Northeastern’s London students bond with pizza, Hook a Husky game and a live musical performance by their own pop star
“Super cool” Husky Fest brings the whole Northeastern University London community together to kick off the school year.
LONDON — A bit of typical British rain was not going to stop pop artist Sophie Feriani from entertaining her schoolmates at the inaugural Husky Fest.
Plenty of the second-year law student’s fellow Huskies braved the downpour on Wednesday to see the British-Tunisian singer perform on the dockside stage set up on Northeastern University’s London campus.
“It was super cool,” says Feriani, who has released her own music and performs around London. “The rain definitely made it an interesting experience. But my friends stayed out for it, as did other people — it was really good.”
Husky Fest — London’s answer to Fall Fest on the Boston campus — brought the school together to mark the first week of classes in the new academic year.
Spread across Northeastern’s site on St Katherine Docks, the festival took over the cobbled waterfront location and the nearby floating pontoon, while a fair featuring student clubs and societies took place inside Devon House.
There were live performances, with Feriani singing and members of the Literature Society reading their self-penned poetry, and a chance to win prizes at the “Hook a Husky” stall, with the floating husky-ducks having been produced using 3D printers in the newly opened makerspace in the Portsoken One building on campus.
To complete the traditional funfair theme, there was a high striker, a photo booth and a lemonade stand on the docks, with an ice cream vendor and arts and crafts available on the pontoon.
Hospitality businesses, including nearby pizzeria Fatto A Mano, partnered with the school to supply students with lunch options. Not even the late-summer showers could dampen the enthusiasm for the Italian fare, with the restaurant chain pumping out 550 pizzas in three hours. At the indoor fair, there was a wellness bar, serving fresh fruit and granola.
Lining up for pizza was psychology student Kiara Peckham, who just started her second year in London after opting to switch to studying for her undergraduate degree in the U.K. full time because she enjoyed her first-year experience studying in London.
“It is good to be back at school and to see my friends again,” says Peckham.
The Bostonian says she feels Husky Fest, which was organized by London’s student life and events teams, is a good new addition to the Northeastern calendar. “It is nice to see it and nice to feel like a community,” she adds.
Jackson McCaughan, a finance major from Washington, D.C., has only been in the U.K. for a little over two weeks but says both Welcome Week, which took place Sept. 1-6, and Husky Fest have aided his settling-in process.
“These types of events definitely help,” he says. “Even with the club fair, I was able to meet new people, so I really appreciate things like this.”
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The freshman says he signed up for a host of events during Welcome Week which helped to familiarize him with his new surroundings. Highlights included a cruise down the River Thames and an arcade night in Devon House where first-year students had the chance to play classic computer games.
Even the first week of classes, which started Monday, has involved fresh introductions, McCaughan adds, with lecturers arranging ice-breaker activities.
“I appreciate things like when my macroeconomics teacher did a thing where she got us into a group of four and asked us to get people’s names, something they like to do, and just something they like about macroeconomics,” he says. “It was only for about three minutes … but I was able to learn about them and now I know the people sitting next to me, which helped.”
The festival, as well as being a community celebration, was also designed to introduce students to local services and amenities.
Members of the Metropolitan Police, London’s police force, were there to highlight the way that fraudsters can look to target university students. Other local businesses, including gym group Fitness First and Club Pilates, were also on hand to speak with students about their offerings.
As someone new to the city, Erin Choi — who was posing for pictures with friends Elizabeth Toth and Rebecca Pan next to a Northeastern “N” board with its sequined backing — says Husky Fest brought the Northeastern community together.
“Everything has been good, the food has been awesome,” says the New Yorker. “I’ve liked the games; they have been fun.”
The biology student’s lasting memory of Welcome Week, having moved in to the Chapter Spitalfields halls of residence just over a week ago, is how approachable students and staff have been.
“Everyone here is really nice, that is what I’ve noticed,” she says. “Moving to London has definitely been a new experience. I’m finding it comfortable and welcoming. It is like New York — the vibes are nice, I like it here.”
