2-16-2017

NEWS Boston Cultural Council, a council within the Mayor’s Office for Arts and Culture, awards more than $450,000 in grants to local arts orgnaizations. p.4

MUSE FreeP vs. Food ranks milkshakes around Boston, including those from Shake Shack, Boston Burger Company, UBurger and Cobblestone Cafe. p. 6

25°/34° SNOW

SPORTS After a rocky freshman year, Naiyah Thompson has become a mainstay in the starting lineup for the women’s basketball team. p. 12

DAILYFREEPRESS.COM @DAILYFREEPRESS

(FORECAST.IO)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017 THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY YEAR XLVI. VOLUME XCII. ISSUE V

Divest BU lobbies President Brown for weeks

BY BLAU RAMOS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Since Jan. 31, Divest BU has been sending two of its members to Boston University President Robert Brown’s office every day in an attempt to have a face-to-face meeting with him. They have documented their success, or lack thereof, on their Facebook page.

The group held a rally and delivered a petition to Brown on Dec. 8 with the goal of persuading the Board of Trustees to divest endowment funds from the fossil fuel industry. This petition demanded the topic of fossil fuel divestment be placed back on the Board of Trustees’ agenda in response to President Donald Trump’s election.

Brown responded to the petition in a letter to the student group Jan. 24, where he acknowledged the group’s grievances.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley said the university has responded to Divest BU’s demands and environmental concerns in general, citing initiatives the university has taken efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“The university has been very responsive to these issues, starting with the creation of the Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing, which was created several years ago to monitor the investments of the university,” Riley said.

Brown stated in his letter that the Board has already adopted some of the ACSRI’s recommendations, namely forming the Climate Action Plan, a university-wide initiative to make BU more energy-efficient.

Regarding the ACSRI’s recommendation to halt investments in companies still searching for new oil reserves, the Board has “endorsed avoidance of investment in coal and tar sands on a ‘best efforts’ basis,” Brown statet.

This response has not appeased Divest BU, its members said.

Divest BU wrote in its petition to Brown and the Board that this decision “neglects a crucial portion of the ACSRI’s proposal: to divest from ‘companies that continue to explore for fossil fuel reserves of any kind.’

The petition also stated that Trump

Boston University behavioral health services are facing new rising demand

BY NATASHA MASCARENHAS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY COLE SCHONEMAN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

For the past two weeks, Divest BU has sent two members to Boston University President Robert Brown’s office every day, hoping to meet with him and discuss divesting endowment funds from fossil fuels.

Administration’s decisions regarding climate change warrant a prompt reconsideration of divestment from BU’s investors.

In response, Brown wrote to Divest BU that the board avoids taking political stances and thus will not be readdressing divestment as a result of the new administration.

In response to President Brown’s letter, the coalition is “planning to release an open letter to President Brown in response to his letter to us in a publication,” Masha Vernik, a Divest BU student leader, said.

In the meantime, Divest BU will be continuing its lobbying efforts — The group is planning a rally on March 1 to, among other things, demand BU’s divestment from fossil fuel companies, said Vernik, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students’ opinions were mixed regarding Brown’s response to Divest BU’s petition.

Jessica Weiss, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said Brown’s response to Divest BU sets a poor example for students as well as other universities who could potentially divest from fossil fuels if BU did.

“If [President Brown] agreed to divest from fossil fuel companies , his actions could

set off a chain reaction that would encourage other schools to divest their [endowments], too,” Weiss said. “What kind of example are we setting if our school is investing in [fossil fuel] companies that are ruining our environment?”

Hannah Giffune, a sophomore in CGS, said she believes the university would be better off in the long run by investing in renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.

“I think because we have very efficient alternatives for fossil fuels, it’s not necessary to use them or invest in them,” Giffune said.

Nicolas Restrepo, a freshman in the Questrom School of Business, said he thinks Divest BU should reconsider the impact on the university’s funding abilities if it were to divest from the fossil fuel industry abruptly.

“If we take away all the funding that we get from [investment in the fossil fuel industry], so much money is going to be taken away from things that we actually need,” Restrepo said. “So many of the programs that [students] are in, they are fighting to take away the funding for. They’re just going to lose all their programs.”

When Emma Seslowsky made an appointment with Student Health Services’ Behavioral Medicine department for her depression and anxiety, she was told SHS doesn’t see people long-term for behavioral health.

“I spoke with a woman and kind of told her the entire narrative of my journey with mental health issues, which is exhausting in and of itself, and then she told me she couldn’t see me long term, and referred me to someone else,” Seslowsky, a junior in the College of Communication, said.

“And then I had to kind of tell the whole story again.”

College students nowadays often have to wait for days or even weeks before they can get an initial exam from their university’s student health establishments, according to an article published on Feb. 6 in STAT, a national science and medicine publication.

Time f lies by quickly in college, and that is why students’ mental health needs should be addressed in a timely fashion, said Megan Thielking, author of the article.

“Things move so quickly that being put on a waitlist for three weeks can really affect your school performance. It can affect your mental health,” she said. “In college, since so much is relying on you to be able to perform academically, your scholarships might rely on you to be able to perform academically, your standing in school, your standing in sports teams. There’s a lot more that’s time sensitive for students.”

At BU, the number of students coming to Behavioral Medicine in crisis has more than doubled in the last four years, from 647 in the 2014-2015 school year to 906 in the 2015-2016 school year, a 40 percent CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Local organizations show appreciation for EPA workers

BY JORDAN KIMMEL DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Local environmental organizations rallied Tuesday morning at the Environmental Protection Agency’s New England office to demonstrate appreciation for EPA workers, highlighting the agency’s work as well as improvements that can be made within Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Sierra Club co-sponsored the 30-minute EPA Appreciation Pop Up Rally, which drew approximately 80 demonstrators to the EPA Region 1 office building.

As workers entered the building, supporters pumped cardboard signs in the air and cheered to show their thanks.

The Home Energy Efficiency Team and Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light

also co-sponsored the rally, according to the rally’s Facebook page.

Emily Norton, chapter director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club and a Newton city councilor, told The Daily Free Press she considers working at the EPA as challenging but necessary.

“It’s already a tough job to work in environmental protection, whether it be [at] the nonprofit level or the government level,” Norton said. “A lot of people in the United States take for granted the protections that are in place until something happens like Flint. We used to have much worse air quality.”

While claiming that EPA employees’ work is noteworthy, Norton said the state still has a long way to go regarding environmentally CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL FREEMAN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A pop-up rally breaks out Tuesday morning at the New England EPA building to show appreciation for the EPA Region 1 workers.

2 NEWS

BU received record-breaking donations C A M P U S CRIME LOGS

BY LANEY RUCKSTUHL DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University received a record-breaking number of donors, as well as the highest amount of donations in 2016, recently released financial statements of the fiscal year 2016 shows.

According to BU’s financial statements for the 2016 fiscal year, $157.5 million in donations and gifts were made to the university, which is a 12 percent increase from the previous year.

The university’s total endowment also reached an all-time high, at $1.655 billion, according to the statements.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley attributed the financial gains to the Campaign for Boston University, a fundraising campaign launched in 2012. The campaign’s goal was to raise $1 billion in five years, but it reached that goal in April.

“This was a terrific effort by our Development Office and our Alumni Relations Office,” Riley said.

Aside from the efforts from the campaign, the increase in donations also has to do with the generosity of alumni, Riley said.

“We have over 300,000 alumni who have a connection to the school and are people who are interested in supporting the university’s continued excellence in providing education across the board to young people,” he said.

Riley said donations are very important in allowing the school to reach its operating costs, which are not fully covered by tuition.

“Tuition only covers about half the operating costs of the university, so if the university’s operation costs for the year are over $2 billion, only half of that revenue stream comes from tuition,” Riley said.

The university’s total revenues during the fiscal year is $1.8 billion, including donations, tuition and other funding sources. Its operating courses weighed in at a million less, according to the finalcial statements.

“This is the first campaign of its type that ever started with a billion dollars,” Riley said of BU’s campaign. “The fact they reached it ahead of schedule and have expanded it to one and a half billion is really significant.”

In the university’s annual report, BU President Robert Brown wrote that he considered reaching the campaign goal “one of our most significant achievements this past year.”

BY CAROLINE HITESMAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from Jeb. 10-14.

Larceny at the Questrom School of Business A male student reported at 1:56 p.m. on Friday that his watch was stolen from the second-floor student lounge of 595 Commonwealth Ave. The student said he had left the watch unattended at the time of the theft.

GRAPHIC BY GABRIELLE DIPIETRO/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Brown said the money will be used to hire professors and researchers, support new buildings and increase financial aid.

Additionally, the campaign was expanded with a new goal of $1.5 billion, to be raised by 2019.

“Why stop at $1 billion?” Brown wrote in the report. “What other diseases might we tackle, what other barriers might we break, how many more talented minds could we help develop?”

Scott Nichols, senior vice president of Development and Alumni Relations, wrote in an email that the university was not initially sure how alumni, parents and other potential donors would react when the campaign launched, but they was pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of support it received. “[Alumni] started engaging in unprecedented numbers and were very responsive in our requests to support the campaign,” Nichols said. “We had hints that they had very good attitudes about BU, the quality of the education they received and were very accomplished in life. The campaign has confirmed that suspicion.”

Several BU students said they are happy to know that alumni continue to support the school.

Claire Graham, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said she was excited to hear about an increase in donations, and she is anticipating the construction of several buildings included in the

campaign.

