The Windy City Watcher with Caroline Lyngen
Caroline Lyngen didn’t grow up in Chicago, but the city quickly became her classroom. As part of Windy City Watch, she joined a team of students producing a fast-paced, student-led news broadcast.
"It was just kind of a brief snippet of what it was like in Chicago at the time," she said. "What was the news, what was going on, kind of taken from the point of view as students."
Her story focused on a city finance town hall. "I think Mayor Brandon Johnson just announced his 2025,- 26 budget plan, which caused... a huge uproar, because it's money and it's Chicago, and everybody is like, ‘We need this,’" she said. "So I... really tried to... fully educate myself on the budget plan so that... it sounds like I know what I'm talking about."
If you don’t take an active role and you just become a passive citizen... well, no wonder you’re frustrated all the time. Caroline Lyngen, SoC Student
"They were voting on funding for a Humboldt Park housing initiative that would help low income families. The issue was... it would take away money from the budget that Mayor Johnson put out," she said. "It didn't make a lot of sense... and then you also get kind of the human side. They were voting on a settlement with the Dexter Reed family... and it didn't even get voted on in the finance meeting because it didn't have enough support."
The experience left a strong impression. "It definitely opened my eyes," she said. "In a good and bad way... to the inner workings of Chicago. I'm from Minnesota, so... there's not a ton going on there. To see a city that's so active within their own government was so cool to see."
Reflecting on what storytelling meant to her, Lyngen said: "A lot of storytelling and a lot of journalism is watching and being able to report back what you've seen in the most truthful and honest way."
For Lyngen, the biggest shift wasn’t just about learning how to report—it was learning how to see. Covering city finance meetings showed her what it really means to be an active citizen.
“If you don’t take an active role and you just become a passive citizen,” she said, “well, no wonder you’re frustrated all the time.”
“I came here with a limited worldview,” Lyngen said. “But through storytelling, you’re opening people’s eyes to different concepts and different opinions. And honestly, that’s what keeps society going—people seeing each other, learning from each other, and staying engaged.”
Story by Destiny Woods • Feb. 7, 2026
The Windy City Watcher: Where Journalism Meets Civic Engagement with Caroline Lyngen
"They were voting on funding for a Humboldt Park housing initiative that would help low income families. The issue was... it would take away money from the budget that Mayor Johnson put out," she said. "It didn't make a lot of sense... and then you also get kind of the human side. They were voting on a settlement with the Dexter Reed family... and it didn't even get voted on in the finance meeting because it didn't have enough support."
The experience left a strong impression. "It definitely opened my eyes," she said. "In a good and bad way... to the inner workings of Chicago. I'm from Minnesota, so... there's not a ton going on there. To see a city that's so active within their own government was so cool to see."
Reflecting on what storytelling meant to her, Lyngen said: "A lot of storytelling and a lot of journalism is watching and being able to report back what you've seen in the most truthful and honest way."
For Lyngen, the biggest shift wasn’t just about learning how to report—it was learning how to see. Covering city finance meetings showed her what it really means to be an active citizen.
“If you don’t take an active role and you just become a passive citizen,” she said, “well, no wonder you’re frustrated all the time.”
“I came here with a limited worldview,” Lyngen said. “But through storytelling, you’re opening people’s eyes to different concepts and different opinions. And honestly, that’s what keeps society going—people seeing each other, learning from each other, and staying engaged.”