Woof Winter 2017 — Issue 2

NORTHEASTERN GOES TRAYLESS The success of the eco-friendly campaign

WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE Fun activities to do around Boston this winter

A DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO REBECCA’S An expert’s guide to Northeastern’s beloved hotspot

LIFE AT 1110 COMM. AVE Inside Northeastern’s new off-campus residence

08

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PRESIDENT

Brian Ambadjes

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matthew Woolsey

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Meredith Fisher & Xochitl Lozano

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Sami Bartlett & Adriana Yozzi

WEBMASTERS

Julia Horneck

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jasmine Chan

SECTION EDITORS

Alex Frandsen, Leila Habib, Cayley Ross, Kyle Rossini

WRITERS

15

09

14

Nana Aisyah, Jasmine Chan, Taylor Driscoll, Rylie Ellam, Alex Johnson, Kaline Langley, Lucy Murrey, Wanja Njama, Alex Pickering, Adriana Yozzi

DESIGNERS

CONTENTS

Natalie Barnes, Isabella Brucato, Kate Coiro, Rachel Eng, Aditi Lohe, Srilekha Nuli, Samantha Rose, Diana Steelman, Cheyenne Tang, Christina Wysocki

FRONT

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Shrreya Aagarwal, Isabella Brucato, Jasmine Chan, Meredith Fisher, Yashi Gudka, Leila Habib, Kaline Langley, Justine Newman, Annie Shum,

04 Inside Northeastern’s Club Spikeball 06 The Rebirth of Times New Roman

Cover Photography by Justine Newman

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MEDIA & CULTURE COVER STORY 08 Winter Survival Guide 09 An Improvable Good Show

10 Northeastern Goes Trayless

WE’RE NORTHEASTERN’S STUDENT-RUN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE. LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? EMAIL US • NUWOOF@GMAIL.COM VISIT OUR SITE • WOOF-MAG.COM

LIFESTYLE

12 A Bowl of Ramen 14 5 Ways to Hack Finals 15 A Definitive Guide to Rebecca’s

FOCUS

16 Humans of Northeastern 18 Life at 1110 Comm.

Ave

4 • Front

Inside Northeastern’s

Club Spikeball Written by Taylor Driscoll // Photos by Annie Shum

WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

Front • 5

If you have walked past Speare Commons this semester, you’ve probably seen the group of students spiking a ball into a round net and thought they were just doing it to kill time and have fun. As it turns out, there is an official club sport dedicated to this game. Spikeball is a 2v2 game during which a team serves a ball onto a round net on the ground. From there on, both teams have three chances to pass the ball before they have to hit it back onto the net. The goal of the game is to “kill” the ball by making it impossible for the other team to hit it back to the net. Even though there are no special moves when it comes to spikeball, you need a pretty good serve to throw the other team off, preferably one that bounces the ball high in the air or farther away from the net.

Third-year computer science and physics major Matt Cook founded the team in September of this year. Along with other students, like fifth-year environmental science major Liam Henry

and Spikeball Team President and thirdyear media and screen studies major Jack McGill, Cook has introduced a new and exciting sport to campus.

“We heard other schools were playing it,” Henry said. “We thought it would be fun to bring in on campus.”

According to Henry, starting the team was easy, but recruiting members was difficult for the new and fairly small team.

“Our one worry was getting people to play,” said Henry. “People would just walk by.” To spread the word about the team, members set up shop at Speare Commons in hopes that other students would stop by to watch or join the game. The team gained members like Reed Kellet, a first-year chemical engineering major, because of a number of freshman who already spent time on the Commons.

“One day there were a bunch of upperclassmen and we were playing with them too,” said Kellet. “They told us about the team they were starting up and if we were interested … I played back at home, but not with all the rules.”

Kellet was drawn to playing on campus when he watched other freshmen play at Speare Commons at the beginning of the year. He was also a member of the Ultimate Frisbee team and knew a couple of the other players from that.

“We did fairly well in our individual bracket,” Henry said. “We stayed pretty consistent throughout the tournament.”

In the future, Kellet believes that with practice and team bonding, they will perform even better at their next tournament.

“When we grow as a team and send more players out, we will start to become a better team,” said Kellet.

Even though the team started up this fall, they have already competed in their first sectional tournament for northeast schools in late October. Henry, Kellet, and four other players drove to New York to participate in the tournament. The three teams played for eight hours, and Northeastern became a secondseed team by the end of the tournament.

