2-21-2019

HUNGER STRIKE, 3

IDEAS LOADING, 5

ASK AWAY, 9

CATAMOUNT CHASE, 10

ICE detainees go on hunger strike to protest jail conditions.

Idea Conference on March 2 will focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

How getting advice is the best way to succeed in life.

Men’s hockey to skate against Vermont in Burlington.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR XLVII. VOLUME XCVI. ISSUE IV

BU announces Aminé to headline spring concert Wu against MBTA fare increases

BY NATALIE PATRICK

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

St udent Gover n ment announced just before midnight Wednesday that rapper Aminé will be the headliner for the spring concert, called 802.1, on April 5. Student Body President Devin Harvin said that a goal of his administration has been to increase the amount of events on campus for the entire student body.

“We kind of realized there are only three events that people really come together for throughout the school year, and that’s splash, matriculation and commencement,” Harvin said. “So we wanted to change that narrative, and one of the ways we thought that we could do that was through music and through a concert for the entire student body.”

This will be the first spring concert in five years, according to Harvin.

Harvin explained that at midnight, Student Government hung posters around campus announcing Aminé would be the main event, and then Wednesday morning he sent out an official email to the student body.

“We have about 80 people signed up as volunteers, we have about 1500 posters, and we’re just going to poster the entire campus,” Harvin said Tuesday, “and then by Wednesday morning when my email comes out to students, everyone will know that Aminé will be the artist.”

The name? 802.1 is a nod to the campus Wi-Fi network. Harvin said he wanted it to be something significant to only BU students.

“We wanted to play into that

BY JOEL LAU

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Students have the opportunity to audition to be an opener for the concert, Harvin said. Students and groups have until Sunday to submit a video audition. Harvin said this is so the concert can highlight the talent BU has, in addition to bringing in a popular musician.

“We want to keep it in house,” Harvin said. “We want people to see the talents of different BU students and kind of it being we’re bringing in an artist, but you also get to see the talent BU has.”

Suzie O’Michael, SG’s director of events, said SG collaborated

Boston Cit y Counci lor Michelle Wu released a petition last week protesting proposed increases to fare prices for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Wu’s petition calls for the creation of a free youth and senior pass and the establishment of a new, reduced fare for lower-income riders. The petition states increased costs would only push more riders off the T, which would increase congestion and worsen greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are running out of time to transform our economy and society in the face of climate change, and the Greater Boston region is now confronted with the worst traffic in the nation,” Wu’s petition states. “The proposed fare increase represents a step in the wrong direction when we can’t afford anything less than aggressive progress forward.”

The pla nned increases, announced Jan. 28, would increase prices by an average of 6.3 percent. Charlie Card bus fares will rise from $1.80 to $1.90, and T fares will go up from $2.25 to $2.40, according to the MBTA. Commuter Rail prices would also increase, depending on the rider’s distance from Boston.

In total, the fare increases are projected to raise around $32 million dollars in 2020 and would be implemented on July 1, 2019,

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COURTESY OF DANIEL BENAVIDES/ FLICKR

Aminé at the SXSW Youtube Party in March of 2017. Aminé has been announced to be Boston University’s 802.1 Spring Concert headliner.

and kind of do something where if you don’t go to BU, you just don’t understand, and that’s OK because you don’t go to BU,” Harvin said.

Harvin said that the use of the Wi-Fi name is also a meme because students know the Wi-Fi on campus is unreliable.

SG Chief of Staff Tom Batson said the 802.1 theme will be worked into the set design that SG has created with their production company.

“We have a great stage concert that works in the 802.1 slogan, and it should be a pretty formidable stage for the artist to work with

the crowd and for everybody to see,” Batson said.

Batson said because this is the first year the spring concert is being thrown, members of SG knew they would not be able to find a venue large enough to fit all undergrads. Instead this year is more of a test to see how many students are interested in this kind of event.

“This first year is really sort of a test run to make sure this is confirming that students want this for years coming forward,” he said, “and so we can make it happen on a yearly basis and continue to make it grow.”

Writing class introduced BUild Lab expands programming

BY ALEX LASALVIA

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Along with the introduction of the new BU Hub general education program in the fall, Boston University introduced a revised version of the WR150 freshman writing seminar, called WR152 courses, that puts more of a focus on integrating multimedia skills to students.

These WR152 classes are not a replacement for the existing WR150 format, but are another option for students to choose from. As with all of the freshman writing seminars, students are able to choose from a variety of class subjects. The WR152 classes will involve exploring the seminars’ topics using a format other than the research essay.

These changes are a result of the introduction of the BU Hub, a new university-wide general education program that, according

to the BU Hub website, emphasizes working across disciplines to develop six essential capacities.

The new program was officially instituted in the fall 2018 semester. BU’s Class of 2022 will be the first class held to the graduation standards of the new hub curriculum.

WR152 classes give students a Digital/Multimedia Expression Hub credit in addition to the Writing, Research, and Inquiry and Research and Information Literacy credits that students get from the standard WR150 courses, according to Eric Jarvis, the program manager of the BU Hub. “The Hub is designed to ensure that all BU undergraduates develop the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that will enable them to be lifelong learners and leaders in a rapidly evolving global CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

BY ALEX LASALVIA

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University first opened the doors to its BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center last February, and since then the space has served as a

workshop environment for students across the university to develop their ideas. This semester, the space is introducing three program series aimed at helping students form their ideas into feasible business plans.

RIKI STOUT/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University’s BUild Lab is undergoing changes one year after opening its doors.

The space introduced three new program series this semester to help students form their ideas into business plans.

On Saturday, March 2, the BUild Lab is hosting its second annual Idea Conference. The oneday conference is for students in the Boston area to further delve into different aspects of innovation, according to the conference’s website.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said that the BUild Lab is special because it is open to all BU students.

“If anyone has an idea, it’s a great place to germinate it, work with others who have different skill sets,” Riley said. “It’s a great way to move projects forward.”

Riley said he believes the space has had a “tremendous” impact on campus over the last year.

“There have been so many events, they have provided financial help to student groups. They can apply and receive funding for their ideas. They get financial CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

2 NEWS

City recommends community preservation projects

BY JOEL LAU AND SAMANTHA DOWNING

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department. They took place from Feb. 13-Feb. 19.

Unarmed burglary There was an unarmed burglary reported at 7 p.m. Wednesday at 37 Saint Mary’s St.

Crime threat at Registrar Boston Universit y Police Department got a call from someone at 9:10 a.m. on Friday from the Office of the University Registrar threatening to commit a crime. The case is still active.

Threat at 2 Silber Way There was a report of a written threat based on race, gender, religion, sex at 1:48 p.m. Friday.

Harassment at 900 Commonwealth Ave. COURTESY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh with the National Parks Service Director in March of 2015. Walsh and the Community Preservation Committee recommended 56 projects for funding for local community sites and parks, totaling more than $34 million.

the funding, as the money would be used for repairs to its historic steeple.

“This is the first Romanesque building that H.H. Richardson, the famous architect, designed,” Odams said. “The funding is actually for some of the infrastructure and roofing of the tower, on which there are carvings by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, who is better known for the Statue of Liberty. So it is quite a prominent landmark.”

Odams said the Community Preservation Act made sense, as it is funded by taxes on real estate fees. In turn, the funds are used to preserve important landmarks, increase affordable housing and boost Boston’s appeal.

“People are buying in Boston because of the character of Boston, the uniqueness of Boston,” Odams said. “So there should be a mechanism for restoring and preserving our community, both by maintaining open spaces, providing affordable housing as the rental market goes up.”

As for the application process, Odams said that the church had

been applying for two to three years and had to supply multiple estimates and recommendations to the CPC. “It was an open process of applying,” Odams said. “You would have to come up with estimates of what the work would entail, what the cost would be, an estimate in condition and application and letters from the community and local city councilors.

I believe ours was from [City Councilor] Josh Zakim.”

However, Odams said while the money provided by the City would only enable repairs for a part of the church, he hoped that the CPC’s recommendation would aid in obtaining funding in the future. “[The endorsement] will also help us hopefully to raise additional funds because this is going to take care of the top of the tower,” Odams said. “The tower is 176 feet in height, as well as the rest of the building, so there is a lot of work that can be done, but it is a good first step.”

Aimee Edmondo, 32, of Brookline, said while she thinks

the improvements could be beneficial, funding might be better used in other areas in the city.

She said public transportation, families in need, early childhood development and the Boston Public Schools could really use the funds.

“I do think there’s value in preserving historic sites for other people to enjoy, for taxpayers to enjoy,” Edmondo said. “But I do think that there are other pressing issues that probably deserve funding, as well. I think it’s important to consider all of those aspects before devoting a large chunk of money to basically infrastructure rehabilitation.”

Grace Atherton, 26, of Allston, said she thinks the preservation projects are a worthy cause for the City of Boston to fund.

