8
The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM Find us online @thedailynu Wednesday, October 24, 2012 SPORTS Basketball Fresh faces look to boost NU’s tournament hopes » PAGE 8 NU ranks again on renewable energy use list » PAGE 5 High 75 Low 61 OPINION Jaro Education reform far from simple » PAGE 4 Serving the University and Evanston since 1881 INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Forum 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8 ‘Not about left or right’ By PATRICK SVITEK daily senior staffer Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker urged Northwestern students Tuesday night to embrace the “conspiracy of love,” offering a nonpartisan respite from one of the most politically charged times of the year. “We are here because of the fortitude, fierceness and faith of the people who came before us,” Booker told about 150 students in Cahn Auditorium. “ere’s a lot of politics, swirl and noise at the moment, but the question always has to come back to, ‘What am I going to do?” Booker acknowledged that College Democrats brought him to campus and he has been “literally forgetting” where he is amid a packed schedule stumping for President Barack Obama. But Booker promised to steer clear of politics. “No side has a monopoly on ideas,” he said. “It’s not about leſt or right. It’s not about red or blue. It’s about moving this country forward and the red, white and blue.” Booker outlined his rise as one of the country’s most high-profile mayors and a Democratic star-in-waiting, starting with his parents’ reminders to count his bless- ings. He said their “conspiracy of love” evokes his father’s blunt advice: “Son, don’t By CIARA MCCARTHY the daily northwestern Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle proposed a county tax on guns and bullets as part of the 2013 budget Thursday. The tax would charge an addi- tional five cents for every bullet sold and an additional $25 for every gun sold. Preckwinkle presented the proposal in an effort to earn more money for the county amidst a sig- nificant deficit and as a way to stem a recent apparent increase in gun violence. Larry Suffredin, the Cook County commissioner for the 13th district, which includes Evanston, sponsored the tax. The revenues can recoup some of the county’s costs of gun- related incidents, Suffredin said. Suffredin said gun violence has a significant impact on Cook County hospitals and courts. On average, acute trauma care for a shooting victim costs $52,000, Preckwinkle said in her budget address. According to the county board’s budget recommendation, the gun and bullet taxes are estimated to generate $1 million in the 2013 fis- cal year. The recent shooting death of 14-year-old Evanston Township High School student Dajae Coleman brought attention to the issue of gun control in Evanston. “The violence in Cook County is devastat- ing and the wide avail- ability of ammunition only exac- erbates the problem,” Preckwinkle said. In Chi- cago, 30 percent of guns used in crimes were initially pur- chased from Cook County gun shops, said Col- leen Daley, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. The Illinois State Rifle Asso- ciation, however, has voiced strong opposition to the tax. Richard Pearson, the association’s executive director, said the tax would drive gun and bullet sales outside of the county. Pearson added that the tax would also punish law-abiding gun owners instead of those respon- sible for gun violence. Suffredin said the tax will create a rift between lawful gun owners and gang members. “It’s lawful gun owners who buys these guns originally and then some- how get them to the gangbangers. What we’ve got to do is put obstacles in their way,” he said. If the tax passes, Pearson said, the ISRA will consider filing a suit against the county. Suffredin said there’s enough support on the board for the gun and bullet tax. “I don’t think we’re putting any kind of a burden on any legitimate citizen, and the State Rifle Associa- tion will fight anything because they really don’t care about humanity,” Suffredin said. The 2013 budget will be open to several public hearings as well as departmental reviews before the final version is passed Nov. 16. Local Evanston anti-violence ini- tiatives include a developing gun buyback program, a project spear- headed by the West Evanston Stra- tegic Team and city officials. The program proposes eventually paying gun owners $100 per firearm. [email protected] Budget includes proposed tax on bullets, guns Revamped center plans move ahead By INA YANG daily senior staffer Aſter lengthy negotiations and collaborative planning between Evanston and Northwestern, the approved visitors center construc- tion plan now reflects the needs of both while following city codes and regulations. roughout the process of gaining city support for the center, Univer- sity officials addressed various con- cerns from Evanston’s Preservation Commission and ordinary citizens ranging from migratory bird colli- sions and “obtrusive lighting that may possibly affect the current night skyline.” The University was originally denied a certificate of appropriate- ness by the city’s Preservation Com- mission last Tuesday. Evanston alder- men received the University’s appeal Monday and passed the motion with a 6-2 vote. Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) and Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) voted against the appeal, while Ald. Coleen Burrus (9th) abstained because she is a university employee. “e University is very apprecia- tive of the council taking the time to listen carefully to the University’s proposal and voting to approve it,” NU spokesman Al Cubbage said. e commission’s main concerns referred to the center’s height, loca- tion and impact on Fisk Hall, one of a dozen landmark buildings on the same lot as the proposed center. Ronald Nayler, NU’s vice presi- dent for facilities management, responded to these concerns and other resident complaints on behalf of the University in a letter dated Oct. 16 to the Preservation Commis- sion. e note was attached to NU’s appeal application to city council. In the letter, Naylor states that the height of the new visitors cen- ter is compatible with the height of the campus buildings to which it is visibly related. Regarding architec- tural concerns, Nayler stressed that buildings on campus are of varying architectural styles and that the new visitors center, along with the new Music and Communications build- ing, will serve as “a gateway to the modern campus.” Nayler also directly answered let- ters received from the community. In response to claims that the new visitors center would be too tall for an Evanston historical district, Nay- lor said the structure would be six stories tall, which would not violate the city’s restriction on building heights. He added that the proposed building location is not in a histori- cal district. Because residents were con- cerned about construction disrupt- ing local birds, NU worked closely with the Audubon Society and local bird club members to improve the designs. The east and north facades will have no glass and the south and west facades will utilize a “bird- friendly” glass. Cubbage emphasized the impor- tance of the “state-of-the-art cen- ter” for admission, noting the center Bernard Wen/The Daily Northwestern POLITICS ASIDE Newark,N.J., Mayor Cory Booker speaks to students in Cahn Auditorium on Tuesday evening. Booker addressed his evolution from mayor to rising Democratic star, but stressed nonpartisan industriousness. How Much Do Guns Cost Cook County? 29% of illegal guns in crimes were purchased legally 70% of victims don’t have insurance 670 shooting victims last year $52,000 for a shooting victim cost of acute trama care » See BOOKER, page 6 » See VISITORS CENTER, page 6 The violence in Cook County is devastating and the wide availability of ammunition … exacerbates the problem. Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County board president Infographic by Michell Kim/The Daily Northwestern County aims to take edge off budget deficit, curb street violence Booker tells students to doggedly pursue dreams

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Page 1: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

The Daily NorthwesternDAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM Find us online @thedailynuWednesday, October 24, 2012

SPORTS BasketballFresh faces look to boost NU’s

tournament hopes » PAGE 8

NU ranks again onrenewable energy use list

» PAGE 5High 75Low 61

OPINION JaroEducation reform far

from simple » PAGE 4

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881 INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Forum 4 | Classi� eds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8

‘Not about left or right’By PATRICK SVITEKdaily senior staffer

Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker urged Northwestern students Tuesday night to embrace the “conspiracy of love,” o� ering a nonpartisan respite from one of the most politically charged times of the year.

