4-15-2014

The Daily Free Press

Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XLV

IR EXCITED BU officials announce new IR school dean, page 3.

[

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

BLESSED

MIT researchers analyze just how far your sneezes, coughs travel, page 5.

]

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ZEROING IN

Terriers set sights on second softball win, page 8.

WEATHER

Today: AM Rain, wind/High 64 Tonight: Wintry mix/Low 33 Tomorrow: 45/32 Data Courtesy of weather.com

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren confronts student debt at BU ENG soph. Kevin Lee found dead in Towers dormitory

By Alicia Winton Daily Free Press Staff

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren addressed the Boston University community Wednesday as part of the Initiative on Cities Speaker Series to address challenges students face with large loans and college affordability.

“Tying students to a lifetime of financial servitude as a condition of getting an education does not reflect our values,” Warren said. “You are working hard and learning new skills that will benefit you, that will benefit your family and that will also benefit this country. You will help us build a stronger America because you are getting an education, and the role of the federal government should be to help you in that process, not to make it harder.”

At BU’s Metcalf Trustee Center, Warren advocated a three-part proposal to reinstate bankruptcy protection on student loans, refinance those loans and end the practice of profiting from students.

“With the rising cost of college, more and more students are taking on more and more debt in order to get an education,” Warren said. “This is a common sense proposal and it should not be controversial.”

Marc Orlandella, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said Warren’s speech helped him better understand the challenges that accompany college loans.

“It’s tough to get the connection, or to

By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Staff

FALON MORAN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke with Boston University students and faculty Monday afternoon in the School of Management about the challenge of student loans and the affordability of college as part of the Initiative on Cities Speaker Series.

have a starting point to even know where to begin on these issues,” he said. “When you have someone out there in the public eye saying ‘I want to help students, I want to decrease the loans, I want to help with tuition,’ it’s nice because it shows us that we can fight for this and we should.”

Liana Lamattina, a senior in the School

of Management, said although she hoped to see more detailed strategies about how Warren planned to implement her proposal, she appreciated the plan Warren outlined.

“Seeing such a high ranking politician stand in front of a crowd of students

Warren, see page 2

BU community honors Marathon bombing victim Lu Lingzi

By Monique Avila Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University community gathered in Marsh Chapel Sanctuary Monday night in memoriam of Lu Lingzi, the BU student killed one year ago Tuesday in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

More than 80 people attended the vigil held in Lu’s honor, including her parents, who flew in from China. The service was student-initiated and coordinated by the BU Chinese Students and Scholars Association, I Embrace You and Marsh Chapel international students.

“We gather here tonight with special intent to remember our communal loss, but also our communal hope,” said Marsh Cha-

pel Reverend Brittany Longsdorf during the service.

The vigil featured speeches from the various hosting groups and friends of Lu as well as a slideshow and song, all of which stressed the importance of remembering her life and the lives of the others lost or injured in the marathon. Each speech was first given in English and then in Chinese.

“It’s heartbreaking and astonishing one whole year has passed, but we will always remember her and we will always remember her stories,” said CSSA Co-President Haisu Yuan, a senior in the College of Communication.

The Boston Athletic Association allocated Lu’s family 15 slots in the 2014 Boston Mar-

athon, and the family has offered seven of the slots to members of the BU community.

Yujue Wang, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Management, has been selected to run in Lu’s memory. Wang said that although she did not know Lu, she is privileged to have the opportunity to run in her honor.

“On April 21, we will keep Lingzi in our hearts as we run the Boston Marathon,” Wang said. “We’re taking back the finish line for Lu Lingzi and we’ll show her [that] her legacy will live on.”

After the speeches, a slideshow of pictures of Lu accompanied a song titled “Stay

Lu, see page 2

Kevin Lee, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, was found dead in his dorm room Monday morning by the Boston University Police Department.

Boston Emergency Medical Services vehicles and other emergency responders were seen outside The Towers before 10 a.m. Boston Police Department officials arrived at the scene at about 9:37 a.m. and Lee was pronounced dead by the Boston EMS, according to a BPD spokesperson.

Following a call from Lee’s family saying they had not heard from him over the weekend, BUPD investigated and subsequently found Lee in his room, said BU spokesman Colin Riley.

BUPD is conducting further investigation of the circumstances, though there were no indications of foul play, he said.

“This is obviously an incredible sadness and tragedy, and our hearts and thoughts are with the family,” Riley said.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said in a Monday statement that he was “deeply saddened” by Lee’s death.

“Our love goes out to his family, friends, classmates and those who knew him,” he said.

Lee was a biomedical engineering major from Brooklyn, N.Y., said BU President Robert Brown in an email to the student body. He said Elmore had been in contact with Lee’s family to offer BU’s assistance.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin’s family and friends for this devastating loss,” Brown said. “We all feel the loss to our community caused by Kevin’s death.”

Elmore encouraged students who are struggling to cope with Lee’s death to seek counseling and support through Behavioral Medicine at Student Health Services, the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center, Marsh Chapel and Residence Life staff.

BUPD was not able to comment, but indicated that they would release a report on the incident in the future.

Boston Medical Center recognizes Boston Marathon victims at flag raising

By Mina Corpuz Daily Free Press Staff

Almost a year after the Boston Marathon bombings, Boston Medical Center hosted a flag-raising ceremony on Monday in remembrance of the tragedy.

The ceremony, which was held on the lawn outside the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse and was attended by about 100 BMC medical professionals, residents and medical students, emphasized unity, hope and the care BMC has provided and will continue to provide for marathon victims and other victims of violence.

“This one year anniversary is an emotional time for our campus and across our city, but it is also time to be grateful for our strength and resilience as a hospital and a community,” said BMC President and CEO Kate Walsh. “Last Marathon Monday was different. That day and the days that followed, the character and compassion of BMC and in every corner of our hospital was revealed for the whole world to see.”

Irish singer Dr. Ronan Tynan performed “God Bless America” as the flag was raised.

During the ceremony, sections of the America 4 Boston Prayer canvas, featuring artwork and messages of support for the victims, were displayed on the lawn. The public had the op-

portunity to sign BMC’s canvas, which will be displayed at Boston Common and Fenway Park later this month.

John Odom, who was a patient at BMC after sustaining critical injuries from the bombing, spoke as the ceremony’s guest of honor and expressed his gratitude to BMC for the work they have done for Boston and the community. Odom and his wife Karen presented a plaque to BMC to show their appreciation.

“When I arrived here a year ago, my outcome was uncertain,” he said. “I didn’t know if I’d ever walk again. I stand here today in front of you to thank you personally for saving my life.”

Dr. Peter Burke, BMC’s chief of trauma services, said emergency medical responders, BMC employees and other medical care specialists complete the work needed to ideally balance the evil in the world.

“While we’ve always strived to provide exceptional care, our response to the bombing revealed a new standard of exceptional care,” he said. “With skill and hard work and the overwhelming tenacity of patients, everybody survived and made it to the next step with spirit to continue on.”

Following the marathon, BMC served the emotional and physical needs of many vic-

MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston Medical Center held a flag-raising ceremony Monday morning in memory of the victims from the Boston Marathon bombings, featuring Marathon survivor John Odm and portions of the America 4 Boston Prayer Canvas.

tims, in on case, coordinating a visit for a newlywed couple separated in the aftermath of the marathon, said Mary Jo Pedulla, BMC’s director of nursing for maternal child health

and interim chief of critical care.

“We provide exceptional care without

Marathon, see page 2

2

tuesday, april 15, 2014

Sen.: US should ‘align values with spending’ SG aims to extend shuttle service, install ‘Safe Havens’ Warren: From Page 1

and want to communicate and exchange ideas and discussion, something like that is rare,” Lamattina said. “It shows a genuine side to her and shows that she is willing to collaborate.”