“It’s a good use of money,” Atherton said. “I think there’s a lot of architecture and buildings in Boston that are worth preserving. I look at old photos of Boston a lot, and a lot of old buildings aren’t there, and they would be beautiful.”

BU looking for students, groups to open for Aminé AMINÉ, FROM PAGE 1 w ith the Student Activities Office to plan the concert.

“Whenever we were working together, administrations said that we had to work with the Students Activities Office,” O’Michael said, “so that’s how we combined Student Government and the Campus Activities Board to make it all happen.”

O’Michael said the week before the concert will be a school-w ide spirit week to i ncrease school spi r it a nd encourage students to attend the event.

“Student Government’s going to be having a spirit week that whole week, so it will be like

crime logs

BY MIA CATHELL

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and the Cit y ’s Communit y Preser vation Committee presented their list of recommendations for projects to receive funding from the Community Preser vation Act this coming fall. The list included a total of 56 projects costing $34 million in total.

After voting on the mayor’s proposed projects on Feb. 11, the CPC settled on the current sites, which are to be voted on again by the Boston City Council in March.

Walsh said in an emailed statement that the Community Preservation Act had done a lot to benefit the entire city. Since it was approved by residents two years ago, it has funded projects in every neighborhood in Boston.

“I am proud to recommend these proposals for funding approval, which will support our community in countless ways,” Walsh said. “We look forward to continuing to use this revenue to build on our work related to affordable housing, historic preservation and open space.”

Each of the proposed projects centers on improving parts of Boston. The North End project, for instance, intends to devote $1 million to Langone Park for waterfront construction and f lood resistant structures. The North End project is also in accordance with the City’s Resilient Boston Harbor and Climate Ready: Downtown initiatives.

Similarly, the East Boston project zeroes in on housing, hoping to allocate nearly $1 million to Grace Apartments for construction of senior citizen and homeless housing. The East Boston project also portions $735,200 to the Aileron development project for building additional cheaper housing and $500,000 for the establishment of a park joining Boston Housing Authority Orient Heights and nearby residences.

Back Bay ’s First Baptist Church will receive $420,000 for preservation and renovation.

Pastor John Odams said he was excited to receive the news of

CAMPUS

different things ever y day,” O’Michael said, “and then the concert will be the finale of the spirit week for the university.”

As for the funding? SG Senate Chair Andrew Chiao explained the Senate approved the money last semester to be allocated for the concert.

Chiao also said members of SG will be spreading the word about the concert, as well as helping on the day of the event by volunteering.

“Student Government members will be assisting in basically getting the word across campus for the announcement tonight and then at the concert itself,” Chiao said during the

day on Wednesday. “Student Government members will be involved in volunteering at the concert.”

Caroline Dollase, a sophmore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks the concert w il l unite students because music is something that most people have an interest in.

“I feel like it’s a good way for a lot of people to join together because not ever yone likes sports, not ever yone likes certain things, but a lot of people like music,” Dollase said.

Taylor Janke, a freshman in the College of Engineering, said she thinks events for the student body would encourage students

to bond with one another.

“It’s school sponsored, so it’s something that’s not super hard for the students themselves to plan and get together,” Janke said.

Lauren Joyner, a sophmore in CAS, said because BU is in a city, she thinks it would be harder to plan large student events.

“There’s a better community, I feel like other big schools throw stuff like that,” Joyner said, “but since we’re in a city, it’s kind of hard, so it would be cool to see how Student Government implements that for our school.”

Sarah Iles contributed to the reporting of this story.

A report stated that annoying, harassing calls and emails were made between Feb. 4 and Monday at 900 Commonwealth Ave.

CITY crime logs

BY HALEY LERNER

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following crime reports were taken from the Boston Police Department crime logs from Feb. 17–20.

Stabbing death in East Boston Officers responded to an adult male suffering from a stab wound in the area of Chelsea Street in East Boston at 1:55 a.m. Sunday. After being transported to a hospital to be treated, the victim died of his injuries Wednesday.

Violent struggle over stolen car Officers approached a car that had been reported stolen out of Malden and spoke to driver of the car, who said he did not know who the vehicle belonged to, on Kenberma Road in Dorchester at 10:39 p.m. Tuesday.

The driver then exited the vehicle, became combative and violently resisted officers’ attempts to put him in handcuffs. The officers were eventually able to restrain him and take him into custody.

Group robbery in Roxbury Officers responded to an incident of a woman who said she was attacked and robbed by four teenagers while walking on Parker Street in Roxbury at around 9:11 p.m. Tuesday. A male in the group shoved the victim to the ground while two other members joined the male in kicking her.

Another member of the group was reported to have filmed the incident on a cell phone. The suspects stole her phone and fled on foot. The teens were located and taken into custody.

NEWS 3

ICE detainees go on hunger strike at Suffolk County prison

BY HALEY LERNER

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Around 70 Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Suffolk County House of Correction have been on a hunger strike since Feb. 15 to call for an end to “abuse and inhumane conditions.”

The detainees have been in contact with Rhode Island-based groups Alliance to Mobilize our Resistance and the FANG Collective. Arely Díaz, an organizer for FANG, said that as of Feb. 18, five detainees were being held in solitary confinement for participating in the hunger strike.

Detainees gave a list of their grievances to jail officials on Feb. 10 and AMOR and FANG received their complaints on Feb. 11, according to a press release from FANG. Díaz said while FANG is not able to say how long every person has been detained, one of the organization’s main contacts has been held at the correctional facility for a month. She said other detainees have told the organization there are people who have been detained for three months.

“I think as a whole, we’re asking that the facility itself provides more transparency about what authorization they have to hold people there for extended periods of time,” Diaz said. “People are being held there for over 90 days, and if [SCHC] does not have any authorization, then they shouldn’t be held there.”

In the letter from the ICE detainees in SCHC, they said cer-

JENNA MANTO/ DFP FILE

Suffolk County Sheriff ’s Department in Boston. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Suffolk County House of Correction have been on a hunger strike since Feb. 15, saying they are experiencing poor conditions.

tain guards are “abusive,” use expletive language with them, make fun of them and ignore their complaints. The detainees also wrote in the letter that the food they are given is “bad” and “bland” and comes in unbalanced portions.

They also claimed that some showers are not working, some sinks do not have hot water and they cannot access the bathroom whenever they need to.

Díaz said FANG is urging people to call the Massachusetts Department of Correction and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to ask them to address the com-

plaints of the detainees.

“They’re asking for hot water,” Díaz said. “They’re asking for an end of abuse from corrections officers. They’re asking for more accountability and transparency regarding them being detained there and not being processed on time. All of it is connected, and we hold all of the demands as very important.”

According to reports from the Associated Press, a jail spokesperson confirmed that the detainees are refusing set meals but said they are still eating their canteen food and drinking fluids.

Steve Rwema, 24, of Brighton, said he thinks people should “absolutely” support the ICE detainees.

“People’s human rights are being abused, and the government has done virtually nothing to impede it or supercede,” Rwema said. “I feel it’s on all of us individually to reach out, find which organizations we can donate to, who we can contact and how we can help in any way possible.”

Rwema also said he does not support ICE and their recent practices.

“To be honest, I feel their tactics of late have been not constitutional and deeply rooted in racism,”

Rwema said. “Targeting hispanic families, demanding documentation out of the blue, detaining people who even offer the slightest bit of resistance or ask questions. Scare tactics.”

Saravanasu Sivaraman, 44, of Allston, said he thinks the detainees should have the right to protest.

He also said while he does not think ICE as an organization is bad, he does think the agency currently is in a downward trend.

“Their policies are being politically motivated rather than any real problems that they are trying to solve,” Sivaraman said. “It’s basically creating a wedge between people, and that’s why it’s not a good thing. They’re supposed to be monitoring people, not prosecuting people, but they are prosecuting people right now.”

Angelina Campagna, 26, of Brookline said she thinks it’s good that detainees are going on a hunger strike if they are not being treated right. She also said she thinks the United States needs to reconsider some of its immigration laws.

“Things definitely need to change,” Campagna said. “I think this should be a safer place for immigrants. I don’t think that our immigration laws are right right now. We’re founded on immigrants, so why aren’t we welcoming them and their cultures.”

Joel Lau contributed to the reporting of this article.

MBTA states fare hikes follow inflation rates within Boston WU, FROM PAGE 1 according to the MBTA. Matt Lawlor is a member of WalkUP Roslindale, which is an organization that advocates for Roslindale to be pedestrian-friendly, and he’s also a co-sponsor of Wu’s petition.

Lawlor said the petition’s goal was to “take the conversation in a different direction” and push the MBTA to prioritize taking small steps to making public transportation free for everyone.

“The T’s focus right now is to approach the question as, ‘Why they need the fare increase?’,” Lawlor said. “I think the petition that Councilor Wu is proposing

reframes the questions as to why we should be encouraging ridership in the T rather than discouraging it.”

