Travel Edition 11/17/23

News, 2 BU relaunches the Marriage Pact C EL EBRATIN G

FRIDAY, NOV 17, 2023

Features, 4 Mass migration of BU students OVE R

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YE A RS

O F

Cartoon, 11

Sports, 12 Men’s b-ball wins 95-79

A guide to minimize holiday travel stress I N DE PE N DE N T

STU DE NT

J O U R NA LI S M

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

YEAR LIV. VOLUME B. ISSUE VI.

to shut Are cheer and dance sports? Not at BU MBTA down parts of

four lines over next year

By GEORGE LEHMAN DFP Writer

KELLY BRODER | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

The Boston University Cheerleading Team and Dance Team on Thursday.

By MARA MELLITIS Business Associate

Members of the Boston University Cheerleading team have wished to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions from Boston University Athletics.

Red backpacks, electric scooters, early class registration times, guaranteed on-campus apartments: From the outside, the life of a Boston University athlete looks glamorous.

But the BU Cheerleading Team and BU Dance Team have a different experience, living in a murky limbo area thanks to their classification as Spirit Squads.

BUCT and BUDT compete at the Division I level in the National Cheerleading Association and National Dance Association, respectively. Because neither are considered sports by the NCAA, Title IX regulations do not apply to them, said former BUDT co-captain and College of Communication senior Morgan Mulligan.

Mulligan said that with the Spirit Squads classification, which also includes the Athletic Bands, the teams are required to perform at certain sporting events for Athletics.

Mulligan will graduate this semester after studying abroad, so she is not currently on the team. Due to an updated contract re-signed in the middle of this semester, BUDT members are not allowed to speak to the media, but multiple members gave similar accounts in interviews conducted in April. Current members confirmed all reports to be true this Fall.

Neither BUCT nor BUDT receive funding for their competition seasons because they are considered Spirit Squads. BU Athletics only supplies the team for their basketball game performances, Mulligan said.

BU Athletics declined to comment.

“The only thing that is provided to us by the Athletics department is the uniforms that we wear during basketball games,” Mulligan said. “Other things like costumes, shoes, tights that we wear, those are all either paid for by the team, so money that we raise doing crowdfunding [and] fundraising, or those are

paid for out of pocket from members.”

Mulligan said the most “degrading” fundraiser is cleaning up Agganis Arena after hockey games and concerts. The team makes about $500 to $800 per cleanup.

“For three-plus, four-plus hours, you’re sweeping the floor, you’re mopping the floor, you’re picking up trash, you’re ripping open trash bags and sorting through trash, things like that, just for [a] couple hundred bucks,” Mulligan said. “It makes you seethe with anger.”

This season, the team is working concession stands at Gillette Stadium to raise more money so the team members pay less out of pocket.

At other colleges, there’s a different story.

The dance team at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst competes in the Universal Association’s Collegiate Cheer and Dance Nationals in Division IA. According to UMass Amherst head coach Justine Pennucci, the team is classified and funded by Club Sports.

Pennucci said Club Sports increases their funding yearly because the team competes at such a high level.

“Financially, it’s best for us to be a club sport because of the amount of funding we do get,” Pennucci said.

“If we were to switch over to Athletics, I know that we would not be budgeted the same way.”

At UMass, the cheerleading and dance team both perform at all home football and basketball games.

Unlike their dance team, UMass’ cheerleading team is considered part of Athletics, and according to Pennucci, they get “certain things funded or travel paid for.”

For BUCT, a debt of almost $10,000 entering the 2022-23 season meant they had to pay out of pocket for their National championships, according to an alum who works with the team.

“We have broken even on our money spent this season, but the previous coach left funding in a very dire place,” they said.

Due to the debt, each cheerleader had to pay $850 in order to attend Nationals.

One uniform cost $200 to $300, according to a member of the BUCT. BUDT faced a similar situation last year. Mulligan said when she was captain, the team came in with an outstanding balance.

“A student-athlete … shouldn’t have to be worried about the inner workings and the finances of your team,” Mulligan said.

BUCT and BUDT compete in Division I, but they do not have access to specialized training facilities, athletes’ kitchens, nutritionists or strength coaches, according to the BUCT member. They said they believe BU Athletics leans on the Spirit Squads label to avoid giving BUCT these resources.

“You don’t need to meet with a strength coach if all you do is shake your pompoms at a basketball game,” they said.

The BUCT alum described Athletics as “disrespectful.”

“No one in Athletics cares how good or how bad the team is. They just want there to be a team that shows up and does what they say in terms of basketball games and handing out pizzas and whatever,” the BUCT alum said. “That’s fine. That’s part of the job. But the draw of BU Cheer is mostly competition.”

Funding Even though Athletics has supplied the two teams with the gear and uniforms they need to perform during basketball games, BUCT and BUDT have found difficulty with that as well. The poms BUDT is currently using are at least four years old and they are reusing costumes dating back to 2008, Mulligan said.

“My sister was on the team 10 years before I was,” Mulligan said. “Last year when we went to Nationals, I wore her costume.”

Meanwhile, UMass Amherst’s dance team gets poms “every six months,” and uniforms “do not have a very long life” because of heavy use and sweat, Pennucci said. The Club Sports budget covers replacements.

At BU, Mulligan said BUDT “flirted” with the idea of becoming a club team but never took it seriously.

Mulligan said a reason for that was because it would be a difficult conversation with

Athletics when it was already difficult to get to Nationals.

To get there is expensive — the alum said it costs about $40,000 to support a team for an entire season.

“Out of pocket, a season can cost anywhere more than $1,000 [per person], which is a huge ask for people who are already paying well over $60,000 for their education,” the alum said.

At UMass Amherst, Pennucci said individual team members pay for flights and registration fees for Nationals, totaling $1,200 per person. Last season, Nationals cost about $50,000 overall. The remaining amount of money comes from fundraising and the team’s Club Sports budget.

It costs BUDT about $15,000 to attend Nationals, Mulligan said.

One way BU sports teams get a lot of their funding is through Giving Day — a fundraiser for the entire school in April. Clubs, sports teams, colleges and programs at BU are eligible to fundraise. Varsity Athletics alone amassed a total of over $1.2 million. Men’s hockey collected the most money: a total of $257,331, according to BU Giving Day. According to the member of BUCT, the team only made $250 because BU Athletics did not inform the team that they had the opportunity to participate.

“There was no way for us to have the extra few hours, days, to let people know that we are going to be part of that program to fundraise,” they said. “Had I known, I would have been posting about it, been emailing alumni, [but] we found out that day.”

Academics BUCT and BUDT members said they do not get access to early registration, a privilege given to BU’s Division I athletes.

The teams also do not receive travel letters that excuse them from class for sport-related events, unlike other BU Division I athletes.

Mulligan said that during her sophomore year, BUDT was given letters from the Athletics department that excused them from class.

However, the team did not get the same luxury the following year.

When she mentioned her disappointment to Athletics, she said she was immediately shut down.

“I was told that as a leader,

it was my responsibility to keep the team morale high, and I shouldn’t be giving off the impression that Athletics was ‘taking things away from us,’” Mulligan said.

Mulligan said BUDT is not offered the same academic resources as other Division I athletes.

“If there was a major issue with missing class or getting behind on work, Athletics wouldn’t have any academic support or resources to offer us,” Mulligan said.

BUCT had a similar issue with academics.

“I know a lot of our freshmen are taking Chem 2, Bio 2 and had to take zeros for labs … the letters were the make-or-break difference for that because those departments don’t have any leeway for people missing,” the member of BUCT said.

According to Carolyn Megow, a cheerleader at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the cheerleading team does not compete and only performs on game days. Despite this, the team is still under the Athletics program and gets priority registration.

Megow said the cheerleading team performs at every home football and basketball game as well as Big Ten tournament games.

When they travel, the cheerleading team at UIUC are given preloaded debit cards to pay for food.

“When we came here early for camp before the university housing dining halls were open, they gave us a card … to get us through meals for the week,” Megow said.

The BU Spirit Squads will continue to perform at men’s and women’s basketball games this season on top of cleaning up arenas around Massachusetts and fundraising their way toward Nationals.

Mulligan said the team is happy to support other teams, but wishes they could receive the same support for their athletic achievements.

“Part of what we do is game day and being there to show school spirit,” Mulligan said. “But in turn, I think there’s always a little bit of an expectation that when it’s our time to go out and compete or do what we need to do, that some of the respect that we’re constantly giving to the department and other teams would be returned back to us.”

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced plans last week to shut down various sections of four lines over the next year as part of the MBTA’s Track Improvement Program, sparking controversy among riders. The plan is to lift all speed restrictions and fix tracks across the system by the end of 2024, but with it will come 21 different closures across all four lines at various points throughout the next year.

The first line to be shut down will be sections of the Green Line from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5, running from North Station to Kenmore, Heath Street and Babcock Street as well as a second closure from Dec. 11 to Dec. 20 for the section from Kenmore to Riverside.

Beginning in February 2024 and lasting through the end of the year, four lines will be impacted at some point.

“I think it’s going to be a huge problem for people who move around by public transport a lot,” said Marta Gogil, a student who lives in Brookline.

In a Nov. 9 board meeting, MBTA general manager Phillip Eng said the initiative, called the Track Improvement Program, will address infrastructure conditions such as deteriorated ties and track and replacing ballasts, problems that if “left unattended in the future years would become speed restrictions themselves.”

In March, the MBTA launched an online interactive speed restrictions dashboard, which allows riders to view what sections of the track have speed restrictions.

According to the dashboard, as of Nov. 13, over 30 miles of track are under speed restrictions with the Green Line currently under the most restrictions with many sections of the track from North Station to Kenmore slowed to 10 mph or less.

