Hunt News 2.19

6

8

Huntington News Photo by Scotty Schenck

Photo by Scotty Schenck

Photo courtesy Feld Entertainment

The

2

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE NORTHEASTERN COMMUNITY www.HuntNewsNU.com For the students, by the students since 1926 February 19, 2015

Smith charged in ‘08 murder of NU student

Left: Photo courtesy Suffolk County District Attorney. Right: Photo courtesy Nicholas and Virginia Payne.

Cornell Smith was first arrested in 2012 for the 2008 murder of Northeastern student Rebecca Payne, a Connecticut resident. On Friday, Feb. 13, 2015, Smith changed his plea to guilty.

Smith has been sentenced to 18-20 years in prison. Payne was shot multiple times inside her Mission Hill apartment on Parker Hill Avenue.

By Alexandra Malloy News Staff

In 2008, junior Northeastern student Rebecca Payne, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in

athletic training, was murdered in her Mission Hill apartment. Seven years later, her killer has finally been sentenced after changing his plea from innocent to guilty.

“She was always involved,” Re-

becca’s mother, Virginia Payne, said. “She had everything mapped out in front of her, and all this was taken away from her in 2008. She was full of life and she knew where she was going and she knew what

end on a four-game winning streak and looked to keep climbing the Hockey East standings against UConn. Redshirt senior goalie Clay Witt got the start in goal for NU, his third in a row.

The scoring started early on Friday night at Matthews Arena for the Huskies. Sophomore forward Mike Szmatula made a play in the corner and found junior defenseman Colton Saucerman at the right

point. Saucerman fired the puck on net, and sophomore forward Zach Aston-Reese deflected it past sophomore goalie Rob Nichols. AstonReese found the back of the net less than eight minutes later, deflecting a shot by sophomore forward John Stevens behind Nichols. The tally

by Aston-Reese came on the power play and gave NU the 2-0 lead.

Only two minutes later, the Hockey, Page 11

Men take down UConn 9-0

By Gordon Weigers News Correspondent

Junior forward Kevin Roy helped Northeastern continue its winning ways by scoring four goals and three assists in two games against the University of Connecticut (UConn) this weekend. NU breezed past UConn in back-to-back blowouts, winning 9-0 and 6-1.

The Huskies entered the week-

she wanted.”

On May 20, 2008, Payne returned from work and fell asleep on her couch in her apartment on Parker Hill Avenue. Around 3:20 a.m., Cornell Smith, who was 30 years

old at the time, entered her apartment and shot Payne five times – twice in the legs, once in the chin and twice in the torso.

Residents of the building heard Payne, Page 2

Photo courtesy Michael Mehalick

Berklee College of Music student and New Zealandnative Geoff Ong will release his fourth album, “The Boston EP,” on March 3.

Local musician to release new EP

By Rowena Lindsay Inside Editor

Photo by Arzu Martinez

Redshirt senior goalie Clay Witt, 31, helped the NU huskies to a dominant pair of wins against the University of Connecticut (UConn). Northeastern took down the UConn Huskies 9-0 and 6-1 in back-to-back match-ups.

Berklee College of Music student and New Zealand native Geoff Ong is releasing a new EP called “The Boston EP,” on March 3. “The Boston EP” is the indie-soul artist’s fourth, following “Streetlights EP” and “The Soralax Mixtape,” both in 2014 and “Pictures EP” in 2011.

While the city inspired this lat-

est collection, Ong had a musical career long before he moved to Boston. Ong has been playing music nearly his entire life. He started playing classical piano in elementary school but didn’t enjoy the rigidity of lessons and lack of variation in style.

“I didn’t enjoy [piano],but then I picked up the guitar when I was 13, “The Boston EP,” Page 7

Page 2

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

news

Guilty plea in murder case

Photo by Scotty Schenck

Benjamin Schmidt, assistant professor of history at Northeastern, created a chart that shows how gender plays a role in students’ assessments of their professors.

Gender impacts online rankings

By Mary Whitfill Editor-in-Chief Women are bossy; men are good leaders. Women are cold-hearted; men are goal-oriented. Women are annoying; men are knowledgable.

This is the double standard revealed in a recently released interactive chart made by Benjamin Schmidt, an assistant professor of history at Northeastern. The chart documents how many times men and women were characterized by certain adjectives in their Rate My Professor reviews.

A common tool used to review professors – and often air grievances – Rate My Professor compiles hundreds of student reviews to give instructors a grade based on how students felt they performed.

To create his chart, Schmidt wrote an algorithm that analyzed the most commonly used words in the site’s reviews and mapped how often they were used per gender.

“Something people talk about a lot is the way male professors and female professors end up getting treated and the ways that their evaluations reflect on some particular words that only show up in the reviews of male or female professors,” Schmidt said. “Rate My Professor is not used for tenure and promotion and evaluations and all of that, but it at least lets us have some sense on a really big scale of what’s going on.”

The chart makes an unconscious bias and its implications stretch beyond the professor-student setting.

The interactive tool allows users to type any word, from brilliant to beautiful, and it maps how many times the word was used and for which gender.

According to Schmidt’s visual representation of the pre-written reviews, male professors are much funnier than their female counterparts, and women are far-and-above ditzier than men.

Although the idea of gendered language in the workplace is not a new one, Schmidt’s visualization makes certain biases clear. The chart shows that women are more likely to be criticized for behaviors men are praised for, and a woman’s appearance is more likely to be a topic of conversation while men are judged for their intellect.

For Northeastern freshman international affairs major Kathleen Adelman, this doesn’t come as a surprise.

“I think the female teachers are a lot more evaluated on their looks,” Adelman said. “For male teachers, they’re more evaluated on how well they teach. I try to be careful when reading professor reviews on the Internet, especially when I’m reading reviews of female professors. When they’re strong women, they’re often labeled as bossy.”

Schmidt says this bias is not limited to students’ direct interactions with their professors.

“One of the things that other studies have found is that if you have an online class that is being taught where students never see their professor, is that if you give that student a female name rather than a male name then students will rate that professor lower on their evalu-

ations even though it is exactly the same person,” Schmidt said. “There seems to be some sort of systemic bias.”

Denise Dunlap, assistant professor of international business and strategy, is one of the most rated professors at Northeastern on Rate My Professor. Her 59 ratings give her an overall 4.0/5 quality score and rate her high on helpfulness.

“As someone who has been in the business world for many years, I thought I needed to act like a man to be successful,” Dunlap said. “Are other female professors feeling they need to behave like these male characteristics? As women, are we behaving, and teaching other women to behave, that way?”

In the business world, Dunlap thinks traditionally male-related adjectives are more commonly associated with success than those used to describe females. She cited assertive, decisive and independent as words used to describe men that correlate with success. More traditional female descriptors, such as passionate, long-term thinker and collaborator, don’t carry that connotation, she said.

While this may be true in today’s professional society, Dunlap said she thinks the international business world is changing and beginning to value these “feminine” qualities.

While a strong divide could be seen between men and women on certain buzz words, such as ugly and abrasive, the genders were rated fairly equally when it came to being lazy, easy and busy.

Sophomore psychology major Megan Gallagher said she doesn’t see gender bias.

“I look at how they grade them and how the class is scaled,” she said.

This experiment was not the first based on Schmidt’s work with words. Earlier this year, Schmidt analyzed the language from every State of the Union address dating back to 1970, showing how America’s interests and concerns have evolved throughout history.

“My research at Northeastern is about working with really large collections of texts and finding new ways to open them up for visualization and analysis, so I sort of had the tools in place already to just drop this data set into an see what it looked like,” Schmidt said.

While his word analytics is likely to continue, Schmidt is unsure if this is where his gender-bias project will end.

“If I were to keep working on this, which I am not actually sure I am going to, the next step would be to look at the numerical evaluations of it a little bit,” Schmidt said. “And think about how the numbers that are associated with the text differ between genders.”

Even if this is the end of the road for Schmidt, Dunlap hopes this is able to start a conversation that goes beyond a chart on a screen.

“I think we aren’t doing a good enough job in teaching the importance of how we evaluate people,” she said. “What excites me most about this study is that maybe it will open up discussions in the business world we just aren’t having.”

Payne, from Page 1 gunshots and screams but did not call police. Payne was 22 years old.

Smith believed he was avenging his arrest in February of that year for selling cocaine – he suspected two rival drug dealers, who were sisters and looked similar to Payne, were behind his arrest. The sisters lived two floors down from the victim.

“Everyone heard the shots and screams, and no one did anything,” Nicholas Payne, Rebecca’s father, said. “The New England Baptist Hospital was up the street, almost within earshot of what happened.”

Smith fled the scene in a car driven by Michael Balba and Payne’s body was not discovered until 6:30 a.m. the next day, when a tenant noticed the open apartment door.

Balba was charged with four counts of perjury after being accused of lying to a grand jury in regards to the Payne investigation, and Smith was charged with first degree murder and armed assault in a dwelling and unlawful possession of a firearm in 2012.

“She was, in every sense, an innocent victim,” district attorney John Conley said in a press release in 2012 after the indictments of Balba and Smith.

The prosecution’s star witness, Anthony White, passed away in May 2014. White had direct evidence linking both Smith and Balba to the scene. Without White, the case against Balba is effectively over.

“How much pain [is caused by] these people when they do these things,” Virginia Payne said. “For

family and friends, it’s unimaginable pain. It was so hard to handle it. And the hardest thing was when they said they were going to drop the case.”

Smith’s admission of guilt came while he was incarcerated in 2008 for an unrelated federal drug distribution arrest, for which he was sentenced 12-15 years. Discovered in a review of files in October 2014, Smith wrote a letter in which he described the assault, stating that it led “to the unfortunate passing of Rebecca Payne at the hands of I, Cornell Alan Smith, Sr.” He has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm.

Smith states that his confession came in attempt to get his life together.

“I’m a father, too,” Smith said in the sentencing hearing on Friday Feb. 13 2015 that was presided over

by Judge Jeffrey Locke. “It’s not who I am, so it’s better for everybody.”

Smith was sentenced to 18 to 20 years, the maximum sentence for voluntary manslaughter, to be served concurrently with the standing federal sentence. He was also sentenced up to five years for unlawful possession of a firearm. “[Smith] got a lucky break and he got a break he didn’t deserve,” Nicholas Payne said. “In a way, we were actually madder at Michael Balba than the guy who actually did it at times because it seemed like Michael has had years and years to think about what he was doing.”

Rebecca Payne grew up in New Milford Conn. and graduated from

New Medford High School in 2004.

“The first time she stepped on Northeastern[‘s campus], there was no turning back,” Virginia Payne said.

While at Northeastern, Payne became the president of the athletic training club, co-oped at the Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire and was a clinical student in the Sports Medicine Department.

“She was always thinking about others, always helping,” Virgina Payne said. “She gave out of her heart” Lauren Ziaks and Jessica Meiley met Payne at NU in 2004 while they were all studying in the athletic training program. Both Ziaks and Meiley said they became fast friends.

“Her laugh is what I remember the most, as well as her ability to always make everyone feel special,” Ziaks said. “Although I do not feel that 20 years is enough time for Cornell Smith to serve in exchange for murdering Rebecca, I do feel closure.”

Meiley feels similarly about the verdict, also noting that the three years since the arraignment have been extremely difficult.

“No amount of time could show [Smith] the type of person Becca was and how much me, her family and friends miss her [sic],” Meiley said.

Payne’s town’s local tennis courts have been named after her, as well as a scholarship from the National Athletic Trainers Association.

“We don’t want her to be forgotten,” Nicholas Payne said.

