1-25-2018

PUERTO RICO, 2

FUTURELAND, 6

NEW T STOP, 9

NARROW WIN, 12

Mass. delegation calls for mental health assistance after hurricane.

Art installation explores the environmental impact of shipping.

Harvard pledges $58 million to build new MBTA station in Allston.

Men’s basketball holds off Lafayette College 75-72.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR XLVI. VOLUME XCIV. ISSUE II

Vegas gunman eyed BU campus

BU to host ELEAGUE Report shows Questrom, Blandford T stop in shooter’s search history tournament

BY JEN RACOOSIN

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY CHLOE GRINBERG/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

People protest the removal of temporary protection statuses, speaking out at a rally against deportation and anti-immigration policy in Boston in December, 2017.

PHOTO BY BILLY BEVEVINO/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A recent report revealed that the Las Vegas gunman researched multiple locations in Boston, including Questrom and the Blandford Street T stop.

BY HALEY LERNER

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The gunman responsible for the October mass shooting in Las Vegas, Stephen Paddock, was found to have researched multiple locations in Boston, including some on the Boston University campus, months prior to his attack.

A report released Thursday

by Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo found that Paddock made Google Maps searches for various locations in the Fenway area, including the Questrom School of Business and the

Blandford Street MBTA station.

The search results, along with hundreds of images of child pornography, were found after investigators searched through four laptops and three cell phones found in Paddock’s hotel rooms.

Louis Beers, a junior in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said hearing about Paddock’s search history was shocking.

“That’s strange to me because it seems like you’re removed from it because he’s on the other side of the country, and it’s weird that he searched something so close to

us,” Beers said. “I feel very safe on campus. We have campus police, and I’ve never felt unsafe walking on campus. I feel they do a good job of that here.”

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said although Paddock had researched locations in Boston, the now dead shooter never visited the city.

“There was never any threat, according to law enforcement, here in Boston,” Riley said.

Riley added that in case of a potential attack, BU has procedures in place to protect students.

“I do want … to assure our

students that Boston University emergency preparedness with BU Police and other area agencies trains for responding to a wide range of emergency situations,” Riley said, “from natural disasters to criminal conduct to other situations that may present danger to the campus community.”

Riley said BU is located in a particularly safe part of Boston.

“There are quite a lot of professionally trained eyes in and around Boston University’s campus,” Riley said. “We’re very fortunate in that regard and we have CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Professional gaming fans will convene at Agganis Arena for the ELEAGUE Major: Boston this weekend, an international esports tournament for the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Esports tournament and content brand ELEAGUE confirmed that they expect thousands to attend the Major, for which tickets are being sold throughout the week.

Christina Alejandre, general manager of ELEAGUE and vice president of esports at Turner Sports, said the ELEAGUE Major: Boston is the culmination of a worldwide tournament.

“There are tournaments all year round in tennis, but there are the U.S. Open and the French Open and Wimbledon,” Alejandre said.

“The Major is the equivalent of the Wimbledon of tennis for CS:GO.” The eight teams advancing to the major this weekend represent the United States, Brazil and countries across Europe. CS:GO Majors are held twice yearly, and this one is the second that ELEAGUE has hosted in two years.

Jack Tung, a sophomore in the Questrom School of Business, said he’s excited to attend the ELEAGUE Major to see his favorite professional teams.

“One of the biggest reasons why I want to go there [is] to physically see the players that I like and support them,” Tung said.

Alejandre said ELEAGUE chose Agganis as its venue because it wanted to grow the presence esports in the Northeast.

“We did a pretty extensive search on the East Coast for one CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Walsh announces new guidelines, rules for short-term rentals

BY SHAUN ROBINSON DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced Monday that shortterm rental services like Airbnb will be subject to greater regulation in Boston under a new citywide ordinance.

The ordinance establishes a framework to classify and track short-term rental units in the city and includes measures to deter owners from monopolizing the housing market with shortterm rentals, according to a press release from Walsh’s office.

Short-term rental units in the city will be separated into three classifications: limited share units, in which the owner shares part of their living space and is present during the rental, home share units, in which the owner rents out their entire living space

for up to three months a year, and investor units, in which the owner rents out an entire space they don’t occupy themselves.

Owners will be charged an annual fee of $25, $100 or $500 to maintain a rental of the first, second or third classifications, respectively. In the release, Walsh said this measure aims to discourage homeowners from putting their homes on the short-term rental market, thereby increasing the accessibility of affordable housing to Bostonians.

“Preserving Boston’s affordability is key to keeping our communities stable and ensuring every person and family who wants to live here can afford to do so,” Walsh said, “ … we look forward to responsibly incorporating the growth of the home-share industry into our work to create

affordable housing for all.”

Airbnb and other short-term rental ser vices have become important players in Boston’s housing market. Crystal Davis, press secretary for Airbnb, wrote in an email that the company has had a widespread impact on city residents.

“In 2017, over 3,000 Boston families used Airbnb to help pay their mortgage [and] rent and bring tourism dollars to neighborhood businesses,” Davis wrote.

“We are pleased that the city of Boston is making progress on regulations for our home sharing community and will continue our review of the full proposal.”

Lizzy Archer, 23, of South Boston, said Airbnb has been a convenient housing option for her in the past.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

PHOTO BY JACKIE ZHOU/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Chinatown is a common location for many Airbnb rentals.

2 NEWS

Legislators call for mental health help in Puerto Rico

BY JORDAN KIMMEL

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with 10 others in the Massachusetts congressional delegation, sent a letter to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Friday to ask for material regarding the way in which SAMHSA has addressed mental health challenges in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The letter was sent to Elinore McCance-Katz, the assistant secretary at SAMHSA, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services meant to develop rehabilitative services and reduce the impact of mental illnesses in America. In the letter, the Massachusetts delegation cited the widespread destruction throughout the islands infrastructure in addition to the surge in mental health issues following the hurricanes.

Warren wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that she headed the delegation’s visit to Puerto Rico that allowed her to see the immediate destruction caused by the natural disasters.

“Massachusetts is the home to 300,000 Puerto Ricans – and thousands more have come to the Bay State since Hurricane Maria upended their lives,” Warren wrote. “Our fellow U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands continue to experience the mental health challenges triggered by the hurricanes that ripped through their neighborhoods. We need to have their backs.”

Jeanne Clark, 60, of Dorchester, said she is pleased the Massachusetts delegation is pushing for more mental health support for those who need it.

“Mental wellbeing is extremely important for the people of Puerto Rico and they’re going to need as much help as they can get,” Clark said. “With the horrible natural disasters that they’ve been dealing with, I can understand that a lot of their population is struggling.”

Warren wrote that she’s troubled by the accessibility of mental health aids to the island’s inhabitants.

“SAMHSA operates a national

Crime Logs

BY SOPHIA BROWN

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from Jan. 18-22.

Crowd disturbance and vandalism at Blaze Pizza A radio call was received at 9:03 p.m. on Thursday reporting a group of youths causing a disturbance at 961 Commonwealth Ave. Officers reported that one party responsible for vandalism was no longer present

Crowd disturbance in front of FitRec A Fitness and Recreation Center employee reported at 12:02 a.m. on Friday that they needed help with a crowd in front of 915 Commonwealth Ave. Officers reported the area was clear and FitRec closed for the night.

PHOTO COURTESY SGT. JOSE AHIRAM DIAZ-RAMOS/ US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

A Massachusetts delegation has sent out a letter saying there should be more mental health services available to those affected by the hurricane in Puerto Rico.

network of crisis centers through its Suicide Prevention Lifeline, yet Puerto Rico does not have a Lifeline-affiliated call center – and neither does the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Warren wrote. “It’s unclear whether Puerto Rico has received other federal resources to address the increase in mental health issues on the island.”

In the letter, the Massachusetts lawmakers said they are worried SAMHSA’s mental health services are not sufficiently accessible to the islands’ residents. The delegation said though SAMHSA operates a national network of crisis centers, Puerto Rico doesn’t have a Lifeline-related call center.

Izzy Marrero, the chairman of the Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston, a unit meant to motivate and encourage Latinos and other minority groups to consider a career in law enforcement, said there are still families without water, power, and standard medication.

“Puerto Rico is struggling with everything and the situation hasn’t really improved much from when we deployed down there for hurricane relief efforts,” Marrero said. “There definitely has to be an

increase in, at the very least, basic medical supplies like insulin, blood pressure medication and things of that nature that are life and death situations for some folks.”

Marrero said the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are mentally strained following the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“The reality is, the people of Puerto Rico are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome — this is a traumatic experience,” Marrero said. “People are legitimately fearing for their own lives.

This increases anxiety and exacerbates people who are prone to depression.”

