2-29-2012

Special Issue: The Graduate

The Daily Free Press

Year xli. Volume lxxxii. Issue lxxix.

Spotlight

BEANTOWN BOOKWORMS: A review of the best independent book shops page 5

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University Sports Special Issue

GRAND GRADS: Students, experts weigh in on continuing education page 4 & 5

]

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D-MAN DOMINATION: Escobedo turns up offense vs. UVM page 8

Weather Today: Snow, High 38 Tonight: Snow, Low 32 Tomorrow: 40/32 Data Courtesy of weather.com

BU sees less students transferring than national trend Students gather at

By Emily Overholt Daily Free Press Staff

Almost immediately after Grace Ngobeni matriculated into the University of Vermont, she knew she wanted transfer out. “[Transferring] was something I thought of the first week that I was there and then I waited two years,” Ngobeni, a junior in Boston University’s College of Communication, said.

Ngobeni said she yearned for a more creative film program with production and writing programs, as opposed to the film studies program UVM offered. Like many college students in the country, she decided complete her undergraduate degree elsewhere.

About one third of college students transferred to another college before graduating, according to a study published by

the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in February.

The overall transfer rates for two- and four-year institutions, including public and private non-profit schools, ranged from 32.6 percent to 34.4 percent, the study reported.

Transfer rates for for-profit private institutions fell by almost half with 16.3 percent of students transferring out of twoyear institutions, while 19.6 percent transferred out of four-year institutions.

BU spokesman Colin Riley said BU’s transfer rates do not follow the national trend.

Admissions received 2,515 transfer applications and enrolled 224 transfer students in Fall 2010, according to statistics Riley provided.

Of those who transferred, 37 percent

did so in their second year of college, and 27 percent of transfer students went across state lines.

Ngobeni said she might have known she wanted to transfer early in her first year at UVM, but transferred between her sophomore and junior year.

However, BU did not track the number of students who transferred out, Riley said. Those students are counted in BU’s attrition rate, which measures how many students do not return after their freshman year. Riley estimated the number was less than 10 percent.

“The important point,” he said, “is that not long ago the ACT did a study that found that one in four high school students who enroll in two- and four-year colleges do not

tian Arrartelo, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore. “Being from Peru, I can recognize different accents and different countries, and I realize that there is diversity.”

Michelle Hayward, a College of Commu-

Diversity, see page 2

State House, see page 2

Transfers, see page 2

By Becca Shipler Daily Free Press Staff

RACHEL PEARSON/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Students of a variety of races eat dinner at Warren Towers dining hall. According to a U.S. Census Bereau report, degree-attainment numbers have gone up for Hispanics, blacks and whites.

lication on how many minorities have graduated from BU in recent years.

While a notable percentage of minorities graduate from BU, students weighed in on how diverse BU’s population is.

“I think BU is pretty diverse, especially among South American people,” said Sebas-

By Sonia Su Daily Free Press Staff

Abigail Adair, a sophomore at Anna Maria College, said she could not have gone to college without the scholarship that allowed her to start school.

Adair, along with about 200 other students from more than 30 Massachusetts colleges, lobbied state officials to support funding for needbased financial aid programs on Tuesday at the State House. They shared personal stories of how they were affected by the state’s financial aid.

“It’s so important for all of the colleges in Massachusetts to come here and thank everyone for all their help,” Adair said.

The students, who were accompanied by members of their colleges’ financial aid staff, spoke individually with legislators from their colleges’ towns and from their own hometowns.

The Student Financial Aid Day was designed to give students the chance to thank legislators for last year’s funding and to press for continued and increased funding in coming years, according to the groups that annually host the event, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

The discussion “helps really to put a face and story on what otherwise would be a line item in the budget,” said AICUM President Richard Doherty. “And it just brings that line item to life, and that’s incredibly important.

You can tell as the students tell their stories how much of an impact it makes on the legislator.”

Hearing the stories of individual students is the most effective way to connect with representatives, said Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Robert DeLeo before the audience.

“Let [the legislators] know exactly what this financial aid means to each and every one of you in terms of continuing your education because that’s the most impressive lobbying that we get,” he said. “The best thing is . . . hearing first-hand stories about what this particular line

Census Bureau reports increase in minorities with degrees American colleges have seen an increase in degree attainment among minorities over the last decade, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.

The report stated the number of Hispanics 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher rose by 80 percent and the number of blacks rose by 47 percent. Degree attainment among non-Hispanic whites increased by 24 percent.

The increase correlated with the general increase in college attainment between 2000 and 2010, which measured at 9.7 percent.

About 30 percent of Boston University students are minorities, said BU spokesman Colin Riley.

Riley said Admissions does not admit students solely because of race. Riley said race serves as one of several factors considered in the admissions process.

BU works actively to increase the number of minorities on campus, Riley said.

“We’d like to do two things,” he said.

“We’d like to grow the percentage [of minorities] who are applying and to grow the percentage that are registering. . . . The real concern is we’ve accepted them, now they have to accept us.”

Riley could not comment in time for pub-

State House in support of state financial aid

Sex shops in Bean experience opposition from conservative locals, employees say

By Alexis Gordon Daily Free Press Staff

Laura Holtman, a sales clerk at SweetN-Nasty, was working one day when she said a woman stuck her head into the store and ordered for the sex toys to be destroyed.

“She opened the door, stuck her head out and screamed, ‘Boston police, arrest this woman and burn all these sex toys,’” Holtman said.

Holtman is one of a handful of employees on Newbury Street whose stores were harassed by a woman claiming to represent the American Islamic Congress.

Niki Novak, the owner of Sweet-NNasty, said after some research, she found a woman whom Novak believes to be the same person who also went into Condom World and did the exact same thing, claiming to be from the AIC that just opened at 38 Newbury St.

Novak said she loves the protesters and any publicity is good publicity.

“I’ve always said over the years, ‘Come on down, picket, protest’ – it calls attention,” Novak said. “It’s the exact opposite of what they’re looking for because it calls attention to us.”

Sweet-N-Nasty opened 31 years ago.

During those years, conservative groups and individuals have harassed the store about 20 times, Novak said.

Sweet-N-Nasty was the first adult shop that opened on Newbury Street, Novak said. The shop withstood not being able to advertise in local papers when it first opened, she said, and also received many angry phone calls.

Novak said in the years Sweet-N-Nasty has been open, it has paved the way for other adult shops such as Condom World to operate on Newbury Street, and they will not let one angry woman hinder all of their progress.

Koray Kotan, director of operations at AIC, said in an email that AIC does not even know the name of the person allegedly involved in the incident.

“If indeed the incident took place in the manner reported, this in no way, shape or form reflects our organization’s values and founding principles,” Kotan said. “AIC is a non-religious, civic organization committed to the values of responsible civic leadership and interfaith understanding.”

The AIC is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is “dedicated to building interfaith and interethnic understanding and to supporting human and civil rights in Muslim majority countries,” according to the AIC website.

AIC employees, who asked to remain anonymous, said the woman’s description does not fit that of people who come to their meetings. They said they are planning

Shop, see page 2

JACKIE ROBERTSON/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Condom World, located on 332 Newbury St., is being protested by some local conservatives.

