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THE Suffolk Journal
SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY • BOSTON

VOLUME 80, NUMBER 14

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thesuffolkjournal.com

|



YOUR SCHOOL. YOUR PAPER. SINCE 1936.

March 1, 2017

@SuffolkJournal

In the news

Discrepancy
between
candidates
fires week
before
ballots cast

SGA Vice
Presidential
candidates prepare
for debate on
Thursday, election
results next week.
Page 4.
Stabbing in Boston
Common on
Monday night in
front of 150 Tremont
residence hall.
Page 2.

Chris DeGusto
News Editor

University’s
united push for diversity,
the rocky road to inclusivity

Mayor Marty Walsh
doubles down on
sanctuary city.
Page 5.
The 25th annual
Putnam County
Spelling Bee brings
new meaning to
“sticks and stones.”
Page 7.
Submit to Uncovered
with Flash
photojournalism
blog by emailing
SuffolkJournal@
gmail.com
Stay tuned:
Congressmen come
to Campus program
talks public policy,
technology takeover and party
polarization.
Online only.

PERSPECTIVE
EDITOR’S WORD

“As recent university
issues have arose,
supplemented by
the political climate
this country faces, the
leaders we intend
to be mirrored by
are most accurately
described by a single
word; passion.”

Page 10.

For stories, breaking news
and more,
visit our website:

TheSuffolkJournal.com

W

By Nathan Espinal,
Journal Staff

ith Black Her/History Month over, and
with the Trump administration’s highly
scrutinized actions on immigration and transgender
rights affecting the nation, the Suffolk community
has been intent on keeping the spotlight on diversity
and moving forward to ensure the university is an
inclusive and welcome place.
This, however has been a tumultuous process for
the university. Impactful actions that could be taken
were once the responsibility of former Chief Diversity
Inclusion Officer Nicole Price. Price was appointed
this position in the fall semester of 2014, and within
a year resigned. It was when the administration
decided to restructure, which included relocating
classes and the repositioning of faculty, that Price
noticed the new direction and parted ways with
Suffolk.
Fulfilling her duties in this position proved
difficult, and Price in a recent phone interview with
The Suffolk Journal spoke of how the change in
leadership between three different presidents caused
a strain on her ability to do work at the university.
“I wanted to make diversity inclusion a normal
part of leadership at Suffolk,” said Price. “There’s
never been a constant person to affect policy or
admission. There hasn’t been someone to have a
lasting impact on the university so that if they did
something for diversity and they left, the university
wouldn’t have to start from scratch again.”
As to why the position has yet to be filled, Greg
Gatlin, the spokesman for the University, released an
official statement to The Suffolk Journal on Tuesday
night.
“The University’s former Chief Diversity Officer
resigned in December 2015,” said the statement.
“The university is awaiting final results of a climate
survey, as well as a recommendation from the
Diversity Task Force to determine its approach to
filling the Chief Diversity Officer position or similar
role in the future. Those Task Force recommendations
are due in April.”
Frank Cooper as senior adviser, guided the
Diversity Task Force, which was created in February
of 2016, to generate changes in hiring practices
and provide professional development training
for administrators, faculty, students and staff on

important matters regarding identity at Suffolk. He
also began the creation of the “Diversity Climate
Survey,” which aims to give a baseline of the
negative and positive feelings among the community
at Suffolk. Cooper stepped down in the fall semester
of 2016 to take some time off from instructing at
the law school, and Communication and Journalism
Associate Professor Micky Lee became chair of the
Task Force.
The Task Force has a subcommittee dedicated
to drafting a proposal to find a new Chief Diversity
Inclusion Officer. One of the members on this
subcommittee is Director of the Office of Diversity
Services (ODS) Lizette Rivera. They are currently
drafting a proposal to present to Lee, and if approved,
Lee will bring this proposal to Acting President
Marisa Kelly and the Board of Trustees.
“It’s up to the president and Board of Trustees
to decide what they want to do,” said Rivera in
an interview with The Suffolk Journal. “They may
decide to wait until there is a new president and
from there, a committee will form to make decisions
on the next Chief Diversity Officer.”
While this proposal was drafted, the results of
the survey were being analyzed by the entirety of
the Task Force. Junior business major and Vice
Presidential candidate in the Student Government
Association race, Levi Smith, is also a member of
the Task Force. In an interview with The Journal
Wednesday evening, Smith spoke about how he
believes the Task Force is doing important work
on the issues of diversity that face the Suffolk
community at large.
“There were staff and faculty members who felt
invalidated because of their identities,” said Smith
on the results of the survey. “For the students,
it’s the opposite. They feel the negativity from the
professors and their peers.”
This negative student sentiment was not only from
professors but was extended from administration as
well. Senior government major and Liaison Officer
for Rainbow Alliance, Sabrina Young, in a recent
interview with The Journal, spoke of how the actions
taken by administration to support diversity and
inclusivity are ineffective. Acting President Marisa

See DIVERSITY page 3

In
the
midst
of
campaign
season
for
Suffolk
University’s
Student
Government
Association
(SGA),
discrepancy
arose
between vice presidential
candidates Yasir Botalvi
and Levi Smith on Monday
night.
On whiteboards in the
lobby of Suffolk’s Sawyer
building, some candidates
for the various SGA
executive board positions
have drawn messages in
hopes to yield the votes
of students. A notice
about Smith’s campaign
portrayed a bulleted list of
his qualities, accompanied
by checked off boxes. On
Tuesday, Smith issued
a public statement on
his Facebook with a
corresponding video that
showed Botalvi’s personal
Snapchat account; Botalvi
posted to his story a clip
of the whiteboard Monday
night with an additional
box checked off that read
“copies Yasir.”
Botaldi, in an interview
with The Suffolk Journal
on Tuesday said that
he was not the one
who wrote this on the
whiteboard.
Smith’s
Facebook post said that
he was disappointed in
Botalvi’s actions.
“I
am
severely
disappointed in Yasir, and
betrayed as colleague, as
I originally thought his
character wasn’t capable
of a decision like this,”
said the statement.
Botalvi
said
to
Journal reporters that
his
Snapchat
account
is personal, and added
his Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn and Pinterest
are all being utilized
along with his personal
website as outlets for his

See SGA page 2

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2 MARCH 1, 2017

Campus forum lectures
inclusivity during
Trump’s immigration
crack-down

N

Alexa Gagosz
Editor-in-Chief

Few seats were left
open on Thursday when
students,
faculty
and
staff from the different
divisions
of
Suffolk
University
gathered
on the second floor of
Sargent Hall for a campus
forum
on
President
Donald Trump’s Executive
Order.
Following a bitter few
weeks of rolling news
segments on the recent
travel ban for seven
predominantly
Muslim
nations,
some
within
Suffolk’s
international
community live in fear of
their rights as a student
being
revoked.
The
campus forum, called
on by Acting Provost
Sebastian Royo, a member
of
Suffolk’s
global
community himself, said
that in the 26 years he has
been living in the United
States, this was the first
time he has felt on edge.
“This is the first time
since I’ve moved here that
I’ve felt uncomfortable,
where my accent has
made me self concious,”
said Royo, who was
born in Spain during a
dictatorship.
Royo, who said that
he had come to the U.S.
and was only suppose to
remain in the states for
a few years as a student,
explained “life happens”
and it’s why he could
stand in front of a crowd
of students as one of their
leaders.
In
a
panel-style
lecture, Senior Director
of the Division of Student
Success Kathy Sparaco,
Director of Counseling,
Health and Wellness Jean
Joyce-Brady and Clinical
professor of Law Ragini
Shaw sat at the bowl of the
lecture hall and each gave
a mini synopsis of what
the travel bans Trump
has enacted and how
they will affect students
at the university. Acting
President Marisa Kelly
was not in attendance
due to a fundraising trip,
according to Royo, but
“fully
supported”
the
forum and the backing
the university has offered
to students and staff.
Royo, who introduced
each of the panelists,

Haley Clegg/ Photo Editor

Acting Provost
Sebastian Royo
said the event was a
direct reflect of Suffolk’s
founding of acceptance
and opportunity. Royo
cited Suffolk’s founder
Gleason Archer who gave
access to Law School
to minorities in an age
where only a certain type
of person-- white, middle
to upper class male -was able to receive an
education.
“It is critical, as
a
higher
education
institution, to not turn a
blind eye,” said Royo in
response to how some
international
students
may be affected by the
travel ban and whether
they will be able to leave
the country in fear of
possibly not being able to
return. “This goes much
farther than politics, this
is about values.”
Joyce-Brady,
who
discussed the “stress” in
Americans that was cited
in a recent report by the
American
Psychological
Association,
published
this past January, that
the anxiety of the future
of the country continues
to rise among citizens on
both sides of the political
spectrum.
The original travel ban
executive order by Trump
had impacted populations
of Americans with a
loss of trust with the
federal government and
hypervigilance, according
to Joyce-Brady.
Shah, however, broke
down the legalities to the
executive orders, even
while they are strung
up in court alongside
Sparaco, who pointed
out that international
students were crucial at
American
universities
for both consumer and
perspective reasonings.
The
question
and
answer section of the
forum had lasted only 10
minutes before the event
had come to a close.

