The Daily Northwestern — October 19, 2023

Serving the Northwestern and Evanston communities since 1881

The Daily Northwestern Thursday, October 19, 2023

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 3 CAMPUS/One Book

5 GAMEDAY/NU Defense

Michelle Zauner discusses grief, love

Football: Northwestern’s defense prepares for upcoming game against Nebraska

Find us online @thedailynu

Scan this QR code to view a data visualization of statistics on Illinois colleges

High 62 Low 52

NU deans respond to Israel-Hamas war Deans and faculty express support for NU community

By JACOB WENDLER

daily senior staffer @jacob_wendler

Seeger Gray/Senior Staffer

The ballooning costs of the 5th Ward school forced the District 65 Board of Education to consider alternate plans during a special board meeting Monday.

D65 talks 5th Ward school budget School projected to cost $25 million over original $40 million budget

By COLE REYNOLDS

daily senior staffer @charcole27

The much-anticipated plans to build a new school in the 5th Ward are projected to cost more than $25 million more than the allocated $40 million budget, according to a recent financial assessment

commissioned by Evanston/ Skokie School District 65.

Ballooning costs forced District 65 Board of Education members to consider alternate plans during a special board meeting Monday, including considering delaying the school’s opening, originally scheduled for fall 2025.

As the board’s Oct. 23 deadline to commit to initial

construction bids for the project fast approaches, some members seemed caught off guard by the estimates.

“I just feel sick to my stomach just looking at these numbers,” board member Donna Wang Su said.

The board didn’t even know about the underestimate until just recently, board member Joseph

Hailpern added.

“I am shocked that this is the first time we’re having this conversation around the money in public,” he said.

During more than three hours of discussion, board members juggled four main priorities for balancing the budget: timelines for construction, environmental

» See BUDGET, page 2

In the 10 days since Israel declared war on Hamas following the militant group’s surprise attack against Israel, several deans and faculty members of Northwestern’s undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges have released statements on the ongoing conflict.

University President Michael Schill first informed the community he would not be issuing a statement on behalf of the University on Oct. 12 but elaborated on his message the following day in response to criticism from NU students and faculty. Since Schill’s initial message, deans and faculty across the University have released their own statements, condemning the violence and expressing support for students and faculty.

After the initial Oct. 7 attack, Israel declared war on the militant group and has since launched multiple strikes on Gaza. More than 4,000 Palestinians and Israelis have been killed in the ongoing violence in the region, with thousands more injured.

Pritzker School of Law Less than an hour after Schill’s Thursday statement, Pritzker Dean Hari Osofsky stood in line with the University’s decision and did not issue a statement on behalf of Pritzker. But Osofsky condemned Hamas’ initial attack in her personal capacity and said she was “deeply concerned for every person impacted by the horrific violence and abhor(s) antisemitism, islamophobia, and every form of hate.”

“Our deepest condolences are with those who have experienced profound loss, and our thoughts remain with those who fear for the wellbeing of their loved ones,” she wrote.

Sixty-seven Pritzker faculty — including two former deans — also issued a statement condemning the actions of Hamas that day.

They wrote that the developments in Israel and Gaza have affected students and faculty “of all faiths and backgrounds,” noting the death of 25 students and community members at Tel Aviv University, which offers a joint dual-degree program with Pritzker in public law and international law.

“Some have claimed that the Hamas atrocities must be blamed on Israel,” the professors wrote.

“What Hamas perpetrated was

» See DEANS, page 7

Petition to cancel Faculty Senate kicks off school year tardiness policy President Schill speaks, Senate considers Ryan Field rebuild project students in the class a minute ETHS student calls before the start of the next block. secures over A tardiness bell then follows. who come after are 1,000 signatures Students marked Tardy by a teacher. An

By MEGIJA MEDNE

the daily northwestern @_megija

A recent petition started by Evanston Township High School student Lyana Hyman calls for an end to the tardiness rollover policy at ETHS –– which mandates tardies carry over from year to year. Posted to change.org on Sept. 16, the petition has already secured about 1,236 signatures out of the set goal of 1,500 signatures, as of Wednesday night.

Under the petition, Hyman wrote that the policy “has had a profound negative impact on students like myself who have struggled with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.”

According to the ETHS Pilot Handbook, students have 10-minute passing time between blocks on Orange and Blue Days (Tuesdays to Fridays) and 5 minutes on Mondays. A regular bell

Recycle Me

accumulation of more than 10 tardies puts students on Tardy Probation. Those students aren’t “allowed to attend or participate in any school-sponsored activity” such as proms, clubs, plays, sports games and practices and non-academic field trips.

Students in grades 10, 11 and 12 on Tardy Probation are also placed on restricted lunch — a supervised lunch with a staff member — and are prohibited from leaving the school building during lunchtime.

“I am somebody who has been often late to school due to a lot of family issues and things going on in my life,” said Natalya Guiden, a junior at ETHS. “And having tardies stack up and be used against me later, when attending homecoming, or wanting to go outside for lunch — not being allowed to do that has really affected my daily school life.”

According to several

» See TARDINESS, page 3

By LEAH SCHROEDER

daily senior staffer @lmschroeder_

Un i v e r s i t y Pre s i d e n t Michael Schill spoke at the first Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year Monday night. The Senate discussed Wildcard access to campus buildings and the University’s proposal to rebuild Ryan Stadium.

In his address to the Senate, Schill outlined ten priorities for research and innovation and community — amidst other updates — after a recent Supreme Court ruling striking down race-concious admissions, NU football’s hazing scandal and the current IsraelHamas war.

“These ten priorities are not the priorities of the entire university,” Schill said. “Each team and each administrator is going to have their own separate set of priorities. Some of them will align with mine.

Some of them will be different. And that’s good.”

Schill also emphasized the

importance of supporting students and fellow faculty amid the current Israel-Hamas war.

His statement came after two emails last week in which Schill shared his feelings about the war but emphasized his belief he should not speak on behalf of the entire University on most social and political issues.

“I know many of you and many of our students and faculty and staff are hurting …

The Israeli Palestinian conflict is an emotionally charged one for both supporters of Israel and Palestine and everyone in between,” Schill said. “We have an obligation to support our students and to support each other.”

