Jakob Lazzaro, Justin Curto and Sophia Lo Can't Let Go of Baby Shark and letting a friend down, Oscar drama and poetry readings, and the potential heat death of the universe and missed connections: sushi edition. Stories featured in this episode hail from Slate’s Decoder Ring, The Oscars and Space.com. Transcript below.

[Music: Little Lily Swing]

Jakob Lazzaro: Hello, and welcome back to Can't Let Go, the NBN podcast where we discuss the news stories and the personal stories from the past week or several weeks or whatever that we can just not get out of our heads. I'm your host, Jakob Lazzaro, and today, as always, I’ve got two guests with me. We’ve got returning, eternal guest Justin Curto — Justin, say hi.

Justin Curto: [Laughs] Hi.

Jakob: And we’ve got new guest Sophia Lo.

Sophia Lo: Hi, I’m Sophia and I’m exhausted.

Jakob: Justin wants to go first for his news story. So Justin, what’s your news story?

Justin: Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I want a WWE-style intro.

Jakob: Oh, my god.

Justin: No, I’m kidding.

[Laughter]

Jakob: Annnnnd on the riiiight side of the boooooth, Justin M. Curto with his news story.

[Laughter]

Jakob: So here we go. Justin, what’s your news story?

Justin: Why’d I get my middle initial in my intro?

Jakob: Because it’s a WWE-style intro!

Sophia: What’s your middle name?

Justin: Michael.

Jakob: It’s Maurice.

Justin: No, it’s not. All right! I have a news story, and my news story is, broadly speaking, the Oscars. So, something to know about me is that I live and die by film awards season. I’m not super into film history or good classic films, but I love finding out, like, which films have momentum? Who has buzz right now? And all the weird shit that happens along the way. But this awards season was especially weird and shitty because of two films – Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody. They had shockingly great showings at the Oscars. This year I was like, should I try to see all eight Best Picture nominees? Because I was pretty close. But then I decided that it wasn’t worth seeing Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody. Basically, the idea is like very much a subplot/afterthought of the film, that Freddie Mercury was a queer man when, in reality, it was a part of his life. The movie just focused on He’s a Rockstar! and all that. Also, the director is a bad person, and that’s it’s own other thing.

Sophia: What’s the controversy over the director? I do not keep up with the Oscars at all, the only thing I’ve seen was Bao, which was adorable.

[Laughter]

Justin: So, the director, Bryan Singer...

Jakob: Bryan Singer, yeah.

Justin: His thing is that he has been well-known in Hollywood circles for a little while now for sexually abusing teenage boys.

Sophia: Pretty bad, okay.

Justin: Along with all that, he was kicked off the set of Bohemian Rhapsody before the filming ended just because he was apparently difficult to work with, and they turned one of the film’s producers, I think, into the new director. So if you’ve seen that clip going around Twitter with, like, the shitty editing where it cuts...

Jakob: It also won best editing, which is the clip I was gonna talk about!

Justin: Yeah! So, the reason why it won best editing is because people thought that the film editor was the person who saved the film because he weaved together these two directors’, like, directing. Because they didn’t reshoot the film when they got the new guy. But the joke is that no one mentioned Bryan Singer in like, any awards speech, so it’s like the film without a director.

Jakob: Sophia, what’s your news story?

[Laughter]

Sophia: Oh! My news story is about the universe – real deep, I know. Just kidding. It’s about physics, which I don’t understand very well. There’s this thing called Hubble’s constant, I think? It’s Hubble something, and it’s basically just the rate the universe is expanding. People have been researching, and recent experiments have found this discrepancy that the universe is expanding a lot faster than Hubble’s constant. Nine percent faster, to be exact. They don’t know what this means, but it could just be very bad. They don’t understand why, either – they think it’s something to do with dark matter, which we don’t really understand.

Justin: So, I have a question.

Jakob: Yes.

Sophia: I probably can’t answer.

[Laughter]

Justin: Why is it bad if the universe is expanding? Like, what are the harms to me of the universe’s expansion?

Sophia: To you? Probably nothing, but I think the article mentioned something about, like, atoms ripping apart.

Justin: Shit. That sounds painful.

Jakob: Yeah, there’s like three end-of-the-universe scenarios. There’s the big rip, which is all the atoms rip apart basically, there’s the big crunch, which is like the universe is going to expand and then crunch back together in another big bang.

Justin: Why? Why would it crunch back together?

Jakob: Because physics, I don’t know. And then there’s the big freeze, which is the one scientists thought was going to happen. Basically, the universe expands forever and then everything dies because all the heat and energy disappears over quadrillions of years.

Sophia: But now it’s expanding faster, so...

Jakob: Then expected. So it could be the big rip, in which all your atoms would rip apart eventually.

Justin: Does it all happen at once?

Sophia: No, I don’t think so.

Jakob: It’s like a gradual process.

Justin: So like maybe one of my atoms has already ripped!

Jakob: Oh no, it’s like a gradual process across the universe. Kind of a long time,

Sophia: Climate change is going to get us first.

Jakob: To reign things back down to Earth for my news story, are you guys aware of the international internet and cultural phenomena over the past year or so called “Baby Shark?”

Sophia: Yes.

Justin: I used to work at a summer camp.

Sophia: Yeah, so did I.

[Laughter]

Jakob: For the record, I never worked at a summer camp. So I did not know about “Baby Shark.” Anyway, there’s a podcast from Slate called Decoder Ring hosted by Willa Paskin. Basic premise is pop culture related mysteries, and this month’s episode was about the history of “Baby Shark.” And let me tell you, it was wild.

Sophia: It’s been around for a long time. It made it on the New York Times’s newsletter several times, and I don’t know why.

Justin: There’s like something that happened that like, sparked its resurgence.

Sophia: It’s on the little kids video.

Jakob: Yeah. So I think the reason it’s popular now is there’s this South Korean company called PinkFong, which is a children’s media company. And they made a version for their YouTube page, which is the one that’s super popular and has been viewed a bajillion times or whatever. But like you guys were saying, the song itself is actually super old. So right now, there’s like several international copyright disputes going on. Different versions of “Baby Shark” have charted multiple times in different languages over multiple periods of time. Willa Paskin, who’s the host of the podcast, she did this research and she thinks, they’re not sure, she thinks the song is as probably as old as the 1970s and probably goes back to the famous summer blockbuster movie Jaws. This podcast was absolutely amazing, and I recommend everyone goes and listens to this episode because it’s crazy.

[Laughter]

Sophia: Do they play different versions of “Baby Shark?”

Jakob: Yes. They play different versions of “Baby Shark,” they play “Jaws Works for the C.I.A.” I mean not the whole song, just clips of it.

Justin: Because they don’t want to embriol themselves in the multiple international copyright disputes.

Jakob: That’s true!

[Music: “Baby Shark” by PinkFong]

Justin: And now it’s time for our personal stories!

Jakob: Yes.

[Laughter]

Sophia: Oh, my personal story involves you, Jakob.

Jakob: Wow, it does? Wow, I feel called out, what’s your personal story?

Sophia: Well, Todoroki was doing a buy one, get one free on their all you can eat sushi celebration yesterday. And I skipped lunch, I didn’t really eat breakfast because, you know.

Jakob: Now you’re making me feel bad.

[Laughter]

Sophia: It gets worse later, don’t worry.

Jakob: Oh, okay.

Sophia: Because Jakob and I were gonna go. And then I get to the restaurant, I put my name down, I’m all ready to eat like 30 pieces of sushi. Like, not even kidding, I was planning on ordering at least six rolls. And then Jakob calls me and he tells me he can’t make it because he lost his flash drive?

Jakob: Yes. To defend myself, I have a flash drive plugged into my computer at all times, it’s plugged in right now, as extra storage space. Like, I keep my iTunes library on there, my Spotify downloads, whatever. And it’s important.

Justin: Very important to eating sushi.

Jakob: No. What is important is that I lost it. I was in the Medill student lounge, and I knocked my laptop or something when I was putting it into my bag and it fell out and I didn’t notice. Evidently, it fell into the crack of the couch in the Medill student lounge? And I didn’t notice until I got back to my apartment and was like, throwing everything out of my backpack in a rush because I was running late for the sushi, as usual. It was like 4:44 when I’m doing this, and I notice there’s no flash drive. So I’m like, oh. It must have fallen out in my bag. So I tear open my bag, and it’s not there. I’m like, shit. I gotta retrace my like, steps for the afternoon. So then I called you and was like hey, I can’t come because I’ve gotta go find this like fucking flash drive because it’s important.

Sophia: So I let Jakob go obviously, but then I’m scrambling to find people because my other friends went during lunch, my other friends were busy, and yeah. I mean I wasn’t that upset at the time because I think I was just getting really hangry so I wasn’t thinking, because you know, didn’t really eat lunch. So I went and got poke, which was fine and all, and then after I was full I just started getting mad because I spent eleven dollars on poke and I would have eaten so much more sushi. And you know, I was still fine until that evening. I think the poke made me sick because I was vomiting last night. Yeah, not fun. Not a fun night. So basically, I was upset because I really wanted sushi. I wanted so much sushi. I did not get the sushi. I got poke that made me sick. That’s my personal story.

