OCTOBER 29, 2020 VOL. 28 NO. 5
PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
New Campaign Will Support Financial Aid BY THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Show of Solidarity
photo by peter julian
The Boston College Forum on Racial Justice in America partnered with Student Affairs to host “Solidarity for Racial Justice” on Tuesday, a campus-wide event that invited students, faculty, staff, and student organizations to walk on Main Campus in support of racial justice. For details on this and other Forum on Racial Justice events, see bc.edu/forum.
INSIDE 3 Coronavirus, schedule updates
The University announced student options for Thanksgiving and the rest of the fall semester, as well as schedule details for spring semester.
5 Vox populi
A BC junior organized a virtual “town hall” event in which opposing U.S. Senate candidates Edward Markey and Kevin O’Connor participated.
6 Burns Scholar in Irish Studies Éilís Ní Dhuibhne sees a great relevance in folklore as a means to study literature.
Boston College has launched a $125-million fundraising effort to bolster its commitment to need-blind admissions for undergraduates. The Be a Beacon Campaign for Financial Aid will run through May 31. “We believe that any student who has earned admission through our rigorous admission process should be able to accept the offer to become an Eagle—regardless of their family’s financial circumstances,” reads a statement on the campaign website [beabeacon.bc.edu]. The website noted that Boston College’s undergraduate financial aid budget for 2020-21 is $152 million, which represents a 43 percent increase over the past decade. In a letter last week, University Presi-
dent William P. Leahy, S.J., noted that BC is one of only 20 private national institutions of higher education in the United States that are need-blind in admission— admitting students on the merit of their applications, not on their ability to afford tuition—and also meet full demonstrated need of qualified undergraduates. “Current economic conditions and loss of family income have made it increasingly difficult for deserving applicants to enroll at ‘the Heights,’ spotlighting the importance of financial aid and endowed scholarships,” he wrote. “Please join us in supporting individuals of potential, commitment, and generosity who will assist Boston College in living up to its mission and who will also contribute to resolving challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Continued on page 4
‘A Serious Course’
If it’s an election year, Kay Schlozman is teaching her Parties and Elections in America class—and giving students a comprehensive look at the electoral process BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
This semester—as she has almost every national election year, presidential or midterm, since she arrived at Boston College in 1974—Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay L. Schlozman is giving undergraduates a nuts-and-bolts, top-to-bottom grounding in the American electoral process through her Parties and Elections in America class. Not surprisingly, they’ve had a lot to keep up with this particular election year, given the almost non-stop torrent of events, controversies, and memes that have characterized Campaign 2020—in-
cluding COVID-19, anti-racism protests, the Amy Coney Barrett nomination, and the widely acknowledged Worst Presidential Debate of All Time on September 29. But Schlozman has always urged her students to look beyond the immediacy of headlines and breaking news and focus on big questions: How has the American system of parties and elections changed—or not—over the past 50 years? How do political parties structure social, economic, and political conflict in a democracy? What is the extent to which the American electoral system contributes to democratic control of government? Schlozman’s students dig deep to come up with their answers, whether analyzing
the funding patterns and strategies of political action committees (PACs), browsing detailed data on election results and voting activity, and critiquing decades-old political campaign TV ads. “It’s a serious course, because I take citizenship and engagement with politics very seriously,” said Schlozman, an expert on citizen participation in American politics who researches broad areas of American political life, citizen political participation, parties and elections, interest groups, voting and public opinion, political movements, money in politics, and the gender gap in citizen political activity.
Continued on page 8
These poems, this book, was my method of surviving the pandemic. It was also a way of sharing with the world my sense that poetry can offer a modicum of hope and a small dose of relief. – maxim d. shrayer, on his new book of politics and pandemics, page 4
Chronicle
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OCTOBER 29, 2020
Around Campus
University to Host Replica of ‘Angels Unawares’ Statue in November “Angels Unawares,” a replica of the original bronze sculpture installed in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square to commemorate the 105th World Day of Refugees and Migrants, will grace the outside of O’Neill Library beginning November 1 and throughout the month, announced Melodie Wyttenbach, executive director of the Barbara and Patrick Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College. The 20-foot-long, 12-foot-high, and 3.8-ton reproduction depicts raft-bound migrants and refugees representing diverse cultures and historical crises. Portrayed among the 140 figures are a Jew fleeing Nazi Germany, a Syrian departing that country’s civil war, a Pole escaping the communist regime, a Cherokee on the Trail of Tears, an Irish boy escaping the potato famine, and the Holy Family of Nazareth. At the sculpture’s center, angel wings are visible, alluding to the sacredness of the migrant and refugee. Its name is derived from the New Testament’s Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” “Hosting this beautiful sculpture, which captures all nations and religions over a
Roche Center Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach: “This statue calls us to act and consider ways we are one humanity.”
span of historical periods, demonstrates the overwhelming impact that migration has had on humanity,” said Wyttenbach. “Artwork can serve as a virtual ambassador for our faith and as Christians this statue calls us to act and consider ways we are one humanity.”
