3-31-2014

Page 1

The Daily Free Press

Year xliv. Volume lxxxvi. Issue XXXVI

LATE TRAINS First weekend of latenight MBTA service successful, page 3.

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Monday, March 31, 2014 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

]

www.dailyfreepress.com

STILL PERFECT

APP SNACK

Women’s lax remains undefeated in league play, page 8.

Apps deliver food, alcohol to your front door, page 5.

WEATHER

Today: Rain/High 40 Tonight: Snow showers/Low 32 Tomorrow: 49/33

Data Courtesy of weather.com

Student Government Elections 2014 TrueBU

BU’s Push To Start

COURTESY OF TRUEBU

(From left to right: Alexander Golob, Sandra Soto, Cassandra Shavney, Salma Yehia)

COURTESY OF BU’S PUSH TO START

(From left to right: Joe Ferme, Richa Kaul, Jamie Ellis, Josh Mosby)

BU’s Push to Start looks to utilize vast TrueBU directs attention to bridging gap between student body, government network, experience to promote ideas By Jaime Bennis Daily Free Press Staff

Boston University Student Government campaign slate TrueBU aspires to bring change to the school by promoting three ideals: community, empowerment and vision. “We want to make sure that students have a happy and healthy four years here at the university and leave here more impassioned and empowered to make a difference in their community than when they entered the university,” said Alexander Golob, TrueBU’s presidential candidate and current president of CFA Student Government. TrueBU consists of Golob, a College of Fine Arts sophomore, in addition to School of Education sophomore Sandra Soto, College of Arts and Sciences junior Cassandra Shavney and CAS junior Salma Yehia. The slate aims to encourage student innovation, involve students and teachers in forums and foster better communication in the community, Golob said.

“That means working on everyday concerns every day and not the 11th hour,” he said. “That involves mental heath support that involves harnessing student innovation through grant programs, creating forums between teachers and students so that we can actually break down some of the barriers of miscommunication and build bridges rather than burn them.” Soto, the slate’s candidate for executive vice president, stressed how important it is to bridge the gap between the student government and the student body, most notably through Student Activities Office reforms. “Bridging the gap between the student body and the student government is the main goal,” Soto said. It’s all about actually being able to hear their concerns and we can’t do that if we have no connection with them. Increasing collaboration through SAO reforms is another huge way we plan to get in touch

TrueBU, see page 2

By Jaime Bennis Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University Student Government campaign slate BU’s Push To Start will focus on bringing inclusivity and continuity to student government. “What we are aiming to do is make a more inclusive student government,” said Richa Kaul, the candidate for president. “The way that we are planning on doing that is by listening to everyone else’s’ voices and hear them out and accomplish the changes that they voice.” Kaul, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, as well as CAS junior Joe Ferme, College of Communication junior Jamie Ellis and CAS freshman Josh Mosby make up BU’s Push to Start. The main factor that distinguishes BU’s Push To Start from competing slate TrueBU is its prior experience in student organizations across campus, Kaul said. “We have real experience in getting big

changes done across campus, changes of the caliber that we are promising right now,” Kaul said. “I am current vice president, Josh is currently on executive staff and Jamie is currently director of events.” Ferme, the slate’s candidate for executive vice president, said the slate has already taken steps toward creating a more inclusive student government. “We’ve already reached out to student groups,” Ferme said. “We’ve listened to student opinions, and we’ve inputted those ideas into our platform already. After the election is over, if we win, we want to go back to those student groups and try to take their ideas and work with them because our platform is really the students’ platform.” Mosby, who is running for vice president of finance, said one of the campaign’s main goals is to create transparency in the cost of tuition and within student government.

Push to Start, see page 2

BU’s Push to Start, TrueBU debate ways Boston offers support to families of to include more students in SG decisions 2 firemen killed in Back Bay blaze By Adrian Baker Daily Free Press Staff

Two slates competing in the Boston University Student Government Executive Board elections battled in a debate Thursday night, tackling issues such as student safety, transparency within student government and legitimizing the role of student representatives. TrueBU and Push to Start, the two competing slates, emphasized the importance of integrating students in the SG decisionmaking process. The slates also discussed platform issues they had in common, such as reform of the Student Activities Office. The slates were challenged to explain why they were qualified to represent the student body. College of Fine Arts sophomore Alexander Golob, the TrueBU candidate running for student body president, pointed to the capability of the individuals working on TrueBU’s campaign. “We have such exemplary people — and

it’s not just our slate, it’s our team,” said Golob, currently the CFA class president. Members of BU’s Push to Start platform responded to the same question by mentioning the diverse backgrounds of each candidate and the benefit of a slate containing both SG incumbents and outsiders. College of Arts and Sciences junior Joe Ferme, BU’s Push to Start’s candidate for executive vice president, said he would bring a new perspective to the decisionmaking table because he has never served in student government. “Having a fresh face can help solve issues that have been repetitive issues in the past,” he said. Members of TrueBU said they would attempt to re-establish a student support network for mental health services as well as institute a grant system for funding student groups and startups if elected.

Debate, see page 2

By Felicia Gans Daily Free Press Staff

As Boston mourns the loss of Lieutenant Ed Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy in Wednesday’s nine-alarm Back Bay fire, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, the Boston Firefighter’s Credit Union and a variety of community groups have come together to support the victims’ families and honor the men whose lives were lost. Mayor Walsh attended a ceremony at City Hall Plaza Friday to raise the flags of the Boston Fire Department and share a moment of silence with the community. The Credit Union is administering a fund, established by Firefighters Local 718, for the benefit of the families. Anyone can donate to the fund by visiting the Credit Union’s website at www.bosfirecu.com. “Although no donation can heal the wounds suffered by the Walsh and Kennedy families, we are grateful to the Boston Firefighter’s Credit Union for helping us create a focal point for peoples’ generosity, and to the people of

Boston, of Massachusetts, and of the United States, who have once again shown the power of a community to help healing process begin,” Mayor Walsh said in a Thursday press release. Bernie Winne, CEO of the Firefighter’s Credit Union, said the fund is one option for those who would like to honor Kennedy and Lieutenant Walsh through donation. Lieutenant Walsh’s family requested, in Sunday’s obituary section, that anyone who wishes to donate should do so through the Credit Union fund. The Kennedy family designated three other charitable funds that the deceased firefighter had been involved with, Winne said. Winne said the families have no involvement in the fund as of now, and the Credit Union has not been in touch with the families yet. “At this point in time, the families are much more involved with their own situation and the grief that they’re undergoing,” he said. “At some point in time, I will reach out as a rep-

Fire, see page 4


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