Woof issue17

SOCIAL ACTIVISM ON CAMPUS Students taking a stand

LOCAL VENUE, GLOBAL FLAVOR Travel around Boston and taste the world

BEHIND THE SMILE A profile on Northeastern’s new student initiative

NO MEAT, NO PROBLEM: HUSKIES GO VEGAN The struggles and stances of student vegans

13 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Christie Macomber & Meredith Peterson

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Erin Borst & McKenna Curtis

PRESIDENT

Brian Ambadjes

MARKETING DIRECTORS

Sami Bartlett & Ashley Thon

WEBMASTERS

Lautaro Grinspan & Matt Woolsey

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marissa Mellenthin

SECTION EDITORS

Glenn Billman, Alex Frandsen, Zoe Gregoric & Leila Habib

COPY EDITORS

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Jordan Bashaar, Samantha Rose & Maxim Tamarov

WRITERS

Raimundo Almenara, Jordan Bashaar, Maya Bur, Janette Ebbers, Bakari Olivetti, Julia Preszler, Cayley Ross, Kyle Rossini, Michelle Weth, Josie Wiltse & Jasmine Wu

DESIGNERS

Cheris Chan, Melvin Chen, Katie Dobberpuhl, Meredith Fisher, Ashley Knehans, Cammy Kuo, Amy Luo, Lark Parmalee, Devanshi Patel, Samantha Rose & Cayley Ross

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Melvin Chen, Elly Cheung, McKenna Curtis, Meredith Fisher, Yashi Gudka, Ben Hackney, Maeve Kelley-Portillo & Justine Newman Cover Photography by McKenna Curtis

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CONTENTS FRONT

04 Local Venue, Global Flavor 05 Northeastern Beyond Boston 06 Student Startups: Taking Learning Beyond The Classroom

MEDIA & CULTURE COVER STORY 08 Morally Corrupt, Musically Sound

10 Social Activism on Campus

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

LIFESTYLE

12 Inside Club Sports 13 Staying Healthy on a Meal Plan 14 No Meat, No Problem: Huskies Go Vegan

FOCUS

07 Flippin’ Out: A Look At Political FlipFlopping in Presidential Candidates 16 Working For It: Emotional Labor in College Relationships 18 Behind the SMILE

4 • Front

LOCAL VENUE, GLOBAL FLAVOR Written by Raimundo Almenara // Photos by Elly Cheung Recognized for its global emphasis, Northeastern represents a diverse collection of cultures. Of course, along with culture comes specific cuisine. So, how does Boston satisfy the gastronomic demands of homesick students? By offering a wide array of cultural dining options right outside Northeastern’s proverbial door.

Shabu-Zen provides a do-it-yourself Japanese shabu-shabu a few blocks from the Chinatown station. While this busy restaurant may get crowded on weekends, it’s worth the wait. Shabu-Zen distinguishes itself through its hot-pot experience, which diminishes the gap between social activity and dining.

Small parties typically share a pot of boiling broth where diners prepare their selection of vegetables and thinly sliced raw meats; the restaurant also offers smaller, individual hot-pots.

The Daily Catch, described by first-year behavioral neuroscience major Alex Mordan as “almost [a] hole-in-the-wall,” serves Sicilianstyle seafood and pasta in a cozy North End location. The small establishment serves homemade black pasta. “[It is] unbelievable squid-ink pasta,” Mordan said of the aglio e olio variety of the dish. “It had a really rich and creamy sauce. It just melted in your mouth.”

The restaurant operates on a first-come, first-serve model and takes no reservations.

However, the restaurant is open every day, so it may be a good option for a quick take-out lunch.

The Chinatown Cafe is a crowded yet friendly restaurant located near the Tufts Medical Center station. Second-year music industry majors Nia Carter and Allie Gurland recommended the General Tso’s chicken as well as the fried rice dishes, taking note of the restaurant’s fresh ingredients, large portions, and affordable prices. “There [are] a lot of people there, but it’s not too long of a wait,” Gurland said. “It’s worth going to [since] you’re not waiting for like twenty minutes for your food.

Orinoco, about a 15-minute walk from campus, offers a rich Venezuelan dining experience. Second-year civil engineering student Isabella Steiner finds comfort in the restaurant due to the decorations and novelty food choices. “It reminds me of home because they have very characteristic and very iconic Venezuelan pictures … [and] sweets and snacks that you don’t usually find anymore,” she explained. Although the South End establishment is small in capacity, WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

the atmosphere remains lively and distinctly Latin American through its music and friendly staff. Steiner’s main recommendations include arepas with reina pepiada filling, pabellón criollo (beef, rice, black beans, and plantains), tajadas (fried sweet plantains), and tequeños (cheese wrapped in fried dough).

Special Mentions: Cafe Polonia, right by the Andrew transit station, serves many traditional Polish dishes like pierogies, kielbasa, and potato pancakes It

has also been recommended by TV personality Guy Fieri!

The Blue Nile, a casual, small Ethiopian restaurant in Jamaica Plain, offers friendly service and serves as a great introduction to Ethiopian food.

El Oriental de Cuba has an approachable staff and serves many traditional Cuban dishes that will easily satisfy any hungry student.

Front • 5

NORTHEASTERN BEYOND BOSTON Written by Josie Wiltse // Photos by Justine Newman

When many students think of Northeastern, they think of the Boston campus – dodging trains on Huntington Avenue, sneaking food out of the dining halls in coffee cups, and finding the on-campus Dunkin’ Donuts with the shortest line – but Northeastern’s influence extends far beyond its East Coast nook.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Five years ago, Northeastern opened a graduate school in Charlotte, North Carolina, offering academic programs in business, education, government and civic engagement, healthcare, science, technology, and engineering. Situated in close proximity to organizations like Bank of America and EY (formerly Ernst & Young), Northeastern

University-Charlotte gives its students opportunities to associate with well-known businesses. But don’t worry, there’s still a Qdoba only 200 feet away.

