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Wednesday, October 7, 2026
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AUDIO / The Weekly
VIDEO / Mapping Black Evanston
A multimedia project preserving Black history at the Shorefront Legancy Center
Faculty Senate, Mayor Biss on campus, potential closure of Albany Care
9-12 SPORTS
GAMEDAY
High 76° Low 58°
City debuts marketplace Space to Place offers storefronts to local businesses
By ISADORA URIO FERNANDES
assistant city editor
Illustration by Charlotte Nagel
Students react to rape report
National conversation raises calls for change on college campuses By XUAN DAY TRAN
diversity & inclusion editor
Content warning : This article contains discussions of sexual assault and violence. On Sept. 24, Northwestern’s 2026 annual security report revealed that reports of rape, stalking and dating
violence had increased on the University’s Evanston campus. The report showed that on the Evanston campus, reported rape cases more than doubled from four to nine, and reported stalking cases rose from eight to 14. Dating violence reports also increased from five to 30,
although “twenty-two of the 30 total reports of dating violence came from one report describing events over time,.” according to the report. As allegations of gangrape at Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity dominate national conversation, the report further raised discussions of the broader problem
of sexual violence on college campuses. “This is a real problem that we can’t ignore,” a spokesperson for Survivor Advocacy through Greek Engagement wrote in a Thursday statement to The Daily.
» See REPORT, page 18
The city kicked off its shared marketplace program Space to Place this weekend, showcasing the work of 11 local small businesses in the storefronts of Bookman’s Alley. The 3,000-square-foot marketplace in downtown Evanston provides physical storefronts for local small businesses and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs who either operate temporarily or sell online. The initiative launched this year through the city’s economic development division in partnership with Ensemble — an independent business collective that aims to cultivate community and showcase the work of small local shops — for the city-supported market’s opening weekend. The program also gives local entrepreneurs a structured, lowrisk way to test and grow their business, according to the City of Evanston website. Ensemble sponsored a cohort of their own, bringing Dandelion Coffee Bar, Hawthorne Lane Jewelry, Loner Vintage and Rawson to Bookman’s Alley. Ensemble founder and retail activation strategist Claire Seizovic said she advocated for the
initiative because of the large number of vacant storefronts in downtown Evanston. She said some local businesses “don’t have many opportunities” to open a traditional storefront. She added that the city is subsidizing the rent of vacant buildings at Bookman’s Alley so businesses don’t have to bear the costs of building a physical store. “There isn’t that upfront barrier to entry for a lot of these businesses,” Seizovic said. “And then, the collective makes it this marketing machine where we have 11 businesses in there cross-promoting.” The initiative also provides financial assistance to incomequalifying participants and businesses run by women, LGBTQ+ people and veterans, all of whom received priority in the program’s selection process. Participating businesses from Evanston are El Molcajete Sauces, Suzie Teas Cookies, MisTeaques, Bloom & Threshold, Furniture Picnic, Glimmr, Swantiques, The Dandy Shop, Little Rooms by Little Gems, Laurie Kwo Art and OOFIE. Carmen Wynn is the owner of MisTeaques, an online store founded in 2024. It sells handcrafted and home-grown dried loose-leaf tea blends. She said having a space in the program provides “safety in numbers,” since a standalone storefront is
» See SPACE TO PLACE, page 19
EPD records Grad workers rally for contract Union delivers petition demanding protections to administrators identify agent Clifford, a fourth-year compara-
By XUAN DAY TRAN tive literature Ph.D. student, said ICE briefly body camera footage obtained by diversity & inclusion editor the union is advocating for three detained Evanston The Daily. key demands — protections for Th e footage shows that Rivas Northwestern University graduate workers; man in September told police his name and provided Graduate Workers rallied at Gar- international funding stability and guaranteed By RYAN OTTIGNON
senior staffer
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Esteban Rivas was identified as one of the agents involved in the brief detainment of an Evanston man on Sept. 20, according to an Evanston Police Department incident report and Recycle Me
his badge, which had his full title of “supervisory detention and deportation officer.” He was one of two agents who took part in the detainment, according to security camera footage obtained by The Daily. The Evanston man was hospitalized after being pushed to the
» See ICE AGENT, page 19
rett Lawn and marched to the pay; and quality healthcare and Rebecca Crown Center to deliver workplace accessibility. their petition demanding protec“One of the most important tion for international co-workers things about this rally is that we on Friday. carry this momentum into the Through the rally, NUGW also new year,” said fourth-year art hislaunched its bargaining platform tory Ph.D. student and NUGW and campaigned for its second member Amanda Alvarez. “It’s contract. Its current contract easy to forget, but these are our expires on March 31, 2027. daily conditions that we can’t B:10.25" NUGW President Theo forget.” T:10"
Xuan Day Tran/The Daily Northwestern NUGW contracts will expire on March 31, 2027.
Alvarez opened the rally with chants about the union’s power before they introduced Clifford, who reminded attendees about the power of collective bargaining. Clifford referenced how NUGW’s historic contract was protecting graduate workers even after the
University’s November 2025 deal with the Trump administration. Clifford also cited bargaining at schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he said demonstrated how
» See NUGW RALLY, page 18
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | S:9.75" On Campus 3 | Arts & Entertainment 4 | Gameday 9 | Opinion 14 | Games 18 | Sports 20
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2 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
AROUND TOWN
Residents consider Ryan Field impact on 7th Ward By HABIBA AFFO and CLAIRE COFFEY
the daily northwestern
Standing on his porch as purple-clad football fans streamed down the sidewalk, 7th Ward resident Frank Sturges said it was “wild” to see the opening of Northwestern’s Ryan Field on Friday. “We’re leaning in today and cooking out like it’s a game day for us too,” Sturges said. “We got the grill going.” For the past two years, the stadium’s construction has become a “constant” part of his life, he said. However, Ryan Field’s opening brought a new level of noise, lights and activity to the neighborhood around Central Street. In a Wednesday news release, the city warned residents of increased noise and activity levels due to the Wildcats’ opening game against Penn State. From pre-game pyrotechnics displays to an F-16 plane flyover from the Indiana Air National Guard at kickoff, the city issued a lengthy breakdown of what Ryan Field’s nearly eight-hour debut would entail. Gameday, however, brought some surprises that didn’t make it into the release. As NU students and attendees began flocking to tailgates at 3 p.m., small passenger planes trailing advertisement banners flew over the stadium. Penn State also received a police escort, including sirens, to the ’Cats’ new home field. As Penn State’s coach buses zipped away, the purple sea of heckling fans was at odds with the quiet residential apartments just across the street. For many residents, the gameday hubbub was a continuation of existing issues. Ryan Field began alarm testing Sept. 28, every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., until the stadium opened Friday. “We understand that the testing may be disruptive and appreciate your continued patience as we work to ensure Ryan Field is safe for visitors, neighbors, and staff,” the city wrote in a separate Wednesday news release. Every alarm and speaker in the stadium, the city wrote, “must be activated at full volume” to ensure that attendees can hear and recognize emergency alerts. Kim Novi, a 7th Ward resident who lives blocks away from the stadium, said she’s “never seen anything like it.”
As she worked from home, Novi said she “couldn’t even concentrate.” “It doesn’t feel like the city is respecting our needs and wants to protect this as a residential community,” Novi said. “I feel like this is being turned into Wrigleyville. I lived in Wrigleyville. I moved from Wrigleyville.” While residents appreciated the notice, Sturges hoped for increased communication from the city. The stadium’s opening followed four years of contentious debate among Evanston residents and city officials. Since the project was first introduced in September 2021, it was met with criticism and concern from residents in the 7th Ward, where the new stadium is located. City Council approved Ryan Field’s renovation months later, inciting further pushback. While Council passed the resolution with a 6-2 vote, Mayor Daniel Biss broke a tie to allow the venue to host concerts as well. In a 2,500-word letter released a day later, Biss defended his decision, writing that the stadium presented a “historic” economic opportunity for the city. Chris Livatino, the athletic director at Evanston Township High School, said it’s been “incredible” to see Ryan Field’s construction over the past two
years, noting how the Evanston community can take advantage of its new hometown stadium. “It’s been awesome to watch this incredible facility being constructed in our neighborhood that we’re going to be able to take advantage of for the next I don’t know how many years,” Livatino said. He added that he’s excited for the Wildkit football team to play its longtime rival, New Trier High School, at Ryan Field on Oct. 16. For other residents, the use of Ryan Field beyond NU games — particularly concerts and Major League Soccer games — remained a point of contention. A 2024 lawsuit, filed by 13 neighboring residents and the Most Livable City Association, alleged that Biss’ tie-breaking vote was invalid. The lawsuit also argued that changes to Ryan Field’s site use constituted a zoning map amendment. The lawsuit was dismissed by a county judge, who argued the city followed its own rules as a home rule city. Additionally, the judge deemed that a map amendment was unnecessary as the boundaries of the site did not change. The stadium came under fire again last winter, as the Chicago Stars pushed to move its home games from Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium to Ryan Field. Wilmette, which borders the
stadium to the north, opposed the move. Seventh Ward resident Lauren Carrane said she is worried that summertime concerts at Ryan Field will bring similar noise levels and a crowd of attendees meandering down her block “every single week.” “They bend over backwards,” Carrane said before a NU fan interrupted her, asking if they could connect to her home’s Wi-Fi signal to access their game tickets. Novi said she expected to deal with disruptions relating to football games. But she said she worries what the past week of “excessive noise” will mean for her community moving forward. Standing outside Ryan Field before kickoff on Friday, Biss told The Daily that while the stadium is “not without its drawbacks,” it represents an “incredible financial investment in Evanston.” “I just think this is a giant project and some of it stinks,” Biss said. “It’s not without impact, it’s not without consequences, so our job is to just do everything we can to hold Northwestern’s feet to the fire so that they take every precaution possible to minimize the impact.” habibaaffo2029@u.northwestern.edu c.coffey@dailynorthwestern.com
Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern From pre-game pyrotechnics displays to an F-16 plane flyover, the city issued a lengthy breakdown of the Ryan Field debut.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2025 OCTOBER15, 7, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
3
ON CAMPUS
NU fans tailgate ahead of first game By LUCAS KUBOVCHIK
campus editor
Northwestern students and alumni packed enthusiastically around tailgates and fold-out chairs ahead of NU’s first game at the new $875 million Ryan Field on Friday. Weinberg sophomore Kanaya Mehta said the new Ryan Field was one of the reasons he chose to attend NU. He described the new stadium as “magical.” “It’s great to see everybody out,” Mehta said. “You know, food, drinks, cornhole, football is thrown around. It’s awesome.” For football fanatic Paul Fitzgerald (Communication ’93), the unveiling of Ryan Field marked a significant milestone in the University’s athletic ascent.
“Other than the day my first child was born, this is the greatest day of my entire life,” he said. Fitzgerald said attending NU football games is his way of reconnecting with his NU friends. “I’ve been tracking (Ryan Field) online for so long, and to see it in person is really kind of immense,” he said. Rakesh Madhava (Communication ’92) said the stadium marked a worthy investment to honor NU’s place among other Big Ten universities. “(The Big Ten is) not an easy thing to get into,” he said. “How you invest in that should be a toplevel topic of conversation.” Communication first-year Eyva Lopez said she felt the new stadium played a key role in amplifying school spirit. She said she has very high hopes, despite describing NU’s reputation in relation to football as “not the best.”
