The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs december 1, 2011 VOL. 20 no. 7
•Baldwin at home in Campus School, page 2
•Sportsmanship campaign, page 2 •C21 Online expands, page 2 •BCTalks, page 3
By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Graduate School of Social Work doctoral student Alfonso Alvarez is serving in Afghanistan, while daughter Luisa studies at the Connell School of Nursing.
They’re Eagles of One Feather CSON sophomore and her father, thousands of miles apart, still feel connected through BC By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
•Heights wins national award, page 3 •Matson wins NEA fellowship, page 4 •Friendship (and food) with IAP, page 5
•Q&A with physicist Willie Padilla, page 5 •Rolling Stones and philosophy, page 6 •Massachusetts legal publishing, page 6 •Holidays at the Heights, page 8
Alfonso and Luisa Alvarez share a connection that is rare for most fathers and daughters: They’re both enrolled as students in the same university. But the familial and collegial bonds between Alfonso, a Graduate School of Social Work doctoral student, and Luisa, a Connell School of Nursing junior, have been put to the test this year. In March, Alfonso — who also holds master’s degrees from GSSW and the Lynch School of Education — and his US Army unit shipped out to Afghanistan. A captain in the Army Medical Service Corps, Alfonso works as a behavioral health officer (BHO) in a combat brigade of about 4,200 soldiers that is currently stationed in the Kandahar Province. This meant Alfonso had to miss out this year on Thanksgiving with Luisa, his wife Maria and their younger daughter, Victoria, as well as other relatives. But last week the Needham, Mass., family got a king-sized helping of good news: Alfonso is expected to be home for 10 days during Christmas. Alfonso’s stint in the military, which will finish up this com-
ing spring, is the latest chapter in what would seem an eventful, rewarding life. Born in Spain, he immigrated to the US in 1988, the same year he married Maria, a Boston native and schoolteacher. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Santa Clara University in California, he took his master’s of education at the Lynch School and taught for a few years. “While I was teaching, I realized that I spent more time helping the kids and their families than actually getting my lessons together,” recalled Alfonso in a recent e-mail interview. “I decided then to do it full time.” Receiving his MSW from GSSW in 2001, Alfonso went on to work as a children, adolescents and families specialist for several non-profit agencies and Massachusetts General Hospital, also operating a private practice. He later returned to GSSW to begin pursuing a doctorate. Then in May of 2009, Alfonso decided to join the Army, and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Army Reserve as a social worker. He was promoted to captain for active duty service six months later. “My reasons for joining are many,” he said, “but mostly to give back to the US — my coun-
Lee Pellegrini
O’Connor to Step Down from A&S Honors Program
Lee Pellegrini
INSIDE
The numbers were what helped Mark O’Connor decide to leave the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. “I was talking to a group of new faculty last year, and said I was ‘privileged to have taught at Boston College for 35 years,’” said O’Connor, who has been A&S Honors director since 1997. “That number ‘35’ really stood out to me. Then I realized it was also the 30th anniversary of the year I began teaching in the program. I’d been having so much fun, I never noticed how long it had been. “But I recognized that it was time someone who was the age I once was deserved the chance I once had.” O’Connor will step down from the A&S Honors Program — one of the oldest such programs in the country — this coming May 31. He will be on sabbatical for the spring
Mark O’Connor
2012 semester, and A&S Dean David Quigley will serve as the program’s interim director. O’Connor says he plans to return to teaching at BC next fall. His decision to step down, says O’Connor, is an opportunity to “remake” the honors program, which provides about 500 selected undergraduates with a grounding in the classics of Western thought through a rigorous curriculum, small classes, Continued on page 3
Theologians Mull Impact of New Missal on Parishoners
lary – a language of its own for the liturgy,” said Fr. Baldovin, who has conducted workshops on the MisAmerica’s 65 million Catholics sal for priests and lay people across are adjusting to changes in the fa- the country. “The language will be miliar language of the liturgy of the much, much more complex and Mass for the first time in nearly 40 difficult. Priests will have to spend years. Last Sunday, the Catholic more time preparing, making adjustments for the lanChurch introduced a guage and the way it new English-language “Priests are going to reads and sounds.” translation of the Rohave to prepare more STM Profesman Missal. The new transla- carefully in order to see sor of Theology and Religious Education tion, the first since the Vatican-sanctioned ahead of time how the Thomas Groome said the new, precise transswitch from Latin to new translation will lation from the origiEnglish was completaffect the Mass.” nal Latin introduces ed in 1973, may take some getting used to —Thomas Groome new words and alters the structure and cafor both parishioners dence of sentences and priests, said School of Theology and Ministry Professor Catholics have been speaking for John Baldovin, SJ, a noted liturgical decades. Those changes in the liturgy will require extra attention, historian and theologian. “The new Missal is an attempt particularly from clergy. Continued on page 4 to create a more sacred vocabuContinued on page 4
QUOTE:
By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
“This is unique to Boston College and — I am not overstating this — it changes lives. The relationships that are formed in this program are for life, and we’ve seen that time and time again.” —Adrienne Nussbaum on the International Assistants Program, page 5
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle december 1, 2011
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AR A statue made by the sister of Vice President William B. Neenan, SJ, now graces the entrance to the Boston College Campus School. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
a home for Baldwin. He is the centerpiece of the Campus School reception area and a wonderful conversation piece,” said Ricciato.
Fr. Neenan said he enjoyed seeing students’ reactions to Baldwin, who will now greet all visitors at the school’s entrance. —Melissa Beecher
Making a pitch for good sportsmanship on campus The Boston College Athletics Department is teaming up with the University’s Center for Student Formation for a new student social media campaign — including undergraduateproduced videos — that encourages improved sportsmanship at on-campus athletic events. “No one knows a BC student better than another BC student,” says Associate Athletics Director for External Relations James Di Loreto, who is working with Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, SJ, and Student Formation Center Director Michael Sacco to implement the plan. “We want to look at how we can get students involved with tackling some of the challenges that we face relative to sportsmanship overall,” Di Loreto says. “It’s not just a BC issue, it’s a universal challenge. We want to get students engaged
A scene from the video by Sean Casey ’12 and his brother Kevin ’04 that uses excerpts from John F. Kennedy’s speech at Boston College in 1956.
in helping us plan the creative part of this. We are going to invest in and support initiatives created by students and make a campaign around inspirational videos about what it means to be a BC student.” Earlier this week, student filmmaker Sean Casey ’12 and
his brother Kevin ’04 produced a video that includes the words of then-US Sen. John F. Kennedy’s commencement address at Boston College in 1956, when he urged the school’s graduates to be their best in every endeavor of their lives [http://bit. ly/rPDLaQ].
