The Daily Northwestern — February 8th, 2024

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Serving the Northwestern and Evanston communities since 1881

The Daily Northwestern Thursday, February 8, 2024

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 4 CITY/Civic Center

8 SPORTS/Volleyball

Lease sparks concerns over cost, transparency

Northwestern taps Tim Nollan as next head volleyball coach after a two month vacancy

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Salon training law falls short Domestic violence prevention efforts see mixed response By RACHEL SCHLUETER

daily senior staffer @rschlueter26

When Chicago hairstylist Moe Stenson heard of the Illinois law that mandates one-hour domestic violence and sexual assault training for salon professionals, she believed in its initial intention. But at the local level, she said she has watched the law fall short. “I know people who haven’t (completed the training) after seven years now,” Stenson said. “No one’s checking on that. No one’s holding these people accountable.” The 2017 legislation requires salon professionals to complete the one-hour online and in-person training in order to attain or renew a cosmetologist’s license. The law applies to cosmetologists, cosmetology teachers, estheticians, esthetic teachers, hair braiders, hair braiding teachers, nail technicians and nail technology teachers. The training aims to teach salon professionals how to detect abuse and offer support to clients. The bill does not require salon professionals to report abuse. Last December, U.S. Sens.

Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the SALONS Stories Act, which would incentivize states through grant increases to provide domestic violence awareness training similar to what the Illinois law mandates. “Illinois is already leading the way by requiring this training of our beauty professionals, but we can and should expand this policy nationwide,” Duckworth told The Daily in a statement. “This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense way to help even more beauty professionals better recognize the signs and successfully navigate conversations with clients who could be in danger and help keep them safe.” However, Stenson said there are major gaps in the implementation of the law at the state level. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation tracks how many salon professionals have renewed their cosmetology licenses. However, the department does not specifically track completion of the domestic violence and sexual assault awareness training, which Stenson said leads to salon professionals not caring about or completing the training. “They’re just like, ‘It’s one more thing for me to have to do

» See SALON, page 6

Samantha Powers/The Daily Northwestern

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office intends to drop criminal charges against two Northwestern students.

State’s Attorney dismisses charges

Students will not face criminal prosecution for alleged tampering By SAMANTHA POWERS and JACOB WENDLER

daily senior staffer @sqpowers04 / @jacob_wendler

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has decided to

dismiss criminal charges against two Northwestern students in connection with tampered copies of The Daily circulated in October, the office confirmed Wednesday afternoon. The students were both charged in November with “Theft of Advertising Services,” a Class A

misdemeanor which carries up to a year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine in Illinois. The office noted in a statement that it does not review or approve misdemeanor charges brought by police departments prior to filing. It added that, “given the specific

nature of these cases,” the office completed a thorough review of the situation, including engaging in discussions with the University and SPC. “Our criminal justice system

» See CHARGES DROPPED, page 6

Ryan Field demolition slow to start A statement from NU representatives say project is waiting for city permit approval By SHUN GRAVES

the daily northwestern @realshungraves

Northwestern officials showed up to Wednesday’s NU-City Committee meeting with plans to improve communications with residents — though they had few details on Ryan Field’s still-looming demolition. Ald. Clare Kelly (1st), the chair of the committee, chastised officials for offering scant details on the controversial stadium rebuild’s current status. But, Dave Davis, the University’s senior executive director of Neighborhood and Community Relations, said many details are still up in the air. “We are not the construction manager or experts in that area,” Davis said. “Besides litigating what we can and can’t talk about — just having a very conscientious and courteous conversation issue — even if we were to raise that right now, we don’t have that specific expertise to answer those questions.” Last month, demolition crews rolled into the Ryan Field site, dropping off equipment and

Recycle Me

construction materials in front of the dormant stadium. Still, the four-month demolition of NU athletics’ nearly century-old citadel requires a permit from the city’s Building and Inspection Services Division to begin. The project has not received the demolition permit yet, according to Luke Figora, NU’s chief operating officer and vice president for operations. The byzantine permit process involves multiple layers of review by city staff. “I would defer to the city on the status of permits,” Figora said, adding that the project’s overall timeline remains unchanged even if the piece-by-piece demolition has no definite start date. Davis and Figora said Wednesday they aim to improve communication with residents as the demolition proceeds. NU will soon update its Rebuild Ryan Field website with construction updates, and the University will also unveil a dedicated phone line for residents’ concerns, they said. However, their terse responses about the demolition itself drew brickbats from Kelly. “I’m discouraged when I hear both of you looking for ways to avoid touching on topics here,

SPC Board Chair Byrne: We will intercede in student tampering charges By JOHN BYRNE

chair of students publishing company board of directors

Editor’s Note: This letter was published Tuesday night, before State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced her intention to drop charges against two Northwestern students allegedly involved in the tampering case.

Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern

Demolition crews rolled in about two weeks ago at Ryan Field, but the actual start of razing the football stadium remains up in the air.

like, ‘Maybe it doesn’t quite touch the parking lot, so we’re not going to talk about it,’” she said. “I would think you would embrace talking about anything that neighbors are concerned about or want to talk about at this committee.” Kelly emerged as a prominent

critic of the Ryan Field rebuild in the run-up to the City Council’s narrow approval of the project last year. She alleged she had been excluded from discussing the city’s agreement with Northwestern and

» See COMMITTEE, page 6

To the Northwestern Community: Just a few days ago, most of you had no idea of our existence. Now, after a change.org petition, letters to the editors of campus publications, an editorial, board statements, social media posts, calls for boycotts, more letters to the board, and now local and national news media coverage, I thought it might be good to introduce the Students Publishing Company Board of Directors. We are part of the Northwestern community – 13 volunteers

who are students, faculty, staff members and alumni – including four former editors-in-chief of The Daily Northwestern. Our primary role is to manage the business of the paper, including significant fundraising, and select editors-in-chief who have the talent and wits to run a thriving, independent newsroom. Each board member loves what we do as the collective nonprofit “publisher” of what we consider the best student newspaper in the country. We owe you a fact-filled explanation of what’s been happening since several hundred copies of The Daily were tampered with on October 25, 2023. And we need to express our regret for the unintended consequences of our actions since that tampering, not the least of which has been the harm to the students criminally charged in connection with the incident, as well as the distress over it in our own newsroom. You’ve probably already heard about the tampering, which involved wrapping several hundred copies of The Daily

» See LETTER, page 6

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8


2 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, FEBURARY 8, 2024

AROUND TOWN

City to overhaul comprehensive plan, zoning code By EDWARD SIMON CRUZ

the daily northwestern @edwardsimoncruz

City officials launched Envision Evanston 2045 — a process to create a new comprehensive plan and zoning code — during an event at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center Tuesday. The new plan will include goals and strategies for improving various aspects of city life, including by maintaining public health, supporting the economy and small businesses, promoting equity and racial justice, taking action to address climate change and making housing more affordable. Evanston’s current comprehensive plan and zoning code were approved in 2000 and 1993, respectively. New materials will provide longterm goals and guidance lasting through 2045. While residents may not typically be thinking about specific plans and laws, Mayor Daniel Biss said Envision Evanston 2045 will enable the city to address the issues those residents do think about, like racial equity and affordable housing. “Solving the problem has, at its root, getting this process right,” Biss said. “I know that we will only get this right if we get it together, if we do it together.” During the event, attendees could visit various posters and place stickers and Post-it Notes indicating which changes they wanted the city to prioritize. Evanston Township High School junior Olivia Ohlson said if young people like her participated in the planning process, future generations might better appreciate their community. “It’s been a long time since the city has been rezoned, and it really decides what Evanston looks like and what Evanton residents get to partake in on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “So it’s really critical that everyone’s voices are put into this project.” The plan aims to repair Evanston’s history of harmful policies that perpetuated wealth and opportunity gaps at the expense of Black residents, Biss said. In 2019, Evanston became the first U.S. city to provide reparations for Black residents affected by

Edward Simon Cruz/The Daily Northwestern

Mayor Daniel Biss spoke about the process to revamp Evanston’s comprehensive plan and zoning code.

discriminatory zoning laws in the past. The city determined the order in which direct descendants would receive reparations in January. Revamping the zoning code will enable Evanston to continue addressing its history of inequitable housing practices, according to Laurice Bell, executive director of the Shorefront Legacy Center. “Zoning is key to whether a city is considered an open or closed space to people,” she said. “So we have the chance through zoning to make Evanston a place that is welcoming — not just via its words, which can often be a facade, but via its actions.”

Michelle Redfield, co-chair of the Evanston Environment Board, hopes the plan will expand beyond the existing Climate Action and Resilience Plan so the city can reduce the impacts of climate change while achieving other goals related to issues like economic development and public health. According to a presentation at the event, Evanston intends to draft its new comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance in August and September and hopes to adopt those documents between October 2024 and March 2025. Evanston resident Vanessa A. Johnson-McCoy said she hopes officials will carefully review the

language of existing documents, particularly the zoning ordinance, and follow through on promises to involve a wide range of community members throughout the process — including those who may not have been able to attend Tuesday’s meeting. “(I encourage them to) be mindful, especially of those whose voices may not be loud during this process, so that they will make a special effort to get to those communities of people who rarely have their voices heard,” she said. edwardcruz2027@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, FEBURARY 8, 2024

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

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ON CAMPUS

‘Sparks Fly’ on NU dining smoothie bike By MISHA OBEROI

The Daily Northwestern

www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Avani Kalra

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

the daily northwestern

Never in her wildest dreams would Communication freshman Reagan Aleman have imagined walking into Elder Dining Commons after a daunting chemistry quiz to find Taylor Swift-themed smoothies, a friendship bracelet making station and a stylish smoothie bike. Aleman said she was talking to her friend about Swift’s surprise announcement at the 66th annual Grammy Awards of her upcoming album, Tortured Poets Department, when she arrived at the dining hall. “It’s great timing, too, because everyone is freaking out about the album right now,” Aleman said. Northwestern Dining organized ‘Lover Era Smoothies,’ held at Elder Dining Commons Tuesday afternoon. Two smoothie choices were offered — blue and strawberry — with the option for students to mix additional ingredients, such as bananas, yogurt and “swiftie sparkle,” a blue and pink edible glitter. Campus Dietitian Maddy McDonough explained that spirulina, a form of algae, is what gives the blue smoothie its color. She added that spirulina contains a high amount of antioxidants that provide health benefits like joint support. The “Soon You’ll Get Better Strawberry Smoothie,” named after one of Swift’s songs, also offers similar benefits, according to a sign posted at the event. Sophia Bamiatzis, district marketing manager of Compass Group — the food service company contracted by NU — said she is a passionate Swiftie. “We really try to have our students at the front of our minds when planning, so we try to think of something creative and different that would really resonate with them,” she said. Inspired by the Swifties’ Eras Tour tradition, the bracelet station was packed with letter beads, threads and decorations for

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is published Monday and Thursday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847491-7206.

