Photo by Nicole Cousins.

With the Student Village residences popping up and towering over Boston University, more and more students have opted to live on campus recently, with more choices available. Close proximity to class, optimal security and socializing with new floormates influences students to shell out the big bucks for StuVi, South campus, and Bay State brownstones. But with the economic recession hitting the housing market right in the wallet, prices for off-campus housing have dropped significantly. Besides, why settle for apartment-style dorms when you have apartments in your reach for WAY cheaper?

Let’s crunch some numbers. With the new residential price hike, this is what BU will charge for dorms in the 2010-2011 academic year:

Even residing in a luxury 2-bedroom apartment in the Atrium (located a mere 4 blocks away from the StuVi residences) proves less expensive than luxury on-campus apartment-style housing. Still located within walking distance to BU campus, a 2-bedroom on the cheap end of the Atrium spectrum costs $1900.  Divided by two, this costs $950 per person, per month. Already $500 cheaper than StuVi per month, the Atrium also boasts a full bathroom per every bedroom, a modern kitchen, a patio, a roof-top pool, a security guard in the lobby, a free membership to the Commonwealth Sports Club, and laundry on every floor. Even better: the Atrium real estate agents don’t charge a finder’s fee if you decide to rent. Living in a 2-bedroom Atrium apartment will save you $4,500 over nine months.

Another price tag associated with living on campus is the dreaded meal plan. We all complain about dining hall food, and for the $4,280 (or $475/month) BU charges for a meal plan, you could eat like a king living off campus. Currently, I upped my food budget from $200/month to $300/month – still $175 less than the meal plan – and can afford to eat at campus hotspots like T Anthony’s, UBurger, Subway and Starbucks, as well as buy nice meals out in Boston and pay for household groceries without breaking a sweat. Using this type of budget will save you $1,575 over the nine months you live in Boston as a student.

Many students have objections to living off campus, including:

1. What about the added expense for buying furniture?
2. What about paying a finder’s fee for an off-campus apartment?
3. Won’t my safety be compromised?
4. Isn’t it too far away from campus?
5. What about the other 3 months of summer? Won’t that make the apartment just as/more expensive than living in a dorm?
6. Sure, rent is cheap off-campus, but won’t utilities drive up the cost of living?

Now, I will answer your queries one by one, debunking any negatives associated with off-campus living.

1. If you’re buying furniture new, then yes, it will get a bit pricier than using the dorm’s pre-provided twin bed, dresser and desk. Buying new should be seen as an investment, though: once you buy new furniture, you can count on having it for a few years (or, if you move, you can sell it used and collect a good amount of cash in the future). Buying new bedroom furniture from Ikea should not cost more than $300-$400, and buying living room and kitchen essentials (couch, coffee table, kitchen table and chairs, utensils, glasses and plates) will usually come to about $500-$800 – an expense you can split with however many roommates with which you cohabitate. However, many college students do what my roommates and I did this September: acquire all your furniture for free! We managed to get our hands on a like-new couch donated from my friend’s summer home in Salem, a kitchen table stored from my childhood days from my mom’s garage, end tables living unused in my stepmother’s basement, and a futon inherited by my roommate during sophomore year. Craigslist also provides fantastic gently used furniture for free or at a steep discount – and even if you don’t have a car to transport it, UHaul trucks and vans only cost $19.95 to rent plus a small fee per mile, and anyone over 18 years of age with a driver’s license can procure one. If you sublet the summer before renting your own yearly apartment, work out a deal with your sublettor – if he or she just graduated and won’t need their furniture anymore, you might be able to squander it for your next apartment (like I did with my bedroom furniture). As sketchy as it may seem, picking up furniture off the street at the end of the month (when people are most likely to be moving) is a perfect way to nab some free furniture – my roommates and I grabbed a utility knife, multiple coffee tables, and an HD TV from the curbs in Allston.
2. With the housing market renting slower than ever, looking for an apartment in the Spring months (i.e. March and April) will help lower the fee. As Allston/Brighton/Brookline landlords get more and more nervous when students don’t want to rent their apartments, they slash the rent price and will finance some or the entire finder’s fee (usually equal to about one month’s rent and payable to the realtor as payment for his or her services) to procure a renter. If you go through a real estate company, communicate with your realtor on requesting no or little fee – sometimes, all a landlord might need is a kick-in-the-butt to contribute towards the fee.
3. As with anywhere you live in this area, you’re living in a city. No matter if you reside in a dorm, a duplex or an apartment, crime is ubiquitous in the city. Remember in 2007-2008, when two men from Chestnut Hill snuck into Claflin Hall and harassed various female freshman residents? Having a security guard in the lobby helps, but using common sense will help you the most. If you live off-campus, remain adamant about locking your doors and installing safety locks on your windows to keep burglars out. If you have a basement, make sure the door has a one-way lock from the inside to discourage intruders.
4. Being “far” from campus remains objective, varying on the person. Some people might deem StuVi as lying far from SMG or COM, while CGS students resent East Campus dorms for the distance from West Campus. If you attend SMG, COM or CAS and have lived in West Campus before, then you know the deal with riding the green line or hopping on the 57 bus to get to class. Living off-campus is no different! Just give yourself at least 25-30 minutes to either walk or wait for the bus. If you have a bike, you may only need 5-10 minutes to storm onto campus.
5. Even with an additional 3 months of summer, living in an apartment costs less than StuVi: While StuVi costs $13,230 per “year” (defined by 9 months), living in my off-campus apartment at $767/month is $9,204, a gap of $4,026. (Even with utilities included in my rent – $850/month – my annual rent comes to $10,200, still saving me $3,030). Another option stands: you can sublet your room if you leave for the summer. Finding sublettors for the summer proves fairly easy, as many students take summer classes and try to find jobs and internships over the summer. Even if you knock some money off the rent for your sublettor, you still lose much less money than keeping the room unoccupied.
6. Utilities sometimes come included in the rent, which is a great benefit living off-campus! However, if you land a deal where nothing comes included (like in my apartment), bills will rarely surpass the cost of living in StuVi. For example, in a given month, my apartment pays the gas bill ($84 divided by 3 roommates is $28 each), the electric bill (average is around $75, divided by 3 is $25), and Comcast, which includes high-speed wireless Internet and HD cable, an HD DVR, and premium channel privileges ($99, divided by 3 roommates is $33). Overall, utilities cost about $86 per month. At less than $100 per month, utilities will NOT drive your rent up so much as to make StuVi worth the exaggerated price.

