A roll of quarters from Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, a supply of warm clothes from the Northwestern Alumni Association and a picture of the Rock from the Associated Student Government.
University President Morton O. Schapiro received these items as part of a NU survival kit at the “Celebrate Northwestern” event on Thursday night.
As a continuation to the inauguration weekend, “Celebrate Northwestern” hosted about 500 alumni, trustees, Evanston residents, family and friends to commemorate Schapiro’s inauguration at a formal cocktail party outside of Norris University Center. Following cocktails, attendees relocated to Pick-Staiger Concert Hall for performances from NU students and faculty members.
Sarah Pearson, vice president for alumni relations and development, said she helped plan the event as a pleasant gathering for family and friends of Schapiro in a social setting.”What I like about this production is that it really culminates in student performances,” she said. “And that’s symbolic of all of us really acknowledging that having students play a significant role in the inaugural weekend is critical.”
The program included NU percussion and dance group Boomshaka, a speech by Tisdahl and a duet between Victor Goines, professor and director of NU’s Jazz Studies program, on alto saxophone, and Peter Martin, a lecturer in Jazz Studies, on piano.
“It’s a time for new beginnings, and I look forward to that,” Tisdahl said before presenting Schapiro and his family gift certificates to Pooch Park, a map of public art in Evanston and a roll of quarters.
Throughout the program, the audience stayed involved by singing and clapping to NU songs, cheering after each performance and laughing at the various gifts Schapiro received.
In between each feature, videos were played. One showed students and faculty discussing their favorite color – purple – while another presented advice to Schapiro and welcomed him to the community.
ASG President Mike McGee, who delivered the final speech, said he represented the student body at the event and gave Schapiro a framed picture of the Rock with “Welcome President Schapiro” written on it.
“I’m so excited to be here to welcome the Schapiros to our student body,” the Communication senior said.
To conclude the celebration, students in attendance – the women’s lacrosse team, the football team, Boomshaka, NU cheerleaders, McGee and members of the Waa-Mu musical revue – sang the alma mater as the NU Marching Band performed.
Members of the audience stood and sang along to the alma mater before joining in for one last chorus of NU’s fight song.
Lisa Kohr, Kellogg ’95, attended the celebration.
“It was a wonderful program, as usual, with great talent from all of the schools at Northwestern,” she said.
A friend of the Schapiros, Bill Wells, said he thought the event was overwhelming.
“I expected it to be pretty exciting, but I didn’t expect it to be this boisterous and really inspiring,” he said. “It’s a lot different from a Williams kind of event. It’s definitely more high-powered.”
