March 17, 2023

The Huntington News

NU SANSKRITI PLANS NORTHEASTERN’S FIRST-EVER INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH

For NU Sanskriti, Indian Heritage Month is a time for celebration, creativity and community.

There are almost 8,000 Indian undergraduate and graduate students at the university, and NU Sanskriti represents a large student population and is one of the biggest Indian Student Associations in the United States. The organization was founded over 20 years ago. This month, NU Sanskriti has organized Northeastern’s first Indian Heritage Month, looking to provide a safe haven for Indian students in unique and artistic ways.

NU Sanskriti is composed of students with heritage from across India, many of whom speak different languages, follow different faiths and have a diverse set of traditions. With a variety of groups, or “portfolios,” students can join, the club hopes to provide a platform for students to express themselves.

“We celebrate different festivals, we have different cultures and along with that, we have different events where people can showcase their talents,” said NU Sanskiriti President Sakshi Chougle, a graduate student studying project management.

By Jessica Silverman | News Staff

For the first time ever, the group is hosting 14 events, along with daily guided meditation and yoga sessions, as part of Indian Heritage Month. These events are intended to share Indian culture with the larger North eastern community. The group felt inspired to take on this effort after feeling underrepresented in campus celebrations.

“We found that Indians are onethird of the university and we aren’t getting that particular representation [on campus], so we decided to go ahead with [these events] just so people can feel at home and so others know what’s going on and what Indian culture is about,” said Vatsal Kapadia, a graduate student studying information systems. “It’s not just about namaste and yoga, it’s much more than that.”

Kapadia, who serves as the club’s head of finance and sponsorship, explained the purpose of these events is to make sure everyone, no matter how far they are from their home country, feels some sense of belonging.

Dora Moono Nyambe reflects on building school, creating family of hundreds

When Dora Moono Nyambe moved to a remote village in Zambia to start a boarding school, people thought she was a witch. Three years later, Nyambe’s nonprofit, Footprints of Hope, has garnered support from over 4 million people worldwide.

Northeastern University fraternity Delta Tau Delta and sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted Nyambe and Joseph Schmitt, a Northeastern alumnus, Fulbright scholar and ecotourism researcher

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as guest speakers Feb. 28. The event was part of a book tour for the recent release of “Under a Zambian Tree,” an account of Nyambe’s quest to educate written by Schmitt. It tells the story of Nyambe moving to Mapapa, Zambia, at 27 years old and single-handedly building a boarding school of over 200 students — 13 of which she has personally adopted. She created a TikTok account to share her experiences in Zambia, and went viral after posting a few videos.

A packed audience in Richards Hall sat captivated as Schmitt and Nyambe shared their story via a

Q&A. The two had met through TikTok — Schmitt was also documenting his life, as he had recently moved to Zambia for research, and Nyambe had commented on one of his videos.

Schmitt originally wanted to do a video about Nyambe’s journey. Upon watching the interview back, he realized the video only scratched the surface of her mission. For the next year, Schmitt would visit for two weeks every month, interviewing Nyambe and documenting his experience there to write a full book.

EDUCATOR, on Page 2

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PAGE 12

Photo by Z Weber

Photo by Z Weber

By Emily Chung News Correspondent

Schmitt and Nyambe discuss Nyambe’s journey to TikTok fame. Nyambe has used her platform to advocate for education equity across the world.

Photo by Emily Chung

Graphic by Marta Hill | Photos courtesy NU Sanskriti Students attending NU Sanskriti’s Indian Heritage Month events paint Mehndi and perform songs at AfterHours. The club’s events provided a place for students to express themselves and experience Indian community and culture. “We want students to know that we are doing everything we can to make them feel at home,” Vatsal Kapadia said

CELEBRATION, on Page 2

Indian Student Association organizes events to celebrate identity, culture

CELEBRATION, from front

“We thought this was much needed,” he said. “Everyone needs particular representation. Not a single guy or girl should feel like ‘Hey, I’m not feeling represented here’ or ‘I’m just feeling left out.’ … We are trying to provide international students a secure space to showcase their individuality and help them smoothly adapt to different cultures.”

Two of the major celebrations the club is hosting this month are Holi and Tarang. These will take place March 19 and March 24 respectively.

“In March we always try to celebrate two of our major festivals. Holi [is] the festival of colors and Tarang is a cultural festival we organize every year that has dance, music and fashion,” Kapadia said. “It’s not just related to India, but it also represents very different aspects of India.”

In addition to the festival events, the club is putting on several movie nights, sports days, art sessions and educational talks. Most notably, by working with the Center for Emerging Markets, the club is hosting a talk with the President and COO of Honeywell, Vimal Kumar. While the club is grateful for these collaborations, the group’s leaders expressed frustration with what they felt was the university’s lack of adequate funding and support for these events, despite catering to a large part of the student population. Debpriya Das, vice president of financial affairs for Northeastern’s graduate student government, said graduate student clubs can get a maximum of $5,000 per academic year from the university. As of now, NU Sanskriti hasn’t received any money from the graduate student government this academic year, as they just applied. Das

said the club will likely receive this funding soon.

However, Devansh Mehta, a creative writer on the club’s executive board, said the $5,000 is not enough.

“It’s really difficult to secure funding,” Mehta, a first-year graduate student studying advanced and intelligent manufacturing, said. “We don’t get a dollar for every student we represent on campus, so we’ve had to diversify our resources and look to external sources. We have a couple of sponsors now, but even then it’s really difficult now because of the university’s policies. It’s difficult to jump through all the hoops and get through all the red tape and finally make something happen.”

The club chooses sponsors based on what would be most beneficial for the student body along with the greater Boston Indian community. This includes partnerships with Weee!, an Asian grocery store.

“The main criteria we look at when selecting potential sponsors is how it can help Indian students on campus,” Mehta said. “Every sponsor has some sort of Indian touch or grassroots to them.”

While some campus organizations have been supportive of the group’s work, such as the Office of Global Services, Northeastern Alumni Relations and the College of Engineering, other university departments have completely ignored the club’s outreach efforts, causing NU Sanskriti to severely downsize their events.

“We want students to realize that managing 8,000 people is difficult financially, especially when you’re on such a tight budget. Because of a lack of response [from the university] and lack of sponsors, we’ve had to scale down a lot of the events or had to cancel things,” Kapadia said. “We want students to know that we are doing every -

thing we can to make them feel at home.”

Kapadia has found a home at NU Sanskriti, and he wants others at the university to have the same experience.

“Coming [from] 3,000 miles away and not knowing anyone is one of the worst things you can experience,” he said. “All of us are like a family. I can share anything with them and it’s always a great environment.”

Mehta agreed, saying the club has allowed him to foster unique and unbreakable connections.

“I’ve met people through Sanskriti who lived a few blocks away from me in India and I didn’t know them before coming here,” Mehta said.

Kapadia stressed that anyone, regardless of their background, is welcome at these events.

“This club is not just for Indians. It is for anyone who would like to participate,” he said. “Everyone is always welcome.”

TikTok-famous Zambian education advocate speaks

at Northeastern, discusses journey

EDUCATOR, from front

When asked about managing her schedule between running the school, taking care of the children and working on the book, Nyambe acknowledged it was challenging.

“It was a lot,” she said. “We had to have our interviews during errands — getting food or taking care of a sick child. He had to submerge himself into my life. If I was cooking, he’d be there with a phone and a notepad.”

Over the course of the year, Schmitt learned more about Nyambe’s story and the two became close friends. He learned that after Nyambe, encouraged

by her TikTok followers, started a GoFundMe, her original goal of $5,000 was blown away by the $58,000 raised through donations from viewers in just two months. Most of the donations, Nyambe noted, were between $5 and $10, meaning that thousands of people were invested in her cause and contributed in small ways to help her succeed.

With the money, Nyambe resolved to provide the village with boreholes so they could have clean drinking water. The villagers were still skeptical of this newcomer.

“They thought I was a witch,” Nyambe said. “They thought the

water was poisoned. How could I live in a mud hut and have enough money to provide boreholes?”

Throughout the Q&A, Nyambe spoke consistently of resilience, passion and kindness. Despite the backlash, she persists, because she knows she is helping people, she said.

On any given day, she could be rescuing a 10-year-old girl from child marriage and paying off her debts, building classrooms and dining halls for her students or bringing four grocery carts full of food back to her school to cook for her hundreds of children. She documents all of this on TikTok, where her 4 million

followers eagerly watch and support her content.

Nyambe hopes she can be an inspiration for women – especially women of color – to pursue their dreams.

The discussion was about half an hour, but Schmitt and Nyambe assured the audience the full story is laid out in detail in the book. Before wrapping up the event, Schmitt asked the audience a question:

“Do you guys want to help us make a TikTok?”

Cheers and laughter filled the room as students stood to wave to the phone Schmitt was panning around the room. After the event,

students purchased copies of “Under a Zambian Tree” to support Nyambe’s mission and discover more about her journey.

“They’ve changed so many people’s lives,” said Nikki Rosen, a first-year political science major. “It’s very inspiring.”

When asked about the impact she wanted to leave with the Northeastern community, Nyambe reiterated the importance of kindness.

“I always say this, but kindness is free — anyone can be kind,” Nyambe said. “You don’t have to have a lot of money, a ton of abilities, a bunch of connections. You can be kind and change someone’s life.”

Northeastern has over 8,000 Indian undergraduate and graduate students, and NU Sanskriti aims to provide space for all of them. Club leaders lined up 14 events throughout March to celebrate their culture and provide recognition — something the club’s head of finance and sponsorship Vatsal Kapadia said was “much needed.” Devansh Mehta, a member of NU Sanskriti’s executive board, said the club has struggled to adequately fund events with the money provided by the graduate student government.

Photos courtesy NU Sanskriti

ChatGPT tech inspires wonder and worry

By Maeve Wolfenden News Correspondent

public eye, and, most revolutionarily, to their fingertips for the first time. Widely functional AI-powered technology is no longer a futuristic, sci-fi novel concept, but something tangible, exciting and potentially dangerous.

Last November, the tech world experienced a wave of shock and awe as one of the most advanced user-facing artificial intelligence, or AI, applications to date became available for public use.

OpenAI launched Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, or ChatGPT, which is a chatbot that has dazzled many with its power to answer complex questions, compose nuanced essays and write sophisticated code in multiple programming languages.

If asked to explain what it is, it gives this response:

“I am an AI language model developed by OpenAI, designed to generate text based on the input I receive. I have been trained on a massive dataset of text from the internet, so I can answer questions and hold conversations on a wide range of topics. My goal is to assist users in generating human-like text based on their prompts, helping them save time and effort.”

