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Terriers work with BARCC, alter team drinking policy

By Kevin Dillon/DFP Staff

In an effort to reshape the culture around the Boston University men’s hockey team, the players have attended sessions with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center over the past few weeks.

In these sessions, BARCC members have discussed topics with members of the team such as sexual assault, bystander training and the meaning of consent.

“It was good to talk about that stuff again and just kind of make sure guys know what’s right and know what’s wrong, know what consent means,” said senior assistant captain Ryan Ruikka. “I think the character stuff helps a lot that we’ve been doing and I think it’s very helpful for us so it’s going good.”

BU coach Jack Parker said that coaches are not allowed in the same sessions as members of the team because it makes players feel more comfortable with discussing these topics. However, the coaches went through the same training before the players did.

“[BARCC is] terrific at it,” Parker said. “What we’ve seen and what we’ve heard, the feedback from them on how our kids are reacting to it, they’re very pleased with the attention. But you’ve got to be good at holding people’s attention and they’re good at it. So we’re really happy with that.”

Parker said the team is likely finished with its BARCC training for this semester, but that there will be at least one more session for the team next semester.

The team has also reshaped its drinking policy, banning any player who can legally drink from consuming any hard liquor. If a player wants to drink an alcoholic beverage, his choice is limited to beer. Of course, the policy only allows players 21-years-old or older to drink.

“One of the things we decided was that, we never had this as a rule but we didn’t know it was that necessary to tell you the truth, but now it’s just beer,” Parker said. “No hard liquor.”

Also in the new drinking policy, players are allowed to drink two nights per week instead of just the one night that was allowed early last season. Players cannot drink within 72 hours before a game.

“When you only have one night a week, maybe you go harder on that night or stay out later on that night, because it’s your only night,” Parker said. “So this way they know it’s not, they get two nights.”

Parker said that the coaching staff and the team leadership council are still working on setting a curfew for those nights, but none has been officially set yet.

“We’ll talk about it more, but it won’t be ‘whatever you want.’ It won’t be three o’clock in the morning,” Parker said. “I’ve always had the philosophy that nothing good happens after two o’clock in the morning. Maybe I should say nothing good happens after one o’clock.”

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