February 5, 2021

The Huntington News February 5, 2021

The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community

@HuntNewsNU

Photo by Kenneal Patterson Classrooms across campus are outfitted with NUflex technology designed to facilitate a hybrid learning model.

UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTS FACULTY TO ENCOURAGE IN-PERSON LEARNING

By Julia Carlin | Deputy Campus Editor Northeastern University officials asked faculty members for help with one thing before classes started: encouraging students to attend in-person classes.

In an email sent Jan. 14, university officials urged teachers to promote in-person attendance. The email included strategies for getting students to come to class, including specific language to be used in syllabi and reminding students of what university officials believe are the benefits of in-person learning. Screenshots of the email were posted to Twitter and received criticism from faculty and students.

The email also introduced a peer-to-peer social media campaign with the slogan “Moments that Matter,” launched on TikTok and Instagram. One of the videos, posted to Twitter, reminds students how to

set their attendence preference to primarily in-person and says, “When you’re in the classroom you’ll find moments that matter. Don’t miss the moments that matter.”

Students were also encouraged to attend class to avoid feeling lonely and unmotivated. The email noted that “Feelings of social isolation and low motivation can affect learning,” and that “Campus is one of the safest places you can be.”

Thomas Sheahan, senior vice provost for curriculum and programs, said the university sent the email in response to a decrease in in-person attendance, which he said was in line with national trends. Sheehan said students choose to remain at home when they see other students doing the same.

“It ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy of ‘Well, I’m

not going to go today because no one else is going and then it’s not as fun or energizing or stimulating,’” Sheehan said. “And then they don’t go. Gradually, several students decide that, and by the time you’re done, there’s only a few students left in the class, and they’ve created an environment where people aren’t there any more.”

Sheehan said the intention of the email was to encourage teachers to engage with their students so they feel compelled to come in person and remind students that coming to class may be beneficial.

“It’s called social learning — [students] learn better when they’re together, they learn better when they see a faculty member who’s role modeling, who’s using terminology IN-PERSON, on Page 2

Small businesses see growth with TikTok virality

By Zeynep Tuncer News Correspondent Since its emergence in 2017, TikTok has taken the world by storm.

The social media platform that gained recognition for its 15-second viral videos has quickly climbed the charts and become one of the most downloaded apps, with more than 800 million users worldwide to date.

TikTok has played a monumental role in influencing everything from the music industry to small businesses nationwide. The effect is noticeable even in the immediate Boston area, where TikTok recommendations have bolstered the presence of many local enterprises.

Whether it be a coincidence or intentionally done by the brands themselves, many businesses have

started seeing growth from TikTok. Popular videos that show the benefits of a certain product can cause it to sell out in stores almost immediately.

Restaurants and stores have benefited from the fame, as the visual appeal of certain types of food or the layout of a store can cause thousands of people to flock to places they otherwise wouldn’t have known about.

A number of small businesses based in Boston have been on the radar recently after being featured in some of these TikToks. High Energy Vintage in Somerville and Boomerangs in Cambridge are two thrift stores that have gained an increased following after a number of TikTok creators listed them as places people should visit.

Andrew Wiley, who has owned and operated High Energy Vintage

for about 8 years, said it’s much more than just an online trend. A short compilation of clips of the store interior, put together by user and customer @leah_magss, garnered more than 363,000 views on TikTok after being posted in August 2020.

After being closed from April to mid-July due to the COVID-19 pandemic and experiencing a slow return to allowing customers into the store, the exposure generated lines that stretched far past the door.

Boomerangs, owned and operated by the AIDS Action Committee and Fenway Health, has been serving the Greater Boston area since 1993.

Functioning as a nonprofit thrift store, the proceeds are dedicated to HIV prevention initiatives as well as housing and local outreach.

TIKTOK, on Page 4

Photo by Zeynep Tuncer Perime Magazine is one of many businesses capitalizing on its TikTok presence to increase growth and brand loyalty.

CAMPUS

Page 2

February 5, 2021

Controversy over email encouraging in-person learning IN-PERSON, from front in person with them. So there’s a lot of benefits for students to be in class,” Sheahan said.

Despite what Sheahan describes as the university’s intentions, the directive was not well received by Ryan Cordell, associate professor of English, who posted screenshots of the email to Twitter. In a thread, Cordell called the action “unconscionable” and “reckless” and said there was “no moral justification” to encourage behavior that, he said, contradicts public health guidelines.

Cordell, who describes himself as “further down the spectrum of public health” and as “skeptical” of any amount of in-person learning, said encouraging more in-person learning is irresponsible.

“Cases are going up, and the public health is not moving in a direction where it would lead me to believe it’s responsible to encourage people to be more in person,” Cordell said in an interview.

His son could be heard in the background banging on his drum set.

Cordell is teaching entirely remote because his wife is classified as high risk for COVID-19. He said his classes are mostly discussion-based and translate well to Zoom but poorly to a masked and distanced hybrid model.

What upset him most, however, was the manipulative manner in which the administration approached the matter, he said. Thus far, the university has had a policy of personal choice and has given students the latitude to determine their own risk tolerance. He felt

the email exploited student-teacher power dynamics.

“It felt like trying to co-opt faculty into explicitly encouraging something that was irresponsible,” Cordell said.

“I know the power dynamics in the classroom are such that if the professor says ‘I’d love to see you in class,’ students will read that as potentially something they have to do, rather than something they have a choice about.”

He also found the university’s citing of mental health as disingenuous; to him, it seems the biggest benefit of in-person learning is that it looks good for the school.

“It wasn’t clear to me for what reason, other than the optics of having students in the classroom,” he said.

Cordell took to Twitter because he finds the university is often more responsive to public pressure than to internal expressions of concern. He said it was necessary to use the protections of his tenure to hold the university accountable. No disciplinary measures were taken against Cordell, but he said administrators have expressed their disapproval for his actions.

His tweet received over 160 retweets and nearly 350 likes. Many students and faculty members joined Cordell in his criticisms of the university’s directive.

Soraya Pierre-Louis, a fifth-year biology major and student employee in the Curry Student Center, retweeted Cordell’s tweet, adding: “Every day we are sent as lambs to slaughter.”

She said her comment was partially a joke but refers to the fact that many students will listen blindly to professors’ recommendations, even if it puts

them in a dangerous and, potentially, deadly situation.

Pierre-Louis also took offense to the university citing mental health as a reason to “ignore public health recommendations.” As a former resident assistant, or RA, she said she has seen firsthand the inadequacy of mental health support on campus. University Health and Counseling Services, or UHCS, employs nine counselors for over 14,000 students. Pierre-Louis thinks if Northeastern cares about students’ mental health, they would direct their attention to improving services through UHCS and the Northeastern University Police Department, or NUPD. As an RA, she frequently found herself sending students to UHCS or feeling that she had no choice but to call NUPD on a student.

“Students came back to me crying saying, ‘UHCS wouldn’t help me,’ or ‘NUPD laughed in my face,’” she said.

“Usually the reply from Northeastern is we have 24/7 help, but students keep coming back saying it’s not helpful.”

While Pierre-Louis agrees that many students are feeling socially isolated, she doesn’t see the correlation to improved learning. Social isolation is an unfortunate consequence of the pandemic and impacts far more than just learning.

“It’s been a year of recorded COVID-19 cases, so people are kind of used to social isolation whether they like it or not … I don’t think students are thinking, ‘My social isolation is affecting my learning.’ The whole world facing a pandemic is affecting every aspect of life, not just classes and

learning,” Pierre-Louis said.

She said she struggles with these feelings but still isn’t willing to go to class in person most days.

“There’s a lot of fear on Northeastern’s campus, and I don’t think the administration is understanding that students are scared on a day-to-day basis but are not going to say it,” she said. Her Twitter bio reads, “tweeting for n0rtheastern students who are scared to tweet.”

He also said he receieved no feedback about the email. Sheahan said that he and another senior administrator meet weekly with associate deans and faculty of undergraduate and graduate education to get “very frank feedback” about concerns from teachers.

Dan Kennedy, professor in the School of Journalism, doesn’t “really have a problem” with the email, nor with encouraging students to come physically to class. He said there’s no substitute for everyone being together in the classroom, so he thinks hybrid classes are the next best option.

“Don’t do anything that doesn’t make you feel comfortable,” Kennedy said. “At the same time, I don’t really have a problem with the university suggesting — because I don’t see any mandatory language here — that, you know, we have a pretty safe setup here, we think you’d have a better experience if you attended in person more frequently.”

Kennedy said many teachers in the College of Arts, Media and Design share his view and are choosing to teach in person.

“We’re very socially distant, there’s only a few people in the classroom,

everybody is wearing a mask. It’s better than going into a restaurant where people take their masks off to eat. Here, everyone is keeping their masks on, and there are very strict limits on how many students can be in the classroom,” he said.

Kennedy also noted that personal choice is important, and grading should not be connected in any way to whether a student decides to come in person or not. With his students, he said he makes it “absolutely clear” that they are not obligated to do anything that makes them feel unsafe.

Since the email was sent, Northeastern’s seven-day average of positive test results has dropped from .57% the week of Jan. 14 to .17% at the end of the month, though the university has also been criticized for misleading testing data. The Boston Globe reports that while the state’s seven-day average positive rate is 3.86%, the seven-day positive rate connected to higher education is .46%.

Nationally, positive testing rates are dropping, and the prospect of widespread vaccinations has many students feeling hopeful that the end of the pandemic is approaching. Yet, given the unpredictable nature of the virus and concerns surrounding new variants, the fate of in-person learning is still unclear.

“Students who want to stay remote because of their own reasons, that option is there for them,” Sheahan said. “It’s really about being as flexible as we can be and keeping the community safe. But also make sure that we try to encourage [students to attend class in person].”

AfroSpectrum brings LGBTQ+ perspective to the CNSOC

By Julia Carlin Deputy Campus Editor The Coalition for Northeastern Student Organizations of Color, or CNSOC, voted unanimously to approve a petition for membership put forth by AfroSpectrum.

AfroSpectrum is a new student-led affinity group for students who identify as Black and LGBTQ+. The CNSOC is composed of 10 other student-led organizations that are committed to amplifying the voices of students of color within their communities. Despite the coalition being founded almost entirely

by LGBTQ+ students, according to members, AfroSpectrum will be the coalition’s first group dedicated to representing LGBTQ+ students.

AfroSpectrum seeks to provide a safe, healing space for Black students in the LGBTQ+ community with the resources the coalition has to offer, according to founder Shantavia Craigg, a fifth-year business administration major. Since creating AfroSpectrum in August, Craigg has found belonging and fulfillment in the community, even making the pandemic “not suck so bad.”

“COVID shut down a lot of our nightlife in Boston, which has made it really hard for Black queer com-

munities to get together,” Craigg said.

“There’s never really been — in other spaces across Boston — a welcoming feeling. If it was a queer space, it’s usually an all-white space.”

Craigg’s goal in creating AfroSpectrum was to build a family, so that even when there isn’t a physical space available, Black queer students still have a support system. Joining the CNSOC will also help AfroSpectrum build alliances with other student groups.

James Lyons, a fifth-year political science major, is the cultural liaison for AfroSpectrum and will serve as the CNSOC representative for AfroSpectrum. Lyons also expressed the need for a space specifically for Black LGBTQ+ students.

