3-29-2018

TAX THAT RENTAL, 4

ROBOCALYPSE, 7

EYES ON YOU, 9

RECORD BREAKERS, 10

The Massachusetts House passed a bill to tax and regulate short-term rentals.

Robotic laborers are on the rise, but don’t look at retirement options yet.

It’s easier than ever for tech companies to use and share our personal data.

Men’s lacrosse’s Jack Wilson and Chris Gray set new program records last week.

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Newly elected Build BU hopes to reform SG

BY JENNA MANTO

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Build BU, the slate elected to be next year’s Boston University Student Government executive board, is looking to bring reform to the current SG system in an effort to work hand-in-hand with students after winning the election Tuesday night.

The winning slate is composed of President-elect Devin Harvin, Vice President-elect Hafzat Akanni, Executive Vice President of Internal Affairs-elect Lovie Burleson and Vice President of Finance-elect Hector Meneses.

Build BU ran on a three-pillar campaign encompassing three fundamental aspects of student life: classroom, culture and communication.

Burleson said Build BU is hoping to improve the attitude and culture surrounding campus sporting events throughout their one-year term. The slate is also hoping to strengthen its relationship with Student Health Services and keep students in the loop with any potential changes made by the administration in that regard.

Student Election Commission co-chair Vincent D’Amato said this year’s election saw 1,700 students vote, 500 more votes than last year.

Burleson said she sees the growth in voter turnout as a great start to getting the student body engaged after their work during the campaign to increase involvement.

“I’m glad to see that the student body’s becoming more engaged with Student Government,” Burleson said.

YEAR XLVI. VOLUME XCIV. ISSUE X

International students learn to avoid scams

BY PAOLA I. POVENTUD ESCORIAZA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Lovie Burleson, Devin Harvin, Hafzat Akanni and Hector Meneses Jr. of Build BU.

“I’m so glad to be able to be a part of this team — to give those student groups a voice.”

Burleson said the slate will be reviewing its campaign, going through the checklist of tasks to accomplish, listening to students and implementing their concerns.

“We’re going to really emphasize self-care, so building upon the initiatives already in motion and also strengthening our partnership with Student Health Services,” Burleson said. “With communication, our big thing is getting students at the table … We want to make sure that the students are always present.”

Meneses said he is particularly

looking forward to educating students about the value of SG and its impact on student life.

“This mentality that students have where they feel like Student Government doesn’t do anything or that it’s a résumé builder is something that really frustrates me a lot, and I do want to change that mentality with the e-board,” Meneses said.

“It’s something that will change.”

Andrew Chiao, a junior senator in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he voted for Build BU because he wanted his vote to reflect the needs and desires of his constituency.

“People within Student Government seemed to mention that

PHOTO COURTESY DEVIN HARVIN

they liked Build BU’s mission and their campaign, [and] that solidified in my mind who I wanted to vote for because I wanted to represent CAS’s interests,” Chiao said.

Among their interests related to Build BU’s platform, Chiao noted that the advocacy and initiatives pursued by the CAS senators for students, such as his own smoking-cessation campaign, were reflected in Build BU’s dedication to reach out to student groups on campus.

Chiao said he appreciated how Build BU’s mission reflects the CAS SG mission.

“They were saying, ‘We want to

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

The Boston University Police Department hosted a safety awareness day for international students in the George Sherman Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday. A group of experienced police officers from the BUPD was available to answer questions.

The awareness initiative was the first of its kind organized specifically for international students.

BUPD Chief Kelly Nee wrote in a press release that the event was specifically directed towards stopping the trend of scams aimed at international students.

“We hope that by providing this information to our international students, we can reduce their victimization,” Nee wrote.

The goals of the safety day were to “[describe] ways students can be scammed …, [give] students information on how to prevent these incidents from occurring … [and review] ways for students to stay safe,” BUPD Deputy Chief Robert Molloy wrote in an email.

The information given by the police officers who participated in the event consisted of infographics with safety tips and tutorials on how to recognize and correctly report suspicious behavior.

The fact that international students comprise such a high CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

In with the new: The Green Line fleet is getting bigger

BY SHAUN ROBINSON DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Starting this summer, the Green Line is going to look a little different.

The first of 30 new Green Line cars has arrived in Newton for testing, a major step in the process of expanding Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service north beyond what will be a relocated Lechmere Station, where it currently ends, to Medford. The new cars will be introduced into the system starting in July, even though the new extension won’t open for several more years.

M B TA D i r e c to r of Communications Joe Pesaturo said that the new cars feature a number of improvements relative to their predecessors. The new cars can hold up to 10 percent more passengers, and the interior has been redesigned to provide more space for wheelchairs and strollers, according to Pesaturo.

According to slides provided by the MBTA, the new cars will

feature sliding doors, new electronic message boards, automatic stop announcements, new lighting and better systems, such as better brakes, which will improve reliability.

Overall, Pesaturo said he thinks the new cars will positively impact T riders.

“I think people will be impressed when they see these cars,” he said. “They are the most modern light rail vehicle that you’ll find in the country right now.”

While the Medford extension was previously delayed for a few years due to financial concerns, Pesaturo said the new cars were ordered in 2014 to provide service beyond Lechmere and are already in the process of being built.

Annissa Essaibi George, a Boston city councilor at-large, said the Green Line extension is important because the City wants as many people riding the T as possible.

“It helps get people to and from work in a timely manner,”

The new MBTA Green Line train. Boston will soon receive a fleet of new Green Line cars.

Essaibi George said. “It’s also better for our environment [and] certainly better for our roads. It relieves a lot of congestion.”

Essaibi George also said it’s important to have train cars riders

can count on.

“We certainly want to make sure that we have cars that are going to perform for the residents and the riders of the Green Line,” she said.

Peter Furth, a professor of

PHOTO COURTESY JOE PESATURO

civil engineering at Northeastern University, said while the extension to Medford isn’t open yet, having more trains in the meantime will be beneficial.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

2 NEWS

Public health education changing with the times

BY KIRAN GALANI

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Public health professionals and educators from around the country gathered at the Boston University School of Medicine Wednesday for a symposium on teaching public health. The symposium featured presentations from public health leaders, educators and the wider public health community, and summarized the evolution of public health teaching over time.

For the symposium organizers, the goal was to establish a forum to discuss challenges faced by public health educators, address the principles and practice of teaching public health at each level of education, spotlight innovations in public health education and look to the future, anticipating where trends in public health education were heading.

Lisa Sullivan, associate dean for education at BU’s School of Public Health, wrote in an email that the kinds of changes public health education has been facing in recent years is causing a blurring of the line distinguishing undergraduate public health curricula from those of graduate schools.

“There is tremendous interest in public health at the undergraduate level, which is great, but many more incoming students now have undergraduate majors in public health and thus, masters curricula must build on undergraduate training,” Sullivan wrote.

“There must be a clear distinction between degree levels and better articulation across degree levels.”

Sullivan explained that students entering public health programs now are younger and less experienced than ever before.

Public health is a highly interdisciplinary field, she said, and teaching effectively across disciplinary lines is a challenging task that needs to be overcome.

There were several speakers at the symposium who supported Sullivan’s beliefs and elaborated on them further.

Perr y Halkitis, dean of Rutgers School of Public Health, talked about the misperceptions

Crime Logs

BY SOPHIA BROWN

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from March 22-23.

Suspicious person outside CILSE The Boston Police Department issued a lookout alert on Thursday, March 22, at 2:52 p.m. for a man in the area near 610 Commonwealth Ave. who reportedly yelled that he wanted to kill everyone. BPD reported one in custody.

Body retrieved from Charles River

PHOTO BY DOUGLAS DARRAH/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Lauren Arnold speaks during the Teaching Public Health symposium on Wednesday morning.

surrounding public health education and how important it is to view it holistically.

“I think we need to dispel this idea that public health is about biomedicine — instead, it is about a social approach and the important factors and the emotional factors are at its heart and soul,” he said. “Public health is an activist discipline, and I think that’s something that could be extremely exciting to undergraduates.”

Other speakers discussed the importance of inclusivity in the field of public health education.

Richard Riegelman, a professor and founding dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, spoke about the importance of educating students at community colleges about public health and showing them that it is a potential career path for them.

“What the community colleges and their framework needs is guided learning pathways to public health,” Riegelman said. “They need some guidance, they need some structure, they need some way to understand in community colleges how you get from where you are to where you’re going.”

The symposium was attended

by students, professors and other professionals both from the field of public health and other fields as well.

Maria Bustos, a masters student at SPH, said she was delighted by the diversity of topics covered during the symposium.

“Things that I wouldn’t even have considered were … discussed,” Bustos said. “I also liked that the speakers were of very different backgrounds, so in the same session, we could have very different topics.”

Others said they attended the symposium because they thought it would be a great chance to see the work their peers were doing.

“I felt like this would be a good opportunity for me to meet with colleagues — to learn about some successful approaches that other people are taking towards their pedagogy and their approach to teaching public health,” said Bria Dunham, director of the Health Science Program at the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Several pertinent professionals from across the country also at the symposium said they thought the issues being discussed were important for the development of

the field.

