October 31, 2019

The Huntington News October 31, 2019

The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community

@HuntNewsNU

ALINA MUELLER: SKATING FROM THE OLYMPICS TO NORTHEASTERN

By Kelly Chan | News Correspondent A two-time Olympian — who was the youngest medalist in the 2014 Sochi Olympics and deemed “Best Forward” in 2018 at PyeongChang — currently walks the halls of Northeastern University as a sophomore, taking on the next hockey season. Alina Mueller, a 21-year-old native of Winterthur, Switzerland, has established herself as a notable playmaker in women’s hockey.

From playing for the Swiss national team to last year’s season as a Husky, she has racked up numerous awards and honors, including CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American and a Top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, granted to the best female college hockey player in the country. However, above all her individual accomplishments, she values the team dynamics of the sport as well as the physical and mental skills that hockey entails.

“I love that it’s a team sport. I just like to share wins and losses, build something in a group and achieve goals together,” she said. “I also like that it’s a fast game. I like that you need to be able to skate fast, you need to be coordinated, you have to be an athlete and you have to use your mind.”

By the winter leading up to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Mueller had successfully made the Swiss national team, which changed the course of her life as she developed fame and recognition on a global level. While she had her own concerns about her eligibility to play due to her age, she thrived throughout the OLYMPIAN, on Page 6

ALINA MUELLER AWARDS 18-19 • Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-10 Finalist • CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American • Second Team All-USCHO • First Team Hockey East All-Star • Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year in Hockey East Photo courtesy Northeastern Athletic Communications

Massachusetts adults who had any problem with healthcare affordability

35.0%

By Maya Homan News Correspondent

65.0%

Sought mental health or substance use disorders care 45.4%

54.6%

Had a problem with health care affordibility Did not have problem with health care affordibility

Baker’s proposed healthcare bill highlights primary care

Did not seek mental health or substance use disorders care 31.4% 68.6%

Graphic by Avery Bleichfeld Source: Blue Cross Massachusetts Foundation 2018 Massachusetts Health Reform Survey

A proposed bill seeks to reform the healthcare system in Massachusetts by forcing providers to invest more money into primary care and behavioral health and regulating healthcare companies to ensure their prices are fair to consumers. However, critics worry the bill overlooks the complexity of the current healthcare system.

The H.4134 bill was introduced earlier this month by Gov. Charlie Baker. It includes initiatives to reduce healthcare costs and physician wait times. If it passes, hospitals, physician groups and insurance companies would be required to increase

primary care and behavioral health spending by 30 percent by 2023 without increasing their overall costs.

The bill also restricts the use of certain hospital billing practices that can add thousands of dollars onto a patient’s medical bill. For example, many providers charge facility fees for patients who are treated at a clinic the doctor doesn’t own, such as a hospital. These bills can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars and are not covered by most insurance companies.

While H.4134 does not ban facility fees altogether, it does require that providers do more to inform their patients about the fees by posting signage and providing cost estimates before admitting and treating

patients. The bill also bans surprise fees altogether, forcing providers and insurers to cut down spending in other areas to meet the new requirements. Providers will be required to submit annual progress reports and state regulators will implement an “improvement plan” for those who fail to meet the new standards.

“For the most part, national payors, including Medicare, use payment policies that favor technology and transactional medicine at the expense of primary care, mental and behavioral health and addiction services,” Baker said in a statement to the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives. “This makes any decision to deviate from that model HEALTHCARE, on Page 8

CAMPUS

Page 2

Reach(OUT) explores LGBTQ+ experiences in careers

By Taylor Driscoll News Staff At the sixth annual Reach(Out) LGBTQA+ Career Conference on Oct. 26, professionals and students convened to discuss workplace empowerment, inclusion and other professional development topics.

The day-long event, held at the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, included three breakout sessions throughout the day that showcased professionals from a variety of fields, with big-name companies like Google and Fidelity represented on the panels.

Winson Wang, an associate at TD Bank, was among the panelists.

“I think it is important that the next generation sees people that look like themselves in the workplace and in leadership positions so they can know that it is attainable for people in our community,” Wang said.

“Whether it be women, whether it be LGBTQ+, people of color, I think it is important to have visibility out there. Showing people that there is someone like you that has achieved these great things and you can too.”

Brenda Cole, the content creation and social media manager for Fenway Health and a Northeastern alumna, was also a panelist at the event. She expressed her happiness in seeing so many young people in the LGBTQ+ community coming to a conference like this one.

“This is my fourth year as a speak-

er, and I look forward to it every year because it is a great opportunity to connect with students,” Cole said. “I would have loved this when I was a student here. I would have lived for this. I don’t have a lot of money to give back, but I do give back time, and Northeastern was a big part of my career.”

The panels were geared toward strategies people in the LGBTQ+ community can use to handle common struggles like microaggressions, corporate culture and gender presentation when they explore co-op, internship and career opportunities.

Many of the accounts shared were personal and perspective-driven to give audience members ways of thinking and problem solving.

“It is good to know, especially since I am a senior, and I am going into a full-time job search soon and definitely need to pay more attention to certain workshops that apply more to me than they did in the past,” said Maeve O’Sullivan, a fourth-year communication studies major. “I attended them in the past and thought, ‘Oh, this is something I’ll have to think more about.’”

The event had two networking sessions that gave students and professionals an opportunity to fully digest the material presented in the previous panels.

Audrey Grace, director of Northeastern’s Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, moderated the ‘Know Your Rights’ panel. She said

the panel helped inform students on their rights as employees, especially those in minority groups.

“One of our speakers was talking about how the businesses, communities and employers are recognizing that the next generation of LGBTQ professionals know about their rights, talk about their rights and they know how to research the state laws around their rights. They know the state laws are not enough,” Grace said. “I think the next generation that will enter the workforce is going to make a lot of change in terms of culture shift.”

The major takeaway from the event relayed by many panelists was for students to be their “true authentic self ” when applying to jobs, co-ops and internships.

“It’s incredibly valuable. I remember when I was entering the workforce ... I was terrified about being a queer person at work and I remember, I went to my first interview wearing a woman’s suit because I didn’t feel comfortable dressing the way I wanted to,” Cole said.

Cole emphasized the snowballing effect of representation in creating comfortable work environments.

“If I had seen other professionals, I could’ve seen a future for myself that I didn’t at the time. So, I just think you cannot just survive, but thrive in your careers as an out queer person,” Cole said. “It is so valuable to the morale of students entering the workforce.”

October 31, 2019

NUPD CRIME LOG Compiled by Deanna Schwartz, Campus Editor

MONDAY, OCT. 14 2:28pm

An NU student reported his mountain bike was stolen from outside International Village, or IV. A report was filed.

4:49pm

The manager of Wollaston’s Market in Marino Recreation Center reported an NU student putting several items in his backpack.

Officers responded and reported banning the student from both Wollaston’s locations. A report was filed.

10:59pm

An NU student reported his bike was stolen from the front stairs of 157 Hemenway St. A report was filed.

TUESDAY, OCT. 15 9:00pm

A resident assistant, or RA, in IV reported finding a covered smoke detector during a health and safety inspection. A report was filed.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 5:20pm

An NU student reported her purse was stolen from Marino Recreation Center. A report was filed.

7:35pm

An RA in 319 Huntington Ave. reported finding a covered smoke detector during a health and safety inspection. A report was filed.

THURSDAY, OCT. 17 10:40am

An NU student reported his unsecured bike was stolen from outside Mugar Hall. A report was filed.

12:13pm

An officer reported finding a fake ID belonging to an NU student in a wallet that was turned in to lost and found. The officer reported speaking to the student. A report was filed.

FRIDAY, OCT. 18 9:21pm

A proctor in White Hall reported an intoxicated NU student entered without signing in. Officers responded and called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

10:15pm

An NU student reported observing an intoxicated student throwing up outside the fourth floor elevators in East Village.

Officers called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

SATURDAY, OCT. 19 12:40am

A proctor in Willis Hall reported observing an intoxicated student who was unable to walk. Officers called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

12:40am

An RA in Speare Hall reported observing an intoxicated student throwing up in the men’s bathroom. Officers responded and reported the student was conscious and alert and declined medical attention. A report was filed.

1:31pm

An RA in West Village B reported finding drug paraphernalia inside a room. Officers reported confiscating the paraphernalia and a small amount of a Class D substance. A report was filed.

6:40pm

A woman unaffiliated with NU reported her bike was stolen from the rack in the North Lot. A report was filed.

7:31pm

An NU student reported observing a man sleeping on the third floor sofas in West Village H. Officers responded and reported the man had a criminal record, an active warrant and had previously been banned from NU property. Officers placed the man under arrest for the warrant and for trespassing. A report was filed.