By Alexandra Malloy News Staff With Monday after Monday canceled due to inclement weather and an unprecedented amount of snow , the semester and the city have taken a beating.

Northeastern’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Executive Director Madeleine Estabrook announced on Feb. 14 that classes missed will be made up on Patriots Day, April 20, and Reading Day, April 23. While making up days at the end of the semester could solve some scheduling issues, students, faculty and staff have all had their schedules and syllabuses disrupted and have been inconvenienced.

Kimberly Jones, a professor of international affairs, currently teaches international conflict as well a senior

capstone class. Jones notes that the snow has made meeting challenging, especially considering the capstone class meets on Monday only.

“For the capstone class, I’ve already organized a series of makeup sessions in small groups, and we have one more later this week,” Jones said. “I’ve also had the class provide written peer feedback over email as they progress with their papers. They’ve been terrific.”

Due to the structure of the international conflict class, Jones has decided to not cram information and instead engage with students outside of class time through alternate coursework.

“I’ve been really impressed with the students’ positive attitudes and willingness to be flexible,” Jones said. “Many of them have made the most of the snow days, working on papers, researching and writing,

and generally using it as a chance to catch up or even get ahead.”

Some students, however, share a different sentiment. The 71.3 inches of snow that has fallen on Boston has affected not only class but also co-op, internships and work.

For senior international affairs and anthropology major Rachel Lake, all of her classes this semester are scheduled before noon on Mondays, aside from one class that meets once a week on Tuesdays.

“My semester has been obliterated,” Lake said. “My syllabuses have been hacked and chopped like the Amazon rainforest.”

Lake notes that this is not solely a Northeastern situation, and that it is frustrating for the community of Boston as a whole, especially in regards to transportation.

Shea Pease, a sophomore business major, notes similar frustrations.

Pease has been unable to make it to her Monday internship with Scooper Media. In fact, the business as a whole is unable to function because other businesses are closed as well.

In terms of class, Pease has had only three tests this semester, and every one has been pushed by at least a week.

“That’s not the worst thing in the world,” Pease said. “But I feel like I’m losing thousands of dollars by not having class.”

Renata Nyul, director of the communications for Northeastern, notes that despite the snow, the school community has pulled together to get campus back to a functional state.

“It was really a team effort, and facilities, dining, student affairs, ResLife, public safety, payroll and others were all working around the clock to clear the campus of snow and support our students,” Nyul said in an email to The News. “A lot of people from Northeastern, including our facilities, colleagues and many of our students, pitched in to help our neighbors beyond the campus.

Everyone has shown so much enthusiasm, care and dedication during these past weeks.”

Lake, however, believes that the university will still lag despite efforts.

“While I respect the university’s attempt to create make up days on Reading Day and Patriots Day, I find it hard to believe professors will be able to manage this student schedule puzzle effectively,” Lake said.

Snowfall disrupts classes

Infographic by Miharu Sugie

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

Page 3

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

news Mentor program

crime log

helps innovators

Compiled by Stephanie Eisemann, news staff

ENTRY OF THE WEEK

NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD NU PD

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Friday, Feb. 13 @ 9:39 p.m.

Northeastern University Police Department (NUPD) officers observed a male in section 46 of Matthews Arena who had off taken his shirt and jeans and was jumping around in his boxers.

Officers spoke with the 18-year-old student, who admitted to drinking alcohol in his dorm before the game. As the student was aware of the place and time, he was allowed to return to his seat. A report was filed.

Monday, Feb. 9 @ 8:43 p.m.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division A Resident Advisor (RA) on the third floor of White Hall reported the smell of marijuana. NUPD responded, conducted interviews and confiscated less than one ounce of the substance. A report was filed.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 @ 7:15 a.m.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division The manager of the Wollaston’s Market in Marino Center reported an older male attempted to steal bottles. NUPD responded and spoke with the manager, who said the subject had left the area prior to the the officers’ arrival and had placed the item back on the shelf. A report was filed.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 @ 8:58 p.m.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division An AlliedBarton Secutiry Services officer reported that a male who appeared to be intoxicated had walked past Egan Service Road and was sitting on the ground. Officers responded and located a 59-year-old man who could not walk on his own. Boston EMS transported the patient to Boston Medical Center.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 @ 10:52 p.m.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division NUPD responded to a call in White Hall that a student was intoxicated. NUPD reported that the intoxicated female was unable to walk on her own. EMS responded and transported the underage student to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The Residence Director (RD) was notified.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Thursday, Feb. 12 @ 3:29 p.m.

During a drug investigation on Hallenborg Way, a male unaffiliated with Northeastern was arrested for an outstanding warrant. He is charged with shoplifting and assault and battery on a police officer. The male was processed at NUPD and transported to Transit Police for holding.

Thursday, Feb. 12 @ 4:10 p.m.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division A student reported to the NUPD that he was threatened by a driver on Leon Street. The student had asked the driver to move his car off of the street. The driver stepped out and threatened the student before leaving the area. He elaborated that after a road rage incident on Leon Street, the student and driver both exited their vehicles and bumped chests, and the driver dared the student to hit him. The vehicle owner was later identified, but officers reported the driver and vehicle were no longer in the area. A report was filed.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Thursday, Feb. 12 @ 4:52 p.m.

A student reported his iPhone was stolen. He had last seen his phone around 4 p.m. that day when he got in an Uber car and noticed it missing when he returned to his residence at East Village. A report was filed.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Friday, Feb. 13 @ 11:15 a.m.

The assistant headmaster of Edwards Michael Kennedy High School in Cahners Hall called NUPD and requested officers respond to remove two female high school students, who are sisters, from the building. The students were yelling and swearing in the hallways and refused to leave.

Officers responded and spoke with both parties, who were sent on their way.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Saturday, Feb. 14 @ 3:13 a.m.

An RA in West Village A reported a female student was passed out in the shower. While the RA was on the phone, the female began to wake up. Officers responded and requested EMS. The student stated she had fallen in her friend’s room and hit her head on the bed, but that she did not lose consciousness. She admitted to drinking earlier in the evening and said she fell asleep in the shower due to lack of sleep. EMS determined she did not require transportation and the student signed a medical waiver. A report was filed.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Saturday, Feb. 14 @ 2:39 p.m.

A student reported her credit card was stolen and unauthorized charges had been made on her account. A report was filed.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Sunday, Feb. 15 @ 4:43 p.m.

An RA on duty in 650 Columbus Ave. reported that three males were seen on camera damaging the elevator. The parties are believed to be residents of one of two rooms in the building. NUPD responded and a report was filed.

Northeastern University Public Safety Division Monday, Feb. 16 @ 1:45 a.m.

A student at 153 Hemenway Street reported her roommate was intoxicated and not alert. NUPD spoke with the student and requested EMS. She was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The RD on call was notified.

Photo courtesy Center for Entrepreneurship Education

Dan McCarthy and Jeff McCarthy founded the Daniel J. McCarthy Venture Mentoring Network to provide guidance for Northeastern entreprenuers and help them to make connections with industry experts.

By Sam Haas News Coresspondent The Daniel J. McCarthy(s) Venture Mentoring Network (VMN), a university-wide network that aims to provide the advanced guidance and industry connections that Northeastern entrepreneurs need after their companies begin to succeed, debuted on Jan. 21.

The VMN works by matching student, alumni and faculty entrepreneurs with experienced mentors, mostly alumni and their professional contacts, who have the expertise each budding company needs.

“This is a university-wide resource that will include mentors from all colleges at Northeastern,” Lauren Dibble, who manages marketing and mentoring programs at the Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education (CEE), said. “The value of that for the venture is a broad range of skills, knowledge and background to draw from. A venture can’t necessarily find everything from one person.”

Connections are facilitated at bimonthly lunches, where innovators pitch their ventures’ basic details and needs. After hearing the pitches, interested mentors will contact the entrepreneurs they want to advise.

Housed within the Northeastern University CEE, the VMN is the latest addition to an extensive collection of resources for innovators that includes the student-run venture accelerator IDEA, Health Sciences Entrepreneurs (HSE), the Center for Research innovation, student-run design group Scout, Entrepreneurs Club and the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education, among others.

“We have a good entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem, as good as any in the country and maybe anywhere,” Dan McCarthy, the Alan S. McKim and Richard A. D’Amore distinguished professor of global management and innovation and co-​​ director of the CEE, said.

For Dan McCarthy, improving those resources and support systems was the inspiration behind a $1 million investment—made jointly with friend, venture capitalist and D’Amore-McKim School of Business alumnus Jeff McCarthy—that turned into the VMN. The network is named in honor of both Dan McCarthy’s career at Northeastern and Jeff McCarthy’s late son Daniel.

Over the last nine months, the VMN has grown from that initial investment, incorporating the mentoring components of two existing Northeastern programs: IDEA and HSE. “[HSE has provided] some of the best practices in terms of our campus in mentoring for the past five years,” Dibble said. “Meanwhile, IDEA is a lot more scalable and high-volume, which we anticipate for the VMN.” The VMN’s directors are also building directly on the best practices of HSE and IDEA by using its roughly 140 combined mentors as the initial mentor pool for the VMN. That inclusion of mentors from various professional disciplines mirrors the program’s openness to ventures from across Northeastern.

Such a broad, interdisciplinary focus is one of the VMN’s best qualities, according to Dan McCarthy.

“The most important thing to everybody involved is that this be a coordinated, university-wide effort because that’s the most efficient and productive way of doing it,” he said. “We want the VMN to be an umbrella.”

While IDEA, HSE and the Sherman Center coach ventures from an early stage, often giving general advice on how to start a company, the VMN aims to provide mentors with advice for specific obstacles startups may face months or years after their inception.

“This is a mentoring service for ventures that are pretty well-developed,” Daniel Gregory, co-director of the CEE, said. “[These ventures] have a business model, a few customers. They’re not just fresh out of the starting gate.”

One such company is QSM Diagnostics, Inc., whose founder Edgar Goluch was invited to the VMN’s first mentoring lunch on Jan. 21. Goluch, the DiPietro assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, founded QSM last October with former Ph.D. student Thad Webster to develop and eventually sell wearable sensors that would detect infections in users’ wounds before symptoms were present. The idea for the sensors evolved from research Goluch and Webster conducted on nanoparticles and molecules in bacterial cells and pathogens.

At last month’s event, Goluch estimated he presented to 40 or 50 potential mentors and plans to meet with six this week.

“There’s a lot of different expertise skills [QSM wants help with],” Goluch said. “I know engineering, but we need someone who understands finances, taxes, more of the medical side, regulatory—we need a team.”

To some Northeastern entrepreneurs, that advanced, team-based support has been a long time coming.

In early 2014, Northeastern alumni Zac Sheffer, Justin White and Ryan Johnson, co-founders of financial technology company Elsen, realized their startup had outgrown the initial coaching it had been receiving from IDEA. For several months, IDEA’s support had helped the startup, originally called Samurai Investments, grow from a concept into a fledgling business with a tangible product.

“When we first started, IDEA was absolutely fantastic. We had no idea what we were doing,” Sheffer, Elsen’s CEO, said.

By 2014, however, the three entrepreneurs and their coaches knew what they were doing—Sheffer had even joined IDEA as a coach himself. But Elsen still needed mentoring in some areas of its business and marketing strategy, and its founders were unsure where to turn.

Now, the VMN exists to fill that gap in advanced mentoring that Elsen was having trouble finding someone to provide.

“At a point, ventures grow out of IDEA,” Sheffer said. “The mentoring program is the logical next step.