Seattle, Washington

After launching in 2012, Northeastern University-Seattle became Washington’s first private research institution. The graduate school has established connections with big names like Boeing, Microsoft, Twitter, and Amazon, giving students an upper hand in future employment. With only one mile between campus and the Space Needle, there’s no doubt that the location gives students the full Seattle experience.

Silicon Valley, California

This Northeastern location swaps out the Boston campus’s short drive to the Atlantic Ocean with a short drive to California’s Gold Coast. Northeastern worked closely with Integrated Device Technology, a company run by a Northeastern alumnus, to create a “hub” focused on experiential learning. With a focus on growing technology-based fields, students receive a unique education through interactions with companies and professionals.

“Northeastern worked closely with Integrated Device Technology, a company run by a Northeastern alumnus, to create a “hub” focused on experiential learning.”

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Northeastern University-Toronto is the first global campus owned by Northeastern and the newest addition to Northeastern’s list of campuses. It offers programs in science and technology, leadership and management, and regulatory affairs, and it aims to connect students to an enormous network of alumni and partners.

Warren Conference Center

Located only 40 minutes away from the Boston campus, the Warren Conference Center in Ashland, MA is a Northeasternowned property a little closer to home.

40 acres of the property were donated to Northeastern in 1957, and the university takes advantage of the land by bringing incoming honors students to the center during Welcome Week. Interestingly, the property was offered to – and declined by – MIT and Boston University before finally being given to Northeastern. The center has hosted many different events, from weddings and corporate events to summer camps. With rolling hills, a baseball field, and ropes courses that allow visitors to climb and soar like “flying squirrels,” the Warren Conference Center serves as a worthwhile escape from the constant hustle of the city.

fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

6 • Front

STUDENT STARTUPS: Taking Learning Beyond the Classroom Written by Bakari Olivetti // Photos by Yashi Gudka Many Northeastern students have busy schedules, largely due to the experiential nature of the university. Meet three Northeastern women who have gone beyond their co-op positions, extracurricular activities, and coursework to pursue their interests and support greater causes by creating their own businesses.

WHOLESOMELY HANNAH Millennials have popularized following health bloggers online, but the high quantity of health gurus makes it difficult to differentiate between them.

“The mainstream health and fitness industry … is designed to belittle women and make them feel like they are not enough, and that they need to eat ‘x’ foods or do ‘y’ program,” third-year political science and communication studies major Hannah Liistro said. To change this, Liistro created Wholesomely Hannah, a social media platform and blog for millennial women.

“It offers healthy recipes, fitness advice, reflective articles about self love and confidence, and natural skincare product reviews,” she explained.

After her high-dairy diet negatively impacted her health while in Greece, Liistro changed her eating habits and became passionate about giving women an outlet to engage in honest conversations about health.

Liistro’s motivation stems from connections she makes with readers inspired by her work. She plans to continue fostering these connections. “I want to host an event at a healthy food restaurant and plan skincare programs at local, natural product boutiques where we can all do face masks and chat about life,” she said.

To learn more about Liistro’s business, visit www.wholesomelyhannah.com or follow her Instragram account, @wholesomelyhannah.

“Wholesomely Hannah is just what the foodblogging industry needs, because she is authentic and honest about her lifestyle. Her positivity radiates through her blog and that inspires me.” – Second-year international business major Sara Davis KNIGHTLY College is a place to study and grow, but for many, it’s also a place to party. Some students

WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

spend weekend nights drinking, usually without thinking of possible repercussions.

“I read a tragic article about the murder of a college student and realized that there wasn’t one reason why it couldn’t have been me,” said fourth-year mechanical engineering major and entrepreneurship minor Abigael Titcomb.

“I was going out, making bad decisions, and not facing any consequences, so I just didn’t care.”

Titcomb became inspired to increase safety for students, creating Knightly, a device that allows students to easily contact friends or police on nights out by sending messages if users don’t appear in their chosen safe areas.

“Knightly gives students a safety network that keeps them connected to their friends and campus police departments at the touch of a button,” Titcomb said. “Our Bluetoothenabled safety device and mobile application introduces safety to students in a way they will understand and actually want to use.”

Knightly plans to launch user pilots in coming months.

“As we launch our user pilots, we’re excited to keep developing our product into the best possible safety network for the millennial college student,” Titcomb said.

To learn more about Knightly, or to pilot Knightly’s application, contact Titcomb at abbey@knightly.co.

“It’s a great way to feel safer, and I love the coordination with NUPD. Knightly is picking up where police left off, because a police department can’t keep track of the location of all Boston students, but Knightly provides that feeling by using a network of friends.” – Thirdyear psychology major Annie Halcolmb BLACK GIRL MAGIC APPAREL Jae’da Turner, a graduate student studying marketing in the School of Business, has noticed a revival of pride and confidence among black women around the world. Turner founded BGM Apparel (BGM stands for Black Girl Magic) to honor this global movement shared by women of color.

“BGM Apparel aims to celebrate this experience, highlight and address relevant issues, and foster a safe space for generations of young women to thrive,” Turner said.

Always interested in experimenting with design and new mediums, Turner leveraged her creative skills to experiment with Photoshop and create images that she soon applied to clothing, adding her voice to existing black pride movements.

Hannah Liistro creates an oatmeal concoction.

Abigael Titcomb shows off her device, along with the blueprints in the background.

Two students model BGM clothing.

“Black women are the most college-educated by demographic in this country, yet there are a number of stigmas and stereotypes that surround the existence of the black woman that can have a stifling effect on youth and adult women,” Turner said.

She hopes to uplift black women in order to combat these setbacks.

“Black Girl Magic is a positive affirmation of presence and purpose that reminds black women and women of color that they can and are excellent in spite of adversity,” Turner said.

To join Turner’s movement, visit www.bgmapparel.com.