“We are here because of the fortitude, � erceness and faith of the people who

came before us,” Booker told about 150 students in Cahn Auditorium. “� ere’s a lot of politics, swirl and noise at the moment, but the question always has to come back to, ‘What am I going to do?”

Booker acknowledged that College Democrats brought him to campus and he has been “literally forgetting” where he is amid a packed schedule stumping for President Barack Obama. But Booker promised to steer clear of politics.

“No side has a monopoly on ideas,” he

said. “It’s not about le or right. It’s not about red or blue. It’s about moving this country forward and the red, white and blue.”

Booker outlined his rise as one of the country’s most high-pro� le mayors and a Democratic star-in-waiting, starting with his parents’ reminders to count his bless-ings. He said their “conspiracy of love” evokes his father’s blunt advice: “Son, don’t

By CIARA MCCARTHYthe daily northwestern

Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle proposed a county tax on guns and bullets as part of the 2013 budget Thursday.

The tax would charge an addi-tional five cents for every bullet sold and an additional $25 for every gun sold. Preckwinkle presented the proposal in an effort to earn more money for the county amidst a sig-nificant deficit and as a way to stem a recent apparent increase in gun violence.

Larry Suffredin, the Cook County commissioner for the 13th district, which includes Evanston, sponsored the tax. The revenues can recoup some of the county’s costs of gun-related incidents, Suffredin said.

Suffredin said gun violence has a significant impact on Cook County hospitals and courts. On average, acute trauma care for a shooting victim costs $52,000, Preckwinkle said in her budget address.

According to the county board’s budget recommendation, the gun

and bullet taxes are estimated to generate $1 million in the 2013 fis-cal year.

The recent shooting death of 14-year-old Evanston Township High School student Dajae Coleman brought attention to the issue of gun control in Evanston.

“The violence in Cook County is devastat-ing and the wide avail-abi l i ty of ammunition only exac-erbates the problem,” Preckwinkle said.

In Chi-c a g o, 3 0 percent of guns used in crimes were initially pur-chased from

Cook County gun shops, said Col-leen Daley , executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence .

The Illinois State Rifle Asso-ciation , however, has voiced strong opposition to the tax.

Richard Pearson , the association’s executive director, said the tax would

drive gun and bullet sales outside of the county. Pearson added that the tax would also punish law-abiding gun owners instead of those respon-sible for gun violence.

Suffredin said the tax will create a rift between lawful gun owners and gang members.

“It’s lawful gun owners who buys these guns originally and then some-how get them to the gangbangers. What we’ve got to do is put obstacles in their way,” he said.

If the tax passes, Pearson said, the ISRA will consider filing a suit against the county. Suffredin said there’s enough support on the board for the gun and bullet tax.

“I don’t think we’re putting any kind of a burden on any legitimate citizen, and the State Rifle Associa-tion will fight anything because they really don’t care about humanity,” Suffredin said.

The 2013 budget will be open to several public hearings as well as departmental reviews before the final version is passed Nov. 16.

Local Evanston anti-violence ini-tiatives include a developing gun buyback program, a project spear-headed by the West Evanston Stra-tegic Team and city officials. The program proposes eventually paying gun owners $100 per firearm.

[email protected]

Budget includes proposed tax on bullets, guns

Revamped center plans move aheadBy INA YANGdaily senior staffer

A er lengthy negotiations and collaborative planning between Evanston and Northwestern, the approved visitors center construc-tion plan now re� ects the needs of both while following city codes and regulations.

� roughout the process of gaining city support for the center, Univer-sity o� cials addressed various con-cerns from Evanston’s Preservation Commission and ordinary citizens ranging from migratory bird colli-sions and “obtrusive lighting that may possibly a� ect the current night skyline.”

The University was originally denied a certi� cate of appropriate-ness by the city’s Preservation Com-mission last Tuesday. Evanston alder-men received the University’s appeal Monday and passed the motion with a 6-2 vote. Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) and Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) voted against the appeal, while Ald. Coleen Burrus (9th) abstained because she is a university employee.

“� e University is very apprecia-tive of the council taking the time to listen carefully to the University’s proposal and voting to approve it,” NU spokesman Al Cubbage said.

� e commission’s main concerns referred to the center’s height, loca-tion and impact on Fisk Hall, one of a dozen landmark buildings on the same lot as the proposed center.

Ronald Nayler, NU’s vice presi-dent for facilities management,

responded to these concerns and other resident complaints on behalf of the University in a letter dated Oct. 16 to the Preservation Commis-sion. � e note was attached to NU’s appeal application to city council.

In the letter, Naylor states that the height of the new visitors cen-ter is compatible with the height of the campus buildings to which it is visibly related. Regarding architec-tural concerns, Nayler stressed that buildings on campus are of varying architectural styles and that the new visitors center, along with the new Music and Communications build-ing, will serve as “a gateway to the modern campus.”

Nayler also directly answered let-ters received from the community. In response to claims that the new visitors center would be too tall for an Evanston historical district, Nay-lor said the structure would be six stories tall, which would not violate the city’s restriction on building heights. He added that the proposed building location is not in a histori-cal district.

Because residents were con-cerned about construction disrupt-ing local birds, NU worked closely with the Audubon Society and local bird club members to improve the designs. The east and north facades will have no glass and the south and west facades will utilize a “bird-friendly” glass.

Cubbage emphasized the impor-tance of the “state-of-the-art cen-ter” for admission, noting the center

Bernard Wen/The Daily Northwestern

POLITICS ASIDE Newark,N.J., Mayor Cory Booker speaks to students in Cahn Auditorium on Tuesday evening. Booker addressed his evolution from mayor to rising Democratic star, but stressed nonpartisan industriousness.

How Much Do GunsCost Cook County?

