The Daily Free Press
Year xliii. Volume lxxxiv. Issue XXXVII
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Wednesday, November 6, 2013 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
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www.dailyfreepress.com
MARTY WALSH VICTORIOUS IN TIGHT MAYORAL RACE Election sees greater voter turnout than 2009 mayoral race By Hannah Clark and Sophia Wedeen Daily Free Press Staff
Mayor-elect Martin Walsh celebrates before his victory speech Tuesday night at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.
KIERA BLESSING/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Walsh will become first new mayor in 20 years after Menino By Alice Bazerghi and Steven Dufour Daily Free Press Staff
After two decades of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Mass. Rep. Martin Walsh was elected mayor of Boston over City Councilor John Connolly Tuesday in one of the closest elections in the history of the city. Walsh received 51.55 percent of the vote, or 72,514 votes, and Connolly garnered 48.06 percent, or 67,606 votes, according to results from the Boston Elections Commission. “Thank you to all the people of Boston and to everyone who voted in this election,” Walsh said in his victory speech. “I can’t pre-
dict all the challenges Boston will face over the next four years or all the opportunities we will be given, but I can promise you this: if we set our sights high and we work together with our hearts, our minds and our hands, then, Boston, I promise you, the best is yet to come.” The celebration for Walsh started at the Park Plaza Hotel, with a live introduction from the band Dropkick Murphys and speeches from a line of 10 endorsers including City Councilors Felix Arroyo, Michael Flaherty and Tito Jackson, Mass. Sen. President Therese Murray and Speaker of
the Mass. House of Representatives Robert DeLeo. “They said maybe he [Walsh] made us some promises, and yes, he made us some promises,” Arroyo said. “He promised that he’s going to create opportunities for those in poverty and the middle class, that he’s going to close the achievement gap in our public schools and that he’s going to be the mayor of every person [from every background] in this city.” At Connolly’s election party at the Westin Copley Place Hotel, an emotional crowd
Mayor, see page 2
Voter turnout on Tuesday was higher than in past elections as residents decided the most competitive mayoral race Boston has seen in 20 years. The election had a 40.19 percent participation rate among registered voters, up from the last mayoral election in 2009, which saw a 31.19 percent participation rate. For comparison, 327,064 people are registered to vote in Boston. Mayor-elect Martin Walsh won 51.55 percent of the vote, a 72,514-vote total, compared to Connolly who garnered 48.06 percent, or 67,606 votes. He will become the first new mayor since Boston Mayor Thomas Menino took office more than 20 years ago. John Carroll, professor of mass communication at Boston University, said since Menino has been in office, the population of Boston has changed significantly. “You have a Boston that is more diverse in that it is now a majority-minority city,” he said. “There are far fewer white voters than there were before, but the voters are more educated, they are more upscale, and essentially there are more and more non-native Bostonians.” Thomas Whalen, a social science professor at BU, said an additional factor that may have affected voter turnout is that the election occurred within a week of the Boston Red Sox World Series win in Boston. “Back in 1975 there was a World Series here in Boston, but that was much earlier, so voters had a couple weeks to figure out who they wanted to best support,” he said. “Here, we’re talking just a couple of days, and I think it’s going to be very costly. People aren’t in that political mindset, and I think that will af-
Voting, see page 2
East Boston voters Zakim wins District 8 Boston City Council seat over Nichols deny Suffolk Downs On the same day as a historic mayoral casino construction election, attorney and small business ownBy Felicia Gans and Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff
By Drew Schwartz Daily Free Press Staff
Countering the previous approval by several city officials, East Boston voters rejected the proposal for a $1 billion resortcasino development at the Suffolk Downs racetrack in a Tuesday referendum. Approximately 56.08 percent, or 4,281 votes, went against the addition to the more than 75-year-old track, according to data from the Boston Elections Commission. The vote was restricted to the about 16,600 eligible East Boston voters. Celeste Myers, co-chair of No Eastie Casino, an advocacy group against the Suffolk Downs development in Boston, said she was elated by the proposal’s rejection. “I’m completely blown away by the response of East Boston residents,” she said. “We knew that Suffolk Downs was off the mark with their approach and with their message to the residents of East Boston. Just because we are a working-class community doesn’t mean we’re going to take any deal that they want to hand to us.” Suffolk Downs is still competing for
Casino, see page 2
er Josh Zakim defeated Michael Nichols, research director for the City Council, to claim former mayoral candidate Michael Ross’s District 8 City Council seat. Zakim, whose platform was focused mostly on education, took 52.5 percent of votes, or 4,485 votes, and Nichols received 46.9 percent, or 4,005 votes, in the election Tuesday. “I look forward to working just as hard as your City Councilor as we did on the campaign and doing the best we can for this district and the city of Boston,” he said after the results were released at his election party. Zakim’s supporters waited for the news at Dillon’s Restaurant on Boylston Street. Family, friends, campaign managers and endorsers spoke fondly of their experiences with Zakim as a friend and community activist. Meggan Levene, 30, of Boston, said she has been friends with Zakim for years and admires his friendly personality and passion for helping the community. “The reason I decided to support Josh is because this is what he was born to do,” she said. “When he talks to you, you can tell that
EMILY ZABOSKI/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Attorney and small business owner Josh Zakim was elected District 8 City Councilor Tuesday.
this is what he wants to do and be doing for a long time in his career, and he really knows the community that he’s going to be serving. He’s an amazing community servant.” Although Nichols lost the election, spirits remained high at his election party at Cornwall’s in Kenmore Square. Most of the supporters were longtime friends of Nichols, or people who had met him through ONEin3, an organization that connects young adults with resources such as housing and financial
help. “I feel awesome … that’s not a cover,” Nichols said. “Almost no one in this room had any political experience. I was tired of politics being about the wrong stuff, about winners and losers, about party labels. I wanted it to be about the people again. One last thing I’ll leave it on, this campaign took the high road at every single opportunity.”
Councilor, see page 2
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Wednesday, november 6, 2013
Connolly: ‘We came up short tonight, but I am proud’ East Boston voter: Approval of casino would ‘break this city’ cheered “We want Connolly” as he Mayor: From Page 1
took the stage to deliver his concession speech. “It’s humbling to see all of you here,” he said. “I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done. We came up short tonight, but I am very proud of how we ran this campaign. I am looking across at a room that looks like the entire city of Boston, and it has looked like the entire city of Boston from day one.” Connolly said he fully supports Walsh and, after knowing him for 18 years, he is sure he will be a successful mayor. “This was never and should never be about a candidate,” he said. “It’s always got to be about people who are working together, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who the mayor is. The people of Boston will make sure that the mayor does a great job, because the people of Boston believe in each other.” At Connolly’s party, some supporters said they were worried about the future of education in Boston. Jorge Vargas, 43, of Jamaica Plain, said he wants to be able to send his four-year-old to preschool and hopes Walsh will be able to reform the public school system as Connolly said he would. “I feel sad because John Con-
Casino: From Page 1
MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
City Councilor John Connolly gives a concession speech Tuesday night at the Westin Hotel in Copley Square.
nolly is a great guy and he had the will and determination to make this city a much better city, but I’m hopeful that Marty Walsh will live up to the expectations of all Bostonians and bring Boston to its full potential,” he said. Voters at Walsh’s party said they saw the victory coming even though Walsh was behind in the polls for the majority of the race. “This victory is a transformative opportunity for Boston, and I’ve known for a while the minority vote would end up behind Walsh in the end,” said Marc Germain, 38, of Roxbury. “Marty is truly an inclusive [choice] who will reach out
to all communities, and that’s what got him so much of the vote.” Tanya Cabral, 41, of Dorchester, said Walsh’s victory was inspiring. “The bottom line is that people saw this man’s heart,” she said. “They saw that he cares and that he believes in second chances. I prayed he would win because you can tell he will do a good job. The fact that his underdog story comes in the midst of everything else this city has rebounded from, it means there’s something good coming for all of Boston.” Walsh will take office on Jan. 6, marking the end of Menino’s 20year tenure.
