April 2, 2021

The Huntington News April 2, 2021

The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community

@HuntNewsNU

Photo courtesy Lawrence Deng Last week, more than 1,250 students, faculty and staff joined together in support of Northeastern’s Asian American community by co-signing a letter demanding action from the administration. The demands included greater funding and resources as well as increased representation of Asian American voices in the curriculum.

NU ASIAN COMMUNITY DEMANDS UNIVERSITY ACTION, ACCOUNTABILITY FOR RECURRING ISSUES

By Kelly Chan | News Staff Leaders of the Asian American community across Northeastern’s campuses nationwide are tired of not being heard.

More than 1,250 students, faculty and staff have co-signed a letter demanding action from the administration for greater funding, resources, transparency and other measures to address issues faced by the Asian American community. It has been signed by nearly every executive board member of every Asian American cultural organization as well as student leaders from organizations, such as the Student Government Association, Council for University Programs and Greek organizations.

“We want more opportunities to learn about our history and our issues through representation in the courses that are offered,” the letter read. “We want increased resources for all cultural centers and for mental health centers in order to ease the burden placed

upon students. We want Northeastern to support our surrounding Asian American communities. We want a chance to speak with you regularly with other student leaders of color and for actionable change.”

The letter was released Tuesday, March 23 via Instagram on Northeastern’s Pan Asian American Council, or PAAC, account. It asks the university to respond to immediate action items, including opportunities to meet with administrators, culturally appropriate mental health resources and a decrease in campus policing. It also highlights several anonymous testimonials detailing experiences of gaslighting, microaggressions and frustration as members of the Asian American community.

Claire Blaufox, president of the Chinese Student Association and the incoming co-chair of PAAC for the 2021-22 academic year, was the initial driving force for this letter. Much of her motivation stems from anti-Asian hate crimes that have spiked since the onset of COVID-19, which was referred to as the “China virus”

and “Kung Flu” by former President Donald Trump.

More recently, Blaufox was struck by the fatal shootings of eight victims in Atlanta: Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan and Daoyou Feng. Six of them were Asian American.

“The Atlanta hate crimes hit so close to home on so many levels. I was just really struggling and processing the grief, the fear,” said Blaufox, a third-year chemical engineering major. “[This letter] is the one thing I’m clinging to. I still haven’t had time to cope with what is going on in Atlanta, but seeing all of this support has helped me feel.”

In response to the recent attacks, President Joseph E. Aoun sent an email March 17 to the student body to extend the university’s support of the Asian community and denounce these hate crimes.

“I join with all members of the Northeastern community in condemning these racist acts,” the email ASIAN AMERICAN, on Page 2

Kim Janey sworn in as 55th mayor of Boston

By Mihiro Shimano News Staff Kim Janey was sworn in Wednesday, March 24 at Boston City Hall, making history as the first woman and first Black mayor of Boston. She stepped into the role after former Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh resigned in order to take on the role of labor secretary under the Biden administration.

Janey, who was the former representative for District 7 and president of the Boston City Council, will lead the city as acting mayor until a new mayor is elected in November. Janey has yet to announce whether she will be running.

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the

first Black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress, led the swearing-in ceremony, praising Janey for her work and success in office. She also highlighted the significance of the moment for women and communities of color. Janey was sworn in by Chief Justice Kimberly Budd of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, also the first Black woman to hold her position.

“I stand before you as the first woman and the first Black mayor of Boston, the city that I love,” Janey said in her speech. “I come to this day with a life experience that is different from the men who came before me.”

As a sixth-generation Roxbury

resident, Janey projects a mayoral image that is vastly different from the white men who have held the position before her. Before her swearing-in, she tweeted about her frequent use of public transportation and her speciality dish, “the best sweet potato pie,” displaying her humble roots.

Janey first began her political endeavors volunteering for Mel King’s historic run as the first Black person to run for mayor of Boston.

She was also involved with Massachusetts Advocates for Children.

As a mother to Kimesha Janey and grandmother of three, she looks to successfully and safely reopen schools in the city.

Janey also spoke about her own

traumatic experience in the Boston Public School system, where she was bused to a school in Charlestown during the 1970s desegregation efforts. As she takes over as mayor, she looks to address the inequalities and disparities of race in Boston, including dismantling systemic racism through police reform.

“Our nation and our city are built on a promise that achieving your dreams is possible — regardless of race, religion, immigration status, income, gender identity or who you love — but we have so much work to do to make those dreams real for everyone,” she said. “We have to start by calling out the challenges facing our city openly, honestly and transparently.”

Photo by Mihiro Shimano On March 24, Kim Janey became the first woman and first Black mayor of Boston.

CAMPUS

Page 2

April 2, 2021

AAPI open letter outlines frustrations ASIAN AMERICAN, from front read. “Words of support, healing, and prayer are not enough. Northeastern is a community of action. Anti-Asian bigotry — and all other forms of racism — are corrosive to our shared humanity and must be actively opposed.”

Some students in the Asian American community appreciated the gesture, but many thought Aoun’s words lacked substance and conviction.

“While he was championing a worthy cause, it seemed almost paradoxical that he would say we are a ‘community of action’ without ever having mentioned any action in any shape or form,” said Lawrence Deng, a second-year biology major and 2021-2022 co-chair of the Asian American Students in Action, or AASIA. “I was angry, to be honest, that these issues are so out in the open and so visible, yet we don’t actually treat them in any serious regard.”

First-year Jaycen Tan, who is in the Explore Program and involved with a few on-campus Asian organizations, said he found the message to be “compassionate” at first, but now, more than a week after the email, he finds himself still waiting for action.

“Ever since March 17, he hasn’t done anything. That really concerned me because he’s our president, and his word means everything to us,” said Tan, who applied to Northeastern thinking it was a diverse and inclusive university from its branding and messaging.

NU media relations told The News that the university is dedicated to its “diverse global community of people from all backgrounds” and recognizes the concerns that the Asian American community has brought to light.

“The university is committed to fostering an environment where these differences are celebrated and everyone feels safe, heard, and included,” the statement read. “Northeastern leaders are actively engaging with members of the [Asian American Pacific Islander, or] AAPI community around these issues to fully understand their experiences and make decisions that are informed by these conversations. We are looking forward to a productive collaboration where AAPI students feel heard and supported throughout every dimension of their Northeastern experience.”

Following the letter’s release, Blaufox and Deng said they received a message March 23 from Robert Jose, senior advisor to the president for diversity and inclusion, and Chong Kim-Wong, vice chancellor for student success. They scheduled a meeting

for Monday, March 29, which will include other student body leaders and supporters, for a follow-up discussion on the open letter.

On Wednesday, March 24, Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning Ken Henderson also reached out and set up individual meetings with the main coordinators of the letter, including Blaufox, over the course of the weekend.

As Deng watched more signatures roll in, he said it felt “truly liberating” to see the amount of support that the AAPI community has received.

Blaufox said that the letter’s purpose is to uplift the Asian American community as well as other communities of color on campus.

“I want students of color to feel that they are as valued as other students and generally valued as unique individuals for what they bring to the university beyond [diversity] statistics and numbers,” Blaufox said.

“I want students of color to feel as if they are human.”

Recent letters to News@ Northeastern to address Asian American coverage Prior to Tuesday’s letter, a group of faculty and staff across NU’s campuses nationwide had sent two letters to News@Northeastern, according to an anonymous source who worked closely on both letters. Each letter had roughly 20 to 25 signatures from faculty and staff, the source said.

The first letter, the source said, was sent near the end of February. It addressed News@Northeastern’s lack of coverage on the hate crimes against the Asian American community due to COVID-19 over the past year.

“We’re here, and we’re not invisible,” the source said. “A lot of folks in the community did not feel seen or heard. News@Northeastern has a voice to bring this to light, and we were disappointed that they had not done that yet.”

The second letter was sparked in reaction to a March 2 News@ Northeastern article about anti-Asian hate crimes, which did not include a single Asian American voice. The anonymous source said several faculty and staff members felt that the article was “poorly written” and lacked representation.

“Sure, [the sources] might be experts in their fields, but there was just no representation from the Asian American community,” the source said.

Blaufox also said she thought the article was “incomplete” and even sent a personal response to News@

Northeastern about the lack of Asian representation and proper consideration for the community’s input.

Deng said he felt the same.

“How could you represent the thoughts of the community without talking to any members of the community?” Deng said.

Following both letters, the anonymous source said that the responses from News@Northeastern were similar in language and did not properly address their concerns. Rather, the source said it felt like a “simple statement” that discussed how News@Northeastern works hard to cover relevant issues.

“There was no real redress for the issues we brought forward,” the source said. “It just lacked any real compassion or sensitivity to the issues. It was just an empty response.”

On March 22, News@Northeastern published another piece about the topic. This time, it featured two Asian American sources: Blaufox and Northeastern University School of Law professor Margaret Woo. Michael Armini, senior vice president of external affairs, said in a statement to The News that News@ Northeastern’s coverage in both articles was “flawless.”

“This is an award-winning news organization and their coverage on this has been flawless,” he said in a statement. “The first article featured two very accomplished faculty experts offering their insights, and the second article showcased a variety of Asian voices.”

Armini also noted that News@ Northeastern does not take race into account when seeking out expert sources.

“When the news team seeks out faculty experts to comment on their areas of research, they don’t impose any kind of racial or ethnic screen,” the statement said. “I hope no one is suggesting that we start doing that.”

The anonymous source said that they appreciated the representation in the second article and that it should continue thereafter.

“It was a big improvement from the first one,” the anonymous source said. “But there needs to be consistency across the board when it comes to addressing issues that particularly impact communities of color.”