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

6 • Front

The Re-

Front • 7

The Rebirth of Times New Roman Written by Adriana Yozzi Times New Roman is Northeastern’s only satirical newspaper made and produced entirely by students. Times New Roman (TNR) takes the form of print articles, videos and online media. The main goal of TNR, as outlined in their club portal, is to provide laughs through narrative stories, videos, and art.

birth

TNR produces three issues each semester and is currently working on publishing its fourth volume. According to Head Editor and fourth-year Film Studies major Eric Tatar, the club is making a few aesthetic changes to the print layout this year to achieve a “cleaner” look.

The TNR staff has grown significantly between this year and the last, and Tatar hopes the members remain. “When we started in 2016, it was just myself and a handful of my friends joking around. Now that it is more legitimate, we need to step up our game,” he said.

Flashback to 2015, when one of Tatar’s good friends and now president of TNR, Gus Castillo, saw potential in the publication and wanted to bring it back to campus with his group of friends.

Although the original start date of TNR is unknown, it existed for a few generations before Castillo and Tartar officially brought it back to campus. The publication was banned by Northeastern in 2011.

“We believe they were taken off in 2011 because jokes were being made at President Aoun’s expense. I think the school also disliked some of the other risque material being published, and wanted to put an end to it,” said Tatar.

Castillo said he knew TNR needed to make a comeback after hearing the founder of “The Onion”, Scott Dikkers, speak at an event on campus in 2015.

Dikkers performed a hilarious retelling of his life from childhood to the start of “The Onion” to now, relaying anecdotes of his struggles to get involved in comedy. Castillo was able to pick up the sense of pride Dikkers had in the amount of controversy and outrage that “The Onion” had managed to stir up in the past.

WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

“It’s there that I decided that Times New Roman needed to be revived, so right after his speech, I went to Snell to print out fliers for a meeting meant for those interested in reviving the humor publication,” said Castillo.

Castillo was not alone in his desire to bring the publication back to Northeastern. Head Editor and fourth-year Political Science major Greg Miele has been involved with TNR since its rebirth in 2016. Miele wanted to bring the paper back to campus because it served as an outlet for him and his friends to joke around.

“My favorite part of being a member of TNR is the flexibility it gives us.

I love being able to joke around and talk about complete nonsense during meetings,” said Miele.

Despite the minor bump in the road in 2011, TNR will continue publishing what some would view as risqu” material. Some of the articles in the most current issue are titled, “Trick or Treating: Just for Kids? The Push for a Sexier Halloween,” “I’m Going to Write Something Super Inappropriate in this Article, and There’s NOTHING You Can Do to Stop Me, Censors!,” and “Shutdown the Border!”

“We often like to have a risque headline to draw the readers in, but when you read the actual content of the article it’s just a joke,” Tatar said. For example, TNR’s article “Shutdown the Border!” makes the claim that there should be a border built against Canada to ensure that absolutely no Canadian bacon infiltrates the Unites States. It’s a play on the actual political conditions today, revealing a slightly ridiculous idea.

If learning about Times New Roman has sparked any interesting in getting involved, Castillo and team are on the lookout for new talent.

“You can choose to do as much as direct short films and help design publications, and as little as showing up just to play Runescape 2007 on your laptop,” joked Castillo.

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

Media & Culture • 9

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Written Kaline Langley // Photos Shrreya Aagarwal Written by by Kaline Langley // Photos byby Shrreya Aagarwal time of year again.

The snow falling, the leavesare are So,So, it’s it’s thatthat time of year again.

The snow is is falling, the leaves falling, and your grades are falling right before the semester ends. falling, and your grades are falling right before the semester ends.

Freshman year tough, especially when the chatteringofofyour your Freshman year cancan bebe tough, especially when the chattering bones competes with the bass of the music streaming through your bones competes with the bass of the music streaming through your headphones.

Fear longer!

With this simple guide, you’llnot notonly onlyget get headphones.

Fear nono longer!

With this simple guide, you’ll through freshman year, but you’ll thrive and dance with the winter chills through freshman year, but you’ll thrive and dance with the winter chills swirl dorm halls. thatthat swirl thethe dorm halls.

The most important thing about surviving freshman year’sBoston Boston The most important thing about surviving freshman year’s winters is pinpointing location activities.

Say those$5$5 winters is pinpointing thethe location of of funfun activities.

