Woof Magazine Spring 2017 (Issue 19)

SPRING HAS SPRUNG A Cultural Guide to Boston

BALLIN’ ON A BUDGET Thrift Shopping in Boston 101

THE COMPUTER SCIENCE GENDER GAP The Importance of Women

LOVE IN THE AGE OF IPHONES How Technology Has Changed Communication

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08

04

PRESIDENT

Brian Ambadjes

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Meredith Peterson & Christie Macomber

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Erin Borst & McKenna Curtis

MARKETING DIRECTOR Sami Bartlett

WEBMASTER

Matt Woolsey

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marissa Mellenthin

SECTION EDITORS

Glenn Billman, Alex Frandsen, & Zoe Gregoric, Leila Habib

WRITERS

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Claribel Avila, Jasmine Chan, Janette Ebbers, Sophia Hu, Adriana Neimeyer, Daniel Paszkowski, Julia Preszler, Samantha Rose, Cayley Ross & Irvin Zhang

DESIGNERS

CONTENTS

Brian Ambadjes, Priya Aggarwal, Katie Dobberpuhl, Meredith Fisher, Xochitl Lozano, Cynthia Mei, Devanshi Patel, Samantha Rose, Cayley Ross & Nate Young

FRONT

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

04 Boston’s Hidden Gems 06 HOWL Stands With Dining Hall Workers

Rio Asch-Phoenix, McKenna Curtis, Meredith Fisher, Leila Habib, Ben Hackney, Maeve Kelley-Portillo, Ray Mandelbaum & Lila Selle Cover Photography by Rio Asch-Phoenix

LIFESTYLE

07 Dating on a Dime 08 Huskies and HIIT: Your Guide to a Better Workout 12 Ballin’ On a Budget: Thrift Shopping in

COVER STORY 10 Spring Has Sprung: A Cultural Guide to Boston

Boston 101

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

MEDIA & CULTURE

FOCUS

14 Where Do the Media 16 Worlds of Sex: Stand in the Trump Era? Limited Language 15 Love in the Age 18 The Computer of iPhones Science Gender Gap: The Importance of Women

4 • Front

Front • 5

Written by Julia Preszler // Photos by Meredith Fisher

ALTHOUGH THERE IS never a shortage of things to do or places to see in Boston, it’s easy to stick to comfort zones and familiar haunts (and even Mike’s Pastry can get a little old after the tenth visit). Check out these lesstraveled sites in and around Boston — all accessible by public transportation or a quick walk — and further embrace the city we call home.

One of the downsides of living in the city is the lack of green space and natural landscapes. To get your nature fix, hop on the Orange Line, get off at Forest Hills, and take a quick walk to Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. Its 281 acres were designed in 1872 by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City’s Central Park. Let your stress melt away as you meander down paths and trails that cut through the Arboretum’s fields and forests. Or, attend one of their events to learn about different species and ecosystems. (Pictured right)

Take advantage of Boston’s coastal location and enjoy the wonders of the sea. The Belle Isle Marsh Reservation preserves 151 acres of Boston’s last salt marsh. Hike down the reservation’s trails — framed by tall grasses in the warm weather — and take in the views of the Belle Isle Inlet from its wooden observation tower.

This historical, members-only library is tucked behind Boston Common on Beacon Street. Founded in 1807, the Athenæum is one of the oldest independent libraries in the country. Its collection boasts over half a million books along with magnificent paintings and statues. While most of the library is reserved for paying members, visitors can see part of the building through a free, hour-long tour. Book a tour (about a month in advance to be safe) by calling the Athenæum at 617-227-0270. (Pictured right)

On the first Friday of every month from 5 to 9 p.m., over 50 artists hailing from the South End open their studios to the public. Marvel at realistic and abstract nature scenes, paintings based off of historical photographs, statues of sea life, and jewelry made out of crochet beads; talk to the artists about their processes; and maybe uncover some of your own creativity.

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If you’re looking for a quick way to get off campus for a while, simply head up Massachusetts Avenue to the Mary Baker Eddy Library.

Hidden inside is an enormous glass globe. For just $4 with your Husky ID, you can step inside the center of the three-story colorful sphere for a 20-minute presentation about how ideas have spread throughout the world. (Pictured right)

Do you want to feel better about your artistic ability? Head over to Brookline’s Museum of Bad Art and view their collection of subpar crafts. The works are found in garbage cans, bought at flea markets, or donated by the self-deprecating artists themselves. It’s totally free and is sure to make you laugh.

spring 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

6 • Front

HOWL Stands with Dining Hall Workers Written by Samantha Rose // Photos by Ben Hackney

DATING ON A DIME Written by Camille Neimeyer // Photos by Rio Asch Phoenix

A college budget can be hard to manage, and when it comes to dating, it can be an even bigger struggle to balance romance and finances. If you’re looking to impress that special someone you’ve had your eye on for weeks — or maybe want to remind your significant other how much you care — consider taking them on a thoughtful and wallet-friendly night out.

For the Morning Lovers:

Dining hall worker Jose Taibot tells students about his involvement with the Boston Local 26 UNITE HERE union at Huskies Organizing With Labor’s coalition meeting on Feb. 13.