College of Communication junior Jennifer Janiak said financial aid should not be limited to only low-income families.

“There’s not enough financial aid available for everyone that needs it,” she said. “There are a lot of great programs that help people from [the] lower class or who have outstanding merit achievements get a lot of financial aid, but there’s not a lot for

those who are middle class.”

Warren said in order to ease excessive borrowing, the cost of college tuition should be decreased.

“The amount of debt we all have to take out is extraordinary,” Janiak said. “As someone who is taking on so much debt, it’s hard for me to think about buying a house or a car or paying rent when I’m going to have such exorbitant monthly payments.”

Warren said refinancing old loans would lower interest rates from approximately 8 percent to 3.86 percent on undergraduate student loans. For a recent undergraduate, payments would drop by as much as $1,000 per year,

nearly cutting total interest in half, she said.

The federal government, which will profit $66 million from student loans this year, should ensure those profits go back to the education system, Warren said.

“I grew up in an America that was investing in young people who were trying to get an education. I believe in that America,” she said. “We need to align our values with our spending, and that means we need to make sure that young people who are trying to get an education [can do so] without getting crushed by student loan debt.”

Attendees folded paper birds dedicated to Lu Lu: From Page 1

Strong,” which was sung by Lu Meixu, a second-year graduate student in the College of Fine Arts.

Lu Meixu said she was a friend of Lu Lingzi. She said she was glad she performed with her back to the slideshow and simply seeing a picture of Lu Lingzi would make her cry.

Lu Meixu said since Lu Lingzi’s death, she and Lu Lingzi’s roommate, Jing Li, a senior in the School of Education, have tried to remain close despite their loss.

Jing recalled some of her best memories with Lu Lingzi during her speech at the vigil. She was able

to keep her composure while giving her speech in English, but she broke down in tears while giving the same speech in Chinese.

“I will never forget my fear and hopelessness the night she didn’t return home,” Jing said in her speech. “Dear Lu Lingzi, we miss you so much and we will never forget you.”

When the speeches were finished, attendees gathered to construct origami birds that I Embrace You plans to put together as part of an art piece dedicated to Lu Lingzi.

Others huddled around a poster to leave her a note.

The memorial concluded with

three minutes of silence, each minute marked by a bell rung in respect of each of the three victims that died during the marathon.

Since Lu Lingzi’s passing, the Trustees of Boston University have established the Lu Lingzi Scholarship Fund. The scholarship provides full tuition remission for students pursuing a master’s degree, said Program Manager of BU Global Programs Luke Manley.

Lu Lingzi’s family has also established a scholarship foundation in her honor. Jing said the foundation provides educational opportunities for students who emulate Lu Lingzi’s characteristics.

Attendees, volunteers reflect at flag raising Marathon: From Page 1

exception to all our patients here at BMC,” she said. “Our patient’s needs are never too big or small, and our nurses demonstrate that in ways that are nothing short of amazing.”

Several attendees said the ceremony was a way for them to celebrate the city’s resilience and cope with last year’s tragedy.

Kirsten Levy, 62, of Newton, a faculty member at the Boston University School of Medicine, said she was at last year’s marathon as a

volunteer.

“I volunteered at the marathon last year and will again this year working in Hopkinton at the starting line,” she said. “It seemed like Odom spoke from the heart. I’m sure most patients feel the same way.”

Jessica Sokol, 24, of Boston, and a student at the BU School of Public Health said the flag-raising ceremony emphasized importance of reflecting on what happened last year and appreciating everyone who helped the victims.

“Every time we talk about the event it gets easier,” she said. “It’s good to just talk about things and to just feel everything that happened.”

Sandra Ordonez, 50, of Boston, said she appreciated what Odom had to say and respected his strength and character.

“It takes courage to come back to the place where you suffered so much and to thank the people around you for their hard work,” she said. “It’s a simple, nice reminder for us all that when people come together, they make things happen.”

The Daily Free Press Crossword

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Solution is on Page 4

sG: From Page 3

“It’s institutionalizing the whole [funding] system, making sure that students know that the $40,000 Student Government has is there for them,” she said. “This has the potential to really change the way that students look at Student Government.”

A committee within the SG cabinet will be in charge of reviewing applications for funding. In addition, it will offer consultation sessions to help students refine and pursue their objectives.

“This is something that would empower the BU community,” Yehia said during the proposal. “Let’s make sure that students here who have these amazing ideas are able to utilize that Student Government money.”

The Senate also approved a proposal to allocate $100 for an awareness campaign advocating for improved safety on, and off, of BU’s campus.

The campaign aims to establish safe zones for students off campus by expanding BU Police Department safety escort services, remove charges to students for medical transporta-

tion and extend BU Shuttle services into off-campus locations including Allston and Kenmore.

“No student should be considering financial resources when they are determining life-saving care,” said Interfraternity Council Senator Jason Balsamo, who presented the proposal. “Some individuals, more so than others, are disproportionately affected by that cost.”

The money will go toward an advertisement on BU Shuttles describing the three tenets. SG Senators will also draft a Change.org petition and engage in a social media campaign for their goals.

Balsamo, a senior in CAS and the College of Communication, said he hoped the awareness campaign would spark a dialogue with BU President Robert Brown and the Board of Trustees about the issues.

“I hope in that conversation we can start taking constructive steps with the university toward advocating for our students’ interests on and off campus, and hopefully providing a better community, a safer community,” Balsamo said.

Director: Allowing int’l students to stay longer beneficial for US Visas: From Page 3

Tracey Dodenhoff, director of the Northeastern Center for Research Innovation, said students should have the ability to stay in the state to continue work on research and projects could make a positive difference in the Commonwealth.

“With the innovations, new technology and research coming out of universities and research laboratories, giving students the opportunity to continue their hard work absolutely benefits everyone,” she said. “From the political side of it, if all ducks can be lined up and this can actually be done, I believe people will see the impact quickly.”

Several residents said they support the governor’s decision, and the program will be beneficial to the Commonwealth and those who live and study here.

Isabel Porto, 21, an international student living in Back Bay, said an opportunity, such as the one that

Patrick is offering, could impact these students’ lives greatly.

“It would be life changing, especially for people who can’t go home, like me. I’m from Venezuela,” she said. “But I’d like to know how they determine who is capable of staying. It seems like it is not only about wanting to succeed, but actually succeeding.”

Laura Cuellar, 25, an international student living in Fenway, said given the high prices of college tuition, international students should be able to go further with their careers without being forced to leave the country.

“International students pay a lot of money to attend school in this country,” she said. “If they are qualified enough to stay, this would be the perfect way to give these students [the opportunity] to hopefully make back all the money spent attending school here. They got the education, and now they can gain the money and the experience.”

Campus & City

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

3

Walsh creates Dean appointed to School of Global Studies SG establishes committee for senate seats for Boston University announced city gov’t ethics Monday the appointment of prostudent groups

By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Staff

By Stephanie Pagones Daily Free Press Staff

To analyze the current practices and procedures associated with the city’s Ethics Policy, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh implemented the Ethics Committee to review relevant changes and implement new programs.

The committee will enact a new Statement of Financial Interest for city employees and make changes to education programs pertaining to ethics issues, among other responsibilities. Walsh appointed Eugene O’Flaherty, Elissa Flynn-Poppey, Peter Sturges and Chancellor Keith Motley to the committee, a Thursday release stated. “[The committee] will work diligently to reassess our internal policies and procedures,” Walsh said in the release. “All through the campaign, we talked about establishing an even stronger culture of ethical behavior and transparency in city government. The citizens of Boston and those who interact with our government should be absolutely confident that their government is working for them, at the highest ethical standards.»

