April 14, 2023

The Huntington News

BRIDGETTE MITCHELL ACCEPTS FORDHAM JOB, STEPS DOWN AS NORTHEASTERN HEAD COACH

Former Northeastern women’s basketball head coach and 2022-23 CAA Coach of the Year Bridgette

Mitchell has accepted the head coaching position at Fordham University, as announced by Fordham April 7.

After leading the Huskies to a 19-12 record and going 13-5 in conference in just her second year as head coach, Mitchell now departs the program with an overall record of 33-30 in her tenure.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time [at Northeastern] because of the people,” she said in a statement to The News. “My players are beautiful people and I cannot wait to see how they change the world.”

Mitchell earned CAA Coach of the Year honors this season and holds the second-highest winning percentage among Northeastern women’s basketball coaches at 52.5%, but has always made sure to credit her fellow coaches and the program’s culture for her own success.

“I always applaud our support staff,” Mitchell said in an interview with The News. “Our number one rule as a team and program is to put the program above yourself.”

After an up-and-down start to the season and a lull in conference play,

the Huskies turned on the jets late in the year, going 9-1 in the last 10 games of the season and securing a share of the CAA regular season title.

Mitchell’s coaching style has been described as tough, but she has always made an effort to put the team and her players first, graduate student guard JaMiya Braxton said.

“I love her. That’s all I can say,” Braxton said. “She just really cared about her players. And she’s just had a great impact in my life.”

Mitchell, a former Duke University player, was most recently an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh and served on staffs at Wagner Col-

By Eamonn Ryan | News Staff

lege and James Madison University. She was hired by Northeastern April 17, 2021, making her tenure as a Husky just 10 days shy of two

Northeastern Assistant Athletic Director and women’s basketball administrator Regina Sullivan was a main part of hiring Mitchell to fill the void left by Kelly Cole, who departed the university after seven seasons.

“[Mitchell] has an amazing presence and ability beyond that,”

Sullivan said. “She’s an extremely impressive individual, I think, on and off the basketball court. And you get that — you get her passion from the moment you meet her.”

After Mitchell’s first season — in which the Huskies went 14-18 and 8-10 in conference play — key players such as Claudia Soriano and Kendall Currence transferred away from the program, but Mitchell’s ability to add talent to the squad helped the

Huskies to such an impressive season in her second year.

Junior guard Derin Erdogan, a transfer from the University of Arizona, earned All-CAA First Team honors after leading the Huskies on the court. She averaged 15 points a game this season and led the Huskies in assists with four assists per game.

Junior forward Deja Bristol, a Virginia transfer, received the CAA Sixth Player of the Year award, scoring eight points per game and grabbing five rebounds per game.

Overall, Mitchell’s second season was a product of her first season’s challenges.

“She showed that she took what she learned and we took what we learned and she made it happen,” Sullivan said.

Mitchell will move over to the Rams, who went 19-13 in 2022-23 and won a game in the National Invitational Tournament before ending their season with a loss to Columbia University. The Rams are in the Atlantic-10 conference and went 10-8 in conference play. The Huskies will begin a search for their eighth head coach following Mitchell’s departure.

SGA passes bill calling on NU to sever ties with private military companies

After hours of intense debate, a resolution that would push Northeastern administration to halt the university’s collaboration with private military companies — including terminating research contracts, financial holdings and campus recruiting events — passed in the Student Government Association, or SGA, March 13.

SR-SP-23-104, written by members of the Progressive Student Alliance, or PSA, claims companies that manufacture military technology

‘Ask

directly profit from war and produce weapons that have been used to commit war crimes. The legislation specifically focused on Raytheon Technologies, one of the largest aerospace and defense conglomerates in the world, a longtime donor to Northeastern with an amphitheater in its name on campus.

“Northeastern claims to have social responsibility. It claims to care about social justice,” said Kyler Shinkle-Stolar, a fourth-year biology major and the main author of the legislation. “It shouldn’t be supporting industries that are causing so much harm.”

Northeastern has not made its endowments and tax documents public, making it difficult to know the extent of their work with Raytheon and similar companies. Top executives from General Electric, Exxonmobil and Raytheon have served on Northeastern’s executive board in the past, creating what Shinkle-Stolar called a “conflict of interest.”

Human Rights Watch called for an end to U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia after they linked a bomb made by Raytheon to an attack on a worker’s shelter in Yemen in 2016, which was the 23rd time

they linked U.S. supplied weapons to unlawful attacks in the war and the fourth time these weapons were produced by Raytheon.

“These companies profit so much [from war], make billions and billions of dollars and then end up investing that money and just creating more weapons,” Shinkle-Stolar said. “When there’s a question of whether we should send weapons to a country, they lobby for weapons to be sent.”

According to a study by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, the Department of Defense increased its military

budget after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Twin Towers by more than the entire military budget of any other country, topping $4.4 trillion for projects that primarily benefit corporate contractors. The main benefactors of this spending surge have been five major corporations Northeastern has worked with in the past, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. While military spending has come down since 2010, it remains historically high.

Photo by Marta Hill

Photo by Elizabeth Scholl

Mitchell huddles with her players during a battle against Towson Jan. 27. In her second, and final, season at Northeastern, she led the Huskies to their first-ever CAA regular season title and was named CAA Coach of the Year.

Photo by Lauren Salemo

By Emily Spatz

News Staff

New Senate resolution highlights Northeastern’s relationship to ‘war industry’

The SGA legislation also rebuked the environmental harm contributed by private military companies through their perpetuation of war and production of military equipment. According to a report by Scientists for Global Responsibility, militaries are responsible for 5.5% of global emissions, and military waste often utilizes hazardous substances which are often improperly disposed of.

Students who spoke out against the legislation raised issues with how this decision would impact students in majors that rely on private military companies for co-ops and internships. The university hosts recruiting events and job fairs with Raytheon, which advertises “over 200 open engineering positions for recent graduates ... as well as opportunities for students seeking co-ops and internships” on Northeastern’s website.

“I would be very concerned should Northeastern cut research contracts and events with these companies due to how impactful those co-ops and first jobs can be for resume building,” said Nicholas Talleri, a first-year mechanical engineering and design combined major. “I would work for these companies, but not go out of my way to join [them] compared to a similar job elsewhere.”

Mikhail Ankudovych, a Ukrainian first-year data science and economics combined major and SGA member who spoke against the legislation, mentioned private military companies’ roles in supplying weapons to maintain international security.

“My family is in Ukraine and there are some missiles being produced

by companies like Raytheon that are keeping my grandmother’s apartment an apartment and not a pile of debris,” Ankudovych said.

Raytheon ceased operations with Russia in April 2022, though the company was still deriving a large part of their revenue from working with the country up until this decision. Neil Mitchill, Raytheon’s chief financial officer, told Reuters their revenue would be lowered by $750 million because “direct and indirect sales ... are no

longer allowed because of the global sanctions imposed on Russia.”

Despite the expected reduction in profits, Raytheon and the other four major weapons manufacturers saw an increase in value of their stocks by 12.78% in the year following Russia’s invasion. Most of their revenue came from government contracts to deliver defense weapons to Ukraine.

While Ankudovych agreed there should be more transparency and

communication between students and administrators about this issue, he was doubtful this legislation would change much in regard to who the university works with.

“I agree that [executives being on Northeastern’s board] is a conflict of interest, but I think that’s just the nature of the board of trustees at a corporation,” he said.

“In terms of estimating legislation scope, I don’t think this is going to change much.”

Shinkle-Stolar said that, if taken up by the university, the legislation wouldn’t explicitly stop students working for these companies, but it would halt Northeastern from actively promoting and funneling students to work for them.

“[This decision] is not going to change that much economically. But once an institution does something like this, it starts to set a certain standard for other institutions, and it starts to change the nature of how this industry works,” he said.

At a Raytheon recruitment event held March 15, campus programs recruiter Rebecca Kuzmich told The News that it was a “personal decision” of employees to work for the company.

Northeastern did not respond to requests for comment.

In the past, students have fought for university divestment from companies doing business in South Africa to protest apartheid. Anti-apartheid protests began in the 1960s, and by 1988, 155 colleges had at least partially divested.

While historically colleges were the first to initiate disinvestment, 90 cities, 22 countries and 26 states soon followed suit, putting enough economic pressure on the South African government to eventually end discriminatory practices.

“Northeastern did eventually divest from South Africa, even though they thought it wouldn’t change anything,” Shinkle-Stolar said. “Just because [the university] isn’t doing something now doesn’t mean they’re doing the right thing.”

Q&A: New Miami campus dean discusses innovative master’s programs, global tech industry

By Alexa Coultoff News Staff

Northeastern University’s 14th campus will open to both graduate students and Experiental Associates to Master’s, or eA2M, degree completion program students for the fall 2023 semester in the sunny and technologically booming city of Miami, Florida.

The Miami expansion follows the existing network of domestic and international campuses that comprise Northeastern’s experiential learning model.

Current campuses include Boston; London; Oakland, CA; Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle; San Francisco; Silicon Valley, CA; Arlington, VA.; Portland, ME; Charlotte, NC; Nahant, MA; and Burlington, MA.

Based in the Wynwood neighborhood, the Miami campus will focus on the technology, finance and health sectors. The eA2M program paves the way for dedicated students to access higher education in the heart of a global tech industry.

Maria Alonso was named CEO and regional dean of the Miami campus in February. An estab-

lished leader with over 25 years of experience across fields of banking, marketing, social responsibility and community engagement, Alonso is tasked with leading the expansion of Northeastern’s community into the tech industry of Miami.

Alonso shared further information about the Miami campus in an interview with The News.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

HN: What are the specific graduate degree programs that the Miami campus will offer and how many students it is expected to accommodate?

