2-6-2020

A PLACE FOR PETE, 3

HOME SWEET HOME, 6

THE SKINNY ON TIKTOK, 9

DYNAMIC DUO, 11

Exhibit by former White House photographer to go up Friday.

New Howard Thurman Center provides home base for Terriers.

Body-shaming takes on a new form on the app.

Pitchers Emily Gant and Ali DuBois lead Terrier Softball into 2020.

CELEBRATIN G

THURSDAY, FEB. 6, 2020

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J O U R NA LI S M

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Protest takes place outside ENG career fair

BY JANE AVERY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University’s College of Engineering hosted their annual career fair in the George Sherman Union’s Metcalf Ballroom Wednesday. During the fair, students protested outside the GSU in objection to Raytheon, a defense contractor company based in Waltham that appeared at the career fair.

Raytheon manufactures precision weapons and hardware, and is one of the main U.S. military weapons contractors. BU Students Against Imperialism, the organization protesting Raytheon, believe contractors like Raytheon are fueling the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

The group organized their protest in conjunction with Massachusetts Peace Action, and their Raytheon Anti-War Campaign. This is the second protest the groups have partnered for, though the turnout for Wednesday’s protest was smaller than their previous demonstration in October.

Chance Charley, leader of BU Students Against Imperialism Organization and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that it’s necessary to protest and show public solidarity against Raytheon in order to incite change and create a national movement.

“If we really want to change things, we can’t rely on [politicians], we have to rely on the power of the people,” Charley said, referring to creating wide-reaching, global change for a more peaceful world. “I think there really has to be constant pressure and movement.”

Charley also said by inviting Raytheon to the ENG career fair, the university is not doing a good job of encour-

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

SERENA YU/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University alumna Susan Mirsky and leader of BU Students Against Imperialism Chance Charley organized a peaceful protest in conjunction with their Raytheon Anti-War Campaign outside the George Sherman Union Wednesday.

aging engineering students to put their knowledge toward solving what he considers critical problems.

“There’s a lot of things that need to be solved, and engineering students can solve them. There’s problems with infrastructure, energy and environmental stuff,” Charley said. “Instead, they’re kind of pushing students to go work for these war profiteers. I think it’s really disgusting.”

Brian Garvey, organizer for MPA, said he fully supports the protest and that MPA stands in solidarity with the students.

“We have the power and responsibility to speak up and take action,” Garvey said. “We want to lend as much support to them as possible, and we’re

thrilled that students are taking a lead on campus.”

Garvey said he sees value in helping BU Students Against Imperialism because the message Raytheon sends to students isn’t entirely truthful.

“Raytheon won’t advertise some of the things that they do, which are really very, very concerning things,” Garvey said. “We believe that if students know about this, and they’re beginning to and we love to see it, they will come away with a very different perspective than the one being presented by Raytheon themselves.”

Garvey also said that he sees hypocrisy in BU inviting Raytheon to campus when in the past they have stressed their pride in having Martin

Luther King Jr., who Garvey said is one of the country’s most inf luential peace activists, as an alumnus.

“I know that BU celebrates the fact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. studied there, and he was one of the most important peace activists we’ve ever had in this country, although he’s not usually associated with that,” Garvey said. “It’s incredibly hypocritical to have a company that promotes war actively through its massive political inf luence in this country [come to campus].”

Ryan Costello, a protester outside the event, said it’s incredibly important to localize this problem, referencing the war in Yemen. He said CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Several hundred people congregated in Boston Common Wednesday evening to protest President Donald Trump’s acquittal following his Senate impeachment trial.

Common Cause, an organization famous for helping to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 during the Vietnam War, organized simultaneous nationwide protests. Wednesday’s rally was hosted by a coalition of groups including Refuse Fascism, By the People, Indivisible, Sierra Club among others.

Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People, said in a speech he believes the Senate did not take the action it should have.

“Trump has been emboldened because the Senate didn’t acquit him because they think he didn’t do it,” Fein said. “They know he did it. So unless we stop him, he’ll do it again, and he’ll do worse.”

Speakers praised senator and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for being the lone Senate Republican to vote to convict Donald Trump on one article of impeachment. Jim Cantwell, Massachusetts state director for Sen. Ed Markey, referenced Romney’s words in his speech at the event.

“As Senator Romney said today, if the Senate acquits CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Global greening research published

BY VARSHA SUBRAMANIA AND MELISSA ELLIN

BY ANASTASIA SAMARA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Protesters demonstrate against Trump acquittal

BY MATTHEW SENSABAUGH

City of Boston seeing rise in costs of recycling The climbing costs of recycling have placed Boston in an environmentalist dilemma.

The city’s recycling program cost approximately $200,000 in 2017, City Councilor Matt O’Malley said in a Council meeting last week.

O'Malley said if the city fails to find and implement cheaper solutions, recycling may cost the city upwards of $2 million in the coming year.

Chris Coakley, public information officer at The Boston Department of Public Works, wrote in an email that recycling prices have skyrocketed over recent years.

“China, who was the principal buyer of recyclables, no longer accepts shipments over a certain percentage of contaminated material,” Coakley wrote. “The impact of this

YEAR L. VOLUME XCVIII. ISSUE III

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

ANH NGUYEN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley warned Wednesday that Boston’s recycling program may cost the city $2 million in 2020.

A Boston University professor and PhD candidate published an article in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, an online research journal, on the effects of global greening, or an increase in the amount of plant life on the planet, on overall climate change.

Ranga Myneni, a professor of Earth and Environment, and PhD candidate Chi Chen wrote the article, titled “Characteristics, drivers and feedbacks of global greening,” in conjunction with ten other field professionals.

Within the research community, there has been an increase of research in global greening. Myneni said the increased awareness of the topic, coupled with his team’s past efforts, led them to contribute to CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

2 NEWS

Massachusetts lacking caretakers for seniors

BY ANGELA YANG

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs between Jan. 31 to Feb 3.

Suspicious person in South Campus A caller reported that they were being followed on Mountfort Street at 5 p.m. Monday. BUPD searched the area and found no suspicious persons.

Medical assistance needed at Marsh Chapel A woman fainted at Marsh Chapel at 11:30 a.m. Monday and hit her head. She refused medical treatment and was escorted back to her residence.

Harassing calls COURTESY OF SABINEVANERP VIA PIXABAY

Massachusetts is facing a shortage of caregivers for the elderly and disabled due to high turnover rates at nursing homes.

icaid and Medicare don’t reimburse health care agencies enough to grant their employees the salaries they desire.

“They choose to stay because they love the elderly,” Anderson said.

“They are not staying because of the money. And we are unable to afford the type of raises that they’re looking for.”

Dozens of employees have remained at Marion Manor for over a decade out of passion for their work, Anderson said, but the center has resorted to outsourcing as a result of low staffing.

“Because they are agencies, they are less likely to care for the residents like the way we do,” Anderson said.

“They care about the paychecks, but not the quality. And we have to have them because we don’t have a choice.”

The care center suffers a financial deficit at the end of the year because of this, according to Anderson, because private agencies charge double the price the Manor’s caretakers make.

Yet Anderson said outsourced staff are not reliable, as they can at the last moment call in sick, forget to show up or accidentally double-book.

“We cannot discipline them because they’re not our people,” Anderson said. “So they’re more likely to do that because they view this as a no-consequence issue or behavior.”

Nursing homes in Massachusetts have seen deep Medicaid cuts, and Anderson said she believes the way to improve the industry is to invest more funding into reimbursing caretakers.

“Right now, if you were to hire a staff member as a certified nursing assistant at the minimum wage of $12.75, and if you were to go to Dunkin’ Donuts where they work for $12.75,” Anderson said, “I think that most people would prefer Dunkin’ Donuts because you don’t have to wipe someone, you don’t have to change someone’s clothing.”

Julianna Harwood, 23, of South Boston said she is skeptical of increasing Medicaid funding, but that

she supports more federal assistance as long as the money genuinely goes toward those who need it.

“This might be an unpopular opinion but I don’t think that every elderly person should get Medicaid,” Harwood said. “I think a more efficient use of changing Medicaid would be allocating it to more low-income people.”

Gianna Sanchez, 20, of Dorchester said she is typically reluctant to pay more taxes for federal programs, as she can never be sure whether those who ultimately receive the aid truly require it.

“I would agree,” Sanchez said of increasing funding to raise wages for caretakers, “if it helps them to be able to help other people.”

Kathleen Russo, 48, of South Boston said she would be willing to pay more taxes to help care for the elderly.

“They raised us, those are our parents and grandparents,” Russo said.

“So we definitely should be paying more toward their care.”

Students protest Raytheon’s presence at ENG career fair

A caller reported around 8 p.m.

Friday that she was receiving calls from an unknown person. BUPD determined that the occurrence is not a police issue and the case has been closed.

Fight in West Campus Brookline Police Department reported a fight on Commonwealth Ave. Thursday at around 10:45 p.m.

BUPD officers checked the area but did not locate the fight.

Elevator entrapment in The Office of the Facilities Management and Planning reported a broken elevator at StuVi1 Sunday around 11:30 p.m. The people inside the elevator were removed and the elevator was taken out of service.

CITY

Crime Logs

BY ELYSE GENRICH DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston Police Department Headquarters on Feb. 4.

Break-In in Allston

ENG, FROM PAGE 1 with Raytheon as a Walthambased company, they’re the main company to focus on to achieve localization.

“People think it’s a far away thing,” Costello said. “It’s also a Massachusetts war.”

Garvey said one of the most critical aspects of getting BU students to care is localizing the issue.

“A key part of the Raytheon anti-war campaign is to localize the story,” Garvey said.

“We hear about the worst humanitarian crisis in the world in Yemen, but a lot of people think [if that’s on] the other side of the world, what does that have to do with me? This is the local connection to the famine and death that’s going on in Yemen right now.”

Austin Cozzone, a sophomore in ENG who attended the career fair and was aware of the protests, said he isn’t completely against BU bringing Raytheon to the career fair because some students may be interested in that field of work, but understands the opposition from several students.

“I understand the sentiment behind the protest,” Cozzone said. “I believe it to be a representation of a powerful message.”

Evan Brown, a freshman in the College of Communication, said although she is not in ENG, she appreciates that

Crime Logs

BY MARY LULLOFF

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Caretakers for the elderly and disabled are getting paid too little in Massachusetts to keep working.