Walsh said he chose the committee appointees for their active participation in city government and familiarity with current policies and regulations, values that will help them to evaluate the city’s current ethics codes, according to the release.

“The City of Boston is fortunate to have an experienced and talented, diverse group of individuals to review and make recommendations about out ethics policies,” he said.

Several professors said they appreciate Walsh’s efforts to increase transparency between the city and its constituents, and they are looking forward to the implementation of the ethics committee.

Kathleen Einstein, a political science professor at Boston University, said the ethics committee would allow the city to focus on current financial policies, but it should go further and tackle issues such as corruption.

“It seems like Mayor Walsh is pushing for more transparency,” she said. “Financial issues should take priority, as it seems that they are, but the priority should be improving transparency and preventing corruption.”

Timothy Longman, a professor of political science at BU, said Walsh has proposed strong goals for the committee, but the decisions made by the committee’s members may not follow his original plans.

“The question is whether or not these people will remain independent of what Mayor Walsh wants, so that instead they can focus on the needs of the city,” he said. “The proof is in the pudding, and it depends on whether the mayor lets them do their work. By establishing an ethics committee early on, the mayor does establish ethics as being important to him and to the city.”

Several residents said the Ethics Committee would be beneficial to the City of Boston if the program is properly implemented.

Cassie Moore, 26, of Boston, said the committee would help businesses establish the thin line between ethical and unethical prac-

Ethics, see page 4

fessor of international relations Adil Najam as the inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, a new division of the College of Arts and Sciences dedicated to exploring international issues.

“The goal is to really do something unique, transformational, in how we deal with global issues,” Najam said. “The world has become global in a very truly, deeply, seriously integrated fashion, in a way that it hasn’t ever before in humanity, and education needs to catch up with that.”

Colin Riley, BU spokesman, said Najam is extremely qualified for the position.

“It’s a terrific appointment,” he said. “The President, Provost and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences have said as much. Adil Najam certainly led the Pardee center during a formative period and is well suited to serve as dean in this new program.”

Najam said he hopes the Pardee School of Global Studies improves how citizens deal with issues such as peace, prosperity, sustainability and poverty in an increasingly interconnected world, and though the issues are not new, the program would tackle them in a new way to adapt BU’s education sys-

By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Staff

accelerate our thriving innovation economy.”

Vinit Nijhawan, managing director of Boston University’s Office of Technology Development, said this alteration to the H-1B visa addresses issues that have not yet been resolved by the federal government.

“There is a bipartisan agreement that the U.S. should provide work visas to foreign-born STEM graduates from U.S. universities who are instrumental in founding a startup, usually based on the research they were involved in at the university,” he said in a Monday email. “This will have a meaningful impact on Boston University and other Massachusetts research universities as we have many foreign born graduate students who are working on projects that could be commercialized.”

The Boston University Student Government Senate approved proposals Monday night establishing criteria to allow representation for student organizations as well as creating a grant system to fund student projects.

The Diversifying Senate Proposal requires that a student group be recognized by BU and have a membership of at least 2 percent of the student body, or 320 students, in order to gain a Senate seat.

The proposal was postponed in a previous Senate meeting due to concerns about representation of groups that did not meet the criteria.

It passed this time with an amendment allowing for student consortium senators to earn a seat in the BU House of Representatives if they represented a coalition of student groups constituting 1 percent of the student body, or 160 students.

SG Executive Vice President Richa Kaul said she was “incredibly excited” that she and College of Arts and Sciences Sophomore Class President Tyler Fields passed the proposal. Fields was also elected Senate chair for the Fall 2014 semester at the meeting, defeating CAS junior Cassandra Shavney and College of General Studies freshman Anesha Jones.

“We just changed the way that Student Government operates by allowing student organizations and overarching bodies to have a seat in our voting Senate,” Kaul, a sophomore in CAS and president-elect, said. “That is so wonderful, progressive and definitely allows us to say that our values are in representing the student body and we are showing it as a Student Government by opening our doors for more representation in the place where we make decisions.”

The Senate also approved a proposal to allocate $3,000 to start a permanent grant system for undergraduate students to apply for support in startup and academic projects.

SG Director of Academic Affairs Salma Yehia, who presented the proposal, said she expected supplementary donations from BU college governments to total close to about $10,000.

Yehia, a CAS junior, said the grant system had an important distinction from proposals requesting SG funding.

Visas, see page 2

SG, see page 2

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADIL NAJAM

The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, which will open next fall, announced Monday that it has appointed College of Arts and Sciences professor of international relations and of earth and environment Adil Najam as the school’s inaugural dean.

tem to the globalized world.

“Employers are looking for a certain type of student,” he said.

“The aspiration here is really to produce a whole generation of leaders who can lead in all sorts of fields at a global scale.”

The Pardee School of Global Studies, which will open in Fall 2014, will be divided into regional and international studies to equally address both aspects of global-

Dean, see page 4

Gov. Patrick plans to extend int’l student visas

By Stephanie Pagones Daily Free Press Staff

In order to allow foreign students with distinct skills and talents to remain in the country after their college visas expire, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick proposed a Global Entrepreneur in Residence Program Thursday to encourage students to build and grow businesses in the United States.

The current H-1B visa allows employers to temporarily hire international employees for specialized areas of work. Patrick’s proposed change to H-1B is possible due to a gap in the federal immigration law, Patrick announced in his bill, titled “An Act to Promote Growth and Opportunity.”

“I am convinced we can reach more of our residents and accelerate our job and wealth creation, indeed we can position ourselves to sustain our growth for many more

years,” Patrick said in a Thursday press release. “That’s why I am filing this Growth Sustainability Bill, to expand opportunity more broadly into communities we have not yet reached, and to accelerate the growth of our innovation sectors.”

While the visa currently limits the number of students who are allowed to stay in the United States post-graduation, Patrick is proposing to expand the limit, giving postgraduate students the opportunity to build companies, create jobs and contribute to the state economy, the release stated.

“This legislation is the next step to ensure long-term economic prosperity for the Commonwealth,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki in the release. “With these initiatives, we will extend economic opportunity to every resident of the Commonwealth and continue to

BFD brings in federal agency for Back Bay fire investigation

By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff

In response to the Back Bay fire that took the lives of firefighters Edward Walsh Jr. and Michael Kennedy, the Boston Fire Department called in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Wednesday to conduct an investigation of the event and provide suggestions to prevent future fatalities.

NIOSH’s Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program will analyze all aspects of those fateful hours on March 26 when a routine fire call turned into a deadly blaze due to high-speed wind. They plan to look into the procedures and protocols that were followed, the radio transmissions, other forms of communication and the weather, said BFD spokesman Steve MacDonald.

“Their investigation has nothing to do with the cause or any-

thing,” he said. “They’re looking strictly into the procedures and policies of the firefighters working at the fire, and they’re trying to identify causes that may have led up to the fatalities and make recommendations on how to prevent it.”

MacDonald said the BFD determined the cause of the fire, a welder’s torch, and released the information to the public April 4. This investigation will focus on the events leading up to Walsh and Kennedy’s deaths. Four investigators from NIOSH have already arrived in Boston to begin their work.

Nura Sadeghpour, spokeswoman for NIOSH, said the goal of the FFFIPP is to learn from mistakes made in the past and prevent the same mistakes from being made in the future.