“I support BGM because it empowers black women and reminds us that we’re not only beautiful, but also brilliant, and that there’s nothing we should be ashamed of.” – Secondyear psychology major Lori Nsimpasi

Focus • 7

flippin’ out:

A Look at Political Flip-Flopping in Presidential Candidates Written by Jasmine Wu // Illustrations by Amy Luo

“TRUMP USED TO BE A DEMOCRAT, HILLARY USED TO BE A REPUBLICAN, BUT AS PARTIES SHIFT IN THEIR IDEALS, PEOPLE SHIFT BASED ON THAT.”

“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,” reads a tweet from Donald Trump posted on Nov. 6, 2012.

Trump’s response when this came up in the 2016 election season’s first presidential debate? “I did not — I do not say that.”

At that same debate, Clinton denied claims that she was in favor of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), though she wrote in her memoir “Hard Choices” that she thought TPP was the “gold standard” of trade deals.

Odile Hobeika, a post-doctoral teaching associate of communications and rhetoric at Northeastern, stated that “the politician is always an artist of making up rules as they go along.”

“I know I’ve flipped on major issues,” said third-year civil engineering major and president of the Northeastern University College Republicans Joe Frissora.

“It just represents a sign of the times,” said Frissora.

Matthew Rounis, a third-year history major and president of the Northeastern University College Democrats, said that changing perspectives is just a part of being human.

Before college, Clinton was a self-described “Goldwater Girl,” a reference to the Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, a staunch conservative.

In her first year at Wellesley College, her alma mater, Clinton led the Young Republican’s Club. She had been influenced by her conservative father, Hugh E. Rodham, but described herself as a “bleeding heart liberal and mental conservative” in a letter to her minister.

But by the end of her time at Wellesley, Clinton had volunteered for Eugene McCarthy, a former Democratic nominee for president.

Trump, who mentioned no less than 11 times in a single rally that he graduated from Wharton, didn’t have his picture appear in the yearbook.

When The Daily Pennsylvanian interviewed 13 of Trump’s former classmates at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, he was remembered by only one — a 1968 Wharton graduate named Ted Sachs, who

recalled that he was a “really nice lowkey guy.”

Even after conventionally formative years, candidates have publicly asserted views and values contrary to what they have previously said.

Over the span of three days starting on March 30, 2016, Trump changed his mind on the issue of abortion five times, according to The Washington Post. In that time, publicly made statements ranged from condoning punishment for people seeking abortion to being pro-life.

Clinton has also been called out for flip-flopping.

“I think it’s fair to say she’s moved a lot to the left when she was challenged in the primaries by Bernie Sanders,” said William Mayer, a professor of political science who studies campaigns at Northeastern University.

“In order to win the nomination, she was forced rather significantly to the left.”

One example of this is her stance on the minimum wage. Though her website officially states that she supports a $12 minimum wage, pressure from Sanders during a primary debate may have led to her claim she had called for a $15 minimum wage.

So, is an elected representative meant to defer to her or his own judgement, or move with the ebb and flow of the country’s sentiments?

According to Mayer, some voters believe that public figures should vote based purely on their personal experiences and values. Others believe “the essence of a representative is to represent the people and do what they would do if they were in his [or her] position,” said Mayer.

“Trump has relied on the idea that words matter less than action,” said Hobeika. “So his attitude is, ‘I don’t need to prepare for the debate, I don’t need to be consistent with my words, because what matters at the end of the day are my actions,” – his actions being his experience in business.

“We also have to criticize Hillary’s relationship to the truth,” she said.

In effective governing, neither words nor actions are successful alone.

“Word themselves are actions.

Communication is a contract … and to throw our words out carelessly is having a material effect on others,” said Hobeika. “Trust is eroding, imagination and hope and possibility for the future is narrowed.” fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

8 • Media & Culture

MORALLY

CORRUPT, MUSICALLY SOUND WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

Op-ed by Kyle Rossini // Photo by Melvin Chen

Media & Culture • 9

C

hris Brown. R. Kelly. Eminem. Tupac Shakur. When you think of these artists, what comes to mind first: great music, or troubled pasts?

Time and time again, music fans have turned on the news only to find that their favorite rapper or singer has been arrested or is at the center of another controversy. It begs the question: should listeners stop consuming music from certain artists because of unsavory acts they have committed?

For most private citizens, personal lives are not as strongly linked to professional careers. In some fields, as long as what an employee does at home doesn’t interfere with his professional performance, his job is safe.

This sense of personal privacy does not apply to many public figures, including musicians.

Performers hold a considerable amount of social power, and when they commit a crime or break the law, the example they set can send a negative message to the general public, and especially their more impressionable teenage fans. However, at the end of the day we must attempt to separate their art from their indiscretions.

If an artist consistently produces popular music but steps out of line in his or her personal life, do fans have an obligation to make a connection between the two? Jacob Dennis, a second-year mechanical engineering major, doesn’t think so. “If the music is still good, then why shouldn’t it be enjoyed?” he said. If you enjoy a piece of music, a criminal ripple in the artist’s life should not make you feel bad for bumping to it. “Sometimes you have to separate the music from the artist …

I can still appreciate creative genius even if their character is lacking,” said Mike Nelson, a second-year computer science major.

The famed writer T. S. Eliot, for instance, was a known anti-Semite. He even articulated those views in a few of his works. Yet he is still considered today to be one of the founders of modern literature and is widely read in schools across the nation. This is because his art has been separated from his person. We should apply that same treatment to musicians.

As consumers it is easy to lose a sense of what these artists’ lives are like. When a famous artist commits an indiscretion, one might wonder, “How could they do something like that and not expect to be exposed?” It’s a tempting thought; it can be easy to forget the context in which these celebrities act out.

There is absolutely no personal privacy and no possibility for leading a “normal” day-today life. The pressures of being a superstar exceed what most people will ever experience, and when everything you do is magnified and revealed to the public, the chances of a criminal slip-up (or worse) are heightened.

