CELEB RATIN G FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
OVE R
50
YE A R S
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IN DE PE N D E N T
ST U D E NT
J O U R NA L I S M
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY
YEAR LVI. VOLUME A. ISSUE II
Alumni recount Mixed reactions Warren moments after 9/11 toTowers remodel
COMMUNITY
BY LILA TALLAGNON DFP Writer
SIENA GLEASON | Photo Co-Editor
CAMPUS BY DANIELA GINSBURG Asssociate Campus Editor
Thirty Terriers — including BU students, alumni and community members — died on Sept. 11, 2001. Nineteen Al-Qaeda terrorists boarded and intentionally crashed four American commercial planes. Two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, left
from Boston Logan International Airport. Monique Kelley, COM ‘03, was getting ready for class and walked into her common room when she saw that Flight 11 hit the North Tower on TV, the building where her father was supposed to be that morning. Kelley’s father was an IT director at Hewlett-Packard and was scheduled to be at a meeting in the North Tower on floors 106 and 107.
For a little under an hour, Kelley frantically called her mom over 10 times to find out if her father was at one of the towers. Telecommunication networks across the United States endured massive network jams, with a surge of calls from Boston to New York. When she finally reached her mother, Kelley said her mother laughed. Her father ran late that morning. He never made it to the building that day. Kelley explained her father was
“never late for anything in his life,” but the one morning he was, it saved his life. Sitting in a coffee shop on campus, Jason Pallante, COM ‘02, was grabbing breakfast with a friend when he saw the first plane strike the North Tower on television. “There was an energy about that day that you can’t really replicate because we didn’t really know
need,” said Kerry LaBarbera, emergency room registered nurse at BMC, according to the press release. “We’d prefer to settle a contract that lets us care for our patients. But BMC management’s refusal to deliver is forcing us to take this step.” BMC nurses have one of the lowest starting wage rates in the Boston area, according to 1199SEIU’s press release, which the union claims leads to a high turnover rate, reporting 70% of nurses having been at BMC for six years or less. The vote from the nurses at BMC comes while nurses from Brigham and Women’s Hospital are set to vote to authorize an open-ended strike on Sept. 24, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
SCIENCE
Two months later, a study by the BU CTE Center revealed that at least a quarter of NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE. Both prompted further discussion about the prevalence of the disease in many of the world’s most popular sports. Following his death, Lemieux’s family donated his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center to better understand the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injuries. CTE affects the brain in a unique way, as it is a degenerative brain disease that is characterized by malfunctioning tau proteins.
BMC nurse vote authorizes strike CITY
BY ANNA GOHMAN Associate City Editor
Nearly 2,000 registered and licensed practical nurses at Boston Medical Center’s main campus voted to authorize a three-day strike, the 1199 Service Employees International Union announced Sept. 11. After more than six months of failed negotiations with BMC management over better wages, protections and safety measures, nearly 90% of nurses voted in favor of the strike, according to the press release. “We’re prepared to strike if necessary to win the wages we need to get by, the adequate staffing levels our patients deserve, and the safe workplaces our co-workers
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Breaking the ice on CTE research BY BRIANNA SCHWAB DFP Writer
As the term “CTE” pops up more frequently in the sports media world, conversations around the disease are becoming harder to ignore. At the center of many of those conversations is the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, where researchers study the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts and run the leading brain-donation program for CTE research. In May 2026, four-time Stanley Cup Champion and former NHL player, Claude Lemieux, committed suicide at the age of 60.
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BY EVA SMITH DFP Writer
Advocates for the 1199 Service Employees International Union march for unionized nurses at the Boston Labor Day parade Sept. 7.
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Field hockey’s past success continues under new coach SPORTS
DANIEL GARBER | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
Boston University freshmen and transfer students moved into the recently renovated Warren Tower A at the beginning of this academic year, enjoying brand new central air conditioning, private bathrooms and modernized spaces. The completion of Tower A and dining hall renovations marked the end of phase one in BU’s $550 million plan to renovate all three towers and the shared fourth floor by the fall of 2028. Tower B is being renovated this academic year, leaving only Towers A and C currently available for housing. With an all-electric system, the remodel will also eliminate Warren Tower’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to BU Spokesperson Jill Jess. “Warren Towers will be one of the most energy-efficient, large-scale student housing renovations in the country,” Jess wrote in an emailed statement to the Daily Free Press. BU hired Shawmut Design and Construction to execute the full-scale renovations. So far, Tower A’s exterior and interior have been completely redone. The communal bathrooms were replaced with several private all-gender ones on every floor, and each dorm room has adjustable air conditioning and new, larger windows. “I’m very grateful to be living in [Tower] A,” freshman Irene Navia said. “C Tower looks a lot older, and you can tell.” Navia said living in Tower
Going into the new season, Boston University’s new field hockey coach, Sarah Shute, is looking to carry over the same success and mindset as last year’s Patriot League champions. Shute has experience both in the head coach position — having served as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s field hockey coach for six years — and with BU, as a former Terrier herself. Shute took over for Sally Starr, whose coaching staff she worked on for ten seasons. “I’m just really, really looking
JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior defender Alex Purcell prepares to strike the ball.
forward to getting started working with them on the field, and just as importantly, getting to know them as people,” Shute said in February. Despite high expectations, Shute
said she takes it one practice and game at a time. “We really are looking to just improve from game to game every time that we step on the field and just get better and better,” Shute said. A new test for Shute and the team came Sept. 13, when the Terriers (2-4) took on the University of Maine Black Bears (3-3) in a rainy afternoon showdown. The first quarter, though scoreless, was action-packed. The Terriers racked up four shots, testing Maine’s freshman goalkeeper Annabel Halkes. BU continued their attack at the beginning of the second quarter,
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22NEWS
ResLife union reaches settlement with BU over additional jobs for employees CAMPUS BY YU-KUAN MIAO Contributing Writer
The Service Employees International Union Local 509 reached a settlement with Boston University Sept. 8 over the previous restriction on Residence Life workers taking on additional on-campus jobs. Formally, BU prohibited Resident Assistants and Graduate Resident Assistants from working additional jobs due to a 20-hourper-week work limit. The settlement now allows fair hiring consideration for secondary jobs, and no longer enforces strict limits on RA’s work hours. Nicky Andrade, a union steward, said none of the ResLife workers could have had additional jobs this semester if the union had continued with the grievance hearings. “[The additional jobs] are partially about gaining meaningful experience, but also some people are relying on these jobs for financial means of supporting themselves, and we didn’t want to further exclude them from gaining what they are trying to get out of their college experience,” Andrade said. In an email SEIU Local 509 sent to its members on Sept. 9, obtained by The Daily Free Press, the union described the settlement as a return to how additional job approval worked before BU made “unilateral changes” in fall 2024. “I’m pretty sure they changed it after we unionized,” said Kai Gallemore, a former RA and recent BU graduate. “I worked at Einstein’s Bagels, actually. So it was fully allowed back then. We just had to let our manager know, but they were totally okay with it.” Boston University declined to
comment on the settlement. After the policy changed in 2024, BU implemented a new system requiring students with on-campus jobs to register them through JobX, the school’s student employment system. However, ResLife employees found that their work automatically took up the entire 20 hours students are allowed to work on JobX, regardless of how many hours they worked, preventing them from logging additional hours from other on-campus jobs. “Before we unionized, I had never heard of a ResLife worker being unable to work additional on-campus jobs because of their status as an RA/GRA/GHA,” Jasmine Richardson, former RA and recent BU graduate, wrote in an email to the Daily Free Press. During Richardson’s first year working for ResLife, she worked 10 hours every week as a researcher alongside working as an RA, she said. In her final year at BU, Richardson was offered a “prestigious fellowship,” she wrote. Despite the position being funded by an external nonprofit and only requiring three hours of work per week, ResLife administrators denied Richardson from working additional hours outside of her ResLife role. “This was devastating for me, losing out not only on the pay this role would provide, but also on many professional and networking opportunities,” Richardson wrote. Richardson claimed that ResLife management restricted workers from taking on additional oncampus jobs because they believed the high stipend they’re paid as RAs suggested ResLife roles were “overwhelming.” However, Richardson pointed out that ResLife workers were originally allowed to do the same work
AVA RUBIN | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
The Residence Life office at 575 Commonwealth Ave. The Service Employees International Union Local 509 has reached a settlement with Boston University, allowing Residence Life workers to take additional on-campus jobs.
without pay, which to her meant the issue has always regarded compensation, not workload. “It was sort of the University’s way of sticking it to us, like punishing us for wanting to unionize,” Gallemore said. “I guess this is standard practice for bargaining agreements with unions, but it just felt like they didn’t necessarily have our best interests in mind when they came to that agreement at first.” The settlement states that workers will not receive backpay for any pay they’ve already missed this semester due to denial of approval to work an additional job. Grievants from 2025, including Richardson, will receive backpay as required by the arbitrator’s
ruling. “I am yet to hear or receive backpay from BU, a process that should have started last week. I am disappointed, but not surprised,” Richardson wrote. “Just as I hoped they would adhere to the arbitrator’s decision in May, I hope they adhere to the settlement agreement and render back pay.” Richardson stated that the backpay will not make up for the professional experience or opportunities that she lost due to the previous system. While Gallemore said he is happy that current ResLife workers have a more favorable agreement than the one he had, he believes the situation as a whole was a major oversight by the University.
“If BU truly had our best interests in mind, I think that they would have understood the value of us being able to hold other oncampus positions, even if it meant you could only hold an academicrelated position, say a TA or like a grader for a class,” Gallemore said. Andrade said she hopes the settlement will allow for RA’s to have a more “meaningful experience” at BU and beyond. “We’re students just like everyone else,” Andrade said. “We’re just trying to get through this, and hopefully find a position after college that we can enjoy, that brings meaning to our lives, and that we can support ourselves with.”