Eng also discussed station conditions in the Nov. 9 meeting, adding that the program will include “enhancing lighting, enhancing the cleaning and making repairs that have been long needed in those stations.”

The MBTA said they will hold open houses both in-person and virtually to overview projects for riders to ask questions or provide feedback over the course of next year. The MBTA also shared that it will provide regular updates on the program’s progress through in-station signage, social media, T-Alerts and their website.

Gogil said she often takes the Green Line, and she and other students who do not have their own cars rely on public transportation to get around. Considering the large population of students in Boston that rely on the T, she said it’s going to be “a big trouble for us to move around.”

Rebecca Aponte, from Mattapan, said when she lived in Charlestown, “there used to be some problems with the Orange Line and Haymarket.”

Even though she had a better experience with the Commuter Rail after becoming a Mattapan resident, she said it did not last Continued on page 2

2 NEWS

Safety Report shows increase in sexual assaults, decrease in stalking, liquor law violations

By SYDNEY TOPF Co-Campus News Editor

Boston University’s Charles River Campus reported a decrease in stalkings and liquor law violations from 2020 to 2022 but an increase in sexual assaults and misconduct, according to BU’s annual safety and fire report.

Institutions that receive federal funding are required to publish their crime statistics in a report annually by Oct. 1 and must include reports over the last three years in compliance with the Clery Act. The included statistics reflect crimes reported on all of BU’s campuses in Boston and educational programs located outside of the Boston area.

“Being in a big city with an open campus, we must address issues of crime, crime prevention, and personal safety directly,” Kelly Nee, chief safety, security and preparedness officer, wrote in the report. “Ensuring the safety of our Boston University community is our paramount concern, and I want to assure our community that we prioritize safety without compromise as we strive for transparency and inclusivity.”

Chief of BU Police Department Rob Lowe said no unusual trends stood out in the reports.

“That’s something that we pay closely attention to and will continue to do that,” Lowe said.

Stalking, Sexual Assault and Misconduct The Charles River Campus reported forcible fondlings doubled from five incidents in 2020 to 11 in 2022, and reports of rape increased from seven in 2020 to nine in 2022, according to the report.

There were three reported incidents of stalking on the Charles River Campus in 2022, down from seven in 2020 and 17 in 2021.

Lowe said it is hard to pinpoint a reason for the increase in stalkings

MBTA continued

for long. “They’re horrible,” Aponte said. “[The Commuter Rail] was great for about a year and then they started working on it maybe a couple months ago and there’s delays all the time and they don’t announce it sometimes, the signage is horrible, so it hasn’t been great.”

Augusta Crow from Mission Hill said she relies on the Green Line to commute to work. She said every time the train gets slower it impacts “every aspect of my life.”

“I kind of rely on it to get anywhere I need to go,” Crow said.

On Thursday, the MBTA released a new capital needs assessment and inventory report, noting that nearly $25 billion will be needed for “rehabilitation or replacement” of various aspects of the T. Riders also took to social media to post their thoughts. In a comment thread in the MBTA’s post about the program on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, one user suggested a complete shutdown of the T system as a possible solution.

“The only way to get this done right is to shut down the entire system, and do it all at once,” X user @berniefalcon wrote.

With the first shutdowns set to begin at the end of the month, the city is preparing to face a yearlong schedule of construction with hopes for long-term solutions to the ongoing issues that plague the system.

“One of the key priorities … is safety of our systems, safety for our riders and safety for our workforce,” Eng said in the Nov. 9 meeting. “The key to success … is not only what we’re looking to do in 2024, but it’s going to be that preventive, corrective maintenance system that we put in place that stays on top of our system.”

in 2021.

“Overall, we do see trends during different times of the year,” Lowe said. “When you’re asking for a specific reason for a certain crime, generally speaking, that can be a difficult question to answer.”

Domestic violence declined on the Charles River Campus, with four reported incidents in 2020 and none in 2022, according to the report.

There were three incidents of dating violence in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

While the report only cites incidents from 2020 to 2022, BUPD keeps an updated report on recent crimes.

During the week of Oct. 25, BUPD reported four sexual assaults just two days apart, igniting conversations on campus about sexual assault.

Lowe said BUPD gave all

officers trauma training over the summer for handling cases of sexual assault.

“One of the things that [former BUPD Chief Kelly Nee] did recently was bring in a traumainformed approach to the way we investigate sexual assault reports,” Lowe said. “[The training is] just a way to assist officers and in understanding how trauma impacts people in different ways and to recognize what those signs are so we can best support survivors in those moments.”

Dean of Students Jason Campbell-Foster wrote in an email that the Committee on Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention is one way his office is responding to sexual assault and misconduct on campus.

“This is a coordinated effort where the voices of students, faculty and staff have joined

together to advance our key priorities and efforts such as increased transparency, education, training and awareness,” Campbell-Foster wrote.

Shana Weitzen, a junior in the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and the liaison between Planned Parenthood and BU Students for Reproductive Freedom, praised BU for clear communication.

“BU is very unique in that they have that struggle,” Weitzen said.

“I think, honestly, the transparency has been very refreshing because the University has struggled with that in the past.”

Other Crimes BU reports hate crimes both on campus and on public property.

The Charles River Campus reported an increase in hate crimes in 2022.

In 2021, the Charles River Campus reported one incident, which was classified as intimidation based on race and occurred on public property. In 2022, there was one reported intimidation based on religion and three reported instances of intimidation based on sexual orientation. All four hate crime incidents occurred on campus, according to the report.

Aggravated assaults doubled on the Charles River Campus from three in 2020 to six in 2022.

Cases where students are involved in liquor, drug or weapon violations are often referred to the Dean of Students Office for disciplinary action after breaking

the student code of conduct.

Liquor law violations on the Charles River Campus decreased by 60% between 2021 and 2022, according to the report. There was only one arrest for liquor law violations in 2022 and none in 2021.

Campbell-Foster wrote that he could not cite a definitive factor for this decline, but provided some potential reasons.

“Some factors that may have contributed to the decrease are more awareness of alcohol use and misuse due to educational efforts undertaken by BU and high schools; a shift in social norms and attitudes around alcohol consumption; [and] the impact of the pandemic and restrictions during that time,” CampbellFoster wrote.

BUPD made two arrests for drug law violations on the Charles River Campus in 2022. In 2021, there were no reported drug law violation incidents.

One person was arrested for a weapons law violation in 2021, and two were arrested in 2022.

Lowe said he hopes students use the report to keep themselves informed.

“Our goal is to keep our community informed number one, and then secondly, I would say to keep them safe,” Lowe said. “So it again becomes an education campaign where people can learn about ways to keep themselves safe, whether they’re alone at night, or in groups.”

BU Marriage Pact relaunches with new algorithm

SARAH CRUZ | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A sign for Marriage Pact on St. Mary’s Street and Mountfort Street. The matchmaking service pairs together university students based on extensive sociological and psychological data.

By KAYLA BALTAZAR Contributing Writer

Boston University’s matchmaking service, the Marriage Pact, launched for students once again with a new algorithm.

The Marriage Pact, which originated at Stanford University, provides students with their compatible match on campus, through a questionnaire based on psychological and sociological research.

The project originally began at BU in 2021, and after the students who helped with the launch graduated, current students at BU resumed the project and formed a team of representatives to advertise the BU Marriage Pact.

The relaunch consisted of a week-long process in which

representatives for the BU Marriage Pact focused primarily on “getting the word out” using social media, group chats and posters.

Xinny Lao, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of the representatives and said she thought the Marriage Pact was a good idea because of the size of BU’s population leading to a variety of results.

“I feel like it’s a really cool opportunity, especially given how big BU’s undergrad population is,” Lao said. “[It’s] much bigger than other schools that Marriage Pact has been posted in.”

The Marriage Pact has been launched at 78 schools, including other Massachusetts schools like Tufts University and Amherst College.

Karina Chen, the launch team product manager for the Marriage

Pact, said that the algorithm used is “the secret sauce” for the project. “[The algorithm is] drawn from research from different topics [such as] psychology, economics, computer science,” Chen said.

“It’s an academically backed questionnaire.”

Out of the 1,400 people completing the survey at BU, roughly 200 women were not matched romantically with the opportunity of finding a potential friend instead.

“There are possibilities of friend matches,” Lao said. “These extra people that are unmatched … would do friend matches even though it’s not your preferred sexual orientation.”

Sophia Breslau, a junior in CAS, heard about the Marriage Pact relaunch from a friend and decided to try it out.

“I just thought it was really funny, cool and exciting because to do a normal matchmaking thing, that’s scary and a lot of commitment,” Breslau said. “To be receiving something for a marriage pact … it’s just exciting.”

The Marriage Pact asks for information about the participant, such as their gender, sexuality and beliefs, as well as their preferences in a partner, such as their partner’s religion. It also asks 50 questions about a person’s principles, values and how much they agree on a scale of one to seven. Questions included inquiries such as their values when it comes to friendship.

Breslau said she recalls one question asking her about if she would keep friends around if she thought they would be useful in the future.

“There were some questions that I had never really thought of before,” Breslau said. “I didn’t

know if I was going to be able to answer it in a way that really demonstrated how I actually felt.”

Breslau received her results Tuesday morning and said that she and her match had a 94% match.

“The only way for us to connect is through email, so I wrote an email but I haven’t sent it yet because I’m not totally sure what to say in it,” Breslau said. “When was the last time anyone has sent an email to their potential marriage pact match? It’s funny.”

Breslau said that even if the match doesn’t result in an actual marriage pact with someone on campus, it’s interesting to know there’s someone on campus who’s similar to her.