“It used to be that the LGBTQ+ Resource Center was a white space and the African American Institute was a straight space,” he said. “So if you’re Black and queer, where do you go?”

Lyons says part of the dichotomy of being Black and identifying as LGBTQ+ is feeling like there isn’t a space for you. But now, because of conversations led by groups like AfroSpectrum, Lyons is proud to say that Black LGBTQ+ students belong in both the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and the African American Institute spaces.

AfroSpectrum is a space for students to investigate the intersection between their racial identity and their sexual identity. Intersectionality is a founding principle of AfroSpectrum, Lyons said, and is essential for Black liberation.

Nobody’s free until we’re all free. We can’t disconnect white supremacy, the patriarchy and homophobia from one another.

— James Lyons AfroSpectrum cultural liaison AfroSpectrum is an inclusive space for students who have been excluded

from spaces that are perceived to be white or straight. The group is primarily for LGBTQ+ students of color, although some events are open to allies.

Spending time with people who are different than you promotes understanding and empathy and, Craigg thinks, helps combat racism and homophobia, transphobia and other anti-LGBTQ+ ideologies. Additionally, opening events up to allies makes students who may not be out or may be less comfortable with their LGBTQ+ identity feel more comfortable about joining.

Since it is easier to pass as straight or cisgender, the fear of being outed is constant and acute for many students living in the closet.

Ruthie Olowoyeye, a third-year health science major and the treasurer of AfroSpectrum, said having allies at events acts as a “safety net for people who haven’t come out yet.”

Olowoyeye identifies as asexual, or ace, and said her sexual identity isn’t obvious and not something she’s very vocal about. Olowoyeye is the only Black student on the Husky Ambassador Student Leadership Council, or SLC, and has been for the last three years, and she believes she may be the first ever.

When she was applying to AfroSpectrum’s executive board,

Olowoyeye was nervous to disclose that she was ace because at times, there is debate about whether or not asexual people are considered part of the LGBTQ+ community. Though when she did, she found validation, acceptance and reassurance.

“It really solidified the fact that AfroSpectrum is a community for everyone. Everyone here will respect you,” she said. “We’re creating a family on campus for people who don’t feel like they have a safe space.”

Craigg intends to continue fostering the “family feeling” throughout the semester through events like painting night and dancing workshops. This semester, AfroSpectrum will host a Vogue workshop, which will teach members a style of modern dance that evolved from the Harlem Renaissance.

For Olowoyeye, gaining a leadership role in AfroSpectrum not only validated that asexual students are welcome in the LGBTQ+ community, but also that they could be leaders.

She also said it’s important that Black LGBTQ+ students are properly represented in leadership roles on campus, especially in big organizations like the CNSOC. “If you want to hear Black voices, you can’t exclude Black queer people,” Olowoyeye said.

CAMPUS

February 5, 2021

Northeastern professor Shalanda Baker enters new role in Biden administration

By Matt Yan News Staff For Shalanda Baker, her new role as deputy director for energy justice in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of Energy, or DOE, isn’t just a new job.

As she says, it’s a culmination of her entire career.

“It’s such an honor and privilege to be in this role,” said Baker, who was sworn in to the position last Wednesday by the newly inaugurated President Joe Biden — an experience, she said, that was “surreal.”

Baker is on a professional leave of absence from her role as a professor of law, public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern, where she has taught in the Northeastern University School of Law, or NUSL, and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities since 2017.

“For me, it really feels like a culmination of my career and the lifetime of work that I put into issues of equity and justice,” she said.

Margaret Burnham, a university distinguished professor of law at NUSL, said that Baker is well suited to take on a role at the DOE. “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate person for this position, given what I know about Professor Baker’s reputation in the activist community,” said Burnham, who also is the director of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at NUSL. “What Baker has been able to do is bring that community … into conversation with government and policymakers, so that, first of all, that community can be both fully informed but also fully effective in their efforts to inject the concerns of people of color and marginalized communities [into] the conversation about energy.”

Baker’s diverse skill set, Burnham said, will be a large benefit as she steps into her new role in Washington, D.C. Along with rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, Biden has outlined ambitious plans for climate change, such as switching the United States to completely clean energy by 2035 and a netzero emissions and 100% clean energy economy by 2050.

“She’s right at the forefront of what this administration expects to be rolling out over the next four years,” Burnham said. “I can’t imagine a better person to be part of this administration’s effort to make a dent in this long-standing and fractious

discussion about the future of energy in our country.”

Baker’s announcement follows the news of Mayor Martin J. Walsh joining Biden’s cabinet as labor secretary. If the proposed candidates are confirmed by the Senate, Walsh will join the most diverse cabinet in U.S. history.

Baker’s work with the administration will focus on racial and social justice within the country’s energy systems — something she calls energy justice. “[Energy justice] is ensuring that the benefits and burdens of our energy system are equitably shared,” she said. “It’s also ensuring that people have a seat at the table in terms of decision-making concerning their energy future, as well as economic justice and ensuring that, again, those benefits of the system can float up to individuals.”

She explained that energy justice is something both practical and theoretical; it’s something ambitious and forward-looking. Put simply, it’s a concept and framework that can be used to implement energy policy.

Her work centers around issues related to those in the Black, Indigenous and people of color, or BIPOC, community, as well as those who have been traditionally excluded from participating in the energy system. Some people of color have historically been excluded from these systems due to financial burdens or inaccessibility. Baker said her analysis and work typically centers around the “concerns, hopes and dreams” of the BIPOC community.

After graduating from NUSL in 2005, Baker began her career as a project finance lawyer and gained expertise while assisting in the

creation of large-scale energy projects. She intends to bring this expertise to her position at the DOE. As a former professor at the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i from 2014 to 2017, she founded the Energy Justice Program and later the Initiative for Energy Justice. These experiences, she said, served as an introduction to the field of energy justice and the importance of it.

As she settles into the new role, Baker said she’s excited to tackle issues of clean energy, specifically providing more opportunities to BIPOC communities.

“These are the same communities that are on what we call the frontlines of climate change. They’re going to be the first and worst impacted, and the more that we can sort of shore up their communities, the better,” she said. “I’m excited about actually making a tangible difference in those communities.”

As a woman of color, Baker said she’s thrilled to have “a seat at the table,” working in the highest office for her field, especially amid a racial reckoning that began this summer.

“I’m also just excited to learn how things work … really getting into the nuts and bolts, the weeds of the energy system and getting into the weeds of energy policy in particular,” Baker said. “This is what we’ve been fighting for … to have someone like me with my background, interests and expertise at that table is just phenomenal.”

As Baker prepares to implement meaningful change, she said she feels hopeful for the future.

“As we’ve seen this new wave of appointees get announced, there is so much hope [that] we are all champing at the bit,” she said. “I’m looking around the administration and seeing so many social justice leaders who care about issues of climate justice [and] environmental justice, so I’m really excited to work across the administration.”

Baker said that her work has only just begun.

“In America, it feels like we believe in this place, and we believe that change is possible,” she said. “We’ve heard calls for racial justice, but if you look at my work, you know that I’m deeply committed to it. I’m not going to go in there and just sort of collect the government paycheck, right? I’m ready to do this work and change the world.”

Page 3

NUPD CRIME LOG Compiled by Mike Puzzanghera, News Staff

MONDAY, JAN. 18 4:14am 12:06pm 9:00pm

A caller reported an intoxicated individual in the Davenport B lobby. A report was filed.

A student reported their personal belongings were stolen from inside 116 St. Stephen St. A report was filed.

A caller reported a vehicle outside 407 Huntington Ave. was playing “extremely loud music.” Officers responded and looked around the area, but no report was filed.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19 1:27am

6:39pm

A caller reported an intoxicated individual vomiting in the lobby of International Village. Officers responded to the report and requested emergency medical services for the individual, who was transported to the hospital. A report was filed.

A caller reported the smell of marijuana near the Egan Research Center. Officers reported locating an individual, unaffiliated with NU, in the area who was previously banned from all NU property and reported that the individual will be summoned to court. A report was filed.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20 4:16pm 9:00pm

A caller reported the Smith Hall foyer printer was damaged. A report was filed.

A student reported their microwave was missing from their room in 337 Huntington Ave. A report was filed.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21 12:11am

A caller reported a noise complaint on several individuals outside on Gainsborough Street. Officers reported checking the area but did not find the source of the noise.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22 5:16am 4:40pm

A student entered West Village C after their NUID was declined at the proctor station. The student was not a resident of West Village C and was escorted out of the building. A report was filed.

A student reported lending their calculator to someone in 319 Huntington Ave. and that the person refused to return it. A report was filed.

SATURDAY, JAN. 23 12:24am

A caller reported an intoxicated individual inside Speare Hall. Officers responded to check on the individual. A report was filed.

8:59pm

A vehicle was stolen in front of International Village after it was left running and unattended. NUPD and BPD officers responded, and BPD assumed jurisdiction.

9:33pm

A caller reported the smell of marijuana coming from a room in Stetson West. Officers responded and reported tracing the smell and confiscating less than 1 ounce of marijuana from the students. A report was filed.

SUNDAY, JAN. 24 Photo courtesy Shalanda Baker Shalanda Baker is joining the Biden administration as deputy director for energy justice at the Department of Energy.

6:03pm

A caller reported a student gave their NUID to another individual to allow them to gain access to Stetson West.

The individual was escorted out of the building. A report was filed.

CITY

Page 4

February 5, 2021

What to know about Boston’s special election for mayor

By Kelly Garrity News Staff Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s appointment as Secretary of Labor in President Joe Biden’s cabinet is likely to leave a rare, open mayoral race in a city where an incumbent mayor hasn’t lost in 72 years. The race will not be complicated by a large field of candidates and a provision in the city’s charter that calls for a special election should Walsh leave office before March 5. Here’s what to know

about the possible special election:

confirmation hearing will take place.

Why would we need a special election?

On Jan. 7, President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Walsh to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of Labor. If he is confirmed by the Senate and leaves office before March 5, the city’s charter calls for a special election within 120 to 140 days after Walsh’s departure. So far, there has been no news from Washington or Walsh on when his

Does a special election mean no election in November?

No. Even if Walsh leaves office before March 5 and there is a special election, the city will hold a mayoral election in November. The winner of the special election would only serve as mayor until January 2022, when the winner of November’s election takes office. Regardless of when Walsh leaves, City Council President Kim Janey will serve as interim mayor until the winner of the next election takes office (likely sometime this summer if there’s a special election, or next January if there isn’t one).

Photo by Quillan Anderson City Councilor Michelle Wu has already announced her candidacy for the November mayoral elections. She would also be eligible to run in the special election if it happens.

Who’s in the race?

City Councilors Michelle Wu, Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi-George have already announced their candidacy, and Councilors Michael Flaherty and Kim Janey are also said to be considering entering the race. Other city officials said to be considering a run are former Police Commissioner William Gross, Chief of Economic Development John Barros and Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez. Some state officials are also considering entering the race,

including Rep. Jon Santiago and Sen. Nick Collins. Those who run in the special election would still be eligible to run in November, including the winner of the special election.

However...

Multiple state and city officials have voiced support for skipping the special election should Walsh leave before March 5. Both the special election and the November election will require preliminary elections to narrow the field down to two candidates. Right now, it looks like the race will be crowded.

How could the city avoid a special election?

