NU scored five times before Penn State even manufactured a shot as the Cats advanced to their ninth consecutive Final Four with a 15-7 win over the Nittany Lions on Saturday night.

“We came out strong right from the first whistle,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “We’ve been focusing in on that, so we cannot be more excited to take another trip to the Final Four.”

The Cats started strong and early, scoring 13 goals on 20 shots in the first half while limiting the Nittany Lions to just 4 shots in the opening stanza. The run was fueled by NU’s 13-4 edge in draw controls.

Junior Alyssa Leonard took most of the draws for NU but only captured two of them. Instead, the midfielder directed the ball into open space and allow her teammates to scoop up the ball and gain possession for the Cats.

“It was a battle in there,” Leonard said. “The girls in the circle are working super hard, but we’re seeing a huge difference in the people behind the lines. … A lot of the draw controls were from the girls behind, whether they’re boxing out or they’re coming up with these loose balls.”

The Nittany Lions entered the contest averaging more than 13 goals per game, but NU’s high-pressure defense puzzled them early on. The Cats forced 3 turnovers in the Nittany Lions’ first 4 possessions, and Penn State struggled to find any consistency on offense. Penn State coach Missy Doherty said the lack of cohesiveness on offense was a direct result of NU’s dominance in draws.

“It’s not like we got it down there and then missed a shot or never got people open. We just never had the ball down there,” Doherty said. “When you win four draw controls in a half, you’re not going to have many possessions to even start working the ball around.”

Leading the way for the Cats on defense were their two senior leaders, Gabriella Flibotte and Taylor Thornton. The pair caused 4 turnovers and started a fast break the other way. The Nittany Lions turned the ball over 11 times in the loss.

Flibotte credited the defensive success to offense's ability to possess the ball so much. She said when the team is on defense, the goal is to just try and attack the offense almost immediately.

“We’re just trying to go at people as hard as we can and wreak havoc,” Flibotte said. “If we come up with caused turnovers quickly, that’s great. If it makes a minute or two, that’s fine, too, but if we can control the tempo and the attack gets the ball, that’s our motive.”

The game was a stark contrast to the matchup just two shorts weeks ago in Baltimore in the ALC semifinals. The Cats won 9-8 in overtime May 3, but Saturday resembled the 11-3 NU win on April 5 against Penn State.

Both Flibotte and Leonard pointed to the quick start as one of the main differences between the two games.

“We’ve been working hard super hard in practice every single day … and I think it just kind of showed today,” Leonard said. “We were going to come out hard at the first whistle and play a full 60 minutes.”

Leonard was the focal point of the offense in the early going, finding an abundance of space near the cage with which to work. She tied a career high with 4 goals Saturday night, all of which came in the first half. Senior

Erin Fitzgerald scored three times after being held scoreless in her previous two contests. The attacker capitalized twice from 8 meters out and now has a team-high 59 goals on the season.

NU moves on to play No. 3 North Carolina in the national semifinals Friday. The Tar Heels beat the Cats 11-8 on Feb. 22, and even though the game was several months ago, NU is hungry for revenge.

“That game was so long ago, but I think redemption is sweet,” Flibotte said.

Carlos Rodriguez, 80, was found at a Chicago-area hospital, police said tonight.

Rodriguez's family last saw him at about 5:45 a.m. in the 100 block of Callan Avenue, near the Chicago-Evanston border.

— Manuel Rapada

Michael Kerr, 57, died from multiple injuries after he was hit by the 16-foot, 70-pound beam at the lakefront construction site of the new Music and Communication Building, the medical examiner's office said this afternoon.

The fatal accident triggered an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that could last six months. The agency is inspecting the construction site, interviewing employees and witnesses and checking to see what safety practices were used by the project's contractor, Power Construction Company of Schaumburg, Ill.

"Our only statement at this time is that the details of the accident are being investigated and Power is working in cooperation with OSHA," said Jeff Karp, Power Construction president and CEO, in an email to The Daily. "Our thoughts and prayers are for the family and friends of Mr. Kerr."

Karp said he expects construction to resume Monday.

— Patrick Svitek

While studying abroad in London in November, her daughter, Weinberg junior Alyssa Weaver, committed suicide. Shocked by her daughter’s death, Terri Weaver, 55, retired early to cope with the pain.

