NORTHWESTERNPARENT quarterly
THE
Spring 2013
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SPRING 2013
CONTENTS NU PARENT QUARTERLY
8 10
HOUSING UPDATE AND OTHER CAMPUS NEWS
ATHLETICS
NU WELCOMES CHRIS COLLINS
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STUDENTS VISIT NU-QATAR SPRING BREAK IN DOHA
Doha photo courtesy of Lindsay Barranco ’14
IN THIS ISSUE 4 LETTER FROM PATRICIA TELLES-IRVIN 5 DILLO DAY, FAMILY WEEKEND INFORMATION
7 DID YOU KNOW: UPDATES FROM AROUND CAMPUS
ON THE COVER
The South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) celebrates the Hindu holiday of Holi. NU students participated in the April 28 celebration on the Lakefill. Holi is a spring festival celebrated as a festival of colors.
Photo courtesy of Logan Fassbinder ’16 and North by Northwestern.
Letter
from Patricia Telles-Irvin Vice President for Student Affairs
The following message is an email delivered to the Northwestern community at 8:51 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, 2013 regarding the death of undergraduate student Dmitri Teplov.
Dear Members of the Northwestern Community, I am saddened to report that a Northwestern undergraduate student, Dmitri Teplov, was found dead in Pancoe Hall on the Evanston campus on Sunday, May 5, 2013. The cause of death has not yet been determined and is under investigation by the Evanston Police Department and University Police. However, there is no indication of any danger or threat to other members of the Northwestern community. Dmitri was a sophomore in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences from New York City. On behalf of the University, I extend our condolences to Dmitri's family and friends. We always feel deeply the loss of a member of our Northwestern community. Staff members from Counseling and Psychological Services are available and may be contacted at 847-491-2151 or by visiting their website. In addition, members of the chaplain's staff are available at 847-491-7256 or through the Religious Life website. Again, we offer our profound sympathy to Dmitri's family and his fellow students. We join them in mourning the loss of a member of our community. Patricia Telles-Irvin Vice President for Student Affairs
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A NOTE ON DILLO DAY They are known by many names… Slope Day, Fest, Green Key, LDOC (Last Day of Classes) - the time of year when students anxiously celebrate the arrival of Spring and gratefully take a day off from studying to attend their school’s spring festival before finals. At Northwestern, this rite of Spring is called Armadillo Day (or simply Dillo Day, by its friends), and it is the day when NU students put the ‘wild’ in Wildcats. The contemporary armadillo day has its roots in May Day or Mayfete. Historically the crowning of the May Queen was the central event, and the pomp included a Maypole dance and cotillion. May Day expanded to May Week in 1946 and ultimately this event evolved into a month long celebration known as Mayfest. Armadillo Day began in 1972 when a group of Northwestern students, hailing from Texas, held a small spring celebration in honor of their famous Texas mammal - the armadillo. More than 40 years later, "Dillo Day" is the culmination of Mayfest with an allday Saturday event on the lakefront featuring national and locally known bands, games and vendors. Planning for the festival happens year round, and Dillo has become one of NU’s most notable traditions.
