A class action lawsuit filed Oct. 7 against Northeastern and 39 other private universities alleges the institutions are overcharging students by requiring them to list the income of noncustodial parents in financial aid applications.
According to the lawsuit, brought by current Boston University student Maxwell Hansen and Cornell University alum Eileen Chang, the universities named in the complaint require applicants to list two parents when completing
financial aid documents through the College Scholarship Service, or CSS, portal. The income and assets of noncustodial parents are then allegedly used by the universities to calculate the amount of financial aid that will be awarded.
Students are required to list the income of two parents, even if one is a noncustodial parent, or NCP, and not expected to contribute to a student’s university education. The lawsuit says the practice presents unique difficulties for students who have two living
parents, but one is absent or not expected to financially contribute to their education. Schools decide individually whether to consider both parents in financial aid decisions if there is contact information for the NCP.
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Column: 9 places around Boston to bring the family for Family & Friends Weekend
cafe also has locations in Audubon Circle in Fenway and Cleveland Circle in Brighton.
Oct. 25 to 27 is Family & Friends Weekend — a time when loved ones flock to Northeastern to explore the Boston campus and reunite with their students.
There will be lots to do on campus, but in a city as bustling as Boston, the possibilities are nearly endless. To help, The News’ lifestyle editors have curated a list of restaurants, iconic spots and shopping scenes to check out with the family.
Kristina’s food pick: Cafe Landwer
Nestled in a cozy spot on Boylston Street is Cafe Landwer, a quaint restaurant serving up Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine in Back Bay. Retro decor and furniture give the spot a vintage feel, and the menu provides a delicious collection of all-day breakfast options, sandwiches and desserts. The
CAMPUS
Northeastern imposes 100 co-op limit
Read about the impact of this change on students.
Darin’s food pick: Panza With so many Italian restaurants to choose from, Boston’s North End can be a little overwhelming at first. For some reasonably priced dinner fare, Panza is a perfect North End spot. The lively ambience, authentic Italian cuisine and wine selection all make this restaurant an ideal choice for a casual and relaxing weekend family dinner.
Claudie’s food pick: The Beehive
While Barcelona Wine Bar may be the obvious South End choice, right down the street is The Beehive, a bustling restaurant and bar. The restaurant’s eclectic, artsy space hosts live music nearly every day and boasts an impressive menu. Don’t miss the whipped ricotta appetizer, and try the butternut squash risotto or roasted chicken for an entree.
Kristina’s iconic Boston pick: Museum of Science
The Museum of Science offers visitors an educational yet fun array of exhibits and activities. The museum covers the full spectrum of the sciences, from archaeology and anatomy to astronomy and animal science. It’s go big or go home at the Museum of Science — just ask its 65-million-year-old Triceratops fossil.
Darin’s iconic Boston pick: Boston Common and Boston Public Garden
If your family is looking for a walk in the park, look no further than Boston Common. Encompassing 50 acres in the heart of the city, the park is an essential part of Boston’s history — it’s over 350 years old and part of the city’s famous Freedom Trail. For a more quiet setting, check out the neighboring Public Garden. Don’t forget to find a park bench by the water to recreate the famous scene from “Good Will Hunting.”
Read about the largest regatta in the
Claudie’s iconic Boston pick: The Charles River Esplanade
For an early morning jog with mom or an afternoon family walk, head to the Charles River Esplanade. The Esplanade provides panoramic views of Cambridge, which serves as a great backdrop for a family photo. Docks and grassy spaces along the Esplanade provide a perfect spot for a picnic or to watch the sunset.
Kristina’s shopping pick: Newbury Street
Back Bay is one of Boston’s best shopping neighborhoods, and the famed Newbury Street runs right down the middle. Shops such as Trident Booksellers & Cafe and the original Newbury Comics are housed in historic brownstone buildings, giving the street an aesthetic that mixes modernity with history. For people with a serious sweet tooth, visit Amorino for gelato and Mochi Dough for Japanese donuts.
CROSSWORD
Darin’s shopping pick: Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market
Faneuil Hall has its own history as the meeting place of the Sons of Liberty, but nowadays, it’s also home to a lively shopping center. Located on Boston’s waterfront and featuring more than 80 businesses, there’s also plenty of places to grab lunch in the nearby Quincy Market. While you eat, be on the lookout for the musicians and street performers that often pop up on the cobblestone promenades.
Claudie’s shopping pick: Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a bit of a hike from campus, but well worth the visit. For shopping, choose from big names like Anthropologie and Patagonia, or local favorites like the Harvard Book Store and The Attic vintage store. Parents will enjoy the architecture and good eats that Cambridge has to offer, such as Felipe’s Taqueria or Harvest. Plus, the bordering residential streets have beautiful foliage this time of year.
Solve The News’ Halloween crossword Answers will be revealed in the next print issue.
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Graphic by Emma Liu
Graphic by Emma Liu
Photo by Asher Ben-Dashan
Photo by Jessica Xing
The Boston skyline seen above Northeastern’s Boston campus. A lawsuit alleges Northeastern and 39 other universities, including seven in Massachusetts, unfairly used the income and assets of students’ noncustodial parents to calculate financial aid.
By Kristina DaPonte, Claudie Bellanger, Darin Zullo
Lifestyle and Deputy Lifestyle Editors
Northeastern implements a 100 coop application limit on NUWorks
have gone through the co-op cycle have applied to over 100 co-ops, closer to 200, I think,” Ward said.
On Sept. 12, Reddit user AgreeableReception22 posted on Northeastern’s main Reddit forum, “Is NUWorks only allowing 100 co-op applications this time?”
The post received over 20 replies from various Reddit users, who expressed confusion and disappointment about the change.
“NUWorks? More like NoWork,” one user posted.
“No more compsci co-ops,” another wrote.
Northeastern introduced the 100 application cap on NUWorks — the platform where most co-op opportunities are posted — in fall 2024, Senior Vice Chancellor for Education Innovation at Northeastern Elizabeth Zulick told The News.
“It’s not supposed to be a numbers game of ‘I’m going to apply as many as possible in order to get a co-op experience,’” Zulick said. “It’s more about ‘How [am I] applying to jobs with intentionality that are aligned with the skills that I have, the courses I’ve taken and my goals.’”
Now, if students wish to submit more than 100 applications, they have to withdraw past applications before doing so.
Grace Ward, a second-year health science and business administration combined major who is currently searching for her first co-op, said that she was scared when she initially found out about the limit.
“I thought that would be a bad thing because all of my friends who
The change concerned computer science students the most, as jobs in the field are in high demand and often competitive.
As of Oct. 9, 601 available co-op positions on NUWorks appeared when using the search term “computer science” and selecting Khoury College of Computer Sciences for targeted academic majors. According to Northeastern’s facts and figures page on enrollment, Khoury had 2,644 students in classes and 854 students on co-op fall 2023.
Zulick explained that the lack of availability of computer science positions is because the economy. “Outside Northeastern, we’re seeing more layoffs in these areas.” Zulick said this is why Northeastern is trying to shift the mindset around co-op applications in general, especially for these majors, as well as working on job development and growth internally.
Holly Zbierski, a third-year computer science and English combined major who applied for co-ops in spring 2024, said her co-op adviser encouraged her class to consistently apply to “around 20 [jobs] a week.”
Ward said she found out about the limit through an investment and consulting club she’s a member of on campus, but has yet to hear any official communication about the limit from her co-op adviser.
Andrew Lengyel, a second-year business administration and computer science combined major in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business,
found out about the limit from his co-op adviser.
Lengyel said he “doesn’t think the limit will impact him much since he’s mostly applying for finance positions.”
Zbierski said that if she was applying for co-ops in future cycles, an application limit would “probably discourage me from applying much on NUWorks. If there is that limit, I would have to be so specific about which ones I do apply to.”
Though some students are concerned the application cap may impede their job prospects, others said they see an upside to limiting the number of job applications students can send.
“It might make students more conscious about which co-ops they’re applying to and kind of streamline the process,” said Anna Benson, a second-year biology major.
Zbierski expressed similar sentiments, saying that a limit might ease pressures for companies and students, especially in fields like computer science.
“Computer science is so competitive, so maybe co-op companies were getting overwhelmed with applications, and maybe the kids didn’t even really want them, they just applied for the sake of it. I did that for a lot of applications,” Zbierski said
Zulick emphasized that the limit is not meant to add stress or create confusion but rather to help students tailor the co-op search to their skills and desired outcomes. Zulick also said that the university administration wants students to utilize the
co-op resources that already exist instead of blindly applying to hundreds of co-ops.
“We want to decrease anxiety and help students be successful in their searches and encourage the use of all the amazing resources we have,” Zulick said.
In response to the anxiety certain students in majors with historically high co-op application numbers have, Zulick said the university analyzed whether the decision would disproportionately affect certain students.
“We did look across majors and colleges when we did our analysis to understand if the limit will disproportionately affect students within one college or another, and that was not the case,” she said.
After consideration, Zulick said, the school ultimately concluded the lack of jobs and co-ops in general within these majors is not due to constraints on NUWorks, but rather to the general state of the economy within those sectors.
Going forward, Zulick said she hopes the limit will reframe students’ mindsets regarding the co-op search and urge students to start with jobs they’re interested in and excited about. She also said the limit aims to encourage students to work together with advisers to figure out how to obtain opportunities, instead of applying to hundreds of positions.
“I think it shocked me at first, and then now it’s like, wait, maybe this is a good thing,” Ward said. “I feel like people will be more intentional with their applications and not just apply to everything.”
Lengyel said he was not particularly scared or worried initially, but “that feeling might change depending on how the application process plays out.”
Benson echoed these sentiments, saying that, “most of the kids in my class just took it as it came, because it’s our first time applying, and we don’t know much about how it’s going to affect what co-op we end up getting.”
NU adds locks Mugar bathrooms in response to illegal activity
In response to reported acts of illegal activity in Northeastern’s Mugar Life Sciences Building, which Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Madigan later specified to be “in relation to prostitution,” the university has added Husky Card locks to the building’s bathrooms.
At least eight of Mugar’s bathrooms are equipped with the locks, which require an individual to tap their Hus-
ky Card to enter. During an Oct. 16 faculty senate meeting, associate professor of communication studies and chair of the faculty senate’s agenda committee Heidi Kevoe-Feldman said the Northeastern University Police Department, or NUPD, implemented the locks as part of a “comprehensive, multi-layer approach” to resolve reported safety concerns.
