Boston College Chronicle Dec. 2, 2010 by Boston College

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Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs

INSIDE:

‘Star’; 3 Stuart’s Energy update

glass 4 Stained treasures at BC

Professor; 5 Behrakis City Connects

december 2, 2010—vol. 19 no. 7

Two Years After Policy Change, Early Action Rises

LIGHT TIME IS THE BRIGHT TIME

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

The 2010 holiday season formally got underway Tuesday evening, as members and guests of the Boston College community enjoyed the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at O’Neill Plaza. For a round-up of campus events celebrating the holidays, see page 8. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Big Brothers-Big Sisters Tie Is Formalized By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer

A gift from a Boston College alumnus has laid the groundwork for a formalized program between the University and Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. William Dwyer ’80, managing director and president of National Sales and Marketing at LPL Financial, and his wife, Chris ’82, have funded a pilot program being administered this year by the Volunteer and Service Learning Center. The program has paired 10 BC

students with children from the Franklin Field Housing Development in Dorchester. Although many BC students have donated time as Big Brothers or Big Sisters in the past, the new program offers more resources: activities on campus, a van to pick up and drop off the children — often referred to as “littles” in the program — and collaboration and reflection opportunities for the student volunteers. “We really have to give thanks to Bill Dwyer, who came up with an idea to support a unique program here at his alma mater,” said Vice

President for Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski. “To Bill’s credit, he had his own powerful mentor experience when he was younger and sees value in investing in what he knows can become transformational moments in a young person’s life.” For Will Bricker ’12, that transformative moment took place when he found a connection through a common language with nine-yearold Julio. Bricker, who participated in Big Brothers-Big Sisters prior to the BC program, is helping to establish a strong student leadership element in the program through Continued on page 6

Golden Slumbers, Golden Memories? BC’s Kensinger studies how sleep can affect what we remember By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

The one-third of our lives that we spend asleep isn’t just about sweet dreams. It’s time that plays a critical role in our future memories, according to new research from Associate Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Kensinger. Kensinger and University of Notre Dame psychologist Jessica D. Payne discovered that sleep helps people reorganize memories, picking out the emotional details and reconfiguring memories to help the mind produce

new and creative ideas, they report in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. “It’s not just that sleep makes our memories stronger, but sleep helps make our memories selective,” says Kensinger. The memory of an emotiongenerating image – such as a snake or a car accident – is as clear after 12 hours of sleep as it is 30 minutes after viewing the scene, the researchers’ experiments revealed. During sleep the mind omits the neutral, secondary aspects of the images, such as the forest where the snake is pictured. Kensinger and Payne also measured brain activity during sleep and found that regions of the brain involved with emotion and memory consolidation are

active. Sleep, as more and more research shows, isn’t such a passive activity. “We intuitively think of sleep as the brain being off-line and not much happening,” Kensinger says. “This suggests a much more nuanced role for sleep. Something much more specific is going on and there are these much more active processes.” The research is particularly applicable to students at this time of year, when end-of-term exams and requirements often convince them to forgo sleep. That’s not a good idea, says Kensinger. “Many people are chronically sleep-deprived – and you can see this especially within the college population. People are setting Continued on page 4

Boston College has seen a rise in early action applications of seven percent over last year, reversing a brief downward trend after the University had changed its early action policy two years ago. Director of Undergraduate Admissions John Mahoney said that this fall BC received almost 6,200 applications through early action — a program in which students can opt to apply by Nov. 1 and learn their admission status by Christmas — compared to 5,775 in 2009. After years of increases in early action applications, culminating with a record 6,700 in 2008, Mahoney said the University moved to make the program more restrictive to applicants. Now, students who apply to a binding early decision program at another college — where students must accept enrollment if offered admission — may not apply to BC via early action. While early action continues to be a significant facet of the University’s enrollment picture — accounting for as much as 30 percent of students enrolled in a given freshman class — BC has

consciously chosen to limit the extent to which it utilizes the program, says Mahoney. “Making the early action program restrictive was really the right step for BC,” Mahoney explains. “The only people the restriction eliminates are those who are not particularly serious about applying here, given that they’ve made a commitment to enroll at another college if admitted. “We value the opportunity to interact with our applicants, whether through early action or regular decision, and help them decide whether BC is the right fit for them. We also want to be sure that students who apply through regular decision are treated fairly and have a chance for a spot in the freshman class — as opposed to seeing half of the openings already taken up by early action.” BC recognizes that some students feel early action will help their chances of getting the college they want — and, potentially, ease the stress of the college application process, Mahoney says. “We simply want students to think about whether the record they’ve compiled through their junior year — which is what will be considered in early action — Continued on page 6

Eagles Head to Final Four, Face Stanford Tomorrow The Boston College women’s soccer team will face No. 1 ranked Stanford in the semifinal round of the NCAA College Cup championships tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in Cary, NC. John Quackenbos The Eagles (17-6-1) defeated University of Washington 1-0 in an overtime contest last Friday at the Newton Campus field to earn a spot in the Final Four, marking the farthest advance of any BC soccer team in NCAA championship play. Senior Hannah Cerrone of Wappingers Falls, NY, scored on a corner kick with 4:46 remaining in the first overtime session to provide the margin of victory against Washington. Eagles’ goal- BC celebrates the winning goal. tender Jillian Mastroianni, a junior from Durham, Conn., made two key saves late in the extra period to preserve the victory, and finished with five stops in the game. Tomorrow’s national semifinal game will be televised live on ESPN2/ESPNU. The winner of the BC-Stanford game will play the winner of Friday’s other semifinal game, Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (4 p.m.), in the national championship game on Sunday at noon. The title game will be televised on ESPN2. -Reid Oslin

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Chronicle december 2, 2010

JVC and BC There’s definitely a maroonand-gold tint to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps this year. Thirty Boston College alumni are currently participating in the JVC, the most for any college or university. These former BCers are among the 340 Jesuit Volunteers living in 48 communities in the US and six other countries, working in schools, health clinics, legal clinics, parishes, and nonprofit organizations — and according to the JVC, providing the savings of a combined estimate of $6 million each year, in comparison to the cost of a salaried employee. Volunteers serve for one to two years, integrating Christian faith by working and living among the poor and marginalized, while examining the causes of social injustice. In August, Boston College also served as host for volunteer orientation for new volunteers who will be working at international locations. One of the 30 BC alumni in JVC is Carolyn Zippilli ’10, who is working for a small nonprofit called Urban Compass, an after-school program located in the heart of Watts in Los Angeles serving 35-50 students daily. In addition to recreation and tutor-

ing, the program offers an educational enrichment curriculum, which includes monthly field trips that give the children a chance to experience different parts of Los Angeles and activities such as ice skating and surfing. “I was attracted to JVC because I was interested in doing post-grad service with an organization that allowed me to explore social justice issues in a reflective and spiritual context, while living in community with like-minded people,” says Zippilli, who as program coordinator is responsible for planning daily activities and coordinating volunteer tutors. “I am so grateful for my Jesuit education because my BC experience was formative in many ways: academically, socially, spiritually. After hearing about the experience of some BC friends who chose to do JVC and researching on my own, I thought the program would be a great fit for me because I could find work in my field of interest, education, and lead the reflective, community-based lifestyle that I was looking for.”