Turnover rate is high at home care agencies, and many nursing homes cannot recruit enough workers to meet full need.

Mass Home Care Executive Director Lisa Gurgone said low wages for such demanding labor means many home care aides leave the industry for higher-paying jobs that require less work, such as in retail or fast food.

“Bathing and dressing elders is very tough,” Gurgone said. “But the people who do this work love the work. They want to give back, they love working with older adults, they know they’re making a difference.”

Meanwhile, home care workers often have unpredictable schedules.

The hours they’re assigned each week can only align with consumer need, Gurgone said, which fluctuates just as their clients’ personal lives do.

Another major contributor to low retention, according to Gurgone, is how society perceives these caretakers. The industry seems to classify them into a lower tier of health care workers, which Gurgone said can be discouraging.

“There’s not a lot of respect in the health care system for them,” Gurgone said. “They still see these workers as kind of paraprofessionals. That was the term that was used for them instead of seeing them as part of the health care team.”

Kahoney Anderson, executive director of South Boston-based Marion Manor, said turnover rates at the nonprofit senior care center average about 35 percent per quarter. Marion Manor has endured a shortage of caretakers for five years now, and has yet to recover.

“It’s not just us but it’s the entire industry across the board,” Anderson said. “I have a lot of friends who work in the industry, who work for other companies, and they have the same struggles that we do.”

Anderson said wages remain low because for caretakers whose work is funded by federal programs, Med-

CAMPUS

Around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, officers responded to a call for a break-in in progress on Wadsworth Street in Allston. The victim claimed a man entered his room while he was sleeping. He said he chased the intruder out of his house and down the street before losing him.

The victim said the back door was wide open, but officers found no signs of forced entry. The victim reported his Xbox One missing, and officers unsuccessfully searched for suspects.

Medical Assist

SERENA YU/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Ana Milosavljevic of BU Students Against Imperialism and BU alumnus Susan Mirsky protest defense contractor Raytheon at the College of Engineering’s career fair Wednesday.

the protest has introduced her to a new issue.

“I think that it’s really important to hear multiple voices and diverse voices on this campus, I know a lot of people have come to BU specifically to be able to have those opportunities to learn from others,” Brown said. “It catches your attention and that’s all that they’re asking for at the end of

the day, all they really want is to start to get you thinking.”

Helena Gill, a sophomore in ENG, said the reach of efforts such as the protest must be expanded in order to convince university administrations to make changes.

“In this day and age, the public outcry needs to be able to reach a more public level in order to change the university

policies and reaction,” Gill said.

“The issue with the student protest at the moment is that the students and other members of the general public are not the customers of Raytheon.”

Mike Doble, director of public relations at Raytheon, and Doug Edwards, director of career development for ENG, both declined to comment on the subject.

Officers responded to a call for a sick assist around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 4. Officers said the victim was wheezing on their vomit and unresponsive before eventually regaining the ability to speak. The victim appeared confused and had trouble answering questions.

Both the victim and the caller told officers that the victim had not consumed any alcohol or drugs other than marijuana before the incident. The victim was transported by Boston EMS to another location.

Assault in Brighton Around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call for an assault in progress on Commonwealth Ave. The victim said an argument began when the suspect did not pay the victim the $6 he owed. The victim said when he attempted to leave the restaurant, the suspect blocked his path and struck the side of his head. The suspect said he never hit the victim. Both parties were separated and left the scene.

NEWS 3

O’Malley, advocates draw attention to city’s recycling problem RECYCLING, FROM PAGE 1 means that more processing needs to be done on current recycling to be sold — this costs more.”

Coakley wrote another obstacle has to do with lower market demand for recyclables, which in turn reduces the revenue that recycling turns out — consequently increasing its cost per ton.

“In 2017, Boston was paying $5 per ton at the most,” Coakley wrote. “Over the last six months, the City is paying on average close to $140 per ton to dispose of recyclables.”

O’Malley proposed other options at the meeting, including enacting curbside composting for biodegradables and establishing a recycling plant within Boston rather than shipping waste to the Casella Recycling Plant in Charlestown.

Clint Richmond, advocate at the Massachusetts chapter of Sierra Club, said the city has begun to alleviate the crisis through measures, such as its ban on single-use plastic.

He said the act of recycling, however, is not an endall solution.

“This is something I've said before. Recycling can be a fig leaf covering up the plastics problem,” Richmond said.

“We have a lifestyle that's based on permanent overconsumption. So, recycling

COURTESY PXFUEL

Boston’s recycling program is no longer profitable as China, the chief buyer of the city’s recyclables, now requires the waste to be processed more thoroughly.

doesn't absolve us of overconsumption. We're just consuming too much stuff.”

Richmond also said individual Boston residents can get involved by collecting their paper and bags, as well as recycling their cardboard.

“With all the packaging that we're receiving from mail-order services and the traditional catalog businesses like Amazon or

eBay, we could start collecting cardboard separately,” Richmond said. “Cardboard is actually somewhat high value, but when you throw it in with a single stream, it's value goes down.”

With single-stream recycling, everything is dumped into a recycling truck and must then be untangled upon reaching the recycling facility.

“And it’s just a lot of work to recycle those, there’s a lot of cross contamination,” Richmond said. “So that’s why we need to return to dual-stream or other ways of separating.”

Richmond said he also believes the real focus should be on the production side of goods rather than consumption.

The answer, he said, is not recycling but instead redesigning packaging to be reusable.

“There are these stores that we are hearing about that don't have any packaging, everything's bulk,” Richmond said. “But that's a really radical idea. That's not going to happen overnight.”

South End resident Stephen Rauch, 64, said he is also more concerned about how consumer goods are made than the recycling crisis itself.

“Manufacturers are not being efficient,” Rauch said, “and causing potentially more and more issues by making things that aren't recyclable.”

Marissa McClain, 28, of Back Bay said with growing efforts to combat climate change, burying the issue cannot be an option.

“I mean, obviously we should recycle,” McClain said. “Throwing trash into landfills will just ruin the earth.”

Sandra Padilla, 30, of East Boston said she is surprised to hear about the rising costs of recycling.

“That is a little crazy, huh?” Padilla said. “Because you would think that if it's helping the planet, it wasn't going to end up costing money.”

Pete Souza photo exhibit expected to unveil Friday at HTC

BY EMMA LINDSEY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A photography exhibit featuring work by Boston University alumnus Pete Souza, the chief official White House photographer for U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, is expected to be unveiled at the Howard Thurman Center Feb. 7.

Pedro Falci, associate director of the HTC, said the idea for the exhibit came from former College of Communication Dean Thomas Fiedler.

“He really facilitated the exhibit coming,” Falci said.

“He had communications going with [Souza] and [Souza’s] agency. He was really looking for a good venue for the exhibit, and that’s where we said we’d love to have it.”

Souza is also the former director of the White House Photo Office and former photojournalist for The Chicago Tribune, where he and his team at the were awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for reporting on the airline industry.

The exhibit is titled “Two Presidents, One Photographer” after Souza’s experience photographing Obama and Reagan’s times serving as presidents respectively.

“What [Souza] does with his exhibit is he puts photos of each president in similar circumstances kind of juxtaposed,” Falci said. “So, you see, for example, Ronald Reagan with his dog and Obama with his dog, or Reagan talking to Mikhail Gorbachev of the USSR and President Obama talking to Vladimir Putin. It is those kinds of personal and professional moments that each one went through that he captures.”

The exhibit will remain on the second floor of the HTC until early July, Falci added.

“There are 56 photos total and they arrived yesterday in

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The work of Boston University alumnus Pete Souza, the White House photographer for Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, will be on display in the Howard Thurman Center starting Feb. 7.

a big wooden crate that looks like a coffin almost,” Falci said. “So this week we are going to be putting them up on our walls.”

Faisal Halabeya, an ambassador at HTC and sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote in an email that he believes that students will be curious to see the exhibit because Souza offers a unique and personal look into the lives of two American presidents.

“You have Reagan in the 80s, someone who was very

neoliberal and controversial in his own way, and you have Obama, who really challenged the norms of the presidency not just in his skin color but also in his policy and in his speeches,” Halabeya wrote.

“As viewers, we get to see two presidents in moments where the press isn’t there, where the country isn’t always watching them live, in those moments of intimacy and humanity.”

Halabeya wrote that the photographs will spark inspiring conversations and meetings between people at the

center, which is very “Thurman-esque.”

“I think that showcasing two presidents whom one could argue are in many ways opposed ideologically — showcasing them together sends a powerful message about the common humanity of all people,” Habelaya wrote.

Falci said Souza’s photography humanizes the two world leaders, fitting with HTC’s pursuit of common ground. “[The exhibit] fits with us because it shows the human side of two people who are

now historical figures,” Falci said. “Even beyond that, they were from different political parties. One republican and one democrat, but you can see that they are people. They have intimate moments and they have really challenging moments and it kind of humanizes two leaders, who in American history stir up a lot of opinions — good, bad and indifferent.”

Halabeya wrote that he hopes students who visit the center will appreciate the difficulty of Souza’s work.

“We live in an age where media, including photography, is so widely circulated that we forget how much of an art it really is,” Halabeya wrote. “We forget that the photographer lives with the constant burden of the camera, that only through their hard work do we get to be a fly on the wall in these remarkable moments.”

Kaylin Rix, a sophomore in the School of Hospitality Administration, said she will “definitely” come to the exhibit after it is unveiled.

“I think it showcases another side of [presidents] that we don’t always see. So, I think [Souza’s] work is very important,” Rix said.

While she is not familiar with Souza’s work, Jessica Urkov, a senior in CAS said the exhibit sounds interesting.

“I don’t really know anything about it,” said Urkov. “But, I think [the exhibit] will be really important, especially since he was a BU alum.”

Spencer Morgan, a freshman in the College of Fine Arts, said he thinks that the exhibit is necessary due to the current political culture.

“I think [the exhibit] is really prevalent to today, in a time that we often forget the humanity of present political candidates and political individuals,” Morgan said. “If anything that’s what we should emphasize, who they are as people.”

4 NEWS

Residents protest Trump’s acquittal in Boston Common TRUMP, FROM 1 President Trump he will believe himself to be accountable to no one,” Cantwell said. “When he’s again faced with a choice between our public interest and his personal interest, what will he do?”