Patrick Holmes/ Opinion Editor

Stabbing in Boston Common, injuries non-fatal
Alexa Gagosz
Editor-in-Chief
One man was stabbed
in the Boston Common
on Monday night, police
said.
The
man,
who
remained unnamed as
of Tuesday night, was
stabbed
around
6:40
p.m. on Monday close
to 139 Tremont St.,
according
to
Boston
Police. A witness told a
reporter on Tuesday that
the physical altercation
between the two people

had progressed from a
verbal fight.
The
victim
was
rushed to Tufts Medical
Center with injuries not
considered to be lifethreatening.
Suffolk
University
student
and
Journal
Opinion Editor Patrick
Holmes was walking by
the scene of the crime,
which was taped off by
Boston police officers who
were lingering around the
area. News stations were
parked in the Common on
Monday night after the

incident.
Suffolk’s
Police
Department (SUPD) did
not send a service alert,
or “timely warning,” to
the Suffolk community
on the stabbing. SUPD
said
the
department
was not aware of the
crime on Tuesday night
and it was placed under
investigation.
SUPD
refused
to
comment
further.
In order to receive this
alert, which is determined
by the Chief of SUPD
and/or the Emergency

Manager,
the
crime
must be serious or be
a continuing threat to
students and employees,
according
to
the
university spokesperson.
“Regarding
the
incident last night in the
Boston Common, Boston
Police had secured the
scene and had a suspect
in
custody,
therefore
SUPD determined that
there was no serious or
continuing threat to the
campus
community,”
said
the
university
spokesperson on Tuesday.

Courtesy of Levi Smith

Vice Presidential candidates hit
road block on campaign trail
See SGA page 2
campaign. Botalvi said
photos and videos posted
to his Snapchat are not
an endorsement of what
is pictured. He said that
he realized this was not

something he should have
posted, and deleted it.
Botalvi said that this
incident was a non-issue.
“It’s Levi making an
issue on the election,”
said Botalvi. He added
“If anyone is making this

campaign negative it’s
Levi.”
SGA President Sean
Walsh currently runs the
election process for all
executive board positions.
While he did not defend
or condemn either party

in an interview with The
Journal on Tuesday night,
Walsh clarified the rules
and procedures of the
SGA elections.
“No one’s broken any
rules whatsoever,” said
Walsh of the campaign.

N
Kelly stands behind transgender student rights, some critique motives
3 MARCH 1, 2017

Alexa Gagosz
Editor-in-Chief
Acting
President
Marisa Kelly announced
in a letter to the members
of the Suffolk community
in an email on Friday
afternoon that she and
the rest of the university
will continue to support
of the bathroom bill to
ensure that transgender
students have a choice,
despite
the
recent
withdraw from the bill on
the federal level.
On
Wednesday,
President Donald Trump’s
administration withdrew
from former President
Barack Obama’s directive
for schools to treat their
students in accordance
with the gender they

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identify with instead of
the gender that is listed
on their birth certificate.
“While
I
am
disappointed with the
decision to roll the
directive back, please be
assured that the federal
change will have no direct
effect on students here
at Suffolk, nor should it
affect students while in
Massachusetts,”
wrote
Kelly in the email.
In
addition
to
Kelly’s message, Suffolk
has
gender-inclusive
restrooms in most of the
buildings where some
students do not have
to choose between the
“male”
and
“woman”
specific
restrooms.
According to the Office
of
Diversity
Services,

they were created in
order to eliminate any
violence or harassment
that some individuals
may experience if they go
into the so-called “wrong”
restroom.
Jameszie Helenski, a
class of 2015 graduate of
the New England School
of Art & Design and a
person who continued
their close relationship
with the art school as
the workshop manager
for the woodshop, said in
an interview on Monday
night this act by Trump
was not a surprise.
“The
thing
that
upsets me the most in
all of this nonsense,
is that most articles I
have been reading from
media outlets and folk’s

reactions to the decision
is that people are making
it sound as if it were ever
safe to be trans at school,
at work, or anywhere
else for that matter,” said
Helenski. “We have always
been under attack, and
not just in bathrooms.”
Four buildings that
are owned by Suffolk do
not have gender-inclusive
restrooms according to
the university’s website:
Modern
Theatre,
150
Tremont St., 73 Tremont
St. and One Beacon St.
“We are a diverse
University,
and
that
diversity is our strength,”
wrote Kelly. “We take
pride
in
being
an
exceptionally
inclusive
community, and we are
committed to ensuring

that
every
student,
faculty, and staff member
feels welcome at Suffolk.”
Despite some members
of the Suffolk community
rallying around Kelly in
support of her efforts,
other
students
and
employees question the
efforts made by Kelly and
upper administration.
For
Helenski,
Kelly’s message to the
community
did
not
have their approval just
yet, and said that the
administration still has
more to improve on.
“As someone who has
been a part of Suffolk as
both a student and an
employee, I can decidedly
say that there is very
little effort, on the part
of the administration,

to
be
‘exceptionally’
inclusive and mindful
of the realities of trans
students and employees,”
said Helenski.
Helenski
said
the
gender
neutral
bathrooms on campus
were established because
of queer students and
their allies that fought
for them, not by the
administration.
“As
much
as
I
appreciated
my
time
as a student, and enjoy
working here, I find it
hard to share President
Kelly’s sentiment about
our
university
when
my experience, as well
as those of a multitude
of other students, has
proven otherwise,” said
Helenski.

bulk of it, but financially
we can’t pay for anything
else for Black Her/History
Month,’” said Rivera, who
added that BSU agreed to
this and paid for other
events for the rest of the
month with their own
budget.
Some sources said the
work that can be done by
student affinity groups is
also limited because they
are now housed under
the Student Leadership
and Involvement office
(SLI), a change made
during the restructuring
of the school a few years
ago. Assistant Director
of the ODS Cameron
Breither and Rivera both
expressed their wish to
see the affinity groups
under their leadership
once again.
“I would love to see
them under our roof
again, even if it’s through
a
more
intentional
partnership
with
SLI,
because right now they’re
housed under SLI. From
what I understand before
our space was configured

differently, the groups all
had their own computer
terminals
and
that’s
something they can still
do here, so I would love
to work with SLI and see
what can be done,” said
Breither in an interview
with The Suffolk Journal.
According to Gatlin, the
university is committed
to ensuring all students,
faculty and staff feel
welcome and empowered,
which is exactly the kind
of work the ODS, the
Task Force and student
affinity groups have been
doing this past year.
However, Young, along
with others, make clear
that this is not enough
for students and upper
administration
should
push to support queer
students and students
of color more. Young
expressed the urgency of
taking immediate action
to
support
students
of
all
marginalized
communities because the
issues they are facing are
happening right now, not
later.

Efforts on diversity at Suffolk shows progress with long road ahead

See DIVERSITY page 3 communities feel included because they are invited forum
Kelly’s statement sent out
Friday afternoon, which
addressed the repeal of
former President Barack
Obama’s executive order
that protected the rights
of transgender students
across the nation, was,
according to Young, the
administration’s way of
“washing their hands of
the situation.” Young
said the statement does
nothing to outline the
university’s
plan
to
actively
protect
their
students’ rights identified
under Title IX.
“I
think
the
administration has the
capability of doing better
than it is right now and
just seems unwilling to.
As someone coming from
multiple
marginalized
backgrounds,
this
is
unacceptable,”
said
Young. “They need to take
responsibility, rather than
just saying it’ll be okay.”
The task of ensuring
that
marginalized

in the different schools
of the university has
become an expectation
of the ODS. Students and
staff across the university
might turn to the ODS
to influence change in
policies
surrounding
diversity-- even when
they are not in a position
to do so.
“Our office falls under
the Office of Student
Affairs and our main focus
is the undergraduates. We
can work with the grad
school and law school but
only to a limited degree.
We do educational, social
justice
and
diversity
training,” said Rivera.
“We are not in a position
to say this is policy, we
are brought into the
conversation
regarding
diversity in policies. We
have no influence in
the curriculum or how
diverse the curriculum
is.”
The ODS and student
affinity groups have had
influence in the changes
at Suffolk, but only

to conversations about
what to do in response
to an event. Those with
administrative power are
the only ones who have
the capability to create
policy that protects the
students. Any step taken
by the Office toward
inclusivity is strongly
tied with their budget,
while student groups are
limited by their ability
to communicate with the
Deans.
For specific reasons,
the ODC combines their
budget
with
affinity
groups, who receive their
budgets from SGA, to
ensure programming and
professional development
is free of cost to students.
The Office sends students
and staff to “Creating
Change,” a conference
promoting the forward
progress of the LGBTQ+
community and allies,
and
the
National
Conference of Race and
Ethnicity in American
Higher Education, which
provides a multicultural

for
students
of
various
ethnicities
from a variety of higher
education institutions.
“For
the
heritage
months, I put in equal
amount of money for each
month to make sure there
is equity,” said Rivera.
The ODS hopes to
build relationships with
student groups so they
try to co-sponsor events.
In October when Latina/
Latino Heritage Month
crossed
with
LGBT
History
month,
they
decided to look for a
someone who could speak
on intersectional matters.
They worked with student
groups to secure Eliel
Cruz to speak of his
experience as a bisexual,
Christian man of color.
The ODS also worked in
tandem with the Black
Student Union to secure
Shaun King to be the
keynote speaker for Black
Her/History Month.
“[Shaun King] was
almost eight thousand
dollars and I had to say ‘if
we do this we can pay the