2

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

‘I wish there was more diversity’ at BU, student says Fewer than 10 percent of BU students Diversity: From Page 1

nication sophomore, said she likes BU in part because of its representation among black students.

“One reason I chose BU was because there are still a lot of black students, even though it may only be five percent out of say 20,000, that’s still a lot of people,” Hayward said.

“There are lots of student groups for community if I want to join them.”

While there may be more minorities graduating, Hayward said some demographics such as black men still struggle to make gains.

“It’s good that there are more minorities graduating, but if you look at statistics, especially among

black men, [you’ll see] we still have hardly any black men going to school,” she said. “We need cultural restructuring where college is more of an option for black people [and] they’re told it’s an option.”

Hayward said the issue stems from socioeconomic differences among minorities. Universities may have to be more proactive and speak to kids, she said.

“There are a lot of options, but I’m pretty sure that not many people are aware of them,” Hayward said.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore suggested people consider what constitutes diversity, be it racial or national.

“Often we’re really talking about

racial diversity,” he said. “Does that also mean culture? Does that mean more than just the traditional culture about that American problem with race with blacks, African Americans and Latino Americans?”

COM sophomore Josh Crampsey noted different levels of diversity, including socioeconomic status and sexual orientation. In terms of racial diversity, he said he sees larger populations of white and Asian students at BU, as well as smaller groups of other races.

“There’s a huge international student population, but there is not a lot of diversity among American students,” Crampsey said. “I wish there was more diversity.”

BU represented at State House during fin. aid lobbying Statehouse: From Page 1

item means to each and every one of you.”

Joseph Moore, AICUM chair and Lesley University president, said the lobbying was a positive measure rather than a negative, pushy one.

“Lobbying here for you is not a selfish act,” he said. “It is a selfless act because your stories represent the thousands of other students that can’t be here today.”

Doherty said “the kaleidoscope of sweatshirts and different schools” assembled at the congregation was impressive, referring to the different college apparel students wore.

“There’s a cultural impression of private colleges as serving wealthy, white students . . . and that’s really not what the student bodies on these campuses are like at all,” Doherty said. “I think that for legislators to see [that], it makes an impression.”

Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Clantha McCurdy said the lobbying is necessary be-

cause “even with this level of support, the cost of attending a college in Massachusetts, public or private, has risen much too fast and has exceeded the purchasing power of our primary grant program, the MASSGrant.”

Funded by appropriations from the Massachusetts Legislature, the MASSGrant program provides needbased financial assistance to undergraduate students residing in-state and awards grants that vary from one to five years, according to the MDHE Office of Student Financial Assistance website.

But McCurdy said students should ask legislators to squeeze just a little bit more money to help with financial aid.

“There are a lot of students that, because of need-based aid, don’t have to work as much outside and so they’re able to focus on their studies and they’re able to graduate in four years,” Doherty said.

Representatives from Boston University’s financial aid office and the Boston University Government

& Community Affairs group also attended.

BU School of Management junior Michelle Zimmerman, a recipient of the MASSGrant and the Massachusetts Gilbert Grant, represented BU’s student voice, along with a BU Office of Financial Aid official and two GCA officials.

“As a person who works at the university, I think it’s really my place to bring students here to participate in the event,” said Christopher Hart, the senior assistant director at BU’s financial aid office, to one legislator.

“I think AICUM works really hard to bring the recipients together with the people who work here.”

Many students said receiving financial aid makes a huge impact.

“I feel like the majority of students in college now need financial aid,” said AMC sophomore Jessica Flores. “Especially now with the economy . . . I don’t know how anyone can afford to pay for college without financial aid.”

The Daily Free Press Crossword

By Tribune Media Services Across 1 Dramatic descents 7 Down with relish 14 Adorns, as curtains 16 Grant 17 Mike’s Hard Lemonade, e.g.

18 Organs and such 19 Health and Human Services agcy.

20 Start enjoying 22 Stutz contemporary 23 War of 1812 battle site 26 Coll. divisions 27 No matter what 29 1970s CIA director, familiarly 32 North Sea country: Abbr.

33 “@&#^$%!,” e.g.

53 “Until every one comes home” org.

return for their sophomore year.”

BU’s attrition rate went in the opposite direction of the national trend in terms of how many transfer students it received, he said.

Riley said while BU might have such a low attrition rate, it does not include students who transferred after their freshman

year because of the investment students make in the time they spend at BU. “Part of it is that it is a significant investment by students to attend BU by their families and themselves and that the level of preparation and achievement and the selectivity of the school is much higher,” Riley said.

Sweet-N-Nasty owner: ‘You don’t have to come in’ Shop: From Page 1

to contact the shops that were harassed and send out formal apologies.

In the 1960s a series of Supreme Court decisions based on the First Amendment legalized sex shops in the United States.

States, however, determine

whether or not to legalize the sale of sex toys.

“You don’t have to shop there, you don’t have to come in,” Novak said. “If it’s not for you – and it’s certainly not for everyone, I understand that – that’s fine with me. That’s what America is all about.”

The Daily Free Press is looking for victims of sexual assault to tell their stories. Including whether or not they sought help from BU and if their needs were met, for an upcoming story.

Those interested should send a statement via email.

news@dailyfreepress.com

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58 Not in over one’s head

Sudoku

61 Narrow window 62 Like child’s play 63 Refuse collectors 64 More prosperous Down 1 Employees 2 Literary middle name 3 Prize since 1929 4 Bear, in Bolivia 5 Sparkle 6 Lionel creation of 1912

38 J and others

7 Math and others

39 “Laugh-In” regular

8 Mastery

40 Small bug

9 Bugs

41 French pronoun

10 Company that developed TV’s Indian Head Test Pattern

43 Nightly news snippet 46 Stick (out)

Transfers: From Page 1

49 1993 Dean Koontz best-seller

37 Legalese, say

42 Send by wire

transfer, BU spokesman estimates

11 Styx crosser 12 Dairy container?

13 Cuban currency

dog

50 Really bugged

15 Winningest baseball southpaw

36 Successful

51 Salon job

38 Actor who often said, “Sorry about that, Chief”

52 Member of Dionysus’ retinue

21 Potomac span named for a poet, familiarly 24 Chevy SUVs 25 __ Helens, Wash.

28 It may cover a spot 29 Emeril exclamation 30 Ocean State sch.

31 Pepper, e.g.: Abbr.

34 __ dye: chemical coloring 35 Shih __: Tibetan

39 Matted cotton sheet 41 Excites 42 Inexpensive home protector

57 Business issue 59 Long, on Niihau 60 Examine carefully

44 West Texas city named by Russians 45 Let out hot air?

46 Small ruling faction 47 Web browsers, e.g.

48 Ark contents

Solution is on Page 4

Sudoku-Puzzles.net

Difficulty: Medium

Solution is on Page 4

Campus & City Modern Greek Philosophy On mistakes Learning is difficult. Not the learning that takes place inside of a classroom, but the wisdom that we learn outside of class. Fortunately, the things we learn in our everyday life are the things that can bring us the most enlightenment. Don’t get me wrong; I am not fond of the mistakes that I’ve made.

