WOOF ISSUE 5

music at northeastern As the student music scene grows, can Northeastern keep up?

Greek Life The truth about Northeastern’s Greek culture

Dining hall staples The nutrition facts you didn’t want to know

Runaway beauty: Make these high-fashion looks work for class

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jamie Ducharme

Executive editor/Web editor: Hannah DeYoung MARKETING DIRECTOR Marcellina Teixeira

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amelia Rossi

EDITORS

Fernanda Aspe, Hannah Holbrook, Brianna Hollis, Kelsey Zimmerer

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WRITERS

Chris Benevento, Bianca Gracie, Emily Huizenga, Jordan Mandell, Sofia Rojo del Busto, Shelby Sih, Monica Vallejo

DESIGNERS

Cara McGrath, Kathleen Mullins, Erinn Scammon, Molly Aitken Sheridan

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alisha Keshavjee, Lena Smart

MARKETING

Tricia Rieger, Katie Markey, Liz Ehinger

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Interested in joining our staff? email us

nuwoof@gmail.com

visit our site

www.woof-mag.com

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CONTENTS front

centerfold

focus

bon appetit

campus crawl

04 Run The Hub 06 Top Dogs of Social Media 07 Beauty Tips

10 Music at Northeastern: Ever Present Ever Growing

12 Running for Sandy Hook 13 NU Innovation 14 Alpha Sigma Gamma Kappa Who?

16 Microwave Magic 17 Dining Hall Staples

18 Are You Not For Sale?

19 Group Fitness Instructors

4 // Front

Run the hub Written by Chris Benevento / Photos by Alisha Keshavjee

One would think that in a major city like Boston, finding a place to run would be easy. But foot traffic, cars, trains and cyclists make Boston’s streets a deadly labyrinth for the average runner. When you’re not being run over, shoved aside by disgruntled pedestrians or getting dirty looks from a Green Line conductor, you’re waiting at a crosswalk for what feels like an eternity. We’ve compiled a list of Boston’s best running routes so you don’t have to risk picking the wrong one.

WOOF | spring 2013

Front // 5

Franklin Park

Beacon Hill

Wide-open fields, well-kept trails and varying terrain have made Franklin Park home to many cross country meets over the years. The primary course contains three loops: the Stadium Loop, the Wilderness Loop and Bear Cage Hill. Each loop explores a separate corner of the park, providing a constant change of scenery. Perhaps the most interesting—and most challenging—loop is Bear Cage Hill.

After a steep gravel incline, you will find yourself running through the ruins of the former Franklin Park Zoo bear cages. Overgrown and corroded, these cages provide the makings for an eerily pleasant run that you won’t find elsewhere in the city.

For a more urban run, the Beacon Hill area provides a varied group of routes that cater to any runner’s needs.

The hill itself is a grid of narrow streets running alongside the Common, providing a safe refuge from the dense traffic of Beacon Street. From the hill you can continue on to Government Center and from there explore Faneuil Hall, the North End or the area surrounding the TD Garden. With foot traffic dominating these areas, you can run at ease with few vehicular interruptions.

Jamaica Pond A short trip up Huntington Avenue will take you to Jamaica Pond, the largest body of fresh water in Boston. A paved, one-and-a-half-mile-long path wraps around the pond, from which you can reach several wooded paths of different distances for a nice alternative to an urban-centric run.

Charles River Esplanade The Charles River Esplanade is probably the most popular running location near Northeastern’s campus. It offers multiple paths that loop around both sides of the Charles River and features panoramic views of the Boston skyline.

With 18 total miles in paths, the Charles River Esplanade offers a great running option for any distance.

Arnold Arboretum A short distance away from Jamaica Pond is the Arnold Arboretum, a 265-acre gated public park. The park is comprised of several hills and wooded areas all linked together by a series of paved pathways. Famous as a horticultural refuge, the Arnold Arboretum hosts a wide variety of trees and plants, providing pleasant scenery no matter which route you choose. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can ascend Peter’s Hill and enjoy a full view of Boston from an elevation of 240 feet.

WOOF | spring 2013

6 // Front

@NEU MAKEOUTS

@President Aounot

This account poses quite the conundrum: No one really wants to see pictures documenting a hardcore DFMO (dance floor makeout), but we all love a little public humiliation. People can tweet or email pictures of Northeastern students engaged in a game of tonsil hockey to the creators behind NEU Makeouts to broadcast the hookup to the Twitter universe. You’ve all been warned…

This parody account of President Aoun will make more jokes about plasma screen TVs than you ever thought possible. The account lightheartedly points out the unusual and ludicrous aspects of the university.

Spotted: Snell This page anonymously reposts pictures and comments that students message in to showcase what truly happens in Snell. From desperate pleas for students to stop talking on the quiet floors, to some horrible and hilarious pick-up lines to pictures of those who seem to think Snell is for napping - not studying - this page will keep any Northeastern student entertained for hours.

@FREEFEEDNU FreeFeedNU fills followers in on events like free barbeques and T-shirt giveaways. By following this account, you’ll never miss out on another opportunity to score free things on campus.

It features what is being given away, as well as when and where events take place. Also, if you hear about a free event or giveaway and tweet it to FreeFeedNU before they tweet it to their followers, you will be entered to a monthly prize giveaway.

Top Dogs of Social Media Written by Jordan Mandell

Hundreds of Northeastern-related Twitter accounts and Facebook pages roam cyberspace, ranging from general campus news to parody accounts. To help filter your social media search, we’ve found a list of six Northeastern Twitter and Facebook accounts that every Husky should follow or like.