At its Rome installation on September 29, 2019, Pope Francis and four refugees from various parts of the world inaugurated the sculpture, the first time in 172 years that a new monument was erected in St Peter’s Square. Remarking that migrants and refugees are shown “indifference” in the world’s most economically advantaged countries and are “often looked down upon and considered the source of all society’s ills,” Pope Francis said “Angels Unawares” should “remind everyone of the evangelical challenge of hospitality.” The sculptor, Timothy Schmalz, whose work often illustrates the care and comfort of the disenfranchised, including a sculpture that depicts Jesus as a homeless person, was commissioned by Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., the undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugee Section of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Among the refugees represented on the boat are the cardinal’s parents, who immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia, and Mother Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants. The original sculpture was funded by migrants from northern Italy, the Rudolph P. Bratty Family. A smaller reproduction
was also installed in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. According to Cardinal Czerny, the impetus for the statue came from the “strong urging of Pope Francis to remember the excluded, neglected, thrown away, the poor and disenfranchised who occupy the periphery of society. “I do hope that the sculpture will trigger discussion, dialogue, and honest reflection on why some people treat others in ways that they themselves would not want to be treated and the very opposite of how their parents or ancestors were treated.” To generate such conversations, the Roche Center for Catholic Education will hold a series of lectures and events related to immigration throughout November. More information can be found at the Roche Center’s website [bc.edu/roche]. Following its yearlong tour across the U.S., with stops in South Bend, Ind., and San Antonio, Texas, “Angels Unawares” will be permanently installed at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. —Phil Gloudemans
Career Night in Arts + Entertainment Goes Virtual, Expands to Weeklong Format A bevy of accomplished alumni arts professionals representing a wide array of fields will offer Boston College students valuable career insights and advice during the Arts Council’s pinnacle fall event, Career Night in the Arts + Entertainment, to be held virtually from November 9–13. Since its inception as an evening event in 1999, the initiative—sponsored with the Career Center and McMullen Museum of Art—has annually drawn some 100 students, and facilitated opportunities for them to engage with alumni working in the broad arts and entertainment industry. The move to a virtual platform, and expansion to a weeklong format, allowed organizers to reimagine the event and extend its reach to alumni all over the country. “We hope that with this expanded format, attendees will walk away with not only valuable insight and advice, but also the opportunities to express themselves and apply their passion,” said Tatiana Flis, Arts Council program administrator. “We thought about skills and passions exhibited by students, and identified employers as well as alumni, in different professional ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Panel. All will be held live via Zoom and run for approximately 45 minutes, followed by “after-party” Zoom breakouts to facilitate and replicate in-person networking. Each panel, which will be recorded and be made available upon request to BC students, is open to the University community, including alumni, with registration. For the schedule and information on alumni participants, go to bc.edu/artscareer; each panel will have its own registration link. Registration also is available via events.bc.edu and Handshake. —Rosanne Pellegrini (L-R) Emmy-winning designer and illustration artist Gregory Park ’97, freelance sports photographer Kathryn Riley ’16, and WGBH digital producer Meghan Smith ‘13 will be among the alumni participating in Career Night in the Arts + Entertainment.
stages, in a range of careers.” Participants include photographers, entrepreneurs, designers, musicians, actors, producers, playwrights, journalists, authors, managing directors, development officers, and academics. Alumni interactions help students to learn about and explore career options,
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Chronicle
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu
Patricia Delaney EDITOR
Sean Smith
build networking skills, and provide the opportunity for meaningful conversations about the pursuit of careers in creative fields and success in chosen artistic paths. Career Week comprises four alumni panels—Creative Production; On Air; Writing; and Arts Administration—and concludes with a Recruiter Engagement
Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian
CORRECTION In the Q&A with Theatre Department Chair Luke Jorgensen that appeared in the October 15 Chronicle, the name of Theatre Associate Professor of the Practice Patricia Riggin was misspelled. Chronicle regrets the error.
The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135. A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.
Chronicle
OCTOBER 29, 2020
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE Community positivity rate at 0.17 percent last week; University announces student options for Thanksgiving and spring semester schedule As Boston College continued to post low case numbers in its COVID-19 testing program last week, the University announced that it is offering students options for completing the rest of the fall semester, and also released details on the spring semester schedule. University Health Services reported 15 positive COVID-19 case out of 8,420 tests during the week of October 19–25, resulting in a community positivity rate of 0.17 percent. The Massachusetts weekly positivity rate stands at 1.5 percent. At press time, there were 19 BC undergraduates in isolation—13 in University isolation housing and six recovering at home. A total of 207 undergraduates have recovered and returned to normal activities. Since testing began on August 16, University Health Services has conducted 70,510 tests of BC community members with a total of 233 positive cases reported. Among undergrads, UHS has conducted 50,589 tests with 226 positives for a cumulative positivity rate of 0.33 percent. By comparison, Boston University has reported 219 total positive cases, Providence College 256, Northeastern University 154, and University of Notre Dame 1,026. The University announced this month that students will have the option of leaving the University and the state of Massachusetts for Thanksgiving break and completing their courses and finals remotely from home, or remaining at BC or elsewhere within the Commonwealth for Thanksgiving and finishing the semester on campus. The announcement was made in a letter to the community from Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead and Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, following a survey of undergraduate students. Students living on campus who choose to return to their homes outside of Massachusetts must inform the Office of Residential Life of their choice by November 13. Pro-rated room credits and board balances will be applied to these students’ accounts for the spring semester. Students living in off-campus apartments who choose to leave Massachusetts for the Thanksgiving break will also complete their courses remotely, and will not be able to return to campus until the start of the spring semester. Students who choose to remain on campus for the remainder of the semester must also register with Residential Life to continue their access to campus facilities and services. Campus residence halls will close on the last day of exams, currently scheduled for December 21, and will reopen at the start of the second semester. The letter also stated that all under-
graduates would be tested the week of November 16, in advance of Thanksgiving travel. BC administrators said the University is providing these options in light of a nationwide uptick in COVID-19 cases reported this month. Boston College, they said, is in a position to allow students to remain on campus through the scheduled end of the fall semester as a result of a steady decrease in its COVID-19 positivity rate since the spike that occurred during the week of September 7-13. BC’s average weekly positivity rate has fallen steadily since. On Monday, Quigley and Lochhead announced plans for the spring semester, saying the University expects to offer a mix of in-person, hybrid, and online courses. Among the schedule details: •Classes will begin on January 28. •There will be no spring break March 1-5, but classes will not be held on March 3. •For Easter Weekend, classes will take place until 4 p.m. on April 1 (Holy Thursday); classes will not be held on April 2 (Good Friday) and will resume on the morning of April 5 (Easter Monday). •The University is awaiting a decision on whether the Boston Marathon will be held on April 19; if it is postponed, classes will be held that day. •Final exams will be given between May 11 and 18. •Commencement is scheduled for May 24. In addition, the letter announced that the University has cancelled all studyabroad programs, as well as the exchange program for international students, for the spring semester. The University will require that all students, faculty, and staff who intend to be on campus for the spring semester be tested for COVID-19 prior to the start of classes. This testing will be provided by the University at no cost to the individual. Access to residence halls and other on-campus facilities and services will be tied to proof of COVID-19 testing, and students will be expected to quarantine in their rooms or off campus until their results are returned. The University will continue its asymptomatic surveillance testing and rigorous contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation plans for the spring semester. Quigley and Lochhead said further information about move-in and testing procedures for January will be forthcoming. Updates and information regarding the University’s response to the pandemic are available at the Reopening BC website: bc.edu/reopen. —University Communications
