Shepard is...
A multi-thematic residential college (learn more about residential colleges here)
Located on South Campus of Northwestern University in the Southwest Neighborhood
Home to undergraduates with a plethora of majors and interests
A place for student residents to interact with faculty members from various disciplines
Part of the Residential College Board (RCB) Community
Proud to call its residents Sheep!
Located on South Campus of Northwestern University in the Southwest Neighborhood
Home to undergraduates with a plethora of majors and interests
A place for student residents to interact with faculty members from various disciplines
Part of the Residential College Board (RCB) Community
Proud to call its residents Sheep!
Events and Traditions
Shepard hosts numerous events for its residents and community members throughout the academic year. Here are a few of our favorites!
Munchies
Two words: Free. Food. Can it get any better? Every Thursday night, Shepard lays out an array of food, either from area restaurants or straight from the South Mid Quad kitchen. Previous examples include Chicago-style deep dish pizza, mac and cheese bar, oven-baked cookies, burritos, and sushi! Sheep tend to arrange their schedules around Munchies, which allows them to take a break from studying to stuff their faces and socialize. Shepard is also known for its phenomenal bakers!
Firesides
Firesides are casual presentations hosted by Shepard fellows and Shepard residents. Topics can be related to the speaker's field of study or a totally different subject. Each month, Shepard has a Fellow of the Month who gives a featured fireside. Afterwards, attendees partake in dinner with the fellow at a local Evanston restaurant. This is a terrific opportunity to meet more amazing Northwestern faculty and staff and see what they're up to (and eat food, of course)! Residents can host firesides for points, but most of them host simply because they have a passion that they want to share with the rest of the Shepard community.
Woo-Shep Olympics
This annual competition pits the Sheep of Shepard against our historic rival, the Wolves of Willard Residential College. Shep and the Woo-Shack battle in events like pie-eating, dodge ball, quiz bowl, and three-legged races. The winner receives a trophy resembling the back half of a horse. The Woo-Shep Olympics is a classy affair. Shepard is the reigning Woo-Shep Champion!
Secret Sheep
A Shepard twist on a classic holiday tradition: Secret Sheep! Members of Shepard prepare a thoughtful gift for one another, and in a anticipation-filled night, unwrap them together! Sheep enjoy snacks and each other's company as they watch a Christmas movie together afterwards.
Coffeehouse
Every quarter, on the Sunday before finals week, Shepard RC members cozy up in the lounge with some coffee and pastries and enjoy one last night of fun before exams eat everyone's souls. Entertainment is provided by your fellow Sheep, with piano performances, slam poetry, singing, and belly dancing. This happens right after we head outside at precisely 9 p.m. to join in the campus-wide primal scream.
Dance Marathon
Philanthropy is an important part of all things Northwestern, Shepard RC included. Shepard's Philanthropy Chair consistently sends out notices over our Listserv updating Sheep about volunteer projects. One activity close to Shepard's heart is Dance Marathon, where over 1000 Northwestern students raise money throughout the year for charity, then dance for 30 hours straight at the end. Shepard has a DM chair who regulates fundraising and provide care packages for dancing Sheep. Even non-dancing Sheep participate; this year, a huge group of students decorated the dorm to congratulate the dancers, and then greeted them on the steps of Norris to carry dancers' bags.
Outings
What is fun without some adventure? Throughout the year, Shepard goes on trips beyond the Northwestern campus! Past trips included Christkindlmarket in the Loop and brunch at the local farmers market. Activities vary year to year, so make suggestions to Exec!
Munchies
Two words: Free. Food. Can it get any better? Every Thursday night, Shepard lays out an array of food, either from area restaurants or straight from the South Mid Quad kitchen. Previous examples include Chicago-style deep dish pizza, mac and cheese bar, oven-baked cookies, burritos, and sushi! Sheep tend to arrange their schedules around Munchies, which allows them to take a break from studying to stuff their faces and socialize. Shepard is also known for its phenomenal bakers!
