The Daily Northwestern - April 8th, 2024

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4 A&E/Jeni’s Eclipse-themed ice cream launches at Jeni’s

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Potawatomi panel talks tribe unity

CNAIR event sparks conversation on language, historic preservation

By JERRY WU the daily northwestern @jerrwu

The Center for Native American and Indigenous

Research hosted the Potawatomi Confederacy Panel Discussion addressing topics on language, historic preservation and leadership in the Potawatomi Nation at Norris University Center on Saturday.

NU to open pub at Norris in 2025

Renovations to include outdoor patio and more

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffer @beatricedvilla

Northwestern will renovate and rename the Norris University Center’s East Lawn this summer, the University announced Friday.

The new campus hub will feature a glass-lined pub with a stage for bands, DJs, comedy troupes and more, according to a Friday morning news release. A rooftop patio over the space will be connected via a staircase and will provide a dining space for students. There will also be a stage pavilion and open-air plaza to host events and seasonal activities.

Norris previously hosted a bar — known as e Gathering Place — from 1982-92, but the facility closed more than 30 years ago due to low sales and concerns about

underage drinking and drunk driving.

The greenery on the East Lawn, soon to be renamed Cohen Lawn, will also see the addition of an oak tree grove and a native plant garden.

“By creating this vibrant green space, we’re providing a dynamic hub for relaxation and socialization — with everything from planned outdoor events to casual interactions,” Associate Vice President of Operations and Services in Student Affairs Jeremy Schenk said in the release.

The renovation, first announced in October 2022, will be funded by donations from University Trustee Paul Schneider (Weinberg ’96, Kellogg ’11) and Nicole Schneider; University Trustee Frank Cohen (Weinberg ’95) and Julie Cohen; and NU parents Jana and Ken Kahn.

Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2025.

» See PUB , page 6

e program is part of a two-week event arranged by this year’s CNAIR Artist in Residence, Madalene Big Bear, a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. She is also a Pokagon cultural keeper,

with expertise in material culture, culinary traditions, art and storytelling.

Beginning the panel, Corinne Kasper, an enrolled

8 SPORTS/Lax Gamer

NU holds on to No. 1 spot against Maryland

Low turnout a call to action

Advocates push to get out the vote in November general

By LILY OGBURN daily senior staffer @LilyOgburn

Evanston political organizations and voter advocacy groups are ramping up efforts to increase voter turnout after only 17.95% of registered voters in the township cast their ballots in the March primary.

Fewer Evanston residents voted in the 2024 primary than the 2020 presidential primary, which had a voter turnout of 29%. With President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump likely to earn their respective party’s nominations, the presidential primary was uncompetitive.

However, several local elections were competitive, including the Cook County State’s Attorney race.

“(Some) people are very apathetic about the whole thing, and then you have others that are invigorated by the possibility of exercising their individual vote,” Hayes said. “I would have loved to see more activation and more voter turnout.”

Hayes said DPOE is working to increase Democratic turnout in Evanston by hosting rallies, posting on social media, delivering signs, calling residents and knocking on doors.

She added that it’s important for DPOE to reach voters outside of Evanston. DPOE extends its outreach to Wisconsin in areas that are “teetering on becoming purple,” she said.

“We believe that all of the ballot is extremely important to the outcome and quality of life for residents here in Evanston and Cook County,” Hayes said. “Here in the Midwest, it is about beating the doors and meeting the phones and really having one-to-one contact with individuals.”

While overall voter turnout was low, Evanston saw an increase in Republican votes.

About 750 votes were cast in the Republican presidential

» See POTAWATOMI, page 6 » See TURNOUT, page 6

According to Kathy Hayes, a Democratic Party of Evanston board member, many voters feel overwhelmed by the research and knowledge voting often requires. She added that voters often skip over elections for local positions like judges.

Evanston cuts ribbon on skate park

New venue fosters community but not ‘street cred,’ some skaters say

By COLE REYNOLDS daily senior staffer @charcole27

Local skater Adam Eichorn turned toward two police cars guarding the entrance to the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Evanston’s new skate park, took out his phone and snapped a picture.

He laughed to himself, eyes crinkling behind sunglasses and a white trucker hat.

“That’s a great picture,” Eichorn said.

Many of the older skaters have stories of ducking police to skate in Evanston parking lots or on street curbs. Now, they watched police cars guard a collection of concrete hills and metal rails at the tip of Twiggs Park.

Saturday marked the grand opening of the Evanston Skate Park — a $1.7 million project soft launched in December — and the endorsement of skateboarding by a city that, according to some, hasn’t always been the most hospitable to its participants in the past.

The ceremony brought

upwards of 200 people to Twiggs Park — skaters lining the tops of the smooth concrete slopes and observers eating from food trucks.

At some points during the event, the skate park became so crowded that it led to several near collisions and deterred Prospect Heights skater Robert Breton from skateboarding altogether.

However, Breton said Saturday was an example of what skate parks represent. He said they were places where the skating community merged — where skaters could see and be seen by others in their community.

“This is home,” he said.

Skate parks offer kids permission to skate, said Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th), who is active on the Evanston skate scene. Kids that don’t have access to local parks either don’t have an outlet or are forced to duck police to skate the streets, skaters at the event said.

Growing up without many skate parks nearby, Breton said he was arrested for street skating.

In contrast, the constant availability of a skate park makes it a better foundation

in

on which to form a stable community, according to Eichorn.

“There’s no barriers (here),” he said. “It brings people together. It forces people to see each other.”

Many skaters at the Evanston Skate Park — while

grateful for the park and its support from the city — hold the freeform street skating in higher regard than the more organized version found in parks.

Jerry Wu/The Daily Northwestern

The discussion panel on Saturday featured guest speakers from the Potawatomi tribe speaking on cultural language, historic preservation and leadership.

Cook County primaries saw close local elections

By MISHA OBEROI the daily northwestern

The Cook County primaries saw close races and turnout as low as 17.95%. Now that all the votes have been counted, here’s a rundown of the results of the key races and how Evanston residents voted.

Cook County State’s Attorney race

Former Illinois Appellate Court Judge Eileen O’Neill Burke beat former prosecutor Clayton Harris III in a narrow finish to the Cook County State’s Attorney Democratic nomination.