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Veterans Day Events Online Retired U.S. Marine Corps Captain W. Christopher Bade ’80, P’20, an active supporter of military veterans, will be the featured speaker at the 20th Annual Boston College Veterans Remembrance Ceremony, held virtually on November 11 at 11 a.m. Instead of presenting a formal address, Bade will participate in a conversation with Boston College ROTC Cadet Charles Work ’23. Preceding Bade’s talk with Work will be a Veterans Day Mass that will be streamed online at 10 a.m. Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Brett McLaughlin, S.J., STM ’20, will preside and retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander John Monahan, S.J., will preach. During the Veterans Day ceremony, ROTC cadets will read the names of BC alumni who gave their lives in combat and Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead ’93, M.B.A. ’99, a U.S. Army veteran, will pay tribute to all veterans and describe how the University community supports those who served in the military. Bade, vice president of field service and customer support for Analogic Corp., has worked in the medical and security imaging industries for more than 25 years. He serves his fellow veterans through his work on the board of trustees for Ironstone Farm, a therapeutic horseback riding farm in Andover, Mass.; his fundraising efforts for a new veterans outreach center on Cape Cod; and his coaching of veterans transitioning to civilian life through the BC Veterans Alumni Network (BCVAN). “The Alumni Association is honored to have Chris Bade as the featured speaker for BC’s Veterans Remembrance Ceremony,” said Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations Leah DeCosta. “Throughout his career, Chris has exemplified the BC mission of being men and women for others through his dedication as a volunteer leader. We are
Retired Marine Captain W. Christopher Bade ’80, featured speaker on Veterans Day.
grateful that our alumni and guests will have the opportunity to hear from Chris about how he intentionally transitioned from active military service with the goal of dedicating himself to supporting veterans in numerous ways.” A former aviator in the Marines, Bade flew the AV-8B Harrier and served as a forward air controller and infantry battalion adjutant during his seven years on active duty. He served an additional four years in the Marine Corps Reserves. Bade received a degree in geology and geophysics from Boston College and an M.B.A. in general management from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business. DeCosta said the dialogue between Bade and Work as part of the ceremony will enrich the event. “The conversation between an alumnus and a student is symbolic of both the strong relationship that exists between BCVAN and ROTC, as well as between our alumni and our students on so many levels.” This event is sponsored by the Alumni Association, BCVAN, the Boston College Army ROTC Program, the Office of the Executive Vice President, and Campus Ministry. The event is open to all members of the Boston College community, but advance registration is required. To register, go to https://bit. ly/358Yhjw. –Christine Balquist
Members of the University community browsed the farmers market on Corcoran Commons earlier this month. Organized through Boston College Dining Services, the market—held every Thursday during the fall—features locally grown produce and locally prepared bread and other products. photo by lee pellegrini
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OCTOBER 29, 2020
Shrayer Turns to Poetry in His New Volume BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
In response to the profound impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the divisive political climate, award-winning author and Professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies Maxim D. Shrayer has written Of Politics and Pandemics: Songs of a Russian Immigrant, a volume of 36 interconnected poems about the effect of these seminal events on American society. Called “a tonic for our times” by one reviewer, the volume—presented in the vibrant voice of “a Russian immigrant”— employs a rich variety of poetic forms. Through a combination of biting satire and piercing lyricism, Shrayer’s new work delivers a translingual poetic manifesto of despair, hope, love, and loss, according to its publisher. “These poems, this book, was my method of surviving the pandemic,” according to Shrayer, who teaches in the Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies. “It was also a way of sharing with the world my sense that poetry can offer a modicum of hope and a small dose of relief. One cannot write poetry today without harboring some hope that these silly rimes shall lead one out of the labyrinth of helplessness, illness, and death.” Shrayer will take part in a virtual launch for Of Politics and Pandemics via Zoom tonight, October 29, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Brookline Public Library-Coolidge Corner. He has authored more than 15 books
in English and Russian, among them the internationally acclaimed memoir Leaving Russia: A Jewish Story, the collection Yom Kippur in Amsterdam, and the anthology Voices of Jewish-Russian Literature. His works have been translated into nine languages. Shrayer won a 2007 National Jewish Book Award and in 2012 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship. In late November of 2019 Shrayer “experienced a surge of political hopelessness,” which served as his literary inspiration. “The explanation is fairly simple in historical and existential terms, and a bit more complex along the linguistic and stylistic lines.” Shrayer said he “rather surprised [himself] by composing a series of mostly satirical poems about election-year politics,” between December 2019 and March 2020. But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, he shifted focus by the end of March: “I was mainly writing about the impact of the pandemic on everyday life—my own, my family members and close friends both in the U.S. and in Europe, and my fellow citizens of the world. “As life increasingly retreated and turned inward under the yoke of the pandemic, my poems became less satirical and more lyrical and confessional,” he explained. A Jewish-Russian immigrant himself, Shrayer said his poetic protagonist serves as an alter ego and authorial representative capable of fluidly and swiftly transitioning from the satirical to the lyrical mode. He “felt a need for ironic distancing, so as to speak with intellectual honesty and confes-
Professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies Maxim D. Shrayer has published Of Politics and Pandemics. photo by lee pellegrini
sional vulnerability about the most pressing questions that were constantly on my mind: Why is our country going through such a terrible, devastating patch of history? Is the world on the brink of a heretofore unknown epidemiological catastrophe? And many more cursed, unanswerable questions.” In one verse, he describes this engaging “Russian immigrant”: A Russian Immigrant entertains
with Jewish humor in his veins, Russian soul-searching in his rimes, American optimism in bad times. Prior to Of Politics and Pandemics, the prolific author had written and published some English-language poetry and selftranslations, but much of his experience as a practitioner of English-language verse has been in the realm of literary translation. Shrayer had previously published three collections of Russian poetry. “Perhaps the time was ripe for me to write poetry in English. My new book is American poetry, but in a sense it’s also Russian poetry living and breathing in English. I found myself in conversation with Russian and American poets who have been particularly important in my formation.” According to Shrayer, central to the book, especially its second half, “is a reflection on that remarkably intensive experience of family love that so many of us lived—are still living—in isolation. I know I would not have completed this book without having sheltered in place with my family.” Shrayer will be joined at tonight’s book launch by his daughter, Tatiana Rebecca Shrayer, winner of a Stone Soup book contest and a student at Brookline’s Driscoll School. Her debut poetry collection, Searching for Bow and Arrows, explores the weight of one’s own personal, familial history as well as the history of politics and identity. Information on other upcoming events are available through Shrayer’s website, www. shrayer.com.
