10-29-2020

HELPING HANDS, 2

BOOK STORE IN A BIND, 8

VIABLE VACCINES, 8

GET RID OF GADSDEN, 11

Hundreds of volunteers run errands for Boston seniors.

Harvard Book Store struggles to survive with less foot traffic.

The race for a COVID-19 vaccine pushes for promising progress.

A Gadsden flag flies on campus, but carries darker meanings.

CE LE B RATIN G

TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2020

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J O U R NA LI S M

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR L. VOLUME XCIX. ISSUE III

BU plans for social-distanced Halloweekend celebrations Nick Kolev Daily Free Press Staff AMANDA SCHNEIDER | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

AMANDA SCHNEIDER | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A green badge checkpoint in the George Sherman Union. Boston University’s student-led street teams focused on safety and engagement are now checking for COVID-19 compliance at BU locations such as dining halls and some residences.

BU street teams begin checking for compliance group of folks that are safely distanced and they’re engaged, they’re going to respond to that in a public fashion, so that other Following Scarlet Safewalk’s folks … want to join in, want to rebranding into a student group be acknowledged for doing all focused on engagement the right things.” and safety, the service is What they’re really doing is Students from the street now checking badges for teams are placed in the they’re offering a warm entry into the George Sherentrances of the GSU to smile saying, ‘Thanks for check for green compliman Union.

Students Activities Diance badges as students doing that, thanks for rector John Battaglino said enter the building. this is part of the group’s showing your attestation, Badges will be checked thanks for complying.’ commitment to uplifting upon entering all residence the community during halls with security desks COVID-19.

“When they see somebody starting Thursday, Dean of StuCompliance checks — in the with a good-looking mask on, dents Kenneth Elmore wrote in form of green badge presen- they’re going to say, ‘Hey, an email to students sent by BU tation — began Oct. 22 across thanks for doing that,’” Battmultiple BU buildings, in- aglino said. “When they see a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Claire Williams Daily Free Press Staff

cluding dining halls, but some checks are assigned to others.

Battaglino said students will also provide positive affirmations to those following University COVID-19 guidelines.

Boston University is “just trying to creep it real” and urging students to celebrate Halloween safely and responsibly this year, according to a University email sent to students Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases continue to rise both nationally and in Massachusetts.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, along with Student Health Services Director Judy Platt, wrote BU has noticed students tend to get “lackadaisical” with following COVID-19 guidelines when in gatherings — and when alcohol is involved.

He said any gatherings that do happen should be kept small.

“I would say to people this is just not the year to be having a Halloween bash,” Elmore said in an interview. “You really need to just stick with people and maybe get to know each other.”

Elmore said while he acknowledges people will gather, it is important that students limit contact with others by staying in groups of around four or less, preferably with those from the same household. He added all students must wear Universi-

ty-recommended masks.

“A Halloween mask is not a substitute for your cloth or paper mask,” Elmore said.

BU will host a number of virtual events this weekend so students can celebrate Halloween safely.

Student Government President Oliver Pour said because students cannot go out to celebrate this semester, StuGov will bring Halloween to them.

“BU students can really experience an incredible Halloween from their own dorm or suite room or own apartment,” Pour said.

StuGov and F--- It Won’t Cut It are collaborating to host “Hasan Saves Halloween,” a virtual Q-and-A session with comedian and actor Hasan Minhaj, which will be preceded by an hour of student talent acts and followed by a scary movie marathon.

Pour said snacks will also be provided for students to pick up at most dorms around campus and take back to their rooms for the event.

He called the Q-and-A a “once and a lifetime event.”

“This Halloween is unlike any other,” Pour said. “We hope that thousands of students will CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Experts weigh in on if lockdown is necessary James Paleologopoulos ry and weeks after he issued an requiring masks and soDaily Free Press Staff order cial distancing in public spaces.

State leadership and experts say Massachusetts can avoid another statewide lockdown if the Commonwealth acts on what it now knows about the virus as COVID-19 rates rise to spring levels.

As of Wednesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has reported five consecutive days of more than 1,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the statewide total to 150,498 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

The number of new cases has reached levels not seen since mid-May. At the time, cases had been trending downward months after Gov. Charlie Baker issued a statewide stay-at-home adviso-

However, confirmed cases are increasing across the country.

Baker said at a press conference Tuesday that steps such as the spring advisory may not be needed again because the state and its residents are more informed about transmission now than during the initial outbreak.

“We and [nursing homes] are now far better equipped to keep the virus from spreading in these settings,” Baker said, “with adequate [personal protective equipment], doing much more regular testing, infection control policies, regular audits and managing visitation from the outside.”

Baker also said the surge was expected.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

AMANDA SCHNEIDER | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

LAURYN ALLEN | DAILY FREE PRESS FILE

Massachusetts can avoid another statewide lockdown if the Commonwealth uses information it knows about the coronavirus to respond to rising cases, according to state leadership and experts. Still, the number of cases in the state is rising.

2 NEWS

Boston volunteers help high-risk seniors run thousands of errands

Crime Logs

Samuele Petruccelli DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs between Oct. 23-28.

Shannon Damiano Daily Free Press Staff Volunteers have completed more 4,500 errands for seniors in Boston, who are at a higher risk for coronavirus complications, as part of a City initiative.

The Good Neighbors program, created in April as a response to the pandemic, pairs seniors with volunteers who help purchase groceries, prepare food and deliver medication.

Volunteers also engage in phone or written communication.

Jori Schwartz, a customer success advocate at Nesterly, a home-sharing service that partnered with the City on the project, said the program aims to help groups at risk for COVID-19.

“Good Neighbors was created by our team here at Nesterly to bring people together, out of safety for the community,” Schwartz said. “We support atrisk individuals who need to maintain social distancing.”

Nearly 1,000 residents have volunteered, filling requests in every Boston neighborhood, according to a Department of Neighborhood Development press release. Volunteers must pass a background check and follow safety protocols, including using personal protective equipment.

The service is completely free for seniors to use and is funded by the City, with most of the money paying for food, DND Deputy Director Kerry O’Brien said.

The City’s Age Strong Commission and Housing Innovation Lab also collaborated on the project, according to the press release.

CAMPUS

Missing Items and Larceny A string of missing items and larceny incidents were reported across campus Oct. 23. A caller alerted BUPD at around 4:30 p.m. of missing items following a move-out in South Campus.

A separate party reported items missing following a move-in at Rich Hall at around 4 p.m., and another caller reported an iPad theft — with an estimated value of under $1,200 — between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. All three cases are closed.

LAURYN ALLEN | DFP FILE

Boston’s Good Neighbors Program has fulfilled more than 4,500 requests from high-risk seniors to assist with errands.

Bostonians in need or someone on their behalf can submit a request to the Good Neighbors program by phone or via a form on Nesterly’s website.

Volunteers typically complete the tasks in one to three days.

The program is also available in Louisville, Ky. “We have seen the best of Boston with residents looking for ways to volunteer and support those in need,” Mayor Marty Walsh said in the press release. “I want to thank everyone who is volunteering to help others during these trying times.”

About 11 percent of Bostonians are 65 and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

O’Brien said volunteers tend to number at least 980 and can range upward of 1,000.

“It’s quite a force of them.

They’re good people,” O’Brien said. “This is the best of humanity during a really trying time in Boston.”

Since March, Boston has seen nearly 20,000 cases and nearly 800 deaths as a result of COVID-19.

Seven months after the initial outbreak, cases in Massachusetts are on the rise, with more than 150,000 cumulative cases as of Wednesday.

O’Brien said the partners plan to continue the program after the pandemic if possible.

Sara Faxon has led Nesterly’s growth initiatives and partnerships for about two years. She wrote in an email the response to the program has been “overwhelmingly positive,” but that occasionally, some requests cannot be completed because they are outside the program’s

realm.

“Because we have a strong partnership with the City of Boston, we’re able to refer them to other resources and services that are better suited,” Faxon wrote. “We’ve built a platform that is flexible, easy to use and requires very little administration effort.”