O’Neill Burke maintained a thin lead throughout the 10-day-long count, eventually winning by 1,556 votes.

A bone of contention between O’Neill Burke and Harris was their stance on retail theft.

Incumbent Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office raised the felony threshold for retail theft to $1,000.

During her campaign, O’Neill Burke said she would decrease this number to $300. Harris, who had the backing of the Cook County Democratic Party, said he would keep it at $1,000. Harris argued during his campaign that O’Neill Burke would take Cook County back to when it was the “nation’s wrongful convictions capital.” He also said that O’Neill Burke’s message is one that resonates with big donors and not with Cook County voters. Harris lagged O’Neill Burke in campaign funds.

A recent analysis by WBEZ Chicago showed that O’Neill Burke’s campaign donors have predominantly been white men, several with ties to the Republican Party. On the other hand, Harris received donations primarily from people of color.

Harris also spoke at the Democratic Party of Evanston’s “get-out-the-vote” rally in late February, after receiving their endorsement. “Safety and justice are not an ‘either-or’ proposition,” he said at the event. “Safety and justice are an ‘and’ proposition. We do not have

to sacrifice one for the other.”

Harris won in every ward of Evanston.

Mayor Daniel Biss, who is also the committeeperson of the DPOE, said he was proud the organization’s endorsed candidate won a strong majority in Evanston.

Biss added that the Democratic Party of Evanston will now “enthusiastically” support Eileen O’Neill Burke’s general election candidacy against Republican nominee Bob Fioretti.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk race

Other key races included the Democratic

primary for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk. Mariyana Spyropoulos, metropolitan water reclamation district commissioner, defeated incumbent Iris Martinez, winning 65% of the votes.

Spyropoulos has advocated for reforming the Clerk’s office and called its previous actions, such as the accidental release of criminal records of 5,000 juveniles online in January, “mismanagement” and “dysfunction” at DPOE’s rally in February. Spyropoulos, backed by the county’s Democratic Party, loaned her own campaign $875,000, 18 times the funds Martinez had in December, according to WBEZ Chicago.

Illinois Supreme Court race

In the only contested Illinois Supreme Court race, the Democratic Party endorsed incumbent Justice Joy Cunningham, who ran against 1st District Appellate Judge Jesse Reyes.

The race stirred up questions about adequate representation in the court.

Reyes said the court should be reflective of the various communities in the state, especially since the Latine community now makes up over a quarter of Cook County’s population.

Cunningham argued that the election should be focused more on experience rather than race. She won about 75% of the vote.

Voter turnout in Evanston

Voter turnout in suburban Cook County remained low in the primaries, with only 17.95% of the registered voters casting ballots.

“We have to be realistic,” Biss said. “We should not expect there to be the same level of broad excitement about deciding who’s going to be the Clerk of Circuit Court than deciding who’s going to be president.”

He added that he feels proud of the Evanston community for having more turnout than most suburban townships.

Former Co-President of Northwestern College Democrats and Medill senior Anna Lansford said that her friends from Cook County and Chicago were very “on top” of researching candidates and going out to vote.

Lansford said the State’s Attorney race was especially important for Cook County due to its history of institutional racism in its criminal justice system. She said the narrow race emphasized the importance of voting.

“That (Cook County State’s Attorney race) just really underscores the importance of going out to vote even in local elections … and just how much one individual voice can really change the outcome of elections,” she said.

mishaoberoi2027@u.northwestern.edu

Illustration by Ziye Wang

Democrat Eileen O’Neill Burke narrowly defeated opponent Clayton Harris III in the Cook County State’s Attorney race.

Students ‘hack it’ at marathon coding contest

By KELLEY LU the daily northwestern @kelleylu_

From Pennsylvania to Illinois, students coded through the night in WildHacks, NU’s largest hackathon, from Friday to Sunday.

“Hackathons in general are just a way to learn programming skills and develop stuff in a collaborative environment,” McCormick senior and WildHacks Director Dilan Nair said. “That’s what WildHacks strives to do.”

Participants compete for track and challenge prizes in groups of one to four, and submissions include a link to programs in a public GitHub repository and a two minute showcase video. WildHacks provided collaborative spaces and overnight accommodations in Mudd Science and Engineering Library and Technological Institute.

This year’s WildHacks theme was “Beyond the Books,” inspiring a bookstore and mystical quality to the projects. Projects can be submitted to as many challenges as possible and one of three tracks: urban planning, productivity and wellness.

“We’re trying to (have more of a theme) because it helps us with making more tracks, which is huge for preventing people from submitting things that they’ve already built,” Nair said.

The competition’s judges consisted of NU faculty members, and the event’s sponsors included Deloitte and CodeCrafters.io. They evaluated projects on the criteria of technical complexity, usefulness, originality, design and presentation.

Planning for WildHacks began in Fall Quarter, which included designing a website, reserving rooms and obtaining sponsors, according to Nair.

WildHacks is also registered with Major League Hacking, a global community of programmers, which provides resources and challenge prizes from their affiliated partners such as Adobe Express and Fidelity.

Before the hacking began on Friday evening, WildHacks hosted a Workshop Night, which included introduction sessions to prepare those with minimal coding experience and expand the accessibility of the event. Some workshops were in partnership with NU student organizations like Emerging Coders, IEEE NU and Develop + Innovate for Social Change.

While mostww participants have coding experience, WildHacks Director of Sponsorship and SESP freshman Kris Yun said she encourages a variety of students with different majors to be a part of the event.

“When it comes to hackathons like WildHacks, you need people from so many different areas of study.” Yun said. “You need, if you’re developing an app for mental health, someone who has experience of a background in psychology.”

Weinberg sophomores Yong-Yu Huang and Joanna Soltys partnered to create Bearly, a website for friends to join virtual rooms and work together. Bearly includes a chat box, timer feature and individual task lists for users to study with friends.

Working until early hours in the morning, Huang said they did not have much backend experience in coding and server hosting, so they were proud to complete the project.

Soltys said she found her time at WildHacks fulfilling and is excited to return to WildHacks to see her growth over a year.