“The goal is for us to get creative and to have students get engaged in a competition to produce videos to highlight some of the things that happen on our campus,” Di Loreto says, “and to improve some of the ways that folks sometimes act at games.” Di Loreto says more videos will be added to the website at the start of the spring semester and prizes will be awarded to students whose work best conveys the sportsmanship theme. Students will be encouraged to comment on the videos and share the links with others. “Knowing that our target audience is students, we thought that having students putting the whole project together – with us advising and supporting them throughout – would be one of the better ways to make it successful,” Di Loreto says. —Reid Oslin
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“I couldn’t think of a better home than the Campus School. I contacted Don [Ricciato, the school’s director] and he was delighted at the thought,” Fr. Neenan said. “Now, Baldwin has a perfect aerie.” University carpenters, led by Joseph Figueiredo, created a handsome perch for the statue and its 42-inch wingspan, and it was soon revealed to the discerning audience at the school, which serves children with multiple special needs. “The Campus School students and staff are thrilled to provide
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The eagle has landed — at the Campus School. Vice President and Special Assistant to the President William Neenan, SJ, recently donated a beautifully carved statue of Boston College mascot Baldwin to the Boston College Campus School. The statue was a gift to Fr. Neenan from his sister, Mary Jo, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a Jesuit. Fr. Neenan was presented with the statue during a visit last summer to Mary Jo in Wisconsin, and it sat in his office for several months. But then he decided Baldwin had a greater calling.
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A place to roost for Baldwin
Toy Drive at BC-BU Friday With support from his Boston College men’s hockey teammates, junior goaltender Parker Milner has organized a toy drive to benefit two organizations, the Child Life Department of Boston Children’s Hospital and Toys For Tots. To support this cause, bring a new, packaged and unwrapped toy (appropriate for the hospital setting) to the Eagles’ game against Boston University tomorrow, Dec. 2, in Conte Forum. Toys will be collected at the door and distributed by the hockey team to the children at Children’s Hospital and Toys for Tots program before the holiday break. The Boston College
Chronicle
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs
Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS
Patricia Delaney Editor
Sean Smith Contributing Staff
Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini
New chapter unfolding for Church in the 21st Century Online Next month, more than 500 adult Catholics from the Archdiocese of San Francisco are expected to take part in “Forward in Faith: Educational Enrichment for the Thinking Catholic,” a customized faith formation program developed especially for them by Church in the 21st Century Online. It is the first time C21 Online has developed a program for use across an entire diocese. The courses, which will focus on faith discipleship and the Church, sacramental life and practices in Christian living, are geared for Catholics “in the pews” as well as those in parish leadership positions. “We’re very excited about this
program,” said School of Theology and Ministry Director of Continuing Education Barbara Anne Radtke, who designed the courses in concert with Bishop Robert W. McElroy, an auxiliary bishop in the San Francisco Archdiocese; Sister Celeste Arbuckle, SSS, director of the archdiocese’s Office for Religious Education and Youth Ministry, and Father Dave Pettingill, former director of the archdiocese’s School of Pastoral Leadership. Established in 1853, the Archdiocese of San Francisco is home to 400,000 Catholics. The program will be administered both online, primarily for young adults ages 20-39, and in 12 parish locations throughout
the archdiocese. The 20-session, two-semester program is adapted from Church in the 21st Century Center presentations and STM Continuing Education presentations. The parish-based sessions will feature a Boston College lecture on DVD followed by facilitated discussions led by local faith educators. For the online courses, Radtke and three others will serve as facilitators in moderated chat rooms. C21 Online has previously worked directly with other dioceses, such as Norwalk, Conn.; Fairbanks, Alaska; Albany, NY; and Green Bay, Wis. But as Radtke points out, those instances were limited to small groups or specific components of the dio-
ceses’ population, such as Catholic elementary school teachers. In addition to the courses for the San Francisco Archdiocese, C21 Online will continue its robust offering of other non-credit courses for Catholics seeking spiritual renewal and faith formation. According to Radtke, about 1,000 online learners participated in the moderated courses last academic year — a number that does not reflect the people taking the free, mini-courses offered 24/7 from the C21 Online website. Those mini-courses, available in English and Spanish, have been viewed by tens of thousands of people in all 50 states and some 130 countries since C21 Online’s inception in 2004. —Kathleen Sullivan
Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney 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.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle december 1, 2011
Photos by Justin Knight
Heights Wins Top Award for General Excellence By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Presenters at the first BCTalks event included (L-R) Christopher Sheridan, Jennifer Wanandi and Rosemary Chandler.
