The Daily Northwestern — Orientation Issue 2025

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Letter from the Editor:

Look for entrances, not exit signs

It’s hard to give advice to new students when most days, I’m still figuring things out myself.

Sure, I have more experience than I did three years ago. I’ve lived with thirteen different roommates and driven from Dallas to Chicago half a dozen times. I’ve edited hundreds of stories for The Daily Northwestern and consumed a lot of caffeine along the way. Still, I don’t have all the answers.

As you arrive on campus, I feel more united with you than you might expect. While the Class of 2029 begins its first year of college, the Class of 2026 prepares for new beginnings that follow our last. Personally, I begin a new role as editor in chief, one I know will bring hard lessons — but also, hopefully, some wisdom.

I might be a few steps ahead of you, but what we’re doing is essentially the same: figuring out where we’re going next and how to grow into the open spot waiting for us.

This journey of uncertainty and reinvention is familiar for many student journalists. At The

Daily, we’re constantly adjusting to new information and a changing media landscape. We respond to breaking news in real time while grappling with what the future of the press looks like — in a world that often feels broken.

As I take on this role, I prepare to lead The Daily as we continue to guide our readers through change, no matter what it brings. I can’t fully know or understand every experience our community will face, but I can do my best to capture them thoughtfully on our pages.

When I arrived at Northwestern, I never imagined taking on this kind of responsibility. I feared any challenge that forced me to readjust. Of course, change came anyway. But, I’m grateful it did; I’ve grown because of it.

Still, it’s normal, even as we thrive through change, to fear it. During your college experience, you’ll tackle this fear. I know you’ll end up on the other side, realizing you’ve evolved in unexpected ways.

Lately, I’ve reflected on a commencement speech recently given by Maggie Rogers at New York University. She described the big

dreams that fueled her career, but also the moments when she almost quit. While she has sold out Radio City Music Hall multiple times, onstage, she still looks for the exit signs — reminders of the paths she almost took instead.

Life has a lot of these exit signs: the roads not taken, the easy ways out. Sometimes we follow them. Sometimes, we don’t have a choice. Trust me, if I could choose to skip the “exit sign” for graduation, you’d find me on my porch swing with my roommates forever.

But Rogers reminds us that “all exits can be entrances, too.”

So as you enter college, my best advice is not to fear the exit signs. Change isn’t an end, it’s a beginning. As you evolve into stronger versions of yourself, remember every door you open might lead to more than you ever imagined.

Emily Lichty Editor in Chief (Fall ‘25, Winter ‘26) e.lichty@dailynorthwestern.com

| 847.491.7206 spc-compshop@northwestern.edu The Daily Northwestern is published Wednesday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847-491-7206. First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2025 The Daily Northwestern and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Northwestern, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $100 for the academic year. The Daily Northwestern is not responsible for more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run.

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A legendary campus: NU’s year in review

By ISAIAH STEINBERG daily senior staffer @isaiahstei27

For students who closely follow national news, it might seem like Northwestern faced setback a er setback in the 2024-25 academic year. Such an appraisal would be understandable as NU has withstood federal scrutiny on multiple fronts.

However, the pessimistic prognosis would also overlook the fact that life in Evanston for most NU students has remained nearly unchanged: go to class, do homework, have fun on the weekend, repeat. e current state of NU is mixed: the University has faced its fair share of both victories and obstacles this year. e Daily compiled some of NU’s top stories to re ect on a challenging year — and an in ection point for higher education nationwide.

1. Trump administration blitzes NU

The walls of higher education began to cave in on Jan. 20, the day President Donald Trump reclaimed the Oval Office for a second term. Over the next six months, the University of Pennsylvania graduate reshaped the higher education landscape, halting about $11 billion in federal funding for multiple universities — including NU — threatening international students’ visas and cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Everything came crashing down on April 8. at’s when the Trump administration froze $790 million in federal funding for NU, canceling grants and contracts that funded lifesaving research. In response, NU has closed multiple centers, frozen new hiring, canceled some summer research programs and restricted summer nancial aid. It has continued to fund research impacted by stop-work orders in the interim.

e following day, April 9, NU con rmed several students’ visa records had been terminated by the Department of Homeland Security. ough Trump later backtracked on his SEVIS record cancellations — which immediately invalidate legal status — NU has repeatedly warned international students of the risks of traveling abroad as the future of student visas remains uncertain.

e day he took o ce, Trump also issued an executive order eliminating DEI policies in federally funded programs. Since then, NU has scrubbed various programs’ and offices’ websites of DEI initiatives and terminology, fully eliminated several offices, changed staff titles and ceased some research relating to LGBTQ+ health.

NU’s responses to the Trump administration’s actions will continue to de ne University President Michael Schill’s leadership.

2. Wildcat women bring home the hardware

In happier news, the Wildcats cemented a winning legacy in multiple sports in the 2024-25 season.

e ’Cats secured two national championships this year in eld hockey and women’s golf. A er coach Tracey Fuchs’ eld hockey squad dropped the Big Ten Tournament championship and its rst game in nearly a year, it bounced back in the NCAA Tournament with a blowout victory over St. Joseph’s in the national title game. e accomplishment marked the second national

championship in program history for eld hockey and the rst for women’s golf. Several players and coaches on both teams won individual accolades.

Keeping up its perennially commanding form, NU’s lacrosse squad won the regular season title and Big Ten tournament championship before falling to No. 1 North Carolina in the national championship game.

NU so ball notched an NCAA tournament bid, while men’s basketball fell short of advancing to its third-straight NCAA Tournament and football went 4-8, failing to qualify for a bowl game.

e year marked Athletic Director Mark Jackson’s rst at the helm of NU Athletics.

Looking ahead, construction on NU’s new football stadium at Ryan Field is expected to be completed in Fall 2026. In the wake of the House v. NCAA se lement, NU must soon decide whether it will pay its student-athletes.

3. Dining workers achieve new contract after nine months of negotiations

Compass Group, NU’s food service provider, agreed to a new contract with UNITE HERE Local 1, a union that represents about 500 contracted workers across dining, retail and hospitality locations on campus, in May.

4. Education Department, HHS scrutinize NU for alleged antisemitism

Following hearings and reports last year led by Republican members of Congress, the executive branch has now taken the wheel in academic investigations under the second Trump administration. In February, the Department of Education launched a

Title VI investigation into NU for alleged antisemitism. In May, the Department of Health and Human Services followed suit with its own inquiry.

e federal government has also cracked down on pro-Palestinian advocacy, detaining and deporting several students around the country — such as Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil — on national security grounds related to activities “aligned to Hamas.” Concurrently, pro-Palestinian activism at NU has scaled back this year as NU has also taken action, disciplining several pro-Palestinian activists under revised demonstration and display policies.

NU has responded to federal antisemitism investigations by touting decreased reports of antisemitism, conrming plans to terminate activist and Medill Prof. Steven rasher and implementing a controversial anti-bias training and Wildcat Welcome training on antisemitism and Islamophobia. Meanwhile, Schill con rmed to e Daily that the University is not aware of when the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism will visit.

5. NU closes curtain on San Francisco campus, cites low demand

NU will round out a decade hosting multiple academic programs in San Francisco in 2026, electing not to renew its lease in a downtown skyscraper.

A University spokesperson told e Daily the closure was due to low demand, while the campus’s site manager told e Daily it was due to uncertain nances — especially due to the federal funding freeze. Students who had hoped to participate in programs on NU’s San Francisco campus — such as Medill’s Bay Area Immersion Program, Kellogg’s San Francisco Immersion Program and McCormick’s Farley Bay Area Quarter — have been le disappointed by the news.

i.steinberg@dailynorthwestern.com

e agreement followed a 12-day strike in March. Union members worked without a contract for nine months, demanding improved job security, wages and pensions. e new contract included a wage increase, pension increase, back pay and more.

A tale of one city: Evanston year in review

By HANNAH WEBSTER daily senior staffer @hannahe_webster

There’s never a dull moment in Evanston, and this year was no different. With a public heavily engaged in local policy, ever-evolving town-gown relations and elections on every level, there’s no shortage of nuance, debate and passion to engage with in the city.

Soon you’ll call this city home, so here’s four of Evanston’s top stories from the past year to catch you up to speed.

1. Elections in the rearview and on the horizon

In April, Evanston hosted municipal elections for local offices. Mayor Daniel Biss was reelected over challenger Jeff Boarini, and the nine-member City Council welcomed three new faces. Five new members were also sworn in to Evanston’s two K-12 school boards. Evanston saw historic turnout in these elections, with 36% of registered voters casting a ballot for the mayoral race.

Shortly after, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced they would not seek reelection in 2026, setting in motion a series of campaign announcements at every level of government.

Biss launched a bid for Schakowsky’s seat, confirming long-standing rumors that he would seek higher office. The mayor has since raked in endorsements from prominent local and national Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Other front-runners in the crowded Democratic primary for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District include progressive content creator Kat Abughazaleh and State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview). With Fine seeking a national office, Evanston’s representation in the State Senate is also up for grabs in 2026.

2. Local officials push back against federal policies

Ahead of President Donald Trump’s

inauguration in January, local officials and advocates made efforts to protect the city’s immigrant population. In January, the city amended its Welcoming City Ordinance, enforcing the city’s withdrawal from civil federal deportation efforts.

The amended ordinance aligned the city with the 2017 Illinois TRUST Act. One of the Act’s notable features is a bar on sharing data with immigration officials, agencies or third parties intending to deport individuals residing in the U.S. illegally solely due to their immigration status.

A recent challenge to this policy emerged when the Evanston RoundTable reported that data from Evanston’s automatic license plate readers had been accessed by at least seven out-of-state agencies tracking license plates for immigration enforcement.

Since the report, Evanston Police Department Chief Schenita Stewart said EPD disabled the technology system’s nationwide search tool, blocking access to the city’s information outside of Illinois.

Buckling down on resistance to federal policies, City Council also passed the Health Data Protection Ordinance in June, prohibiting the city from providing federal or out-of-state actors with personal health data in the absence of a warrant.

3. Vision for the city’s future faces delays, backlash

The subject of countless city meetings, public hearings and feedback sessions, Envision Evanston 2045 seeks to overhaul the city’s zoning code and create a comprehensive vision for the future of Evanston.

The policy was first introduced in February 2024, and was originally slated to come before the City Council for a final vote in March of this year. However, Envision Evanston has met its fair share of road blocks on its way to the council chambers.

Community members and officials have been divided on the policy’s potential impacts to zoning, and many have spoken out against the policy’s scope and aggressive timeline. In response, the council voted in January to split the policy’s comprehensive plan and zoning

code and consider each separately.

At the same meeting, the council voted to delay the policy’s timeline, asking the Land Use Commission to present final recommendations to the council on the comprehensive plan by February and on the zoning code by August.

As of July, the comprehensive plan is still being weighed by the council, and the zoning code has not yet been brought to a vote in the Land Use Commission, a signal that debate has only begun on this critical issue.

4. City government closes doors on long-standing civic center

City government recently moved into a new home in downtown Evanston, just blocks from Northwestern’s campus, but the decision to move was far from unanimous.

In April, the city completely relocated from the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center at 2100 Ridge Ave. Now located at 909 Davis St., the

Lorraine H. Morton City Hall is the new home to city operations, various public services and city council meetings.

This space is rented, and the city has signed onto a 15-year lease with the option to leave after seven.

Critics have called into question the fiscal responsibility of renting a new building downtown and raised issues of government transparency related to the contract. Proponents of the new venue cite its proximity to public transit and central location.

The city will eventually have to select a permanent home and is exploring several options, including downtown properties — like the city-owned public library or the 900 Clark St. development.

One thing is for certain, though: the city will not return to 2100 Ridge Ave. The council voted in March to eliminate that possibility in future discussions.

h.webster@dailynorthwestern.com

File photo by Joanne Haner

Evanston saw historic turnout in these elections, with 36% of registered voters casting a ballot for the mayoral race.

Start your NU story with Wildcat Welcome

By SARAH SEROTA daily senior staffer @sarahserota

To kick o their rst year at Northwestern, new students experience Wildcat Welcome, NU’s new student orientation week. Wildcat Welcome is meant to help students navigate campus, partake in NU traditions and build friendships with other incoming undergraduates. is year, Wildcat Welcome will be held September 9 to 15, bringing almost a week’s worth of programming to the newest ‘Cats.

During most of Wildcat Welcome, students a end events and participate in programming within their Peer Advisor group, led by an older student known as their PA. Everyone in a PA group is in the same undergraduate school, and for many undergraduates, they will take one of their Fall classes with their PA group — whether that be a Weinberg seminar, McCormick’s PRDV or a Medill introductory class.

Move-In Day

e rst day of Wildcat Welcome is move-in day, where new students will take their rst steps on campus as Wildcats and move into their dorm rooms. Students will have most of the day to move in, with welcome week programming not starting until 5 p.m. that night.

e night will conclude with First Night Northwestern, where fun activities and snacks will be planned around campus for new students to enjoy.

Becoming a Wildcat

Day two of Wildcat Welcome — the rst full day of programming — will be jam-packed with events. Starting bright and early at 10 a.m., students will meet and line up with their PA group to participate in NU’s traditional “March rough the Arch.” All new students will walk in a procession through the Weber Arch to mark the beginning of their time as a Wildcat. With the marching band and families cheering the new ‘Cats on, the tradition is one of the most festive ways to start your time as an NU student.

e incoming class will also take

their class photo, where they will be arranged to make the iconic Northwestern “N” with all their peers.

ferent tools, whether that be academic, health or other resources, to assist them during their time as an undergraduate. Students also a end the Rock the Lake performance, which hosts numerous

tember 7, two days before most undergraduates move in. e following two days, international students have separate programming tailored to building community and learning about campus

NU transfers also have their own iteration of Wildcat Welcome, participating in many of the same activities as the incoming freshmen, but also a ending transfer-speci c events. Annually, NU holds a transfer bon re and a transfer trip to Chicago.

True Northwestern Dialogue

roughout the week, new students will complete True Northwestern Dialogue with their PA group, also known as TNDs. TNDs are meant to help prepare students for their time at NU by covering topics like belonging, wellness and sexual health. Completing all the TNDs, which will be facilitated by PAs, is required, and new students will not be able to register for classes until they a end all required TNDs.

NU Football

On Saturday, September 13, NU Football will play a home game during Wildcat Welcome against Oregon. NU is working on fun and creative ways to engage the incoming class, according to a University spokesperson.

Convocation

New students will also a end the New Student Convocation, where they will be welcomed to NU by University President Michael Schill. In past years, Schill addressed the new Wildcats and gave them advice for their time at NU.

Course registration

While older students have already registered for Fall classes, new students do not register until Wildcat Welcome. PAs will walk freshmen through registration during the students’ assigned registration time and assist with any issues they may run into in the process.

s.serota@dailynorthwestern.com

Pack your trunks with our dorm essentials

By MARISA GUERRA ECHEVERRIA daily senior staffer @marisa_g_ech

Dorm rooms can be a sanctuary in the whirlwind of new activities, classes and people to meet during your freshman year. Whether it’s to stop for a quick power nap or have friends over for watch parties, a cozy and well-equipped dorm room is an essential starting point for your college experience.

As a rising junior with two years of dorm living under her belt, here is my ultimate packing list for your first year at Northwestern — hopefully saving you too many trips to the Evanston Target.

Laundry

Laundry rooms are available in the dorms free of charge, yet the journey down can be treacherous — especially if you live in a building with no elevators and multiple floors. Laundry bags with shoulder straps are the easiest way to bring your laundry down multiple

flights of stairs. Plus, they’re easy to fold flat and store in any luggage item. As for cleaning supplies, detergent pods are easy to toss into the washer to get the job done. Dryer sheets are also an essential if you like to use dryers, or you can hang up your clothes to air-dry if you prefer to take the environmentally sustainable route.

Organization and cleaning

To maximize the small, shared living space in your dorm, smart, compact storage items are a definite must. Featured on every packing list for a reason, command hooks, extension cords and over-the-door hooks are essential to keeping your space tidy and organized.

Maintaining your space also means doing some extra cleaning in your spare time. Hand-held vacuum cleaners and a tub of disinfecting wipes are key to protect your room from musty dorm air, crumbs and critters.

Dorm Furniture

An essential to ensure relaxing nights of sleep

year-round is a Twin XL mattress topper, which will upgrade your dorm bed to a cozier plane of existence. (You can have it shipped to your dorm!) Along with corresponding Twin XL bed sheets and a duvet cover, bring a throw blanket for added cozy vibes and extra protection from the incoming winter chill. Every dorm comes equipped with a desk, chair, bed, closet space and recycling and trash bins. Extra services, like lofting or bunking your bed, are available for request on the Housing Portal later in the summer. The option to rent a mini fridge to store snacks and leftovers is also available on the USS site, and should be ordered as soon as possible for free delivery and installation prior to your arrival on campus.

Bathroom

Often seen as a collegiate rite of passage, the dreaded communal bathroom has no reason to be anxiety-inducing if you are well-prepared. A sturdy pair of shower shoes and a hanging shower caddy are essentials for hitting the dorm showers. As a bonus, you can also pack a lightweight bathrobe to ensure maximum comfort.

Winter gear

As a Californian, I have had my fair share of gripes with Midwestern winters and lakeside chill. If you hail from warmer climates, and even if you don’t, bring two winter jackets: a light puffer for autumn and a heavierduty jacket that to protect you from freezing and subfreezing temperatures come January. And no matter how tough you think you are, pack multiple winter hats, scarves and gloves — you might lose a few along the way so it’s good to have spares — and actually use them. Your extremities will thank you for it.

Decor

Once you have all the basics down, it’s time to personalize your space! Bring your favorite posters and print out pictures of family and friends to decorate your walls. Mood lighting and lamps can also brighten up the space — just make sure to follow Residential Services’ regulations on interior room decorations.

m.guerra-echeverria@dailynorthwestern.com

Feast your eyes on NU’s many dining options

By SARAH SEROTA daily senior staffer

For many freshmen, this Fall will be their first introduction to daily dining outside of home-cooked meals and school cafeteria food. Luckily, Northwestern has a variety of dining options to choose from.

First-year meal plan

All first-year students at NU are automatically enrolled in the Open Access Meal Plan. This means students have unlimited meal swipes in any of the all-you-can-eat buffet-style dining halls. This plan also includes five weekly meal exchanges. Meal exchanges are fixed menu items at several different dining locations that students can order without spending dining dollars or their own money. Each week, the meal exchange count resets and does not carry over from one week to the next. Students also receive $125 in

dining dollars per quarter on the Open Access Meal Plan.

Dining halls

Located in four of the different dorms across campus, NU has five different dining halls. On South campus, there are three dining halls, located in Foster-Walker Complex, commonly referred to as Plex, and Allison Hall.

In Plex, there are two dining halls: Plex West and Plex East. Plex West is the one entirely Pure Eats dining hall on campus, meaning everything is gluten-free and made without the top nine allergens. Plex West often features made-to-order options, such as buildyour-own stir-fry. On the other side of Foster-Walker, Plex East is one of the smaller dining halls on campus that offers the classic dining hall experience, featuring a hot food area, a salad bar and a dessert selection. Allison holds one of the larger dining halls on campus, with two floors of seating and ample food selection. In addition to dining hall staples, Allison also includes both a Pure Eats station and a kosher station, which are run by dining hall workers to prevent contamination.

North Campus has two dining halls, one in Sargent Hall and the other in Elder Hall.

Located right next to Mudd Library, the Technological Institute and many of the other North Campus buildings, Sargent Hall is a popular dining location for many. The dining hall features a robust salad bar and a wide range of food choices. Elder has the northernmost dining hall and is located in the basement of the dorm. Along with Pure Eats and Kosher stations, the dining hall offers a made-to-order section that includes omelets, bubble waffles and other custom items.

The daily menu for each dining hall can be found on the Dine On Campus website or app.

Meal exchanges

There are seven different meal exchange locations at NU. Five of them are located in Norris, the student center in the middle of campus. The meal exchanges are MOD Pizza, Buen Dia, Wildcat Deli, 847 Burger and Shake Smart. The other two meal exchanges are located in dorms on campus: Fran’s Cafe in Willard Residential

College and Lisa’s Cafe in Slivka Hall, offering late-night snacks and meals past dining hall hours.

