12-2-2013

The Daily Free Press

Year xliii. Volume lxxxiv. Issue XLVII

STEM SELLS? STEM majors seeing attrition to other fields, page 3.

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Monday, December 2, 2013 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

MAY THE ODDS...

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” warms up series, page 5.

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www.dailyfreepress.com

NAILBITER

Men’s basketball squeezes out 1-point win, page 8.

WEATHER

Today: Cloudy, high 43.

Tonight: Cloudy, low 34.

Tomorrow: 44/31.

Data Courtesy of weather.com

BU receives grant to develop next-generation condom Students unable to return home given Thanksgiving feast

By Rachel Riley and Margaret Waterman Daily Free Press Staff

Boston University researchers will partner with medical professionals on a project seeking to develop a type of condom with a lower risk of breaking that still provides comfort, officials said.

The department of radiology at BU’s School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center won a $100,000 grant through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations program, according to a Tuesday press release. BUSM professor Ducksoo Kim and third-year BUSM radiology resident Karen Buch will lead the project.

“We want to make the condom better,” Kim said. “We’re trying to make it more comfortable, more durable and better functioning.”

Researchers aim to develop a new type of nanoparticle polymer coating, called hydrophilic coating, for condoms that will reduce the risk of breakage, Kim said.

“We believe that by altering the mechanical forces experienced by the condom, we may ultimately be able to make a thinner condom which reduces friction, thereby reducing discomfort associated with friction [and] increases pleasure, thereby increasing condom use and decreases rates of unwanted pregnancy and infection transmission,” he said.

To develop this improved polymer coating, researchers are looking to work with faculty from basic science departments, Kim said.

“The coating retains water on the condom

By Margaret Waterman Daily Free Press Staff

THANASI KASTRITIS/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The department of radiology at the Boston University School of Medicine won the Grand Challenges Exploration grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, to develop a more advanced condom to prevent breakage and improve efficiency.

surface to reduce friction, tearing forces and condom breakage,” he said. “To date, there are no real successful hydrophilic condom coatings on the market with adequate consumer satisfaction.”

The improved coating will also incorporate anti-microbial and anti-retroviral agents that will help to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and infections, Kim said.

The Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation began its search for the Next Generation Condom in order to promote the use of contracep-

tives for the health and well being of the general population, Kim said.

“Currently, about 15 billion condoms are produced each year and there are an estimated 750 million users,” he said. “However, the major issue with condom usage is that men are reluctant to use it on a consistent basis because they think they can get more sexual pleasure without them.”

BUSM researchers were one of 11 re-

Condom, see page 2

MBTA fare evaders could see increase in penalty fines

By Steven Dufour Daily Free Press Staff

For the second time in two years, fines for illegal fare evasion on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway may increase according to new legislation.

The Joint Committee on Transportation passed legislation in the Massachusetts House of Representatives Wednesday that would increase the minimum fines for repeatedly going through turnstiles without paying from $300 to $600.

“I’m not opposed to it,” said MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott in a Tuesday statement, referring to the possible increase.

“The people need to be very clear about consequences related to fare evasion.”

If the bill is passed, the penalty for a first offense would be $100, a second would be $200 and any further offenses would incur a $600 fee. Current penalties are $50, $100 and $300, respectively.

The potential increase comes in the wake of a July 2012 crackdown on fare evasion by the MBTA Transit Police that included an additional increase in fare evasion fees to current levels, and resulted in more than 600 citations in a month—a minimum of $1,272 in lost fares.

Despite the higher penalties and police presence, Michael Dukakis, professor of public policy at Northeastern University and former governor of Massachusetts, said there is still much more to be done before the problem of evasion can be solved.

“There is [not] any question that widespread fare evasion hurts the T,” he said. “It needs every dollar it can get, and ever since we went to automatic fare gates, there has been an increase in fare evasion. In fact, all you have to do is stand for a few minutes at, say, the Ruggles Station … and you will see it happen numerous times with little or no enforcement. I’m sure the same thing is

happening at other stations on the system.”

Prior to July 2012, fines for a first, second and third offense were $15, $100 and $250 respectively. After the price increase that year, the MBTA had posted a 40 percent increase in citations for fare evasion, some of which Transit Police partially attributed to increased focus on addressing such evasions.

Raising penalties further could simultaneously help make up for evaded fares that go unnoticed, as well as deter people from evading at all, Dukakis said, but penalties are not the core of the problem.

“Will raising the fines help?” he said.

“That depends on whether or not they are enforced. Without enforcement, they won’t make any more difference than the current ones.”

Several residents who ride the T frequently said increasing evasion penalties

Fines, see page 2

For the first time ever, Boston University President Robert Brown made it possible for all students who remained on campus for Thanksgiving break to enjoy a traditional American holiday dinner.

International students and students from the United States who were unable to return home for the holiday were able to eat together alongside BU officials at BU’s Center for Student Services, said College of Arts and Sciences and School of Management sophomore Melissa Aydogan.

“It was inconvenient to go home, so I stayed in Boston with my two really good friends and we did vacation housing,” she said. “It was convenient to go to the dining hall for the Thanksgiving dinner. It was really impressive, surprising and very nice.”

Aydogan, who hails from Cincinnati, said while she did not necessarily want to stay on campus during break, it was necessary given the time it takes to travel back home.

“It’s so close to winter break, so it’s not worth it,” she said. “The amount of time to go home is so little, so the travel time isn’t worth it. It would have been more stressful to go home than it was to stay here.”

She said she was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food available to students Thursday evening.

“I went in with zero expectations at all,” Aydogan said. “I thought it would be similar to the dining hall Thanksgiving that they give out the week prior to break. It was actually a lot better quality than that and I was very happy. . . there was a lot of food and really good desserts. There was great company and conversation. It was really nice.”

Items available included turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and vegetarian options such as pastas and vegetable sides, all of which outshone typical dining hall fare, Aydogan said.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, who was present at the dinner alongside Brown, said by hosting the dinner, BU officials hoped to share New England’s Thanksgiving culture with undergraduates.

“This [New England] is sort of that place where some of that tradition started and it’s one of those things that you want to make sure you’re able to partake and participate

Thanksgiving, see page 2

Partnership between Boston, technology provider aims to help local businesses

By Alice Bazerghi Daily Free Press Staff

On Small Business Saturday, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced a new partnership with Main and Me, a provider of web and mobile technology, to help local, independent businesses expand during the holiday season.

Using the website or a smart phone, shoppers are able to virtually browse through goods offered by local businesses, according to a Saturday press release. Menino said he is hopeful this new site will help local businesses prosper.

“Social media has played a central role in helping small business owners expand their customer base, and this new tool will bring greater marketing power to our Main Streets districts,” he said in the release. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and this partnership … is another example of how Boston is helping local merchants access new technologies and better compete in a global economy.”

Small Business Saturday, which falls on

the weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is a nationwide campaign designed to spur business for small merchants during the holidays.

Menino’s announcement follows the launch of the annual Holidays on Main Street campaign, an initiative to bring shoppers to Boston’s neighborhoods and get them shopping at small retailers for the holiday season, according to Wednesday press release.

Mary Pat Akers, co-founder of Main and Me, said she is thrilled to partner with the City of Boston to support small, locally owned businesses.

“While Main and Me helps increase awareness of what local businesses offer during the holiday season, it is also a year-round solution that helps lay the groundwork for sustainable neighborhood businesses and commercial districts,” she said in the Saturday release.

Steve Gag, Roslindale Village Main Street

App, see page 2

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAIN AND ME

Products from Store 54 (left) and Bringing Up Baby (right) are now a part of the Main and Me Boston website. Mayor Thomas Menino announced a partnership with Main and Me Saturday, a website and app that works with local businesses to expand their Internet presence.

