sports Women’s Tennis Cats prepare for NCAA Tournament opener out west » PAGE 8
Hillary Clinton staffer speaks to College Dems » PAGE 3
opinion Qaseem Prudent junk food taxes can save lives » PAGE 4
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20 years later, faculty to call for major Fight for Asian-American studies continues on hunger strike anniversary By BENJAMIN DIN
daily senior staffer @benjamindin
Twenty years after a hunger strike to establish the Asian American Studies Program shook Northwestern’s campus, the program’s faculty plans to submit a proposal to establish an Asian-American studies major. History Prof. Ji-Yeon Yuh, the first hire for the Asian American Studies Program in 1999, said faculty will submit a proposal before the end of 2015 to create a major. In 1995, students became frustrated with the administration’s lukewarm response to a proposal to
establish the program and began a hunger strike in protest. The 200page proposal included letters of faculty support and more than 1,200 student signatures. The hunger strike ended after 23 days when the students realized the administration did not have immediate plans to establish an Asian-American studies program. The University established the program four years later. To this day, the program has only a minor, although students repeatedly asked for a major. Even though the drive to create the program helped pave the way for other ethnic studies programs at NU, other attempts have faced similar administrative roadblocks.
‘Do you think I’m going to stay quiet?’ In a paper for an NU class, David Hish (Communication ‘95) recalled he jokingly suggested in 1994, “We should all go on a hunger strike and chain ourselves to the clock tower,” if the administration rejected a proposal from the Asian American Advisory Board for an Asian-American studies program. The student group submitted the proposal in February 1995. About two weeks later, then-University President Henry Bienen issued a statement thanking AAAB for bringing the issue to his attention, saying he would direct the suggestion to a curriculum committee, but would not pledge to the
establishment of an Asian-American studies program. Before the 1995 proposal, members of AAAB said they had also submitted multiple proposals beginning in 1991 for an Asian-American studies adviser. Hish had no idea a comment he made in passing would become a reality, he told The Daily last month. On April 12, 1995, 17 students began a hunger strike after the administration did not satisfy AAAB’s demands. At an opening rally, then-AAAB chair Grace Lou (SESP ‘96) challenged Bienen to address the strikers’ requests. “Come on out,” Lou shouted outside Hardin Hall, The Daily reported in 1995. “Do you think I’m going to stay quiet? I want you to look me straight in the eyes
and tell me Asian-American studies doesn’t matter.” Strikers wore yellow armbands and camped out at The Rock. Students took vitamins and drank liquids for sustenance during the strike, said Michael Yap, one of the original hunger strikers. Yap, who graduated from the University of Chicago in 1994, is the brother of a former AAAB chair Rob Yap (Weinberg ‘95), who was also involved in the protest. The Daily reported that on the second day of the strike members of the Conservative Council, a right-wing student group, mocked the hunger strikers by passing out pizzas near the strikers’ tents. » See STRIKE, page 6
Graphic by Jacob Swan/The Daily Northwestern
Dillo Day noise fixes announced By Julia Jacobs
the daily northwestern @juliarebeccaj
Mayfest representatives introduced their solutions to last year’s Dillo Day noise complaints at a community meeting Tuesday, including reorienting the stage to face east toward Lake Michigan and new speaker technology that prevents music from leaking past festival boundaries. The meeting, held at The Family Institute, 618 Library Place, allowed for conversation between campus and city officials as well as students and a dozen Evanston residents about issues like Dillo Day that affect the entire city. Mayfest co-chair Justin Wolf, a Communication senior, said the new speaker technology came with a significant price but should help remedy the noise pollution problem, for which University President Morton Schapiro publicly apologized last year. “We’re hoping that this technology combined with the reorientation of the stage to where it was two years ago
will address most sound issues that we encountered last year,” Wolf said. In addition to limiting student guests, this year Mayfest has reduced the available number of wristbands to Evanston residents and added a price of $25 for each. Because students already contribute to Dillo Day through tuition, the new fee for residents levels the playing field, Wolf said. Mayfest worked with Evanston police and fire departments to determine festival capacity based on the new layout as well as safety recommendations, said Tony Kirchmeier, director of off-campus life. That number helped determine the number of available wristbands for Evanston residents, who must be over 19 to attend or else be accompanied by an adult over age 25. Outside of the festival boundaries, the Evanston Police Department is still deciding how it will treat Dillo Day parties on properties that have been cited for violations in the past year, said EPD Officer Scott Sengenberger. One » See CONVERSATIONS, page 7
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Author discusses writing fiction By Madeline fox
the daily northwestern @Madelinefox14
Author Maaza Mengiste spoke about the impetus behind her book, “Beneath the Lion’s Gaze,” and the challenges of writing historical fiction at a Thursday night lecture hosted by the Center for the Writing Arts. The novel by Mengiste, the center’s Visiting Writer in Residence for Spring Quarter, was named one of the 10 best contemporary African books by The Guardian. It takes place during the Ethiopian revolution beginning in 1974, when the Armed Forces Coordinating Committee took over state power, toppling the monarchy of Haile Selassie. “This book sprang from the silences that were in my family, that were in my community, that still exist amongst my friends, of what happened in Ethiopia during the revolution,” said the Ethiopian-born author. “We know the historical facts of it, but when it came down to the personal stories and personal experiences, there was a wall in my home, and there was a shut door with friends.” Mengiste told an audience of about 15 students and faculty members the story emerged out of a short story she submitted
to be workshopped at her creative writing masters program at New York University, where she said she was surprised to be confronted with an audience that knew nothing about the revolution. “I said, ‘Oh my God, how do I convey to them the way I feel it, how do I convey the almost half a million dead or unaccounted for?’” Mengiste recalled. “Can fiction really carry the weight of those lives and that kind of a tragedy?”
