WOOF ISSUE 26

WOOF ISSUE 26 // SPRING 2019

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WOOF MAGAZINE PRESIDENT

Adrianna Yozzi

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Fernanda Hurtado & Alexander Pickering

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Meredith Fisher & Xochitl Lozano

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTORS Jasmine Chan & Cheyenne Tang

ONLINE EDITORS

Julia Horneck & Orla Levens

SECTION EDITORS

Kaline Langley, Lucy Murrey, Candace Reyes

HEAD COPY EDITOR Kate Coiro

COPY EDITORS

Sydne Garcia, Christina Philippides

WRITERS

Darcy Bond, Amanda Britz, Sofia Ciprian, Sydne Garcia, Kristen Kilgallen, Orla Levens, Madeline Pearson, Caroline Riche, Sharon Yan

DESIGNERS

Kate Coiro, Emily Cullitan, Gianna Gleghorn, Kaitlin Kerr, Diana Steelman

PHOTOGRAPHERS Nadia Naeem

Cover Photography by Xochitl Lozano

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Hi Reader, What’s up? Did you see our magazine in the entrance to the library? Curry Crossroads? A random table in Steast? Regardless of how you came to be here, we’re so excited that you’ve decided to share in what we’ve been working so hard on.

As you know, Woof is Northeastern’s only lifestyle magazine. Last semester we completely changed our look and refocused ourselves to have a stronger online presence. This semester we wanted to continue the successes that we had with our previous print issue while learning how to be realistic about what we could achieve given our limitations. After all, this magazine is done in our free time and our team dedicates so much time outside of classes and work because we love what we do. We want to give you the best magazine that we can; our writers, designers, and photographers have made that so easy for us this semester.

Well, here it is! We hope you like it, and if you don’t then just put us back in the publication box. You don’t deserve us anyways!

Thanks for reading.

Your Editors-in-Chief, Fernanda Hurtado & Alexander Pickering

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CONTENTS FRONT

MEDIA & CULTURE

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Meet Two of Northeastern’s Most Influential Professors

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Netflix’s “You” and Dismantling the “Nice Guy” Complex

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Food Prepping: What, Why, and How?

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Black Mirror Hits & Misses

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Self-Control in the Age of #TreatYourself

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Spotify or Apple Music?

LIFESTYLE

FOCUS

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Boston’s Best Brunch

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Why You Need Meditation in Your Life

Campus Construction: The Bubble on Columbus and an Update on the Bridge

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Gender Disparities: Women in STEM

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FRONT

Jonathan Carr (left) and Robert Steere (right)

Meet Two of Northeastern’s Most Influential Professors:

Jonathan Carr & Robert Steere WRITTEN BY DARCY BOND // PHOTOS BY NADIA NAEEM Professor Jonathan Carr teaches a variety of theatre and acting classes in the College of Arts, Media, and Design. Before coming to Northeastern, he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance from Amherst College and his Masters of Fine Arts in Directing at Columbia University. He worked as an academic and professional director in Boston, New York, New Hampshire, and Philadelphia. Carr enjoys adding humor to his works yet does not shy away from ominous undertones and elements of mystery. His students

In today’s world, teaching is not only about outlining the facts and figures. With modern technology, people can find answers to practically any question at the click of a button. Instead, teaching deals with presenting the information in ways that ignite students’ curiosity and prompts them to take their studies a step further.

Great teaching means bestowing students the gift of inspiration and the tools so they may forge their own path. Here at Northeastern, we have professors who do just that.

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FRONT know him as being a lighthearted, kind teacher who shows genuine interest in the lives of those he teaches.

One of his theatre students, a first-year theatre major Grace Campbell, highlights the positive atmosphere Carr creates, saying, ”I always look forward to coming to Professor Carr’s class. His passion for theatre shows in his lectures. I enjoy hearing stories about his work as a director. He is one of the most friendly and approachable people I’ve ever met, and he’s always cracking jokes to make class more fun.”

When asked what kinds of teaching methods he uses to motivate students and push them outside of their comfort zones, Professor Carr replied, “I find students work best in a safe place where they know they are respected and crucially where they can make fools of themselves along with other fools. So I make sure we all comfortably reveal our weaknesses as soon as possible. When we are all humbled before the great task together, we can get to work. We become a company, and great friendships bloom in the most unexpected ways, especially in my acting classes. It’s great fun to watch these strangers become close through the crucible of our work together.” Carr serves as a powerful influence and mentor to many of his students, and his classes leave a lasting impression on their theatre experience at Northeastern.

experience in Steere’s Introduction to Business class, saying, “It was both the toughest and most rewarding class I’ve taken. Professor Steere made us adjust our business plan over and over, even having us make three separate presentations. The final product, however, was better than I could have imagined. He inspired me to keep going, keep improving my work, and taught me that failure is a necessary stepping stone to success. In the end, he heightened my confidence in our project and enhanced my presentation skills.”

Steere is meticulous in his quest to bring the best out of each of his students, and he strives to create leaders prepared to take on the world of business. His favorite class to teach is Organizational Behavior because he is continually fascinated to see how businesses work and how the principles of Northeastern match with the experience in leadership classes. He endeavors to help students establish their own ethics and values, and be accountable for who they are as people. When asked what his most significant take away from his time at Northeastern will be, Steere responded, “Many people say they are worried about the fate of the world.

After being with the students at Northeastern, I am not worried. I think it will be in good hands.”

Robert Steere, Professor of Business, has been recognized for his engaging classroom, compelling energy, and professionalism. Before coming to Northeastern, he worked in a variety of fields from political campaigning to business consulting to standup comedy. His rigorous courses elicit the highest standard of work from his students and drive them to improve their analyzation and organization abilities.

First-year business major Emily Kahn shares her

Our modern society has become increasingly focused on measuring talent and expertise. To reach the high levels of capability that so many today accomplish, one must have an inspirational instructor encouraging them. Having the opportunity to learn from motivational educators breeds creativity and innovation while pushing students outside of their comfort zones so they may achieve more than formerly thought possible. As poet William Yeats once wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Above, we have examples of professors who have already lit a fire and are now working to spread the flame.

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FOOD PREPPING: WHAT, WHY, AND HOW? WRITTEN BY KRISTEN KILGALLEN // PHOTOS BY XOCHITL LOZANO What is food or meal prepping?

So…if cooking is such a hassle, why food prep?