Dining dollars

Dining dollars can be spent at the meal exchange locations as well as other spots across campus. For full-meal options, Tech Express and Chicken and Boba do not take meal exchanges but students can still purchase food and drinks using their dining dollars. For coffee drinkers, several different campus cafes take dining dollars, too. Cafe Coralie in Pancoe, Starbucks in Norris, Cafe Bergson in Main Library and Backlot Coffee in Kresge Hall offer a selection of beverages and pastries that students can purchase with dining dollars. In the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, students can get an acai bowl with dining dollars at Protein Bar & Kitchen. As for on-campus stores, Plex and Lisa’s Cafe have their own markets where students can buy snacks and dorm necessities.

s.serota@dailynorthwestern.com

@sarahserota

Once upon a lakeside town...

By JACK BAKER daily senior staffer @jdowb2005

Welcome to “Heavenston” — or so the saying goes. Nestled just north of Chicago, your new home has long been considered a utopian community: tree-lined streets, lakefront mansions and a famously liberal electorate.

Once a hotbed of abolitionist sentiment and temperance activism (shoutout Frances Willard), Evanston has also been irrevocably shaped by se ler colonialism, segregation and persistent economic inequality. Ultimately, to understand Evanston is to wrestle with these contradictions by exploring the city, its people and their stories — or, be er yet, reporting on them!

e city sits on the homelands of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe and Odawa peoples as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations, whose displacement made Evanston’s founding possible. But Northwestern actually predates the city’s incorporation — and both were established by its namesake, John Evans, a Methodist leader and politician who co-founded the University in 1851.

Evans went on to serve as the territorial governor of Colorado, where he bore responsibility for the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre in which U.S. soldiers slaughtered hundreds of Indigenous people, including many women, children and elders. ough Evans denied wrongdoing, historical

investigations — including one conducted by NU itself — found him culpable in the massacre’s lead-up and a ermath.

During the Civil War, the town fought for abolition, and between 1860 and 1870, Evanston’s population quadrupled, driven by a postwar boom and NU’s growing in uence.

Around this same time, a law passed banning the sale of alcohol within a four-mile radius of campus. e restriction helped turn Evanston into a national hub for the prohibitionist movement and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union — one of the most powerful women-led political organizations in American history. City Council passed a liquor ordinance in 1972, nally allowing some businesses to sell alcohol.

In the 20th century, redlining and other discriminatory housing policies pushed the city’s Black residents into areas like the 5th Ward, where they were systematically denied resources a orded to other neighborhoods. Evanston closed the ward’s only elementary school in 1967, and for decades a erward, Black students were bused across the city — a policy many activists considered more burdensome than bene cial. A er years of

community advocacy, plans for a new school in the 5th Ward were nally approved in 2022.

In 2019, Evanston became the rst U.S. city to launch a publicly funded reparations program for Black residents, beginning with housing grants to those impacted by discriminatory policies. Funded by the city’s cannabis tax, the initiative has been praised as a potential model for other municipalities but also criticized for its limited scope.

NU’s relationship with Evanston has long been contentious. As a tax-exempt institution occupying a large swath of prime lakefront land, the University has o en clashed with Evanston residents over its expansion and in uence.

Traveling around

By MIGUEL TSANG daily senior staffer @migtsang

ese boots may have been made for walkin’, but sometimes there is a more e cient route to get from point A to B. Evanston and the neighboring city of Chicago have plenty of transit options for people of any speed. e Daily has compiled a list of on- and o -campus resources to get you where you need to be.

Northwestern Intercampus Shuttle

• Yeti Cups & Coolers

• Stanley Cups

• Moving Supplies

• Storage

• Bathroom

• Cleaning

• 3M Command

In the mid-20th century, local resistance to NU’s growth helped drive the construction of the Lakefill we know and love — an artificial addition to the shoreline allowing the University to expand eastward into Lake Michigan rather than further into residential neighborhoods.

Decades later, the embattled town-gown dynamic reemerged with the renovation and rezoning of Ryan Field, NU’s football stadium in the 7th Ward. Many residents expressed concerns about traffic, noise and the University’s plans to host concerts at the venue, but the project eventually passed City Council — with Mayor Daniel Biss casting the tiebreaking vote.

j.baker@dailynorthwestern.com

Lemoi Hardware

To start, there are a few ways to get around campus. e Northwestern Intercampus Shu le runs year-round from Monday through Friday, and can be tracked in real time using the TripShot app. It’s a convenient (and free) way to get from the Evanston campus to downtown Chicago and vice versa, with stops between Ryan Field and the Feinberg School of Medicine. Be sure to bring your Wildcard when using the Intercampus. Note that the Intercampus does not run during University holidays like anksgiving and Christmas.

SafeRide

NU’s version of ride-hailing apps, these free cars are available to book using the NU Safe Ride app for you and up to two others. Expect to share cars with fellow students. Safe Rides also have a radius within a few miles from campus, and at least one of your pickup or dropo must be a campus building. ey run daily during the school year from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., useful for late nights out. Beware — SafeRide is very busy on weekends, and rides may not always be available when you want them, so book ahead.

201

e Central/Ridge bus, commonly known as the 201, operates from the Howard CTA terminal and goes as far as Ryan Field. e 201, part of the CTA’s bus service, also stops at West eld Old Orchard in neighboring Skokie. Ventra cards can be used on CTA buses as well.

The “L”

• Locks/Padlocks

• Stools/Ladders

• Paint/Tape

• Housewares

• Rugs/Mats

• Small Appliances

• Fans & A/Cs

Dry Erase/Cork Boards

Key Copies

Bed Bug/Insect KIllers

e famous “L,” operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, is Chicago’s elevated rapid transit system. Spanning eight separate — conveniently colorful — lines, the CTA’s subway system can be accessed through several points along the Evanston campus. From north to south, the four closest Purple Line stops are Central, Noyes, Foster and Davis. Any trip into downtown Chicago will require a quick transfer to the Red Line at Howard. A one-way trip on the “L” is $2.50, and can be bought on-site using a single-use ticket or a reloadable Ventra card. Typically trains come at least every 15 minutes, but delays are possible. Some lines are 24 hours, while others, including the Purple Line, stop running for a few hours in the middle of the night.

Metra

e commuter rail cousin of the “L” connects Chicago to neighboring suburbs, and even goes as far as Wisconsin. Ride fares increase by a zoning system, but a trip from Evanston to Chicago is $3.75 each way. A day pass for unlimited rides will cost you between $7.50 and $13.50 depending on your selected zones, but there are bundle options for frequent riders and weekend and holiday discounts. Metra’s Union Paci c North crosses through Evanston, and goes from Kenosha, Wisconsin to Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago. Beyond being conveniently close to Chicago’s West Loop and Chicago’s Union Station — the hub for Amtrak’s national train system — OTC is complete with an array of dining options for hungry travelers.

Airports

Chicago is home to two major international airports, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. For $2 one way — or $2.25 if you pay with cash — the Pulse Dempster line of the Pace Bus connects downtown Evanston to O’Hare, while Midway can be accessed from the CTA’s Orange Line. e Davis CTA station is where the Pulse Dempster bus stops every 15 minutes, while the Orange Line can be accessed starting at the Roosevelt station a er a transfer from the Red Line at Howard.

Uber and Lyft

Ride-booking apps like Uber and Ly are also a convenient, but more expensive, way to get from Evanston to its neighboring areas.

migueltsang2028@u.northwestern.edu

Evanston coffee taverns

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR and MARISA GUERRA ECHEVERRIA daily senior staffers @marisa_g_ech

Ready to start college off on a well-caffeinated foot? Besides student favorites like Starbucks and Bay Area-based chains Peet’s and Philz Coffee, there’s so much to discover within Evanston’s coffee scene. Here is a breakdown of Evanston’s top coffee shops, with vibes, locations and must-try orders included.

Backlot Coffee: 2006 Central St.

Backlot is an independently owned community coffeehouse co-founded by Evanston resident John Kim. Backlot also has two locations in Chicago and a small cafe in Kresge Hall. Try the in-house pastries and specialty coffee.

Brothers K Coffeehouse: 500 Main St.

With its festive red cloth trimmings and beautifully tiled floors, Brothers K is a cozy, “Luke’s Diner”-esque coffee shop located farther south from the University if you’re looking to delve deeper into the city.

Colectivo Coffee: 716 Church St.

This Midwestern chain has captured the hearts, stomachs and wallets of many Northwestern students. Often packed on weekends and during finals, Colectivo provides a cozy study atmosphere while offering various pastries and eclectic seasonal lattes.

Cupitol Coffee & Eatery: 812 Grove St.

A more upscale option, this “all-day restaurant” provides a relaxed atmosphere that combines the bakery, restaurant and cafe experience into one. Its Evanston location is perfect for morning brunch with friends and a quick study session to follow.

Dollop Coffee & The Hoosier Mama Pie Company: 749 Chicago Ave.

Dollop Coffee Co. is a roaster that began in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood and now has 14 cafes. Enjoy your coffee with a slice of pie at this co-owned location with both indoor and outdoor seating options.

Evanston Pour: 528 Dempster St.

Euro-style coffeehouse by day and a cocktail lounge by night, this establishment features small bites and a variety of coffees and teas. For those looking to be productive, you’re out of luck, as there are limitations on laptop usage.

Newport Coffee House: 622 Davis St.

This chic, airy coffee house downtown is a go-to study spot for NU students. The everchanging array of sweet and salty pastries is a must-try, and the oat maple cold brew is a personal favorite.

Paris Baguette: 804 Davis St.

The newest cafe in downtown Evanston, Paris Baguette is a multinational bakery chain known for Korean and French-inspired pastries. Featuring chargers and ample seating space, study here with roasted Lavazza coffee in hot, iced or frozen form.

Patisserie Coralie: 600 Davis St.

The boutique French coffee shop is known for its sweet and savory pastries — the flavored macarons are a must-try! Visit the on-campus branch, Cafe Coralie, in the Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences Pavilion.

Reprise Coffee Roasters: 710 Main St.

This Evanston favorite is known for its award-winning lattes and coffee. It also has a location, Cafe Bergson, on University Library’s second floor — perfect for study breaks. Their seasonal drinks and rosemary sea salt caramel latte are to die for.

b.villa or@dailynorthwestern.edu m.guerra-echeverria@dailynorthwestern.edu

Navigate Wildcat lingo with Northwebster

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffer

When you come to Northwestern, you might hear words tossed around that sound like complete gibberish at rst. e Daily compiled a list of the most common words and acronyms to help you talk like a Wildcat from your rst day!

People and Things

ASLA: An acronym for Academic Support and Learning Advancement, NU’s student learning support center.

ASG: An acronym for Associated Student Government, a student-run organization that provides resources and advocates for the student body.

CAPS: An acronym for Counseling and Psychological Services, NU’s primary mental health service, which o ers services at no cost for full-time enrolled students.

CTECs: Your best friend when picking out classes. An acronym for Course and Teacher Evaluation Council where students rate aspects like teaching style and course di culty. Students must complete their CTECs quarterly to view others’ CTECs.

Dingle: A shorthand for a “double single,” it’s when a double room is only assigned to one student. If you get one, consider yourself lucky!

Distro/FD: Formerly known as “distros,” these distribution requirements are now called foundational

disciplines, or FDs. ese are general education categories ranging across various subjects at the University that all students ful ll before graduating.

FGLI: Pronounced “ gly,” this stands for FirstGeneration and/or Low-Income; it refers to students who are the rst in their families to a end college or who identify as low-income.

Listserv: An email system that allows many clubs to share information with members. You can sign up for an organization’s listserv at Org Fairs.

Paper.nu: An online course planning website made by students, for students. It has a yearly view and a quarterly view, and is regularly updated when class options become available. Again, your best friend when choosing classes.

PGSG: An acronym for Peer-Guided Study Groups, o ered in common freshman year classes in the natural sciences, math and economics to support students and make big classes feel a li le smaller.

Safe Ride: A free ride-hailing service to get around campus and nearby areas in Evanston from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. during the school year.

Wildcard: NU’s o cial ID. Use it to access campus buildings, your dorm room and discounts in downtown Evanston.

Places

Blom: A short-hand for “Blomquist Recreation Center.” One of two gyms on campus. It’s smaller than the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, but it gets the job

done when you’re on South Campus.

Core: e North Tower on the second oor of University Library with reservable rooms named Core Room B-K. Core Room A, confusingly, is on a separate oor from the other rooms.

e Lake ll: e strip of land between Lake Michigan and the University’s own man-made lake. ere are almost always hammocks out there when the weather’s nice.

Lincoln: ough it was renamed Schapiro Hall in 2022 in honor of former University President Morton Schapiro, upperclassmen may still refer to this residential hall as Lincoln.

Main: Short for “University Library,” it is one of three major libraries on campus.

MCC: An acronym for the Multicultural Center.

Norbucks / Sherbucks: ere are two common places to get your Starbucks x. Norbucks is on the Norris ground oor; the other is on Sherman Road in downtown Evanston.

NU: Not NW or NWU. Correct your friends from home!

Plex: Short for “Foster-Walker Complex,” this residential hall is also home to Plex East and Plex West, two dining halls.

Sarge: A shortened version of Sargent Hall, which has a dining hall. Some say the Sarge omelets are the best on campus.

Searle: Be sure to clarify! is could be in reference to the School of Communication’s Frances Searle Building or Searle Hall, the student health building.

SPAC: e acronym for the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion.

Tech: Short for the “Technological Institute,” home to most STEM classes on campus.

Events

Dillo: Short for “Dillo Day,” NU’s annual music festival run by Mayfest Productions.

Marriage Pact: An annual survey run by students to nd your optimal romantic match algorithmically. Accuracy is historically mixed, but my boyfriend and I did get each other last year!

Primal Scream: A cathartic scream that occurs at 9 p.m. the Sunday before Finals Week.

Painting the Rock: Student groups o en guard e Rock for 24 hours to paint messages and event reminders on it. ere’s a 24/7 livestream of e Rock online.

Sexiled: When you’re exiled from your double or triple dorm room so your roommate can have some um… privacy, you’ve just been “sexiled.”

Reading Week: e period between the end of classes and Finals Week. Beware — it’s not always a full week! Typically only observed by Weinberg. b.villa or@dailynorthwestern.edu

Slay freshman year with NU’s staple syllabi

By ISABEL SU daily senior staffer @isabelsu_

The 12 quarters that stand between you and graduation may seem like a lot, until you realize how many interesting classes you can choose from. This article will help guide you to some of the most popular and interesting courses with no prerequisites.

But first, there are two tools everyone needs to know about before class registration: The first is the University’s course and teacher evaluation reports, known as CTECs. These are student reviews of professors and classes that can be accessed via CAESAR — as long as you complete your CTECs each quarter. The second is Paper.nu, a course-scheduling website that allows you to visualize your weekly schedule and plan the four years ahead.

Now that you’re equipped with these tools, here’s a rundown of classes you’ll want to check

out your rst year — and throughout your time at NU:

ASTRON 111: Introduction to Astrobiology

Any non-STEM NU student will soon come to know that finding courses to fulfill the Natural Sciences Foundational Discipline can be hard. Astrobiology, known simply by many students as “Aliens,” offers both a fascinating perspective into the possibility of extraterrestrial life and a relatively light workload — perfect for completing a graduation requirement.

DANCE 110: Movement for the Stage

The School of Communication offers a range of partial-credit dance classes open to all undergraduates. Movement for the Stage will help improve your strength and flexibility, all while providing a much-needed break from the monotony of lectures. Even better? The class is focused on circus movement, meaning you

might learn some cool new party tricks.

ECON 159: Doing Good

How do we “do good”? The economics department has some answers. Taught by Prof. Dean Karlan, who served as USAID’s chief economist, this course is a combination of public policy, the economics of charity and psychology. No prior economics background required!

ENGLISH 220: The Bible as Literature

The Bible as Literature can count toward either the Literature and Arts FD or the Ethical and Evaluative Thinking FD, and is a great opportunity to take one of NU’s smaller, seminar-style humanities classes. The course description calls it “the most influential text in Western culture from a literary perspective.”

FRENCH 374: Proust

Proust is another great, small Literature and Arts class that is an intense but incredible exploration of Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time.” The class is taught in English.

GBL_HLTH 221: Beyond Porn: Sexuality, Health and Pleasure

An introductory course that fulfills the Social and Behavioral Sciences FD, Beyond Porn is one of the most talked-about classes on campus. Taught by anthropology Prof. Noelle Sullivan, who also serves as the director of Global Health Studies, Beyond Porn “goes beyond many presumptions about sex and pleasure depicted in pornography and popular culture, in order to equip students with information that can lead to more satisfying and healthy sexual experiences across their lifespan, regardless of how they identify, or who or what they like.”

isabelsu2027.1@u.northwestern.edu

Protect yourself from the plague

By SARAH SEROTA daily senior staffer @sarahserota

Living in a dorm, a cold Evanston winter and a busy schedule can cause almost every freshman to feel run down at some point. Knowing how to stay healthy and take care of yourself when falling ill is key as a college student. Navigate the freshman u or any college health concern with this Northwestern health resources guide.

Day-to-day health

To fend o most pesky viruses lurking around every corner, it is essential to treat your body well through proper nutrition and regular exercise. Across campus, there are two gyms, the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and Blomquist Recreation Center, which are free for student use. Several dorms also have their own workout rooms, including the Willard Residential College.

NU also o ers free nutrition counseling services to students with registered dietitian nutritionist Olga Goumas. She works to help students achieve a healthier lifestyle through nutrition, mindful eating and physical activity, according to NU Dining’s website.

Getting sick

On the MyNM portal, students can schedule an

appointment with a healthcare provider at Searle Hall (633 Emerson St.), which can be both in person or virtual. In the portal, select “Student Health Services” and specify the kind of health care you need. Options include general medicine, sexual health and sports injury. Students can schedule appointments Monday through Friday. e ground

oor of Searle also features a pharmacy. In the case of a medical emergency, students should dial 911. When student health services are not open, students with an urgent health injury or illness can call the A er Hours Nurse Call Line for assistance. Students can also visit the Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care Centers, which are open every day, if they need urgent help.

Mental Health Resources

NU’s Counseling and Psychological Services, CAPS, is the main mental health service on campus. To get started, students walk in for a same-day appointment or schedule an initial assessment on CAPS’ website. CAPS is free of charge for students. CAPS is a short-term therapy model and can help students nd long-term therapy or specialized care for their individual needs.

NU Health Insurance

NU requires undergraduates to have a health insurance plan while enrolled. Students are defaulted into the Northwestern University Student Health Insurance Plan, known as NUSHIP. For year-long coverage, students will be charged $5,919, which will provide them coverage between Sept. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026.

If students already have a su cient health insurance plan, they can le a waiver to be exempt from enrollment in NU-SHIP. In CAESAR, students can ll out a questionnaire to see if they qualify for waiving NU-SHIP. Students will have from July 1 to Oct. 1 to complete this waiver.

However, international students, regardless of whether they have another health insurance plan, are required to enroll in NU-SHIP.

Students can request health insurance aid if they are required to enroll in NU-SHIP and cannot a ord the insurance premium.

s.serota@dailynorthwestern.com

Sexual health resources

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffer

Moving to college can be tough — while navigating a new environment, you’re also taking care of yourself. Trying to explore your own sexual health and pleasure a er arriving at Northwestern can complicate this dynamic further. Even if you’re not currently or ever sexually active, learning about available resources is still worthwhile to be proactive and well-informed about your holistic wellness here.

Northwestern University Health Services

Students looking for physical sexual health support can make appointments for sexual and reproductive health visits at Searle Hall via the MyNM app or website. Services include routine gynecological exams like pap smears, chlamydia testing and contraceptive counseling.

STI, HIV and pregnancy tests are con dential and free-of-charge for those on the student insurance plan. Testing costs can range from $20 to $90 for those with external insurance providers. Prescription birth control and emergency contraception are also available at Searle’s in-house pharmacy.

Center for Awareness, Response and Education (CARE)

e Center for Awareness, Response and Education looks to promote healthy sexuality and address sexual violence to cultivate communities of care on campus. CARE support and advocacy services are o ered with a survivor-centered approach, and may also connect students with on- or o -campus resources.

