Spring 2012 by North by Northwestern

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photos: mental health by daniel schuleman, cover by natalie krebs. illustrations: entrepreneurship by staff, gator by priya krishnakumar, diversity by lynne carty

Spring 2012 42 Behind the mind:

mental health

38 entrepreneurs

NU chase startup success

GENIUS

08 Show your spots Go beyond jungle juice

13 Look up! Secrets to stargazing

Why we can’t stop talking about

diversity

SCOOP

27 Mascot mayhem Willie’s first in our hearts

30 Be kind, rewind From video stores, with love

QUAD

20 Sinking library?

Northwestern’s biggest lies

22 Guaranteed fresh Wave preservatives goodbye

EXTRA

47 Squirrels ‘n’ things

Find what’s important on campus

48 Bonding with baristas Make my drink, be my friend northbynorthwestern.com | 3

NORTH BY

Published with support from Campus Progress, a division of the Center for American Progress. Online at CampusProgress.org

Letter From The Editor When is the moment you realize enough is enough? Is it when you finally tire of others’ disrespect? Is it when you decide to work toward a better future? Or is it when you accept the fact that you need to make a change in your own life? Our world has been altered forever by those who decided it was finally time to raise their voices and take a stand. While their reach may not be global yet, Northwestern students are speaking up and taking action for what they believe in. This issue of North by Northwestern highlights those students looking to make a difference on campus. Instead of simply using the Internet to post cute animal photos or retweet something ironic, some student groups use social media to promote their latest campaigns (page 21). Read about Real Food Coalition’s mission to inform students about what they’re eating and where it came from (page 22). Diversity has been a hot topic at Northwestern for the past two quarters, and our feature story follows the students and administrators working for a more culturally literate campus (page 32). In another piece, students speak openly about finding the courage to seek support for their mental health (page 42). Let these stories inspire you to finally have your voice be heard and make a change, whether in your own life or in the lives of others.

Laura Rosenfeld Editor

Best Of The Web

photos: top by daniel schuleman, middle courtesy of alex zhu, bottom by natalie krebs

Check out highlights from this quarter’s coverage of all things campus and culture on northbynorthwestern.com.

The answers to all your questions: Why is Northwestern the way it is? Why do things cost what they do? Why do certain institutions exist? Send your questions to ask@northbynorthwestern.com.

CHECKING IN WITH “JUICE” THOMPSON Former Northwestern guard Michael "Juice" Thompson discusses his post-college basketball career.

MURDER ON THE LAKE The tragedy of Leighton Mount: Hazing gone wrong, weird traditions and the birth of intramural sports. northbynorthwestern.com | 5

GENIUS

your guide to living smart.

Kid Cuisine You’ve grown up. Your childhood snacks should too. By Arpita Aneja Remember those foods you had all the time as a kid? Or the snacks that got you excited whenever you saw them in your parents’ grocery bags? You may not eat them anymore, but they still hold a special place in your heart. Take a trip down memory lane and see how to recreate those childhood favorites without looking like a child at the grocery store.

DUNK-A-ROOS These snacks weren’t widespread, but those who ate them know how insanely delicious they were. After all, what was tastier than dipping cookies into frosting? It’s something our parents would never let us do normally, but the innocent packaging and the smiling kangaroo on the box kept them from figuring out that every bite of Dunk-a-Roos was pure sugary goodness. The Adult Version: You’ve already found a replacement for Dunk-a-Roos, whether you’ve made the connection or not. Nutella is the new dipping spread of choice, and it’s socially acceptable for adults to eat. It may not be the same as dunking cookies into frosting, but it’s just as yummy. You probably already know that you can dip nearly anything into Nutella, but to create an authentic Dunk-a-Roos experience, try dunking graham crackers, chocolate chip or cinnamon cookies. It’s not the same, but it’s still appetizing and will remind you of your favorite childhood dunking snack.

FRUIT ROLL-UPS

Whether you rolled it into a ball, tied it into a knot, curled it into a tube or just ate it flat, you probably had loads of these as a kid. Opening your lunch box to find the shiny silver wrapper jammed between your sandwich and your Juicy Juice was like a gift from heaven. You didn’t know what was in it or how it was made. All you knew was that playing with Fruit Roll-Ups was just as awesome as eating them.

6 | SPRING 2012

These little yellow boxes were awesome — for the two to three sips they lasted. Orange, Fruit Punch and Pink Lemonade were the most popular flavors, and each one was packed with high-fructose corn syrup and a taste that lingered in your mouth for at least an hour. Nevertheless, we drank these like crazy when we were kids, and it was a definite staple in our lunch boxes at our soccer practices. The Adult Version: You can find Hi-C Fruit Punch in the dining halls, but it doesn’t exactly make you feel like an adult. Add a few ingredients and put it in a punch bowl, and you’ve got a classed-up drink you can enjoy without the risk of becoming a man-child. There are lots of recipes that use Hi-C Fruit Punch but one recipe from Cooks. com calls for a quart each of ginger ale, club soda and orange juice, a can of Hi-C Fruit Punch, a cup of lemon juice and some ice. You can also add a small jar of maraschino cherries and garnish with orange, lemon or lime slices.

GOLDFISH Every ‘90s kid probably had these little fish-shaped crackers in their lunch box in little plastic bags that usually ended up getting crushed along the way to school. They weren’t the most exciting snack to munch on when you were younger, but they were addicting. Once you got to the bottom of the bag, licking your finger and picking up the crumbs was a necessary ritual. The Adult Version: There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a childhood favorite, but if it bothers you to eat crackers that kids a quarter your age enjoy, there are plenty of “grown-up” options sold in stores, such as Kashi’s TLC Country Cheddar Crackers. You may not be able to bite the head off first and cackle evilly to yourself as you hold the tail like you did with Goldfish (these crackers are uninspiringly rectangular in shape), but luckily they have seven whole grains, zero grams of trans fat and don’t make you look like you’re holding onto your childhood too desperately.

photos by daniel schuleman

The Adult Version: Fruit Roll-Ups is one of those snacks you probably gave up completely as you morphed into your adult self, except for when one happened to cross your path and you bit into it thinking, “Isn’t this nostalgic?” But fruit leather is a grown-up alternative you can buy in stores or even make yourself if you have the patience. (It can take up to 12 hours to bake.) One brand you can try is Stretch Island Kosher Fruit Leather. It’s made from real fruit and has no added sugar. That might disappoint you if what you loved about Fruit Roll-Ups was the blatant artificial flavoring. But hey, at least it’s kosher. Mazel tov!

HI-C

Fresh Finds These recipes take seasonal produce from farm to fork. By Lindsey Kratochwill Now that summer is approaching, the farmers market has re-opened and seasonal food is finally becoming more interesting than just potatoes. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, summer’s tasty morsels include fruits and vegetables that can last most of the season.

HORSERADISH CARROT “FRIES” Ingredients: 3 large carrots, 1 8-inch horseradish root (or prepared horseradish), 2 tablespoons vinegar, pinch of salt, pinch of thyme, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water 1. If you don’t have prepared horseradish, make it: - Peel the root - Chop it into pieces - Put it in a blender or food processor - Add water and vinegar 2. Cut carrots into matchstick pieces. 3. Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil. 4. Put carrots in the pan and top with horseradish. 5. Pop the pan in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 6. Toss those in a pan on the stove with some more olive oil to crisp them.

photos by daniel schuleman

YELLOW SQUASH RISOTTO Ingredients: 1 cup rice, 3 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth, ½ cup white wine, 1 clove garlic, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 yellow squash (chopped), 2 tablespoons olive oil, pinch of thyme, salt and pepper to taste 1. Toast rice in a pan with olive oil, as well as onions and garlic. 2. Simmer broth in a pot.

3. Add wine and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid. 4. When the rice has absorbed the liquid, add another L cup. 5. Once you’re down to about M cups of broth, add the squash and continue adding broth until it’s gone. 6. Sprinkle in thyme, salt and pepper to taste.

MINTY PEA MASH Ingredients: 1 cup fresh peas, 6 fresh mint leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese, salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the peas in a pot of water for about 2 minutes, until they’re slightly mushy. 2. Cut mint leaves into long, thin strips and chop garlic. 3. Strain peas and add to a pan with olive oil, garlic and mint. 4. Saute until fragrant. 5. Pour the mixture in a bowl and add lemon juice and ricotta. 6. Mash. This is easiest to do with a potato ricer, but the back of a spoon will work. (Just make sure you’ve been training for this moment, because it’s really tiring.) 7. Add salt and pepper to taste and spread on toast or any other vessel of choice.

PLUM KUCHEN Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 packet dry active yeast, L cup warm water, ½ cup ricotta cheese, 1 cup milk, 2 to 3 plums

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. 2. In a small bowl, combine warm water and yeast until it bubbles. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta and milk and add yeast mixture. 4. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until combined. 5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 6. Pour cake mixture into a greased pan. 7. Wash plums and cut into thin slices. 8. Place plums on top. 9. Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick, and if it comes out clean, your kuchen is ready.

CRUNCHY ASPARAGUS TART Ingredients: 1 bunch of asparagus, ¼ cup ricotta cheese, ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon cream cheese, ¼ cup milk, 3 tablespoons and a few pats butter, 1 stalk of leek, 8 layers of thawed fillo dough, pinch of thyme 1. Wash and prepare your asparagus spears. 2. Chop leek into ½-inch pieces. 3. Saute in a pan with butter until soft and fragrant. (Nothing smells better than leeks cooking in butter.) 4. Combine leeks, ricotta, cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl to make the filling. 5. Roll out the fillo dough, with about five layers for the base and a few pieces creating a “crust.” 6. Layer on the filling and top with asparagus spears. 7. Sprinkle with thyme and dot with butter. 8. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. northbynorthwestern.com | 7

drink

Cocktail Kingdom Animal-inspired cocktails to please your palate. By Maddie Kriger This Dillo Day, don’t just get drunk on the last drops of a box of Franzia that’s already made its way around the frat house twice. Dillo Day deserves better. In honor of the armadillo that lends its name to this glorious day, go way beyond jungle juice with these animal-themed, Dillo-worthy drinks.

THE WILDCAT Let’s start things off simple. Even Zac Efron and the East High Wildcats could handle this one, and you too might find yourself dancing with strangers and breaking into song at inappropriate times after a few of these. Or better yet, show your purple pride and make this one after you’re far too drunk to put together something complex. What you need: 1 can of ginger ale 1 shot of bourbon Tall glass Pour ginger ale over ice and stir in bourbon. Repeat as needed until you feel sufficiently spirited. Jingle your keys at everyone you meet. (Recipe adapted from idrink.com)

SEX WITH AN ALLIGATOR

THE FLAMING ARMADILLO This one is strictly for hardcore Dillo-ers. What you need: K ounce tequila K ounce amaretto A little bit of rum Shot glass Lighter Pour tequila and amaretto into a shot glass, then pour a thin layer of rum on top. Light it on fire. Yeah, that’s right. Light it on fire. But make sure to blow out the flame before you drink. That would hurt way worse than next morning’s hangover. (Recipe adapted from whattodrink.com)

8 | SPRING 2012

photo by daniel schuleman, illustration by priya krishnakumar

Like any sentence that contains the phrase “sex with an alligator,” this one is complicated and sure to lead to stories of exotic adventures and questionable decisions. Plus, the layered effect looks really cool. Just like that tank top you’re wearing, bro. What you need: K ounce Midori melon liqueur K ounce sweet and sour mix K ounce (or less) raspberry liqueur N ounce Jagermeister Cocktail shaker Clear shot glass Spoon In a shaker, mix Midori melon liqueur with sweet and sour mix over ice. Strain and pour it into a shot glass. To get the layered look, turn a spoon upside down and hold it in the glass. Pour the raspberry liqueur so it flows onto the spoon, down the side of the glass and settles under the Midori mix. You just need enough raspberry to make a layer, otherwise you won’t have room for the Jagermeister, so it’s okay not to use the entire K ounce. With the same spoon technique, layer the Jagermeister on top. The Jagermeister will stay totally separate from the Midori mix, but the Midori and raspberry will blend a little bit, creating an ombre effect. Take a moment to admire your art, then pound that alligator. (Recipe adapted from everydaydrinkers.com and barmeister.com)

Super Smoothies Drink to your health. By Ari Sillman Summer is upon us once again, and while many are looking forward to the pleasant weather and summer clothes (or lack thereof), there is one more reason to be excited: fresh fruit. In only a few weeks, there will be a plentiful supply of strawberries, blueberries and other fabulous fruits. That means you can free yourselves from the oppressive yoke of sinister corporations, such as Odwalla and Naked Juice, and make your own nutritious and delicious smoothies. Here are some easy to make, inexpensive and refreshing smoothies, perfect for any time of day.

photos by daniel schuleman

Directions: For each smoothie in this article, place all ingredients, except the ice, in a blender and purée until mixed thoroughly. Then add the ice and purée until smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste.

RED REVITALIZER

Watermelon fans, this smoothie is for you. The watermelon adds a subtle sweet flavor, which contrasts nicely with the tartness of the raspberries. It’s also an excellent natural source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Ingredients: 1 cup watermelon cubes, K cup raspberries, N cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, 5 ice cubes

THE SMURF

For the vegans or lactose intolerant among us. The banana replaces yogurt as a rich, creamy addition, while also bringing its own distinctive flavor. Bananas are also rich in potassium which is good for digestion and improved heart and kidney function. Ingredients: 1 banana, O cup blueberries, N cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 5 ice cubes

THE OLD FAITHFUL

Perfect for the less adventurous, this drink is a simple but highly nutritious drink for recharging after a run. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, and both the raspberries and the orange juice contain significant quantities of vitamin C. Ingredients: K cup blueberries, N cup orange juice, K cup raspberries, 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, 5 ice cubes

THE HEMINGWAY

This smoothie plays off the concept of a mojito, with basil replacing the mint. Mango is an excellent source of vitamin A and potassium, helpful for anyone into long distance cardio activities. Ingredients: K cup mango slices, 1 cup watermelon cubes, 5 basil leaves, N cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, 5 ice cubes

PURPLE POWER

Purple, white and a dash of spice. This smoothie may appear mundane, but wait a second to discover its wild side. The chili adds an exciting twist, enhancing the blueberry and watermelon flavors. Ingredients: O cup blueberries, 1 cup watermelon cubes, N cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, a dash of chili flakes, 5 ice cubes northbynorthwestern.com | 9

love

Libido Lift Working out can pump up your sex drive. By Lily S. Cohen There are countless reasons for working out regularly: to improve your health, to relieve stress and to fit into those size 2 jeans. Need a new motivation? As it turns out, regular exercise can improve your sex life, contributing to both your libido and immediate sexual arousal. Your workout routine will not only have you looking good, but feeling good — literally.

YOUR REGULAR ROUTINE WORKOUT AS FOREPLAY MIND AND BODY Sexuality, of course, isn’t entirely physical. Yoga can help improve the mental components of your sex drive and sexual experience. “Yoga allows you to become more aware of parts of yourself that you’re usually not aware of, and then when you are you can make choices about how you want to use your body and energy,” says Nick Beem, co-owner and teacher at Evanston’s Grateful Yoga. “The whole body is an erotic area potentially, so the more present you are in your body and the less you’re in your head thinking about other things, the more sensation will be there and the more pleasure you will be able to have because you’re completely aware of it.” Of course the strength, flexibility and balance achieved from practicing yoga lend themselves nicely to the physical aspects of your sex life. Whether or not you buy the theories behind the connection between sex and exercise, their relationship is undeniable. “When you exercise and are in shape, you’ll look and feel more attractive,” says Tony Battle, owner of Chicago Fitness Coach. “If you feel more confident in your body, you’ll attract more confident people.”

For those who want a more immediate response, the University of Texas at Austin’s Sexual Psychophysiology Lab’s current research has shown that working out can significantly increase sexual arousal. “Exercise primes the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system that’s responsible for increasing blood pressure, heart rate, dilating your pupils and all of the things that go along with a fight-or-flight response,” says Tierney Lorenz, a doctoral candidate at the Sexual Psychophysiology Lab. “If you then introduce an erotic cue, genital arousal will be significantly increased above and beyond normal arousal.” In other words, your best sex could happen right after your best workout. Unfortunately, the window of this increased stimulation is short. According to Lorenz, these effects start to diminish as early as 15 minutes after cardiovascular exercise and an hour after strength training. Your best bet is to jump off the treadmill and into your partner’s bed. Worried about hygiene? Just multitask in the shower.

“Obviously if you are exercising regularly, you are going to be more likely to have good physical health, and that’s going to lead you to have good sexual health as well,” Lorenz says. “There have been suggestions that exercise can increase your levels of testosterone, and in that sense it could also increase your sex drive.” Battle says he believes in the connection between libido and exercise. “Total body movement is what’s going to do that,” he says, referencing a change in your usual routine for the sake of one’s sex life. “It’s not like any specific body part movement is going to make a difference. When you work out in a complete aerobic or boot camp atmosphere, the high intensity will release endorphins and increase your testosterone.”

photo by emily jan

10 | SPRING 2012

Study Break

Get it on, Nerdwestern style. By Alyssa Keller The musty scent of books and the irritating click of keyboards drown out the sweet fragrance of flowers and the chirping birds. Ah yes, it’s Spring Quarter at Northwestern’s Main Library. While the never-ending stream of exams may be inevitable, it’s possible to maintain a spring fling without flinging off your straight-A streak. Need somewhere to de-stress and hold a certain someone’s, uh, hand? For students taking Anatomy 101 this spring, here are the best places to study.

MAIN LIBRARY’S NORTH TOWER TERRACE Nothing gets you in the mood (to study) like a secluded place with a breathtaking view over the carp-filled lagoon. Follow the terrace between Deering and Norris to the sidewalk that wraps around the tower. The breeze from Lake Michigan can liven your library-drained spirit and inspire imagination. Cold? Share a blanket with your study buddy.

DEERING LIBRARY All right, so there are no changing staircases, but it’s a widely accepted fact that Deering resembles Hogwarts. Take advantage of this opportunity to act out that fantasy only Northwestern students harbor. Between Advanced Potion-Making and Defense Against the Dark Arts, perhaps you and your lab partner will have some time to open the Chamber of Secrets.

SECRET GARDEN NORTH OF DEERING

illustration by kk rebecca lai

Looking for a soft surface for you and your friend to practice different positions — yoga positions, that is — to meditate and reduce stress? On the north side of the library, an open gate leads to stairs down into a small grassy area. Surrounded by green grass — the color of fresh energy — this secluded space will inspire creativity and provide the perfect terrain for you and your friend to master your upward facing dog pose.

northbynorthwestern.com | 11

info

Shine Bright, Shine Far Get your head out of the clouds and look at the stars. By Amanda Glickman With the warm summer weather comes the innate urge to spend time outdoors. People leave the dark caves of their rooms and take to the streets, fields or beaches to sail, play Frisbee or tan. Most of these activities only take place during the day, but once the sun sets, people tend to ignore one of the nicest and most accessible resources of natural wonder: the night sky. Yes, this is an unendorsed PSA for the noble and romantic art of stargazing. I propose that all Northwestern kids hold off studying for just one night this quarter to meditate on how tiny and insignificant their exams are in the grand scheme of the universe. It’s time to return to the roots of our intellectual predecessors — make like the Romans and observe some super-cool constellations. If you’ve never had the pleasure of taking an astronomy class, never fear — there are apps that teach you all you need to know. For Apple fanatics, try “Pocket Universe.” You can hold up your iPhone or iPad in front of you, and the app will use a built-in compass to display the same view of the sky you see, complete with names of constellations and other information. An almost identical app for Android folks is called “Star3map.” So you don’t just gaze, you gaze like an astronomer. We’ve spent Fall and Winter inside grimy bars and cramped dorms, apartments and houses — that’s enough. Fresh night air and some perspective can cure anything. Grab someone who could stand to observe some stellar beauty (astro geeks and easily impressed hook-up prospects alike), and if you’ve got them, grab a telescope, a blanket and settle down to stargaze.

WHERE TO LOOK

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Landfill just east of SPAC: This is astronomy Professor Melville Ulmer’s pick for the best spot on campus. He recommends going to SkyAndTelescope.com and clicking the “Observing” tab for information on viewing conditions and any notable events like meteor showers and special visibility of particular planets and stars.

