Owen Zeller of Chicago lives a couple of miles away and has always viewed Evanston as ordinary. This changed when he covered the Fourth of July parade.
“I saw people from all different walks of life,” Zeller said. “I saw people riding horses, people in cars protesting, people from different churches, and it really shattered that perception that I had about Evanston, which I think was a valuable thing.”
Cherubs flooded Central Street on July 4, tasked with covering Evanston’s Independence Day parade, each with a plan about how to get the best story. Zeller believed going early to the parade was the best option.
“A lot of people wanted to go back to the dorms and prepare,” Zeller said. “I was like, ‘Nah, early bird gets the worm,’ and as journalists know, get it first but first get it right.”
The story was important, but Cullen Faulkner of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, made sure to also enjoy the festivities.
“It is important to not just spend the entire time interviewing people and worrying about writing your story, but also to take breaks every now and then and just soak in the atmosphere,” Faulkner said.
Seeing the diverse range of shops, restaurants and floats was really cool, Michael Matlof of Los Angeles said.
“I love Central Street,” Matlof said.
Tessa Johnson of Columbia, Missouri, said Central Street evoked a feeling of nostalgia.
“I was in Virginia for a week because of debate and then St. Louis for Girls State, so I haven’t been home in a while,” Johnson said. “It generally looks very similar to Evanston, so I felt very at home on Central Street.”
Zoe Romney of San Francisco saw the Fourth of July parade as her first attempt at journalistic work. Romney said the tight deadlines and stress that came with this day made it feel “real.”
“I think it was a really good challenge to learn how to go up and interview people and to spot things for features,” Romney said. “I felt like a real journalist covering a real event.”