Mengiste’s talk followed a reading of her work on April 15 and a tea with members of residential colleges last week, all events the Visiting Writer in Residence holds each quarter, said Reginald Gibbons, the director of the center. “It’s very useful for undergraduate creative writing students to be able to study for a quarter with someone whose » See MENGISTE, page 7
Sophie Mann/The Daily Northwestern
Recounting History Author Maaza Mengiste talks about her novel and the difficulties of writing historical fiction Thursday night. Mengiste, who wrote the award-winning novel “Beneath the Lion’s Gaze,” is the Center for the Writing Arts’ spring Visiting Writer in Residence.
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | the daily northwestern wednesday, may 6, 2015
Around Town City nominated for ‘Best Town’ award By Tori Latham
daily senior staffer @latham_tori
Evanston has been nominated for another national award, increasing the city’s visibility throughout the United States. Outside Magazine, a publication that aims to inspire people to enjoy the outdoors, chose Evanston as one of its nominees for its fifth annual Best Town Ever contest. The city is up against 63 other cities in a bracket-style competition where the public will choose the winner. Evanston’s recognition is a good reminder of the benefits the city receives from its surrounding nature, said Mark Muenzer, the city’s director of community development. “We have been on so many lists that are focused on restaurants or housing,” Muenzer said. “This highlights that we have a great natural setting, as well.” According to Outside Magazine’s website, locations were chosen based on factors including access to public land and successful dining scenes. Currently, Evanston is ranked seventh in the Midwest bracket and is battling Eau
Police Blotter Chicago man arrested in connection with aggravated battery A Chicago man was arrested in connection with aggravated battery after he allegedly hit someone with a car in Evanston on Sunday, police said. Officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Dodge Avenue in connection with a fight and upon arrival saw many people on the street, an individual laying on the ground and a vehicle leaving the scene westbound,
Claire, Wisconsin to move to the next round. Voting for the first round closes May 8. Uncle Dan’s, a Chicago-based outdoor equipment store, is promoting the event as it aligns well with their Through business, said all of this word Stephanie Weiss, the store’s marketof mouth, ing coordinator. people have Weiss said the store learned about been relocating the competition appreciation to shortly before the Evanston. cities nominated were announced Mark Muenzer, because one of its Evanston director vendors is also of community working to promote development the event and was excited to spread the word. “I think Evanston was picked based on its access to hiking and biking, and it’s also so close to Lake Michigan,” Weiss said. “It’s also just such a friendly community where people love the outdoors.” Evanston’s nomination for the Best Town
Ever comes shortly after the city was named the U.S. Earth Hour City Capital by the World Wildlife Fund, honoring Evanston’s commitment to sustainability and renewable energy. “Evanston has gained a lot of recognition because people are taking a lot of effort to be environmentally friendly,” Weiss said. “They’re making it a place people want to visit.” If Evanston makes it through the first round of voting, the city will be written about in an Outside Magazine article detailing what to do in the city if you only have 36 hours, Weiss said. If the city wins the whole competition, it will be featured on the front cover of the magazine’s September issue and receive a full-page write-up. “This is a reflection of the work the city has done to promote its advantages,” Muenzer said. “Through all of this word of mouth, people have been relocating appreciation to Evanston.” The winner of the entire Best Town Ever contest will be the city with the most votes by June 5.
Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said. The witnesses said someone driving a car purposefully ran over the person laying on the ground, Dugan added. Police stopped the car, an SUV, in the 1100 block of Hartrey Avenue. There were several people in the car and the 20-year-old Chicago man said he was the driver of the vehicle, Dugan said. The man was charged with aggravated battery and his court date has not yet been set, police said. The man who was struck by the car, a 29-year-old Evanston resident, was taken to the hospital and had injuries to his head, a cut on his hand, a scraped knee and tire marks
on his calf, but has since been treated and released, Dugan said.
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Traffic light vandalized
Someone vandalized a traffic light in north Evanston before Monday, police said. The traffic light in the southeast corner of the intersection of Green Bay Road and Lincoln Street was vandalized with “ulest” written in purple marker, Dugan said. The graffiti was discovered at 3:30 p.m. Monday. Dugan said he did not know what the marking signifies. — Julian Gerez
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On Campus Hillary Clinton staffer speaks to College Dems By DREW GERBER
the daily northwestern @dagerber
A member of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s Illinois team spoke to Northwestern’s College Democrats Tuesday evening, emphasizing the importance of grassroots involvement in presidential elections. Michael Brenner, formerly the Get Out the Vote director for former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s 2014 re-election campaign, discussed ways NU students could get involved in Clinton’s presidential campaign as efforts begin to ramp up for campaign activities in the fall. Brenner said although Illinois is often viewed
as a safe state for Democratic candidates, the election of Republican governor Bruce Rauner and the state’s proximity to battleground states like Iowa demonstrate the importance of organizing early. College Democrats president Robert Bourret urged club members to get involved, saying the 2016 presidential election will be a tight one. “This is the first real election in eight years where we have two non-sitting candidates,” the SESP sophomore told The Daily. “Clinton is the most qualified candidate in the race … the only way to make sure Hillary has a better chance of winning is to get involved.” Bourret did voice some concerns about Clinton, noting she is a moderate, but he believes she has begun to tap into the economic
populism that has brought Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) national attention. SESP freshman Kevin Corkran said he prefers self-declared socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who declared his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination at the end of April. Regardless of who claims the Democratic nomination, Corkran plans to help out with the campaign. “While I personally prefer Sanders, I hope (his campaign) might move Hillary to the left and embrace more liberal policies,” Corkran told The Daily. “I think it would be really cool to have a woman president to show how far we’ve come as a country.” drewgerber2018@u.northwestern.edu
Daniel Tian/The Daily Northwestern
CIVIC DUTY Michael Brenner, a member of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s Illinois team, speaks to College Democrats about grassroots involvement Tuesday evening.