“Alyssa died because she didn’t tell anybody,” she said.

Alyssa Weaver’s death sparked a series of conversations on campus about the quality and accessibility of Northwestern’s mental health resources. That dialogue has been amplified in recent weeks with the death of McCormick sophomore Dmitri Teplov, who committed suicide on campus earlier this month.

Although many students consider studying abroad one of their most enriching college experiences, some say it can be emotionally stressful. Thousands of miles from campus, students are separated from family, friends and familiar territory.

“If we’re not educated about these issues on campus before we go, it’s harder to deal with them,” said Medill senior Zach Wichter, whose anxiety condition worsened during a 2010 trip to Malawi organized by the journalism school. “There wasn’t really any information coming from the University about what the symptoms were and how to deal with them.”

The inadequate resources Wichter encountered underscore a problem University officials are working to combat. As the community mourns the death of a third student this academic year, administrators are revamping what many view as a lacking screening process for studying abroad to prevent students like Alyssa Weaver from falling through the cracks.

A more thorough assessment

About 750 NU students go abroad each academic year, with the majority leaving campus Fall Quarter, said Julie Friend, associate director for international safety and security in the study abroad office. About 40 percent of undergraduates study abroad during their NU career at one of more than 120 sites, according to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Before studying abroad, students must fill out a health assessment form, which reminds them to consider vaccinations, medications and dietary preferences. Students are also required to purchase a health care package before leaving.

The form is a checklist with five questions related to disabilities, allergies, medication, diet and pre-existing conditions; it gives students a “yes” or “no” option and does not ask them to write notes or elaborate on any issues. If a student indicates a pre-existing condition, a health care provider must fill out an evaluation form confirming the student met with a medical practitioner to discuss travel plans and how to address medical needs abroad.

Only one question explicitly addresses mental health, asking if the student is being treated or has been treated in the past three years.

Although the form states its objective is to “enhance (students’) well-being abroad,” the short length and simple format raise questions over its effectiveness and thoroughness. Because the form is so brief, some acknowledge it can mask deeper issues and fail to identify problems that often arise abroad.

Moreover, while submitting the initial application for global journalism residencies, Medill students do not complete the form. These students do fill out some health-related paperwork before any international trip is finalized.

“It’s not just if you’re depressed that you need to be worried about it,” said Medill senior Nina Leff, who participated in the global journalism residency program in South Africa. “It can be a very emotional experience being in a foreign country. It will be.”

That concern lies at the root of the University’s push to bolster current screening procedures for study abroad applicants.

Friend says she wants to alter the questions on the form. Collaborating with Northwestern University Health Service, she is developing a set of questions to better assess students’ medical needs. John Alexander, executive director of Health Service, said he hopes to have doctors make diagnoses prior to student departures so corresponding health care plans can be coordinated with international sites.

In addition, Some medications that are legal in the United States may not be legal in other countries and access to them may be difficult.

“A lot of people think they’re going to a place like home in terms of access to health care,” Alexander said.

Adding safeguards

Friend said she wants the revised forms to be checked by a professional in Health Service, preferably an individual familiar to the student, prior to going abroad. That change will allow for better assessment of students’ needs overseas, she said.

The intent is that students with pre-existing conditions can meet with a physician to plan for all their medical needs well ahead of their departure time.

Still, Alexander acknowledges that mental health issues pose unique problems. He said anyone can perform “routine travel stuff” — including providing vaccinations and preventative medications — but only medical practitioners with knowledge of students’ needs can recommend specific mental health plans.

At this early stage, Alexander said that Health Service hasn’t sorted out staffing yet and will wait and see where this issue fits in with the University’s priorities. Ultimately, the issue is determining how to elicit the right answers from students, Alexander said.

“People don’t want to admit that they have a chronic problem of any kind,” he said.

Hoping to revise the form by this summer, Friend aims to integrate it into the online study abroad application by fall 2013. NU adopted its digitized application model from Michigan State University, where Friend previously worked.

The new form would be accessed through a secure online portal requiring students and medical practitioners to log in — an alternative to giving staff who review study abroad applications, including Study Abroad Office employees, access to medical information. The change will allow students to be more honest and thorough about disclosing mental health issues, Friend said.