What ChatGPT has done is bring the possibilities of AI to the

The possibilities of ChatGPT are inspiring discourse around developments in medicine, science, finance and more. Potential developments include the creation of proteins that can cure or vaccinate against disease, the automation of safer driving and the minimization of human error across all fields.

Ethan Harris, a fifth-year political science major, uses ChatGPT in his everyday life for “honestly everything,” he said, apart from writing assignments.

“I have it make schedules for me at the starts of my days if I want,” Harris said. “I have it write emails for me. I have it help me with outlines. I have it come up with ideas for paper topics or directions where I could take papers. It’s helpful for so many things.”

In addition to these large-scale advancements, there is also a growing concern of AI being used to replace existing human functions to improve speed and cost efficiency, a cause for worry among many young professionals and students at Northeastern thinking about their job prospects.

Even the current version of ChatGPT is advanced enough to border on the capabilities of entry-level jobs in fields like computer science, engineering, journalism, art and business. The software

can write working code using just a short description of the desired function, perform advanced mathematical and statistical calculations and write multi-paragraph essays with just a short prompt. ChatGPT is not a search engine or a calculator or a textbook, but a working brain that has learned everything it knows from us and continues to learn and become more advanced.

Julian Runge, an associate professor of marketing, shares the common concern that AI is attempting to replace human work.

“In the case of automation, which is not really AI but a predecessor of it, we have seen pretty adverse consequences of that in terms of job loss, and I think economists tend to overlook that a little bit and just assume everything will figure itself out in the long term,” Runge said. “But meaningful work is such a crucial backbone of meaningful existence as a human and this is exactly where I am a little bit concerned with AI.”

Aside from adverse changes to the job market, these types of generative AI, or technologies that generate new data from studying existing data, have raised significant ethical concerns, drawing from past attempts at user-accessible shared AI systems reminiscent of sci-fi horror films.

In 2016, Microsoft released a chatbot called “Tay” on Twitter that was meant to serve as an experiment in AI learning of casual conversation; the more you chatted with Tay, the more it improved its conversational understanding. It

quickly backfired as users took to the site with divisive and bigoted language, and within 24 hours, Tay went from tweeting things like “OMG totes exhausted. swagulated too hard today,” to “We have to secure the existence of our race and the future of white children.”

The insurance company State Farm is currently involved in a lawsuit citing racial bias in the company’s fraud detection measures. The company uses software from the AI firm FRISS to generate a “risk score” for all policyholders, allegedly using indicators like clients’ demographics and language to calculate risk.

“This data will contain biases, it is essentially very often records of existing behavior by humans, existing writings, and to the extent that there has been bias in the history of mankind that will also be reflected in that data which trains the model,” Runge said.

Plagiarism also clouds the field of ethical dilemmas, as all generative AI learns from humans and in some cases replicates its source material a little too faithfully.

This is a particular concern within the art field and discipline, where many oppose AI generated art as a form of theft when the software produces an image that it technically “learned” how to make using existing, human-made images.

Second-year electrical and computer engineering major Jaden Mack heard from his co-op supervisor about an experience in which ChatGPT took his work.

“One of [my supervisor’s] co-workers sent him a ChatGPT response about how to do a very specific and technical part of his work, and my supervisor, with the fact that it was so specialized, was able to figure out that it actually just took from an article he wrote, as he is the only person who has written about the topic, and pretty much just spat his work back at him with a few technical inaccuracies,” Mack said.

While there is reason for worry and for questioning, there is also hope that new safeguard measures can prevent ChatGPT from becoming a mouthpiece of hate.

If one were to ask ChatGPT about the future of the white race, or why women don’t deserve to be able to vote or how to make a bomb or draw a swastika, it answers something along the lines of, “Sorry, I cannot answer that question” or “I’m sorry, but that is a flawed and discriminatory viewpoint.”

The job market issue is more complex, but there is still optimism for people like Harris.

“I think we will see astronomical job loss but I also think we’ll see astronomical job gain,” he said. “I think there are entire industries that don’t exist yet that I think will exist as a result of this technology.”

As for ChatGPT use in schools, Runge says the tool should be incorporated, not rejected, by educators.

“In terms of how Chat GPT should be used in the classroom, I definitely wouldn’t ban it,” Runge said. “We actually need to embrace it and help students understand how to make the right use of it.”

One year into war, Ukrainian students reflect

By Emily Spatz News Correspondent

Maya Mele, a first-year Ukrainian student majoring in international relations and political science, remembers the day Russia invaded Ukraine as the day the world froze.

“Time stopped. I felt like it was really the end,” she said. “It’s almost like you’re carrying a glass of water and you drop it, and it shatters everywhere.”

The war in Ukraine broke out Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia’s president Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” and initiated a full-scale land, sea and air invasion of the Eastern European nation. One year into the conflict, as media coverage and discussion about the fighting dwindled, Ukrainian and Russian students reflected on the war’s effect on their own identities, connections and feelings.

“The novelty of the war has faded away as other topics have begun to dominate the media and American society [grows] tired of the same news,” said Benya Vishnevetsky, a first-year Russian-Ukrainian student majoring in international affairs and international business. “I feel a desire and a responsibility to join my people in reminding Americans that [the war] is not over.”

The university’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities held a panel March 1 to discuss the prolonged impacts of the war on the two countries and the international community.

Oleh Kotsyuba, a panelist and manager of publications at the Ukrainian

Research Institute at Harvard University, was born and raised in Ukraine. He focused on a Ukrainian perspective throughout the discussion and said the conflict matters because “human suffering matters.”

“There are many stories that don’t make it into the American media, and a lot of events on the ground that people experience are not known outside of Ukraine,” Kotsyuba said. “Many people are displaced, children are separated from their parents [and] male Ukrainians aged 16 to 60 cannot leave the country and have to stay behind in case they are called up to fight.”

Mele, who still has family and friends in Ukraine, said that while some fled to neighboring countries, many of them are still “volunteering, helping to create safety nets and working with organizations in order to support the country.”

Other panelists focused on broader implications of the conflict, including instability in international nuclear agreements and the post-World War II world order.

“[International] norms that helped us manage the nuclear age have largely become undone because Russia is talking about the use of nuclear weapons in ways that were pretty much forbidden by the great powers,” said Stephen Flynn, panelist, professor of political science and founding director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern.

Flynn also discussed Russia’s weaponization of food in the conflict, saying the destabilization of the Ukrainian

economy, known for its grain exports as one of the breadbaskets of the world, has led an additional 30 million people to food insecurity.

The perseverance of the Ukrainian people, both in the country and internationally, has been evident through the unexpected length of the conflict, which many experts anticipated to be short-lived due to Russia’s military strength. While support from the West has been crucial in Ukraine’s tenacity, Kotsyuba noted that Ukrainians have more personal stake in the war.

“For Ukrainians it’s a generational struggle, it’s a generational fight for survival. We feel like we have been at this for so long, we have experienced so much abuse, torture, rape and everything from Russians that if we give up again, we better perish,” he said.

Anton Khelbas, a graduate student in supply chain management at Northeastern and co-founder of the Ukrainian Cultural Center of New England, or UCCN, described the emotions he felt watching a recently released video depicting a Ukrainian prisoner of war being shot by Russian troops.

“He looks at [the Russians] and he just cries ‘Slava Ukraini,’ which means glory to Ukraine, and they just start shooting him,” Khelbas said. “It produced such sorrow, such anger, but also pride for the guy looking straight at the camera saying, ‘glory to Ukraine.’”

Kotsyuba reiterated that for the Ukrainian people, this struggle is not about land, but about Ukrainian values and freedom.

Putin has used the two countries’ close ties and shared roots to claim Ukraine does not have the culture or identity to be a separate state from Russia. Though the countries share similar customs, Khelbas says Ukraine has kept its identity despite “400 years of Russian influence... we [keep] coming back to our language, our heritage [and] our history.”

According to UNESCO, 245 cultural sites such as museums, monuments and libraries in Ukraine have been destroyed. Mele says these attacks feel like intentional erasure of her culture.

“There’s a reason why they’re not only destroying military places and places of power within Ukraine and governmental institutions, they’re also bombing museums, they’re bombing maternity wards, they’re bombing hospitals, they’re bombing schools,” Mele said. “It’s not only this fight over land, it’s this fight over identity and this fight over people.”

Vishnevetski, whose father is Russian and mother is Ukrainian, said that while he felt proud of his Russian identity before the war, he now rejects it.

“[Ukraine] used to be a relatively unknown country [and is] now a nation of warriors that became famous around the world for resisting one of the strongest world powers,” he said. “I never understood taking pride in one’s identity until I felt it within myself. I refuse to call myself a Russian. I am Ukrainian.”

Mele said she’s grateful for U.S. military support for Ukraine and

urged people to remain vigilant about the war. She condemned hate towards Russian people, saying “they’re also in the dark about this.”

“I think that people should educate others on the issue to get more involved in Ukrainian culture, read Ukrainian literature, look into the history and look into the fashion and the culture and the religion there, because there is so much vastness and diversity even within Ukraine itself,” Mele said.

Khelbas urged people to donate to organizations that support humanitarian or military related efforts within the country and encouraged continuation of U.S. support, stating that this aid is “supporting another democracy, another freedom, another country that wants to live in freedom. [Military support is] one tenth of [the] U.S.’s GDP.”

Speaking about his grandfather, who refused to give up his apartment to Russian forces, Kotsyuba reiterated the intense moral commitment Ukrainians feel to the war effort.

“He’s sitting in the corner and not moving from there and saying, ‘okay, if the house collapses, I have higher chances of surviving sitting in the corner,’” he said. “If you listen to someone talking to you like that, you get goosebumps. And you realize that these people would rather die than give up.”

The Northeastern Ukrainian Cultural Club continues to raise money for Razom, a charity providing humanitarian aid in Ukraine and is working closely with UCCN to organize events to raise awareness.

Graphic by Ananya Kulkarni

Review: At ‘Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience,’ enjoy a timeless tale with a drink

By Rachel Erwin Editor-in-Chief

Growing up, “Beauty and the Beast” was a staple fairytale for many. With its classic story of true love, beloved songs and iconic people-turned-houseware characters, it has lived on through multiple remakes and theatrical stagings. The Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience approaches the classic in a fresh way — it adds alcohol and adult humor to the mix.

The Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience, held at The Merchant Kitchen & Drinks in Boston, is a 90-minute immersive production where guests concoct their own drinks, play mind games

and scavenger hunts and interact with lively actors. The event is reserved for those 21 and older, except at select family-friendly sessions. Attendees are treated to a welcome drink, two themed cocktails and a selection of cookies and pastries, which, the actors said, were sourced from local Boston bakeries. The experience is highly Instagrammable, featuring numerous photo backdrops, dazzling smoke and dry ice effects.

Upon entering, guests are led by an actor into an intimate room within the fictional Castle Beaumont, where the walls are lined with paintings and ornate gold fabric. Roses in glass cases, symbolic of the fairytale, line the tables, along with string

lights and chandeliers overhead. The space is in the restaurant’s basement, but it’s unrecognizable. Upstairs, the rest of the venue is closed, providing a less disruptive start to the immersion.

The experience is led by three actors, two of whom play the couple hosting the party, and one who transforms into the Beast and, later, the Prince. The cast rotates depending on the showing, but at the 7 p.m. performance March 12, location co-managers

Jack Riter and Brianna Gervais played husband and wife, complete with French accents. Mike Cabral stepped into the role of the Prince that night, transforming via multiple costume changes.

Throughout the show, all three performers mingled with the attendees, sparking lively and thematic conversations. They participated in delightful banter about which household object guests would want to be turned into and had the room roaring with laughter with their jokes about getting drunk on a Sunday and the Beast feeling literally “horny.”

It was a refreshing spin on a childhood classic — “Beauty and the Beast” doesn’t typically involve booze and innuendo. It came with the disclaimer that the event was unaffiliated with Disney, instead being based on the Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont version from 1756. Riter led the audience in an unconventional “Beauty and the Beast” sing along, but the “tale as old as time” had some major lyrical differences from the 1991 original.

The cocktails were each unique spectacles of their own. The “Potion de Désir” gave guests the opportunity to create their chosen beverage, starting with a base of vodka or whiskey. From there, audience members could add in ginger beer, citrus soda, cucumber or peach syrup and spritzes of “love,” “wealth” and “fame,” contained in colorful perfume bottles. The second concoction, the “Rozier Tonique,” came to life as each group completed a series of three challenges, intended to free the Beast from his curse and the rest of the crowd from being trapped in Castle Beaumont. Inscribed in books from the “Beast’s library,” each clue was a mystery to be solved in exchange for a cocktail component. First, guests used letters etched into the paintings around the room to unscramble the prince’s true name to receive the pink liquid base. The second riddle referenced Beauty’s magic mirror, leading attendees to find the iridescent glassware. Finally, guests had to find the answer to the following:

“My whole life can be measured in hours. I serve my masters by being devoured. When I am thin, I go quick. When I am fat, I go slow. And because of what’s found at the top, wind is my foe. What am I?”

No spoilers here, but once this was complete, guests were invited to add a few rose petals into their drinks, and Gervais added dry ice to the final creation, producing a vivid pink drink, topped with a layer of

white smoke. Both cocktails were surprisingly delicious — often, themed drinks like these can be sickeningly sweet or “fake” tasting, but these were flavorful, refreshing and well-balanced.

The event, however, did suffer a bit from being short-lived. The first and last 15 minutes were dedicated to welcome and exit time respectively, so the actual show only lasted about an hour. For the price of $47, it is understandable that some guests might leave feeling as though the experience could have lasted longer. Additionally, the riddles were somewhat basic, and most adults could solve them within minutes. For an event described as having an escape room element, more challenging puzzles would enhance the experience.

Despite this, the stunning visual appeal of the event as well as the actors’ immense talent for themed improv made it a memorable and worthwhile night. The props, set decoration, glassware, wigs and lighting were breathtaking and painstakingly detailed, which made for a thoroughly immersive experience. Lovers of “Beauty and the Beast” will enjoy the nostalgia in this event, but there’s something to it for non-diehard fans as well — anyone can appreciate a night out, some yummy snacks and a fun adult beverage.

The Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience is currently ongoing and will remain open through March 31. Tickets are available online via Hidden Media.

Column: Six phenomenal Chinatown eats to try on your next trip to the area

By Cynthia Chen News Correspondent

One of the best things about Boston is Chinatown, the heart of Asian American cuisine and culture in New England. The restaurants and markets offer a plethora of options — including Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese. Chinatown’s got it all. Here are the six best (and most underrated) eats from Chinatown everyone should try.

1. Egg tarts from Ho Yuen Bakery

Located at 54 Beach St., along the main strip, Ho Yuen Bakery is a spot you don’t want to miss. The Chinese bakery features traditional baked goods, such as mooncakes, sesame buns and egg tarts, plus savory lunch dishes, like baos and sticky rice. With warm, flaky crusts and creamy, silky centers, their egg tarts are the crème de la crème— even the Yelp reviews say so.

2. Bánh mì from Banh Mi Huong Que

A true hole-in-the-wall shop, Banh Mi Huong Que is located at

696 Washington St. near the entrance of Chinatown. If you don’t pay attention to store signs, you could easily miss the best banh mi joint in all of Chinatown. Banh Mi Huong Que offers a diverse selection of Vietnamese delicacies, such as spring rolls, vermicelli bowls and coffee, but their banh mi is the main star. The crunchy crust from a fresh baguette in combination with salty Vietnamese ham, tangy pickled carrots and sweet and creamy mayo creates the perfect sandwich.

It’s hard to find traditional Taiwanese finger foods in the United States, but Taiwan Bakery is a home away from home. The bakery serves traditional Taiwanese sweets & desserts, as well as savory snack foods like sticky rice, or zongzi, and tea eggs. Tea eggs are hard boiled eggs marinated in tea, soy sauce and spices, and they taste like hard cooked eggs, only with a salty, lightly spiced flavor. To try something new, be sure to check out Taiwan Bakery and their delicious tea eggs.

For those with a sweet tooth, Great Taste Bakery has just what you need. Located at 63 Beach St., the bakery offers a variety of baked goods and sweet treats, the best and most underrated being their taro sago. Taro sago is a Chinese dessert made with creamy coconut milk, tender taro and chewy sago pearls, and it is hard to find in Boston. Placed in the refrigerators near the side of the store, the dessert can be easily missed, so be sure to grab a pint or two on the next visit.

does it best, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

A classic treat for any Chinatown visit is a pineapple bun, and Corner Cafe Bakery has some of the best. Popular in Hong Kong and common in Chinatowns worldwide, this pastry is a fluffy, milk bread-based bun

topped with a crackly cookie topping. Despite the name, the buns do not contain any pineapples, but refer to the look of the topping. The ones from Corner Cafe Bakery are flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, and they are sure to satisfy every craving.

Whether you’re a Boston native or a passing traveler, these are some of the best eats from Chinatown that nobody should miss.

Hei La Moon is a crowd-favorite dim sum place, featuring traditional-style carts that bring dishes to each table. You can’t miss their shrimp rice noodle rolls, which consist of light rice noodles, or cheung fun, wrapped around whole shrimps and doused in a sweet soy sauce. Though most dim sum places carry this dish, Hei La Moon

3. Tea eggs from Taiwan Bakery

4. Taro sago from Great Taste Bakery

5. Shrimp rice noodle rolls from Hei La Moon

6. Pineapple bun from Corner Cafe Bakery

One of the most popular items at Corner Café Bakery is the pineapple buns. These buns do not contain pineapple but were named after the segmented appearance of the top crust.

Photo by Jessica Xing

Photo by Rachel Erwin Actors Brianna Gervais and Mike Cabral address the audience, concluding the Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience March 12 with a reveal of the human form of the Prince-turned-Beast. Guests had to solve a series of riddles to lift the “curse” and restore the Prince to his original form.

Review: Season three of ‘Outer Banks’ strays from its initial lore

By Kyle Kucera News Correspondent

“Outer Banks” is back with its third season, but it’s not quite the same show that once captivated audiences.

The hit Netflix series known for its fun beach vibes and teenage drama returned Feb. 23. It initially achieved widespread success at the peak of the pandemic in April 2020, giving viewers a reminder of the hangouts and summer activities everyone was missing. Now, season three more closely resembles the plot of an “Indiana Jones” adventure film than the “Outer Banks” viewers know and love.

The first two seasons of the show follow the drama and antics between two groups of teenagers living off the coast of North Carolina: the elite, upper class “Kooks” and the working

class “Pogues.” Filled with tension, love stories and plot twists, the story of the Kooks and Pogues felt relatable — something that cannot be said of its latest outing.

Season three opens with the Pogues stranded on a small, deserted island, “Poguelandia,” where they were left at the end of season two after narrowly escaping murder aboard a cargo ship while trying to save the Cross of Santo Domingo. After being rescued, escaping a plane crash and stealing a yacht, the Pogues’ story moves back to the Outer Banks.

Ironically though, the Pogues’ trendy, tropical clothing is awfully well-maintained for having been stranded on a deserted island for about a month. With their clothes intact, barely any dirt on them and their faces shaven, the Pogues’ stay on Poguelandia is pretty unconvincing.

Unfortunately, the plot discontinuities are not limited to this instance.

This season primarily follows the storyline between John B (Chase Stokes) and his father Big John (Charles Halford), who was presumed dead in previous seasons. There are wholesome father-son interactions between the two as they reunite to finish Big John’s lifelong goal of solving the 500-year-old mystery of the El Dorado gold with the help of the other Pogues. These sweet moments, though, are often overshadowed by cliché dialogue or interrupted by someone almost being killed.

The action-filled scenes of the Pogues escaping near-death scenarios and outsmarting hitmen become repetitive and often predictable after the second episode. The constant encounters with the police or Carlos

Singh (Andy McQueen), the Pogues’ newest enemy in their quest for the El Dorado gold, are unnatural and frustrating. These scenes shroud much of the initial charm of the show — any glimpse of the Kooks’ and Pogues’ “normal” lives on the Outer Banks has become a welcome surprise.

The poor use of stunt doubles coupled with editing failures resulted in various memes and Tik Toks following the season’s release. In one instance, Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey) and Kiara Carerra (Madison Bailey) attempt to escape from being held hostage by Singh in exchange for Denmark Tanny’s diary, a clue to the El Dorado gold. As Rafe and Kiara jump into the back of a truck to escape the compound, Rafe, who sports a buzz cut this season, is momentarily replaced by a stunt double with a full head of hair. This, among other noticeable mistakes, is an embarrassing moment for the $50 million budget this season.

The show, although different from the “Outer Banks” of seasons prior, is beginning to stretch its audience: what was once a teenage drama with a side of action is now action-packed with a side of drama. Yet, the renewal of the show for a fourth season before the airing of the season proves “Outer Banks” has not lost all hope.