Matt Hayes, 34, of Allston said mental wellbeing is often overlooked during tragedies such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“Those islands are currently still struggling, and I hope to see even more relief efforts, though we’ve done a pretty good job so far,” Sanders said. “A lot of people see the physical damage, but often it’s the mental damage that hurts more.”

Ted McEnroe, the director of external communications for The Boston Foundation, which runs

Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico, a fund committed to grassroots relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, wrote in an email that necessary requirements such as food, water and shelter are not being met for many island inhabitants.

“The basic infrastructure needs are still massive and widespread,” McEnroe wrote. “With the trauma, loss, sense of dislocation, lack of basic necessities, and stress triggered by living without basic needs for months and months, there is no question that there is a massive mental health toll that requires long term support.”

Joyce Edwards, 33, of Dorchester, said relief efforts often go by the wayside as citizens begin to neglect the issues they were initially supporting.

“The trend with a lot of these relief efforts has been a huge drive to help for a few months, but quickly many people forget,” Edwards said. “We need to keep helping until everything has been solved or until things get better for these people.”

The letter called for a briefing of the delegation on these matters

by Feb. 2.

Stephen Paddock searched BU locations before attack GUNMAN, FROM PAGE 1 a professional law enforcement agency, the Boston University Police Department, where people are trained and accredited at the highest level.”

Brittany Battista, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks one way to provide a greater sense of security on campus is to station police around BU’s campus at night so that they could be available to students in troubling situations.

“I never see the police or the BUPD walking and patrolling or doing anything like that,” Battista said. “I only see the cars or I get the texts. It would be nice to see them on the street late at night or something.”

In case of a threat on campus, the Boston Regional Intelligence

CAMPUS

Center would disseminate information to a senior staff member at the BU Police Department, who would then share information with fellow officers and the BU community, Riley said.

“We communicate with the community on anything we want them to be aware of,” Riley said.

“We also have the BU Alert, which is designed to send a message to students or to members of the university community, staff and faculty, and let them know of a particular issue that’s occurring and is either an imminent or ongoing threat.”

BUPD Chief Kelly Nee said the BUPD has a strong relationship with the Boston Police Department, especially since Nee used to work for the department’s

intelligence unit.

“Had there been any concern of a direct threat I have no doubt whatsoever that they would have called us,” Nee said. “The information and intelligence sharing is really, really top notch. There’s no issues with sharing information and sharing concerns, doing joint investigations. And we have the exact same relationship with the local FBI.” Nee said information sharing is vital to preventing potential threats on BU’s campuses.

“We count on people to let us know if somebody is in distress and needs some [help] or if people are concerned about some [other people’s] behavior and things that they’re saying,” Nee said.

Divya Advani, a sophomore in

the College of Communication, said she felt unsettled when she first heard that Paddock had taken interest in BU’s campus.

“I’m really surprised and kind of just taken back by it, just because it sounds scary,” Advani said. “It could have been here right near me, instead of Vegas, if he were to choose [to execute his attack here].”

Advani added that though the thought of an attack on campus is scary, she thinks BU has effective procedures to keep students safe.

“I think they do a pretty good job, because we have the whole blue light system and everything,” Advani said. “They always text us when there are different threats on campus just to keep us aware of our surroundings.”

False hostage claim from 890 Commonwealth Ave. A caller at 890 Commonwealth Ave. reported at 3:57 p.m. on Monday that they were on the phone with someone claiming to be held hostage in a furniture store.

The reporting officer determined that no one was being held hostage, and that the party had previously called the station with false claims.

CITY

Crime Logs

BY KAYLIE FESBERG

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from Jan. 20-21.

Vandalism reported at Model Café.

Officers responded to a report of a vandalism in progress at 7 North Beacon St. Saturday at 11:45 p.m. A witness told police the suspects disturbed the peace and broke a window while leaving the scene. The two suspects were arguing with an individual waiting in line, one of whom proceeded to head-butt the individual. When the police arrived, the suspects took off and attempted to climb a fence, but both fell.

Disturbance at Brighton residence.

Officers responded to a radio call for a loud music complaint at 10 Brackett St. Sunday at 2:42 p.m.

Upon arrival, the officers heard loud music coming from Apartment 1.

When they spoke to the tenant, the individual was shocked and replied, “I can’t even jam on Sunday?” The tenant then compiled and turned off the music.

Fraud reported at Keenan Rd. An individual reported larceny at 5 Keenan Road Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

The party mailed a Personnel Check to their account, however, several days later they noticed an unknown person had deposited the check into a different account. The individual requested a police report be filled out for their bank. Rockland Trust is still investigating the issue.

NEWS 3

Hillel leadership team empowers students, facilitates initiatives

PHOTO BY MAISIE MANSFIELD-GREENWALD/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Aarushi Talwar, a member of the Boston University Jewish Leadership Team, started an initiative called “Survivor Stories.”

BY MIKE REDDY

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Since it first ran last semester, Boston University Hillel’s BU Jewish Leadership Team (BLT) has been working to help students create and follow through with initiatives of their own. This semester, students will begin bringing these initiatives to life.

Membership to BLT provides students with resources to turn their ideas into realities, according to Ethan Sobel, the assistant director of BU Hillel.

“We basically came up with the idea from student feedback about

wanting access and having access to resources on campus.” Sobel said. “All of our staff or our program support, marketing support, et cetera, is available to students around their ideas and their passions.”

Sobel said there are about 30 student leaders spanning across around 20 different initiatives from the fall semester. He said the program is accessible to any student with an idea on campus.

“We are open to all students, everything that we do at Hillel, regardless of your background, religion, any of your social identities,” Sobel said. “We want to engage

with you, we want you to come and test us and bring us your ideas, bring us your passions, and we’re here to support it.”

One way in which the team facilitates students’ initiatives is by pairing participating students with mentors who can provide support for their projects and personal lives.

Aarushi Talwar, a senior in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, is one of the members of BLT. Talwar, who is working with Israel Fellow Linor Stein and Springboard Fellow Ben Hersch, is focusing her initiative, titled Survivor Stories, on creating an event for BU students to speak with Holocaust survivors.

“I just want something to leave an impact on students,” Talwar said.

“Something to think about, but also to remember how we can learn from what happened in the past.”

Talwar said the help she received through BLT has been vital to her project.

“I couldn’t do it without them,” Talwar said. “Not only do they offer funds and all the other resources, but there’s a lot of [additional] support.”

First-year medical sciences graduate student Farhan Rana said he thinks programs like BLT can help inspire students to pitch their ideas, and that student leadership is an integral part of university life.

“I think it’s just part of the college experience, basically, for students to take initiative on projects or whatever they’re passionate about,” Rana said. “They can make an impact.”

College of Engineering freshman Anya Keller said her team’s BLT ini-

tiative, iFocus, is still in its planning stages, but that she ultimately plans to educate BU students about Israel.

“Israel is a very passionate subject for me,” Keller said. “Now in the heat of its controversy, it’s important to understand how you can find the balance between understanding the complexities and some problems that do exist in Israel.”

Keller said BLT does not have a rigid set of stages or deadlines students need to meet, but instead focuses on ensuring they have all the resources they need.

“We just have to make it happen somehow,” Keller said. “One of those ways is first to plan it out.”

Sobel said membership to BLT lasts until a student decides they want to leave. He said this format enables students to develop and change their initiatives over time.

“One semester you may want to

Administration junior Sarah Besser said her initiative, Challah for Hunger, helped improve a charitable club on campus by the same name.

“I love helping people,” Besser said. “So, as soon as I realized CFH had a club on campus, I started to get involved.”

Several BU students not involved in the BLT said they could see themselves participating in it or in programs similar to it.

College of General Studies freshman Bruce Coppola said BLT was one example of how BU gives back to its students.

“I think it’s a good idea because it’s always good to give students a voice,” Coppola said. “By giving them initiatives, it gives more students a reason to go out and participate in good things.”

College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Kavya Verma said pro-

“We want to engage with you, we want you to come and test us and bring us your ideas, bring us your passions, and we’re here to support it.” run a social program, the next you may want to engage in a social action project in the city of Boston,” Sobel said. “We’re really open to all of those different types of things.”

Initiatives may also focus on improving projects or clubs that already exist. School of Hospitality

grams like BLT help motivate students to use the resources around them.

“I think as a student it’s really hard to find resources to fund your ideas,” Verma said. “That doesn’t mean that we don’t have some really good ideas.”

Counter Strike: Global Offensive tournament comes to Agganis ELEAGUE, FROM PAGE 1 that made sense,” Alejandre said, “and we thought that Agganis Arena would be a perfect venue because of its close proximity to a bunch of college-age students.”

Robin Kaul, a 2017 graduate of the College of Engineering, said he has always wanted to attend a major professional gaming championship, but has never had the opportunity to do so before now.

“Since I’m an international student, it was always difficult for me to attend one,” Kaul said. “Since I’m in the U.S. now, and it’s in Boston, and at our university, it’s pretty much a dream come true.”

