The Daily Northwestern - May 13th, 2024

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The Daily Northwestern

2 CITY/Umbrella Arts Festival

Evanston ASPA hosts annual celebration at Fountain Square

CAMPUS/SpoonFest

Spoon NU serves up local eats on campus at Arts Circle Drive

Graduate student attacker Izzy Scane hugs sophomore attacker Madison Taylor a er breaking the NCAA Division I career goals record against Denver Sunday a ernoon.

Scane’s legacy exceeds goal tally Division I career goals leader pioneers lacrosse’s national growth

By JAKE EPSTEIN

daily senior staffer

@jakeepste1n

Mere moments a er gradu-

ate student a acker Izzy Scane

wrapped up a postgame interview in College Park, Maryland, more than a dozen youth lacrosse players swarmed the reigning Tewaaraton winner.

Scane signed autographs, took sel es and talked shop with the

House commi ee to investigate NU

Probe comes as Schill set to testify before Congress

By JACOB WENDLER daily senior staffer

@jacob_wendler

Northwestern is under investigation by the House Commi ee on Education and the Workforce regarding its response to antisemitism on campus, according to a document obtained by e Daily.

In a Friday le er addressed to University President Michael Schill and Board of Trustees Chair Peter Barris, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs the commi ee, requested that the University supply the committee with seven sets of documents related to its response to the recent pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow by May 17. e documents include communications between University o cials about the encampment and alleged incidents of antisemitism on campus, Board of Trustees meeting minutes, video and audio recordings of the

encampment, and documents related to NU’s campus in Qatar.

Schill is set to testify before the commi ee on May 23 alongside Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway, who served as NU’s provost from 2017-2020, and University of California, Los Angeles Chancellor Gene Block.

Since reaching an agreement with student demonstrators to deescalate the encampment on April 29, Schill has come under re from organizations including StandWithUs and the Anti-Defamation League Midwest, who are calling for his resignation.

“The unlawful pro-terror encampment, dubbed the ‘Northwestern Liberated Zone,’ disrupted campus life and became a hotspot for pervasive antisemitic harassment and hostility,” Foxx wrote in the le er. “Rather than enforcing University rules and disciplining those who violated them, Northwestern’s leaders surrendered to the violators in a shameful agreement.” e le er points to Schill’s decision not to consult the President’s Advisory Commi ee on Preventing Antisemitism and

urry of young athletes hoping to one day trod a similar path.

“Help her out,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said with a chuckle to one of Northwestern’s media coordinators, but the eventual NCAA Division

I career goals queen appeared content holding court in one of the sport’s grandest meccas. Just like when she made time for a young fan in the

5 A&E/Spring speaker

A&O hosts Zack Fox, Mekki Leeper at Lutkin

SOLR sponsors May Day event

Student groups table, fundraise to support workers

By JERRY WU daily senior staffer @jerrwu

On May 1, 1886, thousands of workers across the U.S. organized a strike to demand an 8-hour work day.

ree years later, a federation of labor unions and socialist parties designated May 1 as a day to celebrate worker rights and commemorate the Haymarket A air — a violent confrontation between labor demonstrators and police in Chicago on May 4, 1886.

Northwestern students and workers gathered at the Multicultural Center on Friday for Students Organizing for Labor Rights’ second annual May Day event.

Friday’s event featured band performances from University Singers and Latin Music Ensemble along with food sales, including spam musubi, empanadas and tacos, to help fundraise for mutual aid.

“The significance of May Day is a day to celebrate workers around the world and to honor the work they provide for

communities,” said SOLR member and SESP sophomore Anusha Kumar. “ is school would literally not function without the labor campus workers have provided and the community they have built on campus.”

Student organizations from Fossil Free NU, Asian Paci c American Coalition, SOLR, Undergraduate Prison Education Program to NU Community for Human Rights and Society and Society of Transgender and Non-Binary Students also set up tables, handed out yers and posted sign up sheets.

Attendees said May Day offered a chance for student organizers to become familiar with the di erent activist groups.

“Student activist groups really need to know they can rely on each other for organization,” said STANS member and SESP freshman Shepherd Williams.

“Events like this are a good remedy to that and encourage club communications.”

Evanston organization Community Alliance for Be er Government President Sebastian Nalls spoke at the event, stressing the need for civic engagement among students in the city.

“Evanston here is your home away from home,” Nalls said. “Our goal as community

Wesley tenants receive grace period

City begins boarding up apartments ahead of original deadline

By WILLIAM TONG daily senior staffer @william2tong

Evanston will allow a weeklong grace period for the remaining tenants at 2014 and 2024 Wesley Ave. to move out of their apartments, Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) told e Daily Sunday.

In February, city officials informed tenants at the two properties and 2018 Wesley Ave. that structural deterioration in the buildings’ stairs and platforms had made the apartments unsafe to live in. e city set a May 13 deadline for tenants to leave the buildings, city o cials announced at an April 9 Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center meeting.

As of Friday, at least seven tenant households still live at 2014 and 2024 Wesley Ave., according to a city statement. Since January, ve households have moved out of the buildings, not including the tenants ordered to evacuate on May 9.

e remaining tenants are planning to stay for the grace period, according to 2014 Wesley Ave. tenant William Carter.

“We’re in panic mode trying to pack up everything we can so we can move that day if they tell us we

have to get out,” Carter said.

Ahead of the May 13 deadline, the city ordered the remaining three tenant households at 2018 Wesley Ave. to move out and boarded up the building ursday night. It did so citing Evanston’s dangerous buildings code — a steel support holding up a stair platform on the building detached, according to a ursday notice signed by City Manager Luke Stowe.

In a Friday statement, the city said it reached out to each household at about 2:30 p.m. ursday and that all tenants agreed to leave by 7:30 p.m. e families were placed in temporary housing, according to Community Alliance for Be er Government President Sebastian Nalls.

ursday’s nigh ime board-up operation caused alarm among several of the remaining Wesley tenants, they said. Neighboring 5th Ward residents and community activists also arrived, some shouting at the board-up crew and police to leave the apartment area.

Carter said the tenants were “bullied” out of their homes.