“Maybe it leads somewhere, maybe it doesn’t, maybe it’s a real marriage pact, maybe it’s not,” Breslau said. “But it’s just a fun experience. I totally recommend it.”

Lao said getting the word out about the Marriage Pact was “difficult” because of how large the undergraduate population is, adding that if the Marriage Pact gets more stabilized within the BU community, it can expand to a lot more people.

“If we actually have even more than half of the BU population participate, I feel like that would lead to a lot more interesting results, just because it’s a much bigger pool,” Lao said.

Chen hopes that the Marriage Pact can launch again at BU next year.

“The Marriage Pact really strives to make marriage pacts a tradition for schools around the nation,” Chen said. “[We] definitely want to launch again next year and make it something that all the students look forward to every year.”

NEWS 3

BU students campaign to replace campus Starbucks

By KIERA MCDONALD Campus Associate

Boston University College Democrats and other organizations launched a national effort at BU in solidarity with union workers on Red Cup Day, one of the busiest days of the year for Starbucks, to remove the chain from college campuses.

The workers of United Union chose Red Cup Day to strike because it’s “Starbucks’s biggest sales event of the season — and also one of the most infamously hard, understaffed days for the baristas that work them,” according to their website.

Sean Waddington, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and president of BU College Democrats, launched a petition Wednesday, on the eve of Red Cup Day, to demand BU administration end its contract with Starbucks in favor of supporting student-run and local businesses, committing to improving working conditions and cooperating with unions.

“I’ve always wanted to come to support the union,” Waddington said. “When I had this opportunity to sign some petitions and do some volunteering, I thought it was great and I thought it was good to get the club involved.”

Waddington said Aramark, a third party company — and not Starbucks — owns and operates the locations on campus located in the George Sherman Union, Questrom School of Business and Warren Towers.

“But as their primary target audience is young people, trying to have us be consumers for life, we are trying to leverage that as students and as a university to get them to respect their union,” Waddington said.

After Starbucks Workers United contacted their organization, Waddington, who is also an undergraduate senator representing CAS 2025, said the campaign to remove the chain “snowballed” into a larger effort involving other colleges and

KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Starbucks at 874 Commonwealth Avenue. The unionized store is one of 200 across the country that went on strike Thursday to bring attention to staffing and scheduling issues.

universities.

Hundreds of college students from dozens of campuses across the country, including BU, gathered on a strategy Zoom call on Nov. 9 with United States Rep. Maxwell Frost who said local union efforts can have an effect nationwide.

“The work that they’re doing isn’t necessarily about that specific struggle, at that specific place of work,” Frost said. “It’s about that, but also has [an] impact that changes the entire country.”

Waddington said Congressman Frost’s involvement “helped boost morale for the campaign” and was thrilled to hear from the first Gen Z member of congress.

“We’re all folks who are just trying to do some good in this world and to get the support of

Congressman Frost to get … that push of ‘you guys are doing something and keep going,’” Waddington said. “I think we’re really set in for a longer-term push.”

In an effort to demonstrate their solidarity with workers, petition organizers also showed up at the picket line for their version of the day, Red Cup Rebellion Day. Willa Bandler, a researcher from Walpole and strike volunteer, supports workers’ rights and said the stores are underemployed and lack decent working conditions.

“We really need customers to support the workers, there aren’t enough workers at any one store because the way the laws work, the stores have to unionize one by one,” Bandler said.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley

wrote in an email that BU does not support a strike against a business.

“Boston University, as an institution of higher learning, supports teaching, research, scholarship, and dialogue, and not a boycott or cancellation of a business,” Riley wrote.

“Individuals can act on their own accord whether they wish to be a customer, or choose not to be.”

BU Dining Services declined to comment.

Waddington said the campaign to remove Starbucks is currently in the “planning stages,” with a presentation being made at the start of the semester to enlist the support of other senators.

Nathaniel Wilcox, a sophomore in Questrom School of Business and undergraduate senator who

joined Waddington in the effort, said Starbucks is a company that is “taking advantage” of students and disregards their employees.

“When Sean presented what he was doing and what it really meant for changes on campus … it felt really compelling to me,” Wilcox said. “I feel like people working at Starbucks on campus aren’t getting the benefits that they could be.”

Wilcox said they are trying to get BU to be “more transparent about the contract between the Aramark and Starbucks.”

“I think BU needs to do its part in removing that corporation from campus,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox said this campaign will not affect the convenience of students using their dining and convenience points.

“What I think this would change is it would allow students and people who decide to work at Starbucks to receive the benefits that they deserve,” Wilcox said.

Keeghan Bauer, a senior in CAS and a Starbucks worker on campus, said she is not a part of the union but supports the workers. She said replacing the Starbucks on campus would be “ideal.”

“I don’t think it would have much of an impact if it’s replaced with something very similar,” Bauer said. “I imagine it would be just as busy and generate just as much revenue because people are still going to drink coffee.”

Skyler Piltch, a senior in the College of Communication, said he “stands in solidarity” with Starbucks employees and believes employees as well as union workers deserve basic rights.

“Overall, I think that this is a larger issue than just what coffee you drink in the morning,” Piltch said. “I think it’s more important to support that issue than for us to get our venti cold chai latte with a pump of cinnamon.”

Katrina Scalise contributed to the reporting of the story.

New affordable non-stop flights to Dublin, Paris to start in spring

By JENNY LAMBERT Associate City Editor

JetBlue Airways announced new non-stop flights to Dublin, Ireland and Paris, France starting in spring 2024, with some round trip fares starting at $399, according to an Oct. 25 press release.

The airline’s daily seasonal service from Boston Logan International Airport to Dublin Airport will begin on March 13, 2024, and continue until Sept. 30, 2024. The “highly anticipated” service from Boston Logan to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport will begin on April 3, 2024, and will be available year-round.

JetBlue is also launching seasonal flights to Dublin and Edinburgh Airport in Scotland from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport — which they call a “Celtic Combo” — and a second daily flight to Paris from JFK. Tickets to all of these destinations went on sale on Oct. 25, according to JetBlue.

Kyle Potter, executive editor of the Thrifty Traveler, a travel and flight deal website, described JetBlue’s announcement as the “next round of expansion” for the airline, which began offering nonstop, transatlantic flights just two years ago from JFK, starting with London and adding Paris and Amsterdam soon after. JetBlue currently offers transatlantic flights from Boston to London and Amsterdam.

“I just flew back [on] JetBlue from Amsterdam to Boston,

so I wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage,” Potter said.

“Above all else, more airlines flying nonstop between the U.S. and Europe is good news for consumers because more competition between the airlines always means lower prices.”

The only other airlines that offer non-stop flights to Dublin from Boston are Delta Airlines and Aer Lingus, with Delta and Air France being the only others to offer non-stop flights from Boston to Paris.

Tufts University student Aidan Keusch said the affordability of these flights entices him to book a flight. Keusch is a frequent JetBlue flyer.

“It’s really hard to find affordable prices … taking advantage of a flight ‘to go across the pond,’ as they say, would be pretty good,” Keusch said. “I would definitely take advantage of it.”

Northeastern University student Ashley Rex said when she flew from Boston to Paris she believed the flight was more expensive than what JetBlue is offering now, and that she’s happy the flight is non-stop.

“I do remember that we had a layover, so it being a direct flight is huge,” Rex said. “If people find out about it, I think it will be big and a lot of people will take advantage of it, especially because people study abroad in Dublin a lot, especially at my school.”

Potter, who typically flies Delta, said JetBlue’s announcement is more than just a milestone

ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A JetBlue Airways plane leaves from Logan International Airport in Boston. The airline announced plans to offer nonstop flights from Boston to Dublin and Paris beginning April 2024.

for the company but for the competitiveness of international travel out of Boston.

“As the airlines continue to fight it out for passengers flying in and out of Boston, we’ll continue to see that because it’s not just JetBlue that matters in this case,” Potter said. “It’s what JetBlue’s presence starting next year means for flying Delta nonstop to Dublin and Paris, or flying some of the other airlines that already operate those routes. It really is, bigger picture, going to be a win for consumers whether they end up flying with JetBlue or not.”

Potter said Delta, who flew their largest-ever transatlantic schedule this past summer, has helped Boston Logan become

a bigger and more competitive airport.

“Boston has, within the last maybe five years, become a really, really competitive airport, especially for transatlantic airfare to Europe,” Potter said.

Tufts University student Mason Shultz said he is happy he will have an easier and more affordable avenue to Europe to visit his girlfriend, who is studying abroad in Florence, Italy next semester.

“As someone who’s only flown on JetBlue their entire life and refuses to fly any other airline, I would say that this is massive for the [company],” Shultz said.

“My girlfriend’s going abroad next semester actually, so this is

great news that I didn’t know was a thing until just now. I’m pretty happy … because now I can utilize it.”

Potter, who is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said he wishes his local airport had as many destination options as Boston Logan does.

“I’m very jealous of people that live near Boston Logan and can hop on all these new options to get over to Europe,” Potter said. “Before the pandemic, we noticed a trend that Boston was one of the best airports in the country for getting to Europe for cheap, and that continues today, so that’s amazing … and by the looks of it they’re only going to continue to get better.”

4 FEATURES

COMMUNITY

Pre-med students face unique study abroad challenges

BY CORINNE DAVIDSON Contributing Writer

Every prospective student at Boston University gets the same study abroad spiel. There’s something for everyone, a tour guide says walking backwards along Bay State Road.

When Elena Green started college, she said she was “really interested” to take her studies overseas through BU’s highly ranked study abroad program. She soon realized, as a pre-medical student, those opportunities may not be within her reach.

“I think that one big issue with [study abroad] is when you’re pre-med, there’s an expectation to start in freshman year, gathering research experience, gathering clinical experience, et cetera,” said Green, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Going abroad can sort of halt that if you’ve already started to gain that experience.”

