10-26-2017

NEWS MA has over 120,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s, and the state legislature is looking into this problem. p.3

INBUSINESS Girls Who Code BU hosted Boston University’s first all-female hackathon, “Hack the Gap” over the weekend. p.5

47°/ 61° RAIN

SPORTS There will be no “sophomore slump” for the men’s hockey defensemen. Find out why. p.10

DAILYFREEPRESS.COM @DAILYFREEPRESS

(FORECAST.IO)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY YEAR XLVI. VOLUME XCIII. ISSUE VIII.

Walsh’s work is unsatisfactory, NAACP reports

BY ANU SAWHNEY DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO BY ELIZA SHAW/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston University Police Department launches a Halloween giveaway at the George Sherman Union Wednesday afternoon as part of their #StayScarySafeBU campaign.

BUPD launches Halloween safety campaign

BY ISABEL OWENS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston Universit y Police Department and the Wellness and Prevention services of Student Health Services partnered to host a giveaway in the George Sherman Union on Wednesday and Thursday to promote BUPD’s new #StayScarySafeBU campaign. The campaign was designed by PRLab to educate students on safe drinking during Halloween.

BUPD officers, Wellness and Prevention services student ambassadors and PRLab representatives tabled at the GSU Link, handing out candy and flyers and encouraging students to speak with officers about how to be safe during the upcoming Halloween.

BUPD has been trying to promote a positive image since partnering with PRLab a few years ago, said Daniella Weiss, a College of Communication junior and a PRLab account executive.

“A lot of students don’t know the kind of resources that BUPD has,” Weiss said. “They just think of them as a scary, far-off presence, but BUPD is really trying to involve themselves in the student life.”

Weiss said PRLab wants to promote the BUPD as a friendly resource so students feel they can contact the BUPD for help in alcohol-related emergencies — especially near Halloween when they tend to be needed the most.

“We have gotten some statistics from BUPD on transports and drinking-involved cases that come to their attention circulating Halloween, and that is probably the biggest event,” Weiss said. “That’s when most of their attention is needed.”

Officers were present at the giveaway to answer questions, offer safety tips and promote BUPD safety events. One of the goals of the campaign is for students to be able to speak directly to officers in a non-emergency setting, according to BUPD Lieutenant Anastasios Giannopoulos.

“We have seen through the years,” Giannopoulos wrote in an email, “that any effort to connect the officers with the community through educational events is very effective and informative.”

PRLab reached out to Wellness and Prevention services for resources to provide to students on alcohol safety, Wellness and Prevention services director Katharine Mooney said.

Wellness and Prevention services provided PRLab with information on BU’s Good Samaritan policy, data on student drinking and wallet-sized cards that list signs of an alcohol emergency and emergency phone numbers, according to Mooney.

Mooney said Halloween presents a particularly high risk of alcohol abuse.

“We’ve noticed over the last several years that basically ‘Halloweekend,’ depending on when the holiday falls, is when we see some of the most risky drinking happening on campus,” Mooney said. “We’re very interested CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

The Boston branch of the NAACP released a report card evaluating Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration Sunday, stating he failed to bring about the changes he promised for Boston’s communities of color.

In the 175-page document, the NAACP report scored the administration on its efforts as well as it results in furthering economic and racial equality in Boston. The poorest grades were seen in diversity staffing within the Boston Fire Department, which the report scored F under effort, as well as in economic development which received an overall grade of a D. Segun Idowu, the third vice president of the Boston branch of the NAACP and a project manager for the report, wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press the project had been in the works since the 2013 mayoral election to hold whoever won the mayoral election accountable for their campaign promises.

“It is our responsibility to hold elected and appointed leaders responsible, and to ensure that they are adequately addressing issues that are important to us,” Idowu wrote. “Any form of constructive criticism is good and healthy for democracy. You will notice that beyond just critiques, we offer recommendations in each chapter of the report that we hope to collaborate with the administration in fulfilling.”

Idowu said the data used in the report was either given to the NAACP via Walsh’s administration or taken from publicly available city reports, so the results of the report should not have surprised the administration.

Through this data, Idowu said, the report shows there needs to be work done to ensure everyone who lives in Boston is CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Common Ground Fund offers students means for collaboration

BY CAROLINE SMITH DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP FILE PHOTO

The Howard Thurman Center’s Culture Council meets in February.

The Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and the Student Activities Office are preparing to officially launch the Common Ground Fund next semester — an initiative intended to motivate inter-university student collaboration with financial resources.

The fund aims to bring student organizations from across the university together to collaborate with clubs they would not normally interact with, HTC director Pedro Falci said. Collaborative events can range from joint recreational activities to political dialogues. “[The fund] really is trying to support collaborative efforts where students from disparate backgrounds or interests might do something cool,” Falci said. “If the BU College Republicans want to host a dialogue with the Islamic Society … and they

need support or resources, that is a worthwhile proposal for the Common Ground Fund.”

The fund will provide student organizations with financial resources that the Allocations Board — another entity that grants funding to student clubs — might not be able to provide, Falci said.

“It really has to be an original idea where you are collaborating with a group that you usually do not engage with,” Falci said. “It’s not just to get some extra pennies for the program that you do every year.”

The Common Ground Fund Committee, composed of students and faculty, has been working on putting the program together since last summer and is now in the final stages of implementing the program, according to Falci.

HTC assistant director for Thurman

Center Networks Julian Cook said the fund embraces HTC’s mission of creating an environment for students to share their perspectives and feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics.

“We are always having conversations in our center with students, helping them with how to facilitate controversial conversations,” Cook said, “helping them understand what it means to be civil when one is involved in conversations that do become difficult.”

HTC student ambassador Babatunde Alford said by helping students form connections with those who would not otherwise cross paths, the fund will form a more connected campus and in turn, make difficult conversations easier.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

2 NEWS

City Council moves to protect firefighters’ spousal health benefits

BY SHANNON LARSON DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston City Council unanimously approved an ordinance concerning health insurance benefits for surviving spouses of the City’s firefighters on Wednesday afternoon, with approximately 25 individuals in attendance — including Bob Petitti, member of the Boston Firefighters union.

Councilor Michael Flaherty, the sponsor of the docket, petitioned for a law to restore the ability to purchase health insurance for remarried, surviving spouses of firefighters who passed away in the line of duty, perished as a result of injuries sustained or died from a disability, according to a letter he read to the audience.

Although the legislature restored pensions benefits in 2000 to surviving spouses upon remarriage, Flaherty wrote, this did not include the restoration of the health insurance benefit. Through passing the proposal, spouses of the deceased are enabled to have the ability of continuing health insurance through the City upon remarriage.

Through implementing this change, the cost to the City — on average — for health insurance for the surviving families and spouses, totals between approximately $6,500 and $6,600, Flaherty wrote.

Flaherty said during the meeting that the cost of the insurance will not pose a burden to the City.

“I expect there to be minimal financial impact for the city … because it would only apply to a handful of individuals,” Flaherty said.

Numerous provisions to the order were added to properly address the addition of spouses also being able to continue receiving health insurance — along with pension benefits — upon remarriage, Flaherty said.

“The appropriate insurance application must be filed with the City of Boston, that the City develop a method of payment of premiums in accordance with the rules and regulations,” Flaherty said. “[And] that the City of Boston contributes at least 50 percent

PHOTO BY CHLOE GRINBERG/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Rabbi Naftoly Bier begins the weekly City Council meeting Wednesday afternoon at the City Hall Iannella Chambers.

of the premium to be paid by the surviving spouse for such group insurance.”

After the meeting, Flaherty told The Daily Free Press the amendment is essential because spouses of the deceased currently face the equivalent of a penalty.

“Firefighters who died in the line duty, their spouses [are] basically penalized,” Flaherty said. “They are not allowed to remarry because if they do, they lose the health benefit, so there’s basically a remarriage penalty. This is an opportunity for me to do the right thing.”

Currently in Boston, about five spouses and their children are affected by the issues surrounding spouses of deceased firefighters remarrying and the ability to receive health insurance from the city, Flaherty said. Through passing the pro-

posed changes, the “remarriage penalty” is effectively eradicated.

“No one should have that situation,” Flaherty said. “Spouses can’t find a life partner, can’t start over, can’t remarry for fear that they will lose health benefit and the benefit for their children.”

With the ordinance passing unanimously among the councilors, Flaherty said he is hopeful it will be officially passed by the state legislature at a future date. “[I] look forward to having it pass up the legislature, having the comfort of knowing in the event of if it happens again, surviving spouses should have no worries,” Flaherty said.

Pettiti said he is comforted by the fact that widow’s will soon be able to remarry without the worry of losing essential health benefits.

“We had a legislation to pass a bill which was going to help the … widows of firefighters that passed away from the injuries in the line of duty,” Petitti said after the meeting. “If the widow is lucky enough to find another person that she wants to spend the rest of their life with, it’s awful a big penalty for her to take.”

Michael Larocca, 54, of Downtown Boston, said he came to the meeting as part of his effort to attend every event mayoral candidate Tito Jackson attends.