Faxon wrote the program may extend into post-pandemic life, because the technology Good Neighbors employs are applicable to other potential programs.

“Because Good Neighbors matches volunteers with recipients quickly, the platform can be used for any volunteer-based initiatives,” Faxon wrote. “For example, a city initiative that connects volunteers with seniors looking for driveway snow-shoveling assistance in the winter.”

Rich Hall Visitors A security guard at Rich took a BU student’s Terrier Card and refused to give it back, according to the student’s mother, who called BUPD around 1 a.m. Sunday. The ID was returned to the student and other involved parties were informed of visitor policies. The case is now closed.

Struck Pedestrian The Boston Police Department reported a hit pedestrian on the Boston University Bridge at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The case is now closed.

Defaced Property BUPD referred a report Tuesday evening to Brookline Police, regarding defaced property.

Students must display green badges at GSU BADGES, FROM PAGE 1

Housing Wednesday.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email the checks will be done by residence hall Security Assistants, not street teams.

Battaglino said the street

team’s new responsibility was based on an “immediate need” from Elmore and President Robert Brown’s request.

“What they’re really doing is they’re offering a warm smile saying, ‘Thanks for doing that, thanks for showing your attestation, thanks for complying,’” Battaglino added. “By recog-

nizing people in that way, it just sends a positive vibe and then everyone wants to get on board.”

Street team member Joseph Park, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said checking for compliance is important, especially as Boston sees an uptick in COVID-19

HANNAH YOSHINAGA | DAILY FREE PRESS FILE

The green badge, accessed through students’ Healthway portal, appears when students are up to date with compliance.

cases.

Park said part of his job requires checking tables in dining halls to ensure students adhere to social-distance guidelines and table capacities.

When students were asked to adjust to the guidelines, he said, most did.

“It makes me feel good that people are caring about their safety and the safety of others,” Park said. “It’s very beneficial to the community at BU because I don’t think many people realize how severe COVID can be.”

Park said he originally joined Safewalk to help escort students home at night when they feel unsafe, but that the new responsibilities of the street team make him feel more like a “leader.”

“In my hometown these regulations weren’t really enforced at all,” Park said. “Having a part in making sure that all these regulations are enforced makes me feel like when I do go back home, I can try to have more of a say in the regulations.”

Frehiwot Bayuh, a freshman in CAS, said she thinks people might lie about having COVID-19 symptoms, which makes the effectiveness of badge checks questionable.

“But at the same time, it’s just better to have it than not,”

Bayuh said.

CAS freshman Janna Foy said she believes the green badge checks will help promote safety, but aren’t the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Usually, I just see people filling it out when they’re trying to get into buildings, myself included,” Foy said. “At that point, it doesn’t really feel like we’re actually being authentic.”

Foy also said she believes using students to enforce COVID-19 regulations across campus might prove less productive than placing that authority with BU officials.

“I feel like students would just brush it off if they see someone their age come up and say, ‘Wear a mask,’” Foy said.

Battaglino said BU has discussed reforming the Scarlet Safewalk for years, and the pandemic highlighted the urgency of doing so.

“It’s been needed for a long time and could have addressed a number of other issues,” Battaglino said. “I look forward to this team growing in the future and how we respond to what’s next.”

The future of the street team post-COVID-19 might look different, Battaglino said, but how so is unclear at this point.

NEWS 3

Faculty express mixed feelings on this year’s Thanksgiving, Spring Recess

LAURYN ALLEN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University faculty members hold mixed perspectives on the University’s academic calendar changes for 2020-2021.

Isabella Abraham Daily Free Press Staff Boston University is trying to minimize travel for the 2020–2021 academic year in the hopes of limiting the spread of COVID-19.

As part of this effort, University Provost Jean Morrison had written to students in July encouraging them to either stay home until Spring if they leave campus or to not leave campus at all.

Luluah Mustafa, a senior lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she understands the difficult decision students must make, but thinks it’s a necessary one.

“I know it’s very hard and very depressing, honestly, to stay away from your family,” Mustafa said.

“This year, we sacrificed a lot, and we’re going to keep sacrificing for the health of our loved ones and

everyone else. Of course I don’t like it, but I agree with the policy at the same time.”

Seth Hatfield, an adjunct professor in the College of Communication, said he acknowledges the pitfalls of either not returning home for Thanksgiving or not coming back to school after, but that he ultimately supports the University’s request.

“When I was in school, I loved going home for Thanksgiving and just getting that little break near the end,” Hatfield said. “With things as they are now, if they tried to do that, just the logistics would be a nightmare.”

Hatfield said he acknowledges this year’s change will be “no fun,” but that it will be worth it if it prevents a few people from contracting the coronavirus.

The University had discussed early on the possibility of removing Thanksgiving break from the Fall, Hatfield said, so he was “surprised”

to see it on the calendar for this semester.

BU has also decided to eliminate Spring Recess from the 2021 calendar, along with a week-long extension of Winter Intersession to allow for an extended move-in period.

Mustafa said she would have preferred the University make smaller tweaks to the academic calendar instead of cancel Spring Recess entirely.

“If we have a long weekend, I don’t think students will travel and go crazy,” Mustafa said. “But to keep teaching or studying from the end of January till the first of May, it’s ridiculous.”

As a result of the altered Spring calendar, Mustafa said she will make changes to her curriculum.

“We cannot keep the same load for the students,” Mustafa said. “We cannot function with the same energy and the same motivation.”

Kabrina Chang, a clinical associate professor in the Questrom School of Business, said these changes are practical for limiting exposure.

“It seems like a necessary step,” Chang said. “We all scatter and travel and then all come back. In a pandemic, who knows what we are bringing back with us?”

Chang also said she intentionally avoided planning for the winter and spring breaks because everything would likely be “up in the air.”

Regardless of personal impact, she said, faculty and students alike need to adhere to the University’s policies to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“I don’t really see a downside with the calendar changes, other than a long February and March, in terms of impact on teaching or impact on my job,” Chang said. “Like everyone else, I can’t wait for everything to go back to normal. You just don’t know when that will be.”

After Fall semester, the University may also increase the number of staff members on campus for Spring to better support students and faculty.

To determine how much of an expansion might be necessary, BU is conducting a two-month assessment on how the hybrid Learn from Anywhere program is working so far and how it can be improved, according to an Oct. 13 letter from President Robert Brown.

Alongside this evaluation, the University will start reviewing workplace adjustment requests in November from faculty who wish to teach remotely in the Spring.

Managers will then decide who will be needed on campus and how these staff members can return in a

safe manner.

Faculty who are high-risk for COVID-19 because of a medical condition or have high-risk household members can file for a workplace adjustment by this Friday’s deadline, according to a memo from Morrison.

Those approved in the Fall must submit new form requests for Spring.

Mustafa said she feels it is possible BU will be more selective with accommodations for Spring, especially because she said the University is “encouraging” more professors to return to campus.

Because her husband has diabetes, Mustafa said, she is currently teaching remotely and has applied for an accomodation next semester as well.

“I’m not sure when we’ll hear back from them,” Mustafa said. “If it’s a health issue, I don’t think they can force someone to go back to campus.

But I don’t know how flexible it will be.”

Though COVID-19 cases on campus recently spiked, Mustafa said she notices the University’s numbers are lower than those of surrounding areas.

“They are working really hard,” Mustafa said. “They are working so many different strategies to keep students healthy. It is a tough situation.”

Chang said low positivity rates for BU are the result of continued group efforts from the BU community.

“The University put a ton of infrastructure in place,” Chang said.

“But it’s also been up to the students and the faculty and the staff … to try and follow the rules that were set up to make this successful.”

Students to host virtual Halloween events HALLOWEEN, FROM PAGE 1

be able to tune in.”

Juliette Stokes, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said she will be watching “Hasan Saves Halloween” with her floormates using her neighbor’s projector.

