The Heights 04/30/12

The B-Line Band

2012 NFL draft

Arts fest

features

ARTS & rEVIEW

sports

Two hometown friends bring their passion for music to BC and create a band, the B-Line, D1

Exploring the stories behind the three day creative celebration, C1

Former Eagle, Luke Kuechly, selected by Carolina with the ninth overall pick, B1

Monday, April 30, 2012

Vol. XCIII, No. 24

Hillside will no longer take mandatory dining funds Three new mini marts will open across campus

By Taylour Kumpf Editor-in-Chief

When students return to campus in the fall, the new green space on O’Neill Plaza will not be the only noticeable change. In addition, students will notice three new mini marts located across campus – and perhaps shorter lines in Hillside Cafe.

Next fall, Boston College Dining Services will be revamping the mandatory residential dining program in an effort to increase overall revenue and to address the everyday challenges of rising food prices and increasing operating costs. To do so, the current A La Carte system will be modified, adding three new mini marts, but also removing Hillside Cafe from the list of locations that accept mandatory residential plan funds.

Helen Wechsler, director of Dining Services, explained the need for the changes, stating that as a self-sustaining service, BC Dining currently uses student funds

Sophomore found dead in Walsh

to cover their operating cost, rent, facility maintenance, food cost, and labor. With this in mind, Wechsler said at the end of the day there is not enough money left over to address rising food costs and have a general fund available for necessary facilities upgrades and a new dining building. Many students question why mandatory money cannot be refunded at the end of the year, but Wechsler said, “At the end of the fiscal year, there is no money left to refund. We have spent it supporting our program.”

Additionally, Wechsler said BC Dining did not want to compromise the core of the program when addressing current challenges. The core of the BC Dining program includes broad hours of operation, a liberal “A La Carte” system, and integration of the University’s mission of social justice as demonstrated by paying a living wage to employees and supporting over a dozen service trips a year with meal plan donations.

“We want to honor all of these things for customers,” Wechsler said. “We didn’t

See Dining, A4

By David Cote News Editor

woogeon kim / heights graphic

BC Dining will implement a number of changes next fall, including adding mini marts to campus.

Tony Taccone, BC seniors receive awards for contributions to the arts

By Devon Sanford Heights Editor

On Friday afternoon, the 14th annual Arts Awards Celebration and Reception was held in O’Neill Plaza. The Arts Council Alumni Award was presented to Tony Taccone, BC ’72, and the Faculty Award to Michael Noone, chair of the music department. The award ceremony opened with a performance by Kristin Drew, A&S ’12.

Accompanied by trumpet player George Frideric Handel, A&S ’13, and pianist Sandra Hebert, Drew performed a rendition of “Let the Bright Seraphim” by George Handel.

Crystal Tiala, chairperson of the Arts Council, welcomed the students, faculty, and guests to the ceremony. She recognized the progress of the Arts Festival and the continued improvements to the Boston College arts departments. This year, funding sources for the Arts Festival expanded. The Carroll School of Management, Student Affairs, and the Center for Student Formation now benefit the program. Tiala went on to

congratulate the artistic accomplishments of BC students, faculty, and alumni.

“Our students are engaged, reflective, proactive, empathetic human beings,” Tiala said. “Through the arts we come to know not how we are different, but how we are all connected.”

After Tiala’s welcoming, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. addressed the audience, congratulating the students and faculty for their accomplishments and thanking them for their continued contributions to the arts at BC. “The arts are a part of who we are as a Jesuit institution,” Leahy said. “We want our students to engage their inner spirits here at Boston College. In honoring Tony Taccone, we are honoring someone who has not only had much success in the drama department but someone who has helped so many students get in touch with their inner talents.”

Following Leahy’s speech, the Arts and Science faculty presented the student awards. Aileen Bianchi, A&S ’12, was presented with an award for film by John

14th annual arts fest

Hoover and Gautam Chopra. Jennifer Brubaker, A&S ’12, was presented with an award by Sheila Gallagher for studio art.

John Delfino, A&S ’12, was presented with an award by Scott Cummings for theater.

Kristen Drew, A&S ’12, was presented with an award for studio art by Ralf Gawlick.

More than just hills challenge disabled students Heights Editor

This is the second in a three part series on student disabilities at Boston College.

daniel lee / heights editor

Tony Taccone, BC ’72, received the 2012 Arts Council alumni award on Friday afternoon.

Tomsen reflects on current U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East Heights Staff

daniel lee / heights editor

See Arts Awards, A4

By Samantha Costanzo

By Andrew Skaras

The Theatre Department’s production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (above) was part of the 14th Annual BC Arts Festival held last week. See page C1 for more on the festival.

Brenna Kelley, A&S ’12, was presented with an award by John Finney for music. Christie Mealo, A&S ’12, was presented with an award by Andrew Tavarelli for studio art.

Eileen Won, A&S ’12, was awarded by Jef-

Michael Gannon, a sophomore in the Carroll School of Management (CSOM) from Lake Forest, Ill., was found dead in his Walsh Hall dorm room on Saturday, April 28. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but police have ruled out foul play. Gannon was a member of the Boston College swim team.

In an e-mail to students yesterday, Patrick Rombalski, vice president for Student Affairs, informed the student body of Gannon’s passing.

“It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of one of our students today on campus,” Rombalski wrote.

Gannon’s sister, Michelle Gannon, is a senior in CSOM. Rombalski also informed the community of the availability of counseling to any who may require them.

“I want you to know that counseling services are available to students this evening and throughout the weekend,” Rombalski wrote. “We encourage you to avail yourself of these resources if needed, and to look out for one another as we as a community deal with this untimely death.”

Staff from the Office of Residential Life, University counselors, and Campus Ministers are available to all students at any time. n

“How things turn out in Afghanistan will have an effect on the multi-decade process of transformation that is going on throughout the Muslim world,” U.S. Ambassador Peter Tomsen said. “The course of the competition will be decided by the many millions of Muslims in their own countries influenced by their own cultures, histories, and aspirations. America and the West should lend support to the majority moderates, but it is, in the end, a struggle in which only they can prevail.”

A former Foreign Service Officer, Tomsen served as the Special Envoy to Afghanistan between 1989 and 1992, in a time when there was no embassy in Kabul. Invited by the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Students Association and the Islamic Civilizations and Societies, he came to Boston College Thursday evening to speak about the wars in Afghanistan and the way forward for the U.S. Based on his 2011 book, The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers, Tomsen’s lecture focused on history of the U.S.-Afghan conflict, the current situation in Afghanistan, and the way forward for the U.S. and Afghanistan. In addition, he addressed what he saw as the many mistakes that America has made in dealing with Afghanistan in the last two decades.

In looking at the present situation in Afghanistan, Tomsen emphasized the

importance of the role of Pakistan, both in understanding the current and historical problems faced by Afghanistan and in developing a plan for the way forward.

“The Abbottabad raid on Osama bin Laden’s protected sanctuary in Pakistan last May has drawn in questions on Pakistan’s claim that it is an ally in the struggle against terrorism,” Tomsen said. “What they are doing is a threat to our national interests

See Tomsen, A4

matt lieber / for the heights

Ambassador Peter Tomsen (above) reflected on problems for the U.S. in the Middle East.

Anyone familiar with the maze of staircases and hills that makes up Boston College’s campus would understand why a student with a physical disability might find it daunting. But this does not mean that students who have limited mobility, hearing, or vision do not attend classes and excel at BC. For Paulette Durrett, assistant dean for students with disabilities in the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD), helping each student maintain independence is a major part of his or her individual plan.

“I always encourage students to selfadvocate,” Durrett said. “That’s part of this process. I’m not in the classroom with them, so I don’t own this process. I can’t just call up a professor and say ‘You should do such and such in your class.’”

Lily Clifton, A&S ’13, a legally blind student at BC, also believes in such independence.

“Really, I think part of the misconception is that there are no bounds,” she said in regard to what students with disabilities can and cannot do.

To this end, Durrett focuses on creating a plan for each student registered in her office and providing them with the accommodations they need to do well at BC. “The work starts now to make sure that whenever we start classes, I’m prepared to go into the class just like any other student,” Clifton said. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen, sometimes it ends up I’m a little behind, but it’s never anything monumental.”

Clifton, like many other disabled students, registers for classes in advance so that she can begin discussing her accommodations with her professors before classes start. These accommodations include getting extra time on exams and taking them in Durrett’s office, having books transformed into audio or PDF formats, getting a note taker, and using a

See Disabilities, A4

TopTHREE

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

things to do on campus this week

..

1

150 Years of Student Life Today Time: Ongoing Location: O’Neill Library

This exhibit showcases photos, documents, programs, and artifacts that depict what student life was like at Boston College over the last 150 years. Some materials in the exhibit have been taken from the Burns Library. The show highlights track meets, Fulton debates, and dramatic productions from Robsham Theater.

Why Civil Resistance Works

2

Tuesday Time: 4:30 p.m.

Location: Gasson 300

Erica Chenoweth, assistant professor of government at Wesleyan University, explains how civil resistance succeeded in the Arab Spring and similar conflicts.

Last Lecture Series with Audrey Friedman

3

Wednesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Higgins 300 Audrey Friedman, associate dean of the Lynch School of Education, will present what she would want to tell students in her “last lecture” as part of this biannual series.

the

University

In s w e N

Taking exams may not be the best option after all, ‘Chronicle’ writes A recent article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education is advocating for getting rid of tests and implementing a new system of evaluation. According to David Jaffee, a sociology professor at the University of North Florida, students simply study for the test instead of studying to learn. This results in low retention rates and, in the long run, does not help students exapand their knowledge of the subject studied.

Instead, Jaffee argues, a system focusing on formative and authentic assessments would be more beneficial.

Formative assessments allow students to learn and evaluate their progress simultaneously, and authentic assessments let students practice their new skills in real-world settings.

On Campus Private Industry Council program helps students, workplaces develop Finding a job is never easy, but the Private Industry Council (PIC) program is smoothing the road for high school students. The program allows high school students to get summer jobs or school-year internships at private businesses and institutions of higher education, such as Boston College. PIC also helps students who have dropped out of school but would like to go back to continue their education again. Approximately 900 private businesses support placements from the PIC Program.

Each summer, BC hires students from the Boston Public Schools to work in its various departments and offices on campus. The job placement gives these students valuable on-thejob experience, teaches them computer skills, and gives them the opportunity to learn more about the general college admissions process. Job areas available at BC include athletics, dining services, human resources, and information technology services.

The program, now in its 27th year at BC, is funded by the President’s Office.

Local News Prep student fired from job for racist tweet posted after Bruins loss A 17-year-old student at St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, Mass. was fired from his job at a local sandwich shop after his boss found out that the student had posted a racist tweet after the Bruins were knocked out of the playoffs last week. The shop posted an apology for its former employee’s behavior on its Facebook page after receiving comments about the tweet. The school is also investigating.

The teen is one of many disappointed Bruins fans who posted similarly inappropriate comments via social media after the Bruins’ game 7 loss to the Washington Capitals.

featured story

Global Zero of BC hosts first annual photo contest

By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor

The Boston College chapter of Global Zero (GZBC), an organization that aims to end nuclear proliferation, announced the winner of its first annual Color or Ash Photography Contest in an awards ceremony held Thursday night. The contest featured 195 submissions of photos meant to show the beauty of a world that would be lost if a nuclear war were to take place.

“Life is filled with colors, literally and metaphorically,” said Andy Hu, president of GZBC and A&S ’14. “This year, we asked students to submit photos that best represent or brings out their colors of life.”

The unique title of the contest refers to all the world has to lose if nuclear proliferation is not stopped.

“At the other end of the spectrum is ash,” Hu said. “A world destroyed by warfare, consumed by hatred and agony. Cities obliterated in an instant—humans evaporated into shadows that forever haunt the streets of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

The winner of the contest was determined by a combination of a panel of professors and administrators and by student votes on

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Swanke

The winning photo, titled “Watercolor,” was selected based on faculty input and Facebook votes by students.

Facebook. The votes of over 800 BC students and the panel members selected Sarah Swanke, A&S ’12, as the winner. She received a $275 gift card to Best Buy for her submission titled “Watercolor,” a picture of a boy being struck by water. The second and third place winners of the contest received $100 and $25,

respectively. Students paid $2 to enter the contest.

The purpose of the Color or Ash contest was not to reward the most professional student photographers, but simply to present photos to BC students that represent the beauty of the world around them.

“When we started planning this

photo contest, we did not want to have a competition at the professional level,” Hu said. “The soul of this contest is its idea and the image it presents: the beauty of life. Let these pictures remind us all of the threat of nuclear weapons to our world and what we have to lose.”

Another focus of the contest

was the beauty of each human being’s unique perspective and memories. Most entrants captioned their photos with explanations of the context in which each one was taken and why the photo represented their perception of color.

“Every submission counts and is beautiful in its own way because it presents a precious and happy moment in the photographer’s life,” Hu said. “Through photographs, we can look at the world through the eyes of another and appreciate their unique perspective and cherish their memories. Every picture represents the colors of the life of a different person.”

Through the beauty of the 195 photo submissions that GZBC posted on Facebook, the organization hoped to instill in students the importance of working to stop nuclear proliferation immediately.

“Look around, look into the colors that capture the beauty of life, then look at those moments of the suffering of the millions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, frozen in black and white,” Hu said. “Millions more will suffer if we do not do something today. So let us unite and protect what we love and cherish. Let us make this world a little more colorful and with a little less ash.” n

Police Blotter

Voices from the Dustbowl

4/25/12-4/27/12

“What is your favorite kind of accent?”

Wednesday, April 25 3:38 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding assistance provided to another agency. A suspicious motor vehicle was reported and later located by BCPD officers.

10:40 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a student who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

11:37 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding suspicious circumstances surrounding a BC student near Voute Hall. Two subjects were identified and left the area without further incident.

12:08 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a large amount of music equipment discovered in Lyons Hall.

Investigation identified the owner of the property.

6:29 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding several suspicious males who fled the area as the officer approached. A small amount of green leafy material believed to be marijuana was discovered in the area they fled from.

Thursday, April 26 2;21 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation. No fire department response occurred. The cause for the activation was determined to be smoke

from burned food. The alarm was reset by the officers.

3:14 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding information received from another agency related to BC employees. Verification of information and further details are pending.

“Australian.”

— Vincent Chao, CSOM ’13

6:20 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding the larceny of an item belonging to a BC student. A detective will investigate.

Friday, April 27 12:43 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by cruiser.

“Southern.”

— Jack Bonti, CSOM ’15

2:00 a.m. - An officer observed a suspicious motor vehicle in the area of the Evergreen Cemetery. The vehicle left the area shortly after the officer inquired if any assistance was needed. Further follow-up will be conducted.

“Southern drawl.”

— Kellie Corwin,

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

A&S ’15

Today

63° Mostly Sunny 45°

Friday

52° Showers 49°

Saturday

58° Partly Cloudy 47°

Sunday

67° Mostly Cloudy 54°

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.

“Irish.”

— Patrick McGervy, A&S ’15

3:05 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding the discovery of a false form of identification belonging to a BC student.

The matter will be referred to ODSD for follow-up.

Four Day Weather Forecast

CORRECTIONS In the article titled “Trustee alleged to have covered up sexual abuse,” from the April 18 issue, Rev. Bradley Schaeffer, S.J. is mistakenly identified as a current trustee of Loyola University New Orleans. He has not held that post since 2004.

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

And life goes on

MCF honors seniors, president, and Bell

By David Cote News Editor

Joseph Pasquinelli My column has appeared on Page Three (or Four on a busy news day) just about every Monday for the past two and a half years. As the headshot that appears with this column reveals, you have to be a little smug and arrogant to be a columnist. What it doesn’t show you is that to be a news columnist you have to have a deep love and appreciation for Boston College and a passion for making a difference on campus. This is my last column, and I hope reading them has given you as much joy as writing them has given me.

I’m graduating—a scary prospect—and I’ve learned that no matter what happens, life goes on. For the first time in my four years at BC, not a single Swing Kids dance made the Arts Festival Dance Showcase.

This isn’t because they performed poorly at auditions. While the product we offer is high quality, it is simply not the product that the Arts Council appreciates. It would not have mattered how amazing we were, they think that the campus does not want to see swing dancing.

In fact, one member of the Arts Council told a Swing Kid that we “are not a performance group.” We didn’t make Arts Fest, but life goes on because we know that we were indeed worthy of performing.

Part of the reason that the Arts Council has changed its tune in the past two years is because the University Provost has requested that Arts Fest become more academic and intellectual in an effort to increase the University’s prestige in the community. With all due respect to Cutberto Garza, this idea is simply ludicrous. Our students vomit and urinate throughout Brighton and Newton. Cutting Swing Kids and almost all of the a cappella groups will not change that or make the residents of those communities forget that it happens. Arts Fest should be an opportunity for all students to showcase their diverse talents to the University community.

While I have a great deal of respect for Fuego and Synergy, I have difficulty believing that they are any more intellectual and academic than the Swing Kids. Arts Fest has deviated from what it should be, but life goes on because there will be strong willed students who will challenge this new notion of what the Provost thinks Arts Fest should be.

Life also goes on for members of our athletic department. Most recently, quarterback Dominique Davis’ life went on when he inked a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Davis initially attended BC, but he was pushed out by athletic director Gene DeFillipo when he revoked Davis’ eligibility for vague academic reasons. Flip also pushed out head basketball coach Al Skinner, who had nine returning seniors. At least two student-athletes are transferring this year because they are unhappy with the system. Flip also fired coach Jagz for dishonoring an agreement that hurt his ever-so-sensitive ego.

He has shown that he cares more for himself than the revenue and competitive tradition of our athletic department.

Life goes on for members of the Lynch School community as well.

For one reason or another, some members of the University, students and high-ranking administrators alike, discount the work of the professors and future educators of the Lynch School. We are one of two undergraduate schools that actually go out into the community and actively make positive impacts on the people with whom we work. We might not bring in the most money—our professional academics do bring in quite a bit, though—or make the largest salaries, but we do create and mold good people with our degrees.

Writing these columns—whether heartfelt, humorous, or irate—has been a fun, and at times a strange, ride, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I hope some of you have found a few of them helpful on your journey and that I was able to make at least a little bit of a change for the better on this campus. I hope that my successor will continue to push BC to always excel.

Joesph Pasquinelli is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@ bcheights.com.

A3

On Friday evening, members of the Multi-Cultural Christian Fellowship (MCF) and their guests filled the Walsh Function Room for their end-of-the-year awards ceremony. After a year of 5 a.m.

Friday prayer sessions, retreats, and a large-scale concert, among other things, MCF came together to celebrate their graduating seniors, their outgoing president, Kadeem Massiah, LSOE ’12, and Karl Bell, assistant director of the Student Programs Office for his contributions to their organization.

The night’s program began with a performance by Voices of Imani, followed by the presentation of gifts to the organization’s graduating seniors. After a blessing of the food, dinner was served for the guests.

Dinner was followed by Joana Maynard, assistant director of AHANA Student Programs, who spoke about the role God played in the lives of members of the MCF and Massiah, as well as the history of the MCF organization.

“You don’t need a title, you don’t need to be elected,” Maynard said. “[God’s] going to increase your territory either way.”

Maynard’s address was fol-

David cote / heights Editor

MCF outgoing president Kadeem Massiah will continue in ministry after BC.

David cote / heights Editor

Karl Bell (above) was honored for all of the work he has done with the Multi-Cultural Christian Fellowship. lowed by the presentation of the faculty award for spiritual participation to Bell.

“God put it in our hearts to start an award for a faculty member who contributed greatly to the spiritual development of students on campus,” said Roberson Pierre, A&S ’ 13.

An emotional Bell accepted the award from Pierre, and thanked MCF for all that they did on campus, congratulating them on the success of their large scale concert featuring Mali Music. “That concert was something Boston College has not seen in many, many years,” Bell said.

After the award was presented, Dan Bunch, director of the Learning to Learn program, addressed the guests, speaking about Massiah’s many accomplishments and his future in ministry. Massiah, who will graduate this May, celebrated his tenth 10th year in ministry this year.

Born in Boston, he has traveled as far as Uganda. He has preached at numerous youth conferences

Taking Back the F (Feminism) Word

and retreats, and pioneered the development of MCF into the organization it is today, culminating in the success of the Mali

“God put it in our hearts to start an award for a faculty member who contributed greatly to the spiritual development of students on campus.”

—Roberson Pierre, MCF member and A&S ’13 Music concert.

Pierre also addressed Massiah, thanking him for the role he played in the development of the lives of all the MCF members.

“We’ve had to come to terms that our gift was leaving—our

Social media’s impact on college students explored

By Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor

sara davey / For The Heights

The “Taking Back the F Word” symposium was held in O’Neill Library on Saturday afternoon.

Honors program represents Boston College in the Run of the Charles

By Mary Rose Fissinger Heights Editor

The Honors Program participated in the Run of the Charles, New England’s largest canoe race, on Sunday for the second year in a row since the end of the longstanding tradition’s five-year hiatus, started in 2006.

The return of the tradition was a result of the return of the Honors House Council, an institution that was also discontinued for several years.

The Honors House Council is an organization within ResLife that consists of student leaders from each of the Honors residence halls.

It was reinstated for the 2009-2010 school year, and last year, the thenpresident brought back the tradition of the Honors Program’s participation in the Run of the Charles. Previously a project of just the Arts and Sciences Honors Program, since its return, the Run of the Charles has been the joint project of ResLife and the A&S Honors Program.

“We hope to make this into a tradition again,” said Katherine Yu, president of the Honors House Council and A&S ’14.

The Run of the Charles is a 24-

mile, 5-leg canoe race.

“It’s like the Boston Marathon, but for canoes,” Yu said.

This year, enough students signed up to fill three boats—a freshman boat, a sophomore boat, and a combined junior and senior boat. A total of ten students—two for each leg—race for each boat.

Participation was slightly down from last year, but Graduate Resident Director for 66 and Co-advisor to the Honors House Council Katy Maher remarked that overall enthusiasm was up. The junior and senior boat proved victorious.

“A lot of freshmen and sophomores were interested, which bodes well for next year,” Maher said.

When it was under the control of the A&S Honors Program, the Run of the Charles was the project primarily of former Director of the Honors Program Mark O’Connor and professor Timothy Duket.

Both have continued to be involved since the switch of control to the Honors House Council. Early in the preparation process, Duket held an information meeting in 66 and did a paddling demonstration for all the first time participants.

This was one of many “checkpoints” held by those spearheading

the event to ensure that the students who signed up were committed to coming and making the event a success.

“We wanted to make sure they’d show dedication,” said Sarah Robbins, graduate assistant of the Honors House Program..

Through these check points, Maher became convinced of the student’s enthusiasm. “There was definitely some trash talking at some of the meetings, especially by seniors who participated last year,” she said. In addition, there was a significant wait-list for freshmen.

“It’s really great to see that people want to participate in something outside the normal scope of the Honors Program,” Maher said.

The Run of the Charles is one of the Honors House Council’s largest projects of the year.

“I got this position over the summer, and one of the first things I heard about was how much work I’d have to put into Run of the Charles,” Maher said. She and Yu agree that the work is worth it, however. “[The Run of the Charles] is a big Boston tradition, and it’s really nice that the Boston College Honors Program is a part of that,” Yu said. n

older brother, our father was leaving,” Pierre said.

He spoke about Massiah’s powerful presence on campus, as well. “You are carrying a standard that is unprecedented on the Boston College campus,” Pierre said. “Tonight we thank you for your faithfulness and obedience to God.” After Bunch and Pierre spoke about his accomplishments, Massiah addressed the audience.

First, he spoke about his early involvement in ministry and religion. “I never had the opportunity to wait for my daddy to come home,” Massiah said. “So every night, at 5 p.m., I would go to my room and spend three hours with my daddy. And he always came home.”

“My assignment on campus was to pour from the reservoir of love that my daddy gave me. I’m leaving BC, but I’m not mad, I’m not bitter, I’m not angry, all I can hear and sense is that I’m going to go back to that place where my daddy comes home everyday.” n

In UGBC’s final “Real World BC” lecture last Thursday, Joanna Pabst, a graduate assistant in the sociology department, discussed social media and how it affects social change.

“There will be positives and negatives because technology itself is neutral,” she said. “It’s about what we do with it.”

Current college students are sometimes referred to as “digital natives” because they are the first generation to have grown up immersed in technology.

Though these students often feel they are too connected, technology use is increasing across all age groups.

“In every generation, changes are often first visible in younger p e ople,” Pabst said. “ These changes do not represent an upending of all we know. Rather, they represent an evolution.”

This evolution is especially apparent in terms of how people have come to perceive newer technologies.

“The claim that technology is an outside force, or technological determinism, fails to see that really technology is part of the social process,” Pabst said.

“Texts and phone calls complement and increase the overall volume of our interactions.”

This view of technology as an integrated part of everyday life, instead of a viewpoint that differentiates between “online” and “real” life, has also helped to disband the notion that the Internet is an inherently dangerous thing.

Though the opportunity to interact with strangers is still there, Pabst said that the vast majority of people use the Internet to keep in touch with people they have met offline. In addition, the majority of teenagers do not take part in cyberbullying, sexting, and other misuses of technology that appear in the news.

Because the Internet and other media are so integrated into daily life, however, the boundaries between public and private blur considerably.

“Facebook radically alters our perception of public and private,” Pabst said. “It’s going to get harder and harder to take part in social media if we want to tightly control our information.”

When communicating on-

line, one also loses the ability to read a person’s body language, another major shift in how people interact. “People now write themselves into being,” Pabst said, though she noted that people usually try to represent themselves accurately rather than reinvent themselves.

Teenagers are also very concerned with online privac y, Pabst said, citing a Pew Research study that found that 62 percent of teens only allow their Facebook friends to see their profiles. The same study found that 67 percent of users ages 17 and over have decided not to post something on the site because of the potential ramifications.

This do es not mean that every social media user understands how to use them properly, however.

“Teens are coming to age in

“In every generation changes are often first visible in younger people.

These changes do not represent an upending of all we know. Rather, they represent an evolution.”