“I feel like we can win against Penn State,” Lopez said. “I have a lot of school spirit.” Although she wouldn’t consider herself a “sports person,” Communication first-year Chloe Parker said she was “literally here for the stadium.” She added that she was drawn to Ryan Field by its numerous news headlines. “I can imagine being a Northwestern football player and this is the big game,” Parker said. “I bet they’re super hyped up, and I think we’re ready to beat Penn State.” While he said he couldn’t imagine NU becoming an institution known specifically for its sports, Fitzgerald said he still appreciates NU for “what it is now.” “I love the school,” he said. “I bleed f—ing purple.” l.kubovchik@dailynorthwestern.com
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Check Checkoutout The new Ryan Field opened to a win against Penn State, with a final score of 34-13.
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Steve Lacy show a success despite bomb threat By JACK GREENSPAN
multimedia features editor
It’s been a triumphant year for Steve Lacy, the 28-year old musician best known for songs like “Bad Habit” and “Dark Red.” His newest hit, the title track on his July album “Oh yeah?,” earned a soundtrack placement in the end credits of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” now the third highest-grossing film of all time. A sold-out crowd wrapped around an entire block in Uptown on Wednesday evening, waiting to enter the Aragon Ballroom for the Chicago stop of Lacy’s “Oh yeah?” tour. Less than a week before the show, the venue made a surprise announcement that it would be adding a second performance Thursday night as well. By 7 p.m., the show’s scheduled start time, the floor was packed with fans waiting for any sign of Lacy. After 40 minutes, the artist was still nowhere to be seen. It was later reported after the show by NBC that the
delay was due to the investigation of an unsubstantiated bomb threat. Eventually, nearly an hour behind schedule, the lights at the Aragon Ballroom began to dim. The speakers began playing a deep, synthesized rumble while the stage filled with fog and the lights shined dark blue, creating a suspenseful introduction for Lacy. Then, sporting a tight black T-shirt, blue jeans and a buzzcut, he emerged from the cobalt mist and, unsurprisingly, opened with “oh yeah?” The front half of his set featured all the songs from his newest album, played almost exactly in order. One of the project’s standout songs, “is it cool? (feat. SZA),” had to be restarted twice due to technical difficulties. But the third time was the charm, and the crowd shouted along to every word. On the song “doom,” he had the audience hum the melody over his guitar before the rest of the band came in. Halfway through the song, Lacy’s lead guitarist broke into a fuzzy harmonic guitar solo loaded with soul, eliciting cheers from the audience.
Lacy’s discography is somewhat of an oxymoron. His songs seem to follow a simple formula without actually sounding formulaic. They’re hard to replicate, but share a few common traits: his relaxing and conversational voice, beautiful chord changes over catchy bass lines, and lyrics that capture the singer’s inner monologue with a cheeky bit of sugarcoating. Lacy also delivered a few surprises throughout the show, including a cover of the 1984 song “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” by The Smiths. “It feels good to be in your world, how does it feel to be in my world?” Lacy playfully asked the audience during the song “nice shoes / in your world”. “The feeling is mutual,” he added as the crowd responded with cheers. If Lacy seemed a bit shy at the beginning of the show — perhaps due to the technical difficulties or, understandably, the bomb threat — he became increasingly more confident and lively as his set
went on. Before his final tracks, he and his tour band showed off their skills in an improvised jam session on stage, allowing Lacy to play a tastefully noodled guitar solo while the bassist laid down a deliciously slapped groove. Lacy ended his set with “Bad Habit” and “Dark Red,” the former his breakout radio hit from 2022, and the latter his 2017 song that gained internet virality in 2021. Lacy famously produced “Dark Red,” and much of his other early music, entirely on his iPhone using the GarageBand app. To see him perform the song to a sold out crowd at one of Chicago’s largest concert halls after once lacking the budget to afford studio equipment was a full-circle moment in Lacy’s still-growing music career. As he performed the song on his Fender Stratocaster, the lights flashed a color that seems almost too obvious to name: red. j.greenspan@dailynorthwestern.com
A guide to supporting NU student theatre scene By LAUREN KEE
senior staffer
No weekend plans? That’s impossible when Northwestern’s Student Theatre Coalition, or StuCo, organizes more than 20 student-produced performances every school year. With three musicals and six plays slated for Fall Quarter 2026, the odds are in your favor that a friend or classmate is appearing in or helping produce a show. There’s something for everyone, from the musical adaptation of Disney’s “Finding Nemo” to “Below the Belt,” a student-written play set at a boxing summer camp. As the curtain rises on StuCo’s fall season, here’s what you need to know to be the most supportive fan. Before the show Choose your own adventure based on the date and time. Each production has its own Instagram page featuring information on show times, ticketing and cast lists. Most StuCo tickets are free, and productions have four performances a weekend: the opening show, the late-night show, the matinee the next day and the closing show that night. Communication junior Kyle Vetter, who has been both a performer and crew member for StuCo productions, said each showtime embodies its distinct flavor. “Go to opening if you want to see the most effort put in toward the show,” Vetter said. “Go to the 10 p.m. if you want a crazy show. Go to the matinee if you’re a parent, and then go to closing if you want the most emotional performance.” Be the early bird who gets the best seat. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes before doors open to secure your spot in line and get first pick for seats. While all shows this fall will post a majority of the tickets on Eventbrite before the show dates,
the rest will be available through a standby line on a first-come-first-served basis. While StuCo shows typically have a seven-minute grace period between the listed start time and the curtain rising, arrive early anyway. Walking in late can distract the performers and the audience, and your seat might go to someone in the standby line if you’re a no-show. During the show To clap or not to clap? Applaud and cheer for the performers throughout the show. Communication junior and StuCo performer Cassidey Fralin said actors feed off the audience’s energy. “Sometimes audiences are scared to clap or laugh or be disturbing,” said Fralin, who starred in StuCo’s “Legally Blonde” as Elle Woods last spring. “But all of my best performances have always been ones where I felt like the audience was engaged and was actually enjoying it.” Even when clapping may be distracting, Vetter said he appreciates a rowdy crowd. As a drummer in the production of “Pippin” last fall, he loved it when a cheering audience clapped on off-beat rhythms during the opening song, “Magic to Do.” While Vetter said he could barely hear the other instruments and struggled to get back on tempo, he still preferred having an engaged crowd. “It was ridiculous, but that was fun,” Vetter said. “The people who came to see the show were there to have a really good time.” Diminish devices and distractions. Turn off your alarms, and silence and put away your cellphone, as screens will light up your face in an otherwise dim space. And no matter how catchy the song is, leave the singing to those on stage as a courtesy to your neighbors and the cast. “You’re there to watch them perform,” said StuCo co-Chair and Communication senior Ash Aranha. “You’re not in your house listening to the Broadway cast album, so there’s no reason for you to be singing along.”
Illustration by Arthur Lopatin Fall show tickets are available early on Eventbrite and through a “standby” line on a first-come-first-served basis.
After the show Don’t be a theatre critic. Keep your unsolicited feedback to yourself. Aranha, who has worked on more than 20 shows and attended at least twice that many, recommends waiting until you are at least five minutes away from the performance space before giving any critiques. “It’s not Broadway. It’s an educational experience, and it’s for fun,” Aranha said. “You’re welcome to all these other thoughts, but there are things that you don’t need to be sharing right there to somebody that you just watched perform and give their heart into a performance.” Show your appreciation — a little goes a long way. Even if you don’t know the performers or technical staff personally, compliment them after the show. Fralin remembers a stranger who
approached her after her NU theatre debut to say she had been watching her the whole time. “Moments like that really stick with me because every single member of a show is really important,” Fralin said. “It’s nice for everyone to be acknowledged in the end.” While performers don’t expect gifts, a small token like flowers — though these have a short lifespan and can wilt quickly in dorms — a handwritten note or snacks can be a moodbooster post-show. When in doubt, it’s best to ask, Aranha said. “I usually ask, ‘Do you want flowers or would you prefer I got something else?’” he said. “And then you can get chocolate or candy or whatever would make them feel happy about the show.” laurenkee2028@u.northwestern.edu
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
5
‘Digger’ wants the final say on climate change By BENJAMIN FOGLER
assistant arts and entertainment editor
This review contains spoilers. When I saw the trailer for “Digger,” I found its premise to be intriguing but also irritating. Was it really a good idea to make an oil tycoon the hero of a climate disaster film? The answer is, surprisingly, yes. “Digger,” released in theaters Friday, is a brilliantly unsubtle meta-satire. It’s funny, tragic and thoughtprovoking, with a twist that had my jaw on the floor. The film stars Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon who wakes up to the alarming news that his company’s oil rig has created a methane-leaking crack in the Arctic ice shelf. With comical speed, the situation worsens such that a chunk of Greenland breaks off and heads for Europe. After reluctantly notifying the government, Rockwell meets with the U.S. president and his cabinet, who decide it will be up to Rockwell to solve the problem. Here’s where it gets interesting: during a private conversation between the president and Rockwell, a tree falls outside, and a gigantic person comes to fix it. We are pulled out of the story, and it is revealed that Rockwell and the president are on a constructed set, which is using forced perspective to create the illusion of a landscape outside (hence the giant person). This sequence introduces a crucial twist: the entire movie is actually a stage play called “Fossil Fools.” Everything we’ve seen up until this point happened during the dress rehearsal for the production, only a few hours before its opening night. From here, the film splits into two plots. We return to being fully immersed in Rockwell’s story, but that narrative thread is now punctuated with surfaces to the “real world.” There, the “actor” playing Rockwell, named Curtis Markson, learns his
daughter had boarded a plane that disappeared in a hurricane. Thus, there are two dueling climaterelated disasters in one movie. With this revelation, a question now arises: Does introducing this second, interwoven tale into “Digger” actually add anything? Or has director Alejandro González Iñárritu, known for using nonlinear narrative structures in films like “Babel,” bitten off more than he can chew? The secondary plot doesn’t initially contribute much besides confusion. But each time the film returns to it, it reveals a little bit more information about the “real world”: It is a futuristic dystopia in which the events of “Fossil Fools” actually happened in the past. The play is satirizing a historical series of deadly climate disasters stemming from the real-life Rockwell’s negligence and greed. The film’s dark absurdity heavily relies on the larger-than-life performance of its lead. Cruise, who hasn’t been in a non-franchise film since 2017, is riveting as Rockwell, though at times I found his delivery grating due to all the yelling. The “Mission: Impossible” star is less convincing when he shifts into Markson, who serves as a foil to the ridiculous caricature he portrays in the play. It makes sense that Markson isn’t as dramatic, but he lacks dimension and struggles to stand out from the personalities around him. The switches between storylines are jarring, but they are aided by the movie’s clever set design. In each transition, the environment morphs into simulated versions of itself: clouds become swathes of cotton, while an airplane suddenly has a metal rod suspending it in the air. Nature motifs are embedded into the set at every turn — my favorite was the large mirror wreathed with antlers in Rockwell’s mansion — highlighting his wealth and the exploitation of natural resources. The sheer quantity of nature imagery at first seems on-the-nose, but it makes sense once it is revealed to
be part of a satirical play. “Digger” has a lot to say about our psychology and our inaction on climate change. It comments on how we laugh to cope with things like global warming and how we’re too focused on being correct or on reframing the narrative to actually do anything about the problem. In a dramatic scene toward the end, this is plainly laid out by one of the “Fossil Fools” producers, who explains the deeper meaning of the show. Given these points are explicitly stated, the film’s underlying commentary seems to have more to do with the entire genre of satire: Does it need to be subtle to be nuanced? Does it have to make an impact to be considered valuable? And does it have
an impact if nothing gets done about the problem afterward? “Digger” is pretty full of itself, as though it’s seeking to have the final word on its subject matter. I think it’s a pretty genius and entertaining conclusion. The film simultaneously critiques, undermines and reinforces its message in a delightfully meta fashion. In all, the dueling plot threads of “Digger” did muddle the film somewhat, and I think I’d need to rewatch it a few more times to actually understand what happened. Fortunately, this movie is so conceptually thought-provoking and unconventional that I can easily forgive the messiness of its execution. b.fogler@dailynorthwestern.com
What “Digger” lacks in clarity and execution, it more than makes up for in conceptual brilliance.