Students kick the day off with a free pancake breakfast near Deering Meadow prepared by the leaders of the Greek-letter community, and studentathletes, and then begin firing up the grills and lawn games until the festival begins. Past musical acts have included the likes of: Outkast, Ben Folds, Regina Spektor, Third Eye Blind, Common, Nelly and most recently EDM (electronic dance music) artist Steve Aoki. This free festival runs from midday until 10 p.m. at night, and concludes with fireworks over the lakefront, and a free lake night breakfast in campus dining halls. The University works in close partnership with students, City officials, neighbors, and police to ensure that Dillo Day remains a safe and fun event for students. In recent years, the weekend has been brought to a close by a student-led community clean -up event, to help the city parks and neighborhoods where students live snap back and welcome Spring. We invite families to help us in our efforts to have their NU student enjoy a safe, fun and responsible Dillo Day this June 1, and join us in being ‘smart Dillos’ in addition to being the smart Wildcats we are used to. -Burgwell Howard, Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement
SAVE THE DATE 2013 FAMILY WEEKEND
OCT. 18-20, 2013 registration begins june 3 www.northwestern.edu/orientation/parents
STUDENTS VISIT NU-QATAR Darcy Coussens ’14 shares her experience visiting Doha By Darcy Coussens ’14
Easily the most valuable part of the trip for me was having the unique opportunity to spend time talking with native Qatari students and expatriate students about all kinds of things. They were curious about American perceptions of the Middle East, and we were interested in their perceptions of the U.S. I have never so comfortably discussed democracy in a nation that is not one. Journalism students there have ongoing conversations about balancing Medill's teachings with Qatari laws, and their passion for a free press takes on new meaning given the various Middle Eastern and African countries most of them are from. The following is an excerpt from a blog hosted on the Northwestern News website; visit the site to read the entire blog
Sunday, April 1, 2013 Greetings from Chicago! Now that I have slept quite a bit and readjusted to Central Standard Time, it seems amazing how much we fit into just four and a half days of break. I am extremely fortunate to have been flown halfway around the world for spring break, and while my days in Doha included a lot of sightseeing and tours, I am glad it was not just a tourism trip. Besides the falcons, camels, and that cute puppy I got to hold at the souq, what stands out the most are the times I spent with the NU-Q students. We had a lot of fun and some great discussions, and what surprised me the most was how similar our student experiences are. Sure, there are some differences. I don't see many thobes and abayas around campus in Evanston, and not many NU-E students own land cruisers. Evanston also definitely does not see as many eighty degree days in March. Yet I found it fairly easy to adjust to life in Doha and Education City. After all, class is still class. Students at both campuses come from all over the world, work hard on film, theatre, and writing projects and have a lot of school spirit. We did not meet all 150 or so NU-Q students, but I found those we did get to know to be very open and energetic. Northwestern is much smaller in numbers over there, but combined with the rest of Education City, NU-Q feels like one community within a larger group of students. 6 NORTHWESTERN PARENT
Some of these discussions may not have come about in Evanston, nor would they have had the same context or diversity of background. I certainly returned home with a new perspective on America, Qatar, and the Middle East, convincing me that one must visit a place and talk to the people there in order to really understand it. It just would not have been possible to teach this experience in a classroom. So much change is happening in Doha and it is easy to see: in the education system, the rapid growth of Al-Jazeera, and quite literally in the construction all over the city. Everything looks shiny and new, and in a way it was strange to visit a city that is younger than I am. The diversity of Doha is also visible in the variety of thobes, abayas, hijabs, jeans, and other clothes people wear. Qatar is rapidly moving forward and I am glad NU is one of the universities that gets to be part of that. On our final bus ride together from O'Hare Airport to the Evanston campus, the other NU-E students and I discussed our impressions of NU-Q and made plans to drink karak together soon. We had been briefed on a few legal and cultural differences before we left, such as advice on what to wear or where to avoid taking photographs, so we are curious about what they heard about us before we arrived and what they will be told before some of them visit in May. It surprised us all that we could get to know each other and the students in Qatar so quickly, but we are already keeping in touch and I can't wait to show them around Chicago.