H o w e v e r, if I didn’t make these mistakes then I wouldn’t be who I am today. The conMARIA sequences of GELLEPES mistakes can often be difficult to grapple with, but these slips in our judgment can teach us very important life lessons.

Having to accept that we made mistakes is often hard. I know that I’m not perfect but sometimes I’m surprised by my own carelessness. No one consciously plans on messing up. I consider myself a person that weighs my options fully before I execute my plans, but my track record proves otherwise. Oh well. I always hope that the next time a similar situation happens I won’t be so foolish.

Take my issues with deadlines, for instance. Whether it’s a paper, a column, an application or a reading assignment, I am a persistent procrastinator. I’m well aware of the sleep deprivation and stress that goes hand in hand with putting tasks off, but my bad habits remain stubbornly engrained in myself.

Sometimes when we’re wrong we feel horrible because we are conditioned to believe that we should know better, especially with so much life experience behind us. We are human after all, and making mistakes is part of our lives unfolding on this planet.

Making mistakes may actually have its perks. When we can learn a lesson from our mistakes, maybe something good has come from our errors. It’s not easy, but learning from our imperfections is the one positive aspect that can come from possessing them.

When life takes an unexpected turn, it’s easy to get frustrated.

The truth is, you can’t beat yourself up. You have to accept your imperfections, learn a lesson from the experience and then move on. When a child is learning to walk, you don’t yell at them every time they fall. “No Timmy, don’t be so stupid! You fell last time!

This time, do it without falling!

Walk correctly!” That would be an absurd thing to do. We have to practice the same patience with ourselves, accepting that we will continue to make mistakes.

One day we may learn from all of our past and present. This may sound disappointing, but at least we know that through our mistakes we will always have an opportunity to improve ourselves as people, becoming individuals who are prepared for what lies ahead.

Maria Gellepes is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at mg887@bu.edu.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Students for Justice in Palestine, speaker weigh in on LGBTQ issues

By Joseph Dalia Daily Free Press Staff

Many are unaware of the harsh realities faced by LGBTQ Palestinian citizens, LGBTQ Palestinian advocate Sa’ed Atshan said Tuesday night.

A group of about 20 students and Boston locals attended “Human Rights and LGBTQ Subjectivity in Israel-Palestine” Tuesday night at the Kenmore Classroom Building and listened to Atshan as he shared his insight on LGBTQ issues involving the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Atshan is a member of AlOaws, a national grassroots organization that works with LGBTQ Palestinians throughout Israel and disputed territories.

“There’s no pink door on this wall that says gay people can go through,” he said as he showed the audience a picture of a wall dividing Israeli and Palestinian territories.

Palestinians who seek to live in Israel, regardless of their sexual orientation, will have to endure a great deal of adversity, he said.

“Most of them are denied citizenship,” Atshan said. “Who they are allowed to marry is very regulated.”

Atshan said Palestinian plights continue to go on under the radar as Israel has focused on gaining support from the Western world by “pinkwashing” or advertising its pro-LGBTQ policies.

“Pinkwashing is the deliberate effort to try to distract attention away from human rights violations against Palestinians by portraying Israel as what they call a gay haven,” he said.

One component of the system of oppression involves using positive media spin as a way to cover up more negative elements of Israeli-Palestinian relations, said College of Arts and Sciences junior Zena Ozeir, president of Students for Justice in Palestine.

For more than 60 years, scientists believed that women are born with a set number of egg cells, but Massachusetts General Hospital researchers recently discovered stem cells in human ovaries could be isolated to produce new eggs.

Following experimentation with mice and with human ovaries, the scientists concluded the rare cells, found in the ovaries of reproductive-age women, could be propagated into viable egg cells either in vitro or in life, according to the study released Sunday in Nature Medicine.

The MGH scientist who led the research, Jonathon Tilly, works as the director of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at MGH and as a professor at Harvard Medical Center.

“We . . . demonstrated that human egg precursor cells not only exist in ovaries of reproductiveage women, but that these newly discovered cells possess . . . features that permit maturation into eggs,” Tilly said in press release

BU researchers make gains in treatment for gonorrhea

By Gina Curreri Daily Free Press Staff

RICKY WILSON/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sa’ed Astshan, a Soros Fellow and National Science Foundation Fellow at Harvard University, talks at Boston University about Human Rights and LGBTQ Subjectivity in the Palestine and Israel

“This is just one of the facets of the occupation,” Ozeir said.

“The backdrop of Israel as a safe haven for gay rights is used as a way to cover up other things.”

CAS senior Alec Nicholson noted the disturbing information the speaker shared, including the issue of pinkwashing.

“I wasn’t aware of the pinkwashing campaigns, and I found that fascinating and troubling,” he said.

Nicholson said while he learned a lot from the speaker, the issue of homophobia is an issue that affects everyone, not just Palestine.

“I think one of the points he made early about how homophobia was not [just] a Palestinian issue [was important],” he said.

“It’s an issue everywhere . . . In his attempt to make it sound like Israel wasn’t a gay haven, he did not pay sufficient lip service to the fact that nor is Palestine a gay haven.”

CAS junior Joshua Niland said he found the speaker’s insight interesting.

“I thought [Atshan] was good.

It was a good event; it was interesting. I think the Israel lobby in this country and on this campus has the benefit of the doubt on quite a number of things including the LGBTQ [issue],” he said, “and I think it’s important to show people that we care about these issues and not just one issue.”

CAS sophomore Matthew Goldberg, president of BU Students for Israel, said gay and lesbian Israelis share equal rights just like everyone else in Israel, more so than in the U.S. “[Sexuality] is not confronted in the same way it is in the United States,” he said. “Tel Aviv was rated the number one best city in the world for being gay.”

BUSI Vice President Rachel Dushey said Palestinian culture does not look favorably upon homosexuality.

“Gay Palestinians run away from their homes and come into Israel and go into shelters,” Dushey, a College of Communication sophomore, said. “Israel welcomes these Palestinians who are fleeing persecution.”

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers find new lead on stem cells, study new egg production

By Meg DeMouth Daily Free Press Staff

3

published by OvaScience, a fertility clinic he co-founded.

Tilly has been conducting research directly related to the formation of oocytes, or cells that mature into egg cells in females, since 2004, when he and several colleagues proposed that female mammals may be capable of producing egg cells even after they have been born.

Contrary to longstanding tradition, which held that egg cell production in any one female stopped before she was born, researchers found that oocyte production could be stimulated in adult mouse ovaries under certain rare conditions.

In the latest MGH study, Tilly sought to connect the 2004 findings to human reproduction, testing whether or not women’s ovaries hold the same type of egg-producing cells researchers said they found in mouse ovaries.

To do so, MGH researchers used ovaries surgically removed from women in their 20s and early 30s who were undergoing sex reassignment operations at the

Saitama Medical Center in Japan.

They injected human germline cells into ovarian biopsies, which they implanted into mice tissue.

After about one to two weeks, according to the study, “follicles containing . . . occytes” began to form within the grafts.

“In addition to opening a new research field in human reproductive biology that was inconceivable less than 10 years ago, clear evidence for the existence of these [egg-producing] cells in women may offer new opportunities to expand on and enhance current fertility-preservation strategies,” according to the study.

