The Daily Northwestern - May 20th, 2024

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The Daily Northwestern

Monday, May 20, 2024

8 A&E/Dillo Day ousands ock to lake ll for 52nd annual Dillo Day

AUDIO/NU Declassi ed eatre Prof. Barbara Bu s talks teaching leadership

12 SPORTS/Lacrosse No. 1 NU advances to h consecutive Final Four

A GULF APART

As Northwestern considers another decade in Qatar, some NU-Q students say Doha campus falls short of promise to include them in ‘Wildcat community’

By SAUL PINK and SAMANTHA POWERS daily senior staffers @saullpink / @sqpowers04

Muhammad, a junior at Northwestern University in Qatar, didn’t expect to be eating just one or two meals a day in college.

He dreamed of attending NU-Q — Northwestern’s campus in Doha — when he was in high school and said he was “happy and proud” to be accepted. But juggling a campus job, student loans and shifting financial aid policies has worn on him.

Since his parents couldn’t pay for his college education, Muhammad initially felt encouraged by NU-Q’s promise to meet all demonstrated financial need. But more than three years later, he struggles to make ends meet on his own.

NU-Q students pay the same tuition as their Evanston counterparts and receive diplomas with “Northwestern” emblazoned across the top. But, for some NU-Q students, the allure of attending NU’s Doha campus can seem more illusion than reality.

“We came to Qatar with the idea

Schill to testify before Congress

What to watch for on ursday

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

More than 700 miles east of Northwestern’s Evanston campus, University President Michael Schill will report to Capitol Hill on ursday to testify at a hearing before Congress. e proceedings are

that we will be part of Northwestern … they usually say it’s our home in Doha,” said Muhammad, who asked to use a pseudonym for fear of retaliation from NU-Q. “But then we realize that (it) is no such thing like a home. It’s just you and only you in Qatar.”

Since 2008, NU has offered a journalism and communication education to hundreds of students in Education City — a complex in Doha that arose from a Qatari government effort to bolster higher education in the Gulf state that now houses campuses for six U.S.-based universities.

NU-Q is fully funded by the Qatar Foundation, the state-led organization that launched Education City in 1997 and provides the majority of funding for campuses that operate there. Since NU-Q’s founding, NU’s main campus has largely maintained a hands-off approach to its only campus abroad, reaping modest benefits while assuming little financial risk.

Now, with NU’s contract set to expire at the end of the 2027-28 academic year, NU-Q’s future hinges on ongoing negotiations between University administrators and QF officials.

» See IN FOCUS , page 6

slated to begin at 9:15 a.m. CDT in the Rayburn House O ce Building. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce called Schill and the leaders of Rutgers University and the University of California, Los Angeles to appear for a hearing titled “Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos.”

» See SCHILL , page 10

By MISHA OBEROI the daily northwestern

A week a er the Oct. 7 Hamas a ack on Israel, 6-year-old Palestinian-American Wadee Alfayoumi was stabbed 26 times in his home in Plain eld, Illinois, in an alleged hate crime.

On Sunday evening, the First United Methodist Church in Chicago, also known as the Chicago Temple, held an interfaith service in Alfayoumi’s memory and to urge people to support a U.S. House resolution that honors him.

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago)

introduced H. Res. 942 in December 2023. e resolution advocates against hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination.

Although many resolutions have been passed recently by the House to denounce antisemitism, none have taken a stance against anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim discrimination, said the Rev. Anna Piela, co-associate regional minister of American Baptist Churches Metro Chicago and one of the event organizers, in a May 2 news release.

e resolution also calls upon elected o cials and media to “tell the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric” when relaying information about “factual information” to

the public. e service began at 4 p.m. and was coorganized by Piela; Her husband the Rev. Michael Woolf, also a co-associate regional minister of American Baptist Churches Metro Chicago; Asif Masood, interfaith and outreach coordinator at Muslim Community Center Chicago; and Deena Habbal, Muslim Civic Coalition communications lead. Woolf is also the senior minister at Lake Street Church of Evanston, which co-sponsored the event. It was also co-sponsored by the Muslim Community Center, the Muslim Civic Coalition, Tzedek Synagogue of Chicago and Jewish Voices for Peace Chicago.

See WADEE , page 10

Illustration by Ziye Wang

Generations of Evanston residents celebrate queer joy

By WILLIAM TONG daily senior staffer @william2tong

About 35 community members gathered at Roycemore School on Saturday evening for an All Ages Queer Joy Celebration. It was the rst planned collaboration between Evanston Pride, PFLAG Evanston and Gender A rming Evanston.

Some attendees danced to Taylor Swift, Madonna and Lil Nas X in one part of the school, while others made signs and other arts and crafts in the library. Organizers provided dinner, complete with pizza, rainbow napkins and Skittles.

e purpose of Saturday’s event was to create a safe place for people of all ages — particularly young people — to celebrate their families and identities, said Rada Yovovich, co-president and founding board member of Evanston Pride.

“Being able to make a space with the intention of creating a safe and inclusive and queer-centered dance — we all got very excited,” she said.

Several queer couples brought their children to the event. While they said Evanston is accepting toward LGBTQ+ people, some added that it’s still important for young people to have these opportunities.

For resident Luke Harris-Ferree — who moved to Evanston two years ago — the queer joy celebration was a space to feel comfortable as a family.

“For her to know that other families like ours exist and to have that space and to see other parents like her parents — we always try to open that space up to her,” Harris-Ferree said.

Harris-Ferree said he continues to bring his child to similar events so she can continue to learn about the diverse families and identities that exist.

Mary Molyneaux, who moved to Evanston in 2009, said her family attended Saturday’s event to help her daughter feel comfortable and confident being the child of LGBTQ+ parents, especially since most students come from straight

families.

“We want to show her there’s people for everyone,” said Molyneaux, who married her wife in 2010.

Yovovich said because many school events like prom or other dances tend to be more heteronormative, these events are especially important opportunities for young people.

In addition to dancing and arts and cra s, organizers hosted an open mic toward the end of the celebration. Resident Zachary Wandel sang Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”

MAY 23–26

“That song is very special to be nice to other people, treat people right, be friendly, don’t say bad names to other people,” Wandel said. “I just wanted to show people I care about everyone.”

Yovovich said Saturday’s joint event between Evanston Pride, PFLAG and Gender A rming Evanston represents the beginning of a long-term partnership the groups are naming the Queer Joy Consortium.

Evanston Pride will host Evanston’s annual pride youth car parade on June 2. e three groups are also hoping to o er community information

sessions about gender-a rming care and LGBTQ support in schools, Evanston PFLAG board member Jenny Heckathorne said.

With legislation around the country being passed “against the queer community,” people need to come together to celebrate queer joy, Heckathorne said.

“ is has been so much fun,” she said. “I think that we will probably start planning more celebration stu as well.”

williamtong2026@u.northwestern.edu

Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday at 3 p.m. Director Joachim Schamberger

Conductor Benjamin Manis Northwestern University

Orchestra Cahn Auditorium, $18/8

William Tong/The Daily Northwestern

About 35 community members attended the queer joy celebration Saturday evening.

Student groups host affinity formals

By KELLEY LU the daily northwestern @kelleylu_

The final stretch of Spring Quarter brings a myriad of events, including formals hosted by student affinity groups.

Hundreds of students travel around Chicagoland each year for an evening of fun to celebrate their communities and cultures at events like Middle Eastern North African Student Association Formal, Chinese Students Association Formal and Queer Prom. Weinberg junior and Black Formal Co-President Ashley Brobbey said the organization aims to relieve stress, gather students from all grades and operate independent of specific affinity-association to bring “joy in the Black community.”

Brobbey said Black Formal formed after the results from a previous Black Student Experience Report called for “a need for a specific formal for black identified students at Northwestern.”

“In the past, we’ve seen formals for lots of different social groups, and the formals that were hosted for the Black community were often Greek-related,” Brobbey said. “So we wanted to just have one that was separate and inclusive of everyone and happening annually.”

For smaller communities on campus, SESP sophomore and Vietnamese Student Association Co-President Anna Truong said formals bring students of diverse backgrounds together. VSA joins the Indonesian Students’ Association, Thai Student Association, Singaporean student group The Red Dot and Philippine-American student group Kaibigan to form the Southeast Asian Alliance.