BC Signs MOU with Australian Catholic University Boston College and Australian Catholic University (ACU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support and facilitate collaboration between the two institutions. In addition, the two institutions have signed a Study Abroad and Exchange agreement. The MOU, signed earlier this month by Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and ACU Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global and Education Pathways Christopher Riley, formally brings together two of the world’s leading Catholic universities. ACU enrolls more than 34,000 students across seven campuses in Australia and another in Rome. Set to begin in mid-2021, the collaboration will provide new opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at both institutions. Once COVID travel restrictions are lifted, the agreement will make unilateral or bilateral study abroad programs available. These include student exchange agreements for specific courses, disciplines, and research; exchange agreements for both academic and administrative staff; and collaborative curriculum development to facilitate the implementation of student mobility programs. Other forms of academic collaboration include research, development, and delivery of joint courses; organization of and participation in seminars; Catholic mis-
sion and leadership program development; short-term academic programs; exchange of information including library materials and research publications, and joint participation in internationally funded projects. Quigley said, “Boston College is pleased to be moving forward with our strategic partnership with Australian Catholic University. Our shared tradition inspires our common commitment to transformative education and research in support of the common good. This MOU will help support and advance a range of existing and developing collaborations that include faculty, staff, and students.” “Since January I have been working monthly with Chris Riley at ACU through the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU),” said Vice Provost for Global Engagement James F. Keenan, S.J., the Canisius Professor of Theology. “He and all of ACU are strong partners of ours in SACRU, but this Memorandum of Understanding gives us the foundations to explore more bilateral relations between BC and ACU, something that I know BC and ACU are looking to do.” Boston College will bring to ACU its distinctive expertise in the areas of spirituality and spiritual formation, based on the University’s Ignatian roots. ACU will provide BC with an enhanced opportunity to engage with an internationally acclaimed
faculty and a diverse, multi-campus student body. “This is an exciting development in the relationship between ACU and Boston College and it builds on a history of collaboration between the two universities,” said Riley. “Boston College is one of the world’s leading Catholic universities and, like ACU, is one of the founding members of the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities—making this formal recognition of partnership particularly important.” Boston College’s MOU with Australian Catholic University is the latest in a series of formalized alliances with colleges
and universities and other institutions that have advanced the global reach of the University’s educational mission. In addition to SACRU, the University has entered into formal collaborations in recent years with institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India), the Foundation for Ecological Security (India), Mary Immaculate College (Ireland), Yonsei University College of Educational Sciences (South Korea), Seoul National University of Education (South Korea), Tashkent State University of Law (Uzbekistan), and the Jesuit Refugee Service. —University Communications
‘Be a Beacon’ Is Launched Continued from page 1
The Be a Beacon campaign website features a video message from University Trustee Steve Pemberton ’89, H ’15, a philanthropist, speaker, and executive whose best-selling autobiography describes how his BC education enabled him to overcome a childhood of poverty and hardship. The site also includes testimonials from current and former BC students who have benefited from the University’s need-blind
admission policy: They include artist and human rights activist Naren Briar ’20, the daughter of Iraqi refugees; Jamie Kweon ’21, a neuroscience major and music minor who works as a research assistant in Associate Professor of Psychology Liane Young’s Morality Lab; and physics major and budding entrepreneur Peter Huynh ’21, whose family is supporting five students in college at the same time.
Chronicle
OCTOBER 29, 2020
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Undergrad Organizes ‘Town Hall’ for Senate Race BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Boston College junior Dennis Wieboldt, a history and theology major from Martinsville, NJ, succeeded in doing what the state’s media and political establishment could not—showcase U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey ’68, J.D. ’72 and his Republican challenger Kevin O’Connor J.D. ’89. Wieboldt got both candidates to agree to speak on the topic of “Youth Engagement and the 2020 Election” in a virtual town hall event via Zoom on October 21, just 13 days before the November 3 election, through his leadership in the Boston Intercollegiate Government (BIG). BIG is a student-led governance organization that represents more than 60,000 undergraduates in the Greater Boston area. It hosts student-centered civic engagement events and leads advocacy initiatives on local, state, and federal levels. On behalf of UGBC, Wieboldt and BC senior Laura Perrault helped reorganize the group last spring, a contribution that led to his election as chair this fall. Working with student leaders at area colleges, he was able to
schedule Markey and O’Connor for backto-back town halls where students could pose questions about the future of the Commonwealth and the nation as a whole. Wieboldt acted as moderator for the event, which attracted as many as 150 viewers, and relayed students’ questions— collected through a live Q&A form—to the candidates. Markey’s portion was dominated by discussion of recent controversy over the U.S. Supreme Court, namely the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and the approval voiced by some Democrats—Markey among them—for expanding the court. O’Connor’s segment included his thoughts on the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Google, prompting him to talk about his experience with large technology companies, and on affordable health care. The candidates also gave their views on environmental issues: Markey discussed the Green New Deal and the importance of environmentally-conscious legislation; O’Connor expressed a preference for alternative approaches, such as through investment, common-sense regulation, and expansion of infrastructure to store renew-
Dennis Wieboldt ’22
able energy. Just before the event started, Wieboldt noted, U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe had held a press conference on attempts by Russia to influence the 2020 election, and Wieboldt was able to include this recent development in a broader question to Markey about voting security. “I think this demonstrates how rapidly the news cycle can change and impact our elected leaders’ approach to certain situations,” said Wieboldt, in an email the