Illustration by Olivia Ma
Doja Cat’s shines in ‘Tour Ma Vie World Tour’ By GABE HAWKINS and SEKELA NZAI
the daily northwestern
When an artist abandons the standard fanfare and extravagance of an arena tour, their true performance ability is put to the test. Doja Cat’s “Tour Ma Vie World Tour” demonstrated her showmanship needs no hefty entourage of backup dancers, elaborate sets or choreography. The tour, which hit Chicago’s United Center on Oct. 3, traverses the R&B artist’s ’80s-infused 2025 album “Vie,” while incorporating older hits like “Need to Know” and “Say So.” Apart from a handful of male backup dancers and occasional pyrotechnics, her tour is largely an understated affair as she commands the audience’s attention almost entirely on her own. Opening with a hearty brass interlude, Doja Cat began the evening with “Cards,” the first track on “Vie.” Her performance evoked sartorial themes of the ’80s, as she donned pink geometric yoga pants and a bright orange cheetahpatterned coat. Vibrant lighting punctuated the disco-heavy setlist as Doja Cat ventured further into the album, which combines dance-pop and disco. Her newest album and its accompanying tour are quite a departure for Doja Cat, whose earlier discography is primarily contemporary R&B and rap. While the show’s runtime focused heavily
Photo courtesy of Greg Noire Doja Cat electrified United Center on Saturday night, performing her album “Vie” and other songs.
on “Vie,” Doja Cat gained substantial mileage from older hits like “Need to Know” from her
2021 album “Planet Her” and “Streets” from her 2019 album “Hot Pink,” a testament to her
artistic depth. The concert presents Doja Cat at her most comfortable, highlighting the signature unseriousness that makes her such a compelling performer. At one point, she playfully lit a cigarette before jumping back into song. Later on, she pied an audience member in the face during a tongue-in-cheek interactive skit. Though there were scattered moments of grandeur, Doja Cat was at her best when she was alone onstage, commanding the audience without flashy costume changes or theatrical gimmicks. The most memorable track from the evening was unequivocally “Paint The Town Red,” a hit from her 2023 album “Scarlet.” Unaccompanied by background vocals, Doja Cat exerted a largerthan-life stage presence throughout the track, eliciting deafening cheers from the audience. True to form, Doja Cat concluded the concert on a high note, launching a pyrotechnics show to close out the night and putting her band centerstage for an epic guitar solo. Bouncing between fan favorites like “Tia Tamera” and new songs like “Stranger,” the artist underscored her thematic versatility as a performer. Though her performance was notably unostentatious, Doja Cat’s “Tour Ma Vie World Tour” proves she is a born performer. With a refined yet metamorphic style, Doja Cat demonstrated she can be as dynamic as she is iconic. g.hawkins@dailynorthwestern.com sekelanzai2029@u.northwestern.edu
Victoria Monét’s album delivers smooth R&B By ELIZA MARTIN
opinion columist
After winning three Grammys in 2024, Victoria Monét is back with “Frequency Of Love,” a love letter to the R&B genre. Released Friday, the album delivers angelic vocals, smooth production and a star-studded list of guest features. “Frequency Of Love” builds slowly to its peak. Opening track “All I Need” is an homage to the Motown classic “You’re All I Need To Get By,” with lyrics echoing the song’s chorus. While Marvin Gaye is a favorite artist of mine, on first listen I wished for a more novel introduction to the album. Still, I appreciate how the tribute represents Monét’s deep respect for R&B history. Other early tracks like “Come Back To You” and “Head To Toe” were good, but not my
favorites. The songs are predictable, pleasant slow jams, and while I liked the electric guitar solo in “Come Back To You,” I wanted to hear more variation. “Juicy” provided exactly that. Electric guitar and bass parts added a sophisticated funk reminiscent of Chic, bringing energy earlier tracks lacked. Sampling “All Night Long” by SWV, the track continues the album’s appreciation for classic R&B. Another standout was “Reach Out,” an upbeat track that displays the album’s excellent production. Softer verse dynamics seamlessly crescendo into choruses, blending vocal harmonies and layering catchy instrumentals that don’t overpower each other. Sometimes guest features feel like forced PR moves, but that’s not the case with “Frequency of Love.” R&B titans including Leon Thomas,
SZA and Bruno Mars all contributed to different tracks, each letting their unique voices shine through without disrupting the album’s flow. As a SZA fan, I especially liked “See You In My Dreams (feat. SZA).” The two vocal powerhouses harmonize beautifully, both singing softly to match the album’s laid-back tone. I wasn’t surprised to hear Latin guitar and percussion stylings on “That’s Why I Love You (feat. Bruno Mars),” echoing the style of Mars’ latest album “The Romantic” — Monét opened for Mars when he toured the album this spring. Where the song’s instrumentation strays from others on the tracklist, its soulfulness keeps it in line. I was instinctively skeptical of the album’s 22 tracks, and wondered how much of it was filler. After listening through, I wouldn’t choose to play all of the songs on their own,
but I appreciate how they fit together. Four brief interludes soften transitions between overarching moods, and the artist features add variety to the tracklist. Even on second and third listens, I didn’t notice any obvious skips. It annoys me when artists pretend their work is entirely original — music is naturally influenced by what came before. Monét leaned into her inspiration unapologetically, and in the process created an innovative project grounded in classic R&B conventions. “Frequency Of Love” impressed me. Its production, lyrical themes and overall sound reflect the maturity of an artist confident in her creative voice. From ’90s loyalists to contemporary listeners, this album has something every R&B fan can enjoy. e.martin@dailynorthwestern.com
6 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
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El Diario
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Alianza le da la bienvenida a los estudiantes latinos Por SAMANTHA MONJE
el diario northwestern
Mientras la banda tocaba música mexicana regional, los estudiantes de Northwestern bailaban en círculo mientras agitaban barras linterna durante Bienvenida, un evento anual por Alianza, que tuvo lugar en Kemper Lawn. Alianza es una organización fundada en 1989 con el objetivo de crear una comunidad para los estudiantes latinos de NU. El evento resalta y celebra el comienzo del año escolar, según Haley Avila, la co-presidenta de Alianza y la estudiante de cuarto año de Weinberg. “Solo significa la celebración del comienzo del año escolar y celebrar nuestra cultura en nuestros propios términos y pasar un buen tiempo juntos y creando nuestra comunidad”, Avila dijo. Alianza aspira a celebrar a los latinos al invitar a taqueros y una banda del área de Chicago a presentarse en el evento. Mientras los estudiantes llegaban a Kemper Lawn y se registraban, se formaban en línea para hacer su orden de tacos, escogiendo de diferentes tipos de asadas, arroz, frijoles y espagueti verde — un platillo típico de México. Mientras muchos estudiantes disfrutaban de su comida y charlaban con amigos, Alianza coordinó las presentaciones de sus invitados. Varios grupos de música y danza latina se presentaron: entre ellos Mariachi Northwestern, Latin Music Ensemble, Dale Duro Latin Dance Company y Ritmo de mis Ancestros: Ballet Folklórico. Alexa Núñez Magaña, co-presidenta de Mariachi NU y estudiante de cuarto año de Weinberg, mencionó que espera el evento cada año con ansias y que los Latinos de NU se animan uno al otro. “Se siente como una bienvenida para las
nuevas personas a este espacio que hemos creado y que nos da mucho orgullo, para que ellos también puedan ser parte de el”, Núñez
Samantha Monje/El Diario Northwestern Estudiantes asistieron el viernes al evento anual de Alianza, la Bienvenida.
Magaña resaltó, “definitivamente creo que es una forma de devolver a nuestra comunidad y para que la comunidad nos conozca, así que ellos puedan saber que tienen a alguien a quien pueden contactar aqui”. Núñez Magaña explicó que el evento fue una introducción de Mariachi para la gente que nunca ha visto presentar su música. Es una presentación relajada y divertida, que evolucionan a presentaciones más complejas más cerca del final del año escolar. Avila mencionó que estos grupos fueron
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invitados no solo porque representan a la cultura latina, sino porque muchos miembros de Alianza también participan en estos grupos.
Los estudiantes que asistieron al evento bailaron y cantaron las canciones presentadas, desde los merengues de LME hasta el popurrí de las canciones del cantante mexicano, Juan Gabriel, por Mariachi NU. Mientras presentaba por LME, Núñez Magaña, animaba a los estudiantes a bailar, aunque no sabían cómo. Decía que el merengue es fácil para bailar, uno solo tiene que pretender que necesitan “hacer pipi” y mover sus pies — un chiste que ganó risas de la audiencia.