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monday, deCember 2, 2013

Source of funding for student dinner unclear Resident: Fare hikes a necessary solution to avoid price increases Thanksgiving: From Page 1

in even if you’re not at home,” he said.

Elmore said Brown hoped the dinner would help BU serve as a second home for students during the holiday season.

“It’s whatever we can do to provide a little bit more of that camaraderie, that family feel that people tend to pull from Thanksgiving,” Elmore said.

Elmore declined to comment on how the dinner was funded.

He said students only needed to register using Eventbrite, an online ticketing service often used around campus for various gatherings, to enjoy the meal.

Enze Yan, a CAS sophomore from Beijing who was unable to go to a friend’s home this year for Thanksgiving, said he was glad he was able to partake in Thursday’s festivities.

“It was great — the Thanksgiving turned out to be a ‘Friendsgiving,’ which is perfect,” Yan said in an email. “That’s the spirit I want in college. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to sit down all together and join in the holiday spirit. It’s wvery sweet for BU to do it.”

Due to the high cost of the plane tickets home to China, Yan said he opted out of traveling home for the short break, along with a few of his friends.

“This year I decided to stay

here to spend time with my friends, which turned out to be a great choice,” he said. “The dinner was perfect … The dessert was amazing.”

Aydogan said she would attend Thanksgiving dinner at BU again next year and plans on doing so if possible.

“It definitely brought everyone together,” Aydogan said. “Even though it [BU] is such a big school, it gave it a more community feel. It was nice to have everyone together even though it was away from home … I plan to stay here next year … If they do offer it [again], I’ll be there.”

Rachel Riley contributed to the reporting of this article.

Residents eager to see local businesses ‘flourish’ app: From Page 1

board president, said Roslindale Village Main Street was created by Menino and was the catalyst to Boston creating the first citywide urban Main Streets program in the country.

“The celebration of Small Business Saturday and the launch of Main and Me Boston right here in Roslindale are just the latest examples of how this community and Roslindale Village Main Street continue to find new and innovative ways to support our local merchants and our neighborhood,” he said in the release.

Several residents said they sup-

port the partnership between the City of Boston and Main and Me because they want to see local businesses flourish.

“There are a lot of small businesses suffering because of big chains moving in,” said Kate Casey, 26, of Brighton. “I work downtown and I see a lot of chain stores, so this [campaign] is needed, and it will broaden the small stores’ client base.”

James Burke, 42, of Boston, said the initiative would not have an impact on small businesses sales.

“Businesses in Boston are pretty healthy enough already, especially with the students and the large popu-

lation,” he said. “But people in Boston tend to be creatures of habit. They go to the same store every day … so it will not make a huge difference.”

Ryan Clayton, 23, of Brighton, said the ability for shoppers to view merchandise online would help small businesses prosper.

“Anything to help small business owners is a good idea,” he said.

“They don’t receive the advertising and the name recognition that chains do, so giving people a different way to shop there instead of just in-store will bring much more business.” kelsey newell contributed to the reporting of this article.

evaders] now, raising them again certainly isn’t going to change anything … I can see that the T wants to get more money off of offenders, but you’re not going to stop anyone else by raising [fines] one more time.”

Michael Mahoney, 49, head server at Ristorante Limoncello and resident of the North End, said the fines would make sure prices do not increase for people who follow the rules.

“If they jump the turnstiles, they deserve to pay,” he said. “If everyone else is paying, why aren’t they? They [the MBTA] should definitely be doing something about it, and making prices go up for those of us who do pay is not a solution. All that’s left is to penalize those who deserve it, and if they’re trying to skip out on $2 … they do deserve it.”

Fines: From Page 1

for a second time in less than three years might encourage people to consistently pay their fare.

“The T needs to make sure people are paying, so making these fines bigger is definitely a good thing,” said Vishesh Kilewale, 24, of Brighton. “The fact that they [the MBTA] may be able to do it incrementally also makes sure people are aware of what the cost of jumping the turnstile is. I don’t think it will change much for the T’s revenue, but it definitely makes things fairer.”

Caylin Botsford, 20, of Brighton, said she was more skeptical of the fines’ deterrent effects.

“It seems a bit excessive to go into triple digits for a first time [violation] for something like that,” she said. “The higher fines, if they’re not affecting them [fare

Condom research at BU to begin in next few weeks Condom: From Page 1

search teams who received a Phase I grant to develop an improved condom. Depending on the success of the project, Kim said researchers at BUSM could receive up to $1,000,000 from the foundation.

Buch said she is thrilled to have gotten the grant and to start the project. She and Kim plan to commence their research within the next few weeks.

“It’s an honor to get the grant because it’s pretty rare — I think this is a great project with the potential to help so many people and it’d be really nice to start it now,” Buch

said.

She said the project will help many, including but not limited to those with fewer financial resources.

“There are people in impoverished areas who cannot go out and afford multiple condoms or lubricant to go with their condoms,” Buch said. “This condom will have high durability — ones that last a long time.”

Instead of requiring users to purchase additional lubricant to use with the condoms, the condoms will be activated by water, she said.

“You apply water to the con-

dom and it becomes very slick, extremely smooth and well-lubricated to the touch because it is binding water molecules to its outer coating,” Buch said. “So, there is no need for lubrication or a secondary lubricant.”

Buch said she is excited for her work to begin.

“For any research project you have this hope and this dream of what your project can become and I think that, for me, is the biggest personal stake and investment,” she said. “I really want to put something great out there, something that is new that hasn’t been done before.”

The Daily Free Press Crossword

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25. Flower stalk 27. Ancient Peruvian 28. Posts 29. East southeast 31. Exotic dancer 32. Perhaps 34. Unhappy 36. Bambi was one 39. “___ the season to be jolly”

40. A period of discounted prices 43. Helps 44. Adult male sheep 46. Orange pekoe 47. Relaxing 49. Wounds 50. What’s left behind 53. Under a spell

55. Hurry 56. Feudal worker 57. Blood vessel 58. Deceased 60. Untruths 61. Terminates 64. Wild blue yonder Solution is on Page 4

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Campus & City Column Close Encounters The Airline Edition

I have made some of my best friends on airplanes. Our friendships have always been short, only lasting until the end of our shared flight, and I admittedly can’t remember most of their names. But I always remember my friends’ stories.

There’s something about flying next to someone for hours on end that forges a connection. The combination of limited JESSICA technology and DEPIES uncomfortably close quarters seems to breed interesting conversation, but I think there’s another aspect to airplane friendships as well.

It can’t solely be due to close proximity or lack of (free) Internet that I spent hours solving crossword puzzles with that old man sitting next to me, or heard the life story of a young pilot on the way to California. What is it that makes many of us willing to share intimate details of our lives with strangers?

I think it has something to do with the destination — with the idea that everyone on a plane is going somewhere. It sounds obvious, but every end point has a story behind it. If you’re on your way home, then you find yourself telling a stranger about the trip you just took, why you took it, and who you were with during your stay. If you were traveling for business, you’re suddenly explaining the ins and outs of your job. With a path and a destination within sight, it becomes easier to explain your journey.

Why else would a young man covered in piercings and tattoos feel compelled to tell a 12-year-old me about his plans to visit his ex-wife and daughter once our flight landed?

Why would he share his anxiety with someone he’d only known for 90 minutes — someone whose main interest was which movie she’d be seeing next weekend?

Because his destination was so close. In that moment, I was the only person who could witness his anticipation before he stepped off of our plane and into a much more complicated reality.

It’s for the same reason that I found myself listening to a Mormon woman carefully venting her worries on another plane a few years later.