Both Massachusetts Senators Markey and Elizabeth Warren voted to convict Donald Trump.

Debbie Paul of Indivisible MA said she thinks the public needs to focus on strategies to remove Trump from office.

“We are going to hold all the Republicans accountable,” Paul said. “To do this, we are getting out and helping to register more voters. Every one of you has to be active every day.”

Several speakers at the protest also criticized Trump’s policies. Jacob Stern of the Sierra Club said a Trump presidency could not have come at a worse time during the climate crisis.

“We’re already seeing hypocrisy of the Trump administration here in Massachusetts as they’re gutting clean air and clean water policies,” Stern said. “They’re holding up clean offshore wind because they’re worried about environmental impact.”

Among the speakers on site was Rev. Vernon Walker, public

PERRY SOSI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

People protested the acquittal of President Trump in the Senate impeachment trial in the Boston Common Wednesday.

policy director of Young Democrats of Massachusetts. A Boston University alum, Walker said BU students have a responsibility to speak out against political injustice.

“We stand on the shoulders of social justice giants Martin Luther

King Jr., Howard Thurman and C. Eric Lincoln,” Walker said. “ I think we have a legacy that we need to keep and promote to keep in the tradition of the prophetic witnesses who went before us.”

Walker also said Trump misappropriated King’s message, when

while promoting his school choice policy during this year’s State of the Union address, Trump said King would always stand up for children.

“President Trump is trying to co-op the legacy of [King] to fit his own agenda,” Walker said.

“And that’s essentially what he’s been doing since he’s been in office, manipulating American government to fit his own agenda.”

Among attendees at the rally, no obvious pro-Trump demonstration was apparent at any point throughout the night.

Diana Arezzo, 73, of Arlington said the survival of American democracy is at stake if Trump is not taken out of office.

“I’ve been protesting as an activist my whole life, but I’ve never seen anything anywhere near as bad as this,” Arezzo said.

“This is a cult of personality.”

William McCarthy, 27, of Allston was on his way home when he walked into the rally, and said he was glad people are discussing Trump’s acquittal and other political issues.

“I can see people my age, younger and older,” said McCarthy. “It’s vitriolic, but at least people are out doing something.”

Frank Ganet, 60, of Arlington said he thinks it’s important for young people and college students to stay informed, including through their student newspaper.

“Reading the newspaper is very important,” Ganet said, “so that the youth understands what’s happening for their future.”

Global greening research released by BU professor and student GLIMATE, FROM 1 the Nature Reviews article.

“We have published several articles earlier in very visible journals, like Nature, and that has caught on and there has been an explosion of work in the last ten years, especially to understand this phenomenon we call global greening,” Myneni said.

“And for this particular article, we were invited by Nature to summarize the findings and the work.”

The article itself follows the effects of greening on the environment, specifically the correlation between earth greening and carbon dioxide emissions as it relates to climate change, Myneni said.

“This is a very large study,” Myneni said. “Meaning it applies to the entire Earth. We are discovering and establishing a new phenomenon called global greening. It’s the same as global warming or sea-level rise [on] a global scale. It’s all about climate change.”

Chen wrote that they began researching by taking a closer look at the environmental repercussions of greening.

“We reviewed the detection of the greening signal, its causes,

and its consequences,” Chen wrote.

“The detection of the greening signal includes analyzing the trends in the vegetation indices and the change in vegetation phenology (the change of the seasonal cycle of vegetation growth).”

Satellites from NASA served as one of the main sources for data collection in this study, Chen wrote.

Chen also wrote that BU may be affected on an individual level by the research as it relays important information about the health of the environment. “[The research may] let our BU community realize that vegetation is critical to the Earth system, especially the climate system,” Chen wrote. “It may call people to minimize the negative effect of human activities on vegetation.”

Myneni said the work in this field is vital, not only in preventing climate change but also because the issue of greening ties back to the basic components of life.

“Obviously, this is very important because green leaves produce sugars,” Myneni said. “That’s the basis of all food and life.”

Myneni said that he plans to continue working with satellites to

investigate global greening through NASA funded programs. The relevance of this issue, Myneni said, is why the research will continue.

“We will continue to monitor this global greening phenomenon,” Myneni said. “And we will continue to have projects with NASA, which funds us to study this changing greenness of all Earth, because there [are] close to eight billion people on the planet and we are burning a lot of fossil fuels.

Myneni said at BU, work with NASA satellites has been going on for 40 years. This new article compounded over four decades of research to be analyzed by the participating authors of the article.

Colin Riley, a BU spokesperson, said that as a research university, BU is making strides in the prospective fields of research students and faculty choose to investigate. “[Research is] the lifeblood to the university,” Riley said. “To bringing outstanding faculty and researchers to the university to study the important issue of today, making scientific breakthroughs and helping societies all around the world.”

In regard to this specific research topic and study, Riley said the topic

is relevant to society now.

“This study is addressing one of the most important issues of today,” Riley said.

Stephanie Liu, a freshman in College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks research like this is important because it raises awareness on issues that are often ignored.

“My love for BU stems from the fact that it encourages collaborations like this between professors and students that bring about really important ideas,” Liu said. “Climate change is called a hoax, and this shows how very relevant it is.”

Anika Walia, a freshman in CAS, said she thinks this research highlights both the collaborative nature of BU and the importance of acknowledging climate change.

“I think this study is really quite interesting. It shows how BU is at the forefront of research, and how collaborative this university is,” Walia said. “I think as students, we have an active responsibility to take steps now and in the future, in an attempt to make this situation better.”

Therese Ancheta, a freshman in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation, said while she likes

COURTESY CHI CHEN

Chi Chen, a PhD candidate in Boston University’s Department of Earth and Environment, co-published an article on global greening with BU Professor of Earth and Environment Ranga Myneni and 10 other field members in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment.

that students and faculty collaborated on this study, the university should do more to encourage environmental awareness.

“I think as a research institution it’s really important that BU students and faculty should collaborate,” Ancheta said. “And I also think that the university should take steps to encourage its students to be more environmentally-aware in how their actions have impacts on the environment.”

CAMPUS CALENDAR THURSDAY, FEB. 6

FRIDAY, FEB. 7

SATURDAY, FEB. 8

SUNDAY, FEB. 9

Policy Leaders Forum

Little Women: the Musical

CSA Culture Show 2020

Dim Sum Brunch

Tea Time at the HTC

12 p.m.

121 Baystate Road Hosted by Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

6:30 p.m.

Wheelock Family TheatreHosted by the Wheelock Family Theatre

7 p.m.

Metcalf Ballroom Hosted by the Chinese Students Association

10 a.m.

West Dining Hall Hosted by BU Dining Services

4 p.m.

Howard Thurman Center Hosted by the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground

MONDAY, FEB. 10

FEATURES 5

COMMUNITY Wheelock promotes immigrant rights, faculty education in schools

BY CAMERON MORSBERGER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Immigrants make up nearly 14 percent of the United States population, but recent legislative policy changes, such as the potential expiration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, threaten to lower the influx of international citizens. As these governmental changes take place, minority groups continue to report experiencing discrimination.

To address these conflicts, a panel entitled “Supporting our immigrant students in uncertain times,” part of the Critical Coffee and Conversations series at the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, was held in the Pickering Educational Resources Library Monday.

Professor Eleonora VillegasReimers and lecturer Kaylene Stevens, both professionals in early childhood education, targeted the challenges immigrants face, specifically in the classroom. During the discussion, the two talked about the importance of providing support and resources to those newly integrating into American schools.

Stevens, who had previously worked at Framingham High School for 14 years, spoke about the trauma she witnessed in her students, which led to her to teach prospective teachers and equip them with relevant information. Stevens said training

educators is vital in creating a comfortable space for all people.

“Our students were really afraid,” Stevens said in an interview. “I think that the hate speech is terrible and awful, and it’s like a symptom of a larger problem, and it exasperates the fear that the students are already feeling.”

Villegas-Reimers, said as a LatinaAmerican and an immigrant, she was stereotyped and faced prejudices. As harassment against immigrants continues to increase, she said having this conversation is necessary.

“Children are asking difficult questions that our students don’t know how to answer,” VillegasReimers said. “One of the things that we are seeing is that there is an increase in the sentiment against immigrants in this country and particularly anti-Muslim.”

Along with the open dialogue between faculty and students in attendance, Stevens passed around packets, labelled “Know Your Rights,” containing information on how undocumented immigrants could best respond to government officals and police.

After supplying attendees with legal information and procedures, Stevens said there is a serious need to combat injustice, primarily through emotional support.

“You have your own personal reactions to political events or social events that you’re trying to process

CAMERON MORSBERGER/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University lecturer Kaylene Stevens led the “Supporting Our Immigrant Students in Uncertain Times” panel at the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development Pickering Educational Resources Library Monday.

in the moment and you have to be strong for these students,” Stevens said during the panel. “I just think that it’s most important, critical piece is letting the students know that they are safe.”

Irina Nanagoulian, an academic success specialist at Wheelock, wrote in an email that she attended the event in order to participate in a platform promoting equality and access in education.

“I believe that events like these provide invaluable opportunities for students, faculty and staff to share experiences and ideas and to capitalize on learning opportunities out-

side of the classroom,” Nanagoulian wrote. “Additionally, these events bring a read life edge, so to speak, to the learning — focusing on relevant issues in both policy and pedagogically informed ways.”

To adhere to the conversation’s mission of arming prospective young educators with facts, VillegasReimers shared statistics concerning immigrants, specifically in the state of Massachusetts to stress the prevalence and relevance of this conversation.

Almost one in six of Massachusetts citizens are immigrants, with about 6,000 being DACA beneficia-

ries, according to the American Immigration Council.

After Stevens and VillegasReimers introduced issues with immigrant discrimination and escalated social tensions in schools across the nation, students at Wheelock raised questions on the difficulties they’ve faced as student teachers.

Stephanie Osborne, who student teaches at Framingham High School, said absenteeism and a general anxiety around being deported while in school has pervaded her school district. Seeking guidance in combating these fears, Osborne said she hoped the conversation would provide insight in educating English-language learners.

“I think working with trauma is very difficult,” Osborne said after the event. “I feel like showing that you care and just talking to them has been really helpful.”

When students feel upset or worried that their undocumented status will endanger their existence, Villegas-Reimers said it is important to sympathize with them and to become makeshift caregivers.