“If you tell them they have to leave because the building is unsafe — ‘you have to get out now’ — what choice do they have?” Carter said.

He also questioned why the city didn’t take more action early on when the building’s structural issues were rst discovered in 2022. Nalls arrived on the scene Thursday night because some neighboring tenants contacted him a er noticing police and city contractor presence around the apartments, he said. e residents were concerned about their home being boarded up with li le notice, Nalls added — in part because of

what he called poor communication from the city to tenants.

“ ey have been through a traumatic experience,” Nalls said. “ e lack of communication or the inability to communicate e ectively and intentionally with people has caused an exacerbation of the trauma.” Carter agreed. He said the city did not communicate the move

Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern

Jerry Wu/The Daily Northwestern

Umbrella Arts Festival celebrates Asian cultures

By ASTRY RODRIGUEZ daily senior staffer @astry_tpwk

Performers in traditional owy Chinese regalia swayed tambourines with red and orange strings in the air at the fourth annual Umbrella Arts Festival, held at Fountain Square Saturday.

e Flying Fairies Dance Troupe was one of the myriad of dance, skit and musical groups that performed at the event, hosted by Evanston Asian, South Asian and Paci c Islander Americans to celebrate the Asian diaspora’s history, culture and art.

“We are de ning our own culture and identity here as Asian Americans,” said Mia Park, the event’s emcee. “We just need to celebrate our beautiful vendors here: food, culture, dance, all of it.”

Park, the founder of the nonpro t APIDA Arts, said it is important to celebrate the heritage of Asians in Evanston as a group that has been part of the community for over a century.

e more than 70 participating vendors and nonpro t groups are all Asian American and Paci c Islander-owned, Park said.

One group, the Pan Paci c and Southeast Asia Women’s Association, had an origami station for people to make paper cranes. According to an informational yer at the group’s table, the cranes are a symbol of peace.

A station by Studio 3, a community art gallery and studio, had materials for families to take part in making bamboo peace posts, wrapping colored yarn around a bamboo stick for a community installation.

At another booth, children created their own mandala designs — a circular diagram from Hindu and Buddhist tradition. Children used stencils with intricate designs to spray paint mandalas onto the sidewalk. Others used smaller stencils to decorate small round pieces of wood that could function as coasters.

Small businesses were also in a endance. Angenarts, created by Chicago resident Angelina Nguyen, sold posters, stickers, mini prints and other forms of digital and hand-drawn art.

Nguyen said that as someone who is Filipino and Vietnamese, she a ended the festival to bring a ention to her art and meet other Asian creators.

“(Art) was just my way of expressing myself and just nding a way to visualize what I really liked doing,” Nguyen said. “I just love the people here. Everyone’s been asking me a lot of questions and just ge ing to know me as a person as well as my art.”

Other businesses featured items like handmade traditional po ery, jewelry and sachets.

Several nonprofits and city organizations supported the event, including Evanston Public Library. Its booth had tote bags and free books for people of all ages. Chicago Karate Club provided short karate lessons to children that passed by its tent.

Evanston resident Howard Lam, who is Vietnamese, said he was surprised to see how large the Evanston Asian community is, and was glad the event was made to celebrate them.

“I think for any culture, any race, however you want to categorize people, it’s nice to feel — if not for a day or moments — seen, celebrated,” Lam said.

Northwestern community members also participated in the festival. Treblemakers, NU’s East Asian a cappella group, performed, harmonizing with quick-paced pop rock songs like 5 Seconds of Summer’s “Youngblood” and “Teeth.”

Asian Pacific American Coalition members presented about the creation of NU’s Asian American Studies Program, explaining how students from multiple groups at the University rallied and even led a hunger strike in 1995 to pressure the administration to establish the program in 1999.

Weinberg junior and NU APAC member Sanjana Rajesh, a former Daily sta er, said APAC wants a endees to understand that Asians have historically been depoliticized but take action and stand up to injustice.

“This festival is amazing,” Rajesh said. “It’s important to talk about the explicitly political context of Asian Americans in the United States.”

astryrodriguez2025@u.northwestern.edu

Jerry Wu/The Daily Northwestern

The fourth annual Umbrella Arts Festival featured a variety of artists and vendors.

Israel Peace, Re ection Week kicks o

By JERRY WU daily senior staffer @jerrwu

More than 50 students and community members gathered in the Technological Institute on ursday to hear Gil Ho man (Medill ’99), the executive director of Israeli media advocacy group HonestReporting, discuss the Oct. 7 Hamas a ack on Israel, its a ermath and surrounding media coverage.

ursday marked the rst day of the annual Northwestern Israel Peace and Re ection Week, hosted by NU Hillel and Wildcats for Israel. Like past years, this year’s arrangement is held during Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. e weeklong programming will feature guest speakers, community dialogues, festivals and ceremonies.

“(Hamas) made Gaza, at the expense of the Gaza people, into the ultimate fortress of terror,” Homan said.

e programming comes almost two weeks a er

University administration reached an agreement with organizers to deescalate a ve-day pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow.

“I think a lot of people have felt pre y isolated on campus and from their connection to Israeli culture because a lot of the sentiment of the encampment was to divest from Israel,” said Weinberg junior and NU Hillel President Sari Eisen. “We think it’s really important to separate the government and military action from the culture itself, so we’re celebrating the culture (this week).”

In the coming days, organizers have planned events including beach games, a Shabbat meal, a We Will Dance Again party to honor the victims from the Oct. 7 a ack and a fundraiser for Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster and blood bank service.

Organizers said they hope the week can foster unity and celebration in the Jewish community on campus.

“It’s been a di cult couple of weeks and even months for many in the Jewish community,” said Medill sophomore and Wildcats for Israel President Madeleine Stern, a former Daily sta er.

Eisen added that there will be an opportunity for students and a endees to open up for discussions and conversations to process recent events, including the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus and the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel’s current ground and air o ensive in Gaza follows the militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 a ack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli o cials. Israel’s military action has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian o cials.

Organizer and Medill senior Josh Miller said he wishes this week will o er NU Jewish students a space on campus to celebrate their cultural heritage.