“If they think that everybody in the world has access to their information, why would they disclose things?” she said.

Pre-departure preparations

Terri Weaver said her daughter went to therapy prior to studying abroad but did not find it very helpful, and she is unsure if any pre-departure screening tools could have helped. Many NU students are hardworking perfectionists; Terri Weaver said her daughter was one of them.

Before Wichter traveled to Malawi and South Africa, he consulted with a mental health professional in his hometown. However, he said the University could have done more to protect students’ mental health — both by providing explicit information about available resources and following up to ensure time spent abroad did not have a negative impact.

Although Wichter said he felt comfortable disclosing his anxiety condition, he believes not everyone speaks openly about their issues.

“If you’re going abroad, it’s important for them to know all of the things that could be triggering or dangerous for you,” he said. “You wouldn’t go abroad with a heart condition without letting the University know. For me, it was important to let them know about this anxiety and my history with it.”

Leff said she wishes emotional health was discussed in addition to pre-study abroad conversations about safe drinking. Doing so would let people know that experiencing strong emotions while abroad is normal, she said.

"Most people may never have gone to a therapist in their lives and you never know what’s going to happen,” Leff said.

The danger of not disclosing

Terri Weaver said her daughter had a history of anxiety, particularly in social contexts. However, she said any outward signs of depression must have developed during her quarter abroad. Alyssa Weaver studied visual cultures at Goldsmiths College in London, a program coordinated through Philadelphia-based Arcadia University.

“She did not talk to me — she did not talk to anyone else and that contributed to her death,” Terri Weaver said, noting that her daughter forged great relationships with the other students she knew at Goldsmiths.

Alyssa Weaver had planned on cooking Thanksgiving dinner with her flatmates the night after she took her own life. Her mother said she had even called her family to ask for assistance on cooking recipes. Communication junior Brennan Suen, who studied at Goldsmiths with Alyssa Weaver that quarter, said he interacted with her while they were both exploring Europe.

“She just got a tattoo a little while before she passed,” Suen said. “We had a blast in Berlin and nothing seemed to be wrong, but she committed suicide less than two weeks afterwards.”

Seeking health care abroad

After Alyssa Weaver’s death, Goldsmiths made special counseling available to students. However, her mother said that some students told her the support system was ineffective.

“The students that were there, some of them were traumatized,” Terri Weaver said. “They did not get the assistance needed.”

Suen said he did not use the counseling services or heavily consider health care services while studying abroad before his departure, focusing on his physical health because of slight differences in acquiring medicine in Europe. He did not plan on handling medical issues abroad, taking little time to complete the pre-departure forms, he said.

“I barely remember filling out the preliminary health evaluation, but I pretty much sped through it,” he said.

Suen said he doubts other students treat the evaluation any differently.

“It’s like the alcohol thing — who really worked hard on that?” Suen said, referencing the Essential NU program about drinking that all incoming students must complete.

Study abroad students email Friend often about alcohol issues, illnesses and minor bike accidents — problems she said are similar to the ones students encounter in Evanston. Most do not consult with her about mental health or emotional issues, she said.

Although Friend is tasked with managing these students, she trusts them to determine trip preparations and address their medical needs abroad, including visiting counselors and filling prescriptions.

Creating a ‘climate of disclosure’

NU does not preclude people from studying abroad due to any pre-existing conditions, and neither does Arcadia University, which coordinated Alyssa Weaver’s study abroad program. Instead, if an assessment identifies a student with specific mental or physical health needs, NU will help locate proper medical practitioners in or near study abroad sites.

Arcadia requires students to fill out a form assessing their health and wellness before studying abroad, which is then submitted to the University's study abroad office, said Arlene Snyder, Arcadia's director of health, safety and security. If additional measures need to be taken to ensure a student’s safety, a program manager will contact a physician.

Snyder said she frequently considers what issues students are willing to share and which they avoid discussing before leaving the country. She addresses mental health as she would any other physical health issue, likening it to a diabetic being prohibited from traveling abroad without access to insulin.

“We try to create a climate of disclosure,” Snyder said.

Arcadia’s current pre-departure forms are similar to those used at NU. They even require students to use the same health care provider, HTH Worldwide, a Pennsylvania-based company that caters to students studying abroad.