Woo said this article from News@ Northeastern was a good start to highlighting Asian American issues and that she wishes to see more coverage of the like.

“My hope is that this [article] is only the beginning and that there will be additional inquiries and articles in the future,” Woo said.

A history of struggles for the Asian American Center These recent events are not the first time that the Asian American community on campus has felt ignored by the university, Deng said.

For them — as outlined in the student letter — this is another instance

The Atlanta hate crimes hit so close to home on so many levels. I was just really struggling and processing the grief, the fear. [This letter] is the one thing I’m clinging to. I still haven’t had time to cope with what is going on in Atlanta, but seeing all of this support has helped me feel.

— Claire Blaufox President of the Chinese Student Association and 2021-22 co-chair of PAAC in a pattern of negligence.

The Asian American Center, or AAC, is one of the main umbrella organizations that houses AAPI student organizations, including PAAC, and acts as a safe haven for many students. Yet for years, they have lacked physical and financial support from the university, Blaufox said.

Between 2014 and 2015, the university cut the AAC’s yearly budget by more than $10,000, said Aaron Parayno, a former staff member of the AAC. He does not recall the specific

amount, but he confirmed that this portion of the budget was being used for funding student programs at the time. He said the budget cut, in turn, negatively impacted the quality and number of events hosted by the center.

For every year after, Parayno said the AAC received the reduced budget and AAC staff had to request the university for the money that was taken away.

Every year he was a full-time staff member, which was until 2019, he said the request was granted, but the money was not guaranteed for the next year.

NU media relations has not immediately responded to The News’ inquiries regarding the budget cuts.

Deng feels that the budget should have increased given the growing Asian student population. In 2008, 8.2% of NU’s undergraduate population identified as Asian; today, the community has more than doubled, making up 16.8% of the undergraduate student body.

Along with many other students, Christopher Park, a fourth-year biochemistry major and AASIA senior mentor, believes the AAC is understaffed with currently only one director and one assistant director. In the last few years, there have only been three AAC full-time staff members at most.

“It’s hard running a center with two or three people. You can only run and air so many programs,” Park said.

He believes that more funding and staffing for all cultural centers on campus would allow for more meaningful programs for students to embrace their heritage and history. He said he feels this is key for making the campus a more inclusive environment.

Members of Asian culture organizations, including Blaufox, Deng and Park, also feel there is simply not enough space at the AAC for them to gather. The center has a handful of small rooms and two areas for storage, which are all shared among at least 11 AAPI organizations.

Additional anonymous testimonials in the open letter also discuss the limited amount of space, as well as limited funding for cultural organizations.

Blaufox said she spoke on the phone directly with many of those who submitted testimonials, spanning nearly a decade’s worth of on-campus grievances and issues for the AAPI community.

“The first thing I felt was so incredibly upset,” Blaufox said, “not only that Northeastern has been like this for a long time and is continuing to be this way, but truly upset that my community has had to deal with this for so long.”

NU COVID-19 cases are on the rise

By Skye Richmond Breaking News Editor

Photo by Mihiro Shimano Signs around campus inform Northeastern students of how to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Over the past week, Northeastern’s Boston campus has seen a steep rise in COVID-19 cases. As of March 29, the seven day average positive test rate was 0.468%, more than double what it was a week before. There are currently 170 students in isolation and 144 in quarantine, according to data released by the university.

“Most people in our university community are not yet vaccinated. It is still not safe to gather with people living in different households if they

are not wearing masks and practicing healthy distancing,” wrote Ken Henderson, chancellor and senior vice president for learning, in an email.

The email also reminded students to provide contact tracers with comprehensive and honest information to ensure the containment of COVID-19.

“Remember, our contact tracing team is bound by law to protect your privacy,” Henderson said. “They will not reveal your identity to close contacts.

They will not report where you were or what you were doing to close contacts or Northeastern administrators.”

Jason Noen-Doerr, director of the

Center for Student Involvement, echoed this sentiment in a March 28 email addressed to student organization leaders.

“I’m asking for each of you to help by encouraging your members to practice physical distancing, to continue wearing masks, to limit indoor gatherings where distancing is not possible, and to only travel when necessary,” Noen-Doerr wrote.

Individuals in Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout plan are currently eligible to register for the vaccine. This includes people 60 and older, those with two comorbidities, educators, health care workers,

first responders and other essential workers. Starting April 5, people 55 and older, along with individuals with one comorbidity, will be eligible to register for their vaccination appointment. The general public will be eligible to register for a vaccine starting April 19.

As of March 25, 179,747 Boston residents had been vaccinated, leaving the city with a total vaccination rate of 26.2%. However, as of March 28, there are an estimated 29,806 active cases of COVID-19 in Boston, resulting in a seven-day percent positivity average of 2.35%.

CITY

April 2, 2021

Page 3

Michelle Wu provides update on her campaign

By Kelly Garrity News Staff Boston mayoral candidate and City Councilor Michelle Wu held her second press conference for students March 16. She addressed why she’s running, how she feels about the growing candidate pool, why visual representation matters and what her first move will be if she’s elected in November.

Part of what motivated Wu to run for mayor is her belief that there is no challenge that can’t be addressed by local government.

“It’s a safe space — nothing is too big, nothing is too small and we want to be a city for everyone,” she said.

Wu said that during her time as city councilor, she’s made national waves with precedent-setting legislation regarding paid family and medical leave. She has also pushed

legislation ensuring that all city forms and licenses have inclusive language, that — although less dramatic — can make a big difference to those visiting City Hall.

“Knowing that city government is a place where you can do sweeping things, like set a national precedent for protecting workers’ rights and supporting working families, to guaranteeing that every person who walks in the doors of City Hall and has a short interaction — sometimes one that’s taken for granted — [and ensuring] that [the experience] is fully welcoming and inclusive, that’s what I love about city government,” Wu said.

When Wu launched her campaign in September, she was the first candidate to enter the race. Since then, her City Council colleagues Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George have joined, as

have Massachusetts State Rep. Jon Santiago and Boston’s former chief of economic development John Barros.

Dorchester resident and former hotel manager Dana Depelteau has also filed papers with the state to enter the race. However, Wu isn’t put off by the competition.

“We were the first campaign to launch because it wasn’t ever about who else would be running or running against anyone for that matter,” she said. “It’s about this moment in Boston and taking every possible action to empower communities.”

The race is shaping up to be the most diverse in Boston’s history — three candidates are women and five are people of color. Wu, a first-generation Taiwanese American, highlighted the importance of this diversity.

“I can’t remember the first time that I thought I might run for

office, but I have lots of childhood memories where that was never, ever, ever in the realm of possibility,” Wu said. “The thought never crossed my mind until I was much, much older in law school working on the Warren campaign, and it was, I think, related to the fact [that] I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in positions of leadership or government.”

Wu also noted the importance of gender diversity and talked about how being a working mother when she first joined the City Council in 2014 allowed her to make connections with constituents during her push for paid family and medical leave.

“As I was doing by my job, going to community meetings as a pregnant councilor, constituents would come up to me and share their stories of how hard it was to juggle going back to work with a new baby without any sort of paid leave,” she said. “I

became a connection point for so many people who hadn’t seen that representation in government.”

If Wu is elected, some of her first objectives will include implementing a Boston Green New Deal as well as early education, food justice and development reforms.

“We have the potential to be a city that is welcoming to everyone,” she said. “We have the resources, we have the activism, we have the ideas to be that city, but it’s not reflected in the experiences of Bostonians who have been shut out of decision making, of generational wealth, of carrying the burden of the pandemic, and we see communities really walled off from each other by geography and by neighborhood as well. So I come with a drive to make sure that we are building a city that everybody feels reflected in and welcome in.”

Mass. opens vaccine pre-registration portal

By Maggie Scales News Correspondent As Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccine distribution centers finish rolling out doses to Phase 1 and 2 residents, officials have implemented a more effective platform for scheduling appointments.

While Massachusetts is ranked sixth in the nation by Becker’s Hospital Review, as of March 26, for best vaccine distribution, this success comes after months of struggle. The Commonwealth has faced issues facilitating vaccine appointment sign-ups. Residents hope the state’s new pre-registration website will mediate the less-than-organized system once the general public is eligible for vaccinations come Phase 3, which will launch April 19.

Ann Pappas, a physical therapist who was vaccinated in January at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, said the current system will not work for elderly or immunocompromised residents. While her experience was easy because of her physical abilities, the expectation that patients can stand in the cold for extended periods of time in order to get vaccinated will have to be adjusted.

“If you’re a healthcare worker, it is assumed that you can get out of your car, stand in front of Gillette Stadium in the cold for maybe 15 or 20 minutes just to get in because they’re calling you by groups,” Pappas said.

“Then you get called in, you give them your healthcare card, your insurance card and your professional license.

Then, you kind of go through this line,

and the whole thing took me about 45 minutes. It’s probably not a situation that would work for the general public because you’re standing. I’m thinking elderly people and people who can’t stand for up to an hour maybe, and some people say a little longer, it depends what kind of day.”

Like Pappas, Jess Rosenthal, a volunteer at Lawrence General Hospital who was vaccinated March 17, is worried about the chaos vaccinating the general public will bring. Although she does not work directly with COVID-19 vaccinations, Rosenthal volunteers in the hospital’s clinic, checking patients in and showing them where to go to get vaccinated. While Rosenthal has noticed the first two phases have had their busy periods at vaccination centers, she said it has been manageable

Use the QR code to access the pre-registration website.

Hynes Convention Center

Reggie Lewis Center

Mass vaccination site General vaccination sites Northeastern University

Graphic by Avery Bleichfeld The new vaccine pre-registration site allows Massachussetts residents to sign up to be alerted when vaccine appointments become available at the state’s seven mass testing sites.