—Joanna Pabst, Real World BC lecturer unfamiliar ways,” Pabst said. “As a society, we need to figure out how best to use technology in order to benefit from it.”

Pabst recommended having technology-free spaces in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed, and encouraged students to search themselves on Google to find out what is out there for the general public to see and make changes if necessary.

“We need to realize that we have these options,” she said.

In the question and answer period that followed the talk, students expressed their own concer ns ab out how s o c i al media affects self-esteem, relationships with friends, and the chances of getting a job. n

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The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

Physical disabilities more present than many assume Disabilities, from A1 laptop computer in class.

“That is always something that is non-negotiable,” Clifton said about using her laptop.

Students with other types of physical disabilities also have their own unique accommodations, and Durrett makes sure to find the best possible options for them.

“I have a student coming in in the fall who has cochlear implants, so I’m now doing research on a system where you put a microphone on the professor so that the student is able to hear it,” Durrett said. Part of this research included e-mailing a network of professors at other universities who have previously dealt with students with cochlear implants and can offer advice about how BC can follow a similar plan. “Now I don’t have to get too anxious about that because I know that that’s doable,” Durrett said of the system.

She also mentioned a student who has cerebral palsy and therefore has difficulties moving around campus. This student has the option of using police escort vans to help her get to middle campus for classes and back to her dorm at the end of the day.

“That whole accommodation piece is huge, and I’m really glad that I have help,” Durrett said of BCPD’s cooperation. “I don’t know how one person can do it alone.”

All BC professors are aware of the services Durrett’s office provides and have, for the most part, been accepting of the accommodations students might need.

“I would say now people definitely know we have an obligation to students with disabilities,” Durrett said. “It should say something

about this office on every syllabus.”

This way, professors, students who need accommodations, and students who do not need accommodations are all aware of this obligation.

Issues still persist, however.

“Sometimes people kind of don’t understand the accommodations

“I think that we’re at a place now where the University realizes that this is the wave of the future, just like technology. As the awareness rises, we’ll do a better and better job. I think it’ll be less of a question of ‘What should we do?’ to ‘Ok, so how do we do this?’

That shift we are clearly making.”

-Paulette Durrett Assistant Dean for Students with Disabilities thing,” Durrett said.

Clifton said that she has had some misunderstandings with both professors and students because she must use her laptop during class.

“That’s been interesting, just trying to justify yourself,” Clifton said. “I think some people don’t have to deal with that. I need my computer. I understand it’s a privilege, and I wouldn’t take advantage of that.”

In addition, Clifton mentioned that some professors have not been responsive to her e-mails regarding her need to get information about the books and readings the class will use ahead of time. Because transforming a printed book into another format is such a long process, receiving information such as the book’s ISBN number, edition, and publishing house in May can define a student’s success or failure in courses that start in September.

“I’ve been really lucky with being able to be on top of things when the semester starts, but for some students, if they don’t get what they need, they may not pass the course,” Clifton said.

In cases such as these, it is up to the student whether or not to bring the issue to Durrett, who can discuss solutions and explain a student’s situation to professors.

Yet there are some challenges facing students with physical disabilities that cannot be remedied by in-class accommodations or conversations with Durrett.

“Nobody wants to be ‘that kid’ who needs special handling and a special arrangement,” Durrett said.

Clifton said that adjusting during her freshman year was especially challenging.

“I can’t read the signs above the [dining halls’] counters, so sometimes I felt like a burden asking people what was up there,” Clifton said. “I couldn’t figure it out on my own the first couple of days, and it was easier to just get what I could see. It’s become more of a habit to just order what I know.”

Sometimes, she uses a small monocular to read menus and see across rooms. The monocular can be adjusted and focused accord-

U.S. ambassador critical of Pakistan’s role in the fight against global terrorism Tomsen, from A1 and the national interest of other countries. We need to call for a change in Pakistan’s policy.”

When speaking about Pakistan, Tomsen questioned whether or not Pakistan actually acted as an ally to the U.S. He pointed to the several terrorist groups that functioned in conjunction with the Muslim religious structure in Pakistan and the actions they undertook in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries.

However, he also said that things were beginning to change, as some of the jihadist outfits have been turning on the state and attacking Muslim targets within the country.

Furthermore, he cited economic struggles resulting from a lack of globalization as changing the situation within Pakistan.

“I argue that we have to get tougher with Pakistan,” Tomsen said. “[We need to] mix disincentives with incentives, condition U.S. assistance, threaten to place Pakistan on the list of states sponsoring terrorism. They are an adversary.

[We must] persuade them that [this] is a liability.”

Speaking about Afghanistan

proper, Tomsen gave a brief overview of the history of violence and warfare there in the past century.

He stressed its geostrategic importance, as well as the natural resources within the country, as underlying reasons for the internal and external strife faced by the Afghanis.

At the same time, he also em-

“We need to implement a draw down of U.S. combat troops. We need to undertake a number of anticorruption steps.”

-Peter Tomsen U.S. Ambassador phasized the inability of foreign powers to completely control the country, due to “the dispersal of the population of Afghanistan into some 40,000 rural communities.”

Reviewing some of the American military decisions in the course of the war, Tomsen pointed out some of the key mistakes that the U.S. made and explained how those

mistakes made the situation in Afghanistan worse. He primarily focused on the choice of the U.S. not to help the Afghani government establish an army in the years immediately after the invasion.

“In 2005, when the Taliban hordes began returning, there really wasn’t any Afghan army to resist them,” Tomsen said. “The reason was Iraq. The focus of the Bush administration was Iraq.

When the Taliban began to come back in 2005, they went through the Southern and Eastern provinces like a knife through butter.”

Looking forward, Tomsen offered some advice on how the U.S. ought to deal with the conflict there. He highlighted the opinions of the Afghani people as one of the forces that should shape the American policy.

“We need to implement a draw down of U.S. combat troops,” Tomsen said. “We need to undertake a number of anti-corruption steps.

We must invest heavily in enabling the government to have good elections in 2014. There needs to be an accord to respect the territorial integrity [of Afghanistan]. The United States needs to use its weight to restore Afghanistan’s traditional buffer role.” n

ing to the distance of the object Clifton is trying to see.

“It’s hard to do that when, for instance, Eagle’s Nest is completely full and you’re standing in line trying to read something, and people are like, ‘Why aren’t you moving?’”

Clifton said.

Asking the staff for help in identifying dinner options has not always been easy either. “If someone asks you shouldn’t just defer and say, ‘It’s up there,’ because not everyone can do that.”

Clifton maintains that any student, regardless of his or her abilities, can still get involved at BC, however.

“There are probably a lot of things you can’t do given your circumstances, but if you really want something you can do it,” she said. Clifton, who said that she had always been very involved in high school, is currently the co-director for special events for Nights on the Heights.

“I can’t get in a car and drive it down the street, but that doesn’t mean I can’t go on a road trip with my friends or hang out on the weekends,” she said. “That has no effect­—that just means don’t let Lily drive!”

Durrett is hopeful that BC will become even more accessible to students with disabilities in the future.

“I think that we’re at a place now where the University realizes that this is the wave of the future, just like technology,” she said. “As the awareness rises, we’ll do a better and better job. I think it’ll be less of a question of ‘What should we do?’ than ‘Ok, so how do we do this?’ That shift we are clearly making.”

Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor, contributed to this report. n

daniel lee / heights editor

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. awarded students for the arts.

Arts Fest comes to a close Arts Awards, from A1 fery Howe and Claude Cernuschi for art history. After, award recipient Brenna Kelly performed a rendition of “Home,” from the Broadway show Beauty and the Beast.

David Quigley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, presented the Faculty Award to Michael Noone, professor and chairman of the music department. Noone was recognized for his accomplishments as a musicologist and choral director. The BC professor has recorded more than two dozen CDs for the DGG-Archive, Glossa and ABC Classics labels. His Ensemble’s CDs have received high praise from critics, and their performances at the most prestigious International Festivals are consistently acclaimed.

“In my heart, I feel there are many more worthy recipients,” Noone said. “Nevertheless, I am so grateful for this award.”

Following the Faculty Award, Catherine Ianno, development manager at the Center for Arts in Natick and BC ’89, spoke about the

14th annual Arts Festival. Ianno discussed the importance of the arts.

After her remarks, John A. Fuedo, BC ’82, presented the Alumni Award to Tony Taccone.

Taccone is a theater director and the artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Taccone has spent 15 years directing and performing at Berkeley. His performances have received much success in the past and two of his shows have made it to the stages of Broadway. Taccone was recently lauded as “the most prominent artistic director in America right now” by Playbill.

He spoke to BC faculty, students, and guests about his experiences in the arts.

“It’s been 40 years since I’ve been back on this campus,” Taccone said.

“My four years here were explosive.

Filled with literature, politics, theatre, and drama. Being an artist has been a challenge. Let’s be real, this is not a culture that encourages the wandering and meandering of the soul. But there is no greater calling than that of an artist. By conferring this award on me, you have validated that. Thank you.” n

school cornell $6,220

duke

$5,350

holy cross

bc bu georgetown woogeon kim / heights graphic

These data from 2011 show Boston College dining in comparison to similar colleges, such as BU and Georgetown.

Dining will undergo changes to raise revenue Dining, from A1 want to cut our hours of operation, and we didn’t want to take people’s money by semester, so we thought this was as mild as we could be.”

Wechsler said these challenges have not needed to be addressed so drastically in the past as Dining Services has previously worked to reconfigure labor and direct expenses to maintain a break-even bottom line. “Frankly, it’s been a juggle for us,” said Wechsler, who has worked to negotiate food purchasing bids, reduce management labor, and contain operating expenses in the past.

The changes that Dining Services settled on – after considering converting to an “All You Care to Eat” program or full residential participation – will include the previously mentioned mini marts, located in the upper part of Lower Dining Hall, in one half of the Chocolate Bar, and in Stuart Dining Hall on Newton Campus.

“Students have been asking for [mini marts] for a number of years,” Wechsler said. “These mini marts will provide greater take-out and ready to eat options, and new supply chain partners will allow us to offer a much broader line of products at more competitive prices.”

The new mini marts will not

accept mandatory residential plan funds, but will be competitive with locations such as City Convenience. “The mini marts create a new revenue stream for dining and that helps us support our core program without raising the price of our mandatory program more than 2 percent,” Wechsler said.

“This new revenue stream allows us to support plans for future renovations to our dining facilities, including a new dining hall to replace McElroy.”

When discussing the change with accepted funds at Hillside, Wechsler, who met with a student committee for feedback, said she is aware that students may be upset with this change at such a popular dining location. To address concerns, Dining Services will also move $100 from the mandatory residential plan to dining bucks in order to give students on the mandatory plan more discretionary buying power. She also reminds students that the Flex Plan will still be accepted at Hillside.

“The over crowding, therefore significantly diminished customer experience, is the most significant reason we took Hillside off the mandatory residential plan,” Wechsler said. “Our customer counts have grown to just over 4,000 covers a day in a location that was built to service 1,200 per day,

and there are simply no expansion opportunities for this concept at this time.”

Students with the mandatory residential plan will now have $4,818 to spend each year, with $350 of those funds for specific use at the Chocolate Bar, Mini Marts, Hillside Cafe, concessions, and vending machines.

To determine how much the mandatory residential meal plan costs, Wechsler said, “Remember that we are a self-sustaining department so the cost of our meal plan must cover the entire scope and breadth of our services. Every year we benchmark our rates and services against 10 other schools – schools that are competing for the same students – and we look at trends of spending and eating across campus.”

In response to students who believe the current mandatory plan is not a fair deal, Wechsler asks, “Can you hire a personal chef to shop and cook for you for less at seven days a week, 18 hours a day?

Can you do this and still pay that person a fair living wage with full benefits?”

Finally, Wechsler called upon students to get more involved in the dining process if they have concerns. “If people want more say, they should join the student dining committee,” she said. n

CLASSIFIEDS

The Heights

A5

Monday, April 30, 2012

Community Help wanted Have you thought about ADOPTION? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at (877) 8413748, or visit our website www. roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence.

Help wanted Seeking Newton Mother’s Helper, 4 afternoons/evenings per week, J u n e s t a r t . C h i l d c a r e e x p e r ience and transportation required.

Prefer 4-6 month commitment.

Contact erinmctagueclark@gmail. com or (215) 620-8550 for job description.

Community Balloon animal artist available for events. Willing to make offcampus appearances. Specialties include hats, giraffes, and hearts.

Willing to accommodate specific color theme or spell words in balloons. Hourly rate upon request, at least two days’ notice required.

Contact: richardmv@bc.edu

Check out the B-Line at theb-line.tumblr.com

Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled.

Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

A6

The Heights

Editorials

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Meal plan changes, good or bad, are necessary

Monday, April 30, 2012

Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.

-J.P. Morgan (1837-1913), American financier

Dining Services’ soon-to-be implemented changes may be unpopular, but were done with students in mind Next fall, B oston College Dining Services will be revamping the mandatory residential dining program in an effort to increase overall revenue and to address the everyday challenges of rising food prices and increasing operating costs. To do so, the current A La Carte system will be modified, adding the three new mini marts locations across campus, but also removing Hillside Cafe from the list of locations that accept mandatory residential plan funds.

In an attempt to offset this change, BC Dining will also move $100 from the mandatory residential plan to dining bucks, increasing the amount that can be spent at the Chocolate Bar, mini marts, Hillside, concessions , and vending machine s to $350.

The Heights recognizes that this change is going to be a shock for Hillside’s many loyal patrons, and we do not think that an additional $100 is enough to accommodate for this change, especially because some students eat at the popular location every day. We urge BC Dining to keep this in mind as the changes are imple-

mented, and seek to do what they can to address student concerns.

However, The Heights wants to point out to students that the changes being made are unfortunately necessary in order to keep up with rising food and operating costs, and commends BC Dining for working to keep these changes as mild as possible.

The Heights appreciates that BC Dining did not compromise the core of our dining program, which includes broad hours of operation, a liberal “A La Carte” system, and integration of the University’s mission of social justice as demonstrated by paying a living wage to employees and supporting over a dozen service trips a year with meal plan donations.

We remind students of these benefits and ask that they keep them in mind when considering the changes being made by dining.

The Heights would also like to encourage students who feel their concerns are not being properly addressed to get involved with the student dining committee. As with most things, action is the quickest way to end discontentment.

Kuechly’s selection cements a golden career The success and character of the former BC linebacker serves as an example for all student athletes The Heights would like to extend congratulations to former Boston College football player Luke Kuechly, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers as the ninth overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, making him the highest drafted linebacker in the program’s history.

Kuechly’s selection is a testament to his character, work ethic, and leadership abilities. While some scouts questioned his athleticism heading into the draft, the Cincinnati native trained tirelessly to prove that he is capable of competing in the professional ranks. His efforts solidified his position as the top linebacker in the draft, and as a worthy top-10 pick.

The Heights commends Kuechly for setting an example for all college athletes. He has epitomized the ideal

student athlete, and maintained a grounded character. While many talented athletes lose sight of how to act, Kuechly has been a model citizen during his three years here.

He worked hard in the classroom, led by example on the practice field, and maintained good relationships with his teammates, coaches, and fans.

Luke Kuechly has always maintained that his goals were to work his way into the NFL. He has utilized every opportunity given to him to become the nation’s leading tackler, and now an elite NFL selection. The Panthers are fortunate to not only land a star player, but also a locker room leader and a role model. Good luck in your first NFL preseason, and thanks for setting such a good example during your time here, Luke.

Arts Festival broadcasts BC’s creative talent The three day event shines light on underexposed students and groups, supporting the on-campus arts Althoug h the tent s are dow n, it’s impossible to deny the impact of the Arts Festival on the Boston College community this weekend.

Running from Thursday to Saturday, the celebration of all things cultural drew massive crowds to events held all over campus. Dance showcases and a cappella performances alike kept the O’Neill Plaza Main Tent at full, standing room only capacity for much of the weekend, a surprising and extremely commendable feat considering the massive amounts of work students are facing with impending final exams.

BC is a school overflowing with a m a z i n g l y t a l e nte d s tu d e nt s , a s evidenced by countless performances and pieces of art. For one weekend every year, these students are able to fully express their creativity through an outlet that also allows those not

necessarily involved in arts organizations to show audiences what they have been working on all year long.

The Heights praises the Arts Festival for the opportunities it gives to students and groups that aren’t well publicized. It exposes a different side of the student body to students who might normally pass up such events and encourages people to support on-campus arts during the school year.

Finally, The Heights would like to extend its appreciation to the BC theatre department not only for its contributions to Arts Festival, but also for a wonderful, captivating season of shows. Both the Bonn Studio and Robsham played host to thoughtprovoking plays and musicals that exceeded expectations. The Heights looks forward to another successful year for theatre on 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

Samantha Cohen/ Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Choose a reusable container and eliminate waste Water is one of the world’s most precious and most abused resources. Its consumption and distribution bring about serious environmental and ethical consequences. Designer water imported from abroad deprives the poorest communities of a basic necessity, while the absurd use of plastic bottles wastes energy and increases oil production. The Boston College community is perhaps one of the worst offenders in this area.

Several years ago the University set out to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on campus. Despite the environmental, financial, and ethical benefits associated with this action, the student body was outraged.

A number of students began pressing BC to bring bottled water back, and specifically they called for Smartwater. Since that time, consumption of bottled water on campus has been increasing. Last year, BC sold approximately 122,000 bottles of Smartwater.

The simple fact is, that bottled water is not better than tap water in any meaningful way. In an effort to encourage students to be environmentally friendly,

Dining Services has installed filtered water spigots in all of its dining halls. Despite this, BC students continue to purchase Smartwater. Even those who choose to use the filtered water spigots, however, do not do so in an environmentally sound way. Rather than filling up a reusable bottle, most students will use a paper cup which will be thrown away at the conclusion of a meal.

We, concerned students of environmental ethics, are calling on all members of the student body to stop consuming water in a socially and environmentally harmful way. We want to encourage everyone to choose a reusable container over a paper cup and to eliminate waste by not purchasing bottles of water.

Alex Macheras and John Rupers A&S ’13 Eric Stecklein CSOM ’14

Failure of Cover The Night a result of short attention spans It’s disappointing to see the Cover The Night event fizzle when there was so much hype about it. I remember back in early March when the KONY2012 video was first released. You couldn’t scroll down your Facebook news feed without seeing at least a dozen links to the video in people’s statuses, Twitter was abuzz with #MakeKonyFamous, and Facebook groups were popping up everywhere. Everyone

seemed to genuinely care about stopping a man halfway across the world. A sense of wanting to do good gripped everyone, including me. However, what led to Invisible Children’s success was the same thing that led to its downfall. Something that rises to visible prominence so quickly can fall to obscurity just as quickly as well (Rebecca Black, anyone?).

The Internet generation is not so well known for its attention

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

span. Cover The Night did not fail because we are an uncaring and apathetic generation. It failed because in this new age of technology and constant updates, our attention has an expiration date.

By the time Cover The Night rolled around, our minds had moved on from Joseph Kony.

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

Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

A7

Opinions

What we take away

Thumbs Up Faith in kids- Everyone’s favorite billionaire (but really, he just looks like a friendly grandpa!) just got a little bit cooler. Warren Buffet is sponsoring a contest where kid entrepreneurs, ages 7-16, pitch their business ideas to an online audience. The winner gets $5,000, runner ups get $500, and their teachers even get a prize. Thumbs Up for supporting the ideas of kids and encouraging innovation. Someone’s gonna have a dank lemonade stand this year.

Poking fun at politics- So the economy is bad, there are no jobs, and we don’t even have enough monopoly money to pay our national debt. But, one time a year, we get to hear our president pretend to be a stand up comedian and poke fun at himself and the government during the White House Correspondent’s Dinner.

Some of Obama’s jokes included Hillary Clinton drunk texting, lack of hussle in Congress, and how douchey Donald Trump is. Nice to see that amidst everything, America’s still got a sense of humor.

Eagles and draf t picksBC’s golden boy was drafted ninth overall to the Carolina Panthers, the first Eagle to be drafted in the top-10 since Matt Ryan. Good job, Luke. Way to do our school proud and make us remember how athletically talented we really are despite what the records say. We’ll miss you next year!

R e m e m b e r i n g ra s p b e r ries- Getting worried that you can’t possibly memorize that many equations for your biochem f inal?

Maybe you should stock up on some blueberries. A new study suggests the more you eat berries, the more you remember things. Not sure if anything but divine intervention can help us memorize 142 pieces of art for our Art History final, but at this point we are desperate enough to try anything.

Katya Rucker An open mind. Is that worth $200,000? I think it’s worth much more. In my opinion, it’s the most important thing I’ll take away from my four years at this University. There are so many ways my eyes have been opened at Boston College, and this intangible experience is priceless. It’s a state of being that takes questioning, contemplation, and change. It’s what the professors, friends, and community members I’ve known at BC have been amazing enough to give me.

When I think about the person I was four years ago and the person I am today, I am humbled by a transformation that has occurred in four short years. I nearly laughed out loud when I read a journal entry I wrote freshman year for the class “Planet in Peril: Environmental Issues in Society.” The assignment was to reflect on how the class had changed our perception of environmental issues. I wrote, “In high school, I had taken steps to embody the stereotype of an environmentalist. I became a hardcore vegetarian. I was an active member of the Ecology Club. I saw An Inconvenient Truth as soon as it came out.

I criticized my parents for owning a Suburban. So I think I’ve gone from being a one-dimensional environmentalist to a well-rounded one.”

Yes, in high school, I thought I had it all figured out. I saw my environmentalism as noble and enlightened. Then I took a class that made me step down from that pedestal.

Many classes made me do that. In that reflection, I was beginning to undergo

Pooja Shah It comes as no surprise that in this day and age, latest trends of fashion, music, and developing lifestyles have captivated the attention of teenagers who are looking to “fit in” or grow up faster. But it certainly is surprising the novel ways in which these individuals pursue this desire to age. I recently

Loss- Our thoughts go out to Michael Gannon’s friends and family. We hope that everyone will keep them in their thoughts and prayers during this tough time. May the road rise up to meet you.

To infinity, no more- One of the last space shuttles ever flew over New York City the other day. Cue for extreme nostalgia. It doesn’t seem too long ago that we dreamt of space camp and tried to guess if the moving stars in the sky were airplanes or rockets. We’re getting old, aren’t we?

Follow us on Twitter @BCTUTD

of things to different people. Community. Support. Endearment. Honor.

Friendship. It’s a chapter that has reached its end, at least in giving us the “college experience” as we know it.

I hope that if there’s one thing my fellow seniors will take away from their time here, it’s an open mind. It’s the ability to respect difference and

value honesty. It’s letting the experiences in your life shape who you are instead of allowing your beliefs to dictate your experiences. It’s doing your best to put yourself in the shoes of another. When I read the editorial published in The Observer, “Reslife Poster Does Not Support ‘Love,’” I disagreed with every bone in my body.

If I had read the same words before coming to BC, I probably would have lambasted the author and his words from every possible angle. I would’ve climbed onto my high horse of morality and deep-rooted convictions.

Today, reading the editorial again, I still find many arguments to contest.

But instead of shutting them out, I find myself willing to listen. I realize that even though there are issues with which we can find no common ground, I have the ability to respect a different opinion. It is this openness, this refraining from judgment, that I know will serve me throughout my life. I believe that when I can see the world through unclouded eyes, I will have gained some of that wisdom that was so elusive in my freshmen Perspectives seminars. My experience at BC has taught me how to think with objectivity. It has taught me how to act with purpose. It has even taught me how to love without condition or need for reciprocity. For that, I am deeply grateful.

What I can say, with certainty, is that I have a profound and humbling respect for each of my peers who will walk away with a diploma on May 21.

In one way or another, you have all changed my life for the better. The separate ways we will go may stretch to the ends of the earth, but BC will remain a tie that binds. We are different but united. For here, all are one.

Noora Bass Its 11:15 p.m, and while you can only hope you’re looking presentable, your shoes can barely carry you through Lower. But really, who’s watching? Certainly not the edgy redhead, but the truth is … he very well could be watching. While most of us come to BC to get a solid four years of a great education, others come in the pursuit of a husband. But what makes this ideal so widespread among our community? There may be some magical element in finding the one, or maybe it’s just subconsciously thrown on our bucket list of things to do here: get a good pick time, score a great Mod, set the world aflame, and find your significant other. Somehow, we’ve managed to near the end. From the lack of Tuscan Chickens to the farewells shared with our on campus families, the end of the semester marks a closing to our regular traditions and customs. While the year may have moved at a rapid speed, there was still a lingering question left unanswered: could there indeed be the one?

It’s 12:32 a.m. The night is still young, and the jungle juice is looking more appealing by the minute.

Suddenly, the guy biting solo cups in the corner looks less like an Average Joe and more like a studly figure.

Katya Rucker is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

The hands in corruption

Thumbs Down

Killing cuteness- A German artist, in the name of “art,” wanted to strangle two puppies on stage to demonstrate the plight of sled dogs. Luckily, this motion was denied due to Germany’s animal cruelty laws. What kind of horrible, horrible person would even consider killing one puppy, let alone two? Thumbs Down for definitely being serial killer material.

the change we’ve all experienced in some way in our four years at BC. I came to this University with strong convictions and an air of self-assurance. What I lacked was an open mind.

Now here we stand, at the brink of what looks like a bottomless precipice. If you aren’t a senior, all I can say is, trust me, this is a metaphor you won’t fully appreciate until your time has come. A week of classes, a week of finals, a week of debauchery, and then we find ourselves on Monday, May 21, in a sea of caps and gowns, with an unfamiliar horizon stretching before us. BC has come to mean a lot

A Husband on the Heights

read this article about teenagers using hand sanitizer to get drunk. My initial response was something along the

Bazoomie Wagon

lines of “Are you serious?” coupled with the thought of how pathetic it is the way society has evolved.

Unfortunately, underage drinking is common among older high school students, and especially college students across the nation. Individuals go to many measures, including through older peers, family members, purchases of fake identification, and other means, to gain access to parties and alcohol. But is this desire to drink really so overpowering that people find the need to get drunk through hand sanitizer, a product that is ironically suppose to promote cleanliness and be a positive testament to good public health? Recent uproar occurred after reports of admitted patients who had gotten alcohol poisoning this way.

