Happy Holidays to Our Wildcat Family Members! As finals come to an end and students travel home for a much deserved winter break, the Office of New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) would like to wish everyone a joyous holiday season filled with love, laughter, peace and hopefully some rest! It is cold and snowy here in Evanston so it’s a great time for our students to take a break (unless they are traveling to an even colder and snowier place!) Now that students have some time to reflect on their quarter, they may be thinking about a change in major or even be ready to select a major. This issue of the Wildcat Family Focus provides contact information for each of the academic schools. Academic advisors at Northwestern can do much more than assist a student with registering for classes. We highly encourage all students to meet with their advisor at least once a quarter to make sure they are on the right track to graduation. Advisors can also assist students with non-academic issues, serve as a shoulder to lean on during challenging times, and connect students with the right campus resources. If your student takes the time to get to know their advisor, they can also serve as a valuable reference for an internship, scholarship, involvement or work opportunity. In many cases, advisors know the student better than most on campus and their input is highly valued. Also included in the December issue are more exciting initiatives from the Office of Residential Academic Initiatives, various gift ideas for your student and fall highlights from the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. As always, if you have any questions or feedback about NSFP’s monthly communication, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at patricia.hilkert@northwestern.edu. Happy Holidays & Go ‘Cats!
Patricia F. Hilkert Director of New Student and Family Programs Northwestern University
New Student and Family Programs 600 Haven St. J230 Evanston, IL 60208 family@northwestern.edu (847) 467-6100
ADVISING & STUDENT RESOURCES Your student may need more academic help as they progress into the next quarter. A visit with an academic advisor is always a smart start to the new year. Students can get help planning out their coursework, thinking about their academic program and graduation requirements, or just getting great advice and resources. Visit http://www.northwestern.edu/ students/academic-advising.html for a list of advising offices at Northwestern or choose from the list below.
BIENEN SCHOOL OF MUSIC Student resources, including information about student services and academic advising: http://www.music.northwestern.edu/current/
MCCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCE Student resources, including information about advising, majors, and more: http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/undergraduates/current_students/index.html
MEDILL SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM Contact information for academic advisors: http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/student-life/student-advising/
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION Contact information for SoC advisors and links to student resources such as academic guidelines and advising groups: http://society.northwestern.edu/advising
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & SOCIAL POLICY Student resources, including forms for course petition, information on practicum, and more: http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/ugrad/student-resources.html
WEINBERG COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES More information on WCAS’s Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising available through http://www.weinberg.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/advising/ousa.html
FOR PRE-MED/PRE-HEALTH & CROSS COLLEGE GENERAL ADVISING Visit University Academic Advising Center at http://www.northwestern.edu/advisingcenter/
UPCOMING EVENTS View PlanIt Purple for upcoming events and details at NU!
DECEMBER 9TH - 13TH FINAL EXAMS DECEMBER 14TH - Noon STUDENT HOUSING CLOSES FOR WINTER QUARTER JANUARY 4TH窶年oon STUDENT HOUSING OPENS FOR WINTER QUARTER JANUARY 6TH WINTER QUARTER CLASSES BEGIN
Norris Ice Rink Opening Soon! Dust off your skates during the winter break and get excited for the Norris Ice Rink opening in January 2014! Skate rental is $3/day for NU students.
RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE BOARD STUDENTS SHARE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, students participated in the Residential College Board’s philanthropy event called Turkey Taxi. Student teams volunteered their resources and time, “taxied” to the grocery store and purchased all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner for some Evanston families. After purchasing the food and supplies, the student teams returned to campus to decorate the bags and address greeting cards for Evanston’s Family Focus, a non-profit center which serves area families in need.
RCB RES TALKS FEATURE FACULTY PRESENTATIONS More than 70 students attended the Residential College Board’s Res Talks held at Swift Hall on Saturday November 9. Modeled after the well-known TEDtalks, four faculty members volunteered their time to share brief presentations with student attendees. The faculty speakers included Mike Smutko (Astronomy & Physics) “Do Laptops Really Affect Learning in Lectures?,” Sara Broaders (Psychology) “Psyched: Lifehacks and Advice,” Phil Hockberger (Feinberg) “The National Debt: Mismanagement vs Investment,” and David Uttal (Psychology & Education Social Policy), discussing “Spatial Cognition and STEM Education.”
RESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC INITIATIVES RESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC INITIATIVES COLLABORATES WITH NUCUSINE FOR HEALTHY COOKING DEMO
Residential Academic Initiatives collaborated with NUCuisine on December 5 th to offer a healthy cooking demonstration/tasting for students at Allison Dining Hall. Chef Ivette Aguirre-Beck prepared a delicious vegetarian and chicken/bean burrito introducing the nutritional benefits of incorporating the grain quinoa into the entrĂŠe. Chef Aguirre-Beck discussed how students could make shopping and advance food preparation simple and easy, how to minimize meal preparation time and save and freeze ingredients for future meals. NUCuisine Marketing Manager Eddie Skidmore and Campus Dietician Justin Heaton were also on hand to share helpful information about the benefits of Quinoa as well as economical shopping tips. Student attendees were enthusiastic about the cooking demonstration/tasting and appreciated the provided entrĂŠe and dessert recipes received for their own future culinary efforts.
