With two weeks of classes left, most Northwestern students are confirming internships in Washington or New York City, reapplying to lifeguard at home for the fifth summer in a row or purchasing plane tickets that will whisk them away to far-off countries. Others have a little less to worry about with regard to location.
Every summer, some undergraduates wave goodbye to their classmates and remain behind in Evanston-working, taking classes or interning in the city.
Brendan Lovasik will be working on organ transplant research at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago this summer. The Weinberg junior plans to remain at his apartment in Evanston and commute to the hospital each day, he said. Without the pressure to keep up with classes, Lovasik said he plans to discover Chicago in a way he does not have time for during the academic year.
“I stayed last summer, too, but I was taking organic chemistry so my nights and weekends were spent studying,” Lovasik said. “This will be the first summer with fewer obligations so I can explore Evanston and Chicago a lot more.”
As a rising senior, Lovasik said many more of his friends are planning to stay in Evanston this summer for internships or jobs than in years past. The added social base will mean an increase in grill-outs and nights downtown enjoying the nightlife and shows the city has to offer, he said.
“There’s all those restaurants in Lincoln Park we haven’t had time to try, and we’re going to try to get Lollapalooza tickets, too,” he said.
Weinberg sophomore Sarah Crocker secured an internship with Porchlight Counseling Services in Evanston for the summer and decided to take a class because she will be studying abroad for two quarters next year, she said. She and her current roommate will be moving to North Campus to live in the Theta Chi fraternity house. With fewer academic and extracurricular commitments, there will be more time to spend with her friends who are staying too, Crocker said.
“I’m looking forward to hanging out by the lake and reading books that aren’t for school,” she said. “I also want to go to Navy Pier and ride the Ferris wheel.”
Before returning to his home state of California to work as a counselor at a Stanford University jazz camp, Swen Hendrickson will spend a month in Evanston working a still-to-be-determined job and playing jazz gigs with various musicians. His brother is graduating but has a lease that will last until August, so the Weinberg sophomore plans to move in there, he said.
“My friend and I were going to try to live together, but since I realized I can use my brother’s lease, I figured I should do that,” he said. “We’ll definitely be hanging out though-doing whatever the cool kids do.”