“Being able to start a project that we knew we had absolutely no idea how to do in the first place and still be able to come up with some sort of product at the end of it was rewarding,” she said.

kelleylu2027@u.northwestern.edu

Illustration by Beatrice Villaflor WildHacks 2024 hackers created projects under three tracks: urban planning, productivity and wellness.

A&E arts & entertainment

Open Tab: Jeni’s launches intergalactic flavors

By NICOLE MARKUS and EVELYN MULCHRONE the daily northwestern @nicolejmarkus / @mulchroneevelyn

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams launched into spring with the release of its spring collection, Punk Stargonaut. We blasted off to Jeni’s Southport location to try out the intergalactic new flavors.

The launch featured three new flavors, one returning flavor and a new topping. The collection aligns with April 8’s total solar eclipse, which will be visible through much of North America, including southern Illinois, Indianapolis and Columbus.

Our favorite flavor was Purple Star Born, a grape-flavored ice cream with a frozen yogurt base. This was reminiscent of a refreshing glass of grape juice. It was unlike any other flavor we’ve seen at ice cream stores before, and the perfectly creamy texture was the cherry (or grape) on top.

The citrusy and fruity Cosmic Bloom was a close second, followed by the tangy Nebula Berry.

We expected Cosmic Bloom to taste like orange soda and were pleasantly surprised by expansive flavors ranging from kiwi to passionfruit.

The gorgeous light purple Nebula Berry is a delightful mixture of blueberry, raspberry and elderflower flavors. The buttermilk frozen yogurt is infused with blueberry bits, adding a welcome texture to the mix.

Our least favorite (though still enjoyable) was the returning flavor Supermoon, which features a pairing of marshmallow and violet flavors. The combination of blue and yellow colors makes the scoop look like a planet from a far-away galaxy. According to Jeni’s employees, customers heavily requested Supermoon’s return.

The star of the show was the Space Dust, a popping candy reminiscent of our childhood favorite Pop Rocks. The unique topping added a perfect twist to the themed launch.

We enjoyed all four flavors but wished there had been more variety. Three of the four flavors were exceedingly fruity, and the last – Supermoon – returned only upon customer request. Purple Star Born and Nebula Berry could be mixed up due to their similarity in color.

The collection could’ve benefited from one more non-fruit flavor, and we feel there was some untapped potential for fun and unique space theming. For example, a “Black Hole” chocolate flavor would have been the perfect addition.

Where flavoring fell slightly short, store themes went above and beyond. Posters of planet-like ice cream scoops donned the walls, and star balloons filled the ceiling. The decorations added a sense of whimsy to the launch.

The Jeni’s storefront we visited in Southport appeared like a community staple.

Children excitedly ran into the store, willing to venture outside their comfort zone and try the new flavors. One happy customer, quickly consuming her Purple Star Born cone, told us Jeni’s was her favorite ice cream. Employees were also incredibly helpful and kind, ready to field questions from customers regarding the launch and provide recommendations.

We’d highly recommend Jeni’s newest space launch for a delicious intergalactic journey.

nicolemarkus2025@u.northwestern.edu

evelynmulchrone2025@u.northwestern.edu

Fusion’s ‘Front Cover’ spotlights highs and lows of fame

By BETSY LECY the daily northwestern @betsy_lecy

Flashing lights. Paparazzi. The highs and lows of the spotlight. The Fusion Dance Company’s spring show “Front Cover” captured the lure of being front and center this weekend in Ryan Family Auditorium. The Fusion “flashiness” showcased a fierce handpicked choreography and song choice to display the allure of fame in a world of tabloids and gossip.

After choreographing a dance to the tune of Justin Bieber’s “Maria,” the group found inspiration from the song’s use of paparazzi chattering to create a show about celebrity, according to Communication senior and Fusion Public Relations Chair Maddie Morse.

“The intro of (‘Maria’) is very much tabloid-esque, which goes hand-in-hand with our theme this year,” Morse said. “We’re doing front cover, we’re doing gossip, we’re doing tabloids.”

The two-hour-show was a combination of short, transitional pieces, freestyle dances, longer performances and Fusion’s first-ever use of video sketches, which played off of YouTube series such as First We Feast’s talk show “Hot Ones” and Vogue’s “73 Questions.” Morse said the company wanted to incorporate the videos for creative and strategic

purposes, and the theme of fame was a medium to seize this opportunity.

“It’s something that I think we’ve been wanting to play around with for a few years now, just to lessen the amount of blackout transitions and keep the audience engaged when we’re not dancing,” Morse said.

Fusion opened the show with Fergie’s “Glamorous,” featuring monochrome costumes and upbeat dancing. Later, the performance featured tracks like “Going Bad” by Meek Mill and Drake and “Pose” by Yo Gotti and Lil Uzi Vert, with lighting that gave the atmosphere of paparazzi’s camera flashes.

The higher tempo tracks were paired with more mellow songs, including “Work Song” by Hozier and The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition.” The contemporary choreography to Greta Van Fleet’s “Light My Love” also contrasted against the songs of glamour with a slowed-down reflection of a love story.

Throughout the performance, Communication sophomore and performer Corrina Jones said the thrilling energy between Fusion and the audience made for a fun experience.

“The crowd is always electrifying. They’re always feeding into our energy,” Jones said. “And of course, everyone on Fusion has amazing energy, and we just always hype each other up.”

Typically, Fusion has two weeks of tech rehearsals with practice every day, Jones said.

With these intense practices, Fusion has an annual tradition of team bonding exercises before and after shows to keep performers motivated, Morse said.

“We just make sure that we have little things between the shows to keep the energy high and to really celebrate the amount of work and effort that has gone into it,” Morse said. “Because whatever happens on stage, the effort is what has mattered and what makes the show what it is.”

Fusion is a space of collaboration, Morse said. Any dancer can submit choreographies, which all members vote on in early Winter Quarter. Then, dancers rank which pieces they want to dance in, and the executive board casts each number.

Jones said the practice to produce the show was difficult when balancing academics, but she sees it as a means to unwind.

“It’s so fun to go to Fusion practice after having a hard day of classes because there’s always going to be positive energy,” Jones said. “We’re all stressed on the inside of what’s going on academically, but coming here we can all let loose, be creative and enjoy each other’s company.”

