oNe Northwestern debate tackles uncomfortable issues
Criticism dominated at McCormick Auditorium Tuesday evening as more than 30 students joined the oNe Northwestern team in an informal discussion about students’ happiness at Northwestern.
Facilitated oNe Northwestern chairwoman Claire Lew, the discussion kept its promise to “engage every student in an honest conversation about the common benefits and drawbacks of being a Northwestern student,” as the event Facebook page says.
The project was conceived on the back of a napkin in September and has blossomed into an organization with roughly 30 members and almost 600 people in its Facebook group. According to Lew, oNe Northwestern is a “collaborative project that looks to bring the community together by highlighting and celebrating what Northwestern students share.”
As discussion opened, participants jumped to identify the common stereotypes of Northwestern students. In an attempt to catalyze the discussion, the audience criticized Northwestern for falling behind the Ivies in academics and to the Big Ten schools in sports.
Apathy, reluctance to take risks and lack of social skills stand out among Northwestern students’ biggest weaknesses, according to many in the audience. Participants in the discussion also took digs at the school for its lack of a social hub on campus, absence of interaction between student groups and North-South Campus divide.
Others preferred to be constructive, suggesting that joining clubs and organizations, voicing concerns to ASG or just giving Northwestern another chance might alleviate individual and common disconcert.
“You’ll always be able to find a niche if you remain proactive,” Weinberg freshman Nancy Dong said. Dong, a Bobb senator, added that she appreciated the honesty of the audience and the variety of people who came together.
Not all students enjoyed the event, however, as some participants hit out at ASG members for dominating the debate and “manipulating students” with the discussion.
“I’m not really happy that I came,” SESP sophomore Kyrsten Brown said. “At times during the discussion I felt frustrated and patronized, and the event didn’t meet my expectations or make me feel better.”
According to Lew, the event aimed not only to discuss and consider problems, but also to address the next steps of this conversation.
“The goals of oNe Northwestern are community, student happiness and tradition,” Lew said. “We [should] never cease thinking, talking, writing and showing who we are and what we do.”
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Constructive criticism is always good,BUT I feel that if people want to bitch and moan they should just transfer out of NU…
Kenan Mir
January 28, 2009 at 3:52 am
“In an attempt to catalyze the discussion, the audience criticized Northwestern for falling behind the Ivies in academics and to the Big Ten schools in sports.”
The part about sports is dead wrong. That’s merely ignorance on the part of the student body. Ever heard of football, men’s soccer, #1 women’s tennis, women’s swimming, wrestling, fencing, men’s tennis (undefeated as of now), #9 softball, and 4 time defending NATIONAL CHAMPION and #1 women’s lacrosse???
Just because students are too lazy to support these successful programs does NOT mean NU is behind the other Big Ten schools in sports.
Aaron
January 28, 2009 at 4:43 am
Kyrsten, I want to apologize for any frustrations you felt at the event. That was definitely not our intent. We saw this event as an opportunity to provoke a response on higher-level Northwestern issues, which can be tough and somewhat uncomfortable to think about. I would love to further hear your feedback on the event as a whole or suggestions to improve upon this dialogue. My email is clew23@gmail.com.
Claire Lew
January 28, 2009 at 4:57 am
I don’t understand the point of this oNe Northwestern group. Are they just going to try bringing people together with these debates? What else have they/are they going to be doing?
All these kids who are complaining about Northwestern are only doing so because they are so close minded, There are so many places to go out every night of the week and a million clubs and organizations to join. I don’t think kids here are that awkward either, all of my friends are badass!
I wonder how ASG were manipulating students during the discussion. Interesting…Brainwashing?
Jim Halpert
January 28, 2009 at 5:07 pm
ASG brainwashing rivals my own.
Jim Jones
January 28, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Hi Jim,
The purpose of “this oNe Northwestern group” is to bring Northwestern together. It seeks to inspire passion and a sense of belonging to this school. That doesn’t mean imposing a sense of community on anyone, or defining someone’s Northwestern experience for them. Rather, it’s to promote a dialogue about what Northwestern is and what it could be.
It terms of what oNe Northwestern has done to accomplish that, they have taken many approaches–only one of which include this event. You know those purple “oNe” t-shirts? oNe Northwestern is the force behind that, creating and distributing 2,000 of them at the homecoming game last year. They also created and distributed 1,500 Wildcat claw gloves for another football game.
Recently, oNe Northwestern also has launched a campus-wide grassroots campaign, where they’ve gone door-to-door in nine different dorms. During these “dorm storms,” they’ve had conversations with students about their personal Northwestern experience, while passing out purple wristbands.