If Walsh is confirmed before March 5, the City Council can still opt to override the requirement for a special election. Earlier this month, City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo filed a home-rule petition proposing to override the charter’s requirement for a special election, citing the health risk to voters amid the pandemic; the financial burden such an election will place on the city; and the likelihood that such an election would exacerbate “existing inequities often seen in special elections that contribute to the disenfranchisement of immigrant, low-income, disabled, Black and

TikTok highlights local small businesses TIKTOK, from front TikTok user @dahlsxoxo, whose videos focus around different fashion looks and stores, received 240,000 views on a video about Boomerangs.

“Dahlia [@dahlsxoxo on TikTok] put it out on a Saturday and [an employee] noticed it,” said Tamarind Tidwell, the operations manager for Boomerangs. “[The employee] said, ‘I think there’s a lot more customers than normal.’”

Boomerangs has been mentioned in a number of other TikToks for both its selection of products as well as the initiatives the store sponsors.

Many businesses have suffered from the pandemic, forced to shut down and then take necessary precautions to open again in a safe and regulated manner; Boomerangs had closed all its locations in March and reopened in July. The TikTok that was posted in August gave Boomerangs a well-received boost of customers after not seeing anyone for a while.

While the sudden increase in foot traffic to the store only lasted about a month, the company started getting more online recognition, including tags on Instagram about how to style different pieces of clothing or tips on upcycling thrifted clothes, Tidwell said. She also discussed the greater value of the videos, which was in getting recognition from a new customer base in a location largely dependent on students.

“College students are temporary residents, so there’s this turnover that happens,” Tidwell said. “We want to be able to find folks that are new to the neighborhood, let them know that we’re here.”

Noting the impact the app can have, Boomerangs has since set up its own

TikTok account, broadcasting ways to use thrifted pieces and style anything, from streetwear to costumes.

Another business that has made a name on TikTok recently is Perime Magazine. But unlike most other places, their online growth has been intentional. Perime Magazine started as an online fashion magazine and has now been operating as a popup store on Newbury Street since November 2020. Their marketing was almost entirely based on TikTok and Instagram, showcasing the clothes in their store or the local artists they were working with.

Their videos originally focused on showcasing outfits or following other TikTok dance trends, but after looking into why some videos perform better than others, they were able to make their presence better known through a focus on more visually stimulating content.

“I see a lot of videos on TikTok split into denominations of categories,” said Sam Roller, creator of Perime Magazine. “We think that we have a very visually appealing store and those kinds of aesthetic TikToks do extremely well, so we want to highlight that as much as possible. Those are all of our TikToks that have blown up. We started with outfits of the day, but the aesthetic ones have been the most popular.

We’re on the fourth or fifth viral post and have racked up 3,000 [Instagram] followers.”

Roller said that when Perime Magazine first started producing content on TikTok, they had no followers and it looked like the store would only be a pop-up location.

“We had only posted two TikToks before opening. We literally went from zero followers to our 1,700 in

a month,” Roller said. “We definitely saw our sales double after barely breaking even in the first week.

About 50% of our customers are from TikTok. People will walk in the door and say, ‘I saw you guys on TikTok’ and it’s so refreshing to hear that.”

Despite starting a brand new venture in the middle of a pandemic, Roller said that Perime Magazine took advantage of the cheaper starting costs and were also able to give people a visual preview of what they would be seeing in the store.

By showing their audience what they could expect, they felt they were making it more worthwhile for people to shop in-person.

TikTok shows viewers random videos and then gauges their reactions to establish whether they should show them similar videos. Often times, users interested in similar groups of videos will be shown other options that have been popular with others who have the same interests, even if the videos do have a direct correlation to each other.

This method of trying to see what will work is the reason the app is able to customize the “For You” page, or the feed, for each person. TikTok’s algorithm focuses on a number of factors, including how long users linger on different types of videos, how they interact with what they find interesting and what might be relevant to them based on their location.

Videos showcasing the best restaurants or photo opportunities in each city have grown in popularity, each one based on what the viewer already appears to be interested in. Both High Energy Vintage and Boomerangs were included in videos with similar formats of “best thrift spots in Boston.”

Latinx communities,” who Arroyo said may be juggling multiple jobs or facing other barriers to voting.

The petition must be approved by a majority of the City Council and then signed by Walsh before it’s sent to the state, where it must be approved by the legislature and the governor. Gov. Charlie Baker has already indicated he intends to sign the petition if and when it reaches his desk. Secretary of State Bill Galvin, the state’s top election official, also voiced his support for the petition, saying that having multiple elections during the COVID-19 pandemic will cause confusion and more challenges for voters.

At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, a majority of Boston residents and activists voiced their support for the home-rule petition.

So far, no city councilors have stated outright opposition to Arroyo’s petition. However, an internal City Council memo obtained by the Boston Globe found that the councilors who have declared their candidacy (Wu, Campbell and Essaibi-George) as well as Janey may have a conflict of interest and therefore may not be allowed to vote on the measure. The petition will need the support of seven councilors and Mayor Walsh before being sent to the state.

Photo by Zeynep Tuncer TikTok allows places like Perime Magazine to broadcast the interior of their stores to incentivise customers to visit in person.

Due to the personalized approach that TikTok has taken, seeing businesses appear on the “For You” page has less of a marketed feel than a direct advertisement might have. Emily Gringorten, a secondyear computer science major at Northeastern, has visited a number of stores and cafés she saw on her “For You” page, including Perime Magazine. She said a lot of the places she sees are specifically tailored for her, whether she’s in Boston or back home in the Bay Area.

“It’s less that TikTok affects my decisions, more that it shows me things I would already be interested in,” Gringorten said. “I think most of the places, if I had found out about [them] on my own, I would’ve gone.”

Brandon Marte, a second-year business administration major, agreed that the algorithm is a direct match with what he’s interested in

and has been successful in getting him to visit places in Boston he otherwise wouldn’t have, such as the Garment District.

“It doesn’t play a huge role, but it’s definitely an influence,” Marte said.

“More spur of the moment people might benefit a lot from it.”

TikTok might seem like any other social media app from afar, but as more and more people become aware of the real impact it can have, it seems to be turning into the next big marketing strategy.

“If we want to make our own growth, using social media like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter is how we’re going to see that growth,” Roller said.“This is why we really want to emphasize our social media more than using traditional marketing.”

CITY

February 5, 2021

Page 5

Local communities face environmental injustice

By Rose Pecci News Correspondent Enbridge Inc., an international energy transportation company, announced in October 2020 the delayed beginning of operation of the gas compressor station in Weymouth. This announcement came after the station had two emergency shutdowns in September, which caused the unplanned release of natural gas into the nearby area.

On Saturday the station began operations after Enbridge said in a public statement that it “identified and addressed” any safety concerns.

However, Enbridge spokesperson Max Bergeron refused to release reports made by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on the September shutdowns.

Residents of the surrounding areas have protested against the building of the compressor station since before the project was confirmed in 2017. It is located on the Fore River Bridge in Weymouth.

Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station opposes the project because they say it will create air and noise pollution, as well as odor problems for South Shore residents. Weymouth and the surrounding areas are designated environmental justice, or EJ, communities.

These environmentally disparaged communities are often used as sites for dangerous projects such as the Weymouth compressor station.

The situation in Saugus, Massachusetts is another example of a previously burdened community being encumbered by additional environmental concerns. The landfill and incinerator in Saugus, operated

by Wheelabrator Technologies, releases cancer-causing chemicals into the air and water in Saugus, Lynn and Revere. It has impacted the residents of these communities for generations, which is evident by the extremely high rates of cancer and other illnesses in the surrounding area. The companies that run these facilities blame the lifestyles of the residents for the high rates of disease. Many EJ communities in Massachusetts and the country are facing similar problems and are unable to fight back against these large companies.

A community is considered an EJ community in Massachusetts if it meets any of

three criteria: “Its median household income is equal to or less than 65% of the statewide median, 25% or more of the residents identify as a race other than white and/or if 25% or more of households have no one over the age of fourteen who speaks English only or very well.”

Massachusetts began labeling certain areas as EJ communities in 2002 when the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs created its Environmental Justice Policy meant to deliver necessary resources to low-income communities and communities of color to combat environmental burdens placed on them. In 2014, former Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order to update the policy to ensure that disproportionately afflicted areas remain a priority for Massachusetts’ executive branch, and the policy was updated again in 2017. However, the current policy in place has been deemed ineffective by many environmental activists and residents of EJ communities.

Amy Laura Cahn, a senior attorney and the interim director for healthy communities and environmental justice at Conservation Law Foundation, considers the existing executive order and policies to be “woefully insufficient.”

“Persistently there has been a lack of attention or enforcement or available tools for these communities to be able to protect themselves,” Cahn said.

Legislation has been proposed for many years to require action to be taken against injustice in EJ communities. Cahn emphasized the need to modify and then codify aspects of the existing policies. This will require greater public participation and heightened environmental review in EJ communities that the current policies do not require.

Former Massachusetts Rep. RoseLee Vincent, who represented Revere and Saugus until this month and whose time on the Massachusetts legislature can be characterized by fighting against the environmental injustice posed by the

Wheelabrator Saugus ash landfill and incinerator, regards “environmental justice” as a “feel-good term.” She believes that codifying EJ policies into law is necessary to give the policies a greater impact because many designated EJ communities do not receive any tangible help and continue to face environmental injustices that they are unable to effectively oppose.

“Unfortunately, in environmental justice communities, people often don’t have the education, the resources or the time to get active, or they don’t even know how to get active,” Vincent said.

On Jan. 4, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act that establishes a roadmap for Massachusetts’ climate policy. The act, titled “An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy,” increases protection for EJ communities. It more strictly defines an EJ population and strengthens environmental protections for these vulnerable communities. Even though Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed this legislation, the Massachusetts legislature is planning to immediately refile and fast-track the bill.

“Today, we send a message loud and clear that Massachusetts will empower our environmental justice communities,” Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement.

Environmental justice emerged from environmental racism; the distribution of risks and benefits in this country is based on racist policies such as housing segregation. Therefore, communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities and low-income areas are almost always disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. This means their health is at greater risk, and they have the least access to environmental benefits, or things that enhance health and the environment. The EJ movement was created with the goal of amending historic injustices and ensuring that neglected groups have equitable access to environmental resources and health.

Nathan Phillips, professor of geography and the environment at Boston University and adamant opponent of the Weymouth compressor station, believes the construction of the project would not have been allowed in a white or wealthier community.

Weymouth is a low-income community.

“The political power in an affluent and

mostly white community would’ve pushed back and mounted the political opposition that wouldn’t have allowed it,” Phillips said. “That’s why these facilities end up in working-class and minority communities.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the disparities that EJ communities face abundantly clear.

According to Cahn, people living in communities of color and low-income communities in Massachusetts are at risk because they are breathing air that has degraded in quality over time due to environmental racism.

Many residents of EJ communities are essential workers who are unable to avoid coming into daily contact with other community members and oftentimes rely on public transportation to get to work.

“There is an intersection between communities that are overburdened with respect to the air quality and communities that are overburdened with respect to the impacts of COVID-19,” Cahn said.

While the existing environmental justice policies have created a foundation for the EJ movement, they have not been enforced, leaving EJ populations to be further harmed each day, considerably more so due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve always needed this [environmental justice] legislation,” wrote Staci Rubin, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation and an environmental justice advocate, in a Conservation Law Foundation blog post. “The pandemic is just exposing and illustrating how important and critical it is that this gets passed now.”