In fact, since 2010, California Poison Control recorded 60 reports of teens drinking hand sanitizer, which contains 62 percent ethyl alcohol.

These persons use various techniques to amass the liquor, including using salt to separate alcohol, while others distill it to isolate the ethyl.

The liquid that they create is essentially equal to a shot of hard liquor that is three times as alcoholic as vodka. Not needing any sort of identification to purchase hand sanitizer, which is also inexpensive, facilitates its purchase and makes it even easier for this trend to be more prevalent.

Teens who engaged in this activity reportedly experienced blurred vision and slurred speech, similar to the effects of actual alcohol. Health officials warn that this concoction taken in larger doses or mixed with other drugs or alcohol can cause worse damages, such as burning stomach, diarrhea, and even irreversible organ damage.

It’s nothing new that students will use many household products, such as cough medicine, mouthwash, and several over-the-counter drugs, inappropriately. However, this desperation speaks to the ideas of alcohol that are

BY BEN VADNAL

instilled in newer generations. Despite knowing how mentally and physically damaging drinking hand sanitizer may be, it has been a rising tendency.

Is there any way any one can modify the current course of activity? People have discussed purchasing foam hand sanitizer instead of liquid in households, because the alcohol is apparently harder to extract. Parents can also potentially monitor hand sanitizer usage as they would regular medication.

Personally, though, I feel as if there is more that needs to be done besides these temporary solutions. I think education and raising awareness is probably most beneficial not only for longterm effects, but so that teens are aware of all the consequences their actions may entail. Parents should warn and educate their children from an early age on about how dangerous this act really is, as well as explain the problem of alcohol abuse. Honestly, if people are inclined to misuse a common product such as hand sanitizer due to its easy accessibility, what else is next? Many pride themselves in this “innovation,” by even posting videos on YouTube that have gone viral. The problem is not only that this method is as risky as drinking regular liquor, but also that people feel as if they NEED to engage in these activities to be “cool” and “hip.”

In all honesty, it’s quite troubling to me how easily accessible step-bystep instructions of distilling hand sanitizer can be found on the Internet, or how “inventive, creative ways” of getting drunk or high are constantly being blogged or posted about on social media sites. Many don’t realize that a temporary state of ecstasy does not measure up to the damages that are being done to society’s youth.

Pooja Shah is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Sure, he may have impressed you with his strong demeanor and efforts to bench a 315, but would he be able to put food on the table and beyond that, is this the guy you can see your kids calling “Dad”? As we begin to perfect our plans for the next couple of years, we automatically are drawn to the prospect of finding the ideal counterpart. While casual dating may seem to do it for some, others are indeed wedding-ready, which in itself is a scary thought. But who’s to say this idea isn’t realistic? You may have a friend or even a parent who’s been successful in finding their spouse within the confinements of Boston College, and while some may come here with a working mind frame, others are eagerly awaiting their significant other to find them.

Still, many complain that they have yet to find their perfect match and have thrown in the towel on the search altogether. One student even voiced the idea of creating a database similar to match.com where one would be able to find their perfect mate at BC through a variety of mutual interests and hobbies. I could not think of anything more aggressive. In conclusion, it would be best to leave the search to fate, or the confines of a stuffy Mod party.

It’s 1:14 a.m. Your shoes are barely doing the job, and your roommate seems to be in a rather engaging conversation about Sesame Street’s collaboration with Katy Perry. It’s evident that it is now time to leave.

As you trace your steps carefully over spilt juice, you take one look back to face the potential hubby. In that exact moment in time, your eyes meet and the answer is inevitable—he could indeed be the one. While we may spend our four years here on the hunt for excellence and soaring like an eagle, the quest for a significant other ranks highly on our list of what we hope to achieve during our time at BC. So go on, give that redhead a cheeky wink back. He may just be wedding-ready.

Noora Bass is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

A8

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

SPORTS The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

B1

Monday, April 30, 2012

Fresh out of BC, two Eagles thrive

CAROLINA IN HIS MIND Kuechly goes No. 9 overall to Panthers

Greg Joyce Just two kids living the dream. This is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

The beauty in sports was on full display this weekend, as two former Boston College athletes made memories they will not soon forget. What’s better is that one of those guys was on campus as recently as three weeks ago, and the other just a few months ago.

First, there was the introduction of Superman to the rest of the country on Thursday in the Big Apple, as Luke Kuechly was selected ninth overall in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Ninth overall. The top-10 is reserved for players who are supposed to be a staple of a franchise for the coming years, and Kuechly will undoubtedly be that for the Panthers.

It’s crazy when you actually think about it—just a semester ago, you could always find Kuechly in Yawkey, Conte, Corcoran Commons, or Bapst. Now, he’s about to move to North Carolina to become a new fan favorite on a young and exciting Panthers squad.

I watched Kuechly’s first press conference in Carolina, and it seemed as if he was still just an Eagle talking in the weekly media day sessions in Conte Forum during the fall. Except this time, the Panthers’ logo was on full display behind him, and a new and probably bigger group of reporters were picking Kuechly’s brain.

They asked him everything about his life and his football career, but his answers all revolved around the team and winning—Kuechly’s favorite speaking points.

Back in August, I sat down with Luke and no matter how many personal questions I asked him, the answer always seemed to

By Chris Marino

Assoc. Sports Editor In Thursday’s 2012 NFL Draft, former Boston College All-American linebacker Luke Kuechly was selected by the Carolina Panthers. Kuechly was taken with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the draft. He was the first linebacker taken off the board, and the first linebacker in BC program history to be drafted in the first round.

Donnie Fletcher, after going undrafted, signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets. He made the announcement following the seventh round of Saturday’s NFL Draft.

After learning of his selection, Kuechly addressed members of the media about his new team, and his excitement at joining the professional ranks.

“I’m just so pumped up that they want me to be on their team,” Kuechly said. “It’s an honor, and now I’ve got to get down there and do what I can to contribute to the team. I’m just excited right now for the opportunity.”

Kuechly, who was expected to be drafted anywhere from the fifth pick to the end of the first round, impressed scouts and coaches everywhere with his remarkable athleticism at the NFL Combine. He will join an athletic linebacking corps that includes former first-round pick Jon Beason, James Anderson, and veteran Thomas Davis. Both Beason and Anderson are ACC alumni, playing at Miami and Virginia Tech, respectively. Davis, an eight-year veteran, is returning from his third major knee injury.

Marty Hurney, the team’s general manager, was excited to bring Kuechly in, especially after watching him during his time on the Heights.

“He’s a solid, smart, instinctive, explosive football player,” he told the media. “He’s a sideline-to-sideline tackler, just very reliable and dependable. He has great football intelligence. He gets to full speed very quickly and is a great communicator at linebacker. He’s just a very good football player.”

Hurney said that there would be no hesitation to take the winner of the Bronko Nagurski and Butkus Award winner if available.

“We knew that if he was there, he would be the option there,” Hurney said. “We had run through a lot of scenarios, and this is one of the scenarios where we were going to stick and take the player. We

See Kuechly, B4

See Column, B4

graham beck / heights editor

dave martin / ap photo

Lacrosse

Seniors help finish off Yale Igoe becomes BC’s all-time leading scorer in win

By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

graham beck / heights editor

Kyle Prohovich (left) and John Gorman (right) combined to close out the Demon Deacons on Sunday afternoon, completing the ACC sweep.

BC pitchers quiet Wake Forest in sweep

By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff

After Boston College allowed 35 runs in a three-game series with NC State two weekends ago, the Eagles looked like a long shot 2-6-9 BC to make the ACC 1-1-5 WF tournament. But following this weekend’s three-game sweep of Wake Forest, which saw BC pitchers allow a mere 13 hits to the league’s fourth-best offense, the Eagles stand only one game back from qualifying.

This weekend marked the first sweep BC has had since the 2010 season, and was the first of second-year head coach Mike Gambino’s career.

“For me personally, it doesn’t mean anything,” Gambino said. “All I care about is what it means to this ball club and this program. It’s putting us in a pretty good

spot to go into our last two series and have a chance of making the postseason.”

Hunter Gordon started the series off right for the Eagles with a masterful pitching performance on Friday. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while striking out five.

“Gordon was really, really good on Friday,” Gambino said. “He gave up two hits. One was an infield hit, a play we should have made. The other was a flare down the right field line.”

Gordon was staked to a 1-0 lead in the first when Rob Moir doubled to drive in Matt McGovern after he had led off the inning with a single. Once the junior starting pitcher left the game following his seventh inning, Kyle Prohovich and Matt Brazis were called upon from the bullpen to preserve the victory. They each threw a scoreless, no-hit inning, as BC completed a two-hit shutout of an offense that came into the series with the second-

i nside S ports this issue

The winningest class in Boston College women’s lacrosse history grabbed a 16-5 victory during their Senior Day on Saturday afBoston College 16 ternoon against 5 Yale Yale. Before the game, Katherine Caufield, Kate Collins, Catherine Conway, Elizabeth Donovan, Ginny Gummersall, Kristin Igoe, Sam Taylor, and Brittany Wilton were all honored with their parents for their contributions to the program.

Although it was Senior Day, the freshman duo of Mikaela Rix and Covie Stanwick led the way for the Eagles, with Rix contributing five goals and one assist, while Stanwick had two goals and two assists of her own. Conway spent the whole game in the net, allowing five goals and accumulating seven saves. Four of the Bulldogs’ goals came in the first half, but

then Conway shutdown the Yale attack by only allowing one goal in the second.

Rix opened up the scoring with a goal one minute into the contest that was answered quickly by Yale’s Avallone. BC then went on a three-goal tear with scores coming from Igoe, Wilton, and Rix. Igoe’s goal, which came on one of her patented carvings of an opposing defense with her blinding speed, tied the BC all-time record for scores in a career.

Yale ended the half on a 3-2 scoring swing to make it a two-goal game.

Although it was a close contest heading into halftime, BC ran away with the game when the second half started.

“I think they played great, especially in the second half,” said head coach Bowen Holden. “I think we needed to make some adjustments defensively in the second half on one of their top kids, and our kids did that. We also needed to do better with

See Lacrosse, B4

most home runs in the ACC. On Saturday, sophomore starter Eric Stevens picked up right where Gordon left off, throwing two scoreless innings to begin the game. In the bottom of the second, BC scored on Marc Perdios’ RBI groundout to take a 1-0 lead. But Wake Forest came back in the top of the third.

Stevens hit the first batter of the inning, who later advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw. A perfect bunt by the subsequent hitter put runners on the corners with nobody out. Stevens and the Demon Deacon’s leadoff hitter, Pat Blair, became locked in an epic at-bat that stretched over five minutes. Blair ran the count to 3-2 while fouling numerous pitches off, as Stevens attempted the third to first pickoff move four times in the at-bat in an effort to control the pace of the game. At one point, Stevens thought

See Sweep, B3

Softball gets swept by Terps

Boston College was swept in a three-game home series against Maryland..........B2

daniel lee / heights editor

Kristin Igoe scored the 164th and 165th goals of her career, breaking the BC season record.

A Superfan abroad’s perspective

How a semester abroad can make you appreciate BC athletics a little bit more......................B4

Quote of the Week.......................B2 All In A Day’s Work....................B6

The Heights

B2

Monday, April 30, 2012

Filler leads up-and-coming freshman class

By Chris Grimaldi Heights Editor During a tumultuous year in Boston College sports, one constant has been the emergence of numerous freshmen as young stars on their respective teams.

From Johnny Gaudreau completing the hockey team’s National Championship run with a highlight-reel goal on national television to Blake Butera solidifying his role as a catalyst in the baseball team’s lineup, youthful talent has brought instant excitement to the Heights and hope for a bright future.

The BC softball team has followed this popular trend as well, and its own spark of freshman excellence can be credited to arguably the most prolific Eagle rookie on campus­—Andrea Filler.

A high school state championship, all-state honors, and an induction into the National Softball Association Hall of Fame are just a few of Filler’s count-

less accomplishments so far during her softball career. Regardless of her past successes, the transition from playing in her hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind. to life in a stacked ACC posed a monumental challenge.

“The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that almost every player on every team is good,” said Filler. “In high school, you have a few good people, and then it’s kind of like some other random people that showed up and wanted to play … they had the skills, but everybody at [the Division I] level is top-notch. So it takes a lot to adjust to that, and you just got to believe in yourself and know that you’re a little bit better than that person.”

If her performance on the field so far is any indication, the rookie infielder has taken this challenge in stride and made it an opportunity to assert herself as a collegiate star. A batting average well over .300, along with home run and RBI totals that are some of the highest on the team, have cemented Filler’s

Daniel Lee/ Heights Editor

Filler is in the top-10 for batting average in the ACC, one of the nation’s top conferences.

spot amongst some of the Eagles’ most skilled veterans as a dependable force in the BC lineup. She’s “adjusted” to collegiate softball with numbers that could inflict fear into any opposing pitcher, but the modest freshman refuses to solely credit her own high-level abilities for the multitude of personal successes in 2012.

“I’ve had a lot of help from my coaches and stuff, and then obviously the upperclassmen have played at that level before, so that helps,” Filler said.

Even so, luck alone can’t take a firstyear player like Filler and put her in the top-10 for batting average in the ACC. The commitment, determination, and unquestionable work ethic that once made her a high-achieving student leader—both on and off the field during high school—have carried over to the Heights with superb results.

“It’s kind of cliche, but definitely all of the work you put in through the week—I mean we practice all the time, almost two hours every day—but sometimes you just got to go out there and get a few extra cuts in,” Filler said. “Our coaches have really pushed that on us this year, and so that’s really what I think has helped the most.”

The positive impression BC’s young star has left so far is not only limited to the softball diamond. In speaking with Filler, her team-first attitude is one that garners as much respect as any statistical achievement could. She explained that her most memorable moment so far in an Eagle uniform was cracking two homeruns in one game earlier in the season, but remarked that “we didn’t get the win.” Such a winning mentality is one that head coach Ashley Obrest can certainly build her team around in the coming years.

In a sense, Filler’s selfless approach is yet another reflection of the camaraderie that the BC squad embodies. The freshman standout credits her veteran teammates with making her and the Eagles’ youth feel at home in Chestnut Hill, whether in the midst of an intense ACC matchup or in the classroom.

“You have other teammates that can

Daniel Lee/ Heights Editor

With injuries to veteran players, Filler has been asked to step into a leadership role this season. help you out—with classes and everything, they just tell you ‘take this class, we’ll help you out with it’ or whatever, if they took it before,” Filler said. “Or if you’re having trouble … on the field, they’ll come out with you for 20 minutes and do it so you don’t have to sit there and just stress out about everything and let it get to you.”

Yet the obstacles that the Eagles have faced throughout the season have further encouraged the team to come together, placing young players like Filler in a position of leadership early in their careers.

“We’ve had some key players get hurt this season, so I think all season the coaches and everybody else—once they saw my performance—they’re kind of like, ‘Okay, we want you to step up and be a leader.’ I mean, it’s hard to do that as a freshman just because you know some other people might not accept that … coming from someone who’s a freshman, but I think everyone on the team has accepted that. I did realize that I had to step up when those people got

hurt, so it’s kind of just like, step up in your performance and your actions, and everybody will start to follow.”

It’s been this unlikely combination of freshman and veteran leadership that has gotten the Eagles through a season of highs and lows. Yet it’s also allowed the team to improve far beyond expectations in only a year’s time, while convincing Superfans and ACC foes alike that BC will be a force to be reckoned with for a long time. Just as she can recognize a fastball right out of the pitcher’s hand like a veteran well beyond her own age, Filler also has the ability to recognize the boundless potential that will play itself out on Shea Field over the next few years.

“I just want to help out the team as much as I can and keep consisting hitting up … we do have a young team, so I think we’re going to keep developing very well together,” Filler said. “We do lose some good players, but hopefully we’ll pick up some more, and maybe get an ACC Championship under our belt.” n

Mental and fielding errors lead to Terrapins’ sweep of Eagles at home

daniel lee / HEIGHTS EDITOR

While the offense struggled this weekend, so did the defense, committing multiple errors.

By Samantha Costanzo Heights Editor

SPORTS in SHORT

The Boston College softball team (2226, 2-16 ACC) was swept at home by the University of Maryland (32-18, 8-7 ACC) this weekend, losing a doubleheader 4-3 and 4-1 on Saturday and dropping the final game, 11-0, on Sunday afternoon.

“We knew that we could hang with this team, and if we eliminated all the mental and physical errors from [Saturday], we knew that we’d be right there with them,” said head coach Ashley Obrest.

Morgan Kidd started off in the circle for BC on Sunday, but after struggling through the first inning and facing two batters in the second, she was replaced by Amanda Horowitz. Kidd gave up two runs on a walk to leadoff batter and shortstop Kathy

McLaughlin, and a single to left fielder Vangie Galindo. Both were doubled in by first baseman Candice Beards after catcher Shannon Bustillos lined out to first.

In the second, center fielder Amanda McCann and designated player Sloane Van Meter singled before Horowitz came into the game and gave up two hits to third baseman Melissa Mancuso and McLaughlin, scoring two more. A double to Bustillos accounted for the Terps’ third run of the inning, making the score 5-0.

Center fielder Ali Lynette-Krech hit one of BC’s two hits of the game in the second.

Horowitz shut the Terps down in the third and held them to just one run in the fourth. Mancuso hit a long double to the left field wall and tagged up when Galindo lined a ball past first and reached base on an error made by first baseman Courtney LoBue. At

ACC Softball Standings Atlantic

Conference

Overall

Florida State

15-3

42-11

North Carolina

11-3

38-11

Virginia Tech

12-7

36-17

Georgia Tech

11-8

32-21

Maryland

7-7

31-18

Virginia

7-13

24-24

NC State

5-14

23-29

Boston College

2-15

22-25

the end of the inning, the score stood 6-0, Maryland.

In the fourth, second baseman Nicole D’Argento dove for the ball in an attempt to save it from going into the outfield after the error and injured her ribs in the process. She was taken out of the game, and left fielder Alana DiMaso moved from left field to second. Bree Tanke took over in left.

“She’s had problems with her ribs, and the muscles surrounding her ribs, so when she laid out for that one ball, everything pulled,” Obrest said. “We had this issue a little while ago, and really the only thing to do now is rest it.” Obrest said that D’Argento would likely be ready to play again by Sunday.

Horowitz had a long fifth inning, facing all nine Terrapin batters. McCann singled, Van Meter walked, and Mancuso reached base on an error. Singles by McLaughlin and Galindo capped off the Terps’ streak and left the score at 11-0.

Horowitz earned only two of the seven runs that scored on her watch, having inherited two runners from Kidd. The other three unearned runs scored as a result of errors committed in the field.

“She’d been struggling lately, so it was nice to see her get on the mound and work through some situations,” Obrest said of Horowitz’s game. “Our defense didn’t back her much, but she didn’t seem to get frustrated on the mound.”

The Eagles kept much closer to the Terps during Saturday’s games. Horowitz stayed in the game for less than an inning and moved to the designated player’s spot after D’Argento came in to pitch 4.2 innings.

McLaughlin scored the first run when she singled and advanced on an unsuccessful pickoff attempt and long single by Bustillos, then broke for home and beat the toss to score. Beards walked, and second baseman Nikki Maier was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for right fielder Sarah Acosta’s RBI

single. Mancuso and McLaughlin hit consecutive doubles in the fourth to bring the score up to 3-0.

Neither team scored again until the sixth inning. Kidd hit designated player Kelly Trimble with a pitch, and Bria Taylor pinch-ran for her. She made it to third on a sacrifice bunt, and then took home on a failed attempt to pick her off. The Eagles’ only run of the game came later that inning, when catcher Brittany Wilkins hit her sixth home run of the year.

Kidd, D’Argento, and Horowitz pitched in the same order in the first game of the series. In the first inning, D’Argento hit a home run to start the game with a jolt. The Eagles led until the second inning, when the

Terrapins tied the game on two walks and an error at third to tie. Maier stole second, and McCann flew out to center to bring the go-ahead run in.

Maryland scored its next two runs in the fifth. Beards led off with a walk and moved to second on Maier’s single. Beards scored on a pop fly to right, and Maier scored the Terps’ final run of the game on an overthrow to home. The Eagles almost rallied in the seventh. Lynette-Krech led off with a walk and advanced on a single by Speer, and then took off for home on a wild pitch to make the score 4-2. Speer scored on a single by D’Argento, but the Eagles were unable to score again and fell to the Terps by a final score of 4-3. n

daniel lee / HEIGHTS EDITOR

After two close games in Saturday’s double-header, BC was shut out by Maryland in a route.

Numbers to Know

Quote of the Week

9

“You have to remember, he didn’t come from the University of Nowhere ... But you do have to give him credit for stepping into the biggest market in the country and not just looking comfortable, but excelling.”

The pick number of former BC linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers in last week’s NFL Draft.

165

Career goals scored by women’s lacrosse player Kristin Igoe, who set the school record on Saturday.

3

Points scored in six games by former BC hockey player Chris Kreider, who has two goals and one assist in the NHL playoffs.

— Men’s hockey coach Jerry York on former Eagle and current New York Ranger Chris Kreider

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

Eagles earn first ACC sweep

Baseball notebook

Freshmen come up big to push BC past Wake

By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff

Sweep, from B1 he had strike three when Blair let a pitch in the zone go by him, but the umpire granted the hitter time right before the pitch was thrown.

The duel finally ended with a sacrifice fly to right that tied the game at one each.

Stevens avoided any further damage in the inning and was dominant afterwards, retiring 11 batters in a row from the third through the seventh innings.

“Stevens had a good sink in his fastball going,” Gambino said. “He was able to keep them off balance with that.”

BC picked up a run in the fifth on Blake Butera’s RBI single, and extended the cushion with two in the sixth inning to bring the lead to 4-1. Perdios hit an RBI double to drive in Tom Bourdon, and Spenser Payne drove him home with a single.

After retiring the first batter in the seventh, Stevens allowed consecutive singles, which prompted Gambino to bring in lefty Nate Bayuk. The senior reliever allowed a single to begin his outing, but quickly induced a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.

John Gorman came on next for the Eagles and closed out the game with two strong scoreless innings. The Eagles picked up a couple of insurance runs in the eighth when Moir singled home Butera after he had advanced to third on Anthony Melchionda’s double. Perdios drove in Melchionda to finish the day with three RBIs and give the Eagles a 6-1 victory.

Perdios hadn’t played much in the middle of the season as his batting average flirted around .230, but the fifth-year senior has come on strong of late for the Eagles.

“He plays the game the way we, as a program, want to play it,” Gambino said.

“Doesn’t take a play off, plays hard, always looking to capitalize on somebody else’s mistake and just go after people.

On Sunday, the Eagles used five pitch-

B3

graham beck / heights editor

The offense did its job at the plate to get the sweep, while the pitching staff had a dominant series. ers to pick up the win, beginning with Eric Stone in his first ACC start. Stone allowed two runs in three innings, giving way to Nick Poore for an inning, and then Geoff Murphy for three.

“I’m really conscious of pitch counts and taking care of these guys’ arms,” Gambino said. “Stone wasn’t going [to] go more than 60 [pitches], Murphy I wasn’t going to let go more than 60 [pitches].

Nick Poore, who had a little tightness in his arm, was going to throw one inning no matter what. The motto today was come in, do your job, move on, get it to the next guy.”

The strategy worked for the Eagles.

Poore allowed one run in his inning, while Murphy shut down the Demon Deacons with three scoreless frames. By the time he was finished with the seventh inning, the Eagles had taken an 8-3 lead.

Butera had a big game at the plate with three hits, including two doubles.

Perdios, batting leadoff, led the team with three runs after getting on base four times. Melchionda, Moir, and freshman Tyler Hinchliffe all had two hits on the day, as the Eagles collected 13 en route to a 9-5 victory.

The sweep of Wake Forest raises the Eagles’ record to 19-26, and 9-15 in ACC play. They currently sit ninth in the overall ACC standings, with the top eight teams making the tournament.

“The key [to winning] is not changing what we’re doing,” Gambino said. “We weathered a little storm early in the year, and then we had some success. Once we had that early success—winning a couple of series in a row, we kind of went away from doing what we can do, and boom, we got smacked in the face at Virginia Tech.

“Now we’re having some success again, and just need to continue doing what we’re doing.” n

This weekend’s series saw a great effort from starting second baseman Blake Butera, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI in Sunday’s win. In game one of the series on Friday, the true freshman’s sacrifice bunt allowed teammate Matt McGovern to move from first to second base, putting him in position to score on junior Rob Moir’s ensuing double. The sequence gave the Eagles one of their two runs in the 2-1 win.

“We’ve watched it all year from this kid,” Gambino said. “I don’t think people fully understand how hard it is for a freshman in the ACC to do what he’s been doing all year. He’s been so consistent, he plays hard, and he works hard.”

Butera’s fellow members of the class of 2015 made major contributions in the Sunday win. Tyler Hinchliffe went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while starter Eric Stone held a talented Wake Forest lineup to two runs through three innings.

Rookie pitchers Nick Poore and Geoffrey Murphy combined for four relief innings of one-run ball, and freshman right-hander John Gorman came in with two outs and struck out the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. Murphy picked up his first win of the season to draw even at 1-1.

“We’ve got a lot of freshmen contributing,” Gambino said.

Baseball Hosts ALS Awareness Game For Pete Frates The Eagles honored current director of baseball operations Pete Frates, who was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, by hosting Saturday’s matchup as an ALS awareness game.

Frates, who played outfield for the Eagles from 2004-07 and served as a captain his senior year, was diagnosed on Mar. 13th of this year.

“He was the type of teammate that everyone wanted to have,” Gambino

said. “He cared so much about winning, he worked so hard, he was so competitive. He cared so much about his teammates. He was always looking to take care of somebody or help somebody get better.”

It doesn’t surprise Gambino that the Boston College baseball community has rallied around Frates.

