While many people spent their day enjoying hot dogs and firecrackers, cherubs marched to Central Street to conduct interviews for their stories on Evanston’s Fourth of July parade.
After their assignment was announced, cherubs rushed to the parade — about an hour walk from Northwestern’s Fisk Hall.
Uma Morris of Chicago said she got there a few hours before the celebration started.
“I didn’t really want to go early, but my friends wanted to go early, so I went with them. We took this road called Green Bay Road,” Morris said.
Many cherubs echoed Morris’ sentiment that arriving early was helpful.
“Watching the actual parade was really fun, because I had already finished all my interviews and I just got to cheer on and enjoy the community,” said Grace McCloskey of Arcadia, California.
Cherubs learned a lot about Evanston’s community through their interviews. By interviewing everyone from party popper sellers to performers to kids participating in the Fun Run, the day’s lessons extended far beyond the scope of a simple writing assignment.
“I like finding the most interesting stories but also [those] that have no connection to what we’re doing. I found people who were playing tennis at a tennis court near the parade, so I was like, ‘let’s see what they’re up to,’” said William Karr of Wilmette, Illinois.
After determining unique angles for their stories, cherubs agreed that managing time well was key, as the assignment was due later that evening.
“Once I got back to the dorm, I just wrote, edited, and I was finished way before the deadline, so I got to chill for the rest of the day,” McCloskey said.
The possibility of publication in The Daily Northwestern was a major motivator for cherubs. Karr and Abigail Lowenstein of Los Angeles were two of ten cherubs who had work published, a photo and an article, respectively.
“Audrey and I were working on it for a few days,” Lowenstein said. “It was a rigorous process.”
However, the published cherubs agreed it was worth it.
“Persistence is key,” Karr said. “Might not lead anywhere, but it’s better than just sitting on the sidelines.”
Overall, cherubs said their time at the parade was memorable.
“My advice to future cherubs is be aware of your surroundings, interview everyone that you can and just meet new people, and most of all, have fun,” McCloskey said.