EJ communities are dealing with extensive cumulative burdens and receiving no benefits, and this puts the residents of these places at extreme risk in regards to their health and well-being.

The environmental justice provisions of Massachusetts’ climate bill are long overdue according to resident groups and environmental activists. If it passes, there is no guarantee that this new legislation will rectify the environmental inequities for EJ communities across the Commonwealth.

“Pollution” by Bob August is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Air pollution is just one of the environmental injustices faced by low-income and minority communities. It is worsened by the operation of incinerators and compressor stations.

CAMPUS

Page 6

February 5, 2021

Roxbury developers sue NU over p build second LightView-style buil

By Riley Robinson Projects Editor

This story was published online Jan. 27.

Northeastern University plans to construct a 26-story building at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. The land at 840 Columbus Ave. is currently a parking lot. Northeastern purchased it from the City of Boston in 1997. In court, it’s referred to as Parcel 18-1A. Northeastern is being sued by Columbia Plaza Associates, or CPA, a group of Black and Latino investors and Roxbury-based non-profits, over this proposed construction.

CPA is arguing that a 1980s deal with the city, which intended to spur economic growth in Black, Latino and Asian neighborhoods, still applies to the land today and

would require Northeastern to work in partnership with its Roxbury neighbors. The lawsuit accuses Northeastern of “unjust enrichment” and “intentional interference with advantageous business relations.”

Elkus Manfredi created this illustration of the 840 Columbus Ave. proposal, which would include 975 student beds in apartment housing.

Northeastern spokesperson Marirose Sartoretto issued an email statement Jan. 9 in response to the lawsuit’s claims.

“The current complaint by Columbia Plaza Associates seeks to revisit issues that were fully litigated years ago, resulting in a series of court rulings and a final judgment in Northeastern’s favor, all of which were upheld on appeal,” the statement read. “The current claims, like the earlier claims, have no merit and we are confident they will be dismissed.”

Henry Owens, the attorney for CPA, said he’s tried to resolve the matter out of court for over a year.

“There is a quite extensive paper trail of us trying to get this matter resolved without litigation, but we have gotten nowhere. That’s why we had to file a lawsuit,” he said. “Part of it is we’re talking about Black people, we’re talking about the minority community, the least powerful group of people in the entire city. So yes, this is a racial issue. Whether they want to admit it or not, it’s there.”

The deal behind Parcel 18 The legal question dates back to 1986, when Boston created the Parcel to Parcel Linkage Program. Real estate development was booming in wealthy downtown neighborhoods, but few were looking to invest in Roxbury, a lower-income, historically Black neighborhood that faced redlining and disinvestment. The city decided to try a new

policy: parcels of land downtown would be linked to parcels of land in Roxbury. If a developer wanted to build downtown, they had to buy both plots of land and commit to also building in Roxbury — in this case, Parcel 18. Investors would also be required to partner with a group of local Black, Latino and Asian investors — CPA — to encourage racial equity.

Race was a central, explicit part of the project. There were political motivations for this.

Boston’s Black community felt neglected by the city. The Roxbury secession movement was growing.

That year, there was a nonbinding ballot initiative for Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester and other neighborhoods to break away from Boston and create a new city: Mandela, Massachusetts.

If this had come to pass, Mandela would have broken off a quarter of Boston’s land and 98% of its Black residents. News stories from the time describe the Parcel to Parcel program as a sort of peace offering from Boston to Roxbury.

CPA argues that three decades later, the city’s promises to Roxbury never materialized.

The downtown land linked to Parcel 18 is now the State Street building in the financial district. But the land in Roxbury held a Registry of Motor Vehicles and then went through foreclosure in the 1990s.

Northeastern, a predominantly white institution, bought the property in 1997 and has continued to build outwards, first with Renaissance Park Garage and then with International Village.

“They take up valuable space that could be developed by private developers, where people can work and get economic opportunities,” said CPA President John Cruz, who owns a Roxbury-based construction company. “That would have been available for people like me, and other people of color, to develop those lands in Roxbury.”

CPA also sued Northeastern in 2016 to be recognized as a joint development partner on International Village, but lost when the judge decided a 1999 agreement between CPA and Northeastern was not valid, and that CPA had waited too long to file suit.

Court documents state CPA intended to develop a hotel on the site where Northeastern now plans to build the new leased apartments.

“The whole his-

Illustration by Elkus Manfredi Architects Illustration of the 840 Columbus Ave. proposal, which would include 975 student beds in apartment housing.

tory and backbone of the linkage program was to revitalize the Black community: jobs, housing, healthcare, daycare, et cetera. Right now, on paper, the only one who has benefited by the linkage program is Northeastern University,” Owens said. “These high rise dormitories, they don’t help Black people …

They’re not going to be in these dormitories.”

CPA is not the only opponent to the 840 Columbus Ave. proposal.

City Council President Kim Janey, who is set to become mayor if Mayor Marty Walsh joins President Joe Biden’s administration, filed a public comment in December 2019 opposing Northeastern’s plan. “[F]or those living in Northeastern’s shadow the benefits they claim to bring to the community go unseen,” she wrote. “[T]he University has consistently fallen short on its promises to be a strong community partner.”

NU for the Common Good, a coalition of students, alumni and nearby community residents, also submitted a public comment in January 2020 opposing the construction.

“As a student at Northeastern, we have a responsibility to hold Northeastern accountable to be a better community member,” said Danielle Bettio, a fifth-year cultural anthropology major. She signed on to NU for the Common Good’s comment last year. “I think that a lot of students would like [NU] to support community members first, and local people. The rent is just getting too high.”

The Northeastern Task Force for the 840 Columbus Ave. proposal is having a public meeting with the Boston Planning and Development Agency, or BPDA, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. on Zoom.

Relocating student housing from Fenway Documents submitted Nov. 12, 2019 by university officials to the BPDA state the new apartment building would add 975 bedspaces. However, this would only be a net gain of about 175 beds: The proposal also states Northeastern plans to phase out approximately 800 bedspaces from older leased properties and university-owned residence halls.

BPDA’s review of the project suggests these bedspaces would be removed from the Fenway area.

After The News asked which residence halls or leased properties would be phased out by the university, Northeastern spokesperson Marirose Sartoretto responded in a Jan. 26 email statement, “Completely untrue. We are not reducing the need for leases.”

Some residents and community organizations have expressed support for building more on-campus

February 5, 2021

plans to lding The whole history and backbone of the linkage program was to revitalize the Black community: jobs, housing, healthcare, daycare, et cetera. Right now, on paper, the only one who has benefited by the linkage program is Northeastern University.

— Henry Owens CPA Attorney

housing as a way to stem the flow of students into the general rental market. City government has also supported increased student housing to alleviate housing demand in nearby neighborhoods, as outlined in the Boston 2030 plan.

If Northeastern did eliminate older student housing options after 840 Columbus Ave. is completed, and the new prices were similar to those in LightView, it may mean replacing less expensive student housing options with more expensive leases.

This year, a double bed in an economy price apartment — a tier that includes many of the Fenway properties — costs $4,615 per semester, or about $1,154 per month. The least expensive bedspace in LightView costs $1,374 per month.

“It’ll only contribute to gentrification, and only benefit more affluent students who can pay $6,000 a month for a four-bedroom apartment,” Bettio said. “It’s not really going to keep students on campus.”

CAMPUS

Page 7

Northeastern shrinks proposed housing project after critique from Boston residents

By Riley Robinson Projects Editor This story was published online Jan. 2.

Northeastern University will reduce the size of the proposed apartment building at 840 Columbus Ave., after Roxbury residents pushed back on the original design. Previous plans said the new LightView-like apartment complex — built in partnership with American Campus Communities, or ACC — would house 975 student beds.

The new plan will build 800 student beds. The university presented the revised proposal to the Northeastern University Task Force and the Boston Planning and Development Agency, or BPDA, at a virtual public meeting Jan. 28.

Northeastern plans to balance this new construction with a promise to sell some student housing properties in the Fenway neighborhood and will keep the same planned net gain of 175 beds.

Kathy Spiegelman, university vice president and chief of campus planning and development, said Northeastern has not determined which Fenway properties it will sell and is working with Fenway neighborhood organizations to determine how these properties will return to the market.

“I don’t want this to become a Fenway versus Roxbury issue at all. Many of us on the task force have been pushing for years to have student housing developed in the core of the campus,” said Richard Giordano, director of policy and community planning at the Fenway Community Development Corporation. “In the Fenway now, we have at least 3,000 students — 6,000 if you count students from

other schools. I don’t want this to seem like Fenway benefits and Roxbury loses. We’re in a tough place here.”

Several residents who attended the meeting expressed concerns that the new ACC housing would be significantly more expensive than the housing phased out in Fenway and would not succeed in keeping students on campus.

“It’s clear that no matter what we build as new housing, it will probably never be priced the same as older buildings that don’t have to be on the cost of the new construction or don’t have the same amenities,” Spiegelman said.

Gerald Autler, a senior project manager at the BPDA, responded to those concerns by saying students showed significant demand for LightView leases, maxing out capacity soon after it opened.

Northeastern officials announced two local entrepreneurs had joined as consultants on the 840 Columbus Ave. proposal: Hansy Better Barraza, co-founder of Studio Luz Architects and Jae’da Turner, founder of Black Owned Bos. Turner is also a Northeastern alum.

Barraza presented her revised designs for the building’s 17,000 square foot community space, which would comprise almost the entire first floor.

Barraza and university officials said they are considering a range of public amenities — including performance space, a library and areas for retail pop-ups or microbusinesses — after meeting with dozens of community organizations. They said they are also considering various community programming ideas, such as yoga and dance classes.

Roxbury residents attending the meeting raised several concerns about Northeastern’s plan: The

building’s height would loom over the neighborhood and block sunlight; it wouldn’t effectively combat a housing shortage; and it wouldn’t create jobs for people from marginalized communities.

They said Northeastern had failed to deliver on previous promises to benefit Roxbury residents.

“All of the things you say you want to do should already be in place,” said Louis Elisa, a member of the task force. “And that’s what gives me pause.”

Elisa also expressed concern that Roxbury residents would never feel truly welcome in a Northeastern space, citing his own experiences passing through campus.

“Moving through the campus is not as easy as one would like it to be, being interrupted and intercepted by security asking where you’re going,” he said. “It’ll be the same thing on that 27-foot easement that you’ve put there … If they’re not a part of the school environment, there will be challenges.”

Northeastern’s next step in the construction process is to file a Draft Project Impact Report with the BPDA. The university hopes to break ground in August of this year and open the facilities the summer of 2024.

Autler concluded the meeting with a reminder the process is far from over.

“This project is not approved.

And until it’s approved by not only the BPDA board, but also the Boston Zoning Commission … then it doesn’t move forward,” Autler said. “The challenges are clear, but that’s the goal of every process, to try to build consensus around the project that can get support in front of our board and the zoning commission.”

Courtesy of Northeastern University Task Force Northeastern presented a revised 840 Columbus Ave. design to the task force and Boston Planning and Development Agency Jan. 28, 2021.

LIFESTYLE

Page 8

February 5, 2021

Quaraneat spreads accessibility, culture

By Clara McCourt Deputy Lifestyle Editor When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the world was gifted unlimited free time.

