10-11-2024 Print Edition

1 FEATURES, 4

FEATURES, 5

GALLERY, 6-7

EDITORIAL, 11

Brass bands unite community through music and activism

Massachusetts volunteers assist Florida’s hurricane crisis

Protests, memorials for first anniversary of Oct. 7

Gen Z isn’t unemployable — we just weren’t prepared for this

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2024

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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR LV. VOLUME A. ISSUE III

UPDATE: COM professor formerly on paid leave, no longer teaching at BU Bostonians rally,

BY CRYSTAL YORMICK Campus Co-Editor AND MAYA MITCHELL Investigative Editor

College of Communication professor Tinker Ready no longer works at Boston University, following an investigation by the Equal Opportunity Office. The

investigation, which was updated and shared with Ready in May, found that she violated the EOO’s Prohibition on Retaliation Policy, according to documents obtained

by The Daily Free Press.

The EOO opened an investigation into Ready following her actions toward now-sophomore Shelby Rose Long, who was a student in her spring Introduction to

Communication Writing class.

At this time, The Daily Free Press is unable to verify if Ready resigned from her position or if she was fired by the University.

In March, The Daily Free Press reported Long filed a complaint with COM against Ready. The complaint, filed on Jan. 26, alleged Ready made comments displaying “inappropriate or prejudiced behavior” in the class,

HOLLY GUSTAVSEN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

888 Commonwealth Avenue, which is where the Equal Opportunity Office is located. College of Communication professor Tinker Ready is no longer employed by Boston University, following an investigation, which found that she violated the EOO’s Prohibition on Retaliation Policy.

also called CO 201.

According to the final report, Ready said to Long on Feb. 20, “Can you not be a f—king b-tch for the rest of the semester?” during a conversation in the hallway. This comment spurred Long to file a report against Ready through the EOO the same day, which started an investigation.

This incident, and a comment Ready made on one of Long’s YouTube videos, led EOO to determine Ready violated the office’s retaliation policy.

In the policy, it is “illegal” to “retaliate against a person for filing a complaint or cooperating in an investigation.”

EOO determines Ready violated policy The EOO defines retaliation as “conduct taken against an individual that has substantial and material adverse effect on that person’s living, learning or working environment” in its report.

The EOO determines if its Prohibition on Retaliation Policy was broken by concluding 1) if the person who experienced retaliation — in this case, Long — participated in a “protected activity;” 2) if that person’s living, learning or working environment was affected due to circumstances surrounding an investigation; and 3) if the potential violator — Ready — affected at least one of these environments because the person’s participation in the protected activity.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Students emphasize importance of casting Nov. BU’s college ballot, criticize those withholding votes in protest ranking improves as admissions officers, students critique system

BY AMIL COUTINHO AMADO Contributing Writer AND CRYSTAL YORMICK Campus Co-Editor

Boston University students and faculty are stressing the importance of voting this November in light of a recent movement to withhold votes in protest of the 2024 Presidential Election.

In a WBUR poll published on Sept. 23, 31% of poll respondents answered “yes” when “asked if the country is headed in the right direction.” The poll credited younger voters as being the most “critical” when it came to the future of the United States.

The poll consisted of 800 likely voters in Massachusetts, and was conducted from Sept. 12-18 by the MassINC Polling Group with funding from the Knight Election Hub, according to WBUR. Arjun Vishwanath, an assistant professor of political science at BU, said 31% is higher than he would have guessed.

“A lot of people, when they take these surveys, they oftentimes tend to think more negatively,” Vishwanath said. “[They might] think that things

BY SAANVI HARIDAS Contributing Writer

SARAH CRUZ | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A ballot drop box outside of the Honan-Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library. In lieu of voter’s disappointment with the U.S. presidential candidates stance on the Israel-Hamas war, some Bostonians are planning to vote uncommitted for the democratic party.

are going in the wrong direction, even if in a different context they might feel optimistic about the way things are going.”

Jacob Brown, also an assistant political science professor, said polarized elections have bigger risks for the losing party.

“When [there’s] a bigger difference between the two candidates, there’s a higher cost,

so to speak, to your side not winning,” Brown said. “That raises the stakes of the election and raises the incentive to vote.”

With the Israel-Hamas war ongoing in the Middle East, a movement of “uncommitted” voters has risen across the country.

This movement is in protest of the Biden-Harris administration’s lack of intervention in Gaza.

reflect on one year since Oct. 7 attacks

BY LEIA GREEN Associate City Editor

AMIL COUTINHO AMADO Contributing Writer AND JEWEL SILVA Contributing Writer

Advocates and allies across Boston gathered at protests, vigils and memorial events on Oct. 6 and 7 to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that reignited global focus on the deep-rooted IsraelPalestine conflict.

A year ago Monday, the militant group Hamas invaded Israel, killed more than 1,200 civilians and foreign nationals and took another 251 hostage, according to the United States Congressional Research Service.

Since then, the Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in more than 41,000 Palestinian deaths and displaced approximately 90% of Gaza’s population, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.

In response, college campuses and community spaces in cities across the U.S. became hotspots for pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activism over the next year.

This week, events in solidarity with both Israel and Palestine occurred throughout Boston and reflected the myriad of perspectives surrounding the ongoing conflict.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Gun reform advocates celebrate Healey’s emergency implementation of H.4885, opposition looks to repeal

BY ELIZABETH MEHLER Contributing Writer

The college ranking system has lost value among both students and universities, according to a recent survey from international educational service organization Kaplan. The study found 75% of 200 surveyed college admissions officers believe the system has become prestigious.

The results, announced on Sept. 24, follow the release of the 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings list. Discussions about the relevance and importance of college rankings have increased, as several top universities such as Columbia University, Harvard Law School and Yale Law School voiced their disapproval of the ranking process and opted out of the rankings entirely.

According to the Kaplan survey, 13% of the colleges that currently participate in the ranking system are either considering dropping out or will drop out of the ranking process.

Boston government officials and student activists against gun violence celebrated the emergency passage of a state law that will implement sweeping gun reforms on Wednesday. In response, some residents and community leaders criticized the legislation with a push to repeal it in 2026.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an “emergency preamble” on Wednesday that immediately implemented H.4885, “An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws.”

The law cracks down on the selling of privately made, unserialized “ghost guns” and criminalizes the possession of gun parts such as bump stocks and trigger cranks, according to Boston 25 News. It also requires applicants for a gun license to complete live-fire training.

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2 NEWS

College rankings lose prestige, survey of admissions officers finds Continued from Page 1 Boston University Spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that the University accommodates ranking requests from multiple publications and believes BU “will continue to do so.”

Sarah Seymour, executive director of college admissions programs at Kaplan, wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that the prestige and

credibility of the lists might decline as universities continue to withdraw from the rankings.

“Rankings may no longer be able to offer a full picture of the higher education landscape with so many schools no longer willingly providing information,” Seymour wrote.

“This shift could encourage students to place less emphasis on rankings and more on factors like student outcomes, campus resources, and overall fit.”

Climbing two spots from its 2024 ranking, BU rose to 41st in the U.S. News rankings for 2025. The University is now tied with The Ohio State University and Rutgers University.

“We’re pleased to have BU’s academic and research excellence recognized, along with the University’s accessibility and affordability efforts,” Riley wrote.

Schools similar to BU that have strong reputations beyond

ranking may experience an increase in applicants who prioritize academic programs, research opportunities and student life over rank, according to Seymour.

Freshman Khush Shah considered BU’s ranking when he decided to attend the University. However, he said he doesn’t believe the list should make or break a student’s choice.

“I think [applicants] should look at what’s going to make

ZACH SCHWARTZ | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

The U.S. News & World Report website’s national university ranking page. The majority of college admissions officers believe that the U.S. News’ ranking system has lost its value among students and universities.

them feel comfortable and what they think is going to give them the best opportunities,” Shah said. “[They should] focus on where they’re getting the better education of what they want to study.”

Freshman Maya Dvoskina said that during her application process, the college ranking list was “one of [her] most important factors to consider when applying to college.”

“I feel like [rankings] gained their value among students,” she said. “It makes you feel better if you’re in a college that’s higher on the list.”

Seymour said rankings might continue to influence applicant decisions and “offer a snapshot of prestige,” but they will ultimately become less significant as applicants become “savvier” in their decisionmaking process.

“As rankings may lose prestige for many, more students and their parents will focus on how schools align with their personal goals and experiences, potentially broadening the applicant pool for schools offering a well-rounded education,” Seymour wrote.

As college rankings continue to face scrutiny among students and universities, Shah said it’s important to introduce a clearer explanation of how these evaluations are determined.