Jakob: Wow.

.

Justin: I tried sushi for the first time like last week at Todoroki.

Sophia: I’m sorry, what? At Todoroki?

Justin: I’m a vegetarian!

Sophia: Oh, okay.

Justin: So I’ve never had any reason, to like eat sushi I feel like? And people say Justin, you really enjoy cooking. You’re really into food. I feel like you’d like sushi. But it doesn’t fascinate me in the same way, because I feel like so much of sushi is about high-quality ingredients and things like that, whereas I’m more into technique and cooking and things that involve heat a lot of the time, and yeah. But also, I don’t know. I was like, sort of confused by vegetarian sushi.

Sophia: Vegetarians sushi isn’t good. I wanted shishimi, but they don’t do that.

Jakob: Justin: I tried sushi for the first time. Sophia: Ah yeah, it’s not good because you didn’t get the meat sushi.

[Laughter]

Sophia: I mean, that’s the good sushi. There’s nothing that bad about vegetarian sushi, like, avocado rolls are fine and everything. But salmon sashimi? Yes.

Jakob: Yeah. How much did this cost you?

Justin: Oh, we went with Sam’s dad.

Jakob: So it was free, for you.

[Laughter]

Justin: Because he likes sushi. So they were enjoying their fish sushi, and I’m here like lol.

Jakob: Well, you know. I feel like Sophia, your personal story was also partially mine because I was like the broken gear in your sushi disappointment yesterday.

Sophia: That’s true.

Jakob: Because of that...

Jusin: Okay! My personal story is that I am taking reading and writing poetry this quarter, because I don’t consider myself a creative writer really, I do journalism, I do a lot of reporting, I can write a damn good long academic paper. But otherwise, I’m like I’m not a creative writer, what? But I was like, hey, it could be fun. It could stretch me. And I saw that Natasha Trethewey, the former U.S. poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner who is a big-time professor here at Northwestern University.

Jakob: This is unrelated, but when she was not a big time professor my high school English class interviewed her because my high school AP English professor kind of like knew her, so yeah.

Justin: She has the best, like, partial southern drawl. It’s very comforting. She also looks eerily like Kamala Harris. Anyway.

Jakob: Body double.

[Laughter]

Justin: Anyway. So, I’m in this class, I’m like okay. I’m not a poet. Whatever. But then we start reading, like, contemporary poetry and I’m like maybe I can do this! But then, yesterday was my turn for a big group class workshop. So I’m there with my poem and I start to read it, and I didn’t take a big enough breath at the beginning so I was like gasping for air in the middle of the poem and my voice was kind of shaking. But I wasn’t nervous? I don’t know. I just didn’t breathe well during it. I’m also not good at reading poetry out loud because I don’t have the right rhythm. Afterword, I find out everyone in the class freakin loved the poem, apparently? Like, most other people’s poems, it got into criticism fairly quickly. There were like two other people in our past in our full group workshops who have done very well, and I was like damn. I’m going to be another one of those people who makes a fool of myself. But apparently, it was a good poem. People were like, gushing about it. I do have things to change about it, but it was a big confidence boost and I was sort of riding high after that. And then I was like, maybe I shouldn’t become a journalist. Maybe I should be a poet instead.

Jakob: I feel like of the few careers that make less money than journalist, poet is definitely, like, up there on the list?

[Music: Little Lily Swing]

Jakob: That’s going to wrap things up for this week. This and all other NBN podcasts can be found on iTunes and on Spotify and in the Google Play store, which is cool. Go subscribe to all of them so you get notifications whenever we have new shows. Our show’s theme is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon, which we use under a Creative Commons Attribution License. I'm Jakob Lazzaro, the host of this podcast.

Justin: I'm Justin Curto.

Sophia: I’m Sophia Lo.

Jakob: And this is NBN Audio.

[Music: Little Lily Swing]

Jakob: I feel like proprietary “Happy Birthday” songs is a very, like Kansas thing.

Justin: I was gonna say! I feel like it’s like a hallmark of Midwestern charm.

A lot of Papachristos’ work over the past decade has been based on network science, which is an approach that tries to model networks, or the connections between people, and how it affects what they feel, think and do.

“What we know is that networks affect who you vote for, what you buy, who you marry, whether or not you get a raise, whether or not you have a good idea, whether or not you get a disease. And so a lot of what my work has done over the last decade is apply that logic to crime and violence, particularly gun violence,” Papachristos said.

Using this approach, Papachristos has applied network science to develop a model to help predict specific outcomes. In the area of gun violence, he wants to use his research to determine who is going to get shot and when in order to implement intervention tactics to reduce this violence.

Through his research, both in this study and studies he conducted in about a dozen other cities, he made three main findings. One, gun violence is concentrated more severely within social networks such as a disadvantaged neighborhood. Two,exposure to gun violence increases the likelihood for it to affect someone and, three, it is temporally and spatially contagious, meaning that once gun violence occurs, it creates a cascade of violence through social spaces that diminishes over time.

In his most recent Chicago study, he observed the physical gun circulation in the city to determine the ripples it has in social networks. By using data of guns confiscated by the police, the study found that individuals were only 2.5 handshakes away from obtaining a gun.

Papachristos said that these results can be used to determine policy initiatives regarding illegal gun use and intervening in the immediate risk of gun injury or trauma. Since gun violence in your network increases your likelihood of experiencing it, he recommends implementing more rapid response outreach and trauma services to mitigate these effects in more at-risk neighborhoods.

“There’s a role for police in gun violence prevention and it should be limited, but this sort of approach I’m advocating for is more holistic. If you have a public health model, you have a whole range from primary care to tertiary care to emergency care and police are just one very specific element,” Papachristos said.

Papachristos is now researching police accountability within social networks and believes that this application of network science will only continue to expand the understanding of sociological issues.

In just a few short days, hundreds upon hundreds of Wildcats will file into The Tent behind Norris and dance for 30 hours!  What better way to start off Reading Week?  As a Northwestern tradition, Dance Marathon has been considered a must-do on the Wildcat Bucket List for decades.

Of course, the point of DM is to raise money for charity, and in this arena, Northwestern more than succeeds.  Last year, DM raised $1.175 million for Cradles for Crayons.  At the same time, DM has also been making efforts to improve inclusivity in the event for all students with the Dancer Grant Program, the Fundraising Mentorship Program, the ability to get “perks” through acts of service and other means.  These measures aim to ensure that students of all backgrounds can participate is great, but there are ways to improve.  

Truth in advertising:

While DM is cognizant of where it falls short and despite the efforts towards inclusivity, many of the advertisements and announcements regarding the “$400 minimum” make it seem as if this amount of money to be raised is indeed mandatory.  

When asked about if this is the case, representatives from DM said that “on a case by case basis...[a]s long as they [dancers] have put effort into fundraising, that should be totally fine!”

Let’s just start with this: India and Pakistan are still fighting, and the U.S. and North Korea are still far from coming to an agreement over sanctions and denuclearization.

History of Pakistan and India (and Kashmir):

Britain, which held colonial rule over India for over 100 years, left the subcontinent in 1947. Upon its departure, it split the land into two parts: India and Pakistan. However, ever since Britain left, the countries have been disputing over who has the rights to the border region of Kashmir. It's currently divided into three main parts: Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan-controlled Kashmir), Jammu and Kashmir (India-controlled Kashmir) and Aksai Chin (China-controlled Kashmir). Pakistan and India are the main sources of conflict, as they both believe they have the right to each others’ land, and neither are willing to sacrifice the land they currently have.

What happened recenlty to spark tensions (again):

On Feb. 14, a suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into an Indian military bus, killing at least 40 people. The bomber was a Jammu and Kashmir resident, India’s only Muslim majority state. Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terrorist group based in Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the attack, the Indian government carried out airstrikes on Pakistani territory. In response to this, the Pakistani military claims to have shot down two Indian planes and to have captured one of the pilots. He has since been returned to India in an effort to ease the heightened tensions.

Now let’s switch gears: What happened between Trump and Kim?

While President Donald Trump seemed to be in high hopes going into the second Vietnam summit, he left with no signing ceremony and no luncheon ending the summit early. However, he did leave with raving reviews of Kim, calling him, “quite a guy, quite a character.” Basically, the goal of the summit was to come to an agreement regarding sanctions and denuclearization. The U.S. was willing to propose lifting sanctions on North Korea, which are hurting its economy, if North Korea would destroy all its nuclear weapons. Past presidents have tried to make a similar agreement and failed as well.

Did they come to any agreement?

Once again, the meeting did not go quite as planned. Kim was willing to give up almost none of his weapons without sanctions being lifted first, and Trump was not willing to lift sanctions before Kim began denuclearization.