Misha Oberoi/The Daily Northwestern

NU Dining launched its brand-new smoothie bike Tuesday afternoon at Elder Dining Commons.

crafting. Several students stopped by the station, happy to shake it off after a wearying week of midterms. McDonough said the idea behind the friendship bracelet making station was to foster community and friendship among students. “I really like the idea of doing something just for fun,” Communication freshman Beatriz Fonseca said. “Especially after midterms, everyone just needs this little break.” NU Dining hopes to incorporate more fun themes for its future wellness and

sustainability events, Bamiatzis said. The event featured a brand-new smoothie bike in efforts to increase student engagement, McDonough said. To make a smoothie, the biker has to pedal for a minute or so, and the smoothie gets blended on its own. Aleman was one of many students who rode the bike. “I think it’s a really great way to remind people that being healthy and taking care of your health can be fun,” Aleman said. mishaoberoi2027@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, FEBURARY 8, 2024

Evanston to move City operations to new location By CASEY HE

daily senior staffer @caseeey_he

Growing up in Evanston in the 1980s, Emilio Vargas remembers the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center as the building at the center of the city. His mother would bring him to art shows, book fairs and other events. Now, as an adult, Vargas said he most recently went to the Civic Center to vote. The city, however, is poised to leave the Georgian Revival-style building at 2100 Ridge Ave. — the building that has been the heart of Evanston civic life since 1979 — before the end of the year. At its Jan. 22 meeting, City Council voted 6-3 to authorize City Manager Luke Stowe to lease 53,000 square feet of downtown office space at 909 Davis St. for about $2.4 million per year for city operations. Councilmembers also discussed options for renovating or relocating the Civic Center presented by the Chicago consulting firm AECOM, which the city contracted in late 2021. Yet councilmembers decided the proposed lease will last 15 years, with an option to exit after seven. The city can begin using the downtown office in June if construction is completed, though the lease term officially starts in October. “It’s just a building that is on its very last legs and at a very real risk of just failing,” Mayor Daniel Biss told The Daily. “And if we had not chosen to do the responsible thing of putting in place an exit plan and just waited for it to fail, then we would have been without city hall at all.” A special order of business The resolution to authorize the lease was on the City Council agenda as a special order of business, meaning it was not referred to the council by a committee. The abruptness of the decision to lease has caught some community members off guard. They criticized the city for not considering alternative solutions that would allow the city to stay in the Civic Center during renovation. Emily Guthrie, a longtime Evanston resident and a former 3rd Ward councilmember, said the issue came as a real shock for her. “With what amounted to four days’ notice and vote on it the very same night, I can’t imagine why

the City Council is in such a hurry,” Guthrie said. Ald. Clare Kelly (1st), who voted against authorizing the lease along with Alds. Thomas Suffredin (6th) and Devon Reid (8th), agrees. She said she is seriously concerned about the lack of transparency and public discussion around this “enormous move of enormous costs.” “If leasing is the right course of action, then let’s do it. Let’s have public discussion,” Kelly said. “Why was this rushed through? I mean, everybody should be asking that question.” But Biss disagrees. At the Jan. 22 council meeting, he said the special order of business came after an earlier executive session, where no binding decision was made and councilmembers gave him and city staff direction on negotiating the lease. In the interview with The Daily, Biss said there has been robust discussion on the issue, and City Council was ready to move forward with a vote. “We did it on (a) very normal timeframe, responsible timeframe, and I can’t imagine why we would have done it differently,” Biss said. To move, or to renovate Discussions about relocating city operations from the Civic Center date back to the 1990s, according to Evanston’s Capital Planning Bureau Chief Lara Biggs. Originally the schoolhouse for Marywood Academy, a Catholic girls’ school, the building was sold to the city in 1975 for $1.5 million. The city then spent $750,000 on renovations, including adding in a new stairway, HVAC system and lighting, before moving operations into the new Civic Center in 1979. But, barely two decades later, city staff began discussing whether investing more money to fully transform the building into an efficient workspace is the best use of the city’s funding, Biggs said. “The city had not actually done a significant renovation of the building when we moved in,” Biggs said. “There are a lot of oddities in this building that actually in many ways give it character but are not conducive to efficient operation.” In 2017, after a study on a possible replacement of the HVAC system estimated costs at $15 million, Biggs said she became more involved in the debate over moving versus renovating. In the AECOM presentation at the Jan. 22 meeting, the consulting firm set the cost of renovating

the Civic Center at roughly $63 million. Guthrie and Kelly both expressed concerns about the figure, which Guthrie called “seriously inflated,” and both felt signing a 15-year temporary lease was excessive. They said the renovation should cost much less, and could be completed in a much shorter time frame. Since the Davis Street office space the city plans to lease is just over half of the size of the Civic Center, Guthrie and Kelly also questioned why the city did not consider a phased approach to renovation, leaving the city in the Civic Center. Because of the state of the Civic Center, a renovation would require major overhauls of the building’s HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, Biggs said, which explains why the cost exceeds that of a typical office renovation. In addition, a renovation of this size and budget will retroactively require the renovated Civic Center to comply with building codes the city adopted after the building’s construction, including those for building structure and fire safety, Biggs said. The city also considered making the Civic Center compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan. For these reasons, the city has discussed a phased renovation but is not seriously considering the option at the moment, Biggs added. “It is expected that that would significantly increase the cost of the construction, and it would take much longer,” she said. “During that time period, it would be disruptive to the staff and the city council and public doing work in this building.” 5,000 votes Back in 2005, after a push from city officials to move city operations out of the Civic Center, 3rd Ward resident John Kennedy said he wanted to “save the Civic Center.” “I was walking down the stairs, and I felt the building was solid. It almost talked to me,” Kennedy said. “I wasn’t a preservationist. I wasn’t an architect. I wasn’t a designer, but I just didn’t think this is the right way to go.” Kennedy soon founded the Friends of the Civic Center group, which included Guthrie. The group began collecting signatures to put an advisory referendum on the ballot for the April 2007 elections, asking voters if the city should “rehabilitate and continue to reside in the Civic Center located at 2100 Ridge.”