Say nonototothose Uber rides that accumulate over time — there’s no need to invest in the Uber rides that accumulate over time — there’s no need to invest in the inevitable hyperinflation in monopolized America... when you can walk! inevitable hyperinflation in monopolized America... when you can walk!

The House of Blues (artists Odesza, the Roots, Walk the Moon and Milky The House of Blues (artists Odesza, the Roots, Walk the Moon and Milky Chance will be playing there this winter) is located right next to Target, Chance will be playing there this winter) is located right next to Target, which is right next to Blaze Pizza. Do you see what I’m getting at? You which is right next to Blaze Pizza. Do you see what I’m getting at? You have music, an almost-Walmart, and sustenance, all within walking have music, an almost-Walmart, and sustenance, all within walking distance! If you’d like to eat somewhere else that’s moderately cheap distance! If you’d like to eat somewhere else that’s moderately cheap and extremely close, Punter’s Pub is right on campus, Conor Larkins and extremely close, Punter’s Pub is right on campus, Conor Larkins Grill & Tap is 0.2 miles away, and Slade’s Bar & Grill is 0.4 miles away.

GrillCaffe & Tap is 0.2 miles away, and Slade’s Bar & Grill is 0.4 miles away.

Bene a couple of blocks down Huntington features live jazz on Caff e Bene a couple blocks down Huntington live jazzFridays on Wednesday’s, and of Ginger Exchange Symphonyfeatures hosts karaoke Wednesday’s, Ginger Exchange Symphony hosts karaoke right next toand it. With these entertainment options comes moreFridays wine and right next to it. nearby With these entertainment options comes more wine and dine places like Pavement Coffeehouse, Gainsborough, and dine places nearby like Pavement Coffeehouse, Gainsborough, and WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

NeighborhoodsCoff Coffee andCrepes.

Crepes. The The food food options options are are endless Neighborhoods ee and endless and and essential for your hibernation days during those chilly winter essential for your hibernation days during those chilly winter nights. nights. you’rethinking thinkingof ofhaving havingfun fun and and exercising exercising there’s there’s always IfIfyou’re always the the stereotypical way to enjoy the winter: ice skating.

Johnson stereotypical way to enjoy the winter: ice skating. Johnson Ice Ice Rink Rink at at MITisis$8 $8for forgeneral generalstudent studentadmission. admission. Their Their hours hours are are 10 10 a.m.

MIT a.m. to to 1:15 1:15 p.m.on onFridays Fridaysand and11p.m. p.m.to to44 p.m. p.m. on on Saturdays.

Saturdays. The The Boston Boston Common p.m.

Common FrogPond Pondisisaalittle littlemore moreexpensive, expensive, listing listing at at $6 $6 admission admission and Frog and $12 $12 for for adult skating rentals.

However, they’re open almost all day, everyday adult skating rentals. However, they’re open almost all day, everyday and and it’sless lessthan than22miles milesfrom fromcampus. campus. Grab Grab aa boo boo and and go go skate! skate! it’s However, what may be important is the clothes you’ll wear while However, what may be important is the clothes you’ll wear while enjoying these outings. For some cheaper options, thrift stores that enjoying these outings. For some cheaper options, thrift stores that are within a mile are Morgan Memorial, Goodwill Industries, and are within a mile are Morgan Memorial, Goodwill Industries, and Boomerangs. Downtown Crossing is just one train ride away from either Boomerangs. Downtown Crossing is just one train ride away from either Ruggles or the Northeastern Green Line stop. You can explore all of the Ruggles or the Northeastern Green Line stop. You can explore all of the vast shopping options by Boston Commons, from Primark to Forever vast shopping options by Boston Commons, from Primark to Forever 21. Their clothes are cheap, fashionable, and heavy enough to keep you 21. Their clothes are cheap, fashionable, and heavy enough to keep you warm (especially floor three of Primark, where there are scarves, hats, warm (especially floor three of Primark, where there are scarves, hats, gloves, and waterproof bags). gloves, and waterproof bags).

Freshman year may be a hard, difficult journey. It’s all about “finding Freshman year may be a hard,and diffigrowing cult journey.

It’s all about nding yourself,” learning to assimilate, accustomed to the“fihectic yourself,” learningBut to assimilate, growing accustomed to themaroon hectic college lifestyle. why do thatand when you can find a $10 huge, college lifestyle.

But kids, why do you can find a $10 huge, maroon sweater?

Have fun andthat staywhen warm! sweater? Have fun kids, and stay warm!