“I would add that structure fire fatalities and cases involving multiple LODDs [line of duty deaths] have al-

ANN SINGER/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health announced Wednesday it would be launching a team of four federal investigators to look into the deaths of two firefighters during the nine-alarm fire on Beacon Street on March 26.

ways been our highest priority,” she said in a Monday email. “After meeting with the Boston Fire Department last week, the decision to investigate

was confirmed and a team is beginning its initial site visits.”

Fire, see page 4

4

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Investigators to review any Student: New school geared toward service of victims’ relevant records Dean: From Page 3

Fire: From Page 3

During the investigation process, NIOSH will visit the site to take photos and measurements. They will then review all applicable materials, such as dispatch records, training records, victims’ medical records, structural blueprints and police reports. In addition, they may utilize photographs and videos taken by witnesses.

Sadeghpour said the timeframe for the investigation cannot yet be determined, but MacDonald said they hope to finish the research by fall 2014.

“The federal agency [NIOSH] will give a fresh set of eyes looking at it, so why not take advantage of them,” MacDonald said. “There’s no cost factor involved...we welcome it.

We’ll wait and see how the investigation plays out, we’ll look at their conclusions and their recommendations and hopefully prevent this from happening again.”

Several residents said they were pleased to know the fatalities are be-

ing used to continually improve the process of battling fires and prevent more tragedies.

Chris Macfarlane, 49, of Charlestown, said he hopes this investigation brings up substantial improvements for the fire department to act upon.

“As a [federal program], this is using tax dollars, so I hope it’s actually useful,” he said. “It’s a waste of tax money if it’s just vague statements, so it needs to be solid, concrete changes that the firefighters can do to make such a dangerous job a little bit safer.”

Irina Chekanov, 56, of Allston, said she hopes this investigation results in useful discoveries that can be applied to a variety of situations that firefighters could potentially face.

“Jobs like that have so many different situations,” she said. “There’s no such thing as a typical fire or a procedure that you can follow stepby-step without any complications.

I’m not sure what these people may find or what changes they can make, but hopefully some improvements can come from such a sad event.”

Today’s crossword

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ization.

“How we think about the world, we suddenly get very interested in one country or another.

Here we are saying make the scale bigger,” Najam said. “We want to take regional issues as importantly [as international issues], because that’s how the world works.”

Research centers throughout the university will be moved to one central location in the Pardee School of Global Studies, Najam said. CAS students who major in international relations will be part of the new school as well, he said.

“BU has long been a uniquely global place,” he said. “You just need to walk down Commonwealth Avenue to see how truly global it is — the faces you see, the people you see, the places where they come from.”

Najam said he felt obligated to be open to input from students,

faculty and administration on how to improve the Pardee School of Global Studies’ curriculum. “[Our goal is] to make the global program at BU really shine and stand out above other universities so that we give our students something special,” he said. “I’m excited because we have the ability to do something very unique. If we succeed here, the hope is that other universities would follow us.”

Bridget Daly, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said the Pardee School of Global Studies appealed to her interests in advocating for human rights.

“I briefly looked into international relations, but I wanted something more similar to this,” she said. “I wanted something more along the lines of global servicing and making sure that there is equality everywhere, so it [the Pardee School of Global Studies] sounds really cool to me.”

Swanson Ninan, a junior in CAS, said he was excited to see what courses the Pardee School of Global studies would offer in the fall.

“It sounds like it’s going to have a huge impact on the student population,” he said. “It brings together a whole aspect of studies that combine a bunch of different forms.”

College of Communication senior Emily Iuliano said she was impressed by BU’s efforts to enable its students to make impacting, global changes.

“A school like this that is trying to find leaders for the future [will] be able to ... have students reach their full potential because it focuses on leadership,” she said. “It helps people figure out what they’re good at and what they’re interested in.”

Jaime Bennis contributed to the reporting of this article.

Resident: Walsh to oversee more than Menino Ethics: From Page 3

tices.

“Boston has a lot of potential and has come a long way,” she said. “I have noticed that it’s really hard to distinguish between what is ethical and what is profitable for businesses. I’m all for progress, but especially with technology, the line between ethical or profitable is very thin.”

Pierre Lamarre, 26, of the North End, said people should be aware

of the ethical issues in the city and encourage the government to maintain ethical standards.

“Ethics is always a good thing,” he said. “People should know more about ethics. It’s good that there’s a committee dedicated [to] making sure the government is ethically sound.”

David Mather, 48, of Allston, said he hopes Walsh can accomplish as much as former Mayor Thomas Menino did while he was in office and allow the committee

to function on their own.

“Menino has done a lot and Walsh is going to continue to do more,” he said. “I agree with the need for a government that maintains ethics, but there are so many different things that need to be addressed. Hopefully Mayor Walsh is able to oversee that committee without getting too involved.”

Mina Corpuz contributed to the reporting of this article.

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MIT researchers show that particles in sneezes, coughs travel farther than expected Becca DeGregorio

A

Science Tuesday Staff

fter a prolonged and chilling winter, there’s no better sight than that of flowers on that tree outside of your window starting to bloom. Yet for many, there’s a downside to this otherwise welcome vision: With that blooming comes inevitable allergy attacks from airborne pollen, and with those allergy attacks comes coughs and sneezes.

But even if you don’t have allergies, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has just uncovered a new reason to welcome spring with some caution. The molecules from coughs and sneezes of your allergy-ridden friends actually travel farther than previously thought.

“This line of research is really the first step in trying to really use tools of physics and modeling to describe in a mechanistic way the process of contact and transmission in epidemics,” said Dr. Lydia Bourouiba, an engineering professor at MIT and an author of the study.

Why do epidemics of airborne illness happen and how do patterns of transmission take flight? The team answered these inquiries by using a blend of traditional observations and cutting-edge mathematics to determine the behaviors of coughs and sneezes. Their results were published in March in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

“The study goes back and forth between observations and experi-

ments and theory,” Bourouiba said.

“The first step was to visualize using high speed videography and image processing to dynamics of turbulent clouds and what was emitting during violent expiration.”

The researchers began their investigation using high-speed cameras capable of recording 1,000 to 4,000 frames per second. Violent expirations were recorded and analyzed.

Researchers determined that the coughs and sneezes obey a model formally named “turbulent multiphase clouds.”

These clouds are multiphase because they contain three states of matter: gaseous moisture from the expiration of coughs and sneezes, liquid droplets suspended within and solid residue that remains trapped inside as well, Bourouiba said.

“The turbulent part is really the part that is being highlighted in the video with the overturning and mixing of the cloud,” she said. “It’s not a fluid flow. It’s a lot of mixing and that’s what the word ‘turbulent’ is describing.”

The researchers then built a theoretical model based on the videos to examine the cloud arrangement.

The density, momentum and volume were calculated for these artificial coughs and sneezes. From this, the researchers identified the differing trajectories and buoyancies of the large and small pathogen-carrying particles upon expiration.

Their calculations suggest that be-

cause the particles mix and the cloud takes on a multiphase existence, germs travel farther than previously expected. Although larger particles fall out of the cloud quicker, smaller ones can stay with the group longer.

“Small droplets can stay trapped in the cloud, so, in reality, they go much farther away in comparison to the large drops, which also was not very clear from the physical picture,” Bourouiba said.

Particles with diameters fewer than 50 micrometers can even stay within the clouds long enough for them to reach the typical heights of ceiling ventilation, which is a public health concern, according to the formal report of the study.

Bourouiba said the researchers would not have been able to observe this characteristic without the additional mathematical model.

“Once you build a model, you have a way of making detailed predictions of how the system might behave and to try to develop methods to control the system and guide its behavior,” said Samuel Isaacson, a Boston University mathematics professor.

Such is the defining nature of this study: The observational and mathematical perspectives combined to produce novel findings that can possibly contribute to future health awareness.