Firesides
Firesides are casual presentations hosted by Shepard fellows and Shepard residents. Topics can be related to the speaker's field of study or a totally different subject. Each month, Shepard has a Fellow of the Month who gives a featured fireside. Afterwards, attendees partake in dinner with the fellow at a local Evanston restaurant. This is a terrific opportunity to meet more amazing Northwestern faculty and staff and see what they're up to (and eat food, of course)! Residents can host firesides for points, but most of them host simply because they have a passion that they want to share with the rest of the Shepard community.
Woo-Shep Olympics
This annual competition pits the Sheep of Shepard against our historic rival, the Wolves of Willard Residential College. Shep and the Woo-Shack battle in events like pie-eating, dodge ball, quiz bowl, and three-legged races. The winner receives a trophy resembling the back half of a horse. The Woo-Shep Olympics is a classy affair. Shepard is the reigning Woo-Shep Champion!
Secret Sheep
A Shepard twist on a classic holiday tradition: Secret Sheep! Members of Shepard prepare a thoughtful gift for one another, and in a anticipation-filled night, unwrap them together! Sheep enjoy snacks and each other's company as they watch a Christmas movie together afterwards.
Coffeehouse
Every quarter, on the Sunday before finals week, Shepard RC members cozy up in the lounge with some coffee and pastries and enjoy one last night of fun before exams eat everyone's souls. Entertainment is provided by your fellow Sheep, with piano performances, slam poetry, singing, and belly dancing. This happens right after we head outside at precisely 9 p.m. to join in the campus-wide primal scream.
Dance Marathon
Philanthropy is an important part of all things Northwestern, Shepard RC included. Shepard's Philanthropy Chair consistently sends out notices over our Listserv updating Sheep about volunteer projects. One activity close to Shepard's heart is Dance Marathon, where over 1000 Northwestern students raise money throughout the year for charity, then dance for 30 hours straight at the end. Shepard has a DM chair who regulates fundraising and provide care packages for dancing Sheep. Even non-dancing Sheep participate; this year, a huge group of students decorated the dorm to congratulate the dancers, and then greeted them on the steps of Norris to carry dancers' bags.
Outings
What is fun without some adventure? Throughout the year, Shepard goes on trips beyond the Northwestern campus! Past trips included Christkindlmarket in the Loop and brunch at the local farmers market. Activities vary year to year, so make suggestions to Exec!
Constitution
History
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In the beginning, Shepard Residential College was based in Shepard Hall, which was originally constructed as part of Northwestern's Centennial celebration and dedicated in November 1952 as an addition to the women's quadrangles. The Holabird, Root, and Burgee design cost $780,000 to build. Originally housing 115 women, Shepard was expanded in 1960 with space for an additional 65 students. In the fall of 1972 Shepard became a nonthematic, coeducational residential college with thematic clusters. Robert Church, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of education, was the first master.
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Original Shepard building, located at 626 University Place
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Margaret Bowen Shepard
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Shepard Hall, the original building that housed Shepard Residential College, was made possible by a donation from Mrs. Margaret Bowen Shepard to honor her husband, Abraham D. Shepard, and her sister, Anna Maude Bowen, both of whom had been interested in education and young people. For almost 30 years, Mr. Shepard was an executive at the Central and Southern Pacific Railroads until his promotion in 1902 to secretary and general manager of Pacific Improvement Co. As head of Pacific Improvement Co., Mr. Shepard developed the first Pebble Beach Lodge and the current 17-Mile Drive while overseeing the extensive holdings of the company from Alaska to Guatemala until his retirement in 1915. He is also remembered through The Abraham D. Shepard Historical Chair Fund bequeathed by Mrs. Shepard to the University of California, Berkeley. Anna Bowen was the dean of women and an assistant professor of English at Northwestern from September 1899 until her sudden death in January of 1900.