Another in the BC-JVC connection is Becky Barbrow ’10, who works at Sacramento-based Women’s Empowerment, a jobreadiness program for homeless women. Barbrow has found her past dealings with BC’s Career Center quite helpful when she runs workshops, especially on making resumes — “use strong action verbs and quantify responsibilities when possible.” Now in the midst of preparing the program’s clothing and toy drive for the holidays, Barbrow says she couldn’t be happier or more fulfilled than where she is now. “I wish more people spent a year in service to others, because they just might find — as I am —that their whole entire lives might be pointed in that same direction. The interconnected values of intentional community, social justice, living simply, and spirituality are producing quite an intense transformation of my mindset, attitudes, and habits that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life.” —SS

A ROUND C AMPUS

Winter Clothing Drive for Afghanistan Through Dec. 8 BC Army ROTC is holding a winter clothing — especially for children — donation drive in support of Operation Outreach Afghanistan, an organization of military and civilian volunteers dedicated to empowering Afghan people. Items that are particularly needed are winter coats, gloves, shoes, socks, winter hats and blankets. The drive will continue through next Wednesday, Dec. 8, with drop-off points at Carney 25 and 163. Contact Captain Melissa Parrish at ext.2-3230 or by e-mail at melissa.parrish@bc.edu T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle ON Be sure to check out the Boston College Chronicle YouTube channel [www.youtube.com/bcchronicle] for video features on Boston College people, programs and events. New and upcoming videos include: •Multi-Faith Thanksgiving Celebration: Each year, members of the Boston College community gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. The MultiFaith celebration is a tradition sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry, Vice President for University Mission and Ministry, Latino/as at Boston College, UGBC and Spread the Bread. •Chemistry outreach: Fall Saturdays at the Heights may be made for football, but Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang thinks they’re great for science as well. He and students from his lab use the pre-game Fanfest to teach visitors about clean energy and the research taking place on campus. Kids can learn about water-splitting, hydrogen fuel cells and clean energy as they pilot a high-tech remote controlled car that runs on hydrogen they helped to generate.

Here are the most-viewed videos on Chronicle’s YouTube channel this academic year as of Tuesday: -Moving-in Day (2,529 views) -Faber Jesuit Community (1,259) -Mass of the Holy Spirit (846) -Lunch with Bob Costas (597) -Chris O’Donnell at BC (566) -Professors and Pastries (522) The Boston College

Chronicle TAKE A WALK—Boston College employees were on the move Nov. 19 to commemorate the end of the University’s “Walk Across Campus Challenge” program sponsored by the Flynn Recreation Complex. Participants in the challenge had to track the amount of walking they did during an six-week period, with the top five earning prizes. Office of Marketing Communications Administrative Assistant MaryEllen Doran (in center of photo wearing blue jeans) won first prize of a free one-year membership to the Recplex. (Photo by Suzanne Camarata)

Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS

Patricia Delaney Editor

Sean Smith

Visiting team If it seems like a lot of people come to check out Boston College as a possible college destination these days, well, it’s because it’s true. This year, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions began formally tracking the number of visitors who registered for and attended admissions information sessions, campus tours or both. From mid-June to mid-August, there were approximately 24,000 visitors — the figure includes prospective students and family members or others who accompanied them — with another 13,000 stopping at the Heights this fall, according to Director of Undergraduate Admission John

Director of NEWS & Public Affairs

Contributing Staff

Mahoney. Of course, adds Mahoney, that total of 37,000 doesn’t take into account “walk-ins” who didn’t register and participated in the tours and events anyway: “I would be quite confident in putting the actual overall figure at close to 40,000,” he says. This summer, New York visitors outnumbered those from Massachusetts, 3,295 (1,098 of them students) to 3,094 (1,031 students), and everywhere else. New Jersey (2,921/974), California (1,976/659) and Pennsylvania (1,536/512) also helped swell the ranks. The two most far-flung states, Hawaii and Alaska, sent 81 visitors (27 students) and seven

visitors (four students), respectively. (Iowa, a state of particular interest to some senior BC administrators, accounted for 41 visitors, 18 of them students.) On the international front, Hong Kong, with 170 visitors (54 students), and China (106/37) ranked highest, with Switzerland (76/28) third. “It’s an interesting way to help gauge BC’s national, and international, presence,” says Mahoney. “Obviously, we depend a lot on our Admissions administration and staff, as well as our student volunteers, to give campus visitors a good introduction to BC. As these numbers indicate, they keep quite busy.” —SS

Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Eileen Woodward Photographers

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini 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 News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (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 News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. Contact Chronicle via e-mail: chronicle@bc.edu. Electronic editions of the Boston College Chronicle are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.bc.edu/chronicle.

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Chronicle december 2, 2010

Award-winning dishroom supervisor puts his heart into his job, and into BC By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

The dishes, utensils and cookware at the Stuart Dining Hall on the Newton Campus are so sparking clean that they literally reflect a star. That “star” is Stuart’s dishroom supervisor Emmanuel “Manny” Milfort, who has been named a “Star of the Industry” by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, an organization that represents 14,000 food and beverage service establishments across the state. Milfort was one of 10 recipients – one in each category of the food service profession – honored by more than 800 food service leaders and professionals attending the MRA’s gala awards banquet at Lombardo’s in Randolph earlier this fall. He was the only employee of a college or university food services facility in Massachusetts to receive one of the industry’s prized “Stars.” First Cook Jeronimo Colon of the Corcoran Commons dining facility was one of three finalists in the MRA’s “2010 Cook of the Year” category. “I am very happy to have the award,” says Milfort, who has worked at Boston College since 1999. “Some people come into

