2-2-2017

NEWS Safety concerns, alcohol regulations indicate marijuana regulation, according to Miriam Schizer, an expert from the Boston Children’s Hospital. p. 4

IMPACT Documentary channel Wanderlost creates “Voices of the Future”, a concert to raise awareness for LGBTQ rights among artists and students. p. 6

29°/40° PARTLY CLOUDY

SPORTS With 6 NHL draft picks, the men’s hockey defense is one of the best in the country, and the pairs have formed a special bond on the ice. p. 12

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY YEAR XLVI. VOLUME XCII. ISSUE III

Immigration ban affects BU students

BY TAYLOR KOCHER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY JOHN KAVOURIS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A non-affiliated man entered several rooms unannounced and made explicit comments to residents of StuVi II on Jan. 22, according to Boston University Police Department’s crime logs.

Man charged for breaking into StuVi II rooms

BY CAROLINE HITESMAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A man allegedly entered several students’ dorm room in 33 Harry Agganis Way and made sexually explicit comments toward residents on Jan. 22, according to Boston University Police Department crime logs. Several items were also reported missing from one of the rooms after the visitor entered.

The man, who was not affiliated with BU, was signed into the building as a visitor. He was initially released with a warning, then criminally charged once students reported several items were missing from one of the

rooms after the visitor entered, according to the log.

He is banned from the residence hall, said BUPD Acting Chief Scott Paré.

Maddy, a resident of StuVi II who requested her last name not be used, said she was folding laundry in her room the day of the incident when she heard the front door of her apartment open.

“I heard the door open and just assumed my roommates were coming home. I was a bit thrown off by the male voices,” she said. “But then I thought, ‘Oh, probably a friend.’”

Maddy said two men walked into her apartment and asked one of her roommates, who was sitting in the common room, if she

knew “where to find Sarah.” Maddy’s roommate told the two men they were in the wrong apartment.

“They just walked back toward the front door and kind of lingered in our entry by our semi-open door,” Maddy said.

Maddy said she didn’t think much of the incident until a few minutes later, when she saw BU police questioning the two men who had entered her room.

“That’s when I realized that — oh my god, this guy is a stranger, and somehow got into the building,” she said. “This situation is pretty serious.”

Maddy said that while the event frightCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

CDC correlates opioid with memory loss

BY NATALIE CARROLL DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Prior opioid use has connections to rare instances of memory loss associated with toxic exposure, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published on Friday.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requested in February 2016 that if medical professionals have received a patient who has new onset amnesia without apparent cause, they must report the case for review.

The final review brought together 14 patients who have had onset amnesia since 2012 and found that 13 out of 14 patients had a documented history of substance abuse.

Jeffrey Samet, a professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine,

said it is unknown if these patients’ memory loss resulted directly from opioid use.

“The case is interesting because opioids have been around for a long time,” Samet said. “This amnesia as a consequence of drug abuse is not common. It is causing a wonder for what is causing this amnesia. Is it drugs? Is it external events?”

Samet said while opioids can lead to addiction in some users, the long-term side effects of these medications are few for most. “[The] opioid epidemic’s most fearsome concern is … overdose,” Samet said. “It is a major priority for the CDC, for the governor … the fact that there is an amnesic syndrome pales compared to people who die from overdose over the country.”

Alfred DeMaria, medical director of Massachusetts Bureau of Infectious Disease, Response and Services and co-author of the

study, said the issue was brought to his attention through public health surveillance.

“We had gotten a report about this unusual syndrome, and we were concerned about an outbreak,” DeMaria said. “We contacted various departments to see what was going on. It resulted in finding 10 more cases on top of the four that we already had.”

Mieke Verfaellie, a professor in BU’s Memory Disorders Research Center, noted that damage to the hippocampus could “result from oxygen deprivation associated with overdose.”

“The evidence here of a severe amnesic condition is novel and certainly adds to the worry about potential cognitive ramifications,” Verfaellie said. “There is also evidence to suggest that cognitive impairment interferes CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Houchang Chehabi, an international relations professor at Boston University, said that due to his criticism of Iranian government, he got a warnings of arrest if he should travel to Iran.

After President Donald Trump issued an order Friday to ban citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days, Chehabi, already signed out by his native Iran, said he now feels singled out by the United States as well.

“I’m sort of discriminated against in both countries of which I have the citizenship,” said Chehabi, who holds dual citizenship of the United States and Iran. “I can’t visit [Iran because] I’m a citizen of the United States, and I’m being singled out [here] because I’m of Iranian background.”

BU has approximately 100 students and 16 scholars from the countries listed in Trump’s executive order, BU spokesperson Colin Riley said.

“Fortunately, no students or scholars were detained, refused entry, returned home or had their visas canceled,” Riley said.

Although the order hasn’t had an immediate impact, Managing Director of BU’s International Students and Scholars Office Jeanne Kelley said the bulk of its impact is yet to be seen.

“We don’t have anyone that’s stuck at an airport right now,” Kelley said in a Tuesday town hall regarding to the order. “But that doesn’t mean by any means [that the order] has not impacted our community.”

Kelley said it is already obstructing both academic and personal plans of students from the afflicted countries.

During the town hall, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore urged concerned students to reach out to resources on campus, namely the ISSO. “You should not face the anxieties you feel alone,” Elmore said. The university will be holding more information and Question and Answer sessions in the near future, Elmore added.

Many students said they already feel the ban adversely affecting them.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL FREEMAN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Pardee professor Houchang Chehabi said he feels discriminated by President Donald Trump’s recent anti-travel orders against several Muslim-majority countries.

2 NEWS

Students discuss Israeli-Palestinian conflict

CRIME LOGS

BY JACQUELINE CONTRERAS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Approximately 20 students gathered in the College of Arts and Sciences Wednesday night for a discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hosted by the Boston University International Affairs Association.

The discussion focused on the United Nations Security Council’s December decision to oppose the legal validity of Israeli settlements in Palestine.

Louise Carbery, a senior in CAS and vice president of BUIAA, said BUIAA hoped to provide a respectful environment where students could share their opinions on the conflict, gain a better understanding of the background of the conflict and learn about current events surrounding the region.

“This can be an emotional topic, anything involving identity politics is,” Carbery said before the discussion. “I hope to provide a respectful forum for students no matter what they believe.”

She said it’s especially important to have respectful discussions when considering such a polarizing issue.

“I hope students come out not only with a greater understanding of the background of [the] Israeli Palestinian conflict and the UNSC, but also an understanding of the different narratives around campus regarding the conflict,” Carbery said.

Carbery posed three questions to the group. She asked students to consider how the new Trump administration would affect the application of the decision, how the international community’s response will shape the future of the conflict and what methods to create peace will be effective in solving geopolitical conflicts.

Much of the conversation centered around the involvement of the United States in the conflict, or its lack thereof.

Jessica Mansur, a junior in CAS, said she thought one reason why the United States abstained from taking a position on the issue

BY CAROLINE HITESMAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department Crime Logs from Jan. 26-30.

Disorderly conduct reported at 871 Commonwealth Ave. A male student reported on Jan. 26 at 4:31 p.m. that while he was using the bathroom in the College of General Studies, he saw a cell phone that slide into his stall. He tried to confront the other man, who left without speaking.

PHOTO BY KANKANIT WIRIYASAJJA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Michael Meagher (CAS ‘19) voices his opinion on the Israel-Palestine Conflict and the recent United Nations Security Council decision on Israeli settlements.

was to avoid breaking its alliance with Israel.

“This is a hot topic — it’s really hard for people,” Mansur said. “We all come from very different backgrounds … but we were able to go back and forth about it and challenge each other, and it never crossed that line.”

Victoria Reynolds, a senior in CAS, said the United States’ abstention acted as a signal to the world.

“I don’t think alliances should be blind, whatever it is you’re doing, it’s fine,” Reynolds said. “Israel’s absolutely overstepped in lots of areas.”

Carbery concluded the discussion by focusing on the future of Jerusalem.

“This isn’t a conflict of good guys or bad guys; no cultural conflict ever has been,” Carbery said. “There’s a ton of uncertainty with the status quo, and the only thing that we know is that there is going to be change, and I can only hope that it is going to be positive.”

Several students in attendance said they were impressed by the discussion.

Anushka Pinto, a senior in CAS, said she was impressed to hear the variety of perspec-

tives that were expressed.

“I think overall it was a very constructive dialogue,” Pinto said. “I’m very impressed at how peaceful it remained. There was not really any aggression towards one another despite the fact that there were differing opinions.”

Desmond Molloy, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said the conversation was less antagonistic than he thought it would be.

“I’ve seen a lot of unpleasantness around on this campus in particular around the Israeli-Palestinian question, but I thought it went much more in depth than I expected,” Molloy said.

Zachary Thomas, a junior in the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, said he noticed tension during the discussion, although it was still a respectful conversation.

“As always with a discussion like this, you can feel the tension,” Thomas said. “I always feel like people don’t say what they want to say, or are able to say everything they want to say for fear of offending people … but it was pretty good overall.”

Students, faculty respond to executive order IMMIGRATION, FROM PAGE 1 Raya Bidshahri, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she originally came to the United States to innovate and make a difference, but in the wake of the ban, she says her plans may change.

“I traveled across the globe, brought my intellect, abilities and financial resources to the United States so I can contribute to this country in a way that I couldn’t anywhere else,” Bidshahri said. “I’ll take my entrepreneurship dreams elsewhere … and make a difference somewhere else in the world.”