A New Forum for Student Scholarship BCTalks provides showcase to highlight undergraduates’ academic work By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Taking a cue from a popular global lecture series that highlights cutting-edge thinking and new ideas, a Boston College student group has launched BCTalks to provide a new forum to highlight the scholarly interests and achievements of undergraduates. Modeled after TEDTalks, a foundation-sponsored series devoted to “ideas worth spreading,” BCTalks aims to bridge the gap between the academic and social lives of undergraduates, according to student organizers from the group Education for Students by Students, which held the first event on Nov. 13 and 14 in Robsham Theater Arts Center. The 14 speakers were drawn from the ranks of students whose scholarly accomplishments have been recognized by Advanced
Study Grants or Undergraduate Research Fellowships. The topics ranged from senior Brian Tracz’s “Think Glia: Mental Life Beyond the Neurons” to senior Abby Letak’s “Accidental Intellectuals: How Modern Quality Television is Changing the Way We Think.” Event co-founder Connor Sullivan ’13 said the BCTalks drew a vocal crowd that added to the excitement of the unique speaker format. Presentations were kept to 20-25 minutes. “Often at BC there’s a divide between academic and social life,” said Sullivan. “We have these incredibly passionate discussions in class, but not many of those discussions take place outside the classroom.” Lisa Piccirillo ’13, another event co-founder, said the process of sifting through potential speakers, their projects and resumes offered insight into the
depth of intellectual pursuits among undergraduates. “Just putting together a oneparagraph summary for the panel to consider was a challenge,” said Piccirillo, a math major. “These students have multiple interests and they’ve accomplished something significant in almost each area.” All of the talks were videotaped and the organizers expect to post them to the web in the coming weeks. A second BCTalks event is being organized for the spring semester as well. “We haven’t put any limits on whether speakers can present again, but we think it’s probably something someone does once,” said Piccirillo. “We want to put the focus on that passion and interest they have put all their effort into.” For more information about BCTalks, see the website www. bctalks.org
O’Connor to Leave A&S Honors Program Continued from page 1 discussion seminars and ongoing rapport between students and instructors who double as academic advisors. “The reason for me to leave is purely out of gratitude,” said O’Connor, the successor as program director to Joseph Appleyard, SJ, who became BC’s inaugural vice president for University Mission and Ministry in 1998. “As much as you love a job, the best way to show it — especially in a Christian context — is to give it to someone else.” Quigley praised O’Connor for long representing “much of what is best about Boston College. His profound commitment to our students, his steadfast belief in the transformative power of the liberal arts, and his visionary leadership will be sorely missed.” Approximately 150 students enter the honors program annually, most with combined SAT scores in the range of 1450 and a place in the top five percent of their high school classes. However, program
administrators note, A&S Honors also seeks out the “off-beat” students whose academic or life experiences are compelling enough that they might benefit from enrolling. Superior first-year students are also admitted to the Honors Program as sophomores on the recommendation of their instructors. The third year of the program is devoted to an advanced seminar, The 20th Century and the Tradition, which encourages critical inquiry into the Western canon while placing it in a modern context. For their final year, students are required to complete an honors thesis or creative project. O’Connor credits past directors Fr. Appleyard and David Gill, SJ, and the support of late A&S Dean J. Robert Barth, SJ, for the development of A&S Honors into “a program with a central intellectual element in each undergraduate year.” “It’s not a ‘great books program,’ but rather an ‘enduring questions’ program,” said O’Connor, who also served as A&S Honors assis-
tant and associate director. “There will be variations on the texts used, but the variations speak to the same universal questions about existence, identity and the nature of God — and the conversation is always powerful.” That conversation has been significantly influenced by the rise in academic quality of BC undergraduates, says O’Connor, recalling discussions with students about how one’s academic achievements relate to personal and spiritual formation. “The best students,” he said, “are teaching me what I teach the next generation of students.” O’Connor noted that he has maintained friendships with a number of former students “who are one, two, five, 10, even 30 years” removed from BC: “They’ll send an e-mail saying, ‘You probably won’t remember me,’ but I do. I enjoy continuing the conversations we started when they were students. Many of them have new perspectives, but the questions they — we — face are still enduring questions.”
The Heights, Boston College’s independent student newspaper, has received a 2011 Associated Collegiate Press Newspaper Pacemaker Award for general excellence and outstanding achievement. The award, co-sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, has recognized general excellence in collegiate newspapers for 84 years and is considered the highest honor in collegiate journalism. This marks the first time The Heights, a finalist in 2006, 2007 and 2008, captured the award for general excellence. One of 13 national winners for general excellence in the category of nondaily newspapers from four-year colleges, The Heights was the only college newspaper in Massachu-
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credit Matt DeLuca ’11, who served as Heights editor-in-chief in 2010. One of the pieces in The Heights’ winning portfolio was the May 2, 2011, issue which featured student reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden on the front page. “That night was one of my most exciting as a news editor,” recalled Heights News Editor Taylour Kumpf ’13, an English major from Columbus, Neb. “The front page was all laid out. But then we started hearing things on Twitter about Osama bin Laden. We watched President Obama give an address about bin Laden on our TV in the newsroom. Then we started getting texts about things happening on campus. It started in the Mods and traveled to Middle Campus. We sent some staff outThe Heights was the only college newspaper in Massachusetts to be honored for overall excellence. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Hou and Alex Hartwig)
setts to be honored for overall excellence. Heights Photography Editor Alex Trautwig ’12 also won honorable mention in the Sports Picture category for his photograph of the sailing team on Dorchester Bay. All ACP award entries were judged by professional journalists in the Washington, DC, area on criteria such as coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership of the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, layout and design, photography, art and graphics. Winners were announced at the 90th Annual Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention in Orlando on Oct. 29. “I think what distinguished us this year was the design,” said Heights Editor-in-Chief Michael Caprio ’12, who oversaw the submission process. “We’ve got some great designers and the Arts & Review page has never looked better.” Caprio, who submitted select editions of The Heights drawn from over the course of the 201011 academic year, was quick to
side while the rest of us worked in the newsroom. The texts kept coming. Finally, we all ran outside.” The decision was made to scrap the front page in favor of the breaking news. It was work that kept Kumpf and others there until nearly sunrise. “It was a team effort to make that front page. So many people contributed,” added Kumpf, who assumes the post of Heights editor-in-chief effective in January. Caprio, an economics major from Scituate, RI, said The Heights board is not resting on its laurels. “We are working on a new section to replace Marketplace and we are continuing to work on writing.” With his tenure as editor-inchief coming to a close, Caprio reflected on the highlights of his time on The Heights, notably the BC Institutional Master Plan’s impact on the campus, including the construction of Stokes Hall. “We’re at a unique position to view BC at a transition. The master plan has presented so many opportunities to chronicle University history.” Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle december 1, 2011
4 Frank Curran
Alvarezes Keep BC, Family Ties Strong
Prof. John Baldovin, SJ (STM): “The bottom line of the liturgy is how it helps us become better Christians.”