Supporter says Nichols was ‘refreshing’ candidate CounCilor: From Page 1
Nichols supporters said his personal relationship with everyone he meets, his involvement in the community, his capability and his dedication are the qualities that made him so unique on the political scene. Timothy Ney of Boston said he met Nichols on several different occasions and each time he was impressed with how he engaged every single person. “He talked to us personally about all the issues that he cared about and why he was running,” he said. “That’s what really set
him apart. It was so different from all these glossy postcards that I get, sometimes three or four of the same one from people I’ve never met. It was refreshing.” Several other residents of District 8 said they are looking forward to see Zakim implement his plans. Seth Urbanoski, 27, a full-time law student who worked on the Zakim campaign and resident of Boston, said he is proud of Zakim’s focus on education and hopes it will be his largest impact on the city of Boston. “The lifeblood of our city is our strong educational institutions
and one of the places we lack is our public education system for elementary and high school education,” he said. “The same education is not available to everyone, and that’s something that he has promised to work on.” Jessica Hollander, 28, an old friend of Zakim and resident of Boston, said she is confident that he will leave a lasting effect on the district. “He loves Boston more than anybody I know,” she said. “He’s going to bring that dedication and loyalty to his leadership as City Councilor of District 8.”
The Daily Free Press Crossword By Mirroreyes Internet Services Corp.
ACROSS 1. Mayhem 6. Pear-shaped instrument 10. A pioneer in electrochemistry 14. High society 15. Dry 16. Bright thought 17. Kino gum 18. Jewelry 19. Gone under 20. Make inactive 22. Add 23. Ribonucleic acid 24. Produce a literary work 26. A hussar ’s jacket 30. Less friendly 32. Utilize 33. Short-tempered 37. Adult male sheep 38. Pueblo brick 39. Blue-green 40. Votes 42. Skin layer 43. Not late 44. Maniac 45. Diacritical mark 47. Craggy peak
48. Shopping center 49. Careful 56. Dogfish 57. Cain’s brother 58. Hoarder 59. Low-fat 60. Solitary 61. Ancient Greek marketplace 62. Countercurrent 63. Terminates 64. Pandiculations DOWN 1. Group of cattle 2. Found in some lotions 3. Brand of credit card 4. Ear-related 5. Fundamental 6. Stage between egg and pupa 7. Murres 8. Hue 9. Sideways 10. Demoralized 11. Grownup 12. Locale 13. Wild Tibetan oxen 21. Hotel 25. Record (abbrev.) 26. Have the nerve
the sole eastern Massachusetts casino license to be awarded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission allowed under the Commonwealth’s 2011 gaming law. As a result of the referendum, it cannot built in Boston city lines, but it can still do so in Revere, which was also part of the original project designs, because the city independently approved the project by a vote of 61 percent for and 39 percent against the project. Even though a casino can be redesigned to be built just in Revere, the rejection in East Boston makes the future of Suffolk Downs uncertain, said Chief Operating Officer Chip Tuttle. “The track hasn’t been profitable since 2005 or 2006, and we’ve invested a lot of money to keep racing going over the last several years,” he said. “The future of Suffolk Downs as a racetrack is very much in doubt without the ability to do gaming development at the property. In the absence of a positive result today and the ability to move forward, that future is clearly in jeopardy.” Myers said future development, even if outside of Boston, would still be a bad idea. “My expectation around any future development plans, whether in East Boston or Revere, is that the gaming commission upholds the language in the legislature that describes that any entity which has an unsuccessful bid in a referendum has to go back and resend their plans,” she said. “Our Mayor-elect [Martin Walsh] … [should] safeguard the residents of East Boston and the city of Boston from any potential detrimental development.” In the months leading up to the vote, opponents of the casino said it would increase addiction and crime in the area, while proponents claimed it would bring economic benefits. Maurice Cunningham, associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts-
Boston, said the referendum remained close because many people were most likely torn between the economic and social tradeoffs of the casino. “Those opposed to the casino are concerned that their community will change, that there will be disruptions in their neighborhoods, that crime will increase,” he said. “Those in favor are concerned with preserving the jobs that already exist in Suffolk Downs because without the casino, Suffolk Downs will go out of business probably.” Several East Boston voters said they had mixed opinions on the effects the casino would have on the area. Edson Dias, 37, said he voted against the proposal because he was concerned about gambling addictions. “I am against the casino, one, on moral grounds,” he said. “Gambling … takes your money, the casinos always win and there isn’t much benefit for the gambler [in the] long term. If the house always wins, then the community’s not winning.” Tom Winn, 48, said he voted in favor of it because it would add a more social and cultural life to Boston. “We have to start pushing development through,” he said. “It [the casino] is an opportunity to grow the city. The casino would certainly add to the entertainment and nightlife that might keep people here, or possibly get more conventions here, which brings more money into Boston.” Ann Howell, 58, said the casino would “break this city,” so she also voted against it. “I really don’t think that I would appreciate a casino in my area,” she said. “They [patrons of the casino] are not going to use our stores. They’re not going to go to our restaurants. They’re going to stay at the casinos. For East Boston, all it would do is cause congestion on the highway and a lot of our area being ripped up and disrupted.”
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Sudoku
Grid n°1985311116 easy
4 7 1 5 6 3
27. Egg-shaped 28. Disabled 29. Assortment 30. Sarcasm 31. Taxis 33. False god 34. Road shoulder 35. Tibetan monk 36. Distinctive flair 38. Popular terrier
41. Little bit 42. Venture to say 44. Unruly crowd 45. Domesticated 46. Homeric epic 47. Anagram of “Islet” 48. Man 50. Black, in poetry 51. Extend credit
52. Indian music 53. Affirm 54. Small slender gull 55. Historical periods Solution is on Page 4
5 7
8
7 1
8 3
Sudoku-Puzzles.net
2
4 7 2 8 6 3 6 5
Difficulty: Medium
Solution is on Page 4
7 8 5
Campus & City City Crime Logs
By Felicia Gans Daily Free Press Staff
The following reports were taken from the Allston-Brighton D-14 crime logs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5.
Woman fooled by Green Dot MoneyPak fraud At about 7:29 p.m. on Thursday, officers arrived at 144 N. Beacon St. for a report of larceny. The victim told the officers that she had received a call earlier that day from an individual who claimed to be an Agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The caller told the victim that she would be immediately deported if she did not pay $6,500 through Green Dot MoneyPak cards. Before realizing the call was a scam, the victim bought 13 cards and gave the caller her identification number. Officers spoke to the caller, who went by the name of Mary A. and stated that the funds were being transferred through a company known as GreenDot.Com that would not block the transfer if informed that the cards were stolen. The victim was advised to cancel and change her bank account. Victims awoken by a breaking and entering suspect On Friday at about 8:25 a.m., officers began investigating a breaking and entering incident that had occurred on Thursday night at around 11:00 p.m. at 250 Allston St. The two victims, who live on the first and third floors of their apartment building, stated that an unknown male entered their apartment. The suspect opened the third floor bedroom door and shouted “Yo, are you awake?” before shutting the door and walking to the first floor. Both victims were awoken but neither saw the suspect clearly because of the lighting in the bedroom. The suspect took the victims’ personal items and money, but was not found by officers.
