The Daily Free Press
Year xlii. Volume lxxxiii. Issue XXXVII
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
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Obama defeats Romney, wins 4 more years in White House BU students excited for Obama’s second term By Rachel Riley & Amy Gorel Daily Free Press Staff
Boston University students watching the election results at BU Central Tuesday night broke into cheers as President Barack Obama was re-elected by a margin of 97 electoral votes, with only Florida votes pending. “I’m relieved,” said Ashley Teamer, a College of Fine Arts senior. “I have a renewed faith in the American people.” Brandon Wood, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said the U.S. dodged a bullet with the election. “Obama is a step in the right direction, but not as far as I would like,” he said. Bekah Heath, a CAS freshman, said she voted for Obama on her absentee ballot because she gravitated toward his policies regarding women’s rights. “He has a more equal kind of idea in mind when he’s thinking about them [women],” she said. “People don’t give him enough credit for what he’s really accomplished in the past four years.” Jeannette Vasquez, a CAS junior who watched the results at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, said she voted for Obama’s re-election as well. “I voted for President Obama because I feel that he has my best interests in mind in terms of education and healthcare,” she said. Michael Sciortino, a CAS freshman, said he would have voted for Romney but did not because he did not think his vote would make a difference. “It’s not that I so much support Romney, it’s that I’m less than pleased with what Obama did — the debt’s gone up, employment’s gone up — he just didn’t deliver,” he said. Christian Cho, assistant director at the HTC, said BU students in general are more liberal than university students across the country, especially the ones at the viewing party. “It would be interesting to know if we do have conservative students here that
Campus, see page 4
PHOTO BY MICHAEL CUMMO/DAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO PHOTO BY KIERA BLESSING/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF President Barack Obama waves with New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on Oct. 27, days before Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney waves to supporters as he concedes to incumbent President the election. Obama won with 303 electoral votes and more than 59,000,000 popular votes. Barack Obama early Wednesday.
Romney ‘prays’ for Obama to lead nation in right direction By Jasper Craven, Mary Yatrousis & Chris Lisinski Daily Free Press Staff
President Barack Obama secured another four years in the White House, defeating former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney by more than 100 electoral votes. The president won his re-election with 303 electoral votes, 97 more than Romney. As of early Wednesday, Obama scored more than 59,403,664 popular votes, while Romney had 56,856,522, according to Politico’s election map. Romney took the stage at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for his concession speech, telling the crowd of supporters that while the election is over, their principles endure. “This is a time of great challenge in America, and I pray that the president is successful in guiding our nation,” he said. “I believe that principles on which this nation was founded are the only sure guides to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness,” he added. “Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign.” The 2012 election was Romney’s second
run for president. He lost in the Republican the Howard Thurman Center for Common primary election in 2008. Ground. Obama, 51, will begin another term with “I’m relieved, and I have a renewed faith a Democratic majority in the Senate and a in the American people,” said College of Republican-dominated House of Represen- Fine Arts senior Ashley Teamer. tatives, which could lead to potential fricThe Hawaiian native ran for president as tion between a Democratic chief executive a one-term senator and former community and a highly polarized Congress. organizer from Illinois in 2008. He based In his victory speech early Wednesday, his campaign around social issues, foreign Obama told the nation that he has more to policy and major healthcare reform. work on over the next four years, but that Marlo Kalb, a College of Arts and Scithe best is yet to come for the ences freshman, said she voted country. for Obama because she supportElection Night ed his healthcare plan. “In this election, you, the American people, reminded us “ObamaCare really benefits coverage that while our road has been people in the long run,” Kalb hard, our journey has been long, See election night said. “I also like his foreign we have picked ourselves up, as it unfolded in policy, and I think that we have we have fought our way back had a really great presence on a Boston, page 5. and we know in our hearts for global scale since he’s been [in the U.S.A. the best is yet to office].” come,” Obama said to a crowd Alicia Scott, of Hyde Park, of thousands in Chicago. cheered when she heard about Obama’s vicObama supporters in Boston cheered as tory at the Obama for America celebration at new outlets projected Obama as the winner. Brownstone in the South End. Boston University students celebrated Scott, who campaigned on Team Jamaithe president’s re-election at watch parPres. , see page 2 ties hosted by Student Government and
Elizabeth Warren reclaims Senate seat for Democrats in victory against Scott Brown By Allison DeAngelis & Nicole Leonard Daily Free Press Staff
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Elizabeth Warren gives her acceptance speech to supporters at her election night watch party at The Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel Tuesday night.
Backed by what her campaign lauded as a “grassroots effort,” Elizabeth Warren reclaimed the Massachusetts Senate seat for the Democratic Party, becoming the Commonwealth’s first female senator on Tuesday. The former Harvard professor and creator of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau addressed the crowd of more than 750 people who filled the ballroom of Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel past capacity. “This victory belongs to you — you did this,” Warren said in her victory speech. “You taught a scrappy first-time candidate how to get in the fight and win.” Warren won the election with 54 percent of the electorate, according to results from the Associated Press. The results mark a move back to Massachusetts’ Democratic history — prior to Scott Brown’s election in 2010, Democrats had consistently represented the Commonwealth since 1979. Her win also marked a transition in the
Senate, in which Democrats won back seats and held onto a majority. Republicans held the House of Representatives. Although early polling by Public Policy Polling showed Warren with a lead a week after announcing her candidacy in September of 2011, Warren and her opponent, incumbent U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, ran neck-in-neck for most of the race. Warren survived attacks on her possible Native American heritage and her work with Traveler’s Insurance on an asbestos case. She held firm, saying that Brown was trying to distract the voters from examining his voting history. Both former Mass. Gov. Michael Dukakis and U.S. Sen. John Kerry attended Warren’s victory party and congratulated her win. Warren later told the crowd that she wished Brown and his family all of the best. Amid a fired-up crowd at the Park Plaza Hotel, Brown said Democrat U.S. Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren won the Senate seat “fair and square.”
