Looking Back, Looking Forward: News Coverage Preview

Campus News

The 2013-14 academic year at Boston University has been marked by significant change. From the way the university looks to the way it is run, from the creation of new programs to the tragic losses of several BU students, that change has been apparent and had an impact on each Terrier. But in the face of both loss and growth, the BU community has shown resilience and unity — students, alumni, faculty and administration alike. We have banded together to mourn the lives of those we’ve lost, celebrated gender-neutral housing for on-campus residences and fought for the right to conduct breakthrough research in the controversial Biolab.

In our upcoming semester at BU, we’ll be sure to see even more change and there are several  topics and issues that The Daily Free Press will continue to cover.

Biolab at Boston University awaits approval to begin research

Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, which aims to study infectious diseases that are or could become major public health concerns, made strides toward full operation this year. The Boston City Council voted in favor of permitting Biosafety Level 4 research in Boston – which involves the testing and development of vaccines and treatments to combat infectious diseases – at NEIDL on the BU Medical Campus site in the South End. Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders also rejected a challenge by residents to a risk assessment by the National Institutes of Health that found that NEIDL poses minimal risk to the community. Now, NEIDL must gain permission from the Boston Public Health Commission to begin research on life-threatening infectious diseases classified as BSL-4, such as Ebola.

Potential dangers of off-campus housing affect BU community

Even though BU guarantees on-campus housing to every full-time student at the university for all four years of their undergraduate education, some students elect to move off-campus, where apartments can be illegally overcrowded and sometimes unsafe, if unchecked by the city officials and neglected by landlords. In April 2013, a three-alarm fire in Allston killed BU student Binland Lee, a story that has prompted a large investigation by the Boston Globe into the quality of off-campus housing for college students. In the coming months, the Daily Free Press will be looking at off-campus housing available to BU students and revealing how students like Lee find themselves in unsafe living situations.

BU undergoes renovation, visibly changes skyline of campus

BU’s 18-story School of Law tower is currently undergoing a complete renovation and will see the replacement of every window with thermally insulated units, refurbished concrete panels on the exterior of the buildings, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, larger bathrooms and modern facilities. As outlined in BU’s Institutional Master Plan, the university has seven proposed projects that they aim to complete by 2023, including developing new academic buildings in Central and East Campus, renovating Myles Standish Hall and replacing aging research and teaching facilities along Cummington Mall. BU also plans to build a Student Village III to complete the John Hancock Student Village.

BU’s Push to Start becomes face of Student Government

After a heated race marked by issues with students’ access to voting and several complaints filed with the Student Elections Commission, BU’s Push to Start platform swept the Student Government Executive Board elections. President Richa Kaul, Executive Vice President Joseph Ferme, Vice President of Internal Affairs Jamie Ellis and Vice President of Finance Joshua Mosby will be serving this fall.

Women’s basketball coach steps down amidst bullying accusations

Following multiple allegations of emotional bullying from former players, BU women’s basketball head coach Kelly Greenberg stepped down from her position in April. Greenberg had finished her 10th season as coach of the women’s basketball team and led the Terriers to a 186-127 record under her tenure. Katy Steding, former assistant coach at the University of California, will replace Greenberg and move the team forward in the 2014-15 season.

BU sees its first full year with gender-neutral housing

For the first time, during Spring 2014 housing selection, students of were able to live in gender-neutral housing, a policy the BU student body collaborated with the Student Government, the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism and other groups. In the fall,the option will be available as a choice in almost all residence halls. Warren Towers, Claflin, Rich and Sleeper Halls, The Towers and the Myles Annex will not offer gender-neutral housing.

Community mourns loss of three BU students

The BU community mourned the loss of several current and former students this year. Kevin Lee, a College of Engineering sophomore, was found dead in his Towers dorm room on April 14. Diego Fernandez Montes, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman, was killed during a robbery in Mexico City over spring break. The body of Eric Munsell, a graduate of BU, who was first reported missing in February, was found in April in the Boston Harbor, near the location where he was last seen.

Fraternity suspended, four members taken to jail

BU’s Dean of Students Office suspended the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity chapter in March after four students were arrested on charges of keeping a disorderly house and violating terms of probation. These students were taken to jail shortly after their initial arrests for violating probation terms by housing a gathering of approximately 150 to 200 people. We will continue to report on the relationship between Greek Life and the administration.