Alonso: As the latest campus joining the global community system, we received approval from the state of Florida for over 20 degree programs last fall. We will launch this fall with five programs: two master’s programs in product management and computer science and three experiential associate to master’s degree programs in information technology and data analytics, finance and accounting management. We are very excited to have these programs because they’ll allow us to provide extra support to lifelong learners who are coming

back and transitioning into going to school. We are especially excited about the masters in computer science aligned program. There is a lot of momentum and growth in tech companies here, so this program will allow individuals who have bachelor’s degrees in other fields to pivot and switch careers into tech. We expect to launch with about 100 students this fall.

HN: What is the timeline for the expansion?

Alonso: It is a compressed timeline — we received approval from the state of Florida in 2022, our plan is to enroll students in fall 2023 and from there continue to grow our program offerings and enrollments as well as partnerships with industry groups. In 2025, we will be offering a master’s in biotechnology and bioinformatics and also working towards having the ability to welcome international students to our campus within the next year or so.

HN: What was the process of deciding on Miami as the next in Northeastern’s global network of campuses?

Alonso: There was an extensive due diligence process in

contemplating expanding to Miami, led by President Aoun and Mary Ludden [assistant teaching professor in master of science project management]. It consisted of conversations with Miami stakeholders such as elected officials, leaders in philanthropy and other higher education colleagues who really had a better understanding of the Miami landscape and how exactly our very unique experiential learning model could add to it.

Miami is in a very exciting time; I’m a lifelong Miamian and the energy seen now is palpable. The truth is that we are capitalizing on our strength, and our strength has to do with our geography. We have a diverse population, vibrant community and notable quality of life. All of those attributes are working for us and now all the growth we are experiencing in our economy makes it a particularly exciting time.

HN: What are some details of government and industry partnerships and research that will occur at the campus?

Alonso: Northeastern has over 3,000 industry partners. We are

excited to develop those partnerships and develop new ones that will be useful to the Miami campus. We are already collaborating with higher education in Miami, predominantly grants from the Center for Inclusive Computing, or CIC. Through a grant to a local higher education institution, CIC’s goal is to infuse programs with best practices that ultimately lead to increased representation of women in computing and technology fields.

We are also in early stages of meeting with government and local colleagues to explore research opportunities in areas such as coastal sustainability, experiential AI, resiliency and cybersecurity. Our goal is to build adjacencies that align with the vision of Northeastern’s academic plan to have impact in the world and fuel lifelong learning.

HN: What do you hope to bring to campus as dean?

Alonso: I’m excited to be a part of building this campus and the impact this campus will have on students, staff and faculty. I hope to bring my passion and experience in the industry to benefit our students.

The entrance to Raytheon Amphitheater inside Egan Research Center on Northeastern’s campus. Raytheon has been the subject of controversy among Northeastern students, who argue accepting donations from private military companies contradicts the university’s social justice values.

Photo by Emily Spatz

Who is the campus personality Juggleslut?

By Ali Caudle News Staff

This article was written in response to the question: “Who is ‘the juggle slut,’ as seen in this TikTok?”

A tall, ginger-haired man saunters shirtless around campus, giving a subtle grin to anyone whose eyes glance over him for a moment too long.

This is “Juggleslut,” Northeastern’s very own celebrity, famous for juggling shirtless on campus nearly every day.

A now frequent feature on Northeastern’s shared Snapchat stories and Instagram meme pages, he got his name from a viral TikTok posted by Owen Skye Nelson, a second-year communications and design major, in September 2022.

Juggleslut’s full name is Jonathan Phillip Chamberlain, and he’s a second-year industrial engineering major from Clifton Park, New York.

“You just walk around, you see him, juggling. Being slutty,” said Tiph Herrick, a third-year civil engineering major. He’s heard of Juggleslut in different

contexts, like from an NUTV skit, he said. “He is kind of a campus celebrity.”

Rain or shine, Chamberlain is almost always shirtless and often juggling barefoot on Centennial Common or another grassy quad. He said he loves being known by so many people on campus, as it’s a great ego boost.

“Sometimes I’m walking, and people whisper ‘Juggleslut’ as I’m walking by,” Chamberlain said. “One time, I was walking around campus with no shirt on, and there was this guy and this girl walking by and they looked at me, right? I kept on walking and they thought I was out of earshot, but I could hear the guy say, ‘Oh, I want to touch his abs so bad.’ It made my day.”

However, Chamberlain says he doesn’t do it for attention.

“Juggling isn’t the main thing, people get this wrong. The main thing is that I like to get outside, get the sunlight on my body and get fresh air. … Juggling is just something I can do in the meantime,” he said. “It’s the nature I want.”

He learned to juggle in high school, he said, after he stubbed his toe chasing his dog playing fetch with a tennis ball around a coffee table.

Chamberlain used to juggle between classes in his high school’s gym, with his shirt on. It wasn’t until his school went remote during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,

when he saw an Instagram post by Carnivore Aurelius encouraging people to get the sun on their body, that he started juggling shirtless.

While he started juggling as soon as he arrived at Northeastern in fall 2021 — taking on Centennial by his second or third day — Chamberlain isn’t just a one trick pony. He doesn’t just use his hands to throw and catch balls; he also uses them to rock climb, something he picked up on a terrible first date.

“It was awful, it was so bad,” he said regarding the date. “But there was rock climbing and instead of falling in love with her, I fell in love with rock climbing.”

However, Chamberlain wouldn’t consider juggling and rock climbing his hobbies.

“I wouldn’t say I necessarily have hobbies because I like to spend my time doing the things that matter … and get me close to my goals. And, personally, I perceive hobbies as something that don’t do that,” he said. “So as a result, I spend my time primarily doing schoolwork and getting a co-op, of course, but also researching into and executing stuff with respect to starting businesses.”

That’s why, Chamberlain said, he chose the project management and money managing major. When asked where he thought he would be in five years, he answered that he would be “making a crap ton of money.”

In spring 2022, the rock climbing, juggling, money-making then-first-year started his own blog.

“Personally, I have a lot of ideas, right? And I really pride myself on being able to communicate those ideas

in a way that is easily understandable,”

Chamberlain said. “I really believe that the ideas I have are unique and can help other people and are a useful perspective change. So because of that, I spread them.”

His friends at Northeastern frequently send him references to Juggleslut they find online. According to Chamberlain, they think he’s a branding genius.

“I like to share my beautiful personality with other people, through my comedic skits,” he said. “But lately I’ve been not putting a lot of effort into it because I made a list of my priorities … and I noticed that building a personal brand is not in the top five. So I’ve been spending significantly less time on that.”

While known by thousands, Chamberlain’s private life, for the most part, remains hidden. He doesn’t have a private Instagram account, and few Juggleslut fans know his real name. Most people also wouldn’t guess that Juggleslut is a twin. Chamberlain’s sister, older than him by a minute, is a second-year student at Rochester Institute of Technology.

While his persona seems simultaneously authentic and absolutely a comedic bit, Juggleslut has become such a big part of Chamberlain’s life that it’s hard to separate the two.

“I think he should keep living his truth. I know some people judge him. I think it’s fun that he can juggle. I can’t juggle, so that’s cool. I’m just happy that he feels confident to go out on the quad and just juggle for everyone,” said Isabella Fisch,

a second-year data science and psychology combined major.

Sometimes he sees people commenting on videos making fun of him, he said, just “shitting” on him. He’s amused by the attention, and explained he doesn’t let negative comments bother him.

“It doesn’t feel weird at all. Like some people might think juggling in front of everybody else is weird. Some people might think going shirtless is weird,” Chamberlain said. “But, I don’t think either is weird, and therefore I continue.”

Why is the aquarium designed like that?

By Alexis Algazy News Staff

This article was written in response to the question: “Why is the aquarium such an ugly building? Why was it designed like that?”

To its architects, the New England Aquarium’s exterior houses an immersive sea-creature-filled experience. But to everyone else, it might just be ugly. The aquarium, initially a beige, concrete central building, opened its

But as designer Peter Chermayeff explained, the aquarium’s design prioritized the interior function over the aesthetic of the exterior.

“Some like it, some don’t, some find it brutal,” Chermayeff said. “The use of concrete everywhere is not everyone’s favorite material … for me that’s secondary because the purpose of the building was to become a framework for having an experience of life underwater.”

Chermayeff explained when the aquarium was designed 55 years ago,

like acrylic panels did not exist in the 1960s. So, the architects’ focus went toward designing the interior. With a variety of attractions for visitors to experience, from the Giant Ocean Tank, to a Penguin Exhibit and an interactive touch tank, Chermayeff and his team prioritized the functionality of the aquarium and its exhibits over its looks. One of the aquarium’s main attractions is the Giant Ocean Tank, a four-story circular saltwater tank home to reef animals like sea turtles, eels and fish. Using custom luminaires

“The design concept for the Giant Ocean Tank was to add a sense of theatricality by highlighting the animals and coral reef with dynamic, enhanced naturalistic lighting,” wrote Matt Zelkowitz, a stage designer that worked on the tank, in a Lumenpulse publication.

Another notable exhibit is the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center, an open-air exhibit where aquarium visitors can watch mammal trainers interact with the aquarium’s northern fur seals and California sea lions. In the wild, these animals spend

While the aquarium’s exterior bears the brunt of frequent criticism, some visitors find problems once inside as well. David Huang, an architect and designer at Payette, wrote an architectural forum titled, “Are architects out of touch?”

Huang asked respondents what buildings in Boston they disliked, and one response mentioned the New England Aquarium: “It is true that fish [need] dark spaces, but there could be more areas with natural light.”

A handful of Boston residents and visitors share the opinion that the aquarium is dark, dreary and even ugly. In fact, a quick visit to Tripadvisor reveals similar descriptions of the aquarium as “dark and depressing,” and an “old, tired, ugly, cramped, sad aquarium.”

Outside of what some visitors may consider a poor design, many have written about good experiences at the aquarium. One aquarium-goer said the building had “great live displays of ocean life,” and another reviewer said, “The multitude and variety of fish and other creatives in beautifully designed habitats is well worth the price.”