Green is also in the Kilachand Honors College, which has its own set of requirements that can’t be fulfilled while studying abroad, she said. Some of these required classes are only offered during certain semesters. Since the classes aren’t offered abroad, she could fall behind quickly.

However, Green is currently considering applying for a public health study abroad program.

While she hasn’t been able to find a program that would work well with her major, her public health minor offers her a couple

more options.

According to the BU Study Abroad website, students hoping to pursue pre-med pathways can travel to Chile, Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain.

The available programs make up only seven of the 83 programs listed on the website.

Though Carly McDermott, a pre-med junior in CAS and a Spanish minor, was able to study abroad while staying on track with her science courses, she cited an entirely different set of issues once crossing the border.

McDermott studied at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid during the fall semester of her sophomore year. Though she feels very fortunate she was able to experience and immerse herself in another culture, McDermott struggled when taking organic chemistry in a foreign country.

“In a sense, I felt a little under-prepared coming back to BU to take [Organic Chemistry II], just because it wasn’t as clear or concise,” McDermott said. “We didn’t have the same curriculum and textbooks [when abroad], which made it really challenging, but as for the content we were learning, it was the same as BU.” McDermott reached out to the BU Organic Chemistry 1 professors in order to be added to their Blackboard sections and teach herself the material.

“I wanted to stay on track with what [BU] students were

KATE KOTLYAR | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

The South Entrance to the Global Programs office. Many pre-med students find it difficult to fit a study abroad experience into their academic curriculum.

actually learning,” she said.

“So I just went through and I basically self-taught through that class.”

Out of the approximately 25 students in her cohort, McDermott said about half of them knew limited Spanish.

Although classes were taught in English, McDermott felt that those with limited knowledge of Spanish would be at a disadvantage when it came to carrying out their daily activities in the city.

Joe Moussaoui, a pre-med junior in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, went into the Madrid science program with a very limited knowledge of the native language but was lucky enough

to have a host family that spoke English and friends who spoke Spanish.

“I know some people who actually were the same, didn’t know much Spanish going in, whose host families weren’t as good in English. They were saying how it was really difficult or that it was really hard communicating with their host family,” Moussaoui said.

BU has one of the best study abroad programs in the U.S., ranking 13th in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 study abroad program ranking. BU offers programs in over 20 countries.

Gareth McFeely, the executive director of the Study Abroad department, said BU

makes sure to offer coursework in their programs that ensure pre-med students stay on track.

He also said the study abroad office more frequently sees social science and humanities students applying.

McFeely said students may face difficulties when it comes to studying abroad for a variety of reasons, one of which being planning. The study abroad office encourages students to plan ahead, especially with requirement-heavy paths like pre-med — it all depends on their personal pathway.

“We often say to students that if they’re interested in neuroscience that Copenhagen is a good fit, but another institution might not be a good fit,” McFeely said. “So we really try to talk with students individually about the pathway. I think it’s fair to say again, that the earlier you plan and the earlier you go, the more possibilities that you have available to you.”

Emma Martin, a pre-med senior in CAS, said planning ahead would have helped her go abroad.

“If I had considered [studying abroad] early on in college and I had planned around it … it still would have been tough to go abroad,” Martin said. “But if I had planned it from the beginning, I probably could have.”

Green felt similarly: “Once you start your path at BU, if you’re that kind of major, it’s difficult to then try and squeeze it in.”

COMMUNITY

Mass migration: BU students struggle to go home for Thanksgiving

BY CHARLIE DIPPOLITO Contributing Writer

For students at the 64 colleges and universities in the Boston metropolitan area, Thanksgiving signals one of two things — the official kick-off of the holiday season, and a slightly less festive mass migration out of the city.

Whether traveling by train, car, bus or plane, sky-high prices and congested terminals make being thankful this holiday season difficult.

The American Automobile Association’s annual forecast estimated that 55.4 million people traveled 50 or more miles for the holiday last Thanksgiving.

According to NBC, the average price for a domestic flight during the Thanksgiving season is up 5% from 2022.

Elsa Caron, a freshman in Questrom School of Business, said the length of BU’s short Thanksgiving break combined with “super expensive” plane tickets make it impossible for her to travel to her home state of Nevada.

“When you fly across [the] country, a lot of the time there’s no direct flights for me,” Caron said. “So I would have to spend

two full days just traveling which would take away from time to spend with my family.”

Classes officially go on recess beginning on Nov. 22, giving students just five days off before they resume on Nov. 27.

However, Caron isn’t letting her inability to go home get her down — instead, she’s looking on the brightside.

“I think that it’ll contribute, when I go home for Christmas, to an even better feeling because it’ll have been longer since I’ve seen my family,” Caron said.

“But I’m hopeful that maybe next year I’ll be able to go home for Thanksgiving.”

Because of time constraints,

some students opted to have their families travel to Boston, rather than going home.

“I’m really lucky my parents could afford to come out to Boston,” said Evan Kurtz, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, whose family is coming from Washington state to bring Thanksgiving to him.

“We’re renting a house and we’re having Thanksgiving as a family here with my sister.”

Kurtz explained that “with the about five days we have for Thanksgiving break, having two essentially eight-to-nine hour travel days just wasn’t feasible.”

International students traveling home for the break face a different set of concerns than domestic students. Many need to make sure they are eligible to leave the United States and return to their home countries with BU’s International Students and Scholars Office.

“I think it was always set in stone I was going to go home, but I do need to check my F1 Visa Status to make sure I’m in compliance,” said Sam Blackstein, a sophomore in CAS and international student from Canada.

Although the flight to Toronto — Blackstein’s hometown — is fairly short, the documentation and paperwork for an international student makes the trip complicated, she said.

Even when planning for their trips months ahead of time, some students still decided that traveling isn’t worth the headache and financial burden.

When Jack Essner, a junior in the College of Fine Arts, checked the prices for plane tickets to go home for Thanksgiving a few months ago, the Los Angeles native knew staying in Boston was ultimately the better option.

Like other students, Essner has family coming to Boston.

“My twin sister is coming to visit me so I’m very excited for her to see Boston,” Essner said.

“But I miss home.”

Students who can’t go home to celebrate Thanksgiving are finding new ways to extend their gratitude even when their families can’t come to them.

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

“I’m kind of excited because I’m so used to doing the same thing every year for Thanksgiving, so I feel like it’ll be a fun new experience,” Caron said of joining a family friend’s dinner table. “I’m honestly looking forward to it.”

Like Caron, Sean Tomany, a sophomore in the Faculty of Computing and Data Science from San Francisco, is joining his friends and their families on the east coast this Thanksgiving.

“I was originally planning on staying here so I was disappointed about that,” Tomany said. “I was like, ‘Fine, I’ll make the most of it.’”

For the sophomore, spending time with his college foundfamily is still time worth giving thanks for.

“I’ve known these people for a year and a half now, and it’s great to further our connection,” Tomany said. “I’m super grateful that they were able to take me for Thanksgiving.”

BUSINESS

FEATURES 5

Business, ethics intersect in Questrom’s Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy

gain revenue in the short term, there are detrimental long-term effects on the corporation and its employees.

“I was starting to think about all the implications of my behaviors,” Kim said.

By SARA SUGITA Contributing Writer

In 2014, Harry Susilo endowed Boston University’s Questrom School of Business with the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy, Questrom’s first permanently endowed institute. Since then, the unique institute has promoted ethical business practices and leadership through its original research and educational offerings.

Executive Director of the Institute David Epstein said what sets the Susilo Institute apart from similar institutes in different universities is that it is part of the business school, instead of being a part of the wider university.

“Ethics should be taught as part of business, and it shouldn’t be the differential between business and ethics,” said Epstein, a visiting professor of global leadership and information systems in Questrom.

Traveling to Singapore Epstein said a “staple” of the Susilo Institute is its annual symposiums — this year’s took place in Singapore on Nov. 1. With industry leaders, government officials and academics as speakers, the symposium attracted over 400 people, who varied from corporate executives to politicians.

The symposium goes back and forth between Boston and another city in the world each year. Epstein said this is in alignment with the focus of the Institute to better understand ethics internationally and how it differs all over the world.

ISABELLE MEGOSH | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Questrom School of Business. The Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy is Questrom’s first permanently endowed institute.

This year’s symposium, “Visionary Leadership for the Future; Leading Resilient and Ethical Businesses in our Changing World,” included a panel on the implications AI would have for the future, from the perspectives of different industries.

Epstein said while he is thrilled to see technological innovations in AI, there are “many ethical issues” to consider.

“We try to address some of those issues in these conferences and webinars that we do and dive deep into it,” Epstein said.

The Institute also hosts multiple webinars inviting leading industry professionals to discuss ethics in different contexts. One of the recent webinars focused on creativity in AI, where advertising professionals and BU professors

spoke on the use of AI in the advertising industry.

Evolving ethics courses Dean of Questrom Susan Fournier has been involved in the Susilo Institute since it was endowed. Within Questrom, she said, “the Institute allows us to create and perfect and continually evolve the courses that we teach in ethics.”

Ethical Leadership in the Global Economy is a required course for first-year MBA students in Questrom. The course was remade a few years ago by Nina Mažar and Evan Apfelbaum, who are both faculty fellows for the Susilo Institute.

Apfelbaum, an associate professor who currently teaches the course, said contrary to what many students expect, the course does not teach them “what is

right or wrong.”

“It’s a course that gets them to think about their values, what they stand for, what businesses and leaders should be responsible for,” Apfelbaum said.

Throughout the course, students are put through a number of exercises and simulations to “challenge their own views and their ability to think about taking care of people and doing business at the same time,” Apfelbaum said.