29%of illegal guns in crimeswere purchased legally

70%of victims don’thave insurance

670shooting victims

last year

$52,000for a shooting victim

cost of acute trama care

» See BOOKER, page 6 » See VISITORS CENTER, page 6

“The

violence in Cook County is devastating and the wide availability of ammunition … exacerbates the problem.Toni Preckwinkle,Cook County board president

Infographic by Michell Kim/The Daily Northwestern

County aims to take edge o� budget de� cit, curb street violence

Booker tells students to doggedly pursue dreams

Page 2: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

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Check out dAilyNOrthwEstErN.COM for breaking news

Around Town2 NEWS | ThE DAILy NORThWESTERN WEDNESDAy, OCTObER 24, 2012

Are you ready to venture where others fear to go?

Lost Eras 1511 W. Howard(773) 764-7400

50,0

00@medillschool

fall lectures

10.25.2012 @ 4 p.m.THE GERTRUDE AND G.D. CRAIN JR. LECTURE SERIES: The Gertrude and G.D. Crain Jr. Lecture Series: Medill Associate Professor Douglas Foster will discuss his new book, “After Mandela: The Struggle for Freedom in Post-Apartheid South Africa.”

EVAN SMITH11.1.2012 @ 4 p.m.THE GERTRUDE AND G.D. CRAIN JR. LECTURE SERIES: Smith, co-founder, editor-in-chief and CEO of the Texas Tribune, will speak on “Three Years in the Non-Profi t News Trenches: What We’ve Learned.”

*All lectures held in the McCormick Tribune Center Forum

AUTHOR, MEDILL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

DOUGLAS FOSTER

THIS WEEK

Flower Bike traverses Evanston

By SuSan Dudaily senior staffer

Some days when the streets of downtown Evan-ston are flooded with rush-hour traffic, My Huynh, 23, squeezes through towing a wooden cart over-laden with flowers on the back of her bike.

“I think it’s awesome watching people stare at you, and watching their reaction,” Huynh said. “It’s just so fun, because you don’t really see flower bikes around. This is first one I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s unique. It’s just positivity all around.”

The recent DePaul University graduate crunches numbers as an accountant during the day, but from 5 to 8:30 p.m. she operates The Flower Bike, a mobile flower shop that travels throughout Evan-ston. Customers can receive daily updates on the whereabouts of the bike via Facebook.

The Flower Bike opened July 14 and is now wrapping up its first season. Reflecting on the past few months of selling bouquets to strangers on street corners, Huynh said business is solid despite the operation’s micro scale — and perhaps because of it.

“Like in any business you’re going to lose money

the first two years, because you invest so much in the tablet and the cart and the workers and stuff, but after a while, once you start figuring out the trends – like the best time to sell is when rush hour is – that’s when you start picking it up and start making a profit out of it,” she said.

Huynh said The Flower Bike is a safe business investment suited to the tough economic climate of recent years because a license to operate a small retail cart is only approximately $50 a year, as opposed to the thousands of dollars a month physi-cal downtown storefronts require. Employees work only three- or four-hour shifts, further minimal-izing operational costs.

“Even if it fails, which I hope it doesn’t, it’s not a great (financial) loss,” Huynh said. “It’s small risk.”

The Flower Bike will wrap up sales when it becomes too cold to operate, likely in mid-No-vember. Its stock ranges in price from $2 to $20, so its customer base is just as varied.

Evanston resident Arlene Sunkel (Medill ’56) was taking a post-dinner stroll with her husband Tuesday evening when she decided she just “needed a flower” after running into the cart. She chose a purple spider mum for $2.

“I love it,” she said of The Flower Bike’s presence in downtown Evanston. “It’s sort of refreshing to have something like this. I’m glad the city allows it.”

Jusef Wofford, 26, paid $15 for a bouquet in honor of a “really pretty” girl’s birthday. He said

he just wants to show his friend that people can do nice things for each other, and that he was attracted to The Flower Bike because he received a certain positive vibe from it.

“I saw (the cart) and it gave me the idea to get some flowers,” Wofford said. “Something just tells me they’ve got to be good people if they have this whole thing – they have flowers and an umbrella and some nice wheels there. There’s something good going on here.”

[email protected]

Evanston resident tased, charged with resisting police officer

The Evanston Police Department arrested a 36-year-old Evanston resident Sunday in the 2300 block of Foster Street after responding to a domestic dispute.

EPD was told the resident may have had a knife, Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. Officers forced entry at the location to make contact with the

resident, who resisted and was later tased by police. The resident was arrested, taken into cus-tody and charged with aggravated assault and resisting a police officer

The resident’s court date is set for Oct. 31.

Electronics stolen during daytime residential burglary

A 25-year-old Evanston resident found her

apartment in the 1100 block of Ashland Ave-nue broken into between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday.

An unlocked rear window is the suspected point of entry of the burglar. Items taken include a laptop computer, a flat screen TV and a digital camera, Parrott said.

– Ina Yang

Susan Du/Daily Senior Staffer

FlOwErs Flower bike operator Mya huynh says she sells blooms part-time “for fun,” to meet strangers and hear their stories.

Mobile flower cart finishes blooming first season selling sprigs to strangers

Police Blotter

Page 3: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

On CampusIt would become a new form of insurance under the Affordable Care Act ... funded by public money.

— Elmer Abbo, SimpleHx founder and University of Chicago professor

“ ” Kellogg students may start first Illinois health co-op Page 6

wednesday, october 24, 2012 the daily northwestern | news 3

ORDER yourNU Yearbookon CAESAR

Welcome to another year of hard work and harder play

at NU. If you promise to make it as eventful as the last,

we'll be sure to capture all your candid faces on film.

ORDER YOUR GLOSSY, PRINTED SYLLABUS

YEARBOOK NOW & SAVE $5!

Just log on to your CAESAR account, go to

For Students > Enrollment > Syllabus Yearbook Order.

Don't forget!

For questions & all things YEARBOOK email [email protected]

Welcome to another year of hard work and harder play at

NU. If you promise to make it as eventful as the last, we'll

be sure to capture all your candid faces on film.

ORDER YOUR GLOSSY, PRINTED SYLLABUS

YEARBOOK NOW & SAVE $5!

Just log on to your CAESAR account, go to For Students >

Enrollment > Syllabus Yearbook Order. Don't forget!

It's going to be a beautiful year, Cat People.

SYLLABUS 2012will help you remember it!

For questions & all things YEARBOOK, go to www.NUSyllabus.com

Construction delays Frontera Fresco opening

One Book speaker: Chicago should welcome immigrants

By Junnie kwonthe daily northwestern

The grand opening of Frontera Fresco at Nor-ris University Center has been pushed back to November.

Northwestern announced in September that the quick-serve Mexican restaurant was to open in October. Unforeseen construction setbacks have caused the one-month delay.