“Faculty concerns brought up to the Northeastern University Police Department a number of complaints about illegal activities occurring within Mugar Hall restrooms,” Kevoe-Feldman said. “These instances were not isolated to specific times of day and the disruptive nature of the behavior prompted significant concern from students and staff, who reported the negative impact it was having on individual wellbeing and the broader community within the building.”
“Since the implementation of these measures, including the locks, NUPD has not received any further reports of this specific illegal activity,” she added.
When asked during a later question and answer period of the meeting for additional detail regarding the “illegal
activity,” Madigan said the activities were “in relation to prostitution.”
Massachusetts law defines prostitution as “the conduct of engaging, agreeing to engage or offering to engage in sexual conduct for a fee.”
According to NUPD crime logs, there were eight reported instances throughout May and June of either trespassing, loitering, suspicious activity or lewd and lascivious conduct in Mugar Hall. Two instances specified that the activity took place in Mugar’s restrooms. Four individuals were summoned to court, and one was arrested by NUPD, according to the logs.
For instance, on June 6, there were three reported incidents within two hours: a report of trespassing at 2:20 p.m., a report of lewd and lascivious activity at 2:43 p.m. and another report of trespassing at 4:08 p.m. The NUPD identified the three individuals alleged to have committed the June 6 incidents, two were summoned to court and one was arrested.
There were eight total individuals listed alongside reported incidents — only five were identified by NUPD — but it is not clear if incidents were perpetrated by the same individual multiple times.
When asked by The News, the university’s media relations team
did not elaborate on the nature of the incidents.
Certain other university buildings have locks on their bathrooms, including in West Village G and International Village. During a Sept. 25 faculty senate meeting, a professor said locks were being added to the Dodge Hall bathrooms as well, but a Huntington News reporter did not find locks on any of the building’s restrooms Oct. 23.
The media relations team did not respond to questions asking why certain buildings have locks, and if the university plans on adding locks to other restrooms.
During the meeting, faculty raised concerns that the locks would make it difficult for approved guests to use Mugar’s bathrooms and that a specific gender’s restroom would be locked for individuals with a Husky Card of a different gender.
A handful of professors said they tested the bathrooms of the opposite gender and found that bathrooms could be unlocked by individuals with a Husky Card listed under a different gender. The News confirmed this to be the case.
Kevoe-Feldman said NUPD was exploring solutions to the inconveniences the locks pose for visitors. She said one possible solution was
having the building’s office maintain possession of a single key visitors can use to unlock the bathrooms.
“It is an inconvenience, but it’s an inconvenience that addresses faculty concerns for their own safety, and maybe each office can figure out a strategy,” she said.
The issue was first brought up at the Sept. 25 faculty senate meeting. Veronica Godoy-Carter, an associate professor of biology and biochemistry, said she was surprised to find the bathrooms locked from the outside, only accessible via Husky Card. She said she was not informed this was happening in advance and that it caused significant confusion. She asked if the doors could be unlocked during the day.
Godoy-Carter said she was eventually told the locks were due to safety concerns.
During the Oct. 16 meeting, Godoy-Carter said she understood the reasoning behind the locks but wished it had been communicated more clearly.
“We didn’t get the information, we just found the bathrooms locked,” she said. “So, I understand it’s in the past, but it would be good to keep in mind so that this doesn’t happen again.”
The entrance to a men’s bathroom in Mugar Hall. NUPD implemented locks on Mugar Hall’s bathrooms in response to illegal activity, which was later confirmed to be in relation to prostitution.
Photo by Kristina DaPonte
In her final season as a Husky, Skylar Irving looks to leave her mark
By Elli Einset News Staff
With major changes to the Northeastern women’s hockey roster this season — including the graduation of Megan Carter and Katy Knoll, who helped power the Huskies’ defense and offense — the group must acclimate quickly as the season kicks into gear. It isn’t the first time the Huskies have leaned on new starpower due to roster turnover, and one athlete in particular knows how to handle the pressure. Senior forward Skylar Irving, 2024 Beanpot MVP and Hockey East Third Team All Star, heads into her last season as a Husky, hopefully saving her best performance for last.
Off to a hot start already, Irving earned Hockey East Player of the Week after a four-point performance against Quinnipiac University Oct. 4 — including the game-winner.
Irving was skating before she could walk, and her family’s love for hockey began even earlier. Both her dad and brother played the sport, and her house was filled with hockey equipment and memorabilia from an early age. She credits her dad for always being her biggest inspiration and sup-
porter; he put Irving in skates at just 14 months old, and she was learning hockey by the time she was 3 years old.
“I can remember I could skate better than I could walk,” Irving said.
Growing up in Kingston, Mass., about 35 miles south of Boston, Irving was engulfed in the excitement surrounding both the men’s and women’s Beanpot tournaments far before she was a college student. Pairing the energy of that tournament with the proximity to home and the rich history of Matthews Arena, Irving knew exactly what college she wanted to attend.
“Once I toured here, there was no doubt about it that I wanted to play for Northeastern,” she said.
Nick Carpenito, Northeastern women’s hockey’s associate head coach, has followed Irving since her freshman year in high school, and said he was immediately stunned by her physical talent.
“This was a player that was just head over heels physically better than everybody on the ice,” he said. “She had great speed. She had great skill. She had a good size for that age. She was just someone that aggressively stood out.”
Carpenito had high hopes for Irving from the get-go. He recalls
Irving’s high school coach, Jean-Yves Roy, telling him, “You check out this Irving kid. She’s going to be the absolute real deal.”
When Irving is on the ice, she makes it known. In her first year with the Huskies, Irving outperformed all freshman Huskies, tallying 15 points for the season. She appeared in 38 games, and potted a goal at the Frozen Four against Minnesota Duluth in February of 2022. And she just kept getting better.
Graduate defender Lily Yovetich, who has been playing with Irving since Yovetich’s sophomore year, echoed this sentiment.
“She has so much tenacity, and her feet, I feel like they are always moving. That’s something that really sets her apart from all the other girls out there on the ice,” Yovetich said. “She’s just such a power forward and always calling for the puck.”
Last season, Irving earned a career-high 13 goals, four of them being game-winners, making her an indispensable player for Northeastern.
Her most notable tally was a game-winning goal in overtime at the 2024 Beanpot Championship game.
“When you shoot, you think it’s going in, all the time. So especially in tight moments, I know that [the] puck
is going to hit the back of the net,” Irving said.
The 2024 Women’s Beanpot was the first time the women’s championship game was held at TD Garden instead of rotating between the four competing teams’ rinks, while the men’s teams have been playing there since 1953. Not only were the Huskies able to bring home the championship trophy, but Skylar Irving was awarded the Beanpot MVP title.
“To be able to play at the Garden was incredible,” she said. “Seeing the guys do it my whole life and to finally have that opportunity was super special to me.”
However, Northeastern’s start to the 2024-25 season has been less than ideal. The Huskies sit at 4-3-1, with their most recent game being a 4-2 victory over Holy Cross. Things are looking up as the team broke the second game losing streak, having lost the second matchups for the first three series of the season. In her best game against Quinnipiac, Irving scored one goal and tallied three assists for four points. The second game in each series has resulted in a loss, varying in score — at Penn State, the Huskies only lost by one, but
the BU shutout saw a four-goal performance from the Terriers.
The team’s 4-3-1 record does not fully convey its camaraderie and chemistry on and off the ice.
“I feel like this year, we’ve gelled really quickly,” Yovetich said. “I feel like there’s been a lot of chemistry that’s been built over the past couple of games, and it’s going to continue in a really positive direction.”
Irving reflected on how she wants to contribute to the team her senior season.
“Just being able to help the younger kids in whatever ways I can. But also on the ice, being an impactful player all the time [and] setting the tone every day is something I definitely want to bring,” she said. “As you get older, there are definitely more roles that you fulfill and more pressure that comes with it, and I look forward to having that pressure on my back.”
As Irving looks beyond Northeastern, there is a chance she may continue to play if she elects to enter the PWHL draft next summer.
“That’s definitely an end goal that I want, but that’s the big picture goal. Right now, the goal is in front of me whenever I’m wearing the jersey with the Husky logo on it.”
Nate Francois started on the club team. Now, he takes on the D1 court.
By Elli Einset News Staff
All good things take time — and Northeastern men’s basketball’s Nate Francois is a testament to that. The senior guard walked on to Northeastern’s Division I men’s basketball team prior to this season’s start in November after functioning as the team manager and playing for the men’s club team — proof that hard work does pay off.
When Francois started to play basketball in the summer between eight and ninth grade, later than many collegiate athletes, he instantly fell in love with the competitiveness of the game. He later realized he wanted to play in college and hoped to seize any opportunity when he arrived at Northeastern.
With no prospect of making Northeastern’s NCAA team upon arrival due to COVID-19, Francois, a business administration major, joined the club team his second year of college.
Being a club athlete has many challenges, including late practice hours and less funding, but it was easy for Francois to keep basketball a priority.
“Basketball is just something I love to do. It was easy to keep at the forefront of my mind,” Francois said. “Being a competitor, compete, play every day, even if you don’t have practice.”
Ranking top three in the National Club Basketball Association, or NCBBA, the Huskies finished last season 37-2, along with winning the 2023 New England Regional championships. Throughout the team’s 28-win
streak and 17-week run at No. 1 in the NCBAA — both NCBBA records —
Francois stepped up as a leader and coach when needed.
Coach Knox Lendall, Northeastern’s club basketball coach, defined Francois as a “player-coach,” stepping into this role when Lendall was unable to attend the games.
“I was a college coach last year, so whenever I wasn’t able to make it, he had a bigger role, calling plays and making subs,” Lendall said. “[In 2022] we lost at the championship [of the Penn State tournament], so the team really wanted to go back. I drove down there Saturday, but Sunday, in the elimination games, they were on their own. So Nate kind of took over. … He was right under the basket, coaching the game.”
The team won the tournament last November, going 6-0 that weekend, an indication of Francois’ deep understanding of basketball. While handling the responsibilities of being a team leader, Francois also didn’t let his play slack.
Daniel Dalzell, a fifth-year shooting guard for the club team, highlighted this sentiment.
“Nate is one of the most dominant offensive players I’ve played with. He gets the shots he wants, when he wants. His ability to take over a game — seemingly single handedly sometimes — is unlike a lot of other players that I’ve seen,” Dalzell said.
“Nate not only carried a lot of the load on offense but displayed leadership in the locker room, before games, during games and practice. He pushed everyone to be the best version of
themselves as players. He led vocally and by example.”