The MBTA stated that the proposed rate hikes are in line with both state guidelines and economic inflations — citing the need for funding various projects aimed at improving service and quality, according to the 2019 Fare Increase Proposal.

“Industry best practice is modest increases at regular intervals,” the proposal states. “The MBTA continues to focus on own-source revenue and cost controls, the proposal is consistent with inflation in the Boston area over the past

3 years, and it supports equitable compensation for our workforce.”

However, Lawlor said while he’s confident the increased fares would decrease ridership on the T, there’s no guarantee the higher prices would significantly improve riders’ experiences. “[The MBTA is] hoping that improvements in ser vice are going to come from the realignments they’re doing around bus service as well as new cars on the orange line are going to help mitigate some of that,” Lawlor said.

“But there’s not a lot of belief that that’s exactly how it’s going to play out.”

Lawlor said alternate funding

GABRIELA HUTCHINGS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Green Line B train passing through Commonwealth Avenue. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu started a petition in opposition of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s fare hike in efforts to make a fare-free T.

could come from various sources, which include increasing the gas tax and levying greater fees on ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft.

Rickie Harvey, the chair of West Roxbury Saves Energy — which also co-sponsored the petition — wrote in an email that in order to combat the “ravages” of climate change, Boston needed to take decisive action toward simultaneously addressing social injustice and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“WRSE doesn’t claim to know what all the answers are to the crisis we are confronting,” Harvey wrote, “but we do know that without bold ideas, bold leadership, and the political will to take bold steps right now by elected officials such as Councilor Wu, we have no chance at all of meeting the challenge.”

In order to avert “unthinkable disaster,” people need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — and the transit system is a good place to start, according to James Michel.

Michel co-founded the Boston Clean Energy Coalition and also co-sponsored the petition.

“We know that a system which encourages public transportation over a massive fleet of individual vehicles is part of the solution, along with electrification of all vehicles,” Michel wrote in an email. “Paying for public transportation from the general fund properly emphasizes the public benefit of the system.”

Scott Cobban, 37, of Brookline, said he is not worried about the

fare increase personally and supports the MBTA’s intention to better its services. However, he understands portions of the population would suffer from the rising prices.

“I think every time there is a fare increase, there is a percentage of the population that isn’t able to continue to use the services on a regular basis,” Cobban said, “and I imagine that is the population that is relying on these services, so I’m torn on the idea.”

Brighton resident Sara h O’Reilly, 28, said she supports Wu’s initiative because it would open public transportation to those who need it the most.

“Especially in a growing city with increasing rents and a greater difficulty of maintaining a certain standard of living,” O’Reilly said, “having free public transportation is necessary in creating greater equity for people to access schooling, living situation and unfortunately the multiple jobs that people need to make a living in this city.”

Katelyn Noyes, 27, of Allston, said while she was optimistic the proposed increases would go toward improving service, she said she thought that the T did not have a good track record with previous rate hikes.

“They said last time when they raised [the fares] that they were going to make lots of improvements, but I haven’t seen many of those improvements,” Noyes said, “so if they raise it, hopefully something good comes out of it.”

4 NEWS

New WR152 classes focus on integrating multimedia in classroom WR152,FROM PAGE 1

community,” Jar vis wrote in an email. “Building skills with digital and multimedia tools represents an important facet of students’ preparation for the future.”

BU professors from the Writing Program have embraced this new curriculum. Marisa Milanese, who teaches a WR152 course called BU and the Culture of College, said that her teaching has been moving in a multimedia direction for a while, so this course was a good fit for her.

“I see how intelligently and enthusiastically students engage with different forms of text, with different media, and thought, ‘OK, let’s go for it and make it happen at the 152 level’,” Milanese said.

Milanese said she and her class have really been enjoying this new format. Her students have already gotten experience with digital media by creating man-on-the-street-ty pe video interviews.

Other Writing Program professors, including Gavin Benke and Rebecca Kinraide, said they chose to teach WR152 because their topics worked well in that format.

“The specific topic of my class, which is the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession, lends itself to a multimedia course,” Benke wrote in an email. “This is an event that unfolded in the

GABRIELA HUTCHINGS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A Boston University student studies in the College of Arts and Sciences Writing Center, located in the Yawkey Center for Student Services. BU introduced a revised version of WR150 classes, called WR152, that place a greater focus on integrating multimedia skills.

twenty-first century, and because of this, many of the primary documents and artifacts we’ll talk about this semester were produced in different multimedia formats.”

Benke added that he thinks instruction in multimedia texts is beneficial because they are becoming more and more present in our lives and, therefore, have a greater impact on students.

Kinraide, who teaches a WR152 course called Citizen Science, said her students work through a variety of genres.

“They don’t just write papers,” she said. “They do a powerpoint

presentation, they do a big digital poster at the end of the semester, so it was a natural fit for 152.”

Kinraide said it’s important for students to have this type of exposure to genres besides argumentative essay writing, including oral, digital and multimedia communication.

She added although she likes the variety of the class, she is aware that students don’t learn as much about academic essay writing.

Kinraide said there is a difference between the way students already use digital media and the skills they need to use them

effectively, and that’s what these courses are teaching.

“Just like everybody knows how to write but not everybody knows how to write well, that’s why we have these required classes,” Kinraide said. “Anybody can have a Twitter account, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all created equal.”

Kelly Murtagh, a freshman in the School of Hospitality Administration, is taking a WR152 class this semester and said the class is good for fulfilling Hub credits and learning transferable skills.

“It’s good because we get

another Hub unit out of it, and we learn the skills we that we can use in other classes in the future,” Murtagh said.

Matthew Segalla, a sophomore in the Col lege of Communication, said he thinks this new format is an improvement from the old WR150 classes, which he said could have benefited from a greater emphasis on multimedia studies.

“Realistically in life the things you’re going to need to be writing that would be more important are not going to be essays,” Segalla said. “It depends on what you’re going into, but, still, it’s more important to have general writing skills to do more things like draft business letters and emails and stuff.”

Chris Capaccio, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences who is currently taking a WR152 class, wrote in an email he thinks these classes present a problem for students who don’t have access to the necessary technology.

“I think the 152 section is a bigger problem than BU realizes,” Capaccio wrote. “It requires Adobe [P]remiere and not all computers can run it (mine included). But what happens if you’re in a situation like mine where you can’t use the software that BU requires [...] and you are really tight on money, therefore you can’t upgrade your computer?”

One year since BUild Lab opening, continues to expand in scope BUILD,FROM PAGE 1

support, a space to work and collaborate,” Riley said. “There are lots of bright young students on campus, and the BUild lab is a tremendous creative place to foster that,” he said.

The BUild Lab hosts weekly events a nd workshops, such as Protot y ping Fridays and a Startup Law Clinic Talk ever y Thursday. The space will hold a n open m ic Month ly Idea Night on Thursday, Feb. 25, as well as a Pitch and Pizza venture competition, according to its events calendar.

T he BUi ld Lab recently launched a four-part program called the “Funding Series” to teach st udent entrepreneu rs how to raise capita l for their ideas.

Maggie Whitney, a senior in the College of Communication, said although she doesn’t know much about the space, she likes the idea of having a place dedicated to innovation on campus.

“I work at t he Ha r i r i Institute, which is all about providing students with the ability to explore their ideas and give them funding, so I think it’s a really good idea,” she said.

W h itney sa id she th in ks having updated study spaces on campus is important.

“It entices students to come study there,” Whitney said. “So ma ny students now study at Starbucks even though we have these other spaces.”

Olivia Previte, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health a nd Rehabi l itation Sciences,

said she is interested in ways she could utilize the BUild center for her major.

“I’d really be interested in learning more about different innovations in the health field,” Previte said. “I know that there are so many different fields that that can be applied to. I think it’s really cool we have such a great opportunity on campus.”

Rishabh Bhandari, a junior in the Col lege of A rts a nd Sciences, sa id he l i kes that BU has an innovation center because it ma kes the univer sity more comparable to other Boston schools.

“I k now that MIT a nd Ha r va rd a nd a l l those other colleges have them, so the fact that BU actually has this stuff is pretty nice,” he said. “I’m a fan.”

RODRIGO DE LA MAZA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A Boston University student at the BUild Lab. The BUild Lab opened one year ago last February, and the center is currently preparing for its second annual Idea Conference on March 2.

CAMPUS CALENDAR: activities on campus this week Want your student group event featured here? Email editor@dailyfreepress.com with details.

THURSDAY, FEB. 21

FRIDAY, FEB. 22

SATURDAY, FEB. 23

SUNDAY, FEB. 24

MONDAY, FEB. 25

A Doctor’s Visit

#BUcityplanning Movie Screening

Edge Dance Company

The Next Edition

Opioid Epidemic and Harm Reduction

72 E. Concord St. (BU School of Med) 5:30 p.m.

CAS-B36, 725 Commonwealth Ave. 6 p.m.

Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Ave. 7 p.m.

WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Ave. 10 a.m.

BU Kilachand Center, 610 Commonwealth Ave. 5:30 p.m.

Hosted by BU School of Medicine

Hosted by Boston University City Planning and Urban Affairs Program

Hosted by BU Edge Company

Hosted by The Daily Free Press

Hosted by BU School of Social Work

FEATURES 5

BUSINESS

Students, staff prepare for BUild Lab’s Idea Conference

BY JENNIFER SURYADJAJA

and former BU students, along with other entrepreneurs and business In a one-day conference focusing owners. Pablo Ferreyra, a senior in on innovation and entrepreneurship, the College of Engineering and CEO the Boston University BUild Lab of VERTO, Inc., a startup that helps IDG Capital Student Innovation students buy and sell used goods, will Center is hosting its second annual co-emcee for the conference.

Idea Conference on March 2. Ian “It’s all about embracing your Mashiter, the BUild Lab’s manag- impact, so we’re bringing in experts ing director, said students from the from all over the industry in the Boston area are invited to “explore Greater Boston area to lead workideas of every kind” throughout the shops, keynotes, as well as panels to conference. help you at any stage,” Ferreyra said.

“We really want this to be seen Ferreyra said he’s leading a workas a student event,” Mashiter said. shop about building a startup from “There’s lots of entrepreneurship one’s dorm room, which is what he conferences in Boston, but they don’t did with VERTO, Inc. come from a student perspective but “[I’m] really just trying to pass an older entrepreneur.” on some of the lessons that I learned The managing director said during this process for the students this year’s keynote speaker, Anjali that may be just starting or have Kumar, was invited to speak on inno- started and trying to expand,” he vation and diversity. According to said. her website, Kumar — a BU School The Idea Conference became a of Law alumna — is an “idea acu- reality last year, and it was a success, puncturist,” largely because of her according to Mashiter. Last year, experience working with all stages Mashiter said 250 were in attendance. of development for a large range of This year, he’s hoping to up that companies, including YouTube and number 100. He said Adm_BostonUniversityAd_11_19_18.pdf 1 by 1/24/19 1:53the PM increase Warby Parker. in workshops and speakers will help Other speakers include current provide students who attend the conDAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

ference with a broader choice of what they want to learn.

Mashiter said members of Innovate@BU, which offers programs at the BUild Lab, have been planning this conference for the past year. The team has been brainstorming topics for speakers to discuss — like what it takes to build a tech startup and solutions to societal issues.

“We’ve been working hard at this, meeting every week and really trying to provide a variety of programming to suit all of the varied interests of students,” Mashiter said.

“A huge range of programming will be offered.”

The conference will start at 8:30 a.m. and go until 5 p.m. Mashiter explained that the morning sessions will consist of current students speaking about their experiences creating businesses. He said he hoped for attendees to be inspired by their peers in these morning sessions.

In the afternoon, various business professionals will talk about how they set up their business, the materials needed to start one and

how to keep it alive. He said the evening will close with the keynote speaker “to inspire students.”

The Idea Conference is a day to think out of the box for a creative, yet meaningful business idea, according to Ferreyra. He said for those still searching for that vital part of a business, he hopes the conference will inspire others to find purpose.

“The end is really going to be about how to find that deeper meaning, the purpose behind every startup, the purpose behind every innovation,” Ferreyra said. “I’m really excited, I think it’s going to be a fun event.”

To prepare for the conference, Ferreyra and fellow emcee Archell Thelemaque, a College of Communication sophomore, had to work with speakers and school administration to fine tune the events of the day. They also spent time reading Kumar’s latest book, so they’ll be prepared to introduce her on March 2.

“We’ve truly done a lot of outreach and talking to our network here in the Greater Boston area,

really trying to get people involved, and also learning how to market a conference like this,” Ferreyra said.

Shena Lohardjo, the startup manager at Innovate@BU and a senior at the Questrom School of Business, wrote in an email that she is most excited about meeting and hearing from BU-based entrepreneurs.

“The IDEA conference is an excellent opportunity for students to explore different facets and types of entrepreneurship,” Lohardjo wrote. “The speakers we have lined up come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences that really show the different ways that entrepreneurship can manifest.”

Mashiter said he wants the Idea Conference to be not just be for BU students — but for other students on nearby campuses. He said he knows of students from various colleges that will be attending and is excited about the outreach thus far.

“We really want to establish this as a regular event in the BU calendar and for students to really feel this is like a go-to event and an event where they not only get information, but get inspiration,” Mashiter said.

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6 FEATURES

SCIENCE

BUSM professor finds potential new treatment for melanoma

BY ROSHNI KOTWANI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Although melanoma — a type of skin cancer — is expected to claim 7,230 lives this year, according to the American Cancer Society, new hope for treating the disease is in the works at Boston University.

The number of melanoma victims may decrease in the coming years with the use of a new drug compound, according to research

by Rutao Cui, a BU School of Medicine professor.

“Skin cancer is frequently diagnosed, and melanoma is the deadliest form,” Cui said.

According to a BU Research article, melanoma is a form of skin cancer in which harmful ultraviolet light damages the DNA of skin cells. Around 25 percent of all melanoma cases are caused by a mutation in the NRAS gene. These mutated NRAS genes then activate several other genes in the body, ultimately encouraging dangerous unregulated cell growth.

Cui said the current melanoma treatments — immunotherapy and targeted therapies — are not effective for patients that have mutations in the NRAS gene.

The NRAS gene belongs to the RAS family of oncogenes, which Cui and his team have been dedicated to studying. Cui said the process of discovering the genetics behind NRAS-specific melanoma was very difficult.

“We tried to step-by-step to use models to eventually find some tar-

geted inhibitors for RAS,” Cui said.

“NRAS is very hard to target.”

A major key to his progress was the advanced technology used in the research, according to Cui. Gayatri Bajaj, a junior in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, worked in research on the genetics of Alzheimer’s through a work study program. She said technology developments have opened up great opportunities for researchers.

“There is so much new technology that is up and coming in the biotech world that is sure to help out medical professionals and researchers overcome some of the technological limits they might be facing now,” Bajaj said.

After ample time and the use of this technology, Cui and his team targeted a protein called STK19 that is responsible for activating the NRAS gene, as explained in his recently published paper.

Adam Lerner, a professor at BUSM, said the STK19 protein had some unusual properties.

“What’s striking is that the STK19 doesn’t cause melanoma itself but instead seems to collaborate with mutant NRAS,” Lerner said.

Cui’s team designed a drug compound to block the effect of STK19 on NRAS. The drug effectively prevented activation of NRAS, thus preventing the spread of melanoma.

According to Lerner, this development has impressed both doctors and scientists alike.

“People have tried for many years to come up with ways of treating cancers in which RAS genes are mutated,” Lerner said. “[Cui] has identified a drug that quite specifically inhibits STK19. This is quite an incredible feat.”

Currently, this drug is being tested on mice and cell cultures.

In the future, Cui said he hopes to expand the testing of this drug to humans.

“We want to perform some clinical trials,” Cui said. “Some patients said they are looking forward to this new drug and want to take part in trials. We have received emails from patients from all over the world. They all want to partake.”

Lerner said the study must be very thorough because not all drugs have the ability to go from being tested on tissue cultures to humans. Lerner mentioned that presumably the next step for this drug would be contacting pharmaceutical companies.

Such companies could mass produce this drug that stops STK19 to help treat melanoma patients with whom immunotherapy proves ineffective.

Beyond targeting melanoma in particular, Cui said the discovery of STK19’s effect has the potential to cure other forms of cancer, as well.

“I believe [the drug] is also critical for patients with other types of cancer such as pancreatic or lung cancer,” Cui said. “Thirty percent of all cancers have RAS mutations.

ARTS

Right now I’m trying to extend our research to other RAS tumors, but unfortunately we haven’t gotten success yet. I hope we can get some good results in the near future.”

Bajaj commented on the potential that younger generations have to treat cancer.

“We have witnessed the effects of disease strike our loved ones, and at the same time have seen the wonders of medicine,” Bajaj said.

“Armed with this knowledge and

experience, I feel that our generation is coming into the medical field ready to make a difference.”

Cui said he hopes that with newly developed drugs and increased awareness, rates of cancer will fall in the future.

“It is hard to completely treat cancer,” Cui said. “In the past five to 10 years, we got a lot of breakthrough with immune and targeted therapies. Eventually, we can get very good results.”

RACHEL SHARPLES/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University School of Medicine professor Rutao Cui and medical student Chengqian Yin in their on campus research lab. Cui is leading an international research team, which has discovered a potential new way to stop the progression of melanoma.

BU storytelling club creates community for creative communication

BY MICHELLE BRANDABUR DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In an effort to provide a space for students of various backgrounds and majors to creatively share their ideas, Shubhankar Arun and Aboli Goghari created Quote Unquote.