“We are nearing the completion of the project,” said Steve Mangan, resident district manager of nuCuisine. “With most construction projects there are challenges that pop up that delay progress.”

Walls used to keep dirt and dust inside the work site are concealing most of construction,

leading some students to question the amount of progress. Mangan said he encourages curious students to view the site from the east windows, which offer an unobstructed view.

NuCuisine has not determined a specific day for the much-anticipated opening but plans to schedule the big reveal with Rick Bayless, the well-known Chicago chef and Frontera Fresco owner, Mangan said.

“Rick Bayless’ schedule is very busy,” he said. “He will be making an appearance on campus ... we will have details on that event in the coming weeks.”

Frontera Fresco’s staff will consist of current and new employees.

[email protected]

By Jamie Lovegrovethe daily northwestern

Adolfo Hernandez, the director of Chicago’s Office for New Americans, spoke to North-western students and Evanston community members Tuesday evening about his efforts to make Chicago the “most immigrant-friendly city in the world.”

The Global Languages Initiative and One Book One Northwestern co-sponsored the event, which attracted about 70 people.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Hernandez to the newly created position last December with the intention of putting Chicago at the forefront of immigration reform, Hernandez said.

Hernandez also discussed his own personal background. He was born and raised in Chi-cago’s Little Village and also spent some time on a corn and bean farm in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“Everyone here comes from very different places, and that is what makes a city like Chi-cago incredibly special,” Hernandez said. “No matter where you are in the city, you get this cultural vibrancy. In Chicago it is very clear that immigrants contribute to our society.”

Hernandez noted in particular that Chicago immigrants are 30 percent more likely to start a small business than other citizens.

He said he believes that attracting immi-grants and pushing for immigration reform is “not only the right thing to do from a values perspective, but also the right thing to do from an economic perspective.”

Medill Prof. Jack Doppelt introduced Her-nandez. He also discussed Harold Washington, a former Chicago mayor, and his defiant advo-cacy for immigrant rights in the face of other politicians who tried to limit them.

“It is in Chicago’s blood to be friendly to immigrants,” Doppelt said.

Weinberg freshman Bryan Huebner, who

is from California, said he attended the event because he is not as familiar with the unique situation of immigrants in Chicago and wanted to learn more about the topic.

He said he was particularly interested in some of the new programs Hernandez’s office plans on introducing, such as Chicago New Americans, which would create a path of citi-zenship for eligible immigrants.

“I think he gave me a good general idea about the city,” Huebner said. “It gave me a great starting point so that if I do want to do more research and figure out more about the specifics of these programs.”

Penny Nichols and Katrin Voelkner, co-chairs of the NU Global Languages Initiative, organized the event in conjunction with One Book One Northwestern.

“You can’t talk about Chicago, neighborhoods and ethnicity without talking about languages, and that’s what the Global Languages Initia-tive is doing,” said Nichols, a professor in the

Department of Spanish and Portuguese. “Immi-gration is one of the themes we are pursuing this year, and (Adolfo) is wonderful, vibrant, articulate and really just very impressive.”

Following the lecture, Hernandez took audi-ence questions ranging from the relative absence of immigration debate in the 2012 presidential cycle to issues surrounding detained young immigrants or asylum seekers.

Hernandez emphasized the importance of getting his message out to people who are not as familiar with immigrant issues, including those who might view immigrants as a threat.

“We’re in the city of Chicago where a lot of people understand why this is important,” Her-nandez told The Daily following the talk. “Part of what I view as our responsibility is to advo-cate for immigrants wherever we can around the city and around the country.”

[email protected]

Mariam Gomaa/daily senior staffer

not so fast food norris University center’s Frontera Fresco is still under construction, despite official estimates that it would be ready in october. the restaurant should now open in november.

Page 4: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

I’ll admit that when I prepared my first draft for this column, I thought that my points would be easy to make: weaken teachers’ unions, increase funding for charter schools that deal primarily with the weakest students and strengthen community colleges. It turns out that in some ways, these points are valid. However, a closer examination of the empirical evidence and the underlying economics of education suggest that I should have given more respect to the complexity of the issues.

Counterintuitive to traditional economic logic, teachers’ unions seem to positively influence student outcomes for average students. Moreover, the per-formance of charter schools is spotty; while some perform very well, others are notorious for being well below the standards of other public schools in the same district. What exactly causes the results to defy my initial expectations of how education should work?

There is a lot of furor over teachers’ unions because it’s easy to make a connection between auto-makers’ struggles with United Auto Workers and believe that the same thing is happening in public education. In a cover article, The Economist even went so far as to say that teachers’ unions have done more to harm social mobility than modern finance.

Their claim seems questionable: Think-tank studies ranging from the Cato Institute to the National Council on Teacher Quality show that there is a roughly 3 percent increase in standard-ized test scores for average students with unionized teachers as well as a 5 percent increase in teacher employment in unionized districts.

There are two key facts that separate teachers’ unions from auto workers’ unions. First, public schools have a lot of market power because they tend to be the primary employer of teachers, whereas there are multiple automakers available. Second, due to the use of professional skills in teach-ing jobs, unionization allows for standardization of teaching methods and gives a medium from which to pick best practices. Moreover, teachers’ unions have traditionally resisted performance pay and removal of tenure, both of which have been linked to better student outcomes. A key result is that students who are either very high or low performers benefit from non-unionized teachers, making policy even more complicated.

In the same vein, charter schools are very suc-cessful at dealing with students who are more disadvantaged as well as those from large, urban areas. Mathematica, a policy research company, demonstrated these findings by tracking 36 charter middle schools across 15 states with a variety of student backgrounds. While traditionally disad-vantaged groups had a very large positive effect on student outcomes, those from upper middle class backgrounds had an equally large negative impact. Although there are many factors that should be taken into account, especially the effectiveness of the school board that administers the charter school, what works for one student doesn’t necessarily work for another.

The challenges in designing appropriate policy doesn’t stop at the secondary school level. Yesterday, my fellow columnist Joseph Misulonas pointed out that affirmative action at selective universities might be better designed by focusing primarily on socio-economic factors rather than racial ones.

However, students from lower income families have a graduation rate half that of their middle class peers not just because they lack the financial means

to finish, but also because they are underprepared for the rigors of college academics. A stronger community college system that focuses on training students for blue-collar jobs while providing a path to the four-year system, much like the one Califor-nia has, would serve the socioeconomically disad-vantaged better than the policies in place today.

On the other hand, community college reform can’t be a stand-alone policy. Rather, it must be accompanied by meaningful changes at the primary and secondary levels, such as graduate training in an educator’s subject area, merit-based pay and wider support for charter schools in historically disadvan-taged areas.

