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Find Safety Resources with NUhelp

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Blue lights, neighborhood desks, police… these are all common safety features at universities around the country, but do you really know how to find or use your Northwestern safety features?

Lucky for you, the NUhelp app houses a feature specifically for connecting with University resources and staying safe around Northwestern. The Safety feature is the middle option in the second row on the app. Once you click on the option, it brings you to a page with all of Northwestern’s safety resources listed together. This doesn’t just include blue lights and the police, but also resources to help maintain safety such as Safe Ride and NU shuttles. Additionally, it provides links to descriptions of services such as Hazing Prevention and Sexual Misconduct.

Once you click on whatever resource you want, NUhelp brings you to a page with the resource’s description and contact information, including phone number, email, website, and address. If you’re unsure about what resource best fits your current needs, it’s easy to check out each description and identify what works for you. If you want to share this resource with a friend, you can click the “<” in the top right corner for additional social media options.

The Safety feature helps collect all the resources you need in one location. The next time you don’t know where to turn for any questions about how to stay safe on campus, start with the Safety feature in the NUhelp app.

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Northwestern Bollywood Dance Team Tops National Competition

Posted by Taylor Hayden

After a successful past season, Northwestern’s Bollywood dance team Anubhav continued their victorious streak, taking first place at the Legends Bollywood Dance Championship in California in April, also winning Best Choreography and Best Costumes. The team’s creative director Yuri Doolan was awarded Best Male Lead. Senior and team captain Ushasi Naha said the victories were “a dream come true.”

Anubhav has a history of winning; they’ve won national competitions three out of their past four seasons, making them the only team in the country to do so.

This year, though, was particularly special because of the message the team conveyed through their show. At the suggestion of Artistic Director Yuri Doolan, they chose to use Life of Pi as a theme for their dance, using it as “a metaphor for the immigrant experience,” Naha said. “We hoped that through this theme, we could reclaim the narrative of the hardships and sacrifices immigrants endure for the chance at a better life.”

Naha attributes the team’s success to their commitment to South Asian styles and themes. South Asian influence touches every aspect of their show, which Naha said, makes them stand out from competitors.

Anubhav has worked on this piece for over a year, coordinating their costumes, music, choreography, and incorporating their signature South Asian influence throughout. Anubhav puts in countless hours of work, practicing up to six times a week sometimes for more than four hours.

“Being a captain and creating the Life of Pi show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but it is also by far the most meaningful,” Naha said. “The hundreds and hundreds of hours we poured into the show was all worth it for those few beautiful moments on stage and that indescribable feeling when they called Anubhav as the national champions.”

Aside from their compatibility as dancers, the team nickname, “Anufamily,” shows how close the members are outside of just performing. “We always tell the team to dance for each other,” Naha said. “I see the love that our team has for each other in a million little ways, whether it is screaming for each other side stage or exchanging hugs in between run-throughs. Being on Anubhav requires a lot of heart and dedication, and I don’t think it would be possible if we did not continually support and depend on one another.”

The Legends Championship was the team’s last competition of this school year, but be sure to stay up to date with Anubhav’s upcoming season on their Facebook page.

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Eight Ways to Make the Most of the Lakefill This Spring

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Spring quarter is in full swing. That means warmth and sunnier days are here. Take advantage of the season by spending time on the Lakefill.

Here are a few ways to make the most of the Lakefill (you probably didn’t know you could do a few of these!):

  • Rent a frisbee from Norris Outdoors and toss it around. (It’s just $1 to rent!)

  • Trying to relax? Bring a hammock and take an afternoon to lay out.

  • Football season is over, but that’s no reason to not rent a ball and play with a friend.

  • If you’re feeling more athletic, grab your headphones and go for a run down the Lakefill.

  • Grab a grill and put together a picnic of your own. (Norris Outdoors has all the supplies – picnic basket and all.)

  • Not trying to cook for yourself? Grab a Cat Shack burger and sit out on the rocks.

  • Get some chips and guac at Frontera and grab a table on the East Lawn with friends.

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Find and Use Resources Through NUhelp

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Have you ever been unsure of where to find a resource on campus? Has there ever been a time when you didn’t know where to look for help? Northwestern offers a variety of resources meant to cater to every need, but many students either don’t know they exist or can’t seem to find the right contact information. Luckily, the NUhelp app consolidates some of Northwestern’s resource information with the Resources feature.

The Resources tab is one of the most expansive of the six features that the NUhelp app offers. Located in the bottom left corner when you first click on the app, it lists major resources for students at Northwestern. These are resources generally focused on wellness, and when you click, each section contains a short description of the resource, the phone number, website, hours, email, and address. This consolidates all general information to one place and makes it easy for students to find what they’re looking for. If you’re looking for a friend, you can share this information by clicking the “<” in the top right corner. This lets you share the resources you’ve found across various social media platforms.