BU spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email that Agganis Arena is especially well suited to host the ELEAGUE Major: Boston.

“Agganis Arena is a fantastic venue with great flexibility to host different kinds of events,” Riley wrote. “It can be configured to fit the needs of filming and televising the event for both live and remote audiences. This event will be broadcast to a huge international audience.”

Riley wrote that while Boston University has never hosted a professional gaming competition before, the university would like to host more of them after the ELEAGUE Major.

“This is Agganis’s first esports

event,” Riley wrote, “but we’re hopeful to have other opportunities in the future, given the immense growth as it relates to the live entertainment industry.”

Riley wrote that hosting the event would benefit the university both by offering the BU community the opportunity to attend the tournament and by “gaining name recognition for hosting such a highly viewed event.”

Ryan Chen, president of the BU PC Gaming Club and a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he was excited that BU is hosting an event so significant to the professional gaming community.

“I think it’s cool that BU has recognized the popularity and the opportunity available in esports,” Chen said. “The fact that they’re facilitating such a large event is really cool.”

Alejandre said that while professional gaming only hit its stride within the last few years, it has existed for much longer.

“I would argue that esports has been around even since arcade games, when people were competing in arcades, playing video games against each other,” Alejandre said.

“It fully involves and it becomes a fully-fledged spectator sport.”

CAS junior Tom Kang said he thinks esports is just as exciting as

ELEAGUE tournament finals are being held this weekend at Agganis Arena.

physical sports, while being more accessible to a broader range of people.

“It’s almost identical to actual sports, but you get more opportunity compared to actual sports because you can just sit at your computer and play,” Kang said, “whereas if you’re doing an actual sport, you need to get people, you need to go outside, you need to start to get the equipment.”

Alejandre said that as esports has become more popular, big names like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the Philadelphia 76ers have bought professional gaming teams, bringing esports further into the public eye.

“I think it’s still kind of on the fringes of mainstream culture, but it’s started to permeate into mainstream culture,” Alejandre said.

“With that shift into mainstream

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culture, you’re seeing more people take notice.”

Alejandre added that esports can be engaging and exciting to watch, even to those who know nothing about video games.

“I think you can’t fully appreciate esports unless you see it in person and actually feel the excitement and watch the players playing,” Alejandre said, “and then you’ll become hooked.”

4

NEWS

Mass. bump stock ban soon to be enforced after Vegas attack

BY ANU SAWHNEY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito signed a bill banning bump stocks and trigger cranks for firearms in November. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security put this legislation into effect and released a notice Thursday asking residents to transfer custody of any firearms prohibited under this legislation to the police.

The notice allows recipients a 90-day grace period, according to the letter by EOPSS Secretary Daniel Bennett. Possession of any prohibited items after Feb. 1 “will expose the owner to criminal prosecution,” Bennett wrote.

Bennett’s letter was addressed to licensed firearms holders and notified owners of the new legislation which would prohibit them from possessing specific add-ons to firearms. The letter also provided definitions of the banned objects.

The law defines a bump stock as “any device for a weapon that increases the rate of fire achievable with such weapon by using energy from the recoil of the weapon to generate a reciprocating action that facilitates repeated activation of the trigger.”

In addition to banning bump stocks, the bill made it illegal to own another attachment known as a trigger crank because of a similar threat posed by its availability.

After the Feb. 1 deadline, the bump stocks must be transferred to police custody. Once they are

received, the attachments will be destroyed to prevent further use.

Massachusetts will become one of the only states to ban the possession of bump stocks after the deadly shooting in Las Vegas in last October, according to Bennett’s letter.

Rachel Cohen, 41, of the South End, said she supports stricter gun laws like this measure in an effort to prevent future mass shootings.

“The Vegas shooting really calls gun regulations into question,” Cohen said. “The shooter was clearly mentally unstable, yet our government allowed him to buy over 40 guns. No one should be able to buy that many guns. No one needs anywhere close to that many guns, but they sold them to him anyway and there’s the problem with our system.”

While the legislation will not be implemented until February, critics have voiced concerns over the logistics and legality of the mandate being presented to owners of these firearm devices.

Darrell Jones, 47, of Dorchester, said he believes gun owners will argue for their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves with personal firearms.

“Safety’s important, no doubt,” Jones said. “But with situations like this, you’re always going to have those people who will argue that possessing their own firearm will keep them safer that disarming others ever will.”

The Gun Owners’ Action League explained in a statement that they viewed the option to comply with

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIPEDIA

A letter about the ban was sent to owners of bump stocks, devices making semi-automatic guns function like automatics.

this legislation as “unconstitutional.”

“At this time, GOAL is weighing options as to what is the best course of action going forward,” the release stated. “In our opinion, this is an illegal and unconstitutional taking of property without compensation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

However, anti-gun advocates have supported this legislation, considering it as a move in the right direction in terms of gun safety.

Carol Coakley, the office coordinator at Massachusetts Peace Action, said a there is a middle ground position that would counter those who are skepti-

cal of the implementation of the bill.

“There certainly is a gray area there,” Coakley said. “Yet, we often have to weigh these concerns and these rights against safety, and in this case, I certainly think it’s a safety issue.”

Coakley explained her stance on the issue of firearm regulation, and said that in her opinion, the case for add-ons such as bump stocks and trigger cranks is hard to justify.

“I absolutely favor [this legislation] because I see no possible reason why anyone would want that in hunting or in killing people or that

sort of thing,” Coakley said. “I don’t see why people would need it. [This legislation] is a step in the right direction and I think we’ll save a few lives.”

Benjamin Long, 36, of North End, said he thinks the banning of bump stocks will improve safety in Boston.

“The less guns on the street, the better, in my opinion,” Long said.

“There’s no reason people should have access to the kind of dangerous firearms they have today, not for hunting or protection or whatever they claim they’re buying them for.”

Hannah Schoenbaum contributed to the reporting of this article.

Walsh changes policies on short-term rentals across the city

PHOTO BY FELIX PHILLIPS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In order to help with Boston’s housing crisis, the Walsh administration is planning on cutting back at short-term rental systems like Airbnb in Boston.

RENTALS, FROM PAGE 1

“Airbnb gives a competitive way to stay in the city,” Archer said. “I was in between apartments, and I stayed at an Airbnb for months because it was cheaper than a hotel and you’re not going to be able to rent an apart-

ment for a month or two.”

According to the website Inside Airbnb, which independently publishes data on the company’s listings, there are just under 4,900 available rentals in Boston. Around 62 percent of those rentals are entire homes or

apartments — which would likely fall into the “investor unit” tier of the mayor’s new classifications, according Helen Matthews, communications manager at City Life/ Vida Urbana.

“These are people that are spec-

ulating on their property, using them to make money in their absence,” Matthews said. “So that’s not building community. It’s actually chipping away at community when you have entire homes being rented out to people that are just traveling through.”

Matthews and other community members say affordable housing is disappearing in part due to speculation by short-term renters.

“Scores of people, especially low-income families of color and immigrant families, are getting driven out through major rent hikes and sometimes whole building-wide evictions,” Matthews said. “The less regulated short-term rentals are … a prospective buyer sees more dollar signs in a property they could buy.”

Barbara Gutierrez, 54, of Brighton, said she was also concerned over low-income housing disappearing in the city.

“Gentrification is happening in some of our neighborhoods at an alarming rate,” the Brighton resident said. “With all of the construction going so fast, no one is looking at affordable housing.”

Chinatown is one of the neighborhoods most impacted by short-

CAMPUS CALENDAR

term rental speculation, said Karen Chen, the executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association.

She said while there’s no problem when people rent a room on Airbnb if they’ll be out of town for a couple months, emptying out buildings to rent online entirely is a different issue.

“That’s the biggest threat for preserving the housing stock for working families,” Chen said. “A lot of working families rely on the services provided in Chinatown for survival, so if people are pushed out, it could affect more than just housing.”

Additionally, Chen said she feels that the $500 annual fee charged to “investor unit” owners is not enough of a deterrent to prevent investors from speculating on land and buying up properties that could provide long-term housing for residents.

“I feel like it doesn’t have enough teeth,” she said.

Still, for John Dowd, 36, of Jamaica Plain, any efforts to preserve low-income housing are good ones.

“I’m glad that it’s top of mind, that the city is actually acknowledging there’s a housing crisis,” Dowd said.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

CONVO WITH U.S. SURGEON GENERAL

DINNER WITH FIEDLER

CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY

SLAVERY ABOLITION CONVERSATION

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

HIEBERT LOUNGE

BU HILLEL

THURMAN ROOM

11 A.M. – 5 P.M.

12:30 P.M. – 2 P.M.

HOWARD THURMAN CENTER

5:30 P.M.

ALL DINING HALLS

4:30 - 6 P.M.

