Text
THE Suffolk Journal
VOLUME 81, NUMBER 14 |
thesuffolkjournal.com
|
@SuffolkJournal
AMERICA,
IS IT FINALLY
TIME?
The United States has suffered
from a string of mass shootings
that have occurred in churches
and schools alike. As some call
for gun control, others look to
arm university police.
SEE PAGES 2 - 4
February 21, 2018
2 FEB. 21, 2018
Notable mass shootings in the US since 2009*
Suffolk University’s Student Government Association (SGA) has sent out more than one Firearm Survey in recent years, with one dating
back to 2009. At that time, Suffolk students had a general consensus of not approving the Suffolk Police Department (SUPD) being
armed. In the most recent survey that was sent to the Suffolk community on Dec. 13, 2017, it displayed different results as nearly 54
percent of the population that completed the survey said they would feel safer within the university’s area if sworn SUPD officers were
armed. Some of the below statistics were of incidents that occurred in houses of worship, elementary and high schools, universities,
airports, shopping malls and other locations where most Americans feel safe.
2012
2009
2010
2011
August 3
April 3
September 6
Binghampton, New York Manchester, Connecticut Carson City, Nevada
9 killed
15 killed
5 killed
2013
July 20
Aurora, Colorado
12 killed
March 13
Herkimer, New York
5 killed
August 5
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
5 killed
December 14
Newtown, Connecticut
September 16
Washington, D.C.
13 killed
June 7
Santa Monica, California
6 killed
July 26
Hialeah, Florida
7 killed
28 killed
“
There’s nothing stopping anyone from
just walking in and adding Suffolk to
the list of school shootings.
-Vice President of Rampage Show Choir and Social Media
Manager of the Performing Arts Office Kevin Landers
School shootings
since Jan. 1, 2018:
By Twitter user @thehill
Thousands gathered on Saturday in protest in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to mourn after the
deadly school shooting on Valentine’s Day in Parkland, Fla. that was carried out by a
19-year-old and former student of the high school. This shooting was the 18th school
shooting of the year, just 43 days into 2018.
- Parkland, FL
- Bronx, NY
- Oxon Hill, MD
- Philadelphia, PA
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Gentilly, LA
- Mobile, AL
- Benton, KY
- St. Johns, MI
- Dearborn, MI
- Denison, TX
- Italy, TX
- Marshall, TX
- Maplewood, MN
- Seattle, WA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Bernadino, CA
- Sierra Vista, AZ
3 FEB 21, 2018
2017
2015
May 28
Shooting Spree- Misssissippi
8 killed
May 17
Waco, Texas
9 killed
2014
September 14
Bell, Florida
8 killed
June 17
Charleston, South Carolina
9 killed
October 1
Roseburg, Oregon
10 killed
September 10
Plano, Texas
9 killed
2016
June 12
Orlando, Florida
December 2
San Berdardino, California
14 killed
49 killed
October 1
Las Vegas, Nevada
59 killed
November 5
Sutherland Springs, Texas
2018
February 14
Parkland, Florida
17 killed
26 killed
A Divided Campus:
After boundless mass shootings, Suffolk split on armed officers
Chris DeGusto
News Editor
Nick Viveiros
Journal Staff
Two
hundred
and
thirty-eight.
That’s
the number of school
shootings that occurred
since Dec. 14, 2012,
when a small town in
Connecticut
felt
the
violent impact of a
gunman who claimed the
lives of twenty innocent
children and seven adults.
A total of 121 victims had
lost their lives in school
shootings since, according
to The New York Times.
Up until last week.
Last Wednesday the
nation
watched
and
mourned
as
reports
poured in from Parkland,
Fla. about the 239th
school shooting since
Sandy Hook. Seventeen
people were killed in
this most recent attack.
One teacher died trying
to lock the door of his
classroom.
A
fifteenyear-old student perished
holding open a door for
others to evacuate. Now
the number of deaths has
risen to 138.
The question many are
asking: at what point will
these school shootings
spark
change
instead
of being looked at as
another statistic?
“There’s
nothing
stopping anyone from
just walking in and
adding Suffolk to the
list of school shootings,”
said Vice President of
Rampage Show Choir and
Social Media Manager
of the Performing Arts
Office Kevin Landers in a
recent interview with The
Suffolk Journal.
The United States’
history with gun violence
is far-reaching. Americans
own 270 million firearms,
around
90
weapons
for every 100 people,
according to the Giffords
Law Center to Prevent
Gun Violence. The United
States has a gun homicide
rate that is 25 times more
than other countries such
as Denmark and Germany.
On any given day, four
Americans per hour will
die by a gun, according
to the Centers for Disease
Control.
One
response
at
Suffolk appears to be
increased support for
equipping members of
the Suffolk University
Police Department (SUPD)
with firearms. Currently,
none of the 29 trained,
full-time sworn officers
are armed.
A
student
survey
conducted by the Student
Government Association
and scheduled to be
released later this week
was obtained by The
Journal. In the survey,
By Twitter user @ajplus
Students who had survived the Florida school shooting on Valentine’s Day
met with victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting before they headed
to the state’s capital to demand gun reform.
53.45 percent of those
who
answered
the
question about arming
SUPD said they would
“definitely” or “probably”
feel safer if university
police
were
armed.
In
comparison,
35.18
percent said they would
“definitely” or “probably”
not feel safer.
Support
for
the
proposal to arm officers
has jumped since 2009,
when a similar survey
asked Suffolk students
if they believed SUPD
should be equipped with
firearms, according to SGA
President Dan Gazzani in a
recent interview. Gazzani
told a Journal reporter
that an “overwhelming”
amount of students were
against arming SUPD per
documents from the 2009
survey.
SUPD has often worked
with
Boston
Police
Officers to communicate
strategies and procedures
necessary
to
prepare
for an event of such
magnitude. But it is clear
that support for arming
the officers is gaining
favor.
This past fall, Student
Government Association
Senator Dan Redznak, a
sophomore majoring in
criminal justice, began
to draft a proposal to
arm
SUPD
officers.
Redznak and two other
See SUPD - 4
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKNEWS@GMAIL.COM
4 FEB. 21, 2018
N
Recent school
shooting respark
SUPD arming
debate
Hannah Arroyo/ Asst. Sports Editor
From SUPD - 3
senators, former Senator
Matt O’Brien and Res
Life
Senator
at-large
Alexander Marcus, started
the push in the fall.
“I got going on a draft
of a resolution to put
this into action,” Redznak
told a Journal reporter
in a phone interview on
Monday. “We had an open
forum that any student
could come to. We had
SUPD there, Boston PD
there. I drafted up a
rough resolution based
on that.”
Redznak and those
who support his proposal
insist that safety is their
top priority. University
police
officers
often
put
themselves
in
compromising situations,
such as when escorting
students through the
Boston
Common
or
Downtown Crossing at
night.
While
his
primary
concern is safety, Redznak
also said that arming
SUPD officers will give
them greater legitimacy
in the eyes of both
students and the public.
“I think our officers
get kind of overlooked
as second-class officers,”
said Redznak. “I know
they’re the subject of a
lot of jokes and stuff. I
think part of what this
resolution does is send a
message that our officers
are to be taken seriously,
as seriously as they are on
other campuses.”
Across
campus,
some students reflected
Redznak’s
position.
Freshman Chris Anderson
told Journal reporters
that he believes arming
SUPD
would
provide
a sense of safety to
students, and would be
adequately prepared to
handle any situation at
Suffolk.
“We’re in downtown
Boston, and there’s a lot
of suspicious charters
that I walk by everyday,”
said Jack Graves in a
recent interview with
The Journal. Graves is
a sophomore majoring
in law who supports
arming SUPD officers.
“My
roommate
and
some other friends saw
someone get shot across
the street.”
Not
everyone
has
shown
support
for
arming
SUPD.
Some
students interviewed by
The Journal expressed
apprehension when faced
with the prospect of armed
officers on campus. Some
questioned the necessity,
while others believed it
could lead to heightened
tension of interactions
with the officers.
“I don’t want it to
be
escalated,”
said
Psychology Club President
Mykala Luk. “We’ve seen
how bad things can go
with police officers with
guns. I feel like at a
school there’s too much
to risk. Not that they’re
unqualified or anything,
but I feel like it’s too
risky.”
Others
expressed
doubts following a spate
of negative interactions
between
police
and
people of color.
“We have qualified
officers who are already
conducting so much police
brutality
[nationwide].
It
would
make
me
uncomfortable,”
said
Leighsandra
Sheppard,
vice president of Sisters
on the Runway. “And
I know it would make
the black community at
Suffolk uncomfortable.”
Not
every
student
was so clear cut in their
answers. Some saw the
merits of both sides,
trying to balance the need
for a safe atmosphere with
a general unease about
firearms on campus. A
smaller percentage of
11.37
who
answered
the question in the SGA
survey regarding arming
SUPD answered that they
“might or might not” feel
safer.
THE Suffolk Journal
“I’ve mulled it over
and
had
discussions
with
several
people
about it, and there are
good arguments for and
against it. And I don’t
just say that to say that,
I say that because on
one hand, SUPD are
trained
professionals,”
said Matthew Cubetus,
president of the Suffolk
University
College
Democrats. “That being
said, I don’t see the
necessity for them to
have them.”
Whether or not the
issue will become divisive
as the process continues
remains to be seen.
Redznak assured Journal
reporters that the process
will be a transparent one,
drawing on comments
and
feedback
from
students, faculty, and
administrators.
“We were elected to
represent the students. I
know this is my bill, but
if the general consensus
is no, we have to respect
that. At the end of the day
it’s about the students. So
if they’re not comfortable
with that yet, then there’s
really not a lot that we
can do.”
But for some, including
sophomore
Aaron
Hebron, the decision to
arm campus officers is a
clear one.
“Living and going to
school in the middle of the
city, there’s a lot of things
that could go down really
quickly,” said Hebron in a
recent interview with The
Journal. “It only takes a
second for someone to
harm you with a gun. The
police will get here fast,
but not fast enough. If
SUPD were armed, we’d
have more protection.”
Connect with Chris
by emailing
cdegusto@su.suffolk.edu
Connect with Nick
by emailing
nviveiros@su.suffolk.edu
8 Ashburton Place, Office 930B, Boston, MA
TheSuffolkJournal.com
The independent student newspaper of Suffolk University since 1936.
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
World News Editor
Asst. World News Editor
Arts Editor
Opinion Editor
Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Copy Editor
Alexa Gagosz
Chris DeGusto
Jacob Geanous
Amy Koczera
Felicity Otterbein
Patrick Holmes
Brooke Patterson
Hannah Arroyo
Joe Rice
Haley Clegg
Kaitlin Hahn
Senior Staff Writer
Senior Staff Writer
Political Commentator
Faculty Advisor
Nathan Espinal
Kyle Crozier
Maggie Randall
Bruce Butterfield
The Suffolk Journal is the student newspaper of
Suffolk University. It is the mission of the Suffolk
Journal to provide the Suffolk community with
the best possible reporting of news, events,
entertainment, sports and opinions. The reporting,
views, and opinions in the Suffolk Journal are solely
those of the editors and staff of The Suffolk Journal
and do not reflect those of Suffolk University, unless
otherwise stated.
The Suffolk Journal does not discriminate against
any persons for any reason and complies with all
university policies concerning equal opportunity.
Copyright 2018.
@AJenglish
W
“What the Rohingya need is a piece
of earth that they can call their
home, where they don’t need to
worry about being slaughtered.
@bleacherreport
Czech Republic bounces Team USA
from men’s hockey tournament
in a shootout, eliminating
them from the #Olympics
WORLD
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 5
Mueller takes aim at Russia
Indictments in Russia-Trump probe continue rolling
Alexa Gagosz
Editor-in-Chief
Special Counsel Robert
Mueller’s office released
a 14th indictment that
targeted
the
Dutch
attorney Alex van der
Zwaan
on
Tuesday
morning in relation to
the investigation into
Russia’s meddling with
the United States’ 2016
presidential election.
