I am not a Northwestern student. However, I am a 23 year old guy living in Evanston, and I was looking for somewhere where I can have open discussions about things like religion/philosophy/life and race/gender/poverty. Someone recommended that I check out local universities/colleges, so I thought I’d ask here. Thanks!
Check out the MOSAIC Co-op (http://mosaiccoop.org/). Its not connected to Northwestern, but most of the residents are undergrad or grad students, and our two houses are close to campus (2 blocks and around half a mile). At the house that I live in, we welcome anybody over for dinner Mondays through Thursdays during the academic year (I don’t know what the situation is like this summer, as I am not currently there, nor at the other house). Dinners are a good time to drop by.
We very often openly discuss the things you mentioned and how they intersect with each other, and with other factors as well. And we have a good time doing it! It’s also just a fun place to hang out. Send an email to the address on the website (and get an answer) before coming over though.
Send me a private message if you want more info!