2-20-2020

music issue tHE DAILY FREE PRESS CELEBRATIN G

THURSDAY, FEB. 20, 2020

50

YE A RS

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I N DE PE N DE N T

STU D E NT

J O U R NA LI S M

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR L. VOLUME XCVIII. ISSUE V

Minority Connection Initiative partners with WTBU Non-CFA

students struggle to find practice rooms

BY SAMANTHA KIZNER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

This semester, WTBU Radio partnered with the Minority Connection Initiative to create a program for their Friday morning airings of BU in the Morning. Three co-hosts run the segment from 10 a.m. to noon each week, where they play music, discuss current events related to diversity and the inclusion of minority students on Boston University’s campus.

Nyema Wilson, a junior in the College of Communication, is one of the segment’s hosts and the vice president of MCI. She said the decision to go on air is part of their larger mission of helping minority students feel more comfortable and connected on campus.

“We didn’t really have a space to just have informal conversations about just current events or just everyday cultural experiences of being a minority student,” Wilson said. “So I thought that harnessing the airwaves would be a phenomenal opportunity to do so, and to connect with people not only in the BU community, but also past the BU community.”

This is the first year MCI has been recognized by the Student Activity Office, though they have been operating informally since 2016. The group was founded on-campus by Kevin Smith, who graduated from the College of Engineering in 2017.

Wilson hosts the show alongside Kendall Castaneda, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and president of MCI, and Sofia Colombo-Abdullah, a junior in CAS. Wilson said each show is structured similarly, with the first half of the show including about 30 minutes of music and 30 minutes

BY ELLIE YEO DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

COURTESY WTBU

BU students Nyema Wilson, Kendall Castaneda, Sophia Colombo-Abdullah and guest Casey Ramos host “The Minority Connection Initiative,” WTBU Radio’s new BU in the Morning segment that discusses diversity and inclusion.

of discussing current events, while the second half features another 30 minutes of more music and 30 minutes of discussion about a specific topic regarding the experience of minority students.

As for how music is chosen, Wilson said the hosts take into account what they’ve been listening to, what music relates to their topics of discussion and also what their guests prefer. In sum, Wilson said the music varies often.

“Some of them are old and some of them are newer songs. It’s just music that honestly we love listening to,”

Wilson said. “And if we have a guest in the studio, then we plan to play a top 10 list of their current favorite jams at the moment, too.”

Wilson said that while not all the music played will relate directly to the topics discussed on that particular show, she and her co-hosts make an effort to keep the music choices relevant to the topic of diversity and inclusion.

“One of our first shows, we played some music by black artists to help kick-off Black History Month,” Wilson said. “We played Beyonce’s new edition of Before I Let Go, which is

a remix from the original Frankie Beverly and Maze song, which I think a lot of people hold near and dear to their heart.”

Wilson pitched the idea for the show to Steven Gelman, programming director for WTBU and a sophomore in COM, last semester. Gelman wrote in an email that the pitch was quickly accepted, and that he thought it was important for students to hear what the group had to say.

“When [Wilson] reached out, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

New farmer’s market offers vinyl selection

BY JANE AVERY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Visitors and residents of Jamaica Plain can now browse through vintage music while enjoying coffee and baked goods at a newly-opened farmers market in Boston.

Monumental Market began operating regular hours on Tuesday, offering drinks from El Colombiano Coffee, treats from Lavender Bee Baking Co. and a selection of vinyl records provided

by Light of Day Records.

The market was created as a joint project between the three small-businesses who came together to sell their goods in conjunction with each other.

Javier Amador-Pena, owner of El Colombiano Coffee and one of the three founders of Monumental Market, grew up on the coast of Colombia, where coffee serves as a staple in daily life. He said he began looking to expand when CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Boston University students outside the College of Fine Arts wishing to access practice rooms have been having difficulty securing adequate space. While space is readily available for students in CFA, other students have more barriers between them and reserving a practice space.

Private practice rooms are available to students in several residence halls across campus, including Warren Towers, 1019 Commonwealth Avenue and The Towers, but the sparse conditions of some of these spaces may make them unappealing to students.

Specifically in Warren Towers, students have complained that the rooms are inadequate between the 30 minute rental limit and their 5 p.m. closing time.

Gorkem Coklar, a junior exchange student from Bogazici University in Istanbul, said that she has used the practice room in Warren Towers and believes there is room for improvement.

“Inside there are a bunch of chairs and leftover stuff and it was very weird, not CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Music might alleviate pains of chemotherapy treatment

BY CHLOE LIU DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

COURTESY OF CHRIS ANTONOWICH

Rayna Jhaveri, lead singer of the Boston punk-funk trio Muzzins, shares a laugh with Javier Amador-Pena, the owner of the newly-opened Monumental Market in Jamaica Plain.

Music therapy could reduce anxiety and pain in individuals undergoing chemotherapy, an ongoing study by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston is discovering.

Music therapy is the skillful use of music to promote and retain various aspects of health — from physical, emotional, social to cognitive wellbeing.

Heather Woods and Robert Knoerl, co-leaders of the study, wrote in a joint email that evidence shows musical intervention alleviates anxiety and depression, as well as pain, fatigue and overall quality of life in adults with cancer.

“Most people connect with music in a personal and meaningful way,” Woods and Knoerl wrote. “Our CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2 NEWS

Boston benefit concert series going on 20 years

BY ANNABELLE UNDERWOOD

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs between Feb. 13-16.

Suspicious package near Tsai Performance Center A caller reported an unattended suitcase outside the Tsai Performance Center at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

BUPD arrived but was unable to open the suitcase. Prior to disposal, the owner called looking for the suitcase.

Graffiti outside School of Law

COURTESY BRITA MENG OUTZEN

Female supergroup Band Of Their Own perform at the 20th Annual Hot Stove Cool Music concert Feb. 8 to raise money for the charity Foundation To Be Named Later.

With around 900 seats and at least $50 a ticket, the Paradise Rock Club venue sold out for this year’s HSCM event.

Hosted by actor Mike O’Malley and retired Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis, the night included performances from a series of alternative ‘90s rock musicians such as Tanya Donelly, Gail Greenwood and headliner Letters to Cleo.

One beneficiary of FTBNL’s funding is Steps to Success, an educational achievement program in Brookline providing support services to households of low-income students.

STS Executive Director Shoma Haque wrote in an email that FTBNL was the founding funder of STS’ Mentoring Program, which pairs high school and college students with professional mentors.

“The Foundation To Be Named Lat-

er has been a tremendously generous partner to Steps to Success over the years,” Haque wrote. “FBTNL has been critical to our mission, and we are so grateful for their presence in Brookline.”

FTBNL has also helped fund STS’s Student Support Fund, Haque wrote, which aims to ensure small emergency expenses do not bar students from meeting their educational goals.

Roxbury Youthworks Inc. is another local non-profit whose work has been funded by FTBNL, Executive Director Mia Alvarado wrote in an email.

“The donations [allow] us to provide core trainings and professional development opportunities for our staff,” Alvarado said. “Having a staff that is educated in subject matters that are pertinent to our youth and young adults helps us serve them

more effectively.”

Jake Giordano, 18, of the Theater District said non-profits like these are important for children whose parents cannot provide them as many opportunities as their peers might have.

“Fundraisers, specifically those that help children, teenagers and their families, are important,” Giordano said, “because kids should need support to facilitate positive growth, both physically and mentally.”

Lily Weber, 18, of Kenmore said she likely would not have attended HSCM’s benefit concert had she been aware of it, because the $50 minimum ticket price is discouraging.

“Despite this, I do believe in the importance of fundraisers such as this one to the Boston community,” Weber said. “It’s invaluable for communities to recognize their own faults and work together towards finding solutions.”

BU in the Morning introduces diversity segment WTBU , FROM PAGE 1 I was completely on board because she had a clear vision for what MCI at BUITM could be,” Gelman wrote. “I thought the idea of creating a program where students could have conversations about the issues impacting minority groups, while creating a platform for diverse musicians, artists and creatives, was so important, and so I did what I could to make that a reality.”

Gelman also wrote that he is excited to see what MCI’s segment on BUITM will do for student musicians at BU. “Music and culture are so intertwined, and so I’m looking forward to see the diverse talent MCI at BUITM chooses to highlight,” Gelman wrote. “We have a great in-studio space at WTBU where local and touring musicians regularly visit and perform, and we plan to use that space during MCI at BUITM to feature local artists from diverse backgrounds.”

Hannah Harn, a senior in COM and the interim director for BUITM, said she thinks MCI’s segment is important in making sure everyone has a platform to share their experiences.

“Whether it’s visual art or music, it’s incredibly important how we tell our stories and how we communicate our experiences,” Harn said.

“Having a show like MCI and working with them is a really important part of making sure that people in the BU community and the immediate Boston community feel like they have a platform to tell those stories.”

Amelia Thyen, a junior in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said she thinks there is a need for this segment be-

Crime Logs

BY MARY LULLOFF

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston-based benefit concert series is in its 20th year of raising money for local non-profits. Since its launch in 2000, Hot Stove Cool Music has fundraised almost $12 million for disadvantaged youth in Greater Boston.

Paradise Rock Club in Allston hosted the annual HSCM benefit concert on Feb. 8 to raise money for the Foundation To Be Named Later, a charity organization it merged with in 2005.

Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein founded FTBNL with his twin brother Paul Epstein to raise funds for non-profit agencies that serve children and teenagers in metropolitan Boston through special community events.

FTBNL CEO Allyce Najimy wrote in an email that HSCM’s music show is the organization’s signature event.

The organization raised more than $300,000 at its 20th anniversary celebration concert, which Najimy wrote exceeded all expectations.

“During Hot Stove Cool Music, we always have the most fun and try to do the most good and this year was no different,” Najimy wrote. “[The money will] help send deserving young people who have overcome tremendous obstacles, have a proven dedication to community service and have high financial needs to the college of their choice, armed with a mentor and a plan for success.”

The benefit concert series has enabled FTBNL to award 150 scholarships to low-income or otherwise disadvantaged students attending college. Its Peter Gammons Scholarship endows adolescents who have faced hurdles such as homelessness, violence and cancer, among other challenges.

“The many [Major League Baseball] stars and talented musicians all donate their time and talent to make a difference,” Najimy wrote. “We could not do it without the sponsors, ticket buyers and generous volunteers.”

