The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs october 31, 2013 Vol. 22 no. 5
Celebrating
INSIDE
THE
Sesquicentennial
•Faculty Staff Art Show, page 2
Religious Diversity Is Theme of Nov. 13 Event By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
•International Education Week, page 2 •Game Day challenge promotes sustainability, page 2 •Foundation carries on Carly Hughes’ spirit, page 3
•BC on Kiplinger’s ‘Best Values’ list, page 3 •Eagles’ grad rate one of best in US, page 3 •Kafka has settled in at Weston Observatory, page 4 •Markey speaks at Sesquicentennial event, page 4
•CSON’s Harris wins “Nurse of the Year” honor, page 5 •Warren Zola to lead BC CEO Club, page 5 •BC social media earning plaudits, page 6 •Veterans Day Mass and Remembrance, page 6 •Boisi Lecture set for Nov. 7, page 6 •Wolfe to speak at Mass Humanities event, page 7 •Lee to premiere new composition, page 8 •Career Night for the Arts, page 8
Center for Religion and American Public Life Associate Director Erik Owens, who is organizing the symposium with Boisi Center Director and Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe. “This is the story of Boston, the story of America. The symposium is a chance to talk about and celebrate Boston College’s role in this narrative.” The keynote speaker will be E.J. Dionne Jr., a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, columnist for Commonweal magazine, and senior fellow at the Continued on page 4
On Nov. 13, Boston College will host “Religious Diversity and the Common Good,” the final academic symposium of its SesRunners near the finish line at the annual Welles Crowther Red Banquicentennial celebration, bringdanna 5K, held Oct. 19. For more photos of recent Boston College events, ing together scholars and leaders see page 8 (Photo by Frank Curran) of civic and religious communities to discuss the nature and pursuit of the common good in a pluralistic society. “The University’s beginnings are rooted in its Irish Catholic of Education Research Professor MiBy Sean Hennessey heritage, but now we are part of chael Martin, who along with Lynch Staff Writer a flourishing diversity,” said Boisi School Professor Ina Mullis is co-exIt’s a long-held belief that pa- ecutive director of TIMSS & PIRLS rental and administrative support and the study’s co-author. “The helps breed academic success; now analysis focuses on ‘How does that there’s data to back that up. A new work, what’s behind that?’ There’s study released by the IEA (Interna- never been data to do this, to show tional Association for the Evaluation this mechanism, this path.” of Educational Achievement) and The study, titled “TIMSS and the TIMSS & PIRLS International PIRLS 2011: Relationships Among Study Center at Boston College Reading, Mathematics and Science examines what makes up “cultural Achievement at the Fourth Grade educational excellence” while quan- – Implications for Early Learning,” tifying the strengths of best practices is the first report to look at the issue at school, and at home. of cultural excellence: what parents, “The data supports many long- schools, and students are doing to held beliefs about good ways of improve success in reading, math raising your children and preparing and science. Researchers used data Continued on page 5 Sophomores Lucas Allen and Catherine Larrabee at the Boston Marathon them for school,” said Lynch School
Global Study Assesses ‘Educational Excellence’
BC Law Experts: Don’t Push Panic Button on ACA With the Affordable Care Act Chirba and Adjunct Professor Alcontinuing to serve as a political lightning rod, two Boston College Law experts on the ACA say initial problems are to be expected, and that there are valid reasons why many are having their health insurance cancelled. “There are real problems with Healthcare.gov, but they are by no means insurmountable,“ says Professor Mary Ann Chirba. “In fact, given the complexity of what is being launched, it is not surprising that there have been problems in achieving lift-off.”
ice Noble have read all 907 pages of the statute line by line, and are the authors of the new book, Healthcare Reform: Law and Practice. “It is not time to push the panic button,” says Noble. “Designing the exchange was complicated to begin with for several reasons, including the lack of clarity about how many states would run their own exchanges, how many would participate in the ACA’s Medicaid expansion program and how many insurers would compete
Continued on page 5
QUOTE:
finish line replica constructed as part of the Presidential Scholars Program’s “Boston Strong” project. (Photo courtesy Presidential Scholars Program)
Students Look to Explore Meaning of ‘Boston Strong’ By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Since the Boston Marathon tragedy this spring, the phrase “Boston Strong” has emerged as a rallying call. But what does it mean to be “Boston Strong”? Sophomores in the Boston College Presidential Scholars Program have launched a project to find out. “I ran the 2013 Boston Marathon
and finished a couple of minutes before the bombings. This project is a way of responding and paying tribute,” said Presidential Scholar Dan Lundberg, a biology and philosophy major from Orono, Minn., who is interested in disability rights. The Boston Marathon is more than a sporting event. Of the more than 23,000 runners who compete, many do so in support of charitable Continued on page 6
“To be recognized for my work with adolescents is extremely important because the negative behaviors that adolescents adopt can have significant consequences on their health and well-being during their reproductive years and on their children.” —Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Allyssa Harris, page 5