2-4-2022

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, 2

ARTS, 3

Race and higher education come before the Supreme Court again.

The Coolidge Corner family comes together to help out.

CE LE B RATIN G

FRIDAY, FEB. 4, 2022

50

EDITORIAL, 4

YE ARS

O F

SPORTS, 6

Tune in to the FreeP E-Board opinions Read about the Terriers’ first women’s on Spotify’s political controversy.

Beanpot game in two years.

I N DE PE N DE N T

STU D E NT

J O U R NA LI S M

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR LII. VOLUME A. ISSUE II

Baker administration calls for easing of COVID measures at colleges, students’ wellbeing at risk Jit Ping Lee Staff Writer Two Cabinet secretaries from the Baker administration urged colleges and universities across the state to ease strict campus-wide COVID-19 protocols on Jan. 28.

“Our goal must now be to transition the COVID-19 Pandemic into an endemic,” the letter from Secretary of Education James Peyser and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders read.

The letter noted that measures such as rapid testing, vaccines and digital vaccine cards “navigate the careful transition into opening up our society while simultaneously employing public health mitigation strategies.”

The secretaries also warned colleges and universities about the “twindemic,” a word used to describe the combined negative impact of COVID and social isolation.

“The impact of two years of social isolation, anxiety, stress and depression is profound and one we must confront and support individuals, their loved ones, and our community,” the letter read.

In response to the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, universities across Massachusetts adopted stricter COVID policies. At Boston University, testing increased to twice weekly for undergraduate students.

Yu-Ren Chen, a junior at Northeastern University, said he believes that COVID regulations should not be relaxed at the moment and the process of easing restrictions should be done slowly.

“I feel like they [schools] should

always be prepared to make changes, and everyone should anticipate that,” Chen said.

Professors from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and University of Massachusetts, Amherst wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe on Jan. 20 about their observations of a decline in students’ mental health because of the pandemic and called for a relaxation of COVID policies.

Carlo Dallapiccola, professor of physics at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, said he had received numerous emails from students and parents complaining about students’ wellbeing.

“They [students and parents] were so happy to hear someone from the faculty pointing out these things because the impression that was being given is that the faculty is unanimously in favor of as many restrictions as possible,” Dallapiccola said.

Sam Kuo, a sophomore at the Berklee College of Music, said he feels the current measures of masking are a necessary safeguard to stop the virus from spreading.

“I don’t think I’m personally really easily impacted by any of those regulations,” Kuo said. “It probably has to take five minutes to get tested every week, but that’s pretty much it.”

Kuo said he thinks the school should not reduce the regulations because nobody wants to go back to remote learning.

“After lowering the regulations, although everybody’s vaccinated or got booster shots, it’s still very likely that there’s going to be spreading again and when the positivity rate goes high, [and] the school is still going to shut down and go back to online,” Kuo said.

Dallapiccola said masks are the “visible reminder” of the risk of gatherings and creates anxiety that things are not normal.

“Anyone who’s particularly vul-

VISHVA VENKATESAN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Two BU students walking down Commonwealth Ave. The Baker administration urged colleges and universities to ease strict campus COVID-19 protocols — but reactions from experts and students vary.

nerable … they should probably consider wearing an N95 and being careful,” Dallapiccola said. “But everyone else, if you make masks [an] option …they’ll start the movement towards everything else and will feel more normal and carefree.

Paul Beninger, associate professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, said people will have “anxious responses” to seeing others wear a mask.

“All of a sudden you have that almost-PTSD kind of response,” he said.

The idea of imposing mask requirements on students and staff populations seems “totally unwarranted,” said Adrian Staub, professor in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

“I think there has been a real acknowledgement that among many people, not everyone, that what we have done to college students has been too extreme,” Staub said. “And what we have done for that matter, at the primary and secondary levels for younger kids, has been very damaging.”

In the case that mask mandates are removed, those feeling concerned about rising infections will be “very well-protected” with a N95 mask, Staub said.

While Beninger supports the relaxation of social distancing rules, he said getting tested and wearing masks are still important for people along with the vaccination mandate.

“If we completely got rid of everything, we just wouldn’t be able to manage the number of cases that would go through the roof,” Beninger said. “There’s just no healthcare system in the world that would be able to manage that kind of response, so we still need to flatten that curve.”

BU transitions to unobserved testing Tanisha Bhat Campus Associate Jesús Marrero Suárez Campus Editor Lauren Rowlands Campus Associate Boston University will begin unobserved COVID-19 testing for students at the Charles River Campus.

Observed testing will no longer be available at 808 Commonwealth Ave. after Feb. 10.

According to a Healthway email sent Wednesday, students will receive a “kit” — a swab tube and plastic bag — after their standard observed testing appointment starting today. When it comes time for their next appointment, students will take their at-home test to a check-in location at 808 Commonwealth Ave. or at a new East Campus location at 700 Beacon St. “Now that classes have been in session for two weeks, we are confident that everyone is performing their tests accurately and they can now be

done without observation,” the email read.

Self-scheduled, symptomatic tests will continue to be observed and “will receive the highest priority,” according to the email. The transition marks the latest in a series of BU’s COVID-19 mandates which shift more of the responsibility to the individual student.

Judy Platt, director of Student Health Services and chief health officer, addressed concerns about the possibility of students falsifying their tests before dropping them off in an email, writing some individuals “may not be as truthful as we would hope.”