Faculty Senate President Regan Thomson updated faculty members on progress the Faculty Senate made over the summer during a special meeting Aug. 9, which included three hazing-related resolutions.

The Senate also considered a resolution to temporarily pause planning and marketing of the new Ryan Field to

Leah Schroeder/Daily Senior Staffer

University President Michael Schill addresses the Faculty Senate Wednesday evening in the Guild Lounge.

the floor.

Because the issue was not listed on the agenda and Senate members were not aware that they would be discussing the resolution, some members said they were reluctant

to vote and had not spoken with other faculty in their departments.

English Prof. Barbara Newman said she felt that the resolution should be passed after

» See FACULTY SENATE, page 7

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Gameday 4 | Opinion 6 | Sports 8

2 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

AROUND TOWN

Slow Howard Station transfers frustrate CTA riders

By OLIVIA MOFUS

daily senior staffer

Performance issues and delays throughout the Chicago Transit Authority train system have left Chicago area residents dissatisfied. Frequent commuters of the Purple Line are particularly frustrated with long transfer wait times at Howard Station.

On weekdays, the Linden-bound Purple Line is scheduled to arrive at Howard every 8-15 minutes in the mornings until 11 a.m., every 12 minutes from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., every 7-15 minutes from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. and then every 15 minutes until 11:50 p.m. On weekends, wait times are generally longer, with at least a 15-minute period in between trains throughout the day.

But, some commuters have reported experiencing longer wait times, especially at night.

Janet Zappone, an Evanston resident, relies on public transportation and her bicycle throughout the day to travel. Zappone said she believes delays at Howard Station are due to track maintenance, as both the Purple and Red lines run on the same track.

“It’s been tough since (Coronavirus) because of staffing, and they’re doing a lot of maintenance on the lines at times, so that’s been difficult,” she said.

Nationally, public transportation services are still reeling from staffing shortages due to the pandemic, which caused fewer trains to run and increased wait times. While the CTA is recovering from these issues, riders remain affected by service delays.

BUDGET

From page 1

improvements, the ability to serve 5th Ward families and the inclusion of a Two Way Immersion (TWI) program.

The initial plan for the 5th Ward school included a provision to house students from the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, which is set to close in the near future, in the new building. But cheaper alternatives for the 5th Ward, which were floated to parents at a community meeting last month, cast doubt on whether Bessie Rhodes could continue its signature TWI program, which prioritizes bilingual education for students in grades K-8.

On Oct. 13, some upset commuters held a “Cut Carter Protest,” which called for CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. to resign. Protesters cited increased service cuts due to construction on the Blue line and a failure to meet goals outlined in the CTA’s 2022 Meeting the Moment strategy plan.

The CTA has a monthly target of 78 train delays of ten minutes or more. According to its March 2023 Performance Metrics report, there was an average of approximately 88 delays per month from March 2022 to March 2023.

Just 61% of respondents were satisfied with wait times for CTA trains, according to a 2023 CTA quarterly customer survey.

Maddie Kilgannon, a spokesperson for the CTA, emphasized that the CTA is still in the early phase of the Red and Purple Modernization program, which would completely rebuild and modernize the infrastructure of both lines to improve service. It is currently in the midst of RPM Next Phases — the CTA’s planning and public outreach work. Both fall under the Red Ahead program to renovate and expand the Red and Purple lines.

“Future phases of RPM would include fully reconstructing Howard Station and the entire 3.3 miles of Purple Line track structure and stations from Howard to Linden,” Kilgannon stated in an email. “Under consideration would be rebuilding Howard in a layout that would reorganize Red, Yellow and Purple line trains to improve operations to support faster travel times, reduce bottlenecks, add additional ridership capacity and provide improved access to customers including In an open letter to the school board, Bessie Rhodes parents complained that limiting the new school would diminish the effectiveness of TWI, designed to be a K-8 program.

“All we want is K-8 TWI,” said Brandon Utter, one of the co-authors of the letter. “We’re not asking for any more than the board originally gave us.”

In the end, the board seemed poised to sacrifice the budget in its construction calculus, with many members hoping to prioritize the promises they made to 5th Ward and Bessie Rhodes families.

Eventually, most board members came to an informal consensus, focusing on four alternate plans — all of which proposed a K-8 school accommodating both Bessie Rhodes and Fifth

Daily file photo by Daniel Tian

Commuters of the Purple Line are particularly frustrated with long tranfer wait times at Howard Station.

easier boarding.”

There are many steps to go through before construction can begin, including executing environmental impact reviews, creating designs, engineering and securing funding, the email continued. The complexity and multifaceted nature of the project will require years before construction can officially begin.

The RPM program has become more of a reality since the Federal Transit Administration announced in September that the Red Line Extension Project — also under the Red Ahead Program — is in line to receive $1.973 million in federal funding. It is also set to receive a $100 million grant from the federal

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Carbon Reduction Program.

Despite some of its current drawbacks, Zappone sees the CTA as a “wonderful service for the community” that she’d happily invest in as a taxpayer.

At a September CTA board meeting, Carter stressed the importance of federal funding for future projects.

“If we want to have the type of world class transit system that I’ve been advocating for and that you’ve heard me speak to, we need the funding to support that,” Carter said.

Ward students.

Some small differences exist between the four, which range from approximately $60 to $65 million, according to Su. Whether to build in pursuit of a LEED certification — a third-party assessment of environmental sustainability — or setting the capacity of the school at either 1,000 or 900 students.

A mix of factors led to the $25 million underestimate. Recent inflation caused the price of construction to surge, according to Kronewitter. A memo read aloud by Interim Superintendent Angel Turner also blamed incorrect initial estimates made by District 65.

Board members repeatedly emphasized the need for more information during this round of approvals and

wariness about repeating budget underestimates. Hailpern said he is worried that there were still “assumptions” peppered throughout the night’s proposals.

“What I don’t want to do is budget reductions year after year after year because we got the first one wrong,” he said.