Because these five Southeast Asian organizations operate independently of one another, this year’s SEA Formal — “SEAcret Garden” — looks to celebrate culture and traditions with affinity members among the groups, Truong said.

“There’s not a huge (Southeast Asian) population here,” Truong said. “So it’s a chance for them to celebrate their culture and be with those who understand their culture and their traditions and really have this sense of community on campus.”

SEA Formal will be hosted at a pho restaurant to

support a local South Asian business and enjoy its cuisine, Truong said.

South Asian Students Alliance Formal, held on May 3, provided attendees with traditional Indian food and music and offered the opportunity to dress in South Asian attire.

Weinberg sophomore Anitej Siluveru, SASA’s Co-Director of Social Affairs, said many members in the group are children of first or second-generation Americans, making it difficult for them to connect with their culture.

“We thought it would be a fun experience to create this space where people would be able to have an opportunity to dress up,” Siluveru said. “At the same time, if you are a foreign student studying here from a South Asian country, you maybe don’t have many opportunities to express that area of your culture.”

Though the formals are attended mainly by members of the groups to celebrate community and culture, some were also open to non-members.

Silveru said many SASA members invited

friends to attend their formal to enjoy the evening.

“We’re trying to create a big event that is able to celebrate South Asian culture on campus in a way that it was celebrating our culture and also just bringing people together,” Silveru said.

Brobbey said she joined the organizing committee for Black Formal to host an event for students to look forward to at the end of the school year and “see physical joy on people’s faces.”

Because the venue-finding process can be tedious due to contract negotiations with the University, Brobbey said organizers of Black Formal begin planning the following year’s formal immediately following the event’s conclusion.

“I just wanted to help people and make sure that the Black students could find joy in something, because it’s already a rough experience at Northwestern,” Brobbey said. “This year was pretty successful, and we’re excited to do it again for next year.”

kelleylu2027@u.northwestern.edu

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Illustration by Kelley Lu

Students enjoy an evening of dress-up and dancing with members of their affinity groups.

Northwestern University congratulates the winners of the 2024 University Teaching Awards

Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence

MASI ASARE

Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction

BARBARA BUTTS

Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Clinical Professor

MEI-LING HOPGOOD

Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction

ILYA MIKHELSON

Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence

CYNTHIA NAZARIAN

Left to Right: Ilya Mikhelson, Cynthia Nazarian

Left to Right: Masi Asare, Barbara Butts, Mei-Ling Hopgood

Vigil seeks peaceful resolution to Israel-Gaza con ict

By HANNAH WEBSTER and ANAVI PRAKASH the daily northwestern @hannahe_webster / @anavi_52

About 120 people gathered at Fountain Square Sunday to call for a bilateral ceasefire and the release of hostages on both sides of the war in Israel and Gaza.

The “Solidarity Vigil for Justice and Peace” was organized by Standing Together, a movement formed by Jewish and Palestinian Israeli citizens in 2015 that later spread to the U.S.

Many attendees dressed in purple — an apolitical color in Israeli politics — and held signs with phrases like “Ceasefire now,” “Equality, safety and freedom for all” and “Bring them all home now.”

Hila Ratzabi, the event’s organizer, said the vigil was a space for people to prioritize human lives over political conflict.

“It’s OK to stand for the humanity of everyone who is suffering right now,” she said. The vigil comes as Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials. The militant group Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed about 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli officials.

Ratzabi organized a coalition of speakers that spanned multiple faiths. Imam Sheikh Hassan Aly, Faisal Alabsy, Nizam Khatib, and Rabbis Lizzi Heydemann and Danya Ruttenberg also spoke at the vigil.

Ratzabi said she picked the other speakers because she trusted them to stand for both a hostage release and total ceasefire. Alabsy and Khatib worked on proposed ceasefire resolutions in the Chicago area that were “sensitive to the traumas of both peoples,” she said.

Ruttenberg, a Chicago-based activist and author, spoke about the Oral Torah and Qur’an and said a release of hostages was in line with the beliefs of both Judaism and Islam.

“We redeem hostages because ‘pikuach nefesh,’ because saving lives is one of the most critical principles in our corpus,” Ruttenberg said. “Yet, over 35,000 Palestinians have been murdered over the last seven months — children, women, the elderly, the disabled.”

She then led the crowd in a chant of

“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

Evanston resident Howard Cohen said there is a lot of attention being given to the “direct opposition” between Israel and Gaza.

Since December, several local groups have demanded a ceasefire — including at City Council meetings — but the City has not passed a ceasefire resolution. Cohen said this kind of community action in response to the conflict is “happening everywhere.”

Aly, the Imam and Director of Religious affairs at the Mecca Center in Willowbrook, emphasized that all people are equal inside and outside their suffering. He said when people are suffering, it is crucial to amplify their voices and stand against injustice.

Aly added that peace should be a universal cause so the next generation can coexist harmoniously.

“A Muslim child can grow up next to a Christian child, can grow up next to a Jewish child, can grow up next to every child, who dream of a better future as everybody else,” Aly said.

Skokie resident Ashley Donohue attended the vigil with her two children. She said it was important that, as Jewish people, her family members understand the need for equality and peace.

She hopes her children understand that they can make a difference even living far away, she said.

“There’s so much noise here in Evanston and here in Chicago,” she said. “I think it’s important to show what it looks like to be caring about humanity on both sides.”

The event also included poetry readings and a musical performance. Ratzabi said they were “empowering” and helped her feel

connected to everyone, especially at a time when it’s difficult to feel hopeful.

During the vigil, Emma Jacobson and Benji Weiss sang “There Must Be Another Way,” an Israeli song with a mix of English, Arabic and Hebrew lyrics, and the crowd sang along to the chorus. Jacobson, who performs musical theatre in Chicago, said she got involved with Standing Together because a lot of her extended family lives in Israel and because members of Mishkan, her Jewish congregation, are also involved with the organization.

Another Standing Together member, Chicago resident Terrie Albano, joined the organization a few years ago and held a meetup to introduce others to the organization in January. Albano said she was drawn to the group because it represents her core beliefs, calling herself “pro-peace,” “pro-Israel” and “pro-Palestinians.”

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann echoed this sentiment. During her speech, she also guided attendees through chants of “we need to tell a new story” and “freedom, justice, safety, peace, from Gaza to Tel Aviv.”

Alabsy, who grew up in Qibya, a small town in the West Bank, added that people in Israel, Palestine and the U.S. should speak up about the war.

“Our actions centered around (the idea that) justice and humanity will certainly lead to security and peace for everyone,” he said. “We are living the harshest devastation (of) our communities in recent times.”

Ratzabi said wars are safe for no one and that innocent civilians should not be punished for no reason. She said Israelis and Palestinians must work together to create a future free of “pain, fear and occupation.”

Ratzabi added that the event aimed to present collaboration between the two groups as a plausible option.

“I want them to take away the idea that there’s a different vision that’s available,” she said. “That doesn’t mean taking one side or the other, but to stand in solidarity with all the people who are suffering, to stand in solidarity with both Palestinians and Israelis.” hannahwebster2027@u.northwestern.edu anaviprakash2027@u.northwestern.edu

Hannah Webster/The Daily Northwestern

Community members gathered to hear speakers call for a ceasefire and hostage release in the conflict in Israel and Gaza at the “Solidarity Vigil for Justice and Peace” on Sunday.

The upcoming contract decision underscores the disconnect between NU’s two undergraduate campuses 7,000 miles apart — and the complexities of NU lending its name to a school for which it doesn’t foot the bill.

The Daily sent a detailed list of questions to NU on topics ranging from the current negotiations to the nature of its relationship with QF.

The University declined to answer the questions prior to the publication of this investigation.

“Northwestern has partnerships with educational institutions in more than three dozen countries around the world, including two universities in Israel,” University spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso told The Daily in a single statement. “We maintain a campus in Doha, Qatar, that educates students from more than 50 nationalities to positively impact the region.”

The Qatar Foundation and NU-Q also did not respond to questions sent by The Daily prior to publication.

At NU-Q, the past few years have been marked by insufficient student wages, a lack of institutional support, and rapid shifts in admissions and financial aid policies, several students told The Daily.

“Sometimes, prospective students tell me they would like to be part of the Wildcat community in Qatar,” Muhammad said. “But I was thinking, ‘should I tell them the truth?’ … What’s advertised is not real.”

