STUDENT AFFAIRS

NU Nights provides barrier-and-substance-free events on Fridays

From baking to haunted houses, student org works to plan barrier-free events open to all

NU Nights provides barrier-free and substance-free activities for students, as one of Northwestern’s registered student organizations.  

 Founded in 2012, NU Nights hosts events almost every Friday of each quarter, from cooking and crafts to board games and, occasionally, events off campus. The events generally run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

“Dedicating space that's barrier-free and substance-free gives people an opportunity to meet other people that have similar interests,” Weinberg senior and Vice President of Programming Poem Lin said. 

 Events such as “Smocks and Mocks,” which involves painting and mocktail beverages, and “Nailed It, Northwestern,” where students emulate the Netflix cooking challenge, are popular. Another highlight is the yearly cruise on the river in downtown Chicago. 

 NU Nights also collaborates with other RSOs to plan events, including a Halloween Bash hosted with the Northwestern Happiness Club. Another notable event was a haunted house organized alongside NU’s Theme Park Engineering and Design Group last fall. The group hopes to expand these collaborations and recently launched a form for other student groups to sign up to put on a joint event. 

 Most NU Nights events are held on campus, making them extremely easily accessible to students, something appealing to Weinberg senior Kahsaia de Brito. 

 “Being on campus, it's very physically easy to get to [the events],” de Brito said. “It's safe, and you don't have to bring anything or do anything. You just show up. You get to have fun, and then it's easy to get back to your dorm.”

  All undergraduates are welcome to attend NU Nights events, usually without the added step of indicating their interest with an RSVP.  

 NU Nights is actively recruiting members and encourages students who are interested in planning events to join. Members and the executive board meet on Fridays before each weekly event.  

 Communication junior and Vice President of Finance Atziry Villeda-Sanchez said NU Nights members plan the events a quarter ahead of schedule, but several Fridays are left open so new members can see their ideas executed more immediately.  

 “We ask each member to bring in some ideas they’re having, to plan out general stuff regarding what materials we need, how we will execute it in the budget, and as we enter the quarter for which we planned the event, we get more into the details,” Villeda-Sanchez said.  

 Executive board positions are elected at the end of each academic year, including president and vice presidents of programming, marketing and finance. Students can learn to handle club finances, business communication, work with vendors and plan events.  

 “Regardless of what specifics they do, they will learn to plan events with both a big picture view and down to the nitty gritty details, to be adaptable since there are often unforeseen changes or challenges, and get to give back to the community,” Lin said.  

 Lin also said all the skills gained through NU Nights event planning can apply to various careers and bolster a resume. 

 The NU Nights executive board hopes the events they plan will create a space for relaxation amidst the busy quarter system schedule.  

 “I want it to be a very open environment with a lot of fun activities that people are excited for,” Lin said.  

 Nearly 500 students attend the group’s large, collaborative events with other RSOs, and 40 to 50 students at the six smaller events they hold each quarter.  

 “I know I can always pull up to NU Nights on Friday,” McCormick junior and NU Nights event attendee Gabriel Virrarroel Narvaez said. “There's going to be something fun going on there, there's going to be some food to eat and, some people to meet.” 

 To keep up to date with NU Nights, follow @nu_nights on Instagram or join their Discord