Lakefill on May 1, 2013, Courtesy of Bryan Berger ’16
NEWS ACROSS CAMPUS
2013-14 ONE BOOK IS ANNOUNCED
NEW STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS FOR ISRAEL
Campus read follows Kenyan farmers taking advantage of One Acre Fund Read more
Programs in public health and the modern state of Israel to begin spring quarter 2014 Read more
WHY NORTHWESTERN: NORMAL AND SMART
FOUR GREATS TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREES
Freshman Nicholas Jacobson shares his outlook on NU with the Huffington Post Read more
Honored for leadership in arts, communication studies, American literature and mathematics Read more
WEINBERG FACULTY RECEIVE TOP SCIENTIFIC HONOR
MCCORMICK-SHEDD AQUARIUM PARTNERSHIP IN THE NEWS
BUILDING A BASE FOR VETERANS AT NORTHWESTERN
SCHOOL OF COMM RECEIVES LARGEST GRANT TO RESEARCHER
James A. Brown and Dale Mortensen elected to National Academy of Sciences Read more
Freshmen students design “shoe” for injured penguins Read more
New student group, committee will help vets as they transition home Read more
National Institutes of Health provided $12 million for a center for research on aphasia Read more
WATCH CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW MUSIC BUILDING
MEDILL ALUM RUNS BOSTON MARATHON, WRITES IN NY TIMES
THE WAA-MU WAY: A STUDENT PRODUCTION
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS: VOTES ARE IN
The new music building is currently being constructed adjacent to lake Read more
Reporters ran in Boston Marathon before covering tragedy Read more
North by Northwestern gives you a behind the scenes look at this year’s show Read more
ASG (Associated Student Government) completed elections in April Read more
View PlanIt Purple for upcoming events at NU NORTHWESTERN PARENT 7
DID YOU KNOW... NEWS & UPDATES FOR NU FAMILIES 2013 COMMENCEMENT
2013 NU SYLLABUS YEARBOOKS
Northwestern University’s 155th Commencement will be held on Friday, June 21, 2013 at Ryan Field with Mikhail Baryshnikov delivering the main address to the Class of 2013. Visit the Commencement website to learn more about the schedule, parking and logistics for the day. Contact the Commencement Office at 847-491-3600 or send an email to commencement@northwestern.edu.
The 2013 NU Syllabus Yearbooks arrive on campus May 15, 2013. For more information, please visit www.NUSyllabus.com or email syllabus@northwestern.edu.
SUMMER SESSION @ NU Summer session at Northwestern is a great time for students to make progress toward their degrees, focus on a challenging course or subject area, or explore something new by choosing from more than 300 courses. Courses range from three to eight weeks and are held during the day, evenings, or on weekends, so they can be balanced with summer internships. Registration for summer courses are now open with classes beginning on June 24. Students can register through CAESAR; learn more about Summer Session at northwestern.edu/summer.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS In the Fall of 2012, the international student population grew by 6% as the International Office welcomed 1,322 new graduate and undergraduate students, comprising nearly 16% of the total student population at NU. The current international student population of over 2,800 students hail from 109 countries. The five countries with the largest population of international undergraduate students in 2012 were South Korea, China, India, Canada and Singapore. Visit the International Office website for more information, including contact information.
NEWS FOR STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS CONTRACT CHANGE
MOVING OUT & SUSTAINABILITY
There is a new contract cancelation policy for students choosing to live in the undergraduate residence halls. Students contracting for space in University housing must accept the terms and conditions of the residence and board contract before being permitted to enter the online room selection. Once they have selected and confirmed their room, there is a fee to cancel their assignment. The amount of the fee is determined by the date of the contract cancelation. The contract cancelation fee will be assessed directly to a student’s bill and viewable on CAESAR. Additional information is available online at northwestern.edu/living or by contacting Residential Services at housing@northwestern.edu.
Students will be able to donate clothing, small household items, and food at the end of the academic year via the Take It or Leave It program. Collection boxes will be placed in every residence hall and in the SPAC lobby during finals week. Off-campus students can bring their donations to the Take It or Leave It locations or work with Move in Move out (MIMO), a Kellogg student initiative, which will coordinate pick up of unwanted, usable items and resell them back to NU students in the fall. Also, students should consider bringing their bike home or storing it for the summer to avoid potential damage or theft. View Green Cup 2013 Results from February!
NORTHWESTERN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DATES The Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) presents programming for alumni, students, parents, and friends throughout the year. We invite parents and families in the Chicago area to join us for these on-campus events this spring: 8th Annual 5K Race for Diversity Saturday, May 18 Sponsored by the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association (NUBAA), this race around the Evanston campus celebrates diversity at Northwestern while raising funds for a new undergraduate scholarship. Open to the entire Northwestern community and the general public. Click here for more information and to register. Save the Date: Homecoming October 4–5 Don’t miss this year’s Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally on Friday, October 4. Then on Saturday, October 5, join us for the football game and cheer the Wildcats onto victory against Ohio State!
