sports Swimming NU exacts revenge on Eastern Michigan» PAGE 8
‘Spelling Bee’ coming to NU » PAGE 3
opinion Hayes NCAA committee a huge success» PAGE 4
High 47 Low 29
The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Find us online @thedailynu
Bienen opens education panel By tyler pager
the daily northwestern @tylerpager
In the affluent Chicago suburb of of Winnetka, New Trier Township High School boasts an average ACT score of 27.5. On the city’s south side, students at the W.R. Harper High School average just 15 on the test. These discrepancies were the starting point for a panel Tuesday night at Harris Hall featuring former University President Henry Bienen. The panelists at “Education in Our Communities” discussed education in Chicago’s most marginalized communities. Bienen, who was appointed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (Communication ‘85) to the board of Chicago Public Schools, opened the event by describing the variety of challenges the board faces. The biggest obstacle, Bienen said, is funding, with an operating budget of about
$5.5 billion to $5.8 billion and having to pay for pensions. “Under law, we have to fund pensions of the school system,” he said. “We now have to put hundreds of millions of dollars a year into the pension system, and that comes out of all the other things we use the operating budget for.” Panelist Tanesha Peeples, the state program director for Students For Education Reform, said the biggest difficulty she faces is empowering marginalized communities. She referenced panhandlers and teen mothers as groups that epitomize a broken system. “It’s a very disappointing feeling because you know their lives are worth so much more, but because of the injustices and inequities that they face, they are unaware of their self worth and so they become complacent with terrible schools,” she said. She added that people need to take » See Panel, page 7
Brian Lee/Daily Senior Staffer
it’s not easy being green Actor Adrian Grenier speaks about environmentalism at an event Tuesday evening. Students for Ecological and Environmental Development brought Grenier to campus as part of the annual Green Cup competition, which has been moved to Fall Quarter this year.
Actor talks environment By Elizabeth Kim
the daily northwestern @ehak95
Ebony Calloway/The Daily Northwestern
back in town Former University President Henry Bienen introduces a panel Tuesday night at Harris Hall. Panelists discussed ways to improve education in marginalized communities.
For actor and activist Adrian Grenier, environmentalism is hardly a full-time job. Grenier started off his talk Tuesday night at Cahn Auditorium describing himself as an “environmental-ish,” as opposed to an environmentalist. “I am not an expert, but I have done my darndest as a layman to participate in the environment effort,” he said. Grenier discussed his involvement in the environmental movement as this year’s Students for Ecological and Environmental Development fall speaker. Grenier’s talk also marked the beginning of the annual month-long Green Cup
competition, which encourages environmental awareness on campus. SEED co-president Chelsea Corbin said Grenier embodies the organization’s message to the Northwestern community. “Adrian is best known as an actor, not an environmentalist, and his interest in the environment demonstrates exactly what SEED hopes to communicate this year — the environment relates to many lifestyles and issues,” said Corbin, a former Daily staffer. The actor and filmmaker, known for his roles in “Entourage” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” spoke about how easy it is to be sustainable as individuals and communities. Grenier also talked to students about SHFT, an upstart media and commerce company he co-created with
film producer Peter Glatzer to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles. The website offers news articles, videos and products to encourage individuals to incorporate alternative sustainable routines through the arts, pop culture, music, literature and design. “We’re not trying to sell you anything,” Grenier said of SHFT. “We’re trying to sell you an alternative to the anxiety that we see in the media. It’s a media company.” He encouraged students to see the larger picture and to think creatively about environmental solutions that can be blended seamlessly into their daily lifestyles. Grenier suggested people take on the challenge of making small, attainable goals in order to reach the sweet spot » See SEED, page 7
City aims to become Walk-on receives full scholarship more ‘age-friendly’ By Alex putterman
daily senior staffer @AlexPutt02
By jennifer ball
the daily northwestern @jennifercball
The city is holding meetings at the Levy Senior Center and FleetwoodJourdain Community Center this week to kick off a five-year process of making Evanston an “age-friendly” community. The first meeting We’re just was held Saturday at trying to be senior proactive facing the center, 300 the changing Dodge Ave. The fivedemographics year process Christina Ferraro, will focus on Senior services data collecmanager tion, development of an action plan and implementation of the three-year blueprint, said Christina Ferraro, the city’s senior services manager. Ferraro, also manager of the
“
senior center, is working with Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and city manager Wally Bobkiewicz on the initiative. At the meeting Tuesday evening, Ferraro said Tisdahl has told her she does not want to grow old in a retirement home. “I share her sentiment,” Beverly Shearer, 66, said. Shearer moved to Evanston in 2008 when her husband passed away. She is now a retired Sunday school teacher. Although she said she thinks the initiative is helpful, she thinks it could have begun earlier. “If they had started sooner, they may have had more participation and more ideas,” she said. Ferraro said currently 12 percent of Evanston is over the age of 65. Within a decade, that number will increase to 25 percent. The survey about satisfaction with senior services launched on Saturday along with informational meetings that kicked off the initiative. » See Age friendly, page 7
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
It’s been a good week for James Montgomery III. First the Northwestern senior received a hardearned athletic scholarship, then he got 15 minutes of fame.
At a team meeting Thursday, coach Chris Collins surprised Montgomery by informing the former walk-on he will be on full scholarship for the current school year. Nearly a week later, a video of the announcement and Montgomery’s call to his family went viral on various sports websites. The video, which NU’s athletic
Men’s Basketball Source: Screenshot of Northwestern Athletics video
Young Money Senior guard James Montgomery III talks on the phone with his mother and sister after being told he will receive a scholarship for the 2013-14 season. Montgomery played the last two seasons as a walk-on.
department shared on social media Tuesday morning, captured Collins praising Montgomery’s attitude and effort, then calling the guard to the front of the room and announcing the scholarship. Collins and Montgomery hugged as the team broke into applause and then mobbed the senior in celebration. Montgomery was told a month earlier he would not be on scholarship. “At first it was a shock,” he told The Daily on Tuesday. “And then I started getting emotional, and then it was gratitude (toward his teammates). It felt like they were just as happy for me as I was for myself.” The camera was rolling again as Montgomery called his mother and sister. Upon hearing the news, both family members screamed, his mother breaking into tears and yelling into the phone. “I like to make my mom cry with happy news,” Montgomery said. “I know it meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to me.” The video has exploded online, as national outlets including NBC, CBS, USA Today and Sports » See Scholarship, page 7
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8