“This is unfortunate, but we do believe that the majority of BU students are appreciative of testing and are committed to the health of our campus,” Platt wrote.

Rachel Neil, a freshman in the College of Communications, said the University’s testing protocols last semester were one of the reasons she enrolled at BU, but said the change makes her feel “scared and apprehensive” because students could

purposely fabricate inaccurate test results.

“I feel like a lot of positive COVID results will be underrepresented because people could be manipulating how they’re recording them,” Neil said.

Platt wrote staff “will be present” at both the 808 location and 700 Beacon St. when asked about their future employment status at observed testing centers.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said the decreasing trend in positive cases on campus “guided” the University’s decision to switch to unobserved testing.

BU reported 133 COVID-19 cases Tuesday — 1.57% of the total campus population. The case count has trended downward since early January. However, case counts are still higher compared to previous semesters, where the daily positivity rate rarely exceeded 1%.

Ata Yalcindag, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he doesn’t see much of an issue with the change as long as the COVID-19 test

itself does not change.

“It’s basically the same thing,” Yalcindag said. “We’re just dropping it off instead of doing it at the site.”

The collection site in Medical Campus at 72 E Concord St. will transition to a full unobserved dropoff site next week.

ANGELA YANG | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A COVID-19 nasal swab test wrapped in its packaging. Unobserved COVID-19 testing for students at Boston University’s Charles River Campus will begin Feb. 3, a Healthway email said Wednesday.

2 NEWS

Supreme Court to hear affirmative action challenges at Harvard University and UNC Cici Yu City Editor The Supreme Court agreed last Monday to review challenges to race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which may have wider implications for affirmative action in higher education.

The court said it will hear both cases during its next term, which begins in the fall. Both lawsuits were filed by the Students for Fair Admissions, which believes racial classifications and preferences in college admission are “unfair, unnecessary, and unconstitutional,”according to the group’s website.

“There are factual differences because each one of these cases operates under its own admission standards and practices,” said Theodore Shaw, distinguished professor of law and director of the Center for Civil Rights at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Shaw added there are also “legal” differences between two cases.

SFFA v. Harvard University, a private university, is subject to Title VI of 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded institutions.

SFFA v. University of North Carolina, a public institution, is governed by the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause, which requires the U.S. to provide equal protection under the law to all persons.

“These lawsuits are the product of a multi decade campaign to change the meaning of the Equal Protection Clause and to counteract and accomplish the elimination of race conscious remedies,” said Kimberly West-Faulcon, the James P. Bradley chair in constitutional law at Loyola

Law School.

West-Faulcon said comparing the admission rates of Asian American applicants and white applicants is the best way to determine whether Asian Americans are the victims of racebased affirmative action .

According to an econometric

grades and SAT scores are denied twice as often as their white and Asian American peers,” wrote Loretta Biggs, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, in court documents.

Raymond Zheng, a current freshman student at Harvard University,

equitable approach to college admissions.

“Treating students differently by race and ethnicity violates the legal covenant that holds Americans together. No student should be judged based upon their accident of birth,” Blum said . “Race-based affirmative

HUI-EN (BENSON) LIN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Students on campus at Harvard University. Challenges to affirmative action at Harvard University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill will be heard by the Supreme Court, which could end the practice of affirmative action in

model from Peter Arcidiacono, a professor of economics at Duke University, 3% of in-state, top-decile Black candidates were denied admission by the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In contrast, only 1.2% of white students and 1.8% of Asian American students in the top decile were denied.

“The evidence shows that, as a whole, underrepresented minorities are admitted at lower rates than their white and Asian American counterparts, and those with the highest

said he believes he has not been discriminated against as an Asian American.

“My SAT [score] is a little lower than the statistical average of the state of Asian American students who get into some more selective schools,” Zheng said. “But I don’t think it’s necessarily the case with others in my class either.”

SFFA president Edward Blum said he believes forbidding universities from using race in the admissions process will lead to a fairer, more

action is widely unpopular among African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and whites, and the Supreme Court should end the use of the classifications and preferences.”

A majority of Black, white and Hispanic pollers believed “affirmative action programs designed to increase the number of black and minority students on college campuses” were a positive thing, a 2017 Pew Research Center report found. A 2019 survey from the same center found Black, white, Hispanic and Asian

pollers believed race “should not be a factor” in college admissions.

Margaret M. Chin, a board member of the Coalition for a Diverse Harvard, said Asian Americans have always been included in affirmative action programs.

“Asian Americans went from 3% of the class in 1980 to 25% of the class in the class of 2024,” Chin said.

“Asian Americans have only benefited, during this whole time, with affirmative action.”

Chin said she believes overturning the decision is “very dangerous,” for not just affirmative action, but for the role of race in the educational level.

Zheng said he doesn’t think colleges can completely get rid of race-conscious admissions because there are multiple parts that are already embedded in the admissions process.

Both West-Faulcon and Shaw said the lawsuits don’t do anything to remedy or address, as Shaw puts it, the “great deal of inequity and inequality” against Asian Americans at the educational level.

“By the time students are presented for admissions at selective colleges and universities, they haven’t had equal opportunity and institutions can’t consider all of that,” Shaw said.

Shaw added the current Supreme Court is more conservative than previous ones.

“That’s why those who are bringing these cases, Edward Blum and the Students for Fair Admissions, are hoping and assuming that they can finally prevent colleges and universities from achieving diversity,” Shaw said. “We can’t say with certainty about what’s going to happen, but this is a different court than the court that considered these questions before.”