25 years later: Reflecting on the Boston University community during 9/11 Continued from page 1 what was going on,” Pallante said. Pallante said he had a friend whose brother worked in New York. He recalled his friend panicking and immediately attempting to contact his brother. “I remember seeing his face was just white,” Pallante said. “It was [like] a ghost, and his jaw just kind of dropped after he found out that … he couldn’t contact his brother.” His friend later learned his brother was safe and away from the towers, he said. The morning of the attacks, classes continued, Pallante explained. Both he and his friend went to a lecture as news of the additional attacks unfolded. Boston University President Jon Westling had sent out a mass email to students, pushing them to remain calm and continue attending classes. “The important business of teaching and learning should not be held hostage to terrorism … this is the most constructive response we can make to today’s tragic events,” Westling wrote in his email. A phone bank was set up in the George Sherman Union for longdistance calls, and the building He recalled his friend panicking a remained open throughout the night with televisions on, according to a report by BU Bridge, a former University newspaper. After class, Pallante headed back to his house on Pratt Street, where he met with one of his roommates, Jason DeCrow, COM ‘02. Pallante explained the news created an
atmosphere where he felt the need to stick together. Processing the attacks, both went to BU’s College of Communication radio station to record an episode of Pallante’s radio show “High Noon at the O.K. Corral” that afternoon. “I remember being on the T that day … being like, ‘Are we okay to be on?’” Pallante said. “That’s when things started to leak out too, that the hijackers had been in Boston … they had left out of Logan.” Pallante decided to use his show to give continuous updates on the attacks, reading news articles DeCrow printed for him. “I knew no one was listening. I knew if you were getting your news, you certainly weren’t getting it from us,” Pallante said. “I think it was cathartic both having him there, and just being able to talk about it … to feel some sense of we were doing some good.” Early that morning, DeCrow was in the COM basement darkroom, rushing to finish a photojournalism assignment before the deadline. He said he hadn’t been paying attention to any news until he took a break around 10:00 a.m. — an hour after both planes had hit the World Trade Center — and another student told him the details of what had occurred. He then packed up his belongings and walked home. “I don’t think any of us knew how to feel at all … we had no context, no way to process, nothing to compare it to,” DeCrow said. “Aside from just fear and shock, it was just uncertainty and just really having no idea, like, ‘What does this mean?’ and having no way to
answer that.” The next day, on Sept. 12, BU held a prayer vigil at Marsh Chapel to honor the victims of the attack. DeCrow photographed fellow BU students, sensing the memorial allowed students to be close with one another. Even though many of the students were strangers to each other, DeCrow said “they felt the need to be together in the same space.” Following the Sept. 11 attacks, reported anti-Muslim and antiMiddle Eastern hate crimes in the U.S. surged dramatically from 28 incidents in 2000 to 481 incidents in 2001, according to the FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics report. In 2001, an incident was reported by The Daily Free Press, in which a cyclist along the Charles River shouted an anti-Arab slur and spat on a 21-year-old South American BU student after mistakenly identifying her as Middle Eastern. BU Police declined to provide comment for the story, in response to a recent request from The Daily Free Press. With the growing anxieties of the post-9/11 climate, The Daily Free Press also reported that 12 BU Muslim students took leaves of absence from the University in 2001. Kelley said, as a Black and Iranian American, she didn’t feel “othered” in how she was treated at BU as a student at the time and later as a professor. Today, she uses her voice to correct misconceptions about Middle Eastern cultures and to support multiple underrepresented communities, she said.
“I try to put more of my focus on less of the ignorance and more of the, ‘What can we all do to be the change that we want to see?’ and also recognize that the world is bigger than our little ocular areas of [the] U.S.,” Kelley said. Kelley said 9/11 changed how she saw negative or unexpected events and she believes those moments are meant to help people pivot in a better direction. She pointed to her father’s fortunate morning as an example. “I’m sure my father was annoyed he was late. He’s never late. Look what that brought him for his life,” she said. “All of those things helped me to realize that things happen for a reason, and you can’t control everything, and that’s not the goal.” Kelley and her family continue to watch memorials at home. Every year, her father will point out names on the TV of his coworkers who died that day. “There’s still a sadness that people have because they’ve recognized that a split second would have changed the lives of those people in that building,” Kelley said. “It’s bittersweet.” Pallante, a hockey enthusiast, was a fan of Mark Bavis, a player on BU men’s ice hockey team who graduated in 1993 and was on Flight 175. Pallante used to cover hockey games for the BU yearbook and would see Mike Bavis — Mark’s identical twin and an assistant coach for the Boston University Terriers men’s ice hockey team — standing behind the BU Terriers player bench during games.
Pallente described sports as a “unifying” factor at BU. Even though he didn’t have a personal connection with the brothers, he felt Mark was a “face that [he] could put on that tragedy.” “You hear the numbers, and now years later, with the memorial, you see the names,” Pallante said. “But it was like, okay, here’s someone. Here is a connection to someone that I, again, I didn’t know, but I knew of who died.” Lisa Anne Frost — one of the many BU alumni who lost her life during the attack — was also aboard Flight 175. Her last call was to her father, Tom Frost. Her last words to him were “Love you, Dad,” before she boarded the plane. A couple of months after the attack, Tom Frost set up the Lisa Frost Memorial Scholarship Fund for students in BU’s School of Hospitality Administration who reflect her commitment to SHA academics and her leadership values. In 2006, with the settlement money for 9/11 victims from the government, Tom and Melanie Frost donated $70,000 to open the Lisa A. Frost Student Lounge in the SHA building. “I used to tell Lisa, ‘Talk to me ten years from now,’ when discussing where and what she would be doing. By then, I told her, you will be a big success,” Tom Frost wrote on the BU Remembers website. “Ten years and beyond from now students will still be thanking Lisa for the inspiration she will give them to do the best they can do.”
NEWS 3
BMC nurses vote to authorize strike as union seeks improvements to staffing, compensation
proposed a suitable contract offer. BMC management and 1199SEIU representatives are scheduled to In July, approximately 4,000 return to the bargaining table for nurses and clinicians represented a contract negotiation session on by the MNA walked out over Sept. 25. contract negotiations, executive Marlishia Aho, regional pay and staffing at Brigham and communications manager for Women’s Hospital — the largest 1199SEIU, said if the authorized nurse and healthcare professional three-day strike does not result in strike in state history, according an agreeable contract, “all options to an MNA press release. The are on the table,” including one-day strike grew into a five- prolonging the strike. day work stoppage when Brigham “This strike is about the future brought in temporary nurses and of care in Boston,” Aho said. striking workers were locked out. “They are one of the lowest paid In a letter to BMC CEO Dr. in the city, yet serve the most Alastair Bell last month, more than diverse patient population that has 40 state legislators urged BMC to complex care needs, and so we “make significant investments in need to recruit and retain nurses nursing wages, benefits, staffing, who serve this population.” safety, and retention as part of a fair BMC operates New England’s contract settlement,” according to busiest emergency and trauma the 1199SEIU release. services provider and serves as The legislators also wrote the region’s largest safety-net in the press release they were hospital, with 73% of patients committed “to working with the coming from low-income and administration and the hospital under-resourced populations, to find a solution that allows the according to BMC’s website. hospital to make these critical At BMC staff’s picket in investments.” July, union members raised Boston Medical Center did not concerns over staff shortages due respond to a Daily Free Press to employee turnover and the request for comment. hospital’s over-reliance on outB M C of-state traveling management nurses. said in a “It happens far too often “It happens statement to far too often The Boston that nurses like me are that nurses Globe that left juggling multiple like me are left “any agreement juggling multiple must reflect patients with very little patients with the significant very little help,” help.” f i n a n c i a l said Sandeep pressures facing Chakravarthy, an SANDEEP BMC, our health ICU nurse at BMC CHAKRAVARTHY system, and the and 1199SEIU broader health member, during a ICU Nurse care industry.” speech outside the The union hospital. claims in the press release that Chakravarthy couldn’t be BMC management has not reached for comment.
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SYDNEY WEISS | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
The Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center at Boston Medical Center. Nurses at the hospital’s main campus voted to authorize a three-day strike Sept. 11, the 1199 Service Employees International Union reported.
Aho said she thinks changes to funding for healthcare and potential cuts to Medicaid may be why management has taken so long to respond to the union’s demands. However, she said, this is “not the burden of healthcare workers to fix.” “What’s at stake is the future of care, and so it is important for many of our nurses to stand together,” she said. Jacqueline Manning, spokesperson for Governor Maura Healey, wrote in an email to The
Daily Free Press that the governor has been in contact with both sides to urge an agreement and “feels strongly that Boston Medical Center and its nurses should stay at the table and continue negotiating in good faith.” In solidarity with the BMC nurses, around 80 nurses from MNA and advanced BMC practice nurses will vote on strike authorization Sept. 16 and 17, David Schildmeier, MNA director of public communications, wrote in an email to The Daily Free
Press. Boston Medical Center is the primary teaching affiliate for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. “Regardless of the setting, whether it’s in hospitals, outpatient clinics, or schools, nurses are leaders and the backbone of clinical care,” wrote Trish Elliot, clinical associate professor at the School Health Institute for Education and Leadership Development, in a statement to The Daily Free Press.
Beyond Boston: Northeastern’s push into New York City CITY BY NOLAN O’KEEFE Associate City Editor
Northeastern University welcomed its inaugural class to its New York City campus Sept. 9 after acquiring Marymount Manhattan college earlier this year. The merger is the latest addition to Northeastern’s campus network which spans across multiple cities internationally, including
Oakland, Calif. and Toronto, Canada campuses. New York is the fourth city to host a full-time Northeastern undergraduate campus and among a longer list of destinations for Northeastern satellite campuses and graduate programs. Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun said the expanding university system was an “intentional strategy” in an April 2026 interview with Northeastern Global News.
“Overall, the global university system does three things for us,” Aoun said during the Northeastern Global News interview. “It enables mobility for our students, it gives us a global research enterprise, and it dramatically expands our capacity to provide lifelong learning.” Northeastern’s acquisition is part of a larger trend of American universities expanding into cities beyond their flagship campuses. Among them are Carnegie Mellon
JERRY SHI | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Centennial Common at Northeastern University. The university’s latest extra-Boston full-time undergraduate campus opened its doors in New York City.
