Boston College Chronicle

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of University Communications DECEMBER 14, 2017 VOL. 25 NO. 8

No Hike in Health, Dental Rates for BC Employees

INSIDE alums find fulfillment 2 •BC with Ignatian Volunteers •Study time at McMullen

•English Association of BC Dickens it up for holidays program returns 3 •Endeavor for third year next month •BC’s PIRLS releases new global reading study •Eagles to play in the Pinstripe Bowl •Conte sells beer, wine •Photo: Week of Dance

junior earns ROTC 4 •BC Medal of Heroism •STM faculty author book on the Holy Spirit College Man5 •Woods resa Experience teaches lessons in character

Dining Service 6 •BC has a FRESH idea

Winter Wonderland – and winter weather – came to Boston College this past weekend, as the Alumni Association held its annual holiday celebration on Brighton Campus. See page 8. (Photo by Maxine Socorro Alindogan)

‘For John, It Is All About the Kids’ Player, umpire, coach, executive – IT administrator John Berardi has a life-long devotion to Little League ball

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

Baseball has been an everpresent element in the life of John Berardi, technology director of applications services at Boston College.

He’s been a Little League baseball player, an umpire, a coach and, for the last six years, has served as Massachusetts Little League District 13 Administrator, overseeing Little League operations for 13 cities and towns, encompassing 550 teams and more than 6,500 players. He also volunteers on the Little League International Advisory Board.

Four years ago, Berardi and Mike Egan of the Red Sox Foun-

dation co-established a formal partnership between Mass. Little League and the foundation that provides financial support and other assistance to the nearly 200 leagues in the state. In addition to offering a $500 sponsorship for each league, the Red Sox Foundation sponsors the state finals for 12-year-olds and underwrites leadership and instructional skills training for coaches. The initiative has proven so successful it is expanding to Rhode Island and Maine.

In recognition of his dedication to the 55,000 girls and boys across Massachusetts who play in Little League, Berardi was named 2017 Red Sox Foundation VolunContinued on page 6

Additions; BC in 7 •Welcome the Media; BC Briefings; Jobs Photo: Advancing Research and Scholarship Day John Finney looks 8 •Q&A: back at 25 years directing the University Chorale

John Berardi, center, Boston College’s technology director of applications services, receiving the Red Sox Foundation Volunteer of the Year Award this past summer at Fenway Park.

QUOTE:

Boston College has announced that there will be no increase in health and dental insurance rates for University employees in the coming year, bucking a national trend among private employers.

Vice President for Human Resources David Trainor said the freeze in health and dental rates is the result of a commitment of BC faculty and staff to their own health and well-being, through participation in such programs as HEALTHY YOU, which has stabilized healthcare expenditures for the University’s 3,200 employees.

He also credited the change in the way in which the University administers prescription drugs as a factor in the significant cost savings this year.

“As a self-insured entity, Boston College pays the majority of health and dental care costs for its

employees,” said Trainor. “When our costs increase, we have no choice but to raise rates. When we have a good year regarding employee health costs, we want to share the rewards with our employees.”

Trainor praised BC’s Finance and Human Resources staff and their successful management of BC’s health and wellness plans in helping to maintain current rates, noting that zero percent increases in insurance rates are “pretty unusual” among colleges and universities. According to Towers Watson & Co., a leading global human resources consulting firm, health insurance rates among private employers are increasing by 5.5 to 6 percent this year.

“We encourage all of our employees to take care of their Continued on page 4

On the Whole, a Success

Colloquia on ‘whole person’ education displayed Lynch School’s strengths in a key emerging field

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

Organizers and participants say this fall’s series of Lynch School of Education colloquia on educating the “whole person” – encompassing three major conferences in a five-week span – showcased the school’s leadership in an emerging field, while providing a muchneeded forum for scholarly conversations.

“These events demonstrated the breadth of work we are doing on formative or whole-person education, and brought to campus an elite roster of researchers and practitioners who were drawn to the quality of that work,” said Stanton Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, SJ, Dean of the Lynch School With support from major foundations and national and international education associations, the three-part conference kicked off Oct. 18-20 with a convening of

national and international leaders from the field of integrated supports for K-12 students living in poverty, led by Mary E. Walsh, Kearns Professor of Urban Education and Innovative Leadership and executive director of City Connects, the multi-city, evidence-based, urban student intervention program.

“The conference broke new ground,” said Walsh, whose event was funded by a grant from the American Educational Research Association. “Experts in human development, statistical methodology, educational evaluation, economics and other fields engaged questions whose answers will allow us to better support the whole child, especially in high-poverty schools.”

Among the 20 invited researchers was Henry Levin, the William H. Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education at Columbia University Teachers College, who pointed to implementation as Continued on page 5

“We’ve tried to articulate how the tradition has understood the Spirit, what it means to live as people of the Spirit, and how it is that the Spirit can shape and inform our life of faith.”

–Prof. Rev. Richard Lennan (STM), co-editor of The Holy Spirit: Setting the World on Fire, page 4

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle DECEMBER 14, 2017

2

A ROUND

C AMPUS

CORPS BELIEF The Ignatian Volunteer Corps has become a destination for retired Boston College alumni seeking to reaffirm the connection with Jesuit spirituality they enjoyed at the Heights.

IVC’s New England Region, which opened almost nine years ago, includes many BC alumni among its 43 members who serve diverse neighborhoods in Boston, Brockton, Framingham, Worcester, Providence and other areas for two days a week.

Among their activities, Ignatian volunteers teach, mentor and advise in a variety of educational

are assisted by Jesuits who act as “spiritual reflectors” to help the volunteers contemplate service and its deeper meaning for themselves and those whom they serve.

At its Dec. 3 core community celebration, which took place on BC’s Brighton Campus, IVC New England honored 15 members who have volunteered for at least five years.

For IVC staff member and volunteer Ann Bersani ’77, a seven-year participant, the organization provided a meaningful avenue for reorientation when

THE ART OF CRAMMING Inspiring works at the McMullen Museum of Art provided a backdrop for Boston College students preparing for finals during study days earlier this week.

