November 17, 2023

The Huntington News November 17, 2023

The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community

@HuntNewsNU

SENATORS DISSATISFIED WITH SGA INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Graphic by Jessica Xing (Left to right, top to bottom) Gregory Katz, Owen Kasmin, Charlie Zhang and Giovanni Falco. Photos by Darin Zullo, courtesy Owen Kasmin, courtesy CLEAN slate and by Jessica Xing, respectively.

By Emily Spatz | Deputy Campus Editor The Student Government Association, or SGA, spent the past several weeks reconciling with the resignation of former Executive Vice President Matty Coleman, a fourth-year psychology major who stepped down Oct. 23 due to mental health reasons. Since then, members of SGA have voiced concerns over how the transition was handled and the SGA executive board’s actions behind the scenes.

In the weeks following Coleman’s vacation of the office, senators pointed to a last-minute

introduction of new legislation that delayed the election of an EVP — with some members finding out about the delay at the same time as the information became public. People in leadership also said they were in the dark about the bill until days before it was introduced and said there was a lack of clarity with the emergency election process. Others were concerned with the resolution being introduced at a time that SGA has still been adjusting to major reforms made to their internal structure last semester.

An emergency election was scheduled for Oct. 30 to fill the vacant role of executive vice president, or EVP, but was ultimately delayed when Student Body President Charlie Zhang and Vice President for Student Success Sebastian Chávez Da Silva introduced legislation to restructure the position. The presentation of the legislation was also delayed at the same meeting after a lengthy debate about the timing and merits of its introduction.

MISCOMMUNICATION, on Page 2

NU, Mills reach $1.25 million settlement with former students over 2021 merger

By Sonel Cutler Campus Editor After 10 months of negotiation, a California judge approved a $1.25 million class-action settlement Nov. 7 for hundreds of former Mills College students who sued the school and Northeastern University last year, claiming Mills misled them about its 2021 merger with Northeastern.

The 408 students included in the May 2022 class action suit said the college disseminated “false promises, misinformation, and misrepresentations” regarding the merger, resulting in additional expenses and delayed

graduation dates. Students will receive $655,000 of the settlement, or about $1,600 each, and the rest will pay for attorneys’ fees and costs, according to a statement from the students’ attorney.

Northeastern denies the claims made by former students, but wrote in a statement to The News that it found the settlement to be the best way to move on from the allegations and continue providing education to students at the Oakland campus.

“While Mills College and Northeastern do not believe that plaintiffs’ claims have merit, and deny all allegations made, the institutions have concluded that settlement is in the

best interest of the parties to avoid the time and expense of drawn-out litigation,” wrote Renata Nyul, vice president of communications.

But former Mills students who spoke with The News said they were frustrated with the outcome of the settlement and the university’s lack of a public apology addressing the challenges the merger posed for students.

“It’s really disheartening to see that Northeastern said [we] didn’t have viable claims, but they just paid out to end the legal pursuit,” said Victoria Mayorga, a fifth-year history, culture, and law major at Northeastern and former Mills student who is part of

the class action. “It feels like a payout.

It feels like business as usual.”

Northeastern announced it would take over Mills College in September 2021 after Mills, plagued by financial hardship, faced impending closure.

The school was renamed Mills College at Northeastern University and became co-ed after operating for 170 years as a college for women and non-binary people.

Since its inception, the merger has been fraught with controversy.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged Mills leadership was “negligent, misleading, and deceitful” in their assurances about the status of degrees during the

merger, only notifying students of consequential merger details after the deadline to receive a tuition refund, according to the law firms representing the students, Bryan Schwartz Law and Nichols Kaster PLLP. “It kind of just feels like a, ‘Take your money and stop complaining’ kind of thing,” Zeltzin Mozo, a third-year history, culture, and law major, said of the settlement. “It was almost disrespectful because they don’t want to admit that the way they handled the merger was wrong. I don’t really think any amount of money can be an appropriate amount for what we went through.”

LITIGATION, on Page 2

LIFESTYLE

SPORTS

CITY

Read about how Rocky Horror fosters an inclusive community.

Read about Camille ArnoldMages’ trip to the U23 World Rowing Championships.

Read about changes to the Council made in this year’s municipal election.

Rocky Horror wows live audience

PAGE 4

New faces on Boston City Council

Northeastern rowing featured on world stage

Photo by Quillan Anderson

PAGE 8

Photo by Ananya Kulkarni

PAGE 12

Graphic by Joshua Lustig

CAMPUS

Page 2

November 17, 2023

‘It feels like a payout. It feels like business as usual’: Mills members react to settlement us for help after so much unexpected turmoil to help them move on with the next chapters of their promising educational trajectories and careers,” Schwartz wrote in the statement.

But students say the settlement is far from a sign of reconciliation with the university.

“This is just the beginning,” Mayorga said. “Money, $1,000, honestly isn’t that much — it’s rent for one month. Northeastern still has a lot of work to do on retaining, supporting and caring for Mills legacy students who are left over.”

A final hearing for the settlement is scheduled for March 12, 2024.

LITIGATION, from front Mozo and Mayorga majored in ethnic studies and people, politics, economics, public policy and law at Mills, respectively. They were among many students whose majors were eliminated in the merger because it didn’t already exist at Northeastern’s Boston campus, despite a commitment from Mills leadership that they would be able to finish their degrees, according to the lawsuit. Other historic majors extinguished by the merger included child development and education, art history, dance and ethnic studies.

“They had us fighting for our education. … I don’t think you should have to beg your university to tell you how your financial aid package

is going to look, how your degree pathway is going to look,” Mozo said. “[The Mills administration] kind of left us to fend for ourselves. And to this day, we haven’t had any actual written apology.”

Mozo, a first-generation, lowincome student, described the settlement as “hush money” and argued that, in addition to apologizing to former Mills students, the university could do more to assist students in paying tuition.

Bryan Schwartz and other lawyers representing the Mills plaintiffs celebrated the settlement as a success — a way to leave grievances in the past and focus on the future.

“We are glad that we are able to get some relief for students who came to

Deputy Campus Editor Emily Spatz contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy Jeta Perjuci A banner at Mills College. Former Mills College students found the settlement and the university’s response insufficient.

MISCOMMUNICATION, from front “We got some support from around the organization, but not all, which is entirely understandable given the short time frame we had,” said Zhang, a fourth-year independent sociology, anthropology, and global strategy major.

“It was tabled, so we couldn’t really present it, which I think is a damn shame.”

Several senators, however, expressed concern about a lack of communication from SGA leadership and the sudden timing of the restructuring.

“I think it was awful. The meeting was supposed to be nominations for EVP, and at the very last minute, this new body president decided to change that and introduced this secret legislation that nobody’s seen before,” said Giovanni Falco, a senator and third-year criminal justice and political science combined major who ran against Zhang and Coleman’s slate in the previous SGA election.

Falco said he didn’t hear about the change of plans for the Oct. 30 meeting until a public senate agenda meeting email was sent out the evening before. “So it’s quite concerning to me that we’re in the process of electing a new EVP, but we’re also stripping that person of their powers by creating a new elected position.”

The tabled resolution would split the role of EVP into two parts, creating a new speaker of the senate position that would focus on internal responsibilities historically given to the EVP. Under the new structure, the EVP would focus on “external advocacy” and would no longer be presiding officer of the senate.

Zhang said that the idea of restructuring the role of EVP, which some see as “straining,” had been in the works for a year and a half but previously lacked support from senators.

According to Zhang, Chávez Da Silva, a fifth-year industrial engineering and political science double major and former EVP, originally had the idea to present the legislation.

“We’ve heard from our own leadership about the dual role — external and internal — and how everyone’s going to balance it,” Zhang said. “We wanted to preempt a lot of those challenges and put forward in the most transparent way to senators

what they should do going forward.

And that’s why we felt we had to present it on Monday.”

Chávez Da Silva said that writing the legislation and the content of it wasn’t his idea in “any way, shape or form.” According to him, Zhang had called him on Oct. 28 to tell him that several possible nominees were hesitant to take the role because of its extensive responsibilities.

“That’s when I told him that if this is going to be done, it should be written legislation. I didn’t want it to be something that seemed premeditated,” Chávez Da Silva said, specifying that under the SGA governing documents, any person in an elected position can already delegate responsibilities to directors or people under them. “Under my belief, I thought that it’s such a great responsibility to delegate and it shouldn’t just be delegated without having some sort of senator approval beforehand.”

At the Oct. 30 meeting, which both Zhang and Chávez Da Silva attended virtually because they were out of the country, Zhang argued for discussion of the legislation, saying the senate “currently [has] a role that nobody is entirely prepared for, as seen by our zero nominations on the floor for today.” The News confirmed that Gregory Katz, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major, had submitted an official nomination for EVP prior to the meeting on Monday but rescinded his nomination the previous Saturday, Oct. 28.

“The way it was presented to me was that apparently there were conversations that were being had — which I don’t know who they were being had with — but with other people who were considering running — that there was consensus among several people that nobody really wanted the full position,” Katz said, confirming he pulled his nomination “last minute.” “I thought that since that seems to be a consensus, I probably shouldn’t be running.”

Katz also said he was unsure about whether to leave his current position as vice president for campus affairs and was not fully committed to running prior to submitting his nomination.

Misha Ankudovych, a second-year data science and economics combined major and vice president for academic affairs, had also submitted a nomination, though it was considered unofficial because he had not been a member of the Senate for 25 weeks prior to running. The bylaw mandating this was suspended at the emergency election Nov. 6, which ultimately allowed Ankudovych to run.

“My opposition at the meeting was not due to not being able to run,” said Ankudovych, who rescinded his nomination for EVP an hour before Katz, according to screenshots of emails provided to The News. “Communication had just broken down between leadership, and it was unfortunate that it was so public.”

A source who requested anonymity due to privacy concerns told The News there had been some internal rumors in SGA that Zhang allegedly pushed nominees to pull out of the election so that the legislation could be presented. Falco said he had heard from “people on the student body president’s leadership team that he was scared I was going to run” and even created a clause to specifically block his nomination.

Zhang denied pressuring anyone into rescinding their nominations.

“We told the same thing to every one of our leadership — we have 50 people in leadership — so we just went to the division heads and told the same thing to everybody,” he said.

Ankudovych, whose position is considered a part of leadership, said he heard about the legislation “marginally earlier” than the rest of the senate.

“When I say earlier, I mean hours earlier,” Ankudovych said. “I can’t say I had the same miscommunication or the lack of communication as the rest of Senate, but I think it was a little uncomfortable.”

Owen Kasmin, executive director of elections and a third-year history and political science combined major who was outspoken about tabling the proposed legislation at the Oct. 30 meeting, said he heard the legislation was written the morning of Oct. 28 and didn’t know how to “interact” with it by the time of Monday’s meeting.

“Whether there were backroom conversations amongst E-Board, amongst leadership, people are worried whether or not they’re including senators,” Kasmin said. “I want to make the point that even I wasn’t really involved in a lot of these discussions, I don’t know if there were any discussions really to it.”

Kasmin expressed concern that there was no defined time during the Oct. 30 meeting for people to nominate themselves or others for EVP. He also said the senate bylines do not make it clear who on SGA would oversee an emergency election, and even though Kasmin oversees direct elections in his role, “this is a separate election from anything [he is] involved in.” Zhang said that he had conversations with Kasmin about his role in the emergency election, and Kasmin ultimately ended up handling nominations in the emergency election Nov. 6.

Zhang admitted that there had been a breakdown of communication within SGA the past several weeks, specifically at the Oct. 30 meeting.

“The communication piece, I wish that we would have gotten a lot of that sorted out outside of the meeting, but some of that can’t be prevented because some of it didn’t come from the SGA leadership,” he said.