I’m super excited [about it.]”

Page 4

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

The Huntington News 295 Huntington Ave., Suite 208 Boston, MA 02115

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Inside Editor Sports Editor City Editor Photo Editor Deputy Inside Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Photo Editor

Mary Whitfill Sara Tucker Amanda Hoover Rowena Lindsay Jessica Geller Rowan Walrath Scotty Schenck Alana Dore Bailey Putnam Brian Bae

Staff Directory Staff Writers: Stephanie Eisemann, Tim Foley, Matthew MacCormack, Alexandra Malloy, Jodie Ng, Maureen Quinlan, Ethan Schroeder, Madelyn Stone Staff Photographers: Kariman Abuljadayel, William Bryan, Ethan Kaley, Arzu Martinez Staff Copy Editors: Miharu Sugie, Brandon Lewis Columnists: Ross Beroff, Daniel McLoone, Angelica Recierdo, Michael Samaha, Kenny Sokan, Rebecca Sirull Opinions expressed in The Huntington News by editorial writers, All Hail writers, cartoonists and columnists are not necessarily those of The News staff or of the Northeastern administration. Northeastern University undergraduate students conduct all operations involved in the production of this publication.

THE NEWS WELCOMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & COMMENTARIES

Opinion pieces must include the writer’s full name, year, major and position at the university. Letters should be sent in the body of an email, not as attachments. Letters may not run and may be edited due to space constraints. Poems and anonymous letters are not printed. Please keep entries under 500 words. Email letters to Comments@HuntNewsNU.com.

Vol. VIII No. 5

Column: Sex with students not okay Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? Their class is your favorite; you work a little harder in that one to impress said professor. In a sea of dozens of students, a quick glance from them seems like an intimate acKenny Sokan knowledgement. Nearly everyone has been there.

In high school, a student-teacher relationship is merely fantasy – something you daydream about during idle class time or the few minutes during transitions.

However, in college, when most students are legal adults past the age of sexual consent in their respective states, student-professor relationships can and do happen.

Although not illegal, most universities frown upon sexual or romantic relationships between professors and students. Understandable since they can put both professor and student in compromising situations.

For example, a professor may show favoritism towards the student he or she is involved with, whether it be by giving extra assistance on assignments or simply by giving the student higher marks than deserved. On a more devious note, a professor may take advantage of their access to thousands of unsuspecting students, perhaps even using their position to solicit sexual favors for grades.

Granted, abuse of power and sexual predation aren’t always the circumstances of student-professor relationships. I’m sure there have been some consisting of love and mutual respect, but the latter is what universities are concerned about.

In any case, to protect against the reprehensible scenarios, some universities have taken to creating policies that prohibit romantic or

sexual involvement between professors and students.

Harvard University is one of the latest to do so, issuing a total ban on sexual or romantic relationships between professors and undergraduate students. Other universities with similar policies include Yale, the University of Connecticut and Arizona State University.

Some may think such a rule is extreme. After all, we’re all adults here. However, it is understandable because a university’s responsibility is to create a fair, equal and safe learning environment for students.

Student-professor relationships carry great potential to have harmful and devastating outcomes.

Most universities tend to take a more flexible approach. According to Vice, in 2003, California’s university system made it so that a college professor could not have sex with students that they may end up having to grade.

California’s university system policy is reflective of Northeastern’s and most other universities in the country.

On consensual student-professor relationships, Northeastern policy states, “No faculty or staff member involved romantically or sexually with a student may teach or supervise that person either individually or as part of a group in any activity connected to the University.”

I think this approach is more practical. One adult should not have the authority to tell another whom they can date. Obviously, in an educational environment, precautions are warranted. However, I think regulation rather than prohibition of such relationships is more fitting.

This kind of policy only tackles the academic concerns and not the sexual predation that can occur. To that I say it is up to the individual to make smart decisions. Don’t do what makes you uncomfortable or what you are unsure of. Keep yourself safe and protected. Remember: this is your life, your career, your education.

News illustration by David London

Williams error excusable It was the lie heard ‘round the world when America’s most respected news anchor, Brian Williams, recounted a story originally told in 2003 about one of his many Iraq War experiences.

Williams claimed to have been in a military Chinook helicopter that was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, forcing it to land. Soon after it aired, Williams’ claim was challenged by Lance Reynolds, a flight engineer who was aboard one of the attacked helicopters. Reynolds’ claim asserts that Williams’ helicopter arrived at the scene around half an hour after the attacks.

On Feb. 4, Williams apologized and, by Feb. 10, he was placed on a six-month suspension without pay and without promise he would be able to return. His name was also removed from the “Nightly News” title. After 10 years as managing editor and anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” and after pulling in 9.3 million viewers a night according to The New York Times, the nation’s most trusted news anchor was pulled from the air and the 6:30 p.m. news broadcast became a host of uncertainty.

Weekend anchor Lester Holt was pulled in to replace Williams temporarily, and the familiar face that spent a decade greeting millions before dinner disappeared into the night. This unceremonious dismissal and the uncertainty that came with it was perhaps an overreaction, but it certainly beats the alternative. To fire Williams would

undermine the work he has done for NBC for 22 years.

Williams did not build the relationship he has with the American public overnight. This relationship is worth too much to be tossed out the window. Without Williams, “Nightly News” will have to work to forge that relationship on its own, something the network has failed to do since the beginning. Americans do not trust “NBC Nightly News,” Americans trust “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.”

Like most celebrities, news anchors are expected to be flawless and their actions are scrutinized.

Unlike most celebrities, though, these journalists are expected to have a starched wardrobe and maintain the highest level of moral standard, all while being in the heart of the action.

No, we should not hold Brian Williams to the same standard (or lack thereof) that we hold Lindsay Lohan and Ashton Kutcher, but we also shouldn’t let our jaws drop to the floor when he makes a mistake.

The misrepresentation of events was unacceptable for a man like Williams and repercussions were the natural next step, but to not allow the anchor to return to the desk he has occupied for the last decade would be an injustice to broadcast journalism.

The Williams controversy has evolved from an error of fact. This is not a man who set out to lie to the American public, but this error has launched internal investigations of

a host of different instances of reporting. Most namely, NBC is now investigating the truthfulness of Williams’ reporting on Hurricane Katrina, coverage that won NBC the coveted Peabody Award.

Viewed in the most sympathetic light: memory is pliable and he was, after all, reporting from a combat zone. Often, the difference between being shot at and being hit is less about battlefield heroics and more about luck. The Iraqi insurgent firing into the sky did not care that this particular helicopter held a world-famous American journalist and he did not care that this story would someday become national scandal. We must forgive Williams for his small misstep and remember the service he has provided to the American public.

We must remember that admittance of error was both swift and without excuse. We must acknowledge that the story was in the context of Williams attempting to bring attention to the courage of a soldier who was shot at. We must respect that the anchor was quick to point out he was never in the service and was quick to step away from the desk voluntarily for self-reflection.

We must recognize that no matter the genuineness of his apology, no matter the roots of the mistake, this will make Williams a better reporter. We must forgive, but not forget, and allow the beloved newsman to take his spot behind the “Nightly” desk - where America needs him and where he belongs.

Editor’s note: This letter is in response to the editorial column printed on Feb. 12.

pitfall. He assumes that those who choose to use “politically correct” vocabulary are ignoring the issue of illegal immigration. However, “undocumented immigrant” conveys the same meaning, avoids reducing an entire group of people and does not bar the possibility for debate from either viewpoint.

Other claims, such as the one about Native Americans and “singlism,” appear to lack the evidence necessary to show that they weren’t created solely for the purpose of his argument. In fact, the signs of little to no research are visible throughout the piece, culminating in a misinformed explanation of microaggressions.

Microaggressions are everyday actions or words that send derogatory messages to members of marginalized groups. They appear to be innocent or even positive on the surface but have negative undercurrents. This is the reason why they are most often committed subconsciously.

One commonly reported example, which I have also experienced, is when someone says, “You’re so smart! You’re the whitest black person I know!” The hidden implication is that this intelligent person of color is the exception to the rule.

It equates being uneducated with minority status and intellect with whiteness.

The term wasn’t created recently to “curb free speech,” either. In fact, it was coined in 1970 by Chester M. Pierce, a Harvard University professor and psychiatrist. It remained primarily within discussions in the field of psychology until Professor Derald W. Sue utilized the phrase in his publications in 2007.

One of the lines that stands out most in Beroff’s criticism is when he says, “I cannot offend someone … it is the individual whom my actions or words affect that makes the decision to feel offended.” He attempts to shift the entire burden of responsibility away from the speaker and onto the listener. No matter what topic is being discussed, the speaker of a message always has some responsibility to choose words that can get their point across effectively without being unnecessarily antagonistic. There is no free pass in the world of proper communication, and both parties have responsibilities that keep a healthy debate from descending into personal attacks.

Letter: Political correctness not a threat to free speech

Ross Beroff’s editorial column from last week required enough clarification that I felt a response was necessary. His primary argument was that political correctness is being used to “end all debate” and declare one position the only correct one.

Beroff wonders why some consider the phrase “illegal aliens” inappropriate. The use of illegal as an adjective to describe a person tends to be reserved for the immigration debate, not for crimes committed

by US citizens. Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas captures this when he says “if someone is driving a car at 14, we say ‘underage driver,’ not ‘illegal driver.’” The action is illegal, not the person. Calling someone an alien is dehumanizing and implies someone is so different they can never belong.

Beroff adds, incorrectly, that “undocumented citizens” is the only acceptable term for use in debate. While he accurately points out that this is an oxymoron, he also leaves out the more commonly used “undocumented immigrant,” which does not suffer the same

-Jacqueline Ali is a sophomore computer science major.

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

citypulse

Page 5

Potential jurors show sympathy for Tsarnaev

By Jose Castillo News Correspondent

As jury selection for the trial of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pushed through an unprecedented fourth week, the defense continued its efforts to move the trial out of Massachusetts.

On Friday, Feb. 13, the defense filed a request to hold an “en banc,” an event in which the defense team would be allowed to present its case for moving the trial elsewhere in front of the six judges of the First United States Circuit Court of Appeals. The request also included a temporary cease in all matters concerning jury selection until the defense could properly present its case to the Court of Appeals.

While the cease was denied, a previously acquired panel of three circuit court judges is set to listen to the defense’s appeal for relocation on Thursday.

The defense’s drive to move the trial elsewhere arises from concerns that hosting the case a few blocks away from Boylston Street, the site where two homemade pressure cooker bombs went off during the 2013 Boston Marathon, might bring about an unwarranted bias and result in the selection of an unfair jury. In the past month, Judge George O’Toole, Jr. has rejected three of the defense’s past attempts to relocate the trial.

In an order released by O’Toole on Feb. 6, the judge defended his jury selection process.

“Contrary to the defendant’s assertions, the voir dire process is successfully identifying potential jurors who are capable of serving as fair and impartial jurors in this case,” O’Toole said in the statement.

The prosecution has fought to keep the trial in Boston, filing re-

Illustration courtesy Jane F. Collins

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, right, is pictured at Moakley Courthouse. The 21-year-old faces charges, including a potential death penalty, for the Boston Marathon Bombings that unfolded on April 15, 2013.

quests to prevent the defense from disclosing potential jurors’ information during its appeal to the three-judge panel. However, there has been no ruling on the request.

Despite disagreements as to whether this trial should stay in Boston, both the prosecution and the defense have witnessed strong emotions during the past few

weeks, as interviewing potential jurors has revealed scars left on the city’s residents by the bombings.

