3-18-2014

The Daily Free Press

Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XXIX

GAVEL THROWN Judge throws out 2nd lawsuit against MBTA, page 3.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

ADEPT ADAPT

New children’s books teach about natural selection, page 5.

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MASKED ROBBER Jayme Mask named PL Player of the Week, page 8.

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University community mourns loss of CAS freshman BU tuition increases by 3.7 percent for 2014-15 school year

By Taryn Ottaunick Daily Free Press Staff

Leaving his home country of Mexico to receive an education at Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences freshman Diego Fernandez Montes dreamed of returning to Mexico and making it a better place, said his roommate Chiraag Devani.

“He was so driven,” Devani, a College of Engineering sophomore, said. “He was the definition of a well-rounded person ...

He was one of those extraordinary people whose dream it was to go back to his country and make it better. Every day I learned something new from him. He was very involved on campus ... This is a big loss to the community.”

Montes died Friday night during the Spring Recess. The cause of his death remains unknown by those in the BU community.

Devani said when he became Montes’s roommate in November, the two international students bonded over the initial adjustment of life and education in the United States.

“We started off as roommates, and we were bros by the end of it,” Devani said.

“We’d just hang out and talk, and it felt like I had known him forever ... He was the perfect roommate you could ask for.”

During his time at BU, Montes served as the treasurer of the Kilachand Hall Residence Association and the treasurer of

By Drew Schwartz Daily Free Press Staff

MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Students attended a service at Marsh Chapel on Sunday evening to memorialize Diego Fernandez Montes, a freshman who died over Spring Break in his home country, Mexico.

BU’s Mexican Students Association, Mexas at BU. “He was a very happy person,” said Anai Sanchez Rizeron, the freshman representative for Mexas at BU. “If you asked him how he was, he would always say ‘nothing could be better.’ He was a role model for our community. He brought a type of

character and interesting personality to the Mexican Club, and it was always great to have him there and to have his support.”

Rizeron said Montes strove to establish a link between his beloved home country and the BU community through his leadership in Mexas at BU.

Montes, see page 2

New application to help blind people navigate MBTA

By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff

To help visually impaired people navigate through subway stations, a team of engineers has invented a smartphone application that will provide audio directions through public buildings and public transportation.

Aura Ganz, an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has been working with Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and her engineering students to create this application, which leads visually impaired people to their destination by way of several sensory landmarks that they have to reach.

“We have been working together for about six to eight years on this vision,” Ganz said. “We’re finally making it a reality.”

To work, the user must enter their des-

tination and whether or not they are using public transportation into the phone. Then the application, PERCEPT, works by connecting the application with Near Field Communication tags that will be placed around the building, either behind existing signs or on fixed structures. The user will tap their phone to the tag, similar to tapping a CharlieCard to the reader, as they meet the different landmarks.

“All the person will need to have is a smartphone with this app and the building has to be equipped with NFC tags … it’ll be like a vision-free interstate where they can enter a destination,” Ganz said.

“We have an algorithm that generates the instructions automatically. They’re given specific landmarks that they have to reach on the way to the destination.”

Ganz’s invention is being tested in Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Arlington Station. The Federal Transit

Administration granted the MBTA over $200,000 to test this invention and analyze if it is worth implementing throughout the state.

The testing should begin in about a year, said Larry Haile, a system-wide accessibility coordinator for the MBTA. “It’s more of a pilot to see whether it has any merit in terms of being used in the station environment,” he said.

Haile said assistance for visually impaired people is incredibly rare in public transportation, but hopefully this will provide a method for them to get around safely.

“Generally, very few transit agencies do anything with regards to people with visual impairment,” he said. “[This will] try to alleviate one of the major difficulty areas to visually impaired people, using public transportation. With the PERCEPT system,

MBTA, see page 2

Boston University’s tuition and room and board rates have increased by 3.7 percent for the 2014-15 academic year, an escalation below the national average for four-year private research universities.

BU President Robert Brown announced Friday in an email to members of the BU community that the upsurge — a 3.9 percent tuition increase and an average 3 percent increase in the cost of room and board — resulted from a budgeting decision that aimed to continue to “raise the quality of a Boston University education and improve support services while expanding our capacity to offer financial assistance.”

Several students said they were concerned with the cost of tuition and room and board at BU. “It’s difficult because when you first come here, you have a scholarship, and you’re like, OK, this is how much I’ll pay,” said Eliza Reddick, a College of Arts and Sciences senior. “But every year, it increases. Every year I have to take out more loans, so it’s always more inconvenient for me.”

BU spokesman Colin Riley said a majority of students who received financial aid this year would likely see an increase in their aid proportional to the increase of the tuition rate.

The Board of Trustees set the cost of tuition for the 2014-15 academic school year at $45,686 — up from $43,970 — and raised the basic room and board rate from $13,620 to $14,030.

“The operating budget is over $2 billion,” Riley said. “Just think of the cost of providing faculty, providing academic support, providing housing, dining ...

There’s just so many wonderfully positive things taking place at this campus, and they shouldn’t be lost when people recognize that there’s an increased cost of attending.”

The university aimed to control expenses both in and outside of the classroom, Brown said.

“We know parents and students make substantial sacrifices to pay tuition at Boston University,” Brown said in the email.

“We remain committed to our mission of

Tuition, see page 2

Former Boston Mayor Menino diagnosed with cancer, undergoing treatment

By Felicia Gans Daily Free Press Staff

ALEXANDRA WIMLEYDAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO

Former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has been diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer that has spread to his liver and lymph nodes. He began chemotherapy treatment this month.

Six weeks after beginning his work as the co-director of Boston University’s Initiative on Cities, former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced that he has been diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer.

A five-term mayor who served the City of Boston for 20 years, Menino has begun receiving ongoing treatment for the illness, which he learned about in February.

The cancer has since spread to his liver and lymph nodes, according to a Boston Globe article published on Sunday.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Menino’s successor, worked closely with the former mayor in the months following the election to ensure a smooth transition between the two city leaders, a promise Walsh made shortly after his November victory. Most recently, Walsh has followed in his predecessor’s footsteps in his boycott of the

annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade for their exclusion of openly gay and lesbian groups.

“I’ve never known Tom Menino to back down from a fight, and I don’t expect him to start now,” he said in a statement Saturday. “Mayor Menino has always been here for the people of Boston, and we’re behind him today, 100 [percent].”

Graham Wilson, the chair of BU’s political science department, has partnered with Menino for Initiatives on Cities and said Menino’s resilience and unwavering determination will help him continue to live his life as he battles the cancer.

“I was obviously saddened to hear of the illness and concerned for him, and impressed by the positive way in which he’s dealing with the situation and his bravery and determination,” he said.

Wilson said he has no reason to believe the illness will change Menino’s plans to continue working at Boston University, and

Menino, see page 2

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Student fondly remembered as Colleague: Menino ‘determined’ to beat illness valuable community member Menino: From Page 1

Montes: From Page 1

“He loved Mexico and was part of his country,” she said.

“That’s why he wanted to be treasurer — to create more connections between Mexico and BU and have events here to represent his country.”