University, which opened a Silicon Valley campus in 2002, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which has operated a graduate program in Newton, MA since 2018, according to a 2023 Washington Post article. Boston University, on the other hand, has focused more on investing into its existing infrastructure in Boston, as seen in its Campus Framework Plan. “As we look ahead, our focus is not on building new branch campuses abroad,” BU spokesperson Jill Jess wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press. “It is on strengthening the global network that already surrounds Boston University: creating deeper partnerships with institutions and communities worldwide and expanding opportunities for students and faculty to learn, work, conduct research and collaborate across borders.” Jess pointed to the over 80 study abroad opportunities the University offers, and wrote that global engagement has long been part of BU’s identity. Elle Pisani, a Northeastern sophomore, was part of what she called a “guinea pig,” or pilot, class during the merger with Marymount Manhattan, officially dubbed The NYC Scholars Program. Pisani, a screen and media studies major, is among a small cohort of students that completed their freshman year in New York in 2025 and have since transferred to the Boston campus for their sophomore year. “The emphasis is really good that they want to become globally centered because it gives students more opportunities to travel,”
Pisani said. “New York City was just the right amount of study abroad for my first year.” Piper Morris, a Northeastern sophomore and NYC Scholars Program participant, said there was a stark difference between the education she received in New York and the one she is adjusting to at Northeastern’s Boston campus. Morris, a music and business major, said the school could be “doing a lot more” regarding their academic programming. “It wasn’t the education that I signed up for at Northeastern, and I think it left me a little bit unprepared coming to Boston,” Morris said. Though students across the different campuses graduate with the Northeastern name on their degree, Morris questioned the continuity in education at an institution with such a disconnect across campuses. “As long as they keep working to bring the Northeastern education to New York, I think that’d be a great thing. If it were the classes that we were taking for all four years, I would be a little bit concerned for the people going there,” Morris said. Northeastern sophomore and psychology major Anna Gjerasi, who studied abroad in Scotland for her first semester, said she believes the motivation behind expansion is financial. “I think the main goal of it is money,” Gjerasi said. “I’ve not heard of another school that is franchising all of their different campuses the way Northeastern does. It’s very strange to me because I’m wondering where my tuition money is going now.”
412FEATURES
Warren Towers revamp brings modernized spaces, mixed reactions Continued from page 1 A is “really nice.” “The rooms are awesome,” she said. “I live in a triple, but it’s very spacious. The views from the 17th floor are really nice as well.” Navia said she also likes the renovated lounges, which have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of campus and a counter where students can sit and study. “There’s people from [Tower] C that come over to our tower to study there,” Navia said. Freshman Tristan Howard said Tower A’s central air conditioning was the biggest plus for him. “I’m not super picky [about] where I live or how my dorm is set up,” he said. “But it’s been pretty nice.” Sophomore Lucy Hacker, who also lived in Warren last year, said she likes living in Tower C, but Tower A renovations complicate her feelings. “It just gets really hot and now that people are in Tower A, I’m jealous,” Hacker said. “I’ve seen a lot of like pictures, videos and people moving in on TikTok. I’m just really jealous, mainly the windows. They’re so big and nice, and the bathrooms are really nice over there too.” Najma Noor, a junior transfer student living in Tower A, said there are eight “semi-private bathrooms” on each floor, which are cleaned every week. Noor also said the new security system, which enables students to unlock their dorm rooms using their student IDs, is convenient. “It kind of feels like a hotel sometimes,” Noor said. “I don’t have to worry about losing my key that much because I can just go downstairs, get a guest key, tap in and get my key.” The new Tower A amenities don’t go unappreciated by the students living there, especially with not-yet-renovated Tower C nearby. Noor said when she saw what Tower C rooms looked like, she was glad she ended up in Tower A. “I feel very grateful,” she said. “Even though the people facing Tower B don’t have the best view, it still feels modern. It feels clean.” Sophomore June Hong said she moved from a West Campus dorm to Warren Tower C because of its convenient central location on campus. “Overall, it’s not as bad as everyone says,” she said, recalling that she chose West her freshman year because of Warren’s poor reputation. However, Hong said she has friends that were disappointed to learn during housing selection that Tower A would only be available to new BU students.
PHOTOS BY SIENA GLEASON Photo Co-Editor
GRAPHICS BY HANNAH YU
COMPILED BY MARY GOETZ AND JOHN TATUM Features Editors
Graphics Co-Editor
“My roommate, she’s lived here for her entire college experience, and she’s really upset,” Hong said. “She was just like, ‘Why do they get it, and we pay the same amount of money?’” Hong said she likes the new dining hall, which has a bright white interior, a rearranged seating plan and remodeled kitchens. “I compared it to a fancy hotel breakfast area,” Hong said, “It’s better than I think it was before.” Not every student loves the renovations, though. Sophomore Arrow Kempthorne said she misses the old dining hall design, which featured warmer colors and wooden details, as well as several booths in the front seating area. “It’s nice to have fresh stuff … but I feel like it was a little bit cozier last year,” she said. Kempthorne added she would have preferred improvements to the quality of food in the dining hall instead of remodeling. While she said Tower A
is “nicer” than Tower C, she appreciates some features of Tower C dorms, such as the desks’ built-in bookshelves. “But obviously [Tower A] is super nice and new,” she said. “Definitely wish that I had that.”
One year later, students continue to question MBTA’s $2.4 million fare enforcement BUSINESS
BY TANISHA JAUHARI Contributing Writer
Over the last year, fare enforcement officers have forced students to make a choice for their trips on the Green Line: pay the $2.40 fare or find a different mode of transportation. But in the first 11 months since the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced its $2.39 million fare engagement program, its teams have only issued 117 warnings and no fines, according to transportation news outlet StreetsblogMASS. The MBTA did not confirm or deny these specific numbers in an email to The Daily Free Press, only that they “thank our riders who pay for their trips” and offered reminders of reduced fare options. Since enforcement agents began appearing at gated stations in 2025, fare collections have increased 35% at attended stations, according to an MBTA statement to NBC10 Boston. Some Boston University students question the initiative as agents appear more
frequently on the Green Line. Nila Dharma, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she saw agents at above-ground stops, including Blandford Street and BU East, at the beginning of the last academic year. She recalled agents directing passengers to tap their phones or cards while boarding. “They are just doing their job,” Dharma said. “It’s fair to ask that of people.” But throughout the semester, they gradually disappeared — a cycle she expects to happen again this year, she said. “For the beginning few months, I think they’re going to enforce it,” she said. “But I don’t think it’s going to last again.” Dharma said increased fare enforcement could cause more students to walk or bike instead of paying for a quicker ride. Arian Movahedi, a freshman in CAS, said he does not think the push for enforcement is worth the MBTA’s time or money, and may leave a negative public impression. “It’s important to remember that people won’t start paying just because at one point in time they were forced to pay with a fare officer,” he said, “If people are forced to
pay once, twice, even 10 times, if there’s ever not a fare enforcer on board, then they’re just going to go back to not paying.” “I also think it’d be crazy to charge fines for skipping a $2 fare,” he added. Terrance Regan, an adjunct professor in the Metropolitan College’s city planning and urban affairs department, said the absence of fines may indicate the program is currently focused more on raising public awareness on the need to pay fees, rather than revenue collection. “The fact that they have issued no fines is quite enlightening in terms of what I assume is the direction from leadership [about] how the fare enforcement team is supposed to operate,” he said. The program’s $2.4 million annual budget only represents a small percentage of the MBTA’s roughly $2.6 billion annual operating budget. In January, the MBTA predicted that for the 2026 fiscal year it would have a $560 million deficit and an over $700 million shortfall for the following year. 2024 national transit data showed it costs $7.25 to provide one Green Line ride.
“They’re losing a lot of money for every passenger,” Regan said. “It costs a lot of money to provide that ride, and if people are unwilling to pay the fare, then it means other people have to pay more to provide those people with their free ride.” Movahedi said there are more pressing issues regarding the MBTA, including pollution created by commuter rail trains. “When the commuter rail is all diesel trains, I think that there’s better things they could be focusing on,” Movahedi said. Regan said the most important priority for the MBTA should be to maintain and keep its lines running on time. The MBTA noted in its statement to The Daily Free Press that the long-term usage of the fare enforcement program is still being evaluated. For Movahedi, the program’s 117 warnings make the contrast between its expense and its results clear. “If you think about a room of 117 people in it, and then you think about a cost of $2.4 million just to give that room of 117 people warnings,” he said, “it doesn’t seem worth it.”
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612FEATURES
BU junior recounts ‘eye-opening’ South African summer volunteer trip at Cango Wildlife Ranch COMMUNITY BY SIMRAN PATEL Contributing Writer
Many Boston University rising juniors may spend their summers interning at an office or working at their old hometown job. But Kate Tully, a junior studying biology, spent two weeks of her summer in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, at the Cango Wildlife Ranch conservation facility learning about animals and completing educational — yet gruesome — tasks, like chopping up horse legs to feed to animals. “It kind of just restored my faith in [that] this is what I want to do. This is what I’m passionate about,” Tully said. Tully was working at a veterinary clinic in her hometown of Atlanta when one of the veterinarians introduced her mother to Loop Abroad, a program that connects college students with conservation organizations. Loop Abroad led her to Cango Wildlife Ranch. Yulan Kuyler, a volunteer host at Cango Wildlife Ranch and Tully’s group leader, said the organization’s mission is “to educate the public about wildlife … and what we as humans can do to improve the animals’ well-being and welfare in nature.” Tully knew she wanted to help animals since her freshman year at BU, even though she came into the university undecided. During an anthropology class, she felt drawn to the evolutionary units about apes rather than the humans. When trying to decide on a major, Tully said she considered the constants in her life. She asked herself “What would I do for free? What is something that I love no
matter what?” The answer was clear. “There’s always animals. There’s always an animal,” she concluded. Grace Hicks, Tully’s freshman year roommate, remembers hearing Tully talk about animals since their first semester meeting. “She already was very knowledgeable about animals,” Hicks said. “I think [Cango Wildlife Ranch] honestly probably just grew her passion.” Hicks said Tully knew the grueling work she was signing up for — 18-hour work days, little sleep and small pay — but Tully was sure about it. “She’s so aware that it’s not the most glamorous thing ever,” Hicks said. “But she’s very sure that she would rather take the route that helps the most animals and gives her the most knowledge, which I think is very admirable.” Tully’s time at Cango Wildlife Ranch didn’t start with smooth sailing. When she first arrived, the facility — which sits on the banks of a river — flooded. Even though the staff and animals had to evacuate, Chief of Staff Tammy Moult said she saw it as an opportunity to learn about climate change impact. “We strive to create education out of every issue that we face and [every] challenge that we encounter, and that is channeled through that volunteer program,” Moult said. While at the ranch, Moult said Tully and the other pre-veterinary volunteers explored captive animal environments throughout South Africa and learned about how to care for those animals. An average day at the ranch began with morning duty. This
could be conducting an ethogram — a record of studied behaviors — on spider monkeys, feeding and breeding big cats or, one of Tully’s favorites, visiting Greystone, a reserve for cheetah conservation and breeding. Cango Wildlife Ranch and surrounding organizations work to counter the bottleneck effect — a drop in population size that reduces a species’ genetic variation — in cheetahs. “[It] was really cool to learn that there [are] a lot of organizations in South Africa … that [are] working specifically with a population of cheetahs to selectively breed and … to ensure that [they] have a strong genetic diversity,” Tully said. In the afternoon, volunteers completed more duties like doing labs, meat prep — the cutting of horse legs — or visiting different towns nearby. For lunch, they ate at a cafe with a diverse menu that included a crocodile and ostrich burger. At night, they had downtime followed by a lecture about different animals, then the students had free time to bond with games and other activities. Tully said the “coolest” thing she saw on her trip was a medical procedure on a tiger named Suri. Suri had been struggling with a fungal infection and antibiotic treatment wasn’t working, Tully recounted. Cango veterinarians decided to inject a disinfecting treatment into tiny holes in her stomach, take biopsies and determine the type of fungus so they could create a target-specific antibiotic. Tully watched over them, sitting in the cage with a tiger. Tully said she walked away from her experience with a
COURTESY OF ABDELRAHMAN AHMAD VIA KATE TULLY
Kate Tully, a junior studying biology at Boston University, kneels down to observe a tiger named Suri at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. The conservation work she completed there over the summer spoke to her passion for helping animals.
