Boston University

Andromeda Strain lab set to begin low-level operations next month

adamg — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:58:27 +0000

The Daily Free Press goes on a tour of BU's new South End biolab, which is set to begin work on less-dangerous pathogens next month as it gears up for eventual work on killers such as Ebola. The Free Press describes the measures the lab is taking to keep killer bugs out of our air; conspicuous in their absence: darts set to fire automatically at escaping monkeys and nuclear bombs.

BU students reminded: If you're in a burning building, call 911 before your parents

adamg — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:38:28 +0000

BU Today reports on this morning's fire on Linden Street, in a house occupied by BU students:

BU Police Chief Thomas Robbins says his department received a call from a parent of one of the students in the apartment, whose first response was to call home. Robbins says he hopes that students learn to make their first and immediate call to 911 or to the BUPD at 617-353-2121. "We've got to get our number on the students' radar," he says. "It's great that this person called a parent, but people in danger should call us first, then call a parent."

Good morning, Boston

adamg — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:49:25 +0000

Steven Ganeles watched the sun come up around 6:30 this morning from 10 Buick St. Click on the photo for a larger version.

BU hockey player charged with sexual assault

adamg — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:16:47 +0000

12/11/11 - 11:00 pm

Corey Trivino, a star player on the BU hockey team, faces charges he forced his way into a female student's room and repeatedly groped her, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Trivino, a Canadian, was ordered to surrender his passport at his arraignment yesterday in Brighton District Court, the DA's office says. Judge David T. Donnelly released Trivino on his own recognizance, but ordered him to stay away from BU dorms - and to hand over $25,000 before he gets his passport back.

According to prosecutors, Trivino forced his way into the student's room at 10 Buick St. late Sunday:

The victim told the officers that Trivino had forced his way into her room, tried to kiss her, and groped her repeatedly after she asked him and a group of others to abide by the dormitory’s mandatory quiet hours. Trivino allegedly refused to leave her room even when she resisted his advances and told him he needed to go. Only when the victim called for help on the phone did Trivino run out of the room, she said.

Innocent, etc.

At BU, professor up and leaves in middle of semester

adamg — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:33:45 +0000

To promote her book.

Cell-snatching scooter stealer stalks school

adamg — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:20:22 +0000

The Daily Free Press reports BU this semester has been plagued by a guy on a moped who putters up to people talking on their phone by the curb, snatches their phones, then speeds away. The latest theft was Sunday night in front of Marsh Plaza on Comm. Ave.

BU students learn what happens when you stuff too many people in an elevator

adamg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:39:52 +0000

It gets stuck. It was also a lesson learned by the BU maintenance guy who crammed in.

If the T won't provide late-night service, maybe a private company will

adamg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:37:03 +0000

Like, for example, Boston Nightlife Express, which is now providing bus service between the BU campus and various downtown points, 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. You reserve a ride online - mostly $6 a pop - you can buy snacks on board and you get a cookie at your destination.

When condoms were illegal in Massachusetts unless you were married: Bill Baird returns to the scene of the crime

adamg — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:03:36 +0000

The Daily Free Press reports Bill Baird spoke the other day at BU - for the first time since his arrest in 1967 for giving a condom and some contraceptive foam to a 19-year-old during a talk there.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's, oh, wait, where the hell's the mirror?

adamg — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:18:10 +0000

Outrage at Boston University after officials order floor-length mirrors removed from one dorm's hallways as potential fire hazards (that's what she said):

"I feel that taking off the mirrors was completely unnecessary," said Allie Orlando, a freshman in the College of Communication. "When you are going to class, it's convenient that the mirrors are right there by the elevators in case you to need to correct something."

Students are warning they'll show up in class looking like a meat-covered pop diva unless those mirrors are returned, pronto, buster.

Fried chicken wrestled away from punchy, drunk BU student

adamg — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:08:33 +0000

10/7/11 - 2:30 am

The Daily Free Press reports a security guard at the Packard's Corner Star Market managed to retrieve an entire cooked chicken, soda, rolls and cold cuts from a drunken BU student who attempted to make off with them early last Friday, but only after a struggle in which the student punched him at least twice before running off.

The guard knows the guy was a BU student and not a Red Sox pitcher, because in addition to the chicken, soda, rolls and cold cuts, the guard also managed to grab his BU student ID, the Daily Free Press reports.

BU student reports close shave in Audubon Circle

adamg — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:31:17 +0000

The Daily Free Press reports a student living on Aberdeen Street notified campus police that "the area around her sink looked different and looked as if someone shaved in the bathroom and left." So that probably rules out frizzy-haired comedians who like rearranging things and putting them back exactly as they were.

Green Line driver: Sucks to BU

adamg — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:57:43 +0000

Jillian Baker tweets:

T driver at BU Central to passengers: come up front to pay your fare, this is the MBTA not the BU shuttle.

BU grad student back on hook for $675,000 for illegal song downloads

adamg — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:30:29 +0000

A federal appeals court yesterday reinstated a jury's monetary damages against Joel Tenenbaum for downloading and sharing copyrighted music on various peer-to-peer networks - and ruled there is nothing unconstitutional about the law used to go after him.

The ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston does not mean Tenenbaum has to fork over the money to Sony and four other recording companies just yet, however.

The court said it didn't object in general to district Court Judge Nancy Gertner's decision to reduce the award to $67,500, only that she was wrong to do so on the grounds it was so excessive it violated his constitutional right to due process. Instead, the appeals court directed Gertner to consider whether to reduce the damages under a common-law principal that lets judges reduce jury awards. The difference is that if she decides to do so that way, the companies could seek a new trial.

The judges expressed little sympathy for Tenenbaum, represented by Harvard Law professor Charles Nesson, calling him a liar who knew that repeatedly downloading songs over several years was wrong - because everybody from his father to the RIAA told him to knock it off, and he didn't, even as he blamed everybody from his sisters to burglars for installing file-sharing software on his computer.

Complete ruling, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, et al. vs. Joel Tenenbaum

Test-driving Hubway

JennyMack — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:17:20 +0000

BU Today's Leslie Friday takes Hubway for a spin to find out what all of the fuss is about:

All along Newbury Street and Comm Ave, habitual bikers whiz by me, their backdraft mocking my steady, but slower, speed. Hubway bikes are made for heavy-duty use by people of all skill levels—more like beach cruisers than speed racers, so I enjoy the sights. The Citgo sign looms as I cross back onto campus. By now my legs are burning, the setting sun is striking me squarely in the eyes, and I’m going uphill to my last stop: FitRec.

[...] So, lessons learned: visit Hubway’s site beforehand, bring a helmet and a cell phone, and don’t rely on these bikes if you’re on a tight schedule. I wasn’t, so I chalked it up as another urban adventure.

Have you tried Hubway yet? What have your experiences been so far?

Test-Driving Hubway | BU Today