Viewers can only hope that some of the “Outer Banks” charm returns in season four as the Pogues set off on yet another gold quest which was teased in the final minutes of the last episode — yet at this rate, it seems unlikely.

Review: ‘Creed III’ holds its own in the ever-expanding sea of blockbuster fare

By Jake Guldin Deputy Lifestyle Editor

Over the past decade, once-beloved, dormant franchises — “Jurassic Park,” “Top Gun” and “Halloween,” just to name a few — have returned to the silver screen, yielding mixed results. Building upon the legacy of “Rocky” and its many sequels, the “Creed” films have, unlike others, consistently enraptured series devotees and first-timers alike, standing as an exemplar of these nostalgia-based revivals. Its latest entry, directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan, reaffirms why such acclaim is deserving.

In “Creed III,” famed boxer Adonis Creed (Jordan) has entered retirement to spend time with Bianca (Tessa Thompson), his devoted wife and a celebrated musician, and Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), his deaf daughter with an inherited penchant for violence. However, when Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), Adonis’ childhood friend with a history behind bars, remerges, he is forced back into the ring for one final showdown.

As with its predecessors, the promise of tension-filled boxing sequences is a key draw for audiences and, despite there being fewer

of them than anticipated, Jordan’s film somehow surpasses such a lofty expectation, a remarkable feat given that the sports drama serves as the actor-turned-filmmaker’s directorial debut. Inspired by anime, the fights in this MGM release are gorgeously shot and dynamic throughout, with Jordan’s use of slow motion and close-ups accentuating every grimace-inducing blow.

The movie’s climactic match between Adonis and Damian abandons realism as the raucous spectators, critical judges and concerned family members suddenly vanish, leaving only the fighters in their wake. In doing this, Jordan puts the viewer into the minds of the combatants, conveying that the duo is, despite the deafening hollering of attendees, laser-focused on the task at hand.

Besides his commendable and frequently refreshing direction, Jordan delivers another flawless portrayal of the titular role. He perfectly exhibits his character’s frustration regardless of how it manifests; his anger is tangible whether through a ferocious punch or an incisive insult. That said, Jordan’s Adonis does not merely show outrage, as he displays compassion for his struggling daughter, gratitude for

his supportive romantic partner and — prior to their falling out later in the film — brotherly love for his recently-freed friend.

Majors, hot off the heels of a fascinating turn in the otherwise underwhelming “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” also provides an engrossing performance as the antagonistic Damian. He expertly exudes his character’s pent-up rage and determination, crafting what is undoubtedly Adonis’ most formidable foe to date and, rather uniquely, one whose intimidation is perhaps felt more outside of the ring than in it.

For instance, after Damian defeats heavyweight champion Felix Chavez (José Benavidez Jr.), Adonis confronts him at an outdoor party. There, Damian’s yet unseen intellect is revealed, as he explains he has been manipulating his former pal to achieve success in the boxing world. Majors plays this moment with delicious cunning, conveying — through posture and speech pattern alone — that Damian is greatly satisfied by what he has done.

Although “Creed III” sports a multitude of impressive attributes, it is occasionally bogged down by an overstuffed screenplay. Written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin — from a story drafted by the pair

Calendar compiled by Cathy Ching & Jake Guldin Graphics by Emma Liu

Monday, March 20

Tunes and Totes

Sit back, relax and decorate some tote bags at this chill LMA event.

7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Afterhours, Free.

March 24 - 25

“Stewards of the Land”

Attend a screening of a unique documentary that spotlights the efforts of female, Purto Rican farmers.

Times vary per day, UMass Boston, Free, RSVP required.

Sunday, March 26

Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence

Visit a new exhibit at the MFA and discover the legacy of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

Regular museum hours, Museum of Fine Arts, through July 16, Free for students.

and Ryan Coogler, the driving force behind the original “Creed” film and the “Black Panther” duology — the film attempts to address Adonis’ tense marital struggles, conflicts with his ailing mother (Phylicia Rashad), declining mental health and complicated friendship with Damian, amongst other issues. As a result, not every storyline is given an equal amount of focus, leaving some severely underdeveloped.

In particular, the portions of the movie dedicated to the development of Adonis and his mother’s bond feel rushed. Granted, their relationship has frequently fallen to the wayside in these films, as, outside of the initial entry, little time is dedicated to the two. But, especially considering what transpires at the film’s midpoint, additional scenes were needed to flesh out this mother-son connection. Ultimately, had certain threads been eliminated — and, instead, been saved for another sequel or spin-off — the film’s script would have been far more cohesive.

Though its content-crammed writing somewhat weakens it, “Creed III” manages to thrive on a plethora of knock-out performances and sharp direction — elements that often tend to be absent from comparable films.

Sunday, March 26

2nd Annual Empty Bowls Event

Help raise awareness for food insecurity by buying soup and enjoying it in a handmade ceramic bowl.

3 p.m. - 7 p.m., 4228 Washington St., Pay-what-you-can tickets.

Wednesday, March 29

Chinese Food Cooking Lessons

Learn to make Chinese-style fried rice and spring rolls with instructor Karen Jou.

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Honan-Allston Brand of Boston Public Library, Free.

Graphic by Emma Liu

SOUTH END NON-PROFIT PROVIDES

SOUTH END NON-PROFIT PROVIDES AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FINANCIAL

By Rachel Umansky-Castro News Staff

One South End non-profit is tackling affordable housing and education equality in Boston.

Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, or IBA, is a non-profit organization in Boston’s South End neighborhood that provides support and resources to low-income families.

IBA offers programs that emphasize financial empowerment, early education, youth development and promotion of the arts. In 1968, Puerto Rican activists founded IBA to be an inclusive space that welcomes Boston families of low socioeconomic status.

IBA celebrates its culturally diverse community while also promoting its Latinx roots, according to its website.

“When I’m in the office, I hear Spanish a lot. It’s a very Latin workplace,” said Patricia Duarte, the human resource director at IBA. “It is very professional, committed,

busy and definitely is unique.”

IBA’s programs provide tools and resources to support affordable housing for people of color. In the United States, Boston is the third most expensive city for renters. As housing rates increase, IBA has expanded and now owns a rental housing portfolio, which currently includes 667 units.

IBA refinanced the apartments by using low-income housing tax credits, a federal program that incentivizes developers to create or refurbish new affordable housing for low-income tenants.

IBA’s affordable housing portfolio includes apartments in the Villa Victoria development.

“I will say that IBA is more than a community development corporation. IBA is a national model of creating affordable housing and the integration of services,” said Yahaira Objio, the director of the Resident Services Program.

Many organizations provide housing but do not have substantial

resident services or resources for the people they serve, Objio said.

“We offer affordable housing, but we offer a lot of services to move our residents to their socioeconomic mobility, to buy their own home and to get job education,” Objio said.

Another program at IBA focuses on financial empowerment and offers one-on-one financial coaching and group financial education classes which discuss topics such as budgeting, managing loans, building credit, opening a bank account, saving money and eliminating debt.

Within the IBA’s Creative Youth Development Program, the directors focus on contributing to socioemotional, intellectual and artistic growth for adolescents. They provide academic support, job readiness classes, arts education, advocacy opportunities and more.

IBA also has a preschool program that teaches children in English and Spanish. Founded in 1975, IBA’s

preschool was the first bilingual program in Massachusetts. In 2016, Michelle Obama awarded IBA a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award.

The year-round preschool program goes beyond testing scores, instead focusing on skill development such as inclusion, adaptability and independence.

“For the services for the preschool program, we used to serve 2.5 to 5.5 years old. And now we’re extending the family program to provide services to infants and toddlers from 4 months until they go to preschool,” said Mayra Negrón-Roche, the chief operating officer of IBA.

Despite operating these programs, IBA does not have an education center. The organization is spread across in various office spaces throughout the South End.

In May 2021, IBA proposed a new multi-purpose arts center at 85 West Newton St., replacing the now demolished Villa Victoria Center

for the Arts. Construction on the project will be completed sometime in 2025.

“The space is going to be more than an art space. It essentially will be ‘La Casa,’” Negrón-Roche said.

The proposed four-story building will include art exhibition space, classrooms, community rooms and offices for IBA administration.

“The house will be for the entire organization. We’re going to have a space that’s going to be for a community space, and also for the arts,” Negrón-Roche said.

IBA’s organization is only growing, and the arts center will attract more people to the organization, Negrón-Roche said.

Through high-quality education, housing and other resources, IBA has fostered a strong, diverse community in Boston, staff said.

“We have a passion to serve the people, especially people in need,” Obijo said. “We work together to provide the best quality of life that the residents can have.”

A mural greets visitors at one of the offices of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción. The non-profit has provided resources such as affordable housing, financial coaching, youth development courses and arts education for low-income families since 1968.

Photo by Pavithra Rajesh

Various signs and structures represent the Puerto Rican community living in the South End. In May 2021, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción’s plans to build a multi-purpose arts center were approved, which will serve as an art space for the organization.

Photos by Pavithra Rajesh

ULA CAFÉ SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OFFERS A COMMUNITY WITH GREEN GOALS

By

Jamaica Plain’s Ula Café, an allin-one spot for coffee, pastries and sandwiches, has continued to thrive under new owners post-pandemic and has evolved with new initiatives and community outreach programs.

Founded in 2007 by Korinn Koslofsky and Kate Bancroft, Ula Café has become a staple in the neighborhood, known for its cozy atmosphere, locally-sourced ingredients and commitment to social responsibility. In 2021, Beth Santos and Marvin Matheliar bought the business along with Kelly Fernandes, who now has moved on to pursue other interests.

“We were just customers of Ula and just loved that in-person community,” Santos said. “When Ula went for sale during the pandemic, we didn’t want to lose our second home.”

The cozy cafe is adorned with vintage-inspired décor, colorful murals and large windows that let in plenty of natural light. Together, Santos and Matheliar have big plans for Ula Café

and are dedicated to creating a space that fosters connection, creativity and compassion, they said, which applies to staff, too.

“Beth [Santos] and Marvin [Matheliar] have created a really supportive and caring work environment, and I feel like I’m part of a community here,” barista Mimi Silverstein said.

From the beginning, Santos said she has been committed to sourcing ingredients locally and supporting other small businesses in the community. The cafe’s menu features a range of locally sourced ingredients such as coffee, produce, juices and more. Ula Café also offers vegan and gluten-free options, ensuring everyone can enjoy a meal.

The cafe launched several eco-friendly initiatives like introducing compostable cups and utensils. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Ula Café received recognition for its outreach program and sustainability initiatives from several local organizations. The cafe was also named one of the best coffee shops in Boston by The Boston Phoenix, a hyperlocal newspaper.