Lima Kim, a first-year in the MBA program at Questrom who took the course, previously worked as an international sales manager at electronics manufacturer Foxconn, where he described the culture at the company as “revenue-oriented.”

Throughout the course, Kim said he learned that when ethics are ignored in order to

Getting students involved In recent years, Fournier said, the Institute has been evolving to be “student-centric.” She said the Business and Ethics Case Competition, which started this year, is representative of this mission.

The Business and Ethics Case Competition is directed

by Gregory Stoller, a master lecturer in Questrom. Stoller said the competition received 71 submissions from 15 countries, of which about 20 teams were selected by a group of over 20 judges, who divided the teams into different regions. The five finalists and a team from BU will receive a subsidy from BU to compete in the global final in southeast Asia in June.

Stoller has been holding different case competitions for 17 years, but this is the first time he is doing it on ethics and business.

Fournier said it is “incredibly valuable” to have the teams from around the world come together in person and learn from each other.

Among other institutes in Questrom, Fournier said the Susilo Institute is “emblematic” because it forms a strong foundation for Questrom’s mission to create global, ethical leaders who “leverage the power of business to create value for the world.”

“We could never teach that in a classroom.”

ART

Ancient Greeks met Greek life in student-written play “The Boys”

BY PRIYAL PATEL Contributing Writer

Empty beer bottles littered the ground, while the crowd’s playful jeering and loud laughter resembled that of an ancient Greek theater. This is no frat party, just an imitation — this is “The Boys.”

“The Boys,” a three-act play written and directed by Bridget Fekety and John Griffin, ran Thursday through Saturday at Boston University’s Student Theater at Agganis Arena. The two produced their original play through Wandering Minds, a student theater group at BU that highlights non-musical productions.

Fekety and Griffin, both juniors in the College of Arts and Sciences, adapted “The Boys” from the 11 surviving plays of Aristophanes, an ancient Greek comic playwright. The play takes place at a fictional BU fraternity and follows a war spurred by a stolen stuffed turkey vulture, Nebcott. Alliances form and bonds break in the battle for one fraternity to remain victorious, a feud that raises the question of what truly defines a “brotherhood.”

Fekety never intended to direct a show. However, after reading one of Aristophanes’ plays, “The Birds,” a fantastical comedy about a man who enlists birds to help him build a utopia away from his city’s corrupt bureaucracy,

she formed an idea she couldn’t ignore.

“Once I read that show, I was like, ‘This is too crazy not to be seen by other people,’” Fekety said.

She took the idea to Griffin, who shared her energy and passion for the play. Fekety and Griffin then set out to adapt “The Birds” but ended up including the rest of Aristophanes’ surviving works.

“I suggested to Bridget, why just ‘The Birds’ if we’re going to be writing a new play entirely anyway?” Griffin said. “Why not all of Aristophanes?”

Adapting from an original work is tough, but adapting from an ancient Greek play that relied heavily on knowledge of ancient Athens was a feat in itself. Fekety and Griffin rewrote much of the play from an ancient Greek lens to fit into the Greek life setting they created. The two stripped down Aristophanes’ work to its bare bones and reinvented it with their own creativity and color.

“The old Aristophanes doesn’t translate well, especially to modern day audiences,” Fekety said. “Facing some of those hurdles, we wanted to also add an element that was our own.”

The directors aimed for a character-driven interpretation and set out to realize the development of each of the play’s characters over the course of a fraternity rivalry. They expanded on “The Birds” by writing in

PHOTO COURTESY OF WANDERING MINDS

A performance of “The Boys” by Wandering Minds.

some thematic elements of their own: friendship, found family and peace.

“The plot itself is loosely structured around Aristophanes’ plot of events throughout his eleven extant plays, but the focus here is very much on the characters,” Fekety said. “I think the metamorphosis that each of them go through is much more interesting and much more important than any sort of actual plot element.”

Fekety and Griffin spent about a year writing and revising the script to make sure it maintained its humor and relevance. Their constant updating ensured that certain jokes would elicit their desired reaction and not fall flat.

“There was a joke [at] first about Kim Kardashian being a lawyer that was very, very funny

and very topical when we wrote it, and a year later, no one really remembers,” Griffin said about the need for the revision process.

The directors had to perfect their work before pitching it to Wandering Minds, a student theater group through which they were able to put on the play. After “The Boys” received the green light, Fekety and Griffin began the audition process and sought actors to help bring the play to life.

Leading actors Taylor Caroom, a junior in CAS, and Jasper Blume, a sophomore in CAS, each play multiple roles in “The Boys.”

Caroom said playing multiple characters creates a fun challenge as she switches between the two, both in persona and in costume.

“I’m excited for the dichotomy of my characters,” said Caroom, who plays Lizzie Stratta and Dick Oplis. “One’s a sorority president and the other is a frat boy, so they’re both very different and very fun in their own ways.”

For Blume, switching between roles is “pretty natural” since he described both of his characters — Odie Suss and Professor Jones — as “fairly egotistical.” He also attributed his ease at going between their roles to the way the lines were written.

Blume attested to the hard work of the directors in putting on such an elaborate production.

“They wrote this show, had to go through the entire pitch process of it and now they’re directing it,” Blume said. “They’re both amazing, and it’s incredible what they’ve managed to do.”

6 PHOTO

GALLERY

Motion around Boston University

By ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON and MATTHEW EADIE

With BU’s primary campus stretching down Commonwealth Avenue, students need ways to get around. While walking the mile-long distance is always an option, many find alternative ways to get around campus with the bus, train or scooters. Daily Free Press photographers captured people making their way around campus throughout the past week.

People take the Boston University Shuttle through Kenmore Square. ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A pedestrian walks through the crosswalk in front of cars on Commonwealth Avenue.

ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Someone walks out of Warren Towers’ parking garage towards the lush fall colors of COM lawn. ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP

People pack in on a Green Line train.

ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A scooter zooms down the bike lane.

ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO 7

Cars fly down Storrow Drive. MATTHEW EADIE | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

People pass by Warren Towers.

ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

A biker’s shirt reflects the sun. ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

People walk past the GSU under fall foliage.

ANDREW BURKE-STEVENSON | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

8 OPINION

COLUMNS

The Perfectly Imperfect Human Condition

Is travel worth the expense?

BY LILLIAN CHAPMAN Columnist

I tend to believe that our bedroom theme from when we were little kids is a defining feature of who we are. Growing up, I was one of those little girls who wanted a Paris-themed bedroom. Every time I saw a picture of the Eiffel Tower at HomeGoods or another Paris-themed room while at a playdate, I yearned for mine to look the same.

At 7 years old, I promised myself that when I was 18, I’d go to Paris and live out my dreams of traveling. Little did I know that by the time I was 18, I would barely be able to afford gas for my car, never mind a trip abroad. Maybe at one point — in a less gruesome economy — I could have traveled abroad but not at any time in my living memory.

In 2023, the travel boom caused by people living out their post-pandemic plans has skyrocketed. According to CBS, the number of U.S. passengers traveling abroad was up 75% in January 2023 compared to January 2022. Furthermore, there has been a 380% increase in U.S. citizens traveling to Asia specifically between January 2022 and January 2023.

This of course has caused travel costs to be out of this world, especially for airfare abroad. According to CNBC, a round-trip airline ticket to Europe in 2023 is around $1,000 — which is a 20% price increase from tickets to and from the same locations in 2019.

The same trend can also be found with round trips to Asia, as tickets are now about 60% more expensive than they were in 2019.

According to AFAR, inflation, oil prices and the lack of both planes and pilots account for why airfare is so pricy — and it crushes many people’s dreams of going abroad.

According to Reuters, mid-sized to

economy hotel rooms in the U.S. and Europe have become 15% to 20% more expensive than they were before the pandemic, and according to the New York Times by mid-September gas prices in the U.S had risen by 20% in 2023 alone.

In an economy where it is nearly impossible to afford a place to live, is travel even a possibility? And is it even worth the money?

I say yes: it’s worth it because travel can be an educational experience.

I have never traveled abroad, but I know that even domestically, travel has the capacity to change us. Not every experience has to be completely life-altering, which I feel is a common misconception about vacations. But even something as simple as visiting another state and learning its culture can open our minds to a multitude

of philosophies on life.

In this vein, travel can also help us understand our own country. Some states offer historical excursions that allow us to explore interesting events and, simultaneously, extremely horrific truths.

By learning about where we’ve been as a nation, we have more direction as to how to move forward — and acknowledging these hard truths in prevalent locations is just one way to do so.

Furthermore, visiting places domestically and abroad allows us to see that other people exist. Now, this might sound like a silly statement, but it genuinely applies to certain people.

Many individuals tend to live in a bubble where they are surrounded by only their kind of beliefs and people. I find that when they encounter someone different

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

from them physically and in terms of thought process, they lack empathy and understanding.

Travel can expose us to almost everyone and allows us to hear stories of people from all walks of life — opening and diversifying our minds.

As cliche as it might sound, traveling can also be a journey of self-discovery.

Through spending time in new places, you are likely encouraged to try new things.

In this sense, you might discover your new favorite dish or a new passion that’s prevalent in another culture — things you wouldn’t have stumbled across otherwise.

Personally, I long to visit somewhere that will unlock a love for something that I would have never expected. I yearn to escape the mundane life to try something that would give me a rush of adrenaline: zip-lining in Costa Rica or paragliding in Brazil — something that would 100% require me to leave my comfort zone.

Indeed, travel is far too expensive for its own good. However, this does not take away from the fact that it can deepen our connections with ourselves, each other and the natural world. Perhaps if you are like me and do not currently have the means to travel, then it can still be a goal to work our way there.