While the New England Aquarium may not be the most beautiful to look at from the outside, the inside-attractions and educational experiences are what received the majority of focus when being built.

The New England Aquarium sits on the Boston Harbor. Opened in 1969, many visitors have criticized the building’s appearance.

Photo by Elizabeth Scholl

Chamberlain stretches and juggles in public. Also known as “Juggleslut,” the Northeastern student has gained a lot of attention through social media.

Photos by Ethan Valery

Graphic by Jessica Xing

New Beacon Hill record store seeks to enhance, diversify Boston music scene

By Alexis Algazy News Staff

After four decades without a new record store in Beacon Hill, Music Research Library is bringing a curated collection to the neighborhood.

Vasyl Kochura and Zachary Warf, the co-owners of Music Research Library, first opened the store in 2016 in Providence. Seven years later, the owners shut down their Rhode Island storefront and opened their doors in Boston March 1.

“Beacon Hill … is kind of having some sort of a renaissance.

There’s a lot of focus on kind of rejuvenating the area with a lot of art and small businesses,”

Kochura said.

Music Research Library gets its name from its offerings of library music, a genre that describes background music used for commercials or media projects, most utilized in the 1970s and 1980s.

The store also features a variety of jazz, hip hop, progressive rock and funk, as well as vinyl collected during the owners’ travels.

The co-owners travel to experience different cultures, and

while abroad they collect new records for their collection.

Kochura’s next trip is to Japan, and upon his return from the trip, Music Research Library is bound to have even more unique records.

The owners have a carefully curated collection, often composed of obscure records customers may be unfamiliar with. To encourage their customers to explore new music and records, they implemented a listening station.

“We kind of pride ourselves on having a listening station,” Kochura said. “Any record in the store you can take and listen to it, before you buy it. So even if you don’t know what it is, maybe it catches your eye, you can take it and get a sample of it and see what it sounds like.”

The store has two listening stations, each with a turntable and headphones. Customers are able to place any records of interest on the turntables to listen prior to purchase.

“It’s cool that you can test out the vinyl before buying them,” said Annette Gildshtein, a Newton resident.

Gildshtein had recently purchased a Duran Duran vinyl from Music Research Library that she would never have bought without access to the listening station.

“We envisioned the upgrade. We wanted to bring an atmosphere that’s more than just music,” Warf said.

To create this atmosphere, the store features inviting design elements like elaborate plants and color-coded vinyl covers as wall decor. The owners play music to immerse customers — fitting for a record store.

The main challenge Kochura and Warf faced during their transition to Beacon Hill was the cost of the area.

“Beacon Hill is notoriously expensive, and that’s another big risk that we were facing when we were

looking at this place,” Kochura said. The owners were confident in their customer base from their time in Providence and “knew that [they] would be getting a lot more foot traffic here,” he said.

Music Research Library’s first few weeks in Beacon Hill have brought new listeners into the shop, some hardcore record-lovers and others who simply stumbled upon the store.

“Records in general have been on a resurgence in the past decade or so,” Kochura said. “People are excited.”

Me2/’s Boston ensemble provides safe space to perform classical music

By Katy Manning News Staff

In the auditorium of a Vietnamese community center in Dorchester, music swells from the instruments of more than 50 community members that make up Me2/’s Boston ensemble. A sign on the door informs all participants they are entering a “stigma-free zone,” part of Me2/’s mission to support those struggling with mental illness.

Husband and wife duo Caroline Whiddon and Ronald Braunstein founded the organization in 2011, and now serve as Me2/’s executive director and conductor, respectively.

Whiddon said the idea for a stigma-free orchestra was born from discrimination Braunstein experienced working in the music industry. The pair was working for an orchestra in Vermont when Braunstein was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“After he disclosed his diagnosis to the staff and asked for time to get treatment, they still fired him,” Whiddon said. “He was working on getting stable when he came to me and said ‘I’m not going back into that rat race.’ He wanted to create a safe space for himself and others to create music.”

The first orchestra began in Burlington, Vermont with just 10 members. From the beginning, Whiddon and Braunstein designed the organization with mental health awareness in mind.

“We made two important decisions early on,” Whiddon said. “We wanted to include people both with and without mental health diagnoses. We thought that if we want to reduce the stigma around mental health we have to show

that people with and without diagnoses can work side by side. We also decided to have no auditions and no fees. We wanted to remove any barriers to entry.”

As the Burlington orchestra grew and garnered national attention, the couple decided to create another ensemble in nearby Boston. Now, the group has around 50 members, and Whiddon estimates that around half of them have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Dan Kirsher, a violinist, decided to join Me2/ when he heard that no auditions were required. When he later found out about the program’s mission to support mental health, he was excited to take part.

“When I heard about 40 to 50% of people here have been diagnosed with a mental illness, what I like to say is that the rest of us just haven’t been diagnosed yet,” Kirsher said.

The ensemble is a diverse group, with members of all ages and backgrounds.

“For a while we had a violin stand where a young graduate student was sitting next to a man in his 80s, and there is something that is so beautiful about that,” Whiddon said. “A lot of times we see mentorship relationships come out of [the program].

People are sitting next to each other at rehearsals and they start to get to know each other through the music.”

However, Whiddon said the program wouldn’t appear extraordinary at first glance.

“It doesn’t look any different because it is a mental health orchestra,” she said. “It looks like any other community orchestra.”

Me2/ focuses on classical music, taking traditional pieces and playing them in a safe environment.

“There’s something that I love about playing classical music for mental health,” Whiddon said. “There can be this stereotype of classical being stuffy and uptight and then we combine that with mental health, which is something that people often don’t want to talk about.”

Josh Santana, a violinist, attended music school and now appreciates the supportive environment that Me2/ provides.

“The normal classical music environment is much more regimented and there’s more pressure,” Santana said. “We have a stigma-free zone here and it really makes a huge difference in terms of the cultural norms ... People aren’t afraid to make mistakes.”

This setting allows Me2/’s members to foster friendships that go beyond traditional working relationships. Bassoonist Chris Lee said Me2/ stands out in his musical experience.

“Everyone’s more friendly and open to talking here,” Lee said. “It’s a more intimate environment than a lot of the other orchestras I’ve been a part of.”

Each weekly Me2/ rehearsal begins with a breathing exercise, helping members block out external stressors and focus on the music. The group works through a piece with Braunstein conducting from the podium, pausing to offer constructive feedback to the orchestra along the way. However, this supportive environment does not stop the group from turning out high quality music.

“What I like most [about Me2/] is that we play standard pieces with a

very high level of instruction, both at the ensemble and section level,” Santana said.

This high standard is mostly thanks to Braunstein himself. Me2/ members who spoke to The News were quick to praise the program’s conductor for his work and compassion.

“I like to say that Ronald Braunstein is the one director who has never thrown his baton at me,” Kirsher said.

The ensemble is currently working on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 for an upcoming performance. Whiddon explained that the group performs around three times per year, and that they try to hold at least one performance in a non-traditional space such as a hospital or correctional facility.

“We play this music at facilities like prisons and hospitals where people may not have heard live classical music before,” Whiddon said. “I had a guy come up to me once and say ‘I always thought this kind of music was only for rich people, but now you’re playing for me and I feel like a million bucks.’”

While studying at music school, Braunstein and Whiddon trained to perform without much attachment to

their audience, separated from listeners by the stage. Me2/ takes a different approach with their performances.

“We’ll do Q&As at concerts and we like to have the lights turned up so we can look back at our audience,” Whiddon said. “We want to bring that connection into classical music.”

Me2/ continues to add members and expand its programming. It has symphony orchestras in Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in addition to a flute choir and a new choral program. No matter how much momentum they gain, however, Whiddon and Braunstein remain committed to their original mission.

“We want rehearsal to be a place where someone with bipolar disorder can come and play Beethoven and forget about their diagnosis in a safe and healthy way,” Whiddon said. “I stand in the back of the room during rehearsal and I watch these people, I know a lot of their stories. I know that when they walk out the door they are going to return to the challenges of their lives, but for the time during rehearsal they are feeling calm and at peace with the music.”

Dozens of records line the walls of Music Research Library. The shop was the first Beacon Hill record store to open in over 40 years.

Photo by Sundar Rengarajan

Me2/ orchestra’s members rehearse in Dorchester. Over 50 people have joined the organization’s Boston ensemble.

Photo by Katy Manning

Kochura and Warf stand in their Beacon Hill store. Their new location opened March 1.

Photo by Sundar Rengarajan

Data: Unpacking past Boston Marathon finishers

By Jethro R. Lee Data Editor

The streets of Boston will once again be overrun with fans, athletes and volunteers as the 127th Boston Marathon takes place April 17. Nearly 30,000 athletes from more than 100 countries will race their way from Hopkinton to Back Bay.

With wheelchair, handcycle, duo, professional, para athletics and running waves, planned starting times range from 9:02 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Ahead of this year’s race, The News looked at demographic data, collected by the Boston Athletic Association, for past races.

Emerson class offers hands-on nonprofit work, provides books to Boston- area schools

By Ali Caudle & Marta Hill

News Staff

More than half of Boston Public Schools lack their own full-time libraries with staff, a barrier that can make it difficult for students to access books. One class at Emerson College aims to change that by collecting donated books.

“It’s hard to imagine kids in elementary school and middle school not having a library,” Emerson professor Cathryn Edelstein said. “How do we expect them to rise to the level of education to pursue whatever it is that they want to pursue if you can’t physically hold a book?”

Edelstein, a senior executive-inresidence in the communication studies department, teaches a class in nonprofit fundraising. To provide students with hands-on experience, the class works together to run “On the Same Page Boston,” an advocacy and equity campaign.

Edelstein started the initiative in 2019, when she was working with an elementary teacher in Roslindale who expressed a need for more diverse books in classrooms.