Katz said the apparent disorganization within SGA this semester was the result of an “adjustment period” to last semester’s resolution that introduced “major” internal reform to the organization. Last semester’s reform was aimed at making the senate more efficient, relieving some duties from vice presidents and creating new committees.

Falco said the recent restructuring is a major reason why the EVP role should not be revised this year and that recent events show why the SGA often has a low approval rating within the student body.

“We only had 25% of students vote and half of them were no-confidence votes, which is just crazy to me. What are we doing wrong?”

Falco said, arguing that splitting the EVP role into two separate positions would create more “bureaucracy” and less efficiency. “And I think

Last minute changes, delays cause confusion, uncertainty within student senate it’s this — having an EVP dropout during their term and then having some kind of secret legislation that nobody knows about that reorganizes the organization in some pretty impactful ways after we just had a years-long revision of our governing documents and the roles within the SGA and how to create efficiency.”

The legislation restructuring the role of EVP is currently tabled indefinitely, though Zhang said his goal is to re-introduce it this semester. Parliamentarian Ignacio Colón-Cordero, a third-year business administration major, said that the speaker role would be created immediately if the legislation passes and would be effective until July 1, 2024, when SGA would reevaluate whether the changes made are effective.

“Based on how many nominees we’ve had for EVP, there’s a lot of people who are interested in this internal side of the [speaker] role,” Zhang said in an interview with The News, clarifying that his comments about “zero” nominations at the Oct. 30 meeting referred to actual, official nominations at the time of the meeting. Zhang also noted that nominations for the role could’ve been made at “any point” in the meeting, even though there was no time set aside for it.

Falco said his top priority would be to “kill” the legislation because of its poor development and possible ulterior “motivations going on that are possibly influencing these actions.”

At the Nov. 6 meeting, four nominees ran for EVP, including Falco and Ankudovych. Falco pulled out of the election and endorsed Ankudovych before the vote. Matt Coughlin, former vice president for operational affairs and a third-year mechanical engineering major, ultimately won the election.

“Everything that we’ve done has been mostly internal or fixing things or creating new positions. In the last two semesters, that’s been the case,” Falco said. “It shows why the students don’t like us and why every election we have a huge portion of students vote no confidence, because right now, I don’t have confidence in the leadership.”

CAMPUS

November 17, 2023

Page 3

Professor Dale Herbeck remembered as brilliant, empathetic leader and educator

By Ethan Wayne News Staff Professor Dale Herbeck, a faculty member at Northeastern for over 10 years, died Oct. 26. He was 65.

According to a statement released by the College of Arts, Media and Design, or CAMD, Herbeck joined Northeastern as chair of the Communication Studies Department in 2012.

After 10 years in an administrative role, he stepped down as chair to focus his efforts on teaching.

Colleagues remember Herbeck as a kind, diplomatic leader who even opted to stay in his position through the pandemic to support the faculty.

Students remember Herbeck as a passionate educator who went out of his way to give support to undergraduate students. According to the statement released by CAMD, Herbeck was

known to “attend undergraduate student presentations at academic conferences, supporting with a continuous thumbs up from his seat in the audience.”

Before coming to Northeastern, Herbeck, one of the nation’s experts in communication law and free speech, taught at Boston College for almost three decades, where he would eventually serve as both department chair and professor.

Sue Mello, an associate professor of communication studies at Northeastern, met Herbeck during her undergraduate years at Boston College in 2006, when he served as her senior thesis adviser.

In 2014, Herbeck recruited Mello to Northeastern as a faculty member, a position she’s now held for almost a decade.

“Everyone at Northeastern knew his

Photo courtesy CAMD Communications Department Professor Dale Herbeck poses for a photo. Herbeck was chair of the Communication Studies Department for 10 years before his death Oct. 26.

door was always open and that they’d be greeted with a warm smile and his full attention,” Mello said in a eulogy at Herbeck’s memorial service. “He had a beautiful way of navigating you toward your own solutions to problems.”

Before recruiting Mello, Herbeck worked at length with the department to bring in increased numbers of faculty and students and new policies to support them. He also oversaw the growth of the department to include over a dozen new courses.

“Personally, I’m forever grateful for the maternity leave package he negotiated on my behalf when I gave birth to my first child eight years ago,” Mello said. “Years later, what Dale advocated for is now institutionalized as university policy.”

Alan Zaremba, an associate professor in the communication studies department, was working in the dean’s office when Herbeck applied for the job as chair.

“I heard his talk when he was an applicant for the job, which reflected a passion,” Zaremba said. “The talk also revealed that he had a tremendous depth of knowledge that he was able to communicate effortlessly.”

Besides his expertise, Herbeck was well respected for his ability to lead and bring positivity to the department.

“He modeled a way to live, a way to lead, a way to be a professor,” Zaremba said. “He didn’t say ‘Follow me,’ but it kind of felt like, if you followed him, you’d be making a positive contribution. In his wake was a message: ‘You can do this too. You can have a

positive effect.’”

Professor Maria Elena Villar, who took over as department chair when Herbeck returned to teaching fulltime, echoed this sentiment.

“What I hear most is [about] his kindness,” Villar said. “He really valued the humanity of faculty and students. He really was an advocate for other people’s success.”

Because of his extensive knowledge in the field, Herbeck’s return to teaching saw him cover courses related to freedom of speech, communication law and communication ethics.

“He was recognized as a top leader in everything that had to do with communication law,” Villar said.

“That was really what gave him joy: the teaching.”

Last fall, Emma MacDonald, a third-year communication studies and business administration combined major, took Communication Law, Herbeck’s signature course. This was a class that he taught with his own textbook, “Freedom of Speech in the United States,” which he had produced eight editions of since 1985.

“Whenever I think of communication law, I think of him. He knew everything there was to know about the subject,” MacDonald said. “I don’t think I would associate a professor with any subject the way I think of him and communication law.”

Herbeck would often point out areas in the course that had evolved over the years based on student feedback and shifting curriculum.

“He really did want all of his students to succeed,” MacDonald

said. “He’s one of the professors who makes me proud to be a communications major.”

Herbeck earned recognition several times from organizations such as the National Communication Association, the American Forensic Association and the Commission on Freedom of Expression. In 2006, the National Communication Association bestowed Herbeck the Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship on Freedom of Expression, the highest accolade in the field.

“Dale was an innovative administrator who was sensitive to his community’s needs,” Mello said. “He showed us all what it felt like to have an advocate, a mentor and a friend all in one.”

According to an obituary published in the Boston Globe, Herbeck grew up outside Dayton, Ohio before attending Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. He then went on to earn his doctorate in communication studies from the University of Iowa.

He lived in Medfield for over 25 years with his family. Herbeck is survived by his wife, Edie; his stepson, Brett; his parents, Delbert and Virginia; his brother, James and his wife, Susan; and their child, Sofie.

A book of condolences was placed in the CAMD dean’s office this past week for students to leave their messages and sentiments to celebrate Herbeck’s time at Northeastern. The book has been sent to his wife.

In lieu of flowers, his family asks that donations be made in Herbeck’s name to Heifer International or the National Prison Debate League.

Union representing NU janitors wins contract after years-long delays, avoiding strike

By Zoe MacDiarmid News Staff Early Wednesday morning, a negotiation committee of janitors of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, which represents about 330 cleaners at Northeastern, unanimously approved a tentative new union contract with Maintenance Contractors of New England, or MCNE, preventing a strike, according to a press release from the union.

The new tentative contract converts 500 part-time positions in Boston and Cambridge to full-time jobs over the course of the contract, granting cleaners employer-paid health benefits — a primary concern during negotiations, according to Roxana Rivera, assistant to the president of Local 32BJ. Currently, only half of janitorial staff at Northeastern are full time employees, Rivera said.

“We’ve made some strides in regards to the standards for janitors.

But the issue that still remains is that Massachusetts has always been a part-time market,” Rivera said. This means that when clients like Northeastern contract out services, it’s based on a part-time model, meaning most employees don’t have a pathway for full-time work.

The union’s demand for more fulltime positions is spurred by financial

complications created for part-time employees, whose employers are often not required to provide benefits such as healthcare and paid time off. But many employees are discouraged from working another part-time job because it would disqualify them from receiving federal benefits like state health insurance and food stamps, said Ana Gonzalez, a cleaner at Park Plaza Office Building and a member of Local 32BJ’s bargaining committee.

“You pass one penny, you do not qualify, but you go to the supermarket and everything is so expensive, how are we gonna pay for everything?”

Gonzalez said. “For rent? For food?”

Contract negotiations between the union, Local 32BJ SEIU and MCNE began Sept. 14, according to the union. Typically, contracts are renewed every four years. However, the contract renewal that happened in 2020 was negotiated virtually and only saw “minor changes,” meaning the cleaners’ contract has remained largely unchanged since 2016, said Franklin Soults, a spokesperson for the union.

Workers said the relatively unchanged contract did not match the effort and sacrifices they made during COVID-19 pandemic, Gonzalez said.

At home, she said many resorted to food pantries to feed their families.

Going to work was anxiety-in-

ducing for many cleaners, Gonzalez said, who would pray alongside her coworkers at the beginning of every shift during the pandemic.

“Until today, nobody from the company has said thank you to [any] of us,” she said. “Instead, we got sick.

We didn’t get paid [enough]. They didn’t agree to give [us] masks. We had to fight because they were not giving us the sanitizers we needed.

And we feel extremely underappreciated for what we did [during COVID-19].”

It was not uncommon for employees or their families to get sick, Gonzalez said. This forced many to isolate themselves from their families, she said.

“Somebody asked me, why are you here today? Why are you asking for the full time?” said Gonzalez, who is a part-time employee averaging 25 hours a week. “I went out of my house every day [during COVID-19], and I was getting into my house every day, but I couldn’t hug my son that was at my same house because I went out to work.”

Another bargaining point for Northeastern cleaners was higher wages for those who work the night shift, Rivera said. Local 32BJ represents cleaners at higher education institutions including Northeastern, Emerson College and University of Massachusetts Boston. These institu-

Photo by Zoe MacDiarmid Members of the bargaining committee smile during a caucus meeting.

The new tentative contract agreed to convert 500 part-time positions to full-time jobs, a change that was one of the union’s foremost priorities. tions demand more than commercial buildings because it’s a “24/7 operation,” Rivera said.

During COVID-19, a core group of Northeastern janitorial workers were kept on while the rest were laid off, said Tomasa Rodríguez, who has been a cleaner at Northeastern since 2000. Rodríguez was placed on leave in March 2020 and brought back to work in September 2020, but caught the virus shortly thereafter.

“Building cleaners risked themselves and their families to keep properties safe and sanitized during the pandemic,” Rivera said in a press release on Wednesday. “Many never even got a thank you for that sacrifice. This wage increase is essential

in the post-pandemic economy, but it also recognizes the vital contributions of these workers, which simply should not be ignored after what we went through.”

On Wednesday evening, about 100 union members gathered downtown, along with various Boston and Boston-area city council members, to celebrate the win.

“Everyone is a hero here,” Somerville City Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. said at the rally, according to the press release. “As [Boston City Councilor] Ruthzee [Louijeune] said, ‘One job should be enough.’ And in this fight, you’ve made it so that hundreds of workers can have the full-time positions that they deserve.”

LIFESTYLE

Page 4

November 17, 2023

Full Body Cast brings fun to Frankenstein Place in ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’

By Joseph Brant News Staff The Full Body Cast, a local acting troupe dedicated to reenacting the cult classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” performed alongside a showing of the film at the packed Emerson Colonial Theatre Oct. 20. The cast and audience members celebrated the movie’s 48th anniversary and the attendance of Patricia Quinn, the legendary actress who played the spunky character Magenta in the film and starred as an usherette in the original theater production.