Following suit with an initiative launched at the end of the spring semester, chairs were set up after hours in the McMullen galleries, and the first floor was opened up to provide quiet areas for study late into the evening as well as during the day.

The McMullen can host up to 200 students in chairs, but they also often camp on the floor or on benches. Demand was higher this semester, as word of this new study venue had spread among students.

And while the space itself is a draw for students, organizers say that the option to sit among beautiful works of art, and take a break to stroll through the exhibitions, is both stimulating and stress-reducing. Coffee also was provided for the ever-important study breaks.

Grace An ’18 found this gallery in the McMullen Museum of Art a perfect place to study for finals. (Photo by Yiting Chen)

“We are delighted to open our doors until midnight to invite our students to enjoy the beauty of our McMullen Museum spaces and great works of art as they study for exams at the end of semester,” said McMullen Director and Professor of Art History Nancy Netzer.

Because the museum is a place for quiet reflection for many students, noted Education Outreach and Digital Resources Manager Rachel Chamberlain, “extending our hours during finals, when students need the space and reflective environment most, seemed only fitting.”

–Rosanne Pellegrini

WHAT THE DICKENS? (L-R) Kevin Kane, Larry Feeney, Ann Bersani, Frederick Enman, SJ, and Julie McGovern are among the many Boston College alumni involved in the Ignatian Volunteer Corps New England Region chapter, which met on Brighton Campus earlier this month. (Photo by Frank Curran)

programs; provide services to potentially homeless elders; educate and locate resources for adult students and immigrants; coordinate food and furniture outreach to families in need; and organize retreats for homeless and formerly homeless women and men.

Volunteers gather every month for discussion and reflection at BC, the Diocese of Providence or College of the Holy Cross (the location rotates), and do assigned readings – the current one is Go Into the Streets! The Welcoming Church of Pope Francis, co-edited

by Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard Gaillardetz. The members also hold occasional retreats at the Campion Center in Weston, and

she and her husband – also a 1977 graduate – returned to the Boston area after 30 years.

“Since we’d been part of BC, and our kids went to Jesuit high schools, service work was something that always appealed to me,” she explains. “It’s good to stay active when you’re retired, and to be connected with others.

Getting involved in IVC is a way to be part of a community, and to explore your spirituality with people who have similar interests and concerns.”

For more information about the Ignatian Volunteer Corps New England Region, see ivcusa. org/ivc-offices/welcome-to-ivcnew-england.

–Sean Smith

This is the last issue of the fall semester.

Chronicle will return on January 18. Stay up to date with BC News [www.bc.edu/bcnews] ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Jack Dunn DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Patricia Delaney EDITOR Sean Smith

CONTRIBUTING STAFF Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Siobhan Sullivan PHOTOGRAPHERS Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini

Holiday parties often have their shticks, like karaoke carolsinging, ugly Christmas sweater contests, or dressing up as your favorite “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” character. But for its end-of-semester social, the English Association of Boston College revisited a classic Yuletide tale, only with a twist: Invitees were encouraged to submit a Christmas Carol-themed piece, whether poetry or prose, to be read at the event.

The result was as heartening as a Christmas Day feast, according to vice president Celia Smithmier ’20. “A few of our submissions were very Dickensian – formal, old-fashioned language – which were really fun. Otherwise, we had a range, from to lyrical to casual.”

Philip Verdirame ’20 was chosen as the winner, with this entry: Counting the diminishing coin pile of my meal plan In the chilled halls of frozen dorms

The Boston College

Chronicle www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu

Up the icy stairs And down the stack of books Three silly ghosts visit me one sleepless night in the dimly lit library They moan and warn me of essays past, present, and worst of all: future Here he lies, killed by the pen, the paper, and the footnotes Will someone give me half a crown To get on the next train to New York So I can shout “It’s Christmas Day!”

“I personally love A Christmas Carol and do not mind the clichés because I think, like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ it is a much needed and classic piece of art that allows people to take a step back from their modern and busy lives and appreciate Christmas each year,” said Verdirame, who recounted once attending a Christmas Carol reading in a historically preserved house – “like entering the 19th century,” he said. “A genuinely wonderful experience.”

Verdirame said he consciously steered away from composing anything “deep” or too derivative of Dickens. “I wrote the poem with an ironic tone about how final exams at BC don’t let you appreciate Christmas and how much I couldn’t wait to go home and shout ‘It’s Christmas Day!’ – referencing Scrooge’s ‘Aha!’ moment.”

For Smithmier and her EABC colleagues, the social represented a welcome return to activity for the organization, which had been on hiatus.

“Our goal is to foster a sense of community among English students at BC and allow them a space to sharpen their writing skills, study, and communicate with other similarly minded students,” she said. “So we’re just trying to raise awareness and get people involved as we re-establish our presence on campus.”

–Sean Smith

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)5523350. 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.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle DECEMBER 14, 2017

Year Three for Endeavor Career exploration program for sophomores in liberal arts set for Jan. 10-12

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

The Boston College Career Center’s popular Endeavor program, which aids career exploration for sophomores studying the liberal arts, will return for a third year next month with a few enhancements to improve students’ experiences, according to organizers.

Endeavor, which will take place Jan. 10-12, provides networking opportunities, skillbuilding activities, and career treks into Boston with alumni and prominent employers. Participating students explore, reflect, and consider how best to advance their interests and goals, while learning to connect the value of their liberal arts education to their career, and developing skills that will be desirable to employers.

Student Affairs, the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Office of Residential Life and Alumni Association are collaborating with the Career Center on Endeavor, which last year drew more than 200 students.

A highlight of this year’s Endeavor will be a keynote speech by author and essayist Lev Golinkin ’03, who was the featured speaker at the First Year Academic Convocation in September.

Golinkin’s memoir A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka chronicles his family’s efforts to escape persecution in the Soviet Union in the waning days of the Communist regime.

“Lev was an ideal choice because he exemplifies what we aim to teach at Endeavor,” said Career Center Director of Career Education and Strategy Rachel Greenberg. “As a biology major and award-winning author, he demonstrates to students how paths are often nonlinear and

a liberal arts degree can be tailored to fit their own interests and goals. After his inspiring talk at First Year Convocation, we’re very excited to bring him back to campus to speak to sophomores.”

