downed by dartmouth
cover the night HOlogram fest
sports
metro
the scene
The baseball team got by St. John’s but lost to Dartmouth yesterday, A10
Invisible Children’s publicity event does not come to fruition, B10
The Scene resurrects and reunites some of the best acts from the past, B1
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 23
O’Neill Plaza going green for the fall Cherry trees and grass will replace the existing concrete in one of the University’s most traversed areas By David Cote News Editor
When students return for classes next fall, one of the most traversed spaces on campus will have a brand new look. Starting the day after Commencement, May 22, the University will begin renovating O’Neill Plaza to transform the area into a green space, with trees and grass replacing the existing concrete. Though often regarded as one of the least aesthetically pleasing areas on campus, the changes to the plaza
will create a new green space following the destruction of the Dustbowl last fall. “This will serve to ‘soften’ the look of the plaza in front of O’Neill,” said Mary Nardone, associate vice president for capital projects. “But at the same time, the lawn is designed to still be able to handle—with perhaps some minor adaptations—the regular slate of events and activities taking place there.” The main diagonal path across the plaza, from the library to the Quad, will remain concrete, with grass on each side and trees ringing the edges of the plaza. The
plaza will still be available for large-scale activities, like the Mass of the Holy Spirit each fall, as well as events put on by various student organizations. Besides the addition of trees and grass, the plaza will be regraded so that the lowest level of the plaza will be even with the entrance to O’Neill Library, removing the stairs in front of the library. The project will be completed by the fall semester, according to Facilities Management, but the plaza will remain largely closed during the summer months. Pedestrians will have to circumnavigate the plaza during the summer when traveling from Lower Campus towards
See O’Neill Plaza, A1
photo courtesy of the office of news and public affairs
The view of O’Neill Plaza from the Quad (above) will be vastly different in the fall of 2012. The University plans to replace the existing concrete in the plaza with grass and trees.
BC’s invisible disabilities brought to light Issues for students with disabilities go unnoticed By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
This is the first in a three part series on student disabilities at Boston College. Boston College students are forced to think about the activities of a variety of student groups every day as they pass by bright advertisements while walking through campus. It is not unusual for thousands of BC students to be aware of the upcoming activities of a group composed of only 25 people. There is a group of approximately 200 students united by a commonality, however, that the general BC population is rarely, if ever, forced to consider: students with disabilities. Students with learning disabilities, including conditions like dyslexia and ADD, may be the least considered of all, as they lack the cast or wheelchair that obviously differentiates them from someone without disabilities. Many BC students are therefore unaware of the struggles that these students go through, and the differences between their academic experience and that of a student with disabilities. Paulette Durrett, assistant dean for students with disabilities in the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD), is very aware of the needs of students with disabilities, and works each day to make their academic experience as normal as possible. “My office ensures that the accommodations that students get help them to be
See Disabilities, A4
Spring concert sends no students to the hospital
GLC elects leadership for 2012-2013
By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
Tingley, Hendricks to further develop council By Brigid Wright Heights Staff
On Sunday, the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) had elections for presidential and vice presidential positions for the 2012-2013 academic year. With one candidate running for president and four for vice president, the current council deliberated on Sunday night after positions were proposed and a question and answer session. Joshua Tingley, A&S ’13, was elected GLC president and Erica Hendricks, A&S ’14, was elected GLC vice president. Carolyn McCrosson, current GLC president and A&S ’12, expressed her satisfaction with all the candidates, the results of the election, and the future of the GLC. As many of her own goals were accomplished during her time as president, she anticipates further development and growth from the new council. “I relooked at my platforms [before the elections] to tell the candidates what to expect, and realized I did a lot of the things I set out to do,” McCrosson said. With ambitions to have transgender awareness become more prominent, McCrosson mentioned she was pleased to begin the reintroduction of transgender issues, because a lot of times these issues get left out. McCrosson also discussed the 10year plan GLC has outlined and how she anticipates it will progress in the coming years. “Progress has been slow because of the administration, but we’re taking another look at what we’re supposed to be doing this year and seeing if we’re on track,” McCrosson said.
See GLC, A4
eun hee kwon / for the heights
Jackson Katz, an anti-sexism author and educator, spoke about ending violent masculinity.
Katz links language and violence By Mary Rose Fissinger Heights Editor
Modifying convention proved to be the theme in all senses of anti-sexism educator, author, and filmmaker Jackson Katz’s talk Monday night. Sporting jeans, a t-shirt, a blazer that seemed to be made of black felt, earrings, and a 5 o’clock shadow, he asked the audience’s permission to step out from behind the podium for his speech, because, he said, “stuffy isn’t really my style.” The talk, titled, “Tough Guise: Violence, Media, and the Crisis in Masculinity,” took place in Devlin 008 and was the spring event for the Golden Key Honors Society. It was co-sponsored by the African and African Diaspora Studies Program, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and the Women’s Resource Center. The dominant theme of Katz’s speech was how certain constructs of our current society, such as language and media, inadvertently serve to perpetuate the problem of sexual abuse. They dictate how we perceive and process information, and they need to be changed for real progress to be made. “If you can help people think about the way they think, it’ll have an exponential
effect on them, on you, on us,” Katz said. Shortly after abandoning the podium, Katz dove into a critique of the use of the term “women’s issues” to mean sexual assault. “Calling it ‘women’s issues’ gives men a reason to not pay attention,” he said. As the co-founder of the Mentors in Violence Protection program and one of the creators of the Bystander Approach, both sexual abuse education programs geared primarily towards men, Katz is an advocate for getting men more involved in the prevention of sexual assault. “True prevention means going to the root cause of the problem, and the root cause of the problem is not girls and women,” he said. He identified conventional terminology in matters relating to sexual assault as one of the huge obstacles to his goal. He noted that statistics are always phrased in the passive voice: “This many women were raped this year,” rather than “This many men raped women this year.” He claimed that the absence of an agent shifts the focus to the victims rather than the assaulters. He then referenced Julia Penelope, a
See Katz, A4
After hosting two consecutive concerts that featured between 30 and 40 alcoholrelated medical transports, the UGBC has managed to organize a concert that didn’t send a single Boston College student to the hospital. “No one was sent to the hospital,” said Mark Miceli, associate director of the Student Programs Office. “We’re very happy about the concert. It’s a great outcome.” The 2012 Spring Concert featured a total of three medical incidents, only two of which were alcohol-related. These students were treated by Eagle EMS in conjunction with the BCPD and then released. The event, which was headlined by Third Eye Blind and Nelly, ended the moratorium placed on concerts held at Conte Forum by the administration after the large number of transports at the Fall and Spring Concerts of the 2010-2011 academic year. Last Friday’s concert was only allowed after a number of UGBC-proposed
measures intended to limit drinking were accepted by the administration as part of its review of the future of concerts in Conte. The adopted measures included an earlier start time, an earlier doors-close time, and bigger headliners. “I don’t think you can attribute the decrease in transports to one particular factor,” Miceli said. “I’m sure there were a lot of factors involved. The earlier start time resulted in an earlier doors-close time. The UGBC and Sharon Blumenstock, the assistant director in our office who was advising the concert, did an excellent job of getting the doors-close time out. We actually had everyone in the concert by 6:10, which I think was a huge contributing factor.” Though the planned anti-drinking measures were certainly effective, Miceli believes unanticipated consequences of the time change also played a role in limiting alcohol consumption. “A factor we didn’t consider was that Conte Forum has skylights,” he said. “It was
See Future Concerts, A4
daniel lee / Heights editor
Only three concert-goers required medical attention this year, with no transports to the hospital.
TopTHREE
The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
things to do on campus this week
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1
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Today Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Robsham Theater
Come see the opening night performance of this reimagined Shakespeare classic about the magical adventures of young lovers. Professor Luke Jorgenson adds a Bollywood twist to the Boston College version of this timeless Shakespeare comedy. Tickets are $10 for students.
Dancing with bOp!
2
Saturday Time: 8 p.m. Location: O’Neill Plaza
Student instrumental and vocal jazz group BC bOp! will partner with BC dance groups to provide an entertaining night of jazz and dancing.
Wind Ensemble Spring Concert
3
Friday Time: 8 p.m. Location: Gasson 100 Don’t miss the University Wind Ensemble of Boston College perform the music of the great American composer Leonard Bernstein.
the
University
In s w e N
Proposed Louisiana retirement laws could cause professor exodus
On Campus BC campus minister honored by Ignation Solidarity Network The Ignation Solidarity Network (ISN), an organization that “promotes leadership and advocacy” in Jesuit educational institutions through education about social justice issues, presented Boston College Campus Minister Rev. Don MacMillan, S.J. with the Robert M. Holstein: Faith that Does Justice Award at a reception on Tuesday. The national award is presented to individuals who have “demonstrated a significant commitment to leadership for social justice grounded in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.” MacMillan has served as a campus minister at BC since 1995. He coordinates the Urban Immersion Program, an experience that gives BC students the opportunity to learn about poverty and homelessness in Boston through service and prayer. He also organizes an annual trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where BC students get to learn about the lives of Latin American refugees and the poor of Mexico firsthand. Macmillan holds two degrees from BC and previously taught at BC High.
Two bills set for debate in the Louisiana State Senate would radically change the pension plans of professors at public colleges and universities in Louisiana. One bill would force professors to work until age 67 to earn full retirement benefits. Another would change the yearly percent of a professor’s salary that he or she will have to pay toward retirement benefits from 8 to 11 percent. Experts worry that the passage of this bill would lead to mass early and unexpected retirements of professors who want to reap the benefits of the current pension system. The current state pension system is $19 billion short of promised retirement funding.
Newton landscaping business charged with $110,000 in tax fraud John Capello, the president, secretary, treasurer, director, and resident agent of Ieraci Landscaping, a Newton-based landscaping business, allegedly failed to pay employer taxes at various times during a five year period from 2006 to 2011. Capello and Ieraci failed to pay a total amount of $110,000, according to a release from Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office. Capello was arraigned at Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday. He was released and is expected to return to court in June for a status hearing.
By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
daniel lee / Heights editor
Author Rebecca Skloot explained the complicated path that led her to writing a bestseller on Wednesday. her to write about something that was forgotten. She chose Henrietta Lacks. The writing she did about Lacks as an undergraduate helped her get into graduate school, and then graduate school led her to write The Immortal Life, as all students were required to write a book to graduate. Skloot, who had graduated from college with a biology degree and had always intended to go to veterinary school before a
creative writing class inspired her to become a writer, chose again to write what she knew most about: science. Though she intended to write about a number of women in the field of science, she ended up only writing about Lacks, and The Immortal Life was born. One of the most important lessons Skloot intended to impart upon her audience, and especially the students in her audience, was to
always follow the path of curiosity. “Letting go of a goal doesn’t mean you are giving up as long as you have another one to put in its place,” she said. Skloot continued to employ this philosophy when she began to write her book, one that would eventually become a bestseller. “I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing as a journalist, all I knew is that I had this burning question that I had to find an answer for,” she said. “That led me to call Henrietta’s daughter Deborah. The more I tried to reach out to her, the more I started wondering why she didn’t want to talk to people.” Skloot’s interest in Deborah Lacks’ story completely changed the outcome of her book, for the better. “Going into this book, I thought I would write about Henrietta and her cells, but it turned into a story very much about her family, and about my path of discovery,” Skloot said. Once Skloot finished her book and brought the complete story of Lacks to light for the first time, she remembered some unfinished business. “I tracked down my old biology teacher and sent him my book,” she said. “I attached a note that said here’s my extra credit paper, sorry it’s 23 years late.” n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
4/20/12-4/22/12
“What will you miss about BC over the summer?”
Friday, April 20 9:52 a.m. - An officer filed a report on a graduate student who was receiving harassing telephone calls. The incident was investigated. A restaurant had mistakenly sent a food delivery to the student’s off campus residence. 3:31 p.m. - An officer filed a report on an unidentified male who was acting in a suspicious manner at Cushing Hall. 8:29 - An officer filed a report on an intoxicated student at Conte Forum. The student declined being transported to a medical facility. 8:32 p.m. - An officer filed a report on an ill BC student at Conte Forum. The victim declined being transported to a medical facility.
Saturday, April 21 1:28 a.m. - An officer filed a report on an intoxicated student at Walsh Hall who was transported to a medical facility in a cruiser. 2:06 a.m. - An officer filed a report on a missing student at 2000 Comm. Ave. The student was later located safe and sound. 3:10 p.m. - An officer filed a report on an activated fire alarm at the Plex. The Boston Fire Department also re- sponded. The cause was determined
that a student had accidently struck a fire alarm with a basketball. There was no actual fire.
“Friends.” —Isabel Del Valle, A&S ’15
3:49 p.m. - An officer filed a report on an alumnus who stated she has been the victim of several crimes at her off campus residence. The police department where the reporting party currently resides was notified. 5:14 p.m. - An officer filed a report on damage to a police cruiser at the Commonwealth Ave. Garage. 5:29 p.m. - An officer filed a report on a student who received a disturbing text message at the Mods. The incident is being investigated.
“Friends.” —Zach Baron, CSOM ’15
Saturday, April 22
“Lower steak.” —Pat Jerome, CSOM ’15
12:18 a.m. - An officer filed a report on alarm activation at O’Neill Library. A check of the area was made and all appeared to be in order. 12:40 a.m.- An officer filed a report from a student who alleged she was assaulted at an off campus address. “The people.” —Allyson Mason,
CSOM ’15
Showers 45°
Friday
58° Partly Cloudy 38°
Saturday
57° Mostly Sunny 36° 56° Sunny 36°
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 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Metro 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 David Cote, 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 Greg Joyce, 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 Brennan Carley, 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 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE 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) 2012. All rights reserved.
10:14 p.m. - An officer filed a report on a large crowd gathered for an event on campus at the O’Connell House.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
62°
Local News
Skloot defends the value of curiosity
that the woman who gave them died,” Skloot said. “He said she was a black woman and then erased the board and that was it. I went up to him after class with all of these questions about her, but he said that’s all we really know. If you want to find out more and do a project on it, I’ll give you extra credit.” These questions stayed with Skloot until her college years, when a writing assignment asked
Today
Sunday
featured story
On October 4, 1951, cervical cancer cells were taken from Henrietta Lacks, and the future of medicine was changed forever. These cells, taken without Lacks’ knowledge, had the ability to proliferate indefinitely and to survive in vitro, making them the first “immortal” human cell line. The story of Lacks’ cells, which are now referred to as HeLa cells, is widely known because of the research and medical breakthroughs the cells have led to, including human genetic mapping and the discovery of the cure for polio. The story of Henrietta Lacks’ life, besides the theft of her cells, was largely unknown until 2010, when Rebecca Skloot published The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a book that explores Lacks’ history, the famous theft of her cells, and the impact the theft had on her family. In a lecture Wednesday night, Skloot explained the mystery surrounding Lacks’ personal life as a major inspiration that spurred her to write The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. “I remember my high school biology teacher saying there were these amazing cells called HeLA cells discovered in the 1950’s and
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
A3
Twisted C-CERT prepares students, logic leads community for disasters to tragedy By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
Sean Talia Last summer, the Norwegian people were forced to witness the worst peacetime atrocity in their country’s history. On July 22, 33-year-old Anders Breivik murdered 77 people and injured several others via the bombing of a government office and the now-infamous s h o o t i n g o n Ut o y a I s l a n d . Nearly nine months after the attacks, Breivik is currently on trial, an event that has been simultaneously fascinating and horrifying to follow. The proceedings will last some 10 weeks , but trial is still in its infancy. For the past week, Breivik has been delivering his defense, in which he has admitted to carrying out the acts, although he denies any criminal resp onsibility for them. Quite the contrary, he called on the Oslo court to award him a medal for the attacks, which he has said were necessary and were meant to “protect Norway from Muslim immigration.” Breivik repudiated a psychiatric evaluation that found him criminally insane, saying that it was based on “evil fabrications.” He further remarked that, “To a political activist, the worst thing that can happen is to end up in a mental hospital. That would delegitimize ever ything you stand for.” A subsequent psychiatric report found him fit to stand trial. Whether or not he is criminally insane is not a matter for me to decide, but it is abundantly clear that Breivik is a sociopath, the worst kind at that. I’ve watched some of the videos of the court proceedings, and they are profoundly di sturbing . Breiv ik i s s e en g iv ing a Na z i-e s que salute following the removal of his handcuffs. He rises from his seat and politely shakes hands with the judges and smiles, as though he were sitting for a job inter view. As his eyes scan the room, he smugly grins out of some perverse sense of satisfaction. Indeed, satisfied is perhaps the most apt description of how Breivik feels, as he has told the court numerous times that he regrets nothing. He admits to having planned a far more grandiose scheme, though he was unable to execute it due to Norwegian and EU regulations on purchasing chemical fertilizer, thus preventing him from building more bombs. Breivik was also hoping to find Norway’s former Labour prime minister on Utoya, so that he might capture and decapitate her using a bayonet on his rifle, recording everything with his iPhone in order to upload the video to the Internet. He happily and remorselessly relayed all of this to the court, which has barred the media from videotaping the proceedings, lest Breivik be given a platform from which he can spew his frighteningly callous rhetoric. Sadly, there is no shortage of people in both the United States and Europe who will celebrate this mass-murderer as an enlightened revolutionary. They will cite his methods as unnecessarily violent, but will say that in the end, the noble ends justif y the questionable means. After all, what are a handful of lives when the fate of the whole of white European culture hangs in the balance? Breivik knows this, and is in fact counting on it. The last thing he wants is to rot away in prison without having served as an inspiration for others. Here’s to hoping that that is, in fact, the case.
Sean Talia is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights. com.