Francois continued to train for a chance to play at the Division 1 level while he was on the club team, even becoming team manager for a year in the process.
Coach Lendall said Francois was always at film sessions, constantly asking for the club team’s game footage to watch and analyze his play on his own. He also spent time after practice to work with the “bigs,” the athletes who play center.
Over this summer, Francois kept his training a priority even while working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for his summer internship.
“I would wake up at 5 a.m. to work out in the morning,” Francois said. “Then after work, I would sneak into a local college gym … to get working at night. I was in the best shape [of] my life, and [I was] making sure I was at the best peak of my game when I came back.”
Bill Coen, Northeastern’s men’s basketball coach, said Francois had been on his radar since before Francois attended Northeastern, but truly made an impression when he became the team’s manager.
“[Team managers] add so much to the program. … They’re high character guys, and they’re very humble because they have to do tasks that nobody else wants to do,” Coen said. “To see a young man like Nate accept that position and excel in that position always left a really good impression on me.”
Last season, the D1 team went 12-20, with a 7-11 conference record.
The team attended the TowneBank Holiday Classic where they went 2-1.
In the CAA playoffs, Northeastern lost the first round to Stony Brook University, 65-75 on March 9.
The team has put last season behind them as they work to secure a better record and playoff run.
“Coen told us pretty much [the sophomores] all came back for a reason, so he [is] going to push us. So practicing [has] been harder, conditioning has been hard, everything has been harder,” Harold Woods, a junior guard and forward, said. “And then
plays, not the coaches. [We] encourage him to go for it on a daily basis, don’t apologize for your status, and be competitive,” Coen said. “And then let the chips fall where they may.”
Francois plans on maintaining his infectious energy, no matter what position he has this season.
“The biggest thing is energy. I think somebody could use just having a leader on and off the court, so whatever my role is this year, whether that’s being at the end of the benches or being in the game and being a contributor,” Francois said.
Nate Francois poses for a photo.
The senior walked on to the Northeastern men’s basketball team this season after serving as team manager and competing for the club team.
Photo courtesy Northeastern Athletics
NU sued over financial aid practices
“Paying for college is one of the landmark financial burdens millions of students and parents face,” the suit reads. “Families often spend years planning and saving to pay for college and many incur long-lasting debt, sometimes debt they cannot afford.”
In 2006, when the College Board introduced guidance on noncustodial parents, or NCPs, total student debts in the United States were $481 billion. Now, in 2024, that number has climbed to over $1.745 trillion, according to the lawsuit.
“Those perpetrating price-fixing and antitrust schemes are often attempting to conceal their behavior,” Steve W. Berman of Hagens Berman, the law firm representing the plaintiffs in the case, said in an email to The News. Hagens Berman argues class-action lawsuits against “corporate negligence and fraud,” according to its website.
“It’s not uncommon for instances to go unchecked for decades, by design of guilty parties,” Berman said.
According to Northeastern’s Student Financial Services website, prospective students are required
to provide financial information of NCPs, but if the parent is not able to be contacted, the student can submit a waiver request.
“We don’t comment on pending litigation,” a Northeastern spokesperson said in an email to The News Oct. 16.
The lawsuit alleges that having an NCP provide financial information artificially creates a higher reported income than the prospective student is supported by, thereby decreasing aid provided to students. The lawsuit further alleges that this practice has raised annual tuition prices by at least $6,200 at the universities named in the lawsuit when compared to universities that don’t require students to list NCPs.
Consistency in applying for financial aid across universities “ensures that all [students] enrolling are treated equally and that the cost remains fair, regardless of extenuating circumstances, including the makeup of one’s family,” Berman wrote in the email statement.
Students also have the option to complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which
is used by the government to determine how much financial support a student could receive from the government for their education.
In the suit, a hypothetical student whose custodial parent is unmarried, earns a “modest” income and rents a home is considered. However, if this student had a noncustodial parent who earns a high income, remarried to a higher earner and owns a home, CSS would consider this parent and the stepparent in addition to the custodial parent when determining how much aid they qualify for. However, FAFSA would only consider the income of the custodial parent, resulting in a lower family contribution, and therefore more financial aid offered.
The suit says the practice breaks the Sherman Act, an antitrust law that prohibits unfair business practices and monopolies and promotes competition and economic fairness.
“High levels of student debt can significantly impact students’ academic performance. It can be difficult for students to allocate sufficient time and energy to their coursework when they are preoc-
cupied with financial concerns,” the lawsuit reads. “Research has shown for nearly two decades that higher levels of student loan debt are associated with lower academic achievement among students, as well as reduced course loads and even lower graduation rates.”
Of the 40 schools listed in the lawsuit, eight universities are in Massachusetts, the largest number of respondents in one state. The eight institutions are Brandeis University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Tufts University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Boston College and Boston University.
The lawsuit also named the College Board, a nonprofit membership organization that developed standardized admissions tests SAT and AP, as a defendant. According to the initial complaint, the university defendants, along with the College Board, developed the “NCP Agreed Pricing Strategy” that required NCPs to provide financial information.
“Students were told there were no exceptions to the requirement
— even if a divorce court order was issued concerning college expenses,” the suit reads. “Formulas are then used to generate a financial aid offer. The student then ultimately receives an estimate for the family contribution based on what the two parents can contribute, regardless of whether both parents do actually contribute.”
The College Board, of which all defendants are members, introduced this practice in 2006, according to the lawsuit. Seventy-five universities began to require students to list NCPs in the absence of two biological parents following the decision.
Northeastern became a member of the College Board in October 1957 and requires applicants to comply with the NCP requirements of the CSS profile.
Northeastern’s full cost, including fees and indirect attendance costs, is currently $90,250 for two semesters. The current average net price of enrollment for Northeastern students after receiving financial aid and scholarships is $28,521 annually. However, the amount of financial aid that is granted depends on the student’s financial background.
Goalkeeper Colby Hegarty takes last victory lap for his sixth season
By Frances Klemm
Northeastern’s men’s soccer starting goalie, sixth-year mechanical engineering major Colby Hegarty, earned his spot as one of the most decorated players on Parsons Field, and his final season is a perfect culmination of the six years he’s spent refining his skills.
Hegarty has been playing soccer his entire life, taking part in the game since he was 4 years old — totalling to nearly 20 years between the posts. He fell into goalkeep after being put in the net in elementary school. His natural attraction and skill in the goal made him stick with it.
Talent runs through the family: Hegarty’s father, a former goalkeeper at Syracuse University, inspired the Husky over the years.
“He definitely got me into it when I was young and then I just fell in love and kept on,” Hegarty said.
In high school, Hegarty found a connection to the Northeastern soccer program through a teammate’s father, who knew the coach at the time. With a lack of other prospects, Hegarty was thankful and eager to enter the pitch as a Husky.
“I got pretty fortunate because I didn’t have a ton of other options, definitely no other Division I options at the time,” he said.
The investment paid off. After being redshirted his first year, and COVID-19 hitting his second, Hegarty moved up to starting goalie by his third year. Over the following two seasons, he was elected to the 2021 All-CAA Second Team and named a 2022 Defensive Player of the Week.
Hegarty is now on his sixth and final season with Northeastern, and with a persevering attitude, he’s mak-
ing the last one count. The Husky has turned the season into a victory lap, with five consecutive shutouts, 32 saves over nine games and an 80% save percentage, his highest yet. He holds the 19th-lowest goals against average in the NCAA.
On Sept. 30, Hegarty was recognized for the second time in his career as the CAA Defensive Player of the Week, after making a combined 10 saves against University of Massachusetts Lowell Sept. 24 and Stony Brook University Sept. 27. Both games ended in 0-0 ties.
The award came as a pleasant confidence boost in what Hegarty describes as a mental game.
“As a goalkeeper, I think there’s a little bit more pressure, because obviously one mistake can lead to a goal or a loss for the entire team,” he said.
Hegarty views the recognition from CAA as a team prize, attributing his multiple shutouts to the team’s strong defense.
“Anytime someone makes a mistake they have four other guys to help fix it for them,” he said. “We all trust each other to do our jobs and if that ever fails then we know the other guys have our backs.”
Over the years, Hegarty worked on collecting himself in high-pressure games, but his focused mindset hasn’t always been as sound. He reminisced on his previous years with the team and how he has grown over the seasons.
“I remember my first few years and my first season starting—it was super nerve-racking,” he said. “Every game was super stressful. I felt like all the pressure was on me, all the odds were on me.”
Today, while those beginner nerves still exist, Hegarty channels that energy into excitement and doesn’t let the negativity weigh on him.
“I’ve learned that instead of focusing on what can go wrong, I’ve tried to focus on what can go right,” he said.
Off the field, Hegarty brings a calm, stable energy to the team and locker room in the midst of a busy season.
“He stays reserved most of the time and I think some guys look to him when it’s panic time and he’s always calm,” head coach Jeremy Bonomo said. “I think it helps and rubs off on other people.”
Harry Sankey, a graduate midfielder, who has shared the field with Hegarty for five seasons, shared the sentiment.
“He’s a really respectable role model for all of us because of how much respect he has for himself and the program,” he said.
The team has gone through three head coaches and several goalkeeper coaches in the six seasons Hegarty has been with the team, he said. Through the turnover, it’s the team’s relationship that remains consistent.
“Having these guys and being part of this group allows us to work through all the changes and all the external factors,” Hegarty said. “For our team, controlling those things that we can control; the hard work, the discipline, doing things the right way and staying focused for 90 minutes, are the things that can give you the win.”
Sankey emphasized the importance of players like Hegarty throughout the roster changes, who bring stability to the group.
“I’ve been super proud of our season because it’s hard to keep bouncing back when you lose coaches, but we’ve consistently gotten better throughout this season,” Sankey said. “Colby’s been really instrumental in that.”
Now, the sixth-year is staring down his final collegiate year of play. Hegarty might not have been a D1 star when he entered Parsons Field in 2019, but he’s become an indispensable piece of Northeastern’s success. His final season’s nationally-ranked stats have reinforced that legacy.
“Going into it, my biggest goal was to enjoy it and to make the most of it,” Hegarty said. “It’s knowing that it’s the last one that lets you appreciate it more.”
Colby Hegarty interacts with spectators at Northeastern’s match against Harvard Sept. 17. The Husky helped shut out the Crimson, keeping the game to a 0-0 draw.