The board will continue discussion during its Oct. 23 meeting. After those discussions, it will either commit to the initial phase of construction — keeping the school on track for opening in fall 2025 at a final budget likely upwards of $60 million — or redraft plans in search of a cheaper but delayed option.

Refresh your mind... and heart.

oliviamofus2026@u.northwestern.edu

colereynolds2026@u.northwestern.edu

Learn more and sign up:

The annual Kairos retreat is led by Northwestern students and is a great opportunity to meet new friends and refresh your mind and heart.

If you find yourself in a place of searching, or simply want to learn more about your own relationship with God, you’ll be right at home at Kairos.

No matter where one is on the spiritual journey, all are welcome!

Join us November 17-19th at a beautiful retreat center in Plano, IL. Transportation provided. Details: sheilcatholiccenter.org/retreats Advertising2023-KairosRetreatAd.indd 1

10/13/2023 10:23:26 AM

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

3

ON CAMPUS

Zauner talks grief, love at One Book

By CHIARA KIM

daily senior staffer @chiarafkim

Close to 1000 audience members crowded into Cahn Auditorium Wednesday evening to listen to author and musical artist Michelle Zauner’s One Book Keynote.

Zauner is the lead vocalist for Grammy-nominated alternative pop band Japanese Breakfast and the author of New York Times best-seller “Crying in H Mart,” this year’s One Book selection. The memoir focuses on Zauner’s relationship with her mother and explores themes of biracial identity, memory and love.

During the talk — moderated by history Prof. JiYeon Yuh — Zauner touched on everything from how her grief management has evolved throughout her writing to her favorite things to cook. Zauner said she uses writing to understand her own feelings, but her work also resonated with many others in different ways.

“I think this book is really a love letter to my mom,” Zauner said. “When you write for yourself, you end up writing for so many people.”

TARDINESS From page 1

students and parents, dissatisfaction with the tardiness policy has been a persistent issue.

Kristen Scotti, a parent of an ETHS senior, said a group of parents brought up the issue to ETHS School Board last year.

Scotti said the issue came up last year prior to homecoming, as many students were told they could not attend because they had accumulated too many tardies. However, Scotti said the reasons students received their tardies were largely due to circumstances out of their control, including physical disabilities.

The policy, however, remained. Still, Scotti said she feels that there are better ways to address tardiness.

Tracking attendance is important, but so is addressing the underlying issues that lead to tardiness, she said.

She said there are many reasons that might lead

Students and other attendees said they appreciated the relatability of Zauner’s memoir, particularly her focus on grief and tumultuous family relationships.

In his introduction at the event, University President Michael Schill said the book was “a surprisingly personal experience,” as he previously lived in Eugene, Oregon — one of the main settings of the book — and recently lost his mother.

Ph.D. candidate Donnisa Edmonds said she appreciated hearing about Zauner’s experiences –– both as a musician and as an author.

“I feel like the way she writes about grief is really relatable,” Edmonds said. “I was getting on the bus, and I teared up. I was like, ‘wow she’s crying in H Mart, I’m crying on the bus.’”

Zauner discussed how college was the first time she learned to truly appreciate her mother. She hopes that students and young adults call their mother after reading the book and have a newfound appreciation for their relationships with their parents, she said.

Communication freshman Breanna Lee said Zauner’s presentation was comforting and made her think of her mom. As a student from South Korea, Lee said Zauner’s upcoming project, a book about her experiences living in South Korea and learning Korean that

she will write in 2024, made her think of her future.

“The way she’s exploring … what it’s like being an adult really resonated with me,” Lee said.

Zauner said her grief, while impossibly painful, has shown her how much she loves her mother.

Zauner told The Daily the book needed to be as “emotionally ragged” as it was in the period of her grief that she wrote it, but in the future she will continue writing about her mother in a more collected way.

She also said everyone has a different relationship with their mother, so it is a special relationship to investigate.

“I guess (mother-daughter relationships are) something that many people can relate to and have personal and intense feeling towards,” Zauner told The Daily.

Zauner told the audience she feels like an outsider in both the United States and South Korea, leaving her with a “desperate desire to be understood and to feel a sense of belonging,” which she finds in creative spaces.

She highlighted how writing allows her to bridge a connection to her audience.

“We all belong to each other in some way, and that’s really beautiful,” she said.

to student’s late arrival to the classroom: mental health issues, late school buses, lack of easily accessible gender-neutral bathrooms and lack of accommodations for students who might benefit from it.

“A lot of the reasons that I’ve been late to school have been outside of my control or due to outside factors,” Guiden said. “Last year towards the end of the year, I was in a partial hospitalization program.

And when I came back, I was late for most of the year afterward. I think I had 34 tardies when I started the year this year.”

Hyman wrote under the petition that she feels the policy “is robbing (her) of the full high school experience.” The punishment is too harsh, especially for students who already struggle with challenging situations, she wrote.

Takumi Iseda, a Director of Communications at ETHS, wrote in an email that ETHS delegates a team consisting of a counselor, dean, social worker and psychologist to each student to secure student

wellbeing.

“This includes working with students to help address the causes of chronic tardiness and the frequent opportunities to clear tardies before school, after school, during the school day and on weekends,” Iseda wrote.

ETHS offers several opportunities for students to clear tardiness penalties including access to academic support such as AM Support, Academic Study Center and Wildkit Academy.

But Guiden said she feels these resources are often inaccessible.

“The academic study center is a way to clear tardies, but it has a 40-student capacity limit so if you don’t make it there in time, then they turn you away,” said Guiden. “Wildkit Academy is only, I think, once a month so using that to clear tardies regularly isn’t an option.”

chiarakim2025@u.northwestern.edu

megijamedne2025@u.northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Avani Kalra

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

General Manager Stacia Campbell

stacia@dailynorthwestern.com

Holly and John Madigan Newsroom Phone | 847.491.3222 Campus desk

campus@dailynorthwestern.com

City desk

city@dailynorthwestern.com

Sports desk

sports@dailynorthwestern.com

Ad Office | 847.491.7206

spc-compshop@northwestern.edu

TheDailyNorthwesternispublishedMondayand 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.