“I’m Tito Jackson’s supporter with his campaign since he announced his [mayoral bid] back early this year,” Larocca said.

“Whatever he does for standouts, I try to do them all. I try to do as much as I can. It’s difficult for me since I’m in a wheelchair.”

Ludi Wang contributed to the reporting of this article.

Walsh administration flunks NAACP-issued report card NAACP, FROM PAGE 1 prospering at the same rate.

“It should be noted that the administration receives higher scores for efforts than for results,” Idowu wrote. “This tells us that while the administration is putting forth an effort, in some key areas they either have not applied enough pressure, or they have started initiatives or programs too soon for us to determine the effects of each.”

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement his office would further review this new report, but there were several aspects and claims made in the report with which he did not concur. He said the City has been striving to achieve equal opportunity for all communities in Boston and the City will continue to work for this equality.

“We need to take the time to closely review this report, however we respectfully disagree with the grades given,” Walsh said in the statement. “While there is always room for improvement, we are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the past four years, from creating opportunities for minority and women owned businesses, to building affordable housing for all income levels to adding over 700 pre-kindergarten seats to expand early learning opportunities.”

Paul Watanabe, a political science professor and the director of the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said it is important to see the bigger picture offered by reports such as this one.

“It is valuable for the NAACP, and other

GRAPHIC BY RACHEL DUNCAN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

organizations as well, to continually take stock of the status of people of color within the city of Boston,” Watanabe said. “I think it was appropriate of them to engage in this exercise in trying to inform the public what kind of progress we’ve made in areas like public safety, housing, and racial relations within the city.”

Watanabe said although issues brought up in the report are present in the city, many still believe properly addressing them does not require a change in leadership.

Several Boston residents said they were split in their response to the administration and the accuracy of the scores seen on the report.

Alba Diaz, 43, of Allston, said she could

not complain about Boston and how it has treated her and her family concerning race relations, despite the results of the report.

“Boston is a good city [when it comes to race relations], and I’ve been here for a long time and have had no problem,” Diaz said.

“My son was born here and goes to school here — it’s all good.”

Ricardo Vasquez, 27, of Roxbury, said the racial tension in Boston is something he has learned to adapt to. As a solution, Vasquez said equality focused initiatives need to start by addressing Boston’s youth in order to relieve racial tension within the city.

“There should be more initiatives for the youth, that’s where everything starts,”

Vasquez said. “Living in Boston all my life — things were maybe a little bit better when Mayor Menino was around. Now, it’s a little bit harder for my peers and younger peers.

The resources aren’t where they need to be.”

Dave Mansaray, 50, of Mattapan, said his son attends Boston Latin Academy and there are concerns with diversity there, which is a reflection of the city’s problems.

“There’s a lot of complaints about diversity [at Boston Latin Academy] and I don’t like the way teaching is going on,” Mansaray said. “The mayor needs to hire more black people and put them in more positions in schools so no one will feel like they’re being left behind.”

NEWS 3

Legislature looks at Alzheimer’s crisis in Massachusetts

BY CAMILA BEINER DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

New research has found Alzheimer’s disease continues to be a growing problem both in Boston and for the future of health care.

The Alzheimer’s Association Massachusetts is collaborating with the Massachusetts Legislature to address the growing public health crisis of Alzheimer’s in the state.

In Massachusetts alone, 120,000 individuals are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, a diagnosis that is expected to triple in number by 2050, according to an op-ed published in Commonwealth Magazine on Oct. 23. The authors of the article — Sen. Barbara L’Italien, chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, and Sen. Jason Lewis, chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health — wrote that those with Alzheimer’s largely haven’t been diagnosed or are unaware of diagnosis.

Both L’Italien and Lewis are working with organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association to push for new legislation in areas ranging from public safety to caregiving to accommodate the rising number of patients diagnosed with the debilitating disease, according to their op-ed.

Russell Martin, public relations and marketing manager for the Alzheimer’s Association, said they are holding informational sessions on the issue of Alzheimer’s.

“We work closely with health care professionals to help them learn current and cutting edge information on a wide range of Alzheimer’s related care topics,” Martin said.

“Our hope is that these trainings lead to positive experiences in the various medical and hospital environments they work [in].”

Martin said the legislature has put forward a policy agenda for Alzheimer’s which focuses on improving the rate and the timing of the diagnosis, advocating awareness to the most vulnerable populations in

Massachusetts and ensuring the state has the financial capacity to address the issue from a health care perspective.

Alzheimer’s is a disease which has no cure, no treatment and no prevention, Martin said, which is why they are working to fight for the patients who are diagnosed by helping advocate for more research and funding.

“For patients living with the disease, we must ensure they are given the best available healthcare and that those professionals are consistently trained as new findings occur,” Martin said. “There is a lot to be done, but as we’ve seen, our collective voice and movement can have a lasting impact.”

Martin said Alzheimer’s can affect anybody, even having presence in patients as young as 40 or 50 years old, disqualifying the stereotype that it is a disease for old people.

“Alzheimer’s disease reaches into all of our lives, regardless of age, race or social status, and we need to continue to collectively advocate and support research in order to one day reach our ultimate goal of a world without Alzheimer’s disease,” Martin said.

Director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Liz McCarthy, wrote in an email she too has been speaking with hospitals about developing new care plans.

“Our chapter recently worked with a statewide task force and developed an executive plan to address dementia in acute care facilities,” McCarthy wrote. “The executive plan recommends that hospitals develop an operational plan for dementia, that includes staff training and education and is monitored by a quality improvement plan.”

McCarthy wrote the Alzheimer’s Association has an online database called TrialMatch which serves as a “dating service” for clinical trials. Users complete a profile and are matched to studies in their geographic area for which they are eligible.

Zachary Crowley, chief of staff at the office for Lewis, wrote in an email the legislature has passed new laws to address the

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DFP FILE PHOTO

Alzheimer’s and dementia rates in Boston are steadily increasing.

Alzheimer’s epidemic and that medical experts have announced there are treatments that can slow the disease.

“There are a number of programs and resources funded through federal, state and local budgets to provide care for Alzheimer’s patients,” Crowley wrote.

“These range from federal grants to state line items to locally-subsidized efforts in dementia-friendly communities.”

Crowley wrote all these new resources are part of the effort behind legislation to develop a statewide Alzheimer’s plan.

Several Boston residents said Alzheimer’s is a serious issue within the state and should be treated with urgency.

Diana Coluntino, 58, of the West End, said that the elder population is often afraid of certain medical products and think it can lead to Alzheimer’s.

“My guess is that Alzheimer’s is sometimes an umbrella diagnosis for any dementia,” Coluntino said. “There seems to be a lot

of organizations lobbying for more research as the aging baby-boomer generation and their families need more support.”

Jolie Helmbrecht, 43, of the West End, said she believes Alzheimer’s may stem from people’s diets, and patients should be treated with the same care as any other patients with a debilitating condition.

“I would also question if it stems from our contaminated food sources and genetically modified foods as we are what we eat,” Helmbrecht said. “Those with Alzheimer’s and dementia should have access to all necessary help.”

Emily Shamieh, 66, of Jamaica Plain, said she knows many people who are affected by Alzheimer’s.

“There was an article in The Boston Globe a few days ago about the increase in Alzheimer’s and that the increase will continue to grow,” Shamieh said. “We have to focus on growing our public health system in order to help more patients in the future.”

4 NEWS

Boston Medical Center harvests first rooftop farming

BY ELLISA RIDDELL DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston Medical Center, Boston University’s affiliated teaching hospital, is winding down its first growing season on the center’s new rooftop farm with thousands of pounds of fresh, farmed produce.

Timothy Viall, a spokesperson for the Boston Medical Center, said the farm is the first hospital-based farm in Massachusetts, and it was established to provide healthy and fresh food to patients and the local community.

“The goal of BMC’s rooftop farm is to provide fresh, local produce to as many of our patients, employees and community members as possible,” Viall wrote in an email. “This initiative also supports BMC’s mission to address social determinants of health by improving access to healthy fruits and vegetables.”

Viall said the farm has harvested 4,614 pounds of crops, including green beans, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, scallions, squash and tomatoes. That number is expected to exceed 5,000 pounds by early November, according to Viall.

BMC’s Preventive Food Pantry, which works to address nutrition-related illness and malnutrition for its low-income patients, has received approximately half of all the produce grown on the farm to date with the hospital’s kitchens receiving the other half, Viall wrote.

“The kitchens ensure the food is widely distributed to cafeterias across campus and that it is used in patients’ meals,” Viall wrote. “Programs through BMC’s Demonstration Kitchen have also given the BMC community opportunities to visit the rooftop farm and learn about cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients.”

Viall explained that in addition to providing fresh and organic produce for the BMC community, the rooftop farm also reduces the center’s overall carbon footprint by “increasing green space, adding carbon-breathing plants and reducing the building’s energy use,” he wrote.