Senate, see page 3
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Romney supporters lament defeat by Obama Pres.: From Page 1
ca Plain for Obama, said she was overwhelmed by the president’s re-election. “I can’t believe that I took part in this,” she said. “I am blessed that I had the opportunity to help him get back in office. I just can’t believe it.”
Romney supporters at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center who attended Romney’s election night party expressed dismay over Obama’s re-election. Jessica Albrecht, a 37-year-old mom and tutor from Washington, said she felt sick after news outlets projected Obama’s win.
“I’m just shocked that we’re here, that people would want this president again after four years that have been awful,” she said. Obama will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2013. Margaret Waterman and Rachel Riley contributed to the reporting of this article.
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The Daily Free Press Crossword By Tribune Media Services Across 1 Whack, biblically 6 Condescending sort 10 Kodak rival 14 Brightly colored tropical fish 15 Chaplin’s last wife 16 Road for Pilate 17 “That’s __ trick!” 18 Cutting-edge Motorola phone? 19 Statistician’s input 20 How some scary things go 23 Nous minus moi? 24 “The loneliest number,” in a 1969 hit 25 Wasted, as a chance 29 Not subject to change 35 “I wish!” 37 On the calmer side 38 Floors, briefly 39 Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant 40 Third qtr. start 41 Talons 43 Male in an alley 44 Cognac initials 46 More work 47 Some stilettos 50 Not easy to see 51 Crimson opponent 52 Not quite oneself 54 Activity that involves the first words of 20-, 29- and
47-Across 62 Perfume holder 63 Tobacco unit 64 Like chalet roofs 65 Be sore 66 Take a shot 67 Word after sing or string 68 Nerve opening? 69 Lose fur 70 Common asset?
Down 1 Rough guess 2 See 3-Down 3 Unit on a 2-Down 4 Ambush 5 Weird Al Yankovic spoof of a Michael Jackson hit 6 Airman’s assignment 7 Early boat builder 8 Quatre + sept 9 With no exceptions 10 Act nervously 11 Home to Zion National Park 12 Rocker Joan 13 Brokerage statement subj., perhaps 21 Overly curious 22 Bat’s prey 25 Leans, as a ship 26 King ___ (Michael Jackson) 27 “Ditto” 28 “Star Trek” sequel, for short 30 Brownish gray 31 Under the weather 32 Giraffe cousin
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33 Hopeless 34 Exam type you can’t guess on 36 Apollo 13 commander Jim 40 Average guy? 42 Auction unit 45 “Star Trek” defenses 46 Defunct gridiron org. 48 Sullivan’s charge in
“The Miracle Worker” 49 Emulated a couch potato 53 Canine woes 54 Guilty pleasure 55 Iolani Palace site 56 “Uh-huh” 57 In one’s birthday suit 58 “The Wizard of Oz” family name 59 Bard’s river
60 Clothing store department 61 Fringe 62 U-Haul rental
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Campus & City
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
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Int’l students critique U.S. election Kennedy, Capuano take majority in districts By Nora Philbin Daily Free Press Staff
Sakina Hassanali, a College of Communication junior from Tanzania, said she was astounded by the amount of spending a U.S. presidential campaign requires. “I didn’t know so much money goes into just the election planning,” Hassanali said. “And just because I come from a third-world country, to see that much money go just for the campaigns and the election, and there is so much money that America still needs.” As election season comes to a close and a number of Boston University students cast their ballots in a presidential race for the first time, a large portion of the student body is not able to take part in voting. About 2,000 of the 16,000 undergraduate students at BU are international, according to the International Students & Scholars Office. Although they are ineligible to vote, some international students said they still pay attention to the election. “I am a part of the community and it [the election] does affect me,” said Ali Uslu, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore from Turkey. “But I don’t get to participate.” But Uslu said not being able to participate does not make a difference to him. “I don’t think the real decisionmaking mechanism is influenced by the people,” he said. Xiaopei Luo, a COM sophomore from China, said the whole idea of democracy and voting is new to her when she came to Boston in 2011 for school. “In China we don’t have such things, like voting,” Luo said. “I’ve never voted before. We’ve never heard of this idea. This would never happen in China.” The idea of voting is not the only aspect of American culture that international students said surprises them. Hassanali said the method can-
didates use to communicate is different than what she expected. “Even in terms of the way people send out messages,” she said. “Twitter isn’t a big thing there [in Tanzania]. The president is on Twitter, but when it comes to the campaign, the people who are going to vote and the people he is depending on are not on Twitter, so he uses very different media.” When comparing the U.S. to Turkey, Uslu said the U.S. campaign season is tame. “We do have an ongoing civil war and a political party that represents those two parties, so it tends to get really wild and really hard,” he said. “It is much more structured and organized [in the U.S.] compared to what we have at home.” Uslu said the two-party system in the U.S. seems flawed. “To be perfectly honest, the difference between the two parties isn’t substantial,” he said. “The problem is the spectrum of the debate is too limited. The whole problem with American politics is that it is all about identities, but there is no reference to class and those two are profoundly correlated.” Samarth Virk, a School of Management sophomore from India, said the party system in the U.S. does not make sense. “In India, we don’t have two parties,” he said. “So if you have 10 parties and 10 opinions, some will overlap, but here it is not like that. There are just two and they are so different. Both together can form a whole, but they don’t want to do that.” Virk also said he noticed young people in the U.S. are more invested in the political system than youth in India. “To be really honest, in India kids my age aren’t really involved,” he said. “At least in high school because the voting age is 18, and we weren’t 18 so we didn’t really care. I can definitely sense that it is bigger here than it is in India.”
