The Daily Free Press
Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XIII
GLITCH STITCH Patrick announces plans to fix healthcare website, page 3.
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Monday, February 10, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
FLOWER POWER
Boston florists prepare for Valentine’s sales boom, page 5.
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THINK PINK
Women’s hockey raises breast cancer awareness, page 8.
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Students collect signatures to save BU Wrestling New scholarship program offers aid to Dreamers
By Drew Schwartz Daily Free Press Staff
Members of the Boston University community collected over 1,000 signatures for a petition to defend BU’s wrestling program in a Save BU Wrestling cross-campus campaign Friday. Since BU Athletics officials announced that the wrestling program would be cut after its 2013-14 season, BU students, alumni and supporters of the program across the country have banded together to protest the decision. The “Save BU Wrestling” Facebook page now has over 7,000 members. “[The decision] has had a devastating impact on our current students, their families, but also 50 years of [wrestling program] alumni. It’s been extremely difficult to deal with,” said BU coach Carl Adams. “If you pick one program out of 24 and you single that one program out [to be cut], you need to have a really, really good reason.” Adams and several members of the team said they still do not fully understand why the wrestling program is being eliminated. In a previous radio interview with TakeDown Wrestling, Lynch said the administration “didn’t feel as though we could continue to invest in a sport that we didn’t really see had a really bright future for us here at BU.” BU Athletic Director Mike Lynch and BU spokesman Colin Riley did not respond to emails and calls requesting a comment on the issue.
By Taryn Ottaunick Daily Free Press Staff
FALON MORAN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Boston University students hosted a day-long event across campus Friday involving petitions and raffles, all in an effort to save the BU wrestling program, which will be discontinued after the 2013-14 academic year.
“They [the administration] say that wrestling does not fit the strategic direction for the future of the athletic department at BU,” said wrestling team member Brad Lewis, a College of Arts and Sciences senior. “That’s a very political kind of response that they’re giving because it doesn’t actually say anything or give anyone any real reasons.”
Alumni have been investigating the decision since April and believe that the program is being cut to meet Title IX requirements, Lewis said. The legislation requires educational institutions to offer equal extracurricular op-
Wrestling, see page 2
MBTA to penalize employees for sleeping during work hours By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff
After multiple Boston residents tweeted photos of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority employees found sleeping on the job over the past few weeks, MBTA officials announced that any employee found sleeping or having a lack of attentiveness will be disciplined. “Sleeping on the job has always been prohibited,” said Joe Pesaturo, director of communications for the MBTA. “The only thing that is different is the discipline procedure. Effective immediately, any employee found to be in violation of this special order will be subject to discharge. Prior to the issuance of this special order, the level of discipline varied. It would be determined, in large part, by an individual employee’s work history and a review by their supervisor.”
On Thursday, the directors of all the different departments of the MBTA sent out an operations special order to all operations personnel. The order emphasized the impression that employees were giving customers. Now, if an employee is found passed out or very inattentive, they will be issued a 30-day suspension on the first offense and a recommendation for discharge. “The image that we as front line MBTA employees present to our customers is a critical element in maintaining the public’s trust,” the operations special order reads. “It is of the utmost importance that MBTA employees project an image of alertness, professionalism and engagement in their work at all times. It is absolutely forbidden for any MBTA employee to be sleeping or giving the appearance of sleeping while on duty or on paid breaks.” Max Timchenko, 33, of Brighton, said in-
cluding the “appearance of sleeping or lack of attentiveness” in the order was too strict. “The appearance clause is very vague because you never know if that’s just the way they look, so punishing that preemptively would be unfair,” he said. “But there definitely needs to be a serious penalty for sleeping on the job because so many people could be hurt.” Prior to this order, many MBTA officials have actually been caught on camera sleeping on the job by train riders, some while operating the train. In December 2012, an exhausted MBTA train operator was fired after crashing a Green Line trolley at the Boylston stop, which sent 35 people to the hospital. The main point of the order was that MBTA officials need to be professional and make themselves trustworthy of the millions
MBTA, see page 2
Although schools such as Boston University welcome students from diverse backgrounds, the federal government’s inability to provide financial aid for students under the provisions of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act has inspired the creation of a special higher education scholarship program. “Dreamers ... do not qualify for many of the most important sources of financial aid, including federal funding, which limits their ability to afford college,” said Renata Keller, a College of Arts and Sciences professor of international relations. “They already face limited job opportunities due to their legal limbo, and without a college degree, their opportunities dwindle even further.” TheDream.US is a privately funded program created by former Washington Post publisher Donald Graham, Democratic activist and philanthropist Henry R. Muñoz III and head of Super-PAC Republicans for Immigration Reform Carlos Gutierrez. Its objective is to fund the four-year college educations of Dreamers whose immigration statuses bar them from receiving federal aid. “There are thousands of undocumented immigrants in the country who came here through no fault of their own,” said Gabe Roth, a spokesman for TheDream.US. “... A lot of them are college-age and want to be able to go to college, but can’t access federal financial aid because of their immigration status.” The program, announced Tuesday, is designed to award immigrants like these with financial assistance, Roth said. “Having a dedicated private sector that helps undocumented immigrants who can’t access federal aid get some financial aid for college was something that we thought would be a really important movement toward the success of the country,” he said. The program has an established goal of putting two thousand Dreamers through four-year colleges within the next 10 years, Roth said.
Scholarship, see page 2
SAO’s Senior Semester offers extended events lineup for Class of 2014 By Mina Corpuz Daily Free Press Staff
To send Boston University seniors off in a more meaningful and memorable fashion, the Student Activities Office has extended the length of what was formerly known as Senior Week to include more activities. The new lineup of activities is called Senior Semester, said SAO Associate Director Raul Fernandez. “We know that in the fall we focused more on welcoming new students to the family, and for spring we want to have that same effort toward sending our seniors off in style, so they know that we love them,” Fernandez said. “It’s been a great experience having them on campus, and that we want them to stay connected to the university.” During Senior Semester, students will be given opportunities to participate in events and receive special promotions throughout the semester leading up to the traditional Senior Week of events. “Every year we try to get better at what
we do,” said Assistant Dean of Students John Battaglino. “[Senior Semester] is in a way that does not interfere with academic pursuits ... We try to send off our seniors [by saying] thanks for being here, and here’s some things you probably should’ve done over your four years that you haven’t had a chance to [do]. We’re going set it up for you.” With heavy student feedback and collaboration already pouring in from the Class of 2014, student participation is already off to a strong start, Battaglino said. “I meet regularly with the student government president, Dexter McCoy, and people on the inside [of SAO],” he said. “We held a kind of impromptu, fact-finding event at the BU Pub where we invited seniors to give us their thoughts about senior week ... There’s just not enough in a week, and there were other things they wanted to do. We came up with the idea based on their input.”
Seniors, see page 2
MAYA DEVEREAUXDAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Boston University Student Activities recently changed Senior Week to Senior Semester to incorporate more events, which include a Matt and Kim concert and a “50 days to Graduation” party that will shut down Lansdowne Street.