Montes was also a valued source of positive inspiration to his friends in the BU community, said his friend Michael Behme.

“He was always a guy that would have a kind word for somebody,” Behme, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman, said. “I know that’s a cheesy thing that anybody could say, but he really would take time to say ‘hey, how are you, how was your day.’ He was always cheerful.”

BU spokesman Colin Riley said the school community should remember Montes for the contributions he made during his time as a student.

“It’s a terribly sad tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and classmates,” Riley said. “That’s why we want people to recognize all the wonderful contributions and the great life he had and the things he stood for. He was someone who was obviously really

supportive of his friends and the things he was involved with.”

To memorialize the loss of Montes, Mexas at BU dedicated a Catholic mass at Marsh Chapel to him on Sunday, which was largely attended by Montes’s friends from BU and the Boston area.

“The mass said it all. It was a beautiful moment,” said Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, university chaplain for international students. “Lots of students came out to celebrate his life and the impact he made on BU, even just during his short time as a freshman. He made a difference on so many lives and will be missed by all these people he impacted.”

Devani said Montes remains in his memory as a personal inspiration for his determination to use his American education to serve his beloved home country.

“He just made it so much more clear what we need to do as international students,” he said. “We both came from places where what mattered was who your family was. Then we came here, and it’s more about what you learn and your education. He was learning that more and more everyday.

He will be the reason I wake up every morning and want to make a difference in the world.”

Resident: Any program aiding disabled people ‘worthwhile’ MBTA: From Page 1

they’d have the opportunity to navigate through the station with little to no difficulty.”

Some residents said this program would be beneficial but difficult to carry out throughout Massachusetts.

“Anything to make it easier for people with such a disability is worthwhile,” said Sherry Racine, 32, of the South End. “But it seems like it will take a while to put throughout all T stations, especially since the testing won’t even begin for a year.”

Michael Bird, 49, of Jamaica Plain, said this may be a costly project but worth the money.

“It will definitely be a tough project to put into all the MBTA

stations,” he said. “But we can’t just neglect these people. They already have a huge disability, we should do all we can to help them.”

Jim Holevas, 67, of Dorchester, said the MBTA and the government should make this a focus on a much wider scale.

“I’m surprised we aren’t assisting the blind much more,” he said. “We give a lot of attention to so many other disabilities, making everything wheelchair accessible, and we pay attention to so many other issues … but there should be much more help given to visually-impaired people. I can’t imagine being independent and getting around without my eyesight.”

he looks forward to the continued partnership.

“We haven’t discussed [his medical condition] in detail, but I do know that he will be determined to carry on with energy and enthusiasm. He’s very enthusiastic, gracious, very personable, very easy to work with. It’s been a fabulous experience.”

John Guilfoil, who served as the deputy press secretary for Menino for his last two years in office, wrote a blog post Monday in which he addressed Menino’s announcement and spoke about his respect for Menino, as a politician

and a Bostonian.

“It always seemed as if no obstacle was too big for Mayor Menino, and that’s why I’m confident that he will face down this latest challenge,” he said. “Mayor Menino is a strong man in more ways than one, and I am praying for him and his wonderful family.”

Several residents and students said the news of Menino’s cancer is disappointing, especially in the wake of his new position at BU. Jasmine Little, 23, of Brighton, said Menino spoke at her BU graduation ceremony in 2013, and her experiences through college were often defined by Menino’s actions as mayor. Although his

illness may limit his involvement with Initiatives on Cities, she said BU and Menino will bounce back.

“BU always makes things happened, so I’m sure whatever they have planned, they’ll do it,” she said. “[But] I’m sure it’ll have a huge effect of the identity of the city in general.”

Katie Robidoux, 23, of the South End, said Menino’s fight against cancer will be an example of Boston’s fighting morale.

“We’re fighters in Boston,” she said. “It will be an example for everyone as he fights on and continues his fight against the disease to show us all not to stop.”

Financial aid to increase with rising tuition Tuition: From Page 1

high-quality education and will continue to address the challenges of balancing quality and cost that go with this commitment.”

Brown said the university expected to provide financial aid to 51 percent of BU students in the coming academic year, and that building endowment to support financial aid is a major objective of the BU Campaign, designed to raise over $1 billion for the university.

Victoria Liquori, a junior in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said she

was unsurprised by the increased cost of attending BU. “Sometimes BU has that connotation of squeezing every dollar they can out of you,” she said.

“Everything I get is in loans, so I just have to keep paying more and more back, and it’s a lot on my parents that they have to pay because they have to make up the difference. It just sucks, but I wasn’t shocked when I saw it.”

Riley said the rates of tuition and room and board increased not only due to enhanced amenities.

“The improvements in facilities is just one thing, but the qual-

ity of the faculty has improved,” Riley said. “With it, we’ve seen an increase in the caliber of the student body, the applicants and continued interest in and reputation of Boston University.”

CAS junior Gagan Gautam said he felt the increase was unfair.

“I’m still waiting for the email that says we’re going to keep it the same, instead of increasing it every year,” he said. “I feel like it’s not in my control, but hopefully it eventually reaches a bubble because students can’t be paying that much.”

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Campus & City

Campus Crime Logs March 10 to March 15

By Drew Schwartz Daily Free Press Staff

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from March 10 to March 15.

UNH investigation On March 10 at 285 Babcock Street around 10 a.m., the University of New Hampshire Police Department contacted the BUPD for assistance in an ongoing investigation that originated at UNH concerning the UNH basketball coach.

Hypodermic needles At 888 Commonwealth Ave. on March 10 at 9:30 a.m., staff at the Panera Bread restaurant notified police regarding the fact that they found two used hypodermic needles in the men’s bathroom.

The needles were taken into evidence by the BUPD. Trespassing At 3 Cummington Mall on March 11 at 9:48 a.m., a former employee, who was issued a trespass warning earlier when she was terminated from the university, was found visiting a friend in the building. The staff then contacted the BUPD, who stopped her and reissued her trespass warning subjecting her to arrest if she came on BU property.

Larceny At 660 Beacon St. on March 11 at 5:20 p.m., a suspect attempted to steal a BU class ring from the Barnes and Noble bookstore.

He was stopped by a salesperson, who discovered that he was attempting to take the ring off of a sheet and replace it with his old ring. The salesperson took custody of the new ring, and the suspect fled the building.

Parking accident At 925 Comm. Ave. on Friday at 10 a.m., an employee hit a pole while attempting to park in the Agganis Arena garage, causing damage only to her vehicle.

Bicycle stolen At 750 Comm. Ave. on Friday at 5 p.m., a student’s bicycle was reported stolen from the basement of 730 Comm. Ave. at some time between March 1 and March 14.

Motor vehicle accident At Carlton Street on Saturday at 2:00 a.m., BUPD officers assisted in a motor vehicle accident between a BU shuttle bus and a taxi. There was substantial damage to the taxi and also to the bus, though there were no reported injuries. The investigation is still ongoing.

Robbery At 33 Harry Agganis Way on Saturday at 5:39 p.m., three students reported that sometime on March 12 unknown persons had entered their suite and stolen several items. There was no forced entry into the room, and the case is currently under investigation.