CARE services are completely free and con dential for NU students unless you or another person are in imminent danger; appointments with sta can be scheduled on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Located on the third oor of Searle, CARE sta can also answer questions about sex, hookups and relationships. Its reception area also provides freeof-charge safer sex supplies like condoms, lube and dental dams.

Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators (SHAPE)

Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators is a student-led group a liated with CARE that looks to combat rape culture and create a culture of healthy sexuality. Its peer-led workshops, education and events seek to create a dialogue on sexual positivity and sexual assault.

Masculinity, Allyship, Reflection and Solidarity (MARS)

Masculinity, Allyship, Re ection and Solidarity is an all-masculine identifying peer education group also a liated with CARE. MARS is dedicated to combating rape culture and promoting healthy masculinity through self-work and peer-led discusions.

Survivor Advocacy through Greek Engagement (SAGE)

Survivor Advocacy through Greek Engagement is a student-run group looking to empower survivors, foster allyship and promote violence-free Greek life through events like SAGEFest and donation drives.

Sex Week

Northwestern Sex Week is planned by NU College Feminists in partnership with SHAPE to promote sexual health and con dence, decreasing taboos on campus.

Last school year’s Sex Week, planned in conjunction with Spectrum NU, featured events like a sex toy giveaway, a trans community care day and educational discussions on topics like kink and spirituality. Students can expect the next Sex Week to be held sometime during Spring Quarter 2026.

Survivor Action Week

Survivor Action Week is a weeklong slate of activities that center on survivorship and supporting survivors. Programming last year included events such as “Sustainable Menstruation and Period Poverty with Saalt” and “Wings Community Speaker: Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence.” A recurring event is the Clothesline Project, a visual display that aims to represent a diversity of experiences.

b.villa or@dailynorthwestern.edu

Magic? No, it’s STEM!

By NINETH KANIESKI KOSO daily senior staffer @ninethkk

Clubs are a great way to explore, apply what you learn in classes and meet new friends. Here are some innovative STEM clubs available to everyone that you can join:

Concrete Canoe

Concrete Canoe presents its members with a unique challenge: Build a canoe out of concrete that can float on water and be used in a race.

Each year, members construct a new concrete canoe — focusing on two elements: the concrete mix and the mold. The team designs a lightweight concrete mixture and shapes the canoe to be fast but maneuverable while using the fewest materials.

They compete with the canoe at a three-day symposium hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers in the spring.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a national organization that fights to cure blood cancer by funding research efforts, advocating for legislation and providing financial assistance to blood cancer survivors.

The NU chapter aims to support the national organization’s goals through fundraising campaigns, and spreads blood cancer awareness through monthly panel discussions with healthcare professionals and by partnering with local organizations around the Chicago area.

NU Baja SAE

NU Baja SAE is an organization that designs, builds and races an off-road race car. Their mission is to give students hands-on experience in engineering, manufacturing and leadership.

The Baja SAE competition series, organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers, features events like an endurance race, acceleration event, maneuverability course, hill climb and sled pull to test the race car. Beyond the events, teams are also scored for their design, sales and cost.

NU Robotics Club

NU Robotics Club is a community for students of many majors interested in robotics. Projects range from technical research and national competitions to start-ups.

Some projects they’ve worked on include a robotic lacrosse goalie that uses computer vision to track and block the ball, a speed drone that beat the world record speed of 180 mph, and many more.

NU Robotics also competes every year with autonomous robots that must navigate a maze as fast as possible, fighting combat robots and an underwater remote-operated vehicle that can perform tasks.

NUSTARS

NUSTARS is an organization dedicated to aerospace engineering, rocketry and experimental space technology that focuses on the NASA Student Launch and the NASA BIG Idea Challenge.

NASA Student Launch is a nine-month competition where students design, build, test and launch high-powered rockets. For the NASA BIG Idea Challenge, NUSTARS designs metallic expandable technology for Artemis Lunar Structures for their forum in November.

These are only a few of the many clubs that students can join to explore STEM outside of the classroom.

n.kanieskikoso@dailynorthwestern.com

Become a potions master at NU

By YONG-YU HUANG daily senior staffer @yong_yuhuang

Apart from the nonstop rush of classes, clubs, eat, sleep and repeat, there’s o en another xture in students’ schedules — research.

e O ce of Undergraduate Research provides advisors and workshops to guide students through the research experience, including editing applications and statements, and connecting students with faculty members. OUR also runs initiatives such as the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program and the Summer Undergraduate Research Grant program.

U P targets students who are new to research. Faculty members apply to U P for either a pre–selected student or to conduct an open job search, allowing them to mentor a research assistant over the academic year and pay them. Some students stay in Evanston over the summer, cra ing a screenplay or working with protein samples, supported by SURG stipends.

Many departments offer courses focused on building research skills through quarter-long projects. In the humanities and social sciences, research often takes a more individualized form, like assisting a professor with their next book or pursuing a senior thesis. Several fellowships support more immersive or interdisciplinary projects, such as the Nicholas D. Chabraja Center for Historical Studies, the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities.

STEM undergraduates typically work in lab environments, through both informal pathways or structured programs like the Center for Synthetic Biology’s DeFeo Family Undergraduate Research Fellowship. e computer science department runs a two-quarter Research Track program for juniors, culminating in a spring poster presentation symposium.

For those whose curiosity extends beyond just one school, there are opportunities that bridge two seemingly disparate disciplines. For example, the Technological Innovations for Inclusive Learning and Teaching Lab and the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling are joint ventures between McCormick and SESP.

Apart from these structured programs, the best option may be reaching out to professors via email or after class. They may not have the capacity to take you on right now, but it never hurts to put your name out there and stay in touch. Before reaching out, do your homework by exploring lab websites and reading publications. When you email, explain what interests you about their work specifically and how your background or curiosity aligns with it.

Although there are opportunities for paid research work — by way of lab funding or NU grants — research for course credit is also

possible through independent studies under a faculty member. Students present their work in a variety of places, including department-speci c presentations, undergraduate research symposiums and large conferences across the country and around the world. Everyone begins research at di erent points in their undergraduate lives, so don’t be worried about feeling behind. You might quickly discover that it’s not something you enjoy, or you might nd yourself commi ed to it until you march back through e Arch — but you won’t know until you take that rst step.

y.huang@dailynorthwestern.com

Danny O’Grady/The Daily Northwestern There are an abundance of labs around campus that are open to students who want to get involved in research.

29 bucket list items for the Class of 2029

By MISHA MANJURAN OBEROI and ANAVI PRAKASH daily senior staffers @anavi_52

Be it movie night in a lecture hall or exploring one of Chicago’s many neighborhoods, endless adventures await you, Class of 2029, onand off-campus. And there’s enough to last you throughout your entire time at Northwestern.

For us, two best friends and former freshman roommates, making a quarterly bucket list — including summer! — is the perfect way to guarantee we cross off everything we want to experience. Safe to say, we’ve seen both the hidden gems and the overhyped destinations Chicagoland has to offer.

So, here are 29 things we recommend the Class of 2029 add to their bucket lists:

1. Picnic day on the Lakefill

When it’s above 65 degrees, the only place to be is outside. Whether it’s on the Lakefill or the beach, grab your friends (drag, if you have to), a bottle of sunscreen, a blanket the windy city won’t blow away and take advantage of warm days! The quarter system will occasionally throw you in the trenches — let this be your reminder to touch grass.

2. Dillo Day

The largest studentrun music festival in the country is in your backyard (literally). Dress up to fun themes and dance to good music. Last year’s performers included Ravyn Lenae and Natasha Bedingfield.

Both cafes are open until 1 a.m., giving students the perfect opportunity for a study break snack.

9. Pull an all-nighter at a library

Whether it’s to finish work or simply to challenge yourself, stay up with friends at one of the libraries and catch the sunrise in the morning. Mudd Library is open 24/7 all year and University Library is open 24/7 during finals and reading week. If you’re feeling extra frisky, Mudd has showers.

10. Go on a late night Lakefill walk

End your day with a walk by the lake, surrounded by the sounds of waves.

11. Explore different cultural havens

Chicago is full of pockets of different cultures, from Little India on Devon Avenue to the Ukrainian Village, Chinatown and Little Italy. If you’re ever craving a taste of home or a change of scenery, these neighborhoods never fail to deliver.

12. Join the Evanston Public Library

beat the weekend rush. If you’re ever craving waffles or a breakfast burrito, our go-tos are Ovo Frito and Frida’s Evanston. This is also perfect when friends and family visit.

14. Try deep dish pizza

A Chicago classic and must try. Be it Lou Malnati’s or Giordano’s, try out a few pizza places and find your favorite!

15. Tour the Grosse Point Lighthouse

The Evanston staple seen on the city’s logo is just north of campus and available to tour June through September.

16. Host an event in a lecture hall

Whether it’s movie nights or karaoke, big lecture halls — from Harris 107 to Tech LR2 — give you ample room to have a blast. Get comfy, bring your snacks and light up the big screen.

18. Go on all the Chicago Transit Authority lines

The CTA has eight rainbow-colored lines which can take you all around the city. Beyond the Loop, hop on the Green Line to the Garfield Park Conservatory or the Brown Line to Lincoln Park.

19. Walk around Millennium Park and take

a photo with The Bean

The Bean is a classic Chicago spot and sits inside Millennium Park, which has a variety of walking trails and reading spots. Bonus points if you embark on the 13-mile-long trek and walk there from campus.

20. Visit the Chicago Riverwalk

This intersection of the Chicago River, Chicago’s famous architecture and lots of shopping spots has a little bit of everything.

21. Go to a museum

It feels like Chicago has a museum for everything, from The Art Institute of Chicago to the Chicago Fed’s Money Museum to the Field Museum. Several are free for NU undergrads.

3. Guard The Rock

Partake in the famous Northwestern tradition by staying up all night and painting one of NU’s iconic landmarks.

4. Go to a campus theater show

Thanks to several student theater boards and countless other student productions, there’s (at least) one show every weekend. Plus many are free!

5. Explore the Chicago campus

If you’re looking for a new place to study, hear us out: take the Intercampus downtown. The Pritzker School of Law library offers scenic Lake Michigan and Navy Pier views and makes the journey worth it. Also, the Feinberg School of Medicine is basically across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art. There’s a lot to do in that corner of ’Cat country!

6. Visit the Dearborn Observatory

Take in the night sky through a free tour of the observatory on Friday nights.

7. Try dorm baking (or cooking) at least once

We’re not talking elaborate dishes here, unless that’s your jam. Maybe try making cookies or pancakes with your friends — it’s a core memory builder. Bonus, try our personal favorite and annual tradition: microwave mug cakes.

8. Visit Fran’s and Lisa’s for a late night snack

22. Support your local sports teams

We’re not just talking the one football game you have to go to during Wildcat Welcome. NU is home to 19 varsity sports teams and with Chicago’s major league teams, you have plenty

23. See a show or concert in Chicago

Take advantage of student discounts for theater shows and the numerous artists that come through Chicago to perform. There’s also a plethora of film and music festivals to choose from throughout

the year.

24. Try Garrett Popcorn Shops

Another Chicago staple, Garrett Popcorn Shops is known for its Garrett Mix, made up of its CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn flavors.

25. Visit Navy Pier

A top Chicago a raction, Navy Pier has everything from museums to amusement rides.

26. Visit the Willis Tower

Visit the Skydeck to look at Chicagoland (and beyond) from the 103rd

27. Take a class that scares you (and isn’t a major or minor requirement)

College is about trying new things — if a class piques your interest, invest in it. If it helps you find a new passion, yay! If it turns out to be the opposite of what you expected, at least you tried it out.

28. Watch the sunrise

The lake is great for a lot of things, including its snapshot-worthy views. Wake up early and watch the sun rise above the Chicago skyline to have a relaxing start to your day.

29. Write a story for The Daily! Haters will call this self promo, but if you have an opinion you’re passionate about or a place on campus or in Evanston that excites you, pitch a story! We would love to have you, no matter what major or journalism experience

13. Test out local brunch spots

17. Visit the Baha’i House of Worship and a spiritual haven for any-

Core city side-quests

By MARISA GUERRA ECHEVERRIA daily senior staffer @marisa_g_ech

For students itching to explore their surroundings outside of campus, Chicago is not the only city worth exploring. A quick walk through downtown Evanston and surrounding areas will reward you with cute storefronts, tasty meals and a college town experience to remember. Save this side-quest list for family weekends on the town or free afternoons exploring the city with friends.

D&D Finer Foods: 825 Noyes St.

Just across the street from the Noyes CTA station west of campus, family-owned D&Ds is a grocery store and deli with an adjoining breakfast, sandwich and fast food restaurant. Known for its array of gourmet sandwiches, hot dogs and milkshakes, the 52-year-old institution is a Northwestern weekend classic.

Bennison’s Bakery: 1000 Davis St.

Bennison’s, a storied favorite of The Daily’s Best of Evanston rankings for the past five years, has provided Evanston residents with fresh pastries daily since its establishment in 1938. Famous for their European-style seasonal pastries and specially decorated cookies and cakes, Bennison’s is a safe bet to satisfy any sweet-tooth cravings.

10Q Chicken: 816 Church St.

With affordable prices and quick service, this fried chicken spot is a favorite for NU students and Evanston residents alike. Explore the restaurant’s ample array of sandwiches, wings and bowls on nights off from the dining halls. My personal favorite is the sweet, tangy heat of the Fire Chicken Bowl.

Frida’s Evanston: 618 Church St.

Perhaps one of the city’s most popular brunch spots, Frida’s Mexican-style breakfast and lunch is a hit for when your family comes

to town. While it’s challenging to pick between the restaurant’s array of sweet and savory options, I suggest splitting one of each with a friend. My favorite combo is the Chicken Chilaquiles, a Mexican breakfast classic, and the delightfully sweet Crunchy French Toast. Bookends & Beginnings: 1620 Orrington Ave.

When you need a quick respite from campus yet still want to thrive off academia, a quick trip to Bookends & Beginnings, a cozy, independent bookstore decked out with shelves of multicolored titles, is the perfect solution.

While their initial shop sells newer titles, stationery and fun gifts, they also sell used and rare books at their other location

down the street — Middles Used Books.

The Lakefill

Just a two-minute walk from Norris University Center, NU’s Lakefill is the iconic setting for student events like Dillo Day and for residents’ everyday walks around town. The Lakefill is the perfect spot to watch the sunset, enjoy picnics and hammocks on sunny days, and take a nature walk between classes. The view of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline is spectacular, and reminds me of the campus’ beauty whenever I’m swamped with schoolwork.

m.guerra-echeverria@dailynorthwestern.com

The secret treasures

By YANA JOHNSON daily senior staffer

As many veteran Northwestern students will a est to, Evanston has no shortage of local landmarks turned staples.

Catching lightning in a bo le is o en easier than nding a seat at Colectivo Co ee, and nearby Pono Ono Poke, a poke bowl restaurant on the North Shore, is widely renowned for its Mochiko Chicken Bowl, a plate of rice over honey teriyaki chicken. ough NU students o en frequent campus’ twin beaches, sports elds and the many neighborhoods of Chicago when looking for ways to spend their weekends, there remain dozens of hidden gems in and around Evanston for students to explore.

Charmers Cafe: 1500 W Jarvis Ave.

ough not exactly in Evanston, Charmers Cafe of Jarvis Square — a brief journey on the Red Line — o ers a respite from Evanston’s crowded, oversaturated co ee scene. e matcha is rich and co ee, too, is not to be snubbed, with as many options, blends and creations as any espresso machine and adept barista can maneuver. eir housemade rose syrup, particularly their cold brew or chai are not to be skipped.

Dearborn Observatory: 2131 Tech Dr. Evanston’s best-kept secret is an out-of-thisworld NU treasure. Dearborn is open to the public

and o ers free tours every Friday night. ough the rst hour is by appointment only, the second hour is walk-in welcome. For the perfect a erclass or spontaneous date night activity, nearby Chicago need not be on the radar. Everything a bored Wildcat needs is both among the stars and rmly on campus.

Le Peep: 827 Church St.

Classic and casual are the trademarks of this cozy breakfast and lunch spot. e stack of classic pancakes are indulgent, and when the classic goes rote, Le Peep o ers a monthly specials menu of pancakes, including a caramel apple crisp avor in September and pumpkin pecan in October. For the egg lovers and the protein trackers, the Lumberjack Breakfast and the Spinach Omelet are nothing short of delightful, and the light, refreshing side of fruit reminds student patrons of the joys of fruits that aren’t honeydew melon and cantaloupe. Le Peep is hardly the most adventurous, experimental of Evanston’s dining spots, but when Wildcats need bacon-shaped reliability, there may be few be er places to turn.

Picnic: 1619 N. Chicago Ave.

A good salad is not hard to nd in Evanston. But Picnic promises the best create-your-own salad on Evanston’s side of the Chicago shore. For those willing to splurge, the carry-out and delivery-only spot o ers a citrus salmon that is worth every penny. For the more nancially conscious, even the proteinless options such as the “Rabbit Food” and the fetaheavy “Mediterranean Mix Up” o er ful llment to last any Wildcat through even the longest days.

The Fat Shallot: 2902 Central St.

Less underrated than it is undera ended, e Fat Shallot is a secret shelter to the greatest sandwiches in Evanston. Among their menu items, the Tru e BLT, especially the tru e aioli, secures the Fat Shallot’s seat among Evanston’s best. Additionally, its fresh, supernaturally crisp and u y challah pushes the sandwich from great to near perfection. e Fat Shallot’s farther location should never be a deterrent to the hungry and sandwich-starved.

yanajohnson2028@u.northwestern.edu

Danny O’Grady/The Daily Northwestern

Bennison’s Bakery, 10Q Chicken, Le Peep, and Dearborn Observatory are some places NU students shoud check out before they graduate.

Engage in politics on campus

By SAMANTHA POWERS daily senior staffer @sqpowers04

As many Wildcats navigate voting for the first time in college, they will quickly learn that civic engagement is a large part of Northwestern’s culture. A national study by Tufts University found that in 2022, the average registration rate for college student voters was 76.1% — NU’s mark was 89.5% for the same election. For U.S. citizens, NU Votes is an invaluable resource. Its comprehensive, 50-state voter registration model has been adopted by dozens of other colleges nationwide. Students who need help tus, ing NU

students can choose to vote from their home state or in Illinois. During presidential elections, many students make their choice based on where their vote will “count” in the Electoral College. For students voting in Illinois, polling places on campus typically operate out of Parkes Hall or the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. Mayoral elections are coming up this November in many major cities, so keep an eye out. There will also be key midterm races in 2026, as all 435 seats in the House and 33 seats in the Senate are up for grabs.

Still, one in ten NU students is from outside the U.S. How can you participate politically if you aren’t allowed to vote or miss your opportunity to do so?

have included U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Texas politician Beto O’Rourke, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, CNN political analyst Van Jones and former DNC Chair Tom Perez. NU College Republicans have hosted speakers like activist Chloe Cole and diplomat Alan Keyes. There are many ways for NU students to learn about and participate in politics at every level. Young voters historically don’t turn out on election day — voters in the 18- and 19-year-old age group had a 41% turnout rate in 2024 — but several organizations at NU are trying to change that, and it’s never too early to get involved.

LBGTQ+ resources at NU

By GABRIEL BERNICK daily senior staffer @gabrielbernick

samanthapowers2026@u.northwestern.edu

Introductory classes in the Political Science department are taught every quarter, including POLI SCI 220: American Government and Politics and POLI SCI 240: Introduction to International Relations. Students interested in diving deep into classes on politics should consider POLI SCI 320: The American Presidency with Daniel Galvin, POLI SCI 321: Urban Politics with Reuel Rogers or POLI SCI 324: Political Parties and Elections with Matt Pryor.

Votes’ online tools or drop in at the Center for Civic Engagement at 1813 Hinman Ave.

Student groups like NU College Democrats, NU College Republicans, BridgeUSA, Young Americans for Freedom and NU Political Union offer opportunities for political involvement. These clubs typically host speaker events, election watch parties, phone banking campaigns, debates and more.