Many college students are in the transition from having fast access to meals and food to learning how to cook in their kitchens. For those of us whose experience with cooking extends to watching “Chopped” reruns or ”The Great British Bake Off”, it can seem overwhelming when we begin to realize the amount of time, effort, and creativity it can require cooking our own food every day. Food prepping is the simple act of dedicating a chunk of time at some point in the week to batch cook different foods or meals to have on hand and ready for consumption. The commitment is whatever you want to make it and what works for your schedule. The beauty in meal prepping is that it’s not a one size fits all, and anyone can use it to their advantage.

Student life is often busy and to say our time is limited would be an understatement. When we attempt to put together meals throughout the week, rushing between classes or after coming home from a long day on co-op, either the quality, the taste, or size of the meal can often be sacrificed. Without food prep, the inevitable hanger will set in, which often results in poor choices due to the lack of readily available food. Not only does food prepping avoid unfortunate hanger consequences, it also provides the proper nutrition our bodies crave and need to thrive. Another plus is that it makes it easier to budget your money more effectively. If most of your food intake is coming from your kitchen, you inadvertently avoid overpaying for single meals on a regular basis. You’ll soon realize that packing a homemade sandwich from ingredients you bought in bulk compared to one bought from Starbucks can equate to around 20 extra dollars at the end of the week.

Sounds great! How do I start?

Food prepping can be done in a variety of ways, but the most common way to food prep effectively includes weekly or biweekly grocery trips in order to keep track of your budget for food, as well as weekly or biweekly batch cooking sessions of an hour or two. The next steps can take a few different paths including:

1. BULK PREPPING BY INGREDIENT This includes buying a few separate items that can be cooked in bulk and stored to be used in a variety of ways. You’ll want to have some sort of protein source, a few sources of carbohydrates, and some vegetables.

The preparation method is all up to the individual. For example, you could chop up raw vegetables and pair with hummus for a snack, or throw them in a salad or sandwich. Or, conversely, you can wash and chop some brussel sprouts, carrots, and cauliflower and

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FRONT roast them in the oven. While they cook in the oven, you could grill some chicken or sauté some tofu, while on another pan you can roast some sweet potatoes or have rice or quinoa boiling in a pot or rice cooker. By having multiple ingredients prepped, you can combine them in a multitude of ways throughout the week so you don’t get bored. You can easily pair your chicken with some potatoes and vegetables, or put it in a wrap and grill it to make a quesadilla or an omelette— the possibilities are endless.

2. FOOD PREPPING BY MEAL/RECIPE Another method taken by some when food prepping is choosing a few meals you want to have and making a recipe with multiple servings to have throughout the week. This can include one pan meals, a skillet recipe, large pasta dishes, crockpot recipes, or stews/soups, which can all be easily found online and on apps like Pinterest. This can be a fun way to get creative in the kitchen and can even be social if you invite roommates or friends to join you in trying out fun, new recipes.

3. STORING FOOD Once your food is prepped and ready, you can store your meals or ingredients in Tupperware ready to microwave and reheat or mason jars to take to work. Now you will always have food available and easy to take on the go. This is a great way to get used to cooking in your kitchen, saving money and eating responsibly.

Food prepping doesn’t need to be boring— feel free to change up the recipes and ingredients!

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SELFCONTROL in the age of

#TREAT YOURSELF

2019 is here. Resolutions have been all over our newsfeeds. From fitness, health, to better habit building, we’re all looking to improve ourselves — treating ourselves, meal prepping, or practicing selfcare. After all, these goals just mean “New Year, new us.”

This year, I set myself a financial goal. Being that I’m a strong believer in self care, I also have to face the harsh reality tied to my consumerist maxim — I. Need. Money. As much as I respect those of us who impulsively buy things we think we need but actually don’t; like a $150 Sherpa jacket from Madewell. Or used books from Brookline Booksmith because — well, they’re on my reading list and they’re reasonably priced. But who am I kidding? I haven’t even gotten halfway through my reading list. You and I both know this madness needs to stop; we need some control in our lives. Reminding ourselves “money comes and goes” every time we come across a much (not) needed item because it’ll make us happier is unsustainable — environmentally and financially.

WRITTEN BY SYDNE GARCIA // ILLUSTRATION BY XOCHITL LOZANO

Fortunately, some application developers know our faults all too well and have created a neat array of financial apps that should help us to budget, save, and invest. Even if they don’t help us to cut our impulsive spending habits, at least we’ll know why these applications are worthwhile.

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1. Mint - Budget App We all know that if we want to save money, we have to be realistic with the way we spend our money.

Mint helps us figure out what we regularly spend on a monthly basis and shows us pictographs of where we overspend and underspend. The key to this application is to link all of your credit and debit cards to stay on top of spending habits.

It’s good practice to consistently update the app on your phone to make sure purchases are correctly categorized and where they belong. For example, a smoothie from B.Good may not be recognized by Mint as “food” so it’ll be categorized as “Other”. This can be a nuisance when tracking one’s spending. Believe me: opening Mint to admit to yourself a purchase exceeded “Food” budget limits is cringeworthy and triggers a sense of unease.

That’s not to say Mint isn’t helpful but I would be lying to you if I told you I absolutely loved it and it never made me feel like everything in my life was wrong.

It’s like staring at a mirror after a long day of classes: really? That’s me? Sure, the notifications reminding me I am overspending in a certain category is useful to track my spending, but I rather not be reminded that I am failing at my New Year’s resolution. We are human!

Of course, I am going to spend too much money at Chicken Lou’s during finals season.

It goes without saying, if you have thick enough skin and can handle a notification taking a jab at your insecurities — go for it. Your financial resolutions will be met!

2. Digit On the topic of saving money, let’s talk about Digit.

It’s meant to take money out of your checking account and store the money away in the app. It works similar to the way Venmo does except that it transfers money from your checking account back to the app — think of it as a digital piggy bank. Although this sounds like we’ll meet our financial resolutions in no time it’s a great way to start wondering where the hell our money is going. Picture yourself at Amelia’s, craving a long-awaited carnitas burrito but your card gets declined because of an overdraft of -$10.76. But that’s not possible?? You knew how much money you had in there. Wait… could it be? Right. Digit takes money out of our checking account without asking if we have enough money.

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The key to this app is to monitor your checking account constantly and make sure Digit is taking out a reasonable amount. A rule of thumb: be reasonable about your financial goals. And always, always be honest with yourself. But, we both know that we’re not, so do with that what you will.

3. Credit Karma Being honest with ourselves is of utmost importance when budgeting and saving — especially when we tend to be overly ambitious with our financial goals.

