4-14-2014

Page 1

The Daily Free Press

Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XLIV

ASSIMILATION? Int’l students, faculty join at town hall, page 3.

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Monday, April 14, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

C-MEI MEI

Pop-up doughnut shop at Mei Mei opens doors for Chef Cmar, page 5.

]

www.dailyfreepress.com

LAMBO MERCY

Softball earns mercyrule win over Holy Cross, page 8.

WEATHER

Today: Windy/High 77 Tonight: Cloudy/Low 58 Tomorrow: 66/35 Data Courtesy of weather.com

Lu family establishes scholarship in memory of Lingzi CFA professor Marc Johnson remembered for gentle guidance

By Olivia Deng Daily Free Press Staff

The family of Lu Lingzi, the Boston University student who was killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, launched a foundation in her honor that will offer scholarships to students who exhibit traits and possess goals similar to Lingzi. Separate from the Lu Lingzi Scholarship, which was initiated by BU, communications firm Solomon McCown & Company worked with the Lu family to establish the Lingzi Foundation. “Following the terrible tragedy that happened during the marathon and the ensuing emotions from that, we got to know their family through our interactions, working with them following Lingzi’s death,” said Daniel Solworth, chief of staff to BU’s dean of students. “They very much want to continue that relationship with the university in honoring her memory and honoring the contributions she made here.” Solworth said unlike BU’s Lu Lingzi Scholarship Fund, the Lingzi Foundation is open to students outside of Boston University. “The foundation was formed by the family to be able to help people with their educational pursuits but not necessarily have to be a Boston University student,” Solworth said. “It can be anyone that the foundation, which is run by the family, selects to keep the memory of Lingzi alive through selecting a student who they believe has the same ideals and pur-

By Drew Schwartz Daily Free Press Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF MENGHAN HU

In honor of their daughter who was killed last April in the Boston Marathon bombings, Lu Lingzi’s family has created the Lingzi Foundation, which will provide scholarships to students and support organizations that share her passions.

suits and ambitions Lingzi had.” As the 2014 Boston Marathon approaches, the BU community is remembering how last year’s tragedy affected the school, Solworth said. “This is a major event for the city, a major event for the university, a major event for the whole country really,” he said. “Because of the emotions involved, because of how

deeply it affected all of us, people want to be involved … People desire to be involved in keeping this memory alive and celebrating the great person that Lingzi was.” In honor of the newly launched foundation, jewelry retailer Alex and Ani held a fundraiser Thursday. Sixteen percent of sales

Lu, see page 2

Boston launches Wicked Free Wi-Fi, closes digital divide By Alicia Winton Daily Free Press Staff

Free public Wi-Fi is now available at 12 locations in Boston after the Department of Innovation and Technology officially launched a program called the “Wicked Free WiFi: Boston’s Public Wireless Network.” The Wednesday launch was a result of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s partnership with DoIT, which enabled a wireless Internet service that will be available through 170 access points around Boston. Public Wi-Fi has been rolled out in several of Boston’s parks, schools and downtown locations, according to a Wednesday press release . “Closing the digital divide and providing free public Wi-Fi in our neighborhoods is essential,” Walsh said in the release. “We want every Bostonian to have the same opportunities in today’s digital world. Wi-Fi access plays a significant role in every aspect of our lives from learning to earning. Our goal is to

strengthen and expand our public network, and reach more families and businesses.” The largest concentration of access points can be found in Grove Hall, where approximately 9,800 residents utilize the system daily. Other Wicked Free Wi-Fi locations include parts of Allston, Boston Common and Faneuil Hall, the release stated. Rhonda Siciliano, public affairs officer for the Department of Housing and Urban Development New England Region, said the department wanted to participate in a program to extend access to Wi-Fi for under-served populations in the city. “There’s so much that we can learn from having access to the Internet,” she said. “It opens up a whole world of opportunity for students, and having that same opportunity … hopefully will help them get better grades, do better in school and it opens up a whole world to them.” Siciliano said HUD awarded the City of