‘We don’t have money to eat’

When Muhammad was admitted to NU-Q in December 2020 under the school’s former needblind admissions policy, he expected that all of his costs would be covered.

“Financial aid usually covers room and board in American institutions, so I was expecting the same,” Muhammad said. “But in our situation, NU-Q isn’t giving us coverage for our meals.”

Unlike NU’s Evanston campus, which has five dining halls, NU-Q has none. Instead, as a freshman, Muhammad received a card, loaded with a one-time stipend of 1,000 QAR — or $274 — that he could use at one of the cafes on campus. The class of 2027 did not receive a dining card when they arrived on campus in the fall.

Once Muhammad’s dining stipend ran out, he had to pay for his own groceries or eat out. The one-time stipend often doesn’t last beyond the first semester of college. And in Doha — the capital of the 20th most expensive country in the world — student wages often prove insufficient to cover the cost of meals.

Muhammad said he usually eats a piece of fruit for breakfast from NU-Q’s “Grab n Go” fridge before class each day. A new addition starting this past fall, the fridge is open before 2:30 p.m. on class days. He said the limited hours present an inconvenience, considering it’s the only consistent option for free food on campus.

that, ‘Oh, actually, we don’t have money to eat.’”

Similar to NU’s Evanston campus, part-time, on-campus jobs are available for NU-Q students who need to supplement food and transportation costs. But students cannot work more than 20 hours per week in these jobs under NU-Q’s policy.

Even though NU-Q raised the minimum hourly wage from 27 QAR to 30 QAR — or about $7.41 to $8.24 — in December 2021, students say those 20 hours still weren’t enough to help them make ends meet.

In January, NU-Q raised the minimum hourly wage again to 45 QAR — or $12.36 — but Muhammad said he still has to skip meals to remain financially afloat.

NU-Q also capped work-study wages at $2,000 per semester in 2023, subsequently raising it to $4,000 in January.

I really wanted to plant the Northwestern flag abroad, and I thought this was a beginning. Particulalry, since they were going to pay for it

NU-Q junior Maria Lisboa-Ward started a part-time job as soon as she arrived on campus her freshman year but found it still wasn’t enough to cover her costs.

As an international student paying her own way through school, Lisboa-Ward said she often hit the maximum number of hours she was allowed to work each week.

“I needed to put all the hours in every week because otherwise, I’m not buying food,” she said of the initial cap. “That was really limiting, because depending on a student job for your basic needs is stressful.”

NU-Q tightens aid, admissions policies

In the 2022-23 academic year, NU-Q switched from need-blind to need-aware admissions, meaning the amount of financial aid an applicant needs would now factor into whether they were admitted.

Before 2023, NU-Q admissions were needblind for all first-year, transfer, domestic and international students, according to its website. This policy is different from NU’s Evanston campus, where admissions are only need-blind for applicants from the U.S.

“We understand that a university education also involves a significant financial decision for many students and their families,” the webpage read in October 2022. “As such we are committed to ensuring that this rigorous process is both accessible and affordable.”

Now, the page states that NU-Q “cannot assume responsibility for economic changes such as currency fluctuation, increases in cost of living, or loss of parental employment” or “replace lost support a student may have expected to receive.”

Abdelrahman Abouzid, an NU-Q graduate who now works at the Qatar Support Office in Evanston, said he didn’t know the details of the decision to go needaware but said it makes sense that the campus would be tightening its expenditures.

I really wanted to plant the Northwestern flag abroad, and I thought that this was the beginning. Particularly, since they were going to pay for it.

HENRY BIENEN Former NU President

In response to these struggles, students face an administration that, to some, appears unreceptive to student concerns.

To address students’ difficulties affording food, NU-Q gave a slideshow presentation in Spring 2023 for students called “Budgeting 101.” The slideshow offered examples of weeklong plans for eating three meals a day on a budget, according to photos obtained by The Daily.

In one slide, instant noodles with a cupcake and a side salad was the suggested lunch. The breakfast of choice was oatmeal and a banana. Another slide, featuring a large yellow smiley face, offered “Helpful Tips,” such as “find cheaper alternatives” and “bulk (buy) during promotions rather than one-time purchases.”

Muhammad said some faculty seem unaware of the struggles he and other international students on financial aid face.

“I wish professors would understand our situation because sometimes it seems like they’re from another planet,” he said. “Some of them were really surprised when students were sharing with them

repayment of all amounts owed.

The contract outlines 11 reasons why QF may be permitted to do this, including if the student or their guarantor has “willfully suppressed” any fact that QF finds to be “material” or if a situation arises which, “in the opinion of QF,” will affect the student’s ability to repay their loan.

In contrast, students at NU’s main campus can qualify for various loans from the federal government, private lenders and the University itself.

Until last year, if a QF loan was not sufficient to cover a student’s demonstrated need, NU-Q would use its own budget — also made up of QF funds — to make up the difference.

But starting with the class of 2027, NU-Q ended this policy. It will still make up the difference for students graduating before 2027.

“I can totally see how Northwestern Qatar (just) realized it wasn’t sustainable anymore,” Abouzid said. “Because the aid packages that were provided were pretty significant.”

Like the rest of its finances, financial aid at NU-Q is intertwined with QF. Students with financial need don’t receive aid through the University.

Instead, they apply for interest-free loans from QF, which they can pay back either through installments or “service” in Qatar for a designated period of time.

Under the service plan, QF forgives NU-Q students’ loans if they work or study at an approved institution in Qatar for up to six years, including media companies like Al Jazeera and an array of Qatari government ministries. The repayment plan consists of monthly payments amounting to no more than 15% of the student’s monthly salary.

Prior to coming to NU-Q, Lisboa-Ward said the admissions team told her she could choose from about 300 pre-approved institutions to work at after graduation to pay off her loan. An admissions brochure from the 2019-20 school year made the same promise.

A 2023 list of approved companies obtained by The Daily, however, shows just 96 options for students to work at.

Contracts that outline the terms of students’ loans from QF also give the organization leeway to terminate students’ aid.

A copy of a 2021 loan contract obtained by The Daily reads that QF has “absolute discretion” to immediately suspend or terminate a student’s financial aid agreement and demand

“I really wanted to plant the Northwestern flag abroad, and I thought that this was a beginning,” Bienen told The Daily in May. “Particularly, since they were going to pay for it.”

Since NU-Q’s 2008 opening, NU has held that its relationship with QF is strictly financial. NU admits students, selects its faculty and designs the curriculum — and QF pays for it. University spokespeople declined to comment on NU’s role in operating NU-Q or what the relationship between the two universities might look like in the future.

Sometimes, prospective students tell me they would like to be part of the Wildcat community in Qatar. But I was thinking, ‘should I tell the truth?’ What’s advertised is not real.

NU-Q JUNIOR

Starting with the class of 2027, stu - dents must pay the difference themselves, seek other loans and scholarships outside of NU-Q, or appeal for a higher loan from QF. The only other option for a full subsidy of their tuition is “a limited number of highly competitive” merit scholarships, according to the financial aid website.

The University did not comment on why it made the switch to need-aware admissions and changed its financial aid policy.

Students at Texas A&M University at Qatar, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar and Weill Cornell MedicineQatar are offered the same QF loan system as their NU-Q counterparts.

But students at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Georgetown University in Qatar have access to need-based grants that don’t require any repayment.

Muhammad describes Georgetown students as living an “ideal life.” Without loans to pay off, he said he would be able to focus on his studies. But at NU-Q, that is not the reality.

“In our case, it’s really difficult because you have to maintain your GPA,” Muhammad said. “If you don’t have a good GPA, then even the loan (could) be canceled.”

‘They were going to pay for it’

When then-University President Henry Bienen first heard QF’s offer to fund a journalism and communications campus in Doha, the deal sounded too good to refuse.

The University would lend its name brand, curriculum, degrees and some professors to the Doha campus, but it wouldn’t use any of its own funds to do so. QF would also give NU undisclosed gifts, in addition to funding the campus, according to a 2007 article in The Daily.

On top of the financial benefits, the deal also offered an opportunity for NU to burnish its global brand, eventually in the form of a towering stone building with a three-story LED screen donning the name “Northwestern University in Qatar.”