A bolder but unlikely policy would be to experi-ment with entire school districts by providing a progressive voucher system alongside largely priva-tized schools, allowing the most disadvantaged students to not only attend the school of choice but also access additional tutoring services.

The moral of the story is that our one-size-fits-all education system has been failing our students. Instead, we should adopt a best practices approach that matches our students’ needs with the resources at hand.

My first stab at this column was all about cheap platitudes and simple fixes to the American educa-tion system. The real world isn’t so kind. Parents and voters would do well to remember that the educa-tion system is incredibly complex precisely because of the diversity in backgrounds and learning styles we so cherish. Once again, the invisible hand of economics slapped me pretty hard. As usual, I never saw it coming.

Jan Jaro is a McCormick sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].

The Daily NorthwesternVolume 134, Issue 22

Editor in ChiefKaitlyn Jakola

Managing EditorsMarshall Cohen Michele Corriston Patrick Svitek

Forum EditorJoseph Diebold

Assistant Forum EditorsBlair Dunbar Arabella Watters

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to [email protected] or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office. Letters have the following requirements:• Should be typed and double-spaced• Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number.• Should be fewer than 300 wordsThey will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar. Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group.Editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily’s student editorial board and not the opinions of either Northwestern University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.

The Drawing Board by Heather Menefee

janjaroDAIly ColuMnIst

Letter to the Editor Education reform not straightforward

Every year, Wildcat Welcome greets Northwest-ern freshmen with a dizzying array of activities, new friends, and responses to the same three tired questions: name, major and hometown.

In London, these three questions still lead almost every conversation with other “freshers.” After finding out that a student is from the United States, however, they add a fourth: “Who are you voting for in the elections?”

Obviously, such questions are taboo in the U.S., to say the least. At NU, many students have only vague ideas about the political inclinations of their friends. A number of students have voiced frustra-tion over the campus’ lack of political involvement, despite the numerous publications. Even amid a voter-registration campaign that has gained national attention, NU’s culture has not changed to the point where oblique questions about deep-

seated philosophies are appropriate as a topic of introductory conversation.

To students at University College London, political questions are appropriate for a myriad of reasons. Freshman Jonny Pass pointed out that politics in England are markedly different than they are in the U.S. “Our politics are far more secular, and that removes a religious element,” he said. “Also, there are deep-seated and long-running divides and narratives in the U.S. that we just don’t have here. Labor and the Tories are far too similar in their policies to make much distinction between them.” For Pass, the fact that most politicians in the U.K. go to Eton and then Oxford, two of the nation’s premier schools, makes them even more homogenous.

Freshman Will Jacobs expounded on this point, describing the “cult of personality” around U.S. politicians as a key to understanding why people often do not identify as much with David Cam-eron as they do with Barack Obama. “People in the U.S. really get carried away with a politician’s

personality,” he noted. “That rarely happens here.”To Pass and Jacobs, political questions do not

seem like a third rail to avoid, largely because politics rarely reveal much about a person. With the notable exception of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, the two students agreed that British politicians tend to support similar ends and poli-cies. Failing to realize how U.S. politics tend to be sharply polarizing, they feel comfortable asking American students about their impending vote.

Pass and Jacobs support different political par-ties in the U.K., but this knowledge has not altered their perception of the other. When I pointed out that Jacobs’ ideology differed from his own, Pass just joked, inadvertently indicting our nation’s lack of bipartisanship: “I hate him! That’s how it is in America, right?”

The Global Paradigm Project is intended to link students across the world in a substantive discussion of politics and policy. Visit politicsandpolicy.org/category/dispatches to read more posts from our Global Paradigm Fellows.

alex entzGlobAl PArADIGM FEllow

Discussing English political differences

oPInIonS from The Daily Northwestern’s Forum Desk

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.comForUM

wednesday, october 24, 2012 PAGE 4

Students call for removal of Zink’s columnDaily Northwestern,

Like much of the Northwestern commu-nity, we were infuriated after reading the recent op-ed regarding affirmative action by Sydney Zink. While our own personal backgrounds are quite different — two distinctions being our gender and race — we were both equally repulsed. It was an irresponsible piece flooded with racist overtones, outrageous misinterpretations of history and general ignorance of the chosen topic. It is our firm belief that The Daily would be doing the Northwestern com-munity a favor by removing this piece from its website.

Such an inflammatory article from our nationally renowned student publication generates bad publicity, which reflects poorly on the Northwestern community. Remember — anyone from anywhere can see Zink’s article and read the inner-

ramblings of a young girl, and now the entire university is associated with this tripe. It is particularly disappoint-ing that The Daily chose to publish this article

while Northwestern is actively focused on increasing minority enrollment. Did an editor consider that this may pose as a deterrent to prospective students? How unwelcoming to read that a person of color is probably not considered to be included in this “we of merit” that Zink discusses!

One obvious concern should be addressed: we wholeheartedly embrace freedom of the press. We acknowledge The Daily’s right to publish material of its choice. However, an academic institu-tion like Northwestern should not present itself as a place where prejudice is accept-able, let alone disseminated. By publishing this article, The Daily Northwestern is essentially validating a misinformed and racist argument against affirmative action. Zink has the right to believe in and write about whatever falsehoods she chooses, but The Daily does not need to publish them. Some could argue that Zink’s article has the redeeming quality of facilitating a contentious, but healthy, discussion — and we agree. But her unfortunate, public, and misinformed article is a shameful way for this conversation to have begun, and we cannot afford to further compromise our school’s image.

Northwestern students from all back-grounds have expressed concern with Zink’s controversial comments, and the grim reality is that many students of color, current and prospective, do feel discon-certed when someone thinks their race is the “determining factor to what makes them acceptable.” We can acknowledge that taking down this article will not fantasti-cally eradicate prejudice beliefs or undo all the damage done to our university’s reputa-tion, but we do believe the Northwestern community would be better off without public blunders like this.

In the likely case that the offending article is not removed, to all prospective students and concerned alumni — North-western does not endorse prejudice.

Trenton Rogers & Ferila Sausi-Maea WCAS ‘14

Note: After submitting this to The Daily, we learned that “Daily policy is to not remove content once it is published.” We respect their decision; however, The Daily, a prestigious college newspaper, is responsible for providing the most accurate and informed content possible, and with this article it failed to do so. For the same reasons listed above, The Daily would be wise to consider the correction of glaring inaccuracies in Zink’s article. Our reputation is at stake.

“An academic

institution like Northwestern should not present itself as a place where prejudice is acceptable, let alone disseminated.