Hosted by School of Public Health

Hosted by Dean Thomas Fiedler

Hosted by BU Dining

Hosted by Marsh Chapel

Hosted by Islamic Society of Boston

7 P.M. – 9 P.M.

FEATURES 5

BUSINESS

Northeastern hosts first conference for LGBTQ+ law students

BY HANNAH SHEARER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

W h i le m a ny l a nd m a rk Supreme Court cases dictate the lives of LGBTQ+ Americans, less than three percent of legal professionals representing them are LGBTQ+, according to the National Association for Law Placement.

Last S a t u r d a y, the Northeastern University School of Law hosted their first annual Reach(OUT) conference, where LGBTQ+ law students could network and hear current LGBTQ+ law yers spea k about thei r experiences.

The event began with a panel called “Being Your Authentic Self ” about how to feel more comfortable being open in the workplace and being prepared for discomfort and exhaustion.

Many times, panelists said, the assumptions that people make about their gender or sexuality are what pushes them closer to burning out.

Heron Greenesmith, a policy attorney for LGBTQ+ people, once spent all day with someone working on a Pride event who still, at the end of the day, made wrong assumptions about their sexual orientation. “You didn’t once look at me,” they said.

“You don’t really know what to replenish,” said Hema SarangSieminski, a senior attorney at the Victim’s Rights Law Center, after talking about times where she’s been assumed to be a client or been asked to translate for clients.

Panelists said many people,

PHOTO BY NAVRAJ NARULA/ DFP FILE PHOTO

Northeastern held its first annual Reach(OUT) LGBTQ+ law conference Saturday.

especially in the workplace, will see them as the face of an entire group, and will put them in a position where they will have to speak on behalf the entire LGBTQ+ community.

“The more times where you’re the only one, the more opportunities there will be where you walk away feeling bruised and unheard,” said Nima Eshghi, the assistant dean for NUSL. Jess Acosta, an assistant Attorney General honor’s fellow in the Attorney General’s office, described the feeling as similar to being a caregiver. The way to combat this? “ T he word no,” Acosta said, on dealing with invasive

coworker questions. “Let it sit, understand it — it’s an important word to use.”

After the panel, there were two breakout sessions: “Gender Ex pression a nd Identit y in the Workplace” a nd “How to Navigate Applying to and Working for Firms.” Stefanie Fisher, an immigration law yer for Arujo & Fisher and a panelist, worked for a lesbian health organization before attending law school, where she moved into immigration policy.

“I think that LGBTQ+ people are constantly making their own assessments about their safety, security, and comfort, whether they are on the job or

not,” Fisher told The Daily Free Press.

Sitra ka St. M ichael, a n openly gay first year at NUSL, is still learning the ins and outs of law. “It’s almost a recharging station that I needed and [I] wanted to hear from people who are on the other side of being through what I’m entering right now,” St. Michael said.

The event’s keynote speaker, Iva n Espinoza-Madriga l, a n openly gay and Latino immigrant, works as the executive director of Law yers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice.

Espinoza-Madrigal said his family is what pushed him to be

SCIENCE

a law yer.

“I wanted to be a law yer so I could protect my family,” he said in an inter view with The Daily Free Press. “So I could know what the landlord could or couldn’t do to us, so I could know what cops could or couldn’t do to us when they pulled us over.”

For Espinoza-Madrigal, it’s often difficult to disting uish between realities faced by his clients and those potentially faced by family members.

“I see my family ref lected in every case I file,” he said. “That’s because the clients I have represented over my career could easily have been my cousins or my neighbors. The problems tend to be universal.”

Poverty and discrimination are issues inherently tied to identity, Espinoza-Madrigal said. He said that these issues are faced by all minority groups, across the lines of race and sexuality.

“It’s not always easy,” he continued. “But I think it’s critical that we make deliberate and intentional efforts to advance an intersectional agenda that allows people from across communities and movements to feel included and protected.”

Above all, E s pi n oz a Madrigal said, it’s important that LGBTQ+ individuals, along with members of other minority groups, speak out about toxic work environments.

“You should not suffer in silence if your work environment is toxic to you,” Fisher said. “None of us can do our best when we cannot be ourselves.”

Researchers race to create roadside tests for marijuana impairment

BY SIMONE MIGLIORI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

With the legalization of recreationa l ma r ijua na in Massachusetts, researchers and law enforcement officials have been scrambling to find a solution to one question in particular: How can you know when someone is high?

There are some subjective hints. Red eyes, clumsy muscles, odor and irrational paranoia are all symptoms experienced with smoking marijuana. But for officers on the roadside, there is not yet a reliable, objective test to prove if a subject is under the influence.

“You don’t want to leave things up to the discretion of any one individual,” said Dr. Jodi Gilman, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Addiction Medicine.

That’s why Gilman is spearheading research at MGH using functional near infrared spectroscopy to map brain functions in individuals under the influence of cannabis.

“The physics can be complicated,” Gilman said. “But basically

when your neurons are active, they use differential amounts of hemoglobin and it changes the refraction of light in these molecules.”

Gilman and her team bring in subjects and administer synthetic THC in pill form, as smoking in the laboratory is prohibited.

Subjects then put on the “brain cap,” a f lexible net of electrodes that mold to the scalp.

The subject is asked to gauge how “high” they feel. Physiological measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure and pulse are recorded. A police officer then conducts a standard field sobriety test.

During the tests, the electrodes relay information about the brain’s communication, painting a clearer image of what a brain looks like under the influence.

Gilman’s team is now focused on how contradictory variables such as blood alcohol content and sleep deprivation affect brain communication.

“Both [marijuana and sleep deprivation] can impair driving, but we don’t want [a sleep-deprived] person to be confused with somebody who smoked cannabis,” Gilman said.

PHOTO BY BETSEY GOLDWASSER/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Researchers at Mass. General Hospital are looking to create a device that could detect impairment due to marijuana use.

Researchers at the Center for Addiction Medicine chose to study marijuana impairment through neural imaging because of the difficulty of measuring THC in breath. According to Gilman, alcohol is easy to detect on the breath because of the hourly met-

abolic rate of liquor. In contrast, THC metabolites remain in the system of the smoker for weeks.

According to studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is difficult to convict impaired drivers on a drug related charge

unless obvious physical evidence is present.

This is because no such technology exists on the roadside to objectively test for impairment at the time the test is taken.

“If you smoke marijuana and CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

6

FEATURES

COMMUNITY

‘Futureland’ reveals shipping industry’s effect on environment

yet people eat bananas every day,” Breault said. “So think about how Paintings of everyday objects does that get here, who makes it f loating in bright blue seas hang get here, and under what condifrom hooks against the white walls tions does it get here?” of Fort Point Arts Community’s Breault said he hopes the art gallery. A wooden crate filled with ra ises people’s curiosit y about images of bananas lies on the floor the transportation of foods and and causes viewers’ eyes to wander other objects. to all corners of the room.

“There’s this thing called sea T h e i n s t a l l a t i o n , c a l l e d blindness — an out of sight out “Futureland,” was created by Mea of mind type of thing,” Breault Duke and Douglas Breault and said. “We don’t see how all these opened last Thursday. The work things traverse the world, so one will remain up until Feb. 2. of the things we were thinking Futureland includes an array of about was, ‘What are the effects pieces from oil paintings to print of [shipping ], and what does it making and sculptures. Each piece look like?’” shows the effects of the shipping After conducting research to industry on the environment. One find shipping accidents, they chose canvas shows shipping containers items like Doritos, detergent and plummeting into the ocean off of a plastic bags. sinking ship, and another displays “I did all these still lifes with unripe bananas strewn across a objects that I thought were interestfrozen body of water. ing, like how bananas are shipped According to Duke, each piece unripened and green, and there’s was based on an actual event when chemicals in the container that shipping systems failed. Duke and ma ke them ripe,” Breault sa id.

Breault chose to focus on mundane “ These th ings a re sort of a l ien items and the ships that delivered and peculiar.” them across the world to demonD u ke h a s spent about t wo strate consumers’ connection to and a half years researching the the shipping industry. shipping industr y, and she said “No one ever really thinks about she found that many consumers how your items and objects arrive knew little about where their posat you r house — l i ke ba na na s sessions came from. She said that don’t grow in Massachusetts, but as the industry continues to grow

BY DIANA LEANE

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Futureland exhibit is displayed at Fort Point Arts Community’s gallery in Boston.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIAN HARKINS

and stakes rise, consumer aware- together, Breault and Duke joined uniqueness of the insta l lation. ness gains importance. forces for the first time to create Rather tha n fra med pa intings “[The shipping industry] is really “Futureland.” The two shared an hanging within a typical gallery, out of sight,” Duke sa id. “The interest in the shipping industry, Harkins liked the hooks that paintbigger it gets, the farther it gets but according to Duke, their styles ings hung on. pushed away from population cen- vary significantly.

