4-1-2022

BU HOUSING COSTS SURGE, 3

GALLERY, 6

OPINIONS, 8

SPORTS, 12

Many students unaware of oncampus housing cost increase

Colors fly as the BU community celebrates Holi

Disregard DeSantis, Say gay, save the gays

After over 25 years, BU football legend returns to Boston

CE LE B RATIN G

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Former Sargent student charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and battery Walker Armstrong City Associate The following article contains mentions of sexual assault.

A former Boston University undergraduate student was charged with two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 on Dec. 15, according to public court records obtained by The Daily Free Press.

The charges stemmed from an April 2021 incident, wherein Joseph Hraiz, a then-student at the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, sexually assaulted a woman in a friend’s dormitory on Commonwealth Ave., according to court reports.

According to LinkedIn, Hraiz completed a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology at BU in 2021.

A post on Campus Survivors — a BU-based Instagram page where survivors of sexual violence can share their stories anonymously — described Hraiz as a “current BU dental student.”

It is unclear at this time if Hraiz is currently enrolled at BU. Hraiz pleaded not guilty on all charges Jan. 4. He was released from court on the conditions he does not try to contact the accuser or their mutual friends or further abuse the accuser, according to court records.

The incident was reported to the BU Police Department a “couple of months” after the incident, BU spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email.

“BUPD assisted the victim, conducted an investigation and brought the case to the District Attorney’s office,” Riley wrote.

BUPD declined to comment.

What happened According to the court statement, Hraiz, the accuser and their friend — who is identified in the statement as “MW” — made plans to drink the night of April 24, 2021. The accuser

“Instead she froze,” the court statement reads.

Following the incident, Hraiz went to the bathroom, came back and fell asleep. The accuser, who was “feeling the effects of the alcohol she

COURTESY OF JOSEPH HRAIZ VIA FACEBOOK

Joseph Hraiz, a former Boston University undergraduate student. Public court records show Hraiz was charged with two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault and battery Dec. 15 while still an undergraduate student at BU.

smoked marijuana prior to her arrival and all three “drank multiple glasses of wine,” the statement reads.

The accuser fell asleep on MW’s bed but was later told to move to the floor and was provided with blankets.

Hraiz also slept on the floor, “next to the bed and a couple of feet from the victim,” the court statement reads.

On the morning of April 25, Hraiz committed nonconsensual sexual acts on the accuser as she pretended to be asleep, “too shocked and fearful to resist.”

had consumed earlier,” also went back to sleep but woke up later in the morning, packed her stuff and left.

Hraiz attempted to contact the accuser later that day and again on April 28 to apologize. On April 30, Hraiz texted a mutual friend of the accuser saying that “it is sexual assault and I want to try to make things better for [the victim]... I am begging for ur help,” the court statement reads.

A rape conviction carries with it a prison sentence of “life or for

any term of years,” according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts General Laws.

There is no standing legal definition for “indecent assault and battery” in the state of Massachusetts.

There have been at least two separate petitions brought forth by members of MA legislation which sought to define the term.

Renee Algarin, deputy director of communications for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, defined indecent assault and battery as any “non-consensual sexual touching, that is not penetration.”

A person accused of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 faces up to five years in prison, or up to two and a half years in a jail or “house of correction,” the General Laws state.

An arraignment was held on Jan. 4, and a pre-trial conference will take place on March 31. A pre-trial hearing is set for June 22 and a final pre-trial conference is set for Dec. 20. The jury trial is scheduled to take place on Jan. 3, 2023.

The attorney for the defense did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The University also declined to comment.

If you have experienced sexual harrasment, assault or violence, you can file a confidential report with the University’s Title IX office or contact the Boston University Police Department at 617-3532121. Further information on sexual misconduct resources are available here and sexual misconduct offcampus can be reported to the Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit on 617343-4400.

Campus editor Jesús Marrero Suárez contributed to the reporting of this article.

YEAR LII. VOLUME A. ISSUE IX

Men’s Hockey: O’Connell Out Mitch Fink Sports Editor Albie O’Connell will not return as Boston University’s men’s hockey head coach, the University announced Wednesday afternoon.

O’Connell served as head coach for four years, leading the team to one NCAA tournament appearance and an overall record of 58-49-16.

The program, despite winning its first Beanpot championship since 2015 in February, struggled to win consistently throughout the season.

“We have very high expectations for our men’s ice hockey program and we are determined to have our team compete at the highest level of college hockey,” BU Director of Athletics Drew Marrochello said in a statement.

“After the conclusion of our regular year-end assessment, we believe that a new direction is needed for our program to achieve our goals.”

The Terriers finished their campaign with a 19-13-3 record, but lost in their first matchup in the Hockey East Tournament to the University of Connecticut and failed to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

“This was obviously a difficult decision as Albie worked hard towards putting our team in a position to contend for championships,” Marrochello said. “We recognize that he was part of several successful teams during his time as a studentathlete and coach here, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best.

O’Connell joined BU’s coaching staff in 2014 to work under then-head coach David Quinn. O’Connell served as associate head coach for four years before he was promoted to head coach when Quinn left BU to become the head coach of the New York Rangers.

BU has yet to announce a replacement, or interim, for the position.

President Robert Brown rejects Myles Standish Hall name change petition Sydney Topf Staff Writer Ava Berger Community Associate In 1623, Myles Standish, a Plymouth colony military leader, was sent to Wessagusset with a small army after word of a multi-tribal attack — led by Massachusett, Nauset, Paomet and other Indigenious tribes

TALIA LISSAUER | DFP STAFF

— planned on the Weymouth and Plymouth colonies. Upon arrival, Standish invited Massachusett War Chiefs Pecksuit and Wituwamut and other warriors to a “peaceful summit.”

According to Massachusett tribal history, the summit ended with Standish ambushing, poisoning and murdering the war chiefs, warriors and several Wessagusset villagers.

As a warning to all other Indigenous populations, Standish beheaded Wituwamat and displayed his head at the Plymouth Plantation entrance.

Almost 400 years later, Boston University’s dormitory at 610 Beacon Street bears the name of Myles Standish, but a recent petition is calling for it to be changed to the Wituwamat Memorial Hall, named after the beheaded warrior.

“Myles Standish is remembered by this lands’ first peoples for the extreme acts of violence he committed against their ancestors,” the online petition said.

The petition was created by the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag and Travis Franks, a postdoctoral associate at Kilachand Honors College. It was sent to President Robert Brown and the Boston University Board of Trustees with over 900 signatures on Oct. 12, 2021.

But Brown rejected the call for

change, citing Standish’s important role in Massachusetts’ history.

“Myles Standish was a capable and flawed individual whose responsibility was the defense of his community in a precarious time and place,” Brown said in a letter sent on Dec. 14, 2021. “His role in the history of the founding of Massachusetts, and thus our nation, was significant. To remove his name from the residence hall would discount his significant role in our history. I am not prepared to remove his name at this time.”

Although Brown acknowledged that Standish murdered Wituwamat and members of his tribe, he pointed to the alliances the military officer built with other Indigenous tribes.

Brown also stated that BU is only connected to Standish through his efforts as a militia leader in the Plymouth Bay Colony.

Myles Standish Hall was first built as Myles Standish Hotel in 1925 and was bought by BU in 1949.

Faries Gray, sagamore of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, questioned Brown’s response at an event held at Kilachand Hall last Saturday.

“How much effort does it take to change a name, to acknowledge that this guy should not be on it? That’s what it is about for us,” Gray said.

While Franks does not disagree with Brown that Standish’s actions were an “important historical factor” in the founding of Massachusetts, he does not believe it justifies Brown’s decision.

In the closing of his letter, Brown emphasized how more research on Standish is warranted.

“I would suggest that it is entirely appropriate that Myles Standish’s life and deeds be studied in detail—to the extent available accounts allow—and in their moral contradictions,” Brown said. “Although I am not a historian, I am an avid reader of history. I offer the thought that the most instructive histories are the ones written with conscious devotion to accuracy and a certain humility about what we can know and understand about another time and place — and the choices made by individuals in that time and place.”

Leaders of the Tribe and Franks invited Brown to the Saturday event.

“One thing I appreciated in President Brown’s letter was the closing,” Franks said in an interview. “I do feel it would be entirely appropriate to continue a conversation about Standish’s life in detail … ideally, we would love to have him join us to take part in that conversation.”

Brown did not attend. Franks said he was told Brown was out of town at the time.

“I’m not sure if [Brown] wants to have the conversations, but it is really important because it’s how you build relationships,” Gray said.

Despite Brown’s reluctance to change the building’s name, some refer to Myles Standish Hall by its address, 610 Beacon Street.