In addition to Golinkin, approximately 70 alumni will return to campus to share their own career stories as well as their

cussion portal, scheduling information, and more.”

Greenberg and other Endeavor organizers are heartened by positive reactions to the program from students like Natasha Murcia ’19, who attended last year.

She found herself intrigued by her visit to a technology company, where she listened to an

A session at the first Endeavor in 2016. More than 200 students attended last year’s program. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

perspectives on how their BC liberal arts degrees have helped them in their own careers.

Among the changes for Endeavor 2018 will be an increase in the number of Endeavor Fellows – prior Endeavor participants who serve as mentors to current attendees – from 14 to 24, Greenberg said, thus providing stronger peer mentorship during the program.

At the suggestion of past participants, she noted, Endeavor will also include more “built-in opportunities to reflect on and share with their peers how their liberal arts education is helping them to develop the competencies employers are seeking.”

Another change for 2018 is a mobile app to aid in participants’ navigation throughout the three days, added Greenberg. “The app will feature alumni biographies for students to reference, a dis-

employee talk about life in the workplace, and was emboldened to pursue, and land, a summer internship in New York City.

“The one immediate thing Endeavor gave me was confidence,” said Murcia. “As a philosophy major at the time, I was always unsure of what my career path would unravel to be. It didn’t feel like I belonged to this traditional path that many students at BC so vehemently seem to pursue.

After Endeavor, I realized that that was OK. I would make my own path, meet the right people, and find my way – the ‘Nat way.’

Everyone has their own unique success story. I will, too!”

Registration for Endeavor 2018 ended Dec. 1. For information on the program, go to www. bc.edu/endeavor.

PIRLS Releases Results of Global Reading Study Students in the Russian Federation and Singapore are the best in reading achievement at the fourth-grade level, according to an international study by Boston College researchers released earlier this month.

Other high performers included Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Finland, Poland and Northern Ireland. The US ranked 13th.

The PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), a large-scale international assessment of 50 countries and 11 benchmarking regions, was conducted by the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) & PIRLS International Study Center, headquartered at the Lynch School of Education. TIMSS and PIRLS comprise the core cycle of studies for the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).

More than 319,000 students worldwide participated in 2016 in PIRLS, which has been administered every five years since its 2001 inception.

Singapore also took top place among 14 countries in the inaugural ePIRLS assessment of online informational reading,

followed by Norway and Ireland, according to TIMSS & PIRLS ISC executive directors Ina V.S. Mullis and Michael O. Martin. The electronic extension of PIRLS simulates an Internet environment, and evaluates how well students read, interpret, and critique online information in an increasingly digital world.

“The world has seen a rapid increase in the use of digital media, both inside and outside the classroom,” said Mullis in a press release announcing the results.

“This is changing the way young people gather and process information.”

The latest PIRLS also shows more increases than decreases in reading achievement internationally, both short and long term.

Ninety-six percent of students reached the PIRLS Low International Benchmark, demonstrating at least a basic level of reading achievement. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of students in the Russian Federation and Singapore reached the Advanced International Benchmark.

For more details on PIRLS 2016, see http://pirls2016.org —University Communications

BC vs. Iowa in the Pinstripe Bowl Boston College will face Iowa in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27, the 16th bowl appearance in the last 19 years for the Eagles, who compiled a 7-5 record this season.

The Pinstripe Bowl will be held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY, at 5:45 p.m. and televised on ESPN. It will mark the first meeting of two storied football programs

which both date back to the 19th century – BC began in 1893, Iowa in 1888 – and BC’s second appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl (the Eagles lost to Penn State, 3130, in 2014).

For information on purchasing tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl, go to the BC Athletics website at www.bceagles.com.

–Boston College Athletics

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Masti was among the groups to appear at the BC Week of Dance showcase on Dec. 1 and 2 in Robsham Theater. The performances climaxed a week of workshops in a variety of genres offered by student dance organizations.

Conte Forum Now Selling Beer and Wine Boston College began selling beer and wine in Conte Forum this month as part of a City of Boston-approved pilot program.

Beer and wine are now available for purchase at select concessions locations within Conte Forum during basketball and hockey games.

“We’re pleased to offer this amenity to our fans,” said William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond. “We

believe this opportunity will enhance our game-day experience, and is a natural extension to our successful pilot program this year in Alumni Stadium.”

Beer and wine have been available for purchase in Conte Forum’s suites, as well as in the Pike’s Peak Club (hockey) and Hoop Club (basketball), since the facility opened in 1988, but this initiative expands sales within the Conte Forum concourse.

Locally, Boston College joins

Boston University and University of Massachusetts-Lowell in offering beer and wine service during hockey and basketball games.

“A special thank you goes to our campus partners and officials from the City of Boston who worked with us to make this a reality,” Jarmond added.

“I appreciate the effort and support in recognizing the positive impact this can make on the fan experience.”

–University Communications

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Yiting Chen

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle DECEMBER 14, 2017

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‘Aspects of Christian Faith That Hide in Plain Sight’ Kindschuh Is Awarded 17 STM colleagues collaborate on book about dimensions of the Holy Spirit ROTC Medal of Heroism Mark Kindschuh for this award and look forward to his future successes in the military.”

“This young man’s heroics made his city and country proud,” added Donovan. “Mark’s quick and decisive action saved a stranger’s life, and it’s that kind of selfless courage that makes our armed forces the greatest in the world.

I look forward to following what will surely be a bright and impactful career in military service for Mark.”

Kindschuh’s father Mark also expressed pride in his son’s response to the situation, speaking in media interviews after the incident made international headlines.

“It went from lifesaving to lifesacrificing,” said Dr. Kindschuh, director of Coney Island Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Mark Kindschuh ’19 shakes hands with Maj. Gen. Christopher Hughes, commander of US Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, after being presented with the ROTC Medal of Heroism at a ceremony during the BC football game Nov. 11 at Alumni Stadium. Looking on is Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, SJ. (US Army photo by Michael Maddox/ROTC)

Kindschuh noticed a man bleeding from his head and immediately rushed outside to help the injured bystander, using his belt in an attempt to stop the bleeding. [Read more at http://bit.ly/ student-for-others] A political science major in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the Bay Ridge, NY, native was nominated for the award by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Congressman Dan Donovan (R-NY).