Dining hall televisions flash news and live footage of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. At noon, the dining hall workers leave their spots in the kitchens and food stations to begin their walk-out. They join students who met in the Snell Library quad to march in protest of the new commander-in-chief. Trump’s stance on immigration frightens many of the dining hall workers — several of whom are themselves immigrants — and they refuse to stay silent in the face of danger.

workers at Harvard, who organized a strike lasting several weeks last fall to campaign for better wages and benefits. With HOWL’s help in coordinating between Northeastern, Chartwells (the company that Northeastern contracts for dining hall services and the workers’ official employer), and UNITE HERE, the workers officially joined the union in 2012. HOWL lay dormant for a few years after this success, but the group is now back with renewed goals.

On Friday, Jan. 20, Northeastern University workers received permission from administration to participate in a walk-out with the help of Huskies Organizing With Labor (HOWL). HOWL is a student coalition that campaigns for and with dining hall workers to improve their wages, health care, and working conditions. For the walk-out, HOWL successfully helped the dining hall workers draft and deliver letters asking for permission to leave their shifts on Inauguration Day.

Since the organized walk-out in January, HOWL’s focus has shifted to discussing plans to help the union renegotiate the dining hall workers’ contract with Chartwells, which will expire in August. HOWL and UNITE HERE are hoping to achieve affordable health care for workers as well as a minimum annual salary of $35,000.

Fourth-year environmental studies and political science major Sarah Anderson has become one of the key student organizers of HOWL. She first got involved through the Progressive Student Alliance (PSA), which is one of the 45 student organizations in the coalition, according to the group’s Facebook page.

“We get information about what’s happening with the workers so that we know what they need from us,” Anderson said. “We take direction from them. It’s a worker-led movement.”

At a general coalition meeting on Feb. 13, HOWL leader and first-year international business and French major Beca Muñoz claimed that dining hall workers suffered verbal and sexual abuse from their managers. They were often not permitted to speak their native language and had no allotted time to eat meals. It was reported that if workers stopped to eat, their managers would take their plates from them and throw their food away.

These incidents led HOWL to support workers in an effort to join the UNITE HERE Boston Local 26 union, which represents hospitality workers in Massachusetts. UNITE HERE also represents dining hall WOOF MAGAZINE • spring 2017

At an introductory coalition meeting held on Feb. 13, HOWL held a collective liberation workshop which included an interactive discussion about oppression. Its attendees were then divided into breakout groups about different aspects of HOWL. A group meant for people new to the cause featured dining hall worker Jose Taibot, who shared his own experiences with the students.

Taibot spoke about having a heart attack at work. When he asked for someone to call an ambulance, his manager told him to clock out and go home instead of helping him.

“My life is now better [because of the union],” Taibot said. “The employees in the cafeterias need your help … You have friends on campus. Talk, come here, support employees.”

North Street Grille // 229 North St. When it comes to dating on a dime, it is important to get creative. If you are one of those blessed morning people, consider asking your date out to brunch. A morning date is a great way to save money, as breakfast and brunch menus are usually cheaper than dinner options. You can also avoid traffic, surge rates on Ubers, and those pesky evening wait-times for a table.

A great brunch option is the North Street Grille. With 17 varieties of gourmet french toast, 11 pancake options, and 14 omelets to choose from, it’s a feast for any breakfast lover. A bit of advice from a frequent bruncher: Avoid ordering the fresh squeezed juices, as they are usually overpriced.

The North Street Grille is about three miles from campus, so it’s a bit of a trek but is easily accessible by T or UberPool. If the date goes great, take a romantic stroll to avoid a food coma — the restaurant is close to the Boston waterfront.

Two entrees and two beverages go for around $16 to $24 total.

For the Pizza Lovers:

The Salty Pig // 130 Dartmouth St. If you would rather lie back with a warm slice of pizza and a good movie, try The Salty Pig. Sharing a pizza with your date is a great way to save some money, but if you order in from Dominos and just flip on the TV, it can lack that romantic “ wow” factor.

A hole-in-the-wall trendy restaurant, The Salty Pig will definitely grab your date’s

attention and satisfy their appetite. Here, you’ll be able to order a rich and unique pie to share between you and your date and not feel bad about reaching for the check. If you’re looking for an appetizer, go with nodini fritti.

They’re basically garlic knots on steroids. For your main dish, try pizza fratelli, the classier version of a sausage and mushroom pizza.

The Salty Pig is about a mile away from Northeastern’s campus, but it’s a not a bad walk. Plus, the stroll allows for a great opportunity for some small talk with your date.

A pizza and an appetizer (or two entrees) will cost you $16 to $22 total.

If you’re absolutely ravenous after reading about the offerings at these local date spots, go ask that special someone out for a delicious meal. Just some basic date etiquette to leave you with: Always offer to split the check, put your napkin on your lap, and never be afraid to be yourself!

For the Burger Lovers:

Boston Burger Company // 1100 Boylston St. If you’re a Shake Shack aficionado — or prefer a relaxed, down-to-earth crowd — a bougie burger joint might be the perfect date spot. A restaurant like the Boston Burger Company (BBC) is the place to be, and it was even featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.”

Be sure you’re ready for a mouthful of a burger, as the toppings are plentiful and the portionsare large. Try the Mac Attack for a crazy-good combination of gooey mac and cheese, juicy patty, and bacon. It’s just one of the 31concoctions to choose from at BBC — they even have veggie burger options for those going meatless.