Avant CEO discusses entrepreneurship in Chicago By ELI PANKEN
the daily northwestern @elipanken
The co-founder and CEO of online consumer lender Avant spoke Tuesday at Northwestern about what it means to be an entrepreneur in Chicago. Al Goldstein spoke to a crowd of about 25 students, Evanston residents and administrators gathered in a McCormick Foundation Center classroom. The event was sponsored by the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation as part of the center’s e@nu Speaker Series. “Having done Chicago technology and entrepreneurship for the last 12 years, I can tell you it’s pretty exciting,” Goldstein said. “Ten years ago nobody really cared about this sort of thing.” Avant’s mission statement is “to lower the barriers and costs of borrowing.” Goldstein
said he is particularly passionate about giving consumers the ability to utilize a service as easily as possible. “Today, everyone cares about instant gratification,” Goldstein said. “For Avant, 50 percent of our consumers can apply to borrow and get an answer in real time. They can even manage their entire experience from their phones.” The company secured more than $1 billion in funding in 2014, making it the most funded company in Chicago. It has issued more than 180,000 loans in 46 U.S. states and in the United Kingdom. Forbes ranked Avant as the sixth most promising company in 2015. Goldstein said the company’s Chicago location sets it apart from other entrepreneurial projects instead of tech start up-heavy cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Austin. He said now is the right time for tech start-ups to take root in Chicago. “We are much closer to having a viral tech community than we were five years ago,” he said. “We need more successes at a big scale
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and more companies that are shooting for the moon, but that takes time.” Goldstein also spoke about his path to establishing Avant, including his educational experience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his first entrepreneurial ventures and the effort he put into attracting investors. “I didn’t do this kind of stuff in college,” Goldstein said. The 34-year-old CEO double majored in finance and math and worked in investment banking for 14 months before quitting his job to start his first entrepreneurial venture, now known as Enova. The company develops “innovative financial products and services for individuals and businesses,” according to its website. “With Avant, we were looking to continue to do what we had been doing,” Goldstein said, about his current venture. “At the end of the day, it’s all about being better at data and analytics. Using data better is on the cutting edge,
and that’s what we’ve been trying to do.” McCormick junior Ahren Alexander said he was impressed with much of Goldstein’s advice, but wished the CEO spoke more about creating physical things. “He made some strong points about success metrics and going after big markets,” he said. “I would’ve loved to hear more about invention rather than organization when it comes to being a successful venture.” Caitlin Smith (Medill ‘09), assistant director of the Farley Center and a former Daily staffer, said Goldstein’s presentation was important for students aspiring to be entrepreneurs in Chicago. “His company is a large part of the Chicago entrepreneurial ecosystem and it’s exciting to see them do so well in the environment that we are entrenched in,” Smith said. “He is a great representation of a serial entrepreneur.” elipanken2017@u.northwestern.edu
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PAGE 4
What can we learn from Nigeria?
“I want people to know that Africa is relevant,” says Weinberg sophomore Amakie Amattey. Amattey has a right to be frustrated with the erasure of Africa in mainstream media. Even as foreign affairs become increasingly central to U.S. news coverage, articles about subSaharan nations are heavily outnumbered by headlines about countries that have garnered a sense of “importance,” such as Cuba, Russia, India, China, and the Middle East. This disparity in perceived importance plays out on Northwestern’s campus as well. Despite
this campus having the world’s largest separate Africana collection, established in 1954, African studies remains an adjunct major at Northwestern, all while Middle East and North African studies has developed into a thriving department. Nigeria, however, has made its way into mainstream consciousness, but for far from positive reasons. In April 2014, the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls by terror group Boko Haram took headlines by storm and sparked the social media campaign, “#BringBackOurGirls.” Ever since, intermittent coverage following up on Boko
From struggling state to potential economic power Abigail Stratton
Daily columnist
Despite all of the economic advancements made by Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria is still under great scrutiny. The stability of the entire country, politically and otherwise, is under question after the abduction of those 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram. People around the world are questioning Nigeria’s stability and political climate along with the ability of its government to maintain control and correct human rights violations. These events are, of course, horrific, but it is a shame that few mention the positive political and economic changes happening in Nigeria. For example, Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest economy, almost doubling its GDP to more than $500 billion as of 2013. It is also significantly decreasing its debt and dependency on oil as its primary industry. The value of the naira, Nigerian currency, is increasing in comparison to the U.S. dollar, and investors are beginning to take notice. As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria may argue that it should join South Africa as a member of the “BRICS” group at G20, a group of “the most powerful emerging economies.” In addition to these positive changes, political unrest is diminishing rapidly in Nigeria. The population has been reacting well to the conclusion of a successful, violence-free presidential election and, in turn, Nneka Onyeka, a Nigerian Weinberg freshman, said one of the main issues is the frame of reference Americans use to evaluate African progress, which is that of their own country that has had far more years of independence to develop.
