A Competition with Real-World Implications

Last Friday saw the beginning of the fifth annual Corcoran Case Competition, which offers students from Boston College and other institutions the opportunity to tackle a real-world case facing real estate developers and city officials—and to come up with a solution that delivers both economic and social value.

“The goal is to educate and expose talented students to the field of affordable housing and the diverse array of opportunities within that field,” says Corcoran Center Associate Director Taylor Perkins.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn

SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Patricia Delaney

EDITOR

Sean Smith the people of St. Mary’s constructed rituals of solidarity as a practical foundation for building bridges across difference. Reynolds argues for a retrieval of Vatican II’s concept of ecclesial solidarity as a basis for the mission of the local church in an age of migration, displacement, and change.

In her talk, Reynolds will reflect on what it means to do theology in community. Lifting up the theological agency of communities on the margins of church and society, she will offer a reconsideration of how—and where—the work of theology unfolds.

Reynolds earned a master’s degree from STM in 2013. She also holds a doctorate from the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. She is a contributing writer for Commonweal magazine and is a frequent contributor to national conversations on Catholicism and public life in the media, with appearances on National Public Radio, PBS NewsHour, NBC, and CNN.

Previous winners of the STM’s Alumni Distinguished Service Award include bestselling author James Martin, S.J., and Gregory Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries.

Reynolds’ lecture is free and open to the public and will begin at 5:30 p.m. It will be presented in person and will also be available in virtual format. Registration is at https://bit.ly/2023-Harrington-Lecture.

—Kathleen Sullivan

The competition, hosted by the Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action in the Carroll School of Management, began with the first of two online workshops where participants learn about topics related to affordable housing and urban development. This year, a total of 53 teams from 22 schools are taking part in the virtual competition, among them Harvard, Georgetown, and Duke. The Corcoran Center placed a special emphasis on recruiting participants from diverse backgrounds: For example, a team from Hampton University, a historically black institution, is joining the competition. Heavily represented among competitors, BC will have 22 student teams in the running.

This year’s case involves the redevelopment of a large sports arena in a major American city, a real-world project in the very beginning stages of development. The specific details of the case, including its location, will be released to students on March 31; the Corcoran Center will post more information on its site [bc.edu/bc-web/ schools/carroll-school/ sites/corcoran-center] after that date.

The competition culminates with finalists making their presentations before a panel of judges on April 25. Four teams will walk away with between $500 and $5,000 in prize money for their efforts.

“We’re trying to bring students actively into a conversation with real-world, ongoing planning processes,” said Taylor Perkins, associate director of the Corcoran Center. “The goal is to educate and expose talented students to the field of affordable housing and the diverse array of opportunities within that field.”

Laura Davis is the content development specialist at the Carroll School of Management

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Phil Gloudemans

Ed Hayward

Rosanne Pellegrini

Kayla Roy

Kathleen Sullivan

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Caitlin Cunningham

Lee Pellegrini www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu

Q&A: Philip Landrigan

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