The Boston College Office of Emergency Management recently launched the fourth BC Campus-Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT) course to teach and prepare community members to deal with emergenc y or disaster situations. According to their website, the C-CERT course offers important life skills, including hands-on medical operations, light search and rescue, fire suppression, disaster psycholog y, and a f ull scale disa s ter simulation. For four days throughout March and April, eight participants, ranging from BC students to dining staff and police officers, were offered training in how to respond to various types of emergencies. These emergencies included active shooters, explosions, and natural disasters. The most recent class—and the fourth class to graduate since the establishment of the C-CERT program in 2009—graduated on April 22. To date, C-CERT has trained over 60 people. According to John Tommaney, BC Director of Emergency Management, the CERT program is a national effort by the U.S . D e p ar tment of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help average people become volunteers who can assist in an emergenc y. The program culminates in a simulated disaster, where the students work together through an emergency to find, assess, and identify victims. During the spring 2012 class, Tommaney and others from Emergency Management conducted the disaster simulation with members of Eagle EMS, who could respond professionally and care for the victim after the C-CERT team rescued them. “The disaster simulation is probably the highlight of the program because students get to experience firsthand how all of their training come s together under a somewhat realistic emergency, including screaming injured people, hazards such as darkened hallways strewn with debris, and the excitement of being a part of a team of people helping people,” said Tommaney, the principal instructor for the program in a coalition of instructors from
BCPD, Environmental Health and Safety, Eagle EMS and BC Counseling Services. Matthew DiOrio, A&S ’14, who is involved in Eagle EMS and also took the C-CERT class, noted that the course went beyond educating about the physical needs during and after a crisis. In addition to training students on basic life support skills as well as triage and fire suppression techniques, the course also covered the psychological aspects with regard to a disaster—how people will behave and act in an emergency response situation. In the course, DiOrio learned of unique improvisations one could make during an emergency. “We were using things like rolled newspapers—yes, The He i g h t s — a n d w r e n c h e s t o splint broken bones, blankets to put out fires or to cover animals, and even masking tape to secure patients to boards or splinting devices,” DiOrio said. The C-CERT core curriculum is universal across the United States, allowing students who are involved with C-CERT at BC to later become involved with a CERT program in the community they live in at home. In addition, Tommaney note d, it g ives the University a ready-trained resource of people who could help out in an emergency when the rest of BC’s and the surrounding public safety resources are fully engaged. C-CERT is expected to run another course during the fall semester, according to Tommaney. Their goal is to train approximately 50 people per academic year in the C-CERT program. In the future, the team also plans on reaching o u t t o s u r r o u n d i n g C E RT programs in the communities of Boston and Brookline as well as MIT and Tufts for joint training and drills. Ke vin Wickersham, A&S ’13, vice president of Eagle EMS, and an employee of BC’s Office of Emergency Management, noted that the course focuses on proper individual preparation for emergencies with the philosophy that it is impossible to assist others if you are not properly prepared to help yourself through the early stages of an emergency. C-C E RT of fers a unique course for all members of the
Mulhern offers new ideas on constitutions By Sarah Doyle For The Heights
On Wednesday at 4:30, John J. Mulhern gave a lecture in McGuinn 121 titled “The Prospects for Constitution Making: Two Ancient Perspectives.” The event was part of a series of lectures held by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy and the Boston College Legal History Roundtable. The lecture consisted of an overview of two different ancient schools of thought and their application to the world today. The two contrasted methods of thinking about constitutions were those of Aristotle, Plato, and the Ancient Greeks, and those of the Stoics of Ancient Rome. While the Aristotelian thought stresses the idea that each group of people is different and therefore must be governed differently, Stoics believed that all people are inherently the same and therefore can be governed under the same constitution. Stoicism, Mulhern argued, is seen often in the modern world. “In short, these two ancient perspectives are very different from each other, and the Stoic ideas can be seen in much of today’s societies,” said Mulhern, who described the path that can be traced from the Stoics to philosophers such as Locke and Aquinas and into the modern societies today. “For the Stoics, the same constitution is the best everywhere,” said Mulhern. “Men are the same everywhere, so one doesn’t have to worry about the customs.” He discussed the political issues in the world today, especially those in Egypt, saying that much of the Western world expected Egyptians to want the same idea of democracy that works in Europe
and the United States. “Perhaps in some places, or even many places, constitution making is a good idea,” Mulhern said. “But it may not be for all. Egypt is a good example of this.” Instead, Mulhern argued for a more Aristotelian idea, which takes into consideration the differences between cultures. He argued that the leaders and the citizens are different and therefore will require constitutions that apply to each group individually rather than humanity as a whole. “One cannot be sure what the results of one’s efforts in constitution making will be,” Mulhern said. “There is no one silver bullet that will make constitution making successful.” The idea that the modern world is in need of a change in perspective when it comes to creating a constitution was discussed as well. “All of this was understood thousands of years ago, but was lost sight of,” Mulhern said. “Even the document we call the U.S. Constitution has not done very well with the arrangement of offices.” He also discussed the importance of the people who are part of each civilization, and the relationship they must have to the constitution. “The paper will only mark out the form. Men are the substance, and must do the business.” Mulhern is an adjunct associate professor of classical studies and government administration at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government, and has worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia as a research editor and administrator of the Research Department. Currently, he is on the editorial board of the Bryn Mawr Classical Review. n
BC community to learn useful, every-day skills that are also pertinent to saving lives and dealing with an emergency situation. The C-CERT course is practical—one will not always be equipped with the proper resources to handle a situation, but the course teaches that there are easy and creative ways to compensate for this. Wickersham recognizes the connection between the goals of Eagle EMS and the C-CERT course. Eagle E MS upholds the importance of emergency preparedness, including it as part of its mission. Although already offering standby services during events on campus and other campus response services, Eagle EMS is always looking to expand. “Eagle EMS is constantly engaged in conversations with administrators to determine what we can do to best cater to the needs of University and serve as a resource in case of any kind of emergency situation that affects the campus and/or the local area,” Wickersham said. Eagle EMS currently maintains two Disaster Response Teams of 12 EMTs each. According to Wickersham, the teams were created to address the concern that in the event of a major emergency, there may not be enough available resources to deal with the aftermath of the incident. Eagle EMS engages in disaster drills in conjunction with the BC Office of Emergenc y Management and the C-CERT team at least once per semester. “Through this process , our members are extremely well prepared and possess the knowledge to provide lifesaving care to members of our community under the most unfortunate of circumstances,” Wickersham said. Wickersham urges the BC community to personally prepare for all types of emergencies, and encourages people to think along the lines of, “If I didn’t have power or running water for 12 hours, what would I want to have?” Whether this preparedness ent ail s t ak ing the C-C E RT course, packing a basic kit of supplies to grab on the way out of the door in case of a building evacuation, or preparing mentally for an event, it is vital that everyone be prepared. n
Graham Beck / Heights Editor
Andrew Card spoke about his career, joking that it entailed “being a good spouse.”
Former Chief of Staff shares his experiences By Kevin Cannon For The Heights
On Tuesday, Andrew Card, who served as the 21st White House Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush, addressed an audience on behalf of the Boston College Republicans. Card also served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George H.W. Bush, as well as in several positions ranging from cabinet member to liaison under President Reagan. Card is the second-longest serving White House Chief of Staff. He began his talk by outlining his career prior to being asked by then-governor Bush to be his Chief of Staff during the campaign. “I had served under every Chief of Staff scenario that worked under Reagan and Bush, so I knew what the job was like,” he said. “When George asked me to be his Chief of Staff, I called my wife and told her that I will basically be married to him for the next several years.” He remarked that the best job description he has seen proffered for the Chief of Staff position came from Harvard professor Michael Eugene Porter, who defined the job in three ways: to provide for the care and feeding of the President; to formulate policy; and to market and sell the president’s many decisions. “My job was to do everything that a good spouse does,” Card said. “But more than that, it was my job to communicate the tough decisions made by the President to those who had to know it. But by far the toughest job was micromanaging the President’s schedule … making sure he had time to talk to his wife and his daughter,
who complained the Secret Service wouldn’t let her party as much as she wanted to, making sure when the lawn was mowed, or if the limousines were gassed and ready to go.” What proved most interesting was his recollection of the daily events on 9/11, which were undoubtedly the defining moment of Bush’s presidency. Card was the one who memorably whispered into Bush’s ear while the President was speaking to students in Sarasota, Fla. “I was going to do nothing to invite a question, and as soon as I walked into the room, Ann Compton in the press pool from ABC News looked at me puzzlingly—it was unusual for anyone to walk in the room once an event began,” Card said. “Once the teacher was talking to the students alone, I walked over and whispered in his right ear, ‘A second plane has hit the second tower. America is under attack.’” A big part of the job grows out of the dynamic that develops between the president and his right hand man, and a big part of that relationship is managing different opinions and management styles. “All I asked of him before accepting his offer for the job ‘was that I could be candid with him and him with me,’” Card said. “Even if we disagreed, I respected every decision that the President made — even if I didn’t agree with it — because I knew that he was the one elected President and not I. I watched how hard he worked to make the decision that he thought was right. And I was filled with pride at how he made these decisions and recognized that he had to make them.” n
blood drive draws donors
Eun Hee Kown / For The Heights
Many Boston College students donated blood at this week’s drive, which ran from April 23-25 in the Walsh Function Room. The blood drive was sponsored by the American Red Cross.
The Heights
A4
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Invisible disabilties often go unnoticed by the student population Disabilities, from A1 successful in the classroom,” Durrett said. “They still have to do the work. They have to do all of their reading and all of their studying. The accommodations just bring a student with disabilities up to par with everyone else.” Any student with a disability at BC who can provide proper documentation is able to set up a meeting with Durrett’s office to discuss his or her disability and devise a plan that offers accommodations for it. These accommodations vary from student to student. Students with learning disabilities are most likely to be given extra time on tests, the ability to take exams separately from other students, early registration for classes, notes from any class they take, and possibly the right to request any readings they need in an audio format. This represents only a subset of accommodations offered to students with disabilities at BC, and students with different learning disabilities can receive some or all of these accommodations depending on the nature and severity of their learning disability. “I am allowed time and a half on any test or exam, the ability to take tests in the Learning Center, a note taker, and I can request readings
in an audio format if I wish,” said a student with dyslexia who requested that her name not be printed. “I have only used extra time and testing in the Learning Center, but it has been really helpful. I didn’t expect to get as much help as I did. I think BC accommodates students with learning disabilities wonderfully.” This student agrees with Durrett that these accommodations are necessary in order for her to have a normal academic experience. “I can do the work,” she said. “I can do it just as well as anyone else. It just might take me an extra 20 minutes so I can go back and spell things correctly so you can understand what I’m trying to say.” The task of creating a more equal playing field for students with disabilities can be very complicated and time consuming for Durrett and her staff. She currently has two graduate students working for her: one focuses on scheduling exams for students who wish to take their tests separately from their classmates, and the other focuses on creating audio formats of required readings. “Say it’s September and you are a dyslexic student who has just received a syllabus,” Durrett said. “You have 3 classes, each of which have six different readings because you are taking Sociology. We have
to locate these readings, and then get permission from the publisher to turn them into an audio format. We then bring them down to the library and scan every page of the reading into a program that turns the reading into an audio recording that we can e-mail to students. This can take a while.” Regardless of how much time and energy the job takes, Durrett and her staff are committed to creating the best experience possible for students with learning disabilities. “I don’t want this to be a place where they feel like they will fail again,” Durrett said. “This is one of the underlying issues for students with learning disabilities. They struggle so hard to produce the same documents that someone else could, and they think sometimes others look down on them because it takes them longer.” Though students with learning disabilities often find that Durrett’s office accommodates them very well, they still have their academic struggles. “I’ve had a very negative experience with professors,” the unnamed student said. “Some of them don’t believe a student with learning disabilities can do the work. A professor asked me what sport I play when I told them about my accommoda-
tions. I’ve had a professor that told me not to use my extra time because they thought it was cheating. I had a professor tell me it was unfair that I got to register early since I am an honors student.” The negative experience this student has had with professors even extended to her grades. “There was one class I took last semester where I decided to start using my accommodations after the midterm,” she said. “The grade I got on the final for that class was much lower than the one I got on the midterm, though I felt I had done well on the final. I went to go talk to my professor and they had to give me points back because they realized they had graded me too harshly.” This student believes that there is a logical explanation behind the treatment she has received from professors. “There are some professors at any school who wouldn’t handle working with students who have learning disabilities well, but I believe that there may be more at BC because they aren’t used to dealing with students with disabilities because of the higher degree of academic rigor here. Not many students with learning disabilities are accepted.” For this student, one of her ac-
relatively light in the arena during almost all of Third Eye Blind’s set. I’m sure that had somewhat of an impact on students’ ability to consume while they were actually at the venue.” Since Conte Forum is BC’s only venue large enough to hold concerts with big name headliners, and it is frequently booked by the athletics department, the UGBC and administration often only have one or two days to pick from when planning concerts. The random date that was
“Whether 4/20 had an impact on this as well… it could very well have been. I’m not saying we saw a ton of high students either, but it might have had an impact on the consumption of alcohol.” -Mark Miceli Associate Director of the Student Programs Office available for the Spring Concert this year may have helped to curb drinking, as well. “Whether 4/20 had an impact on this as well … it could very well have been,” Miceli said. “I’m not saying we saw a ton of high students either, but it might have had an impact on the consumption of alcohol.” The administration planned to use the Spring Concert as a test to see whether future concerts should be allowed in Conte. The absence
of transports from the event greatly increased the likelihood that future concerts will be allowed by the administration. “As far as I know, the UGBC hasn’t requested a Fall Concert yet, but given what happened, we probably would approve one” Miceli said. “We haven’t actually done the postconcert assessment with the UGBC and our stakeholders yet, which is part of the new post-concert protocol to see what went well and what didn’t go well, but my assumption would be that a fall concert is a very strong possibility.” Any future concerts will likely mimic the changes that were implemented with last Friday’s show. “In terms of start time, that is certainly going to continue,” Miceli said. “The strong doors closed time also worked out really well. Those are two things we are definitely going to continue.” On top of being successful from a student safety perspective, the differences in the most recent concert also helped to sell out the show. “Even with the early start time, all 4,800 tickets we offered sold out,” Miceli said. “We haven’t seen those kinds of numbers in a really long time. I think a large part of that is artist selection. We’ve been going down this road where we pair two dissimilar artists, and that’s been working out pretty well because it cross-populates the audience, which increases ticket sales.” Even though the early start time of the concert created more work for the administration and UGBC, including assembling the stage Thursday night and moving it into place Friday morning, Miceli said he would be willing to do it again. “The logistics are more complicated to do an earlier show, but the outcome was more positive,” he said. “We’re happy, the students are happy, so I think it’s a win-win.” n
Katz, from A1
photo courtesy of the office of news and public affairs
Above, the view of the new O’Neill plaza from the fountain outside Gasson Hall.
Green space returns to campus O’Neill Plaza, from A1 the Quad and Upper. The first few weeks of the project in early June will be the most intensive. Workers will remove large amounts of concrete and brick on the plaza and begin regrading the area. “Admittedly, there will be a disruption in that the plaza has such a high volume of traffic,” Nardone said. “But it will just be for the summer.” According to a release by the Office of News and Public Affairs, “the new-look plaza is part of a series of related projects in the University’s Master Plan that will create an integrated combination of architecture and green space in the Middle Campus area.” Other projects included in the plan are the construction of Stokes Hall and its surrounding green space, as well as a planned renovation of the existing Quad between Devlin,
Tingley, Hendricks will lead GLC next year GLC, from A1 McCrosson said she was confident in the new leaders elected. “The council is in great hands,” she said. “[Tingley and Hendricks] are working on some new projects now for the next year, and the council is in a terrific place right now.” McCrosson’s administration’s goals will continue to be prominent as the elected president and vice president work to further GLC presence on campus and recognition by Boston College administration. Hendricks emphasized in her platform the importance of collaboration with other student organizations on campus. As current assistant director of AHANA Affairs within GLC, Hendricks described her position as being one of the few that gets to be involved with both organizations. “I think I really stepped up to the plate this year, especially within my position,” Hendricks
said. “I wasn’t even the director of any particular department.” From her experience networking with many other UGBC branches to her involvement in organizing a screening of Gun Hill Road with little GLC funding, Hendricks believes her relationship-building skills are what gave her an edge in the election process. Hendricks hopes to spread the presence of GLC through her mission to connect with other clubs. Tingley hopes to continue the progress he made during his term as vice president this year. Part of his platform during the last election was what he called “Bring Back the T,” referring to the transgender community. He and McCrosson sponsored events featuring transgender issues, including a keynote speaker for the GLC Gala and a memoirist who spoke to the community about his experiences being transgender. Tingley also hopes to continue the freshman mentoring program, which was started this year, and
unnamed student said. “There is the occasional joke from close friends, but it’s all in good humor.” Students with learning disabilities believe that they have the resources at their disposal to successfully navigate through BC academics, but they believe their situation could still greatly improve. “A student with learning disabilities can get through BC just fine,” the unnamed student said. “The services have been great. I wouldn’t do as well without them. Because of my experience with professors, however, I’d seriously consider not registering, given the chance to start over.” Awareness is the key that both students with disabilities and the administrators who work with them agree will improve the BC academic environment. “I think the community of students with learning disabilities has a voice, and it needs to be heard,” the unnamed student said. “I think with greater awareness, professors would view us in a less demeaning way, and understand that our accommodations act as a compensation for a life of disability. People would stop putting limits on us. Some of the world’s greatest minds have been dyslexic. If you keep hindering people like us, you won’t find the next Thomas Edison.” n
Katz calls for male support
UGBC’s annual concert yields low number of transports Future Concerts, A1
commodations gives her the ability to avoid classes taught by professors who are known to treat students with disabilities poorly. “Early registration really helps. That way I know I can get into classes taught by professors who are known to deal well with students with learning disabilities.” Durrett is also willing to clear up any conflicts that arise between students and professors over accommodations. “If a student comes in and has a misunderstanding with a professor about their accommodation, I would call the professor and have a conversation about what’s going on with the student and how we can help them out,” Durrett said. Some students choose not to ask Durrett for help, however. “I would rather deal with it on my own,” the unnamed student said. “That’s just what I prefer. I’ve made the decision from now on to only inform professors of my disability in classes that have written tests for which I would need extra time.” BC students far outshine their professors in terms of dealing with their peers who have learning disabilities, according to the unnamed student. “I have yet to find a student with a disability who feels targeted or hurt because of other students,” the
the expansion of “Queer Peers,” a counseling program. “Both [Tingley’s] and my focus next year within GLC is definitely to get going on our 10 year plan, something that was written two years ago,” Hendricks said. “We want to continue conversation with the administration. We would like to see public acceptance … and establish a safe place for LGBTQ students.” The two also expressed the importance of integration into the UGBC community as a branch. “This past year was our first year as a branch of UGBC … and we really want to continue to foster these bonds between branches, ALC, Cabinet, and Senate to help fulfill our mission of the organization by working with these other branches of UGBC and solidifying our position as a branch,” Tingley said. With new goals of expansion on current programs within GLC, the new council, and with coming applications for the next academic year, anticipate a year of growth in 2012. n
Fulton, Lyons, and Gasson. “These all are intrinsically important in and of themselves,” Nardone said, “and at the same time, the projects will help make for a unifying vision of Boston College, one that people walking between Stokes and O’Neill will be able to appreciate.” In addition to the regrading and addition of grass, the renovated O’Neill Plaza will feature 20-foot tulip trees along the front of the library and 14-foot flowering cherry trees closer to Gasson Hall. “This will be a remarkable ‘before and after,’ and in such a short time,” said Gina Bellavia associate director for campus grounds. Architecture for the project was contracted to Stephen Stimson Associates, the same firm responsible for the Stokes Hall project, while Thomas Runyon, head of the recent Gasson Hall renovation, will be Boston College’s project manager. n
feminist linguist, who had done an exercise where she transformed the sentence “John beat Mary” into “Mary was beaten by John,” then simply “Mary was beaten.” Katz claimed this parallels the shift in conventional rhetoric on the subject of abuse. “Our whole cognitive structure is set up to ask questions about Mary, and it’s not wrong to ask questions about Mary, that’s very important, but that’s not going to help us prevent violence,” Katz said. He stressed the importance of making men the focus of efforts looking to end sexual assault, as they are the most common offenders. He also discussed the necessity to identify the “systemic forces” under which these men act. “What are these systemic forces? How do we contribute to them?” The terminology that generally surrounds topics such as assault is one of the most powerful forces, according to Katz. He identified the courts’ shift from using the term “victim” to using “accuser” as “a giant step backwards for our society,” as it transforms the woman into the agent and the man into victim of her accusation, which leads us to subconsciously sympathize with the offender. Katz claimed that this simple terminology shift contributed to the pressures that keep victims silent. Another problem Katz identified was the silence of men on the topic. He said that women are the overwhelming majority of people in attendance at the many sexual abuse conferences he either speaks at or attends. He spoke of women approaching him at such conferences and thanking him for his interest in the topic. “It’s embarrassing to be congratulated for what all men should be doing,”
he said. He blamed the silence of men largely on the portrayal of manliness in the media. This form of masculinity is often ultra-tough and sexist, or at least not compatible with an idea of manliness which requires men to speak up about sexual abuse. As a result, the social norm of men remaining virtually silent on the issue has persisted. Katz professed his belief that if men came to sexual
“We need to raise the bar in America today for what it means to be a ‘good guy.’ ‘I’m not a rapist’ is not particularly impressive to me.” -Jackson Katz Anti-sexism author assault conferences, the numbers of assault would go down not because it is against the law but because sexual assault would be perceived as unacceptable in male peer culture. As it is, men think that just because they themselves are not sexual offenders, they don’t need to attend conferences or workshops on prevention of sexual assault, Katz said. “We need to raise the bar in America today for what it means to be a ‘good guy.’ ‘I’m not a rapist’ is not particularly impressive to me,” Katz said. Many professional sports teams and branches of the military have been required to go through Katz’s Mentors in Violence Prevention Program, which aims to get men talking about sexual assault, especially to other men, and younger boys in particular. n
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The Heights
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Thursday, April 26, 2012
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A6
The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Emergency response class prepares students
Thursday, April 26, 2012
“Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.” -Edward Murrow (1908-1965), American broadcast journalist
C-CERT helps the BC community learn how to respond safely to a multitude of disasters, helping the campus as a whole Last weekend, the Boston College Office of Emergency Management sponsored a free Campus-Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT) class for students interested in learning how to respond to potential emergencies on campus. The class, held on Saturday and Sunday, taught students basic first aid, light search and rescue,
“The Heights would like to commend the Office of Emergency Management for providing this opportunity to the BC community.”
fire suppression, and a variety of other skills that would be necessary in the event of a disaster on campus. Students participated in crisis simulations that gave them experience with the efficient decision making and quick
response necessary during disasters, such as school shootings, explosions, and severe weather. The Heights would like to commend the Office of Emergency Management for providing this opportunity to the BC community. Though disasters and emergencies are relatively rare on our campus, it is always helpful for students to be prepared for dangerous situations. The skills learned in the CCERT class can be applied in situations ranging from a scraped knee or a stove fire to a full building blaze or a multiple vehicle collision. The students who attended the class are undoubtedly better off for the experience, having gained many skills that they typically would not obtain at BC. Given the value of such knowledge, The Heights encourages even more students to participate in the C-CERT program when it is offered in the future. The skills students in the class learn might never be used, and the scenarios they are exposed to might never happen, but in the event that they do, those who participated will be able to respond in a much more effective way.
