Happy Late Fall to Our Wildcat Family Members! The Office of New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) is pleased to introduce the Wildcat Family Focus. This e-newsletter will be sent monthly to all parent and family members who are subscribed to our e-mail list. The Family Focus will keep you up-to-date with Northwestern’s student life and student affairs initiatives, as well as give you periodic insight into our schools and colleges. If you have any feedback or thoughts about what you’d like to see in monthly communication, please do not hesitate to let me know by e-mailing me at patricia.hilkert@northwestern.edu. This issue of the Wildcat Family Focus features several new initiatives available for your student on campus. These include our Sustained Dialogue program, changes to Career Services which will better serve your student, and exciting programs from the new Office of Residential Academic Initiatives. We also share highlights from Homecoming, Family Weekend, One Book One Northwestern, NU’s Green Cup competition and various athletic events. Finally, we share ways in which students and family members can prepare for the upcoming breaks and returning home for the holidays. Every issue will conclude with a list of upcoming campus events – so you are “in the know” and maybe can help inform your student as well! We wish you a pleasant November as you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving (here in the U.S.) and maybe even Hanukkah. If you are able to see your student during break, please enjoy your time with them. Whether a new student or a senior, bear in mind that the quarter may have been quite challenging for them thus far, and that they may value sleep as much as the home cooking and family time. They will soon be gearing up for the final push through exams and then hopefully home for the winter break. Time flies fast in Wildcat country! Best Regards & As Always, 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
NORTHWESTERN NEWS SUSTAINED DIALOGUE The mission of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network (SDCN) is to develop everyday leaders who engage differences as strengths to improve their campuses, workplaces, and communities. Sustained Dialogue, a five-stage peace process founded by Hal Saunders (former US diplomat and key drafter of the Camp David Peace Accords), was adapted by Princeton students 10 years ago. With 14 member campuses (Northwestern being the most recent addition!) and an annual participation of over 2,000 students and administrators and 4,000 alumni, SDCN builds the capacity of students, administrators, workplaces, and communities to create inclusive environments through a proven dialogue-to-action process. Participants transform relationships around topics such as race, class, gender, faith, and sexual orientation, and simultaneously address pressing needs in their communities. Participation in SD has been associated with increased academic achievement, as well as informing civic engagement post-college. This quarter we have approximately 100 student participating in the program.
COMING SOON TO A CLASSROOM NEAR YOU The new Office of Residential Academic Initiatives launched a series called “Coming Soon to a Classroom Near You,” which is running prior to winter course registration in mid-November. Coming Soon offers faculty teaching winter quarter courses an opportunity to engage students in residential settings and informally discuss course themes and design, as well as how the course fits into their scholarly interests and teaching philosophies. Rather than scrolling through CTECs (online course evaluations) or relying on three-line catalog descriptions, students can learn about faculty and their courses through face-to-face interaction. Equally important, these encounters will take place on students’ turf, not in professors’ offices, which can be daunting for new students to visit. Professor Jacob Smith, the Faculty in Residence at Elder Residential Community, launched this new initiative in style by inviting freshman residents to join faculty for a casual buffet dinner and conversation about winter academic plans. At the initial gathering, 20 professors and 60 students filled the Faculty-in-Residence apartment at Elder on Sunday, November 3. From November 4-15, ‘Coming Soon’ events were held all over campus at different times of day in diverse formats such as “fireside” chats in a lounge and meal-time discussions in the private dining rooms of dining halls. Coming Soon offers students events spanning Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences departments from English to Biology as well as courses from the School of Communication to the School of Education and Social Policy. In addition, student leaders have volunteered to facilitate Coming Soon events and lend their expertise. Upperclass members of the Residential College Board will host “Getting the Most Out of CTECs,” a tutorial for new students who may struggle to make sense of course evaluations as they plan
THE NEW NU CAREER SERVICES OUR NEW CAREER ADVISING MODEL You may have heard that we have been making changes in how we support career development for our students at NU. These updates include career advisors who are now aligned with 9 of the schools and colleges on campus so that undergraduate and graduate students have one career advisor from their first day at Northwestern through graduation. Career advisors specialize in the opportunities, academics and alumni network of their own school to help students connect their academic and co-curricular experiences to professional opportunities. Our counselors and advisors can also help students:
Assess their interests, values and skills, and relate those elements to academic majors and career paths. Guide them through the process of applying to jobs, internships, graduate school and other experiential learning opportunities. Prepare them to connect with employers. This includes perfecting resume/cover letters, refining interviewing skills, and networking with alumni and professionals.
