9-17-2013

The Daily Free Press

Year xliii. Volume lxxxxiii. Issue IX

LEED-ER 100 Bay State Road receives LEED certification, page 3.

[

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

iGEM(S)

BU students to join in science innovation competition, page 5.

]

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SPLIT FIELD

Field hockey goes 1-1 in weekend homestand, page 8.

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Tonight: Clear, low 44.

Tomorrow: 71/50.

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Landlords protest at City Hall against ordinance Both sides seeking reform of Mass. gun control laws

By Alice Bazerghi Daily Free Press Staff

About 25 protestors gathered in front of Boston City Hall on Monday to demand a repeal to the ordinance that requires landlords both to register each property unit they own and also to have their properties inspected every five years.

The ordinance issued by the Inspectional Services Department of the City of Boston obliges landlords to pay a registration fee of $25 per unit for the first year of registration and $15 annually in the following years.

Skip Schloming, executive director of the Small Property Owners Association, said the ISD is notorious for being unorganized and that the program will fail.

“It is a massive inspection program that we think will fail even in its own goal, which is to catch unsafe apartments,” he said. “It’s way too big of a project for the city to do decently, and the ISD is terribly organized … landlords call all the time and won’t get a call back.”

Schloming said problem properties need to be targeted rather than having all properties inspected.

“What we think needs to be done is to have a targeting inspection program, and we think the city should have a housing safety SWAT team that is focused just on driving around and looking at house exteriors to find properties that they think will be a problem,” he said.

ISD officials could not be reached for comment by press time.

Joanna Connolly, a Newton resident who owns property in Boston, said she believes the ISD is the worst division of City Hall and that the ordinance will not address bad properties.

“As far as I know, the only time [the ISD] does anything is when tenants complain, but they don’t have any program where they themselves just go out and look at properties,” she said. “You can see from the outside if a house is not well-maintained, and that’s what they need to do — they need to get out of their offices and do some work.”

By Kyle Plantz Daily Free Press Staff

KENSHIN OKUBO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

City Councilor Charles Yancey spoke to landlords and members of the Small Property Owners Association in a rally Monday morning outside Boston City Hall. The rally was a call to repeal the new rental registration and inspection program.

Bill Desimone, 68, resident of Cambridge, said the project is unfair and its only purpose is to raise revenue.

“The proposed inspectional [program] is intrusive, and it’s not going to help apartments that are under code,” he said. “It is revenue-raising, and it’s a clear invasion of the Fourth Amendment because it allows the city to go in and inspect. We already have laws on the books that can deal with this.”

Irma Bickerstaff, a member of the board of directors of the Small Property Owners Association, said the project is a fishing expedition and problem properties can be found by simply looking at the exterior of a house.

“Right now only 60 percent of the units are registered … that leaves 40 percent that are not, and these owners are maybe dodging [the registration] because they know that they won’t pass inspection,” she said.

“I think Inspectional Services [should] send someone to go check those places out.”

Community organizer and mayoral candidate Bill Walczak came to the protest and said he agreed with the effort to repeal the ordinance.

“We know that there are problem properties in Boston and we can identify them,” he said. “I can identify the 10 problem properties in my neighborhood that are problematic. Let’s just deal with the problem properties. We’re going to get better results out of it. I support this effort to eliminate this rule because it’s unwarranted and unnecessary.”

City Councilor and mayoral candidate Charles Yancey was also in attendance to express his support to repeal the ordinance.

“We have to take another look at this — this should not be viewed as a revenue generator for the City of Boston,” he said.

“All of us wants to guarantee the safety of all tenants … but why do we need this massive registration program to do it? Why not adopt a more targeted approach?”

Yancey said the program has been handled sloppily and government officials must be clear about their objectives for the program.

“This process is abysmal,” he said. “We must correct the record and the procedures and we must be very clear about what our objectives are. Our objective is not to punish property owners.”

As a response to the Newtown, Conn. school shootings, Massachusetts lawmakers held the last public meeting on Friday to discuss gun control in the Commonwealth before drafting a final bill to be pushed through the Legislature.

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick spoke in favor of his bill requiring Massachusetts courts to give mental health records to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to allow other states access to records before they issue gun licenses.

“This information will only be used for the purposes of firearm licensing and to make sure that Massachusetts is aware of a resident’s full history when it’s time to license them for a firearm,” he said to more than 100 people at the hearing at the State House. “This is not about taking away anybody’s rights. This is about affirming everybody’s right to live in safety and without fear of violence.”

The public meeting preceded a Monday shooting where at least 13 people, including one gunman, were killed at a naval office building at the heavily secured Washington Naval Yard in Washington, D.C. About 60 gun bills are pending before the Legislature that include stricter sentences for gun crimes, creating a registry of all gun offenders in the Commonwealth, requiring gun owners to buy liability insurance and a onegun per month purchase limitation. Lawmakers are looking to create a comprehensive gun control bill in the coming months.

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, who is also running for mayor to replace Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, said he wants to increase the penalty for anyone who knowingly fails to report that their gun has been stolen from a fine of $200 to a two-

Gun Control, see page 2

Bill introduced in Legislature to increase speed limit on highways in Mass.

By Alice Bazerghi Daily Free Press Staff

Claiming that an increase in speed limits is safer for citizens of Massachusetts, Mass.

Rep. Dan Winslow proposed a bill to raise the speed limit on interstate highways from 65 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour to bring the speed limit up to the national standard.

The bill would raise the maximum speed limit to 70 mph on parts of Interstates 90, 91 and 95, which run through or in close proximity to Boston.

Winslow said highway speed limits in the Commonwealth are unreasonably low compared to other states.

“Most of the U.S. has a highway speed limit of 70 miles per hour or higher,” he said. “This proposal would bring Massachusetts in line with the majority of states.”

Winslow said the change is a safety issue because if a speed limit is set too low, the general public will ignore the limit and law enforcement officers will then not enforce the limit.

“It’s safer than having the 65-milesper-hour limit,” he said. “In fact the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has a manual that they issue to cities and towns, which are responsible for setting local speed limits and they say not to set unreasonably low speed limits, … which is exactly the situation we have with high-

ways in here in Massachusetts.”

Mass. Rep. Cleon Turner, another sponsor of the bill, said it makes good sense for the speed limit around the country to be consistent.

“Realistically, people are driving at these speeds anyway, and the roads here can handle it,” he said. “I think it will legitimize people who are already doing 70 [mph].”

Turner said he hopes this will encourage drivers to follow the law and to drive at the speed limit.

“The speed limit is sometimes 60 and people are doing 70, so we don’t want people to do 80 when the speed limit is 70,” he said. “We hope the law enforcement will be more precise than it is now.”

Winslow said a graphical Solomon Curve shows that increasing the speed limit to 70 mph in Massachusetts would be safer for the citizens.

“The Solomon Curve is science that demonstrates that highway accidents increase if there are many different speeds on a highway,” he said. “If you have more cars traveling closer to the same speed, the highway is safer and, in seeing this, the highway speed limits have come up around the country and highway fatalities in this country have gone down.”

