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Wednesday, October 28, 2026
DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
NU navigates CPT changes International students seek admin support By EMILY DISSANAYAKE
diversity & inclusion editor
Lauren Shein/The Daily Northwestern
Hundreds gathered to protest prior to Monday’s school board meeting.
Parents protest school closures Dewey, Lincolnwood communities decry proposed budget reductions By LAUREN SHEIN
the daily northwestern
Parents, students, teachers and community members protested the proposed closures of Dewey and Lincolnwood Elementary Schools ahead of the Evanston/ Skokie School District 65 Board of Education’s meeting Monday
evening. The rally was organized by newly-formed advocacy group For A Brighter Evanston. Protesters gathered outside the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center, chanting and holding signs to express concerns over alleged mismanagement of district funds. Attendees said they were rallying for increased transparency and
accountability as administration and board members search for solutions to the district’s financial crisis. Last year, District 65 closed both Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies and Kingsley Elementary School. The board is slated to consider closing Dewey and Lincolnwood on Nov. 9. Monday afternoon, rallying
parents said they didn’t feel their voices or their students’ best interests have been taken into account. The protest followed reporting by the Evanston RoundTable on Sunday that revealed administrators overestimated District 65’s capital spending by $17 million
» See PROTEST, page 13
Weinberg sophomore Sonia Saega, an international student from Russia, said she first heard about changes to Curricular Practical Training approvals from fellow undergraduate international students who had lost their internships. In August, Northwestern announced it would no longer approve CPT requests from international students seeking experiential learning opportunities, except for when the work is required by the students’ academic program. The announcement followed an earlier decision to hold CPT requests after the federal government clarified eligibility criteria for potential CPT authorizations. As president of the Undergraduate International Students Advocacy Council, Saega said she has tried to guide other international students blindsided by the announcement. “It came as a shock since it’s already really complicated to plan your career and life when you’re away from home,” Saega said. “But also, before, CPT was giving equal chance to international students as much as domestics.”
In the months since the announcement, Saega said UISAC has communicated with the Associated Student Government, Office of International Student and Scholar Services and the Office of the Provost to provide more updates for international students facing uncertainty over their internship status. OISS confirmed in September that students who planned on using CPT in the fall but don’t expect to have their request approved must register for a fulltime course load to maintain their F-1 status. On Oct. 8, OISS informed international students that the Department of Homeland Security proposed a new rule that would establish an additional fee of up to $70,000 for an initial Optional Practical Training authorization and $30,000 for each subsequent OPT authorization. According to OISS, public comment on the fees will remain open until Nov. 9. Despite efforts by the University and OISS, Saega said many international students’ questions regarding the future of their internship status remain unanswered. “It’s always like they are choosing their words very carefully because I’m not sure they know exactly how to approach the situation, which makes sense and I
» See CPT, page 13
Remodel vexes City Council selects Nieuwsma Bobb residents report odors, disruptions
By SOPHIE ZINDER
the daily northwestern
Students living in the newly renovated Bobb Hall reported construction odors and restricted window access as renovations continue in the adjoining McCulloch Hall. The disruptions come as Northwestern enters the second phase of its multiyear renovation of Bobb-McCulloch Hall, which houses more than 400 undergraduate students at full capacity. During the 2025-26 academic year, Bobb was renovated while students lived in McCulloch. This academic year, work has shifted to McCulloch, and students now occupy Bobb. The full complex is scheduled to be completed in August 2027. In a Sept. 11 email to Bobb residents obtained by The Daily, Residential Services wrote that materials used to install the new roof’s water vapor barrier and Recycle Me
insulation could produce a “temporary asphalt odor.” In the email, the University advised Bobb residents to keep their windows closed during the day until work is complete within “approximately 4-6 weeks” from Sept. 21. “You can smell (the construction) in the hallways. You can smell it in my room,” Bobb third floor resident and Medill first-year Braden Stone said. “I just brush it off because there’s not really much you can do about it.” Weinberg first-year Hannah Minn, who lives on the second floor of Bobb, called the roofing odor disruptive, particularly during her second week on campus. Minn recalled purchasing an air purifier to minimize the smell, though she said the odor has since become less bothersome. “The annoying thing is that we can’t open our window,” Minn said. “I think that’s the most annoying thing about the construction.” Bobb and McCulloch were originally built in 1955 as two separate residence halls. In 1980, the University physically
4th Ward councilmember to serve as acting mayor until special election
» See MCCULLOCH, page 11
» See MAYOR, page 11
By SOPHIE BAKER
print managing editor
Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) will serve as Evanston’s acting mayor, leading the city until next year’s special election to replace former Mayor Daniel Biss. In a 5-4 vote during City Council’s Monday night meeting, Nieuwsma’s fellow councilmembers selected him for the role, with Alds. Clare Kelly (1st), Tom Suffredin (6th), Parielle Davis (7th) and Matt Rodgers (8th) voting against his appointment. Nieuwsma, who was sworn in Monday, emphasized that he does not intend to launch any new major policy initiatives. He instead committed to continuing Council’s ongoing work. “I want to be clear, I don’t want to be mayor either — which is why I’m not running for mayor,” Nieuwsma said. “But I am willing to step in and serve the City of Evanston and perform the role of acting mayor to the best of my ability.”
Biss, the Democratic nominee to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, resigned Oct. 18, weeks before the November election to fill retiring U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky’s (D-Evanston) seat. Nieuwsma is more than a year into his second term as the 4th Ward’s councilmember. He handily won reelection against write-in challenger Meg Welch in the April 2025 consolidated municipal elections. Nieuwsma has been an advocate for affordable housing and environmental policies, including the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan and Healthy Buildings Ordinance. Addressing community members, Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) said councilmembers are responsible for ensuring Evanston’s transition to an acting mayor is not “hectic” and that whoever was selected could “(hold) it down” until a new mayor is elected. “Whoever is mayor, it is you all’s expectation that we support them to do the work of Evanston,”
Daily file photo by Luke Meinhardt Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma has served as the 4th Ward’s councilmember twice.
Harris said. “At the end of the day, that’s all it is.” Davis initially nominated Harris, who said she did not feel comfortable serving in the role. In June, Council voted 5-4 to retain its simple majority requirement for selecting an acting mayor, after a months-long attempt to raise the required threshold to a two-thirds supermajority. At the time, Rodgers expressed disappointment with Council’s
decision and suggested that his colleagues were content “governing 5-4.” During Monday’s meeting, Davis echoed this sentiment. “I originally recommended that we have a two-thirds majority for picking acting mayor, and that did not go through,” Davis said. “But I feel pretty strongly that Councilmember Harris could get twothirds if she wanted to. So we have
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Arts & Entertainment 4 | Opinion 12 | Games 13 | Gameday 14 | Sports 16
2 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
AROUND TOWN
Local school paper laments proposed D65 closure By JORDAN BALOUSEK
assistant city editor
Dewey Elementary School fourth and fifth graders chatted with peers and typed on iPads in the school’s library Friday morning to produce content for their school newspaper, the Tiger Times. But instead of writing about school events, national issues or pop culture as usual, they were working on a special edition. Most articles in the issue center around Evanston/Skokie School District 65 administrators’ proposal to close Dewey and Lincolnwood Elementary Schools and cut various district programs and staff. The Tiger Times is written by students with parent support and typically distributed twice a year. The special edition will be distributed Friday. For the issue, reporters wrote opinion pieces sharing their favorite aspects of Dewey and articles highlighting students’ reactions to the proposed closure. The paper will also include letters from students to district administrators and a Dewey class photo. Parent volunteer Mike Prokopeak said students learn to “find their own voices” when reporting for the Tiger Times. “There’s going to be so much discussion from the school board, from parents, from the community, from all these adults in the discussion, in the issues around potential school closures in D65,” he said. “But the voice that they’re not going to hear is their peers and themselves.” Dewey fourth grader Josie Allen wrote an article featuring student reactions to the proposed closure. Allen is a participant in Dewey’s Two-Way Immersion program, whose members are currently slated to relocate as a cohort. Allen said she will miss Dewey. “I feel really sad because I’ve had a lot of good memories here, and it’s such an important part of my life to be here,” she said. “So I really like it here, and I’m really sad that it’s closing.” Dewey fifth grader Eva Prokopeak, daughter of Mike Prokopeak, worked on a community reaction article. She said she interviewed students and teachers and requested comment from District 65 Board
Photo courtesy of Gus Eider The Tiger Times is written by students with parent support, and typically distributed twice a year. A special edition will be distributed Friday.
of Education members. While Eva Prokopeak will be heading to middle school next year, she said she is “really sad” about Dewey’s potential closure. “It’s really upsetting because it’s been around for a while, and it affects a lot of kids,” she said. “And a lot of kids rely on Dewey for friends and support.” Dewey fourth grader Elyse Banks wrote an opinion with her friend about why Dewey should stay open. Banks, a TWI student, is preparing to move next year. “I really don’t want to move … because I’ve been here for basically five years, and I don’t want to stop going here,” Banks said. “I just want to finish
my fifth grade strong here in this place that I’ve been here since kindergarten.” Mike Prokopeak said the special issue demonstrated the pace at which Tiger Times staffers are capable of working. “That’s really been eye-opening for us as volunteers, to see that there’s just so much passion and capability and desire to do more if the issue is right and there’s something that they can sink their teeth into,” he said. Beyond giving students a voice, Mike Prokopeak said it’s been important for students to see how the closure of a school community impacts the broader neighborhood.
Parent volunteer Elsa Wenzel said guest speakers sometimes visit the Tiger Times to speak with students. When former Mayor Daniel Biss came to visit in November, Wenzel recalled that “every hand” in the room was raised with a question. “Especially now what we want to instill in them is that they can speak to power, they can ask questions of authorities,” she said. “They are not passive observers. They are part of the community, and they’re going to be adults someday. We need more people to grow up engaging and knowing that they have a voice.” j.balousek@dailynorthwestern.com
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
ON CAMPUS
NU alumni Google access revoked
www.dailynorthwestern.com
By JENNY MARQUEZ
eic@dailynorthwestern.com
the daily northwestern
For Northwestern alum Barak Tucker (Weinberg ’26), Google Drive was more than online storage — it was a key to his own literary world. During his time as a student, Tucker said he used the platform to store research on various weather phenomena and geographic details which informed the landscapes of his written stories. In October 2024, the University announced it was phasing out alum access to free and unlimited storage on their Google Drive and Google Photos accounts. Two years later, Tucker and other recent graduates continue to grapple with the change. Members of the Class of 2026 have until March 31, 2027, to transfer files and documents off of their Google Drive and Google Photos before NU revokes their access permanently, according to the Northwestern Service Management Portal’s website. Tucker, who said he is currently applying to graduate schools and fellowships, considered this change a “major inconvenience.” “Now I have to decide how and what (to keep) and go through a lengthy process that I wouldn’t have had to do if this decision were not being made,” Tucker said. He also noted peers from other universities retain full access to their Google Drive and Google Photos accounts after graduation, leaving him questioning the University’s fiscal priorities. For 15 years before its 2024 announcement, NU provided alumni with free, continued access to their Google accounts. The University’s announcement followed Google’s decision to end universities’ free, unlimited Google Workspace Education access. The post-graduation file transfer process is nothing new for alum Lyla Heising (Weinberg ’26), who said her high school enforced a similar policy.
