PLANNED PARENTHOOD
MUSIC FESTIVAlS samuelsson leaves
marketplace
The scene
sports
President Barack Obama defends Planned Parenthood from budget cuts, B10
Music hits America at some of the most popular and eclectic festivals in the country, B1
The Eagles sophomore defenseman signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, A10
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Vol. XCII, No. 22
Two teams tie for first in Venture Capital competition By Tanner Edwards Heights Staff
Five undergraduate teams showcased their final business models during the fifth annual Boston College Venture Competition (BCVC) yesterday in Fulton Hall, competing for a total of $15,000 in prize money to fund their entrepreneurial dreams. Student start-ups Additupp, an innovative online advertising service, and My Savvy Shoes, a snap-on shoe accessory system, tied for top billing, each garnering $6,500 to invest in taking their business models to the next level. The final presentations and awards ceremony represented the culmination of a yearlong business educational experience for the aspiring entrepreneurs. The competition reviewed 42 initial business models and considered 11 final submissions before the final five student teams pitched their ideas to judges and an audience full of mentors from the business world, professors, and students. The final five teams presented a diverse set of products to be reviewed by judges and attendees, ranging from a new model for college counseling, online services for realtors and prospective property buyers, and an App for the iPhone that transformed
See BCVC, A4
photo courtesy of the office of news & public affairs
Ray LaHood to speak at graduation US Secretary of Transportation to address Class of 2011 Daniel lee / heights staff
Student start-ups My Savvy Shoes (left) and Additupp both took home $6,500 after tying in yesterday’s Venture Capital competition.
By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
News Feature
Israeli student group hopes for healthy dialogue on current conflict By Zachary Halpern Heights Editor
This September, Mikhail Dubov and David Laugier, both CSOM ’12, formally established the Student Coalition for Israel (SCI) at Boston College as a registered student organization (RSO). According to the group’s “about us” page on myBC, the organization serves to: (1) Promote knowledge of and appreciation for Israel and Israeli culture; (2) Support the Jewish nation’s right to exist as a sovereign power in its historic homeland; (3) Promote a fair and accurate portrayal of the Arab-Israeli conflict; (4) Counter anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic propaganda; (5) Foster mutual understanding that will lead to a peaceful and dignified coexistence for the peoples of the region; and (6) Encourage opportunities for BC students and others Kevin Hou / heights editor to visit and study in Israel. Mikhail Dubov acts as president of the Student Coalition for Israel. Dubov and Laugier are co-presidents of the group,
which employs a listserv of about 50 students, with about 10 active members. “Right now we’re seeking out underclassmen who are interested in the cause,” Dubov said. “We have a great future president in Andrew Ferenczi, A&S’14, and vice president, BC soccer star Amit Aburmad.” Dubov has not always been passionate about Israeli issues, as he is not a practicing Jew. It was not until the winter of 2009 that his interest in Israeli issues began. “Before then I wasn’t involved at all,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about Israel other than what I knew from family members that lived there, but that was only from a Jewish perspective. I didn’t notice any anti-Israeli stuff going on.” An Anti-Israel demonstration in 2010 is what ultimately led Dubov and Laugier to launch a student group in support of Israel. Upon returning from a birthright
See Israel, A4
Unpaid Ireland to address BC Law interns seek job safety By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
By Elise Taylor Heights Editor
With the economy and internship market slowly recovering from the 2008 financial collapse, the age-old debate about the ethical implications of unpaid internship has once again surfaced to the forefront of college campuses. A recent OpEd in The New York Times argued that not paying interns is not only in violation of labor laws, but moral ones as well. United States Department of Labor laws, however, state that students may work without pay if the student does not replace a regular employee, if it does not entitle to them to a job, or if the employer does not gain any immediate advantage with the hiring. For most companies, giving academic credit seems to satisfy these laws. However, this does not necessarily make a company comply with every aspect of code, as there is no way to enforce this regulation. In addition, the OpEd argued that universities are exploiting students via unpaid internships, especially those who require internships to graduate. By supporting this ability to get credit outside of the academic institution, colleges are saving money on classes, equipment, and faculty members.
See Internships, A4
Roderick L. Ireland, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, will give the Commencement Address at the 2011 Boston College Law School Commencement on Friday, May 27 at 10:30 a.m. on BC’s Newton Campus. “Chief Justice Ireland has had a long and celebrated career in public service, including over 33 years as a judge in the Massachusetts Juvenile Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Judicial Court,” said BC Law Interim Dean George Brown
in a recent statement. “I’m very pleased that he has accepted our invitation to address our 2011 graduating class.” A native of Springfield, Mass., Ireland received his Bachelor of Arts from Lincoln University; Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School; Master of Laws from Harvard Law School; and Doctor of Philosophy in Law, Policy, and Society from Northeastern University. Ireland began his legal career in 1969 as a Neighborhood Legal Services attorney, then worked as a public defender with the Roxbury Defenders Committee,
See BC Law, A4
photo courtesy of the office of news & public affairs
United States Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood will address the Boston College Class of 2011 at the 135th Commencement Exercises on May 23. University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., will present LaHood with an honorary Doctor of Public Administration degree at the ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m. in Alumni Stadium. “As cabinet secretary in the Obama administration, Secretary LaHood brings an important perspective to campus and a unique understanding of several crucial issues facing the nation, including highspeed intercity rail service, safeguarding the nation’s fuel supply system, and protecting airline consumers,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said. “We welcome him to Boston College for our 135th Commencement Exercises.” In addition, BC will present honorary degrees to: New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. Chairman James S. Davis and Managing Trustee Anne M. Davis (Doctor of Business Administration); Senior Vice President James P. McIntyre (Doctor of Science in Education); and Trustee Associate Sylvia Q. Simmons (Doctor of Humane Letters). Ray LaHood was named the 16th U.S. Secretary of Transportation by President Barack Obama on Jan. 23, 2009, heading an agency with more than 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime, and surface transportation missions. During his term, LaHood has launched initiatives to spur high-speed intercity passenger rail service, strengthen commercial bus and driver safety, and establish consumer protections for airline passengers. LaHood has also led the federal government’s efforts to combat distracted driving, asking Americans to put down mobile phones and devices while behind the wheel. Earlier this month, he announced a safety campaign to overhaul and upgrade America’s oil and gas
See Commencement, A4
QSLC launches RideBoard New website allows students to share rides By Jacob Bajada For The Heights
Screenshot courtesy of bc.edu/rideboard
BC RideBoard will allow students needing rides to connect with those who are offering them.
With Easter break rapidly approaching, Boston College students will have another option to consider when deciding how to get home for the holiday. BC RideBoard, a website created by members of the BC Quality of Student Life Committee (QSLC), is a ride-sharing service that allows for students that need rides to connect with those who are offering them by posting on an online forum. The QSLC, a non-political, undergraduate-run advocacy group on campus that seeks to improve the BC experience
by voicing student concerns to administrators, developed the concept based upon similar systems that have been used at other schools. Cliff Baratta, chairperson of the QLSC and A&S ’11, spoke about the site’s origins. “A few years ago, we started talking in a meeting about how in the past our parents would have a bulletin board in the student center posting something [such as] ‘driving to New York this weekend, I have three spots available, call me if you’re interested,’” Baratta said. “Seeing that we
See RideBoard, A4
TopFive
The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
things to do on campus this week
Stronger than Slience
1
Stephen Walt Lecture
Today Time: 8 a.m. Location: O’Neill Library
Stop by an art show sponsored by Allies, Stylus, and Boston College libraries to promote awareness about members of the GLBTQ community who are forced into silence.
Today Time: 5 p.m. Location: Corcoran Commons Listen to Stephen Walt speak about the U.S. and NATO intervention in Libya in the Heights Room sponsored by the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Student Association.
2
Easter Egg Workshop
3
The Day of Silence Kick-off
Today Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Devlin 425
Enjoy a Ukranian Easter egg workshop in Devlin tonight to learn the art of making pysanky. The event is sponsored by the Ukrainian Student Society. Admission is free.
featured on campus
BCPD hosts community safety day
4
Today Time: 8 p.m. Location: O’Neill Plaza
Join Allies and the GLC as they kick-off the Day of Silence, taking place on Friday, which seeks to call attention to the struggles of the GLBTQ community at BC and elsewhere.
Spring Football Game Saturday Time: 11 a.m. Location: Alumni Stadium Stop by the 19th Annual Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Football Game and Family Fun Day. The football game begins at 1 p.m. in Alumni Stadium and will have a post-game autograph session.
5
IntheNews
Four Day Weather Forecast Today
61° Partly Cloudy 39°
Friday
52° Sunny 35°
Saturday
50° Cloudy
University Yale University senior killed in machine shop equipment accident Michelle Dufault, a senior at Yale University from Scituate, Mass., died early yesterday morning in an accident involving equipment in a student machine shop in the Sterling Chemistry Lab at the university, university officials said. Though they would not release the time or details about the accident, New Haven police said they received a 9-1-1 call about a medical injury in the Sterling lab around 2:30 a.m. The laboratory was shut down yesterday, and all classes and labs were canceled because of the accident.
44°
Sunday
61° Rain 44°
Source: National Weather Service
A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223
Local News Edhance offers college students the chance to explore Fenway Park
Sang Lee / Heights staff
Firefighters demonstrated the use of the Jaws of Life during Community Safety Day in the Edmond’s lot on Monday. By Daniel Morrison Heights Staff
Police officers, firefighters, MBTA officials, and representatives from various Boston College departments occupied Edmond’s parking lot Monday morning until 1 p.m. for the first annual Community Safety Day. “Promoting safety, rape awareness education, and alcohol awareness education were the big focuses for Community Safety Day,” said Santos Perez, a BCPD officer and one of the main organizers of the event. Strengthening camaraderie among police officers from different departments, he said, was also significant for the event. The free event, while hosted at the University, was open to the public. Massachusetts state police offered to etch vehicle identification numbers (VINs) into car windows to deter car theft for $10. Car owners with etched windows often receive discounts up to 20 percent on their car insurance. Officers from the Brookline Police Department offered to install and secure car seats for free. State police and officers from the Newton, Brookline, and Boston departments also talked with students about their rights and responsibilities living off campus, in addition to deal-
ing with landlords and ways of preventing theft from their residences. BC police officers instructed students and provided materials on Rape Aggression Defense (RAD), identity theft, and CPR/AED training. MBTA representatives spoke about safety and avoiding distractions around trolley tracks.
“Promoting safety, rape awareness education, and alcohol awareness education,were the big focuses for Community Safety Day.” —Santos Perez, BCPD Officer and Community Safety Day organizer Last October, a Brighton man was killed by an MBTA Green Line train between the Longwood and Fenway stations. The victim, Joshua Stimpson, was a 22-year-old Boston University alum, who graduated in September of 2010. He was struck shortly after midnight on Oct. 24, 2010. According to a report by The Boston Globe, his body was found on the tracks in
a segment of tracks fenced in on both sides. In addition, firefighters conducted a fire safety session. They also used the Jaws of Life as part of a vehicle extrication display. A fire display planned by organizers and local fire departments was cancelled because of environmental concerns. Members of Eagle EMS demonstrated techniques in rescuing and caring for crash victims. In addition, Eagle EMS provided hands-only CPR training, handed out emergency firstaid kits and flyers on emergency preparedness and the dangers of alcohol poisoning. “Community safety is very multidisciplinary, and that’s why there are a lot of different organizations involved,” said Stephen Lorenzen, director of professional development of Eagle EMS and A&S ’12. Representatives from the Student Programs Office, Alcohol and Drug Education Program, and Residential Life advocated alcohol education awareness by talking with students about the risks of alcohol poisoning and the University’s help-seeking policy with alcohol. Under the help-seeking policy, students who seek out help for themselves or their friends will not face disciplinary action, though they will still have to attend follow-up appointments to ensure the student is in good health. n
Edhance, a student discount program headquartered in Cambridge, will present College Day at Fenway Park on April 20 from noon to 6 p.m. This free event will allow students to see the park, meet Wally the Green Monster, and hit in the batting cages. The event will also host bands and offer games, prizes, and giveaways, and students will be able to purchase discounted tours and merchandise, as well as discounted tickets for select games. Boston College students will receive free admission with their BCID at Gate B of Fenway.
On Campus Professor reports existence of life forms years earlier than thought Paul K. Strother, a research professor in Boston College’s Weston Observatory, and his colleagues reported in a paper published online in Nature that eukaryotes that evolved on land may have emerged from the sea earlier than believed previously. Strother and his colleagues found complex microfossils in billion-year-old rocks from the Torridonian sequence in northwest Scotland. This discovery places eukaryotes in freshwater settings approximately 500 million years earlier than previously thought.
National Suspected rapist appears in court about assault at a Denver airport DENVER (AP) — Noel Alexander Bertrand of Portland, Ore. appeared in court yesterday on suspicion of raping a woman at Denver International Airport. Bail was set at $50,000, and Bertrand didn’t yet have an attorney. Airport officials confirm there was an alleged assault there Tuesday. A family member says the woman had to spend the night at the airport because she missed a connecting flight. Laura Coale, airport spokeswoman, told KMGH that the airport was investigating whether any employees failed to report the attack.
Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Taylour Kumpf, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Darren Ranck, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Police Blotter 4/8/11 Friday, April 8 8:23 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle vs. bicycle accident. Newton Police and Fire responded to control the scene and investigate the accident. 11:14 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Welch Hall. A detective is investigating. 11:19 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured subject at Corcoran Commons. The subject was transported by Armstrong Ambulance to a medical facility. 12:12 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a subject who made threats to commit a crime in Conte Forum. A detective is investigating. 5:11 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Cushing-Hardy Hall. After a brief investigation, it was determined that all was in order. 5:15 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a subject who wanted to report a past injury in the Gate. A detective will follow up. 6:02 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a missing person in Ignacio Hall. After an investigation, the subject was safely located without incident.
9:41 p.m. - A report was filed regarding vandalism to Boston College property. There were no suspects in the area. 11:02 p.m. - A report was filed regarding vandalism to a residence in Ignacio Hall. The suspect was unable to be located or identified. A work order was placed for the damage. 11:29 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated subject in Keyes Hall. The subject was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 11:44 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated subject. The subject was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 11:54 p.m. - A report was filed regarding two underage intoxicated subjects in Lyons Hall. The subjects were transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser. 11:54 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated subject in McElroy. The subject was transported to a medical facility by Newton EMS/Cataldo Ambulance.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
Voices from the Dustbowl “What part of Marathon Monday are you most excited about?”
“Watching my friends run.” —Mike Woodbury, CSOM ’14
“Free stuff.” —Caroline Argyros, A&S ’14
“All the festivities.” —Riley Wilson,
A&S ’13
Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.
The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2011. All rights reserved.
CORRECTIONS In “Speakers Discuss Politics as Service” in the April 11 edition of The Heights, it was incorrectly stated that Thomas P. O’Neill was a senator and that R. Shep Melnick went to Washington, D.C. in 1971. O’Neill was Speaker of the House, and Melnick went to D.C. in 1974.
The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A3
Class selection process altered to ease film students’ difficulties By Rebecca Kailus Heights Staff
As students scramble to register for courses this week, some can expect changes in the process. Last week an e-mail was sent out to film studies majors and minors, informing them that, in an effort to allow more majors and minors into film studies classes, the cap for class sizes would be lowered to allow for more overrides. Majors and minors were informed that if they could not get into a class they needed, to request overrides. “If a class has 35 spots open, we’d cut it down to 25,” said Richard Blake, co-director of the film studies program. “If a film studies major or minor is shut out they can come to the office where we are holding at least 10 overrides for that course.” John Michalczyk , chair of
the fine arts department and co-director of the film studies
“We had a lot of sophomores and freshman wanting to take their major courses in film studies. We had to rethink the system. We didn’t want it just for majors or minors that could be a catastrophe.” -John Michalczyk Chair of the fine arts program, said that students will still sign up in the same way they
had before. “Everyone is going to register the same way, we just put the cap so more students majoring and minoring in film studies can override,” he said. As a film studies major, Eileen Kennedy, A&S ’12, said she welcomes these changes. “It’s a really good idea,” Kennedy said. “I could only get into film classes through overrides. If you e-mailed professors they were really good about letting you in, which they’re going to keep doing now. It’s overall a good idea.” Michalczyk said these changes were to help students majoring or minoring in film studies to get into their required courses. “It’s hard for film majors to get in,” he said. “When looking for a course, seniors looking for a fun course would take their place, and the [majors and minors] couldn’t get in. The cut
off will now be lower so that we are able to provide overrides for majors and minors.” Blake agreed that the changes were to help majors and minors get into the classes they need for their major or minor. “A lot of seniors think watching movies would be fun,” he said. “Now we have sophomore students majoring in the film studies that can’t get in because the class is all filled up.” As she signed up for classes this year, Kennedy said she benefited from these changes. “I had to get an override into Intro to Film Art, which I could not get into in the past,” she said. Blake said that in the past the department received complaints from students who did not get into their major or minor courses. “We had a good number of complaints, mostly for a specific
course,” he said. “It’s a problem. We have a small faculty, we’re trying to do the best we can.” Film studies started off as an interdisciplinary minor crosslisted with communications in 1983. Due to popular demand, it grew into a major in 1999. As a major, students are required to take 12 classes. With 50 student majors and 40 minors, this has presented a problem when signing up for classes. “We have close to 100 students , and we’re concerne d about giving justice,” Michalczyk said. “We had a lot of sophomores and freshmen wanting to take their major courses in film studies. We had to rethink the system. We didn’t want it just for majors or minors that could be a catastrophe.” Michalczyk said that in the past, registering for film studies classes was specifically stressful for double majors. “We had to
start working out the kinks of the system [registering for film studies classes],” he said. “We have a lot of double majors that have no breathing room.” Kennedy, an English and film studies double major, said that as a double major registering for the limited spaces in film studies classes was a problem in the past. “I have to take seven film studies classes next year. Double majoring is very full, you have to try to make everything count,” Kennedy said. Overall, Michalczyk and Blake agreed that they are happy that the film classes are so popular, these changes had to be made. “We’re grateful to have this problem because it shows the desire of students to take film,” Blake said. “We are happy with the popularity of the program, and we wish we could offer more classes.” n
Soldier-poet addresses students Race to benefit St. Columbkille By Maurice Jackson
B y D aniel T onkovich
For The Heights
Heights Editor
Tuesday night, soldier-poet Brian Turner addressed an audience asking them simply, “Are we at war? Are you at war? Are we a country at war?” The audience, consisting of faculty and students alike, filled Higgins 300 as a part of the Greater Boston Intercollegiate Poetry Festival. The presentation of Turner’s poems was more of a social wakeup call to the Boston College community, rather than a simple regurgitation of his poems. Turner chose to act as both a poet and a political activist on this particular night, as he challenged the audience’s understanding of the current war and the American economy. He urged the audience to closely question the country’s current state of war. He even offered his contact information to the audience, for those interested in offering help to soldiers both in America and overseas. Closing his presentation, Turner asked, “How many of you saw the photographs of the dead being held as trophy photos in Afghanistan?” and let similar questions linger in the air for the audience to ponder over. The lack of answers the audience was able to offer indicated the message the poet was trying to convey. He shared lines from several of the poems in his award-winning book titled Here, Bullet. The book, which includes poems like “Last Night’s Dream,” “Night in Blue,” and “Highway One,” allude to Turner’s experiences as a soldier. When read aloud, Turner presented the audience with war in its most honest form. “I never lifted my friend’s
Kylie montero / Heights staff
Brian Turner, soldier-poet, addressed BC students in Higgins on Tuesday. body when they carried him home,” Turner read. “I only have the show of the leaves to take with me, the shadows for the desert. I had a woman crying in my ear late at night when the stars go dime. Moonlight and sand as a resonance of dust and bones and nothing now.” Since its release, Here, Bullet has been awarded the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award, the 2006 Pen Center USA “Best in the West”, and the 2007 Poets Prize. It was also named The New York Times Editors’ Choice selection in 2005. In the spring of 2010, Turner’s second book of poems, Phantom Noise, was published by Alice James. Turner’s poems are based on
what he refers to as his “deployment”, rather than tour, in Iraq where he served as an infantry team leader. His entire military career spanned four years during which time he also served in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Turner has taken his realistic depiction of war across country, touring all four of the army academies. He is scheduled to return to Annapolis, Md. later this year to present his poems again. Turner is currently a contributor to “Home Fries,” a New York Times Opinionator blog that features the writing of men and women who have returned from wartime service in the United States military. He also teaches at Sierra Nevada College. n
Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 4/9/11
Driver arrested after driving with expired Brazilian license At about 8:00 a.m. on April 9, officers observed a 200 Dodge Caravan with broken brake lights in Allston. Officers initiated a traffic stop and asked the operator for his driver’s license and registration. The operator of the vehicle told officers, “I don’t have a valid license” and handed officers his Brazilian license that expired Feb. 1, 2006. The operator was placed under arrest for driving without a license, and the motor vehicle was towed.