First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2023 The Daily Northwestern and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Northwestern, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $100 for the academic year.TheDailyNorthwesternisnotresponsiblefor more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run.

Check out

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM for breaking news

NU SENIORS: SIGN UP FOR YOUR

YEARBOOK PORTRAIT EST 1851 Northwestern University

Syllabus Yearbook 2024

DINE-IN SPECIALS ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT RAMEN & SUSHI ONLY $31.95 BUY 4 ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT GET 1 FREE BUY 8 ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT GET 2 FREE

Photographers will be here

RAMEN & APPETIZER 20% OFF

Wed. Nov. 1–Sun. Nov. 19 @ NORRIS

1 FREE BOBA TEA VALID THRU 10/20

Sign up at: www.OurYear.com

30-40% OFF ON RED WINE, WHITE WINE, WHISKEY, & COCKTAILS

NU Code: 87150

(DINE-IN ONLY • MUST PRESENT AD WHEN ORDERING)

DINE IN RESTAURANT WITH A FULL BAR

Questions? email: syllabus@northwestern.edu

www.NUsyllabus.com

812 Church St, Evanston • 847.868.8727 HOURS Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11:30am-9pm Mon-Thurs11am-9:30pm

GAMEDAY Gameday Editor Lawrence Price

Writer

skye swann

Designer

Angeli Mittal Gameday is a publication of Students Publishing Co. A four-page issue is usually published on the Thursday prior to Northwestern home games and a two-page issue is published on the Thursday prior to Northwestern road games.

All material is © 2023 Students Publishing Co. Questions or comments should be sent c/o Gameday Editor Lawrence Price, 1999 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL 60208.

Micah Sandy/Daily Senior Staffer

defense prepares for nebraska’s dual-threat qb

By LAWRENCE PRICE

daily senior staffer @lpiii_tres

When it comes to a dual-threat quarterback and college football, the abnormal athlete has become one of a defense’s worst nightmares.

Whether it be their ability to scramble for a crucial first down or evade defenders with ease, it forces defense to add another element to their game plan. This has truly been the case for Northwestern in its week three matchup versus then-No. 21 Duke and quarterback Riley Leonard. Outside of the offense rushing for 268 yards, Leonard led the Blue Devils in rush yards with 97.

Four games later, the Wildcats will prepare for another dual-threat quarterback in Nebraska’s Heinrich Haarberg. He currently leads the Big Ten quarterbacks in rush yards per game with 352 total rush yards and three touchdowns.

Interim head coach David Braun gave two key courses of action to stopping the dynamic quarterback.

“You’ve got to play with great leverage, and

you’ve got to tackle. I know that’s oversimplified, but when you don’t do that, he has the ability to be extremely explosive, has the ability to run through armed tackles,” Braun said. “When you lose leverage, he’ll turn it into a touchdown on you.”

The ‘Cats experienced this type of game-changing play against Leonard, who finished with two rushing touchdowns in Duke’s 38-14 rout over NU. And similar to the Blue Devils quarterback, who stands at six-foot-four and 212 pounds, Haarberg’s country-strong build at six-foot-five and 215 pounds will give them a flash from the (recent) past.

Looking back to the Duke game, Braun said that from a defensive coordinator’s standpoint, he wishes he had some play calls back. Now, facing another quarterback that can use his legs to hurt a defense, Braun wants to use the information his team has learned this Saturday.

“I’ve been really impressed by (Haarberg)’s ability to operate within the scheme and within the system,” Braun said. “There’s nothing more scary to a defensive play caller than a young man that operates the offense at a high level, has the

ability to be utilized in plus-one run game, and has the ability to extend plays and take off with his feet when the things break down in the passing game.”

Outside of Haarberg, NU’s defense has a lot to prove against rushing attacks in general. Even though the ‘Cats have struggled against dualthreat quarterbacks, they rank last in rush yards per game allowed in the conference. Numbers wise, this is the perfect matchup for the Cornhuskers’ offense –– which averages the secondmost rush yards in the Big Ten. Although the ‘Cats defense wreaked havoc during the first half of their matchup against Howard, the bunch struggled in the second half as the Bison charged back, led by a strong run game. Now facing Nebraska, a team that lives and dies off its rushing attack, restraining the run game will be key.

After the Howard win, senior linebacker Xander Mueller honed in on stopping big plays and mentioned a similar key component that Braun mentioned on Monday when it comes to stifling a run game.

“Coach Braun has built a system to get the ball funneled … all three levels of the defense were

kind of out of their gaps a couple of times,” Mueller said. “We’ve got to keep our leverage to stop those big plays.

After leaving the Howard game early with a lower body injury, according to NU Athletics, Braun noted that graduate defensive lineman Richie Hagarty should be ready to go on Saturday.

This will be key for a defensive line that dealt with injuries throughout the first half of the season.

The ‘Cats have already faced stout rushing attacks in then-No. 7 Penn State and Duke, which didn’t result in a strong performance but did give the group experiences to learn from. Now, with players’ bodies well-rested following the bye week and extra time to prepare, Saturday gives NU another chance to prove itself against a strong run game and bounce back from its 56-7 loss during its last visit to Memorial Stadium.

“It’s a great opportunity for our guys to challenge themselves against a Nebraska team that’s certainly going to look to establish the run game,” Braun said. “If we are not able to stop the run, it’s going to be a long day for us.” lawrenceprice2024@u.northwestern.edu

4 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

OPINION

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com LETTER TO THE EDITOR civilians and we mourn the deaths of Palesinternational anti-ISIS coalition dropped an Letter to the Editor: On tinians as well as Israelis. We grieve with their average of 2,500 bombs per month across 46,000 square kilometers in Syria and Iraq.

NU leaders’ responses to loved ones.

And still, many of the communications from NU leadership make no mention of the war in Palestine and Israel existence of the Palestinian people. They do Content warning: This article contains mentions of death, violence and Islamophobia.

We write as NU faculty members who are scholars of the Middle East and North Africa to present a perspective on the current violence in Palestine and Israel that is distinct from the one offered by University leaders in recent communications to the NU commu-

”

Many of the communications from NU leadership make no mention of the existence of the Palestinian people. They do not acknowledge the existence of our Palestinian and Arab faculty, students and staff at NU. These are members of our community who are also hurting. nity. We also write as faculty who care for all of those in our community who are affected by these events.