CAMPUS

The Office of the Facilities Management and Planning manager reported graffiti at the School of Law around 7 a.m. Friday and requested assistance from BUPD. Officers stated that the message was political and may be connected to additional graffiti across campus.

Missing person in South Campus The Boston Police Department reported to BUPD that someone reported a missing roommate in South Campus at around 1:15 a.m.

Thursday. Boston Police Department arrived and contact was made with the missing person.

Trespassing near Warren Towers A caller reported trespassing outside Warren Towers around 11 p.m.

Saturday. BUPD sent officers to the scene but the person left before their arrival.

CITY

Crime Logs

BY ELYSE GENRICH DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston Police Department Headquarters from Feb. 16-17.

Death in Brighton At around 7:30 a.m. Monday, an officer responded to a radio call for an unconscious man in Brighton.

Boston firefighters were on the scene performing CPR on the elderly victim when Boston Emergency Medical Services arrived to help attempt resuscitation. EMS ultimately determined the victim was non-viable and the victim’s next of kin was notified.

Car Accident in Brighton

COURTESY NYEMA WILSON

The Minority Connection Initiative, a student group that strives to create a community for minority students, hosts a breakout session for an event focused on minorities and mental health issues last spring.

cause BU’s efforts to be inclusive to minority students don’t always reach as large of an audience as they could.

“I think there definitely is a need for something like that on campus,” Thyen said. “I think the Howard Thurman Center does a good job with inclusivity and including everyone on campus.”

Elisa Ferriter, a freshman in CAS, said she thinks the show will be beneficial to all minority students.

“I think it’s a good outlet, espe-

cially if the students talking on it are students of color or particularly [part of] minority groups,” Ferriter said. “There are a lot of things to talk about, so I feel like having this segment isn’t doing anyone any harm, and by anyone I mean other minority students.”

Afshan Mian, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, suggested that the hosts could address specific issues she sees coming up, such as implicit biases.

“There are a lot of implicit biases that people have that they don’t even know they have, like they think things come off in different ways,” Mian said. “So I think that could be something that’s important that they could discuss.”

NOTE: Spring 2020 Editor-in-Chief Victoria Bond hosts a radio show and podcast for WTBU. She was not involved in the reporting or editing of this story.

Officers responded Monday morning to a call about a motor vehicle accident. The suspect claimed that, while avoiding oncoming traffic, they had moved over and side-swiped a parked vehicle, pushing it forward into a third car. The suspect could not produce vehicle registration or valid proof of insurance and grew increasingly disoriented. The suspect was cited for an unregistered motor vehicle and transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for further evaluation.

Altercation in Allston Around midnight Sunday night, Brighton police responded to a report of an assault outside of Garage Boston in Allston. The victim claimed the attacker was with two other people.

The victim also alleged she already had a restraining order against the suspect. According to the victim, the three attackers began their assault after shouting insults at her. The victim’s friends and Garage Boston security eventually broke up the fight.

NEWS 3

Boston researchers find music could help cancer patients MUSIC THERAPY, FROM PAGE 1 emotional and physical response to music is what makes it an effective tool for therapy.”

Knoerl, an instructor in medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said Woods, a music therapist in the Zakim Center at the Institute, has witnessed firsthand the beneficial effects of music therapy on her patients. “[Woods] was interested in quantifying this observed impact through research,” Knoerl wrote.

“She brought her idea to the Cantor Center for Research and we were able to craft a research question based on her clinical experience and prior evidence in the literature.”

Music therapy sessions are uniquely molded around the individual, and can include different activities such as listening to music with guided relaxation, discussing musical themes and analyzing lyrics, according to the co-leaders.

Woods and Knoerl utilize a specific model in which patients are taught how to be mindfully attentive during their interaction with music while undergoing chemotherapy.

“The study we are conducting utilizes a four session protocol that combines music activities with education to support the patient in developing coping skills,” the researchers wrote. “The first two sessions are receptive: the therapist plays live fingerpicked guitar and verbal mindfulness and relaxation prompts. The second two sessions

COURTESY OF DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE

Musical Therapist Heather Lea Woods hosts a drum circle with patients at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies in Boston.

engage the patient in active music making.”

So, what’s next? Woods and Knoerl hope to further their research into a specific population — teenagers and young adults.

“More research [is] needed in the young adult population, and we hope to contribute in a way that can encourage more services and resources for this population,” Woods and Knoerl wrote.

“Specifically, we are investigating the feasibility of implementing a mindfulness based music therapy program for adolescents and young

adults during cancer treatment.”

Kim Schlesinger is a music therapy intern at Roman Music Therapy Services, a private agency that provides music therapy services to children and adults. She said that within a wide variety of expressive arts therapies, music therapy is expansive and more effective.

“Music is really cool because it’s one of the only things that connects across the brain on all hemispheres and all parts of the brain,” Schlesinger said. “And so it can be really effective on working on a variety of goals.”

In her experience working with patients, Schlesinger said she has seen how the use of music has helped those who seek her aid.

“I do have experience with clients who might be working on physical goals, like maybe standing up for a duration of time,” Schlesinger said.

“If their [physical therapist] wants them to stand for three minutes straight, it’s a lot easier to get them to do that if for those three minutes, we’re singing a song instead of just standing there waiting.”

For Schelsinger, the effect of music is something that anyone can

experience. She said it’s one of the main reasons why music therapy is popular.

“If you think about it from your own personal standpoint, if you’ve got something distracting you from a painful experience going on, [music] might alleviate some of that and make it a little bit easier,” Schlesinger said. “It can be really helpful in kind of providing something else to fill that time and space on that distraction.”

Jamaica Plain resident Linda Nicholson, 67, said although she does not see the immediate connection between music and therapy, she hopes the notion that music can be therapeutic is realistic.

“I’m just having a little trouble understanding specifically how music is supposed to make cancer patients going through chemo feel better,” Nicholson said. “However it works, I hope it’s true though. It would save them money, to just listen to music and feel better.”

Greg Levine, 24, of West End said music is a big part of his life and is happy that there is research being done on music therapy.

“I didn’t even know music therapy was a thing,” Levine said. “That’s awesome that they’re doing research on this.”

Paul J. Louis, a 28 year-old resident of Jamaica Plain, listens to music daily and understands why music therapy is useful.

“Music calms me down and gives me feels,” Louis said. “I’m not surprised it helps the people out there who are struggling.”

School of Music selects three Concerto Competition winners

BY JOHN KIM DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston University Orchestra held their 2020 Soloists’ Competition at the Tsai Performance Center Tuesday evening.

Three of the eight participants were selected to perform a concerto with the BU Symphony Orchestra at their performance April 24.

Jacky Ho-Yin Li, Chengcheng Ma and Tianhong Yang were announced as the competition’s winners Wednesday afternoon.

Participants’ specialties varied, with performances from string instruments such as the violin and viola to woodwind instruments such as the clarinet and singers.

Field professionals David Angus, a music director at Boston Lyric Opera, Ya-Fei Chuang and Paul Katz, both teachers at the New England Conservatory, judged the competition.

The main purpose of the competition is to give students enrolled in the School of Music the opportunity to perform a solo with an orchestra behind them, according to Cami Sylvia, a staff assistant at the College of Fine Arts’ School of Music.

Daniel Dona, a lecturer in music for CFA, said each department in the School of Music selected students to participate in this final competition.

Dona said he values the time and effort students put into their preparation for this competition and that he enjoys watching it pay off.

“I think it’s great how well our students play and how hard they work. For all of them, it serves as a combination of

PERRY SOSI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Maureen Brabec, a graduate student in the College of Fine Arts, performs a soprano solo at the 2020 Boston University Orchestra Concerto Competition in CFA Tuesday.

months and even years of work to get to this point,” Dona said.

“It’s really exciting to see them compete and then see who will come out as the three winners.”

Dona also said there is already one winner selected by the composition department for the April 24 concert. Consequently, there will be three soloists performances and one performance of the winning piece in the composition category.

“One of the three winners is also selected to play with the Boston Pops Orchestra at BU in May during the graduation weekend,” Dona said.

Ji Hye Choi, a violin performer and post-graduate student at

CFA, opened Tuesday’s competition. He said this competition was a unique experience for him specifically because of how professional it felt.

“In the professional world, it’s rare. We have a really small [number of] opportunities to play with an orchestra,” Choi said. “It’s a very special experience and I think it’s kind of a stepping stone to be a professional musician before going to the outside world.”

Choi said the competition is also unique in the sense that it provides students with the opportunity to access what would normally be an expensive experience for free.

“Usually if you want to play with an orchestra, if you’re not at the top level, people pay more to play with the orchestra,” Choi said. “It’s pretty expensive, but this is free and it’s really good.”

Maureen Brabec, a graduate student in CFA, performed as a soprano singer in the competition and said she enjoyed the experience, as it allowed her to tell a story to a large audience.

“I felt good. I had fun. I just took it as an opportunity to tell the story that’s happening in the area. I don’t really have room to feel nervous,” Brabec said. “One of the advantages of being a singer is that we have

words. We get to tell a story with those very concrete things — words.”

Brabec said participating in this competition serves as a networking opportunity, specifically considering the prestige of many of the judges and their organizations. Brabec also said the competition offers students the practice they need to perform professionally.

“It’s just always good to practice performing,” Brabec said.

“The mental preparation itself is a skill that has to be practiced, so that you can get good at it, so you get out of your own way and can go out and perform all the things that you’ve been practicing.”

Yuhao Dong, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said before the competition he was looking forward to seeing the expertise of the student performers.

“I am generally interested in orchestra and I was invited by a friend,” Dong said. “I expect them to perform better than I do. I do have prior experience performing, but just as a hobby, so they should do a better job than regular aficionado.”

Yuqi Qian, a junior in CFA, said she appreciates that the competition serves as not only entertainment for her and a friend, but also an award-earning opportunity for students.

“We both wanted to see especially the piano concerto, because we both play piano,” Qian said. “I think [the performers] are all the best, whatever instrument, not just piano … It’s nice to see that other musicians can have the chance to challenge themselves and win an award.”

4 NEWS

Coffee, baked goods, vinyl records pop up in Jamaica Plain VINYL, FROM 1 his business showed promising growth.

“People like the coffee and the flavors and the story behind it,” Amador-Pena said. “Every cup of coffee tells the story of back home where I drink my coffee from.”