The
indictment
accused van der Zwaan of
making false statements
to the FBI “willfully and
knowingly,”
including
communication
with
lobbyist and American
political consultant Rick
Gates and an individual
labeled
as
“Person
A,” according to the
indictment.
The
Russian
government
denied
that it meddled in the
Donald Trump campaign
during
the
Kremlin’s
first remarks on Monday
after the first wave of
13
Russian
nationals
were
indicted
Friday.
The charges against the
Russian nationals were
on charges of conspiring
to defraud the U.S.,
according to multiple
news reports.
Spokesperson
for
Russian
President
Vladimir Putin, Dmitry
Peskov, told BBC News
that
the
indictments
provided “no substantial
evidence”
of
Russian
interference.
As
for
sophomore
Politics,
Philosophy
and Economics (PPE),
History major and former
Republican
turned
Democrat Matt O’Brien,
the indictments did not
surprise him.
Zwaan’s indictment.
Senior
Business
Information
Systems
major
Alexi
Korolev,
who is originally from
Moscow, has said he does
a general population,
supported
Trump
throughout the campaign
trail much more than
Democratic nominee and
former Secretary of State
“The evidence has proven
interference by the Russians
time and time again.”
- Matt O’Brien,
Suffolk sophomore PPE major
“The evidence has
proven interference by
the Russians time and
again,” said O’Brien to
The Suffolk Journal on
Tuesday afternoon after
news broke of van der
not identify as a Trump
or President Vladimir
Putin supporter in recent
interviews
with
The
Suffolk Journal. Korolev
told a Journal reporter
that Russian citizens, as
Hillary Clinton. However,
this same support may
not have trickled into
the Trump presidency,
according to Korolev.
“One of the major
reasons
for
that
is
simply because Clinton
had expressed herself
rather hostile toward
Russians, whereas Trump
has always been fond
of Russians and wanted
to extend our beneficial
business partnership. The
Russian media also did
a fine job of portraying
Trump in a much better
light,” said Korolev. “But
that was a year ago.”
Mueller laid out the
charges
against
the
Russian nationals as well
as three Russian entities
on Friday, according to
multiple reports.
The
indictment
described in detail that
actions against the
See Russia- 6
6 FEB. 21, 2018
Mueller charges numerous
Russian nationals in probe
From Russia - 6
U.S. political system,
which began as early as
2014 when the Russian
organization
Internet
Research
Agency
began
interference
that included the 2016
elections, according to
the indictment.
The Russian nationals
had allegedly posed as
citizens of the U.S. and
operated social media
pages and groups that
would attract American
audiences under false
personas. Two of these
Russians are said to have
traveled to the U.S. in
2014 in order to gather
intelligence
for
such
operations, according to
Mueller’s indictment.
For
sophomore
PPE
major
Geoffrey
Scales, who has actively
identified as a Trump
supporter said that the
recent indictments serve
as a telltale sign that
“something
happened”
with Russia.
“Whether that be their
own interference in our
election or some sort of
collusion with the Trump
campaign,
the
truth
needs to come out,” said
Scales to The Journal on
Tuesday night. “Whether
President Trump likes it
or not.”
Throughout
the
weekend, Trump went
on a “Tweet storm,” after
the indictments were
released.
“I never said Russia did
not meddle in the election,
I said ‘it may be Russia, or
China or another country
or group, or it may be a
400 pound genius sitting
in bed and playing with
his computer,” Trump
tweeted early Sunday
morning. “The Russian
“hoax” was that the
Trump campaign colluded
with Russia - it never
did!”
White House Press
Secretary Sarah Huckabee
Sanders told reporters
during
a
live
press
conference on Tuesday
afternoon that Trump
“has been very hard on
Russia.”
Trump continued to
look to Twitter in order
to broadcast his opinion
on
the
indictments
throughout
President’s
Day.
“Obama was President
up to, and beyond, the
2016 Election,” Trump
tweeted Monday morning.
“So why didn’t he do
something about Russian
meddling?”
For O’Brien, he said it
is time for Trump to step
up and admit Russia’s
interference.
“Now it’s time for our
president to condemn
Russia for their actions,”
said O’Brien. “If he won’t,
it’s time for the people to
do it for him.”
Connect with Alexa
by emailing
agagosz@su.suffolk.edu
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKWORLDNEWS@GMAIL.COM
W
Scenes from a journalist in Budapest
Assistant World News Editor Amy Koczera went into Europe
with ambitions of achieving numerous goals this semester.
She is looking to explore the foreign streets on a daily basis,
discovering new architecture and landscapes. She writes
every day about her experiences in her own personal blog,
advocatesanthology.com, while posting pictures for The
Suffolk Journal.
Amy Koczera/ Asst. World News Editor & Prague Correspondent
Thermal baths in the iconic Hotel Gellért, which
opened in 1918 and has been a popular scene for many
Hollywood films
The world at-large
Mass casualties in Syrian violence
As of Tuesday night, BBC reports the
death toll of the Syrian government rain
down bombs to have reached 250, 50
of whom are children. This has been the
worst violence in the Eastern Ghouta area
since 2013. The area affected included a minimum of
10 towns across Eastern Ghouta, only stopping when
the United Nations called for a ceasefire to allow aid
to those affected as well as the wounded to be taken
to safety. The situation worsened once it was revealed
how hospitals had been reportedly targeted directly,
which may be considered a war crime according to UN
coordinator in Syria, Panos Moumtzis. The hospitals
affected were Marj, Saqba and Douma as they were left
partially functioning, while a hospital in Zamalka and
Arbin completely shut down. This lack of aid added to
a pre-existing shortage of food, with bread now costing
22 times the national average and 12% of children under
five years old being malnourished. This masacre exists
as the Damascus government sent troops to confront
troops from Turkey attempting to push back Kurds in
northern Syria. To force pro-government fighters to
retreat, Turkey fired shells near those advancing. As
Turkey fired these shells, it proves to try to oust the
Kurdish militia, who have control of the area and call
on Syrian military for help. Russia’s foreign ministry
recently confirmed that there were numerous Russian
citizens, as well as citizens of other former Soviet states
were killed or wounded in a recent battle allegedly in
the eastern providence of Deir al-Zour last week.
Nigeria sends first Olympic bobsled team
The three-person team of Seun
Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and
Akuoma Omeoga are both the
first Nigerian team and the first
bobsled team from Africa. Of the three women,
Adigun has seen the Olympics before, as she
represented Nigeria in the 2012 London games
for the 100-meter hurdles. The team is made up
of Americans, able to represent Nigeria as they
are all born to Nigerian parents. Despite the
milestone for the country, the excitement for
those in Nigeria remains minimal, according to
NPR. “Outside social media, the excitement is
basically zero,” Lagos-based writer Emmanuel
Dairo in an interview with NPR. “Very few
even know there is a winter games going
on, and even fewer care. None of those I’ve
interacted with, online or off, have mentioned
the Nigerian team, never mind the winter
games, even once.” It was stated how in Africa,
football (also known as soccer to Americans)
runs the world, very little attention is paid
to other sports. Due to the lack of support,
Adigun turned to GoFundMe, raising $150,000
dollars to support team expenses and even
starting the Bobsled & Skeleton Federation
of Nigeria. Adigun and her teammates hope
to inspire Nigerians living in colder countries
to represent their parents’ home country of
Nigeria in the Winter Olympics.
Oxfam workers prey on young Haitians
As agencies rush to the aid of struggling
countries, some employees slip through
the cracks of organizations trying to help
and end up just causing we. This is the
reality of Oxfam, as Haitian workers, who had
already warned about the sex scandals happening
with the leaders of the company, bring the truth to
light, according to BBC. Oxfam, along with other
organizations, have been attempting for years to
help Haiti’s sex workers with sexual health clinics
and HIV/AIDS testing programs, for the future
of the young mothers and their infants. It has
recently been unveiled that instead of helping
these victims, the company has been hurting
them since 2011. Men in senior positions in the
company, including country director Roland Van
Hauwermeiren, paid local prostitutes, some of
which were majorly underage, for sex. This action
proved that these men, were “exploiting some of
the most vulnerable people in the poorest country
in the Americas, all while being paid to advocate
for their well being” according to BBC. Employees
of Oxfam, who were concerned about their future
of the company were unable to speak on the matter
openly, as their employment was threatened. This
scandal mimics that of UN peacekeepers, who
had multiple accusations of rape and past cases
of abuse when they were sent to “aid” Haiti.“This
is Haiti,” said a previous Oxfam worker to BBC.
“Anything can happen here.
A
STAY TUNED
Preview of PAO’s upcoming
performance, “Apocalypso”
See next week’s edition
ARTS & CULTURE
SEE THE COLLECTION
Interested in photojournalism?
Come talk to us about our blog!
sjuncoveredwithflash.wordpress.com
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 7
Importance of Inclusivity
Shown above are symbols of gender identity. While the list is extensive, it’s important to
recognize every and all identities in today’s growing climate. Left to right: transgender,
female, male, intersex, with a plus sign to recognize all other gender identities.
QSU promotes diversity on campus
Felicity Otterbein
Arts & Culture Editor
Perhaps one of the
more active and engaged
groups on campus, the
Queer Student Union
(QSU) has set out to
advocate for the wellbeing
and
inclusivity
of
students
campuswide. According to QSU
President Joe Piemonte,
the group was started
more than 10 years ago
as the Rainbow Alliance,
but has been more active
in the past two years.
“We are a group that
comes together to build
community,
advocate
and educate as our main
focuses,” said Piemonte,
a junior history major in
an interview with The
Suffolk Journal Tuesday
evening.
Piemonte
said
that QSU events and
programming
are
designed to educate and
promote safety amongst
students. Events like Sex
Toys 101, a workshop
on Tuesday night led
by blogger Sarah Brynn
Holliday, are developed
to
encourage
sexual
freedom and education
for those who continue
to explore sexuality and
identity. The group was
also responsible for the
recent displaying of the
AIDS quilt in the lobby
of Sawyer in order to
promote education about
World AIDS Day.
“We talk about current
political issues or current
events, and then what
the future holds and for
programming on campus
and what people would
like and if we should
continue
with
what
we had in mind on the
e-board,” said Piemonte.
One of the more
recent events Piemonte
“We work with other groups in
order to make sure that people
are being treated fairly or if they
have questions on guidance, we
want to be a resource to them.”
- Joe Piemonte
QSU President
was particularly proud of
was the first-ever Second
Chance Prom, which took
place Friday in the Nancy
Stoll room. Geared toward
students who experienced
a high school prom in a
way that made them
feel uncomfortable or
incapable of expressing
who they were, Second
Chance Prom allowed
students to have another
opportunity to experience
prom in a way that they
envisioned and with who
they envisioned going
with.
“The whole reason we
put it on was kind of as
a ‘do-over’ at prom, and
your second chance to
go to prom with who you
wanted or what types of
articles of clothing you
picked to express how
you looked, any type of
that - was what we were
trying to get at. It was a
‘Be Yourself’ prom,’” said
Piemonte.
According to Piemonte,
the goal of the QSU events
set out to build a bigger
community. He feels as
though these events offer
opportunities to meet
new students and invite
them to experience other
events, programming and
general meetings.
While the group itself
is comprised of students
who
are
educated
in terms of LGBTQ+
events, terminology and
information,
Piemonte
said they try to continue
TO BE allies inside and
out of the classroom.
“We work with other
groups in order to make
sure that people are
being treated fairly or if
they have questions on
guidance, we want to be a
resource to them. We also
are a resource to faculty
and administrators, so if
anybody has a question
See QSU - 8
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKARTS@GMAIL.COM
8 FEB. 21, 2018
A
QSU continues to advocate for inclusivity on campus
From QSU - 7
they can easily ask us,”
said Piemonte.
