February 21, 2019

The Huntington News February 21, 2019

The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community

@HuntNewsNU

Trouble on Commonwealth Avenue

Residents face long trek to campus

Students concerned over security

By Jenna Clark | News Correspondent

By Avery Bleichfeld | News Staff

W

hen first-year communication studies major Grace Carolonza applied for apartment-style on-campus housing at Northeastern, she never expected to be housed almost an hour’s walk to campus.

“When I looked on the map, I saw it was closer to Boston University and a 50-minute walk from Northeastern,” Carolonza said. “This would make it challenging to become involved in clubs and meet people, two crucial aspects when one is trying to become integrated in a community. Commonwealth would be isolating, and this could be detrimental to a freshman who is unfamiliar with the Northeastern community.”

1110 Commonwealth Ave. is a Northeastern housing complex in Allston, near Boston University. Carolonza received her housing assignment while in Rome with the N.U.in program. She said she put the location in a map in her phone multiple times because she couldn’t believe the location.

The Commonwealth Avenue property COMMUTE, on Page 2

M

Photo by Elisa Figueras 1110 Commonwealth Ave. is a Northeastern housing complex near Boston University.

File photo by Dylan Shen Senior forward Kasidy Anderson fends off a Vermont defender during a Jan. 26 home game.

50 career goals

By Mike Puzzanghera Sports Editor Northeastern women’s hockey is going through a renaissance of sorts: They have made the NCAA Tournament twice in the past four years, and look primed to qualify this year.

Senior forward Kasidy Anderson has played on all of these teams, and the goal-hungry left-winger has developed into a major threat in front of the net in her final season.

“The support of my teammates and my coaches and putting me in a different role than I’ve been in the past years has helped me come out every game and try to help lead

the team in production,” Anderson said.

In the 2015-16 season, Anderson scored seven goals and nine assists for 16 points as a freshman as the Huskies made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

Her role as a junior in the 2017-18 season was more defined. She finished the year with 27 points on 12 goals and 15 assists.

Anderson was third on the team in points, and set a new career high with her assist and point totals (she scored 14 goals in her sophomore year). The team won the Hockey East tournament and made HOCKEY, on Page 6

File photo courtesy Lauren Scornavacca Gayathri Raj performs with Pitch, Please! Jan. 18 at AllCappella in Blackman Auditorium.

1st place in ICCAs

By Christopher Kelly News Correspondent Northeastern’s all-female a capella group Pitch, Please! took first place at the 2019 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, or ICCA, Northeast Quarterfinal at Berklee College of Music on Saturday.

They competed alongside Northeastern’s Distilled Harmony, which placed third, and other college groups.

“Going in we were pretty confident,” said Distilled Harmony member Greg Myren. “I feel that we had a tough time in the venue, and we made a few mistakes.”

Myren, a first-year, praised Pitch, Please! for their performance.

“We are so proud of them. They absolutely killed it, ” Myren said.

Berklee’s own Upper Structure emceed the event, which nearly 900 people attended.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology group Syncopasian was the first troupe introduced to the stage, incorporating R&B and pop multilingual songs. Olin College of Engineering’s group the PowerChords told a story of jealousy and heartbreak during their set with a rendition of Duffy’s “Warwick BERKLEE, on Page 9

addie Campbell, a second-year mechanical engineering major, wanted to live with her friend so much that she agreed to move two miles off campus to Northeastern’s housing at 1110 Commonwealth Ave. By the summer, however, she was having second thoughts.

“We called housing numerous times, both of us on the phone with the people, and we were like, ‘We really don’t think this is a good idea,’” Campbell said. “We just came back from N.U.in the year before and we really want to be on campus.”

The housing office replied if they wanted to live together, it was their only option. For Campbell, it was the start of a semester without housing office support, and issues beyond distance from campus.

Campbell and her roommate Taraneh Azar, a second-year journalism and political science double major, said they were let down by poor communication about the size and cost of the apartment.

The apartment was smaller than Azar and Campbell anticipated, and while the distant apartment was advertised as a way EXPECTATIONS, on Page 3

File photo by Dylan Shen Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks at the Boston Women’s March Jan. 21, 2017. She is running for president in 2020.

Mass. in 2020

By Paige Stern News Correspondent As the 2020 presidential election nears, the Democratic primary field is growing larger by the week, with more than 10 candidates already in the running. Massachusetts often has a reputation for offering presidential candidates, and 2020 is no exception.

Former Gov. Michael Dukakis said Massachusetts’ role in the upcoming election will likely be no different than in elections from the past.

“Massachusetts seems to supply more candidates for the presidency than any other state in the country,

and this year is no exception,” said Dukakis, who is now a political science professor at Northeastern.

“It will also be providing hundreds of volunteers and thousands of dollars for Democratic candidates.”

Currently, there is one Massachusetts Democrat officially running for the 2020 election: Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

The two-term senator from Cambridge announced the launch of an exploratory committee on New Year’s Eve, making her one of the first public officials to formally consider a run at the Oval Office.

Less than two months later, PRESIDENT, on Page 12

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February 21, 2019

Students feel isolated on Comm. Ave. COMMUTE, from front is former Boston University housing that Northeastern currently leases.

Third-year English and psychology major Crystal Lau said everyone she knows there is either an N.U.in or exchange student. It consists of

two-person studio apartments and three-person apartments with single rooms.

Students who live there are not required to have a meal plan like first-years who live on-campus. To aid in the 40-minute public-tran-

Graphic by Corey Dockser

sit commute, which requires one transfer, they receive an unlimited T pass for each semester. In addition, a Northeastern shuttle leaves Commonwealth seven times daily to bring students to campus.

Lau, an exchange student from Hong Kong, takes the shuttle to campus in the morning but said there aren’t always enough seats, and sometimes drivers leave before the scheduled departure time.

Lau was originally placed into housing at the Midtown Hotel on Huntington Avenue.

She said it looked “sketchy” at first, but she liked the location near campus. After living there for about a week, Lau and her roommate were told they had to leave and would be put in permanent housing on Commonwealth Avenue.

“I wasn’t super happy about it at first because I’d settled into Midtown,” Lau said. “Once you unpack everything, you don’t want to put it all back. It’s literally so far off campus, it kind of feels like they didn’t want to deal with us so just sent us off far, far away.”

Lau said she was upset at first but recognizes that living in Commonwealth has its upsides, such as having her own kitchen. Lau said she made the situation work, but if the housing department told her a place on campus opened up, she would definitely move.

Carolonza found alternative housing on her own before she even arrived on campus from N.U.in.

She didn’t want to live too far from campus because of safety concerns, and she thought it would be more difficult to make friends, so she contacted the housing office to see what her options were.

They allowed her to drop her housing deposit, so she and her roommates were able to find off-campus housing on Worcester Street, a 10-to-15-minute walk from campus, for less money than they would have paid for Commonwealth.

Carolonza said she is very happy with her decision but feels lucky she was able to find good off-campus housing on such a short notice.

She said she thinks students should have been made aware they could be placed in housing far away from campus when they applied for apartment-style housing.

“We the students have the right to be informed and, for the tuition being paid, a right to not submit to a 50-minute walk to campus,” Carolonza said.

Sabrina Rigby, a first-year media and screen studies and political science combined major, was assigned to live in Commonwealth. She participated in N.U.in in Prague and remembers feeling frustrated and helpless when she found out.

“I was livid,” Rigby said. “That night that I found out, a bunch of us stayed up complaining about it until like 2 a.m. We were just like, ‘There has to be a way out of it. We have to be able to do something.’ We felt so powerless and so pissed off.”

The day after she found out about her housing, Rigby’s parent contacted the housing office. The day before coming to the Boston campus, Rigby found out she would eventually be placed in on-campus housing but didn’t know when or to where she would move. Rigby lived in Commonwealth for more than a week before moving into a traditional freshman dorm.

Rigby said she did not like living in Commonwealth because she had to wake up at 6 a.m. to get to campus on time, then couldn’t leave until late in the evening and wasn’t able to go home in between classes. She said she also felt concerned for her safety taking the T home alone at night.

“If you could pick up Comm Ave. and bring it over closer to Northeastern within a decent walking distance, I would have been like, ‘I’m going to stay here. This is great.’ It was really the location,” Rigby said.

Of eight students from the N.U.in Prague program that were placed in Commonwealth, all have since moved to on-campus housing. Rigby said Northeastern should stop leasing housing that isn’t within walking distance from campus.

