The Huntington News
September 20, 2024
NORTHEASTERN’S BLACK FIRST-YEAR ENROLLMENT DROPS 35%
By
More than a year after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, the share of students who identify as Black enrolled in Northeastern’s Class of 2028 dropped 35%, from 7.8% to 5.1%, compared to the Class of 2027.
In the Class of 2028, 38.3% of students identify as white, per a university spokesperson, 5.1% identify as Black, 5.3% as two or more races, 13.3% as Hispanic, 0.35% as Native American and 25.2% as Asian American, according to demographic data published the morning of Sept. 12 in the university-run news outlet Northeastern Global News. The university did not report how many students identify as international students or how many students did not disclose their race or ethnicity.
Of the 2,775 newly-enrolled students on the Boston campus, there are 72 fewer Black students than the year before, 79 more Asian American students and roughly 60 more white students. While around 36% of last year’s first-year class was white, per the university’s Common Data Set, the share of white students in this year’s class has increased to 38.3%.
“Like all colleges and universities in the U.S., Northeastern was required to change its admissions protocols to comply with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling,” Northeastern’s Vice President for Communications Renata Nyul told The News in a Sept. 12 email. “We continue to place tremendous value on the educational benefits of a diverse student body and seek to enroll students from a broad range of life experiences within the bounds of the law.”
Other nearby universities saw similar declines in Black student enrollment. At Boston University, Black student enrollment dropped from 9% in the Class of 2027 to 3% in the Class of 2028. At Harvard University, Black student enrollment dropped 4 percentage points, per reporting by The Harvard Crimson. At Amherst College and Tufts University, enrollment of Black students for this year’s entering class dropped 8 percentage points and roughly 3 percentage points, respectively.
In the Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for a 6-3 conservative supermajority, argued that race-based admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. The ruling effectively ended the use of race-conscious admissions and overturned nearly 40 years of precedent that allowed higher education institutions to use affirmative action programs to increase and ensure the diversity of their student populations.
Admissions experts and university faculty, including many at Northeastern, worried the ruling would diminish universities’ ability to build diverse student bodies and provide opportunities to underrepresented groups.
“Many of us are beneficiaries of decades of affirmative action … and we’re clearly at a turning point in the history of the application of affirmative action rules and procedures,” said Ted Landsmark, distinguished professor of public policy and urban affairs, during a January panel on the affirmative action ruling.
Students doubt
While the share of Black students decreased 35%, the data indicate a 4.8% increase in the share of white students, a 3% increase in the share of Hispanic students and a 12% increase in the percent of students who identify as Asian American.
DIVERSITY, on Page 2
5.2% acceptance rate is representative of university
By Janira Skrbkova News Correspondent
Each year, Northeastern becomes more selective than the last; for the Class of 2028, its 5.2% acceptance rate to the Boston campus rivaled that of nearby Ivy League institutions Harvard University and Brown University.
The single-digit number — which also encompasses Early Decision and Early Action admits, according to the university — gives Northeastern an air of exclusivity and prestige, a metric that doesn’t
LIFESTYLE
New students’ guide to Northeastern Read about hacks, study spots and food around campus
go unnoticed by applicants and enrolled students. But some have doubts about whether 5.2% fairly reflects Northeastern’s selectivity and quality of education.
“The lowering acceptance rate is the result of more applicants, not their making the education more intensive,” said fourth-year behavioral neuroscience major Brooke Berube.
Northeastern received a record-breaking number of applications for the Class of 2028, exceeding 98,000 applicants. While thousands of first-year students were accepted through alternate ad-
missions programs like N.U.in and Global Scholars, the 5.2% rate only includes those starting college on the Boston campus, the university told The News.
“I think they’re strategic about [the acceptance rate]. I think there’s a reason they do it that way. Obviously, one of the main goals of an educational institution is to recruit top talent,” said Sean Blundin, a second-year business administration and data science combined major.
“[Acceptance rate] is kind of a big metric for attracting better students
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and better professors. Like, the people at the top of the top. And I think that serves the university well, but also discredits the university at the same time,” he said.
Northeastern isn’t the only institution that has seen a dramatic decrease in its acceptances. Highly-ranked colleges across the country have been getting more selective, but not necessarily due to an increase in competitiveness. FairTest found that over 80% of U.S. four-year colleges and universities will not require applicants to submit their standardized test scores for the
Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle opens doors
fall 2025 admissions cycle, a trend that many institutions have continued since the 2020 pandemic rendered students unable to take SATs or ACTs. The lack of mandatory test scores has caused a surge in college applicants, and, in turn, decreased acceptance rates, Forbes reported. Northeastern announced in May it would remain test-optional “for the foreseeable future.”
“For a lot of people I know, being test-optional was huge,” Blundin said. “It’s just like, might as well apply, right?”
ADMISSIONS, on Page 2
Read about the new dessert spot on Huntington Avenue
Graphic by Emma Liu
Photo by Jessica Xing
Photo by Jessica Xing
The share of students who identified as two or more races dropped 27% from the year before and the percent of Native American students increased 900%, from one student in the Class of 2027 to 10 in the Class of 2028.
Eli Curwin | News Staff
Photo by Jessica Xing
CAMPUS
Share of Black students drops after SCOTUS affirmative action ruling
The drop-off comes after many university leaders, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling, reemphasized Northeastern’s commitment to diversity.
Immediately following the Court’s decision, Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun wrote to the Northeastern community stating the ruling would “dramatically alter the use of race as a factor in college admissions,” but reaffirmed the university’s pledge to build a “globally diverse community.”
“We embrace diversity, in all its forms, because it makes Northeastern stronger as an institution of teaching and learning,” Aoun wrote. “We will remain steadfast in our commitment to building a globally diverse community — and we will continue working to foster a genuine sense of belonging on all of our campuses.”
Throughout the past year, university faculty and leaders have said in meetings and interviews with The News they had long expected the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision.
“I’ve been in this role just shy of two years,” Northeastern’s Chief Legal, Compliance and Risk Officer Mary Strother said at a November 2023 faculty senate meeting. “For a significant portion of that time, I’ve been worrying and waiting for the opinion to come down from the Supreme Court.”
During the meeting, Northeastern administrators spoke about several strategic components the university would use in the wake of the affirmative action ruling. These included increased outreach to Boston and Oakland public schools, continued financial aid and a holistic review of prospective
students’ applications and essays.
“There’s every effort being made so that we don’t see a downward turn in the recruitment and enrollment of students that are BIPOC,”
Chief Enrollment Officer Satyajit Dattagupta said during the meeting.
Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning Ken Henderson told The News in an April interview that in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the university increased collaboration with “organizations that are historically minority-serving” and expanded resources into geographic areas the university had not previously “spent as much time and energy in.”
It’s not clear what, if any, additional strategies the university will implement going forward to make up for the declining enrollment of Black students. While several other local universities have implemented new supplemental application essays, which prompt students to discuss how their culture or identities have impacted them, Northeastern does not plan on requiring essays for applicants, Henderson told The News.
The demographic data also reveal the university will not achieve its goal, laid out by Aoun, to have the university reflect “the diversity of our nation and society by 2025.”
The goal was part of the President’s Action Plan, written during the June 2020 nationwide racial reckoning, to “address the scourge of systemic racism.”
Per the United States Census Bureau, 58.4% of the U.S. identifies as white and non-Hispanic, 19.5% as Hispanic, 13.7% as Black, 6.4% as Asian, 3.1% as two-or-more races and 1.3% as Native American. While the ethnic and racial make-up of the current student
body is not yet clear — it can be determined once the university publishes its 2024-2025 Common Data Set — the recently-published data indicate the university will fall short of Aoun’s goal.
When asked about the diversity goal in the April interview, Henderson said the university must observe a few more admission cycles “in order to tell how this court’s decision actually affects the outcome.” In his plan, Aoun charged Henderson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
David Madigan and all senior vice presidents with “implementing recruitment and retention strategies for students, faculty, and staff, that
are welcoming of all individuals.”
But changes in leadership and lack of transparent data make it difficult to track the university’s progress toward its diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
Karl Reid, the university’s chief inclusion officer, left his post in the early spring to fill a similar role at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Richard O’Bryant, director of the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, filled his position under the new title chief inclusion and belonging officer. The faculty senate’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee called the position in their 2023-24 Final Report “vital … in advancing Di-
versity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts within the institution.”
The report also states the university’s progress on previous recommendations issued by the committee, such as standardizing DEI language and making diversity data more accessible, examines the DEI action plans across campuses and colleges and provides goals for the future.
The committee meets throughout the academic year and provides a report each spring.
The highly-anticipated Survey Report was made public after publication of The News’ article, several months after the mention of its completion in university publications.
NU’s selectiveness not effective measure of education, students say
A report by Common App found that first-year applications to institutions that allow students to apply through the platform, including Northeastern, rose 6% for the fall 2024 cycle compared to 2022-23. Through March 1, the report found that over 1.3 million first-year applicants had applied to 834 schools available on the platform. Unlike nearby universities including Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern requires no supplemental essays, attracting even more applicants.
“I also know a lot of people who applied here only because there was no supplemental, so I think it’s interesting because, of course, that means the acceptance rate doesn’t reflect the credibility of the institution,” Blundin said.
Some students also raise a brow at the university determining the statistic based solely on admission to the Boston campus. Although Northeastern maintains this means of calculation is the norm through-
out higher education, it touts its alternative entry programs as not just a unique selling point, but an unparalleled part of the school’s identity. Compared to Northeastern’s nearly 100,000 applicants, surrounding institutions, Boston University and MIT, received 78,750 and 28,232 first-year applications, respectively, but have no alternative entry programs akin to N.U.in or Global Scholars.
Students argue that only factoring in the Boston campus — especially in light of the Oakland and London campuses granting four-year degrees — is not a representative method of assessment.
“I think a large part of Northeastern is its global essence,” said Mia Gatzke, a first-year chemistry major. “Northeastern is all of its campuses.”
While a low acceptance rate may seem attractive to those seeking out a prestigious school, most applicants to Northeastern don’t cite its exclusivity as a major draw. But the number still holds weight, students said.
“I wanted to view a school more holistically and consider what else
it had to offer, but I’d be lying if I said that [the acceptance rate] didn’t factor into my decision at all,” said Auden Oakes, a first-year journalism and English combined major. Oakes said that he was told during the college applications process not to see selectivity as a statistic that defines a university.
Bea Wall, a first-year College of Engineering student in the Explore Program, also said a single-digit acceptance rate wasn’t her top priority.
