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Category: Residential Services

Students From Across Residential Colleges Explore Race (and the Blues) in Chicago

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Northwestern students often hear upperclassmen share how their biggest regret was not taking advantage of the big city next door, but the University is constantly working to close the gap between Evanston and Chicago.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, students and faculty from across the residential colleges boarded a charter bus for a trip to the Chicago History Museum. There, they immersed themselves in the temporary exhibitions of Race: Are We So Different? and the newly opened Amplified: Chicago Blues.

The Rocket Scientist Next Door

Posted by Taylor Hayden

The end of the quarter is especially busy for everyone living on campus. Tali is no exception. He’s going to his last class meetings, preparing for final exams, and doing some independent research. He is even working on his big summer plans for a rocket launch. You see, Tali isn’t an undergraduate student. He is a tenured professor who has chosen to live on campus. Even in the most hectic stretch of the academic term, he still makes time to hang out with students, several of whom he recently hosted for dinner before going to see an opera with them.

Shepard Exhibit Highlights Northwestern’s Activist Voices and Encourages Students to Use Theirs

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Fifty years ago, Northwestern students peacefully occupied the Bursar’s Office to protest the black student experience. A month ago, hundreds of Northwestern students participated in a national walkout to support Parkland shooting victims and advocate for gun reform. Protest is an integral part of Northwestern history, and student activism lies deep in Wildcat tradition. On Monday night, Residential Services, University Archives, and the faculty and staff leaders of the South Area teamed up to transform the top floor of Shepard Hall’s Engagement Center into an inspirational gallery of campus activism.

You Can Still Let Your Voice Be Heard: Next Steps for the UREC Report

Posted by Taylor Hayden

In January, Northwestern University released its much-anticipated Undergraduate Residential Experience Committee report, which proposed a framework for a universal undergraduate residential experience in the form of Neighborhoods all over campus, among other things. Soon after the release, the institutional initiative encapsulated in this 114-page document entered what it calls its “listening period.”

Dear Jesse, Thank You. Love, Allison.

Posted by Taylor Hayden

A smile shyly formed on the face of Jesus “Jesse” Consing, an integral part of the Northwestern community for the past 25 years, as he walked into the Allison lounge to be greeted by the residents, staff, and faculty who were awaiting his arrival.

Northwestern Residents Warm Up With the Witches

Posted by Taylor Hayden

On Feb. 11, student members and faculty and staff affiliates of residential colleges and residential communities gathered in the lobby of the Josephine Louis Theatre to sip warm hot cocoa topped with marshmallows and peppermint flakes as they waited to see the highly-anticipated “Vinegar Tom.”

Artfest Unveils Northwestern’s Hidden Artists

Posted by Taylor Hayden

To give students an outlet to say “yes” to their inner artist or performer, Helicon and the Residential College Board (RCB) recently launched a new collaboration that took advantage of the newest residential venue on campus. They conceived Artfest as a way for students to share their love for literary and visual arts in a non-competitive environment.

Wildcats Take a Trip to Wakanda

Posted by Taylor Hayden

On Feb. 17, Melissa Foster, the Faculty-in-Residence for Shepard Hall and 1838 Chicago, invited a group of students in her residential community to see Ryan Coogler’s Marvel blockbuster, Black Panther, during its opening weekend. 

Residence Hall Engagement Centers Strengthen Communities

Posted by Taylor Hayden

Tucked in the basement of Shepard Hall is the Student Engagement Center. By day, the space is a classroom, but most evenings, the desks are pushed aside, and it becomes a place for students to grow and learn in a less traditional sense. Students learn to cook in the gorgeous demonstration kitchen, play games with friends, hold club meetings, and get to know other residents.

The Engagement Center was created during Shepard Hall’s 2015-16 renovation, and since then it has been providing opportunities for community building and important conversations. With the University’s ongoing 10-year Housing Master Plan, spaces like Shepard’s Engagement Center will soon exist in every residential neighborhood, allowing students, staff, and faculty to build and strengthen their communities.  

Willard Open House: A Celebration of the Past and Future

Posted by Taylor Hayden

On Wednesday, January 24, Northwestern President Morton Schapiro and other members of the Northwestern community joined together to celebrate the renovation and re-opening of Willard Hall. At the open house, speakers acknowledged the work of the architects and contractors responsible for carrying out the renovations, celebrated Willard’s 80-year history, and placed the re-opening in the context of Northwestern’s ten-year Housing Master Plan.