La presentación de Mariachi le recordó a Yoselin Martinez Librado, la estudiante de primer año de Weinberg, de la música del estilo mariachi que tocaba en su hogar. “Me hizo sentir conectada a mi cultura, después de estar lejos por solo dos semanas, pero aun así, se sintió como un largo tiempo. Me gustan las vibras del evento, me hace sentir en casa”, Martinez Librado explicó. “Siento que encontré comunidad con todos aquí y con los grupos musicales”. Los estudiantes también recibieron a una banda del área de Chicago llamada Los Socios. Mientras la música tocaba, muchos estudiantes bailaron y empezaron a seguirse en una sola fila, creando un círculo. Es una forma común de bailar la música de banda para los mexicanos en eventos de grupo. Viendo a la multitud regresó a Lucian Cruz, el estudiante de segundo año de McCormick, devuelta a sus pensamientos de su familia. “Es bueno saber que hay muchos latinos aquí”, Cruz reveló. “Es algo que consuela”. Alianza tiene eventos anuales durante todo el año escolar. Avila espera que las personas entiendan que tienen un sentido fuerte de comunidad que se celebra en cada evento. Esto fue notado por Martinez Librado, quien asistió Bienvenida anticipando una reunión calmada, pero al ver a todos bailar, entendió que el evento es más como una fiesta. “No hay muchos de nosotros aquí y a pesar de que no hay muchos latinos aquí en Northwestern, todavía organizamos un evento padrísimo”, Avila exclamó. “Tenemos buenos momentos juntos, y tenemos una comunidad fuerte aquí”. eldiario@dailynorthwestern.com
8 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
D65 site sees uncertainty
JUST A SHORT STROLL FROM CAMPUS
By EMILY DISSANAYAKE
diversity & inclusion editor
In 2024, the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education voted to close the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies. Two years later, during Phase 3 of the district’s Structural Deficit Reduction Plan, the school, along with Kingsley Elementary School, officially closed its doors this summer. Now, community members hope the district will finalize a plan for the site as District 65 aims to cut $20 million from its budget by fiscal year 2028. The estimated sale value of the Bessie Rhodes property is $3.5 million to $4.5 million, according to a memo sent to board members in May. Several parties have reportedly expressed interest in purchasing the property, including the Skokie Park District, Evanston Township High School District 202, at least one private school and at least one developer. However, in June, the board reached a majority consensus to sell the Bessie Rhodes and Kingsley properties to another government entity, such as a school district or a municipality. At the meeting, most board members agreed that the district should pursue negotiations with the Skokie Park District to expand Timber Ridge Park, the neighborhood park adjacent to the former Bessie Rhodes property. Michelle Tuft, executive director of the Skokie Park District, said the site presents a unique opportunity for the village to expand its green space. “Because Skokie is an older community, we’re landlocked,” Tuft said. “We don’t have the ability very often to find extra green space, parkland, recreational space in our community. So when those opportunities arise, we take a good hard look at them.” According to the agenda of a September Skokie Park District Board of Commissioners meeting, the estimated cost to develop the property is $7.7 million, plus District 65’s up to $4.5 million purchase price. Tuft told The Daily that the cost could depend on whether the Skokie Park District decides to keep part of the school building or tear it down completely. She added that if high costs remain an issue, demolishing the building could reduce the $7.7 million figure significantly. A preliminary design concept for the property retains a part of the former building. The design also includes a soccer field, basketball court, playground,
Jack Baker/The Daily Northwestern
picnic area and walking path. In August, the Skokie Park Board unanimously voted to authorize the Skokie Park District to apply for a state grant to help pay for the proposed purchase. While Tuft said she expects to hear back from the state sometime between late winter and early spring, the timeline for a potential purchase remains up to District 65. Tuft added that the two parties have yet to begin formal negotiations. In a Tuesday statement to The Daily, a District 65 spokesperson wrote the district has no new updates to share and is “still working through the process at this time.” District 202 did not respond to requests for comment about whether the school is still interested in purchasing the property. Karen Barbour, a former District 65 teacher who lives near the Bessie Rhodes property, said she sent a letter urging the Skokie Park District to consider buying the lot last year. She added that several of her neighbors are supportive of her efforts. For Barbour, maintaining the property as a community space and “keeping it green” are top priorities. “I believe that the school district has a responsibility to sell to an entity that would actually preserve our neighborhood and keep it how we want it to be and keep it safe for my neighbors,” Barbour said. “I think they have that obligation, and I think our community has spoken really loudly about what we want.” e.dissanayake@dailynorthwestern.com
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
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10 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026 Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern
NU opens Ryan Field with victory over Penn State By KAMRAN NIA
senior staffer
Sitting in one of college sports’ most lavish practice facilities midweek, coach David Braun could not help but envision a future in Evanston that could achieve more than Northwestern ever imagined. Braun has held his press conferences and practices in the state-of-the-art Walter Athletics Center and Ryan Fieldhouse, but until this week, he had no stadium to match. Now, he was ready to rewrite the Wildcats’ (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) goals as his program prepared for a critical juncture: Open the new $875 million Ryan Field. “That stadium,” Braun said, “is reflective of winning a national championship.” Braun’s ’Cats looked all the makings of future contenders during a potentially culture-changing 34-13 victory Friday over Penn State. A ribbon-cutting ceremony pregame featured the Pat (Kellogg ’59) and Shirley Ryan (Weinberg ’61) family — who primarily funded the stadium — University President Mung Chiang and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, among others. Heisman-winning quarterback and now-broadcaster Robert Griffin III engaged a raucous student section about 40 minutes before the game. So did two-time NFL Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon II and the Snapback Sports influencer crew. The atmosphere was rowdy, with expletives flying left and right from the newly minted Wildcat Wall — NU’s standing-only student section. The ’Cats ran onto the field with a full-field sprint through a tunnel of flames and other athletes, straight to the wall, bumping to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as students kicked their legs back against the aluminum. “We have redefined how we do football on Saturdays in Evanston,” Braun said. Amid the spectacle, NU could have been overeager. It was last week against then-No. 5 Indiana, when it fumbled its first snap for a safety as Memorial Stadium’s crowd produced deafening noise. But against the Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten), NU had no trouble early, scoring a field goal on its first drive before storming to a 24-7 halftime lead. It leaned on a heavy dose of redshirt junior running back Caleb Komolafe and graduate student running back Joseph Himon II. The duo contributed the bulk of a 413-yard rushing effort, the most in a single game for the ’Cats since 2003, according to the FOX broadcast. Both players set a career-high rushing total with 188 and 162 yards, respectively. The ground effort was a stark change from the 1.2 yards per
carry NU compiled against Indiana as offensive coordinator Chip Kelly constructed a masterful turnaround. His wing-T concepts helped generate explosive plays, especially for Himon, who is now averaging 13.8 yards per carry this season. Braun credited his offensive staff with staying objective in evaluating the Indiana game, rather than getting caught up in emotions. “We know how to run the football,” Braun said. “We know how to put together a game plan.” Himon’s pace showed early, with three bursts in the first half. On one second-quarter drive, he bwroke free for 36-yard and 38-yard runs, the second of which put NU up 17-7. Komolafe did more of the every-down work, but still found oversized gains, with his longest run going for 32 yards. Himon scored two touchdowns, and Komolafe scored once. The dominant rushing effort left senior quarterback Aidan Chiles with little more to do. He threw for 93 yards on 10-for-14 completions and his 2-yard rushing touchdown put NU ahead 10-0 in the first quarter. It was his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. He has also thrown six passing touchdowns this year, without conceding a turnover. In the second quarter, Chiles’ handoff attempt to graduate student running back Gavin Sawchuk hit the ground, and Penn State recovered the fumble. Besides the blemish, he said his job was “easy.” “I’m gonna do whatever continues to succeed,” Chiles said of his limited role. “And today, it was handing the ball off to Joe and Komo.” NU came into the game banged up, but even without redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Ezomo Oratokhai — who is now out for the season — and redshirt sophomore tight end Luke Dehnicke — coming off a 140-yard game — the offense operated brilliantly. It dominated the line of scrimmage despite players shifting positions, delivering Penn State a devastating blow for the second straight year. Last year, the ’Cats handed the Nittany Lions its second loss one week after an 0-4 UCLA team — whose interim offensive coordinator was now-NU quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel — beat them as the No. 7-ranked team in the country. Penn State’s 2025 season spiraled to a 7-6 record, and the program fired coach James Franklin after 12 seasons before bringing in current coach Matt Campbell, who now faces an uphill climb with two early-season losses. It was ranked as high as No. 13 before losing to Wisconsin last week. Defensively — without redshirt junior defensive back Josh Fussell, redshirt senior defensive back Braden Turner and other pieces — NU did not decelerate, holding Penn State to just 4.6 yards per play and 291 total yards. Oklahoma transfer graduate student linebacker Kobie
McKinzie logged 10 total tackles, his third game this season with nine-plus total tackles. Graduate student linebacker Braydon Brus trailed him with nine total tackles, also adding a sack and interception. Redshirt senior defensive back Robert Fitzgerald, who had four total tackles, sealed the defensive effort with an interception, jumping a route and securing the ball with one hand after he fell to the ground. “I want to give Northwestern a ton of credit,” Campbell said, “They played the game in the style of game we would like to play. … It was really hard to find a rhythm on both sides of the football.” The environment was electric, much different from a “library” which a Colorado player compared the setting of NU’s temporary lakefront stadium to just two weeks ago. Multiple assistant coaches, including Neuheisel, dubbed the new Ryan Field “The Library” in postgame X posts. When NU faced Colorado, there was an exodus of students at halftime as the ’Cats stormed to a 21-0 lead. But Friday, the students stayed as they might have previously done only after a last-second win, and the entire NU team ran to the Wildcat Wall. “The students buying in is going to be a big part of our success going forward,” Brus said. “Seeing the turnout that they had today, the juice that they brought, the energy, the excitement, the noise.” On game day, Ryan Field showed that it can deliver an atmosphere as energetic as the Big Ten’s best. 5,000 students packed the stadium to provide a jolt of energy to the ’Cats, and when “Don’t Stop Believin’” played amid a wave of flashing purple lights following the third quarter, Braun was in awe. “That student section, our community, the buzz,” Braun said, “like, God, do we have something special to build upon.” Pat Ryan Sr. — who has a statue at the stadium — said after the ribbon-cutting ceremony that the stadium shows a commitment to excellence in athletics, once an afterthought at NU. “There was a point in time in history where we didn’t strive for (excellence),” Ryan said. “That’s been reversed because a great university has to strive for excellence in everything it does.” The Ryan family — including son Pat Ryan Jr. (Kellogg ’97, Pritzker ’97), who led the stadium’s construction and activation — attended the postgame press conference. Athletic Director Mark Jackson and other senior athletic officials also joined. Some players’ family members did, too. By the time Braun walked in to speak, it was standing room only. “I think,” Braun said, “we’ve redefined the standard of what it looks like at Northwestern Football.” k.nia@dailynorthwestern.com
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026 Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
Xuan Day Tran/The Daily Northwestern
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Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
Ryan Field opening centers community connection By YONI ZACKS
social media editor
At six years old, Dave Revsine (Weinberg ’91) walked into Dyche Stadium with his dad for the first time. He left the stadium with a button, a pennant and countless memories. “I remember walking in that first day with him and how excited I was,” Revsine said. The Wildcats won the September game 31-25, and Revsine became hooked on Northwestern sports. NU won again the next week, starting the 1975 year season 2-0. But, the wins were short lived. The ’Cats lost eight of their next nine games to finish the year 3-8 on the way to a 3-62-1 stretch over the following five seasons. “I don’t think current students understand how bad NU football was for basically 25 years,” Revsine said. Still, the Big Ten Network studio host, who grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, recalls getting together in the stands during games with his dad, longtime Kellogg professor Lawrence Revsine. Before Friday night’s opener, Dave Revsine expected he would think of his dad, who passed away in 2007, at the game. “Nobody loved Northwestern more than him; he’s literally buried in his Northwestern sweatshirt,” Revsine said. After walking into a nearly-completed Ryan Field for the first time in August, Revsine was excited. A few months later, as the new stadium opened, Revsine said he hoped it could bring the NU community together. Standing before the new stadium for its ribbon cutting on Friday, Mayor Daniel Biss echoed a similar sentiment. “In a time like now, when we have so much social isolation, with gathering together in public to share communal activities on the decline, having a gorgeous new facility like this, is really good,” Biss told The Daily. “It’s a really good thing.” Biss said the new facility will bring numerous benefits to Evanston, including community-wide, high school and youth events. Like Revsine, lifelong NU fan Kevin Fishbain (Medill ’10) said the stadium brings him a sense of pride. “We get to brag about where our football team plays,” Fishbain said. “That’s something Northwestern fans have never gotten to do before.” Fishbain was among the fans who withstood heavy rain and fog to witness the ’Cats take down Minnesota in 2001 — a highlight amidst a difficult season. He fondly remembered sitting with his family in the discount seating offered near the end zone. As a Chicago Bears beat reporter for The Athletic, Fishbain has been to many professional stadiums, and he said Ryan Field is unique. Before walking into the stadium for the first time, Fishbain expected Ryan Field to feel like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the European soccer stadium whose supporters’ section inspired the Wildcat Wall.
