If there’s anything you can count on during Dillo Day, aside from invasive townies and merciless Mother Nature, it’s that a lot of people will make a lot of bad decisions. As civility yields to debauchery, what happens if you actually get caught breaking the law on Dillo Day?  We’ll give you some headers on the penal code, in case you need a refresher.

Public intoxication

If the empty shelves of liquor stores across Evanston mean anything, it’s that Dillo Day will live up to its reputation. Evanston city ordinances are a bit unclear as to the definition of public intoxication, but that doesn’t mean you can get away scot-free. Although public intoxication is a violation that roughly 100% of Dillo Day attendees could reasonably be suspected of, anyone who is formally accused of it can see a fine ranging from $500 to $1,000.

Open container

If it’s a long walk from your drinking site to the Lakefill, it may seem like a good idea to bring your drink with you. Unfortunately, you can’t have an open container of alcohol while on public property, which includes sidewalks, streets, parks and the like. An open container includes things like solo cups, open beer cans, open fifths, etc. In Evanston, an open container citation can set you back $500.

Supplying alcohol to a minor

So your friends aren’t of age, but you are and you can spread the wealth, right? Wrong. It’s illegal to purchase or obtain alcoholic beverages and then sell, give, or deliver the beverages to anyone under the age of 21. Violation of this law is a Class A Misdemeanor and penalties include a minimum fine of $500 (with a max of $1000) and a jail sentence of up to one year.

Underage drinking

Quite possibly the most prevalent infraction at any university, underage drinking can get you in quite some trouble. If you’re under 21, it’s illegal to possess alcoholic beverages on the street, highway, or any public place or in a place open to the public. If you do it anyway, it’s a Class B Misdemeanor. Additional penalties for the offending minor include a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in jail.

Public indecency

Although it’s perfectly understandable why you’d want to squeeze in a quick boning in the middle of Deering Meadow, public indecency is actually a big deal. Any, “lewd exposure of the body done with intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desire of the person” when performed in a “public place,” is grounds for public indecency, a Class A misdemeanor. If you do something dirty in “any place where the conduct may reasonably be expected to be viewed by others,” expect up to a year in jail, and a $2,500 fine.

Possession of illegal substances

As the stage lights up to introduce Nelly, quite a few of you will just be lighting up. If you get caught with marijuana, the amount of trouble you’re in depends on how much is on you. If you have less than 2.5 grams, it’s a max of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine. If you have 2.5-10 grams, you can get a similar fine, but jail time for up to 6 months. If you have 10-30 grams, prepare to fork up a max of $2,500 and a year in the joint. But what if you have even more hash, or something harder like heroin, cocaine, or LSD? That’s a Class 1 felony, with 4-15 years in a state penitentiary and $25,000 out the window.

Disturbing the peace

If you live off-campus and are planning on hosting a social gathering, remember there are probably families and senior citizens conveniently living next door. Any type of noise or event of a “boisterous nature,” at your house that can, “disturb or destroy the peace of the neighborhood in which such building or premises is situated,” or is, “dangerous or detrimental to health” is considered a violation of Evanston city ordinances. You’re looking at a citation, but no fine or prison time here unless your party is also hosting any of the other crimes above.

“[The] College Republicans wanted to bring Mr. Benson to campus because he is a rising star in the young conservative movement and a Northwestern alumni,” said Brittany Bull, President of the Northwestern University College Republicans.

The event, featuring two relatively young conservative personalities, is intended to educate and mobilize conservative students on campus.

“We are hoping Mr. Benson and Mary Katharine Ham will be able to inspire young conservatives to actively get involved in the political movement, educate them about how to do so, and raise awareness of the growing importance of our generation’s technology — like social networking or viral videos — in 21st century politics,” said Bull.

The College Republicans did not wish to disclose the booking fee for the two guests.

Repayment of student loans

One video-question raised the issue that most of the benefits from the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 would be effective in 2014 and not useful to current students. Duncan responded that, effective today, students would have to pay no more than 15% of their income towards loan repayment, which is true according to the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.

Duncan, however, went on to mention a program in which students go into the public service, saying “after 10 years of public service, any debt you have will be erased, will be gone.” While this may be true, this program is not effective until 2014. Duncan did not specifically say that this program was currently the law, but he did make a misleading implication by prefacing it with a reference to current law regarding income-based loan repayment.