THE Suffolk Journal

YOUR SCHOOL. YOUR PAPER. SINCE 1936.
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
World News Editor
Arts Editor
Opinion Editor
Asst. Opinion Editor
Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Newsroom Manager
Faculty Advisor
Media Advisor

Alexa Gagosz
Chris DeGusto
Jacob Geanous
Felicity Otterbein
Patrick Holmes
Katie Dugan
Skylar To
Brooke Patterson
Haley Clegg
Sam Humphrey
Bruce Butterfield
Alex Paterson

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The Suffolk Journal is the student newspaper of
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Journal to provide the Suffolk community with
the best possible reporting of news, events,
entertainment, sports and opinions. The reporting,
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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 2016.

4 MARCH 1, 2017

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N

Vice Presidential candidates ready for election, future of Suffolk
Suffolk University has manifested a diverse and politically adapt population of students, some of which
have been eager to create and enact change within the university. Suffolk’s Student Government Association
(SGA) will be welcoming a new Vice President for the 2017-2018 academic year; three candidates have
emerged, each with a unique outlook and direction they wish to help steer the university in if elected.
By Chris DeGusto, News Editor

Botalvi wants SGA action to
push Suffolk to the top

Coast Guard vet looks to
get feet wet in politics

Smith’s agenda seeks
to strengthen Suffolk

Suffolk’s Student Government Association
(SGA) will be welcoming a new Vice President
for the 2017-2018 academic year; a position
SGA senator Yasir Botalvi hopes to attain.
“We have so much promise and so much
potential,” said Botalvi. “Suffolk can truly be
a world-class institution - we can really be
one of the Americas great schools because
here we are in the heart of this amazing city”
With Suffolk being located in downtown
Boston, Botalvi said one of the priorities he
intends to tackle if elected SGA Vice President
is the lack of campus cohesion. A lack of
structure Botalvi said hampers the entirety
of Suffolk’s community to intertwine,
and while he said
certain organizations
and
individuals
“Suffolk can on campus are
producing
great
truly be a
work, this is not
enough. He has been
world-class
working to launch
institution.”
a Suffolk University
mobile
app,
and
currently
has
a
working
prototype
developed, which he
said is intended to be a “one stop shop.”
In order to engage in repairing campus
cohesion, Botalvi intends to initiate a
“Welcome Week” at the onset of the
academic year. Incoming students are
brought into the university community at
orientation but then are without any contact
with Suffolk for the summer, a problem
Botalvi said needs to be addressed. With
his proposed “Welcome Week,” Botalvi said
students would participate in a number of
both educational and entertaining activities
and sessions for the first week of school in
order to establish relationships and acclimate
to the community at Suffolk.
“It is the cards were dealt,” said Botalvi. “I
mean Suffolk University is an urban campus.
It’s in the heart of a metropolis. That’s part of
the problem and that’s where the challenges
lie. We have got to pull out a good hand out
of that deck of cards.”
As an international student from Canada
with Pakistani heritage, Botalvi discussed
the time he has spent so far within SGA,
and spoke of conversations he has had with
members of the administration on the subject
of prospective international students. The
vice presidential candidate said that Suffolk
needs to have concrete evidence to provide
to prospective international students and
their parents that they are welcomed within
a conducive environment. Botalvi said that
SGA can play a role in this, but needs to get
off its back foot by passing real legislation.
He said action is a forefront on his mind, so
that SGA can be the force he believes the
organization can be in enacting change for
the students.
“I think SGA has played a fantastic
role,” said Botalvi. “With [President Donald
Trump’s immigration] executive action that
came out - I think [SGA President] Sean
Walsh’s letter was on point. I think so was
[Acting University] President Kelly’s. So what
I really believe is what we’ve actually got to
do now is start working together on actual
actionable items.”

Student Government Association (SGA)
Senator-at-Large for commuter students
and Vice Presidential candidate Matt Wood
found his way to Suffolk in a non-traditional
fashion. Having served four years in the
Coast Guard and taking time off from school
to gain experience in the workforce, Wood
has his sights set on the position of vice
president for SGA’s executive board.
“I have a bunch of life experience - I’m
older than most of the people here,” said
Wood in a recent interview with The Suffolk
Journal. “Older doesn’t always win, but with
that comes experience. I’ve been able to see
different situations, and see what works and
what doesn’t work.”
Wood intends for one of his primary focal
points if elected SGA Vice President to center
around campus security. The criminal justice
major said that Suffolk’s campus safety is
not lacking, but mentioned the frequent
robberies that occur in the Citizens Bank
located in the 73 Tremont St. Wood said
there are valuable resources in place, such
as on-demand police service and phone apps
that assist students to maintain their safety.
“I don’t think that the communication of
those tools is really available,” said Wood.
“There’s a bunch of students that don’t
know. They don’t know where things have
moved in the building, and I think that
communication from the faculty to students
needs to be better.”
Wood spoke of the procedures and
processes that have been put for in order to
increase campus safety, such as the check-in
points in 73 Tremont. He said this is an issue
he has been working
on as the situation
has created a fire
hazard as clusters of
students enter.
C a m p u s
divisiveness
is
another concern of
Wood that he said
he plans to dedicate
time to if elected SGA
Vice President. Wood
talked
about
this
issue, and said that
he wants to make
sure each and every person feels like they
have a voice and a home at Suffolk.
“As the country will continue to be more
and more divisive here the only way we can
get through it in the only way we can be
productive is to work together,” said Wood
He said that with the constant cycle of
students entering and exiting the university,
it is important to keep in mind the errors
that the university has made on any number
of issues in order to structure the future of
Suffolk in a more effective fashion. Wood
also said that students need to ask more of
their university.
“I think all too often people that go to
college forget they are the customer and the
education is the product,” said Wood. They
feel that they have to but they can’t demand
certain things of the institution - which you
can, and obviously you have to do your part.
But as a student there’s certain overreaching
things like that where you have to demand
better.”

As a Student Government Association
(SGA) senator and member of the diversity
committee, Levi Smith’s campaign for the
position of Vice President has been based on
a platform of embracing diversity.
In an interview with
The Suffolk Journal,
Smith spoke of how
running for SGA Vice
President is based
around four specific
platform;
diversity
and
inclusion,
reengineering
processes
within
SGA,
addressing
student engagement
and aligning values
within the Suffolk
community.
With
diversity the most
important aspect on his mind, Smith said he
has been working on a resolution revolved
around implicit bias training for faculty.
Smith referenced a scenario from the 2016
fall semester in which a Latina student
said she was accused of plagiarism; the
vice presidential candidate discussed that
implicit bias training would provide a level
of accountability and prevent a similar
situation from happening again.
“You’re a Suffolk student, you’re a Ram at
the end of the day,” said Smith.
Smith said releasing content at optimal
times on social media is one way to promote
SGA in order to express to students that
there is an organization on campus in place
to field their concerns. With students able to
utilize SGA and know that this organization
truly cares about them, Smith said this can
open up doors. In order to open the doors
up to students, Smith said that emphasizing
student clubs and organizations on campus
is a vital component.
“They’re like the circulatory system of
Suffolk. They’re the blood, they just make
Suffolk flow,” said Smith.
Smith said one of the most crucial aspects
of the role of vice president is gaining the
trust of the Suffolk students in order to
collaborate with those in need in order to
resolve problems. Not only does Smith believe
student groups need to be more involved in
the community, but administration needs to
as well.
“At the end of the day these initiatives
make Suffolk stronger,” said Smith. “And
with strength comes more attention and
marketing. And that’s important because
[Suffolk] growing.”
Personal success is not a factor in Smith’s
outlook, as he said collaborative success is
vital and he gives credit to the current SGA
executive board. He said he believes the
transition between executive board members
this year will be smooth, due to a strong
infrastructure that has been cemented within
the organization.
Alongside SGA, Smith said the university
is also heading in the right direction. Even
through recently publicized events portrayed
throughout various media sources, Smith’s
view of Suffolk as a whole has not swayed.
“I have never lost faith in suffolk, ever,”
said Smith.

“Older
doesn’t
always win,
but with
that comes
experience.”

“You’re a
Suffolk student,
you’re a
Ram at the
end of the day,”

W

@JuanManSantos

@AP

Mañana estaré en apertura de vitrina de @ BREAKING: Two women accused of fatal
AnatoNacional, con Argentina como país invitado. nerve agent attack on the half brother of North
Es el mejor momento para el turismo en Colombia. Korea’s leader have been charged with murder.