“You can’t call it on-campus housing, and you shouldn’t call it on-campus housing if I literally could have gone to BU so much faster,” Rigby said. “Maybe it’s cheaper, but at the end of the day, that’s definitely not worth it, especially considering how much stress that puts on the housing department.”

CAMPUS

February 21, 2019

Housing lacks answers for students in Allston EXPECTATIONS, from front to save money, it was only slightly cheaper than other on-campus housing options, Azar said.

“A lot of things [about the Commonwealth residence] were exaggerated or not made as clear as I think my roommate and I wished they would have been made,” Azar said.

One of the biggest issues for Azar was that the building is owned by outside housing management company Alpha Management, not NU. This kept the university out of the loop when issues arose and made the chain of command “really hard to follow.” She said she worried the school would dismiss an issue if she brought it to them.

The school maintains that students should speak to Housing and Residential Life staff and facilities in order to fix maintenance issues, despite the outside ownership.

The situation left Azar and Campbell feeling powerless. Once, in the middle of the day, they received an email notification that someone was coming to check on their plumbing and was going to enter their room whether they were there or not.

Worried about their valuables and the idea of having strangers in their apartment, Campbell left in the middle of her class to make the half-hour commute back to the apartment.

“It ruined my entire day because I was so concerned about what was going on in my housing life that I didn’t have the opportunity to continue the rest of the day with my classes,” Campbell said.

Campbell was also disappointed by the general security. She said it was “not even present.” Azar said

proctors didn’t follow the same precautions as other residence halls.

“I would have friends who show up right in the lobby, right before the door that you need a key to enter the actual building, and they’d text me, ‘Hey, can you come down and key me in?’ And then a minute later I’d get a text, ‘Oh, nevermind, they let me in. I’m on your floor,’” Azar said.

When they tried to address their concerns, Azar, Campbell and other students found few options.

Campbell said when a friend’s package went missing, they went to the residence director to see if they could access security camera footage to see what happened. The RD told them NU personnel could only access the footage if the Northeastern University Police Department opened a case. Campbell said the response was “extremely unsettling.”

Azar said she felt the cameras were part of a larger security system that seemed like it was more for appearances than anything else.

“There were a lot of precautions in place that seemed like they would keep students safe that in reality were just more show than anything,” Azar said. “Those cameras put a lot of other students’ minds at ease until we were told that the footage really was held by nobody that we could get in contact with.”

When Campbell reached out to her RA and RD about security concerns, she was told, “Well, there’s nothing we can do.”

Students at 1110 Commonwealth Ave. aren’t the only ones struggling with housing. In January, the ceiling of an apartment at 110 St. Stephen St. collapsed and a burst pipe in

International Village caused flooding. For transfer students like Holly Christensen, a third-year computer science and design major, on-campus housing wasn’t even an option.

Christensen said when she first applied, the housing office said she was unlikely to get on-campus housing. The school later notified her that she, and all other transfer students, wouldn’t be offered housing at all, which she said was frustrating.

Jessamyn Ingram, a second-year environmental engineering major and transfer student, said the school told her from the start that she would not be offered housing.

“I guess [I felt] a little bit disappointed, ... but I knew that I wanted to go here, and so I was like, ‘I’m going to figure it out,’” Ingram said.

Though NU did not offer on-campus housing, Ingram said the school gave support in finding another place to live. There is a website to help transfer students find roommates.

It offers apartment listings, though Ingram said most were out of date.

Ingram could also attend workshops and seminars about off-campus housing, and the Off-campus Student Services read students’ leases to ensure they weren’t being cheated by landlords or signing a bad lease.

Campbell also found some support. When Azar left for a co-op in New York, Campbell moved to a residence on St. Stephen Street.

“I was able to go to the housing office and talk to somebody about it face-to-face and, for once, they actually made the process fairly simple,” Campbell said. “But it seems like the housing process at this school is not simple at all.”

Program offered on campus, online and hybrid 2 Program offered online only 3 Program offered on campus or online

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ARTS & SCIENCES: Molecular & Cell Biology

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COMMUNICATIONS: Interactive Media & Communications2 Journalism Sports Journalism Public Relations3

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Compiled by Sully Barrett, News Staff

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12:47 p.m.

An RD reported receiving an email from an NU student regarding covered smoke detectors in the common area of his room in West Village A. Officers responded and confirmed the smoke detectors were covered. A report was filed.

12:08 a.m.

A proctor reported a man sleeping in the basement of International Village. Officers responded and identified the man as unaffiliated with NU with active warrants for shoplifting, disturbing the peace and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Officers placed the man under arrest and transported him for booking. A report was filed.

12:09 p.m.

An NU student reported her laptop was stolen from her backpack on the third floor of Snell Library. A report was filed.

12:38 p.m.

The manager of Wollaston’s Market in Marino Recreation Center reported a shoplifter. Officers responded and reported speaking to an NU student. The student was banned from both Wollaston’s locations. A report was filed.

2:47 p.m.

An NU student reported being robbed by about seven men in the Museum of Fine Arts. The student reported one of the men threatened to harm him with a firearm and motioned toward his waistband but did not produce a firearm. The men took the student’s sneakers. A report was filed.

10:52 a.m.

The manager of Wollaston’s Market in the Marino Recreation Center reported stopping a shoplifter identified as an NU student. Officers responded and reported the student attempted to steal a protein bar. The student was banned from the Wollaston’s location. A report was filed.

9:53 a.m.

An NU student reported her backpack was stolen from the Shillman Hall lobby. A report was filed.

11:38 a.m.

An employee of ABM Industries, a facility management company, reported finding an unmoving man lying under a mattress while cleaning a room in Melvin Hall. Officers responded and reported the man unaffiliated with NU was conscious and alert. The officers confiscated two bicycles and a bass instrument from an adjoining room that the man could not prove ownership for. The man was banned from NU property. A report was filed.

2:39 p.m.

An individual reported a man making concerning statements about guns and shootings while speaking with him in the Curry Student Center. Officers responded and reported stopping the individual who they identified as unaffiliated with NU with an active trespass order. The officers arrested the man and transported him for booking.

A report was filed.

2:49 a.m.

An NU student reported his intoxicated friend hit his head after falling off the toilet two hours prior. Officers responded and reported transporting the injured student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, or BIDMC. A report was filed.

2:21 p.m.

The NU bookstore manager reported a known shoplifter in the area. A passerby reported seeing him throw a backpack into the stairwell of Symphony station. Officers responded and reported stopping the man unaffiliated with NU riding a bicycle on Massachusetts Avenue, where they arrested him for shoplifting and trespassing. Officers reported recovering $234 of bookstore merchandise. A report was filed.

3:02 p.m.

An RA reported finding at least three broken exit signs and an emergency door propped open in Stetson West. A report was filed.

2:00 a.m.

An officer reported a highly intoxicated NU student on the corner of St. Stephens Street and Westland Avenue.

Officers reported identifying the student as 21 years old but that he could not remember where he lived and did not have any belongings on him. The student was transported to BIDMC for medical evaluation. A report was filed.

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February 21, 2019

Club offers women entrepreneurial programs

By Deanna Schwartz News Staff At the first session for the Husky Startup Challenge last semester, only 12 of the 112 attendees were women.

As the competition continued, this number dwindled down to only one woman out of 40 finalists.

For Mia Nguyen, the only female director of the program, this was “heartbreaking.” When Nguyen, a second-year business administration major, asked the other women why they dropped out, they said they were too intimidated and and felt it was too much of a “boy’s club.”

Nguyen and her fellow Entrepreneurs Club member Eliana Berger, a first-year combined business and psychology major, realized that there is a lack of female representation in the Northeastern business ecosystem.

They decided to address the problem with the creation of Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship, or WISE, in January 2019.

WISE is a student organization “dedicated to increasing the confidence of young women and teaching them an entrepreneur mindset,” Nguyen said.

WISE’s programming consists of three types of events: WeLearn, WeBuild and WeSupport.

WeLearn is a series of interactive workshops across various disciplines, with leaders brought in to teach workshops on their area of expertise. So far, workshops have been held on negotiation, venture capital, blogging, social media and other topics. The first WeLearn workshop in January focused on experience and user design, and had a turnout of

more than 60 women, Nguyen said.