“There’s been so much construction going on on BU’s campus, I’d hope it goes towards the new buildings — especially the new theater they’re building at [the College of Fine Arts] and the new life science building,” Graham said. “I would also love to see it go toward little improvements like the [George Sherman Union], and maybe some of the colleges that haven’t gotten a lot of love in a while in terms of renovations and updates.”

Madeline Andre, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said she will consider donating as an alumna after graduation, and the best use of donations is financial aid.

“If I had the money, then maybe I would consider donating to BU because this school has done a lot for me, and if I could help BU do more for other students like me then, yeah, definitely,” she said.

Melissa Malinasky, a senior in Sargent, said she thinks the school should put its focus on increasing financial aid rather than construction and renovations.

“Once I start making more money — not in the first five years of graduation or anything like that — but, I would donate to the things at BU that matter to me specifically, like [Sargent College] or clubs I’m involved in,” Malinasky said. “I think that Sargent could use a lot more donors in terms of the buildings and I liked going here for four years.”

Noor Adatia contributed to the reporting of this story.

EPA workers express gratitude for rally EPA, FROM PAGE 1 sustainable living. This summer, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court found that the state was not in compliance with the Global Warming Solutions Act, a framework passed by state legislators in 2008 in order to reduce heat-trapping emissions, Norton said.

“Even here in Massachusetts, while we’re a leader among other states, we are not where we need to be,” Norton said. “When you look at the challenge of what needs to be done globally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we are so far behind. If we don’t have a livable planet, the rest of it doesn’t matter.”

EPA workers expressed gratitude in response to the event and acknowledged ways the city and state could focus more on environmental protection.

Alan Brown, an information specialist at the EPA, said he saw the pop-up rally as a chance to bond with his co-workers.

“Giving the EPA an opportunity to express themselves favorably is certainly a motivating tool for employees,” Brown said. “We don’t get a chance to do that unless you do it on your own time, so having that collective time with your peers and colleagues is pretty neat.”

Brown added that environmental preservation is of the utmost importance in urban areas like Boston, and the city could be doing more to

make itself environmentally friendly.

“The city infrastructure has to modernize itself and also preserve the historical artifacts important to the culture,” Brown said. “Natural preservation is important for wildlife, keeping the air quality improved and making sure stormwater runoff goes by way of natural habitat.”

Dave Deegan, a public affairs agent at the EPA, said he felt grateful to be acknowledged.

“I appreciate that vote of support from our fellow citizens.” Deegan said. “I can tell you from my experience in 25 or so years working in the EPA that I cannot think of many examples where a group of individuals have rallied in support of the EPA and thanked our employees. I think it’s unique and it certainly makes me feel good knowing that people care about the work that we do.”

Deegan recommended many tactics for individuals to incorporate into their daily lives.

“There are always things an individual can do to avoid general pollution — or to minimize pollution that’s generated — and to save energy,” Deegan said. “We can all make an informed decision that can have a more beneficial impact on our natural world and the environment — the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

Several people showed their support for the EPA and its environmental goals at the rally.

Margaret Van Deusen, 61, of Brookline, deputy director of the Charles River Watershed Association, said the community understands the importance of supporting the EPA. “For the EPA’s role in Massachusetts, they’re the permitting authority for clean water, and making sure that we have a strong EPA is going to be very important,” Van Deusen said.

“Advocacy, showing up and showing that people care about clean air and clean water is also very important.”

Maura Snow, 57, of Chelmsford, said more people should do their part for the ecosystem, including attending events like the EPA appreciation rally.

“There is always one little thing you can do,” Snow said. “Being active in things like this rally, things that you care about, is very important. If you care about it, let somebody know. Don’t be afraid to get out on the street and talk.”

Torie Burmeister, 25, of Brighton, said protecting the environment is particularly important now, especially with the new presidential administration. “[The EPA] is the only government agency we have out there protecting the environment and working on climate change,” Burmeister said. “The fact that the government is actually out to dismantle it right now is really terrifying.”

Indecency reported outside of George Sherman Union Officers responded at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday to a report that a man had grabbed and kissed a woman at the bus stop outside 775 Commonwealth Ave.

CITY

CRIME LOGS

BY HANNAH HARN AND TILL KAESLIN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following crime reports were taken from the Boston Police Department crime logs from Feb 13-15.

Resident dies on Commonwealth Avenue Officers responded to a radio call for a death investigation at 1318 Commonwealth Ave. on Monday. Upon arrival, the Boston Fire Operations and Emergency Medical Services were already on scene. The victim was pronounced dead at 8:48 p.m. Detectives took photographs, collected evidence and notified the victim’s parents of her death.

Robbery reported on Linden Street Officers responded to a call for a reported breaking and entering at an apartment at 84 Linden St. on Tuesday at 10:15 p.m. Upon arrival, three owners of the apartment told officers the suspect had left their rooms in disarray and stolen money they kept in the home. The suspect is believed to have gotten into the apartment through the rear door, which was left slightly ajar. The suspect is still at large.

Nude images used for blackmail A woman reported on Wednesday at 4 a.m. that she was blackmailed.

The woman said the suspect was an old friend she had met at school two years ago, and that she had received five nude pictures of the suspect from him. After telling the suspect that she was in a relationship and did not want the pictures, the man responded that he was going to post intimate pictures of her on Facebook if she did not send more pictures of herself. She had last sent nude pictures to him three weeks ago.

NEWS 3

Equal Exchange hosts panel discussing fair food trade

BY SABRINA SCHNUR DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Approximately 20 Boston residents filled the back room of Doyle’s Cafe Wednesday evening, joining Equal Exchange, a fair trade worker cooperative, for a panel discussion on the organization’s new Action Forum.

Frankie Pondolph, a sales representative for Equal Exchange, said the goal of the Action Forum was to encourage citizens to get involved with the company’s fair food trade projects.

Wednesday’s discussion was Equal Exchange’s third presentation in Massachusetts and first in Jamaica Plain. “[We organized the panel] to share information that we’ve learned in the past 30 years, operating as a worker on the operative,” Pondolph told The Daily Free Press before the event. Pondolph said Equal Exchange’s plan is to create a revolving series of events and to hold a summit in June.

“This is a space where we imagine the physical manifestation of the goals that we have to create a sense of democracy,” Pondolph said.

Danielle Robidoux, an organizer at Equal Exchange, said the cooperative planned the event to get the community talking.

“We’d like to facilitate organization among our support groups, which we feel has been lacking that democratic organization,” Robidoux told The Daily Free Press before the panel.

The panelists began by introducing themselves and emphasizing their desire for community involvement with the food industry.

“We invited you guys here to tell

you about the new initiative that Equal Exchange is starting,” Robidoux said during the panel.

“Historically, Equal Exchange was built upon this model of fair trade … [and] the Action Forum is the new path that we’ve created.”

Robidoux said Equal Exchange aims to build small farmer supply chains up from scratch. “[We’re doing] old-school organizing, calling people on the phone,” Robidoux said. “We don’t know what [the Action Forum is] going to look like, but we know we want to create this systematic path from the ground up.”

Rob Everts, the co-executive director of Equal Exchange, addressed the history and past successes of the company.

“We’ve succeeded in building supply chains in coffee with … dozens [of organizations] around the world,” Everts said. “[We’ve] contributed in building a system that works for everybody along the line.”

Everts said Equal Exchange is one of the largest and strongest alternative trade organizations in the world.

“I’m personally proud because of the level of risk we take … to rescue several organizations who are like us: alternative trade organizations who are at risk of going under,” Everts said. “Fair trade has been completely digested and commodified.”

Several citizens who attended the panel said they supported Equal Exchange’s efforts to raise awareness of fair trade food practices.

Michael Clarizia, 44, of Roslindale, said he came to learn more about Equal Exchange and its charitable efforts.

“I went to school to learn how to grow

PHOTO BY ALEXANDER NOVAKOVIC/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Equal Exchange, a fair trade food cooperative, hosts a panel Wednesday night to announce their new plan, the Equal Exchange Action Forum at Doyle’s Cafe.

cannabis, and I’ve been learning more about sustainable foods,” Clarizia said.

“We have short growing seasons around here, so I was looking into freight farms and different organic farms that basically give organic food back to the community.”

Kim Kushner, 53, of Seekonk, said she decided to learn about fair trade for personal health reasons.

“I found out that a lot I was eating … that I thought was reasonably healthy was very unhealthy,” Kushner said. “It’s [about] knowing the truth of what I’m paying [for] and buying.”

Alexandria Diskin, 32, of Jamaica Plain, said she came to the panel to learn more about the food industry.

“I was hoping that I could benefit from

the conversation in some of the trends that are happening in the … corporate takeover of the brands that we know and love,” Diskin said. “I knew very little about Equal Exchange … so it’s good to hear that they’re actually trying to create a leadership to engage people not only as consumers, but also as activists.”

Diskin said the community has a responsibility to speak out when they see corporations exploiting farmers.

“People focus a lot on the ingredients in their food because we can see that immediately on the back of the label, but for a lot of people that’s where it stops,” Diskin said. “We don’t thinkabout how it got to the place that they’re buying it from [or] what went into creating the food.”

Universities struggle to assist with mental health issues SHS, FROM PAGE 1 increase, BU spokesperson Colin Riley said.

One of the keys of addressing the greater demand has been the funding of additional positions in behavioral medicine,” Riley said.

“We do have two 24-hour crisis counselors.

That means someone is available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and that’s just the crisis counseling.”

Riley said SHS is not designed to assist students with mental health on a long term basis.

“Essentially, you’re going to end up trying to get situated with a counselor, or someone outside… and they do provide referrals,” Riley said. “But those are a real challenge. It’s not unique to Boston University, or Student Health Services. It’s the nature of demand right now, and resources.