the economy is doing the same. The capital market, a measure of the economy, has been on the upswing since the election of General Buhari with the stock market soaring. A possible reason for this economic upturn is the peaceful result of the election. In many ways, it may have lessened the fears of foreign investors as the government portrays an image of unity and stability. This confidence has increased foreign investments, with more international companies buying shares in Nigeria’s capital market. Despite these economic improvements, Nigeria still has problems to solve. The world is still watching The Nigerian government to see how it will react to current and future security threats. Investors are scrutinizing the economy, hoping growth will continue. Nigeria may have a larger economy than South Africa now, but it lag behind in infrastructure. The Nigerian people have not yet felt the effects of an increased GDP in their own pockets, and there is the potential for unrest. The government is not likely to keep this lead and pull the Nigerian people out of poverty without further improvements. However, Nigeria has the potential to do all of these things. It is proving itself to have the potential to be a major, international economy, and too many people underestimate this growing country. Abigail Stratton is a Weinberg freshman. She can be reached at abigailstratton2018@u.northwestern. edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com. “Nigeria gained its independence in the 60s and is encountering all the problems that are expected to arise whether those issues are political, social, etc,” she told The Daily in an email. “I feel like people have an image of what a nation should look like but
Haram has had a consistent negative tone and focuses on the shortcomings of the Nigerian government. From the viewpoint of mainstream media, Nigeria is a collapsing state that serves as a cautionary tale for the world, but this is far from the whole truth. A deeper look into current events in Nigeria reveals a country full of economic hope as it just overtook South Africa as the continent’s largest economy, and a citizenry that is successfully altering the political climate with Nigeria’s first peaceful, democratic change in power upon the
Shifting the perception of Nigeria’s political climate Asha Sawhney
Daily columnist
Although the “#BringBackOurGirls” campaign successfully brought attention to Nigeria, its presence was fleeting. For a few weeks, social media was filled with celebrities such as Ellen Degeneres, Amy Poehler and First Lady Michelle Obama demanding an international response to the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria, but as the search became difficult, public interest passed. The lack of coverage on Nigeria and its struggle with Boko Haram should not be mistaken for a hopeless situation. After the kidnapping, the Nigerian government received criticism for its slow and ineffective progress in fighting Boko Haram and its deadly terror attacks. But as of late, the government has better delivered progress. At its strongest, the terrorist organization controlled a region the size of Belgium, but by March 2015, Boko Haram was down to three strongholds. By the end of April, the Nigerian army invaded the last remaining strongholds in the Sambisa forest using a fighter jet attack and rescued 300 abducted girls. What makes the Nigerian government’s success in battling Boko Haram most impressive is the lack of Western intervention. Instead the nation has turned to a coalition of neighboring countries Niger, Chad and Cameroon to fight the terror group. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest repeatedly stated that the United States “remains deeply concerned” by the reports of violence in Northern Nigeria. Nonetheless, the United States disregard the process in which it takes to get there.” It is time to challenge the perception that sub-Saharan Africa cannot move forward despite being recently freed from colonialism and the corresponding idea that Western
Prudent junk food taxes can save lives Yaqoob Qaseem
daily columnist
In January 2014, Mexico made a bold stride against its obesity rate of 32.8 percent by instituting a controversial policy innovation: a tax on sugary beverages. After New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s attempts to ban large quantities of such beverages were blocked by a state judge in 2013, Mexico’s tax carried the potential to sway public favor regarding the regulation of unhealthy drinks. The initial results in Mexico are auspicious, revealing a 10 percent decrease in the sale of taxed beverages and a 7 percent increase in the sale of untaxed beverages in the first quarter of 2014. In conjunction with a study linking sugary beverages and obesity in Mexico, statistics suggest taxes could lower obesity rates and reduce the incidence of associated health concerns. The health commissioner of New York City expressed his aspiration that Mexico’s tax would have the potential to serve as a precedent, and a doctor from the INSP expected Mexico’s efforts would precipitate change elsewhere. Last November, these hopes began to manifest themselves when voters in Berkeley, California,
passed the first tax in the nation on sugary beverages. Over the past five years, beverage manufacturers have spent over $100 million to defeat such policies in more than two dozen cities and states. Most recently, on April 1, a 2 percent tax on not only sugary drinks, but unhealthy foods as a collective body, took effect in the Navajo Nation in the southwest United States. The controversiality of this tax was amplified by the lack of healthy food options in the Navajo Nation, a region the size of Panama with only 10 grocery stores. The bulk of available food comes from gas stations and convenience stores, and thus 80 percent of all food sold qualifies for the tax. The resulting situation in the Navajo Nation essentially forces residents to pay higher prices for their only practical forms of sustenance. The poverty rate of 43 percent amplifies the ethical dubiousness of such policies. Healthy foods are both expensive and inaccessible. The high potential for positive health effects is no reason to ignore ethical concerns. Policies must be created with care to ensure no additional burden is placed on the affected populations. The incorporation of initiatives aimed to improve accessibility to healthy food and drink alternatives may be necessary. One nonprofit program called Wholesome Wave focuses on connecting economically disadvantaged individuals with local produce. This effort represents the goals that must be embraced in
election of President Muhammadu Buhari. From colonial times when Africa was called the “dark continent” to the era of international aid, it seems the West continuously wants to ask, “What went wrong?” We believe it is time to flip this narrative and ask ourselves, “What can we learn from Nigeria?” from both a sociopolitical and economic perspective. Perhaps if more students were encouraged to ask these questions and discovered positive answers, the African Studies program would gain the recognition it deserves.