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spc-compshop@northwestern.edu Illustration by Lucas Kubovchik The Class of 2026 have until March 31, 2027 to transfer files and documents before NU revokes their access.
After high school, she said she lost some of her work in the transfer process, making her “very nervous” about losing some of her college files. Heising added she would have preferred more “communication and clarity” regarding the University’s decision. “I think it would be much more convenient for alumni to be able to just have that continued account access,” she said. Following its 2024 announcement, NU published a guide to assist recently graduated students with transferring files onto alternative Google accounts. Alum Kaityln Salgado-Alvarez (Weinberg ’26) said she didn’t know about the change’s recency and assumed the policy had long been standard to the University’s graduation process. She added she wasn’t particularly attached to her Google Drive and has rarely referenced a document during the first year of her career. Instead, Salgado-Alvarez said she could “easily go through and handpick” the
documents she thought she would need in the future — especially by the March 31 deadline. “Even though it’s four years worth of work, I have organized all my work, and I know what’s valuable and what’s not,” Salgado-Alvarez said. While she also noted the transition had been poorly communicated, alum Katheryn Crane (Communication ’26) said she isn’t sure how the change will ultimately impact her, having only recently graduated. However, upon discovering the change, she recalled feeling angry, noting the decision felt “cheap on Northwestern’s end,” for recent graduates who had previously expected full access to their Google Drive and Google Photos accounts. “I’m a student that pays my own tuition,” Crane said. “Paying stark amounts of money and not being able to keep the primary place where they fostered all of our academia is just a little unsettling.” jennymarquez2030@u.northwestern.edu
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4 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
A & E
ARTS A N D E N T ER TA I N M E N T
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
Olivia Ma/The Daily Northwestern
‘Marie Antoinette’ marred by mediocre script By TREVOR SULLIVAN WEINSTEIN
theatre critic
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. French revolutionaries have frequently chanted this national motto at protests over the years. As recent protests against the French government and inadequate schooling conditions reach a boiling point, shouts for liberty, equality and fraternity rang out in Shanley Pavilion on Friday, albeit set in a time period more than 250 years earlier. With a somewhat satisfactory story and show-stopping performance from Communication senior Azalea Brown in the titular role, Jewish Theatre Ensemble’s “Marie Antoinette” nearly achieves revolution. But, due to its middling script, the play is an unremarkable showing. Written by David Adjmi and directed by Communication junior Arina Khlus, “Marie Antoinette” tells the tale of the infamous French queen through
contemporary dialogue and framing. The play follows the queen in her final years as her lavish world is upended by the French Revolution. As the story progresses, Antoinette loses everything she holds dear: her palace, her clothes and, critically, her head. Khlus wrote in her director’s note that the production was “not a retelling of history,” which was made apparent by the styling of the wigs, hair and makeup. The characters sported clown-like makeup and layered costumes, designed by Weinberg sophomore Camille Mendez. While out of place in 18th-century France, they were fully consistent within the production’s visual language of excess and modernity. The wigs, designed by Communication sophomore Kayla Kimani and Communication sophomore Mira Silverman, were the highlight of the play. Each hairpiece defied gravity and was adorned with unconventional materials like feathers and tulle. No one benefits more from the incredible wigs, hair and makeup than Marie, who is played by the
outstanding Brown. She is a revelation in the role, bringing humanity to a figure whose legacy remains characterized by excess and insanity. The show was at its best when Brown and Silverman, who also plays the show-stealing Sheep, shared a scene in the show’s final moments. Commendations are also in order for Khlus’ management of the infamous “Shanley pole,” which has blocked views in previous productions staged in the Pavilion. Khlus strategically used it as a barrier to split the stage into two sections, further highlighted by Communication junior ien ruark’s beautiful set work. Outside of certain standout performances, “Marie Antoinette” is unfortunately weighed down by its script, the heartbeat of the show. Adjmi’s uninspired work is altogether confusing and jarring, with bouts of unnecessary profanity interspersed with philosophical musings. While trying to comment on the scapegoating of women and excessive wealth, Adjmi loses focus, seemingly undecided on which societal
structures his play is commenting on. His quirky style of writing is accentuated by awkward lighting and sound choices. Multiple scenes ended in unnatural moments, and repetitive blackouts threw off the show’s rhythm. This proves unfortunate, as otherwise, Communication junior Tallulah Sarig’s lighting design and Communication senior Alex Choi’s sound design were exemplary, providing a visual and auditory feast that placed audiences everywhere from the palatial halls of Versailles to the dripping, drab dungeons below French rioters. At its core, JTE’s “Marie Antoinette” is disappointing not because of the play’s substance — but because it lacks any at all. The potential for revolutionary commentary on wealth and celebrity is there, but Adjmi’s script does not have the focus to land with audiences. This production, for all of its excess and beautiful visuals, could not, in fact, have its cake and eat it too. trevorsullivanweinstein2029@u.northwestern.edu
Q&A: Jordan Firstman talks directorial debut By ALDEN FARROW
arts & entertainment editor
Actor, director and writer Jordan Firstman said he channeled all three of these roles while creating “Club Kid.” Set to release in theaters Nov. 6, the film centers on a club promoter named Peter who unexpectedly learns that he is the father of a 10-year-old boy. Making his directorial debut with the project, Firstman also plays Peter. When the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, a bidding war for its global rights ensued, eventually selling to A24 for $17 million. The Daily spoke with Firstman about the movie while he attended the Chicago International Film Festival earlier this month. This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. The Daily: You’ve mentioned that “Club Kid” is one of the roles that wasn’t written from other people’s imagination, where you’re not like a ‘lovable sidekick.’ What is it like writing or directing in a way to portray yourself authentically — how you want to be represented? Firstman: It’s just leading from a genuine place and an authentic place, and being centered to who I am and who I know Peter is. And just doing everything from that place — and from a place of love, too. It’s funny. I’ll read Letterboxd reviews, and I only get mad when people criticize the characters themselves, not my writing or directing, but I’m really defensive of my characters. Coming to the whole situation from a place of care and tenderness was how it just felt the most natural to me, and that’s how I like to
work and do things. I was in some like really toxic writers’ rooms in my 20s on TV shows, and I remember thinking, ‘When I do this one day, I’m gonna make this a good environment,’ and so that was always in the back of my mind — that I wanted a warm set, and I wanted warmth around whatever artistic projects I did. The Daily: How did you decide you wanted to have the theme of fatherhood as the basis for (the film)? Firstman: The first idea was I just thought me and a kid (would be) funny together, and the way I live my life. If a kid came into the picture, I would have to change every detail of my life. That was the first seed. I was wearing a lot of inappropriate T-shirts, and so … I would have to get rid of all my T-shirts, and I couldn’t say anything I would talk about with my friends in front of a kid. That was the initial idea of it, and then the more I got into it, the more it became about growing up the way that people can come into your life and change the way you live and are. The Daily: Did you anticipate having a certain audience relate to the film the most? Firstman: It was by no means a big-budget movie, but it wasn’t a micro-budget movie. It was somewhere in the middle, so you do have to get people on board to give you a substantial amount of money, and so there were times where I (had) to explain why things are important to me, or kind of even bend my story a little bit to make certain themes a little more accessible. And I was happy to do it. I wanted the movie to be for everyone, and I didn’t want it to feel like a party you couldn’t get into. I wanted it to feel like a party that everyone was invited to. And so, if that meant
Photo courtesy of David Mesa Firstman’s film is set to premiere Nov. 6.
explaining some things I wouldn’t have to explain to a 30-year-old queer person, it was worth it to me. I knew gay 35-year-old New Yorkers are gonna relate to this movie, but … we showed the movie at Biarritz at the Biarritz Film Festival, and there was like a lot of 70-year-old French women there with like tears in their eyes after coming up to me and being like, ‘This movie changed my life.’ And that was when I was like, ‘What the f–k is happening?’
I had no idea it was gonna play for a 70-year-old French woman, and (in Telluride) seeing old white, maybe conservative, men crying — it’s been surprising. And I think it’s a good lesson that there are these universal truths that everyone feels, and when you talk about change and love, it’s gonna hit a lot of people.“The Great Gatsby,” Holmes’ own blue eyes haunt us even after we’ve left the theater. a.farrow@dailynorthwestern.com
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
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Blueberry Awards honor children’s eco-literature By ISABEL RODRIGUEZ
the daily northwestern
Evanston Public Library welcomed kids to participate in its Blueberry Awards selection process Saturday. Each year, the Blueberry Awards Committee recognizes about 40 authors for their work in eco-literature. Established by EPL assistant Martha Meyer, the Blueberry Awards aim to address climate anxiety among children by recognizing books that highlight climate action. Instead of making children fearful about climate change, the committee searches for books that inspire them. “We want kids to find and nurture their love of nature, while also understanding that climate change happens as a larger collective rather than as one small person in charge,” Kim Diebold, an EPL assistant, said. The group searches for nominees that emphasize collective action. Instead of just youth alone, the committee wants to see books that depict adults as active participants in combating climate change. Climate actions, Meyer said, should be reframed as “the coolest group projects since the history of the world” rather than an individual, unmitigable carbon footprint to feel guilty about. “Many of our books follow the important precept, which is love of nature first, climate action second,” Meyer said. Prospective books undergo a review by a committee of environmentalists, scholars and library staff members, who evaluate the books’ scientific accuracy, diversity of perspectives and the effectiveness of their calls to action. While only one author is selected as the overall Blueberry Award winner, others may win awards including the Changemaker, Blueberry Votes and Preschool Blueberry Votes. The awards aim to fill a gap in national library recognitions by focusing on “the best nature and climate books for kids” ages three through 10. As part of the awards’ eligibility criteria, books must also encourage practical and responsible action. The Blueberry Awards Committee selects the Blueberry and Changemaker Award winners each year, while young readers choose the winner
Quinn Yates/The Daily Northwestern EPL works alongside scholars and environmentalists to combat climate anxiety through its Blueberry Awards.
