The Daily Northwestern — Holiday Guide 2023

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INSIDE: Around Town 2 | Arts & Entertainment 6 | Opinion 8 | Sports 11

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

AROUND TOWN

small business saturday draws many

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR

daily senior staffer @beatricedvilla

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday aims to increase economic activity a little closer to home. Small businesses nationwide — including some in Evanston — held sales and promotional giveaways to encourage shopping local this holiday season.

Evanston resident Abby Dan (Weinberg ‘05), co-owner of Booked, a store that specializes in children’s literature, said Small Business Saturday is the most important day of the year for her business — besides Independent Bookstore Day. This is Dan’s first Small Business Saturday.

“It has been great — the community has really come out and supported us,” she said. “Main-Dempster Mile did an incredible job of getting people down here from downtown Evanston.”

Various businesses in downtown Evanston, the Main-Dempster Mile and Central Street participated in the festivities. Started in 2010, the event intends to boost small businesses’ sales.

Dan said Booked had both first time visitors and regulars participate in gift giveaways where they received stickers, pens and tote bags.

Chicago resident Eli Malthouse said the uniqueness of local stores’ inventory sets them apart from big-box retailers.

For example, Evanston Stitchworks — where Malthouse is a part-time employee — stocks yarn locally dyed in Skokie and Rogers Park.

“We curate a lot of independent fabric and yarn designers, and we also carry a lot of locally dyed yarn,” he said. “By shopping here, you kind of also get to support different fiber artists from around the Chicagoland area.”

The store, located at 906 Sherman Ave., also offers classes in fiber arts like crocheting, sewing and embroidery.

Malthouse said these workshops function as “a community space for people to come together and create textile arts,” especially since several fabric stores have closed in recent years.

While many stores saw high engagement from the community on Small Business Saturday, Co-Manager of Ten Thousand Villages Cheryl Nester-Detweiler emphasized the importance of consistent support year-round.

“While we’ve been in Evanston for over 25 years, (COVID-19) has been challenging to us,” she said. “So we always appreciate people making the extra moment to come here and not to shop Amazon.”

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade store located at 915 Chicago Ave. that partners with artisans worldwide to sell sustainably-sourced and handcrafted products. Wares are labeled with their country of origin and occasionally the craftsperson’s name, with most pieces being made of recycled or upcycled materials.

Nester-Detweiler said shopping online or at a bigger retailer means it’s difficult to know where your gifts come from and who your purchases are supporting.

“Knowing that you’re supporting an artisan and making a difference — to me, that is very different than just buying a gift and you have no idea who makes it,” Nester-Detweiler said.

In order to keep local businesses open, she said, it’s critical to patronize them.

Dan echoed the sentiment.

“It’s use it or lose it. If people aren’t shopping here, then we don’t exist,” Dan said. “Reminding people to shop small helps us keep existing throughout the rest of the year so that we’re here.” beavillaflor@u.northwestern.edu

Beatrice Villaflor/The Daily Northwestern

Local businesses participating in this year’s Small Business Saturday included Booked, Evanston Stitchworks and Ten Thousand Villages.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

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chefs donate to Soul Fridge

www.dailynorthwestern.com

By OLIVIA MOFUS the daily northwestern

Editor in Chief Avani Kalra

The Daily Northwestern

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

The Soul Fridge, one of four fixtures of Evanston Community Fridges and standing outside of Soul & Smoke, will be filled with new meals this holiday season. Twelve chefs from Evanston and Chicago will drop off meals in the fridge from Nov. 22 until the end of the year.

According to a news release from Soul & Smoke and Evanston Community Fridges, the need for food supplies “increases during the winter and the holidays,” so restaurant owners Heather Bublick and D’Andre Carter wanted to collaborate with other chefs to address the issue.

Bublick reached out to Sarah Stegner, chef and co-owner of Northbrook’s Prairie Grass Cafe, to bring together local chefs to help fill the Soul Fridge.

“We do what we can, and we put food in it daily. But we can’t, ourselves, stock it as often as it needs,” Bublick said. “As the winter approaches and the holiday season hits, the need certainly increases, so having chefs come together to help us fill it made the most sense to me.”

Evanston Community Fridges is a mutual aid network that provides access to free food for residents throughout Evanston.

Participating chefs this holiday season hail from many different restaurants, including Demera Ethiopian Restaurant, Verzênay, a French bakery, and Saigon Sisters, a Vietnamese restaurant.

Stegner said that chefs will prepare a total of 25 meals, which they will distribute throughout the holiday season.

The meals will largely reflect dishes from the respective restaurants. Stegner already dropped off a meal in the fridge — a turkey burger with sweet potatoes, apple slaw, cabbage, and cranberry sauce from different local farms.

“I feel like there’s so much need, even in our own community, that when we can contribute, it’s important that we take action,” Stegner said.

“As a chef, feeding people is really what we do.”

Many of the participating chefs are members of Chicago Chefs Cook, a nonprofit group that

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The community fridge outside of Soul & Smoke. Chefs from Evanston will drop off meals through the holidays.

unifies Chicago’s culinary community to provide humanitarian aid. The organization has hosted a number of outreach events in response to international crises, including the wildfires in Maui and earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

The Soul Fridge is the only community fridge in Evanston’s 5th Ward, where in 2022, more than 94% of residents lived further than half a mile from a large grocery store, according to city data. The fridge is near Connections for the Homeless, and Bublick said it gets used often by residents of the shelter.

According to Bublick, Soul & Smoke started providing food to the larger Evanston community during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of Evanston/Skokie School District 65, the restaurant identified families that were food insecure and sent out between 200 and 300 meals a day. The restaurant collaborated with Evanston Community Fridges to open the Soul Fridge in 2021.

Anna Grant-Bolton, one of the lead outreach organizers for Evanston Community Fridges, wrote in an email that the fridge is

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used multiple times each day. She added that both Soul & Smoke and community members fill the fridge every day — but sometimes the food is taken within an hour.

