Campus & City
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
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Parent’s money Forest Whitaker honored with MLK Fellowship Casinos compete for Massachusetts linked to lower Before an audience of about 400 gambling licenses GPA, study says people Monday, the Howard Gotlieb By Alexa Heupel Daily Free Press Contributor
By Taylor Burke Daily Free Press Staff
College students who receive financial support from their parents tend to have lower grade point averages but higher graduation rates, according to a recent study, which Boston University faculty said reflects a greater sense of responsibility resulting from financial independence. The study, conducted by Laura Hamilton a professor University of California, Merced, will appear in the February issue of the American Sociological Review, according to a Tuesday Merced press release. The GPA portion of the study surveyed about 12,000 undergraduates and found those who received some portion of aid from their parents had lower GPAs than those who did not. “Although the effect is not linear, and, ironically, the most harm comes from initial aid, increasing investments provide a gradual drag on student GPA,” the study stated. The study also found students with no parental aid have a 56.4 percent predicted probability of graduating, whereas students who receive $4,000 in parental aid have a 62 percent predicted probability of graduating. “I think that when people don’t do well in their courses, they start to wonder ‘maybe it’s not for me,’ if they’re paying for it for themselves,” said Jessica Griffin, School of Education manager of financial assistance. “But if someone else is paying for it, it’s not the same connection or investment, mentally and financially.” Griffin said financially independent students might have a more personal understanding regarding whether the college experience is right for them. “I have graduate students and almost all of my students are paying for their education themselves,” she said. “They push themselves very hard to make sure they’re doing well.” SED professor Joel Scott said he is not surprised by the results of the study. “This is something that they [students] are going to have to work on and accept, and for those that have too much parental support, it maybe takes them longer to understand that this is their journey,” Scott said. “Maybe their GPAs reflect that, versus the students that immediately ...
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Archival Research Center at Boston University honored actor Forest Whitaker as a Martin Luther King Fellow Monday to recognize his humanitarian work. After being honored, Whitaker spoke to the audience in Metcalf Hall on King’s legacy and the importance of fighting for equality. “Without Dr. King’s fervor, dedication and passion our country would be in a different condition,” Whitaker said in his speech. “Without his efforts we would not be the same as we are today; without his seemingly lofty idea of justice through non-violence our nation may still be as divided today as it were when he was born.” Whitaker, an award-winning actor, director and producer who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland,” said King’s dream is still relevant in today’s society. “This progress did not happen overnight or by accident,” Whitaker said. “It happened because of people like him who dared to turn an ideal into a reality, to persevere in turbulent times, propelling us into greater times.” Whitaker said he chooses roles in his career that highlight the social injustice in the world and increase social awareness.
By Zarah Kavarana Daily Free Press Staff
HEATHER GOLDIN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF Forest Whitaker speaks as a part of the Martin Luther King Jr Leadership Lecture at Metcalf Ballroom Monday evening.
It is essential for people to find fulfillment in their lives, he said. “A little advice: go out into the world and find what you are truly passionate about,” Whitaker said. “Find what that is and just follow it. Never mind that it may be crazy. Never mind that it may be farfetched. Never mind that there may be competition, just keep the dream alive inside yourselves.” Whitaker has been a Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since 2011, he said in his speech. Whitaker also furthered his humanitarian efforts in 2012 by founding the PeaceEarth Foundation, which focuses on his dream to achieve peace. Ryan Hendrickson, the Assistant
Director for Manuscripts at the Gotlieb Center, said the MLK Fellowship is awarded to individuals who promote activism and leadership. “The Director [of the Gotlieb Center] looks for somebody who has some kind of essential contribution to make some kind of effort to help other people or change other people’s lives,” he said. “This year we [chose] Forest Whitaker because of all the humanitarian work in Africa and other places in the world.” Since 2008, the Gotlieb Center has recognized Christine King Farris – MLK’s sister – Paul Rusesabagina and Georgia Rep. John Lewis as MLK Fellows. Hendrickson said Whitaker was a natural fit for the MLK Fellowship.