Winslow said bumping the speed limit up to 70 mph would be better for the Commonwealth from a safety perspective, but

KIERA BLESSING/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Massachusetts Turnpike would be one of the interstates with an increased speed limit under Rep. Dan Winslow’s Bill H 3175. The bill proposes raising speed limits on interstates in the Commonwealth to 70 mph.

also would ensure that laws are taken seriously.

“I believe 70 miles per hour would be safer for drivers in Massachusetts, and I also think philosophically, we should not have unnecessary regulations where we don’t enforce the law,” he said. “If we have a law in the books, let’s enforce it because if we’re not enforcing it, there’s a problem

with the law.”

Some residents said increasing the speed limit would be safer for people on the road.

Natalie Cohen, a student at Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, said she agrees with Winslow and Turner’s bill.

“I definitely think raising the speed limit

Speed Limits, see page 2

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Residents believe drivers will continue to speed on highway Speed LimitS: From Page 1

would help,” she said. “Going 65 on the highway is actually pretty slow, so 70 would definitely help and then police could actually enforce the speed limit.”

Cohen said she usually drives faster than the speed limit.

“When I drive, I usually go in the fastest lane at 75, so if it was raised to 70, that 5 mile per hour cushion would be fine for me,” she said.

Other people said even if the

bill is passed, people would still speed on the highways.

Rose Buckley, 22, resident of Brookline, said she did not think people would start following the speed limit even if it was raised to 70.

“I don’t think it would make that big of a difference,” she said.

“People are always going to go faster than the speed limit, but if the police are stopping people for over 70 miles per hour, it makes sense to raise it.”

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BPD confiscates 477 illegal guns since Jan. 2013 Gun ControL: From Page 1

and-a-half-year sentence.

“Each year since I took office as DA, more people have been killed by illegal firearms in the City of Boston than every other weapon combined,” he said. “Every household has a kitchen knife, but during the past 11 years, 27 children age 16 or under have been killed in Boston by illegal firearms, not kitchen knives. That’s an entire classroom of children lost not simply to violence, but to gun violence.”

Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners’ Action League, said his members support tough laws on those who have or use guns illegally, but seek to protect their Second Amendment rights and to provide tax incentives to encourage gun owners to store their weapons safely.

“There should never be a limitation on how many rounds a lawful citizen is allowed to have when defending their lives or the lives of their loved ones,” he said at the hearing. “You know, one of the things I hear all the time is that we have to prevent access of guns from unlawful people. We really need to deal with unlawful people being on the streets themselves, because they’re going to find access to something that will cause harm.”

Menino said he supports the bills that will bring Massachusetts into compliance with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and will create stronger penalties for gun-related crimes.

“While I will continue to fight at the federal level to address these serious flaws in our gun laws, our neighborhoods cannot wait for federal action,” he said at the hearing.

“This Committee [the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security] and this Legislature can create a safer Commonwealth today. We can do better and improve our laws without infringing on the Second Amendment.”

Since January, 25 people in Boston have been killed in 189 shootings, according to a Friday press release from the mayor’s office. The Boston Police Department has recovered 477 illegal guns off the streets of Boston, and more than 60 percent of those guns come from other states, according to crime statistics reported by BPD on Aug. 27.

Nicole Hockley, whose sixyear-old son Dylan was killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 students and six school personnel, recalled memories of her son at the public meeting.

“He was autistic, and he was a beautiful little boy who just loved the simple things in life,” she said.

“He loved the moon, he loved the color purple and he loved garlic bread. That was happiness for him.”

Hockley said she wants the Legislature to pass tighter gun controls so what happened in Newtown could not happen in Massachusetts.

“He died in the arms of his special education teacher, and she died trying to protect him,” she said. “I was not prepared for this pain in my life and it is my most sincere wish that no other parent ever has to experience this heartache.”

Campus & City Campus Crime Logs

Sept. 10 to Sept. 16

By Margaret Waterman Daily Free Press Staff

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from Sept. 10 to Sept. 16. iPhone stolen from Metcalf Center A student’s iPhone was stolen from the first-floor lounge at 590 Commonwealth Ave. on Sept. 10 at about 11:30 a.m. It had fallen out of the student’s pocket before he left.

When he came back 30 minutes later, he realized it had been taken and reported it to BUPD. Student causes disturbance in class On Sept. 10 at 1 p.m., a professor called BUPD to discuss a disruptive student in his class at 808 Comm. Ave. The professor was concerned about the safety of his class.

Bike stolen near Marsh Chapel A student’s bicycle that was locked on a fence outside of 735 Comm. Ave. 1 was taken at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Another bike was stolen from the rack outside 730 Comm. Ave about an hour later.

Wallet stolen from BU office An employee’s wallet and phone were stolen from his or her office, located at 985 Comm. Ave on Thursday at around 5:30 p.m.

The employee reported a credit card was used shortly after it went missing at the Star Market just down the street.

Collision at Comm. Ave. and St. Paul St. A student driving a vehicle struck a student riding a bike at the intersection of Comm. Ave. and St. Paul St. on Thursday at 7 p.m. The student was taking a right onto St. Paul St. when they collided. While the bike was damaged, there was no damage to the vehicle and there were no injuries.

Student found hiding cat in BU residence At 512 Beacon St., two roommates had an altercation over one of them harboring a cat in their residence hall. The roommates, who reportedly have been having problems since late August, have since been separated. BUPD officials were notified of the incident at around 1:26 p.m. on Friday. The cat has been removed.

Car hit in Warren Towers garage An employee reported that another vehicle struck his car in the garage located at 700 Comm. Ave. A witness provided police officers with the license plate of the fleeing vehicle on Friday at 7:34 p.m.

Cyclist hit near Morse Auditorium On Saturday at 2 p.m., a cyclist was hit by a car making a right-hand turn into the parking lot by Morse Auditorium near 640 Comm. Ave. While there were no injuries and no damage done to the bike, the car’s side mirror was damaged.

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

100 BSR receives LEED certification, inspires competition

By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Contributor

An energy-saving competition between Boston University residence halls will challenge students to reduce their electricity consumption this semester, BU officials announced Thursday.

“The first energy challenge at Boston University will be a competition against residence halls to see which area can reduce the amount of electricity consumption in the months of September and October,” said Sustainability@BU Outreach Coordinator Lisa Tornatore.

The contest will take place among all major residence halls, Tornatore said. The competition will be judged based on each area’s electricity usage from last September and October.

The decision to hold the competition reflects Sustainability@BU’s challenge for BU students to reduce their collective carbon footprint and energy usage by 10 percent by the time the Class of 2017 graduates, Tornatore said.

“We want to get students involved — and faculty and staff as well — to help further reduce our energy consumption so people are educated

when they leave Boston University as to how they can live sustainably,” she said.

Sustainability@BU officials and BU Student Government officials announced the competition Thursday evening when BU’s Center for Student Services at 100 Bay State Road was awarded Gold Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

A glass, round plaque next to the Center for Student Services’ double doors now marks the structure’s newest certificate.

Other spaces on campus that are LEED certified include the Makechnie Study Center at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, faculty residences at 85 and 87 St. Mary’s St. and a recently renovated brownstone at 122 Bay State Road, Tornature said.