BMC worked with local organizations in order to make the dream of the rooftop farm a reality. Higher Ground Farm is managing

PHOTO COURTESY MATT MORRIS

Children in the Boston Medical Center’s Summer Culinary Camp harvest produce for cooking. Nearly 5,000 pounds of produce have been harvested so far, including a range of vegetables and herbs.

the growing while Recover Green Roofs, a Somerville-based organization, worked with BMC to design and install the farm, according to Viall.

John Stoddard, the founder of Higher Ground Farm, came to BMC with plenty of experience establishing rooftop farms – in fact, his organization started one in the Seaport District about five years ago. He said he was very pleased with the results of the first growing season at the BMC. “I think everyone was very happy [with the growing season],” Stoddard said. “The employees of the hospital were very excited to come and volunteer and tour the farm, so I think it was very successful.”

Stoddard said the farm is valuable because of its ability to provide healthy food to those who may not be able to afford or access it and for its positive environmental effects.

“Folks who might go to the Boston Medical Center Food Bank are referred by a doctor because they’re food insecure, and so this food bank has your staples in it, but you’re also getting fresh fruits and vegetables that are going to help folks heal better and have a healthier diet,” Stoddard said. “There’s

also environmental benefits, so when you’re adding carbon breathing plants, it’s a climate change strategy to some degree,” he added.

Serena Galleshaw, a representative from Recover Green Roofs, wrote that the BMC’s rooftop farm is the organization’s “most efficient farming system to date.”

Galleshaw explained Recover Green Roofs’ role in the creation of the BMC rooftop farm.

“Recover Green Roofs designed the farm and irrigation systems to provide maximum growth potential for the size and scale of the roof,” Galleshaw wrote in an email. “Beyond construction, Recover’s role is to manage and maintain irrigation and system components over time.”

The organization prides itself on constructing the largest rooftop farm in Boston, according to Galleshaw, and the first rooftop farm on top of a hospital.

“We’re proud that our work is benefitting hospital patients, and inspiring the city to think about what’s possible in terms of sustainable building design,” she wrote.

Keeping with the idea of community farming, several of the farm’s volunteers are

local community members or students studying in Boston. Reann Gibson, a graduate student in BU’s School of Public Health and a volunteer on the farm, said her day-to-day duties vary and include weeding, planting, changing crops and watering.

Gibson said she decided to volunteer because there aren’t many opportunities for farming and gardening in urban areas like Boston.

“The work the farm is doing is really great in getting more fresh fruits and vegetables available to the Boston community, especially in neighborhoods that don’t really have access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” Gibson said. “It’s also environmentally sustainable hyper-local food, so that’s really cool.”

Several Boston University students said they thought the rooftop farm was a great way to provide healthy, organic food to patients and reduce the BMC’s environmental impact.

Justin Luu, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he appreciates the concept and thinks it contributes to the notion of personal as well as environmental responsibility.

“That’s a good way to be healthy for nature and sustainability,” Luu said. “Having green food helps with the climate and with what people view as what’s good for the environment. If it’s not too costly, it would be good for it to spread.”

Sally Chen, a senior in the College of Fine Arts, said she sees the farm as a great learning opportunity and a way for the community to come together.

“Bringing a garden to campus could teach a lot of kids who are from cities who have never learned how to grow their own vegetables, which could be incredibly important to them in the future,” Chen said. “It also teaches a lot to the community about coming together to grow.

It brings back a little bit of nature to us all.”

Grace Yang, a CAS junior, said she sees the sustainability of the farm as a step in the right direction.

“Resources are the biggest issue in this world,” Yang said. “We’re trying to use our resources to the most that we can.

Obviously, there is an uneven distribution of wealth. Of all the things we put our money and time towards, this is the kind of thing that benefits the most people.”

BUPD launches #StayScarySafeBU HTC spurs student collaboration HALLOWEEN, FROM PAGE 1 in partnering with other groups and departments on campus to help get our resources out.”

Wellness and Prevention services also oversees the Student Health Ambassadors, a group of undergraduates planning an alcohol safety outreach on Thursday and Friday outside Warren Towers and in West Campus.

Several students at the giveaway said this new campaign has improved their understanding of BUPD’s resources.

Blake Shores, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he thinks misconceptions about the police are prevalent on campus.

“People associate [the police] with ‘I’m going to get in trouble,’ when they’re there

It was like ‘Oh my gosh, we’re hammered coming home,’ but they’re just there to help us and make sure we’re safe.

for resources to help you out, [like to] take you home,” Shores said. “They’re not looking to get you in trouble. I feel like that is a very common misconception.”

Senila Yasmin, a sophomore in CAS, said she and most of her peers trust the BUPD and would not hesitate to contact them in an emergency.

“I would not fear calling BUPD if something was to go wrong,” Yasmin said. “I actually have their number in my phone as a contact, and it definitely would be the first place I would contact.”

Yasmin said she thinks the Good Samaritan policy — which provides legal protection for students who call the police to help others — is not understood well enough on campus.

“There should probably be more outreach,” Yasmin said of the BUPD, “because I think people know that it exists, but they’re probably still scared they would end up getting in trouble.”

Rose Garrett, a senior in CAS, recalled when the BUPD staged a fake attack in the GSU last year to inform students about the BUPD and let them get to know the officers.

“It was really cool and they should do that again this year,” Garrett said. “My freshman year, because I was in West Campus next to them, it was like ‘Oh my gosh, we’re hammered coming home’ but they’re just there to help us and make sure we’re safe. They’re

HTC, FROM PAGE 1 “It helps to inspire students to talk more frequently with new people and break down walls or prejudice and stereotypes,” the CAS senior said.

Katherine Cornetta, assistant to the dean of students, said the fund is a part of a broader plan to expand the HTC. The center has not yet established a set monetary budget for the fund, she said.

“We don’t have a set amount [for the fund] yet, and that’s because this is step four in a multi-step plan in the re-invention of the HTC,” Cornetta said. “They have to see how much those are going to cost before they give us a final amount.”

HTC assistant director for arts, service and programs Shari Tumandao, who is on the fund’s committee, said any student organization recognized by the SAO can apply for a grant.

“What we’re really trying to gauge is the genuine intent behind it,” Tumandao said.

“There are no loopholes. There are no hoops to jump through.”

Although the fund has not yet been instituted, the HTC has funded student group collaborations in the past, Falci said, and its success has motivated the center to set up an official process to do so. For instance, the HTC has helped the Ski and Board Club “make skiing and boarding more inclusive and accessible,” according to its president, Catherine Willis.

Willis explained that in the past, the club reached out to cultural groups on campus and used HTC funds to make their trips more open and affordable.

“We strongly believe that a trip outdoors, skiing, riding and traveling with a group, is an incredible and unique way to build friendships,” the CAS senior said. “We want to make sure that not just current skiers and riders or people of certain means are participating, so we used the funds to make the price of a trip more economically accessible to anyone who wants to try.”

Other students involved in clubs on campus said they were interested in applying for HTC funding to form collaborations.

Haley Hostetter, a freshman in CAS and member of the BU Premedical Society, said she’s interested in collaborating with community service groups. “[We can] connect medicine directly with community service efforts,” Hostetter said. “[The fund] allows clubs across different spectrums to collaborate and bring their specialties together to leave an even bigger impact on the school and community.”

Although not implemented yet, the fund has many staff and students excited to see the impact of the university-wide collaboration, Cornetta said.

“It’s the genesis of it and the excitement about it,” she said, “that really speaks about our collaboration as a student affairs team and as a university.”

CATALYST

FEATURES 5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

NoiseScore app raises awareness of noise pollution in Boston

BY JULIA MARUCA

DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

The streets of Boston are constantly filled with sound — people talking, cars honking, ambulances blaring — forming the general ambience of the city. On an ordinary day, Bostonians don’t pay attention to these sounds, but a new app seeks to bring the constant noise presence into the spotlight.

Harvard University graduate school student Erica Walker has created an app called NoiseScore, which regularly updates a map of sound and noise pollution around the world that’s based on user-submitted information.

Walker, who recently graduated from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, began researching noise pollution in Boston through a survey in 2015-16.

According to Walker, the original online survey received around 1,200 responses from approximately 400 sites.

After the survey was completed, Walker said she realized something was missing.

“I just knew that a static sort of map like that, that doesn’t change from minute

to minute, day to day, wasn’t going to cut it. It has to be dynamic for it to reflect the situation. So I thought, what can I do to make this current?” Walker said. “I wanted to make something that had a real-time element, a well-rounded method of looking at noise complaints.”

The NoiseScore app allows users to log any noise they encounter and upload a record of it onto the online map. The map is updated every minute. Users can record sound level if they want, take a picture and/or video of the event, and answer a five question survey about their feelings on the sound.

The data collection measures on NoiseScore are meant to help distinguish sound from noise. In terms of the project, noise is harmful or irritating auditory input, whereas sound is innocuous or ordinary auditory input, Walker said.