“I think that Israel Peace and Re ection Week is going to be a beautiful time where we are able to celebrate the culture and diversity of Israel,” Miller said. “It’s important for Jewish students and just all students to see that Israel is a beautiful place with a beautiful culture.”

jerrywu2027@u.northwestern.edu

Palestine Week opens with art, history

By KELLEY LU the daily northwestern @kelleylu_

An art build and ke yeh history lesson on Deering Meadow kicked o Palestine Week programming on Saturday. e Middle Eastern North African Student Association, Educators for Justice in Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace and Fossil Free NU are co-hosting the week’s events.

An organizer a liated with MENA said various Middle Eastern, African and Palestinian groups on campus have held Palestine Week for many years to observe Nakba Day — a commemoration of the displacement and deaths of Palestinians on May 15, 1948, following the establishment of the state of Israel. e organizer said the week’s goal is to share

Palestinian culture and educate students on Palestinian history and politics.

“The encampment and the agreement both brought us a lot of positive momentum that we’re going to use to keep pushing forward,” said an organizer who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

e groups dubbed Deering Meadow “Hind Meadow” to honor the death of a young Palestinian girl named Hind Rajab during the ongoing IsraelHamas war.

During the event, the organizer presented a history lesson about the ke yeh. e ke yeh is a garment worn across the Middle East that protects against the sun and sand. Palestinian locals o en wear the black and white ke yeh made up of three symbols — the shnet, bold lines and olive leaves — each representing freedom, resilience and struggle, the

organizer said.

Students also painted Palestinian ags, watermelons, ke yeh pa erns and quotes on tote bags. e red, white, black and green colors of watermelons became a popular Palestinian symbol following the 1967 Six-Day War in which Israel banned public displays of the Palestinian ag. e remainder of Palestine Week will include speakers, screenings and activities.

“We’re only here to upli the Palestinian voice, the Palestinian culture, the Palestinian identity. We’ve done that in the past, and we’ve been doing that for 75 years,” he said. “Stop by, everyone is welcome. It’s all about peace, love and education.”

kelleylu2027@u.northwestern.edu

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A&E arts entertainment

‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ rings in spring on Lakefill

By JILLIAN MOORE the daily northwestern @jillian_moore7

Lovers & Madmen’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” welcomed spring over the weekend with a series of free outdoor performances.

Passersby and attendees toting lawn chairs gathered to watch performances of the Shakespearian classic on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Lakefill Southpoint. An abridged version of the original, the play follows four young lovers as fairies meddle with their romantic entanglements in an enchanted forest.

Communication sophomore Haley Bart played Helena, a young woman in a complicated love triangle with two Athenians — Demetrius and Lysander — who are

both spelled to fall in love with her.

“There’s just a lot of chaos and fighting and miscommunication between the lovers, which is super fun to play on stage,” Bart said. “Like any Shakespeare comedy, in the end, they’re all in love and married with the right people.”

Director and Communication senior Helena Schatzki said her version differs from the original, as the cast members wear modern clothes and incorporate movement — actors run through the trees and interact with the audience throughout.

“There’s a large aspect of it that’s about nature,” she said. “(Additional movement) really allows the actors and the audience to connect with the nature that they are immersed in.”

Communication junior Margaret Pirozzolo, who played Nick Bottom, said it was her second time playing the role, following her first performance of the role at

age 14. She said she has embraced the comedic role as she has acted in more serious dramas at Northwestern.

“It feels easier to be super creative with something that can feel antiquated,” she said. “You have to add elements that will draw the audience in.”

One such addition was two contemporary dances between Hippolyta and Oberon (Communication junior Abby Ciabaton) and Theseus and Titania (Communication junior Elliott Hansen). At the beginning of the play, Hansen and Ciabaton’s dance tells the story of how the leaders of Athens got married.

Near the end of the play, the pair dances as the fairy king and queen.

Schatzki said while her rendition is a deviation from the original Shakespeare, the play maintains its themes of dreams and reality.

“Growing up, I was at a dance studio that was really

about dance theater,” she said. “And so, drawing from that experience … I just really wanted the sense of play throughout the show to come alive. There’s a lot of just running around and exploring the space through active activity.”

Bart said although her character speaks only in verse, which has made learning lines challenging, the language barrier of Shakespeare falls away when it is performed.

She added that a college audience can see themselves in the characters.

“We’re the age group that the lovers are in this summer,” she said. “I hope that people take away that love is really complicated and doesn’t always go according to plan. I also hope that people see the show and just have fun with it.”

jillianmoore2027@u.northwestern.edu

Evanston’s Steve Rashid performs in ‘Live at Studio5’

By SAMMY KRIMSTEIN the daily northwestern @skrimstein

Evanston musician Steve Rashid (Bienen M.M. ’83) hosts a jazz series called “Live at Studio5” most spring and fall weekends. Rashid, who founded the venue Studio5 with his wife Béa Rashid, typically opens each show by introducing local jazz artists to the Evanston community. This weekend, though, he was the one being introduced.

On Friday and Saturday night, he sang a few covers and debuted his 2023 EP, “is it beautiful there?”

Rashid, an Emmy-winning composer and Bienen School of Music alum, said he considers himself a “musical omnivore,” consuming and creating music of many genres. While he comes from a jazz background, Rashid has always fought against labels. Instrumentally, he primarily focuses on playing keyboards, harmonica and singing, but he says he can play plenty of other instruments as well.

“He’s very down-to-earth, and a very genuine, loving person,” said Bobby McSweeney, an audio engineering intern at Studio5.

In addition to managing operations at Studio5, which functions as a dance studio during the week and a performance venue on the weekends, he founded his studio in Evanston, Woodside Avenue Music Productions, where he works with local artists from a variety of genres.

He has scored short films for fellow NU alumni and former Saturday Night Live cast members Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall (Communication ’80) — and has also composed for television,

theatre and dance, receiving 25 national awards for his work.

Rashid said he accumulated bits and pieces of his own songs for a potential solo project through the decades. He said he always had something “bubbling in the background,” but he was unable to cross the finish line.

Rashid said he knew he was crafting something special during the COVID-19 pandemic. As he wrote, Rashid said he felt the presence of his late brother and realized that the song he had been creating was for him.