“I know how special of a program this is, and once you’re part of this BC baseball family, you’re going to be taken care of,” the head coach said. “It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s really awesome to see.”

Frates has committed to raising awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known more commonly as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Saturday’s ALS awareness game saw a record crowd of 2,286, who looked on as Gambino, athletics director Gene DeFilippo, and the BC baseball team presented Frates with his framed jersey.

Perdios Adjusts, Contributes Fifth-year senior Marc Perdios has been on a hot streak lately, and this weekend was no exception. While he snapped his 10-game hit streak after not reaching base during Friday’s game, on Saturday, the outfielder drove in three runs and went 2-for-4 with a single and a double.

In Sunday’s series finale, Perdios drew three walks and scored three of the Eagles’ nine runs on the day. Gambino talked about the veteran’s high level of play.

“He got into a little funk earlier in the year,” Gambino said. “He came and talked to me and said, ‘I think I can help this ball club: I want another chance to show you that I can help this club win.’

And he went in there and he’s been on fire ever since.

“We love the kid, we love having him around, we’re so lucky that he came back for his fifth year, because he’s a major reason why we’re making this run right now towards the end.” n

Level-headed Butera’s coach’s mentality key in standout year

By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

It’s Saturday, Mar. 24, and the Boston College baseball team is staring at an opportunity to win its first series against an ACC foe.

After being swept by Clemson and Miami on the road to start the season, the Eagles had defeated then-No. 14 Georgia Tech in a 15-7 rout a day earlier and are one hit away from sealing a second win.

Freshman Tyler “Cheese” Hinchliffe just drove in the tying run to even the score at three a piece, and now his classmate Blake Butera is up to bat. Yellow Jacket relief pitcher Alex Cruz only needs one more out to end the inning and leave three Eagles stranded on base.

Butera, a level-headed and collected player both on and off the field, doesn’t have any superstitious ritual before a big at-bat like this.

“I usually just try and get my timing down with the pitcher and look at what he’s trying to do with the hitter in front of me. I just go up there usually with a plan knowing what he’s trying to throw,” he would say weeks after the game.

As he steps up to the plate, Butera isn’t overwhelmed by the pressure of the crowd at Shea Field cheering him on from the ramp and the bleachers.

“You look at the pitcher’s tendencies and know what he’s trying to do. It’s basically just like every other at bat. Just looking for a good pitch to hit and get that base hit for the team,” he said.

Butera battles Cruz to a 2-2 count. After going 3-for-5 the day before, he hasn’t connected with the ball yet today. He’s not the superstitious type, but behind him his older teammates are flipping their hats across the dugout as is customary for the Eagles during big at-bats like this.

Finally, Butera finds his pitch. Cruz leaves a fastball up and away, and the freshman drills it to right field. The dugout clears. Hats fly. Senior Spenser Payne, who was at third, raises his right arm as he heads toward home plate. The Georgia Tech catcher takes off his glove and turns his back in dismay as Payne, with almost the entire BC squad behind him screaming in elation, winds his right knee back and stomps on the plate. Game over.

After Payne reaches home, he takes off his helmet and peeks over at second. The celebration isn’t done. Sophomore Tom Bourdon just came back from second to meet Butera halfway and jumps up as high as he can, knocking shoulders with the clutch freshman. As they both come back to earth, senior captain Anthony Melchionda grabs his young teammate with a huge smile on face.

The bullpen has joined in and now Butera is swarmed by his whole team.

“It was awesome,” Butera said. “The greatest feeling ever. Getting a base hit to win it for your team against a great opponent like Georgia Tech, there’s nothing better than that.”

After facing some tough losses during the season, a clutch win against a top-notch

graham beck / heights editor

After he connected for the game-winning single against Georgia Tech last month, Butera celebrated the upset walkoff with his teammates. conference opponent meant a lot to the first-year Eagle.

“That’s what we work real hard for. For the chances right there at the end of games to come up and help my team out in any way I can.”

A week later against Maryland, Butera got another shot to prove his clutch ability. After a delay due to weather, the Eagles opened up the game on Saturday in the ninth inning. The contest would go until the bottom of the 12th, when Butera came to bat. He had two strikes on him yet again, but remained unfazed. With runners on first and second, Butera came through with the game-winning single to right for the second week in a row.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit

something back through the middle,” Butera said after the game. “I had two strikes on me, so I was looking to go the other way with something.”

After the game, head coach Mike Gambino took some time to brag about his young star, who is already batting second in the Eagle lineup while playing both second base and shortstop.

“He’s a really good hitter anyway, and he does a great job with two strikes,” Gambino said. “That’s his second walk-off hit. It’s not going to be his last. He’s going to have a lot of big hits for us in his career.”

When asked about his play a few weeks after the big win, Butera shied away from boasting about his late-game abilities.

“I wouldn’t say I have a history of it,”

Butera said. “I enjoy coming up in big parts of the game and having a chance to deliver and pick my team up.”

Although Butera makes sure to understate his own importance, choosing rather to talk about his teammates and the coaching staff, Gambino won’t downplay Butera’s significance to the squad.

“Blake is able, at a really young age, to just focus on his job and do what he has to do at the time,” Gambino said. “There can be a lot of crazy stuff going on, and he just focuses in on the task at hand and has great at-bats.

I have a lot of confidence in him in any situation, as does the rest of the team.”

Butera thrives off of his incredible focus and rare ability to stay level-headed in any situation. The Eagles have struggled to find

graham beck / heights editor

Blake Butera has been consistent at the plate and in the field as a freshman, and has adopted a coach’s mentality throughout the season.

consistency this year, defeating the nation’s top team in Florida State while also falling to lesser opponents in midweek games.

Throughout the up-and-down season, Butera has remained a rock and a model of consistency, even though he’s just a firstyear player.

“That Florida State win was huge,” he said.

“We all know we can compete with the best teams in the country. We’ve played really well against big-time teams. We lost a tough one on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday we just played our game and beat them. It wasn’t really a shock because we know how good we can be. It really just showed us how good we actually are.”

As a potential major in human development or psychology, Butera is preparing himself to be a coach after his time as a player. While listening to him talk about the team, that coach’s mentality shines through with ease.

“It’s really tough, because against FSU, GT, UVA, those guys that we beat, those are top-25 teams and we play really well against them and we beat them, and then we come out in those midweek games and we play inconsistently. It’s just tough. It’s tough seeing we can beat the best teams in the country, but then we don’t always show up to play. When we play how we play, we can beat anybody.”

This BC squad has shown it has the talent to compete in one of the nation’s best conferences, and Butera can see that the Eagles are close to getting there.

“We just need to focus more every game.

We need to be more consistent with how we prepare going into games. And more consistent with how we play every team, just play every team the same way, no matter who it is.”

He has also made sure to take advantage of having Gambino around to strengthen his ability as a coach in the future.

“I talk to Coach about it a lot. He’s helped me out by coming up to me at different parts in the season. Teaching me lessons about becoming a coach, and showing me what to look at and what to look for and how to help the team out.”

The close relationship between player and coach makes the mentoring process even easier for Gambino and Butera.

“Coach Gambino and I are pretty close,” Butera said. “He’s a real good guy, and we get along pretty well because we both understand that you need to play hard every day.

We understand that how hard you work off the field is just the same as how hard you’re going to work on the field. If you’re not working hard in the classroom and in the weight room then you’re not going to play well in the games.”

With a crew of talented young players and a strong coach leading the way, this BC baseball program is poised for a bright future. If at any point during that future the game is on the line and No. 3 is up at the plate, everyone in the dugout and in the stands can breathe a collective sigh of relief, because the game will be in good, composed hands. n

The Heights

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Monday, April 30, 2012

Eagles win on Senior Day Lacrosse, from B1 our shooting and we did that, and obviously the score speaks for itself.”

A scoring onslaught then ensued, as the Eagles rattled off 10 goals to Yale’s one in the second half. Gummersall, who had yet to score during the season, contributed two goals during the BC rout on her Senior Day. With 17:35 left in the half, Igoe found the net again, surpassing Lauren Costello for the all-time goal record.

“It feels pretty cool,” Igoe said about the record. “It’s special. Just kind of sums up my whole career here, and it feels good to accomplish something in the record books. A lot goes to my teammates and my coaches. If my teammates didn’t pass to me and make the cuts and everything, then I wouldn’t be able to score, so it feels like a group thing.”

Holden summed up her record-setting senior captain perfectly after the game.

“Words can’t describe what Kristin has done for this program,” Holden said.

“It’s as simple as that. I can’t even begin to—she’s done it all.”

Holden also discussed what her senior class has meant to the program, given all they have accomplished, including the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

“It means a lot,” she said. “These eight kids have brought an incredible amount to this program. They’ve done an incredible job during their careers, and there’s no question we are very proud of them.

We want to make sure they go out on top, not only winning today but also playing the way we did. We want to make sure we do the same on Tuesday.”

The Eagles have one more home game on Tuesday against New Hampshire, which will conclude their season unless they are granted a second straight NCAA tournament berth. BC is currently sitting on the bubble after falling in close games to ranked opponents this season. n

Kuechly goes to Panthers at No. 9, Fletcher signs Kuechly, from B1

frank franklin ii / ap photo

Chris Kreider has fit in perfectly with the Rangers. In his six games with New York, all coming in the playoffs, Kreider has tallied two goals.

Kuechly and Kreider living the dream Column, from B1 make its way back to being about the team.

That team-first mentality was on full display in Carolina, when the reporters tried to ask Kuechly about his awards and personal records. Talk about rookies. They’ll learn soon that Kuechly won’t budge on the personal achievement talk. When asked about his season-high 23-tackle game against Duke last year, he deflected.

“We didn’t win the game—that’s what matters. You can have as many tackles as you want, but if you don’t win it doesn’t matter,” Kuechly said.

Thinking the one answer was an anomaly, another reporter tried to ask how proud Kuechly was that his name was all over the BC record book.

“Football is a team game,” Kuechly responded. “I think personal records are only that—personal records. I don’t think anyone goes in to play a game with the mindset that, ‘I want to set a record.’ You want to set a team record. You’d rather go 12-0 versus 4-8 and have whatever records or win whatever awards.

“That’s kind of been my thing that I told the people in Boston, that I don’t care how many tackles I have as long as we win.

And that’s been my mindset with BC—I didn’t really care about the individual awards, because you don’t get places by yourself. I think individual things are representative of the team.”

It almost seems like Kuechly has those answers pre-recorded in his head and just spits them out whenever he hears “you” in a question. Take, for example, this answer he had back in August about expectations he had for himself:

“For me, I really don’t care about numbers, stats, awards. I just want to do what I can to help the team win. That’s the biggest thing. I play football to win games. I don’t play football to set records or have certain stats. I want to play to win. Anything I can do to do that, I’ll do my best to do.”

Sounds familiar, right? Except with Kuechly, I don’t think it’s something he just spits out without meaning it. A lot of athletes can have that token answer when asked about personal achievements, but with Luke, you always get the sense that it’s genuine. No wonder Carolina took him at No. 9.

As if one big highlight wasn’t enough this weekend, another recent Eagle also lit up New York City on Saturday.

Regular-season games in the NHL? Not for Chris Kreider—he was too busy helping his team bring home a little thing called the National Championship trophy. Once all that was said and done—but not before the parade, of course—Kreider was off to New York to suit up for the team that had long coveted the speedy forward.

The Rangers are now reaping the benefits of Kreider’s play. Jumping right into the Stanley Cup playoffs, Kreider (who turns 21 today) fit right in with the first line midway through the opening series.

Kreider scored his first NHL goal in Game Six of the quarterfinals, but topped that performance on Saturday in Game One of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He recorded the game-winning goal and an assist, earning the Broadway Hat. Not bad for a guy who was a junior at BC three weeks ago.

“The entire experience is pretty overwhelming,” Kreider told The New York

Times after the game.

His performance had Madison Square Garden chanting his name on Saturday, garnering the excitement of his old teammates and former head coach.

“I was a very proud coach,” Jerry York told The New York Times. “The Rangers have so many recent college players—Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Carl Hagelin.

My guy Chris scores a goal. How can you not feel incredible about that?”

Pretty special for a guy playing in just his sixth NHL game, all of which have been playoff contests.

What? Yeah, that happened. Two athletes who were here on the Heights up until a few weeks ago (or in Kuechly’s case, a few months ago) are now shining in the brightest lights in the very beginning of their professional careers.

Spoiler alert: both Kuechly and Kreider have just recently turned 21, and these are the stages they are on. Hey, I’m 20. Kind of makes me feel like a failure, you know?

Nah, I’m just kidding. Kind of.

But it’s these kinds of stories that make sports special: two young-guns who become fan favorites and impact players just weeks or months after walking around the Heights as a college student.

It has to be a pretty surreal feeling for Kuechly and Kreider, who both still have a little bit of school to finish up in the offseason. But for now, those remaining classes can be put on hold, and for good reason. Kuechly and Kreider are just a bit busy living out their dreams.

And that’s what it’s all about.

Greg Joyce is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.

felt very happy that he was there.”

Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, who formerly played linebacker with the Chicago Bears, expects his new rookie to make an immediate impact on the field.

“Anytime you pick a guy at your specialty so to speak, you do get excited, and he’s a young man I was truly excited about,” Rivera said. “He’s one of those types of guys that helps make the other guys around him better.”

Kuechly’s natural athleticism and football intelligence will give the Panthers flexibility. With a number of strong veterans at linebacker, the organization will be able to utilize Kuechly in a number of spots.

“They told me to be ready to pick it up and be ready to play all three positions,” he said. “I’ve got to pick up the playbook quick and just be versatile and ready to go.”

Rivera is not ready to pencil in starters at this point, but expects all of the members of his team to compete for their spots.

“We’re going to look at it and just see how it all meshes,” he said. “We’re not going

to jump to any conclusions. We’re going to put the best football players on the field, and we’re going to play them. That’s just how it’s going to be.”

Despite his role as middle linebacker for the Eagles over the last three seasons, Kuechly is willing to play wherever his coaches need him most. At this point, he’s just excited to begin working out with his new teammates and preparing for the 2012 season.

“I just love playing football,” he said. “It’s been my top priority since I started playing. I love playing football, love the mental aspects of the game and preparing for the game. It’s something I enjoy doing.”

Fletcher, who began the season as a potential third-round prospect before slowly falling in most mock drafts to a fifth or sixth round selection, went undrafted after a poor senior season. But after the final picks were made, Fletcher tweeted his free agent signing with the Jets.

None of the other declared Eagles—Ifeanyi Momah, Ryan Quigley, Lars Anderson, and Max Holloway—were drafted or have reported signing with teams as free agents. n

chuck burton / ap photo

Kuechly visited the facilities in Carolina on Friday, the day after he was drafted by the Panthers.

A semester abroad can make Superfans more appreciative of BC sports DJ Adams Before I begin, let me preemptively apologize for what should prove to be a rusty column. Let’s just say I might have to seek a second opinion on the flow of this thing. I haven’t spilled my journalistic guts in what seems like ages now.

You see, I’m currently abroad in London for the semester. For the last four months, I have witnessed nothing short of exceptional sights. I traveled Europe for three weeks straight, even a few days by my lonesome. The lessons I have learned about myself have far exceeded the academic knowledge I will retain from this experience (although, with three finals in the next 10 days, I should probably change that).

Let’s just say they do things right here in England, from an education standpoint. Classes encourage you to read independently, up to 80 pages a week for some, rather than hear an esteemed professor spoon-feed information twice or thrice weekly. Grades above 70 are considered amazing, almost impossible to achieve. Did I mention that certain collegiately appropriate activities are legal and encouraged here?

Yes, I know what you are thinking.

Blimey, indeed.

But I digress. This whole abroad thing really isn’t everything it’s hyped up to be. Especially if you are an unhealthily obsessed sports fanatic like myself.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m that annoying guy who thinks he knows everything about Minnesota

Graham Beck/ Heights editor

Though it might not seem like it all the time, Superfans have plenty to be grateful for at BC, including the hockey team’s National Championship. sports and anything Boston College related. Actually, I know I do. My life on the Heights consisted of watching hockey games, reading ATLEagle, and perusing the box scores, interviews and postgame recaps for the secrets behind every match.

When I came to London, I didn’t have a language barrier to break, but I had my own competitive fire to overcome.

A simple one-hour time difference from my CST stomping ground became an insurmountable six-hour gap. No longer was I able to take the press pass, walk three minutes to Conte, and have col-

legiate hockey broken down to me in less than 15 minutes by Jerry.

Worst of all, pubs advertise ESPN on their doors and signs. If you call the eclectic and thrilling mix of soccer, billiards, dog racing, rugby, and cricket “entertainment and sports,” then by all means quit reading now. We probably shouldn’t be friends.

To students here, sport is equivalent to recreation. Our “rivalry” with Kings College London is based on research rankings rather than which team pulverizes the other at TD Garden every year.

I craved goals, home runs, three-

pointers … anything.

So I stayed up till 3 a.m. if it meant watching Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio start a revolution in Minneapolis.

I went to the most terrible American dive bar to watch not one, but two No. 2 seeds get knocked out early of the NCAAs. I woke up several of my flatmates with what were probably obnoxious screams of joy on one glorious Easter eve.

Some of the greatest sports moments I have ever been a part of will always remind me of London. I passed up nu-

merous nights out on the town to remain true to my teams, and I don’t regret it one bit.

Throughout it all, though, there was one thing missing: company. Fandom, spirit, exuberance. It’s what sports are about, and what we do quite well in Chestnut Hill. It’s easy to forget sometimes just how great our athletic programs are.

Yeah, you might fantasize about a home stadium like The Big House. You might dream of a student section like the Crazies in Cameron.

But ladies and gentlemen, you have no idea of the wealth you have witnessed.

A national championship, a top-10 NFL pick, an instant NHL playoff phenomenon, and—as always—a marathon. All of that in four months.

When I come back to BC next fall, don’t ask me about my adventures. You won’t want to hear them. Fellow Eagles, I want to hear your stories.

Because studying abroad can be about finding yourself, but I miss my community and the sports that facilitated that aura about BC better than any other aspect of our campus.

Superfans, what I miss most about BC is you. Until we are reunited next fall, I’ll keep singing.

For Boston, for Boston, I sing our proud refrain.

Can’t wait to add the “we.”

DJ Adams is a senior staff member for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.

Monday, April 30, 2012

The Heights

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B6

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

All in a day’s work On Saturday, ‘the heights’ followed captain anthony melchionda in his pregame routine before the team’s second game against Wake Forest photos: Graham beck Graphics: Lindsay Grossman At 10:30 a.m., the baseball team enters the dugout at Shea Field in prepartion for its game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. After settling into the dugout, the team starts the pregame routine by setting up the on-field batting cage for its game-day batting practice.

Gearing up

Melchionda (above) and his teammates jog to left field where they stretch as a team. After starting with some group stretching, the players pair off to continue the exercises. Earlier in the morning, players utilize the whirlpool in order to stay loose before the game, while others work with trainers.

Game Situations

Melchionda worked with one of the last batting groups of the morning. Each hitter starts off with a couple of bunts before taking some swings in preparation for the day’s game. After batting practice, the Eagles gave way for their visiting opponents to utilize the field for their pregame routine.

Breaking it all down At around 11:00 a.m., the team begins batting practice. While some groups hit, the rest of the team shags fly balls, and practice fielding balls with the coaches. Melchionda (above) and head coach Mike Gambino (on second base) practiced flips to second base during this portion of the day.

The team focused a lot on staying on the same page throughout the morning routine. Players and coaches were always communicating with each other to assure that there would be no confusion during the game.

Game time

Melchionda and the team had a successful day, beating Wake Forest, 6-1. Melchionda finsihed 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The Eagles swept the Demon Deacons in the three-game series. Melchionda helped lead the way, going 4-for-9 with four runs scored and one RBI.

Monday, April 30, 2012

The Heights

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boston College ARTS FEST 2012 behind the scenes of an artistic weekend

PHOTOS by heights photo editors and staff

The Heights

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An Eye on Culture

An artistic love affair

Monday, April 30, 2012

My Five Arts Festival Picks

By: Eleanor Hildebrandt

taylor cavallo

I’ve always been an enthusiast of the arts. Being a student at Boston College has given me an even greater appreciation for all things artistic. BC’s wide variety of clubs, activities, and performances allows students to be exposed to all types of artistic endeavors—from comedy troops to dance groups to theatre performances. As Associate Arts Editor for The Heights, they clearly all hold a special place in my heart. However there are certain sectors of the BC on-campus art life that I have gravitated to during my almost three full years at this school. The weekend of Arts Fest is a perfect time to reflect on exactly how much I love and appreciate the arts scene at BC. I love dance shows. Ballet for 15 years will do that, I guess. Last semester, I had the pleasure of covering the BC Dance Ensemble’s fall performance, and I was completely blown away. Looking past the beautiful dancing, the true wonder of these shows resides in the fact that each dance routine is choreographed by a BCDE member, allowing each girl to showcase her specific area of expertise and show off her own personal flavor.

I loved how personal the performance felt. The program featured BCDE member bios and named the choreographer and dancers of each piece. Attending this show, and all of their other performances, was truly like being welcomed into the BCDE family. The audience was lively and excited to be watching, and support from friends and family was strikingly clear.

Another dance group that always gets my attention is Sexual Chocolate. This semester, I wrote a Features article about their team, and I was lucky enough to interview them. Everyone knows they’re one of BC’s most soughtafter dance teams, but meeting this group of guys made me realize just how special they were. Their work ethic, team mentality, and true sense of community was made so clear during the interview that I had a newfound respect for them and what they do with the BC and greater Boston area community, which really is so much more than stepping.

This is a side of Sexual Chocolate I might not have had access to if I wasn’t in a position to interview them, but after our discussion, I was glad I could write the article to let everyone at BC know exactly how tightly knit they are as a group.

An on-campus group that I have limitless respect for is the BC Theatre Department. Last semester, while covering Into the Woods, I realized just how talented they were, and I’ve made it a personal point to see every show since then, either for The Heights or just for myself. I was blown away by the Bollywood-themed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The costume and set design were so aesthetically pleasing and seemed so professional that I couldn’t believe the performance was taking place in Robsham. The acting, as always, was impeccable, and once again, Cam Cronin (A&S ’12) had me laughing so hard I was in tears. The Bollywood spin on a Shakespearean comedy was exactly the kind of innovation and creativity that the BC Theatre Department excels in, and I can truly say I can’t wait to see what productions are in store for next semester. I have yet to be disappointed by a performance in either the Bonn or Robsham. Although the two provide completely different atmospheres, both venues never cease to amaze with their shows. Each time I attend a production, I am always amazed that such talented actors and production staffers actually attend BC. Their mixture of small, obscure plays with Shakespeare and famous musicals offers a dynamic schedule of plays to look forward to all year (literally, I’ve been waiting for this Bollywood production since September).

Whether or not you attended Arts Fest events, I hope that you at least stopped to think and appreciate the effort that our fellow students put into the respective arts that they love not just this weekend, but all year round. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s what makes our campus unique and bursting with life and energy.

Since freshman year, I’ve loved attending on-campus events, and having the honor of covering them for the paper has been something I have truly enjoyed. Arts Fest might be over, but there are always opportunities to go see performances throughout the year. Even if you don’t know anyone in any clubs or groups you can support, go to an on-campus activity. I promise you’ll enjoy yourself.

Taylor Cavallo is the Associate Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

Daniel lee / heights editor

1. ARTFUL EXHIBITS One of the best parts of Arts Fest was seeing the facets of the Boston College arts scene that usually fly under the radar. My exposure to visual artwork on the campus had heretofore been limited to cursory glances at the pieces in the basement of Bapst. Thus, standing in the small tent in O’Neill Plaza and gazing at the amazing works that BC students produced was something of a novelty. From digital photography that mixed human bodies and maps, to enormous oil paintings, to an intriguing wire sculpture, the tent was filled with pieces that spoke volumes about BC’s unsung talents.

2. EVENING OF DANCE

3. WIND ON BROADWAY

4. SYMPHONY OF FUN

5. A ‘DREAM’ OF A NIGHT

I’d never seen a dance performance at BC before Arts Fest. I know, I know. ALC Showdown … Phaymus … the Sexual Chocolate big show was even on my birthday. I didn’t make it to a single show this year—and now I know what a fool I’ve been.

Even though only a few of BC’s talented groups performed at Saturday’s dance showcase, it was enough to leave me wanting to see more. Fuego was sensual and exuberant to “Danza Kuduro.” The Irish Dance team’s interpretation of “Girls (Run the World)” was powerful, their precision awe-inspiring; and the DOBC’s student-choreographed “Skinny Love” stuck with me all day.

Fr iday night ’s University Wind Ensemble concert consisted exclusively of composer Leonard Bernstein’s music. The room was packed, and with good reason—the concert was pitch-perfect.

My favorite part, by far, was the second half, which led with the fantastic saxophone quartet’s rousing rendition of “America” from West Side Stor y. Also highly enjoyable was the compilation of nine songs from the 1961 musical—when the 40-plus student and guest musicians snapped their way through the Jets’ and Sharks’ confrontation, I couldn’t help but grin.

The BC Symphony Orchestra is a new favorite of mine. I’d never been to one of their concerts before—probably because, well, most of their concerts are on Newton. I’ll have to start making the trek to Trinity Chapel, though, because their performance on Friday afternoon was fantastic.

The highlight, for me, was the third movement of Lalo’s Cello Concerto, with an astoundingly well-done solo by Tina Jung, A&S ’14. Closely following, in terms of enjoyment, was the opportunity to make faces at my violist friend in the second row. That’s the best thing about Arts Fest, I think—seeing the talent that’s been lurking (literally) next door all year.

You just had to be there. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is, in my opinion, the Bard’s most consistently amusing play, but the Robsham production took his work to new heights of whimsicality and slapstick humor. Even the sets were a marvel, perfectly framing and enhancing the even more remarkable action onstage.

From the colorful, Bollywooddancing fairies, to the cameos by ridiculously adorable small children, to the fact that Cam Cronin elicited rounds of applause every single time he appeared, this play was impeccably professional on the outside, pure BC talent at its core.

