9-9-2021

CGS REFLECTIONS, 2

PHO-DOG-RAPHY, 4

HOCKEY RETURNS, 5

EDITORIAL, 7

Students and faculty discuss CGS’s London trip being canceled.

Local photographer celebrates man’s best friend through art.

NHL column talks ice hockey in the Olympics.

The topic of sexual assault on campus returns to the FreeP newsroom.

CE LE B RATIN G

THURSDAY, SEP. 9, 2021

OVE R

50

YE ARS

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I N DE PE N DE N T

STU D E NT

J O U R NA LI S M

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR LI. VOLUME C. ISSUE III

Agganis Arena to close for COVID-19 testing, faculty and staff will continue unobserved testing Anna Vidergar Daily Free Press Staff Boston University will close the COVID-19 testing site located at Agganis Arena Sept. 24, following the closure of the Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering site on July 19 and implementation of faculty and staff unobserved testing.

After the transition takes place the only observed testing sites on campus will be 808 Commonwealth Avenue and 72 Concord Avenue at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Unobserved testing kiosks which opened July 19 for faculty and staff at 1019 Commonwealth Ave., 179 Amory St., One Silber Way and the George Sherman Union will remain available. Appointments to pick up testing kits can be scheduled on Healthway and can be dropped off in the same location.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said the Kilachand CILSE building and Agganis Arena will return “to their primary uses.”

“Those spaces are in high demand by the researchers in the building and the faculty in the area,” he noted.

Christine Yoh, a sophomore in the College of Communication and resident of Kilachand Hall, called the testing site closure at CILSE “a little unfortunate.”

“The Kilachand testing site is close to all the Bay State dorms, as well as Kilachand [Hall], and Warren

Towers, which houses a lot of freshmen,” Yoh said. “I do think that was a very convenient location to have a testing site.”

Yoh said opening up smaller areas of CILSE to conduct testing could be a beneficial alternative to closing the whole building.

Aarohi Goel, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences who lives in Allston, said they wanted all testing centers from the previous year to stay open.

“Especially with everyone being back on campus, I do not think that Kilachand testing center should ever have been shut down,” Goel said.

“I’m also quite angry, frustrated, con-

fused as to Agganis Arena shutting down. This doesn’t create an inconvenience just for everyone in West campus, but also for anyone who lives off-campus in Allston.”

Riley noted the University needs the space in Agganis to host events this year that have not been possible since the pandemic began.

“Agganis Arena has a lot of demand on its space, and it wouldn’t be able to continue that collection testing,” Riley said. “There are concerts, there are games and it’s really been heavily used in years prior to the pandemic.”

Riley said 808 had fewer demands on its space than CILSE and Agganis

Arena.

“The entire space had not yet been used for other purposes,” he noted. “We had had a couple programs in that site where the testing is with conferences and meetings but by and large, it had not had new use.”

Elise Cimino, a graduate student in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said she thought the closure of Agganis would add to the challenge of booking a testing appointment.

“It’s been a lot harder than last year,” Cimino said. “I just feel like it’ll make getting appointments a lot harder than it already is.”

Nell Curtin, a senior in the Whee-

lock College of Education and Human Development, said she knew of people who had struggled with scheduling tests.

“I know a lot of my friends have had problems with scheduling testing,” she said. “I know if you just do it a week in advance, you know you’ll always find an appointment.”

Curtin said BU could make testing more efficient by removing the need to schedule a specific appointment time.

“It seems like we’re moving through [the testing site] pretty quickly,” she said. “People need to get to class, it’s not like we have hours to wait in line.”

SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Students stand in line at the COVID-19 testing site at 808 Commonwealth Ave. 808 and the site at 72 Concord Ave. at the Boston University School of Medicine will be the only two observed testing sites after Sept. 24.

Students reflect on the transition back to in-person classes Lauren Rowlands Daily Free Press Staff

As Boston University students adjust back to in-person instruction in pre-pandemic fashion — minus the wearing of masks — many have shared their hopes and fears for Fall semester classes as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

For many students in the Class of 2024, this year is their first chance to engage in the traditional college experience. However, the transition has proven challenging for some students.

Alex Gilbert, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said her on-campus community last year consisted much more of her roommates and not her classmates.

“There’s a difference between meeting people on Zoom versus meeting people in person,” Gilbert said. “Now you have a community every time you go to class and you didn’t get that last year.”

However, Gilbert also expressed concern over the reduction in COVID-19 safety measures and the lack of a University-wide support system for those who test positive.

“What if I’m sick? God forbid I’m in quarantine, what am I supposed to do for two weeks without going to class?” Gilbert asked. “In LfA if I wasn’t feeling great, I can still go to class, but now I don’t have that option.”

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said professors will treat missing classes for quarantine and isolation similarly to how they would treat student illness in previous years.

“This is just as it would be pre-pandemic, where if someone had an illness [and] they were not able to be in class for a reason they would communicate that with their professor,” Riley said.

Aidan Lafferty, a sophomore in the Questrom School of Business, said he feels safe in class. While he is glad about a more open campus, however, he said it can also be inconvenient.

“It’s going to take a little bit of an adjustment period,” Lafferty said.

“The most difficult part has been navigating from East Campus to West Campus in my little 15 minute stints between classes.”

For some students, BU’s vaccine mandate and indoor mask requirement have helped them feel safer on campus.

Georgia Nichols, a graduate student at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, said professors and students in her classes have cooperated with classroom masks mandates.

LIBBY MCCLELLAND/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Students walking through the first floor of the College of Arts and Sciences. Many students are pleased with the return to in-person learning, but some are worried about limited support for when students must quarantine.

“Knowing that everyone’s vaccinated and wearing masks, I do feel safe,” Nichols said.

Riley added BU has no intention

of bringing back the LfA system.

With 94.6% of students and 93.3% of faculty fully vaccinated, cases have remained low so far.

“We’re hopeful as we see the numbers stabilize and we know the vaccination is the most important aspect of being able to continue,” Riley said.