“Sustainability practices are integral to how we build these days,” she said. “All of the projects that are in progress right now [on BU’s campus] — all the large projects — are either conforming to LEED standards or actively seeking LEED certification.”

The energy challenge is intended to make students more cognizant of

SARAH FISHER/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A glass plaque commemorating the Gold Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is displayed outside the Center for Student Services at 100 Bay State Road.

the energy they are using everyday, said Student Government President Dexter McCoy. “We [members of SG] were approached by Sustainability@BU, and they wanted to work together to get some sort of awareness on their campaign for trying to reduce our [carbon footprint] by 10 percent by 2017,” McCoy, a College of Communication senior, said. “They also wanted to celebrate the wonderful

accomplishment of the LEED certification for 100 Bay State Road.”

SG Director of Environmental Affairs Danielle Elefritz said the challenge will focus on raising climate change awareness amongst students.

“A big role of Student Government this year, particularly the Department of Environmental Affairs, is to acknowledge climate change,”

Competition, see page 4

International graduate student rate declines at BU, despite study

By Trisha Thadani Daily Free Press Staff

A new report by the Council of Graduate Schools found that international-student enrollment in American graduate school programs has increased in the last year, but officials said international student enrollment at Boston University has actually decreased.

Rebekah Alexander, assistant director of admissions and financial aid at BU’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, said the program has seen a decline in international student enrollment and a negligible change in domestic student enrollment due to different circumstances, one of them being fewer applications received.

“We admitted fewer people into the Ph.D. program because of different factors, including trying to make it more competitive,” she said. “... We [also] changed the funding model for this year so that every single Ph.D. student that was admitted is fully funded, and that is different from previous years. So, we actually admitted fewer, more qualified people.”

Alexander said about 40 percent of applications received by GRS are from international students, but that a student’s citizenship is not a factor in the application process.

“It does play into whether they are able to get here,” Alexander said. “[But] we do our admissions based on the spaces that we have in our program and who is the best qualified, regardless of their citizenships.”

Alexander said international students who might want to work in the U.S. after graduating may face limitations due to immigration laws.

“When we want to bring those people in, if immigration provides any sort of limitations for this particular student, we certainly work with them and try to provide as much information and support and help as we can to get them into the United States,” Alexander said.

The number of international students in U.S. graduate programs increased by 8 percent from the fall 2011 to fall 2012, according to a Saturday press release by CGS. However, first-time enrollments of domestic students in science and math related fields either remained the same or

decreased from previous years.

More than half of all international graduate students are enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, according to the release. Comparatively, just 17.3 percent of U.S. citizens and permanent residents are enrolled in such programs.

“In contrast, the growth in first‐ time graduate enrollment for U.S. citizens and permanent residents between fall 2011 and fall 2012 was essentially stagnant at 0.6 percent,” the release stated.

CGS’s report stated first-time enrollment of domestic students in science- and math-related fields either remained the same or decreased from previous years. Although many people still apply to graduate schools, total enrollment in graduate students has seen an almost 3 percent decrease in the past two years.

BU spokesman Colin Riley said BU officials are willing to provide an education to any student, regardless of whether they decide to stay in the U.S. after graduation.

“We provide the education, whether they use it here in the

U.S, even temporarily,” Riley said. “But, by and large, international students come here as guests of the government to get education and get visas to study at the school with the understanding that they are going to return home to their country after graduation.”

Rick Bresnahan, a first-year College of Engineering graduate student, said there are less international students in his classes than he had expected.

“Here, either there’s a lot less of them [international students] or they are just better integrated,” Bresnahan said.

Lucas Hawk, a first-year Graduate School of Management student, said there are many international students in his program.

“I think it [American graduate school] is definitely popular now that the market is getting saturated with graduates from undergrad schools,” Hawk said. “Professional schools, medical schools and graduate schools are all up [in enrollment] because people lost their jobs and decided to get a better education.”

Rachel Riley contributed to the reporting of this article.

WISE-UP specialty residence now officially open for students

By Trisha Thadani Daily Free Press Staff

Upperclassmen in the Women in Science and Engineering program at Boston University now have the opportunity to continue living in WISE specialty housing at 163 Bay State Road. The freshman WISE specialty housing is located in Warren Towers, but students have been pushing for an upperclassman equivalent.

Students, faculty and alumni were all invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday to celebrate the opening of the new WISE-UP house on BU’s Charles River Campus. The WISE-UP House provides students with a community which fosters and develops the growth of emerging female scientists and engineers, said University Provost Jean Morrison at the gathering.

“It [WISE-UP House] is going to form a basis for a real community as

WISE-UP, see page 4

SARAH SIEGEL/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

From left: Resident Assistant Kristal Sullivan, Physics Professor Benett Goldberg, University Provost Jean Morrison and Resident Assistant Iriny Ekladious cut the ribbon at the official opening of the WISE-UP speciality house Tuesday afternoon on Bay State Road.

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Students find new residence intellectual WISE-UP: From Page 3

you work to establish yourselves as scientists and researchers and mathematicians and biologists,” Morrison said.

Morrison said although WISE subjects are difficult fields of study, living with friends and classmates with similar interests will help students through their academic careers.

“It is a very challenging — but nonetheless very rewarding — field of study,” Morrison said. “The friends you make [at WISE-UP] will likely be friends and important colleagues for the rest of your lives.”

BU physics professor Bennett Goldberg explained that research shows women who lived in the freshman WISE community in Warren Towers are 50 percent more likely to graduate with a degree in the science, technology, engineering and math fields than those who lived elsewhere. They are also 30 percent more likely to graduate from BU than those who did not.

Goldberg said there has been a demand by the freshman in WISE at Warren Towers for the opportunity to continue living in a similar environment as upperclassmen over the years. Goldberg said BU officials responded well to the idea of a WISEUP house. The approval process took about two years.

“It’s a great group, and they are excited to be here,” Goldberg said.

“We also have a lot of really engaged role models from the STEM women faculty, and I think in this whole process, the thing that I love the most is how much everyone was so positive and engaged in making it work.”

Iriny Ekladious, the WISE-UP house residential assistant, said she constantly sees her residents interacting with each other as mentors, friends and classmates.

“I can tell that the residents are really enthusiastic about being here, about what they do, and about thinking about their career options after their undergrad careers,” Ekladious, a second-year College of Engineering graduate student, said. “They definitely support one another because many of them are in the same classes.”

Ekladious said living in the WISE-UP speciality house will provide residents with a formal academic support system.

“We are planning on doing a mentoring program, where our residents get paired with a graduate student that is in a STEM field,” Ekladious said. “We are also going to have career panels and educational seminars.”

Gianna Gibo, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said she lived in WISE housing in Warren Towers last year and is glad she can continue to live in a similar environment.

“WISE at Warren was definitely a growing experience,” Gibo said. “I really like the community of girls [at WISE-UP] — we are all willing to work together, and since we all have similar classes it is really good.”

Julie Williams, a CAS freshman, said she finds living in the WISE-UP house to be intellectually stimulating.

“It is nice to have such a big support system, because I know everyone around me is in the same situation as I am,” Williams said. “We learn from each other’s ideas, even if we’re not doing the same things. For example, there are not many people doing physics like I am, but I can learn from the engineers.”

