The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs december 2, 2013 VOL. 22 no. 7
INSIDE •Alumnus makes ‘Stand Against Cancer,’ page 2
•Appreciating Bapst Library’s windows, page 2 •BC supports relief efforts for Philippines, page 2 •Dining Services’ Mazier is Cook of the Year, page 3
Dec. 12 Sesquicentennial/Baccalaureate Mass Will Conclude 150th Anniversary Boston College’s Sesquicentennial celebration will conclude on Dec. 12 with a Mass that will coincide with the University’s annual baccalaureate ceremony for seniors who have completed their undergraduate requirements. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, will be the celebrant and homilist for the Mass, which will take place at 4 p.m. in St. Ignatius Church. The event, open to all members of the Boston College community,
will mark the end of a 15-month celebration of the University’s 150th anniversary that began with a Mass in Fenway Park on Sept. 15, 2012. Other Sesquicentennial-related events have included a concert at Symphony Hall featuring student musicians and a guest appearance by actor Chris O’Donnell ’92, a lecture by Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, a naturalization ceremony in Robsham Theater for 100 immigrants, a Founders Day
Celebrating
student celebration, special commemorative exhibits, and symposia on such topics as Catholic higher education, the legacy of Vatican II, migration, energy, education’s role in democratic societies and, last month [see page 4], religious diversity. “This is a very appropriate way to close out a three-semester celebration of Boston College’s Sesquicentennial,” said Vice President and University Secretary Terrence Devino, SJ. “Rather than having
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham The University’s annual Multi-Faith Thanksgiving Celebration on Nov. 21 took on additional meaning this year, since Thanksgiving coincided with the start of Hanukkah. The event, held in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons, included musical performances by the Koleinu Jewish Community Choir and the Liturgy Arts Group (left), and a Hindu devotional dance by Aashini Shrivastav ’16 (above).
Fr. Harrington Receives Heartfelt Tributes Family members, friends, colleagues, and current and former students of School of Theology and Ministry Professor Daniel Harrington, SJ, filled the atrium of Cadigan Alumni Center on Nov. 21 to pay tribute to the Jesuit priest and New Testament scholar, who is battling cancer.
The event featured remarks from Rev. Frank Matera, Andrews-Kelly-Ryan Professor of Biblical Studies at The Catholic University of America, best-selling author James Martin, SJ, and STM Research Professor Christopher Matthews. “When Dan announced that 2013-14 was going to be his final year of teaching, I thought it was very important that our school
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the concluding event stand alone, it makes sense to place it within a celebration of what we’re about: educating students. “So, as these students mark this important passage in their lives, Boston College will likewise end a major chapter in its history — a reflection on 150 years of preparing men and women to serve others — and move on to the next.” For more about the Boston College Sesquicentennial, see www. bc.edu/150. —Sean Smith
Student Arrested for Gasson, Stokes Fires
•BC Law to launch Experiential Learning Ctr., page 3 •MBA program makes jump in rankings, page 3 •Photos: ‘Religious Diversity and Common Good,’ page 4
By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Sesquicentennial
THANKFUL COMMUNITY
•Shrayer releases new memoir, page 5 •BC pays tribute to the Gettysburg Address, page 5 •An historical/cultural take on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ page 6 •Heights wins another Pacemaker Award, page 6 •Former Theology chairman Dietrich dies, page 6 •One-woman show ‘Sugar’ at Robsham, page 8 •Holidays to light up the Heights, page 8
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recognize and celebrate him and his great accomplishments,” said STM Associate Professor Thomas Stegman, SJ, who organized the event. Among those in attendance was Fr. Harrington’s brother Ed, accompanied by his wife and children. Fr. Matera addressed the importance of Fr. Harrington’s work Continued on page 4
A Boston College student has been arrested after he confessed to lighting fires in Gasson and Stokes halls on Nov. 9. Pengliang Yue, a junior from Shenzhen, China, was arraigned Nov. 27 in Newton District Court on one count of arson, three counts of attempted arson, four counts of malicious destruction of property and one count of disorderly conduct. He was issued a summary suspension from the University upon his arrest. Boston College Police arrested Yue Nov. 26, after an extensive investigation. He will be prosecuted by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. —Office of News & Public Affairs
Center Plays Key Role in Social Work Education By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
A national center headquartered at the Graduate School of Social Work has formed an innovative partnership to help prepare social workers for a rapidly expanding area of care for the elderly and people with disabilities. With support from the New York Community Trust, GSSW’s National Resource Center for ParContinued on page 4
“It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, I leave it at the door. I always give 100 percent and it doesn’t matter what situation I’m in. I don’t care who is out sick and if we’re shorthanded. I try to work it out with the people that I have. You’re never going to hear me say, ‘It’s not my job.’ I’m here to do a job and to help people.” —Dining Services Cook Marlon Mazier, page 3
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A ROUND Like most anyone else who’s ever spent time on the Boston College campus, Vice Provost Patricia DeLeeuw has always had an appreciation for Bapst Library, especially its stained-glass windows in Gargan Hall. “Having studied as a medievalist, including in medieval religious and liturgical art, it all seemed very familiar to me when I came here,” recalls DeLeeuw, who arrived at Boston College in 1979 as a newly minted Theology Department faculty member. “Universities were founded in the 13th century, at around the time Gothic architecture was first popular, and BC’s Gothic revival style — as seen in Bapst — evokes that era.” And it is the Bapst windows, whose illustrations by Earl Edward Sanborn depict the courses in the curricula of Jesuit colleges and universities at the time Bapst was built (1925), that unfailingly capture the eye. DeLeeuw will share her insights on the windows’ artistic and spiritual character on Dec. 8 at 10:30 a.m. as part of a walking tour sponsored by the Alumni Association. DeLeeuw says the aesthetic quality of the windows — with panes that portray the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, the opening of Japan by Commodore Perry, and Lincoln freeing the slaves, among other things — is evident, but their relationship to education and faith also is an important facet.
A STAND-UP KIND OF GUY
Gary Gilbert
BAPST BEAUTY
Windows at Bapst Library.