2 NEWS

CGS students reflect on a summer spent in New England instead of London Greye Dunn Daily Free Press Staff Boston University’s College of General Studies program canceled its summer semester in London earlier this year, giving students the option to choose between a virtual or in-person experience in the New England area with housing provided in Myles Standish Hall.

Regardless of their learning location choice, all students paid a $2,000 fee — as opposed to $5,600 for the typical London programming — for special events and excursions.

The six week in-person program offered weekly excursions to several attractions in the New England area, including Red Sox games, the Museum of Fine Arts and a walking tour of New Bedford.

Remote events such as a writing workshop with visual storyteller Catherine Madden and a film screening with Gil Robertson IV, president of the African American Film Critics Association, were offered as well.

Shawn Lynch, a CGS lecturer in social sciences, said given the circumstances, he thinks the program provided worthwhile speakers and events for the hybrid format.

“Even though we weren’t all in an auditorium or we weren’t all walking on a tour I think that all the teams did the best they could to find events that would appeal to the students whether they were all remote or on campus this year,” Lynch said.

CONOR KELLEY | DFP FILE

The College of General Studies. The traditional CGS London Program was held in Boston this summer to comply with international COVID-19 travel restrictions. The program offered weekly excursions to Red Sox games and sites around greater New England.

He called the transition “a very difficult experience” in terms of faculty members having to put together an entirely new program.

“I do not know how the teams that were for Summer 1 got anything planned,” Lynch said. “The day that I turned in my final grades we started planning for our Summer 2 session and we didn’t stop until the day classes began.”

Sydney Roth, a CGS sophomore who chose the remote option, said the program brought in a lot of interesting speakers who discussed relevant issues such as space pollution and climate change.

“They had a lot of really cool doc-

tors and astrophysicists come and talk about really current issues,” Roth said. “It was really interesting and I really enjoyed them.”

Kaylynn Michael, a CGS sophomore and in-person participant, said her professors made a special effort to make the experience as positive as possible.

“I think my professors tried really, really hard to still make it fun even though we were obviously disappointed about not going to London.”

Michael said although Catherine Madden’s lecture on how best to take notes was her favorite, she wished the speakers had come in person.

“I do think it would have been bet-

ter if we would have been able to get them in person but I completely understand why we couldn’t,” she said.

Michael said while it seemed as though some other teams went on fewer excursions and did not hear from as many speakers, she felt like she got her $2,000 money worth.

“I felt like we definitely had enough speakers and enough excursions and outings around the city to either get the money’s worth,” Michael said. “I know some other teams that my friends were on seemed like they didn’t do as much.”

As a remote student, Roth said she was not sure if she got her money’s worth.

“It’s really hard to say because some of the speakers were really great,” Roth said. “And then some of them were just reiterating what we had already learned in class.”

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said the University plans to reinstate all study abroad programs, including CGS, for the upcoming year.

“They had to make that decision this Sspring to figure out what is the best way forward and I think the alternative made sense,” Riley said.

“But of course they’re always looking. They would love to reestablish the real study abroad and BU Global Programs.”

Boston mental health professionals share resources upon National Suicide Prevention Week Aaron Velasco Daily Free Press Staff

Content warning: The following article discusses suicide.

After a year of upheaval and distress, research has shown collegeage students increasingly struggle with mental health symptoms and conditions such as depression and anxiety. Sept. 5 through Sept. 11 is National Suicide Prevention Week, which aims to educate the public on suicide prevention and decrease the stigma around the topic.

Anonymous suicide prevention service Samaritans Inc. CEO Kathy Marchi said the isolation and abrupt life changes the pandemic has brought on have greatly increased the struggles that students with anxiety or depression encounter daily.

Marchi said that people facing emotional difficulties or people who simply need someone to talk to can reach Samaritans at any time or call or text their support number 877-8704673.

“You might see someone who’s feeling very overwhelmed or hopeless or very emotional,” Marchi said. “Those might be things that you would see in someone, and that’s where we want to take action.”

Kelley Cunningham, the Director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Suicide Prevention Program, wrote in an email that COVID-19 has left a “profound effect” on college students as this past year of remote learning and unfinished schooling was characterized by uncertainty.

said. However, he said that delay can do more harm than good but is never too late to receive help.

“If somebody knows somebody who’s died by suicide, they could also use support,” he said. “If anybody’s returning from a hospitalization, they can especially use support.”

Rankin also said it is helpful for students or others to have a plan for when they are in crisis to cope with the predicted ideation to help them through the event, whether it’s through talking with trusted loved ones or texting a mental health professional.

“It’s never bad to just ask people, ‘Are you okay?’” Rankin said.

While being there for a person with mental health struggles can be helpful, acting as their therapist to replace actual professional help is neither a friend’s responsibility LILLIAN LI | DFP FILE or job, Rankin said. It is up to the An outdoor exhibit from Boston University’s Send Silence Packing suicide awareness campaign in September 2017. Suicidal ide- person struggling to ask for help. ation and poor mental health among college students are of particular concern around this year’s National Suicide Prevention “Being honest and genuine and Week after the past year of remote learning and limited social opportunities. being a good friend can make a huge difference,” he said. “It’s not always enough, but it’s an appropriate role.”

“Anyone struggling with suicidal year or currently, Rankin said. He tremendous work in supporting Cunningham wrote that ideation (on-campus AND off- added that he believes deaths can be students especially now more than acknowledging a person’s pain or campus) should reach out for help,” prevented by mental health treatment ever before,” Cunningham wrote. hardship can help them in their Cunningham wrote. “No one should and healing from trauma.

“The problem is many don’t know journey to seeking emotional support. ever feel the need to carry this on “If you have a recovery kind of support exists or are afraid to ask for “If you are concerned about their own.” perspective on [suicide], you can help.” a friend, don’t be afraid to ask Osiris Rankin, a Harvard have the view that, of course, you For universities that wish to help them directly if they are having a University graduate student at the can no longer have the thoughts or their students, Rankin said trust tough time,” Cunningham wrote.

