Where in the World

Student Travels and Adventures

PAGE 17

gallery Watch - Washington dc

Pamela King

PAGE 3

reflections on the role theatre plays in todays World

Nancy Kindelain

PAGE 6

What is happening

The Edible Environment

PAGE 14

Honors P E r S P E c T i v E

Volume 5 Winter 2009

On September 11th 2008, Northeastern University welcomed climber and activist Greg Mortenson, author of Three cups of Tea. Three cups of Tea was chosen as the inaugural book for NUs First Pages Program where all incoming first year students and transfer students read a common book before coming to campus. The First Pages program was established after the success of the Honors First Year reading Project.

During Mr. Mortensons visit to campus he attended a special welcoming reception in the curry Student center Ballroom which included students, faculty, staff and local elementary students from the Tobin School who had started their own chapter of Pennies for Peace, Mr. Mortensons organization that raises money to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Later that evening, Mr. Mortenson addressed over 2,200 incoming students, faculty, staff and local community members with his inspirational speech about his time in Pakistan and Afghanistan at Matthews Arena. He presented a slideshow of the schools he has built, the people he encountered along his journey, and his family. The inspirational speech prompted many students to stay long into the night to have their books signed and to talk with Greg.

Additionally, students in the Honors Program had the pleasure of meeting co-author David Oliver relin during Honors Welcome Week. Mr. relin addressed the entire first year honors class and provided an inspirational talk on his travels, working with Greg Mortenson, and taking advantage of all the educational opportunities that Northeastern has to offer. His speech was followed by a book signing and reception that lasted well into the afternoon.

northeasterns first pages program Welcomes greg Mortenson

First year honors students meet David Oliver relin during Honors Welcome Week.

Invited guests from the Tobin School and Northeastern Universitys Social Change through Peace Games with activist and author Gregg Mortenson.

Directors WelcomeGreetings! This fall we were joined by 279 entering first year students in the Honors Program. And they have helped continue the tradition of landing fast and getting into the opportunities of the Honors Program ASAP. As our third First Year Welcome Week unfolded, we were overwhelmed with upper class esprit dcorps over 100 of you helped us kick off the best Welcome Week ever with your team leading efforts at each of the planned events including a terrific meet and greet with author, David Oliver relin, our very wet but fun ropes course day on the Ashland campus (anyone in the market for 300 slightly used rain ponchos?), and our Honors Outreach Project.

This year, Honors helped spearhead the University-wide First Pages initiative which gave all entering first year students the oppor-tunity to read Three Cups of Tea and hear co-author, adventurer and humanitarian, Greg Mortenson. Over three thousand showed up in Matthewss Arena to hear Mortenson talk about his work building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. it was quite a sight to behold and a fulfillment of our mission in Honors to be an incubator for academic innovation. Hats off to all the students who helped this initiative become so successful, including our Honors readers and members of the First reading Project committee.

Pizza and Profs keeps buzzing along and thanks go to Professors John Portz, Nancy Kindelan, and Dennis Shaughnessy for hold-ing court for a Tuesday evening each this past fall. Also thanks to Professors Gail Begley and Jenn cole for joining a small group of students for dinner prior to the falls cultural events. Both of these initiatives will continue this spring so be sure to take advan-tage of some of the great conversations that happen in and around the office and about town.

i want to extend a warm welcome to our new graduate assistant colleen cronin who has the best color sense in the office and has added more than her share of enthusiasm for our task. Thanks also to the ceaselessly organized Katie Munroe, our senior graduate assistant who helped shepherd me and my Enhancing Honors 101 mentors through her effective use of blackboard communica-tion. i am a step above Luddite myself and i relied on her heavily.

Our associate directors, Lauren Pouchak and Sheryl Mayuski continue to shape our evolving community. Sheryl topped off a busy fall with management of a robust advising schedule and a newly tweaked on-campus application process. Thanks to all the upper class students who helped Sheryl and our grad assistants interview prospective students. Thirty-one students joined us in Janu-ary. Lauren, never one to sit on her laurels, is busy planning a spring community outreach project for all in the honors community. There was some grumbling that this initiative was just offered to first year students and so Lauren is working closely with the Office of community Service to have a site for anyone who wants to join us for the Spring Honors Outreach Project on March 28th. carol Dicecca, our administrative assistant, is the one who is the first round of response in the office and daily points me in the right direction so thanks to her and the rest of the honors team.

Forty Honors readers are helping to narrow the selections down a bit for next years book and we have our eye of a couple of great ones. The committee will take their recommendations under consideration as they plow through a shorter list thanks to their efforts. And speaking of reading, kudos to Sandy rago and the Honors Student council, who started the Honors Book club last semester and will be leading a band of readers in the spring its a great initiative!

if you are looking for ways to get involved, we will be recruiting for fall mentors this spring the team that i worked with this year was amazing and collaboratively worked to raise the bar a bit in the Enhancing course thanks to all 35 of you once again.

