Hello Wildcat Parents & Family Members! Summer has finally arrived and both Evanston and the city of Chicago could not be more beautiful! Some of our students are here enjoying all Evanston has to offer this summer (proximity to Chicago, lakefront sunbathing and sports, students’ favorite restaurants and hangouts, and more). Others are home working summer jobs, studying abroad, interning around the globe- or maybe just relaxing! We can’t forget our newest students who may be spending much of the summer in anticipation of coming to Northwestern for the first time this fall. This June/July issue of the Wildcat Family Focus reflects on this past year, celebrates our Class of 2014 and looks forward to this fall. While we just celebrated Fourth of July weekend, Move-In and Wildcat Welcome will be here before you know it! We look forward to school starting and seeing everyone back on campus. We also wish our Class of 2014 the best as they make their way into the “real world.” Best Regards & As Always, Go ’Cats! Patricia F. Hilkert Director of New Student and Family Programs Northwestern University
COMMENCEMENT COMMENCEMENT 2014 Congratulations to the recently graduated Class of 2014 and to the parents, family members, and friends who supported them throughout their time at Northwestern! To watch Chicago Symphony Orchestra Music Director Riccardo Muti deliver his address to graduates on the power of music to unite the world, browse photos of the commencement ceremony and read through Northwestern magazine’s profiles of twelve standout seniors, visit NU’s Newscenter.
CLASS OF 2014 GIFT The Class of 2014 Gift is going strong! The Class of 2014 Gift is a contribution (typically $20.14) seniors make to any area of the University, and a way to commemorate everything that Northwestern means to them. When seniors give, they can direct where the money goes - whether it be to a specific college, student life, scholarships, student group, or a ton of other areas. Currently, 1200 seniors have donated to over 130 areas! When the Class of 2014 hits 1400 donors, the Class of 1994 will donate an additional $10,000 in their honor, making the Class of 2014’s financial impact the largest in senior class gift history. Senior donors will vote where that $10,000 goes based on the top 4 allocations made by seniors last year – Class of 2014 will choose between the Student Life Fund, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Scholarships or the Northwestern Annual Fund. There are so many reasons seniors should give, but the overarching one is that every single gift to the University makes a difference, and the more seniors give, the more Northwestern can do to ensure that those who come after them have as great as an experience as they did. For more information on the Class Gift, visit wewill.northwestern.edu/classgift14
RELIGIOUS LIFE
Each year Northwestern Interfaith Advocates, a group of students who work with the Office of Religious Life, holds various events throughout the year to promote interfaith dialogue, create a sense of community on campus, and encourage exploration of different perspectives within various faith traditions. This past spring was NU’s first ever Interfaith Week. The Week began with the event “Yosef and Yusuf,” which compared the story of Prophet Joseph in the Qur’an and the Torah. Other events, such as “Rangoli at the Rock,” brought in random passers-by to participate in a public project with artist Indira Johnson to recreate the South Asian tradition using natural elements (pictured above). Another event of the week, "Big Picture Northwestern,” allowed various student groups on campus to share what their organization has done throughout the year. The week came to a close with “Living Library,” where students could learn about the life stories of others through short conversations. Throughout the year, Interfaith Advocates have contributed to campus learning through interesting discussions and inspiring lectures. The students have passed out carnations with Interfaith fun facts, invited leaders from various traditions to speak, and cosponsored an event in which Radhanath Swami spoke on the need for compassion in leadership. In addition to Interfaith Advocacy, the Office of Religious Life works with NU Interfaith Initiative, a student group that promotes interfaith dialogue every week through discussions with free dinner. Topics have included faith among celebrities, social justice, substance use in religion, religion in Bollywood films, and the tradition of the Day of the Dead. We encourage students to join us this fall as we continue to have great discussions and delicious food!
RESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC INITIATIVES AUTHOR MARK TURCOTTE DISCUSSES WRITING PROCESS On May 8th, visiting writer-in-residence Mark Turcotte joined a gathering of Northwestern students on the Evanston Campus to read excerpts from his works, discuss his journey of becoming a writer and what strategies he employs when developing narrative. The students enjoyed the personal experiences he shared along with learning how those experiences inspire his writing. Students also greatly appreciated receiving a free copy of one of his poetry collections. Mark Turcotte is a Turtle Mountain Chippewa and author of four poetry collections, including The Feathered Heart and Exploding Chippewas. His poetry and short fiction have appeared in many literary journals, including TriQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, and Ploughshares to name a few. The May 8th reception was a sponsored collaboration of Northwestern’s Center for the Writing Arts and the Office of Residential Academic Initiatives. In the photo above, Mark Turcotte (left) discusses one of his poems with students (NU students left to right: Noah Perkins; Maria Fantozzi, Beatrice Hagney and Amakie Amattey).