morning after the town halls. In a time of great political division, Wieboldt said BIG has worked diligently to be a non-partisan voice of leadership of, by, and for Greater Boston area college students. “Through my tenure as chair, I will continue to ensure that BIG provides a forum for policy-makers and students alike to come together and work cooperatively on issues that impact everyone, no matter their voter registration,” said Wieboldt, who serves as a representative in the UGBC Student Assembly, undergraduate fellow with the John Marshall Project, junior fellow at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, advisory board member of the Church in the 21st Century Center, catechism instructor at Saint Ignatius Parish, and ELL tutor with the Boston College Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Wieboldt added, “Boston College has taught me that although we may be just one small chapter in a much larger history, we have the agency to write that chapter well, especially by working collaboratively with others.” —Sean Smith contributed material to this story
Series Explores ‘Irish Influence’ in American Culture BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
The links between Ireland and the United States have long been chronicled and celebrated, especially on the cultural side. From Eugene O’Neill to George M. Cohan to Maureen O’Hara, examples of the Irish imprint on American life abound throughout literature, music, theater, film, and other forms of artistic expression. But for all its rich past, English Professor of the Practice Joseph Nugent, an Irish Studies Program faculty member, feels the focus on this Irish-American connection should also include the bright present and future. This fall, in collaboration with Boston College Ireland Academic Director Michael Cronin, Nugent launched “The Irish Influence,” a weekly webinar series featuring major and rising figures in Irish cultural life. “There’s no question that Irish culture has shaped the story of America,” said Nugent. “But the Irish influence has continued to this day, and that’s what we want to explore in this series, through conversations with people at the heart of Irish cultural life today—actors, writers, historians, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, and others. Rather than a lecture, it’s an opportunity for BC faculty, students, and alumni, as well as the Boston/New England Irish community, to engage them in dialogue: What are they working on? What do they think about Irish culture, and the relationship between Ireland and the U.S.?” Tomorrow at 4:30 p.m., Nugent and Cronin welcome Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, the Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish
Joseph Nugent, left, and Michael Cronin say their webinar “The Irish Influence” is another link in Boston College’s many connections with Ireland. photos by peter julian and lee pellegrini
Studies at Boston College this semester. Ní Dhuibhne, a novelist and folklorist who writes in Irish and English, has earned numerous literary honors including the Irish PEN Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature, the Stuart Parker Award for Drama, and the Burns Prize for Fiction. She has worked in the National Library of Ireland Manuscripts Department and taught creative writing and folklore studies at University College Dublin. Her current research centers on early 19th-century collector Thomas Crofton Croker and his connection with the Brothers Grimm. [See page 6 for a profile of Ní Dhuibhne.] Registration for the webinars, and bios of featured speakers, are available at www. bc.edu/content/bc-web/sites/ireland/theirish-influence.html. While “The Irish Influence” was born in response to pandemic-related restrictions, Nugent and Cronin explain, it represents a
new incarnation of BC’s enduring ties with Ireland in a variety of disciplines and contexts. “Normally, BC would have a full calendar of campus events this semester with Ireland as a focus, and BC Ireland would be running conferences and seminars in Ireland, and welcoming BC students who are visiting Ireland,” said Cronin, who along with Nugent expressed gratitude to the Irish Consulate General in Boston for its support of the series. “Obviously, that is not happening. But ‘The Irish Influence’ is a means to keep this vital connection going in a fresh, imaginative way. For a small nation, Ireland commands a lot of attention for its culture—a calling card that makes it familiar to people around the world and in countries such as the United States with a heavy Irish diaspora concentration. “In this, BC is well known to Irish cultural figures—not only because BC is in
America’s most Irish of cities, but through its longstanding Irish Studies Program, its presence in Ireland with BC Ireland, and its support of writers and scholars through the Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies program. It is a campus of faculty, students, and alumni they wish to embrace.” Guests on “The Irish Influence” have included Fearghal McGarry, who has written on such topics as inter-war Irish radicalism and the Easter Rising, and is interested in the representation of Ireland’s past through commemoration, historical films, and museums; Mark O’Connell, a contributor to the New Yorker and Slate and author of the award-winning book To Be a Machine, which deals with transhumanism; and Paul Murray, a novelist who also has written a comedy feature film (“Metal Heart,” 2018) and is now developing projects with BBC Comedy. Nugent said the American fascination with Irish culture continues to show itself in innovative, state-of-the-art fashion, pointing to a series of popular TikTok videos by Morgan Bullock, a young Black woman who sets traditional Irish dance steps to hip-hop. “The soft power of Irish culture sits with the young people, like [actors] Colin Farrell and Domhnall and Brian Gleeson,” he said. “There is definitely a place at the table in ‘The Irish Influence’ for BC students and others of similar generations to give their perspectives. We feel that the series builds on what Irish Studies and BC Ireland have done for years, which is contribute to the intellectual life of the University.”
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OCTOBER 29, 2020
Burns Scholar Values Links Between Folklore, Literature BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Éilís Ní Dhuibhne knew she wanted to be a writer from a very early age, and believed she had the perfect plan to achieve this goal: “Read everything.” This, of course, proved to be a little too ambitious. Still, Ní Dhuibhne—a Dublin native who is the Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies at Boston College this fall—was able to fulfill her desire to become a writer, and has been a successful one at that. She’s published nearly 30 novels, collections of stories, plays, and memoirs; she writes in Irish as well as English, and her books have been widely translated. Her literary honors include the Irish PEN Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature, the Stuart Parker Award for Drama, the Hennessy Wall of Fame Award, and the Burns Prize for Fiction for her novel The Dancers Dancing, which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her memoir, Twelve Thousand Days, was shortlisted for the Michel Deon award last month. Although she did not, in fact, read everything, Ní Dhuibhne is glad she at least explored one genre in particular. The course in Irish folklore she took as a student at University College Dublin proved to be a revelation, changing the way she thought about literature and providing a focus for her research and teaching that continues to this day—and for her tenure as Burns Scholar this fall.
Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies Éilís Ní Dhuibhne: “The basis of written literature is found in the oral tradition and the same narratives can be found in many different cultures and languages.” photo by lee pellegrini
Since 1991, BC has invited distinguished academics, writers, artists, journalists, librarians, and notable public figures who have made significant contributions to Irish cultural and intellectual life to serve as Burns Scholars. Appointees teach courses, offer public lectures, and use the University’s John J. Burns Library in their ongoing research, writing, and creative endeavors related to Irish history, art, and culture. “Having personally known some previ-
ous Burns Scholars, and having visited BC about 10 years ago, I was very well aware of it being a center of Irish studies,” said Ní Dhuibhne. “While the circumstances may be less than ideal because of the pandemic, I am delighted to be part of the Boston College community this fall and am enjoying my interactions with students and faculty.” Ní Dhuibhne, who is leading a creative writing workshop for undergraduates, took part in a YouTube event yesterday to launch her new collection of short stories, Little Red, and tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. will appear in “The Irish Influence” webinar series sponsored by BC’s Irish Studies Program and Boston College Ireland [see page 5]. She is using the Burns Library resources for a study of Thomas Crofton Croker (1798-1854), whom she describes as an Irish “proto-folklorist”—markedly different than the academically or professionally credentialed scholars and collectors now typical of the discipline. Although not as polished or proficient in some aspects of the work compared to later folklorists, she said, Crofton Croker was “a gifted amateur” whose three-volume Fairy Legends and Traditions in the South of Ireland was immensely popular and considered foundational. He corresponded and collaborated with the Brothers Grimm, among the most famous of folklorists, who translated his book into German. “Crofton Croker was a Renaissance man who wrote, did sketches, and acted as a
kind of ‘chief networker’ for the folklorists of that period,” she said. “Irish folklorists of the 20th century, when it became a scholarly field, held minimal respect for Crofton Croker and his contemporaries. But it’s fascinating to assess the attitudes, interests, and perceptions that influenced his methodology and presentation of his work, and the impact this had on the study of folklore itself.” In contemporary and popular culture, Ní Dhuibhne said, folklore is often belittled as the province of the unsophisticated or unworldly—fodder for children’s entertainment. She herself didn’t pay much attention to it until the course she took at UCD, which involved extensive use of archival material, all in Irish. “It opened my eyes,” she said. “Ireland has such a treasure in its vast accumulation of folklore, notably folk tales or fairy tales. The basis of written literature is found in the oral tradition—think of The Canterbury Tales, for example—and the same narratives can be found in many different cultures and languages. As a folklorist, you can see the structure of these stories from oral tradition are replicated in novels and short stories, although perhaps they may be modernized. “When I brought Irish folk tales into my creative writing workshop here at BC, the students found something inspiring about them; one student said, ‘I couldn’t stop writing!’ In folk tales and fairy tales, the human imagination enjoys the fullest freedom.”
OBITUARY
Thomas Vanderslice, Trustee, Benefactor
A recent view from inside the science building now under construction on Middle Campus. The facility, scheduled to open in late 2021, will house the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society. photo by lee pellegrini
A funeral Mass was celebrated on October 16 for Thomas A. Vanderslice, an accomplished scientist and businessman whose generosity to his alma mater is exemplified in academics and brick and mortar alike at Boston College. Dr. Vanderslice died on October 9 at the age of 88. Over the period of a decade and a half, the Philadelphia native and 1953 graduate, who served on the University’s Board of Trustees for 17 years, and his wife, Margaret—whom he had met in high school after moving to Waltham—made a series of gifts that strengthened BC’s teaching and research in the sciences and supported its residential program for undergraduates. In 1989, the couple established the Margaret A. and Thomas A. Vanderslice Chair in Chemistry, the University’s first endowed chair in the physical sciences. Nine years later, they founded the Joseph T. and Patricia Vanderslice Millennium Chair in Chemistry in honor of Dr. Vanderslice’s older brother and sister-in-law. In 2004, Dr. and Mrs. Vanderslice endowed the Fr. William B. Neenan, S.J., Millennium Chair in Economics to pay tribute to the beloved long-time University administrator and his service to BC. A Vanderslice family reunion took place for a special occasion on November 17, 1995, when the University formally renamed
photo by gary wayne gilbert
the newly opened residence hall at 70 St. Thomas More Drive for Dr. Vanderslice’s parents, Joseph and Mae, commemorating another gift from Dr. and Mrs. Vanderslice. Dr. Vanderslice began his career as a scientist at the General Electric Research and Development Center in Schenectady, NY, then moved into management, and was later named executive vice president of General Electric’s Power Systems Sector. He went on to become president and COO of General Telephone and Electronics, CEO of Apollo Computer and CEO of M/A-COM. Dr. Vanderslice was credited with more than a dozen scientific patents. Read the full obituary at http://bit.ly/thomasa-vanderslice-obit. —University Communications
Chronicle
OCTOBER 29, 2020
WELCOME ADDITIONS
BC in the Media
An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College Ingu Hwang
Assistant Professor of the Practice, International Studies Program Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Dongguk University, South Korea (B.A.); Yonsei University, South Korea (M.A.); University of Chicago (Ph.D.) WHAT HE STUDIES: Modern Korean history and politics; Cold War East Asian diplomacy; the history of human rights/humanitarianism. WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Divided Korea; Development and Social Justice in Korea; Colonial Korea and Its Legacies; Human Rights in East Asia; Korean War: Conflicts, Security, and Peace.
we are discussing together present them with different ideals towards which they can aspire, and in that way help them form their own identity. We have also been talking about the importance of living a life that authentically reflects our own values, and how reading and talking about philosophy enables us to own or disown the values that have been handed down to us. This semester, I have a few students in my class who don’t immediately see the value of reading philosophy, and one of my main aims is for them to aspire to be the sort of person who loves reading and writing about philosophy.”
Reena Parikh
What do you feel is the most common misconception Americans have about South Korea?
“I can easily think of a couple of examples: One, do all South Koreans eat dogs? It is true that some dogs are raised to be eaten, but most Koreans don’t eat dog meat. Most consider dogs and cats their friends and companions. Two, do South Koreans always feel hostile to North Korea due to its nuclear weapons? Most South Koreans are aware of the instability of the division system and desire a permanent, peaceful resolution to the problem.”
