On Friday night, thousands of Northeastern college students took off their underwear and walked through the city to participate in the university’s annual tradition.
The annual underwear movement in the Northeast region, in its 13th year, serves as a way for students to relieve stress during the mid-term exam. As the Facebook page of the event said, “Show people in Boston and other schools around us who really run the city!”
The students gathered at the Speare Quad and danced with DJ Antrik, who had hosted the event a few years ago and is well known in the student community.
“This is my first time at Northeastern University. I think it’s great and crazy,” said Jorge Navarrete, a third-year international business professional. “I am a transfer student from Mexico, let me tell you that they don’t have such a thing over there.”
Short trips through the city are not real competitions, but an opportunity for more than 2,000 students to relax.
“It’s crazy, but the Bostonians are crazy and cold, but it looks interesting. It really shows Boston how the Northeast students appear,” said Antoine Godfroy, a second-year business administration student.
Due to the increase in runners, the organizers modified the route to avoid turmoil at the Prudential Center. Based on a long tradition, students walk along the campus, along Huntington Avenue, to the Prudential Center. However, this year’s second round was completed on Hemenway Street.
The Northeastern University Police Department held an event for this purpose, but did not hinder the celebration.
Despite the impact of low temperatures at night, Floris Hooijkaas, a first-year international business professional, already knows the legend of underwear sports.
“Although I am a freshman, I have known this tradition for a few years,” Hooijkaas said. “Although I didn’t participate in the underwear movement because of the cold weather, I definitely thought it brought a sense of community and established a school spirit.”
Julia Pires, a first-year computer science major, said she appreciates the positive and united nature of the event.
“It goes without saying that the underwear movement brings together the Northeastern student community,” Pires said. “But I also think that it gives a lot of girls power and helps to break the stereotype of the body, just giving people a sense of liberation. ”