Tilly partnered with scientists from the Saitama Medical Center and with colleagues from the VCRB to conduct the research.

“The results presented in this new study confirm and extend our previous work on egg precursor cells in adult ovaries,” he said in the release, “opening the prospect that human assisted reproduction may be provided with new tools to combat infertility caused by aging or insults.”

Two Boston University School of Medicine researchers found an uncovered pathway in antibioticresistant strains of gonorrhea, marking a step toward making the virus treatable.

The researchers published a study in the Journal of Microbiology highlighting the discovery of an uncovered pathway necessary for infection to occur with the pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes Gonorrhea, according to a Monday BU press release.

Understanding the process of how this pathogen causes disease in men and women will lead researchers to design ways to block the infection.

“We’re trying to understand the role of these newly identified genes,” said researcher Caroline Genco, who teaches medicine and microbiology at BUSM. “This research is important because there have been multiple studies that have identified antibiotic-resistant strains of gonorrhea.”

However, antibiotics are the only current treatment for gonorrhea, Genco said. New methods to treat these infections are in great need.

“We’re trying to understand how these genes can cure both men and women of the common infectious disease,” Genco said.

Genco and Chunxiao Yu, a post-doctoral fellow at BUSM, spent two years on the research, Genco said. Researchers used molecular genetics, such as cloning and protein purification, to identify the novel pathway.

The press release stated the pathway is critical because a single protein controls the expression of hundreds of N. gonorrhoeae genes by either increasing or decreasing the amount of these genes expressed. This single protein may help prevent disease development if it is able to communicate to the immune system to recognize and remove the bacterium.

Through their recent discovery, the researchers said they will work toward developing a new vaccine to cure antibiotic-resistant strains.

“The step after is at our STD clinical center in Beijing, China,” Genco said. “We have access to a number of patients there infected with this strain of gonorrhea.”

D F

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Special Issue:

Grad school worth the cost, experts say Meeting the mark in grad school

By Belen Cusi Daily Free Press Staff

Although graduate school’s cost, time commitment and overall perceived value may deter undergraduate students from continuing onto higher education, members of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students said there is still value in a graduate degree.

“Getting my Ph.D. was the cornerstone achievement in my life and has basically defined who I am,” said Kevin McComber via email.

McComber, an advisory board member of the NAGPS who received his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011, currently works in engineering for Intel Corporation near Phoenix.

McComber said his experience in graduate school provided the environment for him to grow and expand not only his academic knowledge but skills that would later help him in real-life job interviews.

Dr. Adam Fagen, an NAGPS advisory board member and public affairs director for the American Society of Plant Biologists, said in an email that having a Ph.D. by his name opened doors for him.

Although Fagen said he had not been sure at the offset of his graduate education, he ultimately “found it very helpful” in content knowledge and other skills, such as project management, communications, time management and teaching.

“Doctoral education in particular can be very isolating and difficult, and it helps to know why you’re there,” Fagen said.

It can be about setting up a career or exploring a passion, he said, but it is important to know why.

Dr. Julia Mortyakova, an NAGPS advisory board chair and an assistant professor of music at Alcorn State University, said a graduate degree helps one develop as an artist.

One of the requirements of “making it” in music is finding one’s own niche, which is what happens in a graduate program, she said.

“I think versatility is the key to finding employment in this day and age,” Mortyakova said.

Boston University senior Dan Salgarolo is a film major in the College of Communication who said he has no immediate plans for attending grad school.

“For me, it’s never ever crossed my mind to go to grad school immediately after college, it just doesn’t make sense to me,” Salgorolo said.

“I’m already in debt, why would I put myself more already in debt when I could already start making money?”

College of Arts and Sciences freshmen Margarite Zighami and Emily Korman said they have different views.

Zighami said going to graduate school is something that everybody around her wants to do.

“My friends all intend on going

to grad school,” Zighami said. “I intend on doing that too.”

Korman, who is thinking of concentrating in environmental science, grew up in a household where both of her parents had the “highest degree possible in their fields.”

But her desire to attend graduate school, she said, is not a result of her parents’ influence.

“My parents don’t pressure me, but I want to,” Korman said.

“They’re my role models, essentially, of what I should do.”

Another CAS student, Ezinne Mong, is in a different position – she is a senior preparing to graduate.

Her motivation for going to graduate school is that advanced education is the way to become leader in the biology and research industry, she said.

“If you don’t have a Ph.D. [working in a pharmaceutical or research company], usually you’re not a leader, you’re not in charge of a group,” Mong said.

McComber said he had encouraging advice for those considering graduate school.

“I think this part is overlooked in a lot of discussion about grad school – that you will have matured enough to be able to focus on gaining meaningful, applicable experiences outside your schoolwork,” he said, “and I strongly encourage anyone going for an advanced degree to pick up a challenging and meaningful extracurricular to build their experience bank.”

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By Megan Allison Daily Free Press Staff

With more people seeking master’s degrees than ever, students may wonder what it takes to succeed in graduate school.

Setting numbers aside, work experience and leadership skills often make the strongest candidates for graduate education, Boston University officials said.

Patti Cudney, assistant dean of Graduate Admissions in the School of Management, said graduate school requires people who take initiative and work well in teams.

“First and foremost, [we value] someone that is hard working and ready to devote the time,” she said.

“You’re getting an awful lot of learning in a condensed time.”

Work experience can serve as a key factor in getting accepted into

graduate school, Cudney said.

“We’re looking for people that come in with work experience after college,” she said. “It’s something that would make you more attractive to future employers.”

The School of Public Health, which has seven different concentrations in its program, accepted students whose GER scores rank in the 70th percentile and GPAs exceed 3.0, Admissions Assistant Anne Thorsen said. About 40 percent of students apply directly while in undergraduate school.

“Having background in management or policy would definitely set you above other students,” Thorsen said. “Having a background would definitely be preferred [with] students who have put in the time to

See full story online

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The Graduate MCAT examinations to S P O T L I G H T include sociology, psych

5

Boston Bookstores

Bookstores around Boston provide a triangle of availability to shop with stores in Brookline, Cambridge, and downtown Boston

I

By Asta Thrastardottir Features Staff

n this modern era of Kindles, Ipads and E-books, the question arises if the traditional local bookstore will soon become a thing of the past. Luckily, three local bookstores around Boston and Cambridge seem to be not only holding on, but thriving.

being part of a big family,” Brigham said. “The store has its own unique personality and charm. People tell us over and over what a fabulous store this is.”

BROOKLINE BOOKSMITH COOLIDGE CORNER

Tucked away off of Cambridge Street in Inman Square, Boston is Lorem Ipsum, a small local used bookstore booming in character. The window display immediately draws the costumer in, and once inside, it is hard to leave.

“Barnes and Noble can be kind of cold, and in my experience, you just sort of go in and if you have a question they type it into a computer and its like: ‘Yes, we have it or I can order it for you,’” said the store’s director, Peter Loftus. “One thing that’s really nice about this job is being able to strike up a conversation and just talk about books for a while.”

The bookstore also hosts a wide array of events for customers throughout the year.