WORLD

MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 5

Walsh stands with sanctuary city

Pope Francis elicits praise,
criticism for Trump comments
Nick Viveiros
Journal Staff

Elvira Mora/ Journal Staff

Mayor Walsh speaks with multiple news sources after his speech at the Roxbury ISBCC.

Elvira Mora
Journal Staff
More than 300 people
gathered
at
Boston’s
largest mosque on Friday
to hear Mayor Martin
J. Walsh speak about
protecting
religious
diversity and immigration.
Boston’s Mayor said
that he called the press
conference because he was
“disturbed and angered”
by the news coming out
of Washington D.C.
“The White House
is advancing the most
destructive
and
unAmerican threats made
during the campaign,”
said Walsh to the crowd.
“The
latest
executive
orders and statements
by the president about
immigrants are a direct
attack on Boston’s people,
Boston’s strength, and
Boston’s values.”
The Roxbury Islamic
Society of Boston Cultural
Center (ISBCC) hosted
the mayor and his team
of city correspondents to
assure Boston residents
that
politics
at
the
nation’s capital will not
harm them.
Walsh
used
his
platform to offer a direct
message to anyone who
felt threatened by today’s
political climate.
“You are safe in
Boston,” he assured, as
the crowd immediately
responded with applause
and loud cheers.

“I will do everything
lawful in my power to
protect you,” said Walsh.
“If necessary, I will use
City Hall itself to shelter
and
protect
anyone
targeted unjustly. We will
not retreat one inch from
being the welcoming,
diverse, global community
that’s made us one of the
most successful cities in
the world,” said Walsh.
Walsh also said he will
continue to stand with
his decision that Boston

the mayor of the city of
Boston ... I was sworn
in to represent all of
the people of Boston.
That’s my responsibility
as the mayor. That’s a
responsibility I take very
seriously and that’s a
responsibility for as long
as I am blessed to be in
this role,” he continued.
Shortly after Trump
issued the executive order
that temporarily banned
citizens
from
seven
predominantly
Muslim

“If necessary, I will use City
Hall itself to shelter and protect
anyone targeted unjustly. We will
not retreat one inch from being
the welcoming, diverse, global
community that’s made us one of
the most successful cities
in the world.”
- Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
will remain a sanctuary
city; a statement which
he has adamantly backed
in the face of threats
by President Donald J.
Trump that the city will
lose federal funding.
“I’m not afraid of
losing money; first of
all, because we got the
constitution on our side
and secondly, we’re doing
the right thing in the city
of Boston,” said Walsh
followed by a round of
applause.
“I
get
passionate
because in January of
2014, I was sworn in as

countries entrance into
the United States, Walsh
issued
a
statement
that “He would not be
intimidated.”
The objective of the
citywide forum was to
direct communities that
were affected by the
recent executive orders
toward city resources that
answer questions and
express solidarity, while
gaining feedback from
immigrants and refugees.
On
Wednesday,
Walsh
denounced
Trump’s
executive
orders to target and get

rid of undocumented
immigrants and doubled
down on his offer to
house
undocumented
Bostonian immigrants in
City Hall.
“If people want to live
here, they’ll live here.
They can use my office.
They can use any office in
this building,’’ said Walsh.
This forum was not the
first time Walsh showed
support for immigrants
and refugees.
Mayor Walsh attended
a rally in Copley Square
on Jan. 29 in order to
support Muslims after
the president’s travel
ban was issued. He also
joined protesters at Logan
Airport.
Senior Imam Shaykh
Yasir
Fahmy
spoke
after Walsh and fondly
recalled seeing the mayor
at the airport protest.
He
commended
the
overwhelming
support
that Boston officials gave
to the community.
“The
outpouring
of support and love
and
comradery
and
brotherhood
and
sisterhood coming out
to stand in support,” said
Fahmy, “that is the spirit
that is thriving right
now and perhaps it is a
blessing in disguise with
all that is happening in
our political rhetoric.
We are melding into this
beautiful space called
America where it is a land
of immigrants, a land of
refugees and we always
want that to be the case.”

His
Holiness
Pope
Francis, leader of the
Roman Catholic Church,
has received increased
media attention in recent
months and the reason
has nothing to do with the
institution he is charged
with leading. It’s because
of President Donald J.
Trump.
The Pope’s involvement
in the 2016 presidential
election began a little
more than year ago with
a series of comments
directly attacking Trump’s
controversial plan to erect
a border wall along the
United States’ southern
border with Mexico.
“A person who only
thinks about building
walls,
wherever
they
may be, and not building
bridges, is not Christian,”
the Pope said in an
interview with multiple
news sources. Trump
immediately responded.
“For a religious leader
to question a person’s
faith
is
disgraceful,”
then-candidate
Trump
said at a rally in South
Carolina shortly after the
incident last February,
calling himself “a good
Christian.”
That same line of
criticism continued last
week when on Feb. 18
Pope Francis tweeted
a message calling on
Catholics to take in
immigrants and refugees.
“How often in the
Bible the Lord asks us to
welcome migrants and
foreigners,
reminding
us that we too are
foreigners!,”
said
the
tweet, sent from Pope
Francis’ official account.
Again on Feb. 22,
the Pontiff tweeted a
religious message that
many read as a criticism
of what has become
known colloquially as
“the wall.”
“Jesus entrusted to
Peter the keys to open the
entrance to the kingdom
of heaven, and not to
close it,” the Pontiff
tweeted.
But it was comments
that Pope Francis made
on Jan. 20, just as Donald
Trump was being sworn

in thousands of miles
away, that have raised a
few eyebrows.
In an interview with
Spanish newspaper El
Pais, the Pope was asked
about the rise of populism,
a political disposition
which focuses more on
the immediate concerns
of the people rather than
ideologies.
“In my opinion, the
most obvious example of
populism in the European
sense of the word is
Germany in 1933,” the
Pope said. “Hitler didn’t
steal power, his people
voted for him, and then
he destroyed his people.
That is the risk. In times
of crisis we lack judgment,
and that is a constant
reference for me.”
Despite
the
connotations
of
his
comments,
the
Pope
insists that he is taking
a ‘wait and see’ approach
with President Trump.
“I don’t like to get
ahead of myself, nor to
judge people prematurely.
We will see how he acts,
what he does, and then I
will form an opinion,” he
said.
“Being
afraid
or
rejoicing
beforehand
because of something that
might happen is, in my
view, quite unwise,” he
continued.
At Suffolk University,
the religious community
responded with unease.
“We as citizens of the
United States, and those
who identify as Roman
Catholic, need to really
examine the role of social
media in our lives,” said
Reverend Amy Fisher,
University Chaplain in an
interview with the Journal
Tuesday.
Papal
influence
in
international politics is
nothing new.
During a trip to the
Philippines
in
1981,
Pope Saint John Paul
II
explicitly
criticized
the country’s president
Ferdinand Marcos for his
human rights abuses in a
blistering speech.
Pope Pius XII, who
led the Church through
the Second World War
and Holocaust, directed
Catholic clergy to provide
covert assistance to Jews
living under Nazi rule.
saving thousands of lives.

W
Rothchild recounts grim scenes from Gaza
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6 March 1, 2017

Beit Lahiya

Sea
ean
r ran
e

edit
M

Egypt

Beit Hanoun

Gaza

Israel

Khan Yunis

Locations Dr. Rothchild visited during medical aid tour
Brooke Patterson
Asst. Sports Editor

For more than half a
century, the people of
the small independent
Palestinian territory, Gaza,
have been constrained
to living under military
rule in an environment
that has been decimated
by missile attacks from
outside nations. Recently,
Gaza has been besieged
by Israeli assaults, forcing
its citizens to survive in
rubble and debris.
Dr. Alice Rothchild, an
obstetrician-gynecologist,
filmmaker and author
whose book “Condition
Critical: Life and Death
in Israel/Palestine,” was
released Feb. 1. Rothchild
has twice visited the
territory, a notoriously
difficult place to enter, on
humanitarian trips.
In
March
2015,
Rothchild
traveled
with a delegation from
Washington
Physicians
for Social Responsibility
and in January, she was
with a donor group,
Grassroots International.
Rothchild
recently
recounted
her
2015
and 2017 journeys to
Gaza with an Israeli and
Palestinian medical aid
delegation to a group
of
Suffolk
University
students.
“It
was
just
breathtaking to see the
level
of
destruction,”
said Rothchild during her
presentation.