Now, after you’ve picked your place to observe, be on the lookout for these easy-to-spot, key markers in the sky. Use these descriptions to orient yourself so you can find the more advanced constellations. Hint: It helps to physically point at these celestial shapes upon finding them, almost like you’re touching the screen of a computer. Your brain registers them as permanent, so you don’t lose the shape you just found a few seconds ago.

Alice Millar Chapel’s meditation garden: This is the perfect, semi-secluded place to chill on the bench of your choice while staring up at a perfect square of sky. The combination of the architecture and the beauty of the view above makes for a spiritual experience, no matter how religious you are. South Beach docks: Your best bet to see the phenomenon of Lake Michigan merging with the sky, making the horizon line virtually undetectable. Once you add a generous smattering of stars, it’s as if you’ve been transported into someone’s surreal, painterly dream. Word to the wise: Bring a flashlight or, if you’re feeling particularly boss, a lantern. (Uncle Dan’s has a bunch of cool, hightech ones.) The lack of lights out on the docks makes it hard to see anything. Raymond Park: The classic throwback to your elementary school playground trespassing days as a teen. This public park, located on the corner of Grove Street, is (officially) open until 11 p.m., which leaves you a few hours of perfectly dark sky to see. Try stargazing on the plastic slides and bridges of the playground; it’s doubtful children will be there past their bedtimes.

For the Big Dipper (an asterism, which means it’s a part of a larger constellation — in this case, Ursa Major), look for a pattern in the shape of a giant frying pan. There’s a tiny, upside-down frying pan above the Big Dipper known as the Little Dipper, and Polaris (the North Star) is located at the top of its curved “handle.” To locate the constellation Cassiopeia, fix your gaze to the right of the Dippers, and find a star pattern in the shape of a sideways “M” or “W.” The Summer Triangle is (you guessed it) a triangle formed by the extremely bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair, all parts of constellations Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila, respectively. The triangle moves directly above locations in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer months, so Chicago is the perfect place to view this constellation.

Roof of Swift: The Everest of all places to venture to for any Wildcat. Now, between the adrenaline rush of illegality and the unobscured view of the sky due to the high altitude, Swift Hall’s roof sweeps the competition for best stargazing locale, hands down. Just don’t leave the ladder down, or you’ll get caught.

photo by natalie krebs

12 | SPRING 2012

More Than A Feeling McCormick professors develop touch screens that touch you back. By Annalise Frank slab of steel and rainbow-colored wires frame a small glass pad. When mechanical engineering graduate student Joe Mullenbach clicks away on a nearby computer monitor, the pad lights up and a gray 2-D ball begins bouncing around like it’s in a mini-game of air hockey. The animation is simple, but this device is actually a catalyst for a developing field of technology: surface haptics. A finger placed in contact with the glass screen, called a TPaD, can push the ball around, but that’s not all; the ball pushes back. In a world of increasing digitalization, Professor of Mechanical Engineering Ed Colgate says he believes people are losing meaningful haptic, or tactile, interaction with everyday objects like knobs, buttons and levers. “The information flows from your fingers to the touch screen just fine,” says Michael Peshkin, also a professor of mechanical engineering. “But with present devices, there’s no information flowing back from the touchscreen to your fingers.” Colgate and Peshkin, principal investigators in Northwestern haptics research, hope to bring texture back to technology by simulating real-world transactions between humans and objects. Along with a team of graduate students, including Mullenbach, they’ve been researching the possibilities and applications of touchscreen tools that “touch you back.” The project, begun in 2006, seeks to bridge the gap between people and the inaccessible 2-D world of screens, according to Colgate. It could, in the foreseeable future, influence car navigational systems, tablets and touchscreen phones, as well as create touch technology for users who are blind or have low vision. A game user would be able to feel the plucking of a guitar string, the edges of a button or the stretchiness of fabric. “It’s very hard to predict what the application game developers, the user-interface developers, where they’re going to go with [this technology],” Peshkin says. “If you give them a new creative tool, an opportunity to be creative, they’re going to surprise you with all the different new ideas.”

It’s basically crossing the “bridge between things feeling and things interpreting,” says Steven Manuel, another graduate student working on the project. Psychophysics is especially useful in Manuel’s specialized field of touchscreen haptics using more than one finger. “If you touch two spots of a cup, you know it’s curved because you fill it in with memory and extrapolate,” he says. Going ahead, one of the biggest challenges in Colgate and Peshkin’s research is to make the tactile experience engaging and convincing. The project is at that stage now, working with multiple fingers in a 2-D virtual reality. “How do you create effects that are meaningful and that have a lot of information content, that have very rich interactions?” Colgate says. “We don’t really normally interact with the world on a flat surface. It’s kind of like being in flat land.”

illustration by lynne carty

The TPaD, a first-generation haptics program Mullenbach uses for further research, functions by controlling natural friction from the hand. When the device turns on, it vibrates up and down at a frequency that can’t be heard. The connected finger floats above the screen at certain points, due to small pushes from the vibrations. “It’s like you’re sliding your finger on ice, but [you’re] not cold,” Mullenbach says. “It’s a slippery, air hockey-type feel.” This makes contact with the glass unique; the glass feels sticky, like the finger has hit an object and can’t proceed any further. Texture is nothing more than a series of small pushes, Peshkin says, so the vibrations mimic real textures. Short, game-like simulations serve as examples of what the TPaD can do. A swipe against a ball causes a change in tactile perception that feels like hitting a real object. Another program simulates rolling a pencil back and forth on top of a table-like surface — the angles on the virtual pencil’s sides feel real. The sound of the flat edges on the table can almost be heard through touch. By using software-generated, yet real physical forces like vibrations and electrical fields, the researchers can fool the brain’s touch receptors, Colgate and Peshkin say. Forces give hints to the finger, which has touched millions of things over the years and knows how to fill in the blanks by now; the mind completes a representation of the object, and an illusion of interaction is born. This aspect of the research is called psychophysics.

northbynorthwestern.com | 13

home

Put The “Om” In Home Transform your space into a yoga studio in four easy steps. By Sylvan Lane There’s no question that practicing yoga has many benefits for a stressed college student looking to heal both mind and body. Given the frantic pace of Northwestern’s quarter system, it isn’t always easy to find the time or money for an organized yoga class. Even so, with a little bit of ingenuity, it’s still possible to reap the benefits of yoga practice in the cozy confines of your dorm room or apartment.

STEP 1: FOUNDATIONS COME FIRST It may seem obvious, but to practice yoga, you need to know how to actually do yoga. Chicago native Rhoda Miriam has been teaching yoga since 1993 and says it’s important to have some help when you’re practicing to make sure you’re performing physical postures and breathing exercises properly. “Just reading from a book or looking at a few pictures of some poses really doesn’t work, and that’s why I recommend going to a class and at least getting some instruction under your belt,” she says. “There’s

no substitute for having a teacher watch you.” Nick Beem, the co-owner of Evanston’s Grateful Yoga, agrees, but also points to YogaJournal.com as a helpful online resource. “Once you have an idea of what to do, you can just lie on your mat and see what comes out,” he says.

STEP 2: CREATE YOUR ROOMY, ‘SACRED SPACE’ Even if you have the luxury of living in a dorm with larger rooms or a decently sized apartment, finding enough space to practice yoga can be challenging. Unless you feel like moving pieces of furniture out of the way, you may need to adapt your routine to fit in your confined space. But clearing the floor of chairs, waste bins, clothing and anything else that takes up space can help. Beem says if you can’t make do with your room, try a quiet, unoccupied common area, like a study lounge. Because yoga is an inwardly focused practice, it helps to reduce

outside distractions and get in touch with your spiritual side. When Miriam lived with her sister and brother-in-law, she used a few personal items and photos to create her “sacred space.” “I created a little box [filled with] things that had meaning to me so that when I wanted to create my sacred space, it was inside that box and all I had to do was open the box,” she says. Beem says yoga offers its practicioners the tools to experience the principles of any faith. “If you have a spiritual connection to an image, it’s also best to set up an altar with meaningful objects,” he says. A picture of a holy figure or even a copy of a holy text from whichever faith you observe can do the trick.

STEP 3: DON’T SPLURGE ON EQUIPMENT “All you really need is a yoga mat and then somewhere to do it,” Beem says. Local fitness and yoga supplier Lululemon has a variety of mats starting at $28, but you can find one

on Amazon for just $12, not including shipping. As far as apparel goes, Miriam says you don’t need to go out of your way to buy often expensive — albeit flattering — yoga pants. Any loose, comfortable clothing will do.

STEP 4: PUT IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE While at-home yoga practices are beneficial for enthusiasts, it’s difficult to recreate the atmosphere of an actual class. That said, it’s important not to hold yourself to such a high standard. “Don’t look at the top of the mountain, look at the foothills,” Miriam says. In essence, don’t try to do too much too soon. Instead, let yourself gradually build up to a consistent routine. Ultimately, Beem says to “let yourself off the hook” from recreating the experience of class, because it’s next to impossible. “Just start with a few poses that you like and you find your own way with them and give yourself a chance to experiment,” Beem says.

photo by sunny lee

14 | SPRING 2012

QUAD

what’s going on around campus.

Once Upon A Time Storytelling is more than a hobby for Ben Kemper. By Alex Nitkin he face is unmistakable. It’s the face of a stately academic from a bygone era. The parted strawcolored hair, thin-rimmed spectacles and scraggly goatee do little to hide the exaggerated expressions that shine out from underneath. He bounds across campus with ramrod posture, distinguishable by the fedora he wears and the pocket watch he clutches. But Ben Kemper’s face isn’t what makes him a campus icon. What attracts crowds by the dozens, seizing the attention of all who bear witness, is his voice. Kemper, a 20-year-old freshman from Boise, Idaho, is a self-proclaimed and fully practicing storyteller. Since the moment he was old enough to say “Eugene O’Neill,” Kemper has honed and perfected the art of narrating tales before audiences. Whether it’s folklore, history or a chapter from his own life, Kemper never fails to captivate anyone within earshot. “He acts with this rare kind of gentlemanly disposition, and people can be pretty shocked by it at first, but once you get over that it’s impossible not to be drawn in by him,” says McCormick freshman Nick Broady, who met Kemper on the Freshman Urban Program in Summer 2011. On the program’s last night, Broady says, Kemper held an impromptu storytelling session in the student hostel lobby. “People started to come out of their rooms to listen and were curious and murmuring in the beginning,” Broady says. “But after five minutes, every single person in the room was absolutely amazed, enthralled. They dug him and they couldn’t take their eyes off him.” Kemper discovered his passion for live stories as a 6-year-old, when a local storyteller came to his school and told an allegorical tale of two opposite neighbors and their interactions with a hungry mouse. From that point, Kemper researched and practiced his own stories, performing for other kids on the playground and opening for assemblies. By the time he reached eighth grade, purveyors of festivals all over Idaho recognized Kemper’s talent and invited him to perform his stories. He traveled from festival to festival, entertaining audiences as large as 2,000 people. After high school, Kemper applied for a paid grant from the Idaho Humanities Council to spend a year researching an event in Idaho’s history and fashioning it into a story, complete with vivid descriptions and multiple characters. Kemper says such stories can be much more effective at teaching history than straightforward lessons. “There’s an old proverb I like to retell: ‘Tell me, and I’ll forget. Show me, and I’ll remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.’ And a good story involves the audience in the history,” Kemper says. “It’s about making them feel like they’re there. You build a world, you build an image and you toss it into someone’s mind. And they work to take your words and gestures and

photo by daniel schuleman

A FEW OF BEN’S FAVORITE THINGS

unfold it in real time.” From Kemper’s first days as a Northwestern student, he gave small public performances whenever possible to involve more audiences in the worlds he creates. Since then, he’s held 1. Philimandre: From Haiti, a young girl caring “Chestnut Hour” four times. The event is for her mother and stepsisters is helped by a named for similar sessions held by Massachumurderous monster with a plumbing fixation. setts-based storyteller Jay O’Callahan. At each 2. Sir Gwain and the Green Knight: King session he tells three 20-minute stories from a Arthur of the Britons must seek the answer to common theme, from Halloween to Japanese a demon’s riddle if he is to keep his head. But folktales to “Star-crossed Lovers.” He has what he and the noble Sir Gwain must answer enlisted a small group of students, including is that greatest of mysteries: Of all things in Broady, to help him manage the events. heaven and earth, of all that can be won or In conversation, Kemper speaks in paralost, what does a woman want most? graphs. He sounds like a Victorian gentleman 3. Mawige: An as yet untold story of his illin court, choosing only the most sophisticated fated sojourn into matters of the heart. Featurand appropriate words for what he’s describing a collapsing church, the angel of music and ing. But when he tells stories, Kemper’s voice Sobbin’ Women. transforms. His tone ebbs and flows from sol4. The Insatiable Army: A soulless bishop emn growls to tittering enthusiasm to panicked commits an unspeakable crime. Suffice it to shouts, depending on how much suspense he say, what goes around, comes around. wants to draw at any one time. With each new 5. Three Lions: Kemper’s passage about being character he introduces, Kemper employs a a boy in the immortal city of Shanghai. In the wildly different pitch to represent them. The story, Kemper gets mauled by first graders. mouse’s voice is squeaky and eager; the grim reaper’s voice is grave and methodical. Associate Professor Rives Collins, who teaches The Art of Storytelling in the theatre department, says Kemper’s talent is unlike any other on campus. “He performs with great empathy, and with great understanding of The annual World Storytellthe human condition,” ing Day features a theme Collins says. “Here’s a every year — 2012’s theme is young guy who has a “Trees.” gift for bringing stories together with beautiful language. For him, words are like keys on a piano, and he improvises like a jazz musician.” As talented as he is, Kemper doesn’t want to be the only student telling stories on campus. He has plans to build a coalition of storytellers willing to tell their own stories at Chestnut Hour performances. “I don’t want it to be ‘Ben Kemper’s Chestnut Hour.’ Once I find the time and get all my ducks in a row, I want to branch out and give workshops to people to help guide them in the art of storytelling,” Kemper says. “Anyone can be a storyteller, but it’s a little bit of practice and a little bit of technique to be able to do it well, and I’ve found a great number of people here who can be really excellent tellers.” Telling stories, Kemper says, gives a personal benefit that can’t be matched by any other art form. “You take a story from your life, you shape it up, you give it life and flavor, and it’s crystallized the memory — it gives you a warm rush of relief, a truly fantastic feeling,” Kemper says. See Kemper’s storytelling in action on “It’s like milk; it’s good for you. Have a little northbynorthwestern.com. story every day to stay healthy.” northbynorthwestern.com | 15

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Check out the Northwestern Cycling Team’s favorite bike routes on northbynorthwestern.com.

Northwestern Cycling Team in competition.

Hot Wheels The Northwestern Cycling Team breaks away from the pack. By Steven Goldstein

16 | SPRING 2012

But with augmented membership comes varying degrees of skill, passion and commitment from incoming riders. The team has no required practices, but according to Hooker, top cyclists train at least four days a week in the offseason, followed by two or three days a week during the peak of race season. The team also promotes weekly weight training, focusing more on core and upper-body work rather than leg strength. Individual workouts and training plans give the team the best of both worlds, fostering a friendly environment while producing successful standouts. The team finished fifth in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference this Spring, a competition which boasts more than 40 members who have scored points. Men’s races can range anywhere from 20 to 80 miles, and women’s races range from 40 to 60 miles. “Whether you’re excited about trying out your first criterium or joking about finding a restaurant to seat 20 people in the middle of Indiana’s quietest cornfields, [races are] very entertaining,” Selman notes. Still, the Cycling Team faces the nuances and struggles of finding on-campus resources in a school with numerous clubs, teams and organizations. When harsh winters hit campus,

the team is forced indoors for sheltered practice facilities. “Indoor training space has been a primary difficulty of the team,” Hooker laments. While they were able to use the Blue Room in Patten come snowfall this year, the room will be converted to a locker room for the women’s lacrosse team by 2013, setting the cyclists back to square one. Even with the setback, the team will remain competitive, largely because of its unity. Weinberg senior Tommy Peng notes that racers may strategically block opponents to give a teammate better positioning. Peng, who calls himself the team’s “bike snob,” says the team carries on the spirit year after year. “Each year’s roster is as enjoyable, fraternal and friendly as the last,” he says. Despite being an individual sport, the cycling team uses this spirit to work as a whole and passes on this bond to new racers. “Because there are such varying abilities, a relationship is built between the new racers and the members who have raced before,” Hooker says. “The new racers get guidance and help at every step of the way to ensure they do their best in their races and have fun. The team continues to pass down knowledge and grow the sport in this manner.”

photo courtesy of northwestern cycling team

ure, Dan Persa and company garnered plenty of attention on the gridiron last fall, and John Shurna’s “Cardiac ‘Cats” always had fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the edge of their seats in the winter, but as spring sweeps through Evanston, there’s a new squad picking up buzz. Meet the burgeoning Northwestern University Cycling Team. Flying — well, in their case, pedaling — under the radar for years now, the team’s recruitment efforts and subsequent surge in membership has led to their skyrocketing campus presence. Cycling Team President Joe Hooker attributes the team’s success to their unwavering spirit and an individualized practice regimen. When he joined the team three years ago, its roster held around 30 cyclists. Today, it exceeds 40. “The team made a very big shift away from a small team focused on intense racing to a larger, inclusive group that has riders of all abilities,” the McCormick junior says. “We have seen a large increase in the percentage of girls on the team,” adds Communication senior Yannell Selman, the team’s recruitment chair.

Catwalk To Classroom One BIP professor talks the business of fashion. By Nadine Jachi Professor Steven Fischer is a lecturer for Image, Style & Design at Northwestern who introduced and teaches the class, “The Fashion Industry: Sociological, Psychological, Economic and Legal Systems,” through the Business Institutions Program. He also introduced the course “Managing for Image, Style & Design,” which has been offered through Kellogg. Fischer discusses his foray into fashion, campus style and working with Gucci. Q: Tell us about your experience here at Northwestern as a Master’s student in Communication Systems. A: It was phenomenal. What’s so great about Northwestern is the opportunity to perform multidisciplinary investigations. That investigation allowed exploration of how many aspects of communication systems fit together, which feeds into fashion because fashion itself is a communication system. When I think about fashion, I don’t just think about the clothing we wear, but I think about all the objects, services and environments we surround ourselves with. Q: So how did you get into fashion? A: Around November 2004, the president of Vera Wang came to campus and I saw a lot of passion among all the people who were at the presentation. I asked students if they’d like a class about fashion, and I got an overwhelmingly positive response. So I asked Mark Witte, director of the Business Institutions Program, if I could offer a course on the fashion industry, and he presciently, and bravely I should add, said “Yes.” And I’m wearing L.L. Bean and Eddie Bauer to my job at the university everyday, right? And I [thought], “Geez, that was one of the craziest things you’ve ever done in your life!” So I decided to offer a new type of investigation into the fashion industry, taking into account Northwestern’s interdisciplinary environment, and look at the deeper, important issues around why do we wear clothes, what do they do for us as individuals and as members of society? What are the systems that go into designing those clothes, where do they get made, how do they get made, what happens when we are finished wearing them? That is when things start getting really interesting. And then let’s apply those same principles to non-clothing items such as appliances, high-tech devices, cars, houses — even universities. Q: You launched and led an effort to create a Center for Image, Style & Design. Can you tell us a bit about that? A: In the fall of 2008, Patrizio di Marco, who is now the head of Gucci, came to Northwestern. As an outcome of his visit, we had a lot of interest across the campus in the concept of style, fashion and design. So we got [more than 550] students involved from every school and every level in the university — from freshmen to Ph.D. students — [and] 10 of our very best researchers on board with this proposal. We envisioned a center to investigate image, style and design and to provide a locus for such discussions of its impact. The center ended up being denied because of different budgetary priorities, so that was really disappointing. Since then, I’ve devoted my energies to building a practice around the application of image, style and design — for both organizations and individuals. Q: What do you think about Northwestern students’ style? A: On the one hand, looking around, I sometimes think I have landed at North Face University, which makes sense given the seasons and climate we are faced with. On the other, there are some really outstanding voices of creativity expressing individual style — style reflecting the many parts of the country and world that the student body of NU represents.

photo by emily jan

Q: How was the experience of working with companies like Gucci? A: All these companies are run with passion. That’s the main thing that’s really important in this industry, you’ve got to have passion for what you’re doing because they’re connecting people to passions. That’s what people are buying when they buy these fashions, they’re buying into their own passions and the way they want to be perceived by other people. So they’re all very passionate companies in that respect. Q: Why do you think it’s hard for young designers to break into the market? A: Part of the problem is we have a very crowded marketplace of many legacy designers. So the designer may not be alive anymore, but the brand is still there. So the market space is very crowded with existing labels. But with information and communication technologies, I’m back to my communication studies. We have the ability to reach a wider market much easier now.

northbynorthwestern.com | 17

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Watch SuperSonic Ensemble reach the high notes and the high scores as they perform their favorite video game music on northbynorthwestern.com.