As i write this, i have just returned from Northeasterns Martin Luther King convocation inspired by his words and actions and optimistic for our future, i hope for good things for us all in the New Year. Drop by

Professor Maureen Kelleher, Director

2

3 www.honors.neu.edu

Student ProfilesgalleryWatch - Washington dc

As an intern at a news publication that reports on congress, i have experienced a number of exciting situations. i have had the oppor-tunity to report on congressional committee hearings, witnessing the wrath of Senator Barbara Boxer, the passion of Senator Bernie Sanders and the sleepy voice of congressman Dennis Kucinich. i have attended meetings with Simon rosenberg, president of NDN, and Senator charles Schumer to discuss their expectations of Barack Obamas presidency.

i have to admit, it was an intimidating experience sometimes. Not only was i sitting in front of prominent personalities, i was also working among them. i spent the semester interning at Gallery-Watch, the legislative tracking service affiliated with the newspaper roll call. When i was sent out on assignment i was working for our wire service, congressNow. congressNow happens to be one of the few news publications that sends out interns to meetings and con-gressional hearings and markups. So although many of my fellow reporters were young, they were not interns. They were professional, full-time reporters with a lot of experience and knowledge on what they were covering. These people became my colleagues, and eventu-ally i came to know many of them as i continued to return to the press tables in the Senate and House hearing rooms.

it was the first time i have had a real reporting job. Sure, i have writ-ten for the Northeastern News and other community publications, but it was the first time i fully immersed myself in the practice of journalism, and i came out loving it.

My favorite work experience was reporting on Senator Ted Stevens trial for roll call. it was about 2 p.m. on a Friday, and i did not have anything planned for the rest of the day. i was sitting down to upload documents to gallerywatch.com when one of the congressNow edi-tors sent me down to the courthouse to watch Stevens testify about home improvements to his Alaska chalet.

i ran the blocks separating my office and the courthouse, met the roll call reporter who had spent weeks reporting on the trial and made my way into the courtroom. i was instructed to watch the jurys reaction to Stevens testimony to provide color to the story of the roll call reporter who was watching the trial on four television monitors on another floor of the building.

Stevens provided excellent testimony he never wavered under the pressure of the prosecuting attorney. Although he was eventually found guilty of corruption, Stevens was confident throughout his trial, and he was also kind. He even took time to greet members of the audience during a break.

Working on election night was another great experience. Although i did not make my way down to the election parties or the riots at the White House, i did enjoy my night in the office, tracking congres-sional races and sending information to the roll call offices. My co-workers and i ate dinner together and laughed at the absurd tech-nology some networks were using to draw in viewers. For example, cNN beamed in a reporters hologram and spent much of the night talking about the technology whenever there were dull moments in their race coverage.

My internship was only one aspect of my semester, however. i at-tended a class called Population, Gender and the Environment every Wednesday after work. Many of my classmates were from Mexico, and i had the opportunity to talk with them about sustainable devel-opment projects in their home cities. i now consider many of them good friends.

i spent my weekends visiting museums and monuments. i fell in love with Old Town Alexandria in virginia mostly because it reminded me so much of Boston. i attended the arrival ceremony of the prime minister of italy at the White House and stood feet away from President George Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, vice President Dick cheney and Secretary of State condoleezza rice. i had the opportunity to join a group of friends in a march on the National Mall to protest Proposition 8, which eliminated the right for gay couples to marry in california. it was powerful to watch both gay and straight people marching the city against the backdrop of the capitol building to passionately defend their position. The march ended at the White House but not before a torrential downpour drenched all of us to our skin.

My semester in Washington, D.c. has provided me with work experience, writing samples and lifelong friends, but i am looking forward to using everything i have learned this semester to enhance and enrich the rest of my time at Northeastern.

-Pamela King journalism 11

I have had the opportunity to report on Congressional committee hearings, witnessing the wrath of Senator Barbara Boxer, the passion of Senator Bernie Sanders and the sleepy voice of Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

Student Profiles continued

The hustle of vendors and street performers. The roaring rumble of the street car riding along side you as you pedal your bike down St. charles Ave. The constant blaring of trumpets and trombones, filling the air with a sweet jazz scent which seems to linger in your senses long into the warm, sticky night. You stop at the end of the road at the Mississippi river. The large barges roll in and roll out as if in slow motion, and you, too, feel the drawl of the Big Easy. You take a deep breathe in, inhaling a city of culture, pride, art, music, food, and hospitality. You exhale the struggles, the devastation, the resilience of a people. You are breathing in a strange world, my friend. You are breathing in New Orleans.

i began this, my first co-op, this past July as a middler after volunteering in New Orleans as part of Northeasterns Alternative Spring Break Program, run out of the center of community Service the previous April. i had worked with Hands On New Orleans, and after seeing the ex-treme needs of the city, and the warm vibes of the culture, i realized a week was not enough, and worked with the staff to develop a position as an intern.

When i arrived in New Orleans, where an already high crime and murder rate has been on the steady rise since Hurricanes Katrina and rita devastated the community in 2005, i was extremely anxious to learn more about whatever was drawing me towards the city. i had no connections there: no friends and no family, just a strange feeling that it was where i needed to be.