Page 5: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

NU in top 20 for renew-able energy usage

The United States Environmental Protection Agency named Northwestern one of the top 20 green-powered universities in the country for the sixth year in a row.

NU is ranked seventh among universities nationwide for its usage of renewable energy resources.

The rankings are part of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, which works with hundreds of organizations and institutions across the country to promote renewable energy usage. The organization’s quarterly rank-ings are based on institutions’ utilization of renewable energy certificates, on-site energy genera-tion and green power products.

The University joined the program six years ago when it began purchasing renew-able energy certificates from local wind farms, said Julie Cahillane, manager of refuse and recycling for NU. She said renewable energy accounts for 30 percent of the University’s total electricity usage.

NU’s rating is also based on the energy produced from the solar panels on the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center.

“We’ve pretty much established ourselves as a leader at the start, and maintained our top-tier position as a renewable energy university,” Cahil-lane said.

NU’s high energy usage has made the university a member of the Green Power Leadership Club, which requires that renewable resources account for at least 30 percent of overall energy usage for institutions that have an annual electricity usage of

more than 100 million kilowatt-hours.Rob Whittier, director of the Office of Sustainability, told The Daily

earlier this month that renewable energy investments are benefi-cial both environmentally and financially.

“Most people I think now recognize that energy efficiency is the best payback economically and environ-

mentally ahead of any other project,” Whittier said.Cahillane said NU makes pur-

chasing green power a priority because of the increasing depletion of other energy sources.

“There are limits in a lot of our environmental resources,” she said. “They’re finite resources. Sup-porting the expansion of these efforts and these power sources is a positive thing.”

— Lauren Caruba

wednesday, october 24, 2012 the daily northwestern | news 5

NU SENIORS:

Do it for Mom.SIGN UP FOR YOUR YEARBOOK PORTRAIT.

Monday, October 29–Friday, November 16 @ NORRIS

Sign up at: www.OurYear.com NU Code: 87150

Questions? email: [email protected] or visit www.NUsyllabus.comPHOTOGRAPHERS WILL BE IN NORRIS FOR A LIMITED TIME. Several poses will be taken – in your own clothes and with cap and gown. Your choice will be available for purchase.

All senior portraits must be taken by Prestige Portratis/Life Touch. $10 sitting fee required.

NU scientists ask EPA to rethink guidelines

Six Northwestern scientists met with the Environmental Protection Agency Oct. 18 to discuss changes to guidelines for reproductive health research.

The current guidelines are outdated, said Kate Timmerman, the program director of the Oncofertility Consortium who traveled to Washington, D.C., with the team. Timmerman said they have not been updated since 1996. She also said the way reproductive health is defined needs refinement.

“They just focused on the ability to conceive an offspring, so essentially the baby-making capability of the reproductive system,” Tim-merman said. “When you look at the research that’s been done over the past 15 to 20 years, you see that long term, having a functioning reproductive system is really important across organs and across general health everywhere from childhood to old age.”

Timmerman said groundwork for the advo-cacy began when NU and Feinberg School of Medicine faculty met to write a proposal about the reproductive ramifications of long-term exposure to environmental toxins.

The group focused on a former zinc smelt-ing facility and phosphate fertilizer plant in DePue, Ill. The 950-acre plot is contaminated with zinc, lead, arsenic, cadmium, chro-mium and copper and has been recognized as an extremely toxic environment targeted by Superfund, the EPA’s uncontrolled haz-ardous waste cleanup program, Timmerman explained.

In addition to talking to members of the EPA, they also addressed two of congress-woman Jan Schakowsky’s (D-Ill.) legislative assistants. The next steps, Timmerman said, include writing letters to the EPA, Scha-kowsky and professional societies asking for the guidelines to be updated. Timmerman said she hoped the changes will go into effect within a year.

– Megan PaulyGraphics by sophia bollag/the daily northwestern, source: www.epa.gov

Top 10 GreenColleges and Universities

Percent of green power to

total energy use:30 percent

1. University of Pennsylvania

2. carnegie Mellon University

3. University of oklahoma

4. oregon state University

5. University of Utah

6. drexel University

7. Northwestern University

8. University of wisconsin

9. University of Phoenix

10. the city University of new york

Northwestern Goes GreenLanguage group to screen global films throughout year

Northwestern’s Global Languages Initia-tive began screenings last week for a yearlong international film series, according to a Uni-versity news release.

The film series “Passport to Global Cinema: Contemporary International Films” kicked off Friday with a showing of the Russian film “Elena” at Block Cinema.

The series is being funded through a grant from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, according to the release.

The Global Languages Initiative, which seeks to promote multilingual and intercul-tural skills across NU’s campus, will have its next screening, “Sister,” Nov. 2.

Admission to the movie screenings is free for all NU students, $4 for NU faculty and staff and $6 for the general public.

— Lauren Caruba

Saturday Fall Fest to mark farmer’s market season ending

The Fall Fest, an annual farmer’s market event featuring autumn-themed produce, arts and crafts and pumpkin decorating, will take place Saturday.

Children are encouraged to attend in Halloween costumes. Vendors are to dress up as well, and the public will have the oppotunity to vote for the best costume. Attendees will also be able to contribute to mural paintings to be hung at the Robert Crown Center, 1701 Main St., according to a city news release.

The last farmer’s market of the season is Nov. 3. The Fall Fest is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Last winter, Friends of Evanston Mar-kets constructed an indoor farmer’s market at the Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd. The indoor market will be renewed in 2012.

— Susan Du

Page 6: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

walk around here like you hit a triple. You were born on third base.”

College Democrats co-president Adam Roth praised Booker’s emphasis on no-holds-barred ambition.

“One thing I’ve always tried to do is go for the big,” the Weinberg soph-omore said when asked about his main takeaway from Booker’s remarks. “Things might not always go perfect, but it’s always easier to try and fail than live with ‘What if?’”

Booker’s hour-long address was punctuated by a lively Q-and-A ses-sion during which he appeared to offer post-graduate work to New Jersey native and Wein-berg senior Jill Shah.

Booker made a bee-line to Shah the minute the Q-and-A period ended, wading through a grow-ing gaggle of students hoping to shake hands.

“He said, ‘If you’re interested, give me your note-pad,’ and I kind of handed it over, and he spelled his number on it and said, ‘Text me,’” Shah said. “It’s a sign that he’s really good about connecting people and really great at kind of making himself accessible to people.”

Shah was not the only NU connection that Booker

made. The Web-friendly mayor opened his speech by mentioning that an NU student had tweeted that he could not make the event because he had to finish an assignment.