In 2022, Santos and Matheliar launched a “pay-it-forward” program, which allows customers to purchase a voucher for someone in need to enjoy a free coffee, pastry or meal.

“The response from the community has been incredible. People really want to help each other, and the payit-forward program has given them an easy way to do that,” Santos said.

The idea for the pay-it-forward initiative came from Santos, who said she wanted to find a way to give back to the community during the pandemic.

“Ula Café is like your mother’s home. We feed you with your favorite food and drinks and we ask you to clean up,” Santos said.

Matheliar and Santos are both active in the Boston community outside of the business. In addition to Ula Café, Santos is the founder of Wanderful, a global community of women who love to travel. Matheliar is involved with several organizations that focus on social impact and sustainability.

“At Ula Café, we believe that small actions can make a big difference,”

Santos said. “Whether it’s buying someone a coffee or providing a free meal, we want to do our part in supporting the community. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in Boston and beyond.”

Ula Café also launched a program to support local artists and musicians. The cafe started showcasing local artists’ work on its walls and hosting live music performances for the community. They host open mic nights, art shows and other gatherings that bring people together and celebrate local talent.

One factor contributing to this sense of community is the strong relationship between the cafe’s owners and their staff. The owners place a high value on their employees and their well-being, and strive to create a supportive work environment, they said.

“We believe that our staff are the heart and soul of Ula Café,” Santos said. “Without them, we wouldn’t

be able to create the warm and welcoming atmosphere that our customers love.”

One way that Santos and Matheliar foster a positive work environment is by offering their staff competitive wages and benefits, they said. They also provide opportunities for professional development and growth, and encourage their staff to share ideas and feedback.

“We want our team to feel like they have a stake in the success of the cafe,” Santos said. “We’re always open to hearing their ideas and suggestions, and we’re constantly looking for ways to improve and grow together.”

The staff at Ula Café also feels supported by Santos and Matheliar on a personal level.

“I’ve been working at Ula Café for one and a half years now, and this feels like home to me,” said Sophie Gemeinhardt, the supervisor at Ula Café.

As Ula Café continues to grow and evolve, Santos remains committed to creating a space that is welcoming, inclusive and socially responsible.

Sundararaman Rengarajan News Correspondent

A customer walks into Ula Café, located at 284 Amory St. in Jamaica Plain. Customers have been drawn into the cafe for its locally-sourced ingredients and commitment to social responsibility.

Photo by Lauren Salemo

Beth Santos, a co-owner of the cafe, workers of the cafe and customers of Ula Café are pictured from left to right. In 2022, the owners launched a “pay-it-forward” program which has allowed customers to pay for vouchers that provide a free drink, pastry or meal for someone in need.

Photos by Sundararaman Rengarajan and Lauren Salemo

Queens of the East: Women’s hockey team punches ticket to Frozen Four

By Amelia Ballingall Deputy Sports Editor

When the No. 5 Northeastern women’s hockey team (34-2-1, 242-1 HE) traveled to Yale (28-4-1, 19-2-1 ECAC) Saturday afternoon, it was the first time all season they had faced a team ranked higher than them, but that wasn’t a problem.

Although the Bulldogs had the home ice advantage, the Huskies headed into the matchup riding a 21-game win streak and used that momentum to propel them to a 4-1 victory.

Plenty of loyal friends, family and fans made the trip to Ingalls Rink, painting a stripe of red and black in the stands to support their team.

“Our fan support has been tremendous all year long,” said Northeastern head coach Dave Flint. “You go into a visiting arena and your fans seem louder than the home team’s fans. That really boosts the players and they really appreciate all the support that we get.”

When the puck hit the ice, Yale looked like the stronger team.

The Bulldogs immediately took to the offense, rocketing shots toward Philips, but after Yale got a dangerous scoring chance two and a half minutes into play, Northeastern turned on the jets.

“I think it was a little bit of a slow start,” Flint said. “But once we settled in, got the nerves out a little bit, we definitely picked it up.”

Control went back and forth for the entire first period, with both teams playing a similar game. With a top-ranked goalie behind each of them — senior Gwyneth Philips for the Huskies and sophomore Pia Dukaric for the Bulldogs — both Northeastern and Yale put up a strong and clean defensive wall.

A few quality scoring chances slipped through the cracks, including pipe shots from both sides in the opening frame, but luck was not on anyone’s side. The opposing netminders gobbled up every rebound opportunity.

By the time the buzzer sounded to end the first period, Northeastern had taken more shots on goal — 12 to Yale’s 10 — and carried that into the middle frame to hit the puck drop with authority.

“We want to outwork every team we’re playing. Obviously, there’s a lot of confidence coming if you win, but keeping that confidence, not getting too high, staying humble,” said graduate student forward and captain Alina Müller. “Confidence is the key to success.”

It only took four and a half minutes for the Huskies’ tenacity to pay off.

After using her body to intercept a pass at the blue line, sophomore forward Skylar Irving sauced the puck up to freshman forward Lily Shannon, who had already broken past the Bulldog defensemen.

Shannon easily danced the puck around Dukaric to put the Huskies on the board with her sixth goal of the season.

“I think once she scored that goal … everybody relaxed a little bit and got a little shot of confi -

dence,” Flint said. “For a freshman to step up and get that big goal for us was really important.”

A few minutes later, Northeastern took a team penalty for having too many players on the ice, giving Yale the chance to tie the game.

Yale, like the Huskies, had played a calm and collected game so far, but the Bulldogs started looking a bit frantic on the power play. Northeastern held Yale out of scoring range for the majority of the home team’s five-on-four, holding the Bulldogs to just one shot in the two minutes.

By the time the penalty expired, it was clear Yale’s confidence had been rattled.

And what followed didn’t help.

After an unlucky series of plays in which the Bulldogs failed to seal an offensive zone turnover and later bounced the puck off the crossbar, Yale thought they had finally evened the score with 3:16 left in the period.

The referees immediately waved it off as “no goal,” and after a lengthy review, their suspicions were confirmed: freshman forward Naomi Boucher’s tip-in came from above the cage, so the play was called for a high stick and the Huskies kept their lead.

With only one goal separating them and the home team, Northeastern opened the third period with ferocity.

At 2:27 into the frame, senior defenseman Megan Carter took a shot from the back of the offensive zone. Graduate student forward Chloé Aurard was waiting in the crease, screening Dukaric and giving the netminder no chance at stopping the puck as she deflected it into the back of the net.

With 12 minutes remaining in regulation, Northeastern called a timeout. Yale had begun outshooting the Huskies, leading 29-27 in shots on goal, but the stoppage allowed the visitors to recollect. It paid off just two minutes later.

Northeastern’s top line had been dominating the shot count all

night, so it was only a matter of time until one of its rushes found a way past Dukaric.

Although Yale sophomore defenseman Olivia Muhn tried to get in their way, it’s nearly impossible to stop the fatal combination of Aurard and Müller.

The entire play was a series of perfect passes. After Philips effortlessly steered away the puck, the Huskies cycled it through the defensive zone, where Müller took it up ice with Aurard by her side.

Closing in on the net, Müller handed the puck off to Aurard, who gave it right back so Müller could drive a shot past the out-ofplace goalie.

“It can be crushing to a team when you get a goal disallowed and then a team scores,” Flint said. “It’s just the way we’ve been all year long; we’ve stepped up in big situations and come up with big goals.”

With the final few minutes of the game closing in, Yale found its lone goal in sophomore forward Anna Bargman.

The Huskies attempted to clear the defensive zone, but Yale sophomore Emma DeCorby grabbed the puck out of the air, holding onto it a little too long, though nothing was called and play continued.

Junior forward Elle Hartje dropped the puck off in front of the net for linemate freshman forward Jordan Ray.

Ray’s shot was blocked, but Bargman slammed the rebound past Philips before she could get a glove on it.

“We’re an offensive team, and to be held to one [goal], all you can do is say ‘well, Northeastern, you deserve it,’” said Yale head coach Mark Bolding.

Although there had been some questionable plays so far in the game, an individual penalty was not called until Bargman was sent to the box for tripping just ten seconds after her goal.

Yale’s penalty kill unit was incredibly effective, diverting every Husky shot attempt and even

notching one of their own while down a player.

Once Northeastern’s power play ended, the Bulldogs pulled Dukaric for the extra attacker.

Shortly after, Huskies graduate student defenseman Maude Poulin-Labelle was called for tripping and Yale’s advantage was doubled, giving them the six-onfour edge for the rest of the game.

For any other team, this would be a tough obstacle to overcome, but for the NCAA’s second-ranked penalty kill, it was light work.

Northeastern cleared the puck down the ice, and Bulldogs senior defenseman Emma Seitz chased it down, but Huskies graduate student forward Maureen Murphy was faster.

Murphy bodied Seitz off the puck and rifled it into the empty net to seal the Northeastern win.

The Huskies’ ninth short-handed goal of the season was the first that Yale had taken all year.

Yale may have won more than two thirds of faceoffs and notched 39 shots against Northeastern (over the Huskies’ 20), but the visitors’ whole-team defense carried them to victory.

While the Bulldogs only contributed three blocks to the defensive end of the ice, Northeastern tallied 14.

Their effort was backstopped by a steady Philips, who made a career-high 38 saves against the Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught.

“[Philips] made some unreal saves,” Müller said. “Without her, we wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Now, for the third year in a row, the Huskies are headed to the Frozen Four. The lone representative of the east coast, the team will travel to Duluth, Minnesota, Friday to take on top-ranked The Ohio State University, the tournament’s defending champion.

The weekend’s contest will crown the top dogs of the NCAA, and, as was proven in Saturday’s upset win over Yale, you can’t count Northeastern out.

Graduate student forward and captain Alina Müller scores a goal during Saturday’s game against Yale. The Huskies defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 to claim a spot in the 2023 Frozen Four tournament.

Photo by Mika Podila

Women’s basketball team’s run halted by Monmouth in CAA Semifinals

By Eamonn Ryan News Staff

The third-seeded Northeastern women’s basketball team (19-12, 13-5 CAA) was red-hot coming into their semifinal matchup with No. 7 Monmouth (17-15, 9-9 CAA) Saturday night, but they finally cooled off as they fell 73-60.

The Hawks used a 22-8 third quarter to build an advantage and never looked back in the fourth, capitalizing on their momentum.

“[I’m] proud of the effort of my team,” said Northeastern head coach Bridgette Mitchell. “We had some moments where we showed how bright our future is, and just fell short today.”

