Opinion | Column

Column

Micro-Trend of the Week: 'I'M SCREAMING'

By RaiAnn Bu | March 31

In recent marketing and advertising trends, there has been a shift from high production value to an intentionally unpolished bid for authenticity. Ads have become sponsored hauls: an ordinary girl following the familiar template and vernacular of another haul video, seemingly devoid of a secondary motive to sell you a product, or a Twitter screenshot posted on Instagram captioned with “I’M DYING” or “THIS IS SO CUTE,” followed by pictures of some trendy piece of jewelry.In the caption is a much too convenient link to the item and a sheepish #ad hiding in the corner.

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Talking Transit: At the end of the day, everything is old and sucks

By Chris Duncan | March 30

Last week had a lot of transit news, and a lot of it was pretty good even! Notably, we got the first branch of the Green Line Extension, and the MBTA released their brand spankin’ new five-year capital investment plan. The plan itself showed promise, even though it frustratingly still has no real concrete plan for converting the commuter rail into an electrified regional rail network.

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The Biggest Misconceptions About College Life: Where you’ll meet ‘the one’

By Stephany Sestini | March 29

“During my moving day as a freshman, I remember walking up the stairs and catching a glimpse of who I know today as my husband. As soon as our eyes met, I knew he was the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with,” my cousin said. Almost everyone has heard a passionate and cheesy story about someone who met the love of their life in college. Whether it described the fascinating, first eye contact they made with their future significant other across the foyer or the accidental cliché bump into their soulmate while grabbing food at the dining hall, the notion of meeting ‘the one’ in college has been around for years. 

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Blue, Brown & Green: It’s time to unplug — literally

By Natalie Brownsell | March 17

Of the 92.9 quadrillion British thermal units of energy consumed by the U.S. in 2020, 62.3 quads were considered “rejected energy” by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This means that more than two-thirds of the energy consumed in the U.S. in 2020 was released into the environment — mostly as heat — and provided no economic or societal benefit at all. In other words, over two-thirds of all energy consumed in 2020 was wasted. This waste comes from inefficiencies in technology that allow energy to be lost as heat while converting one form of energy into another or while running technology.

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Talking Transit: The Globe rubs salt in the wound

By Chris Duncan | March 16

If you read the Boston Globe, you might have come across this article on Monday about what the T could have been. The crux of it centers on a map published by the paper in April 1947 showcasing planners’ proposals for an expansion of Boston’s T network. Looking at it now, knowing that so little of this has actually come to be, is a little bit heartbreaking.

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K-Weekly: Black appropriation in K-pop (Part 1)

By Odessa Gaines | March 16

I happen to be a firm believer in the idea that you can enjoy things that are criticized, and that it’s kind of impossible to not enjoy things that are criticized. Everyone has skeletons in their closets as well as mistakes they made when they were young and ignorant, so I believe in forgiving but not necessarily forgetting. This is why I can enjoy K-pop, despite the not-so-cool parts of it. 

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Managing Multipolarity: A rising eastern kingdom

By Daniel Chung | March 16

Since the end of the Second World War, Japan has been a secondary power unwilling to exert the hard power associated with great power status, with a constitution “[renouncing] war as a sovereign right of the nation.” However, after this recent period of military isolationism characterized by the Yoshida doctrine — which passed responsibility for Japanese security policy to the U.S. — ‌Japan is primed to enter another expansionist phase, although the form, extent and characteristics of this expansionism have not yet been settled.

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A Compendium of Actors: Meryl Streep — then and now

By Henry Chandonnet | March 15

The influence of Meryl Streep is far-reaching, with her performances fundamentally changing the field of acting. Thus, to focus on just one or two of Streep’s performances as encompassing of her talents would be an exercise in futility. Rather, one must consider the sheer glut of content. So, for this week, let’s go back in time and do a decade-by-decade analysis of what makes up a Streep performance.

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Ethics of the Environment: Game reserves — Who do they serve?

By Ethan Jaskowiak | March 14

The global population is rapidly approaching eight billion people. This growth necessitates increases in food production, resource extraction and overall consumption, putting a strain on remaining wildlife habitat. Oftentimes, our most precious refuges of biodiversity are left to the protection of impoverished local communities, raising the question: Who should bear the burdens of conservation efforts? Who should reap the benefits: locals or predominantly western conservationists?