Visit http://www.northwestern.edu/living/ to learn more about Residential Services at NU
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE SUSTAINABLE GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR STUDENT Need an awesome gift for your student this holiday season? Please consider the ideas below. 1) Give the gift of alternate transportation. Purchase a bike, bike lock, helmet, roller blades, scooter, or skateboard to make it easier for students to get around campus and Evanston. Some Chicago shops like Heritage Bikes and Tati Cycles will build a custom bike from local frame welders for less than the price of a 40” TV! 2) Not all great gifts fit in a box. Experiences, such as a trip, a class (in something non-academic!), or going to see a show can be a fun memory that will last forever. 3) Try handmade or secondhand over mass-produced. Amazon.com is awesome, but small businesses need your support too and it’s always fun to receive a personal and unique gift, check out local shops, craft fairs, or etsy online. 4) Support philanthropic businesses and organizations. Adopt an animal through WWF, lend funding to small businesses in developing countries through Kiva, purchase Toms or Bangs shoes or a hat from Krochet Kids, or give to a local non-profit. 5) Quality that lasts. A gift that will last through college and beyond is worth the investment. Some companies, like Patagonia’s campaign for repairing their products displayed below, have realized that making quality products and guaranteeing them for life builds lifelong customers. And remember when wrapping gifts, there is always newspaper!
NU ATHLETICS BASKETBALL & GIFTS
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Looking for a holiday gift for your favorite Northwestern Wildcat fan? Check out NU Sports’ Gift Guide for jerseys, spirit wear, and more! http://northwestern.cbscollegestore.com/store.cfm?store_id=176
MEN’S BASKETBALL BIG TEN TICKETS Men’s Basketball Big Ten tickets are now on sale: http://ev10.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList? groupCode=BST&linkID=nwu&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=&format=grpMenu
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BEATS DEPAUL Women’s Basketball knocks off No. 25 DePaul : http://www.nusports.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/120113aaa.html In a battle of two Chicago-area women's basketball teams, Northwestern utilized a strong offensive performance to upset No. 25 DePaul, 82-79 Sunday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena. A game that featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes, Northwestern broke the final tie (79-79) in the last 30 seconds by scoring the final three points of the game to secure the win. Sunday's game was the fifth annual Autism Awareness Game for the Wildcats and more than 1,200 fans in attendance saw a Northwestern victory.
UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICES
Searching for the perfect holiday gift for your student? Northwestern University Career Services suggests professional business attire (http://www.northwestern.edu/careers/students/employmentskills/interviews/dressing-for-the-interview.html) or accessories such as a nice suit, tie, blouse, padfolio or business card holder. Your student will thank you when preparing to meet with employers and learn about hundreds of summer opportunities (in various industries) at the annual Northwestern University Career Services Winter Internship & Job Fair on Thursday, January 9 from 12-4 p.m. in Norris, 2nd Floor. This one-stop shop for internships, full-time jobs and more offers something for all undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni -- even freshmen will have the chance to explore experiential learning opportunities (job shadowing, travel, service and research) with Northwestern Center for Civic Engagement, Office of Undergraduate Research and more. Plus, we’ll host our LinkedIn Photo Booth from 12:30-2:30 p.m. (also in Norris, 2nd Floor) so that students may leave with a free professional headshot to use on social media profiles (spots limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis). Students must dress in business professional attire, bring plenty of resumes and be ready to present their Wildcard. Find more information about the winter fair here (http://www.northwestern.edu/careers/ programs-and-events/Winter-fair-2014.html) and career fair prep tips for your student here (http:// www.northwestern.edu/careers/students/employment-skills/how-to-work-a-career-fair.html). Special thanks to our sponsors: Accenture, Aldi, PwC, LEK Consulting, ZS Associates and Michigan Economic Development Corporation. We hope to see your student exploring summer options and connecting with employers on January 9!
MULTICULTURAL STUDENT AFFAIRS FALL 2013 HIGHLIGHTS Throughout the fall quarter, Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) has conducted programs and events that foster an inclusive environment that celebrate the intersections of identity. The various programs produced by MSA are dedicated to an inclusive and diverse community aimed at developing empathy, understanding and acceptance of cultural differences to create a positive student experience. Multicultural Student Affairs introduced its MSA First Year Activities Board earlier this year, which allows students to meet and connect with others, learn about resources for success and develop various skills that will last a lifetime. We look forward to continually enriching the experience through the many programs, conversations and resources we provide to your student!
Marichi Northwestern performs during Festival LatiNU 2013
Dr. Mark Presnell joined us in October. Dr. Presnell comes to UCS from the Johns Hopkins University Career Center, where he served for more than seven years as director.
SERVICES & STAFF
Willie the Wildcat makes an appearance at the LGBT Resource Center ‘s Qmumunity Welcome Reception
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR STUDENTS