Energy challenge a ‘big step’ toward green future at BU Competition: From Page 3

Elefritz, a College of Arts and Sciences and COM junior, said. “…

This is our campus’s way of doing something.”

While BU advocates for sustainable living, the energy challenge is a big step for the university in becoming more environmentally friendly, Elefritz said.

“What we really need to work on is energy and reducing our carbon footprint,” she said. “… BU is

finally starting to acknowledge that it’s more than just sustainability, it’s all about reducing our geo-footprint and reducing climate change.”

Elefritz said the prize for the winning residence hall or the residence hall to reduce its percentage energy usage from last year the most is yet to be determined.

Additionally, she said she hopes the competition will show students how small changes, such as unplugging a laptop when it is not in use or

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turning off the lights, can make a big difference.

“A lot of people, in regards to anything environmental including recycling and all of the above, don’t realize that turning off the lights for a half hour while you’re not in the room or while you’re gone really does make an impact,” she said.

“Students will realize if they are working on this challenge how much this challenge will reduce our energy intake on campus.”

SG spokesman Saurabh Mahajan said he hopes the competition teaches students sustainable living habits before they leave BU. “College is a time where, if nothing else, you’re really gaining skills and forming as an individual for your life after college,” Mahajan, a CAS sophomore, said. “Sustainability is one of those things that, in our generation, is not going away. It’s an issue that is going to be very pressing for our generation.”

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BU students to compete in iGem competition

W

hile some of us spent our summers lounging on the beach, Jake Awtry, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, and Shawn Jin, a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences junior, worked diligently on one of Boston University’s team science projects.

The culmination of their summer efforts will be an entry in the International Genetically Engineered Machine — or iGem — competition.

The purpose of Awtry and Jin’s project is to standardize the way synthetic biologists work by switching from an old system called BioBricks to a new system called MoClo. The iGem competition is an international one that brings together the best undergraduate synthetic biology projects from all over the world.

Created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003, iGem has since expanded and is now a rapidly growing independent program. The BU team will travel to Toronto for the regional competition in the beginning of October, and, if they receive a high enough score, they will participate in the international competition at MIT in November.

At each iGem gathering, there will be a variety of speakers and presentations. Each group must give an oral presentation that will be judged and each group must demonstrate a “poster session.” At the poster sessions, teams must orally present all aspects of their projects, but must also allow the highly detailed poster speak for itself. The teams will choose tracks and be judged accordingly. In 2012, the competition hosted more than 190 teams from five different regions.

According the iGem website, the organization promotes “the advancement of science and education by developing an open community of students and practitioners in schools, laboratories, research institutes and industry.”

Several former participants said iGem is a great way to get students in the lab as they work hands-on with the material learned about in class.

In a video on the iGem website, former iGem competitor, Alja Oblack of the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, said she learned more from three months in the lab than she did in her entire three years of undergraduate education.

Jake Tennenbaum, a College of General Studies freshman, said he thinks this type of hands-on learning is most beneficial to students.

“Working with your hands is a proactive way of learning,” he said. “You absorb information much better.”

Allie Kolb, a senior in the College of Communication, said she thinks it is important that undergraduate students acquire this hands-on experience early on.

“Science is progressing so quickly that it’s really important for students to get this experience during their undergraduate years,” Kolb said. “I think it’s amazing that students this young are doing such big things.” iGem also brings together students from a range of majors. Awtry is studying biochemistry and molecular biology, while Jin is a human physiology major. This proves that iGem is for anyone who has an interest in this vein of science.

The Project Jin and Awtry said a fairly common problem researchers face with synthetic biology is the difficulty in reproducing experiments.

“Our idea is to make a standard for how experiments are done,” Awtry said. “Syn-

Jemma Douglas Features Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAKE AWTRY

Shawn Jin (left), a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences junior and competitor in the international iGem competition, mentors a local high school student who is interested in creating her own iGem team.

thetic biology has a problem where genetic parts are built that other people can’t use.”

Connor Richmond, a junior in the College of Engineering, believes this standardization could lead to faster advancements.

“More people would be able to contribute to more projects,” Richmond said. “It eliminates a language barrier that I see occur similarly in computer science and it creates a medium for universal parts.”

The current standard for constructing synthetic gene expression is a system called “BioBricks.” BU’s team is proposing that iGem switches to a system called “MoClo,” short for “Modular Cloning.” Awtry said this newer system is three times faster than its predecessor.

Another positive aspect in switching to MoClo is that the newer system is more modular. Synthetic biology is supposed to be a modular science, allowing parts to be easily picked up and attached to other parts.

For example, imagine that using MoClo is like playing with Legos. With MoClo, Legos fit together easily, while using BioBricks to assemble parts is like trying to fit Legos and Mega Blocks together.

Some of the previous iGem winners are projects such as “Arsenic BioDetector,” “BactoBlood” and “E. Chromi,” but Awtry and Jin do not seem fazed by former or current competitors. Their project, “Fuse or Die: The Case for the MoClo Revolution,” is ready to take on the world.

“Before we go into the competition, we select a track,” Jin said. “We picked ‘data sheet’ and ‘foundational advancement.’ Our project doesn’t have immediate application, but helps to move the entire field forward by providing a more efficient way to make DNA parts.”

The Process During the summer, Jin and Awtry worked in a wet lab — a lab where biological matter and other chemicals requiring water and ventilation are tested — with a team of three other BU students advised by four mentors.

Awtry and Jin said there were two ma-

jor stages to their work in the lab. The first stage involved the construction and manipulation of plasmids used for gene expression. A plasmid is a small circular piece of DNA that can be inserted into a bacterium, which then produces the gene product in large amounts. Awtry and Jin constructed plasmids with a set of critical components: a promoter — which acts as a catalyst — a ribosomal binding site, the gene of interest, and a terminator, which signals the end of translation or transcription.

The promoter begins the processing, the ribosomal binding site is where the protein expression of the gene is initiated, and the terminator ends the processing. The specific genes that the lab used were initially florescent proteins that derived from jellyfish.

These proteins included a green florescent protein (gfp), a red florescent protein (rfp) and mCitrine.

The protein expressions that form these plasmids were monitored using a flow cytometer. The flow cytometer detects which gene is expressed from the brightness of the fluorescent protein and can quantify the strength of that expression. “[The switch from BioBricks to MoClo] was useful because we put together an absurd amount of constructs in the time period, which shows how efficient MoClo is,” Awtry said.

The second stage of experiments focused on manipulating the synthetic biology in a population of E. Coli bacteria. The team used the expression of small molecules that can control the behavior of a population of bacteria. For instance, the bacteria released molecules that influenced the way neighboring bacteria reacted. Awtry and Jin explained that bacteria float around randomly until the level of molecule concentration gets high enough. Then, bacteria begin to clump up into a community-like structure.

When these clumps are fully formed, the bacteria have created a biofilm.

With MoClo, the team was able to control the amount of small signaling molecules that the E. Coli bacteria released and

the bacterial population through manipulation of their chemical communication.

Because the MoClo program allowed them to synthesize these gene expression plasmids so rapidly, the results of the project have been extremely effective.