Starting from 2015-16 Academic Year, Shepard Residential College has moved from its original building to its new permanent location of South Mid-Quads (655 University Place), or SMQ for short. This newly renovated building is located within the university's sorority quad and can accommodate up to 74 residents. The old building, Shepard Hall, is now part of a residential community linked with 1838 Chicago, and is unaffiliated with Shepard Residential College. |
Student Testimonies
SMQ is clearly the superior dorm on campus. Even though it was sadly cut short by corona, during the couple months I spent there, I made so many amazing friends and had a great time! From Bachelor Mondays and munchies to game nights and formal, Shepard is such a fun and close-knit community that it feels like you never left home. Y’all should DEFINITELY stay in SMQ freshman year - best decision you’ll make; I promise.
Ruhi S. '23
Shepard is more than just home away from home. It is a scrapbook full of memories and excitement. It is the smell of fresh cookies in the oven, the murmur of lively chatter in the rosy evenings. It is the laughter of your favorite people over the TV and the tinkling piano keys. It is the warm embrace of the couch in wintertime as you curl up for your latest read. It is all of these things, and more- because Shepard isn't just any community. It's your community. Shepard is the best dorm on campus! It's the perfect distance from classes (not too far of a walk, but not too close to feel like you never leave), is close to both Allison AND Foster-Walker dining halls, has access to Willard perks, is situated in a beautiful courtyard, and is close enough to Target that you can pretty easily lug a plastic cabinet back on foot (personal experience). But what actually makes it the best is the community! There are so many opportunities to make friends, and I've found some of my best friends here. Large dorms are a sham. I mean I guess if you like dirty showers, crazy cats, and have the extra 10 minutes a morning to simply leave your dorm, then large dorms are for you. However, no dorm can beat the sense of family and camaraderie Shepard Res. College has to offer. Also, our dorm was recently renovated. Trust me when I say that you need that. GO SHEEP!! |
I love Shepard because everyone really is like a family! I know so many other people that live in other dorms and don’t even know the people on their floor. At Shepard, I found a community. We all are kind to each other and it feels more like a home than just the temporary place you’re living! What I love about SMQ is the massive kitchen. The community is very tight-knit and loving, and it is so common to walk through the doors and find someone baking cookies, always happy to start a conversation and share some delicious treats. One of our dorm members always made cookie bars while we watched The Bachelor together- I was constantly looking forward to those Monday nights. Munchies every Thursday night is another fun community event, centered on our open kitchen style. SMQ is the best community on campus, and it starts from our stunning kitchen space! I've so, so, so valued the warm and welcoming community Shepard provides its residents. It's truly a home away from home! My favorite part of SMQ is the probably either the study room (which not only has a giant whiteboard but is a great place to meet people) or the proximity to Frans, though the latter is not great for my health. |
The Shepard community is PHENOMENAL. You really can't find a dorm where everyone fully endorses the work hard, play hard lifestyle. Because Shepard is a multi-thematic res college, there is a wide diversity of majors, skills, and talents, and it's always mind-blowing to hear about and even witness each and every person's passions. But above all, I love my fellow sheep because they are all some of the most kind and caring people I have ever met. The worst (best) part of living in SMQ is that I’ll plan to only relax with friends in the lobby for five minutes—and then five hours later, I’ll be having too much fun chatting, playing 2 Rooms and a Boom, or watching the Bachelor to be stressed about homework. The frequent freshly baked goods only compound the problem. One thing that sticks out to me about Shepard is its multi-thematic nature. You meet people from every place, studying every major, in every school on campus. As an engineer, this led to the expanding of my understanding of my fellow classmates and allowed me to learn a little bit of their studies and daily routines. This truly gives Shepard a diversity of thought that is unlike anything I’ve experienced, in the best way possible! I like how small the dorm is and what a close community there is, and I especially like all the baking that goes on. |