“We have an art gallery that’s on a monthly basis so we do insulations and shows,” Loftus said. “All of the bookshelves are on wheels so it’s really nice to be able to rearrange the space as needed. We also do poetry readings, film screenings and music.”

Similar to Brookline Books, Lorem Ipsum has also become a part of the community.

Brookline Booksmith, located in Coolidge Corner in Boston, has survived as an independent bookstore for 50 years. Dana Brigham is the store’s owner and manager, and said that she credits its success to the store’s uniqueness.

“We have great selection, service and style in place over our 50 years in business and there’s nothing cookie cutter about us,” Brigham said. “Every title or item we carry is selected by us. Every display is created by us.”

The store’s success may also be because of the owners’ involvement with their customers and in the town.

“We know and love our inventory and our community,” Brigham said. “All three owners live locally and are active in town organizations.

Our booksellers are intelligent and extremely knowledgeable.”

Brigham also said that the benefits of shopping locally are immense.

“If local businesses do it right, the experience of shopping local is like

LOREM IPSUM - INMAN SQUARE

“People really like that we are here and that this is a bookstore that’s still around. Since it’s becoming a rarity to see something like this on the street, it’s just really great to see the community warmly embracing the idea of a bookstore,” Loftus said.

TRIDENT BOOKSELLERS & CAFÉ - BACK BAY Trident Booksellers and Café on Newbury Street not only has a wide selection of books, but also a café with an extensive menu. The store’s general manager Michael Lemanski said Trident has a lot of staying power.

“Bookstores were closing all over the place and then a few years ago it sort of steadied out and the ones that were left were the ones that had adapted and really knew what they were doing,” Lemanski said. “Now a lot of people are more interested in buying local.”

Lemanski also said that the convenience of online books does not always make E-books the “better” option.

“You can have all the selection in the world online, which is great, but you can’t have that aspect of wandering through the aisles of a bookstore and stumbling across a book or talking to a bookseller and getting great recommendations,” Lemanski said.

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By Amelia Pak-Harvey Daily Free Press Staff

Future pre-medical students must study psychology and sociology after the Association of American Medical Colleges approved the first major change in the Medical College Admission Test since 1991.

By 2015, the MCAT will have a new section entitled “Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior,” a “Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills” section and two natural science sections, according to an AAMC press release.

The writing section will also be removed from the test after admissions officers claimed the section did not offer significant insight into the applicant, according to the press release.

Dr. Jeff Koetje, the director of pre-health programs for Kaplan Test Prep, said the changes reflect the advances in medical sciences as well as a more holistic approach toward patient care.

“The discussion around the changes to the MCAT are part of a much larger discussion around how we train tomorrow’s doctors,” Koetje said.

Koetje said there is a concern among medical school officials and pre-health advisors to ensure entering students represent a broad range of diverse backgrounds.

This is part of an effort to engage in a holistic review of applicants so that it is not just about GPA and the MCAT score, but also about the activities, experiences and perspectives the applicant brings, he said.

The psychological, social and biological section will test students in areas the AAMC describes as a “solid foundation” on behavioral and sociocultural health.

“The changes to the exam also recognize a growing body of evidence showing that integrating social and behavioral sciences into medical education curricula and clinical practice can improve the health of all patients,” according to the press release.

The natural science sections will include biochemistry, organic chemistry, introductory biology and more.

Koetje said the additional biochemistry component means before the test, students will have to complete biochemistry, typically taken at the end of junior or senior year.

However, the new MCAT may be more restrictive on pre-medical students’ schedule.

“The concern that people have is that with the new coursework requirements for the MCAT, that it will be more of a challenge for students to fit this additional coursework in and maintain a broad interest in other academic areas,” Koetje said.

The Boston University School of Medicine currently requires one year of English composition or literature, humanities, physics and biology with a lab, as well as general and organic chemistry with a lab.

But another challenge, Koetje said, will be that universities will have to examine their current coursework and determine whether they have the right course offerings for pre-medical students.

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2/23/12 10:00 AM

6W

ednesday,

Opinion

February 29, 2012

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 42nd year F Volume 82 F Issue 75

Chelsea Diana, Editor-in-Chief Tim Healey, Managing Editor Steph Solis, Campus Editor

Sydney L. Shea, City Editor

Meredith Perri, Sports Editor

Sofiya Mahdi, Opinion Page Editor

Kira Cole, Features Editor

Audrey Fain, Ricky Wilson, Photo Editors

Praise Hong, Advertising Manager Kaylee Hill, Layout Editor Valeria Morgan, Office Manager The Daily Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Monday through Thursday 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 © 2010 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

‘Ultra’-sound legislation?

Abortion remains one of the prime conversation topics of this election year, and it’s evolution as an issue continues to garner public attention. Advocates for and against abortion have clashed on appropriate proposals to ensure each woman must undergo an ultrasound before procuring an abortion. Initially, the Virginia legislation would have required women to endure an invasive ultrasound, since most abortions are done during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, when proposed legislation was under review, many knew that such extreme measures would deter voters in the Virginia Senate. According to an article published in The Washington Post yesterday, the amended bill promoted an external ultrasound, and was not required for victims of rape or incest. Nevertheless, women who know their developing fetus suffers from birth defects would not be exempt from the ultrasound procedure.

While the bill is moving forward recently, the concept is nothing new. Enforcing a law regarding mandatory ultrasounds has been debated before, but since the Virginia Senate is much more conservative today, there are more members in favor of getting this law passed. According to another article pub-

lished in The Washington Post earlier this month, conservatives intend to take advantage of their situation and pass as many laws on abortion as possible.

While it’s commendable that a compromise has been reached regarding the details of the bill, there are still details that could be oppressive. The bill will require many more ultrasounds and put a significant strain on health resources. Furthermore, the bill is clearly intended as an emotional plea to deter women from getting an abortion at all. Dragging out the decision process where abortion is concerned can elicit much more emotional pain on a potential mother and her family. Furthermore, by deeming rape the only instance where abortion seems more “acceptable,” the legislation will beg a broader question as to what the government deems appropriate circumstances for an abortion. A debate of ethics and morality that cannot be dictated by law alone, for that would be a serious violation of free will. We are at a point financially where the government has to be frugal with its funds, and pouring money into such a convoluted process will put the government and its citizens in deeper trouble.

Film, fraud and the FBI In recent years, banks have come under intense scrutiny for their wrongdoings in trading and financial risks. A stigma emerged against employees in the banking sector; governments and the general public immediately endorsed legal measures to ensure a financial crisis on such a scale would never occur again. However, illegal financial dealings on a smaller scale remain commonplace. Despite such public allegations and increased efforts to alleviate the problem, corporate crimes are still rampant in America. According to an article published by CNN yesterday, the last fiscal year saw more than 200 indictments and convictions of such criminals. Their crimes included money laundering, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud.

One would assume a response would include closer surveillance of suspects or a review of existing practices. Thankfully, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has hired hundreds more personnel to tackle these crimes, many of whom are investigating more than 2,600 cases pertaining to mortgage fraud. However, despite these proactive measures, the FBI has taken an unconventional stance on the issue by hiring a celebrity to deliver a PSA announcement.