“[But] in a sense, it kind of affirmed that I’d be going to a school that would be academically appealing,” she said.
Both Oakes and Wall applied to similarly or better nationally-ranked universities than Northeastern, like the University of Michigan, the University of Washington and the University of Texas at Austin. But in terms of acceptance, Northeastern was still the most selective school on their list, which some said attracts a certain kind of student.
“My high school experience allowed my transition here to be a lot more seamless. … If I’d been
surrounded by people who didn’t push themselves academically as much, being surrounded by so many smart people would’ve felt a lot more abrasive,” Oakes said. “I feel at home academically.”
Meanwhile, some returning students say they feel that the 5.2% metric isn’t necessarily as much of an indicator of prestige as some would be led to believe. They share the sentiment that the number may be artificially inflated, pointing to the fact that the figure only includes students admitted to the Boston campus, leaving out Northeastern’s London and Oakland campuses as well as N.U.in affiliates that currently host students through first-year study abroad programs.
Isabella Robles, a second-year business administration and political science combined major, was admitted to Northeastern as a Global Scholar and spent her first year on the Oakland campus. Robles said she thinks that it would be more transparent for the university to release the acceptance statistics for all of its campuses.
“They should report a different acceptance rate for each campus, especially if they want to make it into a four-year campus,” Robles said.
Though her time on the Boston campus has just begun, Robles said she has already noticed a difference in Boston’s resources compared to Oakland’s.
“Considering that Northeastern is a global school … to neglect all the campuses that we praise so much is interesting,” said Emma Dahl, a fourth-year nursing major.
Students do generally share the sentiment that Northeastern is a quality institution. In making their final college admissions decisions, the co-op program was extremely attractive, they said, and a contained campus in the middle of a major city blended the more traditional college experience with reaping the benefits of living in Boston.
“I’m really happy here, and I do believe that Northeastern is a great university,” Dahl said. “But there are often times when I don’t necessarily feel prepared and there can be a lot of disorganization.”
A Northeastern University seal hangs behind a lit ceremonial torch at the 2024 convocation ceremony in Boston. Demographic data published Sept. 12 morning by Northeastern Global News revealed that 5.1% of students in the Class of 2028 identify as Black, as compared to 7.8% of students in the Class of 2027.
Photo by Jessica Xing
CAMPUS
Pro-Palestine law students demand divestment in first protest of the semester
By Emily Spatz Campus Editor
Dozens of textbooks sat abandoned in the middle of Dockser Commons Sept. 12 in a demonstration against what protesters called an ongoing “scholasticide” in Gaza, marking the first major pro-Palestine protest on the Boston campus since nearly 100 students were arrested at a pro-Palestine encampment on Centenial Common in April.
The demonstration, called a “book-in” and organized by Northeastern University School of Law Students for Justice in Palestine, or NUSLSJP, called attention to the estimated 650,000 children in Gaza who are unable to attend school this year due to Israel’s ongoing military operations in the region, according to reporting by The Washington Post.
“There is no back to school in Gaza,” said Samira, a first-year School of Law student who asked for her last name to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation for protesting the university’s administration. “Violence against Palestinians has only increased substantially — against men, women, children — and our school is normalizing that and normalizing relationships with companies and organizations that are complicit and actively part of that.”
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, which began when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages in Israel Oct. 7, pro-Palestine student groups at Northeastern have held numerous protests against the university’s investments in companies that supply weapons for Israel’s counteroffensive.
Pro-Palestine students have called the war, which has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Palestinians, a genocide.
On Sept. 12, NUSLSJP asked students to drop off their textbooks
for the day in Dockser in an effort to continue pressuring the school to cut ties with companies that do business with Israel. The event also included a “teach-in” around midday that discussed “Zionist ties at Northeastern and Boston and how you can engage in [the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement] to weaken ‘israel’ [sic],” according to a NUSLSJP Instagram post.
“We are answering a national call to action to draw attention to the fact that while we are all back to school here in the fall, there are thousands [and] thousands of children in Gaza that do not have the opportunity to go back to school because of the scholasticide, aka, the destruction of all the universities in Gaza, and the fact that there is an ongoing genocide that is targeting so many children in Gaza currently,” said Hala, a thirdyear School of Law student who asked for her last name to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation for protesting the university’s administration. “They are deprived not only of education, but they are also having to survive under a genocide.”
According to the United Nations, “scholasticide” refers to the “systemic obliteration of education through the arrest, detention or killing of teachers, students and staff, and the destruction of educational infrastructure.” A July report by Education Cluster found that close to 93% of the 564 school buildings in Gaza have sustained some level of damage since October, 344 of which have been directly hit.
Special Procedures experts at the United Nations said in April it “may be reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system.”
“We, as students, have a responsibility to say something about it and to stop it,” Samira said. “I think peo-
ple feel disenchanted about where they can focus their energy, and we want them to know that we’re still here and there’s still a place for them to take action. We know people are frustrated, and we know they want things to change.”
Most of the books piled on a table in the middle of the first floor of Dockser were law textbooks, with titles like “Professional Responsibility” and “Evidence” placed at the front. Flyers were dispersed among the books, with one reading that each book represented 165 Palestinian children “murdered by Israel,” 6,250 Palestinian children who cannot attend school and 580 Palestinian 6 year olds who “should be starting school in Gaza this year but cannot.”
“Having this many people show up and having this many books donated is a somewhat beautiful display of Northeastern students and their commitment to Palestine,”
said Nick, a third-year School of Law student who asked for his last name to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation for protesting the university’s administration. “At the same time, this number of books doesn’t nearly represent the number of people that have been murdered, displaced and aren’t able to return to school.”
“We are so privileged to be able to come back this semester. And as we go to class and as we walk around these halls, we can feel secure in our ability to be here,” Nick said. “And there are kids in Gaza and there are university students in Gaza who do not have the opportunity to come [to school].”
Though the summer remained relatively quiet for pro-Palestine protests on campus, NUSLSJP, along with Northeastern University Students for Justice in Palestine, filed a civil rights complaint against the university with the U.S. Department
of Education in August. More than a dozen students with the respective groups urged the department to launch an investigation into Northeastern’s alleged discrimination against Palestinian and pro-Palestine students.
“A lot of us took the summer to regroup and reorganize, and NUSLSJP was very actively involved in drafting that complaint letter,” Hala said. “We have always been actively working and organizing, even if it’s not apparent to everyone.”
Organizers of the book-in said the demonstration was only the first of the semester in the ongoing fight to get Northeastern to divest.
“I want the school to know that we are back and that we have not forgotten the cause that we have been fighting for the past year,” Hala said. “We are going to continue to push the university toward divestment until we get divestment.”
Northeastern purchases $5.5 million townhouse in New York City
By Eli Curwin News Staff
Northeastern purchased a $5.5 million, 4,000-square-foot townhouse located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan Aug. 19, according to a deed filed in the New York City Register’s Office.
Located on 247 E. 71st St., the three-bedroom, three-and-a-halfbathroom residence provides the university additional real estate on the same block as Marymount Manhattan College — the liberal arts college which Northeastern announced in May it would acquire.
The university purchased the property from SKI Realty, entering a contract with the New York-based real estate group July 19 and confirming the all-cash deal Aug. 19. Crain’s New York Business first reported the acquisition.
It’s unclear what the university will
use the building for, and Northeastern spokespeople declined to answer questions regarding the property’s purpose.
It’s possible the university could use the building as a residence or renovate it to use as educational or social space. Per reporting from Crain’s, Marymount purchased a similar townhouse nearby in 2010 and later converted it into a faculty center.
Northeastern announced the merger with Marymount May 29, marking the university’s upcoming expansion into what would be its 14th campus. Marymount’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to merge with Northeastern in the wake of declining enrollment and retention, as well as climbing operating costs.
It is unclear when the merger will officially be completed and the process will likely span several years, a result of new regulations from the Department of Education that went into
effect in July which increased government oversight of and involvement in university mergers and acquisitions.
The August deal comes months after the university purchased a $5 million, two-story penthouse located at 1A Joy St. in Boston in January, which the Fenway News first reported in March. The university also declined to comment on this purchase, but it is the latest of several units Northeastern has purchased in the building.
In September 2023, the university bought a $2.4 million unit in the same building, 1A Joy St. Unit 3, after having previously purchased the building’s second unit in 2007.
The property is located next to Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun’s 34 Beacon St. residence, which the university purchased in September 2006, per a deed in the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, and was most recently assessed at $12 million.
A pile of textbooks sits in the middle of Dockser Commons. The books were left as part of a “book-in” demonstration by NUSLSJP to protest the ongoing “scholasticide” in Gaza.
Photo by Darin Zullo
The townhouse at 247 E. 71st St. in New York City. Northeastern purchased the $5.5 million property, which is located on the same block as Marymount Manhattan College, Aug. 19.
Photo courtesy Marta Hill
A student’s guide to NU: hacks, study spots and food all around campus
By Sarah Pyrce News Correspondent
As the leaves begin to change and the weather starts to cool, the hectic nature of move-in and the nerves of starting classes have finally settled. If you are feeling lost on campus, rest assured: Acclimating to Northeastern’s campus for the first time — whether as a first-year, a transfer student, a Global Scholar or an exchange student — can be overwhelming.
As I enter my fourth and final year at Northeastern, I find myself feeling nostalgic about my time here. To quell those feelings, I have created this guide to Northeastern, synthesizing all the tips and tricks I have learned over the years.
Campus hack
■ When the weather becomes so frigid that walking from class to class outdoors feels like a personal Mount Everest, take the 16,705-foot network of tunnels underneath campus. The tunnels connect 11 buildings — from Snell Library to the Cabot Center — with the primary entrance at Curry Student Center.
■ Overcrowding at Marino Recreation Center can make working out time-consuming and frustrating. Check out SquashBusters at 795 Columbus Ave. for a smaller, less crowded gym experience. SquashBusters is open from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and has varying hours Friday
through Sunday.
■ If you still prefer to workout at Marino, you can check the Live Facility Counts to determine the optimal time to attend. Marino also offers a variety of workout classes including cycling, pilates and yoga. Members have access to all classes after paying the Group Fitness Aerobics fee for $50 per semester through the app Atleto. Workout studios around Boston including Rev’d Indoor Cycling and CorePower Yoga offer student deals for classes and memberships as well.
■ Take advantage of your Husky Card at establishments around the city. The Museum of Fine Arts, or MFA, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are must-sees if you are new to Boston. The MFA offers free ticketed admission to students, while the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum supplies discounted student tickets for $13, but Northeastern students can get their tickets for free by using the code “NORTHEASTERN” when reserving tickets.