newfound appreciation for animal conservation work. “It was really eye-opening to everything that goes into caring
for animals,” she said. “It was also very heartwarming. I think back on my time there and I’m like ‘I want to go back.’”
Inside the observatory remapping our skies — and how BU students are using the data to enhance their research SCIENCE
BY RAYAN KHAN Associate Science Editor
Tens of terabytes of data a night. Up to 10 million alerts flagging changes in the sky. 20 billion galaxies and 20 billion stars catalogued over ten years. Since the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory came online in Chile this summer, it has quietly become one of the most ambitious science projects currently active — and BU students, led by Dillon Brout, assistant professor in cosmology, are using its findings in research work. MaKenzie Elliott, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in astronomy and physics, has spent the past year working as an undergraduate researcher for the Legacy Study of Space and Time, which was created to study Rubin’s outputs. Elliot said she has been studying how dust scattered between stars in the Milky Way affects the measurements astronomers use to study the universe. “For a long time, we’ve been relying on a specific map of that dust in our Milky Way,” Elliott said. That map, created by NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer satellite, was published in 1992. Since then, Elliott said, new maps have been released, such as Planck space observatory’s cosmic microwave background map in 2013. Elliot’s research tries to qualify the extent to which the outdated measurements might be skewing scientists’ results. Rubin’s director, Robert Blum, said undergraduates do not need a fellowship or a lab position to be
AVA RUBIN | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
Boston under the night sky. Boston University cosmology students are using findings from the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory to research the cosmos.
part of it. “Rubin is for everyone,” Blum said. “You don’t have to have an observing proposal. You don’t have to have a lot of money to travel. You just have to have good ideas and be willing to get in on our science platform where the data [is].” Blum, who oversees the LSST, said the observatory combines the 10-year survey Rubin was built to provide data on. The observatory combines a large telescope with one of the world’s largest digital cameras, letting it scan enormous stretches of sky in a single night. Every point in the visible
southern sky gets a baseline “template” image, Blum said, and every following image gets compared against it in near real time. The comparisons allow scientists to watch for miniscule changes, which is how they catch supernovas, stars, asteroids and comets within minutes of the telescope taking the picture. “We’ll identify [a] tremendous — thousands in each image — number of variable and transient objects ... within two minutes of taking an image in Chile,” Blum said, describing how the data gets processed and streamed out to
research groups within seconds of its origin. Blum said the survey is organized around four major themes: mapping the transient and variable sky, tracing the structure of the Milky Way, probing dark matter and dark energy and tracking objects in the solar system. Early results are already coming in. Just weeks after Rubin’s researchers released its first public dataset this summer, researchers spotted two new compact dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. Elliott said the shift ahead will be enormous. Astronomers currently
have several thousand high-quality supernova observations to draw from, but once LSST is fully underway, she said, that could climb into tens or hundreds of thousands. “Our statistical uncertainty is going down,” Elliott said. Blum said Rubin’s goal of generating vast amounts of data leans into that same idea. Since the observatory sees so much of the sky for such a long time, researchers no longer need luck to catch rare events. Rubin’s output is filtered into different categories through programs that utilize machine learning models. Blum said artificial intelligence hasn’t been fully integrated yet but he expects that to change as the survey continues. For students hoping to explore Rubin’s potential, Blum said anyone with an internet connection can take a look. “Any student at a college in the U.S. has access to the data,” he said. “They just have to go to our website and sign up for an account on our science platform.” He pointed to Rubin’s selforganized science collaborations and noted BU already has astrophysicists engaged with LSST that students can reach out to directly. Gabriela Lopez, a sophomore astronomy and physics major who has been involved with astronomy research on campus, said encouraging student involvement is a good strategy due to the scale of the project. “I feel like that’s what science is for,” Lopez said. “Anyone should be able to learn about anything at any time.”
SPECIAL 7
Breaking the ice on chronic traumatic encephalopathy Continued from page 1 Tau normally stabilizes structures within nerve cells, but in CTE, tau “misfolds” and can cause adjacentt proteins to misfold, disrupting cellular function. Thor Stein, director of molecular research at the BU CTE Center and a neuropathologist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, works closely with current CTE research and encourages brain donation. Stein explained that over time, this disease is linked to “nerve cell death, and ultimately cognitive impairment and dementia.” While it has not been shared whether or not CTE was found, the nature of Lemieux’s death and the decision to give his brain to research shed new light on the risks of repetitive head collisions in hockey and other physical sports — as well as the importance of post-mortem brain donation. “Brain donation is really crucial right now because we don’t have a way to diagnose some of these diseases, specifically chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in life,” Stein said. “It’s really critical to … [develop] ways that we can
BU CTE Center found athletes age 30 or under could be at risk of developing CTE from their experience playing college and high school contact sports.
BU CTE Center is
BU CTE Center study found that
one-fourth of NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE.
established.
First confirmed case of CTE in a football player.
Claude Lemieux, NHL legend, committed suicide at 60, and his brain was donated to the BU CTE Center.
HAEIN SHON | Graphics Co-Editor
diagnose it earlier in life, and figure out ways to treat it.” Unlike other neurodegenerative diseases, CTE is associated with a history of repetitive head impacts. CTE is most commonly associated with football players, but Lemieux’s brain donation has brought attention to potential cases of CTE in hockey — though the sport’s biggest league is reluctant to acknowledge them. “We listen to the medical opinions
SYDNEY WEISS | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
The entrance to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center. BU’s CTE Center is researching the connection between ice hockey and CTE.
on CTE, and I don’t believe there has been any documented study that suggests that elements of our game result in CTE,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told NPR in 2023. However, a 2022 study from BU’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine challenged that notion. “Previous research has shown a relationship between increasing years of playing football and increased chances of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy later on, and our results suggest the same is true for ice hockey,” according to Jesse Mez, the study’s author and director of the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center Clinical Core. Despite growing research connecting hockey and CTE, questions remain about how well players themselves understand the risks. For Ava Dunphy, a junior in the College of Engineering and former BU women’s club hockey player, CTE was not a topic that was brought up much throughout her 10 years of playing hockey. Dunphy attributed the stigma around CTE to the sport’s culture. “I don’t think players are very comfortable reporting the symptoms, especially because hockey is such a tough mentality sport, there is that environment, there is that culture where you need to be tough to play,”
Dunphy said. This mindset of ignoring risks that are a natural part of contact sports can become extremely dangerous. When athletes are reluctant to report head injuries, challenges can arise if they are not properly treated and evaluated. A study in the Journal of Athletic Training found that athletes who did not report head injuries missed 4.9 more days in recovery than athletes who reported their head trauma. Nonreporting athletes were also 2.2 times more likely to have a longer recovery period than reporting athletes. Yet, learning about the risks does not necessarily mean athletes have to walk away from the sport. “I think the reward of playing, being active and being with other people and growing as a person through the sport … makes you want to play any sport despite the risks, and I think that’s hard. It’s hard conversations to have,” Dunphy said. Preventative measures have been introduced so that players can continue to practice their sports in safer ways. Guardian Caps, a company that makes padded covers for helmets, commonly used by NFL players, also makes covers for hockey helmets. This season, the NFL has mandated use of Guardian Caps in practice for almost all contact positions. However,
Stein said the data is unclear about their effectiveness. “My sense is that it’s going to have a minimal effect on that. If you still get hit, you know it’s still going to cause damage,” he said. “It might minimize it a little bit, but it’s not going to prevent it completely.” While new technology is one way that leagues are able to enforce brain safety, it hasn’t been enforced more broadly, including in the NHL. “Everyone’s going to have to make their own individual decisions, but we would like to make sure that the research is available to people,” said Ray Nicks, a senior neuropathology research fellow at the CTE Center. Although CTE cannot currently be diagnosed in living patients, Dr. Stein said athletes are encouraged to reach out if they develop any abnormal symptoms. “Even though we can’t diagnose or treat CTE right now, we know that we can treat the symptoms and that there is help available. And so we really encourage those folks who have had a history of repetitive head impacts from sport play or other things who are having symptoms to see a doctor and to reach out,” Dr. Stein said.
‘It’s extremely scary’: High school football, women’s hockey learn to adapt techniques, gear amid CTE research BY OLIVIA RUZIC Campus Co-Editor
Head coach Erik Ormberg of the Medfield High School varsity football team said he loves to watch his players bond between bus rides, training and practice. However, research from the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center has made groundbreaking discoveries about the frightening risks surrounding the sport that brings his athletes together. Meanwhile, Anthony Martucci, head coach of the Winthrop High School varsity girls’ hockey team, hopes CTE never becomes as much of a risk as it is in men’s hockey, but acknowledges head injuries still exist in the women’s game. CTE awareness began spreading in the early 2000s after the first diagnosis of the disease in a National Football League player, Mike Webster, was made. Ormberg said the concern of CTE has been in the news cycle and in the back of coaches’ minds for years. Recent research from the BU CTE Center revealed that in contact sports, including football and hockey, long-term brain damage can occur. Another study from the BU CTE Center discovered that the condition could affect amateur athletes, not just professional players. Nonetheless, both coaches have different reactions to the new CTE findings and how it applies to their teams.
