Spring clean your winter playlist with these eight fresh tracks. 

Unless you're into alternative or folk music, you've probably only heard of Bon Iver for stripped down, indie songs like“Skinny Love.”However, behind the scenes, Bon Iver is a music genius who mixes sounds of the future with themes of the past. The combination of rock themes with electronic features opens up a new genre of music most haven't heard of.

Yebba has been hiding in the cut and releasing bops lefts and right. Most known for her recent work with Sam Smith, Yebba is a vocal phenomenon with swift runs and beautiful harmonies. “Evergreen” is such a piece. Combining simple percussion and tasteful harmonies, Yebba creates a simplistic but wholistic sounding piece to wow your ears. 

While I am not familiar with all of Run’s work, “Haze” is a beautiful, homophonic piece, similar to the works of Bon Iver and Imogen Heap. Run places very delicate, simple harmonies between intense chord builds, which adds to the emotional and dynamic piece of the music. 

“The Outfield” is a very simplistic but beautiful rock piece. With lyrics like “I know you try so hard to be so hard to get, but I can hear the way you talk under your breath,” it takes you inside unrequited love and the emotions that follow. The combination of reverb and harmonies and the soloist’s placements of his belts create a contrast from verse to chorus. 

Fogale, a folk singer, has a soulful voice that reaches across genres. Fogale combines intense chords with a very light and silky voice to create a full sounding piece every time. Having released two albums, Fogale has crafted a folk-meets-soul sound that has gained attention across the musical spectrum. 

“Vacation,” off Superfruit’s debut album, is for older teens only. Remember when “We Can't Stop” came out, and there was that whole dispute with the “Dancing with Miley” lyric? (Side note: If you don't know what I’m talking about do not Google it. Teens In Print is not liable for any information that you gain from your own personal intent to gain knowledge.)  Anyway, “Vacation” is a poppy song that older teens will understand and a song younger kids can still bop to… just make sure they don’t listen to the lyrics too closely. 

The queen of alternative R&B, FKA Twigs has become a music staple. She’s also one of the few people of color gaining fame in the alternative musical genre. Her sound is a mix of head voice harmonies and breathy belts, which create a sensual-sounding masterpiece.  

This Norwegian songstress has been known to produce bop after bop after bop, with “Runaway” being no exception. “Runaway” starts off as a slow, harmony filled homophonic piece but as chords build and sounds are added the piece elevates to another level of music genius. 

Once the decision has been made and sent to the college you are officially attending, there is a new set of choices to be made. Awful, right? The college process is indeed an extensive and draining process. But at the end, everything you’ve done will be worth it because you will be college ready! To put you on the fast track, here is a comprehensive list of everything you need to know before you make your way to college.

 “I feel great about going to college because I can have so much freedom from my family,” said Darlene Franco, a senior at John D. O’Bryant. However, when it comes to knowing what to buy for college, Franco admits she doesn’t feel prepared. 

Purchasing necessities for college can be burdensome because it is not always clear what is needed. Sure, there are obvious necessities, like clothes, shoes, toiletries, textbooks, school supplies, and a bed set, but what else do we need to be comfortable in college? 

 No worries! Here is a list of a few less-obvious things you must consider getting.

A power strip. This is crucial for the long hours you’ll be typing essays, sending emails, doing research, and putting together projects. The built-in outlets in your dorm might be blocked, occupied, or located in a weird space, so a power strip is key for those difficult times.

A Full-length mirror. Meetings with your professor, boss, and friends all require different outfits, so a good mirror will come in handy when you’re quickly changing to go to your next event or appointment.

A Bike, for easy commuting around campus and quick trips to the grocery store. Plus, it’s much quicker to bike across campus when you’re running late to class, forgot about a meeting, want to grab a quick bite to eat in between classes, or coming home from work late at night. And, it’s environmental friendly!

A safe. With all your valuables coming with you to your dorm, you need a secure place to put all those items. Besides, you’ll be sharing a room with someone and facing constant intrusion from your friendly neighbors into your room.

Rain gear. The weather can be unpredictable and awful, but despite the rain or snow, you still have to go to class and work. To make sure you don’t show up drenched, an umbrella or raincoat will come in handy

Cleaning supplies and first aid kit. When you first arrive to your dorm, you should spray and wipe everything down. Then, keep your cleaning supplies and first aid kit around in case of spills, accidents, scrapes or cuts.

College is a completely different environment from high school. You will be surrounded by countless unfamiliar faces and overwhelmed with emotions from anticipation to concern. Starting over and making new friends can be frightening, so here are some strategies to assist in making new friends easier.

Find the hot spots on campus. Find the spots where all the different groups hang out, whether it be the library, dining hall, the cultural center or the gym, so that you can introduce yourself to everyone and find people with the same interests as you.