Singin’ In The Game SuperSonic Ensemble brings video game melodies to life. By Susie Neilson rt. Nerds. Student-run clubs. These three nodes on the scatterplot of Northwestern student life tend to connect, but never with such unashamed openness as in the emergence of the school’s newest musical act. They’re called the Northwestern SuperSonic Ensemble, and their repertoire consists entirely of video game music. “My sister joined a video game music choir at Berklee and I got insanely jealous,” says Weinberg junior Sam Barker, the group’s founder and musical director. “So I started toying around with some a cappella arrangements, but I didn’t do anything with them until [now].” Barker contacted some friends in the Communications Residential College, including Communication sophomore Amanda Shepherd, and the music-themed fraternity Phi Mu Alpha. His idea was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. With 15 committed attendees at their first rehearsal, the SuperSonic Ensemble was born kicking and screaming. Regardless of his original intentions, Barker’s group isn’t your mother’s a cappella group in content or character. In fact, it’s not even straight a cappella. “When I first thought of the idea, I was thinking about a cappella,” Barker says. “But then I realized we have a lot of those. You don’t see many student-run groups that have both instrumentalists and vocalists.” The group began recruiting instrumentalists and now boasts two percussionists, a flutist, a pianist, two tuba players and more.

Barker is a talented director, instructing sopranos on blending technique and calling for back massage breaks with equal parts authority and affability. His investment is clear in the timely manner with which he conducts his group, just as it’s plainly audible in his voice when describing the ensemble’s first rehearsal. “It was really cool because everyone in the group is musically talented, and when we were hashing out the first harmonies of the Super Mario Bros. theme song, there would be a few people who would be like, ‘Whoa!’” he exclaims, laughing. “They’d be astounded that video game music would sound so good from a choir.” Both Shepherd and Barker agree on the rewarding nature of their work thus far, despite their very different responsibilities and academic backgrounds. Shepherd handles the group’s bureaucratic and promotional work as business manager. She says the musical accompaniment “often goes unnoticed, but it [can be] the best artistic part of the video game,” a sentiment echoed by Barker. “I want to spread the idea of video game music being music as opposed to background,” he says. The music will be a tempting mélange of music pieces from a wide array of game genres. Song choices range from the Super Mario Bros. theme song to “Still Alive,” the humorous and electronic piece that plays in Portal’s rolling credits. Next up are musical selections from Final Fantasy X and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, along with some grander pieces from Halo and Mass Effect.

So far, so awesome. Like any developing group, however, Barker and his growingensemble have hit a few snags in the bureaucratic realm. “There are times when I think, ‘Oh my, what have I gotten myself into,’” Barker says with a chuckle. “Starting a new group is big.” Shepherd details the difficulties of forming a new student group, as well as the challenges of keeping it around. “We’re working on ASG recognition, [but] we have to prove that we have staying power for a couple of quarters,” Shepherd adds. “It’s a very timeconsuming process.” Even with the question of ASG recognition looming on the horizon, the SuperSonic Ensemble is off to a good start. In fact, they’ve already landed a gig: a benefit concert on May 20 for Unite For Sight, a national organization with multiple university chapters focused on providing eyesight surgeries for impoverished patients in Ghana, India and Honduras. The ensemble’s charity gig is only the beginning, and Barker already has a concrete vision for the future of his group and plans to have a full-length show after holding open auditions in the fall for new vocalists and instrumentalists. “We are using a cappella [shows] as a template. They have themed shows generally around which the show is based, so we’re hoping to do that whether it’s in the game world, or just talking about university life in relation to games,” he says. “The plan is to make it crazy-cool and weird.”

illustration by priya krishnakumar

18 | SPRING 2012

A Playwright On Words

photo by daniel schuleman

Real talk with Northwestern’s surrealist playwright. By Rachel Poletick In Communication junior Seth Garben’s world, what’s commonplace isn’t what needs to be told through art. The kind of story he sets forth in his plays takes the surreal and the unusual and combines them to make a piece that presents a million different feelings and realities at once. To compare his works to art is to suggest the creative combination of many bits and pieces — a collage. “The more colors you have, the better you’ll be able to express the image in your head,” he says. Speaking with Garben is akin to watching or reading one of his plays. When you meet the man, you drift out of reality and into a world of thought. During his three years at Northwestern, Garben has written three plays and a web series, all influenced by early 20th century existentialist thinkers like Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre and the melding of that school of thought with the so-called “theater of the absurd.” After entering the 11th grade, Garben’s first insight into the wonders of the world of playwriting came when he picked up a copy of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (an author he still lists among his greatest influences) on a flight to Montreal. “I kept reading it over hypnotically and realized that I would like to write like this guy,” Garben says. And soon enough he was writing his own plays — the first a short piece titled Just Passing By, which got him to the semifinals of Stephen Sondheim’s Young Playwrights Inc. National Competition in 2009. His first endeavor at Northwestern came in the form of a play titled All in All performed by Qua Theatre, a group of Garben’s own invention along with his friends, Communication juniors Marek Pawlowski and Desiree Staples. Accord-

ing to the writer himself, the play was “almost deviated from the norm. “It’s when you say ‘no’ incomprehensible,” especially for audiences who to something surreal, you cut off such a creative could only work with the text for about an hour. It part of your brain that needs fostering, that needs only found clarity through hours of rehearsal and care,” Garben says. “trying to make sense of it.” On a recent trip to England, inspiration struck This year, Garben has written two shows with once again. Traveling along Portobello Road similarly surreal and at times incomprehensible Market, Garben happened upon some used book themes. The Butterfly of Constantinople and The stores. In one, he found The Divided Self, a book by Good Dog both appeared on stage during Winter Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing who had studied Quarter, and each followed suburban families the case of a young boy who, when his mother with their own toils and conflicts. The former, passed away, began dressing up as her to connect Garben says, was influenced by Eugene Ionesco’s with his father. Garben’s play, inspired by the case, The Bald Soprano, a play filled with absurdity is called Mother Becomes Him and made it to the characterized by non semifinals of the Eusequiturs and offbeat gene O’Neill National “I LIKE TO BE SURPRISED BY WHAT language. Playwrights Contest. This style is one that COMES OUT FROM THE SUBCONBut aside from becharacterizes much of ing an avid playwriting SCIOUS.” — SETH GARBEN Garben’s own work, competitor, Garben including The Good Dog, is all about creating which takes the phrase “bad dogs aren’t born, plays that are insightful and fascinating. By his they’re made” literally when Harold, the father own estimation, it’s the undiscovered mind that is character, concedes to being pushed around like the true bearer of great thoughts, and that is what a metaphorical dog saying, “I’m a dog. I’m a good he wishes to tackle in his writing. “I like to be surdoggy. I can roll over. Do some tricks. I’m a good prised by what comes out from the subconscious. bow-wow. Ruff ruff,” before lashing out against his Because I think that’s where it is,” he says. “That’s family that is constantly trying to change him. where the surprises come from, what goes deeper All of these works clarify the essence of than thought.” Garben’s work — a critique on the uninspiring In the end he makes a product based on the realism of a lot of pieces of theater and literature. concept of creating a perfect image of the subconReading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and scious and conscious mind, an existentialist’s dream. “I’m taking things from everything that Through the Looking Glass as a child, Garben beI’ve seen and heard and read about and felt and came enamored with the nonsense language and thought. And I’m just cutting them up and putting surrealism of Lewis Carroll. This early fascination them on a piece of paper.” gave him the license to pursue his own form of A collage of thought. creative expression that encouraged thought that northbynorthwestern.com | 19

#Activism

Can you change the world from your keyboard? By Julie Kliegman

20 | SPRING 2012

It seems like ages since the “I Agree with Markwell” campaign blew up, not only on Northwestern’s sidewalks but also online: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, you name it. The social media conversation isn’t limited by the boundaries of Northwestern either. Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 documentaries have sparked both formal and informal discussions on campus. From debating religious beliefs to exposing atrocities in Uganda, student activists are in tune with web advocacy. At a school with more student groups than anybody knows what to do with, there’s no shortage of people passionate about activism. Many student advocacy groups also consider the best ways to promote their causes, not only in person, but also online. Former Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators Public Relations Chair Amanda Mather played a large role in jumpstarting the organization’s web presence. She points out social media’s obvious appeal in getting the group’s messages across. However, she and others are careful to associate it with other techniques — the most famous of which may be putting SHAPE stickers on free condoms. “You can sit and [promote a cause] in your dorm room,” the Communication senior says. “You don’t have to go out to flyer. You don’t have to go out and write a press release and beg someone to cover your event.” At the same time, Mather cautions other students to avoid using status updates and tweets, which she refers to as “slacktivism,” Check out or activism designed northbynorthwestern. for people in such com for a timeline of a way that all they famous social media need to do is hit “like” campaigns. or mindlessly throw PayPal a few bucks that may or may not go towards feeding starving children in Africa. While that strategy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it doesn’t mandate they give much thought about who they’re giving money to and why. SESP Professor Dan Lewis studies how technology relates to civic engagement for teenagers and 20-somethings. He’s trying to identify patterns that explain why social media mobilizes people but

can also amplify the very problem it’s meant to stop. “When does it bum you out and have you sitting in your room looking at YouTube and not doing anything, and when does it get you involved and actually bring about change?” he asks. Although social media plays a big role on campus, Lewis and student leaders agree the activism debate is more complicated than just understanding a good balance of on- and offline media. While messing up a web-based campaign may still get the word out without solving a problem completely, making mistakes on the ground can cause tangible harm. “I think what can be potentially problematic is that activism denotes a certain kind of work in the sense that it’s very ‘I just want to go do good,’” says Global Engagement Summit Co-Director and Weinberg senior Sarah Freeman. “You need to question your intentions, you need to think about what the implications of your actions are and what they can be before you go into a situation.” Although activism isn’t what Freeman sees herself doing long-term, she knows a fair share about the topic from GES and year-round training. Noeli Serna, co-director of Northwestern University Conference on Human Rights, has similar ideas about the pros and cons of social media. Using it to market campaigns and to provoke thought seems to be the norm on campus. “From what I’ve seen, I feel like everyone takes a very similar approach to social media,” says Serna, a Weinberg junior. Freeman does not classify herself as an activist. Rather, she sees herself as someone who wants to be more involved in crisis relief by providing aid on the ground in eastern Africa. This comes after her study abroad experience in Uganda last year, where she learned firsthand about the country in a way that most people on both sides of the Kony 2012 fence never have. She encourages Northwestern students to be open-minded about effective tools for change on and off the web. “I love having my worldview rocked,” she says. “If the end goal is positive social impact, there’s got to be a better way to do it than what we do already.”

Myth: Busted One writer debunks classic Northwestern legends. By Thomas Carroll

photo by priscilla liu

Campus myths and legends are an inevitable part of any college experience. Freshmen absorb false information disguised as tempting truth influenced by fun stories told on campus tours and articles in student-produced welcome-to-campus literature. Misguided freshmen perpetuate the cycle by passing these myths to the next batch of incoming students, unaware of the treasured-but-false legacy they are cementing in their school’s culture. Northwestern is no exception to this pastime of creating glorified fiction. The school has been around since 1851 — plenty of time for absurd ideas to mature into the Wildcat canon of common knowledge. A closer look at some crazy "factoids” circulating around school provides a snapshot of the college myth-making process.

FIGHTING METHODISTS

SINKING LIBRARY

ROOMMATE SUICIDE

If you’ve ever taken a campus tour, your guide probably stopped in front of Deering Meadow and told of how the Wildcats used to be called the Fighting Methodists. You probably thought this was clever. You probably never questioned the truth behind this statement. So were the Wildcats ever known as the Fighting Methodists? University Archivist Kevin Leonard says no. “I’ve been working here for over 30 years and I just haven’t seen it. You’re not going to find any programs where they’re actually called the Fighting Methodists.” Leonard says he has run comprehensive searches through local newspaper archives and hasn’t found an official mention of the Fighting Methodists. Until 1924 when Northwestern adopted the Wildcat name, the team was simply referred to as “Northwestern” or informally as “Purple,” but not the Fighting Methodists, Leonard says. A possible origin of the informal name could be NU’s historical rivalry with Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish, Leonard says. The two teams used to play a yearly game and the winner would receive a shillelagh — an Irish clubwalking stick hybrid — they try to defend their claim to the trophy in the next competition. This yearly contest started in 1930 and ended in the 1970s. Leonard says calling Northwestern the Fighting Methodists could have been a joke created in the midst of this rivalry. “Someone in the ‘40s or ‘50s could have referred jokingly back to Northwestern’s days as a Methodist university,” Leonard says. “In modern days, people have picked up on it because it’s so goofy.”

Another story that comes up from time to time is the legend of the sinking library. The late Professor Dwight Conquergood writes about the myth in the July 1985 edition of the Northwestern Alumni News: “Norris University Center, University Library and Pick-Staiger — all these buildings stand on artificial ground that was once part of Lake Michigan ... There is only one problem. The architect forgot to take into account the weight of the books. And that’s why the library is sinking into the ground. You can hardly notice it, just an inch or so every year. But it’s true. Little by little, year by year, the library is gradually settling and sinking back into Lake Michigan. Some poor Ph.D. student will probably look out a closed carrel window someday and see fish swimming by.” Conquergood, who focused a lot of his studies on oral culture, acknowledges the library isn’t sinking and examines his interest in why students might believe such a tale. He points out the importance of folklore to modern societies and proposes that students believe the story of the architect’s partial failure to help offset the academic stress they endure in a very modern, high-end institution. “This homespun legend also permits students to laugh at authority figures, to make fun of an architect who would make such a stupid mistake,” Conquergood writes. The story may function as a safety valve for letting off steam, releasing a little pressure. If the library with weighty books symbolizes the massive accumulation of theoretical and abstract knowledge, then the story of its sinking may unsettle, through laughter, the foundations of authority.”

In conjunction with the theme of academic pressure, another Northwestern myth suggests a student whose roommate commits suicide will receive straight A’s for the quarter as psychological compensation. False once again. Dean of Students Burgwell Howard wrote in an email that this policy is a “classic college myth” and is “untrue here at Northwestern.” Howard remembers hearing this when he was a freshman at Dartmouth College. Colleges can partially blame the media for this myth, according to snopes.com. Both CSI: NY and Law & Order: Criminal Intent featured episodes where students receive academic benefits as a result of their roommates committing suicide. Variations of this myth were also key components of the plotlines of two 1998 movies: Dead Man on Campus and Dead Man’s Curve.

STEAM TUNNELS Journeying through the steam tunnels is the illicit staple on NU’s unofficial bucket list. Some students say they’ve heard getting caught in the steam tunnels results in immediate expulsion. That’s not the case, says Dan McAleer, deputy chief of University Police. Still, entering the steam tunnels is considered trespassing, McAleer says. Students may be issued a citation and forced to pay a fine or they could be placed under arrest and taken to the station for further investigation depending on the level of danger the officer on duty perceives, McAleer says. He says some cases may not warrant legal action, but that University Police reports all infringements to Student Affairs to determine further disciplinary action. northbynorthwestern.com | 21

Learn how to eat healthy in the dining halls now at northbynorthwestern.com.

Keepin’ It Real Real Food Coalition wants to change the meaning of food at Northwestern. By Krislyn Placide

22 | SPRING 2012

Created last fall, Real Food Coalition has since worked with dining hall employees, promoting a petition that’s been signed by more than 1,300 students demonstrating support for “real food.” Real Food Coalition has also partnered with other environmental organizations at Northwestern University to sponsor Sustainable Food Talks, a potluck program to establish a dialogue about the state of food in the community. Tiffany Ozmina, the founder of NU Food Talks and a Facilities Management staff member, reached out to organizations like Real Food Coalition along with groups like SEED and Engineers for a Sustainable World to see if they would be interested in starting the program. This recurring program would bring these organizations together with other Northwestern students, members of the community and local food experts to understand food in a more dynamic and holistic way. Ozmina recognizes the failures of a broken food system, not just at Northwestern but in the community at large. Farm subsidies result in adverse health effects because they create incentives for farmers to use pesticides and grow convenient commodity crops like corn, wheat and soy. “Now we find that we’re paying for [food] three times,” Ozmina says. “We’re paying for it when we go to the grocery store, we’re paying for

it when we pay our taxes and we pay for it when we go to the doctor’s office.” Rather than rely on industrial agriculture, the Real Food movement fosters relationships across all sectors of the food system, from farmers to food preparation workers to consumers. One of the farmers who spoke at the most recent panel, Kelly Larsen, represented Windy City Harvest. This urban farm operates as a nonprofit organization that runs many agricultural education programs and teaches inmates at the nearby jail how to farm. Windy City Harvest supplies food cooperatives like Dill Pickle and Green Grocer, and will soon provide some fresh, “real food” to nuCuisine as well. This is a small step towards big change. Real Food Coalition aims for Northwestern to allocate 20 percent of its food budget to “real food” by 2020, a pledge that schools like Wesleyan University and University of Vermont have already made. For now, Real Food Coalition’s co-leader Will Bloom simply encourages dialogue and relationships with all stakeholders in the campus food system. “Food is a unifying thing, so it’s important that we do it right,” the McCormick junior says. “If we’ve made a connection at the end of the conversation, then we’ve achieved the real goal of this.”

photo by sunny lee

On Thursdays at dusk, a handful of environmentally minded students gather at the garden just outside Norris University Center to tend to radishes, lettuces and onions, despite the biting chill of a mild but persistent winter. This small patch of land supplies a miniscule fraction of the food served on campus. It’s the only food source at Northwestern where you can actually know, without a doubt, that you’re eating real food that’s sustainably, locally and respectfully grown. Real Food Coalition wants to increase “real food” on campus with a value-based food system in which students know what they’re eating, where it came from and how it was prepared. Weinberg sophomore Leigh Gordon-Patti, a member of the coalition, says though the food system has little transparency now, it’s often easy to tell when the meal you’ve been eating in a dining hall isn’t “real food.” “One of the reasons why I moved off campus this year was because I didn’t enjoy being forced to go to the dining hall when I would bite into lettuce that tasted like tap water,” Gordon-Patti says. “When you bite into an apple that’s mostly wax and it makes your gums bleed because it’s so hard, that’s when you know there isn’t respect in thinking who your consumer’s going to be or what you’re putting into the earth to get this product.”