NortheasterN Compliments Sometimes it’s hard to let people know the kind things you truly think about them. For those who want their nice thoughts to be shared but want the anonymity that is so profound on the Internet, Northeastern Compliments is here to help. Students can simply message the page with their compliments, and the creators will post the anonymous compliment for Facebook friends to see. It is a great way to brighten someone’s day without revealing your identity.

WOOF | spring 2013

@Typical Janstart Hundreds of Northeastern-related Twitter accounts and Facebook pages roam cyberspace – ranging from general campus news to parody accounts. To help filter your social media search, we’ve compiled a list of the six best Northeastern Twitter and Facebook accounts that every Husky should follow or like.

Front // 7

Beauty Tips – From Catwalk to Campus Written by Bianca Gracie / Photos by Alisha Keshavjee / Makeup by Erin Harris In fashion, the clothes may make the woman, but makeup is the essential factor that brings it all together. While many beauty looks may have high-fashion status, they can be modified for students looking to change up their typical makeup routine. Here are four runway looks that can be easily duplicated with similar makeup found at your local drugstore. (continued on next page)

WOOF | spring 2013

8 // Front

A Sweet Date For Everyday For the Cushnie et Ochs Spring 2013 show, the models sported a clean, dewy look. The makeup was fresh and a little flirty with a flick of black eyeliner. As an added bonus, makeup artist Charlotte Willer used only Maybelline products that are found in stores on the models.

This look can be easily translated to an everyday look, whether you have a full day of classes or are going to a quick lunch with friends. The overall look is simple, but the subdued cat eye adds some playfulness.

Use Maybelline’s Dream Fresh BB Cream ($7.19) as a base to even out skin tone, then add the Master Drama gel liner ($6.39) to help create an even cat eye. Dab a bit of Eye Studio Cream Gel Shadow in Silver Strike ($5.59) to widen your eyes, making you look well-rested even if you were up all night cramming for an exam. The Falsies Volume Express mascara ($7.49) and the Baby Lips lip balm ($3.99) finish off the look.

For Diane Von Furstenberg’s Fall 2013 fashion show, makeup artist James Kaliardos made the lips the focal point, keeping the rest of the face matte and neutral. The end result: ‘70s glam rock.

If you’re going on a first date, red lips can be a bit bold, but the tulip-colored lip is a modern and youthful twist on a classic red. To get the look, try N.Y.C. Ultra Moist Lipwear in Blossom ($1.59). This pink lipstick gives the perfect punch of color without overwhelming your date. Top off the look with Wet N’ Wild’s Perfect Pair Eye Wand in Java-Champagne ($3.19) and a few coats of N.YC. Big Bold Ultra Volumizing Mascara in Extreme Black ($3.59).

Models: (Left to Right) Veronika Komarkova, Brandi Stawicki Gabrielle Chapman, Tara Armour WOOF | spring 2013

Front // 9

Take It to the Extreme A Night on the Town Smoky eyes are a signature look for a fun night of dancing, but makeup artist Diane Kendal ramped up the look at Thakoon’s Fall 2013 show by switching the standard black eye shadow for navy and adding a touch of sparkle.

Maybelline’s Eye Studio cream gel eye shadow in Electric Blue ($5.59) is the perfect color to mimic Kendal’s smoldering midnight blue. The gold flecks in N.Y.C.’s Sparkle Eye Dust in Amber Glitz ($2.99) elevate the sultry look, making you party-ready in just one sweep.

Keep lips simple by using a nude gloss like L’Oreal’s Colour Riche Gloss in Baby Blossom ($7.95).

The makeup at Christian Dior shows is a good source of inspiration for those who like to experiment with bold colors and interesting beauty techniques. At the luxury house’s Spring 2013 fashion show, the focus was on the eyes, glossed over with bright Easter egg-like colors.

Make-up artist Pat McGrath placed colored Swarovski crystals around the borders of the models’ eyes, which completed the daring look.

CoverGirl’s Intense ShadowBlast in Extreme Green ($6.79) is heavily pigmented for a dramatic and long-lasting effect. Place Kiss Nail Artist Stickers ($2.99) around the rims of your eyes for a little glamour. The stickers achieve the Swarovski crystal sparkle, at a decidedly more affordable price.

WOOF | spring 2013

10 // Centerfold

Northeastern, famous for being a careerfocused, academically-centered institution, has never been considered a “music” college. With Berkeley a stone’s throw away, it never really stood a chance. But all the same, afterHOURS is occupied by talented Northeastern students on a nightly basis, and the school’s social media pages are plastered with plugs for new student albums.

It would seem that music has not only reached Northeastern, it has taken hold.

Keenan Hye, an electrical engineering major from Madison, Conn., has pursued a venture in music at Northeastern since day one of his freshman year. It began with looking for a roommate.

“I didn’t really want to rely on the whole Northeastern system, so I shout out on the WOOF | spring 2013

Facebook entering class page, ‘Hey is anyone interested in music?’” Hye said. “This kid messages me back, seems pretty cool, pretty normal, not serial killer-like, so we ended up rooming together.”

This chance meeting would set the foundation for Hye’s band, Royale. Hye and his roommate, Alex Vipond, both played guitar and soon began jamming and writing songs together. These early sessions prompted the duo to take to Facebook once again, allowing them to find the bassist and the drummer of what would become known as Royale.

Hye had the band, the band had the material and the material was good.

So what now?

This is the question that many student musicians at Northeastern find themselves

struggling to answer, and the predicament Hye found himself in after the creation of Royale.

Hye recalled the early days of the band, days plagued with a serious lack of practice space for non-music majors.

