By Aanchal Dharmani, news correspondent
Thousands of Northeastern students stripped down to their underwear Friday night and ran through the city to participate in what has become an annual tradition for the university.
Northeastern’s Annual Underwear Run, in its 13th year, serves as an way for students to relieve stress while studying for midterm exams. As the event’s Facebook page says, “to show Boston and other schools around us who really runs this town!”
The students gathered at the Speare Quad, dancing to DJ Antrik, who hosted the run in previous years and is well known within the student community.
“This is my first time at Northeastern University and I think this is awesome and completely crazy,” said Jorge Navarrete, a third-year international business major. “I am a transfer student from Mexico and let me tell you, they have nothing like this over there.”
The jaunt through the city was not an actual race, but a chance to let loose for over 2000 students.
“It is crazy, but Bostonians are crazy and it is very cold, but this looks fun. It truly shows Boston how Northeastern students turn up,” said Antoine Godfroy, a second-year business administration student.
Due to the increase in runners, the organizers modified the route in order to avoid an uproar at the Prudential Center. According to the long-standing tradition, the students follow a course map that goes around campus, along Huntington Avenue and ends at the Prudential Center. This year, however, the second loop of the run finished on Hemenway Street.
The Northeastern University Police Department stood by to secure the event, but did not get in the way of the festivities.
Though deterred by the night’s low temperature, first-year international business major Floris Hooijkaas already knew the lore of the Underwear Run.
“Even though I am a freshman, I have known about this tradition for a few years now,” Hooijkaas said. “Although I am not participating in the Underwear Run because of the cold weather, I definitely think it brings a sense of community and builds school spirit.”
First-year computer science major Julia Pires said she appreciated the body-positive and unifying nature of the event.
“It goes without saying that the underwear run brings the Northeastern student community together,” Pires said, “but I also think that it empowers a lot of girls and helps break body stereotypes and just gives a liberating feeling.”
