Before becoming a cherub, Lynn-Clara Tun averaged 5,800 steps a day in Edina, Minnesota. Since coming to Medill this summer, her count has risen to 17,163, peaking at over 26,000 steps at the Fourth of July parade.
“I wasn’t shocked by the ‘no wheels’ rule,” she said. “But I do wish that certain trips were faster. One of the hardest parts is definitely how humid it is.”
Armed with fitness trackers and curiosity, cherubs traded Uber rides and buses for sneakers and sore calves as walking became their main mode of transportation over four weeks. Many made multiple trips to downtown Evanston every week, voluntary or in pursuit of quotes for articles.
“A lot of the walks, at least at the beginning, are frantically tracking people down for interviews,” Molly Kurtzer-Ellenbogen of Washington D.C. said. She gradually began to appreciate walking as a revelation. While she used to love taking the metro, she has noticed many “little quirks” on foot — all potential ideas for feature stories.
“There’s all these foldable stop signs, which are kind of weird,” she said. “There was a playground. It was taped off with police tape, which was really creepy.”
Celine Ge of Shanghai compared the on-foot experience to the popular concept of “citywalk” back home, where the roadside architecture and little shops become highlights of her trips in search of groceries and restaurants.
“When I’m walking to the city, I usually don’t notice how long it is,” Michelle Tang, of Shanghai, said, “because there’s always stuff that catches your attention. My friends and I observe and talk about all those new things as we walk around.”