Boston a $1.5 billion Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant, and the city’s leaders decided to use $300,000 to install free Wi-Fi as part of the critical community improvement project. In the coming months, the City of Boston will be focusing on strengthening and expanding the Wicked Free Wi-Fi network, with plans to connect Boston’s 20 neighborhood Main Street programs through an estimated 130 access points, the press release stated. “Boston’s approach is to provide affordable Wi-Fi to improve the lives of residents and increase the success of local business,” said Justin Holmes, interim chief information officer, in the press release. “We will continue to work towards connecting all of Boston.” Several residents said the free Wi-Fi system would bridge the information gap between the city’s neighborhoods.

Wi-Fi, see page 2

Professor of music and highly acclaimed cellist Marc Johnson of the Boston University School of Music in the College of Fine Arts passed away from a heart attack Tuesday at his home in Maine. Johnson, 67, who was a member of several renowned orchestras and ensembles including the three-time Grammy-nominated Vermeer Quartet, had an enormous impact on students and faculty at BU and the performing arts community as a whole. “He was a dream of a colleague, an ideal sort of colleague. We’re all saddened, but he had such a positive spirit,” said School of Music string department chair Michelle LaCourse. “Those of us who have the good fortune to have spent time with him know that we’re better musicians and better people for having known him. We colleagues and his students will try to pass that on when we can.” After becoming the youngest member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at 18, Johnson went on to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Vermeer Quartet for 35 years before joining the School of Music as an adjunct professor in 2007. “One sensed more the communication and the beauty of what he was playing and didn’t notice the difficulty or the challenges of the pieces,” LaCourse said. “There’s always hard work that we all have to do to prepare and perform a piece, but his concerts tended to transcend that. You could really hear and feel his joy in making music.” School of Music Interim Director Richard Cornell said the Vermeer Quartet was at the top of their field when they disbanded in 2007. “Part of what we’re feeling right now is it was just definitely too soon,” Cornell said. “In music, for string players, they generally have very long and illustrious careers and they have a lot to give. To lose someone at this age is like losing somebody who is in the apex of their career. This is someone with a deep knowledge because of all the experience he had, and also a masterful way of transmitting that knowledge.” At BU, Johnson taught many cello students, coached chamber groups, performed as soloist with the BU Symphony Orchestra and evaluated and advised countless students, Cornell said. “He was just such a great guy because he

Johnson, see page 2

1 week before Boston Marathon, free counseling services offered to residents By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Staff

With the 2014 Boston Marathon approaching, the Boston Public Health Commission will be offering free counseling services to those who may be struggling with residual emotions provoked by the anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. The counseling sessions, which will be operated by trained mental health clinicians, are available at the Boston Public Library on Tuesday, the anniversary of the marathon bombings, and at Our Lady of Victories Church in Copley Square on April 22. Additionally, counseling will be available over the phone via the Mayor’s Health Line. “As the anniversary approaches and as the 2014 Marathon approaches, we know that it will stir a lot of emotions from those that were actually injured or survived the bombings, but also for residents in the city in general,” said Nick Martin, BPHC communications director. “We want to be able to be supportive of people from each group.”

The BPHC provided more than 600 hours of counseling to thousands of people in the days after the bombings last April, and though it does not anticipate the same demand this year, there is still a need to offer services, Martin said. “If you’re one of the survivors, a year can feel like a drop in the bucket,” he said. “There were some really serious physical injuries that people are still having surgeries and still healing physically from. So it can take a while for the emotional and mental health healing process to happen.” The BPHC is also offering community workshops for emergency preparedness, where people can learn about what items they should keep on hand in the event of natural or manmade disasters, Martin said. “[The workshops are] more focused on general community resiliency in the face of trauma,” he said. “Some communities in Boston are affected by trauma on a daily basis

Counseling, see page 2

CHRISTIANA MECCA/DAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO

In an effort to help anyone impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings, the Boston Public Health Commission will be offering free drop-in counseling services at the Boston Public Library on the days leading up to this year’s marathon.


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4-14-2014 by The Daily Free Press - Issuu