Interviews on Thursday, Feb. 12 marked a first in the jury selection process, as two potential jurors expressed sympathy towards Tsarnaev. The first candidate expressed understanding regarding the influence his elder brother, the de-

ceased Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, had on him when they were growing up.

Another potential juror told O’Toole that she could not sentence Tsarnaev to death and expressed grief for the suspect upon learning that the alternative would place Tsarnaev in prison for the rest of his life.

“It’s sad to me that there’s

not a chance of parole for him,” the candidate said.

Despite the first instances of sympathy towards Tsarnaev, these cases are overshadowed by the amount of candidates who cannot look past what the 21-yearold suspect has been accused of.

“I feel pretty strongly that [Tsarnaev]’s guilty,” a potential juror told O’Toole. “I would find it hard to believe at this point to find anything that would change my mind.”

Another candidate was similarly firm in his beliefs.

“I think just from what I’ve read and heard and seen prior to being called in as a juror, I think I’ve formed a pretty strong opinion,” he said.

As of last Friday, O’Toole had met with 193 potential jurors. From that pool, he has selected 54 candidates. O’Toole hopes to select 70 total candidates, at which point he will allow the prosecution and the defense to eliminate 31 jurors each, until only 12 jurors and eight alternates are set to sit in on the trial.

O’Toole’s original expected trial start date of Jan. 26 expired due to the general slow pace of interviews and six days of cancellations due to snow. As of now, there is no set date for the start of the trial.

“Barring further weather-related delays, it is anticipated that [jury selection] will be completed in the near future,” court spokeswoman Ginny Hurley said in a statement on Feb. 12. “It is not possible yet to give a precise date when the trial proper will commence, but when we are able to set a reliable date, we will advise you.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, is accused of detonating two homemade pressure cooker bombs on April 15, 2013, during the annual Boston Marathon. The catastrophe resulted in the death of three people and the injury of 260 others.

Study reveals state lacks in dementia care

By Jessica Sparacino News Correspondent

Many Massachusetts nursing homes are struggling to provide sufficient care for their dementia patients due to a lack of funding for necessary training and staffing. These deficiencies come in spite of relatively new regulations aimed at improving conditions for dementia patients.

“If you don’t have enough help, you can’t do the job you’re there to do,” Arlene Germain, co-founder and president of the Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (MANHR), said. “Training and staffing are the crux of all the problems we’re having.”

By mentoring members of patient advocate groups, working directly with state budget officers and the Department of Public Health and testifying in favor of legislation to strengthen regulations, Germain and the MANHR staff work to improve the quality of care for nursing home residents.

Their work paid off last year when Massachusetts amended its Licensure of Long Term Care Facilities to address dementia-specific training for workers in traditional nursing homes and Dementia Special Care Units (DSCUs), activities programs in DSCUs and guidelines for DSCU physical design.

“It seems like a good idea,” freshman nursing student Kate Thomas said. “There’s always going to be something new that can be improved upon, and that’s going to be regulated.”

However, according to a recent study conducted by The Boston Globe, some nursing homes are

Photo courtesy Ann, Creative Commons

In a nursing home, a group of seniors sits together at a table to exercise cognitive motor skills through painting.

having difficulties adjusting to the new legislation in a timely manner. According to the study, in a random check of about 12 facilities, some had not completed the staff training for dementia care that is required of all nursing homes, which is already more than three months past its deadline. However,

state regulators are not conducting spot checks for compliance, citing instead that they are already too busy with routine monitoring.

“We still have a ways to go in terms of implementing those regulations,” Alice Bonner, a Northeastern nursing professor with a background in nursing home advocacy,

said. “Some nursing homes have gotten on board sooner than others.”

The nursing homes faring the best are by and large the ones that had already met the conditions laid out by new regulations before they became compulsory, according to Ellen Alperen, administrator of EPOCH Senior Healthcare at Chest-

nut Hill, a nursing home rated by the Department of Public Health to be in “good, high standing.”

“I thought we found it manageable because we had the resources,” Alperen said.

The process is not easy for every program.

“Some of these nursing homes are saying that they really had to invest a lot more and it’s taking them a longer time,” Bonner said.

According to Stephen Spano, an attorney specializing in elder law, one of the main issues is cost.

“There’s a big disparity in amounts of money that [nursing homes] get and when they get it, so many of them are struggling financially,” Spano said.

“Every single nursing home I have been in, the people are struggling to give good care.”

While the process is lacking in speed, the state of Massachusetts has been working to remedy the situation, according to caregivers. “[State officials] come in and survey us every year,” Alperen said.

Alperen also mentioned that these officials speak to nursing home residents and their families, so they should have an understanding of nursing home quality based on these site visits.

The state also pairs well-off nursing homes with others that have developing programs. According to Bonner, this “peer-to-peer learning” can be effective in improving every nursing home involved.

“Overall, quality measures for nursing homes are improving,” Bonner said. “But there are still opportunities for more improvement and we need to continue the oversight of all nursing homes and make sure that quality continues to improve.”

Page 6

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

citypulse

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

Boston attractions battle wintertime blues

By Melissa Fitzgerald News Correspondent

After weeks of being battered by snow, wind and a striking lack of public transportation, Bostonians may be catching a bit of cabin fever. For those courageous enough to brave the bitter cold, The News has compiled a list of things to do around the city.

Boston Public Library (BPL) The BPL, with 24 neighborhood branches in addition to its beautiful central branch in Copley Square, offers a respite from the cold – for those who can get to it.

“It would be a nice place to be if it weren’t so many blocks away with the roads being so bad,” sophomore behavioral neuroscience major Alexis Stefano said.

However, while Copley may be covered in dirty ice, worlds of knowledge, whole other universes of fantastical lands and dangerous fiends and underground organizations await within the pages of the library’s books.

“In Boston, you can find yourself stranded at home amid snow and ice,” sophomore computer science major Tom Hay said. “A couple of good books is what makes these inconveniences into rare treats.”

Additionally, the BPL recently revealed its newest Collections of Distinction, adding six to the initial 18, according to the BPL’s website. The collections include Massachusetts Newspapers, Boston Artists, Boston Pictorial Archive, the Book of Common Prayer and works by Daniel Defoe, as well as the Mellen Chamberlain Collection of Autographs.

The library is currently celebrating Black History Month through its annual “Black Is” book list, a compilation of recent books by black authors like Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams, Toni Braxton and Oprah Winfrey. There will also be film series, panel discussions and photography presentations.

Frog Pond According to John Schaub, manager of the Frog Pond in the Boston Common, this ice skating rink is one of the city’s biggest winter attractions.

“Frog Pond is just … a cool place to be,” Schaub said. “It’s in the heart of Beacon Center, right in the Common … so you just look up and see where you are and think, ‘Wow.’” The rink lowers its prices every Tuesday between 6 and 9 p.m. for anyone with a valid student ID. Instead of the normal $5 for anyone over 58 inches, admission is $2, attracting swarms of students to the Common. Skate rental is $10. “[I see] all sorts of people from kids to retirees, but there is a big student contingent,” Schaub said.

With a café that serves mac and cheese and speakers that blare oldies music, the Frog Pond is a great place for one of the few outdoor activities winter encourages.

New England Aquarium The New England Aquarium is a thing of hope in this winter weather. The animals swimming elegantly in the cool, blue water reminds us all that summer, slowly but surely, is coming.

Tony LaCasse, media relations director at the Aquarium, says one of the biggest attractions in the wintertime is the giant ocean tank, which holds more than 225,000 gallons of water.

“What’s really cool about it is it’s got a spiral walkway that you walk up and a huge viewing window, so you see everything as if you were in a submarine,” LaCasse said. “[It has] thousands of animals, from 550-pound sea turtles

to some of the strangest-looking tropical fish that look like they’re straight out of animation. It’s just stunning, and I think it’s an affirmation of how big the world is.”

According to LaCasse, the window gets much more traffic in the winter.

“We’ll have not only kids smeared up against the glass, but also a lot of adults who will sort of tuck into a window and daydream away,” LaCasse said. “I think, especially in the wintertime, people at the aquarium slow down and look more closely at the little things and just get drawn into a world away from the cold and white.”

For those looking for a cozy night out, LaCasse offers some advice: after a night shopping at Quincy Market or dining downtown, meander over to the aquarium to see seven giant harbor seals floating behind the glass.

“They’re literally two feet away, taking a nap vertically in the water, hauled onto some rocks or floating,” LaCasse said. “Everything’s at your eye level … You step away from the hustle and bustle and go towards the waterfront and see these really beautiful seals, and it’s this right intimate secret kind of moment that makes for a memorable evening.”

Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Located just one T stop or a 10-minute walk away from Northeastern, boasting over 400,000 works of art and free to Northesatern students, the MFA provides a place to stay warm and appreciate beautiful masterpieces.

The museum also offers studio art classes from beginner to advanced, lectures like “Leonardo da Vinci’s Ideals of Beauty and Ugliness” and courses such as the multi-week “Hollywood Glamour and the Birth of the Cool.”

Roberta King, assistant director of Member and Visitor Services, says that there is an upsurge of visitors during the winter, particularly on Saturdays. For King, the MFA is a good winter attraction because of new and exciting exhibitions.

“The concerts are great. The films are fun and accessible,” King said. “Just the fact that the exhibitions are constantly changing is wonderful. There’s always something new to see.”

Students may be particularly interested to hear of the MFA’s later hours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – open until 9:45 p.m.

Huntington Theatre Huntington Theatre, located at 264 Huntington Ave., is a 5-minute walk from campus and offers students $15 tickets with their school ID. “The Huntington Theatre brings together superb local and national talent to produce a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current,” Desiree Barry, communications manager at the Huntington Theatre, said.

Though the theatre has had to cancel several performances and events due to snow, Barry has found that people are still coming out to see its productions, including “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” the Broadway production of which won a Tony Award.

“In the winter, our tendencies are to stay inside and hibernate, and I think getting out of the house and experiencing a live performance with other audience members can keep the wintertime blues at bay,” Barry said.

Be on the lookout for the Huntington’s next play, “The Colored Museum.”

Coolidge Corner Theater With an appearance straight out of the Golden Age of Cinema – even featuring a velvet red curtain – the Coolidge Corner Theater

shows movies ranging from Oscar nominees like “The Imitation Game” to independent releases and cult classics. The theater is an independent nonprofit cinema that’s been around since 1936.

“One reason we stand out so much is we have signature film series, where we have an interactive

speaker beforehand who introduces the movie and gets people excited, and then we play the movie,” Marketing and Outreach Coordinator Bianca Costello said. “Right now, we’re showing ‘Evil Dead II.’ Before the movie, the speaker, Steven [Schlozman] ‘Dr. Zombie,’ is going to lecture why people love scary

movies, and then the movie plays.

This ties in science to the film.”

According to Costello, the theater provides relief from the winter in the form of a sense of familiarity.

“It is a good community place where you can just hang out with friends and watch films,” Costello said.

Photo by Scotty Schenck

The entrance to the BPL Central Branch boasts twin lions, beautiful architecture and the promise of warmth.

Photo by Scotty Schenck

The Frog Pond, located in Boston Common, is one of the few attractions that uses the winter to its advantage.

Photo by Scotty Schenck

A European Art hall in the MFA displays paintings, tapestries and pottery that are hundreds of years old.

inside

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

Page 7

Indie filmmakers score in Oscar nominations

By Isaac Feldberg News Correspondent

As dissimilar as this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Picture seem on the surface, from ambitious filmmaking experiments like “Boyhood” and “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” to innovative biopics like “The Imitation Game” and “The Theory of Everything,” one must admit that it has been an unexpectedly good year for the risk-takers.