Bidshahri was born in Iran, raised in Dubai and has studied in Boston for the past three years. Because of the order, her family will not be able to come see her graduate this May. Parham Radmanesh, a second-year student in the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, said, as a Canadian and Iranian dual citizen, he feels his education may be in jeopardy.

“I feel that my education and future is at risk,” Radmanesh said. “I worry that if I leave the country to visit Canada or vacation that I would not be able to enter the U.S. to finish my dental degree.”

Pardis Alizadeh-Shabdiz, a senior in the College of Communication, said her primary concern is her family in Iran. Although many of her family members have green cards and others are in the process of obtaining one, they are all now at a standstill in Iran.

“One of my biggest dreams was to see my family from Iran come here, and that has just been taken away from me,” Alizadeh-

CAMPUS

Shabdiz said. “This has happened only one week into [Trump’s] presidency, so I am terrified for what else could happen to me and my family.”

Administrators and faculty in the BU community have reacted to the order, including BU President Robert Brown, who emailed students on Sunday regarding the university’s position on the order.

“We believe this Executive Order is fundamentally inconsistent with the values that are the bedrock of Boston University and, indeed, of our pluralistic, welcoming society,” Brown stated in the email. “As an academic community, we must stand together to support each other at this time of uncertainty and use a clear voice to affirm our principles and voice our deep concern.”

He also advised anyone who may be affected by the order against traveling outside of the United States.

Several BU faculty have signed the nationwide petition: “Academics Against Immigration Executive Order,” which protests Trump’s travel ban.

Virginia Sapiro, a political science professor, said she signed the petition with hopes it would comfort those who were shaken by the order.

“I hoped it would give heart to the many people affected directly and indirectly to show them that people care,” Sapiro said. “I hoped it would also give heart to those who are growing fearful that they could get hurt by speaking out or acting.”

Sapiro said she is cynical about whether the petition will translate into positive change.

“I don’t think the Trump administration will care what thousands of scholars and scientists think,” she said.

Anthropolog y professor Joanna Davidson, another signee, said it is imperative for people to resist the order.

“We have to do everything we can — sign petitions, march in protest, rally at airports, pressure our legislators, support those members of our community who are most vulnerable and conduct other forms of direct action — to register our opposition to [the order],” she said.

The Arabic Society of BU issued a statement on Facebook condemning the order.

“We are firmly against the ban and are disappointed that the U.S. government would implement such a xenophobic policy,” Yasmin Younis, a junior in CAS, said on behalf of the executive board. “Our identities are being attacked.”

Lul Mohamud, the Islamic Society of BU’s Sisters Religious Chair, said the society would not let this order hamper them.

“We will not allow [the order] to demonize the peaceful and faith driven Muslims and dedicated citizens of this great city and great country,” the CAS sophomore said. “We promise to you all that our mission will not be hindered and our message shall never be silenced.”

On a personal note, Mohamud, who is Somali-American, said she is devastated for her family members in Somalia who are struggling to obtain U.S. citizenship.

“I was heartbroken knowing their suffering will not see an end anytime soon,” she said. “I felt a pain that I couldn’t explain to anyone who was not an immigrant.”

Bomb threat reported at 985 Commonwealth Ave. Officers responded to a possible threat at BU Marketing and Communications on Friday at 9:21 a.m. A female employee reported receiving an email in Spanish and believed one of the words in the email was “bomb.” After officers checked the building, they determined there was no threat.

Property defaced at 1047 Commonwealth Ave. Officers responded at 10:57 a.m. on Friday to a report of vandalism at 1047 Commonwealth Ave. An employee reported finding a tag spray-painted on the southeast corner of the building.

CITY

CRIME LOGS

BY HANNAH HARN DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

The following reports were taken from the Boston Police Department Crime Logs from Jan. 29-30.

Drug transaction suspected at McDonald’s Officers inspected suspicious activity they believed to be a drug exchange at 1660 Soldiers Field Road at 4:43 p.m. on Sunday.

Officers observed the suspect walking quickly through the McDonald’s lot to enter a waiting car. The car then moved to another parking spot and met up with a different vehicle.

The driver of the first car, when asked, reported he had been trying to purchase marijuana, but the other driver didn’t have any for him to buy.

Person reported screaming in Allston An Allston resident reported that someone was screaming outside 72 Gardner St. at 6:23 a.m. on Monday. When officers arrived, someone approached the officers and came forward as the person who was screaming. The person stated that someone had attempted to choke them by grabbing their neck from behind. Officers waited until the person was picked up by a friend, and then searched the area for the possible suspect. Officers could not find the alleged attacker.

NEWS 3

Hundreds gather to support Mass. Safe Communities Act

BY SARAH WU AND HALEY FRITZ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Approximately 200 protesters gathered in the snowy Boston Common Wednesday afternoon to stand in solidarity with those affected

by President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration orders.

Protesters carried signs reading “Justice Not Walls” and “No Human Being is Illegal” as they chanted refrains such as “Keep your wall, keep your ban, the USA is already great.”

Another chant, “Where is Charlie,” questioned Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who has not joined other Massachusetts officials to speak out against Trump’s immigration orders.

The rally was organized to urge elected officials to support an act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents, otherwise known as the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act, a law that would prevent Massachusetts tax dollars from funding deportation or Muslim registry.

Jeffrey Gross, director of the New Americans Integration Institute and a volunteer with the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said lawmakers proposed the Safe Communities Act long before the 2016 presidential election.

“This is something we’ve been fighting for in Massachusetts, and it’s an issue regardless of who wins,” Gross said before the rally. “I think the election of Trump has energized us and brought together cross-movement focus …

The energy we’re seeing today of the turnout reflects the impact of the executive orders.”

Massachusetts State Sen. James Eldridge, one of two lead sponsors of the Safe Communities Act, urged protesters to “send a message” to Baker and other Massachusetts lawmakers.

“We need to make sure every resident in every single city and town is safe from federal immigration authorities,” Eldridge said. “I want all immigrants in the state, all of our Muslim friends and neighbors, to know that you have many allies in the legislature, many of whom are behind me today.”

Eldridge, who represents the Middlesex and Worcester counties, said Trump’s orders will not change the values of Massachusetts.

“We have to protect and celebrate the rich

PHOTO BY ALYSSA MEYERS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A rally breaks out Wednesday afternoon in Boston Common in support of the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act.

diversity that reflects why the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is called the cradle of liberty,” Eldridge said. “Fighting back against tyranny is an integral part of our history, and we will lead the battle against any attempt to destroy our social fabric.”

Eldridge said the immigration orders are an issue of civil rights, and citizens need to see courage from state legislators in response.

“Our laws, our state laws, our taxpayer dollars reflect our values, and I urge everyone in our state to come together to fight for our rights, for our vision and for the people who depend on us,” Eldridge said.

State Rep. Juana Matias, who represents the 16th Essex District of Massachusetts and co-sponsored the bill with Eldridge, denounced

Trump’s immigration orders at the rally.

“We should not allow xenophobia, racism, anti-immigrant sentiment to become the norm of our society,” Matias said. “The Trump administration’s actions tear at the very fabric of what makes America great.”

State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, who represents the First Suffolk District of Massachusetts, said “fear is not an option” for immigrants living in Massachusetts.

“We are standing with our immigrant brothers and sisters,” Forry said. “We are standing with our family and friends, with our professors and our scientists who got turned away from our airports in this country. We are standing together with our Muslim brothers and sisters and saying, ‘We do not support

a religious ban.’”

Several protesters said they came to the rally because they had a personal connection to the cause.

Alexandra Cerda, 31, of Revere, said her parents are immigrants who met in the United States.

“We have to get back to the American dream,” Cerda said. “We have to see what’s causing [inequality], instead of looking at different religions or having a different ethnic background.”

Salwa Galal, 31, of Malden, said her husband is a green card holder, and she fears he could be affected.

“This is home,” Galal said. “ ... If he wants to go home, [he might] not be able to come back.”

Expert says stigma may prevent further study of drug use OPIOID, FROM PAGE 1

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL FREEMAN/ DFP FILE PHOTO

The Center for Disease Control Report finds a correlation between opioid use and amnesia.

with a person’s engagement in treatment for the addiction and in the efficacy of the treatment itself.”

Joe Leavey, executive director of the Boston Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programs, said the stigma of drug use has prevented further study of its long-term effects.

“We have had such a ‘don’t look at these things’ mentality,” Leavey said. “I see [this study] as a wake-up call that would really be saying, ‘we need to study these drugs a lot closer.’ We need scientists to be really figuring out what is the danger on [memory loss].”

Several Boston residents expressed mixed opinions on the severity of drug use in the city.

Sean Hopkins, 27, of East Boston, said addicting drugs should only be prescribed when they are proven to help ailing patients.

“I know there’s been rampant heroin deaths and stuff all over the country, but I haven’t heard that much in the Boston area,” Hopkins said. “Outside of the city I think it’s a bigger problem, but in the city itself I don’t think it’s a big problem.”

Jonathan Russell, 27, of Kenmore, said drug use is a more pressing issue in rural areas of Massachusetts than in Boston.

“I guess it really depends on the specific client-case scenario,” Russell said. “But I guess I’d say in severe cases, [addicting drugs should be prescribed].”