“She thought, ‘Oh, we can just project it up on the screen and we’ll have a couple of the kids come on the floor in and out watching it,” Stokes said.

“It can just be something at least kind of fun for people to do.”

Stokes said though BU has so far done well in containing the spread of the virus, she is concerned about Halloween parties.

Many students have been feeling “invincible” in the wake of low positivity rates, Stokes added, but she feels confident in BU’s regulations.

Other actions StuGov has taken to promote responsibility during the pandemic, Pour said, include sending to student organizations a pledge asking them to keep the community safe.

Student groups can make their pledge online to adhere to University protocols.

David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine, said as the weather gets colder, indoor gatherings are becoming a source of increased spread for the coronavirus.

“It’s harder if you have indoor gatherings,” Hamer said, “Unless you have good airflow

and are wearing masks, there’s an increased risk of transmission indoors.”

This issue, he said, is not unique to Halloween, but will persist through winter.

In spite of the expected cold

weather this weekend, Hamer said students should ideally keep any gatherings in an outdoor environment to limit possible transmission of the virus.

Hamer said he believes Halloween parties might cause a spike

in cases on campus.

He added the increased number of cases in the Boston area means the risk is much greater now than at the beginning of the semester. Elmore said he hopes students take the University’s

Halloween guidelines seriously.

“This is a festive time of year, even with a pandemic,” Elmore said. “I hope that, I know this sounds really weird, but in the spirit of Halloween, we stay away from each other.”

LAURYN ALLEN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University is encouraging students to remember the University’s COVID-19 guidelines as Halloween approaches, and student groups are pledging to do so.

4 NEWS

COURTESY OF LAUREN PACKARD VIA FLICKR

The North Atlantic right whale could go extinct due to climate change and human activities, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association. About 400 of the endangered right whales remain.

Without steps toward conservation, North Atlantic whale could go extinct Taylor Brokesh Daily Free Press Staff

The endangered North Atlantic right whale, which lives off the coast of Massachusetts, may go extinct due to human activities and climate change.

An estimated 400 right whales remain, and the species has been on the endangered species list since 1970, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

After commercial whaling in the 1890s nearly wiped out the species entirely, the population gradually recovered.

The right whale population reached its peak in 2011 at 481 whales, according to a recent report by the National Marine Fisheries Service at the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.

However, the whale population is again decreasing, with a higher death rate than birth rate.

Sharon Young, senior strategist of marine issues for the Humane Society of the United States, said warming waters

caused by climate change have in commercial fishing lines have fishing line entanglement. forced cold-water-dwelling heightened.

Young said entanglement is plankton, the whale’s preferred Many boaters, Young said, the biggest threat to right whales food source, to move farther are careful around whales. and that fishers must switch to and farther north.

Federal regulations prohibit other methods, such as ropeless The whales have followed boats from traveling within 500 fishing, which smaller fisheries the plankton north, Young said, yards of a right whale, said Kate have adopted. only to find dwindling resourc- Swails, acting communications Commercial lobster fishing es. supervisor at NOAA’s Greater companies switched from natRight whales must compete Atlantic Regional Fisheries Of- ural fiber rope to sturdier polywith other planktivores for food, fice. propylene or plastic rope in the Young said, many 1950s, according of which may be to Young.

‘Save the Whales’ has become better adapted to Right whales such a cliche. But that’s what we’re could be released the “urbanized coastline.” from the natural talking about here. The point is, if “We’ve got an fiber if caught, we can’t save a large whale, urban ocean that but are less likely what hope does any other is creating treto break through mendous hazards the polypropylless charismatic for them once ene rope. animal have? they’re alive,” There were an Young said. “And estimated 366 we have climate change, which “We have certain areas along right whales in January 2019 is shifting habitat use if they the coast where vessels need to and fewer than 94 breeding fewant to find resources, and they slow down if right whales are in males, a decrease from Janumay not be finding the resources the area,” Swails said. “We’re ary 2018 when there were 412 in the abundance that they did currently analyzing the effec- whales, according to the NMFS before.” tiveness of these measures to report.

She added that as coastlines determine if we need to modify The right whale is typically become increasingly urban, the them in any way.” found along the East Coast of whale’s risks of getting hit by Swails said NOAA is devel- the U.S., traveling as far north boats and becoming entangled oping rules for fishers to prevent as Canada and as far south as

Florida, according to NOAA. The whales can grow up to 52 feet long, and feed on tiny organisms that they filter out of the water with baleen plates that function as a strainer.

The Humane Society and other conservation organizations sued the NMFS in 2018 for failing to protect the whales.

A judge ruled the service must update fishing rules by next May. The lawsuit was the only way the government would take action, Young said.

“As humans, we’re pretty resistant to doing anything differently,” Young said. “The sad thing is we’ve not taken any steps toward doing it without litigation.”

For conservation efforts to be successful, Young said, the public must understand the whale’s importance. “‘Save the Whales’ has become such a cliche,” Young said. “But that’s what we’re talking about here. The point is, if we can’t save a large whale, what hope does any other less charismatic animal have?”

CAMPUS CALENDAR THURSDAY, OCT. 29

FRIDAY, OCT. 30

SATURDAY, OCT. 31

SUNDAY, NOV. 1

MONDAY, NOV. 2

Domestic Violence during COVID-19

Coffee and Conversation: All The Lonely People

Hasan Saves Halloween

“Re-Birth” art installation

9 p.m.

Zoom Hosted by F--- It Won’t Cut It and BU Student Government

Ongoing Mugar Memorial Library Hosted by the BU Arts Initiative and BU Libraries, art by Sheila Pree Bright

Talk About: Race and Diversity in the U.S.

6 p.m.

Zoom Hosted by CGSA and SARP

3 p.m.

Zoom Hosted by the HTC

10 a.m.

Zoom Hosted by Global Programs and Diversity and Inclusion

NEWS 5

Center for Computing and Data Sciences to be carbon-free, finished by October 2022 Jane Avery Daily Free Press Staff Boston University officials and construction leaders updated community members about progress on the Center for Computing and Data Sciences construction project in a Residence Life webinar Tuesday.

Students received updates about “that big hole” — as Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore called it — they can’t miss on Commonwealth Avenue when passing through Central Campus.

Experts from the Center for Computing and Data Sciences project updated community members about construction progress on the site adjacent to the College of Arts and Sciences and discussed the building’s sustainability during the Residence Life webinar.

Walt Meissner, associate vice president for Operations, said during the meeting building up the computer science department at BU is advantageous because virtually every research field relies on data sciences. “[Data sciences] is the hammer that drives an effective research program,” Meissner said.

“It’s certainly going to enhance our capabilities to interconnect with research and bring together our leaders.”

Meissner said the design of the building is “transformative” and unlike any other University building, in part because of its commitment to sustainability.

“Its sustainability … will put us as a leader in Boston and and a leader in New England,” Meissner said, “and set an example for building development for the country and the world.”

THALIA LAUZON | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University held a community webinar Tuesday to discuss the construction progress made toward building the Center for Computing and Data Sciences.

BU’s Climate Action Plan states the University aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040. Dennis Carlberg, associate vice president of University Sustainability, said the building is “a very bold step” that will help the University meet its goal.

The building will be carbon-free, Carlberg added, through the use of renewable energy — BU Wind — as opposed to gas. No gas lines will be connected to the building.

Carlberg said the University is seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for the building, but until the project is completed, it won’t be clear whether this will happen.

The building will also include seven outdoor terrace spaces to

reduce the urban heat island effect and increase rainwater retention, he added.

The BU community will likely not see these green spaces until later in the project, according to Chris Kenney, senior project manager for the Center for Computing and Data Sciences.

Jonathan Dolan, senior project manager at Suffolk Construction, said the project is beginning to “slowly start to work [its] way out of the ground.”

The noisiest excavation procedures are scheduled to wrap up next week, Kenney said. This stage in the process is followed by the concrete foundations and core constructions that will conclude in March 2021. Those interested in project updates can subscribe to weekly project

news and alerts via the Center for Computing and Data Sciences website.