“The goal of that [the study] was to make sure that we can actually explain what we see using this model

PHOTO COURTESY OF LYDIA BOUROUIBA

In their study, researchers used high-speed cameras to examine the distance that particles traveled during sneezes and coughs. They concluded that due to the multiphase nature of respiratory expirations, particles travel significantly farther than previously thought.

and validate the mathematical model and then go back and relate it to the dynamics in the real system of human coughs and sneezes,” Bourouiba said.

Due to this multifaceted approach, the procedures of the study almost present a lesson apart from the fact that sneezes and coughs travel far distances. According to BU professor Irving Bigio, science is broadening and research is following accordingly.

“The blending of the sciences and mathematics is something that’s been going on for the last several decades,”

Bigio said. “Medicine is not just a discipline that sits by itself.”

Bourouiba said she hopes her team’s work allows for future researchers to combine observational research with mathematical modeling for public health.

“This study was the first step in trying to put mechanistic descriptions of these processes so that we can use them for mitigating strategy assessment and more large-scale mathematical modeling of epidemics” Bourouiba said.

Study reveals decline in food quality due to rising carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere

A

s warnings about climate change are becoming increasingly dire, scientists now believe that the quality of our food is at risk due to the spread of greenhouse gases.

Scientists at the University of California-Davis, carried out a wheat-field study and found that high levels of carbon dioxide prevents the conversion of nitrate into proteins in plants, according to an April 6 press release.

As a result of too much carbon dioxide, plants could become less and less nutritious and less ideal for human consumption. Further, as Boston University biology professor Richard Primack notes, an increase in temperatures could even begin to damage harvests themselves.

“The real danger is that if these conditions get just a little warmer, that agriculture could really be harmed very significantly,” he said. “… For example, in northern China, the drier conditions are already causing declines in crop yields particular-

Hoda Yehia Science Tuesday Staff ly in places which are not irrigated.”

In the UC-Davis study, researchers observed wheat plants in Arizona, then performed laboratory tests to determine the protein production in varying levels of carbon dioxide that could exist over the next few decades.

“We have discovered in the laboratory that elevated CO2 inhibits the production of proteins in the shoots of most plants,” wrote Arnold Bloom, lead author of the study and UC-Davis professor, in an email. “Samples were taken of wheat plants growing in a field in Arizona where CO2 was released to simulate atmospheric conditions that are anticipated in the next few decades.”

The researchers found that wheat grown in conditions with elevated carbon dioxide converted less nitrate into protein than wheat grown under current levels of carbon dioxide.

In the press release, Bloom noted that the amount of protein in wheat plants could decline up to 3 percent over the next few decades and previous studies have shown that protein

concentrations in wheat, rice and barley could drop by 8 percent in conditions of excess carbon dioxide.

The study’s results carry implications for the future of food production and consumption. Andrew Held, vice president of BU’s Environmental Student Organization, adds that this finding may mean pursuing new avenues to obtain protein.

“We’re going to be seeing more focus towards maybe genetically engineered food, probably trying to steal more protein in our diets other ways,” said Held, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore. “… I imagine engineers will be able to find a way around this.”

ESO President Jatnna Garcia, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said other methods of acquiring protein from food could also create problems.

“There’s probably going to be a lot of soy production because protein will probably be taken out of soy, so that might also lead to an increase in deforestation just because you need

more land to get all of this soy that you’re going to put into food,” she said.

Primack conducts similar research on the effects of climate change on flora and fauna in Massachusetts, and he said food quantity could become a more dire concern than food quality.

“Even though we should be concerned about the quality of our food, the much more significant issue is … the quantity of food as in particularly many areas of the Southwest United States … [and] plains of the United States, even in the areas of drier areas of, say, Brazil or Africa,” he said. “…

Global trends aren’t going to be uniform for climate change. So it might be this one area sees this huge decline in protein whereas the Amazon Basin [differs].”

Bloom said the public could get involved to manage levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“You can support efforts to regulate CO2 emissions and support efforts to study the responses of plants to climate change,” Bloom wrote in

an email. “As the public becomes more aware of environmental problems, they will insist on additional efforts to study and solve these problems.”

Garcia added that people often ignore such reports unless they are directly affected by the results.

“We’re good at not listening to scientists, which is really sad,” she said. “We don’t actually listen to them until it directly affects us. So I think it’s a good study to have. It’s good to see the results. It’s good for people to say that climate change is real and not just about getting warmer. It’s going to affect your diet, it’s going to affect your body and what nutrients you get.”

As for the future, Bloom mentions that he and his research team are already looking to develop plants that will resist such effects of rising carbon dioxide levels.

“We are beginning to breed crop plants that are less sensitive to the effects of rising CO2 on their protein content,” he said.

6

Opinion

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 44th year F Volume 86 F Issue 45

Sarah Kirkpatrick, Editor-in-Chief Brian Latimer, Managing Editor

Rachel Riley, Campus Editor

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The Daily Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Monday through Thursday 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 © 2014 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

What is #BostonStrong?

On Shingles kate hofberg

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

While some people were at the finish line as the bombs exploded at the 2013 Boston Marathon, others were partying on roof decks in Allston. People’s perspectives on the memory of that day are relative to how close in both proximity and emotion they were to the tragedy.

As the city of Boston and the Boston University community prepare for the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, people are stuck between mourning or celebrating this Monday. However, no one is obligated to either attitude, because everyone has a different understanding, experience and definition of #BostonStrong.

When tragedies happen, people say the best way to cope is by carrying on the day like normal. What makes the Marathon anniversary tricky, however, is that a “normal” Marathon Monday is a cheerful occasion.

Some say sacrificing the spirit of the annual festivity this Monday would feed into the terrorists’ goal of instilling fear in us, while others say carrying on like normal would be disrespectful.

While the city will elicit a plethora of different reactions this Monday, no one is obligated to one attitude. Everyone has their own experience, understanding and definition of #BostonStrong and, despite how different they may be, none of them are incorrect.

People may interpret #BostonStrong differently but, at the same time, each definition shares the common thread of a unified community and is composed of so much more than just a reaction to a tragedy. Although this catchphrase gave the city a symbol of all we endured together, this sense of community existed long before last April.

Nothing can undermine the generosity of the human spirit exhibited in Boston after last April’s events. However, this city didn’t need a terrorist attack to become #BostonStrong because this city has always been a close-knit, unified community.

In a Monday article by journalist Chris Faraone, “Beyond the ‘Boston Strong’ Listicle,” he cites 15 ways in which Boston has proven its strength since last April. Among these feats is the election of a young, promising new mayor, as well as the establishment of

RANTS AND raves

medical marijuana dispensaries and late night hours on the MBTA system.

Although Boston demonstrated a great amount of compassion in the wake of last year’s tragedy, such virtue is not limited to Boston citizens. Rather, this tendency of humans to help one another is innate. These acts of compassion from last year need to be recognized as not just acts of Bostonians, but as validations of the humankind’s noble spirit demonstrated all over the world.

Look at the way people came together to help others during the weeks of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Whether it was sheltering those whose homes had been destroyed or leaving power outlets in front of buildings, the innate goodness shines through disaster.

And on a smaller scale, look at how the BU community mourned together when the recent tragedies of the deaths of Diego Montes and Kevin Lee had the power to touch each one of us, regardless of our relationship with him.

Overall, people are inherently more kindhearted than we think. #BostonStrong should not just be used as a way to focus on how Boston pushed through the heartbreak of a bombing, but rather a focus on a community’s ability to perform miracles of generosity for people they don’t even know.

