbreaking ceremony in Henry Crown Sports Pavilion where trustees, athletes and a news crew were present. specific things you want to see in the Black House,’” Bria Royal, Communication senior, says. “They made it seem like an isolated incident but it’s not. This is part of a larger narrative—the spaces of people of color being diminished to the tiniest piece.” “No amount of coats of paint on the walls will fix the institutional racism,” she says. Cole Dillon, who represents Black alumni on the review committee, says she is hopeful the recommendations will come from an organic place, but she recognizes the University has no obligation to accept the suggestions. “Based on what we heard and what we know of our own experiences, we have a perspective on where we think the future of the Black House lies,” Cole Dillon says. “It can’t possibly be to just have a sign on the building that says the Black House and the function is just like any other administrative building.” Beyond Coats of Paint For students who use the space, it clearly is not any other administrative building. In an effort to follow through with their action in November and in response to the University’s proposed changes, students released a set of demands, just like their predecessors had almost 50 years ago, to improve the climate on 40 | northbynorthwestern.com
campus for Black students and other marginalized groups. One portion of these demands focused on physical campus spaces like the Black House, calling for updates to software in the computer lab and more resources for STEM students of color. But the demands go beyond surface level changes, and students and staff agree that is necessary to more effectively improve Black student life. “Improving the Black House isn’t enough to change campus climate or culture,” Kellom says. “That’s about educating the entire community: things like the diversity requirement that’s focused on U.S. social inequalities and training faculty and staff. There’s a multitude of things, addressing things like the attitudes, values and the University’s history.” Sanders, who has been closely involved with the accumulation and writing of the demands, says they haven’t limited themselves in scope. Their goal is to express sincere demands without concern for what administration considers realistic and unrealistic. “Basic rights and resources shouldn’t be that hard to implement,” Sanders says. “Having staff that looks like you is not unreasonable.” After a wide-scale campaign of emailing the list to President Schapiro on Black Friday, students heard back in December. In an email co-signed by Schapiro, Provost Dan Linzer, Vice President of Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin, Executive Vice President Nim Chinniah and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Jabbar Bennett, students were asked to select five or six representatives to meet with the administrators in January, again bearing resemblance to the events of 1968. “The idea of meeting with five or six students didn’t sit very well with us,” says Weinberg senior Thelma Godslaw, who attended the meeting. “The demands concerned a lot of communities and individuals, so we invited everyone to come.” On Jan. 7, Black Lives Matter NU hosted a townhall for concerned students to share their own ideas and collaborate across a wide range of communities to make the demands as comprehensive as possible before they were taken to the administration. “You see how the Black Lives Matter movement has become more intersectional than the original civil rights movement,” Godslaw says. “We wanted to make sure the demands were intersectional and aware of the other communities on campus, that they encompassed the broadness of Blackness while showing solidarity.” The Weinberg senior says about 10 students came to the meeting with the five administrators. Held on Jan. 19 in the Black House, students gave the administrators an updated list of demands; asked for monthly follow up accountability meetings and a website to detail concrete progress on the demands; and used the space as an opportunity to air grievances. “We wanted to control the space in the sense that student voices would be prioritized and not just administrators telling us what they accomplished,” Godslaw says. Telles-Irvin followed up with some of the students two weeks after the meeting, announcing the creation of a website, Inclusive Northwestern, that will feature updated responses to the demands and dates for upcoming “community dialogues.” Khaled Ismail, a graduate assistant in MSA, says staff and students in multicultural offices play a large role in influencing change from within administrative structures of higher education, which doesn’t naturally recognize inequity. “Our role is to advocate for students here,” he says. “We are the change agents from within. Students play an important role in change from the outside.” For Brown-Henderson, that work is pressing but takes persistence. “The students who I work with, seeing their pain, their experiences, the detrimental impacts of oppression and what that does to the soul, it’s a hard pill to swallow,” she says. “We have to do something to change it — not to band-aid change it — but to systemically change it.”
