11-1-2018

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

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Red Sox fans celebrate outside Fenway Park during the World Series championship parade Wednesday afternoon.

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An MBTA bus opts for a celabratory message instead of route information.

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Boston Red Sox ace pitcher Chris Sale, who closed out the final game of the World Series, partakes in parade festivities.

YEAR XLVI. VOLUME XCIV. ISSUE IX.

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A Red Sox fan falls off a bus stop on Boylston Street during the celebration.

Parade-goers cheer on Red Sox win BU forms LGBT task force

BY JULIA SULLIVAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Confetti guns shot red, blue and white as parade-goers gathered along the mostly Boylston Street parade route to cheer on the 2018 World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox. Before the parade started for the Red Sox for their ninth World Series title, the festivities began at Fenway Park. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker kicked off the celebration by noting that Boston’s sports victories had not always been so frequent.

“How many of you have only lived in the 2000s for the Red Sox? I got to tell you, from all of those with gray hair, you are

living in the golden years folks,” Baker said, referring to the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004, a drought in which the Red Sox didn’t win a single World Series.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, coming off only his second season coaching Major League Baseball, said that even in this time of victory, he had some doubts.

“We lost Game 2, and it was panic here,” Cora said. “Everyone was like, ‘Woah, it’s over.’”

However, even through the lowest moments in the series, Cora said his team was always able to recover.

Though much of the Red Sox’s success was attributed to the players, Cora gave recognition to the

fans during the day.

“You guys live this 24 hours, seven days a week,” Cora said.

“Your expectations are way up there, but one thing for sure. The same expectations you guys have, that group down there has too, and they’re the world champs.”

The recognition of fans did not stop there. Red Sox player Steve Pearce, winner of the 2018 World Series MVP title, called Bostonians “the best fans in sports,” and, upon announcing his desire to return to Boston next year, the free agent was met with cheers from the audience.

Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., ALCS MVP following the Red CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

BY JENNIFER SURYADJAJA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University has created a task force to promote a more inclusive community for its LGBTQ faculty and staff.

The purpose of the LGBTQIA Task Force is to moderate discussions about how BU can become a more inclusive campus to the LGBTQ community, according to their website. More specifically, its members will seek to gather information from other institutions and corporations on their practices on inclusion for BU to follow.

The task force was officially announced by BU Provost Jean Morrison and Senior Vice

President of Operations Gary Nicksa Oct. 25, according to task force co-chair Karen Warkentin.

Since there are already groups and clubs for LGBTQ students, Warkentin said the task force will focus on BU’s faculty and staff.

“There’s a set of things that are relevant to LGBTQIA employees that are distinct from issues relevant to LGBTQIA students,” Warkentin said.

The group plans to host a series of events for community input by listening to people’s experiences, Warkentin said. There is “no need to reinvent the wheel,” she said, when other institutions are already setting an effective example.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Texas early voting flaws concern some Mass. voters

BY CAMILA BEINER DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Several early voters in Texas reported that voting machines changed their votes when they tried to vote straight ticket.

According to the Associated Press, there have been reported issues with the Hart eSlate voting machines, which are used in about 80 counties in the Lone Star state.

Over the last couple of weeks, many Massachusetts organiza-

tions have been promoting early voting to Bay State residents.

Unlike Texas, this is not an issue in Boston, according to members of the Boston Election Commission and MassVOTE, a nonprofit that helps people be prepared to vote.

Ky’ron Owens, a Democratic member of the Boston Elections Commission, wrote in an email that Massachusetts handles early voting differently than Texas as the Commonwealth counts the

ballots at the polling locations.

“The ballots are put through what is called the Optical AccuVote Scanner which basically captures votes based on the ovals filled in on the actual ballot,” Owens wrote, “so it would not be possible for the votes to be switched.”

Early voting was implemented for the first time in 2016 and allows registered voters in Massachusetts to vote starting

10 business days before the state election, The Daily Free Press reported.

“In Boston, we are committed to making voting accessible by not only allowing voting to take place at City Hall,” Owens wrote, “but also having voting available in each of the 9 city council districts at least 3 or 4 times throughout the Early Voting period.”

The difficulty with administering early voting, Owens

explained, is that it begins five days after the voter registration deadline, which gives very little time to certify the thousands of registered voters.

“For those whose registration may not be processed before the beginning of Early Voting they have to vote provisionally … however, ultimately as long as the registration was submitted before the deadline the voter’s ballot will be CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2 NEWS

Local synagogues increase security after shooting CAMPUS Crime Logs

BY CHLOE JEPSEN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

During Saturday morning Shabbat services at the Chabad House of Greater Boston, Rabbi Shmuel Posner heard a ring at the door. He answered it and found a police officer. Since many observant Jews do not use electronics on Shabbat, the officer came to alert the congregation of the shooting that occured at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that same day.

In light of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Boston community and city organizations are considering possible measures to prevent further attacks.

The Boston Police Department sent an email statement in which they wrote that they have increased patrols in and around Boston synagogues to keep community members safe.

“While there are no credible threats targeting similar religious institutions in Boston,” the email stated, “BPD reminds community members to remain vigilant while the Boston Regional Intelligence Center continues to closely monitor the situation while sharing information with law enforcement agencies on both the federal, state and local levels.”

Brookline resident Callie Rabinovitz attends Temple Israel of Boston and works with sixth grade students in their education sector. The 18-year-old high school senior said there are significant security measures in place at her synagogue.

“You have to be buzzed in to enter,” Rabinovitz said, “and there are security guards at the door.”

Although she grew up knowing that Jewish people are a minority in the United States and have faced a long history of oppression, Rabinovitz said the Pittsburg shooting still came as a shock to her and her local Jewish community.

BY CONOR KELLEY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following reports were taken from the Boston University Police Department crime logs from Oct. 26–29.

Resident passed out at Campus Center and Student Residence A resident assistant at 150 Riverway reported at 4:02 a.m.

Saturday that a resident had passed out on the floor and was unresponsive. An officer on the scene requested an ambulance and the resident, an intoxicated male, was transported to Boston Medical Center.

Motor vehicle accident at Beacon Street and Mountfort Street

SERENA YU/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Young Israel of Brookline. Greater Boston police departments have heightened security around synagogues in the area in the wake of the deadly shooting Saturday at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“It’s definitely scary when you have been raised your whole life to think that you have sort of transcended the oppression,” Rabinovitz said, “and then there is an anti-Semitic shooting.”

Some Jewish Boston residents have said they have seen an increase in anti-Semitism in their hometowns, The Boston Herald reported. However, several Jewish people who live in the Greater Boston area said they have not seen an increase in this area since the attack, The Daily Free Press reported.

Paul Singer, 52, of Brighton, who works as the investigative editor for the New England Center for Investigative Reporting and WGBH News, said his mother was an active member of the Tree of Life Congregation. Singer said he and many of his Jewish friends in Pittsburgh think the focus should not be on increasing security around places of worship.

“The question is not, ‘Would a gun make your synagogue safer?’” Singer said. “The question is, ‘What do we need to do in America? What do we need to do in our communities to make everyone safer and to make this kind of violence less likely?’ That is where the focus needs to be, on building tolerance, building community, building bridges to other communities.”

Lori Lef kovitz, director of the Jewish Studies Program at Northeastern University, said high levels of security at places of worship are not the solution to preventing acts of anti-Semitism.

“I don’t think that more guns make us safer,” Lefkovitz said. “It is important that local police be alert to the importance of protecting houses of worship and religious institutions, and we all need to be vigilant about security, sadly. That said, I would not wish for us to put armed protection at the expense of

our feeling safe and free.”

Posner, who primarily serves university students in Boston through the Chabad House, said anti-Semitic violence must not only be combated with increased security but pride within religious groups as well.

“It has only been 100 years since the Holocaust,” Posner said.

“We haven’t forgotten. These are all things we think about. We don’t allow them to define us.”

Posner said it is imperative that the Jewish community does not allow itself to be weakened by the Pittsburgh shooting.

“We need to be careful, but the most important thing we need to do is portray a sense of confidence and security,” Posner said. “We are the United States. It is a country of democracy with freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and it is protected. We need to show the people that think they can harm us that they will never, ever be successful.”