Sit in at a student government meeting. It’s important to know what’s happening in your school. Sitting in on student government will help you learn about ways you can get involved and make the school better, and you could even pitch in your own ideas or concerns. 

Check out the flyers and postings around campus. When you’re in high school, it can be easy to ignore the posters on the wall. But, when you’re walking around your campus, there might be postings about ways for you to get involved with clubs, on-campus jobs, service projects, or events. 

Attend the student organization fair. This is your chance to see all the clubs that exist, all in one place. Make sure you introduce yourself to the people in charge of the clubs. Also, take note of what clubs don’t exist yet—you might be the person who starts it!

Join a cause, charity, or foundation that you’re passionate about. This is a great opportunity to make a huge impact at your college, or in the community you live in. In addition, you can meet new people or get your friends involved as well.

Look through the events calendar. The calendar posted online is your guide to everything that occurs at your college. Whenever you’re confused on when something begins, the calendar is your source! A variety of events, activities and important dates are announced, giving you an idea of which ones to go to and how to update your own schedule.

The summer before college is finally the summer when you don’t have to do any summer work. However, that doesn’t mean you should just waste the time away. Below are a few suggestions from the WriteBoston staff for what you can read to prepare for the next four years.

The BrokeAss Gourmet Cookbook, for cooking on a budget. -Kieran Collier

Homer's Odyssey. If you study anything within the liberal arts, you're going to encounter tons of allusions to it, so it's definitely a good text to know. It's also just a really fun read! -Alyssa Vaughn

Get the Flipboard app. You can select topics that interest you and Flipboard will send you a daily digest of ten articles that suit your interests. -Kelly Knopf-Goldner

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers by Sean Covey. Yes, this book is probably shelved in the self-help section. But it's a readable, action-oriented, and humorous take on personal leadership. It's full of real stories from teens, great quotes, and even some comic strips.  I read it as a teenager and it changed my perspective on managing stress and my goals. -Anne Shackleford

The Merry Recluse: A Life in Essays by Caroline Knapp. The short stories touch on social situations you will encounter throughout your college years. The body image essay is especially relevant. -Carla Gualdron

I spoke with Jennifer Thai, a sophomore at Bunker Hill Community College majoring in biology, about how she stays on top of her studies in college.

I'm taking a biology course which is a lot of reading, so it's good to reread the chapter in order to understand because in biology, everything is pretty much thrown at you, so the best way to remember is to reread and underline all vocab words. Practicing problems is such a great technique when you’re doing math problems, especially when you’re trying to understand a formula.

You have to really think about a good schedule for work because school is always first. You have to think about how many days you’re going to school, and how many classes you have because you don't want to over stress yourself. My first semester I struggled with this because I was so overwhelmed with getting work done when I had work the next day. I just felt like I wasn't getting enough done, and submitting things in late because work got in the way.

Work to make money for yourself because you don't do that enough during school. Study as well because when you get back to school you won't remember most of the things you learned, and of course relax because this is your break and everyone needs breaks.

My favorite places to study is at my college library and sometimes Boston Public Library. It's so quiet and everyone around you is focused and getting their work done.

My mind is like an ocean 

It can be deep

Or it can be shallow 

Depends when we meet

I have my calms

And I have my storms

Storms from the unexpected

As you may already know

Anger as lightning

Sadness as rain

There's so many feelings

Difficult to explain

I have my pretty seashells 

And my pretty pearls

I also have my midnight zone

Which no one knows

Midnight zone

A black and dark place

Scary too

And it can very hard

To find a view

I have my own wave

I have my own rhythm

But you have to

Know me well enough

To see them

December 14. A cold, bitter, winter evening. Excitement for the holiday season was on hold for many Americans as they awaited the decision—one that could change the course of history. Three to two. We lost three to two. Freedom lost three to two. The Internet’s death warrant was signed, three to two.

It was the night the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) voted to repeal net neutrality laws. Under the leadership of Ajit Pai, formerly of Verizon Wireless (because that isn't a conflict of interest at all), the FCC decided to repeal the rules that ensure a free and open Internet. The future looks dark, but not all hope is lost.

 Internet service providers (ISPs) have been lobbying to retract Obama-era net neutrality laws, or laws that ensure that all websites, from Reddit to Wikipedia, are afforded the same speeds. ISPs are hungry to enter the untapped market of Internet speeds. Essentially, the repeal of net neutrality would allow ISPs to provide “fast lanes” to certain sites, which would come at an additional cost to either the company owning the site or the consumers themselves. ISPs would then intentionally slow the speeds of certain websites, ensuring that consumers would need to fork over even heavier payments for reliable Internet services, which are now seen as an essential part of modern life. 

As heavy Internet users, teens will be one of the most affected groups. “If the Internet wasn’t around, I’d probably die,” said Boston Arts Academy freshman Frida S.  “Repealing the laws won’t let people express themselves the way they choose and depending on who is making the regulations, a lot of information can be kept from people.”  

