3-4-2014

The Daily Free Press

Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XXV

BYE, JOBS New BPS budget nixes 250 jobs in schools, page 3.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

ALRIGH-T-CELL

Study finds cannabis use helps increase T cell count, page 5.

]

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PLAYOFFS?!

Women to face Loyola in 1st round of PL tourney, page 8.

WEATHER

Today: Cloudy/High 29 Tonight: Cloudy/Low 19 Tomorrow: 31/24 Data Courtesy of weather.com

MBTA late-night service to begin in late March Jailed students receive

By Andrew Keuler Daily Free Press Staff

Starting at the end of March, all trains in Boston and 15 of the most highly trafficked bus routes will begin operating until 3 a.m. in order to service to the many residents who have requested late-night transit.

No specific date has been decided for when late-night service will start. This service will be tried for one year, after which the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will decide if the ridership is worthwhile to continue. A similar program, the Night Owl Service, stopped running in 2005 because it was not heavily used.

“We’re presenting it not as a permanent change in service but as a pilot program,” said Kelly Smith, an MBTA spokesperson.

“We’ll do it for one year and if it’s viable, we’ll continue it. Ridership is really the only benchmark. If people aren’t using it, we lose even more money. We hope it’s popular and that people use it but it really is ridership, which translates into revenue as well. ” The T will operate late on Fridays and Saturdays. This includes all trains and 15 of the most heavily trafficked bus routes, including the 57, which runs up and down Commonwealth Avenue through the Boston University Charles River Campus. The commuter rail and the ferry will not operate outside of their normal hours.

“It’s something that we’ve been hearing

updated probation from BU after release

By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff

EMILY ZABOSKI/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Starting in late March, the T and select bus routes will run until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

from customers as well as business leaders and members of the community,” said Smith. “Boston is one of the most vibrant, young and innovative cities in the country and the world. One of the things that has been a complaint about the city is that we close early and are not that conducive to nightlife and the social aspect of it.”

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced the trial program last December,

emphasizing that this will cater to a more active city.

“A vibrant economy demands a public transit system that caters to the residents, students and tourists it serves,” he said in a Dec. 3 press release. “Extending service on weekend evenings will allow the public to enjoy the many attractions and restau-

MBTA, see page 2

Walsh fights for LGBT groups to march in St. Patrick’s parade

By Felicia Gans and Sarah Rubin Daily Free Press Staff

In an ongoing discussion about the role of openly gay groups in the annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh met with the parade’s organizers Sunday to find a solution that will provide an inclusive and enjoyable environment for all parties involved in this year’s parade.

Walsh, born to Irish immigrants, announced Wednesday that he would boycott this year’s parade, set for March 16, if gay groups were excluded from the parade’s festivities. This comment led to a series of meetings with parade organizers, members of the LGBT community and representatives from MassEquality, an anti-discrimination advocacy group that submitted an application for a gay veterans group to participate in the parade.

“The conversation that took place in my office [Sunday night], and the conversations about diversity and inclusion that are taking place in our neighborhoods — and across our country — make our communities stronger,” he said in a statement Monday. “The meeting was a positive one, and discussions regarding this year’s parade continue. All parties remain optimistic that a solution can be reached to allow for an inclusive celebration.”

Organizers of the parade have been under fire for nearly two decades for their participation code of conduct, one that is often seen as banning gay people from the festivities.

Phil Wuschke, the parade’s organizer, said this could not be further from the truth.

“We have no problem with gays participating,” he said. “We just don’t want to turn this into a demonstration of some kind. It’s a

day of celebration, not demonstration. We’re not out to send a message for gay rights.

This is a military-themed parade. The message for the parade is keeping it about St. Patrick’s Day, keeping it about Southie.”

The MassEquality veterans group will be allowed to march in the parade with signs that say “MassEquality” or “Veterans, A Division of MassEquality,” Wuschke said.

“We met with Mayor Walsh and we had a good conversation,” he said. “We told him if he had a military group that just so happened to be gay that would be fine. St. Patrick’s Day is a big part of our history, that’s what we’re celebrating here. We’re celebrating the military history of this day.”

Kara Coredini, executive director of MassEquality, said in a Monday press release that their group would only march in

Walsh, see page 2

Four Boston University students arrested Feb. 25 on charges of violating probation and keeping a disorderly house were released from jail after their arraignment at Brighton District Court Friday, and now face new restrictions from BU administration.

College of General Studies sophomore Sawyer Petrick, CGS sophomore John Pavia, College of Fine Arts and College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Michael Oldcorn, and CAS senior Terry Bartrug were taken to Nashua Street Jail Tuesday for violating probation terms by housing a gathering on Jan. 26 of approximately 150 to 200 people at their 85 Linden St. home where authorities believe underage drinking occurred.

“They were released on personal recognizance Friday,” said Attorney David Yannetti, who is defending Bartrug, Petrick and Pavia. “... They were put into custody on Tuesday afternoon, and they spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in jail.”

The four students are all members of BU’s chapter of the fraternity Zeta Beta Tau, which was suspended by Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore Thursday after officials said they received complaints about the Jan. 26 gathering.

Yannetti said he advocated for the students’ release from jail at the Friday arraignment.

“We asked the judge to reconsider his revocation of their bail because what he did is he revoked bail on the first case,” he said.

“That’s why they went into custody. So we asked the judge to reconsider that and not revoke their bail, and he agreed with us.”

The students were released, although Brighton District Court Judge David Donnelly tightened their probation terms in comparison to those set following an earlier incident, BU spokesman Colin Riley confirmed.

In addition to curfew hours that forbid the students from having guests between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday, the students are required to complete

ZBT, see page 2

BU Information Services & Technology officials take action to prevent cyber attacks

By Sebastian Alamo Daily Free Press Staff

In response to the onslaught of cyber attacks targeted at the Boston University community, President Robert Brown announced Friday that BU will increase its cybersecurity within the school.

“Because of the increased risk, we are now taking a more active, rigorous approach to securing the personal information of community members,” Brown said in an email to faculty and staff Friday morning. “Social engineering techniques such as ‘phishing’ take advantage of people’s trusting natures and are increasingly sophisticated and deceptive.”

After an incident in January in which the usernames and passwords of 10 BU employees were stolen and the information was used to reroute their paychecks, BU Information Services & Technology will implement additional security measures, said Executive Director of Information Security Quinn Shamblin.

“We are working on ways to protect people when some event occurs, and if their

information is somehow stolen, we want to try to protect them in that event just as much as we would want to protect anyone else,” Shamblin said. “What we are trying to do is to help provide that additional level of technical protection on top of good security decisions.”

BU’s former security policy, which aimed to facilitate open communication and academic freedom among staff and faculty users, rendered the school vulnerable to phishing attacks, Shamblin said.

“While we have a lot of protections in place and we have been working toward helping individuals understand the security risks so that they can make better security decisions when faced with those decisions, the fact of the matter is that people will often not understand the full implications of the decision that they might make,” he said.

One of the new measures, which was implemented Sunday, installed a green icon on the BU Web Login page URL to assure users that they are giving their information to the

Phishing, see page 2

MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University President Robert Brown announced Friday the new plan to tighten cybersecurity measures after numerous phishing incidents on the BUworks website resulted stolen direct deposit information.

2

tuesday, marCh 4, 2014

New security measures make smartphone use safer Elmore: Judicial Affairs to have final say in suspension of ZBT Phishing: From Page 1

secure BU network.