Arun, a junior in the College of Communication, and Goghari, a junior in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, are both international students.

Together they founded Quote Unquote to build a sense of community on campus last fall.

Though its an unofficial club on campus, the founders said it is somewhere for students to be able to tell stories and share their own unique experiences.

“For me, when I have an idea, I like to share it with people,” Arun, who also writes for the sports section of The Daily Free Press, said.

“I thought it would be nice to form a small community that could give students a space to gather.”

Goghari said that since October, Quote Unquote has become more structured and focused on creativity.

“Coming from any major, students are pushed to talk, engage and think differently,” Goghari said.

Quote Unqoute meets for an hour each Thursday, and students are encouraged to explore different areas of expression such as theater, improvisation and storytelling,

according to Arun.

“In our last meeting, we looked at the art of conversation. Today we will be focusing on dramatic storytelling and theatrics,” Arun said. “It is a safe space to work on yourself.”

In last Thursday’s meeting on Feb. 14, Quote Unquote focused on self expression in different forms.

Club members paired up and had a discussion with one person communicating only through text and the other person through speaking.

Arun said it was interesting “to see and understand how good a person is at each of these tasks.”

Quote Unquote began because the two were interested in meeting more people from the student body, according to Arun.

“We wanted to expand our exposure on campus and connect with different communities,” Goghari said. “Because BU is so big, it can be isolating for communities. We wanted a place where people can

come and interact.”

Quote Unquote is structured with specific activities and exercises as the focus of each meeting, according to Arun, but the club remains open and free to all members who are interested in bringing their skills. He said one of his friends may come to a club meeting to teach a guitar lesson.

Along with each member bringing their own skill set and story, the club’s dynamics allow for students

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELA HUTCHINGS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Shubi Arun, a junior in the College of Communication, and Aboli Goghari, a junior in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, founded the Quote Unquote club. Their goal was to create a place where students can creatively tell stories and share their experiences.

to challenge themselves in new creative fields, Arun said.

“I find it intimidating,” Goghari said. “But I am excited to get better at that and put myself up to the challenge.”

At the that same meeting, six members of Quote Unquote convened to showcase their skills in expression and storytelling. The club emphasizes friendly energy with interactive activities throughout the meeting to help the members engage with one another and be creative, according to Arun.

Anuj Jain, a College of Arts and Science junior and a member of Quote Unquote, discussed his favorite moments of the community.

“The fact that you can talk to anyone so easily makes the club special,” Jain said. “It helps me to come out of my shell and have a meaningful conversation with people. It is a safe space to be yourself.”

Jain said he has been a member of Quote Unquote from the beginning and knew several of the members from his high school in India.

“Initially we would all share stories from our past,” Jain said.

“Someone would start a story, and because we mostly all knew each other very well, someone else would finish it. It was a good mix being able to talk about your story and hear others tell theirs, too.”

FEATURES 7

COMMUNITY

Chinatown holds parade to celebrate Chinese New Year

BY ROSHNI KOTWANI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

With vibrant red and green f lags in the air, traditional lions snaking down the streets and restaurants teeming with customers, the streets of Chinatown were filled with people celebrating Sunday.

The Lion Dance Parade was part of the celebrations for the Chinese New Year, which was on Feb. 5. Many people view the day of the Chinese New Year as a foreshadowing of the rest of the year, according to a Chinahighlights article. For some, it’s important to make these observances eventful, traditional and meaningful.

James Chen, a participant in the day’s celebrations, shared that he has been volunteering in these parades for the past 10 years. This year, he was helping to hold flags behind one of the lions.

Chen said Chinese New Years meant celebrating traditions with “family get togethers, dumplings and red envelopes.”

Chen was accompanied by hundreds of other members of the Chinese community dancing under lions symbolizing good luck for the upcoming year, as well as playing drums and symbols in unison.

Several Boston University clubs were also in attendance at this particular Chinese New Year celebration, such as the BU Kung Fu Club.

The Kung Fu Club aims to teach students an array of Chinese martial arts at several different skill levels, according to the BU Fitness and Recreation website.

After vigorous practice, the club ultimately holds performances in which the members display their mastery of several different forms and appreciation for this traditional Chinese hobby.

BU School of Medicine student and first-year member of

GABRIELA HUTCHINGS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston’s Chinatown annual New Years parade, held Sunday, was filled with lion dancers, fireworks and martial artists.

the Kung Fu Club Darian Fard explained that his club is involved in the Chinese New Year parade to interact with the Chinese community members in Boston. “[Parade organizers] have us come and hold the f lags and drums and do the dance. We do this every year,” Fard said. “You make a lot of friends, so it’s really nice. Also you meet people from other clubs.”

While clubs such as the Kung Fu Club were directly involved with the New Year’s festivities, others, such as the Asian Student Union, dedicate their meetings and club time to commemorating the holiday at school.

“Since it is such an important holiday, ASU does try to incorporate the celebration of the Chinese New Year no matter if

ROSHNI KOTWANI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston’s Chinatown celebrates Chinese New Year. Bright colorful flags, decorations and performers flooded Chinatown during the parade.

it is including it as our theme for our general meeting or going on a ‘cASUal’ popup to a Lunar New Year celebration at the MFA,” Joseph Kao, ASU Upperclassman Representative and Questrom School of Business junior, wrote in a text.

A cco r d i n g to Chen, whether it is in Chinatown or Commonwealth Avenue, Boston residents, both those who are Asian or not, enthusiastically congregate to honor the rich Chinese culture during this time of year.

“As you can see, a lot of people come to visit, even those that are not Chinese,” Chen said. “They like to see what’s going on in the tradition and get involved in the culture.”

As a non-Chinese student,

Fard said this occasion sparks his curiosity to take part in cultural events that were once unknown to him. Throughout the parade, Fard held up a blue f lag representing the Kung Fu club, taking in the scene for his first time.

“If you are from that culture, it’s like a huge deal, you know,” Fard said. “If you go to China right now it’s huge. This is just what it’s like in Chinatown, so imagine what it’s like in China.”

Kao said though Boston is thousands of miles away from the country, he said the community’s acceptance and willingness to learn about the Chinese culture is rather remarkable.

“I think the Chinese culture is accepted and celebrated in Boston, especially within BU, because it is so diverse here, and

everyone values each other’s traditions,” Kao said. “The Asian cultural clubs do make an effort, and even the BU Dining Halls have a Chinese New Year Menu.”

With the increasing number of international students at BU each year, Kao said the respect for culture at this school seems to be well-shared and well-spread.

As BU and the remainder of the Boston community continue to take part in such momentous cultural occasions, Boston may very well become home to a culturally accepting, diverse populace.

“Everyone has their own culture, and as long as we’re allowed to express these cultures without getting in the way of other people, I think we definitely should be allowed to do it,” Fard said.

GABRIELA HUTCHINGS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Chinese lion dancers performing outside the Gates of Chinatown for their annual Chinese New Years parade Sunday.

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL

Hate groups rise as President Donald Trump stays silent The Southern Poverty Law Center, a population. The U.S. Census Bureau proj- Globe. An officer patrolling the Winthrop targeted groups. prestigious civil rights watchdog group ects that white people won’t be a majority Street apprehended the three men after not When 11 Jewish congregants were founded in 1971, released its annual “The by 2044, but will be a plurality instead. cooperating, according to the Globe. killed in a synagogue last year, the counYear in Hate: Rage Against Change” The issue of hate groups and racism is On Twitter, Trump has used “extraor- try came together to address the brutally report. The total number of hate groups prevalent throughout the United States — dinarily low IQ person,” “crazy” and anti-semitic act of terrorism. The attack rose to 1,020 in 2018, up about 7 percent Massachusetts included. According to the “unhinged” to describe Democratic struck the center of Pittsburgh’s vibrant from 2017. While the number of hate SPLC, 10 hate groups existed in the state California Congresswoman Ma xine Jewish community which is home to many groups experienced a decline every year in 2017, but in 2018 there were 14 — an Waters, who is the Ranking Member of the synagogues, kosher restaurants and bakerbetween 2011 and 2014, every year since increase of almost 50 percent. All of the Financial Services Committee. ies. We must ref lect on the political rhetthey have risen. newly formed hate groups were classified Trump hasn’t just attacked those from oric that led to this malicious hate crime.

It is impossible to talk about the rise of hate groups without mentioning President Donald Trump. This president has brazenly used open and suggestive racist language, which can only contribute to the rise of hate in our county. There have always been hate groups, but when the president doesn’t clearly denounce them, it creates a safer environment for hate.

There have been many opportunities for him to denounce extremist groups, but he hasn’t.

The SPLC found the majority of U.S. hate groups are white nationalist, neoNazi, racist skinheads and neo-Confederates. The Ku Klux Klan, which the as general hate, anti-muslim, neo-nazi or the opposing party. He’s attacked former In 2017, according to FBI statistics, SPLC has legally battled, is on the decline. white nationalist.