That’s when Winnie Li, a fourthyear health science major, began to spend her quarantined days in the kitchen. As an avid cook and baker, Winnie Li had always posted cooking tips and recipes on her Instagram story, but quarantine brought a new focus on her hobby.

“I always had people telling me, ‘You should start a food account.’ But I never got around to it until quarantine, where we had literally nothing to do,” Winnie Li said.

Winnie Li combined her love of cooking with her newfound free time inside to create @quaraneat, an Instagram account that shares photos of food along with recipes and other helpful cooking tips.

She enlisted the help of her sister Karen Li, a 25-year-old first-year student at Georgetown’s School of Medicine, who previously worked at a bakery.

“At the very beginning of quarantine, our world [turned] 180,” Karen Li said. “Everyone was all of a sudden inside cooking. Everyone [was] not only inside cooking, but everyone was on Instagram … We wanted to share a love of cooking, but we [also] want[ed] to show people how to make easy meals because all of a sudden, all these restaurants are closed and you can’t go out to eat anymore.”

Although the two sisters were quarantined separately, maintaining the Instagram account brought them together.

“When quarantine first started, I hadn’t talked to my sister [as] frequently [as I do now],” Karen Li said.

“I felt even though I was physically isolated from my sister, I felt so close

to her and able to truly collaborate on something that we were both so passionate about.”

The Li sisters began to grow their account through word-of-mouth among their friends. They hoped to foster a sense of community in an isolated world.

“We literally would refer to our followers as Quaraneaters because we felt like we had built this community around the recipes we were making and just food in general,” Winnie Li said.

Diana Steelman, a fourth-year graphic and interaction design major at Northeastern and friend of the Li sisters, was inspired to try some recipes after looking at the account.

“Ever since they started Quaraneat I just got obsessed with it. I have been making their recipes all throughout quarantine,” Steelman said. “I learned a bunch of really cool things.”

She was so obsessed, in fact, that she made a typography project based on Quaraneat recipes.

“I thought about doing a book of recipes that I made during quarantine. But then I realized it’d be cooler if I just did a book that was just about [their recipes],” Steelman said.

“So I just took a bunch of recipes that they had on Instagram, and took the text from the Instagram, and made a book out of it.”

Quaraneat began to amass a substantial following which caught the notice of several high-profile celebrities and publications. Quaraneat has been reposted six times by New York Times cooking, Karen Li said.

Through Northeastern’s Center for University Programs, Winnie Li was given the chance to moderate an event with Queer Eye chef Antoni Porowski. Porowski followed Quaraneat on Instagram after the event.

“He will still DM us sometimes.

He watches our stories, sometimes he

responds,” Winnie Li said.

Karen Li cheered on her sister from afar as she recorded the event for their Instagram: “I have never felt prouder of my sister … I was like a soccer mom,” she said.

The Li sisters recognized that they have a platform and used it beyond celebrity shoutouts. They had two Instagram fundraisers for nonprofit organizations Off Their Plate and Black Lives Matter. Cumulatively, the two events raised almost $9000.

“We truly do feel like [Instagram] is community in many ways,” Karen Li said. “I think that was really shown [through our] two fundraisers.”

By the same token, the Lis cultivate the Quaraneat community to spread accessibility.

“I think what we’ve chosen to show on our web, on our page and with like, the step by step highlights, makes cooking, like more accessible, and less scary and intimidating,” Karen Li said.

Steelman points out the accessibility that sharing recipes on social media brings.

“I like how it’s a really easy way to find recipes and make them with a picture and instructions in the comments. It’s easier than in a recipe book or online,” she said.

Ultimately, Quaraneat is a way for the Lis to celebrate their Chinese heritage, sharing family recipes with their two grandmothers. “[Quaraneat] has been a great way to share our culture,” Winnie Li said.

“We’ve gotten some comments back saying, ‘This is really meaningful to me, because I haven’t been able to embrace this culture that I have.’”

Above all, the Lis aim to share their love of food with their followers.

“We’ve always been surrounded by food. Our family has always cherished food too,” Karen Li said.

“Food not just for nourishment and nutrition, but as a vessel for communications and discussion, a vessel to bring families together, to bring people together.”

At 17 years old, many teenagers across the country get their driver’s license. Singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” did just that, earning her the ability to drive and, more importantly, inspiring a record-breaking debut single.

The single, titled “drivers license,” tells a story of heartbreak from a failed relationship. Like many others on social media, some Northeastern students have fallen in love with the song, blasting it as an emotional release, while others felt it was rather ordinary.

The heartfelt instrumentals and strong lyrics such as, “You said forever, now I drive alone past your street,” resonate with listeners.

“A vast majority of [Millennials and Gen Z] have had a similar experience, and that’s what makes music so enjoyable to listen to,” said Ingie Rabie, a first-year business administration and communication studies double major. “You’re able to connect with the artist in your own way through your own experience.”

The single was released Jan. 8, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart as well as the global charts. In the following two weeks, “drivers license” sold over 1 million units, making it eligible for platinum certification.

“I think she has a highly successful career ahead of her as a songwriter and performer and it’s kind of mindblowing how she has already made such a name for herself at only the age of 17,” said Sophie Weaver, a second-year communication studies and media and screen studies combined major. “In my opinion, she could very well be the next Taylor Swift.”

The single also broke several Spotify records, becoming the song with the most streams in a day for a non-holiday song and the most streams in a week. On social media, Rodrigo connected with artists she deemed idols, like Taylor Swift and Niall Horan. Both Swift and Horan shared their praise of “drivers license” with Rodrigo.

Despite the statistical success, not everyone agrees that “drivers license” deserves to sit atop the charts.

“While you can argue how the song is quite good, the song does

Rachel Erwin Graphics by Marta Hill

Now - Feb. 21 “Hatched: Breaking Through the Silence” Fight the winter blues with a safe, socially distanced event. The Hatch Memorial Shell presents an original 15-minute visual and sound performance, which is sure to entertain all audiences.

5 - 9 p.m., Free, Hatch Memorial Shell

Now - Feb. 25 Black History Month Film Festival Presented by The Boston Globe, this selection of films highlights the Black experience. The festival also includes conversations among viewers and with filmmakers.

Check The Boston Globe website for more information.

Photo courtesy of Winnie Li Sisters Winnie and Karen Li share a love of food through their Instagram account, Quaraneat.

not stand out enough to break many records held by notable top artists,” said Alex Moran, a second-year health science major. “TikTok and the drama surrounding the song are the clear reasons why this song broke so many records.”

Like many songs written about heartbreak, fans and social media users were quick to speculate who the lyrics were about. The leading theory is that they were written about “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” co-star Joshua Bassett, with the “blonde girl” referenced in the song being Sabrina Carpenter, Bassett’s rumored girlfriend.

“People are so intrigued to find out what happened exactly by trying to dissect the lyrics and finding old interviews and old paparazzi shots between the two to try to piece together what happened,” Rabie said.

Strengthening that theory is the recent release of Bassett’s single “Lie Lie Lie” and Carpenter’s single “Skin,” both of which have lyrical parallels to “drivers license.”

One way that the single gained traction was through TikTok. Rodrigo posted a video Jan. 9 which garnered 35.9 million views.

Saturday, Feb. 6 “Tiger Style!”

Tune into this comedy about immigration, parenting and success. “Tiger Style!” is a radio play produced by the Huntington Theatre Company and GBH.

‘drivers license’ speeds to top of charts and hearts

By Jessice Brite News Staff

Calendar compiled by Clara McCourt &

6 - 8 p.m., Free, GBH 89.7 FM

Fair use photo “drivers license” is singer Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single.

“In recent times, TikTok has had a profound impact on the music industry; essentially, if a song blows up on TikTok, it will blow up in the same caliber, if not more, on the various music streaming services,” Weaver said.

The sound has taken over the “For You Page” of TikTok as users have been applying it to various trends like transition videos, meme covers and theory videos about the backstory behind the song.

“TikTok helped tremendously with this song’s growth because the drama related to this song captured many people on TikTok,” said Kate Munoz, a first-year biology major.

The drama, virality and powerful lyrics have all contributed to the huge success of the song. If this is any indication of her upcoming music, there is no doubt that Rodrigo will become a big name in the music industry.

Thursday, Feb. 11 “Alyssa Wang, violinist” Violinist Alyssa Wang will perform selections ranging from Bach to Corigliano in this virtual living room concert.

7:30 p.m., Free, Celebrity Series of Boston website

Friday, Feb. 12 Museum of Fine Arts presents: Lunar New Year Join the MFA in ringing in the Year of the Ox. This livestream features Chinese dancers and talks from academics.

7 p.m., Free, Online

LIFESTYLE

February 5, 2021

Page 9

Our second wave of Oscars predictions

By Natalie Duerr News Staff 2020 began as an uncertain year for film. Would studios hold their releases and only leave the few films released in January and February to be nominated this award season with theatres closed? While some big titles have been pushed into late 2021 and beyond, absolute gems still debuted on streaming and video on demand platforms this year. With Golden Globe nominations just weeks away and Oscar nominations coming out in March, which films should you watch now to prepare for the award season?

Streaming on Amazon Prime “Sound of Metal” “Sound of Metal” is one of those films that you cannot forget. This heartfelt film chronicles Ruben, a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing, forcing him to march to a new drumbeat. Soulful performances

by Riz Ahmed (Ruben) and Paul Raci (Joe) will likely earn them nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. “Sound of Metal” is also being hailed by critics for its story and portrayal of the deaf community, making a Best Picture nomination likely. The film’s sound designer Nicolas Becker created an immersive sound experience that fully deserves the nomination (and the win) for Best Sound.

“One Night in Miami” The film follows a fictionalized night meeting between four

larger-than-life figures: Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke. Director Regina King is in total command of her craft, marking her directorial debut in feature film and possibly earning a nomination for Best Director. “One Night in Miami” is triumphant, deserving a Best Picture nomination and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also gave Kingsley Ben-Adir (Malcolm X) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam Cooke) space to soar, possibly leading to Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations, respectively.

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” is the least serious film on this list, but Maria Bakalova’s breakout performance as Borat’s daughter was nothing short of genius. Her comedic timing, improvisations and dedication to her character deserve a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Read our review of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” online.

field is long overdue for award recognition, and this may be his shot for a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Streaming on Hulu “Nomadland” (Feb. 19) Directed by Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland” is a tender film centering around Fern, a woman who decides to live a nomadic lifestyle after the 2008 financial crisis. Zhao’s masterful directorial and writing decisions deserve a nomination for Best Director, as well as Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Frances McDormand’s performance is understated in all the right ways and will likely lead her to her second Best Actress nomination and possible win. Read our review of “Nomadland” online.

Streaming on HBO Max “Judas and the Black Messiah” This biographical drama stories the betrayal of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party, at the hands of William O’Neal in the 1960s. While the film hasn’t been released yet, with the timely narrative of Black activism and government interference, it is hard to imagine a world in which the Academy does not nominate “Judas and the Black Messiah” for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. LaKeith Stan-

Graphic by Angelica Jorio

eastern’s Chinese Student Association, or CSA, and Korean American Student Association, or KASA, are teaming up to coordinate a virtual Lunar New Year Gala to be held Feb. 20. Students will be able to participate in a variety of hands-on activities in breakout room “booths,” where they can play cultural games, learn calligraphy and even fold origami hanbok, which is traditional Korean clothing worn at celebrations.