Karin Nisenbaum
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: University of Chicago (B.A.); University College Dublin (M.A.); University of Toronto (Ph.D.) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Kant; German idealism; Phenomenology; Existentialism; 19th and 20th-century Jewish thought; metaphysics; ethics. WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Perspectives on Western Culture; Conceptions of God in 19th and 20th-century Jewish Thought.
At Boston College, philosophy is a requirement for all undergraduates. What’s your approach to presenting philosophy to non-majors?
“One of the reasons why I love teaching philosophy to non-majors is that it constantly forces me to find new ways of understanding and explaining the value of doing philosophy (something I at times lose sight of when I’m in the weeds of my own research, working to meet a deadline). Every year, I try to develop a new approach to presenting the value of philosophy to non-majors. This year, I have been inspired by recent work by Agnes Callard (University of Chicago) on the nature of aspiration, and I have been talking with my students about how many of the texts
labor.
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Assistant Clinical Professor, Boston College Law School DEGREES: Boston College (B.A.); American University Washington College of Law (J.D.) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Immigration; civil rights;
WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Civil Rights Clinic What is one of your main pedagogical goals in the Civil Rights Clinic? “My goal is to expose my students to different models of lawyering, including individual client representation as well as community and movement lawyering. I want the students to critically examine the role of the lawyer, client, and community in these different models and determine which approach they want to embark on to effect social change.”
Caitlin Vitale
Clinical Instructor, Connell School of Nursing DEGREES: Boston College (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Impact of social determinants of health on rural health; the role of advanced practice nurses in improving rural health equity. WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Physiologic Variables for Nurse Anesthesia; simulation labs for anesthesia; clinical seminars.
What lessons from your experience as an ICU nurse or CRNA are you hoping to impart on your Connell School students?
“My training and experience as a nurse and nurse anesthetist have been strongly influenced by Jesuit ideals. Because of this underlying foundation I find it so important to appreciate and respect the person I am caring for as the individual he or she is. I never want to lose sight of each patient’s individuality no matter what role I play as a nurse.”
—Phil Gloudemans, Sean Smith, Kathleen Sullivan photos by peter julian, rose lincoln, lee pellegrini
Gallery 203 Seeks Exhibition Proposals The Boston College Arts Council recently issued an invitation for all BC students, clubs, faculty, staff, and alumni to apply for an exhibition at Gallery 203, located in Carney Hall. Gallery 203, according to the council, “aims to promote student expression and exposure of the visual arts across campus. The gallery builds off of the Jesuit value of exploring one’s feelings, desires, fears, and responses to the everyday world around us. In this way, the exhibition space encourages artists to be observant, curious, and reflective by providing a public environment for them to convey their inward-looking thoughts.” Proposals must be submitted by November 20. Forms are available through the Gallery 203 website at bc.edu/arts-gallery203.
Through the lens of a spring semester course interrupted by a lockdown, Prof. Carlo Rotella (English) reflected on the meaning of a college literature class—during a pandemic and always—in the cover essay of Washington Post Magazine. Writing for Politico, he likened the Trump-Biden debate to a boxing match. Aleksandar Tomic, director of the M.S. in Applied Economics program at the Woods College of Advancing Studies, weighed in for Zenger News on the best U.S. economic sectors for work in a pandemic. He also explained to Yahoo Finance why Canada’s job market is recovering from COVID-19 faster than that of the U.S. Prof. Philip Landrigan, M.D. (Biology), director of BC’s Global Public Health program, was interviewed for a USA Today series on systemic racism and COVID-19; discussed the rise of state COVID cases on Bloomberg Baystate Business; and spoke about the health risks of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on Public Radio Exchange’s “Living on Earth.” In a piece for National Catholic Reporter, Walsh Professor of Bioethics Andrea Vicini, S.J., analyzed the recent Vatican letter “Samaritanus Bonus: On the Care of Persons in the Critical and Terminal Phases of Life” that reaffirms Church opposition to euthanasia and says patients planning to end their lives cannot receive the sacraments. In the wake of President Trump’s call for Attorney General William Barr to immediately launch an investigation into unverified claims about Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, Prof. R. Michael Cassidy (Law) made comments to The Washington Post. He also spoke with The Wall Street Journal after the Kentucky attorney general’s office released audio recordings of grand jury proceedings in
Nota Bene Associate Professor of the Practice of English Christopher Boucher was among Massachusetts Center for the Book honorees in the 20th Annual Massachusetts Book Awards, which recognize achievement in five categories of literature written by state residents. He received honors for Big Giant Floating Head, his third novel. “Boucher’s experimental fiction is both heartwrenching and hilarious as it follows a man’s struggle with love and loss,” according to center representatives. Boucher specializes in creative writing, contemporary literature, hybrid texts, postmodern literature and digital humanities. He is the managing editor of Post Road Magazine. For more on the Massachusetts Center for the Book, and the list of “MustRead” titles from which the awards were made, see massbook.org.
the Breonna Taylor case, including witness testimony but not jurors’ deliberations or prosecutors’ recommendations. The New York Times reported on a study co-authored by Asst. Prof. Michael Hartney (Political Science) which found that local political conditions—not science or the severity of COVID-19—were the most important factor in determining whether K-12 public school districts chose to offer in-person classes this fall. Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law) responded to Amy Coney Barrett’s “originalist” view that the meaning of the U.S. Constitution’s text does not change over time in a piece for WBUR’s “Cognoscenti.” While Barrett’s nomination highlights the rise of Catholics on the Supreme Court, Catholics do not share identical views on all issues, Prof. Thomas Groome (STM) told The Boston Globe. Social media companies face heightened scrutiny and pressure to do more to keep their platforms from becoming vectors of misinformation, election meddling, and allaround disorder, said Assoc. Prof. Michael Serazio (Communication) in an interview with Bloomberg News.