“It should be more transparent how the rankings are given, so students can actually understand why this [university] is ranked this way,” Shah said. “Give me a reason behind it, and students will be able to compare before applying, rather than just looking at a number and then applying.”

Students stress voter turnout amidst movement to forgo polls Continued from Page 1

The Uncommitted Movement is a pro-Palestinian organization that announced it would endorse neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor third-party candidates.

According to ABC, the movement was founded to encourage voters to vote uncommitted in the primaries to protest Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

The Uncommitted Movement consists of four phases: encouraging advocacy, bringing their “Ceasefire, Anti-War, Pro Peace narrative” to the Democratic National Convention, keeping anti-war voters engaged through November and “wielding collective power.” Its goal is to bring foreign policy prioritizing “justice, peace, human rights and freedom for Palestinians,” according to its website.

Vishwanath said while the democratic system is founded with participation as an important component, it is not “grievously wrong in a moral sense” to choose to abstain from voting.

“There’s lot of reasons why people may not vote,” Vishwanath said. “They may not have the time to vote. They may not feel like they know that much about the issues. They may be disaffected by the political system and not think their vote matters.”

He said “conscientiously objecting” is a “core part of the democratic tradition.” Apart from voting or abstaining, Vishwanath said other ways citizens can participate in a democracy include “peacefully protesting, contacting office holders and raising money on behalf of

KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

City of Boston vote-by-mail website.

candidates or ballot issues.”

Junior Greg Leung said the Uncommitted Movement is “not an effective way” to “hold those in power accountable.”

“I applaud the sentiments of what they’re trying to do in terms of issue advocacy, but I think the way that they’re doing it is going to lead to great amounts of harm if they succeed,” Leung said. “I would just ask young voters to consider the future they want to build for themselves.”

Brown said turnout gaps amongst different groups can lead to inequalities if they do not vote.

“Even if an individual vote may not matter, that small percentage change in turnouts

by groups might produce even more inequality downstream,” Brown said.

Leung encouraged people to also cast votes in local ballots, not just the presidential race. He said local races “can be more impactful to your daily life.”

“People need to recognize that they’re not just voting for the next president,” Leung said.

“They’re also voting for people who are going to write their laws on the federal, state and local levels and also judges and ballot propositions.”

Like Leung, other BU students agreed that those who are eligible should exercise their right to vote. They listed abortion rights, climate change

and gun violence as key issues for this election.

Junior Juliana Zraick said those who “have the privileges of being a citizen,” such as the right to vote, should use them.

“This really is not an election to miss out on,” Zraick said.

“For me, it’s so important to vote because my rights over being able to have choice over my body are at risk of being completely taken away.”

Senior Ethan Gasse said voting is a “moral obligation” for citizens who are able to exercise the right, as well as an opportunity to “show how you are feeling.”

“If you’re throwing away your vote because of the conflict

right now, I think that’s not a very good idea,” Gasse said.

“It’s not going to have the effect of protest that people think it’s going to have.”

Junior Emily Rotondi, communications liaison for BU College Democrats, said she considers not only how her vote will affect herself, but how it will affect people across the country.

Voting, she said, is an important way to have your voice heard.

“When you look at politicians, I think what people actually want isn’t really happening in politics,” Rotondi said. “I think voting is one of the few ways to have a voice, even if that means, unfortunately, voting for people that you may not like.”

NEWS 3

Memorial events, protests mark first anniversary since Oct. 7 attacks Continued from Page 1 More than 3,700 people attended a vigil organized by Combined Jewish Philanthropies titled “October 7: An Evening of Remembrance & Hope” on Monday night at the Boch Center’s Wang Theater. A CJP spokesperson wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that the event would provide “opportunities to mourn,” honor the lives lost and share support for the future.

“The traumas of the past year have affected each of us in unique ways, and the future remains uncertain beyond October 7,” the CJP spokesperson wrote. “However, this evening offers us a chance to come together and grieve as a community.”

The event featured speakers, community prayers and songs to commemorate the lives lost

on Oct. 7. Dorit Cohen, co-chair of the Israeli American Council in New England, said the vigil’s purpose was to be a space for the Jewish community to “reflect on the trauma” of the Oct. 7 attack.

“People needed a place where they could feel safe, where they could find other people that felt hurt like they were,” Cohen said. “[This event is] an opportunity to remember that we are together, that we will support each other and hope.”

Marcie Miller, a vigil attendee, said the most important aspect of this event for her was being “with the community and with other Jewish people who are also grieving.” She said she found it “symbolic” that Oct. 7 fell between the Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. “[These holidays are] supposed to be a renewal in the new year, but yet it’s not,” Miller

PHOTO BY LEIA GREEN

People wave Palestinian flags during a rally organized by the Boston Coalition for Palestine. Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Isreali events occurred across Boston on Oct. 6 and 7 in rememberance of the one year anniversary of Oct. 7.

said. “What happened isn’t over … so I think the more support we can show, the better.”

Cohen said the event saw “remarkable” support from members of the Jewish, Israeli and Israeli-American communities, as well as leaders and residents from “beyond the Jewish community.”

While some came together in mourning, others came together in protest.

Thousands of protestors gathered at the Boston Common in support of Palestine on Sunday before marching along Storrow Drive and rallying in front of the Israeli Consulate. Organized by the Boston Coalition for Palestine, an alliance of more than 40 local organizations, the demonstration temporarily blocked the Boston highway and disrupted traffic throughout Beacon Hill, according to the Boston Globe.

Fawaz Abusharkh, a founder and organizer at the BCP, said the coalition aims to provide a “voice for the voiceless” in the fight for Palestinian liberation and call for American corporations to stop providing aid to the Israeli government in order to reach a ceasefire.

“We need more voice for the Palestinians, and we need to stop the pouring of money and weapons to the killers of the Palestinians,” Abusharkh said.

“The City of Boston is part of this just like any other city.”

Abdul Aden, a retired accountant who came to the U.S. from Somalia in 1982, attended the BCP’s rally to protest the “injustice” happening in Gaza.

He said this was “one of the biggest demonstrations” for Palestine that he has participated in.

Eli Gerzon, a volunteer with

the Jewish Voice for Peace, said the rally was “a chance for Boston and the world to see how many different people from different backgrounds all support Palestine.” “[JVP is] there because we believe Jewish values say that every life is sacred, and we as a people have experienced genocide,” Gerzon said. “We as a people have experienced racism and racist violence, and that motivates us to stand against it.”

Gerzon said they were also “heartened to see the resiliency and leadership” of people with Palestinian, Arab and Muslim backgrounds, as well as those with no direct connection to the conflict, who were present at the rally.

Elena Leeds, a Jewish rally attendee and member of Northeastern University’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, was arrested for participating in a pro-Palestine encampment protest in New York last semester. She said holding a rally a year after Hamas’ attack serves as a reminder that the Israel-Palestine conflict started “way before” Oct. 7, 2023.

“It’s also really important for Jewish people who don’t support Israel … to stand up and be very loud and proud about it,” Leeds said. “This does not represent Jewish people, and we are not all represented by this.”

Zachary Stern, a junior at Suffolk University and a member of the Jewish diaspora, said awareness of the conflict within the Jewish community has grown on college campuses, including Suffolk.

“At the end of the day, being Jewish is not being proIsrael,” Stern said. “That’s a

big distinction that should be known.”

Given the surge of protests across the country over the past year, tensions have considerably heightened between supporters of both Israel and Palestine.

Those supporting Israel emphasize the importance of ensuring that history does not repeat itself again.

Cohen said those affected by the events of Oct. 7, 2023, were “traumatized,” which has led to the spread of “extreme” rhetoric in demonstrations supporting Palestine over the past year.

However, she said the message of the pro-Israel demonstrations she’s participated in has always been that attacks like the one on Oct. 7 “can never happen again.”

“There are people that are extreme, and they say things and sometimes do things, but overall, I think most of the rallies for support of Israel, at least the ones I participated in and I see supported, were all for just being there to show our community … that they can live on in their faith,” Cohen said.

Those who support Palestine have reiterated that the IsraelPalestine conflict is a deeply ingrained struggle that is far from over.

Abusharkh said the events of Oct. 7, 2023, were “not the beginning and not the end” of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. He said the community needs to recognize the “heart and soul” of the conflict and “look at the whole picture.”

“Palestine is the center now, but we need to … know that the struggle is really much longer than we think,” Abusharkh said.

“I always like to say in every rally and everything, it’s in solidarity … for a free world, starting with a free Palestine.”