“We’re trying to incorporate different elements of the specific cultures we represent,” said Yun, the co-events coordinator for CSA. “I think this is an important educational opportunity for students.”

The event aims to bring together Asian and Asian Americans on campus, not only to share cultures but also to break pandemic-induced isolation, said Seo, the Pan Asian American Council representative for KASA. “When you miss a holiday that you usually celebrate at home, you can feel lonely,” he said. “I want people to feel less lonely if that’s an issue for them, and come hang out with people who are similar to them.”

Yun echoed Seo’s sentiment, emphasizing their goal to create a strong sense of community and belonging.

“Of course, we can’t replace your family, but it’s the cheesy idea that you have a family here at Northeastern,” Yun said. “And that we’re always here for you.”

Above all, Yun believes that the event is a time for positivity and optimism heading into the new year.

“Besides togetherness, I think it represents hope for what will come

next [and] wishing for prosperity and good health,” Yun said. “I think that’s definitely something for this year that we need to emphasize.”

Symbolically, those who are born in the Year of the Ox are usually hardworking, caring, honest and selfless, Dong said. Thus, she said the Chinese zodiac sign holds much promise for 2021.

“I think [the Ox] brings a lot of hope,” she said. “There’s so many idioms associated with Ox, and all of them are positive.”

Aside from student-organized galas, Dong and other Northeastern faculty have hosted an on-campus new year’s event for more than 10 years. While planning it virtually presents a unique set of challenges, she hopes to maintain fellowship among the school community. If all goes as planned, Dong may be able to host a virtual dumpling-making class for her students.

“People could really see, touch, eat a lot of great food and feel the connection with the culture, each other and the community. That was the beauty of it,” Dong said, describing the annual celebration. “But now with the pandemic, it needs more careful planning, dedication and motivation to carry this through.”

While the event is not yet confirmed, Dong believes that hosting an event is necessary for students in a socially-distanced society.

“As a community, especially when we’re all isolated, I feel strongly that it’s even more urgent for educators to reach out to students and create that virtual community,” she said.

Beyond campus life, Boston’s

Streaming on Netflix “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Based on a play of the same name, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is about Ma Rainey, a famous blues singer, in a turbulent recording session in the 1920s. Both leads, Viola Davis (Ma Rainey) and Chadwick Boseman (Levee Green), delivered stellar and emotional performances and are likely to earn nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor (if not the win), especially as this film is Boseman’s final performance. Critics have also championed the film’s production value, possibly earning director George C. Wolfe a nomination.

original release in March 2020, but it has drummed up significant Oscar buzz with its recent January release.

“Promising Young Woman” seems favorable for nominations in the Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay categories. The film takes on the classic revenge fantasy genre but twists it, focusing on Carey Mulligan’s Cassie as she tries to live in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. Mulligan’s unforgettable performance could lead to a nomination for Best Actress as well.

Available to rent “Promising Young Woman” “Promising Young Woman” may have been lost at sea if it stuck to its

“Minari” While “Minari” is not yet available to stream, an article about potential nominees at this year’s award shows isn’t complete without it. Following a Korean family trying to find their piece of the American dream, “Minari” is food for the soul and is a likely Best Picture nominee. Director Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical story is carefully crafted and balanced, worthy of a nomination for Best Original Screenplay as well. Artful performances by Steven Yeun and Yeri Han deserve nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. “Minari” is set to have a limited theatrical release Feb. 12 and will be available on-demand Feb. 26. Read our full review of Minari online.

Only time will tell what films will sweep Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. Official Golden Globe nominations were released Feb. 3 and Oscar nominations will come out March 15.

Asian communities, including those in Chinatown and Dorchester, will also be virtually vibrant this year with events such as online lion dance workshops and a livestreamed Tet. Usually for Tet, or Vietnamese New Year, people attend a day-long celebration in Dorchester hosted by the Vietnamese American Community of Massachusetts and the New England Intercollegiate Vietnamese Student Association, or NEIVSA. NEIVSA’s Theresa Tran and Huy To, the executive director and associate director of Tet in Boston, considered whether they should host Tet at all this year, given the pandemic. But they knew that this was an important opportunity to celebrate their culture and serve their community.

“It really is a way for me to give back to my community, connect with my Vietnamese roots, as well as hopefully inspire others and younger members to give back to

the community as well,” said To, a Quincy native who always attended the event when he was younger.

Their theme for Tet in Boston is “xuân thái bình,” which directly translates to “spring of peace” and fits in response to the adversity faced from this past year.

“2020 was a very unprecedented year for the world. It was so challenging for many,” Tran said.

“We’re really trying to bring in more hope, more light for the new year.”

While Lunar New Year may be limited to computer screens and individual households, Asian communities are working hard to preserve the uplifting spirit of the holiday.

“It’s a tough year to celebrate,” Dong said. “But especially because it’s tough, I think we need to do extra to make sure everyone in the community feels the hope, love and care that this holiday embodies.”

“Mank” Hollywood loves films about itself, and “Mank” satisfies that selfish desire. The film follows Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish writing one of Hollywood’s most highly regarded films, “Citizen Kane.”

With two previous Oscar nominations for other films, David Fincher is a shoo-in for a Best Director nomination. Written by David Fincher’s father in the 1990s, “Mank” could be up for Best Original Screenplay, awarding Jack Fincher posthumously for his work. Gary Oldman (Herman J. Mankiewicz) and Amanda Seyfried (Marion Davies) might find themselves nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress as well.

Asian communities prepare for virtual Lunar New Year

By Kelly Chan News Staff During this time of year, Asian communities across the world come alive, with red and gold-accented lanterns in full bloom, lion dances performed in the streets and feasts served in every household.

While Lunar New Year will look different this year — and is typically observed differently among Asian cultures — it is always a celebration of family and love for more than 1.5 billion people worldwide.

For third-year health sciences major Alice Yun, that usually means savoring her grandmother’s homemade “tang yuan” (sweet rice balls) stuffed with black sesame filling.

Meanwhile, second-year PharmD student Samuel Seo cherishes playing Yut Nori, a traditional Korean board game, with his family and loved ones during the new year.

Professor Hua Dong recalled the special moments in sitting down with all generations of her family every year. Growing up in Nanjing, China, she would gaze in awe as her grandmother filled the dinner table for their grand holiday meal, even when food wasn’t plentiful for them at the time, she said.

“The joy, the expectation, the high hopes for a better year and the love from family — I still remember every detail of it,” Dong said.

This year, Lunar New Year falls on Friday, Feb. 12, commencing the Year of the Ox. The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year sequence, with each year denoting an animal sign.

To celebrate on campus, North-

Photo by Joe Thomas Before COVID-19, Lunar New Year was celebrated by setting off firecrackers, sharing meals and spending time with family.

OPINION

Page 10 The Huntington News EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief

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Jayden Khatib Jessica Silverman Editor-at-Large

Sofie Kato

Op-ed: Northeastern should extend the first-year honors Dialogue of Civilizations’ fee waiver

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Photo by Harriet Rovniak Northeastern held its annual Dialogue of Civilizations fair virtually Jan. 20, showcasing the university’s unique summer study abroad programs. Held in high regard by the university, these programs “offer a great alternative to traditional study abroad opportunities for students in high-intensity majors with less course flexibility. These programs are unique, intensive and shorter-term, lasting approximately 30 days in a country as compared to a traditional four to six month experience.” Furthermore, the Global Experience Office, or

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GEO, explains that “Dialogues offer a wide variety of unique courses and electives that wouldn’t otherwise be available on campus, providing diverse perspectives and immersive cultural experiences.”

As an attractive, relatively low-commitment program that yields valuable study abroad experiences, it is understandable why Dialogues generate great interest among Northeastern’s student body.

Personally, the highly boasted global experiences the university offers were a large reason why I chose to attend this school. But unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned college life onto its head, and study abroad experiences are no exception. As such, Northeastern’s 2020 Dialogues were cancelled, stopping thousands of students from experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience.

With the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine being distributed to the Northeastern community and across the United States, there is hope for an eventual return to normalcy. However, study abroad experiences like Dialogues continue to hang in the balance. It is unclear whether these programs will have to switch to their online alternatives due to a variety of reasons, including travel restrictions, slowed vaccine rollout and/

or future spikes in cases. Much is still uncertain about the status of study abroad programs, and since our world is still navigating a devastating pandemic, this calls for understanding and flexibility.

Northeastern University has failed to provide either, particularly to their honors students.

Students admitted to Northeastern’s Honors Program are “eligible to have the fee waived for one Dialogue of Civilizations during Summer 1 or Summer 2 of their first summer (only), up to a maximum of $3,500.” This means that honors students admitted for the fall 2020 semester can only apply their fee waiver during the summer terms of this year. With the looming chance of 2021 Dialogues being converted to a reduced, online format, questions of whether the fee waiver can be applied to a later term quickly rose.

These questions were squashed just as swiftly. The university determined that there will be no exceptions.

But with all this uncertainty, there should be.

First-year honors students who apply and are accepted to online Dialogues should be able to reserve their fee waiver for an in-person experience. Northeastern’s refusal to adjust its policy despite

these difficult circumstances feels like a way for the university to grab money from the pockets of its students and families without their best interests at heart.

The fee waiver is an opportunity for students to save thousands of dollars on a collegiate study abroad experience as a result of their honors status. Students like myself facing financial limitations exacerbated by the pandemic may only be able to embark on such an experience if the fee is waived. The lack of flexibility on this policy forces the hand of these students. They are forced to gamble a staple of their college experience in hopes that the pandemic won’t hinder yet another aspect of their academic plans. Students who started college in fall 2020 should have comparable opportunities to experience full-fledged Dialogues, just like the students who attended this university before the pandemic struck.

To give our first-year honors students a fighting chance to enjoy the benefits they have been promised to the fullest, Northeastern should extend the fee waiver policy to the summer terms of 2022.

Anything less is a scam.

Katie Mogg is a first-year journalism major. She can be reached at mogg.k@ northeastern.edu.

Op-ed: Doing as much as we can to overcome gentrification

Eva Arad

Alex Choung, Alexis Santoro, Ariana Bennett, Dayna Archer, Grace Horne, Hannah Anthony, Hannah Rosman, Jenna Chin, Jill Makin, Joanna Zhao, Madison Boudreau Popovic, Maria Lovato, Petrina Danardatu, Samantha Cadenasso, Sarah Brinsley, Savannah Miller, Vishrut Sundararajan

February 5, 2021

Photo by Kelly Thomas Last summer, when Northeastern announced it was implementing the NUflex program in the fall and inviting students back to campus, the city of Boston was skeptical. Contagious disease experts, including an NU epidemiologist, recommended that Massachusetts return to at least Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan to curb cases. There was no major surge in cases at that time, but there were indicators that there was one coming.

Despite these reservations, NU made the decision to press forward with its plans for in-person classes. Although it appears the university’s gamble paid off — there was no surge of cases on campus even after students returned for the fall semester — I believe that Northeastern should offer some recompense for the potential increases in coronavirus exposure to the local community.

One way the university can do that is by reversing some of the negative effects of gentrification caused by the expansion of college campuses.

Boston is one of the most gentrified cities in the country; it is third only to San Francisco and Denver. While gentrification leads to improved housing and infrastructure, as well as commercial advances, there are many negative impacts that undercut the value added to the community. This includes the forced displacement and exclusion of low-income families, especially among people of color. And once gentrification begins, there is no going back.