The total value of the items stolen was estimated to be between $700 and $1000.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

AFLC injunction against MBTA denied again SG considers creating more senate seats

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By Kelsey Newell Daily Free Press Staff

The American Freedom Law Center’s preliminary injunction against the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which would require the MBTA to display its previously rejected and controversial advertisement immediately, was denied on Monday.

Last November, the AFLC filed a lawsuit against the MBTA when the MBTA would not allow the American Freedom Defense Initiative to run an ad that talked about the conflict between Palestine and Israel, arguing that the MBTA was violating their First and 14th Amendment rights. The ad stated, “in any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man” and calls for people to support Israel over Palestine and to “defeat Jihad,” according to the suit.

Kelly Smith, spokesperson for the MBTA, told The Daily Free Press in November that the denial of the ad was not because of the topic of the ad, but rather that it did not meet their standards when it came to regard for different cultures.

By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Staff

ALEXANDRA WIMLEYDAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO

The American Freedom Law Center sued the MBTA for censoring pro-Israel advertisements that would have been in T stations and on trains.

“The MBTA is asking that the message be modified to meet the requirements of the MBTA’s advertising standards,” she said. “The MBTA is not opposed to groups expressing their points of view, but it must be done in a respectful manner that recognizes and appreciates the cultural diversity of a public transit environment.”

The AFLC claimed the MBTA was violating their right to religious expression and freedom of speech and also the civil rights granted to all American citizens.

“The restriction is not only content-based,” said Robert Muise, a lawyer at the AFLC. “It’s view-

Lawsuit, see page 4

Patrick travels to Latin countries for trade mission

By Andrew Keuler Daily Free Press Staff

As globalization tightens its grip on the world economy, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick traveled to Panama Monday for the start of a weeklong trade mission that will focus on forging new relationships and strengthening existing ones with business and government leaders in Panama and Mexico.

The trip, which will last from March 17 to March 22, brings together a delegation of 11 leaders working in business, science and technology fields in the Commonwealth, a March 10 press release said.

“Lasting growth in the 21st century global economy will come from our competitiveness in global markets and opening up Massachusetts to the markets where we share strengths,” Patrick said in the release. “The leaders in business and government and venture capitalists of Latin America’s growth centers are eager to collaborate with us because they recognize that Massachusetts is an innovation hub with a disciplined strategy for growth.”

Richard Elam, the executive director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Invest-

ment, is traveling with Patrick and said Massachusetts needs to create partnerships with other innovation-focused countries to grow the Commonwealth’s economy.

“The goal of all our innovation partnership missions is to develop economic relationships with countries around the world where we have common views regarding the importance of education, innovation and infrastructure as tools to create a strong economy,” he said in an email. “By forging relationships with like-minded partners around the world we believe we can enhance our economy even further by collaboration and mutual investment.”

Massachusetts annually exports $1.86 billion and imports $3.37 billion worth of goods to and from Mexico, making Mexico the state’s third largest trading partner. Patrick and his delegation are hoping to maintain and enhance the strong economic ties to Mexico, Elam said.

Patrick has become one of the most-traveled governors since taking office in 2006, having traveled to or sent delegates to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and Israel.

Krista Selmi, a spokeswoman at the Massachusetts Executive Of-

fice of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said these trade missions allow Massachusetts to work with international partners and become a global leader in technology.

“For example, during a trade mission to Israel, Governor Patrick asked Secretary Sullivan to look into water innovation in Massachusetts,” she said. “Since then, Secretary Sullivan has focused on growing the water innovation industry here, which now has more than 300 companies in the Commonwealth.”

Through the trade missions, Patrick has also placed significant emphasis on the high-tech fields of clean energy and biotechnology, two areas in which Massachusetts excels.

John Harris, a Boston University professor of economics, said the trade missions serve as an attempt by the Patrick administration to leverage these strengths in order to grow the economy.

“Massachusetts has a higher ratio of exports to GDP than do most states and they’re concentrated in these tech fields,” he said. “The general belief is that these are areas where we have expertise and strength and trained people and entrepreneurial firms. So

Patrick, see page 4

Boston University Student Government tabled a proposal Monday to outline requirements for granting a senate seat to a student group.

The proposal would have required that a student group be recognized by BU and have membership of at least one percent of the student body, or 160 members, in order to have a seat in the senate.

The proposal was postponed due to concerns about representation of groups that did not meet the criteria.

The senate established a committee to evaluate the proposal further, which will be chaired by College of Arts and Sciences sophomore and CAS Class President Tyler Fields.

While presenting the proposal with Fields, BU SG Executive Vice President Richa Kaul said establishing criteria to allocate seats to student groups would allow for more effective representation.

“We know that a lot of people don’t really self-identify with the college that they attend or the place that they live in,” Kaul said. “This gives people an opportunity to be represented in a way that they want to be represented.”

Interfraternity Council Senator Jason Balsamo said he had concerns that the criteria proposed would unfairly favor larger organizations.

“The changes that are being discussed are changes that would allow organizations disproportionate influence while not recognizing small organizations,” Balsamo, a senior in CAS and the College of Communication, said.

Kaul said though she expected the proposal to be tabled, she was pleased that the discussion process is underway.

“I welcome the opportunity to work on it and make it better,” Kaul said. “It’s an interesting debate, something that Tyler and I need to look into more. But I see it as an issue that can be solved. Overrepresentation is something that I’m scared of less than underrepresentation.”

The senate also approved a proposal by Director of Environmental Affairs Danielle Elefritz to fund a program promoting the use of reusable bags at the Sleeper Hall City Convenience store.

The one-month trial program, set

SG, see page 4

Starting salaries for BU grads average $46,000, data suggests

By Brogan Calkins Daily Free Press Staff

As steep college tuition costs at schools such as Boston University cause students to question the value of higher education, new research points to promising returns on career salaries.

The median starting pay for Boston University graduates is $46,000, according to data assembled by College Measures, an organization that focuses on making information about the costs and benefits of higher education more available. This figure puts BU in the 83rd percentile for starting pay among U.S. colleges and universities, the data stated.

“Our focus is on measuring the return on investment of time and money in higher education — from both the student and taxpayer perspective,” said College Measures President Mark Schneider.

College Measures tracks variations in wages of college graduates and traces this variation back to the program level, allowing them to determine which universities fiscally make the most sense to attend, Schneider said.

In addition, the average recent BU grad pays $3,671 in student loan payments annually, the data sates.

“Students should know more about ... likely labor market outcomes ... for their choice of school and major ... before they take out 10s of thousands of dollars in loans,” Schneider said. “To use the title of a bill wending its way through Congress, students should ‘know before they owe.’”

Similar data indicates that the salary of BU grads increases dramatically as they gain career experi-

Salaries, see page 4

GRAPHIC BY MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Some states, including Massachusetts, are planning to provide salary information about graduates for all public universities and colleges, which means prospective students will be able to consider the financial payoff of their educations among different schools.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Degree not only factor in salaries Judge: ‘Plaintiffs acted in bad faith’ sAlAries: From Page 3

ence. Online compensation information company PayScale estimated the average starting salary of BU grads at $48,000 in their 2013-14 PayScale College Salary Report. However, the average mid-career salary for a BU graduate is $90,700, the report stated.