Medill freshman Makayla Potter, who watched the 7 p.m. show on Saturday, said she had heard good things about previous shows and wanted to experience the performance firsthand.

She said she was impressed by the production

for the multi-media performance and its ability to keep the audience engaged.

“It lived up to the highest standard,” Potter said.

Northwestern Deeva, an all-female competitive dance team, and Bhangra, a Punjabi dance group, were featured at Friday’s performance.

On Saturday, Graffiti Dancers, a contemporary dance group, and a cappella group THUNK were the guest features at 7 p.m., and the 10 p.m. show featured K-Dance, a K-pop dance group.

To cap off the annual spring show, Fusion’s four classes of dancers — all named after parts of a chicken — each perform a dance as a group. Per tradition, first-year dancers, the Nuggies, danced to a comedic mashup choreographed by the fourth-year dancers, the Claws. This year’s dance included a series of memes set to “The FitnessGram Pacer Test” and IceJJFish’s “On the Floor.”

Fusion isn’t limited to one major or one level of talent, Morse said. The dance company has a diverse group of performers, stemming from all majors, backgrounds and experiences.

“It’s a group that I don’t think would have come together naturally otherwise,” Morse said. “But we bond over our love for dance and each other.”

Evelyn Mulchrone/The Daily Northwestern The launch featured three new flavors, a returning flavor and a new topping.

Joshua Sukoff/The Daily Northwestern

Mee-Ow Comedy says ‘yes, and...’ to 50 more years

By LEXI GOLDSTEIN daily senior staffer @lexipgoldstein

For Mee-Ow Comedy, Northwestern’s premier comedy group, committing to the bit can look like “yes, and…” improv, setting your crotch on fire or crashing a framed image and shattering the inset glass cover — among other variations.

Mark Lancaster (Communication ’84) had just been cast in Mee-Ow Comedy in 1979. Playing a game of freeze tag improv with his castmates, Lancaster jumped into a glass frame that he had dubbed a portal to the 1700s. He said he couldn’t do anything less than commit to the bit because “that was our thing.” Lancaster said the glass shatter was so loud that it prompted a Norris University Center worker to check on the ruckus.

The employee shrugged and walked away after realizing they were with Mee-Ow. “It was sort of like, ‘Oh, I could rob a bank. I’m with Mee-Ow,’” Lancaster said. “We have a secret shield around us, which is that we’re funny.”

Josh Lazar (Weinberg ’75) and former Communication student Paul Warshauer created the Mee-Ow Show in 1973, with its first show the following year. Now, the Mee-Ow Show is the longest-running student-made improv, sketch comedy and music show at an American university.

The preliminary concept was a satirical riff on the annual, “heavily edited” Waa-Mu Show, which began in 1929 as an original musical by NU students, according to Mee-Ow historian and former member Joseph B. Radding (Weinberg ’75).

David Silberger (Communication ’81) — the first person to work on Mee-Ow for all four years at NU — said he thought Waa-Mu was only a means of collecting alumni donations.

“Mee-Ow is there to be the voice of the

students on campus at that time, and what it is that we’re concerned with and what we need to think about,” Silberger said.

In its 50-years running, the Mee-Ow Show has seen a variety of iterations, hundreds of cast members and thousands of students working behind the scenes. The 1974 show “Just in Time,” which received mixed reviews, featured original music, dance, poetry and visual effects, Radding said.

Mee-Ow spent the next decade finding its groove on campus and in comedy. The group brought issues surrounding Watergate and Ronald Reagan’s presidency to light, showcasing political awareness right off the bat through sketch comedy.

Although the group moved away from satirizing Waa-Mu, just about everything else was on the table — except for “toi toi” jokes in some eras of Mee-Ow that did not favor potty comedy, John Goodrich (Communication ’82) said.

Comedic variety was an early tenet of the Mee-Ow Show; The show has featured physical types of comedy, playful blackouts and musical elements, like when Rush Pearson (Communication ’80) lit his crotch on fire and walked off stage in a show.

Pearson said his time in Mee-Ow taught him how to destruct and reconstruct comedy.

“I was totally trying to figure out what comedy came from — how exactly does it start?” Pearson said. “And I realized that basically comes from seeing something you’re glad isn’t happening to you. It’s a release of tension … (You) set up a conflict, and then you resolve it with a laugh.”

The early 1980s were a turning point for the green group. Silberger said around 120 people auditioned for six slots in the fall of 1980. By 1984, the group put on a preview show in Shanley Pavilion in addition to the mainstage show in McCormick Auditorium — two separate shows would replace the preview in the 2000s. The whole show was scripted, and improv games are a newer addition to the Mee-Ow repertoire.

Larry Schanker (Bienen ’81) helped make Mee-Ow’s early musical comedy possible, along with the introduction of rock bands to the shows with “And The and the Andthes,” that helped pave the way for the show’s current rock band interludes. The Mee-Ow house band is part of the one-third sketch, one-third improv games and one-third rock ‘n’ roll format that has been in place since the 1990s.

Romy Rosemont (Communication ’85) became Mee-Ow’s first female director in 1985, but Jill Alexander (Communication ’97) found in her first few years in Mee-Ow that “guys seemed to call the shots.”

When Alexander directed the show in ’96 and ’97, she said she wanted to put a “femaleforward” stamp on the show.

“Having a woman at the helm changed the type of woman who was cast,” Alexander said. “So it wasn’t necessarily someone who was going to support or play a traditional female character, but they were women with a point of view.”

Radding said the push for more diversity began in the mid 2010s — an ongoing effort to attract and create a diverse team. There was a Black man in the first year of Mee-Ow, but it wasn’t until 1991 that Mee-Ow cast a Black woman, he added.

The current iteration of Mee-Ow — three years out of the pandemic and back with inperson shows — is embracing tradition, according to Communication senior and Mee-Ow codirector Orly Lewittes. She noted the ironic standard with Mee-Ow writing: it has to be really good, almost professional, but they’re writing about things like “cum and piss,” she said.

Mee-Ow rehearsed for four hours a day, five days a week in the winter and came into rehearsal with two original sketches ready each day — a formula that was passed down, Lewittes said.