Booker later made light of students’ workload dur-ing midterms season.

“This is dangerous when I get no sleep and I’m running on adrenaline, caffeine and sugar, but I’m sure you guys are doing the same thing,” he said. “If anybody has an Adderall, push it forward, please.”

“I have a prescription, I swear!” he added as audi-ence laughter grew louder.

During a post-event reception, some students raised the prospect of Booker’s political future — more specifically, whether he will challenge Republi-can Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race next year.

“Everybody seems to be asking me this question, but I’m going to wait until this campaign comes and goes, and then, you know, I’ll consider it,” Booker told The Daily. “I’ll make a decision.”

[email protected]

the two have very similar skill sets.However, the whole team has had an open

competition with the starting lineup not yet set in stone. The situation has injected a new life into the players, many of whom are fight-ing for playing time. Crawford said the added competition in practice has only made every-one better and more prepared for the season ahead.

“Our practices have been extremely competi-tive because everyone’s gotten a chance to play,” Crawford said. “That helps each and every one of us when we’re competing in practice because

everyone knows you have a chance to play, so that’s really pushing everyone.”

The most competitive position may be shooting guard. After junior JerShon Cobb was suspended for the season, the position took on a whole new level of competition. Hearn is the returning starter at the two-guard, but he is being pushed by redshirt freshman Tre Demps and senior Alex Marcotullio.

The competition in practice has been fierce thus far, and Marcotullio said he expects it to only get tougher as the season progresses.

“Practices have been really really com-petitive, starting with the summer and it’s just going to get more and more competitive throughout the season,” Marcotullio said. “We

have a lot of guys with a lot of talent and they can do a lot of things. It’s going to be tough for coach (Bill Carmody) to find a rotation.”

As practice began Oct. 12, the Cats said they were happy to move on from the disap-pointment of last season. But there is still one goal hanging over the team as the 2012-13 season inches closer to its start on Nov. 7: making the NCAA Tournament.

“There’s always that added pressure, but we’re trying not to look at that,” Marcotullio said. “We’re trying to take it one day at a time and just get better every practice. Hopefully it continues onto the games.”

[email protected]

6 NEWS | thE daily NorthWEStErN WEdNESday, octobEr 24, 2012

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By Sarah TaSSonithe daily northwestern

A group of Kellogg School of Management stu-dents and a University of Chicago professor will travel to Washington, D.C., next week to present their proposal for the first health insurance co-op in Illinois under the Affordable Care Act.

The co-op, called SimpleHx, would be a smaller independent insurance company. Under the new federal health care law, member-run co-ops are given funding to compete against large insurance compa-nies to drive down health care costs.

“It would become a new form of insurance under the Affordable Care Act,” said Elmer Abbo, a profes-sor of medicine at the University of Chicago, who originally developed the idea for SimpleHx. “It would be funded by public money and be a non-profit insurance company, creating an affordable option oriented toward consumers.”

The co-op’s purpose is to help create insurance plans with new, innovative ideas. The federal govern-ment would fund private organizations to allow them to compete for more affordable options. SimpleHx’s focus is on better care at lower costs, Abbo said.

SimpleHx’s proposal has been backed by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).

To help develop his plan, Abbo reached out to Kellogg students for their business backgrounds. He worked with Coe Schlicher, who will complete his M.B.A. in December. A month after the group’s meeting in Washington, D.C., the SimpleHx creators will learn if their proposal is chosen.

“We got together and made a few drafts,” Schli-cher said. “It took around six months. We submitted our application in the middle of the year, made a few requested changes, then resubmitted in October.”

Although Schlicher and Abbo said they cannot speak to the competition their co-op faces, they said SimpleHx is unique due to its blend of medical, business and political knowledge, Elliot Richardson, president of the Small Business Advocacy Council, handles the political side of the co-op and is in charge of spreading awareness about the group’s goals.

Schlicher said he does not know the inner workings of the decision process but remains optimistic.

“I’m confident that we put together a very good proposal,” he said.

[email protected]

Students to start Illinois health co-op

BookerFrom page 1

Mariam Gomaa/daily Senior Staffer

all ears Newark, N.J., Mayor cory booker talks to students individually at a post-speech reception tuesday evening. booker took the time to address student concerns that ranged from the job market to the power of social media, even giving Weinberg senior Jill Shah his phone number and telling her to text him for a job after she graduates.

BasketballFrom page 8

will help alleviate some of the parking problems around the current visitors center. With the new design, tour attendees would no longer need to park in the nearby residence area or cross

Sheridan Road to tour the campus.Eugene Sunshine, NU’s senior vice president

for business and finance, said the University is very pleased with the council’s actions and appreciative of their patience to listen to its ideas for the visitors center, which will be a prominent building on-campus.

“We look forward to going ahead and com-pleting the design and building a building that we all can be proud of, that will serve us really well with respect to our perspective students and families,” Sunshine said.

[email protected]

Visitors CenterFrom page 1

“There’s

a lot of politics, swirl and noise at the moment,

but the question always

has to come back to, ‘What

am I going to do?’

Cory Booker,Newark, N.J., mayor

Page 7: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012
Page 8: The Daily Northwestern - Oct. 24, 2012

SPORTSWednesday, October 24, 2012 @Wildcat_Extra

ON DECK ON THE RECORDWomen’s SoccerNU at Michigan State 12 p.m. Saturday

Obviously, having Tyler (Miller) back there as your last line of defense is a nice luxury to have. — Tim Lenahan, men’s soccer coach

Cats’ success has started from the back line this seasonBy ava wallacedaily senior staffer

Heading into the last leg of the regular season, Northwestern sits near the top of the Big Ten in goals, points, shots and assists. The Wildcats also boast individual success: Freshman forward Joey Calistri and senior midfielders Kyle Schickel and Chris Ritter stand among the conference’s top scorers.

But from where the audience sits, it’s the Cats’ defensive line that’s worth pay-ing attention to.

Sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Miller, who suffered his first career Big Ten loss Sunday against Penn State, leads a pow-erful defense made up of senior Jarrett Baughman, sophomore Grant Wilson, sophomore Nikko Boxall and junior Layth Masri.

The five have played as a unit since the middle of last season, when Wil-son joined Masri and already-bonded Baughman and Boxall’s to solidify the back line.

During the 2011 season, the defense posted 10 shutouts in 21 games. This year, it has made the Cats’ (10-3-2) six shutouts possible, with two conference games left in Indiana and Wisconsin and a non-conference matchup against Northern Illinois (3-8-3) Wednesday.