STRESS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS FROM COUNSELING & PHYSCOLOGICAL SERVICES Life as an NU student offers an array of challenges and opportunities. The task of balancing academic, social, and extracurricular responsibilities can be stressful. The Stress Management Clinic is dedicated to providing information and a set of practical tools and strategies for coping with the negative consequences of stress. Especially as students begin to approach finals and end-of-the-year requirements, encourage them to visit the workshops offered by the Stress management Clinic. Drop-in services are also available, including the drop -in stress reduction rooms with egg chairs and performance enhancing audio. Until June 13, students can drop into CAPS on Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m., Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 2-5 p.m.
Visit the NAA online to see all upcoming events.
RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE LEADERS
CLOSING DATES FOR SPRING 2013 View the Residential Services website for all information regarding on-campus residents. Saturday, June 15 Residence halls close at 12 p.m. except for graduating seniors
On April 4, 122 newly elected student officers attended an annual Residential College Officer Conference held at Norris University Center. Prior to attending informational sessions on resources helpful to their new roles, the student leaders dined with their master staffs and invited fellows to discuss faculty-student engagement and programming ideas.
Saturday, June 22 Residence halls close for graduating seniors at 6 p.m.
NU SPORTS WOMEN’S LACROSSE Chris Collins, Men’s Basketball
MEN’S BASKETBALL Chris Collins was named head men’s basketball coach on March 27th. Collins, a Northbrook, Ill., native comes to Evanston after a long stint with Duke men’s basketball, including six seasons as the Associate Head Coach. During Collins’ 13 seasons at Duke, the Blue Devils posted an overall record of 385-77, capturing eight ACC tournament championships, four ACC regular season championships and two national championships. Collins also served as a coach and scout for USA Basketball from 2006-2012 alongside Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. As a player, Collins was a four-year letterwinner at Duke, earning second-team All-ACC honors as a senior. Visit NUsports.com to place a deposit for 2013-14 season tickets.
FOOTBALL Join the 2013 Gator Bowl champions this fall at Ryan Field. Season tickets are on sale now at NUsports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE. This fall, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State head to Evanston for Big Ten play. The Minnesota game (October 19th) falls during Northwestern Family Weekend. Visit the website for ticket information.
MEN’S & WOMEN’S TENNIS The Wildcats Tennis programs are wrapping up their regular seasons before heading to the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
The Northwestern Women’s Lacrosse team, led by five-time National Coach of the Year Kelly Amonte Hiller is off to another great start this spring. The ‘Cats wrap up the regular season with the American Lacrosse Conference Championship May 2-5 in Baltimore. After that, Northwestern will begin NCAA tournament play, which may include two home games. Junior Alyssa Leonard (Bay Shore, N.Y.) became Northwestern’s all-time leader in draw controls, while senior Erin Fitzgerald (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) became the 13th player in Northwestern history to reach the 200-point mark. Leonard, Fitzgerald and senior Taylor Thornton (Dallas, Texas) have all been named to the 2013 Tewaaraton Award watch list. The winner of the award, which is given to the best player in the country, will be announced on May 30th.
BASEBALL Northwestern Baseball wraps up its regular season in May. Junior Jake Straub (Fishers, Ind.) was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after hitting .667 with seven RBI and five runs scored. Freshman Zach Jones (Glenview, Ill.) also was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after hitting .522 with four RBI and five runs scored.
SOFTBALL Northwestern Softball has been led by sophomore pitcher Amy Letourneau (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), who has already thrown two no-hitters this spring. For her efforts, Letourneau won both National Player of the Week awards – the Louisville Slugger/NFCA honor and the USA Softball College accolade.
RUN FOR WALK Registration for the second annual Run For Walk, a 4.1 mile run and 5k family walk through the tree-lined streets of Evanston and along the lakefront on the scenic Northwestern University campus, is open. The event is set for Sunday, July 28, 2013 at 7:30 a.m. In 2012, the inaugural event drew nearly 1,000 Northwestern fans, supporters and friends of the late head coach, Randy Walker, to honor the former Wildcats football coach. The second annual Run for Walk will feature both a 4.1 mile run and a 5k family walk. The unique run distance harkens back to Randy's uniform number 41 during his playing days at Miami University. Participants will finish on Ryan Field while watching their achievement on the video board. NORTHWESTERN PARENT 10
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