“You will see now that there is a big, green icon or, if you are using Internet Explorer, the entire background of the URL turns green, or if you are using Safari there are some green letters that are printed on the side of the URL that say ‘Trustee of Boston University,’” Shamblin said. “This is a special security certificate designed explicitly to make it more visible that you are in the correct place.”

Shamblin said BU also plans to require more information in the user login, which would ideally eliminate the threat of unsuspecting users surrounding their personal information to online criminals.

“The problem is that passwords

are simply a piece of knowledge,” Shamblin said. “It is extremely easy to pass knowledge from person to person.”

The new measure, known as two-factor authentication, will require users to confirm their desire to log in into their accounts through an external, physical medium, such as a cellphone.

“There is a solution we are evaluating right now that once you have it set up, you go to log in into something for the first time and it will send a message to your cellphone that is just a push bottom.”

Shamblin said. “... If you are the one that is trying to log in and you receive this message, you just push ‘yes.’”

College of Arts and Sciences professor of computer science Ran

Canetti said this is an effective way to prevent unaware users from compromising their accounts.

“The attacker might extract information from the user, but it will hopefully not be able to extract physical devices such as cellphones.” he said. “This is called two-factor authentication, and this is going to become a measure to protect users against themselves.”

However, Canetti cautioned users to educate themselves and be aware of the risks they face on the web.

“You should look right and left before you cross the street,” he said. “In the same way, browsing is dangerous. You should always be aware of the danger. It is simple stuff but people need to be aware of it.”

No decision reached on LGBT parade involvement Walsh: From Page 1

the parade if they are able to do so “openly and honestly.”

“No agreement was reached, but the conversation is ongoing,” she said in the release. “We hope that the Parade organizers will see exclusion as not only unfair, but harmful and not aligned with the many fair-minded and inclusive Bostonians — Irish or not — who participate in and enjoy this annual celebration of a community that is so vital to the city of Boston.”

Several residents said the exclusion of LGBT groups in the St. Patrick’s Day parade should not be acceptable in Boston or anywhere

else.

Shirley Goldinger, 54, of Brighton, said she works with young gay and transgender people, and she understands why this is such a hot button issue.

“There is a point where we have to break with the issue of being gay or transgender,” she said. “It comes down to being a matter of human rights. No one should be told that what or who they are is not okay.”

Brian Baccaro, 30, of Brighton, said all groups participating in the parade should represent the significance of St. Patrick’s Day, but beyond that, no group should be excluded for their sexual orientation.

“It seems irrelevant,” he said.

“There shouldn’t be anything against [gay groups marching in the parade]. As long as there’s something else pertaining to the parade, I don’t see a problem with it.”

Kimberly Kolter, 35, of Fenway, said the inclusion of LGBT groups in the parade is a matter of acceptance.

“I support diversity and acceptance of all people,” she said.

“There should be no depreciation of other people simply because they choose to live another lifestyle.”

Summer Term 2014 at BU

Summer 1: May 20–June 27 Summer 2: June 30–August 8

ZBT: From Page 1

40 hours of community service before they may leave Boston for more than one day and must submit to random drug testing, Riley confirmed.

The students were on probation as a result of another incident on Sept. 21 in which police discovered evidence of underage drinking and marijuana use as well as over 200 guests at their house on 85 Linden St. Probation terms for-

bade them from having guests.

Elmore said ZBT’s suspension is an interim measure pending the outcome of investigations

by BU’s Interfraternity Council and the Dean of Students’ Office of Judicial Affairs. Until officials reach a conclusion, members of ZBT are barred from making use of university resources or conduct business through their affiliation with BU. Members of ZBT were not able to be reached for comment.

Spokesperson: Boston drivers to have other safer weekend options MBTa: From Page 1

rants the region has to offer and give workers a more cost-effective option for getting home late at night.”

Smith said Boston’s nightlife must be functional for it to grow.

“Part of the reason we did that is the economic impact this will have on people who work at these bars and restaurants so that they can get home and it is more affordable and convenient for them,” she said. “Service workers will not have to pay for taxis, which is more money in their pocket, which will help grow the economy.”

Smith said she anticipates that the extended hours will improve safety by decreasing the incentive for people to drive under the influence.

“Drinking and driving is a dangerous problem,” she said. “We are happy that the hours we are implementing can help prevent that. We hope people play it safer and take the T instead of driving.”

The program is expected to cost $20 million annually. However, during this first year it will not incur any extra taxes. Although the Patrick administration has allocated enough money to cover the expenses of the pro-

gram, Smith said the MBTA is looking for corporate sponsorship to relieve some of the burden.

Some residents said they see the good effects that the service will have, but also see the underlying problems it could cause.

“People have things to do late at night,” said Angel Pimentel, 26, of Jamaica Plain. “[They] can’t afford a taxi and need to get home. The last bus now is usually at 12 a.m. and that ruins their plans to get around. The crime rate [might] go up just slightly since there are going to be more people around in the streets.”

Iva Folseich, 37, of Dorchester said he is more concerned with the possible increase in taxes.

“There’s always a catch,” he said. “They’re probably going to raise the taxes a little. I think it’s worth it though … [Depending] on how much they raise taxes.”

Adarius William, 24, of Brighton said this would be beneficial for the many people that work late into the night, despite the potential raising of taxes.

“Clubs and everything else like that, the people need a way to get back home,” he said. “I didn’t know [taxes] would come into play, but I still think it’s a good idea.”

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Campus & City Campus Crime Logs Feb. 24 to March 2

By Alyssa Ciofani Daily Free Press Staff

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from Feb. 24 to March 2. iPhone stolen At 100 Bay State Road, a student’s iPhone was stolen from a bathroom Wednesday around 2 p.m. after she left it unattended.

Unwanted visitor On Wednesday at 5 p.m., an employee at 595 Commonwealth Ave. reported that a non-affiliate had been visiting BU’s Alumni Office continually to express his complaints about BU. This man has been filed as an unwanted person. If he returns to the Charles River Campus, he is subject to arrest.

Stolen backpack A student’s backpack was stolen from the George Sherman Union’s food court, located at 775 Comm. Ave., on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. after the student left the bag unattended.

Stolen iPad A student’s iPad was stolen from Agganis Arena on Thursday at 3 p.m. during the cheerleading competition that was held at the venue.

Suspicious person A student reported that an unknown man was photographing her while she was jogging down Memorial Drive on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. She gave BUPD a description of the suspect and the matter is under investigation.

Marijuana confiscation On Thursday at 5:30 p.m., officers confiscated a glass jar of marijuana from a student’s room at 33 Harry Agganis Way. A citation is pending.

Fire Department clears City Convenience The Boston Fire Department cleared the City Convenience at 533 Comm. Ave. on Friday at 4:40 p.m. after customers reported smelling smoke. It was discovered that the odor was caused by a faulty heating system, and repairs are underway.

Alcohol possession BUPD stopped a student and a non-affiliate at the corner of Beacon Street and St. Mary’s Street on Friday at 5 p.m. The student was a minor in possession of alcohol, and the non-affiliate had procured the alcohol for the minor.

Both will be summoned to court.

Marijuana citation Marijuana was found and confiscated from a student at 700 Comm. Ave. on Friday at 8 p.m.

The student was present during the confiscation and has been given a citation.