The restaurant is about a half mile away from Northeastern’s campus, so you can walk there and back easily.

Two burgers and fries will set you back $20 to $27 total.

Anderson said she believes it’s important for dining hall staff to make a living wage. She wants workers to have affordable health care as well as fair scheduling and working conditions.

“I think as students we have a responsibility to show up for the people who serve us food,” Anderson said. “We have a lot of power as students.”

winter 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

8 • Lifestyle

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Lifestyle • 9

h t T II

Huskies and HIIT Your Guide to a Better Workout

H

Squats: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, chest out, and hands at chest level. Slowly squat down, being careful to avoid letting your knees go past your toes, and stand and repeat.

Written by Cayley Ross // Photos by McKenna Curtis

Has lack of time, low motivation, uncertainty about what to do and how to do it, or just pure laziness kept you from going to the gym?

Never fear: There’s a new workout regimen in town.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way to both improve and shorten your workouts without sacrificing results.

The process consists of doing any form of concentrated exercise for a short period of time, taking a quick rest, and then moving on to another exercise.

“HIIT is the hardest you could possibly work for [about] 20 seconds, then coming back down,” said Marino Gym personal trainer and fourth-year health science major Rebecca Rosenblum. “The basic idea is that when your heart rate is above a certain threshold you burn more fat. It’s not just high intensity for 20 minutes. The real benefit comes from moving in and out of the range.”

There is no one ideal HIIT workout — you craft one around your own personal goals, which is a big factor in its popularity. However, both Rosenblum and fellow Marino personal trainer Camille Chetrit stressed that it’s important to know what your goals are and what to keep in mind before creating a workout.

According Chetrit, a fourth-year health science major and group fitness instructor, 15 minutes of HIIT is the equivalent of 45 minutes of running.

“There are so many HIIT workouts out there,” Chetrit said. “But what’s more important is understanding the method of how to pick things out.”

WOOF MAGAZINE • spring 2017

When creating a circuit, essentially any exercise can be incorporated. In fact, you can even combine two or more into one set — a “super set.” When creating a super set, focus on opposing muscles. A set with both pushups and work on a bench press wouldn’t make sense, Rosenblum said, as both of these exercises target the same muscles. The point is to target certain groups of muscles at one time while the other muscles rest.

“There is no one ideal HIIT workout — you

The second step is to decide on intervals for each exercise. An interval can be any workrest ratio, but make sure the interval you choose is conducive to the exercise you’re doing. For example, it would make sense to use a 30/30 (seconds of work/seconds of rest) interval for sprinting and walking, but a 25/5 interval might be better for squatting and standing combinations.

Chetrit also suggests making sure that each interval you choose fits into one minute. Her favorite is the tabata interval, which is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. By working tabata-style, you can do a move for two reps — or two different moves for one rep each — and fit that evenly into one minute.

own personal goals,

The final step is to pick a total workout time.

When setting the time, according to Chetrit, it is important to keep in mind that you should repeat each exercise at least twice to really get the effect.

whichis a big factor

HIIT workouts may be intense, but their appeal lies in their versatility.

craftone around your

in its popularity”

According to Rosenblum and Chetrit, there are three steps to creating your ideal HIIT workout.

The first is to pick a focus. What is your goal for this workout? Do you want a leg day?

Do you want to have a full-body workout?

Deciding this is the most important thing when working out HIIT style.

“You can get so creative [with them], and the good thing about [them] is that you can easily make up your own instead of following someone else’s,” said Rosenblum.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, sculpt, or maintain your body shape, HIIT is the way to go. To get started, check out the basic 12-minute HIIT circuit suggested by Rosenblum and Chetrit on the opposite page.

Push-Ups: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the ground with your feet extended behind you, balancing on your toes. Lower yourself to the ground and back up. Repeat, making sure to keep your body in a straight line.

Lunges: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, step forward with one foot and bend both knees, raising your back heel but keeping your toes on the ground. Make sure your back knee doesn’t touch the ground. Step back to standing and repeat, alternating sides.

Crunches: Lie on your back with your legs raised, and knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Put your hands behind your head and lift up with your core, then come back down.

Row: Sit on the ground with your legs extended straight in front of you. Wrap an exercise band around your feet, and hold one end in each hand. Alternate pulling your hands back towards your chest and returning forward, leaning back and forward with each hand. If you don’t have an exercise band, you can do this with dumbbells or by simply making a fist.

Burpee: Start in a standing position. Squat down, placing your hands on either side of your feet. Jump your legs backwards to a push-up position, then jump back up to a squat position. Stand and repeat. spring 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

10 • Cover Story

Cover Story • 11

Written by Janette Ebbers // Photos by Rio Asch Pheonix

Spring has Sprung A CULTURAL GUIDE TO SPRING IN BOSTON

With the advent of spring in Boston comes a host of related warmer-weather activities (well, theoretically warmer, at least). Although spring in New England can be chilly, there is still a plethora of events and activities to enjoy in the coming months. You’re probably already familiar with the more well-known activities to be enjoyed this coming season: strolling through Boston Common, visiting museums, etc. Off the beaten path, though, is another side of Boston to explore.