White House aide Omarosa Newman, there were 7,106 single-bias incidents that White nationalist groups rose by almost On Feb. 14, white nationalist posters NBA’s LeBron James and CNN anchor involved 8,493 victims. While 58 percent 50 percent last year, increasing from 100 were plastered in East Boston. One of the Don Lemon in a similar, intellectually of hate crimes were motivated by race, ethchapters in 2017 to 148 in 2018. posters showed a muscular man carrying demeaning fashion. nicity or ancestry, 22 percent were motiYet the center also claimed that black an American flag. In bold, above the image, The racist, delegitimizing language vated by religion and about 16 percent by nationalist groups are also gaining popu- read “Patriots! Reclaim your birthright.”

Trump uses about black political figures sexual orientation. larity. Trump has sparked a rise in black Beneath the image the text continued, and celebrities cannot be viewed in isolaUnfortunately, with elections coming nationalist hate groups. There was a surge “Your ancestors did not die fighting, gener- tion from our nation’s sins of racism and up, it is highly unlikely that hate groups from 233 in 2017 to 264 in 2018. These ations after generation, to conquer and sus- discrimination that still haunt us to this — and hate more generally — will lose popgroups are typically anti-Semitic, anti- tain this nation only for it to be subverted day. ularity. Partisanship leads to a lack of comLGBT and anti-white but, unlike white and destroyed now by a rootless, global Hate groups are destructive against munication that breeds a furthering divide nationalist groups, have little inf luence elite. Reconquer your birthright, and forge justice and civility. The phrase “hate in the country. With this divide, extremist in politics. a new America.” group” should not be used lightly. These groups — whatever their ideology — f lourThis comes in the context of a rising Three men were accused of posting groups abuse freedom of speech to such a ish. As a nation, we must find and discuss share of minorities of the United States’ these f liers, according to The Boston degree that they threaten the livelihood of what unites us rather than what divides us.

I

t is impossible to talk about the rise of hate groups without mentioning President Donald Trump. This president has brazenly used open and suggestive racist language, which can only contribute to the rise of hate in our county. There have always been hate groups, but when the president doesn’t clearly denounce them, it creates a safer environment for hate.

CROSSWORD

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DOWN

ACROSS 1. “Gee!” 5. Stogie 10. Phone 14. Diva’s solo 15. Saying 16. Found in some lotions 17. A young fish 19. Smack 20. Mist 21. Shorthand 22. Thin 23. A canvas shoe 25. Mops 27. Solidify 28. Term for food poisoning 31. Express audibly 34. Do without 35. Petroleum 36. Absorb written material 37. Compel 38. Picnic insects 39. A leg (slang) 40. German iris 41. A friction match

Shaun Robinson, Editor-in-Chief

42. Male rulers 44. French for “Good” 45. Foe 46. A pear-shaped drinking vessel 50. Very slow in tempo 52. Herbs 54. French for “Friend” 55. Murres 56. Greeting 58. Jewelry 59. Bay window 60. Kitty (poker) 61. Border 62. Filched 63. Previously owned

1. Hooks 2. Heavenly hunter 3. Burn slightly 4. Witch 5. Syndicate 6. Lazybones 7. Acquire 8. Doubters 9. Regulation (abbrev.)

10. Yellowish melon 11. Passing references 12. Give temporarily 13. Past tense of Leap 18. Glacial ridge 22. Contest 24. Matured 26. Interlaced 28. City in France 29. Anagram of “Tine” 30. If not 31. Desire 32. Squad 33. Meddling 34. A nervous wreck

37. Not “To” 38. Parental sister 40. Chocolate cookie 41. Civet-like mammal 43. Captivate 44. Flask 46. Barbarous 47. Showers 48. Overact 49. Delineated 50. Attraction 51. Dry 53. Hodgepodge 56. Mayday 57. Letter after sigma

Diana Leane, Managing Editor

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

47th year | Volume 95 | Issue 4 The Daily Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is printed Thursdays during the academic year except during vacation and exam periods by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a nonprofit corporation operated by Boston University students. No content can be reproduced without the permission of Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright © 2019 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Audrey Martin, Campus Editor Haley Lerner, City Editor Sam Drysdale, Features Editor Nick Telesmanic, Sports Editor

Max Berman, Editorial Page Editor Gabriela Hutchings, Photo Editor Michal Shvimer, Blog Editor

Chloe Qin, Layout Editor Ananya Panchal, Multimedia Editor Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

OPINION 9

MODERN MUSINGS:

COLUMNS

THAT’S RIGHT, SIR:

There’s a connection between Just because you hear advice domestic and gun violence doesn’t mean you have to listen

BY AUSMA PALMER COLUMNIST

It happened again. Last Friday, yet another mass shooting occurred — this time in Aurora, Illinois. The shooter, Gary Martin, took the lives of five people at the warehouse he worked at just minutes after being fired. He was killed by police during the shootout.

The shooting comes as no surprise to a country that has yet to really confront the issue of gun violence. This was already the 39th mass shooting — where four or more people are shot or killed in a single event excluding the shooter — of 2019 in the United States, out of 43 days.

But Martin had something in common with perpetrators of other mass shootings that cannot be ignored: a history of domestic violence.

The shooter was known to be abusive to his girlfriend — he would kick and beat her frequently, and once hit her with a baseball bat and stabbed her with a knife. In addition to the felony conviction he received for the abuse, he was arrested six other times in other incidents.

Despite spending a few years in jail, after his release, he was able to buy a gun. Federal law prevents felons from purchasing or owning guns, but various loopholes and certain amendments allow felons to request “relief” from those restrictions, which is how guns continue to fall into the hands of convicted domestic abusers.

Martin even had his gun license revoked five years ago after his felony conviction came up in a background check, but somehow he was still able to get the gun he killed victims with on Friday.

Mass shootings are often perpetrated by those with a history of domestic violence. The Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was reported to police several times for domestic disturbances, including physically assaulting his mother.

The Pulse nightclub shooter, Omar Mateen, beat his wife. The Las Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock, frequently verbally harassed his girlfriend in Starbucks. In 54 percent of the

mass shootings that occurred between 2009 to 2016, shooters killed their partners or family members, according to Everytown for Gun Safety’s website.

Despite the overwhelming evidence to suggest domestic violence plays a role in mass shootings, people have yet to acknowledge it as a major issue in the gun control debate.

None of the aforementioned men were ever convicted of domestic violence, and they were able to freely buy the guns they committed mass murder with. And although federal law prevents domestic abusers from buying or owning guns, many are still able to get their hands on guns in a variety of ways with ease.

Firstly, only 37 states have laws in place that have laws that require law enforcement to remove guns from individuals prohibited from owning firearms. Then there is the issue of what qualifies as domestic abuse.

If a person is convicted of assault rather than domestic abuse, which often happens if the abuser and the victim aren’t married, don’t live together or don’t have children, the abuser’s gun rights are protected. While countless mass shootings could’ve been stopped if stronger gun laws were in place — and the current laws were properly enforced — the fact of the matter is that domestic violence would still have occurred.

Especially in the cases of Cruz, Mateen and Paddock, who were never convicted of domestic violence but whose abusive behavior was well known to others, gun control laws would not have prevented them from obtaining guns.

So in addition to addressing the circumstances that enabled more violence and bloodshed, we must also address the root of the problem: a culture where abusers face few consequences and victims’ cries for help are too often ignored.

In the national gun control debate that inevitably rears its head after any mass shooting, any discussion about a shooter’s history of domestic violence gets drowned out by the cacophony of calls for stronger gun control or protection of second amendment rights.

In all the aforementioned instances, the shooters exhibited dangerous, abusive behavior before murdering several people, but other people either failed to tell anyone about it or law enforcement failed to act upon reports of it.

We must do a better job of raising awareness for any domestic violence that is occurring and ensuring that victims will be protected and their voices will be heard. While ending domestic violence won’t end mass shootings in this country, it will certainly reduce the amount of bloodshed our country is witness to on a regular basis.

INTERROBANG

BY KATHERINE WRIGHT COLUMNIST

Advice is an art. It’s a sport, a talent, a gift. But there’s a fine line between giving someone advice and giving someone an answer. In theory, advice is tailored to the individual and intended to help them get through a problem in a unique, personalized way.

For instance, if someone was up for a new promotion against their best friend, you would structure advice to accommodate for the specific situation and the specific person. It would, therefore, be more complex than simple encouragement, as you have to account for the potential awkwardness of the situation, giving them solutions to prevent any further pain in the encounter.

Answers, on the other hand, are prescribed formulas for how you should treat a situation. For instance, I might tell someone they should talk to a friend about the reasons they desperately want a specific job.

However, this might prove to be an ineffective approach for someone else. Most likely, someone would attempt to give an answer when they have previously been in a similar situation and assume the exact same actions will be successful in another case.