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a film adaptation of the 1973 musical stage production created by Richard O’Brien, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay and stars as Riff Raff. In the film, directed by Jim Sharman, the absurdity of the plotlines and characters pay tribute to horror-B and science fiction movies created during the mid-20th century.

“Rocky Horror” follows the story of fiancees Janet (Susan Sarandon) and Brad (Barry Bostwick) as they stumble upon the castle of the mad scientist and Transylvanian alien Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by Tim Curry. While navigating the complicated sexual dynamics of Frank-N-Furter’s lab, they witness the unnatural birth of his latest creation, the titular muscleman whom he plans to use to satisfy himself. Through its campy take on horror and openness to unconventional expressions of sexuality

and gender, the film has amassed a devoted cult following.

Quinn joined the emcee on stage ahead of the screening and discussed her memories of filming the iconic opening sequence of her lips mouthing the words to “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” participating in the original stage play housed in a theater she described as “a room,” and hearing the song “The Time Warp” for the first time.

After leading the audience through the moves of “The Time Warp,” a dance sequence performed in the film, the emcee swore in the “virgins” in the crowd, using an altered version of the Pledge of Allegiance to initiate first-time viewers into the Rocky Horror community.

“Rocky Horror” was ahead of its time despite being inspired by films of the past, as it is set to a rockand-roll soundtrack, operates on liberated sexual politics and features costumes that would later inspire parts of the punk community.

After opening to lukewarm reviews in 1975, the film and stage production gradually rose in prominence among horror fans and the LGBTQ+ community. As live performance groups inspired by the film grew in popularity throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, the events and culture built around the film offered opportunities for gender nonconforming and transgender people to express themselves in an environment that is inherently accepting and welcoming, a standard that remains true to this day. “Rocky

Horror” has become an institution of the horror community, as shadow cast performances and midnight showings take place nearly every weekend in cities across the nation.

“It was going after some of the customs and culture it found oppressive … It’s still around because each new generation finds something new they can apply it to,” said Donna Halper, a media historian and an associate professor of communication and media studies at Lesley University, “I think at the beginning, it was way ahead of the culture. Then eventually, the culture caught up to it.” “‘[Rocky Horror]’ attracted young people because of its message of tolerance and transgressiveness in a very restricted society. Gradually, it just became an audience participation phenomenon where it was like, ‘let your freak flag fly,’” Halper said. “In the midnight show of ‘Rocky Horror,’ we’ve got no time for prejudice. We’re busy just having fun in whatever way we want to create it.”

At a showing of “Rocky Horror,” audience participation is not only encouraged, but required. Some attendees were given paper bags that included playing cards, toilet paper, noisemakers and other objects that were to be used or thrown at designated moments in the film, per the traditions established after decades of showings.

After decades of midnight showings, the pandemic was the first true threat to the longevity of the Rocky Horror community. As most theaters were forced to close for

months on end, some productions brought their shows to Zoom. But as movie theaters began to reopen and the insanity of Dr. Frank-NFurter returned to screening rooms, the strength and necessity of the “Rocky Horror” live experience became clearer than ever.

“So much of the experience is built around the community to begin with and it really encourages people to be friendly and welcoming,” said Zoe Chappell, a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Through its embrace of sexual liberation and androgyny, “Rocky Horror” remains a way to provide community and connection for people on the fringes of society across many generations, welcoming the traits and interests that are often unwelcome in other settings.

“You can be whoever you want to be and nobody judges you,” said

Jenny McGunagel, a Boston resident who came to the showing to “dress up and have fun.”

Showings of the film offer an opportunity to embody the film’s core message of “Don’t dream it, be it.” As a community that is united by their differences, the “Rocky Horror” fanbase’s ethics of acceptance have cemented the film as a testament to the glory and gore of leading a life that embraces the imaginative potential of science fiction and breaks free from the limitations of a sexually repressive society.

“You don’t leave Rocky Horror feeling furious. You never do,” said Dr. Halper. “Even though, to some degree, it does attack stereotypes, myths, prejudice, bigotry. But it does it with a smile, and with a little sarcasm, and with a little humor and with a little insight. And the rest of it is whatever you bring.”

Photo by Quillan Anderson “Rocky Horror” cast members form a kickline. The Full Body Cast performed alongside the film.

Review: Reneé Rapp insists there are ‘Snow Hard Feelings’ to Boston fans

By Cathy Ching News Staff Hundreds of Reneé Rapp fans stepped into Roadrunner Oct. 28 decked out in costume — some even dressed as snow angels, complementary to Rapp’s current tour for her “Snow Angel” album. Fans in Boston have long-awaited the “Snow Hard Feelings” tour stop in the city during Halloween weekend to sing along to “I Hate Boston.”

Following Rapp’s EP titled “Everything to Everyone” in 2022, her debut album “Snow Angel,” released Aug. 18, brings listeners into a whirlwind of Rapp’s journey of new dis-

coveries in heartbreak, sexuality and growing up. Taking the No. 44 slot on the Billboard 200 in the first week of its release, the album has earned the title of the biggest solo debut album for a female artist this year.

The Saturday show opened with Towa Bird, a Filipino-English R&B and pop singer, who energized the crowd ahead of the three-hour concert with fast tunes, heavy electric guitar and a straight-to-the-point “What’s up, bisexuals?”

Nearing the end of her set, she teased the audience. Bird knew that fans anticipated this specific tour stop more so than shows in other cities.

“I quite frankly don’t hate Boston,

Photo courtesy Taliyah Fox Audience members cheer and photograph Rapp with their cell phones.

Some fans dressed as snow angels to complement the theme of the tour.

but some artists do,” Bird said, in reference to Rapp’s “I Hate Boston” song and billboard in the North End that received mixed reviews. “But that’s none of my business.”

Alexander 23, a pop-indie-rock artist and producer of “Snow Angel,” was the second opening artist.

Although Bird set high standards, Alexander 23 matched the energy.

Taking the crowd on a rollercoaster of self-reflective, guitar-picking songs to nostalgic 2000s music, Alexander 23 wooed the audience with his hit single “IDK You Yet” and a cover of One Direction’s “Steal My Girl.”

When it finally came time for Rapp’s performance, the audience was ready to scream her lyrics at the top of their lungs.

Before Rapp came onto the stage, a series of videos showcasing the changing seasons played behind a proppedup, giant window frame. Throughout the show, every couple of songs were grouped together as a season, emphasized by big letters on the backdrop.

Rapp entered the stage wearing a cropped red shirt over a baggier white T-shirt, complementing the red aesthetics on the set for the opening song, “Talk Too Much,” and after, she immediately transitioned into “Poison Poison.” Her band, composed of two guitarists, a drummer and a keyboardist on the

elevated platform, were a match to Rapp’s liveliness.

“Contrary to popular belief, I am very happy to be in Boston,” Rapp said. Fans cheered, most likely because they had been waiting since Rapp’s tour started to hear her reference “I Hate Boston” in concert.

After the two introductory songs, the show continued with the “spring” theme. Rapp took a seat and decelerated the upbeat energy in the room to sing “Willow,” a slower song about the challenges of getting older, calling it a “love letter” to herself.

Next came time for “summer,” and Rapp kicked the tempo up and danced to “Colorado.” A backdrop of scenic videos played, depicting — one can only assume — summer in Colorado. The music transitioned to “Pretty Girls” and the audience was amped up to show its support for Rapp. The song encapsulated Rapp’s experience pursuing a closeted woman with a boyfriend: “It’s a blessing and it’s a curse / So keep on pretending, pretty girl.”

In the middle of the song, a fan handed Rapp a pink-purple-blue bisexual flag, and she held it up in support and pride for herself and her queer-dominated fanbase.

“It’s very hard to tell I’m bisexual,” Rapp joked later on in the show. “All I talk about is astrology and complain.”

The lights and backdrop on stage changed to orange and yellow as the show shifted into “autumn.” Rapp sang “I Hate Boston,” a song dedicated to an ex-boyfriend who ruined the city for her — except he doesn’t actually live in Boston. Surprisingly, Rapp refrained from making any comments about the city before or after the song, leaving some fans remaining in anticipation.

The show ended with “winter.”

Like the season, Rapp sang about the ice-cold challenges she faced through unstable relationships, heartbreak and loss in “Gemini Moon,” “The Wedding Song” and “I Wish,” welcoming Alexander 23 back on stage for the tune.

Before the last song of the concert, the title track “Snow Angel,” Rapp left the stage, the lights turned on and the audience was perplexed. The song started slowly.

The audience sang along. And the music got louder. Rapp, in front of a backdrop of white angel wings and falling snow, belted the song effortlessly in her near-impossible vocal range; her voice overpowered the room.

At the end of “Snow Angel,” Rapp gave fans what they were anticipating: one last Boston reference.

“Thanks so much,” Rapp said. “I definitely don’t hate Boston anymore.”

LIFESTYLE

November 17, 2023

Page 5

Column: Concert films unite passionate fans like never before

By Joseph Brant News Staff Concerts have always been a way to connect artists with their fans. The exclusivity, impermanence and anticipation of seeing one’s favorite artist perform live are unforgettable and, oftentimes, expensive. But what if those moments could be captured on film so that every fan, no matter their age, ability or economic status, could enjoy the magic of live music?

Concert films are nothing new, but the pandemic brought out a resurgence of the art form. When fans couldn’t gather in person to see an artist perform, musicians worked to create virtual live performances and recordings to keep their audiences entertained.

Now, with Taylor Swift’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film wielding heavy box office influence in the same week Martin Scorsese released a new blockbuster, audiences are clearly desperate to get a taste of their favorite artists, even if it’s just on a Tuesday night at the local cinema.

For fans who can’t make an in-person show, concert films have long been an effective way to experience the community surrounding live music. With major box office success, films like Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never,” Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” and One Direction’s “This Is Us” channeled the intense fervor built around the artists and gave young fans — and parents and adult fans unable to stomach insane ticket prices — the chance to get dressed up and celebrate their favorite performers while feeling like they are taking

part in something special, a familiar phenomenon in the wake of Swift’s immensely successful tour and film.

Independent film studio A24’s 2023 4K remaster for the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” has also recently demonstrated the potential that concert films have to build unique, memorable experiences for fans.

As David Byrne, the frontman of Talking Heads, is gradually joined on stage by the members of his band and becomes more animated in his expressions, the audience grows increasingly entranced by the performance.

The film was just as effective upon its release in 1984, but A24’s interest in reviving films of the past has brought generations of fans the pleasure of seeing Byrne and his band dance on the big screen.

The remaster even managed to sell out many IMAX theaters, a feat normally accomplished by traditional blockbuster films.

This year, music fans also revisited the Scorsese-directed 1978 film “The Last Waltz” from The Band after the passing of frontman Robbie Robertson in August and the film’s 45th anniversary, exemplifying how concert films can expand the appreciation of a musician’s legacy and talent.

Streaming services seem like a natural fit

for concert films, especially after a theatrical release, although viewing a concert film at home can detract from the communal aspects of the experience.

After Swift interestingly averted negotiations with studios by dealing directly with distributors and theaters, news broke that Swift would not negotiate with streaming services until they reach a resolution in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

“The Eras Tour” film’s uncertain future demonstrates the complicated nature of democratizing access to concert experiences but also nods to the future of live music as concert ticket prices continue to climb.

Artists who aren’t as influential as Beyoncé or Swift would be unlikely to have as incredible of a theatrical

rollout, but streaming services will likely have an interest in producing concert films for less mainstream artists in an attempt to get in on their recent success.