4 NEWS

Alcohol regulation may suggest how state will control marijuana

BY HANNAH HARN DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

While the passage of Ballot Question 4 has raised questions regarding how Massachusetts will regulate recreational marijuana, an expert says alcohol regulation could be indicative of how successful the state will be at controlling marijuana.

“We can learn a lot from what we’re doing with alcohol,” said Miriam Schizer, who works with the Adolescent Substance Abuse Programs at Boston Children’s Hospital. “But it’s not like we’re doing a great job with alcohol, so I’m not wildly enthusiastic or optimistic that we’re going to be able to curb underage marijuana use because we’re not doing a good job with alcohol.”

Local lawmakers announced last week that they are looking at expanding existing alcoholic regulations so they are more up to date, according to a press release from State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s office.

Goldberg announced the creation of the Treasurer’s Alcohol Task Force, which entails a group of professionals who will collaboratively review Massachusetts’s current regulatory and legal framework regarding the alcohol beverage industry.

“It is clear that our alcohol laws and regulatory structure have been in need of an exhaustive review for some time,” Goldberg said in the release. “The report of this Task Force is critical to providing the best structure that meets the expectation of effective and safe oversight.”

Marijuana can be even harder to regulate than alcohol, Schizer said, especially with regard to driving under the influence.

“We don’t really have a working equivalent of a breathalyzer,” she said. “People know blood alcohol

PHOTO BY LEXI PLINE/ DFP FILE PHOTO

Miriam Schizer, an expert in the Adolescent Substance Abuse Programs at Boston Children’s Hospital, says alcohol regulation can teach people some lessons about marijuana regulation.

concentration and you can do a sobriety test in the field … and that was one of the concerns that a bunch of us had about legalization of recreational use of marijuana.”

The leading cause of mortality among the 10-25 age group is motor vehicle accidents, which are linked to alcohol use, Schizer said. That is why, she added, many are concerned about the possibility that someone may use marijuana while driving, Schizer said.

While marijuana can be dangerous, Schizer said it also has signifi-

cant medicinal benefits.

“There are over 100 compounds in marijuana, and we think a handful of those probably do have legitimate medical benefits, but the solution is not to say ‘go smoke marijuana,’” Schizer said.

Jim Borghesani, the spokesperson for Yes on 4, said he believes legalizing and regulating marijuana is the best approach to handling the drug.

“This approach would assure that buyers are receiving tested, safe products from licensed sellers who check IDs,” Borghesani said.

Borghesani said he also recognizes the inherent risks of drug use.

“Marijuana is an intoxicating substance, and like any intoxicating substance, anyone considering using it should proceed with caution and knowledge,” Borghesani said.

Several Boston residents showed support for recreational and medicinal marijuana, although they agreed it should be regulated for safety reasons.

Tim Cinq-Mars, 28, of South Boston, said even though he is a user of recreational marijuana, he still believes in strict regulation.

“Absolutely marijuana should be regulated because of age, motor vehicle operations, things of that nature,” Cinq-Mars said. “It could be dangerous to people while driving.”

Wendy Labron, 47, of Brighton said she is concerned about marijuana’s potential risk. Increased regulation on marijuana is necessary, she added.

“I worry about [its] effects on the brains of people under the age of 25,” Labron said. “[I’ve] seen incidents in which mental illness is exacerbated.”

Students at 33 Harry Agganis Way concerned about safety STUVI, FROM PAGE 1 ened her, she has never felt unsafe on campus or in her residence.

“I definitely think I’m more aware of my surroundings now, but I don’t feel scared,” she said. “But it’s also important to me that other women feel safe on campus, so even though I feel safe, the fact that this situation happened to another person and they feel that they were in danger and had to call BUPD, makes me upset.”

Lovie Burleson, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, also said a man entered her room in StuVi II on Jan. 22, same day that BUPD received the incident report.

Burleson said he asked for “Sarah,” which is coincidentally the name of one of Burleson’s roommates. This incident was a lesson in security for her and her roommates, Burleson added.

“He came in asking for one of my roommates,” Burleson said. “We assumed she knew him and told him she wasn’t home and to come back later. He also asked if we had boyfriends for some reason. We didn’t know that he was an intruder, and we didn’t think much of it.”

Burleson said she and her roommates later discovered that items had gone missing from the room.

“We definitely learned a lesson in security” she said. “Our door was

unlocked — big lesson for us, we lock it now.”

This is not the first time that StuVi II residents reported finding stranger in their rooms. In October 2015, a female student reported that she woke up in her StuVi II room to find a stranger sexually assaulting her, The Daily Free Press reported Oct. 29, 2015.

The female student filed a lawsuit against the university in December, claiming that BU failed to provide secure on-campus housing and did not protect her from sexual harassment, The Daily Free Press reported Dec. 12.

Paré said this year’s incident is unrelated to the one in 2015.

Paré said the campus is working to tighten its visitor policy by implementing a new practice. Students will be given a card when they sign a visitor into a campus residence, outlining their responsibility for their visitor, he said.

Courtney Breiner, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said even though she did not have a personal encounter with the suspect, the event made her nervous as a resident of the building.

“I was most uncomfortable with the fact that this boy thought it was okay to walk into girls’ rooms without asking, harass them and leave abruptly,” Breiner said. “He felt he had a right to do all of those things

and he didn’t. BU was great about checking in, utilizing security and the police, and continuing to make sure the women in StuVi II feel safe.”

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said the safety and security of students is BU’s ultimate concern.

“The single most important focus of BU is the safety and security of our students,” Riley said.

“Every aspect of safety and security including the locks on the doors, the swiping and the 24-hour security and the BUPD are all elements of that safety and security for a Boston University student.”

Riley also wrote in an email that students should only sign in guests they know personally.

Campus Calendar: activities on campus this week Want your student group event featured here? Email editor@dailyfreepress.com with details.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Dear World

Open Space at CGS

Men Being Manly

Super Bowl Sunday

Flat Waffle Comedy

GSU

CGS Lobby

Tsai Performance Center

GSU

BU Central

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

2:30 - 4 p.m.

7:30 - 9 p.m.

5 - 11 p.m.

9 - 10 p.m.

Hosted by Howard Thurman Center

Hosted by CGS

Hosted by BU Dear Abbeys

Hosted by SAO

Hosted by BU Stand-Up Club

FEATURES 5

MUSE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

REVIEW: Julie Byrne creates musical poetry with new album

BY ANNMARIE BARENCHI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In a world full of music with generic lyrics confined to the rules of rhyme, folk singer-songwriters tend to dig a bit deeper and push the boundaries of songwriting.

Julie Byrne is no exception as she puts her own spin on folk music with “Not Even Happiness,” released Friday.

Ambient, honest and bold are all words that can be used to describe Byrne’s second album, recorded at her childhood home in upstate New York.

The album opens with Byrne’s skillful but

PHOTO COURTESY BA DA BING RECORDS

Julie Byrne, a folk artist, releases her new album, “Not Even Happiness” on Friday.

delicate guitar playing that leads up to her earthy voice, reminiscent of Florence Welch and Birdy, taking on the first lines of “Follow My Voice.”

In this song, she urges listeners who are in pain to not give in to fear by tenderly singing personal advice, such as “I’ve been called heartbreaker/For doing justice to my own/I, too, been a fault-finder/But that life is broke.”

Byrne’s masterful grasp of the English language is prevalent in this line and throughout the entire album. As it continues, it is not hard to recognize that writing is her strongest suit.

Her words tend to resemble free-verse poetry more than lyrics as the rhythm changes from verse-to-verse and rhyming is not always present.

At times this is a disadvantage, making it hard for clear, memorable melodies to come through. This is not an album you would likely find stuck in your head for days at a time. However, it is quite obvious that Byrne is more focused on writing true to herself than writing hits.

This mindset serves her well as the album continues to the second track entitled “Sleepwalker.” The more upbeat tune with quick guitar plucking can’t help but elicit a subtle head bob before Byrne’s caramel-like voice enters to deliver a melody and lyrics with a much sadder tone than expected.

The album peaks in the middle, beginning with “Natural Blue,” which is perhaps the most conventionally written of the nine songs.

Following a simple verse-chorus pattern, this song follows melodic and rhythmic expectations, making it easier to listen to than most of the other songs.

The repeating lyric, “natural blue,” referencing the Colorado sky she witnessed on tour in 2014, according to multiple interviews, over the lilt of the guitar and added strings leave a lasting impression.

The placement of “Natural Blue” followed by “Interlude” and “Morning Dove” is extremely smart, as the two tracks sandwiching the short instrumental track are the strongest on the album and carry the first half into the second seamlessly.

The production on the album is minimal but purposeful, assuring that Byrne’s guitar and vocals come through strongest. Slight reverb is used to create an ambient feeling that makes for easy listening.

Nonmusical sounds are added to a few songs, such as subtle bird chirps in “All The Land Glimmered Beneath” and constant rolling ocean waves in “Sea As It Glides,” and it proves extremely effective each time.

The distinct lack of drums both hinders and helps “Not Even Happiness” find its footing as an album. Relying on Byrne’s guitar to determine the beat, “Melting Grid” might have done well at least a high hat, especially during the chorus.

Still, tracks like “Morning Dove” with more rhythmic picking prove that Byrne’s command over the guitar is as strong as her lyrical abilities.

While considered a folk artist, Byrne carves her own space in the genre by writing unexpected melodies and deeply poetic lyrics that could probably be read in silence, sans music.