Since the meeting, South Korean intelligence officials have reported that North Korea has already begun rebuilding facilities for their ballistic missile program.

Although the meeting was cut short, and no agreements came of it, at least we know one thing: Trump and Kim exchanged some “beautiful letters” that they both will cherish forever — hopefully.

TV Shows:

You (Thriller/Drama) — Available on Netflix

By Navpreet Dhillon

1 Season (10 episodes, ~45 minutes/episode)

Released in Sept. 2018, You is one of the most emotionally challenging psychological thrillers in a long time. The show is packed with actors who have been in multiple dramas before. Case in point – it stars Penn Badgley (Dan Humphrey, Gossip Girl), Elizabeth Lail and Shay Mitchell (Both played Emily Fields, Pretty Little Liars). What separates You from a show like Pretty Little Liars is that we’re voting for the antagonist. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg is riveting – we know he’s not a good guy, and yet we don’t want him to get caught. You is about a stalker who will do anything he can to get the girl of his dreams, and he’s truly put to the test.

Sex Education (Comedy) — Available on Netflix

By Navpreet Dhillon

1 Season (8 episodes, ~50 minutes/episode)

Sex Education is a raunchy, hilarious British teen TV show about an awkward teenager who gives sex advice. The show keeps you hooked with its deep characters who actually develop throughout the season rather than staying stagnant and naive. They actually learn and grow from their mistakes compared to the all-too-common one-sided characters of other teen shows. Sex Education keeps you laughing and clicking past the 5-second wait period to watch more. Sadly, you could finish this show in two days, but what’s Spring Break without going through at least five shows?

This Is Us (Drama/Romance) — Available on Hulu

By Navpreet Dhillon

3 Seasons (18 episodes each, ~45 minutes/episode)

This Is Us has won too many awards to name (36 wins out of 111 nominations) over its three year run. This show has the best character development I have ever seen and the most talented actors under its belt. Sterling K. Brown, who plays Randall Pearson, has won 12 awards from 24 nominations alone, most of which are Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. This Is Us is the most real drama show perhaps ever – the Pearson family deals with the struggles that so many real families do, and the show breaks your heart every episode. This Is Us makes it impossible to not love their family and to not feel their pain because of how incredible the acting is. Season 1 may be the best of all three because it’s the most memorable. I can’t speak highly enough of this show.

Saturday Night Live (Sketch Comedy) — Available on Hulu

By Navpreet Dhillon

44 Seasons (~23 episodes each, ~1 hour/episode)

SNL needs no introduction. It’s easily the best show to binge watch on a snowy, dreary day because it makes you laugh so hard you forget that it’s miserable outside. The guests are most of the time insanely talented, and the Five Timers Clubs features the most well known stars (i.e. Alec Baldwin, Drew Barrymore, Justin Timberlake, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill and more). SNL is a fun pick-me-up that never gets old.

Movies:

Fifth Element (1997)

By Masha Dolgoff

I’ve been wanting to get something off my chest for a while now. Something which has been clawing at my insides, yet I was afraid to speak my truth for the fear of being charged by the entirety of Comic Con and/or the McCormick School of Engineering. And that inescapable truth is that The Fifth Element is a much better space movie than the entirety of the Star Wars canon. Angry readers, please do not send an army of porgs to my house if you disagree with my hot take. Especially because I’m right and you’re wrong. You can keep your deadly glow sticks, I’d rather watch Milla Jovovich save the universe in orange rubber suspenders any day of the week. Genius fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier dreamt up the costumes for this movie, which explains why even the futuristic McDonald’s uniforms slap. If you have never seen this beautiful, hot mess before, do yourself a favor over spring break and release yourself from from the clutches of sexist writing and dusty landscapes.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

By Joan Gwak

The final installment of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy has finally hit the theaters, and the consensus seems to be that the sequel does indeed surpass longtime fans’ high expectations with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 92%. Ever since the release of its trailer last year in the summer, HTTYD: The Hidden World has been a hot topic of conversation among both the series’ dedicated fans and those with a passing interest in the story. The drama-packed trailer, with scenes of Toothless meeting a female Light Fury dragon and attempting to woo her and the dragon hunter Grimmel imposing a huge threat to Berk’s world of dragons and humans, showed viewers crucial parts of the story they’d be missing out on if they didn’t visit the theaters. If you want to know how the epic story unfolds and revisit one of the most prominent series of your childhood, make sure you watch HTTYD: The Hidden World during Spring Break.

The Edge of Seventeen

By Camille Williams Even though this coming-of-age-comedy-drama came out in 2016, it’s worth at least a dozen re-watches. Hailee Steinfeld delivers an heartfelt performance as Nadine, an awkward high school junior who finds herself hopelessly lonely after her all-star older brother starts dating her best friend. Things start turning a corner when Nadine befriends a thoughtful boy in her class (but not without a mental breakdown, or two). Rotten Tomatoes scored it at 95% and rated it on par with classics like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. Another bonus is that Woody Harrelson graces the movie with his presence as Nadine’s sardonic teacher and mentor. You’ll laugh, cry, cringe and feel all the feels a movie should make you feel. At this very moment you can watch a low-quality version for free on YouTube and or a high-quality version on Netflix.

Books:

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

By Camille Williams

This book was turned into a motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg last October, and I still think both are underrated. This is not your average YA fiction story – rather, it is a deeply-moving story addressing sensitive issues of race relations and police brutality. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter witnesses a police officer fatally shoot her childhood best friend, Khalil, who is unarmed. As media frenzy and community protest ensues, only Starr can testify what really happened that night. Angie Thomas is a gripping storyteller, and this one kicks you square in the all the emotions. We hear “institutional racism” thrown about without always understanding what it really means, but Thomas’ novels help illuminate these topics no matter what your race is. Other great novels from Thomas include T.H.U.G. and her just released book On the Come Up.

I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé by

Michael Arceneaux

By Camille Williams

If you still need convincing after reading one of the best book titles ever, I don’t know what else to say. Through a collection of hilarious and thought-provoking essays, Arceneaux shows what it’s like to be a young gay black man in America at this moment. His story is one most people don’t get to hear, and one that deftly depicts the challenges of intersecting marginalized identities. His tone is forthcoming and unapologetic, and will have you laughing out loud one moment and reflecting on social injustices the next.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

By Masha Dolgoff

You guys, what happened to my attention span? I fully consumed this 900-page book when I was 16 without hesitation and when I saw it a few days ago in Barnes & Noble my only thought was “Wow, that is one thicc boi.” Anyway, this is the perfect vacation book and an unmatched story about personal transformations and the ultimate revenge. If you feel oppressed by winter quarter like I do, read this book over spring break about a man getting his life back and maybe you will get your life back! Yes, it is old and long, but something I’ve learned is that nothing aids personal growth like reading books that are old and long. Besides, if you get into them they can be infinitely more exciting than even the newest Netflix special.

Albums:

Solange - When I Get Home (R&B)

By Camille Williams

If you liked Solange’s seminal album A Seat at the Table (which I also highly recommend) then you’ll also find her fourth album worth a listen. When I Get Home is more exploratory and ambiguous than her earlier works, oscillating between jazz, trap, R&B and funk. Solange recorded the album in Houston and based it off the city’s local black culture, sampling locals artists including Devin the Dude, Scarface and Mike Jones. There are 19 songs (including six interludes), and the album comes with a thirty-three minute short film on Apple Music. When I Get Home is the perfect album to chill to whether you’re feeling contemplative or stressed. The collaborations with Tyler, The Creator (“Down With The Clique”), Cassie ("Way To The Show"), The-Dream ("Binz") and Gucci Mane ("My Skin My Logo") help bring the album to life.

Higher Brothers - Five Stars (hip-hop)

By David Deloso

Members of Chinese rap group Higher Brothers prove they aren’t messing around on their second full-length album Five Stars, which garnered a 3.5/5 on Highsnobiety and a 3.7/5 on HipHopDX. The 14-track album is bolstered by contributions by artists such as Denzel Curry, ScHoolboy Q and Soulja Boy, as well as fellow Asian artists and 88rising signees KOHH, Niki and Rich Brian. Don’t let the stacked lineup of features overshadow the Higher Brothers themselves, though — each member’s flow rivals (or even surpasses) the skill of the better-established artists on the record. While the album’s lyrics are mainly in Chinese, you don’t have to speak the language to appreciate the intensity and technical prowess the Higher Brothers possess. Whether you can’t understand anything or 你什么都听懂, Five Stars will light up your parties this Spring Break.