Bicycle stolen On Saturday at 5:30 p.m., a student reported that his bicycle had been stolen from the bike rack outside of 610 Beacon Street.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

3

BPS budget changes to cut 250 teaching jobs Enrollment in colleges to slow, study suggests

By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Contributor

As the result of cuts made to Boston Public Schools’ 2015 budget, 250 faculty jobs and many busing services to-and-from schools will be cut next year.

The proposed budget for the Boston public school system would be balanced by cutting busing services for seventh and eighth-graders, as well as certain office and teaching positions. More than 4,500 students would no longer commute to and from school by bus, but would instead receive MBTA passes, according to a report released by BPS on Wednesday.

Brian Ballou, director of media relations for BPS, said the plan is very safe and 1,862 seventh and eighth graders have been using MBTA passes to commute to school for years.

“The MBTA buses are well lit, there are cameras on the buses, and there are people from their communities who ride the buses, so we believe that it’s a good plan and extending it to 4,586 students next year will work out fine,” he said. “We imagine there might be snags here and there once it’s implemented, but as kids get more accustomed to taking MBTA

By Brogan Calkins Daily Free Press Contributor

borhood to see the project through, Olsen said.

“This will be an iconic image that welcomes people to Allston,” she said. “Because of the unique opportunity of the mural, in terms of the location, it’s going to be a larger scale project than anything we’ve taken on in a very long time, so that’s very exciting.”

Several residents said grants will lead to important innovation in the city of Boston, and the mural will be a valuable addition to Allston.

Adam Kwok, 23, of Brighton, said the gateway mural project would create a nicer neighborhood for residents to live and work.

“It brightens up the neighborhood,” he said. “If you ride on the bus everyday, you see the same old neighborhood, and it’s kind of crummy sometimes. If you have a mural, it makes the neighborhood a little bit better.”

Christina Rowley, 24, of Allston, said the innovation grant could be put to better use by improving the roads

Three million more people will be enrolled in higher education institutions across the country such as Boston University by 2022, a report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center of Education Statistics projects.

With this growth rate decreasing in comparison to the past decade, the college-age population is projected to drop by over 4 percent by 2022, the report stated.

“This is not a new trend,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley. “In fact, you go back 20, 30 years you’ll see at that point ... roughly half of all high school graduates applied to and enrolled at college.”

BU is continuing to lower its target enrollment, Riley said.

“The last couple years, it’s been 3,800 [students enrolled],” Riley said. “Before that, it was 39 [hundred] and the year before that it was 4,000. It’s declined as part of the university’s strategic planning.”

Riley said BU is becoming increasingly selective when it comes to the amount of applicants it accepts.

“The university’s reputation is getting recognized as being stronger,” he said. “We have a greater number of applicants, applicants that are highly regarded and have multiple options available to them when they’re applying to BU.” The DOE’s report also predicted men will apply to and enroll in higher education institutions less than women will in the future.

The report projected male enrollment to grow by 8.9 percent from 2012 to 2022, while female enrollment is estimated to grow by nearly double that with figure at 17.7 percent.

Riley said the gap between men and women enrolled in college, with women outweighing men, may exist partially due to males’ greater interest in fields and careers “that are predominantly male” and do not necessarily require a traditional college education, such as technical schools or occupations within the military.

Allston, see page 4

Enrollment, see page 4

KENSHIN OKUBO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

John McDonough, Boston Interim Superintendent, outlined next school year’s budget Wednesday night, which will eliminate 250 school personnel and bus rides for seventh and eighth graders.

buses, we believe it will work out.”

The $973.3 million budget was reduced by more than $100 million for the 2015 fiscal year, according to the report. Although Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is set to increase spending on education by almost 4 percent, cuts were necessary due to other variables.

The BPS report also cited the in-

creasing cost of teacher salaries as necessitating a decrease in the budget, which will cost 250 teachers and office workers their jobs.

“We’ve been dealing with declining federal and state aid for years,” Ballou said. “That’s the reason [for the changes].”

Evangeline Stefanakis, an associ-

BPS, see page 4

Allston Village recieves grant for mural project

By Felicia Gans Daily Free Press Staff

Focusing on enhancing innovation in Boston’s neighborhoods including Allston Village Main Streets, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and the Boston Main Streets Foundation announced the seven awardees for the second funding round of the agency’s Innovation and Impact grants.

Boston Main Streets, a program created in 1995 under the Department of Neighborhood Development, strives to bring citywide innovation and improvement to Boston’s 20 Main Street districts.

Awarded to Greater Grove Hall, Hyde Park Main Streets, Mattapan Square Main Streets, Roslindale Village Main Streets, Upham’s Corner Main Street and West Roxbury Main Streets, the grants provide funding for programming, services and partnership opportunities that will lead to innovation in the city’s main street districts, a Thursday press release said.

“We’re funding a range of innovative projects through this initiative with the Boston Main Streets Foun-

dation,” Walsh said in the release.

“This is a public-private partnership that really works; our Main Streets districts can enhance what makes them unique and support their business owners.”

Allston Village Main Streets, the grant recipient closest to Boston University’s campus, will be receiving $5,000 for their gateway mural project, which will place a mural on the third and fourth floor exterior walls of a building on Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Avenue, said Alana Olsen, executive director of Allston Village Main Streets.

“Part of the work that we do here at Main Streets is to help enrich our street and create a sense of community through that,” she said. “One of our big focuses right now is bringing public art to our streets, and we do that by funding murals.”

After the final round of funding is secured, the production of the mural project is expected to take four to six months. Allston Village Main Streets is looking to collaborate with the mayor, the city council and the various arts organizations in the neigh-

Snowfall insulates soil, BU study suggests

By Stephanie Pagones Daily Free Press Contributor

Milder winters and a decrease in snowfall due to rising temperatures may cause a decline in soil quality, air quality, tree health and human health, according to a study published Friday by researchers at Boston University.

Researchers in ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry and global change at BU found snowfall decline could have a lasting effect on our ecosystem.

“Climate models predict that air temperatures will continue to rise and the depth and duration of snow in New England will continue to shrink,” said Pamela Templer, a professor of biology at BU and one of the study’s primary researchers.

According to the study’s research summary, snow acts like a blanket that conserves the temperature of the soil and the living things within, preventing them from being exposed to harsh winter conditions.

“Snow is an insulator,” the re-

search summary stated. “When the snow pack accumulates to sufficient depths, the soil beneath it can remain unfrozen, even when air temperatures are below freezing.”

Due to climate change, air temperatures have increased, causing the amount of snow accumulation to decline, Templer said. The freezing of soil leads to nitrogen runoff that may pollute nearby waterways and pose a health risk to humans.

“Snow insulates all of the living things in soil during winter,” Templer said. “Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all living things, but if large amounts of nitrogen move into streams and rivers it can further damage trees, acidify stream water and lead to fish mortality and at really high concentrations, can be harmful to human health.”

The researchers conducted a twoyear experiment by shoveling snow off research plots in New Hampshire in order to expose the soil to

cold temperatures and determine the impact of soil freezing, the research summary stated.

The experiment simulated the effects of a warmer winter. Researchers observed that the exposed soil reached temperatures as much as 10 degrees Celcius lower than the temperatures of soil covered by snow.

This change in ground temperature would cause the soil to freeze and stay frozen long into the changing seasons, Templer said.

