After five weeks of living in East Fairchild, cherubs have learned what is necessary for dorm life. Here is a list of what every cherub should never leave home without.
Tide-to-Go Stick: On field trips or under a tight schedule, Tide-to-Go Sticks help remove stains when the laundry room is not immediately available.
Running shoes: Many people enjoy running in the morning and on weekends. Running shoes are also helpful for the Junior Junior Olympics competition and Saturday night at SPAC.
Headphones: They’re necessary for listening to your favorite tunes, but also for assisting with audio and video recording. But be careful: It is easy to break your headphones when you are sharing a dorm because they can be stepped on or crushed.
Rain gear: Weather may drastically change throughout the day. A rain coat is essential. Rain boots are also nice to have for the muddy puddles.
Hangers: Drugstore hangers can be expensive, so remember to bring your own.
Clothes hamper: There is limited space in the dorm room, so it’s nice to have a hamper to throw dirty clothes into. Hampers are also helpful when carrying clothes to the laundry room and switching them from washer to dryer.
Beach towel: Many people forget this item, since they are only required to bring a bathroom towel. A beach towel is definitely great for relaxing on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Sunscreen: The Fourth of July Parade is the day when most cherubs get sunburned. You will be out walking the streets from morning until late afternoon with little shade along the route.
Face paint, fabric markers: These items are not necessary but are helpful for the Junior Junior Olympics competition, Karaoke and general team pride.
Granola bars: A great snack food for days when you miss breakfast or take field trips into Chicago.
Popcorn: Quick and fun for sharing with the other cherubs on your floor. There is a microwave, refrigerator and oven on each floor of the dorm.
Plastic cup: This is great for brushing your teeth and getting water from the water fountains.
Water bottle: The portability of water bottles makes them easy to fill up and take with you on field trips. Water bottles are also helpful for the Fourth of July Parade, the muggy days of late July and Junior Junior Olympics.
Board games: Cards and board games are interactive and a great way to meet new friends. Apples to Apples was popular with the 2011 cherubs.
Laptop: Although laptops are not necessary, many cherubs were thankful they brought their own. Sometimes writing a story outside of the computer labs or watching DVDs can be nice. There is no Internet access in the dorms for cherubs, but a flash drive allows articles to be transferred from your laptop to the computer lab. However, cherub staff advises not to bring and work from your own laptop to avoid losing your work in the event of technical issues.
Sweatshirt: At the end of June and beginning of July, Evanston is still breezy at night. It might be a good idea to bring warm tops, if your roommate likes to keep the dorm room very cold.
Disinfecting wipes: While living with many new people from all over the country, germs are sure to spread. Wipes are good for cleaning bathroom surfaces, the door knobs and other parts of your dorm room.
Hand sanitizer: Also useful for preventing the spread of germs.
Wash cloth: This is not necessary, though it is nice to have for some serious scrubbing or cleaning.
Camera (other than phone): Photojournalism is an important part of the cherub program. Students are required to take photos of the Fourth of July parade and student life. A camera phone is not high quality enough for the photojournalism projects.
Shower shoes: You’ll probably want to protect your feet from the perils of the bathroom floor.