Photo by Sydney Ciardi
News Staff
SUED, from front
Park-9 welcomes dogs and people alike
By Samantha Philipp News Correspondent
Dog lovers across Boston are struggling to find spots to enjoy with their favorite pooch. A dog-loving family aims to fix that with Park-9.
Spouses Emily Gusse and Tess Kohanski and Kohanski’s brother Chris Kohanski first opened the one-of-akind dog park and bar flagship location in Everett April 13, 2023. Their goal was to create a space where both dogs and humans were free to socialize and enjoy each other’s company.
The Park-9 Everett location includes a full service bar, an outdoor and indoor dog park equipped with park rangers and both on- and off-leash areas for the dogs to enjoy. New England’s only indoor dog park with a full bar also provides dog daycare and training services, a real one-stop shop for anything a best friend needs.
The trio first drew inspiration for Park-9 from their 5-year-old golden retriever Nora, parented by Gusse and Tess Kohanski.
“She’s really the cornerstone of our family and this is becoming more and more true in today’s society,” said
Gusse, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Park-9. “We wanted a place to be able to go and bring her and bring her comfortably.”
After discovering a dog bar in Minnesota on a work trip, Gusse said she knew she had to bring this concept to New England. Luckily, the couple already had their own toolbox of skills to open and operate a business, as Tess Kohanski is an urban planner by trade with a master’s degree in city planning, and Gusse has an MBA, both from Boston University. However, the two-year-long process of bringing Park-9 to life was not easy.
“We’re the first of our kind here so there was a lot to think through, a lot of people to talk to and a lot of things to understand about health regulations, zoning, permits and adding the complexity of how we can be able to have dogs run around while we’re doing all those things,” Gusse said.
Shortly after the opening, Gusse said there was an influx of dog-friendly patios being opened.
“This is what people want and people were really excited about having a dedicated space that they felt comfortable going to with their pup,” she said. Fueled by the popularity of their Ev-
erett location, Park-9 opened a pop-up location at The Station in The Fenway during the summer season. Not only did Park-9 provide customers and dogs with a new dog-friendly community to socialize and make connections, it also offered invaluable social experiences for dogs as well. Samantha Trachten, a manufacturers sales representative living in Fenway and a Park-9 regular, said Park-9 has been a “game changer” for her dog Archie.
“We moved here in January and he was really reactive to dogs and to men, and now anyone can approach him; he’s friendly and I think being exposed to different dogs off leash was key,” Trachten said.
The shared social experience at Park-9 for customers and their dogs has fostered a real community for dog lovers across Boston and has helped build connections and new friendships for many of its patrons.
“[Park-9] has really created a community within itself, is super fun. People have met new neighbors and on days where we’re closed, they’ll still go and meet up at parks to hang out,” said Grace Garcia, assistant venue manager at Park-9 Fenway.
While community members were ecstatic to have a dedicated space to relax with their dogs, owners knew there would be some concern about the viability of the dog park and bar combination. One of Park-9’s goals was to educate customers on the meticulous safety measures Park-9 employs that you don’t see at your average dog park, Gusse said.
“It’s not like there’s oversight in your local dog parks, and so for us we knew we were going to put dedicated park rangers in the park who are there for the sole goal of making sure the play stays positive,” Gusse said.
The “park rangers” stationed throughout the park allow customers to relax at the full service bar without worrying about the safety of their dogs. In addition to the watchful eyes of the park rangers, before entering Park-9, every dog must be registered and fully up to date with vaccinations, and as an extra measure of safety, Park-9 staff is trained to be able to identify common dog illnesses.
“I usually don’t do dog parks because there’s fights and bacteria,” Trachten said. “But Park-9 cleans it every night, disinfects as they go and
they make it a mentally safe space.”
Park rangers and Park-9 staff complete spot checks throughout the entire day, three deep cleans a day and have a third-party commercial cleaning company come in every night to deep clean.
Gusse and the Kohanskis also make it a priority to give back to the Boston community.
“We do a ton of partnerships which was really core to our vision of founding this and the idea of how we can do well and do good at the same time,” Gusse said. “We do adoption events here, we do puppy yoga that we donate funds from and partner with local rescues on that.”
Inclusivity is at the forefront of Park-9’s design model.
“We really tried to think about how to design a space that felt comfortable and that felt like I can come in here and not have to worry,” Gusse said, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself. Park-9 has gender-neutral bathrooms and an overall welcoming environment to all individuals.
“For us, it was kind of about the vision of building something that was sustainable that allowed us to make our mark but also to make people happy,” Gusse said.
MBTA launches reduced-fare pro gram
By Samantha Bagot, Lawrence Brown, Eli Curwin News Correspondent and News Staff
Since July 2019, a one-way fare for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s bus system and subway have cost $1.70 and $2.40, respectively, for nearly all riders.
Certain passengers, like children, military personnel, first responders and government officials have had the ability to ride for free. And over time, seniors, middle and high school students, people with disabilities and low-income individuals younger than 25 were given the ability to apply to ride at a reduced rate.
But after years of advocacy, debate and research, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA, launched its Income-Eligible Reduced Fare Program in early September — providing low-income adults between the ages 18 and 64 half-off their fares to ride the subway, Commuter Rail, buses, ferries and The RIDE.
“I’m always using the T, so I think it’s good and it helps people out, especially if you’re laid off,” said Shawn Williams, a 54-year-old Roxbury resident and father of seven who said he was laidoff. “Any type of discount, especially if you’re using the fare every day, it does help out a lot.”
below 200% of the federal poverty level, roughly $30,000 a year for an individual and $62,000 for a family of four. The MBTA anticipates more than 60,000 people will qualify for the half-off fares, and the agency has already approved applications for more than 6,800 people, according to MBTA Communications Manager Maya Bingaman.
Low-income individuals can use their enrollment in other state assistance programs that also use the 200% federal poverty cut-off, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as proof of eligibility for the program and can apply for the reduced fares online or in person.
The MBTA Board of Directors approved the program in late March, and the initiative then awaited state funding to launch later in the year.
In July, the Massachusetts legislature finalized and approved $20 million in funding for the program, pulled from tax revenue from the recently-passed Fair Share Amendment, sometimes known as the millionaires tax. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey initially requested $45 million for the program, but the legislature only approved $20 million.
“We are thrilled to launch the Income-Eligible Reduced Fares Program, which will increase access to the T’s buses, subways, Commuter Rail,
Residents say the expanded program is helpful for a variety of groups who use the MBTA’s service every day.
Daneka Thompson, a 54-year-old commuter who has a reduced fare pass due to a disability following a car accident, said she believes that in addition to people with disabilities, students should receive discounts.
“I think if someone is in college, even if they do have money, they should have student discounts,” she said. “Not just senior citizens and disability, for not just students that are juveniles. If someone is going to night school and studying really hard and working, they should get a reduced fare, too.”
Williams said that in addition to helping people who work multiple jobs, families and single parents, the program is beneficial for people who use the MBTA daily.
“I’m using public transportation seven days a week, so to me, it helps out,” Williams said.
Advocates for the program say that reaching these groups, especially those who use the service often throughout the week, is a key aspect of the initiative.
can continue to work to make mobility a priority in our community.”
Sharon Durkan, Boston’s District 8 city councilor, echoed Fernandes Anderson’s sentiment.
“Expanding savings for the lowest income Bostonians (approximately 50% off regular fares on local bus, subway and Commuter Rail services) has a direct impact on creating opportunities for mobility, expanding opportunities for residents to visit other neighborhoods, expanding access to some of the various cultural and social opportunities across the city,” Durkan said in a statement to The News.
Some residents who live outside Boston said they disagree with the use of funding for the programs. Gerald Richards, a Stoughton resident, said the program is not a good use of the state’s budget.
“I don’t like free anything. Free anything is never free,” Richards said. “Someone pays for it and it usually ends up being more expensive. … It’s a fact that whenever the government gives away something for free, they always end up paying more for it. Free is never free.”
trips per week. Participants of the study often took more off-peak trips than a typical MBTA rider and were more heavily reliant on bus routes as opposed to the subway system.
“We’re talking about people that are on financial assistance, people that need help. Those are not people that live right near the train station because it’s too expensive,” Rosenblum said. “The more trips people take, the more people feel like a system is working for them, the more political power that they’ll be able to have to say, ‘You know what, yes. People are listening to us and now I’m gonna sort of have a political voice to push for better bus service.’”
While Rosenblum pointed out that increasing ridership through reduced fares can put on additional pressure during rush hour, overall, he said, the program will improve quality of life for riders and residents.
The Orange Line heading toward Oak Grove leaves the Ruggles station. Many groups such as TransitMatters, Community Labor United and LiveableStreets advocated for reduced train fares.
In Boston, the reduced fares are the latest in a series of efforts to make public transit more accessible to low-income riders. The City of Boston is continuing its fare free bus program for the 23, 28 and 29 routes which serve the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan. The program was announced in February 2022 and was initially supposed to last only two years, but the city extended it for two additional years in February.
Local officials also spoke highly of the MBTA’s reduced-fare program.
“With nearly 30% of all MBTA riders identifying as low-income, it is crucial that we reduce barriers to transportation so that our residents can more easily travel to work, home and their local amenities,” Tania Fernandes Anderson, city councilor for Boston’s District 7, said in a statement to The News. “I am glad to hear that the Healey administration made this funding available, and hope that the city of Boston and the Commonwealth
While the reduced fares aren’t free, the program poses an interesting question for advocates and the MBTA, which recently announced that it would need over $24 billion to fix its ailing subway system — which has already begun to show signs of improvement after the arrival of its new general manager, Phillip.
Jeff Rosenblum, a co-founder of LivableStreets and a doctoral candidate in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and a team of researchers conducted a 2019 study investigating how a 50% discounted fare for the MBTA could affect transit use and quality of life among low-income riders.
Rosenblum and his team found that low-income riders who received a discounted CharlieCard took about 30% more trips, often for shopping, health care or social service trips. Discounted riders took an average of 11.1 trips per week, as opposed to non-discounted riders who took an average of 8.6
“We’re trying to make [Boston] a more livable place by having there be fewer travel lanes and having there be more green space and having there be more parks and make it nicer to walk around and make it safer. So the only way to do that is public transit. So really, public transit is one of the key elements of an equitable, sustainable city,” Rosenblum said.
For years, Boston and Massachusetts advocacy coalitions and organizations like LivableStreets Alliance, TransitMatters, Community Labor United, the Green Justice Coalition and several more urged the MBTA to implement reduced fares. Advocates see the implementation of the reduced-fare program as both the victory of a long-fought campaign as well as a clear step in the right direction toward transit equity.