WeBuild and WeSupport are not fully launched yet, but will be in the fall. WeBuild is a series of startup classes held by an upperclassman or alum that requires an application.

WeSupport is a mentorship network that pairs underclassmen with upperclassmen, and upperclassmen with successful alumni.

This is neither Nguyen’s nor Berger’s first venture into starting a new organization — they both started businesses in high school.

Nguyen started a portable phone charger company called CC Cords and Berger started a non-profit called Golden Heroes, which works to comfort children being treated for cancer. Their experiences dealing with gender discrimination through these ventures contributed to the birth of WISE. Nguyen described struggling to maintain her femininity in the business world, and Berger said her authority was often doubted in favor of a male colleague.

“I noticed a lot of times when I’d walk into a room, it would be completely male-dominated,” Berger said.

Part of what makes WISE unique is that it is accessible to students of any major.

“We’re eliminating the notion that you have to be a business major to be entrepreneurial,” Berger said.

WISE has members from across all of Northeastern’s colleges, and the executive and advisory board represents all but one college.

“WISE allows women from all different majors and backgrounds to

explore different skills and find their strength,” said fifth-year psychology major Rosie Meyer, WISE’s vice president of community.

In addition to education, WISE places a large emphasis on creating a feeling of community for its members. Vice President of Design Aarti Amalean, a fifth-year interaction design and marketing combined major, said she finds the club to be “very empowering.”

“Women are using WISE to get to know each other and spend time

together,” Nguyen said.

Those involved with WISE believe that it has the potential to make a tangible difference.

“We’re providing a community that is otherwise hard to find,” Berger said.

Esther Chewning, a co-op coordinator for entrepreneurship and management, concurred that WISE is filling a gap that was previously not present for women in entrepreneurship. “[WISE] is a great opportunity

for us to promote entrepreneurship and the benefits of it to our female students,” she said.

In March, WISE is taking 30 women to the Google headquarters in Boston for a tour and a workshop on imposter syndrome, which is when a person doubts their accomplishments and feels like a fraud in their workplace or academic setting.

Both Nguyen and Berger said they want to see WISE grow and flourish.

“It’s amazing and it’s just the beginning,” Nguyen said.

Photo by Deanna Schwartz Aarti Amalean (left) and Rosie Meyer are both involved with the leadership team at WISE. Amalean said she finds the club to be “very empowering.”

SGA updates policy to evaluate referenda

By Yunkyo Kim News Staff The Student Government Association, or SGA, announced Feb. 14 changes to their policy for referendum submissions to adhere to campus, local and state laws in addition to adding criteria to better evaluate and prioritize referenda.

Under the new policy, the executive cabinet of the SGA will convene to vet the referendum proposals and publish the meeting minutes within 48 hours.

In addition, sponsors behind ve-

toed referenda will receive a detailed rationale highlighting the broken guidelines within 48 hours of the meeting.

Responding to feedback on the short preparation time for referenda this semester, SGA also moved the submission deadline from Feb. 18 to March 11, but did not alter the overall timeline of the vetting process.

“For a long time, there has been a conversation between the student government and the administration at Northeastern about trying to progress the referendum process to

make it something that they will see more value in,” said SGA President Dylan Balcom, a third-year behavioral neuroscience major. “So when I got back this semester, we kind of hit the ground running and started drafting and communicating with the administration on what would be a fair referendum process.”

SGA referenda allow the student body to vote directly on a question.

The SGA historically has received five referenda per legislative cycle.

During last year’s cycle, however, SGA President Dylan Balcom said

File photo by Samantha Barry Student Government Association President Dylan Balcom addresses the Senate in a meeting Feb. 4.

they experienced a “large influx” of referendum submissions.

The change in the referendum policy and delay of the timeline is to accommodate a growing number of sponsors as well as to promote transparency and objectivity of the vetting process while increasing the urgency of referenda to the administration.

Jake Margolin, a fourth-year philosophy, politics and economics major who is on the executive board of the Roosevelt Institute at NU, praised the change.

“Roosevelt members are very happy to see a full month for students to prepare and propose these referenda,” Margolin said. “We think that more time will lead to better referenda submissions. We thank the SGA administration for fixing it.”

The Roosevelt Institute plans to propose a referendum to implement training for the prevention of sexual harassment and assault on campus, and resources for survivors.

Matt Lowe, a second-year computer science and business administration major and president of the NU College Republicans, said the club has submitted a referendum every year and that the rationale behind the vetting process has not always been clear.

“Essentially, all our referendums should pass every year — that’s not the way it always works out, but that is the idea behind it,” Lowe said.

“So this year we are doing the same thing. Get something out there, and hopefully, we’ll enact change on campus.”

A larger-than-normal amount of referenda in 2018 made it hard for the university to prioritize one over another.

The SGA legislation that enacted these changes includes, “There was an excess of referenda submitted to Senate in 2018 … If there are no changes made to the referenda procedures, the results may not be considered valid by the University Administration.”

Balcom said the changes are meant to be a “prioritization mechanism,” after the university raised concerns about the increased volume of referenda.

With the implementation of the new policies, club sponsors will be able to see the reasoning behind vetoes. Lowe also praised the postponement of the deadline. “[Submitting referenda] are important to our club. So that’s great to see that they pushed [the deadline] back, that they’re willing to show that they’re just willing to work with clubs on campus,” Lowe said.

Balcom said he hopes that the policy change will accommodate the increasing number of referenda and improve relations between the sponsors, student government and administration.

“We just want to have that open conversation,” Balcom said. “So that way, we know what the people’s aims are, what they are hoping to gain … it will make a better referendum if the student body and the student government are on the same page.”

SPORTS

February 21, 2019

Page 5

A look back on Jess Genco’s Husky career

By Vincent van Oorschot News Staff

Northeastern has had many great leaders in its program history, such as Tesha Tinsley, Sam DeFreese, Pam Green, Carla Singleton and Katasha Artis. The Huskies are set to say goodbye to another influential leader at this season’s end as Jess Genco graduates.

The 5-foot-5 guard is not an imposing presence on the basketball court, but her style of play is anything but invisible. Her vision on the hardwood is almost unparalleled in the CAA, her shooting is a level above any of those who came before her at Northeastern and her leadership was felt by not only her fellow teammates, but also those who came to Cabot Center see her.

Genco enters her last four games of CAA play with two significant records under her belt. It was on Jan. 4 that the guard broke Northeastern’s all-time 3-point record. After knocking down her second triple of the game against Elon, she passed Melissa Kowalski’s record of 245 made 3s. Genco is sitting on 276 going into Friday’s game against Hofstra.

She dished out her 466th career assist Feb. 1 against Charleston, breaking Tesha Tinsley’s career record.

Genco has always been a silent leader, in that she has never held her individual accolades in high regard.

“I don’t really pursue the records, they just kinda happen,” Genco said.

“It’ll be a nice thing to look back on when I’m older, but right now it doesn’t really hold that much weight to me.”

Genco, who is originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the daughter of Catherine and Gerard Genco, who played basketball at Fordham University and the University of Scranton, respectively in their collegiate years, but they never directly pushed Genco or her siblings towards basketball.

“My parents did a good job of letting us choose our own favorite sport, and mine just happened to be basketball which I’m sure they liked,” Genco said laughingly. “All of my siblings play basketball, but for instance, my little sister does gymnastics

File photo by Brian Bae Genco dribbles up the court and stops to call a play during a game against UMass at Cabot Center Dec. 7. She scored 14 points in 40 minutes. which is her thing.

“But basketball is the glue that really ties the family together.”

Genco has always been a leader by example, and her influence has helped new Huskies contribute to the team.

“On the team she’s definitely had the biggest impact to me,” freshman guard Katie May said of Genco.

“Coming in and playing right away can be a really nerve-wracking thing but she was always there and as a guard she’s taught me a lot and we’ve become really good friends.”

May said that as a result of the friendship she has built with Genco off the court, her game has improved on the court.

Genco’s achievements throughout

her time at Northeastern are extensive. Her freshman year in 2015-16 was headlined by three CAA Rookie of the Week awards, capped off by her All-Rookie First-Team nomination. Her sophomore year was committed more to her development as an all-around guard. She averaged a whopping 37.6 minutes per game, leading the team in that category while also averaging 4.1 assists per game. In Genco’s junior year she came into the spotlight, earning a nomination to the All-CAA First Team while averaging 14.8 points per game.