After Christopher Nolan tested the limits of theaters’ sound systems this summer with an atomic explosion in “Oppenheimer,” musicians have upped the ante by crafting experiences that inspire scream-singing crowds for the silver screen.

If studios and artists play their cards right, the fusion of film and live music can become the future of fan experiences. Overcoming the limits of time and space, concert films function as cultural records while creating avenues for building community and appreciating the miracle of live music.

David Fincher is obsessive.

Described by his colleagues as an impatient perfectionist, stars signing onto his projects can expect to run their scenes north of 100, sometimes 200 times. They can also enjoy critical acclaim and their bite at an Academy Award nomination.

In Fincher’s newest work, “The Killer,” a story told in four chapters — and an epilogue — about an anonymous hitman dealing with the fallout of a mission gone wrong, the audience is strapped in as the lauded filmmaker pours his precision into the sights and sounds of this neonoir psychological crime thriller.

The titular character, played by the increasingly controversial Michael Fassbender, is a ghost — well, he is trying to be. Hitmen in cinema are often rigid. They do not make mistakes. They are terminators moving from scene to scene, wiping out rooms filled with nameless goons.

But this killer is not like that. He narrates to himself — and the audience — that, if he were a baseball player, he would be batting a thousand. Then, he misses his target.

The car chases and sneak-arounds that ensue are quite familiar. It is the

combatting restraint and indulgence Fincher gives the audience that is so refreshing.

Brief punches of violence knock the wind out of the audience, just as effective as precluding scenes of tense dialogue and still air. It is the presence of the killer that lends to the film’s cold aura.

“Forget empathy,” the anonymous every-man tells himself repeatedly.

He is cold and unforgiving. He gives hints of mercy, yet just when it appears he might turn a new page, it is reaffirmed that this film is aptly titled “The Killer” and not “The Hero.”

While the cliched cellphone smashing and Fassbender’s cold performance may indicate his character is a run-of-the-mill psychotic killer, that is not the case.

He may be a hitman, but he is also a dork. Not only does he cosplay as a German tourist, but he also listens to (strictly) The Smiths, dons several identities from long-forgotten sitcoms of the ‘70s and ‘80s and calls people “normies.”

With this realization, it starts to make sense that he does not handily win in close-quarters combat.

In one of the best fight scenes of the last few years, he bumbles around a darkly lit, cramped house and spars and grapples and throws and bashes

Now - Sunday, Dec. 31 The Holiday Market at Snowport Visit one of over 100 vendors and take in scenic views of the winter Seaport.

Hours vary by day, 100 Seaport Blvd., Free

Friday, Nov. 17 Free Fridays at Trinity Organ Concert Visit the historical Trinity Church for a midday organ concert.

12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m., 206 Clarendon St., Free

Graphic by Naseem Mohideen

Review: Fincher’s ‘The Killer’ is an exemplary exercise in compulsion

By Ian Dartley News Correspondent

Calendar compiled by Kristina DaPonte & Laura Emde Graphics by Marta Hill

bottles over the head of a burly henchman. The inherent excitement behind this hurricane of a duel is undeniable.

That lingering feeling of undeniability is commonplace throughout “The Killer.” A pulsating score is layered throughout, dominating the airwaves between the slower scenes and the higher-octane ones.

Longtime Fincher collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed a brilliant score that feels as alive as it does anxiety-inducing.

Certain auditory stingers resemble stomachs churning, phones ringing and legs tapping.

In “The Killer,” Fincher once again hits a home run and delivers a sprawling character study of a man who may not be all that he claims he is. While it is clear that he is a cold-blooded maniac, there are brief hints that he may not be cut out for this life. An errant heartbeat here and a missed punch there, he is certainly not the Terminator.

But he is obsessive, and that is enough to get the job done. He moves through targets in Fincher’s all-too-familiar procedural format, and at times the audience thinks he is finally going to grant his victims mercy. That forgiveness does not come.

While many of Fincher’s strongest

directorial traits are on full display here, one of his biggest flaws as a filmmaker continues to fester beneath his films. His handling of female characters has always been quite poor, a trait most obvious in “The Social Network” and “Zodiac,” where any woman with dialogue was relegated to a supporting character or a plot device.

In “The Killer,” it is more of the same. Though Tilda Swinton gives a magnetic performance as an older assassin, she is shoehorned into the very end of the film, a sort of pandering to show that the film is not all men running around with guns.

Audiences can come to expect the better hallmarks of his films: whip-smart dialogue, engaging characters whose traits drive plots forward and magnetizing scores that seamlessly blend into environments. With “The Killer,” it at first feels like more of the same.

But as the punches land a little harder and the score warps unexpectedly, the slickness of the chases and the gnarl of the fights become increasingly undeniable.

“The Killer” is equally philosophical, and almost certainly allegorical for Fincher’s own painstaking processes. “When was my last, quiet drowning?” the killer muses, reflecting on his perfect record.

Saturday, Nov. 18 Curio Makers Market Learn more about the small business run by the employees of Cambridge’s Curio Spice Co. 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., 2267 Massachusetts Ave., Free (admission).

Tuesday, Nov. 21 Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting Watch a holiday tree lighting and visit some of the many vendors and restaurants at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

4 p.m. - 7 p.m., 4 S Market St., Free

Tuesday, Nov. 28 “Real Women Have Curves” at the Brattle Theatre Enjoy a free screening of the 2002 coming-of-age film before the premiere of the musical adaptation.

6 p.m. - 8 p.m., 40 Brattle St., Free.

CITY

Page 6

November 17, 2023

SNOWPORT MARKET BRINGS SUPPORTS SMA

By Jessica Xing | Hundreds flocked to Seaport Saturday Oct. 11 for the fifth annual Snowport Holiday Market.

With four entrances, the lines for Snowport wrapped around the block. While some decided the wait wasn’t worth it, others chose to bear the windy weather for a chance to enter the holiday-themed shopping hub.

Bundled up in puffer jackets, scarves and winter hats, shoppers strolled through the small walkways between booths, exploring everything from apparel and accessories to household goods and art.

The opening weekend had no shortage of sales, and vendors say they only expect them to pick up as the winter season approaches. Leaf Pile Studios, a needle felting company, participated in the market for the first time but has already seen success in the first couple of days.

“Sales have been good,” said Carson Crook, a vendor for Leaf Pile Studios. “We’re having a lot of people come back, a lot of people working their way through everything and coming back to check things out.”

With a large food and beverage lounge complete with seating, customers indulged in sweet and savory cuisines from 14 different food booths and trucks.

The food offerings this year include cheese wheel pasta, New England clam chowder and Nutella and strawberry waffles. Customers can also drink hot chocolate or purchase a beverage from one of three bars on-site basis.

Photo by Jessica Xing Shoppers walk around the numerous booths at The Holiday Market. Due to popularity, people had to wait about 30 minutes to enter.

Photo by Jessica Xing Two shoppers enjoy a hot drink while chatting at a standing table. The market offered many opportunities to catch up with friends and family.

Photo by Jessica Xing A mother helps her child with a craft. Located near the food and drink lounge, The Holiday Market featured a “Crafting Corner” where children could do arts and crafts.

Fleurs de Villes’ ‘VOYAGE’ bl

By Katy Manning |

Photo by Marta Hill A mannequin inspired by Ireland is covered in shades of green and white, with a red-brown hairpiece.

Stepping out of the November gloom and into the warm atrium of the Prudential Center, visitors were greeted by 16 life-size mannequins crafted entirely out of fresh flowers. From Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, Bostonians admired Fleurs de Villes’ “VOYAGE,” an exhibit highlighting cultural traditions from around the world.

Fleurs de Villes works with local floral artists to create their public art installations. Boston’s “VOYAGE” 2023 was the company’s 90th show.

Co-founders Karen Marshall and Tina Barkley created Fleur de Villes in 2016 in Vancouver, Canada. Soon after, they took their company worldwide, bringing their flower shows to five countries and

24 cities to date. This year was their first time hosting a show in Boston.

“We pop in cities around the world and create gorgeous flower shows in gorgeous public spaces,” Marshall said. “We bring flowers to the people.”

Marshall said that preparations for Boston’s installment of “VOYAGE” began around 10 months ago. Artists spend months planning their arrangements and weeks creating the structures that will support them.

Scotland’s floral arrangement combined the traditional with the modern, topping a grass-kilted figure with a vibrant blue peacock’s head to celebrate Fleurs de Villes’ partnership with Hen-

drick’s Gin. Grace Watkins, a resident of Brookline who came to the Prudential Center for the exhibit, said that the time spent on each installation was apparent.

“I think it’s really well done, it has a great flow to it,” Watkins said. “I’ve noticed a couple well-thought-out and very methodical pieces.”

“This is a five-day show open to the public, but also one day of set up, so it’s a six-day flower show,” Marshall said. “Cut flowers don’t last six days, necessarily, without water. There’s a lot of thought process that goes into this, including ordering, mechanics, everything before they even show up on the doorstep.”

CITY

November 17, 2023

Page 7

S HOLIDAY CHEER TO BOSTON, ALL BUSINESSES

| Photo Editor Beyond shopping, people admired the decorations, wrote their winter wishes on a community chalkboard and tried their hand at the Snowport Curling Lanes. With something for everyone to enjoy, many brought their children or dogs along for the family-friendly event.

Jordan Laugeni, who lives in the West End, brought his dog, Whaler, with him. Laugeni especially enjoyed the food and getting to meet new people.

“This event’s been great. It’s been really nice and it’s dog-friendly, [with] a lot of kind people,” Laugeni said. “It’s cool how it’s all separated out into different sections. There’s a lot of good representation of food of all different kinds of cultures.”

Snowport opened for the season Nov. 10 and many visitors found early November to be the perfect time for holiday shopping. For small businesses, the early start helps boost sales in a time when competing with larger chain companies can be more difficult.

“I think it’s a great way for small businesses to be supported a bit earlier to avoid the Black Friday wave and the really tight turnarounds when it comes to shipping and everything,” said Emily Li, a vendor for Mama Lam’s, a Malaysian curry paste and hot sauce company. “It gives opportunity for you to explore options beyond just the big box stores.”

The Holiday Market will be open through Dec. 31, with extended hours starting Dec. 11.

Photo by Jessica Xing A woman reaches for salted toffee from The Fat Cactus. Along with various chocolates, the booth served specialty hot chocolate drinks.

Photo by Jessica Xing A child smiles while holding a cup of ice cream as her mother takes a photo.

Despite the chilly weather, many purchased frozen treats.

Photo by Jessica Xing A dog jumps up for a bag of treats that his owner is holding. Many shoppers bought their dogs new treats, toys and accessories.

lossoms in Prudential Center

| City Editor

In addition to engaging with local floral artists, Fleurs de Villes generates engagement from the public. Passersby were encouraged to vote for their favorite mannequin to win a three-day vacation package sponsored by Tourism Bermuda.

“The voting is really a great engagement mechanism,” Marshall said. “When they enter their ballots, they’re not only supporting their local florists and giving them votes and a nod of appreciation, but they are entering to win a prize.”

Visitor Jasmine Schneph liked the Cape Verde statue because of its bright colors. She said she appreciated the representation provided by each sculpture,

including her own heritage.

“I’m from India and I loved the sari, but it kind of took me aback at first.

From behind it looked like a regular sari, but the mannequin had its leg exposed, which is not traditional. I like that it was a modern take on the sari,” Schneph said.

Marshall said that some artists have roots in the countries that they represent, while others diligently research the relevant cultural history.

“Artists do a really deep dive into the cultural nuances of a certain country so they really get it right,” Marshall said.

“They don’t want to be too stereotypical.”

