Inside this issue:

4 Reasons to go to

NU

2

El Comienzo 2

National Association

of Hispanic

Journalists

3

Meet 2 Wildcats 3

Festival LatiNU 4

CLAVE

Coordinators

4

...and more!

Prospective students <3 Northwestern

Volume 4, Issue 1 | December 2013

Latino Fall Recap

The Council of Latino Admission Volunteers for Education (CLAVE) created this newsletter to give prospective

students insight into Latino student life at Northwestern University.

Thousands of students apply to NU and thousands also visit. We asked them, “Why NU?” Here is

what they said...

“I’m sold on the opportunity to

conduct my own research as

an undergraduate.”

“The quarter system will allow me

to figure out what field to go into.”

“I want to interact with people from all over the

world.”

“NU has study abroad

programs in many

countries.”

Hello Prospective Students, We are very excited to know that you are interested in Northwestern! Alianza, the largest Hispanic/Latino student organization on campus, welcomes you. Through Alianza, students unite and support each other & work towards the advancement of an empow-ered, productive, Hispanic/Latino presence at this institution. Alianza is a cultural, educational, and social programming body which also serves as a vehicle for activism. Northwestern University provides its students with endless opportunities to learn and grow. This includes many extracurricular ac-tivities, pre-professional programs, internships, fellowships, undergraduate research and much more. At NU you can “take care of business” and have lots of fun too! You can explore the lakefill, take a trip to Six Flags, enjoy the Mariachi Northwestern, and dance outdoors on Mayfest’s Dillo Day. We hope that you will get to see what we mean :) We wish you the best of luck on your applications and hope that you will join our Alianza family at Northwestern!

Sincerely,

Darlene Reyes, Alianza President, & Alianza Executive Board 2013-2014

“The campus is awesome. In addition to

beautiful architecture, the overall vibe is

positive and welcoming.”

“I know that I can build relationships with

faculty members - after all, the student to

faculty ratio is 7:1.”

Below, prospective students visit campus...

Latino Fall Recap Page 2

This was the second year Alianza, The Hispanic/Latino Stu-

dent Alliance, hosted El Comienzo: The Beginning. The event

took place on Sunday, October 13th and was designed as a

welcoming event for freshmen. Upperclassmen were there to

offer advice, a list of ten “must do” activities and a time cap-

sule. Freshman brought significant, personal, and even silly

momentos that represent their start at NU. They put the items

in the time capsule which will be unburied their senior year.

Time capsule items included the Wildcat Welcome week

planner, selfies, pictures of friends during new student orien-

tation, signed tshirts, letters to “future self”, twinkies, NU sun-

glasses, a Chicago transit card, and much more. What will

you put in the time capsule?

Connect with CLAVE!

Want to know more about the Council of La-

tino Admission Volunteers for Education

(CLAVE)? Have questions about the admis-

sion process or life at NU? Contact any

CLAVE team member at their e-mail

(page 4) or send a message to

nu.clave@gmail.com! We would be more

than happy to answer your questions :)

Like us on Facebook @

www.facebook.com/NUClave

STRONG LATINO COMMUNITY: Latinos have a strong presence on campus. With student groups like Alianza, Mariachi NU, and Multicultural Greek Life, you’ll be able to stay connected with your La-tino roots.

BIG POCKETS: NU has an amazing financial aid system! Their goal is to graduate students with little or no debt after 4 years. Don’t be afraid of the large price tag—you will be happily surprised when you receive your financial aid award letter in the mail.

SMALL TOWN, BIG CITY: Living in Evanston is a comfortable experience. The small shops, restau-rants and overall charm offer a relaxing atmos-phere that reminds us of home. However, if you feel the need to see bright lights and city nights, Chicago is just a free shuttle ride away. Nothing compares to Chicago’s stores, attractions, and skyline!

1

2

3 4

ULTIMATE BALANCE:

At NU, you get an elite education with a Big Ten at-

mosphere. What else could you want? Our professors

are top notch scholars who offer us opportunities for

research and with over 480 clubs, it’s easy to become

a leader on campus!

Page 3 Volume 4, Issue 1 | December 2013

DULCE CASTANEDA

Hometown: Crete, Nebraska

School, Major, Year: School of Communication

Communication Studies, Sophomore

Extracurricular Activities:

Marching Band, Alianza, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de

Northwestern, Women’s Residential College Executive

Board

Advice for Prospective Students:

Find an upperclassman, academic advisor, professor, or faculty member who you can relate to and feel comfortable with— ask them questions about how to navigate the univer-sity. There are many opportunities at Northwestern and mentors can help guide you in the right direction once you start talking about your interests and goals. They can serve as resources, and they can also inspire you to become a better version of yourself. Favorite Thing About NU: I love how passionate everyone is about their activities. They find meaning and purpose behind their individual in-volvement and contributions to the Northwestern community and beyond. Students make sure that what they do makes a difference.