Nock Lab for research on the nature your thoughts on those thoughts can must be established between both “Knowing someone has noticed their of suicidal behavior, said suicidal change,” Rankin said. the school and its students, and that struggle and the willingness to ask if thinking increased with adults at the Students grappling with suicidal students should not be punished for they need help can and will provide beginning of the pandemic, according thoughts should talk with their reaching out for support,or escorted someone the step they need to get the to an Association for Psychological friends, reach out to their college’s by police with firearms if the student help they need.”

Science study. counseling resources for support and reports suicidal ideation.

Anyone having life-ending However, an increase in suicidal let their loved ones know they are Students often put off reaching thoughts can call the National thinking does not necessarily mean struggling, Cunningham said. out for mental health support until Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800an increase in suicides during the past “Many campuses have been doing certain academic deadlines, Rankin 273-8255.

NEWS 3

Activists, addiction experts share thoughts on Mass/Cass during National Recovery Month Madison Mercado Daily Free Press Staff

The intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard has become the center of the opioid epidemic in Boston, and it continues to become a dire public health emergency, activists say.

While September is recognized as National Recovery Month, changes around the Mass/Cass area, such as the permanent closure of the “comfort station”—a center for populations abusing substances and/or experiencing homeless to find toilets, handwashing and tents— continue to spark debates over how the area should be made safer for the community at large, especially those in recovery.

Yahaira Lopez, the founding member of the South EndRoxbury Community Partnership — a public health advocacy group — said there are inequities and hypocrisy between what the residents of the area are experiencing and the programs and policies put in place by politicians to fight the continuous addiction.

“It just feels like we have no rights as a community to be in our community,” Lopez said. “It feels like we are walking on pins and needles by the individuals who are suffering on Mass and Cass.”

Lopez said the group is seeing the area becoming more populated by people struggling with addiction who are younger, who are not from Boston and

who came from recovery centers that were closed down, such as Norcap.

Lopez also added that while the opioid crisis disproportionately affects Black and Latino communities, new policies have only been put in place when it became an issue for white communities as well.

“Why is it that the Black and Latino community are continuously impacted by these inequities in 2021, while every political candidate keeps talking about equity?” she asked.

Lopez said the residents who are trying to help feel as though their lives are at risk because of recent violence in the area.

“Our kids can’t even use LAURYN ALLEN/ DFP FILE a park and we can’t even A child holds a sign reading “Recovery Deserves Dignity” at a protest of the closing of the Long Island Bridge in September 2020. go to the grocery store, As Boston enters National Recovery Month, community groups aiding those affected by the city’s opioid epidemic point out the because there’s barely any inequities between government action and care for residents with opioid addiction. shopping cart to even put stuff in,” Lopez said. “We just no longer feel safe in our own at what we’re seeing, we’re also to combat addiction,” Rodriguez and Education site for needle seeing that we don’t disagree with said. “A big part of what the goal exchange services, counseling community.”

The area has also been labeled the addiction community, that is is just really to have people and STI testing.

Individuals in recovery can Methadone Mile because of the they’ve been left behind,” Lopez have open doors so that when said.

“The reality is that there has they are ready for treatment they also access training, education high concentration of methadone to be some level of prioritizing can access those doors.” and Narcan kits through the state. clinics in a five-mile radius on to get people into a wellness Rodriguez added that National “When we see Mass and Cass Massachusetts Ave. space, and we can’t do that if Recovery Month marks an or soon-to-be Recovery Mile, The focus of the South Endyou continue to close facilities exciting time to see people who and we see people struggling, Roxbury Community Partnership like Norcap and centralizing have succeeded in their recovery. it’s like the ugly side of addiction is to decentralize recovery everything in one location.”

“The focus shifts from the and we’re totally missing out on services so they are more Claudia Rodriguez, director sadness of addiction to really the thousands of people that are accessible throughout the City of of the outpatient addiction the incredible strength and walking amongst us who have Boston and in Massachusetts, as well as regulating sober homes recovery program at Brigham and determination and success of succeeded and overcome an addiction,” Rodriguez said. and increasing mental health Women’s Hospital, said the Mass/ recovery,” Rodriguez said.

Cass area has frequent and open Boston residents who are Students in recovery can join services. substance use, but there are still active users can visit the city the Boston University Collegiate “Oftentimes, we forget that, treatment services to help. of Boston’s Access, Harm Recovery Program through although our community is upset “The area itself is not meant Reduction, Overdose Prevention Student Health Services.

City council to vote on approving over $2 million in grants to fund local arts events in the South End. The matter will be decided in a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, where members of the public are invited to offer written or live testimony.

Mayor Kim Janey sponsored the issue, and it was referred to the Committee on Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Special Events in April.

The meeting to approve the Boston Cultural Fund grant is preceded

by Janey’s Sept. 1 announcement

of over $3 million worth of grant applications to support the arts and Taylor Brokesh the new “Reopen Creative Boston:” Daily Free Press Staff a program through the American Rescue Plan specific to helping arts and cultural organizations recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

If the docket is approved, Boston’s “The arts are necessary for both our Office of Arts and Culture could city’s financial recovery and healing distribute a total of $2,051,903 for those impacted by the pandemic the Boston Cultural Fund to help through creative self-expression,” financially support cultural spaces, Janey was quoted saying in a press artists, organizations, programs and release. “I am committed to investing in the local organizations that make up our diverse arts community.”

Director and cinematographer within the Greater Boston Artist Collective Elisa Garcia said she feels the Arts community typically faces a lack of financial support.

“I just feel like there’s not a lot of aid,” Garcia said.

“For my team, I feel like we’re always looking to either raise funds or apply to ANH NGUYEN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF grants … and we A public mural next to Zaftigs Delicatessen in Brookline. The Boston City Council will vote Thursday were successful to approve over $2 million in grants to be used by the Office of Arts and Culture to fund local arts with a couple, initiatives aimed at the South End.

but it’s never a lot of money to push for advanced projects and then also really pay yourselves.”

She also expressed her hope that the city’s arts grants initiatives “will create more projects with more money to be able to pay people correctly.”

Garcia added she also hopes the new grant will encourage more respect for the work that people put into making art.

