Fall 2021 Magazine

Pregame

Cat out of the bag

Unmasking Northwestern's mascot.

BY MADDY RUBIN

Keeping up with the Ryans

A look into Northwestern's biggest donors.

BY JOSEPH RAMOS

50 shades of purple

Former fan fiction authors reflect on their writing.

BY HOPE CARTWRIGHT

Dining dollar? I hardly know her!

How Northwestern students are cashing in on their dining dollars.

BY JIMMY HE

Props to the shop

A behind-the-curtain look at the Wirtz Center's production shops.

BY MAGGIE GALLOWAY

Dance Floor

Meet me at our (late night) spot

After dark, Evanston restaurants compete for students' attention.

BY JENNA ANDERSON

Housing hustle

The scramble to secure off-campus housing in Evanston's competitive market.

BY MICHELLE LIU

Between the shelves

Northwestern librarians' efforts to increase accessibility.

BY YURUI WU

Mind the gap

How Northwestern students spent an unconventional year off.

BY ROSIE NEWMARK

The international cost

International students' path to financial aid.

BY RAYNA SONG

Got sponsors?

Student-athletes' newest play: marketing themselves.

BY COOP DALEY

Social shift

Where students are finding a place in the University's new social scene.

BY MIA WALVOORD

Redefining research

The funding opportunities for Northwestern undergraduates' academic interests go far beyond lab work.

BY IRIS SWARTHOUT

Features

First in the family

Northwestern students tackle the statistics and realities of being first-generation.

BY ALI BIANCO

The expense of experience

The financial strain some students face at University-sponsored internships.

BY TRENT BROWN

Reconciling religion

LGBTQ+ Northwestern students reflect on finding their place in — or outside of — religion.

BY SHANNON COAN

Photo Story

The sound of Olivia Pierce

The Bienen second-year on writing and producing her own music.

BY JULIANNA ZITRON

Hangover

Hangover helpers

Beating a hangover the Hangover editors' way.

BY HANGOVER STAFF

'Cats on acid

LSD is in our DNA.

BY MOLLY BURKE & CARSON BURTON

[Redacted] Norris courses

First rule of Norris courses: don't talk about Norris courses.

BY TABOR BREWSTER

To pee or not to pee?

Northwestern students are caught in a classic "will wee, won't wee" situation.

BY JULIA LUCAS

Hey sexy ;)

Which sexy Northwestern icon are you?

BY SAMANTHA STEVENS

Dear readers,

My first four quarters on the staff of North by Northwestern took place entirely online. Starting in spring 2020, from our apartments, dorms and childhood bedrooms, we managed to create a magazine. And then we did it three more times. But this fall, we got to experience what it's like to make this magazine in-person. It's been surreal to have our staff physically together every week, from selecting pitches to the long hours of final checks.

We are in a season of rediscovery. We've spent much of the past two years reflecting on the abnormal in the midst of an unpredictable pandemic, but now we have a chance to see Northwestern with fresh eyes. We're taking this moment to find the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary and uncover the stories behind everyday campus sights.

In Pregame, we unmask who's in the Willie the Wildcat costume we're so used to seeing every weekend at Ryan Field. We also go behind the scenes with the people who bring Wirtz Center productions to life. In Dance Floor, we met librarians who are championing accessibility and spotlighting Black history at Northwestern.

In our Features section, we examine the first-generation college student experience and take a look at the often meager compensation provided by the University's work experience programs, Like Medill's journalism residency and the SESP practicum. We also explore how queer-identifying students have negotiated their religious identities.

Finally, our Hangover section offers tips from our expert editors on how to beat a hangover, in addition to unearthing the secret Norris Mini Courses catalog. And, of course, no issue would be complete without our quiz, where we reveal whch sexy Northwestern icon matches your personality.

Every one of these stories was written, edited and designed with care. We're so glad to be back (even if we weren't ever truly gone) and together again. I hope you enjoy reading this magazine as much as we enjoyed creating it.

You might even (re)discover something along the way.

- Teresa Nowakowski

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