Project Restoration McCormick professors take engineering out of the lab and into the real world. By Eric Brown

idden in Tech’s third floor, Eric Perreault’s office is sparsely decorated. The midday sun shines on a couple books, a stack of papers, a Specialized bicycle and a large computer monitor. But the video playing on the McCormick engineering professor’s computer is anything but ordinary. “What you see here is a monkey that is temporarily paralyzed using Lidocaine,” Perreault says, pulling up a clip taken in a laboratory at Northwestern University. “The part that’s paralyzed is below the elbow and his task is to pick up this ball and just put it in the tube.” Perreault’s eyes light up as he describes how he and fellow Northwestern Professor Lee Miller collaborated on a paralysis project. Miller’s Northwestern laboratory used a computer to monitor the primate’s brain and electrodes to control the paralyzed limb the way the brain dictated. The monkey’s arm struggles before placing the ball where it belongs. “We haven’t restored full control. He couldn’t play piano or any of that,” Perreault says. “But it’s amazing if you take someone who can’t do anything on their own and give them a little capability. They can do a ton.” Perreault is one of many McCormick researchers using his expertise outside of Northwestern’s classrooms, from working on the cutting edge of medicine to merging engineering with more artistic endeavors.

photo by daniel schuleman, graphic by kk rebecca lai

‘A PHENOMENAL PLACE TO BE’

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago has been recognized by US News & World Report as the top rehabilitation hospital in the country since 1991. It’s also home to the Feinberg School of

Faber was the department chair for McCormick’s Department of Material Sciences and Engineering. After signing on to collaborate with the Art Institute, she began working with Casadio. Faber believes there’s an intuitive link between art and engineering for many people. As an undergraduate studying ceramic engineering at Alfred University — which houses the New York State College of Ceramics — Faber’s lab was associated with a corresponding art studio. “There is an intrinsic scientific interest,” she says. “You want to know how colors change through time, what sort of a chemical reaction occurs.” This curiosity has led Northwestern scientists to work with the Art Institute, responsible for preserving works of art and identifying fraudulent copies of famous artists, including photographer Arthur Stieglitz and painter Georges Seurat. David Dunand, also a McCormick professor, has tested methods that could aid others in dating and identifying frauds in ancient Chinese bronzes and 20th century castings by European masters like Matisse and Picasso. When analyzing the pieces, Dunand dissolved small samples of the metals in acid to make soluMedicine’s Department of Physical Medicine and tions, which revealed their elemental composiRehabilitation. The RIC receives $12 million in fedtions. His findings could be used in the future to eral grants and donations to help Northwestern determine when and where the works of art were scientists find solutions for patients with severe produced, down to specific years and factories. medical conditions, ranging from strokes to ampu“For me it was almost eerie and also fun to be tations to spinal cord traumas. able to do something to connect my science and Richard Weir worked at the RIC for more than engineering background with artistic endeavors,” 20 years before moving Dunand says. “I from Northwestern to the have a very deep University of Colorado at interest in art, so “THERE IS AN INTRINSIC SCIENTIFIC Denver. He says working when Kathy Faber INTEREST. YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW with these patients to said she had this COLORS CHANGE THROUGH TIME, WHAT “get back into the real connection with the SORT OF A CHEMICAL REACTION OCURS.” world” is central for Art Institute, I really researchers at the RIC. jumped on it.” — KATHERINE FABER “It’s nice, or fun, to In fact, art runs think that you’re helping somebody in some small in Dunand’s family: The professor’s father was a way,” Weir says. The professor has been interestmuseum curator in Geneva, and his grandfather ed in prosthetics and restoring limb functionality was a metallurgist (someone who studies the since his twin sister lost her hand when she was 5. physical and chemical properties of metals) who McCormick graduate student Rosalind Hecktested the types of pieces that now reside in the man says that while the patients at the RIC face Art Institute. grim challenges, they’re also hopeful. “The patients there are so inspirational, and ‘FROM A VERY EARLY AGE’ they’re so excited about the science that you do,” says Heckman, who works at the RIC. “Even riding Background stories like Dunand’s are common, the elevator, you meet some of the most phenomwhether they’re Weir’s early trauma or Faber’s enal people. They tell you to have a good day as collegiate experience. For many, applying raw they’re on their way up to therapy.” engineering talent to more worldly causes has become career-defining. “From a very early age, I remember from the ‘ALMOST EERIE, AND ALSO FUN’ time I was in high school, wanting to figure out Eight years ago, McCormick professors ventured how to help people who are paralyzed move into a field less associated with engineering: art. again,” Perreault says. “As I went through and When the Art Institute of Chicago was about to studied electrical engineering, it turned out these hire Francesca Casadio, its first full-time conserwere the academic areas I was really interested in. vation scientist with a Ph.D, the museum reached To put the two together was really a dream come out to Katherine Faber for advice. At the time, true.” northbynorthwestern.com | 23

SCOOP

the quarter in culture.

Gearin’ Up With Garden This Communication sophomore talks Bill Cosby, thrifting and Saved by the Bell. By Brianna Keefe Meet Andrew Garden, a Communication sophomore from Sugar Land, Texas. You can call him Andy, but you might also casually know him as “that guy in the Cosby sweater.” On campus, he does PR for NU Intel, Dance Marathon, STITCH magazine and NCDC — all while rocking his signature cords, Chukka boots and over-sized shirts. This summer he has an internship with Nylon magazine. Garden fills you in on why the Cosby sweater is making a comeback, the best places to shop and the campus trend he can’t stand. I hear you brought the Cosby sweater back to Northwestern. Tell me about that. That’s the most flattering thing I’ve ever heard! I have so many cozy Cosby sweaters. I guess it’s my trademark. At NU, every day is a Cosby sweater day. How would you describe your own style? I like clothes with charisma. I love thrifty things that don’t necessarily fit, but are comfy. I don’t really follow trends because I don’t see a purpose. They’ll be out of style next season. What influences your style? What doesn’t influence my style? My friends say I look like I walked out of an episode of Saved by the Bell, so I guess [I’m inspired by the] ‘90s: flannel, corduroy pants, Chukka desert boots. Vintage. What designer or brand would you wear every day if you could? Band of Outsiders. How do you plan your outfit every day? Any day I can wear corduroy pants, but I obviously don’t have enough of those [to wear a pair every day]. I would say cuffed pants with a crew neck. I actually just got my first zip-up hoodie last week at American Apparel.

What inspired that purchase? I was just like, “What am I missing out on?” What are your top five stores to shop at? Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds (a thrift store in Austin, Texas), Buffalo Exchange, Blackbird Trading Co., Value Village and Texas Thrift Store. Were you always stylish? I’m originally from Sugar Land, Texas, so when I came here my style completely changed with the weather. It used to be some pair of colorful shorts with an old vintage T-shirt and two-tone Sperrys.

How did you dress as a kid? [My style] was always super colorful: an old baseball tee or a tie-dye Orlando Magic shirt I couldn’t let go of. But even as a child, I would always wear 24 | SPRING 2012

How about accessories? No. I’ve never worn a watch in my life. I don’t like feeling weighed down, so bracelets and watches make me sweat. I’ve had glasses since I was little, but I choose not to wear them either. What is one trend you see too much of on campus? Hunter boots. Are those a trend? Maybe people wearing workout clothes [when not working out]. That’s a trend on this campus. What trend would you like to see make a comeback? I wouldn’t describe my style as ‘90s grunge, but I would like to see that style resurrected. Give Northwestern your last word on fashion. Even if you find yourself as a standard person, go for a non-standard style.

photos by sunny lee

What is your favorite weather to dress for? Fall, because I like layering, and I love wearing chunky knit socks with a fun sweater on top.

extra-large crew neck sweatshirts.

A Brief History Of Rhyme Remember that time Outkast played at Northwestern? Neither do we. By Christian Holub The “cool” answer to the question, “Is music today as good as music then?” is generally “yes.” No self-respecting hipster would dream of claiming Jack White is any less cool than the Rolling Stones. Even though some may claim we’re at the pinnacle of music history, it would take a miracle for any post-millennial artist to replace Sgt. Pepper atop the lists of the Greatest Albums of All Time. This begs the question: Are musical performances at Northwestern today as good as they were decades ago? Any list of student-produced shows that includes last year’s Dillo Day performers, The New Pornographers, evokes the same vein of quality and hipness. I wish I could have seen them. Many of the smaller acts, DJ sets and student bands in recent Dillo Days had an energy to them I wouldn’t necessarily tell my grandkids about. But I’m sure any NU alum who saw The Grateful Dead perform here in 1973 is still telling people about it. Yes, you read that correctly. In the early ‘70s, The Grateful Dead stopped by Northwestern multiple times. Northwestern president Morton Schapiro, a self-proclaimed “Deadhead,” probably just fainted reading that last sentence. It turns out that Stephen Colbert isn’t the greatest celebrity to appear on campus. Notable entertainers have actually been coming to Evanston for a while.

THE ‘70s Quite frankly, the ‘70s were the best time for Northwestern musical performances. During the ‘70s, Amazingrace Productions, a student group created in response to the Kent State shootings, dominated the entertainment scene. As at

many universities across the nation, Northwestern students protested in response, and Amazingrace founders created a coffeehouse in the basement of Scott Hall. The coffeehouse’s founders attracted many student musicians, one of whom always concluded his sets with a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” providing inspiration for the coffeehouse’s name. As the decade went on, Amazingrace moved from Scott Hall to Shanley Pavilion to a storefront at 845 Chicago Ave., and the fame of the folk and jazz performers progressively increased. Eventually local folk acts like Bill Quateman appeared. Amazingrace gained a national reputation as a prestigious small jazz/folk venue. By the time Amazingrace ended, it boasted performances by musicians like jazz bassist Charles Mingus and singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris. Oh yeah and the Grateful Dead, too. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Amazingrace went under in 1978.

THE ‘80s Although Amazingrace went bankrupt, its underground sensibility survived. The ‘80s saw the separation of the mainstream and the auteur in American culture, as Paula Abdul’s music videos became all the rage and alternative rock took to the shadows. Northwestern’s music scene managed to stay on the indie and underground side. The spirit of Amazingrace’s jazz shows survived with performances by Wynton Marsalis and Keith Jarrett. Other bands like Meat Puppets and Trip Shakespeare never broke through themselves but influenced big ‘90s acts like Nirvana and Semisonic.

Not a fan of the acts we featured? A&O’s repertoire also includes these artists. Needless to say, we did all right back in the day:

photo by daniel schuleman

Ramones, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Dylan, B-52’s, The Roots, Duran Duran

The biggest name to perform at Northwestern during the ‘80s was R.E.M. Even so, they only seem big in retrospect. When they came in 1985, they’d just released Fables of the Reconstruction and were still years away from the breakthrough albums Document and Out of Time that would solidify their fame. Northwestern in the ‘80s retained some underground coolness in its musical acts but lacked Amazingrace’s soul. As a result, it was undoubtedly a less fulfilling decade.

THE ‘90s The list of Northwestern concerts in the ‘90s looks exactly like you’d expect it to look: Cake, Violent Femmes, Counting Crows, They Might Be Giants. In other words, bands that were popular then but haven’t exactly aged well. Then again, ‘90s musicians all kind of sounded the same. Can anyone tell the difference between the vocals of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder? Back then, grunge fans would tell you there was a world of difference. More than any other era, ‘90s music was a product of its time and place and defined the phrase “You had to be there.”

THE MILLENNIUM The new millennium began with a performance by Outkast, which ended up being the post-Y2K equivalent of R.E.M.’s 1985 performance. Both bands would go on to dominate pop charts and woo music critics. When Outkast performed at Northwestern, those years were still ahead of them. In 2000, Stankonia wasn’t even out yet, Andre 3000 was still going by Dre and their biggest hit at the time was “Rosa Parks.” After all, campus groups only have so much power. Most Northwestern performers are either a few years away from their prime or a few years removed from it. Outkast’s performance, however, was actually representative of a diverse decade of music. While Kanye West or Radiohead dominated the decade, Outkast struck a great balance between mainstream recognition and critical acclaim. With music splintering into all kinds of niche interests, it’s impossible to say who’s the best or most popular band at any given time. You’ll probably never get the chance to see a huge band at its apex, but the potential is always there for another 2000 Outkast performance, where you can catch a glimpse of an epochal group on their way to fame. Northwestern’s music during the last decade has reflected the variety the school’s students have become accustomed to. Take last year’s Dillo Day, with pop rapper B.o.B. performing alongside Canadian indie rock supergroup New Pornographers. At this spring’s A&O Ball, the only similarity between performers Method Man and Major Lazer was that both their names start with “M.” This shows the unpredictability that we can expect going forward.

B.o.B. performing at Dillo Day 2011 northbynorthwestern.com | 25

sports

’Cats In The City The ‘Cats are taking a leap into the limelight. Will results follow? By Mark Olalde “Chicago hates purple! Chicago hates purple!” chanted Illini basketball fans as Northwestern battled the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., this season. Northwestern went home with the victory, but not before Illinois painted a target on Northwestern’s title of “Chicago’s Big Ten Team.” In its second year, Northwestern’s marketing campaign is a brave new step for the university. It’s granting more funds and freedom to the athletic department in an attempt to boost the school’s athletic performance to the same level as its academics. “The university, driven by the administration, made a decision to go ahead and start doing business differently in terms of how we were approaching our athletic department,” says Ryan Chenault, the assistant athletic director for marketing. Beginning in the summer of 2010, the athletic department allotted money for a marketing campaign. It hired a sales team to sell the Northwestern brand and to increase ticket sales year-round. The “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” brand was born from this new initiative. “We said, ‘Let’s not try to recreate the brand,’” Mike Polisky says, the senior associate athletic director for external affairs. “Let’s just make sure we communicate to everybody in the Chicagoland area that we’re here right in their backyard and we have a fantastic athletic institution.” The marketing initiative has featured innovative advertising such as “Dallas’ Big Ten Team”

billboards for the TicketCity Bowl and the #PersaStrong campaign for the Heisman Trophy race. “We didn’t do advertising that just was part of the clutter,” Polisky says. The marketing push extends to the entire gameday experience, with the athletic department now funding both the marching band and the WildPride Spirit Squad. Last football season featured new uniforms and a revitalized pregame show as the band became an integral part of marketing. “The Bears don’t have a marching band. The Cubs don’t have cheerleaders, same with the Sox. Those things scream college and what people really want to see,” Chenault says. “We try to use those pieces to our advantage whenever possible.” The campaign’s start corresponded with the creation of Wildside in 2010. “We want to make sure that everything the Wildside does is on par with what the athletic department is looking for, and the athletic department also helps us out by providing a lot of cool promotions and stuff we can’t do without them,” says Alex Wilcox, president of Wildside. In the stands, Ryan Field was second in the nation in stadium attendance increase for teams who didn’t change home venues from 2009 to 2010. The 2012 basketball campaign featured an attendance increase of more than 12 percent from 2011. Welsh-Ryan Arena sold out five times during the season. On occasion, students were even turned away because the stadium was so full. “To be able to have the university make the commitment and see the value in marketing our program has helped in the game day experience,” says Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. “It obviously helps in a home field advantage and we’re just getting started there.” On the field, Northwestern boasted a potential Heisman candidate in Dan Persa, and the team earned its fourth consecutive bowl appearance. On the court, John Shurna broke the school’s

all-time scoring record, and the team found itself excruciatingly close to its first March Madness. The marketing campaign also has the potential to create long-term effects for coaches. “You just see the better attendance at games, number one, and that’s huge from a recruiting standpoint,” Fitzgerald says. The athletic department doesn’t plan to take its foot off the gas under the leadership of Athletic Director Jim Phillips. “[Phillips] is about as hard-charging of a guy as you’re ever going to deal with, and he’s inspirational and never satisfied and as creative as anyone I’ve ever worked with before, so we’re definitely not just going to sit around here,” Polisky says. But the marketing may not be making as much of an impact as the university hopes. The average attendance at football games decreased by 3,007 people this year. However, attendance at basketball games has been increasing since 2007, well before Northwestern became “Chicago’s Big Ten Team,” bringing into question whether these results have come from advertising. Northwestern may need more than just a marketing campaign to take athletics to the next level. New and improved athletic facilities are a necessity, but funds might not be made available for such a large endeavor. Regardless, other schools acknowledge Northwestern’s recent success. After the Illini came from behind to beat Northwestern in football in the fall, the melodies of “Sweet Home Chicago” filled Memorial Stadium as fans mocked Northwestern’s recent anthem. “The fact the fans have certainly taken notice, at the end of the day, it’s a tip of the hat to the Northwestern marketing staff that they have something the people have paid attention to,” says Kent Brown, assistant athletics director at Illinois. “Those reactions are part of rivalries.”

photo by emily jan, illustration by priya krishnakumar

26 | SPRING 2012

Wildcat Versus The World Willie the Wildcat faces off against other college mascots. By Kimberly Alters He’s fuzzy, lovable and a great dancer. He does push-ups in the end zone and the worm under the basket. Willie the Wildcat is the king of the Evanston sidelines, winning our wind-chilled hearts with high-fives, practical jokes and his undying faith in the ‘Cats (except when he puts his paws over his eyes). We know what the standings say about how the Wildcats fare against the Badgers, Buckeyes, Hoosiers and Illini, but there’s no precedent for how Northwestern’s mascot would fare against Penn State’s or Purdue’s. What would happen if Willie the Wildcat went paw-to-paw with Minnesota’s Goldy Gopher? What if Willie and Michigan’s Biff had a dance-off? We at Northwestern love our feline, but how does he stack up against the Big Ten’s costumed competition?

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Willie measures in at 6 feet tall, about the same size as Sparty — save for the fact that Sparty’s head constitutes half his height. The Hoosiers lack a mascot, but if we’re taking Hoosier to mean a resident of Indiana, we can guess he’d be about 5’9” (the average height for an American male, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Wisconsin’s Bucky is also in the 6 foot range, but the poor badger’s head is so small, it’s a miracle he can see out of those beady eyes. Willie is much taller than the Illini mascot — which doesn’t exist anymore after a controversy over the use of American Indian imagery.

KANSAS STATE WISCONSIN PENN STATE

fluffy cheeks, but he’s sorely underrepresented in Northwestern’s logos. He’s not even in the school seal. Sure, there’s that “N” with his growling face plastered over it, but that barely looks like Willie; those black eyes and short ears just don’t do him justice. Sparty’s famous green profile is everywhere in East Lansing, and the Nittany Lion is the entirety of Penn State’s emblem. Then again, Purdue Pete is nowhere to be found in the Boilermaker logos. Also forgotten is Brutus Buckeye, who’s absent from Ohio State’s famous logo featuring the red “O,” and even beloved Bucky Badger is absent from that renowned red “W.”

IOWA MICHIGAN PURDUE

ILLINOIS

It’s no secret that the wildcat isn’t exactly a unique mascot (think Kentucky and Arizona), but we at Northwestern like to think that at least Willie the Wildcat is all our own. The Big 12’s Kansas State would point out that that’s not the case, as Willie Wildcat also roams the sidelines in Manhattan, Kan. It’s safe to say the Nittany Lion wins the originality contest, considering its name comes from an obscure mountain in Pennsylvania. The Hoosiers place a close second, but only because a Hoosier is just a name for a person in Indiana, and there are only so many of those.

NORTHWESTERN

MICHIGAN STATE WISCONSIN

ORIGINALITY

NORTHWESTERN

LOGOS Willie’s a cutie, with his canine-toothed smile and those perfectly

WISCONSIN

NORTHWESTERN

INDIANA

NORTHWESTERN

WISCONSIN PENN STATE MICHIGAN STATE OHIO STATE PURDUE

TWITTER

We know Willie has personality and spunk at the games, but let’s face it: Our beloved feline is a bit shy on the Internet. His Twitter account is a blasé repetition of Northwestern’s own news articles and blog posts, complete with proper capitalization and shortened links that have attracted a little more than 300 followers. Compare Willie’s online persona to Bucky Badger’s attempts to trend #BuckyEllenDanceOff and Sparty’s almost 5,000 followers, and you can see that our ‘Cat isn’t so wild on the web. Still, it doesn’t look like Iowa’s Herky, Purdue’s Pete or Michigan’s Biff have Twitter accounts at all, so at least Willie is 140 characters ahead of them.

northbynorthwestern.com | 27

town

Challenge Accepted! Can you handle these local feats of strength and endurance? By Heather Devane, Dawnthea Price and Emily Jan By the end of the year, we often find ourselves in a comfortable routine: jogging along the Lakefill for exercise, doing a difficult problem set and eating that same burrito at Plex every Thursday. If you want to break away from the ordinary and recapture that excitement you had on the first day of freshman year, take part in one of these challenges in the Chicago area to test your brain, brawn and belly like never before.

