Student Projects

SWEethearts Gala

Project Manager

Julia S. R. Azevedo, Student

Amount Requested

$5,000

Summary

The sentiment that engineers cannot have fun while in school is outdated, and the proposed SWEethearts Gala is our key evidence. We intend to use this grant to fund a Valentine’s Day formal specifically tailored for womxn engineers during the month of February 2024. 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 which will increase their overall wellbeing.. 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 communicate about 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 2025. One of whom has extensive experience event planning as president of NU Black Formal in 2022 and 2023. Should there be any remaining budget, we plan on using it to fund more social events throughout Winter and Spring quarters. From the last quarter, 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

SWEethearts 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 area. There will be a student DJ, dance floor, student photographer and videographer, small appetizers or desserts, and fountain beverages available. With the knowledge of having planned the 2022 and 2023 NU Black Formal for the entire black-identifying student population at Northwestern, our co-social chairs will outline specific fundraising, booking, and action items this Summer in order to bring this gala to fruition. 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 2027, 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. The social committee will have a sub-committee specifically dedicated to bringing this event to life.

Impact

The SWEethearts Gala will impact the entire community of womxn engineers, and it will be specifically impactful for 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 this wonderful 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 to events in the Winter and Spring quarters, as well as comparing those numbers to the ones from the 2022-2023. In addition, a post-Gala feedback survey will be administered through the newsletter and social media to gather information about the perception of the event and its impact on community well being.

Sustainability

This project will occur in Winter Quarter 2024, but we plan on continuing the formal annually. In further years, SWE will 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 SWEethearts Gala in the future. After this year, we will have a solid idea of the logistics of planning this event so that in future years the funding and booking timeline will be established. We will also have a better idea of the budget we require. We 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.

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.

Budget Overview

• $3,350 Venue: (4 hour rental, based on quote from Palmhouse venue in Evanston). Primary use of this grant will be to fund the costellen of venue rental at an event center in Evanston.
• $100 Decorations: Minimal, Valentine’s Day themed decorations.
• $3,000 Catering: Through the venue, non-alcoholic drink package with fountain drinks and small passed desserts.
• $500 Entertainment: ($250 for DJ, $250 for photographer).

*Total costs: $6,950 (non-including profit from ticket sales)

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 $2k+ of costs. Budget permitting (depending on final venue and catering prices), 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.

Advisor Sign-off

SWE - Ellen Worsdall, Undergraduate Engineering