“The whole aura of putting the seats close to the field and the way the roof is structured so you don’t get rained on and the way the sound is going to be awesome,” Fishbain said. The plaza outside the stadium is also intended to bring fans together. ESPN senior college football writer Adam Rittenberg (Medill ’03) said it created a “party atmosphere.” Rittenberg has covered NU since his days as a student, and he said he’s interested to see how Ryan Field’s emphasis on the product beyond the football game will be received. “They’re really trying to make this a stadium that everybody who goes, whether you’re a business person, whether you have a lot of money, whether you don’t have a lot of money, you’re family, you’re alumni, or a student, and everybody is gonna come out of there saying, ‘That was awesome,’” Rittenberg said. Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium in 2009 was the last Big Ten stadium to open, and Rittenberg believes part of what made it successful was that it was a stadium built for the size of the market. Revsine believes the stadium is the right size for NU, which is the smallest school in the Big Ten. For former ’Cats quarterback Steve Schnur (SESP ’96, Kellogg ’97), the stadium is more than a new facility. “It’s very gratifying as an alum and someone who was there at a great period of time to feel like we, you know, we started this
foundation that has been built upon today,” Schnur said. Schnur, the quarterback during NU’s 1995 Rose Bowl season, believes the ’Cats have a true home field advantage after the old Ryan Field was consistently overrun by opposing fans. The 1996 team MVP said the new field — and the number of NU fans who came out for the game — is just the beginning. “Seeing how loud they were getting last night, I think that’ll only improve if they begin to realize what the metal and stomping and everything can do,” Schnur said. With the opening weekend in the rearview mirror, Schnur hopes fans continue to embrace the new stadium as their own. He also wants fans to remember the program’s history, especially as NU football enters a new era. “You hope that the current kids there today, they don’t need to acknowledge all the craziness we went through, but at least appreciate what they have,” Schnur said. In his press conference following Friday’s stadium opener, coach David Braun said he hopes the Evanston community can take advantage of the moment. “I hope the Evanston community feels like this program and this venue is as much theirs as anyone else,” Braun said. y.zacks@dailynorthwestern.com
Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern Players ran to the Wildcat Wall to hype up the crowd after the game.
12 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
Little: Respect Northwestern. Rank the Wildcats By ANDREW LITTLE
gameday editor
Exiting Ryan Field after Northwestern’s 34-13 blowout victory over Penn State on Friday, one sentiment echoed from the Wildcat faithful: “Rank us.” Much to their dismay, NU remained unranked when the AP Top 25 poll was unveiled Sunday. The ’Cats have not been ranked since the end of their COVID19-shortened 2020 season, which they finished ranked No. 10. Boasting a 3-1 start, including dominant wins over Penn State and Colorado and just one loss to reigning national champion No. 7 Indiana on the road, NU has its best case for a ranking in years. However, only 21 voters were willing to recognize the ’Cats’ strong start with a spot on their ballots. NU missed the Top 25, finishing with the 30th-most points in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, which was also released Sunday. ESPN’s Football Power Index, a computer model that forecasts how well teams would perform against average, has the ’Cats ranked 17th. The FPI is not a perfect tool, but it is just one of the metrics that puts NU firmly in the top 25 picture. Notably below the ’Cats in FPI are numerous ranked teams, including No. 14 Missouri, No. 19 USC, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 20 Iowa and No. 17 Mississippi State. The ’Cats’ resume really has more in common with teams like No. 22 Houston, No. 23 Boise State and No. 24 SMU. All of these teams have one loss — close defeats to then-ranked opponents on the road — but still no ranked wins. However, NU’s wins are far more impressive. The ’Cats demolished Power Four opponent Colorado 41-7, and just similarly dominated Penn State, who was ranked No. 13 two weeks ago. NU’s loss is also stronger — if there can be such a thing. Indiana is a top-ten team nationally, unlike No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 13 Oregon and now-unranked Louisville, who beat Houston, Boise State and SMU, respectively. For years, the biggest point of contention surrounding the AP Poll has been allegations of SEC bias. Now, I will not fault anyone for ranking Ole Miss, Missouri, No. 16 Florida or Mississippi State above NU. All four teams have dominant Power Four wins this year, including Ole Miss’statement win over LSU. However, Florida, Mississippi State and Ole Miss have also all been blown out. So how do these SEC teams truly stack up? This is a conundrum with no good solution. I am not asking AP voters to drop these teams out of the rankings. They should just show some consistency across conferences. Iowa lost 31-14 to No. 5 Ohio State at home over the weekend and dropped six spots in the rankings. Mississippi State lost 56-23 to No. 6 Alabama at home and dropped just one spot. If NU had an orange T on its helmets and sang “Rocky Top” on game days, it would be a top15 team. How do I know that? Just compare the teams’ two resumes. No. 15 Tennessee’s signature victory so far came last weekend against Auburn, winning 24-14 at home. The ’Cats rolled Penn State by 21 points in their Ryan Field debut. The next best win for the Volunteers? A 45-24 victory over Georgia Tech. NU beat Colorado — who beat Georgia Tech earlier this season in a nailbiter — by 34 points. Tennessee’s lone loss? A three-point home defeat to a national championship contender in No. 1 Texas. Almost identical to the ’Cats’ one-score road loss to the reigning national champs No. 7 Indiana.
Northwestern received 59 points in Sunday’s AP Poll after its 3-1 start, not enough to make the Top 25.
Very similar resumes, even slightly favoring the ’Cats, yet one team is No. 15 while the other is ranked 30th. And that is before taking Tennessee’s quarterback controversy into account. Again, this is not saying the Volunteers should be unranked or even lowered, but voters need to give NU a fair shake. It is also undeniable that national narratives matter in these rankings. This weekend, the ’Cats received more attention than the program has in years as Ryan Field opened. With all eyes on NU, coach David Braun’s team delivered a spectacular showing to assert itself as a legitimate threat in the Big Ten. There is a palpable buzz on campus, with students showing a level of engagement with football unlike anything I have seen in my two years here. Some coaches will use their platforms to publicly lobby for a spot. With all the politics surrounding the rankings, sometimes that nudge can be enough. Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi used his postgame interview after Friday’s win to call out the AP voters, telling ESPN, “We got a hell of a football team. Any of those voters out there, if they wake their ass up, they might figure that out.” Now 5-0, Pittsburgh landed at No. 25 in Sunday’s poll. Braun was unwilling to make any similar gestures Monday, shaking off questions about rankings. “We don’t control any of that,” Braun said. “That’s bait. Those are things that just turn into a distraction. If you asked any of our players about the message this morning, I was very direct on all that.” I believe Braun’s attitude is the right one. He and his team are focused on continuously winning and improving while letting their results on the field speak for themselves. After all, the only rankings that matter are the final
Carter Nishi/The Daily Northwestern
College Football Playoff poll. NU does not need the validation of a top-25 ranking. Neither do its fans, as much as a number next to the ’Cats would continue to build excitement around their season. Keep winning, and national respect will follow. However, the program has done enough so far to warrant a spot in the vaunted AP Poll. Braun may not be interested in lobbying for rankings, but I am. Rank NU.
I will leave AP voters with one question: What are we evaluating? Is it strength-of-record? The eye test? Narrative? The ’Cats have all three. Or is it brand power? Because if you watched NU on Friday and did not see a top-25 team, we must have been watching different games.
NORTHWESTERN SCHEDULE
GAMEDAY STAFF
10.10 vs. Ball State 10.17 @ Michigan State 10.24 vs. Rutgers 10.31 @ Oregon 11.07 vs. Iowa 11.14 @ Ohio State 11.21 @ Minesota 11.28 vs. Illinois
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GAMEDAY EDITOR Andrew Little WRITERS Alex Boyko Aanya Gupta Kamran Nia Yoni Zacks Gameday is a publication of Students Publishing Co. A two-page issue is published on the Wednesday prior to Northwestern road games and a longer issue is usually published on the Wednesday prior to Northwestern home games. All material is © 2026 Students Publishing Co. Questions or comments should be sent c/o Gameday Editor Andrew Little, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208.
NORTHWESTERN vs. BALL STATE | SERIES HISTORY: 1-0 POINTS PER GAME
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME
TOTAL YARDS PER GAME
PASSING YARDS PER GAME
33 VS I9.2
I6.75 VS 37.8
437.8 VS 287.6
225 VS I74.2
RUSHING YARDS PER GAME
TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
PASSING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
2I2.8 VS I23.4 385.8 VS 473.6 224.3 VS 243.8 I6I.5 VS 229.8 PENALTIES PER GAME
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL
PENALTY YARDS PER GAME
SACKS PER GAME
8.25 VS 7.2
+5 VS -2
64 VS 63.2
I.5 VS 2.4
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
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City budget proposes 8.9% tax hike Speakers
on campus
By MAX TURETZKY
assistant city editor
Evanston’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, which the city released Tuesday, includes an 8.9% property tax levy increase and higher taxes on streaming services, rideshares and natural gas. The proposed budget projects $357.1 million in revenue and $349 million in spending across all city funds. City spending is projected to increase by $6.9 million, or about 2%. A majority of the revenue generated by the city’s property tax hike would go to the Parks and Recreation Fund. The median Evanston homeowner would pay an additional $180 a year in property taxes, according to the budget’s estimate. The proposed budget would also double Evanston’s tax on streaming services to 10%, matching Chicago’s rate. It would also raise the city’s rideshare tax from 20 cents to 50 cents per ride. The tax on natural gas use would double, and the tax on real estate transfers valued at more than $1.5 million would also increase. Water rates would increase by 25%, and residential garbage fees would increase by 9%. The city also plans to draw about $6.1 million from its reserves to balance its General Fund next year. This would likely use up the city’s remaining excess reserves, putting
By NOAH MAYER, SOPHIE BAKER, and SOPHIA BELLA
the daily northwestern
An array of creative minds descended on Evanston for “Northwestern University Day,” an all-day speaker and event series hosted by nonprofit Chicago Humanities on Sunday. Here are the highlights. John Green discusses new novel
Daily file photo by Jack Baker The budget includes an 8.9% property tax levy increase and higher taxes on streaming services, rideshares and natural gas.