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Students cast votes at Cummington Mall, Myles BU unaffected by
Oct. 30 to Nov. 5
Hit and run suspect caught On Thursday at about 12:41 a.m., officers responded to a motor vehicle accident which involved two pedestrians at Lincoln St. and Franklin St. When officers arrived, the two victims were being cared for by Boston EMS, and the suspect had fled. Both victims were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital as officers began to investigate the crime scene. Moments later, a white Volkswagen with front end damage and blood was stopped at N. Beacon St. and Everett St. The driver had slurred speech and could not answer the officer’s questions. He and the passenger were taken to the police headquarters for further questioning. The suspect refused a chemical breath test and was booked for operating under the influence and leaving the scene of personal injury. The vehicle was towed and held as evidence.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
JUSTIN HAWK/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
419 people voted at the Myles Standish Hall polling location Tuesday. By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff
Due to the large number of students that make up Boston’s overall population, City of Boston officials hosted polling locations on Boston University’s campus at 101 Cummington Mall and Myles Standish Hall for Tuesday’s elections. More than 400 people voted at Myles Standish Hall, and at least 50 people voted at 111 Cummington Mall, according to the polling clerks at both sites. Steven Gallanter, a clerk and election official at BU’s polling station at Cummington Mall, said on-
campus polling booths are usually empty because most people living in the area are not year-round residents or American citizens. “Other polling booths that I’ve worked at, like Jamaica Plain, have massive turnouts,” Gallanter said. “But the out-of-state students are more concerned with school policies.” Katherine Cornetta, assistant to the Dean of Students, said DOS strongly encourages students to register to vote in Boston. She said Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore believes voting is just as important for students’ learning as is taking
classes. “There is a responsibility to take part in the elections process and make decisions about how you want to be represented in government,” Cornetta said. “Being a part of how the government runs, how the civic process goes on — that is an important thing that all students need to learn moving forward. That’s why we put a lot of effort into making that possible for students.” Cornetta said BU put significant effort into making it easy for students to vote in Tuesday’s election. Voter registration cards are available in the DOS office, Student Government office and Registrar’s office. “Students can register to vote in either Massachusetts or their home state through us, and if students want to fill out a voter registration card, we will send it for them so that they don’t have that hassle and don’t have to pay the mailing fee,” Cornetta said. Cheryl Crawford, executive director of MassVOTE, said she is especially passionate about motivating young people to vote. MassVOTE has put on multiple programs around Boston in order
While a recent nationwide trend indicates a declining interest in humanities studies among college students, Boston University has recently seen an increase in the amount of students pursuing a double major in both humanities and science, said James Winn, director of BU’s Center for the Humanities. Winn said while there has been a significant decrease in humanities majors between the ‘80s and 1995, the press has only recently picked up on this trend. National statistics indicate that selective universities such as BU have seen a subtle trend of young women switching from studying humanities to the sciences. “What’s driving the national trends that you see is that parents are very concerned about their sons and daughters being able to get jobs when they graduate,” Winn said. Many universities have reported a dip in humanities majors, according to an Oct. 30 New York Times article. Harvard University
has seen a 20 percent decline in humanities majors over the past decade. Winn said this pattern is related to the misconception that a humanities degree alone will not lead to a stable job in the future. However, he said the critical thinking skills that come with a humanities education are essential for success in the top professional fields. “It’s important to have a basis in humanities, just as I think people choosing humanities should have a background in mathematics and sciences, just to have a better idea of how people approach problems,” Winn said. Humanities professor and College of General Studies Interim Dean Natalie McKnight said in an email that recent surveys conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the American Management Association indicate employers typically look for critical thinking, oral and written communication skills in potential candidates. When students finish their courses within BU’s College of
By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff
General Studies, McKnight said more students tend to major in humanities disciplines than sciences. She said this maintained interest in humanities at BU could be a testament to the excellence of the BU’s humanities program. “Humanities disciplines teach students to interpret a wide range of information and communicate intelligently about it, and those skills … are crucial in all professional fields,” McKnight said. “It also helps students to understand and relate to other human beings — is there anything more important than that?” Humanities professor Megan Tyler said University Provost Jean Morrison, a former English professor, has recently pushed for an increased amount of undergraduate research in the humanities. “The arts is one way that reminds you there’s other things to focus on that don’t include a dollar sign,” Tyler said. “… It might be the environment at BU where we integrate the arts into courses, but I think there may be a kind of excite-
Despite the decision of U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration to push for courts to allow colleges more authority to implement affirmative action programs, Boston University officials said recent developments will not affect BU policies. “We comply with the law as it is, and we consider students in a holistic way when looking at admissions,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley. “This court case doesn’t apply to BU at this time.” After the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision that courts could not approve racially-based college admission programs simply because of the institutions’ “good faith,” the Obama administration filed a brief Thursday that said universities should still have some leeway to decide what level of diversity is most appropriate for their school. “A court should independently review a university’s determination that it has not attained sufficient diversity, while giving due regard to the university’s findings reflecting its educational judgment and expertise,” the brief stated. In Fisher v. University of Texas, a white woman named Abigail Fisher claimed she was denied admission from the university because of her race. This summer, the Supreme Court disputed a decision made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, sending the case back to the lower court for further consideration of whether the affirmative action programs in place at the University of Texas are constitutional. In the brief, the administration calls for the lower court to further examine whether the programs in place at the University of Texas help the college to achieve the “critical mass” or “the point at which a university has attained sufficient diversity to achieve the educational benefits of diversity.” Riley said BU has been successful in recent years in increasing its population of minority students. The Class of 2017 is 4.9 percent African American, 9.6 percent Hispanic and 14.5 percent Asian American, with students from 46 states
Humanities, see page 4
Action, see page 4
Student Voters, see page 4
Despite trend, BU students still interested in humanities By Paola Salazar Daily Free Press Staff
Obama’s stance on affirmative action
U.S. government pairs up with learning platform to offer free online classes By Sanica Apte Daily Free Press Staff
In an initiative that Boston University officials said will increase global access to higher education, online learning platform Coursera has announced that they will be partnering with the U.S. government and other organizations to create “learning hubs” across the globe for people to take free online courses with facilitators. A step up from increasingly popular massive open online courses, the hubs will offer face-to-face instruction as well as improved Internet connection where technological access is limited, Coursera officials said in a Thursday blog post. “It levels the playing field,” said BU School of Education Educational Media and Technology Specialist Bob Thomas. “It opens up education to everybody, and it’s a wonderful
way [to do so]. In general, the massive open online courses are a wonderful way to tap into some of the expertise available.” Coursera and partnering organizations will bring learning hubs to more than 30 spaces worldwide. Locations include Mountain View, Calif. as well as other major cities such as Cairo, Prague, Shanghai, Moscow, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Mumbai, India. “Coursera’s Learning Hubs initiative aims to extend opportunities for students to connect to a great education,” said Coursera President Lila Ibrahim in the blog post. “Together with leading organizations, we hope to empower local communities worldwide with technology access, content facilitators, and a peer group of learners based on existing infrastructure.” In May, Boston University of-
ALEX HENSEL/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Online learning platform Coursera will be partnering with the U.S. government to create “hubs” to improve independent online learning.