Police cruiser struck by driver who admitted to drinking A police cruiser was struck while parked at the intersection of Harvard Ave. and Brighton Ave. around 2:55 a.m. on April 9. Officers observed a black Toyota Camry attempting to reverse on Harvard Ave. Officers used the emergency horn three to five times, but the vehicle continued moving backwards and struck the cruiser. The officers then turned on their emergency lights and excited the vehicle, observing damage to the front plate bracket of the cruiser as well as a five inch scratch on the rear bumper. The man operating the vehicle told officers he did not know what happened and why he was backing up and said, “I had a couple beers, officer.” He appeared to be unsteady on his feet and had “glassy” eyes. Officers conducted a field sobriety test, which the operator failed, at which point he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. He refused to submit to a breathalyzer at booking, advising officers he spoke French and was provided with a “French statutory right of consent form” as provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He read and signed a form stating his refusal to consent to a chemical test.
Officers arrest Radnor Rd. party-goer after causing scene Around 1:29 a.m. on April 9, Boston Police officers, with the help of BCPD officers placed a subject under arrest on Radnor Rd. Officers were patrolling the area after receiving multiple complaints of loud parties at the residence, and observed between 150 and 200 individuals located in a basement with one exit to the side yard. Officers advised the crowd to leave alcoholic beverages on the ground and exit the scene. As officers attempted to disperse the crowd, the suspect began yelling to express his unhappiness with the end of the party. Officers told the suspect and several others that they were disturbing the peace in the neighborhood, and observed multiple neighbors exit their homes, including one who said that partygoers had urinated on his property. The suspect and his friends continued their profanity-laced tirade, and officers observed the suspect jump on the back of another male. He was placed in handcuffs and transported to District 14 for booking.
- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Molly LaPoint, Assistant News Editor
The Boston College men’s and women’s hockey teams will host the first annual BC Race to Educate, a 5K road race to benefit the St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton. The event will take place on Saturday, April 16. More than 400 runners of all ages are expected to attend. St. Columbkille Partnership School is the only Catholic elementary school in the AllstonBrighton neighborhood. It serves over 300 ethnically and geographically diverse students. Approximately 50 percent of the families whose children attend St. Columbkille require financial assistance. The school is a partnership between BC, the Archdiocese of Boston, and St. Columbkille Parish established in 2006. The partnership, seeking to establish a new governance
model for the school, has made St. Columbkille a national model for Catholic elementary education. “Providing local kids in need
“St. Columbkille is
a fantastic place and I am proud that Boston College and the community have stepped up to support this cause. ” —Michael Cavanaugh, Associate head coach of the BC men’s hockey team with the opportunity to get a great education was the main
reason for creating this race,” said Michael Cavanaugh, associate head coach for the BC men’s hockey team in a statement. “St. Columbkille is a fantastic place and I am proud that Boston College and the community have stepped up to support this cause.” The race will start at 10 a.m., led by men’s hockey head coach Jerry York. Children will also have the chance to participate in the Kids 1K Fun Run, beginning at 9:30 a.m. BC students seeking to participate can register for the race at www.BCRaceToEducate. com or at sign-up tables during dinner hours in the McElroy and Corcoran Commons. Donations to St. Columbkille will also be accepted. All race participants will be entered in a raffle for tickets to Red Sox and BC athletic events as well as for a netbook. n
Policy changes not to affect BC Although some countries are making it more difficult for students to study abroad, laws will not greatly affect BC By Amanda Egan For The Heights
Certain foreign countries, including Great Britain, Australia, and Sweden, have enacted new laws, which were put into place about two years ago, that are making it more difficult for students to study abroad there, according to a recent report by The New York Times. “Britain and Australia are adjusting visa and immigration policies, while Sweden will, for the first time in modern history, charge tuition for some foreign students,” the report said. Theresa May, Britain Home Secretary reportedly announced new rules that will cut student visas by almost a quarter of the total granted annually in previous years, effective April 2012. These new laws, however, will not greatly affect Boston College students, said Larry Pickener, an international study advisor for students planning to study in Great Britain. “Overall it has not affected our students here at BC negatively,” he said. Pickener said that despite the new immigration controls, “our students have not had problems getting into the country or secur-
ing visas. It has just created more paperwork.” He said that he believes he is actually sending more students to Great Britain than he ever has before. Esther Messing, an international study advisor who works with students going abroad to Australia, and also foreign exchange students here at BC, said that the Australian visa process
“Overall it has not affected our students here at BC negatively.” -Larry Pickener International study advisor remains the same as it was previously. “Students apply online for E-visas,” she said. “It is the same process as before, [though the price for visas has risen].” Messing also said that she is sending 100 students to Australia this year, which is her new record, as her typical number is between 65 and 70 students.
For Great Britain, along with the excess paperwork, the only other change that American students should encounter is the new call for proof of financial ability to support oneself while in the UK, Messing said. “ It is standard procedure that’s true of many countries, for example, Ireland,” she said. “Students coming into the U.S. have always had to show economical stability.” Pickener said that the new laws are “diplomatic retaliation” because it is becoming more difficult for foreign students to enter into the U.S. The only problems that could possibly arise for a BC student come if the student is foreign to the U.S. “For a student who is American and has a U.S. passport, it is one process,” Messing said. “For a student who lives here in the U.S., but has a foreign passport and is a foreign citizen, he could fall into a different category, in which case applying for a visa in another country would involve some additional steps or documentation.” However, a big part of the new laws relate to the ability for students to speak the English language, an issue not applicable to most BC students. n
Political Science Assoc. hosts nuclear arms control conference By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor
On Friday, the Political Science Association of B oston College will be hosting a conference on the future of nuclear arms control. The event will be held in the Fulton Honors Library. The conference will feature three panel discussions examining pressing challenges confronting today’s nuclear policymakers, including the development of North Korea’s nuclear
program, the negotiation of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, and the international response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Speakers include Ambas sador Christopher Hill, former chief U.S. negotiator with North Korea and Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver; David Sanger, Chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times; Frank N. von Hippel, co-chairman of the International Panel on Fissile Materials; and Joseph Cirin-
cione, president of the Ploughshares Fund and BC ’71. Ambassador Marcie Berman Ries, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nuclear and Strategic Policy, will deliver the conferences’ keynote address. The conference is co-sponsored by the Al-Noor Journal, Americans for Informed Democracy, College Democrats, College Republicans, the Japan Club of Boston College, the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Students Association, Model UN, and the UGBC. n
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Cabinet member to Group responds to anti-Israeli propaganda address senior class Israel, from A1
Commencement, from A1 pipeline network and make more information available about potential hazards. He provides daily Department of Transportation news and updates through his Fast Lane blog. Anne M. Davis, vice chairman of New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. and managing trustee of the New Balance Charitable Foundation, is the architect and guardian of a corporate culture and value system that is a model for industries worldwide. In her business role as the officer responsible for the recruitment, training, compensation, benefits, administration, and corporate policy for business operations in over 70 countries, she has helped guide the company through periods of doubledigit growth. Her innovative and progressive management techniques – which feature manufacturing teams – have produced one of the industry’s most highly-motivated and goal-oriented work forces. As overseer of New Balance’s social responsibility program, corporate contributions, and community service functions, she has been a factor in the company’s widely acknowledged leadership in philanthropic pursuits. Davis is a graduate of Boston’s Emmanuel College where she majored in languages. She and her husband James – also receiving an honorary degree from BC this year – are the parents of two children, including daughter Kassia, who graduated from BC in 2010. Few business entrepreneurs have done as much to encourage healthy lifestyles for Americans as James S. Davis, chairman of New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., a Boston-based footwear and athletic apparel manufacturer. David bought the firm on Boston Marathon day in 1972 when the company’s six-person work force was turning out just 30 pairs of running shoes a day. Since that time, New Balance has developed into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of running gear, with $2 billion in sales projected for 2011, and is the
largest private company in the sporting goods industry. Once located in a small facility in the Allston section of Boston, the company now includes five U.S. plants – two in Massachusetts and three in Maine – and more than 5,000 employees around the globe. During a career spanning more than a half-century, Boston College Senior Vice President James P. McIntyre has played a unique role in the advancement of BC from a commuter school to a preeminent national university. McIntyre received his undergraduate degree from BC in 1957 after attending classes at night. After a stint in the Army, McIntyre returned in 1959 to work in the admissions office and earn his master’s degree and a Ph.D. in higher education and administration. In 1968, he became BC’s first lay vice president of student affairs. In 1976, he was named vice president for University relations, overseeing the Alumni Association, Communications and Development offices. In 1986, he was named senior vice president. His 43 consecutive years of service as vice president are unmatched in Jesuit higher education. Sylvia Q. Simmons, whose life work has been dedicated to education and ensuring access to education for the underserved, is the retired president of the American Student Assistance Corporation, an organization that insures and administers educational loans and supports college access services. She also is co-founder of the Higher Education Information Center, now serving as a model nationwide. In 1966, Simmons was named registrar of the BC School of Management, becoming the University’s first female African-American administrator. Her affiliation with the University includes service as a trustee (1990-98), trustee associate (1998-present), and founding member of the Council for Women of Boston College. In 1998, the Sylvia Q. Simmons MEd ’62, Ph.D. ’90 Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial assistance for African-American students. n
Career Center screens unpaid internships Internships, from A1 There are colleges, though, that do not require academic credit for internships, according to the Times OpEd. In a survey of 700 colleges where 95 percent posted unpaid internships on their websites, only 30 percent of colleges required that their students get academic credit. As long as it is a “learning experience,” it is acceptable. Even more poignant is the financial affect it has on students. For many students on loose economic footing, unpaid internships are an impossibility, especially considering the transportation and living costs one can end up paying for them. This problem applies to Boston College students arranging their summer plans, as well. Louis Gaglini, associate director of employer relations at the Career Center, said that BC strives to make sure students get the best treatment at internships as possible. “The Career Center acknowledges both unpaid and paid internships and give students access to paid and unpaid opportunities,” Gaglini said. “However, we always check that they are vetted properly and meet the requirements of our students and labor guidelines. When we look at internships that are made available through the Career Center, we look very closely to see if it is beneficial for the student. If it’s unpaid, we want to see that time spent is for the benefit of the student.” According to Gaglini, the Career Center goes through a very diligent process to make sure internships are up to par. “We review the job descriptions before positions are posted, we listen to students concerns and act upon them if valid, and when they do voice concerns I get involved personally,” he said. “We also develop relationships with our employers, we develop relationships with their employers. It is the employers that wish to do things right, with integrity, that I get close too.” When asked if BC offers unpaid internships that also do not offer credit, Gaglini said that it is up to the school as well as the company to decide if something is worthy of credit. “Companies can encourage students to seek academic credit for the
internship, but the actual pursuit of this credit is up to the student and is reviewed for approval by their respective academic school,” he said. Even with these high standards set by the Career Center, some problems associated with unpaid internships are unavoidable. Many students, such as Austin Hughes, A&S ’14, were unable to take up offers on unpaid internships due to the financial complications they imposed. “I was offered a great opportunity for an internship in NYC, but given that it was unpaid, I’m not going to be able to take it,” Hughes said. Agreeing with her was Austin Rainville, also A&S’14. “Unpaid internships would give me the experience I was looking for in a profession but they usually take up a lot of time,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to get a job or make money during the summer. There’s a lot of expenses associated with going to college with food, books and such. That was basically the decision I had to make for this summer - should I work or get an unpaid internship that would give me experience and look good on my resume? I don’t want get a job during the school year because it would take up too much time and would rather focus on school work, but if I can only get unpaid internships in the summer, I need some way to support myself.” Another problem arises for students who quickly fulfill the hour requirements for a credit. Often times, BC has a maximum, and usually low, amount of credit one can achieve during an internship. Alex Trautwig, A&S’12, who interned as a photographer last summer, experienced this. As an underclassman communication major, he was only able to receive a maximum of one credit after 50 hours of work. “The credit isn’t really beneficial, mainly because it’s only one credit,” he said. “Additionally the time requirement is easy to fulfill and after I’d done so just over one week into my internship I couldn’t get more credit. Seniors should be the only ones able to get three credits for an internship, there’s really no incentive to do it and is really just a way for companies to continue to get unpaid interns because technically they aren’t receiving credit after a certain point.” n
trip, Dubov was confronted by an enormous wall in the Dustbowl that read, “Israel is an apartheid state, free Palestine.” “It was very intrusive,” Dubov said. “People just walked past it and didn’t notice it, but I was shocked because I had just come back from there, and I know what the word ‘apartheid’ means.” Dubov immediately contacted the BCPD about the wall and promptly discovered that it never received proper approval from the administration. Before the wall was taken down a couple days later, Dubov and Laugier stood by the wall distributing information about the wall’s purpose. Their flyer argued that the wall effectively reduced the amount of deaths from suicide attacks. “Instead of allowing the makers of this wall to drill into peoples heads the lexicon of racism wall, apartheid wall, separation wall, we wanted to show people that the wall is exactly what the government says it is – a security fence,”
he said. When Dubov and Laugier approached the Student Programs Office (SPO), they were initially told that they could not become an RSO because there was no opposing political group. “We argued that students did have a voice because there were already demonstrations,” Dubov said. “We wanted to work within the framework, our mission was not to push a pro-Israeli agenda, we wanted to push a fair and balanced picture of the conflict.” Dubov and Laugier also envisioned the club as more of a culture club that only responded to antiIsraeli propaganda when it was necessary. “We thought that most of our events would be dances, food oriented events, and concerts with Israeli musicians,” Dubov said. Laugier is an Israeli citizen himself, and for him the club was a way to share his culture and traditions with the BC community. This year, their first event was a social gathering. The students enjoyed hummus and falafels from a local restaurant in Coolidge Corner and then at-
tended the BC men’s soccer game together after. At the same time Dubov said, “We wanted to look into the future and create an institution for people who recognize Israel’s virtue. We wanted to create an outlet to defend the country.” With many BC students coming from upper-middle class Christian backgrounds, Dubov and Laugier feared that some students would be easily swayed to sympathize with the pro-Palestinian cause before hearing Israel’s side of the story. The students point out that although Palestinians generally have a lower quality of life than Israelis, it is not completely the fault of Israel. They argue that other factors such as political instability contribute to this. “There is no malicious intent,” Dubov said. Before becoming an RSO, the group did put on political events. They started with political events because they could do so without recognition from the University. Now the group has incorporated its original goals of being a culture club because of their recent recognition. This semester they
are co-sponsoring the Mediterranean ball and taking part in World Fiesta Day. Recently, Students for Justice in Palestine posted signs around campus voicing concerns over human rights conditions in Palestine. Upon finding out about these signs and after determining that SPO did not approve them, Dubov removed the signs. “They played on BC student’s emotions rather than their intellect,” he said. “This kind of antiZionist and anti-Israeli is exactly the kind of stuff we want to stop because it was so transparently damaging to the conversation. I feel like pro Palestine has become a euphemism for anti-Israeli.” The group makes clear that it’s goals are not to promote Zionism, but rather to actively defend it and promote a healthy conversation about the conflict in the region. “We’re here to preserve the conversation first and secondly Israel’s image,” Dubov said. “We think Israel defends itself through its actions we can only fight big lies with big truth.” n
BCVC competition celebrates fifth anniversary BCVC, from A1 elements of the physical world into elements of a virtual video game through GPS. Panel members peppered the presenting groups with questions about their business models, simulating the experience of pitching ideas to prospective investors. At an awards dinner later in the evening, the teams presented short “elevator pitches” of their business presentations to guests in the Fulton Honors Library, abridging almost a year of hard work in a concise, enthusiastic statement of the goals of each start-up. A panel of judges with business experience in areas such as investment banking, venture capital, and corporate law determined the competition’s outcome- an unprecedented tie for first place. “We had a tough time picking a winner,” said Sean Madnani, a judge and managing director for Blackstone Advisory Partners LP. “There wasn’t a consensus in the room because everyone was so good.” While it may have been difficult to determine a winner, the panelists were at least united in their admiration for the talent, effort, and passion displayed by all student start-ups. Dan Nova, a partner at Highland Capital Partners and BC ’83, said that the models he evaluated were on par with entries at similar competitions at institutions like Harvard Business School. “I’ve never been more proud to be a graduate of Boston College than I am tonight,” Nova said. “I think all of these businesses are investible.” The panel’s admiration was not lost on appreciative student contestants, who consistently lauded the efforts of Carroll School professors and executive mentors from the business world in helping them refine their ideas. “To be rewarded by such prestigious venture capitalists is an honor,” said Thomas Coburn, a member of the team behind Additupp and
Daniel Lee / heights staff
The second place team, Moglo Apps, took home $2,000 to go toward launching their business start-up. A&S ’13. Members of the BCVC Executive Committee were just as thrilled as the competition’s winners when reflecting on the strides their organization took this year. The student-run organization held their first Elevator Pitch Competition and went online for the first time, while alumni from the competition continued to have entrepreneurial success. BCVC start-ups like WePay and WakeMate now receive funding from Silicon Valley investors, to the tune of $9.5 million for the former company. Scott Veazey, BCVC executive Committee Member and CSOM ’11, said that, in spite of such grand-scale triumphs in the business world, the mission of BCVC remains focused on offering entrepreneurial opportunities to a multitude of students, no matter the ultimate fate of their ventures. “BCVC is about educating undergraduates from all schools on the business start-up process,” he said, noting that BCVC strives “to be
the finest undergraduate venture competition in the country.” The team behind My Savvy Shoes credited that very spirit with transforming their simple idea, inspired by part of one member’s Kate Spade shoe popping off, into a full-blown entrepreneurial endeavor, a project that may see the group’s product hitting the market by summertime. “I think what makes us a good team is that we’re all very different,” said Alexa Fleischman, A&S ’11. Save for the resources and mission of BCVC, Fleischman and colleagues may never have brought their collective talents to fruition, utilizing a range disciplines at BC to form a potentially profitable start-up. Additupp’s Jeb Thomas, CSOM ’13, seemed to speak well for all of BCVC’s aspiring entrepreneurs in describing his own group’s prizewinning performance. “We have nowhere to go but up,” he said. n
Website enables carpools and cab-sharing RideBoard, from A1 don’t have a student center, we wanted to see if we could create a forum where people could get rides.” To test the idea, the committee put together a Facebook event during the fall semester that used this networking concept to connect students who were looking to share cabs to various locations around the city. Based upon the success of the event, the group decided to take the necessary steps needed to turn the idea into a reliable BC service. “Initially, we went to the advis-
ing dean [Paul Chebator, associate dean for student development] who really liked the idea,” Baratta said. “He put us in contact with Scott Olivieri from IT who really helped us through the process.” From here, Chris Sullivan, QLSC webmaster and A&S’11, worked closely with Olivieri, BC’s manager of web technologies, to fine-tune the logistics of the operation. After months of hard work, the team finally completed the project, which launches today. To use the site, students simply go to bc.edu/rideboard, at which point they will be asked to enter their BC username and
password. To ensure students’ safety, the team decided to limit accessibility to only those within the BC network. “[You can access the site] as long as you have a BC username and password, which includes alumni too,” Baratta said. “Nothing is set in stone, but for security reasons it’s probably best to keep it in the BC community.” Once students have logged onto the forum, they can navigate the site to either create a new carpool or cab-share, or they can find the contact information for those that have already created one. “You leave your e-mail address and any further contact informa-
Justice to send off BC Law seniors BC Law, from A1 as chief attorney, deputy director, and executive director. He was Assistant Secretary and Chief Legal Counsel for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance, and Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Appeal on Motor Vehicle Liability Policies and Bond. Ireland has been a jurist for more than 33 years, serving as a judge of the Juvenile Court from 1977 to 1990, after which he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court (1990-1997). He was first appointed as an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court in 1997 by Governor William F. Weld. He became the senior associate justice in 2008. In 2010 he was appointed
as the 35th Chief Justice by Governor Deval Patrick and was sworn in on Dec. 20. Chief Justice Ireland has been an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern University since 1978, and on the faculty of the Appellate Judges Seminar at New York University Law School since 2001. He is the author of the Juvenile Law volume of Thomson/ West Publishing’s Massachusetts Practice Series, the second edition of which was published in 2006, as well as law review articles. When he was appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1997, he was the first African American Justice in its then 305-year history, and now serves as its first African American Chief Justice. BC Law School opened in 1929 in a small downtown Boston office
building with 54 students and two full-time faculty members. Currently ranked 27th in the country by the annual U.S. News & World Report survey, the law school’s highly qualified students are drawn from more than 230 colleges and universities across the United States, as well as in other countries. Over 6,500 applicants competed for 261 seats in the entering class this year. The law school’s over 11,000 alumni practice in 50 states and many foreign countries, holding positions in major law firms, corporate in-house legal departments, the judiciary, government agencies, private industry, academic and public interest organizations, and serving as elected state legislators and members of the U.S.Congress. n
tion [including] where you’re going, how you’re going, and then people can contact you,” Baratta said. “You need a ride or you want to give someone ride, we’ll connect you with the people.” Because of the financial advantages that RideBoard presents, both Baratta and Sullivan were confident in the popularity that the service will gain among the BC student body. “I’m just hoping people adopt it so [that they] can get a ride home instead of riding the train, instead of spending money,” Sullivan said. “We’ll see where people want to see it go. Sharing cabs will definitely be really popular.” n
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I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
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Editorials
Building community from convenience QSLC’s ride-share program will not only help students coordinate travel, but perhaps make new connections The Heights would like to commend the Quality of Student Life Committee (QSLC) for organizing the creation of an online ride-share system that allows
More than the factors of convenience and financial gain, this system serves the purpose of builing community outside of the BC bubble. students to coordinate travel plans by car and cabs to destinations around the city. The obvious benefit of this system is that it provides a major source of convenience currently lacking in Boston College students’ lives. Now the burden of coordinating travel plans can be shared between a number of different students. Financially, it is beneficial as well, as costs can be split with the ability to carpool. However, more than the factors of
convenience and financial gain, this system serves the purpose of building community outside of the BC bubble. Though students that live within driving distance of BC attend this University in large numbers, they don’t necessarily know and identify with each other in the way that contingencies of students from farther states do. The University offers these long-distance students luncheon clubs and special orientation sessions where they can meet and mingle—the same is not always true for those hailing from the New England area. However, with this ride share program in place, students are offered the chance to get to know someone from their area who they may have not known before, but whom they share much in common. Regarding the program’s benefit while at school, the knowledge that a cab fare may be tempered by having more passengers to ride with will hopefully encourage more students to venture into the city—particularly the lesser-known areas that are not T-accessible. The QSLC rides-hare program will undoubtedly be beneficial on a number of different levels, and if it will help undergraduates know their neighbors better, then it is a positive change.