It’s difficult to meet this demand, Thielking said, because of “logistical hurdles.”

Thielking’s research identified counselor-to- student ratios across the nation. At Cornell University, a school that has 14,315 undergraduates, there is one counselor to every 447 students.

At Indiana University Bloomington, a school that has about 38,364 undergraduates, there is about one counselor to every 1,535 students.

Boston University was not contacted for the survey.

“It’s hard to apply the findings themselves of the ratios to anyone specifically because it really just varies so widely from one school to the next,” Thielking said.

“But, if you look at the national data, large schools on average tend to have worst ratios than smaller schools do.”

Lisa, a COM junior who requested to keep her last name confidential, said she

PHOTO BY KANKANIT WIRIYASAJJA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In recent years, Student Health Services’ Behavioral Medicine has seen a high influx of students seeking help.

came to Behavioral Medicine and was quickly referred to the disability center.

“My problems are somewhat complex — because of my psychiatric medication, I have developed other kinds of physical health problems — so it is sometimes hard to treat me, and no doctor referred by BU fills in the position to treat me,” she said.

Not all students experience these wait times. Ian Mallard, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he had a more positive experience when approaching SHS about his depression and anxiety.

“Our conversations went very in-depth

into my mental health,” he said. “It was understood that going there every other week could be a long term thing, [but] it was not recommended and they can help send you to an outside [counselor].”

Thielking said in her study that there are a variety of solutions and efforts to address mental health needs.

A new Student Government committee, the Mental Health Initiative, is one way that Boston University students are working to fill some gaps. It’s a forum with representatives from different mental health student groups on campus with a set focus on specific pol-

icy endeavors, said Ramya Ravindrababu, founder and co-chair of the initiative.

Currently, the initiative is looking to proposing a bereavement policy that allows students to have a certain number of excused absences for a death in the family, Ravindrababu added.

“We’re trying to be really mindful of the huge number of people in our administration that workreally hard and think for a very long time day in and day out, how best to keep students safe,” the senior in CAS said. “We’d just like to bring another voice to the table.”

4 NEWS

Cultural Council grants funds to local art organizations

BY BREANNE KOVATCH DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston Cultural Council awarded more than $450,000 to 173 local organizations and projects this year, according to a press release issued Friday by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.

The BCC, a council within the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, receives funds from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and allocates the money to various organizations, according to the release.

Walsh said the grants allow the arts to flourish in Boston and enable local artists and institutions to better pursue their passions.

These grants allow for a diverse group of organizations and projects to pursue their creative ideas,” Walsh said in the release. “Any time we are able to support hardworking local artists and innovative institutions, we are building a stronger and more dynamic arts ecosystem in Boston.

The MCC is a state agency that supports “the nonprofit arts, humanities, and sciences to improve the quality of life in communities across Massachusetts,” said Gregory Liakos, an MCC spokesperson.

Liakos said the arts are a defining characteristic of Boston’s identity and play a central role in various aspects of the community. “[The arts] are central to our economic health, they contribute significantly to quality education both in school and out of school, and the arts are intrinsically good,” Liakos said. “They make our lives better as human beings and as communities … [and] are really one of the most important ways we make sense of the world and make sense of our relationships with one another.”

Liakos said the arts have a creative and economic impact on the lives of citizens. “[A report] looked at about 680 nonprofit arts, humanities and science organizations around Massachusetts,” Liakos said.

“Those organizations spent $1.4 billion in the last fiscal year. That [is] an economic impact just on its own. Of those organizations, you had almost 29 million attendees.

[There is a] sort of a multiplier effect from arts and culture.”

Stella McGregor, founder and executive director of Urbano, one of the groups that received a BCC grant this year, wrote in an email

SARAH SILBIGER/ DFP FILE PHOTO

In October, the Boston Ballet performs “Le Corsaire”. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh recently announced that 173 art organizations, including the Boston Ballet, will receive grants from the Boston Cultural Council to help arts flourish in the community.

that her program works with children in schools that offer little or no arts education, allowing children to engage in a creative outlet.

“Urbano is an art studio that brings together artist-mentors, local youth and communit y members to learn, experiment and inspire community dialog through place-based visual, multi-media and performing arts,” McGregor wrote.

McGregor wrote that the grant will mainly be used to support art events throughout the community. “[The grant] will be used to support interactive, multidisciplinary arts events that engage residents, business owners and civic leaders, with the goal of elevating youth and stakeholders’ voices in conversations about the future of their community,” McGregor wrote.

The funds will go toward various projects that promote the organization’s annual theme of “The Commons | The Other,” which explores issues such as the use of public space, gentrification and safety, according to McGregor.

Several Boston residents agreed that the arts are a vital component of Boston’s culture and identity.

Victoria Smith, 63, of Back Bay, said Boston’s art institutions, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, foster cultural awareness in the community.

“Arts are incredibly important to why people live in Boston and like Boston,” Smith said.

“They enhance the quality of life in Boston.”

Jackie Yessain, 61, of Back Bay, said Boston has a long history of supporting the arts, and the city’s efforts are paying off.

“It’s important to every culture, especially maybe Boston because it’s been such a supporter of the arts from way back,” said Yessain. “[Art is] all around us, so it’s important to keep it and foster it.”

Eric Robinson, 31, of West Roxbury, said the art that people can see around the city is a major attraction.

“It’s one of the more defining characteristics of the area,” Robinson said. “Just being here, you get such a diversity of not only arts, but other things. [Art] is one of the things that draws people to the city.”

of 100’s ces i o h C New

COMING MONDAY

Where: Agganis Arena Main Lobby When: Mon. Feb. 13 thru Fri. Feb. 17 Time: 10 A.M. - 7 P.M. Sponsor: Barnes and Noble at Boston University

Most Posters Only $5, $6, $7, $8 and $9

Campus Calendar: activities on campus this week Want your student group event featured here? Email editor@dailyfreepress.com with details.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Pen-Palentines Day

Spicer Girls

ISBU Fajr Meetup

Terrier Fancesport

Weekly Salsa Social

Community Service Center

Boston University Central

GSU

GSU

1 University Road

6 - 8 p.m.

7 - 9 p.m.

6:15 - 8 a.m.

7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 - 7 p.m.

Hosted by BU Community Service Center

Hosted by Liquid Fun

Hosted by Islamic Society of BU

Hosted by Boston University Ballroom Dance Club and Team

Hosted by BU Salsa

FEATURES 5

CATALYST THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

PHOTO BY DYLAN KIM/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Theta Tau, a professional co-ed engineering fraternity, celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science Friday morning at the George Sherman Union.

Theta Tau celebrates women in science through service

BY ANTONIA DEBIANCHI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

At a table with information about Rosalind Franklin, Jane Goodall and Ada Lovelace scattered about, the brothers of Theta Tau — Boston University’s professional, co-ed engineering fraternity — gathered in the George Sherman Union on Friday in light of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which was officially celebrated on Saturday.

The celebration’s goal was to raise awareness of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, said Alexia Chiclana, a junior in BU’s College of Engineering.

“Our board puts a couple of statistics about how many women are actually in the science field because it is still a lower percentage, and we are trying to work to get that to be a higher percentage,” Chiclana said.

While Theta Tau works to encourage female engineers, their main goal is to work toward fulfilling their three pillars of service, brotherhood and profession, through different events and activities, according to the Theta Tau website.

“We focus a lot on professional development,” said Jasmine Clevenger, a freshman in ENG. “We do multiple community service events every semester. This semester we’re doing Relay for Life, and we go to food banks and stuff like that.”

Theta Tau places a large emphasis on the pillar of professional development, Clevenger said. Several events, such as career fairs, expose students to a professional atmosphere.

On Feb. 8, Theta Tau brothers put their skills to the test at ENG’s semester career fair.

“It’s getting yourself to go to that career fair, even if you don’t necessarily need an internship for this upcoming summer,” Chiclana said. “But just to get into the aspect of dressing in professional dress, getting your resume looked at by people and getting used to talking to people so that when you actually do need to talk to somebody to get that internship, you’re already prepared for professional development.”

For Lena Sabidussi, a sophomore in ENG, joining Theta Tau meant surrounding herself with a group of similar-minded people in pursuit of professional experience, she said.

“I personally really wanted to be a part of it because there were a lot of people that would

support me through this journey in engineering, and because I didn’t really know how to approach getting a job in the field,” Sabidussi said. “Theta Tau helped me build my resume, helped me approach people at career fairs [and] act professionally in my day to day life.”

While Theta Tau provides professional help in the careers of engineering students, the fraternity can also engender brotherly bonds.

Chiclana said her favorite event in Theta Tau is their one-day retreat because it brings every brother in the fraternity closer together.

“It’s a whole day of being together and doing different activities,” Chiclana said. “It’s a little bit of team building, a little bit of sitting around and getting to know everyone. It’s a nice way to bond with people.”

In working toward degrees in engineering with rigorous workloads, the brothers of Theta Tau said they find it crucial to have a support network.

“Just like any other fraternity, [while] we focus a little bit more on the professional aspects, we are still like one big family,” Clevenger said.

In light of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the women of Theta Tau reflected on how their experiences as brothers

in the fraternity have enhanced their pride and drive to be engineers and women in science.

Sabidussi said she has been faced with criticism from people who underestimate her career path simply because she is a woman pursuing engineering. But she does not let the remarks of critics impede her love of science, she said.

“I’m happy to have overcome them and be a part of [engineering],” she said. “I really love it.”

In the face of similar criticism, Clevenger said she found that Theta Tau has instilled pride in her pursuit of engineering.