That’s why Credit Karma is a handy tool. It keeps track of credit card debt, TransUnion and Equifax scores, and he who shall not be named (student loans). The beauty of Credit Karma is that it’s constantly measuring our credit health based on our debt accumulated, credit card utilization, payment history, total credit accounts, and age of credit history. These are all good things to keep on one’s radar especially when trying to meet financial goals.

4.Robinhood All this talk about saving money and budgeting …. but no mention of making money? Well, assuming some of us are making money on co-op this would be a good time to learn how to invest.

Robinhood is good for people who know nothing about the financial stock market but are willing to put their Investing Training Wheels on. The reason being is that it’s commission free, so there’s no need to pay extra fees for stocks. At first, this sounds appealing but it’s not worthwhile when you have very little knowledge about stock market trends. Using myself as an example, I have absolutely no understanding of financial trends. Three years ago I thought it would be a good idea to invest in what I believed was a promising stock but three years later, I’ve made a profit of only .53 cents.

Maybe if you’re a Finance major you’d be better off and make more money off stocks through Robinhood.

But if you’re not… good luck!

In good practice, these financial tools are great to meet our goals. Clearly, I’m an emotional shopping extremist who does not want to be tamed by budgeting and saving. In the long run, a change must be made and if we’re looking to make that change, we should give these tools a try and be honest with ourselves.

LIFESTYLE

Boston’s Best Brunch WRITTEN BY WOOF’S E-BOARD

Jasmine: Lincoln Tavern, Southie

Lucy: Little Donkey, Central Square

I like to consider myself an Eggs Benedict connoisseur, and I can confidently say Lincoln Tavern has the best Eggs Benedict in Boston. The English muffin is smeared with Boursin cheese and it’s served with a thick, crispy hash brown pancake— what more could you want on a Sunday morning? If you’re a sweet breakfast person, try one of their specialty pancake stacks that come in fun flavors like fruity pebbles and hot chocolate. If you’re just there for the Instagram photo-op, the brick walls and modern industrial decor will satisfy you too. The 20-minute drive from campus is worth it for everyone.

Bored with predictable pancakes and basic Benedicts?

This Cambridge tapas restaurant serves up a brunch menu that puts those traditional takes to shame with global flavors and unexpected combinations. Choose a dish inspired by your favorite cuisine - it’s surely represented - or choose them all, ‘cause, Hey! It’s tapas.

Mexican chilaquiles, Chinese ramen, Vietnamese crepes, Thai noodles, Southern fried chicken, brioche French toast… even an avocado toast grilled cheese that brings together two of the most American of obsessions. The house favorite? The miso banana bread Toad in a Hole: a perfect opportunity for those who can never decide between savory and sweet.

With an eccentric yet elevated menu and ambiance to match, Little Donkey is the destination for breakfast anarchists: those who believe any food is a breakfast food if you eat it in the morning.

Julia: Beehive, South End As the dimly lit room buzzes with chatter and the lilt of live jazz, it’s hard not to feel as though you’ve stumbled into somewhat of a speakeasy when dining at Beehive.

Nestled among the brownstones and quaint shops of Boston’s South End, this eclectic eatery serves up your favorite brunch classics with a bit of a global twist. If you’re an avocado toast fanatic like me, you won’t ever want to turn back after indulging in Beehive’s take on the dish, which is piled high with roasted beets, pomegranate, a fried egg, and a touch of jalapeño pesto. For those in seek of some not-so-traditional, but nonetheless heart-warming comfort food, the Eggs Shakshuka comes loaded with just enough cheese to balance out the spice of the North African-style tomato sauce. With a menu as unique as its ambiance, this (quite literally) underground bistro will quickly redefine what you look for in a brunch experience. While a bit on the pricier end, Beehive is sure to feed the hipster within as much as it will your appetite.

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Meredith: Friendly Toast If you take brunch a little less seriously and appreciate breakfast puns and quirky ambiance, the Friendly Toast is for you. The restaurant offers retro diner vibes with a unique touch. Its diverse menu offers everything from the classic eggs, waffles, and Bennys, to doughnut sandwiches, breakfast burritos, hash quiche, cayenne cheddar toast, and more. In addition to a creative take on breakfast, vegans and vegetarians will find delight in the many meat-alternative choices. To make it a boozy brunch, add a mimosa or pick amongst rotating drink specials. If you’re a late sleeper or simply can’t get your act together in the early hours, not to worry — the Friendly Toast offers brunch all day.

LIFESTYLE

Christina: The Playwright, Southie

Sofia: Back Bay Social

A neighborhood favorite, The Playwright is the perfect weekend spot for a casual outing with friends. Aside from the cozy atmosphere, a delicious brunch menu is also something it does not lack. The restaurant’s brunch menu is as eclectic as its name, offering small plate options such as cheese steak fries and nachos.

Although you may opt for the traditional scrambled eggs and french toast options, each of the dishes has their own special twist; for example, you might not consider kale as an appropriate pairing to scrambled eggs, but this restaurant will convince you otherwise.

There are sweet and savory options to match everyone’s cravings, from fried cake donut holes dusted with cinnamon sugar to breakfast pizza. For those who are more in the lunch mood, the menu also offers a plethora of options, ranging from quesadillas to grain bowls. The last time I ate here, I got the Buffalo Benedict dish with a glass of freshly-squeezed OJ. The prices are also fairly reasonable, so you definitely won’t break your budget (or worse—leave unsatisfied).

The perfect Saturday morning could be spent with some shopping at the Pru and then a trip to Back Bay Social for brunch. Back Bay Social is one of my favorite places to eat in general, the brunch and lunch menus are just an added bonus. Just to start, when you walk in there is a super cozy atmosphere with the dimmed lighting, booth seats, and chandeliers. It feels like you’re escaping the cold Boston winter for a little while. When it comes to what you want to eat, you get to choose from both the brunch and the lunch menu, so there is a lot of variety. For the people who want a more classic breakfast meal, look at the brunch menu with options like the breakfast bread basket, a basket of fried dough and berry bread with cinnamon butter.

Or if you are in the mood for lunch, I swear by the prosciutto pizza. It is not your typical brunch meal, but it is very light and can even work as a plate to share if you prefer. This is just a glimpse at what Back Bay Social offers and there is definitely a lot more, to the point where I am dying to go back just to try out other dishes. So, I highly recommend you try it.