Students say goodbye to wrestling program, hello to men’s lacrosse

BU Athletics officials announced the wrestling program would be cut after its 2013-14 season, which prompted protests from BU students, alumni and supporters of the program across the country. The wrestling program, which has existed for over 50 years, has now been cut. However, BU Athletics added men’s lacrosse to its list of programs, and saw the creation and opening of New Balance Field in West Campus.

As Senate debates student debt, students feel financial pressure

With student debt totaling over $1 trillion in the United States, the cost of tuition and room and board rates at BU rose by 3.7 percent for the 2014-15 academic school year, leaving some students concerned about paying off their loans during and after graduation. When U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke at BU in April about the student loan crisis and the need to refinance student loans to lower interest rates, students spoke of their fear of an inability to buy a house or a car given the “exorbitant monthly payments” they are burdened by. Warren’s proposed bill, backed by Senate Democrats, aimed to allow students to refinance their loans at lower interest rates. However, that bill was blocked by Senate Republicans, leaving students and their families unsure of how or if high interest rates will be addressed and causing uneasiness about the financial burdens from student loans.

City News

Living on a campus so geographically and culturally immersed in the culture of its surrounding city, BU students have seen a great deal of change throughout the city of Boston over the past school year. When Boston elected a new mayor this past fall, the city moved into a new age, with new Cabinet positions, longer Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority hours and a greater emphasis on the use of social media to connect City Hall to the city’s residents. The fall also brought athletic success when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, bringing excitement and cheers to city. This spring, as the anniversary passed of the Boston Marathon bombings, the city stands together, awaiting the trial of the man allegedly responsible for the tragic events.

In the coming months, Boston will be on the front lines amidst the election of a new state governor and in the middle of a trial that will decide the fate of the accused marathon bomber. The Daily Free Press will continue to follow the events transpiring in City Hall and around Boston’s neighborhoods, watching as our city grows and changes.

Prosecutors seek death penalty for accused Boston Marathon bomber

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, along with his brother, Tamerlan, is accused of placing the two bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line that killed three people and injured more than 260 on April 15, 2013. The brothers are also accused of killing Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department Officer Sean Collier while running from police three days after the bombings. Tamerlan was killed after a police chase in Watertown on April 19 when Dzhokhar ran him over while trying to get away. Dzhokhar was later found hiding inside a boat after the city went on lockdown searching for him. Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to more than 30 federal charges against him, and the prosecution hopes to put him on trial this fall.

In recent months, Dzhokhar’s friends have been charged with obstructing the investigation in the days following the marathon. Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, who both attended the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth with Tsarnaev, were charged with removing items from his room after officials revealed the photos of the two suspects. A backpack filled with fireworks, explosive powder and a laptop, which was believed to be moved by Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov, was found in a landfill in New Bedford. Both men pleaded not guilty. Robel Phillipos, another friend of Tsarnaev’s, is charged with lying to investigators. Tazyahakov’s trial is scheduled to begin June 30, while Kadyrbayev is slated to go on trial in September. A third friend, Robel Phillipos, charged with lying to investigators, faces a separate trial in late September.

On May 30, an unsealed indictment charged Khairullozhon Matanov, a 23-year-old taxicab driver who was also a friend of the Tsarnaev brothers, with several federal counts, including destroying and falsifying of records and making false statements in a federal investigation. The indictment stated that Matanov met with the Tsarnaev brothers the night of the bombings and contacted them multiple times in the days that followed. Matanov has not been charged with any participation in the bombings.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh moves Boston forward

In November 2013, Martin Walsh was elected as Boston’s new mayor, replacing Thomas Menino, who had been in office for 20 years. Since taking office, Walsh has made several changes to the leadership and culture of Boston. In an effort to reorganize the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Walsh created the position of chief of economic development, a Cabinet position given to John Barros to head the BRA and take charge of other special events and tourism-related ventures. Walsh has also put a force behind strengthening Boston’s nightlife, signing off on MBTA weekend late night service and making moves to keep bars and restaurants open later. Vastly different from his predecessor, Walsh often uses social media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and Reddit, to connect with constituents and answer questions. Throughout the fall, the Daily Free Press will be continuing to keep up with Walsh and see how the changes he’s made thus far affect Boston.

Mass. politicians fight to become next governor of Commonwealth

This November, a variety of Massachusetts politicians will go head-to-head in a race that will go down in Massachusetts history. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, an incumbent governor who has been in office since 2007, will be leaving his position this fall.