ficials announced that BU would be offering MOOCs after joining an online learning platform called edX. Co-chair of the Council on Edu-
cational Technology and Learning Innovation Elizabeth Loizeaux said
Coursera, see page 4
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Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Most students Grad. student: Change must Some voters stress improvements at BU do not happen for affirmative action necessary in low-income areas vote in election Action: From Page 3
Student Voters: From Page 3
to educate student voters. “We know we have a bunch of new voters, so we’ve made sure to give them opportunities to see who the candidates are and what the issues are,” Crawford said. “The sooner you get young people civically engaged, it becomes habitual with them. It’s a very viable group of young people and they should be involved in the process.” Allegra Barnes, a College of Arts and Sciences senior who voted on Tuesday, said she finds voting to be extremely important. She said it is a vital way in which one can have a role in forming the society they live in. “My mom always said, ‘if you don’t vote, you can’t complain,’” Barnes said. “Voting is how you have a say in the bigger world around you.” Corey Pray, a CAS freshman, said he is very politically active and he voted for the first time in an official election on Tuesday. “I’m not originally from around here, but I worked on a campaign here recently and saw what issues are affecting the city of Boston,” Pray said. “I think it is a civic duty to vote, and every vote counts. I just turned 18 two days ago, and I am really excited to be able to vote today.” Michael Gutman, a College of Engineering freshman, said he voted on Tuesday because he wanted to exercise his rights. “I decided to vote because I like to think I have an effect on politics and the decisions being made for my city and country,” Gutman said. Dexter McCoy, president of SG and College of Communication senior, said although the large out-of-state student population in universities around Boston plays a role in how many students vote, still too little attention is put on local politics. “A lot of people like to participate in the national elections, but it’s the local elections that will really matter most in our daily lives,” McCoy said. “These local races are very important, and it’s very important that students vote in them.”
and the District of Columbia. “We have very strong recruiting, and we’ve done a very good job,” he said. “We’ve seen increased applicants and a significant improvement in those numbers over the years in applicants in underrepresented minorities.” School of Management sophomore Zack Robinson, who works as a BU tour guide in the admissions office, said the BU Admissions Student Diversity Board works to recruit students with different backgrounds, although he would not consider it affirmative action. “They [ASDB] do a lot of recruiting to try and recruit a more diverse student body, so that’s not really affirmative action because it’s not selection and priority based on certain criteria, but it is recruiting a more diverse population to try and apply to BU,” he said. Robinson said affirmative action programs are important in promoting diversity at schools, as well as ensuring equal opportunities among U.S. citizens. “The reason why it’s important for minority communities is because of the way history worked
out, a lot of different minority groups have less opportunities,” he said. “You can look statistically and see that really easily. So, affirmative action isn’t giving priority to certain minorities or taking away spots from white people. It’s just helping to level the playing field for everyone.” College of Communication junior Rachel Podber said BU adequately attracts and promotes diversity among students. “I’ve definitely gotten to know a lot of students from different backgrounds and places and cultures,” she said. “There’s a really good mix of different people at BU.” School of Public Health graduate student Ashley Fryer said she supports affirmative action programs at colleges and universities. “It’s important to create opportunity and to recognize that a lot of students who are colored have been disenfranchised for long periods of time,” she said. “To assume that someone can just advocate for themselves and step up into a position, you overlook a lot of the social factors that play into that. A lot of times, more of a structural change needs to happen.”
COM junior: Decline may be linked to job availability Humanities: From Page 3
ment at BU for the humanities.” Rachel Nguyen, a College of Communication junior, said BU keeps students interested in the humanities by hosting many interesting programs that pertain to the field. Nguyen said she was originally an art history major, but switched to study advertising because she was not enthralled by her humanities courses. She also said the idea of graduate school did not appeal to her. “Maybe the reason for the decline [in interest in humanities] is job availability and that you’d have to go into grad school for a lot of the humanities courses,” Nguyen said. “I liked advertising, so I took some courses and ended up switching. It’s more business-oriented and more involved in the modern
world.” Emma Conlon, a CAS sophomore studying linguistics, said BU professors do a good job in keeping students generally interested in humanities courses. “Here [BU] it helps that we have amazing professors,” Conlon said. “BU has done a really great job of picking professors. If you have a good professor, you’ll be interested in the topic, regardless of the course.” Zach Bengtsson, a CAS junior studying biology, said the BU community is accepting to all majors, and it does not prioritize one department over another. “I don’t see a whole lot of people [at BU] talking down on certain majors like in some other schools,” Bengtsson said. “People here can see the value in taking humanities courses, even if [it’s] just because they’re fun or interesting.”
Today’s crossword solution brought to you by...
Mayor Menino
Grid n°1985311116 easy
4 1 3 5 8 6 9 2 7
7 2 8 3 1 9 5 4 6
9 5 6 4 2 7 1 8 3
5 6 7 2 3 1 4 9 8
1 9 2 6 4 8 7 3 5
3 8 4 9 7 5 2 6 1
2 3 1 7 6 4 8 5 9
8 4 5 1 9 3 6 7 2
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Voting: From Page 1
fect voter turnout.” Both candidates relied on voter numbers to stay ahead in the race, Carroll said. “Voter turnout is critical because it is notoriously low in municipal elections,” he said. “Even in a situation like this, where it’s a [first] really competitive race in Boston for the mayor’s office in 20 years, it’s all about organizations.” Whalen said since the candidates were so much alike, candidates’ personalities likely played a major role in determining results, and the lack of clear differences caused people to choose the candidate they liked better. “Walsh did a better job in the debate in terms of making himself seem like an everyday guy,” he said. “You could argue that Connolly won in debating points, but he came off as kind of condescending and patronizing to Walsh, and I think that didn’t go over well.” Some residents said despite the difficulty of finding differences between the candidates, voters were largely concerned with the future of education in Boston and how the candidates approached the issue. Education was a major part of both of their platforms. Ryann Harrell, 31, assistant athletic director in Dorchester, said he voted for Connolly because his children go to Boston Public Schools. “I knew his child went to the Trotter School,” he said. “You don’t see too many Caucasians on Humboldt Avenue, historically. For him to have that trust in Trotter, even though it was a level five school
[needs to improve], to send his kid there, I think that’s huge.” Alan Kroman, 88, of Beacon Hill, said he was wary of Walsh’s ties to the unions. “It makes it difficult for a mayor to be mayor when he’s tied in [with] the unions,” he said. For many voters, expansion of public transit was a particularly important issue. Stacy Kasdin, 30, of Back Bay, said investing in latenight T service would provide cultural and economic benefits for the city. “It is really important [to have] the T stay open later and businesses stay open later,” she said. “I think that would be a huge move in the resurrection of the city of Boston. We are such a large city, and we do tend to close a little earlier than most cities of comfortable or larger size.” Several voters said they wanted to see improvements in low-income neighborhoods such as affordable housing as a major priority for the new mayor of Boston. Nestr Pinet, 50, a bodyguard and professional trainer, said Walsh would be a successful mayor if he follows in Menino’s footsteps by addressing the economic issues unique to each neighborhood. “It’s necessary to go to neighborhoods and talk to low-income families, people around the area, like the way Tom Menino did,” he said. “He went around Dorchester and Roxbury, he put up new housing and created new parks for the kids. So I know Walsh can follow that.” Mina Corpuz and Taryn Ottaunick contributed to the reporting of this article.
Specialist: Online ed. requires better planning of curricula Coursera: From Page 3
that while edX is a not-for-profit organization and Coursera is a for-profit organization, the platforms share similar goals. “Both edX and Coursera are actively experimenting with the educational possibilities for online technologies,” she said in an email. “Both are interested in expanding access to higher education.” Online education is important for BU’s future, Loizeaux said. BU officials are continuing to develop the MOOCs, which will be taught by faculty including College of Arts and Sciences professor of English Robert Pinsky, CAS professor of international relations Andrew Bacevich and CAS professor of astronomy Andrew West. “Online technologies hold the promise of increasing the flexibility of education for students and faculty, of improving quality and of expanding access,” she said. Online education initiatives such as Coursera’s learning hub project require instructors plan better plan content for courses, Thomas said. “It offers people convenience and self-paced education,” he said. “It also requires and mandates careful thought in planning in the courses. The same courses I taught, I now teach online, and I’m surprised at how much work it requires to teach the course online and how much it causes me as a teacher to think about what’s important, what to teach and how to present that online.” While online education is helpful in some contexts, educators at BU and other institutions must continue to improve methods for learning
technologies, Thomas said. “You still need people asking questions about what works in online education, what works, what is effective and what’s not effective,” he said. “We need to be studying it and looking at it from that sense.” School of Theology graduate student Terri Haas said she would be interested in using one of Coursera’s learning hubs if it was available to her. “You can learn a lot of information, but you have to be a little more motivated to do online learning than to be in class,” she said. School of Hospitality Administration freshman Nicolette Prouty said the learning hubs address the problem common problem among online courses of lack of face-to-face interaction. “Personally I like classes better because you have interaction with actual people instead of just a computer,” she said. “Because if you have an actual professor there, they are there to explain things to you, whereas if it’s online, if you don’t understand something, there’s no one to help you with it. [Learning hubs] would be good because you can talk to people in the same class as you and you can help each other out.” College of Arts and Sciences freshman Kianna Shore said she would be interested in taking an online course to supplement her education. “I took an online course through university at my high school last year and it proved to be effective,” she said. “I like to go at my own pace and study at the times I want to study rather than a formal classroom.”