“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to congratulate ROTC Cadet Mark Kindschuh for being awarded the ROTC Medal of Heroism,” said Schumer in a press release. During the tragic London attack, he showed “immense heroism by running towards the danger, not away from it, to save the life of a complete stranger, and because of his actions, that man is alive today. I am proud to have recommended ROTC Cadet

“When he made the decision [to help] – that is a different category of exceptional. He stayed with him and didn’t think anything of himself. I’ve never been prouder in my entire life.”

While Kindschuh exemplifies BC’s Jesuit mission of educating men and women for others, he also credits the ROTC for shaping his ability to step in when needed.

“I think when you put on any uniform for the services, there is an inherent set of values underlying it,” said Kindschuh in an interview with the US Army. “I think once you have that in the back of your head and it becomes a part of your character, if you are in a situation like that and don’t do anything, you are contradicting those values.

“It’s like when you say the Soldier’s Creed – it can just be words, but if you take action on it, that’s when you’re really putting it to its purpose.”

—University Communications

Scholars from the School of Theology and Ministry have written a new book to help guide the Catholic faithful to greater awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and movement in their lives.

The Holy Spirit: Setting the World on Fire, co-edited by Professor Rev. Richard Lennan and Associate Professor Nancy Pineda-Madrid, is a collection of essays from 17 members of the STM faculty. In the book, each faculty author addresses the topic of the Holy Spirit from his or her area of study – from history, ethics, and spirituality to pastoral theology, systematic theology and the Bible.

This is the STM’s second collaborative book project. Previously, Fr. Lennan and PinedaMadrid co-edited Hope: Promise, Possibility, and Fulfillment, to which 17 STM faculty members contributed essays.

“This collection is a fine testimony to the scholarship of our wonderful professors as well as the wide diversity of specializations that their work represents,” said STM Dean Thomas D. Stegman, SJ, at a Nov. 2 event formally launching The Holy Spirit. “In addition, the topic of the Holy Spirit is a witness to the faith of our faculty and their commitment to theological reflection for ongoing ministry to the world.”

He also expressed his gratitude to Fr. Lennan and Pineda-Madrid for the collegiality and collaboration the two book projects have yielded. “It’s been a great blessing to our school,” he added.

“With both our books, Hope and The Holy Spirit, what we tried to do is develop aspects of Christian faith that hide in plain sight,” said Fr. Lennan.

This book is not a comprehensive theology of the Holy Spirit, according to the editors, but rather an assembly of insights into the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the community of Christ’s disciples.

The contributing authors “seek to illuminate both the identity of the Spirit and the implications that faith in God’s Holy Spirit have for life in the world and the church, implications that embody what it means to be empowered by the fire of the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is divided into three parts: “Experiencing the Holy Spirit,” “Tracing the Movement of the Holy Spirit” and “Embracing the Holy Spirit.”

“We’ve tried to articulate how the tradition has understood the Spirit, what it means to live as people of the Spirit, and how it

Lee Pellegrini

Boston College junior Mark Kindschuh, who risked his life to save that of a stranger in desperate need of medical attention following the London terror attacks in June, has received the highest honor awarded exclusively to Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets: the Medal of Heroism.

The award was presented to Kindschuh during the BC-North Carolina football game on Veterans Day, by Maj. Gen. Christopher Hughes, commander of US Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox.

Kindschuh was studying abroad on June 3, when the terror attack on London Bridge that killed seven occurred. While enjoying a dinner of fish and chips, Kindschuh and his friends heard gunshots outside. Moments later,

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

School of Theology and Ministry faculty members Nancy Pineda-Madrid and Rev. Richard Lennan, co-editors of The Holy Spirit: Setting the World on Fire.

is that the Spirit can shape and inform our life of faith,” said Fr. Lennan.

“The Spirit keeps moving,” added Pineda-Madrid. “And we have to be constantly discerning the Spirit.”

At the book launch, PinedaMadrid and two contributing authors gave presentations on their chapters. Francine Cardman, an associate professor of historical theology and church history, cited an example of the Spirit’s presence in the witness of a group of women martyrs in France in 177.

Though imprisoned and facing death, most of the women did not renounce their faith.

“It’s the Spirit that enables them to confess their faith. It’s the Spirit that helps them to be strong and to endure,” said Cardman.

She cited evidence of the Spirit again when these same women went on to minister and nurture, rather than reject, the 10 or so women who had renounced their faith in the false hope of being released from prison. By the time these deniers of the faith are facing their deaths, almost all of them have found the strength to confess their faith.

Associate Professor of Moral Theology Andrea Vicini, SJ, talked about three ways the Holy Spirit interacts with people: in companionship, mentorship and friendship.

Fr. Vicini explained how the Holy Spirit works like a wise men-

tor guiding the faithful to moral action, such as caring for and serving the poor.

Pineda-Madrid pointed out the greater attention to the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the life of faith since the Second Vatican Council. The book chapter she wrote with Fr. Lennan, she said, looks at the connection between the Holy Spirit and the Catholic imagination, citing specifically the writings of theologians Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ and Victor Codina, SJ. “Fr. Codina believes that the church has not been sufficiently able to take advantage of the opening to the Spirit introduced

by Vatican II and also at Medellín [1968 Conference of Latin American bishops]. And he believes that’s true because theologians have not done enough work on the Holy Spirit,” said PinedaMadrid.

She added: “We’re trying to certainly respond to that lacuna with our book.”

Other STM faculty contributors to The Holy Spirit are John Baldovin, SJ, André Brouillette, SJ, Andrew Davis, Brian Dunkle, SJ, Colleen Griffith, Margaret Eletta Guider, OSF, Angela Kim Harkins, Franklin Harkins, Melissa Kelley, Catherine Mooney, Theresa O’Keefe, Hosffman Ospino and O. Ernesto Valiente.