Location data from the City of Boston. See more at boston.gov/covid19-vaccine

thus far. However, she worries about Lawrence General Hospital not having the capacity to vaccinate the general public come Phase 3.

“They’re [going to] have to expand to a few other locations just because right now, it seems a little chaotic and we’re not even in Phase 3 yet,” Rosenthal said. “I know that they’re looking for a lot more volunteers because they anticipate it to get a lot crazier. So, I do not see it staying as organized and as somewhat quiet as it was.”

In addition to healthcare professionals like Pappas and volunteers like Rosenthal, first responders and those who work in long-term care facilities and congregate care settings were eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 1. The Commonwealth prepared for this phase to last from December 2020 to February 2021, but the volume of citizens looking to be vaccinated at mass distribution sites has been lower than expected.

“I’m kind of at the end of Phase 1; I’m one of the last bullet points as a non-COVID-facing healthcare worker, so the good news was to me that they got to that bullet point faster than they said. They were talking about starting my group in early February, but I was able to get it [Jan. 21],” Pappas said. “I could have gotten it even earlier, but I was sort of like, ‘Oh I don’t want to take someone’s spot,’ but at the same time, what I kept hearing in the news was that there’s an abundance of vaccines and people were not taking these spots.”

In Phase 2 — which began Feb. 1 — individuals over 75, then those with two or more comorbidities, then individuals over 65, and finally those with one co-morbidity including asthma will be eligible for vaccination.

Massachusetts predicts that come April 19, the rest of the population — or Phase 3 — can be vaccinated.

Although these predictions provide residents some guidance, a disorganized approach to scheduling appointments has contributed to the Commonwealth’s initially low ranking in vaccine distribution — ranking at 31 in January.

State Sen. Diana DiZoglio has been working with other lawmakers in the Commonwealth to pass a bill that will provide citizens with a pre-registration platform to supplement the anticipated disorganized

Phase 3. DiZoglio emphasized the state’s lack of a one-stop-shop for vaccine appointments has been frustrating, especially as other states have been utilizing a vaccination roll-out platform created by a company based out of Burlington, Massachusetts.

“West Virginia is using a Massachusetts company … to run their system of pre-registration, Everbridge,” DiZoglio said amid Phase 2. “It is beyond unacceptable that we haven’t yet begun to explore this as an option when we have these resources right here who have for weeks been being drafted to other states for their vaccine rollout.”

DiZoglio also shared how some Massachusetts towns and cities took matters into their own hands throughout Phases 1 and 2, creating their own scheduling platforms. The senator believes it is unfair to place the burden of COVID-19 relief onto communities and that vaccine distribution is something that the state should have a firmer grasp on.

“Cohasset and Hingham — we have communities in the Commonwealth that have already begun pre-registration. It shouldn’t be incumbent on cities and towns to establish these types of systems,” DiZoglio said. “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts receives the vaccine and decides how it is distributed, so it should be on the Commonwealth to institute a fair distribution.”

After three months of distribution, Massachusetts has created a pre-registration site in anticipation of Phase 3. Citizens can pre-register for their vaccination and secure an appointment at one of the Commonwealth’s seven mass vaccination locations: Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park (now located at the Hynes Convention Center as of March 27), the Reggie Lewis Center, the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers, the Natick Mall, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield and the Former Circuit City in Dartmouth.

While the current system has worked for the smaller demographic of Phase 1 and 2 patients, accommodating a larger volume of citizens including those who are not as able-bodied compared to front-line workers contributes to how it will not suffice for vaccinating the general public.

“I am calling on the governor to take swift action on this measure,” DiZiglio said.

SPORTS

Page 4

April 2, 2021

Female sports writers discuss facing challenges and triumphs in a male-dominated industry

By Kelly Garrity News Staff In 2011, Tara Sullivan, then a sports columnist for the Bergen County Record, was there to watch as a 21-year-old Rory McIlroy collapsed in the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, blowing a four-stroke lead at 12-under.

However, as McIlroy addressed the meltdown with a group of reporters who had been covering the tournament in a locker room interview, Sullivan was not among them. She had been stopped at the door by a security guard, who had mistakenly banned her from entering the men’s locker room, despite the 1978 court ruling allowing female journalists to do exactly that.

“It was just frustrating because this has been litigated and mandated by law,” Sullivan said. “We should not have to keep reminding people that this is the way the business works.”

Sullivan never ended up getting into the locker room to talk to McIlroy that day, and although her colleagues provided her with the quotes she needed for her column, the incident left her irritated.

“My colleagues stepped up to help me, they gave me the quotes that I missed from inside there, but it was obviously very frustrating,” she said.

Episodes like the one Sullivan endured that day at the Masters can be par for the course for female journalists covering sports. In 2015, three female journalists were denied access to the locker rooms at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis after the Jaguars lost to the Colts. Although the three reporters were eventually allowed to enter, it was a reminder of the discrimination women can face in the male-dominated field of sports journalism.

According to the GIST, a women-run media startup that focuses its coverage on women in sports, women make up less than 14% of

Photo courtesy Northjersey.com Sports journalist Tara Sullivan interviews Eli Manning, former New York Giants Quarterback.

sports journalists, and only 4% of sports coverage focuses on women.

For journalists like Bleacher Report’s breaking news writer Jenna Ciccotelli, that can often mean being the only woman in the room.

“There have been so many times where I’m the only woman in the room. Even when no one says anything to you, you notice that,” said Ciccotelli, who graduated from Northeastern University in December 2020.

Although Ciccotelli said all the managers and editors she has worked with have been very supportive, she acknowledged that being the only woman on a team of men can be taxing.

“My job at Bleacher Report right now is amazing. They have so many women who are in very visible positions, but on my individual team, I’m the only woman,” she said. “Everyone is so nice and supportive … but it’s definitely a thing you notice, and it can make you feel really small.”

Although some sports departments and media companies are working to target women in their interviewing and hiring processes, this is not enough on its own, Ciccotelli said.

“You can’t go out there and just pick a woman off the streets and say, ‘Hey, come cover sports for us,’ because that doesn’t work. You need to make it an industry where women can come in and really thrive,” she said.

When companies create this kind of environment, it not only benefits female sports journalists, but also

helps the company itself, said Katie Strang, a senior enterprise and investigative writer for The Athletic.

“One thing we talk about at our company is when you invest in women, you reap the benefits. It’s just smart business practice to invest in women, to invest in women’s sports and to invest in women’s sports coverage,” Strang said.

She first fell in love with sports when she was about 7 years old, spending her Sundays going out to breakfast and then watching the Green Bay Packers at a sports bar with her dad. Today, she uncovers the stories of abuse within the NHL, MLB and other professional sports leagues.

Strang said she feels confident about The Athletic’s commitment to increasing gender diversity and identifying it as something essential to the future of their business. However, even when a media community is fully supportive, female sports journalists can still face challenges from outsiders, especially as more journalists come to rely on the internet and social media to break news and grow their audiences. A 2014 study from the International Women’s Media Foundation found that almost a third of female journalists consider abandoning the profession because of attacks and threats online.

“There is every hostility online, and misogyny is certainly one of them. When it comes to sports in

particular, because it’s been such a bastion for men, they feel invaded somehow,” Sullivan said. “Occasionally you’ll get emails that have disgusting, crude, sexist language.”

However, Sullivan said she tries to ignore the noise.

“It’s just been an abiding principle of mine that somebody’s opinion of me only matters if that person matters to me, so I just work consciously not to take that stuff on board,” she said.

Strang has a similar point of view.

“I got a really good piece of advice from a friend in the business,” she said. “He told me, ‘If someone throws you a pitch in the dirt, don’t swing at it.’ So I’ve tried to abide by that saying during my career, and it’s served me pretty well.”

Of course, female journalists can also face sexism in person from players or coaches, though Sullivan, Strang and Ciccotelli were all in agreement that these kinds of players and administrators were outliers.

Despite the challenges they have faced, the three women have all persevered, continuing to cover some of the biggest issues in sports. Whenever she’s having a bad day at work, Ciccotelli reminds herself of these challenges and all of the challenges that those who came before her overcame.

“I just remind myself, people fought really hard for you to be here and for your right to be respected in this industry,” she said. “And we’re still fighting.”

Column: The false patriotism of a required anthem

By Sam Culver News Staff While the United States national anthem has always been a staple at the start of sporting events, the time has passed for institutions to require its playing at Northeastern sports games or elsewhere. The national anthem is no longer the symbol of pure, innocent patriotism it once was.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was written on September 14, 1814 by Francis Scott Key as he watched the American flag being raised above Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, signaling a critical U.S. victory over the invading British in the War of 1812.

Interestingly enough, one of the few invasions on American soil since the War of 1812 came this past January in support of President Donald Trump, one of the most avid supporters of pregame national anthems.

After the song became popular during the Civil War, President Woodrow Wilson issued a 1916 executive order declaring it the national anthem of the U.S. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was first played at a sporting event during the seventh-inning stretch of game one of the 1918 World Series, whereupon fans and players fell silent and saluted the flag.

The conversation surrounding the national anthem and its presence at sporting events was sparked Aug. 26, 2016, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat on the bench during the national anthem of his preseason NFL game to protest the injustices related to police brutality on Black Americans.

“I am not going to stand up to

show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

After consulting with former Green Beret soldier Nate Boyer, Kaepernick adjusted his protest form from sitting to kneeling, which Boyer told him better showed respect to the troops fighting for the U.S. Despite this compromise and Kaepernick’s insistence that his protest is about the treatment of Black Americans and not U.S. soldiers, the predictable outcry of “support our troops” arose from certain less-progressive factions of the nation.