for the Blueberry Votes and Preschool Blueberry Votes awards. On Sept. 16, the committee announced five nominations for its Blueberry Votes and three for its Preschool Blueberry Votes. The committee invited families to EPL’s Main Library to read each nomination, cast their vote and provide a review. With juice boxes and veggie straws in hand, kids took on the role of book critics. After reading each nominated book with their parents, children provided feedback regarding what they
liked, whether the proposed climate actions were achievable and how the book made them feel. Author and Blueberry Votes nominee Nora Nickum said it is important to have children take part in the committee’s final decision. “Kids are the audience. They’re why I’m writing and who I’m writing for,” Nickum said. “A lot of other awards are grownups deciding what makes a good book and what’s compelling. I think it’s great for kids to have a chance to weigh in really strongly in this case and be the deciders.” She was nominated for her book, “Twelve
Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure.” Nickum said her book teaches young readers how animals like the grey whale are “not so different” from humans. “Building those kinds of connections helps build empathy for wildlife and care and just helps us all feel like we’re part of nature,” Nickum said. “Humans aren’t completely separate from nature. We’re part of nature, but in our modern world, it doesn’t always feel that way.” isabelrodriguez2027@u.northwestern.edu
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
Wildcats’ AP Top 25 ranking creates excitement By ALEX GERSTEIN
the daily northwestern
Despite entering the season unranked, the Wildcats have clawed their way into the Associated Press’ Top 25 Football Poll, landing at No. 20 after Saturday’s victory against Rutgers. The team has spent the past three weeks steadily climbing in the rankings. They first entered the AP Top 25 after beating Ball State, and rose to No. 24 the following week before settling at their current ranking. Students’ sense of school spirit has grown alongside the team’s success. Weinberg sophomore Moshe Ginsburg said he has noticed a shift in campus attitude toward football in recent weeks. “We’re a football school,” Ginsburg said. “We have Ryan Field. I think it’s one of the most expensive football fields ever. It’s about time Northwestern gets some recognition for its football. We’re not just nerds.” According to Ginsburg, NU’s performance against current No. 4 Indiana University validated its spot in the rankings, though he said he will not be satisfied until he sees the “’Cats on top.” While the opening of the new stadium has generated excitement among students, some said the ranking has contributed positively to campus culture as well. For Weinberg first-year Tyler He, the team’s ranking has added a thrill to the start of his time on campus. “I feel like it gives us a lot of energy around campus, and it gives us a sense of pride,” He said. He, who has a class with a member of the football team, added that he has witnessed firsthand how NU athletes perform at a high level both on the field and in the classroom. NU’s new football status has brought the ’Cats’ athletics more campus-wide attention while bringing the student body together, SESP first-year Clara Schramm said. “I’ve listened to a few of the post-game press conferences and just how the football team and the coach preach good culture, good
After their victory over Rutgers on Saturday, Northwestern’s football team is ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 Football Poll.
relationships, and I think that kind of plays into Northwestern as a whole,” Schramm said. Weinberg first-year William Park said that the football team’s success has added to his overall experience at NU. Park said that the ’Cats’ performance has given him bragging rights among his friends attending schools with unranked teams and prompted him to keep up with NU football.
“I also heard from some upperclassmen — they said that when they were coming to school here, the football team was really bad,” Park said. “I think it makes the experience a lot more holistic, a lot better, with the football team performing.” Park’s experience was shared by other students, who said they have developed an interest in supporting the team as a result of its accomplishments.
Daily file photo by Carter Nishi
Weinberg first-year Sebastian North said he was not much of a football fan before arriving in Evanston but has since changed his mind. “I never really watched football before, but I started when I got here, and it’s nice to see that our football team’s actually kind of nice this year,” North said. “We got some fire in our hearts, is what I’m hearing.” alexgerstein2029@u.northwestern.edu
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA
In preparation for the start of the regular season for both the men’s and women’s programs, the Sports Desk put together a preview of everything you need to know ahead of tipoff. Our staff shared their season predictions, spotlighted the men’s program’s returners and provided a look into what has changed for both teams. On the women’s
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side, coach Carla Berube is at the helm of the program, replacing longtime coach Joe McKeown following his retirement. For the men’s program, there are 11 new players looking to make a mark on the program. A brand new era of NU basketball is almost upon us. — Aanya Gupta, Sports Editor
8 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
New-look Northwestern looks to ‘lift the boat’ in 2026 By YHONATAN YEHUDAI
assistant digital sports editor
League Championship wins. The Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer said she spent time over the offseason instilling a defensive mindset in her players. She added her team’s offensive production will be inevitable after they are able to “hang their hats” on their defense. Berube’s roster faces a challenging season
After 18 seasons under coach Joe McKeown, Northwestern is looking to set a tenacious new tone for the program with a season that will be defined by new faces and hard work. After an underwhelming 2025 season saw the ’Cats finish 17th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten, new coach Carla Berube said she wants to spend her first season setting a foundation for the team’s future instead of focusing on immediate results. “I’m incredibly competitive, but what that win-loss record looks like, that’s not really important to me right now,” Berube said. Berube, who spent the last seven years at Princeton after coaching 17 seasons at Tufts, said she intends to keep the coaching philosophy that helped her take the Tigers to Illustration by Charlotte Nagel five NCAA tournaments and five Ivy
ahead after graduating star players like forward Grace Sullivan (Weinberg ’26) and guard Caroline Lau (Communication
’26), and losing forward Tayla Thomas, who transferred to Minnesota. In a historic individual season, Sullivan led the team last year and was the fourthmost prolific scorer in the conference averaging 21.4 points per game. Meanwhile, Lau had a team-high 8.4 assists per game and Thomas dominated the boards with 7.2 rebounds per game. To bolster the roster, NU added seven new faces ahead of the upcoming season, including four transfers and three firstyears. Among the additions are junior guard Lexi Blue from Kentucky and junior guard Lily Carmody from Boston College. On Thursday, the ’Cats announced Blue and Carmody will join senior guard Casey Harter as the team’s captains this season. Harter, who returns to the team for her fourth year, told NU fans to keep an eye out for Carmody during the season, adding that the Australian will restore versatility and experience which the team lost with Lau’s departure. Harter also echoed her new coach’s message about the team’s focus on hard effort and teamwork, and said the team created a slogan for the season ahead.
“We have a saying called ‘lift the boat,’” Harter said. “It just keeps everybody rising, and no one falls behind.” Junior guard Xamiya Walton said she expects the ’Cats to play “gritty.” She looks to build on a breakout sophomore season which saw significant improvements in all major individual statistical categories. Walton will play alongside her sister, incoming first-year guard Xyanna Walton, for the first time since the two played together in high school at Butler College Prep in Chicago. After a lackluster stretch of seasons which began shortly after winning the program’s second Big Ten Championship in 2019-20, Berube said she hopes to open a new chapter with a revamped squad. “The past is the past,” Berube said. “We’re looking forward to what we can build. We’re facing forward, not looking back.” The team will host Lewis in an exhibition matchup on Oct. 30 and officially begin the season at Welsh-Ryan Arena against Milwaukee on Nov. 3. yhonatanyehudai2029@u.northwestern.edu
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREDICTIONS
Daily SPORTS staff predicts THE WOMEN’S basketball season By THE SPORTS STAFF
the daily northwestern
Northwestern women’s basketball tips off its 2026-27 season with an exhibition against Lewis on Friday before the opening regular season game against Milwaukee on Nov. 3. Prediction: 12-20 (3-14 Big Ten) Key Question: How can the captains contribute and reshape this NU team?
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Senior Casey Harter, junior Kentucky transfer Lexi Blue and junior Boston College transfer Lily Carmody will be team captains for this NU team, and all three will play a crucial role in its success. As the only captain who is a returner on this squad, Harter will need to establish herself as a reliable teammate both on and off the court. Her impact was clear last season. The guard averaged 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for the ’Cats. Her minutes per game ranked second in the Big Ten last season as well. On the newcomer captains’ side, Carmody has seen high levels of success with the Eagles, starting in 29 of her 30 appearances and leading the team in
scoring with 12.8 points per game. She has a chance to establish herself as an elite scorer for this ’Cats team and help them navigate a season recovering from high player turnover. Finally, Blue’s experience at Kentucky should not be overlooked, and will serve her well as a captain. Blue has already played with and against high-caliber SEC talent and is sure to bring that knowledge and experience to NU. The trio of captains truly holds the key to a successful season for this new-look ’Cats team. – Aanya Gupta, Sports Editor Prediction: 12-20 (2-15 Big Ten) Key Question: Can NU’s transfers and first-years gel fast enough? Berube brought in four transfers to Evanston, alongside three firstyears, meaning newcomers represent almost half of the ’Cats’ roster. Given Sullivan’s graduation and McKeown’s departure, the team will need to find a new identity — and quickly. Carmody is the only newcomer who saw significant minutes last year, starting all but one game with the Eagles and leading the team in minutes played. She will have to be the centerpiece for an offense that lost its leaders in assists and points. The ultimate question for Berube’s squad is whether
returners like Harter can adjust to a newlook offensive system fast enough to avoid dropping a bad loss in non-conference play. Friday’s game against Lewis will be far more important than its exhibition label would suggest, as NU has just 40 minutes to prove itself on the court before playing games that count.
Prediction: 14-18 (4-13 Big Ten) Key Question: Can Carla Berube keep winning? Berube has won everywhere she goes. As a player, she won a national championship at UConn, and she left Tufts as the winningest coach in program history. At Princeton, Berube had an .835 winning per-
– Ben Dannemiller, Assistant Sports Editor Prediction: 8-24 (2-15 Big Ten) Key Question: Can this be anything more than a rebuilding year?
