The Daily Northwestern Presents

The Monthly

May 2020 Edition

The highs and lows of art created in a pandemic

Pandemic concerts: they have their highs (Ariana Grande singing “Zero to Hero”) and their lows (Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s performance on “Together at Home”). But their imperfections are exactly what makes them, and art created during the pandemic, special, writes Monthly Editor Wilson Chapman.

“I had a lot of sessions with a lot of different people, to figure out what works and what doesn't work and at that whole time, I was still discovering my own sounds, still developing as an artist and I still am.”

— Alex Banin '20, Bold Sounds

Duchess of Delicious

NU alum modernizes cookware with her company, Great Jones

With people spending more time at home than ever, it’s time to update your cookware collection. Sierra Tishgart (Medill ‘12) founded Great Jones, a modern cookware company, with her childhood best friend. They aim to make cooking fun with vibrant, visually-appealing pots and pans.

“The assumption that underlies our ensemble ethic is that everyone is inherently creative.”

— Andrew White '87, From Jones Dorm to the Magnificent Mile

Q & A

John Krasinski talks “A Quiet Place Part II,” parenting and horror movies

You’ve seen him on your Facebook feed during quarantine for “Some Good News” and on Netflix during your latest binge of “The Office,” but John Krasinski doesn’t just do virtual proms and harmless pranks. The director, writer and star of award-winning horror movie “A Quiet Place” is back on board to write and direct the film’s sequel, but this time (spoiler alert!) without his own character.

“I did realize how incredible it was. Watching Michael Jordan and covering him on a daily basis was… the chance of a lifetime. I was very aware of what was unfolding and what I was seeing and that it would be something that I’d talk about for the rest of my life.”

— Medill Prof. Melissa Isaacson, MJ and Medill

May the Finale be with you

A love letter to Star Wars: The Clone Wars after seven memorable seasons

You know Luke, Anakin, Leia and Obi-Wan, but have you ever heard of Ahsoka Tano? If not, then you are missing out on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the animated series that aired its finale this month. The series wasn’t just a tie-in to the popular franchise, Design Editor Caty Buchaniec writes, but one of the greatest and most important works the saga has produced.

Clone Wars Illustration by Caty Buchaniec

“To think about what if there had been this type of representation at the beginning of Hollywood, what if the changes that we're seeing now starting to be made had happened from the very beginning, to me it seems very clear that the world would be a much better place.”

— Laura Harrier, Harrier Takes Hollywood

OPEN TAB

Evanston eateries transform into mini grocery stores amidst pandemic

Why go to the supermarket when you can go to the liquor store? In Open Tab, reporter Zoe Malin talks to the owners of cafes, restaurants and watering holes in the Evanston area about how they’re adapting to the coronavirus pandemic by organizing sales of essential items and produce.

“The show is candid about the faults of both the feminists and STOP ERA organizers and dynamics within each group, which is refreshing. However, it spares too much sympathy on the latter for the sake of parallelism, undermining Schlafly’s racist practices.”

— Assistant Campus Editor Yunkyo Kim, Reel Thoughts

Liner Notes

“Petals for Armor” may be Hayley Williams’ debut solo album, but she has nothing to prove

If you ever had an emo phase as a kid, you know who Hayley Williams is. But you’ve never seen her like this before. The lead singer of iconic pop punk group Paramore has gone solo for the first time with her new, starkly confessional album “Petals for Armor.”