 

Some of the resources under this feature include AccessibleNU, the Chaplain’s Office, Northwestern Recreation, and Health Service for both Evanston and Chicago campuses. Not limited to physical health needs, the resources feature also includes information about Suicide Prevention, Gatekeeper Training, and Counseling and Psychological Services. The NUhelp app makes it easy for students to get directed to whatever resource best suits their needs. Students deserve the best care and access, so, the Resources feature is perfect to help students find what they’re looking for.

The next time you’re not sure of where to look, give the NUhelp app a try.

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2017 Dillo Day Guide to Res. Hall Guests

Posted by Taylor Hayden

It’s almost time for the highlight of spring quarter – Dillo weekend. You’ve invited your best pal from back home to come visit and enjoy the music and fun with you. But wait…what do you need to do to make sure they have a happy and healthy stay in your res hall room? Don’t worry, we’ve put together a handy guide of all the necessary steps below.

If you want to host a guest during Dillo…

  1. Check with your roommates – are they okay with you hosting a guest for the weekend?

  2. Register your ONE guest for Friday, May 19 – Sunday May 21 using the form sent out by your Residence Director (check your e-mail).

    • The form closes on Friday, May 19 at 9:00 a.m.

    • Make sure you have your guest’s emergency contact information readily available.

  3. Pick up your wristbands at your neighborhood desk beginning Friday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. (you need them in order to enter your res hall).

    • These wristbands are DIFFERENT from the wristband your guest needs to get onto the Lakefill during Dillo!

    • Your guest must be present with a valid photo ID in order to pick up the wristband.

  4. If Saturday, May 20 comes and you still haven’t picked up your wristbands, get them from the RAs at the main door of your building.

  5. Stay safe and have fun! Click here for more information, and reach out to your RDs if you have any questions.

Reminder of important policies in place throughout the academic year:

  • All guests must have a valid picture ID to enter the building.

  • Guests must be escorted by their host at all times. Guests will not be permitted to sign into the building without their host being present.

  • Guests are responsible for following all rules and regulations of Northwestern University. If a guest violates a policy, the host resident is also responsible for the policy violation.

  • Residents or guests under the age of 21 are not permitted to be in rooms where alcohol is present.

  • Residents are not permitted to host an event in their room that exceeds double the occupancy of the sleeping quarters or becomes public.

Please review the Student Handbook and adhere to the State of Illinois “Social Host Law” which applies both on and off campus. Have a great Dillo Day!

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Earth Month May be Over, But You Can Still be “Green”

Posted by Taylor Hayden

We’re all tired of those holidays like “National Pet Day” that are really just opportunities for people to exploit cute photos of their pets, siblings, etc. on social media, but fortunately there was a real, important day in April with a message that we can all get behind – Earth Day.

The month of April was designated as Earth Month, revolving around the main event on April 22, so being “green” was a big topic of conversation. Northwestern provides ample resources to the University community and works hard to make sure campus operates sustainably year-round, but it amped up the programming during Earth Month. For example, the University offered Sustainable Campus Tours each week to explore “green features” on campus, and it hosted a Scavenger Hunt on April 23 to provide a more fun and interactive way to learn about sustainability. Also, NU Dining hosted Sustainable Seafood Week at Foster-Walker East dining hall and a Fresh Market at Norris, among other events last month to promote clean eating and spread awareness about sustainable food practices.

One way students could celebrate Earth Month was by participating in Bike 2 Campus Week from April 21-28, which incorporated a little friendly competition between universities in the Chicagoland area, including Loyola University and University of Chicago. The goal was to take as many trips on your bike as you could during the week (from your house on Foster to your 10:00 a.m. class in Tech, for example), and then log those trips on the Bike 2 Campus website to help Northwestern try to win the challenge. Check the website to follow the results! The events continued on campus with a bike tune-up station on April 24, where University police were on hand to register bikes and sell bike locks to encourage more riding. The point of the challenge was to motivate the Northwestern community to use more sustainable, Earth-friendly methods of travel during that week, and then encourage them to continue using these practices throughout the rest of the year.

To help make that happen, Northwestern has other resources and ways to making biking easier and more fun. For instance, check out Northwestern’s sustainability map, which shows Divvy bike stations and bike racks on campus – it’s a great resource for students who love to bike.

So don’t forget about “being green” just because Earth Month is over – and keep in mind that there are many ways to help the environment no matter what time of year it is. Take this quiz to find out how “green” you really are!

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JubilAsian Celebrates Asian American Heritage

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) kicked off Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month this May with its annual JubilAsian celebration. The community gathered in the Louis Room on April 30 for an evening of pan-Asian food, music, and reflection.

The night began with opening remarks from MSA Assistant Director Christine Munteanu and Douglas Ishii, a visiting assistant professor in the Asian American Studies program. Both speakers encouraged contemplation Asian American history, especially in light of the May anniversaries of the first Japanese immigrants’ arrival in the United States and Chinese laborers’ completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Keynote speaker Tuyet Le shared her experience as a disabled Vietnamese refugee who now works to empower the Asian American community in her role as the executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. She said more than one million Asian Americans are undocumented, and they face danger and uncertainty at every turn.

“Some [Asian American immigrants] come smuggled on ships, some overstay visas, and others are victims of unscrupulous scammers,” Le said, “paying tens of thousands for promises of citizenship but instead are given worthless papers. We don’t talk openly about these issues in our community, yet these stories are waiting to be heard.”

Medill junior Alex Furuya, who served on the JubilAsian planning committee, said that the intimate event “allowed us to get closer to each other and Tuyet Le.”

To close off the night, attendees enjoyed dinner and performances from the TrebleMakers, an East-Asian a capella group, and Brown Sugar, a South-Asian a capella group.

The events will continue throughout the month with more great speakers, performances, and discussion groups — look out for the APAC spring speaker, Rad Asian Girls, on May 7 and the Pinoy Show: Kai School Musical on May 13 — to encourage ongoing celebration of Asian American culture.

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Five Things To Remember When Throwing a Safe Darty

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Goodbye, harsh winter winds and freezing Chicago air! Hello, lovely spring breeze and warm Chicago sun! Now that the weather has finally taken a turn for the better, it’s time to enjoy the outdoors and start throwing some darties, amiright? For those of us unfamiliar with the term, a “darty” is a party thrown in the daytime. It’s an increasingly common trend that makes the most of the nice weather, but before you get too carried away, here are 5+ things to remember when throwing a safe darty.

1) Be a good neighbor!

When you’re throwing a party, what are the first two things that neighbors notice? Answer: loud music and littering. Both these things attract negative attention. When blasting your music, the bass is the most audible, so it doesn’t matter if you’re playing the current Top 20’s hit or a screamo rock song: it just sounds loud and annoying. Plus, no one likes seeing red solo cups strewn all over lawns and sidewalks, and it’s the most visible mark of being an inconsiderate neighbor. Both loud music and littering attract a lot of attention, so keep the music at a minimum and remind your guests to pick up after themselves. If you’re hosting, it might be a good idea to provide plenty of trash cans and recycling bins.

Listen to Captain Planet. 

Listen to Captain Planet. 

2) No open containers of alcohol on public property

As members of the Evanston community, Northwestern students have the same rights, but also the same responsibilities as other residents. That includes making the mistake of having open containers of alcohol while on public property. So what actually constitutes as public property? Most people think of open ways, such as city streets, sidewalks, alleys, and parkways, the strips of lawn in front of most yards. For instance, the sidewalk alongside Sheridan Road from the Arch is public property, but the sidewalk leading into campus under the Arch is the University’s private property (university alcohol policy prevents alcohol containers as well). If people report someone with open containers of alcohol in these public spaces and it looks like they’re coming from your house, the police can go directly to your house to make sure no laws are being violated.

3) Avoid violating the policies in Northwestern’s Student Code of Conduct.

Usually the University doesn’t get involved in off-campus parties of any kind unless they hear reports of students receiving complaints or citations. A citation is whenever the Evanston Police Department or the Northwestern University Police Department write tickets, thus ending up on student’s records. This should be a no-brainer, but there should be no underaged drinking at any darties as it is not only against University policy, but state law. Having underage drinkers on your property could lead to some serious consequences, so you should…

Not if you're underaged, Michael Scott.

Not if you’re underaged, Michael Scott.

4) Know and follow the law

It’s not enough to know and follow only University and Evanston laws. As of 2013, Illinois has enacted the Social Host Law, meaning that individuals can be arrested and face criminal charges for allowing or permitting individuals under 21 to drink alcohol on their property. This law expects darty hosts to monitor their own parties and remove potential instances of minors drinking. Otherwise, hosts could end up charged with up to a Class 4 felony if the violation results in great bodily harm or injury. This is only one of many laws that, if you’re unfamiliar with them, could end up coming back to bite you in the big way. You can find a summary of some of the most relevant laws here.

5) Have common sense

Darties can get out of hand, people can get excited, but that’s no excuse for making some easily avoidable mistakes. Some general rules of thumb to remember are:

  • Keep it to the people you know! If people start showing up at your darty who you can’t recognize even in broad daylight, it’s probably a sign that your darty is well on its way to escalating out of hand.

  • Don’t leave your doors unlocked. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s pretty common to forget to lock your doors in the midst of throwing an awesome darty. You’ll want to make sure no drunk people are randomly making their ways into you or your roommate’s rooms.

  • As always, safety comes first. As awesome it might seem to assert your superiority over other darty-goers by climbing on the roof, it probably won’t seem that way if you wake up in a hospital room.