additional pressure on it to reduce its structural deficit through spending cuts or tax hikes by FY 2028 The budget will be presented at a Finance and Budget Committee meeting Wednesday, and it is
expected to receive a full City Council vote on Nov. 23. m.turetzky@dailynorthwestern.com
Bestselling author and YouTuber John Green discussed the value of art and creativity. Green visited NU as part of the book tour promoting his latest novel, “Hollywood, Ending.” Released last month, the book marks Green’s first work of fiction since 2017. Although he initially wrote the story about the impact of notoriety, Green explained that his latest novel is actually about “how we survive all that we have to survive” and “how we find the loving relationships that can sustain us.” Green’s answer: art. “Art is not optional for humans,” Green said. “We made it before we had a caloric surplus or specialization of labor, and we will make it the entire time we are here and it will be made by us. By humans.” College students, Evanston residents and fans from all over Chicago attended the event. Monty Python’s Eric Idle talks home in southern France In the early 1970s, Eric Idle, a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, bought a ramshackle ruin in southern France to escape his growing fame. Over the ensuing 55 years, Idle built up the “shackeau” with his wife. The comedian spoke about the experience’s impact on his creative work, including the book it inspired. Titled “Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme,” the book chronicles Idle’s time in France, where he penned many of his most iconic songs and scripts. “It’s hard because when you’re writing a book about life; there’s no plot. There’s no evident plot to our lives. There’s a series of incidents happening there and there,” Idle said. “The answer at the time I found eventually made it back to the house, because that’s the through line for all these experiences.” For some time, Idle said he and his wife called their home “The House of Brian.” He said the name stemmed from “Monty Python’s Life of Brian,” a film about a man who is repeatedly mistaken for the Messiah. During the event, Idle led the crowd in a singalong of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” which he performs at the end of “Life of Brian” as his character is crucified. Idle joked that the song has become the most popular tune to play at British funerals. “It actually cheers people up, because you can cry, and you can laugh and they’re very close emotions. And at a funeral, you want to do both,” Idle said. “Everyone sings along, and it’s really nice. The only drawback — no royalties.” Leïla Slimani dives into “I’ll Take the Fire” French-Moroccan novelist Leïla Slimani explored her 2026 novel, “I’ll Take the Fire,” in an event presented by Chicago Humanities and the Buffet Institute for Global Affairs. Through the semi-autobiographical work, Slimani tells the tale of a young Arab woman’s pursuit of political and sexual freedom in culturally conservative Morocco and during her time abroad. The book closes a trilogy drawn from her upbringing and family history. Born in Rabat, Morocco, to a multilingual and multiracial family, she moved to France at 18 years old to continue her education. Her parents, she said, were “hippies” who encouraged personal freedoms in a conservative country. The concept of sexual freedom, a prominent theme in Slimani’s books, inspired her to pursue a life of activism for sexual rights in Morocco. “Preventing people from having a sexual life, from experiencing love, but just wandering in the streets, holding the hand of the person you love, is also a way to control people, to control their mind, to make them be afraid of the power of the police,” Slimani said. She said she wanted the novel to resonate with those who have experienced the feeling of being a stranger in a once-familiar place. noahmayer2030@u.northwestern.edu s.baker@dailynorthwestern.com sophiabella2033@u.northwestern.edu
14 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
OPINION
Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com
Richardson Feldman: I decided not to transfer OLIVIA RICHARDSON FELDMAN
NON-TRANSFERABLE
On May 15, I put down a $500 deposit at Barnard College. After eight months at Northwestern and countless consultations with family and friends, I felt confident that Evanston was not the place for me. I imagined myself thriving in a different environment; maybe with different people, different classrooms or different weather. Winter was hard. So was making friends. And being the only Black girl in my classes. Throughout my second Common Application process, I desperately clung to the fragile and fantastical idea of another school where everything was perfectly attuned to me. At the time, transferring felt like the only solution — NU did not have enough space for the intersections that make up my being. The combination of my Judaism, Blackness
and other marginalized identities felt like an anomaly NU was unable to accommodate. I simply did not fit into the neat categories that exist at institutions like this one, so leaving Evanston felt more like choosing myself rather than giving something up. But then 24 hours after putting a deposit down, I decided not to transfer. To this day, I don’t know what it was that made me stay. However, I do know what it was not. There was not some transformative moment when everything in my universe changed and I felt like a true Wildcat. There was no diminishing of the problems I faced in exchange for a top 10 education. There was no shrinking of myself to assimilate. Frankly, I was not raised that way. This is not to say I think students should have to wholeheartedly accept a rigid and exclusionary institution in order to feel like they belong. But I also do not think the only alternative to this frustrating reality is transferring out.
For me, staying is an active and intentional decision that shapes how I show up and participate at NU. Everything I do now is rooted in my guiding questions: Who is represented? Who gets heard? Who does not? What does NU value? Who benefits from the way things are organized? What must be changed? I am not interested in turning my decision not to transfer into a cutesy story about how I finally found the “NU Direction” I was searching for all along. If anything, this experience forced me to curate my time here more meticulously, not exploratorily. It forced me to differentiate belonging and satisfaction, to determine what is actually worth my time. Please do not interpret this as an anti-transfer piece. I completely believe that sometimes the best decision is to leave. Students of marginalized identities should not have to endure a harmful environment simply to prove to schools like NU that they are worthy of belonging. But I think there is something worth examining in the assumption that leaving is
the only way to reclaim agency. I almost left this place because I thought another university would be a perfect “fit.” However, I decided to trust something deep inside me that believed I could, piece by piece, mold NU to fit around me. Honestly, I don’t know whether my efforts will make NU feel like the heaven I once imagined. More importantly, I don’t know whether that is the appropriate standard for this institution anymore. Going into sophomore year, what matters most to me is whether I can make the University hold more of myself. And whether I can create a NU where other students feel held, too. Olivia Richardson Feldman is a Medill sophomore and author of “Non-Transferable.” She can be contacted at oliviarichardsonfeldman2029@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.
Frater: Screaming at home is a great stress reliever
IVY FRATER
JOKE WALK
The thing I miss most about home is screaming in peace. There, I have so many places to scream. I miss parking my car in a random spot in the city and just screeching. I miss waiting to be home alone for the sole purpose of yelling bloody hell without anyone hearing. Most of all, I miss the non-judgementalness of solitude. At college, I am with other people every second of the day — which I love, but that also means I have no room for any of my secret vices. If I let out a scream in the halls of my sorority house, I think I might accidentally start a mass panic. Still, I believe there is no stress release like letting out a feral, blood-curdling scream, so loud that there is a chance you might lose your
voice after. Screaming is the latest in a long line of my personal anger management techniques. In my toddler years, I employed the classic strategy of stomping and slamming my bedroom door to express my frustration. As soon as I learned how to write, I learned the catharsis of scribbling hard enough to break a pencil. In high school, I practically perfected the death glare and loved blasting music through my AirPods so loud I’m pretty sure it caused irreversible damage to my eardrums. I’ve always been a person who leads with my heart instead of my head — I am emotional to a fault and privy to fits of panic. In fact, I was the worst member of my high school Model UN team because I had a tendency to get so angry about the cutthroatness of my fellow 16-year-olds that I would give up my position and instead make lengthy speeches encouraging everyone to be a little nicer to each other. I’ve been told at least once a year since the age of eight that I am too emotional. So, because
it feels practically impossible for me to change the very essence of my being, I scream. I scream to deal with everything I can’t control. I scream to remind myself that I have free will, and I am not a spectator in my own life. I like knowing that I am not stagnant. I am not stuck on some endless track of graduation and career and death. I scream to remind myself that I have agency — that at any moment, I could shave my head or paint my room hot pink or apply to be on The Amazing Race. I scream to realize the raw, visceral power of my own emotion — to know that maybe I care a little too much about everything, but that’s better than not caring at all. Since coming to Northwestern, I have tried to find places to practice my secret hobby — to no avail. I’ve gone on walks to the Lakefill, parked myself on a rock, gazing out at the water, with every intention to leave it all out there. But every time, I open my mouth and not a squeak comes out. I see someone I know in the distance or convince myself everyone is staring at me or make up some other excuse for my performance anxiety.
I’ve tried screaming into a pillow or pretending to yell with nothing actually coming out, but it just doesn’t have the same effect. The power in the scream is how extreme it is. When you take the noise out, it means nothing. There’s a strict methodology to my stress reliever. I begin by imagining all my stressors and insecurities gathering in a little ball in my gut. As I open my mouth, I watch it all flow out, vanishing into thin air, until all I’m left with is myself. As the noise subsides, I take a deep breath, basking in the catharsis. Trust me, I know screaming is a completely insane way to deal with stress, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop. I’d rather be irrationally passionate than nothing at all. Ivy Frater is a Medill sophomore and author of “Joke Walk.” She can be contacted at i.frater@dailynorthwestern.com. 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.
Belfer: Ryan Field made me interested in football JOSIE BELFER
TABLE TALK
I went to my first-ever football game when I was a freshman in high school. It was also the day my childhood guinea pig Larry died. After crying in my room for 20 minutes, I decided to still go to the game as I had planned. As heartbroken as I was, it seemed like an extremely important moment in my life — going to a football game, not entering a period of mourning. My school was too small to have a football team, but I grew up two blocks from another high school that did. On fall Friday evenings, I remember frequent family dinners accompanied by the gameday cheers, whoops and
groans of teenage football fans. While the noises seemed to annoy my parents, to me, they made football seem fantastic and thrilling. What could be so riveting that I could hear people reacting from inside my house, hundreds of feet away? When I finally went to my first game, I was disappointed to discover that nothing about the noisy, high-schooler-filled bleachers and bright stadium lights entranced me. Since we were from another school, my friends and I weren’t allowed into the student section, so we stood and watched the home team lose from the far side of the field. We purchased expensive and disgusting nachos. We had a brief and somewhat awkward encounter with a classmate. We walked home. Football games, I determined, were not worth disturbing a period of mourning. I didn’t go to another one for the rest of high school.
So when the $875 million Ryan Field was unveiled this weekend, I wouldn’t exactly say I was excited. It was the talk of many tables, though. My mom told me that she got many texts from friends asking if she was upset that my tuition was going towards an “expensive, overly showy stadium.” Before I came to college, I probably would have agreed. I have never been a sports team fan. I probably can’t name five players on any team on Earth. However, standing in Ryan Field this weekend, even as a fiercely anti-football, anti-sports person, I have to admit I did feel a bit proud to attend Northwestern. There’s something about attending a college football game that compares to the magic I’d imagined feeling in high school. It feels good to be part of a personal collective, almost like
I’m attending a concert for a musician that I’m a top listener of. If I could control the funds spent on our new stadium, I might direct them to another place, but I get that that isn’t really how the funding works. So for now, I’ll just be thankful that I can experience the thrill of team spirit with my friends in such a nice facility. So, hey, go ’Cats! I might even have to start learning that fight song soon. Josie Belfer is a Medill sophomore and author of “Table Talk.” She can be contacted at j.belfer@ dailynorthwestern.com. 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 2
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 7, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
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16 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
Glennis Woosley/The Daily Northwestern
Glennis Woosley/The Daily Northwestern
Glennis Woosley/The Daily Northwestern
First Presbyterian Church hosts first fall festival By GLENNIS WOOSLEY
the daily northwestern
A crowd of Evanston residents enjoyed a performance from five-time Grammy-nominated singer Justin Roberts, optional blessings for their pets and free food from local restaurants at the first-ever Fall Fest on Saturday. “We could think of no more awesome way to love our neighbor than by throwing a party for everyone,” said Hannah Dixon McConnell, the church’s director of community life. Alongside live music, the block party — hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Evanston — included a bounce house, a photo booth with costumes and free ice cream from C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor.
Partway through the event, Venezuelan restaurant La Cocinita’s food cart announced it would be giving out free food. Washington Elementary School fifth graders Nora Weiland and Carinna Furlow attended the festivities together. Furlow said that while she hopes to return to Fall Fest next year, she also has ideas for how to improve it. “What I want, next year, is for there to be a little movie station so we can watch movies and for there to be popsicles and ice cream,” Furlow said. Weiland said she hopes there will be a lemonade stand next year, which she would want to run. McConnell said the event was open to anybody, regardless of church membership or religious affiliation. She emphasized that “Northwestern
is our neighbor” and encouraged NU students to attend this and future events. Derek Zeyl, the senior pastor at First Presbyterian, said Fall Fest was a way to connect with community members, especially since he only moved to the area from Michigan this January. “I would have it no other way,” Zeyl said. “To be able to enjoy this and get to meet new people, my god, what a gorgeous day.” Roberts, an Evanston resident, opened the event’s musical performances with songs from his latest album, “Brain Freeze.” Zeyl led the blessing of the animals, a religious ceremony where pets and animals receive a prayer and sprinkling of holy water. Edd Fairman, described as a “Wizard of Sorts” on his website, performed a children’s magic show.