Lillie Webb, director of Kilachand Honors College and Global House, a living-learning community located in Myles Standish Hall, said Standish is the “antithesis” of everything they stand for.

“I think that it is really unfortunate that my program which is so focused on building bridges and connections across cultures and finding a sense of commonality and understanding, should be in a building that is named for someone who instead stands for xenophobia, colonialism and violence,” Webb said.

Webb noted that, even though BU did not name the building, they now have the ability “to take a stand and to make a change.”

“If BU were to take the opportunity to move forward with this, it would send a strong message about where CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS Myles Standish Hall from Page 1 our university stands when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples,” Webb said.

Nico McMahon, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, learned about Myles Standish when taking a class with Franks his freshman year.

“It was never something that was talked about until recently, so the conversations in that class helped to open my eyes to the history of this area,” McMahon said.

McMahon said he feels other students in the class also feel discontent with the name. “[Students share my] general disgust for the idea that this ubiquitous place, this dorm that we all pass by every day, could be named after someone who’s attached to so much pain for the Indigenous community,” McMahon said.

McMahon said he sees no benefit of Brown rejecting the petition.

“I feel like it hurts the BU community,” McMahon said.

Franks will continue to work with the tribe and BU students to spread awareness of the issue.

“We are still expanding our efforts to the greater BU community, so we’re working with student groups, we’re working with faculty, colleagues, and we are contacting the tribe,” Franks said.

When asked for a comment, BU spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email that, “President Brown’s letter speaks for itself.”

President Brown’s office declined to comment.

“Either he doesn’t know or he doesn’t care or possibly he might think that it’s okay that Myles Standish cut the heads off people,” Gray said.

Investigation launched into death of worker at Government Center construction site Casey Choung Staff Writer An investigation has been launched following the death of a construction worker from a parking garage collapse earlier this week.

Peter Monsini, 51, died on March 26 when a crane collapsed at a parking garage under construction at Government Center. Monsini was operating an excavator when the floor gave out from underneath him, causing him to fall roughly 100 feet.

“We were devastated to learn that we lost a Brother Member from Local 4 to a tragic and horrible construction accident in Boston,” Bill McLaughlin, the business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4, wrote in a statement. “He was a great friend to many of us and he will be sadly missed.”

Following the incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in tandem with the District Attorney’s Office, launched an investigation to find out what happened.

“The City of Boston is working with city, state and federal investigators to determine the cause of this tragic accident,” City Councilor Ed Flynn wrote in a statement. “It is critical that we ensure our construction workers are safe when performing their jobs, and that we have measures in place to prevent tragic accidents like this from happening again.”

According to the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, the company managing the

site at the time of the accident, JDC Demolition, and its parent company, J. Derenzo, “have a history of unsafe working conditions.”

“A worker working for J. Derenzo died on the job in April 2018. The worker was using the bucket of an excavator to disassemble a trench box when he was fatally struck in the chest by part of the box,” it said in a statement.

company behind the Government Center garage project, wrote in a statement it obtained all “applicable permits” and had “premier contractors” on the job.

“In light of the terrible tragedy that occurred on Saturday evening, we are fully cooperating with investigators to gather all of the facts to make a true determination on what happened,” HYM wrote in a joint email statement

PERRY SOSI | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Government Center parking garage construction site. Construction worker Peter Monsini, 51, died March 26 in an accident caused by a partial collapse of a crane near Government Center.

According to OSHA records, JDC Demolition has received numerous violations in the past, including a $4,900 fine in Feb. 2014, a $9,800 fine in Mar. 2016 and a $12,288 fine in June 2021.

HYM Investment Group, the

with the National Real Estate Advisors.

Jeff Newton, communications director for MassCOSH, said construction companies need to put “people over profits and safety over timeline.”

“We really want to see companies ensuring that workers are trained on the kind of hazards they will see at that particular worksite and really spending the time to make [construction] more effective and safe as possible,” Newton said.

Newton added MassCOSH is working on trying to pass an act relative to workplace safety and disclosure of violations, which would enable the state to view the safety records of contractors bidding for state projects.

“We think the regulations are strong, now we just need strong enforcement, and the ability to reward good companies with good safety records, and not fund organizations and companies that have proven to be unable to keep their workers safe on the job,” Newton said.

In the aftermath of the incident, nearby Orange and Green Line stations were suspended.

“Because most of the debris stemming from the partial garage collapse came down on the surface directly above the Green Line, structural engineers continue an intensive examination and assessment of the tunnels used by Green Line trains,” MBTA wrote in a March 29 press release.

Shuttle buses were provided to replace service between North Station and Government Center. The Green Line service remains suspended.

Orange Line service between the North and Back Bay stations resumed on Mar. 29, according to a press release.

North End restaurateurs shun Mayor Michelle Wu’s outdoor dining compromise Seamus Webster Staff Writer Mayor Michelle Wu proposed a compromise Tuesday for the $7,500 outdoor dining fee the City imposed on North End restaurants for the upcoming outdoor dining season.

Wu announced at a press conference that North End restaurateurs can pay the fee in monthly increments and those who participate will pay only for the months they choose to offer outdoor dining.

“From what I see today, it seems like there is a critical mass of restaurant owners who believe this can work, and we’re happy to offer those limited hardship waivers that can address specific situations,” Wu said.

The hardship waiver — which would allow restaurants to pay less than $7,500 — would take into account a restaurant’s liquor license, whether it has a small patio space and if it is on North End’s main streets — Hanover and Salem.

The $7,500 fee was introduced as a means to minimize the negative impacts of outdoor dining for local residents, who complained about excessive garbage, noise and traffic on the roads and in the area.

Nick Varano, the owner of the Italian restaurant Strega, and Philip Frattaroli — who owns multiple eateries in the area and is a board member of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association — showed support for the amended plan.

“I believe if we can come together and figure this out this year, we can have this for a longer time,” Varano said. “We can have this for the years to come. But if we don’t, it’s going to be something that’s lost.”

Aaron Michlewitz, state representative for the Third Suffolk district, said tailored regulations for the neighborhood were necessary be-

cause of how dense its infrastructure was.

“Not having outdoor dining would put our restaurants at a disadvantage for the rest of Boston,” he said. “But not having the proper mitigation, for what is still a pilot program, will make this unworkable for the residents of the North End, as it was last year.”

On the fifth floor of the City Hall lobby, while the press conference was ongoing, a protest of approximately 30 people unfolded. Some people yelled, “Shame on Wu” while others demanded to be let into the press conference.

“What more do they want from us?

They just want to destroy us,” Patrick Mendoza, a North End restaurant owner, said at the protest. “They want to close us down and put a gap in my restaurant, or a Starbucks.”

After a group of restaurateurs said last week they would pursue legal action against the City if the measure stood, Wu signaled in a letter sent to The Boston Globe that if a compromise couldn’t be reached, the outdoor dining program would be shut down entirely.

“It was important to clarify that this is not a program that the city has guaranteed for any part of our city,” Wu said on Tuesday.

A Change.org petition titled “Outdoor Dining Fee Unfairly Targets North End Restaurants” has gathered over 36,000 signatures so far.

“Please sign if you believe this excessive fee, which only applies to North End restaurants, is unfair and should be removed,” the petition read.

“Please let Mayor Wu know this is not fair and not in Boston’s best interest.”

An hour after the press conference at City Hall, a group of restaurateurs held their own press conference outside Terramia Ristorante on Salem St, urging the City to drop the new measures entirely.

Jorge Mendoza, who owns Vinoteca di Monica, criticized Wu’s press conference, which he said he and oth-

er opponents of the regulations were not invited to.

“They went and had a private meeting on Sunday and they stabbed us all in the back, in the worst fashion,” Jorge Mendoza said.

Carla Agrippino-Gomes, owner and general manager of Terramia, expressed her disagreement that the fee only applies to restaurants in the North End. “If the whole city has to pay $7,500,

we’re right there with you,” she said.

“We’re on board, we’ll pay the $7,500.

But we will not pay if we are the only neighborhood actually required to pay this amount.”

Agrippino-Gomes also expressed doubt at the City’s ability to transfer the money from the fees into actual quality of life improvements for residents.

“All our restaurants, seven nights a week, pay for private trash removal,”

Agrippino-Gomes said.

Last week, the group that threatened legal action against the City told The Boston Globe they would file a lawsuit by April 1 if the measures were not appealed. The group of restaurateurs outside Terramia said they were not certain what their next move would be.

Agrippino-Gomes said they had spoken to an attorney, but had not officially retained him.

TAYLOR COESTER | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

An outdoor dining area by Mother Anna’s restaurant in the North End. Mayor Wu announced March 29 that outdoor dining fees for North End restaurants, imposed in response to the community’s complaints, can be paid in monthly increments and only for the months restaurants participate in outdoor dining.