“He said, ‘I have a shelf that only has about 10 books on it. But my student population are all students of color. And there were no books with characters, protagonists, stories, journeys that resemble my students,’” Edelstein said. “So he was my first partner.”

The campaign partners with different teachers every year, each referred by the previous participant. This year’s campaign benefited teacher Courtney Mulherin at Samuel Adams Elementary in East Boston.

At its inception, the program collected new books from teacher-curated wish lists. Now, however, the efforts have been expanded to include gently-used books and, this year, gently-used board games.

Students place donation bins in 13 Tatte Bakery and Cafés across Boston, as well as in Mamaleh’s Delicatessen in Cambridge. Twenty Emerson students in the class are responsible for running the campaign.

Emerson students Liliana Amato and Liv Redding are part of the marketing team and worked to connect with businesses this semester, as well as contacted news outlets to generate press.

Second-year media arts production major Amato said she appreciates the opportunity to work with Edelstein on the project.

“I’ve always had a strong passion in nonprofit work and advocacy. So for me, this class kind of just made sense in furthering that,” Amato said.

The class covers nonprofit communication management and social media communication strategies, while giving students real-life experience.

“I love it. It’s very rare that you get to work on a very impactful and just really amazing sort of donation like charity as much as this,” said Redding, a third-year marketing communications major. “It really also gives us important insight and like if we really wanted to start our own nonprofit and run a campaign like this, it gives us the step-by-step sort of organization and day-to-day tasks of what you need to do.”

Though some students, like Redding and Amato, are minoring in nonprofit communications or organization

management, that is not a requirement to take the class, Edelstein said.

“There are students in every major you can think of in my class, which brings a whole delightful sort of cohesion of different talents and skills, from video making and editing to writing,” she said.

While the hands-on experience of running a non-profit is valuable, Redding said, her favorite part is her increased awareness of the challenges Boston Public Schools are facing.

“It’s really easy to go to school here, have our own lives and then not really be aware of what’s going on in the community around us,” Redding said.

Only 52 of 125 campuses in the Boston Public Schools system have their own full-time libraries with staff, according to the Boston Globe.

“I wish we didn’t have to do this. Only because I wish there wasn’t a need,” Edelstein said. “But as long as there’s a need, we’ll be doing this.”

The campaign’s efforts have put 5,000 books in the hands of students and teachers in public schools around Boston — and this semester, they aren’t done yet. Edelstein recently picked up 700 books from a former Boston University professor, which will be combined with donations from the community.

“It’s really beautiful to see the community coming out and supporting it. I think that has been really surprising to me,” Amato said. “I would just like to thank everyone. Tatte and Mamaleh’s have been really helpful in this, in putting out boxes and we’re really grateful for that.”

Though the campaign is over for this year, more information can be found online for future drives.

“I think that more people should know that donating is super, super easy and doing a really small thing, like having a book and giving it to someone else, giving it to a child in need is so impactful to their future success and their happiness,” Redding said.

She added that the students hope to visit Samuel Adams Elementary School by the end of the semester to celebrate the end of the campaign, meet some of the children and read them books.

“It’s hard to imagine not having books to bring home or having books at your house to read,” Edelstein said. “And so we’re hoping to change that one school at a time.”

A flyer from “On the Same Page Boston” is seen taped to the door of the Northeastern Tatte location. Run by an Emerson nonprofit fundraising class and its professor, the campaign partners with different teachers each year to supply diverse books to Boston Public Schools.

Photo by Ali Caudle

NORTHEASTERN PROFESSOR AND CHESTNUT HILL HOUSE INTO

By Rachel Erwin | Editor-in-Chief

In a secluded neighborhood in Chestnut Hill, an ordinary-looking house sits overlooking a reservoir. Step inside, however, and the house is a work of art.

The owners commissioned Sophia Ainslie, an associate teaching professor in The School of Art and Design at Northeastern, to transform parts of the home into a colorful, eye-catching mural. Along with a team of four current students and one alumnus, she has been given the creative freedom to explore her artistic vision in the house, whose inhabitants wish to remain anonymous.

Her assisting team includes Alexander Langrock, a Northeastern alum; Emily Kasumov, a second-year chemical engineering and biochemistry combined major; Rene James, a second-year architecture major; Aubrey Nash, a third-year communication and media studies major; and Madeline Zhang, a third-year computer science and media arts combined major. The piece has to be completed by the end of April, so Ainslie chose her team with care.

“I think reliability and also having confidence in your ability is so important – not that people can’t be taught. … The team is great,” Ainslie said. “Everybody on our team really works very well.”

The team first began working in the house in March, but Ainslie has been conceptualizing the project since August. Some variation of the group is there painting most days of the week, and they are working on top of the contractors completing renovations and maintenance on the house, which requires consistent coordination.

Ainslie said, “everyone has been so sweet and supportive” despite the cramped workspace and tight turnaround. She had to learn about architecture, construction and interior design in order to effectively communicate throughout the process, likening it to learning a new language.

“This is not my language, but we had to talk about, ‘do you want

a kickboard like that on the bottom or do you want it to go flush all the way down?’... I’ve never really considered these things before, so it was quite interesting,” Ainslie said.

Ainslie is represented by Gallery NAGA on Newbury Street, and that’s where she made the connection with her client. The person who ended up commissioning the in-home mural had purchased one of Ainslie’s pieces, which she displayed in a Gallery NAGA show in 2021.

“They basically invited me into their home. They were like, ‘where do you want to work?’” Ainslie said. “I had an idea and I just told them which walls that I was going to work on and they said, ‘fine, come in, and you can work on the ceiling, you can work on the floor.’ It was quite remarkable.”

The mural is inspired by the last X-ray of Ainslie’s mother’s abdomen prior to her passing in 2009. The shapes and colors are abstracted versions of her mother’s internal organs, though they have changed over time.

In more recent years, Ainslie’s work “has shifted away from that of [her] mother’s body to looking deeply at structure and relationships – of scale, color, application, the way shapes meet and the specificity of the edge they create in their meeting,” she said. The colors and shapes also began as reflections of the colors and shapes in her mother’s clothing and jewelry, but she has used computer tools to fragment and distort the shapes, resulting in “a translation of what [she] see[s] and experience[s].”

The piece covers parts of walls, the floor and ceilings in one room and a hallway area with a staircase. Ainslie said the owners are potentially looking to use the room as a party space for their fundraising and political events, as they frequently entertain. The piece is meant to spark conversation and intrigue among guests.

Throughout her process, Ainslie is interested in the way visual elements of her piece interact, including color, shape, line, mark-making and more. Each one impacts another, she said, and she

is unpacking those relationships.

“I’m trying to create a sense of democracy so that everything in the piece becomes important, even the white space, so that the white space has a presence, not a background,” Ainslie said.

Ainslie enjoys combining different types of paint to create contrasting textures, and she rarely uses a color “straight out of the tube,” she said. Instead, she mixes for days prior to painting, experimenting with new and unusual shades. She paints different shapes and sections with different types of paint, so that when the light catches certain areas, they look shiny or matte, depending on the paint used. Acrylic paint achieves a glossy look, while Flashe produces an opaque effect.

Ainslie’s work took on a new life when she began experimenting with murals as opposed to remaining confined to a canvas.

“I began working on the wall in 2013 when I was eager to make much larger work than I could in my studio. The wall, ceiling and floor becomes my canvas/paper with the added element of observing the manner the body interacts with the architecture,” Ainslie said. “The work becomes much more experiential. We, the audience, become an element within the work, which I find very exciting.”

The students and alumni working with Ainslie have embraced the opportunity for collaboration and exploration.

James has worked with Ainslie on a previous mural, had her as a professor during her first semester at Northeastern and said Ainslie asked her to join the team over winter break.

“Painting with Sophia is great because it gives me an opportunity to indulge in one of my strongest passions. As an architecture student, I don’t have as much time to engage in my artistic hobbies such as painting, so this definitely was a refreshing experience for me,” James said in an email to The News. “Sophia also values our talents and input greatly; even though we are painting her original artwork, she encourages us to use our own

creative judgment while painting, and add our own personal touches if we choose. It feels more like a collaboration, rather than just assisting.”

Kasumov said she also felt that sense of collaboration. After taking Ainslie’s observational drawing class, she was excited when Ainslie asked her to assist with the mural. Like James, she is not an art major, so she appreciates the chance to express her creativity alongside Ainslie. She said each day working on the artwork comes with new experiences.

“We start in the same section, but … everyone has a different mark, like mark-making,” Kasumov said. “Sophia likes to integrate everyone’s different mark together, so it’s nice when we all kind of jump around and finish off each other’s work.”

Ainslie explained the differences in each team member’s mark, pointing out how Zhang has a very flat mark with no visible brushstrokes, while she herself uses more obvious brush marks.

Langrock uses this opportunity as a way to stay “busy and productive” following an internship with Walt Disney Imagineering, he said. Having worked with Ainslie for five years, he was an easy choice for the project, and the pair often finishes each other’s thoughts. They don’t always agree, however. Ainslie encourages creative disagreement and conversation amongst her team and viewers of her work, inviting Langrock to suggest any opposing ideas. He is there four days a week helping Ainslie.

“She’s always here earlier than me,” Langrock said, emphasizing Ainslie’s dedication to the commission.

He said what he enjoys most about the project is getting to take a step back.

“With something so large, it’s very obvious the amount of work that you’ve done,” Langrock said. “You

can literally just step back and be like, ‘okay this third of the wall is what I did today.’”

Ainslie is hoping to expand her teaching to include a new mural painting course at Northeastern, for which she is currently in the process of getting approval from the dean. This way, she can pass on the passion and skill she has for transforming large spaces to new batches of students.

Throughout the process, many viewers have begun to interpret and love her mural in different ways, seeing different shapes and figures depending on their perspective and experience.

“I think I connected to this area [of the mural] because I was working on this and my mom texted me, ‘how are you?’, so I sent her a small fragment of it and she said, ‘is that a zebra?’ … The whole mural looks like maps to me,” Kasumov said.