New Missal Introduced Continued from page 1 “Priests are going to have to prepare more carefully in order to see ahead of time how the new translation will affect the Mass,” said Groome. “They can’t just presume the sentences will flow, because some of them don’t.” The church’s Vox Clara Committee has worked since 2001 toward a revised translation of the 1,228-page Missal, including prominent passages such as the Nicene Creed. In the old Missal, parishioners recited the creed to proclaim that Jesus Christ is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.” With the new translation, Catholics profess Christ “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.” In the previous format of Mass, the priest says “The Lord be with you,” and the congregation responded “And also with you.” That response has changed to “And with your spirit.” Director of Campus Ministry Fr. Tony Penna tested out the new language at a “training” Mass in the Heights Room at Corcoran Commons two weeks ago, providing students with cards printed with the new language in key passages. “The cards gave the people a new confidence that they knew the prayers,” said Fr. Penna. “They came along fairly easily. It was harder for the priests because we are so used to other texts.” Fr. Penna said the “theologically
rich and poetic” language of the new Missal offers the opportunity to talk about critical elements of the Catholic faith. “This gives Campus Ministry the chance to have a conversation about the meaning of Mass and what the prayers are meant to communicate,” Fr. Penna said. “It gives us a chance to revisit something we haven’t had to discuss in a long time and I think that is going to be positive.” Fr. Baldovin said the new language may make some people uneasy at first, but he expects Catholics will adjust to the changes. “The bottom line of the liturgy is how it helps us become better Christians,” said Fr. Baldovin, who worked on liturgical text translation with the International Commission on English in the Liturgy from 1994 to 2002. “Are we living faith, hope and love better? That’s the real question.” Will the changes reduce the number of people attending Sunday Mass? Probably not, according to Fr. Baldovin. “People are not going to church because Mass is too long or too boring,” he asserted. “It is because they are not feeling cared for by us, by their pastors, and they’re not finding the center of their lives in their Christian faith. And that’s the real challenge. I am hopeful the new translation will help people in this regard.” Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu Lee Pellegrini
Former Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall discussed the Magna Carta and the Massachusetts State Constitution Nov. 15 in Gasson 100, an event sponsored by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy and the McMullen Museum of Art.
Continued from page 1 try now.” As Luisa remembers, her father didn’t spend a lot of time spelling out to the family his reasons for enlisting. “When he was in Spain, he served in the military — it was compulsory. In this case, I think he just felt, ‘This is my country now, so I should do the same.’ He also was interested in working with post-traumatic stress disorder.” Meanwhile, Luisa neared the end of her high school years, and Boston College was an obvious choice for her next destination. She had a good sense of the place from the times Alfonso took her to campus when she was a little girl. More importantly, she knew BC had a well-respected program in nursing, and that was what she wanted to study. “There are a lot of doctors in my family, and then there’s Dad, a social worker, and Mom, a teacher,” says Luisa, explaining her choice of career. “Nursing fits right in — I like the caring aspect of it.” Said Alfonso, “Luisa is a very sensitive and caring person. Since she was a baby, she had the ability to make people feel good. I felt really happy when she chose to go to BC. I enjoyed — still do — being part of the BC community and she is doing the same. I really feel proud of her.” “I guess it’s a little weird, us both being at BC, even though he actually hasn’t been here,” says Luisa, with a chuckle. “But it brings us closer together. I talk to him about things going on here, and he understands.” When Alfonso learned last February that he would be shipping out, Luisa spent five days with him in Fort Drum, NY, where he was stationed — her mother and sister came for a separate visit during their school vacation week. Since arriving in Afghanistan, Alfonso has tried to get on the phone once a day with Maria, and perhaps get a brief word with one or both of the girls, if he can. “He doesn’t really like to talk about what’s going on,” says Luisa. She has been trying to educate herself as much as possible about Afghanistan, and has found it a challenging undertaking. “What you see in the media is not 100 percent what’s going on.” Alfonso’s main duties are to give advice to commanders, conduct evaluations, provide counseling, address traumatic events, develop programs to improve resiliency, and supervise a small group of behavioral health specialists. “You also have to partici-
“There are a lot of doctors in my family, and then there’s Dad, a social worker, and Mom, a teacher,” says Luisa. “Nursing fits right in — I like the caring aspect of it.”
Lee Pellegrini
“Luisa is a very sensitive and caring person,” says Alfonso. “Since she was a baby, she had the ability to make people feel good. I felt really happy when she chose to go to BC...I really feel proud of her.”
pate in regular soldier activities,” he added. His situation is a little different than for most BHOs, Alfonso adds. “My team and I developed a resiliency program that is setting a new standard for quality of care. We work together with regular medical providers as well as providers for combat stress and mild traumatic brain injuries. We teach classes, provide counseling and evaluations, medication evaluations, battlefield circulations (we try to go to the more forward areas to see soldiers there), and any other support we can think of.” GSSW offered its own support for Alfonso and his fellow soldiers this fall, when Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services Regina O’Grady-LeShane organized a drive to collect
books, CDs, DVDs, notebooks, pens and other items to send to the unit; in addition, the school held book and bake sales, raising more than $500 to donate to a book fund for the troops. “That was very thoughtful of them,” says Luisa, who stopped by the bake sale to show her appreciation. “It really means a lot to know people care.” If Alfonso’s absence made last week’s annual Thanksgiving gathering a bittersweet experience for Luisa’s family, his return for Christmas will definitely make the holiday season shinier. “We were thinking about taking a fun trip,” says Luisa, smiling, “but he’ll probably just want to be at home. And that’s fine.” Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
Matson Earns NEA Fellowship Professor of English Suzanne Matson is among the recipients of the 2012 Creative Writing Fellowship in Prose from the National Endowment for the Arts for a work of fiction currently in progress. “It’s an immense honor to receive an NEA, one for which I’m very grateful, and it’s already given my writing new momentum,” said Matson, who is chair of the English Department. “My current fiction project has been changing shapes for a while—first it was a historical novel, and now it’s a novel-instories that’s partly contemporary, and partly historical. The fact that the NEA Fellowship was awarded for an excerpt of it gives me the confidence to plunge ahead with a new sense of excitement.” Competition for the NEA awards is extremely rigorous; this year the Creative Writing Fellowships Panel reviewed 1,179 eligible applications. Matson has received fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Her novels are The Tree-Sitter, A Trick of Nature and The Hunger Moon, and she has published two books of poetry, Durable Goods and Sea Level. —Office of News & Public Affairs
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle december 1, 2011
Frank Curran
Q&A
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A FEW MINUTES WITH... Willie Padilla
Associate Professor of Physics Willie Padilla is at the forefront of research into metamaterials, a relatively new class of materials engineered to produce tailored responses to light. Metamaterials have produced stunning experimental results – bending light at the negative refractive index, perfectly absorbing all light and creating space-hiding wave patterns dubbed “invisibility cloaking.” In 2010, President Obama honored Padilla and a select group of his colleagues with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Recently, he spoke with Ed Hayward of the Chronicle [a fuller version of this interview is available via online Chronicle at www.bc.edu/chronicle]. O’Connell House was the site of the International Assistants Program Thanksgiving dinner.