O’Neill green space fills outdoor void The University’s decision to turn O’Neill Plaza into a lawn will beautify campus and give a Dustbowl-like feel The Heights would like to commend the University on its plans to transform O’Neill Plaza into a much-needed green space on campus. The classes after 2014 were never able to fully enjoy and utilize the Dustbowl, and have felt the absence of green space on this campus. The plans, which will replace much of the concrete on O’Neill Plaza with grass and trees, will allow these students to get a feel for the atmosphere that was lost with the demolition of the Dustbowl.
The green spaces available on this campus for recreation, relaxation, and studying outdoors are few, and often extremely crowded. This addition will allow for more students to spend time outdoors during the nice weather. Green space will become more accessible to everyone, and will enhance the overall look and appeal of our already beautiful campus. The Heights eagerly awaits this transformation that should be completed by the beginning of next year.
GLC leadership must never forget their goals With a new president and vice president, The Heights asks the GLC to continue to expand, despite resistance The Heights would like to congratulate Joshua Tingley, A&S ’13, and Erica Hendricks, A&S ’14, on being elected president and vice president of the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC), respectively. Both students have strong credentials, given Tingley’s experience serving as vice president of GLC for the past year and Hendricks’ background
“GLC is a necessary and beneficial group on campus, but will always face roadblocks due to the Catholic nature of our institution.” in event planning and ties to the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC). GLC is a necessary and beneficial group on campus, but will always face roadblocks due to the Catholic nature of our institution. The Heights is confident that Tingley and Hendricks are prepared for this ongoing fight, and we remind them not to let the
hesitancies of the administration affect their overall goals. With plans to expand Queer Peers and their freshman mentoring program, to raise transgender awareness (something that is lacking on our campus), and to continue the group’s integration into UGBC, it is imperative that they strive to create a more united Boston College. In addition, we ask Tingley and Hendricks to constantly strive for the goals outlined in GLC’s document, “Reaching New Heights.” Every day, we hear more nationwide stories about GLBTQ students being bullied, abused, and targeted. Although there has been no major public occurrence of such hate on our campus, that does not mean hate crimes don’t occur. “Reaching New Heights,” which advocates for safe spaces for GLBTQ students and continued education, will help diminish this risk and keep our campus hate-free. The Heights believes that Tingley and Hendricks are poised to take on the roles and responsibilities of president and vice president. We wish them luck in their tenure and hope they can create long-lasting change on our campus.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
Contributors: Tricia Tiedt
Woogeon Kim/ Heights Illustration
The Online buzz Reprinting reader comments from www.bcheights.com, The Online Buzz draws on the online community to contribute to the ongoing discussion. In response to “On the wrong path,” by Kameron Bain: I strongly disagree with this piece, and I think it’s presumptuous for Kam to attempt to speak for the whole Hardey-Cushing population. Many of us enjoy the programs in place — trips to the zoo, walking tours of Boston, alternative Spring Break, Frosh.0, Tea Time, 48 Minutes, and more. The RAs on each floor have made an attempt to get to know their residents, and it’s only students with an entitled attitude — the “I can do what I want, why are people holding me accountable” response of a jaded adolescent — that sees the RAs or Elizabeth as Gestapo. Next time you go quoting the Constitution, it’s worth checking facts: the U.S. Constitution does not apply to private actors. The 4th Amendment only applies to the actions of the Federal Government, and, through extension of the 14th Amendment, to the State Gov’t. It does not apply to a private school in which you chose to enroll and whose campus agreement you signed. Living in BC housing is a privilege and not a right, and it’s about time Kam starts acting like an adult (instead of just claiming to be one) by finally being responsible for mistakes that he has made instead of blaming the RAs for catching him.
Your “opinion” piece comes across as a childish rant that you probably wrote minutes after handing a BCPD officer your card. I’m going to assume your sample size is limited to your group of friends after just being written up. You have no knowledge of what the other 300-plus Hardey-Cushing residents think about the Pathways Program so you have zero authority on claiming the program is a failure and that students are unhappy. Maybe accepting some of that free candy will make you less cranky.
HC Resident
Anonymous
Hardey-Cush Resident
I partially agree and disagree ... although the intention of the article may be misaimed, the constitution stands strong regardless of institution in the USA. Just as you cannot have private prostitution and rape you cannot privately break the fourth amendment. I disagree in that this piece is clearly from the perspective of an individual going at lengths to defend his rights. However, I agree that we need to be treated as adults, and enough already with the constant check-ups.
LEtter to the editor A Silver Lining in the UIS System With a 4:15 registration time on the 2nd day for all rising sophomores, I should have nothing good to say about the UIS system. I didn’t get to register for PULSE, I have an 8:30 class (at least it’s only twice a week), and none of my preferred classes I wanted were available, let alone the professors. But not all was lost. Having all of my preferred classes closed off forced me to go through every department
code searching for anything to fit my 15-credit requirement. If it hadn’t been for my awful registration time, I would never have gone through the Classical Studies courses and discovered Roman Law & Family or the Psychology courses to discover Animal Cognition. My inner-history buff is satisfied, as is my animal lover side. I sympathize with those who were not able to get the main courses they wanted,
Kam Noori A&S’15
Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com 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
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 Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Jae Hyung (Daniel) Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
but I also think BC has plenty of other great courses that people skip over to get into Challenge of Justice with Pope or PULSE with McMenamin. Just because they are not the most popular courses does not mean they are not valuable. As one door closes, another opens and I think those opened doors are worth exploring.
Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant
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The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
A7
Opinions
Thumbs Up Politics take the stage- Love him or hate him, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Mitt Romney seems, well, kind of like a robot. That’s why we were so excited to hear that he might appear on an episode of Saturday Night Live. Let’s get him out of a suit, mess up his perfectly coiffed hair, and plop him next to Andy Samberg in a Lonely Island Skit about one night stands. Hey, nothing could be worse than that time Michael Phelps hosted, right? Celebrating the Arts- Today is the start of Arts Fest, a three day festival that lasts from April 26-28. From creative writing to dance showcases, to improv performances, we get a chance to see our school’s artsy side. We’re particularly excited for the Bollywood-inspired performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream in Robsham. No idea if Slumdog Millionaire style dancing and Old English work well together, but we’ll find out soon enough. Revenge that’s damn catchyLooks like Justin Bieber is taking a page out of Taylor Swift’s angst-ridden Hello Kitty journal and writing a hate song toward Mariah Yeater, the girl who said he fathered her child. Although he won’t say whether or not the track will end up on his new album, we can’t wait to see how Biebs will sing about a false paternity accusation in a tween-friendly way. Pretty sure “F — you, you psycho b —, I’d never have sex with you in a million years,” is the only way to address that issue clearly via song.
Thumbs Down Should we panic, or- The disease that may or may not be dangerous to humans (but seriously, can we catch this?) is back. A cow in California was found to carry the Mad Cow virus, and it’s been all over the news ever since. But back to our first point. Is this a big deal? Or is this another swine flu like thing when we all prepared to face eminent death via the modern plague and then realized after we barfed a couple times we were a-ok? Whatever, we’re avoiding the meat in Mac. Because if any meat has Mad Cow, it’s definitely there. Too lucky- Some woman in Virginia decided to buy two tickets for the lottery, and both turned out to be worth a million dollars. We guess we should be happy for Virginia Fike (yes, her name is Virginia and she lives in Virgina) but we’re going to be selfish and thumbs down it instead. Really, winning the lottery twice? The lottery gods couldn’t have tossed a cool half a mil to the broke college student who only has $32.48 in his bank account? Or, you know, a single mother with two jobs living in a studio apartment. But mostly the broke college student who really wants to order Fin’s but can’t. Purell on the rocks- The New York Times just published an article discussing the “latest” teen drug trend—chugging hand sanitizer. At first we were going to dismiss this and say that only the crazies do it, but then we realized it probably tastes better than Rubinoff. So, no judgment here. Follow us on Twitter @BCTUTD
Woogeon Kim / Heights Illustration
Everything important I learned from Harry Potter
Tim O’Connor As graduation approaches, I’ve become increasingly aware of my “lasts.” They’ve hovered in the background for the past eight months, haunting my senior year. At first, it was just the big events—the campus-wide occurrences that can’t help but bring a sense of closure in their final permutations: my last housing disappointment, my last football game, my last course registration, my last Marathon Monday. Lately, though, the smaller, everyday occurrences are starting to stand out. I had my last midterm a couple of weeks ago. My last paper is due on May 8th. I don’t make it up to the Chocolate Bar very often these days—I could have already enjoyed my last frappe and not even realized it. There was one last, however, that I’d been looking forward to all semester. Over the weekend, I finished the last book that I will ever
read for college: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Before I enrolled in EN154, Intro to Adolescent Fiction, I had no intention of ever returning to the Potter books. Rowling’s seven-book epic is a story of growing up, facing your fears, and becoming the person you were born to be. Part of what made these books special is that I grew up alongside Harry, and I feared that rereading the books would spoil my memories. Goblet of Fire’s Yule Ball was my first middle school dance. Order of the Phoenix—my personal favorite—welcomed me into high school and teenage rebellion. Of them all, though, Deathly Hallows was certainly the timeliest. As I looked upon the end of high school, faced with the inevitability of saying goodbye to my friends, teachers, and life as I knew it, Harry finally confronted Voldemort. When all was said and done, the cathartic, happy ending was permission to move on. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had taken me as far as they could; it was time to start a new story. That’s how it felt at the end of high school, at least. I thought I knew who I was, what I wanted, and how the world worked. The past few years of my life have demolished those naive assump-
tions. Any freshman who made it to even half of his Perspectives lectures will recall the most profound lesson of Socrates: “I know that I know nothing.” By the end of sophomore year, I thought I had internalized that lesson. Two years later, I’m still working on figuring it out. I do know, at least, that the person I am today would be entirely unrecognizable to the one I was at the onset of college. Truth be told, if I stumbled upon a Time-Turner and could do it all again, there’s a lot that I’d change about my time here. There are far too many who will join me at graduation that I didn’t get to know well enough, and there are a few that I probably would have been better off not knowing quite so well. I discovered some of my passions too late to fully invest myself in them. By the time I really figured out how college worked, it was too late to take advantage of all that it offered. To anyone who will graduate with a sense of total, complete satisfaction: congratulations. That is an impressive achievement. Of course, knowing that I could have done some things better doesn’t make what is soon to come any easier to stomach. For all that I wish I could change, Boston College made me who I am today, and
I would never give that back. Leaving everything I’ve come to appreciate here and entering the real world is a prospect that, quite frankly, terrifies me, and I would hazard a guess that any senior who tells you otherwise is probably in denial. At the conclusion of The Deathly Hallows, Harry embarks on a long walk to face Voldemort, his destiny, and certain doom. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed,” Rowling borrows from 1 Corinthians, “is death.” He finds himself accompanied by the ghosts of his family and friends, urging him on. Harry conquers his fear of the unknown and emerges from the experience forever changed. Not a bad model to aspire to, all things considered, though I could do without the whole “marrying your best friend and naming your kids after your teachers” bit. Anyway, our own walk on May 21 is an ending, but it’s certainly a happy one. For all my apprehension, I think I’m ready to start a new story. Well, there’s another last. It’s been fun, everyone. Thanks for the good times. Tim O’Connor is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Farewell, BC
Janine Hanrahan My last Heights column. It’s a last in a string of lasts that have passed and are still forthcoming now that graduation is less than a month away. In the past four years, I have spent a lot of time wishing for the last of things—tuition bills, exams, classes—and now my wish is being granted. Yet it’s hardly as liberating as I had imagined. Of course, a large part of that is due to the unemployment that seems to await me, but it’s more than that. In four years, Boston College has become a second home—a familiar and comfortable place where I’ve done a lot of growing up. So as I think about leaving this place, I’d like to share some of my experiences in the hopes that someone, maybe even me, will learn from them. When I entered BC freshman year, I had a chip on my shoulder. I didn’t want to go here—in fact, I deigned to
attend. With this idiotic mindset, life was not easy. I pushed potential friends away at every turn and didn’t trust the friends I had, leaving me feeling incredibly alone. On weekends I often went home to avoid the inevitable anxiety of a Friday night without plans. Although I enjoyed my classes, there was always a feeling of discomfort and a lack of belonging. Four years later, I sometimes still feel the same anxieties that I experienced as a freshman. But in the intervening years, I came to know and love the friends that I could never quite let myself trust. And I also realized that I am not and was not the only person who feels this way. The thing about people at BC is that they never want to be perceived as unhappy. That’s generally true of all people—no one enjoys the company of a miser. But behind the smiles, tans, salmon shorts, and yoga pants are all people who worry about the same sorts of things. In fact, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that those who seem the most sociable or popular or desirable are no better off than anyone else. They cry, they have drama, and they stress. Maybe they hook up with so-and-so or have a party to go to on every occasion, but are these
Bazoomie Wagon | BEN VADNAL
the things that really define the BC experience? Perhaps they are. Certainly I have fond memories of time spent at Mary Ann’s, on Foster Street, and in the Mods. When I retired to my bed after the festivities of Marathon Monday, I found myself wishing that the day would never end (as opposed to freshman year when I had nothing to do and thought my life was over). Many of the people that I hope to stay in touch with for the rest of my life are those with whom I shared a drink, or 10. Yet when I think of things I’ll miss most about BC, it isn’t the parties. It’s seeing Gasson lit up at night. It’s being in Bapst when the sun shines through the stained glass in just the right way. It’s talking to my favorite professors at office hours. It’s eating a Hillside Veggie with a friend on a Friday afternoon. It’s reading something genuinely interesting and moving for class. It’s taking the classes themselves. I guess what I’ve come realize, at least in my graduation induced psychosis and/or enlightenment, is that being a student is a privilege. Sometimes it’s a privilege that I have abused either by not doing the work or doing it halfheartedly. That’s a realization that I
haven’t enjoyed coming to, but as a very wise woman recently reminded me, very few people are fully self-actualized. Hard as that may be to accept, in the end I’ve studied some of the greatest texts of all time with outstanding professors and insightful classmates. Even the classes that I despised, and they certainly existed, have taught me something, even if that something is not to trust people to put their biases aside. Learning such valuable things in the unworried confines of BC has been a tremendous blessing. Yet life demands moving beyond the safe and familiar. So when I receive my diploma on May 21, whether employed or not, it will be my last day as an undergraduate at BC. In the dark days of freshman year, it was a day that couldn’t come soon enough, and in the waning days of senior year, it’s coming all too fast. But when it inevitably comes, I will leave BC with a much greater awareness of the world and myself. Despite the criticisms over the years, my last words to BC as a Heights columnist are these— thank you. Janine Hanrahan is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Thursday, April 26, 2012
McCarthy able to excel on both lacrosse and soccer fields for Eagles McCarthy, from A10 ting to the University of Michigan’s football team. A collegiate athletics team forms an elite group in itself, and those who pursue multiple sports, like McCarthy, are more elite still. Ask her about it, though, and she makes it seem like it’s nothing out of the ordinary. “I love both the sports, so it’s not like a chore or anything,” said McCarthy, who won team MVP honors after the 2011 soccer season. She first considered doubling up after talking with her freshman roommate, Cali Ceglarski, who plays midfield for the lacrosse team. “We actually played each other in high school,” said McCarthy, who attended Loomis Chaffee, a prep school in Connecticut, while Ceglarski played for Darien High. After getting the green light from head soccer coach Alison Foley, the sophomore showed up for lacrosse preseason practices in early January of this year. There was one condition: that the soccer team’s five spring games take precedence over any lacrosse—but in the end, Foley allowed McCarthy to skip two. “It was just the lacrosse team’s regular preseason. I just jumped in,” McCarthy said. “They wanted to see where I was at, essentially. My stick work was kind of rusty—I hadn’t played lacrosse in over a year.” That was nothing a little bit of wall ball couldn’t cure. After working out the kinks, the sophomore fit right into the program. “[The lacrosse players] were so nice,” McCarthy said. “They were very welcoming. It was cool—I branched out and met some new people.” Conditioning wasn’t a factor, as soccer players are known to run for miles during matches. Still, lacrosse would be no
daniel lee / heights editor
Graham beck / heights editor
After McCarthy came to BC as a soccer recruit, she walked onto the lacrosse team this spring and has started every game this season. vacation, as McCarthy found herself at the position of starting midfielder. Middies are the workhorses of lacrosse, tasked with transferring possession from the team’s defenders to its attackers throughout the game. It’s a position that suits the tireless McCarthy well. She started all 16 games on the lacrosse team’s schedule this season, and netted three goals off of eight shots. That’s 16 Division I lacrosse games, in addition to her offseason obligations with the soc-
cer team. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, McCarthy ran through a soccer practice on Newton Campus Field, and then waited for her new lacrosse teammates to arrive to resume training again. “My soccer team would leave and I’d just hang out there for 45 minutes, tan, and wait for the lacrosse team to show up,” McCarthy said. “We practice on the same field, so I practically live on Newton.” The sophomore was already well accustomed to doubling up on practices, having
BC wins in pitchers’ duel
Eagles unable to get past Dartmouth
By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff
Baseball, from A10 right for the double, scoring two more runs, and making the score 5-1. Jake Carlson continued the effort with a single up the middle to score Turnbull, and Sclafani brought home the seventh run for the Big Green on a bloop single to right. With the Eagles down 7-1, the team made a determined comeback effort at the bottom of the inning. First baseman Tyler Hinchliffe started off with a shallow single to center. LaPointe came through with a shot down the third-base line to put runners at second and third. Senior Marc Perdios lined a ball past the first baseman to score the two runners, and put himself in scoring position at second base. Spenser Payne then came in off the bench to pinch hit, launching a double off the wall in center to bring the score to 7-4. Eagle pitcher Geoffrey Murphy took the mound after lefty Steve Green gave up the five earned runs in the fifth to shut down the Big Green offense. He controlled the plate well in 2.1 innings, giving up two hits and no walks with two strikeouts. Dartmouth would not score again until the eighth inning, when freshman reliever John Gorman gave up a two-run bomb to Keller. Then, senior captain Kyle Prohovich came in to throw a scoreless ninth inning. The Eagles once again looked as if they could pull off a comeback when LaPointe hit a ninth inning round-tripper.