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Health and Dental Rates Continued from page 1 health and to participate in our HEALTHY YOU events, ranging from the popular Walk Across Campus program to yoga and Zumba classes offered through the Flynn Recreation Complex, as well as our increased well-being offerings including programs on dealing with aging parents, financial pre-

paredness, and meditation,” said Trainor. “Helping faculty and staff to pursue healthy lifestyles benefits employees, their families and the University community as a whole. We are grateful for the efforts of our faculty and staff and hope these successes will be replicated in the years to come.”

–University Communications

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Chronicle DECEMBER 14, 2017

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Undergraduates in the Woods College of Advancing Studies’ new Manresa Experience contemplate the difference one life can make

Lessons in character, calling, and courage were on the syllabus in seven courses at the Woods College of Advancing Studies this semester, as undergraduates collectively read the story of Boston College alumnus Welles Remy Crowther ’99, who lost his life leading others to safety on September 11, 2001.

The shared reading is part of the inaugural Woods College Manresa Experience, an initiative launched this fall to encourage and support students in their professional, personal, and spiritual discernment. The program was developed by the Woods College Student Life and Formation committee, in consultation with the Office of Student Formation.

Named for the small town in Spain where Society of Jesus founder Ignatius Loyola spent nearly a year engaged in the prayer and penance that would illuminate him and guide his life, the Manresa Experience reflects the Woods College’s commitment to Boston College’s Jesuit educational tradition, which invites students to reflect on their

Frank Curran

BY PATRICIA DELANEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Tom Rinaldi, author of a book on the life of 9/11 hero Welles Crowther ’99, met students in the Woods College Manresa Experience during a campus visit.

own life experiences to determine how best they can use their talents to respond to the world’s needs.

The first group of Manresa Experience participants are reading The Red Bandanna: A Life, A Choice, A Legacy, the New York Times best seller by ESPN national correspondent Tom Rinaldi, which tells the story of Crowther, a volunteer firefighter and equity trader at Sandler O’Neill & Partners, who died rescuing more than a dozen people in the south tower of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks.

The book’s title refers to the item Crowther wore as a mask

to protect him from the smoke and haze as he repeatedly reentered the tower to seek people in need of help. Many of those he led to safety would identify their rescuer as “the man in the red bandanna.”

The Red Bandanna’s inspirational themes of selflessness, compassion, and the difference one person can make in the lives of others are integrated into the content and discussions of the seven courses participating in the Woods Manresa Experience, which range from writing, literature, and public speaking to history, Christian theology, and the psychology of health and healing.

Though each course approaches the material through the lens of its particular discipline, all students are asked to explore their own calling and purpose, and to reflect on what it means to be Boston College students, preparing to be leaders who are a force for good in the world.

“In a course in which the transition from medieval certainty to modern ambiguity is an important focus, reading The Red Bandanna is a useful reminder of the power of the human individual grounded in the surety of faith,” said Martin Menke, whose course in modern history is participating in the program.

This semester, the Manresa Experience included a book discussion and dinner for participants with Woods College Dean James Burns, IVD; invitations to the Welles Remy Crowther 5K Red Bandanna Run, a signature BC event held annually to raise funds for the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust; and an evening with Rinaldi that also was attended by Welles’ mother, Alison Crowther.

In addition, two students from each class are designated by faculty and staff as Woods College Manresa Scholars, with selection based on their academic

and professional backgrounds.

They receive a small financial scholarship, take part in a scholar/mentor dinner with Fr, Burns and other Boston College staff, and will have the opportunity to join a retreat during the spring semester that will include a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.

Woods College alumni also are invited to take part in the Manresa Experience through a related book discussion.

“The Woods College wants all its undergraduates, even if they are only on campus for a single course, to feel connected to the University’s mission and community,” said Fr. Burns.

“I am so happy and grateful to be part of the Woods community, which has been so welcoming from day one,” said Manresa Scholar Shanshan Li. “As a student, the community guides me to find my passion; as a Manresa scholar, it inspires me to explore my vocation and helps me to understand what it means to be a BC student.”

The planning committee is currently reviewing potential reading selections and events for next year.

Contact Patricia Delaney at patricia.delaney@bc.edu

Praise for Lynch School Events on ‘Whole Person’ Education wellbeing, as well as whole-person development.

The main two-day event attracted nearly 200 local, national and international teachers, principals, superintendents and other

Teacher Education: “As the dissatisfaction with the narrowing of education’s exclusive focus on literacy and math competency of the past decade has grown, there’s been an upsurge in interest in so-

Lee Pellegrini

Continued from page 1 a key challenge to the integrated school services model embodied

by City Connects.

“Many schools lack the capacity for undertaking systematic approaches to evaluating the needs of every student and identifying and enlisting effective services in response. One of the fears is that schools will adopt the rhetoric of the approach without addressing it systematically or providing tailored and effective support services.”

Walsh, who seeks to “export” City Connects to more schools and cities, said, “We know these programs work, but we need to better understand why they work through deepened and expanded research.”

One day later, LSOE Professors Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley, in partnership with ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum and Development), chaired “The Whole Child, Whole Person Summit.” Launched with an invitation-only pre-conference for 40 global researchers and policymakers, the preliminary session focused on shaping an agenda for future research in the field of emotional, social, and educational

Lynch School of Education Dean Stanton Wortham (right) speaking at the last of the three conferences hosted by the school this fall.

education professionals who participated in panels and discussions on expanding the definition of academic achievement beyond content mastery and test scores.

“We wanted educators to think broadly about educational change and to tap their aspirations, not only for better schools, but for a better society,” explained Shirley.

Added Hargreaves, the Thomas Moore Brennan Professor of

cial/emotional learning. BC took a leadership position, in partnership with ASCD, to express a bold and courageous vision for education that’s rooted in – and extended from – the University’s historical work in formative education.”

At the final conference (Nov. 15-17), Boisi Professor of Education and Public Policy Henry Braun led an effort to quantify

what he’s characterized as the ultimate outcome of a liberal arts education: a life of meaning and purpose.

“Despite the varied, interdisciplinary backgrounds and research expertise of the attendees, all of the participants readily engaged and embraced the challenge to define the undefined,” reported Braun, whose session was funded by the Spencer Foundation. “The group truly trusted each other in their collaborative effort to wrestle this task to the ground.”