IA Program Offers Friendship and Cultural Education International students get an introduction to American life, and its holidays By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer
For the past 31 years, the International Assistants Program has established meaningful friendships between international and American students at Boston College. One way that bond is formed is with food – lots of food. Four turkeys, mountains of mashed potatoes, stuffing and a dozen pies were cooked from scratch by the International Assistants last month to introduce more than 100 foreign students to the tradition of Thanksgiving. The group prepares events for each of the holidays, said Office of International Students and Scholars Director Adrienne Nussbaum, but none as elaborate or appreciated as the Thanksgiving feast, which this year took place Nov. 13 in O’Connell House. “The purpose of this program is to match incoming freshmen oneon-one with a current BC student, who acts as a peer advisor during their first year here. The program is unique to BC. The International
Assistants help the international students navigate American culture and introduce them to cultural experiences here in the US, which can be intimidating,” said Nussbaum. In addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, the International Assistants have organized visits to Florida, ski trips in New Hampshire and Vermont, outings at restaurants in and around Boston, and various service projects. More recently, the group held a pumpkin carving party for Halloween and will be putting on a holiday social this month. “The holiday tradition that is probably most loved is Thanksgiving, because the international students truly appreciate the effort in making a meal of this size,” said Nussbaum. International students, like Edith Delaney from Ireland, made it a point to thank the Office of International Students and Scholars for the event. “I was overcome by the effort which your department and the IA team went to to prepare such a feast,” Delaney wrote. “It really
was a lovely occasion and so very thoughtful of you all.” Nussbaum explained that the personal touch is the hallmark of the program. Through that oneon-one contact with an established BC student, both the international and BC students feel more connected, Nussbaum said. “I think it’s important to emphasize that a program like this doesn’t exist at other schools. This is unique to Boston College and — I am not overstating this — it changes lives. The relationships that are formed in this program are for life, and we’ve seen that time and time again. “Through International Assistants, students are exposed to different cultures and find their niche here through one another,” said Nussbaum. For more on the International Assistants Program, visit http://www. bc.edu/offices/oiss/programs/ia.html. A Flickr slideshow is also available of the Thanksgiving event at www. flickr.com/bostoncollege Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu
‘Concert for Congo’ Is Tomorrow Night Boston College student performance groups and invited speakers will present a concert tomorrow night, Dec. 2, to raise awareness about the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and foster solidarity with the Congolese people. “Concert for Congo,” sponsored by the Arts and Social Responsibility Project, Artists Striving to End Poverty at BC (ASTEP@ BC) and BC for Congo, will be held at 8 p.m. in the Robsham Theater Arts Center. ASTEP@BC co-president Kasey Brown ’12 says the event is an opportunity to “watch your favorite BC student groups perform, learn about the current conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and find out how you can help end the violence in the most dangerous
place on earth to be a woman. “Speakers will come together with student performance groups to celebrate and be in solidarity with the people of Congo.” Appearing will be educator, actor, poet, motivational speaker, publisher and author Omékongo Dibinga, whose Congolese parents fled their homeland because of their role in its fight for liberation. Dibinga uses the spoken word to reach across continents to foster cultural understanding and acceptance, according to organizers. Also speaking will be Alexandra Hellmuth, a coordinator for the Enough Project, an initiative of the Center for American Progress that aims to end genocide and crimes against humanity and prevent them in the future. BC student groups will perform
African, Latin, step and hip hop dance to soul music, as well as a cappella music in various genres. Among those performing will be PATU, Fuego Del Corazon, FISTS, the Madrigal Singers, the Boston College Acoustics, Against the Current, Synergy Hip Hop Dance Company and BEATS. Tickets for the event are $10 each; proceeds will be donated to Panzi Hospital in Bukavi, DRC, which provides treatment and care to survivors of rape. Tickets may be purchased at the Robsham Theater Box Office or by phone at ext.24002. For more details on the event, as well as information about the Democratic Republic of Congo, see concertforcongo.wordpress. com. —Rosanne Pellegrini
What led you into the field of physics? My father steered me and was always urging me to pursue science in high school. I took as many science classes as I could, including physics. I was always inquisitive and asking questions and wanted to know how things worked — not just on a superficial level, but deep down how things really Lee Pellegrini worked. So I constantly asked questions until people would tell me to get lost. What types of advances in metamaterials are you working on in your lab? We continue to push to create state-of-the-art terahertz metamaterials. I think it’s an area that’s rich in potential applications. We’ve also had another advance that grew out of my work at Los Alamos — the perfect absorber, which can absorb all of the light that strikes it. We’re working on infrared applications of these perfect absorbers, which could lead to the ability to make high performance infrared cameras for thermal imaging. We are working through a Department of Energy grant to take perfect absorbers and use them as emitters, which could lead to materials capable of absorbing waste heat from industrial processes, converting it to electrons and storing it as energy. There are some devices that have demonstrated these abilities, but they are not commercially feasible. We hope to change that. What is your prediction for the role metamaterials will play in our lives 20 years from now? I think that metamaterials will lead to devices that will make our lives better, like any technology should. They will have applications and while I don’t know if they will be world changing, I think they will have a positive impact. It is a burgeoning field with thousands of researchers working in it, so I think over the next two decades we’ll see improved devices that will have realworld applications. You were awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers last year by President Obama. What was it like to meet the president and the other honorees? It was better than I could have imagined. We were in a room, lined up and before you knew it he was there. He popped in and started shaking hands and greeting people. He seemed very genuine and he spoke about science and how important it is and how it is a driver of our economy. He argued funding for scientific research should not be cut. It was a great experience and I was very humbled to be in the room with him and so many accomplished scientists. Hispanics are underrepresented in many scientific fields. How important is it to you to encourage young people of color to pursue scientific study or careers and what does it take to encourage them? It’s important to tell them it’s possible. I think my own story speaks to that. It is a lot of hard work, but it is well worth it in the end. In my teaching, I am glad to share my passion for science and physics. I try to lead by example and I am always glad to help out students who want to pursue graduate study or careers. For students who express interest, I steer them toward opportunities, such as internships, fellowships and scholarships that are designed to increase the representation of minorities in the sciences. I received a McNair Scholarship as an undergraduate and it was a huge help to me.