Independent filmmakers, usually the individuals most thoroughly rebuffed by the Academy, swooped in to steal nominations from more conspicuous awards players. Sundance darling “Whiplash” (from fresh face Damien Chazelle) and Wes Anderson’s lovably eccentric “The Grand Budapest Hotel” snagged Best Picture nominations, beating out Bennett Miller’s dark drama “Foxcatcher,” Angelina Jolie’s award-friendly biopic “Unbroken” and J.C. Chandor’s dark horse contender “A Most Violent Year.”

Even the most robust of the nominees – Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Birdman” and Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” – came together on the indie circuit, built by directors who took monumental risks behind the camera.

Iñárritu’s film appears to unfold in one unbroken shot, whereas Linklater spent 12 years shooting his film without a completed script nor contracts for his actors. This year, the Academy awarded audacity. In

selecting nominees, the two buzzwords were “indelible” and “individual.” The common thread among these filmmakers is that, above all else, they did it their way.

Given that, why did the nominations shake out the way they did?

This year, nothing was on the Academy’s mind more than time.

“Boyhood” charts its passage like a flowing river, carrying a child forward through the years as if he’s nothing but driftwood, powerless against the rushing current of his early years.

“The Theory of Everything” chronicles the physical and emotional toll time takes on one uncommonly tenacious romance. The layered flashbacks of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” are just one way in which the film, set in a nation long lost to war, ruminates on time’s farreaching ravages.

“American Sniper,” “Selma,” “The Imitation Game” and “Whiplash” all reflect another fixation of the Academy’s – topicality. Each film addresses a different, painfully current fear.

“American Sniper” ponders the invisible scars each soldier bears, whether enough is being done to heal those wounds and for what purpose they were inflicted in the first place. The history lessons of “Selma” speak powerfully to a nation that is incensed again by racial injustice in the here and now.

“The Imitation Game” reminds society that monstrous acts against a brilliant, benevolent man were not

Photos courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures

“Birdman,” starring Michael Keaton (above), is one of the front runners in the Oscar race for Best Picture.

long ago considered justice due to his homosexuality.

And “Whiplash” asks a country facing the Common Core and the increasing selectivity of college admissions whether there’s a limit to how far teachers can push their students in the pursuit of greatness.

In one way or another, each tapped into a separate area of the cultural

zeitgeist.

The outlier – and, oddly, the frontrunner – is “Birdman,” a fanciful paean to artists that blends fantasy and reality. Outside of its technical brilliance, “Birdman” connected with voters. Like two of the past three Best Picture winners (“The Artist” and “Argo”), it is about the finesse and frustration of original

creation and about how the best actors give themselves over entirely to their roles, becoming all the more tormented for it.

The film’s operatic glorification of showbiz is so amenable to the Academy’s elevated self-image that, were a wild card like “Boyhood” not in the mix, the Best Picture race Oscars, Page 8

Geoff Ong to debut “The Boston EP” on March 3 “The Boston EP,” From Page 1 and that made me realize that music wasn’t just playing classical and playing everything correctly, that you could actually have fun with it and actually express yourself with it,” Ong said.

Ong’s influences include a combination of classic soul, pop and R&B artists, such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, The Temptations and Michael Jackson, as well as more modern musicians, such as Frank Ocean, Beyoncé and Lauryn Hill.

While he has consistently been playing music in bands since he started high school, he began writing songs when he was 20. It was then that music became more than a hobby.

Prior to taking up music full-time, Ong studied to become a mechanical engineer and ended up working in the field for a few years in Auckland, New Zealand. However, he was always working on his music on the

side and decided that he had to try pursuing music professionally.

“It felt like it was the right time for me to switch and really have a go of it,” Ong said. “I felt like if I didn’t give [music] a try, I always would have wondered what would have happened if I had tried it properly.”

“The Boston EP,” his first new release since moving to the city, is a seven-track meditation on getting over a breakup.

“When I moved from Auckland to Boston, I had to break up with my girlfriend at the time and it was a crappy experience,” Ong said.

“There was no animosity between us or anything like that, which made it more difficult to really move on.

There are a lot of conflicting emotions here, and that is what kind of brought it all out on this EP.” “The Boston EP” opens with “Massachusetts Avenue,” an upbeat track that functions as an introduction to the compilation both thematically and geographically. It also

showcases Ong’s musical prowess and songwriting skills.

It then launches into “The Last Song I’ll Ever Write About You,” the EP’s single, and, as the title would suggest, delves deeper into the breakup. However, it remains musically cheerful.

The next few songs begin to slow down and become more outwardly somber. “This Is Really It” eases the listener into this more mellow portion of the EP, while “How To Be Alone,” the other single, fully embraces a melancholy vibe that continues into “September.”

“How Long, Boston” brings the subject back around to the city and how to feel at home in a new place.

“For F**K’s Sake (I Used To Know You)” closes out the album with a track that embodies the many mixed emotions of the previous songs with the lyrics “I thought I used to love you, but now I know better, because I still do.”

The fact that this EP chronicles

such a specific period in Ong’s life made the writing process much more cohesive compared to his previous EPs, he said.

“It was a much more condensed writing process with this EP,” Ong said. “With the previous EPs, they took me in the order of a year to write, produce and record, but this one was done in about three or four months, which was really fun.”

Ong moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music in the summer of 2014. Berklee attracted him because his aunt graduated from the school in the ‘70s and always spoke highly of it, urging him to attend, but he was also drawn by its approach to music education.

“I thought about music schools around the world and was thinking about what kind of curriculum they offered, and Berklee was kind of modern and forward,” Ong said. I thought that that would be beneficial for me to learn from that kind of curriculum.”

Despite the adjustment period hinted at it in the song “How Long, Boston” in the lyric “Boston how long ‘til you feel like home?” Ong is enjoying living in the city.

“I really like the music scene;that is really great,” Ong said. “The people here are really cool. There is a stereotype that people from Boston are angry and shout and swear a lot, but I haven’t really run into too many people like that. The city itself is really beautiful. I like the brownstones and the parks.”

For the next few months, Ong’s focus is going to be playing shows and promoting “The Boston EP,” including a release party on March 5 at Hennessy’s pub in Faneuil Hall with George Woods and Proper Company, Blue Light Bandits and Ben Knight.

In March, he is also playing at the CatvsOwl showcase at the music and film festival South by Southwest in Austin, Texas and several other shows in the Boston and Cambridge areas.

Photos courtesy Michael Mehalick

Left: Geoff Ong’s EP, titled “The Boston EP,” will be released on March 3. Right: Ong moved from Auckland, New Zealand to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music in 2014.

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

Page 8

inside

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

Academy values creativity over topicality

Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Jake McDorman (left) and Bradley Cooper star in “American Sniper,” directed by Clint Eastwood.

Oscars, From Page 7 would already be over.

And yet, Linklater’s cinematic experiment adds unpredictability to the Oscar race. Hollywood adores the director for his vision and 12-year commitment to a project unlike any ever undertaken, let alone successfully executed, and even those who had issues with the finished product can’t deny its singularity.

“Boyhood” is not the best film of 2014 (one could make a case for “Selma,” a stirring drama that, in its masterful connecting of the Civil Rights Movement to current events, both defined the year and was defined by it), but it may be the one that Oscar voters remember most as they glance over their ballots.

Forecasters have been calling the race a competition between “Boy-

hood” and “Birdman” for over a month now. That seems about right, though the box-office power of “American Sniper” and the awardsbait trappings of “The Imitation Game” make them possible spoilers.

A victory for “American Sniper,” the movie every viewer will know, would (somewhat ironically, given their shared subject matter) help redeem the Academy in the eyes of a public still smarting from “The Hurt Locker” beating “Avatar.” Meanwhile, “The Imitation Game” is the most innocuous choice voters, who sometimes play it safe (think “The King’s Speech”), could make.

In the end, it seems most likely that “Birdman,” with all its bells and whistles, will triumph over its quieter, more lyrical adversary.

There is one certainty in this ​

year’s race, though. “Selma,” unforgivably and inexplicably snubbed for Best Actor, Director, Original Screenplay and Cinematography, may not take Best Picture, but it already has the long game locked up.

Looking back on the race even weeks from now, it will be amusing to the public and deeply embarrassing to the Academy that, after a year in which long-simmering racial tensions finally boiled over into passionate protest, a year when Michael Brown and Eric Garner became household names, it couldn’t get its voters’ heads out of the clouds.

Instead of honoring an artful and ardent distillation of the most pressing social issue facing American society, the Academy will applaud one of two winsome, cinematic gimmicks.

“Boyhood,” directed by Richard Linklater, was filmed over 12 years and chronicles a boy’s growth into adolescence.

By Mary Whitfill Editor-In-Chief Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven the reindeer have ventured far from the kingdom of Arendelle to bring a little ice magic to TD Garden. The sisters and their trusty sidekicks took to the rink on Friday for Boston’s first performance of Disney On Ice presents Frozen.

The Disney film has garnered millions of die-hard fans across the globe, and those familiar with the Oscar-winning story will find a lot to love with Feld Entertainment’s latest. However, those less familiar with the original story will spend a lot of time scratching their heads as the show, a shortened version of the feature film, left out a few crucial plot points.

The parents of Elsa and Anna,

princesses of Arendelle, are omitted from the story completely.

Although they didn’t feature heavily in the film to begin with, their presence made it clear why a troll was involved in the lives of the young royals and why Elsa spent so much time alienating her little sister. Without them, the audience is left confused as to why an outof-place troll-king named Pabbie is explaining that Anna was struck by magic, and why the queen-tobe never comes out of her room.

These confusions take some of the magic away from one of the films most lovable songs, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”

However, seeing as how nearly everyone in America has either seen or been exposed to the original plot, we get the point: Elsa can’t control her powers and lives

in fear of being discovered. The childhood of the sisters is glossed over in the on-ice performance, but when the pair finally reach adolescence, performers Taylor Firth and Becky Bereswill shine.

The first 20 minutes of the show also introduce us to Kristoff and Sven (arguably a more loveable

pair than Elsa and Anna), the despicable Prince Hans of the Southern Isles and the hilarious “agile peacock” that is the Duke of Weselton.

Shortly before intermission, the ice queen flees her coronation and runs to the North Mountain to build her new palace. As soon as

Photo courtesy Mongrel Media

Review: Disney On Ice performs “Frozen”

Photo courtesy Feld Entertainment

Becky Bereswill plays ice queen Elsa in Disney On Ice presents Frozen.

the white-blond braid comes down, the blue chiffon costume makes its debut and the glittery cape whips around, the air changes and the room buzzes with the excitement of hundreds of young fans on the edge of their seats. From here, the show continues with the original Frozen, Page 9

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

calendar Entry of the Week

“Evil Dead II” frightens at Coolidge Corner Theatre Monday, Feb. 23 Want to add a little fright to your Monday night?

The historic Coolidge Corner Theatre is hosting a Science on Screen night with the film “Evil Dead II.” The 1987 sequel to Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” is sure to thrill horror-lovers with its special-effect makeup, which aids in particularly gory scenes like when Natalie puts a nail gun to her head. Before the film, Steven Schlozman, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will speak about why humans have an affinity for scary movies. 290 Harvard Street, Brookline; 7 - 9:30 p.m.; $9.25.

Photo courtesy Terror on Tape, Creative Commons

Calendar compiled by Alana Dore, Deputy Inside Editor Thursday, Feb. 19

Do you talk to strangers? Well, Liars & Believers (LAB), a live performance group, wants to find out. In collaboration with the Boston Circus Guild and 15 Boston performers, LAB has created an immersive event featuring live music, art installations, videos, dance, poetry and aerial performance in Club Oberon at the American Repertory Theatre.