He also included that
students are not alone
when seeking information
about
inclusivity
and
diversity around campus.
Piemonte
said
that
both deans and faculty
have approached QSU
members with questions
about what appropriate
sentiments to include in
classroom
discussions,
as well as what kinds of
language to avoid in order
to remain inoffensive and
correct.
“We work with the
Center
for
Student
Diversity and Inclusion a
lot. Most of our events are
co-sponsored with them,
and our monthly family
dinners are held in there.
Every last Monday of the
month we have dinner in
there,” said Piemonte.
The Center for Student
Diversity and Inclusion
does host other groups,
but
Piemonte
noted
that he feels that they
occasionally get favored
because their advisor is
Assistant Cam Briether.
“[Cam] is always like
“well we’re a resource
too!’ It’s a joint thing,
Cam can always answer a
question but sometimes
if Cam thinks that I
or somebody else can
answer a question, they’ll
push it to someone else,”
said Piemonte.
Breither declined to
comment and said all
press inquiries should
be directed to university
spokesperson,
Greg
Gatlin.
Piemonte said that QSU
has worked with other
groups and organizations
on campus, and while it
“We are a group that comes
together to build community,
advocate and educate as our
main focuses.”
-Joe Piemonte
QSU President
has historically been with
cultural groups, they are
always looking to branch
out and work with other
campus groups.
“We’ve
wanted
to
do something with the
comedy groups to do
like comedy with LGBTQ
themes. But honestly if
anybody has any ideas
we’d love to do them, we
just have never thought
of them,” said Piemonte.
QSU
will
be
hosting two more sexrelated
workshops
and
are
currently
“Gaypril,” Piemonte said
that the group is working
on changing the name to
something that is more
inclusive, rather than
excluding identities that
do not fall under the
“gay” spectrum.
“Our big event is
we’re bringing Shangela
to campus, she’s going
to come and do a show.
That will be happening
during Gaypril. It’s going
to be our final huzzah,
end of the year, Shangela
moment,” said Piemonte.
To learn more about
general meetings and
to participate in future
planning
programming programming,
contact
surrounding
Women’s QSU at qsu@su.suffolk.
History Month in March.
edu and follow them on
Piemonte said that Facebook @SuffolkQSU.
he is very excited for
the upcoming Suffolk
University Pride Month
in April. While it is
currently
labeled
as
Connect with Felicity
by emailing
fotterbein@su.suffolk.edu
Arts Commentary
Bad Bunny: Scene from ‘Peter Rabbit’
sparks boycott from angry parents
By Jacquelyn Jarnagin,
Journal Contributor
Sony Pictures “Peter
Rabbit” sparked a major
outrage among parents
of children with lifethreatening allergies on
its opening weekend.
During one particular
scene of the film, Peter
Rabbit, voiced by James
Corden, and four of his
friends come up with an
idea to exact revenge
on their nemesis, Mr.
Tom McGregor, voiced
by
Sam
Neill,
the
gardener. In order to
steal vegetables from
the garden, the rabbits
decide to use a slingshot
to fire blackberries at
McGregor to distract
him. This might sound
like an innocent plan
that would look comedic
on camera — except
Peter and his pals were
fully aware McGregor
has an allergy toward
blackberries.
The
scene
goes
even more downhill
after the rabbits laugh
whilst flinging berries
toward the gardner:
one
blackberry
flies
into McGregor’s mouth,
causing him to choke
and start to go into
anaphylactic
shock.
McGregor pulls out his
EpiPen and injects himself
with it before letting out
a sigh of utter exhaustion.
This is a far cry from
Peter Rabbit, who hid
himself inside a watering
can while Mr. McGregor
tracked him down.
According to The New
Yorker, Kenneth Mendez,
president and CEO of the
Asthma and and Allergy
Foundation of America,
took to social media last
Saturday and delivered an
open letter to Sony and
the filmmakers.
“Making light of this
condition
hurts
our
members
because
it
encourages the public
to not take the risk
of
allergic
reactions
seriously,” Mendez said
in his letter, “and this
cavalier attitude may
make them act in ways
that could put an allergic
“Making light of this
condition hurts our
members because it
encourages the public
to not take the risk
of allergic reactions
seriously.”
- Kenneth Mendez
CEO
Asthma
& Allergy Foundation of America
person in danger.”
Mendez was not the
only one irked by the
film; by Sunday, hundreds
of parents with allergyprone children took to
social media, criticizing
the movie and voicing
some concerns about
how the movie will
affect the way children
(“Peter Rabbit’s” intended
audience, after all) treat
themselves or others who
have allergies.
A trending subject
on
Twitter
was
#boycottpeterrabbit.
“Someone
I
love
has a food allergy,”
stated Twitter user @
chelybelly02, “it’s not fun,
it’s terrifying especially
when they are children. @
SonyPictures makes a kids
movie and a character is
attacked with a food he
is allergic to and causes
anaphylaxis.”
Some experts have
even chimed in on the
matter.
Dr.
Andrew
Adesman,
chief
of
developmental
and
behavioral
pediatrics
at the Cohen’s Medical
Center in Queens, New
York, spoke to The New
York Times. Adesman
believes
Peter
Rabbit
flinging
blackberries
into McGregor’s mouth
is darker than Wile E.
Coyote pursuing the road
runner because Peter
made light of a serious
condition.
“There’s some research
out there suggesting what
is depicted in this movie
is a real-world experience
for some children with
life-threatening
food
allergies,”
Adesman
told The Times. “I
can
understand
the
outrage.”
In response to the
controversy,
Sony
Pictures
issued
an
apology statement to
parents and children
alike.
According
to
Entertainment Weekly,
the company admitted
they were wrong to joke
about the condition.
“Food allergies are
a serious issue,” Sony
said in a joint email to
The New York Times,
“Our film should not
have made light of Peter
Rabbit's arch nemesis,
Mr. McGregor, being
allergic to blackberries,
even in a cartoonish,
slapstick
way.
We
sincerely
regret
not
being more aware and
sensitive to this issue,
and we truly apologize."
Connect with Jacquelyn
by emailing
jjarnagin@su.suffolk.edu
O
FAST FACTS:
11 percent of Sports
journalists are women,
according to a 2016 study
from statista.com.
JOIN THE JOURNAL:
Sawyer Building. 9th Floor.
Office 930B. See you there, future
journalists of the world.
Tuesday meetings at 12:15 p.m.
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 9
OPINION
No more excuses,
America.
For too long, mass shootings have been written off, with a multitude of answers,
solutions and no action. Now, a solution is past due. It’s time to change.
By Patrick Holmes, Opinion Editor
A
curtain
of
depression in the
United States has
not lifted since
the first mass shooting in
1966, cutting between the
line of progression and
digression.
We are stagnant. We
are complacent to the
deaths of innocent lives
that thought, “It won’t
happen to me.”
Seventeen souls were
lost in Parkland, Florida by
a 19-year-old with a legally
purchased
AR-15.
But
those are just numbers,
right?
It should seem obvious
that politicizing shootings
will
not
benefit
the
tragedy and if anything, it
dehumanizes the victims.
They are just another
statistic added to the
body count, conveniently
transformed into a info
graphic for the world to
judge.
Most people will skim
over the facts without a
second thought besides a “prayer,” soon forgetting
the new reality that the loved ones of the victims will
have to live with and endure on a daily basis.
Please do not forget the lives lost, the dreams
crushed and the futures erased.
This is a plea for the voices that can no longer
speak; the ones silenced by a discharged bullet. This
is for the names that will never be signed again and
the faces left memorialized in photos.
You will be remembered.
But to do so, the society created by the U.S. must
progress. The curtain must be lifted and the prayers
“This is
a plea for
the voices
that can
no longer
speak;
the ones
silenced
by a
discharged
bullet.”
silenced. Action should be demanded, not requested
and a life should mean more than just a number
scrawled on the incident report.
Mass shootings are not just a gun problem nor
are they just a human problem. There are a plethora
of explanations as to why shootings happen, but to
begin the healing process, society needs to be more
empathetic.
It’s time to expand empathy and sympathy to not
only the people we are close with,
but the entire human race.
To a country unsettled by
innocent deaths, this is not
the end.
Mass shootings are a
product of lenient laws
and careless individuals,
independent
of
their
political
preference.
There is much that can be
achieved by not banning
guns, but creating more
efficient laws around the
purchase
of
firearms.
We should not want to
prohibit
anything
but
rather improve the ways
we buy, use and store
these weapons.
The second amendment
was written before the
development
of
semiautomatic weapons and
developing the technology,
yet the right to bear arms
has not been touched since
it was first written in 1791.
This fact is not dependent
on a political affiliation
and both parties should
consider
revaluation,
especially considering many semi-automatic guns have
been used in mass shootings since 2004, according to
the Washington Post.
“Time is
up, the
curtain must
rise and
action is
mandatory
to save
future
victims
of mass
shootings
because it
is inevitable
that more
will occur.”
Time is up, the curtain must
rise and action is mandatory
to save future victims of
mass shootings because it
is inevitable that more will
occur.
Both society and our
gun laws are to blame for
the deaths of innocent
human beings.
These may not be the
only reasons but it seems
clear that these two
aspects must progress for
any real change to go into
effect.
There
are
many
statistics and psychological
answers that can be
determined by examining
the shootings that have
occurred in the U.S.
Yes, there can be
comparisons
drawn
from
other
countries
and the laws they have
enacted. There are many
explanations to what can
be the answer to mass
shootings.
However,
let’s
encourage
solutions
instead of answers. Let’s find out how to stop it
instead of why it happened. Nothing can be done to
repent the actions of another, but there are steps to
be taken toward terminating these calamities, more
than “thoughts and prayers.”
If we claim to love this country so much, it’s time
to start acting like patriots and keep our citizens safe
within these borders.
“We should
not want
to prohibit
anything
but rather
improve the
ways we
buy, use and
store these
weapons.”
Connect with Patrick by emailing
pholmes2@su.suffolk.edu
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKOPINION@GMAIL.COM
10 FEB. 21, 2018
Editor’s Word
We are the media and we’re not
just here to get a story. We’re
here to tell people’s stories.
Nowadays, the media has been
painted as bloodsucking leeches
out to get a paycheck only to
use and abuse and move onto
the next warm body.
Signed,
a
O
C O N C E R N E D
We’re here to say — that’s not
the case. As aspiring future
journalists, we’re working
hard to develop not only
our reading and writing
abilities, but our opportunities
to be compassionate and
understanding human beings.
We’re here to tell your story,
not sell your story.
Suffolk student
This behavior is currently
unobtainable when we face
obstacles put in place by
university officials that hinder
these attempts at practicing
necessary future skills. It’s
disheartening when we attempt
to feature student work,
groups and voices to only be
immediately silenced by those
who are supposed to pushing
us forward. The ones that we
are supposed to be looking up
to and leaning on for advice
have become the ones who
are now holding us back and
prohibiting us from excelling.
While our experience may
be limited, we get stronger
with practice. In turn, we
are exposed to multiple
channels of communication
and conducting intelligent
conversations with field
experts. To have to now utilize
a single channel is not only a
hindrance, it’s an insult.
Patrick Holmes
Opinion Editor
We take our duty seriously. So
please, allow us to do our job in
its entirety here, for you, so we
can do it well when we leave.
A Sequel
From a prior article written from Patrick Holmes published on
Nov. 2, 2016 titled “Signed, a hopeful Suffolk student.”
I still have faith in
my university, even after
more than a year of
standing by and watching
the daily struggle of who
will obtain top position at
Suffolk. Holding onto this
faith has shown to be a
struggle, one that leaves
me concerned with each
passing day, week and
semester.
I would be lying if I said
I was not disappointed.
Higher administration has
taken more than a year to
appoint a new president
and as of Tuesday evening,
one has not been chosen.
With this amount of time
and no stable leadership,
I am a concerned Suffolk
student.