Hands On New Orleans(HONO) was in the middle of a complete reinvention of its mission and program model. HONO was transitioning from

a disaster response project to a local independent affiliate of the Hands On Network. This included receiving 501c3 tax exempt status in Louisiana, and a new model to gear its programs towards empowerment and involvement for community members in hopes we can encourage locals to take part in restoring their own homes and communities.

i was hired as a Marketing and Development intern, which in a non- profit of only 16 employees, means a lot of work! Every event or project needed press coverage, every newly developed program, whether it be youth engagement or the volunteer leader trainings, needed new literature and hand-outs. Promotional items, such as pens and T shirts needed to be ordered, tracked, and shipped to our sponsors and supporters, and, perhaps most im-portantly, grants needed to be written, submitted, tracked, and followed up with in order to receive the funding to continue not only projects and other special events, but for general operating purposes.

As an unpaid internship, Northeastern only required me to fulfill 20 hours a week, however, after hearing the stories of local homeowners and feeling the tension and power resting in the name Katrina i found myself passionately working a 40 hour week, waiting tables at night to support myself. it was often tiresome, but it hardly compared to those still living in a FEMA trailer, or an elderly woman with mold covering the inside of her house, or a family of 6 whose roof was completely ripped off during the storm and who dont have the funds to have it replaced. Even three years later these stories are still prevalent within the New Orleans community and i am so thankful to have been able to help for the short period of time i was down here.

4

hands on new orleans

Student Profiles continued

5 www.honors.neu.edu

The entire experience has been mind blowing. When Hurricanes Gustav and ike hit a few months ago, i saw first hand a city evacuated, and another devastated. i worked for 5 days in Baton rouge at distribution centers with the National Guard giving out MrEs (Meals ready to Eat), ice, water, and tarps to the thousands of people without power, and many without a home left at all, and on a chainsaw crew, removing trees and other large debris from elderly community members homes, roofs, and yards, all while living on the floor of a drug abuse rehabilitation center who was kind enough to lend us their classroom space for lodging and to prepare our meals, free of charge, despite the fact that we had no power for the first 3 days.

The complete devastation the residents in the gulf area go through boggles my mind, however, the resilience, pride, and dedication to preserving the culture and life of the coastal south has been truly inspiring. i have learned skills helpful for my professional life while working in the office and learned how to be handy with power tools while out on project sites or out on the field. However, most importantly ive learned what its like to be truly accepted into a strange community and how the bonds that have come from disaster can be among the most powerful and beautiful. i am sad to have to leave this city, as it has been the most pinnacle, rewarding experience of my life to date. i will miss the culture, the music, the art, and the people. i can officially say, i know what it means to miss New Orleans.

-rachel Sherman English 11

As an unpaid internship, Northeastern only

required me to fulfill 20 hours a week, however,

after hearing the stories of local homeowners

and feeling the tension and power resting in

the name Katrina I found myself passionately

working a 40 hour week, while waiting tables

at night to support myself. It was often

tiresome, but it hardly compared to those still

living in a FEMA trailer

For more information about New Orleans, or interning and volunteering with Hands On New Orleans, email Rachel at: Sherman.ra@neu.edu, or visit HandsOnNewOrleans.org

in the classroom

First Year Inquiry Series: HNR 205 American Theatre and Politics:

A Delicate Balance

PRoF. NANcY KINDelAN

These are complicated questions; they are difficult to answer. it has been suggested that some of these questions are ignored because far too often American society refuses to confront difficult problems and consider the potential of social change. Additionally, history tells us that theatre has been silenced and censored because people in power know how persuasive this art form is in eliciting thought and encouraging social responsibility. With these observations in mind, i asked my First-Year inquiry Seminar, American Theatre and Politics: A Delicate Balance, to consider these questions and more. Through studying plays and analyzing theatre techniques and perfor-mances on stage, we talked about how playwrights and other theatre artists help audiences face responsibility to self and others, as well as negotiate change through clear and insightful thinking. in the next decade, i predict that there will be more emphasis placed on how both drama and theatre cause us to see and confront social issues. While commercial theatre will have its place as a form of escapismthat is a function of some theatreregional professional theatres, community-based theatres, and academic theatre programs will turn their attention not only to the power of theatre to bring people together for the purpose of understanding something more about the worlds human atrocities and global economies and ecologies, but also to allow human beings opportunities to come together and voice and exchange their ideas, thoughts, and fears with other human beings. The goal of this type of experience is to remind us of our humanityto look into someone elses eyes, to listen directly to the stories of others without technological barriers such as the computer, text messaging, blogging, etc. These forms of communications that we relish for allowing us to communicate instantly with others have, i fear, diminished our abilities to communi-cate in ways that give us the chance to take the time to see and hear deeply. i (like others) worry that we are drowning in an ever-deepening swamp of e-mails. i am concerned that we have become so busy connecting instantly that we are in danger of becoming a nation of blabbers, capable of glib responses, but incapable of sitting long enough to engage in paying compassionate attention and partaking in thought provoking dialogues with each other. These are some of the reasons

reflections on the role theatre plays in todays World

Can plays and their theatrical productions help us to see personal and social problems with an enlightened eye?