My Final arts festival

dANIEL LEE / HEIGHTS EDITOR

During the last weekend in April, O’Neill Plaza morphs from an expensive, empty space to the epicenter of all Arts Fest activities and performances, showcasing student

BC bursts with creativity at my final festival darren ranck

Every year at the end of April, the tents go up. The white plastic structures seemingly erect themselves overnight, as if elves leant their nimble hands to hasten their construction. Their appearance in one of the most high-traffic areas on campus garners little attention, though. People walk around their perimeter to get to class and say little about them other than, “Oh, Arts Fest.” It’s easy to relegate the weekend-long event as simply another on-campus event that couldn’t possibly be squeezed into the burdensome dance card of a socially active college student. Arts Fest deserves your attention, though, because it unearths an aspect of BC students that’s rarely exposed. It reveals a capacity to create and imagine, a characteristic that stays hidden at a Mod party on a Saturday night.

I remember that I sat next to this junior girl in my 8 a.m. Philosophy of the Person class during my freshman year. She struck me as very intelligent. Her contribu-

tions to class were often insightful yet concise. Her looks were very attractive in a way not uncommon to Boston College girls. She majored in psychology with a plan to go to medical school. Lacking the academic urgency that comes with being an underclassman, I found her commitments admirable. One quirk that always threw me off, however, was what I could only call an addiction to sketching. Every class, she plugged into discussion for the first 20 minutes and then drifted into her mind. She spent the next half hour sketching highly geometric yet very beautiful images, none of which ever seemed to possess any intention. Class always ended at 8:50 a.m. before she could finish. I could only imagine where the image would go throughout the day.

The student art show is a favorite event of mine during Arts Fest. Students work through several media to create works that never feel phoned in. Each piece looks like an excision of thought. There’s manic thrill and sadness, melancholic ambivalence, and unrelenting joviality, and none of it rings false. How couldn’t we

be surprised that the highly professional work comes from our peers?

This notion struck me when I went into the tent freshman year and saw a canvas with delicately colored strokes spiraling out of control.

Each stroke intersected with another to create small, beautiful shapes.

Looking at it stimulated the mind in a most awe-inspiring way. Somehow it looked familiar, and after looking at the byline, I saw the small pieces that began at 8:30 a.m. in Gasson 310. Despite her aspirations for medical school and her propensity for dissecting Plato, this girl was an artist at heart.

My small discovery is nothing that every person on this campus hasn’t already experienced, but I believe it’s something we don’t always consider. Artistic endeavors are often marginalized in our young minds. Wanting to be an artist, whether through music, performance, dance, or the visual medium, has become a taboo desire. The people who participate in the events of Arts Fest, however, have what every person needs to succeed in these industries—talent. Sure, tenacity

and heart are necessary, too, but what job search doesn’t require hard work these days?

In my four years at BC, I’ve seen a full-student band put Madonna songs to instrumental music, chalk artists create Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” on the steps of O’Neill Plaza, young fashion designers create dresses of sustainable fabrics that flow like water, student authors read such well-strung sentences that I envy their ability, and actors who deliver Shakespeare with the confidence of professional players.

BC is bursting with talent, yet it only fully appears once a year. While I encourage everyone to take full of advantage of the many Arts Festivals to come, I urge you all to take advantage of the arts community year-round. Schedules make it difficult to plan, but it’s not a wasted opportunity. Support the arts and see the talent sitting next to you at your 8 a.m. philosophy class.

Darren Ranck is a senior staffer for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

alumni & the arts

Taccone offers sage advice

annie budnick / for the heights

By Sean Keeley Heights Staff

Judging from the myriad displays of art on display this past weekend, it’s no secret that today’s Boston College student body is a talented bunch, and that the arts on campus are livelier than ever thanks to their efforts. But even with our current glut of riches, it’s always fascinating to look back at the talented artists that BC has produced in the past. To that end, this year’s Arts Festival featured two events that highlighted some of BC’s most notable artistic

alumni. The common denominator at both events was Tony Taccone, BC ’72, the artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the 2012 recipient of the Arts Council Alumni Award for Artistic Achievement. Taccone’s list of credits is impressive: he commissioned and co-directed Tony Kushner ’s famous epic Angels in America, has overseen world premieres of plays by the likes of David Edgar and Lemony Snicket, and has recently written two scripts that debuted last year.

In 2009, the theatre magazine Playbill called him “the most

prominent artistic director in America right now.”

On Thursday at 3 p.m., Taccone was joined by two other prominent theater luminaries for a panel discussion called “Tough Decisions: Leading the American Theater in the 21st Century.” Also present were Kate Maguire, BC ’77, the artistic director and CEO of the Berkshire Theatre Group, and Paul Daigneault, BC ’87, the producing artistic director of SpeakEasy Stage Company (and director of this year’s production of Into the Woods). Over the course of an hour and 15 minutes,

moderator David Dower presided over an engaging discussion about the power of art and the challenges of balancing the needs of art and business.

The three alumni each followed unusual and not-always glamorous routes to their current success. Daigneault recalled doing grunt work in New York City after college: serving as part of an off-Broadway crew, sweeping theater stages, and crashing on the floor of his friend’s apartment at night. Maguire recounted her first year with the Berkshire Theatre Festival, when even the

slightest proposed change caused an uproar among the festival’s board members, who wanted only “happy endings and stars” instead of more original work. Taccone recalled the sobering moment from early in his career of staring at a checkbook with no money and figuring out how to pay all the actors in a week.

Despite such stumbling blocks, though, all three panelists persevered because of their artistic calling. Daigneault used the metaphor of a burning candle—one that must be kept lit despite the world’s attempts to blow it out— to explain his passion for theater.

Taccone eloquently summed up the artistic experience as “trying to explore deep truths through the prism of each other.” It was a message that resonated with the audience members, many of whom were BC seniors in the theater department. During the audience Q&A session that closed out the panel, the students present asked for career advice, and the panelists offered their wisdom to guide the next generation of BC alumni in their pursuit of artistic success.

On Friday at 2 p.m., Taccone was present again for the annual edition of “Inside the BC Studio.”

Scott Cummings, the chair of the theatre department, moderated the hour-long discussion that traced Taccone’s life and career.

Taccone discussed growing up in working-class Queens and being

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part of a family that encouraged artistic expression; his grandfather was a photographer and his father ran an art studio. Aside from the artistic gene in the family, Taccone credits his eventual career to his college experience.

Taccone attended B C during the tumultuous years of 1968 to 1972, a time of protests, student movements, and above all, the fervent belief that “the revolution was going to happen.” Taccone, an English major at a time when there was no theatre department, first discovered his love for performance when touring an epic poem called “The American Dream” at local poetry cafes.

From there, Taccone jumped from theater scholarships to directing and acting jobs, solidifying his reputation in the industry. At one point, his daring production of a controversial political play led to the arson of his theater by a group of South African vigilantes. Taccone quipped that it was “the single greatest compliment” he has ever received. Though his job may be more stable now, Taccone shows no signs of slowing down. As the discussion winded down, Taccone shared insights into Ghost Light and Life Without Makeup, two recent plays that he co-wrote. Clearly, Taccone continues to forge his own artistic path, embracing the call to “set the world aflame” along with so many other BC alumni. n

theater & the arts

‘Dream’ caps off spectacular theatrical year

By Brennan Carley Arts& Review Editor

Theater, when done properly, can enchant its audience into thinking that it must not have been hard work to accomplish at all.

Then there are your Grey’s Anatomy musical episodes that make viewers shake their heads in dismay, turning potential theater lovers into nonbelievers with a single sassy snap during a tepid performance of “How To Save A Life.”

Luckily, Boston College’s theater department has spent the last year excelling with mesmerizing performances that will surely mark this academic year as one of the school’s most creatively thrilling ones. It’s also heartening to see the school encourage its students to attend such performances through theater classes that require papers about the shows—while these students might not have normally made their way to Robsham on a Thursday evening, it at least opens the door for future engagement with the theatrical arts.

This year, the two main stage shows have served as wonderful bookends to an exciting season. In the fall, Into The Woods captivated audiences with its modern day retelling of popular childhood fables. This weekend, Luke Jorgensen’s masterful retelling of the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream spun the story into something magical. Reimagining the tale through a Bollywood lens, the department’s production not only elicited gales of laughter from the sold-out crowds (a true feat in its own right, considering the busy time of year at which it was performed), it also dazzled with spectacular and stimulating sets, lighting, and dancing. It’s only a shame that it couldn’t have been performed two weekends in a row to allow the greatest possible number of students to view its wonders.

Though not entirely theatrical narratively, Robsham’s Rising Up! also opened new doors for theater majors with dance concentrations to demonstrate their workmanship in front of a packed house. It was the first show of its kind in the theater, and its critical and popular success should ensure many more of its kind in the future.

Perhaps even more thrilling were the Bonn

Studio performances that ranged from sexually provocative (Spring Awakening) to wrenching tales of familial cruelty (The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds). These smaller but no less influential shows offered audiences a glimpse of BC students’ unbridled creativity. It also speaks to BC’s willingness to accept and grow that it allowed shows such as Doubt and Awakening to be performed on its campus. Thematically, both shows differ wildly, but both also demand that their audiences question their faith following the final curtain. Similarly, Lysistrata is an antiquated play that the department managed to spin into a thoroughly modern piece of showmanship, rife with throbbing dance numbers (what other performance of the 411 BCE show could claim to open with Ke$ha’s infamous “Blow?”) and sharp, crackly wit that never felt outdated.

This year, the Bonn offered everyday college students the opportunity to see something thought-provoking and innovative.

It would be a tragedy to talk about BC’s theater and the arts without mentioning some of the graduating seniors who have kept audiences enraptured for the past several years.

It’s going to be close to impossible to replace Deirdre McCourt, A&S ’12, who this year alone conquered roles from a schizophrenic child whose brittle exterior hid a quivering shell of a girl, to a no-nonsense nun so set in her ways that she couldn’t ever imagine anyone else taking command. McCourt has consistently demonstrated her multifunctional ability as an actress, concluding with her giggly role in Dream, a small but hard to overlook performance that required true comedic timing. Likewise, Lysistrata’s compelling Allison Russell, A&S ’12, shone in her performance as the leader of a pack of women who refused to return to their husbands until a peace treaty was signed. She strode around the black box with the confidence of an actress with twice her experience, shining equally as brightly in Dream in her all-too brief appearance.

It would be difficult to name every senior who has contributed to BC’s theater scene over the past several years, but each one of them has brought his or her energy to performances

that surpass even Broadway-quality shows with their precision and passion.

Technicians like Midsummer’s John Delfino, A&S ’12, might go unheralded for their behind-the-scenes work, but they truly represent the lifeblood that keeps the department ticking. The pinpoint precision of that show’s choreography, commanded eloquently by Ariel Durgana, LSOE ’12, literally silenced the audience until the masses rose to their feet in rapturous applause.

On Saturday, Jorgensen brought his Creative Dramatics class’ interpretation of The Little Mermaid to O’Neill Plaza to the delight of little ones who had wandered over after messing about with chalk and tie-die shirts. It was encouraging to see the looks of rapture on the younger crowd’s faces. Jorgensen clearly knows how to get at the true heart of theater, and shows like Dream and Mermaid are what theater is really about.

BC has made the effort to foster a thrilling year in the theatrical arts, culminating with this year’s Arts Festival. Judging from the slack-jawed toddlers in the Main Tent on a windy Saturday afternoon, the importance of that effort has not gone unnoticed. n

sara davey / for the heights

The Heights

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Monday, April 30, 2012

comedy & the arts Laughs find a home at festival

By Carolina Del Busto Heights Staff

At the 14th Annual Boston College Arts Festival, laughter was a main component. Whether it was the laughter of children enjoying themselves as they reveled in the arts and crafts, laughing at the charming rendition of The Little Mermaid, or the laughter of adults at the more grown-up comedy shows like Murder at the Holiday Inn Express.

Out of the four comedy troupes on campus – Asinine, Hello…Shovelhead, The Committee for Creative Enactments (CCE), and My Mother’s Fleabag – only two were around for the Arts Festival. I had the pleasure of being entertained

by My Mother’s Fleabag and the CCE. Let’s start with Thursday night. Kicking off the comedy for the festival was My Mother’s Fleabag, back from their big spring show last week , and for one night only. Typical of an improvisational show, there are certain staple “games”—so to speak—that are done. The best part of these games is that most involve the audience in one way or another: “shout out a word, any word,” or the dreaded “can we have a volunteer from the audience?” I answered the call to the latter.

Sitting in the audience, these guys made me laugh, but being a part of a game made me laugh even more. I participated in a game called “pillars.” The premise goes like this—there are two players on stage having a wacky conversation.

When they “forget” the end of their “line,” they tap one of the volunteers to finish it for them.

A little nervous and unsure of what I would say, I decided to make my responses Harry Potter-themed. One tap, and instead of finding a monster under his bed, my partner found a magic wand. Next, he was casting the spell Wingardium Leviosa at his opponent—I know, not the best defense spell I could think of on the spot, but I did get a few laughs from the audience myself.

Overall, the show proved to be quite funny, and the performers were extremely witty. A few performers I enjoyed were freshmen Sean Bloomstine (A&S ’15) and Pat Genovese (A&S ’15), sophomore Ceara O’Sullivan (A&S ’14), and of course the two directors, junior Bryan Cocchiara (A&S ’13) and senior Michael Wolf

(A&S ’12).

After the show, I had the chance to sit down for a quick chat about comedy and the arts with Cocchiara and Wolf.

Cocchiara said, “I think comedy is certainly an art. It involves a creative process. You kind of have to delve into the deeper recesses of your mind and your creativity, you have to put your passion into it, you have to think about it before

A little nervous and unsure of what I would say, I decided to make my responses Harry Potter-themed. you express it. It is certainly an extension of yourself like other art forms.” Wolf agreed by adding that, for him, “The most artistic thing is the connection between the people”— both the audience and the other members on stage.

“When [comedy] really becomes an art is when you begin having that conversation with the audience, and it can be a back and forth,” Wolf said.

When I asked them about the comedy on campus, Cocchiara quickly said, “You can’t have enough comedy.” Both comedians said they would like to see more stand-up events and openmic nights that incorporate all four troupes.

These types of events wouldn’t have as much pressure as

a larger show and would be a great “precursor to the weekend,” according to Wolf.

Speaking of other troupes, that brings me to the Murder at the Holiday Inn Express put on by the CCE. The show, which was performed twice a night both Friday and Saturday, was a Clue-inspired tale written by four of the student performers. The script was clever, but unfortunately the execution was not entirely amusing.

The show began with gathering the audience in the common area of the O’Connell House, and the performers came out in costume—and character—and interacted with the guests until it was time to start. They would put on a scene for everyone in the grand lobby, then split up into three different rooms: either the dining room, piano lounge, or the kitchen. In each room, a different scene occurred, and then everyone would recollect back in the lobby for another general scene. This would repeat itself, and at the final gathering the murderer is finally revealed.

But wait, you think you know the murderer?

Think again, because each performance had a different ending with a different murderer. One part of the ending that doesn’t change, however, is the grand entrance of the Agatha Christie character, which proved to be the funniest part of the whole show.

The Arts Festival sets out to celebrate the arts on campus. Thus, it’s important to include comedy on that list. Laughter is the best medicine—scientifically proven to extend your life— and comedy troupes make you feel special by including you in their performance. Comedy stays alive at BC year-round, as the different groups perform their greatest hits for a fall and spring show. n

natalie blardony / for the heights

movies & the arts

BC celebrates McCarthy

By Therese Tully Heights Editor

On a windy Friday night, Boston College students gathered together under the protection of a heated tent to enjoy a double feature screening of the films Up! and 50/50. As a part of this year’s Arts Fest, “Film Festival Friday” was an event meant to be both entertaining and inspiring, and was successful in both of these endeavors.

The tent, which was lit with movie theater-style lights, sheltered viewers from the whipping wind that had no regard for the event scheduled on O’Neill Plaza for the night. Viewers were all provided with free popcorn and cotton candy to supplement the movie-going experience, and viewed the big screen from folding chairs amassed for the purpose.

The films selected for viewing were not only wonderful, but meaningful to the BC community.

Tom McCarthy, BC ’88, co-wrote the extremely popular movie Up! as well as wrote, produced, and directed the prestigious film 50/50.

McCarthy was also the recipient of the 2008 BC Arts Council Alumni Award for Artistic Achievement.

McCarthy’s two pictures were great entertainment, and inspira-

tion for his fellow Eagles. His work shows a commitment to creating beauty, one that was mirrored all weekend long in the countless Arts Fest performances and shows that wouldn’t be possible without BC student involvement, passion, and dedication.

The films are both filled with inspiring content that amused and motivated the crowds. Additionally, the success of a BC alum stands as an inspiring tale for everyone who watched. McCarthy graduated not too long ago, and has met with great success in the film industry. The achievements of BC grads are a true inspiration to current BC students looking to make it big someday, in any industry.

The messages of the movies invited the audience to laugh, to cry, and to remember to always dream. As Ellie says in Up!, “Adventure is out there!” Although this is a cartoon, the movie has messages for all audiences. The lessons remind us exactly what is important, especially as we rush through our daily lives as students. Film is a stirring medium, which speaks to viewers on so many different levels, and the two different films, a cartoon and the story of a young athlete, both provided something to their

viewers.

Sarah McDermott, Arts Council Program administrator, Arts Fest director, and BC ’07, said of the event, “It’s nice on a Friday night to slow down, and see what other alums are doing out there.”

The mission of the event, she said, was to spread the notion to current students that, “The arts don’t have to end after you graduate.” McDermott thought this was an important lesson to teach BC students, while simultaneously entertaining them.

“The idea of tonight’s event was to have something a little more relaxing,” McDermott said, reflecting on the fact that everyone has been working really hard on performances and on organizing and coordinating the whole weekend. Watching a double feature was just the relaxing break that performers needed.

The film screening provided an event that was not only entertaining, but social as well. In a dark movie theater somewhere off campus, making connections with fellow BC students is not likely to happen. “People can relax and get to know people they wouldn’t get to know normally on campus,” McDermott said, speaking to not only this event, but also to the mission of the arts in general. The

courtesy of google images

arts are about bringing people together, and fostering a mutual understanding that can lead to conversation. The arts have the ability to connect people, and to sustain relationships. The movie screening provided the perfect venue for this, where people gathered around a similar interest, and were able to bond over their mutual love for the films being screened. Although McCarthy was unable to attend the evening’s screenings, McDermott said that part of the plan for the future of Arts Fest is to have more alumni involvement in all aspects of the weekend.

The e vent w a s not he avily attended, which McDermott guessed was due to the weather, which was windy and cold, with ominous clouds looming over the tent. During the showing of

the first film, technical difficulties turned off the projector, and after some assessment, the showing moved into Devlin 008 for the remainder of the screening.

The film screening was truly an example of art by BC students, for BC students, which is a driving force of the whole weekend. Even though everyone is not artistic, everyone at BC had the ability to be involved in some capacity.

Katie Cutting, CSON ’14, is a nursing major on the ski team and was also a volunteer at Arts Fest this year. Cutting was involved as a Film Festival host, and as a part of the strike team after the event.

She volunteered her free time for the arts, both during and after an event, showing a level of dedication that is exemplary.

Cutting became involved in the arts when her two roommates

attended an Arts Fest meeting last year, “I thought, ‘I have a spare hour, why don’t I go with you guys?’” Cutting said. Last year Cutting was involved with posting signs, stage crew, and other marketing projects. She said she had so much fun during the process that she wanted to come back yet again to volunteer this year.

The evening was definitely a success, and a much-needed respite for those who had been performing in, volunteering at, or just attending the various performances that were offered at Arts Fest this past weekend. The films were an illustrious example of the power of art, and the success of a BC alum in a highly competitive industry. Despite the weather, and the relocation of the event, it was truly a highlight of the weekend. n

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

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music & the arts

Festival showcases the best singers on campus daniel lee / heights editor

By Allan Guzman Heights Staff

Music was in full swing at the 14th annual Boston College Arts Festival.

Always an integral facet of the arts, music was present in a wealth of different forms over the three-day celebration, ranging from dance and a cappella to instrumental ensembles and gospel choirs. Culture in particular is deeply valued at BC, and no effort was spared to include performances from all sorts of backgrounds. Two of the musical highlights of the Arts Festival were the a cappella showcases and the Voices of Imani showcase.

Held on both Friday and Saturday at 2:30, the a cappella showcase featured performances by B.E.A.T.S. (Black Experience in America Through Song), the Acoustics, BC Shaan, the Sharps, the Heightsmen, and the Bostonians.

B.E.A.T.S. and BC Shaan are the newest a cappella groups, and they provided some of the most diverse performances in the showcase. Nevertheless, the showcase covered a large portion of the musical spectrum and added a satisfying amount of diversity, as well

as music, to the Arts Festival.

B.E.A.T.S., founded in 2009, specializes in R&B and soul music. The group performed lovely renditions of “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday and “In the Still of the Night” by the Five Satins. The performances were emotionally charged, proudly honoring one of music’s most passionate genres.

Fo l l o w i n g B . E . A .T. S . w e re th e Acoustics, a sprightly bunch that kept the mood lively with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga favorites.

B C Shaan, founde d in 2010, is BC’s “Premier South Asian a cappella group,” and it brought songs from the East to the West. Shaan’s members performe d with traditional South Asian rhythms and melodies, though they also incorporated modern elements, such as beat boxing and English vocals.

The Sharps, BC’s all-female a cappella group, channeled some Southern charm with a rousing rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” Meanwhile, the all-male group, the Heightsmen, took the audience back to 1999 with a performance of Smash Mouth’s “All Star.”

Last in the lineup were the Bostonians. While they are BC’s oldest a cappella group, the Bostonians actually performed some very recent hits, among them a small medley of Kanye West songs complete with beat boxing and rapping.

Performing on Saturday at high noon, the Voices of Imani showcase was one of the most energetic and lively displays of the festival. Voices of Imani, the name of BC ’s gospel choir group, was in full force under the leadership of director Chauncey McGlathery. Full of power and energy, McGlathery invited the audience to sing and clap along with the choir as he stomped and sang with inspiring emotion. There were rousing numbers, passionate solos, and no shortage of enthusiasm as Voices filled the Main Tent with the joy and vigor that only a gospel choir could provide.

In addition to the a cappella and Voices of Imani showcases, there were exquisite performances by BC Baroque and the Cello Ensemble, both part of the Chamber Music Society. BC Baroque, a string ensemble, treated the audience to selections from Bach and

Vivaldi. The Cello Ensemble, meanwhile, presented a diverse selection of pieces which included John Williams’s Star Wars theme Imperial March.

It should not come as a surprise that the majority of the events at the Arts Festival feature music, particularly musical performances. Music is an essential art form that allows students to express themselves and hone their skills as well as their artistic prowess . Along with literature and the visual arts, music also promotes cultural diversity and exposes students to traditions, lifestyles, and values from around the globe.

Having a diverse outfit of music groups in particular demonstrates just how versatile this art form is, and this allows students to explore and take advantage of different musical opportunities. And as with any other social club, singing groups are also a valuable outlet for meeting new people and making friends.

Sarah McDermott, this year’s Arts Council Program Administrator and Arts Festival Director, certainly agrees that music at the festival, and on campus, is vital. “We try to feature as much

of the arts on campus as possible. But music is such an emotional art form,” she said.

When asked about the cultural diversity among the festival’s performances, McDermott, a BC graduate, said, “We like to have a good mix. I think it’s important to have diversity because you get exposed to things you weren’t exposed to before.”

With so many different cultural acts to feature, keeping a balance between the acts was crucial. “We set up the acts in a way that they don’t detract from each other. That way you would have a ballet piece here, then an a cappella piece after, then an instrumental showcase,” McDermott said. Such a balance between showcases allows the festival to flow effortlessly.

Judging from this year’s positive response, the Arts Festival is set to continue being a tremendous success.

The musical performances tastefully demonstrated BC’s prowess and diversity, and they continue to prove that music groups—whether they be dance, singing, or instrumental—are an essential part of the University’s artistic identity. n

imagery & the arts Student art exhibition shows true talent

By Kira Mulshine For The Heights

This year’s annual Arts Festival was an awe-inspiring threeday e vent featuring student talent in a multitude of artistic mediums. Performances by various skillful and inspiring dancers, vocalists, musicians, actors, and sketch comedians filled the massive outdoor tent in O’Neill Plaza, while a classic and appreciated visual art exhibit stood on display next to the tent, and in Bapst Library. Every piece was perfected by BC undergraduate students, and each was specifically chosen by members of the BC Art Club from a massive collection of contributors within the underlooked art scene on campus. The Art Club is led by its board, consisting of Jordan Mendoza (president), Maggie Mansfield and Bailey Budd (vice presidents), Moira Notarstefano (treasurer), Preston Landers (publicity manager), Jennifer Br ubaker (se cretar y), India Winter (external events), Liz Moy (internal events), Megan

Pietruszka (director of music), and Carolyn McCrosson (director of photography). These nine talented individuals organized and curated an elegant showcase of BC students’ diverse and refined creative ability. In particular, upon entering the Bapst Library exhibit opening showcase last Thursday evening at seven in the evening, I felt welcome and relaxed. Spending time among the members of the Art Club was rejuvenating— they were amiable company, and it was apparent that they were proud of their hard work.

I am not an art critic myself, nor a practiced visual artist, but I am a dancer and musician, which gives me the ability to appreciate and identify with other artists and the products of their efforts. The diversity of mediums used in the Arts Fest exhibits was astounding. As a dancer, it is difficult to master many different types of dance, and this leads me to assume that it is difficult to become adept at different artistic mediums as well. As a result, the diversity of

talent in the visual arts department at BC was very impressive.

An assembly of both oil and acrylic paintings hung along white walls in both exhibits.

Additionally, sculptures graced cor ners and were ele g antly placed throughout the display by the student curators. There were also a variety of photography pieces, digital imaging projects, innovative collages, stimulating sketches, and expressive screen art positioned thoughtfully by the Art Club for the public to enjoy and/or purchase.