Society absolutely should not let artists off the hook because of this factor. But we should learn to be a little slower in our impulse to vilify musicians gone bad.

Certain genres sometimes seem to encourage illegal behavior. In rap, credibility can be tied to drug use, violence, and the objectification of women, particularly in sub genres such as mafioso rap, ghetto rap, and trap. This sort of violence and misogyny is sometimes also tied to the hip-hop culture. Too often, if you want to make it big in the genre, you must subscribe to that culture. Again, given this context, it is critical to view a rapper’s actions and lyrics through a different lens. His or her crimes certainly cannot be overlooked, but they can be understood as a symptom of a wider problem, at least to an extent.

J. Skyy, a rapper based out of Jackson, Miss., told PBS NewsHour that although it is common for musicians to incorporate past controversial or illicit actions into their music, he feels there is still an obligation to the audience. “If I pick up the microphone and am rapping about those same negative things then I also should tell you about how it pushed me harder in my writing and how I got beyond those things,” said Skyy. “That’s what we [as artists] should be doing more of.” Lyrics about violence and crime aren’t necessarily a reflection of the artist’s character; they can also be a reflection of the environment and culture surrounding the artist.

There is absolutely an argument to be made for the opposite view. Second-year psychology major Nicole Van Etten believes that listening to controversial artists translates to an endorsement of their behavior. “By listening to their music it could be seen as supporting that artist [in general],” she said.

As a community, we should care if an artist abuses his girlfriend, engages in violence, or sell drugs – any actions like these should be condemned. But to stop listening to the sounds of Vanilla Ice, Snoop Dogg, or Rick James because of their criminal pasts would be misguided. Before we scrub all of their songs from our Spotify library, we must remember to separate their music from their character, and look at them as artists, rather than role models.

fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

10 • Media & Culture

Written by Julia Preszler // Photos by McKenna Curtis

WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

Media & Culture • 11 At a recent meeting of Students Against Institutional Discrimination (SAID), Chelsea Canedy, a fourth-year biology and political science major and the club president, asked, “Who’s in charge of the university?” Those in the room offered answers. “President Aoun,” said one member. “The board of trustees,” said another. When a third member quipped, “The students,” the room erupted in laughter, as if to say, “Yeah, right.”

They are not alone in this attitude. SAID is one of several student activist groups on campus that believe the Northeastern administration has not been responsive to students’ calls for change within the university.

operations of the center until spring or summer of 2017. Currently, “the center is supported by a team of seven full-time staff members, including the associate and assistant deans of student affairs. The team also includes professionals from a range of other disciplines, including Student Involvement, Leadership and Intercultural Programs, Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service, and the LGBTQA Resource Center,” said Matt McDonald, a university spokesman, in an email.

Canedy is concerned that these staff members are already stretched too thin and are not able to direct enough time or effort to the center, making it a Band-Aid fix, for now.

“Looking at the past five to 10 years of student activism at Northeastern, there’s a very hostile relationship between the Northeastern administration and student activists,” Canedy said.

Another campus group putting pressure on the administration is DivestNU, a coalition of 30 Northeastern student organizations who are calling for Northeastern to stop investing in the fossil fuel industry.

Formed in October 2015 as a response to the protests of racist incidents at Ithaca College and the University of Missouri, SAID aims to combat a general feeling of unhappiness among many students in minority groups.

A group of DivestNU members began camping on Centennial Common on Oct. 3 in protest of the university’s investment in the fossil fuel industry. They promised to stay until they saw the administration taking clear steps towards divestment. This sort of radical activism has been largely unseen on campus in recent years.

One of their first major actions after its formation was to create a list of demands for administration. Last spring, SAID submitted a list of 19 measures concerning diversity and inclusion to higher-ups in the school. Some of the demands were addressed, including the incorporation of cultural competency training in freshman orientation and introduction to college and co-op classes.

The new Center for Intercultural Engagement, which now sits in the Curry Student Center, was also created as a result. “[The administration] didn’t really work to understand student concern before creating the center. It honestly was [just] something President Aoun said in a speech, and then administrators started to create,” Canedy said.

The center does not plan to hire any full-time staff whose job is exclusively to oversee the

On the morning of Oct. 4, the protesters said Robert Jose, Northeastern’s Associate Dean for Cultural, Residential, and Spiritual Life stopped by the campsite and told them they would be visited by a member of the administration at noon that same day. No such visit occurred, which served as further proof to DivestNU that the administration is not receptive to change.

In a statement made later to the Huntington News, McDonald said, “The associate dean suggested that the protesters vacate the common by noon to allow other students to use the space for their scheduled programs. A visit was not promised to the protesters.”

Members of DivestNU refuted the validity of this claim.

DivestNU began in 2013 as a subset of Northeastern’s Husky Environmental Action Team (HEAT), an organization that works with the administration in order to make environmentally sustainable changes on campus. DivestNU and

HEAT separated in the spring of 2016 in order to allow DivestNU to continue to operate more radically without compromising the efficacy of HEAT, which works through the administrative system to create change.

An April 2016 letter to members of HEAT, their executive board wrote: “The possibility of HEAT being impaired by DivestNU’s escalation is a lesson born out of history: in January 2014, when we delivered our first 500 petition signatures calling for fossil fuel divestment, our organization was sanctioned and placed on probation.”

Speaking about DivestNU, Ruth Neuhauser, HEAT’s Director of Outreach and Education and a second-year international affairs major, said, “They’re more radical than I think HEAT can be to get its goals achieved. We separated from them so they could do their own thing because they do have valid goals, as well, without getting in the way of HEAT getting things done.”

Northeastern often points out that in 2014 it ranked as the greenest American university by the University of Indonesia’s 2014 GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities, which was determined based off of self-reported data.

However, some are skeptical.

“I don’t think that’s true. If anything, we’re pretty average and there are plenty of universities that we should be looking up to,” said Yvette Niwa, a third-year environmental studies and international affairs major and HEAT’s director of events.