She had just finished her two-year mission, where she had minimal contact with her family and friends, and she was quite understandably nervous to be finally arriving home. I wouldn’t say that I have a particularly welcoming personality, so I’m going to blame this trend on the means of transportation.

In these situations, airplanes, in all of their claustrophobic glory, can be therapeutic. We’re always told to value the journey itself, and travel — as stressful as it may be — provides the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Even as we look towards our destination, a friendly passenger lets us reflect on whatever passage we may be embarking on.

So, in light of the culmination of one round of holiday trips, with another one right around the corner, I’d suggest that we all forgo the headphones on a flight and instead listen to the people sitting next to us. Asking where someone is headed may lead to some fantastic friendships.

Jessica Depies is a freshman in the College of Communication. She can be reached at jdepies@bu.edu.

Monday, December 2, 2013

3

Attrition between STEM majors, study suggests Humanities see dip in funding, Students in science, technolbut not interest ogy, math and engineering college

By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff

programs may be less likely to stay within the fields, according to a new study, and Boston University students say this trend is visible within BU’s STEM degree programs.

College of Arts and Sciences senior Mackenzie Harrington, a chemistry major with a concentration in biochemistry, said her freshman class began with approximately 90 students and 20 to 30 people dropped the major after the first semester.

“Most of my friends I made freshman year switched to different majors,” she said. “A couple stayed within sciences, they switched to biology or earth science, but most of them switched to different colleges within BU.” About of 28 percent of students pursuing a bachelor’s degree and 20 percent of students pursuing an associate’s degree decided to enter a STEM field at some point during their college careers, according to a study released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Educational Statistics.

However, of the students who entered STEM fields between 2003 and 2009, about 48 percent of bachelor’s degree candidates and 69 percent of associate’s degree candidates had left STEM degree programs by 2009, the report stated.

The study examined data from students who began postsecond-

By Trisha Thadani and Sara Herschander Daily Free Press Staff

contemplate a motion practice that does not become engaged until the arraignment and which unfolds after arraignment,” Justice Francis Spina said in the dissent, which was backed

by Justice Robert Cordy. “The reasoning of the court for hearing a motion to dismiss before arraignment is contrary to the procedure set forth in the rules.”

Yannetti said the court’s decision supports the idea that juveniles should not have a mark on their criminal records, hurting their chances for future jobs and other opportunities that require background checks when the charge had been dropped, and this is a necessary rule because police do not have many guidelines stopping them from arresting someone.

“There are very few checks and balances to prevent the police from arresting people without probable

U.S. universities such as Boston University have seen a steady decline in financing for humanities research since 2009, according to a Sunday New York Times article, and some students said this drop undermines the importance of the field.

Humanities research received less than 0.5 percent of the amount of funding allotted to science and engineering research and development, according to the article. This trend has also been reflected globally since 2009.

Annabel Sanchez, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said her minor in women’s studies will make her more well-rounded as a person. She said one does not get the same experience with the sciences because the field is more fact-based.

“It’s [women’s studies] not really something I could see myself majoring in, but it gives me a different worldview,” Sanchez said.

“It makes me think about everything in my daily life differently.

There’s no such thing in the sciences.”

Sanchez said there must be a balance between the amount of funding received between STEM and humanities research. She said scholars and educators are beginning to overlook the humanities completely in today’s society.

According to the article, Republican Senator Tom Coburn submitted an amendment in March that limited the use of National Science Foundation funds for political science research. This amendment, which was passed by the U.S. Senate, limited such research funds in Florida unless the work promotes “national security of the economic interests of the United States.”

Similarly, in 2012, a Fla. Gov. Rick Scott argued liberal arts and social science degrees were “nonstrategic disciplines,” and recommended students majoring in these subject fields pay higher tuition fees, according to the article. This proposal received major backlash, and was regarded as a “decimation” of liberal arts in Florida.

While the number of students

Juveniles, see page 4

Humanities, see page 4

PHOTO GRAPHIC BY MAYA DEVEREAUX AND SARAH FISHER

A report by U.S. Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics indicates that students in STEM college programs may be less likely to stay within the field.

ary education in STEM fields in the 2003-04 school year, tracking attrition rates of these students for the following four to six years.

In opposition to the researchers’ initial expectations, however, other majors had similar rates of attrition.

At the bachelor’s degree level, attrition rates were 8 to 12 percent higher in fields such as humanities, education and health sciences than in STEM fields. However, attrition rates in social and behavioral sciences were comparable to STEM attrition rates.

Harrington said students’ decision to switch out of the field was due to a combination of factors, including personal interest in chemistry and the difficulty of introductory courses.

“From the people I’ve talked to, some just realized they weren’t interested in it [chemistry], some thought they weren’t going to be successful in it and some thought it was too hard to get through college with,” she said.

“It was mainly interest, though.”

CAS sophomore Dylan Lewellyn, who intends to switch majors from marine biology to business with a minor in sustainable energy, said his decision to transfer to into BU’s School of Management was based largely on personal interest.

“I didn’t see myself becoming a scientist,” he said.

Lewellyn said he has noticed a trend with science majors transferring into SMG to pursue business degrees.

Computer engineering major Jesse Belanger, a College of Engineering sophomore, said students also tend to transfer out of engineering fields, particularly as underclassmen.

“A lot of people end up in engineering because their dads are engineers, and they say, ‘Oh, you should go be an engineer, they make a lot of money,’” Belanger said. “They do it,

STEM, see page 4

Court allows dismissal of juvenile cases from records

By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decided Tuesday that juvenile court judges can now dismiss criminal complaints against juveniles if there is no evidence of probable cause before an arraignment is held.

David Yannetti, a Boston criminal defense lawyer, said the ruling allows for fair challenges without ramifications on an individual’s record.

“If the police make a bad arrest or if a complaint is issued without probable cause, you should be able to fight that without having your client’s record blemished by the bad arrest,” he said.

The case, Commonwealth v.

Humberto H., began in 2011 when a complaint was filed toward an adolescent charging him with an account of possession of marijuana and the intent to further distribute it.

Tuesday’s decision passed in a 4-2

ruling with Justice Ralph Gants writing the majority decision and said it was “offensive to arraign a child ... just to put it on the child’s record.”

In order for there to be probable cause, the complaint application has to include “reasonably trustworthy information sufficient to warrant a reasonable or prudent person in believing that the defendant has committed the offense,” the ruling stated.

There must also be evidence to support probable cause for each individual charge. For example, in Commonwealth v. Humberto H. there was definitive evidence for the possession charge, but none for the intent to distribute the drugs, according to the ruling.

The two dissenting judges cited past cases and said juveniles should be arraigned before their charges are dropped, otherwise it would be a loophole to existing procedures.

“The rules of criminal procedure

RIDE program for MBTA may see decrease in cost for riders

By Felicia Gans Daily Free Press Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Officials proposed legislation Tuesday that the MBTA RIDE program is reducing its fare from $4 to $3.

More than a year after the fare for the RIDE, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s door-to-door transit service for elderly and disabled people, was raised, MBTA officials announced a potential decrease in price on Tuesday.

The legislation announced at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting would change the fare from $4 to $3. The proposed change comes after opposition to a July 2012 increase that raised it to $4 from several advocacy groups, including the Massachusetts Senior Action Council and Community Labor United.

“We’re committed to continuing to fight for increased affordability in the system,” said Diana

Bell, the senior organizer at CLU. “Affordability is critical for equal access to public transit. The reality is that the folks who use this service, especially many seniors and disabled folks, are on a very fixed income.”

The proposal to reduce the fare came out of a collaborative effort between several community organizations and the MBTA with the goal of balancing costs and affordability, Bell said.

Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for the MBTA, said the impact the fare drop would have on the system’s budget and operating costs are not yet known, but he sees several possible benefits to counter the monetary losses. “[If this fare reduction is approved], more eligible RIDE cus-

MBTA RIDE, see page 4

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Monday, December 2, 2013

MBTA hopes to enact changes in RIDE fare by January 2014 Student: STEM MBTA RIDE: From Page 3

tomers on fixed incomes will be able to take advantage of the doorto-door para-transit service,” he said.

The RIDE functions as an alternative mode of transportation for those who cannot rely on standard public transportation, such as buses or the subway, due to physical or mental disabilities, according to the MBTA RIDE website.

A majority of RIDE users who make less than $2,000 a month were forced to cut down on spending for food and transportation, due to the $4 fare, and approximately 40 percent of RIDE users said they used the transportation system less as a result of the new cost, according to a September study from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

In addition to the MBTA and the SAC, Bell said the Boston Center for Independent Living, the Bay State Council of the Blind and the Public Transit Public Good Coalition endorsed the proposal to provide a broader demographic support base.

“The coalition represents ... not just seniors and disabled riders, but young people and regular riders, who are dependent on their income and can’t afford higher fares,” she said. “There’s a clear recognition of the need for immediate relief.”

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors will vote on the proposal at their Dec. 11 meeting. If approved, the MBTA hopes to enact the changes by January 2014.

Several residents said they were in favor of the price drop.

“A lot of people just don’t have

the money, and every dollar really makes a difference,” said Jehediel De Jesus, 17, of Roxbury. “They really should be paying more [than users of standard transportation] just because they’re getting more special treatment, but it’s not right to raise it higher than they can pay for.”

Devin Damato, 22, of Allston studying at the Berklee College of Music, said he was in favor of making the RIDE easily accessible to those who need it, but was not sure the price drop provided enough benefits to counter what it would cost the MBTA. “People who have ridden it [the RIDE] that I’ve known always praise the drivers and operators for doing a great job, so making sure it’s available is very important,” he said. “At the same time though, $1 does not mean much. Even after it

would add up for one person, the difference is not that much from what it would normally be [with the existing fare]. System-wide though, it’s going to cost the system a lot more. Because of that, I’m not sure it makes sense to lower the price.”

Sarah Bouchard, 29, a social worker from Brighton, said guaranteeing social benefits far outweigh the social cost.

“Anything that increases accessibility for those who need it is a definite plus for people who need transportation,” she said. “The T obviously struggles with money, but … it’s one of those things where if we’re not looking out for the people in our society who need our help the most, we’re not doing our job as a city.”

Steven Dufour contributed to the reporting of this article.

CAS soph.: Poor reputation for humanities ‘undeserved’ Humanities: From Page 3

majoring in humanities has decreased nationwide since the ‘60s, the amount of bachelor’s degrees in the field has significantly increased since the mid-‘80s, according to a report released this year by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

However, only a small percent of college students learn the essential language skills needed for international security and global competition, according to the report.

“They [humanities courses] provide the knowledge, skills, and understanding we need to thrive in a twenty-first-century democracy,” the report stated. “They equip us for leadership in an interconnected world and help foster a society that is innovative, competitive, and strong.”

Fuxin Zhang, a College of Communication junior, said he has taken a few humanities courses to fulfill course requirements, but did not find them to be very practical.

He said should be taken in high school rather than college.

“You pay a lot more in college, and I think it’s [humanities] basic knowledge that if you want to know, you can learn in high

school,” Zhang said. “I don’t think it should be necessary for college students anymore … But, I don’t think we should decrease the funding in cases of research just because it’s necessary to know history, and a lot of people care about it.”

Valerie Koch, a College of Engineering freshman, said while she is majoring in mechanical engineering, she still enjoys humanities courses and hopes she can take more in the future while pursuing her degree.

“Everybody should be educated in more areas than just engineering, math and science,” Koch said.

“You want to be worldly — you don’t want to be ignorant.”

Sanchez said the humanities might have a poor reputation among students on college campuses, but it is undeserved.

“People kind of think if you’re majoring in math or the sciences, you’re getting a real major, and if you’re majoring in the humanities, you’re taking the easy way out, you’re just sitting around reading and thinking all day,” Sanchez said. “There’s more to it [humanities] than that … It’s not … just sitting around in the grass reading Plato.”

www.broken-legs.com The Y Theater, Central Square, 820 Mass Ave, Cambridge December 5th , 6th, 12th, 13th and 14th, all shows at 7:30pm An aging actor pushes his fellow actors to the brink of armed revolt.

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courses different at college level STEM: From Page 3

and then some people can deal with how boring it is, but other people say, ‘No, I can’t bore myself this much and lose this much of my life for something I don’t really care about’ … It [engineering] is a huge, huge commitment.”

CAS and School of Education senior Crystal Shah, a dual degree major in neuroscience and science education, said students often switch out of science degree programs at BU because they had different expectations about college-level science courses.

“A lot of people come in thinking that science in high school was a lot of fun and it wasn’t that bad, but college science is very different,” she said. “People realize that that’s not what they want to do for their entire lives, and they take up something that they’re probably more passionate about.”

For STEM students debating transferring from the field, Shah said she advises they spend some time working through introductory courses before making the transition.

“If it’s something that you really love and there’s that difficulty factor, especially in college — if you can push through that difficulty factor, if you can push through those general science courses and get to those courses where you get to actually choose what you’re interested in — I would really recommend people to do that,” she said. “But you have to have a good reason to continue with STEM.”

Decision allows changes after arraignments Juveniles: From Page 3

cause,” he said. “It’s basically just a police officer’s decision to put handcuffs on somebody. If it later turns out that they don’t have probable cause to the arrest and you’ve successfully fought that in court, there’s no way to un-ring the bell. Somebody’s already been arraigned in court, you’ve already fought it, but the records still all there. This changes that.”

Several residents said they had mixed feelings about the decision.

Ryan Giammo, 22, of Allston, said the consequences of this rule would be different for each individual case.

“As far as wiping the record clean, it’s not necessarily a matter of whether or not it gives them an opportunity to do it again or not, because depending on what the crime was, the age group, they might just do it again anyway, whether they get caught or not,” he said. “On the other hand, if they’re already in court, that might be enough of a scare tactic to prevent them from doing that in the future.”

Kevin Brown, 48, of South Boston, said this is forgiving for young people who may not really know the harm they are doing.

“Juveniles are capable of doing things that really they’re not old enough to understand the full ramifications,” he said. “Obviously it’s not black and white, it depends on the circumstances, how close they’re getting to adulthood ... but it’s a good thing that they have the ability to somehow not carry what they’ve done through the rest of their life, given that they probably don’t understand what they’ve done.”

The Hunger Games trilogy heats up with newest film, “Catching Fire” Olivia Shurr

T

o say that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a step up from the first installment of the trio would be a massive understatement. When audiences last left the fictional land of Panem, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) had attempted to kill themselves rather than give President Snow (Donald Sutherland) a victory in the Hunger Games.

When Snow decided to pronounce them both winners, Katniss and Peeta were instructed to declare their suicide attempt as an act of love, not defiance. But their act did not fool Snow, who pays Katniss a visit in the beginning of Catching Fire.

In Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta are about to begin their Victory Tour across the nation, and President Snow makes it clear that the two lovebirds must convince him — and the rest of Panem — that they are true lovebirds, and not two rebels trying to start a war. If they do not, President Snow makes it clear: The consequences will be deadly.