If that doesn’t convince you, another thing to consider: you get so many more amenities off campus than in the dorms. We searched high and low for the perfect apartment, and for $767 per person/month, our apartment has:

• Dishwasher
• Disposal
• Remodeled eat-in-kitchen
• Two full remodeled bathrooms
• Refinished hardwood floors
• Carpets in the bedrooms
• Free parking lot behind the house
• Lenient pet policy
• Air conditioning
• Updated heat vents
• Huge basement with coin-op laundry
• Two floors
• Tons of storage space

Looking is free – even if you have paid your $600 housing fee to BU, many realtors will take $600 off of their fee to accommodate you. Also, since BU jacked up the housing prices this year, you can get a full refund of your housing deposit until March 19th.  So what’s stopping you from looking?

If you have any questions about the off-campus living experience or financial situation, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at jreiss@buquad.com.

Look Your Best Without Paying the Price: Rent the Runway Comes to BU! by Patricia Bruce

The BU Campus from Metropolis to Ghost Town: A Photostory by Gabriela Fernandez

Get Your Green On: Second Annual sustainability@BU Festival on campus by Eden White

The Smiths circa 1986: Image copyright BananaRoad

Unless you’re lacking in some serious musical education, you know who Morrissey and The Smiths are. But just in case, I’ll humor those of you who just furrowed your brow thinking “Who?!” The Smiths were a terrific Manchester rock band in the early to late 1980s. They released four studio albums from 1984 to 1987: “The Smiths,” “Meat is Murder,” “The Queen Is Dead,” and “Strangeways, Here We Come.” After their breakup in 1987, lead singer and lyricist, known simply as Morrissey, went solo to release nine studio albums,  most recently, 2009’s “Years of Refusal.”

Why are we so still so obsessed with the man? The sometimes profoundly depressing lyrics? The sometimes gut-wrenching hilarious lyrics? The jangly guitar riffs? The enigma that is Morrissey? In 2002, British music magazine NME named The Smiths the most influential artists of the past 50 years. But why exactly does Morrissey still enrapture us? I contacted some notable Morrissey enthusiasts and gathered my own thoughts to find out.

I have been a fan of The Smiths and Morrissey ever since I first heard the plucky guitar intro to “This Charming Man” on the drive back from my local Tower Records (remember when we physically bought music?) where my older sister got the “Best of The Smiths Vol. 1” CD back in 2001. I’ve been a fan ever since. Most fans have a similar, earth-shattering first experience; Jose Maldonado, who hosts the radio show “Breakfast with The Smiths” on Los Angeles’ Indie 103.1, describes his experience in a phone interview:

“I was in a record store and they were playing the brand new Smiths album, at the time “Cemetery Gates” was on, and I stopped what I was doing and just sat there to listen. The song that came after that was “Bigmouth Strikes Again” which was very cathartic, and life changing—in every sense of the word. These amazing guitar tracks with a unique voice and equally unique lyrics that I’d never before heard in my life. And in that moment I needed to know who this band was and what they were all about and the rest is history.”

Maldonado performing with Sweet & Tender Hooligans

Maldonado’s show devotes a full two hours to The Smiths, Morrissey, and related artists each week. Maldonado is also the lead singer in Smiths tribute band Sweet and Tender Hooligans and he even played Morrissey in the indie film “My Life with Morrissey,” in addition to his day job as an L.A. County lifeguard.

Through the radio show, I stumbled upon The Smiths Project, a sort of Julie/Julia blog, but replaces the fattening French cooking with the nutritious tunes of The Smiths sung by 34-year-old Janice Whaley. Whaley’s goal is to chronicle the entire Smiths discography, spanning their entire discography but in her own personal vocal style by the end of 2010.

“I’ve always felt a connection to the way each song was written, and how the music and vocals play off each other. Musically speaking, Morrissey and Marr are really night and day but they compliment each other perfectly. For example, just listening to the jangly instrumentation, could you conceive of laying a slow, melodic vocal line on top of that?” Whaley told me via email, referencing the paradoxical juxtaposition of Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr in their Smiths years. “The opposite is also true, if you were to only hear Morrissey’s vocals, could you weave in 10 layers of guitars that compliment that without sounding busy or cluttered?  I’m also in awe of Morrissey’s quirky and intelligent lyrics.  He often tackles difficult or unusual subjects and, in general, he makes you think.”

Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn, who frequently covers Smiths songs live in concert, also told me via Twitter that Morrissey’s lyrics set him apart as a musical icon: “I think I respect Morrissey ‘cause he’s able to articulate what seems to be in his heart and get away with it. The music comes second…He says what’s on his mind and sometimes he says it for us.”

Morrissey’s reach as a lyricist is a clear connecting thread among fans. Maldonado concurs: “I think that speaks to why he such a great singer-songwriter that he is, that fact that years later there are still fans discovering the music for the first time and realizing how timeless those emotional, feelings, and lyrics will always be.”

Inevitably, Morrissey’s appeal is more than just his musical talents. In addition to Morrissey’s

Morrissey circa 1990: Image copyright BananaRoad

smooth, lulling voice, he is known for his eccentric duds: billowing paisley buttons-downs, cuffed blue jeans, oversized geek specs, and of course, his cartoon-ish coiffure, coveted by twenty-something hipsters worldwide. Whaley stated: “I definitely think Morrissey is an icon.  His signature hair style, unmistakable voice, his views on the world…it all works together to make a completely unique human being that many strive to emulate.”

“I think it’s funny that he’s perceived as a sex symbol,” Crystal Becerril said, recalling Morrissey whip off his shirt in a salacious frenzy during a concert. Becerril, host of “Love is Noise” on BU’s own WTBU, said “As much as I want to think the music is separate from a musician’s personal life, it’s completely connected.” Becerril and Morrissey share similar views on vegetarianism and animal rights and she views this as furthering her connection to the music, rather than creating it.