CHICAGO EXCURSIONS The Office of Residential Academic Initiatives (ORAI) provides an array of interesting Chicago excursion opportunities to promote student and faculty engagement throughout the year. During Spring Quarter, the trips included attending the national tour of Peter and the Starcatcher, a gospel concert and brunch at the House of Blues, a dining experience at the Kendall College Culinary School and a taping of NPR’s quiz show, Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me! In this photo, Northwestern faculty members David Chopp and SonBinh Nguyen enjoy a Sunday brunch with students at the House of Blues (Grace Chan, Christopher Platt, Miranda Zhao, Joey Coomes, Javi Chapa, Amrit Kanesa-Thasan, Carter Freeman, Carly Bondar and Tom Bielawiec).
RESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC INITIATIVES PEER-LED UNDERGRADUATE STUDY SESSIONS Northwestern has lots of smart students. To tap into the collective brainpower on campus, the Office of Residential Academic Initiatives and Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning are collaborating on a new model of academic support. Before final exam week, students in Econ 201, Econ 202, Stat 210, Chem 103, and Chem 210 came to an event where students who have already taken those courses were on hand to answer questions and facilitate review discussions. If the promise of more meaningful and efficient studying wasn’t enough to entice them, maybe the catered buffet did the trick. Nearly 60 students showed up at the Peer-Led Undergraduate Study (PLUS) session for help from peer mentors. The Office of Residential Academic Initiatives plans to hold PLUS sessions on a weekly basis in fall quarter to help students in a range of courses as they work on regular problem sets and study for exams.
COMING SOON TO A CLASSROOM NEAR YOU Is an experiment in student-faculty engagement turning into a tradition? The Office of Residential Academic Initiatives offered "Coming Soon to a Classroom Near You" in the fall and winter to help students make more informed choices about their courses during registration season. There are so many terrific academic opportunities that Northwestern students miss out on because they haven’t heard about them or don’t think they’re eligible to enroll. Even though fall seems far away for many, 80 students turned out for a casual and festive dinner this spring that included remarks by faculty members eager to highlight exciting offerings for this fall. Highlighted below are a few remarks from the dozen instructors who presented upcoming courses that evening: Bill Bleich (RTVF, pictured left) explained the record number of spots for non-majors in "Intro to Screenwriting," which is a prerequisite for a range of upper-level courses that he teaches, such as "Writing the Suspense Thriller." Alec Klein (Medill) described his upcoming course for the Medill Innocence Project, which includes case research and reporting on a class trip to Louisiana. Students of all undergraduate schools are eligible to enroll in this course, which may contribute to overturning a wrongful conviction. Carol Simpson Stern (Performance Studies) asked students if they've really ever read James Joyce's Ulysses or just claim to have done so. Either way, she wants students to take her "Performing James Joyce" because they'll engage the text in unique ways. Ana Thome Williams (Spanish & Portuguese) encouraged students to consider adding Portuguese to their linguistic toolkit. The department offers both "Elementary Portuguese" and "Portuguese for Spanish Speakers" as gateways into the language and upper-level courses on literature and culture.
ONE BOOK ONE NORTHWESTERN One Book One Northwestern hosted by the Roberta Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies sponsored or co-sponsored the following programs at the end of the Spring Quarter. The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change by Roger Thurow was the 2013-14 One Book One Northwestern selection. We continued to explore issues of hunger, international economics and foreign aid. May held many events to wrap up this year’s book, highlighted below.
CONFESSIONS OF AN AID WORKER Jillian Reilly, a writer and public speaker, spoke on campus May 6th, focusing primarily on developing world affairs. Her aim is to inspire more honest, critical debate about development work with the local and international players involved in it. Jillian addressed fundamental problems with international aid and explored ways to work within what she calls a "broken system for social change."
WORLD FAIR TRADE Students had an opportunity to be ethical consumers by supporting fair trade famers, artisans and workers. Fair trade enables producers to build better lives and invest in their communities.
NU’S GLOBAL VILLAGE AIESEC and Deering Days organized a 30 plus student groups provided free food, music and dance for the entire campus. The event sought to expose students to different cultures as well as encourage them to study abroad.
THE TYRANNY OF EXPERTS William Easterly, professor of economics at New York University and co-director of the NYU Development Research Institute, gave a talk on international development and the effectiveness of “experts” in the field. For more information on Easterly, visit his website: http://williameasterly.org/. Learn more about 2014-15’s common book, Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steele.