More at www.bc.edu/chronicle
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Mick, Keith...and St. Augustine? BC authors see ties between Rolling Stones and philosophers’ work By Reid Oslin Staff Writer
What does the music of the Rolling Stones have in common with St. Augustine’s notions of evil? Plenty, say Carroll School of Management junior Michael Barilli and Stephanie St. Martin ’07, MA ’10, who teamed up to write a chapter analyzing the famed Stones’ hit, “Sympathy for the Devil,” that will be included in a recently published book, The Rolling Stones and Philosophy: It’s Just a Thought Away. Barilli, a music aficionado who plays the drums and was a member of several local rock bands on Long Island, NY, was a freshman in Adjunct Associate Professor Brian Bra-
man’s Perspectives class two years ago when he met St. Martin, holder of the University’s Bernard Lonergan, SJ, Scholarship for graduate study in philosophy and a teaching assistant for Braman. Barilli had assisted in the compilation of a song list for a class project on music and philosophy, and when St. Martin received a call for papers for the proposed philosophy book on the meaning of the famed rock group’s lyrics, she engaged the multi-talented undergraduate as co-author. “Basically, ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ is St. Augustine’s notion of evil juxtaposed over the song,” Barilli explains. “He talks a lot about how the devil is not always there for all human atrocities — so it’s saying ‘Who is to blame here? Is it mankind or is it the devil?’ It was pretty interesting. A lot of people who take Perspectives may be a
BC Law 1st in National Jurist Poll
Photo courtesy of Boston College Police Department
Boston College Law School has ranked first in a recent National Jurist poll that reviewed where the partners of the nation’s largest law firms went to school [see http://bit.ly/uGV5vU] . According to the survey, BC Law has produced 120 partners in Boston’s largest firms. Boston University, Harvard University, Suffolk University and Georgetown University rounded out the top five. “Boston College has a long history of placing leaders within the local community,” said Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau. “This has a lot to do with our tremendously strong and loyal alumni network, as well as the hard work of our alumni relations and career services offices to keep them connected. “It also speaks volumes about the talent within our student body, and our focus on teaching theory and practice within the highest ethical and moral standards, which makes our graduates uniquely suited to practice law anywhere in the world,” said Rougeau. The survey, conducted by University of Loyola Marymount Law School Professor Ted Seto, was published in the Journal of Legal Education prior to its findings being released in National Jurist. The study interviewed 16,799 partners at the nation’s largest law firms. Nationally, BC Law ranked 20th for producers of top law firm partners with 213. More telling, the study showed that almost 50 percent of top law firm partners come from 20 schools, Boston College among them. —Melissa Beecher
Boston College Police working at last month’s BC-NC State football game took time to socialize with some young Eagles fans.
little skeptical about practical applications of philosophy. Music is a good way to get people to realize that it is still relevant.” St. Martin, currently teaching a philosophy course at Middlesex Community College, says, “The amount of work that Michael did on this was just tremendous. He even thought of including some Socrates at the end of the chapter. In ‘Apologies,’ Socrates makes charges of not believing in God, corrupting youth and becoming sophists – people who argue for the sake of arguing, but have no real point. That is eerily similar to what the Stones are saying. I thought it was a stroke of genius for Michael to include that.” The Rolling Stones and Philosophy is the latest in a series of “popular philosophy” books made available by Open Court Publishing of Chicago [www.opencourt-
Michael Barilli ’13 and Stephanie St. Martin ’07, MA ’10, contributors to The Rolling Stones and Philosophy: It’s Just a Thought Away. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
books.com]. St. Martin had previously contributed a chapter with Philosophy Professor Peter Kreeft to another pop philosophy book, The Red Sox and Philosophy: Green Monster Meditations, which examined the enchantment and hope generated by New England baseball
fans toward their beloved baseball team. Other books in the publisher’s series include The Sopranos and Philosophy, The Simpsons and Philosophy and Harley-Davidson and Philosophy. Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oslin@bc.edu
Exhibit Shows Bay State’s Legal Legacy Law Library hosting ‘Golden Age of Legal Publishing in Mass.’
the evolution of American legal publishing. Also on display is Simon Greenleaf’s first edition A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, purchased in honor of Michael Morales, a memBy Melissa Beecher ber of the BC Law Class of 2009. Staff Writer One volume includes an inscripLittle known fact for those outtion penned by Greenleaf to Joseph Story. side historical legal literature circles: “Michael became very interested Massachusetts was the hub of legal in rare books as a student, and the publishing in the 19th century, works of Greenleaf in particular. when American legal scholarship He helped the previous curator, was taking shape. Now, some of Karen Beck, curate an exhibit on those texts, published just after the Simon Greenleaf,” said American Revolution, Davis. “After that exare on display in the hibit concluded, this Daniel R. Coquillette book came up for purRare Book Room at chase and it was dethe Boston College cided that it would be Law Library. acquired in his honor. “The Golden Age It is a beautiful, beautiof Legal Publishing ful first edition.” in Massachusetts,” on For the first time display through the in a Rare Book Room spring of 2012, boasts exhibit, supplemental rare treasures – works materials are available by Joseph Story, Simon Greenleaf and “Seeing how the Commonwealth was a hotbed of this new legal online through the use of QR code technolTheophilus Parsons – thought and activity, in what was a new country, is striking.” ogy. Users can click that show the progres—Laurel Davis a picture of the code sion of legal scholar- Photo by Jason Liu using a QR reader ship in the fledgling Among the treasures on display in their mobile devices, and adnation, according to Legal Information Librarian, Law Lecturer is The Spirit of Laws, a text written ditional websites, slideshows and and Rare Book Room Curator by French political thinker and so- audio tours are available. Educacial commentator Charles-Lois de tional Technology Specialist ChesLaurel Davis. “So many legal thinkers and Secondat, baron de La Brede et de ter Kozikowski helped integrate the scholars of the 19th century came Montesquieu. The work was pub- technology into the exhibit. “It helps blend the old and new out of Massachusetts and were lished by Isaiah Thomas and greatly published in Massachusetts,” said influenced the Massachusetts and in a way that has not been done Davis. “Seeing how the Common- US constitutions. Another is the before here,” said Davis. The exhibit can be viewed whenwealth was a hotbed of this new first American printing of William legal thought and activity, in what Blackstone’s Commentaries on the ever the room is open, weekdays 9 Laws of England that was published a.m. to 5 p.m. Class tours can be was a new country, is striking.” Prior to the rise of the West after the American Revolution, at arranged by contacting Laurel Davis publishing empire in the late 1800s, a time when reprinting English at davislp@bc.edu. For more, visit Massachusetts publishers and print- legal texts was a key first step in http://bit.ly/sIU4Ci
ers led the way in producing many of the texts that established or influenced the legal practice in the new Republic, said Davis. “In an age when so many things are getting digitized, the artifact itself becomes so important. Understanding how these works really came about and the efforts that went into producing them; having a larger birds eye view of how legal scholarship has evolved and how jurisprudence has evolved in a larger context is incredibly useful,” Davis said.