Friend has had extensive experience working with HTH, from her time at Michigan State University and now at NU. The provider covers students in about 400 universities in the country, HTH spokeswoman Moira Bishop said.

The culture shock of traveling abroad can lead to health problems, Bishop said. HTH works proactively with students to find a proper counselor or psychiatrist abroad, even in regions where they may not be practicing before a student’s arrival.

Bishop said that every university’s preparation for studying abroad gives HTH time to reach out to medical practitioners to ensure students get care. For 2013, 48 NU students have already purchased the package.

Starting a conversation

Those familiar with mental health issues, including Terri Weaver, acknowledge forms and pre-departure information cannot catch everything. Asking the right questions may help physicians and counselors assess medical needs, but simply talking about the problem earlier on, especially when it comes to mental health, may be what is needed most.

“I don’t know if there would have been any screening tools that would have helped (Alyssa),” Terri Weaver said.

Stigma surrounding mental health makes it difficult for students to disclose problems to peers and medical practitioners. A school like NU addresses the issue through  online courses but fails to keep an ongoing discussion, Terri Weaver said.

Terri Weaver suggested a list of sources in the medical health field be made available to every student leaving the country, whether a pre-departure screening suggests so or not.

“What happens when you’re great the first few months of college but then you’re not?” she asked.

A foreign environment gives students much freedom, but adjusting to the distance can be difficult at times, Suen said.

“Being abroad makes you so removed from your world in the United States that you don’t even think about it or want to think about it,” Suen said. “It’s a microcosm of life down there where you get hit with a lot in such a short amount of time. Everything goes up and down so fast that it can be difficult.”

Correction: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misidentified Arlene Snyder. She is an Arcadia University official. The Daily regrets the error.

Northwestern’s J Street U chapter, which advocates a two-state solution in the Middle East, dissolved earlier this academic year due to a lack of activity and organization. The group was formerly known as “Yalla,” which means “let’s go” in Hebrew, but four Northwestern students are working to revive the group under the new name.

The group claims to be NU’s only organization dealing directly with the Middle East conflict that officially and ideologically supports both Israeli and Palestinian states.

“In general, J Street is forward thinking in that there are other organizations that get mired in the history and that get mired in ideology over pragmatism,” said Josh Boxerman, one of the four co-founders. “When people on both sides feel that you have a right to the whole thing, then the conflict can never really be solved. It can only be resolved through compromise.”

Boxerman, a Weinberg sophomore, said that the best possible way to facilitate this compromise in the interest of both parties is to have a separate Palestinian state living in peace next to the Israeli state. The borders would be in line with those of the pre-1967 arrangement.

The co-founders said the new J Street plans to spark discussion, learn about the history behind each side’s narrative, and pressure the U.S. government to advocate for a two-state solution.

Regarding other groups on campus deal with the conflict — such as Wildcats for Israel and Students for Justice in Palestine — co-founder Tal Axelrod, a former Daily staffer, said  although he is not totally aware of each of these groups’ platforms, he feels the difference in stances are evident in the names.

“Just the names to me sound very one-sided," the Medill freshman said. "J Street — while the majority of the people I'll admit are Jewish — we take a very bipartisan approach to this, but while you just hear the names of the other clubs, you don't really get that sense."

Despite the possible disagreement in platforms, J Street does have some overlapping ideas with other groups.

This week, Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a number of events for NU’s first-ever Social Justice Week. One of the events, held Wednesday night, discussed interfaith perspectives on the conflict and the concept of “decoupling Zionism from Judaism.”

Although J Street is indeed a Zionist organization with a primarily Jewish membership, co-founder Jeremy Rotner said he believes the idea of Zionism causes a lot of struggle for Jews trying to look at the conflict from a political perspective, while still holding on to their religious belief that Israel is the land of the Jewish people.

“We want to be able to engage in conversation that blends those two attitudes and shows that you can still be a defender of Israel and you can still be solid in your Jewish faith while still fighting for a two state solution," the Weinberg junior said.

"I wanted to go to the Statue of Liberty, and he told me I was going to be such a tourist," Neumann said. "I didn't care where we went. Everything was too good."