BU essential workers reported for shifts during Saturday blizzard emergency Fiona Broadie Contributing Reporter Kerry O’Hara Donavan Contributing Reporter Cheryl Lin said she was hit with sub-zero degree wind chill and tripped several times in the snow as she made her way to her job at the George Sherman Union City Convenience on Jan. 29.

Lin was one of many Boston University staff members — considered essential workers during an emergency campus closure — scheduled to work Saturday as a record-breaking blizzard made its way through Boston.

The University announced one day prior the only facilities open Saturday were those considered “essential services” — the Fitness and Recreation Center, City Conveniences, the Mugar Memorial Library and dining services, among

others. All COVID-19 testing sites were closed.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said there exists a precedent with keeping essential services running through severe weather conditions, noting typically harsh New England weather.

“The campus has more than 11,000 students living on campus,” he said.

“We’re a small city, very much like a municipality, where people need to be fed and have options.”

Some employees scheduled to

MOHAN GE | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Two people stand outside of BU’s Fitness and Recreation Center. BU essential workers were required to work during the blizzard on Jan. 29, despite an emergency campus closure.

work Saturday live off-campus in Dorchester or Allston and were not expecting to report to their scheduled Saturday shift given the severity of the snowstorm.

“I got my shift covered that Friday night by someone who was working on Saturday,” said Daniel Schindler, a senior in the College of Communications and FitRec facilities supervisor. “They were like, ‘Oh, can you swap’ and I picked it up thinking I’m not going to have to go because it’s going to be closed. That obviously didn’t pan out that way.”

Muntasir Meah, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and FitRec facilities supervisor, said he believes management decided to keep the facilities open given that many students use FitRec often. He noted attendance dropped sharply Saturday.

“I would say there was probably only like a couple of hundred kids that came in throughout the entire day. As opposed to a regular Saturday, in which we maybe see over 3,000,” Meah said.

While some made it to work, it was difficult or impossible for others to commute through the blizzard.

“I was stuck because of the blizzard, so I wasn’t able to get out,” Shaquille Jones, an employee in the Security Department of BU’s libraries, said. “My driveway was completely blocked in.”

Riley said employees with difficulties reporting to their shift should discuss the situation with their supervisor. Jones said Saturday’s supervisor exhausted all options

before concluding that Jones could stay home Saturday.

Additional compensation varied for employees working through the snowstorm. Meah and Schindler said FitRec employees received an increased pay rate of roughly three dollars per hour, while Lin said she received a free breakfast from the GSU Starbucks.

Regarding the situation, Morgan Doyle, a freshman in the College of General Studies, said it was “unfair” that essential workers had to commute to work during the harsh weather.

“They were risking their lives to get to work since the conditions were so bad,” she said. “We could have managed without them having to come into work in the two feet of snow.”

An essential worker is an employee who’s in-person service is considered a necessity even during an emergency closing, as defined

by Boston University’s Employee Handbook.

Lin said City Convenience should remain closed during future snowstorms, adding it is worth thinking about the safety of both workers and students who she said should not be out in such weather conditions.

“I don’t want any students to be out walking in a blizzard,” Lin said.

“Since it’s snowing so much and you can’t really see where you’re going.

Help the students, help the workers … we should all stay home and have a free day.”

FEATURES 3

COMMUNITY

BU alum publishes memoir on 21st century dating Isabel Chambers Contributing Writer For Jana Eisenstein, a 2004 Boston University alumna from the College of Arts and Sciences, writing was always just a hobby.

She never envisioned that she’d write a book, until one particularly devastating breakup in 2014 which catapulted her into the process.

Eisenstein’s memoir, “Ghosted: Dating & Other Paramoural Experiences,” was published Jan. 25 by Atmosphere Press, an independent publishing company based in Austin, Texas.

Each chapter of the book delves into a different relationship from a 10-year period, 2004 to 2014.

The memoir details her experiences meeting and dating men online and at bars, with a focus on “teas[ing] out the parts that are funny about [the relationships]” Eisenstein said, otherwise “it takes away from the power from the story.”

“That’s how I approached a lot of the bad things that have happened in my life,” she said.

“I sit with them and then I try to figure out what’s funny about them, so I just ended up with a whole bunch of sad stories that I turned into humorous stories.”

Trista Edwards, developmental

editor at Atmosphere Press, was “struck by Ghosted’s candidness and Jana’s willingness to be vulnerable.”

“A lot of memoirs come across my desk and, believe it or not, not all writers are really as willing to hold a mirror up to themselves,” Edwards wrote in an email.

“Jana’s writing looked the mirror dead on. She was willing to dive into the ups and downs of dating and personal growth, failures and all.”

Claire Denson, one of Atmosphere Press’s publicity managers, said “it’s a wonderful feeling” to have the book published.

“Our goal is to get the word out there to heighten the book’s visibility and to help her and equip [her] with the tools to learn from this experience,” Claire said.

Eisenstein said her work as a columnist for The Daily Free Press her freshman year helped her understand the experience of publishing work.

“It did help me realize that if I am going to put my own personal stories out into the world, I really need to be comfortable with people reacting to them,” Eisentstein said. “It took me a long time to get to a place where I felt comfortable saying yes, this is my story.”