Kehlani - While We Wait (R&B)

By Joan Gwak

If you’re burnt out from winter quarter and ready to let go and move on during Spring Break, Kehlani’s newest mixtape While We Wait should be added to your Spring Break playlist. The singer’s soothing, honey-like vocals and harmonies are easy to get lost in, and they’re accompanied by the voices of other famous artists like Ty Dolla $ign, 6LACK, Musiq Soulchild and Dom Kennedy. While We Wait, created in anticipation of the birth of Kehlani’s child later this month, presents nine fresh tracks with hard-hitting bass and a complex combination of background beats that allow the listener to groove along. The more upbeat tracks such as “Too Deep,” “Nunya” and “Morning Glory” are perfect for road trips, creating an atmosphere of purely good vibes.

Imagine if a vending machine met the farmer’s market. How would the black plastic and metal keypad interact with the green produce and intimacy of the vendors? Would the M&Ms and goat cheese hit it off?

This winter, the Farmer’s Fridge — a new vending machine in University Library, Mudd Library and The Garage — brings this imagined friendship to life. But instead, the goat cheese outright dumps the M&Ms for a Maple-Chili Spiced Nut Mix. The Farmer’s Fridge challenges the idea that vending machines only offer junk food. With its white wood, green accents, touch screen and round plastic jars that hold the food, the fridge functions like a classic vending machine, but using it certainly feels like flying first class instead of economy.

The Farmer’s Fridge offers healthy snacks and meal options perfect for when you’re on-the-go or studying. While Brew Bike has replaced Bergson, and with it many food options of chips, popcorn and sandwiches, the new vending machine in University Library provides a compromise. According to its website, Farmer’s Fridge provides “handmade meals and snacks.”

The Farmer's Fridge in University Library. Photo by Joely Simon / North by Northwestern

Weinberg Senior Aaron Strauss first saw the fridge at the airport — not the library — when he needed something quick, healthy and affordable while waiting for his bags.

“I got the Sesame Cashew Noodle Bowl and thought it was great!” he said. “I felt full and it was an easy meal on-the-go. So, I was stoked to see it at the library. It hadn’t occurred to me that the Farmer’s Fridges were in other locations.”

Strauss never felt compelled to purchase Bergson’s premade food, so he cannot compare how the fridge rivals the old options. But he loves that with the fridge, he can be part of a reward system automatically without having to go through the hassle of adding Cat Cash and Dining Dollars to his wildcard.

Edson Montenegro, a senior Communications major, enjoys the Cobb and Southwest Salads. As a pescatarian, he’s always looking for healthy food options, but does not have time to go to Norris. He also likes that he can save the plastic jars to store other food later on.

Salad options in the Farmer's Fridge. Photo by Joely Simon / North by Northwestern

Sage Ressler, a junior studying Radio/Television/Film, finds the fridge unappetizing.

“To put it in a mason jar doesn’t look healthy to me,” Ressler said. “To me, healthy food reminds me of nature, space and air. And compacting it into a glass container is the opposite. If it was sesame noodles, I would eat it. The fact that it’s vegetables — I don’t think it’s that fresh.”

The Farmer's Fridge is almost empty by nighttime – ready to be refilled. Photo by Joely Simon / North by Northwestern

Rachel Orbach, a sophomore studying Economics, agrees with Ressler. Her concern lies in the fact that she is unsure how long the meals have been sitting there. The fact that it comes out of a vending machine — no matter how nicely designed — still makes her think of it as unhealthy.

However, the touch screens on the vending machines clearly show the ingredients of every food item and their prices. With a couple clicks and a credit card swipe, the machine can pop out a healthy Cobb salad. Furthermore, the Farmer’s Fridge donates unpurchased food and refills the machines once a day, ensuring freshness. But this fact is not obviously shown on the fridges.

Snacks inside the Farmer's Fridge. Photo by Joely Simon / North by Northwestern

Communications professor Leslie DeChurch and McCormick professor Noshir Contractor are working with NASA to better understand what factors lead to strong teamwork, especially in isolated and confined environments. They are applying their findings to NASA’s planned missions to send humans to Mars, which will begin to launch in the 2030s, according to DeChurch.

NASA reached out to DeChurch to conduct the research, but it also has a more personal connection.

“I grew up on the space coast in Florida, so we went out to the beach to watch the [Challenger] launch, and of course, it exploded," DeChurch said. "But I’ve always had this fascination with the space programs, so for me, even though I was working on a lot of other teamwork issues, when NASA called, it was the thing I was just the most excited to work on.”

Their study is being conducted with “analog teams,” which are groups of experts in scientific fields. The groups live in confinement with little communication with the outside world. DeChurch and Contractor have been testing analog teams, and the next analog team will be tested in Russia for 120 days.

“An outcome of our research will be to produce a set of concrete recommendations for NASA and other space agencies on suggestions and best practices that they can use when composing crews for long-distance missions,” DeChurch said.

Part of their research involves predicting who would work well with each other, and a computer model was created to find the best combinations of people. Data comes from their observations, and more data is taken from the Human Experimentation Research Analog, or HERA. Now, the researchers are testing the computer model and improving it.

So, what were some of their discoveries? Over time, individuals in a team recognize each others’ strengths, but problem-solving and creative thinking skills tend to decline. Individuals withdraw from each other instead of using their collective skills to solve an issue.

Lindsay Larson, a fourth-year graduate student working on the research team and studying leadership, suggested that team-building activities might be a possible solution for this problem. DeChurch also mentioned that facilitated discussions can help improve team problem-solving. She also said building a team with highly compatible members would be especially important for positions that interact with each other more often, for example, someone who works on the computer system would need to work well with someone working on the mechanical system.

As for personality traits, having a strong sense of humor is a benefit for someone hoping to join the Mars mission. But you have to be the right type of funny – aggressive humor, which often criticizes and puts others down, is a negative type of humor when it comes to group work. Affiliative humor, which helps create a sense of belonging and wellbeing, helps people bond and makes others feel included.

While the Northwestern professors have made significant progress on their research, DeChurch predicts they’ll continue for another two years.

“I think the prospect of a Mars mission really captures that spirit that Americans have of wanting to go out and explore and really push the bounds of science in big ways,” DeChurch said.

There are still components of the new site under development. We appreciate your patience as we add finishing touches!

For any comments or questions, email webmaster@northbynorthwestern.com.

Take the quiz here!

Nick, Joe and Kevin (in order of best vocals, sorry) separated in 2013 because the band caused problems within their family. In the next six years, Nick took a solo route and released two albums, Nick Jonas X2 and Last Year Was Complicated – both of which had a few major hits such as “Chains” from X2 and “Champagne Problems” from the latter. Joe formed a band called DNCE and had only one hit, “Cake By The Ocean.” Kevin had a TV show and did some real-estate development (we really don’t care).

However, about seven to eight months ago, the band decided to come back together and they are now preparing a whole album to drop this year. “Sucker” is the perfect preview and comeback song of what’s to come. The song is loving, pumped up and banging. Nick and Joe show off their distinct vocals as the trio dedicates the song to Nick's and Kevin’s wives and Joe’s fianceé.

The brothers always released bops – “Lovebug,” “Burnin’ Up” and “Year 3000” are just a couple of their top songs. “Sucker” is about how much they love their significant others – they’ll “go anywhere blindly” for their loves. The upbeat ballad matches the tone of their previous music, but the lyrics and sound are more mature. The Jonases have grown up and the video shows it, which had 19 million views within the first day.

This newest song is raunchy but sweet. They executed the video perfectly, which features both them and their ladies in Queen Elizabeth I’s childhood home. The colorful video excites the crowd and shows just how much work they put into coming together again.

Not only has their music adapted, but the boys’ vocals are significantly stronger than before. Nick and Joe cater to their strengths, with Nick’s expansive vocal range directing the song and Joe’s deeper voice adding a sultry sound to the bars. They don’t compete with each other, but rather they create a beautiful harmony that makes the song so great.

“Sucker” is by no means great just because the Jonas Brothers released it. The song surpasses people loving it just because they love the brothers, but rather “Sucker” has fun lyrics, a strong beat and great vocals.

The Jonas Brothers have much more in store, and they’ve already proved that they’re ready to be back in business. Oh, and they might have a concert coming up soon. We’ll be there.

Cohen was Trump’s executive vice president, special counsel and then later on, his personal attorney when he became president. On Aug. 21 Cohen pleaded guilty to tax fraud, bank fraud and violating campaign finance laws. On Dec. 12 he was sentenced to three years in prison, forced to forfeit $500,000 worth of assets, and ordered to pay nearly $1.4 million to the IRS. On Nov. 29, he also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s business plans in Moscow, and agreed to cooperate with investigators who were looking into Russian interference in the election.

In his testimony, Cohen admitted that he originally told Congress the Moscow Tower project negotiations ended in Jan. 2016. However, this was false. Cohen revealed that they went on for months afterward and into Trump’s campaign. Cohen said that he lied to make the links between the Trump campaign and Russia seem as minimal as possible during the election.