“The relationship between Qatar Foundation and Northwestern is more of a donor relationship,” said Abouzid, the Qatar Support Office staffer. “It doesn’t get involved in policies, get involved in the curriculum (or) what’s being taught or discussed in the classrooms.” Still, NU is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Qatari money among Education City schools. The University has received more than $500 million in contracts from Qatar since its first agreement in 2007 — the third most among U.S. universities in Education City, according to U.S. Department of Education data.

“There’s no negatives for the University financially,” Bienen told The Daily in 2007 of the contract with QF. “There are only positives financially.”

NU’s contract with QF, first approved in 2007 and renewed in 2016, is not publicly available. The Daily obtained copies of VCU and Texas A&M’s contracts with QF for their Education City campuses through public records requests.

VCU and Texas A&M’s contracts require QF to pay the U.S. universities an annual “management fee.” Through the Texas A&M contract, QF gives the U.S. campus $7 million annually, with an additional $3 million available if the Doha campus meets certain thresholds for hiring long-term faculty members, enrolling Qatari students and collaborating with universities and institutions in Qatar.

According to Medill Prof. Craig LaMay, the former director of NU-Q’s journalism program who served as the campus’ acting dean in 2020, QF has a similar deal with NU — and it’s “no secret.”

“For years, I’ve heard administrators at both campuses talk pretty openly about it, and even the amount, which is about $6 million annually,” he said.

In addition, NU has received about $16 million in gifts from Qatari entities since 2009 — more than any other foreign country. Gifts can include endowed professorships, donations to specific NU schools, scholarship funding for undergraduate students or any other funding that doesn’t require NU to give anything specific in return.

This figure positions NU as the third-largest beneficiary of Qatari gifts since 2001 among U.S. universities, behind only Georgetown and Texas A&M.

QF also provides research funding to NU faculty who partner with a Qatari institution. QF awarded 17 grants to NU between 2012 and 2018, ranging from $650,000 to $5 million.

The VCU and Texas A&M contracts stipulate certain circumstances where QF’s relationship with the U.S. university can go beyond just finances. The contracts allow QF to have a voice in curriculum changes if they pose “a significant budgetary or academic impact” while not infringing on “the academic freedom of faculty regarding curricular decisions.”

There’s

them. For example, NU’s ombudsperson — a confidential third party who can act as a mediator, a liaison to the University or a listening ear — occasionally visits the Doha campus but does not have a regular presence there, like many other University resources.

Some students told The Daily that NU’s ombudsperson visits NU-Q once a year, but University spokespeople declined to confirm this fact.

financially.

“Students come to Qatar as 18-year-olds who, often, have not left their country, who don’t have a job secured yet (and) who don’t know how they’re gonna pay the bills,” Lisboa-Ward said. “They’re supposed to figure it out on their own, in a different country with no money, no parents and a different language.”

Lisboa-Ward said she struggled to navigate between NU-Q and QF to renegotiate her financial aid contract after she got married the summer before her junior year.

When she got engaged, Lis -

no

LaMay said QF stays true to its promise of not intervening in classroom curriculum. But he recalled one incident during his tenure as dean when he had to cancel a speaking event featuring a prominent Leb anese band whose lead singer is openly gay. “The pressure to cancel came from somewhere in the gov ernment, not from QF,” LaMay said. “I think QF was as dis appointed as we were.”

support, not at all. It’s mostly the business and finance department dealing with you.

boa-Ward informed the QF financial aid office and NU-Q’s human resources department and was told she didn’t need to do anything to keep her financial aid pack-

The mental health resources at NU-Q are also lacking when compared to NU in Evanston, according to some students. NU-Q’s Office of Counseling and Wellness is staffed by one person, as of mid-May, who is expected to serve the mental health needs of approximately 330 students.

In Evanston, Counseling and Psychological Services has at least 38 people on staff, according to its website, and faces calls for reduced wait times for appointments and more staff members who are trained to support students who represent a range of identities.

Students have previously called attention to discrepancies in mental health services between NU’s two undergraduate campuses.

Evanston students who spend a semester in Doha have also noticed the difference in support between the two campuses.

Maria Ximena Aragon (Medill ’23) — a former Daily staffer — was eager to participate in Medill’s “Semester in Qatar” program when she first heard about it her freshman year. But, by the time she finished the program as a senior in Fall 2022, she felt it was very different from what she expected.

As an exchange student, she was also not allowed to have a student job, forcing her to find other ways to cover all the necessary expenses — including meals. And since at the start of the semester, Aragon was staying in a freshman dorm, which was not equipped with kitchens, she said she was expected to eat out every day. Given high prices in Doha, this was untenable, she added. “As a first-generation, low-income student, something I relied on is Northwestern’s help and its aid, and I didn’t feel like I had that support when I was out there,” Aragon said.

Looking ahead

Now, NU administrators and QF leaders are negotiating the terms that could bring students to the Doha campus past the 202728 academic year. NU-Q admitted its class of 2028 in the spring — the last class set to graduate before the current contract expires.

University President Michael Schill postponed an early May trip to Doha for NU-Q’s graduation. He planned to meet with NU-Q Dean Marwan Kraidy and QF leadership to continue discussing the contract, he told The Daily in March.

NU didn’t announce its most recent contract renewal — for a contract that expired in the 2017-18 academic year — until February 2016.

While NU cited safety concerns as the reason for the cancellation, QF said the event was canceled because it conflicted with the organization’s mission and Qatari customs.

‘There’s no support’

The undergraduate tuition is the same in both Evanston and Doha — $64,887 for the 2023-24 academic year — and NU-Q students receive the same degrees they would get after four years of studying journalism or communications on the shores of Lake Michigan.

NU-Q students often hear that they are Wildcats just like their Evanston counterparts. But for many students, the experience hasn’t lived up to that promise.

The entirety of NU-Q is housed in one building, which many students say lacks sufficient common spaces or other features that might generate a community feel.

Students also say they lack some concrete resources and support from the administration. Many offices that exist on NU’s Evanston campus are nonexistent at NU-Q. But NU-Q refers students to Evanston offices in certain cases.

Still, the University’s support services for students can feel distant or inaccessible in Doha. This makes it all the more challenging to navigate the complexities of NU-Q, QF and NU’s main campus and the interplay between

age, she said. Then, when she informed the Office of Business and Finance at NU-Q that she was married, her NU-Q financial aid was immediately revoked.

True to its word, QF agreed to keep her loan contract the same for the upcoming academic year. NU-Q, however, refused to make up the difference between the loan and her estimated financial aid until she submitted an appeal.

After her aid was canceled at the end of August, Lisboa-Ward was given until October to resubmit her financial aid application in its entirety, with her husband as her new guarantor.

She said advocating for herself in discussions with the Financial Aid Office got her “nowhere.”

“There’s no support, not at all,” she said. “It’s mostly the business and finance department dealing with you.”

Lisboa-Ward, an international student from Brazil, added that NU-Q does not provide a special orientation for international students — who make up more than 40% of the student body — besides a day trip through downtown Doha.

In contrast, NU’s Evanston campus offers “International Wildcat Welcome,” a weeklong program for undergraduates traveling to NU from outside the U.S.

Lisboa-Ward said she has experienced a lack of “empathy” from NU-Q toward international students who are struggling to adjust to a new country while supporting themselves

Aragon was drawn to the exchange program when she heard that it came with an opportunity to travel outside the country and explore other countries in the Mid dle East.

But by the time she got to NU-Q, that program had been canceled.

In Doha, Aragon said she struggled to find a point of contact for herself and other exchange students. When she approached the Student Life Office for sup port, she was told to talk to Evanston staff, none of whom “had the time” to meet with her.

The level of education is being provided to students who otherwise may not have another option. It is often also that the well-being of those students is often quite disregarded.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M abruptly announced in February it was closing its Qatar campus by 2028 because of “heightened instability in the Middle East,” according to a news release, raising questions about the longevity of U.S. universities in Education City. University spokespeople declined to comment on the status of contract negotiations with QF. As the national anthems of both the U.S. and Qatar played at NU-Q’s graduation on May 6, LaMay stood next to Kraidy holding a ceremonial mace inscribed with “Northwestern in Qatar” in Arabic. After seven years at NU-Q, he is returning to Evanston in the fall to teach at Medill.

“NU-Q has excellent journalism faculty and some truly exceptional students from all over the world, some of the best I’ve ever had at Northwestern,” LaMay told The Daily.