ANH NGUYEN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University alumna Jana Eisenstein’s book “Ghosted: Dating & Other Paranormal Experiences.” Eisenstein’s recently published memoir reflects on dating in the 21st century, inspired by a bad breakup.

After graduating BU in 2004, Eisenstein went to George Washington University’s School of Public Health for her master’s degree — sure of her love for the sciences, but unsure about what to do with her biology degree. It is here, in the muggy, political city of Washington D.C., that “Ghosted” began.

To dream up a concept for the cover of the book — a red silhouette of a woman looking at a ghost emerging from her phone

against a blue background — Eisenstein spent over two weeks working with Ronaldo Alves, the art director at Atmosphere Press.

“Jana was great to work with,” Alves wrote in an email. “She was willing to see our crazy ideas and had great comments on how to improve the chosen concept. It was a really fun process.”

Edwards emphasized Eisenstein’s openness to criticism to improve the book.

“The process itself is very

vulnerable because it sometimes means killing your darlings,” Edwards said. “Jana was always willing to hold that knife up and cut when needed.”

While friends and family have been supportive of the book’s publishing, some relatives have made it clear that they don’t plan to read it for themselves.

Eisenstein understands where they come from.

“It’s a deeply personal book,” she said. “It’s not necessarily something you want your father to read.”

Yet even without some family members onboard, Eisenstein said she realized how much the book has helped her process events and better her relationships.

“Writing it was therapy for me,” she said. “Since writing this book my dating life has been much better. The quality of people that I’ve let into my life has improved drastically.”

Eisenstein said that since the stories in “Ghosted” end in 2014, she already has another book full of experiences from the last eight years. For now, however, she plans to spend the next six months promoting her memoir.

“Holding it in my hands and seeing it as a tangible thing that I know is going to be out in the world is just such a moment of pride,” she said.

ARTS

Coolidge Corner Theatre’s expansion campaign begins accepting donations from the public Stella Tannenbaum Contributing Writer Coolidge Corner Theatre, a longstanding staple for the Brookline community, is now accepting public donations for its multimillion dollar expansion project — which includes two additional theaters and a community center.

The current expansion project, known as “Campaign for the Coolidge,” began about 10 years ago and is expected to finish in early 2023, Beth Gilligan,

Coolidge Corner Theatre’s deputy director, said.

The “once-in-a-generation transformational project,” according to the campaign’s website, will include a “Community Education and Engagement Center” — a multipurpose space that could be used for classes, catered events, trivia nights and film clubs, Gilligan said.

The space will also be used for rental for community use, as well as two additional theaters, a media library and a new Centre Street entrance that opens into an atrium with many improved

amenities.

“It’s been a long road but we’re so thrilled that it’s finally coming to fruition,” Gilligan said.

The project has faced many challenges since its conception, including problems with initial plans, choosing an architect and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, through thick and thin, the project has now reached 90% of its campaign goal, and the theater is calling on the public to help with the construction phase to see it through to completion.

According to Gilligan, the $12.5 million expansion is

ANH NGUYEN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline. Despite many challenges since its inception 10 years ago, the “Campaign for the Coolidge” expansion project is moving forward and is now accepting public donations.

funded primarily by community members, family foundations, the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s “Cultural Facilities Fund” and help from state legislators.

“It’s mostly been Coolidge supporters of every stripe stepping forward to really support our vision, who understand the role that theater plays in the community and their lives,” Gilligan said.

Coolidge Corner Theatre first opened in 1933. In the late 1980s, the theater came close to financial ruin and was going to be redeveloped, but Brookline residents came together to prevent this from happening, which resulted in the founding of a nonprofit organization.

Gilligan, who has worked at the theater for almost 13 years, said it has a long history as a “beloved icon” for the Brookline community.

“It has a very long and storied history, and I think there’s a lot of affection for it,” Gilligan said. “A lot of people have memories of coming here as a kid.”

When the pandemic hit, the community once again banded together to show support for the historic theater, according to Gilligan.

“We were really floored by just the outpouring of love that we received from everyone during the pandemic closure,” Gilligan said.

Ronnie England, freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, grew up in Brookline and feels the area has a strong sense of community.

“They’ve made an effort within the past few years to

make community spaces like the Brookline Teen Center,” England said.

England recalls going to the Coolidge Corner Theatre with her family, and she thinks the new additions and changes will provide “a nice space for people to gather.”

“I think the community education space is really exciting to me personally just because it’s so unique,” Gilligan said. “The future of the institution in many ways is just to be able to gather people to talk about film and to connect over that.”

Renderings and floor plans for the new project are available at campaign.coolidge.org.

The project will also include a new entrance, which Gilligan described will complement the old entrance with a “21st century Art Deco spin.”

Despite these changes, the project will still preserve and restore the theater’s original entrance.

The project is “committed to maintaining the unique character of our existing historic theater and has worked closely with the architect (Howëler + Yoon) to ensure a seamless and respectful integration of the old and the new,” according to a press document released by the Coolidge Corner Theatre in June 2021.

England said she was very glad the theater’s authentic feel will be preserved.

“I think part of its charm is the old-timey-ness of it, which has made it such a significant part of Coolidge Corner,” England said.

“It’s like a little landmark.”

4 OPINION

COLUMNS Wear Me This: If your choice to wear balaclavas is just a matter of aesthetics, check your privilege Sujena Soumyanath Co-Opinion Editor It’s that time of year again when the temperature has dropped so low that Boston University students have adopted the informal uniform of Canada Goose jackets while sporting perpetually frozen expressions on their faces.