“There is a certain time where I just cannot listen to them or else I think I might jump off a bridge,” Becerril joked. But fellow DJ Maldonado disagreed when he said:

“I’m going to tell you the God’s honest truth: driving home from a gig or driving home from the radio station, I am listening to Morrissey and The Smiths on the way home…It really takes a special kind of artist to, generations later, still be reaching out to new audiences. Most artists that are true to themselves would trade being a Britney Spears pop star who is loved by so many millions, for maybe someone who was loved by a select few, and will continue to be loved for generations to come. It’s an envious place to be. What’s really crazy is after all these years I find myself still attached to this artist, I still get butterflies in my stomach waiting to see what it’s gonna be like—before I even get to hear the songs, just to hear the titles of the songs, that anticipation to see what is “Satan Rejected My Soul” going to be about. He’s unique in that sense, I don’t feel that same sense of anticipation for really anyone else.”

Morrissey circa 2006: Photo by Flickr User SteveHopson

Morrissey’s lyrics are truly poetic, crafting together verses that capture raw emotion with the sharp signature Morrissey wit we’ve come to know and love through his prolific 26-year career. His introverted, wilting flower persona, longing for love and affection has been upgraded into a strong and confident singer-songwriter that has gained the undying devotion he desperately yearned for and sings about consistently. Morrissey is not just a lad to listen to when you’re depressed on a rainy day and feeling like a tortured soul; he tells melancholy tales of heartbreak and longing and the humanness of desperation and sadness through sometimes hilarious lyrics, sometimes tragically lonely lyrics juxtaposed alongside danceable melodies.

Maldonado recalled one of his favorite Morrissey lyrics from 1994’s “Speedway,” which states “In my own sick way, I’ll always stay true to you.” He confessed “For me, sums up what my relationship means, my love for Morrissey, in my own sick way.”

Photo by flickr user ewen and donabel

I first read Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in the novel’s original Spanish. Marquez’s rhetoric transported me into a world that I didn’t suspect I would ever again inhabit—a world in which pleasure is glorified and sought, where women have the temperament of a bull and the heart of a dove, in which men are the fighters, the lovers, and the providers, and where nature is as integral a component of daily life as are the activities of eating and dancing. Marquez’s words are so tangible, so perceptive and genuine that I envisaged myself in my native country of Venezuela, flipping through the pages of his book as I sipped guava juice under the shade of a mango tree. His descriptions of the gluttonous military men, the corrupt government officials, the confused political aficionados, and the people of the Colombian town of Macondo’s persistence on enjoying themselves in spite of the country’s political and economic chaos, were so remarkably insightful and tangible that they simultaneously delighted and depressed me.

It was with skepticism and reluctance I assented to read Marquez’s aesthetic masterpiece in its English translation. Indisputably, the richness of the Colombian author’s prose and his depiction of the local vernacular, flavor, texture, and even the scent of a South American mountainous town, vanished like the opponents of a Latin American tyrant in a political rally. It’s not easy to describe the aesthetic differences between the experience of reading the novel in Spanish and reading it in English, and I imagine it must be an even more challenging task to translate the text. Nevertheless, there is a texture and a sensuality in Garcia Marquez’s employment of the Castilian language that is virtually impossible to express in any other tongue.

The Cuban-American writer, Gustavo Perez Firmat, astutely articulates the conflict of translation in one of his poems:

The fact that I

am writing to you

in English

already falsifies what I

wanted to tell you.

My subject:

how to explain to you that I

don’t belong to English

though I belong nowhere else.

The poet’s words not only express the challenge of communicating a particular message in a foreign language, but they also present the ambiguous universe of idiom in which most multilingual people inhabit. How can one articulate a sensation that has no comparable word in any other language? Is it possible to depict a proverb that originates from an obscure national superstition? These are the dilemmas that the multilingual encounter daily, and which make the work of translators of literary text such a challenging endeavor.

“I can’t identify exactly what it is, but I know that something is definitely lost in translation,” says Brittany Parker, a French major who has read texts in French and in their English translations.

Professor Rosanna Warren, who is the Director of the Translation Seminar in BU’s University Professors Program, has translated works from Ancient Greek, Latin, French and Italian. She asserts that it is impossible to duplicate an author’s creation. A translator’s work, she says, is about “translating a mode of meaning from the original and capturing its spirit.”

It is, after all, the “spirit” of a literary text—not the verbatim words that the author utilizes—that eternally lingers within the mind of the reader.

No matter how poignant a work is, however, it is indisputable that the effect would be even more inspirational if the text were read in its original language. Meaghan Beatley (CAS ’12) is originally from Belgium, but moved to the U.S. with her family at a young age. Last semester, she read Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” in English for a literature class, and out of curiosity decided to read the original version in French.

“I was surprised to note that there were entire passages that had been omitted in the English version,” she says, “But what I noticed the most was the fact that some words are much more powerful in French than they are in English.”

Case in point: the Spanish word, “empalagazo,” which indicates a sensation in your mouth of something that is excessively sweet. There is no analogous word in English to describe this sensation, which not only expresses a surplus of sweet, but also conveys a syrupy, sugary texture. This particular word demonstrates the significance of not just the background of a word’s meaning, but the impact of the diction as well. Each language carries its own particular singularities in diction, which, when translated, are inescapably lost.

Professor Warren recognizes this discrepancy in translation and says that translators break their hearts once they reach a point in which the power of a word or a passage in its original language must be compromised because it simply does not have a parallel in any other tongue.

“Comparing a translation to the original text is like looking into a literary kaleidoscope,” said Mehlman.

Both Professor Mehlman and Professor Warren agree that the most effective way to capture the “essence” of an original work is to read several of the work’s translations. But Professor Warren affirms that she isn’t familiar with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the way that a Russian reader would be, and yet she says the words of these authors are “in [her] soul.”

I hesitate to believe that if I had initially read “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in English, I would have been transported to the tropics of my childhood. Nevertheless, like Professor Warren and many others who read translated literature, I have been as inspired by the works of Kafka, Dante, Goethe, and of course, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, as I have been touched by Garcia Marquez’s prose. These authors do not write in my native tongue or share a similar background to my own, yet their “extraordinary aesthetic imaginative force,” as Professor Warren calls it, has managed to cross the language barrier, and—through the translator’s talent—capture the essence of these exceptional minds.

Perhaps something is lost and remains mysterious when one reads a literary work in translation, but no factor is more important than the interpretation that each individual reader brings into the work; and it is the combination of these two contributions that ultimately provide a valuable experience. Besides, there’s nothing more fascinating than the prospect of a literary mystery.

An American in Paris: Franglish by Annie White

Here is what you should not do: Panic. And here is how you’re gonna do that: read up on this housing guide and check out the yearbook of housing on campus.

