By Francesca Sales, News Correspondent
Summer is drawing to a close — is it really almost the end of July already? — and fall classes are looming. In response, Northeastern’s cultural and student life organizations are trying to ensure students will be hard-pressed to find a dull moment in the upcoming semester.
“It’s shaping up to be a fun fall of festivities,” said Renata Nyul, Northeastern’s director of communcations.
Kicking off the fall semester Sept. 6 is Xplosiac, a carnival which is part of Welcome Week. The event is sponsored by Northeastern’s various cultural centers, including the Asian American Center, the International Student and Scholar Institute and the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (LSCC). Attractions will include an aromatherapy workshop, African dance lessons, various international games, Asian street cuisine, giveaways that include travel packages and more. Xplosiac will take place at Centennial Commons from 2 to 4 p.m.
Many upcoming fall cultural events are being sponsored by the LSCC and will be hosted at its building on 104 Forsyth. Two events, the LSCC Meet and Greet and the annual LSCC Open House (Sept. 7 and Oct. 7, respectively), will allow new students to connect with current LSCC students, staff and faculty for more information on future events and available resources such as scholarships, computer lab use, program planning and more.
The LSCC will also be hosting a cooking workshop, called Cocinar Con Gusto (Spanish for “cooking with pleasure”), on Nov. 10 at noon. Students and faculty alike can participate in learning about Latino recipes and cooking methods.
Athletic activities slated for the fall include the Northeastern Big Dog 5K, a 3.1 mile race sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations. All Huskies are encouraged to attend – alumni, current students and faculty. The race will take place Sept. 18, with on-site activities beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the official run starting at 11 a.m. at the Lagoon Field, nearby the Charles River. The loop course, which will weave its way through Boston’s historic roads and around the Esplanade, will also be open to the general public.
The list of recreational activities for the Northeastern community will get bigger once pending programs and events are approved.
Jillian Blumberg, scheduling and event planning coordinator for the Office of Student Activities, said students should begin checking the myNEU portal’s Student Campus Calendar in early September and on a monthly basis to see what student events are approved and taking place.
Aside from keeping on top of the calendar, Jason Foster, director of the Office of Student Activities, said he encourages students to visit the Student Activities website at Northeastern.edu/studentactivities to stay up-to-date with upcoming events.
Students can also obtain information by check the Facebook pages of Northeastern’s recreational centers. AfterHOURS, for example, frequently updates its official Facebook page with upcoming events, and student users who join can be kept abreast of many of these activities. Additionally, many student groups update their pages with forthcoming events and dates, including auditions and performances.