In Evanston, Aragon said she often relied on Student Enrichment Services — a program dedicated to supporting first-generation, lower-income and undocumented students — for community and support.

While he’s not directly involved in the upcoming negotiations, his biggest concern for NU-Q’s future isn’t finances. Rather, he says the University should rededicate itself to an initial commitment of fostering press freedom in Qatar, cautioning against what he describes as a shift away from journalistic practice and toward the academic study of media.

“One obvious question would be, what was the mission when (NU-Q) opened in 2008, and how does the University measure success now?” LaMay said. “With respect to journalism, the answer is mixed.”

Muhammad said he was proud of the outgoing seniors, particularly international students, for finding success despite difficulties they faced as students.

But he often thinks about the name that will be at the top of his degree when he walks across the stage a year from now.

“Aren’t we a part of globally ranked Northwestern University?” Muhammad said. “That’s the question that we still can’t answer.”

Lisboa-Ward said instability from the administration is par for the course at NU-Q and students suffer because of it. She added that students live in a “culture of fear” over what could change at any moment.

But, she also acknowledged the benefits of attending NU, albeit across the globe from Evanston.

“This level of education is being provided to students who otherwise may not have another option. It often is also that the wellbeing of these students is often quite disregarded,” Lisboa-Ward said. “This is amazing as a project, but it needs to really work.”

saulpink2025@u.northwestern.edu samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

MARIA LISBOA-WARD NU-Q Junior

MARIA LISBOA-WARD NU-Q Junior

Mayfest co-chairs discuss preparation for Dillo Day

By MARY RANDOLPH daily senior staffer @marywrandolph

Mayfest Productions has been pu ing together Dillo Day, the largest student-run music festival in the country, for over 50 years. A er a year of preparation, the planning for Dillo 52 is in its nal stretch as Saturday’s festival nears. e Daily sat down with Mayfest’s co-chairs, rst-year engineering design innovation graduate student Darya Daneshmand and Weinberg junior Alexandra Kahn, to hear more about the group’s processes and goals.

is interview has been lightly edited and condensed for brevity and clarity.

e Daily: Walk me through Mayfest’s process over the course of the year leading up to Dillo Day.

Daneshmand: In the summer, we do onboarding, exec recruitment and goal se ing for the year. Fall Quarter is fairly slow, but one big thing that does happen is recruitment, and that went really well this year. Commi ees just get prepped, and their new members get acclimated. ey go into Winter Quarter, and things really just hit the ground at that point.

Across our 10 commi ees, they all start working on all kinds of projects to get us all set up for Dillo. And then spring is just absolute organized chaos, especially in these last few weeks. Our job is really just to support the commi ees as best we can and make sure that our goals are in the right places so that we can continue to make this experience be er for the student body.

Kahn: For the booking process, we do start looking at stu over the summer. e beginning of spring is when we end up being done. We always try to aim for earlier, but it’s a lot of trial and error. Sometimes you send for people, and because of scheduling con icts, it doesn’t work out. So usually we have a bunch of mock lineups that we do. It’s a big puzzle that we put together, and we’re taking from di erent areas until we nd the right pieces that fall into place.

e Daily: What were some of your goals for Dillo Day 2024?

Daneshmand: We wanted to make sure that this year there were more ways of ge ing out really essential information, such as wristbands and trying to get people to come early and know more about what is to be expected on the day of so that everyone’s prepared to have a really safe, positive experience.

We also wanted to continue to expand our Student Intervention Service team which is within our operations team and started last year to really focus on safety and overseeing everything going on on the Lake ll. ey get trained in things like de-escalation, and it was a really positive experience, and we got a lot of great feedback on it. Internally, we just wanted to make the craziness in the spring easier and smoother for people, and that just comes down to being organized about how things are ge ing done.

Kahn: Another big goal going into the year was something that has been talked about for a really long time: implementing metal detection, which is kind of industry standard in music festivals across the country. And so all year we’ve been really working to implement that, and we’re really excited that we’re going to have wand-ing at the

entrance this year. It’s going to be a new experience for everyone, so we’re really trying to make sure that people know what’s going to happen and know what to expect.

The Daily: What else is new to the festival this year?

Daneshmand: We ran our own merch this year, and that was something really exciting. That money that we make off of that merch can actually come back into supporting Dillo and making the experience better for people.

Kahn: The other thing is this year, we’re actually going to have a big entranceway to the festival, which we were able to collaborate with a couple sponsors for. It’s going to feel like you’re really going into a real live music festival, and it’s going to have photo ops on it and stuff. We have some really great sponsors this year, like NYX, the makeup brand. We love to work with local Evanston businesses, and that’s always a priority for us, but we also want to have those high-level brands present to have that good mix.

The Daily: What advice would you give to students for the festival this year?

Kahn: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I think it’s important that people have fun, but also make sure that you are in a state where you can still experience the festival.

Also, go to sets where you don’t know who the artists are. I’ve had a lot of people I’ve talked to from past Dillos where they actually find one of their new favorite artists from people that we bring to Dillo. We’ve been on the forefront of getting artists right before they blow up. The EDM sets are usually in the beginning of the day, but they’re honestly some of the most fun because it’s basically like being in a club but on the Lakefill.

Daneshmand: People should go see a set on second stage. (For Members Only) really killed it on the lineup this year. It’s so worth getting to actually see artists at both stages. It’s how you get the best experience at Dillo.

The Daily: What does the theme Camp Dillo mean to you?

Daneshmand: It feels like summer camp. I will probably be bringing my CamelBak. I really love that the theme is really fun for the student body, and it’s also really fun for our graphic designers to get a new theme every year and build their skills. We thought that it would be hopefully another year of people having a relatively accessible theme to dress for. There’s a lot that you can pull from that’s nostalgic with a theme like that. I hope people have a fun time dressing for it and engaging with the Lakefill programming that we have surrounding it.

The Daily: What are your hopes for future Dillo Days?

Daneshmand: We’re really trying to figure out a way to make it easier for the booking committee to book artists even earlier because we know how much pressure it would take off of them.

Kahn: Every year, we want to level up the festival and get it closer and closer to Lollapalooza. It’s also my dream to have a female headliner. That’s something I would love to see.

maryrandolph2026@u.northwestern.edu

By BETSY LECY the daily northwestern @betsy_lecy

Stacked friendship bracelets, hiking boots, camouflage reinvented and beach bliss have been on the minds of Northwestern students since Mayfest Productions announced Dillo Day’s theme “Camp Dillo” in January. With graphics of nostalgic flags and tents, the theme will bring outdoor-themed couture to the Lakefill for Saturday’s festival.

A collaboration between Mayfest Productions and Stitch Magazine on social media showcased a series of camp-centric outfits for student inspiration, including overalls and vests, tropical colors and patterns, and a girl scout-esque costume using fishing vests and iron-on patches.

Weinberg freshman Riley Hause said she turned instead toward fashion featured in previous music festivals including Coachella, Stagecoach and Ultra in Miami.

With this collection of inspiration, Hause said she plans to draw from outside her usual wardrobe with a multi-colored tube top, a cargo skirt and plenty of hair clips and body chain accessories.

“A lot of fun accessories, fun colors, fun pieces,” Hause said. “Something a little out of my comfort zone.”

Weinberg freshman Madison Rozwat said she browsed Pinterest for outfit inspiration, which motivated her to purchase a white top adorned with flowers and reuse a pair of jean shorts she owns.

She said the top draws from themes of

Prior to this year, the Associated Student Government funded the majority of Dillo Day. For Dillo Day 52, though, Northwestern surpassed ASG in its funding toward the annual event.

From 2019 to 2023, ASG allocated between $344,000 and $366,000 to Mayfest Productions annually. is year, ASG’s funding dropped to approximately $250,000, although the overall Mayfest budget increased following the University’s contribution of $479,000.

Students don camo, vests and overalls for camp theme

nature, while the jean material reflects the ultimate thread of summer camp.

“It reminds me of summer, and I feel like camp is a very summertime thing,” Rozwat said.

Medill freshman Marcus Kim said he found it difficult to find mediums to draw from as a man.

He said many of his friends are planning their costumes last-minute, so he doesn’t have any other ideas to bounce off of.