Here’s what to keep in mind when you are choosing a room:

LYE (Lower Your Expectations)

This may seem like some downer advice, but it is the most important to keep in mind, especially for underclassmen. If you go into your housing appointment with dreams of StuVi II and single-person apartments prancing in your head, you will most likely be disappointed. Aim low and be pleasantly surprised if your dream room is still available.

Put Yourself First

Think about what you really want. This is where you will be returning home to every night for 8 ½ months. If you do not really like the person you’re choosing to room with or the place, then you better speak up, and fast. Be assertive and make it clear what your top three choices are and where you absolutely do not want to live.

The Roommates Factor

If it’s the quality of room you’re looking for, then the less roommates, the better a chance you will have at getting it. It may be hard to exclude friends, but it is better to do so early on than when you are sitting in the meeting.   You will have to make some calls: have a nicer room by yourself, or with one roommate, or be crammed into a room or suite with three of your best friends.

Location (Location, Location)

This one’s a no brainer. Where do you spend most of your time on campus? If your dorm isn’t within a half-mile walk from the places you most frequent, then you should get a bike or some strong legs. It’s not the worst thing to be living farther away, but walking a couple of miles home every night can get old real fast. Even though spring is on the way now, do not forget about all that time spent trudging through snow and wind.

Noise is also an important factor. Any dorms on Comm Ave are going to have a lot more noise from traffic and construction than if you live on Bay State.  Get a good pair of earplugs or get used to it.

It’s Not The End of The World..

..if you do not get an awesome housing assignment. Yes, it would be nice to live in a beautiful, recently renovated brownstone with your three best friends, but it does not mean that your year is ruined if you do not get it.

Your experiences here are based on the memories you make in your room, and not on how nice or spacious it is. Take a deep breath, and be grateful that you’re young and living in the city.

With all that in mind, check out the dorms’ yearbook and superlatives.

(Con’t on page 2)

The Quad’s Guide to Student Union Elections by Kelly Dickinson

]]> http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/housing-guide-yearbook/feed/ 1 http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/hello-bu-meet-the-aviator/ http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/hello-bu-meet-the-aviator/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:01:12 +0000 Jennifer Brown http://buquad.com/2010/03/11/hello-bu-meet-the-aviator/ No related photos. ]]> 2009 Boston University graduate Neil Anand is a part of one of the smallest scenes in Boston: the hip-hop/rap scene. The rapper’s stage name is Aviator, which the musician took during his freshman year of college. It signifies Anand’s then-distaste for mainstream hip-hop’s culture; he was bothered that a rapper with a “hot beat and catchy hook, a could easily get by with ‘passable’ verses,” resembling a game of popularity, but not talent. The name “Aviator” stuck to Anand because he hoped to elevate the scene to a better place.

Although Anand’s day-to-day persona is separate from his on-stage presence, both identities are slick and articulate. In person, the rapper is a clean-cut, thoughtful individual who speaks his mind about people, politics, and the life around him (it might have something to do with his major in sociology). On stage, he raps about the same issues as a performer, while demanding attention from the audience with tasteful etiquette and jokes. It works.

Aviator is releasing his first mixtape on Friday in effort to promote his first full-length album, titled “Bigger Than My Matador,” which will be out later this spring. I spoke with the BU graduate about his current and future plans in music.

——–

Q: What brought you to the hip-hop scene? How did it all begin?

A: It was a distinct moment in time, actually. When I was younger, I used to visit my cousins in New Jersey almost every weekend. They were older and listened to great East Coast stuff. On one occasion, I remember my cousin pulling his car out of the driveway, rolling down his windows, and turning up Hot 97 as loud as he could. He just parked right next to me and let it flood the whole neighborhood. I remember being so narcotized by the melody and feel of the record. That record was Notorious B.I.G’s “Big Poppa.” I was instantly hooked.

Q: How did you fit into the music scene at BU?

A: It’s always been a precarious position. I have immense respect for passionate musicians and the artistic process itself. I feel that same respect from plenty of musicians here at BU. I have a comfy niche here and people are starting to put a face to the name nowadays, and that’s nice. However, I think one thing that gets in the way when I tell people that I’m a rapper is that they immediately begin to conjure up images of grills, hoes, whatever. That’s always a struggle, because that’s not what I’m about. I’m not about that machismo shit. I got into hip-hop to change that. However, anybody who has listened to my music understands that there is much more going on underneath the surface and that I am a compassionate and complex person.

Q: Where do you find your inspiration?

A: I find inspiration in everything. I find it in my travels, social interactions, and struggles. It’s not hard to find inspiration in the fascinating and heartbreaking time that we’re living in today. You just have to make sure you’re taking stock of each moment. Like, I have a song about my headphones. I have song about Nickelodeon and the 90’s. Recently, I’ve been finding beauty in the subtle and mundane. There’s so much art to the human experience. It’s just about putting your finger on the pulse of the times and tapping into our society’s zeitgeist. I’ve always got my ears and eyes open.

Q: Who are your favorite artists?

A: The Zombies, Spoon, Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, The Modern Jazz Quartet, The Rolling Stones, Common, and so much more. My brother InfinitiRock makes incredible electronica. I don’t really follow rap like I used to. I mean, I check in sometimes, but there’s not a lot of hip-hop – underground or mainstream – that really does anything for me other than produce a mild chuckle. I just want to feel engaged again, you know?

Q: What kind of messages do you try to spread in your lyrics?

A: I’ve got a line that says, “open up your eyes, it will open up your mind.” I have another line, “swallow your ego, or let your ego swallow you up.” I just want to get across that I’m all about growth through constant exploration, creating an equal and equitable society for everyone, and about bringing some real integrity and innovation to the form. If I do have a formula, it’s just making music that lifts the bar of the current rap paradigm, but just far enough that the average listener can still grasp it. I want people to be able to dance, have fun, get emotional, and fall in love to music that is both intelligent and relatable –none of that macho, high-roller stuff.

No related photos.

]]> http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/hello-bu-meet-the-aviator/feed/ 0 http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/copyrights-an-op-ed-with-dean-baker/ http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/copyrights-an-op-ed-with-dean-baker/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:21 +0000 Anna Ward http://buquad.com/?p=6335

The Dean’s List Discuss Mixtapes, Tour Life and Breakfast Talk by Heather Vandenengel

Dean Elmore’s Face Painted On, Blasted Off Mugar In Less Than 10 Hours by Heather Vandenengel

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Copyright; photo by flickr user Horia Varlan.