We condemn all violence that kills

”

To condemn Hamas’s attack while ignoring this broader context is to fail to understand how we got where we are today. Decontextualized declarations dismiss Palestinians’ struggle for rights and self-determination.

There are omissions in several of these recent messages from leadership. For example, University President Michael Schill’s communication on Oct. 12 made no mention of the violence that the Israeli military has undertaken against Palestinians in Gaza since last Saturday, and that is occurring as we write.

The details of the blockade and bombing are widely known: children without water, indiscriminate bombing of homes and neighborhoods, a calamitous collapse of the health care system and desperate shortages of water, food, electricity and medicine.

Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing the fiercest airstrikes in the 75-year history of the conflict; the Israeli military says it has dropped 6000 bombs on Gaza in just the first six days of this war. For comparison, the

not acknowledge the existence of our Palestinian and Arab faculty, students and staff at NU. These are members of our community who are also hurting. This omission denies the fact that Palestinian civilians are currently being killed in large numbers, while simultaneously struggling to survive under a severe siege. The omission of Palestinians causes harm. It erases Palestinian humanity. It ignores the hurt, fears and concerns of members of our own community.

The leaders’ messages also address the attacks by Hamas as if they came out of nowhere. They did not. The State of Israel has imposed an indefinite blockade and effective humanitarian stranglehold on the Gaza Strip since 2007. Today, over 2.2 million people are

”

The war in Palestine and Israel will likely last for some time. The NU community must find a way to talk about these issues openly and with care and respect for all parties involved.

confined to an area the size of Detroit. More than 65% of them now live below the poverty line. Half are children. Many experts consider the blockade to be in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and its stipulations for the humanitarian protection of civilians in war zones. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that the siege “constitutes collective punishment.”

To condemn Hamas’s attack while ignoring this broader context is to fail to understand how we got where we are today. Decontextualized declarations dismiss Palestinians’ struggle for rights and self-determination.

They neglect the root causes of today’s violence. They foreclose the serious engagement that will be needed for genuine peace.

The war in Palestine and Israel will likely last for some time. The NU community must find a way to talk about these issues openly and with care and respect for all parties involved. We look forward to that conversation.

— Hannah Feldman, Associate Professor of Art History; Katherine Hoffman, Associate Professor of Anthropology; Rebecca Johnson, Associate Professor of English and the Humanities; Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Professor of Political Science and Religious Studies; Brannon Ingram, Associate Professor of Religious Studies; Wendy Pearlman, Professor of Political Science; Michael Rakowitz, Professor of Art; Jessica Winegar, Professor of Anthropology; Emrah Yıldız, Assistant Professor of Anthropology If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.

The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: Schill failed to give us leadership, moral clarity Content warning: This article contains mentions of death, violence and antisemitism.

My wife Lauri and I are proud parents of a Northwestern graduate, Andrew Zessar (Weinberg ’16). We are also Jews. Having invested so much to put a child through the University, Lauri and I, as well as Andrew, feel strongly that it’s our place to speak up on the crimes committed by Hamas and on University President Michael Schill’s Oct. 12 and 13 statements.

First, President Schill, it is disappointing that you had to be prodded by several members of the NU community to say something.

When asked prior to Oct. 12, you said you weren’t going to make a statement. That’s not leadership.

Then, when you finally made a statement, it was pure equivocation. Why is it that you, a Jew, equivocate on Hamas’ atrocities, while a non-Jew, University of Florida President Ben Sasse, can make a simple and morally clear statement on the subject? President Sasse released a letter condemning Hamas’ actions. But he went further than you. He also condemned anyone who sought to justify Hamas, to blame Israel and the victims,

”

President Schill, it is disappointing that you had to be prodded by several members of the NU community to say something.

When asked prior to Oct. 12, you said you weren’t going to make a statement. That’s not leadership.

- BRUCE ZESSAR or to otherwise “‘provide context’ and try to blame the raped woman, beheaded baby, or the murdered grandmother.” The atrocities

that occurred were despicable, and as Sasse stated, any attempt to justify what Hamas did “isn’t just wrong, it’s sickening. It’s dehumanizing. It is beneath people called to educate our next generation of Americans.”

Yet, your statements wouldn’t go that far.

You meekly stated, in your Oct. 12 message, that “there are no doubt differences among our students and faculty on what Hamas did.”

Sorry, President Schill, but anyone supportive of Hamas’ grotesque and inhumane atroc-

”

As the president of a prestigious university and a fellow Jew, it’s incumbent upon you to throw shade on such discourse. President Sasse did so. And so should you.

- BRUCE ZESSAR

ities is an immoral human being and blatantly antisemitic.

What if this were right after Kristallnacht in 1938? Would you have said “there are no doubt differences among our students and faculty” on that? Or what if this were after the world finally learned the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and the murder of six million of your fellow Jews? Would you have said “there are no doubt differences among our students and faculty” on the Holocaust?

And two weekends ago, what if it were your family living in Kfar Azza or Be’eri, and you woke up on Oct. 7 to learn that they had been killed by terrorists? Would you say “there are no doubt differences among our students and faculty” on Hamas’ atrocities?

To your own family?

President Sasse condemns but correctly won’t prevent people sympathetic to Hamas from stating their opinions. As he said, “Our Constitution protects the rights of people to make abject idiots of themselves.” People who seek to justify Hamas’ atrocities, blame Israel and the victims, or otherwise “provide context” are just that.

As the president of a prestigious university and a fellow Jew, it’s incumbent upon you to throw shade on such discourse. President Sasse did so. And so should you.

You obviously received blowback on your Oct. 12 message, which led to your Oct. 13 statement. Yet, unlike President Sasse, you still shied away from criticizing supporters of Hamas’s gruesome and criminal conduct.

There’s a world of difference between saying we “all (should) condemn these barbaric acts” and calling out those who applaud Hamas’ atrocities or who blame it on Israel or the victims. By not taking on the latter, as President Sasse did, you let them off the hook. That’s not leadership.

