Stuck in the City: Boston

By Williette Nyanue

BOSTON-In a city where the Red Sox are idolized, not everyone is a fan. “I think they are annoying,” states 21-year-old Boston University student Ryan Matsuura. While staying in Boston, Matsuura officially adds the Red Sox to the list of teams that he dislikes.

Though he sits in his chair swiveling from side to side looking a little nervous about the interview, he loosens up at the mention of sports. Matsuura, a student of Japanese descent, expresses his love for every Bay Area team except the 49ers.

“I follow everything sports,” he states, “I even saw Barry Bonds hit his record-winning home run.”

Though experiencing this milestone in baseball history could give Matsuura bragging rights, his off-the-cuff manner of speaking makes him appear humble. His love for sports unites him with thousands of other Bostonians, even in a place very far from home.

More than 3,000 miles away from his hometown of Saratoga, Calif., this small-town sports fan ventured to Boston University looking for a new big-city experience, only to find that his heart was really back on the West Coast. Not a fan of the East Coast winters, Matsuura chooses to brave them until he finishes his schooling in either finance or law, after which he hopes to return to California.

Dressed casually in blue jeans, a gray sweatshirt, and white sneakers, he has brown eyes that stand out behind thin dark rimmed glasses. He states some interesting facts about his life, “Steven Spielberg went to my high school…he hated it.”
With his nonchalant manner of speaking, his nervous gestures become less apparent, and Matsuura appears more relaxed as the conversation continues.