■ The Boston Symphony Orchestra offers a College Card for $30 that gives students access to certain shows throughout the orchestra’s season. As a Northeastern student, you are also eligible for either a physical library card or an eCard at the Boston Public Library. If you are planning to shop in the Prudential Center or on Newbury Street, bring your Husky Card. Stores like Madewell and J. Crew offer a 15% discount
to students. It’s always worth it to bring your student ID along on a shopping trip and ask the employees about discounts before checking out — you never know when you could save a few bucks.
■ The university also offers free digital access to magazines and newspapers using your Northeastern email, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Financial Times and more.
■ With your Husky Card, you can receive 11% off the standard monthly price of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority card. While pass sales for this fall have ended, check for offers available in the spring.
■ Follow the Northeastern Center for Student Involvement, or CSI, on Instagram for frequent updates regarding events, workshops and student organizations. CSI executes fun and engaging experiences like Fall Fest, Homecoming Week and group Red Sox games. This past spring, I was able to attend the Boston Calling Music Festival for just $35 through a CSI deal, whereas a standard ticket was over $300. Over the summer, I used CSI’s Instagram to keep track of the weekly “Keepin’ it Cool” event, which supplied free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to students at different campus locations.
Study spaces
■ If you are finding Snell Library — which has just reopened its newlyrenovated third floor — too crowded or the Curry Student Center too loud, there are many lesser-known study areas around campus worth exploring.
■ Located across from Symphony Hall, Horticulture Hall at 300 Massachusetts Ave. is quiet and removed from the hustle and bustle of the central campus. This building is a convenient space for those who live at 60 Belvidere St. or the Midtown
Hotel and do not want to make the full trek to campus.
■ West Village G’s first floor is ideal for planting yourself in one spot for a few hours and powering through an essay. With plenty of comfortable seating and minimal distractions, I tend to find myself here during finals week.
■ While I’m not a STEM major, I often find myself working on the Inter disciplinary Science and Engineering Complex’s top floor, cafe area or outside seating. The natural light pouring into the building along with the calm and clean environment creates the ideal combination for productivity.
distinctive to Northeastern, such as “The Huntington” and the “Marino Fitness.” Sprout is another healthy and easy to-go option on Huntington Avenue with Mediterranean-inspired salads.
■ If Snell is your study spot of choice but you need a break from the hectic environment, you can book a room for group work or private studying up to one week in advance. For other spots around campus with room bookings, visit Spaces at Northeastern.
Best places to eat near campus
■ After you try the classic Tatte breakfast and El Jefe’s dinner, make picking up a sandwich at Wollaston’s Market next on your list of campus eats. Its sandwich creations are unique and tasty, with names
■ An iced matcha latte and a rosemary salt bagel from Pavement Coffeehouse on Gainsborough Street is the best weekend indulgence. Next to Symphony Hall, Oakleaf Cakes Bake Shop, has incredible coffee and decadent pastries. It’s also a great spot to pick up a sweet birthday treat for a friend. Slightly further away is Pressed Cafe — my favorite casual spot at any time of day. Its paninis, açaí bowls and coffees are delicious. If you are looking for a cafe to work in, the only qualm is the lack of Wi-Fi. Alternatively, try Caffé Nero’s Symphony location on New Edgerly Road. The cafe is equipped with many charging ports and efficient Wi-Fi, qualifying it as the cafe I frequent most often.
■ The first month or two on campus can feel surreal, like you are just from home. Over time, you will have
Review: In ‘Sing Sing,’ a prison theater program is in the spotlight
By Meagan Ellis News Correspondent
Over 400 years ago, Shakespeare wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
Director, producer and screenwriter Greg Kwedar begs to differ. In his striking film “Sing Sing,” Kwedar asks: What about the head that wears a cowboy hat, or an ancient Egyptian headdress?
Creativity knows no bounds in Kwedar’s film, which is inspired by the true story of an original, time-traveling play performed by prisoners, “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code.” Named after the high-security prison in Ossining, New York, “Sing Sing” features formerly-incarcerated actors and shares a timeless story about companionship, imagination and freedom.
The film’s ensemble truly shines — every cast member brings Kwedar’s story to life, whether it’s through humor or heartbreak.
Starring Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo, the film sheds light on Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts, or RTA, program, a tight-knit community that shows the healing powers of theatre and self-expression. The RTA crew is led by Brent Buell — played in the film by the invigorating actor Paul Raci — a headstrong, authentic director who knows how to get the ensemble motivated to perform. Buell adds character and humanity to the team of incarcerated men, inspiring them to think big and act their hearts out.
After performing monotonous renditions of Shakespeare plays, an underdog of the team recommends
they perform a comedy. Combining elements of time travel from the Stone Age, the Roman Empire and even alluding to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Buell writes a clever, original production for the ensemble to perform. Even amid a dreary prison setting, the ensemble is able to find the good in everything, a skill that does not come easily.
That underdog, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (who plays himself in the film), grows and blossoms through RTA, while Domingo’s character, John “Divine G” Whitfield, a natural at more serious plays, seems to do the opposite as the film progresses. This evolving relationship between Divine G and Divine Eye serves as the foundation of the story, from a complicated connection to one of camaraderie.
“Sing Sing” made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF, in September 2023. The Roxbury International Film Festival held a screening of “Sing Sing” at the Museum of Fine Arts on the closing night of the week-long festival in June 2024. The screening was followed by a panel featuring one of the film’s cast members, Dario Peña, alongside criminal justice reform advocate David Delvalle. Hearing Peña and Delvalle share their courage with the festival’s audience paralleled the ensemble’s strength and vulnerability among each other, and hearing from their actual experiences helped make the screening feel closer to home.
It may be obvious that the title of the film, “Sing Sing,” is a reference to the New York prison, but it’s
hard not to envision a double meaning. Sing, sing. That faithful chant kept ringing throughout the film, adding a twang of hope to every character, every story. In this sense, Kwedar could be using the film’s title as a play on words, inspiring viewers to shine as bright as his ensemble.
Back in September at TIFF, Buell made an appearance and worded it perfectly during a Q&A: “Theatre is the way of putting a person back together again and letting them discover who they are.” “Sing Sing” has the power to bring its audience to tears as it reframes our perspective on our personal freedoms through adversity, especially in a place as dark as the prison system. As a member of the ensemble said in the film, “We’re [part of RTA] to become human again.”
Graphics by Emma Liu
Column: The 40th Video Music Awards bring the past to the present
The 40th Video Music Awards, or VMAs, were a whirlwind, combining nostalgia and the future of music into a three-hour long broadcast. Concept performances dominated the Sept. 11 show, which is known for spectacle — think Lady Gaga’s meat dress or Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement.
The show opened with a performance by Eminem, who referenced his iconic performance from 2000, donning a platinum wig and baggy jeans. His performance became emotionally heavy as he rapped “Somebody Save Me,” a song about being an absent father. He concluded the performance by playing home videos of his children when they were younger.
Eminem’s emotion was countered by the show’s host, Megan Thee Stallion, with a humorous opening monologue. For her first of many outfits, the star wore a Team VMA leotard, which was followed by a recreation of Britney Spears’ 2001 “I’m a Slave 4 U” VMA performance look — complete with a live snake later in the ceremony.
Megan Thee Stallion wasn’t the only attendee to pay homage to the 2000s music icon — Tate McRae, a double nominee of the night, copied Spears’
2001 red carpet look. Though McRae went home without any awards, she made sure to be a conversation topic with the copycat outfit.
As if there wasn’t enough inspiration pulled from music icons, Sabrina Carpenter stepped out in the vintage Bob Mackie gown Madonna wore to the 1991 Academy Awards. Carpenter’s old Hollywood styling paired seamlessly with the aesthetic of her performance.
The singer performed a “Short n’ Sweet” medley, starting with “Please Please Please,” while she descended from the ceiling on a sparkling swing.
Once on solid ground, she transitioned to “Taste,” a song rumored to be about Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, both of whom also performed during the show. The performance used the moon man motif from the VMAs, featuring a provocative moment between an alien and an astronaut. She ended with “Espresso,” which won Song of the Year later that night. The performance was both visually enticing and sonically smooth as Carpenter’s vocals filled the space beautifully.
Another highlight of the night was Taylor-Swift making history as the most awarded solo artist at the VMAs.
Swift started her night by winning the first-presented category, Best Collaboration, for “Fortnight,” featuring
rapper Post Malone. Swift’s speech was dedicated to Malone’s incredible work ethic. She ended her speech by name dropping her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce, which sent the room into a flurry of excitement. Swift’s night only got sweeter as she won six more of the fan-voted awards, bringing her total wins to 30.
Chappell Roan also had a memorable night as she made her VMA debut and won Best New Artist. For her VMA persona, she channeled Joan of Arc, complete with chain mail gloves and a sword. This styling set the tone for the world she created with her performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” where she broke out of a castle and engaged in medieval warfare.
Wearing her armor, she dedicated her win to “all the drag queens who inspire me,” “to queer and trans people who fuel pop” and said the award was for “all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now. I see you, I understand you, because I’m one of you.”
The night’s biggest honor — The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award — was given to Katy Perry for her outstanding contribution to the music industry. Her performance included some of her old hits, from “Dark Horse” to “California Gurls” and “I Kissed a Girl,” as well as newer songs to promote
her upcoming album “143.” The performance blended Perry’s new, futuristic aesthetic with the nostalgic sound of her career-defining singles.
She followed the 10-minute performance with a speech thanking MTV for seeing something in her “weirdness from day one.” Perry thanked her fans, the KatyCats, and the LGBTQ+ community for their constant support over the past decade. She also snuck in a dig at critics while offering advice to up-and-coming artists, telling them to “turn off social media” and “safeguard your mental health.”
To close the show, LL Cool J took to the stage to honor 40 years of Def Jam Recordings, a major hip-hop label. During the medley of LL Cool J’s greatest hits, he brought out Public Enemy to perform “Bring the Noise.” The backup dancers helped make the performance captivating by interacting with the audience and using instruments as props. His performance had the entire audience out of their seats and celebrating with him.
Despite the lack of a viral internet moment, the 40th VMAs gathered viewers to celebrate the year’s biggest names in music alongside icons of past decades.