The aforementioned Trump, who went on from this national anthem situation to become the one-term, twice-impeached president of our so-called “greatest country in the world,” was unsurprisingly against the protests for improving the lives of Black Americans.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a [expletive] off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”

Trump said.

Despite the immediate backlash, Kaepernick carried on kneeling and was joined by teammates and players across the league. After George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, national anthem protests on behalf of Black Americans, specifically when it came to police brutality, picked up across all major leagues when sports were able to resume.

In the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks and their owner Mark Cuban did not play the national anthem for the first 13 games of the 2020-21 season, with Cuban citing that some people feel the anthem does not represent them.

It should come as no surprise that a team led by superstars Luka Doncic of Slovenia and Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia would not feel well represented by the U.S. national anthem.

On Feb. 10, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, after allowing kneeling during the national anthem, which goes against league policy, relayed his expectations that the national anthem be played before every game. The Mavericks have played “The Star-Spangled Banner” at each home game since.

It is well past the time for the U.S. national anthem to be required before sporting events, even at Northeastern University. This is not a practice carried out in other countries. The U.S. currently has a nationalism issue. This issue did not start with the campaign and election of Trump, but he has not helped.

Many Americans believe not only that we are the greatest country in the world, but the only country with people worth caring about. To these people, their fellow Americans from minority communities don’t quite seem to fit into their definition of an American. Trump hounded Hawaiian-born President Barack Obama — our first Black president — for months to release his birth certificate, claiming that he was born in Kenya. These are not the people whose beliefs we want to be encouraging.

If an individual organization wants to play the national anthem before their games, they should of course be

Photo by Harriet Rovniak The Dallas Mavericks and their owner, Mark Cuban, did not play the national anthem for the first 13 games of the 2020-21 season. allowed to. But the strongarming and forceful nature of national anthem mandates actually goes against everything our country supposedly stands for. If one were to ask the above-mentioned racist nationalistic lunatics what word describes the U.S., it would probably be freedom. The same freedom they hate to see the Mavericks and Colin Kaepernick utilize.

People act as though sports without the national anthem are some kind of American tragedy the likes of, say, our seat of power being stormed by a mob, but no other place of work requires their employees to stand for the anthem at the start of the day.

Northeastern prides itself on the diverse backgrounds of its students, and playing the anthem of only one country seems opposing to this prideful sentiment. International students comprise about 32.5% of the student body population, so why is there a requirement to play an anthem that doesn’t represent a third of us? Individual sports teams should obviously be allowed to play the anthem, but there should not be a

dictatorial-style rule mandating it.

Due to the controversy surrounding the anthem and its protests, “The Star-Spangled Banner” has sadly been turned into a tool to swear unyielding fealty to the U.S., a method to demonize anyone who asks for improvement as an un-American, troop-hating treasonist.

“I don’t understand what’s un-American about fighting for liberty and justice for everyone, for the equality that this country says it stands for,” Kaepernick said. “To me, I see it as very patriotic and American to uphold the United States to the standards it lives by.”

A required national anthem is something we would expect to hear about on the news from war-torn dictatorial regimes as a call to the servitude of the people to an unelected leader. Yet, it lives here in the U.S., the “greatest country on Earth” and a pinnacle of freedom. The “land of the free” should not require the playing of its national anthem, and the people in the “home of the brave” should stand up for their rights.

SPORTS

April 2, 2021

Page 5

Aerin Frankel wins 24th Patty Kazmaier Award, highest individual honor in women’s college hockey

By George Barker News Staff Games might’ve ended for the Northeastern women’s hockey team, but history continues to be made. Senior goaltender Aerin Frankel has been awarded the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the most prestigious individual award in women’s college hockey, which is given annually to the league’s top player. Frankel is just the fourth goaltender and the third Northeastern Husky to earn the award in its 24 years.

“I’m proud of our group, and I think my individual accolades wouldn’t have been possible without how great our team was this year and how well we

handled the adversity that was thrown our way … I can’t say enough great things about Northeastern and my teammates and my coaches,” Frankel said. Frankel’s appreciation for her teammates is a theme anytime she answers a question on an individual award.

“There’s been so many amazing players that have come before me, and to have my name on a list alongside them is very humbling and makes me very proud to represent our university … It’s an honor and a very special award, and I think all the recipients of this award are part of a very special group,” she added.

Frankel’s season between the pipes was simply spectacular, as the New York native’s .966 save percentage bested the previous NCAA single-season record for

save percentage, set by Wisconsin goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens .963 percentage in 2017. Frankel’s similarly impressive 0.81 goals allowed per game falls just behind Desbiens’ 0.71 goals allowed average, or GAA, from 2017. Desbiens was the last goaltender to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award in 2017 with the other two netminders to bring it home doing so in 2009 and 2000.

“She’s proven [that] she’s the best goalie in the NCAA, [and] I’d say the best player in the NCAA and a huge, huge reason for our success,” said Northeastern head coach Dave Flint after the team’s 2-1 overtime loss in the national championship in which Frankel stopped a season-high 35 pucks. “I’m glad the committee selected her because they really got it

right on this one,” he added the night of her award ceremony.

Frankel finished the season with a 20-2-1 record and nine shutouts to go along with her lofty save percentage and GAA numbers. All told, she led the NCAA in GAA, in save percentage, wins, winning percentage and shutouts, earning her unanimous national Goaltender of the Year honors and a spot on the All-American First Team to go along with Hockey East First-Team All Star, Hockey East Goaltender of the Year and Hockey East Co-Player of the Year honors.

Over the course of her career at NU, Frankel claimed numerous Northeastern records, including most career shutouts, most games and minutes played, most wins, highest career save percentage and lowest GAA. “She’s been the rock of our team for the entire season and her four years at Northeastern, and we wouldn’t be where we are right now without her in goal.

I look at all the records that she broke this year and I wonder … how many more records she would have broken if we played a full slate of games,” Flint said, acknowledging this year’s abbreviated season. “She would have broken some more records and maybe put those records out of reach.

Some of the records she set, I don’t know anybody will ever touch those.”

Flint has described Frankel as more competitive than any other

Photo b y Jo rda n

Ba ron

1

goalie he’s ever seen, with her expressing frustration for giving up even a single goal in each of the two games that followed the end of her five-game shutout streak this season.

“Most goalies would be pretty excited if they only gave up two goals in six games. That’s just the way she is, and I think it’s the best attribute a goalie can have,” he said.

Frankel, who allowed just 19 goals in 23 starts this year, agrees with this characterization.

“It’s always been the way that I am. I just hate being scored on; I think my teammates would definitely say that about me. Whether it’s practice or in games, I just hate to give up goals, and I think that that’s something that makes me better,” Frankel said. “Ultimately, just hating that feeling of getting scored on is what drives me to be better each and every day.”

Northeastern’s last Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient, Kendall Coyne, has a banner up in Matthews Arena for her award, and the prospect of an Aerin Frankel banner hanging in the rafters next season brought a smile to both Flint and Frankel’s faces. “[The idea of a Frankel banner] is incredible. Obviously, if I’m not back at Northeastern next year, or I am, I know that I’ll be returning to see a banner, if there is one, with my name up on it,” Frankel said. “Northeastern has been such a great home for me the last four years, and Matthews Arena is such a special place to me, so that would obviously just be so incredible for me and overwhelming for my family, and I to go in that rink that we all love so much, and I’ve made so many memories in [and] see that up there.”

Photo by Eth an

e ayn W

2

3 1 Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics

With 78 career wins and 28 career shutouts, the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient holds the all-time program records in both of these categories.

2

Husky senior netminder Aerin Frankel won the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Award, taking home the top honors in women’s college hockey.

3

Senior goaltender Aerin Frankel averaged a university record save percentage of .956 this season as one of the nations top collegiate goaltenders.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Page 6

April 2, 2021

NORTHEASTERN CONFRONTS

NEU SpeakOut highlights a culture of rape, and s assault within sorority and fraternity life on camp Editor’s note: The Huntington News wants students to know Northeastern University and others provide sexual assault resources for students.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

WeCare: wecare@northeastern.edu, 617-373-7591, 226 Curry Student Center NU Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern: 617-3738354 University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS): uhcs@northeastern.edu, 617-373-2772, Forsyth Building, 1st Floor 24/7 Mental Health Support: for students by phone 877-233-9477 (U.S.) Boston Area Rape Crisis Center: 1-800841-8371 Crisis Text Line: Connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message – Text NAMI to 741-741 (U.S. & Canada) Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

By Julia Carlin Deputy Campus Editor Content Warning: This story discusses sexual assault and rape.

When crossing through the doorway of a fraternity house on Mission Hill, many Northeastern students surrender themselves to the reality that at some point, amidst the deafening music blaring over the crowd of sweaty bodies, they will experience some form of unwanted touching. It’s not uncommon for women to experience forms of sexual assault while at a fraternity party — whether they’re grabbed by the hips, groped from behind, subjected to degrading verbal advances or taken upstairs and raped.

In August 2020, members of Northeastern’s Sexual Assualt Response Coalition, or SARC, created an Instagram account called Northeastern SpeakOut, or NEU Speakout, to “provide a safe and supportive space for survivors to share their stories and raise awareness around the pervasiveness of sexual violence” on campus, according to their mission statement. In January 2021, the account began posting survivors’ accounts more frequently and the following rapidly increased. Now, it broadcasts anonymous statements

from survivors of sexual violence to over 1,200 followers.

At least one in five women and one in 16 men who attend college will experience sexual violence at some point during their education.