“There’s not a lot of real opportunities for non-music majors as far as practice space goes,” Hye said. “You’re stuck in freshman housing most of the time; there’s nowhere for you to be loud.”

The already-limited amount of on-campus practice rooms and recording studios have academic prerequisites that the average non-music major does not have. And with

Centerfold // 11

only one practice room on campus equipped with a drum set, a student band can find its opportunities to play together severely diminished.

But one solo musician has found ways to use the limited facilities to his advantage.

Robin Buisseret, a sophomore communication studies major from Belgium, also found the lack of practice space limiting. Buisseret, who built a studio in his basement back home, was met with the harsh reality of now having to play in a cramped double with quiet hours and floormates to be mindful of.

But, Buisseret said, the circumstances weren’t all bad. The constant presence of friends and neighbors became his primary source of critiques and opinions of his music.

“I had friends around me who would listen to my music and tell me what they thought, and this would help me,” Buisseret said. “I had people very close to me, around me, that had more of a subjective point of view of my music.”

Buisseret said that this subjective take was a refreshing change from the biased input of his family in Belgium. Through these interactions with his new neighbors, Buisseret came into contact with other musicians who he collaborated with on a regular basis throughout his freshman year.

Buisseret said that hearing other tastes and musical styles broadened his horizons to other genres of music. He has gone all the way from his personal favorite, psychedelic rock, to creating tracks for a student rapper, Manni Festo.

In late 2012, Buisseret released a solo album, “Andromeda”, under the name Robin B. The album was recorded in a studio in Belgium and is a rich dose of psychedelic rock that makes several nods to his top influences, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd.

The excitement of the release was tampered by another dilemma facing most student musicians: promotion. Buisseret immediately found himself with a bag full of CDs and no one to sell them to. He was forced to promote himself.

“I would perform at afterHOURS and after I would say, ‘Hey this is my CD, you guys should buy it,’”Buisseret said. “But it’s hard because it’s myself, so I have to like promote

myself, you know like, ‘This CD’s awesome’ and stuff. It’s not easy to say that.”

Sarah Saheb, a sophomore country/ pop musician, knows the difficulties of selfpromotion well.

“I think that Northeastern does a good job in terms of performance opportunities such as open mic nights at afterHOURS, but promotion and recording opportunities are a bit harder to come by,” Saheb wrote in an email.

Saheb, who released her debut album, “Alive,” last year, said that she also attributes much of the challenge of self-promotion to balancing time. “We’re trying to juggle starting a career in a business that is difficult to break into while doing it [as a full-time student], which isn’t an easy feat for anyone,” Saheb said. “ We have to give an equal amount of time to our studies and our music, as well as having an outside life too.”

This lack of promotional opportunities has pushed some acts like Royale to seek out opportunities off-campus. Hye and his band mates entered a Battle of the Bands competition at Emerson, and were soon put on the Emerson-based label Wax on Felt Records.

But with the steady rise of the Northeastern-based label Green Line Records, bands like Royale may not have to travel for promotion. Green Line, founded originally through a music industry class, has come quite a ways in its few years of existence. With a steady supply of volunteers and a dedication to promoting Northeastern’s student musicians, artists can get the assistance and support they need without ever having to leave campus.

In Green Line president Joey Lafyatis’ opinion, much of this growth is a result of the new recording capabilities of the label.

Lafyatis was granted permission to create a recording department; however, early efforts were slowed by “all of the red tape that exists at Northeastern.” Nonetheless, this lull in development soon gave way to actual progress.

“Since September 2011, the recording department has grown significantly,” Lafyatis said. “We’ve gotten a lot more equipment, we record live shows and we’re working in two studios right now, in Shillman and in the Snell Library.”

Lafyatis said that this increase has been a major improvement to Green Line Records, saying that the accessibility of recording facilities and assistance is a huge step up from the early days of the label.“I wouldn’t have signed to Green Line back in the day,” Lafyatis said. “But we’re starting to move in the right direction.”

Lafyatis said that one of Green Line’s biggest current projects is working with the Snell Library to convert a space into a new recording studio. Working closely with the library, Lafyatis put together a budget this term with the head of the recording department and hopes the studio will be up and running by fall 2013. “That will be a studio that Green Line can work in,” Lafyatis said, “[and] it will be open to the student body.”

With more on-campus recording space available to Green Line, Lafyatis said, students will benefit greatly from being associated with the label. “I think what would help ease the frustration is if there was a system in place by which you could be a musician and not have to take care of your recording as well,” said Lafyatis. “And I think that’s where Green Line fits in.”

“When I first showed up to Green Line as a freshman, they didn’t have a recording department,” Lafyatis said.

“So at the end of my first meeting, I basically walked up to the front of the room and I was like ‘Can I create a recording department?’”

WOOF | spring 2013

12 // Focus

Running for Sandy Hook Written by Shelby Sih

I’ve just passed the halfway mark when I’m struck with an overwhelming feeling that I can’t go any farther. It hits me like a wave crashing head-on, and for the first time, I wonder if I’ll be able to finish running. I’ve been battling a cramp for a good part of the run—one that is worse than I’m used to—and the cold has made my asthma act up. I try to ignore this discomfort, try to push it to the back of my mind, but it continues to all get worse. I have to make it.

I think back to three months ago. There are certain moments in life that are forever etched into our memory, moments that we will always remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard about them.