When it came to Genco’s senior year in 2018-19, she wasted no time in pushing her team for success. The team broke Northeastern’s record for the best season start to the season, opening 9-0. In the midst of this run was a matchup with Providence on Dec. 15, when Genco

drained a new program record for most 3-pointers made in a game with nine. Her senior season is filled with highs. Genco is averaging 37.7 minutes per game while racking up 16.5 points per game, 4.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 41.9 percent from the field.

The goal for Genco has always been to make the elusive NCAA Tournament in March. Northeastern women’s basketball has made it to the tournament once before, back in 1999, but this Northeastern team is one of the top mid-major offensive powerhouses in the nation, having made the mid-major top-25 rankings multiple times this season.

“We’re gonna miss her work ethic when she leaves, and how much of a team-player she actually is,” said head coach Kelly Cole. “She’s always the first one in and the last one out, and every second she’s on that court

Jess Genco points per game

20

14.8

15

10

9.4

9.8

First Year

Second Year

16.5

5

0

Third Year

Fourth Year

Source CAA Sports

Graphic by Devin Raynor fighting to win, she’s giving it 110 percent.”

The Huskies have positioned themselves on a 15-9 record at this stage in the season, going 5-8 in the CAA, but Genco and the Northeastern team behind her will look for nothing less than the CAA title in Delaware come March 13.

Photo by Riley Robinson Jess Genco quickly dribbles past her defender and toward the basket at a home game vs. UMass Dec. 7

SPORTS

Page 6

February 21, 2019

Photo by Dylan Shen Kasidy Anderson skates across the ice in the second round of the Beanpot at Harvard’s Bright Landry Hockey Center against the Boston College Eagles Feb. 12.

Anderson leads the way toward NCAAs for Huskies HOCKEY, from front the NCAAs. Now, Anderson leads the team in goals with a career-high 17 with games still to play. She has also racked up 13 assists for a total of 30 points, which is tied for second.

Head coach Dave Flint named Anderson an alternate captain for this season, allowing her to help lead and teach the younger

Kasidy Anderson: by the numbers 17 goals 30 points 159 shots on goal 10 goals while leading 50 career goals .595 face-off percentage Source Hockey East Association

Graphic by Devin Raynor

players on the team.

“She’s stepped up for us on the ice, and she’s serious when she needs to be and funny when she needs to be to loosen the team up,” Flint said.

“She’s taken another step forward this year, and been a great leader for us.”

Her new role allows her to receive plenty of passes in front of the net from her linemates, putting her in a position where she can shoot immediately. Her linemates this year are freshmen Alina Mueller and Chloe Aurard. The two have provided the team with 70 points combined.

Mueller or Aurard have assisted all but five of Anderson’s 17 goals.

“Obviously my linemates make it easy for me, getting me the puck and just being able to take a shot makes it easy to finish the play,” Anderson said. “They both have incredible hockey IQ and they’re both very quick with and without the puck.

Other than working hard, I don’t really have to do much more.”

Anderson scored her 50th career goal Feb. 8 against Merrimack, redirecting a shot from Aurard right in front of the net. The goal was originally credited to Aurard, but after looking over the replays, officials determined that Anderson got the final touch.

“The goal itself wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t very clear that I touched it … Initially it didn’t cross my head that it was my 50th goal, and then I got on the bench and everyone started high-fiving me and telling me ‘Good job!’” Anderson said. “I’ve worked hard to do that, so being able to accomplish it is amazing.”

Anderson is tied for the conference lead in goals scored while leading (10), and she is tied for fourth in the conference with 14 goals scored in wins. She has also scored 13 of her 17 goals in either the second or third period. The forward has clearly been

helpful in finishing off opponents by adding late goals.

“I think I’m a very situational person, so when the pressure’s on whether we’re down or whether we’re up, I think I take that as a positive energy and I think it improves my play,” Anderson said. “So when we are up I think all the confidence is there and I’m in the right spot at the right time and I’m able to put it away.”

The Huskies’ effectiveness on the power play has been a key part of their success this year. Their first power-play unit is only slightly different from their first line at even strength: Anderson, Mueller, Aurard, Veronika Pettey and Brooke Hobson.

They roll with a four-forward line to utilize their best scorers. Anderson herself has scored three times on the power play, plus an assist.

“Obviously playing with my linemates every single game, every single shift, obviously makes it easier to go out on the power play and not really have to change much other than Alina being up on the point,” Anderson said. “We all complement each other very well and obviously its showing on the stat sheet. [Pettey]’s always in the right spot and I have a pretty easy job of just standing in front.”

Flint created the line to try to maximize their efficiency when playing a man up, and it has worked well so far. The unit has scored 15 of the Huskies’ 21 power-play goals on the season.

The team clinched the Hockey East regular season title Feb. 16 with a 3-1 win over Providence, marking only the second time in program history that they have done so. The first regular-season Hockey East championship came in 2002.

“It’s awesome to work hard all season and finally see it show in a trophy, even though we haven’t seen the trophy,” Anderson said. “I think the fact that it’s the second time in team history, I don’t think that’s going to hit us until later on when they win the 10th or 11th and we’re

looking back at it saying ‘Hey, we were the second team to do that.’ It’d be nice if we were the first, but the fact that we’ve won it in [our] history, that’s awesome too.”

They clinched the title with three games still to play in the regular season, capping off a remarkable run that saw them win two of three games against Boston College, beat Boston University twice and tie them once and win two of three against Providence during conference play.

Those three teams make up the rest of the current top four in Hockey East.

“Especially in a league like Hockey East where it’s competitive top to bottom, for us to win the regular season championship, it’s quite an accomplishment for the girls, and we were definitely excited about it,” Flint said.

When comparing the past NCAA-Tournament teams to this year’s squad, it is evident that the Huskies are in a better position to make the tournament than ever before. Despite having a worse record at this point in the season compared to the 2015-16 team (22-5-4 vs.

25-6-1), they find themselves ranked No. 3 in the country, and No. 4 in the Pairwise, both of which put them in a solid position for the NCAA tournament should they lose in the Hockey East tournament.

“I think this year we’ve put ourselves in a position where we’ve kind of taken pressure off ourselves,” Anderson said. “Obviously we want to win Hockey East and we have a great chance of winning it, but if things don’t fall our way, we’ve put ourselves in a good position to make NCAAs, and I don’t think we’ve had that position except for my freshman year, but that was even on edge.”

Numbers aside, Anderson has an idea of which of the teams she’s been a part of is the best.

“I would say this year’s probably been the best, and it’s honestly such a great group of girls to do it with,” Anderson said.

SPORTS

February 21, 2019

Page 7

NU ultimate community grows on and off the field Photo by Riley Robinson Michelle Guerriero runs for a catch during B team practice Tuesday, Feb. 19 in the Carter bubble. The women’s team has high aspirations for future regional and national competitions.

By Joe Lantow News Correspondent At first glance, ultimate Frisbee seems like any other sport. Two teams of seven players line up on a field, each intending to score a point by getting the ball, or in this case, the disc, into the other team’s end zone.

But look closely at any match, and it’s clear ultimate is missing a key component that is a staple of almost every other sport: a referee.

“Ultimate is traditionally self-officiating,” said Jorden van Emmerik, a fourth-year civil engineering student and president of the Northeastern men’s ultimate Frisbee team. “Players instead call fouls according to the Spirit of the Game.”

The Spirit of the Game is an instantiated rule that guides players to follow sportsmanship and fair play in place of a referee.

Northeastern’s ultimate program has grown since its start in 1998. In 2019, the men’s team has roughly 110 members across A, B and C teams, and the women’s team has around 80 members across A and B teams.

Ultimate has traditionally refrained from outside officials. Even at its most competitive collegiate levels, the closest ultimate comes to referees are “observers” who only interfere when teams can’t agree on something.

“People always look at me weird when I say ultimate is self-officiating,” said Daniel Bowler, a fourthyear and member of the men’s C

team. “I always ask: How many other sports games have you seen ruined by bad refs? They break up the game.”

While most collegiate sports programs have long-standing traditions dating back at least a century, even the oldest ultimate teams were founded in the early 1970s. Northeastern’s fast-growing team is even younger, its inception so recent (1998) that many players on the team are actually older than the team itself.

As the game evolves, some think it might be necessary to shed the loose rules of the 70s.