Its celebrity of choice is Michael Douglas. When he played Gordon Gekko in the widely popular 1987 film “Wall Street,” his character was a strong advocate for corporate greed and illegal practice. The PSA shows a scene from the movie before Michael Douglas himself urges the public to contact the FBI if they suspect any illegal activity. Perhaps many may perceive this move as an unconventionally commercial approach, which may detract from the overall message. Douglas explains, “The movie is fiction, but the problem is real.”

It is a statement that definitely won’t deter those engaging in monetary fraud, but instead offers a prime example of someone unnecessarily stating the obvious. Appealing to those in touch with popular culture may increase awareness across a wider audience, but its effectiveness as a legitimate warning is questionable.

Celebrity endorsement of a product is strategically sound. Celebrity endorsement in conjunction with an issue of such seriousness makes less sense. Making an association between FBI investigations into fraud and a movie star could result in a serious loss of credibility and inhibit measures that could actually make a difference.

letters@dailyfreepress.com letters@dailyfreepress.com

I’ll try anything once...

Girls, girls, girls Sometimes I go home with a guy, and when I do, I usually go down on him. I’ve been told I’m good at it, and I would hope so, since it happens pretty often. The problem I have is that no guys ever give it back!

It is getting really frustrating when they just say “thanks,” and head out the door.

-After-Party Buffet What parties do you go to, and how can I be that lucky guy? Seriously, APB, you should probably rethink your drunken decisions before you go home and blow dude No. 342. I certainly hope that you are always using condoms, especially with random guys you will probably only sleep with once. In addition to the omnipresent risks of STIs, the New England Journal of Medicine once did a study showing that men and women with more than five oral-sex partners are 250 percent more likely to develop throat cancer.

(Which means that you and I are screwed).

Now, assuming you play it safe each and every time, we’ll move on to the bigger issue of getting you that pleasure you so deserve. (Gentlemen, anyone who will suck for several minutes on something you use to urinate deserves much more than a “thank you”). I did some snooping around, and I think I’ve found some of the biggest reasons a man won’t go down under. He thinks it will smell or taste bad, he believes he might get lost down there or he simply doesn’t know what to do!

Another concern some guys have is that you have a forest growing down there, and he won’t even be able to find your sweet spot. For more information on trimming, see my answer to HDT below. I’m confident this should clear up any problems in that area.

Finally, we come to the meat of the issue: Many guys just don’t know how to perform this delicate task to a woman’s satisfaction! Basically, (and I’m trying to clean this up as much as I can while still giving you the important step-by-step)

LUKE PEARSON

You want to approach this smoothly and slowly. Be gentle, and tease the surrounding area for a few minutes to get her all revved up. (It has been said that most of a woman’s sexual pleasure comes from the prep work, not just from thrusting). After the fireworks, stop immediately. Women become incredibly sensitive after they have an orgasm, and any sudden movements can become painful.

As for your issue, APB, I would stop blowing dudes first. One small preface in the random’s defense: Lady oral is definitely an intimate maneuver, and he may not be ready to do that with any girl, let alone you. In any case, get over to their place, get naked and proposition them for a little oral exchange. You’re now prepared to counter any arguments he might have against performing, and you will even be making him a better lover in the future. As I always say, sex is a conversation, and after your next random hook-up, he might even stick around for seconds.

My girlfriend is hot, and I love being with her, but I have one problem: She has a real bush down there. I’d like to try new things, but it would feel like I’m licking a wool sweater. How can I politely ask her to clean herself up? Hair Down There Trimming, much like penis size, is something that is quite often treated like a secret. Nothing is as disappointing as pulling off some underwear only to find a crazy mess down there. Basically, this is a personal choice, but a quick call to our neighborhood sex shop reveals that most trimmers are adjustable from an quarter inch to an inch. I would err on the shorter side, personally, although I’ve seen all shapes and sizes.

You could approach this with a sort of sexy gift exchange, where you both go to an adult toy store, and get some gifts like handcuffs. Then, while you’re there, pick up a body trimmer, and when you get home, see if you could share the experience. If she likes the way she looks afterwards, (and she sees the kind of gift she’s getting from you, now that you know what you’re doing thanks to the quick guide above) she will probably keep the new hairstyle.

Luke Pearson is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at lpsexquestions@gmail.com

Have an opinion?

Submit a letter to the editor: letters@dailyfreepress.com

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

7

McCARTHY: Three different situations highlight potential role of college athletics McCarthy: From page 8

whether it was an accident or if Huguely made a conscious decision to kill his former girlfriend in a fit of drunken, jealous rage.

Last Wednesday, the jury came forward with a ruling that fell in between those requested by the defense and prosecution: second-degree murder. When the verdict was announced, the jury also recommended a sentence of 26 years for his crimes. It was, to say the least, a tragic ending to a tragic story.

While the trial is now over, the debate about the circumstances surrounding Love’s devastating death still rages on at UVA. From day one, this story was always as much about Virginia lacrosse as it was about Huguely and Love. The media were quick to point out that lacrosse was an especially tightknit and elite community at UVA. Nearly every description of Huguely noted that not only was he a star lacrosse player, but he had also been a starting quarterback in high school.

Huguely had a history of alcohol-related violence, and it seems as if this should have been the focus of the coverage. He was an alcoholic and an abusive boyfriend, and when

the beast inside him reared its ugly head, he couldn’t control it. This should have been the only narrative that mattered.

Always at the forefront, however, was the story of a privileged star athlete who could not handle the fact that his ex-girlfriend had begun dating a player at a rival university. The background became one of college athletics, not the history of abuse.

What does this mean? Is this simply media spin? Or is it possible that the circumstances that led to Love’s death could only have arisen within the bubble of major college athletics?

This past Sunday morning, University of Kentucky star linebacker Ridge Wilson was arrested in Louisville, Ky., with a bag full of Xanax pills and almost $2,000 in cash. According to the arresting officer, he pulled Wilson over because he looked suspicious and he was in a part of the city notorious for drug trafficking.

Upon approaching the car, the officer was immediately informed by Wilson that he played football at the University of Kentucky. After the discovery of the drugs and cash, he continued to nervously tell the officer the he was a football player at Kentucky. In

fact, it is noted on the police report multiple times that he did not stop telling anyone who would listen that he played football at UK. Wilson has since been dismissed from the Kentucky football program, and it is evident that his football career is now over.

The developing story, however, is not one of a player who tragically threw away a promising future for drugs. The part of the story that everyone seems to focus on is Wilson’s immediate and persistent disclosure that he was an athlete for the state’s flagship athletic program.

Many wonder whether he played that card out of desperation, or if there was a realistic expectation that it would make a difference. Some have gone so far as to question whether things would have played out differently had the arrest occurred in Lexington, the home of UK, and not Louisville.

Basically, did Wilson honestly believe that his status as UK football player placed him above the law? If this is the case, was this a realistic assumption on his part? And if so, does Wilson begin dealing prescription drugs without the sense of entitlement gained by being a major college athlete?

The stories of Trivino, Nicastro, Huguely

and Wilson are all very, very different. I do not intend to compare their individual alleged crimes on any level. My intention is to draw attention to the fact that in each case the alleged crimes have sparked similar discussions on their respective campuses.

