UNMASKED

In March, Northwestern students’ lives turned upside down. As the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, it upended the norms of college life: Dorms turned to childhood bedrooms, lecture halls to Zoom calls, bustling social lives to isolation

Six months later, some students returned to campus for the first time. As they stepped foot in Evanston, though, they brought with them uncertainties and challenges of living through these historic times.

Unmasked tells the story of Northwestern’s second quarter in the COVID-19 pandemic. Each story deciphers Northwestern administration’s actions and policy decisions, from testing protocols to our relationship with the Evanston community.

Even now, the pandemic rages on, more deadly than ever before. We can’t be sure what another quarter will bring — but we can learn from the events of this fall.

-- MICHAEL KORSH & ELISE HANNUM

VIEW STORIES

TALK OF THE TOWN

Addressing the ongoing pandemic has further strained relations between Northwestern students and Evanston residents.

By Eva Herscowitz

TESTING, TESTING

A closer look at one of the key elements of Northwestern’s COVID-19 response this fall.

By Grace Snelling

BEFORE THE BOMBSHELL

On August 28, Northwestern sent a last-minute announcement that upended first- and second-year students’ plans to return to Evanston. What happened?

By Frankie Lucco and Lalla-Aicha Adouim

STATIC SHOCK

In the spring, the COVID-19 pandemic plagued Northwestern’s service workers with uncertainties — from job security to the University’s financial support. This fall, not much has changed.