Established performers such as Lenny Kravitz and Eminem tried to reinvent themselves by performing more new music, whereas modern artists from McRae and Megan Thee Stallion to Halsey and Carpenter opted for callbacks to music and cultural icons. While the VMAs are typically known for originality and uniqueness, this
Review: Sabrina Carpenter’s new album
‘Short
n’ Sweet’ proves to be just that
Ever since the release of her last album, “emails i can’t send,” in 2022, Sabrina Carpenter’s fame has steadily been on the rise. With her memorable performances opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and iconic sense of style, Carpenter has become a household name and formed a devoted fan base which is always awaiting her next move. This year, Carpenter pleased the masses Aug. 23 with the release of her latest album, “Short n’ Sweet.” Leading up to the album’s release, Carpenter put out the singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” which were thereafter decreed “songs of the summer,” further building anticipation for her album.
The title perfectly captures both the album’s compact and enjoyable nature — like the 5-foot artist herself. The petite singer’s stature is even mentioned in the album’s first track and third single, “Taste,” where Carpenter sings, “Oh, I leave quite an impression / Five feet to be exact.” In the “Taste” music video, Carpenter brings Jenna Ortega in to do a masterful rendition of a woman seeking revenge on her ex-lover’s new girl. Carpenter’s lyrics follow this same plot as she sings, “Every time you close your eyes / And feel his lips you’re feelin’ mine / And every time you breathe his air / Just know I was already there.”
There are speculations that “Taste,” along with other songs on the album, are references to Carpenter’s brief fling with Shawn Mendes. Mendes was pho-
tographed in public with his ex-girlfriend Camila Cabello shortly after being with Carpenter. Unfortunately, when it comes to Carpenter, it seems a love triangle is never out of the picture. The Carpenter-Mendes-Cabello situation is reminiscent of Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett and Carpenter’s love triangle that made headlines back in 2021 and inspired songs on Carpenter’s previous album, “emails i can’t send.”
However, listeners are not left with too much time to dwell on Carpenter’s past relationships — immediately after “Taste,” she launches into “Please Please Please,” accompanied by a music video starring Carpenter’s current boyfriend, Barry Keoghan. Similar to “Taste,” the song is slower, with Carpenter lamenting the push and pull that comes with falling in love with a questionable person. With lyrics like “Don’t bring me to tears when I just did my makeup so nice / Heartbreak is one thing / My ego’s another,” Carpenter describes the allure she still has to this person, regardless of their jarring flaws.
The album’s third song, “Good Graces,” is one of the more upbeat tracks to come from the album, with Carpenter singing about how quickly she can drop her partner if they prove to be not what she wants. She sings, “You should stay in my good graces / Or I’ll switch it up like that, so fast.”
Similar self-empowering lyrics are seen in her older songs such as “Nonsense” and “Feather,” and it is satisfying to see that she has not strayed far from her roots. The lyrics, as well as the catchy tempo of the song, make it a certified hit.
Amongst the stream of upbeat hits, Carpenter introduces more mellow
themes to the album with songs like “Sharpest Tool,” “Coincidence,” “Dumb & Poetic” and “Lie to Girls.”
Despite the slower tempo, these songs follow the same theme of Carpenter feeling betrayed by her lover. In “Sharpest Tool” and “Dumb & Poetic,” Carpenter expresses her attraction to her ex-lover but, at the end of the day, concludes they weren’t good for her.
“Coincidence” continues this storyline with Carpenter berating her partner for being involved with someone else, sarcastically saying that it was a coincidence when her lover and the other women would end up in the same city and be back together. In “Lie to Girls,” Carpenter blames herself for falling in love and describes how she didn’t see (or chose to ignore) the red flags. “Lie to Girls” is by far the most heartbreaking song on the album, as Carpenter describes the lengths she would go to to stay in a relationship. While Carpenter’s more radio-ready songs are what draw attention to the album, these softer hidden gems showcase her duality as an artist. Carpenter combats tepid themes with more lighthearted songs in both musicality and theme. “Bed Chem,” for instance, exudes the same energy as her hit “Nonsense” from her previous album. With its sultry tunes, Carpenter’s twisted sense of humor is deftly woven throughout the lyrics. Similarly, “Espresso,” the album’s first single, has peppy beats and jubilant lyrics that create a confident and playful vibe for the listener. “Juno” is a song about falling in love, envisioning a future with a person and carrying their child. Throughout the song, Carpenter weaves themes of infatuation
with a cheerful beat while spilling her feelings to listeners. Any Carpenter fan is aware of her “Nonsense” outros, where the singer creates new witty three-liners to end one of her most popular songs at each live performance. Carpenter’s sense of humor is one that has been well-received in the past, so it’s great to see her elaborate on this style of lyricism.
The final song, “Don’t Smile,” concludes the story Carpenter has been telling throughout the album. With its lyrics, “Don’t smile because it happened, baby, cry because it’s over,” Carpenter twists the classic adage, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Through this, Carpenter captures the longing in the aftermath of a breakup. She wants her ex to feel the same pain that she does; however, she is finally concluding that the relationship is done. In “Don’t Smile,” Carpenter weaves incredibly personal lyrics in with her vast range of vocals to capture her raw emotions.
“Short n’ Sweet” perfectly depicts Carpenter’s newly-developed range in lyricism and vocals. She showcases her vulnerability through the different themes and raw emotions she conveys throughout the album. The album blends light, upbeat tracks with more introspective ballads, creating the perfect mix of lyricism and musicality. As a rising artist, the album distinguishes Carpenter in the music industry, proving that she is not just another generic pop star but someone capable of capturing pure feelings and entrancing listeners. Carpenter proves to be an incredibly talented artist, and, if this album is any indication, her spotlight will only get bigger.
By Camryn Cunningham News Correspondent
Graphic by Emma Liu
By Shreya Pillamari News Correspondent
Graphic by Emma Liu
LESS THAN HALF OF NU BATHROOMS WITH MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS, THESE CAMPUS GROUPS WANT
Ashley Plant, a third-year biology major in need of a tampon, put a quarter into the menstrual product dispenser in Snell Library. But nothing came out.
Instead of running home and risking losing her spot in Snell, she
nothing’s come out.”
Northeastern says it stocks menstrual products in all women’s and all-gender bathrooms on campus, but an investigation by The News found a significant lack of supplies in the dispensers.
by Jessica Xing
A pad and tampon from one of Northeastern’s menstrual product dispensers. An investigation by The News found a lack of menstrual products in dispensers across the Boston campus.
Over the course of February and March, a team of News reporters attempted to use pad and tampon dispensers in over 170 women and gender-neutral campus bathrooms, twice. The examined bathrooms were all accessible without a Husky Card, and each dispenser was checked before noon in an attempt to avoid inspecting bathrooms
Not included in this data are the dozens of university bathrooms which either contained dispensers that required payment, had no dispenser or were generally inaccessible to The News’ team of reporters.
Throughout 351 bathroom checks, excluding inaccessible bathrooms, The News found that dispensers were fully stocked with both pads and tampons only 45% of the time. More often, the data show, dispensers were stocked with either just pads or just tampons: 53% of total checked dispensers were stocked with pads and 64% were stocked with tampons.
WhichNortheastern bathroomswerestocked withmenstrualproducts?
After hundreds of bathroom checks in February and March, The News found dispensers were fully stocked with both pads and tampons only 45% of the time.
Poorly Stocked
Somewhat Stocked
Well Stocked
Not Checked
Bathrooms checked by Galiah Abbud, Rachana Madhav, Alexis Algazy, Ali Caudle, Grace Sawin, Prachi Patel, Janira Skrbkova, Annika Sunkara, Elizabeth Scholl, Jessica Xing, Alexa Coultoff, Olivia Becraft, Mars Poper and Katarina Schmeiszer. Visualization by Eli Curwin and Angelica Jorio. View the full interactive visualization at huntnewsnu.com.
During The News’ second bathroom checks, dispensers lacking pads were restocked only 21% of the time, and those without tampons were restocked 30% of the time.
Twenty-five percent of the time, dispensers had neither pads or tampons. Including inaccessible bathrooms, only 39% of Northeastern’s bathrooms were accessible and fully stocked with both pads and tampons when checked by The News.
“All feminine hygiene product dispensers and vending machines on campus are restocked frequently for Northeastern students, free of charge,” spokesperson Ed Gavaghan wrote to The News. “Dispensers occasionally run out of items, but they are restocked quickly.”
Students who spoke with The News said the pad and tampon dispensers are often empty or not working in bathrooms around campus. Lack of product accessibility is a contributor to period poverty.
Nearly 25% of students on college campuses across the country experience period poverty, or difficulty affording and accessing menstrual products, according to a 2021 study commissioned by feminine hygiene companies Thinx and PERIOD. Another study by BMC Women’s Health shows those who experience period poverty over many months are more likely to report “moderate to severe levels of depression.”
Northeastern’s dispensers range from fully stocked to empty, depending on the building and the time, the investigation by The News found.
An article in Northeastern Global News published in April 2018 announced the university’s implementation of free menstrual product dispensers in campus bathrooms.
But The News found that several of Northeastern’s newer buildings had menstrual product dispensers that required payment, including those in East Village, EXP and the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, or ISEC.
In response to an email from The News inquiring about dispensers that require payment, the university said “all ‘25 cent’ stickers on dispensers in ISEC have been removed.”
Grace Sherry, a third-year mechanical engineering major, said that while she’s seen period products in most bathrooms, there have been times when the dispensers did not work.
When asked what Northeastern can do to improve access to sanitary products, Sherry said, “making [menstrual products] available outside of just the bathrooms and making them available to any space.”
Two students on campus created a club to help combat a lack of period product accessibility and the health concerns with the tampons Northeastern currently provides. Prachi
By Elli Einset
Patel and Maria Restrepo, both thirdyear behavioral neuroscience majors, created the Menstrual Equity Club, or MEC, after Restrepo learned about period poverty on a Dialogue of Civilizations in South Africa in 2023, where the subject of menstruation is considered taboo.
“Continuing these conversations is a really cool thing … and I think Northeastern has the capacity and ability to be more inclusive,” Restrepo said.
MEC has partnered with Northeastern University Sexual Health Advocacy, Resources, and Education, otherwise known as SHARE, to push Northeastern to focus on sustaining safe, comfortable products in the dispensers.
The tampons Northeastern currently provides have blunt cardboard applicators, which, though more environmentally-friendly than typical plastic applicators can be rough and uncomfortable to use. The pads offered in restrooms are thick, another comfortability issue for many menstruators.
Patel and Restrepo surveyed Northeastern students in January. In this survey, 22 out of 31 students rated Northeastern, on a scale of one to five, a three or below for how easily-accessible menstrual products are found in campus restrooms. A score of one indicated “I have never found easily
Photos
BATHROOMS WERE FULLY STOCKED PRODUCTS, THE NEWS FOUND. WANT TO CHANGE THAT.
accessible menstrual products in campus restrooms,” and five indicated “I always find easily accessible menstrual products in campus bathrooms.”