Jobs The following are among the recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/jobs. Quarantine & Isolation Assistant Member Services Associate, Center for Corporate Citizenship Data Services Librarian Assistant Director, TRIO Student Support Services Post-doctoral Research Fellow (five positions) Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Chemistry Program Manager, RPCA Assistant Controller Admissions Assistant, Carroll Graduate School of Management Director, Research & Program Development Classroom Technology Specialist Fiscal & Grant Administrator Temporary Office Pool, School of Theology and Ministry Research Specialist, Measurement and Data Analysis Research Associate, RPCA Assistant Dean, Graduate Enrollment Manager Research Technician, Biology Temporary Office Pool Temporary Dining Services Positions
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OCTOBER 29, 2020
Making Sense of Elections, Parties, and Politics Continued from page 1
“I want the students to think, read, and write about issues that matter, but also to get more comfortable with quantitative data. They look at a lot of statistics, and have to be mindful of where these came from and how they can be interpreted. I really want us to be able to talk about how democracy functions, but American democracy in particular.” This year, Schlozman set her class a special two-part task that crystalized, in a direct, personal way, the national conversation about access to voting: Students had to describe their plans for voting (by mail? in person? location? date? time?); and they had to find someone—family member, friend, acquaintance—without a plan to vote, and help them make one. “Research shows that the people who have a plan to vote are actually more likely to cast a ballot,” she said. “So I decided to use what I know as a political scientist in the real world and formulated this assignment.” For Schlozman’s students, the assignment made for some rewarding, even poignant interactions. Newton, Mass., native Jaehun Lee ’21 got in touch with a high school friend who shared his disenchantment with the two major political parties but, unlike Lee, was considering not voting. “I was able to convince him otherwise by appealing to voting as a civic duty,” said Lee, a political science major with a minor in accounting for finance and consulting. “I sent him links where he
could check his voter registration status and request a mail-in ballot if he wanted one.” Sofia Vittoria ’21, of Riverside, Conn., a political science major with a minor in journalism, not only helped her grandmother—who wanted to avoid voting in person due to COVID concerns—in deciding to obtain an absentee ballot (she has since voted), but encouraged her North Carolina-born roommate to register: “It’s such an important swing state, especially for young voters.” Junior Caitlin Harty, a polisci major from a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, with minors in Hispanic Studies and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good, found her parents apprehensive about inperson voting and voting by mail, so she assisted them in arranging to vote early. “I am happy to say they have both already voted in person and texted me a photo of their ‘I Voted’ stickers right after voting,” said Harty, who also aided her roommate with an absentee ballot request form, since the process in her roommate’s home state was antiquated. “Once she received her ballot, I provided her with some of my favorite websites with which she could research the specific races and questions on her ballot.” Schlozman and her colleagues on the American Political Science Association’s Task Force on Electoral Assistance— which aims to help students to vote and learn about opportunities to serve as poll
A sign on Corcoran Commons plaza installed by BC’s Civic Engagement Initiative. Students in Schlozman’s Parties and Elections in America class were assigned to help a family member, friend, or acquaintance make a plan to vote. photo by lee pellegrini
workers—hope the assignment will be replicated on a wide scale. After discussing Schlozman’s idea at a meeting, the task force used the APSA infrastructure to contact political scientists and encouraged them to help their students to make voting plans.
as partisan conflict between Republicans and Democrats. And there have been significant changes in how we nominate candidates for public office and the importance of campaign finance, among other things. This is what we cover in Parties and Elections in America.”
“I want the students to think, read, and write about issues that matter, but also to get more comfortable with quantitative data,” says Moakley Professor Kay Schlozman. “I really want us to be able to talk about how democracy functions, but American democracy in particular.”
photo by peter julian
Due to COVID, one long-time feature of the course will not happen this year: Schlozman’s hosting of an Election Night gathering to watch the returns. The uncertainty as to whether a winner will be declared on November 3 has her thinking about 2000, when she had to send her students home without knowing if George W. Bush or Al Gore had claimed victory. Two of the students were from abroad, she said, and expressed concern that the lack of a definitive result might lead to violence in the streets. She reassured them that American democracy is deeply entrenched, and that Americans would be patient with the process and ultimately accept the outcome as legitimate. Schlozman admits she is less sanguine about 2020: “At this point, I’m not prepared to say I’m confident that, if such a scenario unfolds, the result will be accepted as legitimate.” The year that Schlozman began teaching Parties and Elections in America also was a memorable one for American democracy: Nixon’s resignation; his pardon by Ford; the Democrats’ commanding victory in the November mid-term elections. Historic events and milestone election years by themselves, however, do not necessarily make for the best focal points in studying the electoral process, noted Schlozman—long-term changes over time in political institutions, issues, and alignments are as, if not more, revealing. “If I look back to the 1970s, there are some notable differences that leap out: Parties were weaker, incumbency was stronger, and there was not as much polarization—Democratic and Republican lawmakers did work with each other. Americans certainly had strong disagreements on issues like civil rights or abortion, but these were not always expressed
Schlozman’s students have found the historical perspective and scrutiny of data to be an illuminating combination, and cite some areas of particular interest: the winners and losers when voting or election laws are changed; the characteristics and significance of independent voters; and the crucial cultural and demographic factors that influence a voter. Moreover, students note, the class provides at least some degree of relief and illumination in a highly charged, volatile election-year atmosphere. “In addition to what Professor Schlozman teaches us, being able to discuss current events on elections with classmates has been very helpful,” said Lee. “It’s very enlightening to hear what other perspectives there may be on the same news story, and I think true openness to others’ opinions will be important in alleviating a lot of the stress and anxiety that elections and politics pose for a lot of people.” “I wouldn’t say the class has reduced my stress, but I do think it has helped me feel more informed and engaged with the election,” said Vittoria. “This course pushes me to look past just the party conflicts news stations prefer to focus on and re-center my attention on what policies each candidate is advocating for.” Harty sounds a similar note: “Having the ability to hear from my classmates— other young college students who are equally as passionate about politics—I feel hopeful for the future of our democracy, even when it seems bleak to read my Twitter timeline or watch the debates. I do believe that being educated and informed is the best way to prepare myself for any outcome, so ultimately I am grateful for what I have learned thus far in Parties and Elections and am excited to watch the election unfold together as a class.”