According to the app’s website, the project was funded by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, which provides support for collaborative research projects. Every two years, the Radcliffe Institute focuses on a theme, the past two years’ theme being citizenship, and leaders of the program felt that Walker’s project

PHOTO BY CHLOE GRINBERG/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Harvard University graduate student Erica Walker creates app NoiseScore based on her research of noise pollution.

fit well, according to Sean O’Donnell, associate director of media ventures at the Radcliffe Institute.

“It’s a great way to approach urbanism and the problems and challenges of living in the city,” O’Donnell said. “This idea of ‘citizen science,’ using science to help resi-

dents; it empowers them to determine what kind of environment they want to live in.”

Walker, along with her collaborator and web designer Julio César Román, said they have big hopes for the project’s potential to help people.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

INBUSINESS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

BU’s first all-female hackathon encourages women to get into tech

BY OLIVIA RITTER

DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

As Beyoncé’s songs blasted through the speakers of the Trustee Ballroom, women filled the room with eyes and minds set on computer coding, an ironic scene given the assumed male dominance in the field.

“Each of you is an inspiration,” said Fiona Whittington, founder and president of Girls Who Code BU.

Last weekend, Girls Who Code BU, a club focused on the acceptance of women and diversity in the technology and coding industries, organized Boston University’s first all-female and femme nonbinary beginner’s hackathon, “Hack the Gap.” Though hackathons are held in cities around the world all the time, the computer science industry is male-dominated, according to the National Science Foundation. The overarching goal of “Hack the Gap” was to break down the gender bar-

rier in coding and attract more women to the tech industry, Whittington said.

“At the first hackathon I went to, the moment I walked in, a guy came up to me and asked me if I even coded,” said Whittington, a junior studying advertising and computer science. “That fueled my passion for all-female hackathons and why they’re so important.”

About 50 women attended “Hack the Gap” to participate and were placed in four to five person groups. Each team was given

Change is on the horizon.

That’s why we’ve changed the wayChange we teachisjournalism. on the horizon.

That’s why we’ve changed the way we teach journalism.

Graduate Program in Journalism.

Quickly gain the skills that are redefining how the industry delivers the news. Create content that gives a story life. Online. On air.

In print. Learn at a state-of-the-art facility, from pros who are transforming the industry. Then join them.

Graduate Programs | Journalism

Learn about Quinnipiac’s MS in Journalism at qu.edu/gradjournalism

a mission to create an idea for a possible resource to help get more women to get involved with coding and technology. Their ideas were presented and voted on during the final hours of the hackathon.

Tracy Schroeder, vice president of BU’s Information Services and Technology and a keynote speaker at the hackathon, said women entering IT face a cultural barrier.

“A lot of people come into IT who don’t have STEM degrees but the cultural barrier there is high,” Schroeder said. “Women are just not encouraged to go in that direction.”

Her department, Schroeder said, has launched initiatives to diversify their workforce and get more women involved.

Currently, women are underrepresented in technological fields. According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, women occupy about 25 percent of positions having to do with computer and mathematical sciences.

“I’m looking for anything I can do to encourage women students to try it,” Schroeder said.

Attendee Michelle Lee, a freshman studying computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she feels there hasn’t been enough progress in her field.

“In this society we should have made more progress and then you look at this one field and we’re still underrepresented,” Lee said. “[‘Hack the Gap’] is really welcoming because it’s any major with any experience.”

Part of the “Hack the Gap” experience included beginner workshops, held on Saturday at the Rafik B. Hariri Institute, which focused on basics in coding and web and software development. Participants learned how to cultivate a website with CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

6 FEATURES

IMPACT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

PHOTO BY LILIAN LI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston artists set up their tables at the Boston Art Book Fair at Mills Gallery Saturday afternoon.

Boston Art Book Fair brings together publishers, artists

BY TYLA PINK DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Over the weekend, artists, publishers, music makers, gallerists and zine makers occupied Boston for a celebration of creativity and innovation.

The Boston Center for the Arts hosted the first Boston Art Book Fair in partnership with Bodega, a Boston-based brand and design collective.

The fair brought together over 60 international and local artists that all share a passion for the intersections between text and visual arts, according to a press release about the fair.

Participants were able to engage in various workshops, panels and presentations throughout the weekend, according to the book fair website. Some of these programs included a zine-making workshop, film screening and a panel discussion about graffiti as public art.

Randi Hopkins, co-founder of the Boston Art Book Fair and director of visual arts at BCA, said she has been enjoying art book fairs for awhile. She drew inspiration from the NY Art Book Fair and Printed Matter, Inc., a New York City organization and store dedicated to artists’ books.

“Books have always really interest artists; they are very visual but we also love books as objects,” Hopkins said.

“They’re less expensive than fine art and more familiar to people because everyone grows up with them [books]. A lot of people have books from their youth that are very meaningful to them. It’s a really personal relationship.”

Among the many artists and exhibitors at the fair was Kathleen Sleboda, co-founder and design director of Draw Down. Sleboda explained that Draw Down is a publishing firm that she started with her husband.

According to their website, they publish small books about graphic design, typography, illustration, photography, art and architecture. They also distribute works from smaller presses and independent graphic designers.

Sleboda noted that Draw Down has been a participant of the NY Art Book Fair for five years, and the Boston Art Book Fair is another great way for local artists and artists within the region to meet. After going to art book fairs, she said she has been able to collaborate with artists from around the country and around the globe.

“Book fairs are sort of like a pollination happening. People come to a bigger book

fair and they think they can go back to their community of school and start an event like this,” Sleboda said. “It’s a great way for people to share work, and I think it’s really inspiring for people to see things that are tactile and can be interacted with.”

She also noted that art book fairs can be particularly enriching for students because they’re free and a great way to connect with people, look at work, take photos and find inspiration.

Another artist and publisher at the fair was Adam Jason Cohen, a Chicago-based photographer who focuses on social landscape and human condition in the south and west sides of Chicago.

He explained that most photos of Chicago fit the agenda that it’s a horrible place with no redeeming qualities.

The photographer uses art book fairs to share visual imagery that combats the photojournalism that publications such as The New York Times show their readers.

“I photograph a lot of things that are harder for publications to run. I can take my personal projects and get them to people who are interested in it,” Cohen said.

One catalyst for the creation of the Boston Art Book Fair was Oliver Mak, co-owner of Bodega. Hopkins explained that Mak approached her months ago and

asked if BCA would be interested in doing a book fair.

She said her awareness of his curatorial work and small projects led Hopkins into thinking, “Yes, I’d love to see if we can work on it together.”

Michelle Wang, junior graphic designer who works at Bodega, noted the importance of the Boston art scene and a space like the Boston Art Book Fair.

“Bodega is very involved in the Boston arts community, so we were able to get more involved in this niche circle of collaborators. Artists need a platform to not only promote their artwork but to see and meet other people,” Wang said. “What’s really important about the Boston art scene is that it’s heavily dependent on artists leaning on each other, promoting each other’s work and collaborating.”

Hopkins explained why Boston was a defining location for the book fair given the number of universities and pioneering idea of the public library — saying she believes that it’s a place where the idea of the book is especially alive and vibrant.

“We had people from all over the country in the fair but we worked really hard to capture all of the specialities of how Boston loves its books,” Hopkins said. “This is something all kinds of people love.”

Boston community contributes to noise pollution awareness NOISESCORE, FROM PAGE 5 “The really cool thing about it is that people can use it for advocacy, and take a closer look at the places they live in,” Román said. “For instance, if I want to move to a particular neighborhood, this data could help me find a place with a type or quality of sound that I like or don’t mind.”

Walker said she envisions students looking for a quiet place to study using the app, or businesses using it to narrow down their locations.

“It gives a better sense of how noise shapes our cities,” Walker said.

However, sound and noise can have different meanings for different people.

As an example, Roman said that people who are baseball fans might not mind the sound of a packed baseball stadium near their home.

Both Walker and Roman said they see the app having the potential to aid people in making informed choices about where they live.

“It’s really important to have citizen-determined data that is publicly available. People do a lot of studies on this sort of thing, but it’s not always available to everyone,” Walker said. “This provides evidence for everybody.”

Walker said she hopes the app will foster conversation, not only around the problem of noise pollution, but around

sound as a part of our lives.

“Noise and noise pollution are significant environmental stressors, but people don’t always take it seriously,” Walker said.

“They don’t think of it like it’s a pressing issue, not in the face of things like climate change and air pollution. But it can really be problematic to your health.”

Walker described how on the original survey, participants in high noise pollution areas would sometime provide alarming answers to how they felt about their neighborhoods’ noise.

“They would say they felt like they couldn’t control it, couldn’t escape, that they felt hopeless, depressed and trapped,” Walker said. “If this were anything other

than noise pollution, people would be sounding the alarm. But because there’s a stigma around noise pollution, that it’s not serious, people don’t think of it as a big deal.”

As a long-term dream, Walker said she hopes to increase overall societal awareness of noise pollution.

“I think of it like this: when I was younger, people didn’t recycle at all, but nowadays, everyone does. Is it possible to make dealing with noise pollution as second-nature as recycling?” Walker said.

“I hope people use this research to think about noise as another dimension of their lives, and consider how it positively and negatively affects them.”