New task force to support BU LGBTQ faculty, staff BU, FROM PAGE 1 Tatiana Morales, a senior in the College of Communication, said she thinks BU faculty should have the opportunity to identify with people who have gone through the same struggles, something they may not have had when they were students themselves.

“They probably didn’t have this kind of openness and environment that we have now for the LGBTQ community,” Morales said, “so it’s probably good for them to have it now.”

Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Crystal Williams had been working to develop and assemble the membership before the official announcement of the Task Force, said Warkentin, who oversees the Task Force along with Director of Labor Relations Judi Burgess.

The task force is composed of 12 faculty and staff members and two co-chairs. Members reflect a diverse range of people within the campus community, Williams wrote in an email.

“I am always pleased when members of the community are

willing to participate in the life of the University and in the work of increasing inclusivity at BU,” Williams wrote. “In so doing, they bring incredible value and insight to the questions with which the Task Force has been charged.”

Task force member Anthony Petro, a professor of religion and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, wrote in an email that Williams’ presence on campus has brought a positive impact even though she only started working at BU last year.

Williams has held listening sessions and lunches among the LGBTQ faculty and staff, Petro wrote, a first in his time as a BU faculty member.

“So many of us had never even seen or known about one another, or just how large and diverse our community is, before last Spring,” Petro wrote. “In terms of simply learning about our community here at BU, these lunches and listening sessions have been wonderful.”

Creating the task force is “the next logical step” in learning from LGBTQ faculty, Petro wrote.

Although the task force is a new initiative, Warkentin said the com-

mittee has already received widespread support from LGBTQIA members of the school and other institutions as well.

Cassandra Kalman, a coordinating board member of BU’s Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism, wrote in an email that groups such as the task force are important because they show support for the community. Kalman wrote that she thinks BU is behind on many LGBTQ issues.

“This could be because of the lack of LGBTQIA+ representation in the administration itself,” Kalman wrote. “But I also do think that the gender-neutral bathrooms (which are almost finished!) are a huge step.

Although we are making progress, it is very slow progress.”

Tori Abdalla, a junior in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said she thinks the task force is a good initiative but may encounter challenges along the way, considering that faculty and staff members on the board are from an older generation.

“I do think it is a great resource, but I feel like some faculty and some

staff maybe won’t feel that their colleagues are the ones who they want to talk to about their personal life,” Abdalla said. “… I’m not part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I know that some people who are [LGBTQ] and possibly those in the older generation may be very private about it, private about their personal lives.”

Warkentin said BU’s LGBTQ inclusion is better now than in previous years — sexual orientation was absent from BU’s non-discrimination policy when she started working at BU in 2001— but there is still room for improvement.

“It’s vastly better than it was then,” Warkentin said. “We’re moving in a good direction, but there’s a lot more that could be done if we want to really be the best that we can be.”

COM freshman Yiwen Wong said he thinks anything that moves the conversation about LGBTQ inclusivity forward is good.

“You definitely don’t want to be staying at the same place over time,” Wong said, “and having more representations for people who are in minorities is always a better thing than not having it at all.”

A report was made at 8:10 p.m.

Saturday of a vehicle accident with possible injuries at Beacon Street and Mountfort Street. Boston Police and BFD came to the scene. One party refused medical transport.

Armed man threatens to shoot people near 230 Harvard Ave. BPD reported at 3:58 p.m.

Monday that a man with a gun was threatening to shoot people at 230 Harvard Ave. The suspect fled into TJ Maxx.

CITY

Crime Logs

BY CONOR KELLEY DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The following crime reports were taken from the Boston Police Department crime logs from Oct. 26–29.

Officers conduct a controlled drug purchase Members of the Boston Police Department District 14 Drug Control Unit conducted a probable cause drug buy at 1:34 p.m. Friday with the assistance of a verified confidential informant to BPD. The officers purchased a quantity of drugs, which were logged and secured in the District 14 drug safe.

Car strikes pedestrian in parking lot While trying to back up into a parking space at 1912 Beacon St. Monday at 12:55 p.m., the suspect said she didn’t notice the victim behind her in time to hit the brakes before she reversed into them. The impact allegedly knocked the victim back two to three feet onto the ground.

Following the incident, the victim stated she was experiencing lower left back pain and was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

Narcotics possession near Codman Square The BPD’s C-11 Drug Control Unit responded to a drug transaction among three males in the area of Codman Square at 4:11 p.m. Monday.

Officers approached the buyer after he had pulled over and parked. The suspect admitted to carrying two bags of cocaine in his front pants pocket and two paper folds of heroin powder in his wallet.

NEWS 3

BU to take part in multi-university sexual misconduct survey

SERENA YU/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University is set to take part in a survey on campus sexual misconduct administered by the Association of American Universities (AAU) in the spring.

BY LAURA AL BAST DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston University will be conducting a sexual misconduct student survey early next year as a part of the Association of American Universities (AAU) 2019 Campus Climate Survey.

The survey, which follows a similar one carried out in 2015, will use scientific methodology to better understand students’ attitudes toward and experiences surrounding sexual assault and misconduct, according to AAU Communications Officer Melissa Luke.

“Results of the 2019 survey will help university administrators facilitate conversations on campus about this important topic,” Luke wrote in an email, “and formulate evidence-based policies and practices intended to reduce sexual assault and sexual misconduct on campus.”

Participation in the survey is voluntary, Luke wrote, as some universities either perform their own surveys or participate in either state university system or state-mandated surveys.

Kim Randall, BU’s Title IX

coordinator, said the survey will provide the university with a better understanding of sexual misconduct at BU and how to prevent it. “[The survey] will help us understand what kind of information and material to send out to students, find other ways that might be effective to reach students and direct our education and training,” Randall said.

BU first conducted a similar but separate survey on the issue in 2015, which Randall said went well but was difficult to put together.

BU has been able to personalize its

participation in the AAU survey and provide some input to compare their data with similar universities, she said.

Having comparable data, Randall said, will allow BU to explore sexual assault prevention methods other schools are using, in addition to sharing what BU has been doing well.

Brian Lewis, a first-year graduate student in the College of Engineering, said he thinks comparing BU’s data with that of other universities will show what works in security and reporting processes of sexual misconduct.

“Some schools may just have a difficult process for reporting such harassment, and some people may feel intimidated by the process,” Lewis said. “So, I think [by] aggregating all the schools together you can see which school has the process that works best.”

BU spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email that the new data from this survey will help BU improve its policies on sexual misconduct prevention and response.

“This is part of a comprehensive approach to assessing the campus climate,” Riley wrote, “and providing improvements to education, training, and services.”

Katharine Mooney, director of Wellness and Prevention Services, said the survey will provide an opportunity for the BU community to give the university feedback on its strengths and weaknesses in sexual assault prevention.

“BU engaging in this climate survey is going to provide us with a lot of information about how we can do the best prevention work on our campus,” Mooney said. “We

will be able to identify priority populations within our community that may need extra support or prevention programming.”

Mooney said the survey will also help identify gaps in student awareness of available resources which the university can then aim to improve. Collaboration throughout the university will likely help BU address the survey results, she said.

“It is essential that we take a wide approach to these problems [and] work together to approach them,” Mooney said. “That’s the only way that we’re going to be effective and prioritize what the needs are in our community and what we can do to address those needs.”

Laurren Henning, a freshman in the College of Communication, said she thinks participating in the survey is a good step in light of the #MeToo movement and the case of Brett Kavanaugh to give voice to the voiceless.

“I think regardless of the data, everyone who has been assaulted should have the same voice,” Henning said. “And every survivor’s input should be valued.”

Alex Ives, a senior in the Questrom School of Business, said he thinks it will be hard for students to talk about such traumatic experiences, but it’s something that needs to be addressed on BU’s campus and everywhere.

“If BU wants to continue to be a leader of pursuing [its] ideals and making a safer community for everyone involved,” Ives said, “I think to start with getting the most information possible is definitely a smart idea.”

Boston Election Commission confident in local early voting ELECTIONS, FROM PAGE 1 counted,” Owens wrote.

Ian Kea, policy and communications director at MassVOTE, said Boston uses electronic poll books that guarantee an accurate election. However, not every state has these books, he explained.