“I think it shows that people ters, but 90 percent of everything Duke said she believes their have the ability to take and prescomes out of shipping.” differences strengthened the exhi- ent what they have as thoughts and The pair chose to name the bition and caused her to grow as images in their minds, and presi n st a l l at ion Fut u r el a nd a f ter an artist. Duke said she is a pre- ent it in a medium that’s workable, Europe’s largest seaport: the Port cise and detail-oriented person, so unique and affordable for them,” of Rotterdam. The port’s visitor Breault’s riskier approach towards Harkins said. “You don’t have to center is called FutureLand, and his pieces pushed her. have ever y thing on a stretcher Duke spent time at the port while “ We both wa nt to ma ke the and in a frame.” researching the shipping industry. viewer a little unstable … whether Ha rk ins a lso sa id he found “I think the name itself is really that be a balance issue or an event “Futureland” to be a refreshing bizarre,” Breault said. “It sounds that is extreme to think about,” change from more traditional art. fictional, so the fact that it was Duke said. “We differ [in] how we “[Futureland] is something a litreal, there’s this sort of play on handle those things. Doug liter- tle different,” Harkins said. “It’s things that are real and also futur- ally bounces things to make you not like walking down Newbury istic in some way.” feel uneasy. … I get a lot of cour- Street … where it’s all hoity toiDespite attending the School of age from Doug.” ties — and some of that stuff is the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts Brian Harkins, 62 of Revere wonderful — or, you know, the Universit y for graduate school Beach, said he appreciated the overpriced glam art.”

FEATURES 7

ARTS

REVIEW: ‘Maze Runner: The Death Cure’ action-packed but lengthy

BY JILL MCKEON

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Dystopian sci-fi movies following a tight-knit group of friends have become a box office staple in recent years. In the third installment of “The Maze Runner” series, “The Death Cure,” a group of kids fight against an evil corporation, zombies and a disease that is destroying the human race, all to save their best friend.

Based on the popular young adult book series by James Dashner, the three films follow a boy named Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien. From the beginning, Thomas is seen as altruistic, defiant and willing to do anything for his friends.

The series follows a logical arc, with each film presenting a new set of challenges for the group of teenage boys, who found themselves trapped in a large maze with no recollection of anything but their names.

In the first film, they realize that they are just guinea pigs for an experiment to cure a virus that has almost wiped out the human

lows a familiar plot, with the boys discovering that life outside the maze is not much better, the third film has more direction and excitement, ending with a relatively satisfying resolution.

Aerial shots of deserted cities and crowds of diseased civilians create a dramatic scene in the film’s first few minutes, but some aspects of the film seemed a bit ridiculous. At one point, the audience could not help but chuckle as Thomas and the remaining survivors scaled the side of a moving train with the assistance of a hijacked plane, and proceeded to lift one of the train cars into the air in hopes that it contained their captured friend Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee. Despite the unrealistic nature of this scene and many others that follow, the film does manage to instill excitement and fear in the audience throughout the movie, the goal for any action film.

However, in many instances in the third installment, this much action is detrimental to the quality of the movie. For exam-

“Taking into account that this is a sci-fi film, some of the elements are excusable, while others are just physically impossible.” race. They proceed to fight against the evil corporation, entitled “World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department,” and manage to escape the dehumanizing experiment.

While the second film fol-

ple, viewers encounter a familiar pattern of the protagonists being surrounded on all sides, seemingly with nowhere to turn, which becomes repetitive.

Somehow, they are always snatched up by their friends who

“Maze Runner: The Death Cure” will be released across the United States on Friday.

have miraculously hijacked a crane and can lift an entire busload of children into the air with it (yes, this actually happens).

Taking into account that this is a sci-fi film, some of the elements are excusable, while others are just physically impossible.

Nevertheless, the film is successful in its character development and overall plot arc.

The series is consistent with the character of Thomas, who always serves as the imperfect but likeable leader of the group.

His decisions are questionable yet endearing, as he often risks his life and the lives of others to save just one friend.

More pragmatic characters blame Thomas for not seeing the big picture, but the story relies on his mistakes as a leader and his loyalty to his friends — a common theme for the genre, but satisfying

nonetheless.

For casual viewers of the series, it can be difficult to understand the vocabulary of the characters without some sort of “Maze Runner” dictionary. The characters constantly throw around terms like “flare,” “cranks,” “grievers” and “WCKD,” and it takes a bit of adjustment before realizing what all of these words signify.

Dylan O’Brien’s on-set injury in 2016 delayed the release of “The Death Cure” considerably. The third film picks up right where the second left off, which feels confusing considering the lengthy break. A bit of a summary or reintroduction of characters through flashbacks may have been a good use of the film’s first few minutes.

With a run time of two hours and 22 minutes, “The Death Cure” drags on a bit longer than necessary. Perhaps because this is the

PHOTO COURTESY TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

final installment, the writers tried to be more aware of crafting an honorable ending, a task rarely nailed in multi-part series.

The film’s last 30 minutes or so contains its strongest content.

The action comes to a close with f lames, death and a vial of medicine, but the creators made a wise choice in not ending it there. The resolution seemed to fill in plot holes accurately while satisfying the need for a final resolve for the surviving characters.

Overall, the series’ third installment was fairly well-crafted with many entertaining twists, albeit a bit too much climactic action. Despite the unintentional tragicomic elements to the film, a positive effort was made to satiate loyal fans with a strong series ending. Simultaneously, the film serves as a decent standalone piece for less committed viewers.

Researchers looking into developing ‘marijuana breathalyzer’

Marijuana is being legalized in more places across the United States.

SCIENCE, FROM PAGE 5 you have a urine test a week later, you’ll still see THC metabolites,” Gilman said. “It doesn’t mean you can’t drive.”

At Hound Labs, a science and

PHOTO BY BETSEY GOLDWASSER/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

technology company in Oakland, California, researchers believe they have found the solution: a portable marijuana breathalyzer. “We took a totally different approach dedicated just to the unique prop-

erties of THC,” said Jenny Lynn, co-founder of Hound Labs.

Hound Labs’ breathalyzer uses a TIB reading — or THC In Breath — to measure impairment.

When an individual blows into

the breathalyzer, the cartridge inside measures their breath for picograms, or parts per trillion, of THC. According to the National Institutes of Health, marijuana users are typically “high” or impaired for a two to three-hour period.

This impairment window coincides with the presence of THC molecules in the lungs.

Unlike blood and urine samples, THC molecules only remain in the lungs during actual time of impairment.

According to Lynn, if the breathalyzer signals a positive TIB reading, the subject is, “likely impaired as it aligns with that identified impairment window.” As a result, Hound Labs’ marijuana breathalyzer claims to correctly identify an individual driving under the inf luence of THC without the necessity for a blood or urine sample.

The creation of a portable THC detection device, whether electrode cap or breathalyzer, poses a solution for law enforcement officers and employers,

especially in states where recreational marijuana use is legalized.

“Most employers don’t want to police what their employees are doing after work hours,” Lynn said. “And because blood tests risk wrongfully accusing someone of being stoned [at work], [employers] can’t rely on those tests.”

Sam, a Boston University student and recreational marijuana user, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern about how an impairment detection device would be regulated.

“I would be concerned [about] profiling people to be breathalyzed for THC based on things like race or appearance,” Sam said. “But I do think something needs to be done about THC use and driving.”

Despite concerns about racial profiling, a smoker’s fear of being wrongfully accused of driving under the influence could be virtually eradicated.

“We really are trying to balance fairness — protecting people’s rights, and saving lives,” Lynn said.

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL

New T stop in Allston could revitalize the community In recent years, the issue of public transportation has risen to prominence in Boston.

The city’s poor layout, brought about during its beginnings at the start of U.S. history make transportation an even more complicated issue, rendering it incompatible with the grid structure and transit patterns found in newer cities.

State and city officials over the few past years have been working to make the city more transportation-friendly, striving to strengthen the city’s partnerships with transportation providers including the MBTA and other shuttle services. City councilors have prioritized transportation and have made promises to their constituents about working to make public transportation more accessible and affordable.

These improvements should certainly be made. And sometimes when the City lacks enough resources, private institutions can be essential in making a difference in this sector — one that not only affects individual people, but also the entire neighborhoods they live in.

On Wednesday, Harvard announced a $58 million pledge to increase its financial contributions toward building the West Station commuter rail in Allston in an effort to prompt the City to start construction.

Harvard, which owns more than 130 acres of land in the area, seeks to revitalize the land through developments made possible by public transportation.