10:30pm

An NU student reported his friend was intoxicated and lying on the floor in East Village. Officers called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

BIKES STOLEN

Photo courtesy Northeastern Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion “I think it is important that the next generation sees people that look like themselves in the workplace and in leadership positions so they can know that it is attainable for people in our community,” said Winson Wang, an associate at TD Bank.

34 THIS SEMESTER

Graphic by Alaine Bennett

October 31, 2019

CAMPUS

Page 3

Journalists discuss NUPD CRIME LOG investigative reporting Compiled by Deanna Schwartz, Campus Editor

SUNDAY, OCT. 20 3:42pm

An NU student reported his hockey equipment was stolen from the laundry room in 337 Huntington Ave. A report was filed.

MONDAY, OCT. 21 2:43am

A cab driver reported that an NU student vomited in the back seat of his cab and refused to pay the fare. Officers responded and reported the student was not alert and was not able to answer basic biographical questions. Officers requested an ambulance to transport the student to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for further evaluation. A report was filed.

8:07am

An NU student reported his bike was stolen from the racks in front of the Behrakis Center. A report was filed.

6:40pm

An RA in White Hall reported finding marijuana on a table while conducting health and safety inspections. A report was filed.

TUESDAY, OCT. 22 12:41pm

An NU student reported her headphones were stolen from a classroom in Snell Library. A report was filed.

THURSDAY, OCT. 24 9:46pm

An officer reported speaking to a man unaffiliated with NU in the Fenway neighborhood who was carrying a saw. Officers confiscated the saw and determined that it belonged to the construction crew on Symphony Road. Officers reported the man had a criminal record and will be summoned for receiving stolen property. A report was filed.

FRIDAY, OCT. 25 4:12am

A proctor in Kennedy Hall reported an intoxicated NU student entered without signing in. Officers responded and called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

11:11am

The manager of Wollaston’s Market in Marino Recreation Center reported a man unaffiliated with NU attempted to steal Tide detergent pods. Officers reported the man had a lengthy criminal record and banned him from all NU property. A report was filed.

3:24pm

Operations reported receiving multiple calls reporting a man who stole a backpack from an NU student inside IV and exited toward Ruggles. Officers responded and reported checking the area with negative results. A report was filed.

4:28pm

An RA in West Village E reported finding a grinder with marijuana in it while conducting health and safety inspections.

A report was filed.

SATURDAY, OCT. 26 12:29am

A proctor in Speare Hall reported observing an intoxicated student in the lobby. Officers responded and called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

A report was filed.

1:03am

An RA in White Hall reported observing an intoxicated student in the bathroom who was incapacitated. Officers responded and called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

2:21am

An NU student in Loftman Hall reported her roommate was intoxicated and fell and hit her head. Officers responded and called an ambulance to transport the student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A report was filed.

7:04am

A facilities employee reported observing a man unaffiliated with NU in Speare Place stealing bike parts. Officers responded and reported the man had a criminal record and was found in the possession of a scooter and several tools. Officers placed the man under arrest for larceny. A report was filed.

11:18am

An NU student reported her headphones were stolen from Marino Recreation Center. A report was filed.

File photo by Yunkyo Kim Snell will be closing for part of the weekend in order to shut down power and water in the building for the new bathrooms. A temporary study space will be opening in Stetson West.

By Nadine El-Bawab Deputy Campus Editor

Journalists, students and faculty gathered in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex Oct. 28 as a panel of reporters shared behind-the-scenes details of the work that went into reporting on their biggest stories as part of Northeastern’s Civic Experience speaker series.

Panelists spoke on becoming experts in new fields as they worked within their beats. Some of the reporters said they had to become investigative journalists on the job after finding a clue they were not looking for.

Moderated by The Boston Globe’s Walter Robinson, the panel also included Patricia Wen, editor of The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team; Renee Dudley, a technology reporter at ProPublica; David Fahrenthold, a reporter at the Washington Post covering the Trump family and its business interests; and Joe Palazzolo, a legal affairs reporter at The Wall Street Journal.

Dudley said she set up a Google alert for ransomware, malicious software that holds computer files hostage, and read through nearly 1,200 articles before she stumbled upon an industry that conducts transactions on behalf of ransomware victims.

The first edition of the five-part series profiled two companies, Monster Cloud and Proven Data Recovery, that are commissioned by law enforcement. Both companies paid the ransoms while telling clients they were not doing so. Dudley gathered public records of contracts and correspondence and spoke to former employees and clients.

“I was taken by surprise, because I didn’t realize that this was a whole industry,” Dudley said. “This hadn’t come up in any of my research …

That tip became the starting point for our entire series.”

Palazzolo shared the experience of reporting on hush money payments made by Michael Cohen, U.S.

President Donald J. Trump’s former personal attorney, to women the president allegedly had affairs with after Palazzolo’s editor received a tip that there was a lawyer in Los Angeles representing these women.

“We didn’t have any particular experience with this world,” Palazzolo said.

Quite frankly, I think any really strong reporter should be an investigative reporter of a sort.

— Patricia Wen Editor for The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team Spotlight’s investigation into Aaron Hernandez, a former New England Patriots player charged with three murders, started with a public records request.

“I didn’t know that there would be anything. I didn’t even really think that deeply about the jail calls at the time,” Wen said. “But then ... he did kill himself in prison.”

Wen said the Spotlight team gets countless tips through all forms of communications and though the team now consists of five reporters, it is impossible for them to get through everything they are sent.

“I don’t feel I have the resources to possibly [get to everything]. I’m sure there are great stories that I am completely ignoring. And in a way I

feel most guilty about that,” she said.

Fahrenthold discussed his experience reporting on the 2016 presidential election. During a rally he was covering, Trump brought out an oversized $100,000 check from the Donald J. Trump Foundation addressed to a local veterans’ charity.

“I have been to a lot of presidential campaign rallies and I had never seen someone give away a charitable donation. And the reason why is because that’s illegal,” Fahrenthold said.

Fahrenthold investigated and discovered that during a Republican debate Trump skipped, he held a charitable event. At this event, Trump said he raised $6 million for veterans, $1 million of which was from his own pocket — which was the money he was giving away.

“After that we realized, wow, this guy under … the brightest spotlight we have in American journalism, which is a presidential campaign, he was going to try to weasel out of a commitment, to give $1 million dollars to veterans, the most honored group in our society. And he was willing to try that, given the incredibly high stakes. What was he doing before?” Fahrenthold said. “And it is that that kind of began a whole series of reporting.”

After Trump took office, the Trump Organization would often respond to Fahrenthold without much detail or would fail to respond at all and then give their responses to other news organizations. Fahrenthold then began posting his questions on Twitter to show that he was asking for specific information, not just a comment.

When asked about distrust in the media, Fahrenthold said he sometimes encounters people who do not want to speak with him, but that is not always the case.

“You would be stunned to know how many people who are around Trump and in public say ‘Oh, fake news. I hate the news media,’ who do nothing all day but talk to the news media,” he said.

Snell Library to close Friday through Sunday

By Deanna Schwartz Campus Editor Snell Library will be closed for part of the weekend due to “necessary building-wide water and power shutdowns related to the construction of [the] new bathrooms,” according to an announcement from

the Northeastern University Library.

The library will be closed from Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. to Sunday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. Snell is usually the only academic building on campus that is operational 24 hours a day.

The Student Government Association announced their plan for installing new bathrooms in Snell in

early October.

According to Renata Nyul, a university spokesperson, Stetson West Eatery will be open as a study space from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, 6 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday. It will not serve meals during these hours.

CAMPUS

Page 4

October 31, 2019

NU professor Liz Bucar seeks to expand awareness and knowledge of religion in daily life

By Pavithra Rajesh News Correspondent It only takes three minutes of chatting with Elizabeth Bucar, a religious ethicist who studies sexuality and gender in Islamic and Christian communities, to understand her passion for what she does.

“I have the best job in the world,” said Bucar, who works as an associate professor of philosophy and religion at Northeastern. “I get to think and study, work with communities I’m interested in and learn from them and then teach.”

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University, as well as a master’s degree in religious studies and a doctorate in religious ethics from the University of Chicago, Bucar said she wants to “contribute to a public conversation that’s already going on about religion.”

Bucar, a North Carolina native, said she did not always see herself focusing in this area.

“I myself am not religiously affiliated,” Bucar said. An early job working for a non-profit called Catholics for Choice led Bucar to observe how Catholicism played a very important part in the discourse surrounding

birth control.

“If you’re interested in the conversation about abortion, you have to pay attention to Catholicism,” Bucar said. She firmly believes that religion intersects with every field and that studying it will help you “see things you didn’t consider before.”