Yet, this hashtag does not have to just be about a community being fused together by sadness, as dwelling on the disaster undermines Boston’s other exhibitions of camaraderie. We cannot forget all the happy things that bring this city together time and again.

Before last year, the Boston Marathon was a way for BU students to feel a part of the larger Boston community, which they are often sheltered from within the restraints of Commonwealth Avenue. Besides the marathon, we all celebrated in Kenmore Square together when the Red Sox won the World Series last October. And who could forget the joys that unite us at Hempfest every year?

The meaning behind #BostonStrong is symbolic of the sentiments of the human community at large. Although #BostonStrong spawned from the calamity at the Boston Marathon, its meaning does not have to be restricted to overcoming the fear the Tsarnaev’s, the alledeg bombers tried to inflict on us.

Let me give you all a free piece of advice that I wish someone had given me: if you can help it, don’t ever get shingles.

Before last week, I didn’t even know what shingles was. If you had asked me, my best guess would have been that maybe it was a technical term for roof coverings.

Today, however, after lying on what I practically considered my deathbed for the last week-and-a-half, I could give you a much more informed explanation of what shingles actually is.

Shingles is an extremely painful skin rash that is caused by the varicella zoster virus. It occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body and usually appears in a stripe across one side of your body. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus “sleeps” in the nerve roots of your spinal cord.

For some people — and lord knows I envy them — the shingles virus stays dormant forever. For the less fortunate, like myself, the virus “wakes up” and results in the most miserable days of your life. It’s not completely clear why the encore of the virus, which is not contagious, occurs in some people, but doctors guess that it may be due to weak immune systems or heavy stress.

What started out for me as itching and tingling on the left side of my torso Thursday in Feature Writing class, quickly escalated into the most horrifying skin rash I had ever experienced. In the beginning stages of my shingles breakout, friends and roommates reassured me that it was probably nothing.

“It’s just a bug bite!” They assured.

“You just have dry skin!” they projected, throwing lotions, ointments and Benadryl tablets at me. “You’re fine!”

I knew something just wasn’t right. Still wanting to believe that my friends knew best, I swallowed the Benadryls, lubed up with creams and went about my normal business. I’m no a doctor, but I am almost certain that a night of drinking on Saturday night did nothing to help my worsening shingles virus. It did, however, make it difficult for me to decide if I spent all of Sunday in bed because I was hung-over or because shingles was rapidly starting to make me its next victim.

When I woke up on Sunday evening from my all-day recovery slumber, I was mortified when I looked down at my stomach and found a cluster of blisters that resembled a third-degree burn. There was no

way that this was merely a hangover. It was something much worse.

I needed to see a doctor. Immediately.

So I dialed the number for Student Health Services. The ring of the phone that was answered with a prerecorded voicemail greeting was, perhaps, one of the most devastating moments of my life. Damn you SHS for being closed on Sunday!

It wasn’t until Monday morning that I was able to see a doctor, and at that point, not only was my skin horrifying to look at, but I was in so much pain that it was nearly impossible for me to stand up, walk, dress, even move without feeling chronic pain in every cell of my body and wanting to cry out in agony.

“Looks like a classic case of shingles,” my doctor told me, after only glancing at the skin on my stomach for a mere moment. She drew me a picture and explained the symptoms of the virus and how to treat it. The doctor wrote me enough prescriptions to open a pharmacy. When I went to pick them up at the CVS across the street and my total came to $210, I wasn’t sure what hurt worse, my shingles outbreak or my bank account.

At my appointment, I had been warned that the pain I was feeling was going to get much worse before it got better. Worse? No way. Yes way.

For the next three days I lay in my bed in a state of such pain, that at one point I considered calling a priest. And for those of you who know how seriously Atheist I am, you can understand how much pain I was in. Even the simplest tasks like rolling over and sitting up proved more challenging than I could ever imagine. I couldn’t shower. I couldn’t attend class. I couldn’t eat. I cried for two solid days.

But God bless pharmaceuticals. Without them, I’m not so sure I could have survived the itchy, aching, burning, numbing, debilitating virus that I seriously only believed existed in sci-fi novels.

Please take my warning seriously. Take care of yourself and do what you can to avoid stress and weakened immune systems in your life. Take it from me: contracting shingles, a virus that I wouldn’t even wish on my greatest enemies, at the expense of worrying about paper deadlines or test scores, is certainly not worth it.

Kate Hofberg is a graduate student in the College of Communication. She can be reached at kwhofberg@gmail.com.

The opinions and ideas expressed by columnists and cartoonists are their own and are not necessarily representative of the opinions of The Daily Free Press.

Skip

APRIL 3 Taylor Brooks is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Communication. He can be reached at tjbrooks@bu.edu.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

7

Benedykciuk: Full scholarship enough for student athletes Benedykciuk: From Page 8

ing to bed starving though, I have come to a harsh realization that he is ungrateful.

Shabazz Napier is a local boy from Roxbury. New England Regional tuition, fees and other expenses at the University of Connecticut for the upcoming 2014-15 academic year is estimated at $36,890. Napier’s scholarship to play basketball for the Huskies is valued at nearly $150,000. A sum of money from this award is put toward a dining plan, enabling the star player to eat at any dining hall on UConn’s campus.

Phil Chardis, a spokesman for the University of Connecticut, confirmed that each and every one of the school’s scholarship athletes — including Napier — receive the maximum meal plan allowed under the NCAA guidelines.

The efforts put forth by Northwestern are

theoretically admirable. Football claims significantly more injuries than basketball does; the NU union would attempt to protect its athletes on the field, not provide them with midnight snacks so that their players don’t feel malnourished.

I don’t wish to disregard basketball injuries, though. Basketball players, like all college athletes, should be protected from injury as well as is humanly possible. Player safety is indisputably at the pinnacle of everybody’s list of concerns.

Connecticut State Representative Matthew Lesser is among those state policymakers searching for a way to allow UConn athletes to unionize. “[Napier] says he’s going to bed hungry at a time when millions of dollars are being made off of him. It’s obscene,” Lesser said to CNN. “This isn’t a Connecticut problem.

This is an NCAA problem, and I want to make sure we’re putting pressure on them to treat athletes well.”

Last week after a spring practice, two Northwestern football leaders said that they would not vote to unionize. Coach Pat Fitzgerald told his players that he did not believe a union was in their best interest. Additionally, Northwestern University is appealing the ruling of the NLRB national office while maintaining that student-athletes are “students, first and foremost,” not university employees.

The sudden skepticism and mixed opinions from the Northwestern program strongly supports those opposed to college athletic labor unions. NU found its way into the national media with the hype of the first collegiate union ever; now, though, they seem to be taking a step back, and re-thinking the idea.

Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA, called the effort “a grossly inappropriate solution to the problems” existing in collegiate sports. Furthermore, he declared that a unionemployee model would “blow up everything about the collegiate model for athletics.”

Perhaps I am so heated about Napier’s statement because of his choice of words.

During a brief 94-second clip from an interview with the media, the phrase “there are hungry nights” exits the star’s mouth multiple times. Additionally, at the end of the video, he says that he is “starving.” Saying that he starves when food is so readily available and easily accessible to him is bold and dishonest.

Actually, on second thought, Shabazz Napier is starving. But he isn’t starving for food.

Rather, he’s starving for more compensation than he has already been graciously awarded.

And that is obscene.

UMass collects 31 hits in previous 2 games Softball: From Page 8

percentage.

But the real story of the weekend was the return of two pitchers, sophomore Melanie Russell and freshman Makinna Akers. The two were sidelined for a few weeks due to injury, causing Hynes to do all of the pitching for an extended period of time.