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAWN Warrior Dash — June 16 and 17, Channahon, Ill. You could unwind from finals by staying in bed and catching up on Netflix, or you could become a warrior. The Warrior Dash is a 3.19-mile trek through some extreme — and borderline dangerous — obstacles. Be prepared to rappel down a ravine, navigate through a junkyard of decaying cars, balance on a tightrope over water and leap over fire. If it sounds a little too intense, do it for the live music, fuzzy warrior helmet and a free beer that are promised to all finishers — or should we say, warriors. Challenge Level: 5 out of 5 Columbia Muddy Buddy Ride & Run — July 21, Gilberts, Ill. If you’re seeking the ultimate bonding experience, look no further than the Columbia Muddy Buddy Ride & Run. You and your pal will experience a test of endurance and friendship. Competitors can register for either a 4.5-mile run or a 7-mile combination bike and run race, but it’s the obstacles that will prove the strength of your camaraderie. Climbing walls, a maze, steeplechase hurdles and a horizontal log weave are just a few of the objects you’ll encounter along the way. And it wouldn’t be an adventure race without a mud pit. If you and your partner are still speaking after crossing the finish line, enjoy two free beers and the glory of being muddy buddies. Challenge Level: 4 out of 5

GORUCK Challenge — Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, Chicago, Ill. Think your books are heavy? Try trekking through Chicago with bricks in your backpack for 8 to 10 hours. The GORUCK Challenge is no joke — take it from the Green Berets that designed and lead the 15-mile journey. In each city, participants form a single team under the guidance of a “cadre” with 28 | SPRING 2012

a military background, and rely on interdependence and physical endurance to complete challenges such as lifting bulky objects and swimming through choppy waters. But if you make it through the weekend when Chicago hosts the event, past participants promise you’ll never forget the experience. And if you don’t survive? Well, there’s a death waiver included on the registration form. Challenge Level: 5 out of 5 Spartan Race — Oct. 27 and 28, Marseilles, Ill. If you watched 300 and dreamed of kicking ass like a Spartan, then this race is for you. The Midwest Super Spartan Obstacle Race tests

competitors’ strength and agility with more than 20 obstacles spread throughout eight grueling miles at Cliffs Insane Terrain Park in Marseilles, Ill. Mud, fire and barbed wire will stand between participants and the finish line, but race organizers are tight-lipped when it comes to exact details about the obstacles. If you can survive this military-inspired hell haul, you’ll get a shirt, medal, live entertainment and — if you’re a Spartan over the age of 21 — free beer. And if you haven’t had your fill, the top finishers receive free entry in the next level of craziness: the Spartan Beast race, a 12-mile obstacle course in Vermont. Challenge Level: 4 out of 5

illustration by andrea schmitz

Great Urban Race — July 21, Chicago, Ill. The best workout stresses several body parts at once, and the Great Urban Race takes that philosophy to a new level. The race exercises major muscles and the brain by providing clues that lead participants around Chicago. The challenges are physical as well as mental, so be prepared for riddles, anagrams and crossword puzzles. And if you haven’t been logging miles on the treadmill, no need to worry; the Great Urban Race allows participants to use public transportation to finish the challenges within the five-hour time limit. But the best part? While you discover Chicago, you’ll also benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. Challenge Level: 3 out of 5

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN Trivia fundraiser for the Special Olympics Illinois — July 13, Bobak’s Signature Events and Conference Center, Woodridge, Ill. Love trivia and altruism? This trivia night fundraiser will test your knowledge of various topics — sports, TV, movies, video games — to teams of 10 over multiple rounds for a first place award. All proceeds will go to Special Olympics Illinois. Challenge Level: 2 out of 5 5th Annual Chicago Class Championships — July 20 to 22, 601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, Ill. Although this event requires ratings for the Master and Expert Sections, there are six classes open to chess players of all levels. With a $20,000 prize fund, this championship — organized by the Continental Chess Association — runs for three days at the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel. Attend or register to see some of the most impressive chess moves in the Midwest. Challenge Level: 5 out of 5 Traitorous Monday — 153 E. Erie St., Chicago, Ill. Visit the T.G.I. Friday’s in Streeterville for mental exercise and celebration of deceit. Act as a villager or werewolf in Ultimate Werewolf or infiltrate The Resistance as an imperial spy. These games, while not played on a board or deck of cards, require a masterful poker face and strategic mindset. Embody Sherlock Holmes on the last Monday of every month. The treachery begins at 7 p.m. Challenge Level: 4 out of 5 Scrabble Night at The Coffee Studio — 5628 N. Clark St., Chicago, Ill. Do you have the A-B-I-L-I-T-Y? This event, hosted

by the Chicago Scrabble Meetup on the first Wednesday of each month promises uninterrupted Scrabble time with players of all skill levels from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for $1. You can even bring that favorite set of word tiles and a Scrabble board

to test your wordsmithing skills against other Scrabble-savvy Chicagoans. Seating is limited, so interested participants should RSVP on their website to save a spot. Challenge Level: 3 out of 5

CHALLENGE YOUR BELLY

illustrations by andrea schmitz

The Big Mel, Dos Diablos, 15 W. Hubbard St. The Big Mel is a 3.5-pound monster chimichanga packed with sour cream, your choice of salsa and plenty of cheese. Oh, and it’s served with rice and beans. Finish this colossal chimi in less than 20 minutes, and your meal is on them. Challenge Level: 2 out of 5 The Bacon Bomb located at Paddy Long’s, 1028 W. Diversey Pkwy. It’s a mix of ground sausage, pork, beef and spices, wrapped in a brown sugar bacon weave, weighing in at a whopping 5 pounds. It takes 30 minutes to prepare this big guy, and it technically serves six to eight people. But if you finish the Bacon Bomb, in addition to a large side of fries by yourself within 45 minutes, you get the Bacon Bomb for free and a T-shirt. Your photo will live on forever on the restaurant’s wall of champions. Challenge Level: 4 out of 5 Lucky’s Challenge, Lucky’s Sandwich Company, 3472 N. Clark St. and 717 Maxwell St.

Your choice of three different sandwiches from the following: Roast Beef, Capricola, Cajun Chicken, Salami, Pastrami, Smoked Turkey, The Fredo, Corned Beef or Ham. You have one hour to finish all three, including all toppings, to receive the third sandwich free, a T-shirt from the restaurant and a photo on the winners’ wall. Finish all three in less than half an hour, and the other two sandwiches are free, too. Challenge Level: 3 out of 5 XXX Hot Wings, Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap, 41 E. Superior St. The XXX Hot Wings at Jake Melnick’s are made with a raw chili pepper known as the Bhut Jolokia, or the Ghost Pepper. It’s the hottest known raw chili pepper in the entire world, which is probably why they make you sign a waiver before they serve you the XXX Hot Wings with cooling agents and a complimentary fire hat. Just ordering the XXX Hot Wings gets you a spot on their illustrious Wall of Flame. Challenge Level: 5 out of 5 northbynorthwestern.com | 29

town

Adventureland

One Evanston video rental store struggles for survival in the age of Netflix. By Emily Ferber

30 | SPRING 2012

available on Netflix and even more floating around on the Internet, going to the video store, mulling around the aisles and picking a movie to rent for one to three days seems like an ancient ritual soon only to be read about in textbooks. And after the death of video rental behemoth Blockbuster, it’s all too easy to assume the same future must be in store for Video Adventure. “People keep asking me if Netflix has hurt our business and to be honest, it hasn’t done too much to it,” Maday says. “It’s a nice model but it’s not the video store, and I think a lot of people have gotten used to it.” He pauses and adds, “But 25 years down the line, this is probably going to be a relic of the past.” While Netflix may not be hurting Video Adventure as a whole, technology does affect one part of its business model. “The Internet is killing the adult-only video section,” Maday says after I inquire about the closed door at the back of the store. “It’s not going to be around much longer. People can be very shy about it. They’ll go in there and peek out to make sure no one is in the store and then they’ll bolt

out of the store with the copy so that they don’t get caught with their hand in the cookie jar. And now with the Internet they don’t have to worry anymore.” He continues, saying the “younger generation” will continue to use the Internet to make their lives easier, even if that means the end for Video Adventure. “College kids are very resourceful,” he says, reminiscing about his own college days. “Honestly, if you’re not working and you’re on a fixed income and you still want to have a life while you’re in college, cut corners as much as you can.” A woman wandering around the store since I arrived looks for a film for her 10-year-old son’s sleepover. Occasionally she asks about violence, language and sex to make sure she eliminates all questionable material from the list. She decides to rent three different titles. Before she leaves, she asks a question I’m sure has been asked many times before. “You ... aren’t going out of business, are you?” Maday quickly responds with a grin. “Well, you did just give me $14.”

photo by natalie krebs

Stepping into Video Adventure is like stepping into a perfectly preserved piece of the past. An Evanston movie rental institution since 1982, it stands in the middle of the Central Street business district. It’s unassuming but still alive, even in the era of instant play and DVR. The storefront windows boast posters of the latest Oscar winners, all a tad faded from constant sun exposure. The inside is just what you’d expect, though you might not expect it to still be in business: shelves upon shelves of comedies, horrors and dramas. Television screens play the same film in a halo around the room. “The worst thing about working here is trying to pick what goes on the TVs,” Manager Larry Maday says. After eight years at Video Adventure, he’s seen quite a few of the films he fits on to those shelves. “On days when I don’t have a plan of what I’m going to watch, I could spend up to four hours just roaming the store looking for something to play. It’s that bad.” Speaking with Maday, I’m a little nervous to bring up Netflix, for fear I might offend his video store sensibilities. With more than 20,000 titles

DIY Or Die These independent hot spots refuse to sell out. By Becca Oken DIY (Do-It-Yourself) ventures are everywhere these days. In big cities and small towns, DIY has become a symbol for youth innovation and creativity. In Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, DIY is thriving — if you know where to look. DIY efforts promote community, open-mindedness and diversity through creativity and education in a number of outlets. From cheap hipster to urban classy, here are a few different DIY collectives and supporters to check out in Chicago.

QUIMBY’S

1854 W. North Ave., Quimbys.com Located in the heart of Wicker Park, one can only imagine the treasures housed in this quirky bookworm’s paradise. The independently owned store and its patrons “favor the unusual, the aberrant, the saucy and the lowbrow,” according to its website. The store sells zines (independently published periodicals), books, comics and other related items, many of which cover obscure subjects. Quimby’s also sells some of its inventory on consignment. It’s like Ramona of children’s chapter book fame grew up, opened her own bookstore and named it after herself.

DOSE MARKET River East Art Center, 435 E. Illinois St., dosemarket.com This monthly upscale version of a flea market brings vendors, called Dosers, from all over the city together under one roof. The marketplace distinguishes itself from other DIY spaces by its sophistication. One Sunday per month, visitors can pay $8 in advance or $10 at the door to experience “Chicago’s most dynamic gathering of innovative fashion, artisan food and high design,” according to the market’s website. The Dosers sell products ranging from Honor + Folly handmade aprons to Mana Food Bar vegetarian sliders. The market’s selection varies each month and is assembled by the Dosettes, the market’s curators. Very glamorous indeed.

photos by becca oken, dose market photo courtesy of alia wilhelm

RUMBLE ARTS CENTER 3413 W. North Ave., rumblearts.com A supporter of all aspiring artists, Rumble Arts Center is a nonprofit community organization located in Humboldt Park. Its mission is to promote the education and spread of all types of art, from dance to literary to visual. The center hosts events for all ages and all cultures, a quality on which it prides itself. Diverse activities pervade the Rumble Arts Center. “Teaching artists,” as the center’s site pegs its instructors, may propose class ideas like African Drumming, Introduction to Painting and Filipino-Indonesian Martial Arts. Prices range from a $5 to $10 suggested donation per class, and after you’ve paid that, you’re a sponge in a sea of cultural enrichment.

THE RECYCLERY COLLECTIVE 7628 N. Paulina St., therecyclery.org One of a few bike co-ops in the area, this place does just what its name suggests: restores donated and downtrodden bikes. The main goal of the Recyclery’s services is communitybuilding by encouraging patrons to learn about DIY bike repair. Regular programs like Saturday bike sales, youth classes and tune-up classes all reinforce the collective’s purpose. DIY bike repair has gained popularity lately as urbanites, college kids and environmentalists alike rely on more sustainable and affordable forms of transportation. So if you left your bike outside all winter, it’s worth the time to ride down to the Recyclery and learn for yourself. Your quads will thank you.

northbynorthwestern.com | 31

By Alice Li

Illustrations by Lynne Carty

After a series of racially insensitive incidents occurred on campus, some students decided it was time to speak out on the question of diversity at Northwestern. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve raised their voices, created a campaign and sparked reactions from students and administrators. But this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just their story.

s far as dates go, April 27 is relatively unremarkable. For many, it remains a Friday like any other at Northwestern. Missed shuttles, bemoaned homework and a formidable Chicago wind complete the scene. Yet at 3 p.m. that afternoon, the sun emerges through curtained clouds and grants a mosaic of students sitting on Deering Meadow a brief respite from the April chill. During that golden hour, students take a detour from their day-today tasks. They talk and perhaps more importantly, they listen. For the better part of the afternoon, a group of individuals affiliated with the newly conceived Diversity Committee challenge participants to engage in an open discourse on diversity. Officiated primarily by Jasmine Johnson and Benjamin Leibowitz, the event garners nearly 300 participants. Occupying the sidewalk and spilling onto the field, students look at one another for a confirmation of camaraderie as the first question on the biggest barriers to diversity is posed. “What do you mean by diversity?” The question comes from a sea of expectant, wary but curious expressions. Johnson doesn’t hesitate, and raising her brow she replies, “What do you think diversity means?” It’s a simple question, but it’s one that plagues the campus in episode after episode of systematic discrimination. Breaking off into groups, students candidly converse about the list of questions prompted. But it’s what’s not being said, the context that temporarily binds friends, peers and strangers to one another, that charges the air. our days earlier, I receive a text message from Hayley Stevens, the chair of the Diversity Committee. With little pretense, the Weinberg junior advises I go to the Black House at 11 p.m. where students would be talking about the Ski Team’s “Race Olympics.” It’s going to be a big deal over the next few days, she writes. At the time, I had little knowledge of the event that occurred Saturday, April 21, much less a grasp of how true Stevens’ prediction would prove to be over the next week. When I arrive, there are only 10 or so students sitting in the first floor meeting room, yet as the short hand of the clock hits 11, students trickle in until the space is full of tired but enthusiastic smiles, each pleased to see friends and acquaintances invested in the issue. Johnson and Leibowitz move around the room, introducing others to the Diversity Committee. They’re only two of the many proponents behind this nascent group, yet they temporarily take on the role of the event’s chief mediators. Leibowitz, who’s taking the quarter off, isn’t even a student at the moment. They talk to their peers, heads bowed in discussion when Kellyn Lewis walks into the room. The Weinberg senior launches into the dialogue, barely pausing to breathe. “I just released the story off on Facebook, and it picked up quickly,” Lewis says. “I just want to tell you all real quick what happened, and then we can discuss as a group what we can do.” He recounts the Ski Team’s Beer Olympics from that weekend, which had students 34 | SPRING 2012

dressed in costumes portraying different ethnic identities, from Navajo Indians to Bangladeshis. Lewis overheard the party while visiting a friend and was paralyzed by the display in the yard next door. Later, his friend informed the Ski Team executive board of Lewis’ anger. The following morning, members contacted Lewis to apologize and discuss potential action plans. The pertinent question was, “Now what?” As shocking as the incident sounds, it’s not unique to the Ski Team. It wasn’t the first time such an occasion prompted a number of students to congregate to discuss diversity. As the conversation developed increasing fluidity between participants, the rhythm of the discourse reflected a spirit of urgent agency in the room — the very same spirit that mobilizes a mass of individuals to rise and take action. ewind four months. There was no gathering at Deering Meadow, much less a highly publicized discussion concerning entrenched segregation on campus. Instead, at approximately 11:40 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, Tonantzin Carmona boarded the Evanston Loop shuttle, returning to her dorm after studying physics at the library. Moments later, about 20 inebriated female students hopped on the bus. Carmona thought nothing of it, instead daydreaming of the eventual moment when head meets pillow. She and the group of girls exited at Tech, heading in the same direction towards the fraternity quads. It was at that moment, exhausted and caught in the first snowfall of the quarter, when she heard it. “Hey girl, what’s your name?” Hyperaware of being the only other student around, the Weinberg senior chose to ignore the remark. This prompted further calls from the group of girls following behind, repeatedly yelling her name and rolling their “r’s” in a constant barrage of questions. Then finally, “Why are you being so rude, no habla inglés?’” No habla inglés? You don’t speak English? This blatant act of profiling, compounded with the belligerent and mocking manner in which the question was delivered, chilled Carmona more than the snow or wind. “I’m tough, a tomboy kind of girl. I can create some damage,” Carmona says. “But I never turned around because all I could keep thinking of was my parents and my community and why I was in the library in the first place. [Responding] was not worth it — my degree is more worth it.” Yet by the time Carmona returned to her room, the shards of anger, sadness and disappointment began to seep into her consciousness. “I was in shock and numb for at least five minutes,” she says. “I’ve never felt so helpless until that very moment and worthless, like I didn’t have a voice.” Carmona relayed the story to her friends on Facebook, all of whom responded in disappointment and outrage. “Just thinking about it got me so infuriated,” says Daniel Flores, a Communication sophomore and Carmona’s close friend. “It happened to my parents [when I was] growing up [in the United States], and I just remember the anger I experienced being a little kid and unable to defend my parents when other people talked down on them.” Taken aback and encouraged by the strong reactions and similar stories that began to

surface, Carmona crafted a letter describing the incident, urging students to act and not let this become commonplace at Northwestern. Waiting until after Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Carmona published her letter on Northwestern’s Hispanic and Latino/a Facebook page, NUestra Familia. Within hours, the story of what happened spread far beyond the virtual borders of one group’s page. To many, the response indicated a need for a forum to capture the frustrated sentiment and transform it into a constructive conversation about diversity. Students from various groups, under the umbrella of Multicultural Student Affairs, thus began to plan what eventually became the “Caucus Against Racial Prejudice.” More than 150 eager participants flooded Harris L07 on Jan. 19. The moderators, Assistant Professor John David Márquez and alumna Mayra Plascencia, directed the orchestra of voices that echoed similar experiences of discrimination as well as support from those who hadn’t. For Derek Suen, a Weinberg senior, the undercurrents of the caucus hinted at a shift beginning to take place. “I was upset by [Carmona’s] incident, but at the same time it was kind of exciting that this happened,” Suen says. “It was sparking more cultural and racial discussions on campus, and I was interested to see what would eventually come out of it.” What eventually arose from the caucus was an attitude of unrest and a feeling of community that tentatively linked the attendees together. Lapping waves were no longer sufficient — people wanted to rock the boat. Attendees of the caucus planned to meet the next day in a more intimate setting at the Black House where students who wanted to become more involved in the growing initiative could gather to confer key points of action. Once again the room, albeit smaller than L07, overflowed with participants anxious to brainstorm a plan to address the issues brought forth the night before. This time, however, a new phrase was thrown into the conversation: The Collective. “We had a lot of different voices who were trying to engage in the conversation and people coming from all different perspectives,” Lewis explains. “People knew something had to be done and that’s really when as a group and a collective, we began to make some moves doing outreach.” Lewis, with the help of several other members intimately invested in the movement, led the discussion and called for suggested areas of improvement to take to the student body and administration at large. The response was immediate, and students identified certain aspects of diversity on campus to tackle. “It’s important for us to not be ignorant as well,” advises McCormick senior Sahil Mehta. “The assumption is often that the group of girls [harassing Carmona] was white; therefore, they were in a sorority and rich. It could have been African-American girls or it could have been Asian-American girls. We have to hold ourselves to the same standard as others and understand people are coming from different backgrounds.” What eventually emerged was a list of six diversity initiatives: a cultural academic requirement, a Chief Diversity Officer, increased minority enrollment, increased Multicultural

Student Affairs resources, an annual diversity report and a concrete diversity plan. Throughout this flurry of activity, Carmona found herself unwittingly caught in the eye of the storm — even she couldn’t have predicted just how deeply her story would resonate within the community. It wasn’t until a week after the initial diversity caucus that somebody thought to ask Carmona how she was feeling. She met with Christian Yañez, the director of Hispanic/ Latino Student Affairs, who promptly asked her how she was doing. “I started crying,” Carmona recalls with a laugh. “[He was] the first person to ask me!” “It almost became an obligation for me,” she continues. “My concern has always been with the Latino/Latina community. It’s a commitment I carry on my shoulder, and on the other one I also have a commitment to my family. I was feeling overwhelmed but at the same time I needed to do it — I made the conscious choice.” eanwhile, other diversity initiatives in motion long before Winter Quarter used Carmona’s example to further galvanize the student body. The Asian NU Project, the brainchild of professors from the Asian American Studies Department and a number of leaders from Northwestern’s Asian-American community, is an initiative to increase and build Asian-American awareness during Asian-Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month in May. In progress since Fall Quarter, the project’s aim is to bring Northwestern’s Asian-American community together while inviting others to celebrate the Asian identity. “It’s interesting to see the intersections that exist between all these groups,” says Chris Nho, a SESP senior and one of the leaders of the Asian NU Project. “We don’t live in a postracial world. So we have to answer the question of, ‘We’re Asian-Americans, so what?’ I think these other groups on campus are similarly not trying to downplay their ethnicity; they’re trying to celebrate their diversity and we’re joining in on that.” Suen, another project leader, stresses the two initiatives’ different approaches. “What we’re trying to do is all the same, we’re all trying to unite the campus,” Suen says. “At the same time, the first part of our movement is a little bit different … more so community building within the Asian-American community, a lot of self-reflection [on] how can I get other people to understand my culture, how can I understand my own culture and be more prideful?” Some members of the Northwestern community have additionally been promoting an academic requirement for cultural competency. Spearheading the initiative are SESP senior Isabella Villa and Weinberg sophomore Anthony Guerrero. When Villa was a sophomore, then-senior Jocelyn Huang approached her about proposing an academic requirement that would help alleviate concerns about discrimination on campus after the blackface incident in 2009. Villa proposed the initiative to Alianza, the Hispanic/Latino Student Alliance on campus and sparked a conversation that will undoubtedly continue after she leaves.

