The Daily Northwestern – September 27, 2017

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The Daily Northwestern Wednesday, September 27, 2017

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 8 SPORTS/Women’s Soccer

3 CAMPUS/ASG

Wildcats to face Indiana in next game

NU offers large format printer for students to create reusable, weather-proof banners

Find us online @thedailynu 4 OPINION/Schwartz

Trump’s words for Puerto Rico too late

High 72 Low 52

Durbin seeks free college textbooks Franken, King support effort to reduce student cost By SAMANTHA HANDLER

the daily northwestern @sn_handler

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) reintroduced a bill on Tuesday that would make college textbooks free to the public, expanding access to an expensive resource for many college students.

Tu e s d ay ’s l e g i s l a t i on , which U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Angus King (I-Maine) sponsored as well, will create a grant program to support pilot initiatives that encourage the creation and utilization of downloadable textbooks. Students could download the resources for free, then print and bind the books for $30, Kaitlyn Vitez, a higher education advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research » See TEXTBOOK, page 6

Katie Pach/Daily Senior Staffer

Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) speaks at City Council on Monday. Wynne opposed the sale of the parking lot adjacent to the Evanston Public Library, which passed in a 6-2 vote.

City approves sale of parking lot Officials vote to sell land adjacent to Evanston Public Library By AMELIA LANGAS

the daily northwestern @amelialangas

City Council approved in a 6-2 vote early Tuesday morning the sale of the parking lot adjacent to the Evanston Public Library. Both citizens and aldermen expressed concerns about adding another office building to the city landscape, with

Duckworth, Durbin push for storm relief

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) published a letter Tuesday calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to provide greater disaster relief to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of two devastating hurricanes. The letter — also signed by nine other Democratic senators — requested the “immediate consideration” of a supplemental appropriations bill that would provide relief to the region, which is home to more than 3.5 million American citizens. Hurricanes Irma and Maria wiped out a large portion of the region’s infrastructure and left at least 16 dead as of Monday afternoon. “We are asking that additional funds be provided to ensure an adequate balance in FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery along with other disaster relief accounts be authorized and funded to

Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) and Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) voting against the sale. The sale was first introduced to council in July 2016. By April of this year, Evanston had received three bids for purchasing the city-owned property. According to city documents, the $4 million bid from development firm Chicago Avenue Partners was accepted. Council decided at Monday’s meeting the lot respond to this catastrophe,” the letter said. The Trump administration approved a disaster declaration for 54 of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities, but only those included in the declaration would be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid, the letter said. Recovery efforts in the region require “strong, sustained and long-term commitment,” the letter also said. Beyond FEMA assistance, the Democratic senators said the grants would help residents of the region rebuild their homes and infrastructure while also funding temporary housing for those affected by the hurricanes. The letter said waiting to provide relief would leave schools, businesses and infrastructure vulnerable to “further deterioration” — providing another obstacle in the road to recovery. “The American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have served in our military and fought for our country since its inception,” the letter said. “They answered the call every time their country needed them — and now, it is our obligation to be there for them.” — Jake Holland

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

would be sold to the firm at the bid price. Wynne voiced concern over the positioning of the new building, as the lot is situated between the historic Frances Willard House Museum and the Woman’s Club of Evanston. “These two buildings that are on either side are much too significant … for us to try and shoehorn a building, no matter how lovely, into

such a small space,” Wynne said. “The setback is too narrow (and) the alley issues are already terrible when we look at this design.” Glen Madeja, executive director of the Frances Willard House Museum, said representatives of the museum had been encouraged by the city to meet with developers to discuss concerns about the » See LOT, page 6

Daily file photo by Paige Leskin

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) speaks at an event. Durbin, along with U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Angus King (I-Maine), introduced a bill that would make college textbooks free and downloadable.

Kresge receives LEED certification

Building becomes first at NU to achieve highest platinum status By JULIA ESPARZA

the daily northwestern @juliaesparza10

The recently renovated Kresge Hall is the first building at Northwestern to receive the highest level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, awarded to buildings for their achievements in sustainability. Developers planned Kresge’s renovation with the platinum certification in mind, SustainNU director Kathia Benitez said. “New construction impacts our carbon footprint, so by updating old buildings and incorporating energy efficient features in our new buildings, we move closer to our goal of a greener campus,” Benitez said. Due to the renovation, which began in August 2014 and cost about $58 million,

Kresge now includes a rooftop solar panel, self-adjusting ceiling lights with daylight sensors and the highest grade insulation. Benitez said bike racks and showers encourage faculty and staff to bike to work. With these new features, Kresge earned 86 points on a 110-point scale, according to SustainNU’s website, becoming the first building on campus to achieve platinum status. The building council ranks buildings’ sustainability measures under four categories: certified, silver, gold or platinum. To receive the highest rating, buildings must earn at least 80 points. To become LEED-certified, the council considers factors like the amount of recycled materials used, energy efficiency and air quality of a building, according to its website. NU currently has

11 LEED-certified buildings and is “well-positioned” to increase that number, said Elena Romero-Jensen, Facilities Management’s Kresge project manager. The Kellogg School of Management Global Hub and 560 Lincoln are undergoing the LEED certification process, Romero-Jensen added. She said all new construction and large renovation projects must at least meet the silver certification standards. Romero-Jensen said the University expects the Global Hub to earn NU’s second platinum certification. S ustainNU, Facilities Management and Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences faculty collaborated to discuss Kresge’s functionality and sustainability, RomeroJensen said. Because Kresge houses many departments, most students will take a class in the

building during their time at NU, she said. Manager of sustainability communication Stephanie Folk said Kresge’s sustainability and functionality measures complement each other. “We are working on issues on how to manage our campus and how we use our resources,” she said. “Kresge’s energy efficiency was a huge part of the progress.” Benitez said NU is working to become net-zero energy by 2050, meaning the amount of energy used on campus is equal to the amount produced. Kresge is helping NU reach that goal, she said. “We really stretched the envelope with Kresge, pushing to improve its energy efficiency and making it a functional space for students and staff,” Benitez said. juliainesesparza2020@u.northwestern.edu

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8


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