The Huskies were led by junior forward Deja Bristol, who came off the bench and delivered a 15-point, nine-rebound performance. Junior guard Derin Erdogan chipped in with 13 points as well, but her efficiency was limited as she shot just 6-of-14.

“Gosh, what a high powered offense [the Huskies] have,” said Monmouth head coach Ginny Boggess. “We knew we were gonna have to defend…We kept the ball and our people moving, and we were able to make shots in the second half and that was really truly the difference.”

The Hawks saw great performances from junior guard Kaci Donovan

and graduate student guard Bri Tinsley, who each scored 14 points, as well as junior center Belle Kranbuhl, who dominated the paint and scored 12 points to go with eight boards.

Kranbuhl was injured against the Huskies in Northeastern’s Jan. 29 win over Monmouth and proved to be an important part of the Hawks’ attack.

“It was great to see [Kranbuhl] out there, healthy and having fun playing,” Boggess said. “She was ready to go when the ball went up tonight, and that confidence that she has is contagious.”

Northeastern came out slow, allowing the Hawks six straight points before getting its own bucket. Meanwhile, Kranbuhl was all over the place inside with four points and a block within the first five minutes.

Monmouth kept the defensive intensity up, but what was more impressive was its 12-5 rebound advantage after the first quarter. Easy second-chance points from offensive boards helped build a 16-12 lead.

The Huskies needed to respond in the second, and their defense answered well. Erdogan managed to nab two steals and scored, and a block by junior wing Halle Idowu led to points for graduate student guard JaMiya Braxton. Northeastern went on a 12-2 run that helped propel them to a 30-26 lead at the half.

Coming out of the break, Monmouth started to heat up from long

range, as Donovan and fellow junior guard Ariana Vanderhoop combined to knock down three treys in the opening five minutes. The Hawks had a 9-0 run and gained a 41-38 advantage six minutes into the half.

Their defensive discipline continued to show, as they held Northeastern to no points over the last four minutes of the third quarter. A three from graduate student Lovin Marsciano made it a 14-point game with

8:04 left in the game, and the Hawks never looked back.

Northeastern tried to claw its way back into the game, putting pressure on Monmouth at every turn, but the Hawks looked calm and composed as they answered every attempt at a comeback the Huskies had in them.

With the loss, Northeastern bows out of the women’s CAA tournament and will regroup for next season. The Huskies are only losing

two seniors — Braxton and senior guard Anna Boruta.

Carrying the momentum of this season into fall will certainly create higher expectations for a team picked to finish eighth in the conference at the start of this campaign.

“We’re a really tough group. It’s an exciting time to be a Husky,” Mitchell said. “I tell our recruits and prospects that we’re looking at all the time, this program is going up.”

Northeastern falls 1-2 to Providence College in Hockey East quarterfinals

By Lauren Salemo News Staff

Sitting at No. 15 nationally, the Northeastern men’s hockey team (1713-5, 14-7-3 HE) needed to win the Hockey East championship for a spot in the NCAA tournament. But the Huskies were defeated Saturday in the conference quarterfinals 1-2 with an overtime goal from the Providence College Friars (16-13-7, 9-9-6 HE), bringing Northeastern’s season to a close.

Coming into Saturday’s match, seventh-seeded Providence held a 4-2 record over third-seeded Northeastern in all-time postseason play, and had already recorded a win and a tie in the teams’ two meetings this season. Despite the pair’s history, the Huskies

seemed to dominate the first period. Right after puck drop, Northeastern continuously strung together passes, seamlessly working their way up to their offensive zone in the first few minutes of the game.

Even with multiple good looks in the first frame, Northeastern’s only goal of the night came during a power play halfway through the first period after Providence sophomore defender Will Schimek was sent to the box for interference. After a minute of five-onfour play, freshman forward Cam Lund fired the puck between two Providence defensemen, finding the back of the net and putting the Huskies on the board.

Up 1-0, Northeastern looked to protect its lead, making five blocked shots in the remaining half of the first period.

After 20 minutes of play, the Huskies totaled 12 on-frame shots, while the Friars tallied five.

But after the first break, Providence grew hungry for an equalizer, putting 20 shots on net in the second period, while Northeastern only notched four.

Twenty-three minutes into the game, a high-speed shot from Providence freshman forward Liam Valente made Matthews Arena gasp — and Friar fans roar — as it ricocheted off the post. It was one of Providence’s best looks all night as the team began to amp up its offensive pressure.

The Friars continued to pepper the Huskies with shots through the second frame, and sought an opportunity to bury the puck during a power play nine minutes into the second period. Husky freshman defender Jackson Dorrington was issued a minor for roughing, giving Providence the extra skater.

The Huskies succeeded with the penalty kill, staying ahead thanks to blocked shots by freshman defenseman Hunter McDonald and sophomore forward Justin Hryckowian, as well as five saves from junior goaltender Devon Levi.

Moments later, however, the Friars leveled the score. Moving the puck toward the right side of the goal, Providence senior forward Parker Ford pulled Levi to the right of the crease before skating around the back to slip the puck into the net.

With only six minutes remaining in the period, the Huskies hoped for another power play goal as Providence

senior forward Patrick Moynihan took a penalty for interference. But Northeastern was only able to notch two shots during the five-on-four advantage, both of which were blocked by Providence.

The Friars had another crack at scoring in the 38th minute during a scrum around Northeastern’s net. They were not successful, however, as the Huskies were able to clear the puck from the crease and regain possession.

As the timer buzzed at the end of the second period, Friars’ sophomore forward Riley Duran launched a shot from center ice, but the puck was deflected by Levi. The two teams looked to break the tie with 20 minutes left in regulation.

Both teams entered the third period with a life-or-death intensity only found in a playoff matchup. The Friars continued to pummel Northeastern’s goal. Multiple skirmishes seemed like they would pull Providence ahead, but the Huskies’ blueliners proved resilient, fighting to stay alive through regulation.

The Huskies fired back at the Friars’ offensive campaign when junior forward Sam Colangelo ripped three shots towards the Providence goal within two seconds, but none were able to find the back of the net.

As the game drew closer to the 60-minute mark, Providence saw its best chance at scoring a game-winning goal during a power play after McDonald was penalized for roughing.

Both teams had multiple scoring chances in the last few minutes of regulation. Despite 10 on-goal shots from

Northeastern and six from Providence in the third period, neither could capitalize. A 20-minute sudden-death overtime would determine who would move onto the semifinals and who would hang up their skates.

Four minutes into the extra period, the Huskies were defeated with an overtime goal from Providence freshman forward Brady Berard. A shot from Friars’ sophomore defender Guillaume Richard bounced off the end boards and into the crease, allowing Berard to tap the puck past Levi, advancing Providence to the semifinals. The game-winner was Berard’s first career goal.

Northeastern held onto hope and challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but after review, the call on the ice stood. After 64 minutes of play, Providence outshot Northeastern 34-26. Despite a first-period lead by Lund and a 32-save performance from Levi, the Huskies were unable to take down the Friars, drawing their season to a close.

“It’s a tough loss anytime your season ends in overtime,” head coach Jerry Keefe said. “It wasn’t the result we were looking for tonight.”

Despite the loss, Keefe hopes the Huskies take pride in their work and, more importantly, in their program.

“They’ve accomplished some good things and made a lot of great friends,” Keefe said. “I hope they can walk out of here saying they became better people and better hockey players and that they’re proud that they wore the Northeastern uniform.”

Senior guard Jaelyn Batts scans the court before passing the ball. The Huskies fell to Monmouth 73-60 in a CAA Semifinals matchup Saturday afternoon.

Photo courtesy Justin Chen

The Northeastern men’s hockey team takes the ice against the Providence Friars. The Huskies’ loss to the Friars in the Hockey East quarterfinals put an end to their season.

Photo by Z Weber

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Op-ed: Entertainment ‘news’ needs to mitigate celebrity coverage

News organizations cannot deny their power. Their journalistic expertise deems and validates what stories we consume. But often our attention is diverted from more pressing issues. It’s easy to see why people would rather focus on Us Weekly’s timeline of Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green’s relationship than President Joe Biden’s new budget, but that should not be exploited.

those stories rarely, if ever, made it into popular discourse.

Can some of these entertainment news organizations even be considered news organizations?

Public obsession with the intimate details of celebrities’ lives is a tale as old as time. We have an untamable desire to know who Pete Davidson is dating, how much money Jimmy Fallon’s home is worth and exactly how Demi Lovato has been navigating their addiction issues.

Various mainstream organizations are guilty of propagating that obsession, even excluding the ill-intentioned tabloids masquerading as legitimate news sources, such as the National Enquirer and The Sun. Stories are plastered across front pages and social media, treated like breaking news.

Access Hollywood recently published a series of photos of Avril Lavigne with Tyga, her rumored new boyfriend. BuzzFeed News is currently featuring an article titled, “Justin Bieber Literally Couldn’t Have Had Less Of A Reaction To Hailey Bieber Being Trolled...” I recently took an earlymorning Uber ride to the sound of radio hosts ranting about Tiger Woods and Erica Herman, his ex-girlfriend, for a solid 10 minutes. Are these really the need-to-know headlines?

Most entertainment news is comparatively unimportant. But even within the journalistic genre, there are better stories. For example, it is important to know when Kanye West makes antisemitic comments on Twitter or when Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis raise money for humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. Coverage of more irrelevant stories takes our attention away.

Remember one of last year’s “biggest” stories? Released in 2022, “Don’t Worry Darling” is a psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, among other famous actors. In the days building up to the movie premiere, there was extensive drama surrounding the cast, and entertainment news organizations leaped to exploit it. From a rumored relationship between Styles and director Olivia Wilde, an apparent feud between Pugh and Wilde and a incident where Styles allegedly spit on costar Chris Pine after the film’s debut screening at the Venice Film Festival, there was always another irrelevant controversy.

We were more tuned into the drama rather than the merits of the movie. For example, the movie had a rare female director at the helm, Pugh gave an incredible performance and the story tackled important themes. But

News organizations cover relevant stories, but most celebrity news does not change our day to day lives. Our lives will not be impacted by Austin Kevitch’s relationship with Camilla Cabello, what Blake Lively wears on a walk or whether Kendall Jenner kissed Bad Bunny. Consequently, I hesitate to consider these as news stories.

During the 2023 Grammy Awards earlier this year, it was hard to find general coverage of the night that simply celebrated the joy of music and the night’s winners. There were, however, plenty of stories about Adele allegedly walking out after Styles won Album of the Year as well as several articles aggregating social media reactions to Beyoncé losing the same award.