An advocate for students taking at least one religious studies class, Bucar teaches courses in religion, ethics, comparative religious studies and culture studies.

Bucar said there are misconceptions about what you can learn in a religious studies class. “Some people think it’s like Sunday school.”

Bucar emphasized that religious studies are about the practices done every day and their relevance to current society, not about dusting off old books.“Even if we did look into old books, we would think about how it impacts us today,” Bucar said.

She believes that no matter what field one pursues, be it journalism, politics, health care, nursing or immigration, they will encounter religion. She said anyone is bound to have interactions with a variety of religions and that an education in the subject can go a long way.

“Religion is always in the room, and hence, the more you know about

it, the more you can navigate it,” she said.

There is a certain ignorance and illiteracy around religion, Bucar said.

While she’s not trying to change the manner in which many borrow certain aspects of different religions, she wants people to “think about ways we can do that while causing less harm.”

Bucar has published three books to acclaim: “Creative Conformity: The Feminist Politics of U.S. Catholic and Iranian Shi’i Women,” “The Islamic Veil: A Beginner’s Guide” and “Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress.”

She is currently working on her fourth book, on the topic of cultural appropriation. The book, entitled “Stealing Your Religion,” will be released sometime in late 2020 or early 2021.

Bucar said the book, which features case studies of specific instances of appropriation, is “very uncomfortable,” but a necessary conversation to have. She said it forces her to adopt a vulnerable and honest tone with her readers.

“I don’t mind making people uncomfortable, that’s what my job is,” Bucar said with a laugh. Her intention with the book is to slow down

Photo by Dana Murtada Elizabeth Bucar has been a professor of philosophy and religion at Northeastern since 2012. the conversation of appropriation, and to avoid thinking of controversies as black or white.

“I often talk about the times I messed up, because you learn the most from those,” Bucar said. She referenced mistakes she made in the past when encountering “foreign” religious traditions.

“People want to throw around the phrase ‘cultural appropriation,’ and then no one wants to say anything,” Bucar said. “Sometimes it shuts down conversation that could be very productive.”

Dedicated to expanding the

discourse of religion in everyday life, Bucar continuously moves the conversation forward through her work in the classroom and in public, seen through the candid nature of her books and the articles she writes for publications such as Teen Vogue, The Atlantic and The Los Angeles Times.

Bucar is taking determined steps toward broadening the conversations around religion, and she is committed to encouraging every Northeastern student to join in.

“Religion is a beautiful mess, and if religion is messy, then America is a nation of slobs,” Bucar said.

ADVERTISEMENT

SUCCESS DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT GIVE US A YEAR Earn your master’s degree in only one year of full-time study.

M.S. DEGREE PROGRAMS

Learn more or apply at: go.tufts.edu/engmasters Ph.D. and certificate programs available.

Bioengineering Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Cybersecurity and Public Policy Data Science Electrical Engineering Engineering Management Human Factors Engineering Human-Robot Interaction Innovation and Management Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical Engineering Offshore Wind Energy Engineering Software Systems Development

SPORTS

October 31, 2019

Page 5

Women’s basketball season primer

By Niyati Parikh News Correspondent 2019-2020 roster After a program-best 20-12 record last season and a 9-9 conference record, Northeastern’s women’s basketball proved themselves even if they ended up falling short in the postseason tournaments.

However, Northeastern must overcome some challenges to equal the success of last year’s season. With the addition of five new players, the Huskies will have a very young bench coming into this season with the chance to develop for future seasons.

Freshman forward Mide Oriyomi, from Ontario, is one of the top players to come out of youth Canadian basketball. She was a member of the 2019 BioSteel All-Canadian game along with fellow incoming Husky Sammie Martin.

Freshman forward Martin was a member of the U-18 women’s basketball team for her Canada, going all the way to the finals before ultimately losing to the United States. She played in four out of the six games.

Freshman guard Mossi Staples averaged 14.3 PPG, 3.1 assists per game, 1.5 rebounds per game and 4.6 steals per game in high school.

Standout numbers like those will surely create amazing moments on the court this upcoming season.

Freshman guard Century McCartney is a power player. She is good with her hands and comes up big in rebound situations. Along with her physicality, her basketball IQ is off the charts. She can read situations and knows exactly how to predict what her opponents are thinking, a great skill to have to face the D1 talent that NU faces.

Coming from Austria, freshman

guard Anna Boruta has shown that she can do well in high-stakes situations playing for her country.

Although she only played three out of the five games in the U-18 Women’s European Championship, she played a total of 67 minutes, scoring 16 points for her home country.

However, the Huskies lost four seniors, including key players such as forward Gabby Giacone and guard Jess Genco. Giacone started in all 27 games last season and has won many awards for her on-court play.

Genco was an exceptional player for the Huskies. She graduated from the program as the career record holder in minutes played, games started, assists and 3-point field goals and was the third-highest scorer in program history. She garnered multiple AllCAA first-team selections during her four years of play at Northeastern.

The Huskies face an uphill battle

trying to fill the shoes of those who have graduated, but the most likely players to do so are sophomore guard Kendall Currence, junior guard Stella Clark, sophomore guard Katie May and newcomer Staples.

Currence played in 22 of 27 games and has proven herself by winning multiple awards, including CAA Rookie of the Week. She dominated in road games against William & Mary and Elon. Clark has proven already that she is an exceptional player. She was voted CAA Rookie of the Week three weeks in a row during her debut season, making her the first person in CAA history to do so. And lastly, May, who is going into her sophomore season, started 23 of 27 games and has proved to be a great adversary on the court.

2019-2020 schedule Instead of their usual season opener against Boston University, the

Huskies will play against South Dakota Nov. 5, a team they did not face last year. The team then travels to Oregon to play the Ducks Nov. 11, who they also did not face last season.

On Nov. 23, the Huskies will take on Yale at home in what should be an exciting matchup.

As always, the game of the season will be against Boston University on Dec. 29. Northeastern has fared well against them the last few years and looks to win again this season.

Games to watch in the early in-conference season will be the Jan. 5 game against Hofstra and the Jan. 10 game against Drexel, as the Huskies suffered close losses to both teams last season.

Only time will tell if the loss of two leaders will hurt the Huskies’ chances of going far in the season, or if the newcomers will build on last year’s historic season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Getting Ahead

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

My Way

Winter 2019-2020 Intersession Courses Dec. 23 - Jan. 20 Choose from 29 online undergraduate courses.

$1,160 per course Register now at framingham.edu/winter or call 508-626-4755.

File photo by Muhammad Elarbi Sophomore forward Alexis Hill runs down the court to join the offense in a game against Delaware last season.

framingham.edu

SPORTS

Page 6

October 31, 2019

Sophomore defender Jordan Harris handles the puck in a game earlier this season versus Holy Cross. Harris, a Canadiens prospect, has two goals through the opening six games of the season followi

Slow starts, good goaltending, 4 wins

By Charlie Wolfson News Staff Through six games, Northeastern has improved its USCHO ranking (currently 10th after starting the season at 15), posted a 4-1-1 record and defeated the highest-ranked Hockey East team (UMass Amherst).

The opening stretch has answered several questions. Senior transfer Craig Pantano has filled the goaltending void that existed prior to the season. NU’s defense looks as dynamic and talented as expected. Star sophomore center Tyler Madden has made a decent start during an encore

to his impressive freshman performance. The team’s only loss came against a top-20 team on St. Cloud’s remarkably tough home ice.

But there have been alarming occurrences, too. The team has averaged just 6.66 shots in first periods.

On the whole, NU and its opponents are each averaging about 25 shots per game, so the 4-1-1 record may be a bit fortunate based on shot volume.

The opponent shooting rate isn’t likely to stay at 5.3 percent. Special teams are another area of concern.

Northeastern is just 2-for-27 on the power play this season. They’ve averaged 4.2 penalties taken per game,

though their penalty kill has been excellent (22-for-23). In the faceoff circle, NU is just .483.

Pantano’s early statement To start the season, all eyes were on the NU crease and how NU’s four options would end up filling the gap left by Cayden Primeau when he opted to go pro last spring.

Prior to the season, head coach Jim Madigan and Pantano, a senior transfer from Merrimack, both indicated there were no firm plans to install Pantano as the full-time starter.

“All the goalies are all competing

right now,” Pantano said a few days before the season opener. “That’s a good thing because we’re all pushing each other and it’s kind of like tryouts.”

Madigan was even more cryptic on the subject, but did indicate that Pantano had the edge heading into October.

