Stretched financially and emotionally by the pandemic, Smithie small-business owners summon their powers of resilience and vow to pull through, even in the face of limited government support, confusing rules and clumsy regulations.

Read Smith’s plans for the fall 2021 semester.
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Critics can’t get enough of Boston-based rapper Billy Dean Thomas ’14’s new seven-track EP, For Better or Worse, which continues their exploration of social justice, identity and the political landscape, set to in-your-face beats and infectious rhythms.
A notable track, “Trump vs. Biden,” was censored on social media in the run-up to the election for ostensibly persuading voters—despite the fact that it’s politically neutral and concerned with issues, not candidates. The Boston Herald says For Better or Worse has all the makings of great art: “complexities, conflicts and nuance.”
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
Billy Dean Thomas '14
billydeanthomas.com
This story appears as part of the Smithies Create column in the Winter 2020-21 issue of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.