Last year, the mayor of Boston announced an initiative to counterbalance these effects. He pledged to devote $500 million to build more affordable housing, but his pledge only served to increase the disparity between the lower-income and the more affluent, rather than redress it. The money poured into refurbishing these neighborhoods attracted more affluent people who took up residence in these communities.

Take the Boston Seaport as an example.

The rebuilt neighborhood is now 89% white residents. The 3% Black residents have not benefited from the renewal.

The history of encouraging minority economic growth is not new, as seen in the 1980s Parcel to Parcel Linkage Program. The city pledged that if a developer purchased a parcel of land in downtown Boston, then they would commit to build on a parcel of land in Roxbury.

Northeastern’s new Lightview building plans are set to take place on one of these parcels of land that the University bought from foreclosure in 1997 and will not benefit the Roxbury community as the program originally intended. This is yet another example of being all talk and no action. The university focuses so much on the pillar of community — yet continues to keep Roxbury residents and minorities outside of it.

However, it is important to realize that the development of new neighborhoods is not the problem. The core problem is zoning — once a neighborhood redevelops, its wealthy residents use zoning regulations to keep low-income people out. The solution is not to fight development, but rather to fight the misuse of regulation.

To truly reverse the effects of gentrification, there needs to be a widespread liberalization of zoning. For example, activists employ “downzoning” to increase affordable housing in gentrified neighborhoods. A developer who wants to build homes on a lot must obtain a variance. Downzoning regulations require that at least one-third of the units built on the lot need to be affordable housing. However, these initiatives take time to have an effect. In the meantime, the existing low-income community suffers. This is where universities like Northeastern can help. Although they can not truly solve gentrification, the university should find ways to encourage students to invest in the Boston community and leave it better than they found it.

Certain existing Northeastern programs can be expanded to assist the community. Swipe2Care is a campus program for students to donate extra meals to their peers on a voluntary basis. Students should be encouraged to use the program, not only to donate extra meals to students, but also to provide meals to people in the city who need them. If the meals were given to those in need or those who sign up for them, even if recipients do not belong to the Northeastern community, the program would be more widely used.

Students should also be encouraged to donate more to thrift stores. There

is a gap regarding what is consumed versus what is replaced. Furniture and clothes are often thrown away as students move into new places throughout their college years. Northeastern should encourage students to donate more used clothing and extra furniture to local thrift stores.

Northeastern could also kickstart a horticulture club that would invest in rooftop or city gardens. This could work in tandem with Boston public gardens to increase the amount of fresh and local produce available to the public.

They could also increase funding to NU Mutual Aid and other food drives while creating more clubs like Peer Health Exchange, which trains college student volunteers to teach a skills-based health curriculum in public high schools.

Similar clubs could tutor students in Boston public schools and assist them with preparing college applications.

Gentrification is often talked about, but few are writing about the alternative ways we as college students can combat its detrimental effects. In a city environment, it is especially crucial to look around and remember that there is always more you can do to help your adopted home. Even though places like Seaport are beautiful and modern, we cannot ignore how these aesthetically pleasing redevelopment projects worsen disparities between the affluent and low-income. Northeastern has the potential to serve as a catalyst to make our campus, local community and the entire city more balanced and socially conscious.

Maeve Singer is a first-year computer science and environmental science combined major. She can be reached at singer. ma@northeastern.edu.

OPINION

February 5, 2021

Page 11

Op-ed: Banning Trump from Twitter was a bandaid on a deeper wound

Photo by Harriet Rovniak Conservatives are in a tough spot. Last November, they went all in to support former president Donald Trump, screaming from the mountaintops about election fraud, furiously retweeting every poorly edited Project Veritas video that came their way and vowing to “stop the steal.” Even after having their false claims blown out in court, conservatives forged ahead in their toxic pseudo reality, getting in bed with QAnon and forsaking the cause of democracy.

And two months later, Americans saw the sad fruits their faults produced, the blows they themselves induced. The U.S. Capitol was overrun by a violent mob of insurrectionists who sought to overthrow the government at the behest of Trump.

These rioters worked in tandem with a majority of Republican lawmakers, some of whom actively aided the insurrection, who voted to overturn the election results. Seeking to execute any legislators who stood in their way, the terrorists injured over 140 Capitol police officers, including

one who was bludgeoned to death (back the blue, right?).

So when Trump was rightfully banned from Twitter and thousands of QAnon and fascist accounts were suspended, conservatives found their diversion. Instead of addressing their complicity in the Capitol riots, conservatives have taken to protesting Trump’s ban from Twitter and rehashing their aggrieved censorship narrative.

Though unsurprising, the conservative obfuscation of the issues at play here is unfortunate, for they are a distraction from the truly concerning issue of unmitigated influence held by a select few Big Tech companies. Social media corporations cannot be trusted to curtail radicalization and misinformation in American politics that have occured on their platforms. This predicament has nothing to do with “bias” against right-wingers and everything to do with tech companies seeking the path of least resistance.

Trump was an obvious candidate for being banned. He used his platform to harass people and spread lies. His actions would have gotten anyone else kicked off years ago, but he was given special treatment because Twitter considered him to be “newsworthy.” Trump himself said, “Without the tweets, I wouldn’t be here.” Trump’s Twitter fingers helped convince 70% of Republicans that the election was not free and fair. After Trump’s account was suspended, misinformation about the election dropped a whopping 73%. But the damage was done.

Trump nearly got his own vice

president killed through his words before and during the riot. Minutes after rioters broke into the Capitol and came within 100 feet of the fleeing Mike Pence, Trump tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done,” prompting his rabid brownshirts to chant “hang Mike Pence” and hunt for him as a gallow stood erected outside the building. Trump caused these people to believe that Pence had the power to single-handedly hand him the election. That lie had grave consequences.

Being banned from Twitter is not a First Amendment issue, for Twitter is a private company and can do what it pleases (something conservatives use as justification for denying gay people service, by the way). Free speech itself does not even protect all speech; incitement to violence, which Trump undeniably engaged in, can cause legal consequences. If bad faith free speech absolutists were ideologically consistent, wouldn’t we see them crying foul when ISIS propaganda is blocked?

Conservatives take no issue with undue corporate influence; they dislike Big Tech merely because they feel victimized and targeted by it, though studies show this notion has no basis in fact. The narrative is entirely based on argument by anecdote. If there is any actual disproportionate banning of conservatives, it speaks more to their increased likelihood to send death threats, make racist remarks or incite violence. Most people don’t have trouble staying within terms of service; believe it or not, it’s pretty easy to not spread lies, make

racist remarks or incite violence on Twitter! If social media companies cannot purge Nazis, bots and white supremacists without prominent conservatives getting caught up, what does that say about the movement Republicans have cultivated?

Yet there is a case to be made that banning people and shutting down expression is not a solution to the broader problem of extremism, though Trump is a poor martyr for the cause. Trump and other conservatives crying censorship in front of massive audiences cannot be silenced, but normal people can be.

Liberals should not believe that tech companies banned Trump for noble reasons. They did it because they were concerned about their own image. Social media companies have and will continue to use their ability to stifle discussion against the Left.

In 2018, Twitter purged the accounts of dozens of Occupy activists with zero explanation. Facebook suspended the accounts of anarchists and antifascists in the name of “fairness,” falsely equating them to murderous right-wing ideologies. Furthermore, Facebook collaborated with the Israeli government to quash criticism of its apartheid state, coming down harshly on what it deems “Palestinian incitement” but turning a blind eye to Israelis who celebrate crimes like the Israel Defense Force killings of Palestinians.

Tech companies are directly responsible for the massive rightwing radicalization pipeline that has corrupted the minds of many Americans. The small performative actions they take to combat misinfor-

mation and extremism are dwarfed by how their algorithms incentivize and reward conspiracies, racism and other far-right content. According to Transparency Tube, “Partisan Right” Youtube content in the last year overlaps 42% with conspiracy and 15% with QAnon. Conservatives dominate Facebook in particular, with their propaganda frequently topping the list of highest performing link posts.

So much of American public discourse occurs on a few social media platforms, and it would be unwise to leave a couple of plutocrats to shut out whoever they see fit. Tech corporations must be broken up through antitrust laws and subjected to intense regulation. The government must step in to simultaneously protect the information and speech of social media users and stop tech giants from profiting off the poisoning of American discourse. Demonetizing political content, not suppressing it, will cut off the structures that cause dangerous content to proliferate while still promoting the Enlightenment principle of free speech. If we allow new and well-thought-out social platforms to pop up, there will no longer be a question of eliminating people from the “public square,” for there will be more than one.

But this is a long ways away. So while Republicans cry censorship and cancel culture, I’m glad to see Trump go.

Noah Colbert is a first-year combined mathematics and political science major. He can be reached at colbert.n@northeastern.edu.

Column: Big Tech is officially on their way to establishing an echo chamber

Photo courtesy Madison Boudreau Popovic When Big Tech began censoring former President Donald J. Trump a few months ago, I told people this would cascade into something more disastrous — something more detrimental to democracy at its core. Many did not believe me; they thought it was a far-fetched idea. Yet, here we are in a time of horrendous cancel culture. A time of despicable censorship of those on the right. A time of great despair where Big Tech is trying to destroy and fracture the Republican Party more than it already is.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is at the forefront of this controversy, as Twitter banned Trump indefinitely following the attack on the Capitol.

The official reason Twitter removed

Trump was because of concerns that he was inciting violence. Twitter specifically targeted two tweets Trump published. On Jan. 8, Trump tweeted, “The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!”

This Tweet was deemed an act of inciting violence according to Twitter.

I fail to see how these words incite violence. Trump merely attempted to give his supporters a voice, but this was somehow interpreted as violence. The other tweet Trump published stated: “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”

Twitter argued that this Tweet gave credibility to the false claims that the 2020 election was not fairly won by President Joe Biden. However, could it just be that there is a lot of animosity between the two politicians? Their grievances started far before election day. If Twitter is going to single out this tweet as words that incited violence, then what about when Biden mentioned he agreed with Trump’s decision to not come to his inauguration? No one interpreted his support

as inciting violence.

Everyone has free will, and the violent radicals who charged the Capitol did so at their own liberty.

Trump never told these rioters to incite violence at the Capitol, nor did he lead them into the Capitol.

To be clear, those who stormed the Capitol were not peaceful and were unacceptably violent. These actions must be condemned, but it is important to note that there were people among the crowd who were peaceful. The rally itself was intended to be peaceful. Yes, Trump’s words have the power to excite and inspire certain people. Some unquestionably grew too excited, but he never explicitly told these people to storm the Capitol. “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”

Trump tweeted in December 2020.

He did not use words that seek to incite violence. He simply reached the American people through Twitter to announce a protest. Nowhere did he say anything about violence. In fact, during a speech Trump gave before the protest commenced, he emphasized that the protest was intended to be done “peacefully and patriotically.”

While many argue that the removal of Trump from Twitter is

for the greater good of the United States, it is undoubtedly damaging to democracy by setting a treacherous precedent. Dorsey even admits the ban is unfortunate, as it limits the promotion of “healthy conversation.”

Regardless of whether someone is a Trump supporter, everyone should be concerned about censorship. It’s like an avalanche that creeps up on you, and by the time you realize what’s about to hit you, it’s too late to stop it.