I was in the car coming home for winter break. I had seen from Facebook that there had been a shooting in Newtown, but no other details had emerged. But then it came on the radio: 26 dead. Sandy Hook Elementary school. Children killed. Numbness and shock paralyzed me as I tried to make sense of the unfathomable. Not Newtown. Not a town that was 15 minutes from my home. It wasn’t possible.

As the details emerged, I watched through half-closed eyes as I learned of the horrors that entered that school. I watched as my home community was broadcast through national and international news coverage. I watched and I tried to make sense of it all. But I couldn’t.

As the initial shock wore off, I began to ask myself the tough questions. How could someone do this? Why all those children and teachers? How are the families and survivors ever going to get past this?

What if that was my mom’s school, only 15 minutes away? As I tried to make sense of it all, it soon became very clear to me that there was no way to understand; that there was no right answer to any of these questions, and that no matter how many times I tried to work it out in my head, I would probably never understand or come anywhere close to having a real answer.

And so I turned to the only other question I felt I could plausibly answer: What could I do? How could I help my community persevere through this tragedy? We paid our respects at the memorials, made donations, prayed, hugged each other a bit tighter, but I still felt like I needed to do more.

A few months later, that opportunity came. My brother sent me a link for a 5K Sandy Hook Run for the Families. I knew without a doubt that I had to do this. I registered right then and there without even checking my schedule.

Now here I am. Running with snow flurries around me, in below freezing weather through the streets of Hartford, with a cramp that has me nearly doubled over in pain, wondering if I’ll be able to finish. But none of that matters.

The outpouring of support is truly incredible. The race was initially scheduled to be in Newtown, but after quickly reaching its capacity, it was moved to the larger town of Danbury, where again it reached its capacity, and was finally moved to the state’s capitol, Hartford. By the day of the race, it had again reached its capacity of 15,000 runners and

WOOF | spring 2013

walkers, making it the size of the Hartford Marathon and the largest inaugural run in Connecticut’s history. A total of $438,131 was raised in support of the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.

All I can see around me is a sea of green and white, Sandy Hook’s school colors, like it’s Saint Patrick’s Day in Boston. Although we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for such a terrible tragedy, the mood of the day is not somber. It’s energetic, it’s lively, it’s positive.

After waiting in the cold, we finally gathered at the starting line—all 15,000 of us. Teachers, students, parents, children, people from all over huddled together, fighting away the cold and getting ready to run.

First we took a moment to honor the reason why we were there. A children’s choir sang, Governor Malloy said a few uplifting words, a priest blessed the run and the race coordinators thanked everyone. And then a silence fell over the crowd, a silence so stark and pure as each one of us mourned the beautiful lives that were lost. Then the bell rang, 26 times. And in that moment, with the ding of the bell reverberating against each silent body, amidst snow flurries and freezing temperatures I’d been standing in for hours, I was warm.

Now I’m at the two and a half miles mark and my body is protesting, screaming at me to stop. I curse myself for all those times I went to the library instead of the gym; for the cold weather today that has made my muscles so tight; for having a cramp during such a big run when I easily do over three miles on any other given day. I just want to stop.

But I know I can’t stop. I look around me at all the other participants.

People of all ages and athleticisms are here, each giving it his or her all in his or her own way. Up until this race, my running had been so consumed by getting a good time, but I realize that, really, none of that matters. This run isn’t about times or competition. It really isn’t even about running.

If there’s one thing I became certain of during this trying time, it is that sometimes all we can do is give ourselves over and rely on the helping hand of others, or extend a helping hand of our own. There’s no real answers or solutions, just the comforting warmth of another person.

Today, I have the comforting warmth of 15,000 people. We all have this warmth. This run isn’t about times or racing or even the money, really. It’s about sharing that warmth in the midst of the cold.

As I hit the final stretch, the crowd thickens and it’s a blur of cheering and screaming supporters and runners giving these last few yards their all. We are all in this together. I soak it in and the overwhelming support carries me to the finish line. It’s probably one of my most physically painful runs I’ve experienced, for reasons I cannot explain. But I make it, and that’s what counts.

Sometimes it can feel like the only option we have is to stop, to give up and let the pain overtake us. It is in these moments that we must rely on others to get us through. It is in these moments when all we can do is continue to put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving forward.

Focus // 13

NU Unleashes Innovation Written by Sofia Rojo del Busto

In 2004, Rebecca Rescate’s life changed, and she has her cat to thank for it.

Fed up with the nauseating fumes that radiated from her cat’s litter box, the trails of litter that wound through her apartment and the unwelcomed chore of cleaning the box, Rescate—a Northeastern graduate who was working in New York at a software company—decided it was time to do something drastic.

She needed to come up with a solution to get rid of the headache of a litter box while still being able to provide her cat an indoor restroom. So, Rescate said, she thought to herself, “Why not potty train?” She went to the pet store hoping for a solution but came up short. She turned to the Internet but still found nothing.

Coming from a family of businesspeople, Rescate said, she “was always an entrepreneur, always thought about coming up with new things and how they would do in the market.”

And thus, the idea for a cat potty-training device was born.

Not long after her inspiration struck, Rescate called a former Northeastern classmate who had majored in graphic design. Together, they came up with a design, logo and name for her company: CitiKitty, which launched in 2005.

The product uses a litter box-weaning system and a special cat-sized toilet seat to get pets potty-trained for good.

“When the product launched in 2005, I tried so hard to market it,” Rescate said, “but I could only do so much with the resources I had.” So in 2010, the CitiKitty cat toilet trainer was featured on the show “World’s Smartest Inventions,” where the show hosts, perhaps not surprisingly, promoted the product in a comedic light.