This plan coincides with several other developments going on Allston. MassDOT is currently paving construction on the improvement of the Mass Turnpike. Only after they commence the repairs and improvements to

the I-90 could officials begin work on the commuter rail — which could mean a start date as late as 2040. Thus, Harvard is proposing building a temporary, smaller station on the Framingham-Worcester line, and are willing to pitch in $8 million to cover a large portion of cost. Officials and spokespeople at Harvard are asking the City to install this interim station which could be open by the mid-2020s to alleviate the strain put on residents who could be inconvenienced by the highway project.

Introducing public transportation is by no

I

A prominent example of a transportation An additional T stop could be beneficial in improvement by the city includes the construc- uplifting the neighborhood’s crumbling infration of the Boston Landing commuter station, structure and declining establishments. It a project that was pushed by New Balance, could attract more students and young profeswhich installed its new headquarters in the sionals to the neighborhood, driving up value area. The headquarters and stores are located and creating more incentives for businesses directly across from the station, which was to relocate there. an addition to the Worcester-Framingham Although Allston may not be the cheapest line. This station undoubtedly served many place to live, it certainly offers more affordable residents in the area, and more importantly, housing options compared to other neighborit facilitated growth and expansion of com- hoods around the city. Allston is still pretty mercial buildings nearby. Many more people close to the downtown neighborhoods where many Bostonians have jobs, so a station in the area would certainly be a welcomed stop for commuters.

Moreover, the commuter rail would be a favorable addition for Boston University.

BU — which has agreed to pay for a third of the station’s stop — has been supportive of the ongoing construction. It could even be beneficial to local students who would use the stop to return home and visit family more often. While BU is already known for its ample access to transportation, increased transit options on the west side of campus could be reassuring to parents and students alike. now work in Brighton, and the city has seen The MBTA and MassDOT will need to improvements in infrastructure ever since work in collaboration with institutions like the rail opened in May. In the same vein, the Harvard in order to get their projects up West Station could also improve the Allston and running. A 20-year delay is an excessive area, known for its plethora of young people amount of time for the addition of a commuter and college students. station that could potentially relieve the strain Of course, Allston is a familiar neighbor- for other busy Boston commuter stations. If hood for BU students. Sure, it’s known as “rat organizations are invested in Allston’s revitalcity” amongst locals, and has built up a repu- ization, then surely they should work together tation for its party scene, but Allston is also in order to pave the way for growth in the home to many members of the BU community. transportation sector.

t could attract more students and young professionals to the neighborhood, driving up value and creating more incentives for businesses to relocate there. means an easy process, and while these projects are necessary, they still take up a large amount of time and resources. For many projects, state officials work on plans for years, coordinating logistical information with several agencies involved in construction. The current highway repair and realignment project is looking at end dates 20 years out partly because of all of the hoops that MassDOT has to jump through to ensure the soundness of the construction sites and the project as a whole.

CROSSWORD

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Peter Cappiello COURTESY OF MIRROREYES.COM / CROSSWORD ANSWERS AVAILABLE ON http://dfpress.co/2Br4Ahp

ACROSS 1. Unit of land 5. Sleighs 10. A building for skating 14. Swimming hole 15. Heaps 16. Again 17. Mix 19. Within 20. Record (abbrev.)

21. Pee 22. Out of kilter 23. Non-believer 25. Bog hemp 27. Beer 28. Hideousness 31. Slash 34. Colonic 35. A sizeable hole 36. Friends and neighbors 37. Furnaces 38. Arid 39. Fury

DOWN 40. Anagram of “Debit” 41. Caused by streptococci 42. Aimed 44. Letter after sigma 45. Birch relative 46. Wash 50. Test versions 52. Illustrated 54. Large Australian flightless bird 55. Goddess of discord 56. Limits 58. Prima donna problems 59. Proprietor 60. Skin disease 61. Small horse 62. Jittery 63. Marries

1. 3-banded armadillo 2. Astronomical visitor 3. Blackbeetle 4. L 5. Scant 6. Circumscribe 7. Distinctive flair 8. Cleanser 9. South southeast 10. Dried grape 11. Hotelier 12. Memo 13. Be cognizant of 18. Cunning 22. Dogfish 24. Every single one 26. Charity 28. Lacking leadership 29. “Your majesty” 30. Stair 31. Playlet

32. Former Italian currency 33. Doing or saying again 34. A soft quilt 37. Go fly a ____!

38. Render unconscious 40. What we sleep on 41. Steam bath 43. Smooth 44. Tastelessly showy 46. Paths 47. Defrost 48. Make improvements 49. Tricks 50. Horn sound 51. Therefore 53. Litter’s littlest 56. Type of snake 57. Uncooked

Ellie French, Editor-in-Chief

Rachel Duncan, Managing Editor

46th year | Volume 93 | Issue 2

Andres Picon, Campus Editor

Jenni Todd, Features Editor

Caitlin Fisher, Blog Editor

The Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Thursdays during the academic year except during vacation and exam periods by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a nonprofit corporation operated by Boston University students. No content can be reproduced without the permission of Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright © 2017 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Breanne Kovatch, City Editor

Vivian Myron, Photo Editor

Kaya Williams, Multimedia Editor

Nicole Havens, Sports Editor

Shaun Robinson, Layout Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

t h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r a t b o s t o n u n i v e r s i t y

Noor Adatia, Editorial Page Editor

OPINION 9

MAX VS. MEDIA:

COLUMNS

SMALL SMILES:

Listening to the other side The beginning of a new year

BY MAX BERMAN COLUMNIST

We live in bubbles — bubbles that can range from demographics to political affiliations to even sports teams’ affiliations (sorry, but I cannot stand the Patriots and I barely follow football). So I wasn’t surprised to learn about the Internet outrage regarding The New York Times’ decision to hand over its editorial page to Trump supporters last week.

Discontent and even hate between the left and right is not a new phenomenon. It is not even unique to the Trumpian world that we live in today. While animosity and divisiveness has perhaps risen since the beginning of the 2016 election season, it might not even be strongly correlated to the Trump effect.

Partisan antipathy has risen steadily since 1994. While 21 percent of Republicans viewed Democrats as “very unfavorable” in that year, 17 percent of Democrats viewed Republicans unfavorably as well. Fast forward to 2016, and those numbers are now 58 percent and 55 percent respectively. A small minority of members of each party view each other as favorable or even neutrally.

No wonder some people found the article in the Times called “Vision, Chutzpah and Some Testosterone” so offensive. It featured short letters on why Trump voters were happy with his first year in office. The outrage can be summarized by the following: How dare the Times let those deplorables speak. Is the newspaper too soft on Trump? I mean, they let a 40 percent minority of voters speak their mind — they must be fascist supporters.

Salon published an article that accused The New York Times of “Trump-voter fetish.” I suppose interviewing and printing the

viewpoints of 40 to 45 percent of American voters is a fetish. I understand that liberals despise Trump. From calling the continent of Africa a “shithole” to passing a tax bill that throws money into the owners of Maseratis Hermes pocketbooks, there is much to be angry about. But to be angry with voters — no matter how ignorant they may be — for having a voice, is slightly ridiculous.

The New York Times has many columnists that are left-leaning, and a few that are conservative. However, I can’t name one columnist that has written anything even somewhat positive about Donald Trump.

Believe me, I know how terrible our presBY OLIVIA POLOS ident is as a leader, let alone as a person.

COLUMNIST The point of the editorial and opinion pages is not to reinforce or indulge your own 2017 has come and gone. The holiday break manner of thinking. The point is to challenge has ended, the new semester has kicked off, pre-existing ideas and to convince someone and Commonwealth Avenue is back to being to change — or at the very least reconsider flooded in a sea of red. 2018 is now underway, — their opinion on some matter. I don’t read and Boston and its surrounding areas have Paul Krugman or Charles Blow frequently wasted no time starting the year on the right because I understand the viewpoints from foot. The Patriots have secured a spot in the the left; I read Bret Stephens not because I Super Bowl. Cambridge recently hosted a masagree with him, but because I want to step out sive Women’s March. Our own medical school of my own view and enter a different bubble. has made leading breakthroughs in the study The following is an excerpt of one of the of head injuries. You get the point — this year letters from a Trump supporter featured in is already looking good. the Times article: But before we find ourselves enthralled “I’m th ri l led w ith the prog ress that in what is to come — both good and bad — President Trump has made in defeating ISIS, it is important to ref lect on the year lost. cutting taxes for middle-class families and As controversial and crazy as it was, 2017 making court appointments. Thanks to the arguably held some of the most influential tax cuts, my husband and I stand to keep a events the country, even the world, has seen much larger portion of our paychecks. I’d in a long time. like to see more work in securing the border, It is easy to look at Washington D.C. and enforcing immigration laws, improving our feel defeated. Whether you are a Trump supinfrastructure and combating political cor- porter or not, we are arguably the closest to ruption in D.C. (in both parties)… nuclear war we have yet to be. It does not feel What I like least about his presidency so as though much is being accomplished, as far is the tweeting. It’s often immature and the government recently shut down due to a lowers the tone of the debate while debas- stalemate — but when we peel our eyes away ing the office of the presidency. That said, from that car wreck — it becomes clear 2017 I think the media needs to be a lot more brought amazing breakthroughs and achieveevenhanded in its coverage of him and keep ments most of us do not even know about. its personal opinions in check.”