Kea said states like Texas, which are more conservatively controlled, put less funds into state resources and are not investing in the proper technology to have an accurate and fair election.

This is why there are so many inaccuracies and problems in the voting system, he said.

“Texas also has a pretty restrictive voting laws,” Kea said, “and because of such, you are going to have voter turnout, but when it comes to technology, Texas is a little behind.”

Early voting allows people who work nine-to-five jobs to cast their votes at a time that is more convenient for them, Kea said.

He explained that Massachusetts understands that not everyone can make it to the polls Tuesday, and not allowing those people to vote would affect the Commonwealth’s diverse communities.

“This provides a tool for people in the bottom of the economic ladder to have their voices heard and not be constricted,” Kea said, “because there has been concern

with the lack of early voting that they were not getting their vote casted.”

Kea said there is a distrust with the government when it comes to early voting, especially in diverse communities. He said he wants early voters to understand that the same procedures apply for both early and same-day voting. “[Early voting] actually helps distribute the work level of election administrators so they are not all built up on election day and receiving a huge influx of people,” Kea said. “They are able to get an accurate count over this early voting period.”

Several Massachusetts residents said the problems seen in Texas are an issue, however, early voting is vital to people who cannot make it on Election Day. Shannen Ortale, 30, of Brookline, said she found the news stories about Texas’ early voting errors alarming.

“I’m glad that Texas voters spotted the errors and have been spreading the word about them,” Ortale said. “It sounds like a relatively small number of voters were impacted, but that’s still cause for concern.”

Corbin R iedel, 31, of Framingham, said this will be his first time voting in Massachusetts

RACHEL SHARPLES/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Technical glitches in voting systems in Texas have concerned some Massachusetts voters as they head to the polls to cast their early votes.

since moving from Washington state.

“I know we have early voting and absentee ballots, but a majority of votes will be cast in person on the day of,” Riedel said. “I do miss the paper mail-in ballots WA had to offer though, as it made it

easier to vote for those who are busy working.”

Erin Kinney, 36, of Dorchester, said early voting makes voting more accessible to people who might not have time to get to the polls on the day of the election.

“Every vote counts, so if we

can get those who normally would not or could not vote to cast their votes this way, then it is a system we should support,” Kinney said.

“Massachusetts could still do more to make voting even more accessible, like adding same-day voter registration.”

4 NEWS

BU students raise funds for national suicide prevention walk

BY JOEL LAU DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A team of Boston University students will participate in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Boston Out of the Darkness Walk to raise funds and awareness about the topics of suicide and mental health.

The walk, which was postponed for a week due to the recent nor’easter, will take place on Saturday and follows a onemile loop around Government Center, said Tara Greeley, AFSP’s Eastern Massachusetts area director.

College of Communication junior Jennifer Kochanski said she was inspired to join the team

by COM junior Haley Fritz, who organized the team, and many others who struggle with mental health every day. “[Fritz] has been really open with her mental health journey, and we’ve definitely talked about mental health issues,” Kochanski said. “… So when she mentioned that she’s going to walk, I wanted to support her, but I also wanted to support everyone else who’s attending the walk.”

Kochanski said she also decided to participate because

she feels it is especially important to spread suicide awareness amid the stress and worry of the modern era.

“Unfortunately, mental health is not getting better,” Kochanski said. “With social media and the stress of college, mental health is going to continue being an issue, so we’re going to continue having to raise awareness for issues such as suicide.”

Greeley commended the participating students for donating their time and effort to join the fight against suicide and engage with the Boston community.

“I think it’s amazing, and I think that congratulations are in order,” Greeley said, “because by really opting into this kind of activity and event, not only is it philanthropic and you’re doing it for your own community, but you’re addressing a need that has become really evident not just on college campuses but in our society in general.”

Greeley said ASFP began organizing these walks as a way to “be present in the community and reach people on the topic” in hopes that the event can act as a platform for people to speak in solidarity with and in support of those struggling with their

mental health.

Dori Hutchinson, director of services of the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, wrote in an email that both on-campus and off-campus events, like the walk, are important because they generate a conversation about suicide that can eventually lead to concrete action. “[Conversation] will help bring about change in attitudes, practices and policies,” Hutchinson wrote. “Silence is deadly..not talking about suicide only reinforces all the factors as to why people won’t and don’t seek help.”

So far, the Boston Out of Darkness Walk has already raised over $340,000, according to its website, far exceeding its goal of $302,000. According to Greeley, these funds will be used to support research and expand the foundation’s advocacy and survivor outreach programs, both national and local.

Greeley said that college students are particularly vital in the effort to prevent suicide, as they are the first ones who can recognize any friends struggling with mental health issues and connect

them to the resources they need. “[Students are] a demographic that we really want to target to talk about why it’s happening and how we can prevent it and how they can be agents of change themselves,” Greeley said. “So it does become really important to get the entire community on board with this, because you never know if you’re going to be someone who can step in and help save a life.”

COM fresh ma n A ngelo Facciponti-Mennella said he values these efforts to raise awareness and combat the rise of suicide.

“I have ver y close friends who have persona lly experienced issues relating to that, and I think it’s a ver y important cause,” Facciponti-Mennella said. “I think some people tend to not realize the scope of it, some people think perhaps it’s not as much of a rampant, large issue as it is.”

Danielle Klapper, a freshman in the Wheelock College of Education a nd Huma n Development, said she applauds the BU team and recognizes that the topic of mental health needs all the support it can get.

“I think that’s amazing, I

think that we absolutely need more focus on suicide prevention,” Klapper said. “I think it’s an ongoing issue among kids our age, and I think it’s really great.”

College of Fine Arts sophomore Julia Klauss said that in the end, the best way to help students fighting mental illness is to increase suicide prevention education and improve access to suicide prevention resources.

“The behavioral medicine ser vices are always there, but that’s not for long-term treatment,” Klauss said. “… They [need] something there for longterm treatment, because if you don’t have insurance, then it’s expensive to go see a counselor or a psychiatrist or somebody off campus.”

Greeley said because the walk was delayed, students can still register to support suicide prevention on the AFSP website by participating or volunteering at the walk.

“It’s a great opportunity to connect to people who are battling mental health challenges, who are survivors of suicide loss, who have struggled themselves,” Greeley said. “And it’s just a really wonderful way to come together in a community.”

Red Sox fans wake up early, scale buildings to see parade BASEBALL, FROM PAGE 1

Sox’s victory against the Houston Astros, said he thought the team was dynamic this season.

“During the playoffs, it didn’t even feel like the playoffs,” he said. “It just felt like a continuation of the year. We continued to take each game one at a time, and after we would win, we would just try to focus on the next. It was just an amazing ride.”

Living up to the reputation of dedicated Red Sox fans, Jett Littlefield, of Hingham, said he woke up at 4:15 a.m. to make hundreds of hot dogs, sausages and burgers for his family’s catering businesses before the parade — one he said he would not have missed for the world.

“I was going to come here anyways, but I came to work,” the 22-year-old said. “I was working

from 4:15 to about 9:30, and then I came out.”

Littlef ield said there is nowhere else like Boston when it comes to sports cities.

“There’s no other city that would party as hard as us, have a good time as us and celebrate as hard as us,” Littlefield said. “No way.”

In past years, the Red Sox World Series parade has drawn between 500,000 and 1 million

fans along the streets of the parade route.

The crowds around Fenway Park were so dense that many sat on the shoulders of others to try to catch a glimpse of the players in the passing duck boats. Others climbed onto the hoods of trucks, and some even scaled ladders along the sides of buildings for a better view.

Having witnessed fans climb a

Sunoco gas station to gain a view of the passing players, Thomas Wyant, of New York, said he wished the parade was more visible.

“Considering people were literally climbing on Sunoco to get a view, I feel like there could have been better organization on the part of the city,” the 19-year-old said. “People shouldn’t have to climb up the nearby building to get a view of the parade.”

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FEATURES 5

SCIENCE

Doctorate students talk first-gen minority struggles in STEM

BY ROSHNI KOTWANI DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

At 19 years old, Kiloni QuilesFranco felt the burden of obtaining a college degree — as a first-generation college student — on her shoulders.