As Neumann signed off Skype about 10 p.m. May 4, she remembered one last conversation with McCormick sophomore Dmitri Teplov, who hours later killed himself in Pancoe Hall, marking the third student death and second suicide this academic year.

"I told him that because I was working so much, I was sorry, that I missed him, and I made him smile and I told him it was my favorite thing in the whole world," Neumann said, her voice cracking. "And then we laughed and everything was fine. I didn't think anything of it. Then I told him I had to go and I would talk to him tomorrow, and we said good night and told each other we loved each other."

'One of the most caring guys I've ever known'

If Teplov's death was an electric jolt for a campus confronted with a mental health crisis, it was paralyzing for the small circle of close friends he almost exclusively interacted with on the Internet.

"It was like somebody punched me in the face," said Neumann, who lives near Toronto, Canada, more than 500 miles away from NU.

In tearful interviews over Skype this week, Teplov's online friends described him as a compassionate listener who always consoled them in times of need. They spoke to The Daily because they want Teplov to be remembered not only as the exceptional student shown in previous reports, but also as a loyal companion who never let down those closest to him.

Tyler Fernandes, 18, called Teplov "one of the most caring guys I've ever known." Takuya Mori, 21, said it was "really easy to open up" to Teplov, even about deeply personal matters.

"In literally every sense of the word, he put everything to do with me first," Neumann said. "It didn't matter if I was having a bad day and he was, too. He would make sure I was in a better mood before he even brought up the fact he had a bad day."

The three friends all met Teplov through a massively multiplayer online game and got to know him as their interactions moved from message boards to Skype. Mori even visited Teplov on campus for a weekend last year.

The two wandered around Chicago, attending a concert at the Adler Planetarium and taking a self-portrait of their reflection in the bean-shaped Cloud Gate in Millennium Park. Mori, who lives in Novi, Mich., wanted to visit Teplov again this summer.

"We really didn't have any plans," Mori said. "We figured we'd have fun together no matter what, anyway."

Last year, as Fernandes grappled with a violent sickness and his own thoughts drifted toward suicide, he turned to Teplov.

"He was the main one who forced me to push on," said Fernandes, who knew Teplov for three years. "I was ready to give up that day. He was there for me hours on end. It's hard to explain. He was just there."

Fernandes, who lives in Kitchener, Canada, recently learned through other friends that Teplov was planning to surprise him in person this summer. Fighting back tears, Fernandes said he wished he would have found out sooner.

Picking up the pieces

The three friends are now left with agonizing questions that may never be answered. They are sifting through old chats, looking for any clues. They are reading and rereading his Facebook posts. They are hoping they could close their eyes and it will all be over — "a sick joke," as Fernandes puts it.

They knew Teplov kept to himself, rarely speaking of NU outside the occasional gripe about organic chemistry. They knew he was stressed out — but not any more than the average college student. They knew he sometimes seemed isolated, once telling Mori he felt "out of place" walking through campus.

"He did a really good job of upholding an image of being all right," Mori said.

But they did not know he would enter Pancoe Hall through the adjoining Cook Hall about 4 a.m. May 5, using access he had gained as a research assistant for the Department of Molecular Biosciences. They did not know why he would do what happened next.

"I just want people to know that he had people who really cared for and loved him," Fernandes said. "I just want people to know that he did the same for the people that loved him, too. … He touched me on a very personal level. He was literally one of my best friends."

'I wait for him'

As the sun set on Evanston on May 4, Teplov's friends said they saw nothing out of the normal.

Teplov swapped links to viral videos with Fernandes, riffed on the latest news on campus with Mori and replied to Neumann, telling her he loved her and could not wait for this summer.

"I wait for him," Neumann said. "I've been waiting for him. As if he's going to log on any second now. And I know he won't. And I'm not sure what to do."

A Social Justice Week was desperately needed. As debates concerning race-related issues and “institutional racism” surfaced throughout this year, I, like many other students, was frustrated with the lack of opportunities to voice my opinion concerning social justice and yearned for outlets to promote campus awareness. For many, this week brings a sense of renewed vigor and openness on campus that has been missing for a long time.