SHOPPING: Newbury Street is generally the go-to for most Boston students. However, shopping opportunities in the city are much more diverse than just one street.

Boston Black Market: An art collective called Boston Hassle hosts a “Black Market” event about once every one to two months; local artists sell their wares in a one-day flea market. The last event was on Feb. 12, and the events are trackable on Boston Hassle’s website. Both the artists and the venues are local, and items range from vintage leather jackets to embroidered pins and earrings to wood carvings.

The Black Market event offers a chance to support local artists as well as find one-ofa-kind items. For an entry fee of $1, you can browse an array of hipster-chic, inexpensive art. Boston Hassle also hosts local artists and writers.

The Garment District: Another great spot is the Garment District, located in Cambridge. This secondhand store offers everything from ’50s vintage jackets to new winterwear. While the unique selection of clothing makes it noteworthy, the Garment District is also known for its somewhat unconventional events calendar.

Every second Sunday of the month, the Garment District hosts a dog adoption event in conjunction with Last Hope K9 Rescue.

Surrounded by ‘80s dresses and bomber jackets, shoppers can stop by to pet the

assorted dogs and inquire about adoption. The most recent event featured six dogs ranging from a chow-chow named Funshine to a daschund named Teddy. What’s not to like?

FOOD: Some well-known eateries include Mike’s Pastries; Trident Bookstore and Cafe; Legal Seafood; and pretty much any restaurant on Boylston, Newbury, or Huntington. Other parts of the city, though, also offer a wonderful array of cuisine. While it’s not necessarily particular to the spring season, there are many bakeries and pastry spots in Boston that are definite musts.

Pastries: In the North End, not too far from Mike’s Pastries, Modern Pastry provides a similar array of mouthwatering sweets. Small and family-owned, Modern Pastry offers a

“THIS SECONDHAND STORE OFFERS EVERYTHING FROM ‘50S VINTAGE JACKETS TO NEW WINTERWEAR.” wide range of pastries as well a charming ambiance. Their cannoli are especially renowned.

Other Eateries: Other hotspots include Tatte Bakery and Cafe and Flour Bakery and Cafe, both with multiple locations in the Boston area. The latter is known across the city for their award-winning sticky buns: buttery pastries with glazed pecans, baked to perfection.

MUSEUMS: Many Boston-area university IDs will get students into museums for free. Institutions ranging from the Museum of Fine Arts to the Tea Party Museum offer preferential or free student rates. Museums aren’t only good for touring, though. Many offer art and subject classes, again at reduced costs to students.

The Museum of Fine Arts: The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is well-known to Northeastern students. What many don’t know is that the museum offers art classes and several events throughout the year. The MFA offers basic figure-drawing courses for $30 a session as well as more advanced courses. The MFA even offers classes like metal inert gas (MIG) welding for anyone looking to learn specific skills.

Other Museums: Other favorites include the Harvard Natural History Museum in Cambridge, which is one of the most interactive museums in Boston, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, located about 2.5 miles away from Northeastern.

THIS AND THAT: Like any city, Boston is home to a wide array of people with a wide array of interests. As a result, the city offers a huge variety of events to choose from in the coming spring.

For wildlife enthusiasts or bird lovers, the Welcome Spring Bird Walk, on March 22, offers free fun. Binoculars are lent out to bystanders. Experts and novices gather to watch the earliest migrating birds come to the Boston reservation.

For dancers looking for a unique night out, Boston’s Havana Club hosts late-night salsa lessons followed by a four-hour salsa party (partner not required). The club is open Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, with different events on each day.

And of course, for outdoor lovers, Boston Public Garden is a classic destination.

However, the garden is also home to one of the most spectacular tulip displays during warmer spring weather.

Of course, one of the most anticipated events of the spring season is opening day for the Red Sox on April 6. Because procuring a ticket can be tricky and expensive, almost all local sports bars show the game. Favorites include Game On and La Verdad. Legend has it games are even viewable from some of the higher buildings on Northeastern’s campus.

spring 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

12 • Lifestyle

LIfestyle • 13

BALLIN’ ON A BUDGET THRIFT SHOPPING IN BOSTON 101

AUDREY SMALL’S DECLASSIFIED

THRIFT STORE SURVIVAL GUIDE First-year international affairs student, California native, and seasoned thrifter — Audrey Small has been thrifting for five years. Here are her top five tips and tricks to make the most of your thrift shopping experience:

Written By Jasmine Chan // Photos By Maeve Kelley-Portillo Tired of your closet but short on funds? Have a themed party coming up but unwilling to drop the bills on a costume you’ll only wear once?

As a college student living in Boston on a budget, shopping can be a struggle. However, these lesser-known thrift shops can help alleviate this problem and rejuvenate your wardrobe. The art of thrift shopping can be tricky at first, but once you know what to look for both you and your wallet will be happy with the results.

BUFFALO EXCHANGE 180 Harvard Ave, Allston Selection: 5/5 Price: 3/5 Organization: 4/5

Buffalo Exchange is perfect if you are looking for a great selection of trendy, current, and sometimes brand-name items in great condition. During my most recent trip, I spotted a shirt I was eyeing at Urban Outfitters that was originally $49; here, it was only $13. The store is organized clearly by size, with both women’s and men’s sections.

