Northwestern silences superfan known for shrieking at basketball games

Friday, January 11, 2019
EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Emily Harriott is a Wildcat superfan whose closet is completely purple.

The Northwestern senior has spent a wild week in the spotlight after 3.5 years of being heard, but not see: Harriott is known for her distinctive scream at Northwestern Wildcats basketball games.

Emily Harriott, a Northwestern senior, says her closet is completely purple.

Noa Nuzov, Wildside photographer


[Ads /]
Harriott screamed the team to victory against Illinois on Sunday but was noticeably silent against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday after members of Northwestern's marketing department told her to turn down the volume.

Harriott said she hadn't received much feedback on her screaming before.

"Some people have said, 'Haha, that's funny,' or 'That's kind of annoying.' It's never been like a, 'Please stop,'" she said. "It's just always been like, 'Hahaha there's Emily.'"
[Ads /]
Harriott said it was difficult to keep quiet, especially as her passion for the Wildcats remains strong.



"I love this school. I love these teams, they're great," she said.

Harriott plans to shriek more strategically moving forward.
Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.