One community member raised concerns regarding a group of workers spotted maskless.

Dolan said Suffolk Construction team members are taking COVID-19 seriously. He said all workers on site are asked to comply with BU guidelines and receive temperature checks daily. “[University] policy is being enforced with a strict violation policy on our end,” Dolan said.

“So one strike, two strike, three strike, and there’s obviously repercussions for breaches.”

Tom Larco, senior project manager at Suffolk Construction, said the company is doing

all it can to enforce compliance.

“These workers are not used to wearing these masks,” Larco said. “We’re just trying to manage it as best we can. Non-compliance is not acceptable.”

ResLife Director David Zamojski answered concerns from another community member about the noise of the project affecting Bay State Road residents.

While nothing can be done about the noise during regular project hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Zamojski said ResLife addressed the one noise complaint he is aware it received. Zamojski also said Bay State residents are notified about construction scheduling changes.Construction is scheduled to end in its entirety on Oct. 28, 2022.

Another Mass. lockdown may look different LOCKDOWN, FROM PAGE 1

Stephen Kissler, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said he sees a possible beginning of a second wave, based on the level of transmissions over the last few weeks.

Kissler said if another lockdown is needed, it would look “very different” than that of the spring.

“The key difference is that we’re doing a lot more testing, especially here in Massachusetts, and so we have a much better sense of where the virus is, and we have a much better sense of when cases are rising,” Kissler said. “Earlier in the spring, there were these long delays.

We didn’t really know where it was, and so that really necessitated these widespread statewide and even nationwide lockdowns.”

Kissler said any potential fall lockdown would likely be shorter and more localized than the statewide stay-at-home adviso-

ry this March.

“We’re in a very different scenario now,” Kissler said.

“We know a lot more about how the virus spreads. We know a lot more about the role of indoor versus outdoor transmission. We know a lot more about the types of spaces where it spreads.”

The shift to indoor activities as the weather gets colder may

play a role in the uptick in cases, according to Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center.

Andujar Vazquez said she is seeing a change in the types of patients who come in, with younger, healthier patients now showing an increase in infection rates.

“It seems that’s what we’re going to be dealing with in the next couple of months in winter,” Andujar Vazquez said.

“We may be able to maintain a level of opening of the community without overwhelming the health care system.”

Baker said during Tuesday’s press conference 37 percent of new cases in Massachusetts in-

NICOLE GITTER | DAILY FREE PRESS FILE

With cases rising again in Massachusetts, experts say a second wave of the pandemic may be hitting the Commonwealth.

volved patients under 30 years old, compared to 15 percent in April.

Andujar Vazquez said she has witnessed this trend in the field.

Still, Andujar Vazquez said another lockdown should be considered, especially seeing as countries such as Australia returned to lockdowns during their winter months.

Andujar Vazquez said many of her COVID-19 patients have gathered for indoor activities, likely without masks. The rise in COVID-19 cases, Baker said, was partially caused by indoor activities such as social gatherings.

More than 30 clusters and 110 positive cases have also been attributed to youth hockey, spread out across 20 rinks throughout the state and affecting at least 66 cities and towns, Baker said.

He said this discovery, combined with most teams’ subsequent refusal to offer roster information to health officials, prompted the state’s two-week shutdown on all hockey rinks, effective last week.

6 PHOTO

Boston Red Cloaks protest Barrett’ Daniel Kool Daily Free Press Staff Demonstrators clad in red cloaks and white bonnets gathered on the steps of the Massachusetts State House Sunday morning to advocate for abortion rights and condemn Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Speakers called for the swift passage of the Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access, or ROE Act, in Massachusetts.

Behind them stood a wall

of women dressed as Supreme Court justices, Lady Liberty and — most prominently — handmaids from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel and series “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The demonstration, organized by the Boston Red Cloaks, was part of a national day of protest against Barrett’s confirmation following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which many view as a sign of the looming erosion of landmark abortion case Roe v.

Wade.

The protest began shortly after 10 a.m. with a procession

of handmaids from the Boston Public Garden to the State House.

Walking silently, they carried flags and signs reading “Ruth sent us” and “Don’t confirm before the next term” suspended from wire coat hangers.

At the State House, an audience of about 60 people gathered for speeches by pro-choice activists and state officials.

“The threats to our reproductive health care and reproductive rights are real,” said Massachusetts Rep. Tami Gouveia, who co-sponsored the bill in early 2019. “They are immi-

nent. They are on our doorstep, just like we are standing here on the doorstep of the State House to say, ‘Now is the time to pass the ROE Act.’” The ROE act would prohibit the state from interfering in or preventing “medically appropriate methods of abortion” and provide the term with a new legal definition.

In June of 2019, the bill was passed to the State Judiciary Committee, where it has since remained in legislative limbo.

Gouveia told The Daily Free Press that progress has been further stalled by the ongoing

pandemic. Despite the delay, she said she is hopeful the act can set a national example, especially if the Supreme Court case is overturned.

“If we pass the ROE Act in Massachusetts,” Gouveia said, “we will be sending the message that we see that women’s reproductive health care and their rights to manage their own bodies is of paramount.”

Other speakers cited Barrett’s historically anti-abortion stance, arguing her confimation would likely lead to the elimination of Roe v. Wade and the undermining of abortion rights

SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO 7

’s confirmation to Supreme Court nationally.

Carrie Baker, president of the Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts, said 22 states would likely outlaw abortion if Roe were overturned.

If that were to happen, she said, her organization anticipates that Massachusetts would become a “destination on a underground abortion railroad.”

Throughout the demonstration, the Red Cloaks caught the attention of Beacon Street drivers and tourists.

Expletives, car horns and cries of “Trump 2020” rang from the street, but few who

appeared to oppose the protest slowed down to engage with attendees. Others honked and cheered, occasionally holding up traffic to watch the speakers.

One duck boat driver paused their guided tour, allowing riders to take photographs and videos of the protestors. From another bus, a woman shouted “Praise be” — a statement of gratitude common in the “Handmaid’s Tale” universe.

Sunday’s demonstration also drew a number of first-time handmaids, including Boston University School of Medicine student Bridgette Merriman,

who said she first heard about the Red Cloaks at a meeting for the BU Medical Students for Choice.

“I’ve known that people were protesting in this way, and I thought the visual was so powerful,” Merriman said. “The way that it almost just fell into my lap seemed too good to be true. I felt like I was just pulled toward the movement in that way.”

Merriman added that dystopian societies such as Atwood’s do not form overnight, but are the result of a country “slowly chipping away” at women’s

rights, making political action necessary.

The demonstration at the State House closed with a nearly 10-minute moment of silence.

Afterward, protesters made their way to the Public Garden’s footbridge for a final photo session, continuing to attract the attention of park-goers.

Jessie Steigerwald, a founding member of the Red Cloaks, said the group has used imagery of the handmaids since 2018 to broadly symbolize the mistreatment of women in the United States.

Steigarwald added that, though many protestors employ the uniform alone, the Red Cloaks add signs as a way of turning the symbol of oppression into one of empowerment.

“You might have someone walk up who’s been a victim of sexual assault. You might have someone who’s had an abortion. You might have someone walk up who’s simply been fighting for equal pay,” Steigerwald said before Sunday’s demonstration. “Just seeing the outfit … suddenly they feel understood. They feel seen. They feel heard.”

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SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

SHANNON DAMIANO | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

8 FEATURES

Harvard Book Store publicizes financial struggle, receives outpouring of support Yiran Yu Daily Free Press Staff Hundreds of local businesses have steadily lost revenue during the pandemic without their usual foot traffic, and Harvard Book Store is among them.

In an open letter to the community on Oct. 15, Harvard Book Store owners Jeff Mayersohn and Linda Seamonson wrote the store has been struggling financially, a common issue many independent bookstores in the United States now face.

“The imbalance between revenue and expenses represents a threat to our continued existence,” they wrote.