As she navigated the academic and financial challenges of college, she said she felt alone.

“It’s really hard to find someone who understands what you’re going through,” Quiles-Franco said. “I know when I was 19, or their age, the last person I wanted to call were my parents. They don’t know what I’m going through. It’s like speaking two languages.”

Quiles-Franco, a doctorate student in the School of Medicine at Boston University, spoke on the difficulties minorities face in the STEM field at a panel discussion BU Graduate Medical Sciences held at the Photonics Center on Tuesday.

Panelists included master’s and doctorate candidate Chinaemere Igwebuike and doctorate students Michael Rosario, Alicia Wooten and Luis Ramirez. The students shared their experiences and advice about the trials they faced as they progressed through academia.

Quiles-Franco said she has noticed the majority of the BU populace holds a sustainable socioeconomic status, which isolates those who are on the lower half of the financial spectrum because they must cope with the burdening cost and face issues with even just applying to college.

When Quiles-Franco was apply-

RACHEL SHARPLES/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

From left to right: Michael Rosario, Kiloni Quiles-Franco, Luis Ramirez, Alicia Wooten and Chinaemere Igwebuike speak at the “What Does a Scientist Look Like?” panel Tuesday.

ing to college, she said simple questions such as those on the FAFSA form that others may skim past made her family uncomfortable.

“When I asked my mom and papi to give me financial information, they asked me why [the government] needs that,” Quiles-Franco said in an interview. “In my case, it’s a socioeconomic stigma — if the government is really not helping us, then why do they need this information?”

However, Quiles-Franco said she did not let her financial status prevent her from pursuing a degree from the University of Massachusetts on a fullride scholarship.

Ramirez said he learned after

going through the college process that he didn’t need to have a clear-cut path in college to get the career that he wanted, and he wanted to share with students that it’s alright to feel lost.

“There was this pressure from being the first-generation college student in my family,” Ramirez said in an interview. “My parents made all these sacrifices, so I asked myself whether I should pick something with a risk.”

Ramirez said he wanted students to look at him and know that although he found his career eventually, he didn’t know his path at first, which was OK. He explained that minorities face added struggles due to the connection

between minority status and identity.

“Dealing with the label and figuring out who you are is tricky,” Ramirez said. “When you have to write a personal statement, there’s this internal battle about how much you choose to define yourself as a minority because I am more than that.”

Quiles-Franco shared how being a part of a minority has affected her outlook. When she goes to an interview, as a woman who is at an age when she could start a family soon, she said she is aware of how those factors affect others’ perception of her.

“I’m not lying to you when I say that the main narrative is that you have to choose,” Quiles-Franco said.

“There are mommy penalties and daddy benefits. Men are treated beneficially, get congratulated or a raise.

Women are asked why they were out for so long.”

However, Quiles-Franco said she sees progress being made. With persistence, people are fighting biases around issues such as gender and race, according to Quiles-Franco.

Ramirez reminded students that they always have someone to turn to as they face these struggles. She advised to not be afraid to reach out to people and that there are many resources available through university programs, scholarships, professors, advisors and even friends.

“Be relentless and persistent,” Ramirez said. “That’s what got me through my hardships.”

Senila Yasmin, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that she has faced difficulties as a female STEM student of a minority group.

“We have to do a lot more to be heard and make room for ourselves at the table,” Yasmin said. “It’s easy for those who have connections through family to use them and get internships and opportunities.”

Yasmin also had advice for other underrepresented minority students.

“Don’t feel discouraged to pursue a career that makes you happy,” she said. “There’s going to be obstacles and days where you feel you can’t do it, but remind yourselves why you’re in this line of work, and if it’s for the right reasons, it’ll be enough to push past those barriers.”

BUSINESS

Biz Trends: Bird faces struggles before scooters swoop into city

BY ZOE HAN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Boston may soon be bustling with people zipping through the city on electric scooters, due to scooter company Bird Rides, Inc. With the tap of a finger, citygoers could find a nearby scooter from the app and be on their way.

The City of Boston held hearings this fall to look into a spring pilot program for the company, but the City would have to first overcome regulations such as changing a state law that is interpreted as requiring vehicles to have turn signals and brake lights.

Scooters from Bird, a Californiabased company, have been publicized as green transportation, according to the likes of Green Matters. In the past summer, Bird first launched into the Greater Boston market, Cambridge and Somerville.

The scooter company operated for less than two months until it was pressured to leave for their lack of permit. Other cities across the United States have refused to allow the scooter company to operate within their bounds.

“Bird operates in accordance with all of the laws and regulations on the books in each of the cities in which we operate. This includes having a business license,” a Bird spokesperson emailed to The Daily Free Press.

Andrew Desino, a freshman in Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, said he had his first ride on an electric scooter over the summer in Cambridge and that he has seen “no negatives at all.”

“I use them whenever I see them available,” Desino said. “They can take shortcuts where cars can’t.”

Bird’s rapid summer emergence in Cambridge and Somerville might be following a previous Uber timeline — the company releases the products first and then hopes the regulations follow up, according to Kabrina Chang, a professor of markets, public policy and law in Questrom. “[Bird] just sort of started there, unannounced, and Cambridge and Somerville [didn’t] know what to do about it, so they [had] to kick them out,” Chang said. “Uber just shows up, and then cities, towns and country have to figure out what to do about them.”

Chang said she views the potential pilot program as a proper way to test out the ambiguous regulations concerning electric scooters in Massachusetts.

“Working with the government from the beginning is a better long gain strategy — whether the existing laws need changes and whether these changes are worth it,” Chang said.

According to Chang, congestion and public safety are the factors the city of Boston would be most con-

cerned about, as Boston has “small, congested, old streets, old sidewalks.”

“It’s a hard environment for that kind of industry,” Chang said.

Ruby Rosenberg, a senior in the College of Communication, said she wonders if the Bird scooters have inspired a surge of scooters on college campuses.

Rosenberg said she likes dockless scooters more than the current rental bikes, but if both go dockless, she would prefer a bike rather than a scooter because scooters cannot go to the same speed as bikes do.

“If you’re [riding scooters] in the bike lane, you’re not going as fast as the other bikes, you’re potentially putting yourself in another danger because you’re now an obstacle,” Rosenberg said.

Dockless rental bikes, such as ofo, started operating in U.S. cities including Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington. However, ofo recently pulled its dockless bikes back from Chicago due to a rule the City put in place, which dictated that bikes in the program needed to lock into a stationary object — like a bike rack — after use.

Carolina Toledo, a sophomore in COM, said she has seen Razor, a scooter and skate company, doing promotion in front of campus.

Her friend just got her own scooter, Toledo said, because she needed a fast transportation method.

ILLUSTRATION BY SERENA YU/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Users are able to locate nearby scooters on Bird’s mobile app.

“If you own it, you’re more in control of it,” Toledo said.

According to JJ Rim, a freshman in the College of Engineering, riding a scooter is a kind of expression.

However, he said he is aware of the bans on them in some parts of the country.

“I think [scooters] are somewhat dangerous, but that’s only because people become reckless with it,” Rim said. “Negligence is mostly from peo-

ple, not the object. You can’t blame the product. You blame the person using the product.”

Bird also has a university program in which it provides scooters on campuses across the country.

Currently, 17 universities have partnered with Bird.

Colin Riley, spokesperson for BU, said BU is “very receptive” to working with the City on any future plans they have concerning this.

6 PARADE

Jubilant Red Sox fans celebrate championship at parade

VIVIAN MYRON/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A fan celebrates from his apartment near the Prudential Center during the parade Wednesday afternoon.

OLIVIA FALCIGNO/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A fan poses for a selfie with the Keytar Bear at the parade.

OLIVIA FALCIGNO/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A child sits atop his father’s shoulders wearing former Red Sox David Ortiz’s T-shirt.

LEXI PLINE/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Red Sox fans celebrate on a window ledge during the parade.

LEXI PLINE/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Two Red Sox fans sport face paint at the parade.

LEXI PLINE/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Red Sox legend David Ortiz partook in the celebrations.

FEATURES 7

ARTS

BU OB partners with health nonprofit for ‘Carrie’ production

BY KARLA LEON DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

A bloodbath will ensue onstage at the Tsai Performance Center as one 16-year-old straight from a popular horror novel faces the trials and tribulations of puberty and teenagedom. BU On Broadway performs the musical tale “Carrie” from Thursday to Saturday.

“Carrie” is based on the 1974 novel

by Stephen King about a girl who is bullied in high school by her peers — Chris Hargensen, Sue Snell and Billy Nolan to name a few. The bullying starts after Carrie gets her period in the shower. Due to her extremely pious mother’s refusal to provide her with menstrual health education, Carrie is completely unprepared.

The musical rendition of the book also delves into topics of bullying, abuse and the consequences of cruelty.

“Carrie” first fell into the lap of director Hwayoun Ella Kang, a junior in the College of Communication, while she was searching for a musical to embark on her directorial debut.

Kang said that while the musical wasn’t initially her first choice, she couldn’t imagine herself working on any other show for the past two months.

“While Carrie is a scary musical, there’s so many deeper elements of it,” said Hannah Schweitzer, the show’s head producer and a sophomore in COM. Schweitzer said that one of the biggest challenges she faced in producing “Carrie” was “not being too stereotypical” and that she didn’t want the production to be “the same old spooky movie that you’re used to.”

Schweitzer explained she wanted the deeper meanings of Carrie to

VIVIAN MYRON/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Dani Chaum, right, stars in BU On Broadway’s production of “Carrie: The Musical” with Olivia Pastore.

“pop out.”

The musical is well-known for its message on the detrimental effects of a lack of menstrual health education. In the play, Carrie is terrified by her period, causing her to have a traumatic, harrowing first-time experience with menstruation. This experience then carries through the emotional distress she faces throughout the musical.

“When you hold someone back from learning about their sexual health, life is just way more terrifying and confusing and hard,” Schweitzer said. “Most Boston public high schools don’t offer tampons and pads for free for high school girls, which is horrible.”

Schweitzer said BU On Broadway

is trying to help the community and build on the feminine health message of “Carrie” and decided to team up with Dignity Matters, a Boston nonprofit that donates pads, tampons, underwear and bras to women and girls in need. They will be hosting a fundraiser every night of the show.

According to Dignity Matters’ website, tens of thousands of women can’t access menstrual products in the United States, and food stamps do not cover tampons or pads.

The organization collected more than 265,000 bras, underwear and menstrual hygiene products in 2017 alone to then donate to homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, public schools in poorer areas and after-school programs.

VIVIAN MYRON/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Maddy Schmidt plays Sue Snell in BU On Broadway’s production of “Carrie: The Musical.”

“Women’s bodies need to be treated with respect and [need] to be something that everyone is educated about, and I think that adding this charity element to our show was something that we wanted to do as a … concrete, tangible way of helping the community,” Kang said.

Olivia Pastore, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences who plays Carrie’s mother, Margaret White, said that playing the character was challenging because of the extremely conservative views Margaret holds.

“It’s the hardest role I’ve had to play,” Pastore said. “In high school, I was typically cast as the same warm and bubbly characters, so to be able to play almost the complete antithe-

sis of anything I’ve ever done before was super exciting for me.”

Dani Chaum, a sophomore in COM, plays Carrie. BU on Broadway’s rendition of the musical has a modern twist, incorporating technology and social media in the production of the show.

The musical takes note of the social changes that have occurred since King published “Carrie” in 1974 through utilizing technology. “[The play is] set in modern times,” Schweitzer said. “There’s a lot of social media references. Not changes in lines, but use of phones [in the] choreography and just taking pictures of people when they’re humiliated and posting pictures on social media.”

VIVIAN MYRON/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Mary Robbins rehearses for BU On Broadway’s production of “Carrie: The Musical” Tuesday evening.

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL Children’s lives are not political tools for fear-mongering The Trump administration has gradu- form — that immigrants are “rapists” and malleable, who’s to say the language in the ated from legislating the rights of immi- “criminals,” that they’re invaders to our rest of the Constitution isn’t up for intercountry — has all been the talk of a man pretation as well? grants to live and work in the United who doesn’t really care whether or not States to legislating the citizenship of This executive order, though it would immigrants are “bad” or “good.” Babies be the most drastic move yet in Trump’s their children.

Even those most tough on immigration aren’t bringing drugs into the country anti-immigration agenda, is in contrast and stealing jobs from American citizens. with the very vision that got Trump elected legislation have long recognized that while Babies are a product of their environment, — the idea that we can make America great legal and illegal immigration can take a hit and a baby born to an immigrant who again, the idea that the American dream is under Trump’s presidency — the number grows up alongside the son or daughter of still a possibility for those who work hard. of visas granted and refugees approved a U.S. citizen is no more or less deserving Not only does it strip that dream away can decline — automatic birthright citizenship isn’t on the chopping block. It’s constitutionally guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, and any president who would challenge that would be straying into uncharted territory.

President Donald Trump, however, said in an Axios inter view, released Tuesday, that he is preparing an executive order nullifying birthright citizenship in the United States. Babies born to undocumented immigrants would not automatically be granted citizenship.

Trump said that the United States is the “only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby,” and that baby is unfairly entitled to the benefits of being a U.S. citizen for the rest of their life. of the right to exist in this country. it destroys the hope of any parent hoping At least 30 other countries — many in There should be no argument about to provide a better life to their child. the Western hemisphere — grant auto- whether or not the 14th Amendment perTrump’s announcement comes as a carmatic birthright citizenship. For the tains only to children born to legal resi- avan of less than 3,500 Central America United States to even consider becoming dents. The amendment says exactly what migrants nears the southern border, the one that neglects to do so ref lects Trump’s it says: “All persons born or naturalized majority Hondurans hoping to find opporincreasing failure to meet basic standards in the United States … are citizens of the tunity in the United States. expected of the “leader of the free world,” United States.” It’s a dangerous precedent For these people, joining the caravan as his position was once known. to set that the language of the Constitution is a last resort after circumstances in It’s clear now that everything Trump can be interpreted to fit the president’s their home states have made life unlivehas said to justify his anti-immigrant plat- own beliefs. If the 14th Amendment is so able. Even if they were invited with open

H

e doesn’t understand how this fear-mongering, how his little comments incite violence — against journalists, against immigrants — and in the worst cases, cause death of innocent people. He’s carelessly juggling a flame of hate that will only continue to spread.”

CROSSWORD

arms into the country, even if the Trump administration wasn’t sending 5,200 active-duty troops to greet them at the southern border and drive them back to the violence and poverty from which they are f leeing, America would be no land of opportunity for anyone whose child would not be considered a citizen.

Given how unlikely it is for Trump to be able to change the Constitution simply by signing an executive order, this may be nothing more than a political stunt — a ploy to bring hate and division to a fever pitch a week before the election.

But we should also know by now that while Trump may say brash things out of desire for publicity, the shocking and appalling proposals he makes are changes he and his administration genuinely desire to see. Trump’s fear-mongering does result in real policy. Regardless of whether this is a ploy or a bluff, we need to treat it as the serious matter it is. There is no ground for this proposal that isn’t based in fear-mongering, and it’s irresponsible that anyone is willing to use the lives of children as political tools.

It’s been said, but it must be reiterated, that the things Trump says carry weight behind them. He may understand that this violent rhetoric helped him get to the presidency and now helps him retain support, but he doesn’t understand how this fear-mongering, how his little comments, incite violence — against journalists, against immigrants — and in the worst cases, death of innocent people. He’s carelessly juggling a f lame of hate that will only continue to spread.

This week’s crossword puzzle is brought to you by Tammy Dmytryck Foley COURTESY OF MIRROREYES.COM / CROSSWORD ANSWERS AVAILABLE ON https://dfpress.co/2ESJDTC

ACROSS 1. Provisions 5. Deception 10. Vipers 14. Prima donna problems 15. Creepy 16. Pearly-shelled mussel 17. Agreeing 19. Somersault 20. A large vase 21. Medical professional 22. Genuflected 23. Musical master 25. Berths 27. Mineral rock 28. Its symbol is Ta 31. Confection 34. Emerge from eggs 35. Fury 36. Murres 37. Sprite 38. Bright thought 39. 18-wheeler

DOWN 40. Anagram of “Incur” 41. Delicacy 42. Dawdlers 44. Loving murmur 45. Zig 46. Social deportment 50. Approve 52. One of the Canterbury pilgrims 54. Japanese apricot 55. Dry riverbed 56. Belonging to the past 58. L L L L 59. Not outer 60. Past tense of Leap 61. Not nights 62. Excrete 63. Not more

1. Part of the large intestine 2. Ancient Greek marketplace 3. 1000 kilograms 4. S 5. Incumbency 6.Backward-looking 7. Colored part of an eye 8. Pertaining to movies 9. Beer barrel 10. Dawn goddess 11. Avalanche of snow 12. Heap 13. Auctioned 18. Vestibule 22. The two together 24. Fizzy drink 26. A single time 28. Cabs 29. Component of urine

30. Food from animals 31. Ringlet 32. Diva’s solo 33. Stingy 34. Hampering 37. A basic knitting stitch 38. Press 40. Anger 41. Laser printer powder 43. Metamorphic rock 44. Frolic 46. Dishes out 47. Master of ceremonies 48. Harvests 49. River muds 50. Blown away 51. Big party 53. Feudal worker 56. Hasten 57. Sick

Breanne Kovatch, Editor-in-Chief Mike Reddy, 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 95 | Issue 9

Jen Racoosin, Campus Editor

Isabel Owens, Editorial Page Editor

Jaya Gupta, Layout Editor

The Daily Free Press (ISSN 1094-7337) is printed 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 © 2018 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Hannah Schoenbaum, City Editor

Vigunthaan Tharmarajah, Photo Editor

Shaun Robinson, Multimedia Editor

Diana Leane, Features Editor

Alex del Tufo, Blog Editor

Shakti Rovner, Office Manager

Lily Betts, Sports Editor

OPINION 9

COLUMNS BURKE’S BULLY PULPIT:

MAX VS. MEDIA:

Why I’m Not Going to Vote

BY MAX BERMAN COLUMNIST

On Tuesday, our country will decide the fate of Trumpism. The House is up for grabs and the Senate is fleetingly within reach. The nation mourns the loss of many in the Jewish community and yet grows more divided by the day. Our president does nothing to soothe the wounds. If anything at all, he cuts them deeper.

But I won’t be casting a ballot. Not because I don’t care, not because I’m not informed, but because there is no reason for me to vote. I live in a blue area, in a blue city, in a blue state. Local, state and federal officials are always won by Democrats, and there are no ballot measures in my home state.

My vote would do nothing to affect anything.

Critics will argue this is a form of apathy shared by those of the younger generation. While there certainly is a problem with low voter turnout among millennials, my decision not to cast an absentee ballot is wholly unrelated.

The United States was not founded upon democratic voting principles. It was founded upon upper-class, white, male and federalist ones.

The founding fathers we admire so dearly and the Constitution we treat as an almost religious document are far from the perfection taught in public schools.

The entire institution of the Senate is antiquated. It was built for a time when we were “States that were United” and not the modern “United States.” About 580,000 people live in Wyoming, a little over a fifth of the population of Brooklyn, New York. In California, there are almost 40 million people. Both — of course — have the same number of senators. There are many other states large in area but with few denizens. As Bill Maher occasionally remarks, why do we need two Dakotas?

You might judge this article as liberal, coastal elitism. Argue that a New York upbringing is far from the true Americanism that exists in the “heartland.” But fewer people live in the so-called heartland. I dare to remind you that the United

Whitey Bulger is finally dead

States was founded by coastal elites. The heartland so longingly described was land bought and taken forcibly after the founding of the United States.

How do we change the unfair nature of the Senate, the gerrymandering of the House and the natural movement of immigrants and young people (the future) to already solidly blue states?

Ratifying the Constitution to adapt the Senate for regional representation (the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, South, Great Plains, Midwest and West) would be my proposal. But I highly doubt it occurs in my lifetime, barring some unforeseeable event(s).

But what can happen is the creation of new states. Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the American Territories should all be given separate statehood. People born and raised there are no less American citizens than those born in Columbus, Ohio, or Santa Fe, New Mexico. The only difference is that they are not represented in the federal government.

Let’s move on to Election Day. Every year it takes place on the first Tuesday of November after the first Monday of November. Why? Because of an outdated 1845 law passed because people (mostly farmers) had little access to polling stations. Weekends were poor choices because of the Sabbath, so Monday was the travel day for Tuesday’s voting. Quite ridiculous, but such is the American voting system.

While many states allow for early voting, 13 do not. Hourly wage workers, who tend to vote Democrat, are disenfranchised because they either lose pay, time at home, or are simply just too busy. So why don’t we officially abolish Columbus Day and establish a federal holiday on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November?

That’s currently done in Puerto Rico. Or we could move election day to be the election weekend. What’s the argument against making voting more accessible? Voter fraud is virtually nonexistent, despite what some Republican politicians might argue to further their derogatory practices.

Just because I didn’t choose to vote doesn’t mean others shouldn’t. If I lived in Austin, Texas, or Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I’d be rushing to the polls. But the undemocratic voting system that is ingrained in American political society prevents my vote from making a difference. Fortunately, in 2016, I had just turned 18 and was eager to vote. I voted in my first Democratic primary (for Hillary Clinton, not Bernie Sanders) and cast an absentee ballot because of a competitive state Senate election. But my vote for Clinton, like so many others in solidly blue states, simply did not matter. Elections are more about gaming the system than gaining popularity. But only until we decide to change the system.

INTERROBANG

BY PATRICK BURKE COLUMNIST

James “Whitey” Bulger died at the age of 89 after he was beaten so badly that he was unrecognizable to inmates, according to the New York Times. It may not be the most politically correct thing to say, but he finally got what he deserved. He ruined so many lives and changed the way that Bostonians felt about their hometown. The fact that it took this long is a little surprising.

“Whitey” was a folklore character when I was growing up. Because I’m from the area, I always knew what kind of damage he could do. I knew that he was on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, but it seemed that everyone assumed he was dead or in another country.

It became such a lost cause that people would sometimes crack jokes, saying they saw him walking around Southie. My dad made a joke recently that he saw Bulger a few times before he was caught.

He was a scumbag, but he was Boston’s scumbag. In a way, he held a special place in our hearts. He was the most famous mobster to come out of this city, so we all were, in a way, conditioned to make jokes about his whereabouts.

There will be no more “Uncle Whitey” sightings after today.

After years of searching for the mobster, it seemed the leads dried up, and I forgot about him for a long time. This was until was until his capture in 2011. It seemed like a joke.

No one really believed it at first.

The pictures of Bulger that originally emerged looked strikingly different to the famous ones released by the FBI, which can be explained by his 16 years on the run with girlfriend Catherine Greig.

It was great to see him handed multiple life sentences for the crimes that he committed while leading the Winter Hill Gang. He was a lowlife who somehow was granted the

ability to live his life far beyond the reaches of law enforcement for far too long. It was funny to see how small he looked when he was entering the helicopter after his court date — a legendary figure reduced to a real person.

Just by looking at him, you wouldn’t suspect such an old, frail man would have ever been capable of doing what he did.For so many, his conviction was a relief many years in the making.

On a lighter note, it is known that Bulger hated the 2015 movie made about his life, “Black Mass.” I couldn’t agree with him more! That movie felt like a cheap cop-out.

I went into the movie wanting to learn more about Bulger than what I already knew, and I walked out of the movie having learned absolutely nothing. That movie never should have been made.

His attorney, Hank Brennan, hit the nail on the head when he said, “Hollywood greed is behind the rush to portray my client, and the movie missed the real scourge created in my client’s case, the real menace to Boston during that time and in other mob cases around the country.” It’s a cocky thing to say, but it is totally true.

Bulger was feared all around the city of Boston, and that movie made him out to be a human being who could be reasoned with and perhaps deserved our sympathy, which was definitely not the case.

Every time I take the train home, we rumble by multiple grave sites where Bulger buried some of his victims. There is a near-perfect square cut out in a marsh heading toward Quincy that is said to be a site where some of the bodies were found. This despicable evil has left its mark on the city, and his presence is still felt when I take the train.

