February 6, 2026
The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community
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CAMPUS Epstein corresponded about Northeastern Read NU-related emails among the Epstein files.
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LIFESTYLE ‘Marty Supreme’ rallies ambition and reality Read about the emotional rollercoaster of a film.
A graphic featuring Joseph E. Aoun, interview request letters and The Huntington News newspapers. Aoun has not participated in a sit-down interview with The News since 2022. Photos and graphic by Margot Murphy.
THREE YEARS OF SILENCE Northeastern has repeatedly not granted, deferred The News’ requests to interview President Aoun KATARINA SCHMEISZER News Staff It has been more than three years since Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun last sat down for an interview with The Huntington News, and numerous requests from News staff to interview the president about university and world events have gone unfulfilled. The News has asked for an interview with the president in writing 11
times since Aoun was last interviewed by The News in December 2022. Members of The News’ staff and editorial board have also directly asked for interviews during in-person conversations with either Aoun himself or members of Northeastern’s Office of External Affairs. In the past decade, Aoun has spoken with The News three times, in the fall of 2020, 2021 and 2022. Prior to these interviews, the last time Aoun sat down with The News was October 2013.
Aoun is one of the most important voices and recognizable senior figures at the university, setting priorities for how Northeastern is run, both now and in the future, and partly influences how student tuition dollars are spent. Since taking over as president in 2006, Aoun has shaped Northeastern into a global university. During his presidency, the university has added 14 satellite campuses — in both domestic and international locations
— to its global network. Additionally, under Aoun, Northeastern became an R1 research university in 2016, added new research-focused buildings to the Boston campus and expanded its research capabilities by establishing the Roux Institute in Portland, Maine, which opened in 2020. The News is the only student-run, independent news publication at Northeastern and one of the most widely-read publications on campus. AOUN, on Page 6
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CROSSWORD Solve The News’ February crossword! Answers will be revealed in the next print issue.
Graphic by Rhea Lamba
Northeastern signs new agreements with City of Boston
LAILA GUZMAN GRIFFIN News Staff
Jim Madigan (right) talks at a postgame press conference at the Beanpot tournament Feb. 2, 2016. Madigan became athletic director at Northeastern in 2021 after serving as head coach and assistant coach of the men’s hockey team. File photo by Alex Melagrano.
Northeastern’s athletic director talks new facility ELLI EINSET Sports Editor
Northeastern University has been a staple in Jim Madigan’s life since 1981. He’s seen the institution from every angle — from student-athlete to associate dean of advancement for the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, to head coach of the men’s
hockey team and now the university’s athletic director. “I thought all my experiences kind of aligned up to this role … It was one that I embraced and enjoyed, and I was honored that the institution had thought about me in that role,” Madigan said of his promotion in 2021 to athletic director.
As a hockey player, Madigan made an impact on the ice with a career record of 67-59-5. He helped the team to the NCAA Frozen Four and two Beanpot trophies in 1984 and 1985, was voted NU Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was named an assistant captain his senior season. FACILITY, on Page 2
Last fall, Northeastern University and the City of Boston announced they would enter two new agreements, increasing Northeastern’s annual payments to the city by 36.8% — a commitment experts say requires long-term accountability and community engagement by the university. The city announced the new agreements — a 5-year-long payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, program and 10-year institutional master plan, or IMP — Nov. 13. The payments for the PILOT program are slated to start in Fiscal Year 2026, while the IMP proposals have their own development schedules. Over the next decade, the IMP obligates Northeastern to pay approximately $62.5 million in community benefits, including investments in affordable housing, funding for the planning and beautification of Nubian Square and expanded public access to Northeastern facilities such as Carter Playground and the field bubble. With the PILOT agreement,
Northeastern separately pledged more than $49 million in cash and additional benefits to the city over five years. The IMP, which includes plans for the next 10 years, outlines specific obligations the university must meet and is determined by negotiations between city and university officials. Previous IMP editions laid the path for Northeastern’s rapid urban growth: specifically, a 73% increase in real estate holdings in Boston over the past 25 years, according to reporting by The Boston Globe. This included the construction of Snell Library, Curry Student Center, Marino Recreation Center, the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex and EXP. Notably, Northeastern’s expansion into Roxbury has raised concerns of gentrification and housing displacement from local residents. During payment negotiations last fall, the city requested Northeastern pay the city $10 million annually — an increase from previous payments of $1.9 million — because of its expansion, The Globe reported. PARTNERSHIP, on Page 3