conjunction with regulatory policies. The policies also represent a goal much greater than forcing populations to purchase healthy items. As mentioned above, one primary goal of the regulations is education. The classification of certain foods and drinks as unhealthy ushers in an awareness of nutrition, and the money raised by the taxes is often used for further health initiatives. For instance, in Mexico, people often turn to sugary soda due to the inavailability of clean drinking water. Thus, the money raised from the tax will be used to fund drinking water in public schools. In the Navajo Nation, the funds will likewise be used for a variety of wellness initiatives. As a result, the policies effectively combat obesity on two distinct fronts. If policies aimed at reducing the consumption of unhealthy food and drinks are designed with the required consideration for the public, the laws should not be viewed as a form of oppression. Just as taxes on cigarettes serve as a means to flag smoking as an unhealthy activity and thus discourage the practice to save lives, “junk food” taxes also have the potential to educate the public on the dangers of consuming these foods and discourage their intake to alleviate suffering on a large scale. Yaqoob Qaseem is a Weinberg freshman. He can be reached at yaqoobqaseem2018@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.
has declined to send any troops or have any military presence in the region, despite sending 1,000 soldiers to fight ISIS in Syria, a group that is closely linked to Boko Haram. Max Abrahms, a political science professor at Northeastern University believes the United States hesitated to intervene due to the reputation of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, accused of violence, corruption and war crimes. Nigerian citizens clearly shared the same concerns as U.S. analysts, because Jonathan became the first president to lose his seat as a result of a peaceful, democratic election, and is now being replaced by President-elect Buhari. Both Jonathan and Buhari feared violence would follow the election results, but unlike after the 2011 elections where 800 people were killed while rioting, the change in power went smoothly and peacefully. In addition, Jonathan has said even though he is a former military ruler, “Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.” The question that needs to be asked amid this progress in Nigeria is, why isn’t the United States media covering these events? Generally U.S. coverage of Arab and Muslim nations is quite problematic in its own right, but during the Arab Spring, the news of autocratic governments falling due to protest dominated headlines, giving Americans an image of a dynamic, changing Middle East. Yet the representation of Africa seems to be the same one inherited by colonial powers, of a backwards continent with no hope of moving forward. Asha Sawhney is a Weinberg freshman. She can be reached at ashasawhney2018@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. intervention is necessary to enact progress. The first step to shattering this mindset on a societal level is for individuals to engage themselves on current events spanning all of Africa, of which Nigeria is an important but small piece.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 135, Issue 117 Editor in Chief Sophia Bollag Managing Editors Olivia Exstrum Christine Farolan Paige Leskin
Opinion Editors Bob Hayes Angela Lin Assistant Opinion Editor Naib Mian
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6 NEWS | the daily northwestern wednesday, may 6, 2015
Strike
From page 1 After 12 days, Charles Chun (Weinberg ‘97) dropped out of the hunger strike. He was the last striker who had been participating since the beginning and had lost 20 pounds. “Fasting becomes so personal,” Chun told The Daily at the time. “The only person who was going to quit was me.” On April 20, 1995, students at Stanford, Princeton and Columbia universities supported the NU hunger strikers through solidarity events, including a fast and a sit-in, The Daily reported. “It was a political strategy designed to draw media attention to the problem: the problem of invisibility, the problem of being perceived as a model minority, people who weren’t going to rock the boat,” said Sumun Pendakur (Weinberg ‘98), who participated in the strike. She is now the associate dean for institutional diversity at Harvey Mudd College in California. The strike ended and the students were still emptyhanded. For the next few years, AAAB led rallies, teach-ins and marches down Sheridan Road. The Asian American Studies Program was finally established in 1999, with Yuh as the program’s first hire. Yuh served as program director from 2005 to 2010. “I wasn’t even sure that we were going to get it while I was ... a student,” said Vishal Vaid (Weinberg ‘01), who participated in the push for the program and was one of the first two people to graduate with the Asian American Studies minor. “To see it actually happen and to also be able to attain it, it was justice.”
program — a Native American studies program — faces similar roadblocks. Students have expressed interest in creating a Native American studies program for more than 20 years, said Yuh, who spoke to several students about the matter when she came to NU in 1999. However, even though people were passionate, the interest was not widespread, said Mary Finn, the associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs. In 2012, the Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance petitioned the University to look into the role Evans, the University’s founder, played in the Sand Creek Massacre. The petition also called for the creation of a Native American studies program. After the petition, the University formed a study committee that concluded Evans had no direct involvement in the massacre but that NU ignored “significant moral failures.” Another committee
Provost Daniel Linzer said creating a program takes time, something students fail to realize. “There is more energy behind certain ethnic studies programs, where people want to see much more rapid change,” he said. “That leads to some frustration.” So far, the University has taken steps toward creating the Native American studies program, Linzer said. Several courses have been launched to see whether there is student interest and a new professor focusing on Native American literature was hired, he said. “Dealing with the University, you come into the role where we need to keep applying constant pressure and constant scrutiny to really get the University to go through with anything,” Bruce said. Psychology Prof. Douglas Medin, NAISA’s faculty adviser, noted a difference between the pushes for Asian-American studies and Native American stud-
Striking back
Beyond the strike NU’s history of student-driven initiatives to establish academic programs and departments started even before the hunger strike. The African American Studies Department was created in 1972 in response to the May 1968 sit-in at the Bursar’s Office. The 38-hour occupation by students from For Members Only led to negotiations and administrative commitment to increase awareness related to black studies. Programs differ from departments in that programs cannot tenure their faculty. Rather, program faculty members have tenure homes in departments. “We don’t have any real intellectual autonomy,” said Asian American Studies Prof. Jinah Kim. “That is a very significant thing.” NU established a major and minor for Latina and Latino studies in 2009 after a student and faculty initiative. Yuh, who supported the creation of the program, said the history of the hunger strike helped facilitate the process for the establishment of the Latina and Latino Studies Program. “The students didn’t have to do a noisy demonstration,” she said. “That’s largely because Asian American Studies was here.” The most recent push for a new ethnic studies
school’s interim dean. Although he is not opposed to establishing more ethnic studies programs, Randolph said creating a Native American studies program is not necessarily going to be one of his immediate priorities. “It can be very problematic to keep on proliferating structures,” he said. “For example, every structure has to have a chair, staff, people who are devoting a part of their life to administering the program.” Dartmouth went through a period of producing a lot of programs, which became an issue for the institution, Randolph said. “At some point, you start thinking what is the limit? How many programs can we produce?” he said. “Is there a structural problem when we produce that many?” Come July, Randolph said he hopes to focus on Weinberg as a whole and review all the possible areas of growth within the college. “Change won’t come just overnight,” he said. “I know it’s a cliche, but I think I will be listening. … I will be trying to learn what are the strengths and weaknesses of the present system and what are the exciting ideas people are bringing to my office and to my attention.”