“We’re training public health students to become the next practitioners of the workforce,” said Elizabeth Walker, a research professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

“To be able to fully give them the skills they need, we need to have effective teaching methods that we use and evaluate and continue to adapt and change and grow.”

The symposium was concluded by closing remarks given by Laura Magaña Valladares, president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.

Valladares spoke about the importance of moving forward and getting rid of old methods that did not work anymore.

“We need to invoke the different actors, all the different stakeholders inside and outside the health sector, and of course, we need to provoke, and I’m glad you are provokers of this change,” Valladares said to those in attendance. “And hopefully all of us together, we break these chains we have of the past, because the difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from the old ones.”

Build BU wants change SG, FROM PAGE 1 get involved. We want to be their liaison to Student Government to help them if they have needs that they think aren’t being well represented,’” Chiao said, “… And that’s what CAS Student Government really tries to do.”

Burleson said Build BU met with over 60 student groups during the campaigning period in an effort to build relationships with students.

Current Vice President of Finance Bernie Lai said she was unsurprised by the outcome of the election. She said she consistently saw endorsements for Build BU on her Facebook feed during the two weeks of campaigning and nothing for losing slate BUnited.

Lai said she hopes the incoming e-board experiences a smooth transition into their new roles. She said her personal experience was difficult and overwhelming.

CAMPUS

“I hope they’ll manage to build off what we currently have,” Laid said, “… so they’ll be able to succeed in areas that we weren’t able to reach.”

Lai also said that while it can be difficult to reach out to the student body effectively, Build BU succeeded in getting student groups to support them.

“I’m hoping that their fighting spirit during the campaigning period will translate over to their attitude when they assume their leadership roles,” Lai said.

Nehemiah Dureus, a junior senator for the College of Engineering, said he supported Build BU from the beginning.

SG currently has an outreach problem, Dureus said. To get a goal accomplished in SG one has to “know someone who knows someone” to see it through, he said.

“I feel like the new e-board

BUPD reported on Saturday at 9:25 a.m. that a body was retrieved from the Charles River near Commonwealth Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. The body had not been identified at the time the report was filed.

Person laying on trolley tracks near College of Fine Arts A caller reported on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. that someone was laying on the Green Line tracks near 855 Commonwealth Ave. The matter was referred to MBTA Transit Police and Boston Police.

CITY

Crime Logs

BY ELEANOR HO

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston Police Department crime logs from March 22-23.

Shrimp shoplifted from Star Market A suspect was spotted shoplifting six bags of frozen shrimp worth $134.89 from the Star Market at 1065 Commonwealth Ave. Thursday afternoon. The suspect was stopped by the store’s security.

Gold ring, Amazon Kindle stolen A gold ring and an Amazon Kindle were stolen from 200 Corey Road Friday. The victim said they were in their living room when the suspect robbed the bedroom where both items were kept. The suspect left the apartment with a bag that possibly contained the items.

Robbery at TD Bank PHOTO BY RACHEL SHARPLES/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Lovie Burleson and Hafzat Akanni speak to a student during a Student Government meet and greet at the GSU.

has the capability to get students interested in Student Government … and get the word out to the student body effectively enough so you wouldn’t have to be in Student Government to know what’s happening,” Dureus said.

The only way to do that, Harvin said, and the only way for

Build BU to succeed, is with students who are willing to invest themselves in SG. “Anything we’ve harnessed in our platform — classroom, culture and communication — the only way that works, the only way we really build BU, is with people invested in Build BU,” Harvin said.

A suspect stole $1,160 from TD Bank at 391 Market St. Friday.

Officers caught up with the suspect, who was driving a brown Chevrolet Suburban, and were able to apprehend them on Cambridge Street. Officers recovered the stolen money, dye packs and GPS trackers. The suspect claimed to have gone to prison for previous robbery offenses.

NEWS 3

Local teenagers display art videos at Boston MBTA stations

PHOTO BY JOHN LITTLE/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A digital billboard outside of the Kenmore Square T stop.

BY HALEY LERNER

DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority displayed short documentary-style videos made by local teens on digital billboards at different Boston stations Monday.

The endeavor — done in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art — showcased the work of Boston-area teenagers who are a part of the ICA Teen Arts Program. The three teenagers — Mithsuca Berry of Revere, Gabe S. and Sydney Bobb of Boston — created short films based on the themes of “whimsy,” “love letter to Boston” and “peace and quiet,” respectively.

The videos premiered on the MBTA’s Outfront digital boards, the high-definition digital definition screens installed within MBTA stations. These boards are also used to generate advertising revenue to provide customers with information, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The use of these billboards has previously come under fire due to how they can shift the atmosphere of different neighborhoods.

Evan Rowe, the MBTA’s director of revenue, said along with the roll out of the new digital screens across the MBTA system, the company has

been thinking about how they can provide value for their customers and make their journeys more enjoyable.

While this project is just beginning, Rowe said that he looks forward to receiving criticism from travelers in order to improve and continue different projects in the future.

“We’re hoping that our customers really enjoy this and the feedback that we get from this and feedback from our other efforts across the system,” Rowe told The Daily Free Press. “We hope that this is the first of a long line of partnerships with various groups around Greater Boston.”

Gabrielle Wyrick, the associate director of education at the ICA, said

in addition to being an organization that’s dedicated to teen art education, their art curriculum includes a robust program for young people to be creative in many ways.

Wyrick said the collaboration with the MBTA was “fortuitous” as the ICA was approached by an MBTA official who was looking for creative content to showcase the capability of their new digital screens.

“We have so many talented young people with something to say through their artistic voices that we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to give them that platform and let their voices be heard across the city,” Wyrick said.

Mary Quimby, 52, of Chinatown, said she thinks the project is beneficial in showcasing the artwork of young students from schools across the Commonwealth.

“I actually work at Boston Arts Academy, which is a performance school … so I think it’s great to show student’s artwork,” Quimby said.

While the project is an experiment, the ICA plans to continue the collaboration depending on how this first attempt goes, Wyrick said. The ICA is a strong supporter of giving youth voices a platform to share their artistic vision, she said.

“It’s not often that emerging artists, young artists [and] high school students are given such a broad visibility in the city,” Wyrick said. “I feel like it’s one of the most visible platforms an artist can have in the city of Boston — is on the transit system. It’s seen by thousands of people every day.”

William Flowers, 47, of Brighton, said he would have to see the content of the short films before he could make a judgement call on them.

He said since the films were made by students, the content might be controversial.

“Is there censorship on it?”

Flowers said. “Who makes the judgment call on what is acceptable content? So those kinds of issues come up at first, but I guess the initial concept sounds fine.”

Edward Boches, an advertising professor at Boston University, said its always positive when major public institutions support student art. “… It will encourage more young people to be creative and express themselves using new media,” Boches said. “… it basically creates yet another space — it’s kind of a public art installation, if you will.”

BUPD officers host international student safety awareness day SAFETY, FROM PAGE 1 percentage of the BU student community means they are among the most likely population to fall victim to dangerous scams, said BUPD officer Peter Shin.

“International students might not be completely familiar with the law in this country,” Shin said. “I think in general they just remain a more viable target for bad guys.”

Molloy wrote that the safety awareness presentation was also a way to personally appeal to the significant international student population of BU. “By focusing on international student safety day, we hope to connect with our international students and provide valuable information,” Molloy wrote.

Though Wednesday’s safety day was similar to previous BUPD events, the department wanted to encourage further international student involvement with this initiative.

“It is very similar to our safety day,” Molloy wrote. “However, our hope is that we get the attention from the international community by focusing on incidents they have experienced.”

Miya Giragosian, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks the safety awareness day was a good way of making sure international students feel safe and included in

the BU community.

“Sa fet y is i mpor ta nt,” Giragosian said, “and [international students] should not feel like they are unwelcome here.”

Kyle Jaramillo, a senior in the Questrom School of Business, said he thinks the safety awareness day was beneficial to the BU community as a whole.

“It is definitely important that everybody, no matter if you are a native, American citizen or an international student, knows their rights when they are here in the United States of America,” Jaramillo said. “… It’s good that those in the proper positions to take care of situations like this are doing what they need to ensure the safety of BU and its student community.”

Molloy wrote that international students have actually requested that the BUPD “reach out to their community and get the message out” to prevent these scams on campus.

The most common types of scams international students face involve immigration-related threats, Shin said.

“One of the most common scams we’ve run into is when a person calls up [an international student] and says they’re either with ICE, FBI or the IRS, then tells the student they’re going to be deported or that there’s a warrant for their arrest,” Shin said.

PHOTO BY NATALIE CARROLL/ DFP FILE PHOTO

The BUPD hosted International Student Safety Awareness Day in the GSU lobby Wednesday.

These scammers are usually attempting to get money out of international students by instilling fear in them, Shin added, and then claiming they can solve the problem for a price.

BU’s student-run PR Lab was in charge of the safety awareness day logistics and advertising, Molloy wrote. Along with the BUPD, they brainstormed ways of reaching the student community.