An Improvably Good Show

8 • Media & Culture

Written by Alex Johnson // Photos by Meredith Fisher Improv is all about the unexpected, which certainly proved true when Cambridge ViceMayor, Marc McGovern, made an appearance at the ImprovBoston show on Oct. 26.

ImprovBoston is a nonprofit improv theatre in Cambridge, located just a block away from the Central T station. They offer shows Wednesday through Sunday, and every show is $20 or under for students. The theatre is a 30-40 minute T ride from the Massachusetts Ave Orange Line stop, with a transfer at Downtown Crossing to the Red Line.

The Oct. 26 show was the “ImprovBoston Mainstage: Spotlight Series,” which is a weekly show featuring a surprise local celebrity. The featured celebrity was the aforementioned Marc McGovern. The theatre sat about 50 people, and the set was simplistic — a wall with a cutout for a door and a window, and two chairs. They began the show by interviewing the guest of honor, and introducing him to the audience. Then, the performers began by performing twoor three-line scenes, working their way up to longer scenes.The scenes were a set of vignettes, as opposed to longer scenes that develop and grow, as one might see at another improv performance. The scenes oftentimes incorporated key words or phrases from the interview, which helped to create a sort of inside joke between the performers and the audience. One notable example was when the performers brought up McGovern to act as a radio show host and began commenting on topics brought up by the guests (other members of the cast). One of the guests mentioned tandem bicycles, which had been mentioned in the interview earlier, which was comedically effective. From time to time, it can be hard to understand some of the locationbased jokes, but it is fairly easy to figure out that Cambridge is not a fan of Somerville.

The whole night was accompanied by a live pianist, who helped keep the rhythm and pace.

He helped to set the mood, punctuate jokes,

cut off scenes that were dragging on, and even prompt the performers to break out into songs.

The cast has to re-audition every six months, and five of the 12 cast members perform each of the three nights that the mainstage show is performed according to Cambridge native and member of the Mainstage show cast, Danny Balel. For a college crowd, Balel suggests the “Face Off” show, which features more edgy humor and takes place at 10 p.m. on Saturdays. He also recommended “Harold Night,” which is based off of a classic improv form, featuring a whole world and story created out of one audience suggestion. The organization also

“ImprovBoston is an evening well-spent.

”

does some charity work, as it is a non-profit theatre. They do shows for local schools, focus on spreading anti-bullying message, and help deliver shows to locations that could not otherwise afford to come out.

ImprovBoston is an evening wellspent. The performances were solid, there were a few big laughs, and the troupe did a good job at creating a comfortable atmosphere for the audience. The train ride was a bit long, but nothing unreasonable — Northeastern students can be out of their dorms and back in about two and a half hours. It is a fun way to spend an evening, and for under $20 you can see an entertaining show and give back to the community.

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

10 • Cover Story

Cover Story • 11

Northeastern Goes Trayless Written by Rylie Ellam // Photos by Justine Newman You may have noticed the lack of trays in the dining halls, or at least heard about the trayless dining change. Northeastern recently joined 126 other universities across the country in eliminating trays to conserve water, curb food waste, and save money.

Some have already reported substantial benefits. Williams College claims that going trayless has conserved 14,000 gallons of water annually. According to The New York Times, the Rochester Institute of Technology has reportedly saved 10 percent on food spending. While the idea has been around for years, Northeastern finally implemented trayless dining as a pilot program for freshman orientation this past summer, hoping to see similar advantages. With the collaboration of the Resident Student Association (RSA), Student Government Association (SGA), and Professor Christopher Bosso’s Marketing Research class, trayless dining officially took flight this fall.

The campaign began last spring when RSA member and fifth-year psychology major Jessica Goodman reintroduced the idea of trayless dining to RSA’s former Vice President for Advocacy Jake Grondin, a third-year biology and biomedical physics major, and SGA’s Executive Vice President and third-year psychology major Paulina Ruiz. Ready to push the initiative forward, Grondin and Ruiz met with Professor Bosso to design surveys that model his past work with Maureen Timmons, WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

the director of NU Dining Services. After receiving a grant from the Kendall Foundation in 2015, Bosso and Timmons had researched methods to increase Northeastern’s local food sources. Using this research as a guide, Grondin and Ruiz constructed questions that asked students about their tray usage and informed them about the campaign.

Grondin stated the surveys tried to highlight that trayless dining was a recent trend and a sustainable choice without “priming” participants to support the cause since they “didn’t want biased questions.”