POINTS FOR A PURPOSE
Picture: NU Life in Purple Blog
This year, NU Dining has been working with NU students and created a program called Points for a Purpose. Over the course of the year, NU students donated enough money to create 1,771 meals for less fortunate residents in the Evanston community: Points for a Purpose was an idea created by Northwestern students Bryan Berger and Dean Meisel in fall 2013. After partnering with Northwestern Dining, Points for a Purpose became a certified Student Organization of the University and through student meal point donations has raised $4,446 in their inaugural year which helped The Campus Kitchens at Northwestern University create 1,771 meals to be donated to the less fortunate throughout the Evanston community. Berger and Meisel hope that Points for a Purpose can draw awareness to the food insecurity present in Evanston. “It’s a commonly overlooked issue,” Berger said. “Not only do we want to give purpose to a resource we already have, but we can now spread awareness about how much food insecurity there is in the area that people don’t see on campus.” Since starting the program, Meisel and Berger have become a chapter of Swipes for the Homeless, a group dedicated to alleviating hunger and raising awareness of food insecurity. The collaboration gives Berger and Meisel a larger network of support and resources to work with. They also hope to create a stronger relationship between Northwestern and the surrounding community through their efforts.
NORRIS UNIVERSITY CENTER For students here on campus this summer, the Norris Center has a lot to offer: Norris Mini-Courses where students can try out a new skill such as ballroom dancing or sketch drawing, free outdoor film screenings, and live music during lunch hour. This year has also been full of fun programming and additions at Norris— take a look back at some of the year’s highlights.
NORRIS AT NIGHT Nearly 1500 new students poured into the Norris Center at the height of Wildcat Welcome for the annual Norris at Night event. Students were welcomed to their new student center with free food, exciting prizes, and community-building activities to help them get to know their fellow Wildcats!
EXAM RELIEF Finals week can be a struggle but Norris is committed to keeping students relaxed and prepared for their finals through our quarterly Exam Relief program. Free massages, sessions with therapy dogs, and a free late-night breakfast keep students active and in good spirits. Norris is open 24-hours during finals week and offers free coffee, snacks, and academic help.
ADDITIONS OF SUBWAY AND DUNKIN’ DONUTS In addition to serving as the hub for student activities, Norris is committed to providing students with fun and affordable dining options. This year, Norris added Subway and Dunkin' Donuts to the ground floor, which have been wildly popular with students. Whether grabbing a coffee and a donut from Dunkin' or getting a foot-long sandwich from Subway, students have a ton of great options for grabbing a bite from Norris.
STUDENT ORGANIZATION RESOURCE CENTER (THE SOURCE) With students as involved as they are at Northwestern, it can be difficult to find a meeting space for student clubs and organizations. With this in mind, this year Norris built the Student Organization Resource Center (SOURCE), a large, collaborative meeting space on the third floor where students can work on projects, have group discussions, and plan for their upcoming events.
UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICES
Photo: 2014 Summer Internship Grant Program Recipients / Jill Brazel
UCS RELOCATES FOR SUMMER 2014 UCS is open all summer at its temporary summer home on the 4th floor of 2020 Ridge in Evanston and will return to its regular home at 620 Lincoln in September. We invite students to: Make an appointment to meet with their counselor or advisor here: http://bit.ly/ucsappt. Appointments are held at 2020 Ridge, 4th floor. Drop in (without an appointment) between now and August 28th on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for a 15-minute session with a member of our counseling/advising team. Express hours are held at our Express Advising Center in the Main Library, 2nd Floor, Core.
USC JOB SEARCH SYSTEM Is your student in the midst of a job or internship search? Many opportunities exist right now in CareerCat, our job and internship search system. Students can log in using their Net ID and Net ID password, create/upload a profile, and begin their search at http://bit.ly/ucscareercat.
SUMMER INTERNSHIP GRANT PROGRAM This year, UCS worked to fund a record number of 70 students for its Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) after receiving 287 applications — more applications than ever before. The group of 70 included 5 freshmen, 20 sophomores and 45 juniors representing Bienen, Medill, the School of Communication, the School of Social Policy and Education, and Weinberg. Interested in learning more about SIGP or making a donation to support next year’s students? Please visit http://www.northwestern.edu/sigp to learn more.
BEYOND NU: THE CLASS OF 2013 According to a new study from UCS about the career paths of the undergraduate class of 2013, more than half of respondents have full-time employment or are participating in paid public service six months postgraduation. Others are in graduate or professional school, completing fellowships or involved in post-graduate internships or other career-related experiences. Only four percent of graduates report actively job searching. To view highlights, visit http://bit.ly/ucsgrad2013.