“As somebody from a small town that’s pretty conservative I have constantly been told, ‘Are you sure you really want to try engineering?’” Clevenger said. “So, it’s really nice to be included with a group of like 50 people.”

Theta Tau offers its members more than the three pillars of service, brotherhood and profession, Chiclana said. It offers brothers a voice and a chance to apply their innovative knowledge and insight.

“I’m proud to be a woman in science, in engineering, because I get to share my views and opinions on how technology should be created and utilized with so many other people,” Chiclana said. “I like having my voice out there.”

INBUSINESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

Oliver Sanchez welcomes community with Plug Cambridge

BY KAYA WILLIAMS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Oliver Sanchez, co-founder of Plug Cambridge, is no stranger to the world of business. A graduate of Boston University’s School of Management, he has more than 15 years of experience in finance, strategy and management.

Sanchez said he now looks to make a larger impact on the community that extends beyond corporate offices.

About a year ago, he left a lucrative position in financial planning and opened Plug Cambridge — The first U.S. location of the Plug co-working network, which focuses on “accelerating the diversity of ideas and back-

grounds in the tech ecosystem in Boston,” Sanchez said.

The idea, he said, came to him while attending a startup competition where most of the competitors seemed to be of the same background and social circles.

“I kept seeing the same people over and over again,” he said. “[That] sparked in my head the thought of bringing entrepreneurs from different parts of the world to the Boston ecosystem.”

With that goal in mind, Sanchez founded Plug, which offers many tangible services, including whiteboards, conference rooms and office space, to clients.

Its most valuable attributes, however, are its more human-based resources, Sanchez said.

A team of professionals is available to guide an international clients as they grow their busi-

nesses in Boston. With the goal of diversifying the startup scene in Boston, the space holds events for the community that focus on networking and professional services to foster a sense of community.

This, Sanchez said, is what makes Plug so unique and transforms it from a space for work to a place for growth and unity. “[We’re] looking to create a [pride of diversity] in the community,” he said. “We like to facilitate these kinds of interactions, these discussions and people in the community can use this space to do that.”

Such a pride of diversity is rooted in Sanchez’s own culture, he said, and his efforts to maintain a staff of many nationalities on the Plug team. Of Latin American heritage himself, he initiated Plug in São Paulo, Brazil in 2009.

According to Santiago Torres Torija, a business development associate at Plug Cambridge, Sanchez draws upon Latino culture in his interactions with staff and clients of similar cultural roots. Since Torres Torija and Sanchez share the same background, Torres Torija said it adds to the feeling of community.

“We talk all the time in Spanish and in English; we have a very close relationship,” Torres Torija said, emphasizing that Sanchez not only offers free mentorship and advice, but also wants to develop Latino leaders in Boston.

Aliya Serikpayeva, community manager at Plug, echoed Torres Torija’s sentiments.

“Oliver is very encouraging and helpful to me, Santiago and all of the members without CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 FEATURES

MUSE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

FreeP vs. Food: Milkshakes In this edition of FreeP vs. Food, we shook things up a little bit and explored Boston’s milkshake scene. We ranked them based on location, flavor and consistency — here’s the thick (and thin) of it.

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL FREEMAN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

BY ANTONIA DEBIANCHI, SARA FRAZIER, JENNI TODD AND KAYA WILLIAMS DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR AND STAFF

UBurger Grades: Kaya: A++ Antonia: A+ Sara: A Jenni: A Located right in Kenmore Square, UBurger is the most conveniently located burger-milkshake joint we visited. Before we even sipped our mint oreo and chocolate milkshakes (or frappes, as they are called here), we were already pleased with UBurger’s speedy service, comfortable atmosphere and inexpensive prices ranging from $5.20-$5.70.

On our journey to find the most coveted milkshake in Boston, we discovered that the thick and perfectly decadent mint oreo milkshake at UBurger arguably won the title.

“It only took one sip of the mint oreo milkshake to transport me back to my childhood, sitting around the kitchen counter and watching my dad make milkshakes from endless scoops of ice cream,” Kaya said. “These shakes taste homemade in the best possible way.”

With a just-thick-enough consistency and a rich chocolatey flavor, UBurger’s chocolate milkshake is a must-try for chocolate milkshake connoisseurs of the Greater Boston area.

UBurger, with its relaxed vibe, low prices and buzzworthy milkshakes, reigns supreme in the department of milkshakes.

PHOTO BY JENNI TODD/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY JENNI TODD/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

PHOTO BY JENNI TODD/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston Burger Company

Cobblestone Café

Shake Shack

Grades: Kaya: B Antonia: ASara: A Jenni: B

Grades: Kaya: B+ Antonia: ASara: AJenni: A-

Grades: Kaya: A Antonia: A Sara: B+ Jenni: A+

Popular for their “freak frappes,” Boston Burger Company’s monstrous milkshakes have generated a lot of buzz on Instagram, where users by the hundreds have uploaded pictures of their marvelously decorated milkshakes.

Located in Back Bay, Boston Burger Company’s storefront is a short walk from the Hynes Convention Center station.

Inside, space is limited. On the Friday night we visited, it was absolutely packed.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere was lovely with low lighting and walls lined with impressive chalk art and quotes.

Ordering our “freak frappes,” we decided to try the vanilla and, January’s monthly special, s’mores. Each shake was its own masterpiece and we couldn’t help but snap a bunch of pictures before finally digging in.

Underneath their artifice, though, the freak frappes were less substantial than we had hoped.

Of the shakes we ordered, the s’mores shake was the clear winner, but both left something to be desired when it came to the actual milkshakes, which were thinner in consistency and less flavorful than other shakes we tried.

The sweet aroma of this hole-in-the-wall cafe located in the North End immediately made this milkshake spot the coziest and inviting of all the restaurants visited. With very minimal seating, it is clear that this joint gets most of its business from takeout orders. Nevertheless, we found a spot to enjoy our milkshakes amidst the homey aesthetic of the cafe.

We decided to order the cookies and cream milkshake along with the decidedly plainer vanilla. These shakes were definitely thicker than Boston Burger Company’s ones, although not thick enough to make one feel overly full after enjoying them. Served in plastic cups, these milkshakes are the right choice if you want your milkshake to go and do not want to feel bloated afterwards.

The cookies and cream was sweet and satisfying and the vanilla had a much bolder flavor than the vanilla shake from Boston Burger Company. Both shakes had a great consistency and were neither too thick nor too thin. However, these were not anything to write home about: instead, they were simply what is to be expected of a milkshake.

If the goal is to find a decently priced and classic milkshake, then Cobblestone is the place to go.

The namesake beverages of Shake Shack are dense and immensely satisfying. Only a few sips in, it is evident that these shakes were made for sharing.

The fast food chain, located on Newbury Street and just a few blocks from both Hynes Convention Center and Copley T stations, is busy even in the earlier hours of the day.

Nevertheless, the wait-to-order time, likely a product of its high-traffic location, is short and the turnaround of payment is even faster.

The menu is overwhelmingly vast — seven perennial flavors are accompanied by several seasonal specials — and careful deliberation was necessary to ultimately decide upon their chocolate and mint cookies and cream variations.

In both shakes, the flavor was overwhelmingly sweet and much closer to the taste of soft serve ice cream than milk. Adding to this was a substantially thick and dense texture, with the mint cookies and cream shake being especially difficult to sip through the straw.

Considering the high quality of the shakes despite their fast food origins, these blended delights exceeded expectations and are a highly recommended option for hungry Newbury shoppers and those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth alike.

Plug Cambridge offers collaborative, diverse work space PLUG, FROM PAGE 5

PHOTO COURTESY PLUG CAMBRIDGE

BU alumnus Oliver Sanchez created Plug Cambridge, a workspace for diverse professionals.

exception,” Serikpayeva wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press. “The success of PLUG can 100% be attributed to Oliver’s personable quality.”

This success, driven by Sanchez’s focus on close staff relations and empowerment, is helping the community in more ways than one, Plug members said. Sanchez can be seen as a symbol of comfort in the current social and political climate.

At the Orientation Legal en tiempos de cambio on Feb. 7, Plug offered free legal counsel to immigrants who are facing deportation or have concerns regarding their status in the United States after several legislative changes.

Sanchez works to offer events like these frequently in order to better serve the community at large, not just members who use Plug’s facilities on a regular basis.

In an effort to pursue more long-term

solutions to the problems presented by recent political changes, Sanchez mentioned that the company is planning to launch “an accelerator for Latin American startups who want to come [to the United States].”

While the accelerator is focused on entrepreneurs from Latin America, hinging upon cultural roots, its development is oriented much closer to Cambridge. Four MBA students from the Questrom School of Business are aiding in strategy and market research, Sanchez said.

The accelerator is just one step toward expansion, which Sanchez said he sees as both necessary and inevitable. These opportunities for growth will allow Plug to become increasingly involved in the diverse entrepreneurial community in the Greater Boston area, Sanchez said.

“In times of uncertainty and change,” Torres Torija said, “Oliver tries to build bridges instead of walls.”

FEATURES 7

IMPACT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

PHOTO BY SYDNEY MAES/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston University Sweethearts, an on-campus a cappella group, hosts a benefit concert to honor Jane Doe Inc. at the Jacob Sleeper Auditorium Saturday night.

BU Sweethearts spread awareness about sexual violence ELISE TAKAHAMA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Valentine’s Day often prompts eye-rolls and scoffs from those who pass it off as a corporate marketing technique, but this year, the Boston University Sweethearts, an all-female a cappella group, found a way to make the holiday more than that.

The Sweethearts held a pre-Valentine’s Day concert Saturday to celebrate love, but also honor Jane Doe Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting against domestic violence and sexual abuse. The Sweethearts also invited 10 other BU a cappella groups, including In Achord, the Allegrettos and the Treblemakers, to support the cause.

