By Meghan Colloton
There’s no place like home for the holidays.
Finals are about to begin and the mad dash for students to pack their bags and head out of the residence halls for the holidays is in full swing. But there is a group of Northeastern students that are stuck here in Boston, while most students get to head back home for celebration.
Many students on co-op will remain in Boston through the holiday season.
“Co-op students are considered full time employees,” said Rochelle Rosen, the communications manager from the Division of Cooperative Education. “Time off is negotiated strictly between the student and the employer.”
Instead of seeing friends at home, junior communications major Renee Wright plans to make her friends come to her while she is stuck in Boston until late December.
Other students stuck in Boston plan to make the most of the holiday season while they are here.
Middler behavioral neuroscience major Emily Smith plans to drive around neighboring towns looking at lights and shopping with her friends that are also still here for co-op.
Smith said she does not mind that everyone else gets to leave before she heads home for the holidays.
“I’d rather go home later than take exams right now,” she said.
There are other co-op students that plan to enjoy the solitude of the campus while their peers head home for the holidays.
Reading books and playing his guitar is how Michael Laham, a middler civil engineering major, plans to pass the time before returning home once he gets a break from his job.
Because students spend most of their co-op time off campus, the university is working to help students stay more connected to campus while they are working.
Co-op Connection Manager Sonya Mariotti said she wants to keep co-op students aware of events on campus and around the city. Mariotti plans to put together a survey with the help of the Student Government Association and the Resident Student Association in January, so co-op students can express their ideas for ways to stay connected during the intersession.
“If it is something that students need, I’d be really excited to make it happen,” Mariotti said.
What some students like Candice Williams said they need is a bigger pay check.
The middler communications and cinema studies major said she will have to work into the holidays, and will pick up a couple of extra shifts to make some more money.
Williams said she is not jealous of other schools and students that will be able to enjoy a holiday break.
“Co-op for us is somewhat of an advantage over other schools, although it all depends on your co-op experience,” she said. “So far, mine has been rewarding and worth it.”
A few co-op students, such as middler criminal justice major Nicholas Deyo, were able to talk their employer into giving them a break.
“It all depends on the co-op and who you are working with,” said Deyo who works at Securitas Security Services, USA, Inc. “It also depends on how hard you work and whether or not they will be flexible.”