Ainslie said that when the owners’ grandchild comes by, he sees a dragon in the painting. Each time he enters the house, he lets out a gasp and says, “dragons!”

“Sometimes people notice the areas they keep coming back to, like little secrets,” Ainslie said.

If Ainslie herself starts to see a distinct object or creature in her work, she tends to destroy it, attempting to abstract her vision further.

The mural has become an important fixture in each team member’s life, with many of their hours spent staring at the colors and lines, kneeling on the ground painting a tiny section and climbing ladders to reach the highest peaks of the piece. Langrock said he, Kasumov and Nash have begun to dream about the mural, literally.

“In my sleep, I can see myself holding a paintbrush and doing the linework,” Langrock said.

AND HER STUDENTS TRANSFORM INTO EXPERIENTIAL ARTWORK

“I had an idea and I just told them which walls that I was going to work on and they said, ‘fine, come in, and you can work on the ceiling, you can work on the floor.’ It was quite remarkable.”

— Sophia Ainslie Associate teaching professor at The School of Art and Design

Photos by Marta Hill

A team of students including Emily Kasumov, Rene James, Aubrey Nash and Madeline Zhang, along with alum Alexander Langrock, work to paint the interior of a house in Chestnut Hill. Commissioned by the house’s owners, associate teaching professor Sophia Ainslie helped guide her team’s creative vision for the mural, originally based on X-rays of her mother’s abdomen.

Boston-based rock band Clifford releases brand new single with Green Line Records

By Juliana George Lifestyle Editor

Usually played in crowded basements festooned with Christmas lights, DIY shows are the heart of Boston’s underground music scene — and valuable observation sites for Green Line Records Artists & Repertoire, or A&R, scouts.

“There’s a huge, thriving scene in Brighton and Allston that hosts concerts in basements, and so a lot of our members are involved with going to shows that way and meeting bands and seeing people and getting a sense for what artists have some buzz around them,” said Dom Pastorelle, a fifth-year business administration and political science combined major and head of the Green Line Records A&R department.

Many of the artists signed to Green Line were discovered this way, including Boston-based postpunk band Clifford, who released their new single, “Chrysanthemums,” with Green Line March 31. The band’s unique sound and electric stage presence caught the attention of Ashton Triffitt, a second-year game design and music combined major and the A&R lead responsible for signing the group.

“[Triffitt] scouted Clifford because a handful of us in the A&R department had seen them play live and they had a really, really great energy,” Pastorelle said. “We

were looking to sign a post-punk act, and it seemed like it made the most sense to work with Clifford because we really enjoyed seeing them play live.”

Clifford formed in 2019, when lead singer Miles Chandler and drummer Ben Curell moved to Boston after graduating from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Then the band was joined by bassist Nate Scaringi and guitar player Danny Edlin, and has been playing house shows across the Northeast ever since.

The release of “Chrysanthemums” marks a change in Clifford’s artistic process. The band released their emo-infused post-rock debut album “Projections of a Body Electric” in 2021, as well as the softer, folksier EP “Surface Tension” in 2022, but back then their songwriting process was less collaborative than it is now.

“Up until now, I have been the songwriter, but getting from the point where I’m introducing it to everybody to the point where we’re playing it regularly, it changes so much and everyone brings their own influences and flavor to it,” Chandler said. “Something that’s new, especially with ‘Chrysanthemums,’ is that we’re starting the collaboration earlier in the process.

I feel like it’s probably the most honest representation of the sounds we make together.”

“Chrysanthemums” starts off with the intricate guitar riffs and

rapid drums of Clifford’s math rock roots and ends evoking the gentler folk sounds of their more recent work, the perfect song to embody the band’s evolution.

Chandler repeats the line, “I’m proud of how you changed,” several times as the song reaches its surprisingly tender conclusion, and although the lyric wasn’t intentionally referring to the band’s journey, Chandler sees the song applying to more than one interpretation.

“It’s been a song about growing pains and deaths and relationships that change over time,” he said. “I think that content definitely stems from personal relationships that each of us had individually, but the process of making art as a group definitionally changes your relationships with those people. So [‘Chrysanthemums’] is both about whatever we’re coming into the song thinking about, but also reflects our changing relationship as a band.”

After they signed with Green Line last fall, Clifford was also paired with student representatives from Green Line’s Creative Services and Recording departments. As Clifford’s Creative Services lead, second-year political science and international affairs combined major Praagna Kashyap helped to promote the single via a press release and photos, and Recording lead Matt Gurlitz, a third-year business administration major, was there to guide the recording process itself.

Kashyap is a fan of the band herself and was excited to work with them for the release of “Chrysanthemums.”

“It’s math rock, so a lot of fun guitar riffs and stuff like that, and I’m definitely a fan of that genre of music,” she said. “It’s right up my alley.”

Pastorelle echoed Kashyap’s praise, expressing that tracks like “Chrysanthemums” are exactly why Green Line was interested in Clifford in the first place.

“What we signed Clifford for was just like, their range is crazy,” he said. “In a single song, for example, ‘Chrysanthemums,’ it’s really complex drums and all this cool stuff going on in the first half, and then the second half is

a little bit more of a folk breakdown. It’s definitely really good, and I think everyone’s pretty excited about it.”

Part of Clifford’s appeal is their distinctive, genre-bending sound, and with “Chrysanthemums” they illustrate that the eclectic tastes of each band member still shine through. In April, they will go on their first tour of the Northeast with Pittsburgh-based folk singer Merce Lemon, and they look forward to playing both “dear old friends of songs” and new material.

“There will definitely be some bangers, there will be some beeping songs, there will be some sad bangers,” Chandler said. “There will be the whole spectrum, the whole range of Cliffordisms.”

Swifties cannot wait for ‘Eras Tour’ to finally come to Massachusetts

By Jethro R. Lee News Staff

Legendary artist Taylor Swift hosted the first concert of her Eras Tour March 17 in Glendale, Arizona. Swift has not gone on a tour since 2018 for her album “Reputation” due to the cancellation of the 2020 “Lover Fest” tour as a result of the pandemic.

The Eras Tour will feature songs from Swift’s 10 studio albums. The event will unite new Swifties (impassioned fans of Swift) who were touched by Swift’s fictional storytelling capabilities in her pandemic albums with those who have been fans ever since the fresh sounds of “Tim McGraw” filled their ears.

Emma Lavoie, a third-year chemical engineering major, is attending a show for the tour May 21 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. She is excited to attend the tour and scream along to Swift’s songs along with other Swifties.

“I became a fan freshman year of college. I never really gave her a chance before then,” Lavoie said.

“But a lot of my friends on my floor were Swifties, so I started listening to her and haven’t stopped since.”

Kendall Schilling, a second-year environmental studies major at Middlebury College, happens to be attending the same show.

“I became a Taylor Swift fan when her sixth album ‘Reputation’ came out,” she said. “I had always been a casual listener, but this is when I really took a deep dive into her entire discography. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am one of the biggest Swifites around.”

The appeal of Swift’s music is not limited by age — Schilling’s aunt, Lori Moran, is eager to attend a show with her niece.

“I became a fan during the pandemic when ‘folklore’ came out. Then ‘evermore’ came out and, once again, I was impressed with her

storytelling. I really looked at her as a true artist at that point,” Moran said. Despite struggling to obtain seats for the event due to issues with Ticketmaster, fans are still excited to see Swift perform songs live after not holding a tour for nearly five years.

“One of my friends got to the front of the [ticket] queue so quickly but then got kicked out,” Lavoie said. “We had to wait for, like, five or six hours, but one of my friends ended up securing lower bowl tickets for us and I couldn’t believe it.”

Schilling was not able to secure a ticket nearly as fast as Lavoie, despite Lavoie’s struggles. She was one of the countless Swifties who became frustrated with the technical errors that arose during the tour’s presale.

“I was one of the unlucky, unable to obtain a presale access code to purchase tickets during the initial Ticketmaster presale,” Schilling said.

“It wasn’t until [the week of March 5]

that I actually obtained a ticket and I feel absolutely over the moon.”

The experience will be even more special for Schilling since she will get to share it with her aunt. Most of Schilling’s family members became fans of Swift when Schilling started introducing the artist’s work and emphasizing her compelling lyricism to them.

“I actually was shocked when I got them and had to immediately let my niece Kendall know, even though I was at work,” Moran said. “I honestly felt like I was a 13-year-old again scoring tickets to my first concert.”

To celebrate Swift’s Eras Tour, fans have taken up the responsibility to cultivate a community for Swifties across the country: They devised creative mash-ups, created friendship bracelets and crafted a “dream setlist” for the tour.

“Honestly since this is her first tour since I became a fan, I’m most excited about seeing her perform live for the first time and screaming her lyrics,” Lavoie said. “Also, I

really hope she plays ‘All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)’—I listened to that 1,222 times last year.”

Schilling shares a similar sentiment.

“I am beyond excited to hear Taylor perform in this cumulative tour, and to get to relive each of her ‘eras’ and engage with her music in a way not many fans can do with their favorite artists,” she said.

“I’m most looking forward to seeing the theatrical parts of the performance as she acts out certain songs like ‘tolerate it’ and ‘willow,’” Moran said. “I’m also looking forward to sharing this experience with my niece ... we will be making memories, which is something I value more and more the older I get.”

Swift has accrued an impressive amount of success throughout her career as a result of her hard work and raw passion for creating music. By uniting her fans to rediscover old gems and passionately sing along to new releases, Swift is shining brighter than daylight.

Boston-based post-punk band Clifford poses for press photos to promote their new single “Chrysanthemums,” released March 31. The band signed to Northeastern’s Green Line Records last fall.