For one night only, this show explores how people isolate themselves and connect to each other.

It encourages you to make friends with people you usually pass by. 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge; 7:30 - 9 p.m.; $25.

Friday, Feb. 20

Make a stop at the Catalyst Comedy Club this Friday to see Boston’s Unscripted Musical Project (BUMP). Each show is a distinctive and totally improvised one-act musical. Beginning with a title suggestion from the audience, the talented and musically inclined improvisers develop a show complete with dialogue, dancing, music and lyrics.

Don’t miss out on this one-of-akind experience. Afterward, stick around for a showing of Micah Sherman’s new sitcom “Improvising.” 50 Melcher Street; 8 - 9 p.m.; $15-20.

Saturday, Feb. 21

This weekend, Athena’s Players, a performance group at Boston University, is bringing attention to V-Day, a worldwide movement to end violence against women, with its production of “The Vagina Monologues.” The revered play by Eve Ensler celebrates and explores topics related to female sexuality and empowerment. All proceeds from the performance will go to the Finex House, a Jamaica Plain shelter for women and children who have been victims of abuse or trafficking. Jacob Sleeper Auditorium; 871 Commonwealth Ave.; 2 - 4 p.m.; $15.

Sunday, Feb. 22

Missing the flowers, chocolates and sappy cards of Valentine’s Day already? The Wave Boston, a daytime dance party at Middlesex Lounge, pushed its Valentine’s Day festivities to this Sunday due to snow. This dance party, sponsored by CLLCTV, will feature sets from Texas Mike, Thaddeus Jeffries and DJ7L, as well as some special Valentine-themed surprises. Bring your significant other, your friends or take the opportunity to meet new people while heating things up on the dance floor.

21+; 315 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge; 4 - 10 p.m.; $10.

Tuesday, Feb. 24

Spend Tuesday night at the legendary Sacco’s Bowl Haven – an old school bowling and pizza joint – which offers Candlepin bowling to complement its wide selection of wood-fired pizzas and flatbreads.

Sacco’s Bowl Haven will host a “Friend-Raising” event to support the Cambridge Art Association’s exhibition program and the RECYCLE Creativity Lab for youth.

The RECYCLE Lab pairs community youth with professional artists to turn recyclable items into artwork. 45 Day Street, Somerville; 5 - 9 p.m.; varies.

Wednesday, Feb. 25

Now in its 23rd year, the Write of Spring concert has become a Berklee College of Music experience not to be missed. Hosted by the college’s Jazz Composition Department, the night features original compositions by faculty members like Jeff Claassen, Ayn Inserto, Darrell Katz, Jackson Schultz and Bill Scism. These compositions will be performed by an incredible band of nine faculty members in the Berklee Performance Center. If you’re looking for jazz inspiration, come meet some of the talented instructors, performers and composers all present at this event. 136 Massachusetts Ave.; 8 - 10 p.m.; $12.

Page 9

How honest is too honest?

Go around and ask a few Northeastern students why they decided to come to school here and you are guaranteed to hear one response over and over again: co-op. Whether you’re looking to boost your résumé, get some handson experience or just can’t bear the thought of spending another semester sleeping in Snell Library and bullying your group project members into actually doing their work, co-op is the solution. It’s the perfect blend of pretending to be an adult during the week and then using your ample time over the weekend to remember you’re still in college, except now you actually have money to fund your excessive vodka consumption.

However, the road to this life of luxury can be arduous, if not downright depressing. Suddenly you realize two years working at Uno doesn’t fill up very much space on a résumé and there’s only so much you can say about that one summer you interned for your dad’s public relations firm and how it applies to your architecture major. While the process does become easier with time and experience, the first time co-op candidate can face some major challenges – and a crash course in expert-level bullsh***ing. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my first year applying for co-ops, it’s how to spin my résumé and stretch the truth just enough to reach the realm of “relevant experience.” This endeavor can be particularly difficult if the job isn’t even something that I’m actually interested in, but rather somehow ended up on the “apply to” list in a fit of desperation.

While I do genuinely care about most of the jobs I apply for, it’s inevitable that we will all end up applying for at least one job that we just couldn’t care less about, but somehow have to make it sound like we do.

This is how I imagine that cover letter would sound, if I were actually honest about how I felt: May 10, 2015* To whom it may concern: My name is Rebecca Sirull and at this point I’m pretty much desperate. I never heard back from any of my top companies and my only offer thus far has been the ambiguous role of “office assistant” at an insurRebecca Sirull ance agency in Newton (unpaid). Now, it’s down to the classic copy, paste, send and pray. Due to my minimal qualifications and mediocre capabilities, I highly expect to be turned down by most of the companies I apply to, but I figure it’s worth a shot. I think a co-op position at *insert company name here* would be both slightly interesting and moderately related to my desired career path. Oh, and my dad’s cousin’s neighbor worked in your human resources department for three months in 1992, so feel free to reach out to him for a recommendation.

My ultimate goal is to find a career that somehow combines my passions of eating Doritos and stalking people from my high school on social media.

Ideally, the job would allow me to work from my bed with as little intervention from corporate management as possible. So, as you can see, this position provides me with almost none of the skills or experience necessary to reach that dream. Nevertheless, I feel that by working at your company I would be able to earn some extra money that I could promptly drink/eat/ shop away.

Finally, I think I could be a real asset to your company, despite having no experience in that field and grossly over-exaggerating all my positive personal qualities. My friends describe me as highly motivated, a strong team player and exceptionally detail-oriented. Professors and advisors have echoed this sentiment with praise such as, “Yeah, she definitely showed up to almost all of my classes” and “Nearly all of the other students stayed awake during her final presentation.”

In conclusion, I think it’s clear that I have no specific interest in your company nor have I provided any indication that I would be successful in this position. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Rebecca *You may notice the date of this letter, which is just a cool two months before the start date of this position and a slightly less cool four months after my advisor recommended I begin this process. While she views it as “procrastination” and being “lazy,” I prefer to attribute my delayed application as a sign of my highly refined selection process, which has taken these past several months to perfect. Or maybe it’s because they put “Friends” on Netflix.

-Rebecca Sirull can be reached at Inside@HuntNewsNU.com Frozen, From Page 8

Photo Courtesy Feld Entertainment

Ice skater Taylor Firth stars as Anna, alongside Olaf, in Disney On Ice’s rendition of “Frozen” at TD Garden.

charm of the film.

Throughout the show, a majority of the movie’s songs are featured, including “Love Is an Open Door,” “Let It Go,” “Fixer Upper” and “In Summer.” The audience cheerfully sang along as parents balanced youngsters on their laps and the most energetic of the bunch ran the stairs in their Elsa costumes performing their favorite tunes.

The dialogue was straight from the film and the actors lipsynced directly over the original audio clips with the exception of a few lines. Realistically, matching movement to voice is no easy task and all of the actors convincingly melted into their characters throughout the show. The strong figure skating made the actor’s experience apparent and Hans even pulled out a back flip at the beginning of the performance.

Disney On Ice presents Frozen uses lighting, props, projections and pyrotechnics to create a growing ice monster (comically named

Marshmallow) that threatens Anna, Kristoff and Olaf, sends Kristoff across the ice on a self-propelling sled (twice) and creates a fountain that “freezes” under Elsa’s powers. The effects are cheesy to the grown-up eye, but had children mesmerized across the Garden.

The biggest special-effects failure came in the final minutes of the show, when Anna is turned to ice.

Or, in this case, just stands very still.

There is no special effect, additional costuming or any other way of showing why Hans’ attempt to hit the princess with his sword sends him reeling backwards.

For all we know, the guy slipped.

However, true “Frozen” fans will understand the plot, despite its shortcomings, and relish the onice magic as it unfolds in front of them.

Overall, the show was a fun, albeit over-priced, live-action version of one of Disney’s most captivating films to date. A crosscountry traveling bunch, the show is at the Garden through Feb. 22.

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

Page 10

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

sports

Women’s hockey gains three against UConn

By Emily Pagliaroli News Correspondent

Needing just one point, the Northeastern women’s team came away from a weekend in Storrs, Conn. with three CAA points, advancing to third place in the Hockey East standings. Saturday, NU faced University of Connecticut (UConn) and pulled out a last second victory to make the final score 4-2. The teams squared off again on Sunday afternoon, which resulted in a 2-2 tie.

In goal for NU was senior assistant captain Chloe Desjardins and junior goaltender Elaine Chuli started for UConn.

Early in the first period, freshman forward Christina Zalewski was called for tripping and sent to the penalty box. Senior forward Kayla Campero got UConn on the WOMEN’S HOCKEY EAST Hockey East

19-0

Overall

29-1-1

1

Boston College

2

Boston University

15-4

21-7-2

3

Northeastern

9-8-2

10-15-5

4

Maine

9-9-1

10-16-3

5

New Hampshire

6-11-2

9-19-3

6

Connecticut

3-11-5

7-17-8

Providence

5-13-1

6-21-4

8

Vermont

4-14-1 13-17-2

board first during the power play.

Just a few minutes later, sophomore forward Kelly Harris put UConn ahead by two, slipping the puck just past Desjardins’ reach.

Midway through the first period, Zalewski came back to score her first collegiate goal against UConn, putting the Huskies within one. Assisted by junior defenseman Tori Hickel, Zalewski put the puck right above Chuli’s shoulder to end the first with a score of 2-1 UConn.

Early in the second period, freshman forward Shelby Herrington was called for hooking. Just seconds later, junior forward captain Kendall Coyne scored a short-handed goal. Coyne picked off a pass to score her National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-leading fourth short-handed goal of the year. Desjardins managed to keep the score tied at 2-2 for the remainder of the second period.

Seven minutes into the third period, UConn capitalized an open opportunity as senior forward Sarah MacDonnell was able to put UConn ahead 3-2. Shortly after, Coyne tied the game once again. Freshman forward Denisa Krizova passed the puck to Coyne who tipped the puck into the net.

Redshirt junior defenseman Caitlin Hewes received a penalty for checking with less than two minutes left in regulation. This penalty would cost UConn the game as Krizova scored with 49 seconds

left to give the Huskies a 4-3 win.

On Sunday at 3 p.m., the Husky teams battled for the second game.

Desjardins started in net once again for NU and freshman goaltender Annie Belanger started for UConn.

Sophomore forward Melissa Haganey got a penalty for hooking midway through the first period, resulting in the first goal of the game for UConn. Campero chipped the puck just out of Desjardins’ reach to make the score 1-0. Belanger prevented NU from getting any shots past in the first period.

Both teams came back to the second prepared to fight. Early in the period, NU went on the power play and capitalized with the manadvantage. Krizova made the initial shot, which deflected off Belanger.

Sophomore forward Hayley Masters came back with the rebound to fire it past Belanger and tie the game.

Late in the second period, UConn’s MacDonnell scored her eighth goal of the season to put NU behind by one. That would be the end of the UConn’s attack as Desjardins refused to let any more shots get past her for the remainder of the game.

Krizova was able to find freshman forward Taytum Clairmont to tie the game up in the third period.

Both teams prepared for a five-minute overtime.

Desjardins’ saved six shots in overtime and the teams ended in a 2-2 draw.

“I thought we battled hard today,” Head Coach Dave Flint said. “We

tion (CAA) opponents. The CAA has treated NU poorly all season, with the Huskies only in-conference victory occurring on Jan. 16 against this same UNCW squad.