"No one really carries diversity with them. We all need to learn about the experiences of someone who has had a different life experience than we had." anthony guerrero

“Racial and ethnic discrimination is not the only kind of discrimination that exists in this campus and in our society in general,” Villa asserts. She’s persuasive in her conviction. “The more we start incorporating marginalized groups thinking about women, thinking about homosexuality, about religion, about disability, it quickly becomes evident why it’s so important for all students to engage in an academic conversation about these issues.” Since her initial proposal, Villa has worked ceaselessly with Guerrero in drafting more finalized pilot designs for faculty members. The current pilot, modeled closely after University of Washington’s cultural academic requirements, incorporates a two-fold provision into

existing distributions. Instead of adding two more requirements on top of the 40 someodd graduation requirements, the “cultural competency” classes would potentially be incorporated into existing structures such as freshman seminars. Subjects would also need to be cross-cultural studies. For example, a student could theoretically take a freshman seminar on the Asian-American woman’s experience and later take another freshman seminar on the African-American woman’s experience. This would allow students to better grasp how two seemingly different cultures relate to the shared experience of being female in America. “No one really carries diversity with them,” Guerrero says, explaining the cross-cultural requisite. “We all need to learn about the experiences of someone who has had a different life experience than we had.” Villa and Guerrero plan to initially limit the curriculum change to Weinberg, which will act as a pilot for Northwestern’s other five academic schools. “Weinberg does span a large group of academic interests, from humanities to sciences, and we need to make sure that the requirement can be used as a basic template,” Guerrero explains. But, Guerrero stresses that while the several schools’ curricula naturally operate on different wavelengths, Weinberg’s template can be used to assess what worked and what didn’t. Coordinating with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Mary Finn, the two students have repeatedly integrated changes into the structure of their proposal. In the coming months, they hope to move forward with the plan as they further advance conversations with various members of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, an organization of 31 private liberal arts colleges and universities who have already established diversity plans in their respective curricula. Yet despite the strong push from Villa and Guerrero, both of whom see this curriculum change as a necessity, the response has varied from enthusiastic to tepid. Vice President of Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin is quick to point out that while cultural competency is an essential skill, the administration is not in control of curricular changes. “I think students feel that the president will mandate this, and it will happen and that’s not reality, especially when it comes to a curriculum,” Telles-Irvin says. “It’s the faculty that own the curriculum, and in a university setting one of the things we have to do is have a lot of conversation about what can we do. We’re here to educate, and hopefully with education people will rethink their behavior, but that takes time.” While it may be the case that curricula are largely the property of faculty members, Márquez stresses the importance of accountability for those in power. “A university like this costs a lot of money … that makes students want to demand more saying, ‘We are here, we are contributing a lot to making this university a great place and therefore we think this university should operate according to a higher standard than society at large rather than act as a reflection of societal problems,’” Márquez says. “[Students] want the university to reflect something that’s higher than them, and I think that’s wonderful be-

cause I think that challenges us as faculty and administrators to live up to that and become a truly rigorous and intellectual community.” Márquez further expresses concern for the pointedly small number of underrepresented minority tenured faculty gracing Northwestern classrooms. It’s been a concern that’s mirrored in the experience of multicultural students. For these students, this means fewer potential faculty mentors and role models. Guerrero and Villa hopes that by altering the curriculum and emphasizing cultural courses, they’ll attract more minority faculty to Northwestern. “We realize that this requirement will, by no stretch of the imagination, completely change students’ views,” Villa says. “Our hope is by having an academic conversation, this will encourage people who are afraid to have this conversation become educated in the kind of language you use or how to phrase questions without sounding disrespectful or ignorant.” n between the conclusion of Winter Quarter and the beginning of Spring Quarter, The Collective lost momentum. The group managed to push for a second forum, a month after the initial diversity forum in February. What made this discussion different from the initial forum was the inclusion of four key administrators sitting on the panel: President Morton Schapiro, Telles-Irvin, Provost Daniel Linzer and Dean of Students Burgwell Howard. A considerable feat in and of itself, the anticipated talk fell short of many students’ expectations. Leibowitz and Márquez moderated the discussion, taking turns prompting dialogue concerning the six chief points of diversity. Administrators and students debated the corresponding initiatives. “It was difficult to get the administrators to take the demands seriously. They were sidestepping a lot,” Leibowitz says. The turning point, according to Leibowitz, was when Weinberg junior Jeziel Jones called administrators, particularly President Schapiro, out for their posture, accusing them of conveying disinterest through their slumped figures. Many used this observation as a leeway into divulging additional critiques. One particular point of contention during the three-hour event was the lack of up-todate faculty diversity committee reports on the provost’s website. Provost Linzer refuted this, assuring the student body that the reports were updated annually. But moments later, the website was projected on the wall behind the administrators, disproving the provost’s assertion — the most recent report was from 2008 to 2009. “I appreciated [Jones] for changing the dynamics of the conversation,” Carmona says. “It’s not about the politics, it’s not about the formalities, it’s about getting honest answers, and when you lose that structure you can’t hide behind the diplomacy of your answers.” Yet there were a number of students who regarded the environment as unproductive. “It degenerated into a shouting match, and I didn’t think that was helpful,” Suen says. “We’re all trying to do the same thing, no one is for racism. We’re trying to combat this and by attacking administrators, that puts a rift between two working bodies that could really do something more beneficial.”

A number of students were similarly apprehensive over the caucus’ seemingly narrow focus on race. “There’s a lot of experiences that happen most commonly around race, but what’s alienating and problematic is that this is not just a white versus everyone else story and that’s what happens very often,” Sarah Freeman, co-director of GES and a Weinberg senior, stresses. “It becomes very polarizing. Whether you’re a certain type of person, these stereotypes are not just limited to race.” Both parties left that Sunday evening with more questions than they came with. During the next several weeks, certain students requested meetings with different administrators to further discuss the implementation of diversity initiatives. Simultaneously, other stakeholders within the multicultural student community gradually began to have an increased presence within The Collective. In particular, ASG and Coalition of Colors, an organization made up of the heads of several major multicultural student associations, began to claim more responsibility for the initiative. Despite efforts to continue the conversation about diversity with administrators, The Collective lost steam. The group’s grassroots nature became increasingly centralized.

Under the guidance of the Coalition of Colors, The Collective shed its title and structurally regrouped into what’s now the Diversity Committee within ASG. The student committee is additionally escorted by the University Diversity Council, a sibling initiative within the administration that has since evolved from the Faculty Diversity Committee. Run by Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Dona Cordero, the blueprints of the UDC have been drawn, even if the details have yet to be properly sketched in. The UDC’s five sections correspond to the initiative’s main areas for diversity improvement: academics/ education, faculty recruitment and retention, campus life, pipeline and lifetime connections. “It’s unfortunate that these incidents happen at Northwestern, as well as other places, and we’re looking to address this through the formation of the UDC and through the formation of working groups to identify how we can do a better job to get out in front of things,” Cordero says. “There are going to be things we can’t predict, but we do want to be much more proactive about creating a better environment.” “Proactive” is one of many buzzwords frequently used in the conversation on diversity. Only one of the UDC committees has met at

the time of press, with the others scheduled to meet by May 17. On the other hand, in mid-April the ASG Diversity Committee screened and selected nine candidates who now comprise the fledgling team. The group’s a work in progress with members still learning about one another and the mission they’ve adopted. With both the ASG Diversity Committee and the UDC formally implemented, conversations are reduced to meetings with administrators and key actors within the movement. Negotiations to publish the Diversity Report crafted by a committee of staff and students for the Northwestern Strategic Plan, continue. It’s a surprise to everybody when, only a week after the Diversity Committee is established, the Ski Team incident occurs. fter Lewis’ speech comes to a close, Johnson takes the floor and begins to create a list of action items. Students call out suggestions for slogans, flyers and potential campus marches. They finally agree that flyers, with the expression “I AM _____. ONE NU? APRIL 30th,” will cover the campus and lead up to an eventual occupation of Rebecca Crown Center, where administrators’ offices are located, on April 27 to demand the release of the Diversity Report on April 30. “Movements die because people stop moving,” Johnson warns. “Everybody needs to commit to doing something.” By the time the meeting ends, it’s nearly 1:30 a.m. A few students leave, but during those early hours of the morning, many stay behind and determine where to print flyers and who else they can contact. The fire is rekindled. Yet the days that follow bring about greater change than anyone anticipates. The events of the week rapidly blow up to immense proportions. Leibowitz describes the progression as a crisis of sorts. Immediately, student group leaders touch base with a number of prominent student organizations on campus to discuss the incident. The majority agrees to send letters of support to members, although a number struggle with what to put in the letter or when to publish it. In the midst of juggling negotiations and mobilizing students to distribute flyers, a surprise curve ball is thrown into mix. The Diversity Report, a persistent point of dispute between the students and administration, is published. After Telles-Irvin informs them of the Diversity Report the day after the meeting at the Black House, Johnson and Stevens are surprised by the unexpected victory. “In a way, [Telles-Irvin] told us information within the meeting about these six items so that we could not withhold it from students,” Johnson says. “I asked her to tell this on Friday, and she refused. She wanted to do it [on Wednesday] and she said she would have found another way to get it out.” Suddenly, the energy building to Friday’s rally no longer has an outlet. “Part of the whole nature of the crisis is the fact that things were changing at such a rapid pace,” Leibowitz says. “So many people were acting independent of each other and so many different people were keen to act at once … Every couple of hours something new would come up.”

Armed with the knowledge that the Diversity Report is now public, Johnson, Stevens and Leibowitz agree to make the announcement April 25 during the ASG Senate meeting, where the Diversity Committee would be leading a session. Telles-Irvin would also make a statement concerning the six items within the Diversity Report, a development that once again caught members of the Diversity Committee off-guard. Stevens says Telles-Irvin had agreed to answer students’ questions after speaking to them at the meeting — although the administrator later tells Stevens, Leibowitz and Johnson there was a misunderstanding, and she had not agreed to do so. Before the meeting begins, students receive half-sheet handouts with a list of questions for Telles-Irvin. As she brings her statement to a close, hands rise in the air. To the consternation of many, she sits back down and, as Telles-Irvin is formally a guest of the Senate, questions are left hanging with only silence to greet them. Frustrated, a number of students point out the absurd nature of being unable to speak to a person sitting in the same room. The conversation escalates. It isn’t until Guerrero, one of the leaders behind the cultural academic requirement, suggests students turn to their neighbors and spend five minutes talking that the tone of the meeting takes on a true semblance of student discussion. It’s this pivotal moment that inspires Johnson and Leibowitz, along with the Diversity Committee, to create an event on Friday, April 27 to capture that sentiment of intimacy in an hour without the constraints of a structured meeting. It would eventually be dubbed “How Many White People Do You Know?” inviting students to increase dialogue and break down the tension that alienated many during the ASG discussion. To many within the close circle of proponents and supporters of the movement, that night’s ASG Senate meeting embodies the culmination of emergencies. It has become clear that their approach needs to change. Johnson and Leibowitz confer with Stevens that night until five in the morning. The three establish a temporary crisis committee composed of 11 students who’ve been crucial voices in the conversation, with Johnson and Leibowitz acting as temporary mediators between all the major stakeholders. This further centralization streamlines the dissemination of information to quicken responses to emergency situations, according to Johnson. While the Diversity Committee still exists and is a huge proponent for sustained efforts, “the centralization of [Leibowitz and me] still has to exist as far as avoiding the chaos of fractions within our own movements and the chaos miscommunication,” Johnson says. This is only further cemented the next day following the Daily Northwestern’s publication of an article stating that Lewis, Wright and Jackson had engaged in overtly hostile techniques to pressure the Ski Team into issuing a public statement of apology. A subsequent editorial and letter to the editor, both published Friday, criticized Lewis’ immediate response to the Ski Team incident. The Daily was decried by a slew of students and faculty alike as singling out students and enforcing problematic cultural associations. Many people thought the

articles were harmful for the progress that had been achieved earlier during the week. “Certainly things were taken out of context and there also is a lot that has been left out,” says Matthew Dolph, Ski Team president. “I think the main thing is after the first 12 hours of pretty serious struggle between the two parties, we realized if anything good was going to come out of this we had to work together and by a day into this … the partnership we had made was much more important than the struggles between us. It set us back; it loses credibility to everything going on up until now.” espite the obstacles and the challenge of operating on little more than three hours of sleep over the course of 42 hours, Johnson and Leibowitz guide students, faculty members and administrators in the questions posted on six large notebooks on easels set up on the sidewalk by Deering Meadow. The questions are deliberately broad, and participants break up into groups of four to six based on the question they’re most interested in discussing. I maneuver my way through clusters of crossed legs and earnest hand gestures and direct my camera toward Leibowitz and Johnson. Both sit on the steps of the library looking exhausted but satisfied. They spot me taking a picture and playfully wave at me. By the end of the hour, the clouds encroach on the sun once again, and a few students begin wandering off to return to their Friday schedules. However, a good number remain, exchanging numbers and going up to members on the Diversity Committee to either congratulate them or continue the discussion. I am inadvertently pulled into a group of some of the Diversity Committee members, everybody huddling and celebrating a feeling of warmth and accomplishment. Everyone seems somewhat in awe of the event’s success and excitedly recounts their and others’ epiphanies during the conversations. Looking at their beaming faces, I am reminded of a simple fact: They are students. Although they’ve been waging ceaselessly against all levels of discrimination, these people are the same people I see eating in Norris, studying in the library and lounging on the Lakefill. As these students savor their achievement, one member, aware of what’s ahead, voices in jest, “But we’re not done yet!” There’s laughter, but there’s also more than a grain of truth to these words. Little time remains before the quarter ends and summer approaches. There’s still progress to be made in creating a viable timeline for the initiatives listed in the Diversity Report. Structurally, there is still the question of the crisis committee. When I last interview Johnson, it’s the day after the event and her voice is hoarse. We recap the developments of the past week and what trials still lay ahead for the organization. As soon as I ask her how she’s doing, though, she struggles to find an answer. “I don’t even know how to answer you right now,” Johnson admits. “I feel like I’m in this awkward, surreal portal right now of not knowing what’s going on in my life. I’ve already accepted my grades won’t be good this quarter [but] this is what I care about, and I’m always going to fight. I’m going to go down swinging at Northwestern.” northbynorthwestern.com | 37

BY SHAUNACY FERRO

photo illustration by north by northwestern staff

Northwestern’s entrepreneurship programs are producing the next generation of innovators, giving students a shot at success.

n Easter Sunday, Groovebug’s cofounders are eating Vietnamese sandwiches and drinking beer at the small card table in their empty office. Soon they’ll be back at the whiteboard, brainstorming ideas for their app, a personalized iPad music magazine. It compiles music, video, news and similar artists according to the user’s tastes. Both Jeremiah Seraphine and Neal Ehardt are still students — Seraphine in Medill’s graduate Integrated Marketing Communications program and Ehardt in McCormick’s undergraduate computer science department. Both have cut their workload to one class a quarter to devote more time to growing their startup, which they founded last year as part of NUvention: Web, a Northwestern entrepreneurship class. Because of Groovebug, Ehardt will put in a fifth year at McCormick. That’s not unusual for an engineer, and he talks about the decision to prolong his college career as if it was the obvious choice. “Having your own startup? That’s enough to make me stay,” he says. His position as Groovebug’s chief technology officer has given him a different skillset than what he learned in the classroom. But as the co-founder of a decently successful venture, it wouldn’t be unprecedented for him to drop out entirely, following in the footsteps of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or even Garrett Ullom, who dropped out of Northwestern in 2010 to develop another NUvention: Web startup, a successful social media marketing company called Adaptly. “It is still on the table,” Ehardt admits. “I haven’t graduated yet.”

he Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is McCormick’s hub for all things startup. It’s even somewhat of a startup

in itself. Founded in 2007 and endowed in 2008, it’s an example of entrepreneurship’s often-overlooked sibling, intrapreneurship: building a company from within an existing corporation, or in this case, a university. Its mission is to help students and faculty understand and pursue entrepreneurship as a career option, both in and out of the classroom. It oversees traditional courses on the subject within McCormick’s Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences program. But the favorite child in the family is the NUvention program, a set of classes that embodies the center’s emphasis on interdisciplinary and experiential learning. Inc. magazine ranked it among the 10 best entrepreneurship courses of 2011. In just over two quarters, students develop a business from a zygote-sized idea to a launched company with a prototype, a plan and an investment pitch. As a McCormick program, the classes have more of a tech bent, but since its first incarnation in 2007 as NUvention: Medical Innovation, it has expanded its brand to separate NUvention classes for web, energy and social entrepreneurship. Though NUvention Medical Innovation is still only for graduate students, the rest are open to all schools, undergraduate and graduate, and acceptance is competitive. NUvention: Web, which teaches students how to create and launch web businesses, receives between 120 and 160 applications per year for 60 or 70 spots. “Our main focus is really teaching and empowering students to sort of figure out what it means to be an entrepreneur,” says Mike Marasco, who directs the Farley Center in addition to spearheading the NUvention program. Marasco credits a lot of the popularity of startups to Mark Zuckerberg. “It was around beforehand, but I think Facebook was the first one to really validate that you can go from a college dorm room to a multibillion-dollar company,” he says.

