Columns

Columns

Looking Through the Met: Camp

By Ryan Fairfield | October 19

Inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp,’” the 2019 Met Gala theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” with a dress code of “studied triviality.” The night was defined by eccentric, extravagant clothes featuring bold, bright colors and often highlighted by sparkling jewels or fabrics. Definitely one of the most memorable Met Galas of recent years, “Camp: Notes on Fashion” was a fabulous night of striking outfits. 

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Keeping Up With the 617: Champions

By Matt Goguen | October 19

We’ve reached the point of the NBA season where overreactions are more common than pessimism amongst fanbases; some are drooling over a newly-drafted rookie, and others are looking ahead towards a Larry O’Brien trophy presentation in June. In the Celtics’ case, the Garden Faithful are anticipating another NBA Finals appearance after a tumultuous offseason. And why wouldn’t they? The starting lineup from the 2022 playoffs is still intact, new free agent addition Malcolm Brogdon adds depth to an already solid bench, and Jayson Tatum had another offseason of development. Nonetheless, this offseason contained more drama than a Shakespearean play; with a now suspended head coach and injuries to Robert Williams III and Danilo Gallinari, a once promising season has turned dire quickly.

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Columns

Queeries: Showcasing queer visibility on the silver screen through 'Rocky Horror'

By Saba S. | October 18

Many of us would say that nothing necessarily good came out of the ‘70s. Yet it was the peak of the gay liberation movement and the cultural changes that took place following the 1969 Stonewall Riots prevailed nationwide. This period — though dominated by homophobia, violence and death — was the conception of queer pop culture. Although transformative, the new cultural emergence during this decade remained primarily underground. It remained frowned upon to embrace queerness and queer expression, so how did “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) teach entire generations to celebrate queer culture and drag history?

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Columns

The Final Whistle: Can Arsenal go all the way?

By Bharat Singh | October 18

The Invincibles. This was the title given to the Arsenal team that finished the 2003–2004 Premier League season undefeated; a  feat that had only been achieved once over a 100 years ago by Preston North End. Led by the French tactician ArsèneWenger, the North London club went 49 games unbeaten in an era that included Sir Alex Ferguson’s great Manchester United side and the growing power of London rival Chelsea. Etched into history, players like Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry turned into global icons as they lifted the coveted trophy. Few would have guessed that this would be the Gunners’ last title in the modern era as the club entered a difficult decade of transition, both on and off the field. For almost two decades, Arsenal fans have dreamt of winning the Premier League. Today, after years of heartbreak, they find themselves closer than ever. 

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Columns

Community Table: Working with Kids

By Gwendolyn Brown | October 18

Zach Woods and I had been planning to have this cheese date for weeks. Little did I know that his hometown has a surplus of it. When I brought two pieces of goat cheese, he exclaimed, “I love goat cheese! I’m from the middle of nowhere Texas, but it’s like lots of goat farms and stuff.” 

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Winkler's Weekly Symphony Guide: It’s okay to like Mozart too

By Matthew Winkler | October 18

In my column, I’ve talked about the importance of performing non-canonical classical works and including modern and contemporary voices. While I stand by that position, I also acknowledge my bias towards non-diatonic modernist tonalities. After all, my favorite composers to listen to are John Adams and Gustav Mahler, not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. And while I’ve argued for orchestras to move beyond the meritocracy, I want to also stress that this should not be achieved with destruction. There is beauty that must be preserved within the canon. It would be a disservice to let Mozart fall into obscurity in the interest of progressive sounds, which I was made acutely aware of at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Oct. 14 Casual Friday performance.  

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Columns

Extra Innings: MLB postseason storylines

By Henry Blickenstaff | October 17

MLB postseason storylines

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Columns

Roster Rundown: Week 6

By Timothy Valk | October 14

It’s not every day that a player lined up at quarterback scores three rushing touchdowns — while being labeled as a fantasy eligible tight end! 