Within the next few days, due to the product’s uniqueness and potential in the market, Rescate received a phone call from the producer of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” a show in which inventers pitch their product to moguls to try to secure funding. She came away from the show with not only a new partner, but with funding and connections that allowed her to continue to expand CitiKitty’s reach and to get the product on the shelves of pet stores around the country.

A year later, after her success with CitiKitty, Rescate gained the confidence and experience to invest in Hoodie Pillow, a pillow with a hood attached at the center. Hoodie Pillow is another product that debuted on “Shark Tank,” and again, Rescate walked away with funding for the company.

Now, Rescate hopes to continue to expand CitiKitty and to increase the number of retailers carrying her product. As for Hoodie Pillow, the product recently launched, and Rescate said she has plans for promotion in the works.

Rescate said she learned the most important aspects of entrepreneurship from experience. “There are a lot of first steps that need to be made when assessing if a project will be good in the marketplace,” she explained. “When coming up with an idea, [you have to] assess the market potential, how much money you need to get started and can you even reach that amount?” Rescate also encouraged entrepreneurs to make prototypes of their inventions and to solicit feedback from potential customers

before mass-producing a product that may not have a future. Taught by her experience, Rescate advises aspiring entrepreneurs at Northeastern to “step back from the invention and think.”

Though Rescate didn’t realize her calling for consumer goods until she had left college, many Northeastern students are already working toward their entrepreneurial dreams. In 2009, for example, a group of students identified a need for a place for business and non-business students alike to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. The end result was IDEA, a student-run venture accelerator that now stands as one of the best groups of its kind in the country.

So what exactly is a student-run venture accelerator?

According to IDEA’s mission statement, the group serves to “support and fund the rapid development of business concepts into self-sustaining or investment-ready businesses”; in essence, it’s a lower-scale, student version of “Shark Tank.”

In the IDEA process, a student presents his or her ideas to a panel of peers who critique the idea based on five criteria: the quality of the team, the market, the solution, the business model and, finally, quality to achieve milestones, and how the company will use the funding.

If a student is not given an offer after pitching his or her idea, it is generally because he or she has not spoken to enough potential customers, has not proved assumptions or does not have a big enough market. If a student is able to fulfill the five criteria, he or she will be offered up to $10,000 in funding without repercussions, meaning that IDEA does not take a share in the company or make any sort of profit.

A single company can receive up to seven grants per year, which could amass to $70,000 worth of grants. Not only do students receive funding to jump-start their companies, they also gain access to IDEA coaches, mentors and advisors, who are professionals such as lawyers and accountants who volunteer to help aspiring Northeastern students for free.

Other universities may have similar concepts, but Northeastern’s program stands out in that it is all studentrun. From the financials to management, IDEA is fueled by the students. The current CEO of IDEA, Chris Wolfel, has been CEO since December 2011 and has seen about 45 companies go through the IDEA program. During this time, IDEA has invested around $100,000. As CEO, Wolfel is passionate about the services that IDEA provides to the student body. As the company grows, Wolfel said he believes it is important for students who are not in the business school to know that IDEA exists, and that all students are encouraged to pitch their ideas.

“Every idea can be worked on to be what they want,” Wolfel said. “Do it in college with a safety net. You can either fall back on school, or it works.”

WOOF | spring 2013

14 // Focus

LADIES MAN

PRETTY BOY

KEG STAND

Alpha Sigma Gamma Kappa Who?

WANT A DRINK?

SUP BRO

DUDE

LIVE 2 LAX

Written by Jamie Ducharme // Photos by Cara McGrath

WOOF | spring 2013

FLIP CUP HERO

Focus // 15

Max Jeshiva always knew he would pledge a fraternity; which one and at which school didn’t matter to him, he just wanted to be part of the community.

“I chose school first, and if the school had a Greek [community] I knew I was going to join it,” Jeshiva, a junior finance major and president of Northeastern’s Kappa Sigma chapter, said. “I kind of liked that group of friends that you’re closer with for more of a reason than, ‘Oh, we met on the first day of freshman year, we’re in the same dorm, the same hall.’”

Jeshiva is in the minority at Northeastern.

Unlike many colleges, where frat parties rule the weekends and sorority letter-emblazoned tote bags are a fashion staple, a tiny 3 percent of male and 5 percent of female Northeastern students are part of Greek Life. No matter which way you skew it, fraternities and sororities simply aren’t a major presence on campus, numbers-wise or socially.

One thing keeping the Greek community down, Jeshiva said, is the small selection of chapters. The school currently recognizes just nine fraternities and eight sororities for its nearly 16,000 undergraduates to choose from.

Plus, with the university’s expansion plan— which is currently being rewritten—allowing only one new fraternity or sorority on campus every 18 months, the growing process is long and slow.

“If you’re Joe Schmo Freshman and you want to join a chapter, and there’s eight or nine you can choose from, if you don’t fit in with one of those you might be deterred from joining,” Jeshiva explained. Throw in a 2007 Boston-wide law that forbids more than five undergrads from living in the same rental unit—thereby making the traditional frat house model an option only for organizations that can afford to purchase a property, which few can— and it becomes very easy for a semi-interested student to turn his back on Greek Life.

Nick Bartolone, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a senior finance major and cinema studies minor, said another part of the problem is the stigma associated with Northeastern Greek Life. Bartolone, who didn’t rush until his middler year, said many students—his former self included—just don’t understand what fraternities at Northeastern are all about. “I had that perception that all frat guys were just a bunch of low-life degenerates,” he admitted, “and it wasn’t until I went out to something

that I saw that it really was not that, especially on this campus.”