Regulating the price of college

When asked about how the federal government can “regulate the actual price ticket for a college education,” Melody Barnes made a reference to President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union Address. Said Barnes, “[Obama] also said that colleges have to do their part, and asked colleges to engage with us and think about ways — creative ways that they can drive down their cost. ”

Really though, that’s all the federal government can do. No current law says that the federal government can force private institutions like Northwestern to set a certain tuition price, nor can they currently do the same for state schools – state governments decide that. Barnes did, however, mention the American Opportunity Tax Credit which can give a family a $10,000 boost. The key here is that it isn’t $10,000 per year, but over four years, composed of a yearly max of $2,500. So it is indeed possible for a family to obtain $2,500 one year, but not guaranteed for the next three years.

Class-based affirmative action and admissions

On at least two occasions, Duncan and Barnes were asked about class-based affirmative action policies or other measures to increase minority enrollment. Duncan stressed increasing the quality of K-12 education in order to ensure that all students become more competitive. “Today, there are not enough highly qualified African-American and Latino students to go to the Northwesterns of the world. I want to expand that pool dramatically,” said Duncan.

But when pressed about changing admissions standards, Duncan said, “admissions standards are a piece of it.” But this “piece” has not actually been addressed in the last two major education reform bills signed by the President. Instead, an emphasis on the administration’s “Race to the Top” program conveys the federal government’s plan to increase minority enrollment. One flaw is that Race to the Top, if successful, would universally produce better students and not necessarily focus on minority students.

Updated: A previous broken link has been replaced. Thanks to commenter Priya for pointing out the error.

If you don’t know what to ask, take a look at these aspects of domestic education policy that the Obama administration has on its plate. Use these as a point of departure, but don’t limit yourself to the following:

Pell Grants

About 8 million students with extensive financial-need rely on Federal Pell Grants to fund their educations. When Congress passed The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, they allotted $40 billion towards funding the grants. Combined with the stimulus package and other budget initiatives as well, the Obama administration pledges to more than double the funding for Pell Grants. The government plans to fund these plans through ending  subsidies currently given to financial institutions that make guaranteed federal student loans. Instead, the government plans on making direct loans to students through companies contracted by the Department of Education.

Student Loans

Two-thirds of college graduates rely on student loans, averaging a debt of about $23,000 (though a Northwestern education has a slightly higher price tag). Under The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, repayments made by students are capped at 10% of their discretionary income, a reduction from 15%. Additionally, students who responsibly make these repayments will have their debt forgiven after 20 years. Those working in the public sector will have their debt forgiven after 10 years. The federal government is also planning on simplifying the FAFSA application process.

Community Colleges, HBCs, and MSIs

The government has set out plans to increase funding for community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions. Specifically, The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act will give $2 billion over for years to community colleges and career training as the number of jobs requiring an associate’s degree is on the rise. The same act includes $2.55 billion for institutions that seek to educate minority students, such as the ones listed above.

Discrimination

A few weeks ago, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli urged public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Although the Governor of Virginia later issued an order to disregard such a change in policy, the legal standing of Cuccinelli’s argument have greater implications; he argued that state agencies lack legal authority to ban sexual discrimination. While this is debatable, the federal government hasn’t yet established any orders that clarify the matter on a national level.

K-12 Education for College entrance

The ED Recovery Act, a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, funds a K-12 incentive program called Race to the Top, or R2T. Under R2T, the better a school becomes, the more money it will receive from the federal government. State applications for federal funds are affected by how well schools embrace reform. President Obama has also planned to amend No Child Left Behind by ridding the current system of yearly benchmarks, and dismissing the plan to reach universal proficiency in reading and math by 2014, a goal which Arne Duncan called, “utopian.” Instead, the focus has shifted to college and career readiness.

You may also want to consider these topics:

• Recent protests over tuition hikes
• Gender discrimination in the sciences
• Student health services
• Medical amnesty
• Teachers’ unions
• Online colleges

The possibilities are endless. Come up with something good and you could finally get a chance to put the big shots on the hot seat for yourself.