The nearly seven-and-a-half-hour session on Capitol Hill allowed Cohen to explain to Congress many aspects of what he did while working for Trump, both before and during his presidency. In a 20-page opening statement, Cohen included examples of ways in which Trump indirectly asked him to break the law. Here are some highlights of the documents he provided copies of:

A check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payments he gave to an adult film star;

Financial statements from 2011, 2012 and 2013 that Trump gave to institutions such as Deutsche bank;

An article with Trump’s handwriting on it that reported on the auction from which Trump hired a bidder to buy a portrait of himself, which now hangs in one of his country clubs (Cohen claims the money for the portrait came from his non-profit organization);

Letters Trump ordered Cohen to write to his high school, college and College Board in which he threatened them to ensure that they did not release his grades or SAT scores.

Cohen also stated during the testimony that Trump was in conversation with Roger Stone, known for his opposition research for the Republican Party and who was working with Julian Assange, the director and EIC of WikiLeaks. Cohen claimed that Trump knew beforehand about Wikileaks releasing the Democratic National Committee’s emails.

In regard to how much Cohen implicated Trump, it is unclear. Cohen illustrated in his testimony that the president had a special way of getting what he wanted. While he rarely would directly tell Cohen to lie, he would imply it through his actions, Cohen said. In regards to the Moscow Project, Cohen said Trump would look him in the eye during the campaign and say, “there’s no Russia business,” while Cohen was actively negotiating in Russia for him. Cohen also stated that he does not know of direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia.

If you leave this article with anything, leave with this: If Trump really did once say to Cohen, “Don Jr. has the worst judgment of anyone in the world,” well, just be glad he’s not your dad. Also, how bad did Trump’s grades have to be to have him allegedly order Cohen to threaten his high school, college and College Board? Yikes!

Similar to his 2016 campaign, Sanders called for an end on tax breaks for wealthy corporations and for closing tax loopholes. He also proposed establishing a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour. He was also emphatic about lowering drug costs to make them affordable for everyone and called for free education for people attending public colleges and universities because “good jobs require good education.”

Before a crowd of 12,000 people, the Vermont senator recounted his time as a student at the University of Chicago in the early 1960s. Sanders described it as critical to his political development.

“I learned more off campus than in lecture,” Sanders said. He saw how wars could be started, and he better understood racism and social inequalities.

During his time at UChicago, Sanders participated in a number of protests. In 1963, he protested the city’s decision to put black students in squalid and miserable mobile trailers instead of integrating the school or putting the students in the available 53 classrooms. During this protest, Sanders was arrested for defying police orders not to step beyond a designated boundary.

“My activities at Chicago taught me a very important lesson [...] real change never takes place from the top on down. It always takes place from the bottom on up.”

Sanders’ hour-long address emphasized the need for social and economic equality and for environmental protection. However, Sanders also took the opportunity to vehemently criticize the president and his policies on immigration and the environment.

“[President Trump] is the most dangerous president in modern American history.”

Before speaking, Sanders was introduced by a number of people who attested to his sense of social justice and change.

Photographer Danny Lyon, Sanders’ college friend, remembered the time Sanders held a sit-in protest in the UChicago chancellor’s office. Using this anecdote and others, Lyon sought to paint Sanders as the tenacious champion of equality.

“Bernie believed that all men are created equal, and he still believes it.”

Also present to support Sanders with an ice cream pun filled introduction was Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen who gladly gave up the title as “the most popular guy from Vermont.”

Further describing Sanders’ popularity, Cohen concluded that “[Sanders] doesn’t go with the trends. He starts the trends [...] He’s already leading the country.”

Not everyone present at the rally was there to support the campaign. Before entering the venue, some individuals were distributing leaflets claiming that supporters were “getting played by Bernie Sanders” and that Sanders was “[p]romising a larger share of the spoils of American capitalism-imperialism and getting [his supporters] to go along with Democratic party war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Based on the volume of cheers and number of applause breaks, Sanders’ Chicago rally could be considered a success. The great majority of people seemed enthusiastic about the candidate’s proposed changes and took to Sanders’ final criticism of the GOP and far-right groups.

“We have something they’ll never have,” Sanders boomed, “a united people.”

This past week saw President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen testify against his former client, the ‘great negotiator’ Trump leave Hanoi empty-handed and Democrats win big after passing gun control legislation two days in a row.

Trump Being Sued

Former Trump campaign staffer, Alva Johnson, filed a lawsuit on Monday that alleged then-candidate Trump had kissed her without her consent in 2016 as well as paid her less for her efforts due to her race and gender. According to the lawsuit, Trump had behaved inappropriately when he and Johnson first met in 2015.

Netanyahu

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be facing corruption charges in the near future. Israel’s attorney general Avichai Mandelblit intends to indict the prime minister on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. This comes a month before the April Israeli legislative election where Netanyahu hopes to secure his 5th term in office. Netanyahu went on TV to state his innocence and claimed that he was the target of a left-wing “witch-hunt.” The charges against Netanyahu accuse him of accepting lavish and expensive gifts that exceed $250,000 and of trying to get more favorable press coverage for himself in exchange for regulatory decisions that would benefit the telecom company Bezeq.

Cohen Testifies

On Wednesday, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen publicly testified before the House Oversight Committee. During the hours-long testimony, Cohen made several claims about Trump that could lead the president to legal problems if they turn out to be true. Cohen accused Trump of paying hush money to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford and presented the Oversight Committee with a copy of a check signed by Trump in August 2017 as evidence. Cohen alleged Trump of knowing that Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange about hacked Democratic National Committee emails prior to the election. He also stated that Trump was in communication with Russians regarding the Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen best summarized his goal in his opening statement, saying that he wants to show that “[Trump] is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat."

George Pell

Cardinal George Pell, a high ranking Catholic figure, was found guilty in Australia of sexual offenses against children. This was the second time that the trial was heard after the first jury was unable to reach a verdict. The second jury was unanimous in its decision to convict Pell of sexually penetrating one choir boy and four counts of indecent sexual acts on another. The incidents occurred in 1996 when both choir boys were under the age of 16. For legal reasons, this December verdict was unable to be reported until this past week.

India-Pakistan

Tension increased this week between India and Pakistan when India launched airstrikes in the bordering Pakistan territory in response to attacks by the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad. A day later, Pakistan’s air force shot down two Indian fighter jets during a dogfight over the long disputed Kashmir region. Both nuclear-armed powers have long claimed the region as their own, which has lead to tensions and attacks in the past, the most recent being a suicide car bomb attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14 that killed 40 people.

Trump-Kim II

This week in Hanoi, President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un for the second time in his presidency to come to an agreement regarding North Korean nuclear disarmament. The talks were cut short when it became apparent that the two nations could not reach a satisfactory agreement. Kim demanded all U.S. sanctions to be lifted on North Korea in exchange for partial denuclearization. Trump wasn’t satisfied with this deal and wanted complete denuclearization. At a news conference following the summit, Trump said that “sometimes you have to walk.” Expectations for the meeting were not high from the beginning as Trump claimed to be in no hurry to make an agreement with North Korea.

Kushner Meets with MBS

For the first time since journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, senior White House advisor Jared Kushner met on Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The meeting in Riyadh was part of Kushner’s Middle East tour aimed at “increasing cooperation” between Saudi Arabia and the United States and looking for solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kushner had these meetings despite accusations against MBS that he had ordered Khashoggi’s murder in Turkey in October 2018. Neither the murder nor the war in Yemen were discussed during the meeting.

House Passes Gun Control Legislation

On Wednesday, the House Democrats passed new gun control legislation mandating federal background checks on all gun transactions, even private ones. The bill passed on a 240-190 vote where eight Republicans voted in favor of the bill and two Democrats opposed it. The following day, the House passed more legislation that closed the ‘Charleston Loophole,’ which allowed people to purchase guns before a background check was completed.

Looking Ahead

This coming week may see Elizabeth Warren struggle to stay afloat financially after taking on too large of a campaign staff and renouncing events for wealthy donors. As the urgency to join the 2020 presidential race increases, Joe Biden may let the public know if he’s running as soon as this week, especially after his family has voiced its support.

In the 1950s, Northwestern had a big problem. The university wanted to expand following World War II, but there was simply not enough space. The solution? Lake Michigan. In 1962, Northwestern started to expand eastward by creating new land off its coastline. When construction finished a few years later, the lakefill we now all know and love had doubled the size of the university’s campus.

But if getting more land was the central issue, why did Northwestern make a big chunk of the lakefill, well, a lake?

The Lakefill was inaugurated with much pomp and ceremony in October 1964. Adlai Stevenson was the distinguished speaker – a Northwestern graduate, two-time Democratic presidential candidate, and JFK’s ambassador to the United Nations.

“And I’m also deeply indebted to you sir, and all of the trustees and your associates, for this invitation to participate in the dedication of this magnificent and imaginative new campus.” Stevenson said in the dedication, whose audio we obtained courtesy of the Northwestern University Archives. “I only hope it doesn’t blow away before we get through the inauguration!”