Reviving the annual discussion With class registration season in full swing, the debate as to how to change the system resurfaces. As spring approaches each year, students of Boston College begin to plan their education for next semester. This past week, the cyclical registration period has returned to the forefront of undergraduates’ minds and as the primary subject of their conversations. Instead of being a time in which all students gleefully select courses in anticipation of next year, BC’s registration process, for some individuals, is classified as an anxious and frustrating nuisance. Though the current selection process has caused much debate in the past, both by The Heights and other members of the BC community, we feel that it is necessary to consistently reiterate this issue if some better alternative is to ever be reached. The main problem facing the current system is that some upperclassmen, especially those within popular departments such as economics or communication, are unable to fulfill requirements in their majors due to poor pick times and the high demand of their desired courses. About 96 percent of BC students graduate in four years , but many students are forced to overload their schedules toward the end of their collegiate tenures with major requirements because classes are more readily available. This causes problems, including ones regarding job and internship interviews, which often require evidence
of relevant class history and generally, in the case of internships, take place before senior year. Certain departments restrict their electives to only those declared within that major as a tentative solution to this problem. The Heights advocates that this practice be adopted by all University departments. We realize that each department reserves the right to administer its own policies, but perhaps an institution-wide policy at BC would help students complete their requirements. The Heights is fully aware that the complications and intricacies of the current class registration system make it difficult to overhaul, and also possesses various advantages. While it is challenging to offer solutions, we believe that it is still worthwhile to venture into and consider other possibilities. While this discussion might not lead to an outlined cure, it may at least find a rough path that will someday lead to one. We therefore encourage students to not only bemoan this system when it particularly affects them, but to have concern for improving the registration process each and every semester, regardless of their luck with pick times. If we show consistency in our approach, then perhaps so will the University when constructing a new process for registration.
Quote of the Week
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
— Oscar Wilde
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Hilary Chasse, Managing Editor
Contributors:
Daley Gruen / Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor Faculty representation at a Catholic institution Robert Davis In the past a group of faculty sought to form a faculty senate but were blocked by the administration. The Vice Provost said there was no ‘blockage.’ The issue had to be put before the Board of Trustees. Now as a union chapter [the AAUP] but of fledgling size and age they [the faculty] seek same. At what point the minority of faculty develops so to enjoy further status is another matter? At what point does the voluntary become representative? Since there is a complication of the status of a ‘union’ at a religious school the issue needs discernment. Unlike full-time faculty (managerial class), adjuncts fall within the scope of the NLRB. Since the religious nature of a school controls entry of this type union it is subject to the Trustees (NLRB, Manhattanville College. Earlier, fulltime faculty at Manhattan failed upon petition to NLRB.). But the religious nature is still of significance for in a matter of policy at Belmont Abbey College (N.C.) the NLRB (contraceptives) ruled against the school. Let the provost form a committee to seek opinions. Permit the union to submit documents of standing in the library (Constitution, Survey-Responses, Faculty Senate, Communications) for a comment period. There is question of [faculty] representation evident upon termination of 2009 Bill Ayers visit. Ayers, the founder of the Weather Underground (violence restricted to property), offered no apology for the killing of a Brighton police officer by a member of his group. Granted merit in “education studies,” there remains the question, why invite him at all? The school acted responsibly for the common good. The response is noteworthy. For successive days, the first by faculty, the second by Americans for an Informed Democracy (AID), the event brewed hostility. The primary impetus came from the sociology department. This was evident for AID said this department was not motivating them. A member of the sociology dept testified, “This has been going on
for twenty years.” The ACLU made a point of irony about the “world class player.” That this group was there upon what is a discretionary judgment of the school raises questions about an orchestrated event. The conclusion is lack of ordered responsibility. The grievance is inexplicable for it overshadows moral responsibility to the young, and undermines it. In anticipation, is the school to follow than lead? ‘Shared governance’ knows discretion and not dictates from below. Is there a vote? Many of the administrators are certified faculty, some teach a course, and many do research on academic subjects. The relation of the managerial class to faculty is faculty riven. They have much in common. BC is apparently without record of violation of academic freedom in respect to subject matter, whether it be teaching or research? Beyond that, what is legal is discretionary entailing ‘shared governance’. So what to say of sponsored talks? Look at it from the other side. At a panel evaluating the Vagina Monologues (2009) the chair refused to let an alumnus speak. But others insisted. When it became apparent his view was critical, the women on the panel started to hoot, with one exclaiming, “Sexual revolution and liberation!” A student stood up and cried out, “Shut up! Let the man speak!” And they shut up. It was astonishing. The unadorned effect is academic freedom was null and void. Is it a matter of whose axe to grind? In principle, I have no brief against unions. But the real issues do not concern faculty as faculty. They are secondary to the guidance of students in respect to moral ends. This is expected at a value-oriented school with a philosophical base. And thus enters the claim of reason. There is a common good which eludes the specialized. Faculty should reflect the freedom at issue is measured by competence, and for the case, of a context that calls upon the allocation of a value judgment by the authority whose moral responsibility is to make that judgment. Only that authority is compe-
The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted
Robert Davis is a member of the Boston College Class of 1962.
to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Clara Kim, Copy Editor Taylour Kumpf, News Editor Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Features Editor Darren Ranck, Arts & Review Editor David Cote, Marketplace Editor Ana Lopez, Opinions Editor Dan Tonkovich, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor
tent to make the judgment. The rulings of the NLRB on Belmont & Manhattan should alert the school. For the latter, a union petitioned for representation at Manhattan. The school claimed it had no standing given its religious nature. The ruling said it was only religious in name. It did not deny the claim, just its merit. Boston College should assess the place of religion relative to reason at the school. It has a tradition whose scope is relevant, namely, the “catholic intellectual tradition.” Union professors indicate a gulf between what the school teaches and what the the faculty conceive. Their free speech rights (their words) grant theirclaim to criticize, esp. catholic teachings. Two of the best and brightest of the century, however, agree on matters of concern of the school (contraceptives). One of whom is Elizabeth Anscombe (Oxford), acclaimed to be the greatest postwar philosopher. The philosophy department now moves to assimilate the tradition of Analytic philosophy. But there is another way to meet the standards of the NLRB that also makes clear the presence of religion to students. To return to the not distant custom of ‘voluntary prayer.’ At a meeting of the Abram women’s group on the topic of prayer, they were pleased this once existed. And would like it returned. (This would be phased in). My question is, would the union oppose this? This simply means they would advocate their members lead the prayers provided no personal objection; or simply delegate. In respect to Ayers, union officials said 185 faculty were ready to sign a petition along with backup of the main union. The number furthers the point the event was, if not calculated, measured. They had a weekend for preparation. For a body in formation to consider such raises questions of its willingness to solicit “shared governance,” and yet be welcome for tenure at the school. It raises the question whether the school is ready to have a union?
Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor David Riemer, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor DJ Adams, Assoc. Sports Editor Greg Joyce, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor Dara Fang, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant
Margaret Tseng, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvedini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Jamie Ciocon, Collections Manager Amy Hachigan, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fichtelberg, Business Assistant
The Heights
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Opinions
The going has gotten weird
Eagle Cam – If you haven’t seen this, whip your laptop out (let’s be real, it’s already out, you haven’t paid attention in your 10 a.m. lecture for the past two month) and Google the USTREAM Eagle Cam. The camera is aimed on the nest of a mother Bald Eagle—the symbol of freedom and fierceness for both our great nation and our great University. You’d think watching a rather mad looking bird sit around for hours would get boring , but it’s those rare glimpses of the adorable hatchlings that keep us coming back for more. Stokes – The pip es have been laid, the foundation is in place, and the Walsh Bros. are making progress on the gaping hole in the middle of campus faster than a group of sugar-high third graders on a Jenga tower. Yeah, so we’re still going to miss the Dustbowl come May and waking up to bulldozers and cranes isn’t ideal, but let’s be real, we’re all secretly pretty stoked for Stokes.
Thumbs Down GOP – Wait, is this the Republican presidential candidate lineup or Dancing with the Stars? “The Donald” Trump is currently in the lead, tied with the only legitimate hope the party has, Mike Huckabee. The state of affairs for our conservative countrymen has even become a joke internally, with Mitch Daniels incorporating the ludicrous nature of things in his clever campaign slogan: “Mitch Daniels: At least he’s not a freak.” ‘Vanity Fair’ – The Kennedys live on! Well, sort of … at least in the pages of the pretentious society and American culture rag, Vanity Fair. A look at the magazine’s recent archives has revealed that about one third of the issues published since 2003 contain at least one article about, written by, or regarding a Kennedy. Verizon Guy – Fame really is a doubled-edged sword—especially if you’re famous for something ridiculous. The Verizon guy is feeling the truth of this statement right now in a heavy way, and it’s all because of the five-word catch phrase that catapulted him into a household name…or entity. Supposedly, someone decided to drop the phrase at his late grandmother’s burial, whispering, “Can you hear me now?” as they lowered her six feet under. You hate to see that. Bieber – ... for president. Honestly, he could probably pass for a Republican candidate. But in all seriousness, the Biebs showed his political side on a recent trip to Israel, where he was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting was cancelled because Netanyahu was angry that Bieber refused to meet with kids living in communities near Gaza that have been under rocket fire. Bieber responded like a true politician, stating he “loves to meet with kids facing difficult circumstances, regardless of their background.” Like he says: You smile, I smile. Follow TU/TD on Twitter! @BCTUTD
John Blakeslee My sister and I look nothing alike. I have blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin so pale it is nearly reflective. My sister has dark skin, brown eyes, and brown hair. Only 18 months apart, we are close in age. Yet, we have no similar features, that would indicate our relation. Thus whenever we go out to dinner the waiters and other patrons always assume we are dating. Jen has always been horrified by this thought. Whenever waiters pass by she increases the volume of her voice and says something along the lines, “I can’t believe Mom didn’t want to come with us tonight” to which I reply (in order to further embarrass her), “Well dear, your mother has always been more of the indoor type.” Jen and I went out to dinner recently and this problem came up again. Jen had a long day and was tired by the time we got to the restaurant. When we arrived, the hostess informed us that we were going to have to wait about 20 minutes past our reservation. Jen was miserable and to the outside observer it looked as if we were on a terrible first date. The hostess kept apologizing to us and from afar she would mouth the words “I’m sorry” to me, as if to apologize for cramping my game. Jen leaned over to me and whispered, “That hostess likes you. You should go and talk to her.” “But she thinks we’re on a date,” I objected. “Yes. But we’re not. We’re brother and sister, you weirdo.” “That is besides the point,” I retorted, “What kind of awful guy leaves his date to talk to the hostess. She will think I’m a creep.” If I were a normal human being I could have just gone along with my sister’s usual plan of somehow indicating to those around us that the two of us are related. But that sort of routine has never been my modus operandi. I usually elect a course of action that makes sense to me at the time but becomes a humorous story a few days later. I used to think that my odd behavior was unique to me. However, as I think harder about everyone around me, I realize that we are all a bunch of weirdos. Evidence to support my hypothesis can be found right here at Boston College. Anyone who frequents the Rat during lunch hours knows that Lo Mein day might best be described as “the day of raucous.” Students from all walks of life bombard the vat of Lo Mein with an intensity analogous to a stampede of Rhinoceroses. Students fight over the serving spoon and pile their noodles high, ensuring the supremacy of their portion size. The
dutiful, albeit frazzled, Rat workers roll out a new container of freshly microwaved Lo Mein with the determination of a soldier trying to bring munitions to their comrades on the front line. If you look on the ground, Lo Mein is spattered everywhere. A thinly sliced carrot may be found atop a vitamin water, a solemn reminder of the collateral damage that exemplifies times of anarchy. Witnessing students eating Lo Mein is one of the more fascinating moments during the day of raucous. One young man who I observed last week made the decision that the traditional “fork
will do my best to explain the ritual scientifically. Both parties partake in a great deal of swaying, alternating between a “side-to-side” and a sort of “to and fro” type movement. Then an assortment of hand gestures is skillfully employed to augment the swaying process. The two parties rarely look at one another except for an occasional “look back,” by the female participant. From my observations, the girl might occasionally bite her lower lip during the “look back” but conventional wisdom indicates this is an optional maneuver. Our favorite sports also give us
Mollie kolosky / Heights Illustration
Thumbs Up
twirl” method of pasta eating was not efficient enough for his 21st century lifestyle. He, as if chugging the noodles, placed the plate above his head and funneled the Lo Mein down, using gravity to its fullest potential. Why on earth do people freak out over the sight of Lo Mein? It can be ordered at any Chinese restaurant for about $3. Yet, week after week I watch as people go nuts over a few noodles. Our strange behavior becomes even more salient on weekend nights at a bar or party. Here, one can observe as people’s inner hyena is set free to frolic in a meadow of debauchery. Easily the most bizarre event to witness at a party is two people “grinding” on a dance floor. For those not familiar, “grinding” is a distant relative of an archaic practice known as “dancing” in which two people move around to a predetermined beat. If you have ever witnessed this event you can attest to the grotesque nature of the whole affair. For those virginal eyes perusing this column I
a glimpse into how odd we are. My favorite sport is baseball, but I realized recently just how strange it is. On any given weekend I am watching a group of extremely superstitious men chew tobacco and throw things at each other. Add a series of extremely complicated rules and I am essentially watching a bunch of insane people run around on impeccably groomed grass. Nevertheless, I still love baseball just as I am sure my friend in the Rat loves Lo Mein and my friends at the bar love, well, something. Perhaps it is healthy to look at our odd behavior so that we might scrutinize it. But to some degree, I think it is equally healthy to embrace it. We are all a little strange, and taking the time to notice that might give us a good laugh that helps us navigate this rather strange world. John Blakeslee is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Images that make you salivate Marye Moran A new type of porn is rapidly rising in popularity: food porn. No, food porn isn’t some strange fetish for pictures of hot dogs and pickles – get your mind out of the gutter. Websites like the popular Food Porn Daily show pictures of decadent-looking cuisine. The website states its goal as “to give you the most delicious food pic possible at least once a day, everyday,” and viewers merely click through and look at these images. Sound pointless? Probably, but the number of page views per user on Food Porn Daily is higher than on Porn Hub, a regular, human porn site. Apparently we really like looking at food. Or lusting over it. Strange as it sounds, food porn is a very apt name for the trend. Statistics show that Food Porn Daily visitors are generally 18-24-yearold females who are childless and college educated. And Porn Hub? The exact same demographics apply, but just for men instead of women. The girls clicking through these sites have the same motivation as the guys, with the only difference being that in their case, the pictures are of literal forbidden fruit. These images of food portray an obsession with what is in some way restricted or banned. Food porn viewers can’t, or think they shouldn’t, eat those chocolate chip cookie dough-filled cupcakes with brown sugar buttercream. So as a substitute for the real thing, they go five clicks into Food Porn Daily and
just look. For some, these sites are just harmless forms of procrastination (I’ll admit, while researching this article, I probably viewed about 20 pages of food porn.) However, the trend as a whole shows how distorted our relationship with food is. If you want a cupcake, eat a cupcake and get on with your life. Don’t spend hours watching television shows of people competing to make the most decadent dessert, and then scroll through pages of artsy pictures of the food. Just eat it. The idea of blending food and entertainment started with Julia Child and a few other cooking shows, followed by the Food Network, and now shows like Top Chef, Cupcake Wars, and Man vs. Food dominate the television. Cooking shows make sense, to an extent. Some people watch to get recipe ideas and learn how to prepare those dishes. But for must of us on meal plans, and even those “cooking” for themselves, preparing a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese instead of just plain pasta is about as creative as it gets. We’re not going to recreate Bobby Flay’s winning Iron Chef dinner, so why are we watching? On Iron Chef, meals are judged with 10 points doled out for taste, five for creativity, and five for the appearance of the plate. Yes, the saying is true that we “eat first with our eyes,” but according to these culinary aficionados, the look of food is only a quarter of the experience. Apparently, though, we love food enough to think that getting a quarter of the benefit is worth our time. With food porn, there isn’t even the illusion of some other motive, like learning a recipe. Seeing a picture of a dessert won’t do anything to help you recreate it. The one thing it will do is make you hungry.
That’s why it’s such an interesting phenomenon. Most people looking at these culinary images desire those foods depicted, yet think they shouldn’t indulge, so they try to get some satisfaction from mere sight. However, this only creates a perverse and obsessive relationship with food. As the expression goes, we should “eat to live, not live to eat.” Our time should not be spent obsessing over what we do or do not consume. This preoccupation is certainly not just a problem for the gluttonous, as one of the most common pieces of diet advice is to keep a “food diary,” where one writes down everything they eat. From personal experience, looking through those food porn images did not satisfy any desires for food – it instead created them. I had just come back from dinner (granted this was weekend fare at McElroy so even less satisfying than usual), and I found my stomach rumbling within the first few pictures. I wanted to hop on the T to the North End, order some Fin’s, or just sprint down to the Fitz basement and raid the vending machine. Though seeing these depictions of food brings us no apparent benefit, our society’s preoccupation with food continues. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis condemned strip clubs by making a comparison to food. He proposed that “you come to a country where you could fill a theatre by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let everyone see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon.” He continues to describe the absurdity of that society. Our society. Marye Moran is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at thughes@bcheights.com.