Moreover,
this
university
has
lost
its luster that once
emboldened
me
to
welcome my acceptance
letter. Gone are the
days where I remained a
hopeful Suffolk student,
optimistic
about
the
future of this university
and the many naive
dreams I had for the
future.
Suffolk may look like a
student-driven university
from the facade they
portray but more often
than not, I cross paths
with fellow peers who
do not know the word
“extracurricular.”
The
university recycles the
same
students
into
the multiple clubs and
organizations,
while
a large portion of the
student body seems to
not be involved.
Whether
this
is
because of too many
commuter students, or
lack of guidance and
encouragement
from
campus. As a prior Print
Journalism major, it was
made clear to me that
my education was less
important due to the
rumor that Journalism is a
dying profession and that
Film and Media Studies is
a popular choice among
“Gone are the days
where I remained
a hopeful Suffolk
student, optimistic
about the future of
this university and
the many naive
dreams I had for
the future.”
faculty
and
advisers,
there needs to be a
societal change in the way
students view activities
on and off campus.
The university does
not have clear intentions
for its future but shows
lack of empathy toward
the Communications and
Journalism Department,
supposedly one of the
largest departments on
students. Thank you for
the support, Suffolk.
I
used
to
be
encouraged to pursue
what I wanted but Suffolk
has shown its true colors.
This university seems to
have biased intentions
from every corner of its
walls, playing puppeteer
amongst their puppets,
those who they can
manipulate with silence
or punishment. This can
only go so far.
Suffolk
has
the
potential to be a leading
university and that is
why I still have a sliver of
faith. First, they need to
be transparent with their
students, faculty and staff.
While taking classes on to
study Public Relations,
the number one mistake
that large companies and
organizations make is not
being honest and upfront
with the public; lying
or refusing to answer
will
only
exacerbate
the situation, leaving a
disastrous wake.
Second, students not
only need a voice, but they
need to find it as well.
The current situation and
atmosphere is not entirely
due to the inner workings
of upper administration
but also seems to be the
lack of motivation and
responsibility taken by
many students.
We are what make
Suffolk a university so
it’s past due that students
make a tsunami instead
of a wave. There needs
to be change enacted at
Suffolk and the student
body is where it needs to
begin.
This moment in time
is the tip of the iceberg,
whether Suffolk can pull
itself back together or go
down with the ship. I’m
concerned, but I still have
faith in Suffolk.
Connect with Patrick
by emailing
pholmes2@su.suffolk.edu
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKSPORTS@GMAIL.COM
11 FEB. 21, 2018
S
Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics
Lady Rams leave lasting impression
Graduating seniors seek championship in last run
Brooke Patterson
Sports Editor
The walls of Regan
Gymnasium were dressed
up with posters and blueand-gold streamers as
two women’s basketball
seniors stepped onto their
home court for the finale
of the Lady Rams regular
season.
Co-captains
Alex
Nagri
and
Georgia
Bourikas were honored
at a ceremony prior to
Saturday’s game against
the University of Saint
Joseph’s,
Connecticut,
where the Lady Rams beat
the Blue Jays 80-60.
“It helped this season
that it was our two voices
leading the team because
not only are we the
seniors but we are two
starters,” said Bourikas
in an interview with
The Suffolk Journal on
Tuesday. “I think [the two
of us] helped the younger
girls especially to show
them how [Nagri and I]
came up in this program
together and stayed with
each other and learned
to play well with and for
each other.”
The two Lady Rams
have
contributed
to
the women’s basketball
program’s success with a
combined total of 1,769
points, 688 rebounds and
219 steals. The seniors
made history together
when they both played
in 100 career games for
the Lady Rams on Feb.
1 against Anna Maria
College.
“Playing
sports
in
college takes a special kind
of person. It’s definitely
not for everyone but it
has
definitely
helped
shape me into who I
am today,” said Nagri in
an interview with The
Journal on Monday. “The
competition aspect of
sports has helped me in
more ways than I can
count, but I think that my
teammates and coaches
played a big part in who
I am.”
Nagri has been an
active member on the
Lady Rams roster since
her freshman year, where
she has played in 102
games and notched for
131 career steals. In her
four years as a Lady Ram
Nagri scored the most
amount of points during
her sophomore year. In
her final season, Nagri,
overall, scored 128 points
with a 28.8 three-point
percentage.
Unfortunately
for
the guard, her senior
season ended early with
a sprained ankle injury
that occurred in the
game against St. Joseph’s
College of Maine on Feb.
6.
“I wanted more than
anything to be on the
court playing my last
couple of games but I
have now accepted it
and realized that I can be
helpful on the bench and
still use my leadership
skills to lead the team to
success,” said Nagri.
Bourikas,
a
fifthyear senior, has been a
member of the Lady Rams
for all five years. During
preseason her sophomore
year she suffered from an
ACL injury which put her
out for the entire season,
allowing her to redshirt
and obtain another year
encouraging
everyone
and is always working her
hardest. She has always
been a team-first player
and that shows in her
game.”
Junior
forward
Shannon Smith made a
speech prior to the senior
day game on behalf of
Bourikas and the type of
individual and player she
co-captain also has played
in a total of 106 games,
averages 14 points per
game and has started in
all of the Lady Rams’ 26
games this season.
“Overall it has been a
great experience playing
with this team. I have
made some of my best
friends to the point where
it’s like having a second
“The competition aspect of sports
has helped me in more ways than
I can count, but I think that my
teammates and coaches played a
big part in who I am.”
- Senior Co-Captain
Alex Nagri
of eligibility to play.
This was her second
senior day and according
to Bourikas, she is the
first woman in program
history to be recognized
as a senior two years in
a row. She explained how
she debated even being
recognized at this years
senior day, but did not
want Nagri to go out
alone.
“[Bourikas]
makes
everyone better,” said
Nagri. “She is constantly
is.
“She’s the glue to
the norms we preach
here,” said Smith in
front of the family and
friends crowded in the
gymnasium.
The shooting guard
is a prominent member
on the Lady Rams’ roster
who found herself in the
record book for multiple
honors. Bourikas joined
the 1,000-point club this
season and now has a
total of 1,081 points. The
family,” said Bourikas.
With the gymnasium
splashed with decorations
in honor of these two
Lady Rams on Saturday,
it is clear they will be
missed as members of the
team.
Junior guard Marissa
Gudauskas also spoke
before the Lady Rams’
crowd
about
Nagri’s
defense abilities and how
she was able to learn an
abundance of defensive
skills from the senior.
Gudauskas
thanked
her co-captain for her
passion, time and energy
she devoted to the Lady
Rams.
“It will be hard to
replace their roles, they
both have been significant
players on the team their
entire careers,” said Smith
in an interview with The
Journal on Tuesday. “But
next year we’ll have to
have people step up and
take larger roles.”
The two co-captains,
under head coach Ed
Leyden, have led the Lady
Rams 11-women roster to
a winning record of 20-6
this season.
“[Nagri and Bourikas]
are two of my favorite
players that I have ever
had,” said Leyden in
an interview with The
Journal on Tuesday. “Both
[Nagri
and
Bourikas]
are great competitors,
great people and terrific
teammates. [Nagri] is
probably one of the best
competitors that I’ve ever
had and [Bourikas] is one
of the most skilled players
that we’ve ever had.”
The
seniors
seek
to earn a final-season
Great Northeast Athletic
Conference
(GNAC)
championship. The Lady
Rams playoff run will
continue Thursday at No.
2 seed Emmanuel College
for the GNAC semifinals.
Connect with Brooke
by emailing
bpatterson2@su.suffok.edu
S
@NHLBruins
#NHLBRUINS WIN!!!
3-2 over the Oilers. Krech with the
winner with 1:04 to go!
SPORTS
Young
Rams
here to
reside
Joe Rice
Asst. Sports Editor
The Suffolk University
men’s basketball team
reached
new
heights
during
the
2017-18
regular season, as they
achieved a milestone that
had not been touched for
more than 15 years.
With a 15-11 record,
the Rams notched their
best regular season record
since the 2001-02 season
and also managed to pull
out nine wins within the
Great Northeast Atlantic
Conference (GNAC), the
most since their 2005-06
campaign.
As a result of their
success in the regular
season, the Rams scored
sixth in the overall
seedings for the GNAC,
which meant they would
have to travel to play
Saint Joseph’s College
of Maine in the GNAC
quarterfinals.
In a nail-biter finish
that came down to the
final seconds, the Rams
edged out St. Joe’s 6965. This would be the
first time the Rams were
able to advance as far as
the GNAC semifinal since
2007 and fourth time ever
in the program’s history.
Junior
guard
and
captain Michael Hagopian
led the way with 25 points
for the Rams. Sophomore
guard Thomas Duffy also
surpassed 20 points for
IN THE NEWS
the 10th time this season.
The core of the Rams
roster will be back for at
least one more season.
The Rams achieved a
strong record with a
young team overall, as the
group does not contain
one senior.
The
young
talent
mainly stems from players
such as Duffy, who leads
the team in points with
just more than 16, as well
as freshman guard and
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 12
Brooke Patterson / Sports Editor
“That versatility can serve
both well.”
Sophomore
guard
George Grillakis said the
overall youth of the team
has given young players
valuable
experience
throughout the past two
seasons.
“Last year we lost
quite a few close games,”
said Grillakis in a recent
interview
with
The
Journal. “This year, we
have won quite a few
“This program had
struggled for a little while
and it feels amazing to be a
contributor to its success.”
- Michael Hagopian, #10
forward Brendan Mulson
who has won several
GNAC Rookie of the Week
awards, while averaging
12 points per game.
Head coach Jeff Juron
had strong words in
regards to the overall play
of both Duffy and Mulson.
He noted they both had
strong seasons and spoke
on how they have helped
the team overall.
“[Mulson and Duffy]
have impacted the game
in multiple ways,” said
Juron in a recent interview
with The Suffolk Journal.
Suffolk men’s baseball team
picked to win the GNAC again
per coaches poll.
close games because of
the experience we now
have in these situations.”
Juron
had
similar
comments in regards to
the tough times leading
to better paths for the
following season.
“Our group shared
some painful experiences
last season. We competed
hard but came up short
more often than not,”
said Juron. “I think that
experience continues to
motivate the group.”
One major point of
the season came against
Albertus
Magnus
College on the Rams’
home court. The Rams
went up against the
GNAC’s best team and
battled until the very end
until they came within
a fingernails distance
of victory, as they were
edged out 88-84.
Hagopian
believes
the game helped the
team overall in terms of
confidence.
“Competing
with
Albertus Magnus and
almost beating them was
huge for us. Of course, we
weren’t satisfied with the
outcome,” said Hagopian
in a recent interview with
The Journal. “However, it
did prove to us that we
could be really good. It
shows that we are capable
of beating anyone. We
were proud of our efforts
but next time we want to
come out on top.”
Duffy and Hagopian
led the way for the Rams,
both nailing down 27
points for the team.
Hagopian, a third-year
starter, is one of the Rams
oldest players as a junior.
He has started a total of
76 out of a possible 77
games in his collegiate
career.
The
standout
guard has 15 points per
game this season while
maintaining
a
steady
field-goal percentage at
nearly 45.
Hagopian has been
through the ups and
downs of the Suffolk
men’s basketball program
and
is
exhilarated
with
how
the
Rams
h a v e
b e c o m e
resurgent as
of late.
“ T h i s
program had
struggled for a
little while and it
feels amazing to
be a contributor
to its success,”
said Hagopian. “It
definitely
wasn’t
easy, and we’re
nowhere close to
being done. We
haven’t reached all
of our goals.”
Hagopian added
that
the
overall
goal for this team as
they continue their
season into the GNAC
tournament
will
be
to win the league and
make it to the NCAA
tournament.
The Rams have now
won four games in a row,
proving they are gelling
at the perfect time. They
will now play Johnson
and Wales University on
Thursday for the GNAC
semifinal.
Connect with Joe
by emailing
jrice4@su.suffolk.