Amador-Pena said he was inspired to put together the marketplace when he noticed that people would purchase snacks from Kelsey Munger’s Lavender Bee Baking before coming in to enjoy a cup of El Colombiano — or vice versa. He then approached Lavender Bee to suggest a partnership.

Once they found a space, Amador-Pena said the two companies began thinking about how they could best serve customers in the region.

“Lavender Bee provided peanut — and tree nut — free baked crafts, which is not very common here in the Boston area,” Amador-Pena said. “We wanted to cover and provide for these people with allergies that very few will.”

The pair later brought on Chris Antonowich, a public relations and branding specialist who also sold vinyl. Monumental Market offered Antonowich a pop-up store space for his vinyls as compensation for

his marketing work.

All food products offered at Monumental Market are homemade and sourced from local vendors, according to Amador-Pena, as part of the founders’ mission to be community-oriented.

“We wanted to provide a vibrant community space to come and not only get coffee or pastries,” Amador-Pena said, “but also to mingle and to talk about art.”

Joe Webster, contractor for Monumental Market and project manager at Erise Builders, said the record selection adds a unique charm to the area.

“You might come for a coffee, but if the records are there you kind of turn around and take a look,” Webster said. “You may come to take a look at the records, but there’s a cookie that looks pretty good, so you grab a cookie as well.”

Webster said the team put heavy care and focused detail into designing the space.

“Once the store is complete and once the construction is complete, you kind of become a bit of a cheerleader for them,” Webster said. “We built a relationship with Kelsey and Javier and we like them a lot. They deserve success. We really hope they do well.”

Although many Boston residents have not yet heard about

COURTESY OF CHRIS ANTONOWICH

Rayna Jhaveri, lead singer of new Boston punk-funk trio Muzzins, browses vinyl records at Monumental Market, which opened Tuesday in Jamaica Plain.

Monumental Market, they shared their music tastes and potential interests in vinyl records and record players.

Blaise Fritsche, 26, of Allston said his varied music taste was partially shaped by his involvement in college

radio.

“I used to do radio in college and I worked for WERS for a while, so I had a lot of indie influence,” Fritsche said, “but [I listen to] mostly funk stuff that my dad showed me growing up.”

Farah Delgado, 19, of Beacon Hill said vinyls and record players are not a significant part of her life, but that she finds them intriguing.

“I’ve never looked into it,” Delgado said, “but yeah, I think it would be interesting.”

Students complain about practice room unavailability CFA, FROM 1 really a music room,” Coklar said. “30 minutes is not great, [students] cannot enjoy playing an instrument for only 30 minutes.”

Colin Riley, a BU spokesperson, said the practice room in Warren Towers is the only practice space in a BU residence hall that has strict time limitations, due to a lack of soundproofing and an absence of other available practice spaces in the building. “[Practice space] is not limited to 30 minutes, except at Warren Towers, only because there’s that one location,” Riley said. “And they don’t have as many hours available because of the soundproofing issue and people living nearby.”

Riley wrote in an email that BUHousing and Residence Life Offices do not currently have plans to add new practice spaces on campus.

“At the present time we’re not looking to add more spaces,” Riley wrote. “There

MIA KHATIB/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Raju Yadav, a graduate student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, practices piano in a College of Fine Arts practice room. Non-CFA students have complained that practice spaces outside of CFA are disorganized and have strict time limits.

are music practice rooms at a number of student residences around campus, and students who live on campus need only go into the Residence Life office to request the key to the room.”

While the CFA offers some music practice rooms to nonCFA students, many students are not aware of these re-

sources.

Sarah Jones, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Ashley Abbuhl, a junior in the College of Communication, both said they are interested in learning new instruments, but have never considered that there may be spaces on campus where they can practice freely as students

who do not explicitly study music.

“I just do it for fun,” Abbuhl said. “I have thought it would be fun [to use a practice room], but I’ve never thought of it as something that could be used for fun.”

Jones is learning guitar, and said although she is content to practice in her room, this strategy may be an issue for students with roommates.

“I just play in my room really, really quietly,” Jones said.

“But if [practice space] is difficult to access, then that’s an issue for people with roommates if they can’t play when they want.”

Christopher Dempsey, director of production and performance at the School of Music, wrote in an email that practice rooms in CFA are to all BU students under certain conditions.

“It is not true that our practice rooms are only for SOM students,” Dempsey wrote.

“Rather, anyone in the BU community can gain access under [certain] parameters.”

All SOM students and non-SOM students currently enrolled in a music course,

as well students who are members of registered music groups on-campus, have access to CFA practice rooms free of charge, Dempsey wrote. Students who do not fall under one of these categories can access practice rooms for a fee of $60 per semester.

Jones said she understands why the practice rooms are prioritized for students in CFA, but still thinks they should be available to everyone.

“I think it should be more accessible for anyone,” Jones said. “But I understand that for students who are here for music, they’re more of a priority.”

Lauren Broussard, a junior in the COM, works as a stagehand in SOM and believes that students who do not study music through BU face significant obstacles in accessing music practice rooms.

“I think it is a bit inaccessible for people who aren’t in CFA,” Broussard said. “I think it should be more accessible for people who aren’t studying full time for music but still have an interest in an instrument and play an instrument.”

CAMPUS CALENDAR THURSDAY, FEB. 20

FRIDAY, FEB. 21

SATURDAY, FEB. 22

SUNDAY, FEB. 23

MONDAY, FEB. 24

International Food Festival

Industry Afternoon

The Vagina Monologues

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Concert

Black Box Reading Series

5 p.m.

Marciano Commons Hosted by the International Student Organizations

1 p.m.

Yawkey Center Hosted by the Center for Career Development

8 p.m.

Student Theater at Agganis Arena Hosted by The Vagina Monologues

1 p.m.

Tsai Performance Center Hosted by Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra

7 p.m.

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre Hosted by MFA Program in Creative Writing

FEATURES 5

BUSINESS

Boston-based “Encore Apparel” hits the perfect chord of joy

BY LILY KEPNER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Two Villanova University students met at a Bruce Springsteen concert in their early years of college, confident they would part ways for their corporate careers after graduation. But in 2014, after almost a decade in the corporate world, a mutual desire to follow passion over convention led them to launch a creative endeavor centered on the very thing that initially united them: music.

Leading with passion, drive and heart, Casey Paton and Mark Lisavich crafted the brand Encore Apparel in 2013 based on their roots in music.

“I’ve always been really inspired by music,” Paton said, “and I wanted to use that as a backdrop for a brand really geared towards creative people.”

Paton said they designed the brand to reflect the rebellious and liberating ideologies of the 1960s and ’70s punkrock era, personifying their tagline “Life is Short, Play it Loud,” Paton said.

“We didn’t know anything about retail,” Paton said. “We just started putting an idea together, doing some designs that were really centered around the tagline, ‘Life is Short, Play it Loud,’ which has a music component, but it’s also about life and doing things and taking chances.”

Though the brand focuses mainly on creating t-shirts, Paton said Encore

also sells pins, stickers, hats, hoodies and beanies for men, women and youth, Lisavich said. All shirts come packaged in a record sleeve packaging, which Paton said sets Encore apart from other brands.

Encore’s products have been carried in six Whole Foods markets and 30 select stores throughout the country since its start in 2014, Paton said. The company opened a six month pop-up store at 303 Newbury Street in the Fall of 2018, where over 20 musicians performed live for customers.

Lisavich, Encore’s main designer, said selecting new designs is a collaborative process that starts after the holidays when the two bounce back from their busiest season and share ideas to slowly narrow down the designs.

“Most of my artwork starts with just a pen and paper,” Lisavich said, “then through Illustrator, and then out to production.”

The main goal of the company, Paton said, is to grow their online platform. A foundational element to the company has always been to give back, Paton said, and they hope to promote their charitable causes as well.

“If you’re going to take a shot at building a business, it’s really hard.

Most businesses fail,” Paton said. “But if you have interest and the drive to try to do something good with whatever you’re building, I think customers will

COURTESY OF JOSE VAZQUEZ

Encore Apparel is a clothing and accessory brand founded with the goal of benefitting music-oriented social causes.

get behind you and support you.”

Since their first conversation, Lisavich said he and Paton have strived to ensure Encore Apparel is a socially-responsible company.

“Helping get music in the hands of kids,” Livastitch said, “for the greater part of us being a business, has been the backbone of the brand.”

The brand has five collections with different designs: Play it Loud, Note, Photo, Rebel and LOCAL, Paton said.

The LOCAL brand originated to represent the brand’s charitable giving, helping support Charlestown High School’s efforts to rebuild the school’s music program by selling shirts and

putting on a music festival with the students.

The LOCAL collection now promotes Encore’s latest initiative, the 2020 “Project Encore: 50 makes 1.” In this project, Encore will donate one ukulele to Boston Children’s Hospital for every 50 items sold through Ukulele Kids Club, a global charity that runs music therapy programs in hospitals throughout the world to enrich kids’ lives through music.

Stephanie Epstein, President of UKC and music therapist, wrote in an email that Encore Apparel became a sponsor in the UKC RockStar program, or a “direct Ukulele sponsor,” to

the Boston Children’s Hospital’s music therapy program.

“The UKC and music helps hospitalized children express themselves, cope with whatever they may be going through, and connect with others, whether it be with therapists, their families, or their medical staff,” Epstein wrote. “It gives them an outlet and a tool to utilize both during and after their hospitalization(s).”

Paton said that even though leaving corporate comfort for creativity was daunting, he needed to take his chance.

“I didn’t have any idea where it would go. I still have no idea where it will go,” Paton said. “Tomorrow’s always unknown, I still feel like that today … but again I didn’t want to have that regret of thinking back 10 years later saying I really wish I tried that, so that was my driving factor.”

Whether through their charity initiatives, unique designs or in the more than 300 outdoor events Encore has participated in, Paton said this brand is valuable because of their hard work ethic and drive to follow their passion and values.

“People know that we are built from scratch. We’re unique, we’re small, we work pretty hard,” Paton said. “We care about what we’re doing and we’re trying to make a positive impact, and I think that resonates in this day and age.”

ARTS

Seven Spires makes waves with sophomore album, “Emerald Seas”

BY KAITLYN RIGGIO DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Prequels are commonplace for books, movies and even TV shows.

But how often do you come across a music album that has a prequel?