They primarily targeted students with meal plans, since Grondin contends that it would have been difficult to conduct an outside survey. During the spring of 2017, volunteers from RSA and SGA helped with surveying and flyering in the dining halls to yield a total of 800 students responses, 90 percent of which felt positively about trayless dining.

With the approval from Timmons, Grondin and Ruiz presented the trayless initiative to Professor Bosso’s Marketing Research class, which contained students who also cared about the campaign and asked several questions about it. Eager to get involved, the class began by administering separate focus groups and surveys. The students gathered 78 participants, and found that 4.99 out of seven participants would support trayless dining. On a scale of one to seven, the surveyed participants assigned a score

of 4.92 in how likely they are to take less food in the absence of trays. After receiving detailed results and confirmation from the students themselves, RSA and SGA finally decided to launch the initiative.

During its implementation this fall, SGA and RSA worked to educate students about trayless dining by placing signs throughout the dining halls and being present “in the first few weeks to reassure people about the change,” said Ruiz. Not everyone was entirely receptive at first, however. In the beginning of the semester, RSA and SGA started receiving email complaints from students about the lack of dining hall trays. The committees responded by being understanding about the objections, and describing the reasons behind the change.

After explaining the campaign’s data and cross-campus development, the students accepted trayless dining as a beneficial switch.

Ruiz admits that without the data collected by the marketing class and the support from NU dining, it would have been difficult to provide rationale to the students, and bring about trayless dining in general. While the transition was generally smooth, Ruiz claims that these types of campaigns are “rarely if ever that easy.”Although Ruiz recommends the same strategies for other campaigns, she “recognizes that it is not always this simple.”

There is always the desire to reach larger audiences for data collection, she says, but

the promising 800 responses in this case was sufficient to accomplish success.

Trayless dining was actually so successful that RSA and SGA plan to launch more eco-friendly campaigns. This semester, Dan Kroytor, RSA’s current Vice President for Advocacy and third-year electrical engineering major, is partnering with RSA member and second-year political science major Nathan Hostert to focus on sustainability in residence halls. Members Dylan Balcom, a second-year behavioral neuroscience major, and Sahil Kadakia, a third-year finance and accounting

major, are advocating for more recycling bins and unplugging electronics that are not in use.

Recognizing the effective strategies used, RSA and SGA hope to use trayless dining as a model for improving future campus life.

Trayless dining is only one small step to furthering campus sustainability. This campaign illustrated the importance of collaboration in promoting new changes. If RSA and SGA continue to use Northeastern’s various resources to their advantage, then they will likely see more success for their future initiatives.

Above: Jake Grondin, SGA’s Executive Vice President, in Levine Marketplace

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

12 • Lifestyle

Lifestyle • 13

A BOWL OF RAMEN with a side of your dreams

Written and Photographed by Jasmine Chan Looking for a unique dining experience? At Yume Wo Katare in Cambridge, you get more than just a filling meal, but also an opportunity to realize your own dreams and share them in a fun, supportive environment.

Approaching the unassuming, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, just a two minute walk from Porter Station on the Red Line, I was surprised to see a long line out the door on a Wednesday night.

My sister and I waited for about forty minutes outside until an employee finally had a group circle around him. He asked, “Who has been here before?” and only two people raised their hands. His next question was, “Who knows what ‘Yume Wo Katare’ means?” Having done my research, I answered “Share your dream!”

He explained that their goal is to have 40,000 dreams shared by the end of 2017, and as of that night they only had a little over 33,000.

The interior walls were painted a bright, azure blue, and the rows of seats faced the kitchen

“Would you like to share a dream today?” like a classroom. The servers and cooks were incredibly engaging, shouting something in Japanese every time a new party entered the restaurant, sharing their own dreams and urging you to resist phone usage to immerse yourself in the environment and interact with WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

others. You pay at the cashier before sitting (they only take cash, so run to the ATM beforehand), and the only item on the menu is ‘ramen’. They only asked three questions: “Two or five pieces of pork?”, “Would you like delicious garlic on top?”, and “Would you like to share a dream today?”

My sister and I were handed two adorable ‘I have a dream’ signs, and sat in the middle row. Because a bowl of ramen is their only dish, they immediately placed the steaming noodle soup with two pieces of pork and garlic in front of me. It did not look like regular ramen: the only vegetables in the bowl were bean sprouts, the noodles were much thicker than usual, and a considerable amount of fat was floating in the dark soup. The best way I can describe the dish is overwhelming. The first couple of bites were delicious, but soon my chopsticks were so oily that it was hard to pick up the noodles, and the heavy soup and rich pork settling in my stomach were slowing me down. I could not fathom how almost everyone else in the room was able to receive a ‘perfect’, which is part of the grading system of how much of the ramen you consumed.