“Sports will always need referees,” said Patrick Gannon, a fifth-year and C team captain. “Everyone adheres to the spirit of the game 99 percent of the time, but there always will be that one guy who is non-cooperative.

We try to control ourselves, but it’s hard to be impartial in do-or-die situations.”

In many sports, referees act to temper aggressive and highly competitive players by implementing penalties and even by ejecting them entirely from the game.

Without referees, enforcing behavior becomes more difficult. Many ultimate players report no such issues, though.

“I’ve encountered two of those [non-cooperative] people in five years,” Bowler said.

“It’s such a cohesive culture; your

own team won’t support you if you break the Spirit of the Game.”

Anna Cullen, a fourth-year and president of the Northeastern women’s ultimate team, said she hopes the sport can keep what she views as the game’s unique spark while keeping competitive play fair.

“This way works. Even with observers, at the end of the day, it’s still players making calls,” Cullen said.

“One of the big things about ultimate is that it’s self-officiated — Spirit of the Game is encouraging people to do their best and play fair without outside people.”

Ultimate Frisbee seems like a sport designed for college athletics.

It’s relatively safe and easy to pick up, has varying levels of competition and needs a community to thrive.

“We have a team for everyone,” van Emmerik said

proudly. “Three men’s teams with a C team for everyone.”

It’s not just Northeastern’s team that’s growing — according to USA Ultimate, the sport’s governing body in the United States, ultimate has roots in every state.

“There really is a great community anywhere you go, with smart, kind and genuine people,” Cullen said.

“It’s a really welcoming and socially conscious community.”

This welcoming community has resulted in a happy problem for Northeastern Ultimate — an excess of players.

“Six to seven years ago, we only had a couple subs, and now we almost have too many people,” Bowler said.

Of course, growth comes with its own challenges for club organizers and captains.

“It’s been insane,” Gannon said.

“The size of the [men’s] program when we first split to [have a] C team is the size of C team now. We can’t continue this growth. We have to do something ... We just had 40 people sign up for a tournament with 20 slots.”

The women’s team is also experiencing

growth, but at a slower rate, so they only have an A and a B team.

Verda Bursal, a third-year member of the women’s B team, said that often men see ultimate as a culture first, while newcoming women tend to see it primarily as a sport. “We need more exposure for women, not just as a sport, but as a culture,” Bursal said.

The women’s team has high aspirations for the future of the club in national competitions.

“Our goal is that we go to nationals this year, so we are really putting the pressure on to practice and getting those workouts,” Cullen said.

“We have a great team, and every single player can play.”

Ultimate’s fun culture, rapid growth and focus on sportsmanship might make some think that the sport is less intense than others. But van Emmerik said nothing could be further from the truth.

“I want people to know the amount of effort and leadership our teams have put in. People think ultimate is easy — A team has practice and workouts six to seven days a week,” van Emmerik said. ”We are getting better every year and are on the trajectory to make it to nationals.”

Editor’s note: The News’ editor-in-chief Charlie Wolfson is a member of the men’s ultimate program.

Photo by Alex Melgrano Multiple members of the men’s ultimate Frisbee team leap for the disc during an outdoor practice on Feb. 19. Players call their own fouls in such situations, as there are no referees.

OPINION

Page 8

February 21, 2019

Column: Black history is history still in the making

Brittany Mendez

“D

ear Students, they didn’t steal slaves. They stole scientists, doctors, architects, teachers, entrepreneurs, astronomers, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, etc., and made them slaves. Sincerely, your ancestors.”

Mississippi middle school teacher Jovan Bradshaw decorated her classroom door with these words in honor of Black History Month. Photos of it soon went viral. Bradshaw reminds us that these are not just stories about nameless slaves and prominent Black figures, rather they are the lives of people who were just as human and you and me.

Carter G. Woodson started the first annual Negro History Week in 1926. He was the son of two slaves,

and later earned a doctorate at Harvard University and became a renowned author, historian and journalist. Negro History Week occurred during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and Frederick Douglass on the 14th. The holiday was extended to a full month in 1976, not because it is the shortest month of the year, but to celebrate the bicentennial of the establishment of the week-long event.

Both of my parents were already born by 1976, meaning that during a significant portion of my grandparents’ lifetime, there was no Black History Month. Many monumental strides in Black history have only occurred in the last century, which is not that long within the scope of American history.

American schools were desegregated in 1954. Legal barriers prohibited Black citizens from voting until the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Interracial marriage wasn’t legalized nationwide until 1967. Black people were legally denied jobs and housing until the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

But with these strides, we also struggle.

School curriculum often romanti-

cizes the few stories of Black history taught, thus making them more easily forgotten. For example, the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, a slave owned by Jefferson, is often portrayed as a “love story,” when there was no evidence she could refuse his advances. This inaccurate representation makes the story more removed from the harsh reality of their relationship, in which Hemings was most likely sexually abused by Jefferson.

This notion that Black history is “ancient history” persists because of the dehumanization of slave stories and the perception that the United States became “post-racial” following the civil rights movement and the election of a Black president. However, much of this history occurred in our grandparents’, parents’ and even our lifetimes. Our history classes make the lives of Black figures into fairytales of the past rather than true stories of real people who endured pain, suffering and sometimes even death.

These stories are still happening today. In the 1990s, 145 Black churches were set on fire throughout the South. Every U.S. president was white until 2008. White supremacists marched in our nation’s capital in

2018. Flint Hill, a predominantly black neighborhood in Michigan, still doesn’t have safe drinking water in 2019.

Just a few months ago, a white student called the police on a Black Yale graduate student taking a nap in a communal lounge. Imagine working your entire life to attend one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States only to have authorities invalidate your presence at the institution. Imagine the humiliation of knowing your classmates don’t believe you belong there. These are realities Black people face daily, which is why Black History Month is necessary to raise awareness of such injustices.

This year, we celebrate the 43rd Black History Month. Though the holiday existed for most of our lifetimes, that is not the case for many of our living relatives. It is not only important to remember, it is important to commemorate its existence and ensure future generations not only look back on the Black history of trials and tribulations, but also the potential those successes and hardships give us to continue blazing ahead. After all, Black history is not ancient history — it is history still in the making.

Column: Homelessness is a circumstance, not a trait

Matt Hersey

L

ast night, snow illuminated the streets of Northeastern’s campus as I wandered home from a friend’s West Village apartment to my warm room overlooking the beaming city.

Yet, throughout Boston, forgotten residents fell asleep cold and wet. The snow is only beautiful if you have a retreat from it.

Despite ongoing efforts by Mayor Martin J. Walsh to quell the growing population of people experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts, that population rose 14 percent from 2017 to 2018.

The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless estimated in January 2018 that 20,068 people in the state experience homelessness, the majority being families with children. In a state of almost 7 million, this figure may seem insignificant. But the shocking growth rate should spark alarm.

You would expect that the Massachusetts Legislature would prioritize funds to confront this growing problem. Most bills currently proposed

by the Legislature provide promises toward greater assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness.

They fail to address the causes of the problem, namely rising rent costs and gentrification.

This is not to say that our elected officials don’t care about the homeless. But it seems most people would rather push the conversation past homelessness to the next topic.

Homelessness is often considered characteristic. We would rather believe people who live on the periphery of our society are deficient or disadvantaged in some way, mentally or physically. This could not be further from the truth.

Homelessness is most commonly transitional or situational, not chronic. In fact, of the 20,068 people in Massachusetts who experience homelessness, only 2,122 people experience chronic homelessness.

Chronic homelessness is used to describe individuals who experience homelessness for at least a year, or repeatedly throughout their lives.

These individuals are not homeless due to lack of character or bad decision-making, but often because they live with a mental illness or addiction. Forgotten on the street is the last place they need to be.

Legislation seems to ignore homelessness for two reasons. First, lawmakers and the general public overlook homelessness because individuals who experience homelessness are too easily misconstrued as lazy and undeserving people, rather than equals who need support and love.

Secondly, homelessness is largely

overlooked due to economic or personal finances. People think with their wallets and tend to speak with them as well. Bills that fund community health or community housing raise taxes on individuals who, for the most part, have not experienced homelessness. It is understandable why someone would not want the money they earned taken from them, but if paying taxes means living in a better society, we shouldn’t be afraid of raising them.