In 2017, less children died worldwide than In an era where people’s dating profiles ever before. That’s huge. include requirements like “no Republicans,” In 2017, the #MeToo movement swept the maybe it’s time we hear from those who disa- nation, shedding light on the seriousness of gree with us. It’s important to listen to other sexual assault in the workplace for women of perspectives in order to inform our own. But all types by revealing shocking stories. The please don’t take this as an endorsement to movement told stories from celebrities like watch Fox News. You’d have to pay me as Taylor Swift to allegations of harassment much as Trump (allegedly) paid that porn from across the world, and continued to gain star for me to endure that “news” channel. momentum as more and more women felt

empowered to speak out.

In 2017, Israel announced a new treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease, otherwise known as ALS — a devastating disease that has been hard to treat for years.

In 2017, Southwest Airlines flew dozens of planes of animals to rescue them from Hurricane Harvey.

In 2017, scientists invented a gun that shoots stem cells. This allows burn victims to regrow skin without the scarring and complications that often come with skin grafts.

In 2017, scientists also altered a human embryo for the first time.

The point is, feats like these have been completely overshadowed and pushed to the back burner as a result of the chaos and controversy that seems to be breaking headlines everyday in the United States lately.

Innovations and breakthroughs like these, however, are blind to affiliations with political parties. The breakthroughs in science and social issues do not see race, gender or religion. The importance and excellence of these discoveries cannot be disputed, even in a time when it appears as though just about everything can be.

As we move into the new year, it is important to remember both as college students at Boston University and as citizens of the United States, this country is still doing impressive things. While many feel like we are regressing as a nation, I seek comfort in the notion that many people feel that way — and so long as there are people paying notice, this country is going to be okay.

So long as there are moments in which we are able to step back from the controversy and admire the pioneering around us — the inventiveness both this country and school were founded upon — we will be more than alright. We are at a school with an entire student body striving to break barriers. When you step back from that, we are living in an entire city that is also looking to push the envelope.

2017, like all years, had its highs and lows.

While we seem to only emphasize the lows, we also had our highs. 2018 is sure to bring both, too, so buckle up. In little time, more power will be shifted to people of our age. We are on the verge of being able to make even bigger ripples in the water, and with that power comes a lot of responsibility. So, I challenge the students of this school to look up, look out and take 2018 by storm.

CARTOON BY TAREQ ALKHUDARI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

INTERROBANG

Wentworth asked its students to stop eating Tide pods. We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what inedible object would BU students eat?

Film and TV students: Tripods

Questrom: Snake oil

Wheelock: SED

CGS: Glue

CFA: Scented markers

President Brown: Wheelock

Freshmen: Lanyards

SED: Play-doh

FreeP: UBurger

10 SPORTS

Men’s basketball climbs back to beat Lafayette 75-72

BY LIAM O’BRIEN

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

For the first time in his career, Boston University men’s basketball senior forward Nick Havener notched at least 20 points, totaling 21 in the Terriers’ (11-9, 7-2 Patriot League) 75-72 comeback victory over Lafayette College Wednesday night in Easton, Pennsylvania.

BU trailed 7-0 immediately out of the gate, a deficit that was enhanced to 26-10 with 8:31 remaining in the first half.

However, the resilient Terriers battled back, surging on a 20-8 run to end the first half, cutting the gap to 34-30. An 18-2 run in the second half sealed the victory for the squad.

“We tried to prepare them for how hard it was going to be because they’re so good offensively. They move the ball so well,” BU head coach Joe Jones said. “I thought we really competed tonight. I thought we played with a lot of fight.”

The Leopards (5-15, 3-6 Patriot League) had a chance to knot the score in the last seconds of the game, but were unable to do so, giving the Terriers their seventh conference win of the season.

Havener played paramount during these runs, scoring the last seven points of the first half and eight total in the final nine minutes of the contest.

Havener’s previous career-high points came in November during BU’s 88-74 loss to the University at Albany, SUNY, in which he netted 19 points.

The Sarasota, Florida native began the season guns blazing, averaging 12 points per game after the Terriers’ first five games.

However, an injury forced him to miss three games over the turn of the new year, and his scoring average had dipped to 6.9 points

per game heading into the contest against the Leopards.

The tables turned for Havener against Lafayette and the forward notched double figures in scoring for the first time since BU’s 90-87 win over Bethune-Cookman University on Dec. 8.

“He was just playing with great energy. He was everywhere,” Jones said. “He was pressuring those guys.

He was at the rim. He scored a ton at the rim. He posted up. He got steals.

He was everywhere tonight.”

Sophomore forward Tyler Scanlon notched 13 points and six rebounds, classmate sophomore forward Max Mahoney netted 12 points and six rebounds while playing injured and freshman guard Javante McCoy packed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Freshman forward Walter Whyte also dominated the boards, garnering eight rebounds to accompany his nine points.

The Leopards were on fire to begin the game.

Senior guard Eric Stafford began the matchup with a three-pointer before freshman guard Alex Petrie made a layup and senior forward Matt Klinewski knocked down a jumper to give Lafayette a seven-point lead less than four minutes into the game.

This shooting success quickly teetered off for the Leopards, as they finished shooting just 41 percent from the field and 10-for-25 from three-point range.

Petrie led the team with 22 points while Klinewski contributed 20 of his own. Junior forward Paulius Zalys also garnered 16 points and seven rebounds.

Lafayette withheld the momentum to begin the second half, increasing its advantage to 44-36 with 16:24

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DFP FILE PHOTO

Senior forward Nick Havener had a career-high 21 points in the men’s basketball team’s win Wednesday night.

remaining after a Petrie jumper.

BU turned it around as Whyte stifled the rim with a dunk before Havener canned two free throws to slice the lead in half.

A Scanlon three-pointer with 12:40 left gave the Terriers a 48-46 lead before Mahoney put in consecutive layups to bump the Terriers’ lead to 52-46.

After another Havener layup, BU had given itself a 54-46 advantage, capping its 18-2 run.

The Leopards closed the gap to 54-48 minutes later after a pair of Klinewski frees, who went a perfect 6-for-6 in free throws on the night.

The Terriers put the nail in the coffin with a rapid 7-0 run. Havener pumped in yet another layup before freshman guard Andrew Petcash put in two free throws.

Senior guard Will Goff canned

a three-pointer off an assist from classmate senior guard Eric Johnson, handing his team a 61-48 advantage with 6:13 remaining.

While BU led by as many as 14 points near the end of the game, Lafayette began to gain traction.

With a 10-point score deficit for the Leopards and 41 seconds remaining, Klinewski and Petrie proved dangerous for the Terriers.

Klinewski pitched in a pair of free throws while Petrie scored three three-pointers and a layup over the span of 33 seconds.

“I thought there were some things that we have to look at after this game and say ‘okay these are things we have to be ready for,’” Jones said. “One is late game situations, how we handle pressure. We turned it over a few times and then how to defend when we’re up. You’re up 10 and you want to stay aggressive, but

you don’t want to foul and there were some things there.”

Petrie’s final three-point field goal with eight seconds remaining got his team within three, but he couldn’t knock in another to knot the game and BU went home with another road win, its seventh of the season.

Last season, the Terriers had a 6-9 away record and have passed that already this season with 7-5 record on the road.

Jones noted that the road record is largely due to the older leadership.

“It’s funny, at times we haven’t been good at home, but I think our older guys have been great. They’re a calming influence,” Jones said.

“Guys like Nick and Will and EJ, they’ve been through this. They’ve been around … and our young guys have a lot of confidence and they’ve played a lot.”

In need of wins, Terriers to play Merrimack Thursday night

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Senior forward and captain Rebecca Leslie is second on the team with 40 points this season.

BY JACOB GURVIS

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Coming off two consecutive ties, the Boston University women’s hockey team heads north to begin a home-and-home series against Merrimack College Thursday night. The Terriers (8-13-6, 4-10-5 Hockey East) and Warriors (9-15-3, 4-11-2 Hockey East) will conclude the series Saturday afternoon in Boston.

The two teams faced off in the season opener on Sept. 23, with Merrimack topping BU 2-1.

Despite only one win in their previous nine games, the Terriers have been regaining key players from injury. According to BU head coach Brian Durocher, the team’s return to full-strength, or close to it, is crucial.

“You start adding players, and it continues to give you a chance

because it helps you out with strength, volume and numbers,” Durocher said. “It looks like we’re going to potentially have 17 skaters come this weekend, which will be nice.”

One particular aspect of the game that has stood out as of late is the power play.