Although the prestige of the college a student attends is important, many other factors contribute to determining a graduate’s salary, said Kevin Lang, a professor of economics at BU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“First, many of the advantages and disadvantages students bring with them to college remain after graduation,” Lang said. “Networks are very important for job finding, and if you had good family connections when you arrived in college, you probably still have them when you graduate.”

Calvin Chen, a College of General Studies freshman, said he thinks an applicant’s personal skills count more for their salary than the school they attended.

“Colleges are always talking about their employment rates after graduation, so that must mean something,” Chen said. “There’s a line though. Yes, better schools mean more job options and better pay, generally. Other factors come into play, too, though, like personality and work experience.”

Paul Sliwinski, a College of Engineering freshman, said school plays a major role in how much a student can earn after college.

“Employers are looking to hire the best possible candidates,” he said. “If the employer knows the school you went to is reputable, you have an edge on the competition. A better school means more options, which gives you the opportunity to make more money.”

SG looks to eliminate plastic bags sG: From Page 3

to run in April, will include a five- to 10-cent tax on plastic bags to discourage their use, according to the proposal.

If the program reduces the use of plastic bags by ten percent, the department would consider expanding its efforts to other City Convenience locations, said Elefritz, a junior in CAS and COM. The senate’s funding will allow for the production of 750 reusable bags that the Department of Environmental Affairs will distribute at the Sleeper Hall City Convenience store.

The Department of Environmental Affairs is encouraging the revenues from these taxes to be used toward further sustainability efforts at City Convenience locations, Elefritz said.

“The tax is intended to raise awareness,”

said Elefritz. “You don’t need a bag to carry out a bag of chips, for example.”

The senate also voted to officially endorse the efforts of SG’s Advocacy Department to have BU recognize Veterans Day as a school holiday.

Caitlin Steele, director of the Advocacy Department, said whereas most other universities suspend classes on Veterans Day, BU provides a day off for faculty members only.

“It’s a national holiday, but it’s also just a very symbolic time. We have a huge ROTC community here at the school,” Steele, a School of Management senior, said. “We’re happy that they [the senate] felt the BU community would like us to move forward with this and start negotiations.”

lAwsuiT: From Page 3

point-based, and viewpoint-based restrictions are the most egregious form of content discrimination under the First Amendment.”

In January, ADLI submitted a second modified advertisement to the MBTA, which was accepted by the MBTA. The MBTA contacted ADLI requesting specifications for the ad, but instead the ADLI sent back a “tweak” to the advertisement, which included the quote from the original advertisement that had been denied.

Once again, the MBTA determined that the advertisement was “demeaning and disparaging.” After some more contact between the MBTA and the AFDI, the AFLC filed a preliminary injunction against the MBTA that would require them to display the third ver-

sion of the advertisement. Judge Nathanial Gorton denied AFLC’s preliminary injunction.

“Plaintiffs have not made the requisite “strong showing” that the MBTA acted unreasonably in rejecting an advertisement that was very similar to an advertisement it had previously found to be demeaning and disparaging in violation of its advertising guidelines,” states the judge’s order.

Judge Gorton stated his reasoning for denying the injunction was the “plaintiffs acted in bad faith in submitting the Second Advertisement to the MBTA, waiting for that advertisement to be accepted and then using that acceptance as an excuse to file a second lawsuit … such blatant gamesmanship and deliberate confrontations does not warrant [such action].”

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Resident: Mexican partnership ‘effective’ PATrick: From Page 3

the idea [behind these trade missions] is to create greater demand for exports from Massachusetts and that will then create additional jobs and expansion of investment in those fields.”

Several residents said Patrick’s mission trip to Panama and Mexico would benefit the economy of Massachusetts and bring innovation to the region.

Sam Stone, 23, of Allston, said trade missions that focus on biotechnology are important for those fields to develop in Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts is a hub of biotechs in the United States,” he said. “Just the sheer number of small biotech companies as well as some of the bigger ones are here. So it makes sense for him to go there and focus on that.”

@ d a i l y f r e e p r e s s

John Conley, 44, of Fenway, said mission trips are useful, but Patrick should ensure that all partnerships forged on the trips are for the purpose of helping Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts has an advantage,” he said.

“There are a lot of universities that are focusing their curricula on that [biotechnology]. He’s got to focus on ideas here in Massachusetts.”

Brendan Pierre, 20, of Back Bay, said traveling to other countries and creating international relationships is the best way to expand innovation in Massachusetts.

“Any way you can try to find innovative way to expand the economy and open up ways to provide more jobs is an effective strategy,” he said. “Creativity and ingenuity is what fuels the economy, so expanding to different areas like that is positive.”

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BU researchers find a happy ending: Storybook shows young children can understand difficult scientific concept of natural selection Becca DeGregorio Science Tuesday Contributor

O

nce upon a time. It is an exposition as classic as storybooks themselves. From fairytale collections to choose-yourown-adventure series, storybooks have been used for decades as means of conveying morals to young children: Be kind. Eat your vegetables.

It is OK to be scared. Don’t take too much from a tree. Adaptation through natural selection occurs based on long-term survival over masses of a population.

One might assume that this final lesson on natural selection is slightly too advanced for children to understand, but several psychiatric researchers at Boston University’s Child Cognition Lab have shown this may not be the case, according to a March 11 press release.

The researchers discovered that children are indeed capable of grasping complex scientific concepts, and they proved this by using an accessible means of communication: a picture book. They presented children with a 10-page picture book that the researchers themselves wrote.

The “complex scientific concept” used adaptation by natural selection.

“Here at the CCL, we are interested in how children conceptualize the natural and human worlds,” said Kristin Lees, the manager of the lab in which the study was conducted. “We are currently exploring topics such as how children learn about biological processes.”

Dr. Deborah Kelemen, director of BU’s CCLs and head author of the research, explained that researchers chose the picture book’s topic based on its historical difficulty.

“Natural selection is pretty complex and multi-faceted, so most students aren›t comprehensively taught adaptation by natural selection until early adolescence, if then,” she said.

“However, there have been a slew of education studies over the past 30 years indicating that, even after instruction, these and older students still don’t tend to understand it.”

Much of this continued misunderstanding over adaptation is derived out of a common misconcep-

PHOTO BY MAYA DEVEREAUX/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A team of researchers at Boston University demonstrated the educational power of storybooks by writing one about natural selection, a dense scientific topic. After reading the picture book, the children displayed significant comprehension of the material.

tion concerning the amount of time it takes for traits to fully evolve in a population, she said.

“The main misconception that I see is this confusion of adaptation that somehow life can simply work to adapt itself in its own life cycle,” said Dr. Douglas Zook, a professor of science education and global ecology at BU. “In fact, natural selection is really what’s left over. We’re all here now — this tree, you, me and anything else that’s alive — because we fit in right now, and everything else doesn’t.”