Neuhauser pointed to a number of “energy sucks” on campus, such as the color-lit fountain outside of the Egan Research Center and the TV screens on the inside of the Bernard M. Gordon Tribute to Engi­neering Lead­er­ship archway.

It is rare to find a school with a perfectly amiable relationship between administration and the student body. But DivestNU and SAID are two examples of a rising tide of students who want their school to listen to their needs.

Canedy described the relationship between student activists and the administration like this: “One group feels hurt by the university, and the other is a business, and are just trying to do their jobs at the end of the day.”

fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

12 • Lifestyle

Inside CLUB SPORTS Inside CLUB SPORTS Inside CLUB SPORTS Written by Cayley Ross // Photos by Meredith Fisher

I never planned to play soccer again after high school. A girl can only take so much bench time, thank you very much. Yet somehow, on a regular Thursday night in Boston, I found myself warming up with the women’s club soccer team as if I had been there all along.

Here, sports are a big deal. There’s proof of that at any hockey game — The DogHouse can get very intense. But what about club sports? During one practice with the Northeastern University women’s club soccer team, I tried to deduce just how manageable, intense, or draining a club sport could be.

We began practice outside of International Village, waiting to travel together to Parsons Field. With only one van, the whole team couldn’t be driven, so they ran the roughly two miles to Parsons. Team captain and fifth-year health sciences major Morgan Krush and I followed in the van. Not a typical warmup, Krush assured me, but a good one nonetheless.

At Parsons, we did an official warmup. Infused with talk of co-op, dislocated shoulders, and salamanders, it was very relaxed and friendly: a good, even balance of healthy conversation and your typical hamstring stretches. All that was going through my head was: Am I back in high school, or am I back in high school?

We continued onto “skill drills”. Don’t let the rhyming name fool you: skill drills are not so simple. They consist of two players alternating tossing the ball to one another to practice “traps,” stopping the ball with your chest, thigh, or foot. The combination of WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

overly powerful returns, paranoia about how hard you should throw the ball, and soccer balls flying past your head requires a lot of concentration. Luckily, my partner was Krush, the team’s goalie, so I didn’t have to worry much about stray balls — only about my own embarrassingly weak chest traps.

Afterwards, we did more drilling on free kicks and corner kicks. We split into two teams, offense and defense. In my experience, I’d only played defense and midfield, so you can imagine my panic when

“…the level of play is definitely more intense” I was ushered towards the offensive team.

After 20 minutes of avoiding the ball and having airborne shots narrowly miss my face, one of the defenders skipped over and offered me her spot in the wall, which I gladly accepted—the wall only required me to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with someone else.

So far, I’d noticed a huge emphasis on technique, with both the coaches and

the other team members suggesting ideas for improvement. Having only played with attention-hungry high school girls, I was surprised that the players could simultaneously be constructively critical and mature about accepting advice from their teammates.

The practice concluded with a game of steal the bacon, which is as fun as it sounds. I played it on my high school team, so it brought back some fond memories of the good ol’ days.

Overall, it seems like the club sports experience lands in the middle of the intensity scale, between high school and varsity college level. “It feels a lot like playing on my high school team,” third-year civil engineering major Maddy Augustine said. “The same sense of camaraderie is there, but the level of play is definitely more intense”. Third-year health sciences major Victoria Wuensch compared NU’s club level to a division-three varsity level, like Wentworth.

However, the time commitment isn’t a problem. Even with two to three practices and one or two games per week, soccer generally doesn’t take away from study time, Wuensch told me. In fact, many of the girls play club soccer specifically for the flexible schedule. “I wanted to find a balance between playing a sport that I love and school,” said Krush.

The verdict: club sports teams aren’t just for varsity castoffs, and there actually is a way to play a school sport and still have time for classes.

And I am still terrible at soccer.

Lifestyle • 13

Staying Healthy on a Meal Plan Written by Janette Ebbers // Photos by: Maeve Kelley-Portillo

Northeastern eateries: home to a colorful array of options ranging from tofu and quinoa to french fries and nacho cheese. This overwhelming display of abundantly available, ready-made food can have unfortunate health results. Many freshmen entering college worry about the muchfeared phenomenon known as “the freshman 15.”

Fueled by late-night snacks, high-calorie cafeteria pizza, and energy drinks, most U.S. freshmen gain an average of five to seven pounds within their first year of college, according to the Obesity Action Coalition. Preventing this can be tricky, especially while navigating meal plans and cafeteria foods. Christine Clark, a registered dietitian at Northeastern, works with students looking to regulate their food intake or improve their general nutritional health.

“Sometimes they’ll come at the beginning of the year, because a lot of them are freshman who are new to college living and they’re a little bit overwhelmed with making a lot of these choices … At home choices were … made, in a way, for you,” Clark said.

“Especially as a girl, weight is something a lot of people struggle with.

So, coming here ... and making sure I was eating healthy and staying healthy was a major concern for me,” said first-year bioengineering major Aileen Cristo.

“Especially as a girl, weight is something a lot of people struggle with.

So, coming here … and making sure I was eating healthy and staying healthy was a major concern for me” Second-year health sciences major Rebecca Sudworth explained that a strategy of portion control can help regulate some adverse health effects.

“If you are on the meal plan, I would definitely pay a lot of attention to your portion sizes, because you can increase your portion sizes really without even knowing that you’re doing it,” Sudworth said. “Try and stick to the freshly made stuff, or even the vegetarian or vegan options; I feel like those are better than the other things they offer there.”

The suggestion of gravitating toward the vegan and vegetarian area has merit as far as reducing caloric intake — the vegan pasta at the International Village dining hall is less caloric, less fatty, and contains less carbs than its non-vegan counterpart. Sudworth added that on the meal plan, it’s generally more difficult to regulate food intake.

“It’s a lot easier to control what’s going into your body when you’re buying … and making your own food,” Sudworth said. “If you’re eating in the dining hall, you don’t really know what they’re cooking with.”