Barefoot and seated on the floor in half-lotus position, members of the Northwestern University Zen Society are on a quest. Sure, they look for the meaning of life, but they find much more along the way through the Buddhist art of meditation.

In its sixth year, the Zen Society meets every Thursday under the dimmed lights of the Oratory Room in Alice Millar Chapel. At a typical meeting, about 25 members spend 45 minutes to an hour practicing meditation, followed by an informal discussion about questions from religion, philosophy, and morality.

Many members of the Zen society meditate for reasons such as finding happiness, perfecting self-control, or becoming self-actualized. “Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?” asks Kristen Radtke, a Weinberg sophomore and president of the Zen Society. “I meditate to know myself better, and to treat other people better.”

Radtke suggests that by virtue of practicing Zen, many practical benefits are attained, such as strengthening the immune system and fueling the body with newfound energy. Physical discipline is also acquired as the meditation positions can be difficult for newcomers.

Weinberg junior Zach Warburg, however, uses meditation to better control his mind and find clarity within it. “It blocks off all the white noise in your brain and clears the mind of excess thought,” says Warburg. “You learn to focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past or looking into the future”

This method of focused-thinking is valuable for problem-solving and conflict resolution, according to Warburg. “Your mind is burdened with unnecessary considerations. When you focus your thinking, you think a lot faster and more efficiently.”

A real treasure for Northwestern students is the added bonus of stress relief and relaxation. Many members, however, challenge the notion that meditation is primarily for relaxation. The Zen Society’s most dedicated members keep returning because of the inner peace and mental acuity they achieve.

Though many perceive Zen to be an exclusively Buddhist practice, the Northwestern Zen Society welcomes members of all backgrounds to attend their weekly meetings. “It’s not a Buddhist thing – it’s a human thing. Everybody should try it once in their life,” says Radtke. But if you really want to find the meaning of life, you’ll probably want to take those shoes off more than just once.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich addressed a crowd of about 1000 students at Cahn Auditorium on Tuesday night. Blagojevich, WCAS ’79, was impeached and removed from office last year. He has been charged with various federal crimes, including racketeering, bribery and conspiracy.

At the event hosted by the Northwestern University College Democrats, Blagojevich denied any criminal wrongdoing. “I am innocent of all charges. Every allegation against me is false” said the former Governor.

After a lengthy opening statement, Blagojevich was grilled by a panel of three Northwestern professors. During the question and answer session, Blagojevich repeatedly claimed he had been removed from office without a chance to defend himself. According to Blagojevich, he was “illegally and unethically hijacked from office without due process.”

While Blagojevich did not reveal the exact content of his infamous taped phone calls, he stated that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was his first pick for Barack Obama’s senate seat. His choice of Madigan was part of a larger political deal he was trying to strike with Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, his political rival.

Mike Madigan and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton were constant targets of Blagojevich. The former governor accused the pair for their own unethical behavior, some of which he accredited to his arrest.

Blagojevich was also critical of the media. He asked them, “Where have you been and why have you not brought the healthy skepticism?” Blagojevich felt that the media has not done an adequate job of pressing for the release of the taped phone calls.

“I’m the anti-Nixon” he said. “Play the tapes, they will prove me innocent.”

Among the more shocking events of the night, Blagojevich admitted that his decision to appoint Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate was racially motivated. He felt morally obligated to appoint an African American to what he called the “most exclusive club in America.” Blagojevich even claimed that Senate leaders such as Harry Reid were “segregationist” in their beliefs for not seating Burris.

When asked by Northwestern Law professor Tonja Jacobi about any quid pro quo allegations in the FBI affidavit, Blagojevich denied there were any.

“I was surprised that he didn’t think that the indictment made a claim of quid pro quo. It made claim after claim. I could have spoken for another half hour about the different allegations,” said Jacobi after the event ended. “Where exactly does he draw the line between what is legitimate and illegitimate conduct for anyone in office?”

Blagojevich further defended his innocence by saying that if he had truly done what those allegations claimed he did, he would be “nowhere near this event. [He] would be 100 miles away.”

However instead, he chose to take the stage, explaining that his presence took courage. He went on to explain, “I got in trouble saying it when I was Governor, but I’ll say it now: testicular virility.”