Alexander Ciesielski, gallery director at The Guild of Boston Artists — a nonprofit art gallery on Newbury St. that showcases the work of local artists and aims to educate the community — said the $2 million docket seems like a “fantastic initiative” for the city to invest in arts and culture organizations that are often neglected.

He said the Guild received assistance from the Cultural Facilities Fund by the Mass Cultural Council and from the city’s Community Preservation Act to preserve and maintain their historic building.

“Especially over the course of COVID and reduced sales, reduced donations, we have found refuge, a bit, in the city and state funding that was available to non-profit arts organizations throughout the pandemic,” he said.

Ciesielski said that the $2 million fund on the docket for Thursday could particularly help arts organizations that are part of marginalized and underrepresented communities succeed.

“Those organizations have the opportunity, with these grants, to really set up a foundation that could

allow for greater integration, greater inclusion and benefit the community by filling in those areas that have in the past been underrepresented here in Boston,” he said. “This is a fantastic initiative.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic put work on pause, Garcia said she used the time to finish projects and progress more in her artistic career — even with less money available.

“I actually feel very grateful to the fact that I’m an artist because during this time I was able to dedicate to myself and what I would like to be doing and creating every day,” she said.

Garcia encourages Bostonians to immerse themselves in the local arts communities because artists, in her experience, can especially be a guide for students.

“Personally, I would love for college students to come out more and enjoy themselves around other people who do art for a living and have been navigating the world,” she said. “It’s pretty life-changing, for me, it has been.”

Ciesielski described the arts as a means for people to connect with despite their differences. He added that the funding for the grant could provide many people with new opportunities to experience art.

“In terms of community identity, in terms of being introduced to the arts, potentially for the first time, and again, having access to that universal language, the value of the programs and the value of these organizations that are providing free access to the arts really cannot be overstated,” he said.

4 FEATURES

Community

Local photographer features dogs, owners and their bond Ashley Soebroto Daily Free Press Staff As the doors closed on businesses and schools across the country during the pandemic, interest in adopting pets skyrocketed. Many college students and families adopted dogs, cats and other pets to cope with the isolation and loneliness. One photographer was inspired by her dog, who recently passed away, to create a pandemic pet photo project.

Mindy Dutka, a local pet photographer in Boston, founded Dogs I Meet — a professional pet photography business based in Boston — in 2017 as chief storyteller. Dutka began a project called “Tales of Support” last January through her business, where she featured dog owners and their four-legged friends to capture their relationship.

“It’s a very important story within the pandemic,” Dutka said, “and when we’re on the other side of this … it’s a story that should be told and should be remembered because the dogs do have an important role.”

According to a study by the American Pet Products Association, around 72% of pet owners said owning a pet helped to relieve stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continued, the national adoption rate rose from 86 percent to 103 percent from April to November of last year, according to Shelters Animal Count, a nonprofit database.

Dutka said she began the project after realizing the positive impact her dog had on her life after the almost 16-year-old pet passed away last September.

“The silver lining for me of the pandemic and quarantine was I got to spend the last five months of her life with her 24/7,” Dutka said. “That was a gift.”

Dutka said she initially planned to tell the stories of dog owners and their pets through photo essays. However, she decided to include both visuals and written stories to depict the bonds between the owners she interviewed and their dogs.

“I felt like the stories were bigger than that, and they needed some more information about what it was,” Dutka said. “I kept it pretty open ended, and allowed people to just sort of start telling their story.”

Dutka said she has published about 25 stories since beginning the project last January.

One such story featured a group of friends who lived in the same apartment building and became “lifelong” friends after meeting one another through their dogs, she said.

Defne Yucebas, a junior in the College of Arts and Science who adopted a dwarf hamster named Clementine last year, said her pet helped her socialize more during remote learning.

“Because of the pandemic, we have been a little awkward socially, I at least, because we don’t get as much practice,” Yucebas said, “and it was a nice icebreaker to just go up to everyone and say ‘hey, I just got a dwarf hamster and her name’s Clementine’ and then that just helped me make more friends, which was very nice.”

She also said interacting with her hamster was a stress reliever because it was difficult to meet others during quarantine.

“I also talk to my pet a lot too whenever I don’t talk to anyone else,” Yucebas said. “It’s a nice … living creature to have around you when you’re not feeling that great or just have fun.”

Dutka added owning a pet helped to provide structure and routine to the lives of many owners during the pandemic.

COURTESY OF MINDY DUTKA

Local pet photographer Mindy Dutka began her project “Tales of Support” in January 2020 to share the stories of dog owners whose pets have helped them with their mental health through the pandemic and other strenuous life events.

“One woman said that her dog didn’t even know how he was helping her,” Dutka said. “He had to go out for a walk, but the walks were her salvation and cleared her head … and it was hard not to feel joy when you are with your dog.”

Grace Metcalf, a junior in CAS, said taking care of a pet not only provides structure but can help others distinguish between the times they spend working and relaxing, especially for those working from home.

Last October, Metcalf and her family adopted a hedgehog. She said because hedgehogs are nocturnal, she would take it as a cue to stop working when it was time to feed her hedge-

hog, helping her to maintain a better work-life balance.

“Throughout COVID and working from home, I feel like those lines between relaxation time … and when it is time to work get super blurred,” Metcalf said.

However, Metcalf said she worried that as people return to pre-pandemic routines, some pets may begin to receive less attention and care.

“I’m a bit worried as we come out of the pandemic that people won’t have time for the pets that they’ve decided to adopt,” Metcalf said. “I’m hoping that we won’t see a resurgence of pets at animal shelters or abandoned.”

Dutka also said she worries that many people who adopted pets over the pandemic will return their pets to shelters. Still, through writing stories about the emotional bonds between humans and their dogs, she can show the impact that pets can have on the lives of humans.

“When quarantine lifted and people are going back to life as normal … I hope these stories will be a reminder to people of what dogs do for them and what we owe them in return for their unconditional love,” Dutka said. “That’s my hope that these stories will be a remembrance again of the importance of the role that dogs played and it’s not just for now.”