This article is the result of a collaborative effort between Quad writer Anna Ward and Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C.

How much will $675,000 get you?

That amount of money will buy you an additional 19 semesters at BU (and at least three more degrees), a medium-sized house in an affluent area, about six Porsches, 33 badonkadonks — or, if you’re Joel Tenenbaum, thirty songs.

Like many students, Joel Tenenbaum, a BU graduate student, shared and downloaded music on his computer. Unlike many students, he got caught. Last summer, a jury sentenced Tenenbaum to pay the steep fine as punishment for violating US copyright law. Sharing data over the internet has become more and more commonplace – so is this “business as usual” for the entertainment industry?

Historically, the institution of copyrights traces its origins back to the feudal guild system. By granting temporary monopolies to producers and creators, copyrights provide incentives for the continued production and innovation of creative and artistic work. In the digital age, however, the exclusive right to intellectual property is becoming increasingly difficult to enforce. Through peer-to-peer networks and specialized software, virtually anyone with an internet connection can swap and trade massive amounts of data, including the music and video and text protected under copyright law.

In order to enforce copyright, states are beginning to rely on increasingly invasive forms of repression such as monitoring civilians, seizing property, and leveling huge sanctions against nonviolent lawbreakers. In one such case, a lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) was censored after speaking at a conference on the legal use and benefits of file-sharing over peer-to-peer networks when dealing with copyrighted works. The dean of the university, under pressure from the Spanish Recording Industry Association as well as the Motion Picture Association of America, tried multiple times to prevent the conference from occurring. When his efforts failed, the lecturer was asked to leave his teaching position.[1]

It’s easy to disregard these cases as extraordinary or unusual though – after all, these are situations that don’t affect the everyday student who downloads the newest Joanna Newsom album to save an additional $30. So how does copyright law affect the everyday lives of law-abiding citizens? The answer is simple: higher prices.

The price of academic textbooks is a prime example. Publishing companies routinely release “new” editions with few significant changes from previous editions. Students who try to sell their books back to their school’s bookstore get burned when they find that the “new” 16^th edition of their textbook has just been released, and so the book that they bought for over a hundred dollars is now worth about ten. Most textbooks also have “international” editions, which are actually just exact copies with paperback covers that come at a fraction of the price. These “international” copies are forbidden from being sold directly in the U.S., but a recent Supreme Court ruling made their re-importation completely legal, spawning a cottage industry of online re-retailers.

Despite this, textbooks prices have skyrocketed, growing at twice the rate of inflation for more than two decades.[2] And it’s not because the cost of paper is going up. Publishing companies, using their “new” and “international” gimmicks, are simply taking advantage of the market power that comes with their copyright.

The system of intellectual property leads to curious outcomes in other markets as well, particularly the market for prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies endlessly search for new drugs they can market to patients and doctors. But if a competitor develops a successful medical product, companies will frequently invest in “copycat” research in order to produce their own version of the drug. According to the Food and Drug Administration, more than two-thirds of all new drugs fall into this category.[3]

There’s no reason for such redundant and wasteful research. For example, research could be supported with public money, much like we do already through the National Institutes of Health. If the results of these research projects were placed in the public domain, we would all benefit from newly developed drugs that could be sold as generics for $4 a shot.

The same goes for textbooks. A competitive grant system would work well in academia, where professors could be enlisted to produce educational texts that would be available to the public at large. This would also encourage academic freedom by allowing professors to pick and choose chapters from different textbooks in designing their coursework.

For music and movies, we could envision a voucher system whereby people could be compensated for their work as musicians and artists and filmmakers. Individuals could use their voucher to support the musician(s), writer(s), or other creative work of their choice. Since they get paid through the voucher system, all their work could be in the public domain, free for everyone to download.

The point is there are other ways besides copyrights to foster innovation and compensate people for creative work. These alternative mechanisms are more cost-effective and likely to produce more creative work. Copyrights may have been a good way to support creative work in the medieval age, but it is time that we develop a mechanism that is more in tune with the modern internet age.

Dean Baker is currently the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington D.C. He writes a weekly column for the Guardian Unlimited, and his blog, Beat the Press, features commentary on economic reporting. His analyses have appeared in many major publications, including the Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, the London Financial Times, and the New York Daily News. He received his Ph.D in economics from the University of Michigan.

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[1] http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041209105106/LHA20050520091532/index.html

[2] http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05806.pdf

[3] http://www.conservativenannystate.org/cns.html#5

The Dean’s List Discuss Mixtapes, Tour Life and Breakfast Talk by Heather Vandenengel

Dean Elmore’s Face Painted On, Blasted Off Mugar In Less Than 10 Hours by Heather Vandenengel

]]> http://buquad.com/2010/03/15/copyrights-an-op-ed-with-dean-baker/feed/ 3 http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/the-dos-and-donts-of-the-dining-hall/ http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/the-dos-and-donts-of-the-dining-hall/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:59:32 +0000 Nicole D'Alessandro http://buquad.com/?p=6343

The Dining Hall Crawl: A Ranking of BU Eateries by Joel Kahn

Chicken Fajitas the Simple Way by Estefania Souza

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Photo by Nicole D'Alessandro

The dining hall is a cornerstone of college campus living. I’m sure at one time or another, whether you have had a dining plan or not, every student has eaten at a dining hall and experienced its wonders: somehow, there is a variety of foods to eat in a single meal, yet their monotonous consistency is unbearable. My personal experience with the dining hall has differed slightly because I have been behind the scenes in working as a student employee at dinner and Late Nite service for the last three years (I started working second semester, freshman year and I am currently a senior, still working one night a week). Having been on both sides of the dining hall experience, I feel qualified to comment on the general behavior of those working and eating at the dining hall. Though my work takes place in one dining hall in particular, Myles Standish, etiquette can be applied across any BU dining location.

1. This rule is so basic it embarrasses me to have to write it, but you wouldn’t leave dirty dishes on your kitchen table at home would you? Well, don’t do it here either. Clean up after yourself. There is a conveyor belt to put your dishes and trash on, for your convenience. This rule is also for the benefit of your fellow diners. It would kind of suck if you went to eat dinner and there were dirty napkins and cups all over the place, right? Not cool.