“Nowadays music can get pretty political, and I think music is something people can listen to even if it’s just to relax or express themselves,” said Jobelle Manuel, president of the Sweethearts and a junior in BU’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Although topics of sexual and domestic violence wouldn’t traditionally surface at a Valentine’s Day concert, Manuel collaborated with JDI members to ensure the night carried an appropriate theme.

One way they decided to bridge the two topics together was to promote more respectful language when talking about relationships, one that focused on equality rather than possession. In decorations,

for example, the Sweethearts changed candy heart messages from “Be mine” to “I respect you.”

Subtle differences such as this changed the nature of the concert, something Manuel and the Sweethearts aimed to do.

“It’s a topic that can be sensitive but it needs to be addressed, and music is a great way to do that,” Manuel said.

It worked for attendees.

Jack Gillman, a sophomore in BU’s College of Arts and Sciences, said the concert was incredible both in music and cause.

“I don’t think a lot of people are in tune to what’s currently going on around them,” Gillman said, referring to sexual violence.

“It can happen really anywhere and people sometimes take their safety for granted.

I’m glad causes like this can do this and promote a safe atmosphere for everyone.”

Rachel Leiner, a member of In Achord and a freshman in BU’s College of Communication, said she was also thrilled to be a part of the push to spread the word.

“The gig was such an amazing opportunity for the entire BU a cappella community to come together to raise funds for an important cause,” Leiner said. “JDI supports and helps victims of domestic abuse — a problem that is too often overlooked in society.”

But despite stigma surrounding the topic, JDI is currently working with 60 members and 56 sexual and domestic violence coalitions in Massachusetts and the United States, spreading the message that

sexual violence is, in fact, widespread in the country, according to the JDI website.

The 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey also released data about domestic violence in Massachusetts specifically. In Massachusetts, about one in two women and one in four men have experienced sexual violence other than rape. Nearly one in three women and one in five men have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner. More than one in seven women have been raped.

This is where JDI steps in.

“We represent all survivors throughout the state and advocate for their behalf to affect laws and change policies and practices,” said Toni Troop, director of communications at JDI. Although the organization doesn’t work directly with victims of sexual and domestic violence, JDI still advocates on behalf of them and addresses issues of various communities, including LGBTQ individuals, teenagers, those with disabilities, immigrants, students and elderly people.

This is why the organization is looking at the new presidency with caution, Troop said.

“We are deeply concerned with some of the policy recommendations and attitudes that are being exhibited by the Trump administration,” Troop said. “We are specifically very concerned about the limitations on the rights of immigrants and what may come down in attacks on the LGBTQ community.”

It’s important to remember how quickly progress can unravel, Troop said, especially since all the “hateful rhetoric” unleashed around the country can have a powerful impact on people’s perceptions of certain communities.

“We really applaud the BU Sweethearts in bringing focus to the issue in a positive way,” Troop said.

A couple members of the audience said the university seems to be doing its best to raise the awareness on sexual violence by establishing offices such as the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Center, which provides on-call counselors 24 hours a day.

“They’re doing a lot,” said Andrew Waxman, a sophomore in BU’s Questrom School of Business. “But they can do more.”

BU should allow groups to do what the Sweethearts just did, Waxman said, including holding more fundraisers and spreading awareness to college students.

But regardless of advocacy on campuses, JDI continues to connect with as many other programs as possible, Troop said, and their network comes together collectively, working with one another toward a common goal.

“The reality is we can never take civil rights for granted,” Troop said. “There are some things we have to demand. And we will continue to do so.”

Sarah Finkel contributed to the reporting of this article.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @DAILYFREEPRESS

8 OPINION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

Weihua Li, Editor-in-Chief Candice Lim, Managing Editor

t h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r a t b o s t o n u n i v e r s i t y

46th year | Volume 92 | Issue V The Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is published Thursdays 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 © 2017 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Sophia Eppolito, Campus Editor

Anna Whitelaw, Editorial Page Editor

Gabrielle DiPietro, Layout Editor

Alyssa Meyers, City Editor

Elise Takahama, Features Editor

Kalina Newman, Blog Editor

Jordan Green, Sports Editor

Olivia Falcigno, Photo Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

Students must take advantage of resources in job hunt Career fairs, resume-building workshops, advising sessions — all of these are useful tools to get college students ready to leave the safety of their university bubble and enter the daunting workforce.

Institutions like Boston University offer these resources so that the jump from a student to an employee doesn’t seem as steep.

When it’s the career fair season, students get dressed in professional clothing, break out their resumes and layer on the charm to leave a positive impression on a potential employer. The opportunities that colleges provide students with are almost essential to their futures. This semester, BU has a new addition to their repertoire of resources for students’ career searches.

The Center for Career Development is holding the spring semester’s career fair today in the Metcalf Hall, but this semester, the university implemented a new program to foster efficient navigation of the room, according to an article from BU Today. Fairs App, which is also used at several other universities across the country, is now available for BU students to download.

The app includes company profiles, biographies of the representatives and an interactive map of where each business is located in the room, features that will hopefully help students navigate the career fair.

It will always be in the university’s best interest to provide these career resources for their students. When potential applicants are touring colleges and attend an information session, one overly involved

mom will inevitably ask what the job placement rate is. A university that can say that more than 90 percent of their students leave their senior year with a job lined up will get a better reaction than one that has a 60 percent placement rate. This statistic appeals to potential students (and their overbearing parents), leading to more acceptances.

I

t falls onto the student to pursue help from the university, should they require it.

It isn’t required for a university to offer an exceptional amount of resources, but it will reflect better on their reputation and student body.

The purpose of a career fair is to give students the opportunity to introduce themselves to companies for possible employment. This new application seems to just streamline that process and clarify the career fair’s layout. Normally it would be the student’s responsibility to research a company online and take an initiative to find a position that fits their experience and expertise. This app, like all other apps, attempts to make our lives easier. However, it can potentially take away an integral part of the job searching process. Students

CROSSWORD 1

2

3

5

4

14

6

COURTESY OF MIRROREYES / CROSSWORD ANSWERS AVAILABLE ON http://dfpress.co/2kM1pJU

9

10

25

26

28

27 34

33

36

30

48

49

38 41

40

42

29 35

37

39

13

22

24

32

12

19 21

23

11

16

18

20

44

43 45

50

8

46 52

51

This application is BU’s newest resource to help their students in the job finding process. The university already has many options including Handshake, however aggravating it may be for students to start their search. But at some point, students have to continue their quest on their own.

Students can’t expect their university to handle the entire process of searching for and ultimately applying for a position. BU offers plenty of resources for students in need, and it is up to them to take advantage of those opportunities. It falls onto the student to pursue help from the university, should they require it.

Times have changed. When our parents left to attend university, they went

to learn, experience new things and leave their childhood homes. Nowadays, the main thought in students’ minds is how our experiences will improve our resumes and what grade point average will earn us a decent job upon graduation. Simply having a bachelor’s degree no longer guarantees a job offer. When we’re paying more than $60,000 to receive an education, we have certain expectations of the opportunities we’re exposed to, especially opportunities to find a future career. While the university should be using their resources to connect their students with potential employers, even if they’re not entirely responsible to do so, available resources mean nothing when students don’t have the motivation to pursue them.

For motivated college students, utilizing what the university has to offer isn’t limited to going to workshops and career fairs hosted by the university. One vital skill that universities don’t directly teach us — though they do provide us with the means to learn it — is networking. Being able to network is crucial to finding jobs, perhaps even more so than the standard meet-and-greet at a fair where you’re just one name on a list, one face in a crowd. This way you make connections through who you know and trust, rather than a career counselor who isn’t particularly aware of your strengths and particularities. When it comes to landing a job, the university can only help us so much — the rest is on our shoulders.

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Kenna Alemania

15

17

31

7

should be expected to spend more than a few minutes scrolling through an app to find a job or internship. What happened to the responsibility of keeping yourself informed?

This can cut down on time, but hopefully students will understand that these little tidbits of information don’t replace the entire process of finding their dream job.

47 54

53

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

DOWN

ACROSS 1. Ends a prayer 5. Steeple 10. Get-out-of-jail money 14. Numbskull 15. Anagram of “Paste” 16. If not 17. Sleepiness 19. Broad valley 20. Directed 21. Japanese cartoon art 22. Peels 23. Melancholy 25. A watery discharge 27. Entire 28. Malocclusion 31. Anagram of “Smite” 34. Fast 35. Weep 36. Acquire deservedly

37. Applied to a wall or canvas 38. Counterfoil 39. South southeast 40. Threw 41. Throws away 42. Headfirst 44. Children’s game 45. Crawled 46. Rabble-rouser 50. An inferior black tea 52. French school 54. Card with one symbol 55. Region 56. Cave dweller 58. School session 59. Eagle’s nest 60. Beers 61. Playthings 62. Mammary gland of bovids 63. 8 bits of data

1. Mire 2. Type of mushroom 3. Lyric poem 4. Not used 5. Anagram of “Plains” 6. Terror 7. Bit of gossip 8. Setting aside 9. S 10. Smear 11. Scaremongers 12. Small island 13. Dregs 18. Travels on water 22. Flippant 24. Acquire 26. Significance 28. Unpaid 29. Brag 30. Wanes 31. Netting 32. Alleviate 33. Betrayal

34. Strolled 37. Raindrop sound 38. Epic 40.

Parasitic insect 41. Anaglyph 43. Aspirations 44. Bank employee 46. Motherless calf 47. Blithely 48. Group of 8 49. Ganders 50. Insulation 51. Chocolate cookie 53. Unit of cut wood 56. Letter after sigma 57. Apply gently

OPINION 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

Capitalism sees no Electoral College

BY GRACE HAGERTY COLUMNIST

We are living in an age of unprecedented civil engagement. From the Women’s March to the enormous turnout at town hall events, it’s apparent now more than ever that people care about getting involved in the political process. But skeptics, pessimists and realists all predict that this “resistance” movement will be a short-lived phase reaching expiration in the next few months.