NEWS 3

The Halal Guys sets up shop at GSU Tian Liao Staff Writer The Halal Guys, the iconic American halal restaurant chain, opened a new location in the George Sherman Union March 21.

Once on campus for a twoweek pop-up in 2018, The Halal Guys came back this month due to its popularity, Lynn Cody, director of marketing at BU Dining Services, wrote in an email.

“The Halal Guys will be at The Market in the GSU through the end of the spring semester,” Cody wrote. “At that time we will reevaluate for the fall semester.”

The return of The Halal Guys aligns with BU’s goal to diversify food options on campus.

“BU Dining designs our menus to be inclusive and sustainable,” Cody wrote. “Through our own programs in the dining halls to The Halal Guys, we are always looking to expand our food offerings to meet the needs of the people we serve.”

Saira Saeed, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Sister’s Social Chair of the Islamic Society of BU, said she believes the University is doing a good job providing halal options, but the school should do more to ensure the halal food they serve is not cross-contaminated at dining hall stations.

“There’s a lot of things that are in the halal dining hall food like wine vinegar or something related to alcoholic bases or enzymes that are not plant-based,” Saeed

said. “But some of the foods, even though they may be labeled halal, have those ingredients which are not essentially halal.”

Cody wrote that BU has identified recipes as halal based on guidelines established by Sargent.

Saeed said she thinks Muslim students will be turning to BU’s late-night dining hall options as Ramadan approaches and said she hopes BU could provide healthier halal food for suhur and iftar, the meals eaten before and after fasting.

so most of us would probably rely on late-night dining, and we do not want to eat something really heavy.”

Cody wrote BU Dining Services is working with ISBU to provide halal food throughout Ramadan.

HUI-EN LIN | DFP STAFF

The Halal Guys in the George Sherman Union at Boston University. The pop-up will remain in The Market until the end of the semester, as part of BU’s goal to diversify food options on campus.

“We recently analyzed our Halal menu to ensure that items marked as Halal are appropriate,” Cody wrote.

“A lot of the stuff at latenight dining is not halal,” Saeed said. “Especially with Ramadan coming up, we have to eat suhur

“In addition to expanded offerings through our Rhetty to Go program, Dining Services is working with the ISBU and

local restaurants to provide food Monday-Friday for iftar throughout Ramadan,” Cody wrote.

Waleed Khan, a senior in the College of Engineering and vice president of ISBU, said he appreciates BU’s willingness to listen about diversifying halal food options.

“We really appreciate BU lending us an ear and speaking with us and their hard work and time with us,” Khan said.

Ananya Lamba, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks The Halal Guys is the best place to eat at the GSU. “Every other place is just sandwiches and the food isn’t made well, and it’s very similar to dining hall food,” Lamba said.

“This is a nice change of pace.”

Raheeq Ibrahim, a freshman in CAS, said she believes having halal options available for students is better for everyone including Muslim students.

“I am Muslim and Ramadan is coming, I think this week, so it’s very good that they have The Halal Guys right in time,” Ibrahim said. “Anybody can eat at The Halal Guys, I think a lot of people like it.”

Herawati Teapon, a senior in the Wheelock School of Education and Human Development, said she wishes The Halal Guys had opened earlier in her time at BU and hopes it becomes a permanent fixture on campus.

“The sad thing is I’m about to graduate in two months,” Teapon said. “But I’m really grateful that it’s here, it’s really good for other Muslim students.”

BU housing costs surge at highest rate in years, interest in off-campus housing rises Artemis Huang Contributing Writer Fiona Broadie Contributing Writer Boston University raised its 2022-2023 academic year traditional-style residence rates by an average of $460 per student compared to last year. The cost of a dining plan — which all traditional-style residents are required to get — similarly increased by $290 over the same period.

Costs have been increasing steadily over the past decade, both at BU and in the greater Boston area. But for many, the increase in BU housing’s prices is making the option of living off-campus increasingly more attractive.

“That’s a part of my decision for next year to go offcampus completely,” said Julia Concannon, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“To go off campus, it depends on the area that you’re living in, but generally, it tends to be so much less expensive.”

Previously, the University’s average cost for its on-campus, traditional-style residences had increased at a rate of approximately 3% per year — the only exception being the 20212022 academic year where rates increased by 1.47%.

This year, rates increased by the highest percent change in at least the last seven years — 3.86%.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said housing prices reflect inflation and the costs of operating 11,000 beds across more than 140 student residences. These costs include supply, goods and

services, salaries and benefits, maintenance and staffing.

Inflation has hit a 40-year high — reaching 7.9% over the past year, according to data from the Consumer Price Index — amid turmoil in Ukraine and the lasting economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They [BU Housing] look at the cost and budget needs … and forward that information up to senior leadership that then looks at the entire University operating budget,” Riley said.

Excluding dining plan costs, a single room in a suite — a shared living space that includes a private bathroom — in 33 Harry Agganis Way will cost approximately $1,800 a month, and a standard minimum rate room — that is, a

room with two, three or four beds, with no kitchen and a shared bathroom — will cost around $1,250 a month.

However, the average cost of renting a room in a three-bedroom apartment in Boston would come out at around $1,050 a month, and a studio apartment in Allston has an average monthly rent of approximately $1,700, according to data from Boston Pads, an apartment rental agency based in Boston.

CAS freshman Bhagat Khanna, who resides in a triple room on Bay State Road, said he wasn’t aware of the price change.

“I understand that housing may increase in price and that’s, in some way, maybe out of my control,” he said. “I would at

least have wanted to be aware of it in some way... I think communication at least should be a minimum.”

Alina Karimova, a freshman in the College of Communication, said she does not agree with the increasing housing rates given there are issues with plumbing, shower and heating in her residence at Warren Towers.

“I am here on scholarship... I don’t come from a rich family,” she said. “Sometimes I have questions of where that money is going.”

In a Dec. 2021 interview with The Daily Free Press, BU President Robert Brown mentioned the school is aware that some buildings around campus are in need of renovations.

DAVID YEUNG | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The “White Stones” residence at Boston University. BU Housing raised costs of living for traditional-style residences for the 2022-2023 academic year, which makes off-campus housing a potentially more affordable option for students.

“We have 380 buildings. Some are new and some that very much need renovation,” he said.

“We spend a lot of time thinking about and getting a lot of input about how we deploy the limited amount of resources we have to move forward.”

Joshua Goodman, associate professor of Economics and Education at BU, said the University’s increasing housing costs fall in line with the general trend in Boston of housing becoming “substantially more expensive”.

“I think what [BU] should probably do is think about ways in particular to protect more economically vulnerable students,” Goodman said.

After adjusting for inflation, the median rent in Boston has increased 29.11% since 2000, according to recent federal housing data compiled by iPropertyManagement. On March 11, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a Rent Stabilization Advisory Committee to propose rent control legislation in Boston.

Goodman said long-term solutions to housing cost problems lie beyond BU’s capabilities.

“Massachusetts and Boston particularly need a much smarter housing policy and in particular need to stop preventing the building of many more units of housing.”

Despite Boston’s housing problems, some BU students still think increasing housing prices each year is unreasonable.

“It’s inequitable for housing to continually be more expensive,” Concannon said. “I hope that they can somehow figure out a solution to mitigate the cost of housing for students.”

4 FEATURES

COMMUNITY

Meme-based matchmaking app coming to BU Emma Hagert Staff Writer Want a dating app based solely on your humor and taste in memes?

Schmooze might be for you.

Schmooze sets itself apart from other platforms by being a memebased dating app. Rather than swiping on profiles, Schmooze users swipe according to the memes they find amusing and match with others who have the same taste.

Starting next week, Schmooze will be on college campuses throughout Boston, including Boston University.

“Our entire team is going to be there next week … trying to grab attention and trying to get more people to Schmooze,” Vidya Madhavan, founder and chief executive office, said.

Madhavan emphasized that memes are reminders of a “point in time, a point in life” worth cherishing.

“Memes say so much about each of us and communicate so much in just being a text or just being an image,” she said.

For the first time, dating app users have a way to connect that is not entirely based on profiles and photos, Madhavan said. Instead, matches are made through humor and laughter, providing a lot more fun and a lot less stress to the experience.

“Every generation has its own set of social and dating products.

There was Facebook back in the day when eHarmony and match.com was the thing,” Madhavan said. “Then came Instagram, which had Tinder, Bumble, Hinge as the user base. We

want to be the dating app for the TikTok generation.”

Madhavan graduated in 2021 with a Masters in Business Administration from Stanford University where she said professors taught entire courses on memes and meme culture and gave hard facts about the power of memes.