“Soils do not typically freeze if they are covered by at least eight inches of snow,” she said. “Taking away snow exposed soils to cold winter temperatures and led to deep freezing of soil.”

As the researchers expected, a smaller amount of snow in their experimental plots caused soil to freeze, which lead to root damage, a decrease in the amount of nitrogen taken in by trees, and an increase in

Snowfall, see page 4

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAMELA TEMPLER

Boston University researcher Pamela Templer conducted a study that suggests the milder winters ahead, which stem from global warming, will negatively impact tree health and soil quality.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Despite busing cuts, students receive MBTA card Resident: New Allston murals BPS: From Page 3

ate professor of education at Boston University, said reducing funding for school buses was a necessary measure to preserve other essential features of the education system.

“There has to be a trade-off,” she said. “If you keep the budget focused on keeping the best teachers available and the best materials for kids and their learning, then the issue of 12and 13-year-old kids who can take a bus to school versus be bused at astronomical costs to the school seems a reasonable trade-off.”

Stefanakis also mentioned possible advantages of students using the MBTA bus service such as flexibility in schedule.

“Staying after school to get more help or be involved in educational clubs is really a sound idea,” she said.

“Kids get out at two, [and] their parents might be working at this point.

It’s reasonable for them to learn to take public transportation.”

Reactions from parents to the MBTA transportation program have been mixed, but many do not feel comfortable with the younger children taking public transportation.

Latia Fox, 31, of Mission Hill, said she is horrified by the reduced busing services. Her 11-year old daughter is in the sixth grade and would be affected by the changes next year.

“I know that she’s not ready for it,” she said. “I don’t think even eighth graders are ready for it. Children don’t know how to say, ‘This is a bad person, this person is lying to me about the fact that they want me to get off at this stop and go this place with them.’ I’d be scared to death ev-

ery day [that] something happened on the way to school.”

Ngolela Kabongo, 28, of Back Bay, said she believes school buses are a preferable option.

“I was able to take the bus when I was in middle school, but that was only because I was with a group of friends,” she said. “When you get to high school, I think it’s safer to take the T by yourself. Nowadays, I would much rather have the kids, even in seventh and eighth grade, stay on the [school] bus.”

Erik Widding, 40, of Back Bay, said the bigger problem is not cutting busing services but an absence of community-based schools.

“We can fix the disparity in education not in the old way of busing kids all over the city,” he said. “We ought to be strengthening schools instead.”

Student: Paying back loans priority over future Enrollment: From Page 3

Several BU students said they were concerned with increasing competition in the job market, a pool quickly being filled with fellow college graduates.

“Sometimes people will say they’d rather work and make money instead of blowing it on a degree,” said Sean Moore, a freshman in BU’s College of General Studies.

“My main concern is trying to make up the cost of a six-figure education.”

College of Arts and Sciences senior Vlad Solomon said undergraduate degrees are depreciating

in value.

“Degrees in general are really not worth the money,” he said. “It’s coming to the point where college degrees are the norm and some people need to get graduate degrees to set themselves apart. That means more debt in the long run.”

Despite the growing number of college students enrolled in the US and the challenges that influx brings, though, many students said they remain optimistic about their futures.

Emma Glynn, a freshman in CAS, said she felt success after college was still attainable.

“Yes, there are a lot more people

getting college degrees,” she said.

“That’s a positive thing, nationally.

But to get noticed in a competitive job market, the strategy hasn’t changed. You need to be ambitious.”

Akshat Jain, a sophomore double-majoring in the School of Management and the College of Engineering, said he was optimistic about entering the job market after college.

“I’m sure my degree will still be worth a lot after I graduate,” he said. “Until there is a new way to get a specialized education, university degrees will remain valuable.”

could make neighborhood ‘classy’ Allston: From Page 3

and keeping the neighborhood clean.

“I definitely think the money should be put somewhere else,” she said. “Even though it would be a nice gateway into Allston, the reason why Allston has a bad reputation is because it’s not the cleanest part of the city. The roads and the sidewalks could use a little bit of work. Even though a mural would be a nice entryway into that part of the city, it’d be nice if it looked a little bit better.

We could definitely use the money

differently.”

Nicole Jozwiak, 24, of Brighton, said the mural could be an improvement to Allston’s atmosphere, but the money could be used for other important improvements as well.

“It depends on what the mural is,” she said. “If it’s a really pretty mural, it will make Allston more classy.

I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but if there’s something else that the money could be spent on that actually makes a difference in people’s lives, that [would be a better idea], but I don’t think it’s money badly spent.”

Less snowfall could irreparably damage organisms, poison water Snowfall: From Page 3

the amount of nitrogen in waterways, Templer said.

“Biota living in soil — plant roots, microbes, insects — rely on snow to insulate them in winter,” Templer said. “Without snow, soils freeze and damage these organisms.”

Researchers have predicted that as air temperatures rise, snow depth and duration in New England will continue to decrease, Templer said.

Templer and her team plan to follow up their recent experiment by examining the effects of warming the soil after it has been frozen.

“We will conduct a new climate change experiment,” Templer said.

“The idea is that we take away snow in winter by shoveling as we did in the past, and in the summer we are going to warm the soil continually by 5 degrees Celsius [to] see if the damage gets offset by warmer soil in the summer.”

Templer said climate change was a current and pressing issue.

“We need to educate the public about the implications for climate change,” she said. “Our ecosystems and economy are already being affected by a smaller winter snowpack.”

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THC for HIV: Researchers connect psychoactive ingredient of medical marijuana to HIV treatment Becca DeGregorio Science Tuesday Contributor

A

pproximately 50,000 new HIV infections are reported in the United States every year, according to the HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report of 2012. It inevitably progresses into chronic AIDS, and as no major, straightforward cure exists, scientists have proposed alternative treatments as a means of mitigating the disease’s effects.

Now, researchers believe that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in medical marijuana can play an important role in treating patients with HIV by protecting immune tissues in the gut from the spread of the infection, according to an article published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.

A team of researchers at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center tested the effects of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, on gut tissue of SIV-infected rhesus macaques, according to a Feb. 18 press release.

“SIV is what is used in this study to infect rhesus macaques, and this is a very strong animal model for mirroring HIV infections in humans,” said Rahm Gummuluru, a Boston University professor of microbiology.

PHOTO BY EMILY ZABOSKI/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Researchers at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center found that THC, one of the primary psychoactive ingredients in marijuana, helped treat the effects of SIV, an autoimmune disease similar to human HIV. These results open the possibility for medical marijuana as a treatment for HIV and AIDS patients.

Some macaques, which are a type of smaller monkeys found across a variety of habitats in Asia, were given THC while a

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICIA MOLINA

These two graphs indicate that the macaques treated with THC had a lower level of SIV circulating in their DNA and RNA. SIV was used in the macaques as a parallel for HIV infections in humans.

control group was given placebos.

Researchers gave chronic dosage levels of THC over a period of 17 months, said Patricia Molina, head author of the report.

At the end of the trial period, researchers observed lower circulation of the SIV virus: cells in the macaques treated with THC. “Chronic THC, starting 30 days prior to simian immunodeficiency virus inoculation, decreased early mortality from SIV infection and lowered the amount of virus in circulation and in lymph nodes,” she said.

Additionally, the experimental group experienced less inflammation in the gut area. This lower level of inflammation prevents excessive immune system responses, such as the body’s creation of cytokines.

“When our bodies, or in this case monkeys, are infected with SIV, we generate a lot of immune responses,” Gummuluru said.