However, it is not just young people who are concerned. Boston Business Journal managing editor David Harris feels that consumer protection will be lost without net neutrality. “Comcast or AT&T will come in and say ‘You’re watching too much Netflix, so it will be an extra $19.95 a month to have that content,’” he said. “It will really be a way to get rid of customer protection and potentially lead to abusing the consumer.” 

Fortunately, net neutrality has become mainstream enough that instead of being decided by the FCC, it will be voted on in Congress. Now before you get too excited, or really excited at all, it is still likely that the law will be repealed by the House. Lately, tribal politics have rendered the American political system a mess of extremes, in which nothing can really be accomplished. It's like two toddlers arguing “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to “Power Rangers”—no matter how rational one side is willing to be, the other side is going to plug their ears. In this case, the ear pluggers are the Republicans in Congress. While all congressional Democrats and several Republicans have pledged to vote in favor of net neutrality, it is unlikely the bill will make it through the House and the Senate. And even if it did, President Trump will likely veto it, as it is his goal to tear down Obama’s legacy. Suffice to say, the future does not look bright for net neutrality.

It is an uphill battle for sure. The odds may be against us, but this is something worth fighting for. There is still something you can do. Go to battleforthenet.com; you can defend your right to Google. In this time where our nation stands so divided, we need to stand together once and for all and tell these corporations that our freedoms are not to be trifled with. Do your part, make yourself heard, pass on the message that your glory days of internet freedom may be coming to an end, and we can be the spark that burns Ajit Pai’s corrupt ways to the ground. 

What do you reach for when you’re having a meal? Fork? Spoon? Or do you use your nimble fingers to grip a pair of wands to bring food up to your mouth? 

The use of chopsticks dates back to the 4th century B.C. It is very common amongst Southern Asians to use chopsticks, or 筷子(faai zi). However, many people who use chopsticks are unaware of their history. There are actually many styles of chopsticks. The three main styles, blunt, pointed, and metal, are used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culture, respectively. 

 The chopsticks used by the Chinese are wooden and blunt-ended. They are also long because Chinese people share their food and must often reach across the table for the dishes that are farther away.  Long chopsticks also make eating hot pot (a dinner where you boil everything in a broth) a little easier, but everyone knows that no matter how skilled you are, you will get burned a little.

 I live in a Chinese immigrant family. Every night we have a home cooked dinner: five to six dishes on the table, and so many chopsticks moving at once. 

“Nobody taught me how to use them,” my grandmama said. “Using chopsticks was natural. I had to shave bamboo shoots to make my own.” Like my grandmother, I don’t remember learning how to use chopsticks; it was just part of my upbringing. We didn’t have forks until I was in middle school. However, I could always reach for chopsticks and didn’t worry about making my own. 

According to Japanese website Naver Matome, the Japanese do not share their food because it reminds them of a funeral tradition where the family would remove the last bones from their loved ones’ ashes. Their chopsticks are therefore shorter. Within a Japanese household, everyone has their own pair of chopsticks. Japanese chopsticks are also different from Chinese ones because of how dainty they are. They feel very light in one’s hand and very smooth to use. Their chopsticks are pointed because Japan is an island filled with fish, and this makes it easier to pick around the bones. 

 Korean chopsticks, in contrast, are mostly made of metal. Historian Edward Wang says the ruling class during the 7th century was worried about their food being poisoned by their enemies, so they used silver chopsticks, because they would supposedly turn black if they came into contact with arsenic. My experience with Korean chopsticks is that they are very heavy; eating with them makes me feel clumsy because my fingers aren’t used to the weight. 

Asian food culture has entered the global mainstream. However, it’s pretty typical for non-Asian consumers to unknowingly use the wrong kind of chopsticks for their meal. This brings up the question—is it rude to eat a Chinese meal with Korean chopsticks? 

“I don’t think it is rude to use the different types of chopsticks interchangeably,” said Wang. “I anticipate the trend to continue and even expand, for after Chinese food, Japanese and Vietnamese foods are increasingly more popular around the world.” As I see people of all different backgrounds using chopsticks, I have found that I have become less of a snob about chopsticks; I am just happy to see people participating in the culture.

“They are the perfect utensil,” said Karen Akunowicz, executive chef of the South End’s Myers + Chang. “They allow you to create the perfect sized bite, and you can pay more attention to the food that you are eating.” I don’t have the experience of using a pair of chopsticks for the first time, so hearing this from someone else is refreshing—especially from the perspective of someone who isn’t Asian. 

I’ve been using chopsticks since the day I was born and I find it fascinating when I’m eating out with friends and they’re learning how to use them, just like a toddler learning to walk. Learning a new set of skills requires time and practice, and using chopsticks is a prime example of that. So, if you want to venture into Asian cuisine, come in with respect and an open mind.