In an email sent to Boston University students on Thursday, President Robert Brown announced the creation of a “task force” responsible for “studying the culture and climate” of the men’s ice hockey team. The announcement merited some students’ approval.
The need for a task force came after two BU ice hockey players, Corey Trivino and Max Nicastro, were arrested on alleged sexual assault charges in the past academic year.
“The charges in these cases understandably lead to questions about whether the hockey team’s culture and climate have contributed in some way to the actions of the two individuals,” Brown said in the email statement. “The University must address these questions and, if deficiencies are identified, make appropriate and necessary changes.”
Brown said the task force, which will consist of trustees, overseers, faculty and staff, does not seek to judge the specific facts of both cases, which must be left to the judicial system.
But the proposed task force does “reflect a University-level judgment” that the incidents “indicate something systemic or habitual may foster a team climate that does not comport with the highest standards of conduct we seek to maintain for all members of our community,” Brown said.
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Melody Kamigaki said the email was an assurance, although the task force proposal was unnecessary.
“I think to an extent most people know what to do, what not to do, what is right,” Kamigaki said. “I feel like there’s too much control over the BU campus. People won’t be happy overall.”
Kamigaki said “mistakes happen,” but at least certain members of the men’s ice hockey team is getting the proper punishment and eventually they will learn.
CAS junior Brett Adam, who had skimmed the email, said it was a good “political move on the part of BU.”
“I think it’s definitely a good move on the part of the school to put together something to investigate in to why this is happening and just to kind of remedy the situation,” Adam said.
Metropolitan College senior Charlie Vlahakis said he had been reading articles about the two incidents.
“I think it’s good that they’re at least trying to analyze it and trying to be very forward with the fact that it could be something related to culture,” Vlahakis said.
He also said there should be more students on the task force in addition to university staff.
“It’s up in the air . . . there’s no proof that he actually did anything per se, it’s still not guilty until proven such,” Vlahakis said. “But that being said, the fact that two of these things happened within a few months of each other does warrant the creation of more people to look into it.”
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Really, Freep? This is your source? “CAS junior Brett Adam, who had **skimmed the email**, said it was a good “political move on the part of BU.”
Or we can just ask why the university is pouring money into a situation that should revolve around the individuals involved, not the whole team. Stop going easy on the athletes and pouring money into unnecessary task forces that may or may not exist. Get proper rape hotlines up, make consequences a reality not just a threat. Clearly BU is out to protect its image.