The fact that traditional jobs for recent grads are few and far between doesn’t make striking out on your own any less appealing.

ehind two flights of stairs, four sets of doors and tunnel-like hallways, the Northwestern University Incubator is essentially free office space for any Northwestern student, faculty member or recent graduate working to grow their fledgling company. This is the first year the Incubator has been its own entity, rather than space rented by the Farley Center within Evanston’s Technology Innovation Center. Once accepted, businesses can use the office above Cafe Mozart on Davis Street 24/7 for three months rent-free, and for $10 a month for the nine months after that. Right now it’s home to 15 companies in different stages of development, whose founders aren’t necessarily there day in and day out. On any given day, you can expect to see Groovebug’s team and the members of SweetPerk, a mobile app company that specializes in local business deals, working there. Though there’s a smaller private office, the majority of the Incubator’s space is devoted to a single room with a couple desks, a whiteboard, a fridge and a half empty case of Rockstar energy drinks. No space is assigned to any specific company, which fosters a better learning environment, according to Patty FitzGibbons, the program manager who oversees the Incubator. “Because the students in the Incubator are all kind of in the same boat, they feed off each other, they learn from each other — from their mistakes or from going in the right direction,” she says. They can bounce ideas off the developer or commiserate about the process. “It really provided a support network for those tough days when you’re like, what the hell am I

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doing?” says SweetPerk CEO Austin AsamoaTutu, who graduated from the Kellogg School of Management last year. In an area where the most important skill you have to learn is how to deal with people telling you “no,” community is important.

ou can’t throw a rock at Northwestern’s entrepreneurship community without hitting someone who has participated in NUvention: Web, which started in 2010 and was the first NUvention class that accepted undergraduates. Sandeep Paruchuri, a NUvention: Web TA, former chief financial officer for Wildcat Express Delivery and general entrepreneurship enthusiast, describes the class as “kind of like boot camp.” In the fall, long before they step into the classroom for the first time, participants have to meet with their groups and brainstorm ideas over break. Though the class provides a safe space to try out risky ideas with the Farley Center’s funding, its advisory board isn’t afraid to cut you to pieces. “They just completely tell you how crazy you are and your idea completely sucks, you’re full of crap, it’s not going to work, and then you have to go back to the drawing board and sort of reinvent everything,” Asamoa-Tutu recalls. And perhaps because of that boot camp mentality, those who complete the NUvention program feel it ingrains the startup process in them well. “We’ve developed this second product now that we’re selling and I tell you, without even thinking about it, almost everything we did came out of the processes that we learned in class,” Asamoa-Tutu says. One of the main tenets of the class is the importance of user feedback. “The most important thing that they do in the NUvention course is banging the idea into our heads that we need to have people actually using our product and testing our product in order to learn anything,” says Nicolas Renold, who completed the class last 40 | SPRING 2012

year. After he graduated from McCormick, he and his two co-founders took their NUvention: Web startup to the Highland Capital summer incubator program in San Francisco. He slept on couches for three months while his co-founders lived at their childhood homes in the area as they developed their iPhone app, Waddle. The photo journal app allows you to share pictures and comments within a private group, rather than blasting 500 pictures of your baby or your bar night all over Facebook. “One of the things that’s surprising and that you can be told about but you’re never really prepared for, is how there are ups and downs, and you have to be persistent,” Renold says, paraphrasing an idea he heard from Drew Houston, founder of Dropbox, on dealing with the dayto-day issues that face a tech startup. “It’s just kind of like slogging through shit every day, and eventually you get somewhere but there’s a lot of slogging through shit. And nothing really can prepare you for that.” That “shit” might be the process of applying to incubators or accelerator programs — which can be a little like getting into college all over again — or proving to investors that your product is worth the risk. It could be going through iterations, creating newer, better versions of your product, sometimes by only tweaking some sections of code here and there, but often by rebuilding everything from scratch.

ecause NUvention has spawned many successful companies, it’s hard to think of it as a recent development. A few years ago, there was no NUvention. There wasn’t an Incubator. There wasn’t even a Farley Center. For undergraduates, entrepreneurship as a career path was facilitated only by two classes: Industrial Engineering 225 and 325, the Principles of Entrepreneurship and Engineering Entrepreneurship, respectively. “You kind of had to go really far out there on your own to get started,” Paruchuri notes of the atmosphere that existed when he first arrived on campus four years ago. Visible student startups like Wildcat Express Delivery and AirHop were still in their early stages, and Northwestern Student Holdings’ only successful business was NU Tutors, which didn’t serve Northwestern. Northwestern Student Holdings, now one of the most well-known student business operators on campus, evolved out of another student business group, NUcorp. The holdings company hit campus in early 2005, but by 2006 it was about to go under. Its main business was a students’ guide to Chicago called Chicago Unzipped, which went through three editions but in the end had too complex of a business model to survive. Jeff Coney, the director of economic development at Northwestern’s Innovation and New Ventures Office, is heavily involved with student entrepreneurship on campus. He is the current acting chairman and a member of Northwestern Student Holdings’ board. That means having weekly meetings with its two student CEOs and “being kind of a sounding board/coach/mentor/ suggestor/pain in the ass.” But back in 2006, with NUcorp on the verge of collapse, Coney saw leadership potential in Sean Caffery, an intrepid transfer student whom he approached about rethinking the group. NUcorp relaunched as Northwestern Student Holdings in Spring 2007, merging with the Institute of

Business Education’s Launchpad division the next Fall. The two later separated in 2009, citing differences in ideology. But NU Tutors and Wildcat Express Delivery, two of its first businesses, are still kicking, and it has since added more, like AirHop and Project Cookie, with others in the pipeline. Recently, ISBE launched another student holdings group for entrepreneurial endeavors, Arch Capital. Part of the reason for progress in Northwestern’s entrepreneurship community is Chicago’s role as a hot spot for entrepreneurship. Startups in the area raised $654 million in venture capital funding last year, according to the Wall Street Journal — up 40 percent since 2010. Groups like Built in Chicago, Technori and Excelerate Labs work hard to cultivate the kind of community that exists in more established startup hubs like Silicon Valley. “There’s more going on in the Chicago startup community today, in terms of startups, financings [and] support mechanisms than there’s ever been in my career being based in Chicago,” says Marasco, who has grown multiple startups and established the Chicago office for Digitas, a digital marketing agency. “Are we Silicon Valley? No, but we’ve got a lot more things in place.” Chicago has always had a lot of capital but unlike Silicon Valley, where investors learned years ago how profitable technology startups could become, here it has traditionally been relegated to old world business: steel, manufacturing, housing and hotels. “Most of the investment community in Chicago didn’t give a shit,” Adaptly’s co-founder Nikhil Sethi puts bluntly. Even as part of NUvention: Web’s first iteration, he felt disenchanted by the lack of interest in tech startups in the area. But in the past few years, with the success of companies like Groupon, the Third Coast is feeling more secure in signing over their money to a couple upstart computer nerds. The more successful Chicago efforts become, the more those investors want to try to fund the Next Big Thing. “It really helps the community and the ecosystem,” says Troy Henikoff, a co-founder of Chicago startup Excelerate Labs, a mentorship program where young startups can get free office space, benefits and capital in exchange for a small stock in their company. “It’s evolved immensely, particularly in the last three years. It’s been a huge change,” he says of the Chicago entrepreneurship community. That success travels north to Evanston as Northwestern pulls advisers, professors and networking contacts from the city. As Chicago becomes a better place to be for an expanding company, alumni are more likely to stick around, becoming a future pool of advisers and even funders for a new generation of Wildcat startups. “I can’t emphasize that enough,” Paruchuri says. “We wouldn’t be the entrepreneurship school we are [without Chicago].” But our entrepreneurship school is changing. Unlike schools that are more renowned for entrepreneurship, like Stanford, Northwestern doesn’t have one central program, and the best way to describe our startup community might be “fragmented.” The Northwestern Incubator, for instance, is supported jointly by the various Northwestern entities with a stake in nurturing startups into being: the Farley Center, the Innovation and New Ventures Office and Kellogg’s Levy Center. In addition to Northwestern Student Holdings and the Institute for Student Business Education, we have InNUvation, a group specifically devoted to connecting entrepreneurs and providing them with tools for startup success.

“The school has great resources across the board to help would-be entrepreneurs get out the door and be successful,” InNUvation’s Kellogg Co-President Alfredo Garcia says. “I think there’s one gap … there are a lot of scattered resources and sometimes it’s hard to find them.” It’s part of the group’s mission to close the gap. To facilitate cross-school dialogue, one of their co-presidents is a Kellogg graduate student, and one is a McCormick undergraduate. The group operates chapters for the different Northwestern graduate schools plus an undergraduate chapter. They have about 250 and 750 students on their undergraduate and graduate listservs, respectively. In February, they hosted their first “Pitch and Meet” at the Incubator — essentially speed dating for entrepreneurs — in which everyone had only a few minutes to pitch ideas before moving on to the next person. About 50 people showed up, including students from the law school and the Feinberg School of Medicine who trekked up from Chicago to Evanston. By the end of the night, they practically had to be forced out the door. “I’m not kidding, [Alfredo] would blow the whistle and they were like kids in a candy store,” Patty FitzGibbons recounts, smiling. The group also hosts the Northwestern University Venture Challenge, a university-wide pitch competition with $15,000 in prize money, which attracted 200 people last year. Joe Mullenbach, a second-year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, is part of this quarter’s NUvention: Web class, working on the “big data team” to create Seedr, a web service that suggests personalized content to start conversations over social media. As an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, he participated in a similar class in which students would start companies using technology developed at the university. He founded the biotech company NewWater that creates filter material for drinking water plants. But he feels that compared to the entrepreneurship club he joined as an undergraduate, the Northwestern networking scene is lacking. His other club met twice a week for lunch with a speaker, an entrepreneur or venture capitalist who could answer questions and provide insight into the business world. “You felt like you were part of this tight-knit group,” he says. “Now at Northwestern, I started to get involved with InNUvation kind of looking for that, and I’ve kind of yet to find it.” As a substitute, he’s gotten involved in the Chicago community, attending meetups and pitch competitions. “Last year Gali Baler [the former president of InNUvation] had some pretty good things going,” he admits, referencing the group’s monthly pitch competitions and networking mixers. “I think that whole thing has just kind of fizzled out.” That being said, networking isn’t the highest priority for everyone. One of Northwestern’s latest campus startups is the dating service JavawithMe. Its founders, Derek Morris and Alex Zylman, are former NUvention: Web participants who talk about the process of growing a startup with an easy confidence. But the McCormick seniors aren’t looking to network much with other students. “You don’t want to just find new people and try to create a team based off that — it’s really about the interactions between people, and if you don’t mesh with the other person really well, you’re going to fail,” Morris says. “So it’s best to

start it with people that you know.” Still, at a university where the departments that engage in entrepreneurship aren’t even friends, can innovation happen? Well, they’re trying. May’s Entrepreneur@NU conference brought different groups on campus together in the name of innovation, more than any other year since Michael Deem has been involved. The McCormick senior helps organize the conference as part of his job in the Farley Center. (In case you’re keeping count, he took part in NUvention: Web, too.) “Bringing all these different constituents together has always been a goal of the Farley Center and all interested stakeholders,” Deem says. “It’s a challenge with such tight turnover and with the confederate nature of Northwestern, but this year is the most major step in that process so far … but it’s only the first step.” The effort is well-supported by Northwestern’s administration. In March, the Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice hired entrepreneurship expert Linda Darragh as the new executive director and announced the creation of the Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative. “Clearly the Dean [of Kellogg] has said this has to be a priority of ours, and she’s putting a ton of resources and effort behind it,” Henikoff says. He has been involved with entrepreneurship at Northwestern since 1994 when it was one of the first graduate schools with an entrepreneurship program. Since then, Kellogg’s program has languished while other schools have moved toward developing entrepreneurship programs, but that seems to be changing. Kellogg managed to steal Darragh away from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, where she helped raise the stature of their entrepreneurship program. “Kellogg is sort of an understated school. There’s not a lot of bravado externally,” explains Carter Cast, who has been serving as the Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice’s interim director for the past six months. “I actually think that we can tout more what we’re doing as a school and take credit where credit’s due.” An increased focus on supporting entrepreneurship means the programs have become more streamlined, with more cross-campus and crossschool promotion. “There’s a real collaborative environment now that’s being created,” Cast says.

hat collaborative philosophy is more in line with the entrepreneurial mission, which places emphasis on paying it forward. “You can’t be isolated to be successful as an entrepreneur,” Alfredo Garcia says. “You need to be a person that can pull out that Rolodex and connect with other people and mutually help each other.” And while these tech-savvy entrepreneurs probably whip out their iPhones rather than flipping through a Rolodex, the principle still holds. Successful alumni and advisers, like Marasco — whose Rolodex Deem describes with arms outspread, “like the size of this table” — are almost always willing to help out, to take a phone call or grab coffee to talk about your bright idea. And with most in the Northwestern entrepreneurship community, there’s a persistent eagerness and hope, something they’d probably call “energy.” After all, the next great idea could be just around the corner. Who’s to say the next college dropout billionaire isn’t already walking among us?

STARTUP GLOSSARY Plunging into the startup community can sometimes mean learning an entirely different vocabulary. Here’s a handy decoder. Accelerator: “When you have a bunch of companies apply … People don’t pay to be part of Excelerate, we actually invest in them. So if they get accepted, they get $25,000 in seed capital, tons and tons of support.” — Troy Henikoff, Excelerate Labs, part-time Kellogg professor Angel Investors: “Angels are kind of your seed money, your early stage. They take all the risks basically, and they’re like your adviser as well as your investor. They’re the people that maybe give you up to a few hundred thousand.” — Sandeep Paruchuri, NUvention Web TA Bootstrapping: “To carry your company on your own funding, minimal spending as long as you possibly can.” — Paruchuri Intrapreneurship: “To see an opportunity and then to seize it, to take that opportunity and turn it into something new.” — Gali Baler, co-president of InNUvation “Someone who starts a company within an existing company.” — Mike Marasco, director of the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship Exit: “The pursuit of opportunity which requires resources beyond what one controls.” — Jeff Coney, director of economic development at the Innovation and New Ventures Office Incubator: “Shared office space. That’s a place where there’s usually flexible lease terms, coworking, lots of entrepreneurs in one spot. You can stay there for years sometimes, sometimes there’s deals with part-rent, part equity — think of it as a real estate play.” —Troy Henikoff, Excelerate Labs, part-time Kellogg professor MVP: “A Minimum Viable Product, which is like a version zero of your product. It’s not going to be beautiful, it’s not going to be that functional, but it should be able to express what is so cool about your product.” — Paruchuri Venture: “A vehicle by which you take those opportunities that you observe and turn them into actual products or companies.” — Baler

northbynorthwestern.com | 41

SUFFERING IN SILENCE BY ANCA ULEA

ENDLESS EXAMS, PACKED SCHEDULES, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. IT’S STRESSFUL AND IT’S NORTHWESTERN. HOW DOES THE STRAIN OF OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES AFFECT OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING, AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO JUST NEED TO CATCH A BREAK?

Grace speaks confidently and lucidly about her struggles with major depressive disorder. She was diagnosed February of her freshman year and attributes her feelings of resignation to her perfectionist tendencies. She pauses before answering my questions, trying to express what happened during her darkest moment in words that make sense. “It feels like you’re not yourself,” she says. “You feel like you’re not worthy of achieving

the goals you have. I thought that intrinsically I’m just worthless, and I can’t do what I want to do.” Grace is taking two classes this spring, after spending three quarters — Summer, Fall and Winter — at home. She says she’s glad to return to campus. “It feels excellent to be back and know that it’s different than the way it was before,” Grace says. “It’s good to know that you also have

photo by priscilla liu

harlotte and Grace have a lot in common. They don’t know each other and they probably never will. Those aren’t their real names. They’re both tall, brunette Weinberg juniors (Grace is in the process of transferring out of Medill), and they both took medical leaves for at least a quarter from Northwestern because of struggles with their mental health. But their stories are very different.

people looking out for you this time.” It’s clear that Charlotte is nervous to talk to me. She scratches her back with her right arm as she thinks of how to answer each question. Although never formally diagnosed, Charlotte has experienced problems with anxiety since elementary school. But the panic attacks started making regular appearances her sophomore year of college. “You can’t explain it to people, because there’s never a rational time to have a panic attack,” she says. “They’re not fun. Everything just kind of closes in and you kind of black out a little bit, and you can’t sit in class when you’re freaking out like that.” Each time she says the words “psychiatrist” and “depression,” her voice gets lower. She speaks almost in a whisper, as if she’s telling a secret. Essentially, she is. During a particularly bad panic attack Winter Quarter, Charlotte went to a crisis appointment at Northwestern Counseling and Psychological Services, which led her to withdraw from her classes for a quarter. After talking for about half an hour, she closes our conversation with a nervous laugh. “I hope you don’t think I’m too much of a basket case.” Talking to them individually, it’s clear that Charlotte and Grace are at different stages of recovery, and have gone through different processes to get to where they are now. But their situations aren’t unique. Toils with mental health are frequently brushed under the rug by students and faculty alike, treated as secrets mentioned only behind closed doors. Over the past year, 1,891 students sought help for mental health issues at CAPS, according to Assistant Director for Community Relations Dr. Wei-Jen Huang. The No. 1 reason students cited for enlisting help from CAPS was academic concerns. “I would say this is a problem at all the top schools in the country,” Huang says. “Whenever we have very intense academic demands, of course the stress affects students’ mental health.”

IS SCHOOL MAKING US SICK IN THE HEAD? It’s a well-known fact that high levels of stress are closely linked to a number of mental and physical health problems like insomnia, anxiety and depression. It makes sense that students in a university environment, where stress levels can become overwhelmingly high, have increased occurrences of mental health issues compared to the rest of the population. About 53 percent of college students reported above average or tremendous levels of stress in the past year, according to the American College Health Association’s Fall 2011 National College Health Assessment. The NCHA showed that 19 percent of college students said they had been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives. This is more than double the national average of 9 percent, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data from 2006 and 2008. Because the quarter system at Northwestern is more fast-paced than many other universities’ semester systems, it can cause additional

anxiety for students, especially those who already have mental health issues, according to Mimi Landau, a licensed clinical social worker based in downtown Evanston. Landau, who works with students and got her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northwestern, says the quarter system is less forgiving for students who may be going through mental or physical health issues. “Students who do have mental health issues, if they need more extensive treatment, then they often have to pull out [of school] for the whole quarter,” Landau says. “If they miss a week of class, they can catch up on the semester system, but in the quarter system they may have to drop a class, which can produce a sense of failure.” Charlotte says Northwestern’s four classes per quarter system has caused her tremendous anxiety. After taking a medical leave during Winter Quarter of her sophomore year, Charlotte signed up for four classes in the spring. “I felt a lot of pressure to sign up for four classes, because I thought I was taking it too easy if I just took three,” Charlotte remem-

goal of removing the stigma associated with mental disorders. “I think it’s just a very competitive environment, and we’re all involved in a million different things, and we all take really hard classes, and we all are perfectionists who don’t want to fail at anything. All of those things can be really hard on us.” The Weinberg junior says that it’s also the stigma attached to mental health issues at Northwestern that prevent students from seeking help to promote a healthier lifestyle.

SWEPT UNDER THE RUG “There’s no Essential NU on your mental health, or your emotional well-being,” Grace says. “I think it’s pretty crucial at a place like this.” Grace says when she finally began talking about her depression, she was surprised to find out how many people were going through the same problems she was, or felt the way she did. “I was amazed that the more people I told, the more people I discovered have similar problems or feelings, whether in high school or

PERCENT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH DEPRESSION AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES. THIS IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 9 PERCENT.

bers. “I ended up dropping one of my classes, and then in the fall [of junior year], I dropped another one.” Huang points out that other universities on the quarter system, like Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago, only require students to take three courses per quarter, as opposed to Northwestern’s standard four. By the time Northwestern students graduate, they’ll have taken about 20 percent more classes than their semester system counterparts, but they also will have taken on average 10 more classes than students on the three class per quarter system. So if the intense quarter system is to blame for students’ stress and mental health problems, why doesn’t the school switch to semesters? In 1966, such a proposal was made by a Student Planning Commission and was shot down by the student body, according to Huang. When Morton Schapiro became president of the university in 2009, there was talk of reviewing Northwestern’s academic calendar, but he took no definitive action. “I do know that it is a question President Schapiro has been asking of students this fall,” Dean of Students Burgwell Howard told North by Northwestern in 2010. “I think he has been a bit surprised at how wedded students have been to the quarter system.” The results of these failed attempts to reform the quarter system suggest the dilemma of the chicken or the egg: Are students stressed because of the rigor of Northwestern’s quarter system, or do students who thrive under stress choose its demanding curriculum? “I don’t know if it’s necessarily just the quarter system that makes Northwestern a place where students are prone to mental stressors,” says Lisa Velkoff, co-president of NU Active Minds, a student group with the

now,” she says. “But no one really talks about it to each other at Northwestern. If they’re going to [talk about it] it’ll be in secret, or they’ll talk to CAPS, but there’s no really united feeling about it.” Velkoff says people are afraid to talk about mental health because it’s customary in society to keep it quiet. NU Active Minds struggles with getting students to start a dialogue about mental health. “We try to take an approach that mental health is everyone’s concern, whether you’re in therapy or seeing a psychiatrist or whether you’ve never had any kind of mental problem in your life,” Velkoff says. “You still have mental health and you have to take care of that in whatever way is best for you: exercise, stress management, time management, having good social support.” The administration faces another problem in trying to tackle the topic of mental health, which is how to address student issues without scaring off prospective students, including those who want to take medical leave, notes Assistant Dean of Students Betsi Burns. Velkoff acknowledges encountering this problem with NU Active Minds, and says the group seeks to alleviate the concern through a future project. With the help of CAPS, they hope to create a series of firesides on issues like stress and time management, helping a friend in need, healthy eating in the dining halls and fostering positive relationships. “We don’t want to necessarily say that while you’re [at Northwestern] you’re going to get really stressed out and you might have anxiety and you might get depressed,” Velkoff says. “But we’re trying to just offer techniques for avoiding those things and having Northwestern and college be the best thing it can be.”