work, make their 40 hours and then leave. I try to make the place look good, to take care of everything, to make everything ‘wonderful.’” Milfort’s constant “can-do attitude” is what distinguishes him in, and outside of, the workplace, say Boston College Dining Services administrators. “When I was submitting the recommendation for the award for Manny, I wrote ‘11 years of making it happen,’” says BCDS Human Resources Manager Beth Burns. “In addition to his work, he takes classes in English as a Second Language, volunteers in his community and has been a great influence on a lot of others who work in the department. He not only does his job well here, but, in the big picture, pulls a lot of things together.” BCDS Director Helen Wechsler says Milfort’s job assignment is “one of the hardest – and one of the most important” in the department’s effort to provide 23,000 meals a day to the University community. “It’s a lot about customer service,” she says. “The customers are not just the students, but the kitchen team as well, the co-workers that they are washing the dishes, pots and utensils for. It’s also a lot about food safety, making sure that everything is properly sanitized. “A kitchen can function only if

it is a true team effort,” Wechsler adds. “There are really no ‘individuals’ in the kitchens and if you work in one you realize that very quickly.” Milfort, who came to the United States from Haiti in 1995, lives in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood with his wife, Marie, and their three children, ages 10, seven and four. He began working in the BCDS Catering Department in 1999 and two years later moved to McElroy Dining Commons to accept a yearround position. In 2007, he was promoted to dishroom supervisor at the Newton Campus facility, where his industrious work habits have made him an even more valued employee. “Even though I am the supervisor, I always believe that I should be doing something,” the affable Milfort says. “My list of projects is full every day. “When they selected me [for the award], it shows that they realize that I am doing a good job,” Milfort says. “So now I want to do a good job – and more – to show how much I appreciate it. When people say ‘Thank you’ for doing something, I want to do even more for them.” Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oslin@ bc.edu

Emmanuel “Manny” Milfort, winner of a Massachusetts Restaurant Association “Star of the Industry” award: “Some people come into work, make their 40 hours and then leave. I try to make the place look good, to take care of everything, to make everything ‘wonderful.’”

Chicago Archbishop to Speak on Campus Dec. 7

Study to Shed Light on BC Energy Use

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

The installation of energy-saving LED lights in the lampposts along Linden Lane and a detailed study of energy use in every campus building are among the latest initiatives in Boston College’s ongoing campaign to conserve energy use and reduce costs. “Continued conservation of campus energy resources is certainly important to our budget and overall financial situation,” says Executive Vice President Patrick Keating. “The overall performance of faculty, staff and students in the last couple of years has been outstanding. “The University continues to invest in energy-saving initiatives and, in combination with conservation on the part of the community, costs will be reduced.” The new LED lamps on Linden Lane, for example, use only six watts of energy instead of the 50 watts consumed by the previous streetlight bulbs, notes Energy Manager John MacDonald of the University’s Facilities Services division. “We are using up to 50 percent less energy, and the LEDs give a nice, broad light throw that is directed more at the ground where you really want it. “LEDs have a lamp life of 30,000 to 100,000 hours,” adds MacDonald. “That’s three to 10 years of life.” MacDonald says his office is also looking to install new LED lamp

Caitlin Cunningham

‘11 Years of Making It Happen’

Senior members of BC’s 2010 NCAA hockey championship team were the latest campus notables to lend an upper lip to the “Got Green?” poster series to raise awareness about the need for energy conservation. Campaign organizers in the Office of News & Public Affairs hint that a new, yet familiar face will don a verdant mustache at the start of next semester.

technology in other campus lighting systems that are on for extended periods – sometimes 24 hours a day. MacDonald is also doing an analysis of wattage used per square foot of space in campus buildings. “With our new metering system, we are able to look at most of the buildings on campus and gain insights into utilities use,” he says. “We can compare each building with others like it – science buildings, athletics building, residence halls – and if something jumps out at us, we’ll take the time to do a deeper analysis.” MacDonald says the University is also studying individual building temperature set points and set backs – the times that heating and air conditioning functions are turned on and off daily – to reduce unnecessary

energy use. “We can match that up to the exact building schedule to reset the temperatures and look at getting those points closer to when each building is actually occupied. We can look at the use of wattage per square foot to see if that makes sense, and we can program that into our control package.” For more on energy and sustainability at Boston College, see www. bc.edu/sustainability.

Help BConserve -Close windows and doors to keep the heat/cool in -Unplug it if you’re not using it (especially chargers) -Turn off appliances, lights — water, too! More tips at www.bc.edu/green

Cardinal Francis George, OMI, archbishop of Chicago and past president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), will deliver a free, public address at Boston College on Dec. 7. During his talk, which takes place in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons at 4:30 p.m., Cardinal George will discuss his book The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion and Culture, a collection of his essays on the role of the Catholic faith in the modern world. The event is sponsored by the Church and the 21st Century Center and the School of Theology and Ministry. “Cardinal George is one of the foremost Catholics in the nation,” said Special Assistant to the President Robert Newton, interim director of C21 Center. Cardinal George’s appearance, added Newton, continues a commitment C21 has had since its inception to bringing members of the church hierarchy to campus to talk about the Catholic Church today and to become more acquainted with Boston College and its Catholic academic programs and offerings. This coming March, the C21 Center will host Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. During his visit to Boston College, Cardinal George will meet with University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and with faculty members from the School of Theology and

Cardinal Francis George, OMI

Ministry and the Theology Department. He also will meet with BC students from his hometown of Chicago. On Dec. 8, Cardinal George will celebrate Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at noon in St. Mary’s Chapel. Last month, he completed a three-year term as president of USCCB, the official leadership assembly of Catholic bishops of the United States and the US Virgin Islands that promotes and conducts the religious, charitable and social welfare work of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal George, who has overcome polio and cancer, was installed in 1997 as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, which is home to 2.3 million Catholics. A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, he previously held the positions of Archbishop of Portland, Oregon and Bishop of Yakima, Washington. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

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Chronicle december 2, 2010

Capturing the Beauty of Stained GlassTreasures BC photographer Gary Wayne Gilbert preserves the art in Bapst, Gasson and St. Mary’s windows By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

The Assumption of the Virgin (detail), St. Mary’s Chapel.

“Shakespeare Windows”: left panel, “The Taming of the Shrew”; right panel, “King Lear,” Bapst Library.