“I really do think that love is eternal,” Rashid said. “I just feel like he’s still around.”

He finished the song honoring his late brother, titled “whereareyouwhoami,” and soon churned out five other pieces — enough for an EP. He said writing the EP was like a “floodgate opened” and that he couldn’t finish fast enough.

Rashid said much of his inspiration and love for music stems from his father, Bob Rashid, who passed away when he was in high school.

He said he vividly remembers being with his father when he fell in love with music. Growing up in Ripon, Wisconsin, he recalled the frustration of being last chair out of all the trumpet players in his junior high school band. Just as he was on the brink of quitting, his father gave him some words of wisdom: anything worth having is “worth working for.”

Rashid decided to stick with the trumpet. By the end of eighth grade, he worked his way to first chair. Not long afterward, he bought his father a Louis Armstrong record, and Rashid was moved to tears at the first note.

Rashid said he knew at that moment that music

was his calling.

“It felt like someone had just told me this great secret, and I needed to tell everybody,” Rashid said.

At this weekend’s performances, Rashid shared that secret with Studio5’s sold-out crowd.

Hugs, laughter and old memories filled the room as NU friends, musical collaborators and family came together to support Rashid and his band. As Béa introduced her husband at the start of the show, she took note of all the familiar faces in the audience.

“I feel I know everybody in the room,” she said.

Rashid played a variety of tunes at his shows

this weekend, including a cover by one of his jazz heroes, Mose Allison, a song reminiscing about teaching his now-grown son (who played drums for the performance) how to ride a bike, and comedic piece with lyrics entirely made of former President George W. Bush quotes. With every number, Rashid said he made sure to tell a personal story.

“I always think of music as a language,” Rashid said. “Somehow it’s connecting to our hearts in ways that we don’t really understand.”

samuelkrimstein2027@u.northwestern.edu

Sammy Krimstein/The Daily Northwestern Rashid founded Studio 5 with his wife, Béa Rashid.

Jillian Moore/The Daily Northwestern

The fates align for Refresh’s eighth annual spring show

By NINETH KANIESKI KOSO the daily northwestern

Refresh Dance Crew showcased its eighth annual spring show, “Fates Align” in Ryan Family Auditorium to hundreds of people during three weekend performances .

Around 80 dancers performed contemporary, hip hop and jazz dances to songs including “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez and “Oxytocin” by Billie Eilish, choreographed by Refresh members.

Throughout the show, different colored lights lit up the stage, complementing different costume color schemes, as the performers danced in fluctuating formations.

McCormick senior and performer Isabel Zhong said the colors of the show were different from previous years, which often had strong vibrant colors like black or red. This year’s show featured lighter colors.

“The theme is actually really interesting this year because I think Refresh usually has a different vibe,” Zhong said.

The show had five sets, each with a destiny theme. Every set posed a question, which a magic 8-ball on a screen behind the stage answered.

The first set asked, “Is it fate?” to which the 8-ball replied, “Signs point to yes.” The final set asked, “Will it last forever?” to which the 8-ball replied, “As I see it, yes. For eternity.”

Communication senior and performer Chidera Olewuenyi said she felt the theme of the show is appropriate for her last show with Refresh.

“We all have gotten existential and tried to

relate it back to all of our own lives,” Olewuenyi said. “Thinking about how fated we are to meet each other and how fated we are that we all came to Northwestern and decided to join Refresh.”

Throughout the show, there were four sections of freestyle, where four to five dancers took turns improvising to songs including “Truth or Dare” by Tyla and “Moment” by Victoria Monét.

After a 10-minute intermission, various student groups made guest appearances for each show.

On Friday night, improv comedy group Out Da Box performed a spoof on a dating show that featured impressions of Drake, Ken (from “Barbie”) and a banana. Saturday’s 7 p.m. show featured the Latin dance group Dale Duro.

During intermission at the 10 p.m. Saturday show, Refresh Dance Crew invited people from the audience to improvise on stage with the dancers. This was followed by a guest performance from K-Dance, a K-pop student dance group.

The show closed with a “High School Musical”themed piece that featured Refresh seniors with basketballs, fedoras and feather boas. The music was a mashup of popular music from the series, including “We’re All In This Together” and “I Don’t Dance.”

Weinberg sophomore Jamila Sam attended the Friday night performance with posters to support her friends in Refresh.

“I love seeing everyone’s facial expressions, especially for the performance value,” Sam said. “It was just super fun to watch.”

ninethkanieskikoso2027@u.northwestern.edu

A&O hosts comedic talents Zack Fox, Mekki Leeper

By JACKSON WEIER daily senior staffer @jacksonweier

A&O Productions hosted its annual Spring speaker event on Thursday night in Lutkin Hall, featuring versatile comedic talents Zack Fox and Mekki Leeper.

“We sold out in under 15 minutes for 289 seats for Lutkin, which was really amazing,” said Weinberg senior and A&O co-chair Janitza Luna. “We’re lucky to have two comedians who speak to many of the cultural interests of Northwestern students.”

The three-part event began with standup monologues from Fox and Leeper, followed by a showing of the pilot episode of their collaborative project, “Fintech,” and concluding with a short Q&A.

Fox — known for his recurring appearances on Emmy-winning series “Abbott Elementary” and comedically geared music career — opened his standup set with a few lighthearted jabs at Evanston, explaining how his whole career has led him to this night in the Chicago northern suburb.

“When I landed I was like, ‘am I doing comedy in Ukraine?’ Like, it’s rich but weirdly looks poor,” Fox said.

Leeper took the stage following Fox’s set. Known for his writing credit on the Emmynominated reality show “Jury Duty” and his

acting role on “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Leeper shared a variety of vulnerable personal anecdotes throughout his set.

In addition to the personal stories, he interacted with the audience consistently, asking students their takes on a variety of prompts.

At one point, he asked the Lutkin Hall crowd whether anyone in the audience also had a unique first name, to which one audience member replied “Margarita.”

“You’re lucky that’s what your parents were drinking that night,” he called. “You could’ve been Jack Daniel’s.”

McCormick freshman John Rivera attended the event as an avidfan of Fox and “Abbott Elementary,” he said.

Rivera said he specifically liked how both speakers interacted with the audience over the course of the night.