The two embark on their journey through the 12 districts, starting with District 11, home of former tribute Rue. The annoyingly bubbly Effie (Elizabeth Banks) gives both victors a card with a speech on it, and instructs them not to substitute any of the material with their own words. However, both Peeta and Katniss break the rules and go off-script. When Katniss finishes, an old man in the crowd kisses three fingers and holds them up in the air, which is the “silent salute” signifying respect for Katniss and Peeta. Suddenly, peacekeepers (Panem’s droid-like police force) grab the man out of the crowd and begin to beat him, to which Katniss responds by lunging forward to defend him.

The same thing begins to happen in all of the districts that the victors visit. However, this time, Katniss and Peeta stick to their cards and

MUSE Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT

Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence star as Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” a step up from the trilogy’s former film.

play up their love story, watching helplessly and silently as more and more people are punished for giving the silent salute — and the cue that they are ready to rebel.

Despite Katniss and Peeta’s efforts to convince President Snow of their love, they fail to impress him. Shortly after their failure, Snow announces that for the 75th Hunger Games, or Quarter Quell, a male and female tribute will be “reaped” from the existing pool of victors. Being the only female victor in District 12, Katniss is forced to go back into the arena, as well as Peeta, who volunteers in place of Haymitch.

Katniss and Peeta soon learn these games will be anything but ordinary, especially considering other tributes in the arena are trained

killers. However, the two form alliances with some of the other tributes, including the odd geniuses Wiress and Beetee (Amanda Plummer and Jeffrey Wright, respectively), the handsome Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), his old mentor, Mags (Lynn Cohen) and the sassy Johanna Mason (Jena Malone).

New head game maker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), creates the most astonishing arena that will surely be deadly for all of the tributes, unless they can figure out the secrets behind its workings.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a growth from the first film, but the reason why this change occurred is not obvious. Perhaps it was the new director, Francis Lawrence, who

took the sequel and exceeded expectations — his vision of Panem is even more enthralling than the former film’s take. The arena itself is breathtaking, an amazingly accurate recreation of the book’s description. The costumes, particularly those in the Capitol, resemble Alice in Wonderland haute couture, as well as Katniss’s wedding/mockingjay dress. In addition, the shaky camera from the first film disappeared, likely because of the backlash director Gary Ross received for its use.

But the movie’s cast outshines the cinematography. Both Wright and Plummer embody the characters of Beetee and Wiress faultlessly.

Claflin’s vain-on-the-outside, loving-on-theinside take on Finnick Odair’s character is also commendable. The wonderful Stanley Tucci adds an energetically creepy, Mad-Hatter-like element to the role of Caesar Flickerman, and musician Lenny Kravtiz makes a wonderful return as Katniss’s kind stylist Cinna.

While Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth (who plays Gale Hawthorne) both bring passion to the ongoing love triangle between Peeta, Gale and Katniss, it is actress Jennifer Lawrence who takes the prize for best acting in the film. Her embodiment of Katniss’s character has become even more developed, and her emotions are so real and raw it will have audiences trying to keep their own emotions together throughout the entire movie, not to mention the final scene of the film, which requires so much emotional intensity that only a skilled actress like Lawrence could possibly pull off the acting required of her.

Catching Fire is overall an immense level up from the first Hunger Games installment, and is an absolute must-see for both diehard fans and those who don’t understand what all the hype is about — but they most surely will after seeing this movie.

INTERVIEW: Oscar Isaac of new Coen brothers’ film,“Inside Llewyn Davis”

W

hen Oscar Isaac agreed to take on the titular role in the Coen brothers’ newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, he was prepared to literally walk in Llewyn’s shoes.

“I asked to have the shoes about a month before shooting because they were the saddest little shoes,” Isaac said in a round-table interview. “Like, a piece of leather wrapped around a foot with some rubber glued to the bottom.”

Despite a résumé packed with an impressive list of film and theatre credits, Isaac, like his character Llewyn, had often been relegated to supporting roles. Playing the hapless nobody Llewyn Davis helped Isaac find his voice as the guitar-toting, folk hero leading man.

And perhaps the only way for Isaac to have accessed Llewyn would be through his shoes: warm, easygoing Isaac — fidgeting in his seat at the table and initiating friendly back-andforth in dulcet tones — bears no resemblance to the spiky, guarded musician on the big screen.

“It’s a very internal performance,” said Isaac. “I had to work on his physicality and how I wanted to express what was happening emotionally in an external way. So, for instance, I decided that [Llewyn] would always walk as if he was walking uphill.”

Isaac also did a lot of research to get a better idea of the ‘60s New York folk scene, reading Bob Dylan’s 2004 memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, as well as The Mayor of MacDougal Street, a 2005 posthumous memoir from folk singer Dave Van Ronk, on whom the world of Llewyn Davis is loosely based.

Fiercely committed to the role beyond research and footwear adjustments, Isaac was even willing to duke it out with the Coen broth-

Hannah Landers MUSE Staff

ers over certain creative aspects during shooting. However, Isaac said he soon figured out when to make compromises.

“I remember when we were doing hair tests,” he said. “I had seen some pictures of Dave Van Ronk and I liked this straight hair that he had. So I got together with a hair designer and he straightened it all. Then Joel and Ethan [Coen] came and looked at it and then Joel was like, ‘What do you think?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know, it’s not perfect, but I think it could work.’

And he says, ‘Okay, because I [expletive] hate it.’ And I was like, ‘Okay! Well, let’s not do it then. I’ll keep my Jew ‘fro.’”

Despite their rigidity on certain issues such as hairstyles, Isaac described the fluidity and lack of boundaries in the brothers’ directing style.

“They don’t say, ‘You need to act in this style,’” said Isaac. “They leave it open. That’s why [the Coen brothers] are kind of a phenomenon, because their tone is so specific but they’re not controlling you.”

Even without the steady hands of the Coen brothers at his back at all times, the ever-grateful Isaac insisted that he never forgot just how lucky he was to be a part of this film.

“I think just the fact that I was in a car with John Goodman was a pretty crazy thing in itself,” Isaac said reverently, referring to a scene in which the veteran actor and staple Coen brothers commodity gives Llewyn a ride from New York City to Chicago. “I remember when I turned around I was like, ‘I am definitely in a Coen brothers movie, man.’”

A 2005 graduate of the illustrious Julliard School with musical experience performing with The Blinking Underdogs, Isaac had not

PHOTO COURTESY OF CBS FILMS

Oscar Isaac (left), who plays the titular role in the film “Inside Llewyn Davis,” said his role as Llewyn Davis required extensive research and preparation.

only the acting chops, but also the musical experience to really tap into Llewyn’s character.

“I was playing punk-ska at a time [when] that was starting to go away,” Isaac said. “So I did have to make a decision of ‘Why am I doing this? What’s more fulfilling to me as an artist at this point?’”

This kind of introspection resonates with Llewyn’s plight in the film.

“It’s farewell to that time and farewell to that strange moment in history right before the messiah comes, which is [Bob] Dylan,” said Isaac of the thematic elements of Llewyn Davis. “It is a bit like an apocalyptic film. This guy is wan-

dering around in the end times right before the rapture happens.”

Yet with folk art, as with anything, the past is never truly divorced from the present. The nearly forgotten folk singer could one day become the subject of one of the most anticipated films of the year. The years spent toiling in the background and abandoning a musical dream could, one day, make a fine performer.

“That’s what a folk artist does,” Isaac said.

“They get songs that are hundreds of years old and somehow make them relevant to the moment and to what’s happening in their own lives.”

6

Opinion

Monday, December 2, 2013

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 43rd year F Volume 85 F Issue 47

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 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.

What American holiday values?

In elementary school, American students learned about the bountiful feast shared between Native Americans and pilgrims to symbolize their new friendship and partnership to build the United States we know today. When we got older, we started to learn about the genocide and destruction of Native American cultures brought on by European imperialist ventures all the way from the coastlines of Massachusetts to California.