In all three situations, the spotlight has focused as much on the role of athletics in the alleged crimes as it has on the alleged crimes themselves.

In the past few days, most have wondered why this is happening at BU. Are the recent allegations indicative of a campus wide problem? Or should the blame fall solely on the BU hockey program?

This is natural.

When a national story takes place at home, it is difficult to see anything but the dilemma immediately at hand. As we ask these questions, however, it is important to take note of the fact that ours is not the only campus with an open dialogue. In turn, we must ask ourselves where our unique and troubling problem fits within the national narrative regarding major college athletics and the conduct of its athletes.

Men’s tennis falls to 0-7 as women’s team loses first two of season Roundup: From page 8

Boucher is the second Terrier to earn this award, following in the steps of former Terrier Catherine Ward, who won it last year.

Tutino, who has played in 35 games, is third on the team in goals with 16. She only trails senior captain Jenn Wakefield (26) and junior forward Isabel Menard (17) in the Terriers’ goal column this year. Tutino ranks third among league rookies in points and goals.

Wakefield and Menard also received Hockey East honors yesterday, as Wakefield was named the Hockey East Scoring Champion, and Menard was named the Player of the Month.

Wakefield, who earned her 200th point over the weekend, and Menard, who tallied 17 points in February, had multi-point efforts during BU’s decisive 9-1 win over the University of New Hampshire in the Hockey East quarterfinal on Sunday.

Tennis

GRACE DONNELLY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Senior defenseman Kasey Boucher received the Hockey East Best Defenseman Award on Tuesday.

The BU men’s and women’s tennis teams both struggled this weekend with the men’s team losing its seventh straight and the women’s team dropping both of its meets.

The men’s team (0-7), which concluded a three-match homestand, fell to Fordham University (10-2) Sunday afternoon at the Tennis and Track Center. The Terriers took two singles matches and one doubles match.

Meanwhile, the women’s team (4-2) lost

two matches for the first time this season.

On Friday the Terriers fell to No. 69 Harvard University (2-4). Sophomore Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis and junior Jessi Linero each won a singles match, capturing the Terriers’ only two wins on the day.

The Terriers witnessed a similar outcome on Sunday when they faced off against Furman University (3-5). The Terriers only won a single contest on the day – a doubles win by senior Monika Mical and freshman Sami Lieb.

Track and Field The BU men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the New England Championships this past weekend at BU’s Track and Tennis Center.

The men’s team finished 10th out of 34 teams, earning a total of 26 points. Senior Joel Senick broke the school and meet record in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:01.62. Senick finished second in the event.

BU also claimed second place in the mile, thanks to senior Matt Paulson’s time of 4:02.87, and in the 4x400-meter relay, in which the Terriers finished with a time of 3:11.05.

The women’s team, which earned 24 points during the two-day meet, finished 13th out of 35 teams. The 4x800-meter relay team, which broke the meet record (8:58.73), came in second with a time of 8:56.13.

Sophomores leading the way in points-scoring by BU defensemen Notebook: From page 8

the Terriers failed to convert on either of their power plays that night, ending a string of 14 consecutive games in which BU scored at least one power-play goal.

The paltry showing by BU with the manadvantage over the weekend was surprising, considering the fact that Vermont has the worst penalty kill in the nation (69.7 percent), but the Catamounts and senior goaltender Rob Madore stepped up against BU. “I think goaltending has a huge part in how well you kill penalties, and as I said, I thought Madore played well both nights against us and especially tonight,” said BU coach Jack Parker after Saturday night’s game. “They haven’t done well killing penalties all year, but they certainly showed me a lot of heart tonight.”

BU had just two power-play chances on Saturday night, and the Terriers only put one shot on net during those two attempts. On Friday night, BU had nine power-play opportunities, including a nearly two-minute long 5-on-3 and

a five-minute major. Junior defenseman Sean Escobedo scored on the major penalty, but BU could not capitalize on the 5-on-3.

The Terriers were not terrible on the power play, as they compiled 10 shots through their nine chances. Five of BU’s power plays Friday night came in the third period, when BU was already leading Vermont 5-0. BU had the game in hand at that point, and thus lacked the desperation that can sometimes spark a power play to success.

“We moved the puck pretty well,” said junior forward Wade Megan. “We had our chances. We just didn’t bury it at times. Credit to Madore. He just played a phenomenal first, second game. I think a lot of credit goes to him too.”

Offensive D-men When it comes to point-scoring from the Terrier defensemen, much of the attention focuses on sophomores Adam Clendening and Garrett Noonan. Clendening is tied for second among all skaters on the team with 24 assists,

and Noonan is tied for fourth in goals scored (11).

On Friday night, however, BU saw a flash of offense from an unlikely defenseman: Escobedo.

Escobedo is one of the team’s few truly defensive defensemen. He had recorded just one goal in his Terrier career prior to the weekend.

Then, in the second period of the Terriers’ 5-0 win over Vermont, Escobedo potted two goals to triple his career goal total in a span of just 10 minutes.

“It felt awesome,” Escobedo said of his newly found scoring touch. “I’ve been struggling to score, so it’s nice to get on the score sheet and help the team win.”

Escobedo may not capture the highest goal total among BU defensemen this season since he has just two games to score the nine goals needed to match Noonan. That bleak outlook did not stop the junior from setting lofty goals for himself, however. “I wanted to make sure that going into the last week I would have a chance,” Escobedo said Friday night. “I think

that if I get an eight-goal performance [last Saturday night], I can make it a pretty good competition and take it home.”

Escobedo did not come close to his eightgoal dreams Saturday, as he was unable to record a point in the 3-2 win.

Terrier milestones Junior assistant captain Alex Chiasson recorded two assists over the weekend to move him to 90 career points as a Terrier. Chiasson needs just 10 more points to become the 79th player in BU history to reach the century mark in points. Senior captain Chris Connolly accomplished the feat earlier this season, when he earned an assist on a go-ahead goal in BU’s 2-1 win over the University of New Hampshire on Dec. 8 . . . BU recorded its 20th win of the season via the 3-2 overtime victory Saturday night. This is the first time since 2008-09 and the seventh time since the 2001-02 season that BU has won 20 or more games.

“

Quotable

I think that if I get an eight-goal performance [last Satuday night], I can make it a pretty good competition and take it home.

“

Men’s hockey junior defenseman Sean Escobedo on scoring more goals than teammate Garrett Noonan

Page 8

The Gospel

Sports

Swell Swimming

The Daily Free Press

[ www.dailyfreepress.com ]

The BU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both swept the America East Championships on Sunday for the first time since 1994, p. 8

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Power outage? BU power play lags against UVM

BU hockey scandal part of nationwide problem For almost the last two weeks, the BU campus has been consumed by the allegations against former men’s hockey player Max Nicastro, and the debate as to whether the allegations are indicative of a larger problem on campus.

Taken in conjunction with the dismissal of former teammate Corey Trivino for an incident involving sexual assault in the December, Nicastro’s alleged actions make a trend. Given this concerning reality, some have begun to question the status that the men’s hockey program enjoys on campus, and whether or not it is the ANDREW driving factor MCCARTHY behind Trivino and Nicastro’s actions.