MEC and SHARE leaders say they are facing obstacles due to the pushback from Northeastern, however, they are still optimistic about “our future initiative to push forward what we want to do,” Patel said.
Patel, Restrepo and C Ledford, SHARE’s co-president and a thirdyear ASL-English interpreting major, said they pushed for the switch from Hospeco machines to Aunt Flow, an organization that provides access to different companies and schools for menstrual products, but was told they would need to fundraise themselves in order to make it happen. Other universities including the nearby Berklee College of Music have begun using Aunt Flow for machines and products.
“Why should we be fundraising for something that the university should be able to provide without a hassle?” Patel said.
The current dispensers only allow certain products in the machine, and changing the products would mean replacing the machines themselves, which would be costly, Patel, Restrepo and Ledford said.
“One thing to remember [is] Northeastern is still a business-like, money-making machine,” Patel said.
“So [for] initiatives like this, money is not going to be spent unless there’s a real push for it.”
Partnering with Health and Counseling Services, senior vice chancellor of Student Life and the LGBTQA Resource Center, MEC and SHARE plan to start a pilot program on campus in the fall to compare whether students prefer the dispensers’ current Hospeco products or Aunt Flow products. The program will install Aunt Flow products in several locations along with QR codes that link to a survey about the products, the comfortability and effectiveness. This data will be used in buying future menstrual products.
MEC’s fundraising and donation drives prove that people do care about this issue and want to help, Restrepo said.
In collaboration with Pine Street Inn, the largest provider of services for unhoused people in New England, MEC gathered over 2,000 menstrual product donations from Northeastern students.
“This is a whole human rights thing,” said Restrepo, who said access to period products is a “bare minimum. There’s no shame in demanding … more,” she said.
Restrepo expressed her aspiration for more change in diversity in the management of building services and for Northeastern to provide more
education on the importance of the accessibility of menstrual products in bathrooms.
“[It’s] us with them versus the problem, but it’s feeling very much like an uphill battle now where it’s literally us versus them or not being heard,” Restrepo said.
Both local and national organiza tions have continued to advocate for access to free menstrual products in public bathrooms. Dignity Matters, a Framingham-based organization, is focused on distributing menstrual products, along with underwear, to homeless shelters, prisons and other places in need in order to reduce period poverty.
Dignity Matters, along with several other organizations, partner with universities across the country. Aunt Flow also works to increase accessi bility to menstrual products in public bathrooms across the country.
According to Ben Weiner, an account executive for Aunt Flow, the organization recently partnered with Northeastern’s Seattle campus. Aunt Flow has donated over 6.3 million menstrual products across the globe and stocked bathrooms with over 29,000,000 products since its founding in 2016.
Massachusetts has not yet made menstrual products mandatory in every public restroom, however, several advocacy groups are currently
“Most of the time [PERIOD.’s] work is focused on training young people, so training our chapters to talk about it and advocate for it,” said Allyson Crays, a third-year law student at Northeastern and vice chair on the national board of directors for PERIOD. “No federal program right now, like Women, Infants, & Children Nutrition Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or
At the end of the day, Crays said, having accessible menstrual products is essential.
“It’s something you deal with every month and every day as hormones are fluctuating throughout the entire month, all driven by the menstrual cycle,” Crays said. “It is not something we can ignore as it impacts schools [and] impacts how you operate in the workplace.”
Photos by Jessica Xing
Northeastern alum rides to three gold medals in historic Paralympic debut
onship for Juniors and Young Riders. The youngest rider in the event, she claimed bronze.
At the age of 16, a series of catastrophic health issues left Fiona Howard, then a highly-accomplished junior equestrian athlete, unsure if she would ever be able to get back in the saddle.
Now, almost a decade later, the Northeastern alum not only finds herself ranked among the best para-dressage athletes in the world, but with three Paralympic gold medals under her belt — including the first-ever for the U.S. in the team event. The team’s combined final score of 235.567 is the highest ever recorded in a Paralympic para-equestrian team event.
“I just wanted to go out there and do my best. I was just so happy to be there,” Howard told The News. “It all felt a bit surreal. … I just tried to focus on me and do my best, which has kind of been my motto the whole way through.”
Howard was born to an English father and American mother and spent her childhood in London. She began riding at the age of 3, much to her mother’s dismay due to the expenses and discipline the sport demands.
In an attempt to push Howard away from the sport, her mother tried everything she could think of — letting Howard ride ponies that might be more likely to misbehave, sticking her in music lessons for various instruments, teaching her about different sports — but the young Howard was smitten with horseback riding.
“For as long as I can really remember, I just fell in love with the horses … I liked that you could kind of create a bond with them,” Howard said. “It’s a really amazing feeling when you ride a horse and you’re able to trust this really big animal to perform these intricate movements.”
Howard rose quickly through the junior ranks, entering her first competition at 6 years old and her first international event at age 13. The following year, she competed for the British Junior Reining Team in the International Equestrian Federation, or FEI, European Reining Champi-
Even as a child, Howard dreamed of competing in the Olympics one day; however, as she entered her early teens, her health began to fade.
“I had been delayed in some fine motor skills when I was younger, and my parents didn’t really think much of it. I was having ankle pain, but I was very tall, so the doctors were just like, ‘It’s growing pains,’” Howard told The News. “As I carried on growing, my feet started deforming. I kept getting injured, and I was tripping over my feet and falling over.”
Her feet continued growing inward, and soon, Howard was unable to place her feet flat on the floor as she walked. Eventually, she began dragging one of her feet along behind her. As her mobility declined, so did her gastrointestinal and cardiac health. It was at that point that her doctors in England, who struggled to pinpoint a cause, recommended the family relocate to Boston to seek a diagnosis from Boston Children’s Hospital.
In 2016, Howard was diagnosed with dystonia, a disease that causes muscle spasms and a general loss of control over one’s body. Her gastrointestinal issues continued to worsen, too, and she was placed on a feeding tube, which she still uses today.
“At first, I didn’t have time to process it at all. One minute, I was in England, and the next I was in Boston,” Howard said. “I was so unwell that I couldn’t really think about [riding] that much.”
After several years of hospital stays and corrective surgeries, Howard decided she needed a distraction and began applying to colleges in the area.
“Right from the beginning, I knew that Northeastern was the right fit,” Howard told The News. “They were not afraid of my health. They were like, ‘We’ll figure it out. We’ll make it work.’”
She enrolled as a psychology major in 2017, and though she spent much of her time studying for tests and doing homework from a hospital bed, she was determined to get her degree.
She joined the club equestrian team as a non-riding member her first year, attending practices, grooming the horses and videotaping routines.
“It was super important to me to still socialize and interact with people. [My teammates] were so supportive from the get-go, and we were able to share a passion for the sport together,” Howard said. “It gave me something outside of school work and the hospital.”
In 2019, Howard had another surgery, and 2020 brought a lengthy stay in the intensive care unit she and her doctors weren’t sure she would survive. But she did, and in the summer before her senior year, she convinced her doctors, teammates and coach to let her try riding again.
“All I saw was the inside of these four walls in the hospital. I definitely went through a phase of feeling like my life didn’t have a meaning, and that was really hard for me,” Howard said. “My body was failing, but my mind was still there … so I turned my anger into hope and a strength to do something.”
After a lengthy period of trial and error, Howard was able to not only participate in practices, but compete as well. As her senior year wound down in the spring of 2021, a teammate recommended she train for the Paralympics. Howard initially brushed it off, but as her health stabilized — a development Howard’s doctors partially attributed to her return to riding — and her training became more successful, she began to consider it.
Howard got back into the international circuit in 2022, and soon, she was ranked in the top five para-riders in the world. Shortly after, she and her horse, Diamond Dunes, qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Para-sports are designed with slight adjustments from their able-bodied counterparts which allow athletes with disabilities of varying degrees to compete. ‘Para,’ which stands for ‘parallel,’ promises that the adjusted discipline is equal in difficulty to the conventional version of the sport. The athletes in each sport are classified into five grades depending on the physical impairment caused by their
disability; in most sports, a lower grade indicates a greater impairment. Howard competes in Grade II.
In their August Paralympic debut, Howard and Diamond Dunes won gold in each of the Games’ three para-dressage tests: the individual competition, with one event for each grade; the team event, in which each country presents a group comprising the top-three scorers from the individual event, regardless of grade; and the freestyle event. In the former two competitions, riders are given a series of movements they need to replicate. In freestyle tests, the rider can choose both the routine and the music.
Howard and Diamond Dunes’ winning score of 81.994% in the freestyle competition, earned for a routine choreographed to music from the movie “Avatar,” was a personal best.
In dressage, which is often referred to as horse ballet, both rider and horse are judged based on their ability to subtly communicate with each other and gracefully execute their routine. Equestrian riders often cue their horses by shifting in the saddle, moving their feet in the stirrups or pulling on the reins.
Para-athletes, who may have limited mobility in their trunk or limbs, use a series of compensating aids to both stay on the horse and direct it.
For Howard, this means being tied into her stirrups, which are secured to the girth, or the part of the saddle that wraps under the horse’s stomach. Additionally, her reins have small loops through which she can slide her fingers, helping her maintain her grip. To guide the horse, Howard mostly uses soft vocal signals like clicks and whistles.
Howard’s triple gold was unquestionably a huge achievement, but for her, it’s the same goal she’d been working toward her whole life.
“Yes, I didn’t start competing internationally in para-dressage until 2022, but I’ve always trained in equestrian my whole life,” Howard said.
“I didn’t realize when I was younger that I was going to be diagnosed with dystonia, but I really think that it’s the path that I was meant to be on. … I didn’t realize it would be the Paralympics, but I couldn’t be prouder that it was.”
Next up for Howard, health permitting, is a run at the FEI World Championships in 2026 and the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028.
Back in Boston, her accomplishments haven’t gone unnoticed. Though none of the current members of the equestrian team at Northeastern know Howard well, they’ve all been tracking her progress and even watched her Paralympic events together.
“From the brief interactions I’ve had with [Howard], she seems very hardworking and determined,” said Philine Weisbeek, a senior behavioral neuroscience major and three-time captain of the Northeastern club equestrian team. “She’s the kind of person who, if she has an idea, she’s going to do whatever it takes to get there.”