Boston-based metal band Seven Spires released their second album, “Emerald Seas” on Friday.

In an interview with The Daily Free Press, Adrienne Cowan, lead singer for Seven Spires, described “Emerald Seas” as a prequel to the band’s first album, “Solveig.”

“In ‘Solveig,’ there are two characters. One is a lost soul that is wandering in the underworld and the other main character is the demon who rules the underworld,” Cowan said.

“So ‘Emerald Seas’ is the prequel, and it’s the backstory to the demon character when they were still a human.”

Cowan said “Emerald Seas” was a milestone album for the band because it was the first album they created while signed to a record label.

“This has been a really interesting experience,” Cowan said, “seeing how the numbers have changed and our reach has grown.”

“Emerald Seas” gives the details and background to the story told in “Solveig,” starting right off the bat in its first song.

“Igne Defendit” sets the tone for the album. The distant-sounding voices harmonizing in the background of the song, combined with the percussion, French horn and string parts, give the song a very nautical and mysterious sound that lives up to the title of the album, even after just one 2-minute

ILLUSTRATION BY AUSMA PALMER/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston-based metal group Seven Spires released “Emerald Seas” Friday, their second album and their first produced on a record label.

song.

“Ghost of a Dream,” the second song, continues establishing the tone and story of the album. The demon character, one of the two main characters in “Solveig,” is still human in “Emerald Seas,” Cowan said. The listener can pick up on this difference even without knowing the full context of the demon’s story.

While “Solveig” had a dark and almost underworld-like sound to it, “Emerald Seas” feels brighter, more mysterious and even tempting to listen to at times.

“Ghost of a Dream” also features some interesting musical moments, including times when castanets are prominent,

which is not an oft-used instrument in this type of music. At some points, acoustic and electric guitars work in tandem, which gives the song a whole new layer, making the song feel like a symphonic metal tango.

The next song, “No Words Exchanged,” also features experimental moments that bend the barriers of genre. Cowan said “No Words Exchanged” is “almost not even really a metal song” and draws inspiration from the electronic music trio Nero.

“I was listening to so much of their discography and this really loving, intimate scene appeared in my mind and I had to write about it,” Cowan

said.

The influence from Nero is clear as the song features electronic vocals layered over the metal base, giving the song a mysterious effect with a creative spin.

“Unmapped Darkness” offers a chance for the versatility of Cowan’s voice to come into full view. The beginning of the song feels almost gentle, like a lullaby with a bit of a kick to it. But the song shifts gears quickly, picking up as Cowan sings in a way that is more characteristic of most metal music. The way Cowan switches between these vocal styles is nothing short of amazing. The song

also features an impressive guitar solo, courtesy of Seven Spires’ guitarist Jack Kosto.

Released as a single in November 2019, “Succumb” is undoubtedly the catchiest song in the album. While it’s a good listen on its own, “Succumb” is even more rewarding in the context of the full album. It becomes part of a story, rather than just a song.

“Silvery Moon” is another song that fits in perfectly with the nautical feeling of the album. It feels reminiscent of a sailor’s lament while on a journey at sea.

This message is aided by the unique instrumentation of strings and piano at the beginning and end of the song and the rhythm, which makes the song feel like a ship bobbing in the waves in the middle of the ocean. It also helps that the melodic line feels enchanting and inviting, as if a siren was singing it.

“The Trouble with Eternal Life,” the song just before the finale that packs one final punch and brings the story towards a close. The lyrics indicate that the story of the demon character’s backstory is drawing to a close. The lyric, “Follow the songs that the sirens sing / until we’re together again,” points the listener to the original “Solveig” album to continue the story. Everything about the song feels like a finale, a perfect wrap up to the continuous story told by “Emerald Seas.”

Seven Spires will be playing at the Palladium in Worcester on March 14 on their North American tour with Finnish death metal bands Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum.

6 FEATURES

COMMUNITY

Student composes Messiaen-inspired piece in CFA concert

BY NANCY JIANG DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Wind machines, wa r, astronomy a nd birds don’t t y pica l ly come to mind when thin king of classica l music. It’s the incor poration of these elements, embedded in life ex perience, that ma kes French composer Olivier Messiaen’s scores cha rming w ith a ra re wea lth of impossibilities that both inspire a nd humble the a rtistic.

Recent School of Music graduates, facult y a nd current students f il led the Col lege of Fine A rts Concert Ha l l on Sunday. The audience wa ited patiently to hea r the “Cha rm of Impossibilities” performa nce as pa rt of the Messiaen Concert series, a tribute to the composer. The program was conducted by second yea r CFA graduate student Jacob Schnitzer, who co-orga nized the concert.

Elena Levi, a junior in CFA, had her ow n per sona l Messiaen-inspired piece, entitled “Memoire de Cla ire,’’ performed at the intimate show by BU a lumnus a nd violinist A ija Reke.

Levi, who studies violin performa nce a nd composition a nd theor y, composed “Memoire de Claire,” a n ode to Messiaen’s f irst w ife, Cla ire Delbos, her self. Despite being unfamilia r w ith the late composer’s works, Levi said it was Messiaen’s relationship w ith his w ife that inspired her violin piece.

“The centra l theme to my piece was actua l ly a quote from one of the works that [Messiaen] w rote for [Delbos],” Levi said in a n inter view. “I remember the day that I rea l ly found his backstor y a nd the stor y about [Delbos], that prett y much the bul k of the piece was w ritten just w ithin that day, just being so touched by her stor y.”

Messiaen ex perienced the turmoil of World Wa r II, according to Levi’s note in the concert program. In a n effort to represent this histor y through a song, Levi sa id she found that a simple a nd steadfast approach to the song’s origins proved best.

“I rea l ly did a lot of resea rch into a lot of his persona l life especia l ly,” Levi sa id, “which was the inspiration for the violin piece.”

Besides “Memoire de Cla ire,” the program consisted of Messiaen’s “Quatuor pour la f in du Temps,” which mea ns “Qua rtet for the End of Time,” a nd “Des ca nyons au x etoiles,” tra nslating to “From the Ca nyons to the Sta rs.”

Schnitzer sa id Messiaen’s works were uniquely tied together through experimentation w ith birdsong, w ind a nd the spiritua l rea lm in a n effort to ex plore melody.

“It’s ver y spiritua l music a nd ver y inspired by the natura l world,” Schnitzer said in a n inter view. “He’s

been a n inspiration to me a nd to a lot of other musicia ns who a re interested in contempora r y music a nd ex perimenting w ith new kinds of classica l music.”

But Messiaen’s music is ra rely showcased in a public sphere, Schnitzer said, a nd the mea ning behind the pieces may conf use some a nd bew itch others.

“I thin k that his music is ver y evocative a nd loved by audiences, [but it] isn’t performed ver y much,” Schnitzer said. “This is a unique opportunit y to hea r it.”

Levi said Messiaen’s music is one of a kind because he had sy nesthesia, which caused him to associate certain colors w ith his music.

“A lot of what ma kes Messien’s music unique to him is that he actua l ly had sy nesthesia,” Levi said. “He would have a color in mind a nd work a round what he felt f it into that colorf ul la ndscape in his mind.”

The “Cha rm of Impossibilities” concert consisted of a va riet y of solos a nd collaborations bet ween facult y a nd student performers.

The show was orchestrated

by Schnitzer a nd A ndrew Shenton, a n associate professor of music, w ith per forma nces by Professor of Music Eric Ruske a nd a n ensemble cast composed of a chamber orchestra a nd severa l soloists.

Schnitzer sa id it is importa nt to provide a platform for student musicia ns to showcase their ta lent a nd provide a physica l a nd metaphorica l stage to express themselves a nd their passions. “[The composition facult y] wa nted to support the work of a student composer a nd give the opportunit y to commision a new piece of music for [Levi] to w rite,” Schnitzer said. “It’s never been performed.”

Jonatha n Cha ng, a junior in the Questrom School of Business, said he attended the concert to understa nd a nd appreciate Messiaen’s complex blend of work. “[The concert was] rich in teture,” Cha ng said af ter the event. “The choices of music compliments the theme in the program wel l.”

The concert, which Cha ng said was un like other classica l concerts he has been to, was thought-provoking, he sa id.

“The songs seemed prett y da rk,” Cha ng said.

“Beautif ul in [their] ow n way.”

Working on the piece has blossomed a nd strengthened Levi’s composing experience a nd insight, she said. Above a l l, she said the concert embodied the same sentiments of graces of opportunit y a nd cha rms of impossibilities as it did for the composing facult y.

“It ended up being a rea l ly, rea l ly f un project that I was just so gratef ul to have been able to work on,” Levi sa id. “Tr y ing to imag ine the kinds of colorf ul la ndscapes that Messiaen envisions in his works, a nd tr y a nd emulate that in my ow n w riting.”

BAILEY SHEN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University College of Fine Arts alumnus Aija Reke performs “Memoire de Claire,’’ an Olivier Messiaen-inspired piece written by BU student Elena Levi, at the “Charm of Impossibilities” Concert in the CFA Concert Hall Sunday.

BAILEY SHEN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Faculty, students and alumni from the Boston University School of Music in the College of Fine Arts perform a tribute to French composer Olivier Messiaen at the “Charm of Impossibilities” concert Sunday.

BAILEY SHEN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A quartet of faculty, students and alumni from the Boston University School of Music in the College of Fine Arts perform works by Olivier Messiaen at the “Charm of Impossibilities” concert Sunday.

FEATURES 7

ARTS

Grammy-nominated Carolyn Malachi on her multi-focused career

BY KAITLYN RIGGIO DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Choosing between two passions can be a turning point in one’s career.

When Carolyn Malachi was a student at Shepherd University, she was a center on the school’s women’s basketball team — until she had to choose between basketball and pursuing music. “[My coach] was like, ‘It’s either going to be your internship and your music and these other things or it’s going to be basketball,’” Malachi said.

“I was like, ‘Well, it’s been fun.’”

The 2010 Grammy-nominated artist said choosing music was definitely the correct choice for her, but said she still had a great appreciation for her coach.

“She was super gracious about it,” Malachi said. “Definitely no hard feelings.”

Since the start of her career, Malachi has made a name for herself through performing around the world, receiving a Fulbright-Hays grant, which supports research and training in foreign countries, in 2017 and raising awareness for education and technological accessibility.

Malachi said she started out producing music while she was an undergraduate student at Shepherd University.