“I think it’s frustrating that you can’t really prepare and you basically have to create (the outfit) all by yourself,” Kim said. “You don’t know what the vibe is.”

Kim found his creative outlet through pop culture, pulling inspiration from Harrison Ford’s character Indiana Jones.

With practicality in mind, Kim plans to dress with breathable materials to prepare for the

projected heat, including green elastic shorts and a beige button-down shirt with flaps to allow for air circulation. He is also including a camouflage bandana as an accessory.

“I really enjoyed it because it shows your creative side,” Kim said. “You’re going to be a leader in a sense where you’re making your own decisions and you’re not relying on anyone else.”

Despite the practicalities of fashion for Camp Dillo, Hause said that the festival creates a space to escape from reality for creative freedom.

“I feel the vibe is just fun,” Hause said. “I feel like when people think camp, they think of a place to escape the real world and just express themselves.”

elizabethlecy2027.1@u.northwestern.edu

Micah Sandy/The Daily Northwestern

Jayal: Dillo Day begs question of whether ’Cats know how to party

Dillo Day had a rude start. I had smug plans to sleep in to avoid the midday exhaustion that would no doubt a ict most Northwestern students. Unfortunately, I live in Bobb Hall, and was awoken early in the morning by the sound of freshmen shrieking “Happy Dillo!” to one another in the hallway.

As an exchange student, I had conjured up Dillo Day as something of mythological status in my mind. Classmates described it as the epitome of fun, the culmination of three quarters worth of anticipation. My hopes were high, to say the least.

e tricky concept of hyping myself up at the crack of dawn was made more pleasant by the low-e ort “Camp Dillo” theme, making for li le pressure to curate suitable out ts. Cargo pants and a beige tee would sufce. My friend, who is a senior and well-versed in the Dillo lore, warned me that overexcited freshmen would wreak havoc on campus and that I should camp out (no pun intended) elsewhere.

I packed the essentials — wristband, water and deodorant — and scurried out of Bobb as fast as I could. Clothes were strewn in the hallway. Bass was shaking the oor. I held back a shudder.

Yet something I’ve wondered to myself during my time here is: Does NU actually know how to have a good time? It sure knows how to drink. I’ve seen people guzzle down more alcohol than the contents of a mixologist’s mini bar in one si ing. However, that is not the same as knowing how to have a good time.

Frat parties are great if one wants to be moisturized by the grease of other humans. House parties are dull but can be spiced up by placing bets on how soon midterms will be mentioned in conversation. A er turning 21 in December, I found some respite in Chicago’s nightlife, but I had all but given up on the happenings on campus. Luckily, I had a ne-tuned Dillo Day plan to follow. My friends and I decided to start with comfort: a slow breakfast at Bagel Art Cafe to pad the potential horrors of the day to follow.

Stomachs full, we braved the sequence of thumping darties near campus. People held their friends’ bodies up as they gulped down beer from faucets connected to muddied tubs. I shall never understand the appeal of the infamous kegstand, but to each their own. e sun was hot and high, and soon heads began pounding. At noon, we made our way through the throngs of theme-adorned students: boy scouts, girl scouts, generic campers and — on occasion — bears. We decided to bless Camp Dillo — Mayfest’s setup of food trucks, stages and stalls along the Lake ll — with our presence. Despite my con scated water bo le, I felt a giddy euphoria as we walked into the festival in full swing. I was very impressed by the fact that Dillo Day is entirely student-run. It was grand.

Everywhere, people were sunbathing, posing in photo booths, knocking back free lemonades or hastily jogging to join the crowds of people swaying in front of the stages. We joined a smaller crowd at the For Members Only stage, where I was instantly dazzled by Adanna Duru’s velvety songs. At the mainstage, Amaarae performed an electric, fast-paced set, a er which Bakar slowed the tempo of the evening back down with sweetly sung songs about London and ge ing love back.

Finally, an enthusiastic Swae Lee galloped onto the stage a er a short delay. He performed a series of his biggest hits, speeding quickly through “Sun ower” with Post Malone, of which he must be sick by now, and concluding the evening with an amusing but heartfelt message; “Swae Lee is proud of you.” As he bounced o the stage, frat guys stood looking lost; Oh, what to do with the unused energy of sixteen tequila shots? Not long a er, shouts about a erparties started up, and my friends and I trudged home.

Dillo Day did what I thought it would: It entertained and exhausted us, the former more than the la er. Our plan worked seamlessly, and we harvested maximum enjoyment without burning out. As for NU’s ability to have a good time, my opinion is up by a notch.

Devaki Jayal is an exchange student om University College London. She can be contacted at devaki.jayal.24@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Le er to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. e views expressed in this piece do not necessarily re ect the views of all sta members of e Daily Northwestern.

arts & entertainment

Editor Mary Randolph

Assistant Editors

Jillian Moore

Design Editors

Jamie Kim

Lillian Ali

From page 1

The committee’s chairwoman, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., wrote in a May 6 news release that Schill, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway “have surrendered to antisemitic radicals in despicable displays of cowardice.”

After Schill’s administration reached an agreement with organizers of the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow on April 29, the president received criticism from various Jewish organizations.

The Anti-Defamation League Midwest, StandWithUs and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law called for Schill’s resignation for what they called an “inadequate” response to antisemitism on campus.

Conservative news watchdog Accuracy in Media also dispatched a mobile billboard to his residence, Wieboldt House, on May 7. The billboard labeled Schill “Hamas’s favorite university president” and called for his resignation.

With Schill set to testify Thursday morning on Independence Avenue, here are three topics and storylines that may arise.

Foxx, colleagues to outline alleged pattern of ‘persistent’ antisemitism

From page 1

Piela said it was important for the event to be an interfaith collaboration.

“We want to stand up and say that us people of different faiths are saying that Wadee’s life was really important,” Piela said. “From a Christian perspective, we are the hegemonic faith in this country, and so I think we also bear some responsibility for the hate crime that is happening around us.”

The event started with a short recitation of verses from the Quran, before a slate of speakers. Tarek Khalil — a member of American Muslims for Palestine Chicago — said his own child, who turned 5 the same day, reminds him of Alfayoumi.

The dehumanization of Palestinians has resulted in the murder of Alfayoumi and other hate crimes, Khalil said.

“(Palestinians) need to do whatever we can to convince our Congress officials that we are human,” Khalil said. “We cannot turn away even after the dust settles.”

Imam Sheikh Hassan Aly, director of religious affairs at The Mecca Center in Willowbrook, Illinois, spoke about the Muslim perspective on the loss of lives in Gaza, specifically the lives of children. He said each soul is one of God’s unique creations, and each child lost in Gaza is a “failure to protect the most valuable.”

Aly also spoke about how this is a time when students worldwide are graduating from college and contrasted it with the students in Gaza who have not had the same chance.

“We must not forget the face of the children, the dreams they carried,” Aly said.

The service took place as Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip has killed over 35,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian officials. Israel’s ground and air offensive

In a May 10 letter addressed to Schill and Board of Trustees Chair Peter Barris, Foxx said the agreement with encampment organizers was not an isolated incident, but rather a component of an alleged ongoing pattern of antisemitism on campus.

“I have grave concerns regarding Northwestern’s persistent failure in addressing antisemitism,” Foxx wrote in the letter.

Foxx claimed the administration opted to “capitulate to antisemitic, pro-terror encampment organizers” rather than enforce University rules. She called the agreement “shameful,” referring to NU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine’s celebrating the agreement as a “landmark victory.”

Schill will inevitably face several questions regarding the April 29 agreement, but the scope of the committee’s questioning will likely extend to his first quarter as president in November 2022. Alleged antisemitic incidents cited by the committee predate Schill’s tenure at NU.

The House committee requested all documents and communications referring or relating to alleged antisemitic incidents at NU since October 7, 2023.

Expect Foxx and her colleagues to attempt to link a November 2022 op-ed published in The Daily arguing the use of the phrase “From the River to the Sea” was hateful — and its response — to late April’s encampment.

follows the militant group Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed about 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli officials.

Rabbi Brant Rosen, who spoke two weeks ago at a panel organized by the First Presbyterian Church of Evanston, also spoke at the event. Rosen said hate crimes do not occur in a vacuum but are a result of echo chambers.

Rosen also said he feels his safety and security as a Jew are inseparable from the safety and security of all people.

