Medill student profile: Ben Kwan

Home town
Bloomington, Minnesota

Majors
Journalism, broadcast concentration; WCAS double in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, China concentration

Current project
Looking to bring a student chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association to Medill and the rest of NU's campus.

Recent/notable publications, awards, honors, exhibits
In June, I returned from an internship in South Africa. I was working as an on-air reporter for e.tv, one of the country's two national news networks.

Hobbies
I love working hard at my part-time job at a Chili's restaurant to save money to spend on travel to faraway places (it is possible!). I enjoy shopping, Chicago nightlife, and trying new restaurants with friends.

Questions and Answers

Why did you choose Northwestern?

I knew I wanted to go to Northwestern way back when I was a freshman in high school. I found out from a friend's dad (who is a journalist) that Northwestern has a good reputation among journalism schools. So I set my sights on NU and made it happen — I'm so glad it all came together because now I know that NU has the BEST journalism school in the nation.

What is the best thing about being a student at Northwestern?

The best thing about being an NU student is the diversity of personalities, academics, and opportunities that converge to become the whole of one's undergraduate experience. I've met more interesting people since leaving home to come here than I could have ever imagined — and the experiences I've gotten just because I'm a Northwestern student are beyond my wildest dreams. Who else can say they've been a TV reporter in another country while still a junior in college?

What book is currently on your nightstand?

Currently reading David Sedaris' new book, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. The short stories are a riot and about all I can handle during the quarter — that's not to say my 1,300-page anthology of traditional Chinese literature isn't interesting, too!

Diary

7:30 a.m. I woke up early for once, finally! All thanks to going to bed early last night. I'm up to finish some French homework and a short reading response email for my Chinese Literature class.
10 a.m. Shower. have to look good for a full day of class!
11 a.m. First year French class for an hour. French is the third language I've taken at NU — also took Mandarin and Spanish.
noon Lunch in town at Panera. I forgot my wallet but the manager, feeling sorry for me, bought my lunch. I was embarrassed.
1 p.m. Got my haircut at Steven Papageorge salon on Sherman Avenue. Luckily I found an old receipt with my credit card number on it — they weren't so understanding of the forgotten wallet.
2 p.m. Intro. to Buddhism lecture for an hour.
3 p.m. Chinese Lit. class for an hour and a half — engaging discussions about Daoism and Confucianism. I've never enjoyed a literature class so much.
5 p.m. Stopped at home (my fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha) for a quick bite to eat.
5:30 p.m. Went to the McCormick Tribune Center to help out with the first production of the Northwestern News Network.
8 p.m. Head home from the studio. The show went relatively well for a first show of the year.

Ben Kwan

Ben Kwan, as seen on TV

As seen on TV