Football has historically been at the forefront of CTE discussions and research, while the problem has been almost entirely overlooked in women’s sports. How has this new research — or the lack thereof — affected the coaches’ instruction style? Football Ormberg said the national buzz around CTE has begun to affect high school football participation. Nationwide, high school football participation has decreased by approximately 3.4% in the past decade. Ormberg said their program has gone through various lengths to protect their players, notably by adjusting how players tackle. “I feel like in the last 10 years since I’ve been a head coach, we’ve changed everything about how we teach tackling and try to keep the head completely out of the drills that we do,” Ormberg said. Ormberg said throughout his 26 seasons of coaching at Medfield, safety precautions have continually evolved. In addition to changes in play technique, he has seen improvements to safety gear in an effort to prevent head injuries. “I just think [it’s like] the COVID years, [where we were] trying to mitigate the chance of COVID spreading,” he said. “We’re trying to limit the number of head injuries as best we can through instruction, through Guardian Caps and
through [limiting the] amount of full contact activities we do.” He said some of his players have been concerned about CTE, especially after suffering concussions. Evidence from the BU study shows that continual head trauma is the leading cause of CTE, but there is currently no known method to diagnose CTE before death. Despite the risks, Ormberg said he believes that the life lessons his players take away from football are “invaluable,” especially considering only 8.1% of high school players continue to play football in college, according to the National Football Foundation. “It might be entertainment for some people on a Friday night. But for us, it’s an extension of the classroom,” he said. The football industry will always have a level of danger, Ormberg said, but there are “wellmeaning coaches” who want to “preserve the sport and the positive components of it.” “That’s how I view high school football,” Ormberg said. “What’s the safest way we can do risky things and still teach those wonderful life lessons that can hopefully last a lifetime for some of these kids and give them some great memories?” Hockey Martucci said he remembered hearing about CTE when he heard about the death of Junior Seau, who was a Hall-of-Fame linebacker for
the San Diego Chargers. “Some of the people that I grew up watching have actually passed away,” Martucci said. “A lot of that is due to CTE, which is scary.” Top hockey gear companies have improved helmet padding and structure to keep up with the research, Martucci said. Although, as gear has changed, new issues have surfaced. “Back when I played, elbow pads were very soft … Now they have a huge cup on there, a very very hard cup, so that you’re not cracking down on your elbow when you hit the ice,” Martucci said. “But also if my elbow were to come up and hit you in the side of your face, chin, or even your neck with a hard pad like that, that’s something that could easily disrupt your jawbone and cause a concussion.” Martucci said the adaptations to rules and gear in women’s hockey have caused a “roller coaster effect.” “When I first started coaching the girls’ side, it was really physical,” he said. “Then the physicality kind of came down a little bit, but now they’ve allowed for more body contact and that’s starting to take over a little bit.” Body checks in most professional women’s hockey leagues were banned up until the introduction of the PWHL in 2024, and the game allowed for more flexibility with hits, according to an article from the Associated Press. Martucci said the hitting
leniency has begun trickling down into high school hockey. Martucci said there’s a lack of concern among parents, which he found “strange” because many middle school students play on the high school team. “You would think that those people would be more concerned about their younger kids stepping into a more physical game and be more worried about head trauma and head contact for a smaller, younger player,” Martucci said. “But in the girls’ game, there’s not much of a fear.” The top CTE research facilities have historically studied the brains of male athletes far more than those of female athletes. “It sometimes makes for games that are very slow because every time someone touches somebody, there’s a whistle and you go into the penalty box,” he said. “Then in other games they let it go, and sometimes the coaches are confused. Like, are we calling them today? Are we not calling them?” Martucci said the increased physicality in the sport can boost entertainment value at the professional level, but at the cost of increasing the severity and frequency of injuries. “I don’t know how well it translates for entertainment value if you’re losing your star players due to some of the violence or physicality that goes on,” Martucci said. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword.”
812PHOTO
Campus comes to life for the fall semester BY SUMMER LAROSE
SIENA GLEASON
JENNY CHEN
AND DANIEL GARBER
Photo Co-Editor
Senior Photographer
Photo Co-Editor
Associate Photo Editor
‘Twas the commencement of Boston University’s fall 2026 semester, and all through the campus students hauled boxes, turned out ‘fits and welcomed the latest class of first-year students to the old “Comm. Ave.” A matriculation ceremony provided new students a send-off for the week, while annual Splash and Lobster Night festivities that followed turned the tonal tide away from the curricular.
SIENA GLEASON | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
A group sits down and enjoys their lobsters.
SEINA GLEASON | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Two people carry boxes into BU’s 515 Park Drive residence on South Campus.
JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Monica A. Pessina, who has a doctorate in anatomy SUMMER LAROSE | PHOTO CO-EDITOR and neurobiology, lifts a staff while serving as Two members of the satire publication The Pinky Toe University Marshal at the Matriculation Ceremony. stride across the field with vibrant signs.
DANIEL GARBER | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
Marciano staff members slice open lobsters.
SUMMER LAROSE | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Students walk by the BU Greek Rock, layered with spray paint, on a sunny afternoon.
SUMMER LAROSE | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Members of BU’s Slippery When Wet sketch comedy club advertise sketch comedy to a passing student.
JENNY CHEN | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Students dressed in BU gear stand at the matriculation ceremony.
SIENA GLEASON | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Piles of empty lobster shells and trash sit on a table at the dining hall on West Campus.
PHOTO139
JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
BU President Mellisa Gilliam addresses the crowd of students.
SUMMER LAROSE | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Students file in and swarm student organizations tabling at Nickerson Field for Splash.
SIENA GLEASON | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
SIENA GLEASON | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
A person walks down Arundel Street, passing an overflowing dumpster. A student smiles while being served a lobster.
SUMMER LAROSE | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
A representative for BU Kendo, a club dedicated to the martial art of Japanese fencing, invites a student to strike his fellow representative JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER A dining staff member in a lobster costume on the head. College of Arts and Sciences students cheer and laugh during the matriculation ceremony. ushers students into Marciano Commons. DANIEL GARBER | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
SIENA GLEASON| PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Moving trucks line up on Beacon Street, as residents move into Brookline, just south of BU’s Central Campus.
SIENA GLEASON | PHOTO CO-EDITOR
Junior Avery Kreitler (left), poses with a student while dressed as a lobster.
14 ADVERTISEMENT 10
Go off (text)book. Build real-world skills at AWS Builder Center for experience that you won’t find on a syllabus. Popular leftist politics are here. Democrats will do anything to
11 GAMES15
EDITORIAL BOARD THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY YEAR LVII. VOLUME A. ISSUE II. Published Friday, September 18, 2026. The Daily Free Press is published Sunday through Thursday 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 © 2026 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Emma Clement, Editor-in-Chief Jack Schwed, Managing Co-Editor Toby Moses, Managing Co-Editor Avery Fox, Campus Co-Editor Olivia Ruzic, Campus Co-Editor Anika Kapasi, City Co-Editor Grace Whinnery, City Co-Editor Kiran Rajamani, Investigative Editor Kyle Appleby, Sports Co-Editor Olivia Barrett, Sports Co-Editor Mary Goetz, Arts & Community Editor John Tatum, Business & Science Editor Kai Godwin, Opinion Co-Editor Velana Valdez, Opinion Co-Editor Ava Malamut, Lifestyle Editor Siena Gleason, Photo Co-Editor Summer LaRose, Photo Co-Editor Emma Jee, Master of Games Natalie Pela, Multimedia Editor Yunming “Teddy” Huang, Video Editor Quinn McPherson, Podcast Editor Hannah Yu, Graphics Co-Editor Haein Shon, Graphics Co-Editor Anna Peelen, Layout Co-Editor
BY EMMA JEE
ACROSS 1. Takes up 5. Paper citation ending, abbr. 9. Outcome of 17-Across, maybe 12. Fencing sword 13. Retreated, as a horse 15. Small amount 16. Canadien Hutson brother 17. Tennis starting shot 18. BoA kiosks 19. Fall 21. Vinyl cousins 23. Role model 26. More, in Spanish 29. Green line train, e.g. 32. “Get outta here!” 33. Reveal 34. Mountain ridges 36. aKDPhi, oPhiA, e.g. 38. Rats and mice 40. Decency 41. Chainmail neck guard 43. Starry-eyed 44. “Crazy in Love” singer nickname 45. Seniors to freshmen, in terms of age 47. “E ___ elephant” 48. Opposite of NNW 49. White tie, in fashion 51. Pressure meas. 52. South Campus
street 57. Tennis legend Arthur 60. WTBU recording sign 63. A lightbulb? 64. Revolution 65. Student ___, Red Sox college discount 66. Nonprofit orgs. 67. BOS airport security 68. “Strike a ___,” in “Vogue” 69. Bear habitats
DOWN 1. Aid 2. October birthstone 3. Knee 4. Appear to be 5. English county 6. Some women in 36-Across 7. Ventilate (out) 8. Bible book, for short 9. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum display 10. Image instrument, colloquially 11. ER transportation 14. Announced, on July 4th 15. BU office of accommodation requests 20. Ticket stubs, photos, e.g.