SCIENCE

‘Jenga Building’ continues construction, excitement builds Molly Farrar Features Editor Since Boston University unveiled its plans for the new Center for Computing and Data Sciences in 2018, its unique stacked design almost immediately inspired students on campus to create the affectionate nickname, “the Jenga building.”

The Center for Computing and Data Sciences is set to be completed next summer, and in the meantime, the construction on campus will continue on the 19-story building. The opening of the building will also mark the beginning of a new department at BU, the Department of Computing and Data Sciences.

The department is also unveiling a new major program, the Data Sciences major, starting this Fall.

Ran Canetti is a professor of computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences and is a founding faculty member of the new department. He said the architecture of the new building is similar to that of the BU School of Law building.

“It definitely stands out, it’s actually supposed to stand out,” Canetti said. “I’m hopeful that it’s not going to be an eyesore.”

Alyssa Goins is a junior majoring in computer science and math in the College of Arts and Sciences. She said that the construction of the new building doesn’t bother her, and she’s excited for the CS program to have a specific space.

“I would say it’s really nice that as a computer science major that we have a designated building now for data sciences,” Goins said. “I think that’s super cool.”

Canetti was on the design team back in 2013 when talks of a building specifically for computer science, statistics and mathematics arose. He said the building’s design promotes more collaboration across the field and community at BU. “One very nice thing about the

building design is openness,” he said. “It would create opportunity for collaboration which … will really make an impact [as] one big unit as opposed to siloed departments.”

Rosie Sullivan, the programs and communications manager for the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, said the building represents a new step for BU, which hasn’t built an academic building like the Center for Computing and Data Sciences in

almost 15 years.

“It’s going to be 100% fossil [fuel] free, with many zero-waste initiatives. While CDS serves as the anchor tenant, we are so excited to be sharing the space with the Departments of Math & Stats, Computer Science, and the Hariri Institute,” she wrote in an email. “It’s going to be an extremely collaborative space.”

The building is the first on BU campus to be fossil fuelfree, and it also includes other

LIBBY MCCLELLAND | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The construction site of the Center for Computing and Data Sciences. The design of the 19-story building has earned it the nickname “The Jenga Building,” for which students and faculty have mixed opinions.

environmental sustainability measures like no gas, beautiful staircases to encourage physical activity, triple-glazed insulated glass windows and less chemicals.

But while the building’s going up, students are subject to the construction noise and view from Warren Towers. Sullivan said the construction will inspire students and keep them interested in the new addition to campus.

“We believe having a hub of activity in the center of campus will spark excitement,” she wrote in an email. “We hope students will be curious about what is going on and what is coming.”

For many professors, this building will solve the problem of “inadequate faculty space across campus right now and many [professors] are dispersed across campus,” according to Sullivan.

Goins said that while the building is exciting, the design’s modern look won’t blend in on campus.

“I will be honest, it’s a very interesting building design but at least we’ll stand out on campus,” Goins said.

Canetti said that the design “creates this very nice woven sense” and he likes the design because he hasn’t seen it before.

The stacked floors will also allow for porches and balconies up the whole building.

“Now, we are very excitedly watching it every day as it’s being built a little bit more,” Canetti said, “and really looking forward for it to really be there.”

LIFESTYLE 5

LIFESTYLE In defense of “Solar Power” Sam Thomas Daily Free Press Staff Recording artist and musical genius Lorde released her highly-anticipated third studio album “Solar Power” on Aug. 20. As a massive Lorde fan, this was basically the highlight of my year.

Upon hearing the 12-track album the first time, I was somewhat disappointed. One of my all-time favorite albums is Lorde’s 2017 album “Melodrama” — a darker pop album telling a story of self-recovery and discovery after a young heartbreak. Its production still wows me to this day, and the lyrics take my breath away every time I hear them.

“Solar Power” is very different. It comes from a more mature Lorde, now 24 years old, coming off a four-year hiatus between albums where she took time to enjoy nature and find a sense of balance within herself. Lorde seems to have, understandably, grown past her previous albums’ themes of being afraid to grow up and feeling caught in the riptides of heartbreak.

For many fans, this album seems to be a complete reorientation from what we know her for.

The electronic production of her past albums “Pure Heroine” and “Melodrama” are swapped for a more acoustic, guitar-centered production.

Lorde has spoken in the past about her dislike of writing music on acoustic guitars, but with this new body of work, she takes a trip into this new dimension of songwriting and uses acoustic guitars often.

This departure from her norm totally pays off. It is quite a jarring change, but the sonic landscape of “Solar Power” is simple and gor-

geous, transporting listeners into Lorde’s wild and free mind.

Songs like “The Path” and “California” serve as windows into a life forever altered by fame.

On “The Path,” Lorde grapples with the pressure of being touted as the voice of a generation while “California” describes her distaste for the celebrity lifestyle.

Another key theme of the album is climate change, a topic most mainstream artists do not discuss in their music. However, Lorde took a trip to Antarctica in early 2019 to learn about climate change for herself, returning with a new perspective on the world.

“Fallen Fruit” is perhaps her most direct song about climate change, which she says is a sort of letter to previous generations. “How can I love what I know I am gonna lose?” Lorde sings, watching the world suffer immense ecological damage with few efforts being made to reverse it. She condemns previous generations for harming the world and leaving future generations “dancing on the fallen fruit” — making the best of a world in crisis.

Perhaps my favorite song on the album is “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen It All).” On Lorde’s debut album “Pure Heroine,” the big hit “Ribs” details her deep fear of growing up.

Lorde said she took two chords from “Ribs” and reversed them to make “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen It All),” directly linking them both sonically and thematically, telling the Lorde who wrote Ribs that it will be okay.

“Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen It All)” is a letter to Lorde’s past self, describing herself now and giving herself advice on growing up.

She tells herself not to give up on love and to trust that her inner voice will guide her to the

best situation. Complete with a closing sermon of sorts from musician Robyn, “Secrets from a Girl” is the anthem of twenty-somethings who have grown up without realizing it.