A year older, wiser
Zamin Husain Our biggest concern was our biggest excuse. We could get away with anything. Using the trays at the dining hall, being late to class, needing extensions on papers were all justifiable under the disadvantage that ostracized us and brought us closer together. We were freshmen. I guess we still are, but despite how much we have dreaded the ever so apparent sign on our foreheads reading, “I’m lost,” I know I am going to miss it. There is wiggle room to adjust to college. We are pampered. We are set aside from the rest of the school deemed as underclassmen, and next year we will be shoved under the umbrella of upperclassmen we lose that wiggle room. We will be expected to understand the tricks of the trade, but I still don’t know how things work. I don’t know how housing works when you study abroad for a semester. I haven’t entered the haunting career center on the cusp of campus. And I still haven’t swiped in at the Walsh security desk before. However difficult everyone claimed it was going to be to transition into college, we didn’t realize how pampered we were, and all of a sudden we are going to have to act like we know what is going on. We have mastered some of the puzzles of campus, like the bus schedule (the time I rode Newton Eagle Direct back to Newton, because I didn’t know it didn’t stop at Mac in the morning), but next year, error is going to be inexcusable. I guess we don’t have to worry about how to register for classes, and we know that we don’t have to go back to Newton when we have a class in Cushing. And even more stressful for next year is friends. Making friends toward the beginning of freshman year was difficult, but easier knowing that everyone was in the same boat. All of a sudden you would approach a table or the kids who live next door, and maybe even within a couple of minutes you will be asked, “Will you be my best friend?” The friendship dynamics within my building are awesome, and being split across Lower Campus and CoRo due to the perfect housing system here at Boston College is not going to hinder my friendships with my close friends, but rather those people who I was just accustomed to running into. Next year, everyone is going to have their friend groups. You won’t be able to just sit down at a table and introduce yourself. You won’t be able to recognize the familiar faces at Stuart. Classes become stressful, not because of the difficulty, but because of the fact that you have to declare your major by the end of sophomore year. It was nice being able to switch to English, then economics, and then back to English, but now undecided is not an option anymore. How am I supposed to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life within the next year? With the declared major and the core creeping up on you, credits are becoming tighter and tighter, withdrawing from a class is no longer an option. It seems like in one year we are expected to grow up. When do we actually have to, though? We’re not going to be freshmen anymore. We are supposed to have it figured all out. But looking around, not even the juniors or seniors know where they are headed next. The farther away from freshman year, the more stressful it is, because it is closer to needing to know where you are headed. That is the exchange: as a freshmen you don’t need to have your life and major figured out, but you also embarrass yourself by asking people where the Gate is, what Vandy means, and every once in a while having “Freshman Tourette’s” in which you accidentally pronounce Duchesne or McElroy phonetically. The terrors of orientation and the awkwardness of Welcome Week are over, but now just as it all is ending we realize how nice we had it. Growing up was never fun, but now it seems like there is a senior year deadline. Whatever it is, it seems like very few people are ready to call themselves “adults.” It is comforting to know that not everyone has it figured out, freshmen just have an excuse. Zamin Husain is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Cleary studies offensive line under Castonzo, ready for greater role Cleary, from A10 done. It hasn’t been unmanageable. It’s just all about budgeting your time.” While many would take one look at Cleary’s schedule and feel exhausted, he has taken everything in stride and become stalwart both on the field and in the classroom. He credits some of his time management skills to NFL-bound Eagle Anthony Castonzo, who was also an Illinois State Scholar, though he took a slightly different route and majored in biochemistry. “He’s definitely been a mentor and a role model for me,” Cleary says of his linemate. “I had already talked to him before I even got here and that kind of influenced me in some ways. He’s a good example to follow. We have different majors, but he’s really helped me out by recommending teachers, showing me different ways to do things, and in football, too. Obviously, he’s a great player, a first-round pick, so just watching him go about his business helped probably more than any advice he gives me. Just kind of having that model of how it’s done to help you out.” While many focused on Castonzo’s successful season at left tackle, Cleary quietly filled in where he was needed. The sophomore started 10 games and played in all 12 last season – splitting his starts between left guard and right tackle. He fortified himself as an anchor on the right side and helped Montel Harris lead the ACC in rushing. The 2010 offensive line was led by Castonzo and fellow senior Thomas Claiborne. The former was considered the lead-by-example model, while the latter was a vocal and emotional catalyst for the men in the trenches. With both moving on from their days
alex trautwig / heights editor
Losing potential first-round pick Anthony Castonzo (74) hurts the offensive line, but he’s imparted some wisdom on younger players like Cleary. in Alumni Stadium, the front line will rely on veteran players like Cleary to take the reins, heading into the season. “I’m trying to,” he said of his role as a leader. “It was really weird after the bowl game, coming in and having Anthony, Thomas, and Rich [Lapham] not in the room. It felt so different. They’re three great players, three personalities that we can’t replace.” Despite the clear impact these two players have had on the program, Cleary
has already seen growth from new players, whom he feels are preparing to fill in the holes. “I think that the group we have now has more cohesion and more competition among the unit to a point where we can be better than we were last year,” he said. “We don’t have the same talents but young guys are stepping up and there are more openings so everyone’s improving their game more.” The Eagles are going to need this im-
provement and group effort if they’re to continue to have the success of past Eagle lines. Cleary realizes this and is looking to carry the tradition. “This is ‘O-line U’ and everybody who comes here knows that, so we try to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Cleary said. “Just doing what we do, being the leaders of the team and being the tough face of the offense.” Cleary and his linemates use the rushing game as an indicator of their success.
This rule would indicate extreme success in the past, as Harris enters the season with a good chance of taking the school record for rushing yards, while already owning the record for carries and 100-yard games. “With the O-line, you can’t really quantify success, so we really use the running game and protecting the quarterback as our measuring stick,” the right tackle said. “We definitely take a lot of pride in having the guy who could end up being the leading rusher in my class. I definitely know I do. That’s a big achievement for an O-line to have that guy. We always try to get him his 100 or 150 yards in a game and I’m hoping he gets that school record this year.” Another major change for the Eagles’ offense is the addition of Kevin Rogers as offensive coordinator. Rogers, the quarterbacks coach for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings for the last five season, has implemented a stronger emphasis on the passing game thus far into the spring season, despite being a run-heavy team last season. Regardless, Cleary feels that the offensive line has adapted quickly to Rogers’ coaching style without many tactical issues. “It hasn’t been all that different,” he says. “The terminology is probably the biggest thing for learning a new system, because everything is named differently. We’ve been running a lot of the same plays, so it hasn’t been too bad of a transition.” While the loss of Castonzo and Claiborne may have left many Superfans nervous for the big men up front, it’s players like Cleary that can put these worries to rest. With his classroom, weight room, and on-field work ethic, Cleary is clearly on the right path to continuing the historic dominance of BC linemen. He’s leading the class at O-line U. n
Reading too much into spring football is an exciting, but useless exercise Patience, from A10 thrive? Will players like Toronto’s Yunel Escobar or Arizona’s Miguel Montero finish with league batting titles? I’m going to go out on a limb and say the chances of these feats coming to fruition are as slim as the percentage of BC students who will be in the library during Marathon Monday. (Anyone who wants to call me out on that next week with an actual statistic, feel free to do so. I’d love to hear what test you were studying for.) The point is simply that spring brings false illusions. Taking the season’s quirks as reality is just a waste of time and evidence of your intellect’s shrewd stupidity. This is an incredibly important notion to remember this weekend, as our football team takes the field for its annual Spring Game. Just as the MLB standings can’t be looked at until at least June, what has happened in BC’s two scrimmages, as well as what is yet to come tomorrow, should be taken with a few shots of Bacardi (I would say salt, but with these new FDA sodium requirements, it isn’t exactly great for you these days). Allow me to elaborate. This spring, BC has looked spectacular in numerous aspects of the game where they struggled mightily in 2010. The playmaking ability of our defensive backs, questionable at best last season, has been superb. Donnie Fletcher has intercepted Eagles’ quarterbacks three times, and those in attendance have assured me the rest of the squad looks poised to follow his example. Aside from the few picks thrown, Chase Rettig has shown significant strides of improvement from his late-season freshman funk. The rising sophomore has been completing passes across the field with confidence in the scrimmages, and apparently Kevin Rogers has incorporated a significant amount of play-action rollouts in the playbook that will not only diversify Rettig’s arsenal, but also makes Montel Harris a even bigger threat coming out of the backfield. If that isn’t enough to get you excited, with All-
American Luke Kuechly and 2010 freshman standout Kevin Pierre-Louis continuing to dominate the linebacker position, the Eagles are poised to finally overcome that level of mediocrity that they have maintained for so long. My introduction should have given you some forewarning, however, that despite the optimistic signs from practice or what great news pundits inscribe within predictions and season outlooks, I will not fall victim to the hype. And neither should you. The Spring Game is an excellent football tradition, but it means nothing. At schools like Florida and LSU it provides excitement and thrill, but it’s as meaningful for an avid football fan as C-SPAN is for a five-year-old kid. (Yup, my Monday-Friday every day before I went to kindergarten.) Just look at last year’s results if you still aren’t convinced. Mike Marscovetra shined in the spotlight, while Rettig barely sat behind the center. What exactly happened there? Andre Williams was hardly on the field at all, as other backs got their fair share of the third-down back duties. Tell him that spring matters. Lastly, walk-on A.J. Currelley made two interceptions. Due to various reasons, he is no longer on the football team. Aren’t you glad spring of 2010 taught us so much about this past fall?! I guess I’m not trying to detract from what has already sprouted this spring, or even what is yet to blossom, but the football season is a lengthy grind that provides surprises around every corner. No one knows what we might find. So this Saturday, rather than break down every aspect of the game in terms of what it means for this fall, enjoy the nice weather (hopefully) and simply perceive football in the spring as what it is. A silly, but wonderful competition lacking in meaning however rich in tradition it might be. Because regardless of what happens, there are still 12 games to play this fall. And those are the ones that count.
DJ Adams is the Associate Sports Editor of The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
alex trautwig / heights editor
One thing you can count on every spring football season: bone-crunching tackles from rising junior Luke Kuechly.
Samuelsson’s out, but Dumoulin and Kreider are in Samuelsson Leaves, from A10
alex trautwig / heights editor
nick rellas / heights staff
Brian Dumoulin (left) is BC’s leading returning scorer with 33 points. Classmante Chris Kreider (right) is also coming back and is expected to join Dumoulin atop the scoreboard.
Carolina Hurricanes. He will be returning, though, after receiving the Best Defenseman honors by the Hockey East Association. “We’re very excited that both Brian Dumoulin and Chris Kreider have decided to return to Boston College for their junior seasons,” head coach Jerry York said in a statement. “Both players have had very impressive freshman and sophomore seasons and we expect both to be leaders of our club in 2011-12. Brian and Chris embody what we strive for in a Boston College hockey player. They’re interested in education and active in the community and we’re very pleased that each will be back as juniors.” Yesterday, Kreider received another accolade outside of BC. He was selected as one of the 16 initial players to the 2011 U.S. national team scheduled to play at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship from April 29 - May 15 in Slovakia. The announcement was made by USA Hockey. Kreider joins 14 current NHL players on the roster, and is the only collegiate player on the team. He is also the only player returning from last year’s U.S. squad that played in the 2010 World Men’s Championship in Germany. The sophomore will join former Eagle and current Ottawa Senator Ryan Shannon on the team. The two will be coached by another BC alum, Scott Gordon, who played hockey at the Heights from 1982-1986. n
The Heights
Editors’ Picks
Thursday, April 14, 2011 The Week Ahead Clemson and FSU come to Chestnut Hill for a three-game series against the baseball and softball teams, respectively. Women’s lacrosse travels to Vermont. Men’s tennis hosts BU. The Bruins take on the Canadiens in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.
Standings
A9
Recap from Last
Paul Sulzer
38-17
Greg Joyce
38-17
DJ Adams
36-19
Heights staff
31-24
Clemson
Asst. Arts & Review Editor “Really, I’m just waiting for volleyball season.” Paul Sulzer Sports Editor
DJ Adams Assoc. Sports Editor
Greg Joyce Asst. Sports Editor
Charlotte Parish
Asst. Arts & Review
Baseball: Boston College vs. Clemson (series)
Clemson
Clemson
Clemson
BC
Softball: Boston College vs. Florida St. (series)
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
BC
Women’s Lacrosse: Boston College at Vermont
BC
BC
BC
BC
Men’s Tennis: BC vs. BU
BC
BU
BC
BU
Bruins
Bruins
Bruins
Bruins
NHL Playoff Series: Canadiens vs. Bruins
Baseball
Baseball squeezed out a series win at Duke. Softball got swept at Maryland. Women’s lacrosse dropped a tough game against Duke. Women’s tennis won the Battle of Comm Ave. against BU. And, of course, the Sox took the series against the Evil Empire.
Guest Editor: Charlotte Parish
This Week’s Games
Game of the Week
vs.
Boston College
This weekend, the Boston College baseball team is pitted in a three-game set against Clemson. This might prove to be a difficult task, though, as the Tigers are tearing apart their prey, winning four of their past five games. The team’s success is largely due to junior shortstop Brad Miller, who earned ACC player of the week honors for the week of April 11. In a three-game set against Maryland, Miller was 10-for-13 (.769) with two doubles, two triples, six RBIs, five runs, and two steals. BC pitchers, inconsistent of late, will have to shutdown Miller if they hope to quell Clemson’s offense.
Fri., 2:30 p.m; Sat., 1:30 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m.
Women’s lax wins final home game By Greg Joyce
Asst. Sports Editor
alex trautwig / heights editor
Garret Smith (left) and Matt McGovern (right) accounted for five of BC’s 10 runs on Tuesday, but it was not enough.
Dartmouth downs BC in the eighth Baseball, from A10 Dartmouth exploded. Shortstop Joe Sclafani roped a double to start the rally, and the next two Dartmouth batters worked walks to load the bases. At that point, Gambino had seen enough from Green and replaced the freshman with sophomore reliever Hunter Gordon. Big Green freshman Dustin Selzer reached on a throwing error by Eagles third baseman Anthony Melchionda that brought home Dartmouth’s first run of the inning. Following the error, Dartmouth hitters lashed three consecutive singles that plated four additional runs to put them up for good, 12-10. With the lead gone, Gambino went to his bullpen for the second time in the inning, replacing Gordon with Andrew Lawrence. Lawrence allowed another RBI single before forcing a fly-out. Dartmouth tacked on two more from Sclafani’s second double of the inning before Lawrence finally recorded the final out, but not until BC trailed by five. “It was a tough inning,” Gambino said. “We just have to throw more strikes. If you give a team three extra base runners, that’s what’s going to happen. That was a game that showed how important everyone on a ball club is. Everyone’s got to take their preparation seriously and do their job. That didn’t happen at the end of the game.” As per Gambino’s recent midweek game strategy, the Eagles used seven pitchers to get through the game. Gordon was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-1
on the season, while Dartmouth reliever Colin Britton picked up his first win with 1.2 innings of work and no runs allowed. Offensively, BC continued a trend started last week against Bryant, posting 18 hits off five different Dartmouth pitchers. From the first inning, the Eagles bats had no trouble manufacturing runs. They raced out to an early 4-0 lead off Big Green starter Michael Johnson, on the way to their fourth double-digit offensive score of the year. Instrumental to this production was the third baseman Melchionda (4-for-5), as well as outfielders Matt McGovern (4-for-4) and Lawrence (4-for-5). Melchionda and Lawrence posted eight of BC’s 10 RBIs, while Lawrence hit his team-leading third home run of the year to top off a four-run seventh inning for BC. McGovern, continuing his recent hot streak, paced the Eagles lineup in the number two spot in the batting order, providing a runner for Melchionda and Lawrence to send home all game. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody do what [McGovern] is doing right now,” Gambino said. “Having 15 hits in four games is ridiculous. Everybody knows [Melchionda] can hit, it’s not a surprise. It’s just Melch doing what Melch does. Also, getting [Lawrence] going is huge for our lineup as a whole. It makes us a different team offensively.” The Eagles will return home this Friday to resume conference play against Clemson at Shea Field at 2:30 p.m. n
Despite rainy conditions and more turnovers than it would have liked, No. 14 Boston College (9-5, 1-4 ACC) was able to defeat crosstown Boston College 10 rival Boston University (67 Boston Univ. 6, 2-1 American East) 10-7 yesterday at the Newton Sports Complex. The Eagles scored the first three goals of the game and never looked back, holding off any possible comeback attempt by the Terriers. “I was pleased with the way that [we] played,” head coach Bowen Holden said. “We came out right out of the gates, never lost our lead, and continued to fight through the entire game, which was important.” Moira Barry got the scoring started for the Eagles 2:52 into the game, when she received a pass from Brittany Wilton and scored her 30th goal of the year. They doubled the lead just over three minutes later. Brooke Blue was stationed with the ball behind the BU net when Sam Taylor cut into the arc. Blue sent a sharp pass in front to Taylor and she put it into the back of the net. On the next goal, Blue took the ball in by herself, spun by a defender to get some space, and fired the ball by BU’s goalie to make it 3-0 with 17:29 remaining in the first half. The teams then traded goals back and forth until it was 6-3 at the end of the half. Jill Amo, Wilton, and Blue notched the three goals for the Eagles. In the second half, BC was able to keep its guard up, and never led by less than two goals. Wilton provided a spark for her team right from the start of the half. After picking up the opening draw, the
junior attack sprinted down the left side of the field, flew by defenders, and found her way to the net to make it 7-3. After BU cut the lead to 7-5, Hannah Alley responded with two straight goals to put the Eagles back up by four with 13:26 left in the game. Down 9-5, the Terriers called a timeout with 10:11 remaining in the game in an attempt to break BC’s momentum and get it back on their side. But Jill Rekart ruined these hopes right out of the timeout, as she intercepted a BU pass. The crucial steal kept momentum on the Eagles’ side, and also allowed them to drain more clock. Minutes later, Kristin Igoe scored an unassisted goal to make it 10-5, completing the scoring for BC. Wilton finished the game with two goals and three assists. “She’s got incredible speed, she’s got a very good game sense, and she definitely has a competitive spirit about her that when she wants to turn it on, she can,” Holden said. The one downside that Holden saw in her team’s play was the turnovers. The Eagles committed 19, uncharacteristic for a team that came into the game averaging just over 11 per game. “I think the unfortunate thing was that we had a lot of turnovers,” Holden said. “Many, many more turnovers than we typically have in a game. But so did BU. I think it’s the nature of a BU-BC rivalry.” Meanwhile, the weather didn’t help improve any sloppy play. It was not raining at the start of the game, but with about five minutes left in the first half, a heavy downpour began that lasted until the end of the game. “The conditions were obviously really nasty,” Holden said. “It was just a plain old sloppy game.” n
BC coaches go BAck to school alex trautwig / heights editor
Kristin Igoe scored the Eagles’ final goal yesterday afternoon en route to a 10-7 victory over BU in the pouring rain.
courtsey of amy stabile
While attending the Final Four in Houston earlier this month, men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue and his staff took the time to visit a kindergarten class taught by a Boston College graduate. For more on their trip, visit sidelinesuperfan.wordpress.com.
SPORTS The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A10
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Samuelsson signs, but Dumoulin and Kreider return By DJ Adams
Assoc. Sports Editor
And Greg Joyce
Asst. Sports Editor
alex trautwig / heights editor
Samuelsson became the latest member of the hockey team to go pro, signing with Pittsburgh.