Just as it did a month ago, NU found success offensively against the relatively inexperienced Seahawks roster, exceeding its average scoring output by 16 points in the loss.

Five different Huskies reached double-figure point totals, including a career-high 20-point perfor-

mance from senior guard Amencie Mercier. Mercier connected on seven of 12 shots from the field and 3-4 from behind the arc, all while adding five assists and two steals in a full 40 minutes of play.

“Tonight, Mercier had a fantastic, fantastic game,” Head Coach Kelly Cole said in a postgame interview with GoNU.com. “We’re asking her to play 40 minutes a game, every game, and she continues to lead this team in any way that she can.”

Photo courtesy Northeastern University Athletics

Freshman forward Denisa Krizova, 41, scored the game-winning goal against Connecticut with 49.2 seconds to play on Saturday. had a lot of shots, a lot of chances. against the University of New HampCredit to their goalie, she played shire this weekend, the first in Durwell, but overall I’m pleased.” ham, N.H. on Saturday and the secThe Huskies play two games ond at Matthews Arena on Sunday.

Huskies drop eighth straight conference game

By Owen Pence News Correspondent

Despite its best offensive performance of the season, the Northeastern women’s basketball team (4-19) was bested once again on Sunday afternoon, losing 84-78 to the University of North Carolina-Wilmington (UNCW) Seahawks (10-14).

It was the Huskies eighth straight loss, all of which came against Colonial Athletic Associa-

While Mercier led the charge out of the gate, it was a noteworthy team effort throughout the entire first half.

NU hit 17 of its 27 first-half field goal attempts, including seven 3-pointers from four different players. Headlining the group was freshman forward Maureen Taggart, whose nine firsthalf points all came from behind the arc, providing integral floorspacing and outside shooting for the Huskies as she has done all season.

NU’s 44-38 halftime lead didn’t last, however, as the Seahawks regained the lead on a layup from sophomore guard Amber Reeves with 12:31 remaining. After much back and forth, UNCW grabbed the lead for good on a successful jumper from sophomore guard Naqaiyyah Teague, making it 7270 Seahawks with 4:44 remaining.

Although the Huskies would stick around until the final minute, Cole’s group couldn’t put together enough defensive stops to reclaim the lead.

“We’re putting together some fantastic ball movement,” Cole said.

“We’re executing offensively better and better every single game. We’re learning how to work together and find each other and it’s showing in our offensive production. Our biggest task coming up here is going to be finding a way to play some defense.”

Defense is what has plagued the Huskies of late, having allowed

70 or more points in five of their last six contests for an average of 74 a game, well above their seasonal average of 69 points allowed per game. NU was able to hold the Seahawks to just eight bench points, the lone bright spot in an otherwise bleak defensive effort.

Still, Sunday’s loss had no shortage of encouraging signs for the Huskies as they enter the home stretch of their regular season schedule. NU shot 52.5 percent from the field on the afternoon and 58.8 percent from three, well above its average marks of 39 percent and 32.6 percent, respectively. These offensive contributions came from all different directions, including an impressive 24 points from the Husky reserves.

“In this league, people are able to shut down one person or two people, but they’re not going to shut down five,” Cole said.

This week, NU returns home for a pair of rematches with conference rivals Elon University on Thursday at 7 p.m. and the College of Charleston on Sunday at 2 p.m., hoping to put an end to its eight-game losing streak.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Cole said. “As tough as it is to continue to say that, we’re doing some really nice things.”

The Huskies hope that those “nice things” are finally able to translate into their first victory in over a month.

Photo courtesy UNCW Athletics

Sophomore center Francesca Sally, 33, scored 11 points against UNCW.

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

sports

P a g e 11

NU wins 2 games v. UConn Witt, Roy strong options as goalies Hockey, From Page 1

Huskies added to their lead as sophomore forward Brendan Collier set up freshman defenseman Garret Cockerill for a one-timer that found the bottom corner of the net. Leading 3-0 with less than four minutes left in the first period, NU went to the power play again. Sophomore defenseman Matt Benning sent a pass to Roy, who ripped it by Nichols from the faceoff circle. While killing off a penalty late in the period, redshirt senior forward Torin Snydeman stole the puck deep in UConn’s zone and found Szmatula in front for an easy tally. The two teams went to the locker room with NU up 5-0.

It was much of the same for the Huskies in the second period. Halfway through the second, AstonReese flew through the neutral zone and sent a pass to Szmatula, who entered the UConn zone. Szmatula found Saucerman, who put the the puck on the net, trailing on the play.

Aston-Reese tipped Saucerman’s shot through the legs of Nichols to complete his first hat trick as a Husky. Aston-Reese has now scored nine goals this season, surpassing his total of eight goals last season.

“My practice habits have changed,” Aston-Reese said.

“I’ve been working on bearing down in front of the net.”

In the last minute of the second period, sophomore forward Dalen Hedges fired a pass to Roy in front, who tipped home his second goal of the game.

Five minutes into the third period, junior forward Mike McMurtry sent the puck in front to Hedges, who slid it to a wide-open Roy. Roy slammed the puck home for the hat trick, his first since Oct. 11 of last season. Roy was not done there, as he buried a pass from Benning to make the score 9-0

Photo by Arzu Martinez

Sophomore forward Dalen Hedges, 27, and senior defenseman Jacob Poe, 5, fight for the puck during Friday’s game at Matthews Arena. with under nine minutes remaining. before Hedges found the back “We know we can beat any of the net with help from Mcteam any night,” Roy said. Murtry and Kevin Roy. Later in Roy’s four goals bring him to 16 the period, senior forward capthis season, the most of any Husky. tain Adam Reid got on the board NU and UConn had a quick turn with his third goal of the season. around after the game and preIn the first four minutes of the pared for a 3:35 p.m. puck drop third period, Reid scored again to on Saturday. This time, it was red- make it 5-1 NU. Snydeman added shirt sophomore Derick Roy be- one final tally to make the score 6-1. tween the pipes for the Huskies.

The Huskies will travel to It took NU a little over 10 minutes Maine next weekend in an atto get the scoring started. Hedges tempt to continue their six-game found freshman defenseman Trevor winning streak against the UniOwens, who ripped a shot past Nich- versity of Maine. NU currently ols to put the Huskies on top 1-0. sits in fifth place in Hockey East.

Early in the second period, Snydeman got on the board with For more photos, assists from Aston-Reese and Benvisit huntnewsnu.com ning. UConn cut NU’s lead to 2-1

24 Huskies rock climb in club

By Jodie Ng News Staff

Despite having started only last year, the Northeastern Rock Climbing Club has already made strides toward making an impact on campus.

Co-founders sophomore Evan Goldfinger and junior Josh Levin began building the foundation for the team last fall, which started with 13 climbers and now has 24 members.

Approximately 50 Huskies tried out for a spot on the team this semester.

“It was an idea fall semester,” Goldfinger said of his inspiration in 2013. “Then, closer to the end of fall semester, we really started pushing forward with it and into spring [2014] semester, it finally started.”

As for Levin, he’s still occasionally surprised by how far the club has come.

“The fact that we could go from essentially nothing to being a huge part of campus culture today blows my mind every time I think about it,” Levin said. “[It] makes me really proud of what we’ve accomplished in such a short period of time.”

When Goldfinger, president of the club, and Levin, captain of the team, were initially recruiting members, it was a mere two weeks before regionals and a month before nationals. Due to the nature and size of the sport, a team gets an automatic bid to nationals if they compete in regionals.

Even with a completely new squad, the Huskies climbed their way to second place.

“I thought we were going to do well but I didn’t know what well meant,” Goldfinger said. “Second place was a surprise, but we were definitely psyched about it.”

The rock climbing team has experienced members who added to the unexpected finish.

“I wasn’t really sure at first what our team was capable of,” Levin said. “However, we had a couple of really strong contenders, including senior Olivia Metcalf who has been on the US National Team before, and a couple of others with strong competition experience.”

Levin attributed the Huskies’

It seems like men’s hockey Head Coach Jim Madigan can make no bad decision when choosing whom to start in the net.

Entering the home stretch of the 2014-15 season, Northeastern’s men’s hockey team has two strong goalies in between the pipes. Redshirt senior goalie Clay Witt, one of the squad’s assistant captains, has been the de facto starter from day one after a breakout junior season. In Witt’s injury absences, redshirt sophomore Derick Roy has played extremely well.

Witt won the job of starter in the preseason last year by outplaying Roy and then-senior Bryan Mountain. He was named a Mike Richter Award finalist, the award for the top goaltender in Division I hockey, while recording a .932 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average in 32 games. He also tied for eighth place in the nation with four shutouts.

Roy, in the meantime, stepped up his ice time.

After logging just five games as a backup last year, Roy has been terrific for the stretches in which Witt has been injured. He was named the Stop It Goaltender of the Month by Hockey East in January after helping lead the Huskies to a 4-0-1 record in the games he played that month.

Both goalies have seen significant ice time this season, with Witt logging over 1,000 minutes in 17 starts and Roy clocking in at just over 745 minutes for his 12 starts. But when comparing their season stats, the two might just be indistinguishable.

Roy has a .915 save percentage and averages 2.58 Dan McLoone goals against per game. Witt has a .913 save perDan’s Den centage and averages 2.51 goals against per game.

Based on their résumés before the season, it would seem as though Witt would have been the superior netminder. If one told a Husky fan during preseason that Roy was starting numerous games, they might assume that it was solely because Witt was injured. But that hasn’t been the case.

Even after Witt returned from a nagging upper body injury midway through the season, Madigan was so impressed with Roy’s performance that he has been giving Witt a rest down the stretch. And it has not been a step down in performance.

This past weekend against the University of Connecticut, Witt and Roy each started one game. Witt recorded 27 saves on the Friday night game at Matthews Arena in a big 9-0 win. Roy made 30 saves the next day as the Huskies won 6-1 at the XL Center in Connecticut.

Both goalies have proven their worth during the 14-3-3 stretch that NU has been on since starting the season 0-8-1. They will need the strong play to continue down the home stretch, with three crucial matchups against Boston University (BU) looming to end the season. NU currently sits at fifth place in Hockey East with five games left in the regular season: four conference games and the Beanpot Championship. Even if the Huskies win out, though, it is doubtful that they would get an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.

While they have recently been one of the best teams in the nation, the nine game winless stretch to start the season all but ensures their lack of a bid.

That means that they will need to win the Hockey East tournament and earn an automatic bid. The tournament will be a gauntlet that could see them need wins against BU, Boston College or University of Massachusetts Lowell, all some of the top scoring teams in the nation. The key to winning against those high-powered offenses will be stopping them defensively and that duty will fall on Witt and Roy. Regardless of whom Madigan decides to start, the team is confident in either option, and, with Roy still in a Husky uniform next season as well, the pain of losing Witt after this season won’t be as bad.

-Dan McLoone can be reached at Sports@HuntNewsNU.com.

Darrow jumps 7.54 meters in win at BU

By David Konowitch News Correspondent

Photo courtesy Northeastern Rock Climbing Club

Third-year Tara MacMullin, a member of Northeastern Rock Climbing Club, climbs at MetroRock Climbing Centers. success to strategizing before- tion size in CCS is growing, these hand and deciding “who should Huskies truly do not know what to specialize in certain events.” expect. Last year, there were just “I was really proud of the team over 220 competitors and, this year, for pulling off the second-place that number is expected to rise. finish, but there’s still lots of room “We have a really great team for improvement,” Levin said. this year,” Goldfinger said. “But NU competes in the Colle- I’m not sure what the compegiate Climbing Series (CCS) tition is going to be like this — a subdivision of US Climb- year compared to last year.” ing. The competition is broken Regardless, the team is deterup into three categories: boulder- mined to cruise its way to vicing, rope climbing and speed. tory and, at the moment, the Many believe that rock climbing club is focusing on climbing is based on time, but, in fact, speed and physical exercise with Head is the only category where that is so. Coach Mike Foley to help them.