“We make molecules like cytokines which help our bodies to fight pathogen-like viruses.”

However, the immune system’s excessive response of producing these virus fighting-molecules becomes detrimental over time, Gummuluru said.

“It turns out, when we get infected by viruses such SIV or HIV, we tend to make more than what is necessary,” he said. “It is an over-exuberant response to the pathogen. So our tissues are dying because we make more cytokines than necessary, more antiviral factors than necessary.”

Cytokines are essentially proteins that mediate between cells.

In the guts of the THC-adminis-

tered macaques, there was less activation to create these molecules.

This slowed production of cytokines allowed for a longer survival of T-cells, which are white blood cells that fight invading pathogens.

“The reason why HIV is so deadly is because it infects the very cells that we need to fight the virus,” Gummuluru said. “So, it kills these T-cells very rapidly, and our body continuously makes the T-cells because that is part of our immune system to make cells as they die out.”

The positive effect of the THC on T-cell population, along with the lesser viral loads in this experimental group, support curiosity for the usage of psychoactive ingredients in the arena of longterm virus treatment.

“What this gets to is this argument over whether one can slow down the disease by giving immunosuppressive reagents to people or individuals,” Gummuluru said. “There’s not a cure. There’s just no way to help the immune system fight the virus, but you can prolong life.”

However, Molina said researchers must examine the role of other components of marijuana before advocating for its use as a treatment for HIV. “The scarcity of scientific evidence concurs with the conclusions of the report from the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy on the need for understanding the long-term effects of cannabinoid use on the body, mental health and behavior, particularly on the potential beneficial or detrimental effects in the

course of chronic diseases,” she said.

This investigation of the effects of THC among viral disease ties into the ongoing, nationwide discussion of medical marijuana usage. In November 2012, Massachusetts residents voted to allow medical marijuana in the Commonwealth.

BU students have involved themselves in the conversation on the role of medical marijuana, most notably through the group Students for Sensible Drug Policy. The club’s overall mission is to provide information regarding drug usage and policy in promotion of public health education throughout the community, said club president Melanie Kirsh.

“We don’t condone or condemn drug use, and we do believe that medical marijuana is the right way to go,” Kirsh, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said.

The club supported this stance by campaigning for medical cannabis legalization during the voting period in Massachusetts.

“The reasoning why we wanted people to vote yes was because that people with chronic diseases or illnesses benefit so much from the usage of medical cannabis because it’s a pain reliever,” Kirsh said.

Despite the official legalization in the Commonwealth, the benefits of medical marijuana do not have everybody sold.

The drug’s psychoactive effects, through the eyes of some scientists and citizens, are not tame enough for regulated usage.

“Its principal risks are of dependence, bad interactions with existing mental health and substance abuse problems, and problems with present and even future cognition, particularly among adolescents” said Dr. Timothy Naimi, a BU School of Medicine professor.

Although traditional pain relief differs from the slowing down of HIV and SIV progression, the usage of THC and other psychoactive cannabinoids as a medical treatment remains the central theme to the conversation. Despite potential flaws in medical marijuana, the research of this LSU team provides an example that the THC contained can prove to be a positive.

“Because gut associated lymphoid tissues have been shown to play important roles in the infection, these findings may reveal novel mechanisms that potentially contribute to cannabinoidmediated disease modulation” Molina said. The doctor plans on conducting follow-up research on the topic.

6

Opinion

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 44th year F Volume 86 F Issue 25

Sarah Kirkpatrick, Editor-in-Chief Brian Latimer, Managing Editor

Rachel Riley, Campus Editor

Alice Bazerghi, City Editor

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Trisha Thadani, Opinion Editor

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Maya Devereaux, Photo Editor

Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Features Editor

Emily Hartwell, 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.

Busting parties and breaking trust

Four BU students were put in jail on Tuesday for violating their probation after they were caught hosting a large party in their house at 85 Linden St. on Jan. 26.

Upon entering the house, the police claimed they smelled marijuana, found at least 1,000 alcohol containers and also found “at least one underage drinker.” Fraternity members were playing loud music, drinking while underage and smoking pot? Shocking.

After BPD responded to a party at earlier in September, four BU students — Michael Oldcorn, 20; John Pavia, 20; Sawyer Petric, 19 and Terry Bartrug, 20 — pleaded not guilty at their court appearance in October.

They were then put on pretrial probation and sentenced to 40 hours of community service, and their parents — sorry, the police — imposed a curfew on the house.

After police responded to another party at the house on Jan. 26, the four students were held in Nashua Street Jail after their hearing last week. Boston Police sergeant Michael O’Hara told The Boston Globe that these students were not held for keeping a disorderly house, but rather, “They’re being put in jail because of the fact that they violated probation … that’s a serious offense.”

Since these students are a part of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore suspended the fraternity on Thursday because these four chapter members were involved in planning and hosting this off-campus function.

For the underage college kids who all engage in similar activities, such ramifications seem annoying and unfair. However, no matter which way it is looked at, Oldcorn, Pavia, Peric and Bartug did do something wrong. None of these students are above the age of 21, they supplied alcohol at a raucous party, had marijuana in their house and violated their probation.

These four students were given somewhat of a “free pass,” after the first party was busted in September, and they deliberately did the same thing a few months later.

Given that it is the second time for the same offense, the police are going to be a lot less sympathetic in their punishments.

However, at the same time, if the police are going to punish these four students so drastically, then how do they justify turn-

ing a “blind eye” to the thousands of other students who engage in similar activities?

According to a BU Today article, only 35 percent of first-year BU students say they don’t drink. So, that means, while Oldcorn, John Pavia, Petric and Bartrug were put in jail on Thursday for hosting a party, about 65 percent of undergraduate students were engaging in similar activities somewhere else on campus.

If BU administrators and BPD are going to crack down on underage drinking, they at least need to be consistent in their response.

By arresting some violators and just sentencing others to community service, they are demolishing any hope for a foundation of trust between authorities and students.

According to 2013 Alcohol Enforcement Patrol Stats, between the weekends of Aug. 29 and Nov. 14, Boston University Police Department, BPD and Brookline Police responded more than 40 times to either loud parties and to summons and/or citations for keepers of a disorderly house.

Boston Police sergeant Michael O’Hara said the two parties that were busted at 85 Linden St. were in, “the top 10 percent” of wild parties they have responded to — and, in case you were wondering, the other 90 percent of not-as-wild parties were probably happening around the corner all around the GAP, Allston and Brighton areas.

College kids and universities are stuck in a vicious cycle in regards to underage drinking. Students are going to drink no matter what, and since BU adheres to Massachusetts State law alcohol provisions, BU has to punish any student caught violating it. However, this means that when students are in need to help, they are most likely not going to seek it in fear of getting in trouble.

To solve this problem, BU and the police need to make us students less fearful of getting caught with alcohol. They need to educate us, talk to us, help us and listen to us — and only punish us within reason. Don’t administrators remember going to college?

Putting four students in jail during classes and midterms is by no means a punishment within reason. Such legal action will not make us students more vigilant with the alcohol use, but rather more resentful of our authority figures.

Girl Scout Cookies kate hofberg Someone please explain to me America’s obsession with the world’s most mediocre tasting cookies, otherwise known as Girl Scout cookies, because I just cannot figure it out.

