The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919
THE HEIGHTS THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010
Vol. XCI, No. 20
www.bcheights.com
Faculty react to abuse
Grad schools rank high BY ANA T. LOPEZ Heights Editor
Professors, Jesuits offer thoughts on scandals BY MOLLY LAPOINT Heights Staff
As the international Catholic community has grappled with discussions of acts of sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests, members of the Boston College community have formed their own opinions. In one case, the Catholic Church did not defrock a Wisconsin priest, Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, after it was discovered that he had molested as many as 200 boys at a school for the deaf, where he worked from 1950 to 1974. The bishops in Wisconsin were communicating directly with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Murphy was not disciplined by either the Church’s judicial system or by secular law enforcement because, by the time the cases surfaced in the mid-1990s, he was in poor health and no recent cases had been brought against him, Rev. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters. In another case, a priest who had been discovered molesting boys in Germany was put in therapy and later allowed to resume his duties. The Pope was the head of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising at the time, and approved his transfer to therapy. In response to these recent events, members of the BC community expressed
See Church Scandal, A4
MICHAEL CAPRIO / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Timothy Muldoon said the church needs to now ask itself, “What does this mean?”
INSIDE SPORTS
Spatola’s patience at the plate finally pays off, A10
THE SCENE
The Scene looks at the infectiously horrendous cult hit ‘The Room,’ B1
MARKETPLACE
Icelandic volcanic activity creates headaches for travelers, B10 Classifieds, B6 Editorials, A6 Editors’ Picks, A9 Forecast on Washington, B8 Politico of the Week, B9 Police Blotter, A2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Videos on the Verge, B2 Weather, A2
ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR
The Boston Marathon, which routes runners past Boston College, boosted the local economy by over $122 million this year, reports said.
City hosts 114th marathon
Students continue traditions of spectatorship, patronage of Boston Marathon
BY KENDALL BITONTE For The Heights
The 114th Annual Boston Marathon, which falls each year on Patriot’s Day, was held this past Monday. For Boston College students, who had the day off to spend in the fair weather and cheer on the runners, Marathon Monday is considered a holiday. According to bostonmarathon.org, over 25,000 runners entered the race this year, and as these men and women reached “Heartbreak Hill,” BC students were there with overwhelming spirit. Students lined Commonwealth Avenue cheering on friends and strangers alike. After enduring the grueling climb, runners needed the encouragement to finish out the last few miles of the race. Tyler Martin, A&S ’12, ran the Marathon for the second time this year. Having completed several months of training in preparation, Martin looked forward to running by his friends and gaining the little extra push through the final miles. “Getting to BC is my favorite part of the race and the experience here is the primary reason why I ran the race again,” Martin said. “Nothing beats seeing your friends and high fiveing students for a mile stretch.” Many BC students and alumni who run the Marathon have a special connection with the crowd, and runners unaffiliated with the school have great experiences in Chestnut Hill. Robert Hoffman, three-time runner of the Boston Marathon
from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, ran the Marathon this year as well. He said the BC crowd is the highlight of the race. “The students are extremely supportive.” Hoffman said, “With the exception of the last two miles, this is the loudest area on the route. BC is a huge part of the experience.” BC is known for its superior spirit, but it is not only the runners that benefit. The celebration of the Boston Marathon is steady along the entire 26.2 mile course that starts in Hopkinton and ends in the city. The entire Greater Boston area is affected by the marathon. “The Marathon will induce about $122.7 million in direct and indirect economic impact to the Greater Boston region,” Patrick Moscaritolo, president and CEO of Visitors Bureau and the Greater Boston Convention, told reporters. The sum includes the spending of runners and their families, spectators, the Boston Athletics Association, charity fundraising events, and media sponsorship. “The spending impact of the 114th Boston Marathon is the equivalent to our region hosting the NCAA Final Four,” Moscaritolo said. “It is a huge economic benefit for our visitor industry and it kick starts our spring tourism season.” The Marathon drew runners and their families from 71 different countries this year, according to bostonmarathon.org. “Getting to BC is absolutely amazing,” Martin said. “Everyone is so loud and encouraging.” “The BC students make the Heartbreak Hill experience unforgettable,” Hoffman said.