ANTONIO JOSE VIELMA

Hometown: Pharr, Texas

School, Major, Year: Medill School of Journalism

Broadcast Journalism, Sophomore

Extracurricular Activities:

Mariachi Northwestern, Quest Scholars Network, Sigma

Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc., National Asso-

ciation of Hispanic Journalists

Advice for Prospective Students:

Reach out to upperclassmen for anything and everything

from choosing classes and professors to getting connected

with different student organizations

Favorite Thing About NU:

Northwestern will really prepare you for life after gradua-tion. There are so many opportunities to develop your per-sonal and professional skills, not to mention the great net-work that you will become a part of by attending NU. Addi-tionally, we get the best of both worlds with a small town like Evanston and a world-class city like Chicago within our reach.

Northwestern’s NAHJ is a student group dedicated to the ad-

vancement of Latinos in the news industry. Not only is the

NAHJ student chapter the first of its kind, its members

(students interested in news, media, and marketing) represent

the 6 schools across NU! Recently, NAHJ members toured

the Univision Chicago studios with reporter Jazmin Beltran.

Another Univision Chicago anchor, Angelica Atondo, also

served as NAHJ’s spring speaker. This year, the organization

has already hosted NAHJ national president Hugo Balta as a

speaker, and attended the regional conference in Chicago.

Want to be the next Jorge Ramos or Maria Elena Salinas? Then join NAHJ!

NAHJ members with Univision Chicago reporters

LIZET ALBA

Sophomore

School of Communication—

Communication Studies

Favorite thing about NU:

There is ALWAYS a fun

event, activity, or program

happening on campus. It’s

impossible to be bored!

Email me at...

Lizet.Alba2012@

u.northwestern.edu

GIOVANNI

DELGADO

Senior

Weinberg College of Arts &

Sciences—

History, Spanish

Favorite thing about NU:

The campus! It offers

beaches, beautiful buildings,

green space, and access to

Chicago.

Email me at...

GiovanniDelgado2014

@u.northwestern.edu

EDGAR

VAZQUEZ

Sophomore

McCormick

School of Engineering—

Computer Science

Favorite thing about NU:

The people –they are nice,

interesting, and contribute a

lot to the diverse campus.

Email me at...

edgarvazquez2012

@u.northwestern.edu

Page 4 Volume 4, Issue 1 | December 2013

The rhythmic beat of Latin music could be heard on the first floor of Norris, inviting students to walk up

the stairs and enjoy Festival LatiNU, an event celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month at Northwestern.

The 13th annual celebration, organized by Alianza and sponsored by Hispanic/Latino Student Affairs, drew more than 200 students and community members to the Norris Louis Room. Flags from Latin American countries lined the room, edible arrangements featuring Mexican tamarind candies served as centerpieces, and colorful lights bouncing off the stage contributed to

the festive atmosphere.

The program featured five different groups representing six different styles of dance and music from all regions of Latin America. A professional Mariachi kicked off the event, greeting guests as they arrived and took their seats. A dance group from Latin Rhythms stu-dio in Chicago performed to bachata music, a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic, and later taught salsa lessons to participating audience members. A “plenero” performing group highlighted traditional Puerto Rican song and dance, and for the first time ever, Brazilian samba dancers complete with drums and elabo-rate sequined headdresses joined the lineup. The high energy rhythm by the beat of the drums prompted audience members to form a

conga line and dance around the room.

XIOMARA

CONTRERAS

Freshman

School of Communication—

Communication Studies

Favorite thing about NU:

It's small enough that I can

find a home base and big

enough that I can meet

various people with various

aspirations.

Email me at…

xiomaracontreras2017@

u.northwestedn.edu

Above, NU

samba parade

Meet the CLAVE Coordinators! Email us to hear about our personal, student perspective of Northwestern :)

Page 5 Volume 4, Issue 1 | December 2013

Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Northwestern:

Ritmo De Mis Ancestros

The Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Northwestern was founded in 2012

by Wildcats who wanted to increase awareness, appreciation, and celebration

of Mexican culture on campus. They have already performed for the Spanish

department, Deering Days, the Evanston library, and the Mariachi NU variety

show.

“Our goal this year is to raise funds to purchase additional dresses

so that we can perform regional Mexican dances,” said member Laura

Delgado. “I’m excited to work on new routines and even more excited to

meet the new dance members!”

Maria de Jesus Vela…

Is a Junior in the School of Communica-

tion where she studies communication

studies. She is currently studying abroad

in Barcelona, Spain. As shown in picture,

she’s also touring Europe.

Maria Alejandra Cordova…

Is a Junior in the School of

Communication where she

studies communication studies.

She is currently studying abroad

in Barcelona, Spain.

Lucy Diaz...

Is a Junior in the Weinberg College of Arts and

Sciences where she studies psychology and

pre-med. She is currently studying abroad in

Sevilla, Spain.

Talia Romo...

Is a Junior in the Weinberg College of Arts and

Sciences where she studies sociology. She is

currently studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea

at the Ewha Womans University.

‘Cats Study Abroad Did you know that about a third of NU students study abroad? Students choose from over 130 programs across the world!

They can study abroad for a quarter, 2 quarters or even a year! Here are a few Latinas who are studying abroad this year.

To learn more about studying abroad at NU visit http://www.northwestern.edu/studyabroad/prospective-students/index.html