01 OC Mag 01-24

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“Here at Northwestern, because of the growing racial and ethnic diversity, we can spend time getting to know other people’s cultures through personal engagement and getting to know our neighbors,” Draayer said. For international students, there are many American “culture shocks” to experience. Food, language phrases and certainly the weather. Alessio experienced true Midwestern living during the winter of 2021, where he found temperatures so brutally cold, he considered transferring. “I didn’t even know it could get that cold in a place that was not the North Pole or the South Pole,” he said. Junior forward Alejandro Ruiz experienced similar differences when two American teammates, Nikko Helderop and Riley Aarbo, visited his hometown of Valencia, Spain, over winter break in 2022. Valencia reaches highs of 60 degrees in its coldest months, so Ruiz watched his teammates walk down the streets in shorts and hoodies while locals dressed in thick jackets and gloves. “For people in my hometown, that weather is cold, you know? But for them, it was like fall,” Ruiz said. Ruiz transferred to Northwestern after his freshman year at Hannibal- La Grange University in Missouri. His first year at Northwestern was difficult, and he did not see the playing time he wanted. Ruiz dealt with the frustration through forming close friendships with his teammates, helping him see the game as a source of fun community instead of stress. This past season, he started every game, becoming one of Northwestern’s key players. “Of course, we’re focused on soccer, but we’re playing for fun,” Ruiz said. “This year was like playing soccer with friends instead of teammates.” The team’s inclusive culture is something that helps the Raiders stand out on and off the soccer pitch. “If you come to Northwestern, you’re going to automatically be included in our brotherhood,” Swier said. “Every person has value. Every person has a story, and nobody’s story is wrong. It’s who you are, and the day you come here, we welcome you as you are.” The team has been through plenty of ups and downs together. Following their success in the 2021 season, they entered fall of 2022 full of confidence, only to have Alessio, a key player and captain, tear his ACL in the second day of training camp. Losing Alessio was a crushing loss for the team from which the Raiders never fully recovered, and they underperformed. But Swier said it was more than just what happened on the field; the team’s mindset that year also struggled. In the offseason, team members came up with three new “program pillars” to motivate them to be strong players and strong teammates. Swier said the players compete hard in practice but step off the field as best friends that celebrate each other’s wins. This atmosphere strengthens the team, so much so that Swier contributes some of the Red Raiders’ success to it. “They had these relationships,” he said. “The winning was just a byproduct of that.” 38 OC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2024
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01 OC Mag 01-24

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