Student ProjectsSWE Gala
Project Manager
Anastasia Smirnova, Society of Women Engineers
Amount Requested
$5,000
Summary
The sentiment that engineers cannot have fun while in school is outdated, and the proposed SWE Gala is our key evidence. We intend to use this grant to fund a Valentine’s Day formal specifically tailored for women engineers in February 2025. From your first day of Engineering Analysis I, womxn engineers intuitively bond together. This event will be a celebration of our work in a relaxing environment where engineers can relieve stress and have an outlet that will increase their overall wellbeing, and where the “class” friends that many of us made can finally talk about something other than the homework due next week. The bonds made in college, especially amongst engineering students, are integral not only for future career networking but also to help foster a community where like-minded individuals can discuss their shared experiences in McCormick.
The Gala will take place during the winter quarter as a way to maintain club momentum between the arrival of the new incoming class in the Fall and Spring activities like the Mentorship Reveal and SWE in the City. This grant would allow us to cover the costs of the event and help keep it as accessible as possible for our members. Our social committee will lead the event planning, led by co-chairs in the class of 2027.
Should there be any remaining budget, we plan on using it to fund more social events throughout the Winter and Spring quarters. From last year, we have learned that an increase in social events led to an increase in attendance and participation across other engineering club activities. Therefore, additional events would also aid us in building community and supporting all womxn engineers.
Planned Activities/Investments
SWE Gala is the relief that womxn engineers deserve. In celebration of our community, we will host a nighttime formal at a venue in the Evanston/North Chicago area. There will be a student DJ, dance floor, student photographer and videographer, small appetizers, and fountain beverages available. With the timeline and recommendations passed on from last year’s co-chairs, our co-social chairs will coordinate with their subcommittees to organize and finance this gala earlier and easier than last year. Over the summer, the co-social chairs will review and prepare action items for the Fall quarter, as well as stay in communication with venue options and committee members in order to keep the momentum going.
Currently, we are in communication with local venues and aim to have the finalized venue in August. To foster excitement, we plan on announcing this gala at our annual kickoff for the class of 2028, which is arguably one of our highest-attended events of the school year. Following, we will spend the fall fundraising and finalizing bookings - catering, transportation if needed, and DJ. There are two sub-committees specifically dedicated to bringing this event to life, as well as a sub-committee focusing on fundraising.
Impact
The SWE Gala will impact the entire community of womxn engineers, especially the first-year students. The first year at McCormick can be incredibly challenging, especially as the gender minority in nearly every class. While we have programming directed to the freshmen class in the Fall, we plan to continue this throughout Winter- a quarter that can be particularly difficult as freshmen continue to experience academic challenges and live through their first Chicago winter. Providing womxn engineers with the chance to forge friendships with each other outside of the classroom, we hope this Gala will be a wonderful celebration of community. This event will reinvigorate the freshmen class by showing them our community, as well as showcasing upperclassmen who have been in their shoes and chose to continue in McCormick.
We will evaluate the impact of the Gala by comparing attendance and costs to that of last year’s. In addition, we’ll continue collecting information about the perception of the event and its impact on community well-being through a post-Gala feedback survey, administered through the newsletter and social media accounts. Lastly, we will speak to attending committee members about their perception of the event, especially in comparison to last year’s.
Deliverables
The deliverable for this project is the Gala itself. Though it is one night, we hope to bring an air of excitement within the walls of Tech. Freshmen and seniors alike can mark this day on their calendars in between weeks of testing, and be genuinely excited to be celebrated. We also believe this event will help our club grow and reach more of our community in further events.
Sustainability
This project will occur in Winter Quarter 2025, but we plan on continuing the formal annually. In further years, SWE will continue to apply for additional university grants - like the Barrier-Free Grant and ASG Wild Ideas - as well as national SWE grants. SWE is also heavily funded through corporate sponsorships, donations, and events such as Industry Day, meaning we also have funding that could be used to supplement these grants and help cover the costs of SWE Gala in the future. This year, we will test the logistics and framework initially established by the previous co-chairs and committees. Continuing to refine the booking and funding timeline for use in the future is a priority, as well as looking for ways to improve communication between the University, SWE, and Evanston/North Chicago businesses.
We also aspire to be an event that womxn engineers not only enjoy, but request for the rest of their time at Northwestern. When students ask “will this happen again next year?,” we want to be able to confidently answer yes and gain the support of the student body.
Previous Projects
The SWEethearts Gala, which occurred on February 24, 2024, was a Valentine’s Day formal specifically tailored for women engineers. Over 160 students in McCormick attended the event with several more students indicating interest for a waitlist. Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive; attendees found the gala to be a fun way to relax during the mid-quarter stress and bond with other women engineers. Additionally, the SWEethearts Gala helped increase awareness of SWE in the broader community which then resulted in higher membership for other SWE events on campus and more interest in joining SWE committees.
Budget Overview
-
Venue: The primary use of this grant will be to fund the cost of venue rental at an event center in Evanston. Predicted: $3,350 (4 hours rental)*
-
Catering: Through the venue, non-alcoholic drink package with fountain drinks and small passed desserts. Predicted: $3,000 (non-alcoholic drink package)
-
Decorations: Minimal, Valentine’s Day-themed decorations. Predicted: $100
-
Entertainment: Student DJs and photographers. Predicted: $500 ($250 for DJ, $250 for photographer)
-
Ticket Sales: McCormick womxn will be able to purchase a ticket for themselves for $10. If they elect to bring a guest, guest tickets will also be $10. With an estimate of 200-250 tickets sold, this should recover around $2,000 of costs. Budget permitting, we would like to make the event free, but the SAAF form will be available for students to be reimbursed for their ticket expenses if cost is a barrier.
* Price estimate based on the quote from Palmhouse venue in Evanston
Total Budget Amount: $6,950
Faculty Adviser/Department
Ellen Worsdall/Undergraduate Engineering