“There are some professors … who say that memes are a huge predictor of not only who you’re likely to gel well with at the beginning of a relationship or how your first date would go, but continue to be a strong predictor of how good your bond is going to be, even once you’ve started dating or you’ve been in a relationship for some time,” Madhavan said.

The app was first tested at Stanford.

In 10 weeks, their user base quickly grew from 100 students to 10,000 without them spending a dollar on marketing, Madhavan said.

One of the influencers Schmooze reached out to at BU to help build their brand was Alefiyah Gandhi, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. Gandhi’s brand on TikTok focuses on “self love, inclusivity, body positivity.”

After meeting with Madhavan, Gandhi said she had an “instant” connection with the Schmooze team while crafting an ad for the dating app on her TikTok account.

“More than anything … I wanted to watch [Madhavan’s] success so badly and I wanted to be a part of it,” Gandhi said. “Especially just as someone that is South Asian, I don’t have a lot of representation when it comes to these fields.”

Gandhi said she encountered

BAYVLE VINES | DFP STAFF

A person using Schmooze, a dating app that matches its users with others who enjoy similar memes. “We want to be the dating app for the TikTok generation,” said founder and CEO Vidya Madhavan.

fat phobia and other superficial experiences on other dating apps.

“I want to be able to use dating apps without it being self destructive,” Gandhi said. “I want to be able to match with people and talk to people without feeling self conscious all the time.”

The culture Schmooze creates with its app can be whatever users want it to be, but more importantly, it’s a space where women can be more comfortable, Gandhi said.

“With Schmooze, at the very least, even if you are looking for something more casual, you’re forced almost to

make that connection … like love is blind,” Gandhi said.

Jaylen Cocklin, a freshman at Harvard, said he was surprised by the app’s approach to matching people based on memes.

“I’m not on any other dating apps, the only thing with Schmooze, I saw the word memes and was like this is going to be really funny,” Cocklin said.

Cocklin said he thought it was “crazy” how quickly the app updates memes after seeing some about Will Smith and the Oscars an hour after the televised slap.

Madhavan said Schmooze is also developing a game that tells you what your meme personality is, sort of like the Spotify Wrapped. The Schmooze app has other features like a “Schmooze Boo” for customer service concerns and is open to feedback from all of its users.

“I would love for everyone to give it a shot, because it’s a new concept,” Madhavan said. “Hopefully we can surprise, amaze and excite people a lot more. The memes are getting more exciting.”

ARTS

REVIEW: Freestyle Love Supreme Adithya Iyer Contributing Writer An entire wall of retro speakers and a large neon sign piercing the darkness reading “FLS” — Freestyle Love Supreme — set the stage as people started filing into the theater.

Freestyle Love Supreme, a Special Tony Award-winning improv hip-

hop comedy show co-created by LinManuel Miranda, took the stage at the Emerson Colonial Theater March 26.

As everyone took their seats, the lights dimmed and three performers came on stage to a groovy funk beat playing in the background. Andrew Bancroft, aka “Jelly Donut,” started rapping over the beat as Jay C. Ellis, aka “Jellis J,” and Aneesa Folds, aka “Young Nees,” joined in.

Their introductory freestyle

incorporated lyrics about where they were, what they were going to do and how excited they were to get the show going. Once the introductions were complete, Bancroft approached the front of the stage and asked the crowd for a verb. This was when the show diverged and became something truly unique.

People raised their hands — verbs such as “gallop,” “floating,” “puke,” “dancing” and “launder” were

COURTESY OF JOAN MARCUS

Chris Sullivan (left), Wayne Brady, Anthony Veneziale, Aneesa Folds and Kurt Crowley (on keyboard) in Freestyle Love Supreme at the Emerson Colonial Theater. Adithya Iyer reviewed the improv hip-hop comedy show, praising the performers’ talent and musical acumen.

thrown back to make it harder for the performers to incorporate into freestyle. Bancroft took in all the suggestions and settled on the word that all three performers were going to find a use for in their freestyle rap.

The word was “grind.”

The beat from before immediately started to play again as Bancroft, Ellis and Folds all took turns incorporating the word into lyrics that were relevant and specific to the experiences of the crowd. Bancroft incorporated Boston specific references, Folds made a comment about the drizzly weather and Ellis incorporated some of the other verbs suggested earlier.

From the first song, it was clear to the audience that everything we were about to witness was truly improvisational and that we were among the privileged few to see this completely unique show.

Once this was over, the three main performers took a break and Chris Sullivan, aka “Shockwave,” came to the front of the stage. Up until this point, Sullivan had not taken a verse.

The lights dimmed and a single spotlight shone on Sullivan as he proceeded to beatbox with incredible precision and skill. He switched between different percussive styles, impressing the audience with his ability to emulate an entire band all by himself.

The most impressive part of Sullivan’s performance came when he pulled out a harmonica from his back pocket and beatboxed into it. The result was an incredible combination of rhythm and music reflective of Sullivan’s impeccable talent.

The rest of the performance entailed more incredible improvised songs inspired by suggestions from the crowd. One of the most standout moments was a song based on what

the audience believed were the most important things in their lives.

Some audience members shouted out funny suggestions like “coffee,” “good pasta” and “no masks,” but one audience member shouted out “true love.” The performers settled on that and started an incredibly emotional ballad about their own personal experiences with true love.

Anthony Veneziale, the show’s guest star and one of the founding members of FLS, improvised an entire verse about his wife, including how he met her, how she proposed to him and how they’ve been married for 15 years. Bancroft rapped about his parents’ marriage, how they met and their entire family’s story.

Ellis’ freestyle about his understanding of true love was the most emotional part of the entire show. He freestyled about his parents’ hardships and about his experience living with his mother during quarantine and the impact his parents’ love for each other had on him.

Seeing Ellis’ emotion pour into his carefully chosen words highlighted both his narrative prowess and his musical acumen.

The performers of FLS possess an almost inhuman level of talent.

It would not be an exaggeration to call their work on that stage “genius.”

The mental acuity required to adapt arbitrary words into a cohesive narrative that was hilarious and emotional while also following the rhythmic, rhyming structure of rap was an incredible sight to witness.

FLS will be performing at the Emerson Colonial Theater until April 2. The Colonial Theater has a “student rush” policy where, if students arrive at the theater two hours before curtain-call, tickets are priced at $20 each.

FEATURES 5

BUSINESS

BU alums’ virtual live streaming platform excels during pandemic Melina Nguyen Senior Writer Over the past two years, COVID-19 struck many small businesses hard.

In Massachusetts, the stay-at-home advisory resulted in a 37% decrease in the number of open small businesses in April 2020, according to Opportunity Insights, an economic tracker by Harvard researchers.

However, with stay-at-home orders in place, it created the opportunity for another type of business to thrive – e-businesses, one of which was Hovercast. Hovercast — a live streaming service — experienced a surge in usership and overall growth during this tumultuous time.

Founded in 2018 by two Boston University alums, Hovercast has provided live streaming services for some big names including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and PC Gamer Magazine.

“The pandemic obviously accelerated the need for virtual events, and we were sitting there with a two-year-old company that had the perfect tool for helping audiences connect and collaborate on a livestream,” Eli Stonberg, cofounder and chief executive officer of Hoverast, said.

The humble beginnings of this successful company began with the friendship of Stonberg and cofounder Jeff Greco at BU in 2004.

“I met Jeff, my co-founder, in The Towers freshman year, and then we became roommates in Warren Towers sophomore year,” said Stonberg. “We became great friends and started working together and collaborating in college.”

Stonberg and Greco shot music

videos for bands like “Portugal the Man” and “Foster the People.” They advanced to commercials for brands, including a project called “Old Spice Nature Adventure,” which was a live action video game on Twitch controlled by its viewers.

The interactive videos were their “specialty.” Hovercast also uses these features as a unique selling point, Stonberg said.

Now, the cross-platform, customizable product is used for both political campaigns and gaming companies alike with features such as live donations, polling, chat display and other graphics layers.

“We believe that live streams should be more gamified, even if it’s a political client,” Stonberg said. “We delight in the mashing up of different genres that you wouldn’t think would go together, but they work quite well together.”

However, the company wasn’t always a powerhouse in the field.

It began as a small startup with a forward-thinking mindset.

“I was not buying DVDs [in the 2010s] because I knew they would be outdated,” Stonberg said. “I’ve always felt like the world is trending more interactive, this idea that you just watch something is changing to instead of [just] watching, audiences are playing.”

Jack Greiner, the product manager at Hovercast, was one of the first four members of the team and was integral in developing and polishing Hovercast’s capabilities.

The company now consists of 10 employees, four of which are BU graduates.

“We have a strong BU connection and [it’s] part of our company’s DNA,” Greiner said.

As a former intern at Hovercast, Greiner’s first big break was running the production of a daily live stream show for Scott Rogowsky, former host of “HQ Trivia.”