FEATURES 7

MUSE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

FreeP vs.

Food:

BY ANTONIA DEBIANCHI, SARA FRAZIER, SABRINA HUANG AND JONGYOUL LEE PHOTOS BY YVETTE LOPEZ AND MAISIE MANSFIELD MANSFIELD-GREENWALD DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Georgetown Cupcake Georgetown Cupcake, conveniently located on Boston’s Newbury Street is just a short T ride or walk away from campus. The cupcakery gained fame through the television show, DC Cupcakes, which follows two sisters who opened the shop in its first location in Washington in 2008.

Pieces of abstract art hang on the walls and pink cupcake boxes are stacked up on shelves, creating a pleasant overall aesthetic environment. Though located in a small brownstone, patrons may have luck finding a table where they can try the cupcakes.

From the moment cupcake-hunters walk in, they face the dilemma of choosing between the multiple varieties of salted caramel, peanut butter, red velvet and other seasonal flavored cupcakes. The FreeP vs. Food team decided to try the vanilla birthday and double milk chocolate birthday cupcakes.

Both cupcakes were covered with buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles. We agreed that the buttercream frosting made Georgetown’s cupcake icing unique from all the other places — we could taste the sugar crystals. The cake itself was moist, and perfectly balanced the sweetness from the icing.

With the two cupcakes totaling $6.96, it was on the higher end of the four places we visited. For a safer option in terms of taste and price, Georgetown is a great option.

Grades: Sabrina: AJongyoul:AAntonia: ASara: A

If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further. For this edition of FreeP vs. Food, we decided to curb our sugar cravings with cupcakes. We visited some of Boston’s most popular bakeries from the North End to Newbury Street, and ranked each of the desserts on the location, the quality of the cupcake as well as the presentation and price. Read on to check out what we thought of Georgetown Cupcake, Sweet Bakery, Modern Pastry and Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe.

Sweet Bakery Located a few blocks away from Newbury Street, Sweet Bakery’s Massachusetts Avenue location is easy to miss from the street. The dim lights of the store make it hard to spot, and might make the location appear closed.

The decor of the store is intricate and put-together. The counter welcomes customers with a miniature gumball machine, accompanied by a ferris wheel with cupcakes as passengers, and customers can also take a break on the posh pink couches.

The FreeP vs. Food team opted for the chocolate and vanilla Halloween cupcakes.

The icing was much lighter than that of Georgetown cupcakes, and ironically, less sweet despite the name of the store. The cake of the vanilla cupcake was quite dry, which some people may prefer.

Unlike the other chocolate cupcakes the team tried, the chocolate cupcake was much more flavorful, with a stronger cocoa scent.

The candy heart ears on the cupcake however, tasted artificial and waxy.

The cupcakes here were the most expensive, totaling $8.96 for 2 cupcakes.

Part of the price is the swanky atmosphere, so enjoying the petite treats in the store, rather than to-go, is strongly recommended. Sweet deserves a one time visit, but the steep price for these mediocre cupcakes makes multiple visits questionable.

Grades: Sabrina: B Jongyoul: AAntonia: B+ Sara: B

Modern Pastry Nestled in the Italian cuisine heaven that is Boston’s North End, Modern Pastry on Hanover Street offers a wide selection of desserts. From cupcakes to cannolis to cookies, there are endless possibilities to choose from.

The bakery has a to-go line, as well as sit down service for those who want to people-watch and enjoy the warmly decorated interior. Although the wait to order was about ten minutes long, the line was not nearly as long as that of Mike’s Pastry, another popular bakery on the same street.

After a lot of deliberation and weighing our options of Boston cream, red velvet and other kinds of cupcakes, the team decided to order one vanilla and one chocolate, both decorated with orange sprinkles for Halloween.

The cupcakes were a generous size and had a solid cake-to-frosting ratio. The frosting wasn’t too sugary or sweet, and the texture was just right. The cake itself was not as dry as Sweet’s cupcakes, but not as moist as the Georgetown’s or Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe.

With the two cupcakes totaling $3.75, Modern Pastry is a great option if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck and don’t feel like waiting in the absurd line for Mike’s Pastry — why wait in that line when you can get a cupcake as good as this?

Grades: Sabrina: B+ Jongyoul: B Antonia: ASara: A

Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe When you step inside of Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe, the neon “Lulu’s” sign, the vintage candy jars that grace the front window and the varying hues of pink decor make it hard to believe that the Italian restaurant-populated Hanover Street is merely one street away.

Lulu’s mod ambiance and funky-cute atmosphere are the storybook definition of what the interior of a cupcake shop should look like. And while the shop itself is rather small, the bright pink sign outside will clearly steer passerby in the right direction.

All of Lulu’s cupcakes are homemade and baked from scratch each day. The FreeP vs. Food team ordered the chocolate explosion cupcake, which is a chocolate cupcake topped with decadent chocolate ganache.

“The chocolate explosion, specifically the chocolate ganache, tastes like Ina Garten’s chocolate dessert recipes,” Antonia commented. “The Barefoot Contessa’s recipes never fail to please, so Lulu’s similar-tasting cupcakes rank high on my list.”

The colorful vanilla cupcake was pretty in presentation, but fell short to match the taste of the chocolate explosion cupcake.

Together, the two cupcakes totaled $5.50 — not as expensive as Sweet, but not as good of a deal as Modern Pastry.

However, this is definitely a price worthy of both the wallet and calorie splurge.

Grades: Sabrina: A Jongyoul: A Antonia: A+ Sara: A-

Girls Who Code BU hosts ‘Hack the Gap’ for female coders

PHOTO BY SYDNEY MAES/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Girls Who Code BU host “Hack the Gap” at the Trustee Ballroom this weekend.

CODE, FROM PAGE 5 tools like HTML and CSS and were able to create apps in iOS. These helped to give these women an extensive and balanced foundation in the field of technology, according to Whittington.

“Anyone can learn how to code and the point of the event is to pursue that interest,” Whittington said. “Hackathons incorporate every field of technology and they’re a really great place to learn and meet new people.”

Bianca Oparaji, a freshman in CAS and the College of Fine Arts and another attendee, said the event’s focus on beginners was helpful.

“It does make it better, surrounded by people who have all been at that point,” Oparaji said.

Whittington said that there is progress being made in the technology field for women, but there’s definitely room for improvement. Increased participation in events like “Hack the Gap,” Lee said, could help shift the tide in tech.

Within her club, Whittington said she hopes to help broaden the change. Girls Who Code BU is planning another all-female and femme nonbinary hackathon named “She Hacks Boston,” which Whittington referred to as “the largest all-female and non-binary hackathon in the world.”

“We can help grow the pipeline of women in technology,” Schroeder said.

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

Lexi Peery, Editor-in-Chief Elise Takahama, Managing Editor

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

46th year | Volume 93 | Issue 7 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.

Alana Levene, Campus Editor

Ellie French, Editorial Page Editor

Rachel Duncan, Layout Editor

Till Kaeslin, City Editor

Lauren Frias, Features Editor

Allegra Peelor, Blog Editor

Matthew Martin, Sports Editor

Chloe Grinberg, Photo Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

Walsh spoke out against hate, but is no slanderer When a free speech rally was planned on the Boston Common this August, Mayor Martin Walsh urged people to “stay away.”

After the rally, which drew barely 20 participants and almost 40,000 counter-protesters, Walsh tweeted, “Once again, Boston has proved hate has no place in our City.”

One of the rally’s organizers, Brandon Navom, is now suing Walsh over these remarks and others, calling them “defamatory comments” and “libelous statements.”

A software engineer in Lowell, Navom lost his job a few days before the rally when a “mob” of people took to the internet to track down his employer and harass them until they let him go. In the process, his reputation also took a significant hit. And according to Navrom, Walsh is to blame.

He is seeking $100 million from the mayor — $50 million in actual damages and another $50 million in punitive damages. His complaint accuses Walsh of intentionally lying, or at the very least speaking recklessly about the rally and mischaracterizing its participants as racists and white supremacists, all for his own political gain.

Though this is not true, it is also not entirely without merit.

Walsh never called the people who were rallying white supremacists or neo-Nazis, or anything else that they were not. But he was speaking to appease the greater public, who saw them as just that. None of the rally’s participants identified themselves with a hate group of any kind, yet with tens of thousands of people protesting them, it was clear that people felt this rally had connotations much more malicious than simply free speech. No

one was opposing the idea of free speech itself.

It is impossible to prove in retrospect what the intentions of the ralliers really were this summer. Were they trying to replicate the rally in Charlottesville from the week before? Would they have shown their true colors as something much worse if it weren’t for all of the protestors? Or were they just promoting free speech, plain and simple? We can never know.

B

oston’s free speech rally this summer didn’t get out of control, but as we saw in Charlottesville, it absolutely could have. It’s always better to take a strong stance against racism and bigotry than to speak cautiously, even if that comes at a cost.

And neither could Walsh. Of course he spoke out against hate. How couldn’t he have?