Perhaps they’re right. Just look at the cabinet appointments. I opposed the confirmations of Jeff Sessions and Betsy DeVos. Like many Americans, I called my representatives, yet DeVos and Sessions made it through. It was incredibly discouraging. When instant results are not yielded, a movement’s momentum has the potential to be lost. And critics are banking on the idea that people will become disillusioned with activism.

However, important people are listening and big things are changing, especially if you look at how major companies are choosing to sell their products.

The free market moves faster than our government. The market also responds to the demands of their constituents, the consumers, with efficiency. Most importantly, the free market goes by the popular vote and the company that can gain the most consumers is the most successful. Divisive rhetoric and branding techniques that alienate large groups of the population have no place in the free market because, frankly, that’s just bad business. The goal is to win the popular vote, to get the most customers.

So with all that in mind, let’s look at Coke’s Super Bowl commercial. Almost all of the commercials that came on during the Super Bowl contained some sort of politically charged message, but Coke is a brand that consistently markets itself as a quintessentially American product, thus making its political message incredibly significant.

Coke’s commercial showed a diverse group

of people singing “America the Beautiful” in different languages in geographically diverse regions of the country. This was no accident.

The Super Bowl is the most important day for advertisements. Once a year, companies like Coke and Budweiser have a minute of the nation’s undivided attention, and they choose to make political statements. They made this branding decision because they were pandering to their voters, the consumers.

As consumers, we need to pay attention to this and put our money where our mouth is. Look at the power of the #grabyourwallet movement. Ivanka Trump’s brand was dropped by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Sears. This is particularly interesting because Ivanka has totally divested from her company and this boycott does not hurt her financially.

Rather, this movement sent a message about the type of branding consumers are now demanding from their retailers.

I think it’s incredibly ironic that the free market an aspect of the American culture that conservatives and Republicans love is being used to protest a Republican government’s agenda. Furthermore, the most successful branding techniques have overtones of liberal social policy. Unless you’re trying to sell a a red hat, it would be very difficult to sell a product using overtones of conservative social policy to enhance the popularity of a brand. If Democrats want to become relevant again, they need to both capitalize on the popularity of their social policies while simultaneously making their message more inclusive to the rural communities that turned red this cycle.

Conscious consumerism breeds corporate responsibility. Companies are listening and pandering to the majority even when our government isn’t. The government will move slowly, so once we hang up the phone after calling our representatives, we must pick up our wallets and wield our power as consumers. We can vote without casting a ballot when we intentionally support companies and brands that visibly align with our values. We, Republicans and Democrats who oppose the heinous rhetoric of President Donald Trump, are powerful when we use all the tools in our wheelhouse. Perhaps critics would be correct if this resistance movement was isolated to either protests or boycotts. However, the spirit of resistance to the Trump administration has permeated American culture and consumerism in a way that is impossible to ignore. I doubt it will lose momentum — it’s just too “yuge.”

An in-depth take on March for Science

BY ELIAS KASTRITIS COLUMNIST

I admit that I am not too fond of modern mass-organized political or social demonstrations, the likes of which we saw surrounding the 2016 presidential election and in its aftermath. Without delving too much into my reasoning, I will say that first and foremost, I think modern mass movements have a predisposition to become disorganized and therefore lose the soundness of their message. For any mass movement to succeed, there must exist a positive balance between a well-defined “rigor of purpose” (beyond slogans and catchphrases) and a well-targeted, purposeful tenacity in direct service to that message.

The March for Science has enormous potential to achieve just that — and more.

The March for Science has the opportunity to arrest and reverse the disturbing direction that this country is taking regarding its relationship with science and evidence. As an amateur scientist, I intend to participate in the Boston branch of the March for Science, scheduled to take place on Earth Day this coming April.

Given my reluctance toward politically themed demonstrations, I found it necessary to examine the established purpose of the march. While I have yet to directly communicate with the organizers, and though I do not absolutely agree with certain public statements and tweets by those who claim to be organizers, I wholeheartedly support the march’s purpose. I am optimistic that this march will be different, due to both its inherent nature and the discussion that questions that very nature.

I am dismayed at one widespread assumption that the March for Science is somehow intended to be a recreation of the past Women’s March in Washington, D.C. There has been additional concern

that the “conser vative” reception — whatever that means — of the March for Science will only entrench skepticism of the relationship between science and liberal policy. For both charges, it is a presumptive claim.

As a participant in the march, I intend to bring my own purpose and agenda, but without compromising the march’s overarching principles. As scientists, academics and professionals, other participants will be especially cognizant of the well-defined intentions as well.

As for the march’s purpose itself, I think the urgent necessity to confront scientific evidence in politics will best be visually demonstrated to the general public through a mass march. Sometimes, as the saying goes, actions do speak louder than words. The issue assumes a different dimension because, as I mentioned in a previous column, certain segments of the population are already skeptical of “science” and its role in society. “Science” should occupy a more prominent role in the American political process and should be a vital mechanism by which policymakers determine their political presence. From a more theoretical standpoint, I find it difficult to distance “science” from politics, or any other area of human experience, especially in our technology-driven age.

Notice that I have included quotations when mentioning the word “science” in proximity to politics; it can be understood as a broad term. It is important to recognize that the practice of modern “science” is not perfect, but that is a separate discussion. Furthermore, it is again important to recognize that there is spectrum of its “quality,” so to speak, ranging from respected, authoritative, instituted research to shabby, halfway science, to outright pseudoscience.

Essentially, what I would want to be accomplished by a March for Science is a physical showing of both amateur and professional scientists’ large presence throughout our country. It should be a clear demonstration of the right and responsibility to express concern, attempt to inf luence the political process and exercise one’s civic right and duty. Most importantly, the march might even be an opportunity to pull science deeper into everyday life. It is important to earnestly pull science to our governing.

Interrobang This Valentine’s Day, the Bronx Zoo offered a special service.

For $10, people could name a cockroach after their loved ones, and the zoo would email a certificate to the recipient.

We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what strange Valentine’s Day present did BU people give to their significant others?

Danielsen: Romantic walk to West Campus

Freshmen: Domino’s coupon code

Questrom: LinkedIn endorsements

Sargent: Sugar-free chocolates

Financial Assistance: Free hugs

CGS: “We forgot”

ENG: 3D-printed rose

FreeP: Grammatically correct love letter

10 SPORTS

Women’s lacrosse drops season opener to Boston College

BY JORDAN GREEN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In its first game of the 2017 season, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team fell to crosstown rival No. 17 Boston College in Chestnut Hill.

Despite being dominated 21-5 on the draw control, the Terriers (0-1) managed to stay competitive all afternoon before eventually falling 13-11.

For a younger team that lost three of its five leading scorers from a year ago, BU didn’t show any signs of first-game jitters.

BU head coach Liz Robertshaw challenged her team after a disappointing scrimmage against the University of Connecticut, and despite the losing effort, she was pleased with its response.

“I thought they did a great job in terms of being prepared for this game, mentally as well as physically,” Robertshaw said. “I thought the energy level was everything I asked of them.

We talked about it earlier this weekend after our UConn scrimmage that didn’t go that well.

I said, ‘I need more’ and they came out ready to play, and I’m really proud of them for that.”

The result was encouraging for the Terriers, considering their performance on draw control. Freshman midfielder Mackenzie Howe took over for the graduated Jill Horka, who took draw controls all four of her years at BU and holds the program record with 236 draw controls.

“I think this was a learning experience for us,” Robertshaw said. “We had a freshman

taking the draw. We need to just get comfortable with it. It’s definitely a weaker part of our game, but I also told the girls that with a 90-second shot clock, draw control is going to be less important.

“If you had told me we’d lose the draw control 21-5 but lose the game 13-11, usually that doesn’t pair up. But with the 90-second shot clock, that can happen.”

The 90-second shot clock is a new rule imposed in the 2017 season. Since each team is forced to shoot within 90 seconds of gaining possession, it diminishes the importance of winning draw controls. This particular Terriers team may benefit more than others from the rule change, as the shot clock can help make up for lack of experience on the draw control and it allows their defense to play to its strengths.

“Our defense did a really good job of draining the shot clock,” Robertshaw said.

“That’s something our team has locked into — holding a team not to shoot for 90 seconds.

On offense, we’ve had some steps and looks, but it isn’t something that worries us.”

However, BU’s deficit on the draw control still forced it into some tough defensive positions.

Senior goalkeeper Caroline Meegan more than held her own in goals, making 17 saves.

“I think Caroline had an excellent game,” Robertshaw said. “She was outstanding. She really was the backbone of this defense. A couple calls went against her and that was unfortunate, but overall I thought she had a spectacular game.”

“We had good one-on-one defense,”

Robertshaw said. “For us to hold them in a game like today, especially losing the draw controls 21-5, holding them was a really good job by our defense. I was impressed.”

Senior attacker Elisabeth Jayne and junior attacker Avery Donahoe each recorded hat tricks on the day. Jayne, a Merrimac native, was the driving force of BU’s offense all afternoon. She led the team in goals, shots and ground balls. Senior attacker Taylor Hardison led the team with four assists.

