Author: Lauren Gondert

College students are staying past their welcome

Lauren Gondert Features

istock_000004671189small11.jpgBOSTON — It’s not often that you hear someone say “after college, I want to move back in with my parents,” yet that is what most college students are faced with upon graduating.

Known as Boomerang kids, adultolescents, and B2B (Back to Bedroom), the number of adults who return home after college has steadily increased since the 1970s. The high cost of housing and the unavailability of jobs with good benefits are causing young adults to find it more and more difficult to avoid the trap of moving back home with their parents. Continue reading →

Questioning the customs of Valentine’s Day

Lauren Gondert Fashion, Art & Culture

BOSTON — Every year on February 14th, millions of Americans exchange sugary candy, colorful flowers, and squishy stuffed animals in order to show loved ones just how much they care. College students are skeptical about the importance of Valentine’s Day, yet many still participate in the traditional customs that come with this classic day of love. Sometimes referred to as the most romantic day of the year, and other times as “singles awareness day,” there is no question that this holiday is certainly controversial.

“Valentine’s Day is overrated,” said Dennis Gabriel, a single sophomore at Suffolk University. “I never actually did anything for Valentine’s Day, I don’t think it’s a big deal. I guess if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend you’ll go along with it, but, I don’t know, it’s just another reason to do things, just another excuse to celebrate.” Continue reading →

Interior design, more than just a career

Lauren Gondert Community

juneericsonphoto.jpgBOSTON — Walking into 326 A Street in Boston, Mass., you realize right away that this is not your typical office. Twelve desks, cluttered with fabric samples, colored pencils, Diet Cokes, drawings, legends, and schedules are immersed in the mess. Suffolk interns with stressful looks on their faces are bustling about, crossing paths with each other as they try to make their deadlines.

Directing the scene, making sure that everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing, and when to get it done by, is an energetic and stylishly dressed redhead named June Ericson. Continue reading →

Combating diversity with bearhugs

Lauren Gondert Community

BOSTON — What would you do if you were asked to hug two complete strangers? That’s exactly what audience members attending Suffolk’s presentation, “Discussing Diversity with Ruthie Alcaide from MTV’s “The Real World: Hawaii” had to do.

After being asked to “find two people you have never met, and then give them both big bear hugs,” the audience giggled nervously and then shared awkward pats on the back.

This discussion took place on Tuesday, March 25, as a part of Suffolk University’s “Unity Week .” Ruthie Alcaide, from MTV’s infamous TV show “The Real World: Hawaii,” came to Suffolk to talk about acceptance and diversity. Continue reading →