Each interested student artist was asked to turn in up to four pieces with a title and set price for each submission. The high amount of talent on campus allowed only a limited amount of space in the exhibition rooms for submissions, and as a result, not every submission was selected for the festival. This meant that the displayed artwork was “the best of the best” of BC’s admirable artists. After selected, the art was entered into two contests. The first was the

Critic’s Choice Award, in which a panel of professional artists judged the quality and appeal of each piece of original art. To be fair, there was also a Viewer’s Choice Award, for which guests directed their votes toward their favored pieces. The fluidity of talent seen in the arrangement of artwork must have made these decisions especially challenging. I was unque stionably

fond of an exempl ar y pie ce hanging in Bapst Library of a man sitting in and staring out into nothingness, but the brush strokes do not allow you to make out his expression—you must decide that for yourself. The oil painting, with dark hues of red and brown, allowed me to relax in my own thoughts as I appreciated the hard work he put into creating this striking canvas.

The Art Club of B C co-

ordinated, yet again, another successful showcase of student artwork on campus. This year their organizational skills and style were even more professional than the last, which makes me believe that we can only expect an even more moving show in 2013. n

daniel lee / heights editor

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The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

diversity & the arts

Culture groups sit center stage with a variety of acts

By Joe Allen Heights Staff

While the Bollywood-style take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream might be the most talked-about theater production this weekend, the AHANA Collective Theatre also showed their dramatic talent this past Thursday at Arts Fest with three oneact comedies.

Amidst the noise of students passing through O’Neill Plaza, a small group of diverse theater students explored cultural diversity in a lighthearted but nonetheless genuine way.

The first play performed, titled Dead Bolivians on a Raft, was written by playwright Guillermo Reyes and directed by Thais Menendez, A&S ’14.

In the comedy, a young writer informs his Salvadoran parents that his unhappy play about immigration is being casted. The parents, themselves immigrants with high aspirations, wish to be cast in the main roles to show audiences the true story of the immigrant and to ensure that their son’s play has a happy ending. While this play, at first glance, seemed to be written mostly for laughs, it deals with tough questions about the assimilation of immigrants that don’t necessarily have easy answers.

Next came Trying to Find Chinatown. This was the most well known of the three plays, as it was written

by Tony award-winner David Henry Hwang. While very funny, the play dealt more seriously and directly with race issues then ACT’s other two selections. Kristin Drew, A&S ’12, and Alexandra Lewis, A&S ’14, played an Asian American street violinist, Ronnie, and a seemingly ignorant white girl, Elizabeth, respectively. When Elizabeth stops to talk to Ronnie about Asian culture, Ronnie becomes enraged that a white stranger dared talk to her about her

race as if she could relate. Elizabeth then reveals that she was raised by Asian Americans herself, which causes Ronnie to view race relations in a more level-headed way. Performed captivatingly by Drew and Lewis, Trying to Find Chinatown showed the harm in making assumptions about race through humor and heart.

Last but not least was Classyass, written by playwright Caleen Sinnette Jennings and directed by Hana Hyseni, A&S ’13. Its story followed Ama (Scott Jean, A&S ’14), an African American classical radio host/ college student who finds himself in an uncomfortable situation when a listener, BigB (Tadala Jumbe, A&S ’14), comes into his studio to talk to him. BigB appears homeless, and every attempt she makes at conversation is quickly shot down by Ama, who just wants the woman out of his studio. At play’s end, Ama discovers that BigB is actually the daughter of his school’s dean, who left school to work at a homeless shelter due to judgmental peers like Ama. While most of the play squeezes laughs out of an awkward situation, its hidden message becomes clear at its end: don’t judge a book by its cover.

Even though all plays were funny, thought-provoking, and well-performed, Classyass stuck with me the most. While both main actors in it were black theater students, little in the dialogue implies that either Ama or BigB need to be African American for the play to be performed. On surface-level, the play does seem to be about race, but its big message is universal. Don’t judge someone by their appearance. The message seems so simple, but it is still worth saying today. AHANA, through all of its arts events, drives this message home effortlessly. Of course, it also celebrates each cultural group indi-

vidually, but at the end of the day, it manages to unite the entire student body, regardless of race.

Take this year’s ALC Showdown, for instance. Put on by the AHANA Leadership Council, Showdown draws bigger crowds than any other student-organized events, possibly excluding the Fall and Spring Concerts. Many of the dance groups involved in this event are part of cultural clubs at BC. PATU (Presenting Africa To You) featured African American students dancing in a tribal fashion before shifting to the modern with Rihanna. The Hawaii Club also melded their heritage with American music by dancing to traditional Hawaiian music, a Beach Boys tune, and even LMFAO. MASTI, a branch of the South Asian Student Association, brought a unique Indian style of dance to Conte Forum. Irish Step Dance Club brought the intensity and fun of Irish dance to Showdown for the first time. Other cultural groups performed at ALC Showdown as well, and many of them also featured at dance showcases over the weekend at Arts Fest.

What Showdown and the events of Arts Fest both do is bring many of Boston College’s cultural groups together in a way that highlights each group’s unique talent and culture while showing BC to be a wonderful melting pot, both racially and artistically. Through theater, dance, film, food, and all its other features, Arts Fest shows that BC students aren’t that different from one another. When groups of culturally diverse students can unite to create something as successful as this past weekend’s festival, it makes a student proud to go to BC. n

alex gaynor / for the heights

students & the arts Student body displays talent

By Nathan Rossi For The Heights

natalie blardony / for the heights

The amount of musical talent on campus often goes unrecognized. For the most part, only the a cappella singing groups have a large presence on campus.

Students often forget about the singer-songwriters and bands on campus, because we are not a university known for our music department. Still, there is a lot of talent on campus, and students had a chance to watch a number of singers and bands at BC’s Best, the annual singer-songwriter competition and band showcase at Arts Fest.

The first hour of the show featured four very talented singers.

Robbie Vogel was the first to perform, singing a song about one of his best friends from home. Anna Paskausky also performed, playing two songs. The first song, “Ph. D.,” was a very quirky and entertaining tune about the struggles she has gone through while going for her Ph.D. in physics.

Another singer, Kelly McCarthy, A&S ’12, interacted with the crowd the most, even explaining that the noticeable bruise on her arm was a “hickey from a horse.”

Her second song, “What Dreams

are Made Of,” dealt with her future hopes in love. When asked about the songwriting process, McCarthy remarks that “some of my best songs have been written in the span of an hour. Usually, those songs are very based in reality and the ideas just flow naturally. I’m inspired by my relationships, experiences, and hopes.”

In terms of connecting with other singer-songwriters on campus, McCarthy notes that, “The open mic nights in the Chocolate Bar are great for meeting other musicians and getting to try out material.” There are open mic nights every Thursday night at the Chocolate Bar, which offer students a chance to check out their musical peers on campus.

Evan James was the eventual winner in the singer-songwriter competition. Singing, “Even blood has to dry,” his various vocal tones and provocative lyrics garnered more than a few passionate reactions from the females in the audience. James’ victory comes with the opportunity to be the opening act at this year’s Modstock.

The highlight of the night was a four-song set from The Novel Ideas. The band, who actually has quite a bit of music on iTunes,

had a distinct and pleasant indie folk sound—a cross between Mumford & Sons and The Civil Wars. Made up of Sarah (vocals), David (guitar/pedal steel/vocals), Daniel (guitar/vocals), James (bass/vocals), and Will (drums), the band seemed to sync really well together—which helped the band look comfortable on stage.

Although shy at the beginning of their set, The Novel Ideas interacted with the crowd more and more as their performance went on. David, in particular, kept things entertaining by spewing multiple marine biology facts.

Most importantly, the music was truly beautiful. Daniel’s vocals on “Heart of Stone” were particularly striking. His harmonies with Sarah and David were also lovely.

Daniel and James are both members of the Class of 2012.

When speaking to Daniel about the state of the music scene at BC, he spoke to how much it has grown in the years that he has been here, saying specifically, “The Music Guild is doing some really neat things. It is limited in some ways, but regardless of what is available on campus, there will always be people making really neat music.” One of the ways that student musicians have been able

to reach out to the BC community has been through Chorduroy: The Boston College Music Compilation. The compilation is currently streaming on Spotify. It features songs from 18 different BC musicians and is definitely worth checking out.

While onstage, The Novel Ideas also took the time to plug their new album, Home, which is available on the band’s website.

The album features all of the songs the band performed at Arts Fest, including “The Blue Between” and “Heart of Stone.”

When asked about the songwriting and recording process, Daniel replied that he wrote a lot of music while abroad and that the band “decided to go up to [a barn in New Hampshire] with a bunch of gear and just see what would happen. We ended up going back weekend after weekend to add more and more, so what started out as a small scale folk project ended up becoming a complete album.”

Overall, BC’s Best was a great way to discover new artists and bands that are on campus. Each and every performer was talented and passionate about their performances, which contributed to the success of the event. n

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

bop! & the arts

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Music and dance unite in harmony

By Dan Siering

Asst. Arts & Review Editor

alex gaynor / for the heights

Capping off the three-day Arts Fest, BC bOp! came together with a variety of campus dance acts on Saturday night to put on a night performance titled Dancing with bOp! Performing to an over-capacity crowd, bO p! kept the intensity high with a combination of classic nights and original material.

Directed by Sebastian Bonaiuto, Boston College’s most infamous jazz band ensemble slapped on their suits and dresses for the formal soiree in the O’Neill Plaza tent. The night began with a piece of original music in which variety members of the band took solos to introduce themselves to the lively crowd. The company was then joined by the BC Dance Ensemble and performed Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper’s famous bubbly ’60s hit “Knock On Wood.” A duet of bOp! singers crooned out great vocals while seven Ensemble members pranced in unison in teal, pink, and purple leotards.

The bOp! singers then displayed their talents, as the eight-piece chorus sang Glenn Miller’s wartime hit “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me).” With a wide set of vocal ranges and some impressive solos, the bOp! chorus cemented themselves as an impressive annex of the jazz ensemble.

The tempo was then slowed when the Dance Organization of BC graced the stage to perform to a bOp! rendition of The Beatles’ classic “Yesterday.” The group executed an enchanting number that

included graceful pirouettes and an artful passing of a red balloon throughout the stage.

Things then kicked back up when a second section of the Dance Organization accompanied BC bOp! for an ecstatic collaboration on Ricki-Lee Coulter’s 2007 dance hit “Can’t Touch It.” The screaming horn section blended well with the shimmering attire chosen by the dancers, as the dance troupe skillfully kept in step with the frenzied bOp! beat.

After an original piece that included a magnificent drum and sax solo, BC’s favorite Latin dance group Fuego del Corazon brought their paired dancing talents to the stage for a performance to the fiery electro hit “Mr. Saxobeat” and the intimate slow jam “Promise.” The troupe impressed the crowd with their steamy dance progressions and trademark Latin flavor.

The next group to grace the stage was BC’s storied Irish Dance club, which showed off their impressive step dancing abilities with the backing of an upbeat number that kept the O’Neill Plaza patrons buzzing with approval. The bOp! singers then graced the stage for a stunning rendering of Edith Piaf ’s French love ballad “Autumn Leaves.”

Two couples, feeling a need to express their love for the ’40s song, hopped on stage to improvise a dance number. The African dance club BA2U then graced the stage to high step and dance along to a percussion heavy tropical melody.

After a brief intermission, a third section of the Dance Organization was brought onstage to perform to The Heavy’s modern jazz hit “How You Like Me Now.” With formal black dancewear and an artful collection of dance moves, it proved to be one of the most memorable recitals of the night. After a classic rendition of Brian Setzer’s swing ditty “Jump Jive An’ Wail,” the campus’ classiest dance group, Swings Kids, hopped on the dance floor and showed off their elegant

moves to “Bring Me Sunshine.” The four pairs of dancers were spot-on during their routines, which the crowd appreciated in the form of roaring applause.

Culture group MASTI followed with a rousing ethnic number. Equipped with purple vest and silver sequined pants, the group brought some Southeast Asian flavor to the show while bOp! jumped out of their jazz comfort zone to explore a different range of sounds. The bOp! singers got to once again show off their talents with a classic bOp! delivery of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s soulful hit “September.”

The last group to show off their talents during the night was hip-hop troupe Phaymus. bOp! turned notions of the standard jazz group on its head when they performed a melody of modern rap hits, including

With a wide set of vocal ranges and some impressive solos, the bOp! chorus cemented themselves as an impressive annex of the jazz ensemble.

Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “Ni**as in Paris,” Ke$ha’s electro-infused “Blow,” and Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation.”

After the rousing hip-hop display, all of the dance groups were reintroduced on stage to take a bow and the performers graciously saluted BC bOp!, showing their gratitude for the ensemble’s ability to seamlessly mesh with every type of genre. bOp! then busted out their final number of the night, in which dancers and audience members alike packed the stage to groove during the late hours of the night. With a performance that artfully combined several artistic mediums, it’s not easy to think up a better close to a successful Arts Fest than Dancing with bOp! n

Dance & the arts BOP

BC moves its feet

By Margaret Fahey For The Heights

This Friday the Arts Festival featured various on-campus dance groups in a series of brief, captivating teasers called “Critics Choice.”

The length of time allotted to each group and the intimate tent setting created the perfect aura to absorb the audience in these critically chosen groups. The first to perform were the ALC champions of this past March and crowd favorite, the all male step team Sexual Chocolate. True to their title, this dance group used sound and their impressive choreography to catch the attention of the audience from the start. The intense, rhythmic sound of their heavy Timberlands against the wood floor created a pulsating, repetitive, yet melodious beat. The handful of team members entered to a rap song, but created their own beats during the routine.

Before the audience had time to blink, Synergy ran on stage sporting uniform yellow t-shirts and jeans. I personally enjoyed the lack of props and costumes typical in the ALC Showdown. The simplicity of the performance allowed the audience to get a close up feel for the group’s raw talent. Synergy danced to some classic throwbacks like “Stand Up” and “Say My Name.” The girl’s solo was particularly memorable, and one male dancer in a blue cap had moves that really stole the show. Synergy’s dance style was creative and exciting enough to keep the crowd enthralled.

Flaunting camouflage shirts and black shorts, the Boston College Irish Dance group danced to “Pon de Floor.” The ensemble contained the traditional Irish dance moves, yet more military reminiscent lineups and saluting. Like Sexual Chocolate, the sound of the group’s stomping feet vibrated the entire tent, allowing the audience to feel a part of the experience. Next up

the BC Dance Ensemble lifted the mood of the audience with their choice of Beatles’ classics.

“Help!” and “Come Together,” along with “Here Comes the Sun.” These elevating tunes were great picks and the group was creative at varying their different dance styles. They performed a mix of ballet and contemporary dance. As the tempos changed, the group did an easy job of transitioning back and forth between different styles and choreographies. Of course the crowd was extremely enthusiastic when Fuego was presented on stage, showcasing eye-catching costumes. The backless black dresses worn by the women were obviously reminiscent of the group’s saucy vibe, but I thoroughly enjoyed the turquoise button-downs with suspenders worn by the men. The group mixed it up by splitting into pairs and dancing separately, impressing the crowd with their usual aerobic feats. Something new and exciting not seen at previous performances was a circle formation at the end, displaying the male dancers’ abilities to flip the women over their heads.

The last group to perform was The Dance Organization of BC, dancing to a cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.” This group was possibly new to the crowd because this was the one of the only groups that did not perform at ALC Showdown. Their style was contemporary, depicting a story that correlated with the different dance ensembles. The group contained all female dancers and one male, the story depicting jealousy between the male dancer and one female dancer.

All the groups danced fluidly enough to make their coveted talent look effortless. If anyone messed up I definitely didn’t notice, which is all the more impressive in such a small and up-close setting. The “Critics Choice” dance show was a perfect respite from my Friday afternoon to get me excited to dance during weekend festivities. n

alex gaynor / for the heights

The Heights

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Monday, April 30, 2012

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM By ariana igneri | heights sta f f

O

ne of Shakespeare’s most renowned and beloved romantic comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has been performed time and time again, generally utilizing the same old settings, scenes, and costumes.

Never has it been performed, however, to include glittering saris, lively dance numbers, and Indian drum beats. In this unexpected yet brilliant blend of concepts, Shakespeare meets Bollywood. The Boston College Theater Department cleverly traded Athens for Bombay and set this unique, colorful production against the backdrop of a dreamlike India under British Victorian rule in 1858.

Midsummer features three closely intertwined plots that all eventually come together in the end through a grand wedding. The play begins by describing the complicated romantic relationships of four lovers. When Hermia (Shannon DeBari, LSOE ’13) refuses to marry Demetrius (Tim Kopacz, A&S ’13), her father, Lord Eugeus (Steven Kreager, A&S ’12), appeals to Theseus (Joe Meade, A&S ’15) for his support. Rather than Demetrius, Hermia is in love with Lysander (Evan Murphy, A&S ’12), and despite the consequences, the two decide to run off together and marry outside of the city. Things are further complicated by the presence of Helena (Sarah Winglass, A&S ’14)—although she is enamored with Demetrius, he does not love her in return. Eventually, these two follow Hermia and Lysander into the woods as well.

Also in these enchanted woods is a group of magical fairies, led by Oberon (Nate Richman, CSOM ’13) and Titania (Emily Banks, A&S ‘12). They argue over the ownership of a young boy, and in an attempt to gain revenge, Oberon sends his servant Puck (Zack Desmond, A&S ’12) to obtain a magical flower that will make Titania fall in love with the first living thing that she sees when she awakes. Oberon happens to see indifferent Demetrius and desperate, lovestruck Helena in the forest, and feeling compassionate, he instructs Puck to use the flower on Demetrius too. In the events that ensue, the silly, clumsy Puck mistakenly uses the magic on the wrong people, and the rest of the play explains the comedic antics that result from his small, yet significant, error.

The third plot in Midsummer concerns a troupe of amusing, makeshift actors who are rehearsing a play in hopes of performing it for Theuseus’ wedding. Bottom (Cam Cronin, A&S ’12) is one of these actors—dramatic and hysterically flamboyant, Bottom is transformed into an ass by Puck, and when Titania, the fairy queen, awakes, she magically falls in love with him. Because of Puck, everyone seems to be foolishly enchanted by the incorrect person, and it isn’t until a few laughable catfights and swordfights later that everything is amended.

Because Midsummer’s plot is incredibly intricate and interlaced, opportunities for subtle comedic scenes abound.

In BC’s production, the cast clearly took advantage of such occasions in the storyline, and each actor demonstrated

his own unique talents in bringing something special to his character. Winglass, for example, played Helena, with her ridiculous, quirky, and eccentric behaviors, with immense perfection. Her actions and expressions were free and natural, adding to her character’s authenticity. Similarly, Cronin exhibited the exuberant dramatics of Bottom like the dynamic diva his character really was. After all, it takes true talent to “fake die” as passionately and theatrically as he did.

Also worth noting was the show’s vivid set and lights.

The entire performance took place before a single backdrop—a brightly illuminated cutout that looked something like Aladdin’s dome shaped palace in Agrabah. The lights casted elegant, royal patterns and designs on the set throughout the show and illuminated the stage with vibrant colors that were reminiscent of the rich culture and life of India.

Like the lights, the costumes were dazzling, adding to the overall ethnic theme of the production. Glitter, sparkles, and shining gems adorned the various colored saris and traditional outfits of the characters. The female fairies shimmered with their lovely wings, and the male characters, with nothing but baggy pants and inked tattoos, commanded all visual attention. Puck’s character, painted completely in dark blue, added another dimension of color to Midsummer.

This Shakespeare adaption could not have rightly deemed itself Bollywood if it did not include at least several impromptu dance routines, and fortunately, it actually did feature an exceptional blend of classical and contemporary Indian choreography. Moreover, for curtain call, all of the actors came on stage for an enormous number that even got the audience to clap along.

U l t i m a t e l y, Shakespeare and Bollywood worked quite well together. Though distinctly different, the two facets of the production complemented each other to create a mesmerizing, charming atmosphere for Midsummer.

Through this atmosphere, director Luke Jorgensen says that we can learn that “true romantic impulses come from nature. There are plenty of creatures out there more powerful than us, and anything worth having is worth fighting for.” n

PHOTOS BY Daniel Lee / Heights Editor

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features The Heights

Monday, February 7, 2011

Monday, April 30, 2012

OLs strive to inspire

By Brigid Wright For The Heights

uff r d o o W n y

By Cathtsr editor heigh

Nestled between Lansdowne Street and Yawkey Way, the field is a quaint arena of pristine green.

John Updike equated Fenway with “the inside of an old-fashioned peeping-type Easter egg.” Built in 1912 and rebuilt in 1934, Fenway is undeniably the most “homey” baseball park, even if you’re not from Boston. Irregular and imprecise, its right field is one of the deepest in the American League, while its left field is the shortest.

Fenway was built over a landfill after the club’s previous home, the Huntington Avenue Grounds, burned down. The cultural staple that is the “Green Monster” wasn’t even painted green until 1947.

After Babe Ruth, budding with promise, was traded to the Yankees, the Sox’s success was dented. New Englanders thus began to embrace the underdog mentality during their Championship drought. However, in 1999, plans were announced for a new “Fenway.” But when the Red Sox finally “broke” the curse by 2001, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the ’04 World Series, it was decided that there would no longer be a “new” Fenway.

In 1988, the Red Sox hired manager and Boston College alum Joe Morgan. After this hire, the Red Sox saw 12 straight wins, and an advance into the playoffs, giving this period the name “Morgan Magic.”

Since its uneven beginning, Fenway has seen many renovations. It still does, and hopefully always will, remain a modest park—as true to its original design as possible.

April 20, 2012, marked the 100th anniversary of the first Major League game held at Fenway Park. On April 20, 1912, Fenway’s grand opening was sprinkled with hope when the Sox beat the Yankees, then known as the New York Highlanders.

In this April 20, 2012, game, however, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 6-2.

All living Red Sox uniformed personnel were invited to participate on Friday, and

See Yawkey, D6

Woogeon Kim/Heights Illustration

BC sophomores hit a perfect note with ‘The B-Line’

By Bridget Norris Heights Staff Though college campuses across the country have little in common, they share a love for discovering the best and newest music. With a rise in the number of music blogs that target college students and expose them to the latest artists, musical groups can gain popularity at a viral speed. This does not come as a surprise.

The best part? Many of these groups originate at colleges, even local ones. For The Dean’s List, it was Berklee College of Music, and for Timeflies, it was Tufts University. But never fear, Boston College. Before we get too jealous of these fame-producing colleges, enter The B-Line. This up-and-coming musical group is finally putting BC on the musical map with their wide variety of bass-pulsing mash-ups, catchy covers, and electric originals.

The B-Line was established last spring by Nico Capetola, A&S ’14, and Greg Hayes, A&S ’14. The two grew up together in Manhasset, N.Y., but it took coming to BC to realize their passion. Each has his own background in music, though most of their abilities are selftaught. Hayes played the piano from age seven until middle school, and from then taught himself. He has been writing his own music since the young age of 12. Capetola played the baritone in his high school band. He has since taught himself to play acoustic guitar and, though after hearing him sing it may come as a surprise, he has no professional vocal training.

He also writes his own music.

It all started with the Apple-compatible application Logic Express, which Hayes described as “a souped-up version of Garage Band.” This audio playground allows him to experiment with original beats, pre-made mp3 tracks, and recordings of Capetola singing.

Excited about their first track, “Summer Days,” the two quickly adopted the name The B-Line, a play on the name of the MBTA Green Line’s subway route to BC, and uploaded the track to share with friends and family.

In one short year, The B-Line has come a long way, technically and musically. Their new equipment includes microphones, instruments, and a digital audio interface that allows a direct connection among all the technologies, which is especially helpful during song production. As one would imagine, the better the technology, the higher-quality the music.

Producing one song is a process in itself.

Usually, Hayes dabbles on Logic Express and his keyboard until he creates a decent beat. He then shows the beat to Capetola, who freestyle raps along with the track. “The hardest part is finding the time to work on new tracks,” explained Hayes. “Our schedules are really different, so some days I’ll develop the beat for a few hours then go to class, and while I’m out, Nico works on the rap.” This process can take anywhere from five to eight hours, which is quite the time chunk for these BC students.

The original pieces produced by the pair fall nothing short of amazing. Their newest single, “Night Goes On,” features a chill yet electric beat, similar to something you might hear from

i nside FE ATURES this issue

The Cataracs. The original lyrics guide listeners through a night of partying and dancing comparable to what one might experience when going out at BC. Recently, the pair produced a cover, “Semi-Charmed Ride,” in honor of our hit spring concert, marrying Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me” and Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” in a blissful harmony. Alongside this glorious cover, the group created their firstever music video, cutting from clips of Hayes on the keyboard and Capetola rapping into the mic while flashing to clips of friends and performers at BC’s spring concert.

These mash-up tracks sound nothing like an amateur production, but rather like something spun by the DJ at Cityside on Saturday night. “Without Your Fireflies” mixes Alesso’s “Pressure” with Coldplay’s “Fix You,” tossed with Owl City’s “Fireflies,” sprinkled with Lil Wayne’s rap verse in “Down,” and topped with David Guetta’s “Without You.” What at first seems like a bizarre list of unrelated songs fits together like puzzle pieces on this gift of a track. The B-Line has a knack for knowing what works and what doesn’t.

The pair’s original productions recently caught some high-profile attention. It all started with the group’s manager, Rocco Lavia, who, according to Capetola, “knows a lot more about the music industry than we do.” Lavia sent a B-Line cover of Nelly’s “Just a Dream” to the manager of Timeflies. The group heard back from Timeflies almost immediately, praising them for their song and inviting them to send more tracks. Plus, Timeflies told Lavia

Senior Farewell

that if they continue to be impressed—and how could they not?—they could collaborate on a track. “This has been the coolest part so far,” explained Capetola. “Timeflies is our biggest inspiration, so to hear such positive feedback from them was awesome.”