Amrit Gill, a junior in the College of Communication who

helped organize the initiative, said PR Lab members reasoned that allowing international students to meet police officers would dispel the notion that BUPD is removed from the students it protects.

“BUPD came to us saying they really wanted to do something that gets to international students and gets them important safety information, because they tend to be the victims of a lot of crimes,” Gill said. “So, we came up with this idea because it allows the students to interact with BUPD in a

really personal way.”

The safety awareness day activities were strategica l ly placed in the GSU during lunchtime to maximize the number of students who would interact with officers.

Officers present were socializing with the students and handing out customized BUPD giveaways.

Within the hour, all handouts that held information had been distributed from the BUPD table to the student population in the GSU.

4 NEWS

House votes to tax short-term rentals due to housing crisis

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that will impose taxes and regulations on the short-term rental industry in response to housing supply constraints in the Commonwealth.

The short-term rental industry has expanded in recent years through the popularity of websites like Airbnb and HomeAway, presenting property owners with new financial opportunities and making the city more accessible to visitors. However, legislators determined that the industry is exacerbating Massachusetts’ urgent housing shortage by constricting the supply of long-term rental units.

Rep. Kevin Honan, House chairman of the Joint Committee on Housing, said the extra revenue generated by the new legislation should be used to create more longterm affordable housing options for Boston residents.

“With the increased popularity and professionalization of short-term rentals, it is our hope that these units remain safe, are up to code and allow the state to collect revenue from their occupancy,” Honan told The Daily Free Press.

Under the new legislation, cities and towns are granted the option to impose taxes on short-term rental occupants at a rate of up to 5 percent for residential hosts, 6 percent for investor hosts and 10 percent for hosts that are managed professionally, if the rental cost is greater than $15 per day.

Cities may also restrict the number of days a unit may be rented.

Honan said this provision may help reduce the number of hosts who list their apartments for vacation rentals, instead of for full-time tenants.

A report by the Massachusetts Area Planning Council estimates that over 400,000 new housing units must be made available by 2040 to accommodate the region’s growing population.

However, short-term rental services, which aim to expand housing opportunities in Boston, are consequently inspiring building owners to remove units from the housing market and rent them for greater profit, thus restricting the market, said MAPC Manager of Government Affairs, Elizabeth Weyant.

Airbnb and other short-term rental companies have been reluctant to share specific data regarding the average length of stay and typical rental prices of their units, Weyant told The Daily Free Press. As a result, it remains difficult to develop a quantifiable picture of the impact the short-term rental industry is having on Boston’s housing market.

Weyant said she believes Boston officials should proceed with the ordinance they had considered before the House’s new legislation was passed, which would create a rental registry, allowing the City to collect its own data regarding Airbnb’s impact on the housing market.

Christopher English, a policy analyst and project manager in Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations, said his department is jointly refining the details of the ordinance with the City Council.

“Losing long-term housing units to a commercialized short-term rental market effectively negates the work we have done over the years to rapidly expand Boston’s housing stock and lower costs,” English said.

“This ordinance would create tools for the City to ensure that units used as short-term rentals are safe and

PHOTO BY MAGGIE LEONE/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A building that houses Airbnb rentals in Fenway.

that basic information … is available to the city.”

English said he plans to file a new ordinance with the City Council in the coming weeks. He explained that the City acknowledges the economic opportunities short-term rental services provide for residents and, therefore, aims to work cooperatively with short-term rental services to improve Boston’s dire housing shortage.

“It is critical that platforms continue to work with the City in developing a regulatory policy that we can administer efficiently, monitor effectively and enforce appropriately,” English said.

Helen Matthews, communications manager for housing justice group City Life/Vida Urbana, said the trend of evicting residents to make room for renters has become so common that her organization gave it a name: “Building clear-out.”

“In the face of this eviction crisis, the spread of short-term rentals can become another incentive for greedy speculators to buy up properties, evict the families in them and rent them out for a higher profit as informal hotels and decrease the supply of housing, taking units off the market and putting upward pressure on other rental units,” Matthews said.

CLVU has supported families in about 70 “building clear-out” cases in the past five years, which Matthews said is a small number, considering that she estimates only a small fraction of Boston households facing eviction ever reach her organization.

Airbnb press secretary Crystal Davis said although Airbnb has always supported the state’s ability to collect taxes from its Massachusetts hosts, she finds several provisions of the House bill concerning.

“The proposed tax rate is tiered

versus a uniform tax rate that treats all hosts equally and seamlessly,” Davis told The Daily Free Press. In addition, she said she was concerned that the bill’s registration and licensing requirements “do not offer a grace period for families to comply while also still being able to host and make the home sharing income they depend on.”

Inside Airbnb creator, Murray Cox, said the House bill does not protect housing stock at all and appears as if it came from Airbnb lobbyists themselves.

“They provide no limits on converting a residential property into a full-time hotel,” Cox said. “Other cities that have taken this deregulated approach will find their housing stock depleted, and commercial operators moving in to take advantage of the higher returns from tourist rentals.”

New Green Line cars are on the way MBTA, FROM PAGE 1

PHOTO BY MADHAV KOHLI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

An old MBTA Green Line train on Commonwealth Avenue.

“For two years, we’ll have about 30 more cars than we need, so that means it’ll be easier to take … time breaking them in,” Furth said. “If they are working fine, then the MBTA’s looking forward to being able to take some other cars out of service so they can work on them.”

A notable feature of the new cars is that the doors will slide open rather than fold open as they do on the trains currently in service.

Pesaturo said these new doors will require less maintenance and be more reliable.

“If you’re a regular Green Line rider, you’ll notice that from time to time the Green Line doors have issues — that will be eliminated

with these new doors,” Pestauro said. “It also makes it easier for people in mobility devices to enter or exit a train.”

Elliott Evers, 25, of Kenmore, said he is glad the MBTA is getting new trains, and that the sliding doors will be an important change.

“I’m not going to get stuck in the door ever again it looks like,” Evers said.

Michelle Parkos, 25, takes the Green Line every day. She said the sliding doors are an improvement, especially for people who board in wheelchairs.

“I think it’s great to help improve the speed of the system and will help a lot of people get on the train,” the Brighton resident said.

Furth said the MBTA has a his-

tory of problems with different manufacturers for the Green Line cars, from the United States to Japan to Italy. The new “Type 9” trains are being manufactured by a Spanish company, he said, though its design doesn’t deviate much from previous Green Line cars.

Wendy Ballard, 34, lives in South Boston and takes the Green Line into Back Bay. She said the design of the new cars looks more accessible and up to modern code.

“Generally I think the whole idea of them increasing capacity is going to be huge, especially [since] they’re extending the train out to Medford,” Ballard said. “That’s going to increase capacity completely, so they need to add more trains.”

CAMPUS CALENDAR THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

‘Smokefall’

The Undiscovered

Holi

Spring Brunch

FreeP Talks

Head over to the Student Theater at Agganis Arena at 8 p.m. to witness magical realism collide with manic vaudeville in a unique family drama.

Make your way to the Howard Thurman Center at 7 p.m. to participate in a night of music, spoken word and visual art about love, peace and community.

Get showered with color, music and food on Cummington Mall at 1 p.m. during the BU Hindu Students’ Council’s Holi celebration.

End your winter slumber by stuffing your belly with spring-themed foods in the dining halls from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Stop by CAS 313 at 7 p.m. to listen to a panel of five women involved in Boston publications discuss gender diversity and stereotypes in the media.

FEATURES 5

ARTS

Zadie Smith talks ‘Swing Time,’ creative process over breakfast

BY LILLIAN ILSLEY-GREENE AND ALLEGRA PEELOR DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Zadie Smith entered the room and took her seat, unnoticed.

Tuesday morning, the Colloquium Room of Boston University’s Photonics Center filled slowly with students and professors.

Attendees gathered for a breakfast and conversation with Smith to discuss her 2016 novel “Swing Time,” which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2017, and has been included in various BU class curricula and read by campus book clubs.

At the breakfast, Smith, who has written multiple critically acclaimed novels, short stories and essays, and currently teaches creative writing at New York University, answered questions from BU students about everything from her personal experiences as a young biracial girl in London to her advice to young writers.

“If you’ve written a good book, you can kick it through the door like a football and it would be published,” Smith told The Daily Free Press.

Smith said the idea for “Swing Time” came from thinking about her own experiences growing up in the housing projects of Northwest London and the peers she left behind. Born in 1975, Smith described her generation as one obsessed with celebrity, and said she considers her own fame as both a privilege and a weapon.

“When I was growing up — not that it was perfect — but there

PHOTO BY ALLEGRA PEELOR/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Author Zadie Smith speaks during a BU book club breakfast held at BU’s Photonics Center on Monday. Smith was on campus to talk about her novel “Swing Time.”

were safety nets, many,” Smith said during the talk. “And I went to Cambridge for free — you can’t do that [in the U.S.] Those kinds of differences are not trivial. But we’re becoming more like you.”