“It’s a competitive situation,” Madigan said. “[Pantano’s] had a good preseason. Curtis Frye has had one, and Connor Murphy has gotten better, Nick Scarpa is challenging. All four are in the mix. Certainly, Pantano is ahead because he’s played more games and [has] more experience.”

Any notion that Pantano would cede some significant playing time to freshman Connor Murphy or anyone else has been squashed. Pantano has played all six games in impressive fashion, stopping 144 of 152 shots for a .947 save percentage and 1.32 GAA. Most of the opponents he’s shut down have been formidable, too.

He stopped 34 of 35 shots against No. 4 UMass for a win Oct. 15, and performed admirably on the road at No. 16 St. Cloud State, stopping 31 of 33 in a loss Oct. 26.

Defense leads the way As long as Pantano remains

Alina Mueller: Lea

File photo by Brian Bae Sophomore forward Alina Mueller helps defend the net with her teammates in a game last year against Clarkson in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

OLYMPIAN, from front tournament as a 15-year-old, helping Switzerland win a bronze medal.

“It was unreal,” Mueller said.

Four years later, the hockey star returned to the Olympics in PyeongChang, where the Olympic Ahletes from Russia defeated Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Despite the team’s loss, Mueller sees a brighter side of the situation, recognizing how her growth and maturity allowed her to make her second Olympic endeavor even more memorable.

“Of course, it was disappointing after the quarterfinal loss,” she said.

“However, the whole experience was actually even nicer because I was older and could soak it all in.”

Prior to her experiences as an Olympian, Mueller played for EHC Winterthur’s youth team in Switzerland for 10 years, since the age of 6. Coming from a “sporty” family, Mueller said she tried many sports, yet the sight of kids practicing in the rink sparked her interest and ultimately, her career. Soon after her time with EHC, she joined the professional league as a member of the Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions in Zürich, Switzerland.

Despite having played with older teammates throughout most of her career, Mueller has never felt intimidated by the experience of others around her. Always positively engaging with her teammates, she continu-

SPORTS

October 31, 2019

Photo by Brian Bae

ing a freshman year where he scored 13 points.

Page 7

Photo by Brian Bae Senior forward Matt Filipe, left, junior forward Zach Solow, center and senior defenseman Ryan Shea celebrate after Solow’s goal in an Oct. 15 game against UMass.

s for men’s hockey through 6 games consistent in net, NU’s defense will be the difference between a middling season and an excellent one.

There isn’t a ton of high-quality finishing capability at forward this season. Tyler Madden looks like a true scorer, and he reeled off a couple two-goal games this past week. Only two other players have more than one goal: senior forward Biagio Lerario and sophomore defender Jordan Harris. Senior forward Zach Solow can likely be counted on to score double-digit goals and freshman winger Riley Hughes looks to be a potential scoring threat moving forward. But beyond that, they’ll have

to piece it together with fair, but not outstanding, outputs from the likes of senior forward Grant Jozefek, Lerario and senior forward Matt Filipe.

Yes, NU will have to rely on its defense this year. Luckily for the Huskies, this is perhaps the best defensive group the team has featured since Madigan took over as coach nine years ago.

Senior captain Ryan Shea is the anchor, and will hit 100 career games if he stays healthy this season. That level of experience makes him a good leader to insert some organization into this fast, skilled defensive corps.

“I just think we’re a structured

team,” Shea said. “We focus on our systems and make sure that everyone on our team sticks to them. It’s just buying into the little things whether it’s blocking shots or making sure our bench is loud at all times.”

The task at hand for Shea is to integrate a trio of supremely talented freshman defenders (Jayden Struble, Jeremie Bucheler and Mike Kesselring) with a couple of strong sophomores (Jordan Harris and Julian Kislin) to meld into a cohesive group.

“That’s the job of myself and the leadership corps,” Shea said. “That’s why we have one captain and three assistant captains. We all can grab

two or three freshmen ourselves and kind of show them the ropes, whether it’s on the ice, off the ice, in school.”

Shea said he’s extremely encouraged by this group, in terms of raw capability.

“I think we have a perfect balance between skill and defense,” he said.

“Whether it’s height, muscle, I think this is the strongest and most skilled D corps we’ve ever had. It’s just everyone finding their role and what they do best and bringing that.”

Whether or not the group can settle into their roles and perform at optimum levels will determine how

far NU goes this year. The offense led

by Madden doesn’t have a sky-high ceiling, and the defense will have to simultaneously shut down opponents and jump-start the attack.

UMass comes back to Matthews Arena this Friday less than three weeks after losing there. There’s no doubt the Minutemen’s head coach, Greg Carvel, has overseen improvements since then. The key for Northeastern to match that will be avoiding another sluggish first period.

“It’s about starting on time,” Madigan said after a game in which the Huskies certainly didn’t, a 2-2 tie with Holy Cross on Oct. 19.

ading women’s hockey by example ally strengthens her bonds and seizes every opportunity to learn.

“Hockey players are so uncomplicated,” she said. “They always want to help you. It was never the case that I felt like not part of the team.”

Following her 2014 Olympic debut, Northeastern showed great interest in her for their women’s hockey team. Mueller, having multiple offers, chose to come to the Boston school, partly due to the fact that two of her former Swiss teammates, Florence Schelling and Julia Marty, played for Northeastern years ago. On top of their encouragement, Mueller was impressed by the athletics staff as well as the resources and opportunities that Northeastern offered.

“Here, we get all the hockey gear, we’re able to use all the resources, we have nice practice times, and that’s something you don’t have in Switzerland. That’s why I came here,” she said.. “To be here is the biggest thing I can have and the nicest thing for me as a woman to play hockey. It’s unreal for a Swiss hockey player.”

David Flint, head coach of the Northeastern women’s hockey team since 2008, emphasized Mueller’s work ethic, positive attitude and contributions to the team since last year.

“The way she carries herself is pretty infectious within our team,” he said. He also highlighted her outgoing and energetic personality, which is exhibited in practices and games.

Mueller credits Roger Federer, a renowned Swiss tennis player ranked top three globally in men’s singles, as her inspiration for the athlete she aspires to become. Believing he is the “greatest tennis player of all time,” she admires both his talent and modesty as he developed his skills and established worldwide recognition.

“It’s just really crazy how he stayed the same person since he grew up and he won everything,” she said.

“He’s not cocky at all. He respects everyone. If you’re Swiss, he’s the guy you admire, and that’s the case for me. For Swiss hockey, I want to become like him.”

In addition to her role as a star forward for the Huskies, Mueller

aims to grow as a leader through actions rather than words.

“English is not my first language, and it’s not the easiest to talk in front of the team, to be a leader by speaking with words, but I try to be a leader with how I behave on and off the ice,” she said. “I just want to be a role model in the way how I love the game and how I play the game.”

Flint also recognizes her current role as a leader, despite her sophomore status, as he understands the amount of experience and knowledge that she brings to the team.

“I don’t know if she realizes it — she doesn’t have a letter and she’s not a captain — but she does have a leadership role, ” he said. “Right now,

she’s more of a lead-by-example type, but I think she’s going to transition into becoming more of a vocal leader as she gets older.”

Both inside and outside the rink, Mueller aspires to meet as many people as possible and build connections, always aiming to learn something new. With a roster full of players from across the world, Northeastern’s hockey team has a diverse group of women hailing from many different backgrounds, yet they are all unified in their passion for hockey.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from or what language you speak,” she said. “We all speak the language of hockey.”

CITY

Page 8

October 31, 2019

Baker’s proposes a healthcare bill that prioritizes primary care, mental health HEALTHCARE, from front for example, to offer more mental health services — extremely hard to do.”

Long wait times have been a persistent obstacle for those seeking mental health treatment, often due to lack of providers. A 2018 survey from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation found that half of Massachusetts adults who sought behavioral health services had difficulty accessing care.

Reimbursement rates for mental health services are generally lower than rates for other forms of care, making behavioral healthcare far less profitable. Those who work in mental health are hopeful that the influx of funding for behavioral healthcare will help reduce barriers to treatment.

“A lot of the money [in healthcare] has been siphoned away to services that are specialized or technology-based, so a lot of money is going to dermatologists or MRIs instead

of preventative care,” said Monica Garlick, vice president of quality management at Riverside Community Care, a behavioral health community-based organization in Massachusetts.

Garlick says most mental health professionals in Massachusetts work in private practices and can charge high rates, so behavioral healthcare is often inaccessible to low-income patients. Community-based behavioral health providers like Riverside Community Care often struggle to find psychiatrists and psychologists to work in a community-based setting due to the comparatively lower salaries.