Past speakers for NU College Democrats

As a student in the LGBTQ+ community, making connections and nding resources can be tricky if you don’t know where to look. At Northwestern, there are many ways to foster community and stay involved. Read below for clubs, spaces and resources for LGBTQ+ students on campus.

Gender and Sexuality Resource Center

When walking past Foster-Walker Complex, be sure to check out NU’s central location for LGBTQ+ resources on campus. Upon entering the building, you’re greeted by a resource advisor as you pass a small library. Complete with comfy lounging chairs, a large TV and plenty of board games, it’s fun to unwind and socialize at the GSRC. And if you’re looking to lock in for an exam, the space o ers ve di erent reservable rooms complete with desks, whiteboards and an accessible printer. Open every day from 11 a.m. to midnight, the GSRC can be a great alternative to studying at the library or just a great space to hang.

Rainbow Alliance

NU’s premier undergraduate LGBTQ+ student group hosts general meetings — often with food and activities like “Tarot with Taro” — offers affinity spaces and participates in activism on campus. Mark your calendars for the club’s annual Rainbow Bonfire during Wildcat Welcome, and be sure to dress up for the Queer Formal in Spring.

NU STANS

The Society of Transgender and Non-Binary Students hosts community spaces for transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming students. With goals of making a more inclusive and trans-aware campus at NU, the organization hosts annual events like the “Trans Paint & Sip” — an opportunity for students to socialize and paint during Wildcat Welcome — as well as the Crystal Cave Drag Show in collaboration with Rainbow Alliance.

oSTEM Northwestern

NU’s chapter of Out in Science, Tech, Engineering, and Mathematics looks to foster a “community and safe space for queer undergraduates in STEM fields” on campus. Check out oSTEM’s intersectional STEM bonding events with other identity-based groups on campus and its oSTEM Professor Chats.

Queer Media Association

The Queer Media Association is NU’s chapter of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists. QMA describes itself as “an affinity space for queer journalists and members of the media to build community and speak their truths.”

CRUSH Magazine

CRUSH is Northwestern’s premier LGBTQ+ interest magazine. With stories about “queerness abroad” and “celesbians” to personal essays and creative writing, the magazine offers an eclectic mix of perspectives. The club’s latest issue, CRUSH: In Bloom, will release Fall Quarter, with distribution located at the GSRC.

Spectrum NU

Spectrum NU delivers the latest news about queer, trans and feminist events around campus and in the Greater Chicago area. You can sign up to receive its gender and sexuality newsletter on the Spectrum NU Instagram.

gabrielbernick2027@u.northwestern.edu

checking their registration staNU

Bask in community through affinity groups

By KAAVYA BUTANEY daily senior staffer @kaavya_butaney

Northwestern is home to almost 100 different identity-based groups, serving a variety of groups across campus, from rural and smalltown-based residents to Caribbean students to artists looking for a community of color. Many of these groups host shows every year, like the annual Celebrasia put on by Asian affinity organizations across campus, and host festivals like Latine-based Alianza, or invite quarterly or yearly speakers.

Advancement for the Undocumented Community supports undocumented students and students with undocumented families through informational workshops and panels, as well as interpersonal bonding events.

African Students Association hosts fashion shows, plays, an annual ball, movie nights, tournaments, parties and more for the African community on campus.

Alianza connects to the Latine students on campus through events like fundraisers, beach days and introductions to other Latine organizations.

Asian Pacific American Coalition is a sociopolitical organization that hosts open mics, quarterly speakers and informational dialogues for the Asian Pacific Islander community.

CaribNation uplifts Caribbean students by highlighting countries of the month, organizing carnival bands and other activities.

For Members Only supports the Black community on and beyond campus through intercollegiate Black cookouts, promoting Black artists on Dillo Day’s Second Stage and more.

International Student Association unites international students into a community that crosses cultural and religious backgrounds.

Middle Eastern North African Student Association elevates the MENA community through shows, workshops and events for its members.

MIXED Student Association connects multicultural students through potlucks, game nights and other social events, including an annual formal.

Northwestern Quest Scholars Network aims to welcome all first-generation, lowincome students through supportive professional workshops and bonding events.

Northwestern University Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance creates zines, holds commemorations and puts on an annual Spring Quarter Pow Wow to support the Native and Indigenous community on campus and across the Midwest.

Rural and Small Towns Collective hosts socials and workshops to provide a space for students from more rural areas.

South Asian Students Alliance showcases performance groups on campus, such as Ahana Dance Group and a cappella troupe Brown Sugar, alongside organizing social events such as formals and mehendi nights.

Southeast Asian Alliance unites students from a variety of Southeast Asian communities on campus for quarterly events, on top of various nationally based individual organizations.

Vibrant Colors Collective is an arts organization supporting and producing art by people of color, including music, dance and theater.

Black and African affinity groups: Association of Kenyan Students, Moroccan Student Organization, Pan African Students’ Union, Strive.

European affinity groups: Balkan Student

Association, Greek American Legacy Association, Italian Association, Polish American Student Association, Ukrainian Club

Latine affinity groups: Bienestar, Brazilian Student Association

Asian affinity groups: Armenian Student Association, Chinese Students Association, Hong Kong Student Association, Indonesian Students’ Association, Japanese American Student Association, Jasmine Collective, Kaibigan, Korean American Student Association, Pakistani Students Association, Red Dot: Singapore Student Association, Taiwanese American Students Association, Thai Student Association, Turkish Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association

Religious organizations: Asian American InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Destino, Northwestern Hillel, Hindu YUVA, Muslimcultural Students Association

While these are mostly social groups, there are also opportunities to get involved with pre-professional development groups, such as the Black Mentorship Program, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Minority Association of Pre-Med Students and the Northwestern APIDA Pre-Law Association. kaavyabutaney2026@u.northwestern.edu

Clubs, orgs, activities, oh my!

By MARISA GUERRA ECHEVERRIA daily senior staffer @marisa_g_ech

Clubs are one of the most integral pillars of college life, and Northwestern’s Student Organizations and Activities counts more than 450 student associations and clubs active on campus. While it may seem daunting to survey and choose from this expanse of options, The Daily has compiled a comprehensive guide to help you find your perfect fit.

Finding your fit

Organization fairs are held at the start of each academic quarter, and are the best way to get to know NU’s hundreds of clubs. Typically hosted in the Norris University Center, members from each club will have booths with posters, snacks and information for prospective members. Club representatives may ask you to join their organization’s email list — called a listserv — or GroupMe and follow its social media to stay up-to-date on events.

You can also nd out more information about speci c organizations through their social media accounts or websites. Additionally, NU is launching a new organization directory, ‘Cats on Campus, later this summer, where you can search for club information, nd events on campus and

connect with other students with similar interests.

Clubs will o en announce general meetings and information sessions through Instagram or their listservs. ey’re fantastic opportunities to meet the people behind the organization, see their work and determine if the t is right for you.

Entry

requirements

Many NU clubs don’t require an application process. However, some arts-focused groups have auditions, club sports host try-outs and finance and consulting clubs have a rigorous recruitment process — entry requirements are entirely dependent on the club, and vary in competitiveness. No worries if you don’t get in on the first try; there are plenty of other clubs to explore!

Some NU clubs may require member dues if the University doesn’t fully fund their expenses, like travel, competitions and equipment.

Students who require assistance in paying these dues can apply for supplemental financial support via grants from the Student Activities Assistance Fund. SAAF runs on application cycles multiple times a quarter, which align with when the SOA expects most applications. Clubs may also fundraise through bake sales, events and Catalyzer, NU’s crowdfunding platform through Alumni Relations and Development.

If you’re interested in barrier-free clubs that

do not require applications or fees, look out for “barrier-free” stickers at Org Fairs or ask club members about their application process.

Some iconic NU clubs

A&O Productions specializes in putting together live entertainment events on campus, including concerts, speakers and movie nights. Last year, A&O hosted SNL comedian Devon Walker, an end-of-year screening of Dazed and Confused, and artists Leon Thomas and Del Water Gap at the annual A&O Ball.

Mayfest Productions’ claim to fame is producing Dillo Day, the nation’s largest studentrun music festival. It also hosts Battle of the Bands and Battle of the DJs to uplift student artists and recruit them into the Dillo lineup. Last year’s lineup included artists Natasha Bedingfield, Ravyn Lenae and Iann Dior.

Based on the hit CBS TV show “Survivor,” Survivor Northwestern recreates the teams, challenges and drama — no remote island needed. Students can participate as filmers, planners or competitors.

NU also offers a wide range of club sports, providing an avenue for exercise, teamwork and community for all. From fencing to swim to triathlon, there is sure to be a perfect team for you.

m.guerra-echeverria@dailynorthwestern.com

Heigh-Ho, to workstudy we go

By CAYLA LABGOLD-CARROLL daily senior staffer @caylalc

Among the many confusing lines and terms in a financial aid package, one that may stand out is “Federal Work-Study.” If you see this listed, congratulations! You’re eligible for a program that helps students earn money for their education through part-time jobs, often right on campus.

Work-study is a form of financial aid primarily funded by the federal government that allows students with demonstrated need to work part-time while enrolled in school. Many on-campus positions are designated work-study jobs, from staffing the campus bookstore to assisting professors with research, while other positions are available to both work-study and non-work-study students.

So how do you actually go about securing one of these jobs and accessing that money?

On August 15, NU updates the work-study job board to advertise available positions for the upcoming school year. This site has helpful filters at the top of the board to help you narrow your search based on your interests or skills. From finding jobs that are specifically open to work-study students to indicating that you are interested in social media content creation, using these filters can help you find your dream work-study position!

Job board listings include key information like the job’s description, hourly wage and location. These details can help you estimate how many hours you need to work a week to receive the full amount you’re eligible for. The Northwestern Work-Study website also has a calculator students can use to calculate the maximum hours they can work a week without exceeding their funds.

In your financial aid package, under the column “offered” is the amount of money you are eligible to earn from your work-study job during the upcoming school year. This figure acts as a cap — once you hit that number in wages, your employer can no longer pay you through the work-study program unless you successfully request an earning limit appeal from the financial aid office. Alternatively, some employers offer the option to switch to a student job paid outside the work-study program once you exceed your work-study funds.

Once you find a position you’re interested in, click into the listing for application instructions. Most work-study employers will ask that you send them an email expressing your interest and attach a resume. These jobs can fill up quickly, so applying early and to multiple positions is a smart move.

If you’re planning to use your work-study earnings to cover groceries, textbooks or other personal expenses, don’t stress. Your paycheck goes directly to you. Despite what many students assume, it’s not automatically applied to tuition or housing. You’ll be able to decide how you want to spend it! Students can set up direct deposits or mailed checks on Northwestern’s myHR Employee Portal once they submit their hiring documents.

Pro tip: if you’re planning to get a work-study job, make sure to bring your passport with you to campus. You’ll need it to complete your hiring paperwork, and forgetting it is a common mistake for first-year students navigating this process.

If you apply for jobs before Fall Quarter begins and aren’t successful, don’t worry! Work-study positions are available throughout the year and the job board is updated regularly to reflect available jobs. c.labgold-carroll@dailynorthwestern.com

NU’s biggest festivals, faires, traditions

By LAURA HORNE daily senior staffer

Each year, Northwestern organizations host a variety of events from concerts to fundraisers to game days, giving students a break from their schoolwork and opportunities for fun. Check out some of the biggest events that get NU students excited throughout the year.

Dillo Day

Arguably NU’s most notable tradition, Dillo Day is the largest student-run music festival in the country and takes place on the Lakefill. Each May, Mayfest Productions curates a lineup of musical acts to entertain the NU crowd. While the first Dillo Day was held in 1973, a now-iconic part of it — the theme — was only added in 2019. This past year, Carnival Dillo sent students searching for their best denim, animal print or polka-dotted attire as Natasha Bedingfield, Ravyn Lenae, nimino and more performed. To round out the fun, food trucks, a beer garden and — specific to Dillo Day 2025 — a carousel decked the grass.

A&O Blowout

Throughout the year, student group A&O Productions brings films, speakers and musical guests to NU, but none rival Blowout. Since 2009, this student organization has worked hard to bring big names to campus each Fall Quarter for a night of fun in Welsh-Ryan

Arena. Last year, Rico Nasty headlined, supported by Grouptherapy and NU’s own student act Perl. Past Blowout acts included Dayglow, Aminé and Young Thug to get students up and dancing. Tickets to Blowout were made free-of-charge to students in 2019 and have been since, but it’s best to secure tickets when they first drop, as A&O events are some of NU’s most popular.

NU Dance Marathon

This academic year will mark 52 years of Northwestern University Dance Marathon. Each year, NUDM supports a rotating beneficiary as well as the Evanston Community Foundation as one of the largest entirely student-run philanthropies in the nation, according to NUDM’s website.

While NUDM committee members spend months planning the event, any student is welcome to register to dance the night away — 15 hours to be exact. Many sign up with friends or as part of an organization’s team to support this event, which has raised more than $23 million since 1975.

Ticket Claims

Following NU Men’s Basketball’s second place Big Ten finish in the 2022-2023 season, a ticket claim process was introduced to account for more student fans than the Welsh-Ryan Arena student section could accommodate.

Similarly, when NU Football relocated to Martin Stadium during the Ryan Field renovation in 2024, ticket claims were introduced to adjust for the lakeside stadium’s limited capacity. For these sports, students have assigned times where they can secure tickets for games. These online claim windows open specific dates, and a students’ window is determined by attendance at other sporting events, each weighted by points.

NU Day at Wrigley

Each spring, NU students take to Wrigley Field for a

night of baseball, Chicago dogs and, of course, a limited edition Chicago Cubs hat in University colors. This annual event is sponsored by the Northwestern Alumni Association and dates back to the 1980s, according to University Archives. This year, student tickets sold for $25 and sold out three weeks prior to the event. NU Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Collins threw the 2025 ceremonial pitch. A portion of ticket sales support the Student Activities Assistance Fund.

l.horne@dailynorthwestern.com

Daily file photo by Ridhima L. Kodali

Natasha Bedingfield headlined Dillo Day 2025. It was the 53rd Dillo Day with the theme Carnival Dillo.

Shine under the spotlight with theater groups

By SARAH SEROTA daily senior staffer @sarahserota

Coupled with the comedy and a cappella scene, student theater is one of the cornerstones of life for performance-minded students at NU. Whether you have been starring in productions from a young age, working behind the scenes or are even new to the medium entirely and wanting to get your start, there is a place for you in NU theater.

rough the Student eatre Coalition, an umbrella organization servicing nine unique theatre boards and two dance groups, there are about 30 entirely studentrun productions each year.

Arts Alliance

As the oldest student-run arts group, Arts Alliance has become one of the largest student arts organizations in the country. e group is commi ed to producing art that upli s diverse stories and promotes accessibility.

Jewish Theatre Ensemble

Founded in 1995, this group aims to produce work that is rooted in both Jewish and universal themes. is past academic year, JTE productions included “ e Oregon Trail” and “Urinetown.”

Lovers & Madmen

Lovers & Madmen produce shows that are either classics or classically inspired. Previous projects include “Assassins” and “Alice by Heart.”

Purple Crayon Players

is group’s performances are catered toward younger audiences with the goal of creating educational and engaging content. Last academic year, they put on performances such as “Seussical” and “Frog and Toad.”

Sit & Spin

Sit & Spin seeks to “expand the de nition of theatre at Northwestern” by taking new approaches to existing work or pu ing on original productions. Recently, the group put on the performance art piece “Meet the Board.”

Vertigo Productions

Vertigo Productions is the only student theater organization that exclusively produces new student-wri en work. Vertigo just produced the student-wri en play “ e Seagullman.”

WAVE Productions

is not-for-pro t theater company produces “stories the campus needs.” Recently, WAVE produced “Bonnie and Clyde” as well as “BEOWULF: A ousand Years of Baggage.” ere are also several other theater organizations students can join beyond the StuCo groups.

The Dolphin Show

e Dolphin Show presents the largest studentproduced musical nationally. More than 150 undergraduates work on the annual show — which was “Cinderella” last year.

EighthDay Theatre

EighthDay eatre is a Chinese theater club that puts on adaptations, plays and original works. is spring, EighthDay eatre presented a Chinese adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Freshman Musical

As indicated by its name, the Freshman Musical is worked on and performed by freshmen and freshmen only. Last academic year, the Freshman Musical presented “Head Over Heels.”

Gri n’s Tale

troupe, a popular form of Italian theatre from the 16th to 18th century. eir performances feature comedy, improv and classic Italian costumes.

Seesaw Theatre

Originally founded under the name “ eatre Stands with Autism,” Seesaw eatre was founded with the belief that “denying anyone access because of ability status is unacceptable.” Seesaw eatre creates multisensory productions, where each viewer receives their own “adventure guide,” who acts as a one-on-one liaison through the show.

TBD

NU’s neo-futurism performance group, TBD, aims to put on performances that share their “thoughts and feelings as simply as possible so that it is more accessible to all audiences.” Ensemble members write and direct short plays, which are presented once a quarter.

The Waa-Mu Show

e Waa-Mu Show is a student-wri en, produced and performed musical. Started in 1929, the show is NU’s oldest theatrical tradition. During the 2025 season, the Waa-Mu Show put on four musicals during its “Arch Madness.”

Vibrant Colors Collective is organization focuses on producing theater for groups who “have been historically silenced.” e Vibrant Colors Collective approaches its work through a multicultural lens.

Gri n’s Tale brings children’s very own stories to the stage. e group takes story submissions from local elementary schools and turns them into skits, songs and sketches.

The Panini Players

e Panini Players is NU’s Commedia Dell’arte

Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts e Wirtz Center is run by the theatre department in the School of Communication. Wirtz executes a variety of performances, from new work premieres wri en by students in the MFA acting program to classic theater repertoire. Last year, the Wirtz Center staged works such as “Man of La Mancha.”

s.serota@dailynorthwestern.com

Dancing through life with performance troupes

By MARISSA FERNANDEZ daily senior staffer

With more than 20 di erent dance groups specializing in a wide variety of styles, Northwestern’s dance scene o ers opportunities for everyone, from audience members to performers, to get involved.

Afrothunda Dance Troupe

Afrothunda is an African fusion dance group promoting African culture through traditional and modern African-themed music and dance.

Ahana Dance Project

is non-competitive South Asian fusion dance team aims to spread its love for South Asian culture by creating a welcoming community. eir main performance is an annual spring show.

B. Burlesque

is dance interest group teaches burlesque to students of color and hosts an annual burlesque show, all while promoting body and sex positivity.

Ballroom Latin and Swing Team

Also known as BLAST, this partner dance company o ers beginner and intermediate lessons throughout the year, ranging from swing to tango. ey also compete across the Midwest, typically throughout Fall and Winter Quarter.

Boomshaka

Boomshaka is NU’s premier drum, dance and rhythm ensemble. e group combines various styles of dance and percussion for their performances in the Chicagoland area and across the country.

Dale Duro Latin Dance Company

Dale Duro is NU’s Latin Dance Team that o ers a variety of workshops on Latin dance styles. e group hosts an annual spring show featuring salsa, merengue, reggaeton and more.

Fusion Dance Company

Fusion blends dance styles including hip-hop, popping and jazz. Each year, the group performs in collaboration with Boomshaka and Refresh Dance Crew for ReFusionShaka and at their own spring show.

Gra ti Dancers

Gra ti Dancers is a contemporary dance company with about 20 members that creates innovative pieces combining ballet, jazz, hip-hop and more.

New Movement Project is student group works as a liaison between the NU dance community and the Dance Program. It allows students to host and a end free open classes, while also pu ing on a Fall Dance Concert and a Jazz Nutcracker Performance.

Northwestern Bhangra Dance Team

Northwestern Bhangra is a co-ed competitive dance team that promotes Punjabi culture through bhangra, a traditional Indian folk dance.

Northwestern Deeva

Founded in 2000, Deeva, an all-female competitive group, blends a variety of styles together, including Bollywood, lyrical and hip-hop in order to foster cultural awareness and exchange through dance.

Northwestern K-Dance

Northwestern K-Dance is a K-pop dance group open to students of all levels. e group hosts a variety of events including workshops, a winter

showcase and a spring show.

Northwestern Raas

Northwestern Raas has been NU’s premier Raas and Garba dance team since its founding in 2014. e co-ed group competes every year and uses dance to engage with South Asian culture.

is dance group was founded in 2012 and preserves Mexican cultures through performances of folklórico.