Recently this year, Hovercast transformed Electronic Entertainment Expo, a trade event and exhibition for video gaming, into an interactive live stream for 100 episodes.

“We had a host who would walk around with a live streaming backpack that I built, and they would get requests by the viewers like, ‘Hey, can you go here?’ ” Greiner said.

Hovercast has crafted its own space since its focus on aesthetics is

one-of-a-kind in the interactive live streaming sphere, he said.

Unlike other similar live streaming services, Hovercast has integrated graphics into its program. Greiner describes it as an “Adobe product but for live streams.”

Customers of the product have lauded Hovercast’s easy customization, great customer service and vast functionality.

“One of those fundamental advantages of Hovercast is that it ties together input from all these different platforms,” Evan Lahti, the editor-inchief of PC Gamer Magazine, said.

Lahti said Hovercast ensures all comments from all platforms —

YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more — can be included.

Lahti appreciates the “bespoke” and “open-ended” quality of Hovercast’s back end programming and features, which explains why PC Gamer’s contract with Hovercast has been renewed since 2018.

Stonberg said he hopes Hovercast can inspire audiences to have more power in their interaction with media.

“Our mission is to empower audiences to interact with the content that they’re viewing and have meaningful interaction,” he said. “I really am excited about giving power to audience members and unlocking a little bit more play in their life.”

TAYLOR COESTER | DFP STAFF

The interactive live streaming website, Hovercraft. The interactive live streaming platform Hovercast, started by two Boston University alumni, thrived during the pandemic due to increased stay-at-home orders.

SCIENCE

BU alum, NASA astronaut prepares for lift off Emily Pauls Features Editor Boston University alum Bob Hines always loved flying but he never imagined that one day he would be jetting off to space. But come April 19, Hines will join fellow astronauts on the SpaceX Crew-4 Mission as they begin their journey to the International Space Station.

“It’s the accomplishment of lifelong dreams so, just getting on the launchpad and riding into space is pretty spectacular,” Hines said.

“I’m really looking forward to just absorbing all the different sensations that are associated with the vibration of launching and the abruptness of zero g when the engine shuts off and then the view out the window.”

Joining Hines on his voyage is Spacecraft Commander Kjell Lindgren, Mission Specialist Jessica Watkins and Mission Specialist Samantha Cristoforetti on a Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“It is such a privilege to get to be a part of this team and we’re really excited about launching and getting to the space station to conduct our mission,” Lindgren said in a press conference Thursday.

Hines’ journey to becoming an astronaut started in 1997 when he graduated from BU’s College of Engineering, where he studied

aerospace engineering.

“The professors that led me through, were just amazing,” Hines

become a pilot and started his career in the Air Force. As time went by, Hines realized his career followed a

always wanted to be a pilot and I knew that some pilots became astronauts.”

According to Hines, one of the

COURTESY OF NASA JOHNSON

The SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts. Boston University alum Bob Hines (left) will be joining the crew as they head to the International Space Station April 19 from the Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

said. “I really loved my experience …

[BU] holds a dear place in my heart.”

Hines never intended to become an astronaut. Instead, he set out to

similar path to astronauts before him.

“I have always been amazed by spaceflight,” he said. “As a kid I didn’t really think I could be an astronaut. I

main goals for this mission is to continue the science-based work on the ISS. “One of the experiments we’re

doing is working on growing artificial retinas to address macular degeneration in people,” Hines said. “The other thing that we are, spaceflight has been for a long time, is an example to the world of international people from different backgrounds and different cultures working together to achieve a common goal.”

Hines made sure to point out that even though the astronauts are the face of the NASA and SpaceX program, there are thousands of people behind the scene who make missions like this possible.

“We’re really appreciative of the dedication that all of those folks put forth and they’re certainly part of our team and we’re taking all of them to orbit with us,” Hines said.

When it comes to life advice, the Terrier astronaut suggested pursuing something you love.

“It’s really important that you choose something that you’re passionate about, and that you go after that. If you pursue a career that you’re passionate about, then you will naturally want to be good at it, you will naturally engage with it and you’ll enjoy it,” Hines said.

After the six month mission in space, Hines hopes to share his experience with everyone, including the BU community.

“I hope to be able to get up to BU not too long after my flight and share my experience with you guys up there,” Hines said. “I’ll certainly be bringing a part of my BU experience with me to the space station.”

6 PHOTOS

GALLERY Holi at Boston University

Boston University Hindu Students Council hosted a celebration for Holi, the Hindu festival of love, color and the coming of spring, at Cummington Mall from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 20. The celebration featured an array of colors, music courtesy of DJRohann and performances by South Asian dance teams from BU, including BU Fatakda and BU Chankaar.

Taylor Coester Photo Editor

Alex Shores, Soumyak Mattagajasingh, Jack Terzian, Virginia Popov and Divya Sood (left to right) at Boston University Hindu Students Council’s Holi celebration.

A student dances on the shoulders of another person during Boston University Hindu Students Council’s festival of color celebration.

Four students pose for a photo with their arms around each other after the Holi celebration at Cummington Mall March 20.

EDITORIAL 7

EDITORIAL

Should ‘The Slap’ spell the end of our celebrity addiction?

ILLUSTRATION BY SMARAN RAMIDI

Watching this year’s Oscars felt, in a lot of ways, like wading into the ocean on a particularly windy or choppy day.

In the first moments, you’re expecting nothing more than the typical watery experience that usually greets you. In the beginning, the Oscars were the same. Slowly but surely, though, as you wade further into the water, you’re continually hit by wave after wave, each seemingly more forceful than the last.

But something about the Oscars keeps drawing you in, much like the pull of the ocean, deeper and deeper, as the hits keep getting stronger. While everyone’s particular experience surely varied, for many, these moments included “The Flash” being honored during the ceremony or Megan Thee Stallion freestyling over “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

You look out past the waves and see you’re much farther away from the shore than you realized. You look to find your friends on the beach, but all the faraway objects are just unidentifiable shapes, obscured and blurry, much like one’s sense of reality while watching this year’s Oscars.

America drowned Sunday night when Will

Smith marched onto the stage at the Dolby Theater and slapped Chris Rock in the face.

The slap heard ‘round the world, as many have called it, may eventually prove to be the lifeboat we all needed, floating us back to shore, away from the celebrity culture riptide we’ve fallen into.

Recent years have been marked by a significant lessening of trust in long-held institutions. At the extremes of this change, you can see populist political movements like those that resulted in the election of Donald Trump.

On a much smaller scale, a similar phenomenon has taken place with celebrity culture.

It seems, these days, that the Golden Age of Hollywood archetypes of celebrity idolization have all but faded away. The manicured images of old-Hollywood legends like James Stewart, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly and Katherine Hepburn would be impossible to replicate in the 21st century.

But even more recent stars who were viewed as role models, like Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts or George Clooney — their opinions and behavior are less likely to move the needle than they used to.

But when a large collection of the industry’s best give a standing ovation to a man who just slapped someone on live television because of a joke, the detachment from reality is stark, even if the joke was overly-personal and clearly crossed a line.

Calling out Smith for his actions does not mean you have to agree with those who’ve blown the situation out of proportion, like Judd Apatow, who was universally criticized for saying that Smith “could have killed” Chris Rock.

There needs to be a happy medium found between “this is the worst thing that has ever happened” and “Will Smith was totally right,” a medium likely reflected in public opinion but not reflected in the media.

Jim Carrey, in an interview with CBS News following the events at the Oscars, said that Hollywood’s stars were no longer “the cool kids.” Carrey, who in the same interview suggested that Smith should have been arrested, may have overreacted a tad on this particular incident.

The problems with Hollywood’s stars, and their separation from the average American, did

not begin just this week.

When we, as a society, decide to celebrate and revere a group of individuals based solely on the fact that they’re good on television or in movies, we inevitably run into situations where their god-like statuses are exposed as false.

Yet each time they do mess up we all collectively act as if the sky’s falling.

This leaves us two options, either we stop freaking out every time someone from the world of Hollywood does something uncouth or we decide to move away from our collective deification of actors.

Given the cottage industries within media whose sole purpose is to propagate said deification, the second option is probably not going to happen but it would be in all our best interests to do so.

We can still agree that Smith’s performance in “King Richard” was amazing and the product of a true master of his craft, but we don’t have to turn to him to be a model of perfection. We can honor you for what you’re good at but that doesn’t mean we have to pretend you’re good at everything.

