🥳 We have a special surprise for you ...

It’s Monday, Boston.

🐶 An MBTA X post hitting us in our feels was NOT on our weekend bingo card. But you can’t look at this ratty stuffed dog that got lost on the Red Line tracks without getting a little misty … right?!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Northeastern says bye to DEI

• Boston’s new rugby team

• Ms. G sees her shadow

Up first…

THE B-SIDE MEMBERSHIP

Your favorite city just got cheaper

We’ve been keeping a secret … Over the past few months, you’ve probably noticed our not-so-subtle hints that we’ve been cooking up something special for you (sorry for all the vague poll questions hehe). 

Whether it’s restaurants or things to do, B-Siders are always asking us for affordable recs around Boston. And we think you’re gonna love what we made …

Introducing … The B-Side Premium Membership! 

Here’s what’s inside:

💸 Nearly 50 discounts to small businesses around Boston. Think: BOGO dumplings and ice cream, 20% ticketed events at popular breweries, even $40 off your first massage at a local spa (seriously!). These perks will be sent out monthly with directions on how to redeem (either in-person or online), and the list will only get longer. Fun fact: You can redeem your in-person perks with a special Apple/Google Wallet pass we put together. Check out the full list of February perks here. 

📝 A members-only weekend newsletter supercharged with even more things to do. We heard you loud and clear: You LOVE events and food content (same!). That’s why we created B-Side Guide. Every send, B-Side’s head of content Emily Schario will be whipping up special food and neighborhood guides, itineraries, and insights from her own foodie adventures (she’s on a mission to try 100 news restaurants around Boston in 2025 after all!). 

👯 First dibs to IRL events hosted by The B-Side team. Supper clubs, cooking classes, food crawls, group workouts, and reader trivia nights are on the docket, with even more on the way. If you’re a B-Side Member, you’ll get first dibs (and discounts) to all of these events. 

🛍️ Oh, and a free tote! Those who make an annual commitment will get a sweet B-Side branded tote bag to match all your fits, schlep your groceries, and help you look chic while walking Boston’s streets.

🤑 Most importantly: It costs about the same as an oat milk latte. Access to alllll of these goodies is only $7/month (or $70/year). Even better: We’re running a sweet promotion for the first 100 members, where membership will only be $5/month (or $50/year). 

📣 Repeat after us: THE B-SIDE NEWSLETTER WILL ALWAYS BE FREE. In fact, this membership is part of what helps us stay a free community resource. Think of this as just another way for you to explore the city you love on the cheap while feeling like the most in-the-know friend in the group chat. Oh, and you’re supporting local journalism, too. <3

😎 Ready to rock? Sign up to be a B-Side Member here. 

👀 P.S. Are you a small business and want to give readers a perk? Shoot [email protected] an email, and we’ll get you set up.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

👋🏾 Northeastern is saying bye to DEI … and hello to the “office of belonging.” The university is a local example of the many colleges hustling to scrub its campus of anything diversity, equity, and inclusion-related following President Donald Trump’s crackdown. Under the still-vague threats of heavy fines or losing funding, schools have made quick changes to their events, programming, courses, and even staff. But, not every school is rushing to comply. Some are staying quiet, or, like Mount Holyoke, vowing to hold out.

💔 Boston’s new fund is helping families of overdose victims. Enter: the “Family Overdose Support Fund,” a first-of-its-kind fund to ease financial burdens on families who have lost members to an overdose. The fund is repurposing $250,000 from opioid companies’ multi-billion dollar payouts to the state by giving it back to families in $5,000 increments to cover child care, therapy, funeral expenses, or legal services (the epidemic has taken over 20,000 lives in Mass. this decade). In its two year run, the fund is expected to help over 50 families. 

✊🏾 Ibram X. Kendi is shipping out of Boston. The famous antiracist activist and scholar (you’ve definitely heard of him) is officially shuttering his Center for Antiracist Research at BU and heading to Howard University in June. The center was big news for BU back in 2020, in part thanks to Kendi’s celebrity, but faced some scrutiny after he laid off employees in 2023 and faced a financial audit (which, FWIW, didn’t find any mismanagement). Now, he’ll be heading down to D.C. to spearhead a new research institute at Howard.

🏉 Ilona Maher stans are going to LOVE this one. Say hello to Boston’s new women’s rugby team … The Boston Banshees! Now THAT’S a name. The team is making its debut this spring as one of the Women's Elite Rugby league’s six founding teams. A lot of deets about the new league are still TBD, including where (and when) exactly they’ll play, but the core roster and coaching staff are fleshed out, and the team colors, logo, and merch(!) have already dropped. You can check back here to stay up-to-date.

QUICK QUESTION!

🎓 What do you think of colleges getting rid of DEI initiatives? 

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist 

🧑‍🍳 Say “YAAS, Chef!” Seriously, that’s the name of this Jacques Cabaret show tonight. It’s live cooking. It’s drag. It’s a live cooking drag show.

☕ Curl up with a good book. Option 1: Tonight’s silent book club and cozy write night at Trident. Option 2: Porter Square Books’ grown-up storytime on Wednesday, where full-grown adults can enjoy their own storytime without shame.

🎵 BYOV to Chinatown. That’s bring your own vinyl, BTW. Chinatown’s Offsuit bar just kicked off its new weekly BYOV on Tuesday nights. They’ll play your vinyl if you bring it … but you also have to listen to everyone else’s.

❤️‍🔥 Spice up your TBR list. Love fantasy? Love romance? Allow us to introduce: Romantasy. Stock up on new spicy reads at Trident’s free romantasy book fair at Sam Adams on Wednesday.

🌹 Find a last-minute Valentine. If you meet a special someone on Wednesday at Wicked Craft Co.’s “crush hour” speed dating night … you’ll still have nine days to scrounge up a decent reservation for Valentine’s Day.

🔐 Prove your forever love for your bestie or boo. Literally. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, SPARK permanent jewelry is popping up at Boon Plant Bar this Thursday. Yes, we said permanent.

🐶 Make like Picasso and paint your pet. There are not one, but two pet-painting events this Thursday: This abstract pet portrait night at Craft Loft and a paint and sip option at the BPM(both require a pet pic to get you started!).

😴 Go sleepless … at The Speedway. A PJ party? A romance book pop-up? A screening of “Sleepless in Seattle”? All for $5? Yes, yes, yes, and YES! It’s all at the Charles River Speedway on Thursday. 

ONE LAST THING

Ms. G sees her shadow

Add this to the list of reasons to love Mass.: Ms. G, our version of Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog that checks his shadow, is an absolute baddie. 

Since 2008, Ms. G has been looking for her shadow on Groundhog’s Day just like Phil, but with one important difference: She’s made accurate winter predictions 64% of the time, whereas Phil only gets it right only about 30%. Those numbers just don’t lie, people!

This year, both groundhogs saw their shadows, predicting six more weeks of winter. But only one looked this good doing it.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

❄️ Thanks for reading! On the (literal) bright side, 5 p.m. sunsets are SO BACK! 

📝  Correction: The pet paint and sip is at the BPM (Boston Public Market) not the BPL (Boston Public Library)!

🍸 The results are in: 37% of B-Siders said they completed their Dry Januaries … but mostly because they don’t drink that much anyway. One reader said: “I did my own version of Dry January where I didn't buy anything that was not necessary. My credit card companies aren't happy with me but my bank account is.”

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].