“There’s not a lot of people who are available to do the work,” Garlick said. “And then maybe they come in the door and they say, ‘Yes, I’m interested.’ And we tell them what we are capable of paying, and they say, ‘No thanks,’ and they walk away because we can’t pay them enough.”

The bill also addresses the high

cost of medication, calling for a panel to evaluate drugs that cost more than $50,000 and ensure that the manufacturing companies have fairly priced the drug. Companies that hyperinflate the cost of their medication or raise the cost too quickly will be fined for each unit of overpriced medication sold.

While costly healthcare is a problem for most Americans, some are skeptical about whether or not the bill will effectively address the issues.

“One of the things that legislation like this assumes is that healthcare is generic enough that you can regulate it with generic regulations,” said Associate Director of the Health Informatics program at Northeastern Jay Spitulnik. “I think that a lot of the providers are going to take a step back and look at this and say, ‘this can’t apply to us because…’ and they will have various reasons about how their practice can’t fit into the mold that the governor is trying to create.”

Baker, who spent a decade as the

File Photo by Chris Triuinfo Governor Charlie Baker proposed a bill that prioritizes mental health.

C.E.O. of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care before entering politics, already has a long legacy of healthcare and public health reform. In September, he classified vaping as a public health emergency and issued a temporary ban on all vaping products. If his new bill passes, it will force healthcare providers to invest in preventative care and make healthcare more accessible for everyone.

Critics worry that it may be an overly simplistic solution to a much

deeper set of problems within the American healthcare system. Garlick pointed out that one of the biggest drivers of healthcare costs is legal fees from insurance companies and healthcare providers negotiating contracts, which the bill does not address.

“There is just this massive amount of money that goes to lawyers in health care that doesn’t go to providers at all,” Garlick said. “That’s where I’d like to see money go away.”

Judge Douglas Wilkins rules Baker’s vape ban oversteps constitutional boundaries

By Petrina Danardatu News Correspondent Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins claimed the actions of Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration overstepped constitutional boundaries in a hearing on Oct. 21, sparking even more controversy surrounding the four-month sales ban on nicotine and marijuana vape products.

Wilkins released a 32-page order giving the Baker administration a week from Oct. 21 to comply with state law that dictates the steps that must be taken before any restrictive regulations can take effect — steps Wilkins says should have already been taken before the ban’s enactment in September.

Since its enactment, the ban has created frustration in some members of the Massachusetts community, since it was passed before business owners and other members of the public had the opportunity to weigh in.

Three Massachusetts vape shops have conjointly sued the Baker administration over the ban on vape products. These shops include Mass Dynamics in Weymouth, Boston Vapor in Revere and Vick’s Vape Shop in Medford.

“Affecting our business? We have no business. Bills are going out, but nothing is coming in,” said Linda Vick, co-owner of Vick’s Vape shop.

Craig Rourke, the attorney fighting for the lawsuit, claims the Baker administration caused “irreparable harm” to his clients. Rourke describes how the ban has affected his clients’ livelihood to the point that

Photo by Elisa Figueras After a four-month vapee sales ban, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Willkins rules that it breaches constitutional boundaries.

it has inhibited their ability to buy groceries, pay for rent and support their families.

“Our civil rights were violated by the governor’s unconstitutional ban,” Rourke said.

Rourke added that people may resort to black markets for vape products, return to smoking combustible cigarettes and cross state lines to buy products.

“Paradoxically, the ban seems to end up having the reverse effect that the governor was hoping for, harming more of the people that it was originally designed to protect,” Rourke said.

“It’s important to understand that the lack of federal regulation is a direct contributor to the emergency situation that we are now facing,” said Emily Nink, policy associate at the Public Health and Tobacco Policy Center.

Nink added that the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has the authority to demand a “pre-market review,” in which tobacco or vapor product manufacturers would be required to submit an application to the FDA before they can begin marketing their products. However, the FDA has extended the deadline multiple times, resulting in the marketing of products that have yet to be appropriately evaluated.

“The result is that now the market is just flooded with [vapor and tobacco] products that really haven’t undergone any sort of safety review or ingredient testing. Consumers may not even be aware that these products are undergoing less regulation than your salad greens or even your vitamins,” Nink said.

The FDA is now under a court order to require the submission of those applications from tobacco and vapor product manufacturers by May 2020.

Since Jan. 1, Massachusetts became the sixth state to

raise the legal age for the consumption of tobacco products from 18 to 21. However, those who turned 18 before Dec. 31 last year are exempt from this regulation.

Despite these stricter regulations on tobacco consumption, members of the public have also criticized the existence of the ban on vape products, when cigarettes are continuing to be sold.

“Of course people are asking, ‘What about cigarettes?’ It’s a natural reaction, and it’s a good one,” said Richard Daynard, president and founder of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, or PHAI, at Northeastern.

PHAI is currently suing Juul on behalf of three clients — a group of Massachusetts residents who became addicted to Juuls before the age of 18. However, PHAI is not seeking the traditional financial compensation for these clients.

PHAI is seeking out a court order requiring Juul to fund pediatric researchers and clinicians who focus on adolescent addiction to provide cessation treatment for these clients, and this will likely happen through an arrangement where they would be reimbursed by health care providers.

Possible smoking cessation treatments include nicotine replacement therapy by use of nicotine patches/ gum/nasal spray/inhalers, bupropion or varenicline medication treatment, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Moreover, they are demanding that Juul fund more research into effective cessation treatments.

“The ban addresses the acute side of things, which is ultimately good.

But the chronic illnesses, the longterm effects of nicotine addiction, needs to also be addressed, and the ban doesn’t do that,” Daynard said.

Besides promoting the avoidance of drugs altogether and continuing to fund research programs that study effective addiction cessation

treatments, PHAI supports a form of innovative tobacco control proposed by A.J. Berrick, a professor of mathematics based in Singapore –– a project called Tobacco-Free Generation.

Tobacco-Free Generation is a policy initiative to eliminate disease and addiction caused by tobacco products by phasing out sales of these products to people born after a particular date. With the enactment of this policy, tobacco products would not be sold to people born after a certain date, for example, on or after January 1, 2000.

This policy would be legally viable through the Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law by former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009, which affirms the authority of state and municipal governments to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to individuals of any age.

There are many perspectives at play here — the federal, public health and business sides — many of which differ substantially. However, all sides fight for their positions on the grounds of “preventing further harm.”

From a public health perspective, this refers to further harm or causation of vape-related illnesses.

From a federal perspective, although the ban was enacted on shaky legal ground, the Baker administration was still granted a grace period to correct their mistakes.

Rourke and his clients claim that the Baker administration has failed to comprehensively consider the impact of the ban on the whole community, causing irreparable harm rather than preventing it.

“If they [the Baker administration] say that they did take these people’s livelihoods into consideration, I can tell you decidedly that they did not. This is a manufactured crisis.”

Rourke declared.

October 31, 2019

CITY

Page 9

Booker talks unity on campaign trail The junior Senator spoke for nearly 30 minutes about his hopes for the country, arguing Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., made candidates should aim higher than an appearance at local Fenway bar simply defeating current U.S. PresiGame On! to pitch unity and activdent Donald J. Trump for office. ism in his bid for the presidency on “A lot of my Democratic friends Monday, Oct. 21 during a grassroots don’t understand that the highest campaign event. calling of the Democratic Party is not to beat Republicans. In this moral moment, that calling has to be to unite Americans in common cause and common purpose,” Booker said to a cheering crowd.

Booker did not stop short of critiquing Democratic candidates for attacking one another’s character, claiming that the candidates are not all that different, a message he put forth during the last Democratic debate.

“The differences between us on these debate stages are actually small compared to the gulf between us and the person that’s in the White House right now,” Booker said. He later added that “we did not get to where we are [as Americans], because of the themes like rugged individualism or self-reliance.”

After his speech, Booker Photo by Nadine El-Bawab met with attendees to Presidential candidate Cory Booker speaks at a take selfies with him. campaign event in Fenway bar Game On! At the He then spoke with event, he emphasized a need for cooperation student journalists from among Americans.

By Nadine El-Bawab Deputy Campus Editor

local colleges and universities.

When asked about his plans to improve access to healthcare insurance, Booker stated his support for parts of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Medicare For All bill, but said he would not eliminate private insurance, a stance few Democratic candidates have taken.

“I think we need to [take] logical steps to drive down costs and expand [healthcare] access until we get to the point in America where we have [reached] my goal,” Booker said.

Booker also spoke of his plans for healing relations with U.S. allies abroad, stating that multilateral diplomacy makes America stronger. “[Trump is] turning his back on his allies, betraying people like the Kurds. He has a better relationship with Putin than he does with Macron and Merkel. This is unacceptable.