Bartolone said the binge-drinking, pledgehumiliating Greek organization traditions of movies and the media are not a model of fraternity or sorority life at Northeastern.

“People just think, ‘Oh, I don’t want to get hazed, I don’t want to drink a lot, I don’t want to party that hard,’” Bartolone explained. “But that’s not what’s happening. At other schools, yeah, but here that’s not the case.”

“I feel like it’s more of a non-stereotypical role [here],” Jeshiva added. “A lot of Greek organizations, they get highlighted for the negative. But … they do a lot more good than the media would point out.”

Olivia D’Angelo, president of Sigma Sigma Sigma, also spoke to the positive impact Greek organizations have on campus. “One of the major tenets of the FSL [Fraternity and Sorority Life] community is philanthropy,” she said. “Northeastern FSL members do not simply focus on the Northeastern community, but also the Boston community and national philanthropic efforts.”

Nonetheless, Jeshiva noted that the school’s treatment of the Greek community does little to detract from the negative stereotype it has on campus. (A representative from the FSL office did not respond to interview requests.) “How many tours have I seen walk by and say, ‘Oh, this is the Greek office, they don’t have a big presence on campus?’” he asked. “It kind of deters people and drives them away.”

Bartolone agreed, saying that though the administration doesn’t have a negative perception of Greek Life, the school also doesn’t advertise it or help new chapters recruit. “The chapter, when they first start, has a national representative come in, help them out, build up their chapter and then they leave, and then they’re on their own with no past way of recruiting,” he explained.

Without that support from the institution, he said, fraternities have trouble spreading their message to the larger community since Northeastern students are far-flung and the school doesn’t have a strongly felt sense of community or school spirit. “This school is incredibly unique because no one’s on campus, or there’s just no sense of community, so it’s hard to reach out to [nonGreek students],” he said. “We are a small organization of 100 people; we can’t tell the whole school.”

D’Angelo also mentioned the impact Northeastern’s somewhat unique culture

has on FSL recruitment. “I think that many women who enroll at Northeastern are strongly independent, motivated in terms of professional work and interested in travel,” she said. “This makes them less likely to devote time to an organization that is exclusive to Northeastern, a lifetime commitment and arguably less directly related to career goals than other student organizations.”

The problem may also be that many Northeastern students just aren’t interested.

Several Northeastern students said they’re unfazed by the decidedly un-“Animal House” atmosphere on campus, and don’t feel they’re missing out by not being in Greek Life.

Bethany Kalliel, a freshman engineering major, said the Greek presence on campus is barely felt and she’s okay with that. “I’m perfectly content with Northeastern’s lack of Greek Life,” she said. “I know people involved who really enjoy it, but there’s no pressure to join. To be honest, I don’t even know what they do.”

Nick Martin, a sophomore health sciences major, said Northeastern just isn’t the right place for a thriving Greek scene. “Sure, it would be cool to see a big frat with a big house and all of that, but at the same time I think it’s really cool that there’s no pressure to join a frat or sorority,” he said. “If I really wanted that kind of experience, I definitely would have picked another school.”

For his part, Bartolone said he hopes future students won’t have to pick another school if they have their hearts set on pledging. “I think it’s slow growth,” he said. “Hopefully at some point that perception will change, maybe as more chapters come on, as more people see our value, but it’s going to take a long time because it’s not easy to do.”

Jeshiva agreed, noting that the nine or ten organizations queued up and waiting to come to campus point to a future with far more Greek choices for students and an all-around different Greek community at Northeastern.

“Greek Life is expanding,” he said. “It’s expanded since I’ve been here and I’d like to continue to see it expand.”

WOOF | spring 2013

MICROWAVE MAGIC 16 // Focus

Written by Kelsey Zimmerer // Photos by Alisha Keshavjee

When hunger strikes and you’re too lazy to head to the dining hall, up late enough that nothing is open or terrified to cook in anything but a trusty microwave, you may think all hope is lost. I must admit, I often fit into all three of these categories but I don’t have any personal recipes to draw from (wait… what’s a recipe?).

So as all decent microwave chefs do, I turned to the Internet and discovered delicious meals that truly anyone can whip up. All can be made in five steps or fewer, and none require the appliances of a full kitchen. No pain or panic necessary.

Breakfast:

The main course:

Dessert:

Poached egg and toast

Bean and cheese quesadilla

Brownie in a cup

So you woke up starving and a cereal bar just isn’t cutting it? Solve world hunger (or at least your own) with a savory egg sandwich.

Why it’s awesome: Not many would expect to be able to make such an easy and tasty hot breakfast while using so few ingredients. You don’t need a whole pantry or a set of pots and pans for this, and that makes it unbeatable.

Ingredients: One egg 1/3 cup water Approximately 1/2 teaspoon vinegar (optional) Bread Butter Directions: 1. Crack the egg into a microwave-safe bowl or mug.

2. Pour in the water.

3. Add a bit of vinegar (to help the egg coalesce).

4. Cover the bowl or mug with a microwavesafe plate. Place in the microwave and cook on 80 percent power for 60 seconds. Check the egg. If it is not done yet, return to the microwave and cook on 80 percent power in 20-second bursts.

5. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, place on buttered bread and enjoy!

Cancel your flight—you can have the flavor of Mexico in less than two minutes.

Why it’s awesome: The ingredients are extremely versatile and easy to find. Nothing will go to waste with this recipe, especially since cheese and sour cream basically go with everything.

Ingredients: Flour tortillas 1 1/4 cups (five oz.) shredded Mexican cheese blend 1/2 cup taco sauce Sour cream 3/4 cup refried beans with sausage (optional) Directions: 1. Spread beans, cheese and taco sauce over tortilla, and top with another tortilla.

