This year, Northwestern’s Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement launched a pilot program aimed at training students in respectful disagreement. Now two quarters in, your hosts took a look at the highly anticipated programming. 

In September 2025, Northwestern trustee Jennifer Leischner Litowitz (Weinberg ’91) and Alec Litowitz donated $20 million to the university to fund the center, which is housed in the Kellogg School of Management. The center is led by psychology and Kellogg Prof. Eli Finkel and Kellogg Prof. Nour Kteily. 

The center launched the Residential Program in Enlightened Disagreement this school year, which holds sessions in residence halls and provides over 200 registered students with dinner and training on handling contentious discourse. Students who complete the year-long program will earn a certificate in enlightened disagreement from Kellogg.

The center and its programming were established to address increasing polarization and expose students to “the power of disagreement for good.” 

Former University President Michael Schill flaunted the establishment of the center in conversations about the federal investigations following the Deering Meadow Encampment, citing an interest in cultivating diverse opinions on campus. 

Medill senior Nadia Bidarian told us she is participating in the program because she wanted to hear from people with ideas that differ from her own — and from most of Northwestern’s campus . 

“I kind of wanted to be exposed to some of those perspectives, too, because you know Northwestern students are smart, no matter which sort of beliefs they grew up supporting,” Bidarian said. 

Bidarian said that the fall quarter sessions consisted mostly of discussion and disagreement techniques, such as active listening and improvisation. Now, she said, their discussions focus on deeper “hot button topics,” such as the death penalty. 

Bidarian said she has enjoyed the guest lecturers and discussions so far. While she has noticed a greater diversity of opinions in the cohort than the greater Northwestern community, she said it still skews liberal. 

Northwestern’s Qatar campus is expected to operate remotely until the end of Ramadan, around March 19, as Iran continues striking Gulf states in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli military campaign.

Qatari and Northwestern officials have issued shelter-in-place orders since last week. The Al Udeid Air Base, located southwest of Doha, Qatar — about 16 miles from Northwestern’s campus — has been a prime target for Iranian missiles aimed at U.S. military bases across the Gulf states. Airports and hotels in the country have also reportedly been hit.

Throughout the week, students on campus have said they have seen and heard missiles nearby.

University officials say they are working with Global Rescue, a crisis response company that provides medical evacuation for travelers, to develop a series of contingency plans. Northwestern is also searching for remote employment opportunities to help fund students’ daily expenses while attending school.

The Associated Student Government allocated a whopping $13,700 to nearly a dozen student organizations on Wednesday.

Each quarter, a handful of student organizations present before ASG to make their case for funding. 

Among the top recipients was the Northwestern Muslim Business Student Association, which received $2,745, and Open Democracy Undergraduate, which received $2,300.

As usual, each organization submits both a lower and higher funding request — but it’s never guaranteed that all groups leave satisfied.

This year’s total allocation fell slightly short of Fall Quarter, when ASG distributed $14,558 to 22 student groups.

This quarter, ASG had a total of $15,000 to distribute, so the remaining funds will roll over to be spent next quarter.

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