CAS junior killed in bus accident in Peru
College of Arts and Sciences junior Meghan Sennott was killed in a bus accident in the Peruvian Andes on May 14. Sennott, 20, had studied in Ecuador through Boston University’s abroad program that spring, and was traveling through Peru with her boyfriend, Richard Gebbie. Friends and family said Sennot lived “every minute to its fullest” and died doing “something she loved.”
SED gets new dean
Charles Glenn was named dean ad interim of the School of Education in early July, replacing Douglas Sears, who began heading a planning committee July 1. Glenn had served as chairman of the administration training and policy department and taught in SED and the University Professors’ Program.
SAO names new director
Senior Coordinator of Programs Mindy Stroh was named the new head of the Student Activities Office on Aug. 21, replacing former director Carolyn Norris, who held the position for five years.
CFA junior dies of heart attack
College of Fine Arts junior Juliane Miller died Aug. 31 at Sherman Oaks Hospital outside Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack and intracranial bleeding. The 20-year-old acting student was described by close friends as a compassionate and caring friend who aspired to perform in a big city.
SmartMovers botches deliveries
SmartMovers, a storage and shipping company endorsed by BU, left thousands of returning students’ packages unmoved from the company’s warehouse as a result of a glitch in its automated computer system. BU contracted an outside firm to pickup many of the packages from the warehouse, storing them on campus to expedite delivery to students. Some students who reportedly were still missing items in late September said they may pursue legal actions against the company.
Escort Service ditches van
The BU Escort Security Service shuttle was cut this year in part to help balance a university-wide $50 million budget deficit. The escort service added two satellite locations in addition to its headquarters in the George Sherman Union and hired additional walking escorts to counter the loss of the vans.
Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore took shifts as a walker for the escort service and served as an on-call Resident Assistant to gain more interaction with students.
Liza Kelly leaves women’s lacrosse team
BU women’s lacrosse coach Liza Kelly unexpectedly resigned in early September, abruptly ending a five-year tenure at the helm of one of the nation’s top Division I programs. Kelly was later named the head coach of the University of Denver’s women’s lacrosse program.
Obscenity ban enforced for athletic events
BU officials announced a policy in September banning all swearing in the stands, giving the athletic department and school administrators the authority to remove spectators violating the policy from events. The new code of conduct was printed on the back of tickets for all varsity sports, and Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore and BU Athletic Director Mike Lynch enforced the policy by sitting in student sections during games. This story also received national attention and was picked up by Sports Illustrated and ESPN.
COM dean steps down
College of Communication Dean John Schulz stepped down as dean in late-September amid accusations he embellished parts of his résumé. Before leaving, Schulz made comments toward faculty that some found threatening, while others interpreted the comments as a joke. COM Associate Dean Tobe Berkovitz was named the college’s dean ad interim.
New SHA facility
The School of Hospitality settled into a new building with a “hotel” feel in September, doubling its space to hold classes for schools including Metropolitan College and CFA. Located at 928 Commonwealth Ave., across the street from the Fitness and Recreation Center, the building was part of a four-and-a-half year “dream” by administrators. The building was among other new facilities this year, including the third-floor study space donated by the Katzenberg family in the College of General Studies and the announcement of the “Student Village II” project.
Construction plagues Commonwealth Avenue
The Massachusetts Highway Department tore up sidewalks on Commonwealth Avenue as part of a two-year-long beautification project aimed at making the area more pedestrian-friendly. BU launched a website to update students on the status of the construction and provide a project overview.
Midnight Mania returns to Walter Brown Arena
The pre-season No. 4 ranked Boston University men’s ice hockey team kicked off the 2006-07 season with an annual Midnight Mania in Walter Brown Arena, returning to its usual time and location after dismal turnout at last year’s afternoon event held in Agannis Arena.
Freshman killed after being struck by car
CAS freshman Beatriz Ponce was struck by a car and killed Oct. 4 on Memorial Drive as she crossed the street to her residence at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Cambridge. Ponce was 17 and a native of Caracas, Venezuela. BU launched a pedestrian safety campaign aimed at urging students to take caution on busy Boston streets in early November.
“Worst” Server Failure Hits Campus
Multiple simultaneous server failures left thousands of students, faculty and staff without access to email or information on the bu.edu URL for several hours Oct. 31. Called the “worst” failure in years by Information Technology Consulting Services Director Jim Stone, the university postponed graduate student registration, and IT staffers evaluated the department on whether changes should be made.
Scholarship Controversy Gains National Attention
The BU College Republicans drew national media attention before Thanksgiving break after offering a whites-only scholarship to raise awareness of the “absurdity” of affirmative action, which they called a form of “bigotry.” The $250 scholarship, which elicited campus and nationwide reaction, was financed independently by the group and had no applicants before the media picked up on it. College of Engineering sophomore Nicholas Doucette, one of nine scholarship applicants, won the award, and after saying in a Daily Free Press article he would spend the award on books, decided to donate the money.
International students may receive financial aid
BU may offer need-based financial aid to “meritorious students from other countries” to attract a more economically diverse group of students from abroad, President Robert Brown said. In an Oct. 27 interview with The Daily Free Press, Brown said by barring students receiving aid from their home countries, “we’re getting a very narrow socio-economic slice of the international students.” Currently, only U.S. students are eligible for need-based aid at BU.
Ben Coblyn quits basketball team
College of General Studies sophomore forward Ben Coblyn quit the men’s basketball team nine days before the start of the 2006-07 season. Coblyn’s departure was unrelated to the departure of four other players before him.
Black Student Union blasts TFA for “insensitive” fliers
Several Teach for America fliers, which stated statistics on minority academic achievement posted in CAS, incensed members of UMOJA, the Black Student Union, with some members calling the fliers “insensitive.” Professor Linda Heywood’s African-American history class noticed the fliers Nov. 15 and contacted university officials because they felt threatened and offended. UMOJA changed that evening’s meeting’s agenda to hold a discussion with a TFA representative and the BU community.
Union votes on proportional representation amendment
After a semester of debate, the Student Union General Assembly passed a Constitutional amendment adopting proportional representation for college governments and Residence Hall Associations within the General Assembly in two separate meetings on Oct. 31 and Nov. 29. Other portions of the amendment, which was split to facilitate voting and included proportional representation for consortia, failed.
SHS offers free HIV testing
Student Health Services offered free and confidential HIV/AIDS testing in conjunction with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 in an initiative to encourage students to get tested. SHS treated about 20 students and was forced to turn many others away. Plans for more testing could be executed as early as next semester, SHS Director Dr. David McBride said.
Men’s hockey players attacked
Three BU men’s hockey team members and one women’s lacrosse player were punched and beaten with baseball bats, wrenches and crowbars by three to eight assailants after an alleged scuffle earlier in the evening. Seniors Kevin Schaeffer and captain Sean Sullivan were sent to the hospital Sunday, Dec. 3 after sustaining injuries from the attack, missing the following Friday’s game.
Hingham resident Sean Melanson, 23, was later arrested and pled innocent to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, threatening to commit a crime and affray, or public fighting. No other arrests have been made.