“The Soul Fridge is especially critical for community members with food needs who don’t have access to transportation,” GrantBolton wrote. “Additionally, the Soul Fridge is in Evanston’s historically Black ward, which has long been disinvested in. The Soul Fridge functions as a hub of food, care and community support for a neighborhood that has too long been overlooked.”

Stegner said donating food to places like the Soul Fridge is part of her duty as a chef.

Restaurants are a place that are dependent on our communities, and we thrive because of our communities,” Stegner said. “It’s an opportunity for us to give back and to look for ways to improve our communities, and make sure that everyone is taken care of.” oliviamofus2026@u.northwestern.edu

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

local tree farms brave soil conditions

By SHUN GRAVES

the daily northwestern @realShunGraves

Surrounded by the Chicago region’s suburban sprawl, the tree-lined acres of snowcovered farmland at Abbey Farms feel like an “oasis,” the farm’s director Eric Mott said.

The farm has recently transformed into a winter wonderland. And it’s not just because of this week’s snowfall: Abbey Farms in Aurora, Illinois, is one of few places in the Chicago area that grows Christmas trees on-site.

Over the last couple of weeks, tree farms have geared up to create immersive, handson holiday experiences for families. About a dozen Christmas tree farms exist around Cook County and its surrounding counties — but none are in northern Cook.

Many pre-cut trees found at retailers across the region don’t come from Illinois.

The region’s climate and soil pose a challenge for evergreen growers, said Chris Evans, a research specialist at the University of Illinois’ Extension Forestry program.

The Chicago region features many hardwood species, like birches and oaks, that lose their leaves every fall, he added. But conifers, the pointed-leaf evergreens we know as Christmas trees, thrive in colder climates, like Michigan’s. “ We don’t have many native conifers to Illinois,” he said. “A lot of those species are a little more cold-adapted — the spruce, the firs especially. And they like fairly well-drained soils. They don’t do great with a lot of soil moisture.”

This means it takes some trial-and-error with different species to see what works best on a given plot of land. Evans said that species have to be able to thrive with the specific constraints of the land’s soil.

Mott said his farm mainly grows pines and spruces but has also experimented with firs, which need better-drained soil.

“There are spots in Illinois that do have sandier (or) lighter soils,” he said. “But this immediate area is definitely not one of those.”

Urban sprawl in the nation’s third-largest

Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern

Abbey Farms Director Eric Mott points toward various young trees growing at the farm on Tuesday in Aurora, Illinois.

metropolitan area means little space remains for expansive tree farms. Homes and industrial sites can create a “heat island” and pose additional challenges for growing trees, Evans said.

“There may be more pollution into the soil, either from increased vehicle traffic or deposition from factories or things around that may impact the soil,” he said.

Abbey Farms began when monks from the Marmion Abbey started growing trees there in the 1930s. Now, in addition to selling thousands of trees this winter, the farm also features a holiday store with specialty items, such

as jams and Christmas ornaments.

Some of the other tree farms in the Chicago region also offer baked goods or hot drinks for tree buyers. This helps make picking up a Christmas tree straight from the farm an experience in itself, Mott said. “(People) say, ‘We’ve been coming here for 50 years,’” he said. “It becomes kind of a family tradition to come and cut down a tree. They turn it into their tradition as a family.”

In addition to the trees customers pick from the fields, Abbey Farms offers pre-cut trees from Michigan.

Either way, tree buyers get a complimentary donut and hot chocolate — items that Aurora resident Tyler Demars and his family say keep them coming back.

“If you went to Home Depot and got a similar tree for a little bit less money, it’s not the experience we’re looking for,” he said. “We’re looking for a little bit of the Christmas music playing and the people talking to you about the crafts.” shungraves2027@u.northwestern.edu

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Last minute holiday gift ideas the city

By TABI PARENT

the daily northwestern @TabithaParent12

Last-minute gifts are a common problem for college students whose finals eat into the typical holiday shopping period. Between caffeine-fueled spurts of essay writing and (hopefully) showering, there’s simply no time to surf the web for the perfect gifts for your hometown bestie, mom, dad, sister or whoever else made the cut.So, to avoid the naughty list, I’ve compiled a list of truly lastminute gifts (none of this Amazon overnighting business) to keep holiday spirits merry and bright.

Gifts you can ‘do yourself’ Nothing screams “I put in effort” or perhaps, “I ran out of time to shop” than some classic DIY gifting. Not much money is needed for these gifts, just creativity, a crayon or two and some elbow grease.

For your mom (or mom friend): DIY a nice homemade card to give

them something they can hang on to for a while. This gift costs nothing but a few colored pencils and your time (depending on how crafty you are). To add some extra oomph, curate a nice bouquet of flowers (my secret tip is wrapping them in paper and some twine for that elevated, definitely-not-lastminute look). Bonus points if you can get a cute vase they can reuse.

Price: Depends on how artsy you get.

For the most sentimental person you know: Place an order at your local CVS and get your favorite photo of the two of you printed on some nice glossy paper. Slap it in a cute frame and call it a gift.

Price: ~$7 for the photo depending on size and quantity, ~$6 for a cheap frame.

Cozy gifts to warm up their winter Depending on where you’re from, the holiday season can be brutally cold, and for those of us in Evanston, these Winter Quarter months are going to put us through the wringer. Here are

some gifts for the people enduring these chilly months indoors.

For your sib from another crib: You all have that one friend: the elf to your shelf, the North to your Pole, the egg to your nog. You get the gist. Give the gift of obnoxiousness and buy yourself and your soul sibling a pair of matching PJs. Matching sets are so in right now, so not only will you be helping the recipient beat the winter weather, but you’ll be doing it on trend, too. Hop on over to Target and peruse their selection — they never miss. Price: $40+ for you and your friend’s matching pajamas.

For the friend who always has room for a sweet treat: Nothing says warm and cozy like hot cocoa.

For this gift, pick up a cute mug at the store and stuff it with all the necessary hot cocoa-making fixings. Add in some hot cocoa powder or one of those fancy melty hot cocoa balls, some nice marshmallows, and, of course, top it all off with a candy cane for optimal sipping. If you’re feeling extra warm and bright, throw in a pair

of fuzzy socks for while they enjoy your gift. Price: $15+ for mug and hot cocoa ingredients.