By Nora Philbin Daily Free Press Staff
Securing yet another Kennedy seat in Congress, Joe Kennedy III swept the majority of the vote for the Fourth Congressional District on Tuesday to cheers of supporters at his election night party. Kennedy took about 61 percent of the vote to represent the district as of press time, according to the Associated Press. Republican opponent Sean Bielat received about 36 percent of the vote for the district that includes Brookline. The Harvard Law School graduate and former Peace Corps member addressed his supporters on Tuesday night in Newton, thanking his volunteers, predecessors and tireless campaign team. “This is an incredible moment for me,” Kennedy said. “And I can’t think of a better way than to share it with all of you. Thank you.” Kennedy’s campaign received 400 RSVPs from supporters and volunteers to the election night party at the Newton Marriott, said Anne Geraghty, Kennedy’s deputy press secretary. While the victory might not come as a surprise to a number of voters, Kennedy faced a heavy offensive throughout the campaign from Bielat, who said Kennedy had a lack of qualifications and accused him of riding on his family’s name. On election night, Kennedy’s family members filled the stage behind him. He praised them for
PHOTO BY KENSHIN OKUBO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Joe Kennedy III addresses the crowd after he wins the Fourth District congressional seat in Massachusetts at the Newton Marriot Hotel Tuesday night.
their encouragement and support, and thanked them individually by name. “As some of you may have noticed, I have a couple family members with me,” Kennedy said, as he referred to the full stage behind him, “who have been by my side before this campaign started and will be there long after it ends.” Kennedy was not the only one to discuss his family. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank praised both Kennedy and his family. “He is going to be an excellent congressman,” Frank said. “He is bright and committed, and the fact that he has these family connections will make him very powerful for this district.”
Senate: From Page 1
never, ever regret helping people that could not help themselves.” At the end of his speech, Brown said young people in the U.S. should aim for goals they do not think are possible, and all that mattered was what was accomplished during his time as senator, even if his tenure was short. “When it seems nothing is possible and the odds are stacked against you, I can speak from experience — anything is possible,” he said. “For me, it was an honor to carry your flag, even for a little while. At Warren’s election celebration, State Democratic Party Chairman David Walsh said in an interview Warren’s win is beneficial for Massachusetts. “She would be the kind of senator, based on the kind of campaign she ran, who would be a great constituent-serving senator,” he said. Creating jobs and fixing student loan debt were also major issues of Warren’s campaign. She hit Brown several times during the campaign about his votes against three jobs bills in 2011. Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, who gave Warren his endorsement, also spoke at Warren’s victory rally. “Because of you, our next senator is Elizabeth Warren,” he told the crowd.
Congressional, see page 4
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Brown to return to Capitol Hill before handing over reigns to successor Warren “We stand strong even in disappointment,” Brown said. “I said in the very beginning when we started this trek in January, win or lose, we would run a race that we would all be proud of.” Dorchester resident and student employer service founder John Spadaccini said he wanted Brown to win because he proved to be a good senator in the past and lived up to his promises. “He made a promise two years ago to be the Independent voice for Massachusetts,” he said, “and he kept that promise.” The 45-year-old said he disagreed with Warren’s decision to support public funding for abortions and said the senator-elect had a lot to learn for her new seat. “She has only known academia, which has it’s own culture,” Spadaccini said. “She’s going to be in for a culture shock.” Brown thanked the voters of Massachusetts, his family, friends, cabinet and campaign managers for supporting him and said he will return to the Senate before handing over the reigns to Warren. “We have a tremendous amount of challenges to look forward to going back to the U.S. Senate, as dysfunctional as it is,” he said. “I will
Kennedy kept his speech short, expressing his gratitude and his readiness to start working. “I hope you know that we are just getting started,” Kennedy said. “I am humbled, I am grateful and I am ready to get to work.” Newton Mayor Setti Warren introduced Kennedy. Warren was a mentor to Kennedy and accompanied him along the campaign trail, “walking the streets” to connect with voters. “Joe Kennedy listens to the needs of everyday people — the middle class, fire fighters and families — ensuring that in the next two years he would bring those resources home,” Warren said.
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Rep. Michael Capuano takes 81 Students consider commotion of watch parties confusing percent of Seventh District vote due to noise, different stations, as election results trickle in Congressional: From Page 3
Bielat congratulated Kennedy on his win in a statement, and said both candidates ran strong campaigns. “We may have lost this race, but every time a Republican puts up a strong race against the Democratic machine in Massachusetts, the voters benefit,” he said. “Each race encourages more people to get involved in politics, and that’s always good.” Kennedy maintained through his campaign that his priority is to put the Fourth District back to work and invest in education, in an attempt to returning “basic fairness” to the system, according to a press release from Kennedy’s campaign, Joe Kennedy for Congress. Kennedy has been a champion of women’s rights on the campaign trail and received an endorsement from Planned Parenthood in July. “One is protecting Roe v. Wade — women’s right to choose remains a fundamental issue of personal liberty. Two is making sure that equal work really mean equal pay and that’s really a family issue, an economic issue,” Kennedy said. “Making sure that people understand that we’re in 2012, this isn’t something we should be having a conversation about, but it is a reality.”