Steam Heat Dance Company

Steam Heat, NU’s premier musical theatre dance company, performs many styles spanning musical theatre, jazz and hip-hop. The group also hosts open classes and performs at a variety of shows, including their annual spring show.

The Army Praise Dance Ministry is organization creates and performs dance routines that re ect biblical themes, while also encouraging students to explore the art of praise dancing.

TONIK Tap

Founded in 2001, TONIK is NU’s premier tap dance ensemble. Each year, the group hosts two shows and open classes for all levels.

rough pole dance classes and performances, Polerize works to empower students to explore their own sensuality and strength.

Reflections Repertory Company

Re ections is a community of dancers that combine classical and contemporary ballet. e group o ers both open classes and a performance division that performs on and o -campus.

Refresh Dance Crew

For 20 years, Refresh has brought both choreographed and freestyle dances to NU across many styles, including popping and breaking.

Tufaan Entertainment

Tufaan is NU’s Bollywood-Fusion Dance Competition and hosts teams from across the country. It also supports Shanti Bhavan, a nonpro t dedicated to helping children in India receive an education.

Typhoon Dance Troupe

Student-organized Typhoon uses classical, popular, ethnic and contemporary dances from East and Southeast Asia to highlight and promote appreciation for various cultures.

m.fernandez@dailynorthwestern.com

Polerize

Ritmo de Mis Ancestros: Ballet Folklórico

Laughter as medicine: Become student jesters

By DESIREE LUO daily senior staffer

Next door to e Second City, Northwestern boasts a robust comedy scene. Several of NU’s most well-known alums — Stephen Colbert (Communication ‘86), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Communication ‘83) and Seth Meyers (Communication ‘96), to name a few — got their start in a comedy group on campus. Members can take on a variety of roles, from acting to directing. Although some groups require auditions, all of them o er hands-on performance opportunities beyond the classroom. Here’s what makes each group unique:

The Bix

e Bix is NU’s musical improv group. Using audience suggestions to fuel performances, these shows feature both short scenes and lengthy musicals. No extensive vocal experience is required to audition.

The Blackout

Modeled after “Saturday Night Live,” The

Blackout is NU’s late-night comedy show. Every quarter, the group of writers, directors, producers and actors put on a show of lmed and live sketches, including the Emmy-winning segment “Quarter Update.” e show also features a student host and a musical guest, such as an a cappella group.

The Deep End

Blending comedy and journalism, e Deep End is NU’s version of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” A team of writers, journalists and crew members produce two pieces per quarter, where a host delivers a satirical monologue about issues relevant to campus.

Mee-Ow

From Louis-Dreyfus to Meyers, Mee-Ow’s acclaimed alumni roster dates back to its 1974 founding. For several weeks of Winter Quarter, the group meets daily to workshop sketches and improv, culminating in shows that are one-third sketch comedy, one-third improv and one-third rock music.

No Fun Mud Piranhas

Another audition-free improv group, No Fun Mud Piranhas o ers students the chance to workshop improv amid a competitive campus comedy scene. e group dates back to the 1970s, with alumni such as Colbert and David Schwimmer (Communication ‘88).

Northwestern Sketch Television

Northwestern Sketch Television may not air on television, but the group does premiere studentproduced and lmed sketches at its annual showcase. Members can choose to write, edit, lm or even act in sketches, which appear on NSTV’s YouTube channel.

Out Da Box

Out Da Box, NU’s multicultural comedy group, o ers a space geared toward students of historically underrepresented identities. ODB’s roots trace back to the 1970s, and the group performs sketches and improv at its annual spring show.

Overtime

Overtime is NU’s sports improv group and takes

a er ComedySportz Chicago. Shows consist of two teams competing to earn points in improv games. e audience contributes to the competition by voting on which teams earn points during each round.

The Set-Up

e Set-Up welcomes aspiring stand-up comedians of all experience levels. Members workshop jokes and receive feedback at weekly meetings. No auditions are required to join, continuing the club founders’ mission to foster a low-stakes comedy environment.

The Titanic Players

Founded in 1994, e Titanic Players is NU’s longform improv group. Freshman members form a new team that lasts through graduation. Beyond campus, the group performs at e Comedy Clubhouse in Chicago. Alums include Bri Lower (Communication ‘08) of “Severance” and Sarah Sherman (Communication ‘15) of “Saturday Night Live.”

desireeluo2028@u.northwestern.edu

Singing the praises of Northwestern a cappella

By LAURA HORNE daliy senior staffer

While the idea that “Pitch Perfect” is based on Northwestern may just be a tall tale told on campus tours, myth or fact, there’s no doubt that NU has an extensive a cappella scene.

With 13 total groups, 12 undergraduate and one graduate, nding people you’re in harmony with may seem overwhelming. e Daily breaks down NU’s 12 undergraduate groups, with their di erent styles, genres and a liations, so you can sing through Fall auditions and end on a high note.

Asterik

NU’s only all-male a cappella group has been taking the stage since 1994. e group o en covers songs by popular male artists including Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors” and e Fray’s “How to Save a Life.” For Asterik, keeping it fun and lighthearted is a top priority, allowing the group to take creative twists with their quarterly themed shows, which last year included “Breaking Badsterik” and their Winter Quarter group performance “Ménage À Trois-cappella” with other a cappella groups, Signi cant Others and Purple Haze.

Brown Sugar

Brown Sugar serves as NU’s co-ed South Asianinterest a cappella group, covering a mix of both South Asian and Western hits. is Spring, the group put on an Episode-inspired show, complete with a ChooseYour-Story video uploaded to Youtube. Brown Sugar performs at both the state and national levels, having won Gathe Raho, the University of Iowa’s South Asian Fusion A Cappella competition, in 2010 and 2011.

Extreme Measures

Extreme Measures is one of NU’s newer groups, founded in 2006. ey identify as NU’s “denim-clad a cappella group,” according to their Instagram bio. “First and foremost, EM is a group of friends who happen to make music together,” the group wrote on its organization page for NU. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this academic year, Extreme Measures has spent the last two decades covering popular artists including Billy Joel, Rihanna and Noah Kahan on local and national stages.

Freshman Fifteen

Despite its name, this a cappella group isn’t identiable by its members’ ages nor by the number of members. Rather, Freshman Fi een have made a name for themselves since 1998 in their signature green bowling shirts. A spirited and tight-knit group, each member is given a nickname when they rst join the group. Freshman Fi een made its rst national television appearance this Winter on MeTV.

Purple Haze

Purple Haze is one of NU’s competitive a cappella groups, rehearsing weekly and pu ing on shows quarterly in addition to competing in the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella. e group also hosts an annual intercollegiate “Best of the Midwest” show, and tours annually as well, most recently traveling to Houston over Winter break. Covering a mix of pop, soul, jazz and other genres, recent arrangements include Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Can’t Catch Me Now.”

ShireiNU

As NU’s premier Jewish a cappella group, ShireiNU covers both English and Hebrew songs spanning pop, indie and alternative genres. e group performs quarterly themed shows, recent ones including pickleball and “Hot Ones,” in addition to touring nationally. is

Winter, they performed a “Pitch Perfect” medley for Skylar Astin at an NU Hillel event.

Significant Others

Commonly referred to as “SigO,” Signi cant Others is a community of female-identifying and non-binary students who love to sing together. Originally founded as an all-female group, SigO has expanded their mission over the years to promote values of inclusivity and embrace marginalized identities. eir quarterly shows have featured themes including “SiGoes to Sleep” and “SiGrows Up” as a senior sendo .

performs three shows a year on campus in their signature all-black out ts as well as at concerts and workshops throughout the Chicago area. is Winter, the crew took on New Orleans for their annual trip.

Treblemakers

No, not the one at “Pitch Perfect’s” Barden University. ese Treblemakers are NU’s premiere East Asian-interest a cappella group, and they are the second NU group that performs at ICCA. At quarterly shows, local gigs and international tours, they cover American pop, Asian ballads and mashups of the two. is year, the group raised funds to tour in Singapore.

Soul4Real

The Undertones

By BEN SHAPIRO daily senior staffer

@benshapiromedia

Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications has long held a reputation as one of the nation’s top journalism programs. But you don’t need to be a journalism student to start reporting, writing, producing and publishing here. Across campus, more than 20 student-run publications offer opportunities for students of every background and academic interest to tell stories and report the news. Whether you’re passionate about sports, fashion, social justice or politics, there’s a newsroom for you. Here’s how to get involved:

Print publications

If you’re drawn to the wri en word, NU’s many print and online publications are a great place to begin — and you’re already here!

e Daily Northwestern is NU’s premier independent student newspaper and holds information

sessions every quarter. e Daily publishes stories online ve days a week and distributes a print edition every Wednesday. With desks covering campus, Evanston, arts and entertainment, sports, opinion and multimedia, e Daily o ers something for everyone.

Founded in 2009, Soul4Real s erves as NU’s only all-Black a cappella group. Members engage with music from historically Black musical genres including R&B, soul and hip-hop. is year, the group covered “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Put Your Records On,” among other songs. Soul4Real performs a Winter Quarter show and a Spring Quarter show annually.

THUNK

THUNK prides themselves on being NU’s oldest co-ed a cappella group, founded in 1993. e group

e Undertones are NU’s third competitive a cappella group. In 2024, they placed rst at the ICCA Great Lakes Quarter nals. e group also travels nationally and internationally, most recently to Orange County in California. Adorned in blue and black, the group covers pop hits at their quarterly shows including Renee Rapp’s “Snow Angel” and Børns’ “Electric Love.”

X-Factors

Since forming in 2001, X-Factors has taken the stage quarterly at NU as well as nationally — taking their Fall set on tour each year. is Winter, the group explored New Orleans. e group describes themselves as “an artistic, eclectic group,” taking on popular hits like “Pink Pony Club” and oldies like “You Can’t Hurry Love.” ey’re known for wearing pink at their performances.

Keep up with the groups’ social media for information about Fall auditions following Wildcat Welcome. l.horne@dailynorthwestern.com

Extra, extra!: Northwestern student publications

NBN publishes longform features, creative writing and opinion pieces. NBN is known for its in-depth, magazine-style coverage and releases a print issue each quarter.

Looking for a print newsroom that ts your reporting niche? STITCH Magazine blends fashion, lifestyle and culture through essays and photo spreads online and in its quarterly print magazine. Inside NU specializes in sports reporting and game coverage, allowing students to cover NU’s Big Ten games and press conferences with press passes. Spoon University reviews food and o ers restaurant and recipe recommendations.

Multimedia publications

If you prefer magazine-style reporting, North by Northwestern might be the publication for you.

Northwestern News Network is NU’s studentrun television outlet. e Emmy-winning organization gives students hands-on experience producing video packages and full broadcasts. Some of the station’s shows include Northwestern News Report, Politicat, NNX and SportsNight.

For those interested in radio, WNUR is the place to be. NU’s non-commercial station broadcasts across the greater Chicago area on 89.3 FM. WNUR features music, pre-recorded talk shows,

sports and live news.

Identity-based publications

Northwestern is home to a range of publications and chapters that amplify underrepresented voices and tell stories grounded in identity, community and culture. BlackBoard Magazine is Northwestern’s only Black-interest student magazine, and a satellite publication of the National Association of Black Journalists. nuAZN is dedicated to telling Asian and Asian American stories across campus and the broader Chicago area in its quarterly magazine. Her Campus blends lifestyle and service journalism with rst-person writing, focusing on stories by and for women and nonbinary students. CRUSH Magazine is Northwestern’s LGBTQ+ interest publication, with the goal of telling stories not part of the mainstream media. No ma er your major or experience level, student media at Northwestern is open to all. You can connect with publications at the Fall Organization Fair, follow them on social media or reach out via email to get started.

b.shapiro@dailynorthwestern.com

Meet the brothers, sisters of NU Greek life

By LAURA HORNE daily senior staffer

Northwestern is home to four councils that compose its Fraternity and Sorority Life: the Interfraternity Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Panhellenic Association.

Throughout the year, each council offers recruitment for prospective members to join their chapters and take part in traditions that have been integral to the NU student experience since 1859.

Interfraternity Council

NU’s Interfraternity Council is composed of nine chapters: Delta Tau Delta, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Mu Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau.

With the exception of Phi Mu Alpha, a musical fraternity, each of these chapters have on-campus houses on North Campus’s “Fraternity Quad.” Throughout Fall Quarter, freshmen can meet the chapters and members at various events. Fraternities officially extend invitations — called bids — to freshmen during IFC Recruitment Week in January, and students typically live in their chapters’ house the following academic year. Sigma Phi Epsilon has historically had a house but will not be recruiting this cycle.

Recruitment for upperclassmen is less structured, as fraternities can extend bids any time during the academic year. IFC chapters are expected to engage

in philanthropic activities, and many host fundraising events throughout the year.

Multicultural Greek Council

The Multicultural Greek Council consists of nine chapters — three fraternities, five sororities and one coed organization — with Latine, Asian and multicultural affiliations: Alpha Psi Lambda, Kappa Delta Chi, Kappa Phi Lambda, Kappa Pi Beta, Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Omega Delta Phi, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Sigma Psi Zeta.

MGC’s chapters are dedicated to service, social advocacy and cultural awareness, and facilitate their own recruitment processes through events like “Meet the Greeks,” “Taste of MGC” and a winter banquet.

National Pan-Hellenic

Council

The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established at Howard University in 1930 to coordinate African American Greek sororities and fraternities.

Five organizations originally made up the NPHC, but that number has grown to nine over the years — known as the “Divine Nine.” Seven chapters constitute NU’s NPHC: Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta Phi Beta.

NPHC organizations each host their own recruitment process, and host events including tailgates, Founders Day celebrations and clothing drives in alignment with their tradition of service and social change.

Panhellenic Association

NU is currently home to seven active Panhellenic chapters: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Delta. Gamma Phi Beta is expected to return to NU in January 2026.

Each chapter provides housing for members in the “Sorority Quad” on South Campus. Each chapter also supports a specific philanthropy which they fundraise

for throughout the year.

The primary recruitment timeline for PHA is collaborative and typically occurs over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, prospective members visit all chapters before accepting a bid from just one. Some chapters also participate in Continuous Open Bidding, in which chapters handle recruitment individually on a rolling basis.

l.horne@dailynorthwestern.com

Daily file photo by Colin Boyle

Throughout the year, each of NU’s Greek life councils offer recruitment for prospective members to join their chapters and take part in traditions that have been integral to the NU student experience since 1859.

Building a dream campus

By MARISA GUERRA ECHEVERRIA daily senior staffer @marisa_g_ech

Famous for its lakeside beauty, purple pennants and unique mix of modern and historic architecture, Northwestern’s campus is a sight to behold in all seasons, but especially when you arrive for freshman fall.

As you pack your bags for Evanston, NU prepares to greet you with a new array of housing, amenities and educational spaces — some of which have been years in the making, while others remain under construction.

Larry Blouin, senior director of Northwestern Capital Programs, said NU Facilities worked on the following projects and a signi cant number of less visible, time-sensitive projects during “a very busy summer.”

“ ese new projects are shaping the future of campus and will impact education, research and the student experience for years to come,” Blouin said.

Housing

1835 Hinman Ave., a large South Area residence hall, will reopen its doors a er seven years to house students long-term in September. Located in the southeast corner of campus close to the Segal Visitors Center and South Beach, it is equipped with single and double rooms, community-style bathrooms and a full kitchen. In the past, it used to be an option for substance-free housing and was the site of quarantine and isolation housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bobb and McCulloch Halls, are connected Northeast Area dorms, which will both undergo construction in the next two years. McCulloch will remain open to house students for the school year starting this fall, while Bobb will be under construction until Fall 2026. By the 2026-2027 academic year, Bobb will be open while McCulloch undergoes construction.

Education

Kellogg Education Center is on track to complete construction in September 2027, and will house the Kellogg School of Management’s Executive MBA and Executive Education programs. Until then, construction of this new, state-of-the-art facility will impact the Lakefront Path sporadically and close Pancoe Drive.

e vacant Donald P. Jacobs Center, which will be revamped as the new Social Science and Global A airs Hub, is slated to be completed in December 2026. e project will open for occupancy in January 2027, and aims to create an “interdisciplinary nexus” of social sciences and global a airs research and learning.

Student amenities

Deering Library, NU’s own ivy-covered “Hogwartsstyle” library, will open during Fall Quarter a er a year of construction. Bask in the light of the historic building’s stained-glass windows, and take advantage of newly upgraded public spaces, improved accessibility and updated technology features.

One of the most highly anticipated on-campus projects, the Cohen Lawn Pavilion will open in August 2025, just in time for the Class of ’29 to enjoy. Connected to Norris University Center with scenic views of the Lake ll, the pavilion will feature an open-air plaza, outdoor dining spaces and a campus pub set to open in early December.

A year into construction, NU has no updates yet for the redevelopment of the new Ryan Field, the University’s historic football stadium. The new stadium is projected to open in Fall 2026. m.guerra-echeverria@dailynorthwestern.com

A guide to NU’s advocacy, activism world

By BEATRICE VILLAFLOR daily senior staffer

Northwestern has a famed history of student activism and advocacy on campus. is year marks the 57th year since the Bursar’s O ce Takeover to protest the Black student experience, and over a year since the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow.

e la er coincided with modi cations to the University’s demonstration policy; changes included banning protests at e Rock before 3 p.m. on weekdays and the use of ampli ed sound there before 5 p.m.

e Daily has compiled a non-exhaustive list of advocacy and activist groups on campus for undergraduates to explore. From marches to education, there’s a space on campus for you to speak out.

Asian American Pacific Coalition

First known as the Asian American Advisory Board, which fought for the creation of NU’s Asian American Studies Program, APAC has been present on campus since 1991. APAC looks to empower individuals with marginalized identities and engage them in activism and advocacy.

Fossil Free Northwestern

FFNU is a collective of students, faculty, sta and community members calling for NU’s divestment from fossil fuels and a reinvestment of its endowment into the Evanston community — speci cally for Black, brown and Indigenous residents.

Jewish Voice for Peace

Jewish Voice for Peace at Northwestern describes itself on Instagram as “a collective of Jews building a Judaism beyond Zionism that centers liberation, justice, and solidarity,” and is a chapter of the national organization. e chapter also hosts celebrations for Jewish holidays and educational programming throughout the year.

Menstrual Equity Activists

MEA uses its three pillars of service, education and policy to implement various community initiatives within NU and beyond. Its programming includes advocacy for free hygiene products in dorms, distribution of sustainable menstrual products and fundraising for menstrual education projects worldwide.

NU College Feminists

College Feminists is a feminist, pro-choice organization that frequently partners with e Women’s Center. e group raises awareness about issues women face like sexual assault, economic discrimination and sexism; it also seeks to educate the community on reproductive health. Last academic year, NUCF participated in Sex Week and Survivor Action Week.

NU Community for Human Rights

NUCHR is an undergraduate collective that advocates for global human rights and organizes the largest student-run human rights conference in the nation. e group, a liated with the Bu e Institute for Global A airs, tackles current human rights issues through year-round programming like dialogues and educational excursions.

NU Disorientation Week

Disorientation Week, planned by several organizations, spans days of educational and social programming with a commitment to teaching about the University’s history of student-led social justice and activism.

Northwestern University Graduate Workers / Northwestern University Postdoc Union

e University’s graduate and postdoctorate workers have also unionized in association with the national union United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America to advocate for fairer wages and increased job security.

Students Demand Action

Students Demand Action at Northwestern is the campus chapter of the national student network working to end gun violence. Gun violence

education, voter registration and rallies comprise some of the organization’s programming during the academic year.

Students for Justice in Palestine

SJP is a pro-Palestinian activist group that advocates for Palestinian self-determination. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the group hosted rallies, workshops and discussions.

Students Organizing for Labor Rights

SOLR is a coalition of undergraduate and graduate students which has built solidarity with campus workers through campaigns and mutual aid since 2018. In the last academic year, SOLR participated in worker-led rallies, marches and pickets. SOLR’s 2025 May Day fundraiser collected more than $1700 for campus workers.