For the second time in as many weeks, a member of the 2010-2011 Boston College hockey team has signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last week it was Brian Gibbons. On Tuesday, Philip Samuelsson made the decision to leave school early and inked a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL team. “It’s an exciting feeling,” Samuelsson said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life, and now I’m taking the first steps towards realizing that dream.” Samuelsson was a second-round draft pick of the Penguins in the 2009 draft. Since then, he has been in contact with Tom Fitzgerald, the director of personnel
Powerful right tackle excels in classroom
and assistant to the general manager for the Pittsburgh organization. “I told him that I might have an interest in coming out of school at the end of the year and signing with the Penguins,” Samuelsson said. Though he had been talking with Fitzgerald, the defenseman said his decision to leave school early came about this year. It was not something he was planning on doing upon coming to BC. “I think I was definitely planning on playing more here at BC,” Samuelsson said. “But I kind of felt that I wanted to take the next step. I was not planning on staying only two years, it’s just kind of something that happened over the course of this year.” The sophomore joins Cam Atkinson and Jimmy Hayes on the list of players to forgo the rest of their collegiate playing time in
order to begin their professional careers. “I think Coach York and the rest of the coaching staff – Cavanaugh, Brown, and Logue – have done a tremendous job creating a great environment and culture that is BC hockey,” Samuelsson said. “That’s something I’m going to miss here. “I’ve enjoyed every second here at Boston College, and I just want to thank everyone here for what they’ve given me, and I think I’m going to miss this place, that’s for sure.” Samuelsson will complete this semester at BC and is thinking about eventually taking summer classes in order to earn his degree. This season for the Eagles, Samuelsson tallied four goals and 12 assists, in addition to a plus-17 rating over 39 games. In his freshman season, he recorded 14 points and a plus-15 in 42 games.
See Samuelsson Leaves, A8
Beware that spring brings false illusions
School of Hard Blocks
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a fourpart series highlighting football players to watch heading into Boston College’s Spring Game on April 16.
The Samuelsson name is familiar to Pittsburgh fans, as Philip’s father, Ulf, was formerly a Penguin and won two Stanley Cups with the team. Samuelsson’s decision to go pro leaves just six defensemen on the current BC roster. Earlier in the week, the school announced that two other sophomores, Brian Dumoulin and Chris Kreider, will be returning to BC for the 2011-2012 season. There were early reports that Kreider may have been receiving interest from the New York Rangers, who selected the forward in the first round of the 2009 draft. But now he will be one of the top scorers coming back for his junior year. Meanwhile, Dumoulin was selected in the second round of the 2009 draft by the
By Chris Marino Heights Editor
The schedule of a Division I athlete is not easy. Early morning lifts, classes, practices, film sessions and study halls fill each player’s day from start to finish. Clearly this is an overwhelming life, but some players take these challenges in stride. Some players take on majors that would be challenging for even those with less stringent schedules. Emmett Cleary is one of these players. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound right tackle was not only an accomplished football player coming out of high school, but also a highly regarded academic prospect. He was a named an Illinois State Scholar, as well as a National Merit Finalist, coming out of St. Viator. Now finishing his sophomore year at Boston College, he is continuing his academic excellence within the biology major. “It’s not too bad,” he says of balancing his time between football and academics. “There are times when there’s a time crunch but you just have to stay on top of everything. We have one day off a week, Mondays, with no football, so that’s when I’m able to get my labs and any tough stuff
DJ Adams
alex trautwig / heights editor
See Cleary, A8
Cleary shifted from guard to tackle to replace Rich Lapham when he went down with an injury last year. He’s grown into the new position.
baseball
Big Green rally with eight in eighth to stun BC, 15-10 By Andrew Klokiw For The Heights
Yesterday, history repeated itself for the Boston College baseball team, with a twist. Eight days 15 Dartmouth ago, BC posted Boston College 10 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come from behind and defeat Bryant. Tuesday, however, BC’s opponent, Dartmouth (18-6, 6-2 Ivy), was the one coming from behind as the team used an eight-run eighth to overcome a three-run deficit and defeat the Eagles (13-17, 6-8 ACC), 15-10. Wednesday’s scheduled game in Amherst against UMass was rained out, marking the third time this month that BC
has had a game postponed for inclement weather. “It’s just Boston weather,” head coach Mike Gambino said of the cancellations. “I can’t remember a winter with this much snow and this much rain for a long time. I want to play baseball every day, as do the boys, but you can only control so much.” Against Dartmouth, BC took a 10-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth frame in Hanover, N.H., when the Big Green bats came alive. Freshman relief pitcher Steve Green took the ball for the Eagles and forced a fly-out from Dartmouth’s leadoff hitter. Before BC could record the other two outs,
See Baseball, A9
alex trautwig / heights editor
BC pushed plenty of runs across the plate in Hanover, but the relief pitching couldn’t get outs.
i nside S ports this issue
The 2011 MLB season has been underway for almost two weeks now, and I can’t help but admit that the results thus far are freaking me out. I’m an obsessive-compulsive Minnesota Twins fanatic. I spent an absurd amount of money this past weekend simply to fly home and watch my boys in the slightly less famous pinstripes take Target Field by storm for Opening Day. I skipped two days of class to do so. It’s funny what can be set aside for a little bit of addictive indulgence. Though I was in attendance for a masterful 2-1 victory over Oakland, the rest of the season hasn’t started the way I would have hoped. Yesterday, for example, former ace Francisco Liriano got shelled again, and the Twins lost, 10-5, to the suddenly dangerous Kansas City Royals. Me being the worrywart I am, this putrid start is incredibly concerning. Although I guess I can’t complain in Boston considering that the Sox are even worse off than my favorite team (2-9 compared to Minnesota’s 4-7). But here’s the deal: Are the Red Sox really going to finish in the bottom of the AL East while the Baltimore Orioles
See Patience, A8
Chicago selects Swords in the WNBA draft By Andrew Klokiw For The Heights
In the 15-year history of the WNBA, no Boston College player had ever been selected in the top 20 of the league’s draft. However, that changed Monday when senior center Carolyn Swords was selected 15th overall by the Chicago Sky. “I’m honored, but I’m really more so excited about where I’m going and the opportunity that I have joining such a nice program,” Swords said. “It’s not necessarily about the number for me. I’m just more so thrilled about going to Chicago and getting drafted.” To add to that honor, Swords was one of 15 of the world’s top draft-eligible women to attend the draft at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. campus. This was the first time ESPN had ever hosted a professional draft and Swords joined the likes of Maya Moore, UConn’s two-time Naismith winner, and Sydney Colson and Danielle Adams, of the title-winning Texas A&M Aggies, at the inaugural event. As a draft invitee, Swords traveled to Bristol last Friday and spent the weekend with the other women participating in activities ranging from fashion seminars to hosting a basketball clinic for the children of ESPN employees. The senior spoke glowingly of the experience. “It was wonderful,” she said. “We had player orientation Friday evening through all of Saturday so it was a lot of meetings, but it was all very interesting, useful information. It was everything from introducing us to the league and the game and even some of the rule changes that will be dif-
Women’s lax wins final home game
The Eagles defeated BU 10-7 in Newton to close out their home slate.................A9
ferent, to fashion and style now that we’re professional women, to financial stuff and image-building. Sunday we went to the ESPN campus and got to spend time with the kids of the employees and we did a clinic for them. ESPN did a phenomenal job. They were really fired up to have us. It was a lot of anticipation, but it was fun to see all of the other girls so excited when their names were called. I was really thrilled when my name was called.” Swords will join Gonzaga’s Courtney Vandersloot (the third overall pick of the draft) and the rest of the Sky on May 15 for the beginning of training camp. The Sky open their 2011 regular season on the road June 4 against the Indiana Fever.
courtesy of BC media relations
The Sky made Swords the first Eagle to ever be taken in the first two rounds of the WNBA draft.
BC coaches go back to school
Men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue and his staff visited a kindergarten class in Houston...............A9
Chicago finished the 2010 campaign last in the Eastern Conference with a 14-20 record and is led by fourth-year veteran center Sylvia Fowles, who averaged nearly 18 points per game last year. The squad is directed by former LSU head coach Pokey Chatman, who steered the Tigers to three consecutive Final Fours from 2004 to 2006. “It’s just really nice to feel like I’m going to fit well with a program and going to a program with such a great coach and great players,” Swords said. “I’ve lived in Massachusetts pretty much my whole life and I’m excited to go a new city. Also, there’s a great BC family out there for me.” In her four-year career as an Eagle, Swords won nearly every award available to her. Most notably, the 6-foot-6 center and 2010-11 team captain was recently named an AP All-American honorable mention, as well a member of the All-ACC first team (second time) and All-ACC academic team (third time). She leaves BC as the second-leading point scorer in the history of the women’s basketball program with 2,029 points. Additionally, she finishes her time on the Heights with the most rebounds, blocks, double-doubles, games played, and games started of any woman ever to put on the Eagle uniform. “I’ve had a wonderful time here at BC,” Swords said. “I came to be part of BC’s great tradition of excellence and I’m honored to have been able to spend time here and be a part of everything. I’ve just had great experiences with my teammates and we’ve done some really amazing things. Even outside of basketball, the people in athletics and in the academic world have just made this a lovely experience.” n
Editors’ Picks..............................A9 Game of the Week........................A9
radio singles
album review
S&M remix
foo fighters
the pop combination everyone was waiting for page b2
newest album is a god-like return to form page b5
fashion forward
sustainable style things to keep in mind when picking what to wear page b2
Thursday, april 14, 2011
The sweet sounds of s u m m e r By Katie Lee | Heights Staff and Brennan Carley | Associate Arts & Review Editor Save for yesterday’s gloomy rainstorm, Boston has seen an abundance of wonderful weather in the past week. With that weather comes the promise of summer and the music festivals that accompany the season. Scattered all across the country, these massive spring and summer festivals truly have something for any music fan out there. Lil’ Wayne makes his long-awaited return to the stage at this year’s Bonnaroo Festival, while Kanye claims his throne at Coachella’s final day in the blazing desert. For alternative fans, bands like Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, and the Black Keys will make the leap to the main stages throughout the United States. At these same, already exhilarating music extravaganzas, concertgoers can find sculptures at Coachella, comedians at Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza’s 2 a.m. after parties in downtown Chicago. This year, the festival circuit is more crowded than ever, so spend your day dreaming of attending one of the following five events.
See Festivals, B3
mollie kolosky / heights photo illustration
The Heights
B2
Thursday, April 14, 2011
+Editor’s Corner
Pump up the workout playlist
Radio singles by Katie Lee
Rihanna ft. Britney Spears “S&M Remix”
Darren Ranck If playing a game of word association, what first comes to mind at the mention of the name, “Richard Simmons?” You may think “loud” or “jazzercise” or “maddening.” For the better part of the ’80s, though, Simmons personified the exercise regiment. How unfortunate, right? Change over the past two decades made the will to exercise far less annoying. We no longer need a man with blue spandex and a perm to keep ourselves trucking at the Plex. One thing I do rather well (out of the many, many areas at which I excel) is create a strong workout mix. Simply turning the iPod on shuffle will leave you fumbling on the treadmill, thinking, “How can I run to Phil Collins? A musical genius he may be, but there’s no way I can muster through the last mile to ‘Another Day in Paradise.’” For the Editor’s Corner faithful, I offer a few helpful tips for those who want to develop a perfect workout playlist, along with some personal suggestions. Guilty pleasures fuel fitness. It’s easy to chide a performer like Rihanna or Flo Rida on the basis of talent and originality (although one could argue that Rihanna actually takes some pretty daring risks these days). With the biggest pop confections blaring in your ear, though, the fitness club can’t even handle you right now (puns burn)! Honestly, I urge you to dig through the top 40 and assemble a list of the songs that litter the radio. While it may not fit everyone’s taste, it’s necessary to lower expectations. These songs possess the strong, pulsating rhythm that match the natural cadence of the heartbeat. I promise it can only help you get through the muscle fatigue, so buck up, WZBC kids, and get mainstream just this once. Metal rock is for headbanging, not bench pressing. This is a tip mixed with a bit of etiquette. First the etiquette – no one else needs to hear the music from your ear buds. Even then, the sound of hard metal rock serves no purpose in your workout regimen. Although it may seem to provide the extra adrenaline, desperately craved near the workout’s end, it really only leaves its listener feeling angry and resentful. Nine Inch Nails should not cause you mental disgust as you finish completing your wrist curls (Lord knows we all love a muscular wrist). Picking up speed? Pick up more sound. I know, I just scolded the kids who play their darn music too loud. I’m sorry. We all do it. No one’s perfect. On the treadmill, though, with the constant sawing of tread against thick, industrial plastic, all bets are off with volume. Pump the music up. With steady acceleration, sometimes the only thing that can keep your legs from buckling is the pounding noise of pop guitar, overlysynthed vocals, and the simplistic drone of an 808 drum. The most important song choice: the cool down song. At the end of a workout, there’s nothing left to feel but strung out. The queasy but elated mix of alertness and exhaustion lingers in the air. The only way to equilibrate the situation is to put on the secret weapon – the cool down song. This song should embody relaxation in its vocal, its melody, and its production. Popular choices include Coldplay, John Mayer, or maybe even Florence + the Machine. It should feel like your soul is being washed clean. When I make a playlist, these four songs never fail to make an appearance: “Me Against the Music,” Britney Spears. Let me reiterate my first point: the guilty pleasures come out on a playlist. The musical sparring match between the princess of pop and the queen of pop, Madonna, provides just enough tension to give a little edge to a workout. “Don’t Stop,” Fleetwood Mac. Sure, it’s a little old school, but this song never fails to make me feel like I’m running the final mile of the marathon. If you see me on the treadmill running with a large, goofy smile and reckless abandon, know this is what I’m listening to. “Shut Up and Drive,” Rihanna. A song with vehicular innuendo paired with a New Order sample and tire screeching obviously earns a place on a workout playlist. Try not to mouth along, I dare you. “Hungry Like the Wolf,” Duran Duran. Not a bad song. I think I heard it in a Richard Simmons video.
Darren Ranck is the Arts & Review editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bc.edu.
an independent frame of mind
Two of today’s most popular women in music come together in the remix of “S&M,” a song that has been anticipated due to tweets between the songstresses and has been at the top of the Billboard charts since its release. The song takes a little bit of a different and unique spin on the original, and Britney even has her own verse. All in all, the remix is pretty much what you would expect from the two pop divas.
Returning to the drive-in
Beastie Boys ”Make Some Noise”
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi ”Two Against One”
Fleet Foxes ”Bedouin Dress”
On their latest single, the Beastie Boys bring back their classic and unmistakable sound. It is funky, up-tempo, and a must-hear. “Make Some Noise” is just a taste of what is going to be featured on their seventh and highly anticipated album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2. The original album release date has been pushed back but now drops on May 3.
Danger Mouse’s Rome project – already highly anticipated and a collaboration with Italian composer Daniele Luppi – has been in progress for quite some time. “Two Against One” has a laid back and smooth feel that is the perfect back drop to a dramatic movie. Overall, this newly released track featuring the beloved Jack White does not disappoint.
“Bedouin Dress” is a catchy alternative track off of Fleet Foxes’ upcoming sophomore album Helplessness Blues that was leaked this week. This track presents a familiar Fleet Foxes folk-influenced sound with a catchy tempo and soothing vocals. Indie music fans can expect more great things from this group when the entire album is released May 3. photos courtesy of creativecommons.org
THis week on tv by Christine Zhao
There’s a little drama on every channel
‘Glee’
‘House’
‘The Borgias’
Guess who’s back? The one and only egotistical but adorable Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff) will be returning for the final three episodes of this second season. The musical dramedy has developed an unstoppable fan base that will undoubtedly respond with enthusiasm to this week’s new episode. With the new pieces of singing eye candy this season, Glee will continue to delight in the coming weeks after a hiatus that was pretty hard to get through for fans.
Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), inarguably television’s favorite misanthropic doctor, continues to unethically diagnose patients in the seventh season of the popular Fox drama. Coming up this week, yet another highly anticipated return: the prodigal Thirteen (Olivia Wilde). Yes, PrincetonPlainsboro will once again be graced by her alluring presence. Called “TV’s hottest doc known to man (and some women),” Thirteen’s return is sure to spark some increases in the number of viewers.
The legendary Jeremy Irons returns in The Borgias. The show, which follows the infamous Renaissanceera Italian crime family, has thus far been satisfactorily full of scheming and lies. True to form, HBO has produced another show full of delicious drama and raunchiness. With a wedding, more feuds, and more underhandedness, the family that produced both a Pope and the rivals of Machiavelli’s The Prince. photos courtesy of creativecommons.org
Fashion Forward
photos courtesy of creativecommons.org
Toms are one of the most popular trends in the ethical fashion industry where every pair of shoes purcahsed provides a pair for a child in need.
A helpful reminder to keep paying it forward Therese Tully I’m sure no one here at Boston College would argue with me when I say we are all very lucky. No one needs to tell us that, as we have all been reminded a 100-plus times since entering BC, we are part of the 1 percent of the world lucky enough to attend college. We are men and women for others. We are BC. We all know the spiel. But recently I have found it troubling to watch the news, read the paper, or learn in class about all of the hardship and heartbreak that occurs in the world, while still spending hours picking out the perfect outfit or online shopping. I feel guilty doing these things when I know I could be out feeding the poor, fighting injustice, and curing disease (I have some lofty goals to say the least). I had trouble justifying my love of fashion, and felt rather frivolous when thinking of ideas for this week’s column. Who cares about shoes when children are starving everywhere? So I began to think, what if I could do both? After a bit of research, I have found one of my favorite organizations that helps me justify my love of a fashionable life, while still appeasing my conscious. There are a number of options, from sustainable clothing, and green business, to my personal favorite ethical trade and donations. Support Ethical Trade (SET) Boutique
is an organization that supports guilt-free shopping. SET Boutique participates in fair trade and they acknowledge the horrors of worker exploitation and human trafficking, urging shoppers to educate themselves on these issues. SET has links to articles, definitions of terms, and true stories and videos posted by survivors of exploitation or human trafficking. The companies mission statement, “the purpose of SET Boutique of promoting alternative shopping options that will end modern day slavery and exploitation,” is a noble one. The products sold on the site, including bags, jewelry, apparel, and housewares, are provided by socially responsible suppliers. Possibly the greatest function of the site is that with every $20 spent, SET Boutique will make a $5 donation to a charity of your choice, there are currently six to choose from, including organizations such as the Red Cross and SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation). Because all of these things are from companies who practice social responsibility, many of them are handmade and unique. Many products are eco-friendly, or made in the United States. You will no longer be lost in the sea of North Face jackets and Tory Burch flats. Instead, you will stand out and hopefully start a conversation, if not a trend, of ethical fashion. Follow them on Twitter, like their page on Facebook, and read up
about workers exploitation and human trafficking, what you find may open your eyes. Will I begin to buy all of my clothes and accessories from SET Boutique? Probably not, but it is one great way to give back to society while enjoying something I love. It is also a great reminder that there are tons of opportunities, if you are willing to search for them, that allow us to give back to the world in some way. Last week I ripped on some of my least favorite fashion trends at BC, but one of my favorites has to be the abundance of Tom’s worn here on campus. Of course they are trendy and very cute, but that doesn’t invalidate the effort that is behind each pair. For those of you who don’t know, TOMS Shoes donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that is purchased. There are many simple ways to give back, whether it be donating to charities through shoping, taking a reusable bag, practicing ethical shopping with fair trade companies, or simply being informed about the practices that go into making the clothes we all wear everyday. We can all continue to be men and women for others, while still looking good, if we just search for these opportunities.