Robertshaw said she was pleased with the performance of her seniors, but she specifically said that their mental toughness stood out.

“From our seniors, I saw a level of confidence about the game,” Robertshaw said.

“At no point did they look rattled. I felt like they got the team prepared mentally. They never once put their head down, and that’s senior leadership.”

While the Terriers mainly relied on more experienced players, Howe saw ample playing time and recorded her first collegiate goal. As for the rest of the freshmen, Robertshaw said the improvement from BU’s scrimmage was noticeable and she hopes to see growth from the young group.

“They didn’t show the nerves that we saw with our scrimmage this weekend,” Robertshaw said of the freshmen. “They looked pretty settled, they looked comfortable in the game. I think the next step, though, is for them to become goal scorers and be aggressive and feel like they can dominate a game and not just be on the field.”

Even in defeat, Robertshaw said she was proud of the way her team battled.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA WIMLEY/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Caroline Meegan more than held her own against Boston College, recording 17 saves Wednesday afternoon.

“I’ve learned that this team has a lot more grit than I gave them credit for last week,” she said. “They really stepped it up and showed me a new level of intensity that they can bring to the field.

Men’s basketball extends its winning streak to four

BY MICHAEL JOSCELYN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In a tightly contested game, the Boston University men’s basketball team managed to pull out a 69-68 victory over Colgate University to salvage a split in the season series.

Leading the Terriers (16-11,11-4 Patriot League) was senior forward Justin Alston, who had a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season, and senior guard Eric Fanning, who contributed 13 points of his own.

The contest came down to the wire, with the Terriers not quite able to put the Raiders (9-19, 7-8 Patriot League) away until the buzzer sounded.

“We played very good defense in the first half, but we lost some assignments in the second half,” said BU head coach Joe Jones. “[We] gave up some [3-pointers] at times to their shooters and that hurt us. We didn’t shoot the ball well from the foul line, we went 18-30, and that really hurt us. The thing that kept it close was offensively, we were stagnant and didn’t make foul shots.”

BU never trailed in the game, opening up a significant lead early in the game. A free throw by freshman forward Max Mahoney extended the Terriers’ advantage to 16 with 8:18 remaining in the first half. Mahoney was a key cog for his team tonight, turning in 10 points and five rebounds in a type of performance that he has grown accustomed to in his freshman season.

Although Mahoney came down with three offensive rebounds on the night, the Terriers lagged behind overall. The Raiders outrebounded them 40-33, including 13 offensive rebounds.

“We wanted to get 12 offensive rebounds — we got eight,” Jones said. “There were just some areas we’ve got to try and change. Like, Eric Fanning only had three rebounds tonight.

That’s just something we can’t have.”

The lead continued to fluctuate between nine and 16 for the remainder of the half, set-

PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAWK/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Justin Alston followed up winning Patriot League Player of the Week with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.

tling at nine when Colgate guard Francisco Amiel converted a layup with two seconds remaining.

The real drama started in the second half, when the Raiders roared back into the game.

By the eight-minute mark, the Terriers’ lead had faded to four on a 3-pointer by guard Sean O’Brien.

“When you play close games, you’re playing possession by possession, so the game changes, but I felt good throughout the game because of how good we were playing defensively,” Jones said.

BU seemed to have control when Fanning made a layup to make it a 61-54 lead with 1:10 remaining. However, there was no quitting for

the Raiders. Forward Jordan Swopshire managed to drop in a 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining, cutting the score to 62-59.

With BU up 67-65 with seven seconds remaining, the pressure was on to get the ball in bounds cleanly and not let the lead slip away.

Fanning fed the ball to Alston for a dunk with two seconds left to put BU up 69-65. With no time remaining, Swopshire converted on a 3-pointer and hoped for a foul that never came, and BU managed to hold on.

Alston was crucial to the team in a night where overall shooting was not where it needed to be.

“He’s played very well,” Jones said. “It’s a night where we didn’t shoot well, 5-21 from

three, so that’s 23 percent where I think we had some good looks. It was a defensive struggle where neither team played well offensively.”

The keys to victory for the Terriers revolved around defense, as Colgate went a measly 8-29 from the 3-point line and shot just 39.6 percent in the contest. The Raiders also had 16 turnovers, which included four steals by junior guard Cedric Hankerson, compared to the Terriers’ ten.

“Tonight was good,” Jones said. “We took care of the ball. [Sophomore guard] Kyle Foreman had a couple miscues, but we’ve been doing a good job getting deflections and Cedric’s been amazing, absolutely amazing, and he impacted the game defensively.”

SPORTS 11

Beaudry’s double-double lifts women’s basketball to win

BY RISHABH KRISHAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The Boston University women’s basketball team defeated Colgate University Wednesday night at home in Case Gym. In this second matchup between the two teams, the Terriers (11-14, 9-5 Patriot League) redeemed their previous double-overtime road loss to the Raiders (8-17, 5-9 Patriot League) on Jan. 18. The 65-51 final score was the result of a longawaited remedy to the Terriers rebounding troubles.

After several consecutive games of being outplayed on the boards on both ends, the Terriers resolved their rebounding issues by exploiting an ailing Raiders squad. Energized from an improved rebounding effort and a near double-double by junior center Sophie Beaudry against Loyola University Maryland, the Terriers out-rebounded the Raiders 55-32.

The precipitous increase in offensive and defensive rebounding proved fruitful, as BU was able to hoist 63 field goal attempts that resulted from the increased number of boards.

“We’ve put a lot of focus on rebound-

ing,” said BU head coach Katy Steding.

“We have to hold onto the ball at the end.

And you can see how the game plays out because of it. … We really made a concerted effort to grab the ball.”

The defensive rebounding successes deterred the Raiders from feeding the ball into the post and forced them to resort to more perimeter shooting. However, in the second half, things began to change as Colgate was able to evade perimeter defenders and found clear paths to the basket.

In what was undoubtedly a very perimeter-oriented and relatively relaxed second half, the Terriers were still able to maintain their tenacity in the low post on offense. This effort was also matched on the defensive end, where BU communicated vehemently, further contributing to its ability to grab defensive boards.

The Terriers received powerful contributions from Beaudry and freshman forward Nia Irving. Beaudry achieved the double-double performance she sought out against Colgate with 12 points and 10 rebounds, her fourth double-double of the year. It is also the 10th straight game in which she scored more than 10 points.

Meanwhile, Irving contributed nine

points and a career-high 12 rebounds, which she totaled in just 18 minutes of play. Both Irving and senior guard Courtney Latham secured seven rebounds in the first half.

Latham finished with 10 rebounds and junior forward Corrine Williams had nine.

Collectively, the starters were responsible for 34 of the team’s 55 rebounds.

The 19 offensive rebounds were crucial for the Terriers, as they struggled to score all night, finishing with a 38.1 percent shooting percentage.

The Terriers go on the road next week to face Patriot League leader Bucknell University for the second and final time of the season.

“Bucknell is a very structured and disciplined team,” Steding said. “We held them to a standstill in the first half. So we have to stay true to who we are.”

While Steding recognizes the need for the team to stick to its style of play against the Bison (20-5, 12-2 Patriot League), the Terriers will also need to transfer over the nascent rebounding vigor that has emerged in the last two games.

“We need to be dominating on the boards,” Steding said. “That’s the word we use. We need to recognize that rebounding helps us win games.”

PHOTO BY JOHN KAVOURIS/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sophie Beaudry recorded her fourth double-double of the season on Wednesday.

Women’s basketball beats Colgate, wins fourth straight

BY MATT MARTIN DAILY FREE PRESS CONTRIBUTOR

The Boston University women’s basketball team went into Wednesday night’s matchup against conference rival Colgate University looking to even up the season series after losing a double-overtime thriller back in January.

This time, the Terriers (11-14, 9-5 Patriot league) got the better of the Raiders (8-17, 5-9 Patriot League) 65-51 at Case Gym to extend their winning streak to four games.

“I think we were ready for the game,” said BU head coach Katy Steding. “We came out fired up and ready to play. Colgate absolutely deserved to win that game [in January]. They out-toughed us especially in the end, but we wanted to win this game. We made it a focus.”

The Terriers claimed the lead early in the first quarter, and they never looked back.

Freshman guard Naiyah Thompson got the ball rolling, going 4-5 from the field in the first half

for eight points while adding two steals.

As a team, BU went 16-37 from the field in the first half. Thompson finished the game with 12 points on 66.7 percent shooting.

“Usually I try to start with defense and try to get stops,” Thompson said. “If I can get early buckets, I’ve got to do it.”

Junior center Sophie Beaudry added 10 points of her own on 50 percent shooting while also contributing six rebounds in the first half.

She was a big reason the Terriers out-rebounded the Raiders 30 to 14 in the first half. Beaudry finished the game with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds on even 50 percent from the field.

Beaudry was one of three Terriers to have double-digit rebounds. Freshman forward Nia Irving led the team with a career-high 13 rebounds, while senior guard Courtney Latham had 10 boards and junior forward Corrine Williams had nine.

The Terriers had an eight-point run to end the first quarter, which ended with BU leading

16-5. The Terriers added to this run by scoring an additional four unanswered points at the start of the second quarter. At the end of the first half, BU led 33-16.

In the third quarter the Terriers came out strong, scoring 20 points to cement their lead.

The bench made contributions as well, as senior forward Meghan Green scored points on two 3-point shots and a free throw. She also added four rebounds.

Irving came off the bench and had nine points and 12 rebounds, just missing out on a double-double. Even with Green and Irving’s strong showings, Colgate’s bench still outscored BU’s bench 29 to 18.

“They had more spark, and we stayed with our starting group longer than they did,” Steding said. “We have such a great bench, so I know they’re ready whenever I need to put them in.”