We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, [and] our strength is magnified and multiplied when we stand together with allies in common cause,” Booker said. “From the Iran anti-nuclear deal to the Paris Climate Accords, America needs to stand with our allies and actually lead this planet, [in order] to deal with the issues that are most threatening us, from Middle East peace to global climate change.”

In response to low turnout among young voters, Booker asked the youth to head to the polls and exercise their right to political action.

“We need young people not to

ADVERTISEMENT

wait, [and] to understand that this nation doesn’t just need them; we will not succeed without their active engagement in our democracy,” he said. “I’m really leaning heavily on youth activists to begin to shape the agenda of America; and then to make that agenda real.”

The senator also addressed the importance of getting college and university graduates debt-free, aligning with other nations that are lowering the barriers to secondary education. Booker is proposing providing children with “Baby Bonds” in order to close the wealth gap. He plans to give newborns $1000 at birth and children from low-income households up to $2000 each year.

“We should … stop profiting off of the backs of struggling millennials. We have a nation right now where the federal government makes billions and billions of dollars off of your interest payments,” he said. “I think we should take that money, re-channel it so that we can freeze it to trace or eliminate interest rates.”

Booker shared a conversation he had with his mother as he was graduating from law school which pushed him toward his candidacy.

“She said to me, think about what you would do in life if you knew you could not fail and do that...

It inspired me to move to Newark, New Jersey, to a really tough neighborhood and began my career of activism,” Booker said. “When I

started weighing the pros and cons of running for president, I began to look at the list and one was all about fears and the other one was all about courage and faithfulness. And so I when I saw that, it was clear to me what I needed to do. It wasn’t about me, it was about my nation.”

On issues of reproductive healthcare, Democratic candidates share similar views, such as codifying Roe v. Wade. Booker argues that decreasing disproportionate access to reproductive healthcare among low-income women is one way to lower abortion rates. If elected, he wants to make reproductive healthcare a main part of his presidency.

“For those people who say, ‘well I’m against abortion.’ Well, they should know that the state with the best record for lowering rates of abortion is Colorado and how do they do it? By expanding access to contraception for low-income women,” Booker said.

When asked whether he would vote to impeach Trump, Booker said he will evaluate the evidence put before the Senate then make a decision on his vote, but refused to promise he will vote to impeach the president.

“His actions so far are damning.

I think he continues to dig a hole deeper every single day that more information comes out,” Booker said. “[But] I swore an oath to my duty.

I think Donald Trump is not doing his, but I am going to do mine.”

OPINION

Page 10

October 31, 2019

Op-Ed: Policymakers must alleviate boundaries to higher education

Photo by James Chen The so-called “land of opportunity” lacks accessible higher education, especially compared to many other developed nations. The United States is undergoing a student debt crisis, with student debt nearly doubling this past decade. Considering college tuition has increased eight times faster than wages in the United States, this overwhelming debt is inevitable.

The Northeastern student body should take action by pressuring politicians to ease the student debt crisis and make college more financially accessible.

Over the past 10 years, the average cost of college private tuition has increased by over $10,000, putting the average cost of tuition at $34,740

in 2019. The average cost of public college in-state and out-of-state is $10,116 and $22,577 respectively. Students at the age of 18 can’t possibly be expected to afford tuition without some form of aid, scholarships or help from parents and relatives.

Considering the rising cost of tuition, some students may be deterred from even attending college, but unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult for high school graduates to find high-paying jobs without a college degree. As a result, in the current system, Americans are obligated to attend college so they’re considered eligible to pursue a high-paying career, even though they cannot afford it. Leading up to today, Americans have accumulated a total student debt of $1.5 trillion and this amount will have detrimental impacts on generations to come.

The current structure favors high-income families that face less pressure to pay the increasing cost to attend higher education, effectively expanding the income inequality gap in America. This system may make students of low-income families feel like it is rigged against them, possibly contributing to the dramatic distrust in the government. According to a Pew Research Center study, only 17 percent of Americans have faith in their government. As an internation-

al student, this image of the United States is not what I was sold. This country was founded on the principle that everyone should have equal opportunity to succeed. It was a major reason why I, and many other international students, chose to come here — to be woven into the social fabric and immerse ourselves in the mentality of the American Dream.

As high-paying jobs and college degrees are becoming far out of reach, and student debt continues increasing drastically, barriers to success are growing so high for most Americans that they are now unsurpassable. Sen. Elizabeth Warren captured this sentiment in a statement about education in 2013, when she said, “As I travel all across the Commonwealth, I meet young people who have done everything right: they played by the rules, they worked hard, they finished college and yet they’re finding themselves unemployed, drowning in debt and in many cases, moving back home with their parents. These young people did all we asked of them — and they’re getting slammed.”

A more accessible college system would not only restore equality to the land of opportunity, but it would also help reduce the mental health crisis in the United States. Reports find that massive debt can cause stress among students and negatively impacts their mental health. In

Sweden, where I am from, and in countries like my own, where higher education is free, students are less stressed about making ends meet to afford college.

A utopian solution would be to erase college tuition and make it free, as proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

However, this policy would require tremendous tax increases, something that is unlikely to occur in the near future. But it is in that line of development America must move in.

A good start would be to make community colleges tuition-free, decrease the cost of public universities and incentivize private colleges to be generous with financial aid. These fiscal changes are already promoted by the platforms of presidential candidates Sanders and Warren.

As U.S. residents are subject to nationwide issues, it should be in every Northeastern student’s interest to mitigate both the student debt and mental health crisis by supporting making college more financially accessible. Therefore, Northeastern students should support Warren and Sanders in order to equalize access to opportunities for the sake of themselves and the nation. After all, what is the “land of opportunity” without opportunity?

Adrian Tolstoy is a second-year economics and business administration combined major.

The Huntington News editorial board Editor-in-Chief

Mike Puzzanghera

editor@huntnewsnu.com Managing Editors

Sofie Kato

managing@huntnewsnu.com Campus

Deanna Schwartz Isaac Stephens Nadine El-Bawab

news@huntnewsnu.com Opinion

Brittany Mendez

comments@huntnewsnu.com City

Laura Rodriquez Ingrid Angulo

city@huntnewsnu.com Lifestyle

Ali Dusinberre Morgan Lloyd

lifestyle@huntnewsnu.com Sports

Jordan Baron George Barker

sports@huntnewsnu.com Photo

Samantha Barry Elisa Figueras Muhammad Elarbi

photo@huntnewsnu.com Design

Alaine Bennett Devin Raynor

design@huntnewsnu.com Multimedia

Avery Bleichfeld

multimedia@huntnewsnu.com Web Manager

Cheyenne Tang

web@huntnewsnu.com Social Media

Corey Dockser

social@huntnewsnu.com Copy Chief

Kaitlyn Budion

copy@huntnewsnu.com

business

Business Manager

Op-Ed: Cultural Appropriation or Cultural Appreciation?

By Poon Singhatiraj Columnist I, an Asian-American, often grapple with the concept of cultural appropriation. The term, defined in the broadest terms as the “adoption of cultural elements by people not in that culture,” has come into the forefront of Western consciousness in recent years. Many argue that cultural appropriation constitutes a “theft” of culture from historically marginalized societies, especially when these elements are used outside of their original cultural context.

This debate is especially pertinent during Halloween, when people are most likely to dress up in exotic and outrageous costumes.

I have personally witnessed instances where this critique rings true, especially as a college student. I have seen, in the flesh, frat guys wearing revealing crop-top Hawaiian shirts, coconut bras and flower crowns. I have watched Instagram stories of sorority girls dressed as Egyptian queens, bodies rolling to the all-time classic, musical masterpiece “My Neck, My Back.” In these specific settings, I agree with the criticism because pieces of foreign culture are being used in an inappropriate context, denigrating their cultural and historical significance to the native cultures in question.

However, I cannot help but feel

that the overall concept of cultural appropriation remains confusing and contradictory. If cultural appropriation is when members of a dominant cultural group exploit the culture of less privileged groups, then why did the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2015 exhibition on Chinese fashion not attract criticism? The exhibition was named “China: Through the Looking Glass,” which aimed to display the impact of Chinese aesthetics on global fashion. The exhibit garnered critical acclaim and record numbers of visitors. No one had issues with white curators who put a foreign culture on display in a majority-white country.

Of course, the answer laid within precisely how the culture was presented. The Met showcased Chinese culture in a respectful and elevating manner, shining a spotlight on oriental aesthetics that acknowledged and paid homage to their impact on Western fashion. As such, cultural appropriation seems socially acceptable when the appropriator’s intentions are to appreciate a cultural element’s origins and significance, rather than mock it.