Everyone can have their own opinions about what went down. Nevertheless, I found it sad to see the consequences of excessive coverage and social media spiraling. I vividly remember opening up Twitter to see the Grammy’s drama trending higher than the earthquake that killed an initial 3,700 people in Turkey the same day. That’s what we chose to focus on? Really?

Of course, social media has made the situation much, much worse. Not only do news organizations excessively push their stories across several channels, but the added exposure given to irrelevant stories leads to intense negative reactions. Just take a look at any of the comments under posts on accounts like BuzzFeed Celeb or Entertainment Tonight.

Even worse, social media outrage sometimes makes it off the internet. Recently, there has been some alleged drama between Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez. I don’t fully understand the details, but luckily, Forbes did a rundown of this incredibly relevant story. Justin Bieber then performed at the Rolling Loud music festival in Los Angeles, and fans began screaming insults against his wife.

I understand this is, unfortunately, common fan behavior and definitely not the first time fans have publicly targeted celebrities with no regard for their mental health or privacy. Many of us have stopped treating celebrities like human beings deserving of respect. But I would be willing to bet the public response could have been mitigated had the media not validated the story and made it a scandal. You are less likely to be outraged about something you did not know about in the first place and that is why the media ecosystem remains guilty.

The mitigation of entertainment news coverage is a nuanced topic that certainly cannot be dissected in a 900-word opinion piece by a college student. There are several arguments I barely touched, such as how disrespectful the coverage is, how some celebrities themselves incite news coverage or how the public bears responsibility in avoiding consuming celebrity news. But the influence of news organizations in their reporting choices cannot be ignored.

Pavithra Rajesh is a fourth-year journalism major. She can be reached at rajesh.p@northeastern.edu.

Op-ed: Victory for Ukraine is the only option for the sake of peace

to “respect [Ukraine’s] independence and sovereignty” and to “refrain from the threat or the use of force against [Ukraine].” In doing so, the Russian invasion has done massive damage to nuclear nonproliferation; in exchange for these hollow promises, Ukraine forfeited its nuclear arsenal. Having seen the Ukrainian example, why would any nation choose denuclearization in the future?

Anderson

Content Warning: Discussions of sexual assault, extreme violence and genocide.

With the Russian war in Ukraine past the one-year mark, a small but vocal contingent in the West believes the time has come to explore peace talks. Some frame this as the humane option. The longer this war lasts — as the logic goes — the more suffering will be endured, and the more lives lost.

Even if well-intentioned, such arguments are fundamentally and frustratingly naive; the Russian regime does not negotiate for peace in good faith. In starting the war, Russia had already torn up the Budapest Memorandum, where it made a legally binding commitment

Furthermore, any belief that a Russian peace treaty would legitimately bring peace to the Ukrainian people — as was proposed in the Nov. 11 op-ed entitled “Vladimir Putin is becoming more aggressive with the Russian mobilization”— is entirely non-credible. The Russian regime has shown callous disregard for human rights and international law. In occupied areas, over 48,000 Ukrainian civilians have been forcibly conscripted to fight against their own homeland, an internationallyrecognized war crime. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been forcibly separated from their families and deported to Russia for assimilation, meeting the definition of “genocide” of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. And as Ukrainian forces liberate their land, countless horrors have been discovered. Dead civilians litter the streets and populate mass graves.

Some bear marks of torture; others were summarily executed to instill terror in the civilian population. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented numerous crimes by Russian forces: deliberate murder of civilians, use of human shields, rape and sexual violence, torture and extrajudicial executions. How can any well-meaning person argue in favor of this? How can anyone — in good conscience and good faith — argue this is the “humane option”? What kind of people are we if we idly allow such war crimes and genocide?

What will be gained from such sheer human suffering? Any ceasefire will be inevitably short-lived. Violence is an inherent pillar of the current Russian regime; the brand of national chauvinism extolled by Vladimir Putin demands regular assertions of military prowess, rallying the population to a national cause to distract from domestic unrest. This well-worn playbook has been trotted out for the wars in Chechnya in 1994 and 1999, the 2008 war in Georgia and the 2014 invasion of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Each time, the international response was tepid; each time, the regime grew ever more emboldened. How many lives could have been saved if the world took a stand before this war? With

every delay, the cost of confronting this regime grows ever greater. The international community cannot afford to make this mistake again. An unequivocal stand must be taken against such aggression.

This is the crux of the matter: Peace imposed on the aggressor’s terms is no peace at all. Those who argue otherwise would be well-served by a history lesson; their calls for negotiation echo the bitter irony of Neville Chamberlain’s proclamation that he had brought “peace for our time” just one year before the start of WWII in Europe, the most devastating war this world has ever seen. Instead of undermining the Ukrainian position, the world should support them in every way possible. The Ukrainian people are fighting like hell for freedom, for liberty, for the right to exist and to live in peace. They stand tall against the delusions of a dictator, showing the strength of free people. They stand on the front lines of the global war against tyranny everywhere. For the sake of peace, we cannot let them stand alone.

Zachar Hankewycz is a fourthyear computer science major and the president of the Ukrainian Cultural Club at Northeastern. He can be reached at hankewycz.z@northeastern.edu.

Photo by Quillan Anderson

Photo by Quillan

Op-ed: Students chase co-ops, not attract them

the workforce – this is a competition.

Northeastern requires all students to take a semester-long preparatory course before embarking on their first co-op. The course does a good job of preparing students for professional interviews and pairing students with a co-op adviser. My advisor helped prepare me to enter the biotechnology industry through mock scenarios and interviews, resume building, panels with current and former co-op students and other resources. However, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the mental stress I endured, especially since I had such high hopes going into this process.

greater stability, it was more economically feasible to hire co-ops. But now it’s more like, “Co-ops? On my payroll?” and companies dishing out money to afford inexperienced contractors. The downsizing of teams and increase in demand for employees with more extensive industry backgrounds have made it increasingly difficult for learners and people new to the field to obtain jobs.

possibility that I could end up taking a gap semester and falling even more behind because I was incapable of landing a co-op and too egotistical to register for classes as a backup plan.

loomed over me constantly.

When asked why they chose to enroll, Northeastern students will almost always mention the university’s co-op program. Something about role-playing a full-time, 9-to-5 worker really soothes the soul of college students.

Co-op programs are great opportunities for students to grow academically and professionally, and Northeastern is well-known for its prestigious, world-leading program. It’s one of the reasons why I decided to apply early decision to Northeastern. Being able to learn in the field instead of sitting in a lecture while building your resume and getting hands-on experience was something that separated Northeastern from any of the other over-5,000 higher education institutions in the United States.

I just recently started my first co-op and am loving it so far. However, getting to this point was one of the most emotionally draining experiences I’ve gone through. This isn’t your average foray into

People I know who graduated from Northeastern would tell me how amazing their co-ops were and how there were so many opportunities and offers to choose from. However, my co-op search experience was not as easy as I was told, and I’m sure many people who applied in the past couple cycles can relate. Since 2020, it has become increasingly difficult to get hired, and it isn’t because more people are getting jobs. Across the biotechnology industry, share prices have significantly dropped and companies are being pushed to lay off their employees in hopes of saving money on labor costs. This can even be seen recently outside of the biotechnology industry with big corporations like Google, Microsoft and Amazon laying off tens of thousands of employees as costs increase and fears of a recession ignite.

As job openings become scarcer, companies are moving towards hiring more experienced workers — smaller teams, but greater experience — as a collective. When the economy saw

When it came time for me to write a resume for co-op, I was told it should be no longer than one page. I kept thinking about how I’d fit all my work experiences on a single page. Lo and behold, once I typed everything out, I didn’t even need the whole page. Before college, I had only worked at my parents’ restaurant and dabbled in retail. I’d never worked in a lab or done any summer internships. Even when I got to Northeastern, aside from the foundational, basic chemistry and biology labs, I didn’t get any experience or do any projects that would differentiate me from other applicants. Everything I had ever done was on that sheet of paper, and it wasn’t that impressive.

Despite this, I still had confidence going into the application process. If I could show I was ready and eager to learn, I could get myself a co-op. In total, I applied to over 40 co-ops and only received three responses.

As I applied to more and more openings and still had zero interview offers — without even a letter of rejection — my anxiety skyrocketed exponentially every day. I was already behind in classes, in a full-on fistfight with my mental health and struggling to find the motivation to do anything. Now I had to deal with the

As I watched everyone around me post their “I am thrilled to announce…” posts on LinkedIn, I sat at my desk, trying to scarf up at least an interview while also being engulfed in late work and “at-risk of failing” notifications. I kept falling into bouts of imposter syndrome. Maybe I wasn’t experienced enough to get a co-op. Maybe I should have done more to build my resume. Maybe I don’t belong at such a prestigious school. It didn’t help that I was part of the class that Northeastern overenrolled. After the admission of the class of 2025 with an acceptance rate of 18%, Northeastern dropped its acceptance rate for the following class of 2026 to a mere 6.7%. The large drop in acceptance rate partnered with Northeastern’s scramble to find beds for new students made it increasingly obvious the university made a mistake in enrolling too many people in the class of 2025, and I couldn’t help but think that I was one of the people they overenrolled with.

Nobody said getting a co-op would be easy, but nobody told me my mental health would take a toll. Multiple times throughout the process, I thought about dropping out of school entirely. I thought if I was incapable of getting a co-op, I wouldn’t be capable of getting my degree. Even as the midpoint of the winter semester approached and people would reiterate that less than half of students had accepted a co-op and that I still had so much time, my confidence turned into anxiety that

I got my first actual email a week before the end of the semester. But this was a “sorry, we already found someone else, good luck though” letter. The second one I got was a “you don’t meet the qualifications we’re looking for, sorry” letter.

But a few days before my last final, I received an email asking me to interview for a research position. Coincidentally, the interview was for the company I wanted to work at the most. Even though it was only an interview, it was at least something substantial, and some of the overwhelming stress floated off my shoulders. I did eventually get this position, but the whole process of even getting an interview was exhausting.

If you are entering this process for the first time, don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t succeed immediately. Persist. Northeastern puts so much emphasis on experiential learning without pondering how difficult it is becoming to obtain these experiences, pushing an overwhelming and unnecessary amount of pressure on their students. Exposing students to the workforce and incorporating handson experience into its curriculum is noteworthy, but Northeastern should stop putting up this façade that everyone gets a co-op and that being a student at Northeastern makes you better than everyone else in the applicant pool. The world is headed in an unpredictable direction, but one thing’s for sure: Getting an interview is harder than getting the job.

Kevin Ng is a second-year biochemistry major. They can be reached at ng.kev@northeastern.edu.