Master of Games
22. Party of donkeys? 24. DJ announcers 25. Nudge on 26. The Fates, in Greek mythology 27. Fall 28. Block 29. Stashes of treasure 30. Overnight flight, say 31. “That’s ___,” a perfect score 34. Egyptians, linguistically 35. Mare’s partner 37. Questrom company profit nums. 39. French fries, as a dish 42. Race segment 46. Foaming disease 50. Take care of 51. Band at hockey games 53. Strong weather under 21-Across on campus 54. BU contemporary dance company 55. “MUTT” singer Thomas 56. Scottish girl 57. Shakespeare play part 58. Help abbr. 59. Chinese flower? 61. Catch early 62. Year, in Spain
16 OPINION 12
Lindsay Clancy’s story is a reflection of our failing healthcare system for women | Confronting the Narrative COLUMN BY SIERRA ISBILL
Contributing Writer
In the United States, between 1989 and 1993, the National Institutes of Health established a policy requiring the inclusion of women in clinical research. The policy was written into federal law in 1993. That was 33 years ago. Including women in clinical research is younger than “Home Alone.” Let that sink in. Throughout history, it was fairly common for medical researchers to assume that women would respond the same way as their male counterparts to drugs used in clinical trials. Women were also considered “confounding and expensive” test subjects due to their varying hormone levels. It comes as no surprise then that menstruation, women’s physical and mental health challenges and postpartum depression have gone understudied and underdiscussed in society. This is especially relevant in light of the recent murder trial of Lindsay Clancy that occurred in Plymouth, Massachusetts this past summer. Clancy is currently accused of three counts of firstdegree murder for allegedly strangling her three children to death in January 2023. While Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, didn’t deny her accusations, he claimed that at
the time of her children’s deaths, she was in a state of postpartum psychosis that altered her perception of reality. Their goal was a verdict of insanity, claiming she wasn’t criminally responsible for the murders. Clancy’s trial ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4 after six weeks of deliberation, and a status and trial-assignment hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29 in Plymouth Superior Court. Lesser known than postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis affects an individual’s grip of reality. In severe cases, people with this condition may attempt to harm themselves or their newborns, according to an article by the Cleveland Clinic. In the midst of her declining mental health, Clancy turned to numerous medical professionals and clinicians in a desperate attempt to receive help. During the trial, her psychiatrists testified as to why they hesitated to diagnose her with postpartum psychosis or provide more help for her intrusive suicidal thoughts and mental health issues. Dr. Alia Goodheart claimed that Clancy was a “low-risk” patient experiencing insomnia, numbness and suicidal ideation but didn’t plan to act upon it. Another doctor, Jennifer Tufts, said Clancy explained her worries about potential suicidal thoughts but didn’t display symptoms of mania. Prior to the murders, Clancy had been to two hospitals, worked with five clinicians and had taken 13 different medications as a means
to cope with her condition. She mother … she loved her kids, and had also called the Aspite suicide she was a nurturing mother who hotline but wasn’t ascribed higher- smiled all the time.” Addressing her critics, Clancy’s level care because she lacked a now ex-husband Patrick said, suicide plan. Clancy had attempted to get “She’s recently been portrayed help in many different ways, yet largely by people who have never the people or services she sought met her and never knew who the out were either inadequate or not real Lindsay was.” Despite the horrid nature of designed to address her specific situation. She was essentially Clancy’s crime, those who rallied confined in the walls of her mind in support of her were incredible. even though she tried to break her Hundreds of her supporters assembled outside the courthouse way out. As her 13 medications and five during the proceedings. Many clinicians suggest, women’s health said Clancy’s story struck a chord and providing the correct treatment with them and wanted to advocate is not a quick fix. A delay in mental for historically underrepresented health services or support can prove female narratives. Stigma and lack of public to be just as damaging. awareness of postpartum After the alleged killing of her children — five-yearold Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-monthold Callan, on Jan. 24, 2023 — Clancy attempted suicide by leaping from the secondstory window of her home. The fall resulted in paralysis from the waist down. Due to the severity of the trial and its charges, Clancy’s mental health was further torn apart. But what sticks out the most was that, as a juror conveyed, “there had been nothing but good said about Lindsay and how amazing of a mother she was, how much she loved her children.” Her mother-in-law said to the grand jury, “She was HAEIN SHON | Graphics Co-Editor a fun-loving, doting wife and
depression, let alone postpartum psychosis, are critical barriers for getting women proper medical care, help and understanding. As a result, women have struggled to seek support and have been deterred from doing so. While childbirth may no longer be as dangerous for women in the modern world, it is still incredibly taxing and traumatic. Whether related to childbirth or not, it’s time for women’s mental health to be treated as more than a quick fix. If Clancy had received proper medical care, or if the system was designed to fully help women in her position, her headlines may have been different.
AI regulation is urban | The Metronome Popular leftist politics arepolicy here. Democrats will do anything to COLUMN BY ADA SUSSMAN
Senior Columnist
As the threat of artificial intelligence saturation mounts, so does the question of its actual, implementable ability to replace us. Will it take over our jobs by maximizing the productivity that our employers seek but are never satisfied by? Will it steal our creations, pantomiming the ability to create without the human drive to do so? Or will it cut out the menial tasks of the day, replacing only the banal and nothing more? But the questions raised by its effectuation don’t just linger on the ethical or practical ramifications. Before we take the time to consider the philosophical implications of its ready embrace, we have to consider the material impact of this
HAEIN SHON | Graphics Co-Editor
very implementation. AI isn’t just replacing us — it’s poisoning us. But some of us have the luxury of ignoring it. Just over a month ago, Elon Musk announced the expansion of his massive data center construction in Memphis — “Minihard,” SpaceXAI’s third site in the area, would begin construction directly adjacent to the already looming Colossus 2 supercomputing campus. Minihard, dubbed such as a childish jab at competitor Microsoft, was announced shortly after the site was forced to remove pollutant gas turbines, established illegally and in violation of the Clean Air Act. This high concentration of data centers is not coincidental, nor merely convenient. Like many instances of environmental injustice, their construction and subsequent pollution comes at the expense of the data centers’
surrounding residents. Colossus and Minihard press up against the Boxtown neighborhood of south Memphis, an area of almost 95% Black residents, with nearly half of the population earning under $25,000 annually. In an area of only about 3,000 residents, the looming Colossus hardly goes unnoticed. Its eternal drone and constant cloud of carcinogens are making Boxtown unlivable, and that’s not an exaggeration. In a town that already sees a cancer risk of more than four times the federal limit, data centers are a death sentence. Writer Austin Gaffney puts it in simple terms: as a question of “who gets the power, and who breathes the exhaust.” Musk’s energy-guzzling monstrosity isn’t the first time that Boxtown has been subject to the fallout of racist environmental policy. Founded by formerly enslaved people in 1863, the town
was officially annexed by Memphis in 1971, and with this political incorporation came the promise of sewage and water lines. But it wasn’t until 1980 that any of these promises were delivered. Residents of Boxtown had been paying taxes to Memphis for almost a decade, some still without indoor plumbing or running water. In 2019, Boxtown sat at the center of another environmental controversy: the bisecting of the neighborhood by a massive oil pipeline. The project, though eventually canceled in 2021, sought to seize private property through eminent domain, threatening to displace residents from their homes in the interest of massively accelerating domestic oil and gas manufacturing under Trump 1.0. The three data centers, powered by a fourth which sits just across state lines in Mississippi, also lies in the shadow of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s environmental ravaging of Boxtown. The TVA, recently tied up in a separate lawsuit as a result of unpermitted gas turbine construction, left behind a reservoir of coal ash following the closure of its Allen Fossil Plant, which reported an arsenic level nearly 300 times the safe limit in drinking water in 2020, putting Boxtown in further jeopardy. How is it possible then, that a neighborhood of barely 3,000 people has faced so many goliaths in under half a century, each in the form of snaking pipelines of oil or looming, whirring turbines? Because, in the social relations between classes, there is always a “metabolic rift,” one that pumps natural resources out of the earth, uses them to generate a profit and discards their detritus onto the populations lacking political power most. In the case of Boxtown, and other high-poverty, majority-Black areas in the South, data centers create waste heat that can drastically increase the surface temperatures
of the centers’ surrounding areas. They flush toxic pollutants into these neighborhoods’ waterways. They strain local electric grids, exponentially increasing the costs of residential utilities in turn. They fill the air with carcinogens that irritate airways and lead to asthma or cancer, and their relentless hum can lead to migraines and severe anxiety. They poison the body and the community. And the polluters don’t act alone. For this ecological metabolic rift to take place, the tech sector needs an area like Boxtown in the first place — underinvested in and neglected enough to be deemed worthy of benign reduction to collateral damage for the benefit of corporations and profit. Boxtown, and the rest of Memphis’ majority-Black communities, have long been neglected by their representatives, but in May, the city took an additional blow — the redistricting of congressional maps that fractured south Memphis into three distinct voting blocs and significantly weakened the voting power of the city’s Black population. A baseline of longtime disenfranchisement, exacerbated by a total overhaul of specific civic power, gave Musk’s data centers the adjudication they needed. By welcoming Musk’s data center complex with open arms, the state has endorsed AI development as a means of enacting a massive eugenics campaign, a way of systematically destroying poor Black communities to export convenience and other AI-powered apparatuses. Both the state and the tech sector have declared their belief in the expendability of their own residents to further line their pockets. Every day, a small neighborhood on the southwest of Memphis is poisoned. And your anxiety about being replaced pales in comparison to the reality of a community being erased.