However, this was not the case when Keziah Daum, a white high school senior from Utah, wore a Chinese-style dress to her prom in May 2018. Uproar ensued, mostly from Asian-Americans, who accused her of cultural appropriation. Criticism

continued even after Daum clarified she researched the dress and discovered that it is a historical symbol for female empowerment in China, which made her “love it even more.”

More confusingly, the dress was met with positive reception in China, with many Chinese netizens calling her choice of the traditional dress “a victory for Chinese culture.”

To me, this represents how stretched the parameters of cultural appropriation have become. Can it still be cultural appropriation even if it was done with respectful intentions? What about if the native culture is fine with an act of cultural appropriation, but its diaspora is not?

Where, then, do we draw the line?

As someone who is ethnically Chinese, holds Thai and American citizenship and has lived half my life in the United States and the other in Thailand, I can appreciate both sides of the debate. I understand nonwhite people living in their country of origin are less threatened by cultural appropriation, as the dominant culture is their own and there is little risk of being appropriated. I understand that diaspora populations want to hold onto their heritage in the face of dominant foreign groups, and can see attempts by these groups to get involved in their culture as theft.

Yet, I also understand the importance and inevitability of cultural exchange. With the advent of

Glenn Billman

business@huntnewsnu.com Outreach Coordinator

Rhyia Bibby

outreach@huntnewsnu.com

copy editors

Charlie Wolfson, Christopher Butler, Corey Dockser, Elizabeth Klemm, Iman Khan, Jolaade Okanlawon, Julia Preszler, Kate Lauro, Katie McCreedy, Lily Rupert, Maria Lovato, Nick Hirano, Rachel Powell

staff writers

Charlie Wolfson, Chris Kelly, Kenneal Patterson, Lucy Gavin, Nick Hirano, Nicholas Stolte, Nico Malabuyo, Paige Stern, Poon Singhatiraj, Sarah Olender, Taylor Driscoll

staff photographers Albert Tamura, Brian Bae, Riley Robinson

design staff

Ashley Mandel, Jayden Khatib, Elena Dressel, Patricia Tan

board of directors

Photo by Julian Perez globalization and increased interactions between people of different backgrounds, cultures cannot and should not remain isolated. Cultural appropriation should not have a wide definition in an attempt to insulate cultures, as doing so would dilute the impact of consciously nefarious acts of cultural appropriation, such as blackface.

Personally, I would be proud if people want to draw upon elements of my native Thai culture in a respectful fashion, as it promotes appreciation of the culture and expands its influence worldwide. If my culture changes and evolves from its previous form as a result, then I welcome it.

Bill Mitchell, Carlene Hempel, Eliot Sherman, Gal Tziperman Lotan, James Ross, Laurel Leff, Lincoln McKie, Jr., Meredith O’Brien, Nicholas Daniloff Opinions expressed in The Huntington News through letters to the editor, cartoons and columns are not necessarily those of The News staff or its board of directors.

Northeastern University students conduct all operations involved in the production of this publication.

For inquiries about the Board of Directors, email the outreach coordinator. For general inquiries, email the managing editor.

The Huntington News 360 Huntington Ave. 102 Lake Hall Boston, MA 02115

huntnewsnu.com @HuntNewsNU The Huntington News

OPINION

October 31, 2019

Page 11

Op-Ed: Northeastern neglects to address its holiday hangover

Photo by Samantha Barry For some college students, the holidays are anything but a vacation.

Winter break, as well as the shorter Thanksgiving vacation, means watching other students return to their homes and families while those with fewer financial resources are left with nothing but the cold Boston air to demonstrate their holiday reality.

It is no surprise that college students across America struggle to pay for their education. Students face a $1.5 trillion debt crisis, which hangs over them like the Grim Reaper’s blade, in addition to paying everyday expenses.

What is often overlooked, however, is the additional cost that traveling inflicts upon students’ lives.

Young men and women travel from all over the world to attend Northeastern, a fact the university touts, but travel expenses for those students

are substantial. Students have many options when traveling, with trains, buses and planes all within reach of the university, but each vehicle charges students more money with each passing mile. Moreover, since Northeastern students already pay approximately $30,000 a semester in tuition, it is unrealistic that low-income students can afford returning home for the holidays. Instead, students stay on campus, away from their families and homes, held back by the financial restraints of their college.

It is astounding that something as simple as returning home for winter break can cause such injustice. Students, many of whom have taken out loans simply to attend the university in the first place, are held hostage by their circumstances because they cannot afford a better alternative.

They lose their chance to see loved ones, experience the holiday magic and enjoy the comfort of their own home, all because of a financial statement controlling their lives. It is unfair, and the university needs to do more to help these students.

Since the university collects the savings and tuition of students, it has a responsibility to provide for their lives as much as possible. Northeastern has already shown that it cares about lower-income students by attempting to provide them with extra meal swipes, but it needs to extend its interest beyond the dining hall.

Northeastern’s current policies for students over break do not fully address their needs, operating with

a short-sighted approach to holiday residents. While the university does provide housing over the vacation period, many other facilities, such as the dining halls, have limited availability and in many cases are closed for the duration of the break.

The closure of these facilities forces students to spend money at non-affiliated restaurants in the Boston area, which we all know are not cheap, or hope their dining dollars remain from the past three months.

Students’ meal plans end shortly after Christmas, meaning that there is nearly a week before the spring semester where these holiday residents lack both meal swipes and dining dollars. It is inconsiderate at best to simply assume that students, who already lack the funds to get home, will have the appropriate means to supply themselves with meals in the absence of the university.

However, Northeastern is not expected to cover every expense a student incurs over their break. College students are adults and, by nature, burdened with the price of autonomy. It is also not fair to demand that the employees of the dining halls or restaurants around campus report to work every day over the holidays, or to prevent such employees from returning to their own homes in order to satisfy holiday residents.

Nonetheless, the university’s current lack of action and involvement in the issue is wholly inadequate.

The university can begin by providing additional dining opportunities for students over break.

Northeastern can achieve this result not by keeping employees over the break, but by allotting students additional dining dollars specifically for the winter holiday. Students can then budget their funds appropriately and have an added layer of protection against any money shortage so they can celebrate the holidays with mirth instead of disappointment.

Northeastern could also attempt to create programs and scholarships for students who demonstrate a vital need for transportation. Students who are unable to go home for the holidays or who demonstrate extreme circumstances should qualify for this program. Students would have to dedicate additional time and complete an application to demonstrate that they are serious about reuniting with their family, but it is a small price to pay for returning home.

The question of how the university could fund such programs remains, especially since students have managed in the past. So why should this be addressed now? Regarding the latter, simply managing an undesirable situation is no excuse for allowing these unequal circumstances to persist. It is the university’s responsibility to ensure that the issue is corrected, and the right of the students to demand it is done in a swift manner.

Furthermore, while the university would be billed a large amount if it decided to pay for some students’ holiday trips, it has the funds to do so. The university built the financial

behemoth ISEC, or Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, years ago, which cost over 200 million dollars. Northeastern is in the process of building another one, likely at a similar cost. While I do not expect the university to delegate as much money to holiday travel as it does to such a large project, I do expect that it treats the issue with the same, if not more, seriousness as it does with the creation of another engineering building. Northeastern can afford to send students home to their families and friends, yet it has failed to do so.

Vacations are a time for relaxation and leisure where students can regroup from academics and early careers. It is simply not realistic or correct to assume every student has the resources to return home for the holidays, and we cannot pretend that a Northeastern vacation is as fulfilling as one spent at home. There must be additional resources dedicated towards students who are denied their rightful chance to see their loved ones, and whose only fault is a checkbook slimmer than some of their classmates’. This holiday season, Northeastern must provide the gift of a trip home to its students, where they can enjoy the rest they so rightfully deserve.

Cameron Barnett is a first-year journalism and English combined major.

Op-Ed: Humanities versus STEM co-op pay contributes to salary misconceptions

Photo by Julian Perez Between college majors in the humanities and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields, conventional beliefs argue that the latter is a far more profitable four-year investment. Although the knowledge that an engineer makes more money than a journalist is long-standing and rings true, deep-rooted misconceptions about the financial outcome of a humanities major discourage students from pursuing one. Northeastern co-op programs and their corresponding salaries for humanities versus STEM

majors contribute to students’ false impressions of the job market.

On average, graduates with STEM majors earn an initial starting salary of $10,000 to $30,000 more per year than those who studied the humanities. Despite a lower starting point, humanities majors close this pay gap over time. One reason for this is because of the versatile nature graduates who didn’t study the highly specific fields of engineering and the sciences have. Humanities majors are far more flexible in their future career paths; they are not tied down to a single specialty, allowing them to shift into a variety of jobs including the high-paying fields of management, business, financial operations and law. Additionally, those graduating from the humanities report nearly equal satisfaction with their wages and similar opportunities for job advancement and security as those who studied STEM fields.