The founders of Buffalo Exchange are also committed to supporting the communities and environments they operate in by having environmentally conscious practices and giving to charities. If you’re going to check it out, remember to bring your own reusable shopping bag!

WOOF MAGAZINE • spring 2017

THE GARMENT DISTRICT 200 Broadway, Cambridge Selection: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Organization: 2/5

The Garment District can be a little overwhelming at first — half of the first floor is just a huge pile of clothes to sift through.

However, items are priced at $2 per pound of clothing, and $1 per pound on Fridays. You’d be amazed at how much you can get for this deal — from a couple sweaters to several shirts, depending on the size. The second half of the first floor is shared with Boston Costume, so it’s ideal for finding everything you need for Halloween or themed parties. New items arrive daily, so the selection is always being refreshed.

The vintage department has a great selection from every era, but can be a little pricey — the ‘80s windbreakers go for $25 to $35.

URBAN RENEWALS 122 Brighton Ave, Allston Selection: 3/5 Price: 5/5 Organization: 4/5

Urban Renewals is great for finding anything from dresses to vinyls at super cheap prices; however, it requires a little more perusing than Buffalo Exchange.

Urban Renewals is a huge warehouse with clothes organized by article and color. It also features a section for books, shoes, and furniture. In stores like this, I would usually skip the grungy-looking sweaters and funky ‘90s pantsuits and go straight to the men’s section for the $3 flannels and T-shirts.

1

If you want to find environmentally friendly, cheap, and unique pieces that fit your personality, try thrifting instead of wholesale.

2

Make a day of it — go with your friends and work on DIY projects together.

3 4 5

Start with sweaters and outerwear, then shirts and pants, and finally shoes and accessories at the end. You can’t bring the latter into changing rooms.

You cannot go into a thrift store as if you’re shopping at a normal store. Sometimes things won’t jump out at you as being wearable right away, but you have to think about what you can do with the material at hand — it may be different from its original purpose. For example, look for jeans you can distress or T-shirts you can turn into a dress.

Revamp your wardrobe by finding an individual piece, like a silk scarf or a jacket, that can freshen up a non-thrifted outfit that you’ve exhausted.

spring 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

14 • Media & Culture

They were roughly 8,000 miles apart and had a time difference of 17 hours. Despite that, they stayed in constant contact, whether that meant texting, calling, FaceTiming, or any combination of the three.

First-year business marketing major Paolo Silva and his girlfriend met in his hometown of Houston, Texas. They dated for a little less than a month before he had to leave for Sydney as part of the N.U.in program. Without his iPhone, Silva said, he doesn’t think he would be in such a stable relationship.

“It’s pretty much the only reason why I’ve been able to be in a happy relationship, because I can talk to her at all times,” said Silva. “If I ever need anything, I can just call her and it’s as if we were talking right next to each other.

It makes communication very instantaneous, and communication is vital to a relationship.

Especially if it’s long distance.”

Since its unveiling, the iPhone has been the face of smartphone technology. In addition to call, text, and FaceTime, it has given millions of users worldwide on-the-go access to popular

social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. In short, it has allowed for people over any distance to stay connected.

According to Brooke Foucault Welles, a communication studies professor at Northeastern University, there are five main factors of a romantic relationship. These factors are mutual trust, self-disclosure, involvement in one another’s life, shared experiences, and sexual attraction.

The use of social media and iPhones has enhanced the dynamic of communication within a romantic relationship, according to Welles.

“Given those categories of things, social media enhances quite a few of them,” Welles said. “The most obvious of which is this constant communication, so we get to be updated in the direct sense. But we also get this ambient sense.

If you and your partner are in a long-distance relationship, you do get this ambient sense of what your partner is up to, by looking at their social media feeds.”

Additionally, Welles said she believes that because social media permits constant communication, it allows for a sharing of

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Love in the Age of iPhones Written by Irvin Zhang

experiences even if both are not present physically to experience it.

“I do think that having your partner get near real-time updates begins to approximate a shared experience,” Welles said. “You can have meaningful conversations about the things that you’re seeing, in ways that you might not have been able to before social media and phones.”

But it’s not just long-distance relationships that technology helps. Even those lucky enough to date someone in their vicinity benefit from the effects of social media and iPhone technology.

First-year civil engineering major Kevin Largey and first-year nursing major Madison Walsh have been dating for six months after initially meeting in Melbourne, Australia, where they spent their first semester as a part of the N.U.in Program.

Walsh said that if they couldn’t communicate through their iPhones or through social media outlets, their relationship would be different than it is now. The convenience of communication is a huge plus for him and his girlfriend, mainly because it allows for a steady stream of interaction.

“I think relationships are much more intimate now, because we are able to have constant contact and communication, [more] than what my parents had when they were in college or high school,” Largey said. iPhones coupled with social media are not the fix-it-all solution to relationship problems.

Just as there are positive effects, there are also negative effects. The most common of these is that the smartphones can be a source of distraction.

According to the Pew Research Center, “25 percent of cellphone owners in a marriage or partnership have felt their spouse or partner was distracted by their cell phone when they were together.”

When a relationship goes south, according to Welles, people are too quick to blame social media itself. For example, if a relationship fails because of jealousy over something a partner saw on social media, jealousy is then the cause of the disruption, not the media itself.