Clark also had advice for students on meal plans, especially pertaining to strategizing meal times and portions. She explained the importance of breakfast for students.

“It starts your day off on the right foot, it gives your body that kick into the day, and your metabolism gets started, versus kind of continuing that fast overnight,” Clark said. “It also decreases the chance of you overeating later on in the day.”

Clark also highlighted the importance of keeping your body energized.

“I recommend students try not to go three or four hours without having something, and not to go long periods of time without eating — especially when they’re trying to focus in class. And with homework and studying, it’s important to fuel their body and their brain,” she said.

“I recommend students try not to go three or four hours without having something, and not to go long periods of time without eating…”

In general, Clark recommended three meals a day with two or three healthy snacks in the interim. Clark also reiterated the value of moderation when trying to eat healthily, but emphasized that optimal eating strategies vary greatly from person to person.

As far as cafeteria foods to eat or avoid, Clark again advocated for moderation.

“There’s a variety of healthy choices,” Clark said, “and, yes, there’s also a variety of less-than-healthy choices, so [it’s important to be] mindful of those choices and [make] healthy choices most of the time,” she said.

“Using moderation is important when eating in the dining hall.”

“It’s not to say you can’t have those other choices; I would not for sure say there’s anything you should avoid. Using moderation is important when eating in the dining hall.”

Clark did caution against sodas and energy drinks, many of which can contain many calories and little nutritional value.

It is getting increasingly easier to track down healthy dining options both within and outside of Northeastern — all of the school eateries’ caloric information is now posted online.

With this is mind, happy eating. fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

14 • Lifestyle

No Meat, No Problem: HUSKIES GO VEGAN Written by Michelle Weth // Photos by Justine Newman WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

Lifestyle • 15

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), millennials are three times more likely to transition to veganism than their parents and 12 times more likely to make the switch than baby boomers. From vegan stations in the dining halls to clubs that advocate for sustainable eating, Northeastern University has begun to adapt to this increasingly popular lifestyle.

Veganism, especially on college campuses around America, has slowly but steadily started to grow. It is similar to vegetarianism in that vegans don’t eat meat, but they also refuse to eat any foods derived from animals, including dairy and eggs. Many also avoid animal products like leather and certain brands of cosmetics. As an alternative lifestyle, those who become vegan have various motivators behind the transition.

Third-year computer science student Luke Horgan was already a vegan before coming to Northeastern. He believes that eating vegan on campus is realistic.

“You can do it, you can survive,” Horgan said. “But I think that the dining halls are not super friendly if you’re … deciding, ‘Okay I’m gonna do this [for] the first time,’ because you’re surrounded by all these options, and you have the desserts. And most of the food, like 99 percent of the food there, you wouldn’t eat if you were vegan.’”

“By being vegan, you are basically being a silent advocate. You aren’t supporting the industry with your money, so you kind of lead by example.”

According to a 2016 survey conducted by PETA, 62 percent of colleges serve at least one vegan option daily, compared to 28 percent in 2014. In addition, 9 percent of public and private schools now have vegan dining stations. The transition into veganism after college is easier than ever before due to the increase in vegan options in companies and restaurants.

Horgan mentioned some of his favorite dining hall vegan dishes: “In the International Village dining hall… it was sort of like a rotation of dishes and my personal favorite was the coconut curry tofu. It was like Christmas every time they put that out on the menu. That stuff is like catnip for vegans, or at least for me. So there are options, and they almost always had veggie burgers which were vegan.”

First-year pharmacy major Lucy Yu became a vegan after watching the documentary “Earthlings,” which alerted her to cruelty within animal agriculture, the dairy and egg industry, and the clothing industry.

“By being vegan, you are basically being a silent advocate,” Yu said.

“You aren’t supporting the industry with your money, so you kind of lead by example.”

Vegans who make the switch for ethical reasons often do so because they don’t want to be complicit in unfair or inhumane business practices.

“People [mostly] refer to the ethical part, the environmental reason, and the health reason,” said vegan Anna Sorokina, a second-year environmental science major. “So I think that people first discover one of those reasons, and then they learn about the other two issues, and then they come in tune with all three of them.”

Although some believe that most vegans choose the diet for beauty or health reasons, many vegans make the switch with conservation in mind.

“People don’t go vegan just because they want to be skinny or healthy … I don’t think that’s necessarily sustainable … because then it’s just another fad or diet,” Sorokina said. For Sorokina, being vegan transcends diet. “I try to make sure that my products … take into account [obvious] human rights,” she said. “And where do these products come from? What are the resources used? Is it sustainable?

Were people paid enough to make my clothes?”

Both Yu and Sorokina support the idea of leading others by example.

However, they also believe that vegans should not try to force someone else to adapt to their lifestyle, as veganism may not be a realistic part of all lifestyles.

Still, Sorokina sees tremendous benefit to veganism . “I think that once you go vegan — of course it’s different for everyone — but generally, once you go vegan, your view of the world kind of expands,” she said.

“You also [start thinking] about other issues.” fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

16 • Focus

WORKING FOR IT: Emotional Labor in College Relationships Written by Jordan Bashaar // Photos by Meredith Fisher

“We’d talk about how we’re doing, but it was either surfacelevel conversations or when shit hit the fan,” fourth-year sociology major Margaret Whittier-Ferguson said, reflecting on some past hetero relationships.

“They’d say ‘yeah I’m okay’ … I’d be like, ‘really?’ And then they’d just break down, you know? It’s really hard to hold up those shields on a day-to-day basis, let alone with someone who you’re intimate with.” The topic of communication in an intimate relationship — or lack thereof — comes back to the notion of emotional labor.

Coined by Arlie Hochschild in 1983, emotional labor is “the process by which workers are expected to manage their feelings in accordance with organizationally defined rules and guidelines.” This term began, academically, in the context of the workplace.

WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

When applied to personal relationships, emotional labor refers to the weight one carries to support another person. It’s “putting work into a relationship, of any kind, that draws from your emotional capacity,” explained fourth-year environmental science major Liz Olson. Hochschild proposed relationship guidelines that are still relevant 30 years later.

“In our intimate relationships, we have this script that goes along with the role that we’re playing, whether that’s the girlfriend, boyfriend, hook-up, et cetera,” said communications professor Jesica Speed Wiley. These scripts generally come from societal norms that surround us. For instance, masculine and feminine speakers are socialized to communicate disparately, according to Speed Wiley. Differences include female-identifying individuals’ tendency to focus on community affirmation, as opposed to male-identifying individuals’ focus on autonomy.

Focus • 17

Fourth-year human services and international affairs student Allegra Mangione attested to these vocal patterns when she discussed a recent partner. “I’ll never interrupt, and he’s kind of the opposite in that he likes to jump in and speaks loudly,” Mangione explained.

Mangione said acknowledging these differences and talking through them with her partner resulted in a positive learning experience.

In our intimate “ relationships, we

have this script that goes along with the role that we’re playing.

”

The general feminine focus on connection is perhaps what makes emotional labor inherently gendered; women, according to the dominant scripts, are considered the caretakers, carrying emotional labor without complaint, while men are less inclined to equally reciprocate this labor.

In a Huffington Post article, Christine Hutchinson wrote, “Women continue to do the emotional work they are so good at, protecting men from feeling incompetent and inferior, or else exploding in frustration and becoming scathingly critical. Men, often not having language for their emotional experiences, shirk away from hard talks, and in some spaces, they mock women for wanting to have them.”

The roles many feel obligated to fulfill, however, play out differently for everyone.

Danielle Duke, a fourth-year human services major in a long distance relationship, mentioned how the absence of physical presence emphasized the need for strong, reciprocal emotional presence and communication.“When you’re [physically] together with someone, you can kind of mask the need for your emotional needs to be met, but when you’re taken apart from them, you have to be able to meet those needs because that’s kind of all you have,” Duke said.

Other students emphasized the importance of communication in relationships — long distance or not. However, Ben Carleton, a fourth-year business and interactive media major, has a somewhat different view. While he feels comfortable talking to friends and family about personal things, Carleton explained that it was difficult for him to talk to his former partner, especially about problems within the relationship itself.

“You don’t want to make them think badly of you because, I don’t know, you feel like it can cloud the judgment,” he said. In other words, he was more worried about upsetting

his partner than expressing his issues with their relationship.

Could this perhaps reflect the stereotype that boys don’t talk about things? Or are these difficulties just growing pains for people immersed in the first taste of romantic relationships? “I think [relational behaviors] very much depend on the particular area that you’re in, and stage of life too,” said Speed Wiley. “When I was a young professional in Boston in my late 20s, dating, my script for ‘girlfriend’ probably looked a bit different than my script when I was in college.” A happily married woman with a child, Speed Wiley’s script looks different now, too. Gender roles that may perpetuate emotional burden and emotional stuntedness can also be overcome as we learn and grow from our personal experiences.

Where do LGBTQ+ couples fit into this?

Do gender roles still exist in relationships that aren’t between a cis man and a cis woman?

Varying sexualities and gender identities make the idea of emotional labor more complex. “We don’t have quite as many representations of LGBTQ+ relationships,” said Speed Wiley, who explained that this “opens up some possibility for creativity.” Defying stereotypical gender and relationship roles provides the freedom to break free from what’s prescribed.

When asked about her experiences dating across genders, Whittier-Ferguson said, “[When dating a woman] there’s less of that sort of intrinsic hierarchy of a relationship … I feel like I at least found more freedom in dating a woman because we’re already sort of outside of that boundary of being in a heteronormative couple.”

Varying sexualities “ and gender identities make the idea of emotional labor more complex.

”

“Before I started coming out to my close friends, a lot of the time it would be the typical feminine girlfriend role I would play,” said Tara Kane, a third-year behavioral neuroscience major, who uses the terms queer and bisexual to describe herself. She specified that the queer relationships she’s been in still haven’t necessarily been equal in terms of emotional labor, which she largely attributes to a person’s varying experience and openness.

Fourth-year psychology major Alix Alto talked more about this fluidity in her blog regarding her polyamorous sexuality and

argued that fluidity requires structure: “rules are what make polyamory work … [they] necessitate a dialogue on intent and respect.”

These rules aren’t always carried over explicitly in monogamous relationships, because the structure of an “ideal” hetero monogamous relationship is omnipresent.

Fourth-year human services major Michael Avender, who has partaken in one polyamorous relationship, found the rules to be quite exhausting. “Defining the relationship started consuming the relationship,” he said “We couldn’t hang out without having the conversation.” The content of the conversation — defining the relationship — can get quite heavy. The term “emotion” in any context often carries a serious tone; one may assume a steady relationship when they include emotional involvement.

Do these hook“ ups affect us, and do

they come with their own sort of societal pressure?

”

But what about casual relationships? Do these hook-ups affect us, and do they come with their own sort of societal pressure?

Speed Wiley discussed the “overarching idea that you shouldn’t get locked down while you’re in college,” and how this can create further confusion when defining a relationship — particularly, she said, “at a place like Northeastern where everyone’s very professionally oriented.”

Olson can speak to this. “I’ve been in two casual relationships and the second was pretty destructive … I sought a lot of comfort from him but didn’t receive any because we were ‘just hooking up.’” This emotional dissonance caused serious problems. “I think casual relationships are fine as long as both parties feel the same way,” said fourth-year communication studies major Rhea Bhargava, “[otherwise] it gets way more complicated.”

