The Daily Free Press
Year xli. Volume lxxxii. Issue lxxxiii.
Campus & City
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: Occupy turns focus to education page 3
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University Sports MUSE
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PERSONAL PRESIDENT: Obama adds Instagram to list of social media accounts
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NOT DONE YET: W. basketball gets chance in WNIT
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Romney dominates in Mass. primary elections
MICHAEL CUMMO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
ALYSON WHITMAN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney celebrates his victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday.
Two voters don their complementary “I Voted” stickers at the Boston Public Library Voting Station. Visit dailyfreepress.com for an audio slideshow featuring Super Tuesday voters.
Super Tuesday puts Romney closer to Repub. nod
Bay State voters cast ballots for Romney
By Chris Lisinski Daily Free Press Staff
Amidst chanting of “We want Mitt,” former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said he promises to restore America, after he won 72.1 percent of the vote in the Commonwealth’s Republican primary election. Romney took the state’s primary election with 38 of the 41 delegates up for grabs in Massachusetts, while former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, of Pennsylvania, took 12 percent of the vote. “We initially started our campaign about nine months ago, not very far from here in a farmhouse in New Hampshire,” Romney said in his speech at the Westin Copley Place in Boston on Tuesday. “It was the start of an effort to restore the promise of America.” Romney said he plans to fix the country in ways the Obama administration has failed to do, especially in terms of unemployment. “To the millions of Americans who look around and can only see jobs they can’t get and bills they can’t pay, I have a message – you have not failed,” he said. “You have a president that has failed you.” The crowd broke out in cheers of “We need Mitt!” in response. Romney said he would cut the deficit and
the size of the government. “I have a plan to deliver more jobs, less debt and smaller government,” he said. “President [Barack] Obama raised the national debt – I will cut that and balance the budget.” Expectations were high in the Hub for Romney, who served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. While governor, Romney helped pass his RomneyCare, or healthcare reform bill, which individually mandated healthcare to all citizens. Since then, he has criticized the national healthcare reform passed under Obama, which also uses an individual mandate system. “[Obama] passed Obamacare, I will repeal Obamacare,” he said. Romney said his experience as a businessman and his success in eliminating the state deficit while governor of Massachusetts make him the most qualified candidate for president. “As president, I will get our economy back on track and get our citizens back to work,” he said. “Unlike President Obama, I actually have the experience to deliver on that promise.” Romney said he would open American lands for the development of energy and instate a 20-percent rate cut for every citizen. Romney also won in Virginia, Idaho, Ohio
Romney, see page 2
By Meg DeMouth Daily Free Press Staff
Many Boston voters accurately predicted former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would win the Republican primary in the Commonwealth on Super Tuesday. Romney won the state’s primaries with 72.1 percent of the vote on Tuesday. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, of Pennsylvania, came in second with 12.1 percent and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, of Texas, came in third with 9.6 percent. President Barack Obama ran uncontested on the Democratic ballot. Voters at exit polls said the candidates’ economic proposals carry the most weight. If the general election were tomorrow, Boston voter Carrie Catlin said she would vote for Romney because “he has a better chance of improving the economy and Obama hasn’t been able to do it so far.” “He’s got the right set of business skills and people supporting him to be able to effect some changes,” she said. Despite her beliefs that Romney would be a better president than the other Republican hopefuls, Catlin said in this round of voting, she and her husband put her support behind Paul. Standing with her husband just outside of
the voting area in the basement of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, she called her vote for Paul “a bit of a protest vote against Romney.” Romney did not fulfill his responsibilities as governor of the Commonwealth properly, she said, and “we wanted him to know that people out there don’t just vote for him because he was our governor.” Her husband, Steve Wintermeier, said although he does not agree with all of Paul’s proposed policies, he appreciated Paul’s ability to rise above the arguments “about who’s the true conservative.” Wintermeir said he would vote “for the person for president whose party does not win the U.S. Senate,” adding that the potential one-party rule concerns him. Many Bostonians exiting the polls, however, said they supported specific candidates rather than specific parties, with 72.1 percent of Massachusetts’ voters backing Mitt Romney. “I like his approach, just his general mindset,” said Ward 5 voter Trenton, who asked to keep his last name anonymous. “I just agree with a lot of the kinds of things he would do or has done in the past, either here as gover-
Polls, see page 4
Task force passes proposed New Balance Field, sets completion date for July 2013 By Mary Yatrousis Daily Free Press Staff
The Boston University Community Task Force approved the New Balance Field project at Tuesday’s meeting. Tim Whitney, the project architect, said task force members aim to start the project between late March and late April with the relocation of an underground storm sewer line. The construction of the field, which will begin in July, is expected to be completed by July 2013, Whitney said. BU spokesman Colin Riley said it is critical that the project be completed on time. “It fits in with the academic cycle of the university and our schedule for commencement and activities and move-in, and all those key time frames for the university,” Riley said. Riley also said BU has a good record with completing projects on time. “I have every confidence that this project will be the same as all the others,” Riley said. New Balance Field will include 500 seats, an underground parking garage and some aboveground parking. Whitney said there will
be new sidewalks and an “enhanced street presence.” Michel Hall, the traffic consultant for the project, said the above-ground parking lot will accommodate buses visiting the campus for events. “Buses come in and park on site and not on the street,” Hall said. “This can store up to 10 buses and minimize buses on the streets.” Hall said there would be five parking spots lost with the new parking system, but this would be “virtually no change.” The new field was designated for the field hockey team’s practices and competitions, Whitney said. The field would also be used for intramural and club sports, said a project manager. “It just becomes another part of the university facilities that are available for the university community,” Riley said. Members of the task force and the community voiced their concerns about the project during a question-and-answer portion. Pamela Beale, chairman of the task force, said there are many options for people to get
COURTSEY OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY TASK FORCE
The Boston University Community Task Force announced on Tuesday that the New Balance Field would be completed in July 2013.
their complaints fixed. She said it is called “construction mitigation.” “There’s a whole team of people from the city of Boston . . . [and] that’s all they do is construction mitigation,” Beale said, adding that
people who have worries can call the mitagators. Erico Lopez, project assistant from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, said the public
Task Force, see page 2