Cherubs often have around an hour of free time before check-in at 10 p.m. on weekdays. Some use this time to go to the beach, shower or work on assignments. Others run to Evanston for the late-night food options.
Oliver Konopko of New York went to Chipotle, open until 11 p.m., when the dining hall was not satisfactory.
“The dining hall food is not the most satiating,” Konopko said. “It’s tasty, but it doesn’t fill you up. You kind of need that extra fuel from another restaurant.”
Another dining alternative is Joy Yee Noodle. Because it is open until 9:15 p.m., many cherubs go to enjoy a variety of noodle dishes and boba tea.
Casey Scaduto of Los Angeles went to Joy Yee Noodle four times during her four weeks at the Medill cherub program, even after eating dinner.
“I am usually pretty hungry after class is over because we eat earlier than I’m used to,” Scaduto said.
Others go to Evanston for dessert after a long day of classes. For Stella Seitz of Los Angeles, getting dessert in Evanston is a great thing to look forward to.
“After our evening class, when we’ve all been working so hard throughout the day, it’s nice to go to Kilwins and have the opportunity to socialize with other people,” she said. “I think it really builds community.”
Seitz has been to Kilwins, open until 10 p.m., a couple of times while at the Medill cherub program because of their wide selection of ice cream, fudge and chocolate desserts. She compared it to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
Another popular dessert spot in Evanston is Insomnia Cookies, which is open until 1 a.m. on most weekdays. Carter Nishi of Los Altos, California, has been five times to grab ice cream and cookies with his friends.
“It’s fun to get cookies and walk back to the dorm,” Nishi said.
Konopko said that his late-night adventures remind him of scenes he’s seen in the movies.
“It really does feel like it’s almost a quintessential summer night in a high school movie where your friends are wandering around late at night,” he said. “It’s taking advantage of the fact that you’re in Evanston.”