EDITORIAL BOARD Jean Paul Azzopardi, Editor-in-Chief Jesús Marrero Suárez, Campus Editor Nellie Maloney, Co-Podcast Editor

Emily Stevenson, Managing Editor

Cici Yu, City Editor

Taylor Hawthorne, Co-Podcast Editor

Smaran Ramidi, Layout & Graphics Editor

Emily Pauls, Features Editor

Taylor Coester, Photo Editor

Michelle Tian, Lifestyle Editor

Mary Geena Prestia, Multimedia Editor

Mitch Fink, Sports Editor

Brian Foisy, Co-Opinion Editor

Sujena Soumyanath, Co-Opinion Editor GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA NIZHNY

8 OPINION

COLUMNS I Call Foul Play:

Does it matter if Kanye West is a genius?

Luca Becker Columnist The lead singer of The Killers, Brandon Flowers, said rapper Kanye West “makes me ill.”

Everyone seems to have strong opinions about the rapper, producer and designer. Many people admire him, perceiving his uncommon and aggressive antics solely to be that of creative releases. In contrast, others hate him, calling him a crazy, power-hungry and egotistical schmuck.

The one aspect of Kanye West that no one can disagree with is that he sells albums. Not only does he sell albums, he sells stadiums, and his songs have millions upon millions of streams. If not the most, Kanye is one of the most popular rappers of this generation, and all time.

His accolades include that of a colossal 22 Grammy awards and 75 nominations. His recent album, “Donda,” has been nominated for album of the year. He is listed on the “Titans” list within the Times 100 most influential people, nominated by none other than Tesla’s Elon Musk. His resume is more than impressive, maybe even that of a genius.

Even if Kanye is, in fact, a creative genius, his vast array of negative behavior indeed takes away from his lengthy curriculum vitae, and the list of “Things that Kanye probably should not have done” sometimes seems as long as the list of his billions of song streams. This reality destroys Kanye’s image and undermines his true talents.

The rapper has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and publicly discusses it. There is nothing funny about Kanye’s struggle with mental health, though many laugh at him for it. It would be fair to speculate that his past actions might be due to his mental illness. For example, Kanye West ran for President of the United States as an Independent in the most recent 2020 election, where at his rallies, he would wear a bulletproof vest with the date 2020 shaved into his hair.

His speeches were emotional, even wild. “I almost killed my daughter,” he yelled, referring to when and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian, and he discussed abortion for their daughter. He regretfully raised eyebrows when he asserted that slavery “was a choice” for Black people in the U.S. declaring that “Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves” at a campaign rally.

He then sued the state of Wisconsin to get on the presidential ballot though he missed vital filing deadlines.

Just last week, Kanye was banned from Instagram for 24 hours after ruthlessly attacking his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Kardashian’s new boyfriend Pete Davidson and comedian Trevor Noah on the social media platform. Kanye, who has a whopping 15.9 million followers, took to Instagram, making grotesque and offensive comments. For example, he posted a photo of Noah, who is half-Black, with the offensive caption, “All in together now… K**n baya my

lord K**n baya, K**n baya my lord K**n baya, Oooo lord K**n baya.”

It is important to note that Kanye himself is Black, and the slur used, “K**n,” is employed by some to describe a Black individual who rejects or undermines their race or ethnicity.

Instagram’s parent company, Meta, confirmed that Instagram removed Kanye’s account due to a violation of the company’s hate speech, bullying and harassment policies.

Noah took the high road when he responded to the post.

He said, “You’re an indelible part of my life Ye. Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this. I don’t care if you support Trump and I don’t care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path that’s dangerously close to peril and pain … Don’t ever forget, the biggest trick racists ever played on Black people was teaching us to strip each other of our blackness whenever we disagree. Tricking us into dividing ourselves up into splinters so that we would never unite into a powerful rod.”

Noah is hosting this year’s Grammys.

Due to Kanye’s social media use, the rapper was disinvited to perform at the event. Noah responded to Kanye’s Grammy ban with a tweet, “I said counsel Kanye not cancel Kanye.”

This is Kanye’s problem. He attacks those who support him, alienating himself from those who love him. He makes it difficult for even his most loyal fans and followers to preserve his vision.

Recently, he outraged a large chunk of his followers by reporting that his newest album, “Donda 2,” will only be available to play on his product, the “Stem Player,” a device that costs $200. This move was unprecedented, and many fans cannot afford a

$200 speaker solely to listen to an album. The last thing a musician should do is come between their fans and their music. A world-famous musician like Kanye must know this.

Perhaps Kanye is not a genius. After all, it was the great critic William Hazlitt who wrote in an 1826 essay that, “No really great man ever thought himself so,” and, “He who comes up to his own idea of greatness, must always have had a very low standard of it in his mind.” Kanye has compared his talent to every established genius, from Pablo Picasso to Steve Jobs. The rapper refers to himself as a genius more frequently than former President Donald Trump, and those who have watched Trump know that this is a feat quite challenging to accomplish.

This begs the question, if Kanye truly is a genius, but prohibits many of his fans from listening to his music, verbally assaults his exwife publicly on Instagram, calls a late-night talk show host a “K**n” and grossly states that slavery was a choice for Black people, among the many other perverse acts he has committed, does it even matter?

ILLUSTRATION BY SMARAN RAMIDI

Highway to Health:

Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill endangers health, well-being of LGBTQ youth

Bailey Salimes Columnist On March 28, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights in Education bill. The bill is isolating, discriminatory and a safety concern for young people in the LGBTQ community and those who are at high risk of mental health conditions.

Opponents of the bill have labeled it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This is because lines 97-101 state, “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

In other words, teachers — or other school personnel or persons deemed “third party” by the parents — are prohibited from discussing any details about sexual orientation or gender identity with children under 4th grade, and those who disobey this rule may be subject to a lawsuit from parents.

While the bill does not explicitly state individual sexual orientation terms may not be

used in primary school above grade three, the bill is subjective enough for parents to mandate school officials do not say the word “gay” around their children.

Obviating identifying and inclusive conversations from primary education places students who identify with these terms into a box. No student — no matter what age — should be prohibited from exploring who they are and identifying themselves.

This bill creates even further divides between LGBTQ youth and their parents, peers and teachers because it perpetuates the idea that sexual orientation and gender identity are taboo topics by eliminating such topics from classroom conversation.

Teachers fear the negative consequences of the new law in place. Educators have expressed the fact that some young children — children who are not yet above grade three — have questions about what family looks like, and some of these kids may have two moms or two dads.

Children have demonstrated knowledge of gender groups as early as three years of age. An article by Mayo Clinic discusses how children are reinforced by gender stereotypes, and may behave in a way that brings them the most reward rather than what aligns with their true gender identity. Parents stigmatizing the various gender identities could create the rigidity described here.

The Mayo Clinic article also explains that increasing age typically leads to increased awareness of different gender identities and expressions — something that has the potential to emerge before 3rd grade. This bill ignores this fact and has its own agenda for determining when conversations about sexual orientation are appropriate.

Teachers should have the right to make their classrooms safe and supportive environments for every child they encounter at every age, and they are there to provide resources for children who need extra aid — something this bill could make challenging.

Removing classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity will likely increase the already high rates of mental health conditions and suicidal thoughts or behaviors in LGBTQ youth.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, rejection from family, peers and faith communities is a significant reason why LGBTQ youth have high rates of mental health conditions and suicidality. In a 2019 school climate survey, 86.3% of LGBTQ youth reported being harrassed or assaulted at school because of their known or perceived identity.

If this bill is abused to the extent of its subjective nature, teachers will not be able to discuss bullying behaviors about sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom, leaving thousands of LGBTQ students to suffer in silence. This could have devastating health effects.

This bill also requires well-being questionnaires be vetted by parents before distribution in kindergarten through grade three. This may lead to unwanted questioning from parents to students. Parents will also be notified of any healthcare services provided to their children by the school, regardless of grade, and they can decline specific ILLUSTRATION BY HALEY ALVAREZ-LAUTO

services as they see fit for their kids.

Students should possess the right to have confidential conversations with school officials and counselors about their mental health, sexual orientation, gender or other healthrelated topics. If parents are able to access and decline their child’s mental or emotional health services, safety could be compromised for children who would like to avoid declaring their health conditions to their parents.

The bill includes a section that may cover this. It states the school can withhold health information “if a reasonably prudent person would believe that disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect.” However, the children themselves should be considered prudent enough to declare that they fear for their own safety if sensitive information about their

health is disclosed to their parents.

The health and well-being of LGBTQ students will be disproportionately and negatively affected by the subjective statements in the Parental Rights in Education bill. We must stand for, and with, the marginalized communities affected by this bill, and make others aware of the fear and isolation they are inciting by supporting it.

PHOTOS 9

GALLERY Boston University Unmasked

After two years of adapting to COVID-19 measures and face coverings, Boston University begins loosening its mask requirements on campus. This comes in light of declining rates of positive cases and an effort to return to normalcy. The Daily Free Press staff photographers capture students resuming indoor and outdoor activities with the option of being maskless.

