The Daily Free Press
Year xli. Volume lxxxii. Issue lxxxxi.
MOVIN’ ON UP?
Fewer high-ranking women at BU sticks with trend, page 3
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Thursday, April 5, 2012 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
TOO LITTLE HUNGER?
Columnist questions media’s view of ‘Katniss’ actress, page 6
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www.dailyfreepress.com
TOP DOGS
Lacrosse stays hot with third straight conf. win, page 8
WEATHER
Today: Sunny, High 55 Tonight: Clear, Low 34 Tomorrow: 55/34 Data Courtesy of weather.com
Occupy MBTA protests fare hikes, cuts at State House MBTA increases fees, tries to close 2012 budget gap By Jasper Craven Daily Free Press Staff
More than 100 protesters shouting “Free Charlie” crowded the hallways of Massachusetts State House chambers Wednesday as they decried the 23 percent fare hikes the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board officially approved. Holding signs such as “Cut Carbon, Not the T,” the Occupy Boston working group Occupy the MBTA launched the beginning of what an Occupy Boston press release called a 10-day occupation called Camp Charlie. During this time, Occupy the MBTA members will protest the fare hikes while encamped on the steps of the State House, according to the press release on the Occupy Boston website. While describing the slogan of “Free Charlie,” Occupy Boston member Noah McKenna stood on a staircase of the State House and told the parabolic story of Charlie, a “normal, working class guy.” While Charlie was on the T one day, fares rose and he was not allowed off the train until he paid the increased price, McKenna said. “Public transportation is a right,” McKenna said. “There is no reason, in this country, with all this money around, that we should have people being cut off the map.” McKenna said cutting lines and service from communities eliminates economic opportunities and social interaction. The MBTA, which has an estimated $185 million budget gap, is putting the measures in place to cut the deficit. “Under the proposal, MBTA will use a combination of administrative efficiencies, fare increases, service changes and one-time revenues to close the gap,” according to a press release on the MBTA website.
By Samantha Tatro Daily Free Press Staff
JUSTINA WONG/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Erik Thorkildsan of Cambridge rallies with Occupy Boston members outside the State House Wednesday afternoon against the recent MBTA decisions to increase T, bus and commuter rail fares and cut some routes.
The changes follow “more than two months of public meetings where 6,000 customers weighed in on proposals,” according to the press release. McKenna said the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation Chief Financial Officer Dana Levenson was privatizing public transportation. Before working at MassDOT, Levenson was the chief financial officer for the City of Chicago. “He’s responsible for the selling of parking garages in downtown Chicago,” McKenna said. “He was there when they made plans to sell off parking meters.” After the meters were sold and privatized,
the price rose from $2 to $6.50, McKenna said. The new fare changes require $2 for a subway ride with a CharlieCard and $1.50 for a local bus ride. For students, a subway ride will be $1, and a bus ride will cost $.75. Cat, a protester who asked to keep her last name anonymous, was involved in organizing against proposed public transportation cuts in her hometown of Somerville for five months. The MBTA was proposing cutting five or six bus lines, Cat said. Cat spoke of many necessary improvements to the MBTA, including better service, newer vehicles and service to more areas.
Occupy, see page 2
BU Biolab to begin tuberculosis research, continue training By Gina Curreri Daily Free Press Staff
Boston University’s Biosafety laboratory is expected to start housing level-2 tuberculosis research this week, officials said. Ellen Berlin, the BU spokeswoman for the biolab, said the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories’ Biosafety Level-2 laboratory would launch research by Thursday. Since its completed construction in 2008, the biolab has been used for training and office space, but not research. “We certainly started this process a long time ago,” Berlin said. “This is a really important milestone for the NEIDL.” Two TB research projects, which have begun on a different level-2 lab on campus, will be transferred to the biolab in the South End, Berlin said.
“Tuberculosis affects nearly one-third of the world’s population, so it’s a really important public health issue,” she said. Research at a lowerlevel received preliminary approval in early December, according to an article published in The Daily Free Press Dec. 5. College of Engineering Associate Professor James Galagan will continue to lead his research team in studying a non-pathogenic, M. smegmatis, related to the organism that causes TB, according to a Tuesday NEIDL press release. The studies should help researchers “gain insight into how key gene control mechanisms work,” according to the release. A second team will study host resistance to TB bacteria and work toward vaccine potency and safety. Associate BU School of Medicine Professor Igor Kramnik leads this team.