“Not Even Happiness” is not an album for everyone, but it certainly warrants a listen from anyone interested in hearing something unique and personal.

INBUSINESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

Snapchat presents guidelines to crack down on fake news

BY JOSEE MATELA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

From royal heralds to penny press newspapers, news continues to evolve as communication technology advances. Now, as social media rises in popularity among news sources, Snapchat is entering the fray with new guidelines to control the accuracy of its news.

With its news service, Discover, the app’s 150 million daily users have access to interactive news streams from sponsored outlets such as CNN, ESPN and Cosmopolitan. The service, launched in 2015, presents users with streamlined content meant to create a “informative, factual and safe environment for everyone,” said the company’s director of communications, Rachel Racusen, to The New York Times.

In turn, Discover’s offerings are not broadcast free-for-all. In order for advertisers to acquire their own channel, the content must adhere to the newly updated rules.

For example, channels are prohibited

from using the platform to disseminate fake news. Snapchat mandates for all publications to be fact-checked for accuracy.

According to the advertising policies, the providers must be able to present “factual substantiation” to ensure authenticity. The company’s editorial board reserves the right to remove the aforementioned false information at its own discretion.

The same strict levels of regulation persist in the new guidelines to protect minors who use the app’s services. While 13 is the minimum age to create an account, the company came under fire last July in a lawsuit over inappropriate content.

Lynette Young sued Snap Inc., Snapchat’s parent company, for “intentionally exposing minors to harmful, offensive, prurient, and sexually offensive content, without warning minors or their parents that they would be exposed to such explicit content” as stated in the public court proceedings. Young referenced the Communication Decency Act, which made it illegal to present lewd content to minors without warning. In November, the case was settled outside of court privately.

This is yet another one of Snapchat’s efforts to clean up its newsfeeds in anticipation for its initial public offering set for the spring.

“I think it’s a good thing they’re attempting to clean it up,” said Martin

Nisenholtz, a professor of the practice of digital communication at Boston University.

He added that the process “involves judgments” as Snapchat’s emphasis is more on imagery.

“Every image that is troublesome isn’t necessarily troublesome,” Nisenholtz said.

Gerald Kane, an assistant professor in CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE GRINBERG/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Snapchat clamps down on fake news by restricting how and what media outlets can post on Discover.

6 FEATURES

IMPACT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

PHOTO BY BRIANNA BURNS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Ritchy Lamarre of the “The Sunset Kings” performs at Club Cafe Saturday afternoon to protect and further LGBTQ rights.

“Voices From The Future” concert advocates for LGBTQ rights

BY LAUREN FRIAS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

This Saturday, the documentary channel Wanderlost, created by Jesse Manfra and Chris Hughes, organized “Voices From The Future,” a concert performed by a variety of artists to raise awareness for LGBTQ rights in light of the recent political issues.

“It’s a collection of artists all under 30 years old coming together in support of LGBTQ+ rights and basically in response to the presidential election,” Manfra said.

After President Donald Trump was elected, Manfra said, a lot of his LGBTQ friends voiced their concerns on Facebook.

This was catalyst in planning for “Voices From The Future.”

“I wanted to create a platform where these voices have the chance to be heard to say, ‘We’re here, these are what we stand for, and these are the things that we will not stand for,’” Manfra said.

Manfra, the main coordinator of the event, said he was inspired to host the event after reading an article that showed a map of how people between 18 and 30 years old voted, in which a mass majority voted for Hillary Clinton. He noted that he doesn’t think they were all necessarily Clinton fans, but instead said he believes “our generation is just a lot more tolerant on the whole.”

“What I love about our generation is that we much more are willing to put our own insecurities and our own fears aside for the greater good,” Manfra said. “That’s why I wanted all the artists to be under age 30, because we are the generation that is one day going to lead this country.”

One of the groups at the event was Paradise Lost, a movement company that tells stories through dance, while also sharing stories to impact people in a positive way and bring about social change, said Tyler Catanella, co-founder and artistic director of Paradise Lost.

The group performed a piece called “Enough,” which described the journey of discovering one’s self-worth and loving one-

self. It has a lot to do with LGBTQ identity, Catanella said.

“This is a story that we don’t see,” said Shannon Sweeny, co-founder and company director of Paradise Lost. “You don’t see the journey of a young boy trying to figure out what it means to be gay; that’s not something you see a lot in mainstream art. We make art that make people question things and look inside the life of someone that they don’t necessarily know or identify as, or see a representation of something they do identify as.”

Tess Reagan, 28, from Brookline, was one of the audience members who said she felt the poignancy of the acts in the show.

“Throughout this show, it’s been a total oscillation of feelings, just from the first performer; she blew me away as soon as she opened her mouth,” Reagan said. “It was even more emotional because of so much feelings happening right now.”

Alissa McKnight, 28, from Somerville, shared the same sentiments as Reagan, noting the show “carries so much more weight now seeing a lot more people our age creating a statement in many different ways.”

All the proceeds from the event are going to a local organization called the Boston Alliance for Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth, which advocates for the political realm of LGBTQ rights, as well as offers youth programs for struggling LGBTQ teens, according to Manfra.

“I want people to be able to go through life like I am able to,” Manfra said. “People don’t heckle me on the street; people don’t pay me less because of my gender, and I think that’s so horrible that that happens. I just hope that this country one day values everyone as much as I am unfortunately valued, because it’s not fair that I get an easy ticket in life.”

After observing the turnout and support for the event, Catanella said he believes this event and others like it will be crucial to creating tangible change.

“I’m so glad this event is happening because change happens on a community level, and this has already felt like such a communal effort, bringing all these artists together,” he said. “This is the beginning of inspiring large change.”

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FEATURES 7

CATALYST THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

“Hack for 2030” presentations address sustainability goals

BY MICHAEL DRATCH DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

Hostelling International Boston hosted “Hack For 2030: The Final Presentations,” the world’s first sustainable hackathon inside a hostel on Sunday. For five days, hackers and global change-makers joined together to create and design social enterprises to address the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, a UN initiative dedicated to “promoting and coordinating implementation of internationally agreed development goals,” according to the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform website.

Attendees came to the hotel to view the final presentations of the competition. The hackathon was a collaboration of three different organizations — Hostelling International USA, World Merit and Wanderbrief — all connected through travel and social action.

HI Boston not only hosts visitors from over 100 countries, but is also a “green building,” one of the most sustainable hostels in the world, making it a natural pick to host “Hack for 2030,” according to Netanya Trimboli, director of communications and PR for Hostelling International USA. “We are a nonprofit with the purpose of creating a more tolerant world,” Trimboli said. “We bring people from different backgrounds together in these hostels and create experiences where they get to know each other and break down cultural barriers.”

Hostelling International USA is a network of hostels committed to sustainability and breaking down cultural barriers. World Merit is an organization that incentivizes social action by rewarding their members, called “changemakers,” with opportunities and events. Wanderbrief is a platform that connects creative freelancers, whom Wanderbrief calls “creatives,” with companies abroad, trading their skills for travel costs and experience.

The projects participants worked to develop were created in August at World Merit’s event, Merit360. According to its website, individuals ages 18-35 were invited to develop a strategy to “lead and inspire a global community to take action and create change.”

“It’s where we bring 360 people together to work on projects to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said Marlou Hermsen, general manager of World Merit. “We really felt the urge of

PHOTO BY VIGUNTHAAN THARMARAJAH/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Five teams present their working strategies in a 48-hour hackathon to address climate change, gender equality and quality education.

proving the delegates of our program a follow-up to keep working on their projects and keep the momentum going.”

When the team came up with the idea for a hackathon, Hermsen said, they thought identifying groups in need first would help move the process along faster.

There were 17 participants at the hackathon from all over the world, made up of changemakers from World Merit, creatives from Wanderbrief and developers recruited to help create the programming needed for the projects, and they were all split into four groups.

Throughout the five-day event, they volunteered at a local hospital and explored the city, but once the hackathon began, they all got down to work.

“They were finding a specific solution for their specific needs and they had 48 hours to do that,” Hermsen said. “So everyone worked on a different pace. I know some people slept and some people didn’t.”

Three groups presented new and improved Merit360 projects to the judges.

The first project, “LAIRN,” is a platform that distributes life-skill educational programs to children around the world via radio. The second, “The Climate Express,” is a plan to bring resources and information to communities most affected by climate change to make them more resilient.

Another project, “Keeper,” is an initiative to fight the stigma against menstruation that stops girls, all over the world, from going to school.

In addition to these three projects, a fourth group was given the task of creating an app for the UN World Tourism Organization, which had just declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. This task was assigned to a team of four strangers — Ramin Bahari, a freelance graphic designer based in Amsterdam, Gururaj Sridhar, a software engineer from India, Richard Yatar, a

Merit360 executor from the Philippines and Femata Stubblefield, a World Merit changemaker from Liberia.

“This experience meant a lot to me,” Stubblefield wrote in an email. “I really want to be able to make significant changes with World Merit and I’m really glad I got paired with people I didn’t know to enhance the experience even more.”

Bahari presented the winning idea, Good Guides. The concept is a tourism app that can connect travelers to locals willing to offer activities such as a bike ride through the city or lunch at a favorite restaurant. Travelers would receive a new experience and get to learn about the local culture, while guides receive points for successful meet-ups, which can be redeemed for travel discounts.

“There are people all over the world that are a part of these projects,” Hermsen said, “so hopefully some of the creatives and developers will help to implement them around the world.”