“Indeed, a number of our fellow merchants in Harvard Square have permanently closed, including many that have existed for decades.”

Mayersohn said in an interview the bookstore has continued to lose money each month, despite expenses not having fluctuated much. This is because the store saw a significant dip in revenue.

Richard Huang is a stock associate for Harvard Book Store, and while he isn’t working in person now, he said the shop’s capacity isn’t what it used to be. Fewer people are shopping brick and mortar.

“I have some employee friends who are actually working in the actual store, and they tell me that not many people come to the store anymore because of the pandemic,” Huang said.

“That I saw for sure.”

The challenges of social distancing have pushed Harvard Book Store,

which was founded in 1932, to adjust its focus toward e-commerce, Huang said.

“We don’t get that many orders anymore in person. It’s still very dangerous during this pandemic, as cases are rising,” Huang said. “I’ve seen a shift toward online orders.”

The customer experience has changed drastically, Huang added, as shoppers now limit contact with employees and their time in the store.

“Usually, the customers take a long time to browse everything, ask questions,” Huang said. “It’s now rushed, more quick, where they come in, get what they want and leave.”

Nonetheless, Mayersohn said the employees at Harvard Book Store are dedicating heavy efforts toward optimizing the shopping experience for customers who visit its physical location.

“We want to stay in business,” Mayersohn said, “but our highest priority is to make sure that we’re maintaining a safe environment, both for our staff and the customers.”

Mayersohn said one employee maintains the limited store occupancy and ensures customers are masked.

The store has also added plexiglass in places where customers and employees interact.

For the upcoming holiday season, Mayersohn proposes people buy early, which would help revitalize the bookstore’s revenues.

On Saturday, the bookstore will host another Virtual Warehouse Sale as part of this mission to “shop early and shop local,” according to the letter.

COURTESY OF EDWARD EL VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Harvard Book Store is one of many businesses struggling to make money due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Hopefully, by asking people to shop over a two-and-a-half month period,” Mayersohn said, “that will generate a high level of sales so that we can keep going into next year.”

Despite potential monetary concerns,Mayersohn said he was shocked by the outpour of support the store received from loyal customers: it received orders for thousands of books after the letter was released.

“That was very humbling and gratifying,” Mayersohn said. “The

response has really been overwhelming.”

Beyond selling books, Harvard Book Store also hopes to become a “cultural center for the community,” Mayersohn said. The store hosts more than 400 in-store “author talks” each year — their most recent one being a virtual discussion with Jack Halberstam on Wednesday.

“It is a very serious commitment to keep the conversation going in the community,” Mayersohn said.

As the store functions as both a retailer and an educational community center in Cambridge, Mayersohn said, it also relies on personal interactions rather than algorithms to choose books for its customers, unlike larger online booksellers.

“We provide a valuable customer service in connecting people with books that we think they’ll love,” Mayersohn said, “and also serving as a community center for the exchange of ideas.”

COVID-19 vaccine search sees promising results Adena Etaat Daily Free Press Staff With more than 1 million people around the world dead from COVID-19, the hunt for a vaccine is driven by the goal to mass-produce a one in 2021 — yet vaccines usually take up to 15 years to develop.

With more than 100 countries aiding its development, the status of a potential vaccine is ever-changing.

Vaccines are derived from weakened parts of the same germ or virus that causes a specific disease. By exposing one’s body to the pathogen, the immune system automatically begins producing antibodies to build immunity to the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infectious disease specialist David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at Boston University’s School of Public Health, said the COVID-19 vaccine has outpaced previous vaccine developments, which showcases promising progress.

“The whole process of making vaccines to COVID-19 has gone really amazingly quickly,” Hamer said.

“We’ve gone from recognizing a new pathogen … less than 12 months ago, and now we have a number of vaccine candidates.”

Hamer said vaccine development typically goes through three phases, during which the medical effectiveness is measured on a number of scales.

But, the rush and demand of living in a global pandemic has been expediting the process.

SPH epidemiology professor Mat-

thew Fox said this round of vaccine development is unique in its approach, with some techniques having never been attempted before.

For instance, Cambridge-based Moderna Therapeutics, the first company to enter clinical trials, is steering away from traditional methods of creating an effective vaccine.

Christopher Gill, an infectious disease specialist and SPH associate professor, said vaccines are typically created using protein from the actual virus, but Moderna instead uses the virus’s messenger RNA, which codes for the protein.

“For any vaccine that you can

make that follows the classical route, your manufacturing process has to be very specific for that one kind of vaccine,” Gill said. “So in theory, the factory that makes mRNAs for the coronavirus could make mRNAs for anything.”

While the process is more indirect, the manufacturing process has become much more efficient, Gill said.

Healthy volunteers are agreeing to be infected with COVID-19 in trials in the United States and abroad in hopes of further advancing the process.

This desperate position individu-

als are faced with is one reason the development of the vaccine is progressing so rapidly, Fox said.

“Because we’re in a pandemic situation, it’s much easier to enroll people into trials,” Fox said, “because people are just more willing to put themselves in a trial that’s going to help people.”

The development of the vaccine is progressing, as shown by The New York Times’ Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, which reports that 11 vaccines have entered Phase 3 largescale efficacy tests, and six have been approved for early or limited use.

There is a possibility the strain

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The race to create a COVID-19 vaccine has opened up greater transparency in the vaccine-making process worldwide.

of the virus may evolve, leading to another required vaccine, but Hamer said these mutations will not jeopardize the effectiveness of vaccines currently underway.

Yet, there is faith that COVID-19 is “very stable,” Gill said.

“In a way, the challenge of a COVID-19 vaccine might actually be quite a bit easier than a seasonal flu vaccine,” Gill said, “except for the fact that we’re doing this for the very first time.”

Immunology, the study of immunity, and virology, the study of viruses, are focal points in the coronavirus epidemic, given the still-unclear ways in which the disease can spread.

Other than the chance of mutation, public opposition against vaccines poses a concern for scientists and experts.

Hamer said some must be persuaded and reassured that vaccines are safe ways to prevent infectious diseases.

However, negative sentiments against the vaccine may be suppressed, Fox said, once a verified vaccine is distributed.

“If we have a vaccine that is truly safe and reasonably effective, I think people’s minds will change,” Fox said. “I suspect that as the vaccine gets rolled out, again, with the caveat that it’s a safe and reasonably effective vaccine, that we’re going to see that hesitancy change.”

As the end of 2020 approaches and companies worldwide rush to create a vaccine, Hamer said he predicts the deployment of a mass-use vaccine may occur the first quarter of 2021, but more likely the second half of next year.

FEATURES 9

BU Forge Design Studios encourages student creatives to find their voice Irene Chung Daily Free Press Staff The field of digital design is changing, and at Boston University, students are finding opportunities to expand their skills and explore mediums with professional designers.

BU’s Forge Design Studios held a free, virtual event on Saturday called “Catalyst” — a five-hour-long designathon in which students gathered in small teams to compete in a web design contest to solve “modern-day problems.”

In addition to winning cash prizes, students received feedback from professionals in the industry.

Jessica Man, vice executive president of Forge and a junior in the College of Engineering, said participants were encouraged to explore the field of UI and UX — user interface and user experience design — while executive board members remained available throughout the event to support designers.

“Our e-board has noticed that a lot more people have become interested in product design and UI UX design, but they don’t really have the support that’s needed to get into the field,” Man said. “So we wanted to present that opportunity through this event.”

Forge offered a bootcamp to intro-

duce the software and design process prior to the event, Man said, and Catalyst participants communicated via Slack to form teams and become acquainted with other designers.

Forge was previously BU Design Club until last Spring, when the group rebranded to be a more professional design community at BU with a goal of connecting up-and-coming designers to veterans in the industry.

By including designers from a broad range of skill levels, Man said, Catalyst aimed to provide more design opportunities, especially for those interested in product and UI and UX design.

Freelance product designer Jennifer Conner, one of the designathon’s judges, said it’s important for participants and young designers alike to keep in mind who they are designing for.