Does theatre encourage decadence or does it inspire virtue?

Are there problems when theatre and politics mix?

Who defines the moral status quo?

Does American society value the theatre as a platform for social change?

6

why this seminar reconsidered the role of drama and theatre in todays society, especially how this art form restores our human-ity, promotes thought about human rights, and inspires us to act with integrity. We began by discussing the theatre activities that occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s. American audiences had little money for extravagant theatre during this time. Yet, exciting new types of theatre emerged, such as the Group Theatre and the Federal Theatre Project (the FTP was a branch of President roosevelts Works Progress Administration). Both the Group Theatre and the FTP produced theatre that promoted social thought, personal reflection, and audience em-powerment. We discovered that the social and economic condi-tions of the 20s and 30s have, in some instances, uncanny simi-larities to what we face today. We wondered if American society was doomed to repeat this dark time in history because as a group of individuals we fall short in two areas: our ability to analyze our flaws and remember our past mistakes with the type of acuity that relies on deep critical reflection. Anna Deavere Smiths work as a performance artist (Let Me Down Easy and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992) and her writings on theatre (Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines), as well as Mosis Kaufmans play The Laramie Project encouraged us to consider further the potential drama and theatre have in helping us rediscover ourselves, reconnect with others, and face the reality of social and human injustices. The semester began with the seminar attending the American repertory

Theatres production of Anna Deavere Smiths performance piece Let Me Down Easy. Later, the seminar, theatre majors and faculty members met privately with this artist to discuss her thoughts about theatre as a social force. Our work with Ms. Smith afforded us the opportunity to explore her unique aesthetica journalistic and anthropological approach to acting. Through her presentation of a collection of interviews, in which she portrays verbatim the stories of her interviewees, Anna Deavere Smiths one-woman plays explore and amplify the language of unheard voices who face, for example, inhumane behaviors between social classes, races, and genders. Her award-winning theatre brings to light how the world truly is a stage, through her presentation of multiple positions regarding challenging contemporary topics (such as race riots, genocide, the place of the media in national events, the health care system, and the roles grace and kindness play in todays world). Anna Deavere Smith also is interested in how theatre can elicit a form of artistic democracy through developing the ability to listen carefully and to engage the community in thoughtful discussion. inspired by her aesthetic and interest in the impor-tance of community engagement, this class ended with several town meetings. Through these lively discussions, the seminar students both listened actively and spoke with commitment as they brought to light their ideas about how theatre assisted them in seeing and considering the mysteries of the human condition.

-Nancy Kindelan is an Associate Professor of Theatre

7 www.honors.neu.edu

phot

o: c

hri

s M

ayn

ard

8As we entered Professor Shaughnessys Microfinance Seminar on September 10th, 2008, we were eager to discover what the world of Microfinance was all about. Little had we known that this class would not only be unique in its own respect but it would impact our lives in so many ways. Throughout the seminar, we were introduced to various Microfinance institutions (MFis) and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who aim to alleviate extreme poverty in developing countries. The course required us to indulge in the works of authors such as Muhammad Yunus and Jeffrey D. Sachs who are pioneers in the microfinance arena. Now, what is microfinance you may ask?

in many countries, poor people are not afforded the opportunity to borrow from banking insti-tutions because of their lack of collateral. Many of them are unemployed and live in city slums. in short, microfinance provides loans to these individuals without requiring them to have any collateral. The business is quite risky but, the individuals who spearhead such initiatives often focus greatly on the positive social impact rather than the possible risks.

This seminar required us to perform extensive yet truly inspirational research into micro-finance and its impact on the developing world. One major aspect of the seminar was the creation of MFis by students in the class. We were trained on the ins and outs of creating such an institution and nurtured along the way as were used our creativity and business savvy to create organizations that would represent social entrepreneurship.

Our project, NUstart, was inspired by a program called Africa Jam in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Khayelitsha is a township on the outskirts of cape Town, South Africa. Africa Jam empowers youth in the area through social enrichment, faith enrichment and arts and education. NUstart sought to further empower these youth through a program that would provide financial and health education, allowing the youth to become entrepreneurs in various fields. Youth-focused microfinance programs are rare because of the increased risk of loaning to younger people. However, NUstart did not let the possibility of default hinder us from making a difference in the lives of these children. instead, we created a pioneer program that we hope will be implemented, sustained and scaled to impact as many families as possible.

We began by examining our target commu-nity and developing a set of objectives for our program. We often reviewed these objectives to ensure that they were representative of our program. These objectives included: providing entrepreneurial micro-loans to young adults by initiating the project in January 2009, increasing the awareness of Hiv/AiDS and its impact through the provision of mandatory informational sessions, measuring the impact of the loans on the borrowers before, during and after the loans period and ultimately create self-sustainability for long term impact. These objectives were the backbone of our countless hours researching and creating this program.