centage, and she made five NCAA tournaments in six seasons with the Tigers. The veteran coach is leading a program that won just eight When comparing last season’s roster to games last season. It’s a very different situation than her this year’s, the losses are obvious. first year at Princeton, Daily file photo by Former forward which won 22 games Avantika Singh Grace Sullivan the season before she (Weinberg joined. ’26) and guard Luckily for Berube, the light non-conference schedule, Caroline Lau (Communication ’26), who led the which includes just ing and assists, two power conference team in scorboth graduated, and forteams, gives her time to ease ward Tayla Thomas, who into the season before the led the team in rebounds per gauntlet that is NU’s Big Ten schedule. game, transferred to Minnesota. These departures, combined with The ’Cats play nine ranked teams this season, a vastly different schedule than the fact that this will be the Wildcats’ first campaign without former coach Berube has faced at Princeton. The Ivy League has only been a multi-bid league Joe McKeown in 18 years, lead to a lot of uncertainty ahead of the upcoming three times in its history. It’s not a question of if NU will lose this season. Coach Carla Berube is faced with season, but how competitive it will be. Berube seems to have the winning gene, quite the task. Her team will have to find a way to fill significant gaps but that will be tested throughout the season. on both sides of the floor as it tries to find a new identity. With so many question marks ahead of the team’s – Yoni Zacks, Social Media Editor first game, it is difficult to see where the answers will come from. aanyagupta2029@u.northwestern.edu Daily file photo b.dannemiller@dailynorthwestern.com by George Sun – Yhonatan Yehudai, yhonatanyehudai2029@u.northwestern.edu Assistant Digital Sports Editor y.zacks@dailynorthwestern.com
2026 - 27 women’s ROSTER #0 RACHEL MUTOMBO, F #1 XAMIYA WALTON, G #2 XYANNA WALTON, G #3 CLAIRE KESWICK, G #4 LEXI BLUE, G
#5 LILY CARMODY, G #8 KAT RIGHEIMER, G/F #9 CRYSTAL FUQU WANG, F #10 SANDRA MORENO, F #12 CASEY HARTER, G
#13 CAMDYN NELSON, G #22 BROOKE GOLDEN, F #26 ROMANA JELENC, F #30 JASMYN COOPER-DERBA, F #33 AMPARO LÓPEZ, G
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
9
Quinn Yates/The Daily Northwestern
Quinn Yates/The Daily Northwestern
Quinn Yates/The Daily Northwestern
MEN’S BASKETBALL EXHIBITION
Wildcats DOMINATED by Cyclones in final preseason game By YHONATAN YEHUDAI
assistant digital sports editor
Northwestern lost to Iowa State 94-59 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday in its second and final exhibition ahead of the 2026-27 regular season. The loss marks the Wildcats’ first home exhibition loss since 2009. Coach Chris Collins opened the game with an unchanged starting lineup from the team’s first exhibition, relying on sophomore guard Jake West for most of the ball-handling responsibilities while he was on the court. Each team set the tone for the rest of the game early, as the Cyclones opened 5-for-6 from the field, while NU missed its first three attempts. The ’Cats’ inefficiency remained a theme throughout the game as they shot 33% from the field and only scored seven times from beyond the arc on 30 attempts. NU’s defense seemingly had no answer for Iowa State guard Ryan Prather Jr., who tallied 25 points with six three-pointers. The ’Cats’ forwards also struggled to defend forward Dominykas Pleta, who out-muscled defenders on his way to the rim en route to 14 points. After the game, Collins spoke about his
team’s lack of defensive aggressiveness and said it is something he wants to work on in practice. “We gotta be scrappier, we gotta fight,” Collins said. West and junior guard Angelo Ciaravino led the team in scoring, tallying 21 and 13 points, respectively. West appeared visibly frustrated throughout the game, as half of his team-high four turnovers were caused by miscommunication with his teammates. Despite his body language on the court, West said the result was a learning experience for the new-look team, which has 11 newcomers on the roster with just three returning players. “We’re still 0-0,” West said. “These are great lessons for us.” Collins shared West’s message about dealing with so many changes to last season’s squad, and said the exhibition games have allowed him to better understand his players’ abilities. For the newcomers, graduate student forward Jack Karasinski closely followed the two returners with 11 points, while graduate student guard LA Pratt was the team’s leader in
assists with five and rebounds with seven. NU’s centers and forwards struggled to establish themselves on both ends of the floor. Redshirt junior forward Ryan Soulis, redshirt junior forward Luke McEldon and junior forward Okku Federiko combined for just two points. Meanwhile, first-year center Symon Ghai mustered no points in 13 minutes of playing time and failed to use his 7-foot-3-inch figure to establish himself defensively. Although the teams were even in offensive
Illustration by Charlotte Nagel rebounds with
12 each, Iowa State outrebounded the ’Cats by 13 overall. Sunday’s exhibition also marked forward Tre Singleton’s first time playing in Evanston since transferring from NU to the Cyclones after his first year campaign. Despite the loss, Collins said he is still optimistic about the season ahead, which will officially start Nov. 2, when the ’Cats host Binghamton. “We still have full belief in this group,” Collins said. yhonatanyehudai2029@u.northwestern.edu
MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Northwestern enters season of change with 11 new players By YONI ZACKS
social media editor
Northwestern men’s basketball is undergoing a season of change, following an offseason that resulted in just three players returning from last season’s roster. The changes were not completely unexpected by coach Chris Collins, who said he did an insufficient job constructing last season’s roster at Big Ten Media Day. “When I woke up one morning and there was only three guys on the roster, (it) really gave me and my staff an opportunity to get together and say, ‘Okay, the slate is somewhat clean, let’s try to figure out what we want to do with this, how we want to build this roster,’” Collins said. Entering his 15th season at the helm, Collins identified three main areas where he wanted to improve the roster: shooting, experience and size. Shooting, especially from 3-point range, was a problem for the Wildcats last year. The team made
just 33% of its shots from beyond the arc, and Collins said he expects that to improve this season. “I think you’re gonna see more perimeter oriented (offense),” Collins said. The Northbrook, Illinois, native said another focus was finding players who fit NU’s culture, emphasizing experience over high recruitment rankings out of high school. Collins noted that former players Boo Buie (SESP ’23), Brooks Barnhizer (Communication ’25) and Nick Martinelli (Communication ’26) fit the mold, and all three of them had no other power conference offers out of high school. “We’ve always wanted guys that carry a little bit of a chip on their shoulder that believe they can compete against the best,” Collins said. “I see that in some of these guys we’ve brought in, that they’re anxious (to prove themselves), they’re older guys that have done really well in so-called lesser leagues.” The mid-major to power conference pipeline has seen success in the Big Ten. Collins highlighted Iowa’s run to the Elite Eight last year on
the backs of multiple players who followed coach Ben McCollum from Drake to the Hawkeyes. One main difference between Iowa and NU is team chemistry, with six of the 14 Iowa players playing together at Drake the year before. Collins’ crew, meanwhile, has just three players who have played together. Only sophomore guard Jake West and junior guard Angelo Ciaravino have spent significant time with each other in game settings. “I think we would love to be a team of that mold,” Collins said. “Tough, competitive guys who play really well together … and have a good chemistry.” While the transfers are still trying to establish themselves in Evanston, Collins said, graduate student guard LA Pratt and graduate student forward Jack Karasinski are newcomers who have become leaders. “Those two guys from a personality standpoint, are two that I’m really looking forward to as they get their feet wet and get integrated with what we’re doing, that they can step up and lead with
those returning guys as well,” Collins said. Karasinski was the 12th-highest scorer in the country last season, averaging 21.7 points per game at Bellarmine. The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native shot 56.1% from the field, which would have led NU last season. Pratt is coming off a foot injury that ended his year after just three games. He averaged 33 minutes played and 17 points in those three games as a starter at Northeastern. After a season where Collins admitted the ’Cats “didn’t do as well as we had hoped,” he’s ready to put the preseason rankings, which had NU finishing 16th in the Big Ten, behind him and let the action on the court speak for itself. “What’s cool about basketball is, at the end of the day, you actually get out there and get a chance to go beat (anyone) and you get a chance to prove it by your own merit and your own place,” Collins said. “That’s what we’re looking forward to doing.” y.zacks@dailynorthwestern.com
10 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
MEN’S BASKETBALL PREDICTIONS
Daily SPORTS staff predicts THE MEN’S basketball season By THE SPORTS STAFF
the daily northwestern
The Northwestern men’s basketball season tips off Monday against Binghamton. In advance of the season, The Daily’s men’s basketball staff gave their predictions for the upcoming season. Prediction: 13-19 (4-16 Big Ten) Key Question: Can Jake West get the support he needs? In Sunday’s exhibition game against Iowa State, West put up 21 points and shot 44% from the three point line. However, his supporting cast hardly showed up for him, as the only other ’Cats to make a three were Karasinski and Pratt. They went 25% and 17% from beyond the arc, respectively. From the free throw line, Pratt had seven attempts and made a mere 43% of them. Granted, the game was an exhibition and the eight incoming transfers still have time to adjust to the NU play style. However, West is going to need some help to keep this ’Cats offense alive. In its opening exhibition loss to Illinois State, NU’s three returners all scored double-digit points, and Karasinski showed promise with 13 points and two steals. However, these stats were a red herring distracting from the ’Cats’ 20 combined turnovers. It’s worth noting that Pratt averaged 17 points per game in his three games at Elon before his season-ending injury, so talent is not the issue for this NU team. Regardless, while this may be West’s team, he definitely can’t carry it alone. Returners, transfers, and first-years will need to step up and help out this rebuilding ’Cats team. — Aanya Gupta, Sports Editor Prediction: 13-19 (6-14 Big Ten) Key Question: Can Jack Karasinski and Ryan Soulis impact the team on both sides of the floor?
In its opening exhibition game, a disjointed NU failed to run its offensive sets, close out on 45-degree drives and contain low post action. Postgame, Collins said he hopes to “figure out an offensive and defensive system that is going to be really good for this team.” In developing these systems, Collins and his coaching staff will need to instill “grit” in their forwards to boost inside scoring and minimize opponents’ paint points, the coach added. The Cyclones had a field day against the ’Cats, stripping both guards and forwards while forcing turnovers on most drive penetrations. With Iowa State effectively trapping West, NU’s returning point guard struggled to run the team’s offensive sets and get high-percentage shot opportunities. His frustration was fueled by a lack of both high and low post-pass opportunities, plus a failure to direct effective pick and roll plays. With applied defensive pressure in conference play, Karasinski and redshirt junior forward Ryan Soulis will be expected to step up. The ’Cats were outscored 38-20 in second-chance points against the Cyclones, largely due to NU’s inability to effectively box out and grab defensive rebounds. NU also got into foul trouble as Karasinski had four and Soulis fouled out.