20 years ago, the same jealousy could be generated from other sources.

“At the end of the day, human relationships are built off of an interpersonal psychology that hasn’t changed,” Welles said. “Technology doesn’t interfere with that.”

Where Do the MEDIA Stand in the

TRUMP ERA?

Op-ed by Daniel Paskowski // Photos by Ray Mandelbaum

The relationship between the press and presidential administrations has always been in flux. Since the establishment of the White House Correspondents’ Association and its press corps in the early 20th century, the role of the press has changed and adapted to each incoming administration. Past presidents like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for instance, generally enjoyed a relatively warm relationship with the press. The press, in turn, largely decided not to cover his various maladies. On the other hand, Richard Nixon’s distrust of all media led to a sure sense of schadenfreude — perhaps especially at The Washington Post, who ended up breaking the monumental Watergate scandal in 1974.

Media & Culture • 15

Trump has made the term “fake news” a rallying cry to denigrate any negative coverage. One of his first actions in office was to send White House press secretary Sean Spicer out to rip into the press for their coverage of the inauguration crowds. When The Washington Post and CNN broke stories about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn lying to Vice President Michael Pence in regard to his contact with the Russian ambassador, Trump took to Twitter to blast them as, you guessed it, “fake news.” Most recently, he has praised Fox News, a right-leaning agency that expectedly throws support to Mr. Trump, while deriding left-leaning agencies like NBC, CNN, and The New York Times as the “enemy of the American people.”

With such sweeping generalizations made on the campaign trail and in office, Trump is continuing to shape public opinion by disparaging entire media organizations and shattering their credibility among his supporters. American media organizations now find themselves in the difficult position of potentially having many millions of citizens outright dismissing whatever they are reporting on as a fabrication.

The president’s carefully cultivated cult of personality has resulted in an ability to spread and maintain falsehoods, even those detected by the media. The press has their work cut out for them. Over the next four years, however, they must work to cement their role in the Trump administration and ensure that they will not be shut out. The old saying from American president Thomas Jefferson is more applicable now than ever: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

During his time in the Oval Office, Nixon was an expert at intimidating journalists, avoiding reporters altogether, and carefully staging public appearances. Among other strategies, these allowed him to minimize the ability of the press to perform its duties.

Now, we’re a couple months into the age of Trump, and it is exceedingly clear that the 45th president has taken those Nixonian tactics to heart. His distrust of reporters was solidified at every step of his election campaign, during which the media reported heavily on Trump’s blunders and scandals, each one seemingly worse than the last. A confidence in his defeat was born of this reporting, and any notion that he stood a fighting chance was met with skepticism by many.

And then, as we all know, he did just that. Trump upset democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in a result that shocked just about every mainstream outlet in the country. The Trump team’s actions in the months following the election have suggested that his war with the media is far from over. Since his inauguration,

spring 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

Focus • 17

16 • Focus Section Name

Worlds

of Sex: Written by Claribel Avila // Illustration by Lila Selle

“As long as a hole is filled,” is Joaquin Diaz’s definition of sex — or at least it was.

Diaz, a fourth-year international affairs major who identifies as gay, struggled to define “sex” in a precise way. He considered factors such as being “moisturized,” the possibility of pregnancy, and penetration.

“I don’t think hand jobs are sex,” he said.

“But I do think fingering is sex.”

When asked to include people who don’t have penises in his answer, Diaz reconsidered.

Individual definitions of sex are varied and personal. They are often compared to, and held up against, the definition of sex as heterosexual intercourse or, at the very least, some kind of penetration. And regardless of sexuality, sex-related words have distinct meanings: What one person would call nonconsensual sex, another would recognize as rape.

Communicating ideas about sex and sexuality is difficult for many people who live in a culture where sex is both taboo WOOF MAGAZINE • spring 2017

Limited Language and everywhere, and sex education is often minimal.

But this language is particularly limited for people who are queer.

“It’s kind of like trying to fix a broken system with the parts you already have,” said Alyssa Rubin. The fifth-year international affairs major has been in a relationship with a woman for the past three years. “I considered myself a virgin until I had a sex with a guy, even though I’d had sex with girls.”

Rubin used to think about sex as a sort of relationship landmark. She commented that

in her past relationships with men, “sex [was] something to be withheld until you [got] to a certain point.”

She thinks about it differently now: “Why does the type of sex you’re having determine the seriousness of a relationship?”

For Cassie Binney, a third-year biochemistry major who identifies as asexual and heteroromantic, sex is anything that involves being naked below the waist — and “is not of personal interest” to her. She discussed sexuality in terms of sexual beings and asexual beings. Binney noted that asexuality,

the “A” in LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, etc.), is often ignorantly dismissed as illegitimate.

People who are asexual are confronted with a range of projected excuses for their asexuality: social awkwardness, childhood abuse, or just “not finding the right person.”

Binney forcefully rejects these stereotypes.

Binney has been in relationships with men and enjoys the romance and intimacy that can come with them, but has no interest in relationships that include her definition of sex.

She equates her lack of sexual interest to a similar lack of sexual interest someone who’s gay feels towards the opposite gender.

Even for those who are not asexual, definitions are still blurry.