“I thought the event was great,” Riviera said. “I love ‘Abbott Elementary,’ so seeing Zack Fox perform in person felt like Tariq was on stage. Both Mekki and Zack had great sets, and I thought they did a great job interacting with the students in the crowd.”

At the end of Leeper’s set, he introduced “Fintech,” a new television series he and Fox have been working on. According to Leeper, the show has been acquired by Amazon and should commence shooting within the next year.

The series follows Fox and Leeper as NFT nepo-tech-bros attempting to create the next

million- dollar idea. The pair debuted the series’ pilot episode . The evening came to a close with a quick Q&A, where a student asked Fox to sign a bag of Doritos, referencing his hit song “Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression),” which features

the line regarding Fox’ intimate encounter with a bag of chips.

“He’s definitely selling that on eBay later,” Leeper said.

jacksonweier2026@u.northwestern.edu

Van De Mark talks role in ‘Women Beware Women’

By BETSY LECY the daily northwestern

Communication sophomore Mia Van De Mark balances her role in psychosexual revenge tragedy “Women Beware Women” with the academic obligations of Northwestern theatre.

Over a week into the show’s run at The Edge Theatre, Van De Mark sat down with The Daily to discuss her love for theatre, her role as Isabella in the production and her projected career as an actress. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

The Daily: What sparked your love for theatre?

Van De Mark: I grew up singing a lot. I was in children’s choirs, and my mom put me in this program called Hope Stone Inc., which is a nonprofit that sadly no longer exists. Its purpose was to serve schools that were sort of underserved in terms of arts and education. So that’s where I really developed my love for singing, and that kind of turned into a love for theatre

The Daily: At what point did you know you wanted to do theatre professionally?

Van De Mark: At some point in high school. I

definitely knew I wanted to sing always, but there was a time when I was deciding whether I wanted to go to college for voice and study opera. I think that theatre is evolving a lot more than opera, though. I think there’s more avenues to go down within it. You don’t have to just be a performer — you can also work backstage, design, direction, arts administration and things like that. I think that choosing to go to Northwestern was a lot of it because the theatre program here is so awesome, specifically in the way that you can study so many things, not just performance.

The Daily: How did you hear about “Women Beware Women?”

Van De Mark: I took a class my freshman year, which was a really cool program where big-name writers would come in and workshop their musicals with undergraduate students. I think I just got absurdly, freakishly lucky, because I have a lot of training in folk country music, and they just happened to be doing this musical that was this country, rockabilly sound. The person who wrote the book for the musical was friends with Kevin V. Smith, who’s the director of “Women Beware Women.” Kevin came to support him, but I think he just really liked my performance, and he asked me to do the reading for “Women Beware Women.”

The Daily: You’ve said that your character Isabella has a difficult life in the play. What is it like portraying that role?

Van De Mark: It’s probably the biggest arc of a character that I’ve ever played, because she starts off the show as this girl that had a lot of hope and joy in the world and the belief that everything will work out okay. By the end, though, she gets brutally murdered.

The Daily: How do you feel performing professionally?

Van De Mark: It’s been really awesome, especially because the whole cast is made up of professional actors, and to be around that environment of people who are experienced and older than you — In educational theatre, obviously, you’re only performing with people who are your age, but one of my closest friends in the show is, like, 60. I would never get to do that.

The Daily: Have you learned any techniques or words of wisdom from your professional experience?

Van De Mark: I think it’s just given me a really clear idea if I choose to pursue being a professional actress, which I’m 98% sure I’m going to do. This is storefront theatre, right, so it isn’t the most high-budget thing in the world. These are people where everyone has a day job and are still showing up every day just out of the goodness of their hearts, and they want to make art, which I think is really awesome.

The Daily: Are there challenges with balancing your academics and your acting career?

Van De Mark: Definitely, because I’m still a student, and I have a commute everyday. The show is also over three hours. So I am surely behind in some of my classes, but it’s definitely worth it.

elizabethlecy2027.1@u.northwestern.edu

arts & entertainment

Editor Mary Randolph

Assistant

Editors

Jillian Moore

Betsy Lecy

Design

Editors

Jamie Kim

Lillian Ali

Nineth Kanieski Koso/The Daily Northwestern

The eighth annual Refresh spring show took place Saturday evening.

Photo Courtesy of John Riviera

Zack Fox and Mekki Leeper answer students’ questions at A&O Spring speaker event.

INVESTIGATION

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Hate on the agreement and the subsequent collapse of the committee after seven members stepped down. It refers to the encampment on Deering Meadow as “the site of numerous crimes and antisemitic incidents,” citing several incidents in which Jewish students say they were intimidated or harassed by demonstrators, a video of a protester wearing a hoodie with an image of Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida and two signs previously placed on the fence between Deering Meadow and Sheridan Road.

“The record makes clear that President Schill and other Northwestern leaders have not only failed to address the pervasive antisemitic harassment and disruptions of a safe learning environment that have plagued the University in a serious manner, but have also surrendered to the malefactors responsible for this hatred and chaos,” the Friday letter reads. “This is an unacceptable dereliction of duty.”

Schill addressed the imagery in an April 30 video message to the NU community, stating that the signs — one of which depicted a Star of David with a red slash drawn though it and another showing himself with devil horns, an antisemitic trope that harkens back

WESLEY

From page 1

out grace period to him individually and has not proactively discussed the building’s future plans with its tenants.

Burns, whose ward contains the apartments, maintained the city has been in contact with tenants. The

From page 1

Raleigh-Durham International Airport Starbucks after capturing the 2023 national championship in Cary, North Carolina, Scane delayed the celebration of knocking off a bitter conference rival to interact with the sport’s next generation.

Five weeks later, the inevitable became reality as Scane shattered Charlotte North’s career goals tally in Sunday’s NCAA tournament second-round victory.

The fate seemed a near-certainty once the attacker elected to use her final year of eligibility to chase a second national championship. Northwestern fan Cathy Dunlap (Weinberg ’77) began counting down the goals on a piece of paper early in the season in anticipation of the milestone.