Emergency passage of H.4885 gun reform law sparks celebration, backlash Continued from Page 1

H.4885 was signed on July 25 and set to go into effect Oct. 23. The governor’s action came in response to gun advocates’ attempts to temporarily suspend the law until a 2026 ballot referendum.

In signing the emergency preamble, Healey declared the legislation an “emergency law,” so it could no longer be suspended as part of a referendum campaign.

Maxine Slattery, a recent Boston University graduate and former co-founder of BU’s chapter of Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, an organization dedicated to preventing gun violence, said it was a “relief” that Healey’s emergency preamble stopped efforts to suspend the law.

“That bill was such a huge win in and of itself, but there’s always a chance for the gun lobby to retaliate and kind of try to push back against that,” said Slattery, who now volunteers with Moms Demand Action. “But with Gov. Healey signing that emergency preamble, that bill immediately goes into effect.”

BU SDA supports the implementation of the law, and the banning of ghost guns in particular. Ghost guns are “doit-yourself, homemade” firearms that are privately-made and do not have serial numbers, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

BU SDA Co-Founder and President Shana Weitzen said because ghost guns are “untraceable,” they become “a lot more accessible” to individuals with mental health issues or who were previously barred from purchasing a gun.

“Banning ghost guns cuts off all those issues,” Weitzen, a senior

said. “It’s a very preventative measure, which is why I think it’s so important.”

Isaac Yablo, senior advisor for community safety for the Boston Mayor’s Office, said the banning of ghost guns statewide is especially relevant to the city of Boston. “[Boston] has an issue where illegal firearms and ghost guns are quite frequently taken off of the street by the members of the Boston Police Department and associated law enforcement agencies,” Yablo said.

Yablo said he thinks the law will “further set [Boston] apart” from other cities and states because it shows “we’re not satisfied with being the safest” and wants to take gun reforms further.

Gun advocates, however, disagreed with Healey’s decision to immediately implement the new law. Some opponents to the law formed The Civil Rights Coalition and spoke against Healey’s decision to sign the emergency preamble.

Toby Leary, a co-owner of Cape Gun Works in Hyannis

and chair of the coalition, said in a press conference outside the Massachusetts state legislature on Wednesday Healey’s emergency passage of the law was a political move and criticized the lack of signature gathering to get the law passed earlier.

Leary said the Healey administration is violating its oath of office with the emergency passage of H.4885 and blaming gun advocates for violence when it occurs. “[Government officials] point the gun of government violence at

BARRETT WALSH | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

The Massachusetts State House. Gov. Maura Healey signed an emergency preamble on Wednesday to immediately implement sweeping gun reforms across the state.

us if we don’t comply, but yet they themselves don’t comply with their oath of office,” Leary said.

Matt Cosentino, a fourthyear student at Northeastern University and vice president of Northeastern University College Republicans, said he disagrees with many of the measures in the new law, including the banning of assault weapons.

“With the assault-style weapons, I argue that’s not really an objective term. Every weapon is an assault weapon,” Cosentino said. “I think if someone passes a background check, and they want to own something like an AR, I don’t think the sale of that should be banned.”

While gun advocates were unsuccessful in suspending the law, they announced they had enough signatures to place a referendum question on the 2026 ballot, allowing voters to decide whether or not to repeal the gun law.

Cosentino said he agreed with the ballot referendum.

On the other hand, Slattery said she is confident that voters will understand the law’s purpose and keep it in effect if put to a vote in 2026.

“It’s not hard to understand that this bill is really necessary,” Slattery said. “Our main mission is to end gun violence, [but] we’re not trying to take away people’s guns.”

With the law now going into effect, and with no possibility of it being recalled until 2026, Yablo said he thinks the state and city of Boston will be safer because of it.

“We are truly leading the way in terms of how to address the gun violence crisis,” Yablo said. “But right on, Gov. Healey, for moving on it in an expeditious way.”

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ARTS

HONK! Festival showcases activism through the power of music

BY JUNYI LU Contributing Writer

Lively music poured through the streets of Somerville as 33 activist brass bands and their performers used rhythm, melody and dance to bring the community together.

From Oct. 4-6, HONK! Festival filled Davis Square and Harvard Square with performances from brass and percussion street bands from across the United States.

The event was founded in Somerville in 2006 and has expanded to 22 festivals across four continents. While fostering community engagement, these activist bands use their music as a platform to advocate for their beliefs.

“It’s about celebrating the role that music plays in activism and how brass bands help, sort of support rallies, protests and marches,” said Matt Taylor, a volunteer organizer for HONK! Festival and a member of the Good Trouble Brass Band.

The HONK! Festival originated from a band called The Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band, who participated in protests against the Iraq War. They created HONK! in 2006, aiming to establish a space that brings all brass bands together to celebrate the joy of music and activism. The band is now currently known as the Good Trouble Brass Band.

“The idea behind the festival is to give a place for these brass bands to be celebrated, while giving them that space to have a very joyful experience with a lot of the causes that our activists support at the same time,” Taylor said.

As the festival’s evolved, the HONK! committee collaborated with more local activists and political organizers to support the development of the society in the form of a music festival.

“It’s just really exciting to see more and more bands popping up and being out there on the streets, supporting political movements and social movements and labor human rights,” Taylor said.

“Music can play a role in infusing energy into the work that social movements and political organizers do on the ground.”

In recent years, HONK! has grown, becoming a “staple for the greater Boston area,”

Taylor said. The festival provides a space for activist artists to show and express themselves.

One of the festival’s featured groups, Dirty Water Brass Band, has been performing at HONK! for over a decade.

Mary Curtin, a member of Dirty Water Brass Band and HONK!’s media organizer, said HONK! is more than just a performance space — it’s a place where musicians can connect with other

SARAH CRUZ | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER Members of the Jamaica Plain Honk Band perform at Davis Square in Somerville on Saturday for HONK! Festival. HONK! Festival featured 33 activist brass bands from across the country to foster community engagement and advocate for their beliefs.

performers, including the theater industry and influence them to advocate for change.

“What we’re hoping is to inspire other kinds of artists to do more activist stuff,” Curtin said. “I think HONK! is the happening scene.”

Public engagement remained a huge factor in adding energy to the site, Matt Mossman, President of Blowcomotion, said “The audience was really receptive. They were dancing.

They were having a blast,” Mossman said. “I keep running into people who saw us, saying how much they liked it and they want to come to our next set and stuff.”

Blowcomotion is a part of HONK!TX, a HONK! festival hosted in Austin, Texas. The band traveled to Somerville, their first time playing out of state, to attend HONK! at its birthplace.

“We look at being here at this festival this year as coming home, like the Mecca version of HONK!,” he said.

Mossman said he was inspired by the other brass bands’ music and enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere.

“Radical inclusiveness is kind of our activist model,” Mossman said. “We’re about community building and about giving people a chance to come together and feel that shared joy that you can only really get playing music with other people.”

COMMUNITY

Korea Day is an ‘expression of love’ to connect Boston’s Korean community

BY TATE HAM Contributing Writer

The Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House was filled with chatter and energy on Friday as individuals of all ages gathered for Korea Day, an event that celebrates Korean culture in Boston. The celebration burst with displays of Korean customs as the State House was transformed into a hub of culture and community spirit.

The Korean-American Citizens League of New England hosted its sixth annual Korea Day celebration at the Massachusetts State House. The free event featured traditional Korean food, live music performances, cultural activities and information on community outreach programs.

“There’s a lot of interest in Korean media, Korean food, Korean music, Korean celebrities, Korean film,” Christine Lee, executive director of the KACL, said. “But who are the people behind that?”

Lee said Korea Day is a way to answer this question by providing a space for the Korean community to connect and a way for outreach organizations to offer their services to Korean Americans in the area.

This year, KACL partnered with multiple organizations — including Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission, Massachusetts Health Connector, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence and

the Korean Culture Society of Boston — to promote outreach and add an educational aspect to the event.

“KACL is trying to bring all these Korean associations and organizations under one roof to show and present to our guests who we are, what we do, how they can get involved and really celebrate with us,” Lee said. “Regardless of if you are Korean or if you’re not … We want to create a space where it’s very interactive.”

Linda Champion, president of the KACL, said Korea Day is a chance to show community members the unique aspects of Korean culture and create a space for everyone to celebrate it.

“Everyone wants to have a place where they belong,” Champion said. “We just want to make sure everyone knows that they are included … You can be Korean, or you could just love Korea and Korean people and participate and attend any of our events.”

The event is rooted in an “expression of love for the country,” she said. “This is the day that we recognize and we show you who we are.”