Daily file photo by Vincent LaForet
THE FIRST SPARK Students rally on April 12, 1995, criticizing administrative resistance to the creation of an Asian-American studies program. The day was the start of a 23-day hunger strike.
ies programs. “In the case of Native Americans, we don’t have the presence of a large number of Native American (students) who would be in a position to exert that kind of pressure,” he said. “We’ve done such a poor job of recruiting Native scholars that we’ve created a situation where the impetus of change is not going to come from our current Native students.” Ultimately, Bruce hopes NAISA’s efforts will result in tangible change. “They’re committed to do what they can to have us shut up … They definitely want to stop the scrutiny,” he said. “Having a (Native American) studies program will satiate a lot of what we want.”
submitted a series of recommendations to improve relationships with Native American communities, including establishing an Indigenous Research Center. Within that research center, the report recommends the creation of a certificate or minor in “Indigenous studies.” “(The petition) put the administration on a hot seat and made John Evans a salient issue on campus,” said Forrest Bruce, co-president of NAISA and a member of the committee that submitted the recommendations. “Things just started moving along after that.” Although the University has moved forward with the recommendations, Bruce said NU seems to lag in creating the program. “It seems like they’re more concerned with the PR that goes with the Sand Creek Massacre as opposed to actually trying to right what has happened,” the SESP junior said. “It makes for a lot slower process, like getting things like a (Native American) studies program.”
New dean, new possibilities? In July, Adrian Randolph, an associate dean at Dartmouth College, will start his term as Weinberg dean, replacing chemistry Prof. Mark Ratner, the
While the Native American studies program continues to develop, the Asian American Studies Program is preparing for a move of its own. Although the program hasn’t visited the matter of establishing an Asian-American studies major with the administration for a few years, Yuh said that would hopefully change soon. Yuh said they hope to have the proposal to University administrators before the end of the calendar year. Finn said there wasn’t enough student interest to create an Asian-American studies major. “The number of minors never justified the expansion to a major,” she said. “(They) have stayed fairly steady and pretty low relative to other majors and minors.” Yuh hopes this time around, however, the proposal will be different. There has been steady student interest in declaring an ad hoc major, which requires students to create their own academic plans for an Asian-American studies major, she said. In addition, the number of students pursuing minors has more than doubled to 25 since the last time the program proposed a major to the administration. “The program is more settled in some ways, and we do now have this track record of ad hoc majors,” she said. Anthropology Prof. Shalini Shankar, the current director of the program, said student support is crucial to the program. “Honestly, the administration listens to students so much more than they listen to faculty,” she said. “We can propose something, but we need (students) to back us up.” benjamindin@u.northwestern.edu
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Mengiste
Conversations
awareness of the novel is international and even may have been raised in a different culture as a writer,” Gibbons told The Daily about his selection of Mengiste for the visiting position. “She remains someone who’s very much binational, and I think that’s a really important perspective. Prof. Sarah Valentine, a creative writing and comparative literature instructor at NU who attended the talk, also said she appreciated Mengiste’s more global point of view. “I was excited by the topic of writing fiction with a historical focus,” Valentine said. “I love her transcultural perspective and her really rich descriptions.” Mengiste also discussed the difficulty of writing stories about conflict and the need for emotional and physical distance from painful events in order to write about them, bringing up recent examples of conflict. “I asked my creative writing class just last week whether we thought we were ready to write stories about Ferguson or Baltimore or what’s happening right now in Tel Aviv,” she said. “Those stories are still unfolding, and I don’t know if some people who are directly in the line of fire quite literally have the strength to go through what fiction demands—maybe that’s best left for a later generation.”