That being said, being able to afford our own necessities like a house, groceries and clothes is one thing. But being able to afford to travel — which is not a necessity — is another. Relatively speaking, very few people around the world have the means to go on vacation at all, let alone to travel extensively. It is important to acknowledge that the ability to travel is a privilege.

Travel is not a race. Humans at any age can still have an experience that profoundly changes them. If you are in the position to do so, don’t let the prospect of finances stop your plans completely, because where there’s a will, there’s a way. No matter how long it may take, the world awaits.

EDITORIAL

Why did the Terrier cross the road? To get to class on time “Life is not a waste of time, and time is not a waste of life, so let’s stop wasting time, get wasted and have the time of our lives” — Pitbull.

In honor of Mr. 305, The Daily Free Press editorial board decided on our favorite shortcuts on campus to help you stop wasting time and start having the time of your life.

It may seem counterintuitive to seek shortcuts on a campus that is a straight line — see good old Pythagoras’ theorem about the shortest path between two points — but despite Commonwealth Avenue’s hypotenuse-like qualities, BU students are always rushing.

Lil Wayne once said: “Real G’s move in silence like lasagna.” Follow these top tips and you, too, will move across campus like a real G(ood shortcutter).

The Stuvi I and Stuvi II connection — The “Trans-Stuvi Rail System” The connection between 10 Buick St. and 33 Harry Agganis Way is the perfect shortcut because it is indoors and shelters shortcutters from the harsh Boston winters that we know “All Too Well” (the five minute version, because you took a shortcut).

One Redditor even mentioned that BU is building a zipline from the 26th floor of Stuvi II to the top

floor of Stuvi I. If this is the reason for the increase in tuition prices last year, embrace it. Let there be a zipline.

Yeah right, picture that with a Kodak.

Although the stairs in this transStuvi connection are dangerous, the entertainment factor of seeing someone, or laughing at even yourself, fall down the stairs provides extra motivation to go out and try this shortcut. Add a smile this finals season by watching the most annoying kid in your lecture take a tumble in the fresh air.

Warren Towers parking garage Similar to the Stuvi connection, this shortcut is — blissfully — indoors. Avoid the dismal and all-consuming Boston winters for a brief moment by living in the warm wonders of a parking garage, which is definitely less gray than the sky outside.

Embark on your journey through the side street between Warren Towers and the College of Communication and exit near the smell of overpriced, yet always delicious, Insomnia Cookies.

Although you might have to dodge a few cars in the garage, it is definitely worth escaping the millions of students riddling the sidewalks of Commonwealth Avenue.

Get a scooter This one is pretty self-explanatory.

If you throw money at the problem and make peace with the fact that your campusmates will hate you for eternity, this deal

with the devil will shave minutes off of your commute to class.

All the BU athletes follow this shortcut, and so should you. Just make sure to strap on a helmet before you scooter the wrong way up the bike lane.

Stairs The elevators are all so slow. Take the stairs. Always. Even to the fifth floor of CGS. Take the stairs.

Agility workouts There are so many people who constantly walk around campus staring at their phone.

You should subscribe to a workout class to build up your agility to swiftly avoid these people.

BU Beach to backdoor of CAS If you are having a nice day basking in the famous Boston sun down on the BU Beach, this shortcut is perfect for you.

Instead of walking all the way around CAS to enter the building from the front, you can enter from the back — right next to the sandy shores of the BU Beach.

Photonics building from Cummington Mall to St. Mary’s Street Comm Ave. is always so busy.

Fortunately, there is a road less traveled.

If you’re

walking down Cummington Mall, you can enter the Photonics building. You can walk through the inside of the building all the way to St. Mary’s St. This is especially helpful if you need a break from the harsh Boston winters. If you want to get even more crafty, you can walk through the aforementioned Warren parking garage and then walk outside for a quick moment before entering the Photonics building. This will help keep you warm and toasty throughout the winter.

This Editorial was written by Opinion Co-Editor Brett Abrams and Layout and Graphics Co-Editor Lila Baltaxe.

GAMES 9 Chloe Patel, Editor-in-Chief Emilia Wisniewski, Managing Co-Editor Stella Tannenbaum, Managing Co-Editor Sydney Topf, Campus Co-Editor Daisy Levine, Features Co-Editor

Editorial Board

Analise Bruno, Lifestyle Editor

Lindsay Shachnow, Campus Co-Editor Annika Morris, Sports Co-Editor Molly Potter, Photo Co-Editor

T HE I N D EPEN D EN T STUDE NT NEWSPAPE R AT B O STON U N IVER SI TY

The Daily Free Press is published Monday through Friday during the academic year except during vacation and exam periods by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a nonprofit corporation operated by Boston University students. Copyright © 2023 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Matthew Eadie, City Co-Editor Austin Chen, Sports Co-Editor Andrew Burke-Stevenson, Photo Co-Editor Adithya Iyer, City Co-Editor Nathan Metcalf, Opinion Co-Editor

Lila Baltaxe, Layout & Graphics Co-Editor

Brett Abrams, Opinion Co-Editor

Clare McMillan, Layout & Graphics Co-Editor

Eden Mor, Features Co-Editor

Krishna Sreenivasan, Podcast Editor

Andrew DiBiasio, Multimedia Editor

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Crossword

Time to Travel

Gracie Rohde

ACROSS

1. H. Ross_, 1992 and

1996 Reform Party Candidate 6. Nud_, Thai restaurant on campus 9. Taco_ Cantina, restaurant on BU's West Campus 13. You might cross lines while traveling 14. Take advantage of, such as a neck pillow on a long flight 15. Name for BU's adorable mascot 16. It's dangerous to travel to a place in this status 17. BU sch. that teaches students how to operate travel lodgings 18. A long journey might take many of these 19. Wild fowls sometimes found traveling through BU's campus 21.

River 23. Home country of 75% of BU students 24. Fundraiser's suffix, maybe 25. Spartans of the Big Ten Conf.

28. Send the : what's your location, slangily 30. Like many beans or sardines 35. Suffix for million- or billion37. Art_, architectural style for Boston's Hatch Shell 39. Give_ berth to, or your move while passing a trailer on the interstate 40. Australian fur-lined boots, or a must-pack when traveling somewhere cold 41. _ Street, MBTA stop on BU's campus 43. BU's radio station 44. 15-Across's predecessor's name 46. The President's yearly address, for short 47. Bobby_, Grateful Dead musician 48. Public transit you can no longer take in Boston 50. Alaskan city that an lditarod racer travels to 52. "Kill Bill" singer 53. _ off (annoys) 55. What many Boston accents lack in the word "park" or "yard"

57. Insomnia __, Sweet

treat shop on Comm. Ave 61. Got close (to), like a T car rolling into a stop 65. Early afternoon hr.

66. " Gangnam Style" rapper who studied at BU for one semester 68. Like the Terriers in a 2-1 Hockey game 69. One way to travel across 21-Across, maybe 70. _-Haw! 71. Offering from Pavement or Saxbys 72. Above, like overhead luggage storage in relation to a plane seat 73. Coll. which merged with BU in 2018 74. Community service program for BU freshmen

DOWN

1. Standardized test for HS Sophs.

2. "_, Brute?"

3. __ XD, emo-text-speak for " lly"

4. Anime superfan 5. Mother 6. "_in Boots: The Last Stand," 2022 Film

7. _ Kosh B'Gosh,

Wisconsin-founded clothing company 8. Place to which people travel in the summer Rabbit 9.

10. List ending when you 32-Down, maybe 11. Arcane knowledge 12. Defeat, on Nickerson Field or Agganis Arena 15. __ Pressley, congresswoman whose district includes BU 20. Et cetera, when tripled 22.

Polloi 24. Like Warren Buffet and the Koch brothers 25. _ Healey, Massachusetts' governor 26. Reason for traveling 27. One who encourages 29. 15-Down's caucus, for short 31. Your reaction to seeing 15-Across 32. References, as in an essay for class 33. Future industry for many a COM student 34. __Link, Elon Musk's brain-computer company 36. j,C6mo_ usted? LS111 phrase

38. "For here_ go?"

Question for food order to eat while traveling 42. 2011 Birdman single ft.

Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne, with the lyric " Haha they were sleeping on me/Z­ ZZ-Z-Z" 45. "__ Pregunt6," 2022 Bad Bunny single 49. Lead-in to one's maiden name 51. Completely swallow something up 54. Awards ceremonies in which you might see Terriers 56. Respond to someone's Venmo request, maybe 57. Cash crop for which you'd have to travel to South America to see growing 58. The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is 9 A. M. 59. Wine-related (prefix) 60. Genre of BTS and NCT 127 61. Watched (up) like an empty seat in a T car 62. Connect the_, or kids' activity book fodder for a long car ride 63. Do others 64. Goslings' or ducklings' noise 67. Pad_ Ew, dish that might be served at 6-Across

10 LIFESTYLE

LIFESTYLE

Comfort or chaos?: Thanksgiving proves to be a struggle for some students

By MICHELLE GRULLON Senior Writer

The sighs of relief that college students have as we inch closer and closer to the week of Thanksgiving are prevalent at every university.

This point of the semester for students across all majors is difficult, and the thought of going home to enjoy food and just lie in a truly comfortable bed for hours is what keeps some students from going crazy.

For others, though, the thought of Thanksgiving brings nothing but stress.

You might assume the people walking around campus when the majority are home stayed in Boston because of travel issues or the unwillingness to spend upwards of $100 for a trip that lasts less than a week.

But no one considers the small group that just doesn’t want to go home or doesn’t even have a home to return to.

For some, a week with family doesn’t bring them a sense of relief — rather an added layer of stress. Some students could go home to find themselves fulfilling the role of a parent, babysitter or even feel like a maid.