But Scane’s legacy cannot be defined or limited by an exorbitant goal figure. With the COVID-19 years soon nearing their end, it’s tough to picture another scorer exceeding No. 27’s lofty career total — and her impact on the sport spans nationwide.

The story has been written countless times, but Scane provides a new iteration whenever she plays.

A wide-eyed lacrosse fanatic from Clarkston, Michigan, Scane watched the Wildcats wreak havoc on the

to the medieval-era “blood libel” accusations against Jewish people — should be “condemned by all of us.”

In a Thursday op-ed published in the Chicago Tribune and shared with the campus community in a Friday morning school-wide email, Schill again defended his decision to reach an agreement with pro-Palestine protesters.

“This resolution — fragile though it might be — was possible because we chose to see our students not as a mob but as young people who were in the process of learning,” Schill wrote in the op-ed. “It was possible because we tried respectful dialogue rather than force. And it was possible because we sought to follow a set of principles, many of which I would argue are core to the tenets of Judaism.”

In the agreement, NU committed to re-establishing an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility this fall. The University also agreed to answer questions from any “internal stakeholder,” which includes current students, faculty, staff and trustees, about its financial holdings.

But in a May 3 interview on CNN, Schill said he “would never recommend divestment” to the Board of Trustees.

jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu

city’s current priority is to provide immediate, quality substitute housing for the residents, he added.

“Did they get the support that they needed? Did we get them to safety? Are we continuing to support them as they’re in extended stay with transportation assistance and food stipends?”, he said. “The answer is yes.”

Since March, city officials have said Evanston will provide displaced residents with housing search

national scene and dreamed of one day donning the purple and white. She played her club ball in New England with Mass Elite, crossing paths with several future teammates.

“We all came to Northwestern because we knew the legacy of Kelly and of Northwestern and how great they’ve been in the past,” Scane said. “It’s been really cool to see all the hard work through the years before us and all the girls that have been here for years really coming to a head.”

Initially cut from the U.S. U19 National Team in 2018, Scane swiftly showcased her transcendent ability, earning a spot on the squad and a gold medal the following summer.

She assumed the bona fide scoring sensation role from Selena Lasota in 2020 and never looked back — until a fall-ball torn ACL suffered against Notre Dame sidelined Scane for the entire 2022 season.

Could that have marked the end of the legend that is Isabelle Rae Scane? Not a chance.

“As much as an ACL injury sucks, it really lets you rest, and that lets you get a new appreciation for what you have,” Scane said following her team’s national championship romp of Boston College.

Often a leader by example, Scane put forth a campaign for the ages in 2023, spearheading NU’s first

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CASHIER

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Saturday or Sunday, 10 to 4. Join the Ace team at the oldest store in Evanston!

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MAY DAY

From page 1

members is to make that experience the most beneficial for you, to make an experience that is true to whatever you believe in and what causes you believe in.”

Originally scheduled on May 1, May Day was postponed in the wake of student demonstrators’ pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow, organizers said. They said they were concerned that by holding the event on the original date, attending service workers might be associated with the encampment and be reprimanded by management.

Organizers said this year’s event also highlighted the ongoing contract negotiations between NU dining and service workers and Compass Group, the University’s food service provider. The nearly threeyear contract is set to run out at the end of August.

Students and Compass workers organized a delegation that marched from The Arch to Compass Group Human Resource Manager Roshan Widhanage’s office around Sargent Hall on May 3. The group voiced their demands over a new contract.

The march came after Compass Group delayed the first round of negotiation talks on April 30, according

assistance, temporary stay and rent subsidies for longterm substitute housing. Burns said tenants who have moved into new apartments are all staying in either the 5th or 8th Wards.

But many of Carter’s neighbors said they’ve had trouble finding suitable replacement apartments in Evanston, Carter said. He said he has also faced issues in search of housing — seeking accomodations close to

national championship run since 2012. The Tewaaraton and Honda Award soon followed, along with a trip to the ESPYs. But, Scane will be the first to credit her teammates for her boundless individual success.

The sixth-year helped Amonte Hiller reignite a dormant dynasty. A proven winner, Scane elevates her game when the stakes are highest — and her 2023 NCAA Tournament run left no doubt of her pure dominance.

“It’s really special to see her do what she does within the confines of our team,” Amonte Hiller said after Scane snapped the program career points record against Central Michigan on March 3..”

Nearly every game Scane and her teammates have played in Evanston has sold out this season. It’s a spectacle whenever the ’Cats come to town, and recordshattering attendance tends to follow.

Twenty-four hundred saw NU take down Maryland in April, and more than 1,500 fans braved frigid February conditions to catch the ’Cats’ clash with Boston College in Chestnut Hill.

With youth players forming a large chunk of the games’ spectators, they have the chance to watch their idols go to battle on a near weekly basis. These girls often don a plethora of jerseys and merchandise, many of which boast No. 27’s likeness.

“It’s really cool to come say hi to girls that have Izzy

to an organizer from UNITE HERE Local 1, the union representing NU’s subcontracted workers.

“We just wanted to show student support because it is very intimidating for workers to be in that situation,” Kumar said. “We had at least 30 members walk with workers and show that there is a community there to support them.”

In February, SOLR released a petition where anonymous Compass workers shared testimonies describing understaffing, overworking and Compass’s alleged refusal to schedule overtime workers in the dining halls and Norris University Center.

Workers said staff shortages resulted in dining hall stations closing early without explanation. Some also mentioned health issues as a result of the overwork and mistreatment by management.

“We especially recognize that May Day is during the Spring Quarter, when folks are entering finals and wrapping up the schools, so a lot of people do not know much about what’s actually going on with the contract,” said SOLR member and Communication sophomore Kimberly Espinosa, a former Daily staffer. “We are trying to spread information about the negotiations this year.”

jerrywu2027@u.northwestern.edu

Evanston to take care of his aunt — because of housing vouchers and other limitations.

Even with a weeklong grace period, the uncertainty persists, he said.

“Most of our stuff is packed up in boxes,” Carter said. “We’re basically living out of a suitcase.”

williamtong2026@u.northwestern.edu

Scane shirts or Erin Coykendall shirts on,” Scane said. “It’s cool to see the effect that just a small group of girls that don’t think they necessarily deserve the credit can do to younger generations.”