No one deserves to sleep outside in the snow, especially not those who need care and attention. Shelters help people transition out of homeless-

ness, but for those individuals who experience chronic homelessness, shelters are a Band-Aid. We need to recognize homelessness. We need to recognize that people who experience homelessness are not “the homeless.” They are individuals with stories and lives of their own, each with something special to offer.

Wandering home, padding through snow back to a warm room is a privilege we should all experience. The joy of returning to a place you call home isn’t a privilege; it is something everyone deserves, not just those who can afford it.

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LIFESTYLE

February 21, 2019

Ikemba Africa Night fosters togetherness

By Nia Beckett Lifestyle Editor A range of artists represented Africa and its diaspora in Blackman Auditorium on Saturday night at the Northeastern African Student Organization’s, or NASO’s, Ikemba Africa Night 2019. Ikemba is an Igbo word meaning “strength of the people.”

Ghanaian entertainer Ebaby Kobby hosted the event, providing comedy surrounding African culture while giving information on each participating group.

“Our show is centered on bringing people out from all over Africa diaspora together through music, art, dance and fashion,” Kobby said.

First-year chemical engineering and biochemistry combined major Elizabeth Kokoti Madison modeled for fashion brands MIZIZI, Boak and Ataria NYC during the show. Coming from a high school with a less prominent African community, she appreciated Northeastern’s support.

“This is very new to me to be in this type of community, so it was really nice that they did this,” Kokoti Madison said. “It was really cool to rep my continent [and] country.”

Several of Africa Night’s performances highlighted talents across college campuses. Second-year biology major Ajoa Addae, known as AJ to friends and fans of her poetry,

performed one of her poems that “tells the truth about [her] African diaspora identity,” Addae said. Penn State seniors and aspiring producers Toyin Ores and Lamii performed several songs, combining hip-hop and afro influences. NASO dancers and Brandeis University’s Platinum Step Team displayed cultural pride through movement.

Kobby conducted a roll call during one transition, welcoming the audience to respond as he named countries and regions. He found that attendees represented a range of countries across Africa and its diaspora, with a large number responding for Nigeria and Ghana.

Six women and five men took the stage for a best-dressed contest at the conclusion of the night. The audience cheered to cast their vote for a winner, who received six yards of traditional printed cloth as a prize.

Contest winner Ayomide Balepo flew from Pittsburgh to attend the event in support of her friend, NASO cultural liaison Kamnsi Arachie.

“It was very interesting to see the fashion lines and the dances and the poetry,” Balepo said.

NASO president Rasheed Adenlola wasn’t surprised by the distance some audience members traveled.

Many NASO members have contacts with neighboring schools’ African

student organizations and come from different regions, Adenlola said.

“Africa Night has been something that’s been very prominent at Northeastern for a good amount of time,” Adenlola said. “I think people expect good things from us.”

The program of this year’s event, which Adenlola said sold out a week ahead, was different than planned.

NASO originally secured Nigerian singer Burna Boy as the closing act of the show. Thursday night, Adenlola received an email saying Burna Boy was sick and would no longer be attending the event. The NASO board held an emergency meeting to secure a new act, which ultimately failed due to the short notice.

After the Northeastern Ticket Office sent out an email informing ticket holders of Burna Boy’s cancelation, approximately 100 ticket holders requested refunds, Adenlola said.

“I didn’t really know about Burna Boy before, and all my friends had canceled their tickets,” said second-year sociology major Anneke Gustafson. “I felt bad, so I went because I thought no one else would.”

Despite the incident, NASO “bounced back” and presented an enjoyable show, Gustafson said.

“It shows that they have support and solidarity outside of having a big act,” Gustafson said.

Page 9

Hunt News

Event

Calendar

Calendar compiled by Ali Dusinberre, deputy lifestyle editor Graphics by Alaine Bennett and CJ Andrews

Thursday, Feb. 21 Transformative Culture Project and Emancipation Initiative will collaborate on this conversation about mass incarceration in Massachusetts. Programming includes screenings of two youthproduced short films, a panel conversation and resources. The event is youth-centered but open to all. 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.; Transformative Culture Project; Free.

Friday, Feb. 22 Stop by the Institute of Contemporary Art to get up to speed for the Oscars on Feb. 24.

Through March 10, the ICA will present this year’s Oscar-nominated short films. Friday’s screening will feature animated films, but check out the museum’s screening schedule if you’re interested in seeing the nominated live-action and documentary shorts as well. 7 p.m.8:30 p.m.; ICA; $5 for students.

Saturday, Feb. 23 Join Afro Flow Yoga in celebrating free movement through yoga, dance and live music at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Participants will partake in a walking meditation through the Courtyard, a staple of the museum, and reflect on connection to nature and the power of collective stories. No previous yoga or dance experience is required. 9:30 a.m.11:30 p.m.; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; $10 for students.

Sunday, Feb. 24 Lip Sync Battle

Photo courtesy Aritra Ghosh Northeastern African Student Organization dancers take the stage at Ikemba Africa Night.

Pitch, Please! wins a cappella quarterfinals

BERKLEE, from front Avenue” and Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” The Chorallaries from MIT engaged the crowd with their cover of Panic! At The Disco’s “Say Amen (Saturday Night).”

Pitch, Please! began their set next, and both their choreography and vocals showed intricate attention to detail during their solos and throughout their set.

Berklee’s On The Vox tried to keep the energy going with their set, closing the first half of the competition with Oh Wonder’s “Technicolour Beat.” Emmanuel College’s all-female group, For Good Measure, performed after intermission with a cover of Estelle’s “Conqueror,” opting for simple choreography and focusing on vocals.

Distilled Harmony kicked off their set with Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” and kept high intensity throughout with great choreography and solos.

Berklee’s all-male group, the

CharlieChords, then took the stage and showed off their choreography skills during their cover of Imagine Dragons’ “Whatever It Takes.”

Bentley University’s Off The Clock finished the competition with a performance that transitioned from slow gospel music to a fast-paced finish.

Upper Structure entertained the crowd as the judges tallied scores, filling the time with covers from their previous performances.

The judges gave special awards to individual singers, with Pitch, Please! members third-year Lora Riehl and second-year Mackenzie Hunt winning best vocal percussion and best solo performance respectively.

Pitch, Please! was then announced as the winning group of the second quarterfinals. They will be moving onto the Northeast semifinals, along with the second-place team, the CharlieChords.

Olivia Triplett, the third-year leader of Pitch, Please!, commented on their group’s efforts.

“We’ve been rehearsing every day, and I think that we have something special that we need to share with everyone,” Triplett said. “The set this year is so much more special to us and well thought out in a way that we think people will enjoy more than any other before.”

Jessica Muhlenberg, mother of Pitch, Please! soloist second-year Julia Muhlenberg, praised her daughter and the group for their performance and hard work.

“I am extremely proud of her and the rest of them, and I am so excited to see how far they can go,” Muhlenberg said.

Pitch, Please! came in third place in the first ICCA quarterfinals last year and could not move onto the semifinals.

“We have so many supporters coming for us now,” Triplett said. “I just know that I’d be happy as long as I walk off stage knowing that I did the best that I could have done in that moment.”

Alpha Epsilon Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma will host a lip sync battle for their annual philanthropy event.

All proceeds will go to breast cancer support organizations. To learn more about the event or sign up to lip sync, check out the sororities’ Facebook page. 12 p.m.-3 p.m.; AfterHours; $8 donation.

Monday, Feb. 25 The Emerson College Department of Writing, Literature & Publishing invites five alumni to advise on finding the right job. Panelist experience spans several publications including Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times and HarperCollins. Register on the Eventbrite page by Feb. 24. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; Bill Bordy Theater at Emerson College; Free.

Tuesday, Feb. 26 The Council for University Programs will present a live recording of Tom Reynolds’ and Tim Daniels’ “The Complete Guide to Everything” podcast. This weekly podcast seeks to “vanquish Wikipedia as the go-to reference for knowledge about anything and everything,” covering a range of topics from North Korea to Nicolas Cage. Tickets are available on myNortheastern. 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; Curry Student Center Ballroom; Free

Wednesday, Feb. 27 Comedy Party will return to the newly renovated Cafeteria Boston on the last Wednesday of every month.

The show features comedians seen on Comedy Central, HBO, Funny or Die and more. Seats are limited, so reserve yours through the Eventbrite page. 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Cafeteria Boston; Free.