played both soccer and lacrosse during her years at Loomis Chaffee, where she won a state championship for her school, as well as four state cups for her club team, FC Connecticut. Fifty-five goals and 44 assists over her career led McCarthy to being named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year. Despite racking up the accolades, she still had a soft spot for lacrosse. “Lacrosse is very big in the prep school world,” McCarthy said. “None of us were true lacrosse players. There were a lot of
hockey players. We were sort of a runand-gun team.” Even though the soccer and lacrosse seasons do not overlap for prep schools, McCarthy still had club practice to attend. “In high school, I did that all the time,” McCarthy said. “During the spring, I would do spring lacrosse from 3:30-5:30, and then I would leave and go to club soccer, which is all year round.” It is a much more feasible endeavor to play on multiple teams in high school, but McCarthy has still made it work, largely with the support of both sets of teammates. The lacrosse team has been very welcoming, she said, and her soccer pals even came out to a few lacrosse games to cheer on their wayward sister. “They came to a couple of games and they’re crazy,” McCarthy said. “They had pots and pans that they were banging together … they really got the crowd riled up.” Ever the diplomat, the sophomore has also tried to bring the two teams together off the pitch. “I think it’s worked,” the sophomore said. Asked whether she plans to continue to play for the lacrosse team, McCarthy didn’t have a certain answer. Even she runs out of gas sometimes, and that’s before she gets cracking on schoolwork. Soccer, however, remains her top sport. “I’ve always had a bigger passion for soccer. I’ve played it longer,” McCarthy said. “I play 12 months a year, on one team or another.” McCarthy has two regular season games left with the lacrosse team before they find out their NCAA Tournament fate. If the Eagles can sneak into the field of 16, there will be more lacrosse to be played for McCarthy. If not, though, she’ll just keep going. There’s a soccer season approaching, and McCarthy will be sure she doesn’t miss a beat. n
graham beck / heights editor
Nate LaPointe hit a ninth-inning home run for BC, but it wasn’t enough to push past Dartmouth. Hinchliffe started the rally with a two-out double, and scored on the bomb to left, but the team was unable to do any more damage. Gambino said that his squad will need to overcome its midweek slumps, which have been a reoccurring theme this season. He already knows his players are looking forward to their weekend series with ACC foe Wake Forest. “I think that we just have to regroup,”
he said. “We’re playing great on the weekends. We just have to regroup. It’s these midweek lulls that we need to fix. I don’t know if it’s toughness or competitiveness, but we have to get back together as a group and figure out what it is. “We’ll be fine this weekend. We’ll play great baseball. Wake Forest is a really good team, and we’ll play really well this weekend. We just need to regroup and fix this.” n
On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston College baseball team traveled down to Dodd Stadium in Connecticut for a midweek matchup with the St. John’s Boston College 2 Red Storm. The 1 St. John’s Eagles prevailed in a 2-1 pitchers’ duel, earning their first midweek win since they defeated Connecticut on April 3. Freshman pitcher Eric Stone recorded the first win of his career as the Eagles raised their record to 16-25. The game was scoreless in the first two innings, as BC squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the first. Tom Bourdon reached on a bunt single with two outs, and Anthony Melchionda promptly walked. The Eagles were then gifted a great chance to score when Rob Moir reached on an error. But Marc Perdios, fresh off a five-for-nine performance in the previous weekends’ series against NC State, flied out to left field to end the inning. The Red Storm were the first to get on the board in the top of the third. Jimmy Brennan reached on a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Brennan then came around to score on leadoff hitter Kyle Richardson’s double. BC starting pitcher Eric Stevens managed to stay out of further trouble, stranding runners on first and third by getting cleanup hitter Frank Schwindel to ground out to shortstop. St. John’s didn’t have the lead for long, though, as the Eagles answered in the bottom of the inning. Blake Butera walked and stole second with one out and Bourdon at the plate. The sophomore centerfielder then roped a single to center, scoring Butera. The Eagles could not muster any more runs, however, as the fourth and fifth hitters, Melchionda and
Moir, each flew out to the outfield. Stone replaced Stevens in the fourth, who finished with a line of three innings, one hit, two walks, and one strikeout. Stone proceeded to throw four shutout innings while allowing only one hit. That and a hit batter were the only base runners to reach in Stone’s four innings of work. In the bottom of the sixth after Stone’s third inning of relief, the Eagles’ offense came through once again. Perdios continued his hot hitting with a one-out single, and fellow senior Spenser Payne followed by getting hit by a pitch. Matt Pare then drew a four-pitch walk, loading the bases for Travis Ferrick and prompting a pitching change for the Storm. Yet it didn’t work, as Ferrick drove in BC’s second run of the game on a fielder’s choice to first base. Although the Eagles didn’t score for the rest of the game and only had six hits on the day, that’s all they needed. BC’s eighth and ninth-inning combination of Kyle Prohovich and Matt Brazis was dominant on the mound, allowing one hit en route to two scoreless innings. By the time Brazis closed out the 2-1 victory, the Eagles had only allowed three hits on the day, striking out six Red Storm batters in the process. After losing two out of three to NC State while giving up 35 runs, BC looked much better in this 2-1 midweek victory against St. John’s. They’ll need to continue their strong pitching this weekend when facing Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons have scored the fourth-most runs in the ACC, including 35 home runs, which is good for second-most in the league. As a team that’s last in the ACC with a 5.41 ERA, the Eagles’ pitching has been a detriment to their success all year. For one day this week, however, it’s what won them the game. n
A big night awaits Luke Kuechly in the NFL draft Column, from A10 his new team in his rookie season. Luke Kuechly has all of these qualities. Thursday night will be one of the biggest nights of Luke Kuechly’s life. He has chosen to watch the draft with his family, continuing to be a family man. This whole process has remained family-oriented for the Cincinnati native. He’s been like that his whole career, and that characteristic will draw player, coaches, and fans to him. No one will ever question the loyalty of this young man, and his work ethic will show through, despite how early he will be drafted. Kuechly hasn’t allowed the hype of his draft status to affect his character, despite being ranked among the top prospects in the whole draft. He simply focuses on the task ahead, and
prepares himself for the next hurdle. Fortunately, Kuechly has held this attitude his whole career, and won’t soon forget what it takes to be a leader. He’s never been given anything, and instead has worked his way into list of top prospects. While many have relied on pure talent, Kuechly has tirelessly worked to put himself into a new class of players. Because of this, he will have success in the NFL, no matter where he lands. So, before your career takes the next major step, thanks, Luke, for inspiring Superfans and acting as a model of excellence. We’ll be rooting for you , no matter where you land.
Chris Marino is the Assoc. Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
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Cary, N.C. 4/19
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alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Kuechly’s unique ability to be everywhere on the field to make the tackle has put him in a special position, ready to be drafted tonight. Cary, N.C. 4/19 Lacrosse
W. Tennis
Acc Tournament BC First Round NCSU
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Chestnut hill, MA 4/23 W. Sailing
BC neisa conference championship BC 1st place finish overall
Acc Tournament BC First Round UVA Chestnut Hill, mass 4/23 W. Track
Durham, N.C. 4/20 W. Rowing
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Wilton 1 g 1 a 6 dc BC Slater 4 g 1 a 3 dc Charlottesville, Va. 4/21 M. Track
Senior Annie Haeger named BC 800 meter run BC to all conference team Caroline King 2nd place finish
Clemson, S.C. 4/ 23
acc championship 4th place finish overall Charlottesville, Va. 4/21
5,000 meter run serafini 12th place finish
The Heights
Editors’ Picks
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Week Ahead
Standings
Baseball hosts Wake Forest in a series this weekend, and then faces Northeastern at home on Tuesday. Maryland comes up to Chestnut Hill for a series with softball. Lacrosse will battle Yale in their second to last game of the season. Luke Kuechly is projected to be a first round pick in the NFL Draft tonight.
A9
Recap from Last Week
Chris Marino
38-22
Greg Joyce
38-22
Heights Staff
34-26
Austin Tedesco
30-30
Series of the Week
Baseball lost its series with NC State, but picked up a win over St. John’s in a pitching duel. Softball was swept by FSU. Virginia eliminated lacrosse in the first round of the ACC tournament. The New York Yankees swept the struggling Boston Red Sox during Fenway’s 100th anniversary.
Baseball
Guest Editor: Andrew Millette
Wake Forest vs. Boston College
Assoc. News Editor
After spending last weekend on the road, the Boston College baseball team will host Wake Forest this weekend for a three-game homestand starting Friday at Shea Field. The Eagles are currently last in the ACC standings, with a 6-15 mark in conference play. The Demon Deacons hold a 9-12 mark in ACC games, but a 26-16 record overall. Only the top eight teams will make the ACC Tournament in late May, and with the season starting to wind down, BC needs to make a statement this weekend. Timely hitting and capitalizing with runners on will be key.
“You’ve got to risk it to get the biscuit.”
Greg Joyce Sports Editor
This Week’s Games Baseball: BC vs. Wake Forest (Series) Baseball: BC vs. Northeastern Softball: BC vs. Maryland (Series) Lacrosse: BC vs. Yale Who will draft Luke Kuechly?
Chris Marino Assoc. Sports Editor
Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Andrew Millette
Assoc. News Editor
BC
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Wake
Northeastern
Northeastern
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Maryland
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Yale
Kansas City
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Seattle
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Fri. 2:30 p.m.; Sat. 1:30 p.m.; Sun. 12:00 p.m.
heights sports 2012 nfl Mock Draft featuring former bc linebacker luke kuechly By: Austin Tedesco | assistant sports editor 1. Indianapolis – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford – Luck will step into the starting role from day one for the Colts as they begin their rebuilding process with Peyton Manning on his way to Denver.
17. Cincinnati - Quinton Coples, DE, UNC - This will be another case of a team going with the best player available. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 285, Coples will bring power and speed to a defensive line needing an effective young player who can get to the quarterback.
2. Washington – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor – It’s been a long time since Washington had a sure thing at the quarterback position, but RGIII is as close as the Skins are going to get to the real deal. Management will need to surround him with the pieces to succeed because Griffin is entering a franchise in flux.
18. San Diego - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa - Most teams picking early in the draft are at least decent up front, which is why Reiff falls this far, but the Chargers aren’t. They’ll need Reiff blocking for Rivers right away, and he spent all of last season at Iowa showing he’s ready for the challenge.
3. Minnesota – Matt Kalil, OT, USC – The Vikings have plenty of needs, and Kalil will help strengthen a struggling O-line to protect Christian Ponder and open up holes for Purple Jesus.
19.Chicago - Nick Perry, De/OLB, USC - The Bears could use an offensive lineman or maybe a wideout, but pairing Perry with Julius Peppers on the defensive line is just too tempting, especially when facing elite passing attacks like the Lions and Packers.
4. Cleveland – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU - The Browns have some decent players at almost every position except corner. Claiborne will be able to step in right away and solve some of the issues in the Browns’ secondary.
Baseball
20. Tennessee - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama - The Titans need to replace Cortland Finnegan, and the Alabama corner faced some of the best offenses in the country. Tennessee has other needs, but Kirkpatrick is too good to ignore.
5. Tampa Bay – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama – Richardson is too good of a talent to pass up for the Bucs. LeGarrette Blount will be more effective as the No. 2 back behind Richardson, who tore up SEC defenses consistently last season.
21. Cincinnati - Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois - Mercilus had an incredible season in the Big 10 last year, making him a sure-fire first-rounder and another much-needed upgrade for a mediocre Bengal defense.
6. St. Louis – Justin Blackmon, WR, OSU – Questions have started to pop up about Blackmon’s pro potential, but the Rams would regret passing him up. He won’t lose any of his production value in the NFL. A combination of Blackmon with Sam Bradford could be unstoppable for the next 10 years.
22. Cleveland - Cordy Glenn, G/T, Georgia - Glenn can play almost anywhere on the offensive line, and will hopefully be able to keep Colt McCoy on the field rather than the sidelines. There are other O-linemen available, but Glenn could end up being a steal.
7. Jacksonville - Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina - The Jaguars are one of those teams that need help almost everywhere, and Gilmore is the best player available for them at this spot. He shut down SEC receivers, and will be ready to do the same in the pros.
23. Baltimore - Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama - Although he’s had plenty of issues off the field, the Ravens are a great fit for the extremely talented Jenkins. Ray Lewis and the rest of the Baltimore defense should help maximize his very high potential.
8. Miami - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M - Although his game tape shows otherwise, Miami seems to be convinced that Tannehill is their guy. This will be a risky move for the Dolphins, but the pieces are their for him if Tannehill is ready to lead an NFL offense.
24. Pittsburgh - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama - Just like Jenkins fits the Ravens’ defensive model, Hightower will be a perfect fit for the bruising Steel Curtain. He should be a staple of the Steelers defense for the long haul.
9. Carolina - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State - There are reports that Kuechly could be snatched up with this pick, but Carolina will probably go with Cox who is almost guaranteed to be a star for a long time on the defensive line.
25.Denver - Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor - Almost anyone could snag Wright before the Broncos get a shot at him, but Peyton Manning would love to have another target in Denver, and there’s no doubt Wright can fill that role.
10. Buffalo - Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame - Floyd has blown away scouts in his workouts, and the Bills offense will finally start to look dangerous pairing the young stud up with Stevie Johnson and CJ Spiller.
26. Houston - Rueben Randle, WR, LSU - Scouts are still debating whether Wright or Randle is the better pro prospect, but the Texans will be happy with either receiver this late in the draft. Putting the speedy Randle next to Andre Johnson will be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
11. Kansas City - Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis - Another potential landing spot for Kuechly, but the Chiefs will probably pass on the BC linebacker and go for the freakishly athletic Poe. The Chiefs’ linebacker situation is a little more solid than their defensive line right now.
27. New England - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU - Far too good a player to still be around at this point, the Patriots make the easy decision to draft Brockers and steal a franchise defensive lineman for the longterm future.
12. Seattle - Luke Kuechly, LB, BC - If Kuechly is still available for the Seahawks, there’s no way they pass on him. With almost no depth at the linebacker position, Kuechly can start right away and show the world what he can do.
28. Green Bay - Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State - His 4.6 40 at a massive 260 pounds is impressive enough for Green Bay to draft McClellin and put him alongside AJ Hawk, making an already tough defense even tougher.
13. Arizona - David DeCastro, OG, Stanford - The Cardinals desperately need some help on their offensive line, and DeCastro will provide that immediately. Kevin Kolb may finally be able to throw some bombs to Larry FItzgerald with DeCastro giving him protection.
29. Baltimore - Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin - The Ravens need to upgrade at the center position, and the big man out of Wisconsin is their best bet for a long-term solution. He could easily be protecting Joe Flacco for a long time.
14. Dallas - Mark Barron, S, Alabama - Dallas lacks any kind of presence in the secondary, and Barron is the best guy available who can start to strengthen their pass defense. The Cowboys may even trade up to ensure they get the talented Alabama safety.
30. San Francisco - Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin - At 6-4 315, Zeitler has the build to be a starter on opening day for San Francisco. The offensive line is one of the few spots where the 49ers need help, and Zeitler can fill that hole for the Super Bowl contenders.
15. Philidelphia - Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina - The Eagles will gladly take Ingram with this pick, who should fall due to other teams picking because of need. He can strengthen the Philly pass rush and drop back into coverage. It’s a win-win.
31. New England - Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame - The Patriots need some help in their secondary, and if they don’t trade up to take someone else, Smith is the best option for them. He started four years for the Irish, showing his ability to both cover and tackle well consistently.
16. New York - Courtney Upshaw, De/OLB, Alabama - It would be difficult for Rex Ryan to pass on Upshaw. He fits the defensive culture that Ryan has built in New York and also will be the best player available at any position by this point in the draft.
32. New York - Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford - The Giants could use another weapon for Eli Manning in the passing game, and Fleener thrived at Stanford during his four years. New York can go in any direction with this pick, but Fleener is the smart choice.
Raleigh, N.C. 4/20
Raleigh, N.C. 4/21 Baseball
Baseball
Raleigh, N.C. 4/21 Baseball
BC 11 Lasko 5.1 ip 3 er 4 so 7 h BC 9 0 Gordon 5.1 ip 1 er 7 h 1 so BC NCSU 10 Ogburn 4.1 ip 2 er 3 so 3 h NCSu 9 Rodon 8 ip 0 er 10 so 5 h NCSU 16 Softball
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Tallahassee, Fla. 4/22 Softball
Tallahassee, Fla. 4/21 Softball
4 D’argento 4.2 ip 12 er 10 h BC 12 Perry 5 ip 3 er 5 h FSU
0 7
Kidd 6 ip 6 h 2 er 6 bb BC Waldrop 7 ip 0 er 2 h FSU
Bourdon 1-4 3 rbi BC Diaz 4-6 4 rbi SJU
Norwich, Conn. 4/24
2 Stone 4 ip 0 er 1 h 2 so BC 1 Lobban 4 ip 1 er 4 h Dart
Tallahassee, Fla. 4/22 Softball
0 D’argento 5 ip 1 er 3 h 4 so BC 5 Waldrop 7 ip 4 h 0 er 6 so DArt
Baseball
Chestnut hill, Mass. 4/25
6 9
lapointe 3-4 3 R 2 RBI keller 2-4 2 r 2 rbi
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kidd 7 ip 0 er 10 k Barker 4.1 ip 7 er 4 bb
Hanover, N.h. 4/25 Softball
3 2
d’Argento 7 ip 2 er 8 k BC rumley 7 ip 3 er 10 k Dart
Hanover, N.h. 4/25
SPORTS The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
A10
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Eagles get tripped up by Dartmouth on home turf By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor The Boston College baseball team (1626) lost a nonconference contest against Dartmouth College (19-15), 9-6, at Shea Field yesterday 9 Dartmouth afternoon. The Boston College 6 Eagles saw a solid performance from junior pitcher Jay Jeannotte in his first career start. BC was also led by sophomore catcher Nate LaPointe, who finished the day 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Head coach Mike Gambino was blunt about his team’s loss. “I thought Dartmouth came in and outcompeted us,” he said. The Big Green took the early first-inning lead, scoring two runs. Shortstop Joe Sclafani led off with a single to center field. The next batter, second baseman Matt Parisi, brought home the game’s first run with a triple off the first pitch of his at-bat. Parisi then scored on a groundout to the first baseman. After this early deficit, Jeannotte settled down to throw two shutout innings. He allowed three hits and three walks, while striking out three batters.
Kuechly’s time has finally come
“It was great to have J.J. out there,” Gambino said. “He struggled a little bit in the first, but settled down to give us two more clean innings. It was awesome to have him back out there.” The Eagles’ offense utilized this early performance to cut the lead to one when sophomore Tom Bourdon drove LaPointe in on a double. LaPointe began the inning with a single up the middle, and moved to second on a bunt single from third baseman John Hennessy. After moving runners to second and third on a groundout, Bourdon hit a shot to bring LaPointe home. Then, after neither team scored in the fourth frame, both teams saw great scoring efforts. In the top of the inning, designated hitter Chris O’Dowd led off with a shallow single to right. He stole second, and the ball skidded into the outfield to advance him to third. First baseman Dustin Selzer singled up the middle to score the run, and then Jeff Keller reached on a tough liner down the line that was stopped by the third baseman. McDowell had a great situational bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Then, right fielder David Turnbull hit a deep drive to
See Baseball, A8
Chris Marino
graham beck / heights editor
Blake Butera got thrown out at the plate in the third inning, as BC could not catch any breaks.