Currently, I know that oNe Northwestern has a campus-wide print marketing campaign, video project, and interactive website all in the works. I believe all are set to launch within the next couple weeks.
All of these efforts look further this campus dialogue and to tap into the common thread that all Northwestern students share–including the students who are “close minded” as well as your “badass” friends.
As far as the propagated “brainwashing” or “manipulation” by ASG during the discussion, that definitely was untrue. I was at the event and know that the first person who spoke delivered a premeditated rant about Northwestern only to spark the conversation. I also know for a fact that person is actually not a part of ASG at all. Indeed, there were one or two ASG members in the audience who did voice their opinions strongly, but made no attempts to “brainwash” or “manipulate” anyone.
With love,
Pam
Pam Beasley
January 28, 2009 at 11:15 pm
The One Northwestern forum was something never attempted before to look at our Northwestern experience as a whole, to spark discussion and debate in an open dialogue for all NU students. There was no “brainwashing” involved, and though I am an ASG Senator, I took part of One Northwestern–not as part of ASG but as part of the Northwestern student body and community. “I hate Northwestern” was put out there as a catalyst, an extreme viewpoint, to drive further thought and discussion. I personally love this school and want to encourage others to take time to think and talk about the general question: “Are you happy here?” Thanks Pam for your comment–OneNU has accomplished a lot already and will continue to turn out more events and campaigns for this quarter!
Nancy Dong
January 28, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Thanks, Kenan and Jim. Because of people like you, I will be transferring out of this school.You two are prime examples of closed-mindedness that I experience each day at this place. I’m doing my part by trying to join in clubs and organizations, but sometimes, people just don’t jive with the whole crowd or let in someone new and make them feel at home. Some of us fall in the gray area between outgoing socialites and social misanthropes. While I didn’t attend this event(prior commitments), it goes without saying that this campus doesn’t have a very social atmosphere. Oh, I’m sure that people are out there finding their niche and group of bad-ass friends, but once those groups are formed, it’s hard as heck to get into them. You should try my experience of being asked to move by people in classes because they want “whatever person” to sit next to them. And this was right after I said “hey, I’m Ginger Brew, what’s up?” Wonderfully welcoming there and definitely conducive for me to keep trying. I recall reading awhile ago on NBN an article about how it is “creepy” to randomly introduce yourself after NSW…and I wondered “why?” Why is it so wrong to go up to people you don’t know and say hi? Why is it wrong and creepy to try to extend your arm and meet people?
Perhaps I keep getting the sour grapes, but after 1.5 years of hitting them, it’s hard to keep on going when it’s just miserable. Oh and that North-Campus divide is some bs along with the stereotypes. By people bringing them up over and over again, they just reinforce them. I’m tired of hearing of how we’re all awkward and socially-inept. It’s as if it self-propagates, even amongst those who don’t fit the type. Anyone who shows any slight resemblance to this is suddenly grouped and put aside as another of the awkward dudes. Whatever.
But hey, props to the OneNU for trying to get people to come together and interact, to try to gauge the students’ happiness here. At least they gave it a shot and while people accuse them of brainwashing, it’s better than them not doing anything at all.
As for the sports, well, I’m well aware that we have teams that are doing well! I wish we had more school spirit, but I guess we’re accustomed to the stereotype of having crap sports and that obscures the truth. Academics wise, well, I’ve had some crummy, condescending professors. Rather, they are great in lecture, but in Office Hours, forget it. It’s like you’re wasting their time, even though their salaries are from our tuition dollars. Awesome.
Ginger Brew
January 29, 2009 at 12:22 am
wow i wish i would have known what this was about.
“i hate northwestern” was eye-catching but that’s about it.
cm
January 29, 2009 at 3:47 am
The I HATE NORTHWESTERN was an advertising campaign that we hoped would be a provocative way to capture the attention of the student body, and to get them talking about oNe northwestern, and more specifically, the forum we hosted. Obviously there was room for miscommunication, and we did not do a good enough job in communicating our true intentions. And that we blame on ourselves and our limited manpower.
And along the lines of oNe northwestern’s goals: I do believe it is true that Northwestern is more divided than it needs to be. I also believe that students are less happy, more clique-y, and less proud of their alma mater than they could be, or should be. I do think this malaise is real and if you don’t see it, maybe you are part of the problem.
I really believe that we are addressing a problem that is real, and more importantly, that we are beginning to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. We don’t just talk about the problem–we host forums, make t-shirts to rouse the student body, round up the troops in the freezing weather to talk to students about it.
If you disagree, agree, have complaints, I’m at minjae.lee@u.northwestern.edu.
Minjae Lee
January 29, 2009 at 5:51 pm