Of course, you could always claim college student status and explain to your mom that you didn’t get her a gift this year because you were too busy studying for your (insert class that will make your parents wonder why they’re paying for you to go to school) final.

But why would you do that when you’ve got this guide right here? Happy gifting! tabiparent2025@u.northwestern.edu

december docket

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR

the daily northwestern @beatricedvilla

December marks the start of the holidays as storefronts decorate their windows, daylight shortens and yuletide cheer begins. Those celebrating the holiday season in Evanston won’t have to venture far to immerse themselves in the festive spirit, though. Whether it’s gift shopping locally, tasting seasonal treats or watching community performances, there’s a holiday event in the city for everyone.

Shop Evanston Made Holiday Market

Illustration by Shveta Shah

The Daily compiled a list of last-minute gifts for college students with a limited budget and time.

The third annual market from local art nonprofit Evanston Made is opening Friday and will run until Dec. 17. Located at 1631 Chicago Ave., attendees can browse a number of local artists selling original art, jewelry and more. Artisans will also be hosting workshops and events during the market.

Downtown Evanston Holiday Light Celebration The annual Evanston tree lighting is Dec. 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Fountain Square. The event will feature performances by the Evanston Children’s Choir, Soul4Real A Cappella and more, as well as comments from Mayor Daniel Biss.

Attendees can also warm up with hot chocolate and take photos with Santa at The Merion on 1611 Chicago Ave. from 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m.

Menorah Lighting Ceremony All community members are invited to join Tannenbaum Chabad House to celebrate Hanukkah and ignite a 10-foot, public menorah at Fountain Square. The free event, held on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m., will feature remarks from Biss and Hanukkah treats.

Evanston Children’s Choir 2023 Holiday Concert The Evanston Children’s Choir is performing carols and other traditional songs that aim to celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah on Dec. 8 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The ECC’s concert choir will be joined by Youth Chorale Pops and Pope John XXIII School Choir for the free show, which will be held on Northwestern’s campus at Alice Millar Chapel.

“The Nutcracker on Ice” at the Robert Crown Community Center The show returns for its 48th year entertaining families in Evanston as Robert Crown Center ice skating school students will perform the story of Clara venturing into a new land. Set to Tchaikovsky’s familiar music, people of all ages can enjoy the show. The show runs from Dec. 8-10, and general admission tickets are $12.

Flapjacks & Flannels Flannel-clad families can join the Evanston Parks and Recreation Department at the Levy Senior Center on Dec. 10 to enjoy pancakes.

Attendees receive a full breakfast and can make snow globes and dreidels at the event. Santa is also expected to make an appearance. Prior registration is required, and tickets are discounted for Evanston residents.

The Great Elf Hunt Perfect for the little ones to get into the seasonal spirit, the city is hosting an elf hunt throughout local community centers and parks. From Dec. 18-28, finding an elf and emailing in a photo counts as one raffle entry, where the prizes are gift cards to local businesses, including Koi Evanston and Art Makers Outpost. Winners will be announced Jan. 2.

Kwanzaa Celebration The city and the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre are holding the annual first day of Kwanzaa celebration on Dec. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Robert Crown Community Center. The free event will feature sweet treats, a community drum circle and a performance

by JustUsArts. It will conclude with a traditional Kwanzaa ceremony. beavillaflor@u.northwestern.edu

6 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

David Samson/The Daily Northwestern

Coffee shops like Starbucks and Colectivo have new drinks to get you in the holiday spirit..

festive drinks for the finicky palate

By DAVID SAMSON

the daily northwestern @dpsamson_

Red aprons, Mariah Carey and hints of peppermint in the air can only mean one thing: The holiday season is upon us.

With it comes a slate of new seasonal drinks at your favorite local coffee shop. But what if you, like me, are a super picky eater? You only tolerate coffee. You don’t understand why chocolate is so popular. You cringe at the smell of peppermint.

Fear not, because this Starbucks barista has got you covered with tips to liven up the holidays — sans Peppermint Mocha and Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Instead of a basic coffee, try a hot tea to get your caffeine fix this holiday season. Bold flavors of fruits, nuts and spices can be found all around Evanston, especially at Colectivo Coffee on 716 Church St. I tried Colectivo’s Merry Cranberry Tea. Advertised as a “seasonal tea with ginger, cranberry, hibiscus, cinnamon, orange peel and clove,” this tea did not lack flavor. The cranberry’s tartness made its mark on me from the first sip and the complementing spices provided a warm, although sometimes overpowering, aftertaste.

One way to dilute this palate for the picky type is by adding milk and makeshifting a Merry Cranberry Tea Latte. I’d recommend using oat milk.

This wasn’t my favorite tea, but it definitely

put me in the holiday spirit — and at only $2.95, it’s perfect for college students on a budget.

Keeping on the tea train, chai is probably my favorite coffee shop offering because of its smooth sweetness and compatibility with other flavors, such as brown sugar, caramel and milk alternatives.

This year, Starbucks released hot and iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai drinks. Although they are a bit pricey, both drinks are extremely popular — my store ran out of both oat milk and chai after Black Friday weekend. The gingerbread flavoring elevates the spices in the chai, creating a vibrant seasonal drink.

Buyer beware: The hot and iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai drinks have the same name, but their recipes are slightly different. The iced version adds an oat milk

and gingerbread froth, made by blending oat milk and gingerbread like cold foam, to the top of the drink. But it has no gingerbread in the main body of the drink, leaving consumers conflicted.

I loved the hot Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. It was a warm, festive and flavorful celebration of some of my favorite alternative winter options. I haven’t tried the iced version yet, but my co-workers tend to find the froth unnecessary and recommend the hot version to guests.

This season is a time to experiment with new flavors and get yourself into the holiday mood, so be innovative and unorthodox. Trust me, your local barista is sick of making those same few basic drinks anyways. davidsamson2026@u.northwestern.edu

new disney movie lacks a magical spark

By EDWARD SIMON CRUZ

the daily northwestern @edwardsimoncruz

Many Disney characters have wished upon stars.