Now, the holiday is about just how much money you can brag about saving at Macy’s and Best Buy. Despite the tradition of spending time with loved ones, 33 million Americans left holiday festivities to swipe their credit cards, according to USA Today on Friday.

That means thousands of people had to withdraw from their holiday plans to open up stores for these swarms of overzealous shoppers.

Now for Cyber Monday: a time to sift through every website you have ever bought from to look for even more things to satisfy your inner bargain hunter. Maybe Boston University’s WiFi will stay running, but there is a definite chance sale-hungry college students could crash BU 802.1x. Cyber Monday sales add even more to the economy, spreading money through more retailers and shipping companies. Sounds like this weekend is a great stimulus package for the U.S domestic economy.

While people throughout the country plug in to scour Cyber Monday sales, the ripples of Black Friday interrupting Thanksgiving dinner lingers in our Starbucks mugs.

Macy’s, Target and Sears opened up Thursday evening. K-Mart ambitiously opened their doors at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving day, and planned to stay open for more than 40 consecutive hours, according to CNN Money Saturday.

What comes with stores opening earlier?

Yes, we get the opportunity to snag that Panasonic LCD TV for $300, but then we have to buy it from a salesperson who has been standing in crowds for hours. Most employees received time-and-a-half, but not

all were more eager to make more money over the reward of spending time with family and friends. From the CVS open all day on Thanksgiving to the Urban Outfitters, people were required to work to maintain shelves and ring up hundreds of customers so corporate America could stimulate the economy.

Starting Thursday, more than 141 million Americans shopped throughout the weekend and are expected to continue snagging holiday deals through Tuesday morning.

As of Sunday, the Christian Science Monitor reports shoppers spent more than $57 billion through Black Friday bargains and Small Business Saturday sales. Americans are expected to continue heavy shopping in bulk through Tuesday.

There is one advantage to extending Black Friday sales from Thursday night through Monday. By extending time for people to shop, less people end up actually fighting in stores. Throughout the thousands of stores in the U.S. open on Black Friday, one person tragically died, and that is because she fell asleep at the wheel, according to BuzzFeed.

But when the rest of the turkey is in the fridge and the rest of the family has passed out, isn’t running to stores with your friends at midnight an exhilarating experience? Together you will forego crowds of hundreds of crazed people ready to purchase every pair of $5 trousers. If you go in with your friends, not only have you seen you family and spent time with them for the holiday, you can see the rest of your loved ones.

But in the end, the workers get paid general time-and-a-half on the worst shopping day of the year so that people can buy computers for $20. Putting aside the terrible imperialism that inspired Thanksgiving, the day is certainly not about spending hundreds of dollars to save hundreds of dollars.

It’s funny how the one day we traditionally say thanks for what we have we are already thinking of how to get more things. Apparently what we are thankful for, by the end of the week, is nowhere near enough.

Breaking the seal

The Urban Park Ranger

Wizard of Oz: Sea star edition Jennifer Ruth The scene begins with a young man, watching the shipwrecked sea stars splayed along miles of coastline. He notices an old man rapidly picking up the dying sea stars and tossing them back into the water. Confused, the young man asks him why he is participating in such a useless task. The old man replies with a concerned tone, stating that the tide is going out and if he doesn’t throw all of the sea stars back into the water, they will perish. The young boy laughs at the old man’s futile mission. After all, there are thousands of sea stars along the coastline and the old man can’t possibly make a difference. Despite the young man’s negative spirits, the old man smiles and continues to throw another sea star into the water.

“It made a difference to that one.”

When I was in high school, my principal would tell us the well-known “starfish story” on a yearly basis and it never got old. Since I’m from a small coastal town, it seemed fitting to learn from stories with a nautical theme. The thing that always amazes me about sea stars is their impeccable determination. As the tide rolls in, they suction themselves to their rocky intertidal habitat while the waves crash down on their bodies. The life of sea stars themselves offer an infectious example of resilience for mankind.

There are only two aspects of the starfish story that I don’t like. First of all — its name. Starfish is a misnomer because these organisms are not fish. They belong to the echinoderm phylum that consists of other organisms such as sea urchins. Second, the world is a lot more concerned about these fantastic keystone species than represented in the story. People spend their lives researching these Patrick Star lookalikes.

Nowadays, sea star research is a hot topic.

From Alaska to California, the sunflower sea star, as well as 10 other species, are melting at an exponential rate. These prominent rocky intertidal keystone species’ limbs are disintegrating and turning into piles of white goo.

If you had the perspective of the young man from the story, then you’d view these marine biologists’ research as futile as well.

But I mean, who cares if some sea stars die?

It’s not like they’re people.

It’s not just some sea stars. It’s a lot. The number of sea stars that have shared the same fate of the Wicked Witch of the West has not been completely quantified, but it’s a number that is getting larger every day.

When I say sea star, you’re probably thinking of the classic sea star with five arms. Well, I have an interesting factoid for you. Marine biologists are heavily focusing on a specific species, the sunflower sea star.

As the largest sea star in the world with an arm span of one meter, they’re pivotal deciders of the health of an ecosystem. The

sunflower sea star has 15 to 24 arms that spread out like the sun’s rays.

Although there aren’t any clear causes of this mysterious die-off of these majestic organisms, no possibilities have been ruled out. Ocean acidification, climate change and even radiation exposure from Fukushima have been considered. This horrific phenomenon has been heavily noticed on the western coast, but it’s been observed on the eastern coast in locations from Maine to New Jersey. These pleasant echinoderms live in a variety of aquatic locations such as the tropics, cold water and deep ocean.

So the cold water sea stars aren’t too happy about humans speeding up the warming of their one and only habitat: the ocean.

It’s been noted to marine biologists that over time, some sea stars become too bruised, dry and damaged and they undergo something called “wasting syndrome.” I can assure you that this melting phenomenon is beyond wasting syndrome. Marine biologists and scuba divers noted that sea star limbs and oral discs were spread all over the place in some areas — a truly worrying scene. Either it’s a mere coincidence that every sea star along the coasts are all dying at the same time from damage overtime or something fishy is going on in these waters.

No matter the cause of this barbaric die-off, something must be done. In fact, the state of California generously allocated $50,000 to sea star experts doing research at California state universities to find the culprit behind this mayhem.

As I’ve mentioned before, sea stars are keystone species. The term keystone species defines a species that plays a pivotal role in maintaining an ecosystem. In some rocky intertidal zones on the west coast, nearly all of the sea stars in some locations along the west coast have died off. Sea stars are known for their ability to control mussel populations. Without the sea stars regulating the mussel population, the rest of the ecosystem goes unchecked.

Why is this a bad thing? Well, an excess of any species in the wild isn’t a good thing.

The proliferation of mussels will deteriorate kelp populations. This eliminates a large portion of hiding spaces for fish from voracious predators and also reduces the amount of marine plants that protect coastal areas from flooding. Basically, the rapid deaths of sea stars doesn’t only have drastic affects upon its own ecosystem, it depreciates surrounding ecosystems as well.

Instead of acting like the young man from the Starfish Story, we need to be like the old man. We only have one Earth and each sea star counts.

Jennifer Ruth is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying environmental analysis and policy. She can be reached at jenruth@bu.edu.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? we want to hear it!

SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTERS@DAILYFREEPRESS.COM Taylor Brooks is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Communication. He can be reached at tjbrooks@bu.edu.

The opinions and ideas expressed by columnists and cartoonists are their own and are not necessarily representative of the opinions of The Daily Free Press.