While not my favorite project from Lorde, I can respect and appreciate the themes and artistry of “Solar Power.” While I love “Melodrama,” I also value Lorde’s artistic growth and personal progress, which is shown clearly on this new album. “Solar Power” is a more calm and breezy body of work, but it still packs the lyrical and thematic punch for which Lorde is

known and loved.

In her song “Liability” from “Melodrama,” Lorde mourns the end of a relationship in which she was told that she is “too much” and a “liability” to be around. In the outro of this song, she sings, “you’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun.” I see this lyric as Lorde using the sun as an image of pain and harsh reality. “Solar Power” sees Lorde take this path towards a bleak reality and come out the other side stronger and more sure of herself — a reminder that nothing is forever and change can be good.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Lorde’s album “Solar Power” on Spotify. Lifestyle writer Sam Thomas discusses how the artist’s latest album is a notable departure from the electronic production and lyrical themes that fans have come to know her by.

SPORTS Off the Post:

NHL players given Olympic go-ahead With a new school year comes a new season of NHL hockey, and now, a new columnist. My name is Belle Fraser, and I will be taking over “Off the Post” from the amazing Chad Jones, who graduated last semester. I worked with Chad on the Boston Hockey Blog during the Terriers’ 2020-21 season and learned so much from him, so it is an honor to be able to continue this column. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and hopefully hearing yours on all things NHL this year — so let’s get into it.

Last Friday was an exciting day for NHL players and fans alike. The Players’ Association and International Ice Hockey Federation announced their agreement to allow NHL athletes to participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.

Bill Daly, the NHL deputy commissioner, discussed a longer break in the regular season around the time of the All-Star Weekend to accommodate the players heading to Beijing. As of now, the break will span from Feb. 3 to Feb. 22. However, the league has the right to pull out of the Olympic Games if it feels it’s a necessary precaution in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

NHL athletes have not skated on Olympic ice since the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The league skipped the 2018 Pyeongchang games with the reasoning that it disrupted the season and that the location was not logistically ideal and top players could get injured. But all of that seems benign compared to the dream of representing one’s flag.

There’s no doubt these guys love the pro-

fessional teams they play for: the fans feel like

neither All-Star has gotten close to Lord Stanley.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIA NIZHNY

Belle Fraser Daily Free Press Staff

family, the city feels like home and the name on the jersey is one they’ll defend vehemently. But there’s a different type of pride in representing the place that raised today’s NHL’s stars into the great players they have become.

I personally love this move on the NHL’s part.

As a die-hard fan of the sport, I can’t wait to see these players in a whole new element, competing with and against the best of the best. It’s even more exciting, though, for the athletes who have dominated the league for the past five-plus years and now get the opportunity that every young player dreams about while lacing their skates at 5:00 a.m. for middle school practice.

Players like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid have been headliners for years, but this will be their first time playing at the Olympic level. Not to say that the Toronto Maple Leafs or Edmonton Oilers won’t have a miraculous season and piece together a fairytale playoff run — I’m a New York Rangers fan, so I always err on the side of optimism these days — but

Though early in their careers, players as talented and competitive as Matthews and McDavid always have a championship on their minds.

Having the chance to taste victory in a different setting is seriously energizing. There will likely be a handful of other NHLers making their Olympic debut as loyalties shift from professional teammates to home country.

On the coaching side of Team USA, Boston University is well represented: out of the five members of the coaching staff, three are former Terriers. Massachusetts native and BU alum Mike Sullivan has secured his spot behind the bench as head coach of the men’s team. The current Pittsburgh Penguins bossman has worked closely with USA Hockey in previous years and has found success in the NHL. Todd Reirden, Sullivan’s assistant coach in Pittsburgh, will join him in Beijing.

John Hynes and David Quinn, who both sported the scarlet-and-white sweaters, will also assist behind the bench. Hynes has his Nashville

Predators to focus on until the Olympics roll around, but this position comes at an interesting time for Quinn, who was fired as head coach of the Rangers back in May. Aside from being in the middle of a rebuild, the Rangers faced a surprising amount of off-ice drama last season. The Tony DeAngelo controversy, Artemi Panarin’s absence during his battle with Vladimir Putin, and Quinn himself contracting COVID-19 in the middle of the season are just some of the things that no doubt had an effect on the locker room and their performance once the puck dropped.

I’m not trying to make excuses for Quinn’s inability to get his team past the postseason threshold. I’m simply pointing out the unprecedented challenges he had to juggle while piecing together a team with an average age of 26. I would’ve loved to see Quinn behind the bench in New York for at least one more season — give him a chance to prove himself in more normal circumstances. But fellow Terrier Chris Drury had another plan, and Quinn’s NHL stint has come to an end.

This winter’s Olympic Games will allow Quinn to get back in the coaching headspace, now with more experience and many reflections from his dull months of unemployment. Jobs are sparse and rare to come by at the professional level, so hopefully, this gives the beloved ex-BU head coach a boost into the next stage of his career.

With October just around the corner, the amount of hockey that’s going on almost feels too good to be true after the past two years. For the first time since the 2019-20 season, the NHL will return to a full 82-game schedule and send players to the Olympics — it’s like Christmas came early. Roster projections for Team USA are already circling, and I can’t wait to see who hits the ice in Beijing come February.

6 OPINION

Minority Report:

COLUMNS

“Shang-Chi” will hopefully be the first of many

Lincoln Currie Columnist

her name in Hong Kong and is known for movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” a hit from about twenty years ago.

Yeoh and Leung — and the other stars of that generation — have left an indelible mark on Asian cinema. And as time passes, a new generation of Asian movie stars stands ready to take center stage.

“Shang-Chi” featured some of the up-andcomers of the next generation: Liu, Awkwafina and Ronny Chieng. Chieng and Awkwafina also acted in the rom-com box office hit “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), the first major studio film with an all-Asian cast in more than 20 years.

Firsts like “Shang-Chi” create a nervous excitement you can sense in the crowd. I remember seeing the woman in the row in front of me

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” set a Labor Day opening weekend box office record with just under $100 million in the first four days of its release. The box-office success is proof that a film with Asian leads, an Asian writer and an Asian director can sell in the United States.