The novel’s narrator, who goes unnamed throughout the story, works as an assistant to a pop superstar. At one point, the two travel to an unnamed West African country to build a school, but the project fails, highlighting one of the novel’s main themes.

“The fact is that fame is still power,” Smith said to the The Daily Free Press. “And it extends not only to individuals but to countries —

the issues for countries like Gambia is that [they’re] not famous, and to be not famous … is to suffer and to be ignored and to be sidelined and to be marginalized.”

Carrie Preston, director of the Kilachand Honors College at BU, moderated the morning’s conversation and worked with Kilachand faculty to focus this semester’s Honors College freshman writing studio around “Swing Time.”

“She’s writing about problems that are of great contemporary relevance … most crucially about race and gender, about an increasingly globally interconnected world and how young people — and in this

case a young mixed race woman — finds her way in that world,” Preston said, in an interview with The Daily Free Press.

Smith does not focus on literary idols. Everything inspires her, she said, and usually paintings and music are actually the most impactful.

“It doesn’t have to be the olden, famous … it can be, like, if a new novel comes on my door by a new writer, if it’s good, then I’m inspired by that,” Smith told The Daily Free Press. “It’s everybody, all the time.

I have a new art crush every week.”

Smith began work on her first novel, “White Teeth,” at 19 years old. Five years of work later, the

SCIENCE

novel was published in 2000, when Smith was 24. She said she’d write from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. because she did not yet have a family or a “real job.”

“I always say to young writers, ‘Look, your main concern is not the structural publishing issue — that will become your problem later — the main concern in front of you is to write well, which is way harder than any kind of agent,” Smith told The Daily Free Press.

James Johnson, a history professor at BU, led the South Campus book group while they read “Swing Time” this semester. He has been spearheading the new series “Conversations in the Arts and Ideas,” which brought Smith to campus.

“Zadie Smith is the embodiment of so much of what we hope to do with this series — she is a fresh voice [and] she writes about issues that define our own world — issues of identity, issues of roots, issues of race, issues of celebrity, technology and globalized media,” Johnson said.

Johnson hopes students will be inspired by Smith’s humility and honesty. Rachel Schlueter, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, certainly was.

“She made it pretty clear that … you can only talk so much about how you actually sit down and write, but the topics of discussion actually gravitated toward what I thought was one of the most eloquent perceptions of what’s going on today,” Schlueter said.

“She’s just lovely. I just want to be around her.”

‘Future of Food’ discusses ‘snackification,’ anti-branding trends

BY EDUARD MISKA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

When envisioning the future, we often imagine great feats of engineering, like flying cars and jetpacks. But what great innovations await us in the kitchen?

Hosted by Branchfood, “The Future of Food Products” panel held in Downtown Boston on Thursday aimed to forecast the future of rapidly changing food technology.

“Branchfood is really excited about all the innovation that’s happening in the food industry, particularly what’s coming out of the New England area,” said Lauren Abda, founder and CEO of Branchfood.

“We decided to do this panel series this year as an opportunity to spread word about what local companies are working on in terms of the future of food.”

The event included a tasting and networking session with local food companies and startups. Samples up for grabs included bean-to-bar chocolate, popped water lily seeds and tea brewed using herbs from the Andes Mountains.

The session was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Janelle Nanos, a business reporter for The Boston Globe, featuring commentary from local food experts.

“I’ve been a chef for about 23 years,” said Adam Melonas, founder

and CEO of Chew. “I think it’s more about old-fashioned ingredients with modern technology, versus some of this farm-to-table stuff [where] people think old-fashioned ingredients and old-fashioned cooking and somehow people are gonna find it interesting. It’s not.”

Marty Kolewe, director of research and development at Incredible Foods, said he’s most interested in the “snackification” trend. “[People] are not eating at home as much,” Kolewe said. “The word snack has traditionally been not a good word. You don’t think of healthy food. But one of the big trends has been turning new foods into snacks and making snacks better for you.”

Consumers, Melonas said, are far more fickle than ever before.

“The rate of change of consumers has never been so fast,” Melonas said. “There’ll be a story [that] drops in some of the newspapers around the country and around the world, and all of a sudden nobody’s eating whatever [kale] anymore.”

But some consumer behaviors never really change. Despite the growing “brandless” trend, where some consumers prefer more generic looking items made by grocery stores and select startups, brands are here to stay, Kolewe said.

“In a sense, that [brandless] is the

brand,” Kolewe said. “I think there is some truth to that, but it’s always are you looking at niche people, you know the food tribes … or are you looking at the average consumer, because Oreos are still selling well.”

After answering questions from Nanos, panelists answered questions from attendees, many of whom were entrepreneurs. Nanos said Branchfood’s event was a great opportunity to facilitate conversation between food industry professionals and the general public. “[The panelists] all came from real interesting backgrounds,” Nanos told The Daily Free Press.

“We have a scientist, you’ve got someone working from a social responsibility, you’ve got a chef. And having them all talking about these kinds of things on stage and being able to feed off each other makes for great conversation.”

Bonded by their love of food and drinks, the event’s attendees were a mixture of entrepreneurs, food sector veterans and foodies.

Caroline Winslow, media planner at MullenLowe Mediahub, put herself in the foodie camp. “[I’m] super into food,” Winslow said. “I’m gluten-free and dairy-free so I’m always interested in all the new innovative products that people are coming out with. I also want to support local businesses, too.”

Eileen Gonthier, senior brand

PHOTO COURTESY LAUREN ABDA

Iced tea samples on display at The Future of Food Products panel on March 22.

manager at Hood, said she came hoping to find some inspiration.

“I’ve worked in [consumer packaged goods] brand management … for about 15 years, and I’m looking to do something a little different,” Gonthier said. “So I just came to hear these folks talk and get some ideas.”

All in all, Abda said, she felt the

discussion was productive.

“We intentionally chose these people to compare and contrast what the future of food is becoming,” Abda said. “You never quite know what roads they’re going to go down … but I thought it was a good overview of what’s shifting in terms of what people are eating.”

FEATURES 7

COMMUNITY

BU alumus writes novel about toxic masculinity in baseball

BY EDUARD MISKA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

When he’s not busy making “dope cappuccinos,” barista extraordinaire and Boston University alumus Brian Engles is preparing for the release of his debut novel, a young adult book titled “Wildball,” which hits bookstore shelves on April 12.

In “Wildball,” baseball becomes the backdrop to an infield of personal crises and toxic masculinity. Topics of bullying, abuse, friendship and camaraderie mix in this coming of age tale set in a fictional Cape-Codlike, community.

Centered around collegiate shortstop Shane Monoghan, Engles’ novel follows Shane as he navigates competitive summer league baseball, a problematic host family and the death of a former high school coach who used to bully him. As the pressures on him increase, Shane finds relief in the mentoring of a local kid.

Engles, who graduated from BU’s College of Communication in 2013, said “Wildball” was directly influenced by his experience working in the film industry. A negative experience with a film internship encouraged him to switch to prose writing. “[‘Wildball’] started after I did the BU in Los Angeles program,” Engles said. “I had some negative experiences with some people that I worked for out there, and I just kind of needed a way to work out some of those issues.”

A baseball game takes place in Fenway Park. Brian Engles is releasing his new book “Wildball,” which addresses toxic masculinity in baseball on April 12.

Engles said he’s always used writing as a way of sorting through problems he had faced. Having studied film and television during his time at BU, Engles discussed the initial difficulty of transitioning from a screenwriting style to a prose-based one.

“I didn’t really write stories when I was at BU. It was mostly screenwriting stuff,” Engles said.

Currently working as a barista in his hometown of Falmouth, Engles decided to make his book Falmouth-inspired but set in a

town resembling Cape Cod. “Writing your hometown, you know, you’ve done a lot of research growing up there,” Engles said. “That is pretty accessible in your head, getting it onto the page.”

William McKeen, associate dean of COM and chair of the Department of Journalism, wrote a blurb praising Engles’ writing in “Wildball.”

Though he’s never taken a class with McKeen, Engles said he felt “very fortunate” to have received a blurb and support from

PHOTO BY OLIVIA NADEL/ DFP FILE PHOTO

the BU community.

“It was good reading,” McKeen said. “I just thought I was really impressed with it. … I just think Baseball is the sport that has produced the best literature, and this reminded me of taking my boys to the Cape Cod [Baseball] League and seeing those games. I was happy to offer a couple words of support.”

Engles crowdfunded money to publish “Wildball” using Publishizer and will release the book through Black Rose Writing. Reflecting on

BUSINESS

his journey to publication, Engles said he would tell younger writers to be prepared to write anywhere.

“Always have a notebook on you,” Engles said. “So many ideas can come at the wrong time, so just keep a notebook and a journal of those things.

Not all of those ideas are going to be great, but that’s just something that has helped me have something to work with.”

Maintaining connections made throughout college is also key, Engles said.

“Keep in touch with your friends and your professors and your circle at BU. I know that’s been pretty valuable for me moving forward because a lot of the kids I went to school with are now across the country, and they supported the book and have given resources for me.”