However, instructional, answer-heavy advice can be too specific. This advice is frequently based on isolated accomplishments and one-time anecdotes of triumph.

When we give advice, we tend to get caught up in our own experiences and assume that what worked for us will work for another.

Of course, having experience in a situation is very helpful when advising someone, as you can better predict how the situation might play out or help prevent them from making mistakes you might have made. It only becomes a problem when we treat our own successes as a rigid template to follow and prevent another from seeing alternative solutions.

My pregnant hairdresser once wisely

told me that she never takes advice from anyone who only has one child, as they often think they know the answers to everything.

But when the second kid comes around, everything is completely different. In the same way, no situation will be the same as the last, and we must be wary of phrasing advice as a definite answer.

In college, we have to deal with this a lot. In all the uncertainty of the future, we constantly receive advice, whether we’re seeking it or not. It could be involuntary, as others casually tell us their career paths and the challenges they faced along the way. Or it could be a purposeful, pointed assertion of what works, and what doesn’t. And most of the time, this is helpful.

We are relieved to hear that others were in the same position we are — unsure of what they wanted to do post-graduation, unsure of how to get there and unsure of what they should be prioritizing. It gives us hope that things will eventually work out.

On the other hand, however, it is dangerous to follow in the shadow of someone else. What worked for your parents 30 years ago might not work the exact same way for you. Even what worked for your friend last semester might prove to be inadequate in your current position. It can be stressful to feel like you have to do what someone else did — especially if it worked out for them.

One person might tell you that breaking up with their long-distance boyfriend was the best decision they ever made, but someone else might say that maintaining that kind of relationship was a great decision.

The English-major-turned-doctors might say they were happy with their choice to study literature — despite its irrelevance to their career path — because it gave them some unique experience they would not have gotten otherwise.

But on the other hand, the biology major might tell you the skills they learned in undergrad were invaluable and irreplaceable. You don’t have to follow anyone’s path to a T. It’s helpful guidance and a nice way to put things in perspective, but it doesn’t have to determine the choices you make on your own.

Take the classes you find helpful and engaging, experiment with different passions and maintain appropriate perspective and distance when you take instructional advice. Absorb it, take it in, use it as a reference, but don’t feel discouraged if your own experiences are different. No one has the exact answer, so don’t treat their advice like one.

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The 91st Academy Awards are Sunday. We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what award would BU groups win?

Sargent: Best meal preppers

Questrom: Most pretentious

ENG: Most humble

Fenway Campus: Most forgettable

Frats: Best basements

Kilachand Hall: Best elevators

CGS: Best high school

Men’s Basketball: Best participants

FreeP: Best insomniacs

10 SPORTS

BU men’s hockey to play series in Burlington this weekend

BY LIAM O’BRIEN

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

After six tumultuous games without a win, the Boston University men’s hockey team finally jumped back into the “W” column last Saturday night at Agganis Arena.

With a 2-0 shutout of University of Connecticut, the Terriers moved into No. 6 in the Hockey East heading into the stretch run of the regular season.

BU is just one point behind No. 5 Boston College, and it will have the chance to eclipse the crosstown rival with two games against No. 9 Vermont this weekend.

“We looked at the records and said, ‘Look, everything’s up for grabs,’” BU head coach Albie O’Connell said.

The Cata mounts (12-162, 5-13-2 HEA) have accrued 12 points in conference play, the same amount as the UConn Huskies unit BU faced off against last weekend. The Terriers will have time to get familiar with their surroundings in Burlington, Vermont, as both Friday and Saturday will be played at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

“There’s a lot of hockey left to be played,” O’Connell said ahead of the series with Vermont.

Vermont has lost three of its last four games, but the team is solid at home with a 7-6-1 record.

Since Jan. 4, the Catamounts have hosted and handled Sacred Heart, Merrimack, Providence and New Hampshire. They also took Clarkson to overtime at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

Last season, Vermont came to Agganis Arena for two games and was outscored by a combined 3-1. BU pitched a 2-0 shutout in the series opener with graduate forward Drew Melanson,

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Junior goaltender Jake Oettinger had a stellar netminding night Saturday, saving all 26 shots that the University of Connecticut team made on goal.

who graduated last year from the Metropolitan College, and current sophomore defenseman David Farrance scoring goals.

The following night, the units played to a 1-1 tie with graduate forward Jordan Greenway, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences last year, scoring the lone Terrier goal.

Forward Alex Esposito netted the Catamounts goal in that game, and he has done plenty of scoring in his second season as a sophomore with the team.

Esposito is third on the team with seven goals and 16 total points.

The Connecticut native has a penchant for playing well against premium opponents, as he opened the season with a two-goal game against Michigan.

Esposito is not the only Catamount who can score.

Forwards Max Kaufman and Joey Cipollone lead the squad with eight goals each. Kaufman, who pilots the team with 18 total points, has had a few games to

remember this season with two goals against both RPI and Sacred Heart.

For Vermont, goalie Stefanos Lekkas has been working hard, logging almost 2,000 minutes so far this season.

The Illinois native ranks first out of 12 qualified goaltenders in the conference with a 93 percent save percentage.

His win percentage leaves something to be desired, as he is No. 9 in the league with a 43.3 winning percentage. Lekkas

ranks in the middle of the conference at No. 7 in goals allowed per game with 2.28.

On the Terriers side, junior goaltender Jake Oettinger ranks No. 9 in the Hockey East with 2.65 goals allowed per appearance. Despite this underwhelming note, Oettinger will be riding up north with some confidence this weekend.

“I think we’ve been competing real hard,” Oettinger said.

The Dallas Stars prospect had perhaps one of his best games of the season last Saturday night, stopping all 26 of the Huskies’ shots.

“It was important to bounce back,” Oettinger said after posting a shut-out to end BU’s sixgame losing streak.

He will attempt to replicate this performance against Vermont, a team that averages 2.27 goals per game.

In compa rison, confer ence-leading UMass Amherst scores 3.79 times per night, and BU nets 2.69 tallies per outing on average.

The Minnesota native will also look to improve some of his other stats. He enters the weekend No. 9 in the conference in goals against average and No. 8 in winning percentage.

As they make the business trip north, the Terriers and Oettinger will see the opportunity to gain four crucial points Hockey East play.

“They see hope,” O’Connell said.

The two-game set will be played on Friday and Saturday, both set to start at 7 p.m.

Brady Gardner contributed to the writing of this story.

Behind the Glass: Can Tom Dundon’s investment save the AAF?

BY LAURA GUERRIERO COLUMNIST

The Carolina Hurricanes as of recent are making headlines, but not for anything they are doing in the NHL. Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon gave $250 million to the Alliance of American Football, an eight-team league that started play the week following Super Bowl LIII, on Tuesday. The league’s season spans about twoand-a-half months of play, with the AAF championship game tak-

ing place on April 27.

The league is split into two conferences: Eastern and Western, and each conference has four teams.

Most of these teams play in college football stadiums, and each team plays 10 games. All but one of the Alliance’s teams, the Salt Lake Stallions, are located in southern half of the United States.

Its inaugural season began on Feb. 9, but the league has already encountered a problem: it doesn’t have enough money for payroll.

Cue Dundon.

With $250 million, Dundon has resolved the AAF’s payroll woes — for now — and with that generous sum of money has become the chairman of the league.

This could be really good for the AAF, or just really bad for Dundon’s wallet.

Dundon’s ties to the AAF could provide some increased visibility to the league, especially given his existing ties to the

Hurricanes. A professional sports team owner such as Dundon becoming the chair of a brand new football league definitely makes me want to check out an AAF game and see what made him want to back the AAF in the first place.

Even just discussing the sum of money he has given to the AAF is enough to spark interest. $250 million is no small amount of money, and sports news publications, such as The Athletic, picked up the story as soon as it happened.

In its opening weekend, the AAF received millions of viewers, showing some promise that there could be a large audience looking to follow this league.

But since it’s so early on in the season, there’s not enough data to suggest whether this is just opening weekend excitement or a long-term interest in the AAF. There’s a potential for Carolina to collaborate with the AAF in some way, such as those clas-

sic ballgame T-shirts that include an enlarged logo of the sponsor’s company on the back.

But for this to take place, there needs to be money to sponsor the shirts.

This is just one idea of the many the AAF could use to increase its visibility, but the fact that the league has already experienced issues with money is problematic.

According to the Small Business Administration, 20 percent of all small businesses fail within the first year. This may not necessarily signal emergency alarms, it still illustrates the fact that there is a large amount of small businesses, such as the AAF, that end up failing.

It wouldn’t be surprising to find out that, in a couple of years, the league had folded because the newness factor wore off. The NFL will always be the dominant football league for the average American household, so the number of viewers may drop off

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after this inaugural season.

If you can watch the best in football from August to February, why bother watching another league?