“One of the things that we teach student teachers is to always communicate to kids, ‘You are safe in the classroom, we are going to take care of you,’” Villegas-Reimers said.

“We’re thinking more of the role of our students as supporters of the immigrant students.”

SCIENCE Wikipedia in the Classroom encourages students to serve the public

BY MITA KATARIA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Years ago, students were a lways told not to use Wikipedia as a source when doing any type of research assignment in school. But that is beginning to change as users are learning how to edit Wikipedia pages, and professors are even implementing this process into their coursework.

Jason Prentice, who organizes the “Wikipedia in the Classroom” program at Boston University, posed a question to the professors in attendees at the workshop Thursday.

“Do you want to write an essay that one person is going to read and then no one’s ever going to read it again?”

Prentice asked. “Or would you rather write an article that is going to live on in some form and is useful to somebody?”

Prentice said he thinks most people would choose the latter, which he said is one reason the organizers value encouraging students to edit on Wikipedia.

BU Libraries, in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, hosted their fourth “Wikipedia in the Classroom” workshop in the Estin Room at the Mugar Library, educating BU faculty

RYAN GREGORY/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University Libraries hosted their fourth “Wikipedia in the Classroom” workshop Thursday to educate faculty on how to incorporate Wikipedia into their courses.

on how to integrate Wikipedia editing into college classrooms.

BU professors who had seen or heard about their colleagues giving Wikipedia assignments in their classes came to learn from seasoned Wikipedia editors.

Ken Liss, head of liaison and instruction ser vices at BU Libraries, in his introductory remarks said Wikipedia changed the way he thought about information and how it is received.

“As a librarian who works a lot around information literacy, that’s really such a key,

because one of the things that [people don’t] always think about [is] how is the information that they use produced,” Liss said. “Here, you get to actually see how it’s produced and actually contribute to it, and I think that transparency is really a strength.”

Professors from different departments in BU discussed ways they had implemented Wikipedia editing in their classes and seen favorable results.

Malavika Shetty, a professor in the CAS Writing Program, presented a report on the

Wikipedia editing assignments done by her students, which she said helped them learn important research skills, use of citations and rules of fair use.

“Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, you should be getting things from different sources and putting them together,” Shetty said. “There is no space for your opinion or space for you making things up.”

Editing on Wikipedia helps students learn how to write on public forums, Shetty said, and realize they are contributors to a real body of knowledge, which she said motivates them.

“For [students] to see some of their work out there on one of the most searched websites in the world,” Shetty said, “it just empowers the students.”

Prentice said this information gap can be bridged if universities like BU that teach a global population can prepare their students and teachers to contribute. People can choose topics that are unique to their culture or linguistic group or that they are not familiar with, he said.

“There is no substitution for the people of a specific country, linguistic group or culture for telling their own story and for developing their own body

of knowledge,” Prentice said in an interview. “But there are things that anyone can do.”

Prentice said he supports different modes of digital literacy and digital multimedia expression, but said Wikipedia is an application that offers a democratic platform for increasing information literacy.

“One thing that is wonderful about Wikipedia is it’s not a big, for-profit corporation,” Prentice said in an interview. “It’s a collective that runs on donations.”

The “Wikipedia in the Classroom” program has most widely been adopted in the CAS Writing Program, but the number of colleges in BU adopting this method is increasing.

Nevertheless, Liss said he believes assignments on Wikipedia can hold students accountable to their work on a level different than if they were to hand it in to a professor, who is oftentimes the only person who reads the paper.

“When they’re actually writing for Wikipedia, knowing that other people are going to see it, that’s just a whole different experience,” Liss said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if students show their parents and their friends, send them a link and they’re probably not showing them the research paper that they wrote.”

6 FEATURES

COMMUNITY

Dean Elmore on the new Howard Thurman Center’s hidden gems

BY SARAH READDEAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground at its new location at 808 Commonwealth Ave, is a 19,000 square-foot newly-renovated student community space that looks contemporary and sleek.

But what most students and faculty don’t know is that even the most intricate details in every nook and cranny of the massive space were extremely well thought-out in an attempt to create the most inclusive and accommodating environment for the varying needs of every person on campus.

Kenneth Elmore, dean of students at Boston University, shared his secrets with The Daily Free Press in an exclusive tour of the new HTC. Elmore said the creation of the new HTC building stemmed from a conversation a few years ago with students surrounding the current day issue: culture, identity and race.

“They wanted a place that helps to break barriers of divisiveness,” Elmore said, “but also where they can make authentic friendships and have intercultural exchange.”

The HTC was formerly housed in the basement of the George Sherman Union. Elmore said something new and “wonderful” will become of the old location, but he cannot yet share what that will be.

During the building and restoring process, Elmore said they uncovered a quotation from Howard Thurman, a prominent theologian, that represents Thurman’s vision for this exact space.

The quote stands as a large poster on the main floor of the HTC. “My dream was to build a structure consisting of a sanctuary, a studio theater equipped both for electronic audiovisual presentations and for drama, a dining room, parlors, and classrooms — and an inner court,” Thurman’s quote read. “This setting would contribute to a year-round program, integrating religion, art, and various cultures.”

Elmore pointed out the various features of the original 1927 building that were restored to be displayed in their intended appearance — floors, ceiling, columns and even the ambiance of the space.

“This place is just as much a restoration project because we thought it is really important that we keep history,” Elmore said. “There’s sort of a sense of justice in this building.”

Architect Peter Fuller, who built the space as a Cadillac showroom, financially supported Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Elmore said. The original Cadillac insignia and clock were polished up in the restoration, remaining in the new Gathering Space. Between the two lies a Boston University seal.

One of the conference rooms, which will be more often used by BU faculty, displayed a collection of portraits and artifacts that honor King’s legacy.

“We wanted to keep the showroom quality, this ornateness,” Elmore said.

“We restored the ceiling as best as possible to what it was.”

Upstairs, the floor plan is less of the

RYAN GREGORY/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University’s newly-renovated Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground now includes the Events Space, which Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore says preserves an ornate, showroom quality.

open showroom feel as on the main floor, which Elmore said is in line with how the building was originally used.

The only change, Elmore said, was adding silicone to the original cement floor on the second floor to “get a little give on your legs.” The original cement columns are also exposed, some with the original markings by the contractors.

“You know, people really worked hard to do this sort of stuff,” Elmore said. “Let’s show their work.”

A gallery wall on the secondfloor currently features photographs from Charcoal Magazine, but will change every so often. Elmore said the first exhibition, containing 56 pieces of Pete Souza, BU alumnus and former White House photographer, will be displayed Feb. 7.

In a room with two digital screens that can be filled with rows of seats, Elmore said he hopes to be able to call in to other students and faculty abroad, or even hold teleconferences with other colleges to “talk about controversial issues.”

Elmore said the new HTC will soon be certified a zero waste facility, and said no animal products were used in creating the space.

“The sustainability piece is really important for us,” Elmore said.

“About 91 percent of the things that come in here are going to be recycled, reused, or composted. Very few things will be thrown away. So it means we’ve all got to be mindful.”

Thurman felt a connection to na-

ture, Elmore said, and had a tree he spoke to. Adding that Thurman also talked a lot about the importance of listening, Elmore said they combined these aspects of Thurman’s passions into a unique space in the HTC. “[Thurman] just felt that nature and the earth and things have just as much soul and character,” Elmore said. “So we wanted to do something without being outdoors that could give that sense of bit of respect.”

The Listening Room, named after Lisa Williams, a donor who has often been dubbed a “latter-day Harriet Tubman,” and dedicated to Erin Edwards, a late BU student who was heavily involved in the HTC, provides a quiet space for students to meditate and relax, Elmore said.

“We wanted to make sure you get calm around here,” Elmore said.

“You’re supposed to come in here and just be in this place.”

A floor-to-ceiling wall of moss — imported from Finland — responds to the atmosphere and changing texture, filling the room with a potent forest-like scent. “[On] cold days, it gets really hard and then days where it’s rainy or it’s

warm, or humid, it’s like a carpet,” Elmore said. “So it’s dynamic.”

In the social areas outside of the Listening Room, distinct pieces of furniture in muted colors against vibrant oranges and greens fill the space.

“We spent a lot of time on colors and these colors are going to be conducive to a bit of calmness and a bit of tranquility,” Elmore said. “And then just a little pop to give you a spark.”

Elmore said the intent of the space was for comfort, bonding and inclusivity. The low tables, for instance, allow for a student in a wheelchair to roll up and feel included and comfortable.

The furniture is all lightweight and movable.

“You can put your elbows up, you can lean and you look in at each other,” Elmore said. “We’re trying to really build in this notion of informal interactions out here and real visible interchanges that people can have.”

Additionally, he said they paid a lot of attention to postures, understanding that students sit and stand differently. The HTC features an ottoman that angles one’s body in various ways and tables that accommodate both sitting and standing users.

Elmore said he wants this space to be used for collaboration, rather than individual study.

“I love group projects in here. What I don’t like is that solitary, earphones-in person,” Elmore said. “If you want quiet study or you want to study, go to Mugar, but this is not a quiet place.”

Brian Cha, a senior in the College of Engineering, said his first impression of the HTC was that it was a very creative and colorful environment. While he said he fears the space would fill up with students quickly, he said he is happy the new space exists.

“I think it lacks seating… there needs to be more places to study,” Cha said. “In general, I think BU needed another student space.”

Neha Sachdeva, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that she is tired of the Warren Towers’ study lounges and the HTC has become her favorite spot on campus.

“I was trying to find somewhere else to go, all the coffee shops are usually busy and Mugar gets depressing sometimes,” Sachdeva said. “[The HTC] has something for everybody, there’s a lot of variety and a lot of arrangements to fit different types of studiers.”

RYAN GREGORY/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said the Howard Thurman Center’s new design was inspired by conversations with students about race, culture and identity.

RYAN GREGORY/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Among the Howard Thurman Center’s renovations are event spaces that Dean Kenneth Elmore hopes will encourage students to share ideas and experience different cultures.

FEATURES 7

ARTS

Rapper B. Aull talks about his career following show at The Middle East

BY DAHLIA MALEH DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A majority of popular hip-hop artists either represent New York, Chicago, Atlanta or Los Angeles, but 25-year old, Portland, Maineborn rapper B. Aull is here to change the game. He is spearheading the rap scene in Portland, taking over the east coast with shows and looking to top the charts.