“It’s like the sisterhood of the traveling horrible rules,” Lewittes said. “We can’t explain

why this works very well, but it does. It forces us to just generate the craziest stuff in the bottom of our brain and that grind mentality just keeps going.”

Comedy was Lewittes’s primary reason for attending NU, she added.

Since Mee-Ow’s founding, numerous groups across the spectrum of comedy have taken shape on campus, including the long-form improv group The Titanic Players and multicultural comedy group Out Da Box.

“Mee-Ow pointed out that there needed to be more opportunities for students to perform, to write, to create their own material and have that voice honored,” Radding said.

Half a century of jokes later, Mee-Ow is looking toward the next 50 years of bits and goofs to come.

“The show comes together so quickly that it really bonds you in a way that is so special,” Communication junior and current Mee-Ow cast member Ferdinand Moscat said. “And I hope that future Mee-Ow cast members or future producers, musicians, designers — that it’s something that can only grow more and more and more.”

Mee-Ow alumni and current members will have an opportunity to come together and celebrate the group’s 50th anniversary at the MeeOw Show Fest this weekend.

Panels featuring alumni from Ana Gasteyer (Communication ’89) to Dermot Mulroney (Communication ’85) will run all day Saturday, and Radding — co-author of upcoming book ”The Mee-Ow Show at 50: From Cultural Rebellion to Comedy Institution” — will give a short history of the group.

Two-time Mee-Ow co-producer Dory Weiss (Communication ’03) is also headed back to Evanston for the reunion and organized panels for the event.

“It’s about the legacy,.” Weiss said. “It’s about the 50 years before and the 50 years to come.”

lexigoldstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

Mee-Ow Show Fest brings alumni from across US

By LEXI GOLDSTEIN daily senior staffer @lexipgoldstein

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss decreed April 6, 2024 as Evanston’s official “Mee-Ow Show Day” on Saturday, honoring the longest running college improv and sketch comedy show in America. “Join the observance of the day with appropriate mirth to honor people, the rights and duties of heartfelt spontaneous comedy in the practice of good citizenship,” Biss said.

Biss’s speech kicked off the Mee-Ow Show Fest, a day of panels, mingling, reuniting and, of course, laughs to commemorate 50 years of the comedy group. Mee-Ow alumni flew in from all over the world to make their return to Norris University Center’s McCormick Auditorium, the location of at least one Mee-Ow show every winter since the first one in 1974.

“It’s remarkable, overwhelming,” actor and former Mee-Ow cast member Dermot Mulroney (Communication ’85) said. “I’ve had all these exceptional experiences as an on-screen actor all these years, but to trace it back to where I began having exceptional performance experiences is to this show.”

Joseph B. Radding (Weinberg ’75), known in the Mee-Ow community as “Professor Mee-Ow” gave a presentation on the history of Mee-Ow. Northwestern University Press will publish Radding and Paul Warshauer’s book on the topic, “The Mee-Ow Show at 50: From Cultural Rebellion to Comedy Institution,” later this year.

At the end of his presentation, Radding broke Mee-Ow down by the numbers. In 50 years, MeeOw has had 301 cast members, 1,100 staff and musicians, 84 different show concepts and 419

performances.

Following Radding’s history lesson, four “Cat Chat” panels filled the afternoon. Writer and producer Eric Gilliland (Communications ’84) hosted the first panel with TV makers and screenwriters, including Liz Cackowski (Communication ’99) and Justin Spitzer (Communication ’99), who discussed the changing entertainment industry and staying “hopeful” when job prospects are limited.

The second panel, hosted by actress and Saturday Night Live alum Ana Gasteyer (Communication ’89), welcomed Mee-Ow alumni in careers outside of Hollywood — from candy store owner Richard Radutsky (Communication ’85) to political organizer Saskia Young.

“I think that improv, where your own survival is sort of dependent upon the other people you’re working with, the other players — making eye contact, listening and continuing to develop a story together regardless — that sort of cooperative foundation can be applied to an incredible number of situations,” Gasteyer said.

Actor Josh Meyers (Communications ’98), brother of fellow Mee-Ow alum Seth Meyers (Communication ’96), hosted the “Improv Worldwide” panel. Highlights included Dan Patterson, who co-created “Whose Line is it Anyway?” and Pep Rosenfeld (Weinberg ’90), who co-founded Boom Chicago, an improv and sketch comedy group based in Amsterdam. Rosenfeld said Boom Chicago’s successful format is inspired by his time in Mee-Ow.

The final panel of the day, hosted by writer and actress Jill Alexander (Communication ’97), brought the most familiar faces to the stage. Among the actors and storytellers were Anjali Bhimani (Communication ’96), Kristen Schaal (Communication ’00), Romy Rosemont (Communication ’85) and Mulroney.

Communication sophomore Walter Todd said they enjoyed the writers’ panel most. Interested in showrunning post-grad, Todd said they felt the writers gave the “most true and honest insight” on the industry.

Todd and the rest of the “now-Mee-ows” — the current Mee-Ow cast — had the opportunity to interact and chat with alumni across all eras of the show in the “All-Star Improv Comedy Jam” and other social events this weekend. “It’s really something that changes people’s lives, and it’s already changed mine, but just knowing that I am in Mee-Ow and all

POTAWATOMI

From page 1

citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, discussed her experience studying the Potawatomi language as a Ph.D. candidate in linguistics at the University of Chicago.

“As we all know, colonization and genocide occurred, which is bad for us all, and as a result, preservation of language is now a main goal of a lot of tribes across the Confederacy,” she said. “We can’t work in our own communities only … we have to look across communities.”

Kasper emphasized that she avoids describing Native American languages as “dying” or “endangered.” Her research focuses on a group of emerging Potawatomi language learners, which gives her hope for the language’s preservation, she said.

Lakota Hobia, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, discussed her work with historic preservation in the Potawatomi Nation. Hobia currently serves as the tribal historic preservation officer for the MatchE-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians, also known as Gun Lake Tribe.

Hobia said tribal and historic preservation comes in multiple forms, including archeological and landscape survey work of tribal lands, education resources and other community projects. Hobia echoed the need for collaboration between tribal nations in this project.