option is that those addresses will not be permitted to have parties in any capacity, while another is to issue a citation without a warning in the case of a violation, Sengenberger said. “They will not be afforded nearly as much leeway because they’ve been problematic in the past,” he said. EPD will deploy 12 officers to deal with issues related to the festival in addition to seven University Police officers. There also may be deployment of an armored truck with cameras recording visuals and sound in the surrounding vicinity, Sengenberger said. There has been an armored vehicle stationed at the corner of Maple Avenue and Simpson Street for the past couple of years, said Evanston resident Ali Finkle. “It can be kind of intimidating for some folks to have it in the area,” Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) said. “I would not like to have it deployed unless there’s a reason for it to be deployed.” Drew D’Alelio, Mayfest’s university relations liaison, introduced tentative plans for a Dillo Day ice cream truck to serve surrounding neighborhoods and a designated area for Evanston kids to set up lemonade stands. These potential additions will help integrate families into the Dillo Day experience, the Weinberg junior said. Another change is that the festival will no longer
From page 1
From page 1
mfox17@u.northwestern.edu
Across Campuses Rulings lag in UH rape cases Fewer than a quarter of the nearly 50 sexual assault complaints reported on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus over the last five years was adjudicated by the university as called for by federal law, and only one case advanced to the justice system for prosecution, according to a Honolulu Star-Advertiser analysis of crime and student disciplinary data. While UH-Manoa is under federal investigation for its response to sexual assault complaints, its culpability is unclear. It could be, for instance, that after an initial complaint victims chose not to pursue the matter. But the disparity in the numbers above offers a hint at the extent of the problem. The number of “forcible” sex offenses on campus — including rape and attempted rape — reported to authorities in each of the last five years exceeded
the number of sexual assault cases the university investigated annually under the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination. For example, in 2013, eight sex assaults were reported to campus authorities. That year, the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs heard one sex assault case, for which it determined there was no cause. The year before, the ratio was 11 reported assaults to five adjudicated cases. The numbers raise questions about whether UH is doing enough to encourage students to come forward to report crimes and inform them of their rights to pursue complaints through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Under the civil rights law known as Title IX, sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is viewed as interfering with a student’s right to receive an education free from discrimination. Some students complain that UH lacks a coordinated system to respond to sexual violence cases because services are spread across various offices
Daniel Tian/The Daily Northwestern
Working it out Tony Kirchmeier, NU’s director of off-campus life, leads a meeting in which city and campus officials, as well as students and Evanston residents, discussed Dillo Day and other issues that affect the community.
set off fireworks, which will ease finances as well as noise pollution for residents, D’Alelio added. Residents at the meeting also voiced concerns about noise from off-campus parties on Dillo Day. Finkle said that residents tend to tolerate Dillo Day off-campus parties when students follow certain rules. Neighbors are unlikely to complain if students keep their parties exclusively to NU students, do not host official campus organizations like and centers, leaving students unsure of where to turn for help. “There are so many different entry points that it’s still not entirely clear to me what the process would be,” said Michelle Tigchelaar, a UH-Manoa graduate student in oceanography. “I feel like that’s something I should know after being here for five years.” Addressing that concern is one of several steps school officials say the university has taken over the last few years to improve its compliance with Title IX. “One of things that we’re doing is looking at having a consistent response team that’s coordinated,” UH-Manoa’s gender equity specialist, Jennifer Rose, said in an interview. “And that goes hand in hand with making sure that we adopt a systemwide, standardized investigation model and policies.” The university says it’s been making changes, some before a federal probe started two summers ago, including the recent hiring of two Title IX coordinators; an updated sexual harassment
fraternities and sororities and move onto campus when the festival begins, Finkle said. “When our neighbors respect and abide by those guidelines we have loud but festive fun,” Finkle said. “When it crosses over those lines… it quickly gets out of hand, and unfortunately I think that’s when we call EPD and get cranky.” juliajacobs2018@u.northwestern.edu and sexual assault policy that includes an affirmative consent standard; increased training for first responders, faculty, staff, administrators and students; and a new informational website that’s scheduled to launch this week. Under Title IX, schools are required to adopt policies and procedures that ensure a “prompt and equitable” response to complaints of sexual violence. UH-Manoa uses its student disciplinary procedures, as allowed under the law, to investigate Title IX complaints or grievances through its Office of Judicial Affairs. The office handles all violations of the student conduct code, determines whether a violation occurred and levies any punishment. Schools are directed by the federal government to use the “preponderance of evidence” standard of proof, meaning a hearing must determine whether a complaint of sex discrimination is “more likely than not” to have occurred. — Nanea Kalani (Honolulu Star-Advertiser/TNS)
The Daily Northwestern Spring 2015 | An independent voice since 1923 | Evanston, Ill. ___________________
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SPORTS
ON DECK MAY
8
ON THE RECORD
It’s been a year full of disappointments, but now we’re just trying to be a better team. — Claire Pollard, women’s tennis coach
Lacrosse NU vs. Louisville, 3:30 p.m. Friday
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
@DailyNU_Sports
NCAA Tournament Preview Wildcats prepare for warm West Coast conditions at St. Mary’s match By Alex lederman
daily senior staffer
Women’s Tennis
Sean Su/Daily Senior Staffer
anchor point Brooke Rischbieth sets up for a big return. Playing at No. 6 singles, the sophomore will be critical for Northwestern in a close match.