The university defines sexual assault as a sexual act directed against another person without consent, including rape, statutory rape, sodomy, assaults using objects and fondling.

When compared to their non-Greek-affiliated counterparts, research suggests women in sororities are four times more likely to experience sexual assault, and men in fraternities are three times more likely to perpetrate rape and other forms of sexual assault.

A majority of the statements on NEU SpeakOut describe experiences that occurred during or after a fraternity party or involve a member of a fraternity perpetrating sexual violence.

In response, SARC is advocating for the university’s adoption of two new Title IX policies. Both are directed at Greek life and are outlined in a change.org petition with over 2,000 signatures.

First, students are demanding NU ban all Greek life organizations from holding internal sexual misconduct investigations, trials and cases. Second, they want all Greek organizations to participate in mandatory sexual violence prevention and education training once a semester.

“Frat parties are hotbeds for sexual assault,” said Sydney Wise, a fifth-year political science and international affairs combined major and a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, or KD. When Wise saw survivors come forward on NEU SpeakOut, she said it “lit a fire inside” her and gave her the strength to bring forward a Title IX case against her perpetrator, a member of Greek life who assaulted her in 2018.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sexual discrimination at any educational institution that receives federal money.

According to Wise, KD has terminated all engagement with Northeastern fraternities and will remain unaffiliated until they see meaningful progress in relation to sexual assault education and prevention. The chapter has also developed a sexual assault action committee that is drafting guidelines to regulate fraternities’ behavior.

“Fundamentally, sexual assault is about taking your power away from you,” said Wise, who is one of six members on the committee. “For me, serving on this committee has been a means to reclaim my power and to use my experience [with sexual violence] as something to draw authority from.”

Pavan Hirpara is a third-year computer science major, a member of the Alpha Kappa Sigma fraternity and the president of Northeastern’s Interfra-

ternity Council, or IFC, which oversees the nine fraternities on campus and was founded to “positively impact the development of men.” Hirpara was stunned by how frequently fraternities were mentioned on NEU SpeakOut. “I see fraternities as a source of support and opportunities for growth, so when some information comes that is opposite of what I believe, I’m going to be surprised,” Hirpara said. “It was shocking to see.”

Hirpara said he didn’t expect to see people and organizations he knew being part of this problem and said that the IFC and their chapters need to do better. As a direct result of NEU SpeakOut and SARC’s work, Hirpara said sexual assault has been discussed more frequently this semester than in the past.

Hirpara said when fraternities engage in internal investigations, which the SARC petition seeks to ban, “it does more harm than good.” He agrees the process should be conducted by trauma-informed professionals.

Wise said she understands why SARC has proposed the ban of internal investigations but also does not think the university has done enough work to adequately provide justice for survivors.

“By shifting responsibilities from frats to Northeastern, we’re not addressing the problem,” she said. The real problem, she said, is rape culture and Title IX itself.

In May 2020, former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos amended the federal guidelines, forcing Northeastern to update its policy in accordance with several changes that would narrow the scope of cases the school had to take on and change the way the cases were investigated.

A source spoke with The News about her experience with Northeastern’s Title IX process and requested anonymity, fearing that speaking publicly would interfere with her case.

When the source reported her assault to the Office of Education and Prevention at Northeastern, or OPEN, they referred her to to the Office for University Equity and Compliance, or OUEC, where she said they asked her uncomfortable questions like how much she weighed at the time and how much she drank that night.

Northeastern’s Title IX policy says “the goal is to have Informal and Formal Resolution Procedures completed in approximately 90 days after a Formal Complaint is made.” However, OUEC has suggested to the source, who said she filed her report in early February, that she might not see a resolution before she graduates in May. The anonymous source said she was never confident the “slow” and “bureaucratic” Title IX process would bring her justice. She submitted her case to OUEC accepting that she was about to experience “an entire semester of re-traumatization.”

Liisa Balazs is a fourth-year political science and business administration combined major and the vice president of SARC. She said the most immediate impact of NEU SpeakOut is how the recent posts have ignited

campus-wide conversations.

“For over a thousand students this is now a part of their weekly life and it may not have been before,” Balazs said. “At least it’s not being ignored the same way it was before.”

SARC is working directly with administrators in OUEC, like Title IX Coordinator Mark Jannoni.

Over the course of Jannoni’s five years at Northeastern, the number of reported cases of sexual violence has grown steadily. This trend excludes 2020, as the pandemic has limited all types of in-person interaction among students. He credits the rise in reports to the increased resources devoted to educating students on their rights and the resources available to them.

Nationally, rape is the most underreported crime: Only 25% of all sexual attacks were reported to the police in 2018, and 90% of sexual assault victims on U.S. college campuses do not report it.

Casey Corcoran is the director of youth sexual violence prevention education at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. Corcoran said he sees “a million” factors that drive low reporting, including shame, self-blame and the fact that sexual violence disproportionately impacts individuals who may already have negative perceptions about law enforcement and the criminal justice system, such as Black women, Latinx women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Additionally, Corcoran said the Title IX process is flawed and places too much emphasis on false reporting, which only accounts for about 2-10% of reports.

Balazs expressed similar doubts about the capacity of Title IX. “It’s almost so overwhelming to think about because [Title IX reform] is so important, but it’s such a small fraction of the problem,” Balazs said. “No matter how much we change the Title IX policy, no matter how much we advocate, it’s a society and cultural problem. It is rape culture that needs to change.”

Jannoni understands why students criticize policies like live cross-examinations, but said the university has no choice but to abide by the “extremely prescriptive” federal Title IX laws.

The second aspect of the petition brought forward by SARC addresses education aimed at confronting rape culture and sexual assault prevention. Balazs said she and other members of SARC want to see conversations about consent, sexual health and the patriarchy. Corcoran said in order to prevent this violence, increased education is needed to correct cultural attitudes that are deeply ingrained in young boys.

Rape culture refers to the environments in which pervasive sexual violence is enabled and normalized through societal attitudes about sexuality and gender, said Corcoran. Rape culture, while certainly not specific to Greek life, festers in environments like fraternity houses where hyper-masculinity and hetero-normativity are

April 2, 2021

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Page 7

SEXUAL ASSAULT PROBLEMS

sexual pus accepted as the norm.

“We have a lot of unhealthy cultural norms around masculinity in our culture,” Corcoran said.

As a survivor in a sorority, Wise is acutely aware of how “Greek life institutionalizes a hierarchy where men are providers and women are receivers.” She referred to the fact that men host the parties, men give out the drinks and men have bedrooms upstairs that afford them physical power. She said it’s perceived to be a “privilege” to be “able to get in’’ to a frat party.

“But then no one talks about what happens to you once you get inside,” she said.

Corcoran also said education needs to more appropriately address the role that alcohol plays in sexual violence.

“Alcohol does not make someone perpetuate sexual violence. In fact, alcohol is the most commonly used date rape drug — it’s used as a tool to perpetrate sexual violence,” Corcoran said.

He said he thinks too often education about alcohol and sexual violence puts the burden on the person who may be victimized, referring to the fact that women have likely been taught to cover their drink or limit alcohol consumption.

He also said education often focuses on harm reduction after the fact, but “we also need to be telling people: don’t assault people,” he said.

Wise and Balazs both agree that education needs to be focused more heavily on teaching perpetrators not to engage in sexual violence.

According to Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Madeleine Estabrook, the Sexual Violence Resource Center in OPEN has developed extensive education resources relating to sexual violence, including bystander intervention training. The 2019 climate survey indicated the efficacy of OPEN’s training in education students. However, many of these programs are optional.

According to statistics published by the Northeastern Office of Student Conduct and Compliance, in 20182019 the university’s Title IX Board took 24 cases of sexual assault and nearly half of them didn’t come to a formal resolution.

Jannoni said the number of reports filed in a given year is “considerably higher” than 24.

The university does not publically disclose statistics on the reports filed through OPEN and declined to provide The News with a numerical estimation of annual reports of sexual violence in the Northeastern community.

However, if figures at Northeastern are in-line with national trends reported by the CDC, it could be estimated that in a given year, over 2,100 female students on campus — a majority being members of a sorority— have experienced sexual violence in some form.

Editors note: to see the longer version of this story, visit HuntNewsNU.com

Column: We must listen to all victims of sexual assault

Photo courtesy Madison Boudreau Popovic Content Warning: This story discusses sexual assault.

Another semester, another round of mandatory sexual harassment and assault training. It’s something that may seem redundant waste of time, but it’s a far cry from this. Everyone’s story counts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m going to take a trip down memory lane. The #MeToo movement brought recognition to voices that would’ve otherwise gone unheard.

The movement became increasingly popular when allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced in 2017. Prior to the rise of this movement, many feared speaking up against Weinstein, so allegations made prior to 2017 never really went anywhere.

In the wake of #MeToo, Weinstein was sent to jail. This instance is just one of the many successes of the movement.

Despite all of the victories of the movement, people were still left unheard. Dylan Farrow, adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, was sexually assaulted by Allen at a young age. Allen was never criminally prosecuted, and when the topic reemerged years later the #MeToo movement didn’t even entertain it. As a result, Farrow was left feeling unheard and her horrific experience went uncondemned. It’s shocking that a movement that prides itself on listening to and amplifying letting women’s voices and stories be listened to, failed to provide such a platform to Farrow. In this particular example, the movement failed.