The panel then posed questions written by students. Kyle Krym, a Weinberg sophomore, was among the lucky few whose questions were selected. Krym asked Blagojevich what his advice on ethics would be to someone who wanted to take office for the first time. Blagojevich answered, “surround yourself with good lawyers.”

“I thought it was a very cynical point of view, although coming from him, I found it very apt,” said Krym.

“The event was meant to open a discourse on issues important to public policy; corruption, ethics in government,” said College Democrats Vice President of Programming Dan Rockoff. “I think we were able to challenge Governor Blagojevich in a way he hasn’t been challenged in a while.”

“We reached hundreds of students, who otherwise the message wouldn’t have gotten to. The auditorium was sold out. I think that’s phenomenal.”

Blagojevich reflected fondly on his experience as a student at Northwestern, saying “It’s a great school with a great tradition of academics.” Blagojevich said he worked multiple jobs to pay for his tuition in lieu of seeking financial aid as he “wasn’t good enough to get a scholarship.”

Blagojevich thanked Northwestern for allowing him to plead his case. Many attending the event, however, did not have their minds changed. Towards the end of the night, one audience member yelled out the word, “shame.”

Blagojevich replied, “What, you don’t like Roland Burris?”

Replied the audience member, “No, you.”

Updated: This story has been updated to fix an error regarding the “shame” comment. Thanks to commenter ‘NU Student’ for the correction. The typo in the first line has also been corrected; thanks to commenter “K.”

Updated 2/25/10 with additional event details

The Northwestern University College Democrats announced Monday night that former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Weinberg ‘79, will address students on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 in Cahn Auditorium at 7 p.m at an event entitled, “Ethics in Politics: An Evening with Former Governor Rod Blagojevich.”

Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office last January after being arrested for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery in relation to attempting to sell Barack Obama’s former Senate seat.

According to a press release from the College Democrats, Blagojevich will be given 15 minutes to plead his case, followed by a 45 minute interview led by a Northwestern faculty panel  including law Professor Tonja Jacobi, Political Science Professor Donald Gordon and Medill Professor Donna Leff. The event will then end with a 30 minute question and answer session in which panelists will ask questions written in advance by audience members.

While some deem Blagojevich’s invitation to speak as controversial, the College Democrats felt their decision was justified. “The College Democrats believe that given the recent history of executive leadership in Illinois, it is vital to have a conversation about the state of ethics. There is no better person with whom to discuss this issue than Blagojevich himself,” said the College Democrats.

They went on to say, “Northwestern University prides itself on providing a forum for debating issues of national importance. Engaging in such debate is one of the means by which voters hold politicians accountable to the rule of law.”

After earning his bachelors degree in history from Northwestern, Blagojevich served in the Illinois House of Representatives, the U.S. House of Representatives and then as Governor of Illinois for six years.

Tickets will be available for free at the Norris Box Office starting late Tuesday. There are a limited number of tickets available, with a maximum of two per WildCARD.

10. Newt Gingrich’s double standard

In 1998, House Speaker Newt Gingrich was married to his second wife, Marianne, but was making love with a Congressional aide nearly 20 years younger than him. But what makes this affair unique? It was all happening when Gingrich was leading the charge to impeach President Bill Clinton for his involvement with Monica Lewinsky. Gingrich, however, justified his affair in that unlike Clinton’s situation, there was no perjury involved. Gingrich went on to marry his lover in 2000 and luckily for him, his affair was only outed in 2007.

9. Kwame Kilpatrick’s racy text messages

Riddled with all sorts of corruption charges, Kwame Kilpatrick, the former mayor of Detroit, topped it all off with an extramarital affair. Sure, he may have used his influence to funnel $175,000 of state grant money to his wife, but he cheated on her too with his chief of staff Christine Beatty. While they were both married to other people at the time, they denied the affair until evidence from their city-issued cell phones proved otherwise. It was discovered that Beatty texted him asking, “And, did you miss me, sexually?” to which Kilpatrick responded, “Hell yeah! [...] I want some more.”

8. Wilbur Mills’ wet stripper

In 1974, Congressman Wilbur Mills, then the Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, was pulled over by a D.C. police officer for the innocuous charge of driving without headlights. What unfolded was a bit more interesting. The officer found Mills drunk in the back seat with an Argentine stripper giving him some company. In an attempt to escape, the stripper ran out of the car and jumped into the Potomac River. Amazingly, voters re-elected him later that year, but his wife of 40 years probably wasn’t one of them.