A Ministry of Hospitality
A look into the religiously diverse demographic at a modern Boston University
B
oston University’s Charles River Campus, which is located at the heart of one of the nation’s most diverse cities, stretches across 1.3 miles of Commonwealth Avenue. With this location and immense physical size comes many drawbacks in creating a cohesive community and finding a common space. However, these attributes also provide a lot of advantages for the religiously and culturally diverse population of BU, said Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the University Chaplain for International Students. “I think there are some challenges in being urban, but I think the flip side of that for interfaith nature and collaboration is that because we’re in such a thriving, diverse city, we have access to all different kinds of Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and Jewish synagogues,” Longsdorf said. “You can really experience so many different types of faith practices that allow students to collaborate in those ways and explore diversity in everyday life.” Religious history at BU BU, which began as a small Methodist theological seminary in 1839, is now a large, urban research institution that is home to more than 33,000 students of nearly every race and religion from more than 140 different countries. Adapting to its current population, BU has eight university chaplains and 21 religious life groups. Religious life at BU is a unique patchwork community of different — yet welcoming — groups who learn to work and co-exist on the same 135 acres of campus. Longsdorf said this diversity defines BU and gives a variety of students a sense of belonging. “I think that our cultural, ethnic belonging is a big part of who we are, and I think it creates a uniqueness and an individuality in each student,” she said. “It’s what brings this spice and this flavor to campus.” If everyone had to conform to a uniformed identity and leave behind his or her cultural upbringing, the campus would be a boring place for students, she said. “I think our faith that we’ve grown up in, and even the faith that we want to explore now, helps us find belonging and helps us identify what makes us come alive, what makes us feel inspired, and what’s worth believing in,” Longsdorf said. “These are important questions to ask ourselves, and I think it’s an important part of who we are [as a university].” International students The diversity of BU’s culture
Adrienne Rube Features Staff and religious life reflects its increasing number of international students — the university has added nearly 600 additional international students in each of the past two successive years. In response, BU hired Longsdorf in June specifically to minister to international students and help facilitate more interfaith communication on campus. “I think Boston University as a whole is taking this really great shift toward wanting to do more programming for international students,” Longsdorf said. “Marsh Chapel is definitely leading the change in some ways, but I think also the president’s office and Dean of Students’ office are saying, ‘We’re inviting these international students here and we need to create support structures [for them].’” BU has become a microcosm of global religious diversity, making it possible for all faiths to coexist on one campus, she said. “We have so many students who are genuinely curious about all different religions on campus or in the world, and so I think there’s this wonderful spirit at BU of curiosity and mystery,” she said. Longsdorf also explained that there are multiple resources available for students to explore their faith, learn about other faiths, or even just voice their opinions. “Students are at a place where they’re okay to say, ‘I’m not sure if this religion is absolutely correct — I’m not sure if any religion is absolutely correct — but there are all of these options for me to explore right in front of me,’” she said. Interfaith on campus In an effort to promote coexistence and facilitate learning among students, the Interfaith Council aims to create connections between different religious groups on campus, said Abigail Clauhs, a College of Arts and Sciences senior and the president of the Interfaith Council. “We are trying to create a more tied-together network between the different religious communities at BU,” Clauhs said. “Most of the people who are involved in the club are also heavily involved in their own religious tradition on campus.” For example, the Hillel House and the Catholic Center, next-door neighbors on Bay State Road, are planning to do a fundraising competition together, Clauhs said. “I love seeing at interfaith events when two students from totally different faith backgrounds who probably would never have met — or at least never would have talked about religious things if they met in another context —
PHOTO BY MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the University Chaplain for International Students, provides guidance, resources and counseling for students adjusting to life at BU.
start saying, ‘Oh wait, that thing is really similar to my religion,’” she said. Despite the common misunderstanding — especially in a diverse community such as BU — that interfaith goals cause all religions to appear the same, Clauhs said that is not at all what the IFC is about. “We’re all individual and these religions are different from each other, but we can celebrate that difference and diversity and coexist together,” she said. Namank Shah, a CAS senior on the Hindu Students Council, said BU’s diverse community allows everyone to grow and learn about other faiths and cultures in a way that other communities cannot. “I think it is fortunate that people at BU come from various backgrounds and practice different faiths,” Shah said. “As a result, there are a lot of religious groups on campus that hold events and provide a way for people to practice their faith together.” For example, he said, IFC is hosting a discussion panel called “Betwixed and Between: The Interfaith Experience at BU” on Nov. 13 to let students talk about their different religious experiences. “I try to go to events hosted by different religious groups at BU, such as Hillel, IFC and ISBU,” Shah said. “This and talking to other friends from different faiths helps me to gain an understanding
into their faith and culture.” Ministry of hospitality Ministering to both domestic and international students at a school as diverse as BU, Longsdorf said it is really has become a ministry of hospitality: making everyone feel welcome, comfortable and able to coexist. “I felt so inspired that this was totally a ministry of compassion and a ministry of hospitality that I really wanted to be part of,” she said. “For a long time, I’ve been super interested in, and my passion lies in, interfaith and international students.” Longsdorf’s position was created to provide specific guidance, resources and counseling to international students so that they are better able to adjust to life in Boston and at BU. “International students by nature are interfaith because they come from different parts of the world and a lot of them come from very distinct religious cultures than ones that some other students here were raised in,” she said. Longsdorf organizes the International Student Fellowship on Tuesday evenings as a way for international students to get together and cook, talk and make new friends. “It’s definitely a support group — we talk about our ups and our downs,” said Emily Chen, a first-year student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences who
is from Taiwan. Though only at BU since June, Longsdorf said she considers BU as a place of great religious diversity, as well as acceptance and collaboration. “I’ve seen so much cohesion and so much collaboration from religious groups on campus,” she said. A welcoming community Longsdorf said she has been welcomed warmly and invited to attend everything from Islamic Society at BU meetings to Hindu Student Council events to even Zen meditation on campus. “All of the group leaders are so welcoming and hospitable, and I think that really adds to our interfaith life on campus — that everyone wants you there and everyone is going to be so appreciative, no matter where you come from, if you just show up.” There are homes for all walks of religious life scattered around campus, with Marsh Chapel hosting many different Christian services throughout the weekend, Hillel House as a home to Jewish students and a Muslim prayer room on the second floor of the George Sherman Union, just to name a few. “You can’t leave your dorm room and walk down Commonwealth Avenue and not experience diversity, which I think is a beautiful thing about being so urban and being at BU,” Longsdorf said.