Equestrian in the United States is significantly less accessible than other, more traditional sports. Leasing a horse can cost over $1,000 a month depending on the horse’s pedigree, according to the Bay Area Equestrian Network, and that figure doesn’t include food, vet bills or grooming fees. Additionally, there are few opportunities to compete beyond the high school level. Only 27 colleges offer equestrian as a varsity sport, and it’s only accessible to women.
But according to Kamryn Auguste, a junior cell and molecular biology major and co-captain on the club equestrian team, Howard’s success has caused a spike in interest in Northeastern’s club squad — a phenomenon she hopes will expand to the rest of the country.
“[The team] has about 24 people, so it’s not the biggest program. … But for tryouts this year, there’s been a ton of interest from people who learned about the team either from Fiona’s story or through social media,” Auguste said. “It’s a motivating factor, just to see how far she’s come in her journey and knowing that she was on the team we’re on, in the same place that we are, and has gone on to do such great things.”
While many will credit Howard with both her own success in Paris and whatever positive consequences come from it, Howard attributes much of her advancement to those around her — her doctors, parents and coaches, whose infallible support convinced her to persevere even at her lowest points. And of course, her horses.
“The horses allow me to have the movement that I don’t have, and I can never thank them enough for that,” Howard said. “They let me borrow their legs.”
Fiona Howard and her horse, Diamond Dunes, compete at the Palace of Versailles during the 2024 Paris Paralympics. The Northeastern alum notched three gold medal for Team USA in the competition.
Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian
By Julia Yohe News Staff
Howard holds the American flag after winning Olympic gold. She helped the U.S. secure their first-ever team medal in equestrian at the Paralympics.
Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian
Op-ed: Why VP Kamala Harris
is the candidate we need now more than ever
After President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential election in July, his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris garnered widespread attention. Videos of Harris dancing, laughing and delivering her iconic line, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” captured the interest of millions of young voters. However, as these voters prepare to cast their ballots for Harris, it’s crucial to not only focus on her viral moments, but also the policies and presidential strategies she champions. As more people become familiar with her vision for the future, it becomes apparent that Harris is the right choice in this election.
The next president will be stepping into a complex political landscape. Challenges such as the Israel-Hamas war, inflation and demand for gun control make the role of the president more crucial now than ever.
In the midst of this, Harris has already proven that she can handle the pressure of a position in office. For one, she was the first female, Black and South Asian vice president and made her mark on American history. As a U.S. senator, she fought for criminal justice reform, championed healthcare and
supported immigration. Her achievements extend back to her position as California’s first female, Black and South Asian attorney general, where she focused on issues such as consumer protection and environmental justice. Through her infamous campaign slogan, “We’re not going back,” Harris embodies the desire many Americans have for proactive change. This slogan also serves as a jab at former President and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, whose administration enacted several policies that reversed a lot of American progress, such as rolling back environmental policies and abortion protections. While the Biden-Harris administration has attempted to fix the damage of Trump’s term, Harris emphasizes the need to continue this progress.
In addition to her progressive mindset, Harris appeals to young voters for many other reasons, but one of the main ones is her commitment to relieving student debt. During her presidential run in 2019, she emphasized her support for debt-free college enrollment and, in 2023, implemented the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan alongside President Biden, which successfully forgave student loan debts for millions of Americans.
Trump, on the other hand, would only add to students’ financial burdens. He has said that, if elected, he would decrease student loan forgiveness programs and reverse the existing plans the Biden-Harris administration has enacted. Like many of my peers, I’ve felt the pressure of impending student debt. Harris’ commitment to relieving this burden makes me hopeful for a future where education is significantly more accessible.
Further, abortion rights is one of the more largely debated topics in the United States, a topic that Harris is unafraid to discuss, as seen in her campaign
video. As vice president, she has voiced her disapproval of anti-abortion state laws. She has equated these laws to a health crisis and has called for Congress to restore Roe v. Wade. After seeing multitudes of predominantly male politicians making decisions about women’s bodies, a woman in office who supports women’s rights is a welcome change, especially for young voters.
While Trump has taken many different stances on abortion, the position he took during his presidency should not be forgotten. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was made possible by the Supreme Court justices Trump nominated. Trump has even said that he’s proud that his jurisdiction overturned this essential law.
To make matters worse, Trump has also been very clear about opposing transgender rights, another hotly-debated social justice issue. Trump has equated gender-affirming care to “child abuse” and has pledged to issue an order to cease programs that promote gender transitioning, yet another example of the former president dictating what people can do with their own bodies.
Harris has openly expressed support for transgender citizens. The Biden-Harris administration expanded Title IX, a federal law that prohibits gender discrimination, to protect transgender students. This showcases Harris’ commitment to expanding sanctions for the LGBTQ+ community through legislation.
Harris’ campaign also highlights her commitment to affordable healthcare: “We choose a future … where we can all afford healthcare.” Unlike Trump, who attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act during his term and has not provided a clear plan for its replacement, Harris has a history of supporting policies like the Medicare for All bill aimed at giving millions of Americans access to health care.
Harris also has strong experience dealing with climate change issues; she co-sponsored the Green New Deal and supported the United States rejoining the Paris Agreement. In contrast, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement and rolled back environmental protections, showing a clear disregard for climate action.
One of the most significant foreign affairs recently has been the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. During a campaign rally in Detroit, Harris was faced with chants from pro-Palestine protesters, where she effectively shut them down.
At a following campaign rally in Arizona, she recognized her mistake and called for a ceasefire. For me, the Israel-Hamas war affects the moral standing of our nation. While my views slightly contradict Harris’, I believe Palestine needs liberation from oppression. I am heartened by Harris’ willingness to listen to citizens and vow not to stay silent on the issue.
Meanwhile Trump, who has said that he “fought for Israel” more than any other past president, has been nothing but insensitive regarding the war in Gaza. In an April radio interview, he said Israel just needs to “get it over with” and is “absolutely losing the PR war.”
The fact that the former president is so unconcerned about the genocide taking place and equates the war to a public relations competition suggests that he will not attempt genuine efforts toward peace and justice if elected.
Trump also has close ties with The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that created the infamous far-right agenda titled “Project 2025.”
This document includes several plans bent on undermining freedoms in the United States, such as banning abortion medications and other plans that would halt efforts to expand
renewable energy production.
One of Project 2025’s most dangerous proposals is to dismantle the federal bureaucracy. This would eliminate the U.S. government’s system of checks and balances by allowing the president to implement policies single-handedly. The United States was built on a system of checks and balances within our government, and the mere thought of removing this is incredibly harmful to the state of our nation.
While Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025 or even what it is, multiple of its contributors served under his administration. This raises serious concerns about the potential of Project 2025’s influence if Trump was to take office.
To prevent any and all possibilities of Project 2025 from becoming a reality, supporting a candidate who upholds checks on power is crucial.
Harris brings a lot to the table, it’s important to note criticisms against her. While Harris is by no means a perfect candidate, her stances are significantly better than those of Trump.
The upcoming presidential election proves to be one of the most consequential in this nation’s history. As someone who has taken a great interest in this election and has followed Harris’ career closely, I find her approach and conviction refreshing in our current political climate.
Harris brings the leadership needed to navigate our nation’s complex challenges and steer it into a brighter future. As new voters, we must make our voices heard and choose the candidate who will lead us into a better tomorrow.
Shreya Pillamari is a second-year computer science and business administration combined major. She can be reached at pillamari.sh@northeastern.edu.
Op-ed: It takes courage to be different
Four years ago, I walked down the airport terminal and eyed the foreign writing sprawled across the advertisements — the curlicues of each letter like vines that were reminiscent of the elvish language from another world. Anticipation fizzled in my stomach at the thought of being in the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe, courtesy of my father’s job as a diplomat.
Stepping into the baggage claim area, I saw Georgians for the first time — most of them Caucasian with brown hair, prominent noses and soulfully dark eyes. My family and I barely had to make an effort to squeeze past the people, for they had already stepped aside for us to pass through. I looked down to check if there was anything on
my shirt to warrant such piercing stares, but found nothing. Now I know what zoo animals must feel like, constantly getting ogled at by passersby for simply being themselves.
My excitement was soon replaced with unease as I twisted my neck — trying and failing to spot another person of a different ethnicity amid the tsunami of people.
To this extent, I remember a very clear incident within my first year of moving to Georgia. I’d gone to a ballet theater with a friend of German ethnicity when I felt the warmth of body heat and came face to face with a middle-aged Georgian woman wearing a crimson red lip. I smiled politely at her and made an effort to squeeze past right when she shifted to the side and blocked my escape.
“Let me take a picture of you both, I have never seen so many ethnicities gathered in one place!” she said.
Before I had time to process her words, she had already snapped a photo and placed her digital camera back inside her purse before scurrying off with a “Thanks!”
In the aftermath of this event, along with similar ones in my time there, I became a hermit and spent most days behind my neighborhood walls, forsaking weekly grocery runs and taking great care to walk alongside the inner part of the sidewalk in vain effort to fade into the woodwork.
While school was a welcoming place, I was the only individual of East Asian descent in the entirety of my high school, which predominantly consisted of Caucasians. Whether my classmates were joking around in foreign languages or constantly making plans to go day drinking, I felt a perpetual divide that prevented me from fully fitting into European culture.
Within a few months, I had been programmed into hypervigilance. Whenever I’d catch someone’s wandering eye in public, I despised them for the directed attention, no matter who they were or what the intent was, as if resentment alone had the power to remove me from this place.
It was only at the end of my second year that I finally felt like I belonged. Nothing about my environment changed to accommodate me better, nor did I find a core group of friends who shared my heritage. It was a quiet confidence I possessed upon the realization that we all have one thing in common: our differences.
I began to swap my usual deadpan expression in exchange for a grin whenever I’d catch the attention of a passerby. More often than not, they’d smile back. If someone on the street made an incorrect assumption regarding where I was from, I’d take advantage of that opportunity to brag about the two places I considered home — Taiwan and the United States.
In turn, this enabled both of us to acquire a broader worldview regarding our respective countries of origin.
Despite the microaggressions I encountered in my time in Georgia, I realized that these little changes in attitude toward others did not go unnoticed. The more I strove to view the world through a more positive lens, the more kindness was reciprocated toward me — an understanding between people transcending race and background. With time, I began giving myself grace in embracing the totality of all the experiences that made me uniquely myself — attributes that no amount of makeup or a change in wardrobe could conceal.
As time passed, I also garnered an interest in learning about this country’s unique topography. Georgia is primarily surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains, which act as a physical barrier in limiting the country’s exposure to different ethnic groups — hence lessening the spread of various cultural influences. This may have served as a contributing factor with regard to an increasingly “like-minded” way of thinking.