Despite the fact that Boston’s showing

was the 10th “VOYAGE” show, several new countries were represented, including Ireland and Cape Verde. “[The Prudential Center] is a beautiful atrium which shows the flowers very well,” Marshall said. “There’s a lot of natural daylight that comes through those windows. The flowers look lit up and they don’t look theatrical.”

Visitor Gavin MaGee appreciated the exhibit’s bright pops of color throughout the shopping center.

“I think it’s beautiful,” MaGee said. “It really brightens up the Pru during this time of the year.”

Photo by Marta Hill The Bermuda-inspired mannequin sits, its arm outstretched and surrounded by a circle of botanical fiber.

SPORTS

Page 8

November 17, 2023

Northeastern men’s hockey handed fifth straight loss in game against Providence

By Esha Minhas News Staff At Matthews Arena Nov. 11, the Northeastern men’s hockey team (2-4-0, 0-4-0 HE) faced a brutal 5-2 loss against Providence College (71-2, 3-0-2 HE), which is ranked fifth nationally and first in Hockey East.

The Huskies came into Saturday’s match re-energized and anxious for a win after a rough 2-1 overtime loss to the Friars Oct. 10. With a full and fired-up student section for the homecoming game, the Huskies skated onto the ice with a vengeance.

Northeastern won the first faceoff and took two early shots, missing the goal just wide. From then on, Providence dominated the first period. The Friars took five shots within 50 seconds, all of which were either just wide or saved by Northeastern freshman goaltender Cameron Whitehead.

Three minutes in, a penalty on freshman defender Michael Fisher gave Providence a power play. The Friars seemed unstoppable, putting together seamless passes and getting multiple drives for the goal. Whitehead continued to make saves and kept Northeastern alive until the end of the power play.

After six more shots from the Friars, the seventh found the net for Providence. Providence senior forward Nick Poisson passed the puck

from just behind the goal, and senior forward Chase Yode shoved it hard on the right side of the net, where Whitehead was unable to save it.

After getting a taste of the net, Providence was hungry for more, putting up shot after shot. Northeastern could not keep the puck in its zone and only managed to scrape together four shots before the Friars scored their second goal, the puck slipping right underneath Whitehead’s left knee on a shot from freshman forward Tanner Adams.

With an early 2-0 lead, the Friars ended the first period with 27 attempted shots, more than tripling the Huskies’ eight.

The second period opened with several more shot attempts from Providence, who continued to dominate possession.

However, an opportunity to get on the board came for the Huskies in the third minute. A penalty on the Friars for slashing brought the Huskies a power play, but while Northeastern had a few good looks at the net, with one shot bouncing off the pipe, the Huskies were unable to score.

Northeastern and Providence traded shots back and forth, with back-to-back saves from Whitehead and Providence sophomore goaltender Philip Svedebäck. Toward the end of the second period, the Hus-

Photo by Sofia Sawchuk Graduate student defenseman Pito Walton chases the puck around the boards. Walton has four points (two goals, two assists) on the season.

kies had a few opportunities at the net but struggled to put the puck in.

The third period opened with a game misconduct for contact to the head against Friars junior defender Guillaume Richard in the first minute. Northeastern took advantage of the five-minute power play, and in the second minute, finally found the back of the net. Senior forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine slammed the puck in from right down the center for his second goal of the weekend.

Northeastern continued to put up shots, but a hooking call on captain and junior forward Justin Hryckowian, who returned to the ice Friday night after a month-long injury, brought it to four-on-four on the ice. After the penalties for each team concluded within seconds of each other, a penalty was called on Huskies graduate student forward Brett Edwards for a broken stick, and Providence was right back in a power play.

The Friars used their advantage to score once more in the eighth minute, putting the Huskies down 3-1.

Whitehead continued to make saves, and sophomore defender Vinny Borgesi blocked a shot from Providence.

Another misconduct on Providence sent freshman forward Hudson Malinoskito to the locker room for kneeing, and a five-minute power play began for the Huskies. After settling their offense, Borgesi passed the

puck from the left of the goal right up to Hryckowian standing near the net, who put the puck in right past Providence’s goalie for his first goal of the season.

Over the rest of the power play, Northeastern took two shots but could not get anything going.

As the power play ended for Northeastern, Adams, serving the penalty, snuck out of the box, scooped up the puck and buried it in the net for his second of the night.

The Huskies then lost their rhythm and began getting sloppy.

As the puck flew to Northeastern’s side, sophomore defensive player Jackson Dorrington picked it up, attempting to reset the offense. Instead, out of nowhere, Friars sophomore forward Jaroslav Chmelar stole the puck and put it in the net, giving Providence its fifth goal of the game.

With three minutes left, it all fell apart for the Huskies. A penalty for too many players on the ice sent the Friars into another power play.

Providence took a few shots to close the game; Northeastern looked utterly exhausted.

The final score was 5-2, Providence. This game was the fifth loss in a row for the Huskies.

Northeastern hosts No. 14 New Hampshire (4-2-1, 2-1-1 HE) Nov. 17 at 7 p.m to start the next series.

The Huskies faced the Wildcats two weeks ago and lost 4-1.

Northeastern coxswain places third at U23 World Rowing Championships

By Ananya Kulkarni News Staff When Northeastern junior coxswain Camille Arnold-Mages was steering her boat up to the start for a race this past July, an air of silent apprehension gripped every crew on the river. She directed her boat through the process of locking into the starting gate, a task she had completed dozens of times before as a third-year coxswain for the Northeastern women’s rowing team. Only this time, she was at the starting line of the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria as part of the Under-23, or U23, age bracket.

Arnold-Mages was the coxswain for the United States’ boat in the Women’s Coxed Four, which was the races’ category for four-person boats with a steering participant. Since boats move backward, coxswains are responsible for steering the boat as well as providing technical commands and encouragement to rowers during a race.

“As soon as they called the ‘Go,’ it was like, now we know exactly what to do,” Arnold-Mages said. “Our race plan was very set.”

Her stint with the national team began with a preliminary race for lanes. The top teams would earn lanes three and four for the championship final, which are usually the most advantageous lanes in a race.

In that preliminary competition, the United States’ boat came in third

place, at 7:05.97, five seconds behind the second place boat, New Zealand, and seven seconds behind the first place boat, Australia.

This put Australia and New Zealand in lanes three and four for the championship final and the United States in lane two. The final rankings did not deviate from the preliminary results. Arnold-Mages’ boat came in third place once again, with a time of 6:51.59, behind New Zealand in second place at 6:50.86 and Australia in first at 6:49.56.

“That was probably one of the tightest races I’ve ever been in,” Arnold-Mages said. “I mean, Australia got their lead through the first 500 [meters], and then they kind of just held on to it the entire way down the race course, whereas us and New Zealand were kind of just fighting it out literally from start to finish. It was pretty crazy.”

With tight times across the board, Arnold-Mages’ boatmate Eva Frohnhofer, a graduate student from the University of Virginia, credited Arnold-Mages’ direction of the boat for their third place finish.

“Coming into that final race, she was able to call a very aggressive race,” Frohnhofer said. “We feel like we really didn’t leave anything on the table, which was good because we lost by so small a margin, that if I’d come away thinking that I had left anything on the table, I’d be devastated. So I think aggression was really what was the difference maker there.”

Arnold-Mages’ journey to the world stage began when she was invited to a national selection camp that took place this summer, from June 15 to July 7, at the Oklahoma City High Performance Center.

Rowers and coxswains from the highest-performing sweeping and sculling programs in the country were invited to compete for the coveted opportunity to represent the United States at the U23 World Championships. Crews selected to represent the United States were announced July 8.

“When she was announced to the team, not just me, but every athlete on the team celebrated that day,” said Joe Wilhelm, head coach for Northeastern women’s rowing. “It was just a really special experience for all of us.”

Though being a member of the U.S. National Team is an accomplishment few can claim, Arnold-Mages did not have much time to celebrate.

“There was a little less than a week until we were supposed to fly to Bulgaria,” Arnold-Mages said. “It was kind of a very fast pace because as soon as we were selected, we just got in boats and started working, working, working.”

When she arrived in Bulgaria, the atmosphere on the river was unlike anything Arnold-Mages had ever experienced. She first started rowing in Pittsburgh before traveling to Boston to compete with Northeastern; interna-

tional racing came with an unexpected culture and rivalry very different from scholastic and collegiate rowing.

“When you’re in college competing, nobody’s speaking a different language on the racecourse — everybody’s speaking English,” Arnold-Mages said. “So when we got to international racing, the Italians would cox in Italian, the Germans coxed in German. And it was just so cool. Because from the minute they called the start, you could hear all these different languages around you through the speaker systems.”

Though Arnold-Mages was surrounded by the highest-performing teams from all around the world, her coaches back home encouraged her to use the same techniques she learned at Northeastern to navigate through

international competition. During her time at Northeastern, Arnold-Mages helped the first varsity eight, an eight-person boat, to a first place finish at the 2022 Woodbury Cup and the 2023 CAA rowing championships.

“It doesn’t matter if the crew next to you is one of the local universities on the Charles River, whether it’s the national champions, or whether it’s Russia or Australia. It doesn’t matter who they are. You control what you can control,” Wilhelm said. “So she took everything that she had that allowed her to make the team and controlled what she could control.

And she took that to the World Championships. I think that that just calmed everybody down. And that didn’t surprise me because that’s who she is.”

Photo by Jim Pierce Camille Arnold-Mages calls to her crew from the coxswain position.

Arnold-Mages was named coxswain for the United States’ Women’s Coxed Four boat at the U23 World Rowing Championships this summer.

SPORTS

November 17, 2023

Page 9

Top scorer Lauren Rowe’s indelible impact on Northeastern field hockey team

By Juliette Piovoso News Staff Trekking to her brother’s field hockey games every Sunday morning proved to be an unexpected pleasure for 8-year-old Lauren Rowe.

Amidst the cheering crowds, the pulsating field and the unmistakable sound of sticks smacking the ball, young Rowe found herself entirely captivated by the lively environment that enveloped her brother’s games.

It wasn’t soon enough that Rowe found herself back at the field, not as a spectator, but as a player.

“My parents took me down for training one Sunday morning, and from there, it became a massive part of my life,” said Rowe, a fifth-year midfielder. “It just consumed my weekends. It was as simple as that. I just turned up to Sunday training one day and fell in love with the sport.”

Rowe grew up in Norwich, England, and pursuing a collegiate career in the United States was a feat she was determined to accomplish, regardless of the challenges acclimating to a new environment may present.

In 2019, her freshman year at Northeastern, Rowe had an outstanding start. She started in 19 out of 19 games, finished the season tied for first in the CAA with 16 goals and broke the program record for most goals scored by a freshman.

Throughout the following years, Rowe’s excellence continued to prevail, serving as a cornerstone for a blossoming Huskies field hockey team.

In 2020, the captain led the CAA with 36 shots, and in 2021, she earned All-CAA First Team Honors as the only player in the conference to record double digits in goals and assists. The same season, she led Northeastern in goals (11), assists (10) and points (32).

Pam Spuehler, Northeastern field hockey’s head coach, has watched Rowe’s career flourish right from its inception. For her, Rowe is simply irreplaceable.

“The one thing about Rowe is no matter what her role is, she accepts it wholeheartedly,” Spuehler said. “She doesn’t complain, and she’s always all in with whatever we’re doing for the team. She’s a selfless leader on and off the pitch.”

In 2022, Rowe hit a roadblock — she tore her ACL. Despite missing her 2022 season due to injury, Spuehler said that Rowe’s innate leadership abilities shined the brightest during her time off the field.

“Instead of dwelling on that moment in time (her injury), she stepped right up and said, ‘How can I be the best leader from the sidelines? How can I lead my team from the sidelines and more of a coaching role?’”

Spuehler said.