Since the #MeToo movement has grown over the past few years, women felt heard and that others besides women cared. However, backlash against the movement has come in the form of concerns regarding false allegations. If it turns out that the victim(s) lied, these stories ruin the credibility of the

majority who tell the truth, as we are all left to question if the stories have any truth to them. Regarding anything in life, people can lie about anything in life. The majority tell the truth, but there’s always a slim minority that doesn’t. Unfortunately, this small number of people manage to cast doubt on any story of sexual assault as many people don’t have proof — just their story. A 2010 study reveals that the number of falsified sexual assault/rape victims are around 2%-10%, and these rarely lead to charges being pressed on the “perpetrator.” Instead, the number of people who don’t share their true stories is greater than the number of those who falsely report such experiences. As such, people should ultimately listen to everyone’s experience of sexual assault and believe them until proven otherwise, as the small minority lie, and the vast majority tell the truth.

We all must listen to everyone when they come forward with stories about being sexually mistreated. If you were sexually abused, wouldn’t you want someone to listen to you and offer support? Or would you want to speak out and have no one there to hear your story? If you were one of the seven people who reported sexual misconduct in 20162017 at Northeastern, wouldn’t you want to be believed?

It’s imperative to note that sexual assault isn’t just something that a man does to a woman. Men are also victims, which I believe the #MeToo movement fails to adequately accommodate. The movement was founded to specifically address women’s experiences. It’s extremely important that women get a platform to express their stories, but men need one too. Maybe it’s time to include them in this movement, because regardless of your gender, wouldn’t you want someone to listen if you were ready to share such a vulnerable story?

Every victim deserves to be heard. When a victim decides to tell their story, it’s never easy. Sometimes it takes a long time to tell their story and seek justice for what happened to them. Sometimes victims never end up speaking out. But the victims who do speak up shouldn’t automatically be turned away, their stories deemed false narratives.

We owe it to these courageous people to believe them.

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

LIFESTYLE

Page 8

April 2, 2021

Column: Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia gives us the fuel we need to get through the pandemic

By Poon Singhatiraj News Staff When Dua Lipa released her sophomore album Future Nostalgia a year ago, March 27, the world’s attention was focused elsewhere. The COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, stretching hospitals to full capacity, emptying city streets and shutting down businesses. The global mood was somber, and Lipa herself was understandably worried that a disco, retro-pop album was going to be the last thing on anyone’s mind during a time of such sorrow.

Future Nostalgia could not have come out at a worse time. Lipa may have imagined her 11 new songs blasting through Ibiza and Miami during the summer, but the vast majority of the world’s clubs remained closed throughout the year, their dance floors collecting dust.

The purpose of Future Nostalgia at its core is to provide listeners with a visceral, unapologetically pop music experience. Drawing upon ’80s influences like Olivia NewtonJohn and Madonna, Lipa created songs that would make people dance in a manner befitting the disco era from which she drew so much inspiration. From “Don’t Start Now,” a forget-your-ex feminist anthem, to “Physical,” a dance-till-you-drop banger, the album was made to live, breathe and die on the dance floor.

Yet Future Nostalgia underwent a

metamorphosis in quarantine. Instead of pulsating through parties and clubs, the album’s songs played through phone speakers while we were on TikTok at 4 p.m. in our pajamas. This unforeseen change of situation elevated Future Nostalgia to something more than just a playlist of fun club songs — it cemented the album as a masterpiece of music that both defined and got us through quarantine.

The pandemic changed “normal” forever. Everything we took for granted, such as maskless faces and bodies rubbing against each other in a hot crowded room, is out of reach for the foreseeable future. The only thing we can do right now is reminisce about fun times in the past. In a way, Future Nostalgia perfectly answers that call by paying homage to the legendary ’80s, a period characterized by fervent dancing and relaxed inhibitions The album represents the things the pandemic has taken away from us: the activities that let us temporarily forget about our worries and the pleasurable feelings that give so much color to our lives. Listening to Future Nostalgia is the best way anyone can fill those voids right now, which might just be why we keep listening to it an entire year after its release.

Indeed, scientific evidence can explain this phenomenon. Studies published in the past decade have shown that nostalgia decreases feelings of loneliness and can serve as a reservoir of mental wellbeing

and emotional stability. When people become nostalgic, they are revisiting positive memories that are personally meaningful to them.

In doing so, they become inspired to do things that will let them reach the same level of joy they felt in the past. In other words, nostalgia causes people to become happier and more motivated to pursue future goals.

Even though most of us weren’t born in the 1980s, we are well aware of the decade’s aesthetic and vibe.

The constant reference to, and romanticization of, the disco era in contemporary pop culture — through movies, TV shows, songs or otherwise — makes us all feel like we have a personal connection with ’80s glitter and glamour. In a way, we do; what college-aged person hasn’t had their parents blast ABBA or upbeat Whitney Houston songs throughout the house when they were young?

As such, Future Nostalgia provides us with a blast-to-the-past nostalgic experience that brings us back to happier non-pandemic times, with tangible emotional benefits both for the present and the future.

The sheer energy of Future Nostalgia also achieved this same goal by supplying us with the fuel we needed to get through quarantine. I don’t need to reference any scientific studies to correctly say that hightempo songs get our bodies moving.

The album’s synth-heavy, groovybass songs provided everyone with

“Dua Lipa 02/12/2018 #41” by jus10h is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ the perfect soundtrack for dancing in the living room with reckless abandon or in their room at 2 a.m. if they’re a little shy.

These songs, through their serotonin-inducing instrumentals, allowed us to retain a semblance of optimism for the future — optimism that we can soon be back to dancing blurry-visioned and shoulder-toshoulder with five other strangers. I can’t be the only one to have closed my eyes and pretended I was at a party when dancing to “Don’t Start Now” alone or with a couple friends at home. It’s easy to get pandemic fatigue and resign yourself to the opinion that the current state of things will never change. Future Nostalgia comes up, slaps you across

the face and tells you to shut up while screaming, “You WILL eventually get the opportunity to embarrass yourself at a function again.”

True to its name, Future Nostalgia draws upon the past and future in an attempt to excite and electrify listeners. This goal is successfully achieved with its unskippable 11song tracklist, but the album gains so much more meaning considering the state of the world into which it was released. So, even though we’re currently only able to dance to Future Nostalgia in a t-shirt and some sweatpants, don’t be too sad when glancing at the party outfits in your closet. Keep listening to the album and stay nostalgic for a future that is soon to come.

Column: The #FreeBritney movement puts her life under scrutiny

By Grace Comer News Staff Since the beginning of her career, American pop star Britney Spears has been the subject of inappropriate speculation, jokes and criticism.

Rising to fame at the age of just 16, she not only dealt with all the typical teenage struggles, but she experienced all of them in the spotlight of a nation.

Spears’ burgeoning sexuality garnered much criticism as she shed her wholesome, girl-next-door image. At just 21, she was questioned about her virginity and criticized so much for her “bad influence” that Maryland’s first lady said, “If I had the opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would.” These comments came to light in a now heavily criticized interview with Diane Sawyer.

In the midst of an intense custody battle over her young children

and being followed constantly by aggressive paparazzi, Spears shaved her head — resulting in over a decade of jokes about mental breakdowns.

These discussions returned to the forefront of our celebrity conversations through the #FreeBritney movement. Spears has been under permanent conservatorship since October 2008, with her estate and personal freedoms under the control of her father James Spears.

Conservatorships are intended as guardianships for adults who are deemed incapable of managing themselves or their money. After Spears’ time in drug rehabilitation programs, attacks on paparazzi and struggles with mental health, her father established a conservatorship.

However, whether Spears’ conservatorship is justified has long been a topic of debate among both her lawyers and her fans.

Beginning in November 2017,

comedians Tess Barker and Barbara Gray began the Britney’s Gram podcast, where they analyzed Spears’ Instagram posts for hidden meanings. The two later released an “emergency” episode in April 2019 upon receiving an anonymous call that was supposedly from an exparalegal on Spears’ team.

Spears had canceled upcoming performances of her new Las Vegas residency, the Domination show, in January 2019, worrying fans. She checked into a mental hospital in March, and the caller claimed that it was not her choice — she was being held against her will.

This episode sparked the #FreeBritney movement as we know it today. Groups of protestors gathered in Hollywood, and celebrities sported #FreeBritney merchandise on live TV and their Instagram pages.

The movement has recently picked

up more speed with the 90-minute episode of “The New York Times Presents” released this February, titled “Framing Britney Spears.” The documentary explored the entire timeline of her conservatorship, including interviews with her personal assistant, past lawyers and some of the managers she has worked with in her time as a celebrity.

While the documentary has worked to shine light on the controversy, it is important to note that neither Britney nor either of her parents were willing to be interviewed. The only information shared by Spears has been through her lawyers, as the legal battle is ongoing.

Many interviews were with super fans of Spears, including those who set up the protests and Barker and Gray from the podcast.

This brings up an important question — how is this international coverage impacting Spears? Her lawyer, Samuel Ingham III, released a statement that she “welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans.”

In fact, she and her legal team have been pushing to keep proceedings open to her fans, in opposition to her father’s efforts to keep the court hearings sealed from the public, as explained in the same statement late last year.

This reaction seems to show that Spears does appreciate the #FreeBritney movement. She

maintains that the conservatorship is voluntary and that the only change she hopes to make is removing her father from that position. Some fans have raised concerns that the documentary may be encouraging wild speculation.

Many of Spears’ mental health issues in the past stemmed from the constant scrutiny and presence of the media in her life, particularly in the form of the paparazzi. As shown in the documentary, she has been able to take control of her public image again through her Instagram page, where she is able to choose what to share.

However, a quick scroll through the comments shows more scrutiny — each post, no matter how seemingly innocuous, is flooded by speculation. The majority of her comment section is made up of comments along the lines of “what is this picture code for?” or “post a painting next if you need help.”