Black Family Weekend seeks to broaden appeal
In the past year, three of Boston College’s professional schools – LSOE, CSOM, and the Law School – have been awarded high rankings by U.S. News and World Report, affording these schools nationwide recognition. LSOE, which remained in the top 20 in terms of graduate education programs with a ranking of 19 nationally, was recognized for its specializations in elementary education (12th overall) and student sounseling and personnel (20th overall). Joseph O’Keefe, S.J., dean of LSOE, said in a statement that it was a welcome honor for the school to have its achievements confirmed by the rankings. “Once again we see in the U.S. News rankings a confirmation of the strength of the Lynch School, particularly in the areas of teacher preparation and psychology,” he said. “This is welcome recognition of our outstanding faculty and staff, as well as our students, who are all focused on a mission of service and change working to improve the lives of children and families in Boston and beyond.” The Carroll School of Management
See Grad Schools, A4
Tickets for The Fray will be on sale all day today for $25 in the Robsham Theater box office. Cash, Eagle Bucks, and credit cards will be accepted. The concert will begin tonight at 8 p.m. in Conte Forum.
DREADLOCKS FOR JAMAICA
Weekend expands in approach, programming BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor
Last weekend, Boston College held its 30th annual Black Family Weekend, hosted by the Black Student Forum. This year, the goal was to provide a more multicultural experience than in previous years, as expressed by the weekend’s slogan: “More than Just a Color.” “We tried to give it a unique theme as something that would give something to all students,” said Ebony Moses, president of the Black Student Forum and A&S ’10. “It is something that everyone at BC could benefit from. ‘More than Just a Color’ is the idea that the weekend is about more than black people and race.” The weekend kicked off last Thursday with The Come Up Show, hosted in the Vanderslice Hall Cabaret Room. The show featured student artists, poets, and a visiting band, Soul 4 Yo System, from Berklee College. This year’s program also sought to include not only current and former BC students, but prospective students as well, said Leah Horton, an event organizer and A&S ’12. Organizers worked closely with the Student Admission Program to introduce visiting students who were attending the Discovery Weekend to the events of Black Family Weekend. At a panel discussion on Friday afternoon, Karl Bell, assistant dean of the Student Programs Office, moderated talks on the subjects of race and identity. “The panel sought to talk about different issues of race and culture at BC,” Moses said. “After the panel discussion, we broke off into groups with prospective students and we were able to deal with any questions they had.” The panel was co-sponsored by the
Asian Caucus and the Organization for Latin American Affairs (OLAA). Horton said that many of the attendees come from the Greater Boston area, although some travel from other states in the Northeast to attend the weekend. “We usually only send invitations out to alumni in the area,” Horton said. “But there are always one or two alumni who come from far away.” Families interested in attending did not have to register with the Black Student Forum, Horton said. “This is a weekend where we’re going to have a lot of events, so we want as many people to come,” she said. Following the panel was a concert by Voices of Imani, a group which takes its name from the Swahili word for “faith.” University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.; Chrishana White, vice president of the Black Student Forum and A&S ’10, and Moses gave opening comments for the concert. Saturday’s activities included a block party in the O’Connell House, followed by an alumni vs. students basketball game. The highlight of the event was the fashion show, Metamorphosis: Unity Through Fashion, Moses said. The fashion show was re-instituted this year after a four year absence from the Black Family Weekend program. “Years ago, the fashion show was the main event of the weekend,” Moses said. “It was brought back in a different way in that we collaborated with a number of organizations and we had a lot of upscale clothing organizations represented.” The weekend culminated with a religious service in the chapel of 66 Commonwealth Ave. that was followed by an awards brunch in the Walsh Function Room.
See Weekend, A4
MICHAEL CAPRIO / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Ben Kimmerle, A&S ’10, allowed students to cut locks off his head for a fee of $5. Students participated in the fundraiser on Tuesday afternoon in the Dustbowl.