It should be transparent that for each and everyone one of us as Jews, Hamas wants us dead, too. Yes, sir, you included, and your family. If you were there they would have killed you. How can there be any equivocation?

Also, your Superman-Clark Kent distinction between speaking as a university president versus “Mike the individual” is disingenuous. The Wall Street Journal called you to task on it just this week.

You state in your Oct. 12 message, “The University does not speak for our faculty, students and staff … For me to speak for them displaces their own freedom to speak.” Yet at the University of Oregon in 2020, you spoke out as “University President Schill” on the

”

For all the education you have received, the honors you have been bestowed, and your esteemed intellectual capability, your statements are spineless and, unlike President Sasse, demonstrate a lack of leadership and moral clarity.

- BRUCE ZESSAR topic of racism and stated, “As an institution, we will continue to listen, seek understanding, and find meaningful ways to recognize and strengthen communities of color.”

Here, you give the pretense you can only speak as “Mike” the individual on the equally pernicious matter of antisemitism. Why? Racism and antisemitism are both dangerous

and immoral. This is just another example of your lack of leadership.

For all the education you have received, the honors you have been bestowed, and your esteemed intellectual capability, your statements are spineless and, unlike President Sasse, demonstrate a lack of leadership and moral clarity.

If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

— Bruce Zessar If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

The Daily Northwestern Volume 145, Issue 9

Editor in Chief Avani Kalra Opinion Editor Colin Crawford Assistant Opinion Editor Ethan Lachman

Managing Editors Ella Jeffries Selena Kuznikov Saul Pink Scott Hwang Laura Simmons

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office.

Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed and double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number.

• Should be fewer than 300 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar.

Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group.

Editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily’s student editorial board and not the opinions of either Northwestern University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

DEANS

the violence with “profound shock and sadness” in a statement Thursday afternoon.

“I wish to express my horror at the brutality unleashed by Hamas and condemn violence against civilians as contrary to the very fiber of what I hold dear personally and professionally,” Randolph wrote. “This condemnation is not restricted to this conflict, but also includes other armed conflicts around the world.”

He added that the school’s priority is to check if any students, faculty or staff are in Israel or Gaza. As of Thursday, Randolph wrote he was not aware of any such Weinberg affiliates in the region.

Randolph said he hopes Weinberg faculty that have studied the history and politics of the Middle East “can contribute, in ways that align with our mission, to the peace that now seems so distant.” Four Weinberg professors hosted a teach-in on current events in Israel and Gaza in the Norris University Center Monday.

Weinberg senior Lily Cohen said she was glad to see several deans condemn Hamas’ actions more forcefully than Schill did, noting the importance of such statements in making students feel seen and supported.

“I share Dean Randolph’s horror at Hamas’ brutality as I, along with other Jewish students, have spent the past week checking in on my loved ones in Israel to make sure that they’re alive,” Cohen said. “I hope that these statements are only the start of a culture of support for Jewish students on campus, without caveats or hesitations.”

From page 1

unspeakably evil. It is dehumanizing to blame the murders on the victims. We absolutely reject such acceptance, and near-endorsement, of terrorism.”

The letter came two days after Prizker Prof.

Nadav Shoked — the only Israeli faculty member at Pritzker — sent a message to law school faculty stating his disappointment in the school’s response.

“I find myself doing two things I never thought I’d do, separately let alone at the same time: (1) writing a listserv email (2) expressing support for Israel.

But I have now had students reach out to me noting how their emails to the administration have been ignored,” Shoked wrote. “To me, the school administration’s behavior is repulsive, and, moving forward, disqualifying.”

The Graduate School TGS Dean and Associate Provost for Graduate Education Kelly Mayo condemned “the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas” in a Thursday statement.

“Speaking out against acts of violence directly aligns with our Northwestern priorities of building resiliency and a sense of belonging, defending free expression, and promoting engagement across differences,” Mayo wrote. “There is a history of violence between Israel and Palestine and our thoughts are with the many impacted by this terrible conflict. Our hopes are for a swift and more peaceful resolution.”

Mayo also noted that acknowledging one geopolitical situation is not meant to downplay or distract from other atrocities taking place in the world.

Medill School of Journalism Medill Dean Charles Whitaker said although he does not tend to comment on events that “are not directly related to the industries we serve or their practitioners,” he felt recent violence warranted a statement in an email Thursday afternoon.

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Weinberg Dean Adrian Randolph said he watched

FACULTY SENATE

make distinctions between the two issues. It may look very bad in the public eyes if we go ahead with the construction.”

Former NU football head coach Pat Fitzgerald filed a $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit against the University earlier this month, and NU also faces several lawsuits from former football players related to the alleged hazing.

Other faculty members said the hazing

From page 1

recent allegations of hazing on NU’s football team.

“In theory, the issues of hazing and abuse are separate from the stadium,” Newman said. “But in practice, they are not going to be, because these lawsuits are going to be all over the papers for years to come … The public is not likely to

“Our hearts break as we bear witness to the carnage and our thoughts are with those who have lost friends and loved ones,” Whitaker wrote. “We hope for an end to the death and destruction, while also wishing for the safety of our colleagues, classmates and alumni who have been dispatched to the region and are chronicling these devastating events.”

Some students expressed frustration with Whitaker’s statement. Medill junior Sama Ben Amer — a former Daily staffer — said she was disappointed in the dean’s minimization of the media’s role in the conflict.

“He said he typically doesn’t respond to these types of things because they have no bearing over our industry, essentially implying that journalism or journalists have nothing to do with this. But that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Ben Amer said. “A lot of the violence that we have been seeing recently is propagated by the media’s coverage of what’s happening in Palestine, making it extremely difficult to get global support for civilians.”

Kellogg School of Management Kellogg Dean Francesca Cornelli’s Thursday evening email described the violence in Israel and Gaza as “incomprehensible.”

“I joined Kellogg because it is a place with deeply held values that believes in humanity and in caring about each other,” Cornelli wrote.

“True to our values, I condemn the barbaric acts that Hamas committed in Israel.”

