The Daily Free Press
Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XXIV
MOOC BOOK Online courses now open for registration, page 3.
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Monday, March 3, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
WORK AND PLAY
WeWork offers new type of vibrant office space, page 5.
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LANE-CHANGER Sophomore propels BU to first road win, page 8.
WEATHER
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Security rules implemented for 2014 Boston Marathon ZBT suspended, 4 chapter members arrested after party By Mina Corpuz Daily Free Press Staff
In order to better protect participants and spectators after the tragedy of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, the Boston Athletic Association announced new security rules will be implemented during the upcoming marathon. A no-bag policy will prevent runners from bringing bags onto the course, the Athletes’ Village or near the start and finish lines. In addition, the BAA will limit and restrict bag size for spectators, amount of water carried and the size of signs and flags. There will be a security screening at the beginning of the race to ensure these rules are followed, according to an email sent to race participants by the BAA on Thursday. “For the 2014 Boston Marathon, with an increased field size and for everyone’s safety, we will work with public safety officials to ensure that we preserve the exceptional race day experience that makes the Boston Marathon an icon in the world of sport while making race day safe and enjoyable for all,” the BAA wrote in the email. This high level of security will require help from local authorities. Sergeant Michael McCarthy of the Boston Police Department said BPD officers will work with the BAA to enforce rules and keep people safe. “Security plans are still being addressed and finalized,” he said in a Friday statement. “No final plan has been issued. Given the unprece-
By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff
gent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in 2012, also spoke at the vigil. Bitto met Munsell in their junior year at BU, and the couple dated for a little over two years. “Eric was just the most amazing person you could ever meet,” she said. “He constantly put his family and his friends above thinking about what’s best for Eric. He’s the most responsible person, driven, smart as anything. He just loved life.” Bitto said she last saw Munsell about two weeks before he went missing. Boris Virnik, who graduated from ENG in 2012, also spoke at the vigil. He met Munsell during his freshman year at BU. “We all have a lot of memories with him, and we wanted to take this time to remember those memories,” he said. Virnik said the number of people who at-
Boston University’s Dean of Students Office suspended BU’s chapter of fraternity Zeta Beta Tau Thursday after four students were arrested at 85 Linden St. Wednesday evening on charges of keeping a disorderly house and violating terms of probation. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said DOS made the decision to suspend the fraternity after they received information about an off-campus function that members of ZBT were involved in planning and hosting. “We received a few complaints, one from the Boston Police Department, and then two other individuals, that made for what could be a plausible set of circumstances where … a gathering over at an off-campus location where we believe a select number of members from the ZBT chapter participated in and had planning roles in that gathering,” he said. “They may have been serving alcoholic beverages to people that were underage.” Police responded to a complaint Wednesday night at 85 Linden St., where they found approximately 150 to 200 attendees, confirmed BU spokesman Colin Riley. College of General Studies sophomore Sawyer Petrick; CGS sophomore John Pavia; College of Fine Arts and College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Michael Oldcorn; and CAS senior Terry Bartrug were arrested at 85 Linden St. and taken to Nashua Street Jail for violating probation terms that were the result of a party held in September at the same location, Riley confirmed. At the earlier party, which took place Sept. 21, police found over 200 partygoers in addition to evidence of underage drinking and marijuana use and at 85 Linden St. Following the incident, the four students pleaded not guilty at their arraignment, where the judge put them on pretrial probation and forbade them from having guests. The chapter members at the Jan. 26 gathering allegedly violated university rules about serving alcoholic beverages and holding parties during the recruitment period. A representative of ZBT could not be reached for comment. “That’s a violation of rules we’ve set out for organizations serving alcohol,” Elmore said.
Munsell, see page 2
ZBT, see page 2
MICHAEL CUMMO/DAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO
Boston Police announced a plan Wednesday that outlines how it will handle crowd control and security at this year’s Marathon.
dented events of last year’s marathon there will be additional resources assigned to the event to ensure the safety of runners and spectators.” Several running clubs said they appreciate the BAA and police department’s efforts to make the race safer and more enjoyable. Jim Sweeney, president of Parkway Running Club, said the restrictions are reasonable for runners and spectators to follow. “[The BAA] really tried to think through
what they need to do to make sure that that nobody gets hurt and limit that as much as possible to make it a good race for the runners and spectators,” he said. “It’s hard to do, but I think they’re doing a great job at balancing those two things.” Drusilla Pratt-Otto, co-president of Liberty Athletic Club, said although the bag rule is an inconvenience, it will not deter runners from
Marathon, see page 2
Candlelight vigil held in honor of missing ENG graduate By Drew Schwartz Daily Free Press Staff
More than 100 people attended a vigil for Boston University alumnus Eric Munsell Saturday at Long Wharf, where Munsell was last seen before police declared him missing on Feb. 9. Those who attended wore ribbons and lit candles in Munsell’s memory. Family, friends and fellow alumni of Munsell, who graduated from the College of Engineering in 2012, spoke at the vigil. “Eric has had a huge impact on a huge number of people,” said Keith Munsell, Eric’s father. “He’s a caring, responsible kid who has almost never had an enemy in his life. He tends to surround himself with people similar to him, who have responded with amazing dedication to try to find him. It’s a testament to Eric himself that there’s so many
people here, and it makes me feel proud.” Munsell was last seen celebrating his 24th birthday at Market Lounge, a bar in the Financial District, after being removed from the establishment by a bouncer. Through reviewing security camera footage, police have determined Munsell then walked to Long Wharf. “There isn’t any video of him falling into the water,” Munsell’s father said. “There still is hope that he didn’t.” Munsell’s father, who spoke at the vigil, said police, volunteers, and members of Munsell’s family have conducted an exhaustive search for the missing graduate. “Mostly what I’m focused on now is future positive outcomes,” he said. “Frankly, I think the chances of recovering Eric alive are slim.” Allison Bitto, who graduated from Sar-
Hosting 2024 Summer Olympics could cost up to $20 billion, report suggests By Toni Booras Daily Free Press Staff
Amid buzz about a possible bid for Boston to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, No Boston Olympics, a group of volunteer Bostonians, put together a report explaining why hosting the games would be a mistake. No Boston Olympics analyzed what the Olympics have cost the host cities of the past eight Olympic Games, focusing on the last four Summer Games, and found hosting the Olympics would cost Boston approximately $10 billion, taking money away from other necessary projects, according to a report released Wednesday. The report concluded the games would cost a maximum of $20 billion to host, comparable to Boston’s Big Dig, the most expensive metropolitan highway project in the history of the United States. “We are big sports fans,” said Chris Dempsey, cofounder of No Boston Olympics. “We think Boston is an incredible city and we want to see Boston grow, but we don’t think an Olympics is the way to do that.” Dempsey said the group believes the money could be better spent elsewhere, such as on edu-
cation, transportation and healthcare. “We have serious concerns about the cost of an Olympics in terms of the hard dollars and what it has cost other cities,” he said. “We also think there’s a big opportunity cost with the Olympics, which is that if we spend a lot of time focusing on essentially throwing a threeweek party, we’re not going to be focused on a lot of core priorities that are really important for making Boston a good place to live.” The group, which formed in November, aims to ensure residents are aware of the costs as well as the benefits, Dempsey said. “We want to make sure that the costs are part of the conversation and get people to realize that the benefits might not actually be as large as people might think, given what they think of when they think of the Olympics,” Dempsey said. A commission created by the state legislature to evaluate whether Boston meets the United States Olympic Committee host city requirements released its own report on Thursday. It concluded that it would be possible to host the Olympic Games, but would be a huge undertaking.
GRAPHIC BY MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
No Olympics Boston, a coalition against hosting the 2024 Summer Games, released a report Wednesday that suggests it could cost anywhere between $10-20 billion.
“It would be feasible to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games,” the commission’s report stated. “However, should the region move forward with a bid, it must be noted that it is a monumental task that is not to be taken lightly.”
The 11-member commission and its three subcommittees examined how Boston stacked up against Olympic infrastructure, transporta-
Olympics, see page 2