Hammered

The paper-littered back corner of a shared office on the second floor of the Northeastern Student Center doesn’t exactly scream “hub of college partying.” However, Northeastern’s Hammered prove naysayers wrong—on many levels.

Since 2001, Hammered, a Northeastern student-run organization, has been devoted to providing fun social outlets for college students that do not involve alcohol. While this concept may seem mind-boggling to many college students, the officers of Hammered boast an e-mail list of over 200 people and host events at least twice a week.

While the officers of Hammered say they encourage students to pursue non-alcohol related activities, they insist that they never preach to students about their alcohol consumption. “We try to stay neutral. All we do is offer an alternative. We don’t say it’s bad and we don’t say it’s wrong,” says Matt N. Finkel, the soft-spoken but confident president of the organization. Among other activities, the members of Hammered played beer pong with broccoli (as opposed to beer) for a promotional video.

Although none of the officers themselves consume alcohol, they say that they are accepting of those who do. “We are not exclusive. People who drink are welcome to come,” Finkel says.

Joshua A. Breckman, Hammered’s vice president and promotional director, likens this policy to the United States’ policy on homosexuals in the military. “It’s kind of like, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” Breckman says.

The group’s weekly activities include an open Monday night meeting, where events are planned, and “Do-Stuff Thursday,” as opposed to the more traditional “Thirsty Thursday.”

In general, Hammered activities range from ice skating to wiffle ball to live performances. Their largest annual event is their fall “Wimpy Body Contest.” “We try to get all of the wimpiest guys on campus and try to do a Miss America type pageant with them,” Finkel says. Breckman proudly adds, “I won the first year it was done.”

Hammered plans to expand to other colleges and universities in the near future. However, expansion to Harvard may not be so simple. “Alcohol is a part of every culture,” Colin B. Jackson ’06 says. “These people who are trying to have fun without alcohol are actually going against human nature. They’re trying to destroy society with this club.”

Undergraduate Council (UC) president Matthew M. Mahan ’05 is also hesitant regarding the reception of such a group on campus. “If the UC were to set up an initiative whose sole mission was to be providing regular events that provide no alcohol, and if we were too explicit about it, it would be stigmatized,” Mahan says. Nevertheless, it may not be too long before Harvard gets Hammered.