B. Aull has been making music since he was a junior in high school, with inspiration from major rap artists like Drake, J. Cole and Kanye West. The innovation of sound from those top industry artists inspired B. Aull to play around with his own sound, he said in an interview.

B. Aull describes his music and latest EP, “Collage,” as having a positive mood, and said his new music that hasn’t been released yet is going on a more R&B sound.

“I like to make a sound that will get people moving, to get people having a good time,” B. Aull said.

“Something you could put on at the pregame, at the party, a place where people are having a good time.”

B. Aull said his motto — “how could you be mad today?” — is reflected in his newly released EP with a fun and “bouncy” vibe.

In the future, B. Aull said he wants to maintain these elements of his current music while also working to incorporate sounds used by artists that inspire him.

“I really like the melodic stuff like

COURTESY DIGBOSTON VIA FLICKR

People enjoying a concert at Boston’s Middle East Club. Rapper B. Aull debuted a new song and co-headlined a concert for the first time at the club on Feb. 1.

a lot of my favorite artists [use],” B. Aull said. “They can sing and rap, which is something I started to cater more towards now, but while keeping that same essence.”

The rapper recently made the trek to Brooklyn in order to put these goals into action.

“I recently flew down to Brooklyn, New York this past fall,” B. Aull said, “because I wanted to be in a place that I could have more potential to realize this dream.”

Even though New York might have more opportunities, B. Aull

said the music scene in Portland is growing.

“I’ve seen it grow a lot in the past eight years since I started making music,” B. Aull said. “And I’d say right now it’s probably as strong as it’s ever been.”

As an independent artist, B. Aull works with his close-knit hometown team and said he feels fortunate to have them.

“I really enjoy the small operation that me and my friends have started to grow over the past couple years,” B. Aull said. “We take care of every-

thing on our own.”

However, while B. Aull said he currently enjoys being an independent artist, he would like to work with a label one day for financial reasons.

“Part of the problem with being independent is you don’t always have the funding necessary to get yourself out there,” B. Aull said.

“I think a partnership with a label someday down the road would be super dope.”

B. Aull continued to make new music following the release

BUSINESS

of “Collage” in June 2019. He dropped two singles, “Change Up” and “Open Carry,” and premiered another new song at his show at the Middle East on Feb. 1.

The rapper said this concert was his first time co-headlining a show with two other artists at a reputable venue, but not his first time performing in Boston. In April 2019, B. Aull performed at Boston College for a “mini college tour,” he said.

He said he was looking forward to performing in Boston again.

“I’m like a die-hard Celtics fan, and being from Maine, Boston is close,” B. Aull said. “Boston’s always dope.”

His charisma and stage presence, he said, separates him from other artists.

“Anybody can find an artist online be like ‘I found this artist.

I like their song. That’s cool.’And your song might get lost in their playlist,” B. Aull said. “But if they see you kill it live on stage and that’s their first impression of you, then they’re probably going to turn into a die-hard fan.”

B. Aull said he thinks the key to long-term success is remembering it does not come instantly.

“If you expect anything to happen overnight, you are just playing yourself, because I’ve been making music for eight or nine years now,” B. Aull said. “If I expected anything to happen quickly, I probably would have been done making music.”

Terriers In Biz: Eric Hansen is a student by day, educator by night

BY LILY KEPNER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Eric Hansen wasn’t always a fan of school. But one ordinary day in seventh grade science class, he asked a question about a slideshow project that would change his life forever: “Can I make a video instead?”

Hansen, a sophomore in the College of Communication studying film and television, triples as the founder, instructor and owner of the organization SpecGraphixEDU, a company that offers weekly classes for kindergarten through fifth grade students focusing on video production, graphic design, coding and engineering, Hansen said.

Hansen said he created the company to give students a chance to achieve the same fulfillment he received from making that first video.

“Before I made that video, I was nobody,” Hansen said. “But then, after I showed the video to the class, everybody loved it. I became, like, famous overnight at the school. All of the affirmation from my classmates really made me feel like I had a purpose.”

SpecGraphixEDU kicked off in January 2019 upon a partnership with Driscoll School in Brookline and the Brookline Adult and Community Education, Hansen said.

He joined the BUild Lab at the same time.

Upon seeing schools cut arts programs due to budgetary constraints, Hansen said he is motivated to offer these programs for kids with passions similar to himself.

“I talk a lot about this. 11 percent of all kids are right-brain thinkers that suffer in regular aca-

SOPHIE PARK/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Eric Hansen, a film and television major in Boston University’s College of Communications and the founder of SpecGraphixEDU, partially credits the success of his organization to funds and mentorship received from the BUild lab.

demics, but really excel in creative academics,” Hansen said. “Taking away these classes, all those 11 percent of kids are really suffering and their abilities and talents are being ignored. That’s completely unfair.

And I want to try to change that as best I can.”

Hansen teaches all of the courses himself at the Driscoll School in Brookline after regular school hours. The first two SpecGraphixEDU classes were implemented in the spring of 2019 at Driscoll School, expanding to four classes and a winter vacation pro-

gram the following semester, Hansen said.

Now, SpecGraphixEDU intends to expand to the Lawrence School in Brookline, also implementing a summer camp and a student portal that would allow young children to access video programming online.

In the video production class, Hansen said he teaches professional skills to the third to fifth grade group, including storytelling, mise-en-scene, the rule of thirds and composition. By the end of the eight-week course, the students write and shoot a video themselves

using an exclusive software that allows them to insert CGI effects with “very little effort,” Hansen said.

He said his experience working at the BUild Lab made this success possible, with the department offering him everything from monetary funds to mentorship and legal advice.

Rachel Spekman, program director of business ventures at Innovate@BU, said Hansen’s business has grown “tremendously” since his time at the BUild lab.

“He came in with basically an

initial idea, as a lot of students do, but he had a few things off the ground,” Spekman said. “It’s really quite a lot of resources and time and energy into acquiring laptops, growing programs, growing different assets [and] bringing on new team members.”

Hansen said Spekman helped him move forward on the “Innovation Pathway,” a four-step milestone directed approach to help students turn their ideas into reality.

Spekman said Hansen embodies the qualities that it takes to be successful in innovation.

“I think what it takes is a lot of perseverance, determination, resilience, all those wonderful buzzwords, but they’re real and it takes vision and discipline,” Speakman said. “I think Eric has all of those.”

Ian Mashiter, managing director of the BUild Lab, oversees the entrepreneurial projects through Innovate@BU. He said the BUild Lab helps students get concrete experience that helps students gain practice in entrepreneurial skills.

“We’d like our students to come through the BUild Lab to really acquire an entrepreneurial mindset,” Mashiter said. “We know that employers, they’re not just looking at what grades students got but they’re also looking for what did you actually want to accomplish?”

Hansen said the appreciation he receives from his students, in the form of gifts or words of gratitude, is the most rewarding part of his work.

“Kids telling me I’m their favorite teacher of all time,” Hansen said. “You know you’re doing your job right when that happens.”

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL Mitt Romney’s lone wolf vote isn’t the upright act he expected it to be Utah Senator Mitt Romney broke rank today, becoming the first and only U.S. senator to vote to remove a president hailing from his own party.

In the two articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he only voted “yes” on the former. Unsurprisingly, President Donald Trump and his allies immediately f locked to Twitter to attack Romney, suggesting that the partial vote was an act of defiance.

Romney incorporated themes of faith, family and historical remembrance into an emotional speech on the Senate f loor Wednesday. He portrayed himself as a humble man who was trying to do the right thing, despite the inevitable backlash from the rest of the party. Since Trump was acquitted, voting yes was unproductive for the political cause of removal.

This stance isn’t surprising coming from Romney, a man whose views have f luctuated over the course of his political career.

Yet, his willingness to make this symbolic gesture is impressive, especially because in the Trump-led Republican party, strict loyalty has become expected. It is important that, while still a career politician, he isn’t afraid to publicize his misgivings and remind the public that Trump’s morals are what’s on trial.

The president can no longer pretend that his impeachment is a partisan hoax.

But, it is comfortable to be at this virtuous vantage point when you’re not up for re-election until 2024 like Romney.

Although he may suffer political ramifications, they will undoubtedly be temporary. With all of the commotion around the 2020 presidential race alone and the general chaos around politics, the public may even forget about this and allow it

is that the country tends to move on quickly.

But again, if Romney is going to be all about righteousness, why didn’t he try to convince the other Republican senators to vote the same way when he had the power to? More importantly, why did he vote yes for the abuse of power but not for the obstruction of

If Romney is going to be all about righteousness, why didn’t he try to convince the other Republican senators to vote the same way when he had the power to? More importantly, why did he vote yes for the abuse of power but not for the obstruction of Congress? to fall away as an isolated incident.

Remember when Trump was caught saying “Grab ‘em by the pussy” on tape in 2016? Apparently, the American public doesn’t either. This moment is not immediately comparable, but the point

CROSSWORD

Congress? Both matters are inextricably bound to Trump’s lawlessness.

Clearly, Romney was able to determine that Trump abused his power when pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. If that was a matter

of corrupt power maintenance, blocking testimony and refusing to provide documents to the House falls under the same umbrella.

If corrupting an election to maintain power is an egregious assault on the Constitution, hiding it is no less of an assault. Romney’s second vote is then ultimately a show of support for Trump’s partisan refusal to cooperate.

Why not double down if you’re going to get criticized regardless?

This senator’s “middle of the road” brand is either a facade or he can’t admit to himself the degree to which he remains motivated by potential political benefit. His ashamed demeanor during the vote is difficult to explain otherwise. But when the integrity of the presidential office is at stake, a couple of angry comments are meaningless.

The lack of productivity here suggests that this may be a career-motivated stunt. If Romney ’s vote contributed nothing to the final decision, he may be just looking to get himself in the headlines. After all, his name has faded from the spotlight since his presidential run in 2012.

Unfortunately, this moment means little for the future of polarization.

The fact that we actually cannot tell whether Romney is motivated by political gain or virtue demonstrates that the divide in this country is significantly more complicated than we perceive it to be.