SWITCHING GEARS See Pure Sports, A8
McCarthy exchanges shin guards for lacrosse stick in the spring By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff
There’s nothing abnormal about a Boston College student with multiple commitments. This campus is thriving with organizations, associations, drives, service trips, PULSE placements, and everything in between. What isn’t quite typical, however, is a student who commits to multiple Division I sports teams. Kate McCarthy isn’t typical. A native of Longmeadow, Mass., McCarthy is a sophomore midfielder on the women’s varsity soccer team. This semester, however, she decided to tack on another extracurricular activity, and secured a spot on the roster of the women’s lacrosse team. Multi-sport athletes are not unheard of, but are certainly rare. Legendary Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown earned a spot on the All-American lacrosse team during his time at Syracuse University, and also played basketball and ran track. Less widely-known, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady managed to get drafted by the Montreal Expos before commit-
See McCarthy, A8
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
daniel lee / heights editor
The week is finally here. After months of trying to avoid the inevitable, Boston College will look on as the only bright spot from our past football season pursues his career in the professional ranks. I’m not sure if it has really hit anyone yet, but Luke Kuechly will no longer be suiting up in the maroon and gold. Kuechly embodies the kind of attitude, toughness, sportsmanship, and team camaraderie that make BC sports great. That is why it is so difficult to see him leave. We’ve all watched on as he put his name in the record books, making tackle after tackle for our team. We’ve also seen him suffer through two very challenging seasons, in which his team dramatically dropped from a contender to a borderline bowl team to a non-factor in bowl season. Although it has been hard to think this (and even harder to write it), Kuechly is making the right decision by joining the professional ranks. After watching his Pro Day performance and analyzing his NFL Combine numbers, he is clearly ready to take on the next hurdle of his career. If those stats don’t prove it to you, then just watch Kuechly’s “Sports Science.” The small ESPN segment concluded that Kuechly hits harder than All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney and has faster initial speed than former first-round cornerback Joe Haden. In short, Kuechly is undoubtedly worthy of a first-round pick. Analysts, coaches, scouts, and fans alike have been questioning where he’ll be drafted. Some have said that he is not worthy of an early pick, because, although he has been the nation’s leading tackler for two straight years, he hasn’t made many “impactful” or “game-changing” defensive plays. Watching Kuechly’s leadership and intensity over the past two seasons, however, leaves no doubt in my mind that he will be a worthy top-10 pick, and someday become the face of an NFL defense. In an interview with ESPN earlier this week, Kuechly once again proved to me that he has what it takes to be a professional football player. In between looks of determination and confidence, the linebacker spoke about the opportunities ahead of him with pure joy. He respects the game so much. When asked what he would do if he could not play football for a living, Kuechly responded that he would want to work in football to some capacity. He just loves being around the game. He loves the competition, and wants to prove that he is capable of joining the most elite rank of players in the world. This kind of passion for football will bring a new energy to professional teams. It’s not often that you find a player with the work ethic, enthusiasm, and preparation to become a leader for
See Column, A8
BC picks up pair of wins at Dartmouth Eagles get two complete-game pitching performances on the road By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff
Backed by two of its strongest pitching outings seen all season, the softball team picked up a pair of wins in Hanover, N.H., Boston College 3 - 7 beating home 2-0 Dartmouth te am D ar tmouth (12-23) 3-2 and 7-0 on Wednesday night. Starting pitchers Nicole D’Argento and Morgan Kidd both threw complete games and struck out a collective 18 batters on the day. The Eagles wasted no time in scoring in the first matchup, as leadoff hitter D’Argento homered on the second pitch she saw from Big Green pitcher Kristen Rumley. Two outs later, Chelsea LoBlue’s sharp single allowed team captain Brittany Wilkins to score from second base to make the score 2-0. Wilkins was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season, and advanced into scoring position off of Ali Lynette-
Krech’s successful bunt single. In the top of the third, Andrea Filler showed off some speed and guts to add what would be the go-ahead run. Reaching base on a single up the middle, she then stole second and advanced to third when LoBlue hit a clutch two-out single to right field. Head coach Ashley Obrest made the call for a suicide squeeze. With both LoBlue and Filler stealing off of Rumley’s pitch, Filler sprinted home and reached base safely to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Dartmouth hitters had a hard time figuring out D’Argento, who started for the Eagles and turned in an eightstrikeout, complete game performance. After giving up a run in the bottom of the third, the right-hander fanned the next two Dartmouth hitters and forced a ground ball for the third out. Kara Curosh’s RBI double in the seventh brought the Big Green to within one run, but D’Argento held on for her 10th win of the season.
i nside S ports this issue
In game two of the doubleheader, the Eagles opened up offensively. In the top of the third, LoBlue crushed an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for her fourth home run of the year, scoring herself and pinch-runner Nicole Koszowksi to get the Eagles on the board 2-0. The Eagles added two more in the next frame thanks to a double by Filler, who took advantage of a wild pitch by Dartmouth starter Hillary Barker to move to third. Singles by Wilkins and Lynette-Krech brought in two more runs. Freshman CJ Chirichigno added some more offense in the fifth inning with a two-run single, then decided to add a run in addition to her RBI by scoring from third base on a wild pitch. While the Dartmouth pitching staff was getting knocked around, Bc’s starter, Kidd, pitched lights-out. The senior struck out 10 batters, including five in the last three innings, and scattered four hits over seven innings to earn the complete game shutout. n
2012 NFL Mock Draft
Where will Luke Kuechly and the rest of the draft class land starting tonight?.........A9
daniel lee / heights editor
D’Argento threw a complete game with eight strikeouts, while homering at the plate as well.
Eagles edge out St. John’s
On Tuesday, the baseball team won a key midweek game vs. the Red Storm......................A8
Editors’ Picks..............................A9 Series of the Week......................A9
Album Review
Jack White
‘Blunderbuss’ is a great solo effort from the rocker, page B5 Star value
Megan hilty
the star of ‘smash’ has been on the scene for a while, page B4
Like That? try this
hbo’s ‘veep’
julia louis-dreyfus returns to the small screen with her new political comedy, B4
Thursday, April 26, 2012
I
SIMULATED SUPERSTARS nspired by the resurrection of one of hip-hop’s greatest rappers—Tupac—at Coachella, ‘The Heights’ decided to create our own dream lineup for an entirely holographic music festival. From the typical choices like The Beatles and Amy Winehouse to favorite but not forgotten groups like The Velvet Underground and The Monkees, we programmed the perfect day of the dead—musicians that is. Tupac had better watch his back.
B2
Arts Fest is a great prefinals escape
The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Scene and Heard
BY JOE ALLEN
Brennan Carley Perhaps you’ve already seen the tents going up in O’Neill Plaza and are thinking to yourself, “what is this, another viewing of Frozen Earth on another cold night?” Maybe you’re just upset that you missed out on the case of Red Bull that a helicopter dropped on Monday night and feel like avoiding O’Neill Plaza entirely for the next few days so you can silently stew about it. No matter, I’m here to be the first—or more likely the eighth or something (those people are wonderfully relentless marketers)— to tell you to spend your Thursday through Saturday afternoons at Arts Festival. Without getting too bitter about it, Boston College students frequently value sports and rallies over arts events—it’s fine, I’ve come to terms with it, but I think it’s amazing how lovers of all things arts roll out the red carpet once a year for a spectacular three days of presentations, showcases, food and film and more. It’s great to hit up the festival with a schedule of events in mind, but it can almost be more fun to just stumble across events walking to and from classes. Best of all is that almost all of the events are completely free to students. It’s a great opportunity to sample some of the incredible artistic groups we have on campus. Say you missed out on the spectacular but completely sold out Spring Awakening in the Bonn Theatre last month—have no fear, the cast is performing selections from the show one afternoon for free, sure to draw huge crowds. What if you were just too swamped with work to make it to Robsham to see Rising Up, the dance showcase featuring the school’s dance majors demonstrating a year’s worth of rehearsals? Once again, the dancers will be twirling and leaping through the air for absolutely no price at all. Apart from catching acts you may have missed from the semester, Arts Festival offers larger scale events that are one of a kind entertainment. I know that I’ll be setting aside time in my Thursday evening to see one of my good friends and fellow Heights editors in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s droll little play that Luke Jorgensen has morphed into a Bollywood rendition of the bard’s classic. It runs tonight through Sunday and looks to be the theatre department’s most exciting play of the year, plus it offers the last chance to see the unquestionably hilarious Cam Cronin onstage at BC before he graduates—it’s truly not to be missed. Likewise, for those who have friends who love to sing, the odds are Thursday night’s BC Best event in the Main Tent might interest you. It’s a chance to see student singer/songwriters perform original music in a wide variety of genres for free. Beforehand, visiting the Bapst Art Gallery for the Student Art opening exhibition is a no-brainer. Pieces created by your fellow students accompanied with free food and drink just sounds like the most civilized of evenings, doesn’t it? For those who like to laugh, it’s worth the trek to O’Connell House on Friday and Saturday nights to see the Committee for Creative Enactments’ performance of “Murder at the Holiday Inn Express.” It costs $5 at the door but the interactivity of the show is more than worth the admission—plus you’ll get to see one of our writers in a dress, which is a bonus on top of the hilarity sure to ensue. More than anything, though, Arts Festival is a way to unwind with friends before the next several weeks of final papers, projects, and exams. If you find yourself in the library working during the festival, spend 20 minutes outside in the Main Tent rather than checking Facebook—you might just have the opportunity to watch something you’ll love.
Brennan Carley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
1. A ‘RISE’ IN IMAX While little is known about Chris Nolan’s final Batman movie, a recent article from The Wall Street Journal announced that The Dark Knight Rises will feature over an hour of IMAX footage. By comparison, The Dark Knight featured about half an hour of IMAX scenes. This doubling of the technology’s screen time suggests that Rises will be the most action-packed film of the trilogy. Maybe Bane won’t have to talk too much after all.
2. THE ‘GIRLS’ DEBATE
The new HBO series Girls has sparked an ongoing pop-culture debate that has temporarily drowned out the series’ critical praise. The question: is Girls racist? The series, starring four spoiled girls adjusting to real life in New York City, features an all-white cast. This has caused some online publications to deem the show unrealistic, with Jezebel calling it “exclusionary, disappointing … and upsetting.” But this backlash misses the real question of “Is Girls funny?” Watch to find out. (Hint: yes, it is).
3. POP CULTURE ‘100’ Whether taken as a sign that we are in cultural renais-
sance or that pop culture is taking over our country, TIME magazine’s latest 100 most influential people list contained many popular entertainers. Rihanna and Adele represented our country’s music scene, while Hollywood found itself recognized with Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Tilda Swinton, and Harvey Weinstein. The biggest winners, however, seemed to be American comedians, with Louis C.K., Chelsea Handler, Kristin Wiig, and Stephen Colbert all snagging spots. Take that, awards show voters!
4. PIXAR’S RETURN
5. HIP-HOP CAMPAIGN
In a glorious effort to make us forget Cars 2, Pixar has released new information on its upcoming original films. After the Monsters, Inc. prequel hits theaters next year, the animation company will rock 2014 with the release of The Good Dinosaur on May 30 of that year. Then, in 2015, get ready for Pixar’s first double-header, with The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind and a Dia de Los Muertosthemed film.
Anyone American who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past year has heard Kanye West and Jay-Z’s massively popular “N-----s in Paris.” The same can apparently be said about French presidential candidate Francois Hollande, whose latest campaign video is set to the song, curse words, Will Ferrell and all. How will Hollande address skeptics regarding this decision? Presumably by saying “Does it look like I give a s—t?”
@paulscheer (paul scheer, actor/ Comedian)
Attend our Sunday meetings in McElroy 113 at 4:30 p.m. and try your hand at writing for the most fun section of the paper.
“did you know that the chimpanzee from that movie ‘chimpanzee’ was played by daniel day lewis?”
@garyjanetti (gary janetti, comedian)
“if my text to you does not contain an exclimation point it means i hate you.”
@robdelaney (rob delaney, comedian)
“what if you flushed a doodie at the same time mick jagger did & your doodies met in the sewer & became best friends?”
@earlxsweat (earl sweatshirt, musician)
“taste is almost as important as talent” Submit your favorite tweets of the week for consideration at artseditors11@gmail.com.
The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
B3
The Heights, Inc. Presents
HOLOGRAM COACHELLA Nirvana
our dream Festival
Guns n’ Roses Queen Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin the Doors the Runaways Johnny Cash Otis Redding Amy Winehouse Cream
the Sex
ODB Velvet Underground & Nico by brennan carley Arts & Review Editor Maybe it’s a little too early to be reminiscing about Amy Winehouse and The Monkees, but how awesomely poppy would that festival be? So many artists have butchered Winehouse’s classics in the months following her untimely passing—it would only be suiting for the star’s memory to be preserved by her most exciting and flawless performances. She had some truly iconic moments, including a later in life studio recording with the legendary Tony Bennett, which audiences have only captured glimpses of—it would thus be easy to preserve her at her best. It would be, for me at least, a tear-jerking moment to see her iconic beehive hair flouncing around on the stage. Similarly, reuniting Davey Jones and the Monkees onstage would be one of the most exciting events in musical history. The band never really stopped making appearances over the years, frequently popping up at the Disney parks and other venues to large, supportive crowds. It might still be too raw, but people would forget all about the wounds when the opening chords of “I’m A Believer” echo across the crowd. Similarly, Queen’s inclusion is a must in a completely holographic festival, especially considering Adam Lambert’s upcoming stint with the band replacing Freddy Mercury. While Lambert certainly has impressive vocal chops, nothing matches Mercury’s primal showmanship—treat yourself to a YouTube clip of his early performances with the band. Queen’s songs have been covered nearly to death on shows like ‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice,’ so bring back Mercury and his iconic howl. He was the original Lady Gaga, after all. While he might not get along with Tupac so well, the Notorious B.I. G. would absolutely slay in a holographic appearance. His presence in the rap world has been cemented as truly iconic, and he still maintains a pretty active presence on rap radio (at least in New York City, where he hails from). His appearance at Hologram Coachella would also allow Lil Kim the opportunity to step back onto the scene without having to take shots at other female rappers. Likewise, ODB’s inclusion in the lineup would bring a blast-fromthe-past quality to the music. His music hasn’t held up popularity-wise like Biggie’s, so he’s primed for a comeback. Just think: these two alone would draw rap aficionados and casual music listeners. Heck, my mother would go to a festival with the two (she’s a not-so-closeted rap fan, holler at her). My parents never really played much Jeff Buckley when I was younger, so I’ll admit that I was late to the party, but even if the star were just to sing the entirety of his swoon-worthy album ‘Grace,’ crowds would go nuts. His voice and lyrics are some of the most romantic of the past several decades. In a just world, Buckley would still be alive and headlining arenas across the country with hits like “Eternal Life” and “Forget Her.” He’s like a white Marvin Gaye, capable of capturing all of life’s emotions in several breaths.
the
Pistols Notorious B.I.G Big Star Jeff Buckley
Monkees
the
Clash Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Sure, seeing Pac resurrected from the dead was quite the spectacle, but if I had control of the holograms I would have turned back the clock a bit further. For some odd and obscure reason, I developed a strong interest for anything and everything punk rock during my late teenage years. Ever since I developed this passion, I have desired to see some of the trailblazers of the movement—the real innovators who developed the definition of the genre. That’s why, at my stage at Hologram Coachella, I would resurrect the great Sid Vicious, and have The Sex Pistols, the most influential band of the punk movement, hologrammed onto stage to kick off the night. Imagine Vicious, who died at the ripe age of 23, back on stage and slapping the bass next to Johnny Rotten and the rest of the guys while they performed a full rendition of ‘Never Mind the Bollocks.’ I couldn’t help but slap on my leather jacket. Keeping with the angsty intensity, after The Pistols I would beam up the tweenage versions of Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford and the rest of The Runways, L.A.’s finest girl rock group whose brief yet powerful reign over the Sunset Trip in the mid-’70s left a lasting mark on rock ‘n’ roll. Performing with the same fervor that they exuded on their ‘Live in Japan’ album, my favorite novelty act of all time would keep the Coachella buzzing with a stirring rendition of “Cherry Bomb.” Then the punk sector would close with my favorite act to be born from punk: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon—also known as The Clash. With the majesty of hologram technology, the three living band members could reunite with leader singer Strummer and recreate the golden days of their innovative blend of reggae and punk. Aside from my rather strange obsession with nihilist rockers, my parents passed on to me a great love for the legendary groups of rock ‘n’ roll, two of which I would love to reunite on the Coachella hologram stage. First to grace the stage would be my favorite band from the late ‘80s, Guns N’ Roses. A Coachella hologram would be the perfect means to reunite the original members with their disgruntled lead singer, Axl Rose. Clear from all drama, G N’ R could continue the hard-hitting night by selecting gems from their momentous album, ‘Appetite for Destruction.’ Then would come the time when I would slow things down and reunite the greatest four part harmony to ever grace the stage: Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. While the entire quartet is still alive, artistic differences have made it virtually impossible for the four to perform together, as proven during their unsuccessful tour in 2006. Nothing would mellow people out better after the punk fury than the soothing melodies of the folk rock super group. I would be sure to have the hologram technicians have most of the performance stem from their album ‘So Far’, perhaps my favorite folk LP of all time. The soothing would continue with the return of Tennessee folk innovators Big Star, where deceased singers Alex Chilton and Chris Bell would be able to grace the stage together and produce their infamous acoustic sounds. The night of apparitions would then close with the most imposing female ever to hit the music industry: the one and only Janis Joplin. Joplin would end the hit with a bang using her passionate vocals and classic collection of songs. Leave it to one of the most mythical figures in music to end the most mythical night at Coachella. Just make sure that Janis, Axl, and Sid’s holograms don’t go out partying after the show.
by Taylor Cavallo Assoc. Arts & Review Editor I am unfortunate enough to say that all the musicians I hold close to my heart are dead, or on a permanent hiatus. However eerie it may be, an exclusively hologram music festival would be my ideal situation. So many people nowadays say that they had the unfortunate fate of being born in the wrong generation—they love the classic rock of the ’60s and ’70s, but will never get to experience their favorite artists live (again, these are things I say to myself). As you can imagine, I had a fairly easy time in designing this ultimate music festival that can transcend space and time and raise people from the dead. My list obviously includes three members of the 27 Club: Jimi Hendrix; front man of The Doors, Jim Morrison; and the lead singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain. I consider it a true loss to our generation that we will never get to experience a live Hendrix guitar solo, watch Morrison work a stage and captivate his audience, or hear the sometimes mellow, always exhilarating voice of Cobain performing an acoustic session. Hendrix would no doubt perform hits such as “Fire,” “Castles Made of Sand,” and “The Wind Cries Mary.” The Doors, who always deliver a high-energy performance, would open with “Love Street” and finish their set with “Light My Fire,” always a crowd favorite. If we’re lucky, maybe Hendrix will light his guitar on fire, Morrison will strip and Cobain will famously smash one of his guitars at the end of his set. While all three members of Cream are still alive, they were a band that only very few were lucky enough to see in concert, as they were only together for two years. Their permanent hiatus was only briefly lifted in 2005 for two performances, one in Royal Albert Hall in London and Madison Square Garden in New York City. As expected, those tickets cost a small fortune, infinitely more than a Coachella ticket does. Another Cream reunion is almost as likely as bringing Cobain and co. back from the dead, so their presence at the Hologram Coachella would certainly be greatly appreciated and anticipated. The Velvet Underground and Nico would perform their entire collaborative, iconic album, released in 1967, for a relaxing break from the earlier four performers. For some variety and for lovers of soul, Otis Redding and Buddy Holly would be a great finish to a day filled with classic rock, hypnotizing guitars and intoxicating vocals, ending the day on a high note with love ballads and upbeat rock ‘n’ roll jams. This set list not only offers a great variety of music that will never be heard live again, but it also presents great opportunities for some great on-stage surprise collaborations.
by Dan Siering Asst. Arts & Review Editor
Heights editors answer the question, “Who Would You Pick?” Maggie: “The Beatles, in a heartbeat.” Charlotte: “Whitney Houston? Too soon?” David: “Bing Cosby-as long as it’s a Christmas concert.” Taylour: “Beatles-songs of my childhood!” Dan: “Joy Division-they were one of the best bands of the ’80s.” Chris M.:”Billy Ray Cyrus-his music has been dead for years.” Austin: “LCD Sound System-because I’m in love with James Murphy.” Samantha: “Alanis Morisette-I love her songs.” Eleanor: “Simon and Garfunkel-because they’re awsome!”
The Heights
B4
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Keeping with the current
Star value by Carolina Del busto
Megan Hilty looks to ride her ‘Smash’ hit
The power of a musical memory
The new show on NBC, appropriately called Smash, is to thank for the breakout role of Washington native Megan Hilty, who plays Katherine McPhee’s rival, Ivy Lynn. Hilty has been known in the Broadway world for years. With her boomingly beautiful voice, she has appeared in stage productions of Cafe Puttanesca, Wicked, Vanities, and 9 to 5: The Musical. According to her IMDb page, she has had a variety of guest roles in various television movies and series, which include shows like Bones, Desperate Housewives, and CSI to name a few. Though these roles have proved to be less than memorable, her character in Smash is nothing close to forgettable. With season two set to begin filming in July, Hilty will be back next fall and continue to brighten up the small screen. Though she only has two small projects currently in postproduction, it can be certain that Hilty will have a successful career in Hollywood—you won’t want to take your eye off of this rising star.