Though Engles ultimately didn’t wind up writing for film, BU still played an important role in his growth as a writer. “Spending time in the chair,” he said, is the only way to truly improve, and he thinks BU instilled that work ethic in him.

Engles knew he was on to something when he looked forward to spending time within in the world of “Wildball.”

“I wanted to kind of spend time with the characters and spend time in the world I was creating,” Engles said.

“That’s kind of how I knew I was on to something good. It was a world I wanted to spend my time in.”

‘Robocalypse’ decreases need for manual labor, BU professor finds

BY ROSHNI KOTWANI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

First through simple automation, like self-checkouts and Roombas, and now through artificially intelligent personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, robots have — for better or worse — become a part of 21st century daily life, and, by extension, our economy.

Modern companies have capitalized on the efficiency of robots, often using them to perform tasks that once employed the labor of human workers. The possibility of robots replacing human employees en masse has even garnered a name: the “Robocalypse.”

In a paper titled “Robots and Jobs: Evidence from US Labor Markets,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Daron Acemoglu and Boston University professor Pascual Restrepo found that each industrial robot companies use eliminates roughly six human jobs.

In early 2018, Acemoglu and Restrepo published a second paper titled “Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Work,” specifically discussing the displacement effect, where tasks once performed by humans are delegated to machines.

Over time, Acemoglu and Restrepo write, the need for manual labor may be lost under the blanket of robotic capabilities.

Daniel Rock, MIT Sloan Ph.D. candidate and researcher at the Initiative on the Digital Economy,

said he believes different types of jobs will be generated by the “Robocalypse.”

“You hear about folks saying 40 to 50 percent of our jobs will be taken over, but this is not the case,” Rock said, in an interview with The Daily Free Press. “The right way to think about it, at the task level, is that jobs will become bundles of tasks.”

In the past, humans have thrived on technological progress, said Jeffery Furman, a professor at BU’s Questrom School of Business.

“Automation in tasks has been a standard in economic activity since tools have been invented,” Furman said. “It was early agricultural tools and machines that freed people from menial tasks and enabled the industrial revolution. Historically, almost all of the economic activity was repurposed to new things.”

Nevertheless, Furman said, he does recognize the potential economic downsides of rapidly advancing robotic technology.

“Some [robotic technology] will be complements to human input and some will serve as substitutes for human action,” he said. “In radiology, there is algorithm assistance diagnosis present for breast cancer.

This enhances the speed at which radiologists read and may have also increased accuracy. In the future, however, this may decrease the need for radiologists.”

Neil Patel, a sophomore in BU’s College of Engineering, said the most attractive feature robots have

Self-checkout kiosks at the Target on Commonwealth Avenue.

is their vast superiority in efficiency compared to humans.

“A huge pro in the advance in the abilities of robots is that they can solve problems much faster than a human brain can,” Patel said.

Terry Chan, a researcher at BU’s Robotics Lab, said robots still face many practical limitations that would prevent them from dominating certain industries.

“Even if the technology is there, there are still social and legal problems,” Chan said. “For example, autonomous cars will not get com-

mercialized because of the danger involved and the legal concerns of companies.”

Robots also cannot fully replace the comfort human contact provides, Rock said.

“There’s a plethora of social and legal issues that are going to be a big part of the fabric of Artificial Intelligence,” Rock said.

“Technology is able to do some great things but there is also the question of whether you feel comfortable with a robotic surgeon or having your airplane piloted by a robot.”

PHOTO BY MADHAV KOHLI/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

While the movement toward increasing use of robotics will inevitably cause changes in what kind of jobs are available, Rock said, that might not be for the worst.

“If you told people in the height of the industrial revolution that there would be graphic design jobs in the future, they would not believe you,” Furman said. “There is optimism in this movement despite the tremendous uncertainty.”

Hannah Shearer contributed to the reporting of this article.

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL

It’s time to grant activists validation for their efforts While public workers were building a gas pipeline in West Roxbury in 2016, several environmental activists stood in the way of its construction, burrowing themselves in the hollowed spaces of where the pipeline would be placed. All 13 protesters, who felt compelled to take action against a measure that would harm the environment, were arrested for civil disobedience — the standard protocol for getting in the way of public projects.

On Tuesday, Judge Mary Ann Driscoll deemed this action was a “legal necessity” and proclaimed the activists are “not responsible” for their actions — which is the equivalent of granting them a not guilty verdict. These defendants are now avoiding trials and will be dismissed of their criminal charges. This decision, of course, comes as an unprecedented one in the course of legal history for climate-related issues.

This decree seems like it’s in favor of civil disobedience. But granting these activists legal leverage is a way to encourage civic responsibility and foster activism, specifically amongst the environmental justice community.

In October of 2017, Boston city councilors voted for further deliberation of the pipeline in an effort to halt construction. This was declared a huge victory for environmentalists, who had been protesting and raising awareness about the projects for months. Perhaps this earlier action also swayed councilors to vote against the measure, as they heard from the communities whom a pipe like this would affect.

There have been relatively few instances where major governmental institutions, including the court and judicial system, that have

stood in support of protesters, especially when they cause turmoil and make it difficult for the government to do its job. A decision like this suggests that the tide might be shifting toward helping activists and granting them a platform to have a voice.

The judge’s decision raises concerns for setting a precedent that promotes civil dis-

and even heightened seismic activity (meaning more earthquakes). The possibility of oil leaking or even bursting through the pipes poses a huge environmental danger and puts people who live near the pipeline at an increased risk.

By halting construction, these protestors were not only saving their environments, but their communities and homes as well.

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

obedience. Many people may construe the verdict as the judge siding with civil disobedience. But that is not necessarily the case. The judge simply stated that these activists were legally compelled to take illegal action. They were acting responsibly in the face of the environmental consequences of fracking, which include pollutants being released into the air

CROSSWORD

Thus, the decision does not dilute civil disobedience, but rather prompts civic responsibility. It would be completely wrong and unfair for a judge to give a pass to all those who have committed civil disobedience. Laws against these actions exist to maintain peace and order, and so that people don’t go to the extremes. But it’s good to recognize when negligence pushes

people to the point of causing necessary unrest.

Judge Driscoll made the decision after listening to the defendants’ explanations about what they did that day.

An effective protest like this leads to tangible results, with the proposed pipeline looking unlikely to be constructed in the foreseeable future. Therefore, people who were a part of the opposing side should not be punished for doing something that yielded promising results for the environment.

Fracking has been breaking national headlines for a reason. This news coincides with Trump’s plans for offshore drilling, which holds the same, potentially more severe, environmental consequences. In the beginning of this year, Trump decided to expand offshore drilling as part of his promise to making America self-sustainable by tapping into otherwise untouchable energy resources. In effect, Trump reversed years of resistance against the environmentally dangerous action and welcomed oil companies to create mechanisms that could destroy coastlines and harm marine wildlife.

In the context of the current political climate, our president seems to be the one least concerned about activists standing up for what they believe in. During the March For Our Lives rally, President Trump did not say anything to the millions fighting for gun control laws.

It becomes the job of others to support activists’ causes and do the president’s job.

Activism is important in this country and is a sign of our democracy working. With a legal precedent in place to support them, it’s hard not to feel like this signals rebirth of political efficacy and responsibility.

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Scott Hooper COURTESY OF MIRROREYES.COM / CROSSWORD ANSWERS AVAILABLE ON https://dfpress.co/2GFiW4v

DOWN

ACROSS 1. Chooses 5. Convent 10. Bothers 14. Indian dress 15. Clamor 16. Buckeye State 17. Traverse 19. Information 20. How old you are 21. Not those 22. He plays the bagpipes 23. Sequoia 25. Persons, places or things 27. Manner 28. Surveillance 31. Pertaining to burning 34. Divinity 35. Not wet 36. Boor 37. King with a golden touch 38. Speech disorder

39. Website address 40. Kidney-related 41. Chocolate source 42. A body’s frame 44. Black bird 45. Angers 46. A person who disputes 50. Hazardous 52. Daisylike bloom 54. L 55. Throb 56. Mercy killing 58. Cover with plaster 59. Wept 60. Shredded cabbage 61. Catch a glimpse of 62. Utilizers 63. Boys

1. Academy award 2. Plaster 3. Attempted 4. Female sib 5. Drogue 6. Uninterested 7. Life stories 8. Vital 9. Aye 10. A type of tincture 11. Rapturous 12. Go fly a ____!