“The Bapst windows are testament to the disciplines of arts and sciences and really make the library feel like a temple of learning,” says DeLeeuw, who also presented a talk on the subject during last summer’s Alumni Weekend. “But they also evoke the historical connection between the Catholic Church and learning — not just the association of God with ideas, but also the learning of good morals by the young men who attended Boston College when the windows were made as well as the young women and men who attend BC today. “So, the message that comes across is, a place of learning is where God is found.” Admission for “The Stained Glass Windows of Boston College: Finding God in All Things” is $10. Registration is available via the Alumni Association events calendar at www.bc.edu/content/ bc/alumni/events/all_events.html. —Sean Smith
HELPING THE PHILIPPINES As of last week, the Boston College Typhoon Haiyan Relief Initiative had raised about $2,400 to support aid to the Philippines, thanks to a series of campus events featuring student music and dance groups from BC and other schools, according to Philippine Society of Boston College President Gerome Paradela ’14. On Nov. 21, the relief initiative held the Philippine Typhoon Recovery Charity Concert at The Rat in Lyons Hall, organized by the Philippine Society of Boston College, Undergraduate Government of Boston College and Residence Hall Association. Sixteen student performers and performance groups appeared at the event, with the BC Music Guild providing sound. Later that night, the Black Student Forum and Nights on the Heights co-sponsored “Neo Soul Night” in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room, featuring Filipino-American performer Jeremy Passion. Two benefit dance showcases took place on Nov. 22: Global Zero of Boston College’s annual “Fallout Show,” with the Acoustics, Fuego Del Corazon, the Dynamics, BC Dance Ensemble, and BC Irish Dance; and the Southeast Asian Student Association-Conspiracy Theory Dance Showcase, which included an appearance by a New York City Filipino breakdancing crew, Fl!p’d Owt. The final event, on Nov. 23, was “Kamayan,” an intercollegiate dance showcase organized by the Philippine Society of Boston College with District One of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue Inc. Filipino student associations of Northeastern University, Boston University and Brown University performed both traditional and modern dance sets in front of a packed audience in Gasson 100. Read a Heights article about student outreach efforts on behalf of the Philippines [http:// bit.ly/1b0fRAr]. —Office of News & Public Affairs Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
C AMPUS
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
Class of 2013 grad Stacey Bolger never imagined that he would return to a childhood pursuit, or that it — and the Boston College community — would play such an important role in supporting cancer research and helping to alleviate a family crisis. Growing up in Pittsford, NY, Bolger ran a roadside fruit and vegetable stand, which began when his second-grade science project produced a surplus of tomatoes. Working with local farmers to sell their produce, Bolger kept his business going until, halfway through high school, he decided to close it down. Resurrecting “Stacey’s Stand” was as far from Bolger’s mind as he was from home last summer, when he traveled around South America to learn about its socioeconomic conditions. But then he received word that his father, who had been treated successfully for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last fall, had been diagnosed with a new, more invasive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He abandoned his trip and returned to Pittsford. Bolger found out that in his absence, his father had recruited a pair of neighborhood youngsters to help him with his garden, and the kids had sold some of the harvest at their own roadside stand during the summer; what’s more, they had donated more than $100 from their profits to the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Wilmot Cancer Center, where Bolger’s father was receiving treatment. Impressed by their example, Bolger put his stand back in business — this time to sell pumpkins — but in a decidedly 21st-century fashion, with an accompanying blog, Facebook page and a Paypal link. He rechristened his enterprise as “The Stand Against Cancer” [standagainstcancer.wordpress.com], with all proceeds going towards cancer research at the Wilmot Cancer Center. Envisioning a goal of perhaps $1,500-2,000 in donations, Bolger instead saw his venture raise more than $12,000, including nearly $3,000 from a special fundraising event held last month. On Nov. 22, Bolger and his family formally presented a check to the center. “I’m astonished at the response,”
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Stacey Bolger, second from left, with his parents Bruce and Patty as they presented a check to University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Center. At far left is center director Jonathan W. Friedberg, MD. (Photo courtesy University of Rochester Medical Center)
said Bolger during a recent visit to BC. “What you discover is, cancer is a disease that really affects everyone. There is a very large group of people out there who know what you’re going through and will support you; they become almost like a secondary family.” Particularly gratifying for Bolger has been the generosity of the BC community, including his former mates on the ski team. “I got all sorts of messages from people at BC, not just friends but people I didn’t even know all that well, like someone who had happened to take the same class as me once. Even some of the teaching assistants donated to the stand.” Bolger’s fundraising effort brought out both the best and worst of human nature. He discovered one morning that the stand — which operated on the honor system for payment — had been burglarized, and some $60 was missing. But when the local media ran stories on
the incident, it helped draw more attention to — and support for — his family’s cause. The experience of this fall has given Bolger a lot to think about, and he feels his time at BC provided him with the tools for such contemplation. “One of the most important things for me at BC was Perspectives class — reading through ‘Great Books’ and reflecting on what is the best way to live. BC teaches you to consider the greater community and to cultivate more insightful relationships to your surroundings and even to yourself. “I am grateful to have grown up in the community I did, and those feelings have been strengthened by the outpouring of support this fall. What’s more, I found that this ‘community’ turned out to be even larger than Pittsford. So wherever I end up, I hope to continue to contribute what I can to those around me.” —Sean Smith
Student a cappella group The Bostonians was recruited as the opening act for popular entertainer Joan Rivers when she came to Boston’s Wilbur Theater on Nov. 23. The group performed five songs during both of the night’s shows, and even had a chance to meet Rivers. “She’s actually very sweet off stage, but still had her distinctive personality throughout,” said Bostonians member Michael Scully ’15. 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.
A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.