“It’s a valuable goal to take abstract ideas such as meaning and purpose, and bring them down in a way that educators could actually work with them,” said conference participant William Damon, a professor of education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and a leading researcher on the development of purpose in life who authored the book The Path to Purpose.

“The first great step in that direction is to operationalize the ideas, which means eventually being able to actually pin down through assessment where a student has to go in order to fully

develop a sense of purpose – and then how do you fill that gap?”

Braun affirmed that the conferees achieved an important, foundational step: identifying a targeted research agenda to help facilitate design of a tool that will quantify students’ progress toward leading fulfilling lives and contributing to their communities. He plans to pursue funding for the group to continue its quest.

Wortham expressed confidence in the school’s ability to take on the major action items from the colloquia: expanding the City Connects model to more schools; collaborating with ASCD to advance “whole person” education; developing assessments for formative education.

“We have a full plate, but we’re committed to achieving the respective objectives from each conference in an effort to attain the larger, longer-term goal of developing students – whether they’re K-12 or college-age – as whole people; to facilitate their success in school and life as a step toward leading purposeful lives.”

Contact Phil Gloudemans at philip.gloudemans@bc.edu

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BC’s Berardi Honored for His Dedication to Little League Continued from page 1 teer of the Year.

“It was quite an honor. I was surprised, but really honored,” said Berardi, who received his award at a Red Sox game in August.

“John volunteers many thousands of hours of his time to make Little League a great experience for all involved,” said Information Technology Services Vice President Michael Bourque, who has worked with Berardi at BC for 15 years and knows of Berardi’s commitment to Little League through his own involvement with the program in his hometown of Wakefield.

“For John, it is truly all about the kids.”

In 2009, Berardi established “Little League Days” at Boston College. Each spring, Little League baseball and softball players are invited to attend a BC baseball and softball game. The youngsters get to see the sport played at the collegiate level, and enjoy a meet-and-greet with the players on the field after the games.

Berardi’s passion for and commitment to Little League were inspired by his father, George, who passed away in 2011. The elder Berardi was an amateur baseball player who first became

involved in Little League as an umpire in 1952 and worked at the Little League World Series.

George Berardi became a Little League official, serving as Mass.

District 13 Administrator for 50 years and state director of Mas-

Little League official business, using his computer skills to help support George’s work as district administrator.

“It was a good partnership.

He had all the experience and I had the technology skills,” re-

(L-R): John Berardi with former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, Woburn Little League President Mark Cavicchi and Vice President Tom Skeffington, and Mike Egan of the Red Sox Foundation at an event for the Woburn Little League.

sachusetts Little League for more than 40 years.

So it’s not surprising that John Berardi grew up playing Little League baseball – as pitcher, first baseman and outfielder – and then umpired games as a teenager. He volunteered as an assistant coach on each of his three children’s teams. In the 1990s, he started assisting his father in

called Berardi.

Baseball is touted for the lasting life lessons it provides, such as the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance.

For Berardi, Little League means community.

“We had a lot of different elementary schools in my town [Woburn]. Going to middle school, all of sudden you were

with all these new kids. But I had connections to a lot of them because I played Little League with them. You were teammates and that meant something. To this day, I still see two or three of them around town and we refer to the 1971 minor league team.

Being teammates is timeless.”

Winning is nice, added Berardi, but what really matters is “learning to support your teammates, whether they had a great game or a bad game is what it’s all about. Little League isn’t about building better athletes, it’s about developing better citizens.”

Volunteerism is a Berardi family tradition: In addition to the 60 years of service his father devoted to Little League, Berardi’s mother, Ann, volunteered as a religious education instructor in their parish for 45 years.

A particular passion for Berardi has been the Jimmy Fund Little League, a program founded by the elder Berardi and Red Sox players Rico Petrocelli and Mike Andrews, which gives children the opportunity to play ball over the summer after the end of the regular season while also raising money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.

Berardi is the program co-

ordinator for the Jimmy Fund Little League, which involves some 5,000 Little League baseball and softball players in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

He works with the Jimmy Fund and the teams on incentives and fundraising strategies, such as can collections, car washes, bake sales, home run derbies and business sponsorships. Last summer, the Little Leaguers raised some $250,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. The program has more than $5 million since its inception in 1987.

Berardi said the program is special because the players help other kids and assure the patients and their families that they are not alone. Their efforts were highlighted earlier this year during a segment on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight.”

“A large part of this program’s success is due to John’s personal dedication,” said Bourque. “As he does in his work here at BC, John keeps the program goals in the forefront while attending to the details. It’s a great tribute to his father’s legacy.”

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Spell It ‘FRESH’

Dining Service program promotes local, sustainable food options among college students.

“BC Dining is proud to be a recipient of a grant from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation and is excited to see FRESH to Table come to life at Corcoran Commons,” said BCDS Director Beth Emery, “providing regional, healthy and delicious food with fabulous feedback from students.”

As part of the initiative, BC Dining pledges that each new menu item will meet at least two of the five FRESH requirements.

The program also introduced a demonstration kitchen that takes place every Thursday in front of the Corcoran Commons fireplace, featuring a different type of FRESH food each week, such as ratatouille, pickled cucumbers, duxelle pasta, and sweet potato and Brussels sprout hash. Chefs from BC Dining and area vendors provide free samples for students along with a recipe card so they can make the meal in their own kitchens. Bags with ingredients for a four-person dinner are offered for sale.​​ A BCDS report on the

FRESH to Table debut this fall described a “contagious, festive atmosphere” that encouraged discussion on how initiatives such as FRESH spark awareness of sustainability-related issues, and aid in finding ways to “make BC Dining more environmentally friendly without sacrificing the quality of flavorful food.”

Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Grace Mitchell thinks the FRESH initiative is a welcome addition to BC’s campus and looks forward to the what the future of FRESH will bring.

“It was really refreshing to learn that BC Dining has a larger focus than just on our campus,” said Mitchell. “Small things like good food with a good purpose fit into the larger picture of our Jesuit ideals and I’m excited to see our dining continue to evolve.”