13. Fly high 18. Unemotional 22. Nauseated 24. Pause 26. Horse feed 28. 4-door car 29. Constellation bear 30. Misprint 31. Add 32. An English royal house

33. Having dominion 34. Prehistoric animals 37. Distribute 38. Statutes 40. Depend 41. A marker of stones 43. Probably 44. Fears 46. Aromatic solvent 47. Electrical pioneer 48. Homeric epic 49. Talons 50. Dash 51. Frosts 53. Anagram of “Ties” 56. Euro forerunner 57. American Sign Language

Ellie French, Editor-in-Chief

Rachel Duncan, Managing Editor

46th year | Volume 93 | Issue 10

Andres Picon, Campus Editor

Noor Adatia, Editorial Page Editor

Caitlin Fisher, Blog Editor

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 © 2018 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Breanne Kovatch, City Editor

Vivian Myron, Photo Editor

Kaya Williams, Multimedia Editor

Jenni Todd, Features Editor

Shaun Robinson, Layout Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

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

Nicole Havens, Sports Editor

OPINION 9

BURKE’S BULLY PULPIT:

COLUMNS

MISS LEADING:

Facebook violates users’ privacy Youth are leading the nation

F

BY PATRICK BURKE COLUMNIST

acebook has lost more than $70 billion in market value since the company first acknowledged the improper handling of users’ information by Cambridge Analytica.

Christopher Wylie, a developer for the data organization, testified that the company used users’ profile information without their consent to target a more specific audience with fake news and other stories that would be of interest.

This is not the first time that personal data has been used in an election, with the Obama election team doing similar things in the 2008 race.

In the wake of this news, less than 50 percent of Americans polled in a recent Reuters/ Ipsos poll said they trusted that Facebook obeys United States privacy laws.

At first I thought that it should not be of any surprise to anyone that a company like Facebook was allowing third party companies to influence their users. I knew that when I signed up for a new social media, I was giving up my right to privacy. I’m not saying this was the correct way to approach this, because everyone has a right to privacy, but when you willingly give all of your information away on a website, it’s bound to happen in one way or another.

I remember seeing ads on my Facebook during the previous election season that had an anti-Trump message. I thought this was normal, but it now makes sense given my Facebook likes and what I had written about Trump before the election.

The main thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Steve Bannon used to be the vice president of the Cambridge Analytica. The man was also the head of Breitbart News at the time, so his influence on spreading “fake news” to voters — who were supporters of Donald Trump — could prove to be a point of interest. There

is no evidence as to whether or not this really happened because the claim of spreading fake news was only recently brought to the attention of the nation at Wylie’s testimony.

I recently saw that there was a way to download your personal Facebook data to see what kind of ads were being tailored for you. I discovered much more than I thought I was going to.

In addition to the list of advertising companies that were targeting me, I found a plethora of information that I definitely did not think Facebook stored. This included every single time I have logged in and out of the site, with IP addresses to match. This means that Facebook knew exactly where I was every time I used the site, even though I had my location services turned off.

Facebook also knows every event that you have been to since you created your account. I looked and saw that I attended a rendition of “Into the Woods” at my former middle school on April 7, 2011 at 10 p.m.

In addition, I found every single phone number from every one of my friends that I currently have. I know that I don’t have my phone number listed, and I’m sure many others operate the same way, so seeing this was very weird.

The whole experience was unsettling, and I feel like Facebook has to do a much better job on informing its users when they are taking down every little bit of their private information.

At this point, the company has no choice.

Losing money in advertising and trust from their users, Facebook is going to have to reinvent the way it operates. I am debating whether or not to delete my account, even though I think it is a great way to stay in touch with those who you have not seen in a while. The bad is starting to outweigh the good, and it looks like Mark Zuckerberg is trying to run away from the problem rather than address it head on.

Zuckerberg recently refused the U.K. parliament’s request to be questioned about this.

Instead, he is sending one senior official to speak on behalf of the company.

Social media has always been a little bit sketchy to me. Anyone can find you and pretty much everyone can see what you do, who your friends are and how to contact you. If I wasn’t planning on being a journalist when I graduate, I probably would have purged social media into a while ago.

Take responsibility for what you put on the internet — personal or not — because one day it could (and probably will) be used in a way that you might not expect and by a company you’ve never heard of.

F

BY NAMU SAMPATH COLUMNIST

ollowing the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida, Emma Gonzalez became a household name because of her dedication to changing gun laws in her state and in the country. The movement called “March for Our Lives” emerged in the aftermath of the shootings, and on Saturday, hundreds of cities took part in the march to stand in solidarity with the victims of gun violence. And what’s been done recently in the government has shown me that youth are the future of this country.

What the majority of people in power don’t understand is that young people actually pay attention to what’s going on because they don’t want to grow up in a time where it is normal to deal with a school shooting or where it is OK for innocent civilians to be murdered. After participating in the rally on the Boston Common after the march Saturday, I was empowered to be standing amongst Boston’s youth. Students from elementary school to college and graduate school were standing in the student section of the rally fighting for our rights as human beings. They chanted with the energy and a mindset to change the laws that are protected in this country.

After all the events were said and done, I took to social media to see what other cities were saying about their march, and one name stood out to me: Naomi Wadler. Naomi is an 11-year-old elementary school student who spoke at Washington, D.C.’s rally. Naomi, the granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., eloquently spoke about what it’s like to be a girl of color in this country and about how the nation shouldn’t forget about black women who are victims to gun violence.

Wadler’s argument for the misrepresen-

tation of black women in this country goes hand in hand with the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the March for Our Lives. People are quick to disregard the changed called for by BLM, but Wadler’s vision — as well as the views of a lot of other people in this country — understand that the gap between the people who are affected and represented in the media due to gun violence.

Naomi might be young, but her age doesn’t prevent her from having a voice.

In her speech, she said: “I represent the African-American women who are victims of gun violence, who are simply statistics instead of vibrant, beautiful girls and full of potential.” Wadler’s powerful speech persuaded people that gun violence is not only about the places affected, but also about the lives of the people of color who are singled out and fatally shot by the police or by other perpetrators.

When our president, on arguably the most important day of this presidency (and perhaps all of history), was golfing away at his Mar-a-Lago resort, it dawned on me that the youth have already taken control of the direction of this country. Several Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schools have spoken and made their voices heard. Harvard University recently held a forum for them, in which they discussed issues pertaining to gun control and gun violence in America.

When there is enough force behind something, it moves and that causes change.

If the participation of more than 800 cities in “March for Our Lives” isn’t a force, I really don’t know what is.

As I’ve mentioned before, being a part of a country where people are really starting to embrace democracy and fight for their voices to be heard is an incredible thing. Sure, we have a lot to work on, but I’m excited to see what is to come from conservative lawmakers and controversial organizations of the United States. Both the NRA and the government seem to think that a 200-yearold policy can still hold true today. This is clearly false because the way this country has developed is not the way it was when the Constitution was written.

But by hearing the voices of incredible, angered and empowered people like Emma Gonzalez, Naomi Wadler or the rest of the millions who marched and rallied on Saturday, I can tell that change is coming to this country.

CARTOON BY KYLE PATTERSON/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

INTERROBANG

Easter festivities call for the revival of spring decorations. We here at ol’ Free Press want to know — what would BU student groups resurrect?

BU students: Their GPAs

CGS: September admission

Warren Towers: Working fire alarms

COM: The other half of the COM lawn

Frats: Themselves on a Sunday morning

BU hockey: Their fans

Questrom: Their integrity

West: Panera

FreeP: Our social lives

10 SPORTS

Jack Wilson sets program record with 100th career goal

BY MATTHEW MARTIN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

After making the playoffs for the first time in program history last season, the Boston University men’s lacrosse team entered the 2018 season with high expectations. The Terriers (5-5, 1-3 Patriot League) have struggled in the beginning of the year — falling in their first three conference matchups — but there have been some promising signs as of late.

And with every game, there has been another point for senior attack Jack Wilson.

“Jack’s a great player and came to BU to kind of help us build this program,” BU head coach Ryan Polley said. “I think the fact that he’s been able to be as consistent as he’s been and [be] a really productive scorer for us has really helped us build the program.”

The Manlius, New York native has scored at least one point in every game of his collegiate career except for one and is currently is riding a 53-game point streak.

In the Terriers’ 12-8 win Saturday afternoon at Lafayette College, he became the first player in program history to record 100 career goals.

Wilson is also BU’s all-time leader in assists with 154, and was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list for this season.

Wilson’s 22 goals and 30 points this season are good for second and

third on the team, respectively.

“He’s practices every single day [and] practices hard,” Polley said.

“That can’t be understated [with] just the physicality of the sport … He’s a great player who understands scoring and put himself in position to score goals and make his teammates around him better.”

Terriers starting games strong During the first 10 games of the season, the Terriers have not trailed any opponent going into the second quarter.

“I just think our guys are doing a good job preparing during the week and being ready to play,” Polley said. “We’re getting off to some good starts. Our offense has been efficient [and] I think our defense is getting better on a week-to-week basis.”

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DFP FILE PHOTO BU has outscored its oppoSenior attack Jack Wilson has remained a consistent offensive presence for BU in his four years. nents 32-28 during the opening frame of 59 shots on goal. Terrier Freshman attack Chris “We kind of recruited Chris to the single-game NCAA high for goalkeepers have made 26 saves Gray named Patriot League come in and be a scorer, and score the 2018 season. during the first period.