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MBTA mTicket smart phone app brings in $1 million By Clinton Nguyen Daily Free Press Staff
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s mobile ticketing application, mTicket — which was released in November — surpassed $1 million in sales revenues Tuesday, officials said. “I’ll tell you, the app exceeded what we expected,” said Joshua Robin, MBTA director of innovation. “If anything it’s speeding up and it’s gathering more people who hear about it and try it out.” The app, released on Android and iOS platforms in early November, garnered more than 35,000 downloads and more than 100,000 tickets have been purchased, according to a statement released by the MBTA Wednesday. “The development and implementation of mobile ticketing for
our Commuter Rail customers represents not only an improvement in service and convenience, but also in the way we are collecting revenue,” said Dr. Beverly Scott, general manager of the MBTA in a statement. “We are still early in the effort but we feel we are saving thousands by not installing expensive vending machines, saving on ticket production and eliminating cash transactions – all while making riders’ commutes easier.” A Lowell rider at 5:40 a.m. on Tuesday pushed the mTicket sales over the $1 million mark. The rider was contacted and congratulated by T officials, Robin said. The app saw a predictable drop in ticket sales during the holiday week of Dec. 23 to Jan. 1. In 2013 ticket sales have increased by about 25 percent, with a large proportion
of revenues owing to monthly ticket purchases, according to statistics published by the MBTA. Marketing and advertising for the app has been light on account of low budgets, Robin said. He said the app relied mostly on word of mouth and media reports to increase circulation. “Advertising has consisted of ads on trains, in stations, and street teams,” he said. “We have also been giving out small advertising cards to riders who purchase on board.” Robin said he hopes the app will account for 25 percent of sales by the end of 2013. “About 76 percent of riders owned a smartphone or app-capable mobile device,” he said. “We notice there’s a market there to reach, and it’s a matter of using the right strategy to get out to those riders.”
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After Massachusetts opened its doors to the gaming industry in 2011, 11 firms have applied to receive extended gaming licenses to expand into Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has received applications from a number of entities interested in the opportunity, including MGM Springfield, Penn National Gaming, Inc., Plainridge Racecourse, Hard Rock MA, Wynn, LLC, Mohegan Sun, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, Raynham Park, Mass Gaming Entertainment, LLC, PPE Casino Resorts and Crossroads Massachusetts, LLC. The Expanded Gaming Act sparked the need for an application process in November 2011. Elaine Driscoll, MGC director of communications, said the act was passed in an attempt to bring more jobs and increased revenue to the state. “With the arrival of expanded gaming, it is expected that there will be an additional 8-to-10 thousand construction jobs created by the builders of the gaming facilities, 8-to-10 thousand permanent jobs, and then $300-to-$500 million in increased revenue,” she said. The MGC has employed multiple teams that will conduct in-depth background investigations for all category one (resort casino) and category two (slots-parlor) gaming license applicants. The teams are made up of gaming experts who have experience in many types of investigations, Driscoll said. In the investigations, team members will uncover each company’s history in other jurisdictions, financial stability, recent litigation and compliance plan and history, Driscoll said. Before making any decisions, they will also analyze officers, board members, and key investors of the applicant, looking for employment history, criminal records, education, stockholdings and finances, she said. Driscoll said investigations would take six months to complete at most and that the process will not be easy for applicants. Along with the application, they each pay a non-refundable fee of $400,000. “I would say that ultimately it will be a very competitive process,” she
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Allston Pudding music blog offers more content to more readers By Jasper Craven Daily Free Press Staff
With a revamped website that went live Jan. 15, and an audience that has doubled over the past year, the Allston Pudding music blog has distinguished itself for more than its silly name. Allston Pudding was named Boston’s Best Music Blog the past two years at the Boston Music Awards. And its redesigned site might warrant a third award. New features include an upcoming shows page, a musical news section, video content and a “heating up” feature that offers music of the hottest underground bands. The founders are marketing the blog more heavily. And, perhaps most importantly, they are writing about more bands in more venues, and even considering branching out
to other cities. “The blog could one day even expand to other cities, but we have a lot of work to do at home first,” Daniel Schiffer, a co-founder said. Allston Pudding began in November 2010 when Schiffer, Perry Eaton and Jarrett Carr — three Boston University students — felt as if they had passed through the first half of college with no substantial accomplishments. “We were kind of having a midcollege crisis or slump,” Eaton said. “And we wanted to start something completely our own.” The founders decided to combine their skills and passions into a blog. Eaton had his own small music blog, Carr was a graphic design student and Schiffer was in the School of Management.
“It was the three powers combined that launched it,” Eaton said. Carr quickly hacked away a website on Tumblr, and Allston Pudding went live. “We ended up with something that was admittedly heinous,” Carr said about the first site, which has since gone through two full redesigns. Still, with a page to post content, the writing began. The blog publishes varying content, most frequently live music reviews. The blog also features opinion, interviews and show previews. Allston Pudding also releases local music in free mixtapes that are released monthly and hosts shows where local bands perform. Carousel, a poppy band of former
Allston Pudding, see page4
COURTESY OF ALLSTON PUDDING
Allston Pudding staff manager Ellie Moliter and co-founders Daniel Schiffer, Perry Eaton and Jarrett Carr accept an award at the Boston Music Awards in 2012.