Therese Tully is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
Brennan Carley It was great to step outside on Saturday to temperatures that finally rose above 60 degrees, and the warm weather shows no signs of stopping. Apparently, however, film festival organizers didn’t get that memo and instead scheduled two of the most prestigious movie-going events of the year for the next few weeks. New Yorkers and Bostonians alike will soon have the opportunity to check out a slate of movies making their way around the festival circuits. The more well-known of the two, Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival, features appearances by Sean Penn and a special performance by Elton John. At the end of the month, our city will play home to the Boston Independent Film Festival. During the one week-long event, Conan O’Brien’s documentary about his time immediately following the conclusion of his Tonight Show to the present day touches down at the Coolidge Corner Theater in late April. Elmo himself will be making a special appearance at a Somerville screening of Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey as part of the festivities. As a student and as a person who enjoys the warmer weather, however, these two events could not have come at a worse time. This week, a large number of Boston College students have surely dealt with the crushing feelings that accompany getting shut out of that class you so desperately wanted to (or even needed to) register for. Deadlines for final projects are rapidly approaching (seriously guys, we only have two weeks of actual classes left for this semester). I almost shudder to think of it, but the sad truth is that finals are only weeks away. Additionally, so many of the screenings are scheduled for odd times (2:30 p.m., really?). As enticing as so many of the movies playing throughout both festivals are—and really, there’s nothing I would rather do than meet Elmo on a Monday night in April—I just can’t imagine sacrificing my time here on campus in favor of sitting in an air-conditioned movie theater. The organizers of the Tribeca Film Festival are uncannily in tune to my plight, as it turns out. This year’s festival features a “drive-in” (read: outdoor) screening of The Muppets Take Manhattan in the city in which it takes place. The event promises Muppet-themed trivia, face painting, and “fuzzy surprise guests.” It is a screening that allows for the mingling of generations in a beautiful setting. I personally can’t get over how absolutely fun it would be to watch the movie alongside the Muppets “themselves” as the sun sets in the Manhattan background. Drive-in movies used to unite people. Families would bring their kids, and teenagers would go with their friends. They were exciting and unique times, and the slow death of the drive-in movie is a true travesty that should be reversed. I relish the times I had with my family at Cape Cod’s famous Wellfleet Drive-In Theater, one of the last of a dying breed. I’m sure I will never lose the fond memories of seeing Monster House and The Dark Knight alongside rows and rows of other cars. After pulling in, my dad would always bring us to the snack hut in the middle of the establishment, stocking up on Junior Mints for me, popcorn loaded with butter for him, and sometimes the occasional crinkly paper carton of greasy, but irrevocably delicious onion rings. My mom would always tune the radio to the perfect frequency so we could hear it inside the car, but my dad liked to crack the windows so my brother and I could enjoy the summer breeze and the sounds of the drivein. Sure, sometimes the sound was a bit fuzzy and the screen a touch too dark (a problem that especially plagued The Dark Knight) but it was the only time that my family would actually go out to see a movie together. During the summers in New York, movies are a different experience—I like to hit up the blockbusters and the indie flicks alike with friends, while my parents might occasionally head out to see a movie here or there. On Cape Cod, however, movies took on a special and unforgettable meaning. I always hated pulling out of the Wellfleet Drive-In after the double feature finished, but I’ll never forget the laughter and memories that my family shared watching forgettable films as the salty Cape Cod air breezed in through the windows.
Brennan Carley is the Assoc. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.
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The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
s u r v i v i n g t h e F es t: A How - to g u i de By Katie Lee | Heights Staff and Brennan Carley | Associate Arts & Review Editor Have a game plan: With so many artists performing and the large crowds, festivals can seem to be overwhelming, especially when you fail to plan ahead. Making sure that you make a schedule for what bands you want to see, where they are performing, and what time they are performing can be surprisingly helpful. Also plan to get to the stage well before the starting time of more popular shows. With all of this planned out, you have less to stress about and more music to enjoy. Additionally, it can be helpful to print out a map of the festival grounds ahead of time. Make sure you are well acquainted with where the stages are, especially if it’s your first time at the location. Discover new music: Many people are originally drawn to festivals because of big name headliners and a few of the more popular supporting artists. Although these concerts are almost all guaranteed to be great performances, make sure you take time to see groups you are unfamiliar with. The less popular groups are there for a reason too! At these performances it is likely that the crowds will be smaller and you have a better chance of being closer to the stage. What to Bring: Having the right belongings with you at music festivals can make your experience all the more successful. Here is a list of must have items at any spring or summer festival: 1. Food/water bottle: Most music festivals let you bring your own food in. This is essential to
take advantage of especially since the food and bottled water sold by vendors at most festival is incredibly overpriced. Some suggestions for snacks include: nuts, energy bars, apples, oranges, or crackers. Anything that doesn’t melt in the heat or spoil quickly is a perfect option. 2. Extra layers of clothing: Most days of music start around noon and go late into the evening. Make sure you have layers of clothing to prepare you for the change in temperature. 3. Disposable camera: Documentation of the event is key. Bringing a disposable camera may be advantageous in comparison to bringing a digital camera since you are going to be at such a crowded event and it could be easily misplaced or lost. Make sure the disposable camera has a flash so you can take pictures at night! 6. Rain poncho: Although they are cheesy, these are a necessity. A homemade one created from a trash bag can also suffice 4. Sunglasses and sunscreen: Most of these festivals will see a lot of sun so bringing the proper sun equipment is necessary. Remember to re-lather every few hours! 5. Babywipes and hand sanitizer: Music festivals can get pretty dirty. Babywipes are especially important for festivals with on-site camping grounds since the availability of a shower or running water is pretty unlikely.
Lollapalooza
Coachella
what
Valley Music &
Arts Festival
Sasquatch Music Festival when
Friday, May 27- Monday, May 30
where
who
Headliners: Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, The Strokes Other big names: Animal Collective, The Black Keys, Mumford and Sons, Crystal Castles, The National, Lauryn Hill, The New Pornographers, Rye Rye, Ratatat, Nas & Damien Riley, and many more.
Ellie Goulding
The Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash.
what
who
Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, The Decemberists, Bright Eyes, Bassnectar, Matt & Kim, Robyn, Chromeo, Cold War Kids, Deerhunter, MSTRKRFT
Major Lazer
B.O.M.B. Fest
where
Where: Manchester, Tennessee
what
Kanye West
The Northwest’s favorite annual musical festival, Sasquatch, celebrates its 10-year anniversary this Memorial Day weekend. Usually, like Coachella, Sasquatch is a three-day event, but because of the special anniversary this year, they have generously decided to add an extra day of music and festivities on Friday. Sasquatch is arguably the premier indie-rock gathering in the country. When the first Sasquatch was held 10 years ago, the festival primarily had performances by local Northwestern alternative or indie bands. Although there are still a number of local groups at Sasquatch each year, the festival has grown immensely in popularity and size, now featuring bigger name groups and artists. One of the things that sets Sasquatch apart from the rest is its beautiful and scenic setting of the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash. Along with the picturesque aspect of the location, the multiple stages are all within close walking distance of each other, making it easy to travel from one concert to the next. The 2011 lineup highlights the fusion between small groups and big names that Sasquatch is now known for. This year the lineup combines older rock bands with multiple new and upcoming alternative and electronic artists. With a strong lineup such as this one, this year’s Sasquatch is guaranteed to be incredibly successful.
Bonnaroo
Phantogram
what This upcoming weekend, thousands of people will gather at the Empire Polo Fields in California for one of the most highly-anticipated music festivals of the year. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly known as Coachella, is an annual three day music and arts festival, began in 1999 and has been rising in popularity ever since. In fact, Coachella is now considered one of the country’s “must-attend” music events and draws in music fans lovers from all across the country. Just last year, the event drew a record number of 75,000 attendees per day of the event. The desert-located festival features a wide variety of genres including alternative rock, indie, and electronic music with multiple stages that are simultaneously playing music from afternoon to night. The stages include: Coachella Stage (this hosts the largest amount of people and the most popular shows), Outdoor Theatre, Gobi Tent, Mojave Tent, and the Sahara Tent. With this amount of music, it’s pretty much guaranteed that there will be something you like playing at anytime throughout the festival. This year’s lineup is arguably Coachella’s best yet.
Connecticut music fan Frankie Bombaci had a unique idea for his senior class project in 2009. He wanted to: “bring some up and coming local bands and let them play in the same scene with some wellknown acts.” The result? The first year of B.O.M.B. Fest, an acronym for Bring Our Music Back. Bombaci’s idea was such a hit that year that it has now become an annual event and draws in some of the most well known artists in the industry. What sets B.O.M.B. Fest apart from some of the other small summer festivals is the fact that the majority of the proceeds go to children in need. Proceeds from ticket sales and the event itself are donated to charities such as Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. As far as music goes, B.O.M.B. Fest has an eclectic lineup for this upcoming May at Western Connecticut State University. The event features a few big and easily recognizable names along side some up and coming smaller alternative groups.
Western Connecticut State University, Conn.
when where
Friday, Aug. 5 - Sunday, Aug. 7
Donald Glover
Grant Park, Chicago
when what
Thursday, June 9 - Sunday, June 12
who Headliners: Weezer, Best Coast Other big names: Wiz Khalifa, State Radio, Coheed and Cambria, Wavves, Neon Trees, Portugal the Man
Snoop Dogg
Edward Sharpe
Friday, April 15 - Sunday, April 17
Sleigh Bells
when where
Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Calif.
when
Best Coast, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Gogol Bordello, Lil’ Wayne, Eminem
Saturday, May 28 - Sunday, May 29
where
Wilco
who
Although concert organizers have yet to announce this year’s lineup, advanced tickets have already sold out in anticipation of one of the greatest, most wide ranging music festivals in the world. Last year, Lady Gaga returned to the festival in spectacular fashion, transporting her entire Monster Ball to Chicago’s Grant Park, just a stone’s throw away from where President Barack Obama delivered his victory speech on election night in 2008. In the same summer (and at the same time as Lady Gaga’s set, in fact) The Strokes made a splash with a return to music and the promise of a new album. Additionally, smaller acts made waves with their smashing performances at the widely attended show. The British singer Dan Black tore up the small stage he was given in a concise but memorable 45-minute block, serving up saucy electro-beats for the overheated crowd. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros were high on the success of last summer’s hit “Home,” a tune that breezily wafted throughout the park. Last summer, Green Day hit the fest on its Saturday night, as did Phoenix and the thrilling Australian electro-group Empire of the Sun. Mumford and Sons played surely last small stage in its career. As for this summer, one can only guess at the lineup, but expect to see the return of a `90s band (think Jane’s Addiction), the emergence of a newer buzz band (probably the retro Fitz and the Tantrums), and a larger rap act of some sort. (Eminem would make the most sense, but Cee-Lo and Goodie Mob are rumored to reunite.)
This hugely popular festival is a four-day, multi-stage camping event that is held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn. Bonnaroo has always played host to a wonderfully eclectic array of guests—last year’s highlights include Aziz Ansari, Jay-Z, and LCD Soundsystem. While this year sees the return of the kings of rap (Lil’ Wayne and Eminem) to the festival scene, the sound leans heavily toward rock. Arcade Fire will continue their North American reign with a headlining set, as will the bluesy rock duo The Black Keys, a band that any real music-lover deserves to see in a live setting. Many of Bonnaroo’s attendees come in the hope of catching an act before they hit it big, and this year, the concert’s organizers have not disappointed. This year, Manchester will be graced by the presence of the 10-piece gypsy rock band Gogol Bordello (whose live act has to be seen to be believed). Grace Potter & the Nocturnals graduate to a bigger stage and a more prominent time slot this year, so catch them before they start selling out arenas across the country. For those in search of buzz bands, seek out the sets by the lo-fi Smith Westerns or the clearly California based and influenced Wavves. Looking for a laugh? Bonnaroo has delivered the best once again with the fest’s inclusion of the hilarious star of Community Donald Glover and Saturday Night Live scribe and comedian Hannibal Buress.
who
(Last year) Black Keys, Semi Precious Weapons, MGMT, Yeasayer, The Strokes
Green Day
Mavis Staples
Lady Gaga
The Heights
B4
Thursday, April 14, 2011
scene and heard
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By dan Siering Heights staff Cox/Arquette Marriage
The estranged marriage of Courtney Cox and David Arquette took an interesting turn at the Los Angeles premiere of their new film Scream 4. Although the two arrived separately, Cox and Arquette were seen embracing each other on the red carpet and even posed for a few pictures. The couple has been separated since October 2010, but they have kept a friendly and professional relationship. When asked about Cox, Arquette claimed, “We’ll be together forever whether we’re married or not!” Thanks for the rather unusual comment, David. At least he sounds pretty positive.
Cannes Film Festival
While the film festival won’t kick off until mid-May, the good people at People Magazine have been able to get their hands on the list of celebrities that will attend the lofty event. Among those planned to be in attendance include A-listers Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Johnny Depp. Also planning to make the trek to South France is married couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, as well as rumored couple Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson. These and many other notable guests will take in several highly anticipated features, including Pitt and Penn’s The Tree of Life and Woody Allen’s new comedy Midnight in Paris.
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The Osbournes
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Dodging the IRS is the trendy thing to do in the music industry these days. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are the latest celebrity culprits when earlier this week they were found to have $1.7 million in federal tax debt. The IRS has also placed a lien on the couples’ Los Angeles home, meaning that the government could seize their home if Mr. and Mrs. Prince of Darkness don’t pay up soon. This adds to other rocky financial planning, as daughter Kelly Osbourne was hit with a fine from the IRS this month.
Music Nook
DDT: the Zeppelin of Russia?
Krysia Wazny I’ve been attending St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University for the past two and a half months. I saw the campus for the first time today. Instead of making the trek to the real St. Pete Tech every day, we’ve been shuffling our slippered feet from one side of international housing to the other. Though this is wildly convenient, considering the lack of snow and surplus of vending machines, it does strike one as straying from the normal order of things. Imagine crossing the Quad for the first time after months of living in Carney and you might have some idea of what I experienced today. I’ve often heard people say that Russia is backward, but I like to think of it more in the context of my attendance at SPSPU. In the end, it’s just a little out of order. I noticed the same phenomenon at a recent DDT concert. DDT and their founder Yuri Shevchuk have been compared to several American artists, including Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan. One might call them the Russian U2 – catchy and mellow with slight political undertones. Needless to say these guys are kind of a big deal. So I was slightly surprised when they opened their own concert. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the United States, about 10 minutes after we arrived 20 minutes late, Shevchuk was on stage. Talk about a premature climax. Seven songs later they’d been replaced with a rabbit holding a puppet of another rabbit and several trees with balloons. The woodland animals proceeded to perform John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and then hightailed it back to whatever psych ward they had escaped from. The rest of the concert consisted of five other groups performing a song or two each, mostly on the same instruments already set up on stage. The ordeal culminated in a rousing performance by Vyacheslav Butusov and his latest band, U-Piter. The whole experience was highly entertaining, if a tad confusing. When was it going to end? Was that really all D.D.T. was playing? Did Ernest Hemingway just croon us a Russian sea shanty? Nothing was clear. Even weirder was the crowd reaction to the excitement on stage. Shevchuk was practically doing cartwheels off his stool on stage, and 96
percent of the audience had yet to tap a foot to the beat. An enthusiastic cheering section kept up the excitement in the first couple rows, but otherwise the mood was relatively sober, even if the attendees were not. Two rather unlucky fellows snuggled a couple seats down from us the entire show. If they were aware of the music blasting a mere eight rows away, they certainly didn’t show it. Two hours in, one sleeping beauty made a valiant attempt to wake his companion, before resuming his $30 nap. At about the same point, I saw a woman behind me clasp her
“DDT and their founder Yuri Shevchuk have been compared to several American artists, including Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan. One might call them the Russian U2 ... Needless to say these guys are kind of a big deal. ” hands and mumble along to the music. I knew things must be getting good. Whether enjoying a rock show, ballet, or symphony orchestra, Russian audiences seem to have a strange disconnect with their entertainment. Perhaps they simply experience it differently. Russians are well known for their passion in artistic circles, but the everyday audience member shows about as much emotion when presented with creative genius as they do while going through the grocery line. Nevertheless, they do love a good encore. A performance of any kind inevitably ends with incessant rhythmic clapping that might as well be a chant for more. Typically, this leads to nothing beyond an uncomfortable delay in the exit of audience and musicians alike. Nevertheless, I’ll take enthusiasm in any form, and with the occasional “1812 Overture” thrown in, you’ll never hear me complain.
Krysia Wazny is a Heights columnist. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
4
Les Grossman Nicki and Britney Your favorite foul-mouthed, Diet Coke-drinking, It was confirmed on Tuesday that the rambunctious diva will join Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale summer tour. The established pop icon and the reigning queen of hip-hop are slated to do over 20 shows across the United States, including an Aug. 8 performance at the T.D. Garden. After the announcement, Minaj and Spears engaged in a tweeting conversation in which both singers expressed mutual admiration and excitement for the upcoming concert circuit. “Could not think of a sexier Femme Fatale than Nicki Minaj to come on tour with me,” tweeted Spears, while Minaj said that she was “beyond thrilled” to start the tour.
hip-hop loving movie exec will soon be returning to theaters, as it has been confirmed that Tom Cruise’s minor character from Tropic Thunder will star in his own movie. In a recent interview with MTV, Bill Hader, who plays Grossman’s abused assistant in Thunder, stated that the finished script has “some really funny scenes.” Penned by Scott Pilgrim vs. the World scribe Michael Bacall, the script is not yet attached to a director or a production date, so it might be a while until we see the Cruiser back in the fat suit.
5
The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
B5
+Music
NEW RELEASES
Rock gods remain fiercely ablaze with ‘Wasting Light’ By Kylie Rolincik For the Heights
If Zeus were a rock ‘n’ roll god, he would undoubtedly be equipped with lightening bolts appropriately suited to his divine musical ambitions–possessing the sharpest teeth, forged from the densest metal, capable of producing tumultuous noise, while rendering ambrosial caresses of biting rhythm upon our mere mortal eardrums. Chucking these bad boys toward earth in a belligerent velocity of authentic heavymetal muscle, poisoned-pop frenzy, bluesy power ballads, steely-mangled melodies, the sky would glow with furious haze as it rained down pure testosterone. Forget global warming, this would be like deepfrying the universe straight up Paula Deen style. Rather than submerging cubes of mac and cheese or dollops of butter, it would penetrate the atmosphere of sound with scorching submersions of white-hot rock ‘n’ soul. Now that I have effectively divulged my obsession with Food Network, I would like to express my central conception that if Zeus were a rock fanatic, Mt. Olympus would be as a makeshift volcano with shouts of the Foo Fighter’s seventh album Wasting Light erupting forth from Zeus’ stereo system. Released April 12, this memorable collection of 11 songs demonstrates a brilliant return to the ferociously detonating, power-drenched, riotously dynamic, stadiumready anthems that these rock gods are famous for. How should we start this out? Perhaps with some feedback-drenched guitar, then a sudden assault by rapid
Glee Presents the warblers
Wasting Light Foo Fighters produced by RCA released April 12, 2011 Our rating a-
I’m From Barcelona Forever today
Chart Toppers courtesy of creativecommons.org
On Foo Fighters’ ‘Wasting Light,’ the band demonstrates the sheer, raw talent and rock bravado that it has become famous for all around the world. machine-gun fire drumming. Next, toss in front man Dave Grohl’s fiery shrieking of “These are my famous last words!” Absolutely. The opening track “Burning Bridges” explodes as a three-guitar riff bomb that commands its listeners into a state of glorious anarchy. With an intriguingly cadenced vocal arrangement, it’s the sort of sprinting pandemonium that evolves with each listen. This muscular rock ‘n’ roll throwdown features precisely the pummeling musicality that exemplifies that timeless garage band apathy for the whims of the masses—which, as it were, is exactly what we’re looking for. And, considering the album was recorded in Grohl’s basement using exclusively analog equipment, there is a soulful return to the grungy fundamen-
tals of this craft that generates the harmonious mayhem of a band massively rejuvenated. ”Arlandria” showcases a genius breadth of Foo Fighter talent, embodying a wild conglomeration of emotive expulsions, tangled amid a slightly mellower tone as the quiet-loud-quiet dynamics and buzz-saw riffs evoke the unmistakable melodic dimensions of Nirvana. A classic Foos twist is placed on the artful lyrical design as it channels the semblance of a nursery rhyme declaring, “Shame, shame go away / Come again another day.” There is a certain vulnerability pursued through this vivacity of creation, an exposure that successfully actualizes musical dexterity and engages listeners. The tuneful character of the
band is perhaps best captured within vibrations of the tracks “These Days” and “Back and Fourth.” These tough, moody power ballads mold a melancholic spirit into the shape of pure art. Emotionally driven harmonious motifs gain momentum as “These Days” meanders through sentiments like “Easy for you to say, your heart has never been broken / Your body’s never been stolen.” “Back and Forth” growls out “Once upon a time, I was somebody else.” Drawing on an almost country, hymnal flavor, Grohl delivers these gentle heaving breakdowns in a masterfully husky rock voice before, naturally, culminating into his classic thunderclap of a chorus. Heavy drumming and raging electric guitars marry unrefined rage with infectious catches of
melody as these magnificent moments of singer-songwriter soulfulness shine—it is as though Grohl were engaging in a mildly combative, yet darkly subdued philosophical conversation of self-awareness with his audience. Balancing raw strength of sound with highly evolved songwriting, the testosteronefuelled arena audio of Wasting Light is a fantastically searing achievement; the band blazes forth with a potent breed of talent that bleeds inspiration, sticking to their tastefully abrasive guns while engaging various features of beneficial musical risk. This compelling and energizing album ensures that the Foo Fighters possess no intention of simmering down. So, for Foos about to rock, we salute you. n
Singles
1 E.T. Katy Perry 2 Just Can’t Get Enough Black Eyed Peas 3 S&M Rihanna 4 Honey Bee Blake Shelton 5 Till The World Ends Britney Spears Top Albums
1 21 Adele 2 Femme Fatale Britney Spears 3 The King of Limbs Radiohead 4 Contra Vampire Weekend 5 Rolling Papers Wiz Khalifa Source: Billboard.com
Delightful Jessie J makes the switch from writer to singer flawlessly By Charlotte Parish
Asst. Arts & Review Editor In recent years, pop music has been synonymous with bad music, and only a few artists have been able to juggle appealing to the masses with producing quality music. However, Jessie J (born Jessica Ellen Cor-
nish in London) is a breakout and it is already clear that she has the vocal power, lyricism, and musical talents of a veteran artist on her debut album Who You Are. The magic of Jessie J’s music is that she entertains on every single track, never falling off for a moment with 16 polished, pitch-perfect tunes, each
of which could be a radio single. Perhaps much of the prowess that Jessie J demonstrates stems from the fact that she is not at all a novice in the music industry even though this is her first solo album. Having written songs for a number of artists, including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus, Jessie J’s most
Who You Are Jessie J produced by Universal Music Group released April 12, 2011 Our rating a courtesy of creativecommons.org
Although only on her first album, Jessie J is clearly here to stay as demonstrated by a steller, unforgettable debut.
successful co-written track is “Party in the USA.” However, Jessie J was clearly holding out on the tween pop star (who is part of the destruction of pop music) because her own album is filled with tracks much deeper in subject and quality on all levels, particularly vocals. Her voice is the first and most noticeable aspect of this incredible album. Always perfectly in control, Jessie J unleashes a whirling storm of raw singing talent with runs, raps, and vocal flips that don’t even seem naturally possible. But on her acoustic tracks, she proves that everything that astounded on the other 13 songs is her own innate ability. Jessie never settles or acts complacent with this massive talent, pushing her range on every song. Plus, on her live track “Big White Room,” there is a sense that she can do anything with those pipes. First of all, who puts a live track on their debut album? It’s an unheard of move, and a power play to show that she is no novice, unwilling to be shoved around in an industry that cannot define her music.