Rep. Michael Capuano, who represents the Eighth District but ran for the Seventh District after boundaries changed, took 84 percent of the vote. In a statement on Mike Capuano’s website, Capuano thanked voters for their support. “I appreciate every vote, and as Representative of Massachusetts’ Seventh Congressional District,” he said, “I will make sure that your voices are heard on Capitol Hill.” Capuano ran against former Miss Boston pageant contestant Karla Romero, an Independent candidate and founding president and CEO of the charity Mass Appeal International. Romero took 16 percent of the vote for the district, which includes Boston University. The Boston Globe endorsed Kennedy on Oct. 24, and he garnered support from the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, Massachusetts Nurses Association, The Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. Over the course of the campaign, Kennedy held more than 200 campaign activities, meeting with voters throughout the Fourth District. A number of Kennedy’s supporters finished the night watching the results of the other races.
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Campus Reactions: From Page 3
are sort of hiding,” he said. Shelby Carignan, a College of Communication junior, said the election party is a great way for people to get together for a meaningful subject. “It’s just cool to see people come out and … people our age are involved, that they care about the issues at stake in this election,” she said. While students watched the electoral votes roll in throughout the night, they said the race was
close the entire night. “The last I heard was that it is super, super close,” said Elizabeth Selmi, a CAS junior, while votes were still being calculated. “Hopefully, Obama wins.” Students said although the election parties were a good place to watch the results, it was very confusing when results started to trickle in. “It’s really loud in here and there’s three televisions going,” Carignan said early in the night. “Pretty much all the television stations are showing different
results right now, so that’s really confusing.” Aditya Rudra, Student Government executive vice president, said it is important for people to get together to watch and discuss the elections. “I’m happy to see that the Howard Thurman Center and Student Government and other communities are giving people the space to watch and come together and have conversations about politics and things that matter,” Rudra, a SMG junior, said.
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Boston welcomes Obama re-election, Warren victory By Margaret Waterman, Amira Francis, Reenat Sinay & Mary Yatrousis Daily Free Press Staff
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As Election Day unfolded throughout Boston, emotions ran high at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, where supporters and protesters gathered around Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s election night party. Tara Wall, a senior advisor for Romney’s campaign, entered the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center with a smile on her face. “I think he is the needed change the country needs,” said Wall, who came with her mother. “It’s time for a business leader. He has a record of bringing troubled economies back.” But later in the night, members of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition gathered outside for more than two hours to protest for immigration reform. Franklin Soults, communications director for MIRA, said the group gathered to celebrate the power of the immigrant vote and demand that both candidates finally deal with immigration reform. “We want them to know, whoever is elected president, we will be watching and we wil be expecting immigration reform to be happening in the next administration.” Although the scene outside the BCEC remained tense, hundreds of other voters across Boston celebrated election night in restaurants and among friends. Back Bay Voters in the Kenmore, Fenway and Back Bay areas said they were excited, anxious and hopeful about the presidential and Senate elections in the hours before poll closings. SoJust, a cross-cultural, cross-issue progressive community, hosted a watch party at The Lansdowne Pub was a space for like-minded progressives to gather to watch results come in, said Robbie Samuels, the night’s organizer. “We’re not focused on a particular party’s politics,” Samuels said. “Progressives are interested in a whole bunch of issues.” Samuels said members come from a variety of political positions, as long as their agendas include social justice. Meanwhile, Drinking Liberally Boston discussed incoming results over food and drinks at The Globe Bar and Café on Boylston Street. “People who are progressives can get together and socialize and discuss politics and possibly act on what they’re discussing,” said Wendy Matarazzo, the night’s organizer. Matarazzo said watching the results come in with others was enjoyable. “People are really interested in talking to other people, especially as things get crazy and frustrating with different voting anomalies,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to not have to sit home and scream at your TV by yourself, but to be with other people who understand what you’re thinking.” Barry Hariton, a downtown Boston resident at the Drinking Liberally watch party, said he came out to celebrate with fellow politically ac-
KENSHIN OKUBO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Tensions stir as Boston awaits election results
Top left to right, Joe Kennedy III supporters await the results of the congressional election Tuesday night. A young voter expresses dismay over Mitt Romney’s loss. Obama supporters at Faneuil Hall hold up an American flag as Obama’s victory is announced. Two Boston University students celebrate Obama’s victory. A Scott Brown supporter hopefully awaits the results of the senatorial election.
tive people. Hariton said he voted for Obama and the U.S. Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren. “I can’t vote for a Republican because, when push comes to shove on the vast majority of issues, [Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown] is going to go with his people,” he said. Cambridge Harvard Square was active Tuesday with locals advocating their candidates and traveling to the polls. Emily Garcia, a 25-year old Kellogg Fellow at the episcopal chaplaincy at Harvard University, said a church she attended mentioned the election. “I actually just came from a church service over at the monastery down the street, and the sermon just sort of touched on the election, giving a prayer for wisdom and for everyone who has a chance to vote,” she said. Cafés around the area were full of people chatting about the then-upcoming election results. John Harvard’s Brewery and Ale House in Cambridge invited customers to enjoy food and beverages while waiting for the election results. Warm, dimly lit and filled with soft Irish music, a number of patrons sat, ordered drinks and
conversed as they awaited the outcome of the election. Mary McCrossan, a part-time waitress at John Harvard’s, said the bar was especially busy because of Election Day. “People are excited about today,” she said. “This is the busiest the bar has been on a Tuesday night in forever.” At the Harvard Square T stop, several people stood underground holding Elizabeth Warren signs and urging others to vote. Allston-Brighton A number of residents who came out to the Allston bars looking for election night gatherings said they were disappointed. At the White Horse Tavern on Brighton Avenue, the televisions were loud, but there were few spectators. Leslie Chavez, a 30-year-old sales executive from South Boston, said she came to Allston looking for an exciting political atmosphere. “I think of it almost as a big sporting event,” she said. “It’s making history.” Chavez said she was disappointed to find such a small crowd.