Finishing everything in the bowl is a ‘perfect’, finishing everything but the soup is a ‘good job’, and leaving anything else is a ‘next time’.

The concept is that if you share a dream and receive a ‘perfect’, it will be granted.

When you notify the server that you are finished, they call the attention of the entire restaurant to listen to you profess your dream, then exclaim your grade. People shared

both short-term and long-term aspirations, like finishing law school, moving in with a partner, or my favorite, “to be more like Jim Hopper from Stranger Things.” I shared my goal to travel to all seven continents before I turn thirty, and my sister shared that she wants to be fluent in Spanish within the next six months. Disappointingly, I, the girl who

“The best way I can describe the dish is overwhelming.” has eaten twenty-seven McDonald’s chicken nuggets in under twenty minutes, received a ‘next time’, but hopefully my dream will still come true.

Overall, I loved the interactive concept and encouraging environment. However, the actual meal served is not for everyone, especially if you have diet restrictions. Even as a lover of massive amounts of fattening, savory food, the ramen was excessive, and I was convinced I was going to have a heart attack afterwards.

Although I would not go back for an ordinary dinner, it was a fun experience, and I would recommend it to adventurous folks with a big appetite. If that applies to you, help Yume Wo Katare reach their goal for 2017 and share your dream today! winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

14 • Lifestyle

Lifestyle • 15

Ways to Hack Finals Written by Lucy Murry // Photos by Kaline Langleu

With a new semester on the horizon, the anticipation of your cool new co-op or eagerness to kiss your fall classes goodbye may be just enough to leave you negligent this finals season. Or maybe this article catches you utterly distraught on the third floor of Snell, using pages of your textbook to dry your soft, silent tears. Either way, stop what you’re doing because you’re probably doing something wrong. Research shows that students generally practice highly ineffective study methods on a regular basis, meaning you could spend all night studying and still fail just as easily as that kid who hasn’t even gotten the textbook yet.

Sure, highlighters and Quizlet have their place, but there’s a reason you forget all of the information moments after taking the test-- that is what distinguishes effective study habits from ineffective ones.

Northeastern professor Joseph Reagle studies learning practices and life hacks, integrating much of this research into his classes (study hack #1: take a class from Joseph Reagle). “Learning is a skill,” Reagle said, “even smart people who are good at learning are not as effective as they could be.” Many of Reagle’s insights reflect those of psychology Professor Stephen Chew of Samford University. Through his research, Chew aims to debunk the study habits college students regularly practice that actually lead us to failure.

For example, virtually all textbooks include bolded terms and definitions listed on the sides of their pages. Students tend to just

skim the book for those terms, read the definitions, then call it a day -- stop doing that. Chew explains that professors typically test for comprehension: testing to identify information as a demonstrated concept rather than an isolated fact. Knowing this, it is incredibly important for students to study according to the expectations of the professor in order to be successful.

Another tip for studying success is to minimize all distractions.

Though we tend to think we are proficient multitaskers, the truth is: when you’re reading, snacking, and replying to texts all with The Office playing in the background, you may think you’re effectively doing all of these things, but actually you’re effectively doing nothing at all. Further, when it comes to scientifically-backed effective studying tactics, Chew continues to emphasize the following: Make meaningful associations and distinctions between the concepts you’re studying and related concepts. Find ways a topic both relates and doesn’t relate to a situation you’ve experienced or another learned topic.

Practice appropriate retrieval of concepts: rather than reading and rereading the textbook, try to answer the summarizing questions at end of chapter, or close the book after reading and try to recall the information by explaining it aloud.

Create concept maps rather than flash cards. Instead of relying on repeated measures to retain information, draw a diagram to explain and connect the concepts you are trying to learn. The time, effort, and creative act of making these maps will help you achieve deep processing of information, as opposed to superficial processing achieved from memorization.

A Definitive Guide to Rebecca’s Written by Alex Pickering // Photos by Justine Newman Walk off the library quad and down the stairs into the basement of Churchill Hall and you’ll pass through the doors to Rebecca’s, famous to Northeasterners for being the most high-traffic breakfast and lunch eatery on campus. Much like Alice’s initial fall down the rabbit-hole into Wonderland, a student’s first time in Rebecca’s can be intimidating; to be honest, so can the second and third time ... and every time after that.