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WELCOME ADDITIONS Asst. Prof. Jeffrey Byers (Chemistry) recently completed post-doctoral studies in chemistry at MIT, having earned a doctorate in the subject at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. An expert in organometallic chemistry, he is leading an introductory class for graduate students on mechanistic studies in organic, organometallic and bioorganic chemistry. Byers, a teaching assistant for undergraduate chemistry while pursuing his doctorate at Cal Tech, is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a summa cum laude scholar in chemistry with an academic minor in English. Clinical Instructor Julianne Nemes Walsh (CSON) has more than two decades of experience in pediatric nursing skills, having worked in pediatric emergency rooms, intensive care units and surgical units at major hospitals in Boston and Los Angeles. A Salem State University graduate with a master’s degree from BC, Walsh was a member of the Federal Pediatric Disaster Team that participated in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Walsh’s previous teaching experience includes Northeastern University, Curry College and Simmons College schools of nursing, as well as at BC. She will teach in the graduate pediatric nurse practitioner program in the Connell School.
Newsmakers The Chicago Sun-Times and Science Daily noted a study co-authored by Asst. Prof. Julie Paquette MacEvoy (LSOE) that suggests girls are just as likely to feel offended or sad as boys, especially when let down by friends, and pre-teen girls may not be any better at friendships than boys, despite previous research suggesting otherwise. Among the “innovation all stars” featured by the Boston Business Journal were juniors C.J. Reim, Rich Rines and Kevin Driscoll, who launched the energy consumption monitor Power Dashboard, and 1997 BC Law alumna and intellectual property “tech luminary” Jennifer Camacho. Founders Professor of Theology James Keenan, SJ, discussed with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the need for training in ethics that would give officials preparation to deal with conflicting allegiances and moral dilemmas in work situations such as the scandal at Penn State. Rattigan Professor of English Mary Crane, director of the Institute for the Liberal Arts, and Biology Chairman Prof. Thomas Chiles explained why the liberal arts need the sciences — and vice versa — in a commentary for the Chronicle of Higher Education.
An expert in educational evaluation and urban education, Asst. Prof. Lauren Saenz (LSOE) earned a doctorate in educational foundations, policy and practice from the University of Colorado School of Education, where she won outstanding doctoral graduate honors and did her dissertation on the impact of anti-Affirmative Action initiatives. A graduate Publications of Princeton University, Saenz lists her academic interests as the democratic theories of education, Vanderslice Professor of Chemistry policy and evaluation; educational evaluation as a Lawrence Scott co-edited Fragments public good; race-conscious education policies; and mixed methods of of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes. educational research. An international educational background marks the credentials of Clinical Instructor Elaine Siow (CSON), who holds degrees from Singapore’s Nanyang Polytechnic School of Health Science, the University of Sydney, Australia, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she is currently a doctoral candidate. She is a boardcertified acute care nurse practitioner and will teach courses in nursing care process, models of nursing care, patient safety, patient outcomes, continuity of care and acute care methods. —Reid Oslin Photos by Gary Wayne Gilbert and Caitlin Cunningham “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.
LSOE Hosts Finnish Educators A group of 30 principals from Finland met with faculty from the Lynch School of Education and principals from local schools to talk about the Scandinavian nation’s successful schools. The Nov. 10 discussion examined teacher recruitment and preparation, hiring, evaluation and retention, test-based accountability and teacher autonomy. The principals, from the Association of Finnish Independent Schools, also discussed current education reform efforts in the US. Finnish schools have consistently scored at or near the top of all nations in reading, math and science on the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) examinations. The Lynch School’s Brennan Professor of Education Andy Hargreaves and Professor Dennis Shirley have examined the factors behind Finland’s successful education programs, including the country’s highly selective teacher recruitment and preparation program, which is seen as one of the strengths of the Finnish education system. —Ed Hayward
Asst. Prof. Andrea Vicini, SJ (STM), published “Etica teologica, pratica
BC in the Media Charitable giving is likely to draw increased attention among Americans, given anticipated cuts in federal spending following the debt reduction “Super Committee’s” failure, and a proposal to cut the tax deduction for charitable giving as a way of generating much-needed federal revenue. But Professor of Law Ray Madoff, writing in a recent op-ed for the New York Times, pointed out a growing problem related to charitable giving. “When most people think about charitable giving, they envision money going to support local food banks or educational organizations, or donations to the Red Cross that can be put to work immediately on disaster relief. But it is increasingly common for charitable donations to take a significant detour before ever being put to charitable use.” Madoff explained that more charitable dollars are being directed to “donor-advised funds,” many of them associated with large financial institutions like Fidelity and Goldman Sachs, which hold, invest and eventually distribute the money for charitable purposes. Because institutions housing these funds earn management and investment fees, they have little incentive to speed
Prof. Jeffrey Cohen (CSOM) published “The Impact of CEO Influence and Management Incentives on Auditor Judgments” in Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory.
Honors/Appointments Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Laurence (Political Science) received a distinguished academician award at the Turkish Cultural Center Boston’s annual Friendship Dinner for “contributions to civic life” for his public speaking engagements in the past year.
up distribution of resources to charities, according to Madoff. Donors, meanwhile, receive the tax deduction as soon as they make their contribution, but their money is allowed to languish for decades or even centuries. Madoff called on Congress to enact rules requiring donoradvised funds to distribute all of their assets to real public charities within seven years of their contribution. “Congress should make clear that private foundations cannot meet their payout obligations by making gifts to donor-advised funds,” she added. “Then we can have a real conversation about the best way to feed all those hungry people.” The op-ed is available at http:// nyti.ms/seTR0W
Time and a Half conference held at the World Bank Jesuit Institute Director and Canisius Professor T. Frank Kennedy, SJ, presented “Jesuits and Music during the Time of Victoria” at the International Tomás Luis de Victoria congress in León, Spain.
BC BRIEFING medica e sanità: per una maggiore e migliore giustizia (Theological Ethics, Medical Practice, and Healthcare: To Promote a Greater and Better Justice)” in Studia Moralia, and “Genetica umana: Progressi e implicazioni etiche (Human Genetics: Advances and Ethical Implications)” in Vita Pastorale.