What’s Next?

The second tier of Awtry and Jin’s project is the dissemination of information to non-scientists. They said a major reason why they chose this project was to explain the critiques and misinterpretations of modern research.

“A lot of the projects are very misleading,” Awtry said. “It will say it’s an arsenicdetecting bacteria, but most of them are just proof of concepts that haven’t actually been demonstrated to succeed in what they’re trying to achieve.”

One of their ideas for more transparency between synthetic biologists and the public is a series of articles. A tentative subject is debunking the misconceptions popular science fiction films create.

“Sometimes, society looks at sci-fi and they get a false perception of what science, biology and genetic engineering is actually like,” said Jin. “We want to bring in some examples from movies and then compare them to what is actually happening in reality.”

Steve Birnbaum, a junior in COM, thought that this would clear many misunderstandings that arise out of modern film, using the example of a recently released movie, Prometheus.

“In Prometheus, they had automated surgery where they cut out cancer with a robot, and the robot was able to target the cancer specifically and remove it,” Birnbaum said.

He noted that this unrealistic example of modern science often creates misunderstandings.

However, publishing papers that resolve these misconceptions can wait. In the meantime, Awtry and Jin will continue to focus on what is most important: Preparing for the iGem competition just three short weeks away.

6

Opinion

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 43rd year F Volume 85 F Issue 9

Chris Lisinski, Editor-in-Chief Sofiya Mahdi, Managing Editor

Margaret Waterman, Campus Editor

Kyle Plantz, City Editor

Sarah Kirkpatrick, Sports Editor

Brian Latimer, Opinion Editor

Michelle Jay, Multimedia Editor

Sarah Fisher, Photo Editor

Christina Janansky, Features Editor

Sarah Regine Capungan, Layout Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

Cheryl Seah, Advertising Manager

The Daily Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Monday through Thursday during the academic year except during vacation and exam periods by Back Bay Publishing Co.,Inc., a nonprofit corporation operated by Boston University students. No content can be reproduced without the permission of Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright © 2013 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Food stamps for the few

You’re tired after working a 12-hour shift at the supermarket. You left when the kids went to school, and now you’re back hours after they got home. Your spouse has been gone for months. Your kids watch you enter, and they hungrily wait for you to present them with dinner. At this time of the month, the rent weighs heavy over your head and food takes a sidecar. You lost your access to food stamps last week. They’ll have to share whatever is in the pantry.

If the House Republicans have their way, this narrative will represent 1.7 million more people in the U.S. this year. According to a Politico story Monday, the Congressional Budget Office projects 3.8 million Americans losing access to food stamps by 2014.

In June, the House Agriculture Committee proposed $20 billion in cuts, but House Republicans are now proposing just about $39 billion in savings over the next 10 years.

In a political environment fueled by a bloated budget and debate over how and where to cut spending, this move will have an impact on the country. With the similarities between food stamps and welfare, it is easy to consider the former an entitlement — but food stamps are something the government must provide citizens. Can Republican House members consciously cut these

necessities for families?

Compared to the sheer size of the budget, this $39 billion does still take a chunk out of our debt. Like the Sequester, which successfully shrunk the deficit, according to a Washington Post story from August 11, this spending cut will help balance America’s massive budget. Like sequestration, there are painful steps government officials feel they must take to repair the damage they’ve made to the economy.

Americans on food stamps are resilient, and those who lose their entitlements do have the community at their disposal. The average American on food stamps is given $130. These cuts may take $90 out of those budgets. The money they have, however, does not have to go to the expensive, processed foods Americans think they need.

There are options to help sustain a family if you lose food stamps.

If people with little money for food bought local produce, not only will those struggling farmers catch a break, the nutritional quality of the food will improve their family’s overall health. They would also help bolster their small, community businesses. This is is, however, no justification to taking away entitlements before a person is ready.

Snip that Snap Chat South Dakota brothers really know how to handle a situation. According to Inforum. com, in Fargo, S.D., a 15-year-old boy was beaten up because he confronted a boy who sent his 13-year-old sister a picture of the attacker’s genitals. The girl’s brother was punched in the face three times and ended up in the hospital to get several stiches. Police executed a search warrant of the girl’s phone for the photo, but only found that her brother brought a baseball bat to the encounter. There is no evidence of the photograph because he sent it over Snapchat.

For those who have never used Snapchat, essentially you can send photos and videos to people you know for up to 10 seconds.

After that, the photo or video is gone forever — unless you screen shot it. At first thought, people tend to think the app is for sending explicit pictures. It’s so convenient! You can please your sexual partner and there will be no evidence! At least until they screen shot your work-of-art, that is.

But the discussion needs to lean toward why 13-year-olds have smart phones with capabilities such as these. With the age of the Internet, especially Facebook, teenagers are unable to escape bully environments they encounter in school. When they are home, they cannot unplug from social situations and forget about them until the next day. They are constantly lambasted with

social pressure and never able to sit and breathe. A 13-year-old should not be subjected to this constant social stress. And to receive explicit photos on top of this weighs too heavily on pre-teens and teens.

Where has technology gone? Back in the seventh grade, we had a flip phones to call home. Now, children (and adults, too) have access to the Internet, which is impossible to regulate. The main problem here lies not in the Internet itself, but in overaccess to it at an inappropriate age. Though it may sound authoritarian to limit exposure to all of the digital age’s facets, these individuals are not well-educated adults who are able to filter properly. They are young teenagers who are impressionable and too young to grasp the gravity of some of the more mature parts of socialization.

Because the Internet itself is so nuanced and difficult to regulate, responsibility, then, falls to parents and schools to ensure that students are at least aware of some of the dangers young adults face online.

Perhaps, even, the public can make attempts to provide educational resources to adults. Technology is moving faster than most beyond Generation X can adapt. Parents and schools must understand the extent to which the technology can be used, but by the time they understand Snapchat, their children are onto the next big app.

le tt e r s @ dai l y f r eepr es s . c o m le tt e r s @ dai l y f r eepr es s . c o m le tt e r s @ dai l y f r eepr es s . c o m le tt e r s @ dai l y f r eepr es s . c o m

Girl, 21: Paradise Lost Sydney L. Shea

My hidden cove used to be the sixth floor of Mugar Memorial Library, in the corner carrel that overlooked the Boston skyline.

It was a special day when no one else was at the coveted window desk, which was so high in demand that whenever sitting there, you could hear multiple people’s footsteps as they walked up to peep over and see if anyone was sitting there and then, disappointed, search for another seat. I used to sit in the row behind the person near the window so I could steal the spot once the person left, which, now that I think about it, is kind of creepy.

But last week I went back to my favorite spot with a book on Benjamin Franklin’s letters only to find that it had been completely rearranged.

Boston University purchased a new wardrobe for the library, and it is both inconvenient and unfitting. While I was en route to my secret hideout, to my dismay, the dividers on the carrels were significantly lowered so as to have no privacy, and the corner view from the African Studies library no longer has a desk facing directly out the window. Now I can see and hear every other person around me, and I’m pretty sure these people similarly do not want to hear me crackling M&Ms for an hour.