Collins has emphasized his unwavering belief in his players, but will this belief inspire the change he needs to cultivate a winning basketball culture at Northwestern? Only time will tell as the season unfolds. — Alisande Jaiserrisingh, Assistant Sports Editor Prediction: 11-21 (5-15 Big Ten) Key Question: Are Angelo Ciaravino and Jake West ready to lead the program? As the game progressed and Iowa State extended its lead during Sunday’s exhibition, West did not hide his frustration with NU’s lack of momentum. On his way to a team-high 21 points, West took 16 shots and took primary ball-handling responsibilities. Ciaravino trailed West with 13 points, hustled back on defense and dove for loose balls Illustration by Charlotte Nagel throughout the game. Whether looking at post-game stats or actually watching gameplay, one thing is apparent: West and Ciaravino are expected to be the team’s leaders. Therefore, this season’s key question is whether either player is ready for that responsibility. West is entering just his second season of college basketball and averaged just 5.3 points in his first year campaign with the
’Cats. Meanwhile, Ciaravino tallied 6.3 points per game in the 2025-26 season and only started in 18 of his 33 games. Neither player is naturally positioned to lead the program. In adjusting to the burden of being just two of three returners from last year, West and Ciaravino will need to step up both on and off the court if they hope to lead NU to a successful season. — Yhonatan Yehudai, Assistant Digital Sports Editor Prediction: 12-20 (3-17 Big Ten) Key Question: Can LA Pratt and Jack Karasinski step up? Northwestern was always going to have to rebuild, especially after losing eight players to the transfer portal. During Big Ten Media Days, coach Chris Collins said he focused more on building a physical identity through the portal, but in two exhibition games, that physicality was missing. Not only that, but the Wildcats only shot 13-for44 from 3-point range in their recent exhibition losses to Illinois State and No. 18 Iowa State. Sophomore point guard Jake West made four of his nine attempts from deep against the Cyclones, but the rest of the team combined for just three. If NU wants its conference play games to be competitive, other shooters will have to step up to provide offense. Collins can start by looking at two veterans. Transfer graduate student guard LA Pratt averaged 17 points per game in his three games in 2025-26 before a season-ending injury. Fellow transfer, graduate student forward Jack Karasinski, had the 12th-most points per game in Division I last season, averaging 21.7 points per game. In order for the ’Cats to be successful, one or both of these players need to take the lead and score to support West. — Yoni Zacks, Social Media Editor aanyagupta2029@u.northwestern.edu a.jaiserrisingh@dailynorthwestern.com yhonatanyehudai2029@u.northwestern.edu y.zacks@dailynorthwestern.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL RETURNERS
Ciaravino, West, Gill return with ‘something to prove’ By ANDREW LITTLE
gameday editor
Returning just three players from last year’s squad, Northwestern is ready to introduce fans to its “hungry” and “gritty” new identity. Junior guard Angelo Ciaravino, sophomore guard Jake West and sophomore guard Phoenix Gill are the only holdovers from the 2025-26 Wildcats. That team, led by two-time Big Ten scoring champion Nick Martinelli, went 15-19 and 5-15 in conference. In the offseason, coach Chris Collins was forced to overhaul his roster. NU graduated three players, including Martinelli, who is now in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers, and lost nine players to the transfer portal. With only Ciaravino, Gill and West returning, the ’Cats’ Daily file photo by Luke Meinhardt
replenished roster features eight transfers and three high school recruits. Collins has leaned on his returners to set the team’s culture. “Those three returners have set an incredible tone of what we want this to look like day to day,” Collins said at Big Ten Media Day on Oct. 8. Collins said it meant a lot for Ciaravino and West to return after a disappointing season, reaffirming their belief in the program and stepping into leadership roles. He called both of them “gym rats,” adding that they have carried on the legacy of hard work from previous teammates like Martinelli. “I’m really proud of them for that and their actions have shown it this summer and this fall,” Collins said. “Their games have gotten better because of it. When you step up in leadership, and you’re more vocal, and you hold yourself more accountable, you get better. And
I think both of those guys are going to make big jumps this year.” Moving into a starting role midway through last season, West started 17 of 33 games as a first-year. The Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, native averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 assists per game. He stepped up late in the season, including matching his season-high with an 18-point performance in NU’s second-round Big Ten Tournament win over Indiana. West said the team rallied together over the summer and is ready to show the rest of the country its new identity. “We’re just super hungry, and you should want to cheer on a team that’s got something to prove, got a chip on their shoulder,” West said at Big Ten Media Day. Ciaravino has played in 64 games throughout his two years with the ’Cats, including 25 starts. He averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 2025-26, up from 3.1 and 1.8 in his first year. In his third year with NU, Ciaravino is
now the longest-tenured player on the ’Cats’ roster. Stepping into an elevated role on the team, Ciaravino said he returned to Evanston to continue building the program that shaped him. “Two years here, I’ve been through so much in this program,” Ciaravino said. “I stayed because I’ve seen so much, and I’ve seen the good and the bad. There’s just so much that has been good with this journey. And I feel like having these new guys and having Phoenix and Jake here, we’re headed towards the right direction.” While welcoming his 11 new teammates over the offseason, West said he reminded them of the mindset he has held since joining the ’Cats. “The message has stayed the same since I committed to Northwestern,” West said. “It’s to try to take Northwestern to places it hasn’t been before, and try to get Northwestern back to that standard that they are a national program team, trying to get to (the NCAA) tournament.”
Daily file photo by Jonah McClure
Daily file photo by Jonah McClure
a.little@dailynorthwestern.com
2026 - 27 men’s ROSTER #2 DYLAN WILLIAMS, G #3 JAKE WEST, G #4 LA PRATT, G #6 ALEKSEJ KOSTIC, G #7 COLIN SMITH, F
#8 OKKU FEDERIKO, F #11 JAYDEN HODGE, G #12 RYAN SOULIS, F #13 PHOENIX GILL, G #18 SYMON GHAI, C
#21 LUKE MCELDON, F #32 JACK KARASINSKI, F #42 ELIJAH ESCHMEYER, F #44 ANGELO CIARAVINO, G
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN Daily file photo by Luke Meinhardt
MAYOR
From page 1
to ask ourselves, are we going to pick the best person for the job or just someone who wants the job?” Davis also nominated Ald. Bobby Burns (5th), who, like Harris, said he didn’t want the job. A special Council meeting to select an acting mayor was initially scheduled for Oct. 19. Kelly, who served as the mayor pro tempore after Biss’ resignation, canceled that meeting, citing scheduling conflicts. The Evanston RoundTable reported Sunday that Kelly used her week as mayor pro tempore to nominate several people to fill committee vacancies. She also altered Council’s agenda by moving the vote to select an acting mayor to the end of Monday’s meeting. This allowed her to chair the entire meeting. Kelly wrote in a Monday statement to The Daily that she moved the vote to avoid forcing the newly appointed acting mayor to oversee the rest of the meeting unprepared. “As Mayor Pro Tem, I’m responsible for the
MCCULLOCH From page 1
connected the two buildings, creating what is now Bobb-McCulloch Hall. In 2016, The Daily reported verified mold in Bobb, prompting the University to evaluate the building’s ventilation system and monitor its air quality and humidity levels. Two years later, as mold reports persisted, NU administration planned to build two completely new
agenda,” Kelly wrote. “It could be awkward to put a Council member on the spot to suddenly lead a meeting they weren’t expecting to lead or hadn’t planned for.”
The city will now hold a special election to select a permanent replacement to serve the remainder of Biss’ term. Mayoral candidates were required to file petitions
residence halls, but budget deficits stalled work until renovations began in 2025. Stone said he knew about the University’s construction before moving in, noting that he appreciates living in a renovated space. “I knew that there were new AC systems, the bathrooms were really nice and there’s a cool lounge,” he said. “I was actually happy about that.” Upgrades to Bobb include updated common areas, renovated bathrooms and central air conditioning. According to project contractor W.E. O’Neil Construction, the project also included a new roof, elevators and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
Despite the upgrades, Stone said a fenced-off area on Bobb-McCulloch’s northeast side makes it more difficult to walk around the building and reach the Kemper Package Center. Bobb first floor resident and Communication firstyear Lance Alexander said construction noise does not significantly affect his day-to-day life. “I was more appreciative of the fact that I got a dorm that was newly renovated … and less concerned about any of the construction,” Alexander said. Residential Services also noted in its email to students that, during the academic year, noisy work would not begin until 9 a.m.
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with at least 946 signatories between Oct. 19 and 26. Six candidates filed petitions before the Monday deadline: former Ald. Ann Rainey (8th), former mayoral candidate Jeff Boarini, City Clerk Stephanie Mendoza, former Ald. Jane Grover (7th), diversity consultant Gilo Logan, and lawyer Jeff Smith. Elliot Oats, a 22-year-old union steward and bike safety advocate, previously announced his intention to run but did not file by Monday’s deadline. If at least three candidates make it on the ballot, a primary election will be held Feb. 23. If a candidate wins the primary with more than 50% of the vote, they will automatically win the race. Otherwise, the top two candidates will face off in the April 6 general election. “I hope that when we do as a community elect a new mayor, that we will be able to hand the reins over to him or her in six months with the city in better shape than it is now,” Nieuwsma said during Monday’s meeting. s.baker@dailynorthwestern.com
Alexander said Residential Services has been “very communicative,” and Stone added the department has given “fair warning about everything that is happening.” As construction continues through the academic year, Alexander said he appreciates the University’s effort to improve campus housing. “It’s a really good thing that they’re doing, to continuously renovate the dorms so it’s better for the students,” Alexander said. sophiezinder2030@u.northwestern.edu
Setting the record straight: The clues for the Weekly Crossword were published incorrectly in the Oct. 21 print issue. The Daily regrets this error.
12 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
OPINION
Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com
Op-Ed: The University needs protections against ICE ASHA MEHTA, JON MARSHALL, IZZY GROSOF, & JORIN GRAHAM OP-ED CONTRIBUTERS
From cheering in the Wildcat Wall to organizing group lunches with faculty, Northwestern President Mung Chiang has aimed to center community members’ voices throughout his first year. It’s the central theme of his email blasts and speeches. With that spirit in mind, we believe Chiang and the University administration should listen to our community’s fears about federal immigration action and enact policies protecting us from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Purple Sanctuary, a group of students and faculty focused on protecting our campus from ICE raids, emailed Chiang at the start of August inquiring about NU’s ICE policy. We requested a meeting with him but were denied and directed to Vice President and General Counsel Stephanie Graham and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Luke Figora. Ten faculty and students, ourselves included, sent a follow-up email to Graham and Figora on Sept. 17 with a list of 13 policies to keep NU safer from ICE. We urged NU administrators to acknowledge the threat posed by federal agents to our community
and the fear our international and at-risk students, faculty, staff and contracted workers face every day. Today, more than a month later, we have received no response. Not only that, even in the wake of a U.S. citizen being pushed to the ground by ICE agents in Evanston in September, a Faculty Senate resolution regarding campus safety from immigration enforcement, and most recently, the detention of an NU graduate, administrators have not announced any additional protections. The University’s lack of an ICE safety policy is not the norm. Over the summer, Purple Sanctuary examined the ICE safety policies of each of the U.S. News & World Report’s top 300 universities in the Chicago area, as well as its top 100 universities in Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, Boston and Minneapolis. We found that the majority of elite universities in metropolitan areas recently targeted by immigration raids had significantly more robust ICE safety protocols than NU. The University of Southern California, for example, has designated points of contact for at-risk students, as well as emergency and non-emergency ICE hotlines. Its law school also provides free, confidential legal immigration support to students. New York University hosted mandatory ICE de-escalation trainings for its Campus Safety Officers in May. It has policies against voluntary
disclosure of student information and against voluntarily granting access to law enforcement officials. Closer to home, University of Illinois Chicago has designated itself a sanctuary campus and distributes “Know Your Rights” resources to its students. Its Office of International Services works proactively to inform international students of ICE activity nearby. Most universities’ ICE information landing pages, at minimum, provide information to students about the delineation of public and private spaces, and what to do if confronted by immigration enforcement officials. Many universities go beyond that. The policies we asked NU to consider were in line with those at other institutions. We recommended that University Police publicly commit to not assist ICE enforcement, in line with Illinois state law. We requested the provision of know your rights information cards to all students, faculty and campus workers. We made recommendations for the protection of private student information. Our letter was not calling upon NU to be a leader. It was asking that the University remain on par with its peer institutions. In a survey of 153 students that Purple Sanctuary conducted at The Rock in May, 88.9% of respondents rated their satisfaction with NU’s communication regarding ICE as three out of five or below, with more than a quarter giving the University the lowest possible score. Two-thirds of students indicated that
“the state of ICE in America” brings moderate or significant worry/concern to their lives. When so many students are worried about an issue, it should be addressed by the administration. We urge President Chiang to end NU’s silence regarding ICE. We urge administrators to protect our community. Purple Sanctuary has created a petition in support of the recommendations listed in our initial email, which has now been signed by over 250 community members. We encourage all members of the Northwestern community — students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni — to read and sign it. Asha Mehta is a Weinberg senior. She can be contacted at ashmehta2027@u.northwestern.edu Jon Marshall is an associate professor at the Medill School of Journalism. He can be contacted at j-marshall@ northwestern.edu. Izzy Grosof is an assistant professor at the McCormick School of Engineering. They can be contacted at izzy.grosof@northwestern.edu. Jorin Graham is a graduate worker in Weinberg. They can be contacted at joringraham@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.