Rookie of the Week more goals than assists and to get He followed up that perforHowever, BU is outscored 110Sometimes it takes freshmen people involved. Chris has really mance four days later against 115 in total, including being out- a bit of time to get acclimated to transformed his game to be a Lafayette (2-8, 0-5 Patriot League), scored 26-36 in the fourth period. the college game, but this has not threat as a scorer or as a passer.” putting up five points for the “The biggest thing for us is we been the case for Gray in his first For his performance last week, sixth time this season. have to play 60 minutes,” Polley season with BU. Gray was named the Patriot He has put up multiple points said. “I think we’re getting off to The Wading River, New York League Rookie of the Week. in nine out of the 10 games this good starts and teams are making native’s 46 points and 28 assists Last Tuesday, in BU’s 19-18 loss season, and has not been held adjustments. As a coaching staff lead not only the Terriers, but also in overtime to Harvard University, pointless once this year. and as players, we need to adjust all NCAA freshmen.

Gray set new single-game pro“He’s just so unselfish,” Polley [to] what they’re doing and con“Chris is a special talent, he’s gram highs in assists (eight) and said. “Right now, for us, he’s our tinue to execute our game plan.” just a great player,” Polley said. points (10). The eight assists tied best offensive player.”

Softball falls to rival BC 1-0 before Patriot League play begins

BY LAURA GUERRIERO DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Junior catcher and infielder Alexa Ponce had one hit in the Terriers’ 1-0 loss to Boston College on Wednesday.

The Boston University softball team fell 1-0 to its Commonwealth Avenue rival the Boston College in its first home game of the 2018 season Wednesday afternoon.

The Terriers’ (16-15) loss to the Eagles (13-15) snapped their eight-game winning streak heading into their first weekend of Patriot League play.

The matchup between the two rivals was originally scheduled to take place at Boston College, but due to the fair weather, BU hosted the Eagles at the BU Softball Field.

This in turn moved the team’s home opener up from its original date of April 3, when the Terriers host Harvard University.

BU head coach Ashley Waters noted that th is was a positive change for her team.

“Going into today, the team was excited,” Waters said. “Usually we don’t have the opportunity to get out here in March, and to know our field is ready and we get to actually play on it was pretty cool.”

For si x in n ings, the Ea g les and Terriers went back and forth, remaining scoreless for the majority of the game.

The lone run for BC was scored at the top of the seventh inning, when senior catcher and third baseman Jordan Chimento hit a home run to left center field.

BU was unable to respond and push an extra inning, and only earned a single for senior infielder Kaitlin Sahlinger.

Sahlinger advanced to second base after freshman outfielder Jen

Horita got an out for stepping out behind them, the Terriers will of the box during a bunt attempt. look to the upcoming weekend when Junior infielder Emily Morrow they kick off Patriot League play and senior infielder Brittany Younan with a three-game series against the recorded the other two outs for the United States Military Academy, Terriers in the final inning. which includes a doubleheader on Despite BU not being able to Saturday and a stand-alone game tally any runs during the game, Sunday afternoon in West Point, the team remained high-energ y New York. throughout, cheering on its teamCurrently, every softball team mates throughout the entirety of in the Patriot League has at least the game. one conference loss, except BU. Waters attributes the team’s The Terriers are looking to evade high energy to its positive attitude their first Patriot League loss this during both practices and games. weekend.

“I feel like the atmosphere on a Army (11-17, 2-1 Patriot League) general basis is pretty fun, pretty is currently tied for first in the happy and pretty loose, and we try Pa t r i o t L e a g u e w i t h L e h i g h to practice how we play,” Waters University and the College of the said. “They get excited for each Holy Cross. other. That’s something that’s really The Black Knights earned two cool, and that sets us apart. They wins and a loss against Bucknell celebrate each other’s successes.” University in their first conference The sixth inning threatened to matchups of the 2018 season last yield the Eagles’ first run of the weekend. game, but two strong defensive Waters said the she and the plays by BU kept the score even team are excited to start conference at zero. play and make a run for another BC senior outf ielder A nnie conference championship.

Murphy opened the inning by earnBU will look for the title once ing a walk, but got out after a field- again this season after falling to er’s choice saw junior catcher Alex Lehigh (6-17, 2-1 Patriot League) Heinen throw out Eagles’ freshman last season in the final. pitcher and first baseman CC Cook In 2016, the team defeated Army at second base.

3-2 in the first round of conference That play was followed up by playoffs and then won 9-0 in the another second base out, where finals to become Patriot League Cook got out after sophomore champions and move on to the shortstop and second baseman NCAA Tournament.

Carly Severini hit a ground ball “We’re in a really good spot,” to right field.

Waters said. “I think they’re feelThe teams were evenly matched ing really good about themselves, as seen by BU freshman pitcher Ali so hopefully the bats come alive Dubois only giving up three hits. again, but I’m excited to see what With the loss to the Eagles they can do this weekend.”

SPORTS 11

Women’s lacrosse team loses on the road to Colgate 12-8

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sophomore midfielder Christine Carugati collected one ground ball in BU’s 12-8 loss to Colgate.

BY NICHOLAS MIATA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In what was a back-and-forth affair for much of the game, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team ultimately fell 12-8 to Colgate University on the road Wednesday night.

The matchup saw the score knotted five times before the Raiders (7-3, 2-1 Patriot League) took the lead that would secure them the victory over the Terriers (3-5, 1-2 Patriot League) late in the second half.

With the score tied up at 6-6 with just over 10 minutes remaining, Colgate scored five consecutive

goals less than five minutes apart to jump out to an 11-6 lead.

Four of the goals during that span came during the man-up advantage, due to a yellow card on senior defender Maria Guerra, and three of the man-up goals were scored by freshman attack Danielle Van Calcar alone.

“Unfortunately that span where they scored four goals, we were playing man down in an unreleasable penalty [and] that dug a hole,” BU head coach Liz Robertshaw said.

“And we were not having a very good attacking day as it is and so to be playing man down for that amount

of time was really tough.”

In the first half, Colgate jumped out to the early advantage thanks to a goal from senior midfielder Haley O’Hanlon just over two minutes in.

O’Hanlon leads her team in goals with 31 and proved to be a consistent offensive threat throughout the game, finding the back of the net four times.

BU retaliated less than two minutes later, tying the game at one, as freshman attack Ava Barry got a quick shot inside after receiving a pass from junior defender Tonianne Magnelli.

The Terriers continued to put

pressure on Colgate, but turnovers prevented BU from gaining consistent momentum.

One moment of offensive outburst came after Colgate took a 2-1 lead. Following a turnover, the Terriers got across the f ield in transition while a man down and responded.

BU managed to put offensive pressure on Colgate for most of the contest, forcing sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Croston to make 15 saves.

While Robertshaw acknowledged that her team was creating offensive chances, she said that there are still some things to work on.

“We got looks, but we felt as a team that they were very reactionary looks,” Robertshaw said.

“We were kind of just taking some shots and they didn’t have our full, deliberate ‘I’m scoring on this shot’ take. I think we’re better than that so we just have to go back to the drawing board.”

With just six seconds remaining in the first half, the Terriers managed to convert on a final push, as sophomore attack Kailey Conry scored her second of three goals on the day to knot the game up at four heading into halftime.

BU continued to put offensive pressure on the Raiders to open the second half, and Barry scored her second goal of the game to give the Terriers a brief lead.

C ol g ate reta l i ated q u ick l y w it h t wo g oa l s , com i n g f rom O’Hanlon and senior attack Kristen Brigagliano, both players securing

hat tricks with these goals.

For the next nine minutes, neither team conceded a goal. Both teams had opportunities, but were unable to take advantage.

Both BU and Colgate finished the day with 23 shots on goal, as well as 24 turnovers apiece.

However, one factor that hurt the Terriers was penalties, as they committed five while the Raiders only had one.

Colgate was able to take advantage of this throughout the game, as the team had nine free-position shots and made the most of its man-up advantages in the second.

“That is a learning moment in this game, that those penalties add up and can really hurt us,” Robertshaw said of Colgate’s 5-0 r un. “We addressed as a team that we lost the game by four, and five of their goals were on man-down BU plays, and that turned the game around.”

BU now sits in a five-way tie in the bottom half of the Patriot League, while Colgate has jumped to the top half of the conference and is tied with the College of the Holy Cross, which also has a 2-1 league record.

The Terriers will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon when they take on No. 7 Loyola University Maryland at Nickerson Field.

“I think we had some players on the field that played outstanding games,” Robertshaw said. “The whole defensive unit were outstanding and they just played with a great sense of urgency, and we need that to translate to the attacking end.”

As Duke’s season ends, so does the animosity toward Allen IN THE PAINT, FROM 12

and Jahlil Okafor hang up their against all odds (the 2018 University backpacks and head to the NBA of Mar yland Baltimore County after just one year.

Retrievers).

This past season, A llen was But the villain goes unappreciated. the only senior on the team, a sign Allen provided basketball fans of how tempting it is for talented with a character they could root players to dip out early and start against on a nightly basis. Nothing making some cash playing profesbrought people watching a game sionally. Perhaps Allen wasn’t good on opposite ends of the country enough to make the jump to the together more than a shared disgust NBA until now. of Duke’s number three. Filling this Nevertheless, pure college basrole is crucial to any good narrative. ketball fans have to be glad he stuck After all, who would Batman be around for as long as he did. It’s if it wasn’t for the Joker? Spider- possible that with less and less stars Man without the Green Goblin? playing more than just one or two In sports, would the “Miracle on seasons in college, he could have Ice” victory be as sweet if it wasn’t been one of the last long-standing against the Soviet Union? villains the NCAA will ever see.