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Monday, February 10, 2014
Wrestling captain: Administrators SAO reaches out to diverse group of seniors that are looking for a dance par- planned, she would also like to turn ‘deaf ear’ to requests, support ty, they might want to look into see some inspirational speakers SeniorS: From Page 1
WreSTling: From Page 1
portunities to male and female students. In athletics, Title IX compliance is often determined by whether or not the number of men and women participating in intercollegiate sports is proportionate to overall enrollment, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Lewis said New Balance, who donated $3 million to BU for the creation of a new field, pushed for a men’s lacrosse program at the university. New Balance is one of the largest lacrosse outfitters in the nation, Lewis said. “We were in compliance [with Title IX], everything was fine,” Lewis said. “Then BU added men’s lacrosse, which has 40 roster spots of male athletes being added. We have about 25 guys on our team, so dropping us frees up a little bit more Title IX space, and allows them [the administration] to compensate for lacrosse coming in.” College of General Studies Student Government President Austin Kruger said he was outraged by BU’s decision to cut their wres-
tling program. “It’s wrong for a company to come in with $3 million and dictate how students’ programs function here at the University,” Kruger, a CGS sophomore, said. “I feel like the athletic department doesn’t care and doesn’t listen to their student athletes at all.” BU wrestling captain Nestor Taffur, a Metropolitan College senior, said the athletic administration has been unreceptive to requests for information about why the wrestling team has been cut. “[Our alumni] have pretty much done everything to try to salvage a program here at Boston University and the athletic administration is turning a deaf ear to any of their requests for support,” he said. “They have an agenda that they’ve been pushing, and they’re not willing to listen to anything.” Adams said the decision to cut the wrestling program has caused concern throughout BU’s athletic community. “It’s wrestling this time,” he said. “Who’s next? If one program could be singled out so easily for extinction, who’s next?”
Special order: Employees asleep at work ‘erode public confidence’ MBTa: From Page 1
of people that use the MBTA daily. “This also includes deadheading, at lay over points, in Authority non-revenue vehicles, or any other situation where employees are in public view,” the special order read. “Employees that give the impression of sleeping or lack of attentiveness on duty seriously erodes the public’s confidence in the Authority and damages the image of all MBTA employees.” Some residents said they have mixed feelings about the severity of the punishment fitting with the crime. Most agreed that it was a very serious matter, but did not know whether the punishment was too harsh for a first offense. “It’s putting public safety at risk, so it definitely needs to be taken seriously,” said Anna Ing, 40, of
Allston. “I’ve ridden the T for years, though, and haven’t seen this happen. But I do know there have been circumstances where a lot of people have gotten injured because a driver has fallen asleep. I’m very torn because I want to say they should receive a warning first, but at the same time it’s incredibly dangerous and needs to be taken seriously.” John Kelley, 27, of Brighton, said not every case is the same, so other factors would need to be considered as well, but agreed it was an incredibly critical issue. “These workers are responsible for the lives of all the people inside, so it’s definitely a serious matter,” he said. “And of course whether they’re sleeping because they’re drunk or sober, or other influences like that, would have some bearing.”
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Some of the Senior Semester events include the 121 Days Party, which took place Jan. 16, a night at Foxwoods Resort Casino, a senior arts reception at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and a concert featuring musical artists Matt and Kim, Battaglino said. SAO officials created the Senior Semester agenda to appeal to the diverse interests of the student body, Fernandez said. Senior Week events, which will take place from May 10 to May 15, include a harbor cruise, House of Blues concert, trip to Six Flags New England and Senior Bash. “Some people don’t like to go on rollercoasters, but [Six Flags] is one of the most popular events that we do,” he said. “For others
the House of Blues event. It really depends what you’re into and there’s plenty of options between now and the end of the semester. There’s something for everyone.” Robyn Shibano, a College of Arts and Science senior, said extending the week to a semester creates more opportunities for seniors to forge deeper bonds with their classmates. “I like that it’s been expanded throughout the whole semester because it allows seniors to experience more connections with their class,” she said. “It’s also more convenient time-wise because you get to do more.” School of Management senior Sarah Oh said although she likes the leisure activities SAO has
incorporated into the Senior Semester agenda. “Concerts and other fun stuff are good, but we can do those on our own time,” Oh said. “I want something that builds on who we are and where we’re heading after graduation.” Monica Bautista, a senior in SMG, said SAO’s efforts to communicate with the senior class when coordinating these events ensures their success. “Talking with students is the best way to get ideas to create these events,” Bautista said. “It’s the students who are going. Their feedback is very valuable. Also, it can be used to measure the success of the events for future students and years.”
Scholarships offer undocumented students hope ScholarShip: From Page 1
“These are low-cost universities and community colleges that [are] our partners,” he said. “We’re presuming about $25,000 per student, so that’s about 1,000 students for the $25 million that we’ve raised. We’re hoping to raise another $25 million that will help 2,000 low-income dreamers to graduate with career-ready degrees in the next decade.” Roth said the overarching goal of the organization is to assimilate Dreamers, who often identify as Americans, into the American community by providing them with the skillsets necessary for working in contemporary society. “They’re Americans through and through ... and now there has to be efforts to integrate them into
society, and one of the best ways is through education,” he said. “... They [Dreamers] realized and our [TheDream.US] founders realized that in order to ensure that they have the skills they need to be a part of a 21st century American workforce, they need to get that college degree. We’re hoping to help a lot of those folks to do that.” Keller said the initiative is promising because it extends advancement opportunities to Dreamers who are forced to suffer the consequences of life-changing decisions they did not make for themselves. “It can ... open the doors of higher education to the students who choose to participate in Obama’s new deferred action program,” she said. “It can aid young
people who find themselves in an extremely difficult position through no fault of their own and who are trying to take steps to improve their situation.” The scholarship program is in line with the United States’ tradition of extending opportunities to immigrants in hopes of bettering the country as a whole, said Paul Hare, a CAS professor of international relations. “A scholarship program will help fill a worrying gap which makes the costs of college out of reach for thousands of smart and motivated kids,” Hare said. “America has always been reinvigorated by policies that make new immigrants feel they have a stake in American society. Then, they apply their ideas and energy to make it better.”
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CaMpuS & CiTy Column
UrBAN PArK rANGer
THE WATER WORKS
I’m still recovering from the terror of my statistics class from sophomore year, but as much as I hate to admit it— I am a statistic. Well, we all are. I’m starting to pay more attention to the little things I do on a daily basis because, lets face it, everyone has their morning routine and all hell breaks loose if that routine ever deviates JENNIFER from the mean. RUTH Every morning the inviting drone of the commuter rail and the glorious Mass Pike traffic beckons my name. Afterwards, I roll out of bed and prepare myself for the unpredictable weather that Boston has to offer. After incorrectly choosing an outfit that makes me feel like I’ve stepped into either the Sahara or Siberia, I march onward to indulge in my usual eggs and ketchup breakfast at Warren Towers. I stroll into the Stone Science Building after my hearty meal, and turn the corner to fill my water bottle at the Elkay EZH2O filling station. I read on the electronic screen, “helped eliminate waste from 15,818 disposable bottles,” and put my water bottle against the motion activated sensor. Every morning, I watch the number increase. Last semester, I added this step to my daily routine to make my life choices more environmentally sustainable. But like I said before, aren’t people supposed to hate change? Not when it saves me money. Not when it’s a small way to save our planet. And for every time I use this refilling station, I’m reducing the number of plastic water bottles purchased from greedy companies that charge innocuous citizens the right to use a free commodity. Tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water, has a considerably smaller carbon footprint and is free. According to National Geographic, for every six water bottles that we use, only one of them completes the perilous journey to the recycling bin. This statistic can be reduced drastically by the use of reusable water containers and of course, taking full advantage of the conveniently located filling stations located in nearly every building on campus. Why would people purchase a water bottle that has been shipped thousands of miles to their consumers when you have a machine right before your eyes that is bursting at the seams to fulfill your water needs? People love instant gratification. And this is even more instant than walking to City Convenience and purchasing a FIJI water bottle. So that’s how I became a statistic — number 15,819. I’m not going to dance around like I’m in Les miserables and belt out my number at the top of my lungs for the entire world to hear (although 24,601 would’ve been much more impressive). I’m putting it out there as a challenge. The only requirement of making a difference is drinking water. And come on, it’s not like it’s sulfuric acid pouring out of the machines — it’s clean, filtered water, equipped to quench your voracious thirst. I made a small change in my daily routine to work towards more sustainable future and I contest you to do the same. Jennifer ruth is a cAS junior. She can be reached at jennifervruth@ gmail.com
Monday, February 10, 2014
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Tuition increases due to benefits, study suggests Mayor appoints Superintendent Search for BPS By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff
GRAPHIC BY MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
A study conducted by the Delta Cost Project at the American Institutes for Research suggests colleges’ attempts to stem employee costs by hiring part-time employees is being offset by rising benefit costs. By Olivia Deng Daily Free Press Staff
Rising prices of college tuition at institutions of higher education such as Boston University are likely due to rising costs in employee benefits, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the American Institutes for Research’s Delta Cost Project. Donna Desrochers, principal researcher at AIR and coauthor of the study, said benefit costs played a large role in tuition increases for
universities and colleges across the board. “Overall spending for wages and salaries was modestly increasing, but benefits were going up quite fast,” she said. At BU, full professors’ salaries have increased by $40,000 since 2006, according to the 2013 American Association of University Professors Faculty Salary Survey. The total benefits offered to BU employees increased by approximately 18 percent from 2009 to 2012, according to the BU’s Abridged Eco-
nomic Impact Report. “When you increase salaries, you need revenue,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley. “Our single largest component is tuition. [BU has] over a $2 billion operating budget and higher education is an expensive proposition.” According to BU President Robert Brown’s Fall 2013 State of the University address, employee benefits are projected to increase by almost 7.5 percent in the 2014 fiscal
TuiTion, see page 4
Fung Wah files appeal to continue operating buses By Hannah Clark Daily Free Press Staff
Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc. is waiting to hear back from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about an appeal filed by Feb. 3 after three-quarters of the buses in the fleet failed to meet several safety standards. The Jan. 24 rejection letter came as a result of the carrier’s “refusal to comply” with the FMCSA regulations, the letter stated. Marissa Padilla, a spokesperson for the FMCSA, said the company, which provides transportation between New York Chinatown and Boston Chinatown, submitted their request for authority to operate by mail by the July 31 deadline, in accordance with a consent agreement between the carrier and the agency made on July 29.
