R-Word’ BRINK!
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Thursday, March 3, 2011 TheXXVI Daily Free Press Year xli. Volume lxxxi. Issue . www.dailyfreepress.com [ The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University ] The MUSE Campus & City Sports SO FRESH, FLOWER POWER: Dog eat dog world: Weather W. hockey takes Today: Sunny, High 26 SO SHEEN: Preview for BU production of Tonight: Clear, Low 12 Looking back on on Northeastern Tomorrow: 35/29 page 7 “The Vagina Monologues” page 12 the actor’s glory days page 3 Data Courtesy of weather.com SJP responds to Israel Peace Week with protests, speakers Executive VP By Amelia Pak-Harvey Mercurio to end Daily Free Press Staff Countering last week’s Israel Peace Week, BU legacy after Students for Justice in Palestine is hosting Is- rael Apartheid Week bringing a number of speakers, including the former legal advisor 38-year tenure to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, to Boston University. By Chris Gambon The week aims to “educate people about Daily Free Press Staff the nature of Israel as an apartheid system,” according to the Israeli Apartheid Week web- Boston University Executive Vice Presi- site. dent Joseph Mercurio announced Monday Chapters of SJP from other Boston that he would resign his post, signaling a schools, including Northeastern University, close to a 38-year career at BU. Tufts University and the University of Mas- Describing his decision to end his tenure at sachusetts, Boston are also participating in BU, Mercurio said it was a personal decision the week . that he came to with relatively little debate. “The point is to show the apartheid-like “There was nothing very complicated conditions that are occurring in the occupied about it,” Mercurio said in an interview with territories and within Israel itself,” said SJP The Daily Free Press. “This is just the right President Ian Chinich, a second-year gradu- STACEY RUPALO / DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF time to do it. I’m young enough and I’ve got ate student. A model of the wall in Israel was showcased by Boston University Students for Justice in creative ideas I want to move forward with.” Chinich, who said he has worked with the Palestine at the George Sherman Union Link on Wednesday. Mercurio said he is looking forward to International Solidarity Movement in a trip to response to BU’s second Israel Apartheid a wall, but I guess some crazy rumor start- moving into the world of commercial busi- East Jerusalem and the West Bank, said the Week, Chinich said. ed in Students for Israel and they sent us a ness. week aims to shed light on injustices against “There hasn’t been enough understanding threatening email that told us not to make it, “I wanted to move out of institutional the Palestinian people. of the issue in both academia and in the U.S. and that it would incite hatred on campus,” work,” he said. “I want to invest in the cre- Palestinians are treated as second-class in general,” said College of Arts and Sciences Chinich said. ative ideas and opportunities that presently citizens within Israel, with restrictions akin junior Jarib Rahman, an SJP member. “We would like to emphasize that we are surround me.” to South Africa’s former apartheid govern- “We feel that it’s important that students not demanding that SJP refrain from express- Mercurio’s tenure at BU, while memo- ment, he said. get to know more about what’s really going ing the substance of your opinions,” BUSI rable, allowed him very little time to pursue “Communities are separated by walls and on there because a lot of people seem to have wrote in their email. “In fact, we are demand- these kinds of creative opportunities, he said. will eventually become ghettos and there is the incorrect idea about what’s going on over ing nothing,” “As a leader at BU, your time isn’t your a great disparity in water supply between there.” “We decided that because they were own,” Mercurio said. “Your nights and your Palestinian areas that badly need water and The SJP constructed a miniature wall in threatening us and because they were so weekends aren’t your own.” Israeli areas with swimming pools and green front of Marsh Chapel on Tuesday in protest scared of the wall, that we were going to Mercurio will resign his postion on June lawns,” Chinich said. of the “apartheid wall.” 30, while remaining on in advisory capacity Last week’s Israel Peace Week was a “We originally weren’t going to make APARTHEID, see page 2 until September. BU will not attempt to fill the position of executive vice president of the university, Mercurio said. The administration will in- Organization raises awareness on domestic violence stead go through reorganization. One of the more notable projects Mercurio By Emanuelle Honnorat Active men have very important roles in Jane Doe Inc. hopes to create more Daily Free Press Staff worked on while at BU was the development society today, from being involved as a fa- branches and expand across the country, but of the Student Villiage. ther, to leadership or even through volunteer first want to focus on local communities and “It was something that we worked on for To promote awareness against sexual work as a sport coach, Norberg-Bohm said. on solidifying the regional impact before 12 to 14 years,” Mercurio said. “I think some- abuse and domestic violence, men have been “When the boy isn’t doing well on the moving nationwide, Norberg-Bohm said. thing that really benefits students, and some- asked to wear white ribbons in honor of the field, he shouldn’t be called a girl,” he said. The organization chose the month of thing that BU can be proud of.” “Massachusetts 2011 White Ribbon Day” on “There needs to be shifting in a frame of March for the campaign because Interna- Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said Thursday. conscious; this is targeting men who want to tional Women’s Day takes place on March 8, while Mercurio will be missed by university The White Ribbon Campaign, held from help.” Norberg-Bohm said. administration, he admires Mercurio’s deci- March 4 to 11, organized by the Men’s Initia- The White Ribbon Campaign, an interna- “In our field, October is the month dedi- sion. tive for Jane Doe Inc., is meant to target men tional movement, began in the United States cated to domestic violence awareness and “I’m very happy for him,” Elmore said. who are “ready to help” and see a change in in Massachusetts with Jane Doe Inc. in 2008 April is the month dedicated to sexual as- “He will be missed, he is someone who really attitude of men toward women, said event and is the only campaign held in the United States. RIBBON, see page 4 coordinator Craig Norberg-Bohm. MERCURIO, see page 9 SED club rails against ‘r-word’ BRINK! By Alex Nawar “A lot of times, these people are judged Daily Free Press Staff and lumped together as a whole and that is simply not the case,” Manning said. “The in- Students from the School of Education’s dividuals with special needs whom I have got- Exceptional Educators club will be speaking ten to know are utterly unique and incredible out against the use of the word “retarded,” in in entirely different ways.” everyday speech in the club’s “Campaign to The campaign allows those who care about End the ‘R-Word’ Week.” special needs students to speak on their be- Joining forces with Boston University’s half, she said. Community Service Center to sell T-shirts, “Unfortunately, it is often that those with hold an open mic night and provide a dinner special needs cannot defend or advocate for banquet to raise awareness about the r-word, themselves,” Manning said. “It is our respon- the club, which is dedicated to helping spe- sibility to do this.” cial-education students, will raise money for SED sophomore and Exceptional Educator Autism Speaks, an organization supporting member Kimberly Hartel said, with the cam- autism research. paign, the group hopes to make students real- SED sophomore and Exceptional Educa- ize that the r-word can be hurtful. tor member Jeanne Manning said her work “This campaign isn’t about pointing fin- with special-education students has made her gers and saying, ‘you’re wrong,’” Hartel said. understand the importance of recognizing dis- “It’s about raising awareness. We’re hop- abled persons individually. ing people will think twice about using the r- MICHAEL FERRUGIA / DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF School of Management senior Lucas Dunn flips his skateboard in Marsh Chapel Plaza R-WORD, see page4 Wednesday. 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011 BUSI member: ‘I think it’s really important to show both sides of the story’ APARTHEID: From Page 1 whether sensationalism, politicized members handed out flyers while cation senior and BUSI member Precipice,” featuring the former slogans, and other forms of nega- calling for peace. Arielle Adler, who was handing out legal adviser to the PLO, Dianna tive and grandiose propaganda are “I think it’s important to remem- flyers near the SJP’s wall. Buttu, in the Photonics Center. build it, because students here fitting for the academic integrity ber that Israel’s main objective, just “I think that it’s really important Also on Thursday, BUSI mem- should see the wall,” Chinich said of Boston University,” the BUSI like the Palestinians want, just like to show both sides of the story.” bers will gather at Marsh Chapel at of the email. email continued. the Israeli want, is everybody just For Thursday, SJP will have a 3 p.m.