The most frightening part of this entire situation is that the U.S. Constitution does not protect American citizens from this censorship. The First Amendment protects us from U.S. government censorship, but what about private companies? The Constitution was obviously drafted without social media in mind, but it seems like this amendment does not protect us from Big Tech censorship at all. Yes, platforms like Twitter are private companies, and they can do as they please. But it does not make banning Republicans just. It does not make banning Democrats just. It does not make banning anyone just.

Big Tech is using their unchecked power as a form of tyranny which, as a result, harms free speech.

So what was the real reason for

Twitter’s decision to ban Trump? It seems to be because Twitter targets Republicans who express dissenting opinions that challenge leftist beliefs. It is now seen as acceptable to ban entire platforms such as Parler merely because they give a voice to conservatives. Apple and Google decided to ban Parler from their app stores claiming the app failed to censor posts that may incite violence. I was in for a rather rude awakening a few weeks ago when someone on the internet told me to get off Facebook and stay on Parler. But now I can’t even do that, since the forum was canceled because of closed-minded leaders in Big Tech.

Americans need to wake up and look around. The world is now full of hypocrisy and censorship. The question then becomes: What is next?

What ideologies will be acceptable on social media? Which individuals will be banned on what platform? It is only a matter of time before these questions start being asked in earnest, but by then it will be too late.

Madison Boudreau Popovic is a first-year political science and business administration combined major. She can be reached at popovic.m@northeastern.edu.

SPORTS

Page 12

February 5, 2021

Custom jersey phrases call for social justice

By Sarah Olender News Staff Before games, the men’s basketball team normally wears long-sleeve warm-up jerseys that say “Northeastern Basketball” or a motivational quote. The phrase changes each year, but this year the jerseys say something different.

Now, every player warms up in a black, long-sleeve shirt that says “Equality.”

And that’s not the only word players wear during games that calls for social justice. Underneath the warmup jerseys, each player now wears a phrase of their choice expressing their beliefs, giving the athletes an opportunity to have their voices heard.

Tyson Walker, the sophomore guard, chose to have the word “Justice” printed on the back of his jersey.

He was inspired to use this phrase because he saw it on the jersey of Utah Jazz player Justin Wright-Foreman. Ever since he saw it, there was no doubt in his mind that this was the phrase he was going to wear on the back of his Northeastern jersey.

“I have ‘justice’ on the back of my jersey,” Walker said. “A lot of people are not being held accountable for their actions, and everyone knows that [we] want equality, but justice is the next step after that.”

On the back of redshirt junior forward Jason Strong’s jersey, the word “Equality” appears.

“It’s a good overall word to use,” Strong said. “I think equality is something that’s needed, not just in America but in the world.”

At first, Strong was choosing between a few different phrases.

“I always liked the word ‘Equality,’ but I was choosing between ‘Black Lives Matter’ as well because it’s a trending topic and something that would have been a good message, but I decided to go with ‘equality,’” Strong said.

The back of freshman forward Coleman Stucke’s jersey looks a little different than the rest of his teammates. He doesn’t have a written-out phrase but rather the biblical verse “John 15:12.”

“The biblical verse that I had on the back was John 15:12, and it’s a verse when Jesus was speaking, and it’s ‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you,’” Stucke said.

“The reason why I chose that

is because as a follower of Christ, I believe that the solution to all of the world’s problems, and I’m including social injustice and racism, I believe the solution is Christ.”

Stucke is a dedicated Christian, and he talked a lot about how the base of Christianity is to treat everyone with love. Another teammate, freshman guard Jahmyl Telfort, also has a biblical verse on the back of his jersey. Telfort’s jersey reads “Love thy neighbor,” and Stucke also almost chose the same phrase but decided to use John 15:12 instead.

“I also believe if we can reenact [Christ’s love] as citizens of the Earth, that would solve our problem,” Stucke said. “I believe that kind of love is what’s going to solve the problems of the world… Obviously something like racism and social injustice, it all just comes from hate and bigotry and things like that. As a Christian, a big part, like the entire religion is based on love, and I think the only way to fight hate is with love.”

With multiple sports organizations reporting on each game and with the team’s recent success, there have been numerous eyes on the Huskies this season despite the lack of physical fans in the stands.

With this attention, some of the players have felt a greater responsibility when it comes to taking a stand against social injustices.

“I think we have a platform that we can use to spread awareness to certain issues and in this case, it’s the social justice issues go-

Photo by Sarah Olender This season, the men’s basketball team traded their usual jersey phrase to a phrase of their choice expressing their beliefs.

ing on,” Strong said. “I think that we have a platform that we can use.”

Stucke felt the same way.

“I definitely think we have to be the role models to what we want the world to be like because I do think people look up to us, whether we want that or not, people do,” Stucke said. “If we’re full of love and behaving in the right way, I think we can be an example to the rest of the school and hopefully the rest of the world for changes to occur.”

The NU athletics department helped the student-athletes express their voices, all while making sure they felt comfortable and heard.

Strong, Walker and Stucke all emphasized that the athletic department has supported their efforts throughout the social justice movement and custom jersey process.

“I think the whole department was thinking about it and us as a team took the initiative to put in action, along with the equipment manager,” Strong said.

Ever since the social justice movement started gaining more momentum than ever this past year, the coaching staff has stressed the importance of making sure the student-athletes felt supported. Strong, Walker and Stucke said there were many conversations in group chats and meetings about the social justice movement and the jerseys.

“The coaches are definitely supportive,” Walker said. “We’ve had many talks, even in the summer before we met everybody face to face, so they’ve been supportive the whole time.”

Stucke had similar thoughts.

“I think the coaches and department did a great job of just having the dialogue and having the conversations about it and enabling players to stand up for what they believe in,” Stucke said. “I think it’s an awesome thing that we’re able to put what we want on the back of our jerseys and stand up for what we believe in and fight for the changes that we want to see. I’m

so grateful for that opportunity.”

The men’s basketball team isn’t the only team starting to put social justice messages on their jerseys. The women’s basketball team also wears messages of their choice on their backs.

While neither hockey team wears social justice messages on the back of their jerseys, sophomore Jayden Struble, a defenseman on the men’s hockey team, released a statement on Twitter calling for change. In his statement, Struble called Americans to action and demanded accountability.

This post was well received. The original tweet received over 1700 likes and 442 retweets.

In response to Struble’s post, the men’s hockey Twitter account quoted head coach Jim Madigan, saying, “Well said, Jayden. We hear you. We stand with you as we commit ourselves to use our voice for change.”

This tweet has been pinned on the men’s hockey Twitter account since June 2, 2020.

“I definitely think it’s something that other teams can look at and hopefully other teams start to do,” Strong said. “I think it’s an easy way to spread a message because as athletes, we have a lot of people watching us so I think it’s just a good chance to spread awareness to certain issues.”

Even though there aren’t fans physically in the stands, all of the games are being broadcasted so fans can tune in and watch the games, as well as the see messages players chose to wear. These custom messages calling for social justice are not only found on the jerseys of NU basketball players but can also be found around the country on professional basketball teams.

“It’s something that’s not just on our team, or college basketball. It’s in all sports and different kinds of sports across the country,” Strong said. “Even across the world, every team is doing something unique. It’s very unifying to see everybody do it, and it just motivates even more.”

NU goaltender Devon Levi’s rise to fame

By Erin Walsh News Staff Northeastern men’s hockey team freshman goaltender Devon Levi wasn’t projected to be Team Canada’s starting netminder at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. But when he got the call, he couldn’t deny the opportunity and led Canada to a silver medal.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was able to walk to play in this tournament,” Levi said. “To be able to go there and have an experience like that is a dream come true. It’ll be an experience I’ll be able to look back on for the rest of my life.”

Before the tournament began, Levi was rather unknown. But after his performance for Team Canada, he became a household name, particularly north of the border. Despite the odds being stacked against him, the young netminder entered the tournament with the right mindset.

“I was just thinking about playing well and getting better and just practicing hard, doing what I can to control the controllables,” Levi said.

“Things kind of fell into place from there. I started playing well, which was what I was focusing on, and when I took care of that, everything

else took care of itself and I think the ball rolled well.”

During the tournament, Levi pulled a 2013 Patrice Bergeron, playing through a fractured rib, which he suffered during Canada’s first game against Germany. Even though he was injured, the Dollard-desOrmeaux native broke Carey Price’s tournament record with a .964 save percentage and recorded three shutouts, tying the World Juniors record.

“I mean, it’s definitely cool, but it’s not something I wrap my head around a lot or get too caught up in,” Levi said of setting new World Juniors records. “I’m just focusing on getting better every day and playing the game that I love. I wasn’t playing to break any records or for my numbers. I was playing for my teammates.

I was playing for our team. I was playing for the country. So that’s really what I took out of it. My time representing the country was more valuable than these little details. But it is still pretty cool.”

In normal circumstances, fans would have packed Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, but COVID-19 caused the tournament to be played behind closed doors. Levi admitted he felt a special bond with the country despite having

no spectators in attendance.

“I’m super grateful that I was able to go and it was a great time even without fans,” Levi said. “It would have been a bit different in the rink, but it was an awesome experience and I felt super connected to the country. I know everyone was watching online.”

Levi’s rise to the top of the World Junior ranks was slow but steady. The 19-year-old played youth hockey for the Lac St-Louis Lions of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League and had an experience unlike many other players his age.

While playing for the Lions, Levi spent his summers training with several NHL players, including Stanley Cup champion Alex Killorn, who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Being able to go out with [Killorn] and some other NHLers was the highlight of my week when I was 14 and growing up,” Levi said. “I was super lucky to be able to train at our rink at the Lac St-Louis Lions. A bunch of NHLers would come back who played for the Lac St-Louis Lions and they’d come back and train with [the team.]”

While it certainly was a challenge, Levi said that training with those players at a young age was a once-in-

a-lifetime opportunity that helped his overall development.

Levi has yet to suit up for the Huskies this season as he continues to recover from the fractured rib, but the World Juniors experience has prepared him for a standout career in college hockey.

“I feel like I’m a better goalie than I was when I got there,” Levi said.

“I worked with [goaltending coach] Jason LaBarbera and we were able to tune up some things in my game that I feel really good about now and he was a great goalie coach. I think I learned a lot about myself and about the game at that tournament. I’m ex-

Photo Courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics Goaltender Devon Levi proved his worth at the 2020 IIHF World Juniors and has since returned to the Huskies.

cited to play college hockey and take what I learned from the tournament and apply it to my game.”

NU fans can expect the utmost dedication from Levi. His Carleton Place Canadians coach Jason Clarke said in an interview with CBC’s Donna Spencer that Levi’s constant investment in himself helped the young netminder build a relationship to the game like none other.

“I just focus on what I have to do and I don’t get tied up in the uncontrollables,” Levi said. “I just know my job is to stop the puck and I do everything I can to stop it. I think giving myself to the game is sort of the marriage that he’s talking about. Married to the game almost. I love to do it, and I love playing so it’s sort of easy for me to give myself and to work hard.”

It’s unclear when Levi will return to the ice and suit up for the Huskies, but he wants NU fans to know he’s going to do everything in his power to bring home an NCAA title.

“I’m a guy that’s going to give my heart and soul to the team. I’m going to do everything I can to win and give my teammates the best chance at winning and hopefully being able to be a piece of the puzzle and hopefully winning a championship,” Levi said.