Snapchat attempts to become more reliable news platform INBUSINESS, FROM PAGE 5 the Informational Systems Department at Boston College and a social media expert, said Snap Inc.’s possible motivations for the rules revamp.

“They’ve gotta do some censoring or the content that people will see will be not what they want associated with their brand,” he said.

This push for truth and quality content distinguishes Snapchat from its competitors, Kane said. In reference to Facebook’s attempts to fact-check content through algorithms, he explained how Snapchat’s narrower user base can provide the com-

pany with the chance to actively develop and implement quality checking on case-by-case bases.

While Kane mentions censorship as an avenue to regulate public image, he distinguishes the difference between curation and censorship.

“Curation is pushing content, elevating content to a higher level so more people could see it,” he said, explaining the complexity of the delineation between both terms. “Censoring would be banning it.”

While Snapchat’s editorial board presents guidelines to curate stories that best inform their audience, they do still possess the capability to not publish any rule-break-

ing content.

Snapchat has established political guidelines where advertisers must adhere to rules for clarity such as revealing the sponsor and their affiliation with the candidate. While the company promotes positive views, it does not quell any opposing standpoints that remain within the company rules of conduct.

Arianna LeBlanc, a freshman at North Shore Community College, also shared her opinions on the effectiveness of the Discover tab.

When asked about newsworthiness, she acknowledged that some channels fit the bill while others are filled with “nonsense just to get your attention.”

In reference to the growing number of advertisements on the platform, LeBlanc noted “if it gets to the point where there are too many ads, I wouldn’t want to use it anymore.”

As a growing company, Snapchat still faces a future of uncertainty amidst its current success. Finding the balance between advertisements and user satisfaction may take time to perfect.

“We can’t forget that these platforms are relatively new and are continuing to evolve,” Kane said. “Their role in society continues to evolve and thus the platforms need to evolve in response and the best continue to do that.”

8 OPINION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

Weihua Li, Editor-in-Chief Candice Lim, Managing Editor

t h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r a t b o s t o n u n i v e r s i t y

46th year | Volume 92 | Issue III The Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Thursdays 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 © 2017 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Sophia Eppolito, Campus Editor

Anna Whitelaw, Editorial Page Editor

Gabrielle DiPietro, Layout Editor

Alyssa Meyers, City Editor

Elise Takahama, Features Editor

Kalina Newman, Blog Editor

Jordan Green, Sports Editor

Olivia Falcigno, Photo Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

Fashion, beauty industries should reflect real women’s bodies From a young age, girls are bombarded with images of the ideal body and beauty standards. Celebrity role models and childhood toys contribute to the belief — Barbie is just one toy that has been scrutinized for giving younger girls a wrong impression of the standard woman and what it means to be beautiful.

As those girls get older, self-consciousness about their bodies only gets stronger, and self-esteem lowers. Beauty standards affect not only those within the fashion and beauty industries, but also everyone who stays up-to-date on current trends.

However, models usually receive most of the pressure to stay stick thin.

The International Journal of Eating Disorders recently released a study creating a definitive link between models and the prevalence of eating disorders, according to a BuzzFeed article published on Wednesday. The study is the first scientific proof that models are pressured by the industry to take extreme measures for weight loss, including forming an eating disorder, drug addiction or starving their bodies of nourishment.

The study revealed that of the group of models who participated, 81 percent had body mass indexes that classified as under-

weight. More than half of the group admitted that they were pressured to lose weight, otherwise they will run the risk of not able to book any jobs.

The fashion industry has set extremely rigid standards of beauty that a surplus of people — both men and women — willingly meet to enter and thrive in the profession. This study’s results aren’t surprising because their bodies alone are proof that many models are too skinny to live a healthy lifestyle. In most professions, employees are making or selling a product. In the modeling world, you are the product. There is a lot of pressure to upkeep your body and stay in line with the industry’s current ideal body image. Unfortunately, models who have eating disorders or who refuse to eat days before a photoshoot aren’t that hard to come by.

Models shouldn’t have to choose between being a comfortable weight and fitting into the standards of the industry.

Your body is your body, and you shouldn’t force it to be something that it physically cannot be or isn’t comfortable with. Who are models trying to please, anyway? When people think that being beautiful means you have to be skinny, who wants that?

The term “beauty” itself implies that you’re

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higher and encourage their pursuit of fame in the fashion and beauty industries.

What does “plus-size” even mean? If you’re a model, you’re a model. It doesn’t matter what kind, shape or size you are.

And those who are plus-size are honestly average by American standards. The stigma exists that it is shameful to weigh any more than unnaturally skinny, but it shouldn’t be that way. There shouldn’t be exclusively plus-sized or size 0 models. Where are the women who represent the average female?

The extremes set by this industry are setting the precedent that weight determines beauty, that there are different kinds of beauty and that one is certainly better than the other.

Though mass fashion is making strides to eliminate nearly impossible beauty standards, it seems as though high fashion is still expecting their models to hold extremely low BMIs. High fashion isn’t just about people buying their products anymore — it has become an art form. Fashion shows want stick thin women to display their clothing because a relatively curvier woman may ruin the image they’ve created. It isn’t even about the people anymore. Why can’t the industry change their values to embrace women that accurately reflect society?

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Kate Yorio

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trying to please someone else. Models try to shape their bodies into a universally accepted form that inevitably rubs off on younger girls, who then start to believe that being a size 0 is the social norm. The average woman is a size 16 in pants. She’s not even close to Barbie and she doesn’t have a BMI under two digits. We shouldn’t want models to represent the image of a woman who isn’t evident in our society.

That being said, body positivity is at an all-time high. Ashley Graham, who has been given a lot of media attention recently for being a plus-size model, was the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Not everyone believes that female models or women in general have to be a size 0 anymore to be beautiful. It’s still a huge problem that there is so much pressure to be a certain size but there have been efforts made to shy away from shaming women for having a bit of fat on their body. Brands like Aerie and ModCloth have pledged not to Photoshop their models to prove that a natural body is a beautiful body. This study is illuminating that we don’t know exactly what struggles models face in their profession and that the only way to end this stigma is to offer jobs to women that are size 8 or

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1. Anagram of “Cabs” 5. Strike 10. Narrow opening 14. Nil 15. Ceremonial staffs 16. Minute opening 17. Feelings of anxiety 19. Auspices 20. Hit on the head 21. Trudges 22. Holdup 23. Colonist 25. Long stories 27. Disencumber 28. Lighten 31. Skirt fold 34. Manager 35. Fury 36. Test 37. Cargo vehicle 38. Skin disease

39. What we breathe 40. Perch 41. Traveled by bus 42. Chickadee 44. A sizeable hole 45. Sword handles 46. An impressive array 50. Haul with a tackle 52. G-string 54. Caviar 55. God of love 56. Unruly 58. Arid 59. Proprietor 60. Being 61. Male turkeys 62. Jittery 63. Colors

1. Spurns 2. Small boat 3. Apt 4. Bleat 5. Grinned 6. Country estate 7. Chilled 8. Four-dimensional analog of a cube 9. S 10. Oration 11. Provision 12. Colored part of an eye 13. Exam 18.

Divided 22. Not low 24. Streetcar 26. Choose 28. Haul with a tackle 29. Sea eagle 30. Require 31. Kind of moss

32. 62 in Roman numerals 33. Nightcrawler 34. Other side of the city 37. Brag 38. Car 40. Part in a play 41. Overindulge 43. Overlooks 44. Larder 46. Models 47. Lacking wit or imagination 48. Wingless bloodsucking insect 49. Affirmatives 50. Finest 51. Chocolate cookie 53. Clue 56. Type of snake 57. Scarlet

OPINION 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

Art of conversation

BY PAIGE SMITH COLUMNIST

I most definitely consider myself a New Englander. I’ve resided in three of the six New England states, two for the vast majority of my life. I attend Boston University, but spend my holidays at my parents’ residences, which sit in the suburbs of New York. In short, I understand brusqueness.

New Englanders have a reputation of being cold. New Yorkers have a reputation of being brash and blunt. After having weathered the veritable ice storm that these characteristics create, I believed I was ready for Scottish temperaments.

So far, I’ve experienced an intriguing mix of extreme welcome and blatant rudeness.

Did I deserve both treatments? Perhaps, perhaps not.

The first instance occurred as I was settling into my classes last week. Here at the University of St. Andrews, there is very little “orientation” if you will, which is completely contrary to BU’s philosophy.

Furthermore, the students are not blessed with the StudentLink, which I now realize is quite literally divine. Instead, there are scattered portals, platforms and people attending to every random realm you could imagine. Course readers? Those are on the online shop. Syllabus? That’s on Moodle.

Or Module Management System. Or maybe both. I’m still unsure.

Either way, it was all incredibly overwhelming, particularly after having adjusted to a foreign country, new classes and an entirely bizarre schedule. I was completely run down, but I needed solutions.

We have wardens who live in our hall, and they serve the role of adviser-meets-counselor-meets parent. In short, they are an amazing resource. I turned to them in the midst of my existential crisis, and the kindness I experienced was astounding. The advice they gave me reminded me that no, I was certainly not alone on this island. But they assisted differently than they would have at home. It wasn’t a pat on the shoulder or interjections of how they thought they could best solve the problem. They actually listened to what I had to say, and then asked how I would like the situation to unfold.