“It was great to get Melanie Russell and Makinna [Akers] back in the rotation and back in the right direction.”

Hynes stepped up and carried the weight of the pitching staff on her back to the tune of 13 complete games and 141.1 innings pitched. With the return of these two pitchers, Gleason said Hynes will get some rest.

“We’re not expecting both of them [Russell and Akers] to come in and pitch complete games, but to go to pitching by committee,” Gleason said. “We’ll do whatever we can to win and if that means pitching by committee then we’ll do that.”

As for the Minutewomen (10-15), they arrive at BU having won two games in a row where they have scored 27 runs, one of which included a 17-run outburst against St. Bonaventure University.

Leading the Minutewomen are shortstop Quianna Diaz-Patterson, who owns a .420 batting average with a team high 34 hits, and second baseman Taylor Carbone who has the team lead in RBI with 20.

“UMass struggled early and now they’ve really entered a really good stretch,” Gleason said. “They’ve won four straight in the Atlantic 10 Conference and I think it’s a big instate rivalry with them and we’ll be ready for them tomorrow.”

There was no game between the Terriers and UMass last year due to cancelations on

two separate occasions, but the Minutewomen have won five out of the last six meetings.

That one win was significant for the Terriers, as they claimed a 10-4 victory in the NCAA Regional Tournament.

Now, both teams having a winning record in their respective conferences, which is especially important for BU due to the lack of familiarity they had coming into their first season of the Patriot League.

“I think this year, the second year, was going to be exciting because of the new conference and the eight new players,” Gleason said. “I think we’re just more comfortable this year, personnel-wise and as a team and that’s showing in games.”

While most of the Terriers’ remaining games pit them against conference opponents, they still have several games against in-state opponents.

Not only do they play the Minutewomen again, but they also play the University of Massachusetts-Lowell twice and face Harvard University in the middle of a six-game home stretch.

Before they can get there, BU will face the scorching offense of the Minutewomen, which has produced 31 hits in the last two games, posing a threat for the BU pitching staff.

The Terriers as a team struggled during the four-game losing skid, but Gleason said she believes the team will endure slumps and get better because of it.

“This team has been a very cohesive, tough group since the beginning,” Gleason said. “They’ve accepted and embraced everything we’ve gave to them and with every challenge, I think they grow. I really enjoy every day with them.”

Terriers clinch top spot at PL Tournament Roundup: From Page 8

afternoon when the duo of Paul and sophomore Caroyln Pitman beat Davis and Rodriguez by a score of 8-5.

The final match of the afternoon saw McCallum and sophomore Madison Craft claim an 8-3 victory to secure the match win for the Terriers.

BU’s win snapped the Black Knights’ 65-game conference win streak that dated back to 2002 when they lost to American University. The victory also clinched the No. 1 seed for the Terriers in this weekend’s Patriot League Tournament at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. Crew rows in two competitions Facing off with Northeastern University in the Arlett Cup competition Saturday, the Boston University men’s rowing team lost two varsity eight races by mere seconds.

The Terriers’ first varsity eight boat, coxed by senior Justin Rau and stroked by Vass Ragoussis, lost its race by 2.8 seconds. Meanwhile, the 2V8 race was decided by an even closer margin, as the Huskies pulled away at the very last moment, finishing 1.1 seconds ahead of the BU boat.

During the 3V8 race, the Terriers finally earned a win after they out-stroked the Huskies for the nine-second victory. When the teams faced off in the final race, BU’s 4V8 boat coxed by sophomore Maggie Read and stroked by freshman Mike Kapp glided to a time of 6:19:09, while Northeastern ended up at 6:31:04.

Competing in the Class of 1985 Cup versus Yale University and Dartmouth College, the Boston University women’s rowing team lost all three races Saturday. The Terriers’ three varsity eight boats finished more than 18 seconds behind the Bulldogs and the Big Green in each race at New Haven.

Following the three-race day in Connecticut, BU traveled back to the Charles River to take on Harvard University and Northeastern. The first varsity eight boat coxed by freshman Marlaina Miller and stroked by Mackenzie Wiler finished with a time of 7:09.3, but the Crimson took home the Allen-DeWolfe Trophy and the Huskies the Council Cup. Both the 2V8 and 3V8 boats also finished in last place for the Terriers, as the team looks forward to a welcome break before traveling to Providence, R.I. Friday to race Brown University.

FALON MORAN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Hynes had a hit and drove in a run in BU’s win on Sunday.

‘Athleticism’ aids Horka in sophomore year Women’s Lacrosse: From Page 8

“Overall, [Horka is] really taking chances and utilizing her athleticism to her advantage,” Robertshaw said.

Horka’s performance this season has received notice from the Patriot League. On March 24, Horka was named Midfielder of the Week for her outstanding contributions in contests against Holy Cross (5-11, 3-4 Patriot League) and Navy. Horka received the same honor again on March 31 after defeating Yale University and Lafayette (610, 2-6 Patriot League).

The Patriot League also granted Horka the Rockin’ Refuel Performance of the Week Award on March 26 after she recorded four goals and an assist during the twogame stretch against Holy Cross and Navy.

Horka added a Student-Athlete of the Week honor to her accolades from GoTerriers.com on April 1. The award honored Horka’s performance both offensively and defensively against Yale (8-5) and Lafayette.

“She’s had a great sophomore campaign and I’m excited to see where she goes what she can do in the future,” Robertshaw said.

Follow us on Twitter: @DFPsports

“

Quotable

“

This team has been a very cohesive, tough group since the beginning.

BU coach Kathryn Gleason on her team’s effort and play this season.

paGe 8

The Blue Line

Sports

Shabazz Napier, star senior guard of the National Champion University of Connecticut men’s basketball team and the NCAA’s Most Outstanding Player, has stated that sometimes he goes to bed “starving.” As a result, Connecticut state lawmakers are now investigating legislative methods allowing athletes at UConn unionize.

A very similar situation recently occurred at Northwestern University. After the National Labor Relations Board ruled that NU football players are employees because of the hefty amount of hours they spend for the program and the incredible amount of revenue they generate for the school.

The decision at UConn, however, would start a new level of college athlete unions, for UConn is a state school, whereas Northwestern is a private university.

At private schools like Duke University and Boston University, the process to unionize would be almost identical to Northwestern’s example. At public state schools like UConn and Penn State University, though, the process would be entirely different from state to state.

Napier has described the ruling at Northwestern “kind of great,” and clarified that he appreciates his basketball scholarship very much, but that it doesn’t cover all his expenses.

“I don’t feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Napier said in an interview during the NCAA Tournament in late March. “But like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I’m starving.

“When you see your jersey getting sold and things like that, you feel like you want something in return … Something can change, something should change.”

Perhaps, Mr. Napier, your attitude should change.

I cannot deny for a second that I loved watching Shabazz Napier play basketball. He is an extraordinarily talented athlete; his hard work on the court, his in-game presence and his raw ability guided the Huskies to their fourth national title since 1999. He was a pleasure and a real privilege to watch play the game. After his remarks of go-

BeneDykciuk, see page 7

Softball vs. UMass, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Latest PL contests pose problems for BU Softball regains

MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

With her goal on Saturday, sophomore Jill Horka now has 16 goals in 2014.

By Gabbie Chartier Daily Free Press Staff

Despite early success in its new conference, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team now stands at 4-3 in Patriot League play after dropping three consecutive conference games.

The Terriers (6-8, 4-3 Patriot League) first four contests against conference foes were victories. They edged American University 12-11 on March 8, the College of the Holy Cross 8-6 on March 19, the then-No. 14/19 U.S. Naval Academy 9-8 on March 22 and Lafayette College 9-8 on March 29. Going into April, BU was undefeated in the conference.