You can’t be wishy-washy, you can’t say there’s two sides — we all know what happens if you do (see Donald Trump post-Charlottesville).

Besides, Walsh had an election to think about. He told Boston what they wanted to hear. He told them that this is a city of love, not hate. If he hadn’t, people would have lost a lot of faith in him as a leader, and rightly so.

CROSSWORD 1

2

3

5

4

14

6

COURTESY OF MIRROREYES.COM / CROSSWORD ANSWERS AVAILABLE ON http://dfpress.co/2yM0YqA

9

10

25

26

28

27 34

33

36

30

48

49

38 41

40

42

29 35

37

39

13

22

24

32

12

19 21

23

11

16

18

20

44

43 45

50

8

46 52

51

quences because of how the rally played out — and he didn’t even end up attending it — but that’s not on Walsh.

The entire Boston community came together against Navom and the rest of the ralliers. It was the result of thousands of people, all appalled by the rise of white supremacy, all refusing to let that attitude into Boston, that Navom ended up the way he did. Walsh played a part in it all, but his

voice was only one of thousands.

As far as the lawsuit goes, Walsh probably won’t be shelling out $100 million anytime soon. Slander is incredibly hard to prove, and the factors that caused Brandon Navom to lose his job and his reputation are a lot more complex than what one man says, even if that man is the mayor of Boston.

Navom’s lawyer is hoping to get a trial in western Massachusetts — someplace a little further away from all of Walsh’s influence and support. But what they are really hoping to find in western Massachusetts is a jury a little less liberal than the one he would face in Boston, a jury who might not associate a free speech rally with white supremacy.

Maybe they’ll find what they’re looking for, but after everything that has gone down this year, probably not.

White supremacy and free speech aren’t, of course, synonymous. Not even close. But it does seem to be the mask that racists today are hiding behind to legitimize their hateful speeches and gatherings and rallies. We cannot take the idea of free speech at face value, and use it to either commend or condemn a group without any more information. We need to dig deeper than that.

Walsh has been in the public sphere for a long time. The things he supports are the things Bostonians support, and this was no exception. But this kind of lawsuit is a hazard of the job — a hazard of making any kind of public statement, really. It’s a risk the mayor had to take.

By saying the things he did, Walsh ruffled some feathers and hurt some reputations. But we’re a lot better off because of it.

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Nancy Mollura

15

17

31

7

Boston’s free speech rally this summer didn’t get out of control, but as we saw in Charlottesville, it absolutely could have. It’s always better to take a strong stance against racism and bigotry than to speak cautiously, even if that comes at a cost. Because Walsh made it clear that Boston wouldn’t accept that kind of behavior, when it came time for the rally, we didn’t see it.

Navom certainly suffered some conse-

47 54

53

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

DOWN

ACROSS 1. Corpse 5. 3rd Greek letter 10. Hairdo 14. Unit of land 15. Operatic solos 16. A ball of yarn 17. Having purpose 19. Greenish blue 20. Alcove 21. Buffoons 22. Cereal and soup _____ 23. Diabetics lack this 25. Overweight 27. 16 1/2 feet 28. Momentary 31. An small olivegrey bird 34. Slumber 35. A state of SW India 36. Operatic solo 37. Stalwart

38. Leveling wedge 39. Not bottom 40. Earthquake 41. Attempt again 42. Breathing devices for swimming 44. Foot digit 45. Alcoholic 46. Gigantic 50. Minim 52. Not here 54. Menagerie 55. Largest continent 56.Resembling snoring 58. Confined 59. Australian “bear” 60. Initial wager 61. Border 62. Type of poplar tree

1. Fictional deer 2. Sea 3. Low heavy horse carts 4. Hankering 5. Primitive fishes 6. A noble gas 7. Annoy 8. Burial chamber 9. American Sign Language 10. Waylay 11. A boxing weight class 12. Genuine 13. Possesses 18. Snow house 22. Horn sound 24. Component of urine 26. Red vegetable 28. Clean between teeth 29. French for

“Black” 30. Malodorous 31. Tanks 32. Weightlifters pump this 33. Retorting 34. High narrow heels 37. Views 38. Appear 40. Gull-like bird 41. Juliet’s love 43. Spin 44. Plaid 46. European blackbird 47. A form of oxygen 48. Gloats 49. Flexible tubes 50. Stare 51. Utilized 53. Pile 56. Calypso offshoot 57. British rule in

OPINION 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

The trouble with trigger warnings

BY MATTHEW DRULIAS COLUMNIST

In one of my English classes, we went to see a play together as a class. Two days before the showing, I received an email in which our professor provided a trigger warning for “explicit homosexuality, a brief scene of a bipolar (manic) episode, and … references to violence.”

Following these warnings, we were given the choice to opt out of the showing, provided that we felt we would be “harmfully upset by viewing such scenes.”

Now, I mean no disrespect to my professor — she was obviously looking out for the well-being of her students and doing what she felt was her duty to make sure no one was emotionally harmed by the play. And I understand there are some people who may become extremely upset at exposure to certain things they would rather not view. However, I think that trigger warnings — at least in the way we have adopted them in 2017 — are very, very bad.

For one, trigger warnings cannot logistically work. Who can decide what is or is not triggering for someone else? The things that were included in this warning, such as “explicit homosexuality” and “references to violence” — although perhaps triggering to some people — are not that far beyond a normal level of things encountered in everyday life. Anything could be a trigger for a traumatic experience, so how do we decide what to provide warnings for — and at what point do we include a plot summary of the entire work?

Beyond not being effective from a technical standpoint, the entire concept of trigger warnings is fallacious, hinging on the assumption that we have some kind of right to comfort: we don’t. Life is cruel and unfair, and it doesn’t owe us anything. People are robbed of their comfort every single day. And often, they are victims of pure chance. People are killed and violated, they

have their homes and their families taken away from them, they are diagnosed with terminal illnesses, their homes are destroyed in natural disasters and their children are killed by disease.

Imagine an ancient human living in the year 2000 B.C. whose only goal is to survive — literally the entire world is trying to kill them. Now imagine a human living in the year 2017 who is having an emotional breakdown because they heard a certain word, maybe even in a discussion or in a critical way. You can’t just decide that you only want to hear about the nice parts of life: that’s not the real world.

Life is R-rated, it’s explicit and it’s not fair.

We shouldn’t want to always be comfortable and safe. True growth and learning do not happen when we are always in our comfort zones. Reading things we already know, practicing things we are already good at and swimming where our feet touch the ground doesn’t teach us anything. You have to get out there and not be afraid to fail, to do something scary or to venture out of the shallow water.

In psychology, when a person steers away from a phobia as a defense mechanism, it’s known as avoidance. By shying away from what we are fear, we only become more afraid of it.

I understand that some people may have experienced extremely traumatic episodes in their lives. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a real thing, and it affects a great many people. Even exposure therapy in psychology involves allowing patients to expose themselves to the phobia instead of forcing them to confront it. The patient has to want to overcome their own fears.

There should obviously be some form of warning for extremely graphic content. I wouldn’t argue, for instance, that little kids should be watching R-rated movies such as “Saving Private Ryan” or “The Departed.” But the level of preemptive injury to which we have progressed is worrisome. When adults are not content without paragraphs of warnings for potentially triggering content in everything they read or view, we have encountered a problem.

In an ideal world, it might be nice to shield people from every worrying, hurtful or uncomfortable concept. But then again, in an ideal world, those concepts wouldn’t exist in the first place. Opting out of a new and useful experience because it might make us uncomfortable is unproductive and probably cowardly. We have to go out of our comfort zone and discuss the dark aspects of the world — that is the only way to conquer them.

Emotions don’t exist in a vacuum

BY MEREDITH WILSHERE COLUMNIST

Again, it felt like my classes were aligning with what I was supposed to be learning in real life. When this happens, it always feels like my life is slowly becoming more like a teen movie and less like the divorcee show it actually is.

We just finished the crisis communications unit for my media relations class. Crisis communication, my professor emphatically explained, deals with the perception of the crisis. A tree could fall in the woods, and if no one noticed, there would be no crisis. But if someone thought that tree was nefariously cut down, then there would be a crisis. This made me wonder about the nature of our perceptions about other people. It also made me wonder about how we perceive other people’s emotions and feelings.

It all goes back to when I found out the guy I was seeing had a girlfriend. I tried to tell him how foolish and embarrassed I felt. How could I have not known? “You shouldn’t feel embarrassed,” was his reply. As if by just saying it, the flushing in my face and the shaking of my hands would stop. As if the mere thought of experiencing a feeling I ‘shouldn’t have’ could have stopped me from feeling it. If emotions existed in a vacuum, maybe that would be the case.

But, thankfully I might add, we are allowed to feel a full range of emotions. We can take anger, sadness, regret, elatedness and frustration, and package them together in a day if we need to, just because we can. Being able to feel is one of the greatest aspects of the human experience.