Anh Nguyen Photo Associate

A person at the Fitness and Recreational Center.

MOHAN GE | DFP STAFF

Two people on yoga mats at the Fitness and Recreational Center. MOHAN GE | DFP STAFF MOHAN GE | DFP Staff

MOHAN GE | DFP Staff

BAYLE VINES | DFP Staff

Two people exchange greetings at the George Sherman Union. CLARE ONG | DFP STAF MOHAN GE | DFP Staff

MOHAN GE | DFP Staff

10 GAME

Spring Has Sprung Harry Styles Flowers Bloom Allergies Red Sox Maine Sunshine Roses Chip Marathon Spring

ART BY IRENE CHUNG

LIFESTYLE 11

Lifestyle

What even is a deluxe album?

Sam Thomas Senior Writer “Deluxe” albums are typically re-released versions of albums, usually including new songs, live performances, acoustic versions and other bonuses. Some deluxe albums have new artwork, while others use the same artwork as the original release.

It’s not a new practice, nor does it seem to be dying anytime soon. Some people like them.

Some people hate them. Some people just don’t care.

Andre Gee, a writer at Complex, said deluxe albums are major labels’ “latest attempt to drive up streams and ultimately Billboard relevance.” However, another Complex writer, Eric Skeleton, said that “flooding the market” with more music releases, like deluxe versions, can make an artist the topic of the moment and bring a lot of attention to them, which can lead to features or tours.

I fully understand why music labels keep putting them out. A new release, even if it’s mostly made up of songs previously released, will get a new burst of streams and exposure, bringing money and attention to labels.

Additionally, it gives artists another chance to show their art

to the world.

While I love getting more and more music from my favorite artists, having multiple versions of what is essentially the same album is frustrating and cluttered. Deluxe albums appear separately from original albums on streaming platforms, meaning the same songs exist in multiple

places.

Aesthetically, in my opinion, it makes more sense to keep it simple.

Deluxe album versions also place songs on very different playing fields. The new tracks added in the release feel less authentic, like they are rejects or not up to par with the original

tracks.

Also, deluxe albums typically come out several months after the initial release. For example, “folklore” by Taylor Swift was released on July 24, 2020, with the deluxe version following a month later, on Aug. 18, 2020.

With this schedule, fans will typically already be familiar

with the songs from the initial release by the time new tracks are included. It’s exciting, but also frustrating to have a mix of new and old on one project.

Other deluxe versions come out on the same day as the original.

For example, “1989” by Taylor Swift — one of my favorite albums of all time and a rare case where the deluxe tracks are some of the best on the project — came out on Oct. 27, 2014 along with the deluxe version.

This schedule puts the deluxe tracks on more of an even playing field, but begs the question — “why even release a deluxe version?”

At its core, an original album is a story, released that way for a reason. Deluxe tracks feel tacked haphazardly onto the end, rather than a continuation of that story.

I could be reading into these things way too deeply. Music, as with everything these days, is a business. Deluxe versions make more money, so it makes sense for labels to release them. But, the cluttering and unevenness of deluxe versions make it hard for me to fully give them my support.

I’ll always love more music, but I also appreciate storytelling, and multiple versions make the story muddled and less authentic.

ILLUSTRATION BY KACPER BAZAN

‘Euphoria’ is disappointing Kendall O’Brien Senior Writer This season of the explosive hit series “Euphoria” made me realize that I only watched the show for its popularity and Zendaya.

Season two confirmed that the show’s eye-popping makeup, visually pleasing cinematography and heightened teenage drama can’t save the plot and character arcs, which have transformed into plot and character downfalls.

Any good film or show is good due to its storytelling. This is the foundation that should be built upon while visual detailing, background noise and any other element is only meant to make it more concrete.

With a rollercoaster of a series like “Euphoria,” the plot can understandably get a bit hectic with all the characters being explored and frantic events unfolding. But even with a manic plot there should be a reasoning behind the madness. Season two felt like a fever dream with pointless plot twists.

Besides Rue, the star this season was Cassie, and her storyline was probably the hardest to watch. There was a lack of character development, despite the increase in screen time. This season followed Cassie as she struggled with confidence through validation by others, specifically by Nate. To me, the entire Cassie-Nate relationship seemed frivolous from the getgo — it’s painfully long and unnecessary.

Season one dissected Cassie’s personal life and her relationship with McKay and her unplanned pregnancy. Instead of examining the effects these traumatic events

had on her, Cassie’s character falls perfectly into the “boy crazy” trope — especially in the first episode — as well as the melodramatic teen girl trope.

Most of Cassie’s screen time is her whining, complaining and justifying her disloyal behavior toward her friend Maddie. What put me off was Cassie’s character amounting to nothing but an unhinged teen girl acting out for no real reason, merely because she needs validation. There is no scene that properly justifies her actions, so she is just portrayed as insane, and nothing but a laughing stock viewers can get annoyed with.

It’s equally unsettling to see her character being sexualized even more so than it was last season.

For a character whose trauma stems from men only seeing her as a sex object, it’s really odd that Sam Levinson — the creator of “Euphoria” — felt the need to show off Cassie’s naked body so frequently. That and the fact that she turned into the show’s villain in seconds proves that Euphoria is badly written by a man’s external observation of a woman with daddy issues.

Ignorant writing is a seedbed for clichés and a futile plot.

Many characters this season were not only examined poorly, but totally written out of the story. After the first few episodes, Jules’ role in the show dissolved.

If anything, Jules is used as a plot device for Rue after she helps stage an intervention with Rue’s family and Elliot. Rue vocally belittles Jules in a fit of rage when she sees that Jules is a part of the intervention, but after this heartbreaking scene, we never get to see how Jules is affected by Rue’s harsh words alongside her life without Rue, and we never explore her budding relationship

with Elliot.

Jules’ character is reduced to nothing but a catalyst for mistakes and reactions.

Kat was another character that disappeared this season.

After highlighting her sexual and confidence journey last season, her character in season two had almost no screen time, and when she was on screen, all of her growth from season one disappeared.

Any hint of confidence and stability Kat gained from sexually experimenting and practicing self-gratiude ends, and we are left with her comparing herself to other girls and disliking her boyfriend. That’s all we get from her this season.

One of the reasons I kept coming back to the show was for Fez and Lexi’s relationship. It was the only wholesome, non-toxic relationship in the series. Lexi is the only character not plagued with some monstrous issue that causes her to act out. She’s the relatable one, and I liked her — until her play, which basically

detailed the personal lives of her friends, classmates and sister.

Her play was poisonous. As a viewer, it’s nice to see your most hated characters like Nate or Cassie being called out for their misbehaviors, but a lot of the contents of the play were not Lexi’s to share. They belong to those close to her, those who confided in her and shared their traumatic experiences with her.

She betrayed them by sharing their intimate details with the entire school.

This play felt like an act of vengeance, which is so out of character for Lexi. She was supposed to be the morally superior character who actually knows right from wrong. Instead, she is roped into another halfbaked story line.

There are many other butchered plot lines that hurt the show — McKay’s season one assault plot hole, Rue owing the drug dealer thousands of dollars plot hole, Nate being delusionally depicted as some kind of hero for

turning in his dad, Cal’s cheating and predatory actions being justified because of his sexuality and backstory, Cassie’s season one abortion plot hole, Elliot’s useless role, Nate poiting a gun at Maddie for shock value and nothing more, etc.

Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s objectively good, and “Euphoria” is the perfect example of that.

The show’s fantasy-like feel and visually stimulating imagery doesn’t save it from being another messy teen show that displays an unnecessary amount of nudity, drug use and mistakes galore.

Thank goodness for the phenomenal acting done by the cast, because if it weren’t for them, the unstructured story would have been a lot more apparent.

ILLUSTRATION BY SMARAN RAMIDI

SPORTS 12

SPORTS BU football legend brings career back to Boston David Gold Staff Writer In the fall of 1986, Boston University football captain Kevin Murphy was approached by a freshman walk-on offensive lineman.

The freshman was undersized for his position, standing at a listed height of 5 foot, 10 inches, although Murphy noted that may have been generous.

He drove a vintage Dodge Dart, listened to 1950’s doo-wop music and donned a flat top hair style. When he was not in the weight room or practicing on BU’s Nickerson Field, he was lugging kegs at Who’s on First, a local bar near Fenway Park.

One day after practice, the freshman approached Murphy and told him “Captain, next year I want to get in the locker room with the carpet.” At the time, walk-ons were stuck in an area next to the showers and bathroom, without the carpeted floors of the main locker room. It was a lofty goal, but that did not deter him.

This freshman’s name was Dave DeGuglielmo, or “Guge,” as his teammates and players call him.