2. Be courteous and polite. I know the Aramark (non-student) workers can sometimes be intimidating, but often if you throw in a Hola and Por favor (to workers you know speak Spanish, of course), they will give you a smile and ask you how you are. Please don’t freak out because we ran out of your favorite condiment or artery-clogging fried food. There is someone who controls that, who orders the food, and that person is not us. You probably didn’t need that crap anyway.

3. This rule involves a situation that you can do at home, but not at the dining hall. Wear clothes.  This includes proper footwear. It is a liability to have you in the dining hall without shoes– you could slip and fall and it would be our fault that you got hurt. Plus, it’s kinda gross. I know your feet hurt from those high heels ladies, but wait till you sit down to take them off. As for the clothes, its not so much a legal issue, but it is for your benefit. Shirtless/ boxer-revealing guys, nearly shirtless/pantless girls: we don’t need to see that. My friends and I have a name for those midriff-baring, pelvic bone-hugging short shorts: we call them boom-boom shorts. It’s cool if you own boom-boom shorts; many of us do. Just don’t wear them in the dining hall. Let’s all say it together…not cool.

4. Keep the PDA to a reasonable minimum. This goes along with number 3, but I felt it deserved its own number because I have seen a boy run his finger down (who I presume to be) his girlfriend’s (jeans-covered) butt crack. Not really covertly either, they were standing right in front of the register. Just…hold it in for a bit. At least till you get to a more secluded area–and by this I mean your room, not a dining booth.

5. This one’s real simple: don’t steal. Stealing sucks. This has more to do with Late Nite Cafe, but when you still have hundreds of dollars worth of dining points, don’t steal. And let’s face it, if you go to this school and can afford at least partial tuition, you can afford a bag of chips. Don’t steal the silverware either. Come down to Late Nite and take the free plastic forks and spoons. Stealing’s really not that cool. You know we are understaffed and cannot have eyes on everything. The sad thing is, those people who do steal would probably never steal from CampCo or any other convenience store. Well, the dining hall is a business too. Don’t steal. Should I say it one more time? OK, I won’t. DON’T STEAL. Oh sorry, it just slipped out (don’t do it).

In writing these rules, I realized that these do’s and don’t's apply to life in general. Don’t steal; be polite, courteous, and proper; clean up after yourself. And I’d like to say that the vast majority of you do follow these rules, and are genuinely nice people. As a worker, I’ve had strangers compliment me on everything from my earrings, nail polish, eyebrows, eyes–and let me say I’m never looking my best in my poly-blend uniform shirt and frizzy ponytail. I have had people strike up conversations over the book I was reading and have impromptu dance parties with me. You guys are cool, so just continue being cool. Follow the rules and the world is a better place. Cool? Cool.

The Dining Hall Crawl: A Ranking of BU Eateries by Joel Kahn

Chicken Fajitas the Simple Way by Estefania Souza

]]> http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/the-dos-and-donts-of-the-dining-hall/feed/ 3 http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/bus-own-batman-professor-kunz/ http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/bus-own-batman-professor-kunz/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:58:48 +0000 Becca Tarvin http://buquad.com/?p=5824

Holy Reboot, Batman!: DC Comics’ The New 52 by Jon Erik Christianson

New Documentary by BU Professor Tackles Flawed Family Court System by Lauren Michael

Professor Wiesel’s (Potential) Last Lecture: What a Treat by Allan Lasser

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Dr. Kunz inspects his walrus baculum. | Photo credit: Rebecca Tarvin

By Caitlin Clancy and Becca Tarvin

On the first day of Mammalian Ecology, Professor Thomas Kunz walked into the room holding a bone larger than his forearm. “Do you know what bone this is?” he asked us. It was a walrus baculum, the bone located inside the penis of a walrus. Most of us were unaware that any type of mammal had such a bone, but apparently it’s rather common: bats, raccoons, squirrels, and whales all have bacula.  As weeks went by, we learned many things about mammals (did you know that whales are closely related to hoofed mammals?), but perhaps we learned the most about bats, since Dr. Kunz integrated them into almost every topic of BI512.

It’s no joke that we’re referring to Dr. Kunz as the “Batman” of BU, since that’s exactly what he has been since he assumed his professorship in 1971. Searching his name in the Web of Science reveals over 300 papers that he has authored or coauthored; this just illustrates how prevalent his work is in the field of bat ecology.

"Batman" | Photo credit: Brian Fryburg

We spoke to Dr. Kunz in his office in an attempt to uncover some of this Batman’s secrets.

Dr. Kunz grew up in Missouri, where he spent much of his childhood playing sports at school and at home, while simultaneously nurturing his interests as a biologist. He attributes his initial interest in biology to his fifth-grade teacher, who shared her passion for silkworms with him and the rest of his class. Later in his life while attending Central Missouri State College, Dr. Kunz discovered his affinity for caving, which eventually led to his overarching interest in bats. After graduating from college in 1961 and obtaining a Masters degree in Education the following year, Dr. Kunz began teaching at a new high school in Kansas and enhancing his education during the summers through the National Science Foundation Summer Institute in Biology. By 1968, he had obtained a Masters degree in Biology from the National Science Foundation Institute at Drake, Iowa, and that same year he entered into a Ph.D. program in Systematics and Ecology at the University of Kansas, where he received his degree in 1971 (Kunz, 2005). During these years, Dr. Kunz’s research interests evolved from ecological studies on bats in Nebraska and Iowa to research on the roosting, reproductive and feeding ecology of the cave bat (Myotis velifer) for his Ph.D. dissertation.

Since joining the faculty at BU in 1971, Dr. Kunz’s research has focused on the physiology, roosting and foraging behavior in various species of bats. One of his most notable contributions to science is the founding of a new discipline known as “aeroecology”, which combines the disciplines of ecology, atmospheric science, computational biology, engineering and geography (Kunz et al., 2008; Hristov et al., 2008).  This unique concept examines the aerosphere, a substratum of the troposphere nearest to Earth, and its role in supporting life for numerous airborne organisms. Until aeroecology’s introduction, little collaboration had been invested in integrating the scientific goals of these different disciplines and utilizing the tools of each to address issues of the aerosphere and its impact on the organisms that use it. Although no organism spends its entire life in the aerosphere, many spend a large portion of it there, and as such it has conferred many selective adaptations on the anatomy and sensory modalities of flight. Furthermore, fluctuations in the aerosphere, whether subtle or sudden, have immediate impacts on those using it, as well as downstream effects on terrestrial and aquatic organisms.