Upon arrival, guests received flyers to use as stamp cards, and they could collect stickers by participating in or learning about the certain Korean custom at each station at the celebration.

Once a card had three stickers, guests could exchange it to receive a Korean lunch, with

options including several types of kimchi, gimbap and Korean corn dogs.

The event hosted interactive booths, including a Korean calligraphy booth where guests could write their names on name cards using Korean characters.

Guests could also visit tables to craft origami made with Hanji, a traditional handmade Korean paper. Nanta, a group of traditional Korean drummers, played in front of the crowd.

Champion cited the high

percentage of Koreans living in poverty in the United States, despite the strong alliance between the countries. She also stressed the need for Korean visibility in American cities and highlighted the resources present at the event.

“I feel like as Asian Americans in general, it’s always nice to have a community, and I feel like sometimes it gets lost, especially in Boston,” Gina Kim, a KoreanAmerican resident of Boston, said. “I think [Korea Day] is a

great cultural thing.”

Champion said that the participation of Korean college students in events such as Korea Day is “the missing piece” and urges students to come to future celebrations.

“Being Korean-American isn’t just one image,” Lee said.

“We have people that come from a lot of different backgrounds and who have a lot of amazing stories, but what is shared is that pride in being Korean and that shared heritage.”

COURTESY OF DANH NGUYEN OF DANH NGUYEN PHOTOGRAPHY People perform for attendees of Korea Day, an event hosted by the Korean-American Citizens League of New England. The free annual event celebrates Korean culture and connects attendees with Korean community outreach organizations.

Features5 5

SCIENCE

From space rocks to dirty snowballs, Boston astronomers talk current astronomical events, our connection to the universe

BY MACIE PARKER Business & Science Editor

Since Sept. 29, the Earth has had a second moon, a “minimoon,” which will last for a few more weeks, according to scientists — “...But actually, it’s a small space rock and it’s not the only unusual object that will dance through the night sky in the upcoming days and weeks.”

These astronomical events — a comet just as bright as Jupiter and the mini-moon — are not just interesting to look at. They offer a unique glimpse into the vastness of the galaxy that we call home.

“We are part of space and the universe, and the universe is colorful and diverse, and it has so much to offer,” said Peter Veres, an astronomer and research scientist at Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at the Minor Planet Center.

The mini-moon is a novel event because until recently, astronomers did not have telescopes advanced enough to see these asteroids or space rocks, Veres said.

Scientists say the minimoon, which measures only 10 meters in size, can actually be quite useful for space missions

and research.

Because the asteroid is so close to Earth, sending a spacecraft there would be cheap and easy, Veres said.

For an object to be considered a mini-moon, it has to move toward Earth at a slow speed of around 2,200 mph and approach a range of around 2.8 million miles, as reported by Space.com.

“It’s a much safer test flight to a destination in space than committing a human crew all the way to Mars as a first time out,” said Richard Binzel, professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“Because the asteroid is so small, it will not be visible by the naked eye,” said Sammy Siegel, a PhD student studying astronomy at Boston University.

So the mini-moon is much more useful to astronomers than it is to us. Whereas movies often portray asteroids as dangerous threats to mankind, more often than not, they’re harmless.

“Dangerous asteroids are clickbait, basically, and they’re easy clickbait,” Binzel said.

“So, these things do tend to get over-hyped. We just kind of

put up with it.”

Still, NASA runs tests to protect Earth from asteroids.

Another exciting astronomical event coming up — one Binzel said is not over-hyped — is a comet, or what Veres calls a “dirty snowball,” that will swoosh across the night sky for the next few weeks.

“You’re seeing basically an object melting before your very eyes,” Siegel said.

The comet, called Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, will become visible on Oct. 9, when it reaches its brightest, Siegel said. It will be closest to Earth on Oct. 12, and it will be most visible after sunset in the western horizon.

“As a human, you’re seeing stars [that] are light years away … or these comets coming from the very outer reaches of the solar system, [where] we don’t even really know what’s out there,” Siegel said. “Even asteroids are kind of a mystery, because they’re so small.”

Humans have an innate desire to explore, Binzel said.

Our curiosity and craving for knowledge about the universe is, in some ways, a reason behind human survival and advancement.

“Another survival motivation

for why we’re interested in space is the seasons,” Binzel said. “You need to know when to plant your crops, when to harvest your crops, and to do that, you keep track of where the sun is in the sky, so you’re constantly looking skyward.”

Not only does the feeling of awe help connect people across cultures and generations, but it helps us learn about ourselves, Siegel said.

“Humans are as much a part

of the universe as any star or planet or asteroid or galaxy,” Siegel said. “When I do study the universe, I’m also learning about … how I fit into the bigger picture.”

Interest in space has no social barrier, Veres said.

Anyone can experience a unique connection to the sky.

“Every human that’s ever lived has had some relationship to the sky,” Siegel said. “The sky is our shared heritage.”

KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER The Harvest moon during a partial eclipse on Sept. 17. Earth currently has a “mini-moon,” which offers a unique research opportunity for astronomers.

BUSINESS

Massachusetts deploys volunteers, sends supplies after Hurricane Helene

BY LINDSAY GOULD Contributing Writer

Kelly Isenor, director of communications for the Red Cross of Massachusetts, had just more than 24 hours’ notice to pack before her deployment.

When she reached Florida, the mix of rain and gusts of wind served as a reminder of both the current and approaching storm.

On Sept. 26, near Perry, Florida, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 140 mph.

Now, with Hurricane Milton putting 11 million people at risk of flooding, Florida is reeling from back-to-back hurricanes.

Around 3.4 million homes and businesses were left without power on Thursday morning, and around 130 tornado warnings were issued across the state, as reported by BBC. “When I deploy for the Red Cross, it’s usually in a public affairs role,” Isenor said.

“Sometimes it’s helping manage social media, just making sure the shelter locations are up to date … sometimes sending information to media so that people know how to find us.”

Now, an unknown number of people remain missing and the death toll is 227 and on the rise, according to the Associated Press.

Massachusetts-based organizations sent volunteers for physical and emotional support, supplies such as meals and water and professional aid, such as Massachusetts Task Force 1.

Massachusetts Task Force

1 is one of 28 federal FEMA teams across the country. The task force consists of police officers, firefighters, medical professionals, engineers, communication specialists and other individuals from all over New England.

“The first few days that they were down there, they were conducting water search and rescue operations, checking structures, checking vehicles in both still and swift water,” said Tom Gatzunis, public information officer for the Massachusetts Task Force 1.

The team is now in North Carolina, where they continue to rescue people and pets in active flood areas, so communication remains a challenge, Gatzunis said.

“Cell service is, in many areas, non existing, so we’re relying on our two-way radios and portable radios,” Gatzunis said. “We have our own generators that we bring down for our own emergency power and operational needs.”

In addition to professional support, Massachusetts sectors of national organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross continue to send humanitarian aid to impacted states.

“We provide food, hydration, emergency resources such as cleanup kits, clothing vouchers, hygiene products, emotional and spiritual care and any other physical resources that we may have,” said Emily Mew, director of emergency disaster services for the Massachusetts division of the Salvation Army.

According to the Salvation

Army’s immediate press release, as of Monday, Sept. 30, the organization’s Massachusetts division deployed “several experienced disaster relief experts to assist with relief efforts in Florida and Georgia.”

Hurricane Helene brought power outages, catastrophic flooding and storm surges that affected millions of Americans across the southeast.

But Salvation Army’s most requested service is for emotional and spiritual care, Mew said.

“There’s a lot of people experiencing traumatic emotions

ILLUSTRATION BY IRIS REN

after something like this happens,” she said. “Not only have they lost property and their neighborhoods have been destroyed, but there are deaths and people missing still. It’s helpful to have people there to process with them and meet them where they’re at.”

Even though there are more than 1,300 volunteers on the ground in impacted communities, the Red Cross continues to look for additional help. Deployments typically last two weeks, and with the response effort showing no signs of stopping, volunteers

currently in the field will need to be relieved, Isenor said.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s western coast Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane. Milton is striking more densely populated cities, including Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg.

“With the climate crisis, we know that these storms are going to happen again. They’re increasing in frequency and intensity,” Isenor said. “We know that there’s going to be a next storm, so we’re always looking for people that are ready to answer that call.”