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

ACROSS 1. Netting 5. Calcium carbonate 10. Chancel 14. Two-toed sloth 15. Broadcast 16. Sweeping story 17. Practices 19. 1 less than 10 20. French for “Friend” 21. Ganders 22. Guys 23. Worker 25. Feather 27. Lair 28. A lightweight woven fabric 31. A group of lions 34. Swedish money 35. Japanese apricot 36. Charged particles 37. Confined 38. Stringed

DOWN instrument 39. Child 40. Haul with a tackle 41. Flies alone 42. 11th 44. Armed conf lict 45. Condominium 46. Informant 50. Warning 52. Abounding in trees 54. Not bottom 55. Pepper_ _ _ _ 56. Tableware 58. A ceremonial staff 59. Drop to one’s knees 60. Not closed 61. African antelope 62. Pain 63. Toward sunset

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

1. Wall painting 2. Colonic 3. Sir, in India 4. Color 5. Lurch 6. Part of a stair 7. Historical periods 8. Communications device 9. Commercials 10. Deaden 11. Related to the skin 12. Not yours 13. Cards with 1 symbol 18. Gibe 22. Russian parliament 24. Probabilities 26. Territory 28. Squash 29. Relating to aircraft 30. Puppy sounds 31. Northern freshwater fish 32. Agitate

33. Impropriety 34. Genuflecting 37. Agent 007 38. Trumpet 40. Not straight 41. Nymph chaser 43. Maelstrom 44. To a great degree 46. Interlaced 47. French for “Storehouse” 48. Open skin infections 49. All tuckered out 50. Ammunition 51. Teller of untruths 53. Margarine 56. Calypso offshoot 57. Expression of surprise

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 3 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 Mind Your Business:

Victoria’s Secret is built on abuse and body-shaming

BY MEREDITH VARNER COLUMNIST

I have never been a fan of Victoria’s Secret. The stores themselves are intimidating with the beautiful, unattainable bodies all over the walls, and their size variety is usually lacking. As a consumer, I have not thought their products were anything special and they felt pretty cheap. In the past few years, Victoria’s Secret has only gone downhill.

Many past Angels have come forward, talking about the years of abuse and assault that is normalized and tolerated by the company’s top executives.

While this is not very surprising, it is incredibly disappointing that powerful men have gotten away with their misogynistic ways for so long.

Workplace assault is nothing new to many women — it spans all careers and fields. A study done by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows 80 percent of women will experience harassment in the workplace. These numbers are incredibly disturbing because they indicate that this problem is widespread, and women should generally expect the possibility of harassment.

It seems like Victoria’s Secret is one of the worst companies when it comes to this. Models claim to have been groped in the crotch, emailed inappropriate messages from executives, pressured into nude photos and treated like “highend prostitutes.”

Additionally, employees reported being body shamed and yelled at for eating. The toxicity that per vades Victoria’s Secret transfers to the consumers as well. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was repeatedly criticized for not including women with realistic bodies, plus-sized models or transgender women.

Many consumers feel ugly or overweight compared to the unrealistic images Victoria’s Secret puts out, especially in their fashion shows. The company and the shows do not represent what real people look like.

Ed Razek, one of the company’s top executives, expressed no interest in changing the look of the models and

TikTok highlights why we shouldn’t comment on others’ bodies

having a wider body range of women. He talked about how that was not the brand of Victoria’s Secret and that it was not necessary.

It is this type of thinking that has made Victoria’s Secret outdated compared to other competitors in the lingerie market. Why shop at a store that permits sexual assault and body shaming when other brands like Aerie and Fenty X Savage exist?

Aerie started its own body positivity campaign called Aerie Real where they feature plus-sized women, disabled women, untouched pictures and a shopping atmosphere that makes customers feel good about their bodies. I much prefer to shop in that environment because it makes me feel beautiful when I am surrounded by models who actually look like me.

They have scars, rolls, imperfections and stretch marks like every normal woman with no retouched pictures.

Normalizing all types of women is a much better company image than abuse and sexual assault.

Victoria’s Secret has dug its own grave over the past few years by refusing to move with the times and accept body positivity. It has made women feel unattractive because they are not underweight. Starving models are no longer what I, and many women, want to see.

This revelation of sexual assault by the top executives is the final straw for Victoria’s Secret. I hope many customers will join me in no longer financially supporting a company that represents body shaming and abuse.

This issue of workplace sex ual assault is something that needs to be addressed in every field because it is not just models suffering from these attacks.

Too many men have gotten away with making their female coworkers uncomfortable with non-consensual touching or overtly sexual remarks. This toxic behavior will continue until we address it and punish people for it.

I guarantee if you ask any women in your life if a male co-worker has felt entitled to say gross things to them or touch them inappropriately, they will have at least one instance, but probably many. It is time we do better, and that starts by putting companies like Victoria’s Secret out of business.

Decades of harming women are over as well as abusive men’s domination of the market. Do not give your money to these misog ynistic men who treat women as objects for their own pleasure. Give it to companies that encourage body positivity and make you feel beautiful.

INTERROBANG

BY ABBIGALE SHI COLUMNIST

Growing up in America, I had “thin privilege.” Because I was skinny, I was never teased or bullied for my weight during recess. I was never told that I looked like a cow or that I should abstain from eating ice cream in the cafeteria.

But whenever I went back to mainland China, my distant relatives and family friends would all comment on my weight — that I was too skinny or that I needed to eat more — when in fact, I was eating normally and even unhealthily.

I expected it ever y year, ever y visit and ever y dinner. It had become part of their greeting to me, the first words out of their mouth as if my worth was based on my weight and appearance.

A part of me dreaded going back to China because I would definitely be picked apart.

In this way, America was my safe haven. With my skinny privilege, I was never criticized for how my body looked.

So it’s a la rming for me to see skinny-shaming become normalized in Western culture. Recently, I’ve noticed not-so-friendly comments on TikTok videos. If you’re familiar with the application, you probably a lso noticed the popularity of pretty creators, such as @charlidamelio. Even TikTok users have started to skinny shame these same creators by g uilt tripping them.

While I usually find TikTok enjoyable, I also can’t ignore the torrent of rude, body shaming comments. In one of user @mads.yo videos, comments read “it’s ok [to] breathe” and “ Ur [multiple door emoji],” shaming her body image for being f lat like a door.

In response to these types of comments, creators have expressed discomfort and disabled the comment section of their posts in an effort to stop them. The 15-yea r -old inf luencer was even pushed to tweet about TikTok’s body shaming.

To make matters worse, TikTok’s

sk i n ny - sh a m i n g c u lt u re ex tend s beyond outright offensive comments.

There’s a lso a phenomenon of sur prisingly barbed, so-ca l led compliments, such as: “Guess i’m not eating tonight”, and “Wish I had that problem [of being skinny].”

In popular user @avani’s video of her, @mads.yo a nd @cha rlida melio dancing is a good example of this.

With the exception of a few positive comments, the majorit y read, “self esteem went down the drain,” “ wow I thought I wasn’t fat,” “that’s it I’m not eating anymore” and “ if I had any body confidence it’d be taken away by this video.”

In order to achieve the ideal body, it is implied that girls need to star ve or hold their breath. This is beyond harmf ul and promotes eating disorders on a platform for impressionable teenagers.

Anorexia and bulimia are not body t y pes. Users saying they will star ve themselves to achieve the internet’s ideal body ty pe is not a compliment — it’s a guilt trap.

This odd phenomenon has even spread to duets, or reactionar y posts.

Instead of commenting, there a re TikTok users who record a video of them pausing mid-bite next to the v ideo of the skinny girl w ith the underlying message of not eating.

In a @simply_ a na xo video duet with @tinanatall, the former is about to eat when she sees the latter dancing. She immediately throws away her food and eats ice and water instead.

The caption reads, “I’m not hungr y!!

YOU ARE!!!”

The video is supposed to be comedic, making fun of their own insecurities and the “perfect” skinny body of the original creator. However, the end result only cements the problematic message for ever yone who sees the duet.

In order to truly promote body positivity, we need to stop commenting on other people’s bodies. I don’t mean that we can’t have open dialogue about eating disorders and body image, but to shame someone else for their body is both disrespectful and hurtful.

Unless warranted, commenting on someone else’s body is never a good idea. Instead, I recommend talking about anything else: their aesthetics and style, taste in music, or passion.

Social media, populated by young and impressionable teens, need to break the current cycle of beauty standards and revolutionize a new standard for self-worth.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi went viral on Twitter Tuesday night after ripping up her copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what would BU groups rip?

FreeP: Tuition bills

QST: Juuls

CGS: Capstones

Pre-Meds: CH101 exams

COM: Jeans

Frats: Security deposits

Rhett: Farts

Maya: Terrier Cards

Freshmen: Splash flyers

10 SPORTS

Off the Post: For Tuukka Rask, less often leads to more

BY CHAD JONES COLUMNIST

After nine days off for the Boston Bruins, both of their goaltenders were ready to compete between the pipes. Tuukka Rask, who hadn’t played since Jan. 14 in a contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets, was stellar in a road win over the Winnipeg Jets. Jaroslav Halak then bounced back after a rough stretch of games to stymie the Minnesota Wild.

It was a great sign for the Bruins that Rask was effective in his first game back in the lineup. After taking a wicked shot to the head from Columbus’ Emil Bemstrom, Rask had not seen game action in 16 days.

However, no rust was seen on Friday in Winnipeg as Rask stayed composed, even during an avalanche of Jets shots. Winnipeg failed to score on six different power plays — Rask allowed only one goal after facing 38 shots.

Halak’s play in Minnesota was almost as important as Rask’s return.

The Wild went 0-4 on the man-advantage and Minnesota only managed to score one goal on 26 shots against Halak. A strong performance was needed from Halak because of a developing troubling trend.

Before his past two starts, Halak had struggled of late. In eight of 12 games, from Dec. 7 to Jan. 19, his save percentage was lower than .900.

Following the disaster in Pittsburgh when the Bruins gave up a threegoal lead, his save percentage was an abysmal .818. He has regrouped with good outings against the Vegas Golden Knights before the all-star break and in Minnesota after the break.

Halak needs to find consistency in his play, because he is going to be starting a lot of games for the rest of the season. Even with Rask healthy, Halak will be getting quite a few starting nods.

There will be four sets of backto-backs for Boston over February.

Not to mention, the Bruins also have two more back-to-backs waiting for

them in March. Boston’s head coach Bruce Cassidy will want Halak at his best, so Rask avoids playing two games without a breather.