The festival ended with Brad Coleman, the campus pastor for Christ Church Highland Park, and several of his friends performing as “Brad & Friends.” Coleman said his group was formed specifically for Fall Fest. Since it was their first time performing together, Coleman said the impromptu band didn’t come up with a name and may go by something different in the future. McConnell said she hopes Fall Fest will become an annual event, a sentiment shared by 10-year-old Furlow. “It’s really fun, and it’s really something that you should look forward to,” Furlow said. “Everybody should totally go to Fall Fest.” glenniswoosley2030@u.northwestern.edu
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Peter Slevin
Alvin From ’65 MS, ’65
Janet Kolodzy ’77, ’78 MS
Jennifer O'Neil
Barbara Soderlin ’99
Ginger From
Sheryl Krsticevic ’81
John O'Neill ’85
Josh Solomon ’14
Phyllis Funkenbusch
Angie Kucharski ’87, ’88 MS
Lily Ogburn
Roselyn Spencer (’17 P)
Phyllis Funkenbusch
Erin Kuller ’09
Louis (Eunsang) Oh ’19
Wesley Spencer (’17 P)
Ahthony Gama-Lobo ’95 MA, ’95
Cliff Lachman (’25 P)
Emiline Ott ’61
Michael Sperling ’83
Rebecca Gama-Lobo ’95
Margot Lachman ’87, ’88 MS (’25 P)
Marvin Ott
Maia Spoto ’23
Mark Gelatt ’84
Craig LaMay
Levent Ozgur ’01
David Steinau ’86 Alexander Stephens ’87
Lisa George
Karen Laner ’80
Melisa Ozgur
Stephen George ’88
Alicia Lasek ’90 MS
Robert Packer ’81
Adrian Straker ’85
Jeriann Getzin ’83, ’91 MBA
Mark Lazerus ’01
Tyler Pager ’17
Emlyn Struthers Pandell
Jeremy Gilbert ’00, ’00 MS
Candy Lee
Jerome Pandell ’05
Brian Sumers ’05
Jessica Gilbert
Candy Lee
Pedro Paniagua
Kathleen Sumers ’06
Luisa Ginnetti ’72
Philip Lentz ’72
Bruce Pascoe ’87 (’24 P)
Eugene S. Sunshine ’71
Geoffrey Glatt ’69
Paloma Leone-Getten
Andrea Passalacqua ’99
August Swanenberg ’86 MBA (’10 P)
Hayley Glatter ’16
Talia Lerner
Mary Patronik ’88, ’97 MBA (’21, ’23 P)
Rachel Swarns
Emily Glazer ’10
Jennifer V. Lescott
Timothy Patronik ’87 (’21, ’23 P)
Tsuyoshi Takahashi ’10, ’10 MS
Sharon Golan (’06 P)
Scott Lewis
Laurel Paul ’92
Arthur Tauder ’61
Stephen Golan ’78 JD, ’78 MBA (’06 P)
Glenna Lichty
Peter Pawinski ’98
Nicholas Thole ’96
Allan Gold ’77, ’78 MS (’24 P)
Jason Lichty
Jon Peck
Robert Thomas ’80
Ania Gold (’24 P)
Jennifer Lichty
Patrizia Pensa ’00, ’12 MA
Robert G. Thomas ’80 Taylor Thomas ’14
Shari Goldhagen ’98
Thomas Lin ’95
Alexandria Perry ’24
Joshua Gordon
Christine Lindsey
Suzanne Peterson ’89
Zhenyu Tian ’18
Daniel Gould
Graham LippSmith ’99
Rick Phillips ’88
Gordon Todd ’83
Jorin Graham
MaryBeth LippSmith ’99
Thomas Philp ’83
Lauren Todd ’05
Adam Grayson ’01
Molly Lipsitz ’08
Naomi Pickens ’03
Stephanie Trodello
Teddy Greenstein ’94
Amy Liu ’97
Amy Poland ’87, ’90 MS (’17, ’19 P)
Mark Tueting
Bill Halldin
Patricia Loew
Douglas Poland ’88 (’17, ’19 P)
Sara Tueting ’93, ’96 MS
Patricia Handeland
Jennifer Luken (’07 P)
Anoop Prakash
Amy Turner-Thole ’96
Joanne Haner ’24
John Luken ’78 (’07 P)
Anna Prior ’08
Jeffrey Urbina ’77
Desiree Hanford ’96 MS
John Madigan (’00 P), Trustee
James Puzzanghera ’85
Jodie Valade ’97
Seth Hanford
Annette Majerowicz ’04
Camilla Rab
Tracy Van Moorlehem ’91 (’25 P)
George Harmon
John Malott ’67
Carrie Rabin Aber ’95
Adam Vanderloo
Helane Harward (’22 P)
Stuart Mandel ’98
Joan Radovich ’84
Adair Waldenberg ’72
Maxwell Hayman ’09
Jonathan Marshall ’91 MS
Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer ’15
Hope Wallace ’12 MS
Lisa Hazen
Michael Martinez ’83
Manuel Rapada ’15 CERT, ’15
Brian Walther ’02
Shawn Hazen
Michael Martinez ’83
Connie Reddicliffe (’13 P)
Tammy Walther ’01, ’02 MS, ’02 MS
Elaine Helm ’05
Karina Martinez-Carter ’10
Steven Reddicliffe ’75 (’13 P)
Cynthia Wang ’93
Katrina Helmkamp ’87, ’92 MBA
Karina Martinez-Carter ’10
Amy Reinholds ’92
Elizabeth Wasserman Sonjia Waxmonsky
John Hetzler
Jessica Mayle ’04
Scott Reiter ’95
Jonathan Heyman ’83
David Mazie ’55, ’56 MS
Gladys Resellmo
Jacob Wendler ’25
Seth Hines ’03
Maris Mazie
Kristoffer Resellmo ’03
Shanna Wendt ’00
Lawrence Hochberger ’75
Suzanne McBride ’91 MS
Dorothy Ridings ’61
Jeffrey West ’97
Clint Holder ’94
Marc McClellan ’81
Eunice Ro ’14
Mary Weston ’62, ’63 MS
Hilary Holder ’94, ’99 MA
Elizabeth McClelland ’99
Arnie Robbins ’75
Michael Weston
Jacob Holland ’20, ’20 MS
Kimra McPherson ’04
JB Roberts ’89
Raymond Whitehouse ’12 Elaine Williams ’91
David Hunt
Flynn McRoberts ’89
Charles Rogalske ’67
Gina Ikenberry
Stephanie Mehta ’91, ’92 MS
Mary Ann Rogalske
Jason Wong
John Ikenberry ’91
Jason Methner ’05, ’10 MS
Amy Rosewater Halushka ’93, ’94 MS
Susan Wu ’97, ’01 MD
Karen Infeld Blum ’92, ’93 MS
Naila-Jean Meyers ’00
Kathryn Rospond Roberts ’92
Kelly Yan ’95
Elizabeth Jensen
Angeli Mittal ’24 MS, ’24
Rita Rubin ’78
Elizabeth Yntema
Ilene Jewell ’72
Peter Mortensen ’03
Nathaniel Ryan ’95
Jessi Yu
Steven Jewell ’72, ’74 MD, ’77 GMEF (’04 P)
Tomoko Mullaney ’99
Kevin Salwen ’79 (’17 P)
David Zacks
Vincent Johnson ’89
Pauline Muller
David Samson
Jaime Zea (’24 P)
Andrew Johnston (’25 P)
Jennifer Mullman ’99
Micah Sandy
Stephanie Zea (’24 P)
Daniel S. Jones ’61
Jeremy Mullman ’00
James Saunders ’88
Edward F. Zotti ’73
Gregory Jonsson ’00, ’01 MS
Jonathan Murray ’03
Daniel Schack ’03
James Zydiak ’89 PhD
Gerald Jordan ’71 MS
David Nathan ’83
Mia Schmitt
Pradnya Joshi ’93, ’94 MS
Susan Nathan
Peter Schoenke ’92
John Kann ’94 MBA
Nancy Nazarian ’84, ’85 MS
Carly Schulman ’22
Lori Kann
Louise Nelson
Christine Seliga ’87 (’24 P)
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17
18 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
REPORT
From page 1
“We need voices at the student-level and administrative-level tirelessly advocating for change.” On Tuesday, SAGE plans to host an open meeting to spread awareness about sexual violence at universities. It will also hold a meeting around Halloween to discuss information regarding safety at social events. Organizers will also partner with the Interfraternity Council to continue building safe social event guidelines and distribute safe sex and drug-testing supplies at NU’s fraternity and sorority chapters. “SAGE serves as a resource for members of Greek life as well as the entirety of Northwestern,” the SAGE spokesperson wrote. “We will
strive to spread awareness about these instances of sexual violence, and use these conversations to keep working towards our mission.” For some students, the report was disheartening to hear about and difficult to process. A Bienen first-year, who requested anonymity due to privacy concerns, said the increase of reported rape, stalking and dating violence at NU merited a response from the University administration and campus organizations, especially for women or people in marginalized communities who have historically been more vulnerable to sexual violence. “I feel like it’s something that we hear about in the news so frequently right now, especially,” they said. “I’m looking for a response, because you unfortunately expect that there will be some level of that, but you hope that there will be an administrative action taken against it.” A University spokesperson did not respond
to The Daily’s requests for comment from the Northwestern University Police Department and Northwestern’s Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness. The Bienen first-year said they hope Greek life organizations at NU will make statements on their future initiatives in light of the report’s content. Several NU fraternity and sorority chapters have posted statements to their Instagram accounts condemning the recent allegations of gang-rape at Cornell and acknowledging the statistics in the University’s security report. Weinberg sophomore Ayla Mushtaq, a Greek life member, said she was shocked at the increase of rape, stalking and dating violence reports on campus. However, she said she was not in disbelief. “Unfortunately, as safe as we may feel on campus, these things can happen, from people you know and people you trust,” she said.
NUGW RALLY From page 1
universities could attempt to undermine the security and benefits protected under graduate workers’ previous contracts. “MIT has also attempted to remove their union security article and replace it with open shop, which would threaten to undermine the union’s powers for years to come and, ultimately, its very existence,” Clifford said. “We must assume that Northwestern will try to do the same and we must be prepared to defend our own contract.” An “open shop” refers to a place of employment where union membership is not required as a condition of hiring or continued employment. Unions have criticized open shop policies, which they say prevent them from controlling their contracts and allow businesses to worsen labor conditions. In NUGW’s first contract, the union was granted agency shop, which means that union membership is not required to be employed, but all employees pay union dues as the union acts as an agent on non-union members’ behalf. “Northwestern is committed to supporting, mentoring and preparing graduate students for future success,” a University spokesperson said in a Sunday statement to The Daily. “We look forward to a productive negotiation of the next contract.” Joseph Rathke (Weinberg ’21), the campus chief steward at the University of Chicago’s Graduate Students United, reiterated how graduate unions could
File illustration by Emily Lichty NUGW member speeches included criticism of the University’s 2024 changes to Chicago Transit Authority 201 access.
learn from each other, explaining that GSU members stood in solidarity with NUGW members. “Our lawyer came to us with our strike pledge, and they said, ‘What will get you to settle?’” Rathke said. “We looked at our lawyer, and we said, ‘Give us what Northwestern has.’” NUGW member speeches included criticism of the University’s 2024 changes to Chicago Transit Authority 201 access, the lack of financial support for graduate workers with children and low pay for graduate workers given the University’s endowments and revenue from tuition.