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“Never in a thousand years did I would think I would win this award. All I expected was to get paid for what I do.” —Marlon Mazier
Law School to Launch Experiential Learning Ctr. By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Marlon Mazier (center) and coworkers celebrated his being presented with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Cook of the Year Award. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
A Prize to Relish for Dining Services Chef By Sean Hennessey Staff Writer
Surrounded by colleagues in the kitchen where he made his mark, Marlon Mazier, a 30year veteran of the Boston College Dining Services, personally received his 2013 Massachusetts Restaurant Association’s Cook of the Year Award — almost two weeks late. Mazier was supposed to receive the award during the association’s annual dinner on Oct. 28, but he missed the ceremony because he was in Honduras helping bury the father who brought him to Boston College 30 years ago. So on Nov. 12, the award came to him, as MRA President and CEO Bob Luz handed Mazier his trophy and told him, “Your father is up in heaven with a smile on his face.” Interviewed after the ceremony, Mazier said: “I’m still shocked. I wake up every day and make it to work, that’s what I learned from my dad. If I went out the night before, I had to get up and go to work the next morning. It was something that he taught me. So that’s how I do it, that’s how I look at my job. Never in a thousand years did I would think I would win this award. All I expected was to get paid for what I do.” Mazier’s father began working for Dining Services in 1978, and brought young Marlon from Honduras five years later so he could attend Boston College. Instead of enrolling at BC, however, Mazier joined his father in Dining Services. “He wanted me to go to school and I wanted to work for a year to save up some money. That was the promise that I made him,” said Mazier. But life had other plans. “I got married very young, I
had a daughter, and so I had no choice but to work.” Twenty-nine years later, Mazier is not only a husband and proud father of two daughters who graduated from BC, he’s an award-winning cook — the first from a college or university to win the MRA honor. Mazier beat out cooks from restaurants like Davio’s, Legal Sea Foods, Union Café and Bar, Pizzeria Uno and Papagayo’s, among others. “I think I was picked because I come in with a great attitude,” said Mazier. “It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, I leave it at the door. I always give 100 percent and it doesn’t matter what situation I’m in. I don’t care who is out sick and if we’re shorthanded. I try to work it out with the people that I have. You’re never going to hear me say, ‘It’s not my job.’ I’m here to do a job and to help people.” The award, based on a nomination process rather than a cook-off, drew a record number of candidates from the association’s 1,800 members. “It doesn’t really matter whether someone is putting out $4 plates or $40 plates,“ said Luz. “Typical-
ly, there’s been a lot of persuasion behind rewarding the traditional line cook from a fine dining establishment. When Marlon’s application came in, we said, ‘You don’t see this type of dedication’ and what was apparent is he has a passion for what he does. “What the judges saw in Marlon was unparalleled loyalty and passion. A 30-year career putting out great product 100 percent of the time, plus the attitude he takes in training colleagues to make sure others succeed around him. There were a lot of accolades about Marlon and about the difference he’s made at BC.” Contact Sean Hennessey at sean.hennessey@bc.edu
Soccer Updates Chronicle went to press before the BC women’s soccer team played Florida State in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 29, with the winner advancing to the national semifinals this Friday. For all coverage of Eagles sports teams, see www.bceagles.com.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers spoke with Boston College students and other guests on Nov. 21 at Connolly House, a visit arranged by BC’s Center for Irish Programs. Center director Thomas Hachey later hosted Villiers and British Consul General Susan Kitchens at the Boston College table during the annual American Ireland Fund gala, held at the Westin Boston Waterfront. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
In an effort to get law students “lawyering” before they graduate, the Law School will combine its clinical and experiential programs into a new unit that will serve as a “law firm within a law school.” The new Center for Experiential Learning will serve clients seeking legal aid for cases ranging from civil litigation to wrongful criminal convictions. The center, which will be housed in the law school’s Smith Wing when it opens next September, will include space for supervising faculty, support staff and client services, according to BC Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau. The center will fold current offerings such as inhouse clinics, internships, semester in practice and short-term externship programs into a clearinghouse designed to give students real world experiences required by the profession. “Experiential learning is an essential part of providing the very best legal education for our students and complements the high quality academic preparation our students receive,” said Rougeau. “We are determined to provide significant hands-on learning opportunities for our students in the years to come, with the ultimate goal of having all of our students participate in some form of experiential learning before they graduate.” Rougeau has named Clinical Professor of Law Paul Tremblay as the faculty director for experiential learning to coordinate the center’s programs. “We are very excited about the synergies that will come from bringing everyone under one roof,” said Tremblay. “We’re also very committed to maintaining our ties to
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the local community. We’ve built strong connections during our 45 years in Waltham, and we’re focused on continuing to serve that area and an even wider community around Boston. This move will allow us to maximize resources and expand our services to a larger client base.” The new center is the focal point of a long-term strategy for practical experience at the law school. Seventy percent of all BC Law students participate in some form of experiential learning, Rougeau said. A significant goal of the center is to raise the rate of participation to 100 percent. BC Law students sharpen their legal skills through projects and programs that serve dozens of clients each year. Students staff in-house clinics that work on cases focused on civil litigation, community service, housing law, immigration cases, juvenile rights advocacy and the legal aid projects of the BC Defenders and the BC Innocence Project. Students also participate in external initiatives such as the Attorney General Clinic, Semester in Practice, and externships. “The top law firms hiring Boston College Law School graduates look for deep legal knowledge and rich experiential preparation. We’re proud of our record of meeting those needs,” said Rougeau. “Many of our alumni also put their law degrees to work in the fields of management, non-profit leadership, policymaking, regulation and government service. This new center will help us meet the challenge of preparing our students to succeed as lawyers, and in the many different fields that now seek out law school graduates for a broad array of positions.” Nathaniel Kenyon, director of marketing and communications at Boston College Law School, contributed to this story.
MBA Program Moves Up 21 Places in BusinessWeek Rankings The Carroll School of Management is in the midst of an impressive jump in the Bloomberg BusinessWeek biennial rankings of the nation’s best part-time MBA programs. The Carroll School evening MBA program rose from 53rd to 32nd place in the most recent rankings, which were released last week. What’s the main reason for the 21-place leap? “We were awarded grades of A-plus for Teaching Quality and Curriculum, and A for Caliber of Students,” says Jeffrey L. Ringuest, associate dean of graduate programs for the Carroll School. “These high scores reflect the hard work of our faculty and staff, and the high quality of our students. We are very pleased that the Bloomberg BusinessWeek ranking of our MBA program has risen to 32.”
The new ranking now means the Carroll School has the top-rated parttime MBA program in Boston, ahead of Babson College (now ranked 34th) and Boston University (44th). Worcester Polytechnic Institute has the region’s top-rated part-time program at 16th, while UMass-Amherst is now at 66. Nationally, Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business is the top part-time MBA program, followed by UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, UCLA’s Anderson School of Business, and the Love School of Business at Elon University. For more on the Bloomberg BusinessWeek “Best Business Schools of 2013,” see www.businessweek.com/ business-schools. —Sean Hennessey
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Continued from page 1 as an editor and a writer. “As the editor of the 18 volumes of the Sacra Pagina series...Fr. Harrington has shown himself to be the good, the selfless and the generous editor who has enabled others to produce their best work.” The “immensely popular” series is significant, Fr. Matera explained, because it was the first scholarly series written by Catholics in the United States. Intended for Biblical professionals, graduate students, theologians, clergy and religious educator, the Sacred Pagina series provides critical analysis while maintaining sensitivity to religious meaning. “It was and remains the best full commentary series on the New Testament. It was Fr. Harrington’s vision and editorial hand that made this possible. “I will be forever grateful to Fr. Harrington for having recruited me to write the commentary on Galatians — a work that made me a lifelong student and
feel like I see the gospels through Dan’s eyes. What I mean is that I see the gospels with both the eyes of faith and a critical mind. “In a sense, Dan’s teaching was very much like Jesus’ use of the parables, communicating complicated truths to us in simple ways. And as with Jesus’ parables, this was a great act of charity and love.” Fr. Martin described clarity, patience and kindness as Fr. Harrington’s gifts, citing the understanding Fr. Harrington extended to him as a student struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome. “I think Dan is one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met. That’s what I most admire about him.” Fr. Martin, who noted that his forthcoming book, Jesus: A Pilgrimage, is dedicated to Fr. Harrington, said Fr. Harrington was “generous, friendly, mild, prayerful, faithful, hardworking — the model Jesuit, to my mind.” Matthews, who has edited Caitlin Cunningham
School of Theology and Ministry Professor Daniel Harrington, SJ, left, with STM Dean Mark Massa, SJ, at the Nov. 21 tribute for Fr. Harrington.