Cornelli said the business school’s top priority is ensuring the safety of students and alumni in the region, noting that Kellogg also has a joint program with Tel Aviv University.

Northwestern University in Qatar NU-Q Dean and CEO Marwan Kraidy sent an email to NU-Q students and faculty scandal should not impact the proposed Ryan Field rebuild.

Feinberg Prof. David Kalainov said he felt the Faculty Senate had failed to consider the issue from the perspective of the athletics department.

“Hazing and building of the Ryan field are really separate issues,” Kalainov said. “I oppose this resolution. I think we need to talk to more stakeholders, to more student athletes, coaches

Order your 2024 yearbook on CAESAR

Thursday.

“This week has been an incredibly difficult time for many of us, who have experienced pain, anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety about what is unfolding in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” Kraidy wrote. “I acknowledge those feelings and I am myself heartbroken by the violence and loss of life.”

Kraidy encouraged students to reach out to NU-Q’s Counseling and Wellness and faculty and staff to the University’s Employee Assistance Program.

School of Communication Communication Dean E. Patrick Johnson sent a message to the school on Friday.

“As your dean, I want to assure you that we are not only holding space for you to express your thoughts and views, but we want to connect you to the resources our students and faculty and staff may need, as well as all those seeking religious and spiritual support and guidance,” Johnson said.

He encouraged pathways to peace that “recognize the full humanity in everyone.”

School of Education and Social Policy SESP Dean Bryan Brayboy said he rejects “any person or institution that supports and enacts antisemitism and Islamophobia” in a Friday afternoon email.

“I mourn the loss of human life,” Brayboy wrote. “I mourn the loss of safety. I mourn the loss of futures for children who will never be able to love, live, laugh, cry, and grow old. I mourn the trauma that violence creates and that our bodies will carry into the future.

For some of us, the trauma is already here; we continue to carry it.”

He asked students and faculty for grace, flexibility and commitment to the community as a sense of “worry, concern and grieving” has been created. jacobwendler2025@u.northwestern.edu (and) the athletic director and really gauge their opinion.”

The resolution ultimately failed, with 37 faculty members voting against and 20 voting in favor.

Thomson said he intends to continue considering the issue at the Senate’s next meeting on Nov 15. leahschroeder2026@u.northwestern.edu

SAVE $10 if you order the yearbook today!

7

SPORTS

Thursday, October 19, 2023

@DailyNU_Sports

FIELD HOCKEY

Massive Big Ten implications for No. 1 Northwestern

By ALEX CERVANTES

daily senior staffer @cervantespalex

Northwestern’s senior class, one of the most decorated in program history, has a couple more boxes to check, coach Tracey Fuchs said after the team defeated Iowa on Oct. 6.

On Sunday, the No. 1 Wildcats (13-1, 5-0 Big Ten) capped off their Senior Day festivities with a 5-0 shellacking of Ohio.

The team’s final nonconference triumph added another tally to ever-increasing marks in the win column for NU’s graduating players, who have accumulated more than 60 victories in their time in Evanston.

But the ‘Cats have yet to win a Big Ten regular season or tournament championship in nearly a decade –– honors Fuchs said are well within reach.

NU’s push for the conference’s regular season title comes to a climax this weekend.

The ‘Cats travel to State College on Friday to take on No. 16 Penn State (7-6, 2-3), before a pivotal clash against the Big Ten’s lone undefeated squad, No. 4 Rutgers (14-0, 5-0).

Here are three notable storylines to monitor ahead of NU’s two-game weekend road trip: 1. The ‘Cats penalty corners With sophomore back Maja Zivojnovic sidelined, freshman back Ilse Tromp, senior

midfielder Lauren Wadas and junior midfielder Lane Herbert have stepped into the Dutch international’s stead on NU’s penalty corners.

The ‘Cats converted four of their 10 corners against the Bobcats, with three different players bagging goals — Tromp, Wadas and freshman forward Olivia Bent-Cole.

Following NU’s victory over Michigan State, Fuchs said that to win in the Big Ten, the ‘Cats need to convert one out of every four or five corners. Despite a 40% conversion rate on penalty corners Sunday, Fuchs is still looking to tinker.

“We just need to keep tightening our corners,” Fuchs said. “I thought our percentage was really good (Sunday). We had some good shots from Ilse, Wadas and Lane.”

2. NU’s five-game shutout streak Fuchs said Tromp has adjusted well in her new central position on the backline despite boasting a different playstyle than Zivojnovic.

Tromp’s positional shift is one of just several factors bolstering the team’s defense, a unit which is holding opponents to a scoring average of 0.5 goals per contest.

The ‘Cats have conceded just seven goals this season — the fewest in the country — notably shutting out their five most recent opponents, including a pair of then-top 15 teams in Iowa and Michigan.

Senior goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz, who Fuchs has hailed as the nation’s top

goaltender, has been equally instrumental. Against Princeton — the game which commenced NU’s shutout streak — Skubisz tied a season-high with six saves. Against the Hawkeyes, Skubisz came up with a quartet of fourth quarter saves to keep the clean sheet.

Although the shots can sometimes be few and far between, Skubisz, Tromp and the rest of the backline will look to hold the Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights — two teams which average 2.5 and 2.4 goals per game, respectively — off the board.

3. The ‘Cats look to lock up first regular season title in a decade In her 15th season at NU’s helm, Fuchs is searching for her second regular season and conference titles.

The ‘Cats won their last Big Ten regular season title in 2013, and the veteran coach collected her first conference tournament crown in the following season.

With NU slated to take on three top-20 opponents in its final regular season games, Fuchs and the ‘Cats look to head into postseason play on the highest of notes.

“This has been one of the most rewarding seasons of my coaching career,” Fuchs said. “I hardly have to do anything because our leadership is so good and so strong, and our culture is really amazing. That’s a tribute to our seniors and all the work they’ve put in over the last four or five years.”

Daily file photo by Micah Sandy

alexcervantes2024@u.northwestern.edu

MEN’S SOCCER

CROSS COUNTRY

NU looks to reclaim first place Cross Country takes

Bradley Pink Classic

By JAKE EPSTEIN

daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

By AUDREY PACHUTA

Following the program’s second-half stumble from its unbeaten ranks at Penn State last week, No. 21 Northwestern will return to the comfort of Martin Stadium for the first of a two-match homestand in a Friday night game against No. 20 Michigan State.