Maaria Mozaffar, the director of advocacy and policy at the Muslim Civic Coalition, introduced the House resolution to attendees, inviting them to sign a letter of support and contact their elected representatives for the resolution.

Mozaffar said the nation needs to respond proactively to hate crimes to prevent its “character” from becoming shaped by what happened to Alfayoumi.

Ramirez spoke at the end of the event. She said she feels the country failed Alfayoumi and urged people to put their “good intentions into good action.”

“I will continue to work around the clock until we get the (House) Judicial Committee to also follow suit,” Ramirez said.

Evanston resident and Lake Street Church member Roz Poole said she felt the event was an important way to show solidarity.

Poole said she had already signed the petition for the resolution, but the event helped her gain a deeper understanding of it. She said she feels people should come to events like these to fulfill their civic responsibility.

“Every little bit that you do in the world helps,” Poole said. “We can’t do the big things, sometimes. We can only do what we can do, and this is what I could do this afternoon.”

mishaoberoi2027@u.northwestern.edu

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Focus on President’s Advisory Committee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate

Large sections of Foxx’s letter referenced the President’s Advisory Committee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate. The House committee requested all documents referring and relating to Schill’s now-defunct committee prior to the hearing.

The committee ceased its work May 2 after seven members resigned following Schill’s decision not to consult the committee before reaching the agreement with encampment organizers.

Originally announced in November, the committee began its work in January with 16 members, encompassing students, faculty, trustees and administrators. In their cessation letter to Schill and Barris, some members wrote “the committee as currently constituted cannot continue to function.”

Schill will likely face questions regarding the committee’s functions, his lack of consultation with members prior to reaching the agreement and its subsequent disbandment.

Medill Prof. Steven Thrasher, other faculty members to be topics of discussion

Medill Prof. Steven Thrasher, the journalism school’s

chair of social justice in reporting, documented his experience through various days at the encampment on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. His actions at the encampment, as well as his social media activity, will likely be scrutinized by Foxx and her colleagues.

In her letter, Foxx called Thrasher “a leader and participant in physically resisting police.” She also alleged that Thrasher and other faculty present violated the Northwestern Faculty Handbook’s provisions on demonstrations. The handbook states that community members cannot “use or occupy campus facilities so as to impede the carrying forward of such activities or events” and is cited in Foxx’s letter.

Foxx described Thrasher and other faculty members’ formation of a “faculty defense line” as a violation of University policy and state laws.

The House Committee requested all documents and communications since April 24 referring and relating to the Northwestern Liberated Zone and/or the Agreement on Deering Meadow, including all communications and documents involving Thrasher and 15 other faculty members.

Thursday could mark Schill’s first explicit public comment regarding the faculty’s presence at the encampment.

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

WADEE

Misha Oberoi/The Daily Northwestern

Evanston resident Rabbi Brant Rosen (second from right), who was in Gaza a few weeks ago, spoke at the interfaith service about Jewish solidarity with Palestinians.

Aging Well Conference provides learning, leisure

By ASTRY RODRIGUEZ daily senior staffer @astry_tpwk

Hundreds attended the 23rd annual Aging Well Conference hosted by the Levy Senior Center and enjoyed workshops, music, a raffle, food and recreation Friday.

With May being Older Americans Month, the center held the event to provide artistic, physical and informative services to older individuals as a way to engage and celebrate them, according to Evanston Senior Service Coordinator Rachel Stams, who helped plan the event.

“It’s a way to get the community together, get everybody to focus on things that they might feel important to be able to continue to be independent, gain resources they may need to continue to age gracefully,” Stams said.

Sponsored by the city, Evanston’s Commission on Aging and Disabilities, Northwestern and community members, as well as other community centers, the event was heavily community-supported, Stams said.

Multiple workshop sessions taught conference attendees life skills; one provided advice from CJE SeniorLife, a nonprofit organization that provides social services and healthcare, about the importance of trusts. PT Solutions, a physical therapy organization, offered tips for using resistance bands at home to lessen back pain and improve muscle strength and balance for better mobility.

Privacy and protection was the topic of another workshop held by a volunteer from Evanston Public Library. The session gave advice about avoiding scams, particularly from phone calls and online.

On the Levy Center’s lawn, attendees enjoyed a watercolor art class where they learned techniques like using tissue paper to create designs that can be put on notebooks or decor around the home.

Evanston resident Ingrid Walker, who attended the watercolor class, said she hopes there will be other courses in the future as well.

“Getting some of your imagination to flow and enjoying a little bit of your intellect from art, I like that,” Walker said. “Maybe it would be really good to have a course that would guide

people to all the benefits that we can have.”

The city also tabled at the event to promote the ADA Advisory Committee, which provides resources training and education for promoting a culture of accessibility and inclusivity.

EPL staff were also present to give out free books and talk to attendees about the library’s health and wellness program and its art program.

Attendee Matt Dinerstein said as a recent retiree, it was his first time attending the conference. He is looking forward to attending again next year after being able to socialize and attend interesting workshops on topics like

artificial intelligence, he said.

A former photographer, Dinerstein said losing 80% of his eyesight has made it difficult for him to do visual crafts but that the art class brought him out of his comfort zone.

“It broke me out of my shell about producing visual art,” Dinerstein said. “I am trying to become more involved in — you know, I hate to say — senior activities. Nobody ever wants to admit to getting older even though we all do it.”

A three-person band with a saxophone, cello and guitar player played live music. After the performance, attendees participated in a raffle

for gift cards, a rainy day kit, coloring book and other items.

Mayor Daniel Biss and Evanston artist Jevoid Simmons, the keynote speaker, addressed the conference in the morning. During the afternoon closing ceremony, conference organizers presented the Aging Well Award.

“It’s a lot of fun to put together, to see everybody interact with people that they may not have seen for a while,” Stams said. “We look forward to it every year.”

astryrodriguez2025@u.northwestern.edu

Astry Rodriguez/The Daily Northwestern

A variety of workshops brought life skills and health advice to older adults at the conference.

Monday, May 20, 2024

No. 1 Northwestern makes fifth straight Final Four

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

A golden hue overtook Martin Stadium Thursday evening as No. 1 Northwestern established a secondquarter stronghold over No. 8 Penn, all but booking a return trip to next week’s Final Four in Cary, North Carolina.

Burying 20 of its 29 shots, coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s storied program penned another dominant postseason chapter, cruising to a 20-7 victory and securing a spot in its fifth consecutive semifinal.

“It’s just everyone coming in and doing something for (the person) next to you,” graduate student attacker Erin Coykendall said. “Whether it’s cutting through or setting a pick … when you play against a zone defense, and you’re playing like that, you’re gonna get those looks you want … We did a great job of putting them away.”

Although the Quakers (15-5, 5-2 Ivy League) seemingly controlled the game’s flow at early stages, the Wildcats (17-2, 5-1 Big Ten) captured

their first lead off sophomore attacker Madison Taylor’s conversion with 17 seconds remaining in the opening quarter and never relented.

For the second consecutive NCAA tournament affair, NU’s big three throttled the opposing cage, with Taylor, Coykendall and graduate student attacker Izzy Scane recording a combined 24 points. Graduate student midfielder Lindsey Frank also chipped in a season-high four goals.

The hosts recorded 14 assists Thursday night, and Coykendall dished out a game-high seven helpers.

“When you have players like Erin out there that are just so unselfish by nature, you can’t help but have that vibe when your best are like that,” Amonte Hiller said.

Once Amonte Hiller shifted freshman defender Madison Smith onto the draw, the ’Cats comprehensively commanded the circle. The Mill Valley, California, native pulled down six draw controls, countering Penn attacker Niki Miles’ first-quarter possessional momentum.

Amonte Hiller said the freshman’s competitive spirit embodies that of her older sister, junior midfielder Samantha Smith.

SOFTBALL

Wildcats fall twice in Austin, ending season

By AUDREY PACHUTA the daily northwestern @audreypachuta

After defeating Saint Francis (PA) in its Friday NCAA tournament opener, Northwestern advanced to the Austin regional championship by posting a 1-1 record Saturday, before ending its season with a loss to No. 1 Texas Sunday.

In their first Saturday contest, the Wildcats (35-13, 19-3 Big Ten) fell to the Longhorns (50-7, 23-4 Big 12)14-2 as their opponents dominated the run-rule rout.