The other two disciplines are based “I’m sure our increased training on score and points can be earned regimen will help us step it up to depending on the route the climber the next level this year,” Levin said. takes. For bouldering and rope qualRock climbing is not only about ifiers, climbers can earn a higher getting to the top. It’s more than just score depending on the difficulty of scaling rocks and mountains, and acthe route they choose. For rope finals, cording to Goldfinger, it’s definitely there is one set route that is extreme- a sport that is easy to underestimate. ly difficult and the higher up the wall “People are getting more exone gets, the more points they earn. cited about climbing which is reThis year, both nationals and re- ally awesome,” he said. “It’s fun, gionals are in mid-April. Accord- but you also get a huge workout. ing to Foley, because the competi- It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

As the regular season winds down, the Northeastern track and field team competed at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational hosted

by Boston University last weekend.

The two-day event had the women compete on Friday and the men compete on Saturday.

NU continued its drive toward the postseason with 34 athletes reaching qualifying standards for the New England Championships and the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) Championships for the women and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships for the men.

The Huskies also had six athletes set personal bests and 10 athletes finish in the top 10 of their events. This highly competitive invitational routinely has over 100 competitors in individual events.

The women’s team’s most impressive performance came in the 3000-meter race, in which three distance runners had personal bests and hit top qualifying standards. Sophomores Lucy Young and Jordan O’Dea and freshman Kerri Ruffo completed the event in 9:37.20, 9:46.75 and 9:55.83, respectively. The three times were all top-five in NU history.

The women were strong again in the throws, with junior thrower Alexandra Rose finishing sixth

and setting a personal best in the weight throw with a toss of 16.75 meters. Junior thrower Jenna Serunian added a heave of 12.80 meters in the shot put, earning ninth place.

Junior vaulter Jacilyn Briggs contributed a fourth-place finish in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 3.80 meters.

For the men, freshman hurdler Jordan Samuels continued his impressive season, finishing fifth in the 60-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 8.14 seconds. Senior hurdler Jared Lane chipped in an eighth-place finish at 8.28 seconds.

The 60-meter dash had four Huskies place in the top 20 with less than one second separating the pack. Sophomore sprinter Kyle Darrow led the way, finishing 10th in 6.99 seconds.

Sophomore middle distance runner Paul Duffey finished 17th in the mile and set a personal best by completing the race in 4:02.10. Duffey is now the fifth-fastest mile-runner in NU history. Graduate student distance runner John Schilkowsky ran the mile in 4:06.74 to become the 11th all-time fastest NU runner.

Darrow was the lone first-place winner for the Huskies, taking the long jump with a leap of 7.54 meters.

The Huskies continue their final push this week at the USA Track and Field New England Championships hosted by Harvard University on Sunday, Feb. 22.

Page 12

sports

H u n t N e w s NU. c o m

T h u r s d ay , F e b r u a ry 19, 2015

Baseball takes 2 of 3 in Texas season opener

By Ethan Schroeder News Staff

The Northeastern University baseball team started off its season strong by winning two of three games against the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio this

weekend.

The Huskies traditionally start their season with a string of road games played in the warmer regions of the US. This season, that road trip began when NU squared off against the Cardinals. Despite playing outside for the first time in nearly four

months, the Huskies did not miss a beat in their first series.

The action began on Friday night.

With senior pitcher Nick Berger getting the start, NU picked up Head Coach Mike Glavine’s first career victory by a score of 3-1. The Huskies secured the game’s first run in

Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics

Sophomore pitcher Dustin Hunt, 45, threw for six innings and allowed three hits on Sunday, Feb. 15.

the fourth inning off the bat of freshman infielder Maxwell Burt, who singled in sophomore third baseman Cam Hanley. The team added on runs in the sixth and eighth innings, the former due to a solo home run from sophomore Pat Madigan. “[Madigan] is coming off of a freshman year where he didn’t play much, but he’s had an outstanding fall,” Glavine said. “He’s really earned the starting job. Into the winter he continued to swing the bat well and it was great to see him take all of that out onto the field this weekend.”

Berger anchored the team defensively, allowing only one run on four hits in seven innings. The lone run came from Incarnate Word senior catcher Colton Besett in the seventh inning.

The Huskies hoped to take their momentum into the weekend’s second matchup on Saturday, but Incarnate Word stepped up and evened the series with a 6-1 victory. NU took the lead with its lone run in the second inning as the result of a RBI-double from freshman infielder Nolan Lang, but the Cardinals ran the show from there. Peppering four different NU pitchers with a total of 12 hits, Incarnate Word’s offense was dominant. The considerable run support allowed junior pitcher Garret Cooper to do his job comfortably, allowing only one run over seven innings.

The Huskies’ lone standout performance came from redshirt junior infielder Michael Foster, who went 4-4 at the plate with two extra-base hits. Over the course of the series, Foster hit .750.

“Foster is someone we’ll rely heavily upon this season,” Glavine said. “He’ll be batting at the top of

the lineup and certainly will be a big factor.”

In Sunday afternoon’s rubber match, it was NU’s turn to score in volume, accumulating nine runs on 15 hits en route to a 9-3 victory. Incarnate Word held onto a 2-0 lead over the course of the game’s first five innings, but the Huskies finished strong, pouring on five runs in the seventh. Burt and Madigan led the way with three RBIs apiece, while sophomore pitcher Dustin Hunt chipped in six solid innings, allowing only one earned run off of three hits. No Cardinals player could secure more than one hit.

Glavine, experiencing a successful start to his first season thus far, was pleased by the Huskies’ performance in their first few outings. In particular, Glavine made note of the strong team dynamic.

“Every year we’re going to play on the road early given the weather, and I think that builds good chemistry,” Glavine said. “You’re traveling a lot so you’re together a lot.

You can already see how well the guys play together by how they act in the dugout and interact during the game. There are a lot of positives from that.”

With a successful first series out of the way, NU will take on the University of South Carolina next weekend in a three-game road series. The Huskies have their work cut out for them, as the Gamecocks are currently ranked twelfth in the country. NU is not currently ranked by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“I think playing a top-ranked team will help us elevate our game,” Glavine said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to force us to be better.”

and able to shoulder a load for us.”

The Huskies will need their senior leader to step up if they hope to claim the CAA’s top spot.

NU has struggled in its recent stretch against conference opponents. After starting 6-1 in CAA play, the Huskies have gone 4-4 in their last eight conference outings.

NU sits in the second spot of the CAA rankings, tied in CAA wins with UNCW, the College of William & Mary and James Madison University. With just a few games left on the schedule, NU may need to win the rest of its games to have a chance at the regular season CAA crown. Nonetheless, the Huskies have a realistic shot at claiming the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. The CAA tournament will tip off on March 3 in Baltimore.

“There aren’t that many opportunities left to make a run,” Coen said. “[But] it’s anybody’s race.”

Men’s basketball beats Hofstra, loses to UNCW

By Matthew MacCormack News Staff

For the second consecutive week, the Northeastern men’s basketball team began in victory, but dropped the second game at week’s end.

The schedule was daunting, as the Huskies traveled to clash with two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) heavyweights.

NU (18-10) began the stretch at Hofstra University (18-10) where it collected a convincing 79-68 win over the Pride. Next was a game at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington (UNCW), where the Huskies fell 66-61 in a nailbiter with the Seahawks (15-10).

The penultimate road trip of the regular season began on Thursday, when NU’s victory gave it the season sweep of the Pride.

Despite 18 points and 11 assists from Hofstra junior guard Juan’ya Green, the Huskies pulled through.

“We played a pretty good offensive game,” Head Coach Bill Coen said. “We shot the ball well and we closed out the game with some excellent free throw shooting.”

Redshirt senior forward Scott Eatherton led the pack, pouring in a season-high 24 points on eight of 10 shooting to go with nine rebounds. Junior guard David Walker also played well, with 20 points and a career-high eight assists.

Hofstra nabbed an early 13-12 lead in the first 10 minutes, but the Pride wouldn’t have another lead all game as NU staved off the home side.

The Huskies put together an 8-1 run that started at the six-minute mark and put them up 31-20. Hofstra rallied back in the final minutes of the first, posting its own 9-2 run. The squads headed into halftime with NU leading 33-29.

Eatherton caught fire in the second frame, hitting seven of eight shots for 20 points. The Huskies rode a scorching shooting streak to a 49-38 advantage in the first eight minutes of the half. From there, the game began to even out.

Hofstra was able to stay in the game until a 3-pointer from redshirt junior forward Quincy Ford (15 points, five rebounds) ignited a 9-2 Husky run with five minutes to play.

NU coasted the rest of the way, hitting 10 of 10 free throws in the final two minutes to clinch the 79-68 victory.

The Huskies shot 56 percent from the field and racked up 44 points in the paint against the Pride. NU outrebounded Hofstra 33-17 and garnered assists on 18 of its 27 baskets.

“When we’re playing our best basketball, you can tell by the numbers,” Coen said. “Our baskets are assisted at a high percentage rate, we’re outrebounding our opponents, and we have good balance between our perimeter production and our frontcourt production.”

On Saturday, the Huskies seemed to reverse Coen’s winning formula in a frustrating loss at UNCW. NU shot just 17-31 from the charity stripe, and clanked its way to a paltry 41 percent field goal percentage.

“You really can’t win too many competitive basketball games when you leave that many points on the line,” Coen said.

Eatherton scored 23 points and had eight rebounds but UNCW proved to be too much to handle.

“They made the shots they needed to make and got the stops they needed to get,” Coen said.

Spurred by a raucous home crowd, the Seahawks grabbed an early 18-10 lead.

The Huskies roared back in the final 12 minutes of the half, however, as Eatherton chipped in 14 points in the first frame. At the half, NU held a 31-30 advantage.

The teams went back and forth in the final 20 minutes. A free throw from Walker (11 points, five assists, five rebounds) tied the game with 7:14 to play. However, the Huskies went without a field goal for the next five minutes, allowing UNCW to keep the distance.

Walker buried a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 56-55, but UNCW senior guard Freddie Jackson

answered with a triple. The Seahawks converted their free throws and squeaked out a 66-61 win.

“We had a chance to win the basketball game,” Coen said.

“But we just didn’t execute down the stretch, we didn’t make free throws and we missed maybe a half-dozen layups that really could’ve made a difference.”

One player who did make a difference for the Huskies was Eatherton, who won CAA Player of the Week honors for his efforts.

The senior forward averaged 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the road trip, leading the Huskies in both scoring and rebounding. “[Eatherton’s] competitiveness is at an all-time high because of that senior urgency,” Coen said. “[He’s] really dialed in and ready, willing

CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL

CAA

Overall

UNCW

10-4

15-10

2

Northeastern

10-5

18-10

3

William & Mary

10-5

16-10

4

James Madison

10-5

17-11

5

Hofstra

9-6

18-10

6

Drexel

8-7

10-16

7

Delaware

6-8

7-18

8

Towson

5-10

12-16

9

Elon

3-12

11-17

10

Charleston

3-12

8-20

1

Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics

Junior guard David Walker, 4, scored 20 points and added eight assists against Hofstra on Feb. 12.