Monday, December 2, 2013

7

BU bests top power-play unit in nation in Red Hot Hockey game

over its next five power plays, but BU did a good job of limiting shots to the enough in the tank. We had some lady luck.” outside. It also did not hurt that Cornell Killing off six power plays, includ- struggled to convert on the opportuniing a 5-on-3 advantage in the second ties it created on sharp passes through the period, was no easy feat for the Terri- slot, but whenever it did complete those ers. After all, the opposition BU was passes, BU sophomore goaltender Matt up against was one of the top units O’Connor was there to make the save. with a man advantage in the country. BU’s penalty killing efforts have been Cornell had a 29.6 percent success generally sharp as of late. In its last 20 rate on the power play entering the night, penalty kills, BU has only allowed one which was tied for the best in the nation. goal — a third-period tally to UniverOf the team’s 36 goals on the season, 16 of sity of North Dakota forward Adam Tamthem have been scored on the power play. bellini. However, BU has taken almost The Big Red showed an ability to make double the amount of penalties in the last plays happen on their first power play, cre- two games as it had in the previous four ating a couple of good chances in the slot. games. It would not have to be so sucHowever, Quinn made adjustments to his cessful on the penalty kill if it stayed out penalty kill after getting that first look at of the penalty box like Quinn demands. the Cornell power play and implement- Quinn made it clear that he was not ed them throughout the rest of the game. happy with the referees Saturday night, “That guy on the half-wall was really and the amount of penalties taken in the able to find a seam and walk to the middle contest was not as much of a reflection of of the rink,” Quinn said of Cornell’s first sloppy defensive play as it was some tough power play. “One of the things we talked calls from the officials. Even with the calls about between the first and second periods against the Terriers, O’Connor and the dewas we needed to pressure that guy on the fense stepped up to the task to shut down half-wall, we needed to get to him. Make the dangerous power play they faced. him make two passes to get to the other side “I thought we got a lot of sticks on of the rink, don’t stand there and give him pucks, we blocked shots,” Quinn said. “We time and space. We did a better job of it.” did the things you need to do to give your Cornell went on to accrue 12 shots self a chance to kill penalties.”

Penalty Kill: From Page 8

Terriers survive late scare to win vs. Cornell Men’s Hockey: From Page 8

KENSHIN OKUBO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Senior guard DJ Irving had a season-low four points in BU’s win over St. Peter’s.

Terriers but were mostly kept to the perimeter whenever they maintained possession.

The Terriers struck on one of their few chances in the period. In the Big Red’s offensive zone, sophomore wing Mike Moran forced a turnover that kicked out to sophomore center Danny O’Regan, who, after fighting through traffic, sent a pass across the slot to Moran. Moran hammered home the one-timer at the crease to put BU up, 1-0, at the 17:50 mark.

Freshman center Robbie Baillargeon doubled the lead 14:38 into the second. He carried the puck into the offensive zone, and then dished to junior wing Evan Rodrigues to his right.

Rodrigues repaid the favor by centering back to Baillargeon, who tipped it by the far post for his fifth goal of the season.

The Terriers took four penalties in the frame but killed the Big Red power plays each time, including a twoman advantage for one 31-second span.

BU made it 3-0 just 2:44 into the fi-

nal frame when freshman wing Kevin Duane corralled the rebound off Grzelcyk’s blocked shot. Duane backhanded a pass through the slot to freshman wing Nick Roberto, who one-timed it for BU’s third goal of the game from in close — this time on the power play.

Cornell got one back moments later, however, when sophomore Christian Hilbrich received a pass at the crease. The puck bounced off his skate and past O’Connor.

The Big Red pulled within one with less than four minutes to play.

Junior John McCarron skated down the left wing and centered to classmate Cole Bardreau for the easy finish.

BU held on the rest of the way despite Cornell pressuring until the final buzzer.

“BU figured out a way and got the job done to win the game,” said Cornell coach Mike Schafer. “There’s a talent to do that, whether the shots are 39-11 or the other way around, there’s a talent to figuring on figuring out how to win, and we didn’t do that tonight.”

Solid second half boosts Terriers in win Men’s Basketball: From Page 8

ing by their set up, that’s what they were looking to do. There wasn’t enough time to do much, so we knew they had to send somebody to the rim. [Thomas] guarded their best player, [junior Marvin Dominique], at the rim and did a good job deflecting the ball.”

The extra height proved to be the difference for the Terriers, as they deflected the inbound pass as time expired to preserve the 66-65 victory.

The second half marked a completely different Terrier team, as they posted 45 points and shot over 50 percent from the field. Instead of forcing the issue, the Terriers took what was given to them, putting up 13 points off of just five SPU second-half turnovers.

“The tide changed in the second half,” Jones said. “We came out with really good intensity, and I think to win a game where we didn’t shoot very well says a lot about how far we’ve come.”

Strong offense not enough for BU victory Women’s Hoops: From Page 8

Although the Terriers fell, they did have some bright spots, including the team’s overall offensive effort and continued improvement. McKendrick’s double-double performance (14 points, 16 rebounds) was compounded with solid contributions by her teammates. Senior forward Rashidat Agboola added a season-high 16 points and went 8-for-9 from the paint, while senior guard Danielle Callahan continued her stellar start this year with another 10-point game while hitting two 3-pointers.

“That was definitely one of the biggest

positives for us with this game,” Greenberg said referring to the team’s improvement in post-play. “I’m glad we managed to get [Agboola] more touches.”

The extended road trip has not been kind to the Terriers, as BU is now 1-4 over the five-game stretch. Still, Greenberg said she is optimistic that things will turn around sooner rather than later.

“It’s going to take some time to iron out some of these wrinkles,” Greenberg said in reference to the team’s young roster. “We just have to take baby steps and not continue to get caught up with what our record is and just continue to try and get better.”

For more BU sports news, follow us on Twitter: @DFPsports @BOShockeyblog @BUbballblog

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Quotable

It’s going to take some time to iron out some of these wrinkles.

bU coach kelly Greenberg on the youth of the women’s basketball team

paGe 8

Sports

RED HOT

The Daily Free Press

[ www.dailyfreepress.com ]

The Boston University men’s hockey team beats No. 14 Cornell at Madison Square Garden Saturday, P.8.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Terriers lose 6th Men’s hockey takes down No. 14 Cornell Penalty kill game of year vs. excels in win This time, the Boston Old Dominion University men’s hockey over Big Red

By Tim Healey Daily Free Press Staff

By Mike Chan Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University women’s basketball team suffered its sixth loss of the season Sunday, falling to Old Dominion University by a score of 62-56 in the final game of the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge, despite another strong team performance and a career-best 14 points from junior forward Mollie McKendrick. “[Tonight’s performance] has definitely fallen in line with our other games,” said BU coach Kelly Greenberg. “I thought our pressure bothered them and we managed to go on some runs of our own.”

BU (2-6) fell behind 9-6 before charging out with a six-point run that stretched past the 12-minute mark of the first half. The Lady Monarchs (3-4) responded right after the run with a few baskets of their own to even the game at 1212.

The strong offensive play in the first half continued for the Terriers as freshman guard Sarah Hope managed to secure a 21-14 lead for BU with a shot from behind the 3-point line with just more than seven minutes remaining in the half.

The Terriers got consistent play inside the paint and frequent success off the bench, which combined for 12 and 18 points in the first half, respectively. The Lady Monarchs, however, managed to battle back with a seven-point run of their own to end the frame with a 28-27 lead over the Terriers.

BU managed to keep the game close at the start of the second half, but two 3-pointers by Old Dominion turned the score to 47-39 in favor of the Lady Monarchs with just more than 11 minutes to play in the game. Junior forward Shae Kelly was a thorn in the side of the Terriers, dominating both the half and the game, eventually tallying 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

Even with Kelly’s strong performance, the two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the game. With only 1:22 left to play, however, guard Galaisha Goodhope sealed the win with a shot from the free-throw line.