Krishnaswamy: Northwestern runs Northwestern SRIDHAR KRISHNASWAMY OP-ED CONTRIBUTER
Ten months ago, I wrote in The Daily that we should consider the controversial agreement between Northwestern and the federal government a win, not because it was perfect but because it bought us time “to ensure that the core mission of the University to freely and dispassionately study, generate and disseminate knowledge is protected.” Somewhat presumptuously, I also suggested that we collectively “head over to take a seat at the table where decisions need to be made,” requesting that we “turn on those winter lights… promising ourselves to never let them go out ever!” Nearly a year later, the good news is that the winter lights might be turning back on this year. The notso-good news is that there does not appear to be any common table around which the NU community can gather to weigh in on the tough decisions that we need to make. Why else are campus groups still protesting to be heard? These are unsettling times in academia as we all
adjust to new realities. The emergence of AI raises urgent questions about the relevance of our current modes of teaching and research as well as the kinds of graduates that we should produce. Reduced public trust is causing some to question the value of higher education. Constantly changing rules about research funding, financial aid and international student visas make operational and financial planning tenuous at every level of the university. In times of uncertainty, we can choose either to come together as a community to share our concerns and determine our collective future or to fragment into groups, each seeking to protect its own interests. We can choose to hear one another out with empathy, or we can tune out with apathy. I am afraid that if we choose not to hear protesting voices, they will only get louder. There are members of our community who have come to believe they have no other way to be heard. People asking for their voices to be heard in order to rebuild higher education have something constructive to contribute. They shouldn’t have to organize a rally at The Rock to be heard. It would be much better for all of us to be able to sit at a common table where we can hear each other out. So, let’s set that table. At a recent rally at The Rock, Portuguese Prof. Jorge Coronado said, “The Board of Trustees is not
the University. We are the University.” He was partly right: We are the University. However, that includes all of us: Trustees who ensure the University’s viability into the future; administrators tasked with responsible and responsive near-term stewardship of the organization; faculty entrusted with the intellectual stewardship of academia; staff who keep the place running; students who are the raison d’etre of the University, and alumni who are our ambassadors to society. We are collectively the University, and at times like this we must all rally together to help steer it. Let’s set that table. As academia confronts challenges posed by the promise of AI and the perils of geopolitical turmoil, we have an opportunity to reimagine what we do. Academia is transforming, and our peers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Cornell University and elsewhere are already envisioning ways to adapt. Even as MIT adopts new AI policies, Yale strategizes how to restore trust in higher education, and Cornell imagines the future of the American university, NU has yet to weigh in. But we too must transform if we want to stay at the forefront of global universities. As we adapt, perhaps we can show the world what shared governance truly looks like: deep engagement by all segments of our community to identify common
goals, where the hopes and concerns of all are voiced freely and heard intently, where we cast the net broadly to surface good ideas from across the campus and share candidly with one another the constraints under which we must operate. Shared governance does not impinge on the decision-making authority of the trustees and administrators. It just makes decision-making better. It ensures that the whole university is aligned to frictionlessly implement the best ideas that emerge from our collective voices. At critical moments like this, organizations need to be agile. Alignment of goals is what will provide that agility. Shared governance is what will lead to that alignment. So, let’s set that table to gather around and figure out how we can responsibly steer NU through its next 175 years. Sridhar Krishnaswamy is a professor of mechanical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He can be contacted at sridhar. krishnaswamy@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.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 147, Issue 7
Editor in Chief Anavi Prakash
Print Managing Editors Marissa Fernandez Jonah McClure Sophie Baker Jack Baker
Multimedia Managing Editors Liam Barrett Siri Reddy Josh Singer
Creative Director Cayla Labgold-Carroll
Opinion Editor Ivy Frater
Assistant Opinion Editor Josie Belfer
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside THE DAILY office. Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed and double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 800 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar. Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
CPT
From page 1
don’t judge them,” Saega said. “It’s just it doesn’t clarify much to us, and so it creates this overall feeling of stress and lack of clarity for the future.” While some international students have access to internships abroad because they have a passport, others face difficulty finding similar opportunities due to visa restrictions or financial difficulties. Saega added this leaves some international students unable to experience work opportunities outside of their home countries. “Majority of my friends don’t have that opportunity since they have either visa restriction due to which they can’t leave the country, or there is just no access to the countries which offer good internships to be paid,” Saega said. “They’re stuck in a situation where they have the whole summer to sponsor, to find living, to to pay rent, and they don’t really know where to pull the money from.” For students with plans to intern and work in the U.S. post-graduation, the impact of CPT’s change in accessibility was immediate. Before the shift, Weinberg sophomore Annanya Karthik, an international student from India, said she planned on completing a summer internship related to retail in the U.S. The announcement, she said, was “a huge upset,” especially almost halfway through her time at NU. She said part of her reason for coming to Northwestern was “making connections in America as a whole.” “And when that’s taken away from you, you feel really angry because you are paying so much to go here. You’re making so many drastic changes to be in
PROTEST From page 1
for the next five fiscal years. Parents said this proves that the district’s financial situation is less dire than projected, prompting requests for the board to delay action on school closures until more information is gathered. “They’re moving way too fast and making decisions without fully understanding the impact, and that leads to errors,” Dewey parent Joey Wiener said. Wiener said he moved to Evanston from Chicago after his son was born for the city’s public school system. Proximity to Dewey also impacted his family’s choice to live in their current neighborhood, he said. Wiener said he feels disappointed with the district,
13
a completely different country,” Karthik said. While some international students — like those in the Medill School of Journalism and the School of Education and Social Policy — are able to engage in experiential learning as a requirement to graduate, those in other academic programs say the CPT changes put them at an inherent disadvantage. A Weinberg junior from Europe, who requested to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns, said some majors at the University are not structured where students can gain practical experience. While the junior has previously completed an internship, she added that she was planning to explore more employment opportunities after switching her major. With CPT gone, she said that is no longer possible. “We just feel treated a bit unfairly because if we chose a different major, then we would still be able to gain that experience and have that exposure,” she said. “Right now, we’re here for four years, and we just get education and research, and then when you graduate, you don’t really know what to do with yourself.” As of now, UISAC’s “dream,” Saega said, is to be involved in decision-making processes. Her goal is to maintain clear communication between student leaders and NU officials and stay updated regarding which measures University administration is taking as it navigates the shift in federal policy. She added she doesn’t expect much to change unless the recent changes to CPT approvals are challenged in federal court. “There is a hope, a certain hope that the CPT clarification will also be appealed and dictated the way it used to be for 35 years,” Saega said. “However, we can’t really rely on it too much.” choosing their words very carefully because I’m
not sure they know exactly how to approach the situation, which makes sense and I don’t judge them,” Saega said. “It’s just it doesn’t clarify much to us, and so it creates this overall feeling of stress and lack of clarity for the future.” While some international students have access to internships abroad because they have a passport, others face difficulty finding similar opportunities due to visa restrictions or financial difficulties. Saega added this leaves some international students unable to experience work opportunities outside of their home countries. “Majority of my friends don’t have that opportunity since they have either visa restriction due to which they can’t leave the country, or there is just no access to the countries which offer good internships to be paid,” Saega said. “They’re stuck in a situation where they have the whole summer to sponsor, to find living, to to pay rent, and they don’t really know where to pull the money from.” For students with plans to intern and work in the U.S. post-graduation, the impact of CPT’s change in accessibility was immediate. Before the shift, Weinberg sophomore Annanya Karthik, an international student from India, said she planned on completing a summer internship related to retail in the U.S. The announcement, she said, was “a huge upset,” especially almost halfway through her time at NU. She said part of her reason for coming to Northwestern was “making connections in America as a whole.” “And when that’s taken away from you, you feel really angry because you are paying so much to go here. You’re making so many drastic changes to be in a completely different country,” Karthik said. While some international students — like those
in the Medill School of Journalism and the School of Education and Social Policy — are able to engage in experiential learning as a requirement to graduate, those in other academic programs say the CPT changes put them at an inherent disadvantage. A Weinberg junior from Europe, who requested to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns, said some majors at the University are not structured where students can gain practical experience. While the junior has previously completed an internship, she added that she was planning to explore more employment opportunities after switching her major. With CPT gone, she said that is no longer possible. “We just feel treated a bit unfairly because if we chose a different major, then we would still be able to gain that experience and have that exposure,” she said. “Right now, we’re here for four years, and we just get education and research, and then when you graduate, you don’t really know what to do with yourself.” As of now, UISAC’s “dream,” Saega said, is to be involved in decision-making processes. Her goal is to maintain clear communication between student leaders and NU officials and stay updated regarding which measures University administration is taking as it navigates the shift in federal policy. She added she doesn’t expect much to change unless the recent changes to CPT approvals are challenged in federal court. “There is a hope, a certain hope that the CPT clarification will also be appealed and dictated the way it used to be for 35 years,” Saega said. “However, we can’t really rely on it too much.”
adding that Dewey’s proposed closure feels rushed. He called the district’s recent budgetary mistake “par for the course,” but said he appreciated the administration’s willingness to acknowledge the error. Dewey parent Ann Chookaszian said her daughter doesn’t understand why her school faces closure. Chookaszian said explaining the scenario to her child was difficult because she does not understand the district’s decision-making herself. “Why is this the best thing for our community, the best thing for our city?” Chookaszian said. “It doesn’t feel like that. I can’t say that to her with any integrity.” Jennifer Cotto Jhonson, whose daughter is a kindergarten student in the Dewey’s Two-Way Immersion program, expressed similar concerns over how school closures will affect students.
