On Northwestern, Akron and being something

An essay about Northwestern/Akron, running and being in America.

I. The Game

I can hear the PA announcer loud and clear from almost exactly a mile away. In Ryan Field, despite a sparse crowd and plenty of neighbors who make noise complaints, the sound system is, as they say, “jacked up to 11” and can be heard loud and clear in a rather impressive blast radius. I’m not at the game because I wake up at 4 a.m. the next morning.

“FINAL SCORE: Akron 39, Northwestern 34” the PA announcer says. The screech rings through the deserted streets near Northwestern’s pristine campus. Architects and school administrators want buildings to tell stories. Sadly for them, buildings say nothing. Humans make up…