2. Microwave one quesadilla, covered with a paper towel, on a microwave-safe plate on high for one to 1 1/2 minutes.

3. Cut each into wedges; serve with remaining taco sauce and sour cream.

Recipe from: southernliving.com

For when you can finally relax and enjoy a movie in your room… or when you promise yourself that if you study for 20 minutes, you can have a kick-ass dessert.

Why it’s awesome: It has chocolate in it; does there need to be more of a reason than that? If you’re unconvinced, compare a warm and freshlybaked brownie to the stale cookies you’ve been munching on early in the morning and calling “dessert.” Point proven.

Ingredients: Two tablespoons butter, melted Two tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Dash of salt Four tablespoons granulated sugar Two tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Four tablespoons all-purpose flour Directions: 1. In a 12 oz. coffee mug, add water, butter, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk well.

2. Add cocoa powder, whisk. Add sugar, whisk again. Add flour, whisk some more.

3. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Center should be slightly molten. Be careful not to overcook.

Recipe from: food.com

Recipe from: thekitchn.com

WOOF | spring 2013

Skeptical? Our photographer and creative director tasted these all when they were photographed — they gave two thumbs up!

Bon Appetit // 17

Dining Hall Staples:

The Facts You Probably Didn’t Want To Know

What’s the difference between a college dining hall and an all-you-caneat buffet?

Sounds like the opening of a bad joke, but it’s a fairly legitimate question. Both eateries offer a huge variety of food choices, both admit entry for one universal price and both permit seemingly endless consumption.

Coincidentally, both also fail to reveal the nutritional information of the sizeable selection.

At college dining halls, most students adopt an “ignorance is bliss” mindset when considering the quantity and nutritional content of the food they’re stuffing into their mouths. So, what’s really in our dining hall staples?

International Village is known for its, well, international fare, but global doesn’t guarantee healthy. Sushi seems like an innocent accompaniment to any meal, but consider the smoked salmon roll. Take two plates—or six pieces—and prepare to consume 437 calories and nearly 8 grams of fat. Though the protein packs a punch (35 grams), 52 grams of carbs constitutes a starchy tradeoff. Cut that in half and you’ve got a more reasonable serving, but still more than your average side dish.

At Levine Marketplace, better known as Stetson East, home-cooked classics take the place of ethnic extremes. Students line the grills waiting for Stetty East staples: cheeseburgers, buffalo chicken breasts and, of course, grilled cheese. At 453 calories and

Written by Emily Huizenga / Photos by Lena Smart

about 31 grams of fat, however, the cheesy lunchtime classic might be more than some students bargained for.

fat—per slice. Multiply that by six and you might want to find a new late-night alternative to your leftover meal swipes.

That being said, those who know what they’re getting into go a step further: The elusive, evasive, legendary cheeseburger grilled cheese sandwich can be found on the tray of many a brave soul. But with an extra patty comes 209 calories and nearly 14 grams of fat, weighing in at a total of 662 calories and 45 grams of fat. That’s over a third of the FDA’s recommended daily calories and threequarters of the 65 grams of suggested fat intake.

Though these numbers might seem shocking, campus dietician and nutritional blogger Christine Clark said college dining halls are both a blessing and a curse. Though there are plenty of healthy options, students have to be aware of what and how much they’re consuming—and not fall into a routine of the worst the hall’s got to offer.

Stetson West is known for its stir fry, which, considering all the vegetables students can conveniently load up and simmer, is a nutritious option for sure. What should be considered, however, is portion size. A mere eight-ounce serving of the kitchen’s general tso stir fry has 331 calories, 9 grams of fat and 42 carbs, but few students stop at eight ounces. Consider the platter-sized dining hall plates and double those numbers.

And last but not least, everyone’s favorite mixer-merchant, leftover-peddler and junk food warehouse, Outtakes. Aside from the obviously unhealthy options like puffy Cheetos and Oreos, Outtakes features the all-tooconvenient premade PP&J. With 344 calories, 16 grams of fat and 42 carbs, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from two pieces of bread slathered with fatty peanut butter and sugary jelly. But move to the heat lamps toward the individual cheese pizza and take care to consider its 213 calories and 9.5 grams of

“Students tend to stay in the dining halls and socialize, and that can make it harder not to continue to make bad choices. They’re sitting in there longer, which can tempt them to eat more food,” Clark said. “For example, one of the biggest mistakes I hear from students is choosing desserts after every meal they eat at the dining hall. That adds up.”

Clark suggested students who are tempted to snack post-dinner should opt for a handful of dry cereal or a dish of water-heavy fruit instead, like melon or grapes.

“It’s a matter of scoping out the healthy choices that are available. Anything that’s baked or grilled is usually a good option.

Avoid pastas with heavy sauces, eat salad with moderate amounts of dressing and try vegetarian options just to mix things up a bit,” she said. “It’s about finding a balance.”

And, Clark said, be grateful for both the homestyle classics and the fancy alternatives.

“Not all college have those options available to students,” she said.

WOOF | spring 2013

18 // Campus Crawl

Are you Not For Sale?

Written by Monica Vallejo

When you hear the word “slavery,” what is the first thing that comes to mind?

We often think about slavery in the context of history class or a movie we’ve seen, but the truth is that slavery is not just an issue from the past found in history books; it is a real issue all around the world, even in 2013. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 30 million people are victims of the modern-day slave industry. But Nicole Hicks and Tomas Von Rickenbach, first-year students majoring in human services, are doing something to change that shocking reality.