Despite their shutout mentality and fluidity, not all of the defenders prefer dwelling in the backfield. Wilson leads the conference in assists and junior defender Scott Lakin is most commonly found cre-ating opportunities in the midfield.

Lenahan also makes a point to list Masri as a crucial member of the defense.

“When you talk about the backs you need to really talk about Layth,” Lenahan said. “He doesn’t have any goals or assists, but he’s really kind of that key that con-nects the back line to everybody else. He’s kind of the unsung hero of the team.”

But if there were ever an obvious hero for the Cats, it would be Miller.

Since starting in goal his freshman

year, Miller has had 15 career shutouts and is just one shy of a second-place tie on NU’s all-time list.At the end of last sea-son, Miller was named first team All-Big Ten and currently stands in second place in the conference for shutouts.

Although Miller gives due credit to his veteran defensive squad when asked about his success, Lenahan consistently praises the sophomore for his game man-agement and dependability versus strong

shooting teams such as Notre Dame, against whom the sophomore made a season-high 6 saves.

“(Miller) just has a great balance of when to come and when to stay, when to rely on his defenders and when to make the big play,” Lenahan said. “Tyler and I are from the same neck of the woods in South Jersey, so I know the makeup of his personality. He’s got a terrific competitive edge to him but also a great accountabil-ity with that competitive edge.”

At the other end of the field, the Cats head into Wednesday’s home match under the lights with nine different goal scorers this year.

The team’s array of scorers may very

well be attributed in part to the accom-plished defensive line.

Lenahan said the multitude of oppor-tunities the Cats create in opponents’ ter-ritories comes from taking risks, and the offense would not be able to take these chances without a dominant defense.

“You have a veteran group back there that you know really understands their role. Now, maybe Chris Ritter can take a few more risks going forward, Lepe can take some more risks going forward,” Lenahan said. “And obviously, hav-ing Tyler back there as your last line of defense is a nice luxury to have.”

[email protected]

By josh walfishdaily senior staffer

This offseason was all about the new for Northwestern.

The Wildcats had two hours of organized team activities per week thanks to a new NCAA rule implemented this year. They had to adjust to playing with five new freshmen and Louisville transfer Jared Swopshire.

In all, eight players on this year’s roster have not played a single minute for NU and 11 have played 60 minutes or less for the Cats last season. That leaves just four players who have made sig-nificant contributions to the team, but senior forward Drew Crawford is unconcerned about the lack of experience.

“They’re all looking pretty good,” Crawford said. “They’re getting their work ethics there. It’s kind of hard learning our system and all of that, but they’re catching on very quickly.”

Some of NU’s biggest additions have been just that – big. The Cats brought in two guys who stand seven feet or taller, Chier Ajou (7 feet 2 inches) and Alex Olah (7 feet). Swopshire is only 6 feet 8 inches tall but plays bigger than his size.

The taller frontcourt helps

improve a weakness of this team from last year, and senior guard Reggie Hearn said he has already seen the size pay off in practice.

“We definitely shored up our frontcourt,” Hearn said. “That was a big problem for us last year, not being (able to) defend down low or not being able to rebound because

of a lack of size. That’s something that Swo-pshire and Olah and possibly a few other guys will bring to us this year.”

The newfound depth has brought with it a competi-tive spirit.

Crawford and Swopshire have had the most notable battles over the offseason in practice. Although Swopshire is new to the Cats, he made an NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance at Louisville. Crawford said he has improved from his competition with the transfer over the summer because

Northwestern lost to Nebraska last Saturday, but you can’t be mad. Nei-ther can I.

Now that we’ve had a few days to move on emotionally from having all our hopes and dreams crushed, we can look at what actually happened. The game was a huge letdown, one of the most heartbreaking losses I’ve witnessed in any sport at any level. But NU fans let this team down even before the opening kickoff.

An hour before game time, I was optimistic that a full student section would help counter what was sure to be a large Cornhuskers contingent at the game. We all knew how important this one was: A win, and we earn back a ranking and control our own destiny in the Legends Division.

College football is unique in how involved fans are in the games, and I saw this contest in particular as one in which fan support had a real shot at influencing the outcome. I expected there to be at least as much purple as red at the stadium.

I was wrong.Even after the game was well

underway, the student section still had empty rows of bleachers. It would never fill, and Ryan Field may as well have been situated in down-town Lincoln, Neb., for all the crowd noise. Cornhuskers first downs were cheered, and when the Cats found themselves backed up at their own end zone, the roar was deafening.

“We had to go to (a) silent (count) at the end of the game at our home stadium,” junior quarterback Kain Colter said after the game. “That was a first. We didn’t prepare for that the whole week.”

Well, that’s embarrassing.Can you imagine that happening at

any other Big Ten field? I understand that NU is by far the smallest school in the conference, but that student section isn’t all that big, either. Stories of NU season ticket holders selling their seats to Nebraska fans is even more of an outrage. The showing established that, for all the progress the athletic program has made in recent years, we don’t deserve to watch a top-25 team.

That’s an annoying phrase, isn’t it? “We don’t deserve it.” I hate when my friends at other schools make that crack about our fan base. I always maintained that the student body cared — it just needed a team to get behind. Well, this year we have one — and Saturday, we weren’t behind them.

It’s not that I expect everyone at this school to place the same impor-tance on this team as I do. That would be exceptionally unhealthy. But I heard a lot of “same old Wild-cats” talk on campus on Monday, and I think we need to realize that we’re also the same old fan base — we do a lot of whining for such little turnout.

We don’t get to complain about terrible losses like last Saturday’s until we start supporting this team. If a game as important as Saturday’s can’t fill the student section, then there isn’t a whole lot of hope that we’ll see it full this season. Or next.

I guess we can be mad — at our-selves for allowing that to happen. But I don’t want to hear any complaining until it changes.

[email protected]

danRyanDaily SpOrTS

Cats out with the old, in with the new

northern Illinois v. northwesternEvanston, illinois6 p.m. Wednesday

OCT.

27

NU fans let Cats down

Miller, defense lead the charge

Basketball

Football

File photo by Meghan White/Daily Senior Staffer

FRESh STaRT Senior forward Drew Crawford hopes to lead a young Cats team to the NCaa Tournament for the first time in program history.

Meghan White/Daily Senior Staffer

mILLER TImE Sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Miller plays the ball at a home game. Miller and NU’s stout defensive backline have helped provide the foundation for the Cats’ overall success so far this season.

» See BaSKETBaLL, page 6

Men’s Soccer

“We’re

trying to take it one day at a time and just get better every practice. Hopefully it continues onto the games.Alex Marcotullio,senior guard