According
to
Rothchild, Gaza has been
under military rule since
1967 and had Jewish
settlers, but in 2005, the
settlers were removed
because of a blockade of
the strip.
Hamas
is
a
Palestinian
SunniIslamic organization that
currently governs Gaza.
Rothchild explained that
Hamas took control in
2007 when they won the
civil war against Fatah.
Since 2007, there has
been a severe restrictive
siege. For decades, Gaza
faced rocket fire from
militant groups and a
growing,
devastating
humanitarian crisis.
Between 2008 and
2014 there were three
massive assaults on Israel,
including one in June
2014 where 30 rockets
were launched from Gaza
into Israel.
“Both times [I went to
Gaza], we were invited
by the Gaza community
mental health program,
which is an incredible
mental health program
providing
psychiatric
care,” said Rothchild.
“So I was doing things
like providing services,
interviews and mostly
documenting facts from
the ground.”
The 2014 invasion led
to many fatalities in Gaza
and Israel. Specifically,
74 Israeli’s were killed
and 100 civilians were
injured. In Gaza over
2,100 individuals were
killed,
including
500
children and more than
100,000
people
were

left homeless. Children
were traumatized by the
war and estimated about
370,000 were in need
of psychiatric care, said
Rothchild.
Rothchild
displayed
images
of
prominent
buildings
that
had
burnt down, such as the
ministry of finance and
mosques that she saw
while “reporting from
the ground” in Gaza,
but Hamas was doing
reconstruction on the
mosques.
Sophomore journalism
major
Ryan
Emma,
watched as Rothchild
gave her presentation.
“I consider myself an
educated person,” said
Emma in an interview
with
The
Suffolk
Journal after Rothchild’s
presentation. “but to see
her perspective on this
was real eye opening.”
The author showed
images of Beit Lahiya, a
city in Northern Gaza,
which largely consisted
of destroyed buildings.
A majority of the city’s
infrastructure has been
reduced to rubble.
“I kept seeing intact
apartment buildings next
to rubble that got bombed,
so it’s really a whim of
faith whether you lived
or died in this war,” said
Rothchild. Thirty percent
of the 100,000 homeless
individuals
lived
in
bombed out homes in
Beit Lahiya, she said.
In Beit Hanoun, a
city in the northeast,
Rothchild captured an
image of a cat painted on
a concrete wall by graffiti

artist and political activist
Banksy.
“His idea was that
people will take pictures of
a kitten much more than
they will take pictures of
a hungry Gazan child,”
said Rothchild. “It was a
political commentary of
that fact.”
Rothchild continued,
showing the students the
eastern
neighborhood
of Shuja’iyaa. Like many
places in Gaza, Israeli
forces clashed with Hamas
militants and Shuja’iyaa
was heavily damaged by
shelling in 2014. During
the second Lebanon war,
the Dahiya doctrine was
developed in Shuja’iyaa
after Israel destroyed the
Dahiya district in Beirut.
The
doctrine
stated
that if a military group
completely destroys an
area, this doctrine will
act as deterrence where
confrontation will not be
beneficial.
“The
level
of
desperation and poverty
was
just
appalling,”
said
Rothchild
about
a man from Shuja’iyaa
she
met
with
two
wives, 42 children and
grandchildren and no
home.
In Gaza City, although
some parts were bombed,
it still appeared to be
functional with cars and
roads. Rothchild was able
to see vegetables and
fruits from across the city
because it was so fertile.
But Gaza City has also
faced a major problem
of a lack of electricity.
Rothchild
witnessed
donkeys pulling carts of

fuel in order to provide
energy to the city.
“People were really
bombed back into a
different century,” she
said.
The sewer system was
impacted by the war. In
some parts of Gaza, the
sewer treatment plans
were destroyed, causing
raw sewage to flow into
the Mediterranean Sea.
“You
see
people
fishing in the water with
the sewage in it and
swimming and playing
with their horses in the
water with the sewage in
it,” said Rothchild.
After
Gaza
City,
Rothchild showed images
of Khan Yunis.
Showing a powerful
image of a wedding in
the bombed out city,
Rothchild said, “You see
people trying to do the
best they can.”
Rafah was next on
Rothchild’s visual journey
for the students. In
Rafah, more than 500
tunnels were bombed.
The tunnels hosted black
market economic activity,
she explained.
Rothchild emphasized
that Gaza, though a small
territory, is diverse and
has a young population.
As of 2017, there are
differences in Gaza since
Rothchild’s first trip in
2015. There are land
restrictions so people
can farm and there is
some rebuilding. She said
blocks of cement were
equivalent to gold to a
Gazan.
One of the most
eye-opening
parts
of

Rothchild’s travels was
when she visited the
Gaza Community Mental
Health Program, which
offered
training
and
mental health services for
the community.
Dr. Yasser Abu-Jamei,
the executive director
of the Gaza Community
Mental Health Program,
lost 28 family members
due to the 2014 war on
Gaza. He told her about 51
days of intense fear and
insecurity, the staff and
families who died, and the
mobilization of the staff
to care for the population.
He used the term PostTraumatic Stress Disorder
to describe many of his
patients, but explained
the trauma is lifelong.
“I cannot offer a
patient
something
I
cannot have for myself,”
said Abu-Jamei.
When
Rothchild
visited schools in Gaza
she noticed the children’s
drawings depicted death
and destruction. They
drew what they knew, and
sadly death and bombings
were a common theme in
many Gazans’ lives, she
said.
“This is what their
realities are as their
lives as children,” said
Rothchild.
Regardless of all the
trauma and destruction
Gaza has undergone over
the years, the people still
manage to remain as one.
They survive and live
their lives through the
rubble.
“Gaza is not only a
place, it is two million
people,” said Rothchild.

A

HERES WHATS NEXT

Reviews of shows “Ride on the
Irish Cream,” and Con Brio
Watch out for next week’s edition

ARTS & CULTURE

HERES WHATS NEXT
Suffolk University Dance Company show
“Daydreaming.” Check it out on the blog!

sjuncoveredwithflash.wordpress.com

MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 7

Spell it out for me
By Felicity Otterbein,

Arts Editor

In a rip-roaring performance of “The
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling
Bee,” Suffolk University Students
earned a well-deserved standing ovation
at the Modern Theater Friday night.
Complete with special guests picked
from the audience, amongst them
was the Assistant Dean of Students at
Suffolk, John Silveria. He was pulled
up on stage with two other students
as well as audience member and
wife of Performing Arts Office Office
Coordinator Antoine Gagnon, Irene
Daly. Silveria was gracious, yet had
some difficulty controlling his giggles
while trying to spell his assigned word,
“cow.” The audience erupted into fits
of hysteria when Silveria asked the
mediator to use his word in a sentence.
The show itself is a unique one-act
long performance which came into
existence on Broadway in 2005. Set in
an ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle
School, six pre-pubescent students

See BEE page 8
Courtesy of Dan McHugh

Miniseries rekindles decades old fight with “Feud”
miniseries

appropriately
which
played
by
Susan
Sarandon,
and Crawford played by
Jessica Lange through the
tumultuous time leading
up, during filming and
after the production of
“Whatever Happened to
Baby Jane?”
Murphy
made
an
excellent decision casting

Felicity Otterbein
titled
“Feud,”
Arts Editor follows Davis,

Bette Davis reportedly
once said about her
Hollywood arch-nemesis
“The best time I ever had
with Joan Crawford was
when I pushed her down
the stairs in ‘Whatever
Happened to Baby Jane?’”
They were beautiful,
stunning and brilliant
both on and off the screen.
Their lives seemed to be
a never ending parade
of glamour and success.
Davis
and
Crawford
embodied elegance and
grace, traits they both
exuded in efforts to
make the other pale in
comparison.
A longstanding feud
between the two huge
names
in
Hollywood
toward the end of the
so-called
Golden
Age
of cinema, Davis and
Crawford were known
for their transformative
abilities on screen and
their famous ruthlessness
toward each other offscreen.
To
convey
such
entertainment,
Ryan
Murphy has created a new

In an era where it
was difficult for women
to be taken seriously in
their profession and the
constant
dismissal
of
those who were deemed
“headstrong,” Davis and
Crawford were icons and
role models for young
women to idolize. The
Golden Age of cinema
was a time where actors
and actresses had talent

Davis and Crawford
embodied elegance and
grace, traits they both
exuded in efforts to
make the other pale in
comparison
two huge names in the
current Hollywood day
and age. Sarandon and
Lange are so well known
and
so
fantastically
versatile that they seemed
to have no difficulty
slipping into such iconic
characters.
Not
to
mention that Sarandon
looks uncannily alike to
Davis.

and passion. Rising from
the ashes following the
Great Depression, Davis
and Crawford provided
audiences with an escape
from reality.
For
many,
this
miniseries will be a first
look into the glamorous
lives
of
Davis
and
Crawford. It expands on
the mutual contempt

and fear held by both
actresses; that they would

one day fade out of the
Hollywood spotlight and

See FEUD page 8

» Ask

about our Advanced Standing option for
Suffolk University students at our

Tuesday, April 4th Info Session, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
RSVP at www.bc.edu/msae

Master of Science
in Applied Economics
Acquire the theoretical knowledge and skills you need
to succeed in today’s data-driven world.
Flexible
Pursue your degree full time or part time.
RigoRous
Gain a solid foundation in the theoretical and
quantitative tools of economic analysis.
Relevant
Learn to analyze data and work with data analysis tools
from faculty members who are professionals
in the field.

