11-11-2013

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The Daily Free Press [

Year xliii. Volume lxxxiv. Issue XXXIX

AD COURT

Lawsuit filed against MBTA over advertisement, page 3.

Monday, November 11, 2013 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

OH MY GODOT

Beckett’s absurdist play continues to wait at Emerson, page 5.

]

www.dailyfreepress.com

NCAA BOUND

Women’s soccer wins Patriot League title, page 8.

WEATHER

Today: Partly cloudy, high 50. Tonight: Rain, low 32. Tomorrow: 41/26. Data Courtesy of weather.com

Daffodils planted to brighten Marathon route Media critic talks about online culture of sexism, violence

By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff

Seven months after the Boston Marathon bombings, about 200 people came to Kenmore Square Saturday to complete the project of planting more than 100,000 daffodils along the marathon route to remind community members that the marathon is still a joyous and celebratory event in Boston. On April 15, the day of the bombings, Diane Valle and Kathy Thomas were in the North End at the Daffodil Festival. They said this inspired the two co-organizers to create the group Marathon Daffodils and to plant daffodil bulbs from Hopkinton to Boston, along the entire 26.2-mile marathon route, with the expectation that they will sprout in time for the next marathon on April 21, 2014. “To date we have raised almost $24,000 and have plans to expand the program if we exceed our goal,” Thomas said. “Although this project has taken all my waking hours, I will say that it may in fact be my greatest volunteer accomplishment. Now the bulbs are in the hands of Mother Nature, let’s hope she steps up to the plate and makes this project shine on that Monday in April.” Thomas said they teamed up with nonprofits, gardening clubs, businesses and other volunteers to reach their ultimate goal of $26,000, enough to allocate approximately $1,000 to each mile on the

By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff

search analyst at the ACEEE and lead author of the study. Boston was also ranked the most energy-efficient city on Sept. 18 by the ACEEE. “The scorecard is really a snapshot of how the states are doing over the past year in efficiency,” she said. “We score states on utility programs, on transportation policies, building energy codes, combined heat and power incentives and state government initiatives, which are things like lead-by-example programs and also appliance efficiency standards.” Downs said she wants to see more states look at the transportation sector, building codes and other areas where increasing energy savings could benefit the state’s economy. “Massachusetts has set a great example for other states, and the more states that adopt those sorts of targets ... [the more] they can really affect a large portion of the energy that’s used in the state,” she said. “We also like to see states focus all across their economies and

Feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian spoke to Boston University students Thursday about how online harassment contributes to an unsafe environment for women on the Internet. Sarkeesian shared her own experience about how she faced online backlash from male gamers while producing an online video series about the representation and the sexualization of women in video games. “All forms of online harassment, whether it’s a cyber mob or a handful of hateful comments, have very real consequences,” Sarkeesian said to students. BU Feminist Collective and Video Game Society organized the talk, which approximately 35 students attended. It took place in a College of Arts and Sciences building classroom. Sarkeesian said she faced attacks from what she described as a “cyber mob” after creating a Kickstarter fundraising page to raise money to produce the three mini-series titled “Tropes vs. Women.” The cyber mob, consisting mostly of male anonymous gamers, attempted to hack into Sarkeesian’s accounts and publish her personal information on the web. They also communicated hateful messages and threats and attempted to impersonate her on social media sites by fabricating posts and tweets. The harassment still continues today, Sarkeesian said, even after all three parts of the mini-series were published on her blog, titled Feminist Frequency. Sarkeesian said she encourages students to stand up to cyber-bullies who perpetuate a digital environment that reinforces a misogynist status quo and is hostile for women. Victims of online harassment should speak publically about their experiences, she said. “Having more and more people speak up is really powerful,” she said. Internet users must also hold social media sites such as Youtube and Twitter accountable in order to prevent further instances of online harassment on social media platforms, Sarkeesian said. Former Feminist Collective President

Energy, see page 2

Video Games, see page 2

LAURA VERKYK/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Brenda and Taylor MacHarrie from Arlington plant daffodils to commemorate the Boston Marathon bombing victims Saturday morning in Kenmore Square.

route. Barbara Thorp, director of support services at the One Fund, an organization formed to assist the victims and families affected by the bombings, said bringing cheer back to next year’s marathon is valuable, so future marathons can be about moving forward rather than remorse. “The beauty of those yellow flowers streaming along the marathon route will be a source of great hope and a sign of new life

for our community,” she said. “The sheer goodness and generosity of the people, the outpouring of support, and the effort that they will put in to show such a sign of solidarity is amazing. Just the sheer beauty of what these daffodils will represent as a contrast to the terrible harm and terrible pain that was inflicted by the bombings is wonderful.”