“Whether it’s on our tribal lands or within our larger international footprint, we have to be in communication with each other, we have to be accountable to each other, and we have to work together to get these things done,” Hobia said.

SKATE PARK

From page 1

Completing kickflips and grinds on urban obstacles not necessarily created for skating is what builds “street cred,” Eichorn said.

“Part of the art of skating is finding the things that aren’t meant to be skated,” said Jon Schmoldt, a vendor selling skateboards during the ceremony.

There isn’t a rigid separation between street and park skating, though. A corner of the Evanston Skate Park is a replica of a legendary Chicago skate spot outside of the Chase Tower. Several skaters at the opening ceremony said Evanston’s version will be relegated to just practice for those who want to prove their chops on the original.

PUB

From page 1

“The Cohen Lawn will give our community the space to gather and enjoy our beautiful campus any time of year,” University President Michael Schill said in the release.

The panel also discussed environmental justice in tribal nations. Gina Roxas, a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, is the executive director of Trickster Cultural Center, where she focuses on combining traditional plant knowledge with environmental protection.

Based in Chicago, Roxas emphasized the importance of bringing culturally relevant food in institutions and advocating for more grant funding for Native farmers.

The panel also featured Raphael Wahwassuck, who serves on the Tribal Council for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Working with federal and state governments to develop working relationships and treaties with tribal nations serve as the foundation of American law, Wahwassuck said.

“More and more of that (partnership) is being forgotten as we move through history. We can’t let them forget that,” Wahwassuck said. “That’s another reason why I’m hopeful that our Confederacy will come together strongly and support one another.”

CNAIR’s “Native-in-Residence” programming with Big Bear will continue through April 14 and feature several advanced quill-making workshops to create traditional round medallions.

SESP Prof. and CNAIR Director Megan Bang said events like Saturday’s are crucial to maintaining the responsibilities of the Native community at NU.

“Our job is to create a space like this to create partnerships and relationships that contribute to revitalizing of Indigenous communities,” Bang said. “For me, this is what we are doing to act on our responsibilities.”

jerrywu2027@u.northwestern.edu

It’s part of what Schmoldt describes as “self-expression.” Skating the same lines at the same parks as everyone else doesn’t give the satisfaction or confidence that riding unique urban terrain does, Breton said.

But for Breton and Schmoldt, Evanston’s new skate park signals the growing acceptance of their sport.

Just after noon on Saturday, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss led a caravan of city employees to the center of the park, skaters whizzing past them. There, they cut the big blue ribbon that officially opened the park. Just a handful of skaters listened to Biss’ speech that preceded the ribbon-cutting. Most were already behind him, standing atop the concrete slopes, sliding along the metal rails.

colereynolds2026@u.northwestern.edu

TURNOUT

From page 1

primary election, with former President Donald Trump winning 55.48% of the vote. This marks an increase since the 2020 presidential primary election, which garnered 475 Republican votes.

Jeff Fiedler, executive director of the Chicago Republican Party, said there is momentum growing within the Republican Party in the Chicago area.

Fiedler noted that while Trump garnered 12.41% of the vote in Chicago in 2016, he received 15.83% in 2020. Fiedler said he thinks the percentage will continue to increase in November. For him, the party is on an “upswing.”

“Republicans should be somewhat optimistic,” Fiedler said about the March primary. “This year, with no presidential contest, and really no contest throughout the city or the county on the Republican side … We’re going to hit about 40,000 voters, which is more than (the primary) two years ago when we had six governor candidates.”

According to Fiedler, the Chicago Republican Party is working to bring out Republican voters for the general election in November. He said the party is increasing touch points with voters, contacting them early and frequently via email, text and phone calls.

Kitty Knecht is a member of the leadership team at Indivisible Evanston, an organization with a mission to mobilize progressive voters and push against Trump. Knecht said turnout was likely low due to the perception of the presidential primaries being uncompetitive and

pre-decided. Knecht said her organization supports “maximizing turnout” by working to mobilize and register more voters.

She added that Indivisible Evanston’s voter registration group has been helping new voters register at Oakton College and Evanston Township High School to motivate them to cast their ballots in November. They are also working to mobilize voters outside the Evanston community.

Similarly, the League of Women Voters of Evanston is working on a long-term plan to increase voter turnout among youth.

The organization was “not terribly surprised” by the low turnout due to the number of uncontested elections, Jennifer O’Neil, vice president of voter service at LWVE told the Daily in an email. However, the organization would like to see a higher portion of Evanston voters cast their ballots, she said.

The organization is planning to conduct focus groups to better understand voter tendencies among young people while also attending ETHS volunteer and civics fairs. O’Neil said LWVE is also working with other groups offering new initiatives aimed at youth voters, including other branches of LWV.

Indivisible Evanston and LWVE are both part of the Voter Participation Action Coalition, a group of Evanston organizations originally formed to increase local participation in the 2016 presidential election.

VPAC organizations are working together to continue efforts to increase turnout in the 2024 general election.

lilyogburn2026@u.northwestern.edu

The Cohen Lawn announcement is the third major construction announcement from NU in recent weeks. It comes after news that the Jacobs Center has begun renovation and that a new Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium will house NU’s softball program.

beavillaflor@u.northwestern.edu

“It also serves as another example of how we are meeting one of our institutional priorities, to build resilient students and a sense of belonging.”

Photo courtesy of Northwestern Now

A rendering of the renovated East Lawn. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2025.

High schoolers compete in economics tournament

By DAVID SUN the daily northwestern

Midway through a long day of testing, high school students from across the country raced around Harris Hall’s auditorium. Bustling with energy, they played a production line game with candy prizes, aiming to demonstrate the law of diminishing marginal returns.

The Northwestern Economics Tournament, co-hosted by NU’s economics department and undergraduate students, held its seventh annual Econ Bowl over the weekend. The organizers aim to create an inclusive, engaging environment for high school students interested in economics and its applications, according to the NET website.

“Our economics community is small,” said Phillips Exeter Academy senior Jack Gordon. “It’s great to meet a bunch of students who share our passion for economics and test our skills against them.”

Students played in five preliminary rounds in the morning before progressing to five elimination rounds in the afternoon.

Four teams advanced to the semifinals and the Phillips Exeter Academy A team won the grand finale.