For Rowe, sitting out last season due to injury was a poignant chapter in her collegiate career. Although it significantly tested her patience and perseverance, she resurfaced with a newfound determination to make a positive impact on the team.

“Taking a year off is never ideal, but I think it really just gave me an opportunity to see the game from a different perspective,” Rowe said. “I was able to take that time to reflect and grow as a person. I was able to help my teammates differently from the sidelines because I wasn’t necessarily on the pitch with them every day.”

While Rowe has continuously been one of the Huskies’ top scorers, she believes that much of her success is attributed to the versatility of her teammates.

“I see myself scoring goals as if it’s my job,” Rowe said. “It’s my role within the team to execute those skills, but that wouldn’t be possible without my teammates. We have had a bunch of different people scoring goals this year who maybe haven’t scored those goals before, and I think it goes to show our strength and depth as a team.”

As a fifth-year student-athlete, Rowe’s enduring leadership skills have left an indelible mark on the team’s performance and overall morale, fostering an atmosphere of unity and determination that resonates throughout each season.

“No matter what game or practice we’re going into, she shows up and leaves everything that is going on in her life off the field,” Spuehler said. “Her ability to be present in the moment is one of the reasons why her teammates look to her so much. She just has this presence about her. She walks into a room, and her leadership just kind of exudes off of her.”

Rowe’s skillfulness on the field has undeniably propelled the team to a more competitive and successful level, said assistant head coach Colin Clarke.

“She’s exceptional,” Clarke said. “Her performances on the field are consistently high. She is a brilliant role model to the rest of her teammates and she shows them the standard they should be aspiring to deliver every game.”

Rowe’s performance in close games has also been a fundamental pillar for the Huskies when a game hangs in the balance.

“Her ability to deliver under pressure is so good,” Clarke said. “She has won us games that we would not have won otherwise, no doubt.”

This season, Rowe led the Huskies in total points (26) and was tied for most assists (8). She sits fourth in the CAA in shots on goal and third in goals scored.

There was a critical moment during the Huskies’ match against the University of Delaware Oct. 6 that illuminated the profound

impact the Norwich native has had on the team.

During a closely contested match against Delaware, a team Northeastern hadn’t managed to defeat since 2012, Rowe uttered a speech that underscored her exceptional leadership qualities, teammate and close friend Maria Armaganian said.

“We all gathered on the pitch in the middle of the field,” Armaganian said. “Rowe told everyone to put their sticks in the middle of the circle. She looked every single one of us in the eyes and told us we were capable of doing this. We have worked hard.

We’re all very individually talented, and this is when we put it all together; this is what we are meant to do.”

As someone who has shared the field with Rowe throughout a significant portion of her collegiate journey, Armaganian believes that Rowe is undoubtedly a rare commodity.

“She’s a playmaker,” Armaganian said. “Even though she has so many goals to her name, she is the type of person who will selflessly pass the ball no matter what. She never second guesses anything because she fully believes in you both as a player and a person.”

Rowe still has more opportunity to enhance the success of the Northeastern team, as she has one more year of eligibility left due to COVID-19 and injury.

Huskies volleyball ends regular season with back-to-back 3-0 losses against Towson

By Esha Minhas News Staff This past weekend at the Cabot Center, Northeastern’s volleyball team (11-13, 7-9 CAA) suffered back-toback 3-0 losses to Towson University (23-5, 16-2 CAA). These losses closed out Northeastern’s regular season, bringing the teams final record to 1113, 9-9 CAA. However, with Hofstra University’s loss to Stony Brook University and University of North Carolina Wilmington’s victory over William and Mary University, Northeastern clinched a CAA tournament berth.

On Nov. 11, Towson, ranked No. 1 in the CAA, came into the match confident they could win, but Northeastern matched the Tigers’ energy with the help of plenty of past players cheering from the stands for the Alumni Game.

Northeastern won the opening point with a kill from graduate student outside hitter Julianna Truscott, assisted by freshman libero Tessa Onaga. The two teams went back and forth in kills, but Northeastern began to pull ahead after an igniting service ace from senior defensive specialist Maddie Donaphon. Consecutive kills from Truscott and senior outside hitter Defne Arliel and attack errors from the Tigers gave the Huskies an 11-7 lead just under halfway through the first set.

After a Tigers timeout, the away team began to close the gap with dominating kills the Huskies could not dig, tying the score at 14-14 just past midway through the set. The teams traded points, with neither

team leading by more than two for the rest of the set.

A kill from Towson junior outside hitter Victoria Barrett brought the Tigers to set point 24-23. Northeastern fought back, and an attack error from Towson knotted it up 24-24, forcing the set to extra points. Towson senior outside hitter Nina Cajic finished it off with a kill, giving the Tigers a 27-25 win in the opening set.

The second set began with kills from Arliel and a tool from Truscott. However, Towson had the momentum of winning set one and continued to lead. The Tigers began to pull ahead with service aces and kills from its best hitters, and a block gave the team an 8-4 lead.

The Huskies found their rhythm and scored three back-to-back points to close the gap to 8-7, but Towson refused to let up, the team’s kills frustrating the Husky defense.

Northeastern began to crawl back after a combined block by freshman outside hitter Abby Reck and senior middle blocker Marika Virthe and tough serves from junior outside hitter Sahitya Krishnamurthy that the Tigers could not pass to target, tying it up 20-20.

Towson finished the set with kills from Barrett and a setter dump from sophomore setter Sarah Jordan that Onaga could not pick up, with the final score being 25-21.

By set three, Towson was confidently up two sets, but Northeastern did not let the Tigers have an easy third. Northeastern’s Coach Lenika Vazquez made a few lineup changes, including switching out Onaga for Donaphon at libero.

A kill from Truscott opened the set, giving the Huskies an energy boost.

The teams went back and forth, but Towson began to rack up points with several attack errors from the Huskies, putting Towson up 11-7 midway through the set.

Northeastern slowly tried to close the gap but could not keep up with the Tigers. Arliel dished out two tough serves that brought the Huskies closer, 14-13. Towson then went on a 5-0 run, two of the points earned through attack errors from Reck, bringing the score to 19-13.

Northeastern put up a few points, but it was all Towson for the rest of the match. Barrett and Cajic continued to control the Towson offense, finishing the set 25-19 and holding Northeastern to a .117 hitting percentage.

Sunday was both game two against Towson and Northeastern’s senior day.

The Huskies recognized six seniors: Donaphon, Truscott, Arliel, Virthe, graduate student middle blocker Anabel Zier, and graduate student setter Inbal Peleg.

The Huskies entered the game with a different energy than the previous day. Their families and friends were in the crowd cheering them on, and it was their last regular season match of the year; Northeastern was ready to put on a show. Each team got a point to start the match, but Northeastern got a crowd-energizing kill from Virthe to bring it up to 2-2. The Huskies racked up three points in a row with commanding blocks from Truscott, Virthe and Arliel, controlling the net for a 5-2 lead.

The teams traded points for a bit until Towson fired off a 5-0 run to give the away team a 9-7 lead. A kill and block from Zier tied it up at nine a piece.

The Tigers then began to overtake with a kill from Cajic. Towson led the rest of the set, with the Huskies playing catch-up. Going on another 5-0 run, the Tigers led 18-12.

Vasquez subbed out Truscott for freshman middle blocker and opposite Leilani Gillespie, who got a combined block with Zier her first point in, boosting the team’s energy. Gillespie continued to be a game-changer for the Huskies as she aced the Tigers to move the score to 21-17.

With a comfortable lead, however, Towson was able to easily close the set 25-20, with Peleg unable to dig the finishing kill.

Northeastern appeared to have run out of gas by the second set.

Reck opened the set with a kill, and Donaphon notched an ace to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead, but Towson came right back and knocked off two points of its own. The teams rallied back and forth until it was tied at 9-9.

From then on, it was the Tigers’ show. Towson went on a 5-0 run to lead 14-9. After back-to-back attack errors, Ariel finally got a kill to end the Tigers’ dominant streak. However, Towson continued to rack off point after point, seemingly leaving the Huskies frustrated as the defense could not handle the Tigers’ kills, bringing the score to 19-11.

Northeastern got a few points from an ace from Onaga and attack errors from Towson, but after another kill

from Cajic, the Tigers had reached set point, 24-16. Fittingly, Towson gave the ball to Cajic to finish it off, and finished set two with a score of 25-16.

Towson maintained its energy in set three, going on an early 4-0 stint to open the set. The Tigers led the entire set, with Northeastern unable to keep up.

Virthe got a solo block, and the Tigers’ attack errors made the score 6-4. Towson continued to pull ahead, with back-to-back attack errors from Zier increasing their lead to 8-4.

Reck got a few kills, but Towson was determined, doubling the Huskies’ score at 12-6 midway through the set. Northeastern tried to close the gap, but it was not until the Huskies were seven points behind at 22-15 that they gained some momentum.

Graduate middle blocker Nyla Shepherd, who did not play in the first two sets, got a kill to increase the Huskies’ energy and bring the score to 22-16. Kills from Zier and Truscott and a massive block by the pair closed the gap to 23-21. Towson got to set point, but Northeastern did not give up, trimming the Tigers’ lead to one, 24-23.

The Tigers wanted a 3-0 sweep to finish their weekend, and they did just that, finishing the set with a kill, 25-23, earning Towson its fourth consecutive CAA regular season title.

Even though the Huskies lost, the families and friends in the stands cheered the seniors on as they played their final game in their home arena.

After clinching the sixth seed in the CAA, the Huskies fell 3-0 to Campbell University in the quarterfinals Thursday night, ending their tournament run.

OPINION

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

Eli Curwin

Managing Editor

Annah Chaya Olivia Becraft

Op-ed: Driving evolution through peaceful and forceful demonstrations

Editor-at-Large

Marta Hill Campus

Sonel Cutler Emily Spatz Val O’Neill City

Kathryn Manning Alexis Algazy Sports

Julia Yohe Amelia Ballingall Lifestyle

Jake Guldin Kristina DaPonte Laura Emde Opinion

Rachel Umansky-Castro Noelia Arteaga Projects

Alexa Coultoff Ali Caudle Photo

Jessica Xing Darin Zullo Elizabeth Scholl Design

Angelica Jorio Emma Liu Multimedia

Annika Sunkara Jethro R. Lee Web Manager

Kevin Polackal Social Media

Kevin Gallagher Izzy Harris Copy Chief

Juliana George

BUSINESS

Business Manager

Ananya Chaudhari Development and Outreach Coordinator

Rachel Lee

Advertising Manager

Cameran Ko

NEWS STAFF Benjamin Churney, Christina McCabe, Dylan Cohen, Emily Chung, Erin Fine, Esha Minhas, Ethan Wayne, Joseph Brant, Juliette Piovoso, Lauren Salemo, Lily Webber, Rachana Madhav, Sarah Popeck, Sofia Garrett, Zoe MacDiarmid

Photo by Jessica Xing In recent times, activism initiatives have burgeoned from silent demonstrations to confrontational acts. This has reignited the age-old debate: Are peaceful protests truly effective in enacting change?

Recently, students on university campuses have been using their First Amendment right to protest in support of a Palestinian liberation. At Northeastern, a silent demonstration took place, while at Amherst College, students engaged in a peaceful sit-in in front of the Chancellor’s office. These acts of civil disobedience prompt us to reexamine the strength of peaceful protests.

Violence, even though condemned by the world, has had a high efficacy of obtaining changes in society historically. The French May 1968 protest showcased such efficacy.

Students in Paris were peacefully protesting over labor issues when it turned into a violent confrontation with the police.