“All I wanted is a big TV, and I want to watch political stuff — and we walk in and it was the four of us,” she said. Other customers said they felt the same way. “I expected it to be a little bit more lively, but it is a Tuesday night,” said Emma Socha, 21, a junior at Simmons College who came to the bar dressed in red, white and blue. Despite the lack of viewers, White Horse was one of the only bars in Allston showing election results with the volume turned up. In honor of election night, they offered a mock ballot on which customers could vote on bar items, such as favorite drinks or food. Several other bars, such as Wonderbar and Silhouette, played the results on mute and had no activities planned. BU Law student Maarten Tuurenhout, 25, said he decided to return home to watch the election. “My friends and I went to Patron’s Mexican Kitchen [to watch], but when we asked them to turn the volume up, other people in the bar complained,” he said. “These big guys laughed and told us they would rather watch ‘Sex and the City’ than the election.”
Medical marijuana, Right to Repair passed with majority on Massachusetts ballots By Kyle Plantz Daily Free Press Staff
Following months of heated debate, Massachusetts citizens passed the legalization of medical marijuana on Tuesday’s ballot questions, while the outcome of physician-assisted suicide was still too close to call in the early morning hours on Wednesday. Question 3, Medical Use of Marijuana, passed with 63 percent of the vote. The legislation ended state criminal and civil penalties for the medical use of marijuana by qualified patients. A patient must be diagnosed with a medical condition and obtain written certification from a physician to prove that the patient would likely benefit from medical use of marijuana. Seventeen other states and Washington, D.C., have legalized medical marijuana, while Illinois, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania still
have laws pending, according to ProCon.org, an independent, nonpartisan medical marijuana charity. The same measure failed on the Arkansas ballot Tuesday. Medical marijuana has sparked controversy in the Commonwealth for months. Groups such as the Massachusetts Prevention Alliance protested the ballot question in the months preceding Election Day. “This is a loss for Massachusetts,” said Heidi Heilman, president of the alliance. “We were up against a million-dollar campaign with little to no resources, but we did an enormous amount to get our message out.” Heilman said she is worried the passage of this law will create problems for the Bay State. “We are going to see what we can do to put regulations in place because we are talk-
ing about a law that has very little restrictions,” Heilman said. “The mess of it has just begun and Mass. has to deal with this. “ The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition supported the ballot question. “This is a fantastic victory,” said Bill Downing, treasurer of MassCann. “We are very happy about this.” Downing said the residents of Massachusetts have voted for compassion rather than fear. “Even with medical marijuana legalized, the group is looking ahead to their ultimate goal of the legalization of recreational marijuana,” Downing said. Question 2, known as Prescribing Medication to End Life, was still too close to make a determination on the vote at press time. Question 2, which faced significant contention, allows physicians to prescribe medication that,
when ingested, causes death. Under the legislation, patients must be medically determined to be mentally capable of making and communicating a life-ending decision and have an incurable illness that will cause death within six months, voluntarily express their wish to die and have the physician wait at least 15 days before asking the patient again to allow the patient to rescind their request. Question 1 on the ballot, the Availability of Motor Vehicle Repair, passed with 86 percent of the vote. The first question will pass legislation prohibiting any motor vehicle manufacturer, beginning with model year 2015, from selling or leasing a new vehicle without allowing the owner to have access to diagnostic and repair information.
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November 7, 2012
Opinion
The Daily Free Press
The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 42nd year F Volume 84 F Issue 37
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Four more years for Obama
With re-election comes more responsibility. President Barack Obama defeated former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney and earned another term in the White House. While that allows Obama another four years to fulfill campaign promises and work on long-term economic recovery, it also means that the public will only scrutinize him more as he works to achieve his goals. Obama stood out as the strongest candidate compared to Romney, despite Romney’s appeals to the American public’s wallets and desires of reduced unemployment. The public sided with Obama, arguably for his stance on social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, as well as for his foreign policies regarding negotiations in the Middle East. A number of Americans likely cast their ballots acknowledging that many circumstances regarding the recession were out of the president’s control and that, considering the intensity of the recession, recoveries sometimes take a painfully long time. However, the majority of those voters who re-elected Obama are doing so with the hope that he will revisit issues that he failed to address over the last four years such as Guantanamo Bay. The country is giving him another chance with the hope that he will revitalize the economy and provide new, good jobs for Americans. Now that he does not have to worry about re-election, perhaps he will be able
to push harder for those changes. That being said, it will still be interesting to see how he tackles healthcare, an area where he dedicated a lot of time in his first term. After months of town halls and campaigning for healthcare reform, Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law in 2012, which marked the largest overhaul of the healthcare system since the 1960s. Over these next four years, Obama will not only be overseeing the Act, but will have an opportunity to tack on minor or major amendments to it. However, it will be even more interesting to see how Obama addresses the economy. Student loan debt is mounting and 23 million Americans are still out of work, according to a statement on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website. There have been some small improvements — in spite of the unemployment levels, new jobs have been created and federal loan repayment has been capped at 10 percent a year. However, going into this next term, the question on our mind is, Can Obama be proven right in his potential to bring forth economic stability for Americans? Hopefully, the Obama we see these next four years will surpass the Obama we’ve seen over these past four years. The new Obama will hopefully focus more on the issues to which he has given neglect, namely the economy.