Like Taylor Thornton and North in Texas, Scane serves as a pioneer for the game’s growth in the Midwest. A Michigan native playing the part of the NCAA’s top performer is not only a statistical anomaly, but it provides a platform for athletes in nontraditional lacrosse hotbeds to strive for greatness.

In the North Shore area and beyond, a Scane effect of sorts has captured young fans’ wonder. Young players wear Scane jerseys to practice and look to emulate her patented dodge package and scoring touch.

A record fell Sunday, and it was a long time coming. However, Scane cannot merely be considered a phenomenal scorer of unparalleled proportions. The quietnatured girl from the Midwest whose play made her the center of attention commands significant plaudits for her role as an ambassador of the sport.

Many young women will now pick up a lacrosse stick — if they haven’t already — because of Scane. Even if her record should one day fall, the attacking phenom has etched her name in immortality.

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

Evanston birders observe World Migratory Bird Day

By SHUN GRAVES

the daily northwestern @realshungraves

About 10 people stopped in their tracks early Saturday morning on the Northwestern lakefront path and focused upward at the bird nests that line the Regenstein Hall of Music exterior.

Unlike the morning exercisers who sometimes jogged past them, these early birders set out on a di erent exercise: a “bird walk” to spot as many avian species as possible. e walk weaved from the lakefront to the trees near University Hall and the Garre -Evangelical eological Seminary.

On Saturday — World Migratory Bird Day — the more than two-hour birding excursion took on a distinguished air.

“You’ve heard ‘the canary in the coal mine,’” said Sarah Flax, a member of the Evanston North Shore Bird Club. “Birds are indicators of health, of environmental well-being.”

Flax, who also serves as the city’s community development director, said she recorded 24 species during the Saturday walk. She added that she got her rst spring glimpse of a warbling vireo, which spends its summers in much of the continental U.S. World Migratory Bird Day seeks to increase global engagement with avian species that bring manifold benefits to humans. Mayor Daniel Biss proclaimed the day’s local recognition at the April 29 City Council meeting.

“Birds are at once wild, exotic and familiar, and among the most beautiful and easily observed wildlife that share our communities,” Biss said.

Migratory birds offer myriad benefits to the global ecosystem such as seed dispersal and plant pollination, he added.

Even before this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, avian advocates had recorded recent victories in Evanston. In 2022, the city introduced building requirements that seek to reduce bird collisions. Last year, Evanston became a Bird City Illinois — today, only one of six cities statewide that maintain the Audubon Council of Illinois’ bird-friendly distinction.

Many priorities remain for avian advocates in the Chicago region, a critical passage for migratory birds. In October, nearly 1,000 birds died on a single day by crashing into windows at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago, resulting in local birders’ consternation.

The images of dead birds left a reminder about the impact of human development on avian habitats and migration routes, Flax said.

“Buildings have to be built with the thought of protecting birds in mind,” she said.

Thus far in the season, more than 36 million migratory birds have crossed Cook County, the BirdCast database estimates. By the time the northward migration tapers off in June, the total usually grows to about 50 million birds.

World Migratory Bird Day focused on the

THIS

relationship between birds and insects this year. Because birds rely on insects for sustenance, global organizers say this year’s focus will call people’s attention to habitat restoration and reducing harsh pesticide use.

“Even if they’ve migrated, even if they’ve made it up here, we have to make it so that they can successfully nest,” said Libby Hill, a member of the Evanston North Shore Bird Club.

The club leads regular birding events in Evanston and nearby suburbs. As its walk

threaded through the halcyon Shakespeare Garden on NU’s campus, the birders watched a few cardinals frolicking overhead.

Elizabeth Showalter, who started birding with the club last year, said she spo ed her rst magnolia warbler of the year.

“It brings me a lot of joy to see all the di erent kinds of birds,” she added. “I want them to want to come here, where we are.”

shungraves2027@u.northwestern.edu

Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern Birders focused their binoculars in search of migratory birds along Northwestern’s shoreline on Saturday.

Monday, May 13, 2024

Northwestern defeats Denver 17-4, set for No. 8 Penn

By HENRY FRIEMAN the daily northwestern @henryfrieman

Izzy Scane now stands alone atop the NCAA women’s lacrosse record books.

The graduate student attacker scored her 359th career goal ––the most by any player in Division I history –– six minutes into No. 1 Northwestern’s 17-4 romp of Denver in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday. She eclipsed former Duke and Boston College standout Charlotte North’s previous tally of 358 goals.

“I always wanted to go to Northwestern,” Scane said. “Seeing my family after the game, having my dad tear up, it’s really hard to put into perspective because it’s just been a long, awesome journey.”

Scane’s goal was the first of a game-high five scores for the newly-crowned record holder, who also tallied an assist in the Wildcats’ (16-2, 5-1 Big Ten) victory over the Pioneers (16-4, 5-0 Big East).

Domination in the draw circle by junior midfielder Samantha Smith yielded NU possession nine straight times in the first quarter, boosting the hosts to a 5-0 lead in the first seven minutes of game time. Smith garnered seven draw controls Sunday and coach Kelly Amonte Hiller labeled the junior “the ultimate competitor.”

“When you get to this point in

the season, you don’t want to leave anything on the table,” Amonte Hiller said. “(Winning the draw) is a huge asset because the offense gets more chances to do their thing.”

Denver pulled a goal back via attacker Julia Gilbert, who was responsible for half of the Pioneers’ offensive production Sunday, but goals from sophomore attacker Madison Taylor, graduate student attacker Erin Coykendall and Smith extended the ’Cats’ lead to 8-1 by the end of the first frame.

Although a pair of Denver goals trimmed NU’s advantage to five, the ’Cats staved off the Pioneers’ pursuit courtesy of a spirited performance between the pipes from graduate student goalkeeper Molly Laliberty, who secured four saves in the second quarter.

As the NU defense stood pat, the offense went to work, scoring five consecutive goals in the final eight minutes of the half to secure a running clock heading into the break.

“One thing we came into this game with was, ‘Attack, attack, attack,’” Scane said. “We have so many girls that are willing to go hard to the cage, to go hard 24/7 … we were able to stick with that mentality, which is hard to do.”

