On March 28, I woke up to a notice from the Northeastern University Police Department, or NUPD, that a Northeastern student was stabbed the previous night outside Marino Recreation Center.
Like other students, I was deeply troubled by the news, yet relieved that the student’s injuries were non-life-threatening. But when a violent incident occurs on the campus that you set foot on every day, it hits you.
And while the fear of violence is always prevalent nowadays, I always felt safe on Northeastern’s campus.
But just a few days later, April 1, another person was stabbed near East Village, and shots were fired at the intersection of Hemenway and Gainsborough streets. Then, April 4, a suspect injured Boston police officers and clinicians with a sword before police fatally shot him.
Incident after incident, the community’s panic grew. We heard the chatter and fear from students on social media and received more notices from Northeastern police to stay away from the crime scenes.
In times of crisis, students look to university leadership for reassurance. But through the past week’s incidents, we’ve heard nothing from Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun.
You’ve read about Aoun’s lack of transparency, avoidance of interviews with The Huntington News and how his administration leaves student voices out of decision making. It’s severe enough that two weeks ago, the Boston City Council held a hearing to discuss how Northeastern’s lack of communication is affecting its students and faculty. Earlier this year, a faculty senate survey revealed many faculty are frustrated with the university’s leadership.
Aoun used to pen statements to the community much more frequently. But more recently, with momentous events like the April 2024 pro-Palestinian encampment and the Trump administration’s onslaught of attacks on higher education, Northeastern’s communication changed, relying mostly on FAQ pages unsigned by university leadership.
For the recent string of crime on the Boston campus, communication came in the form of an article on the university-run media outlet Northeastern Global News. In the article, Northeastern’s Chief of Police Ruben Galindo assured students the campus was safe.
What happened next? Another violent incident the next day right near campus. Once again, an email notice from NUPD that lacked details. Once again, scared students were looking for answers.
And once again, not a word from Aoun.
I know that Aoun is a busy man. I understand that crime happens. But four violent incidents in the span of a few days is not our norm. They all occurred directly on campus or on streets heavily populated by Northeastern students living off campus. A person died. Others were hurt. This violence could have happened to any student on campus, and all we want to hear is assurance from the leaders tasked with keeping us safe that they are prioritizing our well-being.
If there were ever a time for Aoun to reach out to the Northeastern community, this was it. Instead, students relied on social media, as well as coverage from The Huntington News and other local outlets for information. And while The News is meant to inform the community, its coverage is not meant to be in place of clarity from the university. This past week, it had to be.
This was Aoun’s chance to show the Northeastern community that he cares. He may be focused on advocating for artificial intelligence, writing op-eds in The Boston Globe and preparing his commencement address, but it is his responsibility as university president to step up during times of fear. If he gave even the simplest acknowledgment that he and the administration care for students and faculty, it could have been a major boost to his tanking reputation.
Instead, he stayed silent. And the community is taking note.
Daniel Patchen is a third-year communication and media studies combined major and social media editor for The Huntington News. He can be reached at [email protected].
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