Just as it’s warming up in Evanston, the Wildcats are taking a trip to California. No. 26 Northwestern faces No. 37 St. Mary’s (California) this Friday in Los Angeles in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner takes on the victor of Idaho and host school No. 7 UCLA in round two. “We were all excited to go to the West Coast,” freshman Erin Larner said. “We’ll see a fresh perspective seeing new teams.” The Cats are ready for new blood after losing their second Big Ten Tournament in 17 years last weekend — the first time since 1999 they didn’t win either the conference tournament or regular season. Still, this marks the 17th-straight year the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament. After its semifinals loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, NU watched video footage of the match and each player has worked to fix individual mistakes. “The video was very helpful for the girls to see,” coach Claire Pollard said. “The things that we needed to fix were very apparent. You can’t hide from it when it’s facing you right there.” And overall, the Cats have handled the defeat well. “We’re over it,” Pollard said, “Deep down, the girls know that they’ve done a great job representing Northwestern. They know they’ve put in their work. Sometimes it just doesn’t always go your way.” All season long, things never seemed to click for NU. The Cats
No. 26 Northwestern vs. No. 37 St. Mary’s Los Angeles 12 p.m. Saturday
dealt with injuries and struggled for much of the early season with luck never seeming to go their way. “Although we’re disappointed and wish we could go back and do a couple of things differently,” junior Alicia Barnett said, “I don’t know whether that would have changed anything. We did all we could, but they were better than Deep us on that day. Next down, the girls time we know that play them, we’ l l get they’ve done revenge.” a great job NU has representing gotten good news since Northwestern. t he loss, Claire Pollard, though. coach Barnett and Larner were selected to the All-Big Ten team and Larner was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year. Barnett, who moved up from playing No. 3 to No. 1 singles, said she didn’t expect to make the team after a 6-5 conference record but was grateful for the honor. “It’s tough playing No. 1,” Pollard said. “There’s no break. I was really pleased (Barnett) got rewarded. With Erin, I’m thrilled we have a Big Ten Player of the Year. In a difficult season, it speaks volumes.” Regarding this weekend’s matchup, Pollard said she’s never seen St. Mary’s before but expects
“
a tough matchup. “They’re an outdoor team and they’re playing pretty close to home,” she said, “so it’s important that we play our best match of the year so far.” Larner, meanwhile, said she’s played a few of the girls before from growing up on the West Coast. But for most of the team, Los Angeles is a new setting. Sophomore Manon Peri is from the City of Angels, but she’s missed the entire spring season with an injury. Still, Peri will lead the Cats off the court, Barnett and Larner said, planning activities for the team in her home city. But on the court, the weather will definitely be a change of pace. The team plays most of its season indoors. “Even when we play outdoors, it can be freezing cold,” Barnett said. “Playing tennis outside in the warmth is so different from playing indoors.” The winner will likely take on UCLA, the reigning NCAA Champion. If NU advances, it will head to Baylor for the final three rounds from May 14-19. But for the time being, the Cats are just taking it one match at a time. They’re ready to prove what they’re made of. “It’s been a year full of disappointments, but now we’re just trying to be a better team,” Pollard said. “We’ve got one more chance to play our best tennis of the year and hopefully be a better version of what we’ve been.” “Plus we get to ship out to California,” she added, “so it’s pretty exciting.” alexanderlederman2017@u.northwestern.edu
Northwestern focuses on doubles point to win upcoming contests By khadrice rollins
the daily northwestern @KhadriceRollins
Northwestern is now in the final stretch of its season. The No. 28 Wildcats (20-9, 8-3 Big Ten) start the NCAA Tournament on Friday in a rematch against No. 34 Harvard (19-7, 5-2 Ivy League) in Norman, Oklahoma. Back in February, NU took down the Crimson in a thrilling 4-3 match in Evanston. The Cats were able to pick up the victory thanks to four singles’ wins, including the match-clinching point by sophomore Alp Horoz. “It’s a great opportunity to play Harvard again,” sophomore Strong Kirchheimer said. “We know that this is a big rival for us, we love playing them and it’s a great opportunity.” Although there may be a rivalry between NU and Harvard, the Crimson are taking on a very different Cats team than they played earlier in the year. NU is a long way from where it was at the start of the season, and the team can easily see the growth. “It’s 10 times better,” Kirchheimer said. “The start of the season, we looked like a bunch of clowns out there. Our first match against NC State was awful, but we rebounded there and took out a top team, Vanderbilt. It’s gotten better every single time we stepped on the court.” One of the factors behind the Cats’ improvement was the difficult
No. 28 Northwestern vs. No. 34 Harvard Norman, Oklahoma 2 p.m. Friday
schedule they had to navigate. NU faced 10 ranked opponents in its non-conference schedule and earned six wins against those teams. The Cats also had to play six ranked opponents in their 11 conference games. Aside from tough competition, the Big Ten also offers tough weather environments. The Midwest provided an extra struggle in outdoor matches and prepared NU to play in almost any condition. “That is an advantage of playing in the Midwest,” coach Arvid Swan said. “You learn how to play in all conditions, whether it’s inside, outside, different temperatures, different amounts of wind. We feel like we’re a team that can adapt to any condition at this point.” Everything before this point has helped prepare the Cats for this moment, but there is still room for more preparation. One aspect of the game NU has been working on since the Big Ten Tournament, although it was one of its strongest points throughout the season, is doubles. The ability to consistently win the doubles point has been a big part of the Cats’ success this year. If the team is able to improve its doubles performance even more and play its best in doubles competition, NU can beat any team in the nation, said sophomore Sam
Men’s Tennis
Zachary Laurence/The Daily Northwestern
double down Sophomore Sam Shropshire and senior Alex Pasareanu get fired up. The doubles pair will be vital to Northwestern’s success in the NCAA Tournament.
Shropshire. “It’s pretty close,” he said. “We’ve been having some good practice, a lot of doubles practice, so I think we’re right there.” The doubles play has looked good for the Cats, but the team’s
drive also sticks out as a reason it can excel in the season’s final tournament. “The thing that has stood out is that our team is excited for the opportunity,” Swan said. “The practices have been really good, a lot
of good energy … The energy has been good and we’re playing well, so we feel good about where we’re at.” khadricerollins2017@u.northwestern.edu