This potential collaboration is only a tiny slice of what’s coming up for The B-Line. They plan to drop their next single “Paradise” in the coming week, featuring Coldplay’s beat alongside an original rap. “We’re really excited about this one—it came out way better than we expected,” explained the smiling duo. Spoiler alert: “Paradise” may even include a Spring Break-themed video. The duo also plans to work with Hayes’ brother, a guitar expert, on an acoustic version of Avicii’s “Levels” merged with an original B-Line rap.

This summer, in addition to releasing more singles and increasing their print publicity, the group hopes to headline its own small performance to further legitimize their place in the industry. “Even if it was just performing at a giant house party, a show would really put us on the map” explained Hayes.

With almost 1,000 downloads on SoundCloud, over 400 likes on Facebook, and a growing fan base, this duo is armed with the tools for success. One day, they hope to, “just be on people’s iTunes” Hayes said. “And it would be sick to hear ourselves on the radio,” added Capetola. Be sure to check them out at www. facebook.com/theblinemusic or follow them on Twitter @TheBLineMusic for updates and downloads. n

CSOM student, Allison Russell reflects on her four years at BC, and leaves students with some parting advice.............................................................................................................D3

One of the most defining experiences for a Boston College student begins even before move-in day. For most students, summer orientation lets them know exactly what they are getting themselves into at BC. The three-day orientation is not just filled with lectures on the importance of core education and “Men and Women for Others,” but also enthusiastic students in personalized polo shirts hyping up the BC experience, fondly referred to as OLs. Out of a huge applicant pool and an extensive application process, 43 students were selected to participate as leaders in the 2012 orientation for the students entering class of 2016.

These students were chosen for their ability to guide new students into their own place at BC. Tessa Trainor, A&S ’12, an orientation leader in 2010 and 2011, explained the role of an OL as she saw it during this past summer.

“As Orientation Leaders, we work together to welcome the incoming freshmen by taking our passion for this University and using it to excite the new students with that passion,” Trainor said. “During my two summers as an OL, I got to open my arms and talk to them about my experiences so I could be a mentor and friend through this transition.”

Because of the crucial role that these leaders play for incoming students, the application process is incredibly extensive and, evidently, intimidating. From initial group interviews to a final round of individual questioning, beginning in early February, students are put through a grueling process of elimination.

The interviewers cover a wide range of questions pertaining to all aspects of a student’s life at BC. Haley Farrell, A&S ’14, witnessed this firsthand during her own interview process. “They asked me about my academic journey, and what I anticipate challenges and growth to be if I did get it,” Farrell mentioned. “I had just been on a Halftime retreat, so they asked me my biggest take away from that as well.”

“The application process was definitely one of the most challenging and competitive ones I’ve ever been a part of,” said Taylor Stockton, future OL and CSOM ’14. “The most challenging aspect, in my opinion, was the sheer amount of qualified individuals in the applicant pool. I know people who all have the credentials and characteristics to be awesome orientation leaders, but weren’t selected.”

Johanna Golden, A&S ’14, also spoke about the difficulties of the group interview: “Asserting your presence as one of 10 highly qualified people is no easy task, and definitely tests your confidence and outgoingness.”

Golden has wanted to be an orientation leader since her freshman year, and said, “I was not sure if I was outgoing or confident enough [to be an orientation leader], but as I grew into my own at BC, I began to gain more confidence and decided to apply it this year. I love BC and want to share that with others.”

Chris Truglio, orientation leader and CSOM ’14, like many others, was heavily influenced to apply based on his own orientation. “When I came to my orientation, I saw how big of an impact the orientations leaders had on the incoming freshmen, and they set the tone in getting all of them excited about coming to BC. I wanted to be a part of the first experiences that incoming freshmen have in shaping their impression of BC.” Will Relle, CSOM ’15, spoke about his orientation this past summer, and the effect it had on his first year. “Looking back, my experience at orientation was definitely a positive one because of both my OL and the organization of the weekend,” Relle said in an e-mail. “My OL was awesome in her role because she didn’t try and ‘sell’ the greatness of BC to us. Rather, she engaged us all by talking truthfully about her experience thus far at BC and making it a place for rising freshmen to be excited about.”

This summer’s orientation leaders plan to keep the same tradition. All hope to be a mentor not just for the three-day weekend, but for the entirety of their students’ first year.

Truglio mentioned that his goal is to share the enthusiasm of the BC community with his group members. “Boston College is a special place, and I hope that in the three days I spend with them that I can share the same spirit and excitement that I have for BC.” Stockton also mentioned that he wants to make all the opportunities at BC evident. “I’d really like to encourage all the freshmen to take advantage of all the incredible opportunities at BC … I want to be a person that they can look up to not only during the summer, but throughout their freshman year as well.”

Golden is looking to act as not just a mentor, but also a support system. “I want [incoming students] to know that they have someone here who cares about their well-being and their transition.”

This year’s OLs are invested in the process for more than just free on-campus housing this summer and something impressive for their resume. Rather, the dedication to enhancing the first-year experience is what will make this year’s summer orientation sessions a success. n

Humor Column.................................D2 Eagle Date.................................D6

The Heights

D2

editor’s column

THE HEIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURY: DON NATHAN, FORMER FEATURES EDITOR

Leaving my lasting mark

Taking a look back at ‘The Heights’ with a former Features editor who graduated from Boston College in 1980 with a degree in English and philosophy

By Therese Tully Features Editor

Name: Don Nathan Occupation: Chief Communications Officer, UnitedHealth Group Year of Graduation from BC: 1980 Major(s): English and Philosophy Heights: How and when did you first get involved with The Heights?

Therese Tully

Heights: What initially drew you to the newspaper?

Don: I was struck by how the paper overall didn’t conform to the dominant BC culture. But mostly, I really liked the Features section with its miserable attitude and sick sense of humor.

Heights: What position(s) did you hold while on the Heights board?

Don: Features editor. I was Pope for a while too, which not many people know.

Heights: How many years did you spend as a member of the board?

Don: You said this was an interview, not a history quiz. I think about two and half years. Might have been closer to 11.

Heights: What would you consider your greatest accomplishment while on the newspaper?

Don: Other than not getting fired? Stirring things up on campus, making it a bit livelier, and entertaining people. We were Features, after all.

Heights: What did you find most difficult about being a part of The Heights?

Don: “Look, I agree you’re the most talented writer since Joyce put down his pen, but it’s Thursday and I really

Heights: As Features editor, what direction did you hope to take your section in?

Don: We tried to steer the section away from ending sentences in prepositions. We also wanted to be creative and interesting in ways specific to BC —not just running reviews of arts and entertainment that students could get anywhere. Plus, we wanted it to be sharp and funny.

Heights: What was the best piece, if you had to choose, that you ran in the Features section?

Don: No question—a mock interview with myself as if held in 2012. Okay, without going too “old fogey” on you, a couple of things come to (enfeebled) mind. One was an eight or 12-page satire of The Heights (“The Depths” – subtlety wasn’t our strength) on which everyone worked. It caustically lampooned everything in the paper, and showed we could take it as well as dish it out, which helped our image on campus. Another pretty good one was an allegorical piece I collaborated on with our twisted and talented cartoonist, John Long, related to the question of whether The Heights could run ads from clinics whose services included abortion.

Heights: What were some staples of the section at that time? (Regular columns or sections that were included?)

Don: We did most of the basics—music, film, theater reviews—but not too extensive. We ran satire and humor, much of it BC-oriented, often around a weekly theme introduced by one of John Long’s cartoons. We introduced a comics section by brilliant guys like Jeff Dornenburg and Jim Millerick , which worked really well, and tried a serialized detective story. We also tried a tongue-in-cheek gossip column (“Chestnut Chatter” as I recall—and as I cringe) that many students quickly started treating seriously, so we dropped

it. Then there was the annual “Ten Best Deaths” feature, but we’ll skip right past that.

Heights: How did your Heights experience influence, if at all, your time post-grad?

Don: It enabled me to become the prima ballerina I am today. Beyond that, the biggest impact was that I made friends on the paper who are still my closest friends today. Coming out of college I looked for jobs on small daily papers and in politics, got a newspaper offer, but wound up on Capitol Hill. But many people in the kind of job I have now started out in journalism, so I might have ended up in the same place had I taken the reporting job.

Heights: What do you think the biggest difference is between the paper you put out and the one that is being made today?

Don: My incredibly incisive and terribly original view: look at the differences in the eras and you’ll see the differences in the papers of those eras. I read today’s paper and sometimes wonder if the editors and staff ever colored outside the lines in their coloring books—c’mon guys, it’s college, time to try new things, make mistakes and push the proverbial envelope. But then I remind myself that it is a different time, with its own pressures and incentives.

Heights: What was the biggest controversy or scandal going on at the University or the paper at the time that you were on the editorial board?

Don: I started BC just after some significant battles and litigation between The Heights and administration, which set the bar high for what constituted controversy. But we had thousands of people out to protest a tuition hike (“For Boston, for Boston, we’re paying through the nose .…”). There was a difficult struggle, led by the Heights news team, to open up BC Police records.

And arguably one of the biggest issues faced by the paper was the administration telling us to drop ads by clinics that offered abortion services or we would have to physically move off campus and not be allowed to distribute the paper on campus. We dropped the ads (*sigh*). But what riled people the most during my time? Easy call—the football team going 0-11 one year.

Heights: What was the most exciting thing about being on the newspaper?

/ Burdge

Don: Sorry, but she would prefer that I not disclose her name.

ration S Illust

HEIGHT

Therese Tully is the Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Don: The paper and other student groups had open houses early second semester my freshman year (January 1977). My parole officer encouraged me to go. I had a couple of satire ideas, so I visited The Heights and listened to a 10minute pitch, which he later admitted was total b.s., from the then-Features editor, the great Bob McGrath.

need those 500 words, okay? We’re short this week—when do you think you’ll have the piece? What do you mean next week? The Soviets could be marching up Comm. Ave. next week for all I know, I need it now.”

Maggie

I wanted to write a column about how wonderful my first semester as Features editor was, and to thank everyone who helped in any way, or who reads the content we put out week after week. Hell, I did write that column, but I threw it in the tiny trashcan on my desktop, because it was stupid. Who cares? No one wants to read that. You want the drama, the passion, the gossip, and the latest about what is going on at Boston College right now. Features is the voice of the collective student body, not just mine.

Features serves as a sort of mouth-piece for students. We let our writers (and we are always looking for new ones—shameless plug, I know), write about pretty much whatever they like, as long as it’s not too profane, but sometimes even when it is. Because maybe that’s what you care about. Maybe you, my invisible reader, if you are out there, want to read cool Features stories about students, clubs, activities, professors, and prevalent issues.

And maybe you don’t care about my section. But I sure do. I love it, in fact. I think Features has grown immensely this year. I would love to hear your feedback at any point about what you, the students, want to see change. We have brought back the wildly popular Eagle Dates, have taken a glimpse into The Heights’ past, produced some killer content, and have made huge strides toward stability. Hopefully our readers know what to expect from us after this first semester.

But now comes the time for change. We don’t want you to get too comfortable. Now that we are stable—sometimes, at least—it is time to shake it up a bit. To be honest, I think I was a bit afraid of failing, and for that reason, I was afraid to take any big risks with the section. This fear to fail, and the need to not rock the boat too much, colored some of the choices I made this semester.

But I have grown immensely since that first production night back in December when I was in charge of my own section, when I sat down at the computer at the Features desk in McElroy 113 and felt so completely lost and terrified. Today I stroll in with a bit more confidence, but have yet to tailor my section to completely reflect this.

Now is the time to get inspired. In our “Heights Through the Century” section today, a former Heights editor, Don Nathan, talks about his own experience on The Heights. I found the interview hysterical, but amid the humor, I found a lot of solid advice.

One thing that really stuck with me was when he was talking about our generation’s fear of coloring outside the lines. I have been so afraid of doing this, not only in my Features section, but also in my life.

If nothing else, that is what this semester has taught me. And still, maybe you don’t care. But maybe, just maybe, you are a bit afraid also. Maybe you let things hold you back. This summer will be a time for renewal for sure, and hopefully I will be able to look back, with an impressed, rather than a critical, eye, at all that Features has accomplished this year.

I hope to get a little distance from my work, admire it, and find ways to improve it. I hope to get creative, and find ways to make Features even more inspired next fall for the second half of my time as Features editor. This is an experience I will only have once, and I want to leave a lasting impression. I need to leave my own footprint on the section.

I want to leave a little piece of me behind, so that someday someone will look at Features from this moment and time, and see its uniquely Therese Tully-like appearance. Even if they never do, if the archive room catches fire spontaneously, and the Internet crashes, and all is lost, at least I will know what I have done.

I will be able to take pride in it, and see the tangible strides that I have made as a newspaper editor.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Heights: Do you ever get sentimental for the time you spent working on The Heights?

Don: I can certainly get sentimental for the airbrushed-by-time version of my time at The Heights, in much the same way that other people get nostalgic over the things they did in courtesy of Don Nathan Don Nathan, BC ’80, served as the Features editor during his undergraduate years on The Heights. their college days. n

humor

Excerpts from the Deal Breaker list: by women for women Taylor Cavallo Call it the result of a patriarchal society, but I feel as if people always talk about the annoying things girls do or say. We all know girls can be “too clingy,” “too psycho,” or “too much.” We all know girls can do weird things such as, “go to the bathroom together,” and “cry too much,” or “say the word ‘like’ too often.” Moral of the story is, we get it: girls are soooooo annoying. Unfortunately, those things don’t seem to be changing anytime soon, so there needs to be some new material. It’s all been said before.

The things that keep us “psycho, crying, bathroom clan girls” from not completely losing it is laughing together about the incredibly small, but even more incredibly annoying things that the guys around us do or say. Sorry guys, but we do. I am using this extremely narrow column space in the Features section of the Independent Student newspaper of Boston College to finally shed light on this issue. I’m not just talking about the cliche things that guys are known for, the things that make girls shake their heads and say, “ugh, well I guess boys

will be boys!” This isn’t highlighting the expected, overly emphasized bad texting capacities, messy room, or the stereotypical “all guys want is sex, not commitment” outlook. The amalgamation of what makes a person so irritating is sometimes made of such miniscule things that you can’t remember them all, or you think you’re crazy for noticing them. I’m telling you, you’re not.

When people think of deal breakers, they think of what I like to call normal, human deal breakers. An example of this would be “has ever murdered another human being,” or “is a white supremacist/Neo-Nazi.” These go without saying. But what small, specific things about a hypothetical male would just drive you up the wall? As strange as it might sound, this activity is pretty interesting. It’s brought my friends and I innumerable laughs and the occasional random text reading, “Deal breaker: …” from my friend (my partner in crime making this list), is always a certain way to brighten my day. This list is something that has been a part of who I am for some time now (aka, it’s existed since about May of last year).

People say it’s the little things in life

that matter. My fellow women, I give you, an excerpt of the Deal Breaker list.

6. Supported Palin at any time 42. Hates traveling 91. Uses the word “rage” unironically 102. Has ever said the joke “girls don’t poop” and thinks it’s funny 137. Could lift him 152. Really likes the song “Party Rock Anthem” (aka really likes LMFAO) 156. Has a catchphrase 158. Has ever made grand, false claims about fine art 163. Doesn’t know how to speak to adults 173. Has a bed skirt 175. Couldn’t lift you if there was a fire and you were knocked unconscious 177. Is generally confused by sports 192. Uses the word “chillen” 201. Gets grossed out easily 227. Wears a pink polo because he says it “shows he’s comfortable with his sexuality” 233. Would be afraid on a ski lift 245. Can’t blow up balloons 271. Scared of dogs 293. Is really into Middle Earth 307. Uses a hot water bottle

370. Not comfortable behind the wheel of a car 380. Is bad at “That’s What She Said” jokes 415. Is really good at gift wrapping 419. Frequently stereotypes you as “such a girl” 440. Can’t be given laughing gas at the dentist because he’s some sort of addict 458. Says “Git ‘er’ done” 459. Uses the word “meh” 461. Thinks “You know you’re a redneck when ….” is funny 501. Wears camo, unironically Of course, we don’t know anyone who in any way resembles this hypothetical male we have invented, who speaks Elvish, has a terrible sense of humor, and no upper body strength. That’s exactly why it’s so hilarious.

Editor’s note: the magic of the list only works properly when women write about men, not vice versa.

Taylor Cavallo is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

D3

How-TO

Senior Farewells

Use up your meal plan

Allison Russell

By Therese Tully

Heights: What is your favorite food served at BC?

Heights: Why did you choose Boston College in the first place?

Allison: This is a tough one. I am a Hillside girl at heart, and anything with the herb cream cheese is alright with me! I’d have to say that my favorite is a cross between the New England Classic Panini and the Hillside Veggie. But I also love the Mac and Cheese station at Lower with ham, bleu cheese, a little bit of buffalo sauce, mushrooms, and carrots.

It sounds a bit aggressive, but it’s unreal.

Features Editor

Allison: I was accepted into Boston College through the early admissions process, and from that point on, I stopped applying to other schools. My neighbor is a Double Eagle, and since I was little he would always take me to the football games and make sure that I was fitted from head to toe with the latest BC garb.

I think BC provides the perfect balance of an exceptional education and an incredibly rich system of extracurricular activities.

Heights: What is the best decision you made while at BC? Allison: Going on the senior Halftime retreat at the beginning of the year was the best decision I have made. Not only did I start my year off with some much-needed reflection, but I also met an incredible group of people who have become some of my closest friends.

Heights: What is your biggest regret about your time at BC? Allison: My biggest regret is not majoring in Elementary Education in the Lynch School in addition to my theatre major. By the time I realized my dream job would be teaching young children in the art of theatre, I was already more than halfway finished with my CSOM core.

Heights: What is your favorite moment, if you had to pick one, from your time at BC? Allison: This question is nearly impossible. I have had so many incredible times here and have so many people to thank for shaping my BC experience. If I had to choose one moment, I would say Marathon Monday my sophomore year. My friends who were juniors in the theatre department rented an entire house off campus, and they invited the whole department over for a barbeque.

Heights: What is the best class you ever took at BC? Allison: Other than Makeup Design for the Stage (which was an absolute blast and gave me a terrific marketable skill in the theatre world), my favorite class is without a doubt Communication and Personal Branding with professor Phil Fragasso.

Heights: I know that you are an unusual case at BC in that you are both in CSOM and very involved in the theater. How is it that you balance these two aspects of your life?

Allison: Originally I was accepted into CSOM and had no plans of adding a theatre arts major. However, once I was welcomed into the theatre community and looked into the curriculum for the theatre major, I added the major at the end of my freshman year. I thought that I wanted to go into arts administration, which is why I chose CSOM at first, but the more I perform, the more I realize that my calling is to be onstage. I love my CSOM classes and really enjoy the balance between thinking analytically and creatively, and I think that the Management and Leadership concentration was perfect for me because it explores business from a people-person perspective rather than through numbercrunching.

Heights: What is a highlight from your time in the theater program? In CSOM? Allison: I would have to say that a highlight from my theatre experience at BC was getting the lead role of Charity in Sweet Charity my freshman year. When they saw me coming, the crowd parted and I walked up to find my name next to the leading role! I felt like a celebrity in that moment. A highlight of my time in CSOM would be the second day of my senior year when I switched from a Marketing to a Management and Leadership concentration.

Heights: What do you love most about BC? Allison: I love the community of people here and the school pride that we all share. Some of my favorite times at BC have been looking out into the crowd at football games to a sea of Superfan maroon and gold! Our alma mater says that “For here all are one,” and I definitely believe that is true. We all live by the “work hard, play hard” motto, and I am

Michelle Tomassi

Photo courtesy of Allison Russell

Russell, A&S ‘12 (center) says moments with her best friends are her best times at BC. so grateful to be part of an institution where I get an incredible education and still have fun in the process.

CSOM and theater involvement will play a part in it?

Allison: I think auditioning for The Vagina Monologues my freshman year shaped me the most. It helped me to gain confidence in myself as a woman and a performer and also encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone. I feel privileged to have helped raised thousands of dollars for charity through the process as well. I almost dropped dead when I saw some of the familiar faces in the crowd who I never thought in a million years would attend, and to have people in my life who support me in doing what I love is truly priceless.

Allison: I wish I knew what my plans are for after graduation! I am doing a lot of auditioning right now in the Boston area in the hopes of being cast, and this summer I will be directing a musical for high school students.

My immediate plan is to perform and try to “live the dream” in New York for the next few years. In the long term, however, I would love to get my teaching certificate so I can look into teaching theatre to children and fostering their creativity and confidence through the arts. Ideally, someday I will be able to combine the skills I acquired in CSOM and the theatre department to open my own theatre company complete with a young company program as well. And, of course, I want to settle down in Boston and have a family.

Heights: What advice would you give to the underclassmen?

Heights: What will you miss most about BC?

Allison: Go on at least one retreat. Having the opportunity to talk with people on a deeper level and make friends without relying on alcohol to “loosen you up” is unbelievably rewarding. I wish I had signed up for Kairos, and had I gone on Halftime earlier, I would have loved to lead a retreat as well. Although it may sound cliche, I would definitely encourage the underclassmen to truly take advantage of their time here because it flies by. Keep your dorm doors open and make new friends, go to Mary Ann’s on a random Monday night, spend all night sleeping in Maloney Hall to register for Mudstock, do it all. By the time you realize what you have missed, it is too late. Live it up while you’re here!

Allison: I’m sure it is a typical response, but I will definitely miss my friends the most.

Living on campus with hundreds of your closest friends is an unreal experience. I will miss being so close to them and having any and all of them so readily available for homework help, a hug, or a causal party in the Mods (shout out to 27A!). There are so many people on campus who I may not know very personally but with whom I share amazing, impromptu conversations, whether it be in passing going to class or at a bar in Cleveland Circle. It makes me sad to think that these chance encounters with such wonderful people may not happen again after we graduate. However, I know that I have made many friends here that will last a lifetime, and I am so eternally grateful for each and every one of them! n

Heights: What moment in your college career has shaped you the most and why?

Heights: What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you think both your

Eagle Print is a hidden resource in Carney’s basement The duo behind Eagle Print has created a useful resource in a welcoming environment for students

By Alexandra Schaeffer Asst. Features Editor

Not many students are aware of the extensive print center located in the basement of Carney Hall known as Eagle Print. For those that do, however, it is a little haven and respite from the stress of figuring out how and where to print a 30-page thesis.

The two friendly faces behind the desk provide students with the answers and services necessary to quell any printingrelated stress. Richard Crear, the manager, and Tom Mayo, head of production, are a charismatic and helpful duo that keep the center processing requests above and beyond expectations. They process everything from theses, to artwork on canvas, to bulletin boards, to club or department posters. If a student can think up a project, Crear and Mayo are willing to make the vision a reality.

“We try to be a one stop source for anyone’s printing needs. Students will sometimes come to us with a detailed vision and we can knock it out immediately. Other times, they just have a vague idea and we work with them on several different occasions to make it an actual design,” explained Crear. Having grown up in Massachusetts, Crear, who now resides on the North Shore, said he’s been doing this type of work since high school, so he is a well-seasoned veteran at this point. Mayo, a Connecticut native, said he too began dabbling in this field at an early age. The experience of

both of these men is necessary, given that they process, on average, 20 to 40 different printing projects per day.

When she discovered that she and several other students would be in charge of revamping the CSOM Honors Program bulletin board in Fulton Hall, Katie Kiracofe, CSOM ’14, had no idea where to start, so she headed down to the basement of Carney Hall and approached Crear with her problem.

“Katie knew what she wanted to change about the bulletin board, but we helped her design it. We helped her decide how the background would look, like how thick each band of color would be, and then we printed it for her. We then printed all the

pictures and text that they wanted and helped them design how to lay it out,” Crear explained. A large-scale printed picture of the new CSOM Honors Program is now displayed outside the Eagle Print Center, along with other projects these two men have taken on.

“They’re really just so nice and friendly, and they’re always really excited to help,” Kiracofe said. “I had to go there all the time, and am always e-mailing with them. They always have some sort of food down there too, pizza, donuts, and coffee. It’s just a really great environment.”

Crear and Mayo have had the opportunity to work on some interesting concepts.

Although Eagle Print is contracted to Boston College, it does not prevent them from taking jobs from outside sources. Therefore, they have had the opportunity to print works of art on canvases, and the two cite

alexandra schaeffer/Heights Editor

Mayo and Crear help Jeff Colonnesse, CSOM ’13, print out his thesis on short term notice.

their most interesting project as the book The Misfit Sock, written by Karen Kiefer of Church in the 21st Century.

“It’s a Christmas storybook that we had the pleasure of doing some work on.

She approached us and we read the story, and we’ve known Karen since day one. She was one of our first clients, so we jumped at the chance to be able to do this,” Mayo said. While external jobs do come in, since Eagle Print is situated on BC’s campus the majority of jobs come from BC personnel, with Monday and Friday being the highest volume days. Sometimes it takes just an hour to get a job done, other times it is a multiple-visit ordeal. Yet after being here for four years, Crear and Mayo note that they like the consistent contact with students their positions provide.

“My favorite thing about working here is I enjoy working with the students,” Mayo mused. “They keep me young. We’re never really doing the same thing every day. You never know what’s going to pop up.”

“I really enjoy everything about this place. I just really enjoy my job. It’s a fun place to work, and we try to make it as comfortable as possible for people to work with us,” Crear added.

Rushing by Carney to get to and from classes every day, many students never even realize what a resource lies in its basement, and how willing these two men are to help with students’ needs. For those who do take advantage of this and do have the pleasure of getting to know Crear and Mayo, they have two pieces of advice for the BC student who comes to them: “PDF works best, and don’t use Microsoft Word for any graphicrelated job.” n

I handed my BC ID over to the cashier, and the expression of shock and amusement on her face was priceless. “Oh my God,” she exclaimed, “that’s a lot of money!” My friends frequently reminded me that I would never finish up my meal plan at the rate I was going, but hearing the concern from one of the women who works at Mac prompted me to come to a daunting realization: I had about $1,200 left on my meal plan and less than three weeks to spend it.

How did I allow this to happen? Why does it seem that all the students around me have a normal amount of money left on their meal plan, while I am struggling to break $1000? Granted, I did have about $700 carry over from last semester, but I still don’t understand why—I ate three meals a day, just like everyone else!