Microfinance: the

Business of alleviating

extreme poverty

in developing countries

in the classroom continued

9 www.honors.neu.edu

execuTIve BoARD Katherine Hall Elaine Ponio Dennis Tung Sherrette Yeates

mISSIoN To work alongside the Africa Jam program in Khayelitsha, South Africa, with

the provision of micro-loans to entrepreneurial young adult participants. The purpose

of the micro-loans is to supply the participants with the capital necessary to start

a business to generate profit that can lift them and their families out of poverty.

Ultimately, the goal of NUstart is to empower young adults to create social change.

Nustart

NUstart is a non-profit enterprise that accepts donations and grants from outside sources. Our organizational structure is horizontal with the Executive Board (the Northeastern University NUstart team), the participating Africa Jam staff and students from the Tertiary School in Business Administration in cape Town, South Africa on the first level and the young entre-preneurs (borrowers) on the second level. Our strategy for the program involves a cyclic series of project planning, implementation and im-pact measurement. We hope that this program will allow the youth of Khayelitsha to create a source of income for their families, many of which have no steady income source. This will ultimately allow these individuals to remove themselves from the strongholds of poverty. NUstart sees a bright future for the youth and in essence the community of Khayelitsha through the implementation of our program.

-Sherrette Yeates electrical engineering 12

In many countries, poor people are not afforded the opportunity to borrow from banking institutions because of their lack of collateral. Many of them are unemployed and live in city slums. In short, microfinance provides loans to these individuals without requiring them to have any collateral.

10

Welcome Week 2008

Prof. Gail Begley

Prof. Marty Block

Prof. Phyllis Strauss

Prof. Bert Spector

craig Bettison

Kate McLaughlin

Nathalie T Daniel

Katie Munroe

colleen cronin

Jamie Dendy

Emily Sabo

Ann coppinger

Brett Nava-coulter

Leandra Mae Smollin

Amie Levesque

Kat rickenbacker

vin Ferraro

Amy Lubitow

Jonathan Farr

Laura Piechowski

Megan Markland

Evans Erilus

Thank you, We couldnt have done it without you!

11 www.honors.neu.edu

What is Happening?

12

nchc conferenceThis years National collegiate Honors council conference was held in the Alamo city, San Antonio, Texas. The Honors Program including Director Maureen Kelleher, Associate Director Lauren Pouchak, Associate Director Sheryl Mayuski, Graduate Assistant Katie Munroe and two newcomers to the event current Honors student Barbara Lee, and myself, colleen cronin, a first year Graduate Assistant, traveled down to the lone star state to represent Northeastern University. Given that it was late October in Boston we were all ecstatic to feel the warm southern air, unfortunately it wasnt as tropical as expected but it was certainly a nice change of climate.

The theme of the 43rd annual NcHc conference, crossing Frontiers, honed in on the concept of breaking barriers. Additionally, as faculty, staff, and students we can empower and create a new path to follow for the Honors experience. There was a wide range of participants at this years conference, from large public institutions to two-year community colleges all of whom brought something unique to the conference, a perspective to learn from. The conference consisted of a plethora of presentations as well as cultural experiences to take advantage of and we definitely accomplished of as much as possible during our brief time there.

After settling into the beautiful Marriot riverside we took a stroll along the famous riverwalk. The riverwalk is a partially man made river that dissects the city and is the hub for restaurants and shopping in San Antonio. While we were there we made sure to check out the wonderful food choices, from Mexican to Barbecue it was a smorgasbord of tasty sensations! Although it was essential to eat our main purpose while in Texas was to attend and present through different sessions for NcHc. To start off, i attended Beginning in Honors. Through this session i was able to grasp a larger outlook on my role within the Honors Program via learning about various programs and from other individuals that are also acclimating to a new environment. There were presentations on Programming, Academic Advising, and Studying Abroad which enabled us to gain more insight into the things we are doing well and the things we can improve upon for the Honors Program at Northeastern University. Not only were we all audience members in these sessions, but we also represented Northeastern as panelists and presenters. Prof. Kelleher presented on Enhancing Honors, and acted as a moderator for two other presentations. Lauren presented on the evolution and development of the Honors Outreach Project, and Sheryl and Katie co-presented on what it takes to create a Living Learning community.

After all of the speakers and sessions had wrapped we finally were able to visit the Alamo, we simply couldnt miss this attraction while visiting San Antonio! i found the Alamo to be interesting because it was set in the middle of a somewhat bustling city and yet remained tranquil and historic in its essence. While we were there we were able to go inside and see where the battle occurred first hand, not to mention view a few mementos from the famous Davey crockett. in the end, all of the educational and cultural experiences that we shared while in San Antonio gave us a feeling of anticipa-tion for new opportunities and ideas that we could bring back to Northeasterns Honors Program. All of which will unquestionably break the mold and enable us to cross into a new frontier here at home!

-colleen cronin, Honors Graduate Assistant

13 www.honors.neu.edu

enhancing honors: exploring historic Boston through city as textThis fall marked the sophomore year of Enhancing Honors 101; a one credit honors course for all incoming first year students in the Honors Program. Enhancing Honors is a team-taught course led by Professor Kelleher, Director of the Honors Program, and thirty-four upper class honors mentors. This years course experienced quite the transformation and became centered on city as Text, an honors initiative set forth by the National collegiate Honors council. The city as Text experience encourages student to explore new territories through mapping, observing, listening, and reflecting. Taking advantage of Northeasterns location in the heart of Boston, Enhancing Honors students hit the streets and explored five different neighborhoods.

Students drank bubble tea and observed the eclectic selection of stores in the chinatown and Downtown crossing neighborhood. The North End provided a close look at Bostons italian culture and local cuisine. Students strolled through Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall and explored the Navy Yard as part of their Waterfront tour. The Boston common reflected the history of Americas first public park. Lastly, students observed a large collection of Japanese prints at the Museum of Fine Arts and overlooked beautiful courtyards at the isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as part of their Avenue of the Arts tour.

These adventures helped honors students better understand the historical, cultural, and sociological environment of each Boston neighborhood. To supplement the city As Text experience through-out the course, Professor Kelleher explored various Boston themes in class including the famous Big Dig, the history of Banned in Boston, and One if by Land- the revolutionary past and present of Boston. Throughout the course, students also gained an insiders perspective on Boston while reading Michael Patrick MacDonalds Easter Rising, a memoir about growing up in Boston. The com-bination of these experiences allowed students to connect with the Northeastern and larger Boston community.

The new direction of the Enhancing Honors course was a success and supports the Honors Programs commitment to helping students understand everyday life through an active learning experience. Special thanks to the honors mentors who helped facilitate the learning of the first year students, and Michael Patrick MacDonald whose memoir Easter Rising became the complementary text to the Enhancing Honors city As Text experience.

- Katie Munroe Honors Program Graduate Assistant

What is Happening?continued

14

honors student council UpdatesAs a returning member of the Honors Student council (HSc) Executive Board (eBoard), i have had the opportunity to see the HSc grow and mature. While we have had setbacks, i think that we really moved forward this year in planning more and more programs for Honors students to meet and have fun. We had a great turn out at capture the flag, enjoyed movies with the showing of some Hitchcock movies, played Apples-to-Apples, our representation at the National collegiate Honors councils conference in San Antonio, Texas, visited the Museum of Fine Arts, and ate cookies, pie and candy. And finally, look forward to our coffee break for finals and a community service event!

While it may seem like were all out of ideas, get ready for even bigger events next semester. Our first annual Spring Fling dance is already funded, but we need your help to put it together and help plan it. if you have the programming experience or want programming experience, this would be the place to get it. Bring your ideas to the meetings. Wed love to hear them! Want to go bowling or ice skating at Frog Pond? Well, we wont know until you tell us!

i encourage every honors student to get involved with some aspect of the honors program. if youre going to say you were a part of this program for the last five years, why not have a hand in what you can be involved in? its one meeting every other week for a half hour and you could voice your opinions about any improvements or innovations you want to see. Like Maureen always says, we are the incubators for ideas.

-Barbara Lee psychology, 11

Journey to the final 4During the first semester of a business students career at Northeastern, he or she participates in the intro to Business class which consists of a semester long project of writing a business plan for the TJX corpo-ration and then giving an extensive presentation about it. Freshman students are divided into 125 teams that compete to be part of the Fab four which is the four best business plans and presentations as selected by the cBA faculty. My team was made up of entirely honors students including myself (Greg Skloot), Noah Mellen, Kathleen Fluharty and Mike Sobel. Our business plan idea, named MaxxWell-ness, was to implement an online corporate wellness program for TJXs approximately 129,000 employees worldwide. The project requires an extensive amount of research for the written component and practice for the presentation.

i believe the key to our success was the consistency of our meetings. While many teams met sporadically, our team held meetings at the same times, on the same days, each and every week of the semester. These meetings were when we accomplished most of our work on the project. The reason we were able to accomplish so much was partially due to our excellent meeting location. While i referred to it as our secret meeting place throughout the semester, MaxxWellness actually held its meetings in the honors office conference room, located on the ground floor of West village F. Many students in the honors program do not know about this room but is a great place to study and work on projects with other students. Unlike the common rooms in our dorms, this conference room was distraction free (except for the occasional visit from the honors program staff!).

in the end, after tireless labor in that conference room, my team and i emerged with a well crafted 35 page business plan and presentation that was selected by the faculty to be in the prestigious Final Four. On December 11th, my team and i gave our presentation to hundreds of students in the business school, faculty, and the actual TJX executives. it was a very rewarding experience and will only lead us to do greater things during our time here at Northeastern.

-Greg Skloot business administration, 13

What is Happening?continued

15 www.honors.neu.edu

the edible environment

Last fall Prof. Jenn Cole took her seminar class, The Edible Environment to Blue Heron Farm in Charlemont, Massachusetts. Students learned about and experienced a hands-on work opportunity covering practical aspects of commercial maple sugaring, high bush blue-berry cultivation and management, pasture/woodlot management using goats, fence maintenance and erection, marketing farm products, and the role of agri-tourism in the operations of a 140 acre diversified farm.