Photos by Julia Woojae Song
where people didn’t really pay attention until they felt like there was a problem.” Given the response to the proposed changes, Kellom hopes to implement a more effective institutional system for students to provide feedback to MSA. There is a history of administration overlooking the needs of underprivileged students, says Brown-Henderson. Although she understands the sentiment, she says their intentions were incorrectly perceived as malicious. “What we’re saying is trust us,” she says. “I’ve tried my best to push forward our equity and inclusion. Some of that has been behind closed doors where no one sees, but it’s clearing the pathways for students to be able to express themselves,” adding that much of the work she and her office does is aimed at creating incremental systemic change. And they did, taking to social media channels to decry the alterations, which they felt prioritized administrative duties over student experience. Four days after the announcement, MSA decided to suspend the planned changes and organized four listening sessions for Fall Quarter to be followed up by a Black House Facilities Review Committee made up of students, faculty, staff and alumni. But these sessions fell short for many students. “The administration said things like: ‘We’re not gonna do these changes, and we’re not going to talk about that. Say what
Through her work, Brown-Henderson strives to fundamentally change the experience of students of color. “What would it look like for our marginalized students to see their experience woven into the culture of this institution?” BrownHenderson says. “It’s a marginalized student saying, ‘I thrived here at Northwestern.’ It’s a student who feels as comfortable in Norris or their residence hall as they feel in the Black House. It’s a University where the faculty and staff are reflective of the student population.” That work involves going beyond facilities updates and construction of student spaces. The student demands go beyond these surface level improvements, and their authors hope to elicit a serious response from the University administration. “It’s not as simple as putting together a wishlist of items and putting them in a house and calling it a day,” Royal says. “Producing more systemic change will take some effort on the administration and the faculty to acknowledge the kind of environment where these kinds of daily oppressions are happening.” A Safe Space and So Much More It is in the midst of this current environment that the Black House offers a form of refuge to Black students. For Royal, seeing the Black House during her first visit to Northwestern was instrumental in her decision to attend. “I remember going through the whole tour and barely seeing any students of color,” Royal says. “We had some free time, and I remember coming here with my mom and being like, ‘Oh, there are people of color here.’ I remember that moment being like, ‘Maybe I can come here.’” Although the House serves as a shelter for students like Royal, she takes issue with discussion surrounding safe spaces. “We need to commit to centering the narrative on the people who are most at risk in this situation,” she says, addressing a recent op-ed in the Washington Post written by President Schapiro. “When I first saw that article, I noticed it was titled ‘I’m Northwestern’s President.’ What does that say right there?” At the end of the day, students are asking why the only safe places for them are pinpointed and the responsibility is theirs to protect those spaces rather than the University’s as a whole to improve. “Who are the powers at hand that are making it so that we need a safe space,” Wright says. “The conversation always revolves around us instead of ‘what are you [the university] doing that’s making this a problem?’” While recent campus activism has focused on the Black House as a historic place of refuge worth defending, Royal doesn’t want that to belie the larger issue, which is institutional. “The administration is looking at this as an isolated issue,” she says. “But why is it that we have refuge spots for every marginalized group on campus?” One of the causes of concern with the proposed changes in August was the further consolidation of spaces for students of color. Four cultural student groups would share the top floor of the Multicultural Center under the planned adjustments to open up more offices. “We’re not dealing with the same issues,” she says. “There are distinct differences in oppression, and ‘people of color’ as a term lumps us together despite our unique engagements with oppression, white supremacy and patriarchy.” This lumping of marginalized identities is historically institutionalized, and that process has occurred on Northwestern’s campus as well. Cole Dillon describes how the United States was a Black-white duality until the 1970s and 80s, when other ethnicities began to come with their own needs. “The University focused on the similarities of people of color rather than trying to understand how these groups are different,” she says. “You had to give up who you are to acquire Northwestern.” In an effort to resist that erasure, the Black House acquired another role—preserving culture.