But the idea of a lakefill was not just a product of the 1950s. Kevin Leonard, Northwestern’s University Archivist, says dreams of eastward expansion stretch as far back as the early 1890s.

“Those earlier plans envisioned roadways, lagoons, a rowing pond, a polo field out on the lakefill,” Leonard said. “There’s a great architectural sketch that depicts a landing strip for aircraft out there. But they were pipe dreams at the times they were presented.”

Those plans became closer to reality following the Second World War. The university needed to expand, but doing so by buying parts of the City of Evanston proved a big challenge.

“The university, in the 1950s, did some building on the other side of Sheridan Road, some dormitories and living units – and those created discord with the greater Evanston community,” he said. “It was very difficult to get the necessary permitting, and it raised the ire particularly of the citizenry living in the areas adjacent to Northwestern.”

There was fear that the university would eventually grow all the way out to Ridge Road, and these fights convinced university leaders that they needed a new option. Also, there were cost considerations.

“Building on the other side of Sheridan Road, west of Sheridan Road, is expensive,” Leonard said. “We’re bordered by a residential area – and a nice residential area – and those properties can cost quite a bit of money.”

Filling in a big chunk of Lake Michigan proved more practical. New plans were commissioned and drawn up by architect Walter Netsch, who would go on to design many of the new buildings constructed on the lakefill, such as the University Library and Regenstein Hall of Music.

But there was a small hitch – Northwestern did not actually own the land underneath the water. Following a special, unanimous act of the Illinois State Legislature, Northwestern bought 152 acres of lakebed for a little over $15,000.

“It approximately doubled the size of the Evanston campus, so it’s a really pivotal moment in Northwestern’s history.”

Construction began in 1963, with barges dumping an estimated two-million cubic yards of sand into the lake. The total cost? $6.5 million. Leonard says the lakefill made Northwestern what it is today – to the point that without it, the university would just be another small liberal arts college in the Midwest.

“It allowed so many of the buildings that you see now – and not only the buildings, but the functions that go along with those buildings.”

John Searle, the president of the board of trustees during the Lakefill’s construction, agreed. The lakefill now hosts many of Northwestern’s new buildings dating back to its construction, from the University Library and Norris University Center to New Kellogg and the S.S. Bienen.

But if more land was the main issue, why did Northwestern’s new lakefill include such a large lake? “Fake Michigan” takes up a significant amount of space – about 25 percent of the total area. There’s got to be a reason for that.

Ultimately, Leonard says, it was all about aesthetics. “Fake Michigan” served as a way to keep Northwestern’s old campus close the lake by bringing the lake inland.

“You can see some of his earlier plans where he’s sketching out the lakefill without a lagoon, but pretty early on you see a lagoon as part of his drawings,” Leonard said. “In fact, the earlier you go on his drawings that incorporate a lagoon, the lagoon was much larger.”

However, Netsch’s proposal wasn’t a slam dunk. There was actually some early pushback from university administrators.

“Like, why are we building this?” Leonard said. “If we need land, let’s get more land!”

Ultimately, the lagoon stayed. Leonard says it eventually gained a practical purpose as a source of cool water for the university’s new facilities plant, which was built to cool the new buildings on the lakefill. However, that wouldn’t last.

“As the lagoon silted up, the volume of water in the lagoon was reduced,” Leonard said. “It became shallower and shallower, and the temperatures of the water in the lagoon rose.”

That water would have to be cooled itself to be used in the chillers, which would cost even more money.

“Ultimately, the university had to dig a channel through the lakefill and send a pipe out into Lake Michigan,” Leonard said. “So, the water used for the chillers is drawn directly now from the lake rather than from the lagoon.”

But “Fake Michigan’s” practicality lives on – it was switched from a cool water reservoir to a hot water discharge pond.

“So, you’re not creating thermal pollution by putting water that’s too warm into the lake,” he said.

Side note here – we reached out to facilities management multiple times for this story, but they declined to comment.

Leonard says Northwestern’s even considered filling the lagoon in – plans were made public in the early 2000s to add four acres of land to campus by filling in part of it. But this proved very unpopular, and the university backed off.

So, “Fake Michigan” is likely here to stay. Stroll along its Western shore, and you’ll catch a glimpse of the masses of extra-large carp that live beneath the tranquil waters.

“They will sense you!” Leonard said. “They will discern your presence and come right up to you, and they will expect some form of reward for doing that.”

Next time on AskNBN – Northwestern was given a rectangle of underwater land from the state of Illinois to build the lakefill. But the university only used about half of it, and still owns an underwater portion of Lake Michigan. Could there ever be a Lakefill Two?

Northwestern’s campus before the construction of the lakefill. / Northwestern University Archives

Walter Netsch’s early (left) and finalized (right) plans for the lakefill. The dotted white box is the underwater land the university ended up purchasing. / Northwestern University Archives

The lakefill under construction in the early 1960s. / Northwestern University Archives

2. Challenge three friends who also play a sport in your caption.

3. Put the fundraising link in your bio.

4. Sign up either individually or as a team on the HEADstrong website for the chance to win a prize.

Those are the official steps for the HEADstrong Foundation’s latest Instagram challenge: “Game Hair Havoc.”

The HEADstrong Foundation was founded by Nicholas Colleluori, a high school and college athlete who was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and died in 2006. According to the organization’s website, Nick’s vision for the foundation was to “raise awareness and funds for cancer by empowering athletes to support his mission.” This mission has continued to be carried out since his passing. A year ago, when former Division-I lacrosse player Stephanie Finley was diagnosed with cancer, her family teamed up with the HEADstrong Foundation and initiated the Instagram challenge to help raise awareness and money for families affected by cancer.

The HEADstrong Foundation’s six-week challenge, which ends March 31, has gained a large presence on Instagram since its start on February 17.

Weinberg freshman Sophia Scanlan said she began to notice the challenge was trending while viewing the Instagram stories of people she knew from high school.

Scanlan’s cousin, who plays soccer, nominated her for the challenge.

“I didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to do or anything, so I Googled the HEADstrong [Foundation] and I realized what it was about,” Scanlan said.

Similar to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral a few years ago, Scanlan thinks this challenge has shown a positive and effective effort in raising awareness for its specific cause, stating that “almost everybody” she knows from high school has posted about it.

However, it seems that as the challenge has turned trend, not only its official rules, but also the cause behind it, have gotten somewhat buried in the hype.

“I think perhaps it might be spreading kind of shallow awareness,” Scanlan said.

Shaun Lim, a SESP sophomore and member of Northwestern’s diving team, was nominated for the challenge by her sister, who is also a diver. Like Scanlan, Lim first heard of the challenge after seeing it on many Instagram stories.

She agrees with Scanlan’s view that this challenge has been effective in raising awareness for its cause, but “it could lead to a lot of ‘slacktivism.’”

“It’s kinda just like, ‘Oh, I’m going to post this because it makes me feel good. Like I actually did something without actually doing something’,” Lim said.

Lim explained that she thinks challenges such as these often trend due to “mob mentality” – because it’s something one’s friends and others are doing – rather than for the cause behind it.

“I don’t know what to feel about it, because it’s nice that there’s awareness being passed around,” she said. “But I feel like no one’s actually doing anything.”

Alex Hoffman, a Medill freshman on the Northwestern cheerleading team, said that in high school, she was very involved in raising awareness and money for cancer through organizations such as Make A Wish. Her brother nominated her for the challenge.

“My brother told me a little bit about it because I was confused, but I just kind of went along with it,” she said.

Hoffman thinks that social media challenges such as this one could be “very powerful” in raising awareness, but not necessarily funds, for cancer.

“I think that the message is really good, and I really appreciate what they’re doing. And I can see it helping raise awareness,” she said. “But money, I’m not really sure, because I don’t really know where the money would go or how it’d be donated.”

While Scanlan agrees that she doesn’t know just how effective the challenge has been in terms of the amount of money raised for cancer, she is still “sure they’ve raised a lot of money, because if you have this awareness going around and you know that so many people are posting, odds are more people are going to donate just ’cause they know about it.”

However, she also raises the point that the main demographic for this challenge is young people – and “that’s not the richest demographic in the world.”

Overall, all three women – none of who ended up donating – realize both the positive and negative effects that social media can have on society.

“I think that we should all be thankful that we have a new method of communication and ways of spreading knowledge and stuff,” Hoffman said. “I don’t think I would have ever learned about this organization or a lot of other organizations if I didn’t have social media.”

But like Lim, Hoffman fears that social media and these types of challenges are turning their causes into bandwagon trends, rather than inciting further education and action on the issues.

“I think social media definitely is effective in raising awareness for causes like this,” Scanlan said. “Again, maybe not the deepest awareness, but it’s better to have some awareness than no awareness.”

At the time of this article, the HEADstrong Foundation has raised a little over half of its $275,000 goal through “Game Hair Havoc.”