The AAF does fill a hole in the market: football during the NFL offseason. The strategic planning of the league to start play the weekend after Super Bowl Sunday could definitely be even more of a pull for those diehard football fans that are feeling withdrawals after the Super Bowl ends.

Catering to those diehard fans may be the ticket to keep this league afloat, but the AAF will have to work harder than the NFL does to attract fans’ attentions and keep them.

In the end, only time will tell if the AAF will make it as a league viewers consistently support and tune in to watch, but given the number of football leagues that have started and failed shortly after doesn’t add any optimism to the AAF’s future.

SPORTS 11

Men’s lacrosse picks up big win on road against Sacred Heart

BY LUKE TAYLOR

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston University men’s lacrosse team came away with a big win after they went to Fairfield, Connecticut, Tuesday afternoon to take on Sacred Heart University.

After a widespread attack that f e at u r ed g oa l s f rom n i ne d i f ferent players, the Terriers (3-1, 0 - 0 Pat r iot L ea g ue) defeated the Pioneers (1-2, 0-0 Northeast Conference) by a score of 16-11.

“C oaches a lway s preach si x ha nds, wh ich mea ns you don’t really care who scores the goal,” head coach Ryan Polley said of the Terriers’ offense. “The fact that the defense can’t just focus on one player as a scorer makes us very dangerous.”

T he Ter r iers’ squad stayed strong as sophomore attack Chris Gray kept up his consistent play in the early going of this season.

Coming off his second Patriot League player of the week honors, Gray had five goals today to go along with four assists, adding to his Patriot League-leading totals in assists and No. 5 league rank in goals per game.

“Chris was outstanding today, just continues to get his teammates involved and draws so much attention from the other team’s defense,” Polley said. “He’s a great scorer, he makes some great individual plays to score, but also, he’s so unselfish and has incredible vision.”

The f irst 10 minutes of the game saw the Terriers and Pioneers tied at three, but senior attack James Burr scored a goal, which began a run of nine straight goals for BU to take a huge 12-3 lead with four minutes left in the half. The goal by the Massachusetts native was an important one as it was the 111th of his career, the most in BU history.

“I’m really happy for James, he’s been a four-year contributor at a really high level, he means so much to our team, and he’s been a staple of our program in the beginning stages of it,” Polley said. “He continues to work hard and demand a lot of himself and his teammates.”

The Terriers’ 12th goal was made by freshman attack Matt Hilburn on an assist from freshman midfielder Jett Dziama, marking the first goal of Hilburn’s BU career.

The Terriers held a 12-4 lead going into half after a last second goal from SHU attack Jaden Walcot.

“Matt’s been a really great practice player for us … when the opportunity came to take a shot, he made the most of it,” Polley said. “The way he approaches the game is so composed for a freshman.”

The Terriers never gave up the lead in the second half as Burr quickly scored another goal to open the third, followed by his third just two minutes later. After a goal by freshman attack Timmy Ley with just over eight minutes left in the

MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Senior attack James Burr in a game against Lehigh University March 31, 2018. Burr scored his 111th goal of his career Tuesday against Sacred Heart, setting a record for goals scored by a Terrier.

period, BU held a 10-point lead.

The Pioneers managed to score three goals at the end of the third and into the fourth, cutting the Terrier lead to seven before Gray scored his fifth of the game. SHU went on another three-goal run during the fourth, but only managed to get the deficit down to five before the end of the game.

“I think we were rea lly composed down the stretch,” Polley

said about the Terrier’s mindset at the end of the game. “Credit to Sacred Heart and their coaches and their team for not giving up and making that run, but I’m proud of my guys that we were composed and handled that pressure. We never gave them a chance to fully get back in the game.”

The Terriers are home next Tuesday for a matchup against the Bryant University Bulldogs.

Polley said he is hoping that the team can play a well-composed game the whole time.

“We’re still looking for that 60-minute game, we’ve played great in the first halves of the past two games building those huge leads,” Polley said. “In order to be a great team, we need to finish and play well in the second half, so we’re going to focus on playing a full 60 minutes.”

Coast to Coast: Four questions to think about for the second half of the NBA season

BY DYLAN WOODS COLUMNIST

With about 25 games and two months left in the NBA regular season, there is still a lot to find out. I’ve gathered four of the trendiest questions yet to be answered, and made my humble predictions.

Will the Warriors win the NBA Finals again?

Will the Warriors win their third NBA Finals and their fourth title in five years? It would be dumb to bet against it.

Golden State sits atop the Western Conference again with a record of 41-16. As long as nothing drastic happens, they will hold homecourt throughout the playoffs. They still have Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Despite any rumors about the upcoming summer or potential dissention in The Bay, they still have the most talent of any team by a wide margin. After a “rough” start to the season, the Warriors are 16-3 since the start of the new year. As much as it pains me to say, there is almost nothing that can happen to make the Warriors lose four out of seven games.

Paul George and Russell Westbrook are starting to make the Thunder look like a real contender. The Nuggets have played surprisingly well this season with a fun bunch of young

guys and dynamic center Nikola Jokic. James Harden is scoring at a historic rate for the Rockets.

But none of those teams come close to the Warriors array of generational talent. Maybe this run will come to an end soon, but not this year.

Who is the MVP: Giannis or Harden?

The MVP race is almost unanimously down to two people: Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and James Harden of the Houston Rockets. Paul George deserves a mention for what he is doing for the Thunder this season, but his candidacy stops at that.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 27 points, almost 13 rebounds and 6 assists per game on the league’s best Milwaukee Bucks. His case is rock solid: Antetokounmpo is the best player by far on the best team in the league. You can’t get any better than that.

James Harden is trying his best, though. He is averaging 36.6 points at the All-Star Break, almost eight more than any other player. No one has averaged 36.6 points in a season since Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game in his second full NBA season. Ever heard of him?

Other than that, only Wilt Chamberlain has crossed the 36.6 point mark that Harden set, and he did it in five consecutive seasons from 1959-64, averaging 41.6 points over that span.

Safe to say Harden is in good company.

But as dominant a scorer as Harden has been this year, I can’t bring myself to vote him as MVP. Maybe if there wasn’t someone as good as Antetokounmpo in contention, I would feel good about voting for a foul hunting, repetitive, shot hoarding complainer as the league’s most valuable player.

Who will win the Eastern Conference?

Even though the Warriors are the clear favorites to win their third straight NBA championship, that doesn’t mean we can’t bury reality and act excited about the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Once the regular season ends, the Bucks, Raptors, 76ers and Celtics are expected to face off in some combination to decide which non-LeBron team will come out of the East for the first time since 2010. It’s been eight long years.

None of these teams making the Finals this year would shock me. All four have guys who can be the best player in a playoff series, with Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving, and all four have the overall talent to make a deep run.

In terms of experience, there is no clear winner either. The Celtics hold the small advantage, having made the Eastern Conference Finals last season and having Kyrie Irving, who made one of the most clutch shots in NBA Finals history.

The Raptors also have a decent amount of playoff experience, with Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol, who have played in Conference Finals before, and Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, who won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Bucks and 76ers are also no strangers to the postseason, but barely anybody on either roster has played past the second round.

If forced to choose a victor now, I would go with the Boston Celtics.

Things have been going pretty well here recently, so maybe some the leftover parade musk from the Red Sox and Patriots will flutter into the TD Garden.

In terms of basketball reasoning, they have played well against the top of the East in big moments, and only LeBron has stopped them from getting to June. They owned the 76ers in

last season’s playoffs and have won all three meetings this season.

They beat the Bucks in seven games in the first round last year and split two entertaining matchups this season. The Raptors never seem to win in the playoffs. That’s just how things go. I’m riding the Boston wave.

Will LeBron James and the Lakers really miss the playoffs?

Unfortunately, I have no choice but to expect that LeBron James will make the playoffs in his first season with the Lakers. As bad as this season has gone, with LeBron’s injury, Anthony Davis rumors destroying the team, Luke Walton firing rumors, the overall lack of defense, one thing you can count on is LeBron James finding a way into the postseason.

As fun as it’s been to watch LeBron fail for a few months, the Kings or the Clippers won’t get in over the Lakers. It just won’t happen. Instead,

we’ll have to wait for the Warriors to sweep LA in the first round to see LeBron James go home.

But if by some miracle it does happen, and then by some miracle the Warriors do end up losing somewhere in the Western Conference playoffs, we could be in for the most intriguing postseasons in a long while.

Think about it. No LeBron. No Warriors. Who is going to establish themselves as the team to beat for the upcoming season or seasons?

Who can make themselves a destination with a surprising Conference Final run or surprising first round upset?

Either way, whether the playoffs are cut and dry or totally unpredictable, this second half of the NBA season should be filled with plenty of craziness and theatrics. But we can all agree a playoff year without LeBron James owning the headlines would be unbelievably refreshing.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Dec. 23, 2016, game against the Washington Wizards. Antetokounmpo and Houston Rockets point guard James Harden are both early candidates for the MVP award.

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