On Conner’s personal website, she highlights the four components of her design process: understand, ideate, deploy and evaluate.

“With my design process, I iterate a lot,” Conner said. “It’s never the same exactly for every project, but there’s always a step where you’re trying to understand what that problem is that you’re trying to solve and who it’s for.”

In addition to Catalyst, Forge founder Emme Enojado said she

encouraged students to attend workshops and general member events throughout the semester because she noticed resources for university students were “very limited.”

“I wanted to connect the community of designers from all different backgrounds and experiences at BU,” Enojado said, “whether they are just interested in learning more about design as a hobby, or actually entering it as a professional field.”

Enojado, who’s majoring in neuroscience and minoring in visual arts as well as innovation and entrepreneurship, said the organization also established Forge Labs — an internship and apprenticeship program within Forge.

Forge Labs is a nine-week program that offers opportunities for student designers to work for real clients.

This semester, Forge will hold workshops on design software such as Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud programs. Over the summer, the group held an “Equity in Design Workshop” to teach students how to promote inclusivity in the design field.

Conner said the design industry is always changing, a factor that has kept her in the field for more than 20 years.

“There was a point where I think a

COURTESY OF FORGE DESIGN STUDIOS

Forge Design Studios, a graphic design student organization at Boston University, hosted a five-hour-long virtual designathon on Saturday entitled “Catalyst.”

lot of places just looked at design as sort of the dressing to make it pretty, just make it look good,” Conner said.

“That has been shifting for years to where design is something more strategic now than it used to be.”

When it comes to educational backgrounds in the design field, Conner said portfolio development is much more important than training in traditional design or computer science, because portfolios demonstrate an individual’s strength and passion.

“I don’t think you for sure need to

have a UX education or a UX certification or a degree in UX,” Conner said. “You do have to have a portfolio that really shows that that’s what you’re interested in and that you understand what it is.”

For Enojado, Catalyst was one stop on a long journey for Forge Design Studios.

“One of my favorite parts has just been seeing this organization grow in a matter of a year,” Enojado said.

“This just started off as a good little dream of mine last summer.”

Mugar showcases identity-based art installation Nicole Bartuch Daily Free Press Staff Four black-and-white portraits hang side by side on the wall of Mugar Memorial Library at Boston University, overlaid by a transparent projection of a slideshow of similar photos. The themes of freedom, citizenship and a new American Dream are taking over a space typically reserved for frantic late-night studying.

This is “Re-Birth,” internationally acclaimed photographer Sheila Pree Bright’s multi-installation commission for BU. Pree Bright’s photography was brought to campus by the BU Arts Initiative and BU Libraries, and Bright’s message was inspired by Stephen P. Mugar himself.

“In coming to America from Armenia, my parents opened the door of freedom to me,” Mugar had once said, according to a quote on Pree Bright’s website. “America’s public schools and libraries opened my eyes to the unlimited opportunity in this great land, as well as the privileges and obligations of citizenship.”

Mugar’s words about American freedom and opportunity sparked the idea behind Pree Bright’s series, which includes four photos of women of color wrapped in or centered around the American flag. The exhibition explores coming to terms with one’s American identity, and what it means to be free.

Pree Bright hosted an “Artist Talk” Friday to discuss her new installation.

Pree Bright spoke about how “Re-

Birth” addresses topics of equity, access and voting rights, as well as how the BU community shaped the work.

University Librarian K. Matthew Dames introduced Pree Bright at the talk. He said the installation is especially important during a time of uncertainty and fear in America.

“My hope [is] that our library’s resources, including our spaces, can foster a sense of liberty and freedom that benefits our students, faculty and staff during the time of such marked change,” Dames said at the event.

A video projected over the photos on display shows changing text. Pree Bright said the incorporated quotes were taken from her discussions with BU students about their perception of American freedom.

During the discussion, Pree Bright

said the models photographed were able to pose however they’d like with the flag, which she said added to the power of their stories and perspective.

“I didn’t ask them to pose in a certain way. This was their take on America,” Pree Bright said. “Women are … going to be the driving force behind the rebirth of this nation.

That’s why I called it ‘Re-Birth.’”

Pree Bright said she noticed a common thread from her conversations with diverse BU students: they each had a complicated relationship with the great American myth of inclusivity and freedom for all.

“I think, as I’m an older person now, we need to listen to Generation Z, because [they] do have a voice,” Pree Bright said. “It always takes

a young person to be able to make change.”

CAS senior Ryan Joy said the installation is important for the BU community, especially because students’ voices are included.

“The themes are relevant and timely,” Joy said. “I like how the artist included quotes from the students as well, because it’s a big reflection of how the people feel.”

Those who visit Mugar will see the installation upon entry. By placing it here, Pree Bright said, she hopes her photos draw students’ attention to these underrepresented perspectives.

“The library is a place to come to where you do research, you learn, you’re being educated,” Pree Bright said. “I’m always interested in the voices of the unheard.”

NICOLE BARTUCH / DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

“Re-Birth” photographer Sheila Pree Bright’s multi-photograph installation hangs on a wall of Boston University’s Mugar Memorial Library, displayed as portraits overlaid by a projected slideshow of photos.

10 FEATURES

BU’s Queer Activist Collective calls on community to fight for social justice Julia Furnari Daily Free Press Staff This summer has seen rising calls to action against police brutality and systematic racism in the United States, and months into the semester at Boston University, these efforts continue.

Weekly Action Hours hosted by BU’s Queer Activist Collective aim to hold people in power accountable and demand change. Every Tuesday at 4 p.m., attendees over Zoom are encouraged to contact legislators, district attorneys and police departments demanding justice for victims of police brutality.

Q also provides resources, such as scripts, to help members feel comfortable reaching out to representatives. Toward the end of the hour, the group checks in with students to discuss their motivations for participating in advocacy work.

Ryan de Kock, Q’s director of operations and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, started calling legislators on his own this summer in response to the heightened awareness of racial injustice in America.

Because Q advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion, de Kock said it only made sense to confront racism.

“If we’re a queer activist group, that’s our name, it’s incredibly important that we aren’t just fighting for the rights of white queer people,” de Kock said. “We need to actively address the ways in which we contribute

to white supremacy.”

CAS senior Rhiannon Gaylord, Q’s public relations coordinator, said college-level administrations often uphold antiquated, harmful systems, but that Action Hour seeks to combat that.

“Universities in general do a great job of perpetuating all sorts of injustice and oppression,” Gaylord said.

“They have to be committed to consistently taking action and listening to marginalized people and support-

ing them in whatever way they can.”

De Kock looks to local and national social justice organizations for resources to formulate a loose agenda for Action Hours. He said one recent action item supported a bill that would make phone calls free for prison inmates in Massachusetts — an issue all the more relevant with COVID-19 visitation restrictions, he said.

The last event hosted a representative from Black and Pink, an

LGBTQ+ prison abolition nonprofit, who encouraged Q members to support a bill that would allow for the collection of data on LGBTQ+ inmates in restricted housing.

Q President Christa Nuzzo, a CAS junior, said dialogue around racebased injustice and violence is often not addressed where it should be, such as at BU. Nuzzo said the University’s Day of Collective Engagement sparked important discussions, but failed to follow up.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURYN ALLEN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Action Hour is the Boston University Queer Activist Collective’s weekly commitment to anti-racism activism.

“Those conversations didn’t really continue in a lot of places where they should have continued,” Nuzzo said. “BU should be providing more resources on how to be a better ally, which is definitely one of Q’s goals.”

The organization is hosting a second LGBTQ+ POC Ally Training, after an earlier training in July. Participants are encouraged to attend one or both of two sessions on Nov. 10 and 12 from 7–8 p.m.

There was a consensus among Q’s executive board members that queer activism is linked with racial justice advocacy. Because transgender women of color spearheaded gay liberation, Nuzzo said the two movements are interconnected.