devotee of Paul,” said Fr. Matera. He also highlighted Fr. Harrington’s scholarly work as an interpreter of sacred Scripture, centered on his three theses: Second Temple Judaism is the proper matrix for understanding Jesus, Paul and early Christianity; the New Testament is not antiJewish, and the New Testament conveys a theological meaning. Fr. Martin, a former student of Fr. Harrington’s, spoke about the impact Fr. Harrington has had on his studies and professional life. Fr. Martin recalled how as a student, he was encouraged by many Jesuits to take as many courses with Fr. Harrington as he could. “‘If Dan is teaching a class on how to change a tire, take it,’” he recalled being told. Fr. Harrington’s Introduction to the New Testament class “changed my life,” said Fr. Martin, author of the Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. “Today, I
New Testament Abstracts with Fr. Harrington for 28 years, said, “It’s been my great privilege to rub shoulders with Dan every day.” Most of those days, he and Stegman noted, have begun with a recap of a Red Sox or Bruins game — evidence that Fr. Harrington is a scholar of sports as well as the Bible. The event concluded with remarks from Fr. Harrington. “It has been my privilege as a member of the Society of Jesus for more than 50 years to immerse myself in the study of the Bible — the ancient languages, the forms of expression, the culture settings and the theological significance,” he said. “The old saying ‘If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life’ certainly applies to me. It’s all been a joy.” Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
CONSIDERING THE COMMON GOOD Celebrating THE
Sesquicentennial
On Nov. 13, Boston College hosted “Religious Diversity and the Common Good,” the final academic symposium of the University’s Sesquicentennial celebration. Scholars and leaders of civic and religious communities gathered to discuss the nature and pursuit of the common good in a pluralistic society. Among the symposium events was a panel discussion with: (top left photo) Clough Millennium Professor of History James O’Toole; (top right photo) College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean David Quigley, right, and University of Chicago Associate Professor of Sociology Omar M. Roberts; and (bottom right) Marie Griffith, Danforth Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and Jonathan Sarna, Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University. For more on BC’s Sesquicentennial, see www.bc.edu/150.
Photos by Lee Pellegrini
GSSW Center in Major Partnership Continued from page 1 ticipant-Directed Services (NRCPDS) will work with the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) and its National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education (GSWE) to aid GSSW and eight other social work programs in developing and implementing classroom and fieldwork curricula on person-centered and participantdirected services and supports. The person-centered and participant-directed (PC/PD) model — in which individuals and families have greater control over the design and delivery of health care and related services — is an increasingly popular one, according to GSSW Professor Kevin Mahoney, the NRCPDS director. In the past decade, he notes, the number of PD programs has more than doubled — to almost 300 — as has the number of individuals utilizing PD services and supports, to some 810,000. All states have at least one long-term services and supports program that gives participants the authority to hire, fire and manage their own health care workers; 45 states also allow participants to manage their service budgets. Studies have shown many positive and encouraging results from the PC/PD approach, he added. “PC/PD growth presents a challenge for social workers: It’s very likely they will have the job of coaching someone to understand his or her own needs, and how to find the resources he or she needs,” said Mahoney. “But the approach is to focus on the person’s life, not just services, and to make use of informal supports whenever possible. “So now we need to ask: What basic competencies will social workers need to function in this PC/PD environment? And can you infuse
the training for those competencies in social work education? This partnership, thanks to the New York Community Trust, will seek to answer those questions.” The three-year $886,300 award to NRCPDS and CSWE will fund a project in classroom and fieldwork curricula at GSSW and social work schools or programs at Southern Connecticut State University, University of Maryland, Plymouth State University (NH), Hunter College-City University of New York, University of Portland (Ore.), University of Vermont, University
passes both classwork and fieldwork — they are equally vital,” said Mahoney. “Through the work of our center, GSSW has accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the PC/PD model. CSWE has the expertise on how to integrate that knowledge into the curriculum. So this is an ideal partnership. “When you add the presence of a state agency that can provide a feedback mechanism for the schools’ progress, and aid in identifying field placement opportunities, you have that important fusion of the academic and practice
Gary W. Gilbert
Fr. Harrington Given Tribute
Growth of the person-centered/participant-directed (PC/PD) model in health care presents questions for training social workers, says Kevin Mahoney, director of National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services at Boston College. The center’s new partnership with the Council for Social Work Education, he says, will seek to provide answers.
of Washington and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. By the end of the project’s third year, Mahoney explained, each school will devise modules for incorporating PC/PD into its core classes — one clinical, one macro — and one advanced course of the school’s choice. Schools also will collaborate with a local aging and disability resource center or similar agency that will review the curricular resources and supervise student field placements. “Social work education encom-
components which is integral to social work.” Results of the study will be shared with other social work schools and program across the country, said Mahoney, who will collaborate as co-investigator with the grant’s recipient, Nancy Hooyman, a principal investigator with GSWE. She is the Hooyman Professor in Gerontology and dean emeritus at the University of Washington School of Social Work. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
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Lee Pellegrini
“It’s impossible to tell how things would have turned out had I stayed in Russia. And yet, for better or for worse, Russia had made me who I was at the time of the leaving.”
Leaving, and Looking Back Shrayer’s new memoir captures the good and bad of growing up Jewish in the Soviet Union By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
Professor of Russian, English and Jewish Studies Maxim D. Shrayer, a critically acclaimed author, has published a powerful new memoir: Leaving Russia: A Jewish Story. In the first English-language, autobiographical and nonfictional account of growing up Jewish in the former USSR — of refuseniks and the Jewish exodus from Russia — Shrayer poignantly conveys the triumphs and humiliations of a Soviet childhood and expresses the dreams and fears of his family, which never lost hope for acceptance and a better life. In 1987, the Shrayer family left the Soviet Union, after waiting nearly nine years. They were among the veteran Jewish refuseniks who, during the dawn of Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost, were granted exit visas to emigrate from the country.