It’s tempting to call her genre “pop” because so many people will undoubtedly flock to this songstress and she will be incredibly popular. However, beyond the tracks like “Abracadabra” that are an elevated version of pop (a Katy Perry-style bouncy beat with better musicality), Jessie J has a soulful side, an R&B side, an urban side, and who knows how many others. In her arrival anthem “Do It Like A Dude,” Jessie J throws down a gauntlet for other musicians – “stomp, stomp, I’ve arrived / drop the beat” – and shows off her unique flair for a grittier sound, dropping curses in an almost rapped chorus before spiraling into higher notes that those “dudes” can’t even dream to finish the track. Not to be put in a box among contemporary, female hip hop artists, a big brass band kicks off the very next track “Mamma Knows Best,” and she even delves into the quintessential love song on “I Need This,” the most simply backed track of the album. That her voice can take on this breadth
of genres is an impressive feat by itself. But also, on every single track with no exception, Jessie J has an unmistakable sound all her own that resonates regardless of the style. With 16 tracks, including three acoustic and one live, Jessie J has put out a mammoth first project. Literally, there is no bad song in the bunch, and trying to pick a favorite is utterly impossible amongst the melange of hits. So perhaps the best way to sum up this album is to reference an event that took place some months ago in New York City. Completely unannounced, Jessie J showed up in the city’s subway, pulled out a boom box, and began belting her title track “Who You Are.” The response was instantaneous as hassled travelers stopped in flocks to watch the British performer in awe of her powerful performance of the lyrics “Tears don’t mean you’re losing, everybody’s bruising / Just be true to who you are.” Jessie J’s truth is that she is a powerhouse already, and this is only the start for a career that will be exhilarating to witness. n
Simon returns on a strong foot with the instant classic ‘So What’ By Matt Mazzari For the Heights
It needn’t even be said that Paul Simon’s music career has attained a state of such untouchable prestige that it echoes soundly across generations. Simon’s total mastery of words and music alike has been made into a simple fact of songwriting history. However, Simon’s latest solo album release continues to astound fans through its showcasing of the unbelievable effortlessness with which Simon creates beauty. Ever since “Sound of Silence” launched him and his partner Arthur Garfunkel into the national spotlight, Simon since always impressed. Any critique of him is infinitely easier and more predictable because of the mere fact that Simon has passed the point of criticism. He simply exists as a musical, poetic entity of his own, a living relic of sorts, unquestionable in his influence and genius. The album begins with “Getting Ready for Christmas Day,”
a new breed of extinguishedsounding protest song that speaks personal volumes with a single, placid story, a striking feat of lyricism. Soon afterwards, Simon’s experimentation with bold cultural meshing resurfaces on the third track. “Dazzling Blue” is a throwback to Simon’s expeditions into his own musical roots, mostly manifested itself in African and gospel inspirations. For the most part, the songs stand independent and unaware of each other, until finally everything reaches an emotional, cathartic crescendo at the title song, a lovingly woven pattern that deliberately glides over the matter of being impressive and instead seeks to be recognized for its brutal, glorious candor. Simon’s self-assurance is extremely refreshing. Since Simon and Garfunkel’s split in 1969 (directly following the hugely successful Bridge Over Troubled Water), Simon’s writing has been more often derivative than influential. Nevertheless, in
order to fully convey the weight and significance of Simon’s more recent work, one must first understand just what, exactly the music is derivative from. So Beautiful or So What comes from an unfaltering loyalty to the art of songwriting, fueled by eternal curiosity. The album is drawn out of a life etched by the fiery passion into the heavy annals of history, a fragile existence held aloft by a gorgeous, undying friendship and a profound faith in love. So Beautiful or So What is wrenched from an abyss of nostalgia, and yet it still drips with palpably modern experience as Simon the poet enters a new phase of understanding, characterized by a sage acceptance of a rapidly transforming world and carefully laced with a humanity that knows no containment. If any single verse of the album can be said to encapsulate this album’s peerless feel, it would probably be from the final stanza of “Dazzling Blue.” In typical fashion of his remarkable style
So Beautiful or so what Paul SImon produced by hear music released april 12, 2011 Our rating a courtesy of creativecommons.org
Paul Simon asserts his place in the pantheon of rock and roll icons with his newest and most exciting album in years. of lyricism, Simon makes the last line before the chorus ring heartily with quiet, graceful soul, “And we wondered why / and imagined it was someday / and that is how / the future came to be.” Portrayed in this single line is a total disregard for time, age, and distinc-
tion between the past’s dreams and the future’s thoughts. In their place, Simon embraces the present as a product of both vision and reflection. Everything that Simon knows, everything he believes, and everything he is streams with steady rhythm into
his work, flowing unhindered from the touching sincerity of the man’s unsurpassed dedication to music. Simon is truly deserving of his place among the greats, and So Beautiful or So What is an album deserving of many pleasant listenings. n
B6
The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
B7
Political Belief
The church and changing health care Olena Savytska At a time of rapid change in the health care system of the United States, freedom of conscience has become a key issue for Catholic hospitals and health care providers. Catholic healthcare in the U.S. traces its roots to 18th-century charitable women’s orders. This segment of health care providers was active on the Western frontier and was one of the first to adopt racial integration. A Catholic Hospital Organization and a National Federation of Catholic Physicians were established at the beginning of the 20th century. At present, Catholic hospitals are currently represented in all 50 states. The Catholic Medical Association, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) currently voices the interests and concerns of health care providers and patients in the country. Catholic organizations have been supportive of health care reform in general, arguing that the many underinsured and uninsured individuals in the U.S. have a right to life and health – a right that has been compromised by the inequities of the existing health care system. As the USCCB explained, “In our Catholic tradition, health care is a basic human right. Access to health care should not depend on where a person works, how much a family earns, or where a person lives. Instead, every person, created in the image and likeness of God, has a right to life and to those things necessary to sustain life, including affordable, quality health care.” They have not opposed the financial burden that increased Medicaid coverage under the new healthcare system would impose on
hospitals, a financial burden which smaller, rural hospitals consider a crushing weight. Yet the Catholic view of the healthcare reform process discerns a more imposing, though less tangible, roadblock to its support of the new system: freedom of conscience. At a time when the budget deficit threatens to shut the doors of the federal government, when the unemployment rate hovers dangerously close to 10 percent, and the markets are held up by the most tenuous of hope, moral objections seem impracticable if not insignificant. Yet freedom of conscience does matter – not just in healthcare, but also in the entire scheme of American history and heritage. We cannot ignore this concept, for its thread trailed the Pilgrims from the European continent to the shores of Plymouth. A few decades later, those who disagreed with the harsh politics of the Massachusetts Bay Colony spread out along the coast, forming new colonies, ever-more-perfect models of tolerance, the residents of which were free to have their unique beliefs. The pressure for conformity is strong within the notion of “universal” healthcare. The implementation of this uniform service may create new challenges for health care providers who disagree with the healthcare law’s definition of essential services. The USCCB frames the issue powerfully: “[A]ny item or service deemed as ‘essential’ must be provided- regardless of any conscientious objection on the part of the insurer, purchaser, or plan sponsor.” The strongest point of contention for Catholic organization is the issue of abortions, which are permitted under certain conditions under the current federal healthcare legislation. The freedom of conscience argument certainly seems to open another chapter in the Roe v. Wade saga. What we
must remember, however, is that the right to life does not flow in one direction only, that is, we must consider especially the objections of those whose life might be saved by an abortion. Yet Catholic health care facilities might be reluctant to perform an abortion on a pregnant woman who will most likely die – along with her child – without this procedure. Is this what the Declaration of Independence means by a right to life? An up-to-date constitutional analysis of freedom of conscience will likely come soon from the Supreme Court, an apolitical institution in theory, albeit one which has been the crux of battling currents of pressure from both pro-abortion and anti-abortion groups in the course of its examination of abortion issues. Certainly, conscientious objection is permitted in the military, so there may well be a place for a similar form of objection in the newly revised national healthcare scheme of the U.S. In fact, allowing for a degree of accommodation for individual religious beliefs, such as those expressed by Catholics, is a step in the direction of preventing polarization on the issue of abortion. In practice, it may be necessary to allow for exceptions to the healthcare law in the operation of Catholic health care facilities. Such exceptions would resolve, at least in part, the qualms that Catholic health care providers and patients have with current regulations on abortion. Such a compromise can help preserve the fragile consensus taht the Obama administration has painstakingly sculpted around the current health care laws. Even in the most universal of things – providing for individual well-being – our nation will likely do best by staying true to its pluralistic spirit. Olena Savytska is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com
Kin Cheung / ap photo
A pro democracy Chinese protestor hoists a photo of Ai Weiwei outside the Chinese Liaison Offfice in Hong Kong.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei detained China, from B10 of Xinhua, which brought more mystery into Ai’s detention. Weiwei’s assistants were also detained and questioned around the same time. The police reportedly raided his home, taking away computers and money. Wen Tao, Ai’s close associate and a former reporter for Global Times, is still missing. Wen has been working on a documentary about Qian Yunhui, who got crushed by a truck last December. Many Chinese commentators wrote on the Internet that they believed corrupted officials were behind Qian’s death. Ai was the latest prominent dissent who pitted the Communist Party against liberal Chinese and Western nations since Liu Xiaobo. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison. Weiwei’s detention came during the biggest government crackdown on progressive thought, outside of the recent violent oppression of ethnic dissent in western China. Since Internet messages were posted in February arousing protests, many people, like Weiwei, have been detained or put under house arrest across China. No
protests actually emerged, but the crackdown has upset liberal Chinese. Police have enforced more harassment of journalists who try to report on these crackdowns. The government has also blocked phrases such as “Jasmine Revolution” and names like “Ai Weiwei” on the Internet. The authoritarian regime is sensitive to the term “Jasmine Revolution” because ruling officials do not want protests similar to those that have swept the Middle East. Protests, or what the government calls “mass incidents,” occur across China every year. The catalysts are China’s industrialization and urbanization, which have elicited disputes over wages, land seizures, income disparity, and pollution. China sees the crackdowns as a way to deter potential dissidents. Intimidation is a double-edged sword: It works, but could also backfire. “It only makes icons out of otherwise obscure rabble-rousers,” says Blogger Richard Burger, citing the persecution of AIDS activist Hu Jia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo, and now Ai Weiwei. All of them went from being unknown outside of China into poster children of the Communist Party’s oppression. Beijing also set up the “Great
Firewall,” a sophisticated filtering network what blocks various Internet and social network websites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, to regulate information. In doing so, the government hopes to contain what the activists can do to get their message heard in China. The regime’s challenge is how to contain the spread of information. Over 420 million Chinese citizens can access the Internet through the use of computers and smart phones. Many of the Internet users, who are young, well-educated, influential and affluent, are the type to question authority or sympathize with activists. China, even while becoming a great power, is still insecure about its legitimacy and ability. With the world’s financial crisis that pushed millions of people into unemployment, Chinese citizens have become uneasy, and the government has increased its effort in suppressing the dissents. Ai Weiwei is the latest case, and it would not be surprising to see more crackdowns in the future. Binh Nguyen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@ bcheights.com
Amazon releases new Cloud software Five companies that By John Morrison Marketplace Staff
alex manta / heights graphic
Amazon, the Internet retail giant that has introduced innovative products such as the Kindle, has long been behind Apple for a share of the downloadable music market. However, earlier this month Amazon released an interesting and innovative new software suite aimed at restructuring how digital music is stored and accessed. Amazon is the first major technology company to venture into what is known as “Cloud” technology. This new form of technology uses the Internet to store a person’s music on a server that can be accessed anywhere, instead of personal hard drives such as the iPod, which stores copies of music files and must be carried around. Amazon hopes that an early entrance into the online entertainment storage through its Cloud Player, which many see as the future of online music, will give them the competitive edge when the mass of consumers switch over to the new technology and other companies
enter into the market. Furthermore, Amazon has offered many incentives for users to switch over to cloud based technology in hopes of increasing its online music sales and drawing customers away from downloadable music, a market dominated by Apple’s iTunes store. According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon’s specific software suite allows, “people [to] store up to five gigabytes of music, photos, videos and documents on server systems operated by the company.” This technology will give the user the opportunity to access his or her music from various different sources including personal computers, smartphones and tablet PCs that run Google’s Android software. As of right now, Amazon’s Cloud Player offers five gigabytes of storage, which can be increased to twenty gigabytes of storage if a music album is bought from Amazon’s store and uploaded into the Cloud. In order to lure potential consumers away from downloadable music stores, Amazon also included an extra incentive to purchase music from their online store. Any song that is purchased from Amazon
and stored on their Cloud player does not count against your storage limit. In addition, the Cloud Player also comes with a free app that eases the transition between downloadable music systems such as iTunes. The app allows quick conversion between iTunes music files for storage on the cloud. Lastly, if consumers have more music than the five gigabytes they are allowed to store for free, they can purchase up to one terabyte of extra storage to use at their discretion. However, Amazon’s new Cloud Player is not without risk for the company. First and foremost, many of the technology gadgets consumers use today, mainly the iPad, iTouch, and iPhone, do not support Amazon’s cloud player software. Analysts believe Apple products do not support the Amazon Cloud Player because it directly competes with iTunes. Secondly, Amazon faces stiff competition from other online-based music companies, like Pandora and Rhapsody that have already built up a large clientele, operate in places outside of the United States where large markets exist, and have more
extensive music library services. According to Aapo Markkanan companies like Pandora and Rhapsody “are simply more convenient and offer better value for money than models that are still based on purchasing songs and albums one by one, even if you store those purchases in the cloud.” Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, mobile phone service providers have been phasing out unlimited Internet access, a policy that would make online music streaming, the technology Amazon Cloud Player is built upon, on smartphones extremely expensive for the consumer. An Internet connection is needed in order to listen to music on smartphones and many consumers who travel in places without cell phone or WiFi coverage will be hesitant to use Amazon’s Cloud Player. Many analysts said that it was a matter of time before the big technology companies jumped into the new wave of music storage on the cloud, and it is rumored that Apple and Google have similar products in the works. Aapo Markkanen, an analyst at ABI Research said to reporters, “It’s a big advantage to Amazon’s music store if you compare that to iTunes. It could cause a lot of iTunes customers to swap to Amazon.” According to him, Apple has been slow at rolling out its own cloud based services, but it needs to do so soon if it hopes to keep its customers coming back to the iTunes store. Analysts also have told the Wall Street Journal that even though Amazon’s Cloud Player shows the next technological leap in the way in which consumers interact with music, there are some doubts as to how successful it will be in the early going. However, many including Frank Gillett of Forrester Research remain optimistic about the future of cloud storage, “Five years from now, people will think of online services like Cloud Drive as the primary place for safe keeping of critical information, as opposed to a backup, which is how they think about it today.” n
perform consistently Finance, from B10 Caterpillar is the industry leader in manufacturing and construction machinery. Caterpillar operates in three principle areas of business that include machinery, engines and financial products. Caterpillar’s innovation with its new vocational truck production and its focus on its customers helped drive some of the 62 percent increase in sales and revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2010. Caterpillar’s success has not been limited to the fourth quarter of 2010. Caterpillar’s stock has seen almost a 95 percent gain since April of last year. Considering how Caterpillar is the global leader in manufacturing, the recent global upswing solidified Caterpillar’s position in the stock market as an overwhelming reliance upon Caterpillar and its products swept the world. Considering the invaluable effect Caterpillar has had upon the rest of the world in this past year, there is certainly nothing sluggish (or “caterpillarish” for the sake of our argument) about their growth. Chipotle (CMG) is a Mexican restaurant chain that operates throughout the United States. Well, let’s be honest, I’m pretty sure that you already knew that. As a matter of fact, as a BC student, I’m sure you are almost essentially the Quality Control supervisor for Chipotle. It’s no secret that Chipotle is a fan favorite among college students and just about everyone else. However, what may come as a surprise to you is the fact that Chipotle’s stock has seen a 140 percent gain since April of last year. While a stock like Caterpillar capitalized on the global resurgence of manufacturing, Chipotle has not needed a surge in the restaurants sector to obtain the level of success that they have enjoyed. In point of fact, other industry competitors like Cheesecake Factory and Wendy’s have only seen very
modest gains of 10 and 1 percent. How have they emerged as the best? Marketing again. Chipotle’s “gold-foil” marketing plan implemented on March 1 has been a big contributor to Chipotle’s success. In addition to huge earnings growth over the past five years (especially this past year), Chipotle announced on Tuesday that it will open a chain of Asian restaurants called ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. If one thing is for sure, Chipotle has aspirations to revolutionize the inexpensive food industry utilizing a “Henry Ford-esque” assembly-line process. Speaking of Henry Ford, this brings to mind the car manufacturer whose 90 percent gain in the past 52 weeks which indicated that the auto industry was back. Which one was it? How about the very car company named after the master of the assembly line: Ford. Other companies that have seen a rise to prominence in this past year include Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Baidu (BIDU). Foreign expansion into Macau provided gaming company, Las Vegas Sands with a stock price increase of nearly 450 percent in the past two years and 240 percent this past year. Baidu, the Chinese and Japanese equivalent to Google has dominated the foreign web search space and has recently formed a working relationship with social media giant Facebook. In light of their domination in the East, Baidu has seen a 130 percent stock gain since last April. The companies listed above sure have dominated the powerful playground that is the NYSE. However, considering how many of these stocks have already seen their historic rise, the question that lingers is: Who will be next to stand at the top? Alex Dripchak is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com
The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
B8
David Cote
Matt Palazzolo
Charlotte Parish
Were you surprised that Congress avoided a government shutdown?