In turn, this has sparked a muchneeded debate about the troubling rise in the commonality of sexual assault and its apparent connection to BU hockey.

In the face of a national story taking place on our own campus, it has been understandably difficult to shift our gaze elsewhere. If one does though, he will find that similar conversations are taking place on other campuses at this very moment as well. The similarities, however, are not in the crimes themselves, but in the underlying theme of the role that major athletics played in their occurrence.

This being the case, it leaves me wondering what the prevailing discussion should be here at BU. Is this solely a problematic connection between BU hockey players and sexual assault? Or should the recent troubles surrounding BU hockey be part of a larger conversation about the overwhelming sense of entitlement some Division I athletes enjoy?

I do not have the answers by any means, but it is certainly something worth exploring further.

On May 3, 2010, University of Virginia women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love was found dead in her Charlottesville apartment. Authorities were quick to apprehend her ex-boyfriend and men’s lacrosse player, George Huguely. Almost immediately, he openly admitted to kicking in her door, violently shaking her and hitting her head against the wall.

It was obvious to everyone, including Huguely, that he had caused the tragic death of Love. It was left up to the jury, however, to decide

McCarthy, see page 7

By Arielle Aronson Daily Free Press Staff

JUNHEE CHUNG/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

After recording just one goal in his BU career, junior defeseman Sean Escobedo scored two goals against the University of Vermont this past weekend.

W. Lacrosse vs. Yale, 4 p.m.

Notebook, see page 7

Weekly Rounup: Swimming and Diving makes waves at Championships

By Meredith Perri Daily Free Press Staff

After participating in the fourday meet, the Boston University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams swept the America East Championship on Sunday night at BU’s Competition Pool.

This marked the first time since 1994 that both teams won the title in the same year.

Two different BU athletes also received honors after the meet.

Junior diver Melinda Matyas, who won the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, was named the Diver of the Meet for the third consecutive season. Matyas has remained undefeated in both events during the three America East Championships in which she has participated.

Meanwhile, freshman Connor Stuewe was named Rookie of the Meet. Stuewe was a member of three winning relay teams, and he

captured two second-place finishes as well as a fourth-place finish.

The Men’s Coaches Award also went to BU as head coach Bill Smyth, assistant coach Jen Strasburger and diving coach Agnes Gerlach-Miller were honored.

Women’s hockey The BU women’s hockey team also received recognition this week as the league announced

that senior Kasey Boucher was given the Hockey East Best Defenseman Award, and freshman forward Kayla Tutino was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Boucher, an assistant captain, has played in 34 games this season. She goes into the Hockey East semifinals on Saturday with a plus-17 rating and 15 points.

Roundup, see page 7

Lacrosse looks to get first win of season against Bulldogs

By Josh Delgado Daily Free Press Contributor

The Boston University lacrosse team will attempt to come back from two straight losses to open its season when it plays its home opener against Yale University Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Nickerson Field.

The Terriers (0-2) will have to stop the momentum of a Bulldog team (1-0) that is coming off a 17-13 win over the College of the Holy Cross.

“It’s not easy starting the season with a couple losses,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “In the beginning it’s always a little shaky, and we have some things to work out.”

In its last game, the Terriers lost to No. 19 Harvard University, 11-9, despite hat tricks from junior attack Danielle Etrasco and freshman attack Mallory Collins. Despite an attempted Terrier comeback with three late goals to

The Bottom Line

Wednesday, Feb. 29

With just one weekend left to play in the regular season, the No. 4 Boston University men’s hockey team remains near the top of the league and national rankings, a sure sign that the Terriers are doing someMen’s thing right.

Hockey One of the Notebook areas in which the Terriers (2011-1, 16-8-1 Hockey East) have really impressed is the power play. BU has the third best power play in the nation, converting on 24.7 percent of its chances. That success rate is somewhat misleading for just how good the power play has been in the second half of the season, as the Terriers are now 25-for-78 (32 percent success rate) with the man-advantage since returning from the holiday break.

But BU’s momentum with the man-advantage stalled during its road trip to Vermont, when the Terriers put up a 1-for-11 showing on the power play over the weekend.

BU beat the University of Vermont on Saturday, 3-2 in overtime, but

Thursday, Mar. 1

No Games Scheduled The 2012 NFL season will not begin on a Sunday, but a Wednesday. This is just further proof the world will end this year.

come within one of Harvard with five minutes remaining, the Crimson bounced back and netted one more goal to seal their win.

The loss marked BU’s worst start to a season since 1998, when BU began the season 0-2 before taking down Boston College in its third game.

In two games, the Terriers have been outshot 54-47 and have trailed their opponents in ground balls and turnovers by margins of 22-30 and 28-22, respectively.

BU has also had some trouble with clears, accumulating a 65.4 clearing percentage to its opponents’ 84.2 percent.

The team has, however, tallied two more saves with 17 to its opponents’ 15.

This season, the Terriers are averaging 23.5 shots, 11 ground balls and 13 draw controls per game. Comparatively, the Bulldogs had 22 shots, 17 ground balls and 17 draw controls in their

one game so far this season.

“I’d like us to be more consistent,” Robertshaw said. “I wasn’t thrilled with the shooting [in the past two games].”

The Terriers are currently shooting at 42.6 percent, and while their opponents have only shot at 44.4 percent, the Bulldogs will come into Nickerson Field shooting at 60 percent. Yale is led by senior Caroline Crow, junior Devon Rhodes and sophomore Ashley McCormick, each of whom scored four goals in Yale’s season opener.

As far as becoming more consistent, Robertshaw will “look for older players to step up.”

Etrasco, who has scored eight goals and tallied two assists, leads the Terriers in scoring.

Also stepping up so far this season is Collins, who is second on the team with five goals.

Collins was recently named the America East Rookie of the Week

for her performance to start the season.

The Terriers will look for assist help from each other more in this upcoming game, as Robertshaw would like the team “to be a bit more team oriented on our attacking end.”

“Unfortunately we are on different pages at times,” Robertshaw said.

Out of the Terriers’ 20 goals on the season, only nine have been assisted. The current assist leader is sophomore attack Elizabeth Morse with three. Etrasco and senior attack Catie Tilton immediately follow with two assists apiece.

Ultimately in today’s game Robertshaw said she is looking for the team to “learn from the games [it’s] had” and become more consistent and efficient in its play, especially offensively.

Robertshaw said, “Our finishing abilities have to improve.”

Friday, Mar. 2

Saturday, Mar. 3

Sunday, Mar. 4

M. Hockey vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m.

W. Basketball vs. TBA, 12 p.m.

Softball @ Memphis, 3 p.m.

Softball @ East Tennessee St., 10 a.m.

M. Hockey @ Northeastern, 7 p.m.

M. Basketball @ Hartford, 3 p.m.

W. Lacrosse @ George Mason, 12 p.m.

Softball @ Middle Tennessee St., 10 a.m

M. Basketball vs. TBA, 7:15 p.m.

W. Basketball vs. TBA, 11 a.m.

Softball @ Louisville, 11 a.m.

W. Tennis vs. Brown, 1 p.m.