VOLUME 81, NUMBER 14 |
thesuffolkjournal.com
|
@SuffolkJournal
AMERICA,
IS IT FINALLY
TIME?
The United States has suffered
from a string of mass shootings
that have occurred in churches
and schools alike. As some call
for gun control, others look to
arm university police.
SEE PAGES 2 - 4
February 21, 2018
2 FEB. 21, 2018
Notable mass shootings in the US since 2009*
Suffolk University’s Student Government Association (SGA) has sent out more than one Firearm Survey in recent years, with one dating
back to 2009. At that time, Suffolk students had a general consensus of not approving the Suffolk Police Department (SUPD) being
armed. In the most recent survey that was sent to the Suffolk community on Dec. 13, 2017, it displayed different results as nearly 54
percent of the population that completed the survey said they would feel safer within the university’s area if sworn SUPD officers were
armed. Some of the below statistics were of incidents that occurred in houses of worship, elementary and high schools, universities,
airports, shopping malls and other locations where most Americans feel safe.
2012
2009
2010
2011
August 3
April 3
September 6
Binghampton, New York Manchester, Connecticut Carson City, Nevada
9 killed
15 killed
5 killed
2013
July 20
Aurora, Colorado
12 killed
March 13
Herkimer, New York
5 killed
August 5
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
5 killed
December 14
Newtown, Connecticut
September 16
Washington, D.C.
13 killed
June 7
Santa Monica, California
6 killed
July 26
Hialeah, Florida
7 killed
28 killed
“
There’s nothing stopping anyone from
just walking in and adding Suffolk to
the list of school shootings.
-Vice President of Rampage Show Choir and Social Media
Manager of the Performing Arts Office Kevin Landers
School shootings
since Jan. 1, 2018:
By Twitter user @thehill
Thousands gathered on Saturday in protest in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to mourn after the
deadly school shooting on Valentine’s Day in Parkland, Fla. that was carried out by a
19-year-old and former student of the high school. This shooting was the 18th school
shooting of the year, just 43 days into 2018.
- Parkland, FL
- Bronx, NY
- Oxon Hill, MD
- Philadelphia, PA
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Gentilly, LA
- Mobile, AL
- Benton, KY
- St. Johns, MI
- Dearborn, MI
- Denison, TX
- Italy, TX
- Marshall, TX
- Maplewood, MN
- Seattle, WA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Bernadino, CA
- Sierra Vista, AZ
3 FEB 21, 2018
2017
2015
May 28
Shooting Spree- Misssissippi
8 killed
May 17
Waco, Texas
9 killed
2014
September 14
Bell, Florida
8 killed
June 17
Charleston, South Carolina
9 killed
October 1
Roseburg, Oregon
10 killed
September 10
Plano, Texas
9 killed
2016
June 12
Orlando, Florida
December 2
San Berdardino, California
14 killed
49 killed
October 1
Las Vegas, Nevada
59 killed
November 5
Sutherland Springs, Texas
2018
February 14
Parkland, Florida
17 killed
26 killed
A Divided Campus:
After boundless mass shootings, Suffolk split on armed officers
Chris DeGusto
News Editor
Nick Viveiros
Journal Staff
Two
hundred
and
thirty-eight.
That’s
the number of school
shootings that occurred
since Dec. 14, 2012,
when a small town in
Connecticut
felt
the
violent impact of a
gunman who claimed the
lives of twenty innocent
children and seven adults.
A total of 121 victims had
lost their lives in school
shootings since, according
to The New York Times.
Up until last week.
Last Wednesday the
nation
watched
and
mourned
as
reports
poured in from Parkland,
Fla. about the 239th
school shooting since
Sandy Hook. Seventeen
people were killed in
this most recent attack.
One teacher died trying
to lock the door of his
classroom.
A
fifteenyear-old student perished
holding open a door for
others to evacuate. Now
the number of deaths has
risen to 138.
The question many are
asking: at what point will
these school shootings
spark
change
instead
of being looked at as
another statistic?
“There’s
nothing
stopping anyone from
just walking in and
adding Suffolk to the
list of school shootings,”
said Vice President of
Rampage Show Choir and
Social Media Manager
of the Performing Arts
Office Kevin Landers in a
recent interview with The
Suffolk Journal.
The United States’
history with gun violence
is far-reaching. Americans
own 270 million firearms,
around
90
weapons
for every 100 people,
according to the Giffords
Law Center to Prevent
Gun Violence. The United
States has a gun homicide
rate that is 25 times more
than other countries such
as Denmark and Germany.
On any given day, four
Americans per hour will
die by a gun, according
to the Centers for Disease
Control.
One
response
at
Suffolk appears to be
increased support for
equipping members of
the Suffolk University
Police Department (SUPD)
with firearms. Currently,
none of the 29 trained,
full-time sworn officers
are armed.
A
student
survey
conducted by the Student
Government Association
and scheduled to be
released later this week
was obtained by The
Journal. In the survey,
By Twitter user @ajplus
Students who had survived the Florida school shooting on Valentine’s Day
met with victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting before they headed
to the state’s capital to demand gun reform.
53.45 percent of those
who
answered
the
question about arming
SUPD said they would
“definitely” or “probably”
feel safer if university
police
were
armed.
In
comparison,
35.18
percent said they would
“definitely” or “probably”
not feel safer.
Support
for
the
proposal to arm officers
has jumped since 2009,
when a similar survey
asked Suffolk students
if they believed SUPD
should be equipped with
firearms, according to SGA
President Dan Gazzani in a
recent interview. Gazzani
told a Journal reporter
that an “overwhelming”
amount of students were
against arming SUPD per
documents from the 2009
survey.
SUPD has often worked
with
Boston
Police
Officers to communicate
strategies and procedures
necessary
to
prepare
for an event of such
magnitude. But it is clear
that support for arming
the officers is gaining
favor.
This past fall, Student
Government Association
Senator Dan Redznak, a
sophomore majoring in
criminal justice, began
to draft a proposal to
arm
SUPD
officers.
Redznak and two other
See SUPD - 4
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKNEWS@GMAIL.COM
4 FEB. 21, 2018
N
Recent school
shooting respark
SUPD arming
debate
Hannah Arroyo/ Asst. Sports Editor
From SUPD - 3
senators, former Senator
Matt O’Brien and Res
Life
Senator
at-large
Alexander Marcus, started
the push in the fall.
“I got going on a draft
of a resolution to put
this into action,” Redznak
told a Journal reporter
in a phone interview on
Monday. “We had an open
forum that any student
could come to. We had
SUPD there, Boston PD
there. I drafted up a
rough resolution based
on that.”
Redznak and those
who support his proposal
insist that safety is their
top priority. University
police
officers
often
put
themselves
in
compromising situations,
such as when escorting
students through the
Boston
Common
or
Downtown Crossing at
night.
While
his
primary
concern is safety, Redznak
also said that arming
SUPD officers will give
them greater legitimacy
in the eyes of both
students and the public.
“I think our officers
get kind of overlooked
as second-class officers,”
said Redznak. “I know
they’re the subject of a
lot of jokes and stuff. I
think part of what this
resolution does is send a
message that our officers
are to be taken seriously,
as seriously as they are on
other campuses.”
Across
campus,
some students reflected
Redznak’s
position.
Freshman Chris Anderson
told Journal reporters
that he believes arming
SUPD
would
provide
a sense of safety to
students, and would be
adequately prepared to
handle any situation at
Suffolk.
“We’re in downtown
Boston, and there’s a lot
of suspicious charters
that I walk by everyday,”
said Jack Graves in a
recent interview with
The Journal. Graves is
a sophomore majoring
in law who supports
arming SUPD officers.
“My
roommate
and
some other friends saw
someone get shot across
the street.”
Not
everyone
has
shown
support
for
arming
SUPD.
Some
students interviewed by
The Journal expressed
apprehension when faced
with the prospect of armed
officers on campus. Some
questioned the necessity,
while others believed it
could lead to heightened
tension of interactions
with the officers.
“I don’t want it to
be
escalated,”
said
Psychology Club President
Mykala Luk. “We’ve seen
how bad things can go
with police officers with
guns. I feel like at a
school there’s too much
to risk. Not that they’re
unqualified or anything,
but I feel like it’s too
risky.”
Others
expressed
doubts following a spate
of negative interactions
between
police
and
people of color.
“We have qualified
officers who are already
conducting so much police
brutality
[nationwide].
It
would
make
me
uncomfortable,”
said
Leighsandra
Sheppard,
vice president of Sisters
on the Runway. “And
I know it would make
the black community at
Suffolk uncomfortable.”
Not
every
student
was so clear cut in their
answers. Some saw the
merits of both sides,
trying to balance the need
for a safe atmosphere with
a general unease about
firearms on campus. A
smaller percentage of
11.37
who
answered
the question in the SGA
survey regarding arming
SUPD answered that they
“might or might not” feel
safer.
THE Suffolk Journal
“I’ve mulled it over
and
had
discussions
with
several
people
about it, and there are
good arguments for and
against it. And I don’t
just say that to say that,
I say that because on
one hand, SUPD are
trained
professionals,”
said Matthew Cubetus,
president of the Suffolk
University
College
Democrats. “That being
said, I don’t see the
necessity for them to
have them.”
Whether or not the
issue will become divisive
as the process continues
remains to be seen.
Redznak assured Journal
reporters that the process
will be a transparent one,
drawing on comments
and
feedback
from
students, faculty, and
administrators.
“We were elected to
represent the students. I
know this is my bill, but
if the general consensus
is no, we have to respect
that. At the end of the day
it’s about the students. So
if they’re not comfortable
with that yet, then there’s
really not a lot that we
can do.”
But for some, including
sophomore
Aaron
Hebron, the decision to
arm campus officers is a
clear one.
“Living and going to
school in the middle of the
city, there’s a lot of things
that could go down really
quickly,” said Hebron in a
recent interview with The
Journal. “It only takes a
second for someone to
harm you with a gun. The
police will get here fast,
but not fast enough. If
SUPD were armed, we’d
have more protection.”
Connect with Chris
by emailing
cdegusto@su.suffolk.edu
Connect with Nick
by emailing
nviveiros@su.suffolk.edu
8 Ashburton Place, Office 930B, Boston, MA
TheSuffolkJournal.com
The independent student newspaper of Suffolk University since 1936.
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
World News Editor
Asst. World News Editor
Arts Editor
Opinion Editor
Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Copy Editor
Alexa Gagosz
Chris DeGusto
Jacob Geanous
Amy Koczera
Felicity Otterbein
Patrick Holmes
Brooke Patterson
Hannah Arroyo
Joe Rice
Haley Clegg
Kaitlin Hahn
Senior Staff Writer
Senior Staff Writer
Political Commentator
Faculty Advisor
Nathan Espinal
Kyle Crozier
Maggie Randall
Bruce Butterfield
The Suffolk Journal is the student newspaper of
Suffolk University. It is the mission of the Suffolk
Journal to provide the Suffolk community with
the best possible reporting of news, events,
entertainment, sports and opinions. The reporting,
views, and opinions in the Suffolk Journal are solely
those of the editors and staff of The Suffolk Journal
and do not reflect those of Suffolk University, unless
otherwise stated.
The Suffolk Journal does not discriminate against
any persons for any reason and complies with all
university policies concerning equal opportunity.
Copyright 2018.
@AJenglish
W
“What the Rohingya need is a piece
of earth that they can call their
home, where they don’t need to
worry about being slaughtered.
@bleacherreport
Czech Republic bounces Team USA
from men’s hockey tournament
in a shootout, eliminating
them from the #Olympics
WORLD
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 5
Mueller takes aim at Russia
Indictments in Russia-Trump probe continue rolling
Alexa Gagosz
Editor-in-Chief
Special Counsel Robert
Mueller’s office released
a 14th indictment that
targeted
the
Dutch
attorney Alex van der
Zwaan
on
Tuesday
morning in relation to
the investigation into
Russia’s meddling with
the United States’ 2016
presidential election.