This prompted me to take a breath and actu-

ally evaluate what was stressing me. This was just so pragmatic and logical.

Many “thank you’s” and a pot of tea later, I was convinced that Scots are simply the best kind of people. This was until I pissed off a man at Tesco.

I purposely have not signed the back of my credit cards because I would like cashiers to ask for some form of identification, particularly while traveling around Europe.

Being the financial novice that I am, I felt quite wise doing so, perhaps even worthy of a hair f lip. The cashier at Tesco, however, thought very differently and was not afraid to make his opinion known. Tesco is a go-to spot in town, a grocery store with everything one could imagine, at impossibly low prices. Think Star Market, but cheaper and just adjacent to the College of Arts and Sciences.

And so, as I gleefully approached the counter with my cheap wine and crackers, the man examined my card as if I had just murdered his first-born child. It was worth noting that he towered over me in stature, with eyes that looked as if they had never deviated from an angle that glared down his mountainous nose at stupid Americans.

“Well, do you at least have identification?”

I promptly produced not one, but two forms that featured not one, but two, horrendous photos of yours truly. But, either way, they clearly stated my first and last name.

“Yes, and neither forms of identification include signatures?”

His eyes had not deviated even a millimeter. I stared up solemnly, apologizing for what he could only have perceived as an act of insolence. Then I think I sprinted out of Tesco.

If I can glean anything reflective from these experiences, it is that different cultures approach adversity, whether it is small or mighty, in different ways. A meltdown over a class schedule can be remedied by simply taking a deep breath and listening rather than jumping to conclusions prematurely. An ignorant moment is not curtailed over passive aggression but rather direct confrontation. In reality, it is far more logical than a stereotypical American approach, in my opinion.

After seeing different approaches to small moments, which both of mine were, one can only imagine their pragmatic approach to greater decisions.

Being away from the egocentric society that is the United States prompts you to think of the small versus the large. It is very easy to isolate ourselves with the cushion of the Atlantic Ocean when, in fact, we are a key cog in the international community.

We should be mindful of just how separate we allow ourselves to remain. And sign your damn credit card if you come to Scotland.

Get your facts straight

BY MAX BERMAN COLUMNIST

A few years ago, Bill Maher called the American people stupid. Wolf Blitzer gave him a chance to walk back on his claim. “People are already complaining that you’re calling the United States a stupid country, and I’m giving you a chance to clarify,” Blitzer asked. In response, Maher said, “I don’t need to clarify — it is.”

Maher isn’t completely out of line.

According to a national survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, only 36 percent of respondents could name all three branches of the U.S. government.

“This survey offers dramatic evidence of the need for more and better civics education,” the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said in a statement.

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Americans are also widely misinformed about how much percentage foreign aid takes up in the federal budget. The average answer by those who were asked in a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation is 31 percent, but the actual percentage is less than one.

I don’t believe the American people are stupid. Just because you don’t know something doesn’t make you unintelligent, but it does make you uninformed. And yes, the majority of Americans are uninformed.

Considering the lack of knowledge, and the danger it reveals, this leads me to an important question — should social media be fact-checked?

Social media is that crazy medium where people of all stripes and colors — from rainbow flags to black swastikas — can spew whatever comes to their minds. If you’ve ever taken the time to read the comments section of a Facebook post, you know exactly what I am talking about. The post could be about a kitten saved by a firefighter, and someone will inevitably start rampaging about Trump or call Democrats “libtards.”

Now the fact-checking question does not apply to everyday citizens, because that would be an irrational and potentially unconstitutional thing to manage. It applies to celebrities and politicians. The kind of fact-checking I’m suggesting would apply to people with more than a certain amount of followers.

Interrobang

But before I state my position, I want to delve into what Facebook did following the outcry of “fake news” as a result of the Nov. 8 election.

Facebook’s main mechanism for “fake news” oversight is a program that involves third-party fact-checkers. These organizations will fact-check stories that Facebook users marked as fake, and they will decide whether or not to add “disputed by third parties” to the post.

One of the third-party fact-checkers is PolitiFact, which, as some people argue, sometimes appears to favor the left.

Here is an excerpt from The Hill, a conservative-leaning publication, by Cathy Young: “Last year, PolitiFact gave Donald Trump a ‘pants on fire’ rating for his claim that ‘crime is rising,’ based on government crime data from 1993 to 2014 (which show a steady drop in both violent crime and property crimes).

“In response, the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank, pointed to preliminary data from 2015 which do, in fact, show an upward trend in crime statistics.

“But PolitiFact stood by its rating, arguing that Trump’s claim was false since it was made in the context of ‘sweeping rhetoric about a nation in decline’ and did not include such qualifiers as ‘recently’ or ‘in the past year.’”

That’s not fact-checking, it’s nit-picking.

Another point made against Facebook taking up the role as a fact-checker is brought up

by Jessica Lessin of The New York Times. She argues that “such editorial power in Facebook’s hands would be unprecedented and dangerous.”

Her point is valid. Facebook has the power to mark information as false, even if it may be true. This wouldn’t necessarily be done on purpose, but it could be.

However, Lessin fails to recognize the dangerous aspects of biased news organizations.

A study from Stanford University researchers evaluated middle school students’ and college students’ abilities to assess the validity of information on the internet. The researchers described the results as “dismaying,” “bleak” and “[a] threat to democracy.”

There is no simple answer to whether social media platforms should fact-check.

However, if I had to answer, it would be yes.

Even though having corporations control the validity of information threatens democracy, so does misinformation. When the president of the United States can claim millions of “illegal immigrants” voted in this election, and have most of his supporters believe that, institutions need to step up.

We already have enough uninformed people in this country. Social media has the power to either encourage or discourage knowledge about our politics. The strength of democracy is the ability to have a debate about the facts.

But it is not possible to have democracy where facts are different depending on if you live in red or blue America.

The Huffington Post reported that the top new trend in Tokyo is called “adult swaddling.”

We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what popular trend would you find around BU’s campus?

COM: Blanket scarves

BU men’s hockey: Lettuce

Allston: Cash me outside

West Campus: Dabbing

BUPD: How bow dah

BU Dining: Salt bae

Freshmen: Wearing lanyards

FreeP: Sending excessive GIFs

10 SPORTS

Freshmen Cook, De Sousa at home with Terrier hockey

BY NICOLE HAVENS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

When skating alongside their teammates, it is often hard to remember that Abby Cook and Deziray De Sousa are just 18 years old. Over the course of 28 games in the 2016-17 season, the pair, along with four other freshmen, have cemented themselves as vital assets to the Boston University women’s hockey team.

On the ice, Cook can be seen next to her linemate, senior defenseman Sarah Steele.

However, Cook has not been limited to spending all of her time in the defensive zone, evidenced by her three goals this season.

T he Kelow na , British Columbia native also has seven assists under her belt, the first of which occurred during her first Hockey E a st game when the Ter r ier s b e at Providence College.

She is currently one of the leading defensemen behind captain and senior defen sem a n A lex is Crossley.

“I think in Abby’s case it was right out of the gate,” BU head coach Brian Durocher said. “She was pretty comfortable here. She helped kill some penalties, took a regular shift and has been right near, if not at, [the] top of the plus-minus for our team. Of late she’s played a little more on the power play, so obviously she plays all three phases of the game at a young age.”

Deziray De Sousa has been right behind Cook, collecting eight points of her own.

Though not the top scorer of the team’s impressive offense, De Sousa has been a

key member of her line as a left wing.

“She is a strong player around the puck, she’s strong on the wall, she’s strong in front of the net,” Durocher said. “If I give you one word for her so far this year, it’s that she’s been consistent and you know that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”

Most notably, De Sousa scored her first collegiate goal to break a tie in a game against then-No. 4 Boston College and lead BU to a 5-3 win.

“It was a pretty big game,” De Sousa said. “We also beat them for the first time [this season] so it was really exciting. Everyone gets super excited when you score your first goal, so it’s a lot of fun.”

While both freshmen have proven themselves as productive players, they talked about the anticipation and excitement they felt when scoring their first collegiate goal.

“It’s a lmost a relief,” Cook said. “You don’t know when you’re going to score, so when it happens, it’s j u st rea l l y exciting.”

Prior to calling Wa lter Brow n Arena their home, both freshmen had successful junior hockey careers.

Cook enjoyed four seasons with the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy, where she earned four medals and notched the most points as a defenseman in her final season.

She said her experience playing for a high-profile, competitive hockey team in high school eased her transition as an NCAA student-athlete.

“It teaches you how to follow a sched-

ule, so it was an easy transition coming here,” Cook said.

De Sousa went through an intense program in her hometown of Montreal, Quebec before playing just north of Boston at the Phillips Exeter Academy, where she served as the team’s assistant captain.

Though both were well-prepared to make the jump to college hockey, the level of competition in high school is not comparable to that of Hockey East and top programs like BU, they said.

“In high school, not everyone is at the same level, so the passes aren’t as hard [and] people aren’t as quick as they are here, so here ever yone plays as a team,” De Sousa said.

“It’s not really a few individual players that stand out, so everyone here can play together and it’s such a faster pace.”

The transition from high school to college is hard for any incoming freshman, and the duo have the added pressure of the responsibilities that being on a collegiate team entails. Yet, they agreed that the unity of the players fostered by the upperclassmen helped as soon as they stepped foot on Commonwealth Avenue.