The Jasmine Collective

TJC is a multiracial, multiethnic coalition of students commi ed to combating casteism and

Islamophobia in South Asian communities. Last school year, programming included a teach-in on Kashmir in collaboration with APAC, zinemaking and a movie night viewing “All We Imagine as Light.”

Undergraduate Prison Education Partnership

UPEP is the undergraduate branch of the Northwestern Prison Education Program, the first and only degree-granting program for incarcerated students by a top 10 university. UPEP looks to drive support for prison education on campus through community hours, general meetings and speaker events.

Wildcats for Israel

Wildcats for Israel is an organization that seeks to educate the NU community about Israel through cultural and political events. One of their largest events is Israel Week; 2025’s programming featured a Yom HaZikaron ceremony and a celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut.

b.villa or@dailynorthwestern.edu

The kingdom far, far away: Explore Chicago

By MARISSA FERNANDEZ and LEXI NEWSOM daily senior staffers

With busy academic schedules and time-consuming extracurriculars, it can be easy to stay on campus. However, Northwestern’s proximity — about 12 miles — to Chicago o ers the chance to explore the windy city’s diverse options for food, sweet treats and study spots — perfect for a much-needed day trip or an o -campus study session.

The Loop

From Millennium Park to the Chicago Riverwalk, e Loop includes many of Chicago’s famous tourist sites. For a more unique experience than the average visitor, consider braving the cold to ice skate in front of e Bean during Winter Quarter, or stopping by the Christkindlmarket for shopping, food and hot chocolate before winter break.

Several arts institutions here also o er discounts. e Art Institute of Chicago is free for undergraduate NU students, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago o ers $20 student tickets. Although there are no student bene ts, Broadway in Chicago o ers di erent discounts throughout the year, like $25 tickets on the 25th day of the month.

South Loop

Home to Museum Campus and located near the Blue Line, there’s plenty to do in the South Loop. While museum tickets can sometimes be pricey, the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum o er free admission on Wednesdays, and this year, the Shedd Aquarium o ers free admission on Tuesdays. All require proof of Illinois residency but accept valid college IDs for discounts. However, make sure to plan ahead — reservations are required for these days and are o en booked out early. is area also contains the Prairie District and Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens, perfect places to walk through and explore.

Chinatown is lively neighborhood easily takes several hours to fully explore, making the hour-long Red Line trip from campus worth it. e main stretch is lined with two oors of restaurants, dessert shops and stores, selling everything from Korean skincare

products to memorabilia.

Mango Mango Dessert, toward the end of the street, lives up to its name, o ering mango- avored desserts, like its mango shaved ice. Likewise, Matcha En o ers a wide variety of desserts and drinks featuring matcha as well as a variety of other avors.

Eating your way through Chinatown is a great way to sample what the neighborhood has to o er. If you’re dining on a budget, Xi’an Cuisine o ers several dishes for as li le as $10, and Zhangliang Malatang allows patrons to customize their soup and only charges based on the ingredients’ weight.

Argyle

Located right o the Red Line’s Argyle stop, Li le Vietnam is about 45 minutes from campus. While there, stop at one of the many pho places like Tank Noodle or Miss Saigon. A erwards, check out Chiu Quon Bakery, a cash-only Chinese bakery with a wide selection of a ordable baked goods. For a non-food-related activity, try thri ing at Village Discount Outlet. Even more thri ing opportunities await in Andersonville, which is located just a couple of streets north. While not technically in Li le Vietnam, this neighborhood is home to cafes such as e Understudy and e Lost Hours, which serve as great study spots.

Wicker Park

Books, co ee and ice cream — a near-perfect combination that can be found in Wicker Park. Myopic Books holds four oors’ worth of old books and wooden bookshelves, and a new Barnes and Noble. Several co eeshops such as e Wormhole Co ee line the streets, perfect when cafe-hopping while studying for exams. To nish o a day in Wicker Park, walk over to Eli’s Ark. It o ers a sweet escape with ice cream scoops decorated to look like unicorns, bears and other animals.

Pilsen

Located southwest of the Loop o of the Pink Line, this neighborhood is best known for its street art. Walk through 16th Street and 18th Street to explore art made by local artists. Pilsen is also home to the National Museum of Mexican Art, which o ers free admission and is open Tuesday through Sunday. A nearby stop at 5 Rabinitos Resturante and

Taqueria or Carnitos Don Pedro for authentic Mexican avors. For dessert, check out Nevería El Sabor De México or La Michoacana Premium. ere are also a number of co ee shops that double as study spots like Cafe Jumping Bean and Sleep Walk Chocolateria.

Lincoln Park

Located just north of the city center, Lincoln Park is a quiet escape from downtown Chicago. e neighborhood features several streets of restaurants, cafes and upscale shopping.

e park in the east includes the free Lincoln Park Zoo, as well as a beautiful collection of plants and owers in the Lincoln Park Conservatory. A bridge in the park just south of the zoo o ers views of the city skyline. For late-night laughs, e Second City comedy club o ers several shows throughout the week, with some costing as li le as $10. Lincoln Park is also walking distance from the Gold Coast and located right o the Brown Line.

m.fernandez@dailynorthwestern.com

l.newsom@dailynorthwestern.com

Daily file illustration by Shveta Shah

The Daily has compiled a non-exhaustive guide to the advocacy and activist groups on campus.

Nor thwestern University’s official online platform to find your community.

See you at the Fall Org Fair! September 17 & 18 at Norris

Student organizations, fraternity & sorority chapters, student-hosted events, and other oppor tunities to get involved await you Visit 'Cats on Campus

OPINION

Samson: Ups, downs and a million moments

DAVID SAMSON

SUMMER

EDITOR IN CHIEF

While most new students were hauling suitcases into dorms and snapping photos under e Arch, I spent my rst day at Northwestern in the basement of Norris, waiting in line for a Wildcard that never made it to my mailbox.

It wasn’t the ashy beginning to a new chapter of life I expected. e lines were long, the movein rushed and, by the end of that day, only my bedding was unpacked. But three years later, I’ve come to realize that my rst impression of college might not have been so far o .

Because the truth is most of college isn’t particularly exciting — and that’s okay.

Yes, there are moments that feel straight out of Hollywood: dancing the night away in downtown Chicago with new friends, looking out at Lake Michigan for the rst time from the Segal Visitors Center roof, marching through e Arch with hordes of people you just met.

ese are the moments you’ll post about. e ones you’ll describe during phone calls home. e highlight reel. But they’re only one part of the story. e majority of college is a collection of neutral experiences like going to class on a gray Tuesday a ernoon, eating thinly sliced pork from Allison Dining Hall for the third time that week and camping out in Periodicals at Main Library to grind out homework for that computer science class you can’t believe you signed up for.

You’ll nd that these moments far outnumber the Instagram-worthy ones, but will lack the same spotlight. And if the neutral moments don’t make the cut, the bad ones don’t stand a chance. Because while college can be thrilling, it can also be overwhelming, su ocating and, at times, really lonely.

ese are the moments you’ll post about. e ones you’ll describe during phone calls home. e highlight reel. But they’re only one part of the story.

- DAVID SAMSON, summer editor in chief

No one warns you about the ache you’ll feel when you miss your family and hometown friends. Social media doesn’t prepare you for the nauseating sting of seeing new friends make plans without you. Not doing as well in a class as you expected, ge ing rejected from a club or seeing others’ accomplishments touted on LinkedIn can shake your con dence and stir up feelings of imposter syndrome you didn’t even know you had.

I began my time at NU on the pre-medicine track, but quickly realized it wasn’t the right t.

I’ve always been a planner — but suddenly, the path ahead was blurry. For the rst time, I wondered if I was meant to be here. ere are times when you might think you’re failing. at you’re not enough. at maybe you made a mistake choosing NU — or worse, that NU made a mistake choosing you.

While those feelings are valid, that doesn’t make them true.

You deserve to be here just as much as everyone else. Wherever you are in your journey, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. And I promise you’ll nd your way.

Somehow, I’ve gone from crying in the rain a er a chemistry midterm to becoming editor in chief of e Daily Northwestern — a path I never could have predicted three years ago.

I’ve met incredible people here, though it took some time. I’ve studied abroad, though it took some courage to step on that plane. I’ve learned that a “B” isn’t a failure, but growth. ere were times I held myself back out of fear: of mistakes, disappointment, not knowing what comes next. But now, three years older (and perhaps a li le wiser), I recognize that regret is a useless feeling. Every decision I’ve made — from the brilliant to the boneheaded — has shaped me.

College is a collection of moments. e euphoric highs and devastating lows will sandwich countless uneventful a ernoons that won’t make the scrapbook, but still ma er. Try to take them all in stride.

Only you can decide how your next four years will unfold. ey’ll be imperfect, unpredictable and absolutely unforge able if you let them be.

Only you can decide how your next four years will unfold. ey’ll be imperfect, unpredictable and absolutely unforgettable if you let them be.

- DAVID SAMSON, summer editor in chief ”

I’ll leave you with a quotation from poet Erin Hanson that I hope to embody as I nish my time at NU. I hope you nd it comforting as you begin yours.

“ ere is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask ‘What if I fall?’ Oh but my darling, What if you y?”

Don’t wait to take risks. Trust your head, your heart and your gut — in that order — and you’ll do just ne.

Good luck, and Go ’Cats!

David Samson is a rising Medill senior. He can be contacted at d.samson@dailynorthwestern.com. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Le er to the Editor to eic@dailynorthwestern.com. e views expressed in this piece do not necessarily re ect the views of all sta members of e Daily Northwestern.

Klineman: Answering ‘Why Northwestern?’

AIDAN KLINEMAN COLUMNIST

Northwestern’s undergraduate admissions tour begins at the Segal Visitors Center. As you walk along Sheridan Road, on the southern edge of campus, you’ll see Fisk Hall, East and West Fairchild and Harris Hall before pausing at The Arch to cross the street and discuss what it’s like to live at NU. As tour guides, we refer to this spiel as the residential “bucket.”

When I was asked to write a piece for this issue, I considered how I would write a letter to my old self. If only I had known where I’d end up liking to go, how to budget my time and money, and that I would have people here whose company I not only knew, but loved and enjoyed. I might’ve rested easier over the longest summer of my life.

I like to get coffee and study in the little room on the first floor of Kresge Hall with the small tables and big windows between classes. I like Allison Dining Hall for lunch, but appreciate a well-timed meal exchange at Norris.

The quarter system is fast, but the work is manageable — students know how to work

hard and, yes, play hard. Meeting people is easier than you think, too — they’re the main reason I love this school.

Tours end with the guide’s “Why Northwestern?” statement. When I applied to NU, the application only required an answer to this prompt for its written supplement. Out of tradition, guides are encouraged to explain to prospective students why they chose NU and, more importantly, why they decided to stay.

Two years ago, I entered into a community I will be part of for life. The faculty and alumni of this institution seek to cure diseases like cancer and ALS, lead global conglomerates and make us laugh on national television.

In many ways, these qualities make Wildcats natural targets of those who bow to bullies. Just this week, CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (Communication ‘86), days after he denounced a decision by Paramount, CBS’s parent company, to settle a frivolous lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over the editing of an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes” last year. NU, with its abundance of resources to help students discover and unlock their potential, is truly remarkable. But being part

of this community is not merely something to see or hear, but a thing to live. This is a place where you will learn interpersonally and grow unapologetically.

e quarter system is fast, but the work is manageable — students know how to work hard and, yes, play hard.

- AIDAN KLINEMAN, columnist ”

What makes NU “The Good Place” are the parts of this experience that cannot be studied or perfected — those that can only be discovered through lived experience.

Finding the joy of being in and around this place over the last two years — that’s been the most beautiful part of my “Why.”

There are times on this campus when you will be unhappy. Perhaps more often than you expect. You may worry about how to be social and how to adapt to this new place and all these new faces.

But find comfort in the fact that you’ll soon come to know your “Why.” Maybe ours will be similar. I know why I love NU, and why I will ultimately owe part of my accomplishments to the experiences I’ve had here. I love this school because I didn’t let it all wash over me. I made myself an active participant in my own experience, allowed myself to be present here, in this place of all places, with all these incredible people.

I’m inclined to believe that if I had the chance to go back two summers and tell myself that I’d be happy here, I would. But the reality is, I wouldn’t change the last two years for the world. My highest highs and lowest lows — I learned to own all of it, and that just might be the most important lesson of all.

So with all that, I suppose I would leave past Aidan with this: You made it. Welcome to Northwestern. Time flies.

Aidan Klineman is a rising Medill junior. He can be contacted at aidanklineman2027@u.northwestern. edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Le er to the Editor to eic@dailynorthwestern.com. e views expressed in this piece do not necessarily re ect the views of all sta members of e Daily Northwestern.

Slotkin: CST: I found legit PA group love

SYLVIE SLOTKIN COLUMNIST

Going to a private university like Northwestern usually means not many people from your hometown go to your school. The unfamiliarity of it all might make you feel the need to rush into deep relationships as soon as you arrive on campus.

I was told I had to keep this edition of my column PG, so I am not writing some sort of cautionary tale about Peer Advisor group romances. It’s funny though: a couple comes out of so many of them. What are the odds that in almost every 10-15 person cohort there are two people destined to be together?

Actually, I did meet a couple soulmates through my PA group. There are so many forms of love!

What if I told you the opinion editor who gave me the green light to start my Communal Shower Thoughts column —

I’m not going to lie and say I had the absolute easiest time pu ing myself out there at the beginning of my NU experience, but having that solid group of fellow nerds made transitioning to college a lot more fun.

- SYLVIE SLOTKIN, columnist

actually blazed a whole opinion trail at The Daily if I’m being completely honest

— was a friend I made through my PA group.

Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez displayed patience and excitement when helping me create Communal Shower Thoughts, and for that I will be forever grateful. I owe you one big time, Alexander.

I remember Naomi Taxay, another Daily staffer, introducing herself to our group. I thought it was incredible to feel like I knew her so well from just hearing her name, hometown and why she chose Medill.

As it turns out, we messaged on Instagram before school. Duhhhh.

And then, we saw each other in public — not at a mandatory Wildcat Welcome event, but the real world. I know it’s so cheesy, but I swear I remember our eyes locking. One cute photo later and the rest is history.

The three of us are legit friends, along with so many other awesome people from our group. I’m not going to lie and say I had the absolute easiest time putting

myself out there at the beginning of my NU experience, but having that solid group of fellow nerds made transitioning to college a lot more fun.

Sometimes, required orientation activities can feel a little silly. But, they allow you to meet new people and form authentic connections, making your new college life feel a lot more fulfilling.

Wildcat Welcome is almost here! Trust me, if you relax and be yourself, pretty soon you’ll be the one surrounded by tons of awesome people.

And also, don’t hook up with people in your PA group.

Sylvie Slotkin is a rising Medill junior. She can be contacted at sylvieslotkin2027@u. northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to eic@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

Winiarsky: Notes for ‘Cats on efficiency

About a century ago, products that were new at the time, but are now quotidian, were marketed the same way as today’s new tech: as beacons of e ciency.

In an American Environmental History class, we read the fourth chapter of Susan Strasser’s “Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash,” featuring some of these products.

Exactly 100 years ago, for example, a subsidiary of General Motors marketed their refrigerator as not only a device to keep food cool, but as “freedom from the possible annoyance of outside ice supply… without any a ention on your part.”

Similarly, e cereal brand Grape-Nuts, for example, picturing a stressed couple at the breakfast table in a 1927 ad, writing, “When the clock hands aren’t where they ought to be… When time and trains are up to their old tricks of waiting for no man … What then? What then? Is there no hope?”

I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about the ice supply or cooking breakfast as I rush o to class or an internship. Perhaps it’s freedom, perhaps it’s hope; in any case, it’s saved me a lot of time.

Since these century-old ads, we’ve really advanced our e ciency game. My brother, for example, has an Oura Ring, which tells him the ideal time for him to go to bed. My phone tells me when the next train will come so that I leave my apartment at exactly the right time. I a end workout classes that exhaust tiny muscles in my body in a dark room for 50 minutes, then I leave, done with my movement for the day.

As the ads claim, e ciency is bene cial, allowing us to focus on what really ma ers. But I worry that today’s version of e ciency has moved beyond saving us time, but into new territory, where time is a meaningless currency.

My central question is this: What do we do with all our saved time? When Uber Eats has delivered the salad, our iPhones have summarized the email, ChatGPT has wri en the essay — what have we done instead?

Instead of allowing us to focus on what really ma ers, too much e ciency pushes us to focus on nothing.

e costs of e ciency deserve to be talked about. I keep thinking about an interview with Ezra Klein, e New York Times opinion columnist, and Kyla Scanlon, a journalist who covers the economy. Scanlon theorizes about “friction;” she says that digital tools allow us to have a “frictionless existence.” Yet, she posits that “the good parts of life o en come through the hardest struggles … at’s what all the greats write about: the struggle and the path.”

I agree with Scanlon’s thesis, at least in relation to the college experience. College relies on friction. e learning we do here comes from the “struggle and the path,” as Scanlon would say. I chose to write this piece in the Orientation Issue to encourage you, freshmen, to lean into friction, rather than shy away from it.

What do we do with all our saved time? When Uber Eats has delivered the salad, our iPhones have summarized the email, ChatGPT has wri en the essay — what have we done instead?

- TALIA WINIARSKY, columnist

Writing a term paper, for example, is greatly rewarding not in spite of its ine ciency, but because of it. It’s a process that can’t be rushed, if you want to do it right. It requires me to go to the library, nd the Dewey Decimal call numbers that correlate to my topic, lug those books home and pore over its pages to nd the perfect quotation. e longer I think about a subject — though 10 weeks is hardly any time at all — the more complex and profound my conclusions are. You’re not going to write as good of an essay if you had AI summarize the sources for you

— you just won’t.

It scares me that in life a er graduation — save for those who become professional researchers or academics — spending more time on something, thinking deeply about it no longer earns you praise from a professor, but a performance review from your boss. at is why it is all the more important to do hard things now. is could mean taking a class in an unfamiliar subject; a er all, this would be an awfully expensive four-year talent show if you only engaged in classes and skills you’re already good at.

For me, that meant taking ECON 201 and 202, Introduction to Macro and Microeconomics, respectively. I a ended o ce hours and peer tutoring every single week just to basically earn the median grade. I still think weekly about what I learned there, in that Tech lecture hall at 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — no doubt because it was such a time-consuming activity of mine for 20 weeks.

In the Winter, the 15-minute morning walk up there was long and cold. With a ski bu around my mouth and nose, only my eyes were exposed, and tiny icicles would form in my lashes. An inconvenience, sure. But the world gli ered. ese private, brilliant sparkles are everywhere, if you look hard enough. Find them in the class that seems interesting, even though the CTEC says it’s eight to 11 hours of homework a week, or that talk with an acclaimed speaker, even though you won’t get any extra credit for a ending. ere is certainly magic in the reading, too — so do it, instead of asking ChatGPT to summarize it for you.

It’s an ephemeral luxury — a blessing — to embrace ine ciency as a way of life. I have a sense that when I look back at my college years, my favorite memories won’t be the parties that were too loud, or the football games that I was bored at.

Instead, it will be the moments when the minutes owed and I was completely unconcerned about it: Cha ing in the American Studies lounge in between classes. Si ing in a lawn chair outside of Plex and reading a book for class in a single go. e many, many walks south on the Lake ll catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in a few days, which feels like a lifetime in college. When I am older, I will acquire more of other

WEEKLY CROSSWORD

By: Miguel Tsang

resources, like knowledge and money. But I will never have more time than I do now. If you were to go through college trying to be the most e cient student you could be, you would indeed turn that time into a meaningless currency. What are all of the hours for, if not for learning?

is could mean taking a class in an unfamiliar subject; a er all, this would be an awfully expensive four-year talent show if you only engaged in classes and skills you’re already good at.

- TALIA WINIARSKY, columnist

Grape-Nuts posited a century ago that seeing the clock run out would make one hopeless. Now, I’m hopeless that the clock will run out and I’ll realize that I haven’t done anything meaningful with the time I saved by using more e cient tools.

I’m writing this for myself just as I’m writing it for you. You have four years to bask in ine ciency, I have just one le . I’m ready to embrace it in all of its tiny di culties and possible annoyances. (I’m writing a thesis, so I’d be er be.)