NU students gather in front of the Black House to begin the march. “There’s a much larger context to the Black House than just a safe space,” Cole Dillon says. “It historically served as a cultural space. Our history, our culture, none of those things do we want to leave at the front door in order to become Northwestern students.” Traditionally that has meant facilitating student-faculty interaction and hosting significant members of the Black community and jazz and blues musicians. More than just a resource center or student union, the house is a place where they can learn from upperclassmen, learn about a complicated history and culture or simply engage in recreational activities. “I’m all about creating a safe space for people to talk, but I’m also a strong proponent of a brave space, where you feel compelled to participate and act,” Royal says. For many Black students, the Black House is a centerpoint for student life in all that that entails; labeling it as a safe space essentializes what takes place there. “We’re complex,” Wright says. “It’s a safe space, a place of celebration, a place to be and to talk to your friends, a place to take naps. You can have a healing circle and then go to B.K. at 2 a.m.” The Black House fosters bonds between those who frequent its halls. Ismail, whose office is also in the house, says it also ties its present-day community to the generations that laid its foundations and passed through the space. “Each generation of students that have come through have a different experience in this space,” he says. “But this space connects every generation of students. There’s a common thread between all students who engage with the Black House. A common thread of belonging, of community, of a safe space. That’s how it preserves history—through that common thread.” A Symbol of Hope The house has withstood the test of time, its walls held up by the never-ending work of students who have carved out a space for themselves on a campus that, for so many of them, has only attempted to erase their history, identity and experience. “This University was not created for us, plain and simple,” Royal says. “This house is a symbol of our resistance to all of that. Our continual resistance. When that’s threatened, it’s a reversion, trying to undo all the work that’s been done.” The effort students put into creating and preserving the Black House reverberates through the space, a structure that has come to embody the struggle of Black students to simply exist. “It was always that symbol of hope,” Royal says. “Maybe I can survive this place, even though it’s so vicious sometimes, if only I have this community behind me.” WINTER 2016 | 41
Photos by Julia Woojae Song and Emma Sarappo
HANGOVER
42 | northbynorthwestern.com
ICE, ICE BABY
We jumped in Lake Michigan during the winter so you don’t have to. BY SAM HART I come from a latitude on this planet where I used to regularly experience temperatures in the 60s in the month of January. And ever since I embarked on this arctic expedition some would call my undergraduate career, Lake Michigan in the wintertime has only been a beautiful but distant mass of icy gray visible from one of those pod chairs in Norbucks comfortably close to the fireplace. But for some, it’s so much more. Every year I would hear about dozens of thrill-seeking adventurers plunging themselves into the lake, whether for a cause or just to say they had. I was intrigued but half-convinced my fragile Southern belle heart would immediately stop beating upon impact if I were to try it myself. But as the years went on, for every time anyone from home would ask why I would elect to attend a university they had never heard of (sigh) in the distant tundra, for every time I would grit my teeth and say, “it’s really not that bad if you have the right gear,” I felt a vacuum I needed to fill.The Chicago winter couldn’t purely be something I tolerated; I had to truly conquer it. I had to plunge into Lake Michigan myself. NBN agreed. How bad could it be? The anticipation really hit hours before the plunge was to take place. I started googling how to best do a polar plunge effectively to learn best practices before throwing myself out into the unforgiving, icy waters. I found myself glossing past words like “heart attack” and “temporarily paralyzed.” (Turns out, these things only really happen if you have preexisting medical conditions.) “You read in the press that people died of hypothermia in three or four minutes, but that’s just not the case,” an ABC News slideshow article read, quoting University of Portsmouth physiology professor Michael Tipton. Good, I thought. An expert saying you can’t die from this. “People dying in three or four minutes are dying of their cold shock response. They’re unable to control their breathing, aspirated water and drowned.” Oh. Flash forward an hour, and I’m standing on the shore of the lake with two photographers, and a cohort of editors on South Beach. They all assure me that this is what I put into it. Go as fast or as slow as I want; just make sure I feel safe. After I strip down to a tank and a pair of floral print swim trunks, I’ve garnered the attention of several passersby. I take off my socks, and the sand feels frigid underneath my toes. It’s time to go in.
The first few steps into the water were surprisingly tranquil. I waded a few feet into the water, dodging large clods of fragmented ice. The water itself wasn’t so bad, but I did at times feel small shards of ice nipping at my lower shins and feet. I ran as fast as possible through the shallow water, kind of like Baywatch but dozens of degrees colder and no babes in sight. I was feeling good: could barely feel the water around me. I turned to face my supporters on the shore. They were yelling things at me but I couldn’t hear them over the water and my own heart pounding viciously. They looked incredibly far away. I picked up a chunk of ice about twice the size of my face and threw it as far as I could. I had conquered Lake Michigan. I began wading back, but when I arrived at the sand, the tune had changed. These same people who had been questioning me minutes before, who had convinced themselves I was going to die were now unsatisfied. “You looked unfazed.” “Your reaction wasn’t good enough.” “You have to go back in and get your torso wet.” I had to do this right. I took a quick look at my feet to make sure all of my toes were intact and resolved to venture back out into the water. Wanting to ensure I got my torso wet without getting dangerously too far out, I dipped as low as I possibly could. It immediately felt as though my lungs shrunk to half their original size and someone had wrapped 17 girdles around my chest. I quickly turned myself around and hobbled back to shore. I only truly understood what I had put my body through upon stepping back onto the sand (also of note, a couple who had been filming me before was still there and continued to take pictures for an uncomfortably long time as I put on my clothes). As I pulled my pant leg up, I lost my balance and realized I could not feel my feet. This made putting on shoes difficult as well, a problem I solved by stuffing my foot inside my sock haphazardly and my socked foot into my boot. Handling my lower extremities felt like wrapping raw meat in butcher paper. It also took someone else to notice that there was a small stream of blood running down my leg. What was either a particularly sharp piece of ice or a freshwater sea monster had given me a battle wound (which later stopped bleeding pretty easily, and Mom, I washed and disinfected it and everything like you taught me to). To the couple taking pictures of me putting my clothes back on, to my dear fellow editors and photographers, and honestly to many reading this, I’m just another weirdo who plunged into frigid water for no reason. But to myself, I conquered Lake Michigan, and doing so accomplished as much in the way of closure as completing my final credits to graduate will. WINTER 2016 | 43
HanGOVER
CTECS FROM LAST NIGHT BY HARRISON SIMONS
For those of you with friends who just got back from abroad, you’ve probably discovered that we either won’t shut up about it, or won’t talk about what you really want to know (the sex). It therefore seems only appropriate that we abroad-alums now leave you with some CTECs to help guide you through the world of European hook ups and ungodly amounts of beautiful men you’re sure to discover.
UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR 1
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Please summarize your reaction to this hookup focusing on the aspects that were most important to you. It was just a normal Tuesday afternoon. I was in class but the movie we were watching was hella boring, so I left to use the bathroom. Fast forward five minutes, I’m standing at my urinal and this old dude a couple urinals down is staring at me. I’m like huh that’s weird, maybe it’s a Spanish thing.Turns out no, he just wanted some D.We somehow ended up in his office and fast forward 15 more minutes: I’m back in class, watching the same boring movie. Remember to always be on your guard, you never know when or where you’ll spot your next hunk. What are the sexual strengths of the partner(s)? He was kind of old… He was like, VERY into me, so the ego boost was a positive. He was also a professor, so that probably means he’s smart.
What are the primary weaknesses, if any, of the partner? He was a little too old. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about this new daddy fad, but when you’re pushing 50, it all starts to feel a little too geriatric. Try and do a little research before you go boy hunting to make sure you’re hitting areas where you’ll find the type of men you prefer, whatever that may be.
ART MUSEUM GUY 1
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Please summarize your reaction to this hookup focusing on the aspects that were most important to you. I’m at the modern art museum in Paris, right? I go down to the basement to use the bathroom, and as I’m washing my hands this guy walks in. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, tight bod — he looks good. We make eye contact in the mirror but it’s not normal eye contact, it’s way more intense than that (“gay eye contact”, I like to call it). He walks into a stall and right before he closes the door he gives me a little eyebrow raise. So I’m like, do I do it? I was feeling ~reckless~ so I walked over and lo and behold, the stall isn’t locked. I crack the door and this dude literally beckons me into his stall. We do the dirty; I washed my hands and went to get some falafel. If you’re not the relationship type, this is the sort of encounter you should be looking for. What are the sexual strengths of the partner(s)? Aggressive! But also sly. He was like a mystery man. Oh it was also nice to meet someone somewhere other than online. There’s something about that organic, in-person connection that’s so refreshing, even when it happens in a museum bathroom.
What are the primary weaknesses, if any, of the partner? He was great. It was more the surroundings that got to me. An essentially public bathroom stall is never my first choice for sexual encounters, especially of the anonymous kind. Also, we forgot to lock the door, and another poor man was forced to catch a glimpse of what I’m sure was not a pretty sight.
GRINDR GUY 1
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Please summarize your reaction to this hookup focusing on the aspects that were most important to you. I literally can not think of an interesting thing to say about this man. I don’t remember his name, and his apartment was like a 15 minute walk from my homestay. I honestly felt like the IRL version of ¯\_( )_/¯. Take away: Go into this all with an open mind, and don’t expect every hook up to be mind blowing. What are the primary sexual strengths of the partner(s)? Easy. His apartment was impeccably decorated. Nice smelling soap and fancy mouthwash too, which I helped myself to. Having a hospitable space in which to fornicate is so important. 44 | northbynorthwestern.com
What are the primary weaknesses, if any, of the partner? As I wrote earlier, I really can’t decide how I feel about this one. Eh. That’s all that’s coming to mind. I’ve never had boring sex before, but wow, that was so boring.
brb
for 30 hours
30-hour DM alternatives. BY MALLOY MOSELEY
S
o the final fundraising deadline is here and you have nothing to show for your efforts—what will you tell your donors who expect a great feat of human will out of you in exchange for their donation to a good cause? Have no fear! You can still give that money to a good cause and organize your own 30-hour demonstration to pass the time. Here are some NBN-approved -approved alternatives to Dance Marathon.