Despite being surrounded by mountains, Georgia is also at a crossroads between Europe and Central Asia, which served as a trading route to countries such as Turkey, Russia and India. Due to the ongoing interactions between these countries, Georgian culture was molded
as a consequence of that. I didn’t know it then, but whether it be the khinkali dumplings devoured during dinner or the nearby monastery, cultural influences were ingrained under the very ground I tread upon.
I began to realize that the majority of individuals I encountered had no malicious intentions, with their actions primarily stemming from curiosity about the unknown. Armed with this new understanding, it became easier to forgive and move forward in relinquishing control over the things I couldn’t change.
During my last few months in the country, I began making more trips into the city center, drinking up every last drop of all that Georgia had to offer: its archaic wine culture, the unique sourness of sulguni cheese or the clinking of glass from a lively supra happening in a backyard a street away. I realized I would miss looking out into the distance, seeing shards of the sun strike the mountains that were sprinkled with sheep. In that moment, there wasn’t a thing that I would change.
I departed Georgia with my cup filled to the brim, having put forth effort to learn about its culture and mustering the courage to share a bit of my own.
Mikayla Tsai is a third-year behavioral neuroscience major. She can be reached at tsai.mik@northeastern.edu.
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My first and, so far, only co-op experience can be defined as transformative, enriching, magnificent and by a further predictable collection of overused superlatives.
Insofar as Northeastern has sold its co-op program as a way to learn through experience, the catchphrase is not merely a reflection of a hollow public relations strategy, but instead points to a legitimate and powerful conclusion: that experience is the bread and butter of true understanding.
This assertion seems so obviously true on its face as to render the conclusion trivial. Indeed, we are all so accustomed to the value of accumulating experiences that society deems it a virtue — that of wisdom.
But why should we, as students caught in the relentless job search, care about gaining experience?
Through the use of a language easily digestible to the average
Northeastern student, the so-called “career-speak” which we have seemingly all absorbed over the years through osmosis, experience is the necessary building block for attaining our highly sought-after titles of “professionals” and “experts.” Experience is rightly venerated because it is extremely useful.
The point I am trying to press here is that Northeastern’s central theory on experience — that it is vital to a student’s growth as a learner — is actually spot on.
Yet it seems to me that by placing so much emphasis on “learning through experience,” Northeastern students have overlooked and undervalued another important tool to further our understanding: the classroom.
The mere concept of the classroom is an extraordinary notion. Curious individuals, who are here solely with the intention to learn more about a given topic, are taught by those most experienced in said topic (at least this is the idea).
At Nottheastern, you can learn public finance from an economist who worked at Boston’s Federal Reserve, astronomy from a physicist who did her post-doctoral fellowship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and logic from a professor who has been described to me by his colleagues as “one of the top five logicians alive today.”
You not only learn from these experts, but can ask them any and all questions you can possibly conceive.
If you look around, the level of access that universities provide is remarkable, and the keys to a further understanding of whatever your curiosities are right in front of you.
I find that many Northeastern students have adopted a mentality in which they see co-op not as one of many methods for accumulating an understanding of a given topic, but as the only method of doing so.
Speaking from my own experience (pun only slightly intended), my first two years at Northeastern were dominated by a rigid pecking order that placed co-op first and the classroom a distant second.
What this ended up looking like was the prioritization of co-op search over homework, of cover letter refinement over office hour attendance and of interview preparation over class participation. This, in effect, meant that the attention I was giving to my studies — a necessity for a genuine understanding of any topic — was diminished at best and non-existent at worst.
I believe this to be a common thread for the average Northeastern student; this is in no way indicative of an overall sense of laziness or of a diminished interest in our desire to learn. On the contrary, we are so deeply committed to the idea of broadening our understanding that we devote an ungodly amount of time vying for the opportunity we believe will help us do just that — searching for the oft-presumed “perfect” co-op.
But we have allowed the pendulum to swing too far away from in-class learning.
After returning from co-op, I made the radical decision to genuinely focus on my studies. Admittedly, this was fueled by a feeling of existential dread that, already halfway into my university years, I was doing nothing but wasting my time. Seeking a change, I decided to change everything.
I chose a new major, began speaking to professors after class, began actually reading all of the assigned material and fully committed to soaking up as much information as I possibly could. I was not merely memorizing key words and regurgitating them anymore, but obtaining new knowledge and understanding. This change was illuminating.
The careers we decide to embark upon will be full of learning through experience, but it is only during our short time in university where learning for the sole sake of learning is not just acceptable, but the whole point of a university.
If your attendance at Northeastern can be attributed to the existence of the co-op program, do yourself a favor and remember that co-op isn’t the only way for you to grow.
JackMasliahisafourth-year politicalscienceandphilosophy combinedmajorandcolumnistfor The News. He can be reached at masliahlitchi.j@northeastern.edu.
Op-ed: Northeastern’s growing pains are just beginning
In a biological context, a metamorphosis refers to a dramatic change in a body form from an infantile stage to an organism’s adult stage. One may conjure an image of tadpoles growing into frogs or eggs transforming into butterflies. In a more practical context, however, a metamorphosis can be used to refer to a complete change of something. In an article published Aug. 9, The Boston Globe refers to Northeastern’s growth as a “metamorphosis” considering how it managed to shake its long-standing reputation as a commuter school and become a widely-recognized university circa the 2010s.
This change kickstarted in 1991, when Northeastern faced a budget gap of $17 million, as reported by The Globe. This was a pivotal moment for
the school that acted as a catalyst for a change in strategy in order to bring in more money: More acceptances for students from high-income families. More students from outside of Massachusetts and the United States. Higher tuition and fees.
The landscape of Northeastern in 2024 versus the early 1990s almost seems like two different schools. Today, our newest, shiniest buildings including the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex and EXP, each with budgets north of $200 million, house modern equipment and science labs. The number of campuses beyond Boston have mushroomed in the past decade. Application numbers continue to climb as the acceptance rate drops, reaching an all-time low of 5.2% in fall 2024.
In short, their plan to save the school worked. But in a town saturated with higher education institutions like Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern still needed to work to differentiate itself.
The co-op program was — and still is — an ace in its pocket. With the co-op program entering its 115th year in 2024, the school continues to stand out by building work experience into undergraduate and graduate degrees.
With a cemented legacy in providing work experience, administrators started their expansion campaign.
The only other campus property Northeastern owned prior to 2011 was the Marine Science Center in Nahant, which opened in 1967. 2011 marked the beginning of the school’s first satellite campus when it opened its doors in Charlotte, NC. Now, Northeastern has 13 campuses, as well as the newly-acquired Marymount Manhattan College in New York City.
This theme of acquisitions and expansions raises important concerns about the fabric of our school. A college’s growth doesn’t scale indefinitely without losing quality and attention to students. A school has to balance growth with fulfilling obligations to students that are already here. Too much growth can undermine the promise that the university makes to its accepted students.
This manifests itself in the quality of the housing, dining, academic buildings and more that are significant determinants of the quality of life students have. Northeastern students on the Boston campus are no strangers to overcrowding, especially when it comes to housing. As I read about expansions outside of Boston while my classmates and I continue to squeeze into forced doubles, triples and even quadruples, or live in hotel rooms, I can’t help but feel slighted.
At some point, overexpansion goes against the approach that
helped Northeastern grow in the first place: Higher tuition, fewer students admitted.
As it stands, Northeastern’s tuition seemingly cannot get any higher than its whopping price tag of $64,000. However, a college can’t be a chain or a franchise while maintaining its status as a selective institution. That being said, the most effective way to rake in more money is to admit more students.
Moreover, expansions of this magnitude require more connections to employers if we are to continue to participate in meaningful co-op opportunities, which begs the question of whether we can maintain the same high standards for all of our affiliates. Are we prepared to lower our standards to sustain the interest in the school?
Northeastern prides itself on the idea of experiential learning. And to me, the success of the co-op program speaks for itself. But as for the expansion, I continue to see it as a means to mitigate overcrowding with the added bonus of experiencing other places. But at some point, we’ve taken our adult form and cannot metamorphize any further.
ZoeMacDiarmidisasecond-year cellandmolecularbiologymajor andamemberofTheHuntington News’ staff. She can be reached at macdiarmid.z@northeastern.edu.
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Massachusetts’ ‘outdated’ happy hour ban may be removed due to senate bill
By Sarah Mesdjian News Correspondent
If you were in Boston last June when the Celtics won their 18th NBA title, you might have attended the bustling, celebratory parade that came three days later. However, amongst the city-wide festivities, even Jayson Tatum himself would not have been able to find a half-off drink special at any bar in the city.
That’s because the state of Massachusetts has had a ban on happy hour and other promotions involving alcohol since 1984. But this year, that might change after the Massachusetts Senate in July approved an amendment that would do away with the ban.
Advocates for happy hour contend that by legalizing promotional deals on alcohol, Massachusetts will reinvigorate commerce, nightlife and encourage the “after-work crowd” to go out and socialize.
Before the amendment can go into effect, it must be passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which is the state’s historically more conservative legislative body, and be signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey.
While Massachusetts has had a ban on happy hour for 40 years, many patrons and restaurant workers believe that Massachusetts is long overdue for a change that could revamp local nightlife post-pandemic.
Quyen Bui, a 23-year-old Boston resident and club promoter, said she
feels “very negatively” about the ban.
“We have to go to New Hampshire if we want something like bottomless mimosas,” Bui said.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the last year, consumer prices in the Boston area rose about 3.5%, as opposed to a 2.9% increase nationally. For many Boston residents, the lack of a happy hour is just another negative aspect of rising prices, making the city increasingly inaccessible for young adults.
Another Boston resident, Rachel Donovan, 28, explained that while she does not often go out for drinks, she is not a proponent of the ban.
“I would probably not participate in happy hour anyway,” Donovan said. “But I don’t think the ban makes sense.”
High prices are not only impacting college students and young professionals, but older residents too, like 88-year-old Ralph Dapolito.
“I used to come here and enjoy this area, but now everything is too expensive,” Dapolito said, sitting just outside of the Old State House, downtown.
Legislators and activists who have proposed removal of the ban argue bringing back happy hour has the potential to lessen the burning hole in Boston residents’ pockets, stimulate the local economy and bring back a sense of community.
Syd Williams, bartender and manager at Bell in Hand, a local tavern self-proclaimed as the oldest in America, explained that historic
bars survive off tourism rather than local business.