According to Durocher, the Terriers have been executing well defensively on power plays and improving on early season struggles.

“We’ve had a nice run, doing a good job,” Durocher said. “We’re thinking about it a lot less and just trusting our instincts and trusting the play, and maybe clearing a few more pucks.”

Durocher noted that earlier in the season, BU was in the bottom three in the country in penalty kills. The Terriers have held their opponents to 22 goals in 106 power play opportunities this season, a 20.8 percent mark.

On the f lip side, Durocher would like to see improvement on the offensive power play. BU has also scored 22 goals on 106 opportunities.

“I think we’ve moved the puck around reasonably well, but I don’t think we’re really going to the net as hard as we need to,” Durocher said. “Everybody thinks it’s going to be one shot, or five passes, or a

beautiful back-door play, but a lot of times it’s get them moving, get them on their heels and then the second, third and even fourth person go to the net and pick up loose pucks around the cage.”

When it comes to special teams, Merrimack sits last in both power play and penalty kill in Hockey East. The Warriors have scored on only seven goals in 97 opportunities, while killing off 75 percent of their penalties.

With only seven games remaining in the regular season, Durocher will be looking to his strong core of senior forwards, Victoria Bach, Rebecca Leslie and Nina Rodgers, to continue their solid performances.

While Bach’s success this season has been well-documented, Durocher mentioned that Leslie is not too far behind, with 40 points herself, compared to Bach’s 47.

Durocher also highlighted the play of freshman forwards Nara Elia and Jesse Compher and sophomore forward Deziray De Sousa.

As a line, Durocher said they have had “a nice run.”

In preparation for Merrimack, Durocher mentioned goaltending as a particular strength. Junior goaltender Samantha Ridgewell has started between the pipes for 16 games this season, and currently

boasts a .928 goal save percentage and 2.20 goals against average.

“It’s a nice combination to have some strengths at all three positions,” Durocher said, “but I think they go into every game feeling good about their goaltending.”

Durocher also noted the Warriors’ speed and shooting power as other strengths.

“They move pretty well as a team,” Durocher said. “There are a couple kids who can really fire it. So you’ve got to play a thorough game against them. They don’t get taken out of the game too often.”

With just three games remaining before the annual Beanpot tournament, the Terriers are running low on opportunities to turn things around.

To Durocher, his team just needs to be more thorough in all aspects of the game.

“Whether it’s just making one more save as a goalie, being a little more disciplined on special teams or doing the little things — line changes, staying onside, not going in the box,” Durocher said. “It’s amazing how quickly those things can add up. We just need to, as a collective group, [have] everybody just play that five or 10 percent more confident. It boils down to the little things that you have to be more consistent and thorough with.”

SPORTS 11

Terriers drop fourth game, lose to Lafayette 47-45

BY JOSH ROTHSTEIN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY BRITTANY CHANG/ DFP FILE PHOTO

Junior forward Naiyah Thompson was one of the two Terriers to reach double digit scoring against Lafayette College Wednesday night.

The Boston University women’s basketball continued its losing streak, as it extended to four games Wednesday night at Case Gym. BU (8-11, 3-6 Patriot League) fell to Lafayette College 47-45.

After struggling for a few games, freshman guard Katie Nelson had the hot hand for the Terriers early on. She connected on t wo early triples, which accounted for six of the team’s first eight points.

BU head coach Katy Steding said she was impressed with the depth and different options offensively her team possesses.

“Every night someone else is stepping up,” Steding said. “Tonight it was Katie, and it has been someone else pretty much every night recently. It’s great to see.”

Equally impressive for the Leopards (8-11, 5-4 Patriot league) was freshman forward Natalie Kucowski.

She showed her offensive prowess from all over the f loor, first with an impressive drive to the hoop before hitting a three.

In addition to Nelson, four other Terriers scored during the quarter, as they led 16-8 after 10 minutes of play.

Lafayette began the second quarter with a 15-7 run to knot the game. Senior guard Anna Ptasinski did most of the damage, scoring nine points on three three-pointers early in the quarter.

Although the Leopards were sloppy with the ball early on, BU started to turn the ball over more in the second quarter.

Lafayette only had two turnovers in the quarter, and nine turnovers compared to the Terriers’ 10 during the half.

BU led 29-28 at the half, partially due to a convincing advantage at the free throw line. BU connected on all five of its free throws while Lafayette did not attempt a single one.

Steding said she was impressed with the team’s defense, but also thought her team did not have its best offensive rhythm.

“I thought we did a good job tonight of forcing them into some bad shots,” Steding said.

“We were hounding the ball all night and forced a good amount of turnovers.”

The Leopards and the Terriers traded a basket each in the early part of third quarter.

It was an ineffective start for both teams, until senior center Sophie Beaudry worked inside the paint for her first points of the game to give BU a 33-30 lead.

Nelson hit her fourth three to give her 12 points on the night. It was her first time scoring more than nine points in five games and she was also the first Terrier in double figures.

Going into the fourth quarter, BU took a slim 40-36 lead and Lafayette tied the game with under six minutes to play in the game.

Fresh m a n g u a rd Drew Freeland connected on a three to

knot the game at 42.

After a steal, senior center Ellen Graham gave the Leopards their first lead since the first quarter.

A three from junior forward Naiyah Thompson put her into double figures and gave the Terriers the lead right back with 4:40 to play.

Down one and with 39 seconds to play, sophomore forward Nia Irving was fouled by Graham.

While Irving has shot 63.9 percent on the season, her struggles from the line lingered. She missed both, dropping to just one of five on free throws.

With 10.4 seconds to go, Freeland hit one of two free throws to give Lafayette a 47-45 lead.

Sophomore guard Vanessa Edgehill missed a three, but Kucowski missed both free throws to give BU the ball back with 0.9 seconds to go, down by just two points.

Nelson was able to get a three point shot up for the win, but missed and the Terriers lost their fourth straight game after scoring only five points in the final quarter.

BU has officially reached the halfway point in conference play and sits in the bottom portion tied with the United States Military Academy.

However, Steding continues to remain optimistic about her team.

“We did a lot of good things tonight,” Steding said. “One or two shots fall the other way, it is a totally different game.”

Dropping the Gloves: Canadian Hockey Talks, but who else is?

BY JESSICA CITRONBERG DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Professional level teams use their games to raise awareness for plenty of causes all the time. In fact, some NFL players have been fined for things as simple as wearing purple cleats for domestic violence awareness. However, one professional league has taken on the task of mental health awareness.

Since 2013, the seven Canadian NHL teams have participated in Hockey Talks — a month-long campaign wherein teams dedicate games in February to raising awareness for mental health.

Each Canadian team dedicates one home game to wear Hockey Talks decals on their helmets and have in-game videos stressing the importance of mental health. The Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks are partnering with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

The program was started by former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa in remembrance of his teammate Rick Rypien who committed suicide in 2011.

Another former NHL defenseman, Dan Carcillo, spoke in a chilling video for The Players’ Tribune in 2015, encouraging the league to create an exit program for their athletes.

Carcillo and longtime friend Steve Montador were both affected by the jump from a professional sport to the real world.

Montador died in 2015 four days before his girlfriend gave birth to their son. The cause of his death is unknown, but his brain was found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The NHL has been much more open about discussing CTE when compared to the NFL. But then again, when you don’t do anything about it, it’s pretty easy for other leagues to do more than you.

On Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted their sixth annual Mental Health Awareness Night.

Forward Connor Brown was especially dedicated to the cause.

“I know some people who have been affected by mental health struggles and it really is a big issue in society today that needs to be addressed,” Brown said to NHL.com.

The first advocacy was at the beginning of the month where the New York Islanders joined as the

only American-based team.

Islanders assistant coach Luke Richardson and his wife Stephanie founded Do It For Daron, a “call to action” after their daughter Daron committed suicide at the age of 14.

Every dollar raised during any awareness month is valuable, but the support that has been created from the Hockey Talks movement is unprecedented.

Sports fans are not used to seeing this kind of mental health exposure.

These Canadian NHL teams have been participating in the Hockey Talks program for a few years now, but each year it gets bigger.

Each year there is a visible impact.

More and more people are using #BellLetsTalk and #HockeyTalk.

More survivors of mental health problems share their stories.

These Canadian teams are doing more than any U.S. teams have ever done when it comes to mental health outreach. It’s unprecedented, even in its sixth year.

It’s hard to even grasp how easy it is to have events like this. Every sports team from the high school level to professional is capable of dedicating a night of play to a cause.

And when you’re a professional team, the cause will get even more attention when it’s broadcast on TV. The goal is for mental health to be a comfortable conversation topic.

It’s not comfortable to struggle with mental health, but it needs to be more of a conversation.

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Former NHL player Dan Carcillo is just one of many professional ice hockey players that supports mental health awareness.

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