FMCSA rejected Fung Wah’s request to resume operating their buses, since being taken off the road in March. The company subsequently submitted three online applications on Oct.11, Nov. 5 and Dec. 5, despite the fact that the July 31 application was still pending, Padilla said. The FMCSA’s application rejection letter states the illegitimate online applications as an apparent attempt to avoid FMCSA’s passenger carrier vetting process. “FMCSA thoroughly reviewed Fung Wah’s application and determined that the company is not willing or able to comply with the safety standards we require to protect passengers, drivers and the motoring public,” Padilla said. Fung Wah’s buses were removed from the roads when the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
found structural and maintenance deficiencies in the company’s 21 buses, the letter said. The FMCSA issued an Imminent Hazard Out-of-Service Order. The carrier’s operating authority was revoked March 1, after the company refused to turn over documentation to safety inspectors. The FMCSA safety investigators found evidence of dangerous conditions on the buses. Their failure to inspect and maintain vehicles, falsified inspection records and lack of compliance with hours-of-service regulations were cited in the FMCSA’s rejection, Padilla said. “Individually and cumulatively, these violations and conditions of operations substantially increase the likelihood of serious injury or death to Fung Wah drivers, passengers and the traveling public,” she said.
Fung Wah, see page 4
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh has launched a Superintendent Search Committee in hopes of finding the best possible candidate in the nation to lead the Boston Public Schools. The search committee includes individuals who represent all aspects of the school system, from former and current teachers to administrators and businessmen. A national search firm will assist in the process and the committee will hold meetings with the community to get public input on what the superintendent position will entail. The committee will then recommend three finalists who will then be interviewed by the school committee and the mayor. “The selection of a permanent school superintendent will be our community’s most important decision,” Walsh said in the Thursday release. “This Search Committee represents every facet of education, from elementary school to college, from parents to teachers to administrators. With their broad knowledge base and vast experience, I know they will work diligently to search every corner of the United States to help the Boston School Committee make the best possible choice for our students.” The Superintendent Search Committee will be co-led by Hardin Coleman and Robert Gallery. Coleman has 40 years of experience in the BPS system, serving as a teacher in elementary, middle and high school as well as a school counselor in middle and high schools. Currently, he is a professor of human counseling and development and dean of the School of Education at Boston University. “Leadership is critical to keeping an organization focused on its core mission, hiring and promoting high quality staff who can effectively implement the mission, find the resources the organization needs to prosper, and communicate the mission of the organization to the various stakeholders,” Coleman said. Finding an excellent superintendent is not only vital to the school
WalSh, see page 4
Patrick takes Massachusetts healthcare website in new direction
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPENCER CRISPINO /GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced Thursday he hired a new company called Optum to address ongoing problems with the state’s healthcare website. By Felicia Gans Daily Free Press Staff
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick apologized for the inconveniences caused by glitches in the Massachusetts Health Connector healthcare website after working with MITRE Corporation, an independent technology firm. At the Thursday press conference,
Patrick announced the disbandment of the CGI Steering Committee, the vendor that created the system. Sarah Iselin, on temporary leave from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, will step in as the temporary Special Assistant to the Governor for Project Delivery. “She will ensure unified execution across all state agencies involved
so that we have a plan to achieve the best and most convenient shopping and coverage experience for all the people who use the website,” Patrick said at the press conference. “To be clear, she is not taking over dayto-day or program operations at the Connector or MassHealth; her job is to help us fix the website.” Iselin said her first step will be to prioritize the changes that need to be made, but she is looking forward to creating an efficient system that will function without glitches. “I care deeply about ensuring the most vulnerable among us have access to care and have devoted much of my career to standing coverage and understanding the profound consequences of un-insurance,” she said. “I’m committing to all of you today that on a go-forward basis we’ll be holding weekly briefings in which we’ll be sharing with you information about the progress we’re making.” The Commonwealth has also partnered with Optum, a company based in Minnesota, which helped
to fix the glitches with the federal healthcare system. Optum will coordinate efforts to fix the website’s system, a job Patrick determined CGI could not complete alone. Jason Lefferts, director of communications at Massachusetts Health Connector, said the collaboration with Iselin and Optum will correct the faults in CGI’s program and create a website that will work better for Massachusetts residents. “As the governor put it yesterday, if CGI was a properly working vendor, it would have been a perfectly fine setup, but this is a vendor that needs a shorter leash,” he said. “The website has certainly not lived up to our standards and it’s not what residents deserve, so the next steps that were outlined [Thursday] are going to help us get there.” Several residents said the website’s faults have been holding the state back from creating accessible healthcare for all residents. Vashawnda Brown, 24, of Brigh-
healThcare, see page 4
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Increasing technology demands more employment Community to be involved in superintendent selection Tuition: From Page 3
year budget, with health care costs projected to increase by 6.6 percent. Brown noted that benefit expenses now total over 30 percent of employee salaries. “It is very straightforward to understand if the expenses increase, then the cost to attend increases,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley. “But Boston University has kept tuition increase below the national average for similar schools, meaning four-year research universities.” Barton Lipman, chair of the College of Arts and Sciences’ economics department, said some of the study’s findings are reflected at BU. “It’s clear that benefits costs have created pressure on the university. I would suspect that is one of the biggest factors [causing an increase in the price of tuition],” Lipman said. “Universities are extremely laborintensive if you think of it. Most of what universities spend on is salaries.”