The latest one to do so is Asha, the protagonist of Disney’s latest animated feature: “Wish,” a commemoration of the entertainment company’s 100th anniversary.

Asha makes her wish during the film’s central song, which fulfills its role as her dramatic “I Want” number. Unfortunately, the powerhouse vocals of Ariana DeBose, who voices Asha, aren’t enough to stop the song from feeling somewhat one-note. The song is emblematic of the film as a whole: a picture-perfect repetition of the Disney formula lacking in magic touch.

Like the older films it emulates, “Wish,” released

Nov. 22, begins with the opening of a storybook. The tale is set in the fictional Mediterranean kingdom of Rosas, which is designed with a pleasant blend of 3D computer-generated imagery and 2D watercolors in a modernized update to hand-drawn animation.

Unlike Disney’s last few films, “Wish” also has a straightforward villain in King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine), who refuses to grant most of the wishes his subjects give up to him out of fear that he will lose his power.

Asha, dissatisfied with Magnifico, makes her own wish (upon a star!). The star descends to join her in anthropomorphic form as she embarks on an adventure to retrieve her family’s wishes and save Rosas.

Hijinks ensue, complete with talking animals, butt jokes and multiple musical numbers.

In the end, everyone lives happily ever after. This plot should sound familiar because “Wish” is so

obediently committed to the Disney formula that it doesn’t have its own story.

Like Mulan, Moana and other Disney heroines, Asha is loyal and headstrong. Unlike those heroines, she is a flat character, with no lessons to learn or inner demons to overcome. Pine pulls off Magnifico’s transition from welcoming to intimidating, but Asha’s trials and tribulations still don’t feel urgent. The inevitable Disneyfied happy ending only reminds us that we’re watching a 90-minute-long self-advertisement meant to evoke memories of older, better films.

Many of those films were filled with iconic, instantly recognizable songs, but the songs in “Wish” are plain and unmemorable. Writers Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice occasionally attempt to emulate Lin-Manuel Miranda’s clever, toe-tapping “Encanto” numbers, but the results feel tonally inconsistent. The lyrics are

strained and lacking in wit.

Take the line, “When it comes to the universe we’re all shareholders,” from “I’m a Star” as an example. The word choice is awkward but oddly fitting now that Disney has seemingly made us all mere shareholders in its century-long effort to take over the universe.

Over the decades, Disney’s best films have been technologically innovative and emotionally resonant. Disney still makes these films, but it has prioritized building easily marketable franchises to the point that we sometimes mistake references to greatness for greatness itself.

It makes sense that “Wish” feels less like the classic films it references and more like many of Disney’s liveaction remakes: It’s okay on its own, but compared to what came before, it’s little more than a pale imitation. edwardcruz2027@u.northwestern.edu

holiday records are merry and bright

By EMILY LICHTY and TABI PARENT

the daily northwestern @emilymlichty @tabithaparent12

Every year the holidays roll around, lights inevitably crop up in neighborhood trees, coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks, and, of course, musical artists capitalize on the Christmas season by releasing a holiday song or two.

Laufey and Norah Jones’s ‘Christmas With You’ is everything, except long enough 24-year-old Icelandic singer Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, known professionally as Laufey, gets Christmas.

Known for the deep, mature vocals that characterize her self-described “modern jazz” sound, the singer released her newest holiday EP “Christmas With You” with American singer-songwriter Norah Jones on Nov. 10.

Featuring just a pair of songs — a cover of the classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Better Than Snow,” a track Laufey and Jones co-wrote — the EP is the perfect soundtrack for decorating your

Christmas tree and sipping some hot cocoa on a snowy winter evening.

Truly, the only problem with the joint EP is its length. The two songs are not enough to capture Laufey and Jones’s voices’ potential for holiday music (luckily for all of us listeners out there, the two are no strangers to the holiday music game and have both previously released holiday collections). The artists are a rare gem of nostalgia in an otherwise pop-saturated holiday music realm. My only qualm with their EP is that we need more of it.

On “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the pair of singers elevate Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane’s classic song. Tinkly, jazzy instrumentals pair perfectly with Jones and Laufey’s mature, sultry vocals, creating the kind of song you would hear in the background of a holiday cocktail party, but it certainly deserves playtime beyond that. Despite the 20-year age gap between Laufey and Jones, Laufey’s voice holds up against the Billboard top jazz artist of the 2000s decade.

The pair’s co-written song, “Better Than Snow,” laments the loss of a white Christmas, with Laufey and Jones singing about palm trees and sweating in ugly sweaters. The loss is remedied only by the notion that “Christmas with (insert your loved ones) is better than snow.” It’s a simple song, but Jones and Laufey’s croons

fit right in with the established holiday music canon.

If “Christmas with You” can teach us anything, it’s that the musical world needs a little bit less production.

Sometimes less is more — a crazy thing to say, I know, during capitalism’s favorite season. ‘fruitcake’ by Sabrina Carpenter is the dessert everyone wants at the holiday party Sabrina Carpenter’s new Christmas album, “fruitcake,” is total nonsense. And I love it.

If you are anything like me, you’ve been captivated

by Carpenter’s career lately. The 24-year-old singer is currently bringing her bubbly, feminine persona to the pop world by opening for Taylor Swift on her international tour.

The singer released a six track holiday album on Nov. 17. At a little under 16 minutes, “fruitcake” isn’t anything outstanding. (It’s safe to say Carpenter won’t be bringing in Mariah Carey-level profits this Christmas). But with songs like “cindy lou who” and “buy me presents,” the album is a lot of fun.

If you don’t take it too seriously, “fruitcake” is the perfect Christmas album to put on while you sip a peppermint hot chocolate and look at holiday lights this winter.

Like most of Carpenter’s career, this EP is less about being technically genius and more about being aesthetically pleasing and fun. In other words, it’s more for the “vibes” than it is for anything else.