The box-office record and positive critical reviews follow years of doubt that American audiences would get a blockbuster with an Asian lead, which is why “Shang-Chi” is the first Marvel movie to have an Asian actor — Simu Liu — as the lead. In addition to Liu, Asian stars from yesteryear are prominent in the film, signaling a changing of the guard for Asian movie stars.

“Shang-Chi” features Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung — two icons of a previous generation. Leung started his career in Hong Kong and is famous for films like “Infernal Affairs” (2002)—on which Martin Scorcese based “The Departed.” Yeoh is another actress who made

tap her kids and point at the screen excitedly when Yeoh first appeared on the screen.

Frenzied pointing when you see a famous actor on screen may seem strange. Yet, the act is reminiscent of many Asian Americans who for so long have not gotten fair representation on screen. Jeff Yang wrote an article about why “Shang-Chi” matters in last Thursday’s New York Times and explained the deleterious effects of the years of Asians getting shafted in Hollywood on Asian viewers.

But I do not want this moment to focus on the past — and present — invisibility of Asians in the United States. “Shang-Chi” is a movie that bursts with joy, and to overly embitter the discussion surrounding the movie would be a mistake. Instead, I want to celebrate the film as

ILLUSTRATION BY YVONNE TANG

a victory in the hopes of many more to come.

I have seen plenty of movies in theaters, but I only remember three getting an ovation as the credits rolled: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Parasite” and “Shang-Chi.” During the movie, I heard the audience cheering, clapping, laughing — the kinds of audience reactions that make the movie theater experience magical. More mystifying yet was the palpable sense I got during the film that this was all part of something larger, that I was watching history unfold.

Seeing a movement flower before your very eyes is a powerful experience. I first knew Liu as the guy from “Kim’s Convenience.” I followed him on Twitter and Instagram a few years ago and remember his frustrated posts about the prejudice Asians face. Liu has continued to be an activist for Asians and has written recently about anti-Asian violence on social media and the internet. Watching him grow into a movie star in real time has been a treat.

Thankfully, Liu seems more like a microcosm than an anomaly for Asians in U.S. entertainment. “Shang-Chi” brings the promise of a Hollywood and a United States that is more inclusive and representative of a diverse nation, a nation in which Asians are the fastest-growing racial group.

Yet perhaps most impressively, “Shang-Chi” evoked a sense of great familiarity while remaining groundbreaking. The film did not feel like a novelty to fill a diversity quota. Instead, “Shang-Chi” felt like a classic American blockbuster, with all the movie stars, special effects and excitement that come with it.

All this excitement leads me to believe that the many Asian-led blockbusters to come will owe a debt to “Shang-Chi.” I can envisage a future when I look at “Shang-Chi” as not just the first but the first of many.

Gaming the System:

The bias in reporting on China’s new gaming restrictions

Nick Speranza Columnist

Last week, a law took effect in China that heavily restricts minors’ ability to play video games. Chinese gamers under the age of 18 had already been limited to 90 minutes of playtime on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends since 2019, but the country’s new policy clamps down tighter. Now, minors are prohibited from gaming on weekdays entirely, and are only allowed one hour of play on weekends.

Shockingly, I am not a fan of this law. But as much as I wish such restrictions weren’t created, I couldn’t help but notice an overwhelming bias in the way and extent to which this new regulation was portrayed in English-language news media.

This bias quickly becomes apparent in comparison to reporting on similar legislation passed in South Korea in 2011. Nicknamed the “shutdown” or “Cinderella” law, South Korea prevented children under the age of 16 from gaming between midnight and 6 AM — the country announced this week that the shutdown law would be retired by the end of this year.

The South Korean shutdown law is notice-

ably less harsh than the one recently passed in China, but there is a clear discrepancy between Western reporting on the two laws — one that cannot only be attributed to their severity.

For one thing, China’s video game restrictions made more appearances in major news outlets than South Korean gaming laws ever did. China’s ban made major headlines, with a Google search turning up articles in CNN, Reuters, The New York Times and prestigious financial publications like Bloomberg and Fortune. A similar search about South Korea’s law turns up a CNN piece, but most of the articles are from small publications specializing in Korean or technology news.

The tone with which the two issues were treated in the articles also differs. Coverage of China’s law relishes in vocabulary like “crackdown” and “strengthen[ing] control.” The CNN Business article on the legislation characterizes it as part of a “major clampdown on private enterprise,” even though it notes two sentences later that it will have a “minimal” effect on the bottom line of tech giants Tencent and NetEase.

News outlets also appealed to Chinese despotism by quoting a particularly inflammatory Xinhua article that called video games “spiritual opium.” This article was taken down and re-uploaded with the reference to “opium” removed, but of all the articles I could find only CNBC explicitly noted this edit — CNN Business, Reuters and Fortune allowed less nuance.

Articles from about ten years ago during the rollout of South Korean gaming laws are much more sympathetic. NBC News’s coverage from early 2012 writes “gaming’s ills” in the headline, while CNN speaks solemnly about the “serious consequences” of addiction. Newsweek’s coverage also contextualized Korean laws within sensational gaming-related horror stories from the country, such as deaths due to days-long play sessions without breaks for food and rest.

Plenty of such stories have come from China as

well, but English-language coverage of Chinese gaming bans seems not to mention them.

To me, there is no mystery about where these discrepancies come from — American political figures and foreign policy have shown a consistent pattern of anti-Chinese sentiment for several years now.

The global pandemic has only worsened this existing trend, with thousands of instances of anti-Asian harassment occurring since the pandemic began. Neither Trump nor Biden have improved US foreign policy on that front either, as the two rushed to call themselves “tough on China.”

Much of this international fear, consciously or subconsciously, seems to leak into mainstream journalism. The online United States Sinophobia Tracker has cataloged many instances of paranoid rhetoric in mainstream media, and its list is far from exhaustive. Is it really a far stretch to suggest that reporting on the new video game legislation may play into such paranoia?