While you’re at it, if you’d like, come say hi; I’m the tall brune e in Herskovits Library, o en wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants, hogging a corral with an unreasonable quantity of books. I’m always happy to put them down and chat for longer than I probably should. What’s a few minutes, anyway?

Talia Winiarsky is a rising Weinberg senior. She can be contacted at TaliaWiniarsky2026@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Le er to the Editor to eic@dailynorthwestern.com. e views expressed in this piece do not necessarily re ect the views of all sta members of e Daily Northwestern.

Updates on international student travel

By ALEXIA SEXTOU daily senior staffer

Northwestern’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services has issued multiple warnings in the past academic year about heightened visa screening, visa application disruptions and travel risks regarding both new and returning international students.

The updates follow a series of policy shifts by the U.S. Department of State that may impact how international students apply for, renew or maintain their F, M or J visa status.

Here’s everything you need to know about the State Department’s latest updates and OISS’ response in the last few months:

Preparing your visa: required documents and social media checks

Students must carry a valid passport, U.S. visa and I-20 or DS-2019 at all times while entering or exiting the country, OISS wrote in an email obtained by The Daily.

For both currently enrolled and incoming students, legal documentation forms require travel signatures valid for 12 months. The I-20 document needs to be signed by the student and a NU Designated School Official, according to OISS’ website. Students’ passports must also be valid six months into the future from the next date of entry.

Upon entry to the U.S., students are advised to print and check their I-94 arrival record for any discrepancies, which should be reported to OISS immediately, the email read.

Note that U.S. Customs and Border Protection may also search electronic devices without a warrant at ports of entry, including at preclearance locations abroad.

On June 18, the State Department also announced new requirements for nonimmigrant visa applicants, including changes regarding social media profiles during the visa screening process.

“All applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public,’” a government press release read.

In a June 6 email, OISS said students should be aware of potential updates regarding federal travel guidance or restrictions.

If students are in need of a new visa, OISS said students should check with the consular post where they plan to schedule their interview.

“Only you can decide if traveling is the best decision for you,” the email read.

Embassy slowdowns and visa interview freezes

In late May, the State Department temporarily paused scheduling new student visa interview appointments, according to a press release by the American Immigration Council.

Since then, the interview freeze was lifted on June 18, according to the American Immigration Council. In an email obtained by The Daily, the OISS said some embassies would prioritize applicants where international students comprise 15% or less of total enrollment.

“For individuals who still need to schedule a visa interview, Northwestern’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services encourages you to continue those efforts,” the office said in an email.

Increased travel restrictions for some countries and regions

As of June 9, the State Department fully suspended visa issuance to nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa categories, a White House press release read.

The State Department also partially suspended visa issuance to nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela for non-immigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas, according to the press release.

Students from China and Hong Kong may also face additional scrutiny, according to a May 28 release from the White House. The State Department announced plans to “aggressively revoke visas” for individuals with “ties to the Chinese Communist Party” or those “studying in critical fields.”

“(The State Department) will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” the press release said.

As of May 29, OISS said it continues to monitor

Student and Exchange Visitor Program records daily and will notify individuals if their visa record changes. Students can also check their visa status through the Consular Electronic Application Center.

Students with legal questions are encouraged to contact immigration attorneys, OISS said in an email obtained by The Daily. Counseling resources are also available through the Counseling and Psychological Services at NU.

“We recognize that this week’s developments add complexity to an already difficult situation,” one email from OISS read. “We will continue to share updates as we are able.”

Resources upon arriving on campus

When international students arrive on campus, OISS hosts orientations each quarter, the office said in a statement to The Daily.

For undergraduates, OISS facilitates International Wildcat Welcome a few days before Wildcat Welcome begins for both international and domestic students, the office said.

For graduate students, OISS hosts an International Graduate Student Orientation. During these orientation programs, OISS presents sessions that help students understand their immigration status, the office said.

For wellness, safety and mental health resources students can also access NUhelp as they navigate the changing policy landscape, OISS said in an email obtained by The Daily.

Students can make appointments with their advisers directly, OISS said in the statement. In addition to the website and newsletters, there are also opportunities to join “web-in” hours to ask quick questions, stop by OISS during office hours, or by calling or emailing.

In an earlier June statement, OISS also said it will communicate directly to individuals who may be impacted by immigration policy changes.

“We once again affirm that Northwestern values our international students and scholars, who bring perspectives and experiences that are critical to our shared academic success,” the email read.

a.sextou@dailynorthwestern.com

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Daily file illustration by Leah Schroeder OISS has issued multiple alerts this year in response to the latest updated U.S. State Department visa policies.

NU looks to forget haunted 2024 season

By ANNA WATSON daily senior staffer @adub_sports

Coach David Braun faced a di cult task in building upon Northwestern’s exceptional 2023 season, and he

an eye on.

He’ll have arguably the best player in the locker room, redshirt junior o ensive lineman Caleb Tiernan, protecting him. Tiernan earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors in 2024. Former o ensive lineman Josh ompson was a big loss in the transfer portal, but the acquisition of First Team All-Conference USA o ensive lineman Xavior Gray from Liberty can revamp the front. Stone’s receiver pool will look much di erent than last year’s.

to injury, then-redshirt junior linebacker Mac Uihlein answered the call, leading the team with 85 combined tackles. With Mueller pursuing the NFL, Uihlein is poised to become the leader of the unit in 2025.

ability to rush the passer and lead the team, Braun said he expects Saka to be one of the best defensive ends in the country in 2025.

threw for 2,231 yards in

3,197 yards and 28

As A.J. Henning and Bryce Kirtz move on from collegiate football, redshirt sophomore Frank Covey IV and transfer receiver Gri n Wilde hold the keys to Stone’s success.

A portal-drained secondary showed promise by way of an All-Big Ten Second Team season from then-redshirt junior Theran Johnson and productivity from then-redshirt freshmen Damon Walters and Josh Fussell. Johnson took advantage of the opportu- nities and committed to

The ’Cats will kick off their season on Aug. 30 when they travel to Tulane. The Green Wave were favorites by a considerable margin even before they earned a commitment from former BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Additional non-conference matchups against Western Illinois and ULM should bode well for NU.

gram in Oregon out of the transfer

At South Dakota State last season, Wilde accounted for more than 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Not only does coming to Evanston ensure that he will get a chance to play at the Power Four level, but it also reunites him with his former o ensive coordinator in Zach Lujan.

Covey does not o er the same playing experience others have, but the potential for an ascension a er a red-shirted freshman campaign is there. He caught 10 passes for 98 yards during his rst year. e core of the ’Cats’ running back room returning should also provide Stone some support, as rising-sixth-year graduate student running back Cam Porter leads a group with experience. Joseph Himon II serves as a reliable second option and a threat in the return game. Himon nished third in the Big Ten in kick return yards last season.

ough the defense o en struggled to provide relief for the team’s o ensive shortcomings last season, some players stepped up in times of need. With then-graduate student linebacker Xander Mueller sidelined due

Despite the new and returning talent, the ’Cats’ conference schedule includes the likes of Oregon, Penn State, Michigan and Illinois. Last season, Oregon and Penn State featured in the Big Ten Championship Game, and NU lost by a combined 54 points to Michigan and Illinois.

For Braun and his staff, making a bowl game will be a challenge

annawatson2027@u. northwestern.edu

lace as a safety to watch for.

Fussell will be key at the Big Ten Media Days, Braun highlighted Garner WalWallace played in 11 games last season, racking up eight total tackles and one pass

then-redshirt junior Aidan Hubbard tallied

Ten Honorable Mention redshirt junior this year.

total tackles. Through his

touchdowns with the Mus-

M. Soccer fields new faces

By JONAH MCCLURE daily senior staffer @jemccl12

Northwestern men’s soccer will enters the fall with the most momentum it’s had this decade, coming off backto-back winning seasons for the first time since 2013-14.

The Wildcats’ 19 wins over the past two seasons are the most over a two-year span in more than a decade. Despite an overall ascension, coach Russell Payne’s squad claimed victory in just seven of its 18 conference games over the last two seasons and came up empty in the postseason.

NU lost in the first round of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament and failed to qualify in 2024 — a season where NU only scored 21 goals, tied for second-to-last in the conference.

Then-redshirt senior forward and Villanova transfer Akinjide Awujo led the team with five goals on the year, three of which he scored in the final game of the season against Penn State. It was the only hat trick scored by a Big Ten player in a conference game last season. Thensophomore defenseman Bryant Mayer led the team with seven assists, tied for seventh-most in the Big Ten.

Then-junior defenseman Nigel Prince and then-senior midfielder Collin McCamy both earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. In December, McCamy became the seventh ’Cat to be selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

Payne is entering his fifth season as head coach at NU. He previously served as Army West Point’s head coach for 11 seasons and was the assistant coach for the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team last summer at the Paris Olympics.

On top of McCamy heading to the MLS, the ’Cats had a few key departures coming into this season, including graduates defenseman Brandon Clagette and defenseman Reese Mayer. Then-freshman forward Michael Ramirez and defender Luke Shreiner exited the team via the transfer portal.

In June, Payne announced his 2025 recruiting class — which ranks No. 13 in the nation and features six transfers and seven club players.

The ’Cats kick off their season with an exhibition matchup against IU Indy on August 6 and begin regular-season play against Eastern Illinois on August 21 at Martin Stadium.

jonahmcclure2028@u.northwestern.edu

W. Soccer seeks redemption

By JONAH MCCLURE daily senior staffer

@jemccl125

Northwestern women’s soccer is looking to get back on track after a decline over its past few seasons.

In 2022, the Wildcats reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament and tied the program record with 16 wins. After a winning, but less successful slate in 2023, the ’Cats won just one conference game in 2024. They only scored 20 goals in 2024, putting them 15th out of 18 Big Ten teams after finishing in the top four the previous two years.

Then-freshman forward Kennedy Roesch led the squad with six goals, the most by an NU freshman since 2010. Then-junior midfielder Caterina Regazzoni and then-graduate student midfielder Josie Aulicino both tallied three goals and three assists. Then-senior defender Emma Phillips notched three goals and two assists on her way to an All-Big Ten Third Team nod.

The ’Cats are coached by Michael Moynihan, who is entering his 14th season at NU. Moynihan has led NU

to five of it’s seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including four consecutive appearances from 2015-18.

Notable departures for the ’Cats include graduates Aulicino, Phillips and backup goalkeeper Madison Howard, who played in two games last season. Thenfreshman defender Tanna Schornstein and graduate student forward Elyse Deschryver departed in the transfer portal.

In November, Moynihan announced six freshman recruits. The program also announced in June that Reaghan Duval, formerly an assistant coach at Robert Morris University, would be joining the team as an assistant coach.

This season, the ’Cats will take on five top-25 ranked opponents from last year’s final coaches poll, including an early-season test against last season’s No. 3-ranked Duke. The other four opponents are Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin and TCU.

The ’Cats begin play with an exhibition match against Notre Dame on August 3 in South Bend, Indiana. They begin regular season play at Loyola Chicago on August 14.

jonahmcclure2028@u.northwestern.edu

Field hockey looks to repeat fairytale run

By JONAH MCCLURE daily senior staffer @jemccl125

Northwestern field hockey enters the 2025 season as reigning national champions.

The Wildcats capped off a program best 23-1 season after defeating Saint Joseph’s in the championship game, sealing their second title in the last four seasons.

NU was led by two Olympians, then-sophomore forward Ashley Sessa and then-senior midfielder Maddie Zimmer. Sessa, the Offensive Player of the Year award winner, led the nation in

points with 67. Zimmer won both the Player of the Year Award and the Honda Award, an honor given to the top collegiate female athlete in each sport.

The ’Cats are coached by 2024 Coach of the Year Tracey Fuchs, who has led the program since 2009 and signed a long-term contract extension this offseason. Fuchs is the winningest coach in program history and has taken NU to eight NCAA tournaments.

Many key pieces from the championship squad are returning for this season, including the top four in points. Zimmer will use her final year of eligibility while pursuing a graduate degree.

However, a big loss for this NU squad is graduate student goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz, who spent five seasons with the ’Cats and served as the primary goalkeeper for both national championship teams.

The biggest additions of the offseason come to NU by way of the transfer portal. The ’Cats picked up Princeton transfer and rising graduate student forward Grace Schulze, who had the second-most points on her team en route to an All-Ivy Honorable Mention. Schulze is joined by rising junior back Kerry McCormick from Old Dominion and rising sophomore midfielder Kate Janssen from Delaware.

NU’s conquest for consecutive championships includes 12 teams that finished in the top 25 of last year’s final rankings, including top-10 finishers Boston College, Duke and Princeton. The ’Cats will play just five of their 17 matchups at Lakeside Field, adding to the difficulty of this season’s schedule.

NU resumes play on August 15 when it takes on Michigan in an exhibition match at Lakeside Field. Regular season play begins on August 31 when the ’Cats face Richmond in Richmond, Virginia.

jonahmcclure2028@u.northwestern.edu

NU sponsors indoor, outdoor track programs

By AUDREY PACHUTA daily senior staffer

@audreypachuta

On top of fall and winter seasons, Wildcat runners will take on a new challenge this year with the addition of an indoor and outdoor track program.

The school’s cross country team competes in the fall, participating in outdoor races typically six kilometers long. In the winter, the team transitions to an indoor slate, but before this upcoming

year, only a handful of runners participated in longdistance track events.

Starting this spring, NU will now sponsor both indoor and outdoor track teams as well, but since coach Jill Miller has not targeted athletes who sprint or participate in field events, it is likely that the Wildcats will continue centering their team around longer distances.

NU does not have a Division 1 men’s cross country or track program.

On the cross country side of things, Miller’s crew will look to build on a solid, but unmemorable

season after missing out on both team and individual bids for last year’s NCAA Championships.

Then-senior Ava Earl and graduate student Chloe Wellings led the way for NU at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships last fall, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively, as the team secured its third-straight top-three finish.

Earl, who ran at the 2022 NCAA Championships in the program’s first-ever team appearance and in 2023 as an individual, technically has one cross country season of eligibility remaining, but it’s unclear if she’ll return this fall after graduating

in the spring.

Then-junior Skye Ellis and then-senior Anna Hightower led the way during distance track events this past spring, each clocking top-20 finishes at the Penn Relays in April.

The ’Cats will open their fall season in late August with the Cowboy Preview in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and will participate in three additional regular season events before proceeding to the postseason in October.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

Volleyball preps for coach Nollan’s second year

By AUDREY PACHUTA daily senior staffer

@audreypachuta

In a conference where some programs can fill a football stadium’s worth of fans to watch women’s volleyball, Northwestern hasn’t been able to keep up with its consistently overpowering Big Ten slate. In their last season — and first with the addition of four West Coast Big Ten expansion teams — the Wildcats finished second-to-last in the conference with a 5-23 overall record that featured just two

home wins.

Rutgers, the only Big Ten team to finish worse than NU, earned its lone conference win at WelshRyan Arena when it took down the ’Cats in four sets during last season’s penultimate contest. 2025 will be coach Tim Nollan’s second year leading the program after his hiring in February 2024. Nollan previously served eight years at the helm of Grand Canyon University’s program. Nollan faced an uphill battle from the start last year, inheriting a program with just nine rostered players after many transferred out during the coaching

transition.

To make matters worse, during the two months NU was without a head coach, the program hadn’t scheduled any matches for its upcoming season.

Diving in headfirst, Nollan filled out his coaching staff and welcomed two freshmen and five transfers before his inaugural season commenced.

Among those newcomers was then-junior outside hitter Buse Hazan who led NU in kills last year after transferring from South Florida. Despite leading Nollan’s squad in the category, Hazan ranked

32nd in kills across the conference last year, a testament to the current caliber of Big Ten talent. Nollan tacked on three recruits and three transfers to his squad this year and told the Daily in March that he feels “farther ahead” in preparing for his second season than he did the previous one. NU will kick off its season the final weekend of August when it’s slated to play New Mexico State, Eastern Washington and UC San Diego in La Jolla, California.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

MBB seeks identity after stars graduate

By AUDREY PACHUTA daily senior staffer @audreypachuta

audreypachuta

By the time two of Northwestern’s top three leading scorers were ruled out with seasonending injuries amid last season’s conference slate, its hopes of making a third-straight March Madness appearance but evaporated.

On the heels of a middle-of-theroad season with 17 wins and 16 losses, the Wildcats seek a new identity after a handful of critical departures.

NU graduated three players who spent their entire collegiate careers in Evanston and two more who joined the squad as graduate student transfers.

Among last year’s graduating class was former guard Brooks Barnhizer, who was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, making him the first Wildcat to have his name called on NBA draft night this century.

A consistent member of the starting rotation for three of his four years in a purple jersey, Barnhizer’s time at NU didn’t end the way he had hoped. After the ’Cats’ Feb. 1 loss to Wisconsin, coach Chris Collins announced that Barnhizer would miss out on the remainder of his final season to undergo foot surgery. “He had set everything up to have this be the best year yet, to lead this program and to take us to new heights,” Collins said that day. “To have the injuries derail that, it’s unfair.”

At the time, Barnhizer ranked

had all that Barnhizer would miss out on injury.

second among NU scorers, and alongside then-junior forward Nick Martinelli, he completed one of the most lethal duos in college basketball. Just one game after Barnhizer was ruled out, then-graduate student guard Jalen Leach went down with a season-ending knee

last season, as

Mullins and

In their absence, Martinelli stepped up his already-dominant level of play and earned the Big Ten scoring crown, averaging 20.2 points per game during the regular season.

The unorthodox southpaw also shattered NU’s single-season scoring record in a seasonending loss to thenNo.18

Wisconsin in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Following his junior year ascension, Martinelli will return to NU next year to lead a younger coalition of players — without longtime starters like Barnhizer, former guard Ty Berry and former center Matthew Nicholson by his side.

Then-freshman guards K.J. Windham and Angelo Ciaravino Keenan Fitzmorris, and losing former forward Luke Hunger to the transfer portal, the ’Cats will be looking to find the right big man to slot into their rotation among those Five recruits and three transfers will enter the mix this fall. When the ’Cats first announced its recruiting class in November 2024, it was ranked among the top 10 by 247Sports. Of the five recruits, two power forwards, two shooting guards and one center will be joining

ing Nicholson and former additions.

Rising freshman forward Tyler Kropp brings international experience to the team. He’s represented Argentina in FIBA U17 World Cup for the past two years and has juggled NU summer practices with those games ahead of his first year.

In addition to his elite play on the court, rising freshman guard Jake West — rated one of the best players from Pennsylvania — is also a social media sensation, bringing 1.6 million TikTok followers with him to Evanston.

Without Nicholson, Fitzmorris and Hunger, the biggest new faces to keep an eye on are rising freshman center Cade Bennerman and junior transfer center Arrinten Page who will be tasked with defining a new NU frontcourt.

As the ’Cats continue their summer practice schedule, they’re preparing for their nonconference slate to begin in November.

A year after the Big Ten added four West Coast teams to the conference, NU will host Oregon and travel to UCLA for the first time this season. Its complete schedule with dates and times has not yet been finalized as of late July.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu younger coalithew

WBB remain in urgent need of fresh start

By AUDREY PACHUTA daily senior staffer @audreypachuta

attendance have skyrocketed nationwide, NU remains a program stuck in the past.

Over its last three seasons, Northwestern women’s basketball has won just eight conference games — while losing 45.

Things are bad. Really bad.

As coach Joe McKeown prepares for his final season at the helm after announcing his retirement in March, his team will need some serious work in the offseason to make a dent in an increasingly lethal Big Ten.

Opponents have regularly trampled over the Wildcats these past few seasons, with 34 of those 45 conference losses coming by double-digits. The ’Cats finished second to last in the conference in 2025, and had the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the league.

After four West Coast teams joined the Big Ten ahead of last season, NU missed out on this year’s conference tournament, where only 15 of 18 total teams earned a bid.

As women’s basketball viewership and

While 14 Big Ten teams ranked among the top 40 in attendance this past season, Welsh-Ryan Arena has long been a ghost town when McKeown’s group takes the court. Only a handful of student fans attend each game and visiting crowds often drown out the few NU fans in the stands.