The enchanting beauty and stirring majesty of the University’s most intricate aesthetic treasures — the stained glass windows of Bapst Library and Gasson and St. Mary’s halls — are vividly depicted in a keepsake book, Transforming Light: The Stained-Glass Windows of Boston College. Yet, as stately and serene as the complex colored panes are, it took the sharp eye and imaginative skills of Director of University Photography Gary Wayne Gilbert to capture images of these lucent works of art in their utmost splendor. Gilbert, an award-winning fine art and commercial photographer, has earned Awards of Excellence from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and his work has been featured in Communication Arts magazine. Gilbert’s photographs in Transforming Light are accompanied by a series of descriptive essays written by Virginia Chieffo Raguin, a professor of art history at the College of the Holy Cross, and a nationally recognized expert on stained glass. The volume begins with a survey of Boston College architecture by Fine Arts Professor Jeffery Howe, who also describes the Maginnis and Walsh master plan for the campus. “For a long time, I used the beautiful windows as dramatic backdrops, which ultimately led me to take a close look at the actual depictions,” Gilbert says. “I was amazed at the subject matter. Where else would you find portraits of Mark Twain, Daniel Webster, George Washington, Longfellow, Lincoln, Emerson, Hawthorne – the list goes on and on – in stained glass? And there is an impressive range of intellectual pursuits represented: religion, poetry, fine arts, natural science, political science, philosophy, law, medicine, oratory and more.” Photographing such a complex subject was not an easy task. “This project presented its own set of challenges,” Gilbert says, “particularly the height of the windows and the variability of external light. “I wanted to be true to what I believed the artists who created them were trying to display,” Gilbert continues, “which to me meant the design, colors and composition supportingthesubjects, rather than the tech- “The Frogs,” inspired by the nical aspects of the windows themselves, Aristophanes story, Gargan such as the lead work. The best condi- Hall, Bapst Library. tion to achieve this was to shoot when it was cloudy outside, which provided even more light, with no interior illumination, so the lead would fade into black.” The height of the window panes – some as high as 30 feet – was another challenge, Gilbert says. “This required a tall, stable ladder that worked fairly well for someone with a fear of heights,” he quips. “I think the biggest problem was what not to shoot,” says Gilbert, who holds a fine arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. “There are so many beautiful windows that we couldn’t include because of space constraints – the book would have been twice the size and weight. I think we could easily do a second volume.” Transforming Light is a publication of Linden Lane Press, based in the Office of Marketing Communications. Copies are available at the Boston College Bookstore or online at www.bc.edu/bookstore.

Seated monk, from “Celtic Heroes” series, Bapst Library.

Engineering, from the “Useful Arts” alcove, Gargan Hall, Bapst Library.

Abraham Lincoln, from the “Great Americans” series, Bapst Library.

BC Psychologist Studies Link Between Sleep and Memory Continued from page 1 themselves up for memory retention that is not as effective as it could be. Without sleep, we are not able to selectively pick out the things in our day that we should retain and let other events fall aside.” [Campus Recreation is sponsoring a talk for students about the effects of sleep deprivation Dec. 9 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Shea Room of Conte Forum. See http://bit.ly/gnrKCq] In addition to shedding new light on creativity, the findings may help increase understanding of the roles sleep deprivation and disruption play in people struggling with depression or posttraumatic stress disorder. “This may suggest that there is a meaningful connection be-

tween the way we sleep at night and a way to retain emotional experiences and cope with them and learn from them, rather than being haunted by them,” says Kensinger, who is also studying memory trade-offs among PTSD sufferers. Kensinger says she takes her own research to heart. “I sleep a lot – about nine hours a night,” she says. “You can’t be a sleep researcher and allow yourself to get too sleep deprived.” The article on Kensinger’s research is available via the Current Directions in Psychological Science website, at http://cdp.sagepub. com/content/19/5/290.full Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

Associate Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Kensinger: “Many people are chronically sleep-deprived – and you can see this especially within the college population. People are setting themselves up for memory retention that is not as effective as it could be. Without sleep, we are not able to selectively pick out the things in our day that we should retain and let other events fall aside.” (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

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Chronicle december 2, 2010

BC’s First Behrakis Professor sees value in study of classical political philosophy By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

It might be easy for someone with a suspicious mind to wonder if Behrakis Professor of Hellenic Political Studies Robert Bartlett has something other than academics on his mind. After all, he did title his introduction to political theory course “How to Rule the World.” And he does have a portrait of Napoleon up on his office wall. But no, Bartlett laughs, he has no ambition whatsoever for global domination. What he finds fascinating, though, are the questions about political philosophy embodied in a figure like Napoleon — questions that have been explored as far back as Ancient Greece, by the likes of Xenophon, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, all of whom have been subjects of Bartlett’s writing. “My main concern is the classic question of Socrates: ‘What is the good life for human beings?’” says Bartlett. “There is a political aspect to that question, in that modern liberal democracy governments pride themselves on securing maximum freedoms for citizens. But it falls to us to decide what to do with this freedom, because the government won’t ask that question. If we don’t, then we don’t fulfill the promise of freedom. “I’ve found in teaching that when you focus on the question this way, it becomes more relevant for students.”

As Boston College’s inaugural Behrakis Professor, Bartlett feels he is in the best possible place to pursue this facet of political philosophy, and to share his enthusiasm for the discipline with BC undergraduates and graduate students. The Behrakis Professorship was established through a gift by Boston College Trustee Drake Behrakis ’86, a Carroll School of Management alumnus who is president of Lexingtonbased Marwick Associates. “Intellectually, there’s not a better place than Boston College for the history of political philosophy,” says Bartlett, who prior to his arrival at BC this year taught at Emory College for 11 years, the past two as the Arthur M. Blank/National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professor. “Having earned my master’s and doctoral degrees here [in 1991 and 1992, respectively], I was certainly wellacquainted with the strength of BC’s curriculum and teaching. “The Political Science Department is remarkable in its stress on political thought and theory, which melds very well in other aspects of political science. There’s a collegial sense of shared questions, and I’m confident this will lead to some interesting collaborations — on, for example, the ‘just war’ theory — in the years ahead.” And in case anyone might wonder about the portrait of Napoleon in his office (also adorned with images of Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln), Bartlett says the French dictator’s prominence in political history is as a transformative figure, not an admirable one. “He’s on my wall because he

changed the world,” says Bartlett. “Napoleon’s initial rise to power sparked such hopes, and those hopes were dashed as he devolved into a tyrant. But he also sparked a whole literary subgenre — in his way, he was a rock star of the era.” A native of Alberta, Canada, Bartlett earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto before attending BC, where he found a mentor in Theology Professor Fr. Ernest Fortin, AA — “the most learned man I ever met,” says Bartlett of Fr. Fortin, who died in 2002. His affiliation with Emory began in 1994 with a two-year stint as a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Classics and Political Science, and he joined the political science faculty in 1999. Bartlett has authored articles in such publications as the American Journal of Political Science and American Political Science Review. His books include The Idea of Enlightenment: A Postmortem Study and translations of Plato’s Protagoras and Meno. His forthcoming works include a new translation of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and a book on Plato and relativism. Such achievements make Bartlett a perfect fit for the professorship, says Drake Behrakis, who recalls appreciatively the liberal arts education he received at BC. “I always felt Boston College had a solid foundation in the areas of Greek/Hellenic and classical studies,” he says. “These components are found in philosophy, theology and political science, which continue to be disciplines of great relevance. I see the Behrakis Professorship as helping to pull these disciplines together and

Lee Pellegrini

Modern World, Ancient Questions

“My main concern is the classic question of Socrates: ‘What is the good life for human beings?’” —Robert Bartlett

sparking interaction between the departments. “Robert Bartlett has a strong background as teacher and scholar, and I am confident he’ll contribute to BC’s academic excellence,” says Behrakis. Professor Susan Shell, chairwoman of the Political Science Department, says. “Bob’s interpretations of Greek works sparkle with lucidity and telling insight, and he has a terrific ability to bring the lessons of the past to bear upon contemporary concerns.