Announcementspartners in the parksWe are happy to announce that the Honors Program will again be sponsoring students for the 2009 season of NcHcs Partners in the Parks program. Partners in the Parks in an experiential learning program sponsored by the National collegiate Honors council in cooperation with the US National Parks Service and LL Bean. The Partners in the Parks experience includes seminars led by university faculty and park personnel, which include historical, scientific, cultural and other important areas unique to each given park. Students will also have the chance to take advantage of exciting recreational opportunities in the parks to broaden their understanding of the overall value of national parks to our country and its citizens.

This year the Honors Program will sponsor the registration for the following sites:

AcAdiA (Aug 8-14)

Bryce cAnyon (June 1-6)

grAnd cAnyon-PArAshAnt (MAy 25-30)

olyMPic (Aug 3-8)

Zion (MAy 11-16)

The application can be found on our website: www.honors.neu.edu.

The deadline for applying is March 1, 2009.

16

honors ambassadors Northeastern Universitys Honors Program is dedicated to recruiting a stellar group of students to the Honors community and the University as a whole. Honors Ambassadors is a pilot program beginning in fall of 2009. Honors Ambassadors is a way to share your enthusiasm for the Honors Program while acting as a representative of the Honors Program in a number of ongoing events, including recruitment. The Honors Program is looking to recruit 15 students to be Honors Ambassadors.

WhAt do honors AMBAssAdors do?

This is a unique opportunity to participate in recruitment related events and activities, some of the responsibilities include:

Attend Monthly Planning Meetings

Primarily responsible for attending recruitment events as requested and serving on open house and welcome day panels representing the Honors Program (approximately 3-4 per semester usually held on weekends)

Assist with Honors Welcome Week and Honors Evening

Opportunity to create new programs and events

WhAt Are the quAlificAtions of An honors AMBAssAdor?

Must be a second semester freshmen or above to apply, students on co-op are eligible.

Students applying should possess the following qualities: outgoing, friendly, able to speak in front of large groups, effective communi-cation skills, able to represent the Honors program positively and comfortable speaking to prospective students and parents.

Applications are available on the website www.honors.neu.edu and are due Friday, February 20th and an interview process will follow. Please feel free to contact the Honors Program with any questions.

The Honors Student council would like to welcome you to join Honors Book club for the spring semester. The Book club will be meeting on the following dates in the spring:

honors Book cluB schedule releAsed

All meetings will be held in 260 West village F at 8PM, directly after Honors Student council Meetings. The first book we will be reading and discussing is the graphic novel Watchmen. The requirements for participating in the Book club are a commitment to attending each meeting and bringing the $5 membership fee to the first meeting.

if you are interested in joining, please e-mail Sandy rago: rago.s@neu.edu

The group will be capped at 20 people, and filled on a first-come first serve basis, so please reply to this e-mail as soon as possible.

We look forward to reading with you this semester!

-Sandy rago psychology 12 Honors Student Council, VP of Academic Affairs

tuesdAy JAnuAry 27th

tuesdAy feBruAry 10th

tuesdAy feBruAry 24th

tuesdAy MArch 10th

tuesdAy MArch 24th

tuesdAy APril 7th

17 www.honors.neu.edu

Honors students travel the globe far and wide. Our newest installment Where in the World? is meant to capture students (and staff!) on their adventures around the world.

if you plan on traveling, studying abroad, or attending one of NUs wildly popular Dialogues of civilization, make sure to bring the Honors Perspective along! and snap a photo.

if you would like to submit a photo, please send your entries to Lauren Pouchak, Associate Director: l.pouchak@neu.edu.

The top photos each term will receive a $50 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble!

whErE in thE world?

above: christina Schlegel in Appenzell, Switzerland.

right: Kyle Jonasen in Hanakapiai falls, deep within the jungles of Kauais Na pali coast in Hawaii

below: Associate Director Lauren Pouchak at the Thai Elephant conservation center outside of chiang Mai, Thailand

bottom left: Travis Wilson explores Djemaa el Fna, the main market square in Marrakech, Morocco.

bottom right: Glen chiacchieri at the castle Morella in Spain.

Living Learning cornerWest Village fHonors students in West village F have had a great beginning to the school year. Over the course of the past few months residents have gotten to know their resident Assistants and attended numerous programs in the building.

The academic year in West village F started off with a rousing round of Assassins, played by the entire building. The resident Assistants planned the month long game where only one resident could prove victorious. This years Assassin winner was Elizabeth Yakabowski who was able to beat out the rest of West village F!

Over the course of the semester resident Assistant Jeffrey DiNardo has hosted a riddle competition on the white board in the lobby. riddles have ranged from easy to hard and students are frequently found standing in front of the board trying to solve the problems.

During finals week students were able to go to a number of study break sessions all including food and time to relax. One of these programs, put on by the WvF Hall council, was so successful that all the food was gone before the program technically started!