Reigning Patriot League Player of The Week senior guard Sarah Hope also scored 10 points in the contest, in addition to contribut-

ing in other areas. Hope ended the game with six assists and four rebounds to complement her scoring. However, she shot just 2-16 from the field. Though Hope only made two of her 13 3-point attempts of the night, she tied the school record with 244 career 3-pointers.

The Terriers struggled to start the fourth quarter, as the Raiders went on a 9-6 run to open the frame. Overall, BU was outscored 16 to 12 in the fourth quarter. Fortunately for the Terriers, their lead was large enough to withstand a fourth quarter surge from Colgate.

The Terriers will look to extend their current four-game winning streak against Patriot League-leading Bucknell University Saturday on the road. In the two teams’ previous meeting, the Terriers lost on Jan. 21 by a score of 66-50.

“I am excited to face Bucknell because I feel that we can get a really good road win,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be hard and will be a full 40 minutes, but I feel that it will be a really good game.”

Julien jumps ship to Canadiens, shocks hockey world JULIEN, FROM PAGE 12 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that the Bruins finally made the move. It was three days after the loss, and two days before the team’s contest against the San Jose Sharks at home.

Yes, the Bruins have gone 3-0 under the reign of Bruce Cassidy and are currently in their bye week before starting a difficult West Coast road trip to kick off the stretch run of the season.

Even if the Bruins make the postseason, it doesn’t excuse the way the team handled the firing of their coach with most wins in the team’s history. It doesn’t excuse that they allowed Julien to interview with Montreal, the team in first place in their division, in an attempt to save some money that doesn’t even count toward the salary cap.

One way or another, the Habs-Bruins rivalry is about to get a lot more heated.

The two don’t face off again in the regular

season. Their last contest was this Sunday night, a 4-0 Bruins win against Montreal (under Therrien) at the TD Garden in one of their more spirited efforts of the season.

But what if these teams were to meet in the postseason?

Since the NHL moved to its new divisions format, it has encouraged teams in the same division to play in the postseason. If the season ended today, the Bruins would face Ottawa, and the Habs would get the New York Rangers. There’s still a lot of hockey to be played, and Montreal, 1-5-1 in the past month, could fall further in the standings.

The Bruins do have 11 less points than the Rangers, meaning a lot would need to happen for the matchup to be possible.

There have been five playoff matchups between the Bruins and Canadiens in the past 12 years.

If they were to meet this year? It might be the most exciting time yet.

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

With Claude Julien joining Montreal, the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry is as competitive as ever.

Quotable “I’ve learned that this team has a lot more grit than I gave them credit for last week” - BU women’s lacrosse coach Liz Robertshaw. p. 10

Stick To Sports Julien joins Habs, reignites rivalry

BY MARISA INGEMI COLUMNIST

It’s about time the BostonMontreal rivalry was great again.

After hitting their peak in their 2011 Stanley Cup run and an eventual loss to the Canadiens in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bruins have missed the playoffs for two straight seasons and have continued to struggle against the hated Habs.

What was looking like a dead 2016-17 season finally has some life, as more than enough fuel has been added to a flickering rivalry fire.

Claude Julien was hired as the Montreal head coach Tuesday evening, sending shockwaves throughout the NHL. Maybe the most surprising aspect of the move was the Habs firing current head coach Michel Therrien to make room for the former Bruins coach.

It’s not the first time Therrien was swapped for Julien by the Canadiens, either; it happened back in 2002.

This time, however, the Bruins have a bit more of a stake in it.

Boston infamously fired Julien a week ago, making the announcement on the day of the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl parade — the ultimate newsdump.

The firing as well as the way they handled it received criticism.

Julien has been on the supposed hot seat for several years, and it seemed to hit a peak after the 2015-16 season when the Bruins lost to Ottawa on the last day of the regular season to miss out on the playoffs. General manager Don Sweeney gave Julien his vote of confidence, and he remained behind the B’s bench.

There were multiple times this season it seemed Julien was on his way out, may it be a Friday night 1-0 heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in January or a 5-1 torching by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But it wasn’t until after a 6-5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Sports

Twinning Terriers Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams defeated Colgate on Wednesday night to extend their winning streaks to four games. p. 10 and 11

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Thompson shines after cracking starting lineup

BY GREG LEVINSKY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

After a freshman year in which she averaged 1.7 points per game, Naiyah Thompson’s team went just 3-27 and was ousted in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament.

She had a reason to be frustrated.

Instead, the 5-foot-11 sophomore guard became an integral part of the resurrection of the Boston University women’s basketball program by putting in countless hours on the court and in the weight room during the offseason.

Thompson appears to be bashful when talking about her individual improvement.

“We learned a lot last year,” she said. “A lot of our games were really close and we knew we could hang with teams, but it was that little extra effort that I think all of us put in over the summer. You could see it when we came back for first summer session, everybody was faster.

We were stronger. We were playing together and clearly it was going to be a different year.”

However, head coach Katy Steding said she was impressed by Thompson’s commitment to getting into a better condition.

“She got a real confidence boost from getting herself there,” Steding said. “She really separated from a lot of her teammates in that sense. She really took the conditioning goals to heart and got herself to a point where she really excelled.”

Thompson has seen her hard work pay off during a stellar sophomore campaign. May it be leading the Terriers’ full-court pressure, locking down the other team’s top player or scoring, Thompson has proven her ability to do it all.

The Waldorf, Maryland native saw an increased role once Patriot League play began, and she is a major factor in the Terriers’ winning conference record. Since Thompson was inserted into the lineup on Dec. 7, BU has gone 10-7.

Before then, the Terriers went just 1-7 and struggled, especially on the defensive end.

“We rely on her a lot to play the ‘point’ of our defense,” Steding said.

At first, Steding did not rely on Thompson to guard the opposition’s best player, but trusted in her young talent.

“Now we’re routinely saying, ‘OK, Naiyah, here you go. Here’s their best player, get us some stops.’ … Naiyah has embraced that challenge and developed the confidence to say, ‘Yeah, I can be that go-to player on defense,’ and I think that’s

loosened her up on offense,” Steding said.

Thompson has had two 17-point outings this season, the first coming in a double-overtime loss at Colgate (8-17, 5-9 Patriot League).

The second came in a Terriers victory at Lafayette College. In that game, Thompson went 3-5 from behind the arc.

“The 17-point games are, like, they might happen, they might not,” Thompson said. “I definitely consider myself more of a defensive player. I’m trying to get into the scorer’s mentality because we are losing some scorers this year. I’m getting there.”

Other notable games for the steady sophomore came against Dartmouth College — her first start of the season, where she poured in 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals across 30 minutes of play. Another is at Lehigh University, where Thompson scored eight points accompanied by nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 69-64 BU victory.

With key losses of seniors Sarah Hope, Courtney Latham and Meghan Green, Steding looks to Thompson for continued growth and to eventually fill their shoes as a team leader.

“I definitely see her as developing some leadership capabilities,” Steding said. “She’s heady. She struggles once in a while with confidence in crunch-time situations. I think she’s growing by leaps and bounds in those kinds of scenarios.”

Sophomore guards Lauren Spearman and Payton Hauck, as well as freshman forward Nia Irving and guard Vanessa Edgehill, will make up the remainder of the five underclassmen players along with Thompson.

Thompson’s season numbers are not eye-popping, but her contributions extend beyond pure statistics, as she contributes with her pure athleticism.

“Naiyah Thompson has some gifts,“ Steding said. “She plays really good defense. She’s long, she’s quick, she’s very strong and she jumps out of the gym.”

After the win over Colgate, the Terriers’ 11 wins have surpassed the team’s combined total victories over Steding’s first two seasons.

“Anytime you’re trying to rebuild something with a new coach, a new direction, it takes a little bit of time,” Steding said.

“One of the things that Naiyah has been instrumental in for us is kind of putting your head down and keep mushing forward. Yeah, we’re going

PHOTO BY ALEXANDER NOVAKOVIC/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Sophomore guard Naiyah Thompson has proven herself to be a defensive stopper and scoring threat for the Terriers.

to take some bumps and we’re going to take some hits, but we’re steadily getting better.”

Aiming at hosting a first-round game in the 2017 Patriot League tournament, the Terriers are 5-2 at Case Gym in conference play and currently sit at a tie for fourth place in the Patriot League.

“I think it’s a great testament to the kids that we have in the program, because not a lot has changed

from last year to this year except their attitudes [and] their competitiveness in practice,” Steding said of her team’s morale.

Thompson looks forward to finishing out her sophomore campaign and moving on to her junior season, but she believes the Terriers have as good a shot as any team to win a Patriot League title.

“We’re looking for a championship,” she said. “We’re going for it.”

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

BOTTOM LI NE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving compete in the Patriot League Championships in Lewisburg, PA, all weekend.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Men’s hockey vs. New Hampshire, 6 p.m., NESN

Softball vs. Southern Illinois, Men’s lacrosse @ Hartford, 1 p.m.

Former Bruins coach Claude Julien

11:30 a.m.

was hired to replace Michel Therrien

Women’s hockey vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m.

Women’s basketball @ Bucknell, 2 p.m.

Men’s basketball vs. Bucknell,

the second time, as Julien previously

12 p.m.

replaced Therrien as the Habs’ coach

Men’s hockey @ New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

CBS Sports Network

ference, Therrien referred to Julien as

Women’s hockey vs. Maine, 3 p.m.

“Mr. Steal Your Job.”

Men’s and women’s track and field host Patriot League Championships, all weekend.

as coach of the Canadiens. This is

in 2002. In his departing press con-