Erin Fine, Ethan Wayne, Julia Tushla, Kira Eske, Lauren Salemo, Emily Chung, Lin Luo, Lucy Shepherd, Matt Yan, Sydney Schulz, Heidi Ho, Zoe MacDiarmid

DESIGN STAFF Ali Caudle, Ananya Kulkarni, Jessica Xing, Marta Hill, Naseem Mohideen, Zoe MacDiarmid

PHOTO STAFF Aiden Stein, Ananya Kulkarni, Izzy Harris, Margot Murphy, Mars Poper, Patrick O’Neal, Quillan Anderson, Sofia Sawchuk, Tanisha Gaikwad, Yaakov Aldrich

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bill Mitchell, Carlene Hempel, Dan Zedek, Gal Tziperman Lotan, Laurel Leff, Lincoln McKie, Mark Gooley, Meredith O’Brien, Zolan Kanno-Youngs 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

A national protest movement then emerged against Charles de Gaulle’s political government. Those protests led the country on a path to social reforms, modernization and, perhaps, softening the presence of conservatism.

It’s important to note, based on Harvard political scientist Erica Chenoweth’s research, that while success is not guaranteed, peaceful civil disobedience stands twice as likely to achieve its goals compared to violent methods. Peaceful protests tend to gather broader support, fostering greater consensus, which can be leveraged as a powerful bargaining tool.

The effectiveness of a protest depends in large part on its media coverage. The idea is to obtain a sympathetic press that will help put pressure on the oppressive forces. In contrast, when protesters resort to violence, they weaken their movement, alienating people and intensifying the opposition.

Looking at history, Americans have used peaceful protests for decades. The most famous one is probably Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He galvanized people around his “I Have a Dream” speech, leading John F. Kennedy’s administration to initiate federal civil rights laws.

This example illustrates how peaceful protests put pressure on governments or decision-makers.

If protesters are well-organized, sustainable and receive wide media coverage, their efforts could possibly

lead to policy changes, legislative reforms or even prompt resignations.

Plus, peaceful protests can help build and strengthen social movements. The 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom increased the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement because it gathered a broad spectrum of the public. Celebrities like Academy Award winner Sydney Poitier were in attendance, but also labor unions such as American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, or AFL-CIO. When individuals come together to peacefully demonstrate for a common cause, they form alliances and work towards long-lasting change.

The civil rights movement has also been marked by more violent demonstrations. The Black Panthers fought against police brutality and socioeconomic inequalities through community initiatives as well as violent protests.

In May 1967, they invaded the California capitol with firearms to protest against the Mulford Bill.

The militia was asked to leave the premises by the capitol police and peacefully obliged.

However, their demonstration backfired since it increased the support towards the Mulford bill aiming to restrict access to firearms.

The bill led California on the path of becoming the state with the most restrictions on firearms.

Protesters resorting to violence often lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public, while those adhering to nonviolent means maintain a higher

moral ground. Supporters expressing unwavering commitment and sincerity to values such as justice, equality, freedom and human rights often build a stronger credibility and trust with the public.

Demonstrating peacefully is a right that individuals are entitled to, yet its integrity has faced unprecedented challenges over the last decade. The country faced dozens of instances of police brutality during the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd May 2021.

Amnesty International has been at the forefront of spreading awareness on the importance of safeguarding the right to peaceful protesting. The organization explains that protesting is a “way to speak the truth to power” and that people should never be scared to express themselves against governments and authorities.

History has shown that many significant social and political changes have been initiated or advanced through peaceful protest movements as well as violent demonstrations, but knowing which approach is more effective probably has no answer.

I leave you with the words of University of Pennsylvania professor Daniel Q. Gillion: “Nonviolent protest brings awareness to an issue; violent protest brings urgency to an issue.”

Derek Telep is a master’s student in criminology and criminal justice. He can be reached at telep.d@northeastern.edu.

Op-ed: Working toward a university degree should be considered a job

COPY EDITORS

Anjali Gupta, Erin Fine, Lin Luo, Reneé Abbott, Valentina Swan

November 17, 2023

Photo by Jessica Xing On Sept. 4, the New York Times published an opinion piece titled “College Students: School is Not Your Job.” Jonathan Malesic, a writing professor at Southern Methodist University, penned the essay in the hopes of projecting the importance of leisure, free-thinking and the need to distance oneself from the pressure and robotic nature of task-based training. He argues students are now entering college with the exclusive hope they will be better prepared for a job and that they will have an advantage when it comes to networking. And I would say in the majority of cases, he is not wrong. However, it is not that simple.

In his advocacy for creative expression, Malesic overlooks the ambition and financial considerations of

current college students.

“Yes, a college education will help someone earn more in a career.

That’s a good thing. But life is much more than work,” Malseic wrote. “I am certain that if students show an interest in questions beyond how to become better workers, if they exhibit a desire to learn for its own sake, they will meet people who are just as eager for it as they are.”

But what if you cannot afford to focus on a lifestyle beyond working?

This stance is not only privileged, but it facilitates the demeaning notion that students do not hold interests beyond their future careers. I argue it is not a lack of passion and interest, but a lack of time and the ever-present fear of falling behind.

Let me apply this idea to our community. Northeastern is a pressure cooker, and yes, it is what we all signed up for, but at some point, the mental health of students has to be evaluated on an institutional level.

You lose community when competition starts, and students are competing from day one. Who will get the best grades in the class? Who will get the desired research position? And who will get the best co-op? These questions dominate the academic atmosphere.

I often find myself stressed over the notion that I am falling behind my classmates. I see people hold-

ing a position in a club, or taking a certain high-level class, and I feel as if I have not accomplished enough.

This dynamic facilitates the idea that a win for someone else is a loss for me. Northeastern, as well as other competitive academic institutions, curates this mindset among its student bodies.

Do not get me wrong, I am thankful for the opportunity to pursue a degree and to navigate co-op opportunities. I do not critique the effectiveness of a competitive atmosphere. I critique the impact it has on its students.

I would agree with Malesic in saying that college shouldn’t be a job and that it should be used for free-thinking and exploration of interests; however, sometimes, that cannot be afforded. Financial, emotional and time restraints can burden students.

This is a new age in which there are limitations on professional prospects.

In a post-COVID world, the fundamental structure of the workforce is changing. With the switch to online and asynchronous work and the continuous rise of social networking practices, there is uncertainty surrounding the structure and the future work environment.

The mental strain of intense competition and the streamlining of the workforce must be considered when applying the ideology of a job to a

system. Northeastern students are conditioned to be prepared for the workforce and that is significant; it is what we sign up for when we pay our tuition each semester. So, when some say students should be using their time differently, it must be understood that time is the one thing you can never get enough of.

Lily Webber is a second-year environmental and sustainability sciences and journalism combined major. She can be reached at lily.webber22@ gmail.com.

Graphic by Emma Liu

OPINION

November 17, 2023

Page 11

Op-ed: Remember moderate opinions exist but are often concealed online

Photo by Jessica Xing After spending many hours grinding through my work, there’s nothing I find more refreshing than opening up my laptop and scrolling through Reddit in the evening.

My 2022 Reddit Recap affirmed that I spent the most time scrolling through the Northeastern subreddit, which makes sense considering how much I use it to navigate my academic journey.

Besides all the sh*tposts and yet another entertaining complaint about finding rats in an apartment, I take advantage of the fact that many Northeastern students go on Reddit to describe their experiences here.

Hence, when building my schedule or figuring out which professors best align with how I learn, I read through subreddit posts meticulously.

Even though I use Reddit to, supposedly, relieve my stress about

the unknowns of my college career, I have come to a point where I got so caught up in the opinions of other students about various classes that I lost my sense of identity and confidence about the path I could pursue in college. I let my potential be defined by the experiences of people on a social media platform.

Particularly, when I was stressed about which major I wanted to pursue after deciding that a path toward the medical field would be too stressful, I browsed through Reddit to learn about people’s experiences with other majors at Northeastern. If you’re an avid visitor of the Northeastern subreddit, you would know that there are countless posts about people’s frustrations with Northeastern’s computer science classes. The idea of spending at least 10 hours of work on classes with unsupportive professors, combined with the fact that computer science did not come naturally to me in high school, made me immediately dismiss the major as an option.

I didn’t even bother to talk to people in real life about their experiences with the major, let alone discuss the major with an academic advisor from Khoury College of Computer Sciences. I had let the fear I felt from seeing many people complain about Fundamentals of Computer Science 1, or Fundies, on Reddit prevent me from potentially pursuing the field. In high school,

there was no subreddit to prevent me from taking four AP classes during my senior year. I had a slight glimmer of confidence to get me through that pursuit.

Looking back at my initial doubts about Fundies, I realize I should’ve been more open toward my friend from another school who affirmed I would be fine, considering my strong work ethic. I consulted with my friend, a combined computer science and behavioral neuroscience major, over the summer about what she thought about the Fundies posts on Reddit, and talking to her just reaffirmed the fact that people tend to post online only if they have strong opinions.

It seems that people tend to post on Reddit, and even TRACE, another online resource I spend too much time stressing over, if they have extremely positive or (more likely) extremely negative experiences with a class or professor. Reddit and TRACE are double-edged swords.

On one hand, they are accessible resources to gather up-to-date information about classes I’m interested in from a large pool of students.

On the other hand, the opinions contained in those resources are biased and seem to often come out of spitefulness.

As a data science and psychology combined major, I remember feeling distraught when I learned I had to take Discrete Structures,

or Discrete, which is another computer science class that gets complained about on Reddit.

I mentally prepared myself to receive a bad grade in the class but found that I was able to be much more successful in the class than expected. I definitely do not think that Discrete is an easy class. Still, I found it manageable if you’re willing to review the lecture videos as needed, go to office hours as early and as much as needed, attend recitations and generally just work hard and responsibly.

After completing Discrete, I truly started to contemplate what my life would have been like if I had chosen to become a computer science major instead. I adore data science, but sometimes I do wonder what it would have been like if I had been a computer science and music technology combined major instead.

Northeastern’s Reddit community does have its empowering moments.

About a month ago, a Northeastern student posted alleging the school had commented out code that would have enabled students to automatically donate their leftover meal swipes for a week. I also often see posts about people expressing mental health concerns that receive heartwarming and reassuring comments. And the infinite comedic posts complaining about the quality of Snell’s study environment always release any tensions I feel after a rough workday.

Social media sites such as Reddit can be fun and even uplifting, but it’s important to establish boundaries with them and not let them control the trajectory of your life.

Even though I’m fortunate enough to be majoring in a field I can see myself enjoying in the future, I worry for other people who have the potential to excel at computer science or other fields with a reputation for being difficult at Northeastern but end up letting biased online opinions deteriorate their confidence.

Reddit and TRACE are accessible resources to gauge the difficulty of a class, but just because an overwhelming amount of students complain about a class does not mean you won’t turn out fine.

Northeastern is a school that encourages students to engage in exploratory learning, and I don’t wish for people’s journeys in this school to be tailored by what they have seen on the internet by other students. Talk to your friends, advisors and other in-person resources if you’re worried about what kind of path you want to pursue at this school. Once you’ve looked at a post, after you’ve read it, try not to dwell on it.

Jethro R. Lee is a third-year data science and psychology combined major and data editor of The News. He can be reached at lee.jet@ northeastern.edu.

Op-ed: White saviorism affects adoptions

Photo by Darin Zullo Adoption is known as an alternative way to start or grow a family. It’s a beautiful thing that shows family isn’t just about blood. But there is also a different side to adoption, especially transracial adoption. Transracial adoption is when someone, or a couple, adopts a child that is outside of their race.

Between 2017 and 2019, about 28% of adoptions were transracial adoptions, according to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Of the parents who adopted, 73% were white and 37% of white children were adopted, according to Adoption.org.