You have to deal with both the large crowds of students flooding through the entrance, which one can only liken to the Running of the Bulls, and the several lines you can join based on your choice of meal. It can take

a lot of courage to brave Rebecca’s, even as an upperclassman. This guide to everything Rebecca’s will help your next trip be as anxiety-free as possible.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and breakfast at Rebecca’s is seldom talked about but is so, so good. If you can get yourself out of bed before your first class or before they start serving lunch at 10:45 a.m., then do yourself a favor and go. A meal swipe will get you your choice of eggs any style, french toast, pancakes, or WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

a breakfast sandwich or burrito, all of which are served with bacon or sausage and hashbrowns. If you’re in a rush, there are also pre-made breakfast sandwiches that put the pre-made paninis at lunch to shame, as well as muffins and parfaits. At this time of day, the gross number of people present at lunch are nowhere to be seen, allowing you to sit and enjoy your breakfast without having to elbow through the crowd.

Rebecca’s, affectionately nicknamed Becky’s, has put its sunflowered, purple stamp on lunch at Northeastern. However, the sheer quantity of possibilities can be overwhelming. First, there’s the deli line, where you can order a made-to-order wrap or sandwich. Here you’ll find favorites like the Nicole or the Niall. At a crowded time of day, push past the people waiting in other lines until you find this one that snakes around the back of Rebecca’s. When you walk in, the grill line is to the right and the specials line after that, which tends to be longer and wraps around the grill line. The four daily specials are listed clearly, and the grill line has various grilled sandwiches served with fries. Don’t worry, the lines all move pretty quickly.

Fourth-year political science major and Rebecca’s frequenter Cate Mahan said of the Rebecca’s waiting game, “Off-peak hours are the best chance to get through Rebecca’s without rotting in line. Generally twenty minutes before or after classes start are safe times to go, however the 12-1 window is dangerous regardless.” 11:35 a.m. is the worst time of day to brave the crowds, and 1:25 p.m. can be stressful depending on the day. If you only have a few minutes between classes, throw some elbows and bypass the lines to get to the ready-made, graband-go salads; cold sandwiches; chicken fingers; and paninis, which full disclosure - can all be a little suspect since they’re not made fresh on the spot.

“Rebecca’s encompases everything there is to campus life: greasy food, friendly atmosphere. It’s the physical manifestation of Northeastern in a sandwich,” said second-year bioengineering major Sarah Dunbar.

Hopefully these insights will help you take advantage of one of the most precious gems that Northeastern has to offer with poise and confidence.

Happy lunching! winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

16 • Focus

Focus • 17

Our next featured student is Adriana Messina, a first-year International Affairs major from New Jersey, who loves loving people and growing from the different experiences that life brings her way.

On being asked what is something no one would guess about her: Written by Wanja Njama // Photos by Leila Habib

In the second installment of our series, we are honored to introduce to you to two more Northeastern students. First up is a bubbly yet reserved first-year engineering major named Kamnsi Arachie, who hails from Nigeria.

“People don’t always guess that I’m LGBT. I’m queer and identify as pansexual. [But] because I don’t look a certain way – I look feminine, I like makeup, I like skirts – people [won’t] assume immediately that I’m a part of that community, so I try and be really vocal about it. I’ll walk into a room and I’ll be like, ‘Hello, I’m a part of this community,’ to just let everyone know.”

On the most important person in her life: “My younger sister is very important to me, because she is very easygoing and always finds a reason to smile, even though sometimes I try to bring her down and make her keep quiet. She just pushes it away and finds a reason to keep smiling.

I want to be like that - always finding a good reason to [smile and be happy] even if the situations may not be the best.”

On what she would do to change the world: “I want to bring African countries on the same level as the rest of the world. I want to make Africa more developed by creating more awareness of the beautiful places around the continent, and building up our tourist attractions, which would bring in a lot of revenue. There are people that are starving in Africa and I feel like if we go deeper in our tourism and our tourist attractions, [it would help]. I can’t think of anything I would want to do [more] to change the world.”

WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

On defining pansexuality: “It means that I am attracted to people regardless of gender, so I don’t really care if you are trans, cis, girl, guy, nonbinary, if you’re a guy who wears skirts, if you’re a girl who wears no makeup, I just don’t see gender as important. It’s more about why I’m attracted to you as a person and your personality and things like that. It took me a while to figure that out.