The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a 100-year-old tradition that shows no signs of slowing. In fact, Girl Scout cookies have become an icon of American culture. However, it seems that the Girl Scouts aren’t so much concerned with the quality of their product, but rather they are concerned with increasing sales, turning profits and setting records with numbers of boxes sold.

Purchasing a box of Peanut Butter Patties is not only a way to accumulate inches on your midsection, but also, according to the Girl Scout organization, an opportunity to teach young girls about money management, business ethics, decision making, people skills and goal setting. Call me crazy, but there has got to be a more health conscious way to instill these, admittedly, valuable skills in our youth.

Fortunately for me, my distaste for these nauseating excuses for baked goods makes it easy for me to refuse boxes from Girl Scouts that seem to be looming on every corner. Sorry little girl, I don’t care how close you are to reaching your goal of selling 750 boxes of cookies this year. Your product is wretched and my taste buds are beyond uninterested.

Last year, 2.3 million Girl Scouts sold more than 200 million boxes of cookies and generated more than $780 million dollars for the organization whose mission it is to “... build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.”

Make the world a better place? I’m sorry but I don’t understand how contributing to the obesity epidemic of this country with yearly, record-breaking cookie sales is working toward society’s betterment. On the Girl Scout’s own official website, you can read for yourself a list of fun facts about the disturbing trends of youth health behaviors that, I promise you, are not improving with mass consumption of Thin Mints and Samoas — excuse me, Caramel de Lites. According to the Girl Scout website, more than 10 percent of children between the ages of two and five are overweight, double the amount since 1980. In my opinion, if the Girl Scouts were truly dedicated to the mission of contributing to the improvement of society, they might consider selling gold star-shaped diet pills instead.

Snacks like apples and peanut butter or

carrots and celery used to be a reasonable, health conscious way to fuel our bodies with vitamins and nutrients.

However, these days, unless it’s saturated in sugar, deep-fried or drenched in salt, no longer do healthy snack options seem to suffice in satisfying our corpulent appetites. Just two Samoa cookies contain 150 calories! That’s 7 percent of the average person’s daily caloric intake in four bites, and I’m willing to bet that Girl Scout cookie enthusiasts aren’t just snacking on two cookies per sitting.

In a day in age where, unfortunately, obesity is on the rise, it’s not only the nutritional value of the baked goods that pose a threat to the well-being of healthy societies that horrifies me, but also the 7-11-esque flavor profile of the cookies. Can someone please explain to me the appeal of the Lemonade Girl Scout cookie? It’s a sad excuse for a sweet treat for the amateur cookie eater. It’s a smear of tangy, lemon icing sandwiched between two shortbread cookies that coats your mouth with a stale, over-sweetened taste of artificiality with each bite. There’s a reason the cookies are seasonal. It’s because they’re god-awful.

Or how about the Thin Mints? The round, mint-flavored cookie with chocolate coating, which is by far the most popular Girl Scout cookie, accounting for 25 percent of national cookies sales. I just don’t get it.

What is it about the Thin Mints that make them such a popular treat? For the life of me, I cannot figure out the people’s fascination with the disgusting, waxy cookie that tastes like chocolate toothpaste. And let me tell you, freezing them does not make them any more delicious.

To those of you that think you are doing your hips a favor by choosing Thin Mints over other Girl Scout cookie options, I am sorry to say, that you are living your life in denial. Some people believe that the Thin Mint isn’t as fattening as some of the other Girl Scout cookies, but actually, I am certain that there will be nothing thin about you after you pound a box of them.

So, wise up America. The next time you’re thinking about devouring an entire box of Peanut Butter Patties or Do-Si-Do’s, you might want to step on the scale and think twice about the astronomical amount of calories you’re about to consume. Chances are, your love handles don’t need any more love.

Kate Hofberg is a graduate student in the College of Communication. She can be reached at kwhofberg@gmail.com.

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Write a Letter to the Editor! letters@dailyfreepress.com 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.

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.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

7

Benedykciuk: Despite ‘powerhouse’ teams, BU has shot in tournament Benedykciuk: From Page 8

prone to the upset. In 2012, Duke lost to Lehigh University of the Patriot League, allowing the Mountain Hawks to advance to third round for the first time in school history.

After discussing Duke, you can’t help but bring up the University of North Carolina. Michael Jordan’s alma mater is unquestionably one of the dominant forces in college basketball. With 25 conference tournament championships and five national titles, UNC is a powerhouse in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

North Carolina is not all that prone to being beaten on, though, as it has advanced to the Sweet 16 29 times out of its 42 tournament appearances. Still, the Tar Heels have lost 13 times before the Sweet 16,

proving that even some of the best tournament teams can be beaten.

College basketball greatness is not limited to those ACC strongholds, but also extends to Georgetown University. The Hoyas have produced NBA greats like Allen Iverson and Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. They have also collected 10 conference tournament championships and 11 conference regular season titles. Despite being a perennial regular season contender, Georgetown has been very beatable come tournament time Though they have appeared in 29 NCAA Tournaments, the Hoyas have only 11 Sweet 16 appearances and only five Final Four appearances in school history.

So, even if the Terriers are slated to play an intimidating opponent, upsets happen every single year, even to the most sto-

ried teams in the nation. More importantly though, BU has all the pieces on the court it needs to stage a win for the history books.

Head coach Joe Jones has 19 years of experience under his belt, including three here at BU. In his first year with the Terriers, Jones led BU to a 12-4 America East Conference record, marking the best winning percentage in conference play for a first-year coach in program history.

Sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr. has also quietly become one of the best point guards in the nation. His intelligence, athleticism and raw talent have led him to average 13.4 points, 6.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game, while shooting a solid 50.2 percent from the field.

Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year and Boston’s primary ball handler, senior guard D.J. Irving, has been instru-

mental in passing the torch of leadership over to Watson. In his final year, the guard has posted impressive stats, and for his efforts was named to the Patriot League AllSecond Team.

The team not only has a strong veteran core, but has gotten strong play from newcomers like freshman guard Cedric Hankerson. The Florida native has shot 40.3 percent from the field and has averaged 6.1 in just about 15 minutes on the court per contest.

So, with talented, devoted players and a hardened, experienced coach, Boston University is more than capable of upsetting a team like Syracuse, Duke or Georgetown.

Whether or not the team makes it that far is to be determined. But with the players and guidance this team has, don’t count out BU for this year’s Cinderella Story.

Greyhound offense continues to struggle Women’s Hoops: From Page 8

are coming off a 24-point defeat at the hands of the U.S. Naval Academy. This loss capped off a 10-game losing streak to end the season for Loyola, helping lead to the last-place finish. Like the Terriers, this is Loyola’s first year in the Patriot League, and the transition has not been an easy one.

The last time the Greyhounds won a game was on Jan. 25 when the team defeated Colgate University 61-54 on the road in Hamilton, N.Y. The Greyhounds have not been able to win a contest in over a month, but Greenberg said the Terriers are not underestimating their opponent, knowing a team like Loyola is desperate to get a win. “When a team hasn’t won in a while, you never want to be that team that they get a win against,” Greenberg said. “But we don’t like to worry about other teams records. We just have to come out, get some easy layups and play our game. We know we can’t look past them, and we understand that.”

When the two teams faced off this season, the Terriers had the edge, taking the season series two games to none. The Terriers started the first game on a 9-0 run and never relinquished the lead, winning the contest by a score of 70-60 in Baltimore.

