Name: Lindsey Bressler
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Majors: International Affairs and Economics
Student Involvement: NUIC (Northeastern University Interfaith Council), Northeastern Hillel G-board, HA (Husky Ambassadors), Northeastern Political Review
Could you tell me a bit about each of your clubs?
I’m in the NUIC steering committee, which works with faculty to promote interfaith events. We went to NYU over the summer for the Center for Spiritual Life’s Interfaith Conference. The conference was put on by Interfaith Youth Corps, which is a national organization. Northeastern’s Center for Spirituality Dialogue and Service brought a group of 7 of us (I think that’s how many there were) to come and learn. Before, NUIC was just interfaith groups but we want other students to get more involved in the planning of interfaith events. I’m in the Northeastern Hillel, which is a nationwide Jewish hub. We host religious and cultural events. I’m on the general board (G-board) and we plan different events for Jewish groups. As a Husky Ambassador, I give tours, train, shadow, and evaluate tour guides. I’m also a Northeastern Political Review associate column editor.
Why did you choose to get involved with the Interfaith group?
I came into college studying Arabic, inspired by the Arab Spring, and it wasn’t exactly what I wanted necessarily. I realized I wanted to intersect this with my Jewish identity and with making a difference, and I felt that positive change fit with interfaith work on campus. I feel like this group is utopian, smiling, accepting… we want to know your traditions and opinions. I feel like this is the best we could be doing on campus, bringing people of different backgrounds together. I love the energy we have.
So, essentially, you find it important to “imitate,” so to speak, religious tolerance on a small scale in order to see how we can apply it to a large scale, like the world itself?
Yeah! And it’s great because there are all kinds of different age groups and spectrums involved in NUIC. I actually did an independent research project on how public elementary schools address religion, along with my partner, Taylor. We looked at schools on Long Island and in Missouri and did interviews with teachers, parents, and faith leaders to examine trends for further research. Even Northeastern is different than a school in rural Iowa. We’re creating people going out into the world. College campuses are amazing. I’m so happy to be in college.
What is the Northeastern Political Review?
It’s a publication on campus that is a voice for people who want to write high-quality, objective politics. Politics is a broad word… it’s not just about congress or other institutions. For instance, there was one article about the importance of honeybees. Our editor, Josh, has restructured the publication. Now, we have bi-weekly columnists to encourage people to write about political issues they’re passionate about. Our articles can be found on Google Scholar! I wrote about Saudi Arabia, and my old head editor’s roommate cited it in one of her papers, which was really cool. Everyone in the room is a thousand times smarter than me, which is really cool to be a part of. Last year we had international pieces discussing the re-militarization of japan, Fiji and the shifts of politics, domestic mental health issues, and drug use — things like that.
So you edit the Northeastern University Political Review?
I’m the Associate Column Editor. I work one-on-one with Hannah Lifshuz, the head editor. We edit articles on things like the Republican congress and how Obama’s last term of presidency intersects with the tribulations that come with that. I like to have a one-on-one relationship with a writer.
What do you do as a Husky Ambassador?
I don’t select the students who apply, but when they are selected, I shadow, evaluate, and train new Ambassadors. I love being a part of HA because every time I feel overwhelmed or sad, I give a tour and it solidifies my love of Northeastern. Northeastern is great. Sometimes it’s too overwhelming, and sometimes there’s a lot of pressure, but there are so, so many opportunities here that I do feel grateful to be here. My greatest love is between me and my university.
So you also went on a dialogue to India over the summer?
Yes! With professor Ganguly, we went to India to study climate change science and policy. Our coursework included learning statistical/engineering software, conducting mock war games, and hearing from guest lecturers at notable universities across India. We went all over the country: Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kerala, and Delhi. I’m going back again this summer and I’m so excited!