CITY

Page 10

February 21, 2019

LightView raises questions around Roxbury

By Laura Rodriguez News Correspondent Northeastern University is among the first to start Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s “Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030” initiative with the recent construction of LightView Apartments, a new residence hall near campus. The high-rise housing development, built in partnership with American Campus Communities, or ACC, will open its doors to students in August 2019.

The new building will house 825 students adjacent to campus at Columbus Avenue and Burke Street, near the newly-renovated Carter athletic fields. The project comes amid an on-campus housing shortage. At the topping-off ceremony, Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun and Walsh commended the teams that helped create what they called a winwin for students and the Roxbury community.

“This is where students are going to find the supports and the amenities they need to live and thrive,” Walsh said. “What’s even more important, it’s where the people of tomorrow, the jobs of tomorrow are going to be filled. With engineers and artists, policymakers that make the kind of community that we have here in Boston a great community and a great college town.”

A Northeastern press release referred to their partnership between the city of Boston as an example of “Northeastern’s commitment to reinvigorating Columbus Avenue through investments, redevelopment projects, and public-private partnerships.”

Some believe that the rising cost of rent in the Roxbury community and lower income areas surrounding Northeastern’s campus is attributed to the expansion and presence of private institutions such as the universities that spread across Boston.

“As a young girl, I felt welcome and safe,” said

Amanda Govan, 25, a Roxbury resident and member of the community advocate group Reclaim Roxbury.

“Now I see my home surrounded by these huge buildings I and most of the people I know aren’t even allowed to be in. And to add on to that, we’re all paying more to live here. Those aren’t isolated events.”

The housing project, which borders the Roxbury community on the south side of campus, garnered a positive reaction from some community members, such as Jolene Goode, 39.

“I think it is a positive thing for the city, just seeing new buildings and stuff like that I feel like it should make everybody else want to be more on like a positive type of note,” Goode said. “Seeing new buildings getting built and new businesses also opening up for people to be able to get more jobs and maybe to be able to live in one of these nice buildings in the community.”

Other Roxbury residents such as Moises Rosario, a high school student, also see good in city-wide housing developments.

“I think it definitely changes the community, but I think it changes it in a good way,” Rosario said. “I think

Photo by Hailey Ardizzone LightView, built in partnership with American Campus Communities, or ACC, will open its doors to students in August 2019. that when you build those buildings and all of that, it’s just more fun, it just makes the community more lit.”

Some members, like Goode, see these new developments as a driver for a shift in renting practices and community culture.

“It’s really sad for a lot of the young ones that are trying to be on their own and get nice apartments, it’s kind of hard for them too,” Goode said. “But like I said, there’s jobs available for everybody in the end and there’s always something affordable where you can live at.”

Govan has come to Northeastern to discuss gentrification various times. Most recently, she talked about generational

Photo by Hailey Ardizzone Residents across Roxbury have mixed feelings about Northeastern’s latest housing development, LightView.

security, or the idea that someone can pass their property onto their children. As neighborhoods are gentrified, she said, people can lose their property and the ability to pass it onto the next generation.

“I can’t help but feel uneasy because generational security is something I cannot give [my children]. We are too often prejudged or disregarded. I would be devastated if I couldn’t live here,” Govan said.

The cost of gentrification is visible in many college towns, but the issue is more complex than hiked-up rent prices due to the expansion of private institutions.

At the LightView topping-off ceremony, Walsh thanked Northeastern for a $153.4 million investment in quality student housing. He said that whether or not students can be housed by the university, they will still need a place to live in Boston.

Walsh, the city of Boston and the ACC say that increasing the number of on-campus housing developments will diminish the number of students renting in neighborhoods and taking homes off the market.

Northeastern third-year Cole Adler said the solution to this problem is multifaceted.

“I definitely feel like Northeastern is a big gentrifier in Boston and very deliberately seem to be building barriers between the school and Roxbury and encroaching more and more into that neighborhood,” Adler said. “At the same time, I’ve heard multiple students complain about not being able to get on-campus housing after sophomore year so there’s kind of two sides to it.”

The issue then becomes about the scarcity of viable housing options that community members have in their own communities after students move into surrounding neighborhoods.

“Rent has gotten so expensive on the hill that most working-class families probably couldn’t afford to live there anymore,” Adler said, “My three-bedroom basement apartment is $3,000 a month all together.

That doesn’t seem realistic for most families.”

And it isn’t realistic for most.

According to the Boston Planning

and Development Agency, the median household income in Roxbury in 2015 was $25,937, lower than Boston’s median household income of $55,777.

This does not account for what the Boston Globe Spotlight team reported in their 2017 series on racism in Boston. A 2015 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and a Duke University researcher outlined that home equity and other assets — minus mortgages and other debts — gave white families a median net worth of $247,500 compared to the $8 figure for African-American, non-immigrant households.

“I feel as though, everywhere is about money,” Goode said about rising rent costs. “Boston is full of money and businesses, so, you know more money, more business, bigger buildings, more people, more money.”

Walsh said the partnership between Northeastern and the city of Boston is meant to alleviate the pressures of having a large institution encroach on pre-existing communities.

“825 new beds will help alleviate pressures in areas like Roxbury, Mission Hill, Fenway and the South End,” Walsh said. “It’s going to open up more units for other families to be able to stay in those neighborhoods, and this is a great example of using scarce urban land to build more efficient housing for our students.”

Other city officials are skeptical of the projects eventual impact. Boston City Councilor Kim Janey, who represents Roxbury, has led a series of forums on gentrification in Roxbury during her time in office. She told The News that the city must do more to ensure “development without displacement.”

“I’m not sure how LightView would alleviate anything,” Janey said. “We didn’t get here by accident.

This city’s discriminatory housing policies have allowed developments like [LightView] to happen. [The policies] block black people out from legitimate home ownership opportunities … it’s a crisis.”

Chris Triunfo contributed to this story.

CITY

February 21, 2019

Page 11

Allston: From ‘Rock City’ to college hub

By Ava Sasani News Correspondent The exterior of Great Scott could most generously be described as understated. Allston’s favorite 240-person music venue does not have a marquee. There is no fluorescent sign inviting patrons in; the only thing that distinguishes Great Scott from the banks and Thai restaurants that line the rest of Commonwealth Avenue is a faded green awning over the building’s entrance.

But step inside and patrons are transported into a carefully crafted haven of alternative and indie rock music. The nightly concert crowd files in around 8 p.m., bringing a mix of loyal Allston music junkies and increasingly, out-of-towners who have traveled to the neighborhood to see a show at Great Scott. The intimate rock hall gained mainstream fame in 2016, when the national music website Consequence of Sound ranked it as the eighth-best concert hall in America.

Since 1996, Tim Philbin has managed both Great Scott and O’Brien’s Pub, a nearby bar and music venue.

Philbin attributes Great Scott’s rising success to the hard work and precision of his staff.

“It’s a combination of our location, staff and attention to booking … even the music that’s played in between bands isn’t an accident, everything is very intentional,” Philbin said. “We have some of the best sound engineers in the city.”

By local estimation, Great Scott and O’Brien’s Pub are some of the last remaining music venues in Allston that provide high-quality performance opportunities for area musicians. Allston, affectionately dubbed “Rock City” by locals, rose to prominence as the heart of Boston’s rock scene between the 1960s and 1980s when a growing communi-

ty of young artists was drawn to the neighborhood’s rock halls and affordable rent. Now-famous acts like Aerosmith got their start in Commonwealth Avenue apartments, and many of these bands returned to Allston venues even after gaining national recognition.

“Artists tend to be working class individuals so they tend to flock to affordable neighborhoods,” said Emma Walters, executive director of Allston Village Main Streets, an organization that connects Allston’s small business community to technical resources offered by the city of Boston.

Walters, an eight-year resident of Allston and a graduate of Boston University, said that Allston’s “Rock City” identity, driven by an increasingly young student population, is anchored in the Allston community by venues like Great Scott and O’Brien’s Pub. “You see a lot of bands who are graduating from basement shows because O’Brien’s is really accessible and affordable,” Walters said. “Like any neighborhood, though, there’s a real shift in the people who are able to live here.”

Allston, like almost every other neighborhood in Boston, has felt the pressures of gentrification and displacement. In 2016, Allston-Brighton rent increased by eight percent, said Ishay Grinberg, president of the website RentalBeast. Rising rent costs have begun to impact Allston’s identity as a working class artist’s home, and it’s shifting who can and cannot play the neighborhood’s music venues.