Shrayer’s parents, writer David Shrayer-Petrov and translator Emilia Shrayer, had been refusenik activists. “It was important to tell this story because the Jewish experience in Russia — and especially during the Soviet period — is not well understood in America,” he explains, “this despite the fact that it’s now difficult to imagine the fabric of our communities without ex-Soviet Jews. “The Jewish exodus from the Soviet Union was the last great wave of immigrants to North America and to Israel, and this story is central to the narrative of both American history and Jewish history,” adds Shrayer, a member of the Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures Department since 1996. According to its publisher, Syracuse University Press/Library of Modern Jewish Literature, Leaving Russia is narrated in the tradition of Tolstoy’s confession-
Maxim Shrayer
al trilogy and Nabokov’s autobiography. It is a searing account of the KGB’s persecution of refuseniks, a young poet’s rebellion against totalitarian culture, and Soviet fantasies of the West during the Cold War. Against a backdrop of politics, travel and ethnic conflict, Shrayer’s remembrances, his moving story and evocative writing offer humor and tenderness, longing and violence. Leaving Russia is a love story in which a young Jew’s
One of America’s most iconic pieces of history came to life at Boston College last month when a group of undergraduates organized a day-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, on Nov. 19 in the Plaza at O’Neill Library. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., BC students and faculty read — or recited from memory — Abraham Lincoln’s historic address and offered personal reflections on its significance. Members of the student vocal group The Bostonians sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “The StarSpangled Banner.” As part of a class project, BC seniors and history majors Anthony Bellitti, Meghan Daly and Kaitlyn McGillycuddy worked with their classmates to organize the event after being inspired by their History Assistant Professor Jeremy Clarke, SJ — an Australian Jesuit priest and expert on Chinese history and culture — who encouraged them to pay tribute to their heritage. “The irony is that it took an Australian Jesuit who teaches Chinese history to convince us as American students to celebrate our history,” said Bellitti, a native of Basking Ridge, NJ, who
is “both a seething memoir of Jewish life and death on the brink of the Soviet Empire’s collapse and an analytical autobiography of an ex-Soviet Jew; told in a systematic, linear fashion, it includes many photographs from the family archive. Leaving Russia ended up being a story of trauma and persecution, though it depicts many happy moments of love, friendship, and literary growth.” Shrayer writes in his book’s epilogue: “It’s impossible to tell how things would have turned out had I stayed in Russia. And yet, for better or for worse, Russia had made me who I was at the time of the leaving, in 1987. And America enabled me, a 20-year-old Jewish-Russian immigrant, to start unlocking the hyphens of my self. She let me in and took me as her own—Soviet lock, Russian stock, and Jewish barrel.” See Shrayer’s website, www. shrayer.com, for more about his life and work. A book launch for Leaving Russia will take place on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner, Brookline [www. brooklinebooksmith.com]. Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
University Celebrates Gettsyburg Address Sesquicentennial
love is unrequited and his heart is forever broken by his homeland. A prolific and award-winning scholar, author and translator, Shrayer grew up in Moscow and left the Soviet Union at 20. In Leaving Russia, he hopes to convey “the sense of growing up with a constant sense of both belonging and non-belonging — which is the way most Jews felt in the Soviet Union. “I wanted to capture how a young Jewish child learns the grammar of living a double life, and how this double life affects one, both negatively and positively. I wanted to explain how it is possible to feel so strongly attached to a place — as many Jews felt about Russia — and yet to be resolute in one’s desire to leave it, as Jewish refuseniks felt when they fought for their right to freedom.” Though a “prequel” in terms of its timeline, Leaving Russia follows Shrayer’s 2007 literary memoir Waiting for America: A Story of Emigration. That book tells the story of his life in transit as a Jewish refugee, beginning the day his family left Moscow in June 1987 and spans their three months in Europe, waiting for American visas. This new book, Shrayer says,
History Department Chair and Professor Robin Fleming, left, and post-doctoral researcher Ian Delahanty were among those who helped mark the Gettysburg Address 150th anniversary.
minors in classical studies. “This commemoration was our response to his challenge to explore the specifics of our nation’s past.” Bellitti said there is a general lack of awareness of history among American college students that this commemoration would attempt to address. “Studying student movements in China as part of Fr. Clarke’s contemporary Chinese history class, from Sun Yat-sen to the Beijing Olympics, taught us that we needed to remind our generation of the struggles that others have experienced to get us where we are today.” Meghan Daly, a history and computer science major from Arcadia, Calif., said that she and her fellow student organizers were particularly stirred by the Chinese students of the May 4th Movement of 1919, who stood up to defend their history and culture in the presence of foreign imperialism. “Fr. Clarke inspired
us to accept this challenge on behalf of our own history and culture. It has proved to be a fun opportunity that was both interesting and compelling.” Fr. Clarke, who uses the Twitter hashtag #historyisthebestmajor, praised his students for not only commemorating historical moments, but making history themselves. “Increasingly, I have
A crowd began to gather prior to the commemoration.
become a believer in students being the subject and not the object of their learning. They learn best by doing. So I told them, ‘This is a history class, and you have significant things in American history to reflect upon. So get going.’” The group arranged to film the recitations and plan to contribute them to Civil War docu-
mentarian Ken Burns’ popular project, Learn the Address [learntheaddress.org]. —Jack Dunn Watch a video about the University’s tribute to the Gettysburg Address at the Boston College YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/ bostoncollege.
BC Remains Among Top Fulbright Schools Boston College continues to be among the nation’s top producers of student Fulbright winners, according to a recent report by the Chronicle of Higher Education. BC, which saw 19 graduating seniors earn prestigious Fulbright grants for the 2013-14 academic year, placed 12th in the ranking of US research institutions; three other seniors were awarded Fulbrights but opted to pursue other opportunities.