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LIFESTYLE

Fernanda: Jugos Supremo, South End The larger sister to Jugos, a grab and go smoothie shop tucked in the corner of Back Bay station, Jugos Supremo has exceeded all assumptions of what a smoothie shop needs to offer. Located in the South End on the intersection of Tremont Street and Massachusetts Ave. is a latino paradise within a historic New England brick building. You enter into a flood of bright yellow, orange, and turquoise, adorned with large monstera leaves and a banana palm tree in the corner. Within the sound of blenders and steaming milk a light Reggaeton and 2000’s latino pop playlist plays in the background. For a latina living in Boston, Jugos is like a little piece of home all year-long, desperately needed during the bitter cold. In contrast to its smaller sister, with more space, Jugos Supremo offers seating and a broader menu. My recommendation is ordering La Positiva, an egg and avocado sandwich that is unlike any other breakfast sandwich, primarily due to the soft, chewy, Puerto Rican bread. If you go with a friend, dishes easily shareable to go alongside a sweet plate include Lo Maximo, a Belgian waffle with bee pollen and tropical fruit or the São Paolo smoothie bowl. This place gives in to all my cravings without breaking my bank or making me uncomfortably full, while giving me “Buenas Vibes” all day long.

Orla: Flour Bakery & Cafe While most would underestimate it as just a coffee shop, Flour is a great destination for a casual brunch. I have celiac disease, which makes eating out a hassle for me - but ironically, Flour’s very dietary-conscious menu makes eating there relatively easy. Their menu is clearly labeled to indicate gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan, and vegetarian options; for celiacs like me, most of their delicious sandwiches can be replaced with gluten-free bread for $2. The staff is also very allergy-conscious and will make sure to make things to avoid as much cross-contamination as possible. They offer a range of pastries and desserts that can bring out anyone’s sweet tooth; I like the raspberry and cinnamon meringues. Their interior is decked out in that sleek, more industrial coffee shoplike style, but childlike flourishes are sprinkled on the walls in the company’s playful font, urging you to eat your dessert first. With locations all throughout Boston, Flour is an eatery that is accessible to everyone.

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Alex: Mamaleh’s, Kendall Square In Kendall Square, Cambridge is every New Yorker’s wet dream. Mamaleh’s, a Jewish delicatessen and restaurant, gives Boston the bagels and cured fish it had been missing. Its lox, sturgeon, kippered salmon, and pickled herring is granted a sleek kitsch that the New York deli was long overdue for. Open for breakfast and lunch every day with a brunch menu on the weekends, Mamaleh’s also does takeout deli foods for those events where you just need something to nosh on. My recommendation for brunch is a fish plate with a bagel and a cream cheese schmear sure to put any good bubbe to shame. If you do a taste test between their chocolate and cinnamon babka, a traditional sweet pastry, the wait staff is sure to give their two cents and will want to hear yours too. If you make the schlep out to Kendall and you’re just so tired of the toast there being friendly, head to Mamaleh’s.

Sydne: Martin’s Coffee Shop, Brookline Martin’s coffee shop is Brookline’s hidden breakfast gem. This hole-in-the-wall offers traditional diner plates at a fantastic price. Breakfast plates range from omelets to breakfast burritos with a side of savory potatoes and slices of toast for $11.95. You might be thinking Martin’s sounds like your typical cozy Mom and Pop shop but that’s what makes it so great. It’s the perfect solution for those Sunday mornings when you wake up craving French toast and a breakfast burrito.

Martin’s is the place where you can have it all on a college budget.

LIFESTYLE

Cheyenne: Stephi’s on Tremont, South End

Adriana: Alden & Harlow, Harvard Square If you’re looking for a traditional diner-style brunch, Alden & Harlow in Harvard Square is certainly not your place. If, however, you’re interested in indulging in a (surprisingly affordable) upscale “tapas” style meal, Alden & Harlow has one of the most unique breakfast menus I have ever seen. The menu offers both sweet and savory “snacks”, as they call them. They are sharable, and the staff suggests each customer chooses about two each. The meals come out as they are made, and you can tell they are made fresh. My personal favorite is the quinoa bowl which is served warm with plenty of vegetables, topped with ricotta, a fried egg, and parmesan. I can’t guarantee the dish will be on the menu if you do happen to pay Alden & Harlow a visit; their menu is ever-changing, just another unique trait of the quirky restaurant tucked away in Harvard Square.

Xochitl: Mike’s City Diner, South End Mike’s is a South End classic, with no-nonsense food and a nostalgic diner vibe. Typically sporting a line out the door on weekend mornings, the wait is worth it for the homestyle breakfast food for prices that won’t hurt your wallet too much. And of course, Guy Fieri himself has said, “when I think of Boston I think of the Tea Party, I think of the Sox of course, and now I think of a place called Mike’s City Diner!”

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You may have heard of Stephanie’s on Newbury, but you’ve probably also heard how difficult it is to get a table there. It’s impossible to get a reservation and the wait is usually unbearable. That’s why I decided to have my birthday brunch at Stephi’s on Tremont. They have a slightly more affordable menu and a smaller venue, but the food is just as good and there’s no pressure to eat your meal as fast as possible to give up your table.

I made a reservation the day before my birthday and they gave us the private section at the back. They have a whole section on their menu dedicated to Benedicts, offering 5 variations on the classic brunch dish. They also serve some unique dishes like the “Breakfast Nachos” and “Breakfast Pizza”. The restaurant didn’t feel crowded and we could be seated even without our full party. The overall experience was extremely pleasant and I’ll be going back soon!

Kate: Tatte With a convenient spot near campus, an offshoot of Marino on Huntington Ave, Tatte may be overlooked by more adventurous brunchers. “It’s not exciting,” you might say. “It’s so close by, I’ve been a million times.”

Well, those things may be true, but that should not discredit Tatte from being a great option for brunch, especially on days when you don’t want to travel far to satisfy your taste buds. With a full menu featuring sweet and savory (not to mention all the drinks), Tatte has some of the best Instagram-worthy brunch dishes around. Try the avocado tartine with poached eggs on top, or, if you’re feeling a little adventurous, the traditional shakshuka offers a taste of Northern Africa, with tomato sauce, egg, bell pepper, feta cheese, and parsley. For some added variety, you may want to check out Tatte’s other locations in Fenway or Back Bay. Regardless, be sure to cut out a big chunk of time, as there will likely be a wait.

LIFESTYLE

Why You Need Meditation in Your Life WRITTEN BY SOFIA CIPRIAN // PHOTOS BY NADIA NAEEM

New year, new self-care habits! While you probably already made your resolutions, it is never too late to take on something new. Personally, my goal for the new year has been to find more ways to destress and improve my health. There are tons of ways to do this and each person will find the one that works best for them; however, I think meditation is something all people, students especially, should try out at least once.