Dan Siering
Photos courtesy of google images
Fashion Forward
Denim is a simple and versatile classic When worn properly, denim is a worthwhile part of a girls wardrobe
Therese Tully
and top pairing. You’d think a wardrobe staple would be simpler than this! My relationship with denim is a dramatic one. I shop, I shop, I try on, and I get frustrated, and often eventually just put down the cash and leave with whatever denim is in my grasp. These stress, and necessity-induced purchases, cause some problems, suffice it to say. As I look through my closet today, the many pairs of jeans that I never wear, and are taking up precious closet space in my compact CoRo triple, horrify me. Yes, I should get rid of some, and I regularly donate old clothes, but I always think that I will find some occasion for each pair, or that the problems I have with each will instantly disappear. Out of my wide-ranging denim collection, I actually only wear three or four pairs of them. One dark skinny pair, a medium wash boyfriend jean, a wide legged version, and a pair of white jeans that I wear out of necessity rather than love. It may be time for a little spring cleaning of my jeans collection, to purge my closet of the excess pairs that are too short, too long, too tight, too loose, or just plain unflattering. This simple piece of apparel, which comes from unassuming, utilitarian origins, has been causing stress for years. My mom loves to tell the story about when her own mother, who never wore a pair of pants in her whole life, would not let her leave the house in jeans. My grandmother didn’t think they were particularly ladylike. Well, we have come far from that (and my mom has found her own perfect pair that she sports to this day), but the search proves to be difficult for everyone. Remain steadfast in your pursuit, clear some space in that closet of yours, and remain hopeful that someday you may find your perfect match.
They have become a staple in our everyday lives. Walk around campus and almost everyone is wearing them. Despite their insane popularity, denim is perhaps the most frustrating piece of apparel in anyone’s closet, whether they are male or female. Finding that perfect fit, along with the perfect wash, the right rise, detailing, and price can be a combination that seems only mythic. Though it is an essential, it is oh so difficult to be well-stocked in. For guys, most aspects of fashion are fairly simple. It is not hard to pull together a good-looking outfit in pretty much no time at all. Button-down, cords, Sperrys—done. But even for men, whose fashion choices are notoriously easier, not to mention cheaper, jeans prove equally elusive. In a shameless bout of roommate gossip, my friends and I were talking about our guy friends’ wardrobes. When thinking of each one, our focus was on the denim choices of each. It seemed that not one of them had been able to find a good pair. The biggest problem when it comes to men’s denim seems to be going for too light of a wash, or for too distressed a pair. Many men on this campus need to invest in an adult pair of jeans, in a medium to dark wash, that are the proper length (no one wants to see your ankles!), and aren’t too tight or too baggy. A happy medium is all I am asking for. This may require, and I hesitate to Therese Tully is an editor for The Heights. She can even utter this, trying them on before purchasing them. be reached at arts@bcheights.com. As for the women of campus, who needless to say probably have tried on literally millions of pairs of jeans among themselves, the quest for the perfect pair seems just as hopelessly difficult. Each occasion seems to call for a different variation. Every single weekend the conversation inevitably turns to what pair of jeans each of my roommates will wear out on any respective night. It seems silly, but time and thought go into the decision. Black jeans, dark denim, a lighter wash? How long are they? Do they stretch out really easily? Do you need a belt with them? Do they need to be cuffed? Can I wear them with these shoes? It is these very questions that dictate half an outfit, and consume the better part of a Saturday night. With summer on the horizon, it is white jean season. The least versatile and potentially the least flattering of all jeans, white denim takes some guts and some patience. I, unfortunately, need a new pair this summer and am dreading the beginning of my journey for the perfect ones. Flared, straight leg, or skinny jeans aren’t the only shapes to choose from. I personally love Paige’s Lou Lou Tulip jean, which provides an untraditional, yet flattering, flare. This style can also be purchased with a braided pocket detail that is a cute touch, but further complicates the jean
Jeans are infamous for being a hit or miss fashion purchase. However, when the perfect pair is finally found, a favorite pair of jeans can last someone for a long time. Jeans are an essential staple to a wardrobe, as they can be dressed up for a night out or dressed down for a casual day of lounging.
LIKE THAT? TRY THIS! The Office is one show on TV that reinvented the traditional television comedy. With its realistic, shaky camera mockumentary style and its emphasis on the awkward nuisances of a dysfunctional organization, Michael Scott and company have brought laughs to a younger generation for over eight seasons. Yet with basic cable comes the drivel of regulations and obscenity restrictions that the show’s writers must frame their jokes around. HBO’s new series Veep looks to bring all the awkwardness of The Office into the wide and obscene landscape of premium channel programming. The political satire comedy, which premiered last Sunday, stars Seinfeld legend Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the vice president of the United States. Veep, similar to America’s favorite corporate comedy, depicts an uproariously dysfunctional group of characters that have difficulties executing even the most menial tasks. Within the freedom of HBO, however, the characters of Veep can adequately express their discontent for their coworkers, as VP Meyer showed during the series’ pilot. With the presidential election on the horizon, Veep looks to be a timely comedy worth a watch for even the most casual Office fans.
Photos courtesy of google images
by Dan Siering
In the film High Fidelity, record store owner and main character Rob elects to resort his record collection after he endures a terrible breakup. But he does not choose to categorize in a traditional alphabetical or chronological sense. Instead he decides, to the awe of his record store employees, to sort his catalogue in a much more unusual way—autobiographically. “If I want to find the song ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac I have to remember that I bought it for someone in the fall of 1983 pile but didn’t give it to them for personal reason,” he explains. This innovative assortment of LPs sets up the rest of the film, as Rob embarks on a quest through his past romances and history with music to understand the reasons he’s afraid of real commitment. While the film is undoubtedly a must-see for any music lover (The film opens with the famous line “Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable, or was I miserable because I listen to pop music?”), the thought that music can be a means of tracking the past has always been something that really stood out for me when watching the film. In fact, I’ve come to believe that, aside from the traditional emotional satisfaction that songs can evoke during a moment of listening, the most important function that music serves is being the outer shell of a time capsule—a means of capturing bits of our past for us to revisit once a certain song, album, or artist is played. Not convinced with my proposition? Well, then let me give you a few examples. Back during my days of playing youth baseball (I was the best contact hitter in all of the Southwest Minneapolis metro), my dad would always play the same song after every win: “Life’s Been Good to Me” by Joe Walsh. He would always have Walsh’s greatest hits ready to go in the CD player every time we got into the car after a good game. It’s because of that positive memory that every time I hear the epic rock ballad, I can’t help but sing along. Another more distant, yet just as distinct, memory is when my mom used to pack my brother and I into the minivan during her daily errands. This was back when REM’s “Everybody Hurts” was a big single on the radio (a fact that makes me feel very old). One of the favorite things my brother liked to do, which my toddler self found hilarious, was to amend the lyrics a bit by singing “Everybody Burps” during the chorus. I know it’s a juvenile joke, but ever since those mini-van sing-alongs, I’ve never really been able to take the song seriously. On the flip side, songs do not always evoke good memories. Music has the deviant ability to attach itself to terrible events. I recall that one of my high school friends used to have The Doors’ “People Are Strange” as his ring back tone because his dad had once told him that he had had an awful experience with the song during his college years. Thus, my friend thought it was an ingenious way to lessen the pestering calls of his parents. Songs and artists can also remind someone of unpleasant relationships or people we would rather like to forget. In (500) Days of Summer, Tom Hansen has a loud public outburst on a bus when his iPod shuffles onto the Dirty Dancing love ballad “She’s Like The Wind,” a song that prompts the hopeless romantic to remember his tumultuous break-up with Summer Finn. It’s an entertaining and hilarious scene to watch, but it’s entertaining in the sense that we can all relate. So, I’m not saying you have to be like Rob and sift through your music collection to really unleash the true power of the memories attached, but it’s liberating every now and then to think about some of the songs that have latched on to important stages in your life. I say that up above that nostalgia is the most powerful vocation of music next to emotional evocation, but maybe they’re really just one in the same. It’s because of those memories that such strong feelings can come out of playing a track. They might always be happy memories, but that by no means belittles the power of music.
Dan Siering is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
B5
With his first solo album, White is able to expand and invent By Sean Keeley Heights Staff
Jack White is nothing if not a busy man. The 36-year-old rocker has already been the driving force behind three acclaimed bands: The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. He’s served as a producer for the likes of country legend Loretta Lynn and “Queen of Rockabilly” Wanda Jackson, revitalizing their careers in the process. He’s done a Bond movie theme song, acted in movies such as Cold Mountain, and even played Elvis Presley in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. But despite this diverse array of projects, White has never released a solo album until now. The new release Blunderbuss has many elements familiar from White’s existing body of work: inspired and energetic guitar riffs, lyrics that are at once sarcastic, sincere, and slightly nonsensical, and White’s trademark shriek of a falsetto voice. But White’s solo debut also explores new territory. It’s an album with a strong personal thematic focus but a variety of styles, ranging from old-fashioned rockand-roll to soft waltzes to heavily distorted alternative sounds. The first track, “Missing Pieces,” is the perfect opener. With its electronic-sounding piano, shredding electric guitar and White’s typically eccentric vocal delivery, the track is hugely enjoyable and
very much a piece with White’s other music—and it’s also a signal of things to come in another way. The song deals with the breakdown of a relationship, which is a recurring theme throughout the album. White sings, “Sometimes someone controls everything about you / And when they tell you that they just can’t live without you / They ain’t lyin’, they’ll take pieces of you / And they’ll stand above you and walk away.” But there’s no self-pity here, with White defiantly concluding: “That’s right, and take a part of you with them.” White continues in that vein with track two, the single “Sixteen Saltines.” At a succinct two and a half minutes, the song is one of the most hard-rocking on the album, but it’s also admirably complex, with lyrics that alternate between sardonic put-downs and confessions of sadness, topped off with a catchy but ambiguous chorus, as White asks, “Who’s jealous, who’s jealous, who’s jealous of who?” More unambiguously derisive is “Hypocritical Kiss,” which addresses an ex-lover directly and concludes with the biting lines, “You would sell your own mother out / And betray your dead brother with another hypocritical kiss.” As enjoyable as these songs are, though, Blunderbuss is thankfully not just a series of angry break-up songs. “Love Interruption,” which was the album’s first single, is a
blunderbuss jack white produced by columbia records released apr. 24, 2012 Our rating A-
Chart Toppers Singles
1 Payphone Maroon 5 2 Somebody That I Used to Know Gotye 3 We Are Young fun. 4 Boyfriend Justin Bieber 5 Call Me Maybe Carly Rae Jepsen 6 What Makes You Beautiful One Direction 7 Wild Ones Flo Rida feat. Sia 8 Starships Nicki Minaj 9 Glad You Came The Wanted 10 Drive By Train
Top Albums courtesy of columbia records
Stepping away from his normal routine, Detroit rock great Jack White explores classic genres in a modern context. nice change of pace. It’s more mellow than usual, with an acoustic guitar, female backing vocals, and an upbeat chorus: “I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt, or interrupt me anymore.” It’s not the kind of material one would expect from White, but he pulls it off surprisingly well. Another such track is “Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy.” It starts with a waltz-like intro, and then changes into a bouncy country song about a “poor boy” catch-
ing rides on trains and running away from heartbreak. It’s classic Americana, a fitting tribute to the musical pantheon of country and blues songs that have so influenced White. What makes White truly unique as an artist, though, is the way he transforms those influences into a distinctively modern sensibility. White’s influences reach back to classic blues musicians like Blind Willie McTell, but he is not a nos-
talgist who plays it safe by rehashing old styles. Instead, White often experiments with complex walls of sound, shreds on his electric guitar with ferocity, and stretches his falsetto to its limits. It’s a delicate balancing act that shouldn’t work as well as it does, but on Blunderbuss, Jack White continues to make it work, pushing blues and rock-and-roll into the 21st century while kicking off a new phase in an already fertile career. n
1 Tuskegee Lionel Richie 2 Love is a 4 Letter Word Jason Mraz 3 21 Adele 4 California 37 Train 5 Up All Night One Direction
Source: Billboard.com
Eve 6 disappoints with shoddy lyrics and uncreative melodies By Nathan Rossi For The Heights
Eve 6’s biggest (and only) hit to date, “Here’s to the Night” impacted pop culture and high school graduation playlists way back
in 2001. Following the success of their earlier single, the band consisting of Max Collins (vocals and bass), John Siebels (guitar), and Tony Fagenson (drums), disbanded after the release of 2003’s disappointing It’s All in Your
Head, which failed to produce any hit singles. After getting back together in 2011, the trio releases their first album in just about nine years this week. Preceded by lead single “Lost and Found,” Speak in Code is a weak collection of pop-
speak in code eve 6 produced by fearless records released apr. 24, 2012 Our rating d+
courtesy of Fearless records
Unable to find a unique sound and meaningful lyrics, ‘Speak In Code’ is a boring comeback for the vintage rock trio.
rock songs that has no real place in today’s recording industry. The second track on the album, “Victoria,” stands out the most because of its truly bizarre lyrics. Referencing an ex-girlfriend, Collins sings, “She’s doing body shots off Italian guys in Mexico / She’s dancing with a vampire at a bilingual disco / I’m all alone / I need another tequila.” Sung over an odd electronic rock beat, the song sounds like a leftover Good Charlotte track from seven years ago. Unoriginal and creepy, the track is easily one of the worst on the album. The band’s odd lyrics continue on the track “Everything.” Collins sings, “I know a girl, she’s from the plains of South Dakota / Her momma told her not to / So she crossed the border / I heard she fed a cocker spaniel to her cobra.” Apparently, the woman who inspired a lot of the songs on the album must have been seriously twisted. “Situation Infatuation” and “Lost and Found” are clearly the best tracks on the album. Both
are backed by synthy pop beats. With both tracks, the band is obviously trying to reach the same pop audience that embraced “Here’s to the Night.” Although it is clear that the band is trying to simulate the success of One Republic, they come off as something more akin to Selena Gomez & The Scene, which just does not work for them. Harsh but truthful, the lyrics of both of these singles seem aimed at teens who have probably never even heard of Eve 6. The biggest problem with the return of Eve 6 is that they fail to sound original at any point on the album. Upon first listen, most people will probably confuse them with another irrelevant “punk” band—basically any band 10 years past their prime. The band also seems to have channeled their inner Smash Mouth on the record. A lot of the tracks, particularly “B.F.G.F.” (which stands for Best Friend’s Girl Friend) and “Downtown,” sound like they could have been on Astro Lounge, Smash Mouth’s corny hit album from
the ’90s. One of things that made “Here’s to the Night” so successful was its simple acoustic sound. Eve 6 would have been better off staying truer to the music of their early records instead of trying too hard to be relevant by using boring synthetic sounds and rhythms. Further, there is absolutely no lyrical value to any of the songs on Speak in Code. “Here’s to the Night” resonated with high school graduates because its lyrics had some sort of meaning to them. With most of the tracks on this latest record, it’s hard to take Eve 6 seriously. Speak in Code blurs the line between a comedy album and an actual pop rock release, because of the goofy lyrics. Even fans of Eve 6 are likely to be extremely disappointed with the band’s latest effort. Those who were hoping to find the next “Here’s to the Night” (or lyrical value in general) on Speak in Code are better off checking out fun.’s Some Nights, because there is almost nothing worth listening to on this album. n
Despite the rise of technology, vinyl records still reign supreme Matt Mazzari This week, I learned something that made me happier than Nicki Minaj that one time they let her play with the shiny bauble: there is a globally recognized ”Record Store Day” in April! It’s dedicated to celebrating special vinyl releases, particularly classics, such as unpublished Janis Joplin recordings and Quadrephenia demos. Shortly thereafter, however, I discovered news that made me almost as sad as Nicki Minaj when they told her to “put that spoon down, we’re in public”: Record Store Day happened just this last Saturday, and won’t be happening again until the third Saturday of April next year. The missed opportunity did start me thinking, however, about vinyl and its contradictory role in current music. The industry does still manage to sell vinyls quite profitably despite the transfer to digitalized tracks. In fact, last year’s vinyl sales reported an incredible 39 percent increase, marking yet another instance of vinyl “nos-
talgia” trumping compact disk purchases. But why the increase? How is a vintage, non-portable, and non-transferrable medium competing so well against superior convenience? As it turns out, vinyl actually has more to offer than just being useful bait for your backyard hipster traps (Author’s note: This publication in no way condones Matt’s “ironic” treatment of the hipsters he finds in his backyard). Vinyl’s renewed popularity is actually playing a large role in what producers and music aficionados are calling the Loudness War. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Like Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker attacking each other with sound waves at the final Cream concert. Rock and Roll! Ka-blam! The Loudness War is devolving the way music is formatted, however, which isn’t awesome at all. Basically, the Loudness War is an engineering issue that’s reducing the overall quality of studio recordings. Since the early ’80s and the dawn of CDs, the music industry has been operating on the notion that higher volume capability equates to higher sales, which, particularly at the advent
of Arena/Hair Rock, held statistically true. The digital compression capacity allowed producers to alter their dynamic range to higher extremes, effectively cranking the amp to 11. This seems like mumbo-jumbo to most people, including myself, but the truth of the matter is that it’s drastically affecting how our music sounds. Music that hasn’t been altered or compressed for the sake of a louder volume has been retroactively termed “Dynamic” music, and its presence is starting to be missed. Enter vinyl. Because vinyl LPs are so darn simple in design, the opportunity for sound compression they provide is nil. That’s why your granddad can’t seem to adapt to anything but his 40-year-old record player: CD and post-CD remasterings don’t sound distorted to us, but people who grew up playing music through a phonograph notice the bloated sound waves, and it bugs the heck out of them. It’s like that leaden feeling your legs get after spending a few hours on a trampoline, primarily in that it reflects a subconscious adapta-
tion to a particular sensation most noticeable upon return. Also, if you’re like me, the undisturbed sound quality of vinyl, and the bounciness of trampolines are both things your granddad thinks are awesome. Recently, sound engineers like Ian Sheppard and Bob Ludwig have started publicly denouncing the trend, and legitimate
musical press outlets have joined them. Instances of the Loudness War phenomenon corrupting tracks as of late are being more frequently exposed. Yet the difference is fairly palpable at this point, even to newer listeners. Comparisons of volume graphs from different album re-releases have shown visible changes. As a result, watered-down tunes
are gradually giving way to a more streamlined and appealing alternative in the rock scene. The Loudness War raises a supremely relevant question: Is music really good if it only appeals at a specific volume level? Isn’t music more than just loudness? Record Store Day comes but once a year, but vinyl rocks hard all year round. Ka-blam! n
Courtesy of record store day
While vinyl records are a thing of the past, this retro alternative to CDs is still a dynamic way to listen to music.
Radio singles by carolina del busto Flo Rida “Whistle”
Stefano ft. New Boyz and Rock Mafia “I’m on a Roll” Appropriately beginning with whistling and continuing with scattered whistling throughout the song, Flo Rida’s new single takes you on a cool escape to the Sunshine State. Of course, an image of summer in Florida isn’t complete without scantily clad girls, hence Flo Rida’s sexual undertones with lyrics like “Can you blow my whistle, baby,” and “Girl, I’m gonna show you how we do it, and we start real slow.”
From the moment Stefano’s new single, “I’m on a Roll,” begins, the overwhelming bass adds to the club-infused beat—you can almost imagine Stefano, New Boyz, and Rock Mafia fist pumping while they repeatedly sing —or I should say chant—”I’m on a roll” and “Like it’s the best night of my life.” Because of its repetition and upbeat sound, the song is very easy to get stuck in your head.
Rush “Headlong Flight” Leave it to this legendary Canadian rock band to release a seven minute-long single. Though “Headlong Flight” is lengthy compared to your typical songs, it leaves you wanting more. Your ears are overpowered by the awesome fusion of drums, guitar, bass guitar, and Geddy Lee’s unmistakable vocals. Bands like Rush and songs like “Headlong Flight” remind us that rock and roll is very much alive.
The Heights
B6
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The onset of eye disease may not be as visible as the appearance of new wrinkles. An eye doctor can spot the early warning signs of vision problems like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as other serious health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Early detection is key. For men and women over 40, it might be wise to look into your eyes. For more information, visit checkyearly.com. A public service message from Vision Council of America and AARP.