6 PHOTO

GALLERY

Protests, memorials organized around Boston in honor of Oct.7

By Kate Kotlyar, Sydney Roth, Ava Rubin, Zach Schwartz and Barrett Walsh

Boston organizations and Boston University student groups held memorials, vigils and protests during the week of Oct. 6 in remembrance of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which occurred on Oct. 7, 2023. The Boston Coalition for Palestine organized a protest in Boston Common on Sunday. On Monday, Combined Jewish Philanthropies hosted a vigil in the Wang Theatre. Student groups BU Students for Justice in Palestine and BU Students for Israel each held their own events on campus as well.

A person speaks at the Boston University Students for Israel and BU Hillel memorial on Oct. 7. ZACH SCHWARTZ | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A student places a name on the memorial wall at the BUSI and BU Hillel event in Marsh Plaza on Oct. 7. KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A student writes on a tarp the names of Palestinians who were killed in Gaza at a BU Students for Justice in Palestine event on Oct. 9. KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Pictures of Jewish and Israeli people who were killed on and since Oct. 7 at the BUSI and BU Hillel memorial on Oct. 7. ZACH SCHWARTZ | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

People participating in the Boston Coalition for Palestine’s protest in Boston Common on Oct. 6. SYDNEY ROTH | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A person gives a speech during the Boston Coalition for Palestine’s protest on Oct. 6.

SYDNEY ROTH | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO 7

A child holds a handmade “Free Free Palestine” poster during the Boston Coalition for Palestine’s protest in Boston Common on Oct. 6. SYDNEY ROTH | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

People walk by the BUSI and BU Hillel memorial at Marsh Plaza on Oct. 7.

KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Candles, flowers and stones placed on the ground at the BUSI and BU Hillel memorial at Marsh Plaza on Oct. 7. AVA RUBIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

People pray at the BU SJP “Prayers & DUAA for Palestine” event on Oct. 7. KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A person writes the names and ages of Palestinians who were killed in Gaza during the BU SJP event on Oct. 7. BARRETT WALSH | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A woman gives a student a yellow bracelet at the BUSI and BU Hillel memorial outside Marsh Plaza on Oct. 7. AVA RUBIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

8 GAMES Mara Mellits, Editor-in-Chief Andrew DiBiasio, Managing Co-Editor

Editorial Board THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY YEAR LV. VOLUME A. ISSUE III. Published Friday, October 11 , 2024.

The Daily Free Press is published Sunday through Thursdays during the academic year except during vacation and exam periods by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a nonprofit corporation operated by Boston University students. Copyright © 2024 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Kayla Baltazar, Campus Co-Editor

Macie Parker, Business & Science Editor

Ali Cook, Multimedia Editor

Crystal Yormick, Campus Co-Editor

Hailey Pitcher, Opinion Co-Editor

Lauren Albano, City Co-Editor

Addison Schmidt, Opinion Co-Editor

Leire Garrogerricaechebarria, Documentary Editor

Samantha Genzer, City Co-Editor

Corinne Davidson, Lifestyle Editor

Maya Mitchell, Investigative Editor

Holly Gustavsen, Photo Co-Editor

Chloe Cramutola, Sports Editor

Kate Kotlyar, Photo Co-Editor

Sana Muneer, Arts & Community Editor

Gracie Rohde, Master of Games

CROSSWORD

Gracie Rohde | Master of Games

Siena Griffin, Managing Co-Editor

James Buckser, Podcast Editor Lila Baltaxe, Graphics Editor Lily Bailey, Layout Co-Editor Aayushi Datta, Layout Co-Editor

INVESTIGATIVE 9

Ready found in violation of EOO retaliation policy Continued from Page 1 Protected activity: EOO determined Long engaged in protected activity when she emailed COM Undergraduate Affairs on Jan. 26 about Ready’s alleged comments.

Affected living, learning or working environment: EOO determined two main circumstances in which Long’s living and learning environments were “substantially” affected by Ready’s behavior.

The report said Ready impacted Long’s learning environment because CO 201 is a required class for Long’s journalism degree.

Ready held “substantial power in the student-professor dynamic” and “a bad grade in [Ready’s] class could seriously impact [Long’s] academic career.”

The report also stated Long spoke to Ready “disrespectfully” during their “heated exchange” on Feb. 20.

After the exchange, Long received an email from the EOO that the office issued a nocontact order, stating she could not contact Ready, according to an email reviewed by The Daily Free Press. Long was told Ready received the same order.

EOO reported that Long’s living environment was negatively impacted when Ready “purposefully [sought] out and commented on [Long’s] social media and commenting on her YouTube video.”

On March 6, Ready commented “Fewere words, not less” on a video Long posted, in which Long critiques a handout she received in Ready’s class but does not mention Ready’s name or CO 201 in the video, according to the report.

The final report includes an email to Bannie Dhami, a civil rights investigator at EOO, where Ready wrote, “I was unaware of the no contact order when I commented on Ms. Long’s video. It was a public video.”

Ready reaffirmed in an email to The Daily Free Press that she was unaware of the no-contact order.

According to the EOO investigation, Ready “acknowledged she intentionally commented” on the video so Long could see that she watched it.

The final report concluded that Ready was not aware of the no-contact order when she commented.

Long said she became worried about Ready’s behavior after the incident.

“The fact that I don’t know where she is every hour on campus is scary,” Long said, according to the EOO report.

“This has been extremely stressful for me and a terrible way to spend my freshman year.”

Since Ready commented on her video, Long said she stopped posting on YouTube and made her social media accounts private.

“I became a little hyperaware that people could see [my social media],” Long said in an interview with The Daily Free Press. “I’m nineteen. I don’t really feel like I should care that much.”

After The Daily Free Press published the first article about her, Ready requested to follow current and previous members of the editorial board and of the Back Bay Publishing Company,

CORINNE DAVIDSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Boston University College of Communication.

the non-profit organization that governs the newspaper, on various social media platforms.

Affected living, learning or working environment due to participation in the protected activity: After Long filed a complaint against Ready, a protected activity, the EOO concluded Long’s living and learning environments were affected.The office found Ready violated the policy of retaliation with her actions towards Long on Feb. 20 and March 6.

Allegations of discriminatory comments Despite Long’s Jan. 26 complaint of Ready’s “inappropriate or prejudiced behavior,” the EOO’s investigation into Ready was not due to alleged comments made towards other students. However, COM administration expressed concern about Ready’s approach to interacting with international students.

Ready met with Michael Dowding, a master lecturer in COM, and Dana Janbek, a communication director and master lecturer in COM, on Feb. 7 following Long’s initial complaint, according to the report.

Dowding and Janbek declined to comment.

According to the transcript from the meeting, Dowding and Janbek were concerned about Ready’s performance and behavior in class. They referenced past course evaluations that indicated an “emerging pattern of inappropriate comments and treatment of international students” and a “complaint filed by a student.”

Janbek and Dowding asked Ready to “make a concerted

effort to pronounce student’s names correctly and create a more inclusive learning environment, rather than ‘othering’ international students,” according to the meeting transcript.

Ready said despite her efforts to properly pronounce students’ names, she still had some difficulty. She suggested calling all her students by their last names as a solution.

“I put my student’s name in the translator before class and write it out phonetically for me,” Ready said during the Feb. 7 meeting. “I think I’m going to go to Harry Potter Way and just call them by their last names. Ms. Wong, Ms. Lee, Ms. Liu. I think that’s easier. Their last names are easier to pronounce.”

In response, Dowding told Ready to call students by the names they prefer.

Dowding provided Ready with educational resources to “create a classroom environment that is as welcoming and inclusive as possible,” according to the transcript.

Emily Qin is a student who took Ready’s class in fall 2023. In an email to The Daily Free Press, she wrote that Ready “judges fairly” when grading, basing her grades off writing quality and extended extra support for her students.

“I am shocked to find what Professor Ready is being accused of, and as a Chinese English second language student, I’ll have to say that I never felt discriminated in her class,” Qin wrote.

In an interview with The Daily Free Press, Qin said Ready asked her to share her experiences in Ready’s class with The Daily Free Press. Qin said Ready did

not tell Qin what to say in the email or interview. Qin no longer attends BU. Qin said that while Ready had difficulty pronouncing students’ names she “really tried” by confirming Qin’s name every time and using a list with pronunciation listed “for every Chinese student.”

“She interacted with everyone in the same way,” Qin said. “It’s not about ethnicity or race, it’s about how students behave.”

Moving forward It is unclear whether Ready left her position as a BU professor of her own accord or if she was terminated.

The May EOO report stated that subjects of a complaint can appeal the action taken as a result of the complaint.

Following the conclusion of the EOO report, Ready emailed Dhami on May 15 and said she resigned from her position due to the investigation.

“I feel I was treated unfairly and not protected from an extremely hostile student,” Ready wrote. “I have resigned from the Writing Program in response.”