“The people running this event have done a great job,” said Saint Thomas Academy senior Nate Aamodt. “You can tell they care and they want to be here.”

Aamodt said his favorite part of the event was meeting with fellow competitors from all across the country — participants hailed from Chicago, New York, Virginia and even Canada.

This year’s event was much bigger than the previous year, where only 10 teams competed in-person and 14 online — 20 teams competed in-person and 32 virtually this year.

Historic solar eclipse to bring near totality to Evanston in afternoon

“It’s great that NET is growing, and I want to reach even more students,” Weinberg junior and NET Director Deniz Uzun said. “But I want to ensure the club grows, maintaining the same level of quality.”

Uzun helped organize the event schedule and logistics.

NET has two other committees, curriculum and communications, tasked with coming up with test questions and reaching out to local high schools respectively.

“Come the day of the event, it’s about making sure that all the little details go smoothly — checking in teams, handing out t-shirts, making sure every competitor knows where they should be,” Weinberg freshman and NET operations member Anastasia Galinski said.

In addition to the competition itself, the operations team helped schedule a career panel with NET alumni and invited economics Profs. Mark Witte and Piotr Dworczak to speak to the students.

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School economics teacher Lindsay Mueller said she loves teaching economics because it’s something kids are often not exposed to in high school.

This year marks Whitney M. Young Magnet High School’s first year competing in NET.

“I think (the competition) has been challenging,” Mueller said. “It’s always a great experience for students to put themselves out there, exposing themselves to new ideas and concepts that haven’t been covered in the class.”

NET ensures there are as few barriers to entry as possible to compete, offering both in-person and online formats and no registration fee.

Overall, advisers had high praise, calling the tournament extremely well-organized.

“I was just talking to an advisor and they were saying this is one of the most organized, best

A total solar eclipse will pass across North America Monday. It has captured nationwide attention as it is the only total solar eclipse until 2044.

Weather permitting, Evanston residents will be able to observe the moon blocking sunlight as it passes between the sun and Earth. The eclipse will begin at 12:51 p.m. and end at 3:22 p.m., giving residents over two hours to catch a glimpse of the celestial phenomenon.

The eclipse will peak at 2:07 p.m., with the

economic tournaments (they’ve) attended,” Uzun said. “My biggest hope for NET is that we keep that level of professionalism.”

NET was founded in 2016 to create opportunities for high school students to learn economics outside of taking AP classes.

moon covering about 94% of the sun.

Robert Crown Community Center will have solar glasses available for residents while supplies last, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The center will also have a viewing event on the center’s turf fields, starting at 12:45 p.m.

“Continuing to expand the tournament, so more teams have access to that same highquality programming, I think is going to be awesome,” Galinski said.

davidsun2027@u.northwestern.edu

NET members said they are excited to continue to grow their team and outreach, expanding high schoolers’ interest in economics.

NASA advises eclipse watchers to avoid directly looking into the sun without eye protection. It can cause retinal damage which can lead to temporary or permanent blindness.

Anavi Prakash

The Evanston Ecology Center is hosting a viewing event at Ingraham Park from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be solar glasses, as well as telescopes and binoculars available to see the eclipse.

David Sun/The Daily Northwestern Bienen and Weinberg senior and NET President Steven Wilke explaining the rules of the Econ Bowl this weekend. Northwestern Economics Tournament hosted its seventh annual Econ Bowl over the weekend.

SPORTS

No. 1 Northwestern decimates No. 2 Maryland

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — As an array of amber-coated clouds descended over No. 2 Maryland’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex Saturday evening, No. 1 Northwestern relentlessly blitzed its rival’s cage to secure a 17-9 road victory.

“We’ve had some ups and downs, and some of our losses have been the best learning opportunities,” graduate student attacker Izzy Scane said. “This was a really big game for us to lock in and see what we could do.”

The Wildcats (11-2, 3-1 Big Ten) had fallen in six consecutive College Park campaigns, winning their last road game against the Terrapins (10-3, 3-1 Big Ten) in February 2006.

But NU’s woes alongside the Capital Beltway vanished as it vaulted into a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings before a record 2,400 spectators.

“Maryland has traditionally done well with getting crowds — it’s the mecca of lacrosse in general,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “It’s fun to come down here and play … it just says how much attention our sport is getting, how much people love the game.”

Amonte Hiller’s group entered the week needing to adjust to Maryland’s fast-flowing field hockey surface, a field it last traversed during a 15-9 loss in

2022.

The coaching staff’s midweek messaging was crystal clear, Scane said.

“There’s not as much room for error,” Scane said. “If you miss a pass, it goes out of bounds.”

Amonte Hiller, whose team has struggled with turnovers in spurts this season, said she knew Saturday’s showdown with her alma mater would require a bought-in mentality in weekday practices.

So, the eight-time national champion coach called up her 2021 Field Hockey national championship-winning colleague — Tracey Fuchs — who gave the ’Cats the green light to prepare on Lakeside Field.

“Gotta give her a big high-five for letting us use the field all week,” Amonte Hiller said of Fuchs. “It is very different to play on a surface like this, just the passes, you have to be really focused. I was really proud of our group and how they prepared … It showed on the field today.”

NU and the Terrapins traded early goals and leads during a back-andforth first quarter. Behind Scane and sophomore attacker Madison Taylor, the ’Cats held a 5-4 lead after 15 minutes of play.

While a committed defensive effort left Maryland down 20-9 in the halftime shot department, Terrapin goalkeeper Emily Sterling made nine firsthalf saves to limit the NU advantage to just 8-5.

Scane said she and her fellow attackers quickly realized they needed to

draw Sterling out of her cage to wreak havoc on the opposing net. In the second half, Sterling tallied just one save.

“She’s definitely not a type of goalie you can put dinky shots around, and the more we got those shots where she was stepping up and getting into our stick, the more we adjusted,” Scane said. “She’s great, any goalie is going to be trouble if they’re that good.”

After both teams trotted back onto the turf for the third-quarter’s opening draw, the ’Cats rattled off six consecutive scores as the stadium lights shone down. Evocative of its backbreaking 2023 halftime adjustments, NU slammed the door shut on the hosts, manufacturing a 14-5 edge 10 minutes into the third quarter.