The library is somewhat of a middle ground between public and private life. It is a public place (in this case intended for BU people only), but not one in which people are supposed to socialize, unless you’re sitting on the third floor (such a scene). I happen to like my privacy.

Maybe Mugar is attempting to alter its feng shui, but the result is nearly crackhouse-esque — not exactly worthy of an Architectural Digest spread. Nothing quite matches: the shelves and desks are made out of what appears to be cheap mahogany (cheap because there are visible scratches everywhere already), as if the contractors are trying to emulate an Ivy League school but did not have enough resources to complete the project. It’s the Big Dig of libraries.

When I first came to study here, I resented the Brutalist architectural style of our library because it made me feel as if I was in a Cold War bunker. However, I’ve grown to appreciate Mugar more and more for its shamelessly un-pretentious ways, unlike other universities who build ionic pillars and paint Frescos on their ceilings

just to appear more credible and enlightened. But Mugar focuses the student on the most important aspect of the library, which is obviously the book collection. We don’t need a gilded façade like other campuses to know we attend a world-class institution, even if the exposed concrete is a bit much.

Back to my labyrinthine wander throughout the stacks: I couldn’t easily tuck myself away into any of the crevices, as there were books that hadn’t yet been re-shelved living all over the other carrels.

I finally settled into a view-less nook on the fourth floor next to what appeared to be the socio-religious section. It was kind of depressing, but I think the rats enjoyed my company. Someone near me was snoring loudly, so that was a nice touch.

Apparently the new renovation is related to undergraduate complaints that the library was not organized easily enough to find books, but in some sense, that’s kind of the fun part of being in a library. Finding a book, whether it’s for a last-minute class requirement or just to read quietly, should be sort of a scavenger hunt. Whenever I’m looking for a particular book, I always find two or three more that interest me, which is usually a welcome distraction. As a matter of fact, I discovered one of my favorite books, “The Glass Bead Game,” while aimlessly meandering through the aisles.

But it’s the new décor that leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. For some reason the older furniture just blended in more — a library has a right to be bland. The new darker wood is too bold for what should be a neutral ambience. The designers seem to have created a “forest chic” look, but, like, a forest for junkies.

And while some readers might protest that of course the library must update itself at some point, I’d like to point out that Oxford University, according to The Guardian, currently has three designers competing to manufacture the Bodleian’s first new chair in about 400 years. Perhaps BU could have put a little more thought into Mugar’s interior design. It just needs some attention to color-coordination and fluency.

Cartoon phallices drawn on the desks had a tendency to cheer me up during exam periods, so I’ll miss them as well.

Sydney L. Shea is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at slshea@bu.edu.

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September 17, 2013

McKay: Full ride not equal to actual payment for college athletes McKay: From Page 8

fines and punishments stem from violations to the rules, such as contacting players too early in the recruiting process, or offering them under-the-table cash payments to play at a specific school. A famous case was Ole Miss lineman Michael Oher. His story (dramatized in the film The Blind Side) is an interesting look into the NCAA’s investigation process. Oher and his adoptive family were eventually found innocent of any wrongdoing, but it was an extensive, exhausting process.

If someone as innocent as Michael Oher could be investigated to the point of exhaustion about improper benefits, someone like Johnny Manziel could be a candidate to be stretched on the NCAA’s torture rack. It’s

been less than three weeks since Manziel became embroiled in controversy due to reports that he was paid for autographs. Being paid for anything is banned by NCAA regulations, but being paid for autographs (such an obviously professional activity) is the worst cardinal sin imaginable. After a brief investigation, Manziel was given a suspension of half a game.

No matter how lightly this punishment could be perceived, the fact remains that Manziel shouldn’t have been punished at all. Walk for a moment, if you will, in the shoes of Johnny Football. You’re 20 years old. You’re the most famous college football player on the planet. Girls want to be with you, and boys want to be you. But you’re probably getting a little weary of fame. You don’t have any privacy anymore. And you

know that you’re not going to anytime soon.

Are you honestly saying you wouldn’t want to be paid for all this? Are you really suggesting that you don’t believe in fair compensation for labor?

Well, you’re probably saying, Manziel is compensated. He gets to attend college essentially for free. He gets a free ride.

The yearly estimated cost for an in-state resident, which Manziel is, to Texas A&M is $21,581. Multiply that by four years, and you end up with $86,324. To put that number in perspective, Aaron Rodgers (the NFL’s best quarterback) earns more than 52 times that.

If Aaron Rodgers is the NFL’s best, and Johnny Manziel is the NCAA’s best, how is it any semblance of fairness that Rodgers earns 52 times what Manziel is “earning”

by having a full scholarship? Here’s your answer: it’s not in the slightest. It’s time to start paying major college athletes. It’s happening already under the table, so why not make it legal and aboveboard? In fact, the school could make even more money off of its major athletes. Schools like South Carolina, with game-changing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, could make truckloads more money than they do now if they paid him.

College sports haven’t been truly amateur for quite some time now. It’s time for the players to start getting their fair share of the goods, since they’re the ones doing the work. Anything less than fair compensation should warrant a “strike” of labor — something that no school, or the NCAA, could stand to see.

Kosienski earns second straight Rookie of the Week award after 2nd goal Notebook: From Page 8

we’re going to measure up.”

Miller Nabs Defensive Player of the Week Award Just a week after sophomore defender McKenzie Hollenbaugh earned the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award, her fellow center back, junior Kai Miller, was named the BRINE Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon.

Miller helped anchor a Terrier defense

that shutout both Providence College and the University of Connecticut last weekend. This year, the Terrier defense has not allowed an opposing team to score a single goal in five games at Nickerson Field.

Miller and the BU backfield was particularly impressive in their last contest, as they held the Friars (3-2-2) to just one shot in the first half and four shots overall.

For Feldman, the biggest reason for Miller’s success this year is due to her strength and her cerebral style of play.

“She is a warrior,” Feldman said. “She’s physically strong, she has a terrific soccer

Like “The Daily Free Press Sports Section” on Facebook Corner defense keeps field hockey alive, despite continued struggles on offense Struggles: From Page 8

hands of No. 17 Boston College Friday evening.

Through the first half, BU’s scoring opportunities were scarce, especially in comparison to the Eagles (5-1). By the end of the first half, BU trailed in shots 10-4 and 6-1 in penalty corners, but because of great work from junior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke, the teams went into the half knotted at zero.

“That’s a tribute to the corner defense, not to break,” said BU coach Sally Starr.

“Corner defense has been a strength for us all season and into tonight it kept us in the game, as did Valentina who played really well tonight, again.”

BU came out in the second half as a much more aggressive side, earning four corners in the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately for the Terriers, bad decisions close to the net led to either poor shots or costly turnovers.

BC went on to score the deciding goal in the 61st minute, as the Terriers took their second loss of the season.

Two days later against Providence College, it was more of the same for the stagnant BU offense.

Providence (3-3), BU’s second ranked opponent of the year, entered the game looking to make a statement, and was able to do just that by getting on the board first in the fourth minute.

BU’s inability to score was easy to point out in the first half, as they led Providence in corners 6-4 but failed to find the back of the net on each one.