“I just kind of fell in love with the idea of using technical platforms to make music,” Malachi said. “I decided that I would really focus and hone in on songwriting and performance and arrangement.”

To ensure she is “writing from an authentic place,” Malachi said she draws on her own personal experiences. Malachi described the ability

COURTESY OF PENN STATE VIA FLICKR

Grammy-nominated R&B singer Carolyn Malachi, shown in a 2012 concert, is set to perform at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Feb. 27.

to convey complicated scenarios that she’s lived through in a simple way through writing and performing as being very cathartic for her.

“If I don’t know the experience and I don’t feel the experience and I’m not really able to write about it,” Malachi said, “performing it is just weird at that point.”

The authenticity Malachi puts into her music causes her songs to resonate deeply with fans, she said. One song where this connection is especially clear is her 2013 song titled “Beautiful Dreamer.”

“I know there’s a lot of people who wake up to that song, like that’s their alarm tone,” Malachi said. “I really

can’t express how beautiful that is.

You make something and somebody wants to make that a part of their daily meditation.”

While her own stories influence her lyrics, Malachi said other artists also inspire her throughout her creative process as well. She appreciates the complexity of rock band Radiohead’s music and tries to mirror that complexity in her own work.

“I just sit there and I listen and I’m like, ‘How did you guys do this?’”

Malachi said. “Sometimes in my studio, I’ll try to replicate what they’ve done and I can get pretty close, but not exactly.”

Malachi also said she enjoys the sto-

rytelling elements utilized by jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Malachi said these artists are inspiring to her because of how adventurous they are in their writing and producing, which is something she said she tries to do in her own work.

“I try to create without any sense of boundary,” Malachi said.

While her career has included some standout moments, Malachi said it is hard for her to identify a single event as a highlight. She said she feels it is better to appreciate her career as a whole, rather than through single moments in time.

“When you look at a life, when you look at a career, you’re really looking

SCIENCE

at a journey,” Malachi said. “You’re looking at it as an arc of the story.”

In addition to being a performer, Malachi is also a professor at Howard University, teaching audio production. Malachi compared being a professor while also being a performer to having a huge pizza, with a third topped with extra cheese, a third with sausage and a third with pineapple.

“Everyday is a different slice of pizza,” Malachi said. “I get so much variety and I’m full. My heart is full, my schedule is definitely full, but I’m full and I’m balanced.”

Despite her busy schedule, Malachi said she is always looking to improve her craft, such as in deciding to receive a Master’s in audio technology from American University last year.

“That itself has opened so many doors,” Malachi said, “including one for me to live the dream that I currently am living.”

Malachi will be performing at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with rhythm and blues duo BOOMscat and Nigerian performer Dokun Oke on Feb. 27. Having performed in Boston previously, Malachi said she enjoys the openness that comes with the audience in the city.

“I really get a sense that folks come to the show to have an experience that is new for them and different from what they’re used to,” Malachi said.

Malachi said she wants this show to feel like “one big scented candle.”

Malachi said that for this performance, she’ll be bringing some of her friends, as well as her band to perform with her.

“I just want it to be a chill vibe night with a lot of heat,” Malachi said.

BU courses teach understanding of music, sound from scientific lens

BY SARAH READDEAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Right-brained or left-brained, creative or scientific, imaginative or analytical. Individuals are constantly categorizing their interests and strengths in polarized spheres. But these disciplines aren’t as separate as one may think, and understanding of one can be advantageous in the practice of the other.

Professor Lee Roberts teaches “The Physics in Music,” a course in the College of Arts and Sciences offered primarily for liberal arts and music students at Boston University, that covers properties of musical acoustics such as sound waves and frequencies. He said those are the very basics of what underlies all music.

“Sounds are essentially vibrations coming toward you, waves coming toward you,” Roberts said, “that contain this information for the sound that was made from the instrument.”

Roberts said it is helpful for musicians to understand how their instrument works and its limitations in order to be able to work around a potential issue, comparing it to understanding the mechanisms of a car.

“Understanding why your instrument works the way it works I think is an important tool in understanding how to optimize what you get out of it,” Roberts said. “You don’t have to know anything about how a car works to get in and drive it. But if it’s having a problem, it really helps if you have some idea rather than going to the mechanic and saying it doesn’t work.”

While individuals can have varying likings for types of music, Roberts said all listeners seek out a sense of order in the the chords and composition of the piece they’re listening to.

“The listener looks for some kind of order in music,” Roberts said. “[They]

COURTESY OF PEAKPX

Courses in Boston University teach students how to create manipulated sounds with the goal of producing certain emotions in their listeners.

like a piece with a beginning, a middle and an end.”

Science ignorance is a major problem in society, Roberts said, and one of the goals of the course is to encourage students to see applications of these concepts in the larger world.

“We have to learn the basics of physics in order to talk about musical systems in any kind of a reasonable, scientific way,” Roberts said. “[I] push my students to think critically about the material and how this basic physics applies to everything around them.”

However, Bayla Keyes, as an associate professor of music who works with violin performance students, said she would not consider violinists scientists.

“If you understand some of the things about the rules of the overtone series,” Keyes said, “you can play better

it’s possible to play without any knowledge of that.”

Musical notes in perfect intervals combine to create sounds Keyes described as warm and peaceful.

“When you play two tones together that are related, and if they are related in a certain way, then their overtones interact and it makes a more beautiful sound,” Keyes said. “Music is also full of dissonance, and a lot of what a work of music will do is introduce dissonance and then resolve it to constant.”

Keyes said there are many details in the way the violin can be held and played that change the tone and overall feel of the sound. For example, she said a tight grip on the bow results in an “edgier” sound, and the placement of the bow can create a more diffused or more bright sound.

“I’m terribly interested in getting my students to make the widest range of sound,” Keyes said. “To learn what constitutes a sad sound, what is an upset sound versus a peaceful sound, what combination of all of these factors produces that emotion so clearly that everybody listening to it will respond.”

Using certain sounds to convey certain emotions, Keyes said, has been practiced by humans for centuries.

She said the ancient Greeks used an interval now referred to as the tritone, or “Devil’s interval,” to create a sense of uncomfort.

“They would play with the idea it would drive the person listening insane,” Keyes said. “The dissonance that this interval creates is so unpleasant dislikes hearing it.”

Justin Casinghino, a lecturer in Composition and Music Theory, who teaches both doctoral composers and first-time music students in the courses “Composing with Electronic Sounds and Computers 1&2.” He said the course involves investigating how sound works and how to digitally record and manipulate sound.

“It’s an important end of composition right now, to be able to work on electronic music, to understand how to record it, think about it,” Casinghino said. “For some of those students new to it, just how to listen to the world around you.”

Casinghino said he appreciates that in making electronic music, a composer can create new sounds with certain feelings that an instrument can’t achieve.

“One of the big differences in electronic music is we’re not just using sounds that already exist,” Casinghino said. “I can really use computers to make the sound something that’s never been heard before.”

Casinghino said he likes to think of every sound around him as an “instrument.”

“If you look at something like a violin, a bow is being pulled across the string, which creates a friction-based vibration, Casinghino said. “The green line stopping and the break squeaking is also a friction-based vibration.”

Jackie Bensen, a sophomore studying both violin performance in CFA and psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, said her majors work hand-in-hand in understanding the way music works.

“I tell people that I do violin and psychology and they automatically assume that the violin is a fun extracurricular kind of thing, but I treat it as … what I want to do professionally,” Bensen said. “It can be a little demeaning to just call [music] an art because it’s a lot of people’s work … It has to be perfect, too, like a science.”

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL R. Kelly affiliate ignites contentious debate around responsibility In conjunction with the release of her album “WOMAN,” Syleena Johnson has reignited the debate around how to hold rhythm and blues singer R. Kelly accountable for his sexual assault crimes. Her primary argument is that his music has nothing to do with the various charges against him.

Given her artistic affiliation with him, this is, first and foremost, a grimy attempt to clear her own name.

More importantly, her claim oversimplifies the power dynamics between artists and consumers, dismissing survivors’ experiences. These women already had their agency taken away from them once before.

In sharing this message, Johnson effectively forces them to relive the attack and, worse, justify it. So even if her intention isn’t malicious, this statement ultimately has that sort of impact.

Her justification reveals a poor understanding of what exactly listeners are responsible for here. Of course individuals aren’t implicated in the act itself.

However, as consumers, we are responsible for holding R. Kelly accountable.

Hindsight shows us that his fame and wealth allowed him to commit sexual abuse and participate in sex-trafficking — and we’re at fault. Everytime we listened to his songs, a collaboration or anything with his name attached, we empowered him with financial resources.

Yet, the same knowledge reminds us that consumers aren’t powerless. In the free market, we get to decide who receives our support and subsequently has access to an audience. Since the incriminating informa-

tion has been revealed, what legitimate reason exists for us to listen to his music? His songs did not contribute anything meaningful to musical innovation and they do not deserve to be placed on a pedestal.

And while we cannot escape certain situations, we can be more proactive about avoiding his music and the similarly immoral media

really lose here? Not hearing “Ignition” is not a huge loss of value in our lives.

As usual, the onus falls entirely on the consumer when corporations ultimately prop up these offenders. Without them, artists like R. Kelly wouldn’t be able to flippantly maintain their presence after getting caught for a crime. That being said, plat-

GRAPHIC BY CLARA KIM

when we can. For instance, there is an option to mute artists on Spotify so that their music is never streamed on your account, including when listening to other users’ playlists unless you change the setting. And what would we

CROSSWORD

forms such as Spotify and Apple Music should be mandated to censor those who have been convicted.

Even in “less severe” sexual harassment cases, offenders in corporate settings lose

their jobs and livelihoods — as they should.

Why should the outcome on streaming platforms be any different for R. Kelly? Let the man fall hard from grace, everywhere.

But accountability measures cannot stop there. Our culpability reaches far beyond our listening habits. The decision to sexually assault someone is not random. It is a part of a wider problem in which society does not adequately address the catcalling, the misogyny and the discrimination that contribute to a sense of entitlement over another’s body.

When we allow people to get away with these “less” consequential actions, sexual assault does not seem like a significant escalation; but, rape culture operates as a pyramid. What starts as unaddressed comments and cyberbullying has infinite potential to become physical assault.

Without the #MeToo movement, it’s difficult to say if there would have ever been the necessary cultural shift.