6#! C -AG & X INDD
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The Heights
Thursday, April 26, 2012
B7
BY JAE SHIN
Enjoying Boston’s best before final exams It’s a rather rainy week in Boston, full of gloom and doom. All across the Boston College campus, people are quieter since
it is also the week before “hell week” (the start of finals and reading period) and many are gearing up to study hardcore for exams. But before we reach that precipice, what would be better than to escape campus and go to Cambridge for a little retail therapy? Start the day off at the Cambridgeside Galleria, where it’s possible to while away the entire day shopping. It’s a great idea to just take a few friends and go spend quality time browsing a few stores here
Courtesy of Google images
Opened in 1990, the Cambridgeside Galleria is one of Boston’s most impressive shopping malls.
and there. The Cambridgeside Galleria is one of the biggest malls in Boston, housing three floors of glorious temptation in the way of merchandise and food. Cambridgeside has almost every brand BC students would want: Francesca’s, J.Crew, Gap, Charlotte Russe, and several dozen more. Then, to take a break from the power walking and shopping, beginning at noon you can get on a boat at the dock to depart for a 60-minute Charles River boat cruise. The captain will take you through and about Harvard, MIT, Back Bay, and all the major cultural scenes, while navigating through the maze of sailboats and rowers. Student prices are available, and even Boston natives will learn a few things from the tour guides, not to mention enjoy the scenic tour of the Charles. Come back and walk over to the New England Aquarium (only about 10 minutes by foot). Next year, this will even be free for BC students and is a place where you can lose track of time exploring the various exhibits, booths containing live animals, and activities. The Aquarium also has an IMAX theater, so buy a ticket and relax in the theatre while watching 3D animation. If you still have time or energy, come back out of being immersed in an indoor watery wonderland, and walk down the street to see the U.S.S.
Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 4/19/12 — 4/22/12
Non-accessory larceny from vehicle
Constitution Museum. With a library containing over 7,000 artifacts (the largest collection of U.S.S. Constitution-related artifacts in the world) it’s
In the evening, at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m., head to the Multicultural Arts Center for a performance that’ll leave you reeling. The current per-
Courtesy of Google images
Founded in 1978, the Multicultural Arts Center is a non-profit dedicated to diversity. a truly impressive site. Their best, permanent exhibits include “All Hands on Deck: A Sailor’s Life in 1812” and “Old Ironsides in War and Peace,” but exhibits change from time to time so whenever you decide to go, it’s sure to be a great treat.
formances are Yoron Israel and High Standards, as well as Marta Gomez. Tickets are around $20 apiece, but they’re well worth the price and are a great way to finish off your evening, escaping the blues of rain and pending exams. n
Restaurant review
Indulging in underwater cuisine
At about 8:50 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, an officer responded to a radio call for a breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, at 118 Holton St., Brighton. Upon arrival, the officer was appraoched by the victim, who stated that she parked her vehicle in front of 108 Holton St., at about 7:45 a.m. that morning. When she returned to her vehicle approximately 15 minutes later, she observed that her front driver side window was shattered. The officer then observed damage to the front driver side window, matching statements made by the victim. After conducting an inventory of the contents inside her vehicle, the victim discovered that her Garmin GPS was missing from the center console compartment of her vehicle.
Breaking and entering in Brighton; two laptops stolen At about 12:09 p.m. on Friday, April 20, an officer responded to a radio call for a breaking and entering report at 25 Ashton St. in Brighton. The victim stated that at about 6:00 a.m. on that same day he was sleeping in his bed when he was awoken by a sound. He stated that he then saw a male wearing a light gray hooded sweater exit his bedroom. He then heard when the male exited through the front door and went down the stairs. He stated that from the heavy footsteps he heard, he imagined that the suspect was heavyset. He was unable to provide any other description of the suspect. The victim stated that he later realized that his silver MacBook Pro laptop was missing. His laptop was on top of the bed and his headphones were connected to it. He believes that the suspect probably unplugged the headphones from his laptop because he later found them on his bed. He initially thought that the person who was in his room was one of his roommates, but after noticing that his laptop was missing, he realized that the person was a burglar. The victim’s roommate also reported a missing laptop that same day. The suspect is believed to have entered both of their bedrooms and stolen both laptops.
Breaking and entering in Brighton; Playstation 3 stolen At about 2:16 a.m. on Sunday, April 22, an officer responded to a radio call for a breaking and entering in progress at 116 Lake St. in Brighton. Upon arrival, the officer was met by both victims and was told that while a victim was laying in his bedroom, he heard someone attempt to open his bedroom door. He then said that he shouted out to see if it was one of his roommates and suddenly heard footsteps running down the stairs and the front door slam shut. Both victims went to investigate if anything was missing, and observed that their Playstation 3 was stolen and some drawers were disheveled. The victims were not able to provide the officer with a description of the suspect or his direction of flight.
- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor
HOUSE AD
Courtesy of Google images
By Amy Hachigian Heights Editor
After waiting up to three months for a primetime reservation at Island Creek Oyster Bar, you will not regret a moment of the experience from the first step into the dining room to the last bite. Opened in 2010, this hotspot is located right next to the Kenmore T stop and attracts a range of guests, including college couples, families, businessmen, and adult groups. Now, to fully enjoy the experience of eating at one of Boston’s most-loved seafood restaurants, you need to know the history of Island Creek Oysters. In 1992, Skip Bennett decided to plant oysters in Duxbury Bay, after his unsuccessful attempt at quahogs farming. With four employees in 2000 (including Skip’s father), Island Creek Oysters began supplying local restaurants and chefs with as many oysters as they could farm. Today, they have nine farms in Duxbury alone, with other farms in various parts of the U.S., and sell over 100,000 oysters nationwide per week. Thus, a simple quahog farmer is now the main supplier of seafood to all Boston restaurants. So, what does Skip do? Create a restaurant for himself, of course. Walking into Island Creek Oyster Bar is an experience on its own. The high-energy atmosphere and homey colors and seating create a welcoming and fun environment fit for any occasion. The most stunning feature of the restaurant is the display case that lines the entire back wall, holding thousands and thousands of beautifully lit oyster shells. As you settle down at the table, you will notice that the menu is completely new. They change it daily to keep current with the latest catch, keeping everything extremely fresh and creative. With roughly 12 different types of oysters to choose from and eight other seafood options, the raw bar menu will send any oyster lover straight to heaven. Island Creek Oyster Bar also adds an interesting component to their raw menu—the exact farm and location of each different oyster. It’s a nice touch for people who want to compare the different flavors and tastes of the oysters. For those of you watching your dollars, note that each individual oyster ranges from $2.25 to $3.50, so perhaps it’s worth sampling just a few if you’re looking to also indulge in one of their homemade desserts!
For those of you who like your seafood actually cooked and want to start the night off with a light appetizer, you cannot go wrong with anything, from the Crispy Island Creek Oyster Sliders to Pan Fried Jonah Crab Cakes. The homemade clam chowder is much lighter than the normal creamy texture, although buttermilk biscuit croutons floating on top of the soup, added to complement the citrus taste, bring the dish back to its decadent nature. However, a warning: their fresh bread
Location: 500 Comm. Ave., Boston Cuisine: Seafood Signature Dish: Oyster Sliders Atmosphere: 9/ 10 Price: $$$$ Overall Experience: A-
and sweetened butter are addictive and can ruin one’s appetite. Restricting indulgences to reach all courses of the meal is a key, and splitting a starter with only one piece of bread on the side is enough to whet the palate. Finally, the main course. Ranging from (my personal favorite) fried clams served in a basket, to top-notch lobster, to swordfish artfully crafted on a white dish, to halibut and gnocchi, and, of course, sirloin (in case you happen to dislike seafood), Island Creek Oyster Bar has you covered. Perfect service, dedicated chefs, and smiling waiters allow every dish to come hot, visually pleasing, and absolutely exquisite. If you’re not stuffed yet, take a moment to enjoy one of their constantly changing dessert options. From homemade cookies and iced milk to doughnuts with lavender pastry cream, any tastebud can be satisfied. While this restaurant is quite expensive for a college student, it’s truly worth every cent. But plan ahead, as reservations go out for months in advance (weekday reservations for early on, 5 p.m., or much later, 8 p.m., can be more readily available). n
B8
The Heights
Subway Series
Smashing society’s stereotypes
Marc Francis Let’s start with the Chicagoans. As the stereotype goes, the typical teen from Chicago is a hipster who is all too quick to accept an invitation to party or smoke a blunt. He is probably fueled with Chi-Town pride and hates when someone from a suburb claims he is from the city. Then we have the college kids from Los Angeles. They are probably blonde, fit, and incredibly good-looking. Despite lacking common sense and a strong backbone, they keep up with the latest diet trends and never miss a workout session—they are totally opposite those obnoxious New Yorkers who love to swear, are only concerned about themselves, and constantly talk about how unique they are. And don’t even get me started on the sports-crazed Bostonians whose driving skills would make anyone cringe. Such stereotypes of various population groups and geographic areas are the primary contributor to widespread ignorance in the United States. I experience a surge of anger when I hear a person who has never set foot in New York talk about the “roaches,” “rats,” and “bad areas,” as if he has lived there his whole life. For the record, in my 18 years of living in New York City, I cannot recall one instance of seeing a rodent or a roach above ground, or being in a neighborhood where I felt extremely unsafe. As I round out my first year at Boston College, I have witnessed an excessive amount of stereotyping and irrational assumptions amongst the University’s students. I feel as if identities are unjustly forced upon certain groups of people solely based on their origins. A dictionary definition of stereotype is “a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly.” Stereotyping has its roots in some of the greatest evils mankind has ever faced, which include genocides like the Holocaust. Sure, most of the time we mean no harm by making assumptions about others based on their hometowns, yet if we just spend a moment to think about it, we will expose our own irrationalities. Stereotyping also greatly affects our interpersonal relations. Many of us feel most comfortable interacting with people who look, talk, and dress like us. We miss out on so many great relationships because we refuse to linger outside our comfort zones. On a more obvious level, stereotyping is one of the main tools of racism and sexism. We use it to shun, tease, and ridicule others. Even if it is used in the context of good humor, it is based on misinformation and bias. In fact, the term “stereotype” was first used in the 18th century to describe a process in which a piece of paper is duplicated, denying its originality. If I make rash generalizations about a group of people, I am granting myself the artificial authority to determine a fellow human’s identity. I am disillusioning myself and insulting another person—a lose-lose situation. On the other hand, generalization can be helpful as we learn about other cultures. They only become dangerous when they are exaggerated and used in the wrong context. We can only come to understand other cultures by first understanding ourselves, and how we would feel if someone else forced his views of our culture upon us. Unfortunately, stereotyping begins very early in a child’s life, usually with his parents or maybe a close friend. Some of us grow up hearing negative comments about different groups, which may subconsciously force us to accept such views. Many of us have reached a point in our childhoods where we’ve wondered why a derogatory comment was made about someone having to do with him being black, Latino, GLBTQ, etc. It is only later in life that some realize the bigotry present throughout their entire lives. But we must keep in mind that blaming our parents or society is the easy way out—we are in charge of our thoughts and actions. Marc Francis is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Artfully crafted skateboards line ‘Stack The Deck’ exhibit 4th Wall, from B10 Bodega and Fourth Wall, the goal is to have more spaces that enable others to create.” The two, then, clearly embrace and encourage expression, creativity, and individuality. The unfinished, open, 3,000-squarefoot gallery of Fourth Wall is home to “contemporary artists from the community,” said Mak, but it also tries to bring in international artists twice a year. Fourth Wall is an outlet for both public art projects and cultural artifacts for the neighborhood. Although it doesn’t follow the traditionally styled structure of for-profit galleries, it has been incredibly successful in garnering many developing artists’ local support and recognition. Edgy and innovative, Fourth Wall displays modern, alternative exhibits. According to Mak, “The content ranges from installations to post-graffiti, and we strive to present exhibitions which wouldn’t come to Boston otherwise.” The unique, colorful pieces found at Fourth Wall are not the kinds of works viewers would be accustomed to seeing in the Museum of Fine Arts or even in the Contemporary Institute of Art. The pieces here represent a vivid artistic culture that is often overlooked. Embracing the life and culture of the street, Fourth Wall is currently showing an exhibit titled Stack the Deck, a gallery attributed to the life of art and skateboarding. Wesley Eggebrecht, the owner of the skateboard company Phidias Gold, is the curator. Many of the artists included in the display either were individuals who Eggebrecht knew through his company or were designers at his day job at Converse. The display features over 30 personally designed and created board decks by 31 different artists. Entitled with full creative freedom, the diverse range of artists employed an array of interesting mediums and methods to complete their final pieces. There are hand-painted boards, laser-engraved boards, and etched boards, and there is even one digitally printed board. Eric Waetzig’s board “El Diablo,”
for example, is crafted on a deep, rich, wooden deck. Elegantly engraved and outlined in dark ebony, it features the saying, “Death cannot kill what is already dead.” Waetzig actually has two boards on display—the other is titled “Third Grade,” and it depicts simply, in red and blue letters, the phrase “Thrash till yer trashed.” Other decks, such as Cade Beaulieu’s “Res Ipsa Loquitur” or Francis Vallejo’s “Who Do You Love” illustrate detailed, intricate, inked drawings, designs, and patterns. Amongst the images of skulls, knives, and nude women, Jillian Evelyn’s brightly painted deck of a sweet kitty in a little pink dress seems out of place, but after circling the gallery, viewers are reminded that every piece, though unique, belongs to and therefore completes Stack the Deck as a whole. Even though every board is certainly intriguing and extraordinary in its own right, “There’s one piece by Damion Silver that stands out. It’s an early scooter that people eventually modified into the first skateboard. He built it all out of materials from that era,” described Mak. “Stack the Deck focuses on two icons of skateboarding—decks and empty beer bottles,” he said. Not only are designed decks on display, but so are personally painted liquor bottles, as part of The Distillation Show. Humorous drunken faces, clever phrases, and even pleasant, delicate designs adorn each vessel of varying size. Next time viewers go to pick up a beer, they definitely won’t see the bottle in the same way. Mak said, “This show was fun because it re-contextualized common objects that people feel comfortable with.” Most of the pieces were for sale, but despite the fact that “the show sold pretty well,” with “about a quarter of the pieces sold,” Mak explained that “sales is not the goal of the gallery.” He illuminated further that the purpose of Stack the Deck is actually a shared goal with Fourth Wall and Bodega too: “We want to get more of Boston involved with making, viewing, and thinking about art.” n
Andrew Skaras \ For The Heights
Collegiate groups, local churches, and Greek professionals marched despite rain showers.
BC Hellenic club joins festivities Parade, from B10 currently has. Beginning Friday afternoon, the governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, hosted a reception in the State House. This was followed by a reception hosted by Ilias Fotopoulos, Consul-General of Greece, at the Consulate-General in Boston. Saturday evening saw a dinner gala hosted by FHASNE at The Revere Boston Common Hotel that featured music by George Kaminaris and his orchestra. Following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, the parade participants assembled outside of the Prudential Center at noon. In addition to Consul-General Fotopoulos, Metropolitan of Boston Methodius, Mayor Thomas Menino, and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Pyrrhos Dimas served as Grand Marshals of the parade. Dimas is considered a national hero in Greece for winning Olympic medals in weightlifting in four consecutive Olympics, 1992 to 2004. The parade itself began at 1:00 p.m. and ran from Boylston Street to Charles Street. Numerous organizations, churches, and schools participated in the parade, from purely Greek groups to multinational groups as well. All of the major churches in the Metropolis of Boston had delegations that included older immigrants and children
dressed in the traditional Greek costume. There were American Legion bands, high school bands, and ethnic bands that marched and played throughout the parade. The Boston College Hellenic Society brought a seven-member delegation to the parade that was led by its co-presidents, Margarite Yuelys, LSOE ’12, and Christina Koutsourades, A&S ’12. The BC Hellenic Society has participated in the Greek Independence Parade in Boston for many years, and this year marched along with the Hellenic societies of the other Boston-area schools, including Boston University, Brandeis, and Tufts. Students could be seen wearing Greek flags and togas, as well as the armor of ancient Spartan hoplites. Many of the Boston-area churches sponsor Greek schools dedicated to teaching the Greek language to the children of first and second generation Greek-Americans. These schools’ students made floats, including one shaped like an Athenian trireme. Other floats recreated ancient Athenian architecture with representations of the Parthenon and other temples. The parade ended in the Common, and the parade participants, along with the many observers, moved on to the Common where they could watch Greek dance troops perform traditional dances from many different regions of Greece. Greek food was available, and music was provided by Greek DJ Sotiris Giannakakis. n
Morris’ film critiques rewarded Pulitzer, from B10
Courtesy of Google images
‘Stack The Deck’ is the most recent exhibit, embodying the gallery’s preference for alternative art.
panel were his critiques of Drive and The Help. The judges called his work “smart, inventive film criticism, distinguished by pinpoint prose and an easy traverse between the art house and big-screen box office.” These reviews invite readers to consider these box office hits, or misses, in ways not thought of before. They open eyes to things formerly hidden, uncovering messages that only he may have seen. During a heartfelt “acceptance speech” at an afternoon office celebration, Morris, only 36, said that he didn’t “try to [win]. I was just doing my job, and this is what happened. I am the luckiest guy in the world.” At one point, tears began to well in his eyes as he continued, “I love everybody here, and I thank you all for supporting me … and writing back when I write to you. It’s very nice, and just for saying hi. I mean that’s all anybody wants right? … So thank you, and hi.” With Morris’ win, this is the second consecutive year the Globe has won for
Person to Watch Through media outlets and social networking, the most significant matters of social justice now can gain widespread attention, from the current fight against Kony to matters on poverty and world hunger. Everyone has seen one: those posts on Facebook by friends sharing a heartbreaking story with an equally poignant photo. While these stories help raise attention quickly, the avWho: Kara Kaminski What: As an employee for Zidisha (Swahili for “grow”) Kaminski helps provide low-interest loans. Where: The company provides loans across the globe, thus far in 62 countries. Why it matters: Zidisha’s business model is not only sound for those in America, but also promotes self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship in underdeveloped areas.
enues and opportunities to take the next step and help solve these issues remain ambiguous. However, Boston College graduate Kara Kaminski is part of a team that seeks a solution to global issues of poverty and joblessness. Kaminski, who majored in political science with a concentration in biology, works at Zidisha, the world’s first true peer-to-peer microlending organization. As a part of this team, Kaminski works as a portfolio analyst, and, prior to joining, worked the past few years analyzing the multifaceted aspects of development at institutions such as the Earth Institute and the Museum of Natural History. Kaminski graduated with a master’s degree in economics from Suffolk University. “Zidisha,” the Swahili word for “grow” or “expand” (literally, in a business, or figuratively, in a quality such as freedom or prosperity) uses microlending to help those in developing nations make business ideas into realities. While microlending is a well-established and globally recognized method for helping millions in developing countries, Zidisha is different with incredibly low interest rates of roughly 7.5 percent, compared to normal interest rates of 25-35 percent, which makes it
Courtesy of Google images
Morris has been with the ‘Globe’ for ten years.