The study also noted a rise in administrative and part time faculty hires, Desrochers said. Researchers found that professional positions such as admissions and human resources staff outpaced enrollment growth. “Private institutions need to look at their rate of hiring,” Desrochers said. “Certainly private institutions have been investing in students, but they need to be careful.” Riley said BU now has administrative positions that did not exist in the university’s past. “Go back 20 years,” he said. “You didn’t have so many IT people, you didn’t have so much technology in use, you didn’t have as large a residential presence on campus. With those buildings — new buildings — you need people to maintain and clean them. When you offer Wi-Fi and Ethernet, you need technicians to do that.” Desrochers said widespread growth in student services explains
the increase in administrative positions on college campuses. “Administrative positions have increased in all types of universities … at pace with enrollment growth,” Desrochers said. “Student counseling, financial aid, admissions, those types of jobs represent 25 percent of jobs on campus … By 2012, on average, you had more administrators than you did full-time faculty.” The study also found that colleges and universities are hiring more parttime faculty. Lipman said hiring part-time faculty can be problematic. “It’s tricky to hire a lot of part time faculty,” Lipman said. “No matter how hard they work, if they are here one semester and then gone, you have a professor you like and [if] next semester you want to take a course with them or get a letter of recommendation from them, they are gone. Our department has been trying to find ways to find lecturers more focused on teaching.”
Residents: Access to healthcare website priority Healthcare: From Page 3
ton, said Massachusetts should be creating a healthcare website that is easy for anyone to access because healthcare needs to be readily accessible for anyone who needs it. “In case I get sick or my daughter gets sick, I need to easily be able to go to the hospital,” she said. “Everybody needs to be seen if they’re sick.” Zach Amendola, 27, of Back Bay, said the glitches in the website need
to be resolved because an online system will make the entire process of applying for healthcare easier. “It will be readily available, not having to sit on the phone with any company,” he said. “It will be a healthcare plan that’s just very easy to sign up with, easy to navigate, easy to find out what the co-pays are, what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t. [Because it’s all in one place], you won’t have to sit around reading all the pamphlets you get in the mail.”
Daniel Conroy, 23, of Boston, said the website should be representative of Massachusetts’ commitment to healthcare accessibility. “Especially since Massachusetts was the pioneer of a more public healthcare system and access to it through an online portal, that’s the interface that makes the whole program successful,” he said. “So if the website isn’t a success or just generally an accessible portal to access healthcare, that makes the entire program as a whole fail.”
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Walsh: From Page 3
system but to the economy and to the future of the city of Boston, he said. “One of the biggest challenges to our economy is raising the academic accomplishment of our students in urban school settings,” he said. “A high quality superintendent is critical to helping Boston continue the improvements it has made over the past 15 years in creating the highest performing urban school district in the country.” Coleman praised BPS for the strides it has made in recent years, and said a strong leader is needed for continual improvement. “All of us who are close to the District believe that it is doing an outstanding job but can get much better,” he said. “We believe that this is an excellent opportunity for the highly effective educational leader to join a community that is dedicated to closing the achievement gap between ethnically and economically diverse students and then closing the performance gap between Boston Public
Schools and the rest of Massachusetts.” Some residents said they have ideas about what issues they need the future superintendent to focus on. “[The superintendent] needs to be someone who will give attention to kids with special needs,” said Bruna Lobato, 22, of Brighton. “They also need to have cultural sensitivity for kids who have a different first language or are ethnically diverse.” Kim Clarke, 55, of Boston, said there are a countless amount of issues within the school system, which would make the superintendent’s job a tough one. “I’m disappointed with teachers’ unions because they’ve brought down the quality of teaching,” she said. “Teachers are often more invested in their own gain rather in the interests of the children, and parents these days don’t have the money or time to devote to their children’s education. The superintendent will need to find a balance, and figure out how to engage parents and also bring in and keep quality teachers, possibly abolishing tenure.”
Fung Wah reps continue appeal process without fixing problems Fung Wah: From Page 3
Fung Wah representatives submitted a written appeal to the rejection letter. Padilla said there is no timeline for review of the appeal, but it will be heard by the FMCSA. Alexander Linzer, an associate of the New York-based firm Freeman Lewis LLC, is representing Fung Wah in their ongoing battle with the FMCSA. “We’re ready, willing, and able to get back on the road,” Linzer said. Several residents said Fung Wah should be working to improve the flaws in their buses before appealing to the FMCSA to continue operations. Andrew Richards, 23, of Fenway, said he is losing faith in the efficiency of the transportation companies he has taken between Boston and New York.
“Service is getting worse and worse and I feel like I wouldn’t take Fung Wah because I don’t know it,” he said. “Now, knowing all that stuff [about their company], I obviously wouldn’t take it again. I know other companies are kind of the same way. They’re not raising the bar against each other. They are kind of cutting corners, it seems like.” Quanesha Boykins, 22, of Fenway, said she has taken Fung Wah’s buses and was not disappointed with their service, despite having been warned about the company’s safety issues. “I heard rumors before I took it that it was dangerous and the buses tipped over, but when I rode it I felt safe,” she said. “There was nothing wrong with it, but if they’re not changing anything and they have a history of crashes, they should fix that.”
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Chris Lisinski
F
lower shops across the Boston area have been preparing for months for the rush of orders that are expected to arrive this upcoming week. Suitors and sweethearts will be looking for floral arrangements ranging from a traditional rose bouquet to exotic wonders. While many will scramble for a lastminute bouquet, Valentine’s Day begins as early as December for some storeowners. In order to stay ahead of the holiday, florists must play a calculated game of supply and demand. “The supply is about 10 times the supply that you would usually have,” Bruce Sabo, the owner of Boston Rose & Fern Florist. “You have to reserve way in advance.” Of the 54 percent of Americans celebrating Valentine’s Day, just over a third give his or her significant other flowers for the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. With the U.S. population totaling over 300 million, that’s the potential for almost 60 million flower sales nationwide. In terms of how each store handles the day-of rush, every business owner is different. John Adams, owner of The Flower Boutique on Huntington Avenue, said he doesn’t have too much trouble. “I don’t have a hectic time at all,” Adams said. “I am in complete control of both shops, 365 days a year. Do I sell out of flowers? Of course I do. But I don’t run out.” How does he stay ahead of the game? Well, after 40 years of experience in the flower industry, he said he’s learned a thing or two about matching his customer’s demands. “I do the same thing every year,” he said. “I order the same amounts. If I meet my goal, I can always order more.” Not selling out isn’t a problem for Adams either, because the flowers he buys last longer than some of his competitors. “The other thing is that I buy my flowers directly from Colombia and Holland directly, and they’ve never been put to sleep in a refrigerator,” Adams said. “So my flowers last a long time, and if I don’t sell them for Valentine’s Day, they can still be used for regular orders.” Still, as a holiday driven business with spikes at Christmas, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, Sabo said it can become stressful. Many sales come in bursts. “The flower business is so stressful, though,” Sabo said. “It’s almost not worth it. If the industry were able to produce consistent sales, it would be much better. The holidays really screw you up when you’re in the flower business ... You’re always working.” Adams said that Valentine’s Day is a busy day for his store, but that it is comparable to other specialty holidays such as Mother’s Day. However, he said there is no denying the financial benefit of the cupid’s arrow, as the holiday provides a great financial push.
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PHOTO BY MIKE DESOCIO/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
A flower display outside Boston Rose & Fern Florist reminds suitors to pick up bouquiets for their sweethearts.