Photo courtesy Praagna Kashyap and Steph Ware

Graphic by Aubrey Burgess

Review: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ honors the franchise in a ferocious frenzy

By Ben Churney News Correspondent

Jaw-dropping action, timeless Parisian landmarks, a club with waterfalls and a new dog! “John Wick: Chapter 4” is yet another addition to the franchise that brings unbelievable action, characters to root for, skillful cinematic tools and more.

Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick (whose recent tragic passing has caused an outpouring of love and support from fans), Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne return to star in the latest installment of the beloved film series, along with a flashy new cast of characters featuring Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Shamier Anderson and more. Among all these performances, Yen stands alone, completely taking over every scene he is in, captivating the audience in the process. The cinematic world that the “John Wick” franchise takes place in can feel like a fantastical playground for pure insanity, but the performances and dedication these actors bring to their characters help elevate the franchise and rope the viewer in.

In the fourth film, John Wick (Reeves) continues his violent attempt at all-out revenge, as he tries to take out even larger players than the previous films,

while also fending off assassins worldwide vying for his everincreasing bounty. Marquis, played by Skarsgård, is tasked by the High Table (the seemingly all-powerful organization within the underworld) to eliminate Wick, as well as anything that he has touched. With such a dark and brooding storyline, in which a husband goes on a killing spree in an attempt to avenge his late wife, dog and car, the “John Wick” films do a great job at not letting the films get too somber.

Let’s start with the best part of these films — the action. Throughout the franchise, the “John Wick” films have always put on a show with their absurd yet gorgeous violence. Although the action is incredible, there’s also a comical nature to it, reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. Take, for example, when Wick falls down flight after flight of stairs in an attempt to arrive at his final duel. It’s a perfect scene to demonstrate the way this franchise makes some shots so exaggerated and absurd that they come across as light-hearted. By having this comical action, as well as other instances of comedy through dialogue and character relationships, viewers can catch their breath and not feel engulfed by the dark premise.

The choreography, chemistry between characters and passion of the actors in “John Wick: Chapter 4” all amount to a mind-blowing watching experience enhanced by the film’s Parisian backdrop. One scene in particular, shot at the Arc de Triomphe, surrounds the viewers and the beloved protagonist with cars zipping around, dogs leaping through the air and bullets whizzing by. Not only is it a fantastic scene shot at a historic landmark, but the sequence’s dynamic use of space and movement could also make it one of the best action scenes of all time.

At two hours and 49 minutes, the film may seem exciting for some, but intimidating for others. The official runtime for “John Wick: Chapter 4” is evidence of director Chad Stahelski’s ambition for this installment. A nearly three-hourlong blockbuster to (possibly) wrap up the franchise could turn some viewers away, but the entire cast and crew make every last-minute count. The start was a little slow, as it didn’t feel like the most captivating opening scene, but after that, the film stomps on the gas and never lets up. Every scene after was entertaining and a joy to watch. Stahelski is certainly at his best in this film, as his determination to continue to improve the franchise is evident once again.

On a more technical level, the cinematography in “John Wick: Chapter 4” is by far the best the franchise has put out yet. From the gorgeous shots with neon lights to the never-ending wide-angle shots of the Parisian landscape, the camera work is some of the best that viewers will get this year. One of the finest shots has to be the overhead of Wick tearing through a household, taking out one foe after another. Awe-inspiring and unique camerawork like this is emblematic of Stahelski’s attempt to continually outdo himself.

With a great start at the box office, “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a prime example of what franchises should focus on: improvement!

With this improvement by Stahelski to propel the franchise to its peak, it’s not surprising to see the critical acclaim it has received. The fourth installment of the “John Wick” franchise shows that viewers want fun, quality entertainment. There’s no need for a multitude of celebrity cameos, as the focus is on making a great film that builds upon the series’ previous entries. This isn’t a unique takeaway for “John Wick: Chapter 4,” but rather another example of a film that shows the promise of modern cinema and how quality (and, in this case, a near-perfect action film) can truly come from any franchise.

Review: ‘Into the Woods’ strips down classic fairy tales at Emerson Colonial

By Sarah Popeck News Staff

From March 21 through April 2, Boston opened the door into a world of fairytales as the national tour of “Into the Woods” made its way to Emerson Colonial Theatre.

Adapted from a book by James Lapine and accompanied by music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, “Into the Woods” ties together multiple familiar stories and takes the audience through an exciting journey for love, family and adventure. The show has more of a strippeddown concert feel than the original as per the vision of director Lear deBessonet. The show started with a limited engagement on Broadway, but its immense popularity prompted a tour, bringing the story to cities across the country.

The start of the play finds a couple, portrayed by Stephanie J. Block and Sebastien Arcelus, struggling to have a child.

Married in real life, the chemistry between Arcelus and Block is immaculate and their dynamic is perfectly enchanting. Block is no stranger to theatre — in fact, the Broadway veteran is stepping into a role she has dreamed of performing with her husband, as mentioned in the program. She won multiple awards for her portrayal of Cher in “The Cher Show” and had lead roles in “Falsettos,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “9 to 5” and “Wicked.” She

has also been seen on screen in a multitude of television shows, such as “Rise” and “Madam Secretary.”

It is soon revealed that a witch has put a spell on the couple’s home, leaving them infertile. Montego Glover, a two-time Drama Desk Award winner who has been seen in “Memphis,” “Les Miserables” and “The Color Purple,” fills the shoes of the Witch with powerful vocals.

The Witch tells the pair that there is one way to reverse the spell, and it takes four items…

First — the cow as white as milk. The couple runs into the familiar character Jack (Cole Thompson), of the classic fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Jack trades his best friend, a cow, for a bag of magical beans that grow into a beanstalk that leads him to giants in the sky. Thompson made his Broadway debut with the show and has followed along with the production throughout the tour.

Next — the cape as red as blood. Little Red Riding Hood (Katy Geraghty) is threatened by a wolf (Gavin Creel, who also plays Cinderella’s Prince) as he tries to entice her to go astray from her path in the woods. Creel is known for his Tony Award-winning role in “Hello, Dolly!” but was also seen in “Hair” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” among other shows. He is also a prominent figure in London’s West End productions and has produced his own original recordings.

Third – the hair as yellow as corn, where Rapunzel (Alysia Velez) finds her place. Locked in a tower her entire life, she yearns to see the outside world, especially when she falls in love with a prince. Lastly – the slipper as pure as gold. Cinderella desperately wants to go to the festival, meeting the heir to the throne but lets her guard down and falls in love. At this performance, Ellie Fishman stepped into the role of Cinderella, who is typically played by Diane Phelan.

Yet, fairytales don’t always last and, sometimes, stories don’t have a happy ending. The characters face grief and death, and their stories end up being more intertwined than they thought.

“Into the Woods” is a familiar Broadway favorite, and this cast did not miss a beat. With minimalistic and elegant scenic design by David Rockwell, the audience is able to focus on the vocals and the stories. The costumes, created by Andrea Hood, are crafted to be simplistic with little variance for the characters to wear throughout both acts. Additionally, the set allows for an open stage where the audience can eagerly watch conductor John Bell and local musicians bring an incredible Sondheim score to life.

There are a handful of moments in which the theatrics are lacking, such as an underwhelming Cinderella dress transformation or the portrayal of giants by using wired boots and two cast members with

Calendar compiled by Cathy Ching & Jake Guldin Graphics by Emma Liu

April 15 - April 16

NU Stage Presents: Choose Your Own Story

This can’t-miss show about morality, heroes and villains features songs from multiple Broadway classics. 8 p.m., Blackman Auditorium, $10.

Thursday, April 20

Aly & AJ Outdoor Concert

Relieve any finals-related stress by rocking out to “Potential Breakup Song” and other songs from the duo. 7 p.m., Centennial, Free.

Thursday, April 20

An Evening of Conversation and Poetry

sound effects. Some of the minimalistic elements had too much simplicity that made important scenes – including the defeat of the giants in the second act – feel lackluster.

That said, the minimalism found in this staging does work on occasion, as it contrasts the fairytale themes in the show by subverting the audience’s expectations of what a magical world entails. From the modern take created by the designers, it communicates that there is more than what meets the eye.

Furthermore, it employs puppeteering, adding a new level of characterization to Jack’s cow, Milky White, handled by Kennedy Kanagawa, and the birds, handled by Josh Breckenridge. Personifying these animals allows the audience to sympathize with them in key moments of the show. The audience let out audible, distraught gasps when Jack had to sell Milky White. It adds a layer of depth that is unexpected, and they are an essential and unique part of the show that is exclusive to this production.

The cast added a new element to their common characters and brought a new perspective to the story through their portrayal that the audience would otherwise never see in their classic tales. Moreover, with a diverse set of actors, the show allows for new stars, like Thompson, to shine alongside well-known faces, such as Block. It promotes inclusivity in the theatre industry and is a fresh take on the classic.

Celebrate Kevin Powell’s new poetry, exploring themes of family, healing and mental health. 7 p.m., Museum of Science, Free.

Saturday, April 22

Earth Day Concert

Celebrate our wonderful planet by attending this live musical event.

5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Harriet E. Richards (H.E.R.) Cooperative House, $5 online or $7 in person.

Saturday, April 22

Neponset River Spring Cleanup

Celebrate Earth Day by attending one of seven cleanup sites along the Neponset River.

9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Locations vary by registration, Free, RSVP required.

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Op-ed: Northeastern can open educational pathways to refugees

same time, I was a top student in political science. Even now, many students, such as those who believe in the Bahá’í faith, are not allowed to attend college or university because of their beliefs.

U.S. colleges and universities were not ready to accept refugees.

Next year, I will receive my doctoral degree in law and policy from the Northeastern University College of Professional Studies, although my educational path was more challenging than many other students. The College of Professional Studies gave me this chance to pursue my dream; I believe Northeastern can do more to create better educational paths and opportunities for vulnerable populations.