Learn more about FRESH to Table and other BCDS sustainability programs at www.bc.edu/ offices/dining/sustain0.

–Siobhan Sullivan

Photos by Gary Wayne Gilbert

Fairly traded. Regional. Equitable. Sustainable. Healthy.

These characteristics spell out, literally, the five components of the Boston College Dining Service’s new FRESH program.

Funded by a $399,705 grant awarded to BCDS from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, the three-year initiative – also known as “FRESH to Table” – aims to increase the production and consumption of local, sustainable food options in New England, with a focus on community awareness and education about the importance of regional, sustainable, healthy food. According to BCDS, the Kendall Foundation has a goal of “50 by 60” – making 50 percent of New England’s food sourced regionally by 2060.

FRESH is the latest innovative venture for BCDS, which is part of the Menus of Change, a 40-member university research collaborative that addresses the critical roles culinary arts, menu design, ingredient sources and restaurant layout can play in influencing life-long food choices

Dining Service Production Manager Paul Rielly, left, and Third Cook Derek Schepici at a FRESH to Table demonstration this fall in Corcoran Commons.

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Chronicle DECEMBER 14, 2017

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BOSTON COLLEGE IN THE MEDIA An introduction to new faculty members at Boston College

Lauren Honig

Assistant Professor of Political Science Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Northwestern University (BA); Cornell University (PhD) WHAT SHE STUDIES: African politics; statebuilding; natural resource governance; the political economy of development.

WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Comparative Politics of Development; Political Economy of Development Your forthcoming book on the struggle in Africa over formal property rights is based on your fieldwork in Zambia and Senegal: How did you see this struggle play out on a day-in/week-out basis? “Who has the right to control land, use land, and sell land is an unresolved question in many countries in Africa, including the two that are the focus of my book. Instead, there are areas where customary authorities, community groups, and the state all claim legitimate authority over the land. For example, when an individual smallholder farmer wants to title her land, she can be blocked from accessing formal property rights by powerful customary authorities. Similarly, when a large agricultural investor wants a huge area of land used informally by smallholders, customary authorities can prevent the state from titling the land and displacing the smallholders who have been there, at times, for generations. This mix of different authorities over land can create both challenges and opportunities for farmers seeking to secure their property rights.”

Assoc. Prof. Robert Murphy (Economics) spoke with the Associated Press on the outlook for consumer spending and economic growth this holiday season.

Appearing on the National Public Radio program “On Point,” Assoc. Prof. Kathleen McInnis-Dittrich (BCSSW) gave her perspective on the difficult discussions many families face regarding aging and caregiving.

Assoc. Prof. Daniel Lyons (Law) offered comments to The New York Times and WGBH News in advance of the Federal Communications Commission vote on whether to repeal the Obamaera net neutrality rules requiring broadband providers to give consumers equal access to all Internet content.

The American Psychological Association magazine Monitor on Psychology highlighted the work of Assoc. Prof. Usha TummalaNarra (LSOE) in an article on how psychologists have modernized the psychoanalytic approach to better serve patients and have conducted more research that validates its success.

The journal Nature highlighted the work of Prof. Andrew Jorgenson (Sociology, Environmental Studies), who has spent decades studying how socio-economic divisions affect carbon emissions, in an article on how social scientists can help to shape climate policy.

Interviewed by NBC News, Assoc.

Prof. of the Practice Sam Richardson (Economics) weighed in on whether the CVS-Aetna deal

Vahid Montazerhodjat Assistant Professor of the Practice of Computer Science Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Sharif University of Technology (B); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SM, PhD) WHAT HE STUDIES: Statistical inference and data analytics with a focus on the bio-pharmaceutical industry.

WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Computer Science I Shu-Yi Oei Associate Professor Boston College Law School DEGREES: Brown University (AB); Harvard University (MTS, JD) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Tax policy; economic regulation; taxation/regulation sharing economy; innovations in human capital investments and the taxation and regulation of new industries; social insurance and the relationship between tax administration and economic security; privacy and transparency in domestic and international tax enforcement and administration.

WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Tax Policy and Legal Scholarship Workshop; Tax I & II; Legal Scholarship Workshop –Phil Gloudemans and Sean Smith Photos by Gary Wayne Gilbert and Lee Pellegrini

Lynch School of Education graduate student Caroline Vuilleumier gave a presentation at Monday’s annual Advancing Research and Scholarship Day. For information about the event, see www.bc.edu/research/ research-day.html (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

will lead to a chain or mergers.

Asst. Prof. Kari Hong (Law) spoke with New England Cable News’ “The Take” on the need to review the definition and prosecution of rape.

Tougher sanctions on North Korea won’t solve the problem, Prof.

Robert Ross (Political Science) told the Huffington Post.

Prof. Ray Madoff (Law), director of the school’s Forum on Philanthropy and the Public Good, discussed how provisions in both the House and Senate tax bills could hinder donations to charities and non-profits, in an interview on the PRI-WGBH-WNYC program “The Takeaway.”

“The Abstract Cabinet,” one of three concurrent exhibitions at the McMullen Museum of Art this fall, is “a dynamic exhibition of works by Spanish-Argentine modernist painter Esteban Lisa,” according to a reviewer in the Bay State Banner.

JOBS The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources.

For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Robsham Theater last month hosted the premiere of “Walden,” a short film examining the relationship between the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau and contemporary societal and environmental challenges. A discussion followed with (L-R) filmmaker Christopher Loren Ewers, executive producer Ken Burns, moderator CNN Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley and Walden Woods Project founder Don Henley (not pictured: filmmaker Erik Ewers). (Photo by Gary Wayne Gilbert)

Prof. Mary Jo Iozzio (STM) presented “Foundations and the Formation of Conscience” to members of the North Shore Seacoast Voice of the Faithful and copresented a workshop on “Teaching Religion and Disability Studies” at the American Academy of Religion Religion and Disability Studies Group meeting in Boston. She also served with faculty colleagues Francine Cardman, M. Shawn Copeland and Nancy Pineda-Madrid on the opening panel at the Boston College Women’s Leadership Team conference the “Imago Dei: Critical Perspectives on the Diversity of God’s Image.” In addition, Iozzio published “Radical Dependence and the Imago Dei: Bioethical Implications of Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities,”

in Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality; co-edited and contributed to Sex & Gender: Christian Ethical Reflections; and co-edited and contributed the introduction and the piece “God Bends Over Backwards to Accommodate Humankind...While the Civil Rights Acts and the Americans with Disabilities Act Require [Only] the Minimum” to “Engaging Disability,” a special issue of the Journal of Moral Theology.