Even now, it’s incredibly slow. Our society has not taken the necessary steps to create the environment for young women to openly discuss their sexuality nor for young men to define masculinity on their own terms. Power is so tied up in masculinity that, in contemporary terms, it is incredibly difficult to understand what it means to be a man without it.

Taking away R. Kelly’s financial support is the least we can do to dismantle the structures that enabled him in the first place.

Contrary to Johnson’s belief, it is very much our responsibility as members of a civil society to hold people accountable for their criminal acts. Only then can we ensure that we have adjusted their legacy accordingly.

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Douglas Brown COURTESY OF MIRROREYES.COM / CROSSWORD ANSWERS AVAILABLE ON https://dfpress.co/2MGBWlc

ACROSS 1. Backside 5. Narrow-waisted stingers 10. Study hard 14. Mongrel 15. A Musketeer 16. Debauchee 17. Beekeeping 19. Paddles 20. Female chicken 21. Flora 22. Vibes 23. Colonist 25. The language of Persia 27. Drollness 28. Competes for something 31. Fortuneteller’s card 34. Fasteners 35. Slime 36. Anagram of “Sage” 37. Gulleys 38. Skid row 39. Delay

DOWN 40. Television 41. Verse 42. Cross 44. Loving murmur 45. Flax fabric 46. Barricade 50. A keyboard instrument 52. A kind of macaw 54. Letter after sigma 55. Blind (poker) 56. Self-centered 58. Flower stalk 59. Dishes out 60. A building for skating 61. Fizzy drink 62. Utilizers 63. Cheers

Victoria Bond, Editor-in-Chief Samantha Kizner, Campus Editor

1. Housemaids 2. Indian monetary unit 3. Scrimp 4. And so forth 5. Billfold 6. Fragrant oil 7. Cold-shoulder 8. A list of the financial assets 9. South southeast 10. Anagram of “Source” 11. In a very lively manner 12. Emanation 13. Untidyness 18. Lit to a higher degree 22. Paintings, sculptures etc 24. 2 2 2 2 26. Picnic insects 28. An unbound manuscript 29. Gingerbread palm

30. A few 31. After-bath powder 32. Food thickener 33. Governed 34. Banters 37. Spouse 38. Store 40. Italian for “Wine” 41. Ancient empire 43. Movie house 44. Gentle stroke 46. Formula 1 driver 47. Courtyards 48. Drizzly 49. Inserts 50. Overtake 51. Within 53. Learning method 56. Australian flightless bird 57. Attempt

Jennifer Suryadjaja, Managing Editor

Angela Yang, City Editor

Sarah Readdean, Features Editor

t h e i n d e p e nd e nt st ude n t n ewspap e r at bo sto n un i versity 50th year | Volume 98 | Issue 5 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 © 2020 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Chris Larabee, Sports Editor Ausma Palmer, Photo Editor

Hillary Hao, Editorial Page Editor

Caroline DeHaven, Video Editor

Sophia Yakumithis, Blog Editor

Maya Chadda, Layout Editor

Justin Tang, Podcast Editor

OPINION 9

American Protest:

COLUMNS Culture Shock:

Rap music’s reputation hides its positive impact

Taylor Swift deserves better

BY MEREDITH VARNER COLUMNIST

I am a huge Taylor Swift fan.

There, I said it. For some reason, this statement might cause a lot of people to pass judgement because many people don’t like her. This dislike has baffled me since I started listening to her music.

Taylor Swift has been someone I have loved and looked up to for a long time. I can remember 9-year-old me listening to her “Fearless” album on repeat. The disk never left my CD player and I knew the lyrics to all of the songs. “Fearless” was an important part of my childhood and I have grown up listening to every album she released.

Each album means something different to me and represents a different time in my life.

Swift’s music has accompanied me throughout all the phases of adolescence. She has songs that can make me cry, dance, scream or feel strong and confident.

She is incredibly talented and deserving of all the good fortune that has come her way. She was signed to a record label when she was only 15 years old and has come out with seven studio albums to date. She has also written or co-written every single one of her songs, a practice that is uncommon these days.

Not only does she write and sing beautiful songs, but she is also an excellent performer. I have been to two of her shows and they were some of the best concerts I have ever been to.

Swift has also become more politically involved in the last few years and encouraged fans to register to vote. She wrote in an Instagram caption that, “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based

on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG.” After this statement, there was a significant surge in voter registration, specifically in her hometown of Tennessee. She also encouraged the passing of the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

If she writes great music, performs great shows and has promoted social goods, why do so many people hate her?

There are a lot of music snobs out there who dislike pop music and that is fine. Disliking her music is different from disliking her as a person, though. There are more people who hate Swift as a person.

Most of the anti-Swift rhetoric I hear has to do with the fact that she dates around and writes music about her relationships. But is that not what every musician does? Most songs you listen to will be about failed love or rising romance.

This suggests that the hatred Swift receives stems from sexism and misogyny. Successful women are critiqued more than successful men.

If it were a man singing her songs, it’s unlikely that someone would take issue with them in the same way. Apparently, she has the audacity to write about relationships and date people — many find this a good reason to hate her.

But much of the hatred I see comes from women as well. They have internalized misogyny that tells them they have to hate her for doing what she wants, which is to entertain. These women need to do better — slut-shaming her for dating multiple people is just wrong.

Swift has grown up in the public eye and dating is a part of a normal life. In shaming her for this, her critics have stripped her of personhood.

Many people have also hated her for not being enough of an activist. But, when she came out in support of the Democratic party and LGBTQ community, she got hate for that as well.

While many celebrities use their platform to promote activism, it is not a part of their job description. No matter what she does, Swift would get hate for it anyways.

If you are someone who hates Swift for writing love songs and dating people, take a long, hard look at where this hatred is coming from.

Ask yourself if these are valid reasons to hate someone. Then, take a second to actually listen to her music instead of being angry that she is an unapologetic, successful woman doing what she wants.

INTERROBANG

BY COLBI EDMONDS COLUMNIST

Rap music is a highly controversial genre.

Its lyrics are often explicit and describe graphic images of violence, sex and drugs. People typically assume that rap is harmful for America’s youth because it supports these conventionally inappropriate ideas. But, it does quite the opposite.

Rap began as an outlet for black people to share and reflect on their various hardships.

However, as the music genre gained popularity, groups began to use the platform to describe their lives. Boogie Down Productions gave raw depictions of violence and drugs in urban areas. Public Enemy wrote about black political ideology and spread messages from the likes of Malcom X and The Black Panther Party.

The politicization of rap didn’t stop there — it continued well into the ‘90s with the new genre called gangsta rap. Gangsta rap is a type of hiphop that serves to demonstrate the violence of inner-city communities. Albums like N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” and rappers such as Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and Ice-T were essential to politically-motivated rap’s continuation because they produced such popular content that carried their message to the masses.

These artists and many others publicized the struggles of urban life for people of color.

The world watched firsthand with the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. These experiences brought attention to black on black violence and other struggles of living in the inner city — areas with less socio-economic prosperity.

Rap has continued to evolve over the past few decades. The sound has taken on more of a pop-music feel and the lyrical content has expanded significantly. In the past decade,

different ideas, such as religion and sexuality, have entered the scene. Some rappers and rap fanatics do not enjoy the contemporary version. Many have argued that rap is “dead” as it has strayed away from its original intentions of raising awareness of life in predominantly black communities.

It’s true that newer artists may not be making groundbreaking cultural commentary, but rap is still a crucial vessel for young black people to learn about and understand their culture. It has and continues to give people of color a platform to speak and bring attention to parts of life that are not talked about — and should be.

That’s why some fans tolerate rappers who may talk about racy subjects because it is an accurate depiction of their lives.

Black children need to see other black people’s success, not simply because they will aspire to achieve the same type of success. Rappers’ successes also demonstrate to these children that they are not permanently bound to their current circumstances — whether it be along social, economic, or other dimensions.

So, I can’t support the belief that rap music creates a culture of violence. Rather, the violence is a product of the systematic oppression that forces many artists into the “humble beginnings” that often serve as the basis of their music. Rapping about guns and drugs doesn’t create any violence that isn’t already present in black communities.

Of course, there are white people who are affected by poverty and do not live a privileged life. Rapper Eminem entered the scene with his first album “Infinite” and then starred in the film “8 Mile,” which was loosely based on his own life.

It is not fair to say rappers aren’t telling meaningful stories in an incredibly artistic way.

Whether the general public acknowledges it or not, rap is a form of lyrical poetry. You have to string together rhymes, rhythm, meter and more to create these songs.

Rap deserves more appreciation for the skill and intentional thought that it takes. Listen to the lyrics to learn about Americans’ lived experiences instead of writing it off as a violent, inappropriate creation. Rap shares the voices of millions of black people in America. It is a genuine form of expression that holds painful truths that our society continually tries to avoid.

We got musical this issue. We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what are BU groups’ favorite musicals?

BU Housing: Rent

Athletes: High School Musical

ENG: Les Miserables

Theology: Book of Mormon

FreeP: Newsies

Allston: West Side Story

LAW: Legally Blonde

QST: Hadestown

StudGov: Hamilton

10 SPORTS

Off the Post: Right calls were made during Bouwmeester’s collapse

BY CHAD JONES COLUMNIST

An incredibly scary incident took place in Anaheim, California last Tuesday.

Before the entire hockey world was shaken to its core, a game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was just over halfway into the opening period.

Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester skated to the St. Louis bench after completing a shift. While sitting down during a television timeout, Bouwmeester collapsed. His teammates around him immediately knew something was seriously wrong.

Blues’ defenseman Vince Dunn was sitting next to Bouwmeester when he went down in a heap. He immediately started frantically waving his arms to get the attention of the medical staff. Blues’ Captain Alex Pietrangelo was skating towards the bench right as Bouwmeester collapsed. Once he looked down to see his fallen teammate, he instantly started to call for help as well.

Everyone capable and qualified to assist came over right away. Trainers from the Blues and Ducks all made their way to the end of the Blues’ bench and EMTs had a stretcher ready in seconds.

While Bouwmeester was being attended to, players from both teams gathered around on the ice. Two Ducks players, Captain Ryan Getzlaf and forward Nicolas Deslauriers, talked to Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly and defenseman Colton Parayko for a moment. The sight was nothing short of surreal.