Earlier this spring, the two founded a Northeastern branch of “Not For Sale” (NFS), an organization that fights modern-day slavery around the world by finding solutions to the root causes of exploitation through methods like skills training, education and job opportunities. The organization also provides safety and stability to survivors of human trafficking.

Hicks said her interest in human trafficking started when she was assigned to read a New York Times article about human trafficking for a class she took last semester. After that, Hicks knew she had to help.

“I was really just shocked about its existence, especially in the United States,” she explained, adding that major tourist events like the Super Bowl are some of the primary venues for trafficking in this country.

As a worldwide organization, NFS works to protect men, women and children that are bought and sold like commodities and forced to work in hotels, restaurants, factories, brothels and fields. The methodology behind NFS is to create futures for survivors through a process aimed at improving their opportunities, and to help meet the basic needs of survivors and communities at risk.

WOOF | spring 2013

The Northeastern chapter of NFS—which, less than a semester into its existence, already has more than 40 members—will work to further that mission, its primary goal being to raise awareness among the student body and Boston as a whole about human trafficking. To raise awareness about the issue they are fighting, NFS plans to set up tables in the Curry Student Center to recruit students, create posters and screen a documentary about human trafficking.

The group is also currently working on a free trade chocolate campaign, in which members contact local businesses and urge them to sell free trade chocolate that is not produced through forced labor. NFS members at Northeastern are also working on a petition to Congress to reinstate the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, an act that seeks to combat trafficking by promoting a policy of prosecution, protection and prevention.

NFS member Rebecca Rice, a first-year architecture student who chose her field of study to someday design and create safe homes for human trafficking victims, said forced labor is an important issue, and one she wants to stop. “I am very adamant about ending human trafficking,” she said. “Going to NFS every week is one step closer.”

And with news reports and startling trafficking statistics constantly popping up, students like Hicks are more determined than ever to make NFS a solid presence on Northeastern’s campus. “It [human trafficking] is literally everywhere,” Hicks said. “It’s disgusting that it’s even happening, nonetheless that literally thousands of people don’t know about it.”

Campus Crawl // 19

group fitness instructors You see them sweating it out every week at the front of your workout classes, but have you ever wondered what your group fitness instructors are like outside of Marino? We caught up with three group fitness teachers to find out how they got started, what they like about their classes and why you should take them.

Yoga

Zumba

Boot Camp, Cycle 45 and H.E.A.T

Bernadette Jamison

Annalise Mayerson

Ashley Equi

How did you start teaching?

Jamison’s mother is a yoga instructor, and she’s been practicing on-and-off since she was 10 years old. “I took a lot of yoga while I was here [at Northeastern] and last year when I moved back to Boston I wanted to get certified,” she said. The certification process takes 200 hours, which translates to classes every weekend for six months, some lasting more than six hours.

Why did you get into Zumba?

Mayerson describes Zumba as a “party-like atmosphere without the booze.” Mayerson has been teaching Zumba for four years, but only started teaching at Northeastern a year ago.

Mayerson was a choreographer and hip-hop dancer at the University of Vermont. After she graduated, she wanted something to keep her active and dancing, so she began teaching Zumba.

Why do you like yoga?

“Yoga helps me deal with everything,” Jamison said. “It helps me deal with stress and emotional situations. I want to eat better and do good things for myself afterwards.”

What’s your teaching strategy?

“Everyone has different skills, so I want to challenge some while still helping those who are new. And of course I want to get everyone sweating,” she said. “I have no idea how some people move when they are new to my class. I have to make sure everyone is on track and with time.” She has found being patient with students and their sense of rhythm and capacity to get the moves down is the best way to keep the class energetic and positive for everyone.

How did you start teaching?

Equi graduated from Northeastern last May but still returns to teach classes. Equi, who also played club tennis for the five years she was here, said she spontaneously decided to try out for the AIT (Aerobic Instructor Training) program offered through Marino. She was accepted and got her certification soon after.

Equi has been teaching for three years and still loves it. “I’ve always gone to the gym and played sports,” Equi said, “It was the best decision to join [AIT].”

Who should practice yoga?

Although yoga sometimes carries the stigma of being more of a female exercise, Jamison said she recommends yoga to any college student. She explained that it has both the mental benefit of dealing with stress and the physical benefit of stretching out and supplementing other workouts.

Why is yoga a good choice?

“College students are constantly stimulated with things,” she said. “Yoga is a great alone time. People need that— to be able to focus on one thing and not think about anything else for a bit.”

Who should do Zumba?

Mayerson said she recommends Zumba to anyone, saying it’s a stress reliever and an outlet. “It’s an upbeat, energetic, fun and nonjudgmental dance party in a studio,” she explained.

What’s it like to be a group fitness instructor?

“It’s taken over my life in a way,” Equi admitted.

As an athlete and now an instructor, she has spent a lot of time researching different exercises and foods so that she understands how to lead a healthy and balanced life. As an instructor, she acknowledged that part of her role is to set an example for her students. “It keeps me focused on my own health because I have to be a role model to continue teaching,” Equi noted.

How do you motivate yourself?

Tell yourself: “It’s going to be over soon, so give everything you can now. Make every second count.” She said this motivates her to keep going because in the scheme of a day, one hour to push yourself and give the workout all you have isn’t too much to ask.

Why do you like bootcamp? “[It’s] a challenge but you see the results,” Equi explained. “It’s a challenge but you should always be challenging yourself; that’s where you see the results. Don’t be afraid to try something new.”

WOOF | spring 2013