Realizing that I had to take major action, I decided I needed to write down a plan, and I would like to share this plan with anyone who is in the same situation.

So here it is: How to use up your meal plan money.

First of all, get used to drinking copious amounts of Smartwater and Odwalla. They are your new best friends. With a price of over $4 a bottle, I buy at least one of the two every day—it’s a small step, but can make a difference in the end. Plus, I always get a mood boost when I see those adorable little sea creatures on the inside of the Smartwater bottles reminding me to recycle—my personal favorite is “don’t be shellfish!”

Second, befriend those who have dangerously low amounts of money on their meal plan (I don’t think it would take that much convincing). Offer to buy someone lunch or a snack, and whenever you’re leaving a group of people to get food from the dining hall, ask if anyone wants anything. Someone is bound to accept your offer, especially those who are too lazy to walk to Mac to grab mozzarella sticks from Late Nite.

Third, make it a point to buy more snacks. The boxes of granola bars and Pop-Tarts, for example, are pricey enough to use up some money and can be saved to share with your family when you return home. Another idea would be to have a movie night one weekend, and offer to buy chips and soda for the whole group. One day I bought a 10-pack of chocolate chip cookies from Corcoran Commons and just offered them up to any friend in passing—who doesn’t love free cookies?

Back when everyone was giving up something for Lent, I vowed to limit myself to two desserts a week. However, with my current predicament I have found an excuse to buy dessert every night—although I’ll probably regret this decision when swimsuit season rolls around. For the time being, I have been convinced that it would be better to focus on the financial issues at hand, despite the fact that I feel like I’m being judged whenever a girl in Plex clothes walks by me as I’m devouring an ice cream sundae.

On the flip side, I also have purchased more fruit along with my meals—the fruit medleys and carrot sticks from the refrigerators are more expensive than the fresh fruit, so those have been my go-to healthy snack foods whenever I have a lunch consisting of greasy pizza or steak and cheese.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to spend most of my money, although I’m sure I’ll be spending a lot more time in the dining hall while I’m eating my feelings during finals week. Hopefully, these tips will prove useful in the near future, and I have definitely learned for next year to keep track of my spending. Although I’d like to complain that Boston College should not put so much money on the meal plan, the fact of the matter is that every student is different, and many factors contribute to the cost of the meal plan. The best we can do is to plan accordingly, and possibly take a few more visits to the service trip tables next semester. Donate to Arrupe?

Absolutely.

Michelle Tomassi is an editor for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

On-campus quirks

Fountain known as the ‘Tree of Life’ is symbolic of the BC journey Tessa Trainor It is where everyone can see. The Golden Eagle, the Gasson bells, and St. Mary’s Chapel encompass it as its branches reach heavenward, entwining its limbs that stem from the solid base. A tree made of bronze, but filled with maroon and gold. It inspires us, enriches us, and teaches us. It is the “Tree of Life” statue that stands in the middle of the fountain on the edge of O’Neill Plaza.

The sculptor, Peter Rockwell, wanted it to represent an olive tree with its characteristic bifurcated trunk, the space in the center resembling two hands cupped together.

They hold a laughing infant with two chil-

dren climbing up its side. A dead body in the middle symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ, connecting the two trunks. There is a crucifix on the right side of the tree while another child is placed on the left side where the flowers grow almost as if it were flying between the branches while reaching for the cross. Uniting the two parts of the tree is a bird meant to symbolize the Holy Spirit.

Water is spit out of the four masks at the base of the fountain. This is what the sculptor, Peter Rockwell, meant it to be. But I see it differently.

Four years ago, I arrived here not knowing what to expect. I was waiting to see what Boston College would offer me to make this my school, my home.

In one month, I will be graduating. I have explored the wonders of BC—the faces on Fulton, the Gasson Bells, St. Mary’s Garden, the St. Ignatius statue, and the view from the top of St. Mary’s. But I realized I wasn’t opening my eyes to the most obvious wonder. This fountain didn’t unveil itself to me until just recently. I have noticed it many times walking to class, but I never asked necessary questions. Now I know that’s exactly what it is meant to do.

My journey to discovering the “Tree of Life” is what BC wants every student to experience. From the day we step on campus, we are given the mission to set the world aflame with our gifts. It wants us to ask our own questions, to find out who we want to

be, to encourage us to grow. We are the tree that is constantly thriving from its surroundings. Whether it is when the Gasson Bells’ toll or the Golden Eagle ready for flight, the “Tree of Life” is us. It wants us to reach for the sky, entwine ourselves with the lives of others, and grasp the unattainable.

Just like the masks that face each direction on this tree, BC is telling us to choose a direction and make it our own. During my four years here, BC has taught me to discover the unknown, to make connections and to grow.

We start as seeds. By the end, we are flourishing trees with branches extended to the sky ready, for an eagle to land before once again taking to the skies.

Tessa Trainor is a contributor to The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

The Heights

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editor’s column

Patience for the next wave

Alexandra Schaeffer This is the time of year for all high school seniors when, if they haven’t done so already, they need to decide where they will spend the next four years of their lives. It’s a scary time, and all of us can probably at least vaguely remember being in their shoes at one point. People obviously handled it differently—some of us (myself included) freaked out all of junior year, so that by the time we were seniors, it was just a waiting game. If you were one of these Type-A applicants such as myself, which most of us at Boston College probably were, you probably did what I did and contacted everybody and his mother who had a connection to some school in order to get the most information possible about the school from as many different sources as possible.

This involved, of course, going on the campus tour for the fifth time in order to get lunch with some vague friend of a friend who was a current student at the school. These meetings were always very friendly and informative, and getting a free meal out of it wasn’t bad either. However, it was always me asking the same questions about different schools. I would naturally later add their answers to the long-running Excel spreadsheet I had comparing my prospective schools. If you’re getting the gist of this, applying to colleges was quite the stress-laden process for me—the 17-year-old me could have been taken straight out of the book The Overachievers, which was always carefully poised above my high school college counselor’s desk the numerous times I burst into her office in a panic.

I like to laugh when I think that I reached the pinnacle of my academic stress in high school. Honestly, I don’t think it’s possible to be more highly strung than I was in my junior year, and I probably would have been checked into some sort of clinic if I had maintained that level of pre-college hysteria. I eventually came down off that and am now one of the most easygoing of my friends when it comes to actual schoolwork. It’s just that I am, or at least was, a perfectionist. I had grown up watching Gilmore Girls and idealizing Rory’s seemingly perfect experience at Yale, and I wanted that for myself. Not necessarily Yale–I wasn’t delusional–but I wanted to go to my “perfect” school, whatever that was. All the schools to which I ended up applying were very similar (I did my research and knew what I wanted!), and most of you probably applied to at least one of those schools too. Anyway, my decision was difficult, but I knew what I wanted, and with my pro-con list in hand, I submitted my deposit for BC, paralyzed with fear and praying that my nerves would calm enough for me to enjoy it. They did, about a year later.

All of this comes back to me as I receive a deluge of messages on Facebook and my phone from high school seniors who I have some vague friend of a friend type connection to asking for my advice. They want to compile their pro/con lists. There is one girl who is about to graduate from my high school who has made a thread with me and a current BC freshman, and she asks something new every day. I love BC so much that I feel obligated to give her a long, detailed, and immediate response to every question. However, I drew a blank when my phone went off a few nights ago with a message from her that read, “How much is it rainy and/or snowy and on the days when it isn’t either of those about what percentage would you say are sunny days and how many are cloudy?”

We all were that high school senior at one point. Maybe not to that extent, but on some inner level we were all nervous for what the future would be.

This school has been overrun with tours lately, filled with these same students being herded around like cattle, taking mental notes of all of us rushing by. So next time you’re trying to race down the million dollar stairs to snag a table at Hillside, and you know you’re never going to get an empty one, and there is a huge tour blocking your way talking about how ugly the Plex is, take a deep breath, have patience, and remember that that was once you.

Alexandra Schaeffer is the Asst. Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Summer classes abroad offer students a worldview

By Marye Moran For The Heights

For most students, summer vacation is synonymous with a break from classes.

Every year for approximately 300 Boston College students, however, the participation in University coursework continues. Instead of walking across campus to a classroom in Carney, though, they meet in locations like London, England, or Bangalore, India.

The Office of International Programs (OIP) offers summer seminars in locations throughout the world. The classes are taught by BC faculty, and count as course credit, with grades appearing on students’ transcripts and certain seminars counting toward major or core requirements.

These seminars are based on professor initiative, and are an opportunity not just for students, but also for the faculty to teach courses that truly interest them. Rev. Jeremy Clarke, who teaches a course in Beijing, China, says, “I am passionate about China and its history. Thus, teaching a summer course in Beijing was one way of sharing that passion with BC students. We will do a lot of field work, which we can’t do on the Heights, and it’s a chance to get to know each other as participants in the academic conversation in a more general yet personal way.” Abby Berenson, assistant director of International Summer and Service Programs, says, “Faculty submit proposals in the late spring, and we look at strategic interests and where we logically can support faculty and staff to go.”

A committee then evaluates all proposals and decides on a list of approximately 30 seminars each year.

Unfortunately, Berenson notes that “each year, we have to cancel some,” as they

need eight to 10 students to run, and demand can vary unpredictably. The program as a whole is very popular, though, especially certain courses, as Berenson explains that “the art courses are always popular, courses in Ireland and Italy tend to be well-attended, and interestingly the writing class in India, which is in its third year running, exploded with the amount of applicants.”

The benefits of international seminars are numerous. Professor Michael Cronin, who teaches an Irish Culture seminar in Dublin, says that he finds it valuable to be able to learn about a topic and then experience it firsthand, explaining, “Rather than talking in a Boston classroom about the landscape of the west of Ireland, I can do that here, and then take the students off to drive and walk around that landscape to understand it better.”

These courses serve many student needs. Berenson says, “When I first started, I think there was maybe a typical student who went, someone who had never been abroad before, or couldn’t go for the semester, whether it’s because they’re a premed, or an athlete, or have a GPA below the semester requirement.” Yet as the program has changed, so have its attendants. Some choose to go over the summer to fulfill course requirements outside of the academic year, as Lindsey Holder, LSOE ’14, says that she will be studying drawing in Venice because “I needed to fulfill my Arts core, and I thought I would get more out of a class abroad than I would from a class at BC.”

There has been a shift toward students choosing these programs, either because they are anxious to go and this is their earliest chance, or because they want to experience a less-traditional location for the

summer. While many atypical study abroad locations, such as those in Asia and Africa, are offered for semester programs, many students are hesitant, and in a course of all BC students led by a University professor, these locations are more enticing. Lesley Norris, A&S ’14, who will be participating in the “Writing Out of Place: Creative Writing Workshop” seminar in India, explains that this was the case for her, saying that “I decided to do the program in India because I wanted the chance to go somewhere I knew I’d probably never get to go to again.”

The base of students attending summer seminars has also changed based on the expansion of available scholarships. Berenson says, “Three years ago, we only had one scholarship for the summer,” but with the recently added McGillycuddy Logue Travel Grant, over 30 students receive funding. Although financial aid carries over for semester and year-long study abroad programs, this

is not the case with summer seminars, but with the expansion of scholarship opportunities, these classes are becoming more accessible.

While there is a wide range of offerings, Berenson hopes in the future to expand even more, noting that “I’d love to see more CSOM courses and econ courses, and there are currently no psychology classes on the list.” While she thinks that the program can always improve, it is already a great success, and a majority of students, after participating in an OIP summer seminar, report that they would like to go again. These courses may not be a break from schoolwork, but they are certainly a change from school, as students get to interact more closely with professors, become close with a group of about 10 students, and learn about a subject in context. For many, this is a unique chance to have an enjoyable but also productive summer. n

courtesy of bc.edu

International Comparisons in Child and Family Social Policy is taught in Sydney.

professor profile: Don Ricciato

Director of BC’s Campus School sees past disabilities

By Brandon Stone For The Heights

As most Boston College students lined Commonwealth Avenue to cheer along the runners on Marathon Monday, many runners were doing so for the Campus School. Roughly 300 students ran the marathon in support of the Campus School, and together raised over $58,000.

The Campus School, a BC program which educates Boston-area students ages 3-21 who have multiple disabilities, and often complex health care needs, is a well-run and popular volunteer opportunity for students, thanks in large part to its director, Don Ricciato.

Ricciato has been a mainstay at BC for over 40 years. He received an undergraduate degree in 1971 and a masters degree in special education in 1973, both from BC. A native of Massachusetts, Ricciato originally hails from Waltham. His time at BC has been spent embodying the Jesuit philosophy of helping others.

Ricciato is currently in his fifth year as the director of BC’s Campus School.

The school serves the needs of roughly 45 special-needs students, who are helped by about 350 active student volunteers.

Ricciato himself began volunteering his time to the Campus School while earning his masters degree, and has remained an integral part of the program since.

Ricciato’s history with the program has given him a great perspective on its evolution over time. According to Ricciato, a great impetus of change for the program came in 1975 with the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which mandated that all public schools provide equal access to

Natalie Blardony/ heights staff

Ricciato is the Campus School director and runs BC’s Supported Employment Program. education for students with physical and mental disabilities. Before the act, special needs students were generally either sent to separate schools, committed, or simply kept at home. According to Ricciato, “early on, the emphasis was just on how to care for these children, but afterwards the spirit became one of inclusion where we strived for active participation in society by the special needs students.”

Ricciato himself did not envision a career at the Campus School prior to volunteering during his postgraduate studies. “I was intrigued by the program, which gave equal balance to education and therapeutic health care for these students.” After receiving his masters, he began doing administrative work for the Campus School in the 1970s. Since then, he has continued

to work for the Campus School.

Ricciato has not only been an administrator, though. He is also an active professor in the Lynch School. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses on special education, and is currently teaching “Working with Special Needs Students,” a core course for LSOE students. “I love teaching the course. And it also has draws students from CSOM, Arts and Sciences, and Connell who see how important and rewarding it is.”

The Campus School, however, remains Ricciato’s primary responsibility, a charge he enjoys. “My favorite part of watching the student volunteers each year is when they see beyond the disability. They stop seeing as just special needs kids, but real individuals with real talents and real abili-

ties.” The Campus School is recognized nationally as being among the top programs of its kind, and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. At the celebration, 140 former students returned along with former volunteers and full-time workers.

Ricciato is also involved in running BC’s Supported Employment Program, which provides job opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities (participants are commonly employed in BC’s dining halls). The program began in 1987 as a partnership with Children’s Hospital Boston; and it manifests Ricciato’s goal of active participation in society for those with special needs. “The Supported Employment Program is an uncommon one among universities, which says a lot about the character of Boston College.” Currently, the program employs 24 adults and has in the past employed former students of the Campus School.

Despite the laudable success of the Campus School, Ricciato is quick to defer credit. “We have had an incredible staff here at the Campus School since the beginning … everyone is dedicated to going beyond just doing a job.” Ricciato tends to discuss the experiences of students in the Campus School, rather than his own role. The efficacy and popularity of the school is made apparent by the longevity of the enrollments of most students there. On average, students spend five to seven years at the school, and one recent graduate attended all the way from age 3 to age 21.

Ricciato’s commitment to the program is evident from both his description of his work, and the success of the program itself. His embodiment of the Jesuit philosophy is a model for all students. n

he said, she said As two graduating seniors, what would be the most important piece of advice that you would leave with the underclassmen?

C

ollege, like life, is far from perfect, but things will be much easier if you roll with the punches and just let it happen, as opposed to trying to have everything exactly as you imagine it. If you ascribe to the adage that “everything happens for a reason,” this is a perfect supplement to Alex Trautwig that. Some things are meant to be, and some will take more time (think relationships), but eventually, if you’re patient and let it play out, there’s a good chance things will fall into place. It can’t be applied to every situation, but try to when you can. Also, it’s really easy to come to college and just hang out, go to class, party, and repeat. I would urge you though, to find something that you can dedicate some time to—whether it’s community service, a club team, or an organization on campus, look for a little extra fulfillment. It’s not enough to go through your four years and just get a degree—you should come out with experience and knowledge that could never come from a lecture, because if you don’t, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Lastly, don’t sweat the small stuff—in the long run, that 10-point reading quiz really means nothing. Don’t be afraid to just enjoy yourself a little bit, whether that means skipping class one day to enjoy the gorgeous spring weather or going out on a weeknight even if you have class early the next day. Those are the memories that’ll stay with you long after you’ve graduated, and ultimately will make you happier.

Alex Trautwig is a senior staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

W

hen I was at Mary Ann’s on Saturday night, a recent Boston College grad imparted these words of wisdom to my friends and I when he realized we only had a few weeks left of school, “Don’t sleep, go out every chance you get, and make great friends.”

After this brief conversation with the grad, it really got Madeline Demoulas me thinking about whether or not I lived my college years to the fullest extent. You are obviously at BC to receive a great education, but at the end of the day it is only school, and your college experience should encompass much more than just academics. A very wise ginger once told me: “You came to Boston College because you have a personality. You are all smart enough to be anything, but college is way more than getting an education.”

Try to embrace all aspects of your college years and everything BC has to offer you. I think the best way to do this is to surround yourself with great people.

My biggest accomplishment in college was finding amazing friends and being able to share unforgettable memories with them. Your friends will undoubtedly enhance your four years and be with you through all the ups and downs of college.

I was going to give you all a list of things that I thought everyone should do during their time here, but I quickly realized that everyone needs to follow their own path to be happy. College isn’t the end all and be all, but it is a very crucial time of your life. Although I am very sad that my college career is ending, I am content in the fact that the relationships I made will stay with me forever. So I think we should all listen to the BC grad from MA’s—go out, meet great friends, and never sweat the small stuff. Do whatever you want and just have fun doing it!

Madeline Demoulas is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Monday, April 30, 2012

The Heights

D5

The Heights

Monday, April 30, 2012

A perfect pairing

Real World

Eagle Dates

MEET THE DATERS:

Yawkey from D1 former players and managers all entered the field through the center field gate during a pre-game ceremony.

They wore their original jerseys from their careers on the Sox, and walked to their respective positions.

At the anniversary game, everyone was given sparkling grape juice under their seats. “When all the former Sox players were announced, the whole park poured the juice into glasses and toasted Fenway,” said Alison Johnston, A&S ’15. “I was so excited to be a part of such a great Boston tradition.

The whole park was alive.”

BC athletics has a connection to Fenway a s well. In the 1930s and ’40s, BC played a majority of their football games at Fenway. In fact, the Eagles were regular tenants at Fenway until 1956, when Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey decided that the constant college football contests were damaging the park’s grass. Thus, BC administrators had to raise money to build an on-campus facility in time for the 1957 season. Alumni Stadium, which was originally built in just five months to house the “homeless” football team, has been renovated several times in the past 52 years.

In 2010, BC played BU in Frozen Fenway, going on to win the National Championship. Additionally, in 2012, BC beat Northeastern 2-1 at Fenway, also going on to win a National Championship.

I n 1 9 9 0 , th e B a s eb a l l B e a np o t began between Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern, and BC. Over 22 years, BC has won the Beanpot nine times, and came in second five times.

Mike Gambino, head B C men’s baseball coach and a 2000 graduate of BC, has also been woven into the Sox’s history. Gambino was a firstteam All-Big East, All-New England and All-Northeast region honoree following his senior year at BC. He also earned second-team All-New England and Big East Academic Team acknowledgements during his playing career. After graduating from BC, he played two seasons in the Red Sox minor league system, later being hired as a special assistant to the Major League staff. The Red Sox then sent him to the Major League Baseball Scout Development Program.

This year, the BC baseball team didn’t play at Fenway because they had to re-sod the field after the Winter Classic, but for the past 20 years they have played the Beanpot and the Championship there.

“It is an unbelievable experience for those boys to be able to go out and play in a field that has so much history and tradition—that is so special to baseball fans,” Gambino said.

“Fenway Park has really added itself to American History.”

Gambino also marvels at the field and its pertinence to Boston as a city.

“Whether or not you’re a huge baseball fan,” he said, “to be able to see a Red Sox game at Fenway Park is one of the real special things everyone should experience.” BC has been so lucky as to have its own athletic history intertwined with that of such a national treasure. n

D6

Katherine Dullea

NAME: Laura Jarvi YEAR: 2012 MAJOR: Nursing FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Turkey and Brie FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘Sense and Sensibility’

NAME: Matthew Rossman YEAR: 2013 MAJOR: History FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: New England Classic FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘The Dark Knight’

The final blind date of the semester offers one last chance to find love HEIGHTS: How did you feel before the date?

Heights: Where did you two go to dinner?

LAURA: I was nervous and I didn’t really know what to expect. matthew: Sunset Grille in Allston. We met at the B-line and My roommates signed me up and surprised me with it. took it to Harvard Ave. HEIGHTS: How was the first encounter?

heights: How nervous were you?

LAURA: It was a little awkward when we first met up because matthew: Not really nervous at all. I was excited, it was a I didn’t really know where to start with the conversation. chance to get away from what had been happening in Walsh this weekend.

HEIGHTS: Where did you guys go to eat?

Heights: How did the conversation go?

LAURA: Sunset Grille by Harvard Ave. We met at the B-line and then went there together. matthew: It was good. We talked about majors and basic stuff in the beginning. We discovered we will both be close to HEIGHTS: How was the conversation? What did you talk each other on the Cape this summer. We talked about sumabout? mer plans. We talked about how her sister’s at UConn and our families. We talked about what we do around campus, LAURA: We talked about how he’s an RA, and we’re both living and sports a little bit, like Chris Kreider and how crazy that at the Cape so we talked about Cape Cod and what beaches is. We’re both Red Sox fans, too. we like to go to and restaurants we like there.

Heights: What was the most surprising thing you learned?

HEIGHTS: Were there any interesting discoveries? matthew: I wouldn’t have pegged her for a nurse, and surprisLAURA: He went to a smaller high school than I went to. ingly she was. I never would have guessed that.

HEIGHTS: What did you order for dinner? Do after dinner?

Heights: What does the future hold for you too?

LAURA: Pasta, and he ordered that too. We took the T back matthew: We might go to White Mountain next week. together.

HEIGHTS: How did you end the date?

HEIGHTS: How did you say goodbye? matthew: We rode the T back together, and then we were goLAURA: We just parted ways and said maybe we’d see each ing to go to White Mountain, but she asked for a rain check because we both had places to be. other next weekend.

HEIGHTS: What does the future hold?

LAURA: He was nice, but because I’m a senior and the year’s almost over I don’t really see having a long-term future with anyone at BC.

Want to go on your own Eagle Date?

Contact Features@bcheights.com

RATE YOUR DATES NAME: Laura Jarvi

NAME: Matthew Rossman

RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)

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3

3.5

campus chronicles

Pushing through the final struggles of the semester Jenn Lavoie In the final weeks of spring semester it is expected that students fall into an indescribable slump. For the past two weeks it has seemed like I’ve been productive in every area of my life expect school. Facebook, Pinterest, baseball, and lax games along with a number of trips to Chill and Roggie’s have for some reason taken top priority.

Many have come to coin the first week of a new semester as “syllabus week,” but it seems that those last weeks leading up to the dreaded finals week deserve a name just as infamous to describe the lackadaisical attitude that has been hovering amongst the campus.

In a way, it almost unfair that students are tempted with events such as the Spring Concert, the classic Mudstock/Modstock combo, and Cinco de Mayo so close to study days.

Of course the never-ending good weather doesn’t make cranking out a paper in O’Neill any easier. This year, however, the procrastination bar has been raised to another level as spring fever and the itch for summer sets in around campus.

I think it was last week as I was sitting in history intensely reading the Boston College edition of “What Should We Call Me?” that I realized,

A liberal Catholic approach

wait … our final for this class is next tests are slowly creeping up, we really before our last finals, it really is only week? Although it was somewhat of have less than a moment to spend natural that students find themselves a rude awakening, it more so made enjoying the rest of the year. Maybe embracing “Call Me Maybe” dance me realize that one week until finals this is just how I come to terms with parties to their fullest extent, enjoying was one week closer to the end of my the fact that I haven’t even looked at Hillside sandwiches as often as possophomore year. my material for my test on Monday sible, and simply doing their best to This is where the catch-22 phrase or have somehow managed to postend their years on a high note.

“YOLO” comes into play. For the pone my dreaded oral presentation for past semester, but with a noticeable Spanish, but the way I see it, time is increase in the past few weeks, it has short and we might as well do what we Jenn Lavoie is a staff writer for The seemed that in every debatable cirlike with it.

Heights. She welcomes comments at cumstance I’ve found myself in, “You So in the unnamed week that falls features@bcheights.com only live once” has been the answer.

“Should I do this paper or go to White Mountain?” “YOLO.” “Should I go out tonight? I’m kind of tired.” “YOLO.” Of course, the phrase does come with some downsides—rushing to the library to finish my postponed paper before class and skipping out on valuable Hillside omelette time does put a damper on the start to the day.

Yet this semester in its entirety has made me realize that although 20 years from now I will probably look back and cringe at the thought of YOLO, the phrase does preach some truth. As I come to the close of my sophomore year at BC, I also come to the close of days as an underclassmen, and can officially say that I am halfway through the college years. I realize if I’m feeling this much anxiety now, there really is no hope for me during graduation.

Photo courtesy of Therese Tully Ultimately, the truth is that although finals and tests on tests on Visions of summer bliss tempt students, making homework increasingly difficult.

On April 18, the Vatican’s four year investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women’s Religious culminated in severe criticism of the doctrine and practices of the United States’ most prominent association of Catholic nuns. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, led

by Cardinal William Levada, condemned the sisters for allegedly challenging the Catholic Church’s position on homosexuality, contraception, and abortion. The official report asserts that the Conference has not complied with traditional Christian ideology by condemning these three issues.

In response, the Vatican has appointed American Archbishop J. Peter Sartain to rectify these discrepancies between Church doctrine and the positions promulgated by the Conference. Specifically, his task is to monitor the private and public action of the women’s religious to ensure that their teachings and work within the community reflect the Church’s official position on sexual orientation and reproductive rights.

The Leadