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Campus Life Welcomes New Project SEARCH Intern

Every morning when she gets to work, Campus Life Administrative Assistant Jean Voss looks forward to being greeted by a smiling, bubbly young man named Michael Sheridan. After making the rounds saying good morning to everyone in the office, Sheridan gets to work checking off tasks on his to-do list of daily responsibilities.

Sheridan is part of Project SEARCH Collaborates for Autism (PSCA), a one-year program to help students with autism transition from their last year of high school to the working world. Students from area high schools elect to join the program and work with teachers to learn job skills for a few hours each morning. The rest of their days are spent getting hands-on experience in internships in any of 16 different departments throughout Northwestern.

Sheridan is one of the seven PSCA students interning at Northwestern this year and the first one ever to intern with the Campus Life department. “Michael is our first intern, but he won’t be our last,” Voss, his supervisor, said. “Campus Life is the most amazing place to have an intern. It’s all about inclusion and has such a sense of community.”

The program is structured so that each student holds three 10-week internships over the course of the school year— one each quarter. Sheridan said he has learned a lot during his time in the program. Most importantly, “I’ve learned how to get a job done and how to ask questions when I need help,” Sheridan said.

The lead PSCA teacher Christine McQuinn agrees that his growth has been visible through his time in the program. “He started out with a shorter to-do list for each day,” she said. “But he has a growing list of responsibilities now after showing Jean how capable he is and how much he can accomplish.”

Aside from being a valuable member of the team workwise, Executive Director of Campus Life Brent Turner said Sheridan has a “magnetic” personality.

“In our department, we have a lot of meetings so our doors tend to be closed,” Turner said. “But I think we’re at our best selves when we interact with each other. He brings us out of our offices and brings us together to come engage with the students.”

Sheridan said all the social interaction has been his favorite part of working in Campus Life, not just with his co-workers but also with Northwestern students. “It’s a space for student groups to meet and people to come study too,” he said.

Turner said, “We’re really excited about engaging with the community… As a place of higher education, we have an opportunity and an obligation to serve our community and invite the community into our spaces as well.” To work toward the goal of engaging with the larger community, PSCA has partnered with other organizations on campus. Kellogg Cares works with interns to improve interviewing skills and review resumes, and Hillel’s ZOOZ has a lunch buddy partnership with the interns.

PSCA is in its fourth year at Northwestern, and it has already made a big impact. The chapter has an 89% placement rate for program graduates in a variety of jobs.  

Through Campus Life’s work with Sheridan, “we’ve gotten better too,” Turner said. “That’s what’s neat about thinking differently about work tasks and everyone’s strengths. That’s been healthy for us to reflect on as a team.” He says he looks forward to seeing the program grow and welcoming many more PSCA interns in the future.

WATCH Holds Successful Recruitment and Training

WATCH (Wildcats Advancing Total Campus Health) is a group of peer health educators that undergo Red Watch Band Bystander Intervention Training, meant to foster healthy campus behavior and reduce the harms associated with alcohol and drug use.

 New Recruits for WATCH

WATCH held a very successful recruitment cycle in Winter quarter, doubling the group’s size from 9 to 18 members. New and old members also completed CPE (Certified Peer Educator) training and Red Watch Band facilitator training this quarter.

As new members finish becoming fully qualified to facilitate Red Watch Band Bystander Intervention Training, WATCH looks forward to conducting even more of these lifesaving trainings. Be it through continued partnerships with fraternities, sororities, Peer Advisers, P.U.R.P.L.E. Peer Mentors, or any other students eager to learn how they can best support a person in need of assistance due to high-risk drinking. The organization will also be expanding into other pertinent areas of health and wellness in an effort to further support Health Promotion and Wellness along with the Division wide strategic theme of “Fostering Student Wellness.”

Dancers With a Cause: NUDM Returns March 3

The 43rd Northwestern University Dance Marathon (NUDM), one of the largest entirely student-run philanthropies in the nation, will take place in just a few short days on March 3-5.

Northwestern undergraduate students will gather in a giant tent outside the Norris University Center to dance for 30 hours straight to benefit this year’s beneficiaries, GiGi’s Playhouse and the Evanston Community Foundation.

GiGi’s Playhouse is the only nationwide network of Down syndrome achievement centers for children and adults with Down syndrome, offering free educational and therapeutic programs that unleash confidence and promote continuous improvement. NUDM’s long-standing secondary beneficiary is the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF), and 2017 marks the 20th consecutive year of this partnership.

The marathon will celebrate a yearlong philanthropic effort to improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and to spread a message of global acceptance for people of all abilities. Since its founding in 1975, NUDM has raised over $18 million dollars for more than 30 different charitable organizations.

NUDM 2017 begins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 3, and concludes at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 5. A live-stream of the event can be viewed online at www.nudm.org. You can purchase merchandise and “shout-outs” to dancers at store.nudm.org. Donations for this year’s event can also be made online at fundraise.nudm.org.

Other NUDM 2017 fundraising activities that are open to the public include:

  • Silent auction online from March 3, 7:00 p.m. through March 5, 1:00 a.m. It can be viewed at www.store.nudm.org/auction.

  • A 5K and 10K Run around the University’s beautiful “lakefill” on March 4. The pre-registration fee is $25, though runners are encouraged to fundraise more for NUDM and its 2017 beneficiaries.

  • A Kids Fair at the Norris University Center. Tickets can be purchased at Norris Center on the day of the event. The children’s fair will feature fun family-oriented activities.

–NUDM Executive Board

You are Beautiful

Find support on the journey toward body acceptance. During the week of February 20, members of the campus community are encouraged to join in conversation and affirmation for Body Acceptance Week.

Affirm

 Stop by the Body Affirmation Station to learn ways to improve body image and to integrate body-affirming messages and activities into your life. 

  • Monday, February 20:  Sargent Dining Hall, 11am-1pm
  • Monday, February 20:  Henry Crowne Sports Pavilion, 3-5pm
  • Tuesday, February 21:  Law School Atrium, 11am-1pm

Learn

Join the screening of “The Illusionists,” a documentary about the marketing of unattainable beauty around the world. “The Illusionists” turns the mirror on media, exposing the absurd, sometimes humorous, and shocking images that seek to enslave us.

After the film, filmmaker Elena Rossini will participate in a Q&A.

  • Screening: Tuesday, February 21, 6:30-8:00pm
  • Harris 107 on Evanston campus
  • Simulcast at Rubloff – RB180 on Chicago campus

Share

Spread positivity and help counter negative self-talk. Between February 20-24, write a kind  post-it note and stick your message to the mirror of public restrooms. 

New Safe Ride App Offers an Easier and Safer Option for Students to Get Home

Heard of Safe Ride, but aren’t quite sure what it is or how to use it? Here’s what to do and expect when you’re using Safe Ride.

Safe Ride is a service offered by Northwestern to provide free rides to students from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. during the academic year. Operated by the University and student drivers, it’s a convenient way to save time and money when you’re in Safe Ride’s coverage area. Safe Ride makes it easy to get a ride and get home, especially when it’s dark, cold, or a combination of the two.

Using the Safe Ride app is a breeze if you follow these simple steps. Accessing the app is pretty simple after the initial setup:

  1. Download the TransLoc Rider app on Android or iPhone and select Northwestern University from the transit system list.

  2. Select the blue icon on the bottom left hand side of the map that should pop up.

  3. Now here’s where it gets tricky: the TransLoc app will ask you to create an account. Do not create an account. Select the option to sign in with your university instead and login using your NetID and password.

  4. The app will prompt you to create an account again, and here is the only time you actually have to fill in account information.

  5. Once you finish creating an account, select Northwestern University again and get ready to grab a ride!

For visuals along with setup instructions, visit the TransLoc How to Guide.

Getting a ride is simple as long as you plan ahead and know what to expect. After setting up your account, calling a ride is as easy as tapping the blue rider icon at the bottom and entering pickup and drop off locations. Remember to take wait times into account when planning your ride. Passenger counts can reach 450 on busy nights like Friday and Saturday, and with a limited amount of drivers, don’t expect Safe Ride to be as quick as other services. Wait times range from five to 30 minutes on really busy days, but the nightly average wait time is around 15 minutes. That means that if you have a meeting at 9:00 p.m. at the Garage, you probably shouldn’t call a Safe Ride at 8:50 p.m. and expect to get there on time.

Please note: For all rides to be completed by 3:00 am new rides may not be accepted after 2:20 am

Safe Ride’s new app makes it easier for you to arrange rides. The new app is all self-service that allows you to arrange pickup times and drop offs, even canceling rides, at your own convenience. Part of the app’s job is to find the closest ride for you, and its accuracy is continuing to develop over time. Whether you’ve noticed it or not, the new app is a big part of the reason why wait times have gone down from previous years.

Safe Ride is a breeze as long as you plan ahead. With a simple app, no cost, and Northwestern-specific routes, you can be a Safe Ride pro in no time at all.

Record High Attendance at Winter Organization Fair

The Office of Student Organizations and Activities welcomed more than 500 students to its annual Winter Organization Fair on Thursday, January 19, 2017. Organization fairs take place each fall and winter quarter of the academic year to engage new and continuing students with the broad range of student groups and activities available at Northwestern. This year, the Winter Organization Fair incorporated a pre-event workshop for participating student groups to help prepare them for successful interactions with new students.

135 registered student organizations were represented at the Winter Organization Fair, including WNUR campus radio whose Streetbeat DJ provided live music throughout Norris Center for the event, and NU Nights who sponsored a prize wheel where students could win swag or the opportunity to donate $10 to a student group at the fair. The student group Engineers for a Sustainable World collected student signatures on a giant banner as a pledge to use refillable water bottles rather than purchase disposable containers for the remainder of the academic year.

This year’s Winter Organization Fair attracted a 25% increase in participation over the record high attendance in 2016. Organization fairs provide a great opportunity for various student leaders active to showcase their work, promote upcoming events, and attract new members to their cause.

–Myrtie Williams, Office of Student Engagement

SIGP 2017: Financial Support for Student Summer Experiences

NCA’s Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) is celebrating its 10th anniversary! From its beginnings in 2007 with 90 applications and 10 awards, SIGP has grown into a thriving and active program which provides financial support for undergraduate Northwestern students participating in unpaid internships across the globe. Last year, SIGP received 702 applications and gave 352 awards to students. Ninety percent of the students who received a SIGP grant reported that they would have had to turn down their summer experience or supplement it with a second job if it had not been for SIGP funding.        

“SIGP fundamentally allows students to pursue career goals and gain experiences without having to worry about living expenses,” said NCA’s Executive Director, Mark Presnell. “This allows students to gain experiences earlier in their career at Northwestern which will prepare them for success after graduation.”  

SIGP’s goal is to give students the opportunity to gain experience in fields that do not typically offer paid internships. Each recipient receives a grant of $3,000 to support their unpaid internship (Buffet International SIGP awards are the exception at $6,000 each).  

Past student recipients have interned at a range of organizations in the U.S. and around the world. From the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Shakespeare Company to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Popular Science magazine, Northwestern students have pursued their dreams with freedom from financial stress. In 2016, SIGP recipients traveled to 25 states, Washington D.C., and 25 countries to intern in a variety of fields, including communications, journalism, government, the arts and more.  

One first-year grant 2016 recipient described their experience. “This opportunity allowed me to combine my communication, writing and design skills with my interests in financial services and business. I would not have been able to do so without the SIGP grant.”

SIGP is open to undergraduate students enrolled at Northwestern at least through fall quarter 2017. Students are not required to have an internship secured to apply, but must secure an opportunity by May 30, 2017 to receive their grant. Previous SIGP recipients may reapply. Information sessions will be held throughout March; their dates and details can be found on the SIGP website.  

SIGP will be accepting applications from February 13 to April 4, 2017, and students selected to receive grants will be notified by Monday, May 8, 2017.  

Coping with the Current Political Climate with CAPS

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Northwestern provides a safe space for dealing with the impact of recent policy changes. If you are struggling with finding effective ways to manage the personal impact of the current political climate, CAPS has several potentially helpful resources. CAPS staff can also offer support if you are experiencing negative treatment, threats, or more subtle forms of oppression because of your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or other aspects of your identity.

Here are four simple ways you can destress:

Unplug

Sure, you want to be aware of what’s happening in the world, but that doesn’t mean you have to be plugged into your Twitter or Facebook feed 24/7. Take breaks. Aim for a balanced media diet. Don’t just focus on the really bad news; gravitate towards the good too.

Connect

Connect with supportive friends, allies, family, and others who share your concern about what’s happening in our country and our world. Tell others, especially members of vulnerable communities, that you care and you will be there to support them. Walk away from unproductive or harmful interactions. Look for opportunities to build bridges, not walls.

Take Action

Feeling powerless fuels anxiety; taking action brings it down. Explore options in your community and campus for ways to voice your concerns and worries in a healthy way. Consider donating or volunteering to causes you feel passionate about. Participate in peaceful protests or reach out to local representatives. Focus on what you can control as opposed to fixating on what you can’t.

Recharge

Focus on restoring yourself. Stick to your routine – we find comfort in the familiar. Self-care is not selfish, it’s preservation. Eat well, get plenty of sleep, exercise, watch a movie, play, laugh, go outside, meditate. Incorporate activities that will recharge and relax you. Visit the CAPS website for more relaxation ideas, workshops, and drop-in meditation hours.

Reach CAPS by phone at (847) 491-2151, walk-in between 8:30 – 5:00 a.m., or during Let’s Talk sessions on both Evanston and Chicago campuses.

**text and content taken from CAPS Facebook page. An extended version can be found on the CAPS website here.

The Best Valentine’s Day You’ll Ever Have™ (feat. Norris Center)

Let’s play a game. What’s the first thing you think of when I say “romance”?

I know what you’re thinking. Norris Center at Northwestern University! That’s what I was thinking too. Nothing makes the sparks fly more than a nice cup o’ joe from Norris Starbucks and stunning views of University Library. Is there a better place in the world to celebrate Valentine’s Day? I think not. But in all seriousness, Norris is the best wingman you could’ve ever hoped for- and I bet you never even realized it. So if you, like me, are looking to spend every second possible of the most romantic day of the year at Norris, I got ya covered with the exact schedule you need to follow to plan The Best Valentine’s Day You’ll Ever Have™.

Stage One: Get to the Norris ice rink at precisely noon. You need to be literally the first people there or else your entire date has already been ruined. This way the ice will still be pristine, which means you can gaze lovingly at the reflection of your date. And since the ice will be extra slippery, you can fall and use the cheesy line, “Looks like I’m falling for you!” Works every time. Also, last time I went to the ice rink I saw a dog, and not a single good date has ever happened without seeing a dog.

Stage Two: You will inevitably need to thaw out a bit after skating, so I recommend hitting up Norris Starbucks for a seasonal Valentine’s drink and lurking until you can snag an egg chair. If “Egg Chair and Chill” has not yet been trademarked, consider this to be me officially claiming it as my own. You can’t use it.**

Stage Three: Now that you’re definitely feeling festive, head down to the basement to channel all of that energy into creating an ARTica masterpiece together. This is the ultimate test of if you two are meant to be together. Not everyone can be Picasso, but the best people are the ones that will smile and pretend what you made for them is stunning. Or they’ll make fun of you mercilessly for your pure lack of talent. Either way, they seem like a keeper. (Bonus activity: The Thursday before The Best Valentine’s Day You’ll Ever Have™, ARTica is hosting Love Cafe where you can paint mugs for free! Definitely hit that up to get the festivities started early. Also, they’ll have cupcakes. SCORE.)

Stage Four: Once you’re frustrated from trying to make a mug that actually looks halfway decent, swing by Dittmar Gallery to see some real art. Read up on it beforehand so you can blow away your significant other with fun facts about the gallery. Knowledge is sexy and will also make you look like a more cultured person.

Thus concludes The Best Valentine’s Day You’ll Ever Have™. I know you probably won’t want this magical day to end, so feel free to continue with a romantic dinner at Subway or a Mario Cart marathon in the Game Room. Moral of the story: Norris + Valentine’s day = fire emoji. Good luck out there, Wildcats. You’ve got this.

**Disclaimer: SAM does not support excessive PDA, even if it is Valentine’s Day. That’s gross.

Keeping Students Safe: SafeWalk and NUhelp

It’s night. You’ve stayed out way past your bedtime, and it’s a long, cold, dark walk back to your room. You prepare to step out of the building, but the inky night suddenly feels a lot more threatening than it did five minutes ago when you were still inside. Thinking about the walk you have ahead of you makes you shiver, or is that the chilling wind that just blew past?

A thought strikes you, and you go digging through your coat pockets for your phone. You were pretty sure there was an app or something… ah, yes, there it is. NUhelp. You pull it up and are greeted by the purple screen, but you blank on how to use it.

So what is NUhelp, and what does it do?

NUhelp is an app designed to help members of the Northwestern community navigate safety and wellness. Designed completely in-house by Northwestern employees, the app is available to all with access to Northwestern NetIDs and emails. It includes several features that are meant to help Northwestern students stay safe and healthy on campus. The most prominent feature of the app is the SafeWalk section.

SafeWalk helps reassure students who are walking back to their residences late at night and feel nervous. It’s another option besides calling a SafeRide or using the blue light system. You simply click on the SafeWalk feature in the NUhelp app, drop the little pin to your destination, and select a contact to inform in case you don’t reach your destination in the estimated time. Once you reach your destination, you can turn the text notification off. If you don’t reach your destination for whatever reason, SafeWalk will send a text to your contact with further instructions on trying to reach you and then contacting the police.

It’s important to note that SafeWalk cannot be used unless you have set up your Profile feature in the NUhelp app, which is a simple matter of entering your student ID, NetID, and Northwestern email into the app. Remember, the SafeWalk app doesn’t automatically turn off when you reach your destination. So, before you head straight for bed and crash, make sure to turn off the text notification before you accidentally start a campus-wide search. Note: SafeWalk will require access to your contacts and notifications. For more information on NUhelp’s disclaimers, visit their disclaimer information page.

For more details on how to use SafeWalk, visit this NUhelp page.

SafeWalk isn’t the only help that the NUhelp app offers. There is a Map feature that tells you the location of any buildings on Northwestern’s campus with a suggested walking route and walking time estimation. In the upper right hand corner, there is a “Nearby” option that, when clicked, has links to information about buildings on campus, the neighborhood desks, and more. Perhaps most importantly, the Map feature also has a list of local establishments with Wildcard Advantage: discounts given to Northwestern community members holding a Wildcard.

NUhelp and SafeWalk are both here to make you feel safe. Taking care of yourself and each other is incredibly important, and NUhelp is another resource to help do exactly that. Don’t be afraid to reach out, and stay safe.