In emails to The Daily Free Press this month, Ready wrote that BU would not rehire her for the 2024-25 school year.

“Ready has been told she will not be rehired in the fall due to this case,” Ready wrote.

According to Ready, the case is under appeal through the part-time union grievance process. Natalia Berthet Garcia, communications director for SEIU 509, the union that represents part-time professors at BU, declined to comment on the appeal.

The Daily Free Press was unable to confirm if Ready filed

an appeal with the EOO about the investigation’s conclusion.

COM Dean Mariette DiChristina has the final say on discipline following the conclusion of the investigation, according to BU Spokesperson Colin Riley.

DiChristina wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that she is unable to speak on ongoing personnel matters. Riley declined to comment on Ready’s employment status for the same reason.

Long said in an interview that when she filed the original complaint, her intent was to be switched out of Ready’s class.

“It just really dragged, and the whole thing was hard,” she said.

“It felt a little bit more like I was being put on trial, which I was frustrated by.”

Ready would not comment on the conclusions of the report, her employment status with the University or a possible appeal of the report’s decision.

Ready has maintained her stance The Daily Free Press inaccurately reported the previous article. She wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that “the Daily Free Press refuses to run a correction on errors in a May 29 story about me.”

The original article was published on March 29, 2024.

The Daily Free Press maintains that the reporting in the original article is correct.

Managing Co-Editor Andrew DiBiasio and Lifestyle Editor Corinne Davidson took CO 201 with Tinker Ready in spring 2023 and fall 2023, respectively.

Neither were involved in the reporting, writing or editing of this article.

10 LIFESTYLE

LIFESTYLE

Practice the love language you’re looking for

BY CHLOE SAINT MARD DFP Writer

We often find ourselves waiting for others, whether it is a partner, a parent or a friend, to give us the love we desire.

These expectations can lead to unhealthy relationships, in which we depend on others to fulfill our emotional needs. The truth is, the more you nurture your relationship with yourself, the healthier your interpersonal relationships will become and the less you will expect others to fill a void.

A great way to start this journey of self-love is by using the five love languages — physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service and gifts — on yourself. Before you begin, think about the love language you like to receive the most from others. Then, work on practicing them daily to provide yourself with that same love.

Quality time This love language is all about dedicating time for yourself by doing things that bring you joy and peace. Become your own

ILLUSTRATION BY MADISYN KIM

best friend by going on solo dates and getting to know your true desires. Spending time alone can be uncomfortable at first, but it can lead to greater clarity and connection with yourself. If solo outings make you nervous, start small with a cozy night in — watch your favorite movie, cook a delicious meal or journal.

Some of my favorite places to journey solo are cafes, museums or bookstores. When you’re by yourself, avoid distractions like scrolling on your phone — spend time truly sitting with your thoughts. You can only grow as an individual if you take the time to understand yourself.

Words of affirmation This can be the hardest love language to give yourself, especially if you’re used to seeking external validation.

That’s exactly why it’s so important to practice — so you don’t rely on others for your selfworth.

Start by incorporating affirmations into your daily routine. You can say them in front of the mirror while getting ready, write them in a journal or recite them during meditation.

Affirmations can be as simple as telling yourself that you’re proud of your achievements or celebrating your smallest milestones. You can also write a letter to your future self.

Be mindful of how you talk about yourself. Remember that

words matter, so make a habit of using kind, empowering language when referring to yourself.

Physical touch Many people assume the love language of physical touch must involve someone else, but if that’s your main love language, you can embrace it on your own.

A great way to start is by indulging in a massage or facial or by being more intentional with your skincare routine. Create a relaxing bedtime routine — get cozy with a warm blanket, or treat yourself to a luxurious silk pillow. Take a moment to appreciate having space to yourself. You might miss that personal time when you have a partner in the future.

Acts of service Acts of service are about making life easier for your future self. When we think of performing acts of service for others, it often involves doing things they don’t enjoy, like taking out the trash, doing the dishes or folding laundry.

Apply the same logic to yourself by blocking time each week to take care of things like cleaning your room, prepping a meal or making a to-do list.

Identify what activities you procrastinate doing and create an action plan to tackle them.

By doing this, you’re showing yourself respect and care through the practical steps to make your

life less stressful.

Gift giving Gift giving can feel indulgent, but it’s important to remember that you’re allowed to spend money on things or experiences that make you happy. There’s no shame in treating yourself, as long as you’re mindful of your spending. Buying things can be a way of showing that you trust yourself with your finances, too.

You work hard, and you deserve to be spending $8 on your favorite latte every once in a while. So, commit to giving yourself a gift every so often — whether it’s a fun drink, new clothes or concert tickets.

Overall I’ve taken the love language test multiple times, and my result always comes back as quality time. I deeply value my time alone, and if I choose to spend time with someone, it means I truly appreciate them.

When I first committed to personal growth, the idea of going out alone filled me with anxiety, but now, solo dates have become my favorite way to recharge.

No matter what your love language is, learning to give yourself the love you need can feel uncomfortable at first — but the benefits are truly worth it. The more you invest in your relationship with yourself, the more fulfilling your relationships with others will become.

Songs for new adventures and missing home | Liv Listens

BY OLIVIA STAPLETON DFP Columnist

Last week, one of my friends reached out to me about her nerves surrounding going abroad next semester. She’s excited and knows it is the right decision for her, but she’s also nervous about being away for so long.

I’ve been thinking a lot about studying abroad in the future, too. Leaving the country can evoke competing emotions — anticipation for a new adventure, but also a fear of the unknown.

Not to mention, it can be scary leaving a lot of relationships back in Boston.

I get homesick easily, so I have songs about being away from home that I listen to when I want to feel seen, clear my mind or remind myself that this phase of my life is temporary.

My go-to album for when I’m homesick is “Stick Season (Forever)” by Noah Kahan. His song “You’re Gonna Go Far” reminds me that I am where I’m meant to be. I like to think of this song as a message from my loved ones, telling me that even though I’m far from home, they will always be proud of me.

Kahan sings, “The birds will still sing / Your folks will still fight / The boards will still creak / The leaves will still die / We ain’t angry at you, love / We’ll be waiting for you, love.”

This song is a reflection of how I feel about my friend going abroad. Although I’m heartbroken that I won’t see her for months, I’ll be waiting for her when she returns.

In “hope ur ok” by Olivia

Rodrigo, she reminisces about two people she encountered in her childhood who went through tough times. Although she doesn’t speak to them anymore, she wishes them the best.

I feel similarly about this song as I do “You’re Gonna Go Far,” but “hope ur ok” also helps me remember how temporary college is. It’s bittersweet to think about, but hearing lyrics like “Nothing’s forever / nothing is as good as it seems,” is helpful on the days when I wish I were anywhere else.

When homesickness does creep in, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” by Taylor Swift is a good cry song with an uplifting ending. I listened to this song a lot the week I graduated from high school. I was counting down the seconds until I moved into college, but I was also scared of the new experience. I know I’ll feel similarly about studying abroad when the time comes, and I’ll probably turn to “You’re On Your Own Kid” again to cry out my nerves.

The song closes with Swift singing, “‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned / Everything you lose is a step you take / So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You’ve got no reason to be afraid / You’re on your own, kid / Yeah, you can face this.” Being on your own in a new country is terrifying, but it’s also exciting. These lyrics capture both of those feelings at once.

For songs to listen to while embarking on a new chapter, I recommend Lorde. From

her album “Pure Heroine,” I recommend “A World Alone” and “Ribs.” Both tracks are great to accompany an evening exploration of a new city with new friends.

“A World Alone” is one of Lorde’s best works. There’s something so sweet and addicting about how Lorde sings, “You’re my best friend, and we’re dancing in a world alone.” In “Ribs,” Lorde perfectly captures the feeling of nostalgia before a moment is over. Sometimes, I’ve been looking forward to

something for so long that I’m practically reminiscing about it in the moment — that’s how “Ribs” feels.

Her album “Melodrama” also has a few tracks I’d add to my travel playlist. “The Louvre” is my designated post-run song.

I listen to it when I’m full of endorphins and feel like I’m on top of the world. Hearing Lorde sing “A rush at the beginning” with the phenomenal production of “Melodrama” in the background would make touching down in a new country

feel euphoric. “Perfect Places” is another song on “Melodrama” that would be perfect for a night out in a new place.

The Lumineers have a lot of songs with nostalgic vibes that would transfer well to studying abroad. I would recommend “Flowers in Your Hair” and “Sleep on the Floor.” I can see myself browsing shops in a new city with those songs coursing through my headphones.