From Feb. 27 to March 2, the Northwestern Wildcats men’s team took part in the Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships at Iowa City, Iowa. Indiana won the event, giving them their third straight men’s title and a sweep of the 2019 men’s and women’s meets. Though there were a number of personal best times for the team, Northwestern was mostly outswam by their opponents during the week, finishing ninth ahead of only Michigan State for the third straight season.

The best moment for the Wildcats was the meet’s first event: the 200-yard medley relay. The team of first-years Ryan Gridley and Andrew Zhang and seniors Will Hofstadter and Arjun Sharma finished sixth ahead of Penn State by .01 seconds, giving them a second-best time in school history. Their sixth-place result was their best relay finish of the week, as they would eighth in three other events and ninth in the final 400 freestyle relay.

Fast start for the ‘Cats! 200 Medley Relay team of Gridley, Sharma, Hofstadter and Zhang finish with the second best time in NU history! pic.twitter.com/qHCmJwGdMN

— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 28, 2019

Northwestern’s highest individual placing came in the 400 individual medley, as sophomore Jeffrey Durmer swam to second in the consolation final, good for 10th overall. Durmer would also finish as the fastest Wildcat in the 1650 free at 15th place. Sophomore Liam Gately joined Durmer in taking home two NU top finishes, coming in at 13th place in the 500 free and 19th in the 200 free.

In the 200 backstroke two ’Cats tied for 12th place: senior Jack Thorne and first-year Manu Bacarizo. Senior Tyler Lis followed soon after at 15th. Another senior swimmer, Hofstadter, touched the wall first for the team in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at 14th and 23rd, respectively. One other Wildcat swimmer achieved a top 16 consolation final finish: Gridley at 13th in the 100 back.

The diving squad failed to make it out of preliminaries in the three diving events, but secured points for the team. First-year Evan Labuda took 18th in the 1-meter dive. Senior diver Ben Magliato finished 21st and 22nd respectively in the 3-meter and platform events.

The team achieved a dozen swimming B Cuts during the event, but are unlikely to receive an invite to the NCAA Men’s Championships. After his first season at the helm, swimming and diving director Jeremy Kipp will need to find a way toward success if the men’s team wants to develop into a national presence in the years to come.

Student theater board Lovers & Madmen’s production of Children of Eden, directed by Communication senior Jeremy Sutherland, adds a musical twist to the book of Genesis. Written by Stephen Schwartz, the show follows the story of Adam and Eve, Cain/Abel and Noah’s ark, though the show hits on other themes as well.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t a show about the Bible," said Communication junior and producer Kendra Gujral. "This is a show about family and repeating history and the importance of hate and love mixing together, as well as the feelings that pass on from one generation to the next." 

According to Gujral, Lovers & Madmen picked the show at the end of spring quarter last year but just started working on putting the music together earlier this quarter. This was one of the biggest challenges for the cast: learning 400 pages of music in four weeks.

To tackle this challenge, Bienen freshmen Paige Dirkes-Jacks, who plays Eve and Mama Noah, spent a significant amount of time listening to the music and practicing outside of rehearsals, both on her own and during voice lessons. She said that playing these characters has been a dream for her.

“I think they’re both strong and passionate and have a fierce, fierce love for their family and for the people they care about, and that’s what drives them through the show,” she said.

Both Gujral and Dirkes-Jacks mentioned their love for the music in the show. Children of Eden is packed with fantastic group numbers like “Lost in the Wilderness”, “Generations” and “Ain’t It Good?” as well as powerful solos like “The Spark of Creation” and “Stranger to the Rain.”

Also memorable are the paper animal masks used in the scene where the animals board the ark two by two. From lions to unicorns, The gentle, whimsical music and cast’s animal-inspired movement bring the scene to life.

“There’s some beautiful, beautiful messages in this show. My favorite lyric in the entire show is ‘Our hands can choose to drop the knife / our hands can stop the hating,’” Dirkes-Jacks said. “I think everyone needs to hear that sometimes, and the fact that there is always a choice in how we live and how we treat people in little ways and big ways. Everyone always has a choice, and that’s super important, and this show exemplifies that really well.”

Children of Eden will be playing on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the McCormick Auditorium at Norris. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for general admission.

The fourth time you hear Colton tell someone’s parents he is falling in love with their daughter #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/GFVVPGi4jW

— TheRealTruth (@amyemilygetreal) February 26, 2019

On season 14 of “The Bachelorette,” Colton Underwood made a lot of noise when he revealed that he was a virgin. The bachelorette, Becca (horribly annoying), sent him home after hometown dates and many fans predicted he would be the next bachelor. They were right.

Underwood’s a hunk and an ex-NFL player (but he didn’t actually play). While he may have no real job right now — actually, many contestants don’t have real jobs — his airhead personality and lack of in-depth conversations must be what has made so many women cry over him while leaving the show. Tragic.

For the past four weeks, Underwood has been saying, “I’m even more confused than ever,” and we’re concerned for him. While it must be tough to choose between multiple nearly-identical women, Underwood has sent home more women than other bachelors thus far. In one week he sent home three contestants, and in another week he sent home two contestants who bickered too much. In more recent years, the bachelors and bachelorettes have been sending home problem-makers and actually taking the process more seriously, which I respect Underwood for. He’s been genuinely nervous throughout the process that he may be getting taken advantage of, and he acts on his suspicions.

However, during the past episode on Feb. 25, Underwood visited four women’s hometowns and didn’t receive great feedback from the parents. All four families questioned what their daughters were doing and how they had developed such strong feelings, which is rational, and when Colton asked for permission to marry their daughters, each father hesitated. In fact, Cassie Randolph’s father didn’t give Underwood permission, and he still gave her a rose over Caelynn Miller-Keyes who professed her love to him. BTW, Cassie expressed that she might not be ready for marriage. Whoops.

Colton: my biggest fear is getting to the end of this and being with someone who doesn’t love me back

Cassie: Um I’m not sure where I’m at

❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️
Colton: ❤️🥰i choose her ❤️🥰
❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰#thebachelor

— Reem (@reemmwahab) February 26, 2019

Now, Underwood and the three final women are heading to the fantasy suites. Typically, the suites are meant for ~ intimacy ~ of the next level kind. He acknowledged this stereotype by saying, “I might make love” and it will be “the most tender and greatest thing she has ever felt.” Ma’am.

Colton: “...it’s going to be the most tender thing she’s ever felt.”
Me: #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/0gCCfeh8Kl

— Maya Soman (@mayasoman) February 26, 2019

Apparently, whatever he’s expecting won’t happen because the highly awaited scene of Underwood jumping over a fence (I don’t understand the context, but it sounds juicy so I’m in) is coming up next week.

See y’all next week #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/0uaBqXf7Ll

— Colton Underwood (@colton) February 26, 2019

While “The Bachelor” shows exactly what relationships aren’t like, the drama is enticing. Yea, we all hate it, but we’re still watching.

Northwestern (12-16, 3-14 B1G), who came into their matchup against Minnesota (18-11, 8-10 B1G) as slight favorites, wasted what could've been their best chance at snapping their terrible nine-game skid this season. The Wildcats fell to the Gophers 62-50 in a game that was difficult to stomach. Their two best players, Vic Law (13 pts, 7 ast) and Dererk Pardon (16 pts, 13 reb) couldn’t find a sustained rhythm to keep the team competitive. The Gophers took the lead early and never looked back, thanks in large part to the brilliance of Amir Coffey (32 pts, 12 reb) and his 40-minute night.

Northwestern looked like a mess in the first half. Early on, the Wildcats were committing several turnovers and fouls while Minnesota relied on their two centerpieces, Coffey and Jordan Murphy (6 pts, 7 reb), to handle the ball and look for points. Eric Curry (6 pts, 2 blk) was perfect from the line twice to chase an early six points, and after the first ten minutes the ’Cats were trailing 16-6. A team that has struggled to score during Big Ten play was looking particularly vulnerable.

Though it appeared Northwestern had found some offensive juice soon after, spurred by a pair of Miller Kopp (9 pts) threes, Minnesota kept finding ways to respond on the other side of the court. Aided by more Wildcat turnovers and fouls, the Gophers maintained their lead and closed out the first half up 32-20. The Wildcats shot 3-for-13 from the arc heading into halftime, indicative of the trouble they’ve had this season in getting jump shots inside the arc.

Thread that needle, @NUMensBball!

And Vic Law isn't about to miss from there: pic.twitter.com/V5Ve1mzf6D

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 1, 2019

The next twenty minutes weren’t much kinder for the ’Cats. Though the half started out promising as a Pardon layup was followed by an electric Law dunk, hopes were dashed as the team reverted back to their inept ways. The Gophers, led by Coffey’s hot hand, extended the lead to 20 with just under nine minutes to play.

“Our inability to score has just been our kryptonite much of the year,” coach Chris Collins said. “Every time we try to get some momentum, every [time] we try to get some things together, we just can’t string together 2, 3, 4 buckets in a row.”