After a few minutes, Bouwmeester

Only the cream of the crop ever pull an NHL sweater over their head, so once you play at this level, you join a very special brotherhood.

was taken away on a stretcher down the Blues’ tunnel. Both teams went into their respective locker rooms. The rest of the contest was postponed to a later date.

On Sunday, it was decided the game will resume March 11th.

The St. Louis Blues released an official statement Wednesday, the next day.

They announced Bouwmeester, “suffered a cardiac episode and collapsed on our bench.” They went on to say, “He was alert and moving all of his extremities as he was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center.”

On Friday, St. Louis announced Bouwmeester had, “undergone a successful Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) procedure at UC

Irvine Medical Center in Anaheim.”

Many split second decisions might have led to Bouwmeester living through this cardiac episode. First off, the Blues players did a tremendous job realizing the severity of the problem immediately.

They did not hesitate to try and get the attention of the trainers and medical personnel. Who knows what might have happened had they waited even a few more seconds to call for help.

Also, the trainers and medical staff were completely prepared for this. The trainers for both teams got over to the fallen Blue in seconds. As this was during a television timeout, they definitely were not expecting to be called into action. Thank God they were ready

and handled proper protocol.

Also, the NHL was right in postponing the rest of the game. The Blues were worried about not just their teammate’s health, but his life. This was not a player taking a puck off the face or banging his knee into the boards. This could very well have been a life or death situation.

How could they possibly refocus their minds on scoring more goals than the Ducks? The idea of playing a game was so insignificant at the time.

The Blues were not the only ones shaken by the incident. The Ducks could not have wanted to continue playing that game either. While they are opponents on the ice, every professional sports league has aspects of sportsmanship. The

Anaheim Ducks were just as concerned for Bouwmeester’s well-being. The last thing they want to see is a fellow NHL-er in a life-threatening situation.

As strange as it might be, this incident highlighted the tight-knit community that is the NHL. The league is composed of approximately 620 active players each week.

The 31 teams only get to dress 20 guys a game. Only the cream of the crop ever pull an NHL sweater over their head, so once you play at this level, you join a very special brotherhood. While other leagues have similar components, hockey can claim a few very distinct differences.

You are allowed to fight your opponent and not get kicked out of the game.

If you take a cheap shot, you have to answer for it.

Also, the relationships between opposing players are different than in the other leagues. After a brawl, the two combatants often congratulate the other. Good hits are occasionally acknowledged by the player picking himself up off the ice. After a playoff series, win or lose, you shake your rival’s hand.

The Ducks and Blues went from grizzled opponents to concerned friends in an instant. Neither team cared about the score or the standings at that time.

While these men cross-check, slash, hit and punch each other on a nightly basis, the game will never outweigh their care for one another’s well-being.

Numbers Roundup: Old players exceeding expectations

BY HANNAH YOSHINAGA COLUMNIST

nce athletes hit age 30, it’s basically impossible for them to dodge questions about production decline and the ends of their careers.

While professional sports are, and always will be a young man’s game, sports media personnel and fans alike often fail to give credit to the veterans who still make significant impacts on their respective leagues.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert echoed a similar sentiment when he spoke about longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this week. Roethlisberger is 37 and has been at the center of retirement rumors, but Colbert insisted that Pittsburgh’s franchise icon is nowhere near the end of his career and will still be an effective signal-caller in the fall.

NFL Quarterbacks Above Age 30 Average 2019 Stats: 65.4 Cmp percent, 3356 yards, 6.75 adjusted net yards per pass attempt Big Ben spent most of 2019 recovering from an injury, but there were several other veteran quarterbacks who held their own in a league dominated by younger guys.

At age 40, Drew Brees was a rock for New Orleans, and he led them to their third-consecutive playoff berth. Brees led the league with a 74.3 completion percentage and ranked third in adjusted net yards per pass attempt with an 8.33 ANY/A, according to Pro Football Reference.

Aaron Rodgers also took his team to the playoffs and the Packers made it much further than the Saints did. Even though running back Aaron Jones comprised a large part of Green Bay’s offense,

There are plenty of elder statesmen in the NBA who receive relatively little attention because of their age.

Rodgers still threw for 4,002 yards in the regular season.

The Falcons took quite a bit of well-deserved heat last season, but Matt Ryan still posted a solid campaign. Ryan completed 66.2 percent of his passes and threw for 4,466 yards, fifth-best in the NFL. He isn’t a quarterback, but Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth has to be mentioned here. The veteran survived yet another season on the O-line last season, which is no easy feat for anyone, let alone a 38-year-old.

Average Age of Minnesota Twins’ Starters: 28.7 years The Twins weren’t afraid to bolster their rotation with veterans instead of younger hurlers, and their latest addition was 31-year-old Kenta Maeda. After posting a 4.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 2019 with the Dodgers, according to ESPN Stats, Maeda came over in a trade and is now the sixth pitcher 30 or

north of 30 on the Twins’ active roster. In addition to those six, the Twins also agreed to terms with Jhoulys Chacin, 32, on Feb. 3 and will add Michael Pineda, 31, to the roster when he returns from suspension.

Maeda is practically a rookie compared to some of Minnesota’s other rotation reinforcements.

Rich Hill, also a former Dodger, is 39 and first pitched in the majors in 2005. Although Hill pitched only 58.2 innings last season due to injury, according to Baseball Reference, he brings much-needed experience to a Twins rotation whose inexperience cost them in the 2019 playoffs.

Homer Bailey, yet another former Dodger signed by the Twins in free agency, is no spring chicken either, with 13 seasons in the majors.

In 2019, Bailey fell victim to MLB’s ball change and posted a 4.57 ERA, according to Baseball Reference.

There are plenty of elder statesmen in the NBA who receive relatively little attention because of their age, but perhaps no one is overlooked more than JJ Redick. After being one of the most sought-after free agents in the off-season, Redick ended up with the New Orleans Pelicans and has been shooting the lights out ever since.

Redick is 35, but he hasn’t lost a step in three-point territory.

Redick’s 45.8 three-point percentage ranks first in efficiency among NBA players attempting at least six shots from deep per game. Of Redick’s 10.7 field goal attempts per game, 6.6 are threes, and the only other player older than 32 to attempt more shots from beyond the arc is Toronto Raptors guard On the bright side, he pitched 163.1 Kyle Lowry, according to NBA innings, his highest total since Stats.

2013 with the Cincinnati Reds. He Making Redick even more should slot in well as a back-of-ro- valuable to the Pelicans is his tation starter. tenacity and durability. Redick The Twins have a strong veteran has played in 50 games this season, presence in the bullpen as well. Sergio second to only Jaxson Hayes on Romo, 36, and Tyler Clippard, 35, the New Orleans roster. In those both figure to eat up several innings games, Redick has averaged 27.2 out of the pen. In Tampa Bay last minutes, sixth-most on the team year, Romo had one of his best sea- and fourth-most among players 35 sons since his prime in San Francisco or older, according to NBA Stats. and walked only 17 batters. Clippard Milwaukee shooting guard was even better with a 2.90 ERA and Kyle Korver, 38, and Dallas shoot4.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio. ing guard J.J. Barea, 35, have also The Twins easily have the most followed the three-point-shootexperienced pitching staff in the ing veteran model. Korver is sinkAL Central and own one of the ing 40.7 percent of his three-point best starting groups in the entire attempts, while Barea makes American League. There is no rea- 46 percent of his, according to son Minnesota can’t find itself in the Basketball Reference. same tier as the Yankees or Astros Sure, Korver is twice as old this season. as 10 players in the league, and JJ Redick: 15.7 PPG, 45.4 FG Redick and Barea aren’t far off percent, 45.8 3-point percent, that mark.

27.2 MPG But age is just a number, right?

SPORTS 11

Terriers extend win streak to seven with victory over Lafayette

BY MAX BEVINGTON

leads and put teams away when they have the chance.

“We let them go on a little bit of a Riding a season-high six-game run,” Moseley said. “We should have win streak, the Boston University just been able to put the hammer women’s basketball team entered into down at that point.” an important Patriot League matchup BU was led on offense by junior on Wednesday night against Lafayette guard Katie Nelson who scored a College. Led by an early offensive game-high 13 points and tallied a surge, BU grinded out the win, 47-40. team-high three assists as well.

Coming into this matchup, the Sophomore forward Riley Childs Terriers (15-10, 10-4 Patriot League) also had an impressive performance were tied for second place in the for the Terriers, scoring 11 points Patriot League with Colgate University and tallying three assists, while also and were two games behind first pulling down 10 rebounds. place Bucknell University, while the The Terriers ended the half going Leopards (12-12, 8-6 Patriot League) 12-of-25 from the floor. were tied for fourth.

The Leopards were paced on The Terrier offense started firing offense by senior guard Sarah Agnello early, going 4-for-8 from the floor in who scored a team-high of 10 points the first six minutes of the first quarter, and added a team-high three assists. allowing BU to get out to an early 9-7 Both BU’s and Lafayette’s offenses lead. The Terriers’ momentum con- cooled off at the start of the third tinued for the rest of the first quarter, quarter as both defenses began to RACHEL SHARPLES/ DFP FILE ending with a shooting percentage of pick up their intensity. The Terriers Sophomore forward Riley Childs, shown in a Feb. 15 game against Navy, scored 11 points and pulled in 10 rebounds 50 percent and an 18-13 lead. ended the period shooting 3-for-11 to earn her third double-double of the season in Boston University’s 47-40 win over Lafayette College.

BU head coach Marisa Moseley from the floor, good for an 27.3 field expressed her pleasure with the team’s goal percentage, while the Leopards second double-double in five games. quarter.

League, two games behind first place offensive performance early on. fared slightly better, shooting 4-for-13.

Freshman forward Maren Durant In the final period both teams Colgate.

“I thought we just moved the ball Despite the offensive struggles also had a notable defensive perfor- played tight defense, with BU scoring Despite the league season comreally well,” Moseley said. “We were in the second half, Moseley praised mance for BU. Durant secured nine only seven points in the period and ing to end, Moseley said the team is crisp … anytime you knock in shots, her squad’s defense for being able to defensive boards and rejected a team- Lafayette scoring five, allowing BU to focused and taking each game one you feel good.” secure the win. high three shots. secure a crucial Patriot League victory. at time.