One of the reasons why Rask was so effective in the postseason last year was because Halak started a lot of games. Last year in the regular season, Rask played in 46 games and made 45 starts. While a stretch of absences were related to personal matters early in the season, the Bruins were comfortable having Halak play in 40 games and make 37 starts.

Rest in the regular season often leads to better Rask playoff campaigns. He became the full-time

starting goaltender for Boston in 2013 when Tim Thomas moved on.

Unfortunately, that NHL regular season was limited to only 48 games due to a lockout.

The lack of games actually turned out to be a blessing for the Bruins.

Playing in just 36 regular season games, Rask was ready for the spring.

His .940 save percentage was the best of all the playoff goalies. Rask would help get the Bruins to the Stanley Finals where they would lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.

With the threat of Thomas and lockouts gone, Rask was able to be the Bruins starting goaltender for the entire 82-game season. In 2014, he played in 58 regular season games. Rask would help the Bruins past the aging Detroit Red Wings in the first round before losing a frustrating seven-game series to the Montreal Canadiens.

In the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, the Bruins missed the playoffs. In those 2 years, Rask played in 70 and 64 games.

In the 2016-2017 season, Rask participated in 65 regular season matchups. Once in the playoffs, the Bruins took on the Ottawa Senators.

Unfortunately, Boston lost Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug to injuries.

Rask held on his own despite the Br uins losing vital players, but Ottawa took out Boston in six games.

In 2017-2018, Rask appeared in 54 regular season games. During

that year’s playoffs, Rask struggled.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a gifted offensive team that gave the Bruins all they could handle in the first round. Boston needed seven to get the better of them. Then, the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Bruins in five games.

Since Rask only played in 46 regular season contests in 2018-2019, he was ready for the long-haul that is playoff hockey. Rask was a major reason, if not the most significant, the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Finals. His playoff save percentage was .934. Unfortunately, the Bruins lost at home to the St. Louis Blues in seven games, but Boston would not have gone that far if Rask had been anything less than spectacular.

So far this year, Rask has played in 29 of Boston’s 53 contests, and if Cassidy keeps playing Rask roughly at the same clip, he will compete in 16 of the remaining 29 matchups.

That would come out to Rask finishing with 45 games.

Now, a lot of factors will determine how many games Rask will play the rest of the way. If the Bruins believe winning the Atlantic Division is crucial, Rask might play more games. If Halak gets hot or Rask cools, Halak might get the starting nod more frequently. As the Bruins march the rest of the season, how many games Rask and Halak play are almost as important as how well they play.

Numbers Roundup: Changing of the guard as youth take over

BY HANNAH YOSHINAGA COLUMNIST

All good things come to an end, but that doesn’t mean that more good things won’t follow.

Nearly ever y major professional sport is undergoing a transition from established stars dominating their respective leagues to young kids trying to earn their way into championship conversations. That means that fans won’t be seeing some of their favorite players on the court or field anymore, but there are plenty of reasons for them to stick around any ways.

Devin Booker: 27.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, 18.2 FGA, 51.1 FG percent, 91.9 FT percent One of the people hit hardest by Kobe Bryant’s death was Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker. Known as “Young Kobe” to some, Booker idolized Br yant and modeled several aspects of his game after him.

There’s no doubt that it will take a long time for Booker to move on from the tragedy, but Bryant’s Mamba Mentality has fueled Booker’s marked improvement this season. Booker surpassed Bryant as the youngest guard to reach 7,000 points last week and was easily the biggest 2020 All-Star snub.

Adding point guard Ricky Rubio to Phoenix’s cast of characters was one of the best decisions Suns General Manager James Jones made in the off-season, and it helped to open up Booker’s game. Rubio has taken the role of facilitating the offense off of Booker’s plate, allowing him to utilize his off-ball skill set.

Booker has an upgraded set of offensive weapons around him now, including Rubio and an improved Kelly Oubre Jr. and Deandre Ayton. That has freed him to attempt 18.2 shots per game, his fewest attempts since his rookie season. As a result, he has been able to focus on smarter shot selection, which is ref lected in his 51.1 field goal percentage.

That mark would be impressive for any player, particularly a guard, but it’s especially remarkable considering the numbers posted by other elite players take the same number of shots. Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram and Jayson Tatum, all of whom were named All-Stars, are also taking around 18 shots per game, but none are shooting as high as Booker.

Starling Marte’s 2019 Batti ng Statistics: .295 AVG, .845 OPS, 16.0 K percent The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired longtime Pittsburgh Pirates outf ielder Starling Marte on Jan. 27. for two prospects. Not only do the Diamondbacks now have two Martes on their roster, they also have four former All-Stars in their starting lineup.

Marte quietly had a career year in 2019. He finished the season tied for seventh in batting average and 20th in OPS among all MLB outfielders, per MLB stats. Most importantly, he had a career-best strikeout rate of 16 percent, below the league average of 17.3 percent.

He significantly improved his plate approach, and didn’t look

like a player who entered the big leagues with a reputation for being strikeout-prone and impatient.

One of the few outfielders better than Marte in 2019 is now his teammate in Arizona.

Ketel Marte finished fourth in 2019 National League MVP voting after he nearly willed the Diamondbacks to a wild card playoff spot. Ketel Marte was also tied for second in batting average with Milwaeukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich and finished seventh in OPS in the MLB, per MLB stats.

Both Martes are center fielders, so adding Starling Marte will allow Ketel Marte to spend more time at his natural position as second base.

Right fielder Kole Calhoun, who Arizona also added in the off-season, will also help to hold the fort down in the out-

field with Ketel Marte in the infield.

Outfield production, or lack thereof, was a major concern for the Diamondbacks heading into free agency, but they have more than fixed that problem.

Their improved outfield makes them a serious contender to dethrone the Dodgers in the NL West.

Combined ages of Super Bowl LIV Quarterbacks: 52 years Patrick Mahomes is 24 and Jimmy Garoppolo is 28, making them the youngest duo of quarterbacks to face off on Super Bowl Sunday since Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick did it in 2013.

Mahomes and Garoppolo are just two of the young quarterbacks taking command of the NFL. With Eli Manning announcing his retirement on

Jan. 22 and Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Drew Brees nearing the end of their careers, several young signal-callers have stepped into the spotlight.

At 28 and 27, respectively, Garoppolo and Carson Wentz are the elder statesmen of the bunch.

Mahomes, MVP Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Josh Allen round out the pack of playoff quarterbacks south of 30. Daniel Jones, Jared Goff, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are also 25 or younger, and are also showing f lashes of promise in the early stages of their careers.

Young players like Mahomes and Jackson dominated several statistical categories in 2019.

Jackson led the NFL with a quarterback rating of 81.8 with Mahomes following close behind with a 76.3 rating, while Watson ranked seventh at 68.7, according to ESPN stats.

Even more impressively, those three were among the league leaders in adjusted net yards per pass attempt, arguably one of the best statistics for measuring quarterbacks. Mahomes ranked second with 8.38 ANY/A and Jackson was fourth with 8.19 ANY/A, according to Pro Football Reference.

Fourteen of the top 25 quarterbacks in ANY/A are under 30 years old.

Jackson, Murray and Allen are also dynamic pieces of their team’s run games. Jackson was by far the best in that category, leading the NFL in rushing yards per attempt and ranking eighth with 80.4 rushing yards per game.

All those stats just show that the NFL is entering a new, fun era at the quarterback position.

SPORTS 11

BU Softball ready to begin season in Stetson Lead-Off Classic

BY NICK TELESMANIC DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The reigning Patriot League champions are going to be playing softball again this Friday. Boston University softball will kick off its season then in the Stetson Lead-Off Classic in Deland, Florida.

BU will play a doubleheader on Friday, starting off by facing Sam Houston State University at 12 p.m.

Friday, and Stetson University later that day at 3 p.m. On Saturday, there will be another doubleheader that will start earlier, with the first game against George Mason University starting at 10 a.m, and another game against Stetson at 3 p.m. The weekend of games will wrap up Sunday at 10 a.m. with one final match against Sam Houston.

Key players from the 2019 team will continue to play through the 2020 season that will start against the Bearkats Friday. The pitching duo of junior Ali DuBois and sophomore Emily Gant will continue to be the top aces on the mound as they were MATT WOOLVERTON/ DFP FILE last season, BU Head Coach Ashley Junior pitcher Ali DuBois, shown in a March 2019 game against the College of the Holy Cross, was the f irst Boston University player named to USA Softball’s Waters said.

Player of the Year Watchlist since 2011.

DuBois, the two-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Year and 2018 she’s going to be in the outfield, she’s career last spring. Emily Morrow, the “I think that now after her first year In the NCAA tournament, they Patriot League Rookie of the Year, has going to be in the batting lineup,” keen-eyed infielder that led the team being under her belt, she did very well,” were two-and-out, losing to both shown no issues to Waters. After only Waters said. “I do think that this year in walks last season with 24, has also Waters said. “I do think she’ll be an No. 8 University of Florida in the two years of playing at BU, DuBois is will be a breakout year for her.” first round, and then to Stanford graduated. In the 2019 season, Heinen offensive catalyst,” already tied fourth all-time at BU in Right now, Waters plans to have University.

Along with the pitching duo of and Morrow were first and second wins with 51, tied-for-fifth in shutouts DuBois and Gant, there will be two place respectively in batting average Huerta-Leipner batting leadoff, Coker In her 5th season as head coach, with 20 and sixth in strikeouts with 393. new freshman arms joining the Terrier and hits. in the two-hole and Gant in the third Waters’ goals have remained the same In addition, she was the first BU soft- squad. Freshmen southpaw Allison as it’s always been: to win as many Waters is confident that the new spot — a trio that Waters is excited to ball player to be put on USA Softball’s Boaz and righty Lizzy Avery will be line of freshman position players will see in the box. games as possible and be strong conPlayer of the Year Watchlist since 2011. available to come in and give the rota- be able to fill those gaps. In particular, “I think that’s a really, really tough tenders for the Patriot League crown.

Waters said DuBois always gives tion the depth it needs.

The best way to prepare for that is Waters said infielder Caitlin Coker is a combo to get out,” Waters said. the Terriers a chance to win.

In addition, sophomore infielder to play tough opponents before conWaters said she fully believes in her hitter that will be able to fit right into “[DuBois] is the two-time pitcher of pitchers.