The album’s strongest track is one she had already released: “A Nonsense Christmas.” This track is the holiday version of her hit song “Nonsense.” With its quirky lyrics and chaotic vibe, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a song Carpenter made up as a joke to sing with friends.

It’s not revolutionary, but it does live up to its name.

The remaining tracks emulate the sugary, goofy style of “A Nonsense Christmas.” Four tracks on the project are original songs, with “white xmas” holding the spot as the only Christmas cover.

Though it starts slow, “white xmas” is the second strongest track. It made me wish that Carpenter brought more classic Christmas tunes to this project.

With a few more holiday hits sprinkled into this EP, or even an artist feature or two, “fruitcake” would likely have more longevity in the world of Christmas music.

Overall, Carpenter’s EP is what it says it is: a fruitcake. It’s a fun holiday treat that’s definitely a little crazy but is still very festive, nonetheless. emilylichty2026@u.northwestern.edu tabiparent2025@u.northwestern.edu

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

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festive storefront displays decorate city The holiday season has arrived, and downtown Evanston is gearing up for the festivities with cheerful winter displays.

Around the city, stores are now adorned with Santa gnomes, pine wreaths and, naturally, countless lights.

Sasha Draeger-Mazer/The Daily Northwestern

CTA Holiday Train carries Santa and elves

Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern

8 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

OPINION

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O’Grady: ‘Die Hard’ is certainly not a Christmas movie DANNY O’GRADY

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Since Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror, the holiday season is kicking into high gear.

Unfortunately, the festive cheer brings forth a population convinced that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. I, however, don’t fall prey to such silly delusions. Sure, some may call me a Grinch, but I value the truth too much to stand by and let this happen.

The vast majority of action movies come and go. But, “Die Hard” remains relevant because of its supporters who claim it’s a holiday movie.

It doesn’t have the quality or deeper meanings that make action movies like “Star Wars” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” timeless classics.

Instead, the movie relies upon its lousy Christmas setting to persuade people to reignite this

In addition to excluding classic Christmas motifs, “Die Hard” actively glorifies values that counter the lessons Christmas movies usually attempt to teach.

- DANNYO’GRADY,op-edcontributor debate on a yearly basis for attention and monetary gain.

The core of the argument behind “Die

Hard” being a holiday film rests on how the movie takes place on Christmas. However, this logic becomes deeply problematic when applied to other movies. For instance, one of the most important scenes in the 2002 “Spider-Man” occurs during Thanksgiving dinner where Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe)

“Die Hard” remains relevant because of its supporters who claim it’s a holiday movie.

- DANNYO’GRADY,op-edcontributor discovers Spider-Man’s (Tobey Maguire) identity. This scene depicts an arguably more important event in the context of the holiday than any part of “Die Hard.” So why do people not argue that “Spider-Man” is a Thanksgiving movie every year?

The answer to this question is that “SpiderMan” doesn’t revolve around Thanksgiving imagery. Similarly, “Die Hard” doesn’t revolve around Christmas imagery. By that logic, one shouldn’t classify it as a Christmas movie — just as people do not classify “Spider-Man” as a Thanksgiving movie.

Equally befuddling is how people let a movie’s setting define the themes and nature of the movie. Take the timeless classics of “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” or the superior “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” movies. They’re set during World War II, yet are clearly adventure movies, not wartime films.

Indiana Jones isn’t paraded around with “Saving Private Ryan” or “Dunkirk” as hallmarks of the WWII film genre. Likewise, “Die Hard”

shouldn’t be kept in the same company as “Home Alone” or “Elf.” Another example of this could be the misnomer that “The Hateful Eight” is mainly a Western movie. Sure, it is set in the era of the Wild West, but in reality the film trades gunslinging adventure for a whodunit mystery.

In addition to excluding classic Christmas motifs, “Die Hard” actively glorifies values that counter the lessons Christmas movies usually attempt to teach. The movie indulges in violence and destruction, which could not be more opposed to the teaching that the holiday season is about generosity and loving others. This juxtaposition between the characters’ on-screen values and the meaning of the Christmas props in the background is a decisive blow to the credibility of the argument that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie.

When you’re asked to picture a holiday movie, even the staunchest “Die Hard” supporters will probably have films like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or “Frosty the Snowman”

If these arguments are not enough to sway your opinion, it should be noted that “Die Hard” star Bruce Willis himself has stated that the film is not a Christmas movie.

- DANNYO’GRADY,op-edcontributor come to mind first. Their argument is merely a mirage to advance some motive. I can only

speculate that the motive revolves around saying “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie to make

When you’re asked to picture a holiday movie, even the staunchest “Die Hard” supporters will probably have films like “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” or “Frosty the Snowman” come to mind first.

- DANNYO’GRADY,op-edcontributor them seem more interesting — so they can feed off the attention the debate brings.

If these arguments are not enough to sway your opinion, it should be noted that “Die Hard” star Bruce Willis himself has stated that the film is not a Christmas movie. With that, I rest my case. Don’t sit idly by as people try to boast about the film’s Christmas movie status. Real change can only come from people standing up and calling out these sad pleas for attention.

Danny O’Grady is a Weinberg sophomore.

He can be contacted at dannyogrady2026@u. northwestern.edu. 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.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

9

OPINION

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Mittal: From Sweden to China with just 20 bucks ANGELI MITTAL

DAILY SENIOR STAFFER

I don’t normally love shopping in person — especially during the holiday season. I often feel the pressure to escape crowded shopping malls with items I could have leisurely looked for in my bedroom.

And yet, I found myself staring at the holidaydecked interior of World Market on Cyber Monday, trading online-exclusive deals for bright lights and a scavenger hunt for post-Black Friday discounts. I was on a mission to stretch my $20 budget, to somehow afford five holiday-themed items from five different countries. Conveniently, World Market features the country of origin next to the price tag for most of their products.

Past contestants of this $20 challenge (namely, former Daily Gameday Editor John Riker) either had lofty expectations or aimless quests (apologies for the critique, John). But I was bringing an asset (or rather, two) that previous contenders lacked: trusted companions. Perhaps the presence of three frugal college students hunting for quality sub-$4 items would expedite the operation.