In one game this past season when the ’Cats trailed Illinois by 37 points in the fourth quarter, McKeown criticized his squad’s routinely dismal shooting as one cause for concern.

forwards Caileigh Walsh and Taylor Williams. Daley transferred to Virginia Tech for her final year of eligibility.

Daley and Walsh had long led the program, consistently serving as sparks off the bench in the sixthman slot. Williams joined the team ahead of last season after transferring from Michigan.

ball security, turning the ball over three or more times in 17 games

The ’Cats will return rising senior guard Caroline Lau and rising junior guard Casey Harter, who have split ballhandling duties over the past two seasons.

“We’re not good three-point shooters,” McKeown said after that Jan. 23 loss.

“The best three-point shooters in the gym are my three assistant coaches. It’s not what we do.”

Lau has been a crucial facilitator throughout her career, leading the Big Ten in assists last year with six per game. On the downside, Lau has often struggled with

To make matters worse, NU graduated its top three scorconclusion son: former Daley and

Then-freshman guards Kat Righeimer and Xamiya Walton saw increased playing time at the tail end of last season, as did thenfreshman forward Tayla omas. McKeown also picked up a handful of transfers in the portal so far this o season, including DaiJa Turner, a forward from TCU, and Tate Walters, a 5-foot-9 guard from Furman. Former NU lacrosse standout Sammy White also announced she will join the team as a graduate student this season.

But the ’Cats schedule could prove tricky, as they host both USC and UCLA this season — both of whom made the Elite Eight last year.

NU will begin play in November as it begins its nonconference slate.

audreypachuta2027@u. northwestern.edu

Swim and Dive keeps star squad

By ANDREW LITTLE daily senior staffer

@li le_andrew_3

Last year’s Northwestern swimming and diving squad entered the pool as one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten, leaning on many underclassmen. Now one of the Big Ten’s most experienced groups, the Wildcats are looking to build o the 2024-25 season.

Coach Rachel Stra on-Mills enters her third season leading the men’s and women’s programs. Last season, the men set seven program records in the pool, all by underclassmen, and the women set two records. e women’s 6-3 season culminated with an 18th place nish and school record in the 400-yard freestyle relay. en-juniors Lindsay Ervin and Audrey Yu and then-sophomore Sydney Smith return from that relay team in 2025-26 to lead an experienced NU roster that nished ninth in the Big Ten in February.

Among a talented rising sophomore class for the ’Cats, Zoe Nordmann was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team last year, emerging as NU’s top distance swimmer. Nordmann quali ed for the NCAA Championships in the 800 free relay, and placed 13th and 14th in the Big Ten in the 500 free and 1650 free, respectively.

On the men’s side, rising junior Stuart Seymour returns a er se ing records in the 50 yard freestyle, 100 free, 100 yard backstroke and 400 free relay — adding a third-place nish at the Big Ten championships in the 100 back. With an 8-1 record the men nished seventh at the Big Ten championships and just outside the nal College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association poll, receiving one vote.

Fellow rising juniors and NCAA quali ers Cade Duncan, Diego Nosack, Connor Schuster and 2024 Israeli Olympian David Gerchik are also back a er being part of record-se ing relays last season.

Rising sophomore Joshua Staples was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team member last year and NCAA quali er in the 500 and 1650 free. Rising sophomore Kyle Ly set an NU record in the three-meter dive earlier in the year, and joined Staples at the NCAA championships, placing 26th in the platform dive. e ’Cats are expecting a boost from a strong recruiting class, including four top-200 women’s recruits according to swimcloud.com. NU opens its season Saturday, October 11, hosting Miami (OH) and Southern Illinois. Last year, the ’Cats opened their season with a 203-97 win over the Redhawks. eir nonconference schedule also includes a home dual meet with Duke and trips to Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas and University of Chicago, leading into conference and postseason competition in January, February and March.

ers at the

Sword-slingers aim to continue prior success

By AUDREY PACHUTA daily senior staffer @audreypachuta

When Northwestern fans think of which sports to watch at what’s been dubbed as “Chicago’s Big Ten School,” fencing likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But coach Zach Moss and his talented squad of sword-slingers have dutifully built a legacy of success in the shadows.

Moss knows his sport isn’t the most highlydemanded by spectators, but when his team

competed in Ryan Fieldhouse in February, he was delighted by the team’s warm reception.

“ is is the best facility in the country,” Moss said during the inaugural Schiller Duals event. “It’s super critical for them to be at home, to have fans and support from family, friends and the athletic department.”

e ’Cats nished with a 31-8 record in dual competition last season, climbing to No. 3 in the United States Fencing Coaches Association Poll before the postseason commenced. e ’Cats also secured a runner-up nish in the conference championships.

This past year, Moss was named Coach of

the Year by the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference for the fifth-straight year, and three of his six fencers who qualified for the NCAA Championships took home All-American honors.

In March, NU earned 62 total victories in its two-day NCAA Championship stint — its record producing a h-place nish among teams competing for the national title.

Then graduate-student eppeist Amanda Pirowski led the way for NU, securing a seventhplace nish in her weapon, as well as a Second Team All-American nod for the second time in her career.

en-freshman Daphne Chan Nok Sze, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, led the way in the foil, while then-freshman Natalie Shearer raked in an All-American Honorable Mention in the sabre. Moss will tack on ve new additions to his roster this fall.

“ is group is erce, driven, competitive and hard-working. We cannot wait to see the impact they’ll make on our program in the coming years,” Moss said in an April news release about his new recruiting class.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

Wrestling roster pounces on gaps in its lineup

By SIDDARTH SIVARAMAN daily senior staffer @sidvaraman

Northwestern ended the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships with two Wildcats on the podium: then-redshirt senior 165-pounder Maxx Mayfield placed sixth and then-redshirt junior 197-pounder Evan Bates finished seventh.

Those ’Cats are now Missouri Tigers. Between three outgoing transfers and two graduated seniors, coach Matt Storniolo has lost half of his 2025 starting lineup. With a season marked by veteran success in the rear-view mirror, a young roster will have to carry the torch.

Former 157-pounder Trevor Chumbley cut through a highly competitive weight class to finish fourth at the NCAA Championships, the best individual result for a Wildcat since 2022. Chumbley graduated after six seasons in a purple singlet alongside starting 184-pounder Jon Halvorsen.

Their longtime roommates, Mayfield and starting 141-pounder Chris Cannon, transferred to Missouri and Minnesota respectively. Team leadership was expected to fall on Bates as a rising redshirt senior, but he

highest-profile addition

thus far. He’s joined by Virginia transfer and sixth-year senior heavyweight Gabe Christenson. Redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Dedrick Navarro enters his second season in the Wildcat lineup with a few upsets over Ohio State’s Brendan McCrone and Northern Illinois’ Blake West already under his belt. After an injury dashed his hopes of qualifying for last season’s national championships, Navarro will look to rebound in 2026.

The only NCAA qualifier returning to Evanston this winter is redshirt sophomore 149-pounder Sam Cartella. Two ranked wins over Illinois’ Kannon Webster and Minnesota’s Drew Roberts during the dual

season earned him a No. 25 ranking by March, and although he lost twice at NCAAs, he was the only wrestler to ever lead eventual champion Ridge Lovett of Nebraska. The rest of the spots will likely be won and lost in NU’s Trienens Performance Center over the course of this fall. Seven redshirt freshmen will gain full athletic eligibility this season, and NU remains an attractive prospect for graduate transfers, who can sign at any time as long as they have eligibility. The ’Cats will host Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers and Maryland at Welsh-Ryan Arena and travel to face Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Dates and nonconference opponents have not been announced as of July.

s.sivaraman@dailynorth-

Lacrosse aims for championship at home

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

After reaching its third consecutive national championship game in 2025, Northwestern lacrosse stands on the cusp of an unprecedented season in 2026. For the second straight spring, the Wildcats fell just one win short of securing the program’s ninth NCAA title last season, losing 12-8 to undefeated UNC at Gillette Stadium.

With significant roster turnover, advancing beyond the Final Four and earning a championship weekend berth appeared unlikely during the year’s early stages. But coach Kelly Amonte Hiller helped retool the offense around two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist Madison Taylor. A player who consistently saw No. 1 defenders for the first time in her career, Taylor met the moment.

By AUDREY PACHUTA daily senior staffer

@audreypachuta

In her 23 seasons leading the program, coach Kate Drohan’s teams have reached the NCAA Tournament 18 times, including each of the last seven seasons.

The Wantagh, New York, native shattered the NCAA’s single season goals record with 109, ling NU to the cham- onship.

158-point scorer lacked a consistent secoption last seaWhen she went less against the Heels, the ’Cats appeared stagnant offensively — a gap Amonte Hiller needed to fill before next season.

The ’Cats went unde- feated in Big Ten regular sea- son and tournament play, tak- ing home a pair of chamSimply put, NU crafted a dream reconfiguration in its first year sans megastar attacker Izzy Scane. While Taylor seldom found a defen- sive scheme she couldn’t conquer, the

The ’Cats turned to the transfer portal, signing three likely preseason All-Americans in senior

attacker Maddie Epke (James Madison), graduate student attacker Olivia Adamson (Syracuse) and redshirt senior goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco (Drexel). Add in former Harvard defender Annabel Child and NU has filled positions of need with a cadre of dynamic veterans.

Epke will command the possession game as the team’s draw specialist, a role in which she soared to unparalleled heights in Harrisonburg. Adamson is as gifted an attacker as any in the country. Cuocco, who The Daily reported was a ’Cats target last season, went from an underrecruited high school prospect to one of the nation’s best netminders.

NU’s Martin Stadium is set to host the 2026 Final Four and national championship, and Amonte Hiller has put her squad in a phenomenal position to compete for the sport’s ultimate prize on home soil.

jacobepstein2026@u.northwestern.edu

Softball powers through competitive Big Ten

For Northwestern softball, success isn’t a surprise, it’s a given.

1-seed Texas in the opening

The big question for NU’s potential success next season is filling the void left by nowgraduated Lauren Boyd, who posted a career-best 2.30 ERA across 125 innings pitched.

Despite losing two key sluggers and two perennially talented Big Ten expansion teams — Oregon and UCLA — entering the mix ahead of last season, the Wildcats finished their season in similar fashion to 2024.

After earning a national tournament bid, the ’Cats travelled to Clemson, South Carolina, where losses to No. 11-seed Clemson and Kentucky ended their season. The previous year they were clobbered by No.

three seasons, NU’s slated to gradu-

In each of the last three seasons, NU’s primary ball-hurler has been a player slated to graduate at the season’s conclusion. Rising junior pitchers Riley Grudzielanek — who threw the second-most

Work with local businesses to market to the NU community

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innings for NU in 2025 with 87.2 — and Renae Cunningham are two potential options for Drohan, as are rising sophomores Emma Blea and Signe

On the offensive side, three of four players who ended the season with a batting average of .300 or better will return to the field

Cunnea was the consistent bat last season, finishing the year with a .360 average in 125 at-bats.

After a slow start last year on the heels of a successful sophomore-year stint, rising senior infielder Kansas Robinson led NU last year with 41 RBIs, and tied rising senior infielder Bridget Donahey for the most home runs with eight.

Rising sophomore infielder Kaylie Avvisato also made her mark during her rookie season, earning All-Big Ten Freshmen Team honors. She led the team in batting average for most of the year, before slowing down toward the end of the season.

Rising junior

NU is expected to play its first season in a new stadium this spring, assuming ongoing construction on the Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium is completed as scheduled.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

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More information about reporting to the University is available at: www.northwestern.edu/report

Baseball says Big Ten tournament or bust

By ANNA WATSON daily senior staffer @adub_sports

In 2023, Northwestern baseball turned to first-time head coach Ben Greenspan to bring consistency to a program that had seen three different coaches in three seasons. The Wildcats struck gold, as Greenspan’s second year with the program was one of the most successful in recent history.

NU finished 13th in the league standings, with only 12 teams making the trip to the tournament in Omaha last season. Despite missing the Big Ten Tournament, NU finished the

season with a 25-27 record, earning its highest winning percentage since 2005 and most regular season wins since 2006. Two keys to the ’Cats’ 2025 success were recruiting in the transfer portal and an improvement in power hitting.

Rising junior infielder Ryan Kucherak from LSU was Greenspan’s biggest addition in the portal. Kucherak batted .289 with a program record 18 home runs in his first season at NU. With home runs increasingly correlating with success in the college game, the ’Cats rose to the occasion, hitting 73 home runs in 2025, 21 more than in 2024. On the pitching side, graduate student transfers ate up a bulk of the innings, leaving a lot

of room for rotation shifts as the ’Cats prepare for their next season.

In his third year at the helm, Greenspan will eye his first Big Ten Tournament as NU’s head coach.

Though some of the best arms in its pitching staff will not be returning, Greenspan has already made additions in the transfer portal. Younger arms like right-hander Tommy Bridges from TCU and right-hander Chayce Kieck from Clemson will compete for innings.

After redshirting his freshman year, Bridges is a West Coast League All-Star this summer, earning a 1.57 ERA and tossing 34.1 innings in eight starts, as of July 25. Greenspan’s group has a potential ace in right-hander Garrett

Shearer, but he did not play the remainder of the 2025 after two strong starts early in the season.

Meanwhile, the ’Cats return key bats in Kucherak and outfielder Jackson Freeman. In 2025, Freeman built on his Big Ten All-Freshman Team nod by improving his batting average to .255 and hitting fourteen doubles. His good run of form continued into the summer, as he was named a Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star.

With new and returning players alike, NU has the tools it needs to best a successful 2025 campaign.

annawatson2027@u.northwestern.edu

WTEN plans comeback MTEN bolsters roster

By ELI KRONENBERG daily senior staffer @elikronenberg

There’s no sugarcoating it: last season did not go to plan for coach Claire Pollard’s squad. The Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in Pollard’s decorated 27-year tenure in Evanston after finishing with 13 wins and 13 losses — and, a losing conference record for the first time under Pollard.

NU’s disappointing year was punctuated by a 4-0 defeat to Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, its third loss to the Fighting Illini of the season and the least competitive of the bunch.

Entering this season, Pollard will have to fill the void left by the graduation of three lineup linchpins in Sydney Pratt,

Britany Lau and Kiley Rabjohns. Pratt’s contributions will be especially missed after she put together a remarkable senior campaign, finishing 17-2 in singles.

The 2025-26 ’Cats lineup figures to be anchored by a pair of emerging stars — rising sophomore Erica Jessel and rising junior Neena Feldman. Jessel played a majority of the season at the No. 1 singles spot and notably scored a victory over the third-ranked singles player in the country, Michigan’s Julia Fliegner. Feldman, meanwhile, played a near-impeccable campaign, going 12-1 in singles and rising from a fringe starter at the beginning of the season to NU’s No. 2 singles player by the end of it.

Pollard turned across the Atlantic for her newest recruits, bringing in Marelie Raath from Great Britain and Margot Phanthala from France. The two add further international credentials to NU’s roster after rising sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman arrived from Israel last summer.

NU will again host the ITA National Indoor Championships — one of the sport’s centerpiece events — as part of a two-year deal which sees the ’Cats receive an automatic wild card into the field.

elikronenberg2027@u.northwestern.edu

By ELI KRONENBERG daily senior staffer @elikronenberg

With the entrance of four West Coast outfits into the Big Ten last year, an already deep men’s tennis conference got even more competitive. Northwestern learned this the hard way, going 0-4 against the conference’s debu- tants en route to a second consecutive losing season.

Goli, Felix Nordby and Max Bengtsson.

Fortunately, the ’Cats have substantial reinforcements on the way. Swan acquired a threeplayer haul from the transfer portal, securing the signings of Georgia’s Cyrus Mahjoob, California’s Ethan Schiffman and Vanderbilt’s Dylan Charlap. Also joining the ranks is the No. 16 freshman class in the nation according to Tennis Recruiting Network, consisting of five-star recruits Cooper Han, Dylan Fayerman and Jacob Golden.

A er a promising 3-1 start to Big Ten play, the Wildcats lost eight of their next nine conference matches and watched the NCAA Tournament from home for the second year running a er nishing the season with 12 wins and 17 losses.

e task of keeping up with the pack might yet get steeper for head coach Arvid Swan, as three of NU’s top four singles starters throughout Big Ten play graduated — Saiprakash

Of its returning players, NU will rely on rising junior Greyson Casey, rising senior Chad Miller and rising sophomore Carter Pate. Casey played across the top three singles lineup spots last season, while Miller came on strong late in the season and finished with a 6-2 Big Ten singles record as the team’s No. 5. Pate showed promise at the No. 4 spot before suffering a season-ending foot injury during non-conference play. To return to winning ways, the ’Cats will need a combination of familiar and fresh faces to produce against increasingly steep competition.

elikronenberg2027@u.northwestern.edu

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Men’s golf swings for a better 2026 season

By AUDREY PACHUTA

daily senior staffer @audreypachuta

When it comes to Northwestern’s teams on the fairway, the school’s women’s golf program — which won the NCAA National Championship this year — surely dominated this season’s narrative.

As the women’s team took home the sport’s highest title, NU’s men’s golf team experienced a decline this past season. The Wildcats entered their 2025 season hoping to defend the Big Ten title they amassed the previous year — instead,

they finished 12th.

Then-junior Daniel Svärd eyed his thirdstraight individual first-place finish at the event, but finished 19th.

In his 11th year leading the program and his 15th at NU, coach David Inglis’ squad got off to a rocky start this past season, failing to place among the top 10 in its first two events of the season.

Despite a mid-season surge, the ’Cats never regained their traction from the previous year, in which the team sat atop the conference for the first time since 2006.

Svärd and then-senior Cameron Adam received All-Big Ten First Team honors amid

the program’s lull. For the second year in a row, Svärd was a unanimous pick for the All-Big Ten squad. He had the team’s highest number of top-five finishes during its 2024-25 campaign, including a tie for first place at The Goodwin, NU’s penultimate contest of the season. That day, Svärd shot 5-under-205 and the ’Cats placed ahead of 10 ranked teams, including No. 13 Utah.

Adam received the First Team bid after a First Team placement during his junior year. He led NU with a 70.71 average score during the regular season slate and won an individual championship at The Clerico this past fall,

shooting a 3-under-207. The ’Cats received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, but fell short of an NCAA Championship bid with a 10th-place finish at the Tallahassee Regional. Adam led NU’s postseason campaign with an individual fifth-place finish at the regional.

During the offseason, Inglis picked up Rowan Sullivan, a junior transfer from Vanderbilt with three years of eligibility remaining. Other newcomers include two freshmen, Monty Holcombe from England and Isaac Lee from Hong Kong.

audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu

Women’s golf chases second happily ever after

By DESIREE LUO daily senior staffer

When it comes to Northwestern women’s golf, next season’s squad has historic shoes to fill.

The Wildcats enter the year fresh off winning the first NCAA championship in program history — the pinnacle of a thrilling 20242025 season.

Rising junior Ashley Yun looks to replicate a team-best performance, which consisted of a 71.65 scoring average over all 34 rounds. The All-Big Ten First Team honoree will set the upcoming season’s tone.

sport’s history that both accolades have gone to the same

Rising senior Dianna Lee, whose putt clinched the title over top-ranked Stanford in May, also has the chance to take on a leading role for the team. Her striking level skyrocketed from sophomore to junior year, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

Although most pieces to the championship team remain, the ‘Cats must fill the gap left by Lauryn Nguyen, who graduated at last season’s conclusion. As the team’s second-best scorer and only senior last season, the three-time All-Big Ten First Team honoree anchored the group from start to finish.

key for the ‘Cats moving forward. Freshman Arianna Lau will fill one of the team’s vacant spots. The Hong Kong native won the 2024 IMG Academy Junior World Golf

ing level skyrocketed from sophomore to Elise Lee, who

But it takes a village to win a national title. Coach Emily Fletcher and assistant coach Beth Miller both earned Women’s Golf Coaches Association honors. Their respective National Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year awards marked the first time in the

On top of that, the ’Cats will lose Elise Lee, who announced she will transfer to USC after receiving All-Big Ten Second Team honors this spring. Both Nguyen and Lee played all 34 rounds, underscoring that consistency is

Photo courtesy of Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern’s women’s golf team captured its first national championshp in program history in 2025.