In addition to the team’s poor shooting, not enough players even contributed: just four Wildcats had points until there were less than five minutes left. Northwestern’s woes were aggravated by the fact that the team barely had any offensive rebounds. It was no surprise that more than a few purple-clad fans threw in the towel and headed out well before the game was over.

The ’Cats were able to add some garbage-time points toward the end, but it didn’t matter. The result was another loss in a frustrating Northwestern season, and the achievement of an NCAA Tournament trip two years ago is becoming more and more of an outlier.

“We just gotta be able to play clean offense for the 40 minutes,” Pardon said. “Not 20 minutes, not 35 minutes – we have to make sure we’re doing it for all 40. So just when we do that, we’ll come out with a win.”

.@GopherMBB scored 62 points in a win over Northwestern.@coffeyshop_ had 32 of them and 12 rebounds for good measure. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EgnxD9lac2

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 1, 2019

Northwestern is now in danger of finishing the year on a long losing streak for the second season in a row. Though Collins said the team has had some good performances during the tough stretch, he acknowledged the severity of the loss.

“Tonight we weren’t worthy of winning,” Collins said. “Minnesota outplayed us.”

Bernie Sanders announced his bid for the 2020 presidential election last week. In just 24 hours, Sanders raised almost $6 million for his campaign. As of Monday, he had raised $10 million, and additionally, one million people have signed on to support the campaign. Although Sanders was a popular candidate in the 2016 election, he faces some controversy with allegations of his campaign’s mistreatment of women and criticisms of how his previous campaign handled sexual harassment complaints. However, Sanders is still a strong contender, polling just 2 percent behind former Vice President Joe Biden (the current frontrunner). 

What students thought:

We polled students on Monday, Feb. 25. Overall, they were split on whether Sanders should have thrown his hat into the ring, but by a narrow margin, more students believed it was not a good idea for Sanders to run for president again.

Graphic created by Maia Brown / North by Northwestern

“I feel like right now the Democratic party in general needs a moderate candidate in order to balance out what’s been happening with the country,” McCormick freshman Sarah John said. “I’m not sure if Bernie Sanders can do that for our country right now.”

Bienen second-year PhD student Benjamin Zucker responded with a tentative yes.

“I’m excited about the possibility of Sanders building on his momentum for another run,” Zucker said. “At the same time, we saw demonstrable flaws in his policies and his campaign run in 2016. I think it’s sort of baggage that I think could get in the way compared to the newer slate of 2020 candidates who have learned from his campaign and also have their own more progressive policies, but we’ll see what happens.”

On February 21, Christopher Watson was appointed Northwestern’s dean of undergraduate enrollment and associate vice president for student outreach by Provost Jonathan Holloway. When he officially takes office on April 16, Watson will be replacing Michael Mills, who has served as Northwestern’s associate provost for university enrollment for 14 years. As dean of enrollment, Watson will be in charge of recruiting, evaluating and yielding applicants for admission, as well as overseeing Northwestern’s financial aid program.

Watson, currently the dean of undergraduate admissions, will continue to serve on President Morton Schapiro’s senior staff, reporting directly to Jake Julia, Northwestern’s vice provost for administration. Unlike in his previous position, the entire enrollment division of Northwestern will now report to Watson. Julia said he is looking forward to working with Watson, who, according to Julia, on top of doing great work for Northwestern undergraduate admissions, has a great sense of humor and is very enjoyable to work with.

“I think he has a really strategic perspective on undergraduate admissions,” Julia said. “I’m looking forward to thinking with him about how to meet Northwestern’s goals for enrollment.” Before coming to Northwestern, Watson served as an associate director of international admissions at Boston University. He then went on to work Princeton University for seven years as the director of admission and associate dean.

Under Watson’s leadership, Northwestern admissions has seen many improvements, including an increase from 25,013 to 40,577 first-year applications annually, with a specific increase in transfer and international applications. While Watson played a crucial role in altering these numbers, the growth is also part of a national trend of increasing university applicants, which The Washington Post said could be due to the relative ease of today’s college application process.

Watson was also involved in coordinating the shift to the new undergraduate admissions visitor center in 2014 – the Segal Visitors Center now hosts more than 65,000 visitors each year. In this way and others, Watson has shown that for him, accessibility is always a top concern when it comes to enrollment.

“I think it is important that students and families both in the states and globally know we are accessible to them,” Watson said. “That makes you a leader in education around the world.” Watson also said in a press release about his new position that he always prioritizes diversity in his work. His emphasis on the diversification of the student body can be seen through an increase in international, Black and Latinx first-year students – with international students now making up 10 percent and Latinx and Black students making up more than 22 percent of the first-year class.

“The most important thing we have accomplished is to increase diversity among the students at Northwestern in all the ways it is measured,” Watson said in the press release. “I am especially gratified we have been able to increase the number of Pell-eligible students to 20 percent in the class of 2022, admitted last fall – which is a full two years ahead of President Schapiro’s goal of reaching 20 percent by 2020.”

Julia credited Watson with improving the university’s reputation and academic qualifications of its students. Despite the drastic increase in first-year applicants, the university’s acceptance rate dropped from 27 to 8 percent under Watson’s leadership.

“I think we’ve seen quite a transformation of the student body in incredible ways, by increasing access to students who traditionally haven’t thought about Northwestern,” Watson said.

Throughout his time with Northwestern, Watson established partnerships with many community-based organizations, such as QuestBridge and Posse, to improve Northwestern’s ability to represent students of a lower socioeconomic status. Watson has also tripled the number of students enrolled in the university from Chicago Public Schools.

“I think one of the benefits of a world class education is having multiple perspectives and people coming in with complex and different viewpoints,” Julia said. “I think our ability to do that on multiple elements of diversity really makes us a better university.”

You told me I talked too fast, but that’s because I was trying to fit everything in before you got bored. My eyes danced while yours spun away and told me they’d be right back, and it was that sliver of hope that made me stay. I stretched it as far as I could, moving as little as possible in case you came back sooner than I expected.

Sometimes after you’d leave, I’d catch you dancing with another crowd. Whether you knew I was watching, hesitating and holding myself back from following you, mattered to me back then. I wasn’t sure if you’d come back, but you eventually did when the dance floor cleared and I was the only one who’d answer your call.

Now, I dance circles around you. I dance around everyone like you, bending and folding myself the same way I did to fit wherever you needed me. Going out of my way to do anything for you, even when I knew you wouldn’t do the same for me.

I let this go on for too long. I mistook feeling unfulfilled after hanging out with you as a sign that I didn’t try hard enough. I could’ve probed you farther when you said that everything was okay. I didn’t interject when I should’ve, which was my fault. I wanted to fit in months of conversation into a few hours, but you didn’t let me. Once it was over, I had to wait in line for your time all over again.

When I see you later, stumble into you and exchange niceties, and you ask me who this is about, I won’t tell you it’s about you. It’s about you and everyone you go through before you get to me, the one who waited for you at the very end of the line. This is about you because it could never be just about me, it always had to be you.

“My goals were to study the relationship between producers, DJs and audience in a live performance setting, as well as some of the business aspects of the techno music scene in Berlin,” Morfas said.

For her research, Morfas spent three weeks in Berlin, during which she interviewed electronic music producers Foreign Guest, Danny Kotz and DALIYAMA, and also attended live performances. She said the inspiration for this research came from a desire to experience techno music in the club settings they were meant to be heard in.

Morfas was drawn to Berlin’s techno scene in part due to its history. A sense of freedom leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 led to the opening of many clubs and the creation of electronic music events such as Love Parade. This played a critical role in the development of the city’s techno music scene.

Morfas, who studies music composition at Northwestern, produces electronic music herself. Because of this, she focused on the compositional aspects of electronic music, but she noted that these aspects were intertwined with the business side of the industry.

Morfas described a feedback loop in the business side of the EDM industry: Producers create music for labels, which release records that are bought by DJs. Then, DJs cater the tracks they play to the aesthetic of the venues they perform in.

“Say you have a club that’s in a warehouse, and they’re known for a very dark, grimy sound. You’re not going to be playing some upbeat, light kind of stuff — you’re going to be playing that grungy, grimy sound that they want,” Morfas said. “Producers keep this stuff in mind when they’re writing their tracks — they think about where they want it to be performed, by who and what kind of audience they want to receive this music.

Although some people perceive EDM as being an easy genre to produce music for, Morfas found many of complexities in the scene through her research.

“You have all these layers as to why these producers are making these decisions, and a lot of people think, ‘Oh it’s just kind of simple music,’’ Morfas said. “But a producer goes in, and they’re thinking about all these details. ‘Who’s going to perform this?’ ‘What kind of style and aesthetic am I hoping to accomplish?’ and ‘How am I going to create my unique sound that’s going to stand out compared to all these other artists who are also trying to make their sound stand out?’ There’s so much to think about.”

More details about Morfas’ research can be found on her website.