We truly spent the first 20 minutes in the store thawing our frozen limbs from the dreary and frigid walk from North Campus, feasting upon free samples of Hibiscus-flavored tea. We also made a few rounds of the food section.

The most obvious target was the array of holiday snacks spanning multiple aisles — after all, food comes in many shapes and sizes that could cater to our budget. Walking past the aroma of imported coffee beans, we came across our first item added to my basket: Quadratini Ginger-Chocolate, creme-filled wafers from Austria priced at $4.99. I’m snacking on them as I write this, cherishing the sacred ginger flavor reminiscent of snickerdoodles. Then I realized the product contained hazelnuts (which I’m allergic to). Beware of allergens.

Next, we strolled to another aisle — filled with

Angeli Mittal/The Daily Northwestern

Gameday Design Editor Angeli Mittal and two friends pose at World Market after a holiday haul. Mittal sought to surpass previous years’ attempts at the 20 dollar challenge.

peppermint and hard candies — to visit Sweden.

The $3.99 Grenna The Original Polkagris Peppermint stick caught my eye, partly because it was a solid price but also because I absolutely love peppermint.

And unlike its chunky appearance, the handmade peppermint stick was on the softer side, which I’m sure my teeth appreciate. The aisle was filled with other goodies I tentatively placed in my basket, including Meronne Milk Chocolate Spoons from Turkey and Hot Cocoa Floaties with assorted Hot Cocoa Toppers from China.

We kept circling the foods in the back of the store, unable to find more affordable holiday snacks to add to the mix. Migrating toward the ornaments revealed

a pleasant surprise — more delectables, and at even better prices that helped me fulfill the challenge. I immediately flocked to the penguin Wawi Chocolate Advent Calendars from Germany — a $2.49 investment that satiated my love for penguins and chocolate. In the neighboring aisles, I was able to find a cheaper substitute for the two hot cocoa products, grabbing holiday gummies from China — a purchase that was well worth the $1.99, according to one of my friends.

At this point, I had already completed the task but had a few dollars left in my budget, so I grabbed the Polish Kopernik Iced Gingerbread Hearts on my way to the cash register. And just as we were about to

check out, a 49-cent Ritter Sport marzipan bar with dark chocolate was placed on the conveyor belt — a last-minute stop to France as we concluded on our world tour.

Though our subtotal came out to around $21.50, the budget exceeded our expectations, affording us holiday goods from seven different countries.

While I still prefer to browse online, the vibrancy, companionship and convenience of international commodities all encapsulated in a store just a few blocks from my apartment made the experience pretty great. amittal@u.northwestern.edu

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10 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

markets bring cheer and bratwurst

By ISABEL SU

the daily northwestern @isabelsu_

Bratwurst, baked cheese, handmade ornaments and nativity pottery are just a few of the things visitors can find at the Chicago Christkindlmarket, the largest Christmas market in the U.S. Held in downtown Chicago’s Daley Plaza, the market welcomes upwards of one million visitors each year. It also has locations in Wrigleyville — right in the shadow of Wrigley Field — and Aurora.

Florida native Parrish Davis-Sauls works at the Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket stall for Winterborn Alpaca, which sells sustainable alpaca wool goods like scarves and mittens.

She has also worked at the Daley Plaza location.

“Wrigleyville is definitely a family-oriented market. It’s a lot calmer. It’s a lot more neighborhood-friendly,” she said. “Daley Plaza is wonderful and even has more things to offer.

But it is always packed in, very touristy.”

The grounds are lined with timber vendor stalls at each location, lit up with heat lamps and string lights. There are also indoor seating areas where guests can indulge in hot spiced wine, beer and other holiday drinks.

Davis-Sauls said she likes the sense of community among Christkindlmarket employees.

“We’re all mainly gig artists that have either daytime jobs (or) a seasonal thing,” she said.

“A lot of us are (Bristol) Renaissance Faire

workers or singers and actors, and we all know each other.”

Her favorite part of working at the Christkindlmarket, though, is being around the holiday spirit and getting to meet people from all over the country. Once, she met someone from her hometown through the market, an experience she called “really funky and fun.”

General entry to the market is free, though Christkindlmarket began selling $25 weekend express passes this year. It allows visitors to skip the seasonal stalls’ long lines and also includes a souvenir mug.

Some visitors like Medill freshman Marcus Kim find issues with the market’s high prices.

At Winterborn Alpaca, for example, product prices range from $30 to $50.

Kim visited the Daley Plaza Christkindlmarket on Nov. 17, its opening day — but said he wouldn’t return.

“I would not go to the Christmas market again because of how expensive it was,” he said.

“It is a good experience to go once, but everything they were selling, especially food, (was expensive). A hot dog was like 12 bucks.”

For others, however, the Christkindlmarket is still meaningful for the sense of holiday joy it creates.

Riley Hause, a Weinberg freshman from Los Angeles, visited the Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket on Tuesday.

Hause said that Christmas is her favorite holiday, but the warm weather in L.A. does not facilitate a traditional Christmas experience.

She visited the market because she thought it would be cool to experience the holiday in

Isabel Su/The Daily Northwestern

The Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket in the evening. At each location, the grounds are lined with timber vendor stalls, lit up with heat lamps and string lights.

20-degree weather, she said.

“In Christmas movies, there’s always a sea of snow and so many lights,” Hause said. “I’ve never done that before, and I felt like I was in

a Christmas movie. I finally feel like I can say I experienced Christmas. isabelsu2027.1@u.northwestern.edu

artists reimagine holiday pop up store

By SHUN GRAVES and JILLIAN MOORE

the daily northwestern

Over the course of just a few days, volunteers and artists have reimagined a vacant space in downtown Evanston into the third annual Evanston Made Holiday Market, set to open Dec. 1.

Visitors can stop by the curated market of

Evanston Made members’ art and handmade items at 1631 Chicago Ave. Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 17.

The Merion, a senior living community, offered the space for the event, formerly the restaurant Found. Evanston Made Co-Director Liz Cramer said she felt excited about the “gorgeous” location and expected it to attract more visitors.

Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern

Artists and volunteers help set up the Evanston Made holiday pop-up in a vacant downtown space.

“Anytime that we can do something where we have a workshop where artists can actually be making and creating in front of the public, or to guide them through their own adventure, then that’s a great use of the space,” she said.

The pop-up market will offer scheduled events including a whiskey tasting, artist demonstrations and artistic “do-it-yourself ” workshops. Those interested in participating can RSVP or get tickets through Eventbrite and the Evanston Made website.

Volunteer and contributing artist Lisa Haskin said she will run a demonstration on how she makes her Christmas tree button ornaments. Haskin will be selling books bound by hand, Christmas card prints and other mixed media work.

“Anything that I make is repurposing different materials,” she said. “I have a problem throwing things away. Even little scrap pieces of paper I’ve had from bookmaking, I’ve made little tiny book ornaments.”

The contributing artists also have their goods for sale online and are benefiting from the digital market, according to Haskin.

She said a customer bought all of her handmade book ornaments over the weekend, inspiring her to create more for the pop-up.

“I hope that (the pop-up) really helps the general public see and then in turn support artists more because there’s a lot of us that are working,” Haskin said. “We don’t have storefronts, we have online shops with Evanston Made or our own Etsy shops.”

Pop-up retail has emerged as a way to repurpose otherwise empty retail spaces, both nationwide and locally. On the Main-Dempster Mile, Swantiques opened a furniture pop-up in November. In downtown Evanston, which continues to struggle with high office and retail vacancy rates, Evanston Made could bring in foot traffic for the holiday shopping season.

“For the temporary pop-up tenant, it’s a great opportunity to showcase small businesses and create a little more retail energy happening from that space,” said Andy Vick, executive director of nonprofit group Downtown Evanston. “For downtown, it does fill an empty storefront, and for the property owner, it’s a chance to show off the space and also to be a good community player.”

Last year’s holiday pop-up space filled with a permanent tenant — Chiropractic First — afterward, said Lisa Degliantoni, Evanston Made’s founder and co-director. A pop-up brings “added visibility” to the vacant space, she added, for prospective tenants and for artists.

“It makes people a little bit sad to see empty spaces and vacant spaces, and for businesses to go out of business,” Degliantoni said. “We’re also trying to bring a little bit of life and positivity to what a lot of people interpret as, ‘Oh bummer, my Found restaurant’s gone.’” shungraves2027@u.northwestern.edu jillianmoore2027@u.northwestern.edu

freshmen reflect on the first quarter

By SARAH SEROTA

the daily northwestern @SarahSerota

Hundreds of freshmen marched through Weber Arch this September, commencing their journey as students at Northwestern. As the air chills and the trees grow bare, Fall Quarter is drawing to a close and many freshmen are reflecting on their first few months at NU. Weinberg freshman Alan Kanne said some of his worries from before the school year were relieved once he arrived on campus.

“I thought I would have to definitely work harder than I did in high school,” Kanne said. “I thought I’d be really busy with schoolwork.”

Kanne said his course load was a lot lighter than he anticipated and he was able to find time to explore his other interests, like exercising.

Other students like Weinberg freshman Emmy Lev said they found the workload to be consistent with their initial expectations.

“It’s a top 20 school,” she said. “I figured it (was)

going to be a lot of work and we’re going to have to work hard.”

Lev noted that despite the often challenging workload, she found that her new friends helped support her in her academic growth.

Learning to manage academics goes hand-inhand with adjusting to the quarter system, which Lev said she simultaneously loved and hated.

“It’s much more fast-paced than some other schools are,” Lev said. “It’s a blessing and a curse.

But, it’s not the end of the world.”

For Lev, the quarter system comes with ample positives, like the ability to take more classes and make the most of her college education.

McCormick freshman Max Hughes said he has experienced newfound independence on campus.

“With all the upperclassmen living off campus and the proximity to Chicago, it feels like everyone can personalize their own experience,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like you are tied to the school.”

Hughes said if he could give any advice to himself at the beginning of the quarter, he would urge himself to reach out to both his professors and peers a little more.

As Fall Quarter wraps up, freshmen reflect on their first quarter.

Weinberg freshman Gus Lambert said he would not change anything about his first quarter at the University. Instead, he said he would encourage his past self to go for new opportunities.

Like Lambert, Lev would instruct her pre-college self to make the most of every experience and

Naomi Taxay/The Daily Northwestern

to forge her own path. a “It’s important to not get caught up in all the small things,” Lev said. “Keep the big picture in focus.” sarahserota2027@u.northwestern.edu

SPORTS

Friday, December 1, 2023

@DailyNU_Sports

FOOTBALL

Epstein: NU’s home-field success a promising sign

By JAKE EPSTEIN

daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

A hop, a skip and a jump from a year ago, former Gameday Editor John Riker penned a season-ending piece titled “Everything we needed to know about the 2022 Wildcats, we learned on their home field.” Northwestern had just

dropped its final game of the season in blowout fashion to in-state rival Illinois, drawing a dismal demise to an 0-6 home campaign.

For then-head coach Pat Fitzgerald, change was on the horizon following a 1-11 season. His team suffered losses to FCS and Group of Five opponents, prompting a shakeup to his coaching staff. From a leadership standpoint, captains

Adetomiwa Adebawore, Evan Hull and Peter Skoronski departed for the NFL draft.

He’d look beyond his traditional hires with NFL ties, instead bringing in a bevy of promising coaching names, regardless of FBS or Power Five experience. Gone were defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, defensive line coach Marty Long and wide receivers coach Dennis Springer, and in came

Daily file photo by Angeli Mittal

Coach David Braun celebrates with redshirt senior linebacker Bryce Gallagher postgame. Braun was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Gallagher earned second-team all conference honors Tuesday.

David Braun, Christian Smith and Armon Binns.

While Braun, Smith and Binns came from FCS programs, they’d each play an integral role in the Wildcats’ 2023 resurgence — even with the seismic shift that shook up NU’s coaching staff less than two months before the team’s opening kickoff at Rutgers.