“One of my favorite quotes is by Emma Lazarus, who said, ‘Until we are all free, we are none of us free,’” Nuzzo said. “As a queer person of color myself, I’m living in both movements, and I don’t believe it’s possible to fight for one but not the other.”

Q leaders said they recognize this work is indirect action, and not as immediately effective as direct action.

However, Gaylord said they hope making advocacy accessible will attract people to consistently advocate for social change.

“Obviously it’s not a huge, hard thing we’re doing,” Gaylord said. “A lot of people are making huge sacrifices, but even those little hurdles, giving people a way to get over them, I think, can be important for inspiring these little actions and building up to

Political scientists say Nov. 3 relies on youth turnout Rachel Do Daily Free Press Staff When Donald Trump was elected president of the United States four years ago, about onefourth of registered voters cast their ballot for him, while more than 40 percent did not vote at all, according to The United States Elections Project.

Since 2016, just a fraction of the country has participated in general elections. With the 2020 presidential election right around the corner, and more than 40 million people who have already cast their ballots, this is again the time to vote.

Boston University lecturers Shawn Lynch and Daniela Melo hosted “My Vote, My Voice: The Mechanics of U.S. and Other Elections” last week to address the upcoming election and the power of the vote.Lynch, a social science lecturer in the College of General Studies, is the co-founder of Better Elections Now!, a civic engagement organization that advocates for election equality and voter participation.

Lynch spoke during the event about the U.S. electoral system and the issues it generates. Those within the younger generation are discouraged to vote, he said, because they would vote on the basis of beliefs that are “entirely different” from those held by people currently in office.

“The Baby Boomer Generation and half of Generation X hand-

ed to [Generation Z] a house on fire,” Lynch said in an interview.

“The only way that that fire is going to be put out and the house is rebuilt is for you to vote.”

Lynch said Generation Z’s votes matter, especially given the tumultuous state of the country.

Voter turnout is disproportionately high among white middle-class and retired populations, he said, because they are not targets of voter suppression tactics.

Rather, the target is on young voters and racial minorities, who typically lean politically liberal.

“We have a class of leeches at the top, who have basically been looting us,” Lynch said. “And

then we have that middle class who are class traitors, who are so desperate to get into that upper class that they sell out everybody else.”

Melo, a political scientist by training, centered her presentation comparing the U.S. Electoral College to the French electoral system.

During the discussion, Melo said she grew up in Portugal, which was under dictatorship until 1974. Melo said Americans are fortunate to participate in their government because many in other countries lack that right.

“There were entire generations that just did not have that privi-

lege,” Melo said in an interview.

“Voting is really a privilege, but it is also a duty. But unfortunately in the United States, we’ve come to a point where citizens face a ton of bureaucratic hurdles.”

These obstacles specifically harm the youth vote, Melo said.

Americans have to apply and continually check their registration, whereas in countries such as France, citizens are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18. The voter registration process also differs from state to state within the U.S., with some states offering voters an easier time than others.

A lack of civic education, Melo

LAURYN ALLEN | DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University professors hosted a virtual discussion last week to discuss the Nov. 3 election and the impact of voting.

said, also harms democracy because being informed enables citizens to better public institutions and understand how politics works. But Lynch said change is not something that occurs overnight — it happens over generations. Because of the Electoral College, Lynch said, the popular vote is always diminished in favor of electoral votes by state.

In the current model, 18 percent of the population controls nearly half the electoral votes, he said, meaning the results of the election may not be representative of the entire country. Currently, members of the Electoral College directly elect the president and vice president, leaving the popular vote to be an indirect vote in the system.

While he said he’s in favor of abolishing the Electoral College altogether, Lynch offered this solution to reform the institution: the Electoral College can act instead as a “safety valve,” or a fallback option, while the winner of the popular vote would most likely win the election.

Voting on Nov. 3 is the first step to fixing the system, Lynch said in an interview. For the U.S. to guarantee enfranchisement to all its citizens and add a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College, young people have to vote, Lynch said.

“This is going to have to be you demanding,” Lynch said. “If you stand up for yourselves, you will win.”

OPINION 11

COLUMNS Canceled: The Gadsden flag, and our campus

Bini Yamin Columnist Right outside of Marciano Commons, near the ROTC headquarters, hangs an American flag. Right beneath it, billowing proudly in the breeze, is the Gadsden flag.

If you are unfamiliar with it, the flag depicts a snake wrapped in a coil, with the words “Don’t Tread on Me” boldly printed on the bottom.

This flag is racist. It is disgusting to see our administration — not just some random individual living on campus — display the flag so flagrantly.

It bears mentioning that an object’s historical origins cannot contradict any modern interpretations or associations it has gathered. But due to the fact not many people are aware of this flag’s history and modern connotations, it is worth briefly going over.

The rattlesnake has long been a symbol of American identity. One of its earliest iterations comes from Benjamin Franklin, who published an image of a snake cut in eight sections captioned “Join, or Die” in 1754. The snake represented the colonies, and the image is considered the first satirical cartoon in an American newspaper.

The Gadsden flag can be traced back to 1775, when newly enlisted marines marched carrying drums painted with coiled rattlesnakes, 13 rattles and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.” It was named after South Carolina Continental Army Col. Christopher Gadsden, who was on the Marine Committee.

Having gone over its history, some may ask how anyone could claim this flag is racist if its origins are so firmly rooted in the American Revolution. How can an early symbol of American identity be considered racist?

Any knowledge of American history and identity can tell you it was not formed under principles of racial equity. But as previously mentioned, the historical origins of an object does not necessarily define its present connotations.

As a New Yorker article points out, the Gads-

den flag wasn’t the first symbol to be misappropriated and used for racist, bigoted means — the swastika was as well.

Am I saying that the swastika and Gadsden flag are on equal footing in terms of almost universal knowledge of hateful appropriation? No, the controversy surrounding the Gadsden flag is still relatively nebulous.

But that does not change the fact that the flag has been — and continues to be — used by racists and fanatics to represent their disgusting aims. And these modern uses affect any current meaning the flag holds.

The Tea Party, a right-wing political movement said to represent economic concerns — but in actuality was a racist reaction to former President Barack Obama’s election — has repeatedly used the Gadsden flag to represent its political agenda.

Held proudly alongside the Gadsden flag, protestors at Tea Party rallies would hold signs saying phrases such as: ‘‘A Village in Kenya Is Missing Its Idiot: Deport Obama!” ‘‘Congress = Slave Owner; Taxpayer = N**gar’’ and ‘‘Imam Obama Wants to Ban Pork: Don’t Let Him Steal Your Meat,” according to Vox. A study published in Race and Social Problems found Tea Party supporters were more likely to be racist than your average white American.

In more recent years, the Gadsden flag has cropped up at President Donald Trump and white supremacist rallies.

If the two were on a Venn diagram, it would just be a circle. And in 2014, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stated the display of the Gadsden flag in the workplace could be considered racial harassment.

Some people will still say this flag’s revolutionary origin is not racist.

But it is important to look at the context — a rally of white people protesting the erosion of good ol’ American values, of the white nuclear family, of the invasion of the United States by immigrants choosing this specific flag to spread their message means something.

These people utilizing one of the earliest symbols of American identity to represent themselves and their racist aims is intentional.

They are calling back an old America.

That is what the flag means, and that is why it is hateful.

Not only has its meaning been appropriated by racists to advance their agendas, but the flag’s original context in itself represents an America that held Black people in bondage, and committed genocide against Indigenous peoples.

Our school is proudly displaying that flag on Bay State Road, and it’s time we finally take it down.

2020 Breakdown: What is the future of the Democratic Party?

Gabriella Aponte Columnist President Donald Trump has spent months propagating the notion that his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, is a puppet of the radical left and that electing him will bring an end to the American Dream as we know it.

“Biden has made a corrupt bargain in exchange for his party’s nomination,” Trump said at a recent rally. “He has handed control to the socialists and Marxists and left-wing extremists like his vice-presidential candidate.”