Allen filled a necessary niche in Allen made it possible to carry on the sports world during his years at the tradition of hating Duke. Unlike Duke. It’s not easy being the one Tatum, Ingram and recent freshmen everybody hates. But he rocked it standouts Marvin Bagley III and with pride, and that’s pretty darn cool. Wendell Carter Jr., there was just In the one-and-done era, players something about Allen that people like Allen are becoming an anomaly. found so annoying. Like Duke’s It is insanely rare for a player with most notorious bad boy, Christian the popularity of Allen to stay in Laettner who played four seasons college for all four years. You can for the Blue Devils from 1988 to ‘92, look right at the Duke program to Allen just had the ability to tick you see proof of this. off without even opening his mouth.

In Allen’s time in school, he And as sick as you might get at saw high-caliber teammates such the sight of him, you have to admit as Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum that Allen handled the waves of

Senior guard Grayson Allen was Duke’s only senior this season.

animosity pretty well. Put yourself in his shoes for a minute. Being a 19- through 22-year-old in college can be real tough at times. It’s even tougher when most of the country

hates you.

So whether you loved him or wanted to break your television every time he scored, I hope you understand how important Allen’s

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

place in college basketball was. And if not, at least appreciate how interesting he made the last four years.

Good riddance, Grayson. We’re going to miss you.

Follow along with BU Sports on Twitter: @DFPsports

“He’s just so unselfish. Right now, for us, he’s our best offensive player.” ­— Men’s lacrosse coach Ryan Polley on freshman attack Chris Gray. p. 10

IN THE PAINT:

Was Grayson Allen important to college basketball?

Sports Thursday, March 29 , 2018

“They celebrate each other’s successes.” ­— Softball coach Ashley Waters on her team’s atmosphere on the bench. p. 10

Self-confidence aids women’s lacrosse’s Avery Donahoe

BY ANDREW MASON COLUMNIST

Duke University’s 85-81 overtime loss to the University of Kansas Sunday night meant more than just one of the nation’s top teams getting abruptly knocked out of the NCAA Tournament. It signaled the official end to the collegiate career of the most polarizing figure in amateur sports, Grayson Allen.

Let’s be real, most college bas- Senior attack Avery Donahoe currently has 21 points this season after only scoring eight her freshman year. ketball fans are ecstatic they never have to see Allen’s face ever again. in the position where she’s been a against Lafayette College.

BY LILY BETTS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF Even long before the trio of tripping little less self-confident, she had to She put up her first multi-goal W h i le sen ior at tack Aver y fight for her starting spot and the game in the Terriers’ following conincidents that brought him suspensions and the loss of his captaincy as Donahoe currently leads the Boston things she’s gotten. It hasn’t just test against Lehigh University, only a junior, Allen was the blazing red University women’s lacrosse team been handed to her.” to once again go without a point for in goals and is a close second for target of Duke hatred.

It was this relatability and posi- three of the last six games of the As a Duke-sympathizer myself, points, her transition to NCAA play tivity, Robertshaw said, that moti- season she saw the field for.

I was never agitated by Allen. I did not come easily when she first vated the team to elect Donahoe “It really took until my sophorespected him for being able to take joined the team. The Alexandria, as one of its co-captains, alongside more year [for my play to develop],” harsh criticism on such an intense Virginia native put up only four senior defender Maria Guerra. said Donahoe. “I decided that if I’m scale. But while watching Sunday’s goals and four assists in 13 games Before becom i ng a Ter r ier, going to be here, playing and living postgame press conference featuring her freshman campaign.

Donahoe played on the St. Stephen’s this lifestyle for two more years, I Now eight games into the 2018 and St. Agnes varsity lacrosse team really have to make the most of it.”

Allen and Duke’s head coach Mike Krzyzewski, a question came to season, Donahoe has notched 20 for three years. There she helped Along with increased dedication mind: Was Allen’s legacy important goals, having scored in all but two the team earn two state titles and to offseason training, Donahoe of the Terriers’ matchups so far. to college basketball? an Independent School League AA emphasized the importance of build“I’ve been playing with [Donahoe] championship.

I don’t mean this in the sense of ing confidence as well. whether or not he had a solid career. for four years, and it’s so great watchAs a junior, she also served on Donahoe said she believes that In addition to a national champion- ing her get more confident and fill the Under Armour Underclassmen once she stopped allowing opposing ship title his freshman season, Allen that leadership role more,” senior Washington, D.C. team and the players and coaches to “get in her helped Duke amass an 117-32 record midfielder Caroline English said. Potomac Team at the U.S. Lacrosse head,” she was better able to focus over his four years. He did so while “I love being on the field with her, National Tournament, where the team on her play. This was also something averaging 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds celebrating with her.” won the divisional championship. noted by the rest of her team.

English also highlighted another and three assists per game. You’d “When we watched her play in “I a m rea l ly impressed w ith have to be crazy (or probably just a hidden, award-winning talent of her sophomore and junior year [of how she’s matured as an individUniversity of North Carolina fan) Donahoe’s that decorates the Terrier high school], we just thought she ual and how much self-confidence to argue Allen’s time in college was locker room: her artistic ability. saw the field so well,” Robertshaw I’ve seen her gain in her time here,” In her senior year at St. Stephen’s said. “She could hit great feeds, she Robertshaw said. anything short of awesome.

Instead, what I’m curious about and St. Agnes School, Donahoe was really aggressive from behind Donahoe’s sophomore year did is if Allen’s portrayal of the villain — earned a silver medal in the national the cage, the X position, and that see improvement. In the 17 games whether he intended to play this role 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing is the kind of play we really recruit she played, she started in 13, and her or not — was ultimately beneficial Awards for her drawing, “Afternoon and want in our program.” total production jumped from eight to the dramatic story that makes Light.”

In joining the BU team, Donahoe points in the previous year to 22.

To B U h e a d c o a c h L i z built upon a legacy in her family; her NCAA basketball so attractive.

The following 2017 season proved Robertshaw, Donahoe’s art serves father, William Donahoe, had also to be an ever bigger breakout for The answer: yes.

Through time we’ve seen and as another tangible marker of her played lacrosse at Hofstra University. Donahoe as she played in every game. adored the heroic knights (think developed confidence and how that Still, Donahoe needed to find In BU’s season opener against Trae Young) and the wise mentors translates to her leadership position. her own way to develop into an crosstown rival Boston College, “She knows what she’s good at NCAA-level athlete. (cue John Wooden). The dominant Donahoe earned a hat trick and — she’s an amazing artist — and teams of kings (such as the University After earning two assists in her an assist. of Connecticut’s women’s team) she showcases that,” Robertshaw collegiate debut, Donahoe was held To prove that it wasn’t an outlier, and those who defeated the dragon said. “She can also relate to the pointless for eight games before she put up another four-point afterother girls on the team. She’s been scoring her first collegiate goal noon in the next game against the CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

THURSDAY, MAR. 29

Men’s and women’s track and field

will travel to the Sunshine State for the University of Florida Relays

FRIDAY, MAR. 30

Women’s tennis will host Rhode Island, 3 p.m.

BOTTOM LINE SATURDAY, MAR. 31

Men’s and women’s lacrosse will host Lehigh and Loyola, respectively, for Lax-A-Palooza, 12 & 3:30 p.m.

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DFP FILE PHOTO

University of Massachusetts Lowell.

After amassing 12 points in the first four games of the season, Donahoe fell into a three-game pointless streak.

Donahoe then went on to have multipoint nights in eight of the remaining 11 games, including six more hat tricks and earning the title of Patriot League Attacker of the Week after a six-goal, one-assist afternoon against Lafayette on April 8, 2017.

“I’m impressed by it,” BU head coach Liz Rober tshaw sa id of Donahoe’s uptick in scoring. “It shows that if you put in the work, your game will improve. Since she was a freshman, she’s put in hours of working on her skill, and because of that, you see her game get better and better.”

The 5-foot-3 attack ended the 2017 season with 42 points, a number she’s on pace to beat this year with an average of 2.5 goals per game.

Now in her final year as a Terrier, Donahoe recently put up her second six-goal game of the season in the Terriers’ first conference win against Lafayette, which earned her an honorary mention with the March 26 Patriot League Players of the Week.

“It’s just really exciting getting to lead the team and be there for my teammates,” Donahoe said. “I have so much passion for this team and for this season, so it’s really awesome to be in this role and be able to exude that passion every single day, and watch everyone get stronger as the season goes through.”

SUNDAY, APR. 1

MONDAY, APR. 2

Softball will conclude its series at

The Red Sox will travel to Miami

Army, 12 p.m.

to play the Marlins, 7:10 p.m.