DeGuglielmo, who went on to play for BU for four years, has returned to coach college football in the Boston area for the first time in over a quarter century. On Feb. 17, DeGuglielmo was named the new offensive line coach for the Boston College Eagles, just a B-line ride away from his alma mater.

“This is home. It’s great,” DeGuglielmo said of his return to Boston. He admitted that on his first week back he took a trip to BU staple pizzeria T Anthony’s, grabbing a few slices and finding two of his old pictures still on the wall.

DeGuglielmo was raised in Lexington, Massachusetts as one of three children. His father was a member of the building and grounds crew at BU. DeGuglielmo played on both the offensive and defensive line at Lexington High School, helping the Minutemen win two Middlesex League championships and a Massachusetts state championship berth in 1984.

DeGuglielmo committed to BU as a walk-on. He redshirted

his freshman year, expanding his eligibility for an extra year. During his redshirt year, DeGuglielmo found his home in the weight room.

He and fellow freshman offensive lineman Chris Doyle, who would go on to be the strength and conditioning coordinator at the University of Iowa for 21 years, bought into Terrier strength coach Mike Boyle’s “Body

by Boyle” program. While some older teammates mocked the two for believing that Boyle was a strength and conditioning genius, the pair just put their heads down and continued to work.

“He was our strongest player

Team All-New England in his four years in the scarlet and white.

During DeGuglielmo’s time as a Terrier, the program suffered from constant turnover. He played for three different head coaches and three different offensive line coaches in his four years.

“I got to see a lot of good stuff, and a lot of what not to do,” DeGuglielmo said.

One of DeGuglielmo’s offensive line coaches was former Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders’ head coach Tony Sparano. Sparano, who died in 2018, ended up becoming an influential friend and mentor to

offensive line coach Mike Maser, who turned out to be another mentor in DeGuglielmo’s coaching career.

DeGuglielmo remained at BC for two years before he was offered a new opportunity. Tony Sparano was promoted to offensive coordinator, and BU was looking for a new offensive line coach. DeGuglielmo went back down Comm. Ave and took the job for the same staff he played for a few years prior.

In his first year as offensive line coach, the Terriers went on to have a miraculous season, finishing the regular season undefeated for the first time in school history and beating

COURTESY OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

David DeGuglielmo, the new offensive line coach for the Boston College football team. After over 25 years and a career in the NFL, DeGuglielmo returns to the city of his alma mater, Boston University, to coach the Eagles.

and exemplified hard work…

[DeGuglielmo] was described by one scout as ‘the best offensive lineman in 1 AA’,” Boyle said.

All that time in the weight room paid off for DeGuglielmo. He moved into the carpeted locker room in 1987 and remained there for the rest of his time as a Terrier. DeGuglielmo played both center and guard for the Terriers. He was named a team captain for the 1990 season and also earned Yankee Conference AllAcademic Player twice and First

DeGuglielmo.

“He was more of a brother to me.

He became like family…Tony to me was a special guy. Because I did play for him, I moved him into his apartment when he took the BU job. I moved him out of that one a year later and moved to another one. I babysat his kids. I changed their diapers,” DeGuglielmo said.

DeGuglielmo began his coaching career directly after graduating from BU as a graduate assistant at BC under head coach Tom Coughlin and

the Kurt Warner-led Northern Iowa Panthers in the first round of the 1-AA playoffs. The Terriers lost to the Idaho Vandals in the quarterfinals, ending their season. DeGuglielmo stayed with BU until 1996.

Next, DeGuglielmo took a job as the offensive line at the University of Connecticut, working under Skip Holtz. He remained at UConn for two years before being hired by Skip Holtz’s father, Lou Holtz, to be the next offensive line coach at the University of South Carolina.

DeGuglielmo remained with the Gamecocks for five seasons before moving into the pros.

DeGuglielmo followed Coughlin to the New York Giants to work as an assistant offensive line coach. He was a part of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII winning team, and coached multiple Pro-Bowlers during his time in New York.

DeGuglielmo departed New York in 2008 to follow his mentor Sparano to Miami when Sparano was named the head coach of the Dolphins.

DeGuglielmo worked with first overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft Jake Long and helped Long reach four Pro Bowls in his time in Miami.

From there, DeGuglielmo continued to bounce around the league, working for the Jets, Patriots — winning his second Super Bowl — Chargers, Colts, while also returning to Miami and New York at points.

“Those guys have bought in quickly to him, to the way he’s coaching the fundamentals of technique,” Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley said of DeGuglielmo.

DeGuglielmo returns to Boston to continue the legacy of what he calls “O-Line U,” and to prepare his players for the eventual leap to the NFL. “They’ve been very focused on how I communicate, how I teach the game, how I see the game. I want them to see the game like I see and communicate the same way I communicate which is not easy at first, but they’re coming along very quickly, because they’re smart kids,” DeGuglielmo said. “I’m not gonna teach these guys to a lower level because these guys are all respected pro players that are on their way…

My whole mindset is, I’m teaching them like pros, because that’s where they’re going.”

Although he is now at BC, DeGuglielmo still holds a soft spot in his heart for the place he called home for almost a decade.

“I still love BU hockey. I still love Boston University as a school,” DeGuglielmo said. “I had a lot of good years over there as a player and as a coach. The school’s fabulous, the School of Education set me up for the career in coaching, which was great.”

Opinion: O’Connell’s departure needed for men’s hockey Belle Fraser Senior Writer On the heels of a rocky season on Comm. Ave, the Boston University athletics department showed it’s committed to raising the expectations and performance of Terrier hockey by setting out to replace former head coach Albie O’Connell.

O’Connell’s tenure at BU wasn’t as bad as some angry tweets might describe, but it was certainly not up to par with the standard of the program.

He garnered a 58-49-16 overall record and led his group to a Beanpot championship and NCAA appearance –– but the ruts between those successes were pretty low.

The Terriers have been booted from the first round of the Hockey East playoffs for two consecutive years and had a quick exit in the 2020-2021 NCAA tournament, while not even receiving a bid

this time around.

Despite their 14-1-1 run from December to late February, the inconsistency and, simply put, bad hockey, which started in October, was unacceptable.

Injuries didn’t help the squad and it can’t all be put on coaching, but the lack of control O’Connell had over the locker room showed in his team’s passionless play.

BU’s turnaround effort would mean a lot more if it amounted to anything, and unfortunately, when the calendar flipped to March, it didn’t. After losing 8-1 to Maine in their last regular season game and 3-1 to University of Connecticut in the HE quarterfinals, the Terriers’ redemption tour was halted when it mattered most.

To go far in the postseason, a roster has to not only want to play for each other, but for their coach too. From the outside, O’Connell didn’t ignite that winning fire in his players, and from a media standpoint, the energy and fervor was rarely there.

Looking at a team like the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which has collected three trophies –– including a national championship –– in the span of a calendar year, the guys in the Minutemen jerseys would run through a wall for head coach Greg Carvel. BU needs to bring that kind of culture back to their own program.

O’Connell had a stellar playing career at BU and is an outstanding recruiter, but arguably a better assistant coach. He understands the game to a tee, but that doesn’t always translate into being a strong head coach. This next hire is pivotal for the organization with a fanbase that’s growing impatient of watching subpar hockey.

Jay Pandolfo came on staff as associate head coach this season.

With his NHL experience and Terrier alumni status, it would make sense for his name to be in the hat of potential candidates.

Before BU, Pandolfo served as the assistant coach for the

Boston Bruins for five years and it’s curious to me why he would leave a job at the pro level if a head coach position wasn’t guaranteed in the collegelevel job description. That said, he’s good at what he does as an assistant and may be content with that specific role –– only time will tell.

Many previous head coaches have had a prior affiliation with the program, including David Quinn and legendary coach Jack Parker who preceded O’Connell in recent history. This factor has been significantly important to the team but it also shrinks the selection pool.

BU Director of Athletics Drew Marrochello wouldn’t have made this decision if he didn’t have a couple of people in mind to fill the role, but there’s no obvious answer as of now.

On the athletes’ side of things, it’s not easy losing a head coach whether you liked playing for them or not. The system is about to completely change and that

takes an adjustment period.

The Terriers’ rising senior class contains 14 of some of their most talented guys who deserve their last year on Comm. Ave to be competitive and not simply a transitional season.

It’s a big question whether O’Connell’s departure fires these guys up or makes them more skeptical about the stability of the program and influences their choice to stay. I imagine they’re excited for a new direction, but this next hire needs to hit the ground running for a memorable final campaign for this group.

As BU men’s hockey opens this next chapter, the Terrier faithful wish O’Connell and his family nothing but the best and thank him for his time and effort.

He’s a great guy and it will be interesting to see where he ends up after all of this, too.