“I think we survived the first half,” Starr

said. “I was not proud of the way we played in the first half. I think it was really chippy and we were taken out of our game in the first half. I talked at halftime about controlling the controllable and leaving things such as the officiating.”

Starr’s halftime encouragement propelled the Terriers forward in the second half. Within a few minutes, BU earned its seventh corner and junior midfielder Anne Fruitema fired a shot from the top of the circle that was too hard for Providence goalkeeper Diedra Clymer to handle and bounced right into the top of the net.

Following Fruitema’s goal, the BU offense once again regressed, as the lack of offense for the Terriers in the last few weeks was on display in the final five minutes of regulation. With a five-minute penalty going to Providence and then another two-minute penalty going against the Terriers — creating a 6 v. 4 situation to end the game — BU could not capitalize and pull ahead.

Luckily for BU, a few miscues from Providence and some great goalkeeping by Eimbcke kept them in the game, giving the offense a chance to steal the game in overtime.

“We had some scoring chances in particular the second half, with balls going across the face of the goal that just needed to be touched in,” Starr said following BU’s overtime victory over Providence. “Two things, and we talked about this at halftime, when we get into our attacking third we get stupid, we’re not building like we do in the other two thirds and we’re just not finishing.”

brain, she thinks one-step ahead defensively. She’s physical and hard, but she’s not just playing with her muscles. She’s playing an intelligent, thoughtful, and mentally focused game.”

Kosienski Earns Back-To-Back Rookie Awards

It was a great couple of games for another Terrier, as freshman forward Erica Kosienski was named the BRINE Rookie of the Week for the second straight week.

Kosienski earned the award after scor-

ing the game-winning goal against the Friars Sunday afternoon. With three minutes remaining in the first half of the game, Kosienski received a pass from junior midfielder Jamie Turchi inside the box.

The Plantsville, Conn., native then made a move past Providence goalkeeper Kristyn Shea and fired a shot into the empty net for the goal.

Kosienski is now tied with senior forward Madison Clemens for the team lead in goals (two) and points (four) and is second on the team in shots with 11.

Possession key for BU in upcoming game Men’s Soccer: From Page 8

Northeastern (2-1-2) team that has outscored its opponents 6-2 in their last three games, with victories over Fairfield University and Fordham University and a tie with Providence College.

The key for the Terriers against a strong offensive team such as the Huskies will be ball possession.

“They pressure very well and they are very athletic up front in the midfield, so I think that if we turn the ball over, they can come at you very quickly,” Roberts said. “A key for us is not to make a lot of mistakes and to have a feel for the ball.”

Northeastern senior captain Dante Marini leads the Huskies with one goal and three assists in five games played. Marini is the active

leader in career points for the Huskies with 33 on nine goals and 15 assists. The Huskies have displayed depth so far this season, as seven different Huskies have recorded points so far.

The Terrier offense will be tested by the Huskies, who have not allowed a goal in their last 200 minutes of play. Sophomore goalie Dylan Faber has back-to-back shutouts and is third in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 0.92 goals-against average.

One question yet to be answered is who will be in goal on the other end of the pitch for the Terriers. Redshirt freshman goalie Matt Gilbert and junior Nick Thomson have both played well this season. Gilbert had one save in the 3-0 win over Monmouth while Thomson had six saves in the 2-1 victory over Hofstra last Wednesday.

Laurito nabs OT goal to give Terriers win Field hockey: From Page 8

those seniors, because the BC game is a special game for them. They want that one as much as anything else.”

Just one day passed before BU went right back at it again, this time on Sunday against the Friars (3-3).

Perhaps still reeling from Friday night’s loss, the Terriers gave up an early corner to the Friars just three minutes into the game. Providence backer Henni Tietze fired a shot in off the corner set-up that deflected off the stick of forward Daniella Bernasconi and into the top of the cage to give Providence an early 1-0 advantage.

As the game progressed, the BU defense gradually settled down and kept the game at 1-0 going into halftime, due to spectacular play once again from Patriot League Goaltender of the Week Eimbcke.

“I just think that we survived the first half,” Starr said. “I was not pleased with how we played in the first half. I thought we were really reactive … we got taken out of our game in the first half.

“We talked at halftime about controlling the controllables. You can’t control the officials, you can’t control [their] hard play.”

Starr was able to inspire her Terriers for another aggressive second half. Four minutes into the half, BU earned a corner and converted it when Coll delivered a ball to Schieb, who assisted the scoring chance for Fruitema to even up the game at one apiece.

The score held at 1-1 as time ticked away

in regulation, and the game entered into a tense 15-minute overtime period. In the sixth minute, the Terriers received a huge setback when freshman midfielder Hester van der Laan was called for high sticking and took a five-minute penalty. To make matters worse for the Terriers, less than a minute later, Coll took a twominute penalty to give the Friars a 6 v. 4 advantage. Providence coach Diane Madl took a timeout to compose an attack plan.

“I was very thankful for that timeout,” Starr said, “because I had used mine earlier…and that allowed us to get a little more organized so that we could take the air out of the ball a little bit and really run time off the clock.”

Following the timeout, the Terriers stalled the clock and withstood the duration of the penalties from the back line through deft passing.

In the 10th minute, Providence was awarded a penalty shot after a stroking penalty on Coll.

Tietze hit the shot wide right, however, and lost a golden opportunity to snatch the victory for the Friars.

Finally, in the 85th minute, with time having expired, the Terriers were awarded the last corner of the first overtime period. Coll delivered a strike to Schieb, who set up a perfect opportunity for sophomore midfielder Sofi Laurito to unleash from the top of the semicircle for her third goal of the season, and the decisive blow in a 2-1 struggle.

“We’re a Terrier, and I talked to them about playing with their tails up,” Starr said. “I think as soon as she [Tietze] missed that stroke, our tails were straight up, and we felt the life back into us.”

“

Quotable

“

We’re a Terrier, and I talked to them about playing with their tails up.

-BU coach Sally Starr on field hockey’s overtime win Sunday afternoon

page 8

Foul Shots

Paying Athletes

Patrick McKay

College athletes are, by definition, amateurs. They’re called student-athletes, and every player and coach that’s interviewed says the same cliché: “they’re students first, then athletes.” The athletes have to maintain a minimum GPA requirement in order to be able to participate in their sports.

Despite these facts, it’s becoming increasingly clear that college athletes in major sports (let’s focus on football and basketball) are far more valuable on their school’s bottom line than they are on the Dean’s List. A classic case study that illustrates this point is Texas A&M University football star Johnny Manziel. This past season, Manziel became the first true freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, college football’s highest individual honor. Manziel, nicknamed “Johnny Football” by the A&M faithful, captured national attention with daring scrambles, a strong arm, and a certain unique flash in his play.

Along the way, Manziel earned his school a healthy amount of money. According to a study conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Manziel’s fantastic season and journey to the Heisman trophy grossed Texas A&M an estimated $37 million. And that’s just from the media exposure. That doesn’t take into account the undoubtedly massive sales of #2 Texas A&M jerseys.