Other times, people choose the colleges they do so they can learn how to be independent and be happy for who they are — finally giving that childhood version of themselves a chance to take a break from the set of expectations they had growing up.

When the thought of Thanksgiving rolls around, a moment of hesitation occurs with a consideration if the journey is

even worth it with so many other options to consider.

It goes without saying that we all detest dining hall food, but when you’re with your immediate and extended family, there’s a good chance the food won’t be tasty enough to overlook their comments. They could potentially bring up past mishaps, ask you incessantly about your love life and bring up other topics that will have you wishing for awkward silence rather than having to listen to them.

To be vulnerable to the reader, I was forced to face this question myself.

Last Thanksgiving, I was excited to finally be home and see some of the same family members I would visit every other week. I had been so ready to show them this new and stronger version of myself.

This was quickly soiled by their first comment towards me being about my body. Suddenly, I was reverted back to the antisocial little kid who would quietly sit in a chair staring off into space hoping we would be leaving in any passing minute.

A singular comment like that might seem so minor, but to me it wasn’t. It instead brought back years of similar behavior — and even more or worse, especially after boundaries had been set.

For others, that breaking point can be so many other things.

Anything from mean comments to acts of emotional or physical abuse can be broadly interpreted, but still affect people all the same — especially when one has to think about whether they want to subject themselves to a whole

week of such behavior.

Even if one has a good family life, they may still have their own reasons for not wanting to return immediately. Being around family, whether good or bad, comes with a certain set of expectations and effort from someone who has been gone for a few months. Students may also be facing other struggles that they are not ready to talk about — no matter how well they know the person.

There is always a sense of lingering fear that everything will be different once they go back home. Having a week to really recollect oneself can be helpful, even if they have to have their emotional epiphany inside of a Warren Towers dorm room.

It’s such a difficult conversation to have with others — especially when some people’s home lives are so good they couldn’t even possibly imagine someone disliking their own.

Those who wish to stay on campus may feel pressure to plan out any excuse just in case someone questions why on Earth they would ever think about staying in their dorm room for the holiday.

Either way, during these times, it’s good to have someone to remind you that there is no problem in staying on campus — whether by choice or by necessity. Taking a couple of days to properly relax –– while there’s fewer people on campus so you can enjoy an empty dining hall or a chance to scream away your stress without concern that BUPD will send out an alert — is all completely valid.

Family can be a lot, and whether or not you have a choice in the

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

matter, sometimes just laying in your dorm bed without the worry of classwork or someone coming in your room at any given moment is acceptable.

The best thing to focus on these upcoming holidays is yourself and what you need the most in order to feel like you’ll be okay moving forward.

Affordable Adventures: a day in Providence on a student budget

By ISABELLA LAPRIORE DFP Writer

Traveling anywhere, as students, is far from a priority as it can be both expensive and timeconsuming. However, a much needed break can be the key to doing well on whatever it may be you are working on. A change of scenery — even just for a day — is crucial when it comes to taking time away from studies and the stress of exams.

Don’t get me wrong, Boston is a great city to explore, but for something a little further from “home,” an hour ride on the MBTA’s commuter rail takes you to Rhode Island’s capital city, Providence. Round Trip tickets cost $23.50 round trip — or $10

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

with a weekend pass — to go to Providence from Back Bay station, which is accessible via the Green Line and a short walk from Copley Station.

Little Rhody may be the smallest state — but Providence is full of some of the most unique food, art, shopping and nightlife in the country. It’s easy for the cost of a day trip to add up, but planning the perfect student-budget friendly adventure is simple when you know the best bang-for-yourbuck spots to explore. Much like Boston, Providence is accessible via rideshare services as well as rentable bikes and scooters if walking isn’t quite your thing.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily, Providence is home to endless

cafes and breakfast spots!

For a quick bite to eat check out Seven Stars Bakery, home to some of the best baked goods in the state.

Made fresh in-house each morning, loaves of various types of bread and pastries go hand in hand with their coffees, espresso drinks, and teas. Hot or iced, sweet or savory, there is something for everyone.

If a sit-down meal to start the day is more your speed, check out The Brickway On Wickenden for your traditional eggs, bacon, and pancakes with outrageous seasonal specials, and their famous eggs benedict.

After fueling up, take a stroll down Hope Street located on the East Side. Unique locally owned shops with everything from gourmet olive oils and vinegars at

Olive del Mondo, to one of a kind knick-knacks and home decor at Frog and Toad. Wayland Square, however, is home to two locally owned bookstores, completely different from one another: Paper Nautilus specializes in rare vintage and used books, while Books on the Square is full of the newest bestsellers for readers of all ages.

Equally as stroll-worthy is Brown University’s campus, tucked right in the middle of the city. Enjoy some people-watching in the quad, or Prospect Park, overlooking the downtown area.

Next to Brown is Rhode Island School of Design, or “RISD,” as well as the RISD museum. With seven curatorial departments and visiting exhibits, tickets are $10 for students with valid school IDs, and

free on Sundays.

Next to Brown is Thayer Street, full of even more little shops and places to eat, a great place to grab a bite to eat for lunch. East Side Pockets has some of the best and freshest mediterranean and middle eastern food like falafel, gyros and wraps. For something more sitdown, try Korean fried chicken and ramen at Den Den right down the street.

Before dinner, explore historic Federal Hill for authentic Italian groceries at Venda Ravioli and Tony’s Colonial Food, and enjoy gelato in DePasquale Plaza. For a more upscale meal, the best Italian food in the state is packed into “Providence’s Little Italy” with phenomenal pasta dishes at Costantino’s Venda Bar & Ristorante and Angelo’s Civita Farnese, or for a more casual option try a pizza or calzone from Caserta Pizzeria or Sicilia’s.

One of the most iconic parts of Providence nightlife, WaterFire, happens through the Woonasquatucket River at Waterplace Park and the middle of downtown Providence on the Moshassuck and Providence rivers.

Various burning braziers tended by volunteers accompanied by music and the unmistakable fragrance of the wood burning. A highlight of nightlife, WaterFire is always full of families, couples, and those just there to enjoy the community.

From dozens of places to enjoy amazing bites to eat, collect unique gifts and souvenirs, and experience the city’s history, art, and nightlife, Providence is the perfect place to escape for a day. Being student budget-friendly, only an hour away by train and convenient to navigate – the next time you need a study break to clear your head or to get away with your friends, stop in Little Rhody.

LIFESTYLE 11

Holiday travel | Doctor’s Orders

ILLUSTRATION BY LILA BALTAXE

By LUC LJOKA Contributing Writer

Dear Doctors,

‘Euro summer’: Do travelers value experience or appearance?

By LEA RIVEL DFP Writer

Aperol spritzes, picture-perfect white sundresses, seaside seafood dinners — when summer rolls around each year, our Instagram feeds seem to flood with this aesthetic.

Because of the great weather, food and plethora of cultural activities, many Americans take the summer months as an opportunity to travel to various destinations within the European continent, creating the recent emergence of what many call “Euro summer.”

The concept blossomed as a trend on TikTok last year, with influencers sharing videos about how to dress for “European summer” and giving advice to those who had plans to travel and wanted to fit in with the style of the destination. But it quickly became a colloquial term to sum up one’s hopeful or actual trip to the European continent.

People began to use it to label Instagram captions and many brands used it as a concept and aesthetic to promote their summer collections.

But as the term, aesthetics and destinations of these travels gained

popularity, much of the cultural distinctions of the locations began to get lost.

What the descriptor “Euro summer” and following trend fail to acknowledge is that not every European country has the same style of dressing, among many other cultural elements.

In my view, the “Euro summer” that our generation refers to really just includes Italy, Greece and sometimes Spain. It romanticizes only those cultures — failing to acknowledge a plethora of other countries that are culturally, linguistically and socially different to them and one another.

The “Euro summer” internet craze also rapidly promotes consumerism where it is not necessary. Although the creators may mean well, the TikTok videos use the romanticization of certain European countries to sell products. It almost makes Europe a mystique — something that one has to change for — when in reality, the fashion in many European countries and the U.S. are seldom distinct enough to warrant purchasing an entirely new wardrobe.

On that note, another pattern which seems to emerge whilst examining the “Euro summer” trend is the demonstration of a lack of basic cultural knowledge of the city or locations people are traveling to.

I believe the popularity of the concept and its origins in aesthetics has caused people to value the presentation and desirability of their travels more than they do the actual experience.

Obviously travel is a wonderful opportunity and experience, and on its own, posting about it isn’t a problem.

However, what is a problem is the generalization of the continent of Europe.

When we talk about European travels, it often gets lost on some travelers that every country and even city has its own language, culture, etc. that is distinct from any other, even those which it borders.

Each should be individually experienced and appreciated, not simply lumped in with 43 other countries on the same landmass.

Seeing posts about European travel and its commodification made me realize that “Euro summer” is about more than just vacationing. The phenomenon has brought to light travelers’ ability — or lack thereof — to be culturally sentient and understand the world around them in a nuanced way, even if in limited quantities.

No continent, or even country, is a monolith, and we should remember that when it comes to talking about our own travels, wherever they may be.

Ask Abby: How to best travel into the DMs

By ANALISE BRUNO Lifestyle Editor

Dear Abby: I really like this person, but we’re only mutuals on Instagram. I’ve decided I’m going to hit them up through the DMs, but how do I slide in? What should I say? Please help!

Okay, so you’ve decided to go with direct messaging. While I don’t always encourage this as being the best “first move” method, I do think the outcomes can be beneficial. I mean, whether or not a relationship comes out of it, an exploration

into the DMs is surely going to bring about something interesting.