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Column

Looking Through the Met: A Lexicon of Fashion

By Ryan Fairfield | October 14

The last time the Met Gala was not held on the first Monday of May was in 2004. Since Anna Wintour took charge of the event, it has been held on that day of the week for years, so much so that “the first Monday in May” has become synonymous with the gala. Due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Met Gala was held on the second Monday of September with the theme “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and a dress code of “American Independence.” The 2021 and 2022 galas were part of a two-part exhibition, which is why the 2022 theme was also “In America.” 

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Column

K-Weekly: What are the Bangtan Boys up to?

By Odessa Gaines | October 14

On June 14, just four days after dropping their anthology album “Proof,” BTS (방탄소년단) announced that they would be taking a break from group activities. 

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Keeping up with the 617: Confidence

By Matt Goguen | October 14

After a month of middling performances and untimely injuries, the New England Patriots enter Week 6 with a rookie quarterback at the helm and a young defense that is impressing the league. Sound familiar?

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Local

Tales from the T: What’s in a name?

By Kevin Zhang | October 14

Today, we’ll be looking at some of the more interesting station names on the T. While most stations are named for streets, local landmarks or influential figures (i.e. dead white men), many stations have rather unique names that reveal some history of the city around us. 

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Columns

The Final Whistle: All eyes on Jude Bellingham

By Bharat Singh | October 13

Earlier this month, Jude Bellingham made history as the youngest player to captain a Bundesliga team. The 19-year-old wore the armband for Borussia Dortmund in its game against Köln as senior captains Marco Reus and Mats Hummels were sidelined due to injury. 

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Columns

Liz in London: Unfamiliar places with familiar faces

By Elizabeth Foster | October 13

Just as I thought I was getting comfortable enough with the direction of traffic to begin jaywalking (safely, at least), I left the U.K. for the EU.

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Columns

The Art of Good Soup: Are udon(e) yet?

By Ellie Lester and Cole Reese | October 12

This is a message for Shanghai Moon Restaurant in Medford, Mass. If you are not Shanghai Moon, or our Uber Eats driver, Diamond, keep scrolling. This does not concern you. 

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Columns

Lex Eat!: You don’t get old at the table

By Alexa Amorosino | October 12

Some people simply eat to live. They see food as fuel and treat it as such. I am not one of those people … and that’s pretty much how I found myself living abroad in Italy this fall.

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Columns

Sports and Society: Moneyball

By Oliver Fox | October 12

There’s not enough money in sports. I know that LeBron James makes nearly $45 million every year, that the Golden State Warriors had a payroll over $175 million last year and that the NFL signed a media rights deal worth over $100 billion in total value. I know those numbers seem completely out of control, but I promise only the last one is. Hear me out. 

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Local

Winkler's Weekly Symphony Guide: Modernism Triumphs

By Matthew Winkler | October 12

At last week’s Sept. 30 concert, an older woman approached me during intermission and told me how incensed she was by the program. To play not only a contemporary piece but also the modernist Shostakovich was simply too much! Luckily, “her Haydn,” as the woman would call Joseph Hadyn, closed the concert, saving her bourgeois sensibilities. I would have loved to see her reaction to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s third and most recent Oct. 6–8 set, which flaunted a daring line-up of only 20th and 21st century works. Additionally interesting was that all of the pieces were “program music,” meaning they all tried to represent a non-musical narrative or image.

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Columns

Extra Innings: Playoff preview 2022

By Henry Blickenstaff | October 7

It’s the first year of the new 12-team format for the MLB postseason, which begins tonight. The first round will feature four wild card series, each of them a best of three games. The top two division winners in each league get first round byes. The Astros and the Yankees are the top two seeds in the American League, while the Dodgers and Braves secured byes in the National League. Those clubs will face the winners of the wild card round in a best of five games division series, which will be followed by the best of seven games championship series and the World Series, which begins on Oct. 28. This is a breakdown of the wild card matchups, predictions for each and some thoughts on who will win it all. 

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Columns

Looking Through the Met: Gilded glamour

By Ryan Fairfield | October 7

The 2022 Met Gala was the first traditional Met Gala since 2019. The Gala was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, it was a smaller event held in September with a lack of some of the major, popular attendees. Needless to say, there was pressure on the Met to revive the gala and remind the public of what an essential fashion event it is.

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