So, what’s the big fuss about meditation? From a scientific perspective, research has shown that

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meditation can change the way your brain handles feelings like stress and anxiety and improve the way you focus and learn. It may seem like meditation is an outdated practice, but the media’s newfound interest in self-care has made meditation fun and accessible now through easy to use apps. Most apps have guided meditations where you can choose a practice based on what it is you need, such as sessions created specifically for stressed college students or sessions that guide you through a yoga exercise. According to

LIFESTYLE WebMD, meditation not only works to relax your body, but it can also improve your health. By alleviating the pressure and strain that stress and anxiety put on your body, regular practice of meditation decreases your blood pressure and improves your heart rate. With benefits for everyone,especially people who struggle with their mental health, this is a great practice for staying mindful and understanding your emotions a little bit better. Given all these benefits, I decided to give meditation a try. I downloaded a few of the most popular apps and tried them out to see if meditation was for me.

The first and most popular app I tried was Headspace. This app has the most expansive range of different types of meditations for different people.

Headspace takes a more educational approach to meditation by teaching you the techniques of meditation with basic, tutorial-like, free meditations to start. However, if you want to access more than the set of 10 basic practices, you do have to get a membership. Luckily, Headspace offers a discount for students of $9.99 per year - a much more reasonable rate compared to the normal yearly subscription price of $96. With the membership, you can access all the meditations with different categories based on what you need, such as personal growth, physical health, students, and stress/anxiety. Essentially, Headspace covers all the possible topics you could need support on.

The next app, my personal favorite, is Stop, Breathe, Think. Each time you open the app, it prompts you to check-in by asking how you are feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. Then, it prompts you with a few meditation practices that it recommends based on how you are feeling. For this reason, I think this app is best for people who struggle with mental health or who want to become more in touch with their mind and body. This “check-in” has now become a regular part of my day because it reminds me to think about why I might be having a bad day or feeling off. The fact that the app suggests personal meditations for you is also very helpful because, with so many options, it is sometimes hard to know what you need to hear.

Compared to Headspace, this app offers a lot more meditations without the membership, so if you don’t want to pay for a meditation app, Stop, Breathe, Think is a good option.

of meditations, sleep stories (soothing stories to fall asleep to), music and soundscapes, such as ocean waves or heavy rain. Another really great feature is the option to pick different scenery to look at during your meditation, like rain falling on leaves, a fireplace, or a lakeside view. If you find peace of mind through visuals or sounds, this app has a lot of adjustable options to help you out. Without a membership, you can only access a few meditations from each category but there is still enough to benefit from the app without paying. If you do want a membership, you can do a 7 day free trial and then pay $59.99 per year. With this full membership you can access over 100 guided meditations from categories including beginners, inner peace, self-care, nature melodies, and more.

These three apps are just a few of the many that you can find in the App Store, so if none of these spoke to you just know there is probably something else out there that offers meditations that work for you. Also remember that a lot of them are adjustable so you can make them work with what you like. My

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The last app that I tried out is Calm. This app was probably my least favorite of the three solely because it didn’t help me to recenter and relax as much as the other guided meditations did. This app is different from the others because it focuses more on sounds and music as opposed to narration. Calm has a lot

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I can confirm, practicing meditation is not overhyped!

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recommendation? Start off easy with a sleep meditation that you can fall asleep to and then progress towards longer and more productive sessions. That is how I started off and now meditation has become an essential part of my day. Trust me, I know it seems weird at first to just sit on your couch or bed and do nothing but listen for a few minutes. But, I promise if you give it a chance it will genuinely make your day a bit better. Make 2019 a year where you prioritize yourself and your mental health the right way!

MEDIA & CULTURE

Netflix’s “You”

and Dismantling the “Nice Guy” Complex WRITTEN BY AMANDA BRITZ // ILLUSTRATION BY XOCHITL LOZANO Since hits like “The Big Sick”, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, and “Crazy Rich Asians”, the romantic comedy has been steadily making a comeback as a staple genre in mainstream film. What’s made these movies successful in reviving the genre is that all three offer compelling love stories without relying on rom-com tropes that, while heavily used in the ’80s and ’90s, are now seen as questionable at best and dangerous at worst. Whether it’s romanticizing stalking (“Twilight”, “There’s Something About Mary”), making light of rape (“Revenge of the Nerds”, “Wedding Crashers”, “Sixteen Candles”), or just simply failing to pass the Bechdel Test (“Legally Blonde”, “Miss Congeniality”, “27 Dresses”), classic romantic comedies as a whole have failed viewers by not offering more complex character representation. While I grew up loving these films and continue to watch them (and still cheer out loud when Elle is able to use her extensive knowledge on hair-care to expose Chutney Windham as a coldblooded murderer in “Legally Blonde”), I recognize that romantic comedies today need to do better to avoid the mistakes of their predecessors.

Netflix’s “You”, a show about an NYC bookstore manager who becomes deeply obsessed with an aspiring poet, uses classic romantic comedy tropes but aims to deconstruct them in order to demonstrate how harmful they can be. The story is told from the perspective of Joe, who meets Beck when she walks into his bookstore where they flirt and bond over

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their love of literature. Through voice-overs which share Joe’s deranged inner monologue, it becomes immediately clear that he’s already obsessed with her: he infers that because she pays for a book with her credit card, she wants him to know her full name, so he proceeds to stalk her. Within the first episode, we see Joe track down where she lives, watch her outside her apartment, break in while she’s at work and use her laptop to track her. When she comes back early, he’s forced to hide in her shower to avoid being caught, which we hear him rationalize to himself when he says “I’ve seen enough romantic comedies to know that guys like me are always getting in jams like this”. This juxtaposition between the show’s romantic comedy references (which include “While You Were Sleeping”, “You’ve Got Mail”, and “Pretty in Pink”) and the horrific acts Joe commits out of his obsession for Beck illuminate a darker side of the problematic romcom genre. As the series progresses and Joe further conflates his obsession with love, he continues to stalk Beck, steal from her, and kill those who he sees as threats to their relationship, which, ultimately, includes Beck herself.