The prospect of developing frostbitten ears on your way to class has made many pull out their beanies as well, myself included. Even though the beanie-mask combo provides useful anonymity when you inevitably run into your regrettable hookup from fall semester, it’s not exactly the height of winter fashion.

Luckily, TikTok’s knitwear-promoting, New York-inhabiting fashion caste has provided a new alternative to keep your ears from falling off this season — the balaclava.

If you’ve started fantasizing about honeysoaked filo pastry, I’m afraid I have some bad news. Far from a decadent Middle Eastern dessert, the balaclava is a face covering that vaguely looks as if its wearer cut a face hole out of a knitted sock and put it over their head.

I’ll admit, my first impression of the garment was that anyone who wore it would need a consultation with Bella Hadid’s facial surgeon if they still wanted to be considered attractive with it on. From the chunky knitted material to the awkwardly shaped face hole, I don’t exactly find balaclavas flattering.

That being said, I can appreciate the sense of rebellion and creativity they convey while still providing warmth. After all, 30 degrees is far too cold to be worried about getting scouted for America’s Next Top Model. Perhaps a shift from trying to look conventionally attractive

towards freer experimentation with fashion is the change we need this winter.

Balaclavas originated in 1854 during the Crimean War when British and Irish troops wore them to fight in the freezing Russian winter. Over the years they became a symbol of liberation and revolt, eventually being reimagined for fashion in all sorts of bright colors and unique designs.

Whether populating brands like “Miu Miu” and “Givenchy,” or in more humble settings like “Urban Outfitters” and teenage girls’ TikToks, the balaclava’s post-Soviet, lovably hideous appeal has triggered both positive and negative reactions.

Though its debatable level of sex-appeal has been a major source of discussion, this new headgear hasn’t only been controversial for its appearance. Muslim influencers have pointed out the similarity between the “fashionable” balaclava currently praised by high fashion, and their own hijab which is often viewed as “backward.”

In a recent New York Times article, Muslim content creator Sagal Jama describes that, initially, she enthusiastically took part in the balaclava trend because the headgear’s modesty worked so well with her practice of wearing the hijab. However, Jama soon realized that although there was no difference in the amount of coverage between the two garments, “People are able to wear a balaclava and be perceived as trendy or cool, but a hijab can be seen as a symbol of oppression or political.”

According to the ACLU, 69% of hijab wearers have experienced some form of discrimination. These infringements range from being denied entry into public spaces to being physically assaulted and having the religious head covering be forcibly removed.

This discrimination extends to policy as well, with France prohibiting minors from wearing the hijab in public in 2021.

And yet, when Kim Kardashian sported a balaclava — which has essentially the same level of modesty as a hijab — in her fullycovered 2021 Met Gala outfit, her choice was heralded as “challenging,” “thought-provoking” and “ambiguous.”

What is it that makes a glorified ski mask so much less threatening than a hijab? Is it the fact that its typical wearer is the white, feminine ideal? If I decided to throw my fashion ethics out the window and sport a balaclava would I, as a woman of color, be met with discrimination rather than a spot on Virgil Abloh’s vision board?

I’m inclined to think the answer would be yes.

A few years back, one of my family friends

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA FLISSLER

— an Indian woman — went out for a walk wearing a scarf wrapped around her head and ears for warmth. Though she is not Muslim, a group of men drove past her and violently yelled at her to “take off her hijab.”

Evidently, the debate for me about whether or not to sport a balaclava this season isn’t just about whether I still want to be considered reasonably attractive, but also whether I would potentially subject myself to a hate crime.

I can’t even imagine how much bigger this burden is on Muslim women who cover their heads every day for their religion.

This is not to say no one should wear a balaclava. But whether you partake in the winter trend or not, I hope it opens your eyes to the experience of those who can’t simply take off their head covering when it’s no longer “fashion-forward.”

EDITORIAL

Canceling Spotify doesn’t solve anything When Spotify announced their $100 million deal to acquire the exclusive rights to the most popular podcast in the world, it’s hard to believe they knew the controversy they’d find themselves in only two years later.

It was always going to be hard for Joe Rogan, who has never shied away from inviting controversial guests on his show like Alex Jones or Ben Shapiro, to conform to being the setting of a major corporation. But, the COVID-19 pandemic proved only to exacerbate issues with Rogan.

Rogan employed his “inviting all perspectives” philosophy to guest booking throughout the pandemic. This allowed for content, or “conversations” as Rogan terms them, that strayed away from the consensus science of the pandemic.

Guests on his show promoted the lab-leak theory, the ineffectiveness of cloth masks and experimental COVID treatments like ivermectin, among other things.

These episodes were soon labeled “dangerous

misinformation” by some.

While he had been criticized throughout the pandemic, the pressure on Spotify to sever its ties with Rogan intensified in recent weeks when artist Neil Young told Spotify they could only have either him or Rogan on the platform, not both.

Spotify, probably unwilling to cut bait on a $100 million deal, picked Rogan.

Since then, other artists like Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills & Nash have all told the platform “it’s either Joe Rogan or us.”

Now, Spotify has to make the tough decision to drop someone who garners 200 million listeners a month for the platform or leave it vulnerable to the potential for a major boycott.

As it stands, this current Spotify controversy is likely to be the next battleground of our culture wars. But the actual resolution to the problem can come without everyone having to divide into pro and anti-Spotify factions.