I don’t approve of many of the Chinese government’s actions, unfortunate gaming restrictions or not. But that doesn’t mean I approve of unfair and sinophobic portrayals of the country either.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIA NIZHNY

EDITORIAL 7

EDITORIAL

It’s past time to do something more substantial about sexual assault on campus Content warning: The following article discusses sexual assault.

Boston University’s long and storied history of egregiously allowing sexual assault perpetrators to run free on campus while ignoring the pleas of sexual assault survivors has been covered extensively. We have published multiple stories on this history over the past five years, and three editorials on the administration’s lack of significant action.

But this year, change was promised. Boston University assigned new training for returning students, freshmen, faculty and staff this semester, as a refresher on what is considered sexual misconduct and discrimination. The University also issued policy updates in line with federal and state regulations and sent messages to the University student body about their commitment to fighting sexual assault on campus.

The policy and training changes were, at least partially, fueled by two changes in the law: In August of 2020, new federal Title IX laws were enacted in colleges that denied students the ability to report someone anonymously.

These laws also mandated that survivors be cross-examined in the same way the alleged perpetrators are.

These laws are obviously devastating to survivors, especially those whose perpetrators may be in a position of power. Students reporting faculty members, for instance, would be forced to risk their academic careers and research employment opportunities if they chose to report inappropriate conduct.

Then, in January of 2021, Massachusetts adopted its own version of Title IX. These sets of laws overlap with the federal version and require campus climate surveys, an annual report and extended training for students and faculty. These state laws also state that universities are required to make anonymous reporting procedures accessible to their students, in contrast to federal law.

BU had sexual misconduct training for its community prior to these federal and state rulings. This training began in 2014 for faculty and staff and became optional for students in 2016. They were made mandatory for all of BU in 2018.

Despite these initial training, particularly last semester, students repeatedly called out the University for the long and arduous process of reporting their assaulters. The reporting process was full of paperwork and backlogged, they said.

In May of the same year, Provost Jean Morrison responded to student demands for further action with several promised changes, including increasing SARP’s funding, diversifying the Office of Judicial Affairs staff, creating a committee to address these issues, more support for survivors through the Office of Disability & Access Services and updating the language in the University’s policies — and allowing survivors to appeal cases in non-Title IX cases. Morrison did write in her letter, too, that staff would work to shorten the investigation time frame and “better support students” through it.

This letter does mark a step forward in the fight against sexual assault on campus, but there is still uncertainty around what the committee has done or when these changes will come to fruition. And it is not yet apparent

ILLUSTRATION BY YVONNE TANG

if these changes will be enough to make all the substantial changes needed to make this campus safe.

The most recent mandated training was meant to function as a refresher module on sexual misconduct prevention, but most of the modules were from the perspective of a bystander to sexual assault than a perpetrator or a victim. Shouldn’t BU be more focused on educating perpetrators or potential perpetrators and making the consequences of sexually assaulting someone known as serious and clear?

Moreover, it is easy to skip through the modules. There is no final test to see if any knowledge was absorbed after the training, and the question modules allow takers unlimited attempts, so students can try each possible answer without actually reading the scenarios.

Furthermore, announcements on the recent training updates state that the only consequence for faculty not completing the training is not qualifying for the next merit increase process, which is a yearly review where the administration decides whether faculty will receive a raise.

Moreover, given student reports of prolonged case evaluations, the Title IX office appears to be understaffed for a University this size. Only one staff member is listed on the Title IX website as wholly dedicated to it, while all other employees have additional jobs in different departments.

Many survivors found the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Center — or SARP — to be incredibly helpful as it provided resources

for survivors. But, SARP is not enough: it must be combined with more effective services that provide real justice for every survivor on campus.

In the Summer of 2020, several BU students started Campus Survivors, an organization where survivors can anonymously share their stories on Instagram.

In February of 2021, Campus Survivors organized a protest of more than 600 BU students to demand change from the administration, such as allowing students to report anonymously and a zero-tolerance policy for staff who commit sexual harassment.

The University’s first response was to remove the protestor’s chalk messages from the protest demanding BU do better, saying that they were posted in University spaces that weren’t designated for free expression.

Despite the University’s recent changes, BU has a long way to go to make this campus safe and accountable to survivors.

First, BU has made clear legal statements removing themselves from any possible liability if one of their students were to be assaulted. In 2015, a BU student was assaulted in her dorm.

She sued the school for negligence, and the University defended itself in a 2020 defense brief with a section labeled “The University Made No Definite Or Certain Promise To Keep Students Safe.”

Second, BU’s refusal to terminate professors who have been accused of sexual harassment, like CFA Professor Eric Ruske, is indicative of

its lack of commitment to actually protecting students.

In 2016, Ruske was sued by two former students for sexual harassment. Multiple students reported him for inappropriate behavior, and a petition for his dismissal gained more than 500 signatures 4 years ago. Last May, he sent suggestive messages to a student on a dating app.

Despite these allegations, Ruske continues to hold private lessons with students. BU administration has not commented on his possible dismissal.

Ruske is not the only professor with allegations. Campus Survivors has posted multiple stories about a BU professor in the Biology department sexually harassing his students.

We are tired of having the same conversation every year. We are tired of reading news of new buildings springing up on campus while survivors of sexual assault face a never-ending backlog of paperwork, oftentimes living with the knowledge that their assaulter is sharing their campus.

There is no excuse.

Actions speak louder than empty promises of change — or cartoons and bad acting in a training tutorial.

If Boston University is serious about improving its campus for survivors, it is time it let go of the delusion that the toxicity of this campus can be solved by training.

It’s time they fire Ruske and others like him.

EDITORIAL BOARD Lily Kepner, Editor-in-Chief Madhri Yehiya, Campus Editor

Emma Sánchez, Managing Editor Isabella Abraham City Editor

Sonja Chen, Sports Editor

Yvonne Tang, Layout & Graphics Editor

Conor Kelley, Photo Editor

Katrina Liu, Lifestyle Editor

Bini Ollivier-Yamin, Opinion Editor Veronica Thompson, Podcast Editor Molly Farrar, Features Editor GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA NIZHNY KK Feuerman, Multimedia Editor