7. Gary Hart’s model girlfriend

Gary Hart was a U.S. Senator from Colorado who was the Democratic frontrunner in the 1988 presidential campaign. When rumors surfaced that he was being unfaithful to his wife Lee, Hart quickly responded to the press, saying, “Follow me around. I don’t care. I’m serious. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They’ll be very bored.” The Miami Herald took him up on his offer and photographed him getting frisky with 29-year-old model Donna Rice, his apparent girlfriend. Hart dropped out of the race a week later. Despite two separations with his wife, he and Lee are still together today, having been married for nearly 50 years.

6. Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution ring

Both Harvard Law graduates, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and his wife Silda Wall were a power couple. As Attorney General, Spitzer was feared for his voracious appetite for cleaning up shady business and dirty ethics in New York. That’s why the state of New York was scratching its head when it was discovered that Spitzer had been involved in a prostitution ring, hiring and getting comfortable with one woman in particular who was only a few years older than Spitzer’s daughters. After intense public humiliation and media embarrassment, Spitzer resigned as governor and disappeared into anonymity. Though as of late, he is still married to Wall and has been rumored to run for public office again in New York.

5. Strom Thurmond’s illegitimate child

U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond ran for President in 1948 as a staunch segregationist. Little did anyone know, however, that at the same time he was advocating black and white drinking fountains, he was also secretly the father of a 23-year old daughter he had conceived with a black woman. Thurmond kept this ironic reality hidden until his death in 2003 when his secret daughter revealed her identity to the public and announced that Thurmond had been financially assisting her for his life without anyone knowing.

4. Jim McGreevey’s gay partner

On the outside, former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey’s life showed the growing trends of American relationships: he married, had a child, divorced, married again and had another child. Then, in 2004, an adviser who he had fired two years earlier tried exacting revenge by threatening to sue McGreevey for sexual harassment. The adviser was a man. Shortly thereafter, McGreevey announced, “My truth is that I am a gay American.” McGreevey resigned as governor, was immediately divorced by his wife, and now lives with his partner Mark O’Donnell. Interestingly, McGreevey currently teaches classes on ethics, law, and leadership at Kean University.

3. Vito Fossella’s second family

A family man in more ways than one, New York Congressman Vito Fossella illegally used campaign funds to take his wife and kids on expensive vacations and NFL playoff games. Unfortunately, he didn’t treat his second family as nicely. After a drunk driving arrest in 2008, Fossella was released to the custody of Laura Fay, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. After suspicion arose that he was not bailed out by his family or a staff member, Fossella admitted that he had been hiding a sexual relationship with Fay, with whom he had been raising a three-year-old daughter out of wedlock, unbeknownst to his real family.

2. John Edwards’ videographer

Formerly a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, John Edwards most recently ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008 and tried to pull some strings to get the Number 2 spot from Obama. Amidst all this campaigning, Edwards was cheating on his longtime wife Elizabeth, with whom he had four children. News broke that Edwards was having an affair with one of his campaign videographers, Rielle Hunter, and was the father of her newborn child. After initially denying the rumors, he admitted he had been unfaithful and a few months later, he admitted he was the baby daddy. The most disturbing detail is that the affair happened while his wife was battling incurable cancer. Elizabeth recently separated from Edwards after he got into a physical altercation with her, and it’s been reported that he is now back together with Hunter.

1. John G. Schmitz’s neglected children

Throughout his life, California congressman John Schmitz fathered nine children — but he only acknowledged the existence of seven of them. Outside of his marriage with wife Mary, Schmitz had an affair with Carla Stuckle, with whom he fathered a son and daughter. His relationship to the two children was only revealed when the infant son was hospitalized after his penis was nearly severed off with a strand of hair. Doctors and detectives demanded to know the father of the boy and soon learned it was Schmitz. Though the baby was fine, the incident caused his real wife to lose her job as a political commentator. Furthermore, he didn’t financially support his illegitimate children, forcing Stuckle to work two jobs until she died from complications from diabetes, orphaning her children. What a guy.