Daffodils, see page 2

Massachusetts ranked as most energy efficient state in U.S. By Sarah Herschander Daily Free Press Staff

For the third consecutive year, Massachusetts was named the nation’s most energyefficient state Wednesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, furthering the Commonwealth’s reputation as progressive and forward-reaching when it comes to sustainability. Mark Sylvia, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, said Massachusetts has been ranked first due to the Green Communities Act signed by Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick in 2008, which requires utilities to increase investment in energy efficient measures and mandates the implementation of energy efficient plans for gas and electric utilities. “It provided a lot of policies and programs that created the very robust energy-efficiency programs which we have here in Massachusetts,” he said. “Prior to the Green Communities Act, utilities were providing energyefficiency programs, but not at the level of

coordination that exists now. With the creation of the Green Communities, [it made utilities] work with their customers to reduce their energy use.” Robert Kaufmann, professor of environmental science at Boston University, said the Green Communities Act significantly enhanced Massachusetts’ energy conservation efforts. “The Green Communities Act mandated that money be taken, through surcharges on the price of electricity, to then be used to increase energy efficiency, and enhance the availability of renewables,” he said “Energy efficiency saves consumers money, it increases the economic effectiveness of industry and it slows environmental degradation associated with the use of energy.” The 2013 edition of the ACEEE’s State Energy Efficiency Scorecard based its rankings on each state’s array of government initiatives and programs aimed at promoting energyefficiency, said Annie Downs, state policy re-

SPH Dean Meenan to step down from post after 22 years of leadership By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff

Boston University School of Public Health Dean Robert Meenan has decided to step down from his position as dean after 22 years, he announced Thursday in an email to SPH faculty provided to The Daily Free Press by SPH Director of Communications and Marketing Kara Peterson. “With SPH so well-positioned for future success, I have decided that now is a good time for me to transition out of my role as Dean,” Meenan said in a Thursday email. “I started thinking about this during the summer and began to consider it more seriously as school opened in September and my next anniversary approached.” Meenan said he will help university officials in their search for his replacement. After he steps down, he will continue to work at BU in President Robert Brown’s office. “I will officially leave the deanship

when my successor takes over,” he said in the email. “I will then become a Special Assistant to the President and take on such duties as President Brown may assign me. At that time I will relocate my office to the Charles River Campus in order to undertake my new duties and also to clear the way for my successor to fully assume his or her new responsibilities.” Because SPH has made enormous progress in the last year, with record-highs in student enrollment, an increase in the budget surplus and a growing research program, it is now a suitable time to begin the transition in leadership, Meenan said. “We are entering a modest lull in the life cycle of the school in that we face no major reviews, planning deadlines or external accreditations in the next two years,” he said in the email. “Starting now should give the school ample opportunity to recruit my successor and have that person up to speed in time to tackle the next cycle of strategic planning and accreditation review.”

Brown also sent out an email to SPH faculty Thursday about Meenan’s decision. “As you know from his email earlier today, Bob Meenan has told me of his intention to step down as dean of the School of Public Health after 22 years of outstanding leadership,” Brown said in the email, which was provided to The Daily Free Press. “Bob has graciously agreed to remain as dean while we conduct a national search for the next dean of the School.” In the email, Brown offered praise for Meenan’s accomplishments as a leader within SPH. “During his long and distinguished tenure, Bob has led the transformation of the School from what was once a department within the School of Medicine to one of the nation’s preeminent schools of public health,” he said in the email. “He will conclude his service as dean having nurtured vibrant educational and research programs

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPH

After 22 years as dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health, Robert Meenan announced ThursSPH Dean, see page 2 day he is stepping down from his position.


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