www.bc.edu/msae

8 MARCH 1, 2017

THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
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A

Sticks and
stones may
break bones,
but words can
hurt forever
From BEE page 7
come
together
to
compete
for
the
champion title and the
coveted
opportunity
to attend the national
spelling bee competition
in
Washington
D.C.
The Bee is comprised
of four guest spellers
and
six middle school
contestants,
Charlito
“Chip” Tolentino played
by Peter Firek, Logainne
SchwartzandGrubenierre
played by Julianna Fields,
Leaf Coneybear played by
Ma’Chel Martin, William
Boris Barfeé played by
Michael Greene, Marcy
Park played by Olivia
Lowe and Olive Ostrovsky
played by Jenna Locke.
With each individual
character more funny and
entertaining than the next,
the Suffolk performers
did
not
disappoint.
As
the
show
progressed, the audience
was introduced to each
participant's
personal
histories. Beginning with
a peppy and cheerful

opening number of, “The
25th
Annual
Putnam
County Spelling Bee,” the
company set the tone for
the evening with a set of
choreographed
dances
and gentle harmonies.
Complete with the quirks
and ticks of every preteen,
the
students
created
an air of amusement to
quickly captivate and hold
the audience’s attention.
By far, the most
memorable performances
included
Greene’s
character,
Lowe’s
character,
Locke’s
character, Fields character
and Martin’s character.
Green’s
character,
a
boy with an aggressive
allergy
problem,
has
a “magic foot,” which
he claims helps him to
visualize the words he
has to spell. Greene,
with
an
impeccable
stuffy and whiny voice,
was perfect for this role.
He
sports
extremely
high-waisted
shorts
held up by suspenders
and
is
continuously
upset when his name is
routinely mispronounced

throughout the show.
Lowe’s
character
is
portrayed
as
an
overachiever
who
performs an entire song
regarding
her
hobby,
winning. She discusses
her ability to speak six
languages, her undeniable
athleticism and overall
boredom
with
her
continued success. Lowe
does an excellent job
conveying that disinterest
and manages to perform
almost
the
entire
show with a grim and
unamused
expression.
Ostrovsky
quickly
earns the heart of the
audience
when
she
earnestly convinces the
judges to let her compete
sans entry fee after she
assures them that her
father will be attending
the competition because
he promised her that
he would be there to
support. Throughout the
production, she reveals
that her mother has
been gone for months
on an excursion in India,
while her father never
seems to be around

despite his promises to
support his daughter.
She claims she took
the bus by herself to get
to the spelling bee and
that her only friend is
the worn out dictionary
that she keeps in her
bathroom. Dedicating an
entire song to her parents,
she laments over the
relationship she has with
them and wishes that she
could do something to
mend it. Out of the entire
group of participants,
only Olive and William
become
friends.
Arguably the most
intriguing
character
was Coneybear, Martin’s
character.
Sporting
a
helmet on his head,
goggles, a tie-dye cape and
a sock puppet, Coneybear
is the most bizarre out
of all the personalities
on stage. Claiming he
knows no words, his
character is overcome,
rather
possessed,
by
this sock puppet who
uncannily spells out every
word correctly. Almost
as though he is in a
trance, Coneybear quickly

Courtesy of Dan McHugh

shakes off the possession
and resumes wearing a
toothy grin and gentle
personality.
Dedicating
an entire song to his
family claiming he is not
that smart, he accepts
that fact and claims that
he would rather focus
on being a good person.
The
youngest
of
the
group,
SchwartzandGrubenierre,
Fields character, is a
scrawny
stereotypical
nerd
complete
with
headgear and a speech
impediment. Shrill and
shrewd, Fields does the
character justice with
gawky
posture
and
deliverance of speech.
Almost puppeteered by

her two gay fathers whom
have an incredible toll on
their daughter regarding
an unhealthy obsession
with winning, “Schwarzy”
suffers a devastating loss
after she overthinks a
seemingly simple word.
Fields did a remarkable
job selling the image of an
awkward, yet undeniably
passionate,
schoolgirl.
The performers did an
unquestionably fantastic
job. The level of work
put into a production
such as this one was
extensive and did not
go
unnoticed.
Every
dance step, every lyric,
every rehearsed line of
dialogue was impeccable
and
impressive.

Creator Murphy fans old flames in recreation of Crawford vs. Davis series
From FEUD page 7
being
replaced
by
newer
and
younger
actresses.
While
the
show
appears to appeal to the
more sympathetic viewers
who might empathize
with the two aging stars,
a more serious undertone
is taken regarding the

level
of
seriousness
depicting the dismissal
of women when they are
deemed “too old,” for
roles usually taken on by
a younger person.
In
an
almost
devastatingly tragic way,
the show touches on the
aspects of ageism and
blatant
disregard
for
disposable talent. The
two women, obviously
worn out and tired

from
having
worked
desperately for what they
felt passionate about only
to, in return, not receive
the same affection and
adoration
from
the
careers they chose for
themselves.
Ultimately
being forced to accept
that their glory days were
quickly
disappearing
behind them, the women
are depicted as appearing
to be washed up and

desperate for work. This
fact is one of the major
reasons
the
women
decided to pair up to
make “Baby Jane,” with
the hopes that they would
be catapulted back into
the picture and award
scenes.
Amidst the dramatics,
the endless flow of alcohol
and the bombardment
of continuous insults
hurled across the screen,

the audience is able to
relish in a odd sense of
comfort. This comfort
that stems from the fact
that while these women
were dealing with such a
tough and unpaved route
to stardom and success,
the film industry has
become increasingly more
progressive. Lange herself
is a striking 68-yearold who has continued
to reap the affection

bestowed upon her from
the glowing success from
“American Horror Story.”
Juxtaposed to Crawford
who was in her mid-50’s
when she filmed “Baby
Jane,” and was presumed
to be finished with her
career.
A powerhouse of talent
and dripping with Emmy
potential, the series is
set to premiere on FX on
March 8.

O



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MARCH. 1, 2017 | PAGE 9

Students of color need
to feel more appreciated
Timi Ogunbanjo
Journal Contributor

Black History Month:
Suffolk leaves students wanting more

Haley Clegg/Photo Editor

Elvira Mora
Journal Staff

February has been a
month dedicated to the
struggles faced by the
Black community, which
was first recognized in
1976 and to celebrate
those who have been
marginalized.
It
also
recognizes
important
people of color through
history.
As a Latina woman, I
can empathize why this
month is necessary. The
hope is for more white
people to become allies
not only with the Black
community,
but
with
anyone of color. There
should be more white
people who recognize past
history and use numerous
past events to actively
learn how they can help
to prevent history from
repeating itself.
It is essential to
celebrate Black History
Month (BHM) collectively
between all races and
nationalities
in
order
to become a step closer
toward a sense of basic
equality.
Although this month
was
relevant
and
meaningful,
Suffolk’s
limited
promotion
of
celebratory
events
regarding BHM is a bit
alarming, especially when
claiming to be a diverse
university.
When
the
university put out their
weekly emails regarding
events, there were barely
any that were highly
advertised.
There were no flyers
except to call attention
to the Black and White
Affair, a dance held at the
Boston Hyatt Regency, as

“The
representation of
people of
color is
extremely
important;
however,
Suffolk
failed to
show its
support
and to
honor its
“diverse”
community.”

well as an invitation “to
taste soul food” at weekly
meetings, both hosted
by the Black Student
Union. Besides that, no
other events were overtly
publicized.
The
representation
of people of color is
extremely
important;
however, Suffolk failed
to show its support and
to honor its “diverse”
community.
On a national level,
black figures in pop
culture and film have
displayed solidarity in
celebrating their heritage.
Beyoncé is a well-known
figure who happens to
be of color and recently
announced that she is
having twins. Her album
“Lemonade,”
released
last year was a stylistic
example of her culture
and many others.
Moreover, a hip hop
group called, “A Tribe
Called
Quest”
gave
a
politically
charged
performance
at
the
Grammys as they chanted
“We the People,” and
invited individuals to come
together despite their
respective backgrounds.
The
films
“Hidden
Figures,” and “Fences,”
became nominated for
an Oscar and Viola Davis
received an Oscar for
best supporting actress
in “Fences.” Even more
representation of the
Black community was
seen when the film
“Moonlight,” with an allblack cast, took home an
Oscar for Best Picture.
If
representation
is repeatedly seen on
multiple platforms of
media, Suffolk should
be able to focus on
representing its students
of color. Suffolk could
advocate for different

events
occurring
on
campus
through
its
social media accounts,
flyers and emails instead
of each individual club
attempting to get their
message
across
and
reach a smaller audience.
There needs to be a more
organized and succinct
way to reach the Suffolk
community to celebrate
diversity.
BHM is a critical aspect
in celebrating people who
have struggled in society
for hundreds of years.
As human beings, basic
equality and well being of
every individual should be
practiced. Suffolk needs to
recognize people of color
not only in February, but
also consistently through
the year. It’s time to
praise diversity and our
peers of color.