“Bob, who has published more articles in highly ranked political science journals than any other scholar in his field, will be a major research asset and also make a substantial contribution to graduate and undergraduate teaching. He is the living proof that commitments to research and teaching are, or can be, mutually reinforcing.” The Behrakis Professorship is expected to hold its first public event in March. Contact Sean Smith at sean. smith.1@bc.edu

BC Program Drawing Notice Among Education Reformers By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

A new approach to supporting elementary schools has grown from a test case developed at Boston College to a proven model that is quickly capturing the imagination of education reformers both inside and outside of troubled urban schools. Launched nearly a decade ago in a Brighton public school through a partnership established by Lynch School of Education Professor Mary Walsh, this “whole child” approach to aid students was chosen by the Boston Public Schools to begin work this fall helping seven “Turnaround” schools reverse chronic under-performance. That expanded the program’s scope to 17 schools, a staff of 60, and 7,000 BPS students – approximately 25 percent of the city’s elementary level enrollment. Walsh and her staff project further growth to other urban districts looking for a new approach to solving the complex problems that stifle student success. To accommodate those plans, the program, formerly known as Boston Connects, was re-named City Connects and a new website launched to highlight its approach to

dents earned improved scores on “optimized student support.” Last month, City Connects held the state’s MCAS exams and better its first major event, a conference report card grades; and improved on student supports that attracted classroom behavior, work habits and an audience of 200 to the Murray effort. In particular, City Connects Room of the Yawkey Center. Ad- students at greatest risk experienced dressing the audience, Walsh said significant improvement in MCAS City Connects has succeeded where performance at grades 3, 4, and 5. English Language other programs have Lee Pellegrini Learners (ELL) in failed by assessing the City Connects have academic, social/emoliteracy report card tional, health and famscores similar to ily needs of children in non-City Connects its partner schools and students proficient providing supports in a in English—there“customized, compreby eliminating the hensive and coordinatachievement gap for ed” manner in concert this group. with schools, commuCity Connects nities and families. works to leverage City Connects “creresources available ates a hub for student Mary Walsh: City Connects supports,” said Walsh, prorgram creates “a hub for to students, but also brings considerable the Daniel Kearns student supports.” Professor of Urban Education and resources of its own in the form of Innovative Leadership and the ex- funding from New Balance Founecutive director of City Connects. “It dation, Charles Hayden Foundabecomes a core function for schools tion, Strategic Grant Partners and and a connection point for services Ludcke Foundation. Its work in the and resources inside and outside the city’s Turnaround Schools is funded through the state’s School Improveschool.” Data show that since its incep- ment Grants Program. Audience members and panelists tion in 2001, City Connects stu-

at the City Connects conference on student support represented five government offices, 22 school districts and 36 community agencies. Karla Baehr, a deputy commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Education and former superintendent in Lowell, said City Connects provides a blueprint that can help schools and community agencies build partnerships that work better. “Almost all urban school districts have worked with community agencies,” said Baehr. “They know these agencies and they’re known by these agencies. But these partnerships haven’t worked. Why? In many cases, these partnerships were not aligned with district goals. There was a lack of coherence and a lack of coordination. There were gaps.” In some cases, there were turf battles between schools and external groups over services, personnel rules, even the use of empty classrooms after school. In other cases, schools failed to set clear terms about meeting student achievement goals. Jeff Mulqueen, the chief academic officer of the Worcester Public Schools, said urban districts are learning that they cannot serve every

student need on their own — a critical first step to building better partnerships with external agencies, be they from the public or private sectors. “I think we have to give up that notion of rugged individualism and recognize that sometimes we all need assistance,” said Mulqueen. Harry Spence, a Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty member who spent five years as a deputy school chancellor in New York City and six years as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, said the City Connects model shows promise in overcoming a critical shortcoming of large bureaucracies charged with serving children and families: the unwillingness to cede control to other institutions. “One of the things this collaborative model provides to agencies is a clearly defined goal: to help that child thrive in school…I think that focus can help those agencies do their jobs better.” For more information about City Connects, visit the website http://www. CityConnects.org Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

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Chronicle december 2, 2010

Big Brothers-Big Sisters Program Is Formalized Continued from page 1 oversight, recruitment and activity planning. Recently emigrated from the Dominican Republic, Julio spent much of his time after school at the West End Boys & Girls Club, but had trouble making friends because of his limited English. When Bricker – who is fluent in Spanish – met Julio, the child was not shy in lobbying for the economics major to be his “big brother.” “Ours is a unique situation,” said Bricker. “He must have asked me 100 times to be his big brother. Usually it’s a blind match. But that’s the kind of weight this program carries for the children in his neighborhood. They seek out the opportunity. And, on my end, it’s been a privilege to get to know him and humbling to see the impact you can make on the life of a child. “It’s finding value in the little things. Playing basketball, buying a candy bar from a vending machine – I mean really small acts that mean the world to them,” said Bricker. Volunteer and Service Learning Center Director Dan Ponsetto said the work being done by the Big Brothers-Big Sisters on the BC campus speaks directly to the mission of the University. “Sometimes there is a perception here at BC that you have to get on a plane and fly somewhere far away to have a life-changing experience. This

program demonstrates that our students can engage in relational work that is potentially transformational right here in Boston,” said Ponsetto. “And that can be as, if not more, rewarding. I’ve seen the impact being a Big Brother or Big Sister can have on students. I have seen what an impact it has had on my own son [BC student Julian Ponsetto ’12].” Alexander Eaton ’11, said the partnership will afford more BC students the chance to participate. Before the program, Eaton would spend countless hours on the T, visiting his “little brother” Jeremy, who lives near Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. Now Jeremy and other “littles” are picked up by a van at their homes and come to BC where they play on the football field or in the Flynn Recreation Complex, or conduct experiments in the chemistry labs. “The partnership is great because many of Jeremy’s friends are dying to be paired up with BC students. But because of where they live it’s very hard for students without cars to become active in the program,” said Eaton. “It’s nice that now, the ‘littles’ will be able to come to campus – a place that is safe and academically focused, so it gets them thinking about why getting good grades is important – and more BC students can get involved.” Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa. beecher@bc.edu