Relationships are indeed complicated; regardless of gender or sexuality, they can be hard work. Navigating life as an individual is difficult — adding another person (or other people) into the mix makes it even more difficult. With communication and explicit intentions, though, relationships have the potential to be much easier than one might think. “I’m making an active effort to try and be the same person with whoever I’m dating,” said Kane, “whether they’re male or female or something in between.”

fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

18 • Focus

BEHIND THE

SMILE

Written by Maya Bur // Photos by Ben Hackney

The second leading cause of death among college students is an issue so stigmatized that it is often left unacknowledged on campuses: suicide. A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that about one in 10 college students has considered suicide at some point in his or her life. There are over one thousand completed suicides on American college campuses each year — more than three per day. So why aren’t universities more vocal about mental illness awareness and suicide prevention?

“There can be lots of pressure on universities to not talk about suicide because I think there’s a myth that talking about it will somehow increase [the frequency of suicide],” explained Julia Cooper, fourth-year psychology major and co-president of new student group Behind the SMILE (Suicide and Mental Illness Education), or BTS. “But a lot of times it’s been shown that if you start those conversations and make people feel comfortable talking about those things, it can actually decrease the risk of suicide.”

because suicide is the number-one cause of lawsuits brought against mental-health treatment providers.”

As explained by Cooper, there is a myth that discussion of this morbid topic will contribute to suicidal thoughts and actions — but this is not a problem that will go away by ignoring it.

BTS hosted its first meeting in early September, but the founders have been working to create the group for over a year. The idea for the organization formed in March 2015, after a Northeastern student’s suicide.

“Universities need to address the reality of mental illness. It’s prominent, it’s important, and it’s treatable — the resources just need to be available.”

“About a year and a half ago, Kevin [Mayer] from the Nor’easters passed away,” said Megan Wood, fourth-year electrical and computer engineering student and social media/campaign director for BTS.

The Nor’easters, a Northeastern a capella group, planned We Sing for Kevin, a memorial benefit to fundraise for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Kevin’s honor.

Universities are not the only entities to shy away from the topic: stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness leaves much unsaid in many communities. Of church leaders surveyed in a recent study, only 12.5 percent said mental illness is openly discussed in a healthy way in their place of worship.

“We Sing for Kevin was an outlet for us to grieve the loss of our friend,” shared Carly Manfrini, third-year psychology major and BTS walk coordinator. Besides raising money, Manfrini said, the event worked to “involve the community in a cause that is too often swept under the rug, and honor our friend in the best way we knew how — by singing.”

In an article for The Atlantic, Sulome Anderson wrote, “Many psychiatrists refuse to treat chronically suicidal patients, not only because of the stigma that surrounds it even in their profession, but

“While Northeastern addressed that we had a member of the Northeastern community die by suicide, we were not allowed to film the

WOOF MAGAZINE • fall 2016

Focus • 19 event or publicize it in any way,” said Manfrini. “Ideally, we would’ve had 100 percent support from Northeastern; however, I think the minimal support we did receive is part of a bigger picture. Universities need to address the reality of mental illness. It’s prominent, it’s important, and it’s treatable — the resources just need to be available.”

The Nor’easters didn’t stop after the fundraiser. In fall of 2015, they teamed up with other students interested in the cause and decided to form an on-campus organization with the mission of raising awareness about mental illness and suicide.

“After Kevin passed away, we realized that there weren’t enough groups dedicated to mental illness and suicide awareness and education,” said Manfrini. “While there are some amazing groups on campus [addressing mental health], such as Active Minds, there could always be more — we figured the more resources that are available to students, the more likely people will start educating themselves.”

As an on-campus organization, BTS is unique in its focus on suicide prevention. “We had the idea that we could make a really big impact if we started a group on campus,” said Wood. In following months, students reached out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to learn more about suicide prevention groups on college campuses, and how they could establish their own.

“Everyone has their own experiences and their own story with [mental illness or suicide] ... It’s powerful for students to be able to talk about it.”

In February, despite not yet having official status as an on-campus organization, BTS took on its first project: a photo campaign to both raise awareness of their new group and begin addressing stigma about mental illness. The event description read, “Think ‘the Humans of New York’ of Mental Health.” Students met with the e-board, shared personal thoughts and experiences with mental illness, and had their photo taken.

Each photo was posted on Facebook with a quote from the student.

“We really wanted to bring attention to the fact that students from Northeastern live with mental illness and are still successful at Northeastern — it can be your peers, it can be anyone you know,” said Wood. “We really had some powerful conversations with people [photographed for the campaign] … I think it was a really great way to start the conversation about mental illness.”

Laney Chace, a fourth-year human services and criminal justice major and the co-president of BTS, explained the group’s goals for the coming semester: “In addition to breaking down stigma, we have the idea of doing more advocacy-based [projects] and doing more programming,” she said. “Since this is such a prevalent issue on our campus and in the Boston area, we aren’t going to be just talking and reducing stigma.

That’s important, but we need to make a concrete impact as well.”

Laney Chace, Behind the Smile co-president

listen to music, eat snacks, or do any other calming activities that help them decompress.

The founders and e-board of BTS hope the group will encourage students to seek help when they need it. “Reaching out takes courage,” said Cooper. “[We want students] to know they’re not alone.”

“Everyone has their own experiences and their own story with [mental illness or suicide],” said Chace. “It’s powerful for students to be able to talk about it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can contact the Samaritans Statewide Helpline at (877) 870-4673, or visit samaritanshope.org.

Behind the SMILE meets Tuesdays at 8:15pm in 342 Curry Student Center.

BTS is arranging a team for the Out of the Darkness community walk, which benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, on Oct. 29. They also plan to arrange an on-campus walk for suicide prevention in the spring and will be bringing multiple speakers to campus in the coming months.

“We’re doing ‘self-care Sundays’ the first Sunday of every month,” said Chace. Taking place in the Social Justice Resource Center, this event is open to all and will provide a relaxing environment for students to color,

fall 2016 • WOOF MAGAZINE

NORTHEASTERN’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE DOESN’T END HERE. WWW.WOOF-MAG.COM