LIFESTYLE 13
Who could take home the Mirrorball? A look at DWTS Season 35’s contenders LIFESTYLE BY SAM GENZER
Senior Writer
From new pros to returning favorites and — of course — plenty of TikToks, “Dancing with the Stars” is back for Season 35. The show has undergone significant changes since last season, introducing new ways to find its next generation of dancers and leaning even further into the social media personalities of its celebrity-pro pairings. But underneath all the viral interviews and backstage content is what fans are really here for: the dancing. Season 35 premiered Tuesday night, bringing together actors, Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists, reality TV stars, influencers and a few celebrities who may have you asking, “Wait, how do I know them again?” While it’s way too early to predict exactly who will be holding the Mirrorball Trophy at the end of the season, there are a few pairings I wouldn’t be surprised to see still dancing when the confetti falls. My top four predictions These picks aren’t based solely on statistics or insider information. Consider these as optimistic predictions based on dance backgrounds, fanbases, professional pairings and, admittedly, which couples I simply want to make it to the finale. “Glee” and “Grey’s Anatomy” star Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson Look, Harry Shum Jr. just wants to feel special — preferably by performing one dramatic spin in place. That’s a reference for my “Gleeks.” If you watched the show “Glee,” you already know Shum can dance. His character, Mike Chang, was essentially the New
Directions’ resident dancer, so he comes into the ballroom with something many contestants spend weeks trying to develop: coordination. Whether that translates to the ballroom is another question, but I wouldn’t count him out. His partner, Jenna Johnson, is a two-time Mirrorball champion who won Season 33 with Joey Graziadei of “The Bachelor” franchises. Johnson has developed a reputation for being paired with celebrities who either have some previous dancing experience or arrive with a sizable fanbase, but that doesn’t mean the celebrity does all the work. Johnson consistently builds choreography that makes her partners look confident, polished and — most importantly — like they belong in the ballroom. If Shum can live up to his dance background, this could be one of the season’s strongest partnerships. Regardless of how far they make it, I have a feeling Johnson will give us some choreography worth discussing. Film and TV star Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa Ezra just better make it to the finale. For the fans’ sake. Sosa and Julia Stiles have already started making their mark on social media, with the pairing leaning into Stiles’ beloved early2000s movies and films and Sosa’s increasingly obvious status as one of the show’s social media favorites. For anyone who grew up watching “10 Things I Hate About You” or “Save the Last Dance,” Stiles is the kind of casting that could bring an entirely different generation of fans to the ballroom. The bigger question will be
whether that fan support translates to votes, and whether Stiles can develop the technical skills needed to stay in the competition. To kill the rumors now: Stiles did not attend Julliard. She addressed the misconception herself
Like That” to the queue. She truly has a song or movie for every mood. In addition to her contributions to the entertainment world, Parton’s philanthropic efforts remained a core part of her life and an inspiration for all. She launched The Dollywood Foundation in 1988, originally with the goal of reducing high school dropout rates in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up. In 2016, her telethon for those impacted by the Smoky Mountain wildfires raised more than $13 million. More recently, Parton donated $1 million to COVID-19 research at Vanderbilt University in 2020 — research that led to Moderna’s vaccine. But her most notable charitable effort is the Imagination Library, a program founded in 1995 to promote child literacy. Drawing on her experience from growing up with an illiterate father, Parton’s program sends a book a month to children from birth to age five that are registered for the program online. The Imagination Library has donated more than 332 million books to children over the past 31 years, and currently has more than 3 million children registered amongst the five countries the program is available in. As an avid reader, Dolly’s mission always resonated with me. While I was never a member, I cannot wait to enroll my little cousins. Dolly Parton constantly reminded us how valuable and important it is
to give back to our communities. I recall her songs playing as I volunteered at a resort for terminally ill children and their families, thinking about how she would’ve rolled her sleeves up right beside me and put extra sprinkles on their waffles. When I donate old books
KEIRA GRICE | Senior Graphic Artist
The Dolly Parton lifestyle LIFESTYLE BY AVA MALAMUT Lifestyle Editor
Big hair, a bigger library and the biggest heart. If any celebrity epitomizes the best among us, it was Dolly Parton. The country music icon was not only an extraordinary entertainer but an entrepreneur, philanthropist and champion of all. Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean was a singer-songwriter best known for her songs “9 to 5” and “Jolene.” Parton died Aug. 25, 2026 at 80. Growing up along the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of twelve children. She made her Grand Ole Opry debut at the mere age of 13, and released more than 50 albums over the span of her six-decade career. She also acted in 110 films, most notably in “Nine to Five” and “Steel Magnolias” in 1980 and 1989, respectively. Though it took me until her passing to finally watch “Nine to Five,” I can attest to the smiles she created with the performance. If someone asked for my recommendations outside of her top hits, I’d start with “Love is Like a Butterfly,” a sweet, relaxed tune about the soft nature of love. I also love her song about reminiscing, aptly titled “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” When I need an upbeat tune to dance to, I always add her song “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin
to my s c h o o l district, it’s easy to imagine her hauling boxes with us and stopping to read to a class or five. Her commitment to education for all never wavered. As of 2022, the Dollywood Company covers 100% of tuition, fees and books for
alongside Sosa on TikTok, and Julliard has also confirmed that she was never a student there. If their TikToks are any indication, the two already have the kind of chemistry that can make “DWTS” memorable. Now they just need the dancing to match. Hanson’s Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart Picking this duo might be extremely optimistic, but hear me out. Britt Stewart — who made history as the show’s first Black female pro — has yet to win a Mirrorball. In her seven seasons on the show, Stewart has frequently been paired with celebrities who aren’t necessarily the obvious preseason favorites, and she has placed no higher than fifth. Stewart has also publicly said that Shum was her dream partner. When fans found out Stewart would be dancing with Taylor Hanson — while Johnson was paired with Shum — some were, understandably, less than thrilled. Hanson rose to global fame in the 1990s as a member of the poprock band Hanson. While Gen Z may primarily know the band for “MMMBop,” fans of the group have already taken to social media to celebrate his casting. The catch? Hanson has said he has almost no dance experience. Admittedly, this prediction may come back to haunt me. Still, Stewart is an exceptional teacher, and, honestly, I would love nothing more than to see her finally get her Mirrorball. Paralympian gold medalist Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach Ezra Frech is the first Paralympian to compete on “DWTS” since 2018, and his athletic background alone makes this pairing
one to keep an eye on. His partner, Daniella Karagach, is one of the show’s strongest technical dancers and has built a reputation for adapting her choreography to the strengths of each celebrity partner. This could be a crucial skill with Frech. As a Paralympic gold medalist, Frech already knows what it takes to train, perform under pressure and compete at the highest level. It will be interesting to see how quickly he can translate that athleticism into ballroom technique. If he can, Karagach could have another serious contender on her hands. And, selfishly, I need another Karagach freestyle in the finale. Others who could go far — or at least keep us entertained Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, partnered with Pasha Pashkov, could easily find herself in the finale conversation. Figure skaters often train in ballet, and Glenn already has good body extension, technique and performance ability that could translate well to ballroom. Plus, Pashkov has yet to win a Mirrorball, with his best finish coming in third place in Season 32. Jenna Dewan also has a clear advantage. The star of “The Rookie” has professional dance training and even starred in “Step Up,” making her one of the season’s most experienced dancers. Her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, certainly knows how to make a deep run, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see this duo stick around. With the level of dance experience from certain celebrities mixed with the humor and internet presence of the pros, this season of “DWTS” promises to put its fans on the edge of their seats.
outside, but it is clear as day that she had a sparkling golden heart. When she passed away, it became apparent that the world will never be the same, but we are so lucky to have heard her beautiful singing voice and seen her powerful impact as an activist.
any
employee continuing their e d u c a t i o n . Employees can enroll on their first days on the job. Can I please sign up? Dolly Parton was famously nonpartisan, appealing to people of every race, ethnicity, political
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A t the risk I sounding GR of A R I parasocial, this E K one hit hard. I found out through her family’s announcement video on social media. Otherwise, I don’t think I would’ve believed it. As we move on, it should be how Dolly would’ve wanted, with a book in one hand and a helping hand on the other side. Of course, sparkles and whimsy can only be advantageous. As her goddaughter Miley Cyrus sings in the show “Hannah Montana,” it’s so hard to say goodbye. I, for one, am so grateful for the moments, so glad I got to know the world of Dolly Parton. We’ll always remember you. CE
affiliation, religion, sexual orientation and identity. Her song “Coat of Many Colors,” referencing her upbringing as well as Joseph’s colorful dream coat in the Bible, serves as a reminder that love makes everything better, a notion that was evident in how she led her life. Throughout her career, Dolly leaned into her feminism in action and appearance. Her enormous wigs, colorful makeup and dazzling wardrobe showed her sparkle on the
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12 SPORTS 14
New BU field hockey coach looks to pick up where the champions left off Continued from page 1 playing through the hard rain. The Terriers and Black Bears both had breakaway chances down the field but failed to capitalize in the attacking end. With three minutes left in the first half, BU had totaled five shots on goal, but could not capitalize on their opportunities. With just over two minutes to go in the second quarter, Maine drew a penalty corner and converted their chance. Maine’s first shot on goal found the back of the net. Sophomore forward Martha Barratt nailed a perfect shot from outside the arch, sinking the ball into the left corner of the goal. At the half, the Terriers swapped goalies, subbing sophomore Anna Wilson in for starting goalie Sophie Ortyl. At 7:10 in the third quarter, Maine sophomore midfielder Gabrielle Sousa dribbled the ball in front of the goal and hit a powerful shot that ricocheted into the back of the net, doubling the Black Bears’ lead. BU played with urgency, looking to mount a comeback with 20 minutes left. The Terriers got two penalty corners in a row, shifting momentum in their favor. Following the second corner, with three minutes left in the third quarter,
senior defender Alex Purcell struck the ball into the corner of the goal, cutting Maine’s lead to one. Less than two minutes later, the Terriers forced another corner and were able to equalize off of sophomore defender Rachel Turer’s strike. Now at 2-2, the Terriers, playing more confidently, continued to up the energy as they looked to complete the comeback. BU dominated possession at the end of the game but could not come up with another goal, sending the game to overtime with the golden goal rule — meaning the first team to score would win the contest. BU and Maine traded corners back and forth in the beginning of overtime, looking for the gamewinner. At 5:47, Maine drew a penalty corner with senior defender Eloise Penty hitting the ball into the side of the goal to ice the game. After a hard-fought game from the Terriers to force overtime, they could not secure the win, but Shute still took some positives from this game. “Being down two goals and coming back to score those two goals and really never giving up is [what] I think the biggest positive that we can take away from [the game],” Shute said. Shute looks to continue this mentality throughout the year as
JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore defender Rachel Turer strikes the ball on the rainy turf. The Maine Black Bears bested the Terriers in a home game Sept. 13, but coach Sarah Shute intends on keeping the team forward-thinking.