Sleep Marathon Reading week is coming up, then finals week, but this is Northwestern, and let’s be real, you probably haven’t slept well since week two. To show your commitment to personal wellness, sleep for 30 hours straight. Like Dance Marathon, suggested training includes abstaining from caffeine and alcohol for at least a week, but there will be no struggling to keep your eyes open here. For those worried that this is too passive a choice to act upon for 30 hours, keep in mind how difficult it will be to keep your roommate from turning the lights on for over a day! Start practicing now by passive-aggressively sleepgrunting whenever she gets up earlier than you for a class.
LOVE IN 3 WORDS
Drinks Marathon Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots!—ha ha, just kidding. Take the 30 hours to finally jump on the bandwagon and start fermenting your own kombucha tea. With the powerful combination of antioxidants, vitamins and natural hydration, your body will feel like you’ve been dancing for 30 hours even if you’ve only been watching a glass of tea slowly ferment. The key to this marathon is to never take your eyes off of the glass! Can you say, “Staring contest?” Egg Marathon Given how busy NU schedules can be, when else are you going to perfect 30 different ways to cook an egg? This doesn’t just have to cover the egg itself—think of Block 8 as a great time to concoct different types of hollandaise and toppings for the perfect Benedict. Long time egg marathoners will recall the fun surprise at the end of Block 4 when the sun rises—egg drop! Who doesn’t love a shower with eggs? Rumor has it the yolks will make your hair shiny and the whites are full of lean protein that will make you glad you gave back.
Limbo Marathon For this 30-hour marathon, only two things are required: First, you must be willing to repeatedly walk under a wooden pole that continually gets lower, and second, you must constantly contemplate the wrong-doings in your life which may contribute to placement in limbo should the judgement day arrive. Think of this as a good time to do some personal reckoning and to practice a party trick that will make you the star of Caribbean nights for years to come!
BY MADISON SHIREY
From Shakespearian sonnets to Ray J’s “Sexy Can I?,” humans throughout history have spent their lives trying to describe the complex emotion of Love. So what happens when we ask a bunch of romantically-frustrated NU students to describe it in three words?
“Kendall Nicole Jenner” — Martin Oppegaard
“Pepperoni sausage pizza” — Mollye Lent
“Inexplicable, fulfilling, unreasonable” — Garrett Matdusa Illustrations by Samantha Spengler
“That shit sucks” — Moriah Richardson
“Reliance, affection, attachment” —Sophia Krevans
“Care, passion, hurt” — Clare Varellas
“Netflix and Chill” — Eleni Varelas
“Pure, unconditional, hard” — Lea Ware
WINTER 2016 | 45
HanGOVER
DM BINGO BY MALLOY MOSELEY
Bring this card with you into the tent to make the wait for the bathroom a little more tolerable.
Someone streaks during the dawn run
Someone tries to make a run for it and actually makes it out undetected
Someone wets themself waiting in line for the bathroom
Someone makes a new best friend whom they will never see again outside the tent
The emcees make a joke about their matching outfits, as if it were an accident
Someone mentions how many times they have played the track currently playing
Someone comes up with their own choreography for the 30-hour dance
Someone asks you to take a photo of them for any form of social media
Someone is dressed for the wrong block
Someone is visibly asleep standing up AKA
Someone complains about not being allowed to sit during lunch
Someone manages to destroy an article of their clothing
Someone compares the weather outside to inside the tent
Someone falls asleep during their foot massage
One of the 120hour seniors awkwardly tries to bond with freshmen
Someone tries to hook up with someone
Someone live snapchats the entire event or makes comment of how this is longer than their snap story
Someone gets way too into one of the games during a block
Someone loses their shoes in the moshpit
Someone’s phone runs out of battery
Someone is nicely told to stop standing by the water bottle refill station
Someone chases after Justin Barbin in pursuit of a new profile picture
Someone makes a pet out of one of the balloons they release at dawn
Someone holds up the line for the bathroom because they’re crying
Someone falls asleep during the performances during breakfast or dinner
46 | northbynorthwestern.com
FREE SPACE
