Northeastern launches into busy events season to welcome the end of the academic year

Crowd of people walking around outside during the day in the sun.
Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Winter has come to a close and spring has officially started. Northeastern has  several events planned for the next few weeks to welcome the end of the semester. 

The university is jam-packed with activities for people to take part in in the months of April and May before the academic year comes to a close and students and faculty enjoy summer break—or return for the summer session.

April events:

Saturday, April 2:

Let’s kick it into high gear to welcome the new season! For the first time since 2019, the Springfest Concert returns. This tradition caps  Springfest, a weeklong series organized by Northeastern’s Council for University Programs, or CUP. 

Springfest is filled with fun activities such as performances, lectures, themed merchandise, and free food. The lineup for the concert includes Quinn XCII, Remi Wolf, Peach Tree Rascals, and DJ Rilla Force. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be held at Matthews Arena.

Monday, April 4:

Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week has started at the university, running from April 4 through April 8. The first event is the Gideon Klein Presentation | Syncopating Freedom: The Third Reich’s Use of Jazz as Propaganda.

The event will be held by Zachary Richmond, a 5th-year student in the Music Industry program in the College of Arts, Media and Design, who has dedicated his curriculum and co-ops to the field of music rights and representation while participating in various ensembles at the university such as jazz ensemble and fusion ensemble.

The presentation will start at 6 p.m. and end at 7:30 p.m. ET on April 4 at Northeastern’s Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex in room 102.

Tuesday, April 5:

A virtual lecture will be held on April 5 for Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week and will feature an advocate for social justice, anti-prejudice, and equality, Dr. Agnes Kaposi, a Hungarian-born British engineer, educator, and author.

Dr. Kaposi published her autobiography Yellow Star-Red Star in 2020 about her life as a child in Hungary before and during the Second World War and under Communist rule and her subsequent escape to Britain. The event will be held virtually via Zoom from 12 to 1:30 p.m. ET.

Wednesday, April 6:

Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week continues with a third-generation student presentation and discussion called “Leaving Auschwitz: The George Evers Story” by Northeastern student Randall Evers.

The event will be about Evers’s late grandfather George who was a Holocaust survivor. Those who attend will have the opportunity to listen to a recording of George telling his story in his own words.

The presentation and discussion will take place at 909 Renaissance Park from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET and virtually via Zoom. Refreshments will be provided at the event.

Thursday, April 7:

Are you interested in learning about different aspects of Northeastern from people who are closest to the work itself? Join this month’s presentation of Meet the University, featuring the Burnes Center, Northeastern’s new university-wide center for social change and social impact. 

This program will allow staff members to learn how to contribute to Northeastern 2025 while also growing the university’s collaborative network. The event is taking place from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET at the Egan Research Center on Forsyth Street in Boston.

For Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week, students and faculty are welcome to visit Armenian Heritage Park, a memorial to the Armenian Genocide. The visit will start at 10:30 a.m. ET and will be guided by Barbara Tellalian and Don Tellalian, the architects of the Armenian Heritage Park.

Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week will also feature a lecture on April 7, From Holocaust Denial to Holocaust Distortion: The State-sponsored Attack on the Memory of the Holocaust in Poland, that focuses on Holocaust denial and distortion that has reached an alarming stage in European countries, especially in Poland.

The lecture features Jan Grabowski, a Professor of History at the University of Ottawa and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, who focuses on the Holocaust in Poland and, more specifically, on the relations between Jews and Poles during the war. The lecture will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET at West Village F in room 020 and will be streamed live.

Friday, April 8:

To end Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week, students and faculty are invited to join a lunch seminar from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET at 956 Renaissance Park. The seminar will feature Nicole Fox, author of After Genocide: Memory and Reconciliation in Rwanda.

For those who are interested in attending, RSVP is required, email s.rabinovitch@northeastern.edu.

Tuesday, April 12:

Calling all recipients for the 2022 Compass Awards Program! It’s your time to shine and be recognized for the hard work you have demonstrated to Northeastern. 

Each year, there are nine Compass Awards presented, with two additional honors made: the Wendy Breen Kline Award, presented to one senior who shows both leadership and volunteer spirit, and the Garnet Award, which is given to one junior or third-year undergraduate student who demonstrates the same core values as the Compass Award recipients. 

The event, organized by Alumni Relations, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. ET in the Alumni Center, on the sixth floor of Columbus Place, 716 Columbus Ave.

Thursday, April 14:

A small gesture can go a long way, so get ready to give back! Make sure you mark your calendars for Northeastern’s annual Giving Day. On this day, Northeastern will join together for a day filled with challenges and celebrations. The event, organized by Alumni Relations, runs 24 hours long, from 12 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 14. Anyone is allowed to participate across the university to help support today’s Huskies!

Nearly 400 presenters are ready to showcase their latest research and creative projects to over 100 judges and sponsors April 14. More than 1,000 people have registered to attend the university’s RISE 2022 Virtual Expo event. RISE, the Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Entrepreneurship Expo, now the largest event of its kind in the nation, offers an opportunity to share fascinating, exciting work that’s happening at Northeastern. The event, held in the format of an online gallery and Q&A sessions, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Thursday, April 21:

LGBTQ+ students’ contributions to Northeastern will be recognized and celebrated at the Rainbow Graduation 2022 on April 21. The ceremony was first established in 1995 at the University of Michigan by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian, who was barred from attending the graduation of her children. She decided to create the ceremony to recognize  LGBTQ+ students at their colleges and universities.

The event, which offers a catered dinner, will be held in the Curry Student Center Ballroom, 360 Huntington Ave., from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

Tuesday, April 26:

Distinguished inductees, right this way! The time has come for the Huntington 100, a program sponsored by the Office of Student Life that honors students who embody the mission, ideals, and values of Northeastern. These recipients are chosen for impacting the campus community, demonstrating a level of leadership, showcasing entrepreneurial spirit, and participating in forms of global engagement.

The event, which offers a catered dinner, will be held on the 17th floor conference room in East Village. Inclusion in the Huntington 100 is by nomination only. For more information on the event, those interested can contact Emily Hardman, assistant dean of student programming and communications, at e.hardman@northeastern.edu or 617.373.5720.

Thursday, April 28:

This is a day of celebration, not only for Northeastern students, but also for faculty who have demonstrated excellence in scholarships, research, and teaching. The Academic Honors 2022 recognizes exceptional contributions to the university.

May events:

Saturday, May 7 to Friday, May 13:

Senior Week has arrived with events galore to end the academic year before the big day, Commencement. This week will be chock-full of activities organized by Alumni Relations and the Senior Year Experience Board, so make sure to stay tuned for more information.