I am from Iran and came to the United States 10 years ago as a refugee. I grew up under a discriminatory educational system. Iran’s regime’s Islamic ideology heavily influences the system, from toddler programs to higher education, to create ideological forces for its totalitarian system. Still, I was unaware of this ideological system designed to brainwash us until I was banned from studying at Iran’s universities because of my reformist political activities. At the

When I arrived in the United States in 2012, I wanted to continue my education in political science and get my master’s degree as soon as possible. I took English as a Second Language, or ESL, classes immediately, but when it was time to apply for university, the process was very complicated for someone like me, who was unfamiliar with this country’s education system. Navigating the websites, preparing the requirements, getting recommendation letters while no one knew me and transferring my credits from Iran to here while the regime forced me to leave my country were all huge challenges in my educational path.

When I became a case manager for refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and some eastern European countries, I realized many of my clients were worried about their educational path. Many of them had to leave their countries before finishing their degrees. Many did not have access to their old universities to request course credential letters after escaping from war, or the regimes confiscated all their documents, including their diplomas. They wanted to return to school and complete their education immediately. Despite their challenges,

Most of the time, adult refugees have a limited chance to pursue their educational goals. The Refugee Reception and Placement, or R&P, is a federal program to provide core services, such as case management, housing and employment services to new refugees within the first three months of their arrival. Each state with the resettlement program conducts the program through local agencies. According to the local refugee resettlement agencies’ contract with the federal government, they are required to assist refugees with ESL classes. However, R&P’s goal is self-sufficiency and it has been designed to push refugees to get a job as soon as possible and become independent from the public benefits.

In other words, the local agencies provide intensive ESL classes to refugees and prepare them for the work market. Refugees with advanced English skills are forced to get the first available jobs; otherwise, they would lose their benefits, especially rent assistance.

Getting back on the educational track is enormously tricky for adult refugees. Usually, first-generation refugees are forced to sacrifice their educational dreams in order to survive by working entry-level jobs. Many stay in these entry-level positions for life, sometimes working two shifts to

afford costs of living. In their scarce spare time, some refugees, if they are lucky, could get a job in their field, but are underpaid because their degree is not from a U.S. academic institution.

Northeastern University, as one of the most globally-recognized universities in the United States, can take some initiative steps to support adult refugees as they pursue their educational dreams and create some educational support for this vulnerable population. For example, the university could provide a web page that is easy to navigate with all resources for refugees, such as application fee waivers, and creating a notable exception of transferring their degrees from their home universities. Northeastern could make a refugee fund or scholarship, or allocate some tuition discount like the Full Circle Scholarship, which offers a 25% tuition discount to graduate applicants involved with some programs, such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. In the long term, the university can expand its relationship with other federal agencies which are involved in resettling refugees in the United States, and establish higher educational assistance for them.

Ali Tarokh is a doctoral candidate in law and policy at Northeastern University and an Iranian American who lives in Chicago. He can be reached at tarokh.a@northeastern.edu.

Op-ed: The housing crisis at Northeastern needs to be solved

teed housing on campus is likely to gentrify surrounding communities further and push more students into the unsustainable Boston housing market at a younger age.

Northeastern has long guaranteed housing for four years for a vast majority of undergraduate students.

Beginning this upcoming fall, however, Northeastern will limit this to two years of guaranteed housing for incoming freshmen. This comes amid historic overcrowding on campus, with many double rooms on campus being converted into triples, a particularly notable and controversial alteration at East Village and International Village.

A combination of overcrowding and limited guaranteed housing seems poised to push many students off campus in the coming years, particularly upperclassmen. The changes in student housing demographics, however, represent more than just temporary challenges.

Northeastern has more applicants than ever, and the number only increases each year. Rather than resolving the current housing crisis, Northeastern’s alteration of guaran-

Historically, Northeastern was a primarily “third-tier, blue-collar, commuter-based university,” at one point having a total enrollment of 40,000 undergraduates. This all began to change around 1990. With a precipitous 28% decline in student enrollment, the university faced a dire fiscal crisis. West Village, and similar developments in the 1990s and 2000s, represented a shift in paradigm for the university.

Increased tuition costs, implemented to offset rising expenditures and decreased enrollment, were justified by rising in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, developing prestige for the university while also housing an increasingly talented student body on campus. The model was so successful that after eight years of developing the West Village area of campus, the university sought to expand bedspace on campus even further. Northeastern increasingly became both more selective and residential in nature.

Despite the efforts to force Northeastern into a higher league of education by administrators such as Richard Freedland, shifting the university to its current status of requiring undergraduates to live on campus noticeably impacted nearby communities. In particular, the neighborhood of Mission Hill began

to undergo rapid gentrification in the 1990s, as students who would previously have commuted in daily instead found themselves signing leases in cheaper neighborhoods, and both Northeastern and Boston saw an economic shift towards major universities and hospitals, the so-called “Eds and Meds” sector.

This process of price-based displacement has accelerated in recent years, as many undergraduate and graduate students have voluntarily moved away from campus but nearby enough to commute daily. Between 2013 and 2017, median home values in Mission Hill nearly doubled, increasing from $172,377 to $324,100, while the number of students increased from 29% to nearly 37% between 2000 and 2017, according to a 2017 Boston Planning and Development Agency report.

During the pandemic, the school saw a massive increase in student enrollment in 2021. While Northeastern began acquiring space for students in the Midtown Hotel in 2018, by the early 2020s this endeavor to house students had expanded to both the Sheraton and Westin hotels, located in Back Bay. It is amid this historic over-enrollment that Northeastern has made the pivotal decision to prioritize first and second years in the housing process. The expected result of this will be a decrease in the percentage of Northeastern students living on campus for the first time in decades.

Northeastern University is treading new territory by limiting easy access to housing, which has played a significant role in Northeastern’s rapid rise among prestigious American universities. Whether this will remain as a long-term policy remains to be seen, but in the short term, it is likely that many more students will be forced to live off campus, pushing into Mission Hill, Roxbury and even Jamaica Plain. While students are an economic boost to local businesses, they have a detrimental impact on lower-income individuals, pricing them out of long-established local communities. Many of these communities were intensely segregated in the past, and now those same residents who were concentrated in poorer sectors of the city are being displaced from their homes. This issue has plagued Northeastern’s recent attempts to expand, most notably in the legal and public opinion disputes surrounding the development of 840 Columbus Ave., a desperately needed university dormitory. Time will tell what the future of Northeastern University holds, however, it is clear that the housing crisis must and will remain at the forefront of whatever the university plans for the future.

Jesse Fusco is a second-year history and political science combined major. He can be reached at fusco. je@northeastern.edu.

Photo courtesy Ali Tarokh

Photo by Jessica Xing

Op-ed: Fast fashion industry is quick to kill

proportionate ratio of women of color to white women working in these sweatshops should not be overlooked.

Instead of the companies sharing their obscene $15.7 billion in revenue, a 398% increase from 2019, they only give their workers $20 per week, amounting to only $80 per month. That’s assuming they make no mistakes in the manufacturing process and don’t take time off. When employees mess up on a piece of clothing, their already-low paychecks are being deducted.

in longer lasting clothes than the pieces made by overworked, underpaid workers.

It’s hour six working at the sewing machine. 250 shirts have been sewn and shipped off for $1.50. After 12 straight days of working at the sweat shop, earnings only amounted to $20.

This is the reality for many women and people of color who are being killed by fast fashion industries that underpay workers to make cheap and trendy clothing fast. I doubt many stop to realize the demands their shopping carts place on marginalized people.

Statistics from a Guardian article show 80% of workers in the factories are women of color making $20 per week. Although everyone in the fast fashion industry is exploited, the dis-

These companies get away with paying their employees less than livable wages and putting them at risk in the workplace. Because marginalized groups make up the majority employee demographics, they are overlooked by those who set standards for working conditions.

This begs the question, is it worth spending so little on a shirt that contributes to these working conditions? I personally have friends who shop at fast fashion companies such as Zara, H&M, Shein and Primark, and it is hard for them to wrap their head around the exhaustingly unethical companies they are putting their money towards. Instead of contributing to fast fashion, one could shop at thrift stores or invest

Northeastern students need to step up and take responsibility for contributing money to these unethical industries. A simple first step would be cutting off purchasing items from companies such as Zara, Shein and Primark so they have less money to pump into their businesses. Instead, students should try consignment stores, local businesses or companies that sell reputable brands such as Target. By giving these companies less money, capitalistic pressures would force them to either revamp their working conditions or shut down.

Another demographic these companies take advantage of is the migrants who apply to work in their industries. Many immigrants decide to work for these companies and accept the unlivable working conditions because they feel as if they have no other choice to make ends meet. Because the employees have such a high demand to meet every day, they spend little time on each article of clothing, prioritizing quantity over quality.

Professional designers have looked at the clothes made by these companies and concluded the

stitching reflects the rushed job they have to do. Researchers from Brown University concluded these garment workers need to spend 60 straight days of labor to have a livable wage. Upon working for 60 days straight, their paycheck still does not amount to the cost of food and healthcare for themselves and their families. People working in this industry are dying because they have no contracts that provide them with healthcare, nor the finances to provide it for themselves. A slight cut from the sewing machine can turn into a fatal accident if they cannot receive proper medical attention. Due to both lack of healthcare and horrible working conditions, these employees are dying at insurmountable rates.

A large-scale fatal accident within the fashion industry was the Rana Plaza disaster of 2014 in Bangladesh. The plaza had noticeable cracks in the foundation but workers were forced to continue working. The cracks became too large to keep the building operating and, as a result, the building collapsed. This resulted in 1,100 deaths. The workers shared their concerns with their bosses prior to the collapse, but nothing was done about the blatant dangers being faced daily.

People were surrounded by mounds of fabric and could not escape the rumbling building before it crashed down on top of them. The laws in Bangladesh are very lenient about the protection of its employees and the wages they deserve.