Fifteen researchers comprise the two teams. Funding for the research totals more than $4.5 million in grants. Higher-level research at the lab awaits approval and the National Institutes of Health meets with the public to discuss its Risk Assessment of level-3 and level-4 research April 19, Berlin said. Level-4 research is set aside for infectious diseases, which are usually life threatening, according to the NEIDL website. NIH completed its 1,756-page Draft Supplementary Risk Assessment in February. Results showed the risk of infections or deaths to the general public living near the NEIDL are “generally very low to only remotely possible,” according to the 23-page Reader’s Guide. The public comment period ends May 1, after which NIH will prepare its Final Supplementary Risk, according to the NIH website.
Although the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officially passed its final budget proposal Wednesday, many Bostonians said they hesitated to express their approval of the measure. “They’re in a bit of a pickle,” said Daniel Lampariello, a Suffolk University sophomore and a “Boston to a T” blogger, referring to the public’s response to the MBTA’s official proposal to close its $185 million budget gap for fiscal year 2012-13. The proposal, which will go into effect July 1, is set to include a 23 percent fare increase and some service cuts, said MBTA Spokeswoman Lydia Rivera. Under the plan, bus fares will climb from $1.25 to $1.50 and CharlieCard subway fares from $1.70 to $2, according to an MBTA press release. The 30-cent increase on subway fares will be “fine” for him as a college student, Lampariello said. “As a college student, I use the T every day,” he said. “I’m still going to keep paying for it, and 30 cents won’t make a big difference for me.” In fact, increasing prices is a valid move on the MBTA’s part, he said, because “people need to use the T, and they’ll pay either way.” Fare hikes are better than drastic service cuts, said Megan Green, an Allston resident who stood at the Boston University West T stop on the Green Line as she explained her perspective. “If I had to pick, I’d rather pay the 30 cents more because I need the T to get to work,” Green said. “But $2 a ride is still pretty pricey for me.” She said the service cuts would not always affect her as much as price hikes. “But I know that so many people depend on certain routes, and once they’re gone, they’re gone,” Green said. “At least with the price hikes, they can then lower prices again.” But Noah McKenna, a representative from Occupy Boston’s Occupy the MBTA working group, called the T’s proposal “unacceptable.” “One of our goals is to stop those . . . fair hikes and service cuts . . . from going into effect,” he said. “We need a transportation plan that helps to build equality and helps the 99 percent. The Legislature has continued to procrastinate and now they’re attempting to directly pass the bill against the most vulnerable citizens.”
MBTA, see page 2
Students attend ‘Kony 2012’ screening, continue support despite controversy By Mary Yatrousis Daily Free Press Staff
Adongo Quinto, an Invisible Children “roadie” from Uganda, remembers hiding in the jungle and seeing the Lord’s Resistance Army chase another boy, he said to Boston University students Wednesday night. “We strongly believe that what Joseph Kony is doing is absolutely wrong,” Quinto said. “We have to do something to ensure that this war comes to end.” About 30 students attended a “Kony 2012” screening designed to raise awareness of the political strife in Unganda and to continue IC’s mission of galvanizing public outcry against Kony, a Ugandan war lord made famous in recent weeks by IC’s campaign. Quinto said he joined IC in 2006. He
recently left his family and job behind in Uganda to begin a 10-week tour with IC. “Kony 2012” received an “overwhelming” response, said Caleb Riddle, an IC “roadie” from Virginia. The nonprofit organization’s goal for number of views by the end of 2012 was crushed in the first 10 hours of the “Kony 2012” premiere. Riddle said he hopes more people reach out to their representatives. “The resolution is for the [U.S.] to see the conflict to the end,” Riddle said. “We know by capturing Joseph Kony, it necessarily won’t end the war. He’s got a lot of top commanders that still need to be captured after him.” Though a resolution is in the works, 90 co-sponsors are not enough to pass the resolution, he said. U.S. Sen. John Kerry, of Massachusetts, is among politicians “unof-
ficially” supportive of the IC’s cause. Amanda Crawford-Staub, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, is the president of BU IC, “I think the impact [of “Kony 2012”] so far has really accomplished what it initially set out to do,” Crawford-Staub said. Though “Kony 2012” has had some negative impact, College of Engineering freshman and BU IC executive board member Garrett Moore said it has caused more conversation and questions about Kony. “I feel anytime you have something that gets attention very quickly from mass media, or just a lot of the population, especially a population of youth, there is going to be backlash,” Moore said. Moore said some of the backlash was
Kony, see page 4
SPENCER WARDWELL/Daily Free Press Staff
Invisible Children volunteers Caleb Riddle (left) and Adonga Quinto speak to the crowd after viewing the organizations film “Kony 2012.” IC held a screening of the film in the College of General Studies Wednesday night.