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Opinion
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
LETTERS FROM LALA LAND
The Daily Free Press
The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
Stress
43rd year F Volume 85 F Issue 37
Chris Lisinski, Editor-in-Chief Sofiya Mahdi, Managing Editor
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Regine Sarah Capungan, Layout Editor
FRANK MARASCO
Shakti Rovner, Office Manager The Daily Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Monday 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. No content can be reproduced without the permission of Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright © 2013 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
On Rob Ford
When public figures are elected to office, they should expect most, if not all, of their private life to become broadcasted news. In a flurry of explanations and apologies, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in a “drunken stupor” to media outlets Tuesday. Hours later, he declared he will not step down from his position. In fact, he announced the beginning of his re-election campaign. Over the past couple of months, Ford has been seen noticeably drunk in public. In March, he was even asked to leave the Toronto Garrison Ball, a gala to honor the Canadian armed forces. Reports say his friends and family have urged him to enter a rehabilitation facilty for his alleged alcohol abuse. Ford admits to drinking so much alcohol that he blacked out. Like any person, Ford is still a human being and makes mistakes, especially under the influence. But Ford lost control to the point where he legitimately forgot where and when he smoked crack cocaine. As a public official, especially the mayor of a large city, one must sacrifice part of one’s privacy and cut back on activities such as binge drinking and smoking that set a bad example to constituents. Mayors are not only the leaders of a community — they are the primary representatives of their city to the world. We are not saying that Ford needs to refrain from “having fun,” per se, or cannot have one drink or two at a function. He just needs to prioritize his conduct over his alleged personal preference. Is he a leading example for young Toronto by being candid about his past, or is he losing control in front of the cameras?
With a 24-hour news cycle, officials’ policies and personal lives have become fair game. Personal and private information fades away as cameras move in. A mayor’s duty is now not only to legislate and govern, its to uphold a strong, composed image for the public. To Ford, that also means remaining in control of his faculties on a Friday night. Moreover, such an important position of leadership truly is a 24-hour job. What would happen if a crisis broke out while Ford was under the influence of crack? It may not be clearly written in his job description, but he must realize that he must always be prepared to take responsiblity for his city, and that includes remaining in control of his faculties at all times. Speaking of blacking out, are tax payers going to appreciate the mayor spending his paycheck — which is funded by the citizens — on an exorbitant amount of alcohol and crack cocaine? Sure, he says he does not continually use hard drugs, but he also drinks to a point where he cannot think of the repercussions of smoking crack cocaine as a public official. Ford says he is not an addict and that he does not continually smoking crack cocaine. The problem here is more about his inability to control himself in a public setting than his drug use. This not only illustrates his total lack of priorities, it shows how he is putting himself in situations where he is incapacitated as mayor and too inebriated to remember where he is. At this rate, one could assume it’s only a matter of time before his personal antics catch up with his professional life, and therein lies the largest obstacle in his re-election campaign.
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I gave someone the finger the other day. I was asked to run all over town during rush hour, and was not given nearly enough time to do it. Hazard lights flashing, I pulled up outside one of CBS’s 5,000 buildings to drop off a package. I left the car running, jumped out and handed the doorman the item. As I turned to get back in my car, I realized I was being given a parking ticket. “I was just pulling up for a second,” I said. “Doesn’t matter.” “The engine is still running,” I pleaded. “Doesn’t matter.” I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me for the next few minutes. I opened up the sunroof and popped my middle finger through as I drove away. Yeah. That’ll show ‘em. It was the first time I’d ever given the finger in a non-ironic way. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself a few moments later. What a stupid thing to do. But after the laughter subsided, I caught a glimpse of myself in my rear-view mirror. Wait a second, I’m not supposed to be this guy. I’m supposed to be the one who pokes fun at the middle-finger guy. Why had I become such a tool? Were all the warnings about Los Angeles true? Was my soul fading away? When living in Florida, I used to joke with friends on our trips to Disney World that it was actually the most “miserable place on earth” despite its moniker as the most “magical place on earth.” It was because we would see yelling, whining and tears in every corner of the different parks. There were upset children and angry fathers around every turn. I want to go on the OTHER ride! I want a DIFFERENT toy! This line is TOO LONG! SHUT UP! In this amazing place with teacups, roller coasters, fairy godmothers and sunshine, so many people would find so many reasons to be miserable. It was always a little off putting. “It shouldn’t be like this,” I would think. Sometimes I can’t help but see this same unattractive quality in LA. On the surface, it’s so glamorous — beaches, movie stars, red carpets. But if you look carefully, you can find a stressed-out intern in a crappy
car giving a parking enforcement officer the finger around every turn. People in LA are stressed. I mean really stressed. I don’t think I’ve gone a single day without having someone yell at me through a car window. People walk disturbingly fast. Everyone is way too particular about their lunch orders. “Spicy salmon California salad roll? I can’t eat this! I SAID SPICY SALMON PACIFIC SALAD ROLL.” Much like Disney World, it’s a little ironic. It’s a bit off- putting. It has rained once since I moved here. There’s no snow on the way, either. Ever. It’s 83 degrees and zero humidity today, and it’s November. People are making movies for a living. Everyone is pretty. And tan. I’m neither, actually, but I still get to look at all the people who are. Shouldn’t that make us happy? Are we spoiled? Once we’ve taken the weather, the beaches, and In-N-Out Burger for granted, we find things to stress about. Maybe, like Disney World, being in a place such as this makes us expect every little thing to be perfect. When that expectation inevitably falls apart, we do as well. Maybe that surface-level perfection we see deludes our perception of reality. Do we start thinking we’re above things like California salad or parking tickets? Maybe that’s how so many people supposedly end up losing their soul out here. So how do I keep mine? I wrote an apology note to that parking enforcer and taped it to the curb in the place where I flipped him off. I guess he probably won’t end up seeing it, or reading it. But he might. I’ll hold out hope. I haven’t felt much stress at all since leaving that note. Maybe it made me step back a little and remember what really matters — being a decent person. I like LA, but I don’t like the idea of becoming the guy who gives people the finger or sends back his lunch. I’ll hold out hope that being here and being that guy are not mutually exclusive. I firmly believe it’s possible to go to Disney World and just have a good time. Frank Marasco is a first-year graduate student in Los Angeles. He can be reached at fcm820@bu.edu.
The opinions and ideas expressed by columnists and cartoonists are their own and are not necessarily representative of the opinions of The Daily Free Press.