Despite how ridiculous and, at times, extremely unrealistic the show can be (apparently in this universe no one password protects any of their devices), what’s compelling about the show is how normal Joe would seem to the viewer if all we saw of him was what Beck had seen. From her point of view, Joe is the typical

MEDIA & CULTURE

nice guy: handsome, charming, thoughtful, humble, and loyal. However, once we’re invited inside his head, we see how actions that Beck initially perceives as thoughtful and considerate are actually motivated by his desire to control her. He paints her as a twodimensional damsel in distress who desperately needs him to swoop in and protect her. This savior complex, in addition to stripping her of any agency over her own life, also makes Joe blind to the complexity of her identity, reducing her to a plot device in a romantic comedy of his own making. Because Joe is adept at portraying himself as the typical nice guy, the guy we always see as the protagonist in film and TV, he is able to commit heinous crimes while remaining largely unsuspected by those around him. When the police find a list of supplies Joe asked his nextdoor neighbor’s son to get him (a list that includes but isn’t limited to potassium nitrate, twine, burlap, and a fire starter), he convinces them that these are all supplies for the garden he’s growing, not for dead body he’s trying to dispose of. According to Joe’s inner monologue, the police view him as the “nice straightedge guy, so there’s nothing to worry about. People believe whatever supports their worldview.”

This willful denial is a major theme throughout the series and is also something we see with real-life serial killers. In Netflix’s “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”, we see how Bundy was able to get away with murdering women for so long because he exuded qualities people didn’t normally associate with sociopathic murderers: he was described as intelligent, charismatic, handsome and well-spoken.

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Bundy wasn’t seen as the “type” that would kill, and even after he was convicted and committed to death row, he still received love letters from various admirers. Bundy and Joe, despite the former being very much real and the latter being fictional, share a lot of similarities: both are severe narcissists who see themselves as intellectually superior to their peers, see women as objects that are means to an end, and feel resentment towards people they view as more elite than them, which fuels their motivation to kill.

After their respective Netflix shows premiered, and especially after the release of the trailer for “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile”, a new Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron, both men have received an alarming amount of thirst tweets: even Millie Bobby Brown defended Joe in a series of Instagram videos. Actor Penn Badgley, who portrays Joe on “You”, promptly shut down several users glamorizing his character, and responded to one user requesting that he kidnap her with the iconic “No thx”. Netflix, in an attempt to end the conversation on Bundy’s appearance, also tweeted “I’ve seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy’s alleged hotness and would like to gently remind everyone that there are literally THOUSANDS of hot men on the service — almost all of whom are not convicted, serial murderers”. The reactions to both of these shows on Twitter, while some are less serious than others, demonstrate how there still remains more work to be done in dismantling the “nice guy” stereotype that has permeated our culture. This goal, Badgley tweeted, will be “all the motivation [he] needs for series 2.”

MEDIA & CULTURE

BLACK M I R R OR hits & misses

WRITTEN BY ORLA LEVENS **Spoilers ahead!** When the surprise trailer for “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” dropped on Dec. 27, the Internet went berserk. Sci-fi fans, critics, and casual watchers alike were ecstatic at the return of the acclaimed techno-paranoia anthology series, this time in the form of an interactive movie where the viewer gets to make the decisions for the protagonist. To celebrate the release of “Bandersnatch”, I thought I would share some of my favorite and least favorite episodes of this overall phenomenal show. If you’d like to see my ranking for every episode in the series, including “Bandersnatch”, head over to our website, woof-mag.com!

MISSES “Metalhead” (Season 4, Episode 5) Essentially a 42 minute cat and mouse chase, “Metalhead” explores the instincts of human survival. Shot entirely in black-and-white, the episode follows Bella (Maxine Peake), a woman who runs from a rabid robot “dog” (based on a real-life invention from Boston Dynamics) after attempting to retrieve an object for a loved one. While the story’s beauty is meant to be

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rooted in its simplicity, it actually just creates more confusion. Instead of following the episode’s boring story arc, I found myself distracted by the episode’s barren setting, which provided no context or explanation and could have given the story the signature Black Mirror gut-punch that we usually receive. Don’t get me wrong, I love Black Mirror, but do yourself a favor and just skip this episode if you haven’t seen it already.

“The Waldo Moment” (Season 2, Episode 3) “The Waldo Moment” has obvious political intent, but it falls flat compared to the other episodes in the series. Its narrative surrounds failing comedian Jamie Salter (Daniel Rigby) and how he is roped into the political world when his superiors decide to run Waldo, the inappropriate cartoon blue bear that Salter voices, for local political office. Waldo’s crass and offensive behavior reminds audiences about a certain current U.S. politician. “Black Mirror” has the uncanny ability of predicting the future -- this episode aired in 2014.

While the episode has some funny moments, the plot is overall not that memorable despite some interesting parallels to today’s political culture.

MEDIA & CULTURE

“Black Museum” (Season 4, Episode 6)

“USS Callister” (Season 4, Episode 1)

“Black Museum” is “Black Mirror” creator Charlie Brooker’s second attempt (after “White Christmas”) to play with the anthology-within-an-anthology format, but its content is not as strong as its spiritual predecessor. The “Pain Addict” story is interesting, but goes overboard in goriness, even for “Black Mirror” standards; and the second story about a shared mental consciousness highlights interesting technology but is a little tedious to sit through. However, Leticia Wright’s performance as the innocently devious Nish is excellent in contrast to the outright evil entity that is Douglas Hodge’s Rolo Haynes. This episode is also great for superfans of the series like myself because it contains a large amount of easter eggs in reference to other “Black Mirror” episodes. Relics from episodes past are exhibited as crime artifacts in the titular Black Museum, weaving the seemingly unrelated episodes into the same universe. While this episode touches on some very dark themes and pays tribute to the fans of the show, it still pales in comparison to other installments of the anthology as a whole.

Arguably Season 4’s best episode and one of the best episodes of the entire series, “USS Callister” is Brooker’s homage to and a scathing commentary of nerd culture. It drips with details and references to cult classics like “Star Trek”. Packed with an all-star cast with the likes of Cristin Milioti, Jesse Plemmons, and Michaela Coel, “USS Callister” integrates humor and high-budget hijinks effortlessly. Everything in this episode is thought out, even minute details such as Coel’s character’s red outfit— in “Star Trek”, the person wearing red always dies first, and Coel’s character meets the same fate. The most unique factor about this episode, however, is its commentary on the rape culture, political echo chambers, and manipulation by white men that exists in classic sci-fi series as well as their respective fandoms.

HITS “Be Right Back” (Season 2, Episode 1) “Be Right Back” is hauntingly beautiful, exploring the themes of grief and loss. Hayley Atwell gives a mesmerizing performance as Martha, a pregnant woman who enlists in an artificial intelligence service to stay in touch with her recently deceased boyfriend Ash, played by an equally brilliant Domhnall Gleeson. The episode is much more stripped down compared to others in the series, a contrast to episodes like Season’s 4 “Metalhead” that attempts to utilize a similar, simple narrative, but falls short. While “Black Mirror” is rooted in the relationship between humanity and technology, “Be Right Back” emphasizes the power and fluidity of human emotion, culminating in a breathtaking episode.

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“Hated in the Nation” (Season 3, Episode 6) Every episode of “Black Mirror” is incredible in its own right. That being said, there can only be one top dog, and for me, it is the Season 3 finale, “Hated in the Nation.” I am perplexed as to why this episode is usually in the middle of the critical rankings of “Black Mirror” episodes; this episode has everything I could want in this show and is the first one I recommend to new viewers. The technology in this episode is autonomous robotic bees that become weapons of mass destruction when social media users are targeted in an unpopularity contest-like game. The riveting narrative presents itself as a murder-mystery, which we watch through the eyes of a team of investigators, namely DCI Karin Parke (Kelly MacDonald) and TDC Blue Coulson (Faye Marsay). The episode has a spine-chilling score that replicates the hum of a swarm of bees. The cherry on top is the episode’s unhappy but impactful ending, where the officers are lured into setting a trap into motion that kills hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Brooker’s greatest feat with this episode leaves the viewers hungry for justice: we see Coulson in her final pursuit of the episode’s villain, but we are left on an insatiable cliffhanger.

MEDIA & CULTURE

SPOTIFY OR APPLE MUSIC? Price

WRITTEN BY MADELINE PEARSON Spotify or Apple Music? This question has become the most important part of how you listen to music. Spotify and Apple Music, the two most popular music streaming apps, have sparked this ongoing debate. They are both good, but which one is better? For a while Spotify has been known as the more popular choice, but hardcore Apple Music fans are committed, loyal, and 100% positive that Apple Music is the way to go. So, if you’re struggling with which music platform to invest in, stress no more. I’ll let you in on the most important features each app has to offer.

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Let’s start out with possibly the most important factor for the average college student: the cost. Given tuition, housing, and the other college expenses, it’s likely that most students will want to enjoy their music streaming in the cheapest way possible. Both Spotify and Apple Music price their subscriptions at $9.99 a month and they both have deals for students and family plans.

However, Spotify wins in this category because they offer a free non-premium account option. With it comes restrictions, like the inability to play a specific song on command, skip more than 6 songs per hour, listen to a playlist without shuffling it, or listen to music without ads. While this free option doesn’t have all the perks of its premium counterpart, it still allows for access to the full range of Spotify’s music library.

MEDIA & CULTURE

Variety

The next topic that is important for music listeners is variety of music. To begin, Spotify’s music library has about 40 million songs from R&B to Jazz to Indie, and much more. Spotify organizes its music into its signature playlists which can be sorted by genre or by your mood. Spotify’s playlists are not simply study playlists and workout playlists, but also are governed by specific moods such as “Soul Coffee”, “Rap Caviar”, and “Have a Great Day”. These mood playlists perfectly encapsulate whatever ambience you want to create when you put on your headphones and tune out the busy world around you. Apple Music has playlists too, but they aren’t curated with the intention of matching or creating certain moods. It is more common to find a playlist for a genre or specific artist. That being said, Apple Music does have a slightly wider range of music selection. While the amount is negligible for most people, if you have an obscure music taste, Apple Music is more likely to have the less popular music. Given all this, Spotify wins again because having access to a larger range of personalized playlists exposes you to even more music.

Features

Music suggestions are arguably the best feature that any music streaming app has to offer. After you start listening, the apps generate radio stations and playlists that are similar to your music taste. Apple Music is better at creating the Pandora-like radio stations that are based on a specific artist or song that you like.

These stations generate music by or similar to that artist or song.There are even live radio shows hosted

by DJs, so the music is never repetitive. Spotify’s radio stations aren’t as strong. They are known for repeating only a few artists’ music and playing songs listeners have already thumbsed-down, but they make up for this with their Discover Weekly and Daily Mix playlists.

Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlists are generated every week, and they offer a collection of new songs that you haven’t listened to yet. This is their way of introducing you to new music based on what you have previously listened to. The Daily Mixes are Spotify’s

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way of taking your favorite tunes and generating them into a playlist. If you listen to a wide range of different styles, you will have multiple Daily Mixes.

While it takes time to build up your Apple Music profile to get good music suggestions, Spotify’s features are better at knowing exactly what you will like after only listening to a few songs. However, Apple Music has its own unique features, like Beats 1 radio. In a collab with Beats Electronics, Apple Music now features the world’s largest radio station. With Beats 1, artists like Elton John, Frank Ocean, Pharrell, and more have their own shows, which gives their fans an opportunity to connect more with the music they love. Beats 1 radio is also an opportunity for artists to promote their new music. Apple Music is also known for having album exclusives for a limited amount of time. Apple Music listeners had first access to Drake’s award winning album “Views” in 2016.

Winner: Spotify

While Spotify and Apple Music were similar in many ways within these categories, Spotify is the overall winner because it creates an unbeatable music listening experience personalized to what you like. Spotify’s music recommendations pushed it over the edge. In addition to this, they have so many other perks, such as better sound quality, podcasts, the ability to follow friends and co-create playlists, updates about upcoming concerts, and the list goes on. Even the smaller features like the “Behind the Lyrics” explanations that appear while a song is playing, or the cover art for the playlist covers all contribute to the unique style that attracts the more than 100 million streamers. Spotify’s features take your listening experience above and beyond. That being said, your music streaming service is a personal choice. While Spotify is better for people seeking new artists and styles, Apple Music is a solid choice for people who already know what they want and like. Either way, both music apps provide everything needed and more to get your jam on.

FOCUS

CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION The Bubble on Columbus and an Update on the Bridge WRITTEN BY SHARON YAN // PHOTOS BY NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

The white bubble is visible to almost any passerby going down Columbus Avenue. Even in the snowy weather prevalent during this time of year, the bubble towers over and garners curiosity over what lies underneath.

The William E. Carter Playground will now be open year-round for Northeastern students and Boston residents alike due to the assembly of an inflatable dome over the area. Named after Sgt. William E. Carter, an African American veteran of the Spanish-American War and World War I, the recreational space previously could not be occupied during certain seasons as the weather became colder. However, the bubble now allows the athletic fields to be utilized year-round despite turbulent weather and seasonal changes.