West village F resident Assistants are planning many exciting events for the Spring semester and are looking forward to what the rest of the school year will bring!

-Laura Piechowski Residence Director, West Village F

18

Honors Teaching Assistants

for Prof. Susan Settas First

Year inquiry Series course,

Theology, Ethics, and Practice

in the Worlds Religions.

From left to right: Nicole

Keimer, Danielle Thomas,

Lauren Hale, Brittany Lajoie,

Matthew Evola, Sonya

Kovacic, Laura credo.

Alumni corneri feel as though my life has come full circle over the last few months.

i graduated from Northeastern University in 1991, during one of the

worst economies seen since the great depression. Here i was, graduating

from NU cum Laude with High Honors, great cooperative education

experiences including a six month stint at iBM, GTE, and New York

Teachers retirement System coupled with two unbelievable semesters

abroad in ireland, and there were no jobs. My twin brother graduated

a year earlier without having the benefit of a cooperative education

program and had already been on the street and unemployed for the

last twelve months. His lack of success scared me to death because he

was an outstanding student with a high GPA but had no job in twelve

months of looking. i wanted to stay in the Boston area but quickly realized

i would be forced to move wherever an opportunity presented itself.

i fortunately landed an interview with GE capital as my college room-

mate had interviewed for the job a week earlier and actually told the

interviewer i know the perfect person for this position. i was afforded

an opportunity to interview and soon found myself in GE capitals three

year investment Analyst program. clearly my cooperative education

had separated me from the rest of the candidates as i was later told that

most of my competition for the job had little to no professional work

experience. i quickly realized that attending Northeastern U. coupled

with maintaining good grades, led to great coop opportunities and

eventually to the beginning of my career with GE.

i ended up working at GE capital for 11 years and enjoyed every minute

of my experience. i eventually worked my way into the asset based

lending field and began to specialize in lending to retailers. After

working in the audit, operations, and credit departments, i eventually

became a new business development officer. GEs ultimate goal is

to develop well rounded business individuals with strong credit and

marketing backgrounds. it was exciting working for Forbes rated best

company in America.

About two years ago i was offered an opportunity to manage Wells Fargo

retail Finances (WFrF) marketing and new business development

group in Boston, MA and i jumped at the opportunity. WFrF is a

leading provider of senior secured financing to middle-market and large

corporate retailers across the United States and canada, offering flexible,

innovative credit facilities from $10 million to $2 billion. it is part of

Wells Fargo & company, a diversified financial services company with

almost $500 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance investments,

mortgage and consumer finance to more than 23 million customers.

it is also the only AAA rated bank in the country.

i have been in Boston for the last 2 years, rekindled my love of the red

Sox and celtics, and live on the North Shore. i feel my life has come

full circle because i am back in Boston, once again faced with the worst

economy since the great depression, and my daughter is graduating

from High School and has applied to Northeastern. So lately i have

found myself visiting the campus and have also reached out to some of

my favorite Northeastern professors seeking guidance. i cant hide the

pride i have that my daughter could possibly follow in my footsteps. NU

was the best opportunity i had ever received and i made the most of it

i can only hope my daughter does the same.

Stephen Metivier finance and insurance, 91

West Village cThe WvBc Upperclass Honors LLc has had an eventful semester, highlighted by several key events. Early in the semester, residents were educated on the pitfalls associated with campus eating through an informative approach on a pizza program. Everyone gathered in the room for the meal, but accompanied by the food were nutritional values for pizza, and some other foods. it led to a healthy discussion on general health, food selection, and lifestyle changes.

On the afternoon of October 26th, a group of Honors students took a study break to TD Banknorth Garden to watch the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars. The 2008 Olympic gymnasts showed off their amazing skills to music playing in the background. The goal of this event was not only to give students a study break, but also to let them a chance to show their appreciation and support for the national super-stars who won a number of medals at the Summer Olympics. The group thoroughly enjoyed the show, as evidenced by their constant enthusiasm throughout the performance.

The upperclassmen Honors community LLc in West village c also held an Honors LLc Logo contest in the lobby of the residence hall. Through this event, the Honors residents had a chance to feel connected, and celebrate and show the pride of the Honors community they reside in, which included West village c, West village F, and Kennedy Hall. By bringing a common logo to these three residence halls, we hoped to build a stronger unity in them. This event reached majority of the Honors residents in Wvc, who were excited to vote for their favorite designs, and had a chance to meet and social with other residents.

- Evans Erilus Resident Director West Village C/B

19 www.honors.neu.edu

Honors P E r S P E c T i v E

Volume 5 Winter 2009

Northeastern University Honors Program360 Huntington Avenue150 West village FBoston, Massachusetts 02115

02.10

Pizza and ProfProf. rickles

02.19

Boston Symphony OrchestraMozart Symphonies 39, 40 & 41

03.19

Honors AlumniNetworking Event

03.28

Spring HOPHonors OutreachProject

04.06

Honors Evening

03.24

Pizza and Prof.Prof. Block

03.01

Partners in the Parks applications due