Sophomore guard Clodagh Scannell registered a game-high 17 points for the Terriers, as she hit five 3-pointers. Agboola also registered her second double-double of the year, scoring 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

In their contest in Boston, the Terriers cruised to a 74-55 win, marking their second-biggest margin of victory of the season. The Greyhounds scored the first bucket, but BU responded with an 11-0 run to grab an early command of the game. The Terriers found themselves up by 20 points at halftime, leading to a comfortable win.

Senior guard Danielle Callahan scored 20 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead the way for BU while Agboola once again dominated, recording 19 points and five rebounds.

Junior and leading scorer for the Greyhounds Nai Brown chipped in 14 points in the second loss. Brown has been one of the few bright spots on the team this season, averaging 14.6 points per game for the five-win Greyhounds. The rest of team has not had much success on the offensive end, as there is only one other player averaging double-digit points. As a whole, Loyola has scored 53.9 points per contest, holding the last in Patriot League.

With the No. 2 seed U.S. Military Academy looming, the road will not get easier for the winner of this game. Greenberg said the team in not looking at the potential matchup, but has all its focus on Tuesday night.

“We want to take it just one game at a time,” Greenberg said. “We just have to take care of business tomorrow: get some easy baskets, play some defense. Then, we’ll see what happens.”

Bats provide consistency during tourney MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Senior Danielle Callahan hit six 3-pointers during BU’s last matchup with Loyola.

Relay team highlights day with 3rd-place finish Track: From Page 8

Alec Olson finished fourth in the same race with his 8:24.24 effort.

To lead the sprinters, sophomore David Lagerberg placed second in the 400m dash, completing the two laps in an impressive 47.14 seconds. The mark was a new personal-best for Lagerberg.

Junior Nikolaos Farmakidis was tied for third in the pole vault with a leap of 4.89 meters. To wrap up the field events, junior Michael Maloof threw 16.01m in the weight throw to place fourth in the competition.

Only a week after capturing the Patriot League title, the women’s team showcased its depth, achieving strong results throughout the meet.

For the sprinters, the 4x400 relay team took center stage, capping off the meet by breaking their own school record in the event. The group of freshman Toria Levy, sophomore Christy Wood and seniors Carolyn Maynard and Hannah Wiley teamed up for a combined time of 3:38.97, finishing just a little more than two seconds behind first-place Hampton University.

Junior Gemma Acheampong ran the 200m dash for the Terriers in 24.7 seconds, a seasonbest time and good for a fourth place finish.

Acheampong’s teammate, freshman Djenne Parris followed suit with her fifth-place finish.

Her time of 25.07 was a personal-best for the first-year runner. Sophomore Talia Flores finished eighth in the same race at a time of 26.12 seconds.

Parris also competed in the 400m dash, completing the race in 57.24 seconds, placing eighth.

Not to be outdone, the Terrier women distance runners had several impressive performances. In the mile run, junior Monica Adler came in fifth, posting a career-best time of 4:36.35, falling just short of a new BU record.

Junior Rosa Moriello continued her strong indoor campaign, running 16:27.3 to finish fifth in the 5,000m.

In the field events, senior Sarah Dillard won the women’s weight throw with a toss of 15.89m and came in third in the shot put with a distance of 12.53 meters.

Moving forward, the Terriers will play host for the IC4A/ECAC Championship meet March 7 through March 9 at the Track and Tennis Center.

Director of track and field Robyne Johnson was unable to be reached for comment.

Softball: From Page 8

shut out the remainder of the game. On the other side of the field, the Terriers put together a surge in the last few innings to win 8-4.

Hynes pitched a complete game, allowing 10 hits, while only walking one batter.

Senior shortstop Brittany Clendenny and senior catcher Amy Ekart, who each had a hit and two RBI, led the Terriers to the victory. “[Our seniors] have done a tremendous job on and off the field of leading us,” Gleason, said. “I think their fight every day is just contagious. They’ve really embraced all the newcomers.”

The second day of the tournament brought less than favorable results for BU. The Terriers started out Saturday evening against the University of California-Davis. Their matchup against the Aggies (7-15) was the Terriers’ closest of the tournament as teams traded runs from the third to the fifth inning.

Tied up at the end of seven, the game headed to extra innings. After the Terriers put up nothing in the top half of the frame, Aggie senior Caitlin Voss was able to reach base on an error, bringing in the runner from third for the walk-off victory.

The nightcap featured a rematch of the opener against Seattle, but bore similar results. Seattle pitcher Lindsay Davis was able to hold BU to just one run on seven hits in her six innings of work. Hynes came out strong, allowing no runs through three innings. Even-

tually, the Redhawks got the better of Hynes, scoring four runs in the final three innings to win 4-1. BU’s only run of the contest came courtesy of an RBI single from Hynes, scoring junior center fielder Kendra Meadows.

Wrapping up the weekend, the team squared off against Davis again, looking to return home on a high note. The Aggies, however, had a different idea.

The majority of the damage done against BU was in a sloppy fourth inning. After a home run from Aggie sophomore Kelly Zboralske, Hynes was pulled from the circle with the bases loaded. In a relief appearance, Russell walked in two runs and forced another in on a hit batsman as Aggies tallied four and batted around during the frame.

BU was able to drive in three runs, including two from senior first baseman Chelsea Kehr, but that was not enough as the Terriers for the fourth time in the weekend, this time by a score of 4-3.

Despite a tough weekend, the Terriers’ offense proved to be strong. The bats amassed 28 runs off 47 hits during the tournament.

Gleason said while the rest of the team has been up-and-down, the offense has provided some needed stability.

“That seems to be the one facet of our game that seems to be consistent right now,” Gleason said of the offense. “They’re aggressive yet disciplined, and they wait for their pitch.”

“

Quotable

“

We want to take it just one game at a time.

- BU coach Kelly Greenberg on the importance of not overlooking Tuesday’s playoff game.

page 8

The Blue Line March Madness

Mike Benedykciuk February is over now, and sports fans across the globe will miss the month home to the Super Bowl and Olympic Games. But now enters March, host of one of the most exciting sporting events of the year: the NCAA basketball tournament. The tournament, filled with elation and heartbreak, makes dreams and nightmares come true each and every year.

March Madness never ceases to amaze me. There is nothing more humbling than having three of the last four of your bracket eliminated after the Sweet 16, something that has happened to me the past three years. My brackets are always in shambles, and I know I am not alone. This year, though, I may not mind as much if my bracket gets miserably busted. My school might be the one breaking it.

However, it is still not clear if Boston University will even make the tournament at all, so the Terriers certainly do not know their potential opponent. If the Terriers are to win the Patriot League Tournament, there are some matchups that could lead to surprising results for BU. If the stars align the right way, the team could be on its way to pulling off a memorable upset.

In ESPN’s latest Bracketology with Joe Lunardi, No. 15 seed BU would play No. 2 Syracuse University. While the Orange may seem to pose a strong threat to the Terrier chances, Syracuse has shown some cracks in its foundation.

After a close one-point victory over North Carolina State University on Feb. 15, Syracuse has lost three of four contests, including a stunning to unranked Boston College and a blowout at the hands of the University of Virginia this past Saturday. To say the least, Syracuse is losing momentum heading into postseason play.