Though the rewards of humanities professions eventually catch up to those in STEM, roughly 71 percent of Americans believe STEM jobs have higher salaries than those in other fields. This is a dangerous misconception.

The belief that humanities majors are tied to poor career prospects

causes students to turn away from them in favor of supposedly more “sure-fire” STEM fields. Recent years have shown a major decline in the number of students who choose to major in the humanities. According to an article from The Atlantic by Northeastern assistant professor Benjamin Schmidt, “History is down about 45 percent from its 2007 peak, while the number of English majors has fallen by nearly half since the late 1990s.” Schmidt associates this decline with the 2008 financial crash, stating that students abandoned the humanities after this crisis because they became more afraid of the job market. This fear leads students to choose majors they perceive as the most financially sustainable over where their interests may lie.

As Schmidt says, students aren’t running from majors with poor financial prospects, but are instead “fleeing humanities and related fields specifically because they think they have poor job prospects.” There is an essential difference between the actual profitability of a humanities major and the false perception college students have of them.

The co-op program at Northeastern is meant to simulate a full-time career environment. As a result,

the wages provided are an essential component. The program allows employers to set the rate of pay for their hired students, leading to a disparity in salaries depending on the field of the position. Companies that hire students from the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, for example, pay between $24.00 and $42.00 per hour depending on the student’s experience, the type of position and the company. In contrast, the typical range in salary for those students employed in human services, sociology and anthropology is $14.00 to $17.00 per hour, fluctuating based on skill level and experience.

Although these numbers have an aspect of functionality for the hiring companies in those respective fields and mirror the starting salaries of STEM and humanities majors, they fail to reflect the comparative wages of a lifelong career, contributing to a detrimental misconception. If humanities majors close the pay gap over time, shouldn’t co-op wages take this into account when providing a simulation of an actual career environment? This disparity in co-op salaries is partially responsible for the perception that humanities majors are less financially viable and is no doubt discouraging to students

considering the field.

Schmidt finds the rapid decline in the number of students choosing to study the humanities since the financial crash of 2008 to be worthy of the term “crisis.” The humanities have an essential role in society, but to gradually erase them from college education has detrimental effects.

Scott Samuelson, a professor of philosophy at Kirkwood Community College, advocated for the humanities in America as a whole, stating that “we should strive to be a society of free people, not simply one of well-compensated managers and employees.” Essentially, the study of the liberal arts is a necessary component of a well-functioning, democratic America. Humanities majors should be regarded with as much value as their STEM counterparts, and misconceptions about wage disparities must be remedied. Northeastern could make an effort to equalize its co-op salaries to reflect financial similarities between the eventual careers of students from both the humanities and STEM majors.

Marie Senescall is a first-year biology and English combined major.

LIFESTYLE

Page 12

October 31, 2019

Column: Do social media “stories” promote toxic behavior?

By Pavithra Rajesh News Correspondent What started as a feature unique to Snapchat has now become a generational phenomenon prominent on virtually every social media platform.

“Stories” have weaseled their way onto Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and it’s hard to imagine someone not using them.

According to an anonymous survey of 75 Northeastern University students, only 4 percent of students reported that they never post stories.

62.7 percent use Snapchat the most to post stories, while 33.3 percent prefer Instagram. Stories allow people to provide constant updates to their followers about anything and everything going on in their lives at the moment it happens. While the reasons behind posting stories vary, the increasing presence this feature has in our lives leads to the question of whether or not this behavior should be encouraged.

It is not uncommon to refresh your Instagram feed every five seconds and see a new story each time.

According to the survey, on average, 6.7 percent of students post several stories per day, 2.7 percent post one story per day, 25.3 percent post several stories per week, 20 percent post one story per week and 40 percent post stories only a few times per month.

“At this point, I use Instagram stories more than looking at actual posts on Instagram,” one student said in the survey.

The answers in the survey show that the top five types of content

for stories include, in descending order, pictures of events, scenery, casual footage of friends and family, birthday wishes and posts of social and political importance. Certainly, people post stories for different reasons, but it boils down to an urge to update people about the happenings in their lives.

I don’t know how I feel about stories. I understand that at its core the feature is simply a way for people to let others know about their lives, especially people they don’t get to see very often. But another part of me notices that some people post stories in a desperate need to prove to others that they are living exciting, active lives and are always surrounded by friends. I remember a moment from a long time ago when I was sitting next to someone and we were both on our phones, completely bored, not talking at all. We barely knew each other. Then, she proceeded to open Instagram and said, “I need this for my story.” She took a picture of me, tagged me and acted like we were having the best time.

“Stories can sometimes be used to create a fabricated image of a ‘perfect life’ by staging certain events or flaunting your social life,” one student responded to the survey. “It definitely gives you a bit of a boost in self-confidence, but that might be worrisome.”

Our generation’s rising need for external validation seems to have found its home in stories for some people. It appears that many have an urgent desire to ensure that nobody ever thinks they’re doing nothing or that they’re bored or lonely. This begs

the question of how much longer we can continue this habit before it turns toxic and unhealthy, if it hasn’t already.

While I try to avoid posting stories just to make my life seem more exciting to other people, I will be the first to admit that it’s hard. When I’m having a good time, I do sometimes want other people to know that, and knowing that I could share that information with the click of a button is a dangerous temptation. I am guilty of craving external validation and acceptance at times, and when I see other people doing it, I want to partake.

But I always try my best to question myself. Why do I need other people to know that I’m having a good time? Why do I need someone else’s acknowledgement to make a moment worthwhile? Shouldn’t I be able to enjoy the moment for what it is and not for what other people think about it?

Not everyone takes posting stories so seriously. One student said stories are “a good way to share something that’s not important or aesthetically pleasing enough to go on your feed,” while another said that they are “just another way of sharing whatever is going in your life with people you know.”

The “stories” feature has its merits, providing people with a quick and easy medium to connect with others both for personal and professional reasons. But to ignore the potentially significant negative side effects this continuous dependence may have would be dangerous and toxic in itself.

I don’t use the “stories” feature

A few times a month

Thursday, Oct. 31

For a scarier movie experience, head to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the director’s cut of indie horror hit “Midsommar” — with 23 minutes of new footage and extended scenes.

8:00 p.m., MFA, $5 with student ID.

Friday, Nov. 1

Come hear a selection of stirring chamber music pieces performed by musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performing for free in Fenway Center. 1:30 p.m., Fenway Center, free.

Saturday, Nov. 2

This concert features musicians from the Jewish and Black communities in Boston, 3:00 p.m., First Church in Roxbury and Union United Methodist Church in the South End, free.

Monday, Nov. 4

Kick off Homecoming Week by heading down to Curry Student Center to the fair, with giant games, personalized decorations and the chance to stuff a husky. 2:00 p.m., Curry Student Center, free.

Tuesday, Nov. 5

Are you renowned for your cooking skills — or at least your talents assembling gingerbread houses?

Come compete with the best as part as Homecoming Week. 1:00 p.m., Curry Student Center, free.

Wednesday, Nov. 6

Once a week

As part of Homecoming Week, Stetson West Eatery is opening late for mouth-watering appetizers and desserts and a free succulent. 9:00 p.m., Stetson West Eatery, one meal swipe.

What platform do you use most frequently?

Come take a break from your studies to celebrate Halloween with your fellow Northeastern students by watching the cult classic movie “Hocus Pocus” in AfterHours. 6:00 p.m., AfterHours, free.

Gather four of your friends to take on your fellow Huskies in a battle of trivia and knowledge. Will you be able to last through all the various, themed rounds? 7:30 p.m., AfterHours, free.

Once per day

Several times per week

Thursday, Oct. 31

Monday, Nov. 4

How often do you post stories?

Several times per day

Calendar compiled by Morgan Lloyd | Graphics by Alaine Bennett

I don’t use the “stories” feature

Wednesday, Nov. 6 Snapchat

Instagram

...

Graphic by Avery Bleichfeld Data from the survey shows most users post a few times a month on their stories and that Snapchat is the most frequently used platform for stories.

Showcase your artistic talent or just experiment on canvas by creating a paint masterpiece as part of Northeastern’s Homecoming celebrations. 12:00 p.m., Curry Student Center, free.

Wednesday, Nov. 6

Nashville folk singer-songwriter Andrew Combs brings his soulful tunes to the Sinclair, touring in support of his latest album “Ideal Man.” 8:00 p.m., The Sinclair, $16.00 - 18.00, 18+.