However, as a Jewish student, I was saddened to see two events sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine that consider Israel a road block to social justice. These two events, “Hafla By the Rock: Nakba Day Commemoration” and the screening of a documentary “Roadmap to Apartheid” are equivalently anti-Israel. By anti-Israel, I mean delegitimizing the Jewish state by making arguments that omit important facts and tell a biased version of historical events.

A flyer I read when I attended the "Hafla By the Rock" event stated, “Nakba commemorates the time during the 1948 war with Zionist forces, when approximately 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homeland, hundreds of villages were destroyed.” First of all, this flyer fails to identify that the 1948 war for Israeli independence was fought because five Arab states declared war against the newly United Nations-mandated Jewish state. It also does not mention that Zionists were fighting for their own social justice and that about 6,000 Israelis, many of them recent Holocaust survivors, lost their lives.   

“Roadmap to Apartheid” is a documentary that draws comparisons between Israel and South Africa, and explore reasons why many Palestinians believe Israel is an apartheid state. Although members of SJP have claimed openly that their events through Social Justice Week will not be anti-Israel, it is hard to discuss the "Israeli form of apartheid," as it is described in the film's trailer, without anti-Israel sentiments arising. Many students on this campus have a deep connection to Israel. The same can be said for students who share the same feeling for Palestine. Social Justice Week should be about bringing these two groups together, not tearing them apart.

By screening a film that describes Israel as an apartheid state, SJP endorses notions the state of Israel has an official policy to exclude, persecute and deny civil rights to Arab citizens that live within its borders. This claim is inherently untrue. Arab citizens of Israel enjoy the full range of civil and political rights, including the right to organize politically, the right to vote and the right to speak and publish freely. In addition, the situations in South Africa and Palestine are incomparable historical situations. Unlike in South Africa, Israel has been subjected to continuous acts of terror through suicide bombings and missile attacks from Palestinian terrorist organizations, necessitating military action and security precautions.

Does Israel take actions that I as a Jewish Northwestern student disagree with? Yes, namely the Israeli settlements in the West Bank which continue to be a barrier in negotiating for peace between Palestinian and Israeli leaders. However, the existence of these settlements does not make Israel an apartheid state.

The desire for social justice in Israel and Palestine should be part of Social Justice Week. Yet, there are no events that address the economic conditions in the Gaza Strip or the injustices the terrorist group Hamas inflicts on Palestinians living under their control. If Israel was not portrayed as the “bad guy” who maintains an apartheid state, maybe a genuine, informed conversation could be had about the real problems facing Palestinians and Israelis.

Members of SJP will argue that they hosted an Interfaith Discussion of Palestine to include both sides of the conflict in their events. Yet, one guest speaker, Rabbi Brant Rosen, supports the boycotting of Israeli goods as economic sanctions against Israel through the boycott, divestment and sanction movement. He is the co-chair of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization that the Anti-Defamation League has called “one of the top 10 anti-Israel groups.” It is clear that SJP chose a rabbi that holds their same beliefs, not someone who would reflect the perspective of many Jews on campus.

It is unfair to participants in Social Justice Week that they only hear one perspective on the issues in modern day Palestine. The point of this week is to give a voice to all members of the student body and talk about relevant issues in an open and unbiased way. SJP had every right to be included within this week’s programming, yet their inherent anti-Israel values tarnish the true purpose and meaning behind an inclusive and welcoming event. I hope that in the future, SJP recognizes the effects its programming has within the context of Social Justice Week, and that future efforts toward social justice promote dialogues between Jewish and Palestinian students over divisiveness.

Jonathan Kamel is a Weinberg freshman. He can be reached at jonathankamel2016@u.northwestern.edu. If you want to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.

“I just hope that we compete at the level we’ve been at,” coach Claire Pollard said. “I hope that we stand really strong. They’re really tough. I hope we present a really strong, fighting image against (Miami)."

Miami had to defeat North Florida and Purdue to reach NU in the tournament. The Hurricanes are currently ranked No. 6 while the Wildcats are ranked No. 11 in NCAA rankings.

The two previously faced off in February, when NU won 4-2 in Charlottesville, Va.

“I think it’s like a whole different season,” Pollard said. “I don’t even remember February. It seems like a different lifetime ago. Once you get to the NCAA everyone is 0-0.”