The way that I look doesn’t feed into the stereotypes that people have, so with a lot of people that originally meet me, I make it a point to tell them; just to make sure that I’m not hanging out with a homophobe, and to know that if they are also a part of the community, they know they have somebody else who shares their experience and knows what’s going on with them.”

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

18 • Focus

Focus • 19

Life at

1110 COMM. AVE Written by Nana Aisyah // Photos by Yashi Gudka Most students living in Northeastern housing have the luxury of waking up 30 minutes before class and still making it to their desks right on time. For second-year journalism major Zipporah Osei, the trip from her dorm to campus is a full on 45-minute commute, involving public transportation and a lot of walking. “[My dorm] is in Allston/Brookline and I take the T to get to campus.

[After] 20 minutes, I get off at Hynes Convention Center, walk for 15 minutes, take the E line to Arlington and transfer to the B Line before getting off at Northeastern,” said Osei.

If that sounds a little different from most on campus commutes to class, that’s because Osei lives in the university’s newest housing addition: 1110 Commonwealth Ave (1110). Opened this September, the apartment-style dorm close to Boston University is home to dozens of second-year and upperclassmen students. It includes many of the amenities expected from student housing, but for some residents, the experience has been somewhat unsatisfactory.

“I’m really upset that I have to live in a dorm so far away from campus.

Even though at this point I’m used to the commute I have to take, it’s definitely inconvenient,” said Osei.

WOOF MAGAZINE • winter 2017

Emma Oros, a second-year psychology major and former resident of 1110, said that she chose to move out because of poor hygiene and community relations.

“I felt like there wasn’t much community there, and then my unit [had] mice and I got so anxious about it [since] they disrupted my sleep,” Oros said. “There was no comfort in coming home as there weren’t that many events for residents because people didn’t feel connected.”

“

Last year it was nice because I could hang out at my dorm to wait for my next class or for meetings.

Now, to go back and forth to my dorm takes me about two hours.

The distance is more than a transportation inconvenience - it can make residents feel disconnected from campus life and limited in terms of their student experience and academic exploration.

“I was in a couple of clubs [last year], and this semester I’m only on the Huntington News because they meet quite late at night, as I find it hard to make it to meetings because of the commute,” said Osei. “Last year it was nice because I could hang out at my dorm to wait for my next class or for meetings. Now, to go back and forth to my dorm takes me about two hours.”

Osei also said that due to the commute and the evening rush hour, she was unable to make it to resident events, thus making her feel more detached from the dorm’s community.

“We do have Resident Assistants that organize events. They usually put events on at 8 or 9 at night, but if I’m on campus until later in the day I usually can’t make it because of the distance and the crowd,” said Osei.

Some students, like Oros, were only open to these new living arrangements because they simply didn’t have many other options.

Oros said that she chose to live in this dorm because the promotion for the new building appealed to her at a time when she was scrambling for options.

“I got an e-mail about a new dorm, and they said it had facilities and hardwood floors, and it was on a first-come first-serve basis,” Oros said.

“I then decided to choose this dorm because I didn’t have housing yet ...

I thought commuting would be fine because the T was right outside.”

Osei was in the same boat as Oros. She chose this dorm because of the housing shortage, and affordability was also a driving force.

“I had a bad lottery ticket. By the time that I had to pick a dorm, most of them were taken up. There were no more spaces. University housing then told me I would have another opportunity to apply in May,” Osei said. However, she didn’t get news about housing information until July.

“I decided to apply to this dorm because I didn’t want to end up living in the luxury dorms because of the cost,” said Osei.

Another concern that students have is safety. Even though the dorm floors require card access and have 24/7 security, some have still felt unsafe.

“

There was no comfort in coming home as there were’t that many events for residents because people didn’t feel connected.

Osei said that even though there is a doorman, they do not perform the check-in process that is usually compulsory at other Northeastern housing.

“We do have people who sit at the entrance of the building but they’re not Northeastern staff. I can see how this can be a safety issue because... [non-residents] still can get into the building,” said Osei.

Oros said that she had a scary experience during one of her commutes.

“One day I was walking home from Northeastern to Hynes to the T stop there, and I felt really unsafe at one point because I was coming home really late and I had a guy who followed me and made me uncomfortable.

I never felt unsafe in Boston until then; he made me nervous about commuting.”

1110 isn’t an ideal situation for students or administration. Unfortunately, the core cause of its existence, over-enrollment, doesn’t seem likely to go away anytime soon.

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

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