“It’s important for people to understand that $2 can be too much. Not having $2 can be the difference between someone getting to the doctor, getting to a job, getting to an important appointment. If everyone has the ability to get where they need to go, it’s good for our economy, it’s good for our environment, it’s good for society,” Thompson said. “We’re excited … that we were able to win it, but to us it’s been a no-brainer since day one.”
Photo by Margot Murphy
The banks of the Charles River transformed into a spectacle Oct. 18 to 20 for the largest regatta in the world. Athletes, spectators and passersby gathered in Boston for the 59th annual Head of the Charles Regatta. With more than 12,000 athletes and roughly 400,000 fans in attendance across the three-mile course, this year’s event was a remarkable celebration of rowing culture.
This year, Northeastern sent four women’s boats and men’s boats to the regatta. The men’s Championship Eights A boat finished seventh collegiately and 10th overall with a time of 14:04.130, just four seconds behind Harvard University. The Championship B boat excelled as well, placing third in the junior varsity event with a time of 14:20.434.
The women’s teams also performed admirably, with the Club Four finishing 20th overall at 19:17.631, and the Club Eight A achieved an impressive 11th place with a time of 17:04.356, advancing from its 24th overall finish last year.
The Head of the Charles began Oct. 16, 1965, and its organizers took inspiration from Head of the River races in England. Under the guidance of Harvard University sculling coach Ernest Arlett, Cambridge Boat Club members D’Arcy MacMahon, Howard McIntyre and Jack Vincent started the largest rowing competition in history on the Charles River.
The regatta attracts the best rowing teams for a race, which starts at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse and ends three miles upstream at the Christian Herter Park in Brighton.
“Everyone is trying to establish themselves as the powerhouse school, a name brand, driving more recruits, more funding and more money,” Northeastern senior men’s captain Braden Porterfield said.
Unlike the rainy weather that clouded last year’s competition, Boston’s sunny skies only added to the excitement. Spectators gathered at various bridges, including Boston University Bridge, Grand Junction Railroad Bridge, River Street Bridge and Eliot Bridge, to witness the action as races went off every 15 seconds in staggered starts.
“It’s just awesome to be in Boston on such a beautiful day like
2024 Head of the Charles Regatta from across the globe, and
By Grace Cargill and Isabella Zhang |
this,” said Chloe Bayle, a student at Wesleyan University whose boyfriend competed in the race. “Seeing everyone come out to support their schools and teams has been so fun.”
Featuring athletes from all different countries ranging from 10 to 90 years old, the Head of the Charles is not lacking in diversity of participants.
Marisa Adams, volunteering alongside her parents and sister, emphasized how the rowers’ various walks of life made the event special to her.
“I think it’s really fun just getting to see all the people coming from different places,” she said.
Despite the global pull of the event, local schools still represent in the competition.
Northeastern University, joined by other nearby colleges like Boston University, Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, left its mark at the regatta, with the men’s and women’s team placing in the top 10 and top 20 of their respective races. These local schools share the unique advantage of practicing regularly on the Charles River, fueling an intense rivalry as they competed against one another in the regatta.
With its diverse roster of participants, Northeastern is making a name for itself, growing its reputation in the rowing world.
“I see Northeastern as an underdog team,” Porterfield said. “They never give up a fight.”
Though the competitive season doesn’t start until the spring, the Head of the Charles Regatta provides an excellent opportunity for rowers to apply what they’ve learned in practice. Northeastern women’s rowing head coach Joe Wilhelm described this regatta as “an amazing opportunity to handle the intensity of
a world-class event.” He emphasized how crucial it is for his athletes to follow the race plan precisely and not allow the magnitude of the event to interfere with their rowing.
“We’re looking at it being over three miles, so the time can be anywhere from 14 to 20 minutes, which is two to three times longer than most races in the spring,” Wilhelm said.
Alongside impressive results from Northeastern, Harvard’s Men’s Heavyweight Championship A boat finished in second place overall Oct. 20, and first place collegiately. The Harvard Radcliffe’s Lightweight Four A boat took third place with the B boat landing in sixth place, and the Women’s Lightweight Eight finished in fourth place. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Men’s Heavyweight Collegiate Eight A boat took second place in its category. Tufts University’s Men’s Collegiate Eight boat finished sixth in the competition. Its women’s team took first place in the Collegiate Eight competition for the second year in a row.
In this high-pressure regatta, the Huskies looked to maintain a united front throughout the competition. Team culture plays a significant role in Northeastern’s success, Porterfield said, and Alex Perkins, Northeastern men’s rowing head coach, emphasized this sentiment.
“It’s something we’ve worked on a lot, and I think it’s developed and changed a lot in the past couple of years,” Perkins said. “A strong team culture helps us mold what we want out of our team members when they’re not around the coaches.”
Junior women’s captain Heather Taylor is in her third season with the Huskies and encouraged newcomers to embrace the collaborative atmosphere the team created.
“When you’re confident, the older athletes will push you, and you’ll get more comfortable,” Taylor said. “You can sit next to anyone on the bus and have a good time. Everyone is very inviting and willing to talk to anyone.”
Porterfield echoed the importance of creating a close team camaraderie, a responsibility he said he puts on himself as one of the older members of the group. Having a strong,
Photo by Sofia Sawchuk
Photo by Curtis DeSmith
Photo by Asher Ben-Dashan
compete
Head of the Charles Regatta. More
Regatta attracts communities Northeastern holds its own
determined mentality that is shared among teammates is crucial, he said.
“I try to do my best to create a culture where everyone’s excited to come down to the boathouse,” he said.
“When it’s time to get in the boat and get in the water, it’s go time. Don’t be afraid to start a race or a piece or a workout hard. You feel more regret if you come away knowing you didn’t give it your all.”
For many, attending this event is an annual tradition — a gathering of friends, family and other loved ones. Julian Frank, a Boston native also attending Wesleyan University, echoed this sentiment.
“I’ve been coming here my whole life, and it’s a time for us to bond and engage in the community,” he said. “I love seeing all the people who come from around the world.”
Rowers dedicate hours on end for a chance to compete on the Charles River. And for the parents of these athletes, it’s an equally surreal experience to watch their children compete.
“This is the event; it’s like the Olympics,” said Stacey Merenstein, a parent from Maryland whose daughter was competing. “Being in the event is really sort of the culmination of their rowing career.”
And the festivities continued beyond the river. The banks of the Charles buzzed with activity, filled with food vendors and exhibitors, creating a sense of community surrounding the John W. Weeks Footbridge and Harvard University’s Weld Boathouse. Shari Latunski, a resident of Michigan who traveled to Boston to watch her daughter compete in the race, commented on the impressive scale of the event. “Just the sheer capacity of everything and what a show the whole regatta is,” she said.
Her husband, Ryan Latunski, added to this, highlighting the welcoming atmosphere of the regatta.
“Being here, it feels like a community,” Latunski said. “Lots of people out, people who have no idea about rowing, just stopping by to look at it. It’s just good energy.”
Volunteers played a crucial role in making the event run smoothly, with a dedicated staff of roughly 2,400 helping to create an inviting atmo-
sphere and make sure the three-day event runs smoothly. Holly DeLugan Chueh, a Cambridge resident and a seventh-year volunteer stationed at the Reunion Village, talked about the camaraderie she felt at the event.
“The atmosphere is always great, very collegial and everyone’s in a great mood. It’s just meeting people from all over the world,” Chueh said.
Northeastern’s rowing teams work relentlessly leading up to Head of the Charles. Balancing academics with athletics is a priority for many team members and crucial surrounding preparation for these fall regattas.
“I have a bunch of resources, like the people in the athletic department and the student-athlete support services,” Porterfield said. “They’re really great resources to have. I want to ensure that I perform as well in the classroom as I do on the water. My goal is to leave everything better than I found it.”
Freshman women’s rower Sophia Reiss stressed the importance of time management and relying on teammates to stay focused.
“With rowing, you’re around a lot of dedicated, hard-working people, so it’s easy to stay motivated. We do our homework together. It’s awesome,” she said. “The family we have in rowing is really rewarding. … Every stroke you take is not for yourself; it’s for each other.”
Success for both the men’s and women’s teams extends beyond race results and physical strengths. For many, this season marks the end of their collegiate career. There is a lot to be grateful for, senior women’s captain Piper Larin said, and team members embrace an open-minded mindset centered around supporting one another.
“This year is a time to reflect on how different I was as a freshman,” Larin said. “I’ve grown a lot both as a rower and as a teammate.”
Larin advised younger rowers to “trust that you can do it,” encouraging them to push themselves beyond their perceived limits.
Wilhelm reflected on the rewards of his role, specifically in seeing his athletes grow each year.
“The most rewarding part of my job is watching someone come in as an 18-year-old freshman and seeing them graduate from Northeastern
Photo by Asher Ben-Dashan
News Staff and News Correspondent
Photo by Asher Ben-Dashan
Column: Dame Maggie Smith left a long legacy of acting excellence
By Chloe Craft News Correspondent
Following a prolific acting career that spanned more than seven decades, Dame Margaret Natalie Smith — known more fondly by her countless fans around the world as Maggie Smith — passed away Sept. 27 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London at 89. Smith left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. She extended her talent from theatre to film to television and became one of the very few people in history to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, which consists of a Golden Globe,
Emmy and Tony, earning copious awards and recognitions throughout her diverse and celebrated career.
These included five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards and one Tony Award.
Smith was born Dec. 28, 1934 in Ilford, England. She began her acting career at age 17, starring as Viola in William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952. It didn’t take long for her versatility, wit and command of the stage to catapult her to stardom.
In the 1960s, she cemented herself into the ranks of Britain’s greatest stage actors during a stint at the Royal National Theatre. She soon branched out into film, and in 1970, won her first Academy Award for Best Actress as the title character in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” a beloved British drama.
Smith’s talent was not limited to dramas — some of her most memorable roles were in hit comedies, such as Granny Wendy in Steven Spielberg’s 1991 movie “Hook” and Mother Superior in “Sister Act” in 1992 and its sequel, “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” the following year.
In perhaps one of her most career-defining roles, Smith played Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven of the eight films in the “Harry Potter” franchise from 2001
to 2011. Author J.K. Rowling personally requested Smith for the role. David Yates, director of the series’ final four films, called Smith “acting royalty” in an interview with The Guardian following her death.