Three months later, both teams have gained more experience and improved. Last time the teams played, the Hurricanes were ranked No. 10 and the Wildcats were No. 14 in the nation. Both teams have moved up a few spots in the rankings — Miami has gone 16-2 since March 3 while NU beat many ranked opponents such as Michigan, Nebraska and Indiana.

“I think it’ll be a really different match,” senior Kate Turvy said. “Both of our teams have evolved over the season. I’m excited, I know it’ll be competitive and a great match.”

This time, the match will be played outside if the weather cooperates. Lately, NU has gotten a lot of playing time outside because of the nice weather in Evanston. Last time the two faced off, Pollard said, the match in Charlottesville was inside — at the time, an advantage for the Cats.

“Now they’ve got us outdoors, which may be their advantage," Pollard said. "I think it’s going to be a great match and really fiercely contested.”

The Cats rely on the doubles point whenever they play, which gives them a bit of a cushion going into the singles play. Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton are ranked No. 14 nationally in doubles play. Miami doubles, although not ranked at the time, took down No. 27 Krisztina Kapitany and Mara Schmidt from Purdue last weekend.

“We played (Miami) earlier this year; we know what they’re all about,” senior Linda Abu Mushrefova said. “I think we have a good doubles point there. They’re obviously good too, but we’ve been working on it quite a bit. We’re looking to get that doubles point from them to get an advantage.”

This is also the first time in NCAA Tournament history that Illinois is hosting. Because the host school is closer to home than previous years, the Cats were able to practice a bit longer and leave a little later from their home courts.

“It’s also a great perk that we could get some fans down there,” Mushrefova said. “I think that’ll be nice. It’ll almost be like having a home court advantage.”

The Cats and Hurricanes go head to head Friday. Every match left in the tournament includes a nationally ranked team.

“I hope we play some tough, tenacious tennis,” Pollard said.

But in with the new means out with the old. This new Starbucks opened just a few weeks after Caribou Coffee announced it would be closing the majority of its Chicago-area stores. Those that did remain open would be converted into Peet’s Coffee & Tea shops.

I’m a Caribou girl myself. There has always been one in my hometown, and on a hot summer day, I love nothing more than taking a nice long walk and rewarding myself with a vanilla cooler. Then I'd sit down in one of Caribou’s lounge chairs to read for a few hours. Since I brought my car to school this year, sometimes I would drive ten minutes into Winnetka just so I could have Caribou instead of Peet’s or Starbucks. Now I guess I’ll have to get used to mocha freddos instead of vanilla coolers, because Caribou is saying goodbye.

I never thought losing a coffee shop would be so hard for me, but when the news broke, I was more than a little disheartened. Sure, this new Starbucks is great, but I prefer the cozier, log cabin feel of Caribou.

Growing up means learning to say goodbye. This is true of people and animals — I learned this when a car hit my favorite dog, and my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. But I didn’t think growing up meant saying goodbye to my favorite places.

I should be used to saying goodbye to favorite stores or buildings growing up in the Chicago area. After all, I still remember when Marshall Field’s was Marshall Field’s and not Macy’s. I remember when the Sears Tower was the Sears Tower and not the Willis Tower. But neither of those losses hit me as hard as losing Caribou.

I’m not the only one who feels an attachment to stones and bricks, even if others don’t realize it. Who isn't nostalgic for his or her childhood home? Who didn’t have a store he or she liked to go to as a child? Who doesn’t have a favorite park that was destroyed to build some new houses?

I had a good friend in high school whose family used to own a little bookstore called Robin’s. By the time I met her, Robin’s was long gone. She would always recall fondly her memories of the store and how, when it closed, it broke her heart. It was like losing a friend.

When you think about it, life is a series of gains and losses. All things, whether animate or inanimate, become old and decay. Eventually, the old has to leave in order for there to be room for the new. At the end of the day, it’s just a fact you have to accept.

So maybe I’ll make this new Starbucks my home instead of the Caribou in Winnetka. Maybe I’ll get used to mocha freddos instead of vanilla coolers. I’ll wait until one day the new Starbucks closes and Peet’s makes way for a new coffee shop, leaving me with only fond memories.

Blair Dunbar is a Weinberg sophomore. She can be reached at blairdunbar2015@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.