Dr. Kunz has pioneered the application of various modeling and tracking techniques traditionally used by computer scientists, engineers, and the military to explore and model the aerosphere and its “users.” Weather surveillance radar (Doppler) and thermal infrared imaging have been employed in his research to noninvasively track and visualize the daily and seasonal activities of airborne fauna, particularly bats (Horn and Kunz, 2008). Additional developments in data collection are underway, including aircraft-based radiotelemetry and thermal imaging paired with LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), ultrasonic acoustic detectors, and/or vertical profiling radar.

A Doppler Radar image of bat emergence from caves in Texas. | Slide taken from a power point of Dr. Kunz's Mammalian Ecology class. Radar image is taken from Kunz, 2004.

Thermal image of bats dispersing. | Photo credit: Kunz Bat Lab webpage.

These methods permit researchers to further investigate foraging and dispersal behavior and census populations. An important realization of this work is monitoring how natural and anthropogenic factors have tremendous effects on the organisms using the aerosphere. His work is enormously helpful in better understanding flying organisms, as well as in his efforts to ensure that environmentally sustainable energy projects such as wind turbines are constructed to optimize benefits to humans, but also minimize detrimental impacts on airborne animals (for an overview of the effects of wind turbines on bats, see Kunz et al., 2007). Moreover, these efforts provide greater insight on atmospheric dynamics, climate change, and other environmental conditions.

Dr. Kunz remains on the forefront of all aspects regarding bat evolution, behavior, ecology, and conservation. His services to the university as an educator and the scientific community as a researcher are invaluable. If you have an opportunity to take a class with Dr. Kunz, do so! They come complete with mammal bacula, bat costumes, taxidermy, and a very cool weekend field trip to BU’s Sargent Center in New Hampshire.

________________

Special thanks to Dr. Tom Kunz and Morgan Nabhan for all their contributions!

References

1. Kunz, T.H., Gauthreaux, S.A. Hristov, N.I., Horn, J.W. Jones, G., Kalko, E.K.V., Larkin, R.P., McCracken, G.F., Swartz, S.M., Srygley, R.B., Dudley, R., Westbrook, J.K., and Wikelski M. 2008. Aeroecology: probing and modeling the aerosphere. Integrative and Comparative Biology 48(1):1-11.

2. Kunz, T.H. 2005. Becoming a mammalogist: On the wings of heroes. Pp. 141-170, In: Mammalogy: Going Afield: Lifetime Experiences in Exploration, Science, and the Biology of Mammals (C.J. Phillips and C. Jones, eds.). Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.

3. Kunz, T.H. 2004. Foraging habits of North American insectivorous bats. Pp. 13-25, In: Bat Echolocation Research: Tools, Techniques, and Analysis (R.M. Brigham, E.K.V., G. Jones, S. Parsons, and H.J.G.A. Limpens, eds). Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas.

4. Hristov, N.I., Betke, M., Kunz, T.H. 2008. Applications of thermal infared imaging for research in aeroecology.  Integrative and Comparative Biology 48(1):50-59.

5. Horn, J.W., and T.H. Kunz. 2008. Analyzing NEXRAD Doppler radar images to assess nightly dispersal patterns and population Trends in Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Integrative and Comparative Biology 48: 24-39.

6. Kunz, T.H., Arnett, E.B.,  Erickson, W.P.,  Hoar A.R., Johnson, G.D., Larkin, L.P., Strickland M.D., Thresher, R.D., and Tuttle, M.D. 2007. Ecological impacts of wind energy development on bats: questions, research needs, and hypotheses. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5(6):315-324.

Holy Reboot, Batman!: DC Comics’ The New 52 by Jon Erik Christianson

New Documentary by BU Professor Tackles Flawed Family Court System by Lauren Michael

Professor Wiesel’s (Potential) Last Lecture: What a Treat by Allan Lasser

]]> http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/bus-own-batman-professor-kunz/feed/ 2 http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/lgbt-rights-sydney-wears-it-with-pride/ http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/lgbt-rights-sydney-wears-it-with-pride/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:57:59 +0000 Lauren Hockenson http://buquad.com/?p=6481

The LGBT Mount Rushmore: The Faces of the Gay Rights Movement by Jon Erik Christianson

Boston, the Human Rights Hub? by Shawn Musgrave

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Mardi Gras 2010 Theme

March in Australia is famous for the city’s most fabulous festival of the year: LGBT Mardi Gras. Originating 25 years ago as a protest march, Mardi Gras has become a week-long celebration of gay culture and rights. This year’s Mardi Gras parade was broadcasted throughout Australia on Arena Network, a national cable TV station, and thousands of people flocked to Oxford Street in Sydney to see intricate floats, costumes, and around 10,ooo participants marching to support LGBT rights in Australia.

This year, there was plenty of buzz about the recent changes made by the Rudd government for same sex couples. Australia’s changes in LGBT rights have been much more slow-going than in America: the Australian Medical Association had “homosexuality” in its list of disorders until 1984, and bans on gay male conduct were still active in at least one state until 1997. Yet, since Rudd took office in 2007, there have been large strides in changing laws to give same-sex couples the same rights as hetero couples.

On July 1^st of last year, the government passed reforms which gave same sex couples the same level of recognition in federal legislation in tax, health, superannuation (Australian Social Security), and many other areas. Here is a small list of the 85 reforms, some of which aren’t even allowed in the U.S.:

• If you are a member of the Australian Defence Force (Australian Army), your same-sex partner may now be recognized by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Defence Department.
• Extended family members of both parents are now legally recognized as family members of your children.
• You may take carer’s leave (sick leave) if your de facto partner or a member of their immediate family is suffering from a personal illness, injury or unexpected emergency.
• Most lesbian moms and some gay dads, including step parents, now have the same Federal legal recognition as different-sex parents or step-parents.
• If a partner dies, the surviving partner may now be able to access bereavement (grief) assistance.
• Same-sex de facto couples with a retirement savings account now have the same entitlements as straight de facto couples.
• If you have been with your de facto partner in Australia for at least two years you may apply for a permanent visa.