Harvard was first with 39 Fulbright recipients, followed by University of MichiganAnn Arbor (32), Arizona State (28), Princeton and Rutgers (26 apiece), Northwestern (22), Columbia and Yale (21 apiece), and Cornell and University of Chicago (20 apiece). Other research institutions in the rankings included California-Berkeley (18), Duke, Ohio State, Stanford and Penn (16 apiece) and Maryland-College Park (15), North Carolina-Chapel
Hill (14) and Georgetown (13). With a yearly average of 1520 Fulbright winners, BC has consistently placed in the top 20 of Fulbright leaders during the past decade, according to University Fellowships Committee members. For more information on the University Fellowships Committee, and BC’s programs for Fulbrights and other fellowships, see www. bc.edu/fellowships. —Sean Smith
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Assistant Professor of Communication Matt Sienkiewicz, an Emmynominated documentary filmmaker and screenwriter who teaches courses in global media cultures and media theory, is co-editor of the recently published Saturday Night Live and American TV. The book — which Sienkiewicz edited with Nick Marx and Ron Becker — features essays that address issues ranging from race and gender to authorship and comedic performance, while following the history of this 36-time Emmy-winning show. Sienkiewicz sat down with the Chronicle’s Sean Hennessey to discuss the project [the full version of this Q&A is available online at http://bit. ly/18EAVQK]. Q: How did you come up with the concept for the book? Our interest in the project was stoked when we realized there was not an academic study on “Saturday Night Live.” There are many books that traffic in hagiography and “inside stories” — books that talk about Chris Farley getting into a fight with David Spade on the set or John Belushi getting drunk at Studio 54, etc. But there was no real critical look at the show in the academic literature. We thought that was sort of an amazing gap. Even more so, we thought that “SNL” represented just a wonderful opportunity to teach television history in a fun and engaging way. Success on television is all about balancing innovation with tradition — providing the audience with something new and current, but not so new that it feels totally unfamiliar. I would argue “SNL” represents this as well as anything on TV. It’s a great chance to look at single source and see how things like technology, economics, politics and social mores have shaped the medium of television. Q: Why do you think “SNL” has lasted as long as it has with essentially the same format going up against all the programming choices that are out there? One of the great things about “SNL” is how it steals from what works in lesser-watched fields of comedy. “SNL” lets places like Internet comedy sites and more niche shows like “The Colbert Report” take the chances. Then they figure out what works and are just brilliant at “mainstreaming” ideas that have been successful in other contexts. For example, they were late to the party with viral videos, but when they came out with “Lazy Sunday” and the like they hit big. The other element that needs to be addressed is the show’s abilities to create stars that move beyond television. It’s one of the rare television programs that’s not dependent on its actors to execute and to maintain popularity. It’s like a sports team
Photo Editor Graham Beck and Layout Editor Lindsay Grossman were among the Heights staffers receiving honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
with a great system where you can switch the players and still make it work. Q: What is the show dependent on, then? I would say there are a couple of key factors. One, it’s one of the few shows on television that possesses a real sense of an authorial presence, a single person who’s running it. Lorne Michaels has been in charge of the show for all but a couple of seasons. He makes himself a part of the show, you know he’s there and he’s become a marker of consistency and quality. It’s also the way in which “SNL” really hits that balance of consistency and innovation. On the one hand, there are the things about the show you can count on: “Live from New York!,” the monologue, musical guests, recurring characters and so on. But at the same time there’s a sense, perhaps contrived but nonetheless present, that anything could happen. You’re watching something that is both very much “of this moment” and classic TV. It’s a great combination. Q: The show has certainly been a launching pad for stars. “SNL” can be thought of as a sort of graduate school of comedians. It’s a place that can take an underground sensation and allow them to develop into an international star. Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy… Q:…and Amy Poehler, BC Class of ’93. Yes, absolutely. She started here at BC doing improv comedy with My Mother’s Fleabag. Then she was an improviser working out of Los Angeles and New York doing really cutting edge comedy. She was able to go to “SNL,” keep some of that edge, but mainstream it just a little bit and then move into “Parks and Recreation.” I think that show is really balancing perfectly innovative comedy and popular, giving people what they want at the same time as challenging them a little. And I think she’s one of the best examples of how “SNL” can take this incredible raw talent and tame it just a little bit, just enough so that the audience can be expanded. “SNL” sort of played that graduate school role for her.
Read more at http://bit.ly/18EAVQK
Another Pacemaker Award for The Heights The Heights, the independent student newspaper of Boston College, has won its third consecutive Pacemaker Award, issued annually by the Associated Collegiate Press for excellence in collegiate journalism. One of only 11 non-daily newspapers recognized for the prestigious honor, The Heights was joined by The Tech at MIT as the only other New England paper to win the award this year. Other winners nationally included The News-Letter at John Hopkins University, The Universe at Brigham Young University, and The Loyolan at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Criteria for the award include newspaper coverage and content,
quality of writing and reporting, opinion-page leadership, layout and design, and photography and graphics. In addition to the Pacemaker Award for overall excellence, Heights Layout Editor Lindsay Grossman, a senior history major and international studies minor from Frisco, Texas, won a firstplace award for infographic design; Photo Editor Graham Beck, a junior biology and German Studies major from Los Altos, Calif., finished third for environmental portrait and fifth for spot news; and former Sports Editor Greg Joyce ’13 won an honorable mention for his coverage of former BC baseball star Pete Frates and his battle with ALS.
“The Pacemaker Award is a testament to the hard work and long hours every member of The Heights regularly dedicates to the newspaper,” said Heights Editor-in-Chief David Cote, a senior chemistry and theology major from Burlington, Conn. “It is an honor to have our efforts recognized with an award as prestigious as the Pacemaker, and we are proud to continue a growing tradition of excellence with three straight wins.” Added Heights News Editor Eleanor Hildebrandt, “Winning a Pacemaker Award for the third consecutive year is a great honor. I’m incredibly proud of my fellow editors, and glad that their talents and dedication are being recognized.” —Jack Dunn
OB I TUARY
Donald Dietrich, Theology Scholar and Chairman
A funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 20 at St. Joseph’s Church in Belmont for Theology Professor Emeritus and former department chairman Donald Dietrich, who died Nov. 16. He was 72. Dr. Dietrich was an internationally recognized scholar of the German Catholic experience, ChristianJewish relations and the Holocaust. He was the author of Human Rights and the Catholic Tradition; God and Humanity in Auschwitz: JewishChristian Relations and Sanctioned Murder; and Catholic Citizens in the Third Reich: Psycho-Social Principles and Moral Reasoning. He also was the editor of or contributor to numerous publications, including Christian Responses to the Holocaust: Moral and Ethical Issues and Priests for the 21st Century, and wrote well over 100 book reviews. Dr. Dietrich joined the Boston College faculty in 1989, after 20 years on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He chaired the Theology Department from 1991 to 2000. “Don was a warm person with a great deal of wisdom,” recalled Theology Professor of Jewish Studies Rabbi Ruth Langer, associate
Lee Pellegrini
Live, and Still Relevant, It’s ‘Saturday Night’!
Caitlin Cunningham
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director of the University’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. “He hired me and mentored me in my early career. He was an extraordinarily effective chairperson who knew how to get things done. “He was very much involved in the founding of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning and very encouraging as the center developed. Even after he was no longer chair, he was very supportive of our work.” At Dr. Dietrich’s retirement reception in May, Walsh Professor of Bioethics John Paris, SJ, reflected on Dr. Dietrich’s tenure as chair, praising his “poise, equanimity and a seemingly unflappable demean-
or.” Dr. Dietrich, said Fr. Paris, was “devoted to making Boston College an outstanding center for theological scholarship and teaching.” Originally from Buffalo, Dr. Dietrich earned a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College. He received a master’s degree and doctorate in modern German history from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Dietrich is survived by his wife, Linda Ross Dietrich, who worked in BC’s Fine Arts Department, his children and stepchildren — Kathleen (Dietrich) Johnston, Stephen Dietrich, Martin Dietrich, Sarah Bateman and Rebecca Yood — and nine grandchildren. He also leaves his brother, Thomas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to support Boston College scholarships at https://www.bc.edu/content/bc/ giving/schools/as_theology.html or by mail with the designation of the Donald Dietrich Memorial Scholarship Fund to: Oscar Pena, Boston College, Cadigan Alumni Center, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. —Kathleen Sullivan Read the full obituary at http:// bit.ly/1930ZS5.