History is repeating itself. In 1911, a fire erupted in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory where the doors were locked, and everyone was packed in so tight that many could not escape in time and 146 workers died. No person should read this and be relieved by the assumption their country is not involved in this unethical disaster. Many of the companies that buy products from this commercial center and other international businesses are heavily centered in the United States. Although most of the garment industry sweatshops are not located in the U.S., many of their customers are.

Next time someone considers putting money into these companies, I ask that they be informed about just how immorally their money is being used.

Maris Murphy is a first-year psychology major. They can be reached at murphy.maris@northeastern.edu.

Op-ed: Ethical consumption of sustainable goods is not real under capitalism

process of conveying a false impression or misleading information about how a company’s products are environmentally sound” — version of their product.

I have heard conversations and read a handful of articles about the ethics of shopping at SHEIN or Zara and how, if someone shops there, that puts them on some moral low ground, or articles that explain why companies should switch to more sustainable practices to offset pollutants that contribute to the climate crisis.

To put it in plain language, no one can boycott, cancel or “eco-friendly”shop their way out of the impending environmental doom scheduled by a capitalist society that has put us at the ethical crossroads we’re at today. The world has been built and continues to develop in a way that monetizes and prioritizes instant gratification, which can only happen with the fastest mode of production possible, even if that cost is the detriment of entire societies and ecosystems, meaning that ethically sourcing and producing products would cost too much and take too long for manufacturing owners to find it appealing.

The best thing corporations will be able to provide its consumers is a greenwashed — defined as “the

According to a Harvard Business Review article, sustainable fashion is a myth, point blank. In a nutshell, at the core of fashion is innovation and originality: who can come up with the next trend and make it fast, simple and cheap. Thus, supply chains are overloaded and overproduction is inevitable, which is why there tends to be a ton of markdowns in season clothes. The wheel keeps turning because they want customers to keep returning to H&M every two weeks to buy their products.

In addition, the article points out that, even if companies present their sustainability and environmental governance reports in an effort to appear like they are in compliance with sustainability standards, it doesn’t matter because there is no real “standardized language or regulated frameworks deciphering what companies are actually doing.” So who knows if companies’ practices are actually sustainable in the first place?

This isn’t a consumer’s fault: everything produced in a capitalist society is produced under conditions of exploitation.

Exploitation is when someone takes advantage of someone to make a profit. For example, a person works in a candle factory. They make a candle. It sells for a certain price. They only make a margin of that, likely on an hourly wage, based on how much the factory owner thinks their labor is worth, because he owns the equipment and materials to make

the candle. The factory owner thinks the person’s labor is worth 10% of the candle but the person thinks it’s worth 50%. Without the worker, the materials to make the candle are just materials. But they can’t do anything about it because they don’t own the candle making materials and if they complain, they could get fired. So, they decide to at least get the 10% over nothing.

The candle boss has now exploited the workers and the conditions of the market make it difficult for the workers to compete with the big candle factory boss. They’re overworked, they’re tired, they need to pay rent and feed themselves, so they don’t have any time or energy to legitimately pursue another life or even think about not working for the candle boss. Not working for the candle boss means an empty stomach and no roof over their heads.

This isn’t a perfect example, and there is a degree of job change and minimal class mobility, but in essence, exploitation works like this and continues to exist.

Sure, there’s a difference between the wages Americans make from the wages Bangladeshi garment workers make, but both are still not getting a significant margin of profit from the work they have produced. The consumers will always be aiding in their exploitation.

No matter how many “small businesses” you support or how many “zero-waste” tennis shoes you buy, it will never compare to the billions of dollars of profit from the cheap production of goods, the lies companies tell and the overconsumption we all partake in because we have been conditioned to eat even when we’re already full.

Not to mention many “sustainable” products are not affordable. So, you go to your nine-to-five job where your boss exploits your labor by paying you a dismal margin of what your output is worth so he can pocket the rest for his hair transplant, only to go home and watch a TikTok where an eco-activist influencer is telling you you’re a bad person for shopping at SHEIN. So, you now have to decide between buying groceries and buying the new pair of shoes you need for work and believing you are the problem.

I’m here to tell you that you are not the problem. You did not know you were digging this hole. You have been isolated and made to believe the only one who can stop digging the hole is you and that the only person that can get you out of it is yourself with the help of some handy bootstraps that, by the way, cost $99.99 because they were hand-made and ethically sourced, and a silicone reusable straw that you will probably lose or accidentally throw away in a week.

As students at a leading educational and research institution, we need to recognize that not everyone can stop shopping at places like SHEIN and that this is not a consumer issue, but an issue of an overproducing and overconsuming culture. This is not about personal preference, it’s about what I can afford without compromising my other basic living needs.

It should be noted that overconsumption is still a problem. Yes, those Nike AF1s with the pink swoosh are cute, but they don’t match with your green ESSENTIALS hoodie. That doesn’t mean

you need to buy the green ones to go along with it. It’s okay that you bought five tank tops from Forever 21 for the price of one Parks Project one. It is seemingly more unethical to be forced to compromise your mental and physical health for prioritizing something as superficial as ethical consumption.

Some of you don’t realize your position of privilege, and that ethical consumption, or the illusion of it, is not sustainable for everyone and should not be an opportunity to shame those who purchase from companies with questionable practices.

However, I’m not telling you to become a sweaty Marxist with one pair of underwear or whatever people are made out to be when ideas like these are proposed, and I’m also not calling you greedy for wanting to buy things. I’m just telling you your outfit will still be “mid” even though you have the sustainably-sourced leggings or vegan sandals, so you might as well just not consume at all. And the Bangladeshi worker will still get exploited for something just like the American rail workers have been. Know that when they start to demand for more, chaos will ensue. That is the only way.

If you want to ignite real change, let me know if you have any systemic changing ideas, as that is the only way. But that’s a conversation we’re just not ready to throw rocks over for, and we’ll likely never be! Cheers!

Noelia Arteaga is a third-year journalism and political science combined major and the opinion editor at The News. She can be reached at comments@huntnewsnu.com.

Photo by Jessica Xing

Photo courtesy Noelia Arteaga

‘Anybody can play’: Huskies take on Boston Whiplash volt hockey team

By Lauren Salemo News Staff

Although the Northeastern men’s and women’s hockey seasons came to a close in March, 12 Huskies competed in an out-of-season matchup April 1. But instead of stepping onto the ice in skates, they played in power wheelchairs.

At Marino Recreation Center, six players from both Northeastern hockey teams faced the Boston Whiplash, a volt hockey team composed of athletes with mobility impairments. Whiplash is the only active volt hockey team in the United States. Volt hockey got its start in Denmark in the 1990s and has since spread throughout Europe and Canada. The only competitive U.S. team was created last year by the Boston Self Help Center, or BSHC, a nonprofit based in Mission Hill run by and for people with disabilities.

Since 2012, BSHC has operated a power soccer program. After learning about volt hockey, the organization’s president, Jim Wice, purchased eight motorized wheelchairs from Denmark to start an adaptive hockey program based in Boston.

Whiplash recently partnered with Diversability, Northeastern’s

disability alliance that promotes accessibility on campus. The volt team received a grant from the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research to fund its program and the event with the Northeastern hockey teams.

Whiplash’s coach, fourth-year biology major Dylan Hogan, discovered the sport during the fall of 2021 in a service-learning honors seminar on Contemporary Issues in Healthcare taught by Dr. Lorna Hayward. Since then, he has continued to work with BSHC to develop the Whiplash team and take the sport to the next level. Last September, Whiplash competed in the first-ever volt hockey World Cup in Sweden. This year, the team will travel to Toronto to compete against the Canadian volt team in the first-ever North American tournament, Hogan said.

Hogan is currently researching the physical and psychological impacts of power wheelchair sports, alongside Hayward and Avery Melam, a first-year health science major. They are analyzing how sports in motorized chairs create a “feeling of connectedness” and inclusivity, Hogan said, while also monitoring the physical benefits by tracking the players’ heart rates during gameplay.

In a volt hockey game, two three-player teams compete for two 15-minute halves, using a flexible paddle attached at the front of the chair to push the ball into the net. Players maneuver the chairs with a joystick, moving in any direction and reaching up to 10 miles per hour. Before the event began, Melam taught the Huskies how to operate the power wheelchairs, hoping to “build awareness” around adaptive sports, Hogan said.

After an hour of total gameplay, the Northeastern men’s hockey players lost 0-3, and the women’s players were defeated 0-10 by Whiplash. Despite the scores, the Huskies enjoyed trying a variation of their favorite sport.

“It’s just fun to see [the volt hockey team] have fun with it,” said Abbey Marohn, a junior defenseman on the women’s team.

“I know I love hockey, and the fact that they can share in it in this way is just amazing.”

But the event was more than just a game. The purpose of volt hockey, Hogan said, is to shed light on adaptive sports and how athletics can be more inclusive.

“We’re still studying the physical benefits,” Hogan said. “But we have seen and are realizing it throughout our research — definitely the

qualitative benefits and just how much it means to people … I think there’s that cohesion, that teamwork and the community.”

For Jack Williams, a freshman forward on the men’s hockey team, the most memorable part was seeing the volt team “laugh, smile and just have a good time.”

Volt hockey is “so much more accessible to people with a very wide range of disabilities,” Hogan said. It’s not upper-body intensive like sled hockey, a more popular adaptive sport played in the

Paralympics, so more people are able to participate.

Hogan said he’d love to continue this connection with Northeastern, and eventually start a volt hockey team at the school. But for now, the exposure volt hockey received in the game against Northeastern’s varsity teams is a step in the right direction.

“[Hockey is] everywhere,” Williams said. “It just goes to show that hockey is for everyone. Anybody can play it. It’s really hard and they do an unbelievable job.”

Freshman forward Jack Williams grapples for the ball with Boston Whiplash’s Austin LeClaire. Northeastern’s men’s and women’s varsity hockey teams held a scrimmage against Boston Whiplash April 1.

Photo by Erin Fine