However, the month of April has not been as kind to the Terriers. They have fallen to Lehigh University 12-11 on April 5, Colgate University 11-7 on April 9 and then-No. 14 Loyola University-Maryland 19-8 on April 12.

“There are just some times when we lack in communication,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “In tough moments or in the play, we get a little quiet and get our blinders on.

“When we lack communication, we make mistakes. That’s come to

hurt us the past couple of games.

We’re looking to remedy it. We’ve discussed it with the team and we’re working on it in practice.”

BU is fifth in the conference, and has already qualified for the Patriot League Tournament. They are tied with both Colgate (6-7, 4-3 Patriot League) and Lehigh (7-7, 4-3 Patriot League) in the standings. However, BU holds the worst overall win percentage of the three, coming in at .429 compared with Colgate’s .462 and Lehigh’s .500, which hurts BU’s playoff seeding.

But Robertshaw said despite the late issues, the team is just happy to be playing in a postseason tournament after not being able to do so in 2013.

“We are excited we earned it [a spot in the Patriot League Tournament],” Robertshaw said. “It was one of our goals this season, especially after last year where we didn’t place.”

Difficulty with ranked opponents

This past Saturday’s game against Loyola (11-4, 7-0 Patriot League) was BU’s sixth matchup against a

ranked team. The Terriers have had some trouble battling against ranked squads this season, winning just one of the six contests.

The Terriers’ five losses against ranked opponents came versus thenNo. 1 University of North Carolina, then-No. 2/3 University of Maryland, then-No. 10/11 University of Massachusetts Amherst, then-No. 14 Johns Hopkins University and the Greyhounds (19-8) this past Saturday.

“When you’re playing teams ranked in the top-10, it’s always going to be a challenge,” Robertshaw said.

“When you make mistakes, these teams will make you pay. Loyola did it, Maryland did it, Johns Hopkins did it and so did UNC. That’s what makes them ranked teams.”

Their sole victory versus a ranked team came against the Midshipmen (14-1, 6-1 Patriot League) in a 9-8 nail-biter.

“These games show us what we need to do better and how to raise our game to that level,” Robertshaw said.

“Until then, we’re going to struggle against those teams.”

BU is set to take another ranked opponent in No. 4/6 Boston College on May 3.

Horka shines

Sophomore midfielder Jill Horka has gained a great deal of attention this season, and for good reason. The Westborough native has not only played a great two-way midfield on the campaign, but has also received four awards for her performance.

Horka has contributed greatly on the offensive end. She is tied for third on the team in goals (16), stands fourth in points (20), leads the Terriers in ground balls (27), caused turnovers (20) and draw controls (23).

Despite the loss, Saturday’s game against Loyola was no exception for Horka. Her unassisted goal in the second half extended her point streak to 11 games.

WoMen’s Lacrosse, see page 7

3 pitchers in circle for UMass

By Michael Joscelyn Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University softball team will be looking for its second consecutive victory on Tuesday when it takes on the University of Massachusetts-Amherst at BU Softball Field.

After ending a four-game losing streak on Sunday with an 11-1 win over the College of the Holy Cross, the Terriers (20-18, 5-4 Patriot League) are excited for their next opportunity to play.

“I think we’re in a good place and we recovered well on Sunday,” said BU coach Kathryn Gleason.

“Playing every other day and dealing with the weather and the injuries we had, I think we really bounced back on Sunday.”

In the win, the Terrier offense came through despite being mired in a bit of a slump. Freshman third baseman Brittany Younan was the one leading the charge, collecting three hits, three runs scored and an RBI coming from the second spot in the lineup.

Senior first baseman Chelsea Kehr and her classmate, catcher Amy Ekart were also major contributors to the attack. kehr finished the contest with two hits and two runs driven in while Ekart had one hit, but that one was a two-run home run that helped the Terriers cap off a five-run first inning. Even sophomore pitcher Lauren Hynes chipped in with a hit and an RBI. The team’s batting average now stands at .310, which is tops in the entire Patriot League. BU is also first in the conference total hits, doubles, triples, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base

soFtBaLL, see page 7

Track earns 4 weekly awards after stellar weekend race performance

By Jacklyn Bamberger and Justin Pallenik Daily Free Press Staff

Thanks to their stellar performances this past weekend at the George Mason Spring Invitational, four members of the men’s and women’s track and field teams were awarded Patriot League weekly honors, the conference announced Monday.

Sophomore distance runner Alec Olson and freshman distance runner Michelle Sumner were named Male and Female Athlete of the Week. Freshman sprinter Justin Flynn earned his second consecutive Male Rookie of the Week honor while freshman Felicia Sciortino received the Female Rookie of the Week.

Saturday, Olson dominated the 3,000m race, winning by more than five seconds and running a personal-best time of 9:07.38. Ol-

The Bottom Line

Tuesday, April 15

The BU women’s tennis team earned the No. 1 spot in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament, P.7.

[ www.dailyfreepress.com ]

Starving?

Mike Benedykciuk

TITLE CHASE

The Daily Free Press

Wednesday, April 16 W Lacrosse @ Harvard, 7 p.m.

Track @ Holy Cross, All Day

son’s performance puts him at the top of the Patriot League rankings in the event.

Sumner, building upon her successful indoor campaign, ran the fastest time of the Patriot League so far in the 5,000m race, placing first with a time of 16:59.52. She crossed the finish line more than 20 seconds ahead of her closest competitor and her time smashed her previous personal-best mark in the event by more than 40 seconds. Both Sumner and junior sprinter Gemma Acheampong have won Female Athlete of the Week twice in the outdoor season.

In the women’s 3,000m, Sciortino won the first race of her collegiate career, completing the seven-and-a-half laps in 11:05.55.

The Niskayuna, N.Y. native was a key member of the women’s cross country team that finished 14th as a team in the NCAA Northeast

Regional on Nov. 15.

Flynn continued his stellar rookie season over the weekend when he placed fifth in the 200m dash and finished eighth in the 100m dash final. At the Florida Relays on April 7, Flynn posted the conference’s top time in the 100m and was a member of the 4x100m relay team that set a school record with a time of 40.97.

Thursday, April 17

Friday, April 18

Softball @ UMass-Lowell, 4 p.m.

Track @ Holy Cross, All Day

Women’s tennis defeats Army Facing the nine-time defending champion U.S. Military Academy, the Boston University women’s tennis team continued its hot streak, earning its fifth straight victory in a 7-0 win Saturday in Allston.

Reigning Patriot League Player of the Month, sophomore Jo-

No Events Scheduled Shoutout to Tim Healey for bringing the FreeP rolls tonight.

hanna Hyoty, got things started for the Terriers (11-6, 2-0 Patriot League) in singles play, defeating Black knight (21-3, 7-1 Patriot League) senior Jamila Paul, 6-3 and 6-0.

In addition to Hyoty, sophomore Lauren Davis, senior Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis, junior Sami Lieb and freshman Barbara Rodriguez won in straight sets. Sophomore Kim McCallum, playing in the No. 6 spot, lost the first set to freshman Nancy Porter 6-3, but came back to win 6-4 and 10-5 in the next two sets to complete the singles sweep for the Terriers.

In doubles action, the duo of Hyoty and Athanasiadis downed the sister combo of senior Della Taylor and junior Elle Taylor, 8-7.

Army earned its first win of the

rounDup, see page 7

Saturday, April 19

Softball @ Colgate, 12 p.m., 2 p.m.

W Lacrosse vs. Bucknell, 1 p.m.

M Lacrosse @ Holy Cross, 6 p.m.

Track @Sean Collier Invitational, All Day