Elizabeth Warren made history with her victory Tuesday night, becoming the first woman to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate. Although The Daily Free Press endorsed her competitor, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, on Monday, there is no doubt that Warren was nevertheless a strong candidate, and we are interested in seeing what type of leadership she will bring to Congress. Her success will be measured by her ability to keep campaign promises such as reducing student loan debt, fighting for the middle class and bringing about equal pay for women. In regards to student loans, she will carry the responsibility of pushing for stronger grant programs and other popular legislations such as those that forgive loans to students who serve in their communities, as she promised during the campaign. Having another Democratic senator may also help push through some of the social issues that have driven this election, such as access to birth control and abortion. With members of the
Senate having pushed for legislation denying contraceptive coverage in March, it is clear that at on the federal level, reproductive rights have stirred controversy among elected officials, as well as their constituents nationwide. It is still disappointing to see Brown, the incumbent senator, booted. Throughout his term, Brown served as an independent voice in the Senate. He reached across the aisle on issues such as the debt ceiling and rejecting the Bushera tax cuts. Brown, who was named the leastpartisan senator by Washington Magazine, voted with his party 66 percent of time, according to a Washington Post chart. The average U.S. senators votes with his or her party 90 percent of the time. While Warren has potential to bring positive changes to the country, she must also be measured by her ability to compromise. Congress needs officials who understand that aspect of politics. If Warren can deliver that sense of compromise, she will prove to be a successful addition to the U.S. Senate.
Warren makes history
A night out RACHEL CHISTYAKOV
s I look back on my time in high school, I realize that I did not go out as much as I had thought. Los Angeles is known for its notorious party scenes in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Most of the time, I would either venture into the city to find some parties or sneak into a club or two, and at other times my friends and I would drive to the University of Southern California or University of California, Los Angeles to go to a fraternity party. But this was not a regular schedule for us — most weekends, we wouldn’t even get dressed up to go out, we would simply hang out at a friend’s house. Frat parties were saved for special nights, and going out to the city was an even bigger occasion. Unlike us, there were many other teenagers who would go out to clubs and parties every weekend, but with the amount of studying and homework I had to do for school, I couldn’t afford to go all out every Friday and Saturday night. In Boston, I’ve been hit with a very different party scene. Every weekend I can find something to do, since there’s always some party to go to. If I can’t find somewhere to go at Boston University, there are dozens of surrounding schools to pick from. If I wanted to, I could go out every day of the week, and I could always find a group of people to go with. And here, I wouldn’t have to drive to the party, since I could walk or take the T. The party scene in Boston is different from the scene in L.A. in many extreme ways. Going out in L.A. takes quite a bit of preparation, from choosing the perfect outfit to wear, to deciding who was going to drive the group and finally to choosing which club we could get into (and if it weren’t 18 plus, we would have to find another way of getting inside). And once we were inside one of the clubs or parties, it was difficult to deter from all of the insane activities going on around us. Drugs are very common on the streets of L.A., and it was nearly impossible to go out without encountering someone who was on drugs or trying to give you something. It was common to hear of high school or middle school students being sent
to rehab for a drug addiction. It’s a big temptation on the weekends, one that I find is not so common in Boston because, thankfully, it’s not as available here. At home, I would have to worry about one of my friends taking something she shouldn’t have and having to decide how to get her to a safe environment. It’s comforting that most, if not all, of the people that I am friends with here do not easily succumb to such pressures and that those pressures aren’t so easily available for everyone. This aspect is one that I was very happy to escape. However, I now feel pressured to go out more often because going out seems like a much better option than being stuck in my dorm room all day. In L.A., if I didn’t feel like going out, I could stay at home and be in my room or in my living room. I could drive to a friend’s house or go out to eat with my dad or just sit around and watch a movie on my computer. In Boston, I don’t have a home anymore, I simply have my dorm room. Often, I feel so cooped up in my room that I go stir crazy. Most of the time I feel like I have to go out, and if a group of my friends are going out to a party on a Saturday night, that always feels like the best option. College students would much rather go to a frat party than go to the movie theater for a few hours. I also don’t want to feel like I am missing out on any fun activities. Back home, the people that I am friends with have been around with me for years, some since kindergarten. At BU, the people I know have been around for a little more than two months. Most freshmen feel pressured to secure friendships with people, and most of time that requires being around them for the majority of the day. Although the party scene is overwhelming, I can’t say that I don’t appreciate it. In order to relieve the stress of the week, it’s always great to go out on the weekend and have a little fun. Rachel Chistyakov is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and a fall 2012 columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at rachelch@bu.edu.
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Terrier Talk Reflections
The Daily Free Press asked students who they voted for in the 2012 presidential election.
Here’s what some of them said. INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY CLINTON NGUYEN AND SARAH FISHER
CHUCK SMAIL
“I voted for Romney. I support his fivepoint economic plan and think it will be a good change for the economy.” —COM freshman
KATE CAMPBELL
“I voted for Mitt Romney. I like his economic policies better ... ” —COM freshman
COURTNEY O’CONNELL
“I voted for Obama because I don’t agree with most of Romney’s views on human rights.” —COM junior
BRIAN MCDONOUGH
“I voted for Obama because I’m not too confident in Romney’s economic policies.”—SMG junior
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
MARASCO: League change good for BU Marasco: From page 8
buffoons). There are consequences, good and bad, for every decision we make. Every one. You eat a donut — tastes damn good, but you just got a little chunkier. You take that great internship you landed — you’re on track for that job you want someday, but you’re going to be broke and tired for the near future. You move conferences — the future got a lot brighter, but this season might not be one to remember. I transferred to BU, a far superior school to my prior one. My last semester at my original university, I had to fill out a ton of paperwork, spend hours on the phone and in meetings, and deal with a lot of extra stress. Saying goodbye to good friends was hard. People say, “transferring sucks,” but they’re wrong. The process of transferring sucks — the paperwork, the stress, the goodbyes — but transferring (if you’re moving to a better place for you) is great. My reward?