S ub mit a gues t column! l e t t er s @ dail yfr eepr ess.com
Terrier Talk Reflections
In the buildup to Tuesday’s mayoral election, both candidates focused extensively on improving public education in Boston. The FreeP wanted to hear what students think is the most pressing issue about public schools and what they think of a public education in general. Here’s what some of them said. INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY AASTHA CHHABRA & SARAH SIEGEL
LAURA AUKETAYEVA
“I haven’t been in any public school in America, but what I’ve heard is that it’s just as good as private schools ... I’m from Kazakhstan and the public schools there are much stronger than private schools.” -CAS junior
MEAGHAN LANG
“In many communities, the arts are the first thing to go when making budget cuts which I think is a mistake because just like sports teams, the arts create self-confidence, a work ethic and team-building skills.” -SMG junior
VIVIAN RAMIREZ
RHEA OOMMEN
“Special programs and advanced classes are a good start, but at my private school, we were forced to take the AP test if we took the AP class. At other schools, they didn’t have to take the exam. I just think that the way the students are challenged needs to change. -ENG sophomore
“I’m from the UAE [United Arab Emirates] and there, the public education is only for locals ... In America, I can only get my opinion from movies, and what I understand is that public education is not as good as private education.” -COM sophomore
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
7
Morris: Same teams win national championships every single year Morris: From Page 8
Commonwealth University, tournament darlings from a couple of years ago, currently sits at No. 14 in the rankings. Wichita State University, the surprise Final Four team from last year, sits at No. 16. Maybe either the Shockers or the team headed by Shaka Smart can shock some people again this year (sorry, I had to). But I just don’t see it happening. I’d be willing to guarantee that one of the top five in the preseason rankings is going to go on to be your national champion. And how awful is that? We might get to see the walking
arrogance that is John Calipari cut down the nets again. Just when you might have thought you’d seen the last of him after the complete debacle that was last season, he comes back with the best recruiting class ever. So yeah, I guess he’s not going away any time soon. Or maybe we’ll see Tom Izzo end up on top. He actually hasn’t won it all since 2000. But Michigan State makes the Final Four seemingly every single year, and at this point, I’m sick of it. Just stop, it’s getting wicked annoying. But even worse would be to see Louisville repeat. If I have to see Rick Pitino and his gross slicked-back hair and condescend-
ing smile cut down the nets again, I’m going to lose it. Is there anything worse than a guy who sucked as a coach in the NBA and then goes crawling back to where things are easier in the college game? He’s basketball’s equivalent to Nick Saban. It’s like dropping out of a hard class and taking a PE course to fill your schedule. Have some pride. If there is a top five team to root for, it has to be Kansas. Words can’t properly express the hatred I have for the age limit rule for the NBA draft. But the one benefit of it is that we get a year to watch the best young players in the country compete against lesser competition. In 2007, we got Kevin Durant. In 2010,
we got John Wall. This year, get ready for the ultimate sensation that is Kansas’s Andrew Wiggins. As NBA teams compete for pingpong balls to get him, this guy is absolutely going to light it up for the Jayhawks. So even though Kansas is just another boring powerhouse program, at least we have Wiggins to look forward to. Now to be honest, I’m personally very excited for this season. And that’s only becomes I am a huge Duke Blue Devils fan. I have no idea why, but I just love them. But that’s just me. Unfortunately, if you don’t have any personal investments in the top programs, then this year might be kind of a snoozer.
Women’s hockey team to focus on defense Women’s Hockey: From Page 8
MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Sophomore defenseman Diana Bennett earned her first collegiate goal Saturday as BU went on to win 6-0 against Vermont.
Want to stay up-to-date on everything related to BU Athletics? Follow us on Twitter: @DFPsports @BOShockeyblog @BUbballblog Kurker needs to ‘understand’ role on team Men’s Hockey: From Page 8
on-three opportunity. Providence went on to tie up the game just six seconds into the two-man advantage, giving them the momentum heading into the final period of play. Sam Kurker asked to step up Quinn said at the beginning of the season that he would hold players responsible for their actions on the ice. The first time Quinn noticeably took action was during the Terriers’ first game of the season on Oct. 11. Kurker took two offensive penalties in the first 22 minutes of the game, and spent the rest of the contest sitting on the bench. A few weeks later, Kurker did not dress
for the Terriers’ game against Michigan State (3-3), and, on Saturday, the sophomore had one of the penalties that led to Providence’s game-tying goal. Quinn said before the Providence series that he has continued to talk with Kurker throughout the season to help him improve. “We had a chat today, watched a lot of video,” Quinn said. “ ... He and I talked at length about what he’s going to have to do to continue to improve to be an effective player here. He’s young, too. He’s a kid that’s a 19-year-old sophomore who has to understand what he has to do to be a productive player here because we need him. There’s no way around it. “We need him to be the player he’s capable of being. It’s our job to get it out of him. We talked about protecting the puck and being more physical.”
viously served as the assistant coach at Ohio State University and the head coach at Niagara University. Durocher said that the addition of MacKenzie has had a positive impact on the UConn program. “UConn, they’re a team that made a coaching change this year in Chris MacKenzie,” Durocher said. “He did it once at Niagara and I think he’ll probably do it again at UConn, where he really energized the team the first year he took over. I’m guessing he’s trying to instill some confidence in them, trying to keep the game simple and I think that’s what we will probably see tomorrow. “I don’t think we’ll see somebody out there trying to beat us 7-6, but somebody will come in here with confidence and probably play close to the vest. … They’re an organized team and they’ll be hoping that some bounces go their way.” While the Huskies currently possess the second-worst scoring offense in the conference (2.00 goals per game), UConn still has talent up front. UConn forward Sarah MacDonald leads the team with eight points in nine games. The Huskies have featured a platoon in net so far this season, as both sophomore Elaine Chuli and senior Sarah Moses have made five appearances this year. Moses has posted the better save percentage (.919), while Chuli holds the better goals-against average (3.29). The Terriers are coming off of arguably their most dominant win of the season, as BU defeated the University of Vermont by a score of 6-0 Saturday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena. Senior goaltender Kerrin Sperry was phenomenal in net, as she recorded the 12th shutout of her career in what was her 100th start for BU. Sperry, the 2013 Hockey East Tournament MVP, has once again established
herself as one of the best goalies in the conference. She is currently leading Hockey East in goals-against average (1.39), save percentage (.954) and winning percentage (.929). So far this season, the Terriers have not allowed more than three goals in any of their eight games this season, which is the longest streak to open a season in program history. The BU offense has also been impressive as of late, as the Terriers have averaged four goals per game over their last three games. The Terriers are currently second in the conference in goals per game (3.00), trailing Boston College (3.89). BU has received contributions from a multitude of players this season, as each forward and defenseman on the roster has already registered at least one point this season. While Durocher has been pleased with his team’s offensive proficiency as of late, he still wants his team to stay focused on what has made them one of the premier programs in the nation: team defense. “Again, I was really pleased that we ended up with six goals,” Durocher said. “Some of that was maybe we deflated Vermont late in the game and they may have stopped playing as hard as they normally do a little bit out of frustration. … That being said, anytime the kids can score goals, get assists and create offense, it really bodes well for their confidence and that’s the best thing you can take out of a game like that. “Going forward, we’re still going to hang our hat and be a real competitive team defensively, try to play as hard as we can in our end. The other end of the ice is a little more talent, there’s hard work involved, but you can run into goalies or the other team playing well and not always turn the light on, so let’s play good in one end and keep our fingers crossed for talent enough or making enough plays to score at the other.”
Rookie van der Laan named to 2nd team Field Hockey: From Page 8
er Anne Fruitema also represented the Terriers well this awards season with Second Team All-Patriot League honors. Fruitema vocally guided a young BU squad through
the season’s ups and downs and maintained a strong offensive presence with four goals. In her rookie year, van der Laan impressed the coaches with a 13-point season, good for third on the team.
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Quotable
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Everybody that plays the game in any sport ... you want to defend home court.
-BU coach Brian Durocher on women’s hockey’s upcoming home game vs. UConn
page 8
Driving The Lane
Boring Top 25
John Morris
The AP Top 25 Preseason Rankings for the 2014 NCAA men’s basketball season are out, and things could not be more boring. Think of the top five most dominant programs over the past 10 years. You’re probably thinking of the University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, the University of Louisville, Duke University and the University of Kansas, right? Well, that is exactly the top five in this year’s rankings. There are no cool underdogs waiting to make a run. Nope, there’s just more of the same. It’s a bunch of perennial powerhouses ready to do it again. Maybe you had the University of North Carolina in your top-five list. Well, don’t worry — they haven’t fallen too far down. Roy Williams’s team currently sits at No. 12. What about the University of Florida? They sit at No. 10. Thinking about Syracuse University or the University of Connecticut? They sit at No. 8 and No. 18, respectively. All of the top programs are there, making this year look like it’s going to be pretty lame. That obviously doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be excited for the upcoming season. We can’t really know which teams are going to be good until they actually start playing. These polls really mean absolutely nothing. Or do they? The last two national champions were second in the preseason polls. Good news for Michigan State? Over the past decade and a half, we haven’t really seen a lot of surprises in the eventual champions. In fact, the nine teams I previously mentioned have won the national championship in 15 of the past 16 years. Sure, we’ve seen a ton of upsets in the tournament, but none of them have gone on to actually win the whole thing. Butler University has come very close a couple times (ask the rim that wouldn’t hold Gordon Hayward’s half-court heave), but they couldn’t get it done. Now that Brad Stevens has left to take the helm of my horrendous Boston Celtics (bring on Andrew Wiggins!), Butler has fallen off from relevancy in the college basketball landscape. Now in a year where the elite teams are as bunched up as near the top as ever, I can’t see any lesser programs having a chance. Virginia
Morris, see page 7
Sports
W. Hockey vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m.
Several members of the field hockey team earn top Patriot League awards, P.8.