I’ll be back with more music next week. Until then, don’t forget, I’m always here to listen.

ILLUSTRATION BY MELISSA PARK

OPINION 11

COLUMNS

‘Weird science’ and the struggle for truth | Data Driven

BY SARAH DATTA Senior Columnist

A hoax. A scam. A conspiracy theory perpetuated by the left.

There has been no shortage of fear-mongering and name-calling when it comes to the discussion of the climate crisis.

Especially with election season around the corner, watching the Republican party navigate their varying — and often evading — stances on climate change is almost comical. I’ve seen it range from avoiding questions on the topic to flat out denying climate change’s existence and all things in between, as these politicians attempt to prevent alienation of certain groups of voters while still doubling down on their oil-and-gas supremacy stance.

We saw Trump and Harris spar on climate change during the presidential debate, so when October first rolled around, I was curious to see how J.D. Vance would handle the topic during the vice presidential debate.

The tragedy of Hurricane Helene offered an important backdrop to a climate question: “More than 160 people are dead, and hundreds more are missing. Scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes larger, stronger and more deadly,” moderator Nora O’Donnell said during the debate. “Senator, what responsibility would the Trump Administration have to try and reduce the impact of climate change?”

Vance started by mourning the loss of lives due to Hurricane Helene before moving on to the meat of the question.

“One of the things I’ve noticed some of our Democratic friends talking a lot about is a concern about carbon emissions, this idea

that carbon emissions drives all of the climate change,” Vance said.

“Well, let’s just say that’s true, just for the sake of argument so we’re not arguing about weird science.”

Immediately, we’re off to a meandering, slightly confusing start as Vance attempts to distance himself from the facts O’Donnell presented in the question. Not only does he brush off the effects of carbon emissions on the environment, pretending to acknowledge their existence “for the sake of argument,” but he classifies climate change as “weird” science andturns a legitimate, important field of research into a hand-wavy, unreliable discipline.

“Well, if you believe that,” Vance said of carbon emissions as a cause of climate change. “What would you want to do?”

“If.” With no acknowledgement of the scientific consensus that climate change is a real, worrisome issue that impacts our immediate and long-term future, Vance instead works around the moderator’s wording to plant the seeds of doubt and denial.

This comes right off the back of a massive onslaught of lies and misinformation from Trump as he commentates on Hurricane Helene.

Li Zhou wrote for Vox that not only are many of these claims baseless and untrue, “federal officials say Trump’s disinformation — which has been condemned by regional Republican leaders — could further harm the relief effort, and deter people who need aid from trying to pursue it.”

Among Trump’s falsehoods are the claims that Harris “spent all her FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] money” and that Republican areas are being mistreated by the government.

FEMA Administrator Deanne

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

Criswell said on ABC’s “This Week” that these claims are “frankly ridiculous and just plain false.”

Trump even went so far as to blame the “little hurricane in Florida” for messing with the timing of his rallies and leading people to leave early, Newsweek reported. Harris seemed to hit a sore spot during the presidential debate when she jabbed that “people start leaving early out of exhaustion and boredom.”

Using a devastating natural disaster as a petty excuse for diminishing interest in his campaign is a new low for Trump.

Not only that, but to dismiss Hurricane Helene as “little” is so insensitive and irreverent that if anybody else in politics said it, I would be astonished.

Jennifer Rubins wrote for The Washington Post, “Vance, like many authoritarian propagandists, does not necessarily think he can persuade voters of his wild claims.

Rather, the aim is to confuse them about whether the truth is even knowable” I believe that Vance, Trump and many members of the Republican party have successfully brought us to that point. Understanding the gravity and weight of the climate crisis feels like an insurmountable task when the people who are supposed to be in charge keep us ignorant and bewildered. Despite the objectivity of science, especially agreed-upon and rigorously proven science, we’re in an era where the truth is malleable and facts are subservient to politics.

We can even take a step back from the messy, overly political discussion of climate change and talk about simple leadership efficacy. Trump is a leader who denies the size and scope of this catastrophe and actively works against helping people receive the support that they need to survive.

The time that FEMA officials must spend countering Trump’s lies, including keeping a “Hurricane Rumor Response” fact page up on their official website, is valuable time that could be better spent elsewhere.

Climate change is polarizing, but death and destruction shouldn’t be.

It’s high time that we stray from the nebulous, vague climate arguments and zero in on the real cost at stake: human lives.

EDITORIAL

Generation Z is struggling in the job market — but it’s not entirely our fault From an outside and older perspective, Generation Z is looked down upon as immature. The screenagers of today are presumed to have no social skills beyond typing on a cell phone and no professional skills beyond styling a vintage blazer.

These popular notions amongst our elders are mostly easy to brush off — doesn’t everyone have a silly side and a cell phone? While these assumptions may be in good fun and faith, they’re seeping into the minds of hiring managers — just as Gen Z is reaching hiring age.

Nearly half of hiring managers say Gen Z is the worst generation to

deal with in the workplace, and six in ten employers say they’ve already fired their recent college graduate hires for unprofessionalism. These statistics worried Gen Z students, as the already slowing job market looks more and more impossible to navigate.

Yet what others might say is all Gen Z’s own fault, is the result of a market older generations created.

The current job landscape is brutal — about 58% of people who hold a full-time job also work a second job. Additionally, the reported cost of living for a single person in the United States in 2022 amounted to

approximately $44,000 per year — a sum many entry-level jobs do not offer as a starting salary.

The dire states of the economy and the job and housing markets are scenarios most Gen Zers are not taught how to navigate, not in early education nor university.

Within the job market, more and more employers are seeking and developing talent internally with their current employees rather than hiring fresh faces. It seems the only fresh face many companies are hiring is artificial intelligence — many basic office jobs that would require a company to pay an employee a

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

livable wage are being replaced by AI. Entry-level jobs, even without the hurdle of AI, are scarce. A majority of the entry-level job listings still require a good chunk of professional experience, which most new graduates do not have. Even if you put in the time and effort to earn a four-year degree — which once was more than sufficient to secure a higher starting position — the feat no longer seems enough to get a firstround interview.

Even in the case that an employer contacts a Gen Z applicant to pursue next steps, those next steps never seem to go far. As most people currently applying for jobs know, hiring managers are notoriously unresponsive, even if they are the one to reach out to an applicant first.

The worst part is there is no specific answer as to why it is such a universal experience so many young applicants endure. It shows unprofessionalism from the company, which is hypocritical behavior for those who accuse Gen Z applicants of that very behavior.

The most integral moments of our childhood were impacted by an economic recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic claimed our adolescence. Both tragedies impacted us economically, socially and mentally, as many families struggled with unemployment, illness and death. As a result, many Gen Z-ers are unsure on how to handle their finances. According to a study by The George Washington University, only 43% of Gen Zers showed proficient

financial literacy, the lowest amongst all five living generations.

The reality many older hiring managers will not come to terms with — at least for now — is the fact that businesses will not survive if they do not hire Gen Z applicants.

Besides the obvious fact that Gen Z is the next generation entering the workforce, but because of what we are most criticized for: our use of social media.

Although it’s viewed as trivial, social media marketing has become an integral part of commercial success. Digital marketing has found popularity and success over traditional marketing tools, such as billboards and TV advertisements.

The silliness and unseriousness of this tactic is what grabs the attention of younger audiences.

Growing up alongside social media, Gen Z naturally knows how to market to a younger generation — a generation that includes consumers that will finance a company into the future.

While Gen Z can surely seem immature and unprofessional from an outsider’s perspective, it doesn’t mean we don’t know when to shut it off. Making assumptions about how a Gen Z applicant will perform in a position, just because of their age, is unprofessional and unfair.

Gen Z is the future. Instilling confidence and strategic career skills in younger generations isn’t just good for us — it’s good for business.

This Editorial was written by Opinion Co-Editor Hailey Pitcher.

12 Sports

SPORTS

Before they were Boston Terriers, Andrea Di Blasio and Giuseppe Bagnato were Brooklyn Italians

BY GABBY CHURCH Senior Writer

Eleven months ago, the Boston University men’s soccer team faced Syracuse University in the NCAA tournament. On either bench sat BU defender Giuseppe Bagnato and forward Andrea Di Blasio — who, before he wore Terrier red, played for the Orange.

Now, junior Bagnato and sophomore Di Blasio are playing together at BU — but this isn’t the first time they’ve shared a pitch. “[Our relationship] dates back a while,” Di Blasio said. “We played on the same youth development team since we were four … our parents became best friends, so in turn, we became best friends.”