Scane and Taylor, who tallied cogame highs six goals and seven points apiece, seemingly scored at will. Meanwhile, freshman midfielder Madison Smith helped rectify a resounding draw deficit that Terrapin midfielder Shaylan Ahearn built in the circle.

“The more we have threats coming from everywhere on the field — we had a lot of girls coming from the midfield scoring goals, too — it’s just a lot harder for teams to shut down one player when there’s a lot of other plays that are going to be open,” Scane said. “Today was a great opportunity of what we try to do with our offense.”

The ’Cats held Maryland’s leading scorer, attacker Eloise Clevenger, pointless through three quarters. While Clevenger found her scoring touch in the fourth period, her behind-the-back

antics were all for naught. Scane said NU’s defense was “absolutely incredible” during the win.

“They’re such workhorses, and that defense is an exhausting defense,” she said. “They play high-pressure 24/7, and it takes a lot of effort — a lot of buy in. We see them in practice doing exactly that … They’re not a defense I would want to play against, so it’s fun to be able to watch back on our end and see them do their thing.”

With Ohio State heading to Martin Stadium next Saturday, the ’Cats will look to extend their 40-game home winning streak as Scane draws closer to the NCAA’s career goals record. The

attacker is just 12 scores away from snapping Charlotte North’s 358-goal high mark. While she became the first coach to dethrone Terrapin coach Cathy Reese in a home conference game, Amonte Hiller said she’s eyeing grander aspirations.

“Anytime you can come to someone who is so strong on their home field and get a win, it’s huge,” Amonte Hiller said. “But it’s just a game. It’s just one day … We’re excited about this game, and now got to shift our focus to our next game.”

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

Northwestern sweeps Michigan in weekend series

By RACHEL SCHLUETER daily senior staffer @rschlueter26

Continuing its defensive prowess at home, Northwestern swept Michigan and seized the top spot in the Big Ten standings during its Friday and Saturday series.

With the sweep, the Wildcats (22-8, 8-1 Big Ten) extended their home winning streak to 33 consecutive games at the “J”, dating back to April 3, 2022.

Heading into Saturday afternoon’s series finale, NU hadn’t trailed the Wolverines (2414, 6-3 Big Ten) all weekend. With a tie in the seventh inning and the ’Cats’ home winning streak at stake, freshman catcher Emma Raye drew a bases-loaded walk to secure the walk-off victory and protect NU’s perfect home record.

Throughout the series, the ’Cats capitalized off baserunning opportunities and Michigan’s fielding flubs.

Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Nader stole three bases during the series, swiping home twice. Sophomore infielder Kansas Robinson went 5-for-10 on the weekend, and freshman outfielder Isabel Cunnea collected five RBIs.

In Friday afternoon’s series opener, NU nabbed a 9-1 mercy rule victory to hand the Wolverines their first conference loss this season.

The hosts enjoyed top-to-bottom lineup production against Michigan ace Lauren Derkowski. Derkowski’s 2.1 innings pitched on Friday was her shortest outing this season as a starter. Meanwhile graduate student pitcher Ashley Miller showed prowess on the mound, allowing just one hit and no earned runs over five innings.

Freshmen firepower jump-started the ’Cats’ offense, as infielder Ainsley Muno opened up the scoring with an RBI double. Since going 6-for-11 last weekend versus Ohio State, Muno’s bat has remained hot.

The following inning, Raye and Cunnea hit back-to-back homers. The deep shot marked Cunnea’s first collegiate home run.

In the fourth inning, graduate outfielder Angela Zedak darted from first to third on a single from Raye. Later that inning, Zedak scored on a wild pitch, bringing the lead to 6-1.

Nader also took advantage of crucial moments on the basepath. During the fifth inning, Nader advanced from first to third on a Zedak single. On the next batter, Nader stole home on a ball that dribbled away from Michigan catcher and former NU commit Lilly Vallimont.

In the first of Saturday’s two games — a doubleheader due to rain on Sunday — coach Kate Drohan’s offense stayed hot in an 8-5 victory.

Robinson went yard on the first pitch of the game, and Cunnea followed suit with a grand slam, bringing NU to a 5-0 lead after the first inning.

Defensively, freshman pitcher Riley Grudzielanek helped keep the Wolverines scoreless through four innings. With two Michigan baserunners, sophomore infielder Bridget Donahey ended the top of the second inning with an unassisted double play. Just two innings later, junior outfielder Ayana Lindsey secured a third out on a Superman-style diving catch in center field.

The Wolverines threatened with a five-run fifth inning, cutting the ’Cats’ lead to one. Freshman pitcher Renae Cunningham entered the game with two runners and no outs. Showcasing significant composure, Cunningham got NU out of a jam with three straight outs.

Robinson provided a cushion with a sixthinning RBI double. Nader scored Robinson on a Michigan error, bringing the lead to 8-5. Cunningham recorded the save, pitching three innings and allowing only one hit.

The hosts took a 5-4 walk-off win in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Wolverines jumped out first with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Nader added a run back with a double and scored on a wild pitch.

In the third, NU tipped the scales. Robinson scored Lindsey from first base off of a double down the third base line. Michigan’s first baseman proceeded to drop Zedak’s infield fly, bringing Robinson home from second. Raye lifted NU to a 4-2 lead with an RBI single.

The Wolverines fought back to a tie in the fifth inning with a two-run home run. The visitors came inches away from gaining a late lead, but Lindsey’s shoestring catch stranded two Michigan baserunners with the ’Cats’ home winning streak in the balance.

NU maintained its momentum heading into the bottom of the seventh. With a Nader bunt,

sweep

weekend, picking up two wins and surrendering just two earned runs. NU will look to add to its conference win column at Illinois Tuesday.

Zedak single and a walk for senior infielder Hannah Cady, Raye stepped into a bases-loaded scenario. The freshman drew a five-pitch walk, bringing Nader home and securing the

for the ’Cats. Drohan’s ace — Miller — had a stellar

Photo courtesy of Northwestern Athletics

Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern

Freshman pitcher Riley Grudzielanek looks toward home plate. Grudzielanek struck out three in four innings