But isn’t there an easier way to resolve this problem?

Rogan came into popularity as somewhat of an anti-journalist, someone who bucked the standards and norms of the “artform.” But, now, with the immense power and influence he has garnered, it’s time that he conformed to some of these norms while also embracing a journalistic ethical framework.

In a video released Monday, Rogan shouldered some blame for the situation and apologized for the place he had put his employer in. He also accepted the idea of Spotify adding disclaimers or advisories that say the opinion of these guests is contrary to the scientific consensus on episodes with “controversial” guests, saying that he thought it was “very important.”

“If anything that I’ve done that I could do better,” Rogan said, “is having more experts with differing opinions right after I have the controversial ones.”

These two potential measures would help the situation Rogan and Spotify are in, but it doesn’t go as far as possible.

Rogan needs to fact-check his guests live on air, not just after the fact with advisories or differing opinions in subsequent episodes. If a guest says something false, he has to call them out in the moment and say, “no, that’s not true.”

This live fact-checking is something traditional broadcast journalists already do, and it’s a standard that Rogan should embrace.

As the over-used phrase goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Rogan may have started in a very independent and informal atmosphere having conversations with interesting people, but now he has to accept the responsibility of the influence he possesses.

This would allow him to carry on his outlaw attitude while also living within the traditional corporate media system.

These measures may not go far enough, but we can all agree that starting a culture war over Joe Rogan and Spotify is not solving anyone’s problems.

EDITORIAL BOARD Jean Paul Azzopardi, Editor-in-Chief Emily Stevenson, Co-Managing Editor Ashley Soebroto, Co-Managing Editor Jesús Marrero Suárez, Campus Editor Nellie Maloney, Co-Podcast Editor

Cici Yu, City Editor

Taylor Hawthorne, Co-Podcast Editor

Smaran Ramidi, Layout & Graphics Editor

Emily Pauls, Features Editor

Taylor Coester, Photo Editor

Michelle Tian, Lifestyle Editor

Mary Geena Prestia, Multimedia Editor

Mitch Fink, Sports Editor

Brian Foisy, Co-Opinion Editor

Sujena Soumyanath, Co-Opinion Editor GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA NIZHNY

LIFESTYLE 5

LIFESTYLE A thank you to the worlds that made mine better Michelle Tian Lifestyle Editor As a high school student, I was never the person to pick up a book and read it simply because I wanted to. The pages felt like a prison, the words a punishment.

Three years later, and that 17-yearold who hated novels is simply unrecognizable.

I feel like my world has now been shaped by the characters I’ve met through these stories. The lessons embedded in the pages influence the way I live, and I find so much comfort in being transported to these imaginary worlds where the impossible is possible, and where reality is nothing more than a distant memory.

Now, I know there are people who will never be able to get into books, and I understand that. It’s not for everyone. However, I think it’s my job as a fanatic reader to try and persuade as many people as I can. Here are three books that have changed my life. My hope is that they will change yours too.

We Are the Ants After being abducted by aliens, Henry has the choice to let the world end in 144 days or save all of humanity. To do so, all he has to do is push a big, red button.

For many readers like myself, the answer is obvious. I’d push that button within a second. But Henry’s life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

His family is less than ideal and his heart is still healing from his boyfriend’s death. In his reality, the cons outweigh the pros. By pushing that button, he is forced to trudge through that miserable truth; but if he lets the world end, those wounds that have been buried so deep inside him will cease to exist.

So, Henry has one essential question to consider — Is the world

worth saving?

It’s been four years since I read this book, so the details are a bit hazy, but what I do remember is how this story made me feel.

16-year-old me was, quite frankly, losing her sh*t. It felt like Henry had stepped out of the pages and shoved a pair of glasses onto my face that made me see the world with a different lens. I knew he was just a character, but his words, his thoughts and his personality had somehow weaved their way into who I was.

Henry was a part of me, and that is still true to this day.

You’ve Reached Sam 17-year-old Julie has life all sorted out after high school. She was going to move out of her hometown with her boyfriend Sam and attend college in the city. But then, Sam dies.

Overwhelmed by grief and longing, Julie calls his cell phone just to hear his voice one last time.

And Sam picks up.

I don’t want to give too much away because it will detract from the experience, but I have only two words to say about this book. Tears.

Everywhere.

I stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it, sobbing hysterically in my room at the last three pages. It quite literally felt as if my heart had cracked open because it throbbed, and every breath I took hurt. I may be an emotional person, but it takes a lot for a book to make me cry. So, the fact that I cried enough tears to make an ocean speaks volumes.

Dustin Thao, the author of this book, did a remarkable job of exploring the aftereffects of grief and the agony that can come with second chances. It’s been less than a month since I finished this novel and while I no longer feel the need to cry every single day, my heart still aches when I think about it for too long.

It Ends With Us

PHOTO COURTESY MICHELLE TIAN

The book “You’ve Reached Sam” by Dustin Thao. Michelle Tian shares how three fiction books have influenced her life and recommends readers to check them out too.

Lily Bloom’s life hasn’t always been easy, but she’s come a long way from her early years in Maine.

She’s now in Boston to start her own business, and while romance has never been in her radar, that all changes when she meets a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid.

She thinks she’ll finally get that fairytale ending when they eventually start a relationship, but sometimes, things are simply too good to be true.

This novel follows Lily’s journey and hers alone. While there are many important side characters that factor

into her life, it’s crucial to remember that this book is a love letter to Lily and all the other people in the world who have found themselves in her shoes.