Made out of durable fabric material, supported by wire cables, and anchored down by concrete, the bubble houses two fields that can be used for various sports and five tennis courts available for over 13 Northeastern club sports teams to use. The 72-feettall bubble will be open seven days a week to allow Northeastern students constant access to sports resources. With the revitalization of the Carter Playground, Northeastern University strengthens its bond with the city of Boston and furthers its commitment to the communities surrounding the school campus.

The playground also features an area with equipment for children with disabilities in dedication to Northeastern

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FOCUS graduate Victoria McGrath who was injured in the Boston Marathon bombings of 2013 and then later passed away in 2016 in an overseas accident.

Northeastern University has dedicated $108 million to the Carter Playground project, of which $26 million has been allocated for construction and $82 million in maintenance over the course of 30 years.

The 6.5-acre park has expanded by 25% with the addition of property from the Camden parking lot.

“This is a strategy that long term is going to pay us great dividends,” said Jack Malone, associate vice president of facilities at Northeastern in a new article published by Northeastern. “For kids living in the city, their first initiation with Northeastern will be coming to our campus and seeing how well [Carter Playground] is maintained and seeing how Northeastern is giving back to the community.”

Another ongoing piece of construction on campus is the pedestrian bridge over the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Amtrak rail lines. This bridge forms a physical link between the two sides of the Northeastern campus, Columbus

Avenue and the main campus, and will facilitate daily commutes and organization. As a new Boston landmark, the 132 feet-long bridge took over six years to construct. In total, 242,000 pounds of steels were employed into the largest piece of pedestrian crossing present on Northeastern University’s campus. The bridge strengthens the university’s goal of joining the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury and Fenway.

This new construction follows the reopening of the Carter Playground, as well as the International Village and the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC).

One of the largest cranes on the East Coast was required to lift the bridge span into place. In addition, the bridge was facing backward and had to be spun 180 degrees and then moved over the train tracks. Because of this, the final construction process could not begin until the last train had run through the MBTA and Amtrak lines. Pieces of the bridge came from places like Houston, Texas, and Maine and were later assembled on site for implementation.

In a news article published by Northeastern, Bob Shaeffner, a principal of Payette, the architecture firm that designed the bridge, said “The vision for the bridge was born out of this idea of flow and movement. Play down the tracks as an impediment and make an event. Make the crossing almost an artistic experience.”

With no right angles, the bridge curves asymmetrically and features two sides with distinct personalities. The northern side will have walls that fan out like gills to reveal views of the Boston skyline and the ISEC building, while the southern side will have solid walls and a string of LED lights.

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Gender Disparities Women in STEM

WRITTEN BY CAROLINE RICHE // PHOTOS BY NADIA NAEEM My first and only experience as a “woman in STEM” was a little unconventional. It was a comical mistake that opened my eyes to a reality of women and girls that was unfamiliar to me. As a College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) student, I am accustomed to being part of the gender majority in all my classes, so when I entered Room 020 West Village F on my first day of classes during the second semester of my freshman year, I was a little confused, to say the least.

what it would be like to study a STEM subject as a college-aged woman. This individual encounter did not allow me to internalize how it would feel to be so outnumbered on a day-to-day basis, but it leaves me wondering how this simple unbalanced ratio of men to women in STEM shapes the confidence of the women involved, both in and out of the classroom.

I arrived to class about 10 minutes early and spent the time surveying the class. As I glanced around, I couldn’t help but notice how many guys were in the room. That was the first flag that something was off.

Then, the professor arrived and began to present about data... second flag. I was the only one in the room furiously typing notes on the “basic definitions” slide. Finally, the tipping point: the professor said, “This is the most popular field in Computer Science”.

Suddenly things made sense, I was in the wrong class.

Not only did that statement explain why I was so lost and confused, but it also explained the demographics of my class.

The popular acronym, STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and math, has come to be associated with the phrase “women in STEM”. This, however, has been a result of a relatively recent push for more women pursuing traditionally male-dominant careers.

Anna Davis-Noe, a second-year Human Services and International Affairs major, notes that she has seen ads encouraging women to pursue an education in STEM in grade school, on billboards and flyers, on social media, and even at T stops in Boston. There are seminars, presentations, and programs offered to young girls throughout their education that have strived to make it so girls are following their passions rather than the paths that society has historically set for them.

Never before, and never since, have I been able to count the number of females in my class on one hand, especially in such a large lecture. The fact that the room number of my Globalization and International Affairs class had been changed after I had already printed my schedule, allowed me to briefly experience

Let’s consider, however, what this means for the arts, social sciences, and humanities. Society has begun a push for women in STEM, but where is the push for men in historically female roles? In order to reach the ultimate goal of removing gender from the equation of careers and professions, why stop at

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Anna Davis-Noe (left) and Cassie Kuchma (right)

influencing just females? By not encouraging male counterparts with passions for humanities and arts to follow their interests, there will still be gender association for majors and fields of study.

Cassie Kuchma, a second-year Communications and Media Screen Studies major, highlights the connection between how men and women choose their field of education and greater societal patterns.

As she puts it, “I don’t think the arts or social sciences are really encouraged for anyone… they aren’t fields that have proved to produce the most income.” She continues by saying, “men tend to have this pressure to be the breadwinners, so they are especially incentivized to follow career paths that yield ‘better’ results, like those in STEM or business.” It is safe to say that most people would prefer to make more money, but historically men have had more pressure to produce money than women, which would be one hypothesis as to why women might be more comfortable pursuing artistic or humanity interests.

After looking at the efforts that have been put into supporting girls and women who are deciding whether or not to pursue STEM fields, let’s consider what it is like once the decision has been made. More specifically what are the social effects on women who

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have decided to be among the gender minority in their classes? It is hard to separate systemic causes and environmental causes when examining student behavior and patterns in class, but it is important to recognize their intersectionality. It is also important to recognize that the larger number of women in STEM is a more recent occurrence. As a society, we still see more men in leadership roles within STEM fields, such as male bosses and professors.

With an increase in the acceptability of women in STEM fields, our generation is among the first to begin integrating females into fields that have previously been discouraged. The decrease in gender disparities has made more and more girls comfortable with following their interests, but to this day we still see a preference for men to follow STEM paths and women to follow the arts and social sciences. In order to combat the disparities in gender distribution, we must tackle the issue from multiple angles and acknowledge the systemic causes for the inequality.

This is not something that can be solved overnight or even within a single decade, but by making it more acceptable and by encouraging women to pursue a STEM degree, we are moving in the right direction.

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