Taking the podium at Big Ten Media Days in July, Braun promised the team was ready to make a statement.

“Through one-on-one meetings with a majority of our team, I have found a team that has come together, that truly loves one another, and has an incredible resolve to attack the 2023 season and write their own story about overcoming adversity,” Braun said.

Braun galvanized his group from his interim tenure’s crux, producing results that landed him the permanent head coaching gig. Smith transformed the defensive line that appeared as the team’s achilles heel into a juggernaut, and Binns led a dynamic receiving corps and rallied offensive troops from the sideline.

Under Braun, the ‘Cats sparked a renaissance in their final season at the old-Ryan Field, proving Riker’s words rang true once more. During a 7-5 regular season that marked the largest win improvement

in the FBS from last year, NU fortified its 97-year-old stadium back into a fortress and punched its first postseason ticket since the 2020 season.

With the monumental turnaround from last season and after weathering a proverbial category-five internal storm this summer, Braun received consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year honors Tuesday.

“It’s a credit to our players — it’s a credit to this staff,” Braun told Big Ten Network after receiving the award. “It’s a credit to the resolve of the entire program.”

After a lackluster season opener in Piscataway against Rutgers that resembled much of the team’s struggles from a year before, the ’Cats took care of business against UTEP, snapping a 693-day losing streak on US soil. Still, defeating a C-USA opponent didn’t sound any alarm bells.

Two weeks later, NU found itself in a 21-point fourth quarter hole against Minnesota.

Much like its past display at Duke, the ‘Cats struggled to contain the Golden Gophers’ rushing attack. Past NU teams would’ve surely rolled over — but this year’s squad had a way of making the improbable a reality.

By the time graduate student tight end Charlie Mangieri hauled in the game-clinching

touchdown grab in overtime, an aura of shock had already overtaken Ryan Field. A threescore comeback complete in the blink of an eye — something special was brewing in Evanston.

Splitting their next two games against then-No. 6 Penn State and Howard, the ‘Cats held a 3-3 record at the bye week, with everything on the line in the latter half of the season.

“I really challenged the group entering the second half (of the season), all the goals and aspirations that this group has for themselves, the story that they hope to write… (is) still right in front of them,” Braun said.

Although those goals appeared an ocean away last season, and perhaps drifted even further off the map this past summer, NU is now a program reborn.

It seemed that the purple and white were in for a dull dilemma from the basement of the Big Ten throughout the year. Instead, the ’Cats compiled a 5-1 record inside their stomping grounds, recaptured the Land of Lincoln Trophy in enemy territory, secured a bowl bid and found a leader to guide the program into the new wave of collegiate football. jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

MEN’S BASKETBALL

‘Cats prepare for Big Ten slate, test against Purdue

By AAYUSHYA AGARWAL

daily senior staffer @aayushyagarwal7

With freezing temperatures and falling snow in Evanston, all sights have shifted toward Northwestern’s conference schedule.

The Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) started off the season on a red-hot four-game winning streak, notching quality nonconference wins over Dayton and Rhode Island.

Coach Chris Collins said he emphasized scheduling more formidable nonconference opponents early on in the season in preparation for elevated conference play.

“We’ve tested ourselves well in these first six games and had to win in different ways, whether grinding it out against Western Michigan or coming back down (double-digits) to Binghamton,” he said.

Last year’s conference standings were separated by razor thin margins, as just one game split the No. 2 and No. 8 seeds. While NU soared to the second-seed, they could’ve plummeted down to ninth place –– had they just dropped their final regular season game at Rutgers.

With a bevy of prominent veterans returning throughout the conference and an array of young talent to boot, the 2023-2024 slate appears to be just as, if not more, competitive.

Although the ’Cats are

merely halfway through their nonconference schedule and slated to square off against five more opponents in December, their conference campaign begins this Friday.

Waiting in the wings of Welsh-Ryan Arena in search of sweet revenge, a familiar foe foments Friday’s faceoff — reigning AP National Player of the Year Zach Edey and No. 1 Purdue.

“We’re going to have our hands full, but that’s why it’s exciting to play and why our guys work,” Collins said. “You want to have an opportunity to play against the best, and we’re going to have that chance here on Friday night.”

In addition to last year’s upset victory — the program’s first ever win against an AP No. 1 opponent — over the Boilermakers, NU boasted several statement conference victories down the stretch.

The ’Cats beat Indiana and Wisconsin twice, while defeating Michigan State, Illinois and Iowa once en route to a 12-8 record in Big Ten play.

If NU is to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year, the elusive 10-win conference threshold will be especially important. Reach that figure, and the ’Cats are dancing in back to back seasons for the first time in program history.

“There’s no question that we’re getting better,” Collins said. “I’m seeing signs where we’re not close to where we need to be for the meat of Big

Ten play. But we’re going to do our best over the next (few weeks) before we get back into league play, which will be very important.”

Once NU resumes conference play in January, the ’Cats will face several immediate opportunities to continue excelling, squaring off against Illinois and Michigan State for the first of two matchups.

NU will also close the month facing the Boilermakers for a second time in West Lafayette.

The ’Cats will look to continue their streak as road warriors –– which they made a habit of last year. After defeating Wisconsin and Indiana in enemy territory last season, NU has another shot to repeat the same feat down the stretch.

Graduate student guard Boo Buie, who decided to return to Evanston after testing the waters of the NBA draft to play out his final year of eligibility, will play a pivotal role as the team’s primary ball handler and spark plug. He said the ’Cats are hungry to perform as conference competition commences.

“Our main goal is to come

out and compete every night,” Buie said. “Obviously, we want to win, but the main thing is just focusing on getting better and sticking to our principles and playing our hearts out. That’s what we come into every game thinking, and we’re getting ready for Big Ten play.” aayushyaagarwal2024@u.northwestern.edu

Daily file photo by Alyce Brown

Graduate student guard Boo Buie attempts a three-pointer. The senior guard’s decision to return to Northwestern boosts its potential in conference play this season.