When one thinks of contemporary college basketball, one school that immediately comes to mind is Duke University. Duke has a history of excellence, with 15 Final Four appearances, six runner-ups and four national championships. But, Duke is

BEnEdykciuk, see page 7

Sports

W. Basketball vs. Loyola–Md., 7 p.m.

The BU men’s basketball team took three individual Patriot League accolades, P.8.

[ www.dailyfreepress.com ]

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Men’s basketball claims 3 league awards Terriers vying for 3rd win versus Loyola

By Christopher Dela Rosa Daily Free Press Staff

The Patriot League announced Monday that three players from the Boston University men’s basketball team were awarded All-Conference accolades for their stellar play throughout the regular season.

Sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr., senior guard and tricaptain D.J. Irving and freshman guard Cedric Hankerson were chosen to represent the Terriers (22-9, 15-3 Patriot League).

“I was really happy for those guys,” said BU coach Joe Jones.

“It is well deserved, they worked hard, and it’s a nice accomplishment for them.”

Watson, after a solid sophomore campaign, was the only Terrier selected to the All-Patriot League First Team. Despite standing at just 5-foot-10, Watson used his crafty ball-handling skills and speed to either elude defenders or dish the ball to his teammates. For this reason he led the team with 13.4 points per game and led the entire Patriot League with 6.6 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Watson’s senior counterpart in Irving, the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the conference second team. Irving has been a staple of the BU offense, making big shots down the stretch. During his last year in the scarlet and white, Irving has tallied 12.3 points per game to go along with an impressive 80.7 percent shooting from the charity stripe.

In the Terriers’ last game, Irving hit two free throws in the closing seconds on the road against College of the Holy Cross Saturday to give BU a four-point lead. Irving’s makes would not only seal the game, but the Patriot League regular-season title. After the game ended, Irving became only the second-ever player at BU to log over 4,000 career minutes.

“Mo [Watson] and D.J. are one

By Emmanuel Gomez Daily Free Press Staff

In the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament, the Boston University women’s basketball team will take on Loyola University-Maryland at 7 p.m. at Case Gymnasium.

For their regular season efforts, the Terriers (12-19, 7-11 Patriot League) earned the No. 7 seed in the tournament while the Greyhounds (5-24, 2-16 Patriot League) finished the season in last place, and were given the No. 10 spot in the playoffs.

“We’re excited to play in our first playoff game,” said BU coach Kelly Greenberg, “We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs this year, but we’re real excited for Loyola. We feel like we’ve got a real chance to come away with a win.”

The Terriers are coming off a 67-65 win on Senior Day against College of the Holy Cross, where all four seniors scored double-digit points. Senior forward Rashidat MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF Agboola led the way for the BU Sophomore Maurice Watson Jr., was named to the Patriot League Alland the senior class, racking up a First Team on Monday. game-high 19 points in the win. of the best backcourts in the coun- tributions came in the Terriers’ win Greenberg said the win against try, they’ve been the primary ball- over the University of Maryland on the Crusaders (18-11, 10-8 Patriot handlers on our team and we’ve Dec. 21. In that game, he tallied 14 League) gave the Terriers a muchbeen successful,” said BU senior points and seven rebounds. needed boost before going into Senior forward Dom Morris the conference playoffs. guard Travis Robinson. “It’s welldeserved, their first and second said the awards for the three play“We definitely think that win ers were well-deserved after the [against Holy Cross] built a lot team selections.”

Hankerson, a first-year player, solid seasons they had. of confidence for us,” said Green“I’m extremely happy for berg. “We did a lot of good things was named to the All-Rookie Team.

During conference play, he made a them,” said senior forward Dom on Saturday, and I was really name for himself, hitting a number Morris. “It’s a big accomplish- proud of us. We came out, and we of contested 3-pointers that either ment. It says something about our got the job done, and I think that kept BU in close games or was the program to have three guys on will really help us on Tuesday.” spark the team needed to get a run there. They credit the team, but we For Loyola, the Greyhounds going. Coming off of the bench, credit them too because without he averaged 6.1 points per game. them, we wouldn’t be where we WoMEn’s hooPs, see page 7 One of Hankerson’s biggest con- are.”

Peters breaks previous NCAA record Softball drops 4 of 5 in California

By Jacklyn Bamberger Daily Free Press Staff

Led by several record-setting performances, the Boston University track and field team turned in a successful weekend at the BU Last Chance Meet at the Track and Tennis Center.

A solid showing by the distance runners, particularly senior Rich Peters, helmed the Terrier men. Peters finished third in a loaded 1,000m race, running 2:18.55, breaking the NCAA record that was set in 2012

by Robby Creese of Penn State University.

The race became the third time that Peters has broken a record this indoor season. At the John Thomas Terrier Invitational on Jan. 25, Thomas posted a school-best in the 3000m run. A week later, at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational, Peters broke his own school record in the mile, finishing with a blister-

The Bottom Line

Tuesday, March 4

RED CARPET SHOW

The Daily Free Press

Wednesday, March 5 W. Lax @ Dartmouth, 3 p.m.

M. Basketball vs. Lafayette, 7 p.m.

ing time of 3:57.27. In addition to his three indoor records, Peters also holds a school record in the outdoor 1,500m thanks to his time of 3:40.05 last spring season.

Peters’ performance was not the only setting new marks in the race, as he was only one of three recordbreaking performances in the run.

David Torrance, a professional runner for Nike, set a United States record in the race with his time of 2:16.76. Nate Brannen a graduate of the University of Michigan, who finished second in the race, ran a time of 2:16.87, good for a new Canadian record.

Not only did BU have Peters place in the 1,000m, but the team also had a solid showing in the 3,000m.

In his third-place effort, sophomore Kevin Thomas posted a career-best time of 8:12.67. Fellow sophomore

Track, see page 7

Thursday, March 6 W. Basketball vs. TBA, time TBA

By Joe Calabrese Daily Free Press Contributor

This past weekend, the Boston University softball team fell under one game under .500 after losing four out of five games at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational.

The first game on Friday was an offensive showdown as the Terriers (4-5) faced off against Seattle University. The Redhawks (10-11) put a dent in the run column from the outset with an RBI double off the bat of senior Brianna Guererro, the first of her four RBI on the day. The power of the Seattle bats, coupled with BU defensive gaffes, led to a tough outing for senior pitcher Melanie Russell, as she gave up seven runs, only one of which was earned, in just 2.2 innings pitched.

“We just need to make the routine plays,” said BU coach Kathryn Gleason. “We’re making some fantastic plays [all over], but we’re not

Friday, March 7

Softball @ Under Armour Classic, 9:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m.

Track @ IC4A/ECAC Championships, All Day

making the routine plays. It’s contagious.”

Her successors did not fare much better as the Redhawks tacked on eight more runs off of sophomore pitcher Laura Hynes, including seven in the fourth, and two more off of freshman pitcher Makinna Akers.

The Terriers put up a fight toward the end of the game, plating runs in each of the last four innings, amassing 11 overall. But that was not enough to compete with Seattle’s 17 and BU dropped game one.

Heading into the second game of the day, the Terriers sought to right their defensive and pitching woes against Santa Clara University. Santa Clara (1-11) came into the matchup against BU having dropped each of its previous eight games.

After scoring four runs in the fourth inning, the Broncos were

sofTBall, see page 7

Saturday, March 8

W. Hockey vs. Northeastern, 4:30 p.m.

M. Hockey @ Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

M. Basketball vs. TBA, time TBA W. Basketball vs. TBA, time TBA