Bella Gargicevich-Almeida, who ference play, according to Waters. the team. the year,” Waters said. “So anytime you “Our pitching staff has so much “I think you’re going to be seeing appeared in five games last year Before Patriot League play will begin have [DuBois], you’re in a good place.” depth,” Waters said. “I think we have her name a lot,” Waters said. “She just before suffering a season-ending for BU, Waters slated up two matches According to Waters, Gant that area covered, I feel really confi- has such a great swing and she’s so injury, will be returning. Waters against No. 21 University of Arkansas, pitched “okay” last year, saying that dent in the circle right now.” expects Gargicevich-Almedia, along and one game against No. 4 UCLA offensive-minded.”

Gant would admit it, too. However, and No. 17 University of Michigan.

Some standout scorecard names Waters also remains confident in with junior infielder and Long Island Waters is confident in the Patriot have graduated and will not be on the abilities of sophomore outfielder University Post transfer Patricia Dun “We’re young, but for me, it’s more League All-Conference selectee’s abil- the squad anymore. Alex Heinen, a Aliyah Huerta-Leipner. Waters said to be able to put the ball in play towards that we throw them to the wolves preity to bounce back, as well as be able heavy-hitting catcher, two-time that the All-Patriot League Second the middle and bottom of the lineup. season,” Waters said. “We have some to uniquely contribute on the diamond Patriot League player of the year and Team honoree had a great freshman Last season, the Terriers won the tough competition preseason, but and in the batter’s box. all-time leader of RBIs at BU, wrapped year, and her game can only improve Patriot League title for the third time that always preps us for when we get “You don’t see Emily in the circle, up her prestigious collegiate softball in her sophomore campaign. in four years under Waters’ guidance. back for conference play.”

Irving helped guide Terriers to first winning record since 2012-13 1,000 POINTS, FROM 12 Moseley emphasized Irving’s presence in the locker room as a point of growth in the player.

“I think she had recognized with her and Vanessa [Edgehill] being our two seniors, that she needed to have a little bit more of a voice,” Moseley said. “[She had to] make sure whether it was on the court or off the court that her presence was felt.

Irving’s inf luence in both the clubhouse and on the court has helped turn around a f loundering women’s basketball program at BU. The Terriers went 13-17 her freshman year before falling further down the standings in the 2017-18 season, when BU went 10-19 — 5-13 in the Patriot League — before getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

As Irving developed further

her junior year, and along with the university’s hire of Moseley, BU went 15-14, its first winning season since the 2012-13 season.

Irving said the arrival of a new coach was a challenge at first, but the team believed in Moseley’s plan.

“We really bought into the coaching staff,” Ir ving said.

“It was challenging learning [Moseley’s] style of play, but she made it easy because she’s a really good teacher.”

As BU’s season is reaching its climax, the Terriers sit tied for fourth in the Patriot League and have a chance to host its second-ever Patriot League home quarterfinal game.

Irving said her senior season goal was simple.

“Most definitely, win the Patriot League championship,” Irving said. “That’s all we talk about all the time.”

CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP FILE

Nia Irving, shown in a February 2019 game against Lehigh University, has been a consistent three-year starter and is averaging 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game since her sophomore season.

Follow along with BU Sports on Twitter: @DFPsports

“It was after a foul shot, so I wasn’t really thinking too much at the moment, especially since we really didn’t have a break in the play.”

- Women’s basketball senior forward Nia Irving on how she didn’t even realize she scored her 1,000th point.

Sports

“We have a lot of guys that are effective in their own way.

We try to get guys to be confident in what they do and that’s how we like to play.”

- Coach Jones on the philosophy he wants to instill in his guys.

Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020

Nia Irving reflects on 1,000 point milestone and her BU career

BY CHRIS LARABEE DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Standing at the free throw line in Christl Arena with a little more than three minutes left in the third quarter against the Army Black Knights on Jan. 12, Nia Irving raised her arms up and sank her free throw before running back down the court to play defense like she had made any ordinary shot.

Except this shot was special.

The Boston University women’s basketball team’s senior forward and captain had just become the 23rd player in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark for the Terriers.

Irving said she didn’t even realize that she reached the milestone until after the game.

“It was after a foul shot, so I wasn’t really thinking too much at the moment, especially since we really didn’t have a break in the play,” Irving said. “I had a lot of family and friends there who traveled all the way to [New York] just to see it, so that was really cool.”

The Fairfield, Maine native has established herself as one of

the focal points of the BU offense for the better part of three years now. Over this three-year span, she has averaged 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game since her sophomore campaign.

Despite the impressive numbers that Irving has put up through her career, she has battled through adversity to get to the 1,000 point plateau.

Irving said she’s faced many challenges over her career, but injuries stick out the most to her.

“I’ve had my fair share of injuries over my four years,” Irving said. “Right now, I’ve been playing on a knee injury all this season and half of last year.”

Irving’s offense comes from a strong inside presence where she is able to use her 6-foot-1inch frame to battle for easy layups inside. Irving leads all regular starters in field goal percent with a .44 percent clip from the field this season.

Irving has only attempted 14 3-pointers in her career and said she lets the offense f low to her, rather than forcing passes or shots.

“I mostly just try to work

down low a lot, whether I’m posting up in the box as a five or I’m at the top of the key or the foul line as a four,” Irving said. “I just try to let the game come to me and not try to force as many things to happen.”

Irving’s presence is not felt just on the hardwood either. BU Head Coach Marisa Moseley is in her second year of coaching the Terriers and had to figure out how to implement her program.

Moseley claimed Irving helped her ease into her first year of coaching an established group of players by creating an engaged atmosphere at practice.

“I think she led by example, the way she came to practice everyday, worked hard, was positive at practice,” Moseley said.

“I think that definitely helped to set the tone and really reinforce the type of environment that I wanted to have at practice everyday.”

Even though Moseley has only worked with the senior for a year and a half at this point, she has seen significant growth in Irving.

CONTINUED ON 11

MADISON EPPERSON/ DFP FILE

Senior forward Nia Irving, shown in a November 2018 game against the University of New Hampshire, became the 23rd player in Boston University women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000 point milstone.

Balanced scoring attack pushes men’s basketball past Army key in getting back into the game.

“We kind of needed to move the ball a little bit better, look for our opporBoston University men’s basket- tunities a little bit better,” Jones said. ball traveled to West Point, New York “We were kind of rushing it at times looking to sweep the season series with and that hurt us.” the Army Black Knights after taking A balanced scoring attack was them down at home earlier this season. another reason for BU’s successful Despite early scoring problems, the comeback against Army. Nine players Terriers handled the Black Knights, scored for the Terriers before the end holding a double-digit lead for a major- of the first half and all 10 that Jones ity of the game and leaving with an played scored at least once by the end 80-66 win. of the game.

Both teams entered Wednesday When asked if it was a point of night’s game on a streak of good results. emphasis to get everyone involved on The Terriers (14-10, 8-3 Patriot League) offense leading up to the game, Jones said entered play having won six of their last that it’s a goal for the team every game. eight games, while the Black Knights “We go into every game trying to (11-11, 6-5 Patriot League) had rattled off move the ball, trying to play together, six straight wins prior to the matchup. that’s how we want to play,” Jones said.

The Terriers started off slowly, “We have a lot of guys that are effective scoring just two points after the first in their own way. We try to get guys to five minutes of play and eventually fell be confident in what they do and that’s behind 11-5 with 13:20 to go in the half. how we like to play, and tonight we were BU Head Coach Joe Jones cited able to get a lot of guys to contribute.”

Army’s defensive effort out of the gate It was more of the same from the as the reason for the slow start.

Terriers in the second half as they main“They’re a really tough hard-nosed tained their lead through the entire team,” Jones said. “They just played second half, not letting Army pull within really good defense against us.” more than nine points of the lead before However, thanks to an 18-4 run, BU closing out the game with a final score was able to claw out of the early hole of 80-66. and the Terriers entered halftime with BU senior forward Max Mahoney, a 34-23 lead. who was averaging a team-leading Following the game, Jones said ball 15.4 points per game leading up to movement and spacing the court were Wednesday’s game, was the lone player

BY ZACHARY DUPONT DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

for the Terriers to not score in the first half. However, Mahoney ended the game with 13 second-half points to go along with seven rebounds, three steals and one block.

Mahoney didn’t need a pep-talk in the second half to get going, according to Jones.

“We didn’t say anything to him,” Jones said. “Tonight, they were double and triple-teaming him and that’s why he didn’t score.”

Junior guard Javante McCoy led the Terriers in scoring, putting up 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting, as well as going a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Sophomore forward Walter Whyte added an additional 12 points and six rebounds.

Senior guard Tommy Funk led the way for Army, scoring 24 points and dishing out six assists. With 8:39 left in the second half, Funk broke the Patriot League all-time record for career assists on a pass to senior forward Matt Wilson.

Jones had nothing but praise for the senior guard following the game.

RACHEL SHARPLES/ DFP FILE “He’s outstanding, he’s gotten better Senior forward and captain Max Mahoney, shown in a November 2019 game and better every year,” Jones said. “I’ve against the University of New Hampshire, scored 13 points in the second half and got a ton of respect for him and their pulled down seven rebounds in Boston University’s 80-66 victory over Army. entire staff.”

Wilson put up a double-double for League, just one game behind Colgate their run of good form this Saturday the Black Knights, putting up 24 points University (18-6, 9-2 Patriot League). as they play host to the College of the and 10 rebounds.

Army falls to sixth in the Patriot Holy Cross (3-21, 2-9 Patriot League) in With the win, BU maintains its League standings with the loss. a Turnpike Trophy matchup at 1 p.m. position in second place in the Patriot The Terriers will look to continue at Case Gym.

BOTTOM LINE FRIDAY, FEB. 7

Men’s Hockey takes on Merrimack College at home at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 8

SUNDAY, FEB. 9

Women’s Hockey travel to

Boston Celtics travel to

Worcester to take on the

Oklahoma City to play the

College of the Holy Cross at

Thunder at 3:30 p.m.

3 p.m.

MONDAY, FEB. 10

Men’s Hockey takes on

TUESDAY, FEB. 11

Women’s Hockey takes on

Northeastern University in

Northeastern University in

the Beanpot Finals at 7:30

the Beanpot Finals at 8 p.m.

p.m.