Held scoreless for the first frame, Texas built a four-run lead in the second with two homers.

NU responded to an early shortfall by scoring two runs in the third inning, with junior outfielder Ayana Lindsey drawing a walk and sophomore outfielder Kelsey Nader going yard to halve the deficit.

With freshman pitchers Riley Grudzielanek and Renae Cunningham on the mound for most of the game, coach Kate Drohan’s squad struggled to contain the potent Longhorn offense.

After extending their lead to three runs in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly, the hosts continued to bolster their advantage, tallying nine runs on seven hits in the fourth inning to put the game in mercy-rule territory.

Down to its final three outs in the top of the fifth, Nader singled on a line drive to right field, but senior infielder Hannah Cady ultimately fouled out to end the game. With their season on the line, the ’Cats bounced back with a 5-1 win over Saint Francis to advance to Championship Sunday.

Drohan’s group wasted no time getting on the board, plating two runs in the first inning by capitalizing on a base hit and two stolen bases.

Grudzielanek and Cunningham split time in the circle and conceded just one Red Flash run in the third inning on an RBI single.

NU extended its lead to four in the top of the sixth when freshman utility player Isabel Cunnea homered and sophomore infielder Kansas Robinson and Lindsey scored on Nader’s two-RBI single.

Nader led NU at the plate for the weekend, tallying four hits and four RBIs.

“When you have the combination of being a competitor, being methodical and hard working — good things are going to happen,” Amonte Hiller said. “We have great depth in the circle in terms of who we can turn to … that can be disruptive for a draw person when you have different people coming in, (but) she came in and did a great job.”

Amid the hosts’ attacking onslaught, NU’s defense rendered the potentially potent Quaker offense dormant for more than 15 minutes, spanning from Penn attacker Erika Chung’s goal with 3:50 left in the first half to midfielder Anna Brandt’s tally with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Graduate student goalkeeper Molly Laliberty notched five saves, while junior defender Sammy White and senior defender Kendall Halpern scooped three ground balls and registered two caused turnovers apiece.

“Consistently seeing our defense have our backs… when we weren’t really converting our shots offensively gave us the confidence that we’re gonna get our shots to fall,” Coykendall said. “A lot of credit goes to them for keeping us in that (game) because it could’ve gone

pretty differently had they not played so awesome in the first two.”

With the result solidified, Amonte Hiller gave her reserves playing time in the final minutes, letting her departing seniors trot off Martin Stadium’s turf one final time.

Amonte Hiller said her husband, assistant coach Scott Hiller, reminded the group in his postgame speech that the seniors went undefeated at home in their careers.

“That’s the standard here at Northwestern,” Halpern said. “We’ve

BASEBALL

Entering Sunday’s championship, the ’Cats needed to beat Texas twice in order to advance to next week’s Super Regional.

Struggling with her command during the past few weeks, graduate student pitcher Ashley Miller took the mound to start in Sunday’s contest and walked the bases loaded to lead off the game before she allowed two runs to cross the plate on a single.

The Longhorns held the ’Cats hitless into the sixth inning, steadily building their lead throughout the game.

After giving up two walks, a single and a three-run homerun in the second, Miller gave way to Grudzielanek, who took over in the circle trailing by five.

In the top of the third, Lindsey gunned out a runner at the plate from center field to give NU momentum as it headed to the plate, but the visitors couldn’t capitalize on the energy as they were retired in order in the bottom of the frame.

Texas added a run in both the third and fourth inning, extending its lead to seven before Cunningham relieved Grudzielanek in the top of the fifth.

The freshman pitching duo shouldered the bulk of the responsibilities in the circle, taking on a combined 20.2 of the ’Cats’ total 25 innings despite filling smaller roles throughout the regular season.

NU’s only hit came in the sixth inning when graduate student outfielder Angela Zedak doubled off the left field wall in her final collegiate at-bat.

The ’Cats struggled to put the ball in play against Big 12 Freshman of the Year Teagan Kavan in the circle. Kavan posted a career-high 12 strikeouts, with four NU batters striking out twice throughout the game.

Down to their final three outs, freshman catcher Emma Raye and sophomore infielder Bridget Donahey went down swinging and Cunnea popped up to end the game.

Following their 2024 campaign’s conclusion, the ’Cats will look toward their young roster to build upon this year’s postseason run.

“You don’t want to end after today,” Drohan said. “We still have work in front of us, but I think they’re hungry for that as well.”

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

all grown up so much. I almost teared (up) coming off the field today… We’re just so excited for another opportunity.”

The ’Cats will face Florida at WakeMed Soccer Park next Friday. The Gators scored nine first-quarter goals in Thursday’s victory over Maryland, and the matchup has all the makings of a no-holds-barred shootout with a national title shot on the line.

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

NU drops final series at home

By HENRY FRIEMAN the daily northwestern @henryfrieman

Northwestern’s record of 18-34 and 4-20 in-conference, when presented in a vacuum, leaves much to be desired.

But putting it into Wildcat terms — after coach Ben Greenspan inherited a program blemished by an indefinite suspension and a culture of bullying, while 21 of 35 players on the 2023 roster either jumped ship or graduated — the results appear far less disheartening.

NU nabbed eight more victories than last season, matching last year’s conference record after stealing a walk-off win against Minnesota in chaotic fashion Thursday. The ’Cats dropped the series’ final two games to the Golden Gophers (2523, 11-13 Big Ten) on Friday and Saturday, ending their season.

Weather delayed Thursday’s matchup just seven pitches into graduate student Jack Dyke’s outing. Once the lightning ceased, the Gophers struck first, putting a run on the board via an RBI single. They tacked on another after second baseman Brady Counsell’s single.

NU countered with a pair of home runs to take the lead. A blast by senior third baseman Vince Bianchina in the second inning cut the deficit in half before sophomore first baseman Trent Liolios poked a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the fourth inning.

In true back-and-forth fashion, Minnesota’s catcher Sam Hunt hit a two-run home run to put the Gophers up 4-3 in the sixth inning. Then, freshman outfielder Jackson Freeman hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the ’Cats back in front, 5-4.

Freshman pitcher Garrett Shearer, on for the save situation, allowed two Gopher runs in the top of the ninth inning, sending NU to the plate in the bottom of the ninth for their last licks down 6-5.

With runners on first and third, senior shortstop Tony Livermore laid down a bunt, which Minnesota first baseman Weber Neels fielded.

Neels, rather than throwing to home plate to attempt to keep the Gophers in front, tried to gun Livermore at first base. He missed the mark and rifled the ball into right field. The tying run scored. Bianchina, who was on first, wheeled around third and ran toward home, arms outstretched, as his teammates peeled out of the dugout to celebrate the walk-off 7-6 win.

Friday’s contest yielded lessthan-ideal results for the ’Cats.

Though Freeman started the game off with a boom, homering to left field for his 11th shot of the season –– the most by an NU freshman since at least 1981 –– senior pitcher Matt McClure allowed six runs in the second inning, establishing firm Gopher control over the ballgame. McClure did not allow any other runs, striking out three batters and giving up five hits. The game continued with a 6-2 Minnesota lead before the Gophers added another six runs in the seventh inning. The maroon-and-gold team added another insurance run in the top of the ninth before the ’Cats added a run through a basesloaded walk. But it was too little, too late for NU, which lost 13-3.

Saturday’s series finale began with a Senior Day celebration before graduate student pitcher Kyle Potthoff took the mound in the rubber match. The Gophers plated three runs in the first two innings to establish an early lead. Freeman’s RBI single got the ’Cats on the board before graduate student outfielder Griffin Arnone drove in another run off a sacrifice fly. The two senior pitchers that took the mound in relief of Potthoff Saturday –– Luke Benneche and Nolan Morr –– allowed only one earned run on five hits. The departing seniors will leave gaping holes in the NU rotation, as Benneche, Morr, McClure and Potthoff all started games for the ’Cats this season.

A double by Brady Jurgella added an insurance run for Minnesota in the eighth inning, and NU could not muster a comeback in the later moments of the contest, closing out its season with a 4-2 loss.

As Greenspan embarks on his second offseason at the helm, he will continue to spur the rebuild of a program that has not had a winning season since 2000.

henryfrieman2027@u.northwestern.edu

Henry Frieman/The Daily Northwestern

Daily file photo by Henry Frieman