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WELCOME ADDITIONS Assistant Professor of Biology Eric Folker’s research focuses on how and why nuclei move and the connections between nuclear movement and disease. Folker uses the common fruit fly to examine the precise positioning of nuclei required for muscle function. Genetic screens, imaging and functional output assays to characterize nuclear movement and assess its impact on muscle structure and function. Folker earned his PhD at the University of Notre Dame, was a post-doctoral researcher at Columbia University and a researcher at the Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York. His research has been published in journals including Nature, Nucleus, Fly and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Chemistry Daniel Fox specializes in oranometallic chemistry, with a particular interest in how chemical reactions work. His research focuses on reaction mechanisms involving organic and organometallic reactions. He uses a research technique — which he integrates into his teaching — known as parahydrogen-induced polarization to study how hydrogen molecules join unsaturated compounds during chemical reactions involving so-called transition metals. Fox earned his doctorate at the University of California-Berkeley, and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Rochester. His research has appeared in the Journal of Chemistry Education, among others. Adjunct Assistant Professor John Neale joined the Carroll School of Management faculty after spending the previous six years as an assistant professor of operations and technology management at the Boston University School of Management. Neale’s expertise draws on a decade in industry, having led research and development at software start-up Optiant before moving on to Hewlett-Packard, where he helped set the supply chain strategy. His research on inventory models with non-stationary demand won the 2008 Wagner Prize for Excellence in Operations Research Practice. A co-author of several refereed publications, Neale is also co-editor of the book The Practice of Supply Chain Management: Where Theory and Application Converge. This fall, Neale is teaching a course he created, Supply Chain Management, along with an undergraduate Operations Management core class. Celeste Wells began teaching in the Communication Department as a visiting assistant professor in 2010, and this academic year accepted the position of assistant professor of the practice. Wells, a research and teaching fellow in communication at the University of Utah — where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees — for several years prior to Boston College, has taught such classes as Introduction to Communication, Rhetorical Traditions, Argumentation Theory and Popular Music and Identity at BC. She has published in Management Communication Quarterly and has manuscripts in preparation for Critical Studies in Communication and Journal of Applied Communication Research, among others. This fall, Wells was awarded a Kolvenbach Grant to promote studentprofessor interaction and social justice. Law School Associate Professor Katharine Young offers expertise in economic and social rights, comparative constitutional law and international human rights. Prior to BC, Young was an associate professor at the Australian National University, a visiting assistant professor at Boston University and a teaching fellow at Harvard law School. Young recently published the book Constituting Economic and Social Rights in the Oxford Constitutional Theory series. She earned her doctoral and master’s degrees at Harvard Law School and Melbourne University and at the University of Heidelberg. Her professional experience includes working at the United Nations and in an NGO in Accra, Ghana. This semester, she has taught Contracts, and Human Rights and Global Poverty. —Ed Hayward, Sean Hennessey, Sean Smith and Melissa Beecher Photos by Lee Pellegrini and BC Law School “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.
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Newsmakers John F. Kennedy’s greatest achievement was not legislative, but inspiring Americans to public service, especially a younger generation, Prof. Patrick Maney (History) said in an interview with New England Cable News as part of its coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. He also spoke with the Boston Herald and appeared on WCVB-TV Ch. 5. Visiting Lect. Julia Whitcavitch-DeVoy (LSOE) offered her views to Fox 25 News on 20 to 30-year-olds who are mired in debt and waiting to get a career break.
Boisi Center Director Alan Wolfe (right) stopped to chat with Marie Griffith and Jonathan Sarna following their appearance at last month’s “Religious Diversity and the Common Good” Sesquicentennial symposium. More photos on page 4. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
Prior to a vote in Milford, Mass., on a proposed casino project, Adj. Assoc. Prof. Richard McGowan, SJ (CSOM), appeared on WBUR-FM’s “Morning Edition” to discuss what the outcome could mean to the state of gaming in Massachusetts. He also commented on pending casino proposals in the Boston Herald.
Prior to the sentencing of James “Whitey” Bulger, Prof. Robert Bloom (Law) discussed the value of victims confronting convicts in court on WGBH-TV’s “Greater Boston.” He also was quoted by USA Today, among other media.
People nearing retirement who consider buying immediate annuities from insurance companies can also “buy” an annuity from Social Security, and it’s a far better deal, Steven Sass, a research associate at the Center for Retirement Research, told the New York Times. Forbes highlighted tips for avoiding problems during mortgage closings from the “Squared Away Blog” by the center’s Kimberly Blanton, while US News & World Report featured center re-
search on the downside of automatic 401(k) enrollment.
BC BRIEFING Publications Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) published “Sites and Sounds of Pomerania in Nabokov’s World” in the Nabokov Online Journal, and “Dunes of Happiness: Fifteen Summers in Estonia” in Baltic Worlds.
NOTA BENE Biology majors Kelsey Maher ’14 and Mark Soo ’14 have been awarded undergraduate research fellowships by the American Society for Microbiology. The two were among 37 undergraduates in the US to receive the fellowships, which come with a $4,000 stipend and funding for travel to the association’s Capstone Institute and the 114th ASM General Meeting. The fellowships recognize highly accomplished students who plan to pursue graduate careers in microbiology. The awards fund summer research under faculty mentors. Maher conducts research in the lab of Associate Professor of Biology Marc-Jan Gubbels. The title of her research project is “Dissection of Centrin2 Function in Toxoplasma gondii.” Soo is part of the research group of Assistant Professor of Biology Michelle Meyer. The title of his research project is “In Vivo Confirmation of Autogenous Regulation of the S6 Operon in E. Coli.” —Ed Hayward Boston College was one of nine schools to participate in the first-ever Intercollegiate Irish Dance Competition, hosted Nov. 15-17 by the Villanova University Irish Dance Team. Boston College Irish Dance students took first and second place in the four-hand competition, the top three places in eight-hand competition, second and fifth in the treble reel, and third in the “fun number” — a showcase featuring either an adaptation of a professional dance company or an original piece. —Sean Smith
Adj. Assoc. Prof. Michael C. Keith (Communication) had his short story, “Passing,” accepted for publication in the first annual anthology edition of The Penmen Review.
Time and a Half Prof. Jorge Garcia (Philosophy) presented the keynote address, “Racism’s Vices,” at the Minnesota Philosophy Society meeting in St. Paul, and “Value Theory vs. Consequentialism” at Wooster College (Ohio). He also spoke at Wooster College’s annual Lindner Lecture Symposium, and participated in the Indianapolis meetings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association’s Executive Council and Executive Committee, while assuming office as ACPA vicepresident.
