By Melissa Baykan Photo by Ella Xu To be authentic is to stay true to your values and beliefs in order to live openly as yourself. Travelers have recently embraced the trending idea of prioritizing authenticity in order to experience what they imagine culture to be in its purest form: as a local, an insider, but definitely not as the stereotypical tourist. Over the last decade, the label of a tourist has taken on increasingly negative connotations, deteriorating from a simple

Your guide on how to “do it all” without wrecking your peace By Brooke Elwell There is a particular kind of satisfaction that comes from completing something difficult. Whether it be a brutal workout, an eight-hour shift, an argument with a friend, or a seemingly impossible midterm, the relief we feel once it's over is its own twisted sort of peace. However, we live in an age where we are constantly being encouraged to “do” more: make more money, get better grades, look bette

The off-campus home of your dreams is possible with some second-hand scavenging. By: Grace Dempsey Moving off-campus at BU can be tricky, to say the least. I was one of the many students who experienced the canon Sept. 1 move-in for the first time this year, and describing it as anxiety-inducing would be an understatement; however, on the other side of mustering every ounce of patience I had to sit through hours of traffic in a U-Haul was my very own home that my roommates an

From blockbuster characters to viral personas, Halloween displays everything we've obsessed over. By Catherine Ursitti The costumes we choose are never random, especially in 2026. A single viral clip can make someone recognizable overnight, and a decades-old celebrity can suddenly become relevant again. The result is a Halloween lineup that feels like a capsule of recent cultural obsessions. Many of this year's most anticipated costumes come straight from the screen. The sequ

By Hansuja Kandadi Sometimes I feel like I know it: This whole “life” thing, Like I’m steering a wheel, And I’ve got a tight grip. How hollow is that belief? Knocks me over till I bleed, Doesn’t allow me a moment of relief. Life sort of happens while we’re in between living. So now when I set sail, I stand aboard a sunny day, Perhaps I’ll be greeted by thunder, Perhaps I will tremble afraid, Now that I’ve drowned one too many times. Nothing to stand on? Then I’ll swim the ti

Let’s stop treating our favorite songs like dirty little secrets By Madelyn Kincel Graphic by Natalie Horvath Some time in between late November and early December, the year’s most anticipated musical release arrives: Spotify Wrapped. In the days following, listeners post their Top 5s across social media and brag about being in their favorite artist’s top 1% of listeners. But when you check your Wrapped, there always ends up being one statistic, one song, or one artist you do

You can take the girl out of the fandom, but not the fandom out of the girl. By Nicole Lipner Photo by Scarlett Capellan In middle school, overwhelmed by the pandemic and desperate for a creative outlet, I took inspiration from Instagram accounts I lurked on and created my own Grey's Anatomy fan page. Throughout the years, my account blew up; I started getting recognized by actors, official teams sent me merch, and I fell deep into the fandom. More traction gave me more motiv

How do students bring bits of their family dinners with them to campus? by Kelly Matthews Photo by Julien Pedro A new city. New friends. New classes. A new home. Every fall, Boston University freshmen are thrown into a whole new life, flipping every routine upside down and throwing all things familiar out the window. Amidst all this change, students must up and leave the comfort of their dinner table. Transitioning from the warmth of home-cooked meals to the bustling campus d

Hear about the hot takes and candy opinions BU students have this Halloween season! By: Celine Wu Graphic by Sisi Chen Halloween is the one time of year where eating an ungodly amount of candy is completely justified. I personally think that Halloween candy beats out the candy of every other holiday, including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. Every Halloween, there’s a sort of familiar ritual. You open a giant variety bag of candy, hand out the candy in small batches,

By: Samantha Sonders Photo by Mia Bianco Fall is in full swing: all the leaves are red and rusty orange, the infamous wind tunnels bite at BU students’ faces, and the sky is perpetually overcast. As we head into these colder months, it’s helpful to arm yourself with oversized sweaters and fuzzy scarves, and the best way to find cute, warm clothing is at the thrift! Boston is filled with cool and unique thrift stores; here are some of the best ones. One of the most popular and