Ilana Arougheti

(they/she) Hi! I'm a metro and audio reporter based in Chicago. I'm currently finishing my senior year at Northwestern University.

I'm passionate about media literacy and data accessibility. When reporting, I enjoy taking deep dives into civic infrastructure and promoting community networks of care. 

I've worked on beats including local politics, housing equity, education, policing, transportation, investigations and religion.

    Writing and Audio

    Starting in July, I will be a reporting intern at the Chicago Tribune on the Emerging News desk.

    I most recently worked as a reporting intern at the Chicago Sun-Times. There, I gained experience with breaking news and election night coverage, and focused particularly on transportation and religion stories.

    Before that, I was a summer metro intern at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. I reported on civic issues, crime and accountability in the Triangle region of North Carolina, with a special focus on Durham.

    I held multiple roles for the The Daily Northwestern, most recently as investigations editor. I oversaw longform and investigative reporting projects while mentoring reporters on data journalism skills.

    Feel free to say hi, send scoops or ask a question at iarougheti@gmail.com or ‪(312) 967-6326‬.

    Featured Articles

    Chicago Sun-Times •

    Ukrainian students, refugees host prayer vigil on invasion anniversary: ‘I will remember this all my life’

    One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, 13-year-old Oksana Mazur stood surrounded by peers in a Chicago auditorium, a prayer candle clutched to her chest, belting out the Ukrainian national anthem.

    In April, Mazur had been forced to leave Ternopil, in western Ukraine, after Russia invaded. She’s one of 75 students at St. Nicholas Cathedral School in Ukrainian Village who arrived from Ukraine within the last year.

    St. Nicholas hosted a prayer vigil Friday to mark and mourn the first anniversary
    Raleigh News & Observer •

    NC opioid deaths rising. Where local families want national settlement money to go

    A social worker who lost her brother to suicide during active addiction.

    A family whose daughter died of a fentanyl overdose after cheerleading led to a drug habit.

    A mother who had just driven her son to the airport to start addiction treatment for the fifth time.

    These voices were among the community members who spoke at a meeting of the Johnston County Opioid Task Force on Tuesday.

    My Work

    Chicago Sun-Times •

    (Contributing) Lightfoot is out, Vallas and Johnson are in — the April runoff

    Lori Lightfoot, the first Black woman and the first openly gay person ever to serve as mayor of Chicago, on Tuesday became a one-term mayor.

    With nearly 99% of the precincts reporting, the mayor who guided Chicago through the pandemic finished third in Tuesday’s election with 17.06% of the vote behind former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, who won 33.77 %, and Cook County Commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer Brandon Johnson, who wound up with 20.29%.

    Vallas, 69, and Johnso
    Chicago Sun-Times •

    Ukrainian students, refugees host prayer vigil on invasion anniversary: ‘I will remember this all my life’

    One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, 13-year-old Oksana Mazur stood surrounded by peers in a Chicago auditorium, a prayer candle clutched to her chest, belting out the Ukrainian national anthem.

    In April, Mazur had been forced to leave Ternopil, in western Ukraine, after Russia invaded. She’s one of 75 students at St. Nicholas Cathedral School in Ukrainian Village who arrived from Ukraine within the last year.

    St. Nicholas hosted a prayer vigil Friday to mark and mourn the first anniversary
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    Breaking News

    The Daily Northwestern •

    Following Haven Middle School students sit in to protest teacher transfers, parents find hate symbols on nearby trees

    Content warning: This article contains profanity and mentions of symbolic hate speech.

    Students at Haven Middle School participated in a sit-in Friday, which escalated into a large group temporarily gathering outside. The protest was organized order to protest upcoming staffing changes announced around Evanston/Skokie School District 65 earlier this month, District 65 Superintendent Devon Horton wrote in an email to district parents Friday afternoon.
    The Daily Northwestern •

    Northwestern University Library Workers unionize, march to Provost’s office

    Over 130 Northwestern library workers announced their unionization at a Tuesday assembly.

    The workers organized at The Rock at noon, then marched to Provost Kathleen Hagerty’s office to deliver a list of demands. Library workers are responding in part to furloughs and other financial cuts enacted during the pandemic, including retirement fund decreases, layoffs and a lack of hazard pay, according to a Tuesday news release.
    The Daily Northwestern •

    Northwestern chapter of Delta Zeta to discontinue operations

    Delta Zeta’s National Council accepted the Northwestern chapter of the sorority’s request to discontinue operations, according to an email obtained by The Daily.

    The chapter’s request to discontinue operations comes amid a larger movement to abolish Greek life on NU’s campus, which calls for the dismantling of Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council chapters. Those in support of the movement say Greek organizations on campus “are complicit in perpetuating harm” and upholding institutional racism, sexism, homophobia and classism.

    Podcasts

    The Daily Northwestern •

    Defining Safe: Defining Queer Space

    Nearly 25 percent of Northwestern’s campus self-identified as queer in ASG’s last survey, but the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center only holds 10 people. And that’s one of the only institutional spaces on campus for queer students. There are proposals in the works to expand it, but for many students, campus-sponsored spaces aren’t the best ways to be in community with other queer students — or aren’t even spaces that feel like theirs. New from Defining Safe: How do queer students at Northwest
    The Daily Northwestern •

    Podculture: Why All Your Favorite Villains Are Gay…ish

    There’s a few characteristics that define the classic Disney villain: they usually hate princesses, end up falling from a great height and… are queer coded? It turns out many of Disney’s most popular cartoon villains possess traits often associated with queer people. Listen as we discuss what queer coding is, if it counts as representation and how Disney has used it to tarnish otherwise standard villains.
    The Daily Northwestern •

    Speak Your Mind: Wildcat Welcomer Wellness

    As Northwestern’s second remote quarter kicked into gear two weeks ago, incoming first-year students and transfers began to explore the reality of a completely virtual campus. On the other side of the computer screen, hundreds of student leaders were responsible for preparing Wildcat Welcome. They had to get NU’s newest Wildcats started off on the right foot and build up their own community and confidence in the process.

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