I understand that description was vague, but it’s better to go into this novel completely blind.

That’s what I did, and the emotional rollercoaster I went on while reading was simply incomparable. It made me unbelievably sad, but not in the conventional sense.

Months after finishing the book, I still think about it everyday. Lily

has definitely helped me become the person I am today, and I thank myself for spontaneously buying that book all the time.

I saved the best for last, so if you only have the energy to buy one book, please make sure it’s “It Ends With Us.” But I highly recommend you to take a look at all of these books.

Losing yourself in a life-changing story is something I hope everyone will be able to experience, and I have no doubt these novels will take you away to somewhere positively magical.

My time management blueprint Samantha Elizondo Senior Writer When selecting your class schedule, I am sure you have certain priorities in mind. Whether that be the time of day that you have to wake

up or the “Rate My Professor” scores online. Everyone has a system that works for them. However, I have noticed a trend among my fellow students.

No one likes to wake up early.

I have never once heard someone say “I have an 8 a.m. tomorrow

COURTESY OF ACHARAPORN KAMORNBOONYARUS VIA PEXELS

morning!” with even a slight tone of excitement. But hear me out — I like rolling around in my warm cocoon of a twin XL bed while it’s snowing outside my dorm as much as anyone — but as someone who has had to wake up early their entire life, the benefits of 8 a.m. classes outweigh

A person reaching for their alarm clock from bed. Samantha Elizondo gives advice on improving efficiency and time management by taking advantage of 8 a.m. classes.

the downsides by a mile.

First of all, you have already done it so many times for high school, so no, it is not as “impossible” as many people write it off as.

There is a reason for these early start times. It can be summed up in one word — time. Time is your most valuable resource. What you invest it in speaks volumes about you.

If you are like me, you have a pretty good idea of what your interests are. I am majoring in the College of Communication (COM) with a minor in innovation in entrepreneurship. I enjoy being creative and collaborating with others. I love the idea of a constantly evolving and changing world, hence my minor. Waking up at 8 a.m. and finishing school by 12 p.m. on most days of the week allows for huge windows of creativity.

There is often a stigma associated with COM students — it is not in the highly respected and heavily funded realm of education like STEM. It is creativity, communication and storytelling, and unfortunately, many people do not listen to you if you are not composed of numbers.

As a COM student who takes early classes, I am able to contribute to multiple BUTV10 shows following news, politics, the local community and so many other important and relevant issues happening in the world now. I am able to publish weekly, share my opinion and grow as a writer with the help of a huge network of like-minded and driven people.

Waking up early for my 8 a.m.

classes directly helps my ability to take full advantage of Boston University’s world-renowned COM department. It makes me rich with the currency of time, and as an aspiring entrepreneur preparing to enter the workforce, this time is priceless.

Making your days longer allows you to chase your dreams further.

Another tool that I use to organize my day and relieve stress is Google Calendar. I learned this helpful tool from my dad, who is constantly collaborating with others and running from meeting to meeting. As a sophomore, I am starting to get a taste of what this lifestyle is like.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with your responsibilities and daily tasks. I feel like a full-time adult with over 3,000 miles separating me from my family, yet, on paper, I am a full-time student. As I previously said, your day boils down to minutes and how you spend them. Updating your Google Calendar is an act that causes you to weigh the importance of every entry in your calendar. As a visual learner, it helped me figure out what to keep, what to cut and how to arrange it all to make a schedule that works for me.

Using the combination of 8 a.m. classes to maximize daylight and Google Calendar to keep me organized is my work-in-progress blueprint for time management. In all honesty, I am still trying to refine and improve how I spend my time, but these two methods are a good starting point for people who want to improve the efficiency of their days and relieve stress from their life.

6 SPORTS

SPORTS Terriers fall to Harvard in Beanpot opener Gillian McMahon Daily Free Press Staff The Boston University women’s ice hockey team (10-104, 9-6-3 Hockey East) fell short in the Beanpot semifinal Tuesday afternoon against No. 6 Harvard University (16-5) at Northeastern University’s Matthews Arena, losing 4-1 to the Crimson. After hanging tough with Harvard for most of the game, the Crimson’s talent proved too much for BU to stop in the third period.

The game began with backand-forth play between the two teams. BU found several scoring opportunities near the net, but were unable to convert.

BU senior forward Jesse DeVito went down early in the game with an apparent wrist injury, but was able to later return to the game.

“She was back on the bench ready to play. She was out for what I am guessing was something more of a stinger,” head coach Brian Durocher said postgame.

Midway through the first period of play, a roughing penalty was called on BU freshman forward Kylie Roberts. The Terriers killed it off, and were soon after rewarded with a power play of their own.

A tripping penalty was called on Harvard junior defender Maryna MacDonald, but the Crimson were able to clear the puck out of the Terriers’ offensive zone multiple times, not allowing BU a chance to set things up and killing off the power play.

A minute into the second period, Harvard got on the board first with a goal from freshman forward Taze Thompson, her sixth tally for the year.

The Terriers continued to play aggressively, generating quality chances around the net due in part to the play of sophomore defender Julia Shaunessy, junior forward Haylee Blinkhorn and junior defender Nadia Mattivi.

BU killed off back-to-back penalties, assessed to senior forward Mackenna Parker and Matitvi for hooking and body checking respectively, to keep Harvard’s lead at just one goal.