About 5,000 people voted in the referendum, over 80% of whom voted in favor. Biss called the referendum relevant to the city’s decision-making process, but not “dominant.” Although the referendum was non-binding — only City Council can place binding referenda on the ballot — he said the council responded to the residents’ will by staying at the Civic Center for an additional 17 years. “Any data point related to public opinion is relevant, but I think a data point that is 17 years old on a subject matter that is relatively dynamic is one that has to be taken to the appropriate context,” Biss said. However, Biss said he expects the city to begin public engagement on the long-term future of the Civic Center in order for City Council to make a permanent decision before the end of this year. According to the presentation AECOM gave at the Jan. 22 council meeting, the city could spend between $120 and $159 million to renovate or relocate the Civic Center and to rebuild the police and fire headquarters. “When you’re talking about numbers that size, you need to really ask not only what do you want, but how much are you willing to pay for it? And how do you prioritize the hierarchy of request?” Biss said. ”A majestic building” At the Jan. 22 council meeting, several councilmembers said they support the lease. Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said moving city operations downtown could help revitalize the business district, and Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) said the location could help attract younger staffers. “If we move out of here, I’m going to miss it,” Nieuwsma said during the meeting. “How much is that worth?” Kennedy, however, pushed back on that argument. The city currently stays in the Civic Center “rent-free,” and renting an office downtown will take the space off the tax rolls. Ultimately, Kennedy argued the Civic Center’s central location offers ample parking — and financial sustainability. “It’s a majestic building. It’s certainly not an icon. It’s not [the] Taj Mahal. It’s not the Capitol. But it’s a stately building,” Kennedy said. “It has come to be associated with Evanston.” caseyhe2026@u.northwestern.edu

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THURSDAY, FEBURARY 8, 2024

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

5

Chief Investment Officer addresses Faculty Senate By ISABEL SU

the daily northwestern @isabelsu_

The Faculty Senate heard plans to increase endowment investment returns and gave feedback on a newly revised CTEC tool — the University’s course and teacher evaluation system — at Wednesday’s meeting. Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Amy Falls spoke about balancing risk and return in the University’s investments, as well as her plans to reestablish the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility. As of last August, Northwestern’s endowment was valued at $13.7 billion. This fiscal year, the University will draw $762 million from the endowment for the budget, compared to $675 million the year before, Falls said. “Our goal is to preserve value, not to hoard and not to deplete,” Falls said. Falls said she believes the endowment is on track to generate an 8% annual return, which would allow the school to continue supporting future generations of students. However, Falls also added that the performance of the University’s assets over the past five years is not meeting its benchmark because NU has been controlling risk more than Falls considers necessary. “One of the things we have been pushing for is taking a little more risk because we do want those higher returns,” she said. According to Falls, because of the 2008 global financial crisis, NU’s investments for the last decade have been geared toward liquidity, which leads to “average returns.” After Falls’ presentation on the endowment, Kellogg Prof. Therese McGuire asked about re-establishing the ACIR, which is meant to advise the Board of Trustees on ethical considerations in their investment decisions. Falls said she is hoping to nominate faculty to the advisory committee for three-year terms by this spring. Medill lecturer and Integrated Marketing Communications Full-Time Program Director Jacqueline Babb, chair of the Senate’s Educational Affairs Committee, also presented on a revised CTEC tool for faculty input. CTEC revisions, geared toward reducing racial and gender bias, have been in progress since 2018. “It’s a little gnarly because each stakeholder group has different needs,” Babb said. “There’s a lot of evidence that shows women and people of color are biased against in these types of instruments.”

Sonya Dymova/The Daily Northwestern

Faculty senate members discussed the Department of Education’s ongoing Title VI investigation into Northwestern’s alleged failure to respond to antisemitic incidents.

The newest version of the CTEC tool includes a formative statement that reminds students to avoid bias and to keep their feedback constructive, and includes three quantitative questions and one qualitative question. “We know that students oftentimes think they learned more or less than they actually did,” Babb said, “So this is meant to look at their experience (in class).” Members of the senate still had concerns, including the possibility that the new form might mask bias

behind numbers instead of eliminating it, and many added the new CTEC tool does not address all constituencies’ issues. “In Weinberg, faculty don’t like CTECs because the students are writing mainly to the other students,” sociology and political science Prof. James Mahoney said. “They want feedback that goes directly to them, but a lot of the CTEC feedback is ‘this is an easy class’ or ‘this class has a huge workload’ … it’s very clearly directed as advice to fellow students, rather than being

directly to the professors.” Other topics mentioned at this month’s meeting included the Department of Education’s ongoing Title VI investigation into Northwestern’s alleged failure to respond to antisemitic incidents and the University’s retirement contribution policy. The next Faculty Senate meeting will take place on March 6.

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6 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, FEBURARY 8, 2024

CHARGES DROPPED From page 1

should only be utilized when there is no other recourse for accountability,” the office said in a statement. “Northwestern University and campus police are fully equipped to hold the involved individuals accountable, ensuring that such matters are handled in a manner that is both appropriate to the educational context and respectful of students’ rights.” University spokesperson Jon Yates told The Daily the University supports the State’s Attorney’s Office, which used its discretion in dropping the charges. The prosecutor’s decision comes after John Byrne — chair of the board of directors for Students Publishing Company, The Daily’s parent company — published a letter Wednesday pledging to intercede in the prosecution of the students. The letter followed pressure from both The Daily’s editorial board — which called on SPC to change its course of action in a Monday editorial — and the broader NU community. Eighty-nine student organizations, faculty and NU community members signed a letter published Friday calling on SPC to drop its criminal complaint, and a Change. org petition demanding the same has since garnered more than 6,000 signatures. Seventy student organizations also vowed not to speak, collaborate or engage with The Daily or SPC until the company took “meaningful steps to reverse their stance” in a Monday Letter to the Editor.