While these comments are intended to help Spears speak out, they may still be contributing to the feeling of being constantly watched that caused her initial frustrations with the spotlight. Her specification of informed support may be referencing some of this wild theorizing.

As her past lawyer Adam Streisand said in the documentary, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” A line must be drawn between raising awareness about her case to support her freedom and attempting to

LIFESTYLE

April 2, 2021

Page 9

Calendar compiled by Rachel Erwin Graphics by Marta Hill

Saturday, April 3 CUP presents Dominic Fike Watch Dominic Fike, the famed “3 Nights” singer, in a virtual concert this Saturday. This is the final event in The Council for University Programs Spring Festival series.

Online or in Blackman Auditorium, Free

On Sunday, March 28, students were reunited with Rebecca’s Cafe and got one more chance to enjoy their favorites.

Photo by Kelly Thomas

For one day only, beloved eatery Rebecca’s Cafe returns

By Kelly Garrity News Staff When Northeastern announced last summer that Rebecca’s Cafe, one of the university’s most cherished campus eateries, would be closing its doors for good, students like second-year business administration major Sage Ratcliff were distraught.

“I was devastated when they were gone,” said Ratcliff, who visited the sandwich shop in the basement of Churchill Hall at least three times a week before the pandemic cut her freshman year short. “I loved [Rebecca’s] for such a short time, but such a dear amount of time.”

For one day only, Ratcliff had a chance to rekindle that love.

To kick off Springfest, the annual weeklong celebration organized by Northeastern’s Council for University Programs, or CUP, “The Return of Rebecca’s” offered Northeastern students a chance at one last bite of some of their favorite Rebecca’s sandwiches Sunday, March 28.

Students registered online for one of five sandwiches — the Nicole, the caprese, the California turkey wrap, the steakhouse roast beef or the hummus and veggie — and then were given a time slot to pick up their sandwich at one of three tents on campus.

The registration was first come first served with 100 of each kind avail-

able for free for 500 lucky students.

Charmy Patel, a fourth-year health science major and special events chair for CUP, was one of driving forces behind the event.

“Last year when we found out Rebecca’s was closing, we were all devastated cause it was such a staple to the Northeastern community, just going out to Rebecca’s at the 11:30 lunch rush,” she said.

The hope with Sunday’s event, she said, was to give those students an opportunity to experience part of what they loved about the eatery — the food.

“The food was the best, honestly.

That’s where I ate pretty much all the time,” said fifth-year business administration major Christina Tarr, who was picking up a California turkey wrap. “I do not miss the dining halls, but I miss Rebecca’s.”

Tarr’s go-to order at Rebecca’s was the Niall, a sandwich that featured mozzarella, caramelized onions, tomato, smoked turkey and bacon on a ciabatta roll.

To Tarr’s slight disappointment, the sandwich was not an option at Sunday’s event.

However, Patel managed to get another fan favorite, the Nicole, on the list, despite the fact it was not on Rebecca’s catering menu.

A perceptive choice on her part — the Nicole sold out the quickest, only 27 minutes after the registration

Photos by Kelly Thomas Students picked up favorites like The Nicole and a caprese sandwich. Students preordered sandwiches and in two hours every sandwhich was claimed.

Pickup took place in the West Village quad. Rebecca’s was replaced by Churchill’s Kitchen and Sandwich Shop, operated by Chartwells.

link went up. After two hours, every sandwich had been claimed.

Although the food was what compelled many people to attend the event, students noted that there was so much more that they missed about the cafe.

“What I miss about Rebecca’s is sitting out between classes and just being able to interact with my friends and seeing people randomly that you didn’t really expect to see that day,” Patel said, who varied her order between the Niall and the Nicole when visiting Rebecca’s.

Ratcliff held a similar opinion: “It was such an integral part of being a student on campus,” she said. “I honestly miss the atmosphere of waiting in that long line, but then getting your warm sandwich in your hands, and it’s so perfect, and it’s so worth it, especially with the chipotle mayo.”

The lengthy lines that typically poured out the door and around the corner were nowhere to be seen on Sunday.

Second-year international business major Nick Portello recalled a time when he waited at least 40 minutes in line to get his favorite, the buffalo chicken wrap. Today, he said he would be willing to wait even longer.

“I would wait two hours just for the nostalgia factor,” he said.

After waiting close to a year for another taste of Rebecca’s, a couple of hours is nothing.

What I miss about Rebecca’s is sitting out between classes and just being able to interact with my friends and seeing people randomly that you didn’t really expect to see that day.

Saturday, April 3 Spring Fling at Franklin Park Zoo Visit the Franklin Park Zoo to see animals receive their spring enrichment, where zookeepers add new toys to their habitats.

Check out the mobile flower scavenger hunt while you’re there.

Franklin Park Zoo, $21.95 for general admission ticket

April 7 - 17 “As U Like It” Stream the Northeastern theatre department’s production of “As U Like It,” a reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic play about love and identity.

Online, Free

April 7 - 27 The Brit d’Arbeloff Women & Science Theater Festival Throughout the month of April, tune into Central Square Theater’s virtual Women & Science Theater Festival, which features nine plays, 11 events and more than 30 artist and scientist speakers.

Online, Free

— Charmy Patel Fourth-year

April 9 - 17 “A-Típico” Attend a series of virtual readings of English, Spanish and bilingual plays by Latinx artists in Teatro Chelsea’s “A-Típico.” The festival is helmed by Northeastern alumni Carla Mirabal.

Online, Free

OPINION

Page 10 The Huntington News EDITORIAL BOARD

Op-ed: Issues with identity politics

Editor-in-Chief

Valeria Vazquez Managing Editor

Jayden Khatib Jessica Silverman Editor-at-Large

Sofie Kato Campus

Kenneal Patterson Marta Hill Julia Carlin City

Leah Cussen Pavithra Rajesh Breaking News

Ethan Wayne Skye Richmond Sports

Mihiro Shimano Eamonn Ryan Lifestyle

Matt Yan Rachel Erwin Clara McCourt Opinion

Brittany Mendez Poon Singhatiraj Projects

Avery Bleichfeld Riley Robinson Photo

Harriet Rovniak Quillan Anderson Design

Devin Raynor Angelica Jorio Multimedia

Ashley Mandel Mike Puzzanghera Web Manager

Shannon Haley Social Media

Nolan Piccola Vitoria Poejo Copy Chief

Ali Dusinberre

BUSINESS

Business Manager

Eva Arad

Development and Outreach Coordinator

Rhyia Bibby

Advertising Manager

April 2, 2021

Photo courtesy Sanjana Sanghani With President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris sworn in, it would be remiss to forget that an unfortunate 75 million individuals voted for former President Donald J. Trump. And with Biden now attempting to reach out to these voters by undertaking a centrist platform emphasizing bipartisanship, we see prominent national Democrats misunderstanding and misapplying the concept of identity politics to their political agendas. In doing so, another Trump-era presidency and far-right politicians regaining their power are at risk.

In 1977, Barbara Smith co-authored the Combahee River Collective Statement, a document that spotlighted the economic and social oppression uniquely faced by Black women. The statement first introduced the term “identity politics” and advocated for intersectionality in the feminist movement of the late 20th century — a movement that had the tendency to exclude women of color from its demands. Smith’s intention in creating the concept of identity politics focused on calling attention to a group’s specific identity and, in turn, forcing individuals to acknowledge the struggles faced by people of those identities. However, the support for this movement today has been minimized to buzzwords

and insincere pushes for diversity that border on performative activism.

For example, the Clinton campaign and prominent Democrats in 2016 hedged their bets on building a coalition of young people, minorities and single women to serve as the backbone for the party for years to come. However, “this rising American electorate” failed to push Clinton into the White House. As the Democratic Party and the Clintons shifted away from working-class people and New Deal principles, the Bernie Sanders campaign pushed a true economic populist narrative that gave rise to a diverse coalition for those under 30, despite the media’s narrative and common caricature of the ‘Bernie bro.’

Additionally, the leak of the Podesta emails revealed that Neera Tanden, former advisor to Hillary Clinton, spoke of the Clinton campaign’s “cozy press” relationship. As such, one must wonder if the mainstream media’s demonization of true progressives like Sanders is partially due to the influence of establishment Democrats. So it came at no surprise that former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said: “The longer they talk about identity politics, I got ’em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.”

Ultimately, reducing people and groups of people to set identities that will always vote one way or another advances the development of tribalism in this country. Identity politics should instead be about advocating for a particular group related to public policy. As philosopher Dr. Cornel West states, “Identity itself is a rationalization of trying to fit into a system that’s driven by greed, rot and

corruption.” Hence, when prominent Democrats like Rep. Jim Clyburn speak strongly for voting rights and civil rights, they begin to lose voters when they fail to speak on class and economic issues such as income inequality — which is partly due to their ties to corporate donors.

When the Biden campaign attempted to win the Black vote by announcing Harris as its choice for vice president during the election, some raised concerns due to her label as “top cop” and history as a prosecutor. Indeed, some of these concerns materialized in the 2020 election: The percentage of Black people who voted for the Democratic presidential candidate decreased in 2020 when compared to 2016. Hence, reducing people to a single world or identity will not be sufficient in maintaining a coalition in 2024 if their policies do not provide real tangible results for people with those identities. For example, even though the $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed in the Senate without the attachment of a minimum wage increase, the majority of Americans support an increase

in the minimum wage — including a majority of Republicans. Biden’s lack of sincerity in fighting for working-class Americans was ultimately proven when the administration chose not to simply overrule the Senate parliamentarian, an unelected official, and decided to “[respect] the parliamentarian’s decision and the Senate process,” dealing a critical blow to his promise to increase the federal minimum wage to $15.