“The presence and power of her work never faltered or dimmed, even when she was struggling with some health-related issues on one of the films,” Yates said in the interview. “Her personality and her talent lit up whichever set she graced. I’ve been very lucky to work with a huge number of talented actors, but Maggie hovers somewhere above them all.”
After her work on the “Harry Potter” films, Smith took on another world-renowned role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the hit British historical drama “Downton Abbey.” Smith’s character became a fan favorite on the show thanks to her sharp wit and classic British humor, and the role won her four Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
Smith’s legacy was not limited to Hollywood fame. She was also widely admired for her charity work, which included a donation of $2.8 million to rebuild the damaged Court Theatre in Christchurch, New Zealand after an earthquake in 2011. She was also a patron of the
International Glaucoma Association (now known as Glaucoma UK) and the Oxford Playhouse, and a vice president of The Royal Theatrical Fund, which provides financial support for injured or ill individuals in the entertainment industry who are unable to work. She has also contributed personal items to auctions to raise funds for animal welfare charity Cats Protection and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Campaign for School Gardening. Most recently, she participated in online streaming events in 2020 and 2021 to support acting-related charities Acting for Others and The Royal Theatrical Fund, respectively. In her final few years, Smith continued to earn praise and recognition for her roles. She starred in the 2018 documentary “Nothing Like a Dame” (released in the United States as “Tea with the Dames”) alongside fellow actresses and Dames of the British Empire Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright. In 2019, she returned to theatre as Brunhilde Pomsel in the one-woman play “A German Life” at the Bridge Theatre in London, which won her a record sixth Evening Standard Award for Best Actress. She was set to star in the film adaptation of the play but unfortunately passed before production could be completed. Her final role was as protagonist Lily Fox
in the Irish drama film “The Miracle Club” in 2023.
According to a statement issued by Smith’s two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, she passed peacefully early in the morning at the hospital.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,” the statement said. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
Several of Smith’s friends and peers took to social media to express their condolences. Among them was His Majesty King Charles III, who released a statement on X offering his and the Royal Family’s respects following Smith’s death.
“As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we join all those around the world in remembering with the fondest admiration and affection her many great performances, and her warmth and wit that shone through both on and off the stage,” Charles said.
Smith is no doubt a national treasure, and she is beloved by film and theatre fans around the world. She leaves behind an illustrious legacy of unforgettable performances that will be shared and cherished for generations, and her influence on the world of acting is immeasurable.
Column: On 135th anniversary, Nintendo Co. is still thriving
By Lily Cooper News Staff
In 1889, Fusajiro Yamauchi started designing playing cards in a small shop in Kyoto. Over the next 135 years, this business venture would grow, evolve and transform into one of the biggest gaming companies in the world: Nintendo.
The cards Yamauchi created were known as hanafuda, meaning “flower cards,” an alternative to traditional playing cards since Japan’s isolationist policy had outlawed cards traceable to Western influence. Hanafuda cards had originally been popular in the early 1800s and subverted the ban by using nature scenes instead of numbers, but were ultimately outlawed in the mid-19th century. By 1889, however, isolationist policies in Japan had relaxed, so Yamauchi seized the opportunity to craft his own hanafuda. His cards gained popularity across Japan, and in 1953, the company became the first to successfully mass-produce playing cards.
In the 1960s, the popularity of hanafuda, and playing cards in general, began to wane, and 1964 saw Nintendo’s stock price plummeting to a record low level. The company turned its efforts into toy manufacturing, and the most notable result was the Ultra Hand, an extending plastic arm that can be used to grab objects. It sold over 1 million units
and is featured today in “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.”
The company continued to evolve, and in 1971, Nintendo released its first motorized game, the Space Ball, which was made up of a motor that spun planet-shaped objects and could be thrown into the air. Three years later, the company came out with “Wild Gunman,” an electro-mechanical arcade game, but it wasn’t until 1980 that the company’s video game branch began to gain traction. One evening, Nintendo designer Gunpei Yokoi watched a bored businessperson play with a calculator on the subway, inspiring him to create a watch that doubled as a miniature game, the aptly-named Game & Watch. The “Game & Watch” system achieved major success due to its affordability, lasting battery life and simplicity. To this day, Nintendo creates its games by taking simple, well-understood technologies and using them in an innovative way. This philosophy was dubbed by Yokoi as “lateral thinking with withered technology.”
Nintendo’s next great financial success was the arcade game “Donkey Kong,” released in 1981, and revolutionary in that it was one of the first platform games that allowed characters to jump. Jumpman, later renamed Mario for the landlord who owned the warehouse where Nintendo of America was based, would become the company’s mas-
cot and protagonist of the smash hit “Super Mario Bros.” series. “Super Mario Bros.,” the 1985 game after which the series is titled, is widely lauded as one of the greatest video games of all time, and the franchise was so popular that, by 1990, a survey found that more American children recognized Mario than Mickey Mouse.
“Super Mario Bros.,” along with other hits like “The Legend of Zelda,” were part of the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, family. The NES was first released in Japan in 1983, selling over half a million units in its first month. In 1985, the NES launched in the United States, where it became one of the best-selling consoles of all time. The 1980s also saw Nintendo release the Game Boy, its second hand-held console after Game & Watch, which sold 118 million units across the world.
In 1995, Nintendo produced its 1 billionth game cartridge, and the following year launched the Nintendo 64, which utilized its 64-bit graphics to bring popular franchises like “Mario” and “Zelda” into the world of 3D.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo experienced trouble in attempting to compete with Sony and Microsoft and their respective PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Nintendo’s GameCube, launched as a more compact, affordable and accessible alternative, only achieved 14% of the sales of the PlayStation.
The company bounced back in late 2004 with the release of the Nintendo DS. An overnight success, the dual screen console sold 2.8 million units in its first month, and took the heat off of Yamauchi, who said of the console “if it succeeds, we rise to the heavens, if it fails we sink to hell.” Today, all DS units combined have sold 154 million units, making it the best selling handheld video game console of all time.
To avoid another flop like the GameCube, Nintendo adopted a tactic based on the Blue Ocean Strategy, which details how to capture an untapped area of the market by launching a more accessible product that focuses on a wider audience of “noncustomers.” To do this, in 2006, Nintendo launched the Wii, a console that employed motion controls and engaged families as its target demographic. It was a major hit and has sold over 100 million units worldwide as of October. It successfully drew a non-traditional gaming audience, including women and older adults.
However, its follow-up, the Wii U, failed in comparison, and has sold a mere 15 million units since its launch in 2012. The console suffered from a muddled launch, where Nintendo’s emphasis on the gamepad controller left fans confused as to whether the sequel was an entirely new console, or just an extension to the original Wii. Additionally, the console’s
performance was harmed by its hefty price tag and the widely-held belief that it was not worth upgrading from the original Wii.
Suddenly, Nintendo was on the back foot again. The Wii had been an innovative success, but there was skepticism that the company could continue to rival Microsoft and Sony’s hardware. Enter the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo aimed to cast a wide net by giving the Switch multiple forms of gameplay: at home, on the go, with friends or alone. The system’s launch was a little rocky, with few games other than “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” to look forward to on release day. These worries were soon put to rest, though, as the release of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” which today has sold 52 million copies, helped cement the Switch as a fan favorite. The Switch’s handheld nature captured a niche in the market that was severely lacking: The last handheld console to be released before the Switch was Sony’s 2011 PlayStation Vita.
So what’s next? The Nintendo Switch 2 was confirmed by Nintendo on X in May and is expected to be released by March 2025. It remains to be seen if the Switch 2 will be another sequel disaster like the Wii U, or if it will ride the wave of handheld gaming popularity to success. If the last 135 years are anything to go on, it seems the company will continue to succeed either way.
Maggie Smith poses for a headshot in 1970. Smith passed away at 89 after over seven decades of acting.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia Commons
Column: Why are viewers so obsessed with true crime media?
By Sarah Pyrce News Staff
Netflix released the second season of its “Monster” series Sept. 19, with the spotlight on brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez. The season, titled, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” follows the story of the brothers’ 1996 conviction for murdering their parents. The release of season two of “Monster” has produced a lot of buzz, generating 12.3 million views on Netflix’s Global Top 10 for the week of Sept. 16-22. The season has since spent three weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 and has reached Top 10 TV in 89 countries.
Sensationalizing the Menendez brothers’ story for entertainment is reflective of a larger societal issue: the glorification of criminals. As an audience, we are often captivated by media that exploits real-life tragedies such as abuse and murder.
Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents José and Kitty Menendez Aug. 20, 1989. The prosecution’s accusations against the brothers initially alleged the murders were financially-motivated, aimed at inheriting their father’s $14 million estate.
However, during Lyle and Erik Menendez’s trials — which were televised — the brothers disclosed that their father was physically and
sexually abusive and their mother was complacent as she was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Despite these revelations, the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and both received life sentences with no possibility of parole.
The Menendez brothers’ story is tragic and stomach-churning, yet it has been told for entertainment multiple times. Before Netflix’s edition, A&E released “The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All” in 2017, Peacock produced “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed” in 2023 and Fox Nation created the docuseries “Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains” this year.
A YouGov survey from June 2024 found that 57% of United States citizens say they consume true crime content. The survey also found that 48% of participants consume content about murder, making it the most popular category among all true crime topics listed.
This true crime phenomenon begs the question: Why are we so obsessed with grotesque, traumatic stories in the form of entertainment?
The real-life stories of figures like the Menendez brothers have become topics to debate over drinks with friends, binge-watch on streaming platforms with popcorn in hand and scroll through endless TikToks learn-
ing about. From Ted Bundy to Gypsy Rose Blanchard, absorption of these cases gives them a celebrity quality.
A new court hearing has since been set for Nov. 29, where new evidence including a letter written by Erik Menendez will be reviewed. “There’s no question that they committed the killing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in an interview with CNN. “The question is to what degree of culpability should they be held accountable to given the totality of the circumstances.”
Reopening the case to examine new evidence in a different cultural environment surrounding sexual assault is a positive consequence of the brothers’ popularity in the media. However, recognizing these people as “characters” can launch them into fame and sensationalize the tragedies of their lives.
The Menendez brothers have participated in several interviews for the media to share their story, including with ABC’s Barbara Walters. “This tragedy will always be the most astounding and regrettable thing that has ever happened in my life. … You can’t escape the memories, and I long ago stopped trying,” Lyle Menendez told People in a 2017 interview. “I still carry the guilt. … It will always be part of you. But it doesn’t have to define you.”
Crossword Edited by Arielle Rabinovich
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Despite the brothers’ hopes that this tragedy is not their whole story, they are constantly reliving it and recounting it for a worldwide audience.