It’s often joked that if you’re from Boston, someone you know knew Bulger. It’s a scary thought that during his reign, you were only a few degrees of separation away from one of the most notorious mobsters in the country.

That is no longer a fear. After all the people he murdered ruthlessly, Bulger finally got what was coming to him. Whoever did this did a service to the city of Boston. “Uncle Whitey” is no more.

Whitey Bulger is a figure who will go down in history. He impacted the lives of so many Bostonians, and his death is sure to cause a reaction unlike any other. He was a hero to some and a villain to most. I will always remember him as a joke, but I would never say that to anyone who knew him.

Uncle Whitey is gone, and the world is unquestionably a better place for it.

CARTOON BY KYLE PATTERSON

Red Sox fans threw beer cans at the team during the Red Sox victory parade Wednesday.

We here at the ol’ Free Press want to know — what would the BU community throw during a parade?

BU Athletics: Footballs

Allston: Up

Rajen Kilachand: Dollar bills

Sargent: Granola

Questrom: Resumes

SHA: Complimentary mints

BU Dance Team: It down

Hockey Team: Hands

FreeP: AP Stylebooks

11

SPORTS

Sports

Thursday, November 1, 2018

INTERVIEW: Gabe Polsky on ‘In Search of Greatness’

BY LILY BETTS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Four years after “Red Army,” the documentary on the Soviet Union team that dominated Cold War-era hockey, director and producer Gabe Polsky returned to the world of sports documentaries with “In Search of Greatness,” which debuts Friday.

The film interviews the likes of Jerry Rice, Pelé and Wayne Gretzky to answer one question: what makes them the greatest of all time? Polsky argued that creativity is the core trait among standout athletes.

“Even as a kid, I was attracted to the creative aspect of sport,” Polsky told The Daily Free Press. “When you got [to] the stadium and you see something and you turn to the guy next to you, just, like, ‘Wow, did you see that?’ Like something magical, something you’ve never seen before.”

These awe-inspiring moments are even more important than a win or a loss, although there is a correlation, according to Polsky.

“That’s what I was attracted to, but for some reason, no one ever talked about that,” Polsky said. “…

No one ever encouraged creativity, no one talked about it. It was sort of taboo, and if you are creative, oftentimes you find yourself on the bench.”

He described creativity as the essence of greatness and said he found the athletic field’s denial of individuality distressing.

“We spend billions of dollars on sports media, but how can no one even talk about the essence of it?” Polsky said. “That always stuck

COURTESY OF AOS FILMS

Gabe Polsky (left) directs Wayne Gretzky (center) in his latest documentary “In Search of Greatness,” which opens in theaters Friday.

For three years, Polsky played with me when I had the tools to make a film about it, that was my DI hockey at Yale University under opportunity to speak about this very Tim Taylor, who led the Bulldogs important issue, because this isn’t for 28 years and was a two-time U.S. really about sports as much as it is Olympic coach.

The two clashed over Taylor’s about mental health and happiness d ef e n s i v e - m i nd e d s t r a te g i e s . and what makes somebody great.”

Polsky said that allowing for orig- However, Polsky said his time on inality is both essential for athlete the Yale team was ultimately a negdevelopment and players’ wellbeing. ative experience.

“I had a horrible experience at “I was able to use the greatest athletes of all time to tell a story Yale hockey,” Polsky said. “When I about life, about nature and nurture, played, I was productive, but he didn’t about parenting, coaching, so many like how I played, and so therefore different things that I think could I didn’t get a lot of playing time. I guide us to be a happier and healthier basically lost the joy of the game, and it was heartbreaking — painful, society,” Polsky said.

painful experience — and it’s one of the reasons why I made this film.”

Polsky said coaching has a major impact on athletes’ lives.

“I made this movie so we have less bad coaches,” Polsky said. “There’s not enough good coaches — there are very few good coaches, and I hope that we can give our next generation a much better experience in sports.

After realizing that a professional hockey career was not in his future, Polsky said filmmaking allowed him to express himself, entertain people and communicate ideas he finds important.

“If you’re playing beautifully and

creatively, that’s who you are,” Polsky said. “It’s basically like what you do with the puck or the ball is who you are, it’s the same with filmmaking.

The choices you make are who you are.”

Expression also empowers athletes, the film argues.

While the f ilm exemplif ied John McEnroe, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, it also featured highlights from Serena Williams, who received backlash for her actions on the court during the US Open.

“Anytime you express yourself, you help evolve society. If you can’t say anything, nothing evolves,” Polsky said. “… I always think people should say how they feel, but obviously there are consequences, and it’s so difficult.

There’s the age-old question of if you speak out for what you believe in, you risk a great amount, but if you don’t, you’re a coward.”

Polsky said his first sports documentary also inf luenced him in making “In Search of Greatness.”

In “Red Army,” the Soviet players were subject to a controlling staff and government — they were technically billed as soldiers — Polsky said the team thrived due to its creativity and that it inspired him to dig deeper into the topic.

“The ice was the only space where they could create,” Polsky said. “Their coach wasn’t saying, ‘No, don’t play that way.’ They were allowed to play, but they were kept in a locked-up base … I took this idea of creativity in sport a step further to really understand it, but it started there.”

Patriot League recognizes five women’s soccer players, head coach

BY LILY BETTS DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Two d ay s a f ter t he B oston University women’s soccer team clinched its second outright regular season title, the Patriot League named its honorees with six Terriers (9-7-3, 7-0-2 Patriot League) earning recognition.

At the head of the team, BU head coach Nancy Feldman earned her second Patriot League Head Coach of the Year recognition — her 11th including the program’s time in America East — in the same year she earned her 300th win.

While Feldman said she accepted the recognition of her peers, she said coaches with difficult years plagued with injury and difficult players as those who deserve the coach of the year recognition.

“This year is not a year I feel like I deserve coach of the year,” Feldman said. “The team this year has been a gift, because the team has been a pleasure to coach. They’ve been all-in, they’ve been hard-working and they go into games ready to go.”

For the second year in a row, a Terrier was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Last year, it was current sophomore forward Anna Heilferty. This year, the title went to freshman midfielder Taylor Kofton, who was also

named to the All-Patriot Third Team.

Kofton’s four conference goals led the team and tied her for second in the league, two of which were game-winners.

A native of Norton, Kofton had previously been named the Massachusetts Player of the Year and said that being able to maintain those ties attracted her to BU. “I love the city and I love my home,” Kofton said. “I get so much support from around home, and I wanted them to be able to keep supporting me. It’s almost like giving back, too.”

Feldman commended Kofton for making the jump from high school and club soccer to a starting position on a college team, stating she was impressed with Kofton’s conditioning when she arrived on campus after recovering from an ACL injury the summer before her senior year in high school.

Both the coach and the player said communication allowed Kofton to grow into her position.

Kofton entered the line-up after an injury to senior forward Julianna Chen, who the freshman described as an essential tool for her when she joined the team.

“Definitely, Jules was one of my role models coming in,” Kofton said.

“Just watching her play the midfield

position, I learned everything I know … it was awesome to step in and try to do what she does. It was also awesome getting advice from her and other upperclassmen.”

A nother m idf ielder, sen ior tri-captain Dorrie Varley-Barrett, was named to the All-Patriot First Team alongside Heilferty, who led the team offensively in goals, assists and points.

Varley-Barrett of Chelmsford has started in all but one game in her last three years at BU. Senior defender duo Chelsea Churchill and Libby Closson were both named to the Second Team.

Along with her defensive duties, the Terriers’ first winning goal of the conference season came off a header from Churchill in the eighth minute of a match against Lehigh University.

The team allowed only two goals in regular season conference play, keeping the rest of its Patriot League foes shut out.

On avera ge, the tea m on ly allowed 6.1 shots per game from league competitors.

Feldman attributed to the seniors’ success to their preparation and VIVIAN MYRON/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF competitive natures and said that Freshman midfielder Taylor Kofton in a Sept. 22 match against Lehigh University. they are “model” players for the rest Kofton was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year Monday. of the team. their careers and have done a lot in poured a lot of effort and a lot of “I’d love all the seniors to be rec- their time at BU,” Feldman said, blood, sweat and tears into their ognized, because they’re all finishing “but these three are kids who have preparation and their performance.”