Bagnato and Di Blasio, both raised in Brooklyn, New York, trained with the Brooklyn Italians, a youth soccer team.

“We went through a time where the great Joe Barone was the head of the Brooklyn Italians, and he revolutionized soccer in the area,” Bagnato said. “[The sport] continues to grow. Now there are more guys going D1 in Brooklyn than ever.”

The two reconnected through Metropolitan Oval Academy’s MLS Next pathway, where Bagnato spent two years before BU and Di Blasio joined him a year after. There, they felt part of something great.

“As a team, we felt we were going to win the MLS Next championship. That’s just the mentality we needed,” Di Blasio said. “We thought we were the best team, and I feel we showed

that with the amount of talent that went to the next level.”

Their undeniable abilities earned them recruitments to D1 programs — Bagnato to BU and Di Blasio to Syracuse — where top talents vie for limited spots.

But both players faced early playtime hurdles.

As a freshman, Bagnato appeared in just four matches for a total of 99 minutes, the thirdfewest on the team.

“Freshman year was a rough go for me. I used to play club with Andrea and I used to be the starter … but [the coaching staff] has done well putting me through the system,” he said. “I’m happy with how it’s going [now] and can’t wait for more.”

The following season, Bagnato’s minutes increased fivefold as the Terriers surged to a conference title.

Meanwhile, at Syracuse, Di Blasio saw no gametime for the 2022 National Champion team that graduated five players to the MLS SuperDraft. He then played a total of 34 minutes in 2023.

After conference tournaments ended in 2023, the selection show pitted the former teammates’ new badges against one another.

“I already had a feeling before the selection came out that [we’d] get Syracuse,” Bagnato said.

“Once the selection came out, I texted [Andrea] straight away like, ‘Well, I’ll see you in a bit.’”

Though neither played in that game on Nov. 16, 2023, both players said they valued the chance to reconnect and put their journeys into perspective.

“It shows how far we’ve come as friends and as soccer players as well,” Di Blasio said.

After the game finished 3-1, BU’s postseason run ended against Syracuse, and the Orange lost the following round.

The fall transfer portal opened that same month, which presented the opportunity for Di Blasio to reconsider his options.

“Before I went to Syracuse, my two decisions were either BU or Syracuse,” Di Blasio said. “I knew [head coach Kevin Nylen] before I even came here, so having that in the back of my mind once I entered the portal was a big part of it.”

He said Bagnato helped with the decision as well.

This season, with Di Blasio now a Terrier, the new teammates have shown vast improvement and heightened involvement.

“There’s obviously a level of respect and a fond admiration and also responsibility of being a good friend and pushing each other,” Nylen observed of the pair.

“You don’t always see that at the collegiate level, two guys who’ve grown up together. They have a unique relationship.”

Individual drive and team motivation led Bagnato to a careerhigh five starts in just 12 games.

Di Blasio has similarly outdone himself. In half a season at BU, he has played in more than twice as many games than he did in two seasons at Syracuse.

This included netting his first two career goals with Boston written across his chest against Army West Point, which propelled

BU to its first conference win and earned him Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week.

“It’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Once you get the first goal, you feel like you could get the second, third, fourth,” Di Blasio said. “Being able to play is the reason I transferred. I felt like at Syracuse I was limited, and here I feel like myself again.”

Di Blasio is rediscovering the unbridled enthusiasm that underlined his youth soccer career with his childhood friend by his side. This spirit was evident when the two beamed in celebration after Di Blasio’s

game-winning goal. “[That moment] reminded us of how we were back then,” Bagnato said. “I remember times where Andrea scored the winner against NYCFC Academy … It’s like, ‘Finally, we’re back on the pitch together, and we can finally enjoy the sport together.’”

The Brooklyn natives are hoping to have more chances to celebrate together as the Terriers play out the rest of the 2024 season.

“Coming off a Patriot League Championship … [I thought], ‘It’s gonna be a good year once I come here,’ Di Blasio said. “And I feel like we’re on track for that.”

COURTESY OF BU ATHLETICS Sophomore Andrea Di Blasio and junior Giuseppe Bagnato. Di Blasio and Bagnato have been playing soccer together since they were 4 years old, and after one year apart at separate universities, the two reunited at Boston University.

In 5-2 season-opening win over Holy Cross, BU men’s hockey finds reason to celebrate

BY MITCH FINK Co-Director of Boston Hockey Blog

In the locker room before the Boston University men’s hockey team’s opener against Holy Cross, freshmen Alex Zetterberg, Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman were already workshopping potential goal celebrations.

One of Zetterberg’s from practice — a shimmy-shake and a flex while gliding past the BU bench — was floated as a joke.

“A pretty stupid celly,” Hutson conceded postgame.

But sure enough, Eiserman was shimmying and flexing his arms after his first collegiate

goal in the second period. Five minutes later, Hutson did the same after a filthy five-hole tally.

Zetterberg completed the trifecta after poking home a rebound a few minutes after that.

“For Eiserman to do that was kind of shocking, and so we all just kind of joined up,” Hutson said dryly as he sported a salmon suit, Nike Dunks and a BU hockey beanie.

And that was the word of the night in No. 3 BU’s 5-2 seasonopening win over Holy Cross Saturday night: celebration.

From the packed crowd at Agganis Arena to the flashy play of the Terriers — specifically their freshmen — the game felt

CRISTINA ROMANO | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER Freshman forward Cole Eiserman celebrates his goal in a BU men’s hockey game against Holy Cross. The Terriers won the season opener 5-2.

like a party from start to finish.

“It was great to see we had a ton of students here, which is huge for us,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said postgame. “For a first game versus Holy Cross, great crowd and we certainly liked the result.”

The Terriers (1-0-0) didn’t rout the Crusaders (0-1-0), but they soundly outplayed them. BU was quicker and far more skilled.

Holy Cross could only compete in the physicality department.

Much of that manifested in physical play, with the Crusaders pummeling the Terriers at almost every opportunity — especially at the start. By the end of the game, the teams had combined for 83 penalty minutes.

Eiserman and junior forward Devin Kaplan were both ejected with game misconducts.

“There was a scrum after every whistle,” Pandolfo said.

“I don’t know if that was their game plan to try to be physical against our group, but we stood right in there.”

The Terriers controlled much of the scrum-filled, scoreless first period, but Holy Cross outshot BU 9-6 in the frame and generated a few grade-A chances on senior netminder Mathieu Caron.

“I thought in the first period, we didn’t put enough pucks to the net. We weren’t creating enough second chances,” Pandolfo said postgame. “I thought we passed

up a lot of shots.”

That changed in the second.

Just 39 seconds into the frame, the Terriers’ first line of Shane Lachance, Ryan Greene and Quinn Hutson opened the scoring. After a strong shift of offensive zone time, junior captain Ryan Greene poked home a rebound, which had been bouncing around the crease after an initial shot from Hutson and a second look from Lachance.

Nearly eight minutes into the third period, Greene went on to score his second of the night, and he also tallied an assist.

“Ryan ended up with two goals. He could’ve easily had five,” Pandolfo said. “He was really good.”

The top line, Pandolfo said, has gelled after spending the last few weeks together in practice. Outside of Greene’s performance, though, it was BU’s freshmen group that stole the show.

Freshman forward Eiserman was the first of the class to find the net. The left winger found the puck at the left circle on the power play and blasted a one-timer off iron nearly four minutes into the second.

His shot simply comes off the stick harder and faster than anyone else on the ice — and he is a seamless fit on BU’s top power play unit, slotting into the goal-scoring role that Macklin Celebrini held last season.

Defensemen Hutson and Zetterberg followed suit.

Hutson was first, beating his man down the left wing and slotting one five-hole on Holy Cross senior netminder Thomas Gale nearly nine minutes into the second period.

Finding the net thirteen minutes into the second, Zetterberg potted a rebound 12 seconds after the conclusion of a BU power play.

Sophomore forward Jack Stockfish scored the first Holy Cross goal at 11:27 of the second, and junior Jack Seymour tallied the other, a power play goal at 1:11 of the third.

With 29 saves, Caron looked confident in net. And BU’s young defensive core, featuring two freshmen and four sophomores, held it down in the defensive end.

But the highlight was the energy around the arena, which just felt different than it had in year’s past. The Dog Pound was completely full 30 minutes before puck drop, and even the student overflow section on the opposite side of the rink was mostly full. Student tickets sold out for the game.

“If you ask me,” Cole Hutson said. “I think they should show up to a few more.”

On all fronts, it was a statement on the state of this program coming into a season with sky-high expectations. A celebration.