This inaccurate conception of evolution as short-term is known as a teleological explanation. They are attempts to derive understanding from purpose, Zook said.

“We can change our own life, but just because we change something doesn’t mean it will evolve and go in some direction,” he said. “That’s the main concept that I think people need to be more aware of.”

In an effort to combat this inaccuracy, Kelemen and her team specifically designed their book to cater a more gradual and clear scenario.

They did so by developing a fictional species called “pilosas” upon which the plot of the story was based.

Researchers created an imaginary species as the main characters of the story so that children would not read the book with any preconceived notions.

The pilosas begin the story as an ancestral species with trunks of varying shapes and sizes. Adaptation through natural selection effects takes effect as the population has only narrow trunks at the end of book.

“Page-by-page, the story very carefully and tightly unfolds an explanation of how —after terrible climate change — the pilosas’ food [bugs] got driven underground into tunnels,” Kelemen said. “Gradually, all the pilosas with wide trunks die

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBORAH KELEMEN

This illustration from the picture book depicts the differing appearances of ancestral and present-day “wilkies.” The fictional species evolved to be taller over time in order to reach the fruit, and they are just one of several animals developed by Kelemen and her team for the storybook.

because they can’t get to the food, but the ones with skinny trunks can reach it and stay healthy enough to have babies and so pass on their traits to their offspring.”

However, even a picture book is nothing without kids to read to. In a first experiment, the researchers gathered 61 children aged five to eight.

The children were given pretests and then researchers read them the story. Afterward, the children were evaluated on both their comprehension of the story and their ability to generalize the same idea to a novel species. Evaluations were given on the same day and then three months later to test for retention.

The evaluations were listed on a scale from zero to four, according to the formal report. A grade of zero indicated a child had “no isolated facts” about natural selection, and a grade of four indicated a child had “natural selection understanding in multiple generations.”

The proportion of five to six-yearolds at level zero fell from 82 percent before reading the story to a slim 11 percent after reading the story. Fiftyfour percent of this age group also showed an accurate integration of facts into a population-based explanation for why the pilosas’ trunks narrowed over time.

Evidently, the older group approached the pretest with more basic knowledge of evolutionary processes, but researchers still observed a significant growth in understanding.

The percentage of seven- to eightyear-olds who showed sufficient knowledge of facts concerning the adaptation process (level one or above on the evaluation scale) went from 57 percent to 90 percent.

In this biological test of scientific literacy, the kids passed, and their successful learning from this medium stands as a firm supporter of a good story’s power to educate, the researchers concluded.

“I believe these findings have broad implications, both for the science content taught in early grades, and for the method of instruction,” said Dr. Kathleen Corriveau, a professor of human development in SED. “These findings suggest the importance of books as an instructional tool.”

Early exposure to advanced academic material is certainly not foreign to the BU community. Michael Dennehy is the director of BU’s Upward Bound math/science program, which assists high school students from Boston and Chelsea in preparation for collegiate studies.

“Part of their involvement and our purpose is to expose them to a wide array of STEM fields that they could potentially study in college,” he said.

Students in the program participate in afterschool tutoring and even day-long science labs in BU facilities.

“I think where there are some parallels, within our reach, is we really try to expose students to key concepts of science at an earlier age,” he said. “I would agree with the findings of the study in that I do think that, as educators, we do need to think about exposing students to key concepts in science at an earlier age.”

However, allowing students of all ages to harness advanced material early on in life is just the first step.

Zook said experiential learning is a key factor alongside more traditional education.

“I think children need to be outdoors and in nature to actually have a feeling for these kinds of topics and actually see how organisms change over time in front of their eyes,” he said.

Despite the implications on educational techniques, the simplest interpretation of the results may just be the most important one: children are smart.

“People shouldn’t underestimate the smarts of young children,” Kelemen said. “Human beings are naturally motivated to learn and explain things. Educational approaches can capitalize on that drive so that kids don’t just learn a bunch of facts but also how the facts fit together to make an explanation.”

She said the study indicates that placing more effort into science education at an early age could reap massive societal benefits.

“Children learned a lot from one pretty basic storybook intervention, so imagine what a curriculum spread over several years might do for scientific literacy long term,” she said.

“The possibilities are very exciting.”

6

Opinion

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University 44th year F Volume 86 F Issue 29

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 © 2014 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

More colors on St. Patrick’s Day

In 1995, John Hurley, the chief organizer of the South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, was so against Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Groups participating in Southie’s annual parade that he brought the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Since the Allied War Veterans Council organized this private annual event, the Supreme Court ruled that Hurley, also known as “Wacko,” and the parade’s organizers had a First Amendment right to exclude the LGBT community from openly expressing their sexuality while marching in the parade.

And now, in 2014, although the public opinion about homosexuality has dramatically changed in Boston, LGBT Groups of Boston were still unable to express their sexuality while marching Sunday’s parade. Although no one is stopping LGBT individuals from participating in the parade, if they held up a rainbow flag or banner expressing the fact that they identify as LGBT, Mr. Wacko would have gone well, wacko.

Preceding the Parade, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in South Boston was hosted by a non-male, non-white, non-South Boston resident for the first time ever. State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, a Haitian-American woman married to an Irish-American, hosted the signature cultural event of Southie on Sunday, and was met with a lot of support and recognition.

Forry was then joined on stage with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, another Boston public figure that represents that changing demographic of Boston.

“Have a good look, everybody,” Patrick said as he put his arm around Forry. “This is what a ‘Forry’ and a ‘Patrick’ looks like these days.”

However, although the breakfast gave the impression that the city has made a dramatic progression in terms of equality, integration and tolerance, Sunday’s parade seemed to discourage all of that progress.

Former City Council president Lawrence DiCara described this Sunday as a day that was, “out of sync.”

“The breakfast gives the impression of a dramatically changing city, but the parade gives the impression of a city that hasn’t changed in 50 years,” DiCara told the New York Times.

Sunday’s parade was met with a great amount of backlash and provoked multiple boycotts — even from Boston Mayor Martin Walsh himself.

Walsh, an Irish-American himself, attempt-

ed to reach a compromise with The Allied War Veterans Council prior to Sunday, but was unsuccessful. Since he did not agree with perpetuating this equality gap, he refused to participate in Sunday’s parade. Such was an honorable move by Walsh that was also reflected by several other prominent Boston figures and companies.

Club Café and Cornerstone Pub and Restaurant are two Southie bars that refused to serve Sam Adams beer because its parent company, Boston Beer, was a parade sponsor. As a result, Boston Beer then backed out of sponsoring the parade.

People could argue that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is about celebrating Christianity, and not a platform for activism — particularly a type of activism that would impede on many of its follower’s religious beliefs. But that argument itself exemplifies one of the biggest problems with this situation. The Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade symbolizes the double standard that LGBT people still face in today’s society.

Police, firefighters and several other Irish groups were allowed to march in the parade sporting their uniforms, banners and pride.

LGBT people, on the other hand, had to keep that pride quiet. Not allowing LGBT people to march behind a banner that symbolizes who they are forces them to deny their identity in public.