BU’s offensive explosion contin“We were scrappy. We were kind of For the Leopards, junior forward When asked about BU’s second “If we can keep just being 1-0 in ued into the second period with the moving a little bit quicker,” Moseley Natalie Kucowski was the defensive half performance, Moseley kept it each of these games,” Moseley said, Terriers getting up to a 29-18 lead six said. “We were kind of cheating leader. Kucowski secured a team-best simple. “then the winning and the seedings minutes into the period. Lafayette towards shooters and getting there six defensive rebounds. Senior forward “Brutal. That was brutal,” Moseley will take care of itself.” then went on an offensive run of their and contesting shots.”

Tasha Vipond also tallied six defensive said. “I don’t know if we got anxious The Terriers will be back in own to end the half, scoring seven On defense, the Terriers were also rebounds and blocked a shot. or we’ve got ‘Men in Black,’ where action a ga in Sat urday, Feb. 22 unanswered points to cut the lead led by Childs, who secured a teamDespite the defensive dominance, someone took our bodies and our against American University (10to 29-25 at the half. high 10 rebounds with nine of them the Terrier’s managed to score 11 minds.”

14, 6-8 Patriot League) with tip off Moseley also recognized that the being defensive rebounds. Childs also points in third period, giving them With this victory, the Terriers slated for 2 p.m. at Bender Arena in Terriers need to be able to sustain rejected a shot as well in earning her 40-35 lead to start off the fourth still sit tied for second in the Patriot Washington, D.C. DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Schroeder and Stuart have “distinguished themselves” all season HOCKEY, FROM 12 As of right now, BU will face either the University of Maine or University of New Hampshire in the Hockey East quarterfinals at Walter Brown Arena.

If the Terriers advance into the later rounds of the conference tournament, there is a good chance they will see this season’s Hockey East juggernaut, No. 3/4 Northeastern University.

BU has faced the Huskies (26-42, 22-3-0 Hockey East) four different times this season, and Northeastern has swept the Terriers with the most recent defeat coming in a gut-wrenching 4-3 double-overtime loss in the Beanpot final at Walter Brown.

Durocher’s message throughout the season has been about finding that one extra goal to push the Terriers over the hump, and he said that remains the same at the end of the season.

“Our biggest thing is that when needed, [we need] a timely goal, and a little bit of goal scoring from people not named [Sammy] Davis or [Jesse] Compher,” Durocher said. “I think we have gotten that to some extent in the last month, but I think there’s even more that’s possible with that group.”

Brick Wall(s) One of the most important things that Durocher has had over this season is consistent performances between the pipes.

Junior goaltender Corinne Schroeder has been outstanding this season and is

currently on pace to break the program record for save percentage for the second year in a row as she has stopped 94.4 percent of shots taken at her. Sophomore goaltender Kate Stuart has also been rock-solid in relief of Schroeder.

Since Jan. 4, the goaltending duo has only allowed more than two goals three times with one of those games coming against the potent Northeastern offense, which bodes well for the Terriers’ chances in the Hockey East tournament, as their offense scores an average of three goals per game.

Durocher said both goaltenders have been impressive throughout the season.

The coach specifically singled out Stuart, who has worked relentlessly to improve since last season despite being behind a star goaltender on the depth chart.

“The goaltenders have distinguished themselves, all through the year, both of them,” Durocher said. “[Schroeder] was a little more established, but [Stuart] had a great off-season of training, got herself in great shape and I think she’s become a little more durable and a little stronger.”

Special Teams Have Been Special The key to a conference title for the Terriers could lie in BU’s special teams play.

The Terrier power-play unit is the most efficient by a large margin in Hockey East and is the fourth-best in the nation. BU converts on almost 26 percent of power plays, with 31 of the 96 goals scored by the Terriers coming

on the man-advantage.

Durocher credits his players’ patience for BU’s success on the power play because the team is able to cycle the puck and not force passes or shots.

“The thing that comes back to me, is after we get the initial puck movement and some shots on net and then we recover the puck,” Durocher said. “I don’t think they really rush the situation, sometimes you’re anxious and want to throw in those shots on net or you’ll think you can thread the needle.”

When down a player, BU’s penalty kill is also successful — it ranks fourth in conference with a 87.6 percent kill rate — but the Terriers are often called for a lot of penalties, which can sink a team in the playoffs.

Penalties called on BU are the one stat where the Terriers are not clearly ahead of their opponents, as they have been called for 133 penalties this season compared to 135 penalties called on opponents.

Durocher said discipline is sometimes an issue for the Terriers, which leads to unnecessary penalties.

“I think we have to be more disciplined, there’s no question that stick penalties on the far side of the red line, which means they are at least 100 feet from the net, if not more, are not good penalties,” Durocher said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re in control over body and in control of our sticks and playing hard, but doing a good job to avoid penalties.”

LIBBY MCLELLAND/ DFP FILE

Sophomore goaltender Kate Stuart, shown in the Feb. 16 game against the University of New Hampshire, has proven to be a reliable second goalie for the Terriers this season.

Follow along with BU Sports on Twitter: @DFPsports

“If we can keep just being 1-0 in each of these games, then the winning and the seedings will take care of itself.”

— Coach Moseley on the message she is giving her team as Patriot League play enters its final stretch.

Sports

“We keep winning, we keep trying to play good hockey.

We keep adding on to an already pretty good body of work, but the way things are shaking out, there’s still more work to be done.”

— Coach Durocher on how the Terriers still have plenty of work ahead of them.

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020

End of regular season leaves “more work to be done” for Terriers

BY CHRIS LARABEE DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Entering the final weekend of Hockey East regular season play, the Boston University women’s hockey team has locked up the second seed and now looks to claim its first conference title since the 2014-15 season.

As the No. 8 Terriers (22-6-4, 16-6-3 Hockey East) prepare to take on the University of Connecticut (16-14-2, 13-10-2 Hockey East) in a two-game weekend series, BU is trying to cap off its best regular season since winning 23 games in the 2015-16 campaign.

BU head coach Brian Durocher said the team has been playing well, but their work is far from over.

“We’re trying to break it down into small goals,” Durocher said. “It’s the constant chase of the PairWise [national rankings]. We keep winning, we keep trying to play good hockey. We keep adding on to an already pretty good body of work, but the way things are shaking out, there’s still more work to be done.”

Work to be Done: Chasing the Hockey East Crown Before the Terriers can tackle their goal of making the NCAA tournament, they must take care of business in New England.

CONTINUED ON 11

CAROLINE FERNANDEZ/ DFP FILE

Redshirt senior Sammy Davis, shown in the 2020 Beanpot Final against Northeastern University, leads the Terriers in goals and assists as they head into the final weekend of the regular season against the University of Connecticut.

Terriers’ comeback against Lafayette rims out at the buzzer, 61-59

BY MATT MEUSEL DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston University men’s basketball team dug itself out of a 16-point hole Wednesday night against Lafayette College, but its comeback fell just short, 61-59.

The Terriers’ (16-12, 10-5 Patriot League) comeback fell just short as sophomore guard Walter Whyte’s last-second 3-point attempt rimmed out and the Leopards (17-9, 9-6 Patriot League) survived BU’s late surge.

BU head coach Joe Jones was disappointed with the way his team played in the first half.

“We were terrible,” Jones said.

The loss gives the Terriers their second loss in three games.

After Whyte missed his 3-point shot, senior forward Max Mahoney had a chance to tie the game with a last-second layup, but that shot missed the mark as well.

This pair of BU players had double-doubles for just the second time this season. Whyte finished with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Mahoney put up 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Mahoney also tallied a team-high three assists for the Terriers.

Lafayette junior g uard E.J. Stephens torched BU for 27 points

on 11-of-21 shooting, including 5-for-9 from behind the arc. The Leopards’ only other player in double figures was senior forward Myles Cherry with 10 points.

Wednesday’s performance marked the first time the Terriers failed to reach 60 points since a Jan. 22 overtime loss at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The Terriers found themselves down 43-27 at halftime and used stellar defense in the second half to climb all the way back, led almost solely by Whyte and Mahoney.

The offense was “out of sorts,” Jones said. He contributed that to the absence of junior guard Javante McCoy, who missed the game due to an illness.

Freshman guard Ethan BrittainWatts made his first career start due to McCoy’s sickness. Brittain-Watts scored three points while shooting 1-for-3 from the field and also dished out an assist.

Jones said the Terriers played with a lot more “force” on both ends of the floor in the second half.

The force showed on both sides of the ball in the second half with BU holding Lafayette to just 18 points in the second half and scoring 32 of their own.

Sophomore guard Jonas Harper had a rough shooting night going

3-of-9 from the field, with all but one of his misses coming from behind the arc and scoring only nine points.

BU also struggled with turning the ball over, allowing the Leopards to garner 15 points from turnovers.

Part of the reason the Terriers found themselves in a huge deficit early on was due to great ball movement from Lafayette. The Leopards finished with 15 team assists while BU had just five.

The Terriers finished the night 21-for-56 from the field, good for a field goal percentage of just 37.5. BU fared even worse from 3-point range, going just 6-of-22 from behind the arc.

BU won the first meeting between these two teams in a nailbiter back on Jan. 2, scoring 73-72.

The loss puts the Terriers in a tie with the American University Eagles (14-12, 10-5 Patriot League) for second place in the Patriot League.

Jones said tournament seeding is not important and his team needs to perform at their highest level.

“The seeds are all irrelevant,” Jones said. “We just need to play better.”

Sunday’s game is crucial for both the Terriers and Eagles as teams battle for seeding with just three games remaining in the regular season.

The Terriers will be back in action at noon on Sunday, Feb. 23 at Case Gym against American.

ANRAN XIE/ DFP FILE

Sophomore guard Walter Whyte, shown in a Feb. 8 game against the College of the Holy Cross, earned his fifth double-double this season with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Boston University’s 61-59 loss to Lafayette College.

BOTTOM LINE FRIDAY, FEB. 21

Women’s Hockey faces the University of Connecticut at Walter Brown Arena at 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 22

SUNDAY, FEB. 23

TUESDAY, FEB. 25

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26

Men’s Hockey takes on the

Men’s Basketball faces

Boston Celtics travel to

Women’s Basketball takes

University of Connecticut at

American University at

Portland to face the

on Lehigh University at Case

Agganis Arena at 7 p.m.

Case Gym at 12 p.m.

Trailblazers at 10 p.m.

Gym at 6 p.m.