SALON

From page 1

and one more thing I have to pay for,’” Stenson said. “I don’t think anybody cares about it in the industry, to be perfectly honest.” Stenson isn’t alone in calling for more. Violence Prevention Training Manager Hannah Gunter oversees the mandated one-hour training at the YWCA Evanston/North Shore. Gunter said many salon professionals were confused about why this training was mandated for their industry in particular. “I don’t think that the ‘why’ was explained very clearly,” Gunter said. “So I think a part of the training is partly to just reinforce their role and their unique kind of relationship with the community.” Gunter said the training at the YWCA tries to convey “the unique relationship” salon professionals have with their clients. She said because the salon setting is personal and intimate, clients are more likely to go to a salon without their abuser and thus more likely to confide in their hair stylist or nail technician, she said. When the reasoning behind the training is not communicated, Gunter said it can be intimidating for attendees. “What we heard was that a lot of salon professionals felt overwhelmed by that responsibility,” Gunter said. “We wanted to be really clear, we’re not expecting you to be advocates or domestic violence

A banner hung on The Arch Wednesday morning read “Drop charges, not bombs.” SPC initially reported the October incident to University Police and then signed criminal complaints against the two students with the Circuit Court of Cook County. Byrne said in the letter that SPC board members were not asked whether they wanted to pursue criminal charges against the individuals and were not aware they were students at the time. Still, Byrne pledged to make a “good faith” effort to pursue a resolution that is “neither punitive nor permanent.” He also reaffirmed SPC’s mission to serve the interests of the NU community. “We hope to heal the hurt and repair the relationships that have been damaged and frayed by our unintentional foray into the criminal justice system,” Byrne wrote in the letter. Edwin Yohnka, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said the decision was a positive development for free speech. “Clearly this incident did not do material harm to anyone or anything,” Yohnka said. “So it raised the fundamental question as to whether or not the statute should be used in this way, especially in a way in which the University would have been creating criminal records for two of its students that would follow them through the rest of their lives.” samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu professionals, we just want you to continue providing an open and empathetic space.” Stenson believes if the one-hour training were taught by a salon professional, the industry would be more inclined to participate. The training is currently taught by police officers. She said her frustration with the one-hour online course she took inspired her to complete a 40-hour training at the YWCA, which was much more personal and helped her better understand how to create an impact, she said. Those who have completed the 40-hour training can apply to become a Domestic Violence Continuing Education sponsor and teach the one-hour mandated training. Stenson said she hopes to get the certification this year. She added that she hopes the one-hour training will be a yearly requirement in the future. Currently, the training is optional for subsequent license renewals. Gunter said she is working at the YWCA to create a “2.0 version” of the one-hour training. She hopes to implement role-play scenarios for salon professionals to practice the intervention skills. “This would hopefully give salon professionals a little more practice and help them understand why they’re receiving the training,” Gunter said. “We are continuing to evaluate the training itself but also meeting people where they are.” rachelschlueter2026@u.northwestern.edu

LETTER

From page 1

Northwestern with a fake front page designed to closely resemble the paper, down to the look of the top “nameplate,” as well as the layout and the fonts used. Except the nameplate read “The Northwestern Daily,” and the content was not something you would ever see in the actual Daily. Whatever you might think about the content of that fake front page – and many of us were offended by it – the disturbing words and images weren’t the reason we decided to take action. It was the use of The Daily as a vehicle to distribute the fake front page that upset us. This co-opting of the work of our student journalists and the potential damage to the reputation of the paper built upon more than a century of hard work was the problem. To us, it seemed no different from someone hacking into our website to post their own content and replace ours. So, we reported the tampering to Northwestern Police, thinking this was our best option. Our intent was to protect the student journalists at The Daily, as well as the paper’s reputation. We wanted to show how much we valued our students’ efforts and our front page, the manifestation of the best of our journalists’ reporting efforts. Once we informed the NU Police of the incident, their investigation identified two people who were possibly involved. At that point, we were asked to sign “complaints” against those two individuals, presumably as part of the investigation. We didn’t understand how these complaints started a process that we could no longer control – and something we never intended. As it turned out, we were never informed by the State’s Attorney’s Office that these people would be charged – and we were not asked whether we even wanted them to be charged. We heard nothing further on the investigation from NU Police despite reaching out to them. Eventually, we received some second-hand information – now clearly incorrect – that the two individuals were not NU students. Otherwise, we didn’t know anything about them. The charge the two people face is misdemeanor-level “theft of advertising.” They apparently weren’t arrested but instead received notice of the charge in the form of