2021 saw a surge of Gen Z interest in the case, with The New York Times writing, “the Menendez brothers have been cast by some on social media as stars (their video edits invoke hallmarks of ‘stan’ culture, like upbeat pop music and dreamy soft-focus shots) and sex symbols.”
On TikTok, a quick search of Erik and Lyle Menendez generates these fan edits described by the Times. One edit from January 2021 amassed over 470,000 likes, over 44,000 saves and 14,000 shares.
The release of “Monsters” generated new content for fans to obsess over, with an edit of Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who portrays Lyle Menendez, receiving 2.8 million likes and over 16 million views. The abuse the Menendez brothers say they endured continues to be exploited as they become further sexualized on social media.
“I think a lot of that pain and tragedy gets lost in translation in some of the TikTok videos. So I think that it is important that we remember that two people are no longer alive and families have been devastated by this tragedy, and that I am at the center of it,” Erik Menendez shared with The Hollywood Reporter in an Oct. 10
interview. “I am the one responsible. I don’t want that to be diminished or minimized in any way by people that support me and believe in me.”
Erik Menendez is also concerned with the amount of misinformation and sensationalized portrayals of him and his brother’s story, specifically in regard to the Netflix show. He condemned Murphy and Netflix for the series and shared his thoughts in a statement posted to his wife Tammi’s X page, which read, “It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.”
In a video uploaded to X by Entertainment Tonight, Murphy defended his portrayal of the brothers, saying, “We had an obligation as storytellers” that was backed by “three years researching” the case.
A question in the YouGov survey asked if true crime content “Glamorizes criminals, giving them undue attention,” to which 38% of participants agreed, 35% disagreed and 27% marked “Not sure.” The discrepancy between these percentages demonstrates that most Americans are uncertain of its implications, moral ground and societal impact — and yet, we continue to be enthralled each time a new true crime series is released.
1. Myanmar, formerly 2. Begins
3. Home of “Doctor Who” or “Sherlock”
4. “How is he doing?” say
5. Fruit peeler
6. Mesoamerica dweller
7. Prefix, meaning over 8. Cry from a matador
9. Alternative to hunts
10. Operatic solo
11. Landlord’s pay
12. These might be full of candy on October 31st
13. Pos. overseeing a company’s tech initiatives
17. Double reed instrument
18. Hormonal skin irritation
23. Reel’s partner
24. Spooky!
25. Baking appliance
28. Practice of assisted passing
29. Captain Hook’s sidekick
30. Slavic royalty
31. LaBeouf, of Holes
32. __ Xtra, bygone Coke product
33. Home to the Heat
34. Class for non-native speakers
38. River marking Shakespeare’s birthplace
39. Method of questioning
42. Reproductive cells
45. Mai __
47. Instead of
48. No, in Berlin
50. Quarterback tackles
51. Default armature pose when animating…now turned slang
52. Slang phrase expressing achievement (2 wds)
Drop this and you’ll see things
Answersto Oct.11puzzle
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Op-ed: NU mental health provider network needs work
By
Annelise Dramm, Aoife
Jeffries, Bailey Reynolds, Camryn Cunningham, Caroline Baker Dimock, Cassandra Joyce, Eli Curwin, Elli Einset, Elsa O’Donnell, Emily Chung, Frances Klemm, Grace Cargill, Heidi Ho, Jack Masliah, Janira Skrbkova, Julia Yohe, Kaelyn McFadden, Kara Orsini, Katarina Schmeiszer, Laura Emde, Lawrence Brown, Lily Cooper, Meghan Hirsch, Nikkia Jean-Charles, Nikhil Jagannath, Niko Lyras, Samantha Denecour, Sarah Mesdjian, Sarah Pyrce, Sencha Kreymerman, Yashavi Upasani and Zach Cohen
Anne Wang, Antaine Anhalt, Anya Hill, Heidi Ho, Jenny Tran, Kara Orsini, Laura Emde, Lucy Shepherd and Zach Wilson
Catherine Gore, Gab K De Jesus and Jessica Xing
PHOTO STAFF
Anne Wang, Asher Ben-Dashan Brian Daniels, Curtis DeSmith, Darin Zullo, Nia Calais, Nikkia Jean-Charles, Sofia Sawchuk and Sydney Ciardi
SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF
Daniel Patchen, Harrison Zuritsky and Liam Saven
BOARD
Bill Mitchell, Carlene Hempel, Gal Tziperman Lotan, Jenna Duncan, Laurel Leff, Lincoln McKie, Mark Gooley, Marta Hill, Matt Yan, Meredith O’Brien and Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Photo by Margot Murphy
Balancing social, academic, personal and professional expectations can easily become overwhelming in college. Because of this, the university has a responsibility to provide resources that support the well-being of its students. At a school like Northeastern, which demands professional and academic success, why should it not do its part to ensure students are mentally prepared?
The mental health provider network I had been using through Northeastern was Anthem’s Employee Assistance Program. Through Anthem, students had access to 45-minute therapy sessions and an array of counselors within Anthem’s network. This gave students flexibility with their counseling and treatments, like choosing between in-person or virtual appointments.
In early May, I was informed of Northeastern’s decision to switch from Anthem to a telehealth platform called Uwill. Uwill allows students to schedule 30 minutes of therapy with any counselor that registers with its program. The idea behind Uwill, based on the mission statement on its website, is to “offer immediate mental health and wellness support.”
This decision was advertised by the university as a step forward and improvement to current resources, allowing students to easily access counseling resources in a more simplified way. However, the decision to switch to Uwill was not a decision made in the best interest of students.
I found out about this switch from my therapist during a counseling session. I was shocked that there was no communication with students about a change that massively impacted the accessibility of their health resources.
When the switch happened, I had been working with my Anthem therapist for over a year. With Anthem, I had the flexibility to combine Northeastern’s 45-minute benefit with my personal insurance to allow continuous 105-minute sessions. This would not be possible with the constraints of the Uwill platform. My therapist and I had to rework my treatment plan, which was extremely disruptive to my counseling and put my ability to seek treatment at risk.
Uwill’s model is “quick and easy” therapy — that is, you can schedule a maximum time of 30 minutes with a limited number of in-network providers. A student seeking treatment meets therapists through a biography, headshot and tags indicating the provider’s area of expertise. Uwill’s website provides very little information about the process a student will undergo after signing up.
Uwill’s website states it wants to let students know “that there is someone there to listen.” Listening is one thing, but a therapist being actively involved in treatment is another. It seems like Uwill treats its counselors like brick walls — available for patients to “vent” to and be contacted on demand, but unable to become truly involved in their patients’ counseling.
What options are available to students who want more help to understand themselves and develop resilience? How will 30 minutes allow the provider to develop a relationship with their client and their client to trust their provider?
The quality of therapy and provider relationships benefit the most from a personal, involved approach. I found my current therapist through the Anthem program, and although the process took more effort to navigate, I could ask questions and receive support from the platform. Because of the initiative I was taking, I was able to learn about myself and what I wanted in a therapist. I was also learning how
to navigate and ask questions about insurance, which is an invaluable experience to have as someone about to enter the adult world.
I found this self-initiated experience to be motivating and empowering, which was especially beneficial when I was at a lower state of mental health.
A platform that does not encourage personal relationships with its providers or a commitment to health cannot be expected to help students. It is unreasonable to leave students scrambling, forced to navigate new insurance and financial obligations alone or lose their provider and their access to mental health care. It is appalling that the university would perpetuate the idea that truly successful therapy can be done in less time than a class lecture.
I’m simply demanding more. More options and support should be available for students who want to commit to therapy. There needs to be more respect for the nuances of mental health counseling and the range of treatments and session lengths that students need.
At the very least, it is unacceptable to leave students in the dust when sudden health policy changes occur. We deserve better.
Ellie Acuña is a fifth-year computer engineering and computer science combined major. She can be reached at acuna.g@northeastern.edu.
Op-ed: What was the point of the N.U.in Boston program?
Picture this: It’s your very first college move-in day. Nerves are at an all-time high and an endless stream of unknowns are circulating in your mind. Should I have left the stuffed animals at home? Will my new roommate have any weird habits? Will I find my people here?
Prior to college, I had a certain image of what I expected freshman year to look like. Movies always promise fantasies of forever friends made from leaving the door open to your cramped residence hall room. I was anxiously anticipating the lifelong friendships that would form and the core memories that would be made.
But when I entered through the revolving doors of the Sheraton Boston Hotel at 60 Belvidere St., looking around at the impatient, freshly-retired high schoolers wait-
ing for their parents to check in, I knew my experience was not going to emulate what I had envisioned.
When I was accepted into Northeastern’s N.U.in program, London was the only location that suited my major, as I was in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities as a journalism and English combined major. However, by the time I committed to the university, the spots for London were full. My major aligned with only one other location: Boston.
When the N.U.in program was founded in 2007, it was meant to provide a study abroad experience for first-years before they join the rest of their class in Boston in the spring.
However, the pandemic caused universities in Boston and across the country to turn to housing students in hotels as an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus in residence halls’ close quarters. Northeastern placed students in the Westin, Sheraton and Midtown hotels.
Following the peak of the pandemic, Northeastern combated the overwhelming amount of incoming students by housing students in all three of these locations, dedicating the Westin and Sheraton to N.U.in Boston students.
So what exactly was N.U.in Boston? As Ken Henderson, chancellor and senior vice president for learning, wrote in the 2020 “Welcome to N.U.in Boston” handbook, “We recognize that college life will
be different from what you had imagined. … Academics for N.U.in Boston will be delivered through Northeastern’s Hybrid NUflex learning model, allowing you to engage in courses both remotely and in person. … Through new technologies and reimagined housing and dining experiences, we are committed to promoting a safe and productive environment for all.”
N.U.in Boston offered group excursions like apple picking or visiting Salem and communitybuilding activities like “family dinners” with students on your floor and your Boston Coordinator, or BC, who was essentially a resident adviser with a different title. Events like these were advertised in weekly newsletters. But the experience was not worth it. I would trade in the free excursion to Plymouth for straight-A grades to count on my transcript instead of the pass/fail transfer credits I was allotted. I would swap out karaoke night led by the BCs in the Sheraton lobby for regular semester tuition rather than confusing additional N.U.in fees. I would replace the unlimited CharlieCard included with the program for the convenience of a dining hall right outside my residence hall, instead of traversing the mile to campus.