“Sales are up,” he said, “it’s a good boost; it gives us a good financial shot.” And preparing can be a struggle because no one arrangement is most popular. While major retailers, like 1-800-FLOWERS or Flowers Direct spend money on advertising campaigns, Adams doesn’t have as large of an advertising budget. “So it’s like if I put an arrangement together called Monkey Love and put it on TV, magazines, and newspapers, everyone is going to say ‘Oh! Let me get that Monkey Love arrangement or something similar, or somebody doesn’t like it.’ So there isn’t really one particular arrangement for Valentine’s Day as far as the mix. But everyone sticks to traditional reds, and some people flip the script and like a mix with red roses in it.” While Adams said Valentine’s is just a boost, but nothing to get worked up over, for Sabo, V-Day is the day. “[It is] by far the busiest holiday we have,” Sabo said. “Nothing even comes close to it.” According to a Jan. 21 survey conducted by Credit Donkey, 60.3 percent of males surveyed plan to give flowers, but only 36.9 percent of women want flowers. “On Valentine’s Day, generally speaking, it’s more expected that you get something for your girlfriend,” Sabo said. “It’s expected that you get flowers or something, or else you are in trouble.” Flower shops have substantial overhead, and running a specialty retailer can be risky. Sabo said his smaller store makes
about $30,000 the week of Valentine’s, but bigger establishments can hit seven digits. “Flowers are more expensive now than they’ve ever been, especially in the last few years,” Sabo said. “So it’s really a lot of work. The quality fluctuates a lot each week. A little too much rain in Ecuador, your roses are going to be tiny.” Because most commercial flowers are grown abroad, local shop owners getting coated in snow have to be watching the heat waves in South America to make sure they can get feasable prices. Factors such as exchange rates and competition can also price shop owners out of shipments. Because flowers are highly parishable, demand and therefore price fluctuate. Farms, Sabo said, won’t release many flowers until just before the holiday, so they can make a larger profit off of the greater demand. They also often increase the price of the flowers by 100 percent. “We don’t raise our price by double,” Sabo said of the increase, “we raise it by a third. So in return, we make less profit per unit.” And though Sabo said he could survive without Valentine’s, especially with its markups he still prefers the holiday boost to other flower season. “All of the other holidays, Christmas for example, you sales go up but when you average it out you lose money, because after the holiday it’s extremely dead,” Sabo said. “So if you average it, you’re doing less. Valentine’s Day depends on where it falls in the year, and it doesn’t slow down completely afterwards. So that’s a good thing.”
Of the 54 percent of Americans celebrating Valentine’s Day, just over a third give their significant other flowers for the holiday.
inBusiness Staff
alentine’s Day is a spending holiday. The National Retail Federation’s 2014 Valentine’s Day spending survey said 54 percent of Americans will celebrate with their loved ones this year, which is actually down 6 percent from 2013. The average person is budgeting $133.91, with total spending expected to reach $17.3 billion. The Daily Free Press’s Chris Lisinski spoke with advertising professor John Verret about what part advertising plays in Valentine’s spending. DFP: Valentine’s can feel like a completely commercial holiday, is this an evolution? Has Valentines become more commercialized in recent years? John Verret: Valentine’s Day became this romantic thing literally in the Middle Ages. Chaucer started a revolution about it and it’s part of the history of Valentine’s. But Valentine’s Day has always been a commercial holiday in terms of candy and flowers and all that. It has become a much bigger commercial holiday but the concept of the commercialization of it is not something new. Now people spend a heck of a lot more money on it. The revolution came when everything went online. Everybody emails you about Valentine’s Day so they’re making it pop a little more, but it’s always been an advertisers season. What industries really make a push on Valentine’s Day? The jewelry industry, candy industry, the hallmark cards or even now the e-cards, and women’s clothing, lingerie, anything relating to romance. Restaurants make a big push at this time of year because they want to encourage people to take their girlfriend or their wife out. This is a dead season. The automotive business always has a President’s Day sale and it’s not wrapped around Valentine’s, but it’s something to do to try and keep cash flow going at this time of year. Does Valentine’s make a substantial difference in first quarter earnings? Absolutely it does. It doesn’t come close to the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas but it does give the economy a boost. If you went to Copley Place mall and look at the stores that cater to women, you’re going to see Valentine’s-themed decorations in the store windows because this is a big time to try to convince men to buy something for their wives. It is a big retail season. What are the tactics advertisers use to get convince men to buy for their significant others? One of the big tactics at a holiday like Valentine’s Day is guilt. You want to make a guy feel guilty if he doesn’t think to buy something for his wife for Valentine’s Day. It starts when you’re a little kid. On Valentine’s Day in grammar school you’re told to make a card for your mother, and if you didn’t make a card, you feel guilty as hell because all of the other kids are making cards. Guilt is a major tactic. comments have been edited for space and clarity.
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Monday, February 10, 2014
The Daily Free Press
Opinion
The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 44th year F Volume 86 F Issue 13
Sarah Kirkpatrick, Editor-in-Chief Brian Latimer, Managing Editor
Rachel Riley, Campus Editor
Alice Bazerghi, City Editor
Andrew Battifarano, Sports Editor
Trisha Thadani, Opinion Editor
Heather Goldin, Multimedia Editor
Maya Devereaux, Photo Editor
Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Features Editor
Emily Hartwell, Layout Editor
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.
Keep it to yourself
There is no hiding that the fact that the 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Sochi, Russia has reaped a lot of controversy lately. Whether it is Putin’s anti-gay laws, the live wires in journalist’s hotels or the disgusting yellow water, Sochi has basically been asking for the criticism from the rest of the world. Despite the estimated $51 billion Sochi spent on this worldwide event, the country’s lack of preparedness has become somewhat of a trending joke on social media. Senior sports staff writer for The Boston Globe Kevin Paul Dupont took it upon himself to comment via Twitter on Friday as well. @GlobeKPD: Remember, this is the country that sent us the Tsarnaevs. Never forget. Never. Come on, Mr. Dupont, if you’re going to cross your line of expertise of sports into such a sensitive issue in front of 23,900 followers, at least get your facts straight. For starters, the Tsarnaevs were from Kyrgyzstan, almost 2,000 miles away from Russia. Second, even if they were from Russia, two heinous people from one country do not represent the entirety of its population. Third, stick to sports, Mr. Dupont. This is not to say that just because Dupont is a sports writer he cannot speak out about certain social issues. He is just as en-
titled to his 140-character opinion on Twitter as any of the million of other people on the website. However, since Dupont is a prominent figure in the media, his tweet has rightfully and expectedly caused waves of backlash from his followers. Sumit Judge (@JudgeSumit) responded to Dupont’s tweet and said, “Ludicrous. The Brits and French committed mass genocides in the Americas. Overlook that though right?” Dupont writes for the city where Whitey Bulger and members of the Irish Mob once roamed the streets, and lives in a country where, according to the FBI, the murder rate is higher than nearly all of the other developed countries in the world. As Chris Cuthbert (@CCtsn) bluntly tweeted in response to Dupont’s tweet, “If we judge nations by their criminal legacies we’re all in trouble.” Naturally, Dupont is still rattled by the Marathon Bombings just like the rest of the city. But his tweet was just a childish attempt of pointing his finger at someone in order to eradicate some sort of sustaining anger. Although we are a country of free speech, sometimes things are better kept inside of our heads and off of Twitter — especially when the subject of the tweet isn’t even factually correct.
Bully insurance
The South Korean government has somehow boiled all of the evils of the world down to four categories: bullying, domestic violence, rape and “adulterated” food products. Since President Park Geunhye came into office last year, her goal has been to eradicate her country of these social evils. Her solution? Private insurance companies. When did we enter a world where rape and consumption of spoiled meat are viable for the same type of compensation? Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance is set to offer new insurance plans in March. If someone can effectively prove they have been a victim of such social evils, they will receive counseling and medical bills. The Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance company has proposed this new insurance initiative because South Korea’s rapid economic growth has allegedly led to new social pressures within the country. Analysts say these “pressures” have induced higher rates of depression and suicide within the country. According to a 2011 survey by the Education Ministry, more than 77,000 South Korean students said they had been bullied, 10 percent of which said they considered suicide as a result. And according to a 2012 report by The Wall Street Journal, the number of people charged for sexual violence rose by 38 percent in the span of four years. Statistics on the amount of “adulterated” food crimes, on the other hand, were difficult to find. The magnitude and rate at which these “social evils” are occurring seems a lot more serious than anything a 20,000-won ($18) premium could fix. Although this type of insurance is a noble concept, it is
unlikely that it will actually work in practice. Many bullying, rape and domestic violence stories often boil down to one story against another, and as a result, they are very difficult for the defendant for prove. Yet, no matter the price one pays for insurance against bullying, sexual violence and, well, basically spam, these “evils” will still persist in society. Even if someone is financially protected, that does not mean they are automatically protected from any emotional or physical harm as well. On the other hand, car insurance, medical insurance and travelers insurance make sense. They serve as good reassurance for all of our back-of-the-mind fears of an unexpected car collision, serious illness or any debacles we may find ourselves in across the border. However, it is difficult to imagine a kid refusing to go to school because they don’t have insurance protecting them against the bullies. In the same regard, a young adult isn’t going to refuse to go to a bar because the social damages they might develop from a potential rape aren’t covered by their premium. Social evils happen, and that is just something we as a society must deal with in this world. Offering such insurance only makes people more afraid of the possibility of getting bullied, raped or possibly encountering tainted meat. The fact that the South Korean government is even entertaining the idea of such an insurance policy highlights a major flaw in how this country deals with their social problems. Just like the rest of us, South Koreans and their government need to realize that money is not always the answer. Institutional change is.