her first year as head coach of the Terriers. While conference play and the postseason are in the back of her mind, she wants to focus on the present to set her team up for success. “We know what we need to do
and where we need to be come November, end of October. So that’s where our sights are, and we’re just doing what we can every day in practice and game to game to get better every day,” Shute said. While this game was difficult,
Is Luka Dončić still legendary? | Full Court Press COLUMN
the NBA mountaintop. Luka Dončić is overrated. He’s an out-of-shape ball hog that will never lead a team to a title. That’s what some fans and NBA media will tell you now about Dončić, some with nicer wording than others. But what changed? Everyone knows that Dončić’s midnight trade from the Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers was spurred on by former general manager Nico Harrison’s lack of faith in Dončić as the Mavs’ frontman. Everyone has heard the jokes about him being out of shape, but despite jeers and complaints that the superstar isn’t living up to the brand, Dončić still effortlessly puts up points and stats. Luka Dončić hasn’t gotten worse at basketball. I n
fact, he’s probably the best he’s ever been. He led the league in scoring last season, averaging 33.5 points per game. Few players in basketball history can do what he does. The issue is that the new age of superstars seems to have passed him by. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all done what Luka hasn’t: lead their teams to NBA titles. But the biggest point against Dončić is Jalen Brunson — the 33rd-overall-drafted point guard out of Villanova who was once the Robin to Dončić’s Batman in Dallas — the new king of New York after leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years. Entering year nine of his NBA career, the sparkles of potential and amazement at his skill are gone, replaced by the grumbling of expectations worthy of his
“legendary” nickname. He is no longer drawing comparisons to Bird or LeBron James, the great all-around offensive superstars of previous generations, he’s now viewed by many as the European James Harden — a player content with just enough success to meet his points quotas and All-Star nods, but who never plays well enough in the biggest moments to earn a spot at the table with the sport’s legends. Unlike Harden, Dončić made the finals in 2024, driving the Mavericks within three games of hoisting the NBA title. Winning the championship would have capped a playoff run full of scoring explosions and breathtaking moments that made Dončić worthy of all the acclaim he had received since he was an 18-year-old in the EuroLeague. But the Mavs fell short against the Celtics, and Dončić’s defensive effort was so insulting to ESPN journalist Brian Windhorst that he spent his postgame TV hit ranting about how offensive Dončić’s performance was to the concept of basketball stardom itself. Two years later, Dončić sits at the crossroads of his career. The Lakers, a franchise marked by the stars sitting courtside and
Shute has prepared her team to overcome challenges, and they will look to learn and grow from this loss, she said. The Terriers will travel to Bryant University on Friday as they continue to prepare for Patriot League play.
legends in the rafters, are now firmly his team. James left for Philadelphia for the sunset of his career, and the Lakers splurged in the offseason, filling their roster with shooters and off-ball specialists reminiscent of the cast that helped Dončić reach the Finals in 2024. Dončić has a scoring sidekick in Austin Reaves and a new paint anchor in big man in Walker Kessler, who will help cover Luka’s defensive flaws in exchange for alley-oops on offense. Everything is set up for this season to be the year Luka returns to the form that earned him his nickname, not just in the regular season, but in a playoff run worthy of being called legendary. The Western Conference is top-heavy, and taking down the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs feels improbable. But sooner or later, Luka Dončić will have to find a way to do what many in the NBA media think is impossible for a player with his style of play. If he can’t, he risks losing the title of “Luka Legend” altogether.
Popular leftist politics are here. Democrats will do anything to BY CHRISTIAN MARSHALL
Associate Sports Editor
Luka Dončić is legendary. That’s what NBA fans will tell you about the Slovenian sensation who, since he set foot in the NBA, has been the definition of a superstar. The 6-foot-8 guard seemed like a perfect player for a perfect time and place — the literal and spiritual heir to Dirk Nowitzki as the international superstar that would lead the Dallas Mavericks to another decade of championship contention. Dončić possesses both the high-level passing, dribbling and three-point shooting skills that make NBA analytics nerds rave, with the mean streak that earns the respect of any old-school NBA fan longing for the days of Bryant and Jordan. Eight seasons, six All-NBA selections and two scoring titles later, somehow, the man who was so great that he inherited a nickname from Larry Bird and no one challenged it, feels like he’s the furthest he’s ever been from reaching
HAEIN SHON | Graphics Co-Editor
Men’s Soccer
BU
Sept. 12
ARMY
4 - 0
Women’s Soccer
BU
Sept. 13
BRYANT
3 - 1
Field Hockey Sept. 13
MAINE
BU
3 - 2
Women’s Golf Sept. 15
WARRIOR INVITATIONAL First Place
SPORTS 15
Men’s soccer unleashes offense in Patriot League opener SPORTS BY JENNY CHEN Senior Writer
It was only a matter of time. The Boston University men’s soccer team opened their 2026 campaign on the road, so when returning home after three disappointing away games, there was hope for more success. But the Terriers’ struggles continued — notably, their inability to find the back of the net at Nickerson Field. But on Saturday, in their first game of conference play, the goals finally came, and the team rallied to an impressive 4-0 win over Army West Point to close out their first homestand with three clean sheets. “I thought it was a total 90-minute performance, and I’m really happy with the guys,” BU head coach Kevin Nylen said. The Terriers wasted no time putting pressure on the Black Knights, recording two shots in the opening five minutes, while Army didn’t attempt its first shot until more than 13 minutes into the contest. BU’s first dangerous chance came in the 25th minute, when junior forward Dylan Williams lasered a shot from distance, forcing
Army’s first save of the game. Five minutes later, the Terriers finally broke through. Williams picked up the ball at center field and sprinted into open space, threading the needle to senior forward Andrea Di Blasio, who lost his defender and snuck a shot through the legs of the goalkeeper to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead. It had been almost 250 minutes since their last goal. But Army had several chances to equalize. With under a minute left in the first half, Army sophomore midfielder Brantley Wigginton fired a half volley at the goal, forcing senior goalkeeper Ben Alexander to record his first save of the evening. In the second half, the Terriers regained and maintained their momentum. From outside the box, junior midfielder Pharis Petrica curled a bending ball past Army sophomore goalkeeper Collin Gilbert in the 49th minute to give the home team an early insurance goal — again assisted by Williams. Then it all came pouring in for the Terriers. “We hoped that it would just take one [goal], you know, we haven’t scored here at Nickerson this season,” Nylen said. “If we can generate it and get one, that kind of gives
John Harbaugh is winning once again | Inside the Pocket COLUMN BY OLIVIA BARRETT
Sports Co-Editor
six of his eight seasons. While the Ravens were perennial contenders under Harbaugh and Jackson, a disappointing 2025 season — in which the team finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs — may have been Harbaugh’s demise. Yes, they proved they could win games, get to the playoffs, even reach the conference championship. But in the end, their inability to cross the finish line and bring another Super Bowl back to Baltimore was a problem that the front office couldn’t ignore. Jackson’s success showed what was possible for the organization, which naturally raised expectations. Almost getting to the Super Bowl wasn’t cutting it. For the management in Baltimore, that meant neither was Harbaugh. But it wasn’t just raised expectations that drove Harbaugh out, Jackson himself played a part too. After the Ravens’ season-ending loss to the Steelers on Jan. 4, 2026, just two days before Harbaugh’s release, Jackson declined to answer a question about whether he wanted Harbaugh to remain his coach. While Jackson didn’t necessarily call for Harbaugh’s firing, he didn’t defend his coach either. It’s a glaring diss to a coach that was essential to Jackson’s journey in turning the Ravens franchise into one of the NFL’s most competitive teams. Maybe Jackson was ready to let go of Harbaugh, and maybe Harbaugh was ready to let go of Baltimore. But in Baltimore or elsewhere, Harbaugh is still an exceptional coach. A coach capable of taking a team like the Giants — coming off of a 4-13 season with a sophomore quarterback — and potentially turning them into the team to beat in the NFC. Harbaugh is entering a new chapter of his career — an exciting one, at that. After the Giants win on Sunday, Harbaugh was asked how this game compares to his other 205 career victories. “It’s No. 1,” he said. “Because it’s the one right now.”
For the first time in a long time, the Giants looked like they knew what they were doing. Sunday’s 28-20 primetime win over the Cowboys saw a controlled and confident Giants team, and even more surprising than that, on the sideline — leading the team — was John Harbaugh. A 1-0 start is huge for a team that, as of Sunday, had only started their season with a win one other time in the past decade. Though it’s only one game, and Week 1 of the NFL season is full of overreactions and flukes, the Giants played so well that it’s hard not to jump to conclusions. Their transformation is in full effect, in large part due to the talent on the field. In 2025, the Giants found their franchise quarterback in No. 25 overall pick Jaxson Dart. That same year, they added more key players in No. 3 overall pick outside linebacker Adbul Carter and fourth round running back Cam Skattebo. Don’t forget wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was drafted sixth overall in 2024 and was racking up yards before a season-ending injury early in the 2025 season. After three consecutive losing seasons, totaling only seven wins in the last two years, it’s safe to say the Giants are experiencing more than a transformation — I’d go as far as to call it a revival. After Sunday’s game, one member of the Giants organization was especially celebrated: John Harbaugh, the team’s new head coach. Harbaugh received a game ball from team President and CEO John Mara following the win. I’m happy for Harbaugh, but it’s crazy to think that it was just eight months ago when he was fired as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens after 18 years at the helm. As a Marylander myself, the news left me in shock. His record as head coach was 180-113, he led the Ravens to one Super Bowl win and to a playoff record of 24-13. He left the organization as the winningest coach in franchise history. After all his success, why did Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti fire Harbaugh? I’d argue that a lot of it has to do with Lamar Jackson. Jackson, who was drafted in the first round in 2018 to back up Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco, took over as the starter towards the end of the 2018 season and hasn’t looked back since. Jackson has been superb, winning two NFL Most Valuable Player awards, being named an AP First Team All-Pro three times, and Haein Shon taking the Ravens to the postseason Graphics Editor
JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior midfielder Jack Grossman (8, center) celebrates after the team scored their second goal of the night. The Boston University men’s soccer team beat Army West Point 4-0 on Sept. 12.
you a little more confidence.” Off yet another rush, senior forward Keke Abai collected a bouncing ball and settled it down in the 18-yard box before firing a shot to the right post in the 53rd minute. Di Blasio, who started the scoring rampage, JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER forward Keke Abai smiles got the last tally of the game as well. In the Senior 57th minute, with some tic-tac-toe give-and- and runs. go, Abai and senior forward Lapo Romieri passed the soccer ball back and forth before Di Blasio finished it off with his right foot. “[We] played [Abai] a little higher tonight, and just felt that it was going to be a good role for him. He makes our job a little easier when we make that rotation, and he comes with production,” Nylen said. Though the Black Knights attempted to break past the BU defense, Alexander only faced two more shots on goal in the final third of the game. Prior to this season, Alexander recorded just one clean sheet with the Terriers, and now, BU has played to three consecutive clean sheets for the first time since 2023 — when they last won the Patriot League championship. The Terriers will head to Annapolis to continue conference play against the United States Naval Academy on Sept. 19, with hopes JENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER to build on their offensive breakthrough. Junior midfielder Pharis Petrica raises a fist.
Haein Shon | Graphics Co Editor
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Popular leftist politics are here. Democrats will do anything to