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: Provost and Dean of Faculties University Controller Bio-Informatic Software Engineer, Biology Department Technology Manager, Residential Life Senior Research Associate, Center for Retirement Research Associate Vice President for Facilities Services Staff Psychiatrist, University Counseling Associate Director of Major Giving, Development Office Administrator, College of Arts and Sciences Service Center Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing, Athletic Association Executive Director, Career Center Supervisor, Parking Office Fiscal Assistant, Auxiliary Services
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LOOKING AHEAD
Joyful Sounds and More Mark your calendar for the annual Boston College Christmas tree lighting this Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 5-7 on the Plaza at O’Neill Library, and take part in the official launch of the campus holiday season. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, will officiate, and Santa Claus will be on hand for photos, against a backdrop of caroling by student musical groups (and cookies and cocoa). The merry event sets the tone for other seasonal festivities at BC, including concerts in many musical genres, which follow throughout the month: •Dec. 6 and 7 (8-10 p.m.), Dec. 8 show sold out: Trinity Chapel on the Newton Campus will be the venue for three concert performances by the University Chorale and Boston College Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Finney. Admission to the annual Christmas concert is $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Tickets are available via the Robsham Box Office; call ext.24002 or e-mail RTACTickets@ bc.edu •Dec. 10, 4-5:30 p.m.: Also under Finney’s direction, members of the University Chorale will present a free concert of Christmas music in Gasson 100. For information contact the Music Department at ext.26004 or e-mail concerts@bc.edu. •Dec. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Accomplished singer, multi-instrumentalist and musicologist Mick Moloney (a former Burns Visit-
Caitlin Cunningham
Holidays at the Heights
This year’s holiday events at Boston College will include a very familiar visitor (left) at this Wednesday’s Christmas tree lighting, and the duo of Athena Tergis and Mick Moloney, who will present a concert Dec. 10 as part of the Gaelic Roots series.
ing Scholar in Irish Studies) teams with fiddler Athena Tergis — who’s played with artists such as Sharon Shannon and Laura Risk and toured with “Riverdance” — for a musical celebration of Christmas and other midwinter traditions as part of the Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance and Lecture Series. The free concert takes place in Walsh Hall. See www.bc.edu/gaelicroots. •Dec. 10, 8-10 p.m.: Holiday favorites such as “The Nutcracker,” “Sleigh Ride” and “A Christmas Festival” will ring out at the University Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band Annual Christmas Concert, conducted by Sebastian Bonaiuto. The free event will be held in Gasson 100. For information, contact the BC Bands Office at ext.2-3018 or bands@bc.edu •Dec. 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: The Volunteer and Service Learning Center, BC Neighborhood Center and BC Dining Services have once again joined forces to offer the popular Fair Trade Holiday Sale,
BC SCENES
which supports grassroots efforts for change in the developing world. Those who produce the goods available for purchase are paid a just wage for their labor, organizers note. Members of the BC community are encouraged to attend the fair — held on the second floor of Corcoran Commons — to learn more, support artisans and cooperatives, and to shop for beautiful and unusual products from around the world. For information, call VSLC at ext.2-1317, e-mail volunteer@bc.edu or see http://bit. ly/1bXMtiG. •Dec. 14, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.: The Cadigan Alumni Center on Brighton Campus will be the setting for “Winter Wonderland,” an annual holiday event for alumni, family and friends. Activities include strolling carolers, crafts and gingerbread houses, entertainer Johnny the K, photos with Santa Claus, a live petting zoo and horse-drawn carriage rides. There will also be a special visit from award-winning
author and illustrator Peter Hamilton Reynolds and the creator of The Misfit Sock storybook, Church in the 21st Century Center Associate Director Karen Kiefer ’82. Admission is $15 per adult; $5 per child; free for children under age three. Registration is available at http://bit. ly/19O7pnx. •Dec. 21 (7:30-9 p.m.), Dec. 21 and 22 (3-4:30 p.m.): Robsham Theater Arts Center once again hosts “Christmas Reflections,” a celebration of the Christmas season though performances of music, story and dance. The production features choreography by Jesuit artist-in-residence Rev. Robert VerEecke, SJ, and Irish step dance choreography by Helen O’Dwyer ’97, who directs the O’Dwyer School of Irish Dancing. Admission to the event, sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts and Robsham Theater, is $15. For information call ext.2-6110 or email frvereec@bc.edu. —Rosanne Pellegrini and Sean Smith The Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) is once again teaming with Cradles to Crayons to keep children safe and warm this winter, and encourages members of the Boston College community to join in this effort by shopping for an outfit pack for a local child. Stop by the VSLC Giving Tree in McElroy 114 and choose a child’s outfit pack request, then buy new, much-needed items (a list is available). Bring the outfit pack — unwrapped with tags, in a bag labeled with the outfit pack tag — to the VSLC in McElroy 114 by Dec. 10. Contact Kate Daly at kate.daly.1@ bc.edu with any questions. For more information about Cradles to Crayons, see cradlestocrayons.org/ boston. —Office of News & Public Affairs
McCauley Presents ‘Sugar’ This Weekend Obie Award-winning playwright Robbie McCauley, an internationally recognized performance artist and director who will join the Theatre Department faculty next semester as Visiting Monan Professor of Theatre Arts, will perform her one-woman show on campus this Friday and Saturday night at Robsham Theater. A critically acclaimed, 90-minute original work, “Sugar” is inspired by her life-long struggle with diabetes. McCauley envisioned the play as a way to break the silence surrounding the diabetes epidemic in the United States, and encourage discussion about food, disease and disparities in health care for marginalized groups. McCauley won an Independent Reviewers of New England Award for her performance when the play was presented at ArtsEmerson in Boston. “Sugar” is directed by Maureen Shea with original music composed and performed by Chauncey Moore, and scenic and projection design by Mirta Tocci. The BC performances, which will take place in Robsham’s Bonn Studio Theater at 7 p.m. both nights, is free and open to the public, but seating is limited for both performances and reservations are necessary. All ticket requests should be made via email to sugar@bc.edu. A member of the original Broadway cast of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” McCauley recently retired from the Emerson College faculty and is now a professor emerita. More information on McCauley is available at http://bit.ly/1h73FWZ; to learn more about “Sugar,” see http://bit.ly/I4nfUF. —Rosanne Pellegrini
WORLD DANCE PARTY Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
Students representing Taiwan came dressed for the occasion. The Office of International Students and Scholars sponsored “Dancing with International Stars” in the Walsh Function Room on Nov. 15, as part of International Education Week. Students were invited to share their cultural dance traditions, including (above) Shawn Savage ’14, representing Jamaica and (right) Lynch Graduate School of Education student Arunima Sengupta from India. .