Third time’s a charm
On nostalgia Sofiya Mahdi Whether it is a result of staring wistfully at snow-covered buildings under grey skies, or seemingly endless nights in harsh winter, this is the season for nostalgia. Intentional or not, we always happen to find our minds wandering to a simpler time. I came across pictures of myself back when my biggest preoccupation was playing outside and learning my multiplication tables — it all seems better when you reach for your rosy glasses and relive the past amidst a troublesome present. And this is not a feeling confined to sad people crying into cups of coffee while staring into computer screens. It’s in our movies, our books, our magazines and our society as a whole. My daily intake of news online is interrupted by a story of Miley Cyrus posing as Marilyn Monroe for Vogue in Germany. While on the subject of famous faces I cannot tolerate, I am not afraid to say that I cannot stand One Direction. So, you can imagine my utter disgust when, as their rise to stardom in the United States quickened, comparisons between them and the Beatles made my skin crawl. The only parallel I could see was that both brought in thousands of hysterical girls who would shriek for hours at the prospect of glimpsing so much as a hair on their heads. This sensation came back to me when I remembered that last night, 50 years ago, The Beatles performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964 to an audience that consisted of 60 percent of all Americans, roughly estimated to be 74 million people. The days where a small band from Liverpool could send a whole country into such chaos are far behind us, but the romantic image of what those times symbolized persist to this day. This nostalgia I was feeling permeated into Friday’s opening ceremony at Sochi as well. Priced at $51 billion (and no, that was not meant to say million), it is the most expensive Winter Olympics to date. Discussions of safety aside, as TIME’s James Poniewozik so aptly described, “The ceremony, in a way like this whole Olympics, felt like a story Russia was telling the world, but most of all a story it was telling itself, about a vital, proud, storied country on the rise.” The host nation’s display was one of wistful thinking, one that was littered with remnants of the past, occasionally punctuated with moments of beauty. Perhaps
the most symbolic malfunction of all was when the Olympic rings ascended into the sky as snowflakes, which blossomed into large Olympics rings. All but one of them lit, providing a visual that had critics of the Games beside themselves. Despite delusions of grandeur, an occassional nod to history is not always completely unwarranted. Microsoft recently appointed Satya Nadella as the new CEO of the company. As indicated by his name, he is an American of Indian decent. According to an article published Feb. 8 in TIME, Vijay Prashad, an academic, claims that Nadella is a child of the “Twice Blessed” phenomenon. Born in 1967, he came into the world after the Hart-Cellar Act, which took down many policies of discrimination toward Asians who had migrated to the United States. Prior to the act, only 100 Indians were permitted to enter the country, and obtaining a green card was near impossible. The second phenomenon that people like Nadella benefitted from was the focus on education following India’s independence from the British in 1947. As a result, Nadella attended a public university in India. Now he is the chief executive of one of the most recognized companies on the planet. Nostalgia takes hold and manifests itself in very different ways. It can be a reflection of your roots and the struggles those before you endured so you could participate in the world. It could be a country contained in its reverie of the days when it held great promise and power in the world. It could be pre-pubescent teenagers, or celebrities who act like them, believing that masquerading as a famous face will be a shortcut to that level of recognition. Last night, it happened to be a celebration of music that held a place in so many people’s hearts half a century ago. As a senior, I have no doubt that these waves of recollections of playing at home or playground politics will hit me from time to time. But, I will let them wash over me, acknowledge them as memories, and hold hope that these days are only the beginning of all that we desire to come. Sofiya Mahdi is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a former managing editor at The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at sofiya218@gmail.com
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.
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Monday, february 10, 2014
7
Lefort records 4 goals, Elia adds 1 in win over New Hampshire Women’s Hockey: From Page 8
“We scored goals and some people probably gained a little bit of confidence,” Durocher said. “And it all came on the heels of making line changes today, which seemed to work for everybody because we got three lines on the scoreboard today, which is nice.” The Terriers padded their lead before heading to the locker room at the end of the first period, as Lefort intercepted an outlet pass from a UNH (9-17-2, 4-10-2 Hockey East) defenseman and shot a low, quick wrist shot into the bottom left corner of the net to give BU a 2-0 lead with 2:45 remaining in the period. “I think we were just keeping things simple, shooting the puck towards the net and jumping on those rebounds and capitalizing on them,” Lefort said.
After a shorthanded goal off of a pretty deke from Warren that gave BU a 3-0 lead about three minutes into the second period, the Wildcats threatened to come back. In the span of 2:04, UNH scored two goals off rebounds to cut its deficit to one with 11:18 remaining in the second frame. But three minutes later, sophomore forward Rebecca Russo passed the puck toward the front of the net from the right boards. The puck found Elia’s stick, and she put it past Vaattovaara to give BU a 4-2 cushion and change the momentum of the game. “[Russo and Elia] made nice plays and really did change the momentum … and put ourselves in a little bit better position,” Durocher said. Despite a tripping penalty on sophomore forward Dakota Woodworth and an interference call on Warren in the period’s
final eight minutes, the Wildcats were unable to find the back of the net for the remainder of the frame. The Terriers then went for the jugular and landed the knockout punch. Lefort skated down the right wing around multiple UNH defensemen and put the puck into the net to put BU ahead by three goals with just 42 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Lefort was not done, however, and with 6:41 gone in the final period, Lefort made a nifty move as she threw the puck against the boards, skated around a defenseman, picked the puck back up and broke out into an odd-man rush with Warren skating down the ice to her right. When the forwards were just feet in front of goaltender Marie-Eve Jean — who replaced Vaattovaara for the start of the third period — Lefort passed the puck across the net to Warren, who quickly sent
it right back to Lefort for the tip-in goal. The score gave Lefort a hat trick and the Terriers a commanding 6-2 lead. “Honestly, scoring is one thing, but it’s all about the teamwork and both my line mates really helped me out there tonight,” Lefort said. “So [I] couldn’t have done it without them.” The Wildcats tried another comeback attempt when forward Nicole Gifford banked a wrist shot in off the post with 12:23 remaining and forward Hannah Armstrong beat Sperry blocker side with a wrist shot to cut BU’s lead to two with 1:50 remaining in regulation. Thirty seconds later, though, none other than Sarah Lefort put the puck into the empty net to put the game on ice. It was her fourth goal and fifth point of the game and stood as the final tally in BU’s 7-4 victory.
BU women’s hockey team sports pink uniforms for breast cancer awareness Juron: From Page 8
MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Sophomore forward Jordan Juron scored her fourth goal of the season against UNH.