Early Action Applications Up 7 Percent Over 2009 Continued from page 1 truly represents them. Are there courses, or extracurricular activities or service experiences, in the first semester of senior year that perhaps should be part of their application? Is early action or early decision going to put them in the best possible light?” Mahoney notes that competitive candidates who are not admitted under early action get another shot via the regular decision process, and about 20 percent of those deferred wind up being offered

admission. However, students whose credentials would not earn them admission in the regular decision program will be turned down at early action. “Early action and early decision can be a confusing landscape for prospective students and their families to go through, because there is no unified approach to it among colleges and universities. You really have to read the fine print.” Contact Sean Smith at sean. smith.1@bc.edu

Urban Education Expert Payne to Speak at Lynch School Symposium Charles M. Payne, an author and expert on urban education and school reform, social change and modern African American history, will be the keynote speaker at the 11th annual Lynch School of Education Fall Symposium on Monday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. in the Murray Room of the Yawkey Center. Payne, the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, where he is an affiliate of the Urban Education Institute, has been an integral part of several organizations devoted to educational reform. He was a co-founder of the Education for Liberation Network, which encourages the development of educational initiatives to help young people think critically about and address social issues. Payne also was founding director of the Urban Education Project in Orange, New Jersey, a nonprofit community center that broadens educational experiences for urban youngsters. His books include Getting What We Ask For: The Ambiguity of Success and Failure In Urban Education, I’ve Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and, most recently, So Much Reform, So Little Change. For information on the symposium, send e-mail to landersda@ bc.edu. —Office of News & Public Affairs

New Nurse Scientist Is Named By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor of Adult Health Lichuan Ye has been named a Haley Nurse Scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The Haley Nurse Scientist plays a key role in enhancing the critical academic-practice partnership by helping nursing science move more efficiently between the academic and clinical worlds. Ye, who studies sleep disorders in women, will work directly with BWH nurses on research and clinical practice related to her specialty. One area that might be explored, said Ye, is patient sleep quality. Ye’s research is on obstructive sleep apnea in women. This is a disease, she said, that is very “under diagnosed, especially in women. We need to get away from the idea that obstructive sleep apnea is a ‘male disease.’” Ye is exploring how gender differences in patients may affect the diagnosis of sleep apnea by clinicians and how women respond to the continuous positive airway pressure treatment compared to men. “Dr. Lichuan Ye epitomizes the kind of nurse researcher who is best suited to be a Haley Nurse Scientist,” said Connell School Dean Susan Gennaro. “Haley Nurse scientists are engaged in significant clinical research that is immediately transferable to nursing practice and which has the ability to quickly improve patient care.” “I’m very honored to have been

Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Lichuan Ye, recently named a Haley Nurse Scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital: “This position is a wonderful bridge between academia and a clinical setting. Our goal is to help the patient. Being in touch with the nurses inspires the questions I ask in my research.” (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

chosen to be a Haley Nurse Scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital,” said Ye, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Sichuan University West China Medical School and her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. “This position is a wonderful bridge between academia and a clinical setting. Our goal is to help the patient. Being in touch with the nurses inspires the questions I ask in my research.” The Haley Nurse Scientist Program is funded by a gift from Steven and Kathleen Powers Haley, founders of the Brain Science Foundation. Kathleen Powers

Haley is an alumna of Boston College and her husband, Steven, received successful treatment and care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Ye is the second Haley Nurse Scientist, following Connell School Assistant Professor Katherine Gregory, who was named the inaugural Haley Nurse Scientist in 2009. Gregory has worked with BWH nurses Cynthia Loring and Jean Reilly on a study on temperature control in late, pre-term infants. The three nurses presented their research findings at the first Haley Nurse Science Forum held in October at BWH.

Alumni Accept ‘Welcome Home’ Invitation By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

A newly-implemented Alumni Association outreach program aimed at engaging recent graduates in Boston College activities has drawn hundreds of young — and some not so young — alumni to social events in cities across the country. The events, tagged as “Welcome Home” parties by the Alumni Association staff, are an opportunity for recent graduates to meet classmates and other young alumni living in some of the key hubs around the country where BC graduates traditionally launch their professional working careers. More than 1,000 grads attended the events held this fall in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago and Boston, according to organizers. “Boston College is putting a lot more effort into our young alumni programs,” explains Laura Ellis, assistant director for the specially targeted recent grads. “We realized that we really weren’t

speaking to graduates until their fifth-year reunions. That really was a disservice, because those young alumni really wanted to be involved and they have the energy and enthusiasm to be involved.” The result was a series of receptions, launched in 2009, that proved to be popular with the newest generation of BC degree holders and generate a promise of greater alumni participation in years to come. “September can be a weird time for students who have just graduated from college,” says Ellis. “It’s kind of ‘What do I do now that I am working?’ This program is an opportunity for the recent graduates to meet other BC grads — not only their own classmates, but other alumni as well. “It gives the young alums a frame of reference as to what is going on in their local alumni chapter and if there are other BC people in the same city or industry that could be of help to them in their careers,” Ellis says. This fall’s events enjoyed strong attendance, Ellis says. There were

120 grads at the “Welcome Home” event in Washington, DC, 300 at a New York City reception, 100 at a Chicago get-together, and more than 500 packed Boston’s Liberty Hotel on Nov. 9. “At the Washington event, we had more than 30 members of the Class of 2010 alone,” Ellis says. “But we also had people from as far back as the Class of 1956. It was a great group. They talked about their city and what they have done in their careers. That’s exactly what we were looking for. A reunion event can almost ‘segregate’ people into their classes, so this was a good opportunity for them to talk to each other.” Ellis says each event is hosted by local alumni chapter leaders who welcome the new graduates, talk about the city, and explain how all alumni can stay connected to the University through chapter activities. Next year, she says, the program will be expanded to include California in addition to the traditional hubs of alumni population.