However, Cotto Jhonson said the wider Evanston community should also care about the district’s financial predicament. “It’s everyone’s tax dollars that are being mishandled,” she said. Lincolnwood parent Angela Eubank said she appreciated the community’s call for transparency. If Lincolnwood closes, Eubank said her thirdgrade child would be redistricted to Willard Elementary School. While the school is still relatively close to their home, she said the commute would require crossing a busy road, preventing her child from walking to school. Fourth Ward resident Anne Gendler said she has lived across the street from Dewey for 31 years. Gendler added that she attended Monday’s protest to express personal concerns about the school’s
closure and support her young neighbor, who she said has “been crying all week.” While Gendler herself does not have students at the school, she said she has previously tutored at Dewey, adding that shutting down the “charming little school” would impact the whole neighborhood. Gendler also expressed concern over the shuttered Dewey building sitting empty, since District 65 would still have to pay to maintain the vacant campus. “You’ve got a perfectly thriving little school,” Gendler said. “You’re gonna close it down completely, have an empty building and send all those kids elsewhere. Why? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
e.dissanayake@dailynorthwestern.com
laurenshein2030@u.northwestern.edu
WEEKLY CROSSWORD DOWN
ACROSS
1. Eerily, creepily or ghoulishly part of speech, abbr. 2. Didgeri___, wind instrument associated with Australia 3. Novak of tennis fame 4. Sculptor of “The Thinker” 5. “Work like ___”, or put in an extreme amount of effort 6. Insane or angry 7. Suggest, as a plan 8. Fully-fledged 9. Likely event at a costume store on Nov. 1 10. **? 11. Ogle 12. Something that might be found on a wrinkled shirt or a worried forehead 13. Nephew’s brother’s mother, perhaps 18. A thousand mgs 23. Got older 24. First name of the most recent former mayor of Chicago 25. Charged atoms 26. André, Clapton or Carle 29. Recognition or integrity 30. Dons, as a costume 32. Draft a drawing 36. Old romantic partners 37. Unite 38. “Billy Blue” in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” for instance 39.Prophet in the Hebrew Bible 40. Place where two or more parts 37-Down 42. Old money in Spain or Portugal 44. Chilean president whose name is similar to an American bread chain 45. Egg dish served at Elder Dining Commons on weekends 46. Second-largest city in Italy’s Lazio region 47. Neil who created “Coraline” 48. Silly person, to a Brit 53. Spanish island located off of the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula 55. Island country and a high-end water brand 56. First, second, third or home 59. Something you can count on both hands 60. Saint Louis to Chicago dir. 61. Prefix with -phony or -metrical
1. 1428 Elm St., for example 5. Organization that honored “The Exorcist” and “Sinners” with Oscars, abbr. 10. Bloody Mary and corpse reviver, in slang 14. Training school traditionally for the martial arts 15. ___ Slaughter, character in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation” whose first name means “darling” 16. Indigenous people of Sonora, Mexico 17. Pocket-sized effigy representing a person 19. Where golf balls are placed before they’re hit 20. “It” guy Stephen? 21. Author rumored to have been inspired to write “The Raven” by 35-Across’ taxidermied pet raven Grip 22. E in the Latin abbreviation Q.E.D., meaning “it was” 23. Solitary 25. “I’m indebted to you,” in letters 26. To remove 27. AP course akin to political science, abbr. 28. Uncredited author, or a clue for 47-Down and 20, 21, 35, 37, 52 and 63-Across 31. Second-largest dwarf planet in the Solar System 33. Point value of A, E, I, O or U in Scrabble 34. Document required to evaluate environmental impact of a proposed action, abbr. 35. Charles ___, author of “A Christmas Carol” 37. “The Haunting of Hill House” author Shirley with a presidential last name 41. Prefix for skeleton or planet 42. ___ anglais, an oboe’s bigger sibling 43. Japanese island whose name means “tea ceremony” 44. Film written by Spielberg about a family whose home is invaded by malevolent ghosts 49. Makeshift bomb, for short 50. Apple’s desktop computers 51. Nickname for Annabelle 52. Oscar who wrote “The Canterville Ghost” 54. Amsterdam’s country, abbr. 55. Athletic 56. Last name of the mayor of Cleveland 57. Timothée Chalamet’s character in “Call Me By Your Name”
58. Halloween costumes or faked accents, for example 62. Spa chain whose name fittingly sounds like a word meaning “to restore in freshness, vigor or perfection” 63. Montague Rhodes ___, author of “Ghost Stories of an Antiquary” 64. Eccentric or absurd 65. @@? 66. Hole ___, golf accomplishment 67. Name derived from the Egyptian verb “tm”
CHECK YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE QR CODE
Crossword by Thomas Hurley
14 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026 Moss Weigel/The Daily Northwestern
Moss Weigel/The Daily Northwestern
GAMEDAY
Chiles leads NU to decisive victory over Rutgers By KAMRAN NIA
senior staffer
Then-No. 24 Northwestern’s players told coach David Braun to stop leaning into the “underdog” mentality. The Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) have announced themselves as serious threats to the rest of the Big Ten and are ready to be treated as such. As 15.5-point favorites Saturday against Rutgers, NU acted like the bullies with a 42-14 win over the Scarlet Knights (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten). “We’re just carrying ourselves in a different way,” Braun said. “With humility, but also a sense of confidence.” Redshirt junior running back Caleb Komolafe ran all over Rutgers’ defense, bursting for 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts. Senior quarterback Aidan Chiles — playing in front of an “Aidan Chiles Heisman” banner hanging from the student section — put together an award-worthy performance. He tallied five total touchdowns, more than 300 total yards and threw
his first interception of the season. NU’s defense imposed itself on the Scarlet Knights with four sacks and three turnovers. It was not just “bend, don’t break,” as it has prided itself on. The ’Cats are now bowl-eligible with six wins, but that is no longer a program focus. Perhaps they can start thinking about the College Football Playoff instead. “For us to even acknowledge the bowl eligibility right now,” Braun said, “I think would distract us from what’s right in front of us.” An injury to Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan in the first quarter aided NU. But even then, it left little room for backup heroics for the Scarlet Knights’ second- and third-stringers. Senior defensive lineman Michael Kilbane hit backup quarterback AJ Surace in the first quarter and forced a fumble, giving the NU’s offense prime field position to go up 21-3. It was his second stripsack in as many weeks. In the third quarter, graduate student defensive back Montae Pate was all over a route before Surace threw the ball right at him for an interception. Redshirt junior Jalen Lewis, a backup defensive
back, finished the game with a late interception off Rutgers third-string quarterback Sean Ashenfelder. NU only faltered in stopping big runs, mostly in the middle quarters, giving up nine rushes for 10-plus yards. But Braun was proud of how his group responded in the final 15 minutes, outscoring Rutgers 14-0 and removing any doubt. It held KJ Duff — an Associated Press Midseason All-American Second-Team wide receiver — to just three receptions and 33 yards by affecting the quarterback. “It was nothing crazy at all,” Braun said of shutting down Duff. “It was just our guys understanding how talented he is, but also not being timid or meek against that type of challenge.” The offense was firing on all cylinders as Komolafe led with explosive gains. Four of his 13 rushes went for 10 or more yards. Chiles said Komolafe’s rushes made his job “easy.” “(The run game) really opens up the passing game for us,” Chiles said. “It opens up everything for us.” NU led 21-3 at the end of the first quarter as Chiles accounted for all three of the ’Cats’ TDs. He has scored a rushing touchdown in every game this
season. Chiles leaned on senior wide receiver Griffin Wilde for big gains. He found the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native nine times for 133 yards, just 11 yards short of his season high. Wilde scored a first-quarter touchdown on a play-action pass, absorbing contact to haul in the reception. Chiles’ other touchdowns went to graduate student tight end Alex Honig in the first quarter and junior wide receiver Drew Wagner in the second half. “We came out, and we just competed, continued to execute,” Chiles said. “We kind of hit a lull, but at the same time, we know who we are. We came out and played football.” With a season-defining stretch of games against Oregon, Iowa and now-No. 2 Ohio State looming, NU did not look past the struggling Rutgers. Great teams do not lose “trap” games, right? “The consistency of our preparation,” Braun said, “is something that is a reflection of great player leadership, and that needs to continue.” k.nia@dailynorthwestern.com
wildcats vs. Ducks | Series history: 1-1 POINTS PER GAME
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME
TOTAL YARDS PER GAME
PASSING YARDS PER GAME
34.7 VS 33.I
I6.6 VS 20.7
435.6 VS 423.I
23I VS 277.7
RUSHING YARDS PER GAME
TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
PASSING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
2II.9 VS I97.6
I52.7 VS I27.9
204.6 VS I45.4 364.6 VS 325.4 PENALTIES PER GAME
PENALTY YARDS PER GAME
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL
SACKS PER GAME
7.3 VS 6.I
54.I VS 54.4
+I0 VS +I
I.9 VS 2.3
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
15
Schaller embraces shift from tight end to left tackle By ANDREW LITTLE
gameday editor
In January, redshirt sophomore Patrick Schaller was preparing to step into an elevated role in Northwestern’s tight end room. Ten months later, Schaller is starting at left tackle against Big Ten defensive lines for the No. 20 Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten). Members of NU’s coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and coach David Braun, sat down with Schaller in the offseason and suggested a position change. Kelly believed Schaller, at 6-foot-6, had the necessary frame, length and athleticism to thrive at offensive tackle. The only thing missing was weight — a lot of it. Joining the ’Cats as a 240-pound first-year in 2024, Schaller added 20 pounds during his first two years with the program at tight end. Moving to left tackle required going from 260 pounds to closer to 300 in less than a year and still retaining his strength and mobility. He took a week or two to discuss the change with family and former coaches before deciding to make the switch to offensive line. “They believed in me, I believe in them,” Schaller said. “It wasn’t really too much thinking after that.” The Northbrook, Illinois, native had played wide receiver, tight end and linebacker at Glenbrook North High School, but had not played offensive line since eighth grade. Graduate student center Jackson Carsello was family friends with the Schaller’s growing up in Northbrook. In 2021, Carsello graduated from Glenbrook North, where he played for two seasons next to Schaller’s older brother on the offensive line. Carsello called playing offensive line in the Big Ten “baptism by fire,” but said Schaller has embraced the challenge. “He’s really taken it in stride,” Carsello told The Daily. “My dad and I have always joked that he was always going to be an offensive lineman. If you look at his build, he’s huge. I wish he made the transition a little bit sooner, but I’m excited he took that step.” Schaller worked closely with NU’s strength and nutrition staff to continue building muscle while reaching his weight goals. He said the process required lots of discipline, reshaping his body while also learning the intricacies of a new position. With full plates at Nona Jo’s Dining Center, NU’s student-athlete dining hall, and frequent visits to Chipotle for double-wrapped burritos, Schaller was able to put on 40 pounds between winter and the start of the season. While he said gaining so much weight was a tough decision, the transition has been successful as he filled out his 6-foot-6 frame to offensive tackle size. “I definitely look bigger,” Schaller told The Daily. “But where my weight lies, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Playing on the offensive line for the first time since middle school, Schaller has had to quickly learn hand technique and blocking assignments while also absorbing Kelly’s new playbook. Offensive line coach Tim Drevno praised Schaller’s intelligence and ability to quickly grasp new concepts. He said he wishes he could replicate Schaller’s smile and work ethic “20 times over” in the offensive line room. “Pat’s very athletic and he’s really smart
Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern Redshirt junior Patrick Schaller has started four consecutive games at left tackle for No. 20 Northwestern since transitioning from tight end over the offseason.
