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Prison Education Program expands
Marching Band: an instrumental part of the Northwestern community
Your seuality doesn’t excuse your racism
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Black Girl Magic Book Club connects Stories feature Black female protagonists By AVANI KALRA
the daily northwestern @avanidkalra
When Evanston/Skokie School District 65 teachers Jennifer Tertulien and Jenna Arceneaux interviewed elementary school students in 2018, they asked participants to name a book character that resembled them. The two educators said what they saw was striking: girls and boys of color struggled to identify someone they could relate to. Tertulien and Arceneaux created the Black Girl Magic Book Club to change those answers. Students read picture books and collections such as “My Hair is a Garden,” “Her Stories” and “Freedom Soup” — all of which feature Black female protagonists. “When I was their age, I can only recall two books that really represented who I was and where there were characters that looked like me,” Tertulien said. “We’re kind of living vicariously through the book club as well.”
The Black Girl Magic Book Club started at Walker Elementary during the 2018-19 school year, and hosted about 12 to 15 participants. When Tertulien moved to Lincolnwood Elementary, she started a second chapter. Now, the facilitators said they are both hosting conversations with groups of about 20 at each school. The partners are looking to start a third group at Willard Elementary within the year. Tertulien and Arceneaux center each book club session around a theme. Students complete a self-guided activity to supplement their reading; for their “self image” meeting, students each shared a board with pictures, words and colors that represent them before moving into discussion. Before presenting, students share a snack, usually one relating to an assigned book or its culture. They tried jambalaya, for example, after reading Bayou Magic. “We start by asking ‘How does the main character show Black Girl Magic,’ and allow for answer and conversation. Then we go into the Black Lives Matter guiding principles. We ask, ‘How did Black villages show up? How did empathy show
» See BLACK GIRL MAGIC, page 6
Seeger Gray/The Daily Northwestern
The Winter Carnival, an event at Norris University Center, brought together 635 Northwestern students on Saturday. Food, games and an iceless skating rink drew people in on the cold, snowy evening.
Winter Carnival warms up Norris
Iceless skating rink, food and games drew hundreds of students By YOLA MZIZI
the daily northwestern @yolamzi
Student Organizations and Activities and Campus Life
brought back their annual Winter Carnival to the second floor of Norris University Center. The Saturday night carnival hosted a wide range of activities, including an iceless skating rink sponsored by NU Nights, a
“Fill-a-Friend” stuffed animal station and a hot cocoa section sponsored by Northwestern Athletics. The organizers planned the event several months in advance, identifying potential partners for collaboration and preparing backup
plans for COVID-19 surges. “We have been planning the event since November,” said Joseph Lattal, associate director of student organizations and services.
» See WINTER CARNIVAL, page 6
NU won’t offer Credit/No Credit The Week Ahead: Despite student demands for its reinstatement, NU stands by decision By KIM JAO
the daily northwestern
Northwestern does not plan to offer the Credit/No Credit policy for Winter Quarter, despite an increase in COVID19 cases from the fall and demands for the policy’s reinstatement from some students. The University did not offer the Credit/No Credit option during Fall Quarter — a decision that was met with backlash. University spokesperson Jon Yates said NU’s decision to continue withholding the policy is because of its increased COVID19 response preparedness. The University originally implemented the Credit/No Credit policy, which allows students to assign some of their classes to Credit/No Credit grading, in spring 2020, intended to reduce academic stress during a period of readjustment. “We know that students still face challenges associated with the pandemic, and Northwestern is addressing those in several ways specifically to support learning,” Yates said in an email to The Daily.
Recycle Me
According to Yates, these adjustments include increasing the number of peer study groups, adding academic programming to Wildcat Welcome and establishing a system to evaluate student feedback and offer student support. He added that the University continues to monitor the academic progress of students to determine if they need to adjust their support. The University also extended the drop tuition refund deadline by two weeks this quarter to allow students to begin classes before being financially responsible. Yates said the beginning of the pandemic brought new challenges for students. “These challenges included adjusting to the physical spaces in which they were learning, dealing with unreliable internet connectivity, varying degrees of access to basic necessities like security and food and adapting to new teaching and learning technologies,” Yates said in the email. SESP sophomore Max Byrne, a representative of Reform CAPS at Northwestern, said the Credit/No Credit
Jan. 23-30 events What’s coming up in the city of Evanston this week By AVANI KALRA
the daily northwestern @avanidkalra
Illustration by Olivia Abeyta
NU will not reinstate the Credit/No Credit Policy this Winter Quarter.
policy is a measure needed at a time when other resources are lacking. They added the pandemic brought a multitude of other difficulties, beyond testing positive for COVID19, that can hinder a student’s ability to perform well in class. “With cases surging in winter, you can’t really hang out outside — there’s a lot less safe options to socialize,” Byrne said. “There’s less mental health support services, which is really critical right now.” McCormick junior and Reform CAPS representative Sahibzada Mayed said the lack of
a Credit/No Credit policy is only one example of the University’s need for more academic flexibility. Mayed said the University can help by encouraging students to build relationships with their professors. For freshmen, especially in large classes, reaching out to instructors regarding extenuating circumstances can be a difficult process, he said. “There needs to be a shift in how we’re focusing on academics right now and how instructors and students are dealing with flexibility,” Mayed said.
» See CREDIT/NO CREDIT, page 6
As January comes to a close and a surge in COVID-19 cases begin to subside, here are some things to do in Evanston this week.
Ms. Lisa Fischer at SPACE
Jan. 23, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Fischer, a Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock singer, will perform at Evanston SPACE. She previously sang background for musicians like Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones and Nine Inch Nails.
Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen: The Essential Conversations you need to Have with Your Kids Jan. 24, 7 to 8 p.m.
Michelle Icard, author of
“Middle School Makeover” and “Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen” and Heidi Stevens, creative director, Parent Nation at the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Learning and Public Health will speak about essential conversations when raising children. They will speak at a virtual event presented by the Family Education Network.
Small Wonders Group Show at SPACE900 Gallery Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, 1 to 5 p.m.
Visit an exhibition of small format visual arts pieces at Evanston’s Space900 Gallery between 1 and 5 p.m. Friday to Saturday. The show will feature artists including Todd Anderson, Joanna Pinsky and Judy Solomon.
Rental Counseling Workshop Jan. 25, 10 to 11 a.m.
This workshop will help tenants learn about lease options and financial sustainability and
» See WEEK AHEAD, page 6
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