BC BRIEFING

La Civiltà Cattolica published “La astrobiología y nosotros,” by Assoc.

Prof. Andrea Vicini, SJ (STM), in La Civiltà Cattolica Iberoamerican.

Fr. Vicini’s “Bem comun (Common good)” was published in Theologica Latinoamericana: Enciclopédia Digital.

Assisant Supervisor, Electrical Operations, Facilities Director of Development, Law School Assistant Director, Marketing and Communications, Academic Affairs/Provost Campus Minister, University Mission and Ministry Construction Project Manager, Facilities Director, Boston College Campus School Network Engineer, Information Technology Senior Philanthropic Advisor, University Advancement General Service Worker, Dining & Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Human Resources Officer, Human Resources Fiscal and Operations Administrator, Academic Affairs/Provost Utility Worker, Dining and Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Resident Director, Student Affairs/Residential Life Director of Development, Carroll School of Management

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle DECEMBER 14, 2017

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NEXT ISSUE:

A look at the Lowell Humanities Series and Robsham Theater spring schedules

Q&A: John Finney

25 Years On, He’s Still ‘Buoyed Up by the Energy’ of His Students

A celebrated maestro of the Heights, conductor John Finney is marking his silver anniversary as director of the University Chorale of Boston College, in addition to his long tenure at the helm of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra.

Earlier this month, he raised his baton at “Christmas on the Heights,” the ensembles’ annual holiday concerts, which have a loyal fan following and traditionally are sold out. Finney, named Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Boston College in 1999, also is recognized as one of the most important musicians in the Boston area.

Plans are in the works for Finney’s ensembles to perform a concert at Boston’s renowned Symphony Hall on April 7 at 1 p.m. to celebrate his 25th year as Chorale director. Finney’s predecessor, C. Alexander Peloquin, also conducted a concert there for his own silver anniversary.

Finney recently shared reflections with Chronicle on the 25year milestone, and the most recent concerts.

“Christmas on the Heights” is one of the most popular holiday events on campus. How does the Trinity Chapel setting enhance the performance?

Finney: Trinity Chapel is beau-

tiful and spacious, and the acoustics in the chapel are perfect for choral and orchestra music. The sound of the full Chorale and Orchestra, coupled with the sound of the chapel’s excellent pipe organ, is absolutely glorious.

What are your favorite musical selections to perform at this special holiday event?

Finney: Our Christmas concerts include music of many different styles, and I treasure every selection. I love the intricacies of “For unto us a child is born” and “Hallelujah” [from Handel’s “Messiah”], the excitement of the “Trepak” from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” the serenity and majesty of Biebl’s “Ave Maria,” the crystal-clear sound of the Ukrainian “Carol of the Bells.” And of course I adore the traditional Christmas carols where the audience sings with us, filling the chapel with joyous sound.

In 2013, the Chorale and Symphony Orchestra performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall to celebrate the University’s Sesquicentennial anniversary – an opportunity to present the groups’ skills in a world-class venue, and be part of an important milestone in Boston College history.

What was that like?

Finney: It is no secret that Symphony Hall is one of the greatest concert halls in the world, and it was an incredible honor for our ensembles to perform there. The

experience of making music on the stage of Symphony Hall is unparalleled; the sound of every voice and every instrument is so beautifully enhanced by the superb acoustics that every performer on the stage is encouraged to sing and play at the highest level of musicianship.

The view from the stage is aweinspiring, as you realize that your sound is reaching every member of the vast audience.

angelic sound.

Singing in the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican City is an overwhelming experience, and we were so fortunate in 1997 to be able to sing at a private audience with His Holiness Pope John Paul II. The Chorale often performs in smaller parish churches, and one particularly memorable concert took place in the small Jesuit

young students from an American college, singing beautiful music with great conviction.

This is a milestone anniversary celebration. What do you find most rewarding, inspiring and enjoyable about your work with these BC student groups?

Finney: The students in the Chorale and Orchestra are im-

You have led the Chorale on international travels and concerts, including trips to Rome – where you performed for, and had an audience with, Pope John Paul II – Ireland and Spain, appearing in some of the world’s most famous cathedrals and other venues.

What have been the most memorable trips?

Finney: During John Finney conducted the University Chorale and BC Symphony Orchestra at the annual every one of the trips “Christmas on the Heights” concert earlier this month. (Photos by Yiting Chen) the Chorale has taken, we have church in Budapest. The church mensely talented, enthusiastic, and had the opportunity to perform in was filled to capacity, and the au- committed. At every rehearsal I magnificent cathedrals, and those dience was so enthralled with the am buoyed up by the energy they experiences are always amazing. Chorale’s singing that their ap- bring to their music-making, and I remember the Chorale’s sing- plause would not stop until we their eagerness to learn as much as ing “Come, Thou Fount of Ev- offered an encore. we can possibly learn in the time ery Blessing” in the cathedral in The audiences at our Cho- we have together.

Galway, Ireland. The final note rale performances in Europe are –Rosanne Pellegrini reverberated for nearly 10 seconds so warm and generous with their Read the full interview at in the dome of the cathedral, and it response. I think they are always bit.ly//finney-25-years would be hard to imagine a more delighted to see a large group of

BC SCENES

JOYOUS SEASON There was no shortage of holiday cheer at the University as December began. On Dec. 5. Boston College held its annual Christmas tree-lighting celebration on the Plaza at O’Neill Library (near left and below); this past weekend, the Alumni Association hosted the Winter Wonderland event for alumni, their families and friends at the Cadigan Center.

Photos by Frank Curran

Photos by Maxine Socorro Alindogan