The running clock truncated the second half, which saw little offense from Denver and a ’Cats squad adding to its lead. With a majority of the fourth quarter remaining, Amonte Hiller pulled

WOMEN’S GOLF

her veterans, allowing some of her younger players to get some NCAA Tournament playing time.

The clock ticked away in the fourth to finalize NU’s win and a quarterfinal matchup with No. 8 Penn.

The Quakers, who finished second in the Ivy League tournament, defeated Richmond 16-5 in their first-round matchup and Loyola Maryland 12-9 in the second round.

Penn’s strongest attribute is its defense, something coach Karin Corbett cited as a factor that could potentially generate an upset.

“I don’t think Northwestern has seen a defense like this,” Corbett told USA Lacrosse Magazine following the Quakers’ win against Loyola Maryland. “I know they play a really tough schedule, but this is a little bit different defense than what they have seen.”

That may be potential bulletin board material for NU, which is now three wins away from repeating as national champions. For now, it’s a day off Monday, followed by practices up until the quarterfinal tie.

“Our tactic is to prepare to the best of our ability like we did for this week and just really savor the moments that we have together,” Amonte Hiller said.

The ’Cats will play their final game at Martin Stadium Thursday at 6:30 p.m. On the line: a trip to Cary, North Carolina, and the Final Four.

henryfrieman2027@u.northwestern.edu

Wildcats rally toward 10thever NCAA Championships

By LUCAS KIM daily senior staffer

@lucaskim_15

Making the turn at the NCAA East Lansing Regional, fifth-place Northwestern thoughtfully traversed the last nine holes at the Forest Akers West Golf Course Wednesday. Coach Emily Fletcher’s squad stood mere strokes from dropping to sixth place in a tournament where only the top five teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

“You know that cutoff is there, but (it’s about) trying not to let that distract you from just doing what you need to do,” senior Jennifer Cai said. “Just playing the best shot that you can in front of you. You can’t really do anything else about what other people are doing.”

The Wildcats delivered, tallying seven birdies over the back half of the course to secure a fourth-place result and their 10th-ever NCAA Championships berth in program history.

No. 2 seed NU finished at 3-under after 54 holes and outlasted competition behind three top-20 individual performances. Leading the ’Cats was junior and All-Big Ten First Team honoree Lauryn Nguyen, who logged her fourth top-five result of the season, tying for fifth with a 5-under 211 (70-71-70).

For Nguyen, a patient mentality has propelled her to become one of the Big Ten’s top performers.

“My game has come a long way,” Nguyen said. “My mental game has gotten a lot stronger. Just not blowing up after one bogey or even a double, and knowing that everything’s gonna be okay and that I have a game that I can trust.”

Nguyen and Cai led the way for NU on day one of the regional tournament, both logging a 2-under 70 to help the ’Cats jump out to a third-place start. Cai, NU’s other All-Big Ten First Team awardee, kicked off the round with three birdies over the first five holes.

Senior Jieni Li and sophomore Jiayi Wang both recorded an even-par 72. Tuesday’s second round witnessed Cai and Nguyen pace the squad once again, hitting a 2-under 70 and 1-under 71, respectively. The all-conference first team duo combined for 15 birdies over the first two rounds, pushing NU past Pepperdine into second place and just two shots

behind first place USC.

Wang, who made her NCAA Regional debut, stayed consistent with a 1-over 73 on day two.

The ’Cats struggled to maintain momentum on the final day. Cai tallied a 6-over 78 — a seven-stroke regression from her previous round. Li also regressed after shooting a 4-over 76 during her last 18 holes.

However, with Nguyen’s 2-under 70 and freshman Ashley Yun’s 1-under 71, NU held onto its top-five position and booked a coveted trip to the NCAA Championships.

Following Nguyen’s top-five finish was Wang in 15th place and Cai, who tied for 16th.

This year marks the ’Cats second consecutive trip to the national championship and their ninth trip since 2013. Last season, NU failed to make it past the first stroke play cutoff of the championship, placing in the lower half of the 30-team field after 54 holes.

Despite last year’s postseason disappointment, Nguyen said this season’s squad has learned from its past experiences.

“Having that familiarity with the feeling of playing in an NCAA Championship from last year, I feel like that does hold a lot of comfort,” Nguyen said. “This year is really a year that we can attack, and I think the team’s really feeling that energy.”

The ’Cats enjoyed an impressive regular season that included two team tournament victories, two individual tournament victories and a plethora of conference awards.

Fletcher earned her second straight and sixth career Big Ten Coach of the Year honor while Yun was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year — marking the third consecutive year an NU golfer has earned the award.

The ’Cats will look to cap their season off with a strong performance at the NCAA Championships, which begins May 17. The postseason tournament will also be the last for the team’s seniors — including Cai, who has one last chance to help carry the team to unprecedented heights.

“I’m just super grateful that I have another opportunity to play,” Cai said. “The team and I have worked too hard to let our foot off the gas now, so we’re going to give it our best shot and make the most out of it.”

lucaskim2025@u.northwestern.edu

SOFTBALL

NU set for Austin trip in NCAA Tournament

By AUDREY PACHUTA the daily northwestern @audreypachuta

Three days removed from a 4-3 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, Northwestern awaited its NCAA tournament fate during Sunday’s selection show.

After securing first-round hosting rights two years in a row, the Wildcats (33-11, 19-3 Big Ten) received an at-large bid and will head to Austin, Texas, for this year’s opening round alongside No. 1 Texas, Siena, and Saint Francis (Penn.). This marks the program’s sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance — and

its 17th in coach Kate Drohan’s 22-season tenure.

NU will look to build upon its postseason success of the last two seasons with seven new starters on this year’s squad. Following a College World Series trip in 2022, Drohan’s squad advanced to the Super Regionals before falling to Alabama 3-2 in the series’ third game last year.

NU will return to the field on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CDT against Saint Francis. All four teams in the regional will compete Friday and Saturday in a double eliminationstyle competition. The top-two teams will play Sunday, and the winner will return to Austin for Super Regionals.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

LACROSSE

Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern

Daily file photo by Henry Frieman