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Chronicle december 2, 2010

WELCOME ADDITIONS Assistant Professor of Chemistry Chia-Kuang “Frank” Tsung is hopeful that his chemistry-based research will eventually help solve the world’s energy crisis. Tsung, whose research program lies at the interface between chemistry, nanotechnology and materials science, focuses on photocatalytic materials for energy conversion and heterogeneous catalysts for energy-synthesis reactions – research that could lead to the development of high-performance nano-catalysts, a possible solution to the growing global energy shortage. Tsung came to BC from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a post-doctoral fellow and mentor of undergraduate research interns. A graduate of National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, he holds his doctorate from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Erickson will be teaching courses on Globalization and National Security, the European Union in World Affairs and Introduction to International Studies. She holds a doctorate in government from Cornell University, where she researched international security and political economy and focus on international reputation, states’ commitment to international rules and norms, and the role of domestic politics in promoting compliance with those commitments. She is finishing up a book on issues related to arms export controls, as well as a series of papers on sanctions and arms embargoes. In addition to her undergraduate studies at St. Olaf College and graduate work at Cornell, Erickson was a research fellow at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and the Wissenschaftszentrun in Berlin. Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Natalie McClain’s knowledge of child sexual abuse and its ramifications has brought her into courtrooms as an expert witness in legal cases involving her field of study. Her research interests include pediatrics and forensic nursing, childhood sexual abuse, identifying factors that influence disclosure, coping following childhood sexual abuse, outcomes of delayed disclosure, sexual assault, the role of forensic nurses in the care of survivors of sexual assault, and evidentiary findings following sexual assault. McClain holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and a doctorate from the University of Virginia. She has worked at the Children’s Assessment Center, an advocacy center for child victims of sexual abuse in Houston, testified in both civil and criminal trials and has served as an expert witness for the FBI in courtroom cases. McClain is also a nurse scientist at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and a research associate at McLean Hospital. Carroll School of Management Associate Professor Sugata Roychowdhury joined the accounting faculty after seven years at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. While at MIT, he was awarded the Theodore T. Miller Career Development Chair and was a multiple recipient of the school’s Excellence in Teaching Award. His central research focus is on the influence of managers’ incentives on their reporting and disclosure choices, and his work has been published in leading academic journals such as Journal of Accounting & Economics and Journal of Accounting Research. Roychowdhury holds an MBA from International Management Institute in New Delhi and a doctorate in business administration from the University of Rochester. —Reid Oslin Photos by Lee Pellegrini except for McClain, by Gary Wayne Gilbert

Forums to Explore the State of American Values, Influence “Is America in Decline?” is the theme of the annual Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities Symposium taking place on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat will moderate two panel discussions: “American Leadership Abroad,” and “The Promise of America at Home.” Douthat also will take part in a panel discussion on a similar theme tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Devlin 101 along with Assoc. Prof. Kenji Hayao (Political Science) and Daily Beast columnist and economic policy expert Reihan Salam. Prof. Marc Landy (Political Science) will serve as moderator. E-mail joshua.jensen@bc.edu.

Burns Librarian Robert O’Neill, center, recently was invested with the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins by order of the President of the Republic of Chile, in the Grade of Officer. The award, presented to O’Neill in recognition of the Burns Library exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Chile, and of the library as a repository of a special collection of books on Chile, was presented by Dr. Paul W. Garber and Dr. Philip C. Garber, Honorary Consuls of Chile in Boston.

NEWSMAKERS The Boston Globe ran a feature on City Connects, a program directed by Lynch School of Education Kearns Professor Mary Walsh that has helped teachers and administrators at 17 Boston-area schools connect hundreds of students and their families to services for their academic, emotional, and social needs. [see page 5] Forbes magazine cited a study by Center for Retirement Research at Boston College economists Norma Coe and Anthony Webb that found those persons approaching retirement do not spend less or increase their savings after their children leave home.

As part of the launch of the new Boston College Arts Council Network, a reception was held Nov. 18 in the McElroy Faculty Dining Room to honor Prof. Jeffery Howe (Fine Arts), center, for his 13 years of service as founding chair of the University’s Arts Council. Howe was succeeded earlier this year by Assoc. Prof. Crystal Tiala (Theater). Photos by Lee Pellegrini

Asst. Prof. Jeffrey Chuang (Biology) discussed his appreciation for the University’s strong focus on both research and teaching in Genome Technology magazine.

PUBLICATIONS Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) published

Kraft Family Professor James Bernauer, SJ, presented “Hitler’s Anti-Semitic Hatred: A PoliticalReligious Hypothesis” at the “Lessons and Legacies Conference on the Holocaust” at Florida Atlantic University. Prof. Peter Gottschalk (Economics) presented “Changes in the Transitory Variance of Income Sources — Accounting for the Increase in Family Income” at the Association for Public Policy Analysis Management Conference held in Boston.

BC BRIEFING

The Financial Times profiled Boston College Law School. Monan Professor of Theology Lisa Sowle Cahill and School of Theology and Ministry professors James Bretzke, SJ, and Thomas Groome were interviewed by the New York Times regarding Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks on the use of condoms to prevent HIV transmission. Adj. Assoc. Prof. Michael C. Keith (Communication) was interviewed by KPSI-AM on political partisanship in news reporting.

“Nabokov’s Use of Hebrew in ‘Easter Rain’” in Nabokov Online Journal. Prof. Matilda Bruckner (Romance Languages) published “Marcabru et la chanson de croisade: d’un centre à l’autre” in Cahiers de Civilisation Medievale. Prof. Emeritus Rebecca Valette (Romance Languages) published “The French School: What is so French About It?” in the Flutist Quarterly.

TIME AND A HALF Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) was a featured author at the Jewish Arts Festival in Denver.

NOTA BENE Connell School of Nursing faculty members Associate Dean Patricia Tabloski, Associate Professor of Adult Health Pamela Grace and Associate Professor of Psychiatric/Mental Health Angela Amar were inducted into the American Academy of Nursing at the group’s annual meeting in Washington, DC. The academy comprises nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice and research. Two Communication Department faculty members have been honored by the National Communication Association (NCA), the oldest and largest communication association in the US. Professor of Communication Dale Herbeck is the recipient of the Donald Ecroyd Award for Outstanding Teaching in Higher Education, which honors an NCA member who exemplifies superlative teaching in higher education. Associate Professor of Communication Charles Morris III won his second Golden Anniversary Monograph Award — presented to the most outstanding scholarly monographs published during the previous calendar year — for his essay “Hard Evidence: The Vexations of Lincoln’s Queer Corpus.”

Visiting Asst. Prof. Nadia Smith (History) presented “Dorothy Macardle, Children of Europe, and Children’s Rights in the Twentieth Century” at the San Francisco Rights Conference. Send items to: people.chronicle@bc.edu

JOB LISTINGS 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 http://www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Data & Technology Manager, School Of Nursing Administrative Assistant, Office of the Financial Vice President & Treasurer Programs Administrator, Physics Department Department Administrator, Physics Department Financial Analyst, Auxiliary Services Assistant Director, Parents’ Fundraising, Development, Capital Giving Staff & Database Assistant, Development, Donor Relations Patrol Officer I, BC Police Department Procurement & Fiscal Specialist, Residential Life Marketing and Communications Manager, Athletic Association, Flynn Recreation Complex

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle december 2, 2010

LOOKING AHEAD Music and Much More Rings in Holiday Season at the Heights File photos by Lee Pellegrini

By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

Tuesday’s annual campus treelighting ceremony signaled the start of Boston College’s Christmas season, with numerous holiday-related events taking place at the University this month.