Legal studies Prof. Jesse Yeh, a member of United Academics of Northwestern University, and Spanish and Portuguese Prof. Jorge Coronado, president of NU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, also spoke at the rally. “We are looking to build a union because we understand that only by standing united – faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, postdocs, administrative staff, service workers, only when we all stand united – can we rebuild a higher education that we deserve,” Yeh said.
Mushtaq said she spoke to her friends and family about the report’s statistics. As a young woman, she noted her social circle was concerned that this was happening on campus, and that she and her friends were “looking out for each other.” Mushtaq said she believes community support is important in condemning sexual violence and spreading access to sexual violence resources. She also said she was glad to see different Greek organizations put out statements on both topics. “I hope that people continue to have empathy and be able to engage in conversations and discourse about this in a constructive way,” she said. “I think that it’s really important that these things are talked about.” Clara B. Freeth contributed reporting. x.tran@dailynorthwestern.com
On Sept. 24, Yeh and over 100 other non-tenure eligible and adjunct faculty members gathered at The Rock to announce their intent to form a union. At the faculty rally, Yeh said he thought the University would not respect faculty outside of the structure of a union. In his speech, Yeh added that universities continued to employ non-tenure eligible faculty, “who are cheaper, who are more disposable, who take on more workload and who have less academic freedom protection,” despite the rising costs of college degrees. “The Board of Trustees is not the University,” Coronado said in the rally’s final speech. “We are the University.” Petitions in hand, attendees then marched to the Rebecca Crown Center, chanting “Up, up with compensation, down, down with exploitation.” Several police officers were waiting when they reached the office. “Northwestern is committed to supporting, mentoring and preparing graduate students for future success,” a University spokesperson said in a statement to The Daily. “We look forward to a productive negotiation of the next contract.” Attendees delivered the documents that demanded protection for international coworkers to Jeremy Schenk, the associate vice president for operations and services in the Division of Student Affairs. “What they’re afraid of and what gets movement from them is not the paper, is not even the names on the paper, necessarily, but rather the people who show up to deliver it,” Clifford said. x.tran@dailynorthwestern.com
WEEKLY CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Ten for twelve? 10. In literary terms, when the brick house refuses to fall in the children’s story “The Three Little Pigs” 11. March Through the ___, Northwestern University tradition for first-year students 13. Mark the limits of 14. Before 16. Reverberation-controlled gain, abbr. 18. ___, Crackle, and Pop in the cereal aisle? 19. Chomp down on a point in a listicle? 24. Manuel ___ Morel, Argentine professional volleyball player and outside hitter for the Argen tina national team 25. River North restaurant known for serving comfort food and cocktails from around the world 26. Yes, enthusiastically, on a pirate ship 28. Historic British record label now owned by Universal Music Group known for signing artists including Kate Bush and Iron Maiden. 29. 17th letter of the Greek alphabet used in sci ence to represent densities 30. “ ___ for Me,” ballad from the 2019 Broad way musical Hadestown 31. Firstborn son of Adam and Eve 32. Basic cardiology procedure performed to test if the heart is beating 33. Punch the bag? 39. Manufactured good for sale 41. Woodwind instrument featuring a double reed, constructed similarly to a bassoon 42. ___ Cain, American singer-songwriter best known for her 2022 album, “Preacher’s Daughter” 43. “ ___ ___” 1984 holiday song by Wham! which was famously covered by Ariana Grande 45. Boba ___, Star Wars bounty hunter known for never removing his helmet 46. Brain imaging technology that provides scans of deep tissue 48. American rock band which won Breakthrough Artist at the 2026 BRIT Awards 51. Electronic trading platform founded in 1992 and now owned by Morgan Stanley 55. Art ___, style of arts and architecture most prominent from the 1920s to the early 1930s characterized by the use of chrome plating and
stainless steel 56. A merchants’ association 57. Fall off the boarding dock? DOWN 1.Beer brewed using warm fermentation 2. Statistical property that indicates the likeli hood of individuals from different groups to respond to a stimulus differently, abbr. 3. What might be said about a groovy tune or sick outfit? 4. “Oh ___”, what might be said after a tough loss 5. Put forth effort 6. American singer and songwriter of albums “Voodoo” and “Black Messiah” known as a pioneer of the neo-soul movement 7. Zip __ zop, game often played in Drama class 8. Make a mistake 9. 2009 Police show spin-off set in a California city 10. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, abbr. 12. Heinz sauce made with sriracha sauce and honey 15. Increases in a country’s cost of money 17. Stylish 19. If you fall off of a horse, you might ___ ___ ___? 20. Permanently relocated to a new country 21. Might be found in a maze or on a human head? 22. Tavern or saloon 23. American money, abbr. 27. Form of address from an older man towards a boy 30. Broadcast radio station based out of St. Louis dating back to 1922, making it the oldest radio station West of the Mississippi 31. Iconic Nintendo video game character, featuring a yellow feline outfit 34. International Olympic Committee, abbr. 35. To be honest, over text 36. Torture 37. Elder sibling of the “spare” 38. Mathematical collection of elements 40. To hold in high regard 44. Military blockade of a city intended to force surrender 47. He is, abbr.
49. ___-fi, genre of aliens and time travel 50. Company of egg-shaped lip balm 52. Where one might take a bath 53. In the manner or style of, in French 54. Insecticide infamous for its negative environmental and health impacts, which was banned agriculturally worldwide in 2004
CHECK YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE QR CODE Crossword by Maryclare Nestor
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
19
Isadora Urio Fernandes/The Daily Northwestern OOFIE, a store selling vintage kids’ clothing, is one of the 11 local businesses in Space to Place’s inaugural cohort.
SPACE TO PLACE From page 1
“expensive” to operate on its own. “To come down with other like-minded business owners, you can share a cost and share a risk,” Wynn said. Ashleigh Siegel, owner of The Dandy Shop, which sells hand-drawn greeting cards and other handmade products, said Space to Place allows local vendors to “see how it goes with the lower risk.” The initiative, Siegel said, also offers mentorship to help local business owners develop leadership and negotiation skills — things she said entrepreneurs can’t gain if they start by “diving into it alone.”
ICE AGENT From page 1
ground by the agents, an EPD spokesperson said in a Sept. 20 news release. In 911 audio obtained by The Daily, a scuffle can be heard where the man asks the agents to stop. He then tells the agents that he is “a f—ing U.S. citizen.” “That’s all you had to say,” one agent responds. “Why didn’t you say that to begin with?” One EPD officer, who photographed the man in a St. Francis Hospital emergency room, wrote that nurses “advised that he was injured after a physical
Michelle Millan, one of the owners of Dandelion Coffee Bar, said she used to come to Bookman’s Alley with her children when Bookends & Beginnings was located there. The opening of Space to Place this weekend, Millan said, “feels very permanent.” “We’re all kind of reminiscing about space and how wonderful it is that it’s being used for this purpose, and I think it’s a really wonderful concept. I think it’s really gonna do well.” Space To Place will run through Dec. 31 and will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. i. fernandes@dailynorthwestern.com
altercation with ICE.” The incident sparked outcry from community activists. A spokesperson for activist group Sanctuary Evanston called it a “violent assault” in a Sept. 21 statement. On Monday, The Daily asked ICE to confirm Rivas’ identity. A spokesperson for the agency wrote Monday they would “never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers.” “Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk,” the spokesperson stated. r.ottignon@dailyorthwestern.com
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
20
SPORTS SOFTBALL
Wildcats kick off fall season at brand new stadium Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern
By ANAVI PRAKASH
editor in chief
Northwestern Trustee Kip Kirkpatrick (Weinberg ’94, Kellogg ’97) threw out the first pitch in NU softball’s Kirkpatrick Stadium on Saturday, opening his and his wife Sara Kirkpatrick’s namesake stadium. Supporters came out in numbers for the Wildcats’ first battle on home turf since the 2025 season, an exhibition game against Bradley that NU won 4-0. The ’Cats played their 2026 home games in Rosemont, Illinois, about a half-hour drive from Evanston, due to ongoing stadium construction. NU first announced plans for the more than $20 million stadium in March 2024, following a $5 million donation from the Kirkpatricks, which kickstarted a fundraising drive for the project. The stadium’s dedication ceremony was Sept. 18, where the Kirkpatricks, coach Kate Drohan, President Mung Chiang and Athletic Director Mark Jackson cut the ribbon to open the new ballpark. While the stadium has a new name, the pitch itself remains the Sharon J. Drysdale Field, named in 2001 when the NFCA Hall of Fame Coach retired. At the Sept. 8, 2025 City Council meeting, where stadium construction was approved, former infielder Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern
Alex Boyko/The Daily Northwestern
Kansas Robinson (SESP ’26) emphasized the new ballpark’s importance for future generations of female athletes in Evanston. “It’s about giving younger athletes the facilities and opportunities they deserve and making sure the little girls who dream of wearing purple and white one day have a program that you’d be proud of,” Robinson said. Several attendees described the opening game on Saturday as “remarkable,” according to an Instagram Reel posted by former catcher and outfielder Abby Harvey (SPS ’25), a current Medill MSJ student. The word draws on coach Kate Drohan’s motto, “Be remarkable,” inspired by Seth Godin’s “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.” Kirkpatrick Stadium is the latest of new NU sports facilities to open, after the football program’s Ryan Field hosted its first game the day prior. The stadium’s revamp is also the largest renovation to the ballpark since 2006, which saw the addition of new outfield turf, permanent seating and sunken dugouts. The ’Cats’ new home opened several months later than its anticipated spring 2026 opening. Construction began in September 2025 after City Council gave unanimous approval to go ahead with the rebuild at its Sept. 8, 2025 meeting. Councilmembers had previously delayed the vote over concerns around installing permanent stadium lights. “It’s a cool venue with a lot of personality,” Drohan told Inside NU on Saturday. “Our architects did a tremendous job of capturing the personality of our program, the history of our program and built a venue that could really celebrate our community.” The new stadium’s permanent lights mark an important addition for the ’Cats, who were forced to end a tied game against Notre Dame in April 2025 as they were unable to play in darkness. Before the rebuild, the stadium only had temporary lights when Drysdale Field hosted the 2014 Big Ten Tournament and NCAA regional games in 2019, 2022 and 2023. The stadium also includes a new grandstand with more than 1,300 seats compared to the previous 800, new dugouts and locker rooms, a dedicated space for tailgates and gatherings as well as improved ADA accessibility. After their exhibition game victory, ’Cats players signed opening day posters for fans on the field. NU’s inaugural season in Kirkpatrick Stadium is also Drohan’s 26th campaign with the team and 25th as head coach. Drohan is the team’s longest tenured coach, having led the ’Cats to 18 NCAA tournaments, five of the team’s 10 Big Ten Championship wins and three appearances in the Women’s College World Series. From 2022-2024, the team won three back-to-back Big Ten Championships for just the second time in program history. Last season, the ’Cats fell 11-5 to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017. Although the program graduated four ’Cats last year, 2026 First Team All-Big Ten honorees senior catcher Emma Raye and sophomore pitcher Marina Mason are key returners looking to lead the team. “We want to live up to the expectations on every level with this program because they represent what’s best in college softball,” Jackson told Inside NU on Saturday. “We’re going to think big. Why not us? Let’s go win a national championship.” NU plays its next game of fall ball at Kirkpatrick Stadium on Friday against Loyola. Alex Boyko, Marisa Guerra Echeverria and Audrey Pachuta contributed reporting. a.prakash@dailynorthwestern.com