The
indictment
accused van der Zwaan of
making false statements
to the FBI “willfully and
knowingly,”
including
communication
with
lobbyist and American
political consultant Rick
Gates and an individual
labeled
as
“Person
A,” according to the
indictment.
The
Russian
government
denied
that it meddled in the
Donald Trump campaign
during
the
Kremlin’s
first remarks on Monday
after the first wave of
13
Russian
nationals
were
indicted
Friday.
The charges against the
Russian nationals were
on charges of conspiring
to defraud the U.S.,
according to multiple
news reports.
Spokesperson
for
Russian
President
Vladimir Putin, Dmitry
Peskov, told BBC News
that
the
indictments
provided “no substantial
evidence”
of
Russian
interference.
As
for
sophomore
Politics,
Philosophy
and Economics (PPE),
History major and former
Republican
turned
Democrat Matt O’Brien,
the indictments did not
surprise him.
Zwaan’s indictment.
Senior
Business
Information
Systems
major
Alexi
Korolev,
who is originally from
Moscow, has said he does
a general population,
supported
Trump
throughout the campaign
trail much more than
Democratic nominee and
former Secretary of State
“The evidence has proven
interference by the Russians
time and time again.”
- Matt O’Brien,
Suffolk sophomore PPE major
“The evidence has
proven interference by
the Russians time and
again,” said O’Brien to
The Suffolk Journal on
Tuesday afternoon after
news broke of van der
not identify as a Trump
or President Vladimir
Putin supporter in recent
interviews
with
The
Suffolk Journal. Korolev
told a Journal reporter
that Russian citizens, as
Hillary Clinton. However,
this same support may
not have trickled into
the Trump presidency,
according to Korolev.
“One of the major
reasons
for
that
is
simply because Clinton
had expressed herself
rather hostile toward
Russians, whereas Trump
has always been fond
of Russians and wanted
to extend our beneficial
business partnership. The
Russian media also did
a fine job of portraying
Trump in a much better
light,” said Korolev. “But
that was a year ago.”
Mueller laid out the
charges
against
the
Russian nationals as well
as three Russian entities
on Friday, according to
multiple reports.
The
indictment
described in detail that
actions against the
See Russia- 6
6 FEB. 21, 2018
Mueller charges numerous
Russian nationals in probe
From Russia - 6
U.S. political system,
which began as early as
2014 when the Russian
organization
Internet
Research
Agency
began
interference
that included the 2016
elections, according to
the indictment.
The Russian nationals
had allegedly posed as
citizens of the U.S. and
operated social media
pages and groups that
would attract American
audiences under false
personas. Two of these
Russians are said to have
traveled to the U.S. in
2014 in order to gather
intelligence
for
such
operations, according to
Mueller’s indictment.
For
sophomore
PPE
major
Geoffrey
Scales, who has actively
identified as a Trump
supporter said that the
recent indictments serve
as a telltale sign that
“something
happened”
with Russia.
“Whether that be their
own interference in our
election or some sort of
collusion with the Trump
campaign,
the
truth
needs to come out,” said
Scales to The Journal on
Tuesday night. “Whether
President Trump likes it
or not.”
Throughout
the
weekend, Trump went
on a “Tweet storm,” after
the indictments were
released.
“I never said Russia did
not meddle in the election,
I said ‘it may be Russia, or
China or another country
or group, or it may be a
400 pound genius sitting
in bed and playing with
his computer,” Trump
tweeted early Sunday
morning. “The Russian
“hoax” was that the
Trump campaign colluded
with Russia - it never
did!”
White House Press
Secretary Sarah Huckabee
Sanders told reporters
during
a
live
press
conference on Tuesday
afternoon that Trump
“has been very hard on
Russia.”
Trump continued to
look to Twitter in order
to broadcast his opinion
on
the
indictments
throughout
President’s
Day.
“Obama was President
up to, and beyond, the
2016 Election,” Trump
tweeted Monday morning.
“So why didn’t he do
something about Russian
meddling?”
For O’Brien, he said it
is time for Trump to step
up and admit Russia’s
interference.
“Now it’s time for our
president to condemn
Russia for their actions,”
said O’Brien. “If he won’t,
it’s time for the people to
do it for him.”
Connect with Alexa
by emailing
agagosz@su.suffolk.edu
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKWORLDNEWS@GMAIL.COM
W
Scenes from a journalist in Budapest
Assistant World News Editor Amy Koczera went into Europe
with ambitions of achieving numerous goals this semester.
She is looking to explore the foreign streets on a daily basis,
discovering new architecture and landscapes. She writes
every day about her experiences in her own personal blog,
advocatesanthology.com, while posting pictures for The
Suffolk Journal.
Amy Koczera/ Asst. World News Editor & Prague Correspondent
Thermal baths in the iconic Hotel Gellért, which
opened in 1918 and has been a popular scene for many
Hollywood films
The world at-large
Mass casualties in Syrian violence
As of Tuesday night, BBC reports the
death toll of the Syrian government rain
down bombs to have reached 250, 50
of whom are children. This has been the
worst violence in the Eastern Ghouta area
since 2013. The area affected included a minimum of
10 towns across Eastern Ghouta, only stopping when
the United Nations called for a ceasefire to allow aid
to those affected as well as the wounded to be taken
to safety. The situation worsened once it was revealed
how hospitals had been reportedly targeted directly,
which may be considered a war crime according to UN
coordinator in Syria, Panos Moumtzis. The hospitals
affected were Marj, Saqba and Douma as they were left
partially functioning, while a hospital in Zamalka and
Arbin completely shut down. This lack of aid added to
a pre-existing shortage of food, with bread now costing
22 times the national average and 12% of children under
five years old being malnourished. This masacre exists
as the Damascus government sent troops to confront
troops from Turkey attempting to push back Kurds in
northern Syria. To force pro-government fighters to
retreat, Turkey fired shells near those advancing. As
Turkey fired these shells, it proves to try to oust the
Kurdish militia, who have control of the area and call
on Syrian military for help. Russia’s foreign ministry
recently confirmed that there were numerous Russian
citizens, as well as citizens of other former Soviet states
were killed or wounded in a recent battle allegedly in
the eastern providence of Deir al-Zour last week.
Nigeria sends first Olympic bobsled team
The three-person team of Seun
Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and
Akuoma Omeoga are both the
first Nigerian team and the first
bobsled team from Africa. Of the three women,
Adigun has seen the Olympics before, as she
represented Nigeria in the 2012 London games
for the 100-meter hurdles. The team is made up
of Americans, able to represent Nigeria as they
are all born to Nigerian parents. Despite the
milestone for the country, the excitement for
those in Nigeria remains minimal, according to
NPR. “Outside social media, the excitement is
basically zero,” Lagos-based writer Emmanuel
Dairo in an interview with NPR. “Very few
even know there is a winter games going
on, and even fewer care. None of those I’ve
interacted with, online or off, have mentioned
the Nigerian team, never mind the winter
games, even once.” It was stated how in Africa,
football (also known as soccer to Americans)
runs the world, very little attention is paid
to other sports. Due to the lack of support,
Adigun turned to GoFundMe, raising $150,000
dollars to support team expenses and even
starting the Bobsled & Skeleton Federation
of Nigeria. Adigun and her teammates hope
to inspire Nigerians living in colder countries
to represent their parents’ home country of
Nigeria in the Winter Olympics.
Oxfam workers prey on young Haitians
As agencies rush to the aid of struggling
countries, some employees slip through
the cracks of organizations trying to help
and end up just causing we. This is the
reality of Oxfam, as Haitian workers, who had
already warned about the sex scandals happening
with the leaders of the company, bring the truth to
light, according to BBC. Oxfam, along with other
organizations, have been attempting for years to
help Haiti’s sex workers with sexual health clinics
and HIV/AIDS testing programs, for the future
of the young mothers and their infants. It has
recently been unveiled that instead of helping
these victims, the company has been hurting
them since 2011. Men in senior positions in the
company, including country director Roland Van
Hauwermeiren, paid local prostitutes, some of
which were majorly underage, for sex. This action
proved that these men, were “exploiting some of
the most vulnerable people in the poorest country
in the Americas, all while being paid to advocate
for their well being” according to BBC. Employees
of Oxfam, who were concerned about their future
of the company were unable to speak on the matter
openly, as their employment was threatened. This
scandal mimics that of UN peacekeepers, who
had multiple accusations of rape and past cases
of abuse when they were sent to “aid” Haiti.“This
is Haiti,” said a previous Oxfam worker to BBC.
“Anything can happen here.
A
STAY TUNED
Preview of PAO’s upcoming
performance, “Apocalypso”
See next week’s edition
ARTS & CULTURE
SEE THE COLLECTION
Interested in photojournalism?
Come talk to us about our blog!
sjuncoveredwithflash.wordpress.com
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 7
Importance of Inclusivity
Shown above are symbols of gender identity. While the list is extensive, it’s important to
recognize every and all identities in today’s growing climate. Left to right: transgender,
female, male, intersex, with a plus sign to recognize all other gender identities.
QSU promotes diversity on campus
Felicity Otterbein
Arts & Culture Editor
Perhaps one of the
more active and engaged
groups on campus, the
Queer Student Union
(QSU) has set out to
advocate for the wellbeing
and
inclusivity
of
students
campuswide. According to QSU
President Joe Piemonte,
the group was started
more than 10 years ago
as the Rainbow Alliance,
but has been more active
in the past two years.
“We are a group that
comes together to build
community,
advocate
and educate as our main
focuses,” said Piemonte,
a junior history major in
an interview with The
Suffolk Journal Tuesday
evening.
Piemonte
said
that QSU events and
programming
are
designed to educate and
promote safety amongst
students. Events like Sex
Toys 101, a workshop
on Tuesday night led
by blogger Sarah Brynn
Holliday, are developed
to
encourage
sexual
freedom and education
for those who continue
to explore sexuality and
identity. The group was
also responsible for the
recent displaying of the
AIDS quilt in the lobby
of Sawyer in order to
promote education about
World AIDS Day.
“We talk about current
political issues or current
events, and then what
the future holds and for
programming on campus
and what people would
like and if we should
continue
with
what
we had in mind on the
e-board,” said Piemonte.
One of the more
recent events Piemonte
“We work with other groups in
order to make sure that people
are being treated fairly or if they
have questions on guidance, we
want to be a resource to them.”
- Joe Piemonte
QSU President
was particularly proud of
was the first-ever Second
Chance Prom, which took
place Friday in the Nancy
Stoll room. Geared toward
students who experienced
a high school prom in a
way that made them
feel uncomfortable or
incapable of expressing
who they were, Second
Chance Prom allowed
students to have another
opportunity to experience
prom in a way that they
envisioned and with who
they envisioned going
with.
“The whole reason we
put it on was kind of as
a ‘do-over’ at prom, and
your second chance to
go to prom with who you
wanted or what types of
articles of clothing you
picked to express how
you looked, any type of
that - was what we were
trying to get at. It was a
‘Be Yourself’ prom,’” said
Piemonte.
According to Piemonte,
the goal of the QSU events
set out to build a bigger
community. He feels as
though these events offer
opportunities to meet
new students and invite
them to experience other
events, programming and
general meetings.
While the group itself
is comprised of students
who
are
educated
in terms of LGBTQ+
events, terminology and
information,
Piemonte
said they try to continue
TO BE allies inside and
out of the classroom.
“We work with other
groups in order to make
sure that people are
being treated fairly or if
they have questions on
guidance, we want to be a
resource to them. We also
are a resource to faculty
and administrators, so if
anybody has a question
See QSU - 8
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKARTS@GMAIL.COM
8 FEB. 21, 2018
A
QSU continues to advocate for inclusivity on campus
From QSU - 7
they can easily ask us,”
said Piemonte.
He also included that
students are not alone
when seeking information
about
inclusivity
and
diversity around campus.