“I don’t necessarily think that sex should be the word that describes what I do with people,” said Nico Oldfield, a third-year communications and international relations major. “It just does not fit into the definition.”

Oldfield, who identifies as genderqueer, suggested that arbitrary definitions are just a product of an archaic view of sex.

“I think the concept of sex in the way we talk about it is very much based on reproduction,” Oldfield said.

There are significant negative consequences to continually treating heterosexual sex as the standard: For one, individuals who do not fit into the narrow definition may feel their differences are flaws.

“For a long time I felt that … I just dont like sex that much,” Oldfield said. “And I don’t know. I’ll probably fall in love at some point — but these boys are boring.”

“If I had had more things to compare myself to,” said Oldfield, “then maybe I would have realized that hey, actually, that’s not what’s going on.”

In middle school, Rubin found herself in the classic predicament of an inaccessible crush.

She couldn’t recognize the nature of her feelings.

“There are no words to describe having a crush on your female teacher when you’re twelve,” she said. She wondered why she was obsessed with her teacher, thinking that crushes could only be about boys.

Rubin described sneaking into her mother’s room as a young girl to read her magazines, such as Cosmopolitan. “Everything in Cosmo

is about straight vanilla hetero sex,” she remembered. “Everything is about how to touch a guy’s penis, and that’s where I learned about what sex was.”

TV and film, which influence social norms about sex and sexuality, rarely stray from heteronormative content. Heteronormativity is defined as a worldview that promotes heterosexuality as the normal — or preferred — sexual orientation.

One of the most “influential forces in

shaping social norms is TV and film, which rarely stray from heteronormative content.

”

Furthermore, the constant pressure to sexualize media figures, both gay and straight, leads to the isolation of asexual viewers.

“I always felt like something was missing,” said Binney, “and it’s stressful.

“There’s this assumption that sex is the greatest thing to happen between two people,” Binney explained. “There are a lot of things people can do together, and intimacy isn’t purely — or even mostly — sexual.”

Binney recounted her disappointment with the film adaptation of “Coraline” for adding a love interest that didn’t exist in the book.

“I don’t think people realize how much they really model their behavior off of other people, whether in real life or on TV,” said Oldfield.

In mainstream society, increased communication is slowly becoming understood as vital to sexual consent. Beyond consent, communication is also necessary to navigating the nonlinear nature of nonheterosexual sex.

“With non-heterosexual sex there is no flowchart,” Oldfield said. “And that helps because it’s a lot harder to make assumptions about the next thing you’re doing or the progression of events.”

However, perhaps not all ambiguity is negative — and some is even necessary.

Binney works as an advocate for the studentfounded Asexual Education and Visibility Network. She describes AVEN’s stance on sexual identity as non-judgmental.

“We don’t want to prevent anyone from saying they’re asexual,” she explained.

“Sexuality and asexuality are fluid. If asexuality is good for you today, that’s good. And if tomorrow it’s different, that’s okay.”

Oldfield found this room for fluidity imperative in their own life.

“Once I start identifying a certain way, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m comfortable with it, even if I know that that’s the right way for me to identify,” Oldfield said. “I still have to adjust to what that means in my life.”

Allowing for ambiguity provides a safer space for people to explore their identities.

Insofar as vocabulary is limited, one shouldn’t be feel obligated to stick to a label.

Society lacks a rich and comprehensive vocabulary for the different forms of love that exist. Embracing the perception of love, as well as sex, as a spectrum could help dispel the notion that homosexual, bisexual, asexual, skoliosexual, etc. is antithetical to heterosexual. Oldfield says all relationships, particularly queer ones, can benefit from this.

“I like the word queer because it doesn’t mean much of anything,” Oldfield said. “It has a vague set of assumptions and expectations but not anything that is very defined. If you unify under that label then you can fit a lot more people in.”

Living in an ambiguous world may come with more uncertainty, and it may mean more effort; however, it is more inclusive and would allow for better representation.

Dispelling labels and strict definitions of sex and sexuality is not only good for sex culture and safety — it’s also liberating.

“Once you start realizing that reality is about yourself,” said Oldfield about accepting their genderqueer identity, “you get so much happier so fast. Or at least that’s what happened to me.”

spring 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 Written by Sophia Hu // Photos by Leila Habib 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 “I can’t code because my long eyelashes make it hard for me to see Working on co-op at the communications studio Sametz, Lum enjoyed the screen,” said a girl featured in a satirical video titled “Why can’t using CSS and JavaScript to activate webpage elements.

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 girls code?” The video was produced by Girls Who Code, a non-profit 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology.

“That was really cool,” said Lum, “because I had a lot of freedom to do whatever I wanted and there was no standard or expectation at 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 So if it’s not long eyelashes, why aren’t more girls coding? That’s the the time.” question Carla Brodley, Dean of Northeastern’s University’s College of 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 Computer Science, asks.

But the programming workforce largely carries the same uneven ratio as 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 the classroom. Because there are fewer female CS majors, there are also Brodley recognizes the lack of women in the technology industry. And fewer working female software developers — and teachers.

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 she’s tackling it head-on by trying to get a 50/50 women to men gender ratio in computer science (CS). Brodley and her team are working to “I think that throughout my entire education I’ve only had one female 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 even the ratio by expanding the combined major program; constructing professor,” said Lydia Auch, a fourth-year biology and computer 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 a new, and more inclusive, fundamentals course; and recruiting within science major. the university.