“Having a ban on happy hour hurts our local business,” Williams said. “We’ll have consistent tourism no matter what, but we don’t have a massive five o’clock, after-work rush.”
While historic bars like Bell in Hand may always have business in the form of tourism, lesser-known bars may suffer from declining local clientele.
“I don’t think the ban is necessary,” Williams said. “As a consumer, I’m not a fan of it. I think that it’s outdated.”
However, despite strong support from consumers, some have raised concerns regarding issues like drunk driving and other public safety hazards spurred from excess consumption of alcohol.
The ban was initially enacted in 1984 in response to a horrific car accident that caused the death of a 20-year-old woman in Braintree.
Kathleen Barry was run over by her friend who drank in excess after winning free alcohol during a bar contest.
In a 2023 report from the United Health Foundation, Massachusetts had a higher-than-average rate of binge drinking compared to other states. According to the report, 19.1% of adults reported binge drinking or heavy drinking.
Conversely, Williams said that the responsibility is not on the state to limit alcohol consumption, but rather on bars and restaurants.
“It’s the state’s job to be responsible
with licensing. From there, it’s on the bar,” she said.
Williams said that it is a common procedure to cut off patrons at Bell in Hand to protect their safety and the tavern’s liquor license.
“Our staff is trained to cut people off. … It’s our responsibility to protect our licensing and get people out at a safe level,” she said. “If someone were to overconsume and walk out and something happened to them, we’re responsible.”
Williams said she believes bringing back happy hour would benefit consumers without further endangering them.
“I’m not concerned about overconsumption during happy hour because
we gauge 24/7. It’s our job 24/7 to make sure that we’re not being irresponsible with serving,” she said. “I don’t think it would be any different.”
Many young Bostonians feel very passionately about the subject, arguing that Boston’s nightlife is far too strict for its own good.
“I wouldn’t just vote, I would rally up all my friends. We would show up anywhere and vote for this to be removed,” Bui said.
Post-pandemic, Boston has made efforts to revive downtown commerce and improve tourism and affordability. For advocates of happy hour, removing the ban would be yet another step in making Boston a more affordable, community-driven city.
Newbury Street shelter offers support, gender-specific care to women
By Alexis Algazy City Editor
Down a few stairs inside a historic church at the end of Newbury Street lies what some say is the best spot in the city for lunch — and the kicker is that it’s always free for those in need.
Women’s Lunch Place, or WLP, a daytime women’s shelter, welcomes anyone who identifies as female, regardless of their financial or housing situation, to enjoy a plethora of offered services, which include hot meals, showers, housing and mental health resources and an array of community events.
“I think it is really important to have [the shelter] in a gender-specific space,” said Henry Morris, WLP’s communications and marketing manager. “The research just shows that women have much different experiences with homelessness than men and I think the best practices show that it’s useful to have a space where it’s women only.”
A 2020 study published in the scientific journal BMC Public Health found that women experiencing homelessness have greater mental health concerns than their male counterparts and would greatly benefit from access to gender-specific and trauma-informed services.
“It’s just about serving unhoused, vulnerable women [and] folks struggling with poverty, addiction, mental health, trauma, all the things,” said Rachel Klein, WLP’s shelter manager. “We try to be a really safe space, we don’t require anything of anyone who comes in.”
The shelter offers a variety of services, from day-to-day necessities like meals and showers, to resources that help guests meet their longterm goals, like housing advocates and legal services.
The shelter’s first floor is home to dining tables for guests to enjoy balanced meals and socialize. Once guests’ immediate needs are met, WLP staff members turn their attention toward resources aimed to accomplish guests’ long-term goals.
Advocates and medical staff sit behind desks on the first floor to make themselves accessible to anyone that walks through the doors.
Daylen Ala, a Jamaica Plain resident and WLP housing advocate, often sits behind the first-floor desk.
“Being an advocate, specifically a housing advocate, we’re trying to connect women in Boston — whether they’re experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty or they’re in crisis — we connect them with housing across Boston and the Greater Boston area,” Ala said.
One of Ala’s biggest projects at WLP is the organization’s housing stabilization program. She works
to find beds for clients in emergency shelters and helps clients find affordable housing and maintain their housing so they don’t return to being unhoused.
“The first thing I try to establish is a safe space and trust between the clients here,” Ala said. “We’re so goal-oriented that sometimes I forget that people get so overwhelmed that they can’t even focus on their goals. Making sure that they trust me, that’s how I’ve been able to have the most success.”
Ala said that oftentimes, clients aren’t aware of the housing programs that exist in Boston or of the affordable housing process itself.
“Boston is one of the most expensive cities in the country, for housing, for all sorts of stuff,” Klein said. “It’s certainly not easy, there’s certainly not enough services, there’s not enough beds in the city for everyone that might want one.”
Ala said that the housing process can be stressful and complicated for clients, and that housing advocates’ purpose is to help simplify the process.
“It’s never a dead end — there’s always a solution to everything, even if it takes a little more time to find that solution,” Ala said. “It just takes a lot of patience, respect and hope.” Day-to-day necessities and housing advocacy are not the only resources WLP offers. Recently, the shelter has invested in its mental health services.
“Our community of guests have such a wide variety of moderate to severe mental health issues and addictions, and it’s really important to leadership that we embed these touchpoints so that you’re never more than an arm’s length away from mental health care — really good, free, high-quality mental health care,” Morris said.
Klein is not just the shelter manager — she is also a professional social worker. The shelter hires three to six clinical interns during the school year. Klein oversees these interns, who greatly increase the numbers of WLP’s full-time direct care staff. Beyond Klein and her clinical interns, WLP offers full-time therapists, part-time psychiatrists and addiction recovery classes.
“Don’t be scared to ask for help,” Ala said. “Just last week, I had this lady that came to triage and she said she had come to WLP and stood outside our building for the last three weeks because she was just too scared to admit that she needed help. The moment that we were like, ‘We’ll help you,’ she just started crying.”
Whether guests need a hot meal or shower, housing or mental health support or are looking for a place to build community, WLP welcomes all women to its shelter.
“Everyone’s welcome here,” Ala said. “We try our best to help you out with everything and anything.”
A bartender prepares a glass of beer at Bell in Hand. An amendment that would remove the state’s happy hour ban was approved in July by the Massachusetts Senate.
Photo by Jessica Xing
A guest at WLP smiles as she sits to eat. Alongside daily necessities like meals and showers, WLP also increased their investment in mental health services.
Photo courtesy Nancy Schieffelin
Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle opens its doors to students on Huntington
By Zoe MacDiarmid & Matias
News Staff & News Correspondent
Of the shops frequented by Northeastern students on Huntington Avenue, Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle’s aesthetic stands out. A dozen blue chandeliers hang from high-vaulted ceilings; blue crushed velvet upholstery lines the booths; renowned Renaissance-period paintings feature a unique gelato-centered spin.
Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle opened Aug. 30 after nine months of construction, designing and decorating. The shop offers a total of 75 gelato and sorbet flavors with 24 displayed at once, pastries including macarons, pretzels and waffles — savory and sweet.
The owners, wife and husband Tatiana and Bruce Sabokrooh, live in Needham and also own neighboring restaurants Mamacita Comida and Gyroscope on Huntington Avenue, as well as the plant store Fern Flowers on Massachusetts Avenue.
More than two decades after opening their first business, the couple says that they continue to enjoy serving young people in the community. “I like the young energy. They’re happy. They’re outgoing,” Bruce Sabokrooh said. “We’ve had businesses in other areas where it’s a different demographic. It’s not quite the same. Here, the kids bring the energy. They’re out late. They’re happy all the time.”
Elizabeth Polche, a second-year international business major at Northeastern, said that she loves how the shop reminds her of Europe.
“I’m so happy to have a place near campus that reminds me of where I’ve felt the most happy,” Polche said. “It’s the perfect environment to eat at with friends.”
Paris Green, a second-year economics and business administration major at Northeastern, said it is now one of her favorite gelato shops in Boston.
“It’s really fun,” she said. “It has a lot of great vibes and is the perfect place to study since it’s not too far from campus.”
The Sabokroohs credit Fern Flowers, their first business, as their starting point nearly 25 years ago. Their next business, Gyroscope, which serves Mediterranean food, opened in 2018. Mamacita followed in 2021. Now, in 2024, Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle marks their fourth business in the neighborhood.
In planning for this shop, the business owners’ goal was to create a space where students could socialize without alcohol, Tatiana Sabokrooh said. The idea to create a shop oriented around gelato came from her family, who emigrated 15 years ago from her home country of Moldova to Italy.
“We’ve been going back to visit them,” she said. “We got a lot of ideas. The culture is so beautiful over there.”
Once they landed on gelato and waffles, they worked on their recipes. As seasoned business owners, Bruce Sabokrooh said they focus on perfecting their offerings.
“I think it’s really important to give a good product, to really put your heart and soul into it,” he said.
“Whether it’s even the macarons we [display] at the end, [and] you can’t even see them, those are organic, gourmet, the best we could find. … We have to [put] our best foot forward.”
Bruce Sabokrooh’s first exposure to business ownership
One of their employees at Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle is Mckenna Dahlen, a second-year psychology major at Northeastern. Since the shop’s opening, Dahlen said positive interactions with customers “make her day.”
“I don’t have to navigate tricky situations because no one really walks into a gelato
and waffle shop mad,” she said. “They’re getting dessert — they’re going to be happy.”
The owners often don aprons and help out around the shop in between managing the other businesses out of “love” for their work, Bruce Sabokrooh said.
“We love this area,” he said. “We don’t want to go anywhere else.”
came from his parents, who were in the flower business. After graduating with degrees in biochemistry and finance from Brandeis University, he worked a finance job in downtown Boston for just six months before quitting.
“Time flies when you’re here and at an office job, you just stare at the clock,” he said.
Now, Tatiana Sabokrooh, who left her job as a registered nurse in 2021, and Bruce Sabokrooh work together full-time on their businesses while raising their two elementary-aged children.
Considering their close proximity to neighboring colleges — Northeastern University, the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music — the couple says they created and catered their menus to serve college students’ needs.
“We love our customers. We really do,” Tatiana Sabokrooh said. “They’re very intelligent people. They’re all studying. They know what’s good. They know what’s good quality. And that’s what we strive for.”
Gonzalez
Tatiana and Bruce Sabokrooh pose for a photo. The couple opened Da Vinci Aug. 30, making it their fourth business in the area.
Photo by Jessica Xing
An employee mixes gelato in the display case. Da Vinci Gelato & Waffle also offered sweet and savory waffles, pastries and coffee drinks.
Photo by Jessica Xing