I go to a fantastic school (a lot of BU students seem to not appreciate how good of a school BU is, but it’s a damn good school) — recently ranked seventh in the country at preparing students for the job market by The New York Times. I live in Boston. I can’t imagine a better city to live in if you’re a college student. I still have my old friends, but I have new ones too. There are more than 600,000 people in this city and 30,000 students at BU alone — a lot of potential buds out there. I really liked my old school. I enjoyed the time I had there. I grew so much. I’m so glad I have those experiences and people in my life. A lot of people go there, stay there, graduate, live great lives and have no regrets because they did what was right for them. But, I’m glad I moved on. I made the right move for me. People understood that. They supported me. BU is making the right move for them. For us. The Patriot League is a better conference — academically and athletically. The Patriot League gives us better opportunities moving forward.
There are consequences — our basketball team probably won’t play in the NCAA tournament this year. It stinks for the players, the coaches and fans. I feel and wholeheartedly understand their disappointment, but BU had to make the move that was right for them. So, this season is bittersweet. I feel your pain, Terrier players — especially you seniors. I really do. But, you’ve still got a lot to play for. Darryl Partin was drafted into the D-League last week. Why can’t you be? You’re pissed off at America East, and so are the fans. Why not stick it to them? They can keep you out of the conference tournament, but they can’t keep you from winning games — beating up on the conference. And I know it’s a long shot, but they can’t keep you out of the NCAA tournament either. I respect those who don’t fear change, who aren’t afraid to make big decisions — big moves. I respect those who can stare down some bad news and not roll over. That’s why I’ll be rooting for BU basketball as hard as ever this season.
Women’s hockey struggling to kill penalties Women’s hockey: From page 8
Last season, BU ranked third in Hockey East in penalty-killing percentage, killing 86.9 percent of penalties. This season, they currently rank fifth in the conference, killing only 80 percent of penalties.
Durocher said the team might have lost its focus in high-pressure situations. “There have been times when we’ve lost a bit of our concentration,” Durocher said. “Maybe our confidence more than anything else.”
Durocher said his team needs to make a consistent effort to prevent future mistakes during the penalty kill. “We try to play pretty aggressive, but we’ve got to be really assertive all the time.”
7
Men’s hockey enjoys weekend away at Ralph Engelstad Arena Men’s hockey: From page 8
You get up to play North Dakota. You might not get up to play Holy Cross, which is who we lost to two years ago.” A Sioux-per weekend North Dakota does not use the Fighting Sioux as its mascot anymore, but that did not stop the fans at the Ralph Engelstad Arena from wearing their jerseys with the old logo on them. The passionate fans, the skating cheerleaders and the fireworks that went off after each North Dakota goal helped make the two games over the weekend a special experience for the BU players. Privitera even called it “the best place in college hockey to play.” However, junior forward Matt
Nieto disagreed with Privitera. “I still don’t think the fans [in North Dakota] are as ruthless as Agganis’,” Nieto said. “But it is really fun. It is a big rink, nice building, they get a lot of fans … We just enjoyed the experience.” The final win over North Dakota was key for the Terriers, who not only prevented themselves from losing both of their first two nonconference games, but improved the team confidence entering a weekend in which it will be taking on No. 1 Boston College. “It was important for us to grow,” Parker said. “No matter what happened this weekend I thought ... we were going to be a better team coming out of this weekend than coming in. This gives us a big boost.”
Today’s crossword solution brought to you by...
Dogs Times Two
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Quotable
I don’t think the fans [in North Dakota] are as ruthless as Agganis. BU men’s hockey forward Matt Nieto.
Page 8
The Empty Net
Hope and Change
Frank Marasco So, another season of Boston University basketball opens up Friday night. This one, however, will possess a tainted air, as the Terriers have been banned from America East postseason play — the America East tournament. Of course this is disappointing for fans in the short term. Disappointment, of course, leads to frustration, sometimes anger. We create villains in our mind — those responsible for our disappointment are evil! “BU ruined the basketball season! America East is a bunch of jerks!” But there are no villains here. I understand and have no problem with the decision by BU to move to the Patriot League, as well as America East’s decision to ban BU from winning its conference title this season. You are BU. Things went fine with America East. You guys had some good times and got along for a while, but you’ve grown apart — you need a change. You were working in a mailroom in Toledo and you’ve just been offered a management position in New York. You’re not turning that down, and you shouldn’t. Bolt! Go! Make a better life for yourself. And make no apologies for doing it. It’s not personal. It’s life. You are America East. You were dating the hottest girl at your school and she just dumped you … but she still wants you to take her to prom. You don’t want to take her! She just dumped you! You’re only human. So, you let her keep some of her things in your locker for a little while, you wave at her in the halls and you take your lumps like an adult — but you’re not letting her lean on your shoulder during the slow dance. Hey, you’d be the nicest guy around if you did, but how could I expect that from you? You’ve got at least some pride. Don’t you? America East doesn’t want their conference champion to be a team who’s skipping town the next day. That’s bad for the conference (and it makes them look like a bunch of
Marasco, see page 7
Sports
No Games Scheduled President Barack Obama will be spending Election Day playing pickup basketball with Scottie Pippen...