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 The problem is prevalent in all of the science, technology, engineering According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, only 18.2 percent and mathematics (STEM) fields. Even though “women fill close to half 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 of people majoring in CS are women. TechRepublic reports that the of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 nationwide average is even lower — 16 percent. At Northeastern, the CS jobs,” according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s website. And major is 26 percent women, up from 19 percent in 2014. representations in popular culture aren’t helping bridge this gap.

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 “If women are turned away from [CS], especially from the gender issue, As a young child, second-year computer science student Vivian Lee was 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 it’s kind of like a waste of intellectual power,” said Tracey Lum, a fourthinfluenced by tropes she saw in the media. year computer science and interactive media combined major.

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 “People think [of] guys mostly when they think of computer science,” 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 Lum likes that the programming she’s learning can be used in multiple said Lee. “If girls were exposed to the visual effect of [women in CS ways, and she’s especially drawn to data visualization and media art. positions] earlier, there might be fewer stereotypes.”

101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011 WOOF MAGAZINE • spring season2017 20XX 101010010101000101111010100101111010100101010001011110101001011

The C

mputer Science Gender Gap: he Importance of Women

Section Focus Name • 19

Biases about certain genders being inherently better at certain work, or having different kinds of intelligence, are reproduced continuously in the media and filter to daily microaggressions. Psychology Today defines microaggressions as verbal and nonverbal slights or insults which “communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.” They may be intentional or unintentional.

Lum noticed that when she worked with other women, tasks were divided more equally, “but when working with guys, I don’t want them to have, like, their ego bruised ... I’ve had partners who didn’t seem to really trust me.

“Biases are very subtle,” Lum explained, “at least at Northeastern. No one’s like, ‘yeah, girls suck at programming,’ but you don’t know if it’s in the back of their mind.”

The Northeastern student body lacks a welcoming environment for women pursuing CS, and according to Auch, leaves a lot to be desired.

She recounted a specific example when she was in one of the upperlevel courses. She found it hard to find a partner for group projects.

Males tended to prefer male partners.

“Being a woman in an all-male or mostly male environment — as most computer science programs are — was, for my colleagues as well as for myself, an extremely frustrating and isolating experience,” said Pooja Sankar, founder of Piazza, a platform that hosts online discussion for CS students.

However, not all women CS majors have noticed or experienced negative consequences of their lack of representation. Some, such as fourth-year CS major Tiffney Kitiratanasumpun, find some advantage in it.

Kitiratanasumpun noted that her male peers were not unwelcoming to her and reached out when she needed help. She also appreciated how they would “passively support you by automatically assuming you are an equal.”

Even on co-op, Kitiratanasumpun noted that despite working at a primarily male company, everyone was welcoming. She was never left feeling like the odd one out.

As long as women are a minority in STEM, concerted efforts need to be made for students to gain equal footing from the start. Since men are often exposed to CS at younger ages, they may come in with more experience.

Dean Brodley recognized this disadvantage that women face. Ergo, she restructured the first computer science introduction class, Fundamentals I, to be taught in drracket, a language developed by Northeastern faculty.

Lee has witnessed first-hand how this small change helped introduce one of her friends to computer science. Despite never programming before, she gave computer science a try after taking the first Fundamentals class. Her friend is now a computer science major.

Left: Vivian Lee, second-year computer science major Right: Tiffney Kitiratanasumpun, fourth-year CS major

Though Lee previously learned Java in AP Computer Science, she still enjoyed the newly structured Fundamentals I because it taught her how to self-learn other programming languages.

While Northeastern’s enrollment of women in CS is rising, there is still progress to be made — both socially and structurally. So how will the dean manage to increase that to 50 percent? And are there any universities that have an even gender ratio to be learned from?

The answer is yes. In fact, more than one US university has achieved that goal.

More than half of the computer science majors at Harvey Mudd College are earned by women. At Carnegie Mellon University, women account for 48 percent of the computer science students. University of California invested millions into their Women in Science and Engineering (or WiSE) program. WiSE is an effort to hire more female faculty and provide role models for girls studying computer science.

Lee and Kitiratanasumpun also offered a few ideas for improving the gender ratio. Lee noticed that most of her professors have been male, and when she had female professors, they were treated with less respect and given less attention. If Northeastern made a bigger effort to hire more female faculty, Lee said, students would get used to the idea of non-males in the technology field.

Kitiratanasumpun said she believed that offering scholarships to more women pursuing a career in technology would encourage greater participation. She suggested that Northeastern partner with the National Center for Women and Information Technology, which promotes diversity and inclusion in computing.

Lum suggested that Northeastern have a “women in CS day” and invite high school girls for a student showcase and tech talks. Lum said that when mainstream systems make women in technology largely invisible, there are limits to what a university can do. She stressed the importance of groups like Women In Tech, which make space for conversations and presentations about tech among women.

“I think it’s very important to get more women into computing,” said Karen Spärck Jones, Professor of Computers and Information at Cambridge Computer Laboratory. “My slogan is: Computing is too important to be left to men.”

season spring 20XX 2017 • WOOF MAGAZINE

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