We can’t dictate the way people feel, nor can we control how they react to what we say and do. It would be unfair to expect people to always be on par with our emotional intelligence expectations. It would also be unfair to the other person if we dictated how they should feel about things. It all boils down to the same concept: if

someone tells you that you’ve made them feel a certain way, you cannot tell them they are wrong.

You can’t tell them that how they feel shouldn’t be the way that they feel.

Something else that I’ve learned is no matter how hard we try, we generally cannot control how people perceive us. Of course we can hone our skills when it comes to posture, body language and word choice, but there is only so much we can do as far as someone else’s perception of us. We know this from the other side of it, mostly. I’m sure we’ve all experienced this before. Once we’ve decided that we don’t like someone, suddenly everything they do is an annoyance to us, from how they walk to how they smack their gum to how they sometimes elongate their words when they’re nervous.

Second to only “you shouldn’t feel embarrassed” is the phrase “I don’t want you to think I’m a bad person.” It isn’t regret toward how you treated someone, nor an apology for said treatment, but worry about that person’s perception.

Once again, as if just saying it will stop them from thinking you’re a bad person. You might not be a bad person, but if you’re worried about the other person’s perception of you rather than how they may actually feel, that’s not a good start. If you do something wrong and the other person is hurt by it, they’re allowed to think that you’re a bad person. This happens more than we think. One of the people I used to see is a good person to everyone else, but when we were together in our on-again, off-again fashion, we didn’t know how to be good to each other.

I overheard a conversation where a boy was discussing the displacement of his last relationship. He tried to explain to his friend that he ended his relationship because the girl he was with had caught feelings for him. “We agreed,” he said, “we would not get feelings for each other.” Easier said than done, as one can imagine.

They had built a relationship on an somewhat unrealistic expectation. You cannot predict either a lack or growth of emotion.

Few of us can truly anticipate how we’re going to feel about something before that thing happens. He thought that because they agreed to not have feelings, it wouldn’t happen. But she changed her mind.

In a perfect world, we would be able to control our emotions and our perceptions. Perhaps then, when someone tells us we shouldn’t feel embarrassed, we won’t. But until then, we have to learn to anticipate and deal with each other’s emotions and perceptions a little better.

CARTOON BY TAREQ ALKHUDARI

Sargent: Bobbing for apples

Questrom: Smoking with candy cigarettes

CFA: Making their own costumes

Kilachand: Summoning a ghost with a Ouija board

ENG: Pretending they’re not home and leaving out a bowl of candy

Freshmen: TP-ing houses

CGS: Stealing that bowl of candy

FreeP: Never taking our decorations down

10

Quotable “Our last match helped us to find out what we need to do on Saturday against Bucknell.”

- BU field hockey coach Sally Starr on her team’s upcoming regular season finale. p. 11

Sports Thursday, October 26, 2017

Women’s soccer wins Freshman Toti Knutsson had two assists in BU’s 3-1 victory over the United States Military Academy. p. 11

No ‘sophomore slump’ for men’s hockey defensemen

BY NICOLE HAVENS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The term “sophomore slump” is often used to describe students who enter their second year of college with less excitement than they did their first year. Performance may slip, effort may drop and determination may falter. However, for Boston University men’s hockey team sophomores Dante Fabbro and Chad Krys, that “sophomore slump” does not seem like it is going to kick in anytime soon.

After impressive inaugural seasons with BU, the two defensemen begin their second year as Terriers with hopes of building on their previous year’s success, using their experience to lead three new freshmen defensemen and help the team bring a few championships back to Boston.

While senior members of the team stated that the transition from freshman to sophomore year can be the toughest from added playing time to higher expectations, BU head coach David Quinn called it the best transformation for players.

“What happens is they kind of get more comfortable,” Quinn said. “When the summer comes, they start understanding what’s expected of them the following year and there’s really no surprises.”

Like most sophomore students returning back to campus after a long summer away, Fabbro and Krys said they both feel more confident coming into the 2017-18 season. This is a confidence that most likely stems from experiencing a full-year of collegiate hockey from the highs of amassing an eightgame win streak to the lows of narrowly missing the Frozen Four.

Despite their successful first years, Quinn said he believes the two players can raise their game to an even higher level this season.

“Hopefully these guys continue to grow and use that confidence as a

springboard to having a much better season than they did last year, not that they didn’t have a good year, but I think there’s just a lot more that they can give,” Quinn said.

Over the four months of summer, the pair said they each worked on strength and speed training to gear up for the long season ahead that consists of 36 regular-season games.

“For me, [I worked on] just getting in a lot better shape and coming ready this year to make sure I was ready to go right off the bat,” Krys said. “I think that’s something that I already feel a lot better about and is going to pay dividends.”

Although Fabbro and Krys entered the new season having already amassed 18 and 11 points, respectively, this air of confidence and familiarity from the two-way defensemen was evident from the first puck drop of the Terriers’ season home-opener against then-No. 16 Union College on Sept. 30.

The nerves, hesitancy and newness of being a freshman on the team was long gone as Krys tallied as many shots as a forward and Fabbro scored a one-timer off a pass from sophomore forward Patrick Harper to give BU a lead it would not relinquish in the 4-1 win.

Fabbro said, with a smile and almost relief in his voice, that it was nice to collect his first goal of his second year early.

“It was a great pass by Harper to see me back there, but it’s definitely nice to get that out of the way,” Fabbro said.

Already six games into the season, Krys has established himself as a large force in front of the net and has notched 22 shots, more than one third of the total he had all of last season over 39 contests.

Krys mentioned that his increased physicality this season is something that has been encouraged

by Quinn.

“It’s something that Coach

Sophomore Chad Krys was drafted No. 45 by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016.

Quinn’s really emphasized for me everyday, to take responsibility defensively, and try and be as physical as I can and be as hard to play against as I can,” Krys said.

On the other hand, Fabbro leads the team in blocked shots with 18.

Senior defenseman and captain Brandon Hickey noted his linemate’s disciplined style of play on the ice.

“He doesn’t get caught out of position very often,” Hickey said.

“The guy loves eating pucks. He’s always blocking shots.”

From the stands, the blueliners can be heard on the ice communicating to the other defensemen.

Senior defenseman John MacLeod, who is frequently paired with Krys, said this communication on the ice, especially between defense partners, is something that is instilled in the players and noted that Krys is a vocal leader.

“He demands a lot from the players and he wants guys to play at his level because it’s such a high

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

level and off the ice. He’s definitely a character,” MacLeod said. “He likes to have fun, but when it’s time for business, he takes it serious.”

Fabbro and Krys each voiced that the biggest thing they learned was putting in hard work away from the rink and they both said they hope to lead the new freshman players — Cam Crotty, David Farrance and Kasper Kotkansalo.

Fabbro, who Hickey has described as someone who leads by example, said the main message he wants to give to the new players is to stick to their game.

“Obviously it’s a tough game in college hockey and I know there’s a lot of big guys out there, but if you just play your game and develop in practice and in the weight room, I think nothing [except] good things can come out of that,” Fabbro said.

The three freshmen, who were all picked in the third round of the NHL draft this summer, make up three of seven defensemen on the team that have been drafted to

professional teams.

Although being drafted will remain a milestone for any young hockey player, it comes with distractions from the outside world that a player must stray away from.

“It’s great for them, but it doesn’t mean anything in college,” Quinn said. “I mean you’ve got to play well. Just because you’ve got a team next to your name … doesn’t mean anything and I think our guys know that.”

There are certainly things the defense can improve upon, Fabbro said. One of the key things is communication, but the sophomores are confident that the Terriers’ defense will bring a similar impact as last season and has a lot to offer this season.

“Right now just everyone’s a year older,” Fabbro said. “Obviously we got a ton of freshmen coming in, but I think the core group of guys who came back is definitely a great group to have and I think with the talent we have, the sky’s the limit for sure.”

Instant Replay: You should stop reading Barstool Sports

BY SOPHIA LIPP COLUMNIST

If the mess that was ESPN and Barstool’s quickly-cancelled collaboration didn’t have you questioning the credibility of Barstool, then their childlike reaction to the controversy should. Or their regular Barstool smokeshow posts should.

Or their disrespect to the name of journalism should. Or their general degradation of women should. Or… need I go on?

The world of sports journalism has to change. “RedZone”

and “Kirk & Callahan” are simply not cutting it anymore, nor are the redundant articles that circulate daily from The Boston Globe and other like-minded news sources.

Journalism is not dying, but traditional storytelling is — which is why sites like Buzzfeed’s Mashable and Barstool are soaring.

But entertainment does not mean credibility, and anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly mistaken.

Has “fake news” not taught the world anything? Are all the posts bearing the #MeToo hashtag for nought? Are Jemele Hill’s controversy and Colin Kaepernick’s sidelining lost upon the faces of sports junkies everywhere?

As I scroll through Twitter the day of ESPN’s colossal failure of a partnership with Barstool, I see tweets commending Barstool for remaining true to themselves and their image. I see tweets from Barstool employees themselves, mocking ESPN and replying hateful

comments back to the other users who try to challenge them.

I see thousands upon thousands of retweets and likes in favor of Barstool, even amidst racist, anti-semitic, sexist and downright disturbing comments shielded under the idea of ‘humor.’