The family-like culture of the team that Durocher and his staff have created can be seen on and off the ice, as the teammates joke after practice, give each other words of encouragement on the bench or see each other in the dining hall.

The two freshmen Terriers still deal with the perils and challenges of being newbies on the team as well as on campus.

However, amidst the chaos of BU’s large urban campus, they have found a sense of belonging and a new rink to call home.

“We have such a good team atmosphere

that it’s so fun to come here everyday,” De Sousa said. “After classes, I just look forward to come to the rink.”

“It’s pretty easy with the girls, [who] are all really accepting. Out there you just got to work as hard as you can,” Cook added.

Cook and De Sousa said they hope to write their own legacy as Terriers, but they respect the work put in by all who came before them. This is shown in the immense

ABBY COOK PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAWK, DEZIRAU DE SOUSA PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAWK

Freshmen Abby Cook and Deziray De Sousa are ecstatic to be a part of the women’s hockey team.

pride in which they put on their jerseys with “Boston” on the front.

“It’s a lot [of emotion] putting the jersey on,” Cook said. “Wearing that everyday is just huge, especially [with] the girls who were here before us.”

The two players will have an opportunity to represent their team in their first Hockey East playoffs. The two freshmen said they look to the new experience with enthusiasm.

“It’s a new experience for us, so I’m just really excited to see how it is,” De Sousa said.

As for the rest of those who are watching, they wait patiently to see what more the two freshmen, along with this team, are able to accomplish.

Women’s basketball looks to build momentum at Navy

BY JONATHAN CHANG DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Following a 14-point victory at home, the Boston University women’s basketball team will hit the road to face the United States Naval Academy on Thursday evening.

Despite a solid showing in the Patriot League, the Terriers (7-13, 5-4 Patriot League) have been unable to string together quality wins. Since beating eighth-place College of the Holy Cross and ninth-place Lehigh University back-to-back to kick off Patriot League play, the Terriers have yet to win consecutive games. BU will face a daunting challenge against second-seeded Navy (15-5, 8-1 Patriot League).

Meanwhile, Navy is currently on an eight-game winning streak, which it has kept up since its loss in its first game of Patriot League play. Navy has been 8-0 at home this season and will look to keep up its perfect home record.

This will be the second time the Terriers and Navy face each other this season. In their previous meeting, Navy forced 26 turnovers, including a crucial one in the final seconds, which secured a close 62-59 win at Case Gym. Navy had four players scoring in dou-

ble-digits, while senior guard Sarah Hope starred for BU, scoring 21 points and matched her career-high with seven 3-pointers.

“I didn’t think that we played our best ball last time with 26 turnovers and us only getting 11 points out of [junior center] Sophie [Beaudry],” said BU head coach Katy Steding.

“I didn’t think we took advantage of our natural strengths. We’ve been working on some different things to try to take advantage of what we do well in order to maximize our potential in this next game.”

Beaudry will be key for the Terriers’ success. The Chambly, Quebec native struggled in the two teams’ last meeting, shooting 4-13 and had seven turnovers, but she has been an absolute force in the last five games, averaging 21.2 points and shooting a remarkable 61.4 percent from the field.

“We’re trying to get her on the move, so it’s a little bit more difficult to double her, although teams are still putting two and three people on her,” Steding said. “It’s just hard [to guard] what we have: a player with her mobility stepping through the team and not just trying to hold down one spot.”

With Beaudry’s recent dominance, the rest of the team will need to step up to secure the win, Steding said. “[Beaudry] is an excellent passer,” Steding

said. “It’s up to the rest of us to fill in some blanks in terms of balancing our scoring out a little bit and taking some of that pressure off of her to have to score so much.”

On the defensive end, the Terriers’ biggest challenge will be Navy’s versatility.

“They do a great job of spreading you out, making you play five people out on the perimeter,” Steding said. “We did a decent job [last time] of keeping up with them at the 3-point line. We want to do a better job of making sure that they don’t have open looks to the basket, but they also did a great job of attacking off the bounce if we were out of our stance or just not taking care of business.”

One of Navy’s biggest offensive threats is its outside shooting, as it is the best 3-point shooting team in the Patriot League, highlighted by guard Hannah Fenske and senior Sarita Condie, who are shooting 46.9 percent and 47.4 percent from deep, respectively.

“They’re really balanced,” Steding said.

“They have scorers who score in bunches, but it can be any one of them on a given night.”

In their last meeting, BU held Navy to 8-31 shooting from deep. The Terriers plan to continue to build on that defensive effort.

When asked about the single most important key to victory, Steding had one thing in mind: “taking care of the ball.”

PHOTO BY JOHN KAVOURIS/ DAILY FREE PRESS

Sarah Hope hits a career-high 7 3-pointers last game against Navy.

SPORTS 11

Irving leading evolution of women’s basketball in Maine

BY GREG LEVINSKY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Women’s basketball talent in the state of Maine is not to be overlooked. Boston University freshman Nia Irving is continuing a recent trend of Mainers finding success at the NCAA Division I level in women’s college basketball.

“As long as Maine High School girls’ basketball stays relevant and the players keep working hard, the fans keep paying attention to it and coaches are drawn to it.

I think they have no choice [but] to get better,” Irving said.

Ir ving competed with the Maine Maniacs during her AAU career. She said she is grateful for her offseason playing opportunities as well as her high school seasons. She says that staying focused on basketball year-round has helped make her a better player.

“I think a lot of that is credit to the high school coaches who have been marking all year around to help players evolve, but also to AAU programs,” Irving said. “I know my AAU program the Maniacs, the Firecrackers, the Maine Wave all try to work year-round with their players to really help their skills and help keep them playing in the offseason. The exposure you get with the AAU teams is really important,” BU head coach Katy Steding certainly appreciates Irving as well.

“Nia brings a lot of youthful skill,” Steding said. “She never gives up, she never quits playing. She’s pretty relaxed and just when you think she’s done playing she finishes the shot or gets the loose ball or gets the steal that you don’t expect.”

Irving’s 2016 senior campaign finished with a loss to longtime AAU and high school rival — Shannon Todd and York High School — in the 2016 Maine Class A state final 58-57. Todd is now a starting guard for the women’s basketball team at Northeastern University, the team BU opened up their season against with a 78-59

loss. Irving was out due to injury.

“I’m just really disappointed that I didn’t get to play for the beginning of the season, let alone that game,” Irving said.

Tapley and Maddy McVicar (University of Maine), Jess Willerson (Cornell University), Allie Clement (Marist College), Mary Butler (Brown University) and Jillian Libby

PHOTO BY JOHN KAVOURIS/ DAILY FREE PRES STAFF

Nia Irving is a major reason for the women’s basketball turnaround season.

“I mean obviously there was a little bit of a grudge match going into it because we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted to in that state game. Not only would it have been great to play against her, but I just regret having to miss out at the beginning of the season.”

The Maine connections do not stop there, however, as BU (7-13, 5-4 Patriot League) has played Mainers Ashley Storey, Sarah Clement and Kristen Anderson, all of the University of New Hampshire, and Dartmouth College’s Olivia Smith in regular season matchups in the 2016-2017 campaign.

“The last couple of years have happened to be pretty deep,” said Steding regarding the latest graduating classes of Maine women’s basketball players.

Pine tree state natives such as Sierra

(New Jersey Institute of Technology) have also made their impacts on the NCAA Division I hardwood this season.

Current Maine high school players, such as Villanova recruit Emily Esposito as well as youngsters Anna DeWolfe and Faith Blethen will likely find themselves playing at Case Gym in the near future at college basketball’s top level.

“Maine girls’ basketball is definitely evolving. There are a lot of Division I players trying to come out of Maine. But not only Division I, Maine is starting to produce a lot of college level players,” Irving said.

Maine basketball legend Cindy Blodgett is likely the greatest basketball player to come from the state, and is an assistant coach with the Terriers.

“Maine basketball has always been ter-

rific,” Blodgett said. “Most people outside of the state have no idea how rich in talent and how important the sport is to the state.

Each year Maine produces multiple players that impact colleges from both in and out of the state.”

Blodgett applauded Nia’s performance on the team, especially as Nia is transitioning from high school to college.

“Nia is doing a terrific job learning and growing each day as a player,” Blodgett said. “Making the jump from high school to college is a difficult jump and she’s able to grow daily due to how coachable she is.”

But Irving never felt she needed to compare herself with her current coach.

“We play two totally different positions, so it’s not like you can really compare us, and I mean she’s not really someone you can compare anyone to,” said Irving.

Irving has made four consecutive starts for the Terriers after missing the team’s first 11 games, establishing herself in her third game of the season coming off the bench.

In a 69-64 victory over Lehigh University on Jan. 2, Irving contributed 26 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes of play. She also hit 12-13 clutch free throws in a contest where BU trailed by 15 late in the fourth quarter.

She went on to be named Patriot League Rookie of the Week the following day.

“I don’t really go out thinking I’ve got to go out and score this amount of points or I’ve got to get this amount of rebounds, it’s more like what can I do to help the team?”

Irving said. “That game I just tried to be as aggressive as possible. We needed a scoring factor.”

Looking toward the remainder of the season, Irving said she is confident.

“We just want to keep playing hard,” she said. “We’ve been kind of on an upward track so we want to stick to that, but we are really looking forward to the second half of Patriot League play. Our ultimate goal is to make it to the Patriot League championship, but it’s one game at a time.”