Just a few blocks down from Great Scott, Annabelle Lord-Patey works as a ticket-taker for a larger concert venue, Brighton Music Hall. Lord-Patey, a third-year music therapy major at Lesley University,

just renewed her lease on her Allston apartment. She hopes rent remains reasonable in her post-graduation years; the aspiring singer-songwriter wants to start a band with her neighbors.

“I’m hoping to stick around here ...

I think one day I’ll end up somewhere warmer, but Allston is cool as hell,” Lord-Patey said. “I don’t have any interest in moving to Brighton, everything’s here in [Allston].”

Drawn to Allston for the same affordable rent and musical community that drew in artists in the 1960s, Lord-Patey said that access to “Rock City”’s stages has changed since Aerosmith’s beginnings. “[Great Scott] puts on a lot of good, local shows, and that’s the one local place left that does.” Lord-Patey said. “Gentrification is real, small clubs are closing down, it’s mostly big stuff like [Brighton Music Hall].”

For 40 years during the height of Allston’s “Rock City” era, the building now known as Brighton Music Hall was an intimate, 340-person venue called Harper’s Ferry. Like any good indie hotspot, Harper’s Ferry featured a list of now-famous acts before they gained full national recognition. Maroon 5, Dropkick Murphys and Fall Out Boy all stopped by Harper’s Ferry during its tenure as Allston’s rock mainstage.

But in October 2010, Harper’s Ferry’s management unexpectedly announced that the beloved music hall would be closing down because John Corey, the property’s landlord, decided not to renew the lease.

Just two weeks after Corey announced Harper’s Ferry’s closure, the building was bought by three co-owners of Paradise Rock Club, a nearby music hall on the border of Allston and Boston University’s West Campus. One of these owners is Don Law, the president of Live Nation

Photo Courtesy Great Scott For more than two decades, Great Scott in Allston has hosted underground punk shows every week. In 2016, Consequence of Sound ranked it as the eighth-best concert hall in America.

New England and co-owner of Boston Opera House and the Orpheum Theatre. In January 2011, Law and his colleagues reopened the Harper’s Ferry building as “Brighton Music Hall,” hoping to rebrand the venue as for more famous acts usually booked

by Paradise Rock Club.

Today, Brighton Music Hall has the same red-and-black exterior as its predecessor, but the venue feels inaccessible for young music students like Lord-Patey.

“You’re lucky to get a gig in a place like this because it’s all touring bands,” Lord-Patey said. “Now we get a lot of bands from far away, not a lot of local bands.”

For an older generation of residents, the loss of Allston’s “Rock City” identity is not something to grieve. Charlie Vasiliades, vice president of the Brighton-Allston Historical Society, said college residential development, not Allston’s rock halls, have been the driving force behind the “Rock City” community. The 1960s birth of Allston’s

A crowd cheers during a show at Great Scott. The venue is known for its hardcore acts, jump-starting the careers of countless artists.

“Rock City” moniker coincided with the beginning of Boston College and Boston University’s encroachment on Allston and Brighton’s land.

“A college population and a nearcollege-age population creates a fertile ground for groups being created in people’s basements, that’s a place where musicians live,” Vasiliades said. “But ‘Rock City’ is not relevant to those of us who are not young and not part of that scene.”

For Vasiliades and many of the longtime residents of Brighton and Allston, Allston’s increasingly young population make for poor neighbors.

The students and 20-somethings that make up most of the community seem transient, and Vasiliades said young people don’t stay in Allston long enough to care about it. “[Brighton-Allston] went from people who called it home to people who were just passing through,” Vasiliades said. “There’s very little sympathy for the ‘Rock City’ crowd being displaced because that crowd did the same in the 1960s and 1970s.”

Photo Courtesy Great Scott

CITY

Page 12

February 21, 2019

File photo by Dylan Shen Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks at a political rally in downtown Boston hosted by Bernie Sanders’ progressive campaign corporation, Our Revolution, in March 2017.

Warren takes spotlight among Mass. candidates PRESIDENT, from front on Feb. 9, she officially launched her campaign at a rally in Lawrence, where she spent time last year following the Columbia Gas explosions.

Since then, Warren has spent time in Iowa to get a head start for the caucuses that are just under a year away. Though there are several candidates currently running around Iowa trying to find support, it’s hard to forecast anything at this point, Dukakis said.

“Nobody is ahead or behind in Iowa at this stage,” said Dukakis, who was the Democratic nominee for the 1988 presidential election and lost to George H. W. Bush. “Most polls are much too premature and reflect recognition more than anything else at this point.”

Having run a presidential campaign of his own, Dukakis can say from personal experience what it means to be running before the election has truly begun.

“When I started, I don’t think I even registered a point in the Iowa polls,” he said. “On caucus day I was one of three leading candidates there and ultimately won the nomination and beat Bush one in Iowa by ten points.” Bush, however, won the election with a sweeping 426-111 electoral college vote.

Warren is campaigning against corporate power and government corruption. In several interviews and speeches, the senator conveyed the public’s lack of trust in the current administration, and described how corporate America has thrived as its leaders pocket profits while leaving scraps for the lower-middle class.

True to form, in the fall of 2018, Warren introduced the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act. The policy would ban past presidents, vice presidents, federal judges, members of congress and cabinet secretaries from lobbying, and require

presidential candidates to provide at least the last eight years of their tax returns. The policy aims to restrict the influence of financial interests in federal lawmaking. The act has been referred to the Committee of Finance and awaits further movement in a Republican-controlled Senate.

However, despite her ambitious campaign, Warren has continued to face the same obstacle she faced back when she ran for Senate in 2012.

In 1989, Warren changed her ethnicity from Caucasian to Native American on a University of Pennsylvania School of Law payroll form.

She claimed to be a distant descendant of the Cherokee and Delaware Tribes. Thirty years later, these claims continue to follow Warren throughout her political accession.

Warren has expressed to the press that her matriarch family members revealed her roots to Native American tribes in the 1980s as this generation of her family were aging and dying.

Many aggressive responses to Warren’s statements are based on the idea that she may have achieved as many influential roles as she did, including teaching jobs at Penn and Harvard University, thanks in part to her claims of Native American ancestry. However, investigative reporters from the Boston Globe, after conducting “more than 100 interviews with her colleagues and every person who had a role in hiring” Warren, clarified that she was viewed as a white woman in the processes.

After she took a DNA test to confirm her heritage, many Native American leaders argued that since tribes have their own regulations of citizenship it cannot be up to a DNA test to decide what it means to be Native American.

Northeastern political science professor William Mayer said this issue could hurt her electoral chances.

“She does have some baggage,” Mayer said. “I think the whole way she has dealt with her purported Native American heritage will hurt her.

Many Democrats will feel that she’s a risky candidate to nominate for the general elections. But it’s hard to say at this point how far that sentiment will go.”

Two other Massachusetts politicians are considering joining the race: former Gov. William F. Weld and Rep. Seth Moulton.

Weld announced Feb. 15 that he is organizing an exploratory committee to potentially seek the Republican nomination for the presidency. The first Republican to announce a campaign against Trump, the 73-year-old is considered a moderate member of the party who previously ran for vice president as a Libertarian alongside former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson in the 2016 election.

As for sixth-district Rep. Moulton, all that is known about his potential campaign is that he is looking into it.

“I’m thinking about running for president … I’m going to take a very hard look at it,” Moulton said in an interview with Buzzfeed News.

Dukakis, on one hand, “[doesn’t] think Seth will be a candidate,” while Mayer said that he could run, but that “he has no chance,” and doesn’t know what he’s thinking.

“Members of the House of Representatives almost never do well in presidential nomination races,” Mayer said.

It’s too soon to tell where Massachusetts will stand this upcoming election. With Bernie Sanders’ recent entrance into the race, the 2020 Democratic nomination seems open to any candidate.

“We are going to have a lot of candidates,” Dukakis said. “The Iowa caucuses are a year away. The political landscape out there will look a lot different than it does now.”

File photo by Chris Triunfo Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld celebrates Charlie Baker’s re-election. Weld is the first Republican to announce a run against President Donald J. Trump. In 2016, he ran as a Libertarian.

File photo by Chris Triunfo Seth Moulton, who represents Massachusetts’ sixth congressional district, addresses a crowd of constituents in Salem. He’s considering a run for president, he said in an interview with Buzzfeed News.