SPORTS

10

Improvement needed for men’s hockey vs. Northeastern

BY LIAM O’BRIEN DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

It is rare to be calling a college hockey game a must-win on the first day of November.

However, the Boston University men’s hockey team’s contest at Northeastern University Thursday night might just fall into that category.

The Terriers (0-4, 0-2 Hockey East) are off to their worst start since 1998–99, receiving just one vote in the USCHO.com poll this week after starting off the season ranked eighth in the country.

BU head coach Albie O’Connell said his focus was on improving the team.

“I think our focus is just trying to get better,” O’Connell said. “We’re not worried about Northeastern, we’re just worried about ourselves right now … We just don’t have enough grit in our offensive game, and we don’t shoot the puck enough.”

After raising the Hockey East Championship banner before the game, the Terriers looked like a different team compared to the one that defeated Providence College in the Hockey East title game at TD Garden in March.

In a 5-0 loss to the Friars (4-1-1, 2-0 Hockey East), BU was outshot 39-18, lost 24 of its 45 faceoffs and went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Junior goaltender Jake Oettinger was pelted with 17 shots each in the final two periods while the Terriers released just 14 shots combined in the last 40 minutes of the contest.

BU enters the fourth weekend of the season in the cellar of the Hockey East.

Northeastern had its way with

the Terriers last season: they beat them three times, including a 5-2 victory in the Beanpot final to bring the cup to Huntington Avenue for the first time since 1988.

“It’s like any other game for our guys,” O’Connell said. “I think right now we’re just trying to get better as a group. We had good practices this week, so at the end of the day, they have to execute … I’m very interested to see what our effort level is and how we play.”

This Huskies team looks much different than last year’s — gone are top scorers Adam Gaudette, Nolan Stevens and Dylan Sikura.

However, this group is still producing points. Despite losing a top forward line in the country, the Huskies are tied for second in scoring in the Hockey East with 3.5 goals per game.

Multiple upperclassmen have stepped up to aid in the transition.

MADDIE MALHOTRA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF Junior forward Grant Jozefek, Northeastern University defensemen Jeremy Davies (left) and Collin Murphy (right) and former Boston University forward who had two assists against BU last Brady Tkachuk (center) during the Beanpot final in February. year, leads the team with four goals The Huskies’ sophomore goal- recent injury. and is tied for the team high with six “Minnesota State is scoring a lot of goals, Providence has scored a lot of tender Cayden Primeau has backed points.

“Chad just gives us confidence,” A couple of Massachusetts prod- goals, too, so I think it’s just a matter the defense even further, whose play O’Connell said. “He’s really poised ucts, senior forwards Liam Pecararo of us tightening things up and play- BU saw firsthand last season in the with the puck. He was a little rusty Beanpot. and Lincoln Griffin, in addition to ing the right way.” in some areas. As far legs and energy, The Huskies has been stout Primeau has a .923 save percent- he’s usually able to go the whole junior forward John Picking, have defensively as well, ranking second age this autumn after ranking sev- game. But that’s going to be a work six points as well.

The Huskies still boast an expe- in the conference with just two goals enth in the nation a season ago with in process when he’s coming back a .931 save percentage in addition to from an injury … He gives us a difrienced unit, but one freshman, allowed per tilt.

This defensive prowess has been a 1.92 goals against average.

Tyler Madden — a rare Floridian in ferent dimension on the power play.

The Terrier defense will benefit He’s been doing it for two years. He’s the Hockey East — is second on the supplanted by a couple of mainstays from the return of junior defense- really comfortable and confident, team with three goals as he scored on the back end.

Junior defensemen Ryan Shea man and assistant captain Chad Krys, and he allows our groups to have a one goal apiece in the team’s three and Jeremy Davies held down the according to O’Connell. opening games. little bit different dynamic.”

While O’Connell criticized the “I think we just got to worry about group last year and are doing it again playing good team defense, no mat- this fall. Davies has helped out offen- team’s recent play in special teams, Brady Gardner from WTBU ter who we play,” O’Connell said on sively as well, as he is tied for the team he said he believed Krys adds another contributed to the reporting of this level to the team’s play despite his article. countering Northeastern’s offense. lead in assists.

Behind the Glass: Gritty is best offseason acquisition for Flyers mascot, Gnash, have almost 54,000 and 50,000 followers, respectively, while New Jersey’s NJ Devil has 20,600 a nd both the Ch ica go Blackhawks’ and Columbus Blue Jackets’ mascots have about 10,000 or less.

Many, such as sports talk radio host Joe Giglio, believe Gritty is a terrible idea, but in actuality, this googly eyed monster may be one of the best decisions the Flyers organization has made for boosting its following.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the Flyers experienced one of the biggest declines in television ratings on NBC Sports Philadelphia bet ween the 2016-2017 season and the 2017-2018 seasons. This decline was the fifth highest in the league at 25 percent. The four teams ranked above Philadelphia for biggest decline were the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.

It is interesting to see that COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS there was such a large decline in The National Hockey League Mascot Showdown during the 2016 All-Star Game. ratings, considering the Flyers ended ducing a brand new mascot for their 2017–2018 season third in the

BY LAURA GUERRIERO COLUMNIST the 2018–2019 season, and it most Metropolitan Division, facing a Gritt y. It ’s a word that the definitely has been making a splash 4-2 series loss to their cross-state Cambridge Dictionary defines as among the NHL community and rival the Pittsburgh Penguins in “strong and determined in dealing its fans. the first round of playoffs. This with an unpleasant situation.” It’s Looking like a cross between was an improvement for the team also the name of the Philadelphia a Muppet and a monster, Gritty from the season before, in which Flyers’ unpleasant mascot. already boasts more than 153,000 they finished third-to-last in the Yes, a little more than a month followers on Twitter. For compari- Metropolitan Division, missing out a g o , t h e P h i l a d e l p h i a F l y e r s son, the Los Angeles Kings’ mascot, on the playoffs entirely. announced they would be intro- Bailey, and the Nashville Predators It doesn’t matter that the team

is winning games if viewership is dropping so drastically in one year.

A decrease in viewership equals a decrease in the number of fans that are tuning in and paying attention to the team. Ultimately, decrease in viewership means a decrease in revenue for the team, which is the opposite of what any team wants.

Enter Gritty. He’s undoubtedly the most talked-about mascot in the NHL right now, and the Flyers are capitalizing on his quick rise to fame.

On Sept. 24 , both Gr itt y ’s Twitter page, @GrittyNHL, and the Flyers’ official page tweeted pictures and videos of the new mascot, which were soon retweeted by teams across Philadelphia as well as mascots throughout the NHL. Since his grand entrance, he’s had a dominant Twitter presence that seems to be creating a formula for success both on and off the ice.

First, the Gritty Twitter account is constantly posting new content, tweeting at least once a day. The content posted is meant to be funny and cause engagement with followers, often including pictures, videos and GIFs that play off of popular culture or show Gritty engaging with famous figures, such as Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live.

For example, one of the first images the account tweeted was of a recreation of Kim Kardashian’s famous Paper magazine shoot, where Gritty was instead pictured holding a Gatorade water bottle that

sprayed into a glass photoshopped onto his back.

Gr it t y ’s pa g e a l so act i vel y engages with other accounts on Twitter, such as his “Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird,” response to the Penguins’ mocking of the new mascot. Active engagement with other Twitter accounts increases visibility, therefore giving the mascot more opportunities to gain followers.

Gritty is nothing short of wild when the Flyers hit the ice. He has been seen bodychecking fans during intermission activities, dumping a bag of popcorn on a Rangers fan’s head and falling all over the ice, and it’s exactly what the team needs.

Philadelphia needed something new and exciting to hook new fans as well as regain viewership from fans who have previously stopped watching the team. Gritty is fun and unpredictable, and you don’t need to know the rules of hockey to follow his antics. He’s a way for the team to attract more than just the active Flyers fans, instead creating a character that may cause those who do not follow the team to want to tune in to see what Gritty does.

We’re only about a dozen games into the season, so it is hard to observe the long-term effects, or lack thereof, the addition of Gritty may have for the team, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Flyers regain some of that lost viewership by the end of this season.