• onight, the UGBC’s popular annual semi-formal “Breaking the Barriers Ball” will be held from 6-10 p.m. in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons. Students who purchase a ticket receive a free invitation to pass along to an administrator, faculty or staff member “who has made a difference for them during their time at BC, or who they would like to get to know better,” according to UGBC Director of Faculty and Student Programming Daniel Rimm ’13. Featured performers at the ball include BC bOp!, pianist Dennis Carr ’11 and the Madrigal Singers. Tickets, available at the Robsham Theater Box Office (ext.2-4002), are $10. Proceeds benefit the Uplifting Athletes Foundation, a national organization dedicated to fighting rare diseases; BC’s chapter raises funds to fight Ewing’s Sarcoma. For information contact Rimm at rimmd@bc.edu.

• lso this evening, from 5:45 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Lonergan Center will host a holiday open house in Bapst Library 308. In addition to music and refreshments, the event will feature a book drive and other events to help the St. Paul Mission Grade School, a Catholic institution on a Native American reservation in Montana, rebuild its book supply after a recent fire decimated the library. For details, including recommended volumes, see http://tinyurl.com/2vxgom4. For information contact Susan Legere at susan.legere@bc.edu.

• nder the direction of conductor John Finney, the University Chorale and Symphony Orchestra will present “Christmas on the Heights,” Dec.

BC SCENES

Tonight’s “Breaking the Barriers Ball” will move from its traditional Gasson Hall location to the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons.

3 and 4 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m., in Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus. Admission is $10; $5 with BC ID. On Dec. 7, members of the Chorale and guest soloist Laetitia M. Blain will perform a free Christmas concert as part of the “Music at St. Mary’s” series, at 4 p.m. in St. Mary’s Chapel. See http://www.bc.edu/music or call ext.2-2306.

“S

• wingin’ in the Snow” — the BC Swing Kids’ annual dance — will take place on Dec. 4 from 8 p.m. to midnight at The Rat in Lyons Hall. The free event, which will feature performances by the Swing Kids, as well as dancers from other area universities, kicks off with a beginning lesson during the first hour, with dancing to a live swing band beginning at 9 p.m. For information contact Elizabeth Muller at mullerel@bc.edu.

• cElroy Commons will be the venue on Dec. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for the Stitch (Students Taking An Interest Towards

Creative Heights) club winter sale, which will feature holiday gift items including hats, scarves and jewelry crafted by members. All proceeds will be donated to the Boston Arts After School Program. For information, contact Chelsea Hedlund at hedlund@bc.edu.

Some 15 vendors will be on campus to offer fairly-traded coffee, chocolate, jewelry, textiles and other goods from around the world. Buying fair trade supports grassroots efforts for change in the developing world, organizers note, ensuring that the people producing the goods are paid a just wage for their labor. Proceeds from vendors’ participation fees are donated to scholarship funds for children in Nicaragua — started by BC students in 1994 — and El Salvador. A total of approximately $11,000 has been donated to date. For more information on the fair, vendors and scholarship programs, contact the VSLC at ext.21317 or see http://bit.ly/7zXkGn.

• lso on Dec. 9, the University Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band will offer a free performance of

traditional and popular holiday music, at 8 p.m. in the Yawkey Center’s Murray Room. See http://www.bc.edu/ bands or contact bands@bc.edu.

• he Voices of Imani Gospel Choir will perform their annual Christmas concert — with a repertoire including spirituals, traditional and contemporary gospel and music of the European tradition — on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in Trinity Chapel, Newton Campus. Admission is free; call ext.2-3238 for information.

• he Alumni Association’s annual Winter Wonderland, on Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will once again offer a festive family holiday celebration. Highlights include photos with Santa and stories with Mrs. Claus, strolling carolers, crafts, entertainment with Johnny the K, a live petting zoo and horse-drawn carriage rides through Newton Campus. There also will be special appearances by Baldwin the BC Eagle, a face-painter and balloon artist. Attendees are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys for boys or girls, ages six to 14, which will be donated to a local organization benefitting children. Admission is $20 per family. Register at http://www.bc.edu/ winterwonderland, or for more information contact the Alumni Association at alumni.comments@bc.edu or call ext. 24700. [Inclement weather date: Dec. 12]

• ow in its sixth year, and growing in scope and following, the Annual Fair Trade Holiday Sale will be held on Dec. 9 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the second floor of Corcoran Commons. Established in 2005 by BC’s Neighborhood Center and Volunteer and Service Learning Center, the event offers an alternative to commercial holiday shopping and a selection of unique gifts made by artisans. According to organizers, the sale has become a collaborative effort among administrators and faculty to spread awareness of, and access to, fairly traded goods and crafts on campus. BC Dining SerThe “Winter Wonderland” family event returns to vices also is a sponsor this year. Alumni House on Dec. 11.

GIVING THANKS TOGETHER Members of the Boston College community gathered Nov. 18 in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons for the University’s annual Multi-Faith Thanksgiving Celebration, which included talks by AHANA Student Programs Senior Assistant Director Joana Maynard, left, and BC football player Mark Herzlich ’10. [See a video of this event on the Chronicle YouTube channel, at http://www.youtube.com/bcchronicle] Photos by Lee Pellegrini

• lso on Dec. 11, St. Ignatius Church will host the free concert “Gaudete in carminibus: Lessons and Carols in the Romance Language Tradition” at 7:30 p.m. The advent concert, taken from the Anglican tradition of the Nine Lessons and Carols, will feature readings and carols in French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Latin. Daniel Gostin ’09 will direct a choir of 12 voices; a talk will precede the event, and it will be followed by a reception. Contact Ana Conboy at conboy@bc.edu.

• obsham Theater Arts Center will host “Christmas Reflections,” a celebration of the Christmas season through the performance of music, story and dance, on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 18 and 19 at 3 p. m. Choreographed and directed by Jesuit Artist-in-Residence Robert VerEecke, SJ, this spiritual and celebratory production debuted last year and follows the long tradition of perennial favorite “A Dancer’s Christmas.” Sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, the show features a cast of professional dancers from New York and Boston, BC students and alumni, dancers from the O’Dwyer School of Irish Dancing, and a host of children of all ages. Admission is $15. For information see http://blde.org/index. htm or for tickets call the Robsham Theater Box Office at ext.2-4002.

Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne. pellegrini@bc.edu