COMMITTEE From page 1

lambasted Mayor Daniel Biss as overly favorable to NU’s demands. After Wednesday’s meeting, Kelly told The Daily she’s heard from residents asking if she would run for higher office after the current City Council approved the Ryan Field rebuild. She hasn’t considered running for mayor, she said, but the suggestion has turned some gears. “Not yet, I haven’t gotten to that yet,” Kelly told The Daily, but added that questions about running remain “percolating” in her mind. Rising murmurs about next year’s election show stadium foes’ chagrin about the project has yet to subside. Most Livable City Association filed a lawsuit against Evanston in November, alleging the city’s zoning change

a written citation (like a ticket but worse). However, one citation apparently was delivered in person by uniformed police, which we’re sure was an unpleasant, if not downright frightful, experience. For someone convicted of theft of advertising, the penalties can be as harsh as some jail time, a substantial fine (for a student), or both. It also can mean a permanent mark on someone’s “record” that follows them for many years, if not forever. Illinois allows for expungement of records for these types of crimes after a certain amount of time, but there’s no guarantee. It’s only been in the last four days that we learned more information about the people charged: that they are students; that they are Black. Some may disagree, but these facts matter to us. We have been listening to our fellow community members, and they have been heard. We understand and recognize why we need to take action. We hope to heal the hurt and repair the relationships that have been damaged and frayed by our unintentional foray into the criminal justice system. So, what are we doing? As of yesterday, we have hired legal counsel to work on our behalf with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to pursue a resolution to this matter that results in nothing punitive or permanent. Since we are not a party to the case, we lack any authority to ensure this resolution, but we intend to use all available resources in good faith to try to get there. As a board and as individual members of the Northwestern community, we don’t wish to cause harm to other members of this community. We hope that everyone else in our community feels the same. We have been reminded of Students Publishing Company’s primary mission: “To enhance, implement and further the educational and charitable goals of Northwestern University … and to serve the interests of the Northwestern University community.” We are reaffirming our commitment to this mission. On behalf of the Board of Directors, John Byrne Medill 1990 Daily Northwestern Editor-in-Chief 1989-90 Chair, Students Publishing Company Board of Directors to allow for concerts arose after “clandestine steps” in favor of NU. Cook County Circuit Court has set a preliminary hearing in the case for March 29. In Evanston’s 7th Ward, however, the demolition’s impact on neighbors will likely arrive before the highflying political and legal battles. At a ward meeting last month, residents listed truck routes and work hours among their top concerns. At Wednesday’s committee meeting, Davis pledged to answer further questions in an upcoming website update and through other avenues. “We’ll send out a public announcement about the website and direct everybody to that page,” Davis said. “And then, if we want to have a longer conversation specifically about construction, we can host a separate meeting.” shungraves2027@u.northwestern.edu

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EditedEdited by Patti byVarol Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Northfield couple in 80s seek assistance in 1) Transcription and preparation of third volume of oral history into book format 2) Preparation of family genealogy 3) Cataloguing and Distribution of 3000 volume library 4) Inventorying and distribution of accumulated objects. Duration of six months with one day per week planned Competitive compensation. Please submit resume and statement of qualifications to john@mccarterchicago.com.

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DAILY CROSSWORD Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1 Maze runners 5 Formal decrees 10 Help the chef 14 Driver of Hollywood 15 “American Fiction” actress Tracee __ Ross 16 Stray 17 Sadness that sets in after missing a flight? 19 Jon Arbuckle’s dog 20 F1 neighbor 21 Friction reducer 22 Paint, toddlerstyle 23 Countries listed on a flight board? 27 Minimally 29 Spring bloom 30 Grilled sausages, for short 31 Out in the open 35 Fun, as a party 36 Jewelry retailer 38 Paddle kin 39 Hit the gym 42 Church donation 44 Tennis Court __: French Revolution event 45 Some patches 47 Rural areas serviced by just one airline? 51 Filmmaker George who won five Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation 52 __-Free: contact lens solution 53 Honor society letter 56 Second son 57 Flight that lasts seven days? 60 Covered 61 Eagle claw 62 Fabled napper 63 Numbers game 64 Mantegna’s “Criminal Minds” role 65 Pod in Creole cuisine

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37 Tennis great Arthur 40 Portuguese soccer great who now plays in Saudi Arabia 41 Musical based on Eliot poems 42 Specifically 43 Overnight stop 45 PC problem solvers 46 Corkscrew pasta

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THURSDAY, FEBURARY 8, 2024

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

7

Girls Play Sports puts on youth athletics programs By LEAH SCHROEDER

the daily northwestern @lmschroeder_

Each Sunday, the gym at Oakton College is abuzz with third- through eighth-grade girls playing sports, complete with occasional interjections from female college athletes and coaches. This is the sound of a program born from a partnership between Girls Play Sports, an Evanston-based nonprofit, and Oakton College. The program offers six 90-minute sessions from Jan. 21 to March 3. Each session introduces students to a sport of the week, practice time and lectures on topics like nutrition, how to be a good teammate and the importance of higher education. Oakton College Athletic Director Christine Paciero said she learned about Girls Play Sports after looking for ways to encourage female athletics. “Historically, young girls tend to drop out of sports by the time they get that upper middle school to high school level,” said Paciero, a former volleyball athlete and coach. Paciero and representatives from Girls Play Sports were in talks for almost a year before the program was put into play, she said. The series aims to not only encourage young girls to play sports but also to teach them important lessons about well-being and personal development through lectures following sports practices. To ensure accessibility, the program is priced at $10 per session, Paciero said. The girls can choose from specific sports and sessions — including basketball, pickleball, soccer, golf and tennis, softball and volleyball — or they can attend all six. So far, there has been an average of 10 girls each session, but Paciero hopes to expand the program and encourage greater participation in the future. “We wanted this to be accessible to all athletes, all young people, all families,” Paciero said. “If we continue this year after year, the program will grow and the popularity and the understanding of the goals of the program will grow as well.”

Illustration by Shveta Shah

The series began Jan. 21 and will end March 3.