Cats have nine lives. You don't.

Cats have nine lives. You don’t.

Darties are great because you can actually see who you’re talking to, and they can be a fun way to let loose after a tough winter. Just keep in mind these tips to stay safe and legal, and darty away!

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Should You Go to NU Night at the Art Institute?

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Have plans for the evening of Thursday, May 4? Even if you do, cancel them. You don’t want to miss NU Night at the Art Institute. The Helio Oiticica exhibit is interesting and interactive (it even has sand!), and the event is free. If that doesn’t sell you, use our handy dandy flowchart to help you make up your mind!

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Student Spotlight: Wildcat Impact Recognizes Students for Winter 2017

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Join us in celebrating these campus leaders’ role in improving student life. 

Wildcat Impact Award winners were nominated for exemplifying Student Affairs’ values in their work for the quarter of Winter 2017. The Office of Student Engagement recognizes both undergraduate and graduate winners each quarter through this award, formerly known as the Campus Life Awards.

Spring 2017 nominations, as well as nominations for the annual Wildcat Excellence Awards, are open until May 7.

The Wildcat Excellence awards commend excellence in leadership, community, and service. Student awards recognize distinguished, contributing, and emerging leaders.

 

Megan Ballew, Class of 2019 (Stewardship)

Megan serves as the financial officer for Studio 22 Productions, a student-led film organization. An unsung hero, her commitment to the business side of the group has allowed everyone else involved to achieve their potential with
maximum resources and minimal stress regarding the group’s finances. The group’s projects demand tremendous organizational skills in managing reimbursements, overseeing group debit cards, paying invoices, and other business needs. Megan’s selflessness in this role demonstrates the sacrifice necessary to make a production team successful and to be a leader in the film industry.

Jourdan Dorrell, Class of 2017 (Social Justice)

Channeling her passion for social justice into education and service, Jourdan is being recognized for the breadth and depth of her involvement. Jourdan worked to listen to marginalized students’ concerns and connect them with resources as the Vice President of Accessibility and Inclusion in Associated Student Government (ASG). Jourdan oversaw the entirety of Eva Jefferson Day, an event bringing elementary schoolers to campus to reflect on MLK’s life and legacy, in her role as Student Chair of Northwestern’s MLK Commemorative Committee. As a Center for Civic Engagement Fellow, Jourdan contributed to NU Votes, which helped register over 2,000 students to vote. Jourdan is also a Freshmen Urban Program counselor and Vice President of Logistics for Relay for Life for Evanston.

Danielle Harris, Class of 2017 (Social Justice)

Danielle has served as a creative, dependable, and critical leader within the Northwestern community. In fall 2016, she worked diligently with administrators and students in efforts to raise the Black Lives Matter flag above Norris. Danielle has dedicated considerable time toward reaffirming the presence and value of marginalized students on campus. Holding multiple student leadership positions, Danielle has advocated for policy changes within academic departments and university offices, challenged definitions of inclusivity, and worked to make resources available to marginalized students. Danielle has been an instrument for social justice, and her impact will be felt long after she leaves Northwestern.

Stacey Huynh, Class of 2017 (Integrity)

Stacey is being celebrated for her contributions as Chapter President of the Alpha Beta chapter of Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc. Focused on removing barriers to engagement, she cut organizational spending and connected members with campus resources and grants to alleviate membership costs. Stacey worked to raise awareness for their national philanthropy, Combat Violence Against Women, and helped create the Athena Scholarship for Northwestern women in leadership. Throughout her term, Stacey prioritized building bridges with other Multicultural Greek Council chapters. Stacey also worked to re-establish the Vietnamese Student Association her freshman year and has served on the JubilAsian celebration planning committee.

Annabel Liou, Class of 2017 & Rosalie Gambrah, Class of 2018 (Innovation)

Annabel and Rosalie have both held the vice president role of the Student Activities Resources Committee since summer 2016. A relatively new committee within Associated Student Government (ASG), they have successfully recruited committee members to serve as peer resources for 180 groups without ASG funding to ensure access to other resources, knowledge about policies, and opportunities to grow. They are dedicated to opening access for all new students to pursue their extracurricular passions, empowering student voices, and encouraging other leaders to think critically about resource allocation and equity.

Ali Qureshi, Class of 2019 (Collaboration)

Ali is being recognized for his work as Northwestern Cricket Club’s founder and team captain. Ali has created space for connection beyond players’ shared love of cricket, interweaving opportunities for the group to explore their identities, discuss current events, and connect across difference. Through collaborative efforts, Ali has worked to build a team structure that will ensure sustainability and success, from outreach to corporate sponsorships. Ali developed a rotational coaching policy, split players into committees so members could contribute to the the group’s administration, finances, and marketing, and made everyone a vital part of the team.

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