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Ethics of the Environment: Country clubs, golf and the climate crisis

By Ethan Jaskowiak | March 7

Country clubs have long been criticized for their elitism and exclusivity; in light of our planet’s environmental crisis, I would argue that they are also damningly wasteful, both in terms of resources consumed and environmental impact.

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Innocent Pleasures: Dancing’s not a crime

By JoJo Lee | March 4

Stemming from my New Year’s resolution to practice more empathy and, partly inspired by the protagonist of Elaine Hsieh Chou’s “Disorientation” (2022) — who abstains from the act because “She [i]sn’t a Republican!”— is my intent to stop kink-shaming. Regardless of your political affiliation, I hope this column can convince you to join me in this endeavor. My broader aim, though, is twofold: one, to dismantle the concept of “guilty pleasures” and explore why we shouldn't be ashamed of the things that bring us joy and to advocate for the small and oft overlooked innocent pleasures that can add light to our lives if we know to let them.

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Blue, Brown & Green: The Ripple Effect

By Natalie Brownsell | March 4

In my last column, I talked about the role that community, and the actions of each individual within that community, plays on sustainability. I also asked you to think about how you can make a difference every day in our community through your own actions. With that in mind, let’s look at sustainability.

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Public Cinemy No. 1: CCP films with international implications

By Sacha Waters | March 4

It’s no secret that there isn’t love lost between America and China. While currently civil, the two are competitors in every aspect. But what happens when art is employed to further hostility?

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Potty Talk: Potties of a far-off land

By David Wingens | March 3

Potty Talk: Potties of a far off land

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Managing Multipolarity: Ascension of the elephant

By Daniel Chung | March 2

To many within the Washington foreign policy establishment and even the public at large, the idea of India as a future great power has been accepted as a foregone conclusion since the days of BRICS. However, much of the thinking behind why this is the case has been obscured, as have the substantial challenges that India will face in the process of rising to regional hegemony.

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A Compendium of Actors: Lady Gaga the actress?

By Henry Chandonnet | March 1

A Compendium of Actors: Lady Gaga the actress?

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Ethics of the Environment: The nuances of vegan morality

By Ethan Jaskowiak | February 28

As the climate crisis worsens and veganism gains momentum, our dietary habits, especially regarding meat and other animal products, have come under scrutiny for their role in aggravating global warming and leading to the inhumane mistreatment of livestock. However, the issue is not as clear-cut as many activists would have you believe.

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The Journey: Founding principles

By Liz Buehl | February 25

The idea of journalism is one founded upon much more than just publication. It encapsulates the core of human interconnectedness and fairness. This semester, I have had the privilege of learning from Dr. Ravi Shankar in the course Creative Writing: Journalism. When registering for this course, I was in search of an arts credit to satisfy a distribution requirement; in the end, I found much more. Just a few weeks into the class, I have developed as a journalist through writing pieces in a variety of styles and perspectives I had not previously explored. This evening, I found myself realizing the power of journalism in dismantling unjust systems through listening to Dr. Shankar’s reflections on some of the impetus behind his newly released novel "Correctional" which cites the racist practices that are inseparable from the punitively based American incarceration system. His work not only highlights the reality of being a person of color in America but also the importance of writing and journalism in pursuing justice for all.

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K-Weekly: How do K-pop groups work?

By Odessa Gaines | February 23

If you’re new to the world of K-pop, chances are you've given one look at a performance or group photo and been left confused. A typical comment Western listeners have to the world of K-pop is: Why are there so many members? 

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The Final Whistle: Luis Díaz, welcome to Anfield

By Bharat Singh | February 23

South America’s latest export to the Premier League is Liverpool’s Luis Díaz. The Colombian joins the Reds on a 5 ½ year deal for upwards of 37 million euros from F.C Porto. In his year and a half in Portugal, Díaz won the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal, two of the nation's biggest club honors. His 14 goals in the first half of the 2021–22 season still have him ranked second in the Portuguese league, in spite of being gone for weeks. In addition to impactful performances against Manchester City and A.C Milan in the Champions League, Díaz’s strongest display came during the 2021 Copa America. Colombia finished third behind heavyweights Argentina and Brazil as Díaz ended the tournament as joint-top-scorer alongside none other than Lionel Messi.

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