From the Massachusetts Republican Party, Charlie Baker, the endorsed candidate, will be running for the office. Baker’s endorsement was announced at the Massachusetts Republican Convention in March. In a controversial vote, Baker received over 2,000 votes, leaving his opponent, Tea Party candidate Mark Fisher, with just under the 15 percent he needed to be placed on the primary ballot. After a legal battle between Fisher and MassGOP that lasted weeks, Fisher’s name was placed on the ballot.

On the Democratic side, there are five declared candidates: Joseph Avellone, Donald Berwick, Mass. Attorney Gen. Martha Coakley, Mass. Treasurer Steven Grossman and Juliette Kayyem. The candidates will be seeking the endorsement of the Massachusetts Democratic Party at the state convention on June 13 and 14. The three declared independent candidates are Evan Falchuk, Jeffrey McCormick and Scott Lively. The Daily Free Press will be continuing to watch the debates, primaries and changing polls as the days draw closer to Election Day and see how this election will affect BU students.

MBTA late night hours begin in Boston, fares increase

On March 28, late night MBTA service began for a year pilot program, marking a new era in Boston nightlife. The program lengthened normal service times by two hours on Friday and Saturday nights for all MBTA subways and some bus routes. After the first weekend of late night service, the MBTA released data showing huge success with the new hours, which saw nearly five times more riders than on the Night Owl, an earlier attempt at late night MBTA service that had failed in 2005. Less than two months later, on May 14, the Department of Transportation approved a 5 percent fare hike, raising the MBTA subway line fares to $2.10 per ride with a CharlieCard and $2.60 per ride with a CharlieTicket. The new fares, which are expected to raise fare revenue by 4 percent, go into effect July 1.

Over the coming months, Boston will be keeping a watchful eye on the success (or lack thereof) of the new MBTA hours, a pilot program that could be brought to an end if its ridership begins to decrease. We will also be looking at the effects of the fare hike on the MBTA and its riders.

Medical marijuana making way to Boston

In 2012, Massachusetts voters legalized medical marijuana by ballot referendum, and for nearly two years, the Commonwealth has been waiting to see the result of their vote come to life. Although the medical marijuana initiative allows for up to 35 dispensaries, Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick has been working for months to create proper regulations for the branches, which ultimately narrowed the applicants from 181 to only 20. Several local governments, including Wakefield, Reading and Melrose have tried to ban the dispensaries from their towns, but the bans were not allowed. Of the 20 dispensaries that received licenses, two will open in Boston: Green Heart Holistic Health and Pharmaceuticals on Southampton Street and Good Chemistry of Massachusetts on Boylston Street. All dispensaries are expected to open in summer 2014, and the Department of Health has vowed to maintain continuous oversight after the openings.

Harvard University builds itself into Allston

Harvard University’s 10-Year Institutional Master Plan, which was approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority on Oct. 17 has been in the works for nearly a decade and will allow the university to expand into Allston, a neighborhood west of BU’s campus where many off-campus students live. The initiative has launched a variety of projects and programs, including a $6.5 billion fundraising effort for Harvard and a free shuttle service between Cambridge and Allston, which began in September. In February, Harvard’s President Drew Faust announced that the School of Engineering and Applied Science will be moved to Allston, a project expected to be complete in 2017. Owning 350 acres of land in Allston, Harvard has plans to continue construction and expansion in the coming months and years.

Boston’s skyline continues to change

For months, the Boston Redevelopment Authority has been announcing a series of construction projects in the city to be launched over the next decade, many of which will change Boston’s skyline dramatically. In September, a real estate firm, Carpenter and Company, announced they will construct a 58-story building in Back Bay, the third tallest building in Boston next to the John Hancock Tower and the Prudential Tower. However, the BRA announced in June a $700 million, 60-story residential tower, beating the September announcement and taking its third-place spot. Over the next several months and years, the city can expect to continue hearing construction plans from the BRA and seeing change in the sky.

Fate of Boston’s bid for 2024 Olympics remains uncertain

Although Boston is one of several cities bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, the U.S. Olympic Committee has yet to reveal which cities are still in the race. The current contenders, aside from Boston, are Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Dallas and Washington. The International Olympic Committee has decided to focus on rejuvenating the bid process, creating a system that is more economically feasible for the cities and more focused on strategy, before narrowing down the list. For now, Boston residents will have to wait to hear whether the city is still being considered for 2024.