When check-in wraps up and Jones Hall quiets down for the night, community and academic associate Taariq Ahmed of Chicago heads to the second floor for informal “council” meetings. There, he is greeted by about 10 boys in the program, waiting patiently for his edits, feedback and advice.
“There’s a lot of good rapport, and there’s always something to talk about, so I enjoy being there,” Ahmed said. “Even if I’m just working in the background, it’s really nice to be around the guys and get to know them.”
A highlight of his position: reading cherubs’ personal narratives, written during Sunday clubs. “I think it’s important for everyone to hear the really personal stories of their classmates,” Ahmed said.
Other than participating in “council,” Ahmed is the bridge between The Daily Northwestern and cherubs’ stories. As a print managing editor, he allows students to submit work to him for edits and possible publication.
“I feel like Riq makes the cherubs experience for me,” Kaelan Patel of Princeton, New Jersey, said.
“He’s really been a role model for me,” Charlie Tobin of Menlo Park, California, said.
Ahmed is one out of four CAAs, responsible for keeping tabs on cherubs’ whereabouts and planning activities. The role extends to mentoring and being constantly available.
CAA Jordan Balousek of Mercer Island, Washington, lives on Jones’ fourth floor.
“They know if they need anything, I am always there,” Balousek said.
Phoebe Measer of Los Angeles, who lives on the fourth floor, plays card games with Balousek.
“I feel like we always bond over the most random things,” Measer said. “We always run into each other in the bathroom when we’re both washing our faces and brushing our teeth, and we start a little conversation, and it’s so sweet, and it’s so fun.”
Balousek was copy chief for The Daily in the last quarter of Northwestern University’s school year. This summer, she edited assignments, such as the feature story by Ignas Petrus.
“She gave me a bunch of helpful edits,” Petrus said.
Balousek said she applied to be a CAA to give back to a community that has given her so much. As a 2024 cherub, Balousek remembers getting acquainted with new forms of journalism she had never tried before but ended up loving.
“It is really special to see, and I’m glad that I could have even a small behind-the-scenes part in it,” Balousek said.
Sami McKenney, of Edwardsville, Illinois, is the CAA for the third floor. A former camp counselor, McKenney said she wanted to use her skills “in creating fun and being a mentor, but also do it in a journalism-focused way.”
McKenney, an online cherub in 2024, did not quite know what to expect. At the four-week in-person program, McKenney said, “being in the presence of so much journalistic knowledge at all times” and forming close bonds with cherubs and faculty was a “wild experience to have.”
Jean Lee from Los Angeles lives on the third floor and looks up to McKenney.
“Sami acts as a mother, sister and mentor where she wants the best experience for us but also gives us advice and talks to us not just as little kids she’s taking care of,” Lee said. “She really wants to bond with us but also draws her own boundaries.” (No hugging!)
Madelyn Cass of Boulder, Colorado, said McKenney played a very important role in her experience as a cherub.
“I was having a really hard time one night,” Cass said. “And she just sat and talked to me, which made it way easier to feel like we had someone in our corner who understood us.”
As the creative director for The Daily, McKenney also helped cherubs work on their design skills through Sunday clubs and in one-on-one meetings.
She loved the moment during Cherubs Got Talent when Jayen Shah of Princeton, New Jersey, played his guitar.
“When the whole program was singing along, I was just crying in the corner because, wow, that’s so beautiful and special,” McKenney said. “What are the odds that life brought these people together?”
Liam Barrett of Bethesda, Maryland, who lives on the first floor, said he signed up to be a CAA to give back to a community that was “extremely formative, socially, academically and professionally.”
Barrett made a reputation for himself as the “LinkedIn warrior,” always offering help on creating a LinkedIn profile, editing resumes and leaving comments on cover letters.
Claire Lin of Reno, Nevada, said Barrett helped her tailor her resume to better represent her work and persona.
“Liam inspires me because he walks with his head held high and an air of confidence around him,” May Lin of Belmont, California, said. “He is a really good example of always looking forward to life.”
Sophia Thomas of Kansas City, Kansas, worked closely with Barrett in editing photos. “I pester him with so many questions, and he’s been so kind and so receptive,” Thomas said.
“Despite all the exhaustion, it’s been a lot of fun,” Barrett said. “It felt like we just started maybe two days ago. This has been a whirlwind of journalistic joy.”