Alston finishes with career-best performance Alston: From Page 8
find a rhythm,” Alston said. “I just went with the flow.” Alston capped off his first-half performance with an emphatic dunk off a crisp pass from Watson to extend the Terrier lead to 36-15. At the half, Alston had already made a name for himself with 10 points and three rebounds. The second half of play featured more aggressive play from Alston. After checking into the game with 16:48 to play, Alston got his teammates involved, dishing out an assist to Irving for an easy layup. On the defensive end, Alston recorded a thundering block on Leopard guard Nick Linder’s attempt at basket with 6:39 to go in the game. Perhaps Alston’s most impressive play of the evening came when he made a tenacious cut to the basket, laid the ball in and drew a foul with 6:09 remaining. Alston converted the ensuing foul shot. At the 4:42 mark, Alston put the exclamation mark on his career day, putting home a dunk on a fast break. Before the weekend, Alston had seen limited action, averaging 8.2 minutes per game.
His next-best performance was a six-point, two rebound effort in a 70-60 win against the College of the Holy Cross. Saturday’s game marked the first time that Alston had ever led the Terriers in points. His strong offensive output ignited the Terriers, as the team shot a season-high 56.1 percent. Irving was right behind Alston in scoring, putting up 16 points and five assists. Watson was close behind, scoring 12 points to go along with eight assists and three rebounds. After the game, BU coach Joe Jones praised the work ethic of Alston, noting that Saturday’s performance was anything but a fluke. “The thing that Justin has been doing all year is that he’s had a great attitude,” Jones said. “He’s had a great attitude about himself in terms of what he needs to do and also about being a supportive teammate. He’s worked hard. He’s worked hard on his game. “It’s great to see when you have guys who come in and have a great game like that. It’s great to see and it’s well-deserved. He’s done a good job of doing the things that we’ve asked him to do.”
BU looking to ‘salvage’ rest of 2013-14 season Men’s Hockey: From Page 8
Monday afternoon, that desire to pick up the team’s second win since the end of November will combine with the Terriers’ inability to defeat Harvard in the past two years. Before falling to the Crimson 7-4 on Jan. 4, BU lost to Harvard by the same score in the Beanpot consolation game last season. The Terriers also fell to Harvard 6-5 in overtime during the 2012-13 season. While the Crimson shut out Dartmouth College 3-0 Friday evening, Harvard struggled during the opening round of the Beanpot, losing to Northeastern University 6-0. Last Monday’s game marked the first time all season the Crimson were shut out in a game.
With less than a month left to the regular season, Quinn said he still believes the team can rescue a year that looked all but lost a few weeks ago. “We are starting to salvage our season,” Quinn said. “It’s crazy – you look at our record and it sounds crazy. But it doesn’t matter what your record is right now. It’s how you’re playing. If we can go and be better than Harvard on Monday night, who cares what your record is. “I think that we are a different team than we were three weeks ago. We have got to focus on playing a team we haven’t beaten in two years, building on the momentum we have built. … And eventually you will get rewarded.”
“They work hard on the cause,” Durocher said. “They’ll sell pink pucks around the campus and last night they were doing the ‘chuck a puck’ at the men’s game.” For some on the Terriers, the cancer awareness is a good cause to support, but also one that hits home all too much. Sophomore forward Jordan Juron said her grandmother fought with breast cancer and described how many on the team know people that have been hit with it. “It was pretty cool, we had a nice set up and we looked pretty good out there,” Juron said. “A lot of people have people in their families and friends who have been affected by breast cancer, my grandma being one of them. It gave us a little jump out there, a little extra energy we might not have on a normal basis.” Whether this battle that her grandmother had was in her mind throughout the game against the Wildcats (9-17-2, 4-10-2 Hockey East) Juron made quick work on the scoreboard for the Terriers on this special day. While BU pressured goaltender Vilma Vaattovaara early with some chances, noth-
ing hit the back of the net, at least not until Juron had a chance at goal. With a little more than 12 minutes into the opening frame, the tenacity of Juron paid dividends. Senior forward Taylor Holze started a play in the BU offensive zone along the right wing boards and fed the puck crossice to freshman forward Natalie Flynn. Juron, who was already in the middle of the ice, skated toward the right side of the net. Flynn dished a great pass down low to Juron who tapped the puck into the net past an unsuspecting Vaattovaara for the lead and her fourth goal of the season. The sophomore was visibly excited after scoring just her fourth goal of the season, and pumped her fist as she skated toward the BU bench for congratulatory handshakes from her teammates. The goal was part of a stretch where BU scored three unanswered goals, and the first of a season-high seven for the Terriers. Juron finished with the one point in the contest, but just getting that one on this occasion meant a lot for the sophomore. “It was pretty special,” Juron said about scoring the goal. “It’s been awhile for me. So it’s nice to get the monkey off of my back.”
Terriers right 2nd-half issues, close out blowout win against Leopards Men’s basketball: From Page 8
ards cut the lead to 19 points, capped off by an Alston one-hand slam. “I was very pleased with our team effort tonight,” Jones said. “We had talked about trying to put together two halves and play consistently well for 40 minutes. We’ve struggled with that at times, so tonight it was great to see us play a complete game from start to finish.” With a little more than three minutes left and a 79-48 lead in hand, Jones looked to his bench for relief. Freshman guard Cameron Curry, junior guard Dylan Brossman, freshman guard Braiten Madrigal and freshman center Dylan Haines all got to see game action. Brossman and Curry each hit 3-pointers as the clock wound down. The shots marked Brossman’s and Curry’s first career makes from downtown. “It was definitely fun to see those guys get some time and some baskets because those guys come in every day to practice just like us to work hard,” said senior guard D.J. Irving. “They push us to become better every day and I was happy to see those guys succeed.” Continuing his recent dominance, Irving gave a great all-around effort with 16 points, five assists and three steals. Sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr. also had a
strong game, playing mistake-free basketball with eight assists and no turnovers. “Both of those guys [Irving and Watson] are terrific guards,” Jones said. “So we can have the ball in their hands and they can make plays for themselves and other people, which makes it easier on everyone else. “We have to continue to do two things: defend and take care of the basketball. In the Navy game, we had 12 turnovers at halftime and then we only had three in the second half. We had been doing a better job of [taking care of the ball] earlier in the year and that was one of the things that gave us the chance to win.” With the win on Saturday and an American (14-9, 10-2 Patriot League) loss to Colgate (9-14, 3-9 Patriot League), the Terriers moved up in the conference rankings and now hold a share of first place in the conference. The Terriers next face the Eagles at home Feb. 19, in a match that could prove crucial in terms of determining home-court advantage for the Patriot League Tournament. “We know if we have home court it’s going to be bad for the rest of the [Patriot] League,” Irving said. “But we just try and take it one day at a time and one practice at a time.”
“
Quotable
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It was pretty special. It’s been awhile for me. So it’s nice to get the monkey off of my back.