Permitting the LGBT community to openly express their sexuality during the parade does not mean that it would then transform into a “gay pride parade,” subsequently losing focus of the holiday itself. And, at the same time, this holiday often isn’t about the religious aspect to many people, but rather about coming together as a city to celebrate their Boston and Irish pride in a green, drunken stupor.

If this tradition was just meant to be about religion, then the parade would be run as a religious ceremony — not a celebration where Darth Vaders and Wizard of Oz characters are running around painted green.

Equality is never as simple as black or white or green. But we are in a state that is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage, and it is absurd that fellow Boston residents are being excluded from a tradition that the city holds most dear.

Now that prominent Boston figures have taken concrete action over this issue, hopefully more colors will be added to the sea of green at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2015.

Workout shoes and jeans kate hofberg

Listen up gentlemen, this one’s for you.

No longer can I keep quiet about a serious fashion faux pas that I experience on a daily basis: workout shoes and jeans.

I’m sorry. I don’t care how comfortable or practical your Reeboks are, when you wear them as everyday footwear. You look ridiculous and you all need to take them off immediately.

In fact, there is only one instance I can think of in which workout shoes are acceptable and appropriate attire — and that would be when you’re actually working out. Wearing them for any other reason is just stylishly amateur and surefire lady repellent.

Why is the paring of jeans and workout shoes such an unattractive combination, you may ask? For starters, they’re clunky, and when you wear them with jeans you look more like a confused junior high schooler that hasn’t grown into his body yet. The chunkiness of the workout shoe isn’t the only problem. It’s also the futuristic look of the modern day workout shoe with weird neon stripes, honeycomb webbing and metallic logos that look like they were designed for space age performance.

Are you headed to Mars in those shoes, or just to class?

I believe the problem lies in men not realizing how much women notice their footwear. But let me tell you fellas, we are definitely paying attention. A recent survey of 1,000 American men and women by the men’s footwear brand Allen Edmonds found that women judge men’s shoes twice as much as men judge women’s. And I hate to break to you men, but the survey not only found that 64 percent of women judge a man’s fashion sense based on his shoes but also that 52 percent of women say they judge a man’s personality by his choice in footwear.

So here’s what running sneakers with jeans say to women looking at you from head to toe: You are indifferent to style.

Not only do you seem to lack a complete understanding of current fashion trends, but you appear lazy, boring and completely oblivious. When you’re repping your favorite pair of Asics, it shows us that you started to get ready and after all the work you put into picking out a shirt that went with your pants, you just gave up.

Laziness. It’s a trait that, I promise you, us females are not looking for in a mate.

But your New Balance sneakers are comfortable and practical, you say? Please.

Stop it. We ladies wear four-inch heels on a regular basis because we understand the importance of looking our best, despite comfort and practicality. If we can stand to work, dance and walk on Boston brick in platforms, then you gentleman can make the simple effort of swapping your running sneakers for something a little less hideous like a classic pair of lace-up Vans or a discreet pair of Converse.

What really gets me is how frequently I observe this style crime. Unfortunately, it seems that a majority of men haven’t gotten the memo that pairing Nike running shoes with denim is the ultimate fashion sin. Walk down just one campus block and count the number of times you see a guy wearing the world’s most atrocious combination of denim and running shoes.

Any number more than one should appall you because we live in a bustling, buzzing, cosmopolitan city in which fashion trends should be set, not set back!

It never ceases to amaze me how far from fashionable our city is, even being in such close proximity to New York, one of the most fashionable cities in the world.

Do we live in Boston or Birmingham?

Sometimes I can’t tell. If the men in this city want to be recognized and respected as contemporary and culturally competent individuals, then they better start dressing like it.

It’s not that I’m completely superficial.

I understand that personalities are not totally defined by the way we look, but I truly believe in the power of dressing to impress.

When you look good, you feel good, and who doesn’t want to feel good? We may not be in control of all aspects of our physicality, but we do have control over the way we dress ourselves and if our whole look can be transformed by something as simple as our choice in shoes, I don’t understand why jeans and workout shoes seem to be the rule, and not the exception.

So to those of you men who are reading this with New Balance running shoes on your feet, please, do us all, including yourself, a favor, and get some practical use out of them. Run to the nearest shoe store — and I don’t mean Foot Locker — and get yourself a new pair. You can thank me later for the free fashion advice.

Kate Hofberg is a graduate student in the College of Communication. She can be reached at kwhofberg@gmail.com

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Write a letter to the editor!

Taylor Brooks is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Communication. He can be reached at tjbrooks@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.

l e t t e r s @ d a i l y f re e p re s s . c o m

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

7

Benedykciuk: Accomplishments not only factor for jersey retirement Benedykciuk: From Page 8

way.

Jackie Robinson’s number 42 is retired throughout baseball, not just because of the tremendous statistics Robinson put up, but also because of the social impact he had nationwide. Without Robinson’s initiative, the game of baseball may never have seen some of its greatest players, like Willie Mays, Barry Bonds or Roberto Clemente.

Perhaps even Parker would have retired Jackie Robinson’s number.

Jack Parker’s number 6 is the second number retired by the Boston University Terriers. BU retired Travis Roy’s number 24 in 1999. On October 20, 1995, Travis was injured 11 seconds into his first career

shift in his first collegiate level game; his fourth and fifth vertebrae were cracked when he met an awkward collision with the boards, leaving him a quadriplegic.

The Travis Roy Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the life of spinal cord injury victims and families. Roy’s story, though intrinsically tragic, is incredibly inspirational. He has become a motivational speaker to high school and corporate settings alike, and is the author of his autobiography Eleven Seconds, chronicling his accident, rehab and perseverance.

At Parker’s number retiring ceremony against Northeastern, Parker explained that Roy’s injury was the worst thing to happen during his coaching tenure here at BU. Roy has regained movement in his right arm

since the accident, and waved to the crowd.

The jubilant crowd responded with a standing ovation.

Roy’s story is an exceptional example of a number retired for a cause, not for how good an athlete someone is. Now, when anyone goes to see a game at Agganis Arena, they will see Travis Roy’s No. 24 banner hanging in the rafters. If they are unaware of who Travis is, they can simply Google him, and be introduced to his tearjerking, inspiring story.

A Rutgers University football player by the name of Eric LeGrand was severely injured on October 16, 2010, in a game against Army at MetLife Stadium. LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down, when he attempted to make a tackle while

covering a kickoff.

Like the Travis Roy Foundation, “Team LeGrand” of the Reeve Foundation searches for a cure for paralysis. LeGrand was the first, and is the only player in Rutgers’s 144-year old football program to have his number retired.

I feel that numbers should more often than not be retired for stories as well as for athletic feats. Jackie Robinson was not only an excellent baseball player; he was also the start of a new age in baseball. The stories of Travis Roy and Eric LeGrand share the common themes of character, confidence and determination. And those are all more honorable than any statistics or records.

Terriers enter Patriot League schedule Women’s Lacrosse: From Page 8

ers Jill Horka and Sofia Robins as well as classmate attack Mallory Collins have emerged this season for the Terriers.

These underclassmen have played in all six games this season, accumulating 19 starts among them.