Piemonte
said
that
both deans and faculty
have approached QSU
members with questions
about what appropriate
sentiments to include in
classroom
discussions,
as well as what kinds of
language to avoid in order
to remain inoffensive and
correct.
“We work with the
Center
for
Student
Diversity and Inclusion a
lot. Most of our events are
co-sponsored with them,
and our monthly family
dinners are held in there.
Every last Monday of the
month we have dinner in
there,” said Piemonte.
The Center for Student
Diversity and Inclusion
does host other groups,
but
Piemonte
noted
that he feels that they
occasionally get favored
because their advisor is
Assistant Cam Briether.
“[Cam] is always like
“well we’re a resource
too!’ It’s a joint thing,
Cam can always answer a
question but sometimes
if Cam thinks that I
or somebody else can
answer a question, they’ll
push it to someone else,”
said Piemonte.
Breither declined to
comment and said all
press inquiries should
be directed to university
spokesperson,
Greg
Gatlin.
Piemonte said that QSU
has worked with other
groups and organizations
on campus, and while it
“We are a group that comes
together to build community,
advocate and educate as our
main focuses.”
-Joe Piemonte
QSU President
has historically been with
cultural groups, they are
always looking to branch
out and work with other
campus groups.
“We’ve
wanted
to
do something with the
comedy groups to do
like comedy with LGBTQ
themes. But honestly if
anybody has any ideas
we’d love to do them, we
just have never thought
of them,” said Piemonte.
QSU
will
be
hosting two more sexrelated
workshops
and
are
currently
“Gaypril,” Piemonte said
that the group is working
on changing the name to
something that is more
inclusive, rather than
excluding identities that
do not fall under the
“gay” spectrum.
“Our big event is
we’re bringing Shangela
to campus, she’s going
to come and do a show.
That will be happening
during Gaypril. It’s going
to be our final huzzah,
end of the year, Shangela
moment,” said Piemonte.
To learn more about
general meetings and
to participate in future
planning
programming programming,
contact
surrounding
Women’s QSU at qsu@su.suffolk.
History Month in March.
edu and follow them on
Piemonte said that Facebook @SuffolkQSU.
he is very excited for
the upcoming Suffolk
University Pride Month
in April. While it is
currently
labeled
as
Connect with Felicity
by emailing
fotterbein@su.suffolk.edu
Arts Commentary
Bad Bunny: Scene from ‘Peter Rabbit’
sparks boycott from angry parents
By Jacquelyn Jarnagin,
Journal Contributor
Sony Pictures “Peter
Rabbit” sparked a major
outrage among parents
of children with lifethreatening allergies on
its opening weekend.
During one particular
scene of the film, Peter
Rabbit, voiced by James
Corden, and four of his
friends come up with an
idea to exact revenge
on their nemesis, Mr.
Tom McGregor, voiced
by
Sam
Neill,
the
gardener. In order to
steal vegetables from
the garden, the rabbits
decide to use a slingshot
to fire blackberries at
McGregor to distract
him. This might sound
like an innocent plan
that would look comedic
on camera — except
Peter and his pals were
fully aware McGregor
has an allergy toward
blackberries.
The
scene
goes
even more downhill
after the rabbits laugh
whilst flinging berries
toward the gardner:
one
blackberry
flies
into McGregor’s mouth,
causing him to choke
and start to go into
anaphylactic
shock.
McGregor pulls out his
EpiPen and injects himself
with it before letting out
a sigh of utter exhaustion.
This is a far cry from
Peter Rabbit, who hid
himself inside a watering
can while Mr. McGregor
tracked him down.
According to The New
Yorker, Kenneth Mendez,
president and CEO of the
Asthma and and Allergy
Foundation of America,
took to social media last
Saturday and delivered an
open letter to Sony and
the filmmakers.
“Making light of this
condition
hurts
our
members
because
it
encourages the public
to not take the risk
of
allergic
reactions
seriously,” Mendez said
in his letter, “and this
cavalier attitude may
make them act in ways
that could put an allergic
“Making light of this
condition hurts our
members because it
encourages the public
to not take the risk
of allergic reactions
seriously.”
- Kenneth Mendez
CEO
Asthma
& Allergy Foundation of America
person in danger.”
Mendez was not the
only one irked by the
film; by Sunday, hundreds
of parents with allergyprone children took to
social media, criticizing
the movie and voicing
some concerns about
how the movie will
affect the way children
(“Peter Rabbit’s” intended
audience, after all) treat
themselves or others who
have allergies.
A trending subject
on
was
#boycottpeterrabbit.
“Someone
I
love
has a food allergy,”
stated Twitter user @
chelybelly02, “it’s not fun,
it’s terrifying especially
when they are children. @
SonyPictures makes a kids
movie and a character is
attacked with a food he
is allergic to and causes
anaphylaxis.”
Some experts have
even chimed in on the
matter.
Dr.
Andrew
Adesman,
chief
of
developmental
and
behavioral
pediatrics
at the Cohen’s Medical
Center in Queens, New
York, spoke to The New
York Times. Adesman
believes
Peter
Rabbit
flinging
blackberries
into McGregor’s mouth
is darker than Wile E.
Coyote pursuing the road
runner because Peter
made light of a serious
condition.
“There’s some research
out there suggesting what
is depicted in this movie
is a real-world experience
for some children with
life-threatening
food
allergies,”
Adesman
told The Times. “I
can
understand
the
outrage.”
In response to the
controversy,
Sony
Pictures
issued
an
apology statement to
parents and children
alike.
According
to
Entertainment Weekly,
the company admitted
they were wrong to joke
about the condition.
“Food allergies are
a serious issue,” Sony
said in a joint email to
The New York Times,
“Our film should not
have made light of Peter
Rabbit's arch nemesis,
Mr. McGregor, being
allergic to blackberries,
even in a cartoonish,
slapstick
way.
We
sincerely
regret
not
being more aware and
sensitive to this issue,
and we truly apologize."
Connect with Jacquelyn
by emailing
jjarnagin@su.suffolk.edu
O
FAST FACTS:
11 percent of Sports
journalists are women,
according to a 2016 study
from statista.com.
JOIN THE JOURNAL:
Sawyer Building. 9th Floor.
Office 930B. See you there, future
journalists of the world.
Tuesday meetings at 12:15 p.m.
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 9
OPINION
No more excuses,
America.
For too long, mass shootings have been written off, with a multitude of answers,
solutions and no action. Now, a solution is past due. It’s time to change.
By Patrick Holmes, Opinion Editor
A
curtain
of
depression in the
United States has
not lifted since
the first mass shooting in
1966, cutting between the
line of progression and
digression.
We are stagnant. We
are complacent to the
deaths of innocent lives
that thought, “It won’t
happen to me.”
Seventeen souls were
lost in Parkland, Florida by
a 19-year-old with a legally
purchased
AR-15.
But
those are just numbers,
right?
It should seem obvious
that politicizing shootings
will
not
benefit
the
tragedy and if anything, it
dehumanizes the victims.
They are just another
statistic added to the
body count, conveniently
transformed into a info
graphic for the world to
judge.
Most people will skim
over the facts without a
second thought besides a “prayer,” soon forgetting
the new reality that the loved ones of the victims will
have to live with and endure on a daily basis.
Please do not forget the lives lost, the dreams
crushed and the futures erased.
This is a plea for the voices that can no longer
speak; the ones silenced by a discharged bullet. This
is for the names that will never be signed again and
the faces left memorialized in photos.
You will be remembered.
But to do so, the society created by the U.S. must
progress. The curtain must be lifted and the prayers
“This is
a plea for
the voices
that can
no longer
speak;
the ones
silenced
by a
discharged
bullet.”
silenced. Action should be demanded, not requested
and a life should mean more than just a number
scrawled on the incident report.
Mass shootings are not just a gun problem nor
are they just a human problem. There are a plethora
of explanations as to why shootings happen, but to
begin the healing process, society needs to be more
empathetic.
It’s time to expand empathy and sympathy to not
only the people we are close with,
but the entire human race.
To a country unsettled by
innocent deaths, this is not
the end.
Mass shootings are a
product of lenient laws
and careless individuals,
independent
of
their
political
preference.
There is much that can be
achieved by not banning
guns, but creating more
efficient laws around the
purchase
of
firearms.
We should not want to
prohibit
anything
but
rather improve the ways
we buy, use and store
these weapons.
The second amendment
was written before the
development
of
semiautomatic weapons and
developing the technology,
yet the right to bear arms
has not been touched since
it was first written in 1791.
This fact is not dependent
on a political affiliation
and both parties should
consider
revaluation,
especially considering many semi-automatic guns have
been used in mass shootings since 2004, according to
the Washington Post.
“Time is
up, the
curtain must
rise and
action is
mandatory
to save
future
victims
of mass
shootings
because it
is inevitable
that more
will occur.”
Time is up, the curtain must
rise and action is mandatory
to save future victims of
mass shootings because it
is inevitable that more will
occur.
Both society and our
gun laws are to blame for
the deaths of innocent
human beings.
These may not be the
only reasons but it seems
clear that these two
aspects must progress for
any real change to go into
effect.
There
are
many
statistics and psychological
answers that can be
determined by examining
the shootings that have
occurred in the U.S.
Yes, there can be
comparisons
drawn
from
other
countries
and the laws they have
enacted. There are many
explanations to what can
be the answer to mass
shootings.
However,
let’s
encourage
solutions
instead of answers. Let’s find out how to stop it
instead of why it happened. Nothing can be done to
repent the actions of another, but there are steps to
be taken toward terminating these calamities, more
than “thoughts and prayers.”
If we claim to love this country so much, it’s time
to start acting like patriots and keep our citizens safe
within these borders.
“We should
not want
to prohibit
anything
but rather
improve the
ways we
buy, use and
store these
weapons.”
Connect with Patrick by emailing
pholmes2@su.suffolk.edu
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKOPINION@GMAIL.COM
10 FEB. 21, 2018
Editor’s Word
We are the media and we’re not
just here to get a story. We’re
here to tell people’s stories.
Nowadays, the media has been
painted as bloodsucking leeches
out to get a paycheck only to
use and abuse and move onto
the next warm body.
Signed,
a
O
C O N C E R N E D
We’re here to say — that’s not
the case. As aspiring future
journalists, we’re working
hard to develop not only
our reading and writing
abilities, but our opportunities
to be compassionate and
understanding human beings.
We’re here to tell your story,
not sell your story.
Suffolk student
This behavior is currently
unobtainable when we face
obstacles put in place by
university officials that hinder
these attempts at practicing
necessary future skills. It’s
disheartening when we attempt
to feature student work,
groups and voices to only be
immediately silenced by those
who are supposed to pushing
us forward. The ones that we
are supposed to be looking up
to and leaning on for advice
have become the ones who
are now holding us back and
prohibiting us from excelling.
While our experience may
be limited, we get stronger
with practice. In turn, we
are exposed to multiple
channels of communication
and conducting intelligent
conversations with field
experts. To have to now utilize
a single channel is not only a
hindrance, it’s an insult.
Patrick Holmes
Opinion Editor
We take our duty seriously. So
please, allow us to do our job in
its entirety here, for you, so we
can do it well when we leave.
A Sequel
From a prior article written from Patrick Holmes published on
Nov. 2, 2016 titled “Signed, a hopeful Suffolk student.”
I still have faith in
my university, even after
more than a year of
standing by and watching
the daily struggle of who
will obtain top position at
Suffolk. Holding onto this
faith has shown to be a
struggle, one that leaves
me concerned with each
passing day, week and
semester.
I would be lying if I said
I was not disappointed.
Higher administration has
taken more than a year to
appoint a new president
and as of Tuesday evening,
one has not been chosen.
With this amount of time
and no stable leadership,
I am a concerned Suffolk
student.