Lee Pellegrini
Prof. Hideo Konishi (Economics) chaired a session and presented “Choosing a Licensee from Heterogeneous Rivals” at the fall 2011 Midwest Economic Theory Conference at Vanderbilt University. English doctoral student Gene Gorman presented “Confining the Coens: Chain Gang History amid the Mythical Ruins of ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’” at the New England American Studies Association annual conference at Plimoth Plantation. Prof. Dennis Shirley (LSOE) discussed his research on global education reform movements with an international audience of researchers, policy makers and business leaders at TED+Unisinos, held at the University of Sinos Valley, a Jesuit, Catholic university in Brazil. Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Laurence (Political Science) presented a paper on US relations with North Africa at a
in Paris.
Asst. Prof. Maia McAleavey (English) presented “The Burden of the Plot: Ballad and Novel in Gaskell’s Sylvia’s Lovers” at the North American Victorian Studies Association’s annual conference.
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/: Dean, Lynch School of Education Research Associate, Center on Aging and Work Assistant Director, Research Integrity and Compliance, Compliance and Intellectual Property Management Director, Campus Recreation, Athletic Association Legal Information Librarian, Law School Associate Dean, Academic and Student Services, Graduate School of Social Work Associate Director, University Fellowships office Report Writer/Analyst, Advancement Services
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LOOKING AHEAD
Celebrating the Holidays at the Heights By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
Boston College’s Christmas season is officially underway, launched at last night’s annual tree-lighting ceremony on O’Neill Plaza, a campus tradition officiated by University President William P. Leahy, SJ. Holiday events and seasonal offerings continue throughout the month of December: This weekend, the University Chorale and Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor John Finney, will present its annual Christmas concert, featuring traditional carols and excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah” and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker.” The concert takes place in Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus Dec. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. and in Gasson 100 on Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. Admission is $10, $5 with BC ID. On Dec. 6, Finney will direct members of the University Chorale in a free concert of traditional music of the Christmas season in St. Mary’s Chapel at 4 p.m. For information, e-mail concerts@bc.edu or call the Music Department at ext.2-6004. The seventh annual Fair Trade Holiday Sale on Dec. 8 offers BC community members an alternative to commercial holiday shopping.
BC SCENES
The sale, which is held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the second floor of Corcoran Commons, features unique gifts from around the world, made by artisans and cooperatives, including fairly traded coffee, jewelry, textiles and other international goods. 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. For more information on the sale, vendors and the scholarship programs it supports, contact the Volunteer and Service Learning Center — which is cosponsoring the event with the BC Neighborhood Center and Dining Services — at ext.2-1317 or see http://bit. ly/7zXkGn. Also on Dec. 8, some 200-250 students, faculty and other members of the University community are expected to turn out for the Undergraduate Government of Boston College’s “Breaking the Barriers Ball,” from 6-9 p.m. in Gasson 100, with student jazz ensemble BC bOp! performing. UGBC Student Life Department Executive Manager Peter Brown ’12 says the popular semi-formal ball “is designed to bring students, faculty members and administrators of the Boston College community together to create a positive and collaborative environment both within and outside of the classroom.” Students purchase one ticket and receive an invitation to give to a faculty member of administrator of their choice. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Robsham Theater Box
Musical performances, including “Gaudete in Carminibus” (above), abound at Boston College in the weeks before Christmas. (Photo by Justin Knight)
Office (ext.2-4002); proceeds benefit the Salvation Army. For information, contact Brown at brownaat@ bc.edu. That same evening at 6:30 p.m., Irish harpist and singer Áine Minogue will present “Music of the Winter Solstice and Christmas” as part of the Gaelic Roots Music, Song and Dance Workshop and Lecture Series. Sponsored by the Center for Irish Programs, the free event will be held in 2101 Commonwealth Avenue on the Brighton Campus. A sampling of Minogue’s music is available at her website, www.minogue.com. For information e-mail irish@bc.edu or call ext.2-6396. The Alumni Association’s annual Winter Wonderland, on Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is a festive holiday celebration for alumni, family and friends, with performances
by strolling carolers, crafts, entertainment by Johnny the K, photos with Santa, a petting zoo and horsedrawn carriage rides through Newton Campus. Attendees are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys for boys or girls aged six to 14, which will be donated to the Italian Home for Children. Admission is $20 per group of five; each additional attendee is $5. Register at www.bc.edu/winterwonderland, or for more information contact the Alumni Association at alumni.comments@bc.edu or call ext.2-4700. [Inclement weather date is Dec. 11.] Also on Dec. 10 will be a presentation of “Gaudete in Carminibus: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the Romance Language Tradition,” at 1:30 p.m. in St. Ignatius Church. This Advent
tradition includes readings from the Christmas story and carols in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Latin. It is presented in collaboration with the St. Ignatius Music Ministry, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Office of Residential Life, Maison Française and Casa Hispánica. A donation of $5 is suggested for the concert, which will be followed by a reception. For information contact Ana Conboy at conboya@bc.edu. That evening, Director of Bands Sebastian Bonaiuto will conduct the University Wind Ensemble in a free holiday concert, “A Christmas Festival,” at 8 p.m. in Gasson 100. This show of traditional Christmas music will begin with Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” and feature favorites such as Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and other well-known Christmas works. For information, e-mail bands@bc.edu or call ext.23018. The following weekend, Dec. 16-18, Robsham Theater will host “Christmas Reflections,” a celebration of the Christmas season through the performance of music, story and dance choreographed by Jesuit Artist-in-Residence Robert VerEecke, SJ. Times for the show are 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, 3 p.m. on Dec. 17 and 18. Admission to the event, sponsored by Robsham Theater and the Institute for the Liberal Arts, is $15. For information, e-mail frvereec@ bc.edu or call ext.2-6110.
For more on Boston College campus events, see events.bc.edu or www. bc.edu/bcinfo Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu
SEASONS THEY PASS Boston College held its annual Multi-Faith Thanksgiving Celebration Nov. 17, which included reflections by Sarah Bleicher ’13 (below), Reference and Instructional Services Librarian Syed Khan and Asst. Prof. Hosffman Ospino (STM). Attendees were encouraged to bake or purchase a gift of bread or other baked goods for the needy, which were collected for the “Spread the Bread” campaign.
Photos by Sean Smith
Photos by Lee Pellegrini On Monday, as the University community returned from the Thanksgiving break, BC electrician Stephen Vettori — watched by his Facilities Management colleagues — went to great heights for an important inspection in preparation for the annual tree-lighting ceremony that took place last night on O’Neill Plaza.