OUR BUILDING UPGRADE Northwestern has invested in a substantial upgrade of the Career Services building to create a warm, professional environment for students to meet with staff and interview with employers. We welcome you and your student to visit us at 620 Lincoln Street, Evanston.
OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 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 We look forward to assisting your son or daughter. To learn more about our services and our staff, please visit the UCS website (www.northwestern.edu/careers), follow us on social media @NorthwesternUCS, or contact Mark Presnell, Executive Director (mark.presnell@northwestern.edu). If you wish to recruit Northwestern students for full-time employment or internship opportunities, contact Alice Harra (alice.harra@northwestern.edu).
HOMECOMING
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! HOMECOMING WEEK 2014 IS OCTOBER 12-18.
THANK YOU! Thank you to all of the alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends who came out to any of the Homecoming 2013 events. You helped us take Purple Pride to new heights with the highest attendance for Homecoming in recent NU history!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK OF HOMECOMING 2013: 250 students participated in Color Roar to raise money for the Summer Internship Grant Program 150 of you came out to watch Jurassic Park at Movie on the Meadow Over 500 attendees came out to have lunch with us at the Food Truck event – so much food was eaten that several food trucks completely sold out! The crowd at ESPN College GameDay on the lakefront was over
1,200 people strong
More than 2,800 of you were there to cheer on our Wildcats at the Pep Rally on Deering Meadow! Total attendance for all Homecoming Week 2013 events was well over 6,600 which was record breaking! With this kind of Purple Pride, we can’t wait to see what happens next year!
ONE BOOK ONE NORTHWESTERN One Book One Northwestern is a campus-wide program that connects the school by exploring themes in the chosen common reading program. One Book creates events throughout the academic year surrounding these themes. This year, we are excited to be reading The Last Hunger Season, A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change by Roger Thurow. The Roberta Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies is the host for this year’s program.. We have offered over 20 exciting events for students to choose from this quarter.
HIGHLIGHTS NU’s First Season event on Sept. 28th offered 9 themed tracks for students to choose from to explore the Chicagoland area in faculty-run programs exploring themes of hunger, social entrepreneurship, urban agriculture and health and poverty first-hand. On Oct. 14th, we hosted Paul Collier, a professor of Economics and Public Policy, to talk about Routes Out of Poverty: What are the Expressways. On Oct. 30th, Princeton Bioethics Professor, Peter Singer, author of The Life you Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty talked about effective altruism to a standing room only crowd. Students have had the opportunity to participate in a video and/or photo contest. Each contest theme was to share stories or images of Global Change. On Nov. 11 and 12th,we screened the film Girl Rising, spotlighting the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the lives of others. In November, we will also be hosting two faculty-run, themed book group discussions over dinner at Dittmar.
FAMILY WEEK
KEND 2013
A special thanks to all our Wildcat families who joined us for educational sessions with professors, tailgating at Ryan Field, a night of student talent at NU Revue, and “Conversations with President Schapiro.” We look forward to seeing you at Family Weekend next year, which is scheduled for November 7—9, 2014!
McCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCE The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science hopes to develop whole-brain engineers who use intellectual ability in conjunction with creativity to accomplish real-world problems. The McCormick Office of Personal Development works to accomplish this mission for students through programming efforts including guest speakers, workshops, and panels that aid in the students’ experience here at McCormick, with the assistant of the student input of the MOPD Board members. Recently, guest speaker Jeremy Hunter presented to students and faculty about the topics of mindfulness and interest in their work leading to better and more successful outcomes for students not only in their academic life, but also their future careers. The Quarterly newsletter was just distributed to students in conjunction with registration for Winter 2014. This newsletter contains helpful information about advising by major along with spotlights on upcoming events sponsored by the McCormick Office of Personal Development. Additionally, new McCormick advisers, featured faculty, and student artist profiles were also included to provide more information about those working to make McCormick great! For more information about the McCormick Office of Personal Development, visit our website at http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/personaldevelopment/
NU OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY
Students Learn to Conserve Through Green Cup From October 21 – November 17, students living on campus participated in Northwestern’s Green Cup, an annual competition aimed at reducing electricity and water usage in residence halls and Greek houses. Organized by Students for Ecological and Environmental Development (SEED), with support from the NU Office of Sustainability, Green Cup engages students in behavior change and teaches them the impact of their daily activities and choices. Last year students saved 90,859 gallons of water and 55,321 kWh of electricity (enough to power 57 American homes for a month). Scoring is based on a per person reduction in usage as compared to an established baseline for each individual residence. Students can also receive points by attending Green Cup events and taking the NU Green Pledge and Green Room Certification. Four winners will be announced before Thanksgiving for residences with dining halls, residences without dining halls, fraternities, and sororities. Winners of this heated competition earn bragging rights, a cash prize, and the right to the Green Cup trophy for the year. When students return home for Thanksgiving and Winter Break, you may notice they turn off the lights and electronics when they leave a room, take shorter showers, are more avid recyclers, and carry a reusable water bottle wherever they go. Please support your students in adopting these sustainable behaviors and consider joining in!
WINTER BREAK PREPARATIONS RESIDENCE HALLS MAIL & PACKAGE CENTER Please note that the Residence Halls Mail & Package Center will close at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 27, 2013, and will reopen on Monday, December 2, 2013. If you are sending anything to your child that he/she needs to have before the Thanksgiving holiday break, please ensure that it is delivered to campus by end of day on Tuesday, November 26. For more information about the Mail and Package Center, go to www.northwestern.edu/living/services/mail/index.html
HOLIDAY TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS NU does not provide free service to local airports. However, transportation to O’Hare and Midway airports is available for a fee during Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, and the end of Spring Quarter through a student-run service called Airhop. A one-way ticket to O’Hare costs $14.99. A one-way ticket to Midway costs $29.99. Visit www.nuairhop.com for information and reservations. Students are also welcome to hire one of the many taxi services in the area or use public transportation.
DON’T FORGET THE FLU SHOT! Which students should get the flu vaccine each year? Anyone who can’t afford to miss classes for 4-7 days because of illness. Certain individuals, especially those with chronic medical issues such as asthma, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders, are more likely to have serious complications from influenza, but all of us are at risk to contract this virus. While we haven’t seen reports of influenza activity in Evanston yet this year, we also know it is just a matter of time. Thankfully, it is not too late for students to take steps to avoid this potentially serious illness that circulates on campus annually. Remind your student to stay healthy and get their annual influenza vaccination, which they can do at Northwestern University Health Service at 633 Emerson St. The cost is $25, covered in full or fully reimbursable by Aetna Student Health Insurance and all private insurance plans. Students can call 847-491-2204 to schedule a time to come in to the office. Students may also access the Student Health Portal to make an appointment at https://wwwhealthy.nuhs.northwestern.edu/login_directory.aspx.
WINTER BIKE STORAGE Don't let the harsh Chicago winter ruin your student's bike! Months of snow and ice will rust the chain and harden the brakes. As Northwestern's preferred Winter Bike Storage, BoxCo. will keep your student's bike safe and sound throughout the winter and then deliver it right back once the sun comes out. We provide to protect your ride. More details available at www.nuboxco.com.