So, if Johnny Manziel earned his school more than $37 million, why shouldn’t he get at least a small portion of that? The school may have recruited him, sure. But he did the bulk of the work to get those millions. He threw and carried the ball, not the football boosters or the athletic department. And yet they reap the benefits of his labor. Try making a case for the fairness of that.

The NCAA has an extensive rulebook for the recruitment and treatment of college athletes. In recent years, most of the scrutiny on college football has been negative. Numerous major colleges have gotten fined, lost scholarships, and, in the case of Ohio State University and USC, lost the opportunity to play in bowl games at the end of the season. These

mCKay, see page 7

Sports

M. Soccer vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m.

The BU men’s soccer team will host Northeastern Tuesday evening, P.8.

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Field hockey splits weekend series

By Justin Pallenik Daily Free Press Contributor

In a bittersweet weekend homestand at New Balance Field, the Boston University field hockey team split two games against No. 17 Boston College and Providence College, respectively. The No. 19 Terriers came into the weekend having dropped two spots after losing a tough road matchup the previous week against Northwestern University.

The Terriers (4-2) took recent offensive struggles into their contest with the Eagles (5-1) Friday, having posted only four goals in their previous three games. Their goal-scoring woes continued against a stingy BC back line. Fortunately for the Terriers, however, their defense matched the prowess of the Eagles, and they were able to take a 0-0 score into the half, despite being outshot 10 to four and facing six corner opportunities from the aggressive Eagles.

Great play from junior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke and a wellorganized back line composed of senior Ysi Schieb, sophomore Rachel Coll, freshman Bea Baumberger Altirriba and junior Annie Fruitema contributed to BU’s defensive success.

“Corner defense has been a strength for us all season,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “That was the strength holding us in that half.”

BU increased its intensity in the second half but BC continued to manufacture scoring opportunities. The Terrier defense finally succumbed in the 60th minute, when Eagles midfielder Emma Plasteras received an assist from midfielder Romee Stiekema and hit a shot off of Eimbcke and into the left corner of the cage, providing the sole blow in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss for the Ter-

Offensive woes continue for BU during weekend

By Christopher Dela Rosa Daily Free Press Staff

tonight and had the opportunity to win it ... You feel most badly for

The struggles the No. 19 Boston University field hockey team endured over the weekend should not have come as much of a surprise considering the team’s lack of offense leading up to this home series, in which BU went 1-1.

To start the season, the Terriers (4-2) defeated Ohio University 5-1, thanks in large part to a hat trick from freshman forward Amanda Cassera against the Bobcats (2-4).

The very next day, offensive struggles landed BU in its first overtime contest of the season against the University of Delaware. The Terriers trailed the entire game but a goal with 4:21 remaining in regulation by sophomore midfielder Sofi Laurito saved the team. Freshman midfielder Hester van der Laan would go on to lift BU past Delaware (5-1) with a goal three minutes into overtime.

Since the opening weekend, BU has struggled to get the ball in the net. During the opening weekend, the Terriers outscored opponents 7-2. In their next four games, they were outscored 6-4.

The worst loss in that batch came against Northwestern University last weekend, where poor playing conditions and injuries severely limited the Terriers’ ability to play well against a tough opponent.

The second loss of the season for the Terriers came at the

FieLd hoCKey, see page 7

StruGGLeS, see page 7

HEATHER GOLDIN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Senior Ysi Schieb provided solid defense for BU as it fell to Boston College but beat Providence College over the weekend.

riers.

“It hurts a lot right now,” Starr said of the loss to BC. “It was so close, we played a really good game

BU ready to begin conference play Men’s soccer to host Northeastern

By Conor Ryan Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University women’s soccer team will finally get its first taste of conference play this upcoming weekend, as the Terriers will face off against Patriot League powerhouse U.S. Naval Academy this weekend in Annapolis, Md. The Terriers (5-2-1) are in their first season as a member of the Patriot League. BU had played previously played in the America East Conference ever since they were elevated to a varsity sport in 1995, but withdrew from the conference last year after a successful run that included 10 America East titles over the 13 years, including five straight from 2007-11.

The Terriers’ first game against a conference opponent will certainly not be easy, as the Midshipmen (6-2-0) currently hold the best record of any Patriot League school and lead the conference in both goals (2.38) and shots (16.50) per game.

Despite the tough task ahead for her team, BU coach Nancy

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Feldman said that her team has been waiting to play against Patriot League-level talent for a long time.

“I feel like we’ve been talking about this for 10 years, that’s how long it seems. … It’s going to start a whole new chapter in our athletic department history and out BU women’s soccer team’s history,” Feldman said. “We’re so excited. We’re anxious to get going in it, we are excited to get going, we want to measure ourselves against the best in the conference, and it just so happens that one of the best teams in the conference happens to be our opener.

“That’s gonna present quite a challenge to us, and we know that. … We have full respect for the quality of the teams and the quality of Navy in particular.

There’s a lot of mixed emotions.

I think excitement, enthusiasm, a little bit of understanding that it’s going to be a challenge … there’s a part of us that wants to see where we stand, and this gives us vivid information on how

notebooK, see page 7

Thursday, Sept. 19

No Events Scheduled ... After finding out the only team interested in him was the Oakland Raiders.

By Joon Lee Daily Free Press Contributor

After losing the first two games of the season, the Boston University men’s soccer team are back on form with impressive wins over Hofstra University and Monmouth University, allowing them to climb back to .500. The team is looking to extend its first winning streak of the season when the Terriers face Northeastern University at Nickerson Field Tuesday.

In their two wins, the Terriers (22) have done an excellent job of ball possession led by senior midfielder Anthony Ciccone. Ciccone has assists on three of the six goals scored by the Terriers so far this season.

“Anthony really came into himself last year and had a lot of big games,” Roberts said. “Unfortunately, he had surgery over the summer that’s put him back a little bit. He’s starting to hit form and starting to really pick up where he was last year.

He’s about 80 percent right now, but we think in a few weeks, he’ll be close to 100 percent, and he’s a much more mature player, much more of a field general out there.”

The Terriers have matured physi-

Friday, Sept. 20 W. Soccer @ Navy, 3:30 p.m.

Softball vs. Boston College, 4:30 p.m.

M. Soccer vs. Providence, 7 p.m.

cally over the course of the season, according to Roberts. He said their development has helped in all aspects of their game, and their progress is evident in their two victories.

“We’re just maturing as a group,” Roberts said. “This group listens well, adapts well, changes well. We keep putting things in and they can adjust to it, so I just think that we’ve matured. It’s that simple. We’re cutting down on the mistakes. We’re getting better every game.”

In their 3-0 win over the Hawks (1-3-1), the Terriers received big contributions from three first-time goal scorers: freshman forward Felix De Bona, sophomore defender Jeroen Blugh and sophomore forward Lucas McBride. The offensive surge was BU’s highest goal total of the young season.

“We’ve had different people contribute and that’s a good thing,” Roberts said. “We’ve got some depth and we’ve had some injuries, luckily just minor injuries. People come in and fill a role and we haven’t really missed a beat which is good.”

The Terriers will host a strong

men’S SoCCer, see page 7

Saturday, Sept. 21 Field Hockey @ Colgate, 11 a.m.

Cross Country, Ted Owen Invitational All Day