Each session is facilitated by female Oakton athletes who teach their respective sports, as well as their female coaches. While both the athletes and the coaches have external commitments, it didn’t take much convincing for them to take on the role, Paciero said. Liz Maday, co-founder and director of programming at Girls Play Sports, said she recognizes the importance of the relationship between older and younger athletes. “Strong relationships from woman to young

The bird may be gone, but we're here to stay

girl are very important,” Maday said. “They can really have an impact and be a mentor for young kids who are trying to learn about themselves and are getting exposed to different sports and different opportunities.” Molly Chambers began participating in Girls Play Sports when she was a freshman in high school and went on to become a coach for the organization. She now plays softball at Princeton University. Chambers said she believes Girls Play Sports

empowers girls in the Evanston community and will ultimately have a nationwide impact as these girls go on to play sports across the country. “Oftentimes, girls aren’t even provided the opportunity to participate in sports or are very limited in what they think that they can do,” Chambers said. “It’s really empowering for these young girls to be leaders through sport.” leahschroeder2026@u.northwestern.edu

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Thursday, February 8, 2024

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Wildcats beat Cornhuskers 80-68 at Welsh-Ryan By LUCAS KIM

daily senior staffer @lucaskim_15

Fresh off consecutive overtime losses and three overtime periods in its last four contests, Northwestern returned to friendly territory for a rematch against Nebraska Wednesday. The squads last faced off a month ago when the Cornhuskers (16-8, 6-7 Big Ten) defended their homecourt in a 75-69 victory to hand the Wildcats (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) their third conference defeat. Looking to extend its 5-0 home conference record this season, NU regained its composure and handily put away Nebraska in a wire-to-wire 80-68 victory packed with postseason implications. By the first media timeout, the ‘Cats held a 10-6 lead with graduate student guards Ryan Langborg and Boo Buie hitting a pair of 3-pointers. NU refused to relinquish its lead, extending it to six after Langborg converted on an andone layup with nearly 12 minutes left in the half. Much to Nebraska’s chagrin,

that layup began a 14-2 run in favor of the hosts, culminating in junior guard Brooks Barnhizer’s putback layup that put the score at 30-15. During this run, senior guard Ty Berry and Langborg collected six points each. Throughout the period, the ‘Cats capitalized on their long range prowess. NU’s first-half advantage peaked at 42-25 on Buie’s fourth 3-pointer as the team entered intermission with a 16-point lead. At the break, Buie led all scorers with 17 points as Langborg followed closely behind with 13 of his own. The ‘Cats also exerted themselves physically, holding a 2-to-7 turnover advantage and collecting eight offensive boards. The second half began somewhat sloppily with both teams combining for six turnovers within the first three minutes. The Cornhuskers took advantage of NU’s cold 3-of-10 shooting clip to begin the period and managed to cut the lead to 11 with 13 minutes remaining. However, two consecutive 3-pointers by sophomore forward Nick Martinelli gave the ‘Cats a 19-point lead and the momentum to pull away for good. NU finished out the game

never letting the scoring margin drop below nine as Nebraska was only able to string together a few baskets at a time, resulting in a case of too little, too late. Here are three takeaways from the ‘Cats’ home victory against the Cornhuskers. 1. The NU explodes from deep Coach Chris Collins’ squad entered Wednesday averaging 8.5 3-point baskets a game, good for fourth in the conference. So, when the ‘Cats ended the first half having not only attempted 16 shots from beyond the arc, but also converted half of them, presumably not even Collins would have predicted such an outcome. The backcourt trio of Buie, Langborg and Berry led the way for NU’s 3-point barrage with each of the guards tallying at least two 3-pointers before the break. At one point midway through the first half, Berry and Langborg went back-and-forth from behind the arc, dropping nine points in less than 90 seconds.

To say Buie’s performance at Nebraska last month was uncharacteristic would be an understatement. The preseason All-American managed just nine points on 2-of-15 shooting, by far his lowest scoring output in a conference game all season. With the teams’ last matchup in the rearview mirror, Buie proved his doubters wrong and showcased a plethora of offensive tools in the first half. After earning a pair of baskets within the game’s first two minutes, the graduate student converted on four of his next

six attempts to extend the ‘Cats’ double-digit lead. Buie was the main catalyst for NU’s long range momentum, going 4-of-5 from downtown and assisting on three shots. 3. NU benefits from some Martinelli Magic Nebraska guard Brice Williams’ 3-pointer to cut the ‘Cats’ lead to 11 threatened to provide the visiting team the spark it needed to make a run. With Buie struggling to find a shot and the rest of the team

slowing down offensively, Collins turned to Martinelli, who had zero first-half points. Following a pair of Buie free throws, Martinelli went on a 10-0 run by himself, extending NU’s lead to a game-high 21 points. The sophomore was trusted with ball-handling duties on several possessions, finding shots often late in the shot clock and knocking down floaters in traffic. By the final buzzer, Martinelli scored 15 of the ‘Cats’ 33 secondhalf points on 6-of-9 from the field. lucaskim2025@u.northwestern.edu

Francesco Thorik-Saboia/The Daily Northwestern

2. Buie earns redemption from January’s Nebraska blunder

MEN’S TENNIS

FOOTBALL

NU defeats Duke, Braun to promote Alex Spanos UIC, falls to Oregon By JAKE EPSTEIN