“This year’s sophomore class is strong,” Robertshaw said. “They get ground balls, win draw controls, cause turnovers and really play excellent all-around games.”

Collins is the leading scorer for BU this season with nine points, all of them goals.

The Boston native has scored in every game this season, including a four-goal bonanza against No. 1 University of North Carolina.

Horka and Robins have also produced stellar offensive outputs. Robins is 2-for2 on free position shots and converts 66 percent of her shots, good for third on the squad. Meanwhile Horka has scored three goals in the last two games, including two off the bench in the victory over the Eagles (2-6, 0-2 Patriot League). “[The sophomores] bring an energy to the field that our team needs,” Robertshaw said. “Their ability and confidence really takes the pressure off the seniors.”

Clearance issues Defensively, the Terriers have struggled this season against opposing clears. BU gives up over 93 percent of opposing clear attempts, a number that resulted in four straight losses to begin the season. Over the past two games alone, Johns Hopkins and American combined to go 16-for-17 against the Terriers.

“We’ve had to change a lot of things due to personnel,” Robertshaw said. “The clear is something we know we have to improve on. Since the beginning of the season, we’ve seen some great improvement, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”

Meanwhile BU has converted over 25 JACKIE ROBERTSON/DAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO

Attack Mallory Collins has scored a team-leading nine goals in 2014 for the Terriers.

Like the “Daily Free Press Sports Section” on Facebook Terriers beat FIU to end Spring Break stretch Track: From Page 8

To kick off the week, the Terriers (7-6) narrowly defeated the Blue Raiders (7-5) by a score of 4-3 on March 10. Sophomore Johanna Hyoty, sophomore Lauren Davis and sophomore Kim McCallum each recorded singles victories in straight sets to kick off the action.

The duos of Hyoty and senior Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis and McCallum and sophomore Madison Craft downed their doubles opponents to seal the Terrier victory.

Three days later against the Trojans (7-6),

BU did not fare as well, losing 4-3. McCallum, freshman Barbara Rodriguez and junior Sami Lieb won in singles, and Hoty and Athanasiadis provided the Terriers’ only doubles victory.

BU ended the trip on a positive note, posting a convincing 5-2 victory at FIU (5-4). McCallum won her third singles match of the trip, and Lieb, Hyoty and Davis also recorded singles wins. Once again, Hyoty and Athanasiadis defeated their doubles opponents. Rodriquez and Davis claimed their first doubles’ win of the trip, edging out Valentina Briceno and Carlotta Orlando, 8-7 (7-4).

percent less clears than its opponents, at a 67 percent rate. After converting a measly 59 percent of clear attempts for the first four games of the season, however, the Terriers have begun to find success. In its last two games, BU has gone 22-for-25 on clear attempts, including 9-for-9 against American.

“This is an area we are constantly addressing and gaining confidence in each and every day of practice,” Robertshaw said. “We continuously make adjustments to our schemes so that we can produce more successful clear attempts.”

Upcoming conference schedule As the nonconference schedule winds down for the Terriers, they can take lessons learned against the nation’s best and apply them in the Patriot League.

Four of BU’s first six games pitted it against ranked teams, including two against top five opponents No. 3 University of Maryland and North Carolina (9-0). After losing by 10 goals apiece in these first two games, the Terriers lost by a combined margin of six versus No.10/11 University of Massachusetts–Amherst and Johns Hopkins.

“The beginning of the season was tough for us,” Robertshaw said. “But it also showed us where we need to improve, and now we can bring those improvements to these next few games.”

After playing the majority of its nonconference schedule already, three of BU’s next four matchups come against conference opponents. The Terriers will also enjoy their first game in Nickerson Field Wednesday against the College of the Holy Cross.

“This is an important stretch for us now,” Robertshaw said. “We have to do the little things in order to succeed in this conference, or else we’ll have a tough time.”

Hynes showing consistency in circle after losing 1st 5 of 6 starts in 2014 Softball: From Page 8

well as the wins against Maine, Long Island University-Brooklyn and Miami University (Ohio).

Hynes’ one loss during that timeframe was in the game against Butler in which she gave up four runs and lasted only one inning while the Terrier bats practically abandoned her and her successor, freshman

pitcher Makinna Akers.

Even with the outlier of the Butler game, Hynes sports a 2.44 ERA over her last five games, including shutout performances in her wins against LIU–Brooklyn (9-20) and Miami (9-12).

Coach Kathryn Gleason was unable to comment at the time of publication.

Follow us on Twitter: @DFPsports

“

Quotable

“

We have to do the little things in order to succeed in this conference, or else we’ll have a tough time.

- BU coach Liz Robertshaw on playing in the Patriot League.

page 8

The Blue Line Retiring numbers

Mike Benedykciuk During the first intermission of the final Boston University hockey home game against Northeastern, legendary coach Jack Parker’s number 6 jersey was retired.

When he was given the microphone, he mentioned how he felt it was “against his rule” for BU to retire his number, as he himself was against the notion of retiring numbers altogether.

Parker stated that no numbers were retired at BU because he likes the idea of one great player wearing the same number as a great player before him. Even top players like Jack O’Callahan, Dave Silk, Jimmy Craig and Mike Eruzione from the 1980 US Olympic Gold Medal team do not have their numbers retired.

I somewhat agree with Coach Parker. The idea of an outstanding player being able to wear the number of another outstanding player is not only practical but also common.

The number 23, made famous

by Michael Jordan, is quite common among basketball players.

LeBron James wore number 23 in Cleveland, I’m sure in no small part because of Jordan’s influence to the game. (Although, LeBron changed his number, and has openly stated that no one should wear the number 23 anymore out of respect for the legendary Jordan.) The Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat have retired the number 23 in Jordan’s honor.

A very common number in hockey is 19, and for similar reasoning. Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic, captains of the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, each wore number 19. Yzerman was captain of the Red Wings for a record 19 seasons, during which the team won three Stanley Cups. Sakic was captain for 16 straight seasons, and led the Avalanche to two Cup wins. Both teams have respectively retired the number 19 in honor of their hardened captains.

Under Coach Parker, players like Jordan and Yzerman most likely would not have had their number retired. I believe that there are players who deserve to be honored in that extra-special

Benedykciuk, see page 7

Sports

No Events Scheduled After experiencing his first earthquake, UCLA basketball player Kyle Anderson said that he’s “had enough” and plans to transfer.

[ www.dailyfreepress.com ]

OF THE HEAP

Seniors Rich Peters and Monica Adler were named All-Americans for their performance in the indoor track season, P.8.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Softball offense thrives early in season Meegan excels in net for BU in previous 2 games

By Joe Calabrese Daily Free Press Staff

The opening of the Boston University softball team’s 2014 season has been nothing but inconsistent. While the Terriers (1110, 1-0 Patriot League), brought back a winning record with them after their trip to Florida over break, the team seems to have not yet hit its stride.

BU’s bats have certainly been working for the team as they have scored 111 runs over their first 21 games and currently lead the Patriot League in average runs per game with 5.3. Seven of the team’s 11 victories have been by four runs or more while four of its last eight games have been won in shortened contests, including victories over Providence College and the University of Maine.