Originally
from
Nigeria, as an incoming
freshman, I was under the
impression that I would
be in a diverse community
with students from many
different
backgrounds;
this observation was true.
This past fall semester
was my first at Suffolk
University
and
my
expectations were high
but eventually were not
met. One of the reasons
they fell flat was because
professors had not been
making an effort to reach
out or contact students to
find out how they could
go about or understand
the
executive
order
regarding the Muslim
Ban.
The white population
at the university makes
up 44 percent of the
ethnicities
and
takes
up important roles as
students
and
faculty.
They are the majority
and could create a more
involved role by making
minority
groups
feel
welcome in class, at work
and in the dorms because
as of right now, they do
not do well.
During the presidential

election between Donald
Trump
and
Hillary
Clinton, I was under the
impression that Trump
was certain to lose only
because he had made
shocking,
obnoxious
and shameful remarks
about people in terms
of religion, gender and
ethnicity.
In one of his speeches,
when
referring
to
Mexicans, Trump said,
”They’re bringing drugs.
They’re bringing crime.
They’re
rapists.
And
some, I assume, are good
people.”
Moreover,
president
Trump expected Barack
Obama to hold African
Americans
accountable
for crime because of
his race and position
of power. Trump had
said “Our great AfricanAmerican president has
not exactly had a positive
impact on the thugs who
are so happily and openly
destroying Baltimore,” on
Barack Obama, who has
done more for America
than other U.S. Presidents.
These are examples of
Donald Trump’s lack of
basic knowledge about
social awareness and the
reasons behind why I
thought he would lose the

See RACE page 10

THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKOPINION@GMAIL.COM

10 MARCH. 1, 2017

Editor’s Word
The editorial board and
writing staff of the The
Suffolk Journal works
furiously to ensure
each story is written
and published with
unconditional integrity.
As journalists, we strictly
maintain a professional
level of neutrality.
Nonetheless, we are
indeed members of Suffolk
University, and as students
are entitled to certain
opinions regardless of
our status within our
profession.
On Tuesday, a vote was
cast in which Journal
colleagues selected Daniel
Gazzani to bear an official
endorsement with the name
of The Suffolk Journal
firmly behind it. We believe
Gazzani is the candidate
that will most accurately
and efficiently represent
not only the student body,
but the very ideology that
Suffolk epitomizes.
While The Journal has
nothing but the utmost
respect for candidate
Devarth Dixit, we are
confident in the abilities
that Gazzani possesses
and the potential that
he embodies. Gazzani’s
genuine charisma and
relentless dedication are
qualities that we constantly
aspire to emanate at The
Journal as well.
As recent university issues
have arose, supplemented
by the political climate this
country faces, the leaders
we intend to be mirrored
by are most accurately
described by a single word;
passion. Gazzani illustrates
the essence of passion, and
we stand by him.

O

Claire Schneider/Political Cartoonist

Trump is stronger White students should
indulge in diversity
than the leaks
Patrick George
Journal Contributor

President
Donald
Trump’s claim to fame
may be his ability to
create an extraordinary
amount of jobs, in the
political
comedy
and
punditry industry.
For
the last two years, Trump
has enraged the general
public
for
both
his
comments— preference
for heroes who aren’t
prisoners of war, lewd
comments about women,
and his policies such as
the Muslim Ban, Border
Wall. It’s almost too easy
to find a tidbit to grasp
onto, but in doing so we
should be mindful of the
validity of these stories
and avoid the hysteria of
“fake news.” The concern,
however, is this: constant
criticism of Trump, will
not do us any favors when
it comes time for him to
act presidential.
While reading the
news, I saw myriad
headlines referring to
Trump’s inevitable rise
to authoritarianism. Jack
Goldsmith, the former
head of the Office of
Legal Counsel (OLC) for
President George W. Bush,
had a different concern.
He believed Trump might
possibly be “too weak”
to respond to a national
security crisis. Goldsmith,
who has written for

“Lawfare,” reasons, “Weak
presidencies enhance the
likelihood of a foreign
policy crisis that weak
presidents are ill-suited to
redress, and indeed that
often bring out the worse
in a weak president—
especially one who is
thin-skinned, uninformed
and impulsive.”
Goldsmith is right.
Checks and balances is a
foundational principle of
American democracy, but
the principle is not meant
to pummel the executive
into inaction.
Another increasingly
difficult story to ignore
is the proliferation of
leaks. If these leaks are
coming from deep-state
sources, as alleged by
“The Atlantic” and other
sources, they only serve to
make us more vulnerable.
The
release
of
this
information is performed
by career officials not
held responsible by an
electorate,
and
they
should not be making
the decisions they are to
release this information.
For example, for every
justification provided for
the leak of his memo on
reopening black sites,
there is a refuted leak
about
his
interaction
with
the
Australian
Prime Minister, Malcolm
Turnbull.
I will give
credit where it is due;
he is right that National
Security secrets should
not be leaked regarding
his dealings with North

From RACE page 9

election.
“Some
Caucasian
students may protest on
different occasions, but
do not see it as a long time
commitment because they
can’t relate to the hurdles
or barriers a black person
may have to overcome in
their lifetime,” said John
Olubambi, a business
student at Suffolk. His
reason for saying this is
clear and incisive.
Despite Trump making
these comments directed
to
minority
group
members throughout his
career, the white majority
at
Suffolk
University
has not done enough
to condemn his Muslim
Ban and other executive
orders.

The white population
at
Suffolk
could
contribute
more
by
organizing
nonviolent
protests against the order
outside Suffolk buildings,
or have the president of
the international student
association
condemn
the order. Instead, there
have been some students
just sit back, indulge in
privilege and watch the
nation get divided by a
man with no political
experience because it has
no impact on them or
their friends.
My expectations for
society are high and I
believe that they need
to do more to better
this world. More people
should ask themselves,
“How can I help?” when
it comes to racism,
sexism,
Islamophobia,
homophobia and other
hate speech.

Korea, as he said on
Twitter. You don’t need to
look very far to criticize
Trump for a legitimate
misunderstanding of his
duties— turning his Mara-Lago resort into a public
situation room, and his
botched immigration ban
rollout is sufficient. There
is no need to fabricate
stories or risk national
security.
It is an ever-important
role of public officials and
private citizens to be kept
abreast of the president’s
actions. It is even more
important to be critical

of the president’s policies,
and combat him if you
disagree, without reprisal.
But criticism based on the
person’s character and
not his policies will do
more harm than good,
particularly in the realm
of national security. Given
the public role of the
President, there is a fine
line between warranted
criticism and character
assassination. The public
has a responsibility to
walk that line and err on
the side of caution— even
if our Commander-inChief chooses not to.

THESUFFOLKJOURNAL.COM
SUFFOLKSPORTS@GMAIL.COM

11 MARCH 1, 2017

S

Softball swings into new season, catches warm weather

By Instagram user @gosuffolkrams

Hannah Arroyo
Journal Staff

After finishing last
year with the winningest
season in Suffolk softball
program history with a
33-9 record, the Lady
Rams kick off their 2017
campaign in Arizona in
early March for some
spring training action at
the Tucson Invitational.
This is the first time
that Suffolk’s softball
team has traveled to
Arizona in their 33-year
program
history.
The
Rams will play five double
headers starting March 11
versus Central College
and ending March 16
against Dickinson College.
Five-year Head Coach
Jaclyn Davis said that the
team has been preparing
to face some “fierce”
competition in the Copper
state. The Lady Rams are
in their fourth week of
a six-week process of
training that includes
working on fitness, skill
development and team
building.
“It’s the nature of the
sport and the nature of
weather that we start
somewhere warm,” said
Davis in a recent interview
with The Suffolk Journal.
“We’ve never been to
Arizona before. We just
want to try something
different.
In Arizona, the Rams
will also face teams such
as the University of Puget
Sound, Stevens Institute
of Technology, Greenville

