Chapin Hall is Northwestern’s Humanities Residential College. Even though you need to write a short essay to get a spot in the dorm, don’t let that deter you. Being a part of a residential college has a lot of perks. Though there are some events with a focus on the humanities, most of Chapin’s programming revolves around building a community within the dorm. “Chapinos” come together for weekly munchies, Thursday Teas, movie nights every other Friday, trips into Chicago and their very own formals. A large portion of the freshmen who call Chapin their home end up sticking around for their sophomore years, too. The spacious, four-story building has the perfect combination of charm (a piano and a sprawling collection of old board games and textbooks can be found in the lounge) and upscale amenities (each floor has its own laundry room and kitchen) that make a resident want to stay. Additionally, the fact that it’s situated on the southwest corner of campus makes it easy for residents to venture out and explore downtown Evanston.
“It’s really clean and our housekeeper, Mama, is the best. The only thing I hate about living here is that there is no individual study space, but I hear they’re working on that. But at the same time, it’s also really nice to be able to come down at 3 a.m. and always find people studying in the War Room [the name Chapinos have granted their beloved study lounge] or playing Mario Kart.”
Christina Parker, Weinberg freshman
“Chapin is great because the rooms are huge, facilities are beautiful and clean and it feels homey. But it’s very far from most stuff. Everyone is nice, but slightly weird. ”
Elizabeth Perkins, Weinberg freshman
“I like living in Chapin because it’s a relatively small dorm and creates a nice community within the dorm. Most people know each other, although there is room for anonymity if you like that, too. The events we hold are pretty interesting and next year’s executive board is great.”
Jeremy Pesigan, Communication freshman
“A lot of people join a sorority because they want a community and a place to live, but I never did because I found that here. Chapin is like a giant house and a family to me.”
Ava Serra, Weinberg sophomore
“I didn’t realize there was a dorm as nice as Chapin available to freshmen. The rooms are big and the facilities are really nice. It seems like a homey environment and I can see how a great community would be fostered there.”
Melana Ellingson, Weinberg freshman
“Everything in Chapin is really nice and the dorms are huge – probably the biggest on campus. There seems to be a good community too. ”
Paula Miller, Communication freshman
“When I first visited Chapin, no joke, I walked into the building and was stunned by how beautiful it was. It looked like an old grand estate in a Jane Austen novel or something. When I entered my friend’s room, I actually squealed. It was enormously spacious and clean with closets and room enough for 15 people to chill comfortably. Not gonna lie, it’s like the quaint, old-fashioned and underrated version of the new Shephard Hall.”
Kelly O’Conor, Weinberg
Reporting by Rachel Oh, Justin Curto, Trevor Lystad, Meg Pisarczyk, Robert Bell, Claire Toomey, Alena Prcela, Mia Zanzucchi, Victoria Alfred-Levow, Kate Salvidio, Elly Rivera, Rachel Epstein, Jakob Lazzaro, Yoonjie Park, David Gleisner
Photos by Rachel Oh, Justin Curto, Emma Kumer, Meg Pisarczyk, Virginia Nowakowski, Claire Toomey, Alena Prcela, Victoria Alfred-Levow, Kate Salvidio, Mia Zanzucchi, Elly Rivera, Rachel Epstein, Jakob Lazzaro, Brian Quistberg, Yoonjie Park, David Gleisner
Videos by Mia Zanzucchi, Emma Kumer, Meg Pisarczyk, Virginia Nowakowski, Helen Lee, David Gordon, Jesus Campos, Helen Lee, Elissa Gray, Gabrielle Bienasz, Andy Brown, Elizabeth Guthrie, David Gleisner, Poppy Shen
Editing by Libby Berry, Lila Reynolds, Maxine Whitely, Helen Lee, Virginia Nowakowski, Mia Zanzucchi, Jesus Campos, Isabella Jiao and Rachel Frazin
Design and development by Alex Duner, Tyler Fisher, Hilary Fung, Dan Hill, KK Rebecca Lai, Maxine Whitely, Sheng Wu and Katie Zhu
This project is open source. Check it out on GitHub.
Data provided by Northwestern University Residential Services