Not really, it made for a nice publicity stunt. The heroes of America!
No, national parks and museums have always been central to Republican ideology.
Not really, they just wanted something exciting to compete with reality TV for airtime.
No, at some point both parties had some room to give.
Surprised? Mildly. Relieved? Of course. Frustrated that we still don’t have a real budget? Very.
Is President Obama’s upcoming appearance on Oprah un-presidential?
Well it’s stupid. He has more important things to be doing.
Depends on Oprah’s gift. Welfare or abortions would appeal to his base.
It’s Oprah! Of course not. “Everybody gets a president!”
I don’t see Teddy Roosevelt chit chatting with Oprah.
Everyone needs to pay the queen of daytime a visit.
Does the Tea Party have a positive or negative effect on the federal government?
Positive. They aren’t perfect but consitutionalism and realism are always helpful.
Negative until they tar and feather opponents of their spending cuts.
Everyone may not like them, but representation of all viewpoints is the American standard.
If it weren’t for the Tea Party, neither party would be talking about debt and the deficit
Negative, by far. Their ideology stands in the way of pragmatism.
Is the scar on Obama’s head proof he had brain surgery?
I would only care if his scar gave him magical debt reduction powers.
Yes, now Denzel has to assassinate him before its too late.
Is he a boy who jumped off a swingset like everyone else when he was young?
Clearly, he was secretly abducted by aliens.
Seriously? What’s next, Obama has mind control powers?
Marketplace Editor
Asst. Marketplace Editor
Tomas Castella
Asst. Arts and Review Editor
President, College Republicans
Kristoffer Munden President, College Democrats
Winkelvosses denied lawsuit Facebook, from B10 vosses’ bid seems all but dead, they are not the only pursuers of Zuckerberg’s billions. Paul Ceglia, a New York businessman made an amended lawsuit Monday, presenting an e-mail allegedly from Zuckerberg. Its contents show Zuckerberg blocking the advancement of a social-networking company made by a couple of Harvard upperclassmen. Whether this refers to the Winklevosses or not is not entirely clear. As it said, “If we don’t move soon, I think we will lose the advantage we would have if we release before them.” This is not the first time Ceglia has appeared throughout the course of this lawsuit. At one point he even claimed that he had a contract with Zuckerberg that gave him an 84 percent stake in the site
for his developmental and design services to the site. Facebook has released a statement deeming these allegations by The New Yorker as totally and utterly ridiculous. Zuckerberg’s rag to riches story is unprecedented. By the tender age of 19, young Zuckerberg had already launched the beginnings of what would be a multi-billion dollar company that would capture the attention of the globe, www. thefacebook.com. Fast-forward seven years and Facebook, minus the ‘the’, has over 550 million members. If it were a country it would be the third largest in the world, behind only China and India. It gains on average 700,000 new members a day and accounts for one out of four page views in the U.S. Clearly since Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard his
sophomore year he has moved on to greener pastures. Oh and did I mention he was last year’s Person of the Year? Zuckerberg the ‘young prodigy’ is riding a huge wave of success and, as Kozinski noted, it seems that others are trying to get on his bandwagon. But finally, after nearly a decade of lawsuits, squabbling, and an Academy Award winning film, this ordeal may indeed be all but over. Both sides may perhaps be forced to move on. Merely a day after Kozinski’s court ruling one of the Winklevoss twins was spotted showcasing his talents at a crew meet in San Diego. Optimism hopes that this saga is indeed over and that the Winklevoss twins have ended their pursuit of retribution, but a hunch feels that there is still perhaps more to come. n
Alex brandon / ap photo
John Boehner speaks to press after budget cuts and a governmental shutdown were avoided late Saturday eveing.
Boehner, Republicans denied Cuts, from B10
Marcio Jose Sanchez / ap photo
The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, speaks at a gathering of the press at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto.
on Planned Parenthood funds. Under the agreement, the Senate will hold a vote on the money, but it is likely it will reject the House effort to cut funding. The issue of abortion nearly thwarted Obama’s health care overhaul in the final hours of debate last March. A year later, with the potential shutdown of the United States government a possibility, the stakes were higher, the political rhetoric intense, and the claims in need of explaining. Pro-abortion Vice President Joe Biden reportedly told Boehner that the Obama administration was prepared to take the battle to voters and allow a complete shutdown of the federal government over the issue. While debate was fierce, some concessions were made. Obama agreed to reinstate a ban on taxpayer funding of abortions in the District of Columbia. However,
he adamantly refused to cut any taxpayer disbursements to the abortion business. Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who is anti-abortion, revealed to reporters that Boehner told Republican lawmakers he got the best deal he could considering that Republicans only control half of Congress and do not hold the presidency. “We control one-half of onethird of the government,” Issa told reporters. “We don’t mandate anything.” A nt i - ab o r t i o n a d v o c ate s have responded positively to the news reports on the negotiations between Obama and Boehner. Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest thanked Boehner “for his leadership in gaining Senate votes on de-funding the scandal-ridden Planned Parenthood and repealing the President’s pro-abortion health care law.” “Long-term de-funding of
abortion is a strategic goal that has advanced this session, thanks to hard work and key support. More can be done, but we see pro-life momentum and look to the Senate to respect the wishes of the American people regarding federal funding of abortion,” she added. Boehner announced the deal just before 11 p.m. on Saturday night. He told reporters in an impromptu news conference, “I’m pleased that Senator Reid and I and the White House have been able to come to an agreement that will, in fact, cut spending and keep our government open.” Shortly after, Obama read a statement from the White House. He said, “Today, Americans of different beliefs came together.” He noted that the cuts decided upon would be painful but necessary to maintain the country’s fiscal health, but, he continued, “We protected the investments we need to win the future.” n
Rick Santorum By Matt Palazzolo
Asst. Marketplace Editor Rick Santorum was born on May 10, 1958 in Winchester, Va. He earned a degree in Political Science from Penn State, a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and a J.D. from the Dickerson School of Law at Penn State. Before entering politics, Santorum worked for the law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart. In his most prominent case, Santorum represented the World Wrestling Federation, arguing that federal anabolic steroid regulations should not apply to wrestling because it is not a sport. Rick Santorum began his political career at the state level. He was appointed director of the Pennsylvania Senate’s local government committee from 1981-1984, and the state senate’s transportation committee until 1986. In 1990, Santorum was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives at just age 32, defeating seven-term Democratic incumbent Doug Walgren from Pennsylvania’s 28th district. Santorum, along with current House Speaker John Boehner, formed the Gang of Seven
that exposed the House banking scandal, in which Congressman bounced government checks without retribution. Just four years later Santorum was elected to the United States Senate, defeating another Democratic incumbent, Harris Wofford. He chaired the Senate Republican Conference and served on several Senate committees. Santorum tried to insert language into the No Child Left Behind Act that would fund intelligent design curriculums. He was also one of only two senators to vote against Robert Gates’ confirmation as Secretary of State. Santorum was defeated in 2008 by the Democratic opponent. After being defeated Santorum joined the conservative think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center and became a contributor to the Fox News Channel. He initially endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2008 Republican Primaries before switching allegiance to John McCain after Sarah Palin was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate. Santorum has hinted at a possible presidential run in 2012. He has made several trips to Iowa and spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but has not officially announced his candidacy. n
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The Heights
GOP must stay true to politics, values Jim Havel There is nothing “cool” in the modern sense of the word about the Republican Party. In general, there is nothing “cool” about either political party. However, don’t tell that to Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor who is seeking the GOP nomination to take on President Barack Obama in 2012. At a recent college Republican meeting in Iowa, Pawlenty was a keynote speaker and dropped references to Lady Gaga and Charlie Sheen. Conjuring up images of Tiger’s blood and “winning,” he later went on to say that Obama had made many promises to younger voters and that he had let them down. “He’s failed to fulfill the expectations. If this was a Lady Gaga song, the relationship between the youth vote and Barack Obama would be ‘Bad Romance.’” Here’s another gem of a quote from Pawlenty in an attempt to court the youth vote, “For a candidate, I am relatively young. I have a more recent connection to the younger generation than some have or might have had in the past.” Yes the youth did come out in droves in 2008, 22 million of them, to vote. And the vast majority of them voted for Obama. (I most certainly was not so swept up in the majority). However, I would contend the youth came out to support the historic election of the first black president, and did not really care about the issues as deeply as Pawlenty believes they did. Pawlenty’s attempts to be “hip” are ill-advised at best. Politicians are already reviled as being two-faced and disingenuous, and if people actually think that
Pawlenty listens to Lady Gaga, well perhaps they should not be voting in elections. Instead of pretending to be hip, the governor needs to focus on the issues and hammer his message home. If he can do that, without being cheesy, it will resonate with every demographic of voters. While I disagree with the move, describing Obama’s relationship, not only with the youth vote, but American voters could very well be described as a “bad romance.” The fact that more businesses, unions, and politicians are lining up daily to receive waivers to protect
Obama is no leader, and if the Republicans keep hammering him on his record, voters should walk away from the Kool-Aid he’s been serving to them. themselves against “Obamacare” proves that it does not do what Obama promised it would. For the sake of space, the rest of his broken promises will be presented briefly: He promised to close Guantanamo, and now advocated military trials there. He promised to end the wars America was involved in. He increased troop levels in Afghanistan and has entered the Libyan Conflict. The stimulus package failed to get the economy back on its feet and has continued to be a burden on the deficit.
He extended the Bush tax cuts. He passed Dodd-Frank which will only make things worse for consumers rather than protecting them, as he promised. Make the tough decisions when they need to be made. Obama is no leader, and if the Republicans keep hammering him on his record, voters should walk away from the Kool-Aid he’s been serving to them and vote him out in 2012. It seems the only thing Obama can do, relatively well, is predict how March Madness will turn out better than the average sports fan. An accomplishment Democrats can only cheer for so long about. His road to the nomination just got much more difficult, not just because of his failed humor, but because businessman extraordinaire and former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, has formed an exploratory committee for the 2012 election. With deep personal pockets, and an ability to raise money with ease, Romney is the odds on favorite to capture the nomination, and is at least a guaranteed contender until Super Tuesday in March of next year. Pawlenty’s every move will be even more scrutinized, as Romney’s name recognition and national presence will be a formidable force. The main takeaway for all politicians would be to not patronize the youth by pretending to be on our level, and instead stick to what you know and who you are. Jim Havel is a guest columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@ bcheights.com
Rogelio V. Solis / ap photo
Tim Pawlenty, left, and Mitt Romney, right, are both Republican possibilities for the presidential election in 2012.
The World in Ink
Thursday, April 14, 2011
By Adriana Mariella, Heights Editor
marketplace The Heights
Thursday, April 14, 2011
B10
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Politics Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty told reporters that he will run for president. Pawlenty expects to make a more formal announcement in the next few weeks. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he will oppose any new tax increases to lower the deficit. He also plans to extract concessions from Democrats in return for raising the debt. Former U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, who was fired by President Barack Obama for comments made to a Rolling Stone reporter, has been rehired by the administration.
Economics A Huffington Post blogger has filed a $105 million lawsuit against AOL, claiming the company failed to pay nearly nine thousand bloggers. The plaintiff is seeking class-action status for his lawsuit. President Obama pledged to cut $4 trillion from the federal budget in a speech made on Wednesday. He also said he hopes to raise taxes on Americans making more than $250,000. Oil prices fell to $106.25 a barrel on the New York Stock Exchange. Demand for oil has slumped recently due to the destruction caused by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
Science & technology Networking giant Cisco announced that it will cut 550 workers and shut down its Flip digital camera division. The company plans to gradually phase out direct product sales to customers. The FCC announced that it will force mobile networks to negotiate data roaming plans with smaller network providers. The ruling was aimed at large networks like AT&T and Verizon.
Obama stops Planned Parenthood cuts The best
Finance At A Glance
By Michela Gacioch
of the best
Marketplace Staff
Friday, April 8, marked a crucial meeting of President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House, John A . Boehner (R-OH), as the two faced under a looming shutdown of the United States government. Boehner, a Republican greatly outnumbered in the room by Democrats, demanded a provision to restrict financing to Planned Parenthood and other groups known to provide abortions. However, Obama would not budge. “Nope. Zero,” Obama said to Boehner when asked how much he was willing to cut from the Planned Parenthood budget. Boehner asked again, but the answer was the same. “John, this is it,” Obama said. A long silence ensued which one participant in the meeting described to reporters saying, “It was just like an awkward, ‘OK, well, what do you do now?’” The meeting broke without an agreement, but the debate over whether or not women’s clinics that provide abortions should be financially supported by the government continues to produce quite a commotion in the American political scene. Legally, clinics that offer abortions cannot use government funding to pay for the performance of the abortions. While Republicans mainly object to the availability of abortion performance at such family planning centers, Democrats maintain that the nearly 800-plus health centers nationwide provide an
Alexander Dripchak
array of services, from screenings for cancer to testing for sexually transmitted infections, and are not solely available for abortion. During Saturday’s budget turmoil, Republicans sought the end of federal dollars reaching Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest provider of abortions. “The country is broke and the vast majority of Americans don’t want tax dollars to take the life of unborn children,” Representative
By Gerard Farara Marketplace Staff
From the drawn out lawsuits to the vivid portrayal of their malevolent relationship in the blockbuster film The Social Network, the arguments made have been well documented and each side’s
since Mitt Romney signed a universal health care law. Romney has since distanced himself from the legislation.
position is abundantly clear. On one side, the Winklevosses claim intellectual property theft, property now valued at $50 billion. On the other side, Mark Zuckerberg remained adamant that Facebook did not steal any programming code from the twins’ ConnectU social-networking site, and thus
Evan Agostini / ap photo
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, above, have brought charges against Facebook.
“
Senator Kyl’s words were not intended to be a factual statement.
”
-Senator Kyl’s (R-AZ) office, after he incorrectly claimed that 90 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services are abortion related.
“
The African Union initiative does not include the departure of Gaddafi ... therefore it is outdated.
”
-Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the Libyan rebels, describing the proposed Africa Union peace plan.
See Cuts, B8
is not liable to any wrongdoing. The arguments made for quite a basic case, but with huge money at stake and high-priced lawyers on either side, it certainly made for quite a cut-throat legal battle. But in the end, the evidence against Zuckerberg was too overwhelming and a settlement of $65 million was finally reached in 2008. This, we all thought, marked the end of the saga. But the twins re-surfaced last year, claiming wrongdoing once more. This time they claimed that Zuckerberg had misrepresented the total value of his multi-billion dollar company during their settlement. In other words, had they known the true value of Facebook, they would have negotiated for a higher price. Settler’s remorse is the legal term for it. Since the 2008 settlement, Facebook’s stock has risen. And with a new lawsuit, if the Winklevosses do get their way, they would be in for another huge payday. It would appear the Winklevosses are not twice fortuitous, as
International Insights
China cracks down on activists
the body of tsunami victim Dustin Weber traveled. Weber was swept away in California and discovered in Oregon.
in quotes
See Finance, B7
tests, breast exams, and birth control,” Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) said to reporters. “It shows their top priority is not keeping our economic recovery on track- it is reviving divisive social issues.” Late Saturday evening, White House and congressional negotiators finally reached a deal on the budget, as well as a compromise
The Harvard twins and Olympic rowers were denied their second lawsuit
5 years
380 miles
Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, told reporters. Democrats have claimed to see a radical Republican agenda against women’s health, especially poor and low-income women, and have fought back in the form of rallies and petitions. “It is appalling that Republicans would hold our economic recovery hostage for a ransom of denying millions of women pap
Judge tells Winklevosses to ‘move on’
in numbers
in prison, an Egyptian blogger was sentenced to for criticizing the military.
See Facebook, B8
Jacquelyn Martin / ap photo
Planned Parenthood proponents stormed the National Mall on April 7 to protest proposed governmental budget cut.
HTC introduced its newest smartphone, the Sensation 4G, on Tuesday. The phone will run Google’s Android system and will be available exclusively to T-Mobile users at the time of its release.
3 years
the 9th United States Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski made the final court ruling Tuesday, refuting the legitimacy of their argument. As he said, “At some point, litigation must come to an end. That point has now been reached.” It seems that unfortunately they’ll just have to stick with the original $65 million dollar settlement. All is not completely lost for the Winklevosses, however. The twins are reportedly planning for a re-hearing before a larger group of 9th Circuit Judges, which could potentially overturn Kozinski’s ruling. But if this group refuses to hear the case, all the Winklevosses can do is file for an improbable Supreme Court hearing. But Kozinski was key to note that, “The Winklevosses are not the first parties bested by a competitor who then seek to gain through litigation what they were unable to achieve in the marketplace.” But even though the Winkle-
In a very tumultuous market, it is easy to watch the major stocks and indexes and see them seesaw back and forth, one day up, the next down almost the same amount. What is important to notice on this seemingly perpetual playground are the “kids at the top of the slide.” In layman’s terms, it is important to see which stocks have climbed the proverbial ladder and now stand above the rest. While I could sit here and reel off, one by one, the biggest percent gainers year-to-date, this would accomplish nothing. Sure, there is a stock out there that has gone up 1,000 percent, but will you ever see it “run-across” the bottom line of CNBC? Probably not. While I must congratulate a stock on going up ten-fold and rising from 10 cents to a dollar, it is not worth the individual investor’s time. Instead, let’s roll up our sleeves, and analyze those stocks that have outperformed (and revolutionized in some cases) the market. While I understand how tempting it is to stay on the playground, it is time to hit the trading floors of the NYSE to see which stocks have reigned supreme. Apple. I figure this one pretty much speaks for itself. For those of you who are not familiar with the market leader in technology, say hello to Apple. Now that you are properly acquainted, let’s see why Apple (AAPL on the NYSE) has taken their company to a new and unprecedented level in the technology sector. Up almost 40 percent since last April, Apple has been able to capitalize on exceptionally marketed products like the iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro. While there are many other products which rival these products (i.e. Motorola Zoom) Apple has created an impulse that drives consumers to their products as the first and foremost need to satiate their technological desire. Apple continues to develop and revise applications, processes and products that keep consumers waiting with “baited breath.” As the old adage goes, “You can’t compare apples to oranges.” Well, I’m pretty sure the technology sector is currently experiencing a surplus of oranges. No, Caterpillar (CAT) is not a company that revolves around those fuzzy little insects that we see from time to time. Instead,
Binh Nguyen On April 4, Ai Weiwei, a Chinese celebrity artist and social critic, was detained at the Beijing airport when he was boarding a flight to Hong Kong. As a co-designer of the Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium, Weiwei is the most wellknown Chinese artist outside the country and has shown his work at the Tate Modern in London. The government detainment of Weiwei, a harsh critic of the Chinese Communist Party, was the latest instance in China’s effort to tighten its grip on political dissent. Weiwei was detained on suspicion of “economic crimes.” This catch-all term is usually used
as a legal cover by state police who want to detain or imprison whoever the Communist Party officials consider a political threat. Economic crimes include prosaic failures to comply with regulations on business registration or taxation. Unsurprisingly, the exact crime Weiwei is being charged with may be announced only at a later date, after the police have more time to look into his case and choose what crime to blame him of committing. The ambiguity was further exacerbated because under Chinese law, the police can hold an individual for up to three days before they choose to release him or apply to the prosecutors for an arrest warrant. However, the police regularly manipulate exception clauses that allow for up to seven days of detention and up to 30 days in limited circumstances. Police also customarily prevent
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lawyers from meeting their clients, even though legal provisions guarantee such access. Again, this does not come as a surprise because the Chinese Communist Party typically both makes and supersedes the law. Hong Lei, a foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters that the Public Security Bureau was conducting Weiwei’s investigation in accordance to the law. “China is a country under the rule of law, and relevant authorities will work according to law,” he said. Hong did not give further details, including an explanation of why the government had not notified Weiwei’s family of his detention yet. Xinhua, the state news agency, posted a report similar to Hong’s remark around midnight. The report was taken off later from the Chinese and English websites
See China, B7
Politico of the week
andy wong / ap file photo
Artist Ai Weiwei enters a Chinese courthouse in response to criminal charges.
This week Politico of the Week will explore the life and political career of Rick Santorum........................................................................................................ B7
Political Belief.............................................B7 Forecast on Washington.....................................B8