Similarly, the Terriers have only been shut out twice so far this season including their latest, a 7-0 loss to Butler University in the final of this past weekend’s Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament.

In the field, however, the Terriers have faltered thus far. BU has given up 22 unearned runs off of 31 errors this season, which has cost the team dearly. On three separate occasions, errors have directly led to losses while errors in other games have made a few of their victories a little too close for comfort.

Mask, Connolly lead charge With most of the team hitting the leather off the ball, two Terriers have been opening eyes over the past week with their plate presence. While senior right fielder Jayme Mask showed why she’s one of this teams leaders this over the past week, freshman outfielder Moriah Connolly held the hottest bat on the team over the weekend, boasting a monstrous .462 average for the tournament.

By Justin Pallenik Daily Free Press Staff

In a week in which the Boston University women’s lacrosse team earned its first win of the season, freshman goalkeeper Caroline Meegan shone for the Terriers.

Facing conference opponent American University on March 8, the Terrier (1-5, 1-0 Patriot League) goalkeeper was vital in the 12-11 triumph. She made six saves, including a crucial one as time expired, to clinch the BU win.

SARAH FISHER/DAILY FREE PRESS FILE PHOTO “She’s really stepped up for Senior Jayme Mask earned Patriot League Player of the Week for her play us this year,” said BU coach Liz at the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament.

Robertshaw. “She’s getting better While switching duties be- by a score of 9-1 in only five in- every game, and against American tween designated hitter and center nings. Just 21 games into the sea- she came up big.” field, Connolly, a Patriot League son, Mask has a chance to break In an 11-8 loss against No. Player of the Week back in late her single-season record for steals 14 Johns Hopkins University on February, has hit safely in five of of 37 set last year.

Thursday, Meegan stood strong her last seven games, including in the face of a potent offensive Hynes steps up a three hit performance against attack. The Timonium, Md., naMaine (8-8) as well as the sole tive made six saves on 28 shots.

Taking the focus to the circle, Though the Blue Jays (9-0) evenhit in the Terriers’ latest showing consistency has finally been found tually prevailed, Meegan gave BU against Butler (7-15).

Mask served as one of the in sophomore pitcher Lauren a fighting chance throughout the teams’ various other offensive Hynes in the win column. Hynes contest. spark plugs throughout the week, dropped five of her first six deciMeegan earned Patriot League as her ten steals, .455 average, sions this season, the majority of Rookie of the Week honors for her eight runs, and four RBI led her which came in very close games, two-game performance, the conto her first Patriot League Player excluding only her complete- ference announced March 10. of the Week award this season and game victory against Santa Clara “Leading a defensive unit full fourth in her career. In last Tues- University on Feb. 28. One of of seniors can be extremely difday’s doubleheader turned offen- those losses was the heartbreak- ficult, especially for a freshman,” sive clinic, BU routed both Quin- ing extra-inning loss that came Robertshaw said. “But she’s done nipiac University and Cleveland from a botched throw by senior an amazing job, and she’s stepped State University, and Mask was shortstop Brittany Clendenny in up to a major challenge.” extra innings. the one who stole the show.

In her last five games howShe went a combined 5-for-7 Underclassmen starring with five stolen bases in the team’s ever, Hynes has turned it around, second game against the Vikings notching victories in four of her Meegan is not the only under(10-10). The five steals in one last five, including a five-inning, classman exceeding expectations game broke both her old school complete game victory against this season. Sophomore midfieldrecord and a Patriot League re- Quinnipiac (2-15) on Mar. 11, as cord that stood for 22 years. The woMen’s HooPs, see page 7 sofTBAll, see page 7 Terriers won both games that day

Peters, Adler named All-Americans after NCAA Indoor Championships

By Jacklyn Bamberger Daily Free Press Staff

Senior Rich Peters and senior Monica Adler represented the Boston University track team at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., this past weekend. Peters finished in fourth place in the men’s mile, running 4:03.49.

The finish served as Peters’ second top-10 placing in the event. In 2012, the England native ran 4:01.78 in a runner-up effort. Junior Anthony Rotich of the University of Texas-El Paso won this year’s race in 4:02.54.

Peters also competed in the 3,000m, but was unable to complete the race.

Adler had an impressive showing of her own, running 4:40.87 to finish eighth in the women’s mile.

Her performance was just off of her personal-best 4:36.35, which was set March 2 at the BU Last Chance meet.

For their efforts, the United States

The Bottom Line

Tuesday, March 18

TOP

The Daily Free Press

Wednesday, March 19 W. Lax vs. Holy Cross, 6 p.m.

M. Basketball vs. Illinois, 7 p.m.

Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association recognized Peters and Adler as First Team AllAmericans on Monday. The honor was Peters’ fifth in his BU career and Adler’s first.

Wrestling competes at UPenn

ing the bracket and defeating Marcus Scheidel of Columbia University 8-2 in the Championship match.

In his 141-pound division, Scotton reached the semifinal match, losing to Todd Preston of Harvard University, 5-0. In the third-place match, Scotton fell to Franklin and Marshall University’s Rich Durso, 3-0. Scotton had previously defeated Durso earlier in the weekend in a 4-3 sudden victory.

Wightman also claimed a spot in the NCAA Championships in the 165-pound division by virtue of his fifth-place finish.

The Boston University wrestling team finished tenth at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships at the University of Pennsylvania Sunday. Thanks to their performances, senior Nestor Taffur (157), junior Tyler Scotton (141), and junior Mitchell Wightman (165) qualified for this weekend’s NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City.

BU coach Carl Adams was awarded EIWA Coach of the Year and the team was honored with the conference’s Sportsmanship Award.

Taffur won his weight division for the second consecutive year, sweep-

Over the Spring Break, the Boston University men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Florida.

The men took on the University of Miami Saturday in Coral Gables, Fla. The Terriers (5-8) fell to their oppo-

Thursday, March 20

Friday, March 21

Wrestling @ NCAA Championships, All Day

Tennis takes on Miami

Wrestling @ NCAA Championships, All Day

nent, 6-1. Sophomore Mario Sandoval provided the team’s only victory in singles, defeating William Abanese in three sets 3-6, 6-3 and 10-2.

Senior Chanon Varapongsittikul narrowly fell to Hurricanes (10-4) senior Omar Aly. In doubles, the team of Varapongsittikul and senior Jesse Frieder lost 8-4 to the duo of Aly and Wilfredo Gonzalez. Sandoval and sophomore Stefan Lemire were defeated by senior Diego Soto and junior Henrique Tsukamoto by the same score. To cap off the day of competition, freshman Jay Leelavanich and freshman Jake De Vries fell to Abanese and freshman Daniel Shebshayevich 6-3.

In nearby Miami, the women’s team went 2-3, defeating Middle Tennessee State University and Florida International University and falling to Troy University.

rounduP, see page 7

Saturday, March 22

Softball @ Yale Invitational, 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.

M. Lacrosse @ Bucknell, 1 p.m.

W. Lacrosse @ Navy, 3 p.m.