Do: Start with a compliment Be very general and concise with what you decide to compliment. A simple “I think you’re really pretty” “You’re really cute, I would love to get to know you” or “I like your style” can be really thoughtful and compel your sweetheart to respond to the message.

Don’t: Puns A DM I received: “Are you a sky full of stars? Because you’re all I see when I look

I’m excited to go home for Thanksgiving, but traveling during the holidays always stresses me out. How do I minimize the stress of holiday travel?

Sincerely, Perplexed

Dear Perplexed, Although holiday travel can be quite inconvenient and often stressful, I find it is well worth it to be surrounded by friends and loved ones over a nice, home-cooked meal.

Best Wishes, Fishstick

Dear Perplexed, Hard to say. I only travel for holidays where I receive presents.

Cheers!

Moose

up at the night” Hard no. This isn’t Tinder, and we don’t know each other like that –– at least get to know me first.

Do: Respond to a story This depends on how well you know the person, but bonding over common interests like favorite songs, places or books can be a good conversation starting point.

Don’t: Objectification Just don’t. Here’s a rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t say it infront of your mom, you probably shouldn’t put it in a DM. Do: The classics A straightforward “hi” — or “hiiii” if you’re feeling really bold — can do won-

ders. Or, it could result in nothing at all.

Take the risk!

Don’t: Snapchat Don’t do it. Snapchat is the most unserious form of communication ever. Also, why are we hopping platforms? Start a conversation and then get their number instead.

This isn’t middle school anymore.

The verdict Okay, okay, that’s my answer. But please, for the love of God, stop with the DMs! Ask out your class crush in person, tell that person in the coffee shop you think their hair is cute or stop a stranger on the street if you like their outfit. Meeting people organically will never go out of fashion.

12 SPORTS

SPORTS

Men’s soccer bows out of NCAA College Cup against Syracuse

By GABBY CHURCH Senior Writer

After winning both the regular season and postseason Patriot League titles, the Boston University men’s soccer team fell 3-1 to reigning national champion Syracuse University in the first round of the NCAA Men’s College Cup on Thursday night.

The Terriers (12-4-4, 7-1-1 Patriot League) rolled through their conference tournament opponents, riding two shutouts to the Patriot League Championship title before looking to the NCAA tournament.

Meanwhile, Syracuse (9-4-7) was ranked No. 18 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, earning an at-large bid to the tournament after falling out of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in the semifinals on Nov. 8.

“At this point in the season, every team [you play against] is going to be good.

[We’re] on the road and playing a really good side in Syracuse,” head coach Kevin Nylen said. “But also at this point in the year, there’s such a level of confidence with our group.”

Syracuse was without significant starpower all of 2023 following the loss of their previous season’s leading contributors in a pair of forwards: sophomore Nathan Opoku and senior Levonte Johnson. They also returned only six starters from the national championship-winning lineup.

All things considered, the Orange, coming from the highly competitive ACC that sent nine teams into NCAA competition, were well-favored to march on to the next round unshaken by their first-round foes. The Terriers, however, were eager to prove their abilities outside of their own conference after making their first NCAA tournament appearance in 15 years.

Not even three minutes in, BU announced itself loud and clear as senior forward Eitan Rosen, familiar with big-game moments this whole season,

HALEY ALVAREZ-LAUTO | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Boston University senior midfielder and forward Eitan Rosen (21) works past an opposing defender during a Nov. 11 game against Lafayette. The Terriers lost to Syracuse in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament this Thursday with a final score of 3-1.

converted on an assist from sophomore forward Alex Bonnington to give the Terriers an early lead.

“The goal was one of the patterns that we looked at, a good high-low interchange to draw them out,” Nylen said. “[Bonnington] did a good job to fill that space … and [Rosen] did a great job to finish it off.”

Despite the early lift, it would be irrational to think a one-goal lead would last long. After all, BU was playing the reigning champs in a win-or-go-home game with a repeat and a reputation on the line.

Syracuse may have been without ACC Co-Midfielder of the Year Jeorgio Kocevski after the senior picked up a red card in the Orange’s last game, but they did not seem to miss him for very long.

Twenty minutes after falling behind, the Orange found an equalizer before piling on two more. Their second and third came only 37 seconds apart.

“Once you concede one, that gives the opposition a little more, and it’s down in front of their [student section],” Nylen said. “They put pressure on us, and they had good service.”

Syracuse sophomore forward Nicholas Kaloukian found himself with a first-half brace as the Orange regained dominance and continuously pressured the Terriers.

Syracuse thoroughly dampened any momentum BU mustered in the opening minutes.

A two-goal deficit would typically deflate any team, but BU, with something to prove, managed two more shots in the dwindling minutes of the opening frame.

Now, they had to regroup and dig deep to prevent the end of their season.

“I said to the guys down 3-1, ‘We can roll over and have fear, or you can go out and give it all,’ and I knew, before I even had to say that, I knew what would take place,” Nylen said.

The Terriers were able to maintain a competitive spirit and fire off a few more chances in the second half. One of the most promising came when Bonnington managed to get his head on a crossed ball, but the striker was denied by Syracuse sophomore goalkeeper Jahiem Wickham.

Characteristically, the Orange did not let up despite the Terriers’ newfound aggression. They forced senior goalkeeper Francesco Montali to make five more saves, and he finished with a season-high of seven.

As the second half went on, the Terriers stayed strong, but the back of the net continued to evade them in pursuit of a comeback. Their fate became clearer and clearer with each near-miss. “[In] the second half we were aggressive. We played with purpose, and we had a passion about us,” Nylen said. “I felt … if there was a second goal by us, we could have gotten another. That’s why you love this game, and that’s why you hate this game at the same time.”

The rough 10 minutes from the middle of the first half was ultimately enough to end the Terriers’ season. Despite the inevitable bitterness and disappointment, Nylen made it abundantly clear that the experience still bookended a historic season.

“When they all look back on it, it’s emotions because they’re so invested.

They love what they do. They love who they do it with, and that’s a special group,” Nylen said. “I’m with them on those emotions. They’ve done everything this year. They’ve poured their heart and souls into everything that we’ve asked them to do.”

Men’s basketball scores 95 on Bryant to secure first win of season

By BRENDAN GALVIN Senior Writer

Boston University men’s basketball snapped their seasonopening three-game losing streak by scoring nearly double the amount of points they managed in their most recent loss.

A celebration was warranted after finally getting into the win column against Bryant University, but the players did not appear so eager.

Case Gym erupted after the Terriers (1-3) won their first game of the season, but senior guard Miles Brewster was not so quick to rejoice after the 9579 win.

“A mediocre team will have a win like that and be super happy, be overly ecstatic,” Brewster said. “But a great team is going to say, ‘Be happy, be proud of ourselves for getting over that hump,’ but then it’s ‘Alright, what do we have to work on?’”

Brewster and BU head coach Joe Jones know there is still a long road ahead after defeating the Bulldogs (1-3) in their first home game of the season.

“We have a long way to go.

There’s a lot of basketball to be played,” Jones said. “This is a good start, but that’s what it is.

It’s a step in the right direction.”

There was still much to celebrate for the Terriers, who picked up a much-needed win

after three straight road losses to begin the season.

The Terriers had six players finish with double-digit points, with contributions from veterans and guys playing their first career game in front of the home crowd.

Sophomore forward Otto Landrum led the way offensively, scoring 19 points, including a dagger three to give the Terriers a 16-point lead with less than three minutes remaining.

Freshman guard Kyrone Alexander and transfer junior guards Ben Palacios and Ethan Okwuosa, had strong games in front of the Terrier faithful for the first time.

“I loved it. The atmosphere was great,” Okwuosa said, who totaled 13 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, going 3-6 from behind the arc.

BU jumped out to an early lead, leading 10-3 in the game’s first four minutes. The highscoring affair would continue as Bryant climbed back into the game, tying the game at sixteen apiece midway through the first half.

However, the Terriers pulled away late in the first with the help of Alexander and Palacios, who combined for five threes in the first half. With just under four minutes left in the half, Palacios connected on a onefooted, hail-mary three-pointer as the shot clock expired, giving the Terriers an eight-point lead and sending Case Gym into a frenzy.

The Terriers went into the break up 47-37, only seven points shy of matching their point total from their most recent game at Howard.

“If you watch the games, especially the Howard game,

KELLY BRODER | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Boston University sophomore forward Otto Landrum (41) looks to get around Bryant 5th year guard Miles Latimer (20) during a game on Thursday. The Terriers won 95-79.

we played well, we just didn’t make any shots,” Jones said.

“These guys can shoot the ball, so I’m not surprised that we shot the ball this well … This is the best shooting team we’ve had here in a long time.”

One of the team’s most significant weaknesses throughout the season’s first three games was late-game execution.

“Our last two games, we had control for a good portion of both those games, and we let them slip,” Brewster said. “We talked about that, how we can’t let that happen anymore.”

It almost seemed like the Terriers would give up yet another lead and leave their home opener with a 0-4 record, as Bryant cut what was once a 22-point Terrier lead to just seven with just over five minutes to play.

However, the Terriers buckled down and finished strong, keeping control of the

game late.

“We’re prone to things like that because we’re a young team, so we can easily get ahead of ourselves, and Coach was being persistent,” Brewster added. “It was just about staying composed … and we just had to keep doing what we were doing and don’t rest on our laurels.”

Landrum had seven of the team’s final nine points, including a dunk and a three from the top of the key, giving BU a 16-point lead with less than three minutes left and sending Bryant on their way.

“I feel like we’re learning every day. This game compared to our first game, we definitely took steps, we took strides,” Okwuosa said. “Coach is doing a great job with us, being patient. We’re all gelling at the right time.”

The Terriers now look to build on Thursday night’s win in their next game in five days against Davidson College.