HELPING YOUR STUDENT HOME FOR WINTER BREAK Things to think about... Most students are excited to return home for Thanksgiving and Winter Break. They look forward to the comforts of home: family, privacy, home-cooked meals, resting, and reuniting with old friends. Some students will be reluctant to leave their new friends, particularly a new boyfriend or girlfriend. During Thanksgiving, some students may also be aware of their final exams, papers, and projects coming in the following weeks and feel stressed thinking ahead. As students grow and develop, there also may occasionally be some tension between families and their student as they sort through different expectations after being away from home. Students may hold different assumptions about family obligations (chores, curfews, expenses) or have adopted new habits that work when navigating their daily life on campus but may not fit at home. Family members may be disappointed in how little time they see their student during the break. It may be helpful to communicate expectations prior to the trip home before conflict can arise and be willing to compromise with one another. Modified from “Empowering Parents of First-Year College Students: A Guide for Success� by Richard Mullendore & Leslie Banahan of the National Orientation Directors Association, 2007.
NUhelp NUhelp allows students, parents, staff and the NU community to share a concern for a student. NUhelp is designed to provide community members with access to university resources and services that serve NU students. You may share a concern for a student, identify safety and security resources, discover health and wellness programs, and find academic assistance specific to a college/school. Visit http://www.northwestern.edu/nuhelp to learn more about NUhelp and to access resources and contact information.
UPCOMING EVENTS View PlanIt Purple for upcoming events and details at NU!
SUNDAY, NOV. 24TH INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING DINNER Celebrate food, fun, and the diversity of the Northwestern community at 5:30pm in UCM (1834 Chicago Ave). Students should RSVP to Rev. Julie Mitchell at revjulie@u.northwestern.edu
SATURDAY, NOV. 30TH VOLLEYBALL VS. WISCONSIN 7-9 pm, Welsh-Ryan Arena. Student admission is free. General admission: Adults $7, Children $4.
MONDAY, DEC. 2ND WORLD AIDS DAY Join the LGBT Resource Center, and our many partners, for the commemoration of World AIDS Day. First, free HIV testing will be offered at the Norris University Center from 10am-3pm. At 6 pm at Fiedler Hillel Center (629 Foster Street) national speaker, rapper, author and educator Tim’m T. West will join us for a conversation/performance regarding HIV and AIDS education. This event is open to all Northwestern University community members.
SUNDAY DEC. 8TH FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS & CAROLS As part of Alice Millar Chapel’s 50th anniversary celebration, the program will include many Advent and Christmas favorites from festivals past in settings for brass, strings, oboe, organ, percussion, and choir. New carols by Bob Chilcott and Daniel Kallman add fresh joy to this beloved holiday tradition. The concert starts at 10:40 a.m. Admission is a freewill offering.
DEC. 9TH - 13TH FINAL EXAMS
NU SPORTS MEN’S SOCCER The Northwestern men's soccer team is heading back to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats received an at-large bid to the 2013 NCAA Tournament and will host a first-round match against Bradley on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Lakeside Field. This is the eighth NCAA Tournament appearance for the Wildcats, all of which have come under head coach Tim Lenahan. The Wildcats recorded a 10-7-3 record this year while Bradley brings a 13-6-2 record into the NCAA Tournament.
WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY No. 12 Northwestern earned a share of the Big Ten conference title Friday as it rolled to a convincing 50 Senior Day victory over Ohio State at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats laid claim to a piece of the crown when Michigan knocked off previously undefeated Penn State 2-1 in overtime in Ann Arbor. Both NU and the Nittany Lions finished league play with a 5-1 record. PSU will be at the top seed at next week's Big Ten tournament in Columbus, Ohio, based upon its headto-head victory over the 'Cats. Northwestern is the tournament's No. 2 seed and will face Ohio State once again Thursday, November 21. The title is the first for the Wildcats since winning it outright during the 1994 season.