FALL MOVE-IN GET READY FOR MOVE-IN New Student Move-In: Monday, September 15, 2014 beginning at 8:00 AM. The residence halls open for returning students at 8:00 AM on Friday, September 19, 2014.
SHIPPING ITEMS If you're planning on buying a fridge, consider ordering through RezEssentials, a student-run company on campus that will deliver your fridge directly to your room prior to move-in. If you intend to ship some of your other belongings before you arrive, please refer to the Ship to Northwestern program. By using this service, items will be placed in your room prior to your arrival.
THINGS TO BRING Visit the Residential Services website for a list of things to bring with you to campus and what to leave at home.
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY’S MOVE-IN TIPS Smart back to school shopping can save money and the environment by reducing the amount of unnecessary items that aren’t used and are eventually thrown away. At the end of this school year, Northwestern generated 57,000 lbs of waste associated with Move Out. Luckily 10,000 lbs of this waste was donated to charity through the Take it or Leave it program. But much of what is collected and donated are duplicate items, such as irons and ironing boards. Be sure to have your student get in touch with their roommates before they move in, to avoid buying the same items. You can also do your part in minimizing NU’s waste stream by checking out the Office of Sustainability’s helpful Green Shopping List to help determine the necessary items that need to fit in your student’s suitcase. Residential Services also offers a comprehensive list of what to bring to campus. Additionally, the Office of Sustainability has created a Green Living Guide that provides tips and tools for students to save energy and water, as well as reduce waste and carbon emissions. From classes to take to healthy local restaurants you must try, the guide has it all! As if that wasn’t already enough, it also shares what NU is doing to become a leader in sustainability.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE Looking for an opportunity to get involved next fall? NU Residential Life provides unique opportunities for residents to be involved in their communities.
HALL GOVERNMENT There are multiple opportunities to get involved in the residence halls and one way to do that is to run for a Hall Government executive board position! The residence halls are a dynamic and exciting place to live and the Hall Government is the perfect platform to make sure that your residence hall is a fun and inviting place for you and your friends. Every building or area on campus has an executive board that has a budget to enrich the experience of the residents through social events and purchasing amenities for the building. The Hall Government is a perfect way to get involved in the Northwestern community without leaving home and it also looks great on applications for campus jobs such as a Resident Assistant (RA). Hall Government elections will start shortly after classes start. The exact date is not set, but elections will occur across campus in mid-October. Look for information sessions in your buildings and also look for publicity outlining the due date for applications. The Hall Government is a great way to get to know fellow residents and to get an inside view of how campus life works at NU, so make sure to look for application and election information in the fall!
RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is a campus-wide organization that strives to be the voice of students in the residence halls. RHA is the presiding board over Hall Governments and the weekly meetings of RHA are a place for residential students to voice concerns and advocate for changes that need to occur in the Residence Halls. One initiative that started with RHA was the free laundry program that will be starting in the residence halls this fall. RHA also puts on large-scale campus events available for all students in the residence halls. This past year, we took a trip to the Shedd Aquarium and also held a campus BBQ. Checkout RHA’s website and also make sure to get involved in RHA sponsored events and initiatives in the fall! Click here for RHA’s website and here to like RHA’s Facebook page.
NU HILLEL Spring quarter was full of exciting programming at NU Hillel, including Passover Seders and meals, Jewish Theater Ensemble’s production of Animals out of Paper, Holocaust survivor’s testimony, Yom Ha’Atzmaut Picnic, 50 Years Later: Reflections on the Jewish Quota at Northwestern, author David Harris-Gershon in Conversation with Michael Simon, a presentation by Guy Josif: “My journey from Darfur to freedom,” Bat Mizvañera, Dillo Shabbat, Sinai Slam, and other events.
NIGHT OF APPRECIATION On June 2nd, nearly 100 students, staff and supporters of NU Hillel gathered in the Guild Lounge of Northwestern's Scott Hall for Hillel's annual Night of Appreciation. With tremendous pride and enthusiasm, we honored the students, staff and Board members who have made an enduring impact on Jewish life at Northwestern. The Night of Appreciation included a special tribute to the graduating class of 2014, a miniconcert by ShireiNU A Cappella, a presentation to former Board member Joe Schofer, and a thank-you to former staff member Becky Panter. In addition, we presented a slide show of photos from 2013-14 at the event. Please see below for a list of this year's award recipients.