By JACOB HARE

the daily northwestern @jacobkhare

It was an eventful weekend for Northwestern, as the tennis team powered through an intense schedule of three matches against No. 8 Duke, UIC and Oregon in just two days. In their first matchup of the weekend, the Wildcats hosted the Ducks, but failed to find any success against the PAC-12 squad, as NU was defeated 4-0. The ‘Cats showed promise in the early doubles stages as junior Felix Nordby and senior Gleb Blekher defeated David Cierny and Matthew Burton 6-3 on Court 1. However, that momentum halted after senior Presley Theineman and sophomore Chad Miller dropped their match 6-4 to Avi Shugar and Lachlan Robertson on Court 2, setting up a battle for a doubles point between freshman Greyson Casey and senior Saiprakash Goli against Ray Lo and Lenn Luemkemann. Casey and Goli fought down to the wire against Lo and Luemkemann but came up just short as the Ducks duo succeeded in a nail-biting 7-6 win to hand Oregon the doubles point. Once the match switched to the singles portion, NU’s woes on the court continued as the team dropped its first three matches, giving the Ducks the decisive 4-0 victory. In their second match of the weekend, the ‘Cats bounced back tremendously, beating No. 8 Duke 4-3 in front of their fans at Combe Tennis Center Sunday — but the victory didn’t come easily for NU. The ‘Cats came out of the gates hot against the Blue Devils, as Blekher and Nordby took down Garrett Johns and Pedro Rodenas 6-4 on Court 1, and Miller and Goli defeated Faris Khan and Connor Krug 6-4 on Court 3. After garnering an early 1-0 lead, NU continued its scorching hot start in the singles portion of the match as the ‘Cats

won the first two matches against Duke, featuring a commanding win from Nordby, who defeated Andrew Dale in two sets with scores of 6-3 and 6-2. However, things turned sideways quickly for the hosts as they dropped two consecutive matches, tying the contest at 3-3 and setting up a clash between Goli and Krug on Court 3 for the decisive point. Goli faced adversity in the match as he lost the first set 7-6, but quickly bounced back and took the second set with a pivotal 6-2 victory. In the third set, Goli and Krug went toe-to-toe, but the former managed to pull away with a 7-6 victory to hand ‘Cats the match point for a thrilling upset win over Duke. In their third match of the weekend and in the final part of a Sunday doubleheader, NU hosted UIC and maintained momentum from the team’s victory over Duke, defeating the Flames 4-1. The ‘Cats found the frontfoot once more as Miller and Goli defeated Randy Wilson and Artem Iermolov 6-1 on Court 3, and Casey and Theineman beat Robinson LeMeur and Aleksa Bucan 6-3 on Court 2. NU carried its success from doubles into the singles portion. Theineman was the first Wildcat to get in the win column during singles as he defeated Bucan in two sets in dominating fashion, winning the first set 6-0 and the second set 6-1. NU then got a second singles victory from Blekher as he easily defeated Wilson with scores of 6-0 in the first set and 6-2 in the second set. Following Blekher’s win, the ‘Cats dropped Court 3 in their lone singles loss but were able to secure the match victory as Miller defeated Mihailo Savic in a close two-set battle with scores of 6-4 in the first set and 6-3 in the second set. The ‘Cats will look to secure their third consecutive victory on Friday night when they host Alabama at the Combe Tennis Center. jacobhare2026@u.northwestern.edu

daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

After parting ways with former associate head coach in charge of defensive backs Matt MacPherson Northwestern head coach David Braun is expected to hire Harlon Barnett as the program’s next defensive backs coach, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Tuesday. Barnett spent 15 seasons on Michigan State’s defensive staff, serving as the Spartans’ interim head coach following Mel Tucker’s firing last September. Michigan State went 2-8 during his interim tenure, finishing

sixth in the Big Ten East. Although new Spartan head coach Jonathan Smith initially retained Barnett on his staff, Barnett said he wouldn’t return to East Lansing in December. He had held a bevy of coaching roles for the green and white, including cornerbacks coach, defensive backs coach and a three-season stint as co-defensive coordinator. “After 20 football seasons at Michigan State, five as a player, 15 as a coach, my time is up,” Barnett said. “It’s time for me to move on. I’m looking for opportunities at other programs, be it college or the NFL. I’m excited about it. It’s time.” A former fourth-round pick out of Michigan State, Barnett spent seven

seasons as an NFL safety, playing for the Browns, Patriots and Vikings. Following his final NFL season in 1996, Barnett tried his hand at sideline reporting during the Spartans’ 1997 season. He started his coaching career at the high school level in 1998, before he was a graduate assistant at LSU in 2003. Barnett also held coaching gigs at Cincinnati and Florida State. With more than two decades of coaching experience, Barnett will now oversee a Wildcat defensive back unit that marked one of NU’s top position groups in the 2023 season. jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

VOLLEYBALL

NU taps Tim Nollan as head coach By PALOMA LEONE-GETTEN

daily senior staffer @pleonegetten

Two months after Northwestern volleyball relieved former head coach Shane Davis of his duties, the program has tapped Tim Nollan to fill its coaching vacancy. Nollan spent the last eight years as Grand Canyon University’s head coach. There, he led the Lopes to five consecutive winning seasons and five top-three finishes in the Western Athletic Conference. Nollan concluded his time at GCU by spearheading the Lopes’ first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Before his time in Phoenix, Nollan worked on staff at the University of Southern California, his alma mater, from 2008 to 2015. Entering the program as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, Nollan was named the Trojans’ associate head coach in 2011. Nollan also served as Pepperdine University’s assistant coach from

2004 to 2007 and helped lead the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances. His recruiting efforts with the Trojans and the Waves have culminated in several top-ten recruiting classes in PrepVolleyball. com’s rankings. The Wildcats haven’t played an Daily file photo by Taylor Hancock

NCAA Tournament match since 2010 and are in a 35-year streak of sub-.500 conference records. But with Nollan’s appointment, there may be some hope for this perennial middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team. palomaleone-getten2026@u.northwestern.edu


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