The Wildcats (9-1-3, 3-1-1 Big Ten) sit tied atop the conference standings with the Spartans (6-0-6, 2-0-4 Big Ten), along with Penn State and Rutgers. But NU holds at least a game in hand over each squad. A victory would give the ‘Cats sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. With just three regular season games left, every matchup poses major postseason implications for the Big Ten Tournament and beyond.

Here’s three storylines to watch for as NU looks for a bounceback home victory over Michigan State.

1. Jackson Weyman looks to extend purple patch Although the ‘Cats fell 2-1 in University Park last Friday, graduate student goalkeeper Jackson Weyman delivered a standout performance in between the sticks. The Evanston native recorded six saves, keeping NU within striking distance throughout the game.

While Weyman posted a 1.14 goals allowed per game average and had one clean sheet in his first seven starts, the former South Florida and Marquette keeper soared to new heights in late September, silencing a hostile Ludwig Field crowd with seven saves and a clean sheet against Maryland.

Ever since that statement game, Weyman’s pristine form has seldom dipped.

He hardly surrendered a sniff at goal in a 2-0 shutout versus Rutgers –– his third of the season.

The ‘Cats will need their standout shot stopper to stymie another talented attack as the Spartans boast two of the conference’s top 10 scorers in forward Jonathan Stout and midfielder Sean

the daily northwestern

Northwestern wrapped up its regular season with a seventh-place finish at the Bradley Pink Classic on Friday.

Despite coach Jill Miller’s typical topfive runners — senior Katherine Hessler, graduate student Kalea Bartolotto, junior Fiona Lenth, freshman Anna Delgado and junior Ava Earl — resting this weekend, the Wildcats’ rotated squad held their own against a pack of runners from across the region.

Setting out at a blistering 5:51.8 per mile pace, graduate student Adele Magaud led the way for NU this weekend with a 21:51.70, finishing 33rd. Just four seconds later,

Kerrigan. Both will look to find gaps and link up with defender Jeremy Sharp in the attacking third.

2. Justin Weiss and company face Big Ten’s premier goalkeeper Through 13 games, senior forward Justin Weiss’ scoring ability has been paralleled by no one in the conference.

While injuries slowed his second stint in Evanston last fall, the senior is back with a vengeance, tallying seven goals and seven assists for a Big Ten-best 21 points.

However, Weiss and his strike partner, graduate student forward Ugo Achara Jr., will be put to the test this Friday against one of the conference’s top goaltenders.

Michigan State goalkeeper Zac Kelly has conceded just nine goals in 12 games this season, collecting five clean sheets and 45 saves in that span. In his first season as the Spartans’ starter, Kelly leads the Big Ten in both save percentage and saves, stopping shots at a .839 clip.

For NU to knock off its ranked opponent, coach Russell Payne’s group will look to play through its senior captain

and capitalize off chances on a consistent goalkeeper.

3. The ‘Cats attempt to maintain unbeaten home record Eight opponents have charged into Evanston yearning to knock off NU on its home turf, but none left with the spoils of victory. The ‘Cats have amassed a 7-0-1 home resume this season, merely dropping points in a 0-0 draw against Green Bay. The team’s home dominance marks a significant turnaround from its 2022 campaign, when NU won just one of its nine matches at Martin Stadium. With much of the same supporting cast donning the purple and white this year, Payne’s ‘Cats have found something special off the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Facing Indiana in a second consecutive home game next Tuesday, NU looks to grab a momentum spurring victory on Friday before its final regular season home tilt. jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

MEN’S GOLF

Daily file photo by Delilah Brumer

Junior midfielder Colin McCamy dribbles downfield against Green Bay. McCamy has tallied two goals and four assists this season.

sophomore Skye Ellis capped off her race with a 35th place 21:55.40 time.

While senior Emily Casaclang set a 22:31.95 6k personal best in her last race — the Loyola Lakefront Challenge — the Burleigh Waters, Australia native shaved off another 14 seconds Friday, crossing the finish line in 65th place with a time of 22:17.90.

Juniors Abbie Draheim, Deepti Choudhury and Whitney Currie, and graduate student Rachel Sessa, rounded out NU’s top seven.

With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, the ‘Cats will shift their focus to postseason preparations. Miller and company now look ahead to the Big Ten Championship at Wisconsin in two weeks.

NU 13th at Georgia College Invitational

By HENRY FRIEMAN

the daily northwestern

Fresh off a runner-up finish at the Fighting Irish Classic, Northwestern stumbled at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational, finishing 13th over the weekend.

Junior Cameron Adam topped the leaderboard for the Wildcats, shooting 1-under par through 54 holes and tying for 25th on the tournament. Adam saved his best performance for Sunday’s final round, when he shot 3-under with five birdies to climb 11 spots in the standings.

Graduate student James Imai shot 2-over, good enough for a share of 38th place. Sophomores Ethan Tseng and Daniel Svärd each tied for 45th with three strokes over par through 54 holes.

NU got off to a sluggish start on Friday morning, shooting a combined 12 shots over par through its first nine holes. While

Svärd shot three strokes over par to begin his round, he caught fire on the final nine holes, drilling five birdies to finish 2-under on the day.

Tseng, Adam and Imai all shot even-par to put NU in a ninth-place tie with USC, rounding off the first round for the ‘Cats.

Although Friday’s efforts put coach David Inglis’ squad firmly in the mix, a tough second round sent NU tumbling down the leaderboard Saturday. Adam and Imai both went 2-over and the ‘Cats combined for a 298-stroke second round, plunging down to 13th.

Despite a 5-under 283 final round display on Sunday, NU’s leaderboard standing remained unchanged. Adam, after shooting even for the first 15 holes, sunk three consecutive birdies to cap a stellar 69-stroke showing. Tseng and freshman Jeremy Chen each shot 1-under Sunday. henryfrieman2027@u.northwestern.edu