AWARDS RECIPIENTS Director's Award: Hannah Newman Board of Directors' Award: Dahlia Gruen Leadership Award: Andy Rodheim Innovation Award: Jeremy Halpern 629 Foster Award: Dina Gatoff and Pamela Wax Social Justice Award: Sam Toizer Engagement Award: Natalie Bergner Community Building Award: Stephanie Kahn Junior Award: Ariel Silverstein Sophomore Award: Ariella Hoffman-Peterson Freshman Award: Miles Kurtz
COMMENCEMENT A few weeks ago, Evanston was awash in purple as NU Hillel joined the Northwestern community in celebrating the University's 156th Annual Commencement. NU Hillel welcomed dozens of graduating seniors, family members, alumni, staff, and Board members to our annual Wine and Cheese Reception for graduates and their families.
Photo: Bat Mizvañera, an event with the students of Alianza and Hillel.
ATHLETICS MEN’S GOLF Jack Perry of the NU men’s golf team turned professional immediately after completing U.S. Open sectional qualifying in May and received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Web.com Cleveland Open that same week. He made the cut in that event to collect a paycheck in his first professional tournament.
SOFTBALL Northwestern softball fifth-year senior Emily Allard was drafted 12th overall in the 2014 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft by the Chicago Bandits and joined the franchise after the conclusion of NU's season. Through the first three weeks of the season, Allard led the entire NPF with a .533 batting average while starting in left field and primarily leading off in the Bandits powerful lineup.
Emily Allard. Photo courtesy of Dina Kwit
Football hosted ESPN College Gameday in the fall. Photo courtesy of Stephen Anzaldi
2013-2014 HIGHLIGHTS Women’s Lacrosse made their 10th straight NCAA Semifinal appearance – finishing the season 17-7. Jason Tsirtsis from Wrestling because the first NU freshman to win an NCAA title – first NU individual title since 2009. Women’s Tennis won the Big Ten Tournament – their 16th consecutive Big Ten title. Field Hockey won the Big Ten Championship – first for NU since 1994. Men’s Basketball upset No. 13 Wisconsin on the road in January – Wisconsin then went on to the Final. Four.
UPCOMING EVENTS Football and Men’s Basketball season tickets are now on sale. For tickets, visit www.nusports.com. Northwestern will host the third annual Run for Walk, a 4.1 mile run and 5K walk, on July 27 th in honor of former football coach Randy Walker. For more information, visit www.nusports.com/runforwalk.
NORTHWESTERN CAPS QUESTION, PURSUADE, REFER (QPR) Since March 2012, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) trained over 2,000 students, faculty, and staff in nationally recognized gate keeper suicide prevention training – QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer). CAPS has been conducting research on the effectiveness of QPR at Northwestern community. The project included pre- and post- test measures of awareness of basic knowledge related to suicide prevention, confidence and willingness to ask someone about suicide persuade them to get help, and refer them to appropriate resources on and off campus. 301 participants agree to be part of the study (44% undergraduates, 35% graduate/professional students, 20% faculty/staff). The preliminary results suggest that QPR training had a significant impact on students’ learning related to suicide prevention. Participants reported significant increase in their ability to effectively ask someone about suicide (from 16% prior to training to 76% six months after the training) and to persuade someone to get help (from 14% prior to training to 75% six months after the training). Also, their knowledge about suicide warning signs and myths about suicide increased as well. What is important to note is that students’ confidence related to intervening with someone who has suicidal thoughts increased. After QPR training, 70% participants asked someone in their lives if he or she has suicidal thoughts and were able to refer them to get help. That number increased from 44% prior to suicide prevention training. Suicide prevention is a community effort and it’s important we continue to engage in these conversations on our campus and at home. Remember: Ask a question, safe a life! For more information on QPR Training at NU, visit http://www.northwestern.edu/ counseling/about-us/services/suicide-prevention/index.html.
SAVE THE DATE View Plan-It Purple for upcoming events at NU!
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 NEW STUDENT MOVE-IN DAY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15 - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 PARENT AND FAMILY ORIENTATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 WILDCAT WELCOME FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 RETURNING STUDENTS MOVE-IN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
FAMILY WEEKEND Register for Family Weekend (Friday, November 7th through Sunday the 9th, and learn more about the weekend’s events on our website. Early access to football tickets for Saturday, November 8th (NU vs. Michigan) is available after you register for Family Weekend on our page. You will see an access code and instructions on your internet browser after you submit your registration.
New Student and Family Programs 600 Haven St. J230 Evanston, IL 60208 family@northwestern.edu