Artificial intelligence’s increasing popularity alters our understanding of reality

the platform a viral sensation with over 100 million users in two months.

ChatGPT has proven to be a miracle for many, yet a peril for others. Through the lens of a venture capitalist, this artificial intelligence, or AI, is the holy grail of modern technological advancement, especially considering society’s recent prolonged hiatus of high-tech breakthroughs as well as the myriad challenges plaguing current tech corporations.

hindered. Instead of making rough drafts for essays or artworks from scratch, we will use AI to spew out a creation that seems uncanny to someone’s original work and generates praise.

Growing up, I considered myself to be tech-savvy. I would log onto my family’s chunky 2008 desktop with my sister and begin experimenting, seeing what kinds of creative projects we could make on the unfamiliar device. I taught myself how to draw masterpieces on Microsoft Paint and how to animate Microsoft Powerpoint slides to impress my peers during school presentations. At the time, this technology seemed revolutionary, and I was excited to see what the future held for the power of computers. Now, I am much more wary. This past November, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, a chatbot with the capacity to interpret a user’s prompt and return a realistic response to them. It is programmed to mimic speech patterns, understand words using context clues and relay accurate information. The company has made other programs that can generate pieces of art from text, solve quantum math problems and debug codes, among other uses. OpenAI is currently allowing the public to test the program for free, making

While investors throw their money to buy shares of OpenAI, others are alarmed by the implications of this program. Though the machine lacks a brain of its own or any science-fiction ulterior motive to harm humanity, ChatGPT threatens the current way society operates, spanning from investments to the education industry.

New York City public schools banned ChatGPT due to concerns over it being a possible impediment to learning, especially through cheating.

With the AI possessing the ability to write long, professional essays and answer complex math problems, it is unsurprising they banned the tool.

ChatGPT even made its way to the House of Representatives floor after Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) delivered a speech he generated entirely from AI. In my eyes, this speaks volumes about how frequently we will see this technology used in our day-to-day lives.

In the future, it’ll be much harder to tell what is human versus what is computer generated. As technology becomes better able to mimic human actions, creative practices we find ourselves often engaging in have the potential of being

AI-generated art has clashed against man-made creations already, making headlines multiple times. One notable instance was when a man in Colorado won an art competition for a piece he generated using Midjourney, beating artists who presented hand-crafted works.

In more extreme cases, some may find themselves relying heavily on AI for support as well. Whether it’s correcting code or asking basic history questions, people will feel an increased reliance on programs to help perform a variety of tasks. But this has the potential to be beneficial as well, especially for those seeking medical or mental health resources.

Studies show therapy apps operating through the use of AI can greatly benefit those who have anxiety or depression. People seeking help for mental illnesses can utilize programs like Wysa, which is proven to help decrease symptoms of certain disorders.

Ultimately, though, there’s no comprehension or thought behind the words AI spews out. While programs coded to help those struggling with mental health are extremely beneficial, everyone should not be turning to AI as their usual means of communication. If technology replaces in-person interactions with others, our society will be out of touch with reality and headed in an entirely new and frightening direction.

The history of AI programs is riddled with bias, emulating the darker side

of human experiences. Oftentimes, softwares may function differently when dealing with women or people of color. ChatGPT falls right into this practice, having been recorded sharing racial slurs and using discriminatory language.

Bias in AI has been observed time and time again, even in programs created by big tech corporations. Amazon, for instance, was heavily criticized when their 2018 recruiting software exhibited sexist behaviors, placing women below men solely based on their gender. This happened because the program’s database for what it deemed to be a promising candidate was based on the company’s documents of hired employees over the previous decade, the grand majority of whom were men. The technology essentially taught itself to discriminate against women, and Amazon had to discontinue the use of the program all together.

In another case, Google’s artificial intelligence technology was accused of displaying racial bias. Their photo-service program labeled Black people as “gorillas” and placed them in a folder separate from other people.

This notion is extremely concerning, especially when looking at the way AI is being used more frequently in important industries. There are rumored AI lawyers representing human clients, AI medical assistants and even AI dentists in the works. If these programs display concerning behaviors and discriminate against certain groups of people, this could ultimately cause great damage to society, especially as we increase our dependence on them.

However, this technology is not something we should worry about at the moment. Although it currently observes impressive features, it will likely be a long while before it becomes powerful to the point of concern.

That isn’t to say I’m comfortable thinking that while my younger-self stared in amazement as I made my Google search bar do a barrel-roll, newer generations will normalize using AI to do their math homework. That concept still has a shock factor, but I’m certain every generation felt the same way about the technological advancements of those that came after them.

Overall, ChatGPT is an incredible tool that has many benefits and shows how far we have come in the advancement of technology. But this program has the power to negatively skew our understanding of reality when taken to the extreme.

In the meantime, AI companies should work on ensuring their software operates correctly and in an unbiased way before being used in both public and private settings. Considering there are currently no federal laws surrounding AI regulations, legislative powers should oversee programs with the potential to impact society on a great scale and ensure they are not operating in a harmful manner – especially when being used in legal circumstances – as observed many times in the past.

Megan Canizares Castillo is a second-year journalism and media studies combined major. She can be reached at canizares.m@northeastern.edu.

Op-ed:

Photo by Quillan Anderson

Photo by Quillan Anderson

‘It’s sweet when puppets remain alive’: Puppet library animates local events

By Emily Niedermeyer News Correspondent

Behind the bustling Newbury Street on Public Alley 437 is a small arched door, adorned with a painted panel instructing visitors to ring the bell dangling upon it.

It’s fit for an entrance to a magical world, and in a way, it is — leading the way to Boston’s Puppet Free Library in the basement of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

Stocked with parade puppets and banners, gigantic heads of Poseidon and Mother Earth, 10-foot tall giraffes, blossoming flowers and fiery dragons, the puppet library has almost every character imaginable.

All are available to be borrowed, for free, to animate community events and celebrations across New England and New York City.

Sara Peattie, the artist, or “puppeteer,” is behind the hidden library. Her workshop next door is stocked with hundreds of the puppets, many of which she made.

Peattie has worked with puppets for over 40 years, ever since being apprenticed to a puppeteer when she was 18. That puppeteer was the famed Peter Schumann, co-founder and director of the Bread & Puppet Theater. Peattie, however, never planned on pursuing puppetry.

“I’m just like, in awe,” she said. “I never had intentions of anything.”

She is often baffled by her “random life,” she said.

Peattie founded Puppeteers

Cooperative in 1976 with the late puppeteer George Konnoff in San Francisco after the two worked with Bread & Puppet in Vermont. The nonprofit is an association of puppeteers, theatre artists and other musicians who work towards community outreach and education.

Following Konnoff’s passing in 2001, Peattie continued their work, linking the cooperative more and more with the community.

Peattie attributes the plan to Konnoff and said she came to Boston following his motivation.

“He was the one who was going to do big pageants at Lincoln Center,” Peattie said, “and world domination through puppetry.”

The puppet libraries began in Boston, then known as the Back Alley Puppet Theater. The library originally loaned puppets to the public informally, but was made official around 1995. Though the library is open to visitors every Tuesday, most of its work focuses on lending. Peattie’s puppets usually take about a week to make and the library lends out a couple every week.

Peattie spends most of the time in her workshop rather than the crowded, low-ceiling storage room where the puppets are located. She admits they are a little unsettling — her brother won’t even enter the puppet storage room because of “all the little eyes looking at him.”

“These aren’t the kind of things you would want around the house,” she said, speaking about the puppets. “That’s why I don’t bother too much about lending them out, they always come back.”

Her studio is a much larger space with a collection of supplies she has built up for decades.

“It’s amazingly large,” she said. “I come in and do whatever. If there’s an event, I get stuff ready for it. I’m doing a Purim spiel … so I get cardboard and materials ready for that or I work on stuff that’s broken.”

Peattie’s days never quite look the same, she added.

“That’s what’s nice about puppetry,” she said. “You get long days in the cellar doing papier-mache and then you’re running around in the street with crowds of people or workshops with kids.”

The cooperative and the lending libraries participate in many events, such as First Night celebrations.

Alex Mrusek, the parade director for the Boston First Night Parade, a New Year’s Eve celebration of artistic performances, says the use of Peattie’s puppets contributes greatly to the vibrancy of the event.

“The puppets have been a staple of the parade for a while and I think that’s because they bring such a different look and feel and they bring such a sense of community,” Mrusek said.

Theresa Linnihan, founder of the New York Puppet Library, has collaborated closely with Peattie over the years. Both the New York and

Boston Puppet Free Libraries are creations of the Puppeteers Cooperative.

“It was really Sara’s notion that we should take all of our puppets that had accumulated over several years of doing pageants in New York and were all in storage and in different places and make a puppet library,” Linnihan said.

The New York Puppet Library opened in 2003, and in 2004, the library moved into the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, a Civil War monument in the heart of Brooklyn at Prospect Park.

“It was a free opportunity for the public to experience the arch and to be able to service their imaginative needs with puppetry,” Linnihan said. “We were putting the roots into these stories and making rather sophisticated tellings of traditional fairy tales.” Linnihan spoke fondly about this

“I can’t underline enough how it was a magical time in my life,” Linnihan said. “Hearing [people’s] voices wander up the spiral staircase and their exclamations in surprise and the wonder of it and then coming down and asking more about it and asking if you can borrow puppets for free.”

Linnihan discovered puppetry in the same way as Sara: with the help of Peter Schumann.

Bread & Puppet helped her theater company, Theater in the Open, in the late 1980s. Maudslay State Park granted residency to the theater, at that time known as The Newburyport Children’s Theater, where they had to perform in the middle of the woods.

“A squirrel would upstage us completely,” Linnihan said.

She’s grown to appreciate puppetry over the years and has worked with Peattie to ensure the puppets are

about the puppet library is that they could go to work,” Linnihan said. “It’s sweet when puppets remain alive. When they go into a storage unit or someone’s garage, they just sit there as inanimate objects. There’s a sadness to that because they were designed as a form of magic.”

“Libraries often do that, remind you how everything is connected,” Linnihan said.

The Puppeteer’s Cooperative is always looking for more engagement, and although Peattie always enjoys new events to perform at and new puppets to create, she appreciates the life she has built for herself.

“In theory I want to expand, but in the winters, sitting around in the cellar doing papier-mache is kind of great,” Peattie said. “I drink tea, I listen to long Victorian audiobooks… It’s not an exciting or a meritorious

Puppets of all shapes and sizes line an aisle inside the Puppet Free Library. The space was officially established as a library around 1995.

Photos by Z Weber