[ www.dailyfreepress.com ]
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
O’Regan named HE Co-Player of Week Women’s hockey hopes to add to success at home
By Meredith Perri Daily Free Press Staff
After scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals on Friday for the No. 17 Boston University men’s hockey team and then tallying an assist on Saturday, sophomore center Danny O’Regan picked up the title of Hockey East Warrior Hockey CoPlayer of the Week Monday afternoon. With his three-point weekend against No. 6 Providence College, O’Regan is tied for the team lead in goals with three, and he is tied for second on the team in points (six) among forwards. The Needham native split the award with Friar (5-1-1, 1-1 Hockey East) junior Ross Mauermann, who had three goals and two assists during the home-andhome series. By having the two players share the award, Hockey East further proved the point of both Friar coach Nate Leaman and Terrier (4-4, 2-1-0 Hockey East) coach David Quinn that the weekend series, which featured two games that were tied heading into the third period, represented a “typical Hockey East weekend.” Who’s starting in goal? At the beginning of the season, Quinn said sophomore goaltenders Sean Maguire and Matt O’Connor looked even in goal. From there, however, he went on to say that he was not the type of person to predetermine that the goalies would rotate each weekend. “I’ve talked to O’Connor and [senior goaltender Anthony Moccia],” Quinn said before the Terriers’ game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “I told them, ‘Listen, if [Maguire] goes in there and plays outstanding, we will probably put him back in [Friday]. Just like you would want me to offer you the same opportunity.’ “We have the luxury of having two great goalies, so I feel confi-
By Conor Ryan Daily Free Press Staff
Quinn has said several times this season that he wants to see the team have four penalties or fewer per game. BU met that requirement this weekend when it had two penalties Friday night and four Saturday night. In fact, after eight games this season, the Terriers have, on average, 10.8 penalty minutes per game. That is the second best total in the Hockey East conference with Maine’s 10-minute average leading the league. Right now, though, the problem is the timing of the penalties more than the amount. A look at Saturday’s game shows just that. With the Terriers holding onto a 1-0 lead heading into the final four minutes of the second period, sophomore forward Sam Kurker was called for tripping. With fewer than 30 seconds left on the penalty, sophomore forward Mike Moran then picked up a call for cross checking, giving the Friars a key five-
The No. 10 Boston University women’s hockey team will continue its four-game homestand Wednesday night when the Terriers host the University of Connecticut at Walter Brown Arena. This will be the 27th meeting all-time between the Terriers (6-11, 3-0 Hockey East) and the Huskies (3-5-1, 0-1-1 Hockey East). BU has dominated the series as of late —the Terriers have won the last 11 contests. The Terriers have been great so far at home this season, posting a 2-0 record while outscoring opponents by an 8-1 margin. With all four games of this current homestand against Hockey East opponents, BU coach Brian Durocher and his team have an opportunity to separate themselves from most of the conference with a couple of wins over the weekend. “Everybody that plays the game in any sport, whether it’s hockey, basketball, football, et cetera, you want to defend home court,” Durocher said. “If you do a really good job there, then you can hypothetically play .500 hockey on the road and end up with a solid record, be a playoff team and be in good order for the postseason. “So far, we’ve gotten out of the gate doing a pretty good job that way, but it’s a long season and hopefully tomorrow is another example.” After a rough 2012-13 campaign that saw the Huskies post a miserable 3-29-3 record, UConn has rebounded in a big way, as the Huskies have already equaled their win total this year with a victory over Colgate University and two wins over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Huskies are led by first-year coach Chris MacKenzie, who pre-
Men’s HoCkey, see page 7
WoMen’s HoCkey, see page 7
MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Sophomore Danny O’Regan was named Hockey East Warrior Hockey CoPlayer of the Week after a three-point weekend against Providence.
dent. It will all work out.” After four weeks’ worth of games, neither Maguire nor O’Connor has started in both games of a weekend series. Instead, the two have platooned, something that Quinn discussed after O’Connor made 42 saves in a game against the then-No. 4 University of Michigan but did not get the start the following day against Michigan State University. “I look through the eyes of everybody,” Quinn said on Oct. 31. “O’Connor is like, ‘Hey, I played great,’ And I say, ‘You’re right, you’ve got a great argument, but Maguire has played well too, you know?’ It’s just a different view. I think they understand it. I think those two guys understand the situation that we’re in.” The penalty paradox One of the main themes this season has been the amount of penalties the Terriers have taken.
Schieb, Eimbcke, Cassera earn top Patriot League field hockey awards By Justin Pallenik Daily Free Press Staff
As the Patriot League field hockey regular season comes to a close, the conference released its annual awards Tuesday. Six Boston University student-athletes made it on two all-conference teams, while three Terriers came away with Player of the Year awards. Senior backer Ysi Schieb won Defensive Player of the Year, junior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke took Goalkeeper of the Year and freshman forward Amanda Cassera earned Rookie of the Year. Schieb led the defense all season as the lone senior on the backline. She had the best statistical year of her BU career,
recording two goals and a teamleading seven assists along with one defensive save. The Gold Coast, Australia native earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors three times this season before winning Defensive Player of the Year. It has already been an exciting week for Schieb, as last Thursday, she was asked to participate in the 2013 Front Rush/NFHCA Division 1 Senior Game. The game, which will take place Nov. 23 in Virginia Beach, Va., features some of the top talent amongst NCAA field hockey seniors. Starring in the cage for a Terrier team that allowed just 24 goals in 18 games, Eimbcke dominated in BU’s first season in the Patriot League. She ranked eighth in the
country with a .784 save percentage and led the Patriot League with a 1.30 GAA. Eimbcke was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week three times this season before being named the conference’s best goalkeeper. A 2012 NFHCA All-American Second Team member and the New Jersey Player of the Year as a senior at West Essex High School, Cassera continued her momentum from high school and made a seamless transition to the college game. She not only tied for the team lead in goals (eight) and points (16), but also led BU in shots on goal (46). Cassera made her presence felt on the field right away, as she scored a hat trick in her first collegiate game, the first Terrier ever to accomplish such a
feat. The two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week winner adds another impressive trophy to her collection with the Patriot League Rookie of the Year award. Four Terriers made First Team All-Patriot League, including Schieb, Eimbcke, senior midfielder Madeleine Hackett, and sophomore midfielder Sofi Laurito. Laurito scored three goals in the final three games of the regular season and finished the year tied for the team lead in goals and points while Hackett paced the midfield all season-long as a senior leader while collecting three assists. Freshman midfielder Hester van der Laan and senior midfield-
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Thursday, Nov. 7
No Events Scheduled Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte tore his MCL... After catching a fan that jumped into his arms. Yeah.
M. Hockey vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m. Field Hockey vs. Bucknell, 2 p.m. W. Basketball vs. Northeastern, 6 p.m.
W. Hockey vs. Maine, 4 p.m. Field Hockey @ American, 1 p.m. M. Soccer vs. Bucknell, 2 p.m.
Field HoCkey, see page 7
M. Basketball vs. Northeastern, 12:30 p.m. W. Soccer @ Patriot League Final, 1 p.m. W. Hockey vs. Maine, 3 p.m.