Terrier forwards, including sophomore Catherine Foulem, senior Courtney Correia and freshman Christina Vote, kept up the attack, and sophomore Lacey Martin was eventually able to even the score with under four minutes to play in the second period.

Martin scored after a BU shot rang off the left post, drawing Crimson senior goaltender Becky Dutton out of position and ultimately leading to an empty net for Martin. The goal was Martin’s third of the season, and she was assisted by Blinkhorn and junior forward Julia Nearis.

The Terriers found opportunities to score in the third period, but couldn’t capitalize on their chances. BU struggled to find their groove on the power play and came up empty-handed following a slashing penalty on senior defender Emma Buckles at 3:05 of the period.

The Crimson, however, were also unable to generate a goal on a power play of their own. After a tripping penalty was assessed to BU senior forward Emma Wuthrich at 6:06 of the period, a broken stick on a slapshot from Harvard junior forward Kristin Della Rovere allowed the Terriers to get some fresh legs in and kill off the penalty.

Halfway through the third period, Harvard junior forward

MOHAN GE | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sophomore Catherine Foulem in the Beanpot semifinal against Harvard University. The Boston University women’s hockey team fell short in the third period against the Crimson, ending the game 4-1.

Anne Bloomer scored a goal assisted by her linemate, senior forward Becca Gilmore, to put the Crimson up 2-1. From there, the Terriers began to lose their momentum and Harvard netted two more goals.

Bloomer put the Crimson up 3-1 with an unassisted goal off the right post — her 17th goal of the season and second on the night. Della Rovere sealed the game with 3:25 left to go with a goal from the right circle, which was assisted by Gilmore.

“I think sometimes penalties can be momentum things. Their big players capitalized, which I give them some credit [for],” Durocher said.

The Crimson dominated shots on goal through the entire game,

finishing with 49 compared to BU’s 22. Senior goaltender Kate Stuart had a strong performance Tuesday for the Terriers, with 45 saves against a group of Harvard forwards who made some highlight reel-worthy plays on the net.

“Kate was real sharp today,” Durocher said. “It’s kind of frustrating, because we’ve gotten fantastic goaltending here in the last three or four games…if you look at the score sheet, like, ‘OK, average goaltending.’ Well, we gave up a few too many shots, but we gave up these goals all in the last six, seven minutes of the game.”

Despite his frustrations regarding the loss, Durocher found some positives to take

away.

“I told them I still saw some things that I liked out there,” he said. “I think the fact that we got ourselves grounded in the second period against a good team, and we were putting ourselves in position.”

The Terriers will host the University of Connecticut at Walter Brown Arena on Friday night, and then travel to Chestnut Hill to face off against local rival Boston College Saturday afternoon.

For complete BU hockey coverage, check out the Boston Hockey Blog and follow along with @BOShockeyblog on Twitter and @boston.hockey.blog on Instagram for updates.

Off the Post: Rangers retire Henrik Lundqvist’s jersey at Madison Square Garden Belle Fraser Columnist

I remember sitting at the “World’s Most Famous Arena as a kid — popcorn in one hand, cotton candy in the other — drowning in an oversized jersey. I Robert Kowal | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

was just learning about the game I would soon grow to love.

The “HEN-RIK” chant was one of the first things I learned.

My dad would lift me on his shoulders to join the Garden crowd in praising our goaltender’s talents –– it was my favorite part

about going to games. I was lucky enough to grow up during the Henrik Lundqvist era and I don’t think I actually ever believed it would end. But it has.

It was a momentous night at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28 as Rangers legend Henrik

Lundqvist watched his number 30 rise into the historic rafters. After 15 years wearing red, white and blue in the bright lights of New York City, the goaltender was honored for his impact on and off the ice.

Perhaps one of the most esteemed athletes to never win a championship, it was bittersweet watching Lundqvist’s career officially come to a close. It’s the heartbreaking story of a franchise and league great never reaching the ultimate dream.

Nonetheless, “Hank” broke records and pushed the play of Rangers hockey during his time in the crease. Lundqvist’s 459 career wins puts him sixth on the all-time NHL list, first for European-born goalies, and first in team history.

He picked up the Vezina Trophy in the 2011-2012 season during, arguably, the peak of his career and earned the “Mr. Game 7” title with stand-up performances when his group needed him the most. The staunch competitor had a 6-2 record and posted a .961 save percentage in the Game 7’s he played.

As Lundqvist stood in front of the Garden faithful with family, teammates and friends by his side, it was hard not to relive

the sting of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final run. His speech was a reminder of the glory days on 7th Ave., his unwavering desire to win and the immeasurable pride he had wearing a Rangers jersey.

To make the night even more emotional than it already was, Mats Zuccarello watched the ceremony from the visitor’s bench, now sporting the Minnesota Wild’s emblem. Zucc and Hank were the heart and soul of the Rangers squad during their tenures in The Big Apple –– to see them both on MSG ice again could make the toughest of fans cry.

Lundqvist lifted and united his team and the fanbase throughout his career, and now he’s cemented in Rangers history forever. He set a standard in the locker room and on the ice for what it means to play for the organization all while being the best-dressed man in the city.

As Rangers’ play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen said in the ceremony’s introduction, “His competitive spirit, work ethic, perfectionism, will stand as a model…and just as his banner will hang in these rafters forever, his name will always have a place in the hearts of New Yorkers and sports fans everywhere.”

Spot on.