When I made friends with a girl who lived in an on-campus residence hall, I observed wide-eyed the experience I longed for. My friend’s
neighbors were coming in and out of her room to borrow a top or ask for a snack. She and her roommate could name almost everyone on their floor. The whole group would study at Snell Library together, take over a table at the International Village dining hall and go to Northeastern hockey games together, chanting in unison.
That was what college was about, I thought to myself. Not me crouching over my laptop in my hotel room with a salad purchased from the lobby café because the weather was too frigid to study on campus and trek 15 minutes back to the Sheraton in the evening.
Joining clubs and student organizations was the only solace I found in bridging the physical and social gap I felt from campus. Clubs should be a supplement to your sense of belonging on campus — not the whole reason for it.
My roommate and I had the choice to guarantee our placement in the Sheraton again for the spring semester or take a chance on the housing lottery with the hopes of receiving on-campus housing. Just our luck — we were moved out of the Sheraton and into the Westin, an 18-minute walk away from campus in the depths of winter, where we felt the isolation tenfold.
Sarah Pryce is a fourth-year communications studies major. She can be reached at pryce.s@northeastern.edu.
Photo courtesy Sarah Pyrce
Ellie Acuña | Contributor
By Sarah Pyrce | Contributor
Op-ed: The dilemma of a gap year
Fun fact: I often like to pretend
I’m in a simulation.
And not in a philosophical way, but in a rather “maybe let’s create psychological distance from all these overwhelming emotions so that I don’t crumble” kind of way. I have discovered this to be a viable coping mechanism wherein I momentarily frame stressful emotions from societal pressures as a part of some larger narrative, and it truly helps me develop perspective.
However, the aforementioned larger narrative is something that isn’t really that far fetched. After all, it’s the one in which you and I continue to reshape patterns formed throughout history.
Pedagogical frameworks from Mesopotamia, medieval universities in Italy, marriage and familia in Rome, state pensions from Germany, parental frameworks via Confucian China and a myriad other carefully-constructed outlines around every crevice of the globe. All of that was yesterday.
And today? Kindergarten at the age of six, college at 18, employment
at 22 (my fellow aspiring doctors are an anomaly, of course), whitepicket-fence at 26, kids by 30, botox by 40, travel the world by 50, retirement by 60, old-age-home by 75 and tombstone by the ripe age of 100.
My point is that our society runs on this innate structure of what is considered “traditional” and proven to be “successful.” And so naturally, when my recently-graduated brother informed me that his best friend steered from the “expected” path to take the notorious gap year… (the ellipses emphasize the breath my immigrant parents would take to grasp this wild concept) I found myself stunned and skeptical all at once.
By definition, a gap year refers to taking a break between graduating college and committing to the workforce or any further means of education. Unsurprisingly, this term is tagged with a negative connotation, and it took me quite some time to realize that sometimes one needs to step away to step forward. Despite my past beliefs, if anything, a gap year is simply a state of mind we are unable to achieve while multitasking through life.
In light of this, let me shoot some noteworthy facts at you.
According to a survey by College Finance, 78% of students who took a gap year revealed they gained clarity in terms of their future goals. My subsequent takeaway is that gap years are in fact an efficient use of time.
Secondly, more than a fifth of the surveyed hiring managers expressed that they were more
likely to hire an individual who has taken a gap year. From this data, one can infer that those who do matter to your growth will know the value of a gap year and the courage such a step takes. Additionally, they must have debunked their preconceptions by noticing patterns in the job market.
Finally, gap years are a concept of the 17th-century “Grand Tour,” where the sons of aristocrats traveled the length of Europe to enhance their personal growth. Thus we can all agree that a gap year done with intention was once a rite of passage; make of that what you will.
However, I do want to note that I have always been a massive advocate for education and personal growth. I love to learn and I’m in love with positive transformation. Consequently, I strongly believe if one is to take a gap year as a lazy excuse to sleep on mom’s couch, one’s parents are indeed justified in being hesitant when their child tenderly drops the bomb.
To truly benefit from a gap year, as a first step, you need to develop a plan. After all, a gap year is not a gap. In reality, while the job industry is perhaps structured to be a money-pumping machine, it’s also a money-sucking monstrosity, and it’s a little too easy to trip into the latter simulation.
Personally, I would advise you to put pen to paper and think out loud. Plan out your finances; plan out your hobbies; plan out your fiction to-be-read; plan out your much-deserved mental health break; plan out your exercise routine; plan
out your backpacking trip; plan out your study schedule for that ridiculous entrance exam.
At the end of the day, taking a gap year before graduate school “just because” is not a respectable choice — instead, create personalized goals and reasonable discipline.
For example, if I wanted to launch a startup and create a video game, I would ask: Do I have a unique game idea? Do I have a team? Can I work from home to save on rent and flip burgers on the side to fund my meal prep?
Be realistic, but make it fun. Gap years are a high-risk, highyield situation, so determine your priorities: Do I want to save enough money to drive a Vespa across Europe or take a data science bootcamp to hone my critical thinking?
Also, while we are at it, do yourself a favor and step away from another structure that runs society: the Google Calendar. Understandably, a daunting aspect of a gap year is the name itself — 12 entire months? However, you can solve this by tailoring your own timeline and perhaps take four months “off” instead to pursue a change in dynamic for yourself.
Upon reflection, one realizes that our entire lives are intrinsically linked to education and eventually employment, and personally, that sounds like a precursor for a dystopian society. Consequently, my personal motto has developed into “experience over expectation.”
Going forward, in terms of tangible ways to become a certified gapper, don’t be afraid to tap on
hyperlinks you see on social media. Recently, I have discovered so many overseas service opportunities where one can travel abroad, but at a fraction of the cost. My golden advice: network. Network and build your connections to make the most of the resources you already have. Additionally, if you’re like me and are still seeking out a more structured experience, programs like Semester at Sea exist to help you stretch out of your comfort zone while knowing that a safety net exists. It is a wonderful way to simultaneously engage yourself culturally and build a fantastic resume.
Finally, as someone who has delved into the possibility of attending medical school, I find that taking a gap year is often encouraged and an unofficial prerequisite in a doctor’s timeline. However, understand where you fall on a gap year spectrum. Will you be investing in vigorous MCAT study sessions or instead finance laid-back coffee shop hoppings to clear the ashes of your burnout? At the end of the day, for all we know, maybe gap years will eventually turn into the norm. Both British royalty and a major fraction of Hollywood have already hopped on the tracks, so maybe it’s already trendy. But whether it’s within the structure or beyond the simulation, make a choice that speaks to your personalized goals and self-evaluated philosophy.
Shivani Tripurani is a secondyear behavioral neuroscience and data science combined major. She can be reached at tripurani.s@ northeastern.edu.
Op-ed: Kamala Harris and the ongoing fight for a female presidency
Since its origin, the United States has been run by men. That is all the country has ever known. According to some right-wing Americans, it won’t change in the future either.
Only 5% of Republicans think it’s very important to have a female president, according to the Pew Research Center. For years, the United States has courted the idea of a female president, but this far-fetched dream has yet to come true.
Even though several notable figures in politics, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, have shown promise and gained popularity over the past decades, the country still hasn’t fulfilled its true potential for women
in office. There has not yet been a female president. The most promising hope of having one was shattered in 2016 when Clinton won the general election popular vote but lost the electoral college. This heartbreaking event illustrated that, even with a majority of the country in favor of a female president, pre-established systems can completely discount the voice of the people.
During his 2016 campaign, former President Donald Trump was incessantly sexist in his comments regarding Clinton. He said she played the “woman’s card” and doubted her strength as a candidate. These attacks were deemed by his advisers a strategy to undermine Clinton. On top of all of this, Trump has made numerous sexist comments about women throughout the course of his career and has been found liable for sexual abuse.
Despite this, he got the opportunity to become commanderin-chief, backed by a large number of Americans, including women. His success in 2016 is highly attributed to white women, “whom he won by 53% overall” against Clinton. Eight years later, now a convicted felon, Trump is running for president against a woman again.
The term “president” signifies the peak of power, responsibility and
authority for a nation. Politically and historically, these qualities have only been attributed to men, and numerous generations in the United States, unfortunately, have a mindset in which it is unfathomable for a female to truly be fit for president.
Many lost hope of this after 2016. However, with President Joe Biden stepping down as the Democratic candidate in July this year, the United States now has the opportunity for a female presidency.
Current Vice President Kamala Harris is now in the running to become the United States’ first female president, and the country is finally warming up to it. Although her campaign began unexpectedly, she gathered support from her party, raising over $1 billion since becoming the Democratic nominee.
She reemphasized to the general public and the Democratic party that she is qualified for a presidency through her speech at the Democratic National Convention. She shared moments of her childhood, education and adulthood that have shaped her into who she is now. The United States, for the first time, saw her as a serious candidate with the qualities of a successful president.
She ended her speech with, “America, let us show each other and the
world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness and endless possibilities.” Here, she set the tone for her campaign — inspiring others to unite to progress as a nation. She further reinforced this tone during the presidential debate on pressing issues such as immigration, economy, abortion, the environment and foreign policy. Here, people were able to see her for her viable policies and rights, rather than simply being “the female candidate.”
Throughout her campaign, she’s had to work twice as hard to prove herself as a female candidate, constantly being doubted and questioned by Trump online and during the debate. He attributed her political success to a romantic relationship with Willie Brown, former San Francisco mayor — a tired, frustrating argument often used by misogynists to minimize a woman’s actual ability.
The United States has progressed significantly in gender equality. The #MeToo movement, the reduction of the gender pay gap and Harris as the first female vice president are only a few of the milestones for women the United States achieved over the past few decades. Although gender equality has not been completely achieved, it has visibly improved.
Harris has stood her ground as a woman in a male-dominated political environment. Despite the odds working against her, she has highlighted Trump’s sexist nature, making him look desperate and crude. She has subtly revealed that he uses sexism as a last resort, focusing on hate rather than his plans and policies to better the country. Trump has lost his credibility since the 2016 election, and the masses are now realizing that his values are unreasonably extremist, confusing and ambiguous, especially with the threat of Project 2025 if he is elected.
At this point, the United States needs a capable, rational and experienced candidate for president. It needs a candidate who has worked their way up, has established a connection to American communities and has promising values for the future.
For future generations in the United States, it is crucial for Harris to win the presidency this year. It is necessary for people to stop viewing her as a “female candidate” and instead see her as a president of the United States.
Tanvi Saxena is a first-year journalism major. She can be reached at saxena.tanv@northeastern.edu.