Wear it with Pride Ad Campaign

In celebration of these reforms, the government also funded a $350,000 AUD (about $320,ooo USD) campaign to educate the LGBT population on these new reforms. The result is the Wear it With Pride Campaign, which uses clever artist-designed t-shirts, famous speakers, and real-life stories to explain the way that the new laws impact the community. There is also a special online survey, which allows couples to articulate their reactions. “We want to better understand how LGBT people are responding to the legislative reforms,” National LGBT Health Alliance Executive director Gabi Rosenstreich said in a press release. “We want to know their thoughts and feelings about the changes as well as how, when and where we can provide them with useful information.”

These artist-designed t-shirts are aimed to spark conversation about the new laws, and help LGBT couples better understand the benefits that they can receive. Australian stars, including American notables Jess and Lisa Origliasso from The Veronicas, are speaking out to promote the campaign and celebrate the new laws in place. “I’d say almost everyone knows or comes into contact with someone who is gay, whether it is your bartender, hairdresser, lawyer, cousin, sister, family member, train driver, doctor… If it’s O.K. for them to cut your hair, drive your train, be your doctor, it should of course be O.K. for them to have a loving relationship with equal rights,” Australian MTV Personality Ruby Rose wrote in her public comments about the campaign.

Ruby Rose's Ad Campaign for Wear it With Pride

The steps made in Australia also mirror the dreams in the American campaign for LGBT rights, and many of the new reforms give benefits to Australian same-sex couples that aren’t offered to Americans. For example, the American military still clings to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” while the Australian military is now offering benefits to couples. Australian same-sex partners are given recognition in hospitals, so partners can stay by the bedside during illness. These small changes can have a monumental impact, and when watching them in action it’s clear that these changes are also sorely needed in the U.S.

There are still miles to go in the Australian campaign for LGBT rights: there still isn’t a national partner registry, so still takes lots of documentation to qualify for benefits in most states. And, of course, gay marriage is still illegal in Australia and like in the American LGBT community, the desire for full equality is still strong. Yet, many are still ready to Wear it With Pride. “[The reforms] result from years of tireless lobbying and protesting by members and supporters of LGBT community. And though our journey is not over yet, these reforms deserve to be celebrated by everyone – straight, lesbian, gay, bi and trans,” Rosenstreich said.

For more information on the reforms and t-shirts, visit www.wearitwithpride.com.au

The LGBT Mount Rushmore: The Faces of the Gay Rights Movement by Jon Erik Christianson

Boston, the Human Rights Hub? by Shawn Musgrave

]]> http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/lgbt-rights-sydney-wears-it-with-pride/feed/ 0 http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/bringing-hope-to-home-an-actress-returns-to-where-it-all-began/ http://buquad.com/2010/03/14/bringing-hope-to-home-an-actress-returns-to-where-it-all-began/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:56:15 +0000 Monica Castillo http://buquad.com/?p=6420

Tweets of Welcome: #TweetCreep Returns by Liz Breen

Zooey Deschanel Returns to TV as ‘New Girl’ by Marry Pivazian

QuadFilm Picks The Oscars: Best Actress by Chree Izzo

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Meet Boston's Homecoming Queen, Sue Costello. Photo courtesy of Sue Costello.

Homecomings are usually joyous occasions: a time when alumni return to their alma mater after so many years or perhaps a graduate returns home with diploma in hand. It is a celebration of memories, emotions, and gratitude. For actress Sue Costello, she is returning home with an ecstatic feeling and many stories to tell. She shared some of these sentiments to the Quad from her home in Manhattan.

“I want to bring hope back to Boston. I want to share my story and just bring hope to the people who hear me. I want to share the hope and happiness art can give.”

Born and raised in the Southie neighborhood of Dorchester, the petite blond Boston native navigated her way through a troublesome childhood to take up amateur nights in comedy clubs. It was per chance that network executives saw her, and placed her in everything from TV ads to television pilots. In a couple of years, Sue became the lead actress, writer, and producer for own sitcom, “Costello,” on Fox. Sue shook her head, “It was crummy timing, they put a woman-lead comedy right after the World Series.” Her show was canceled and the job offers ceased to pour in. Sue was stuck in Tinseltown without so much as steady job, and found herself seeking shelter on a friend’s couch.

“I know what it is to lose everything. That’s the only reason why I can tell it like it is.” Writing began to take up her free time. Thus, the one-woman show that became known as “Minus 32 Million Words” took shape. “I didn’t even know what I was writing; it just all came out of me.” She brought her creation to New York City to small crowds that grew with the word of mouth. Critics, audiences, and even fellow comedians leave her show with smiles on their faces. However, it is not a comedy or a drama; it is a discussion piece.

Telling it like it is, Sue style. Photo courtesy of Sue Costello.

If her one-woman act resonates just one theme, it is survival. Sue covers topics ranging from lost friends to painful breakups to heart wrenching family tragedy. “Everything I talk about crosses generations. It’s all deeply personal, so it is universal. I want groups, whole families to come and see it. “I want people to say, ‘well, if she did it–so can I!’” It is from this passion to share her story with others, to “take care of my audience,” that drives Sue Costello to perform night after night, reliving the hurt and pain of yesteryear so that her message of hope can be heard.

“Minus 32 Million Words,” may have come from the dark parts of her past, but it is how she deals with turmoil that moves the story and her audience across years and events that have shaped who she is today. The play’s title refers to the inequality that faced her fellow classmates in Dorchester. “It was from a New York Times article, about how kids from poorer neighborhoods learn 32 million words less than their peers.” She points out that suffering, learning to cope, and living life after tragedy has nothing to do with the amount of words expressed. “It’s my life, but minus the 32 million words.”

“But, it’s scary to put myself out there. Love is having no control, and being okay with that. I love my art, and I’m giving it to my audience to talk about it, to look into their own feelings.”

Taking the stage any way she can. Photo courtesy of Sue Costello.

“Minus 32 Million Words” will be playing at the Boston Center for the Arts in the Plaza Black Box Theater from March 17^th-April 3^rd. There are $25 student rush tickets available on select days. A 10% student discount or a 15% discount for groups of 10 or more is available on all nights. For ticket information, please visit Boston Theatre Scene. For more information on Sue Costello and her work please visit Sue’s website.

Tweets of Welcome: #TweetCreep Returns by Liz Breen

Zooey Deschanel Returns to TV as ‘New Girl’ by Marry Pivazian

QuadFilm Picks The Oscars: Best Actress by Chree Izzo

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