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Poulin
goes to
Finland
The Boston University women’s hockey team is without junior captain MariePhilip Poulin as she is competing with Team Canada in the Four Nations Cup in Finland. P. 8.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Notebook: O’Connor leads goalie competition By Kevin Dillon Daily Free Press Staff
Arguably the largest question mark entering the 2012–13 Boston University men’s hockey season was between the goal pipes, as freshmen goaltenders Matt O’Connor and Sean Maguire were set to battle for the starting goalie job. Before the season, BU coach Jack Parker said the two netminders would probably alternate starts until one goalie stood out as the permanent starter. However, six games into the season, O’Connor has already gotten significantly more playing time than Maguire and he has done nothing to warrant a spot on the bench. The Toronto, Ontario native is undefeated in his four starts in a scarlet and white uniform. Perhaps his best performance came in the Terriers’ 3–2 win over the University of Massachusetts on Oct. 27, when he stopped 34 shots and kept BU in the game long enough for senior defenseman Sean Escobedo to score the game-winning goal. O’Connor also made 15 saves on 15 shots during the second half of a 4–1 loss to the University of New Hampshire on Oct. 20. Maguire made his first collegiate start in that game, but allowed four goals on the first 14 shots he faced before getting pulled in favor of O’Connor. However, Maguire bounced back from his tough first outing with a strong 31-save performance against No. 6 University of North Dakota on Nov. 2. Despite Maguire’s strong play, the Terriers lost the matchup 4–2 and Maguire fell to 0–2 on the season. While O’Connor (1.81 GAA, .942 save percentage) has outperformed Maguire (4.61 GAA, .854 save percentage) early on, sophomore defenseman Alexx Privitera said the team is happy with both goaltenders. “We’re comfortable playing in
MICHAEL CUMMO/DAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO
Freshman goaltender Matt O’Connor has taken an early lead in the starting goaltender competition, winning all of his four starts and recording a .942 save percentage. front of both those guys, and it’s good to have our two freshmen that we’re comfortable playing in front of both of them,” Privitera said. Potent Opponents During a weekend in which the Terriers traveled to the Midwest to face North Dakota, the Grand Forks Herald reported three of the highprofile non-conference teams BU will play against next season. BU will take on the University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan and Michigan State University
during the 2013–14 season, according to the report. The team is also hosting North Dakota during the same season. The Terriers have “something like 14” non-conference games on the schedule next season, according to Parker. That is a large increase from the five non-conference games it has scheduled during the 2012–13 season — not including Beanpot games — due to the upcoming college hockey conference realignment. It remains unclear whether the
Terriers will be hosting each of these opponents or traveling to them, but it is clear that BU has at least four national powerhouse teams on its schedule for next season. “Brand-name hockey teams, we like to call them,” Parker said. “We like that aspect. I found that, in the long run, you’re better off playing the big-time schools than the notso-brand-name schools, because you don’t take them as seriously.
Men’s hockey, see page 7
BU drops to No. 5 in USCHO rankings after tie, loss to Eagles By Sarah Kirkpatrick Daily Free Press Staff
The Boston University women’s hockey team dropped to No. 5 in the USCHO rankings this week after holding the No. 3 spot for four consecutive weeks. The Terriers (7–2–1, 3–1–1 Hockey East) tied 5–5 and lost 7–1 against Boston College (3–3–1, 2–2– 1 Hockey East) in their most recent series. BC jumped one spot to No. 7. However, BU coach Brian Durocher said he does not view the drop in the rankings as negative. “I don’t count on it too much at all,” Durocher said. “If you’re anywhere in the top 10, you have a wonderful reflection on your program. “It doesn’t matter if you’re first or fifth or 10th, as long as you’re in that group, it’s a real positive to that program.” Durocher said the focus is less about the rankings and more on the
The Bottom Line
Wednesday, Nov. 7
The Daily Free Press
Thursday, Nov. 8
No Games Scheduled ... Republican candidate Mitt Romney will be performing dressage with his horse Rafalca.
upcoming opponents. “We’ve got to think about one thing, and that’s [the University of New Hampshire], or wherever’s next on the schedule.” University of Minnesota (12– 0–0) remains in the top slot with its seventh straight unanimous No. 1 selection.
Poulin with Team Canada Junior co-captain Marie-Philip Poulin was absent from the lineup on Saturday against BC and will also miss Friday’s game against UNH to play for Team Canada in the Four Nations Cup in Finland. “It certainly shuffles the lines a little bit, and it takes an impact player away,” Durocher said of Poulin’s absence. “Any time you have a player that scores two points a game, or averages thereabouts, it’s a void that has to be filled by the team, not by one person.”
Friday, Nov. 9
W. Basketball vs. BC, 7 p.m. M. Basketball @ Northeastern, 7 p.m. W. Hockey @ UNH, 7 p.m. M. Hockey @ Merrimack, 7:30 p.m.
Durocher said he feels confident in his team’s ability to overcome the absence of its star forward. “Louise Warren stepped up over at Boston College ... I could pick out three, four, five, six people who could step forward up at UNH and help fill that void.” Poulin, who was recently named Hockey East Co-Player of the Month, leads the team this season with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists.
Giving up goals The Terriers conceded a total of 12 goals during the most recent games against BC. Going into the series, BU had only given up a total of 15 goals in eight games. This series was an anomaly for junior goalie Kerrin Sperry, who posted a 2.07 career goals-against average prior to the series. Durocher said that there is no particular person to blame for the recent
Saturday, Nov. 10 W. Rowing @ Foot of the Charles, 8 a.m. W. Tennis @ Harvard Invitational, All Day
struggle. He attributed the results to BC’s strong play and also a need for his team to improve as a whole. “I don’t think we played very well in either game ... [BC] had the better of us.” Durocher said aggressiveness is going to be the key headed into upcoming games. “It’s just little things, but if you don’t keep the pressure on people, they’re probably going to make less mistakes and end up with more opportunities, more shots — and that creates problems for you,” Durocher said. Penalty kill problems BU has had some struggles this season on the penalty kill, giving up nine power-play goals already this season, including four during the BC series.
Women’s hockey, see page 7
Sunday, Nov. 11
M. Hockey vs. BC, 5 p.m. Wrestling @ Binghamton open, All Day W. Tennis @ Harvard Invitational, All Day