Despite the losing effort, BU had a better overall field-goal percentage than the Lady Monarchs, holding a 40 to 39 percent advantage.

However, the Terriers continued to have trouble keeping control of the ball. They committed 18 turnovers, leading to 19 Old Dominion points. “[Old Dominion] definitely played a tough defense,” Greenberg said. “They did a good job pressuring us, and not letting us get many shots off. We just need to do a better job of taking care of the ball and need to be more composed overall as a team.”

Women’s hoops, see page 7

Monday Dec. 2

team did not need overtime.

After going to an extra frame the last two times they played Cornell University, the Terriers (7-6-1, 2-3 Hockey East) walked away with a 3-2 regulation win over the No. 14 Big Red (7-4-1) Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in the fourth edition of Red Hot Hockey.

BU improved its record in the semi-annual contest to 3-01 and brings the Kelley-Harkness Cup — a new addition to the rivalry, named after two legendary coaches Jack Kelley (BU) and Ned Harkness (CU) — to Commonwealth Avenue.

All of a sudden, the Terriers are 3-0-1 in the last two weeks, with three of those games coming against top-15 teams. This time they did it despite being on the wrong end of a 3911 shot differential in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,006.

“I have been coaching for 20 years now, and I don’t know if I have been prouder of a group of guys,” said BU coach David Quinn. “We just refused to lose tonight. There were a lot of obstacles and a lot of hurdles and we found a way to get it done. ... To me, that is what BU hockey has been about for a long, long time.

“A month ago, we would have lost this game, but we found a way to get it done. It feels good.

It feels good to win a game of this magnitude in this environment.”

The win did not come without its fair share of dramatics, however.

BU clung to a 3-2 lead in the

going to kill penalties, you’d better have a good goalie, and we do.”

That goalie for the fourth game in a row was sophomore Matt O’Connor. He finished his night with 37 saves, including no shortage of big stops while Cornell was on the power play.

Cornell’s first period, in which it mostly controlled the pace, was similar to the rest of its game: CU’s big bodies outmuscled the

With 1:47 remaining in the third period, the Boston University men’s hockey team was on its collective heels. Sophomore defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was in the penalty box and his team was leading by a single goal against No. 14 Cornell University’s sixth power play of the night. When Cornell goaltender Andy Iles went to the bench to give his team an extra attacker, it looked as if the Big Red would send the game to overtime.

The seconds ticked away, though, and the BU (7-6-1, 2-3 Hockey East) penalty kill made key play after key play. Whether it was a blocked shot, a poke check or a defensive-zone faceoff win, the Terriers held the vaunted Big Red (7-4-1) power play at bay to complete its 3-2 victory in the fourth edition of Red Hot Hockey at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

BU took seven penalties on the night, was generally outhit by the Big Red and spent a lot a time in its defensive zone. So when Grzelcyk skated to the penalty box in the final two minutes, BU coach David Quinn did not know if his team had enough left in the tank to kill one more penalty.

“I [knew the Terriers had enough left] when the buzzer went off,” Quinn said. “I had no idea leading up to that point. The buzzer went off and we killed it off so we had

men’s hoCkey, see page 7

penalTy kill, see page 7

MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

BU sophomore goaltender Matt O’Connor recorded 37 saves in BU’s 3-2 win over Cornell Saturday.

waning minutes, and had to call its penalty-kill units into action for the final 1:47 when sophomore defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was penalized for holding.

The Terriers fended off the Cornell power play — which entered the night with a 29.6 success rate, tied for top in the country — for the sixth time in as many tries to solidify the win.

“Our best killer was our goalie, obviously,” Quinn said. “Everybody knows in hockey if you’re

Men’s basketball claws out 66-65 victory over St. Peter’s

By Justin Pallenik Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University men’s basketball team continued to prove itself as a legitimate mid-major contender with a tough 66-65 win Saturday against St. Peter’s University.

Coming home from California after winning two out of three games at the 2K Sports Classic Sub-Regional, the Terriers (5-2) looked to keep the momentum going against SPU (2-4). The Peacocks of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference had won their last two non-conference games before facing BU. St. Peter’s came out swinging in the first half, jumping out to an early 15-7 lead after the first eight minutes of play. During this quick run, BU went just 4-for-12 from the field with a couple of costly turnovers that led to St. Peter baskets.

At the end of the first, SPU led 27-21 following a lackluster offensive display from the Terriers. Despite getting open looks, BU shot a measly 32.1 percent from the

The Bottom Line

M. Basketball @ Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

By Kevin Dillon Daily Free Press Staff

Tuesday, Dec. 3

.

W. Hockey @ Northeastern, 7 p.m.

field. The backcourt consisting of senior guard D.J. Irving and sophomore guards Maurice Watson Jr. and John Papale was the primary culprit for the offensive struggles, as the trio combined to go 1-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc in the half. The bench was no help to the Terriers either, getting outscored 11-2 during the first 20 minutes of play.

“I thought St. Peter’s set the tone early in the game,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “They played with great energy and they were ready to go.

They came out more aggressive than we did and I thought that set the tone for most of the first half.”

Although it struggled in the first half, BU began to chip away at the Peacock lead right from the start of the second. Instead of playing from the perimeter, the Terrier guards began to feed the ball inside to senior forward Dom Morris and sophomore forward Nathan Dieudonne. Dieudonne used his size and athleticism to his advantage, and he led the Terriers with 21 points and nine rebounds on the night.

“He’s been terrific with great energy and great focus throughout the season,” Jones said of Dieudonne. “He chased balls and he did a great job.”

Just more than six minutes into the second half, BU tied the game up at 36. After the Terriers knotted up the score, neither team could break away on the scoreboard and the teams battled back-and-forth for most of the frame. With 2:50 remaining in the game, the Terriers took their largest lead of the game, a six-point advantage. Keeping with the trend of the game, however, the Terriers could not hold their slim lead and the Peacocks tied it up at 65 apiece with 1:27 remaining.

After missed shots from both teams, Dieudonne grabbed a defensive rebound and Jones called a timeout with 27 seconds remaining.

“We ran [Watson] off a ball screen and we wanted him to read how the defense was going to play,” Jones said. “We were looking for [Papale] in the corner to get to the rim but they didn’t bite on

it.”

Wednesday, Dec. 4

Thursday, Dec. 5

Friday, Dec. 6

W. Basketball @ Massachusetts, 7 p.m.

No Events Scheduled Brian Kenny tweeted “10 ways to fix the New York Mets.” General Manager Sandy Alderson was spotted taking notes.

Following the timeout, the Terriers got the ball to Dieudonne, who drove to basket and drew the shooting foul. He made one out of the two shots from the charity stripe to give BU a one-point lead with 1.7 seconds remaining.

“They [SPU] did a good job of controlling [Watson] off the dribble,” Jones said. “It was just a really good read on [Watson] and [Dieudonne’s] part. They created a nice play for us based on what we wanted to do and they did a great job.”

The Peacocks threw the ensuing inbounds pass down court and called a quick timeout with just 0.6 seconds left on the clock.

Coming out of the timeout, Jones checked in senior forward Travis Robinson, junior forward Malik Thomas and 7-foot-tall freshman center Dylan Haines. “[Haines] is our longest player on the ball and [Thomas] is our best jumper,” Jones said. “We put [Thomas] at the rim because, judg-

men’s BaskeTBall, see page 7

M. Hockey @ Merrimack, 7:30, p.m.

W. Hockey vs. Minnesota Duluth, 5 p.m.