Yet, I see some hope in between the crevices of these tweets, too.

I see female sports writers exposing sexim in their sports offices, whether it be by recounting stories of men making sexual comments towards them in the office or superiors dismissing their work. I see women pulling up past articles published by Barstool that are horrible, disgusting and downright disturbing as proof of the site’s incredibility. But I mostly see support, and a genuine promise of many to boycott this disgusting site.

It’s ESPN’s fault, too, no doubt.

We mustn’t forget that these people, the people from ESPN that chose to partner with a famously misogynistic, racist and hateful

brand, are the same people that punished Jemele Hill for standing up against said oppression. They gave Barstool a platform to be loud, aggressive, and even come out looking like the good guys.

But we can’t forget what this is really about: it’s about the struggle for journalism to rediscover itself.

I hate hearing it as much as the next journalist, but it’s true: if we don’t change journalism, it will die. Gone are the days of obsessive beat reporting, long-winded columns and Sunday mornings with coffee and inky fingers. Instead, college students like myself pull up Snapchat Discover and read short, interactive blurbs with our desired news, blurbs that are often filled with visuals and audio to accompany the text.

Perhaps we’ll receive a few CNN news updates lighting up our iPhones, and sometimes we might even choose to read an article from The New York Times or The Boston Globe, but the real source

of our information and discussion is not coming from any news source at all. It’s coming from social media.

That is why Barstool is thriving — they know this. They understand our short-attentions spans and desire for visuals, commentary and humor. They’ve created personas (like Big Cat) who do more than just encapture and entertain a consistent audience — they engage their audience, too. They are not an untouchable entity like the elusive newspapers once were. They tweet, they joke, they tease, they get angry, they show biases. They understand that this is where the future of journalism is going: engagement.

But they are not good people.

They are not a good news source.

And while sports readers are flocking to them for their alternative and contemporary approach to sports news, as a female sports writer who cares about the integrity of this career, I will never read Barstool Sports. And I encourage you to do the same.

SPORTS 11

Men’s soccer faces challenge at Army, wins 3-1

BY GRANT DOWLING DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

The Boston University men’s soccer team (7-7-2, 6-1 Patriot League) started this season’s final three-game stretch Wednesday night against the United States Militar y Academy in West Point, New York. The Terriers continued their Patriot League dominance, posting a 3-1 victory against the Black Knights (8-6-1, 2-4-1 Patriot League).

The game started with 20 minutes of back-and-forth action, as both teams came out of the gate looking to put pressure on each other’s defense. Army was able to draw a free kick just outside of BU’s box at the 15th minute, but the potential danger was handily dealt with by the Terriers’ defense.

“We knew that [Army] was going to come out with a lot of emotion,” BU head coach Neil Roberts said. “They are very disciplined and West Point is a difficult place to win. We just had to weather the storm a bit, and we did, and we knew we’d have our opportunities.”

The Terriers quickly pushed back against the Black Knights in the 22nd minute, by winning the ball in their own third, which eventually led to a breakaway scoring opportunity for freshman back Elias Lampis.

Army’s senior goalkeeper Christian Nolasco came out and saved Lampis’ shot attempt, but the rebound allowed BU sophomore midfielder Satchel Cortet to bury his shot past Nolasco, putting BU up 1-0 midway through the first half.

The Black Knights responded with even more pressure and aggression after giving up a goal.

At the 24th minute, Army pushed down the middle and forced Terrier freshman midfielder Peter Kargbo to take a foul who received a yellow card in the process. However, BU doubled down.

At the 33rd minute, the Terriers built up an attack down the middle then quickly moved the ball down the right side of the field.

A cross from freshman midfielder Toti Knutsson was then headed home by fellow freshman forward Austin D’Anna, giving the Terriers a 2-0 lead.

Knutsson has been hot over the past two games, coming up with a game-winning goal against the United States Naval Academy over the weekend and a lead-expanding assist against the Black Knights.

“He can beat people on the flank, he’s really smart, he can feed the ball on the cross, [he] makes plays on both sides, and defends,” Roberts asserted. “He’s really starting to figure things out, now.”

For the rest of the half, BU’s defense was able to handle Army’s offensive onslaughts to keep their team up 2-0. The Black Knights finished the night outshooting the Terriers 9-8.

The second half started with an elongated stalemate, with only one shot taken between the two teams for the first 25 minutes.

As the game drew closer and closer to an Army defeat, the Black Knights started to pick up the pressure yet again, but the Terriers tucked their formation into a defensive set.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAWK/ DFP FILE PHOTO

Junior T.J. Butzke and the BU men’s soccer team will turn their attention to a weekend matchup against Bucknell University.

BU continued to push forward with possession when opportunities presented itself, but focused on defending their lead for the most part.

Unfortunately, the Terriers’ first goal-scorer Cortet sustained a right leg injury in a collision in the 83rd minute and was helped off the field by a trainer.

The collision set up a free kick for Army, and they used it to throw a few shots at sophomore goalkeeper Michael Bernardi.

Bernardi was able to save them

and even got some help from one of the goalposts.

The Black Knights kept the pressure up and finally found their response to BU’s two goals, when forward Rex Epps found the back of the net in the 83rd minute.

“We knew they were going to throw everything at us to start the second half,” Roberts said. “We were going to let them do that, but try to control the ball better.

We didn’t do it as well as we’d like to. We sat back too much, and [Army] punished us for it, but we

came back out of it well.”

Although the Terriers came back with a dagger. In the 84th minute, D’Anna netted his second goal of the game, off of a quick assist from junior midfielder T.J. Butzke.

Even with the 3-1 lead, BU kept the pressure up until the end and closed out the win.

The Terriers will take their now 6-1 Patriot League record up to Bucknell University on Saturday.

“It was an overall good performance in a difficult place to win,” Roberts said.

Field hockey looks to finish regular season strong

BY GREG LEVINSKY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

With just 70 minutes of regulation field hockey remaining before the conference tournament, the Boston University field hockey team will face Patriot League foe Bucknell University at New Balance Field Saturday in hopes of finishing off an undefeated conference schedule.

The Terriers (10-7, 5-0 Patriot League) look to turn the table in conference play and extend their Patriot League regular season winning streak to 22 on Saturday afternoon.

“Our last match helped us to find out what we need to do on Saturday against Bucknell,” BU head coach Sally Starr said.

The Bison (8-8, 3-2 Patriot League) have come out on top in five of their last six contests including conference victories over Colgate University, Lehigh University and the College of the Holy Cross.

The Bison have come on strong as of late despite starting the year as what looked like a last place finish in the Patriot League. In their 2-1 victory over Holy Cross (6-10, 2-3 Patriot League), the Bison secured their 10th straight

Patriot League postseason nod.

Bucknell has earned the second most penalty corner attempts in the Patriot League with 118. The Terriers have had 92— fourth out of the seven teams.

Corners mark the prime scoring chances for most offenses, and Starr said the team can do a better job of earning corner chances moving forward.

“We can be smarter to try and get corners,” Starr said. “We are confident in our corners for sure.”

Bucknell sophomore forward Brittany Willwerth leads the Bison with seven goals and six assists.

Junior back Lexi Quick also makes an impact on the offensive end, registering five goals and six assists.

The Terriers must keep a watchful eye for senior back Stephanie Dressler as three of her four strikes were game-winning goals.

She, like Terrier junior Ally Hammel, is a defender by position but posses a complete offensive arsenal that teams need to factor into their game plan.

Goalkeeper Emily Finn has started all 16 games in goal for Bucknell. The senior holds a 69.1 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average.

Both Finn and and Quick were

honored with weekly awards for their play from Oct. 16-23. Finn earned the Corvias Goalkeeper Player of the Week after stopping 8 shots on goal in the victory over Holy Cross and four more in a win over Lock Haven University.

Quick was named Corvias Defensive Player of the Week after contributing two assists and helping the Bison defense to surrendering just one goal in each of its games last weekend.

BU’s own junior forward Kara Enoch secured the Corvias Offensive Player of the Week after tallying two goals and an assist for a career-high five points against Lehigh (4-12, 1-4 Patriot League).

The Terriers faltered 2-1 Tuesday night against Harvard University, but look to regain momentum heading into the Patriot League Tournament. The Crimson (11-4) are a surprise team in the NCAA and were ranked as high as 13th this season — their best mark as a program.

“This match is really going to help prepare us,” Starr said after the Harvard game. “We just want to establish consistency [against Bucknell] we could be better at taking care of the ball, we’re close.”

PHOTO BY NATALIE CARROLL/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Junior Ally Hammel and the Terriers will play Bucknell University on Saturday before heading into the Patriot League Tournament.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BU SPORTS ON TWITTER: @DFPsports

Wild night?

We got you.

Grab everything you need to get back on track—from Pedialyte to aspirin and more.

© 2017 Target Brands, Inc. The Bullseye Design and Target are registered trademarks of Target Brands, Inc.

BU Campus Target Commonwealth Ave & Amory St