These failures will not go unnoticed by the minority communities that have historically supported the Democratic Party, as minorities make up a disproportionate percentage of the country’s poor. Ultimately, establishment Democrats like Biden should take note of Bernie’s progressive economic policies that garnered real support in truly building a diverse coalition, for it is these policies that are truly representative of identity politics.

Sanjana Sanghani is a first-year economics and psychology combined major. She can be reached at sanghani.s@northeastern.edu.

“Diversity quilt” by OregonDOT is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Establishment Democrats risk taking minority votes for granted.

Samantha Barry

NEWS STAFF Ananya Sankar, Annie Probert, Arjun Ramachandrula, Christie Ya-Chi Lee, Elena Plumb, Erin Walsh, George LaBour, Grace Comer, Gwen Egan, Isaac Stephens, Jessica Brite, Julie Sung, Katie Mogg, Lily Elwood, Lucas Cooperman, Luiza Loyo, Madison Boudreau Popovic, Marisa Lijoi, Maeve Singer, Mia Merchant, Natalie Duerr, Niyati Parikh, Petrina Danardatu, Sarah Barber, Seamus McAvoy

Op-ed: The antisemitism of Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Movement

COPY EDITORS Alex Choung, Alexis Santoro, Ariana Bennett, Avery Westervelt, Dayna Archer, Emily Zhang, Hannah Anthony, Hannah Rosman, Jenna Chin, Jill Makin, Joanna Zhao, Jo Ashman, Katie Mogg, Katrina Makayan, Laurel Booth, Lea Packer, Lily Murphy, Madison Boudreau Popovic, Maria Lovato, Petrina Danardatu, Rachel Mann, Santhosh Kumar Vijayakumar, Sarah Brinsley, Vishrut Sundararajan, Zoe Baumgartner

DESIGN STAFF Alaine Bennett, Charlie Allan

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bill Mitchell, Carlene Hempel, Gal Tziperman Lotan, James Ross, Laurel Leff, Lincoln McKie, Mark Gooley, Meredith O’Brien, Olivia Arnold, Rachel Zarrell Opinions expressed in The Huntington News through letters to the editor, cartoons and columns are not necessarily those of The News staff or the Board of Directors. Northeastern University students conduct all operations involved in the production of this publication.

For inquiries about the Board of Directors, email outreach@huntnewsnu.com. For general inquiries, email managing@huntnewsnu.com.

The Huntington News 360 Huntington Ave. 102 Lake Hall Boston, MA 02115 huntnewsnu.com

@HuntNewsNU

Photo by Harriet Rovniak The beauty of the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, movement is that it isn’t limited by resource scarcity. Unlike other movements, which must prioritize where they donate money or send workers, the effectiveness of BDS is entirely reliant on its membership and their willingness to act. Boycotting products from, divesting from investing in and sanctioning countries that commit immoral acts is a smart

strategy for enacting change that could be applied worldwide.

BDS is also a principled movement. At its core, BDS exists because one group believes their rights are being denied by another. It arose in response to a specific international circumstance, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but its underlying moral — that denying a group’s rights is wrong — is universal.

This is why BDS compares the Israeli treatment of Palestinians to South African apartheid. From BDS’ perspective, both cases are characterized by the wrongful denial of one group’s rights by another.

Given that BDS is not bound by money, volunteers or resources generally, and is driven by a universal moral principle, it’s odd that BDS’ only target is Israel.

Globally, Christians are subjected to religious harassment in more countries than any other religious group. In the majority of cases, this harassment is directed by governments. Egypt, for instance, has some of the most religiously restrictive laws in the world. These laws openly discriminate against Christians, and the targeting of Christians often

goes unpunished in Egypt’s criminal justice system.

In Myanmar, the predominantly Buddhist government is carrying out genocide against its Rohinga Muslim minority as I write this article. In recent weeks, the military has also seized full control of the government, arrested opposition and slaughtered more than 160 innocent protestors, including three children.

Even if BDS genuinely believes Israeli settlements are a moral wrong that deny Palestinians their rights, there are plenty of other countries around the world engaging in equally heinous acts. It is fully possible for BDS to boycott products from, divest from investment in and advocate for sanctions on those countries at no additional cost. BDS even implies it would have done so to South Africa’s apartheid regime had the movement existed while the regime was in power.

Nevertheless, BDS today applies its moral standard to Israel alone, the only Jewish state in the world.

It is not discriminatory, in the prejudicial sense, to donate to a Palestinian relief fund. It is not discriminatory to provide educa-

tional services to Palestinian families in refugee camps. It’s impossible to help all those in the world who need it, and most organizations must make choices about where to direct resources.

But BDS is not restricted by these constraints, and it is discriminatory to take a universal moral standard — that denying a group’s rights is wrong — and only hold Jews accountable to it. It is discriminatory for BDS to claim it stands against the sin of apartheid, but only take action when Jews are the alleged sinners.

If a white man and a Black man commit the same crime, but only the Black man is punished, we rightfully condemn the justice system as discriminatory. However, if Israel and Myanmar both commit moral crimes, but only Israel is punished, many seem determined to ignore the injustice.

I believe moral wrongs should be called out in every circumstance, no matter the group responsible. It is clear that BDS disagrees.

Jake Egelberg is a first-year biochemistry major. He can be reached at egelberg.j@northeastern.edu.

OPINION

April 2, 2021

Page 11

Column: Addressing anti-Asian hate — we can all do better

Protests have erupted in major cities in response to anti-Asian racism.

Photo by Kelly Thomas It’s been two weeks since the killings of six Asian women in Atlanta. While there has been a push to address and end the violence, especially from organizations that exist to combat anti-Asian hate, it seems as though the response from the general public is lacking.

Northeastern’s response to the anti-Asian hate crimes was empty at best, claiming to be a community that takes action without giving any actual action steps. In the words of President Joseph E. Aoun himself, “Northeastern is a community of action.” Sending a survey to gather students’ views on diversity is one step in the right direction, but it’s

hardly enough to address the issue of violence against Asian Americans.

The NU Asian American community released a letter this past week to address Northeastern’s lack of action and to discuss the treatment of Asian Americans. It was disheartening to see the university’s inaction, but it was amazing to see the letter and to know that the administration is addressing it. The thing is, discrimination against Asian Americans is clearly not a new issue, and we could all have done more to prevent it from going this far.

There have been upwards of 3,800 reported anti-Asian hate crimes since the pandemic began. A fabulous video from Trevor Noah discusses how we could have predicted and prevented the shootings. Noah explains that America has a history of being reactionary toward racism, so if we’re really going to learn anything, we have to start being proactive.

As such, the question we should be asking ourselves is this: How many preventable, unjust murders must occur for people to take racism seriously?

Last summer, I had mixed feelings about people proclaiming their support for Black Lives Matter on social media. It turned into a trend, and I was worried at first that it would go away just like it had every other time a Black person was killed by a cop.

Photo by Harriet Rovniak

As time went on, people kept talking about it, and it actually lasted long enough to get lawmakers to start making a change, especially with new police reform bills passing in several states.

But this is just a start, and we can’t stop now. Once the trend died down, fewer people have been talking about or protesting for Black Lives Matter, and we need to pick up on that again in order for the broad changes that we need to actually happen.

This time around, there have been mixed responses to the Atlanta shootings on social media depending on the person’s social circle. It seems that, compared to the mass outrage after the murder of George Floyd, the people who are talking about last week’s shooting are the usual suspects: people who have always fought for social justice, people who directly experience this kind of hate and people who are part of organizations that exist to combat racism.

While these voices are essential, they’re not always enough. We need conversations about race and ending hate to penetrate every single corner of society. We need everyone to participate in these conversations, online and in person. A friend of mine pointed out that one of the reasons why there was such outrage when Floyd was murdered was because there was a clear enemy to protest;

We need conversations about race and ending hate to penetrate every single corner of society.

now, as with most forms of discrimination, the enemy lurks within the general public. Our greatest influences are our family and friends, so if you’re trying to change the general public, start by talking to those who are closest to you, and have conversations about their attitudes toward Asian Americans.

As for the government’s response, it seems to be going in the right direction, but we must take action and keep the conversation going so that this doesn’t happen again. At Northeastern, there are dozens of clubs and organizations you can join to support social justice causes, and there are new ones popping up all the time. You can post on social media if you use it, donate money or time to an outside organization or even commit to addressing hate when you see it — even if it’s from someone you know and/or love.

As Aoun said, “We must be a model of what society can be” — that goes for both students and the administration. We can all do more to continue fighting hate, not only against Asians but against all races, genders and other marginalized groups, to ensure that crimes like these are no longer normalized.

Mia Merchant is a first-year in the Explore Program. She can be reached at merchant.mia@northeastern.edu.

Page 12

ADVERTISEMENT

April 2, 2021

2 MONTHs FREE!

IT’S ALL HERE FOR THE TAKING Come for the spacious apartments and stay for the incomparable convenience.

Church Park is 10 minutes away from not only the Northeastern Campus, but also the hottest spots in Fenway, Back Bay, and South End. Take the elevator down to the street level where necessities like Whole Foods, CVS, Caffé Nero, U.S.Postal Service, Flour Bakery, Anton’s Cleaners, ZipCar, and your own concierge make for the ultimate stress-free living.

Large apartments and a full suite of amenities including a penthouse for studying, a business center for working, and a roof deck for relaxing, grilling out or just taking in the best views in town make Church Park the place to be.

Church Park has a 97 Walk Score and 91 Bike Score!

Make an appointment today.

221 Massachusetts Avenue - Boston, MA 02115 617.437.7328

n

info@churchpark.com

n

A Boyd/Smith Inc. Property

churchpark.com