White saviorism in adoption usually happens in cases where the parent wants to adopt a child with the mindset of saving them from their horrible and poor situation. The child in the unfortunate situation is usually a person of color. The idea of saving a child is harmful because adoption should be about the child and not the

parent being seen as a good people for “saving” a human. Adoptees are not trophies for white parents, and all parents should adopt for reasons such as simply wanting a child.

Due to criticism of white saviorism and the expressed frustrations of transracial adoptees, there have been multiple debates on if transracial adoption should even be allowed. I have also wondered this question myself.

As a transracial adoptee born in China and adopted by white parents from the U.S., I have experienced a loss of culture and the harmful effects of white saviorism. All adoptees have different stories and experiences, so I can only speak from my own experiences and opinions. I love my parents and I have lived a good life. However, I have noticed many cases of white saviorism when it comes to adopting a child that is different from one’s race.

Being raised in a white family, I never connected with Chinese culture.

I don’t speak a word of Mandarin and don’t celebrate any Chinese traditions.

My mother admitted to me that she didn’t want to adopt a white child because she didn’t want to be seen as a family that would only accept people of the white race into the family. During the early 2000s, adoption from China was popular in the United States. In my opinion, people shouldn’t adopt children of color solely because they see them as more disadvantaged or poorer than white children. I don’t believe I was adopted out of the white savior complex mentality, but I’ve had a few moments with my parents where I

believe the white savior complex was brought to light.

My mother has told me that she didn’t believe she was capable of getting involved in Chinese culture. She didn’t grow up in a cultured environment or in an age where race and ethnicity had been so significant. My parents then took a “colorblind” approach when I showed no interest in Chinese culture.

The colorblind approach in adoption means the adopted child’s race isn’t seen as a significant factor, and the parents claim to not see race as a difference between the parent and child. This used to be seen as being open-minded and accepting of any race, but is now criticized for being ignorant and not willing to embrace another’s culture.

In elementary school, my white father would come into my class to give a lesson on Chinese New Year in January. He handed out red envelopes filled with chocolate to my fellow classmates and showed off a scroll with Chinese writing and drawings on the inside. The information used for the lesson was acquired from a Google search and Wikipedia.

This is a memory I look back on and cringe because I realized how bad it looks to have a white, Irish father talk about Chinese culture because he has an adopted Chinese daughter. It is moments like these where white saviorism seems to arise in transracial adoption.

Many white parents who adopt children of color have discussed the issues of approaching a talk with their children about racism. I too had a similar experience with my

parents when violence against Asian Americans was on the rise in 2020.

My parents do acknowledge the fact that they will never face racism and that I have a different perspective on race as a person of color.

However, during this time, both of my parents tended to be overprotective of me and feared for my safety.

My father was on a call with his friend and they were chatting about racism against Asian Americans. My father said to his friend that if anyone was to be racist towards me in front of him, he would get mad and start a fight. My mother and I were taking a day trip to New York City right after COVID-19 restrictions were being lifted and my mother carried a fivepound weight in her purse the whole day because she planned on using it as a weapon if anyone tried to attack me.

Although I appreciate the fact that I have parents who want to protect and look after me, I don’t need to be saved from people who view other people as less than human because of their race. I’m prepared to handle myself if I’m ever in a situation where I’m being discriminated against because of my race, and I don’t need my white parents to save me from racism.

These experiences throughout my life and reading other adoptees’ stories have made me realize that a prevalent issue in transracial adoption needs to be addressed and solved. This brings back the question of if transracial adoption is really a good thing and if it should be allowed. In my opinion, transracial adoption should continue.

Just because there are obvious issues

with this type of adoption, that doesn’t mean transracial adoption as a whole should be thrown away.

As for solutions, I believe that parents need to realize that the colorblind approach to raising a child outside of one’s race is a bad decision and isn’t accepting of that child’s identity. I wish my parents would have tried harder to learn Chinese culture and helped me experience more of Chinese culture instead of just playing “Mulan” and “Big Bird in China” on TV. Talking with people who are a part of that culture is a good way to educate yourself on the traditions and costumes that your child is a part of.

Erasing the narrative of adoption as a way of saving disadvantaged children or seeing adoption as a last resort when pregnancy didn’t work could also help.

No adoptee wants to feel like the only reason they were adopted was to be fixed or to be a replacement for parents who couldn’t have biological children.

There are plenty of other transracial adoptee stories that I encourage you to read and learn from, as this is just my story. I don’t want to deter anyone from adopting in the future, and I highly encourage adoption, but I wanted to show a different side of the narrative. Adoption is still beautiful and I’m proud to be an adoptee, but we need to do more to spread awareness of this issue and educate parents of transracial adoptees as well as future parents who will adopt.

Alyssa Enright is a second-year journalism and criminal justice major.

She can be reached at enright.a@ northeastern.edu.

CITY

Page 12

November 17, 2023

Clowns counterprotest anti-abortion march

By Eleanor Goudie News Correspondent Over 40 clowns marched down Commonwealth Avenue Nov. 4 as a counterprotest to the Boston Men’s March, an anti-abortion protest. The clowns, donning colorful costumes, makeup and red noses, paraded a marching band alongside the Men’s March, playing music to drown it out and counter its solemn tone.

Musicians from the Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, or BABAM, accompanied the clowns, playing drums, trumpets, saxophones, melodicas and a sousaphone. Other demonstrators brought bells, kazoos and vuvuzelas to amp up the noise.

Cheerful renditions of “Pop Goes the Weasel,” “The Imperial March” and “Entrance of the Gladiators” served as the soundtrack to the anti-abortion march.

The clowns gathered early in the morning outside Boston University’s Agganis Arena to meet the Men’s March on its route from the Commonwealth Avenue Planned Parenthood. The clowns marched along the

sidewalk next to the Men’s March, which spanned the length of the westbound side of Commonwealth Avenue to Boston Common, escorted

by Boston Police on motorcycles. The Men’s March is a national anti-abortion organization that travels to different cities to hold events.

This year was the Boston Clown Parade’s second counterprotest. The march spawned from a Reddit post calling to counter last year’s anti-abortion Men’s March. The first march was a success, so the clowns returned for round two.

“Last year on Reddit someone made a joke about how it would be really funny if some people dressed as clowns and played music the entire time,” said the march organizer, going by the title of “supreme clown leader” after declining to give their name for purposes of anonymity. “Me and a couple other people all independently messaged that person and said, ‘Hey, if you’re not organizing this, I will.’”

Word of the march spread through social media.

“I saw it on Reddit,” said protester Laura Duran. “There is a discount Hal-

Photo by Aiden Stein A group of clowns walks parallel to participants of the Boston Men’s March. The clowns played music during their counterprotest to the antiabortion organization’s march.

loween store by my work, and I saw the post and I was like, ‘Oh, I should just get a clown outfit and join.’”

The lighthearted nature of the protest sets it apart from much of the more serious political action that takes place in Boston.

“The risk of being involved with some sort of police activity deters me away from wanting to join protests, but I think the humor element of this kind of surpasses that barrier,” Duran said. “It is funny. It’s a cathartic way to protest.”

Organizers contacted BABAM, which offers musical support for progressive activism, to provide the music.

“It’s different at every event, but when people need activist musicians, we show up and march,” said John Sailor, a member of BABAM, who played the bass drum and cymbal and wore his drum for the entire two-hour parade. “We’re mobile that way, it’s like parading.”

BABAM’s primary purpose is to drown out demonstrations that it believes threaten progressivism and equality.

“We like to come out in support of causes that we believe in, or in this case, protesting against people who we don’t think are holding up our values,” said Jennifer Ferguson, a musician in BABAM, who played the melodica during the march. “I find it very effective. We’re able to make a lot of noise but also have fun doing it. … I think the best way to deal with people who are intolerant is just to make fun of them.”

Participants in the Men’s March generally ignored the clowns and their music, but many found it difficult to look away, even in the midst of their solemn trek to the Common. “[Clowns] gets the message across that we are ridiculing them without appearing aggressive,” the supreme clown leader said. “It’s also very hard

Photo by Aiden Stein People dressed as clowns hold up colorful signs that mock Men’s March participants’ beliefs. Many decided to join the counterprotest after reading about it on Reddit. to retaliate against … what are they going to do, punch a clown? That just makes them ridiculous.”

The Men’s March asks its participants to wear suits, or their clerical gear if they are priests, so the clown march’s humorous tone serves to contrast their image.

“I do know it gave their audio-visual guy headaches last year because all of the footage of their march is conspicuously muted. I suspect because there’s circus music in the background,” the supreme clown leader said. “I do know that it bucks people up. It lets people know that these people don’t go unopposed in this community.”

The clowns followed the Men’s March until they reached the Boston Common bandstand, where the men were slated to give speeches to a small

crowd of female supporters asked to join after the all-male march. “[The Men’s March is] from out of state. I think pretty much everyone here is local, either Boston or Somerville. For everyone else, it’s more about solidarity than necessarily trying to disrupt what they’re doing,” the supreme clown leader said.

Photo by Aiden Stein A clown playing a sousaphone walks beside the Men’s March.

Members of BABAM helped provide musical support for the counterprotest.

Following chaotic year, Boston City Council gains new members in municipal elections NEW DISTRICT COUNCILORS G

P

P

tesy Benjam cour in to W ho

mpaign Ca

DISTRICT 5

ampaign

Emma Liu

én

y ic b

ENRIQUE PEPÉN

C er eb

tesy En r i q u cour eP to ep ho

ph ra

JOHN FITZGERALD DISTRICT 3

By Alexis Algazy Deputy City Editor

BENJAMIN WEBER DISTRICT 6

r cou to ho tesy Henry San t an a

mp Ca

aign

Photo by Alexis Algazy Supporters of Henry Santana, Ruthzee Louijeune and Ben Weber pose for a photo. Santana, Louijeune and Weber gathered in Jamaica Plain Oct. 28 to speak with their supporters and show support for each other’s campaigns.

HENRY SANTANA

NEW AT-LARGE COUNCILOR

P

New progressive faces, along with several incumbents, will take their seats on the Boston City Council following the city’s 7 municipal elections.

Three incumbent at-large city councilors, Ruthzee Louijeune, Erin J. Murphy and Julia Mejia, return for another term. Henry Santana, a 28-year-old Black, Dominican immigrant politician, replaces Michael Flaherty as the fourth at-large councilor, according to unofficial election results posted by the City of Boston.

“I’m honored to serve as your next City Councilor At-Large, and I’m ready to fight on behalf of every neighborhood and every resident of this city. Let’s get to work,” Santana wrote on X. Replacing former District 3 City Councilor Frank Baker, John FitzGerald won his election with 58.24% of the district’s votes, beating democratic socialist Joel Richards.

After incumbent City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo lost the preliminary elections in September, the District 5 election left Enrique Pepén victorious over Jose Ruiz, with 52.75% of the vote.

District 6 incumbent councilor Kendra Lara also lost in the preliminary election. Benjamin Weber, a progressive politician who beat William King to serve with a 60.7% majority, will be a new face joining the council.

Incumbent councilors Tania Fernandes Anderson, Sharon Durkan and Liz Breadon remain on the council after defeating their competitors in Districts 7, 8 and 9, respectively.

Incumbent city councilors, Gabriela Coletta, Council President Edward Flynn and Brian Worrell ran unopposed in Districts 1, 2 and 4, and will continue their work on the council.

“Across the city, voters chose a new generation of leaders with the values and determination to build a Boston for everyone, and with the track record and experience to hit the ground running,” Mayor Michelle Wu posted on Instagram.

“I’m thrilled to welcome these Councilors-elect to City Hall and can’t wait to partner on getting things done.”

Election results accurate upon publication as of 8:06 p.m. Nov. 8.