Moreover,
this
university
has
lost
its luster that once
emboldened
me
to
welcome my acceptance
letter. Gone are the
days where I remained a
hopeful Suffolk student,
optimistic
about
the
future of this university
and the many naive
dreams I had for the
future.
Suffolk may look like a
student-driven university
from the facade they
portray but more often
than not, I cross paths
with fellow peers who
do not know the word
“extracurricular.”
The
university recycles the
same
students
into
the multiple clubs and
organizations,
while
a large portion of the
student body seems to
not be involved.
Whether
this
is
because of too many
commuter students, or
lack of guidance and
encouragement
from
campus. As a prior Print
Journalism major, it was
made clear to me that
my education was less
important due to the
rumor that Journalism is a
dying profession and that
Film and Media Studies is
a popular choice among
“Gone are the days
where I remained
a hopeful Suffolk
student, optimistic
about the future of
this university and
the many naive
dreams I had for
the future.”
faculty
and
advisers,
there needs to be a
societal change in the way
students view activities
on and off campus.
The university does
not have clear intentions
for its future but shows
lack of empathy toward
the Communications and
Journalism Department,
supposedly one of the
largest departments on
students. Thank you for
the support, Suffolk.
I
used
to
be
encouraged to pursue
what I wanted but Suffolk
has shown its true colors.
This university seems to
have biased intentions
from every corner of its
walls, playing puppeteer
amongst their puppets,
those who they can
manipulate with silence
or punishment. This can
only go so far.
Suffolk
has
the
potential to be a leading
university and that is
why I still have a sliver of
faith. First, they need to
be transparent with their
students, faculty and staff.
While taking classes on to
study Public Relations,
the number one mistake
that large companies and
organizations make is not
being honest and upfront
with the public; lying
or refusing to answer
will
only
exacerbate
the situation, leaving a
disastrous wake.
Second, students not
only need a voice, but they
need to find it as well.
The current situation and
atmosphere is not entirely
due to the inner workings
of upper administration
but also seems to be the
lack of motivation and
responsibility taken by
many students.
We are what make
Suffolk a university so
it’s past due that students
make a tsunami instead
of a wave. There needs
to be change enacted at
Suffolk and the student
body is where it needs to
begin.
This moment in time
is the tip of the iceberg,
whether Suffolk can pull
itself back together or go
down with the ship. I’m
concerned, but I still have
faith in Suffolk.
Connect with Patrick
by emailing
pholmes2@su.suffolk.edu
THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKSPORTS@GMAIL.COM
11 FEB. 21, 2018
S
Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics
Lady Rams leave lasting impression
Graduating seniors seek championship in last run
Brooke Patterson
Sports Editor
The walls of Regan
Gymnasium were dressed
up with posters and blueand-gold streamers as
two women’s basketball
seniors stepped onto their
home court for the finale
of the Lady Rams regular
season.
Co-captains
Alex
Nagri
and
Georgia
Bourikas were honored
at a ceremony prior to
Saturday’s game against
the University of Saint
Joseph’s,
Connecticut,
where the Lady Rams beat
the Blue Jays 80-60.
“It helped this season
that it was our two voices
leading the team because
not only are we the
seniors but we are two
starters,” said Bourikas
in an interview with
The Suffolk Journal on
Tuesday. “I think [the two
of us] helped the younger
girls especially to show
them how [Nagri and I]
came up in this program
together and stayed with
each other and learned
to play well with and for
each other.”
The two Lady Rams
have
contributed
to
the women’s basketball
program’s success with a
combined total of 1,769
points, 688 rebounds and
219 steals. The seniors
made history together
when they both played
in 100 career games for
the Lady Rams on Feb.
1 against Anna Maria
College.
“Playing
sports
in
college takes a special kind
of person. It’s definitely
not for everyone but it
has
definitely
helped
shape me into who I
am today,” said Nagri in
an interview with The
Journal on Monday. “The
competition aspect of
sports has helped me in
more ways than I can
count, but I think that my
teammates and coaches
played a big part in who
I am.”
Nagri has been an
active member on the
Lady Rams roster since
her freshman year, where
she has played in 102
games and notched for
131 career steals. In her
four years as a Lady Ram
Nagri scored the most
amount of points during
her sophomore year. In
her final season, Nagri,
overall, scored 128 points
with a 28.8 three-point
percentage.
Unfortunately
for
the guard, her senior
season ended early with
a sprained ankle injury
that occurred in the
game against St. Joseph’s
College of Maine on Feb.
6.
“I wanted more than
anything to be on the
court playing my last
couple of games but I
have now accepted it
and realized that I can be
helpful on the bench and
still use my leadership
skills to lead the team to
success,” said Nagri.
Bourikas,
a
fifthyear senior, has been a
member of the Lady Rams
for all five years. During
preseason her sophomore
year she suffered from an
ACL injury which put her
out for the entire season,
allowing her to redshirt
and obtain another year
encouraging
everyone
and is always working her
hardest. She has always
been a team-first player
and that shows in her
game.”
Junior
forward
Shannon Smith made a
speech prior to the senior
day game on behalf of
Bourikas and the type of
individual and player she
co-captain also has played
in a total of 106 games,
averages 14 points per
game and has started in
all of the Lady Rams’ 26
games this season.
“Overall it has been a
great experience playing
with this team. I have
made some of my best
friends to the point where
it’s like having a second
“The competition aspect of sports
has helped me in more ways than
I can count, but I think that my
teammates and coaches played a
big part in who I am.”
- Senior Co-Captain
Alex Nagri
of eligibility to play.
This was her second
senior day and according
to Bourikas, she is the
first woman in program
history to be recognized
as a senior two years in
a row. She explained how
she debated even being
recognized at this years
senior day, but did not
want Nagri to go out
alone.
“[Bourikas]
makes
everyone better,” said
Nagri. “She is constantly
is.
“She’s the glue to
the norms we preach
here,” said Smith in
front of the family and
friends crowded in the
gymnasium.
The shooting guard
is a prominent member
on the Lady Rams’ roster
who found herself in the
record book for multiple
honors. Bourikas joined
the 1,000-point club this
season and now has a
total of 1,081 points. The
family,” said Bourikas.
With the gymnasium
splashed with decorations
in honor of these two
Lady Rams on Saturday,
it is clear they will be
missed as members of the
team.
Junior guard Marissa
Gudauskas also spoke
before the Lady Rams’
crowd
about
Nagri’s
defense abilities and how
she was able to learn an
abundance of defensive
skills from the senior.
Gudauskas
thanked
her co-captain for her
passion, time and energy
she devoted to the Lady
Rams.
“It will be hard to
replace their roles, they
both have been significant
players on the team their
entire careers,” said Smith
in an interview with The
Journal on Tuesday. “But
next year we’ll have to
have people step up and
take larger roles.”
The two co-captains,
under head coach Ed
Leyden, have led the Lady
Rams 11-women roster to
a winning record of 20-6
this season.
“[Nagri and Bourikas]
are two of my favorite
players that I have ever
had,” said Leyden in
an interview with The
Journal on Tuesday. “Both
[Nagri
and
Bourikas]
are great competitors,
great people and terrific
teammates. [Nagri] is
probably one of the best
competitors that I’ve ever
had and [Bourikas] is one
of the most skilled players
that we’ve ever had.”
The
seniors
seek
to earn a final-season
Great Northeast Athletic
Conference
(GNAC)
championship. The Lady
Rams playoff run will
continue Thursday at No.
2 seed Emmanuel College
for the GNAC semifinals.
Connect with Brooke
by emailing
bpatterson2@su.suffok.edu
S
@NHLBruins
#NHLBRUINS WIN!!!
3-2 over the Oilers. Krech with the
winner with 1:04 to go!
SPORTS
Young
Rams
here to
reside
Joe Rice
Asst. Sports Editor
The Suffolk University
men’s basketball team
reached
new
heights
during
the
2017-18
regular season, as they
achieved a milestone that
had not been touched for
more than 15 years.
With a 15-11 record,
the Rams notched their
best regular season record
since the 2001-02 season
and also managed to pull
out nine wins within the
Great Northeast Atlantic
Conference (GNAC), the
most since their 2005-06
campaign.
As a result of their
success in the regular
season, the Rams scored
sixth in the overall
seedings for the GNAC,
which meant they would
have to travel to play
Saint Joseph’s College
of Maine in the GNAC
quarterfinals.
In a nail-biter finish
that came down to the
final seconds, the Rams
edged out St. Joe’s 6965. This would be the
first time the Rams were
able to advance as far as
the GNAC semifinal since
2007 and fourth time ever
in the program’s history.
Junior
guard
and
captain Michael Hagopian
led the way with 25 points
for the Rams. Sophomore
guard Thomas Duffy also
surpassed 20 points for
IN THE NEWS
the 10th time this season.
The core of the Rams
roster will be back for at
least one more season.
The Rams achieved a
strong record with a
young team overall, as the
group does not contain
one senior.
The
young
talent
mainly stems from players
such as Duffy, who leads
the team in points with
just more than 16, as well
as freshman guard and
FEBRUARY 21, 2018 | PAGE 12
Brooke Patterson / Sports Editor
“That versatility can serve
both well.”
Sophomore
guard
George Grillakis said the
overall youth of the team
has given young players
valuable
experience
throughout the past two
seasons.
“Last year we lost
quite a few close games,”
said Grillakis in a recent
interview
with
The
Journal. “This year, we
have won quite a few
“This program had
struggled for a little while
and it feels amazing to be a
contributor to its success.”
- Michael Hagopian, #10
forward Brendan Mulson
who has won several
GNAC Rookie of the Week
awards, while averaging
12 points per game.
Head coach Jeff Juron
had strong words in
regards to the overall play
of both Duffy and Mulson.
He noted they both had
strong seasons and spoke
on how they have helped
the team overall.
“[Mulson and Duffy]
have impacted the game
in multiple ways,” said
Juron in a recent interview
with The Suffolk Journal.
Suffolk men’s baseball team
picked to win the GNAC again
per coaches poll.
close games because of
the experience we now
have in these situations.”
Juron
had
similar
comments in regards to
the tough times leading
to better paths for the
following season.
“Our group shared
some painful experiences
last season. We competed
hard but came up short
more often than not,”
said Juron. “I think that
experience continues to
motivate the group.”
One major point of
the season came against
Albertus
Magnus
College on the Rams’
home court. The Rams
went up against the
GNAC’s best team and
battled until the very end
until they came within
a fingernails distance
of victory, as they were
edged out 88-84.
Hagopian
believes
the game helped the
team overall in terms of
confidence.
“Competing
with
Albertus Magnus and
almost beating them was
huge for us. Of course, we
weren’t satisfied with the
outcome,” said Hagopian
in a recent interview with
The Journal. “However, it
did prove to us that we
could be really good. It
shows that we are capable
of beating anyone. We
were proud of our efforts
but next time we want to
come out on top.”
Duffy and Hagopian
led the way for the Rams,
both nailing down 27
points for the team.
Hagopian, a third-year
starter, is one of the Rams
oldest players as a junior.
He has started a total of
76 out of a possible 77
games in his collegiate
career.
The
standout
guard has 15 points per
game this season while
maintaining
a
steady
field-goal percentage at
nearly 45.
Hagopian has been
through the ups and
downs of the Suffolk
men’s basketball program
and
is
exhilarated
with
how
the
Rams
h a v e
b e c o m e
resurgent as
of late.
“ T h i s
program had
struggled for a
little while and it
feels amazing to
be a contributor
to its success,”
said Hagopian. “It
definitely
wasn’t
easy, and we’re
nowhere close to
being done. We
haven’t reached all
of our goals.”
Hagopian added
that
the
overall
goal for this team as
they continue their
season into the GNAC
tournament
will
be
to win the league and
make it to the NCAA
tournament.
The Rams have now
won four games in a row,
proving they are gelling
at the perfect time. They
will now play Johnson
and Wales University on
Thursday for the GNAC
semifinal.
Connect with Joe
by emailing
jrice4@su.suffolk.