GENDER GAP Weinberg junior Branden Fini says he fell into a deep, debilitating state of psychosis when he was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the summer after his sophomore year. Fini says he’d always been familiar with anxiety and stress, but he had never felt anything like the depression he encountered on the trip. “About three and a half months into [the mission], one day I sit down and suddenly this force of overwhelming power and hopelessness sweeps my body,” Fini says. “I became paralyzed; I don’t know how to explain it. I knew anxiety, I knew stress. This was totally different.” The panic disorder forced Fini to retire from the mission, and he began seeing a psychiatrist when he returned home. He discovered he had unusually high spikes in levels of adrenaline and dopamine in his system, which his doctor said accounted for his drive and focus, but also depleted his serotonin supply, causing his depressive incident. “He told me, ‘It got to the point that your serotonin levels got so low, practically to zero, that your mind just shut down and you were stuck in this mental hell, essentially, and you had no control over it,’” Fini says. When he returned to campus this spring, Fini sent an email to his fraternity, explaining what had happened to him. Many of his fraternity members had been confused about why he returned from his mission so early. “I was never worried about what people thought of me, because I had no control over it,” Fini says. “And I was never really one to care about people’s opinion of me if they’re people I don’t really care about.” But in general, many sources including Fini say male students are less likely to be vocal about their mental health. Although data shows women are diagnosed with depression and anxiety more often than men, about 40 percent of students who sought help from CAPS were male, according to Huang. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for the discrepancy. “I think in general men are able to better handle things alone,” Fini says. “But because of that general trend, and the awareness of that general trend, men have a pride issue.” Fini finds it easier and more productive to talk to his female friends about his issues with mental health. “I’m very open with women because they’re much more supportive,” Fini says. “But my guy friends, they don’t really want to hear it. I think they just don’t want unnecessary emotion in life. It’s unclear to me, too.”

TAKING TIME OFF Grace took her first medical leave of absence during Spring of her freshman year, enrolling part-time at the end of the quarter. CAPS recommended Grace take two quarters off — Summer and Fall — for a mental health medical leave. Although she returned to school earlier than CAPS suggested, Fall Quarter of her sophomore year, Grace says she wasn’t ready to come back so soon and took a subsequent leave that summer, this time for a year. “It took a year and a half for me to finally 44 | SPRING 2012

accept that I had to take a break,” Grace says. “I didn’t even truthfully admit it until then. It took that long.” Many students aren’t familiar with the process of taking medical leave. Velkoff says she didn’t know it was a possibility until one of her friends took time off. The first step to taking time off is meeting with CAPS. After an initial interview with a CAPS staff member, the student is referred to the Dean of Students Office, where Betsi Burns finalizes the paperwork and makes necessary arrangements with University Residential Life and the dean of the student’s school. “We try to make it case by case, and individualize it to the students as much as possible, making sure that they feel supported,” Burns says. The system of medical leaves for mental health reasons is intended to help students get healthy by removing them from the stress of academic life. “Northwestern is so high-stress and if you aren’t on your A Game, it can really trigger other things,” Burns says. “[The school is] not going anywhere, we’re going to be here, so take the time, get healthy, and come back so you can have a really great experience here.” Grace says that it was hard to accept that she needed to take time off, because she saw it as an obstacle that would delay her future plans. She thinks part of the reason she came back earlier than recommended during her first medical leave was because she didn’t want to fall behind. “Going on medical leave was almost like a punishment for me,” Grace says. “I didn’t think it would be beneficial for me to take this time off. I still struggle with that now. It’s like, well, I took time off, I’ll have to graduate later — things didn’t work out the way they were supposed to.” During her second medical leave, Grace says she stepped back and looked at her problems objectively. This made a major difference. “For the most part, the pressure cooker atmosphere of Northwestern was not present,” Grace says. “These were issues that I wouldn’t be able to work through if that was influencing me. Also, I just took time to realize who I was as a person and not as an achiever.” The process of returning to campus the second time was more tedious, according to Grace. She spent the majority of her time trying to persuade people she was ready to return a quarter early, so she could enroll in classes this spring. Ultimately, Burns makes the final decision when a student requests to come back to campus. In order to be reinstated after a medical leave, students must provide CAPS with a detailed summary of treatment they received during their leave, including “confirmation of the student’s ability and readiness to successfully transition back into the university” and a “treatment plan or recommendations for student once s/he has returned to campus,” as stated in the Northwestern University Medical Leave of Absence Protocol form. “[Students are] required to meet with me once or twice a quarter at a minimum to make sure they’re transitioning back, they have a support plan in place and they’re utilizing all the resources they have available here,” Burns says.

In the past two years, the number of students who took advantage of medical leaves for mental health reasons has gone up, according to Burns. She also notes the process has become more “accessible and transparent” to students. Landau says she thinks the increase may be the result of increased awareness of young people’s mental health. “There’s more diagnosing, and mental health is not quite as stigmatized,” Landau says. “I think the combination of people being much more aware of mental health issues in young people and schools trying to better serve those students are all various factors.”

A PERSON, NOT AN ACHIEVER Taking time off can be an effective way for students to reevaluate the kind of person they want to be outside of Northwestern, Grace says. Her time off gave her a better appreciation for the non-academic aspects of her life, like her relationships with family and friends. “It helped me see other parts of me as valuable, like how I interact with people and the compassion I have for things,” Grace says. “When you’re at Northwestern, you think about how you do on tests or how you write or how you read or how you memorize things. You don’t think about being a good person. It’s definitely something I learned. You go from feeling like a robot to feeling like a human being.” Huang says one of the most important things he’s learned in his work as a love, relationship, intimacy and emotional intelligence specialist is the importance of our meaningful connections with people. “We need to work on our ability to care and listen to our fellow students and never allow efficiency to sacrifice our relationships,” Huang says. “So many students complain because Northwestern doesn’t really have enough down time for students to connect. Friendship is not something that can be forced and rushed. We really need to have some relaxation so we can — have fun and actually listen to each other.”

NORTHWESTERN GREEK LIFE ACADEMICS

TOP CHAPTERs - Fall quarter

IFC 1. ALPHA EPSILON PI 2. ZETA BETA TAU 3. SIGMA CHI

PHA

NPHC

MGC

1. Kappa Kappa Gamma 2. Kappa delta 3. ALPHA PHI

1. Alpha Kappa Alpha 2. Delta Sigma Theta 3. Kappa Alpha Psi

1. Kappa Phi lambda 2. Sigma Psi Zeta 3. Omega Delta Phi

TOP CHAPTERs - winter quarter

IFC 1. ALPHA EPSILON PI 2. Delta Chi 3. SIGMa alpha epsilon

PHA

NPHC

MGC

1. kappa alpha theta 2. delta zeta 3. gamma phi beta

1. delta sigma theta 2. phi beta sigma 3. zeta phi beta

1. sigma psi zeta 2. kappa phi lambda 3. Omega Delta Phi

EXTRA

one last thing.

Hail To The Chief U.S. presidents got nothin' on Morty. By Megan Thielking He’s a president to all, a friend to some, admired by many and known to everyone. Morton O. Schapiro, the 16th fearless leader of Northwestern University, has become a widely discussed figure on campus since his inauguration in 2009. He’s steered us through trials (the “brothel law” incident of 2011), begun new traditions (March Thru the Arch) and made plans for a better Northwestern (a student center other than Norris), all while wearing his signature purple sweaters. With the 2012 presidential election less than six months away, would Morty have what it takes to run the nation? He shares many of the responsibilities as the president of the United States, including governing a diverse population, authorizing spending and controlling the parties. Take a look at the ties that bind Morty and these five former U.S. presidents.

THE FRIENDZONER

46 | SPRING 2012

When John F. Kennedy spoke, people listened. He captivated audiences in the first televised presidential debates in 1960, appearing cool and confident against his less photogenic opponent Richard Nixon. His aura of confidence gave him charisma unique to the presidency and unusual for the White House, which fascinated Americans. Morty, like JFK, gets much of his presidential bang from his exceptional public speaking abilities. The man single-handedly inspired 2,400 students embarking on Northwestern SCAPE Service Day. Whether or not you like what they do, one cannot deny the charisma these two presidents share.

THE DOLLED-UP DUDE

No one knows how to rock a sweater like Morty, but Jimmy Carter comes close. The two have similar styles — sort of a Mr. Rogers meets Mr. President. Each is able to dress down a presidential suit with a snazzy sweater. To them, color coordination is second nature. In a presidential display of pride and loyalty, each man dresses using a limited color palette to mark his territory. Morty reps his purple pride for the ‘Cats and Carter opts for a red, white and blue theme for the United States of America. These men are not only fashionable; they may very well be considered trendsetters. Carter certainly knows how to mix things up by pairing a patterned tie and a striped button-down, while Morty specializes in mixing and matching shades of purple, including, but not limited to, grape, lilac and lavender. Fashion critics can hate, but these presidents both know how to dress the part.

THE BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Young Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor, and even as president, he was still a star. For us, Morty is basically a rock star, right? Admit it, when you see Morty walking around campus, you feel a little shell-shocked. What’s behind that confident countenance? Reagan was a wildly popular president in many ways. For instance, he bounced back from the Iran-Contra Affair that damaged his presidential approval ratings. Both Morty and Reagan have a perception of popularity that carry them, and in a way, serve to mask their actual work. With the use of their winning smiles and a carefully orchestrated wink or two, it seems there’s nothing these men can’t charm their way into.

THE KNOW-IT-ALL

When it comes to a love of economics, George H.W. Bush and Morty are two peas in a pod. Bush Sr. graduated from Yale University in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He started the Bush-Overby Oil Development in 1951 and made his first million dollars before age 50. Morty holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in Economics from Hofstra University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. He also chaired the Department of Economics at the University of Southern California from 1991 to 1994. At Northwestern, Morty has taught an undergraduate economics course every fall since he became president, focusing on his area of research, “Economics of Education.” These fellas are well-versed on everything from opportunity costs to supply-side policies, and even better, it seems that they actually enjoy learning, talking and teaching about economics.

illustration by lynne carty

Franklin Delano Roosevelt personalized his relations with Americans through his frequent radio addresses known as “Fireside Chats.” Roosevelt talked about Depression-era issues in a personal and casual way. Americans gathered around their radios to hear from their president. Roosevelt’s name, shortened to the catchy FDR, made him seem more approachable to the common man. President Schapiro, sporting the congenial nickname Morty, operates in a similar manner, hosting occasional fireside talks himself. He tries to befriend as many students as possible by getting involved in student events and organizations. These presidents communicated with an air of informality that reached people in a distinct way.

THE ATTENTION-GETTER

Lost? The unauthorized map of campus. By Hilary Fung

Cars obscuring our view of the ocean

Ryan Field (around here somehere)

Ocean

Tailgaters who go here but don’t look too happy about it

Here be dragons

NOYES STREET

FRANCES SEARLE Prison, but with children’s toys

SHERIDAN ROAD

GREAT ROOM Or Great Hall? Perfect after a few too many butterbeers

TECH Beware of radioactive substances, including anything from Tech Express and students who haven’t showered in a while

Tailgaters who don’t even go here

Mutant carp

LAKEFILL Fetus or E.T. taking a dump?

map & illustrations by hilary fung

FOSTER STREET

People attempting to simultaneously enjoy the weather and cram for a midterm

KELLOGG I won’t make fun of you if you give me a job one day NORRIS Center of campus, according to no one

PLEX Made-to-order burritos and lonely dinners THE ROCK Center of campus, according to prospies “Can I have a minute of your time?” — Greenpeace

northbynorthwestern.com | 47

Lost Your Dillo Day Dignity? We'll show you how to find it. By Gabe Bergado

START YOUR DAY

OFF CAMPUS

Pre-game the pre-game in your dorm room or apartment at 9 a.m. sharp with alcohol bought on a college budget: SKOL brand vodka, PBR and chasers/mixers from the C-Store.

Since you live off campus, you don’t have to deal with CAs. You decide to indulge in a shower beer. But what starts as one quickly becomes four and you find yourself disoriented while getting ready. As the alcohol begins pumping through your veins, you either burn yourself with a curling iron or cut yourself shaving, leaving an embarrassing battle wound on your face. Everyone’s already taking shots in your living room, so you just throw on a tank and shorts, unaware of the fact that your hair looks like a desert bush torn to shreds by an armadillo.

ON CAMPUS Because your speakers are cranked up to max volume, a CA overhears the dorm debauchery and busts the party in your room. The only person to escape being written up is the quick thinker who jumps into the closet and doesn’t make a sound as WildCards are collected. The most embarrassing part: the song blasted at eardrum-shattering levels was “Call Me Maybe.”

BUSTED After your unforgiving CA pours all your booze down the drain, you and your pack of friends decide to walk around Evanston looking for parties. You quickly find yourself at a frat pre-game, with Natty Light galore all over the lawn. Your friends pressure you into shotgunning a beer. Unable to keep down the light-brown elixir, you blow chunks mid-shotgun all over the couple making out on the lawn chairs and get yourself kicked out. Good thing you already stole a handle of gin found in the kitchen.

You and your friend begin chugging down the gin on the way to the Lakefill.

SLEEP

Wake up in a porta-potty in the middle of a threesome with your supervisor at work and the weird kid from your econ discussion section. At that second, your current slam piece opens the door of the porta-potty. Someone should have locked the door.

Head back home to take a nap and replenish your buzz before the last performer. Look in the mirror to find a hickey in the shape of an armadillo on your neck. You walked all the way home from the Lakefill without noticing this.

48 | SPRING 2012

SHOW OFF

CREEP

At the Lakefill, you decide it’s time for a good old-fashioned crowdsurf. While supported by a mob of fellow drunks, your bladder gives out and you take a little tinkle on the masses supporting you. Disgusted, the mob drops you on your ass. You’ll forever be known as the guy/gal who pissed their pants while crowdsurfing.

Spot and follow a cute freshman back to Elder. Wake up the next morning in Elder. You’re a senior.

illustrations by hilary fung

BLACKOUT

SHITFACED You begin the trek from your apartment to the Lakefill. Unfortunately, your stomach begins to churn and an overwhelming nausea comes over you. As you’re stumbling by a frat party being busted by Evanston police, you barf chunks all over a vacant police car. You immediately dash off before any of the preoccupied cops notice the regurgitated Cap’n Crunch on their windshield.

Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Willie? Campus personalities join in on the Lakefill revelry. By Andrea Schmitz

FIND WILLIE AND OTHER CAMPUS CELEBRITIES ON DILLO DAY.

Zach Braff

Willie the Wildcat

3 Dillos

5 Flasks

NBN Magazine

Chet Haze

Stephen Colbert

Campus Fox

Kilt Guy

Morty

northbynorthwestern.com | 49

Coffee Mate One writer’s quest to befriend all the baristas. By Nolan Feeney

50 | SPRING 2012

photo by natalie krebs

When it comes to making friends with baristas, I’m like a bad boyfriend: secretly needy, bad at communicating, unsure of what I want and just kind of weird. Maria worked in a cafe that occupied the same old, ornate hotel building as my apartment. She’d ask how my day was going, make my order as soon as I walked in and let me linger while I hogged the Wi-Fi for longer than I could get away with stateside. A homely waitress in her 30s with bleached blond hair, she invited me to hang out with her kids and told me if I ever came back to Argentina, her door was open. In short, she helped me live out a fantasy: I was starting to become a regular. One morning, I found myself heading to the cafe directly across the street from Maria’s where another waitress worked. She was cold, grumpy and judgmental — I’m pretty sure she rolled her eyes at me once while I stuttered over my order in broken Spanish. The only time I ever saw her smile was shortly before my flight home when I told her I was leaving. Maybe she was proud I finally put a sentence together. Or maybe she was, as I feared, happy to see me go. In 1982, sociologists Ray Oldenburg and Dennis Brissett found that cafes were stimulated bastions of unpredictability where we, free from the constraints of our home and work lives, could venture to interact for interaction’s sake, to socialize with complete strangers — to practice being human. These days, I am apparently really bad at doing all of those things. Finding a spot at Maria’s — a corner of the real world I could claim as my own for just a few hours — was all I thought I wanted. But as I realized Maria was getting used to seeing me show up before class in the mornings, I started to feel self-conscious about whether I would be able to live up to my dream. What if I didn’t want “the usual” anymore? Would I hurt her feelings if I chose to sleep in or if I was too busy to swing by for a few days? I didn’t want to ruin her expectations, so I made sure Maria never had any and fled to less friendly turf across the street. Looking back, it’s stupid to think I was important enough to disrupt someone’s day by straying from my own routine, but I actually spend a lot of time thinking about baristas and my own neuroses. As I sit in Unicorn Cafe, I debate the ideal amount of an eye contact between when I greet a barista and when I glance up at the menu. Too much could be creepy, but too little might shut down a perfectly good conversation. I rehearse what I order while I wait in line at Peet’s in hopes of not accidentally pulling a Starbucks and embarrassingly ordering a Grande or a Tall. I freeze up and mumble inaudibly when a barista asks me a question I’m not prepared for, like what type of milk I want or what my name is, so I started telling them my name was Noah because nobody ever asks me to repeat or spell that. Now I’m sure some of them actually think my name is Noah. My world isn’t the same cafe Oldenburg and Brissett examined, however. Sure, coffee shops are an escape. And sure, they’re stimulating environments — stimulating in the sense that I like to get so caffeinated my hands shake slightly while I hammer out cover letters. But a social experience? Not really. I tend to sit with headphones on and eyes glued to a laptop among like-minded zoned-out individuals. For a few minutes every visit, though, I get to live up to Oldenberg and Brissett and talk to someone who isn’t a friend or a professor or somebody I know. I get to talk with the stranger who makes my mocha just to celebrate the fact that I can. Recognizing the importance of those interactions doesn’t explain why I overthink them. From Norbucks’ tables, I look on with jealousy as other students form instant friendships at the counter, but I’m sure their brains don’t run through the same marathon of thoughts that run through mine. An old professor once told me the worst thing you could wish on another man was self-awareness. The truth is, when it comes to my pursuit of barista love, I’m not sure I like what I see. I worry the best indicator of my ability to be a functioning member of society is now whether I can get through my order without stumbling or being accidentally antisocial. I cringe when I remember that for weeks I told baristas my name was something else to blow through the act of ordering. I wonder what it says about me that I used to walk three extra blocks around my apartment to avoid getting too close to a barista I wanted so badly to befriend. If who I am in the real world is who I am in line at a cafe, then I’m just no good at practicing being human.

Dress To Impress Get your grading on with this paper doll. By Hilary Fung The best way to feel young is to think about how old you’re not. So go on, grab some scissors. Stick this doll to your fridge with magnets if you’re crafty. You’ll be able to sneak into any faculty conference or staff lounge after you follow these stylist-approved, obviously accurate instructions for dressing like a professor.

Purple tie. Display your Northwestern diploma prominently above your desk. Perhaps wear a class ring. Tell lavish stories of a stricter, yet somehow more enjoyable, era in Evanston.

Strangely patterned collared shirt. Joke about how the pattern reflects an acid trip you experienced “back in the day.”

Oversized sweater. Pair with rectangular glasses and an old-fashioned book, but be sure to distinguish yourself from hipster students. Act preoccupied with an extensive research project.

Thrift store floral skirt. Make sure it falls at an awkward length, just below your knees. Pretend you’ve been wearing it since college.

Solid-colored button-down. Pick a hip color, like light green, to guide students’ judgmental eyes away from your graying hair. Draw fashion inspiration from Kellogg students or Jim on “The Office.” Roll your sleeves up for maximum youthfulness.

illustrations by hilary fung

Slightly see-through blouse. Vaguely toe the line between complimenting your students and hitting on them.

Classic blue jeans. Denim of the high-waisted, short-legged variety is ideal. Look confused as you try to text on your flip phone.

Handmade jewelry. Buy this gem at an arts market. Say you love teaching in Evanston because you can shop for gluten-free vegan organic food after work.

High-tech windbreaker. Show up to class breathless because you biked from Rogers Park. While lecturing, casually mention that you’re trying to beat your son in a triathlon next fall. northbynorthwestern.com | 51