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The Freshman 5: Identity Starter Kit

New to Boston? Time for a fresh start? Try one of these identities on for size.
By PHOENIX STAFF  |  September 5, 2012

So here you are, a Boston newbie, all too ready make those crappy, awkward high school days a thing of the past. Wanna completely revamp your identity? Here's a quick and dirty Boston guide to becoming the full-fledged ______ you've always wanted to be.

activist

THE ACTIVIST

Know this, fledgling iconoclasts: Dewey Square may be tentless, but there are plenty of ways to keep your "Damn The Man" side occupied around here.

WAYS TO FOMENT REBELLION

•Sign up for a free library card at the Papercut Zine Library (at Lorem Ipsum Books) | 1299 Cambridge St, Cambridge | 617.497.7669 | loremipsumbooks.com

•Check out the books, radical films, and speakers at the Lucy Parsons Center | 358A Centre St, Jamaica Plain | 617.522.6098 | lucyparsons.org

•Volunteer with Food Not Bombs (fnbboston.org).

•Spend your Friday night at an all-ages DIY or punk show instead of the typical house party. Look for copies of the Counter Cultural Compass (BostonCCCompass.com) around town for listings.

•Familiarize yourself with collective-of-collectives Encuentro 5 (encuentro5.org).

•If your college doesn't offer the class you're looking for (Street Art 101? The Eight Circuit Brain?), then the free, locationless, anarchist Corvid College might be better for you. Their course catalog and more is at corvidcollege.wikidot.com

EVENTS TO JOT DOWN IN YOUR SLINGSHOT ORGANIZER

•Boston Feminists for Liberation's March to End Rape Culture | September 22 | facebook.com/Bostonfeminists4lib

•The 2012 Boston Anarchist Bookfair | November 9-11 | Simmons College | bostonanarchistbookfair.org

•Boston's Collective Housing Assembly's monthly meeting | Second Saturday of every month | assembly.bostoncoops.org

WHERE TO EAT CRUELTY-FREE

•Peace O' Pie | 487 Cambridge St, Allston | 617.787.9884 | peaceopie.com

•Grasshopper | 1 North Beacon St, Allston | 617.254.8883 | grasshoppervegan.com

•FoMu | 481 Cambridge St, Allston | 617.903.3276 | facebook.com/fomuice

•Veggie Planet | 47 Palmer St, Cambridge | 617.661.1513 | veggieplanet.net

•Veggie Galaxy | 450 Mass Ave, Cambridge | 617.497.1513 | veggiegalaxy.com

Life Alive | 765 Mass Ave, Cambridge MA | 617.354.5433 | lifealive.com

SPLURGE ETHICALLY

•Sudo Shoes | 1771 Mass Ave, Cambridge | 617.354.1771 | sudoshoes.com

•Blue State Cafe | 957 Comm Ave, Boston | 617.254.0929 | bluestatecoffee.com

•Boomerangs Special Edition | 1407 Washington St, Boston | 617.456.0996 | shopboomerangs.org

•Harvest Co-Op | 57 South St, Jamaica Plain | harvestcoop.com

•Bikes Not Bombs | 18 Bartlett Square, Jamaica Plain | 617.522.0226 | bikesnotbombs.org

VOLUNTEER WITH AN ON-CAMPUS SAFE SPACE

•The BU Women's Resource Center: Open Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm and located in the basement of the George Sherman Union | 775 Comm Ave, Boston | buwomen@gmail.com | 617.358.5575 | buwrc.org

•The Boston College Women's Resource Center: Open weekdays 10 am-4 pm | McElroy Hall, Room 141, 140 Comm Ave, Chestnut Hill | wrc@bc.edu | 617.552.3489 | bc.edu/wrc

•Emerson EAGLES | Emerson's Alliance for Gays, Lesbians and Everyone | Office #L133A, 150 Boylston St, Boston | emersoneagle@gmail.com | emersoneagle.org

•The Rainbow Lounge @ MIT: Open Tuesday-Friday 12-6 pm, with a weekly first-year gathering Tuesdays at 6 pm | MIT Building 50 | 142 Memorial Drive, Cambridge | 617.253.6777 | lbgt@mit.edu | lbgt.mit.edu

•The Tufts University Women's Center: Open weekdays 9 am-5 pm | 55 Talbot Ave, Medford | 617.627.3184 | ase.tufts.edu/womenscenter

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