By: Graham By: Arjun Beck Gajulapalli
easier for borrowers to repay loans and incentivizes lenders to share money with a complete payback percentage of 97.41 percent. In the new age of social media, Zidisha connects its clients with each other through a Facebook-inspired “Wall,” which allows lenders to encourage and even provide tips and business suggestions to borrowers. On the flip side, borrowers can post questions and updates on their businesses. Since its founding in 2009, Zidisha has raised $193,441 in loans, financed 337 businesses, and has its members in as many as 62 countries. As good as the statistics are for Zidisha, the testimonials from people who have been helped by the organization are even more inspiring. John Mopel of Narok, Kenya, thanked Zidisha, saying, “Now I have plenty of stock that meets my customers demand; this was not possible without your help ... from the profit generated in the last one month I’m ploughing three acre of maize to feed my poshomill....” Among many messages telling of success and expressing countless thanks are the numerous updates from current borrowers on projects in progress, each one taking a step toward reducing poverty in a sustainable way. n
The Heights
Thursday, April 19, 2012
B9
Famed storyteller Sharon Kennedy shares latest work with Brighton By Lauren Totino For The Heights
On April 19, an eager audience filled every seat in the Brighton Library conference room and embarked on a journey back to the frigid winter of January 1912, led by the exuberant and talented Sharon Kennedy. Kennedy’s one-woman historical reenactment show, called “The Strike for Bread and Roses: Lawrence, 1912,” was commissioned by the Bread and Roses Festival Committee to honor the Lawrence, Mass. textile mill laborers who launched a strike 100 years ago when pay was cut, forever changing the course of America’s labor history and forming the “melting pot” that was to become of the nation. Sharon Kennedy, a Grammy-nominated storyteller, winner of three Parents’ Choice Gold awards, and guest on Good Morning America, wrote the hour-long performance
through the perspective of mistreated and impoverished immigrants who suffered immensely at the mills. The cast of fictional but historically accurate characters included four 14-year-olds who delivered testimonials before U.S. senators, and the memorable young Irish immigrant Margaret Kelly, a spunky 17-year-old mill girl with “big ideas in her head.” Remaining solid in character, Kennedy passionately led the audience through the tumultuous times of early 20th-century Lawrence, highlighting how the strike was not merely a struggle for fair pay, but a fight for family, dignity, and life. Most of Kennedy’s poignant monologues addressed the unpleasant living conditions of the mill workers: families of nine inhabiting decrepit two-room flats, daily meals of black bread and molasses, scalping accidents while on the job. Similar to that of many newly industrialized American
towns, life for factory workers in Lawrence was so unbearable that sufficient money to put bread on the table was still not enough incentive. “We need roses, too,” the women proclaimed. Eventually the strikers emerged victorious, earning one full dollar more for their work than their previous measly pay. The most powerful theme to be taken from the performance was that of the solidarity and unity that arose among strikers of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Immigrants from Italy, Ireland, Russia, Germany, Poland, and Syria living in Lawrence had always steered clear of each other, and some groups even formed bitter hatreds against each other. “Stick to your own kind” were stinging words of warning that children were forced to heed by their parents. When workers of all cultures began to suffer the same consequences of working at the mills, they came together in support of each other,
and prejudice faded. Kennedy particularly expressed the infallible solidarity and incredible strength of the mother strikers. Performing as the animated Kelly, Kennedy expounded the strike activities of the fearless Lawrence women as they stood their ground against the police force and the dreaded “line-crossing, job-stealing scabs.” Irish and Italian women, once rivals, armed themselves with scissors, hatpins, and pepper to combat the aggressive police, they sang songs of perseverance, they linked arms, and they never let go. At last, they prevailed against the abusive factory foremen. In her centenary celebration of the “Strike for Bread and Roses,” Sharon Kennedy successfully provided the audience with a moving history lesson infused with fascinating perspectives on a pivotal labor movement from our nation’s past. n
Despite initial media blitz, Invisible Children loses public credibility Kony, from B10 to supporters, which consisted of a KONY2012 t-shirt, two bracelets, stickers, buttons, posters, and an action guide. Each kit was sold for $20, the profits reportedly going toward the KONY campaign. As of last week, IC reported they had sold out of action kits in preparation for Friday. Jason Russell, the founder of this campaign, explained in his documentary, “The rest of the world will go to bed Friday night and wake up to hundreds of thousands of posters demanding justice on every corner.” However, Friday night’s results this immense campaign were far less than what many in the public expected after such a media blitz. The most recognizable aftermath of the campaign in Boston was a vandalized statue from the Boston massacre with the KONY2012 tagline in spray paint. This marring made buzzfeed.com’s list of “The 20 Least Effective KONY ‘Cover the Night’ Signs,” on par with misspelled paper banners and inappropriate placement of propaganda in other major cities. Information regarding the KONY2012
Campaign at Boston College was centrally located in a Facebook group with over 600 members. No evidence of Cover the Night was visible on BC’s campus Saturday morning. While the Spring Concert (which took place on the same Friday as Cover the Night) was a concern for those leading the KONY effort for BC back in March, their message to student on the BC chapter’s Facebook page was one of confidence that an issue of this magnitude would prevail in student attention. The same apprehension was held because Cover the Night was on the conflicting date of 4/20, known to this generation as the day to celebrate the usage of marijuana. But with both of these events falling on the day to make Kony famous, it’s no wonder that BC students and the city of Boston alike ignored the faltering worldwide campaign. Many have speculated on why the KONY2012 campaign failed after receiving an influx of support at the launch. In the days following the release of KONY2012, IC came under strict scrutiny for their approach to capturing Joseph Kony, use of funds through the company, and the
video’s misrepresentation of facts in an effort to condense so much information in such a short video. The gap between initial social media outrage and students actually taking action was far larger than anyone at IC expected. The term “slacktivists” was created for those who decided to “support” the KONY2012 campaign by “liking” Facebook statuses or creating KONY-related hashtags via Twitter, demonstrating frustration by many with IC. Additionally, in the weeks following the launch, Jason Russell (founder of the KONY2012 Campaign and voice of IC) was accused of being an incredible detriment to the campaign, as he was arrested and hospitalized after seen running through the streets of San Diego, screaming and pounding his fists on the pavement. The collapse of a leader, the criticism that came as waves of outrage against this campaign, and the timing of the Cover the Night event potentially lost IC a great deal of their audience. Not only in Boston, but also throughout the country, KONY2012 failed to receive coverage in news reports on what was meant to be the campaign’s day of action. n
Courtesy of Google images
‘Cover the Night’ vandalizes local monument.
THE ISSUE:
The debate over the effectiveness of standardized testing is heating up, thanks to backlash from a bizarre series of questions on a recent New York test. Students were quizzed on a passage from a story based on “The Tortoise and The Hare.” In the story, described as “nonsensical” by its author, the tortoise is replaced by a talking pineapple and ultimately eaten by the other animals in the race. The scores of questions concerning the pineapple passage were discounted after negative reactions from students, teachers, and parents. The passage has appeared in various standardized tests across the country since 2007. Advocates against standardized testing argue that the reaction to the questions illustrates why the current testing system does not work.
Courtesy of Google images
Distorting students’ abilities Properly assessing students Molly Shea While the story of the pineapple and the hare is unique in its sheer outlandishness, it serves as another example of why standardized testing fails students, teachers, and the education system as a whole. That the passage and questions have been used in several states in the past five years shows how little attention the companies who prepare the tests (in this case Pearson) pay to the response from students, who spoke out against the illogical questions in each case. Yet the section has never been removed. Standardized testing attempts to test on a level playing field without taking into consideration that students are not always taught on one. Students in wealthier school districts consistently perform better on standardized tests. This is a result of a variety of factors in less affluent districts. Teachers are unable to devote individual attention to students in over-filled classes, teachers are not given the same level of training to teach test-taking skills, and schools lack the resources and funding to adequately prepare students for standardized testing. The need to devote days, if not weeks, to standardized test preparation highlights the underlying problem with these types of exams. They test how well students are able to take tests, not how well they are able to understand the material they are learning and apply it to their lives. Students are taught how to eliminate incorrect answers rather than to think critically to come to
the correct answer. The questions are asked in roundabout ways, designed to trick students rather than test how well they comprehend what they have read. Students who have been taught to work around trick questions are rewarded, while those who simply attempt to answer the question will fail. Standardized testing does have the potential to test the level of teaching students are receiving. Class and district test scores can show teachers and administrators where they need to focus their efforts, and show state government officials which schools need more resources. Unfortunately, the government often uses funding as an incentive for schools to improve testing scores, and punishes underperforming schools. States have cut funding and resources to schools that underperform on standardized tests, making it virtually impossible for the teachers and administration to make necessary changes. As most underperforming schools lack the funding that wealthier districts are afforded, this only serves as another disadvantage. In many states (including Massachusetts), students unable to pass a standardized test are not allowed to graduate. In districts with low scores, this prohibits students from receiving a college diploma, even if they understand the material but have had poor test-taking preparation. Molly Shea is a writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights. com.
Graham Beck While it could be said that the “Pineapple and the Hare” question is a bit ridiculous, it cannot truly speak for the complete destruction of standardized testing. The issue is not with the tests themselves, but rather with the administrators and testing professionals creating them. It’s true that, whether it’s the SATs or the NYSTP (New York State Testing Program), there is always going to be a random, completely convoluted question. Again, the issue goes back to the system, to the protocol set in place for “quality control,” and thus standardized testing should not be completely be thrown by the wayside in light of this deranged question. Standardized testing provides great benefits to students throughout the United States. Not only does it provide a simple means of testing students of many academic backgrounds on broad educational standards, but also it simplifies school placement and adds another dimension to a student’s academic portfolio. While in an ideal world academic testing would be specific to each school, and really to each student, to help them in the best manner possible, the world is not perfect, and it would be impossible to judge so many students’ aptitudes based on personally designed tests. There has to be a standard, or else the
system would not be able to function. Of course there are “bad teachers,” “bad schools,” and socioeconomic issues that affect not only a school’s ability to teach its students, but also a student’s ability to learn in the best possible way. The system is unfair, and inherently so—again, we don’t live in a utopia. While bad questions occur just as bad fruit grows on a healthy tree, it cannot be a justifiable reason for cutting down the tree, and likewise cutting down the system. As a participant in standardized tests myself, I can say that there are many problems with regard to wording and phrasing that may distract test takers from the academic purpose at hand. However, if standardized testing is gone, what replaces it? Academic records are as different as leaves on a tree in a New England fall, and few options exist after that. While I’m certainly no expert on the topic of education, and while I strongly believe that many more viable options exist to help students, schools, and the state in education, standardized tests will have to remain. Logical replacements for standardized testing questions and methods exist, but for the time being the system must be kept and improved upon. Graham Beck is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
From the Golden State
Immigration law incites fierce debate
Clara Kim If you’re sitting in class and the professor asks what some of the most controversial national topics currently are, it won’t take long for someone to mention illegal immigration. In fact, the topic has been floating along in the same cluster as abortion, gay rights, and the Iraq War for years now. But the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 shows that it doesn’t take much for any one of these topics to quickly cause an outcry and divide a nation. Amid significant controversy, the Arizona Senate Bill 1070, formally known as Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, is headed to the United States Supreme Court on Wednesday—promising a judicial circus that you won’t want to miss. Introduced in April 2010, the Arizona bill is considered one of the toughest and strictest anti-illegal immigration laws in U.S. history. Currently, U.S. federal law requires all illegal immigrants over the age of 14 to register with the government and hold onto their immigration documents at all times. The Arizona bill’s aim is to discourage the unlawful entry of immigrants into Arizona, while simultaneously cracking down on those who employ or shelter these immigrants. Specifically, it will allow local law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of any person, detaining or arresting them without a warrant, if there is probable cause and reasonable suspicion that they are living in Arizona illegally. Cue the protests. According to various reports, including the Pew Hispanic Center analysis, The New York Times, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office, of the 307 million people living in the United States, 11.1 million are here illegally. Throwing some more numbers out into the mix, 63 percent of illegal immigrants have been in the country for 10 or more years. 16.6 million people in the U.S. have at least one undocumented family member. In 2011, illegal immigration cost $113 billion. On average, each family spends $1,117 in taxes to support these immigrants. To educate the children of illegal immigrants, it costs the country roughly $52 billion. But putting numbers aside, supporters of the law say that this law is necessary because the government has failed to control the large inflow of illegal immigrants, which in turn, according to USA Today, “forc[es] states like Arizona to grapple with the security concern and high costs of education and caring for illegal immigrants.” Opponents argue that this law makes racial profiling somewhat justified, while also giving the state power where only the federal government should have sole control. What side are you on? Surprisingly, polls have showed that 64 percent of Arizonans supported the law, while 55 percent of the country was in favor of these harsh conditions. Despite a majority that supports the law, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked the main portions of the law the day before it was to go into effect. If the Supreme Court rules with a 4-4 vote, it will automatically uphold the decision upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as decided by Judge Bolton. Whichever way the Court rules, it is likely to have a significant impact on the upcoming presidential elections, as it is likely Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama will do their utmost to appeal to the 12 million Hispanic voters. The Obama administration has reported to have sent home almost 400,000 immigrants last year. The administration’s aim, however, focuses more on the deportation of convicted criminals (About 55 percent of deportees had criminal records last year). Conservatives argue that this is not enough. Romney insists that there needs to be a more aggressive crackdown on businesses that hire them. He is sympathetic to Arizona’s proposal to pass laws that would make life in Arizona for an illegal immigrant so difficult that they would opt to return to their home country. If there’s one thing that both sides can agree on, it’s to tread lightly. So whichever side you’re leaning toward, take a moment to clear your head and consider both sides of the argument. Do your research and take a stance, but hold on tight, because this will be one show you won’t want to miss. Clara Kim a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
metro The Heights
Thursday, December 8, 2011
B10
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wicked Cultured
MIT’s Holy Grail of hacks
KONY 2012 Cover the Night initiative fails By Tricia Tiedt Heights Staff
On Mar. 5, what quickly became the most viral video of all time was released by Invisible Children (IC), a San Diego-based, non-profit organization that launched a new initiative to bring to light the crimes of Ugandan dicta-
tor Joseph Kony, the warlord who has led the Lord’s Resistance Army for the past 20 -odd years. Facebook, Twitter, and numerous other social media sites were flooded with KONY2012 campaign for days following the initial announcement. The campaign commentary spread to approximately 200 countries ,with an estimated 3.5
million supporters, and the YouTube video had over 88 million views within three weeks of its release. The 30minute video consisted of information regarding Joseph Kony and an action plan: specifically, what young people in America can do to aid in the fight against child violence. IC pitched a campaign titled KONY2012, with em-
phasis placed on an event titled “Cover the Night,” to take place April 20. IC’s action plan for Cover the Night involved IC propaganda, posters, apparel, and pictures of Joseph Kony himself in order to “make him famous.” IC promoted their own “action kits”
See Kony, B9
Charlotte Parish Everyone loves to stick it to the man. The Rebel is not a status of one particular era, but one that every generation has in order to fight some established power and demonstrate that youth still equals willfulness. Usually, The Rebel is a late-teen, early-20s person with enough knowledge to form a cohesive, interesting position without the temperance and moderation that people expect from age. Since this exactly makes the description of a college student, Boston had better beware of rabble-rousers, in particular, the dangerously intelligent folks over at MIT. While Eagles were busy with April 20 and the Spring Concert, MIT hackers (not computer hackers, which they call crackers, but those who pull elaborate pranks called “hacks”) were putting the final touches on their latest prank: turning the Green Building into a giant, functional game of Tetris. The legacy of these hacks is that they have to be massive, elaborate, non-destructive, and done in complete secrecy. The need for stealth and speed is not only for dramatic effect, but also because many students have been arraigned for trespassing during their hacks. There is no exact date that these hacks started—some say in 1958 when Oliver Smoot was designated as a human ruler for the Harvard Bridge—but they took off with real vigor in the ’90s. Since then, MIT has been ransacked by ambulances and police cars atop the Great Dome, a webhack convincing many that Disney had bought the university, an entire lounge’s worth of furniture attached upsidedown to the Media Lab Arch, and a class-wide Word Association Bingo game during Al Gore’s commencement speech. They even get over to Harvard sometimes—in September 2007, they vandalized the statue of John Harvard with Halo 3 paraphernalia. In that spirit, MIT folks somehow rigged up lights around every window of the Green Building (reminder: they did this at night … I’m fairly certain that someone at MIT is Spider Man because that building is 21 stories high) and programmed these lights so that they formed multi-colored Tetris blocks, which could be played from a podium across the street. People were out all day on Saturday experimenting with what must be the world’s largest toy, and the IHTFP Hack Gallery (the website to commemorate these moments of stick-it-to-the-man) says, “MIT hackers have long considered ‘Tetris on the Green Building’ to be the Holy Grail of hacks.” Just think: not only are these folks attending one of the most academically strenuous universities in the world, but they also find the time to invent, organize, and implement these grand-scale pranks in major university buildings. Since they always keep things funny and non-harmful, the university has never gone to great lengths to stop the hackers. But I wonder if they even could. The Rebels of MIT just may be the unstoppable ones. With that much brains and stressed-out energy, Boston is their playground (literally, with the completion of the Tetris game). For now they are content to tap into our inherent love for childhood games, entertaining and amazing in one go. But what would happen if MIT decided to hack something of more significance? I, for one, will be nice to any lads or lasses in red and grey that I come across. The odds are in our favor that we can convince them that BC, without an engineering school, poses no threat to their world domination.
Charlotte Parish is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Joseph Castlen \ Heights Editor
Fourth Wall Project houses progressive art of Boston By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff
Brimming with diversity, life, and vibrant culture, Boston is home to a plethora of renowned museums, exhibits, and galleries. But hidden away on Brookline Avenue is one of the city’s brilliant, diamond-in-the-rough urban treasures: the Fourth Wall Project. Located behind an ordinary, commercial space front, Fourth Wall is a converted DIY art venue with the central “goal of creating more places for punks to loiter, artists to flourish, and more voices to
be heard.” Fourth Wall was founded in 2009 by Oliver Mak, Dan Natola, and Jay Gordon, the same crew that brought Bodega to Boston only three years earlier. Taking its name from the Hispanic word for grocery store, Bodega is a progressive street wear boutique that specializes in delivering the latest, cutting-edge kicks, threads, and apparel. “Bodega’s focus is on fashion and street culture,” explained Mak, and “Fourth Wall’s focus is on the art that inspires Bodega. With
See 4th Wall, B8
Courtesy of Google images
Founders of Bodega give unconventional modern art a place for display with Fourth Wall Project.
Kollaboration boston
‘Boston Globe’ writer wins Pulitzer Prize By Natalie Blardony For The Heights
note as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. There was a special float that celebrated the liberation of the important port of Thessaloniki from Ottoman rule during the Balkan Wars. Although Greece had been an independent state since 1832, it was not until after the Balkan Wars in the 1910s that the country of Greece began to take the shape that it
The Pulitzer is to journalism as an Oscar is to the film industry. It is the highest award and honor in the industry, and this past week has marked another year of Pulitzer winners. The list of winners, ranging from editorial cartoonist to breaking news reporting, includes the online Huffington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Boston Globe. Left out, however, were two categories most commonly included for the past 35 years: editorial and fiction writing. Although both categories had finalists, the board chose not to award the prize to any of those nominees. Backlash to this controversial decision was almost immediate, as publishers, booklovers, and authors alike voiced complaints. Many argue that by not awarding the Pulitzer, all books published in 2011 are wrongfully belittled, and that the committee is ignoring a vast array of talent. Publishers in particular are concerned that this could potentially hurt book sales, since prizewinning novels almost unanimously see a sales boost due to the honor and publicity attached to a Pulitzer. Some publishers even project that sales will decrease, and are angry with the Pulitzer committee for jeopardizing what is already a precarious industry. While bookstores across Boston may not be pleased, reporters and editors at The Boston Globe are currently celebrating with Pulitzer Prize-winner Wesley Morris, who joined the Globe staff in 2002. He was awarded the Pulitzer for his film criticisms, and among the pieces considered by the
See Parade, B8
See Pulitzer, B8
Courtesy of Kollaboration Boston
The second annual Kollaboration Boston event featured performers from colleges across the city of Boston, showing their skills before a crowd of over 1,000 people this Saturday evening. Justin Chiou took home the $1,000 first prize. for his hip-hip violin act.
Greek Independence Day celebrated with parade By Andrew Skaras Heights Staff
The sky was overcast and slightly rainy on the day of the Greek Independence Day Parade in Boston this past Sunday, but that did not stop the Greeks from enjoying the planned festivities. Coordinated by the Federation of Hellenic-American Societies of New England, Greeks from across the state of Massachusetts were joined by those from the rest of New England for both
i nside Metro this issue
the parade and subsequent dance performances on the Boston Common. The parade was the culminating event of a weekend of activities dedicated to celebrating March 25, Greek Independence Day. Greece became an independent nation in 1832 after seven years of war against the Ottoman Empire and four years of negotiation between the United Kingdom, France, and Russia. This year’s parade was the 18th for the city of Boston, but it was of special
Brighton Library, Sharon Kennedy enlivens history
A traveling storyteller, Kennedy recently came to Brighton and recounted the Lawrence Mill “Bread and Roses” strikes...........................................B8
Restaurant Review: Island Creek Oyster Bar.................................................B7 Person to Watch: Kara Kaminski........................................................B8