College
and
Hamline
University.
“There’s some really
good competition out
there [such as] some
regional competition that
we don’t normally,” said
Davis. “I think that will
be important to us both
in terms of preparing for
conference play, but also
so that people start to
understand who we are
and that we can compete
a high level with teams
that are in other regions
and in other parts of the
country.”
Davis
officially
announced this seven-day
spring training trip along
with their 40-game full
regular season schedule
that features eight double
headers at East Boston
Memorial Park. The Lady
Rams play their first
game back from Tucson
on March 24 away versus
Emerson College. The
schedule includes eleven
Great Northeast Athletic
Conference
(GNAC)
double headers.
Since Davis' coaching
era at Suffolk, the team
has played consistent
softball and improved
their program record. Her
first season with the team
resulted in a losing record
of 16-25. Just last season,
the Rams succeeded in
doubling that number of
wins with a record of 339. In 2016, Davis was also
awarded with the honor
of GNAC Coach of the
Year.
“I think what we’re
trying to do is really
trying to make this season
sort of its own separate
entity,” said Davis. “While
we are really proud of
what we did last year and
we really appreciate how
much it was celebrated by

the university, it’s almost
like you can’t take it with
you.”
Davis said that what
she meant by this is
the team cannot let the
results of one season
effect the next. She said
that it is important that
her team doesn’t take
anything for granted and
keeps working hard every
day to be successful each
season.
Davis explained that
this year the team’s
biggest challenge will be
facing Johnson and Wales
University (JWU) because
they are well coached and
have good talent. In the
past few years, Suffolk has
won the regular season
and JWU has won the
conference tournament.
Davis also said that this
season, she hopes for her
team to win in both of
those categories.
“I think that you can
absolutely expect to see a
bunch of hungry softball
players. They want to
be successful so badly
not only for themselves
and me, but for the
university,” said Davis. “I
wish more people could
be there to watch them
play, because they really
do leave it out on the
field every single day.”
Suffolk’s
19-roster
team
remains
nearly
the same this year as
they
only
graduated
two seniors last season.
Captain
and
junior
Lindsay Pagano said that
the team’s chemistry has
been building up through
team events like getting
together for suppers and
events. Pagano said that
she knows people are
going to expect a lot from
her team this season.
“Our [33-9] win season

was such a feat last year
and obviously we hope to
surmount to that or pass
it this year,” said Pagano
in a recent interview
with The Journal. “We're
looking to those returners
to come back with strong
seasons and help lead
us back to that winning
record.”
This season the team
also added four new
freshmen to their roster.
As a captain, Pagano said
that she and her team
have helped to make sure
that these new girls not
only adjust to the pace of
the game but play better
together as a team.
“With
only
four
freshman it was not that
hard for us to get to know
the upperclassman with
the amount of time that
we have spent together
since September,” said
freshman
outfielder
Samantha
Jacques
in
an interview with The
Journal. “I think we
have a very strong team
chemistry. On and off the
field everyone has each
other’s backs.”
Junior
outfielder
Sydney Littlefield said
that regardless of her
team’s record they just
hope to go win the GNAC
this year. She said that
they have been one of the
most successful teams in
Suffolk Softball and that
their success would not
be complete without a
title.
“We
have
worked
really hard to be in the
position we are at, and we
feel that if we continue to
grow as a team we are
capable of playing long
after our spring classes
are over,” said Littlefield
in a recent interview with
The Journal.

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics

“I think that you can
absolutely expect to see a
bunch of hungry softball
players. They want to be
successful so badly not only
for themselves, but for
the university.”
- Softball Head Coach Jaclyn Davis

The Lady Rams 2017 season begins at the
Tuscon Invitational in Arizona on March
11 against Central College (IA) and
Augsburg College (MN).

S

@gosuffolkrams

Stay Tuned

NEWS | Suffolk Athletics to Participate in
@janedoe’s Massachusetts White Ribon
Day #RamNation #TheGNAC #WRD

SPORTS

Baseball pitches new season,
expects to win division title
www.thesuffolkjournal.com

MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 12

Captain’s Corner: Rams take the diamond
Brooke Patterson
Asst. Sports Editor
Katie Dugan

Asst. Opinion Editor
The Great Northeast
Athletic
Conference
(GNAC) office announced
on Feb. 16 that the Suffolk
University baseball team
was selected to win their
third GNAC championship
this 2017 season. The
Rams sat on top of
the coaches prediction

poll with 59 points. In
2016, the Rams finished
their season with an
overall record of 33-13.
The team obtained the
GNAC postseason title
and advanced to their
sixth National Collegiate
Athletic
Association
(NCAA) debut. The Rams
returned four members of
the winning 2016 roster
as captains for their
upcoming season: Sean
Cameron, Matt Brenner,
Brady Chant and Chuck
Gibson.

Sean Cameron, #11
Playing one of the most defensively
demanding positions for Suffolk’s
baseball team, senior shortstop Sean
Cameron, will be looking to have
another successful season.
“Shortstop is always looked at as a
sort of leadership position and I kind
of welcome that, but really, I don’t
look at being a captain any different,”
said Cameron in a recent interview
with The Suffolk Journal.
A transfer student from Roanoke
College in Salem, VA., Cameron will
be heading into his third season as
a first-year captain for the Rams.
Cameron was seen by his team as a
leader and in the fall was elected to
be one of four captains for the Rams
this season.
“It’s cool that my teammates
thought of me as a captain, but really
I just try to go out there and give it
my all everyday, practice or game, no
matter what,” said Cameron.
Cameron plans to defend the
Rams two-time GNAC champion title
and make another run in the NCAA
regional tournament.
As a captain, Cameron said he tries
not to think about the responsibilities
behind being a team leader, but acts
the same way he does on a daily basis.
He also explained that the team is
filled with a lot of upperclassmen,
so most players are aware of what is
expected of them.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,”
said Cameron.
Besides being more comfortable
with the coaches and being an
upperclassmen, Cameron does not
emphasize anything new that comes
with being a captain. He plans to lead
the Rams loudly and do the same
thing the team has done over the
years.

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics

Matt Brenner, #7

Brady Chant, #4

Chuck Gibson, #9

Playing in a career total of 90
games for Suffolk’s baseball team so
far, senior catcher Matt Brenner looks
to see that number increase as his
final season approaches.
Voted by his teammates during the
fall, Brenner, a global business major,
stands among three other Rams as a
first-year captain in his fourth season
for Suffolk’s baseball team. Brenner
will defensively take this season
from behind home plate as the Rams
catcher.
“I plan to lead by example by
showing up everyday and working
to my best ability,” said Brenner in
a recent interview with The Suffolk
Journal.
Wearing number seven for the
Rams in their 2017 season, Brenner,
alongside his teammates, plans to
“three-peat” this season and take
home their third GNAC championship.
He does not plan to stop at winning
the GNAC, but also hopes the team
makes a run at the NCAA regional
tournament.
“This is my last season so I hope
to finish strong with the senior class I
came in with,” said Brenner.
As a captain, Brenner feels it
his role to push his teammates and
ensure they are performing to their
full potential. He wants to help his
team succeed and compete every
day to the highest of their abilities,
while also being the person that the
underclassmen on the team can look
up to. The global business major
hopes to give the underclassmen
beneficial objectives to carry into
future seasons.
“This will be my last season of ever
playing baseball, so I intend to leave
everything I have in this season and
on the field,” said Brenner.

While Brady Chant is more softspoken than his teammates, he is a
leader in his athletic performance and
demeanor.
“You just set an example. We kind
of just set a tone. We try to relay
that to the guys who haven’t seen
it before,” said Chant in a recent
interview with The Suffolk Journal.
Chant, junior and centerfielder,
is the youngest among the four
captains on this year’s baseball team,
and was not expecting to be chosen
as a captain, as it is typically a
responsibility awarded to a senior.
“Brady’s an amazing baseball
player, but is still one of the hardest
working players on the team,” said
senior second-baseman BJ Neil in
an interview with The Journal on
Thursday. “Even though he is only
a junior on the team, it was an easy
decision to vote for Brady to be one of
our captains.”
Chant, of Warwick RI, wants to
start the season strong by bringing
the team further in regionals.
“We’ve been to regionals two years
and haven’t won a game, hopefully
we’ll make a little run in that,’ said
Chant.
Chant is proud of how far his team
has come and is looking forward to
leading them to success, and sees his
role as captain to keep his teammates
motivated and focused throughout
the season.
“There’s ups and downs during
the season, sometimes you win a
game you weren’t supposed to win,
sometimes you lose a game you
weren’t supposed to lose, so you
[got to] respond to that,” said Chant.
“Every team is [going to] slump, in
every team [there are] good weeks
and bad weeks.”

Senior Chuck Gibson and first time
captain is hoping to continue the
“dynasty” that is Suffolk Baseball.
Gibson, a pitcher for the Rams
from Malden, Mass., is entering his
fourth year on the team and hopes
to be the team’s number one starter
this season. He aims to end his senior
year on a high note by leading his
team and winning their third GNAC
in a row. The pitcher said that he was
honored to be voted captain of such a
successful team.
“Hopefully we will leave our mark
there and hopefully leave a culture
that follows in our footsteps,” said
Gibson in a recent interview with The
Suffolk Journal.
When it comes to his teammates,
Gibson utilizes his no-nonsense
leadership style.
“I feel like our jobs as captains is
just to keep everyone in check,” said
Gibson, “I think part of our success
last year, that was our best season in
a long time and I think that’s because
there weren’t any egos, we all just
came together.”
The entrepreneurship major hopes
to lead his teammates on the field,
but also noted the importance of
his teammates performance off the
field. As a captain, he makes sure that
everyone is staying on top of their
grades and overall doing well in their
classes.
“Most of us aren’t going to be
playing baseball after [college]” said
Gibson.
However, Gibson is ready to
transition from pre-season and lead
his team to success.
“We all just get consumed by the
season,” said Gibson. “We’re a lot
more responsive when it actually
means something.