Men’s basketball takes on Patriot League rival Navy

BY EDWARD MORAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

When Boston University men’s basketball team faced the United States Military Academy eight days ago, the team was one loss away from having a record below .500 for the first time since Jan. 1.

With Army (8-14, 2-8 Patriot League) missing a free throw in overtime, the Terriers (12-10, 7-3 Patriot League) preserved the one-point victory. The Terriers, winning another game at Lehigh University a week later, are looking to extend the victories when they take on the United States Naval Academy Thursday night at Case Gym. Not only is BU looking to restore the momentum it showed at the beginning of 2017, when it went on a season-best fivegame winning streak, but a victory over the Midshipmen (12-10, 7-3 Patriot League) would give it sole possession of second place in the Patriot League standings, behind Bucknell University.

The Terriers are entering the contest fresh off a decisive 76-59 victory over Lehigh (12-9, 6-4 Patriot League) Monday night, their first double-digit triumph since Jan. 11 against American University.

BU head coach Joe Jones credited his team’s overwhelming effort throughout the game as the main reason behind his team’s

PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAWK/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Kyle Foreman leads BU against Navy.

dominance against the Mountain Hawks.

“I thought we played very hard,” Jones said. “Outside the first three or four minutes, we really competed hard. Then our bench came in and they played great. [They were] really giving us a lift and I thought that set the tone for the rest of the game.”

BU had great performances from seniors guard Eric Fanning (27 points, 8 rebounds), forward Justin Alston (11 points) and sophomore guard Kyle Foreman (9 points, 7 assists).

The Terriers’ bench was also active, as Jones received quality production from freshman forward Max Mahoney (8 points), junior guard Will Goff (6 points) and junior guard Eric Johnson (5 points, 5 steals).

Jones expects another high-quality contest against Navy, a team that’s riding a season-high seven-game winning streak.

All but one of those victories — a 75-72 win over Lehigh on Jan. 18 — were double-digit triumphs.

The multi-talented forward Tom Lacey, who averages eight points and eight rebounds per game, is the biggest threat from Midshipmen. Lacey is the leading rebounder on one of the more aggressive rebounding teams in the conference, which averages just under 35 rebounds per game.

“Navy is a terrific team,” Jones said. “[The Midshipmen] are playing great basketball right now. They’re the hottest team in the league and the first thing we have

to do is rebound the ball. They have a kid, Tom Lacey, who’s the best rebounder right now in the league. He goes very hard, so if we’re fortunate in getting them to miss their first shot, we can’t give them second shots.”

Jones noted the Midshipmen’s all-around offensive consistency across their leading scorers.

While Navy has one double-digit scorer — guard Shawn Anderson (12.4 points per game) — it has four players who average at least eight points per game: forwards George Kiernan and Lacey (8.9 and 8.1 ppg, respectively) as well as guards Hasan Abdullah and Bryce Dulin (8.7 and 8.6 ppg, respectively).

“We need to understand their personnel,” Jones said. “Abdullah and Dulin are shooting the ball really, really well.

Anderson is a prolific scorer who can really drive the ball and finish. Then they bring guys off the bench like Kiernan that can catch and shoot and put it on the floor for a few dribbles.”

As Fanning and Alston are be expected to carry most of BU’s offensive workload (15.1 and 11.6 ppg, respectively), they will need help from other teammates to slow this streaking Navy team.

“We have to be committed to defending and rebounding,” Jones added. “On the offensive end, we have to attack their pressure and limit our turnovers.”

Quotable “We have such a good team atmosphere that it’s so fun to come here everyday. ” - Freshman Deziray De Sousa on playing for the women’s hockey program. p. 10

Sports Thursday, February 2, 2017

Here Comes Maine Women’s basketball freshman Nia Irving represents a new generation of Maine basketball stars. p. 11

Defense, led by six NHL draft picks, is bedrock of men’s hockey

BY JONATHAN SIGAL DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The No. 3 Boston University men’s hockey team boasts one of the best defensive corps in the nation.

The six-man unit, anchored by freshman goaltender Jake Oettinger, allows 2.08 goals per game, the fourth fewest in the nation. BU’s penalty kill, meanwhile, enjoys an 87.1 success rate, the NCAA’s fourth best total.

Lastly, it’s pitched five shutouts through 26 games, more than the last three seasons combined.

So, who exactly comprises the unit? Why six NHL Draft picks by the name of Doyle Somerby, juniors Brandon Hickey and John MacLeod, sophomore McAvoy and freshmen Chad Krys and Dante Fabbro.

“Overall as a group we’re so comfortable with each other, and everybody pulls their weight in this D corps,” said sophomore Charlie McAvoy. “There’s a lot of great hockey players, and when it comes down to it, anyone can play with anyone, no matter what the D pairs are.”

As McAvoy hinted at, the Terriers’ strength lies not in individual talent, but the partnerships along the blueline.

The Conductors: Ask what Krys and McAvoy bring, and you’re bound to hear one of two phrases: puck movement or skill.

Those labels are pretty apt, too, as the former U.S. NTDP teammates love to join the attack, picking their moments to almost act as a fourth forward. So when Oettinger describes them, it sounds like the modern-day blueliners who litter the NHL. “They’re both really skilled, but can also shut it down,” Oettinger said. “Both really good skaters, really good puck movers and both guys are difference makers. Obviously both are high draft picks, and they’re that for a reason.”

Expanding off that last point, Krys, an 18-year-old with Connecticut roots, was picked last summer in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks.

McAvoy, meanwhile, heard his name called 14th overall by the Boston Bruins the same summer.

What is it, though, that make them more than their respective

pedigrees and reputations?

“We have a pretty good understanding of each other and won some big hockey games together and played in a lot of big games,” McAvoy said. “ ...We play our game and he knows when he goes that I’ll be back, and then when I go that he’ll be back. We take care of the D-zone pretty well.”

As the 2016-17 season has unfolded, Krys and McAvoy have stayed true to their bread and butter. They’ve combined for 22 points, blocked 57 shots and seldom shy away from pinching in the offensive zone.

The Canadians About 750 miles separate Fabbro and Hickey’s hometowns – New Westminster, British Columbia and Leduc, Alberta.

There’s far more to the duo, however, than their home country.

Hickey, a 20-year-old, was the Calgary Flames’ third rounder in the 2014 Draft. Then there’s Fabbro, an 18-year-old, who was the Nashville Predators’ first rounder in the 2017 Draft.

They’ve also combined for 100 blocked shots and 21 points.

In other words, they bring a big of everything.

“We keep talking to each other on the ice and making sure to remind each other of what to do in certain situations,” Fabbro said. “If one person is hemmed in or vice versa, the biggest thing we’ve always talked about is screaming at each other to let each other know where we are on the ice. It’s making sure there’s options.”

While their no-nonsense style stands out, it’s notable how complimentary Hickey and Fabbro are.

“Hicks is a really good 1-on-1 player,” Krys said. “It must be really tough for other teams to play against him — I don’t think I’ve seen him get beat 1-on-1 the entire year. Then Dante’s very good with the puck, calms it down, makes good decisions.”

The perfect yin to the other’s yang.

The Muscle: As the eldest member of the group — 22 years old, to be exact — Somerby recognizes how crucial chemistry is in defense.

Quinn has tossed several partners his way, but with MacLeod,

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Terriers captain Doyle Somerby is the oldest of the defensemen, but he commands respect from his teammates

he’s struck a special chord. “[MacLeod’s] just really physical and really steady,” Somerby said. “I know he’s always going to be there if I need him, and he talks a lot out there. We have a lot of communication, and that’s key, especially in a loud building when stuff gets chaotic down low and you’re stuck out there. Having someone out there like him really helps.”

What also helps, Somerby explained, is that he and MacLeod have shared far more than their three years together at BU. Back in the 2011-12 season, they laced ‘em up for Kimball Union Academy, a prep school in New Hampshire.

Perhaps most of all, though, Quinn said they “give us size and strength and a little bit of grit on the blue line, which we don’t have a lot of.”

MacLeod, however, believes their understanding extends into another realm.

“It goes back to us playing for that year together in high school and just getting familiar with tendencies,” MacLeod said. “Now when a certain play goes on I’ll know where he’s going to be and vice versa. It helps a lot because we’re roommates, good friends off the ice and we can always talk about what worked, what didn’t work.”

BU has made no secret about how it wants the 2016-17 campaign

to end up.

Its dreams — the Beanpot Tournament, a Hockey East title and, if the stars align, and a Frozen Four berth — are slowly becoming more realistic, too.

So as those high-profile games near, MacLeod said BU’s defense just needs to keep going full steam ahead.

“We just have to keep playing the way that we’ve been playing,” MacLeod said. “It gets hard down the stretch, and we just want to make sure we’re doing everything we can. Like coach says, each of us brings a talent to the table, so it’s making sure we use that talent to its fullest potential.”

So far, so good.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Men’s lacrosse @ Providence, 1 p.m.

vs. Lafayette, 12 p.m.

BOTTOM LI NE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Women’s basketball @ Navy, 7 p.m.

Men’s hockey vs.

UMass Amherst, 7:30 p.m.

Men’s basketball vs. Navy, 7 p.m.

Men’s and women’s track and field host Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational

Men’s basketball Beanpot: Men’s hockey vs. Boston College at TD Garden, 8 p.m. NESN

Women’s basketball @ Lafayette, 2 p.m.

Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs.

Falcons, 6:30 p.m.