Despite his best efforts, Americans aren’t convinced. No one actually believes Biden is a radical or extremist of any kind, and for good reason.

After a nearly five-decade-long record in American politics, voters know exactly who Biden is.

Biden has proposed cuts to programs such as Social Security multiple times, voted for the Iraq War and was a strong ally of the credit card industry — so strong, he was once known as “the senator from MBNA,” one of the largest credit card companies at the time.

Biden also supported the War on Drugs and authored the 1994 crime bill that accelerated mass incarceration and decimated Black and Brown communities.

The list of terrible policy positions goes on and on. We have a clear picture of Biden as nothing remotely close to a socialist, Marxist or whatever baseless claim the Trump camp has thrown at him.

The future of the country and the Democratic Party under a Biden-Harris administration will not be socialist or progressive.

Under this administration, “nothing would fundamentally change,” as Biden promised his wealthiest donors at a 2019 campaign fundraiser.

Not only will his administration not be progressive, but it may turn out to be rather Republican.

The Biden camp is currently considering a number of high-profile Republicans for Cabinet

positions, according to Politico.

On the list are the likes of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and former Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent.

Kasich, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August, has been touted as a moderate Republican, yet his record proves otherwise. As governor, he busted labor unions, denied climate change and restricted access to abortion.

Flake, another so-called moderate, may have rhetorically opposed Trump’s style but still voted in line with the president 81.3 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Even worse than Flake, Dent voted with Trump 93 percent of the time before resigning in 2018 to become a lobbyist for corporate-friendly legislation.

A Biden transition team spokesperson told Politico that “diversity of ideology and background is a core value of the transition,” and a former Republican representative close with the team said the move made sense for necessary “outreach to the other side.”

It’s funny how this “outreach” and “diversity of ideology” only ever seem to skew one way — the wrong way.

The Biden team is quick to extend an olive branch to the right, to Never-Trumpers who pretended to be appalled by Trump but supported almost everything he pushed through Congress.

However, Biden refuses to substantively address progressives’ concerns.

For all the talk about “unity task forces” with Sanders, Biden’s personnel choices do not serve to unify the Democratic Party or the left at all.

Where is Sen. Bernie Sanders on the Cabinet list? The man who came in second in the last two Democratic primaries and represents a large coalition of voters within the party?

Where is Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, any member of the Squad or even Sen. Elizabeth Warren?

If there is any confusion on what the Democratic Party will look like under a Biden presidency, let me clear it up for you.

At the first presidential debate Biden said, “Right now, I am the Democratic Party,” and all but disavowed the left wing.

In the absence of Trump or another figure for Democrats to unite and passionately fight against, the party will continue to splinter and break.

The future of the Democratic Party is one with two defined factions: the moderate, incrementalistic faction that fights to maintain the status quo, and the progressive, democratic socialists who fight to change the system.

A war is brewing in the Democratic Party, and it isn’t going to be pretty.

EDITORIAL Boston Herald endorsement won’t sway voters, but does harm own staff When The Boston Herald’s editorial board endorsed President Donald Trump, multiple members of its reporting staff quickly distanced themselves from the paper’s opinion.

Reporter Andrew Callahan wrote in a tweet: “Today, the Herald’s small editorial group sure as hell doesn’t speak for me.”

It is common practice for journalists to avoid sharing their political beliefs with the public, because doing so can undermine their objectivity as a reporter.

Even so, a foundational principle of the industry has become more nuanced with the onset of extremely polarized politics.

Trump supporters are often seen as a class of their own. Their level of devotion to the Trump administration has taken conservative politics to new heights, so much so that some Republicans have chosen to turn their back on these supporters.

Backlash from the news staff comes as a surprise with the Herald’s known reputation as a conservative paper.

But, readers clearly can’t make the generalization that all of its staff support those beliefs.

Journalists looking for work likely don’t discriminate against a publication for its political leaning without other major drawbacks to writing for that outlet.

Either way, these writers felt personally compelled enough, or maybe even scared enough of public

backlash, to immediately distance themselves from any association with Trump.

As a result, they are effectively pushing forth their own political agenda, which is difficult to avoid in this situation. If they don’t speak up, then they are associated with a polarizing politician they fundamentally disagree with. There comes a time when one’s conscientiousness is worth more than political objectivity.

ently negative thing. Having a staff with diverse political beliefs can foster the kind of discussion that helps maintain a balanced reporting direction.

But, this clear display of outrage from Herald reporters shows this endorsement crossed a line in their eyes. And with less than a week from the presidential election, the Herald missed the mark with this endorsement.

Besides a boastful tweet from

Readers unfamiliar with how the news media operates may not understand this endorsement was from the editorial board, which is separate from a paper’s reporters.

Readers unfamiliar with how the news media operates may not understand this endorsement was from the editorial board, which is separate from a paper’s reporters. It doesn’t help when all they see is a title declaring, “The Herald endorses Trump,” which inherently associates all staff members with this partisan opinion.

We know publications often lean left or right, but internal conflict is unavoidable, and that isn’t an inher-

EDITORIAL BOARD

Trump, it’s challenging to find any positive outcome from the editorial’s declaration of ardently supporting his re-election. Especially following the 2016 presidential election, when it did not endorse a candidate, the Herald’s decision seems unnecessary.

If its goal was to influence voters, more than 1 million Massachusetts residents have already voted, so it is unlikely this will change anyone’s mind — that’s a difficult endeavor

this late in the election season.

Even though the Herald is viewed as a more conservative publication, its greater audience is the Boston community, where those who support Trump are sparse compared to many other states.

A niche portion of subscribed readership may laud the endorsement, but the Herald is otherwise alienating a large portion of its audience.

That isn’t a wise decision for a paper trying to retain its local readers.

When The New England Journal of Medicine made its political debut with a scathing disapproval of the Trump administration, it made shockwaves in the industry.

Although it wasn’t an official endorsement, the message was clear, and it was based on a sense of urgency to protect public health.

We cannot assume The Boston Herald held exclusive information that would make its endorsement particularly valuable or pertinent.

The editorial group seemed concerned simply with the candidates’ platforms on taxes and the economy.

Whether it hoped to reach its small demographic of conservative readers or those who have yet to vote, its decision was clearly contested by some.

The Boston Herald should have put more thought toward the impact this endorsement would have on its staff and community.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Angela Yang, Editor-in-Chief

Haley Lerner, Chairman

Sarah Readdean, Managing Editor

Victoria Bond, Vice Chairman

Melissa Ellin, Campus Editor

Angela Yang, President

Anne Jonas, Associate Campus Editor Nick Kolev, Associate Campus Editor

Allison Pirog, City Editor Kasia Jezak, Associate City Editor Daniel Kool, Associate City Editor

Cameron Morsberger, Features Editor Nancy Jiang, Associate Community Editor Madeline Humphrey, Associate Business Editor Margaret Farrar, Associate Arts Editor Anuj Sawhney, Associate Science Editor

Maxwell Bevington, Sports Editor Jacob Nesson, Associate Sports Editor Zoe Pantazelos, Associate Sports Editor

Colbi Edmonds, Opinion Editor Lauryn Allen, Photo Editor Hannah Yoshinaga, Associate Photo Editor Perry Sosi, Associate Photo Editor Mia Khatib, Associate Photo Editor

Amber Bhatnagar, Blog Editor Justin Tang, Podcast Editor

Diana Leane, Secretary Hillary Hao, Treasurer Sophia Yakumithis, Staff Recruitment Chair Ananya Panchal, Internal Affairs Chair Samantha Kizner, Public Relations Chair Nick Telesmanic, Grants and Awards Chair Sam Drysdale, Advertising and Fundraising Chair Alex LaSalvia, Web Chair Shaun Robinson, Audience and Engagement Chair Vivian Myron, Alumni and Archival Chair The Daily Free Press is governed by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a Massachusetts 501(c) nonprofit organization. BBPC’s Board of Directors is made up of former editors and is responsible for the publishing and general business management of the paper.