- Sophomore forward Jordan Juron on scoring her fourth goal of the season.
paGe 8
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CALL IT A COMEBACK
The men’s basketball team won Saturday over Lafayette and is again tied for first in the Patriot League standings, P.8.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Men’s hockey Men’s basketball victorious over Lafayette Alston leads set for rematch Terrier offense with Harvard with 17 points By Meredith Perri Daily Free Press Staff
In its first game of 2014, the Boston University men’s hockey team looked as though it had everything it needed. It had a small break during winter intercession. It had a full squad with players coming back from injury and the World Junior Championships. Then it had far too many penalties and gave up seven goals in a loss to Harvard University at Bright-Landry Hockey Center. Nearly six weeks later, things have changed. After a two-month long skid, the Terriers (8-15-4, 3-8-3 Hockey East) have slowly bounced back mentally and physically with hard-fought games against some of the top teams in the nation. When BU takes on Harvard (7-12-3) in the Beanpot consolation game Monday afternoon at TD Garden, it will look to add another win to that late-season transformation. “I think we are getting a little bit of stability,” said BU coach David Quinn. “We have changed ... and we haven’t done anything earthshattering.” Those changes include a less aggressive forecheck — something that has allowed the Terriers to conserve some of their energy on the ice — and changes to the top two lines, with sophomore forward Danny O’Regan moving from center to right wing. “I just like the chemistry on the lines and the fact that they have been able to play together for two weeks now gives them some familiarity and some stability,” Quinn said. With that change in chemistry in tow, the Terriers continued their recent trend of successful games that did not add anything to their win column over the past week. During last Monday’s Beanpot opener, BU came within inches of tying No. 2 Boston College before giving up an empty-net goal and falling 3-1. Instead of wallowing in another senior class graduating without a Beanpot title, the team came back out Friday evening and tied the No. 7 University of MassachusettsLowell — the same team that held BU to just 12 shots a few weeks earlier. “Nobody is hanging their head,” Quinn said. “I think guys feel good about the way we perform and what you put into it, what we’ve put into it. You want people to be pissed that you’re 8-15, but you don’t want it to get in the way of playing better. “I think we’re pissed off with our record, but I don’t think we’ve allowed it to get in the way of focusing on having a good practice then having a good game. That’s the key. I think we’ve done a good job of that.”
Men’S hockey, see page 7
MICHELLE JAY/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Senior guard D.J. Irving added 16 points in a win over Lafayette College. By Justin Pallenik Daily Free Press Staff
Coming off of a bounce-back win against the U.S. Naval Academy, the Boston University men’s basketball team continued to build momentum Saturday with an 88-54 victory over Lafayette College. The Terriers (17-8, 10-2 Patriot League) entered the game ranked second in the Patriot League behind American University. A win against the Leopards (6-17, 2-10
M. Hockey vs. Harvard, 4:30 p.m.
In a blowout 88-54 win over Lafayette College Saturday, the Boston University men’s basketball team got its offense from an unlikely source. For the first time all season, the story was not about sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr., or senior guard D.J. Irving, but rather, the play of sophomore forward Justin Alston. Alston, who, entering the contest, averaged 1.5 points per game, had a breakout performance for the Terriers (17-8, 10-2 Patriot League), coming off the bench to light up the stat sheet for a team-high 17 points, three rebounds, a block and one steal in 17 minutes of play. The 6-foot-7 forward from Washington, D.C., subbed into the game at the 16:27 mark of the first half with the Terriers leading 8-5. Almost immediately, Alston made an impact, scoring two quick layups on strong drives to the basket to put his team up 12-5. “I was just going off of my teammates,” Alston said of his fast start. “My teammates got me the ball early. This whole game is due to them.” As the Terriers ran up the scoreboard, Alston found his offensive rhythm, taking advantage of a Lafayette (6-17, 2-10 Patriot League) defense that ranks last in the Patriot League in scoring. At the 4:04 mark in the first half, Alston showcased his offensive prowess, corralling his own missed shot and putting the ball back in the net for the score. “I took what I had and tried to
Men’S BaSkeTBall, see page 7
alSTon, see page 7
By Jacklyn Bamberger Daily Free Press Staff
Line changes lead to Terrier win Juron propels BU on special day By Gregory Davis Daily Free Press Staff
Sporting new lines in an effort to spark the squad’s secondary scorers, the Boston University women’s hockey team had one of its best offensive performances of the season at Walter Brown Arena Saturday afternoon, defeating the University of New Hampshire by a score of 7-4. Both teams got their share of scoring chances early in the contest, with goaltender Vilma Vaattovaara robbing sophomore forward Sarah Lefort of a goal with a blocker save off a rebound chance. Lefort would get her revenge later in the game, however. BU (19-9-1, 12-5-0 Hockey East) spent the majority of the game putting shots on net from the point and trying to get deflections. Just over seven minutes into the opening frame, BU’s strategy
The Bottom Line
Monday, Feb. 10
Patriot League), would give the Terriers a chance for a share of first place. Though the cellar-dwellers of the Patriot League this season, the Leopards came into Saturday’s matchup with two consecutive conference victories over Colgate University and Lehigh University. Lafayette has played the majority of the season without leading scorer, junior Seth Hinrichs. Without Hinrich in the lineup, the Leopards have gone 0-10.
“They had been doing a good job their last two games in holding Bucknell [University] and Navy (8-15, 3-9 Patriot League) to under 40 percent shooting,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “When they got Hinrich back, that gave them an extra body. Lafayette runs a great offense and I thought if we could defend them it would give us a good chance to have some success.” Even with Hinrich back in the lineup, BU started the game on a 31-8 run. The Terrier defense held Leopards to just 17 percent from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, on the offensive end, BU shot over 60 percent through 13 minutes of play. The Terriers continued to attack, taking a 42-23 advantage into the half. With senior forward Dom Morris out for much of the half due to early foul trouble, BU relied on its bench to pick up the slack, namely sophomore forward Justin Alston. The sophomore, whose minutes have increased steadily throughout the season, put up 10 points in the first half on his way to a career-best 17. Going into the second half, some doubt surrounded Agganis Arena. The Terriers have been known to give up large second half leads, most notably in the overtime loss against Lehigh (1312, 6-6 Patriot League) last Saturday. “One of things we started to do when we saw that we were struggling in the second half was to have more competitive practices,” Jones said. “I’ve taken away a lot of the stuff that I would normally do to help our guys maintain their focus.” Dispelling all concerns, the Terriers jumped out on a 13-4 run and never looked back. BU scored 12-straight points after the Leop-
Tuesday, Feb. 11
No Events Scheduled With the Sochi Olympics in full-swing, all eyes are on the doubles figure skating event.
worked to perfection. Senior forward Taylor Holze entered the offensive zone and fed the puck to freshman forward Natalie Flynn. Sophomore forward Jordan Juron stationed herself in front of the net, and was in prime position to deflect Flynn’s hard pass into the net to give BU the 1-0 lead. It was a rare goal from BU’s third line, which did not have a player with more than three goals on the season heading into the contest. BU coach Brian Durocher attributed the secondary scoring to pre-game line changes, which saw freshman forward Maddie Elia centering the first line, senior forward Louise Warren centering the second line and fourth-liner Flynn getting playing time on the third line.
WoMen’S hockey, see page 7
Wednesday, Feb. 12 W. Basketball vs. Colgate, 7 p.m. M. Basketball @ Colgate, 7 p.m.
By Andrew Battifarano Daily Free Press Staff
When the Boston University women’s hockey team took the ice in Saturday’s contest against the University of New Hampshire, there was something noticeably different about the game. It was not the performance on the ice — BU (19-9-1, 12-5 Hockey East) won its third contest in four games and 19th game of the year. Sophomore forward Sarah Lefort continued her stellar play this season, recording a hat trick, something that also is not new to the Terriers. It was not what the team was doing on the ice; rather, it was what the team was wearing. Instead of their normal scarlet and white jerseys the Terriers normally wear, the team instead donned pink jerseys, as did the referees. Along with the uniforms, the Ter-
Thursday, Feb. 13
No Events Scheduled The world is waiting with baited breath to see which of the pairs will be the first to attempt the fabled ‘Iron Lotus.’
riers also sold bracelets and tshirts near the arena entrance in support of breast cancer awareness. “To wear the jerseys, it’s the type of stuff [the team does] very subtly most of the time,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “Today you see it. The volunteer work, the reading to kids in the elementary schools, all the community service is done under the radar. But in this case it was pretty bright and bold with the uniforms. Each year we’ve kind of ramped [the jerseys] up.” The team has made an attempt to raise awareness throughout campus the past few weeks, including at Friday night’s men’s hockey game against the No.7 University of MassachusettsLowell.
Juron, see page 7
Friday, Feb. 14 M. Hockey @ UNH, 7 p.m. W. Lax @ UNC, 4 p.m.