and he’s not a repeat offender,” Drevno told The Daily. “There’s certain things that he just does naturally because of his athletic ability.” Redshirt sophomore guard Dennis Rahouski has started next to Schaller at left guard this season in place of injured redshirt sophomore Ezomo Oratokhai. Rahouski played tight end in high school and made the transition to offensive line when he got to NU. After going through a similar position change and weight gain process, Rahouski said Schaller has embraced the “slow burn” that comes with the switch and “adjusted fast.” Kelly values athleticism out of his offensive linemen, an attribute he recognized early on in Schaller. To motivate Schaller, Kelly pointed to NFL players who successfully made position changes, including five-time All-Pro Lane Johnson, the first player Kelly drafted during his time as a professional coach. Schaller said seeing pro players thrive after moving to the offensive line from skill positions helped motivate him to embrace the coaching staff ’s suggestion. During fall camp, Schaller suffered a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss several
weeks leading up to the season. He returned to health before NU’s Oct. 2 matchup against Penn State, and the coaching staff shuffled the offensive line around to make room for Schaller at left tackle. In his first career start, Schaller paved the way for the ’Cats to rush for 413 yards, their second-most this century, in a 34-13 win. “I was blessed to have that opportunity,” Schaller said. “Everything I’ve gone through, the injury and the transition, it was really special for that to be my first start, and especially with the outcome we came with.” Schaller’s first few starts have come with their ups and downs. Against Michigan State, a pass rusher beat Schaller off the line and strip-sacked senior quarterback Aidan Chiles. With the ball on the ground, Schaller immediately fell on it for the recovery to maintain possession for the ’Cats. NU went on to score a field goal on the drive. “Pat’s play on that, long-term view, wins the game for us,” Braun said two days after the 24-21 win. Protecting Chiles’ blindside, Schaller has stepped into one of the most important
positions on the field in his first year as a lineman. Chiles said he has seen Schaller continue to work hard and grow each week, quickly building confidence with his teammates. “He doesn’t get discouraged, he doesn’t let things get to him,” Chiles told The Daily on Tuesday. “He just goes out there and continues playing as hard as he possibly can, so I trust him.” Embracing the transition with four games under his belt, Schaller said he is attempting to “keep learning, keep growing to try to be the best I can.” Braun said he is “really impressed” with Schaller’s progression and desire to improve, positioning him to be a key piece of NU’s future. “He’s coming along. You can turn on that last drive as the game went along, Pat just continued to hang in and improve,” Braun said Oct. 19, two days after the Michigan State win. “I’m so stinking excited that we’re gonna have that guy as our left tackle for a long, long time.” a.little@dailynorthwestern.com
Wildcats face Ducks offense looking to rebound By YONI ZACKS
social media editor
While No. 20 Northwestern enters the back half of the season as a program on the rise, its opponent is on a continued downward spiral. Oregon began the season ranked No. 2 in the country, but has lost two of its last three games, with a narrow three-point win over Nebraska sandwiched between. After last week’s loss to Illinois, the Ducks (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) fired former offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. Coach Dan Lanning wrote in a Sunday statement that the change was “necessary.” To replace Mehringer, Lanning promoted analyst Jay Johnson in the interim. “It’ll still be a collaborative effort with a lot of the work that we do,” Lanning said at his press conference Monday. “He’s also coming in with a different perspective, a different view, not being with us the last few
years, where he can provide a couple things that might be different than what we’ve done that I think can trigger some success for us on that side of the ball.” Johnson was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the best coordinator in college football, in 2021 at Michigan State. He was offensive coordinator at Wyoming in 2024 and 2025, but was fired midway through his second season after his offense averaged 20 points per game across the first seven games. Lanning said he hopes the offense can become more dependable and stable as a unit. The Ducks are averaging 20 points per game in Big Ten play this year. “This is a game of inches,” Lanning said, “And ultimately, I felt like we need to be able to develop more consistency there.” Consistency has been an issue for Oregon all season, and Lanning said part of that has been the quarterback position. The fifth-year coach revealed Monday that
starting quarterback Dante Moore is out for the season, leaving backups Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas at the helm for the rest of the year. “I’m not anticipating him being back this season,” Lanning said. In their last three games without Moore, the Ducks have scored just 42 total points. Across their first two starts, against UCLA and Nebraska, both quarterbacks were benched for the other at one point. “We’ve been a very good quarterback team off the bench,” Lanning said, “We haven’t been a very good quarterback room at the start of games.” After transferring from Nebraska in the offseason, Raiola came into the year as Moore’s backup. The Buford, Georgia, native has some experience facing the Wildcats (6-1, 4-1 Big Ten). Raiola led the Huskers to a 28-21 win over NU last season, putting up 141 passing yards and a touchdown. He also led a 13-play,
64-yard drive that took up over six minutes of gametime in a one-score game. Oregon’s struggling offense is going up against a ’Cats’ defense that has given up the fifth-most yards per game in the Big Ten. W here NU stands out, however, is takeaways. The ’Cats’ defense has a Big Ten-leading eight interceptions this season, while Raiola and Thomas have thrown three combined over the last three games. Senior quarterback Aidan Chiles has thrown just one interception this season. As the Ducks look to rebound with new playcalling, Lanning said he does not expect significant changes on offense. “I think ultimately, the DNA traits of what you want the offense to be still has to fit right with who we’ve been philosophically here,” Lanning said. y.zacks@dailynorthwestern.com
16 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026
SPORTS FIELD HOCKEY
NU clinches 4th Big Ten title, moves back to No.1 Sarah Schwartz/The Daily Northwestern
Sarah Schwartz/The Daily Northwestern
UP FOUR IT By THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN STAFF
the daily northwestern
No. 2 Northwestern clinched the Big Ten title with a 2-1 victory over Rutgers on Sunday. The Wildcats’ (16-1, 7-0 Big Ten) fourth consecutive regular-season title comes after they beat No. 1 Maryland in a statement 4-2 win at Lakeside Field on Thursday. Senior forward Olivia Bent-Cole scored three goals against the Terrapins (15-1, 6-1 Big Ten). Postgame, coach Tracey Fuchs called BentCole’s performance her “best all-around game.” “On both sides of the ball, her ability to tackle back and then, we’ve been working on that corner for when teams run double flys like Maryland did,” Fuchs said. “So, she put them home today.” Maryland had the better of the opportunities in the first 10 minutes of play. It earned the first penalty corner of the night in the 12th minute. Midfielder Francisca Eschoyez sent a shot ricocheting off of midfielder Ella Beach’s stick and into the top of the cage to give her team the lead. The ’Cats had their first penalty corner in the 14th minute. Junior midfielder Laura Salamaca’s initial shot went wide. Fifth-year forward Aerin Krys then passed the ball into the circle to Bent-Cole, who fired a low shot into the bottom left to level the score.
In the 29th minute, Beach left the ball to forward Jordyn Hollamon, whose shot found the back of the cage to give the Terrapins a 2-1 lead just before halftime. Neither team registered a shot in the first six minutes of the third quarter. Each had solid attacking chances, but the final pass eluded them. That changed in the 46th minute, when senior forward Ashley Sessa put her body on the line, diving to the ground to earn possession in the attacking third. Junior midfielder Sol Martinez got the ball to Bent-Cole in the circle, who rocketed the ball into the cage to re-equalize. In the 52nd minute, senior back Ilse Tromp found Bent-Cole on the right side from a penalty corner. Bent-Cole again fired home to seal her hat-trick and give the ’Cats their first lead. NU added another in the 56th minute. Martinez found senior midfielder Ella Kokinis to double the ’Cats’ lead. The Terrapins had a penalty corner in the 58th minute, and goalkeeper Juliana Boon made her first and only save of the evening to block forward Babs Van Hest’s shot and seal the result. The final whistle blew with the score 4-2. NU returned to Lakeside Field on Sunday to face Rutgers for Senior Day. The ’Cats secured the victory 2-1 against the Scarlet Knights (10-7, 4-3 Big Ten) with a fourth-quarter goal by Tromp, extending NU’s Olivia Gu/The Daily Northwestern
undefeated conference record. Eight minutes into the first quarter, forward Talia Schenck delivered the first and only goal for Rutgers with a shot from the back center of the shooting circle. First-year midfielder Kiera Sack answered by creating space around the defender to whip a diving backhand shot past the defense and into the right corner of the backboard. Sack’s goal was the second of her career and the first of the game for the ’Cats, ending the half tied 1-1. Rutgers was physical out of the break, putting NU’s defense under pressure. Forward Olivia Fraticelli forced a shot off Tromp’s foot, leading to Rutgers’ first penalty corner of the game, which Boon saved. Fuchs said she admired Rutgers’ hard-nosed playing style. “Those Jersey kids are tough kids,” Fuchs said. “So (I’m) really happy with our resilience and our ability to really come alive in the fourth.” The ’Cats held Rutgers to zero shots in the final 15 minutes of the game. Searching for the winning goal, Martinez
was tripped by midfielder Laura Loycke, drawing a late penalty corner. Taking her fourth corner of the game, Sessa delivered the ball to the top of the shooting circle for Bent-Cole, who trapped it for Tromp. Her drag flick proved too powerful for goalkeeper Emily Nicholls, lifting NU over the Scarlet Knights by a score of 2-1. The ’Cats will travel to Penn State (11-5, 5-2 Big Ten) for their final game of the regular season Friday before heading into the Big Ten Tournament the following week. Though NU has high tournament and championship hopes, Fuchs said she’s satisfied with her team’s performance so far. “I’m just so proud of what they have accomplished in four years, with winning four titles,” she said. “They really make me proud to coach them every single day.” The ’Cats returned to No. 1 in Tuesday’s NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll after two weeks at No. 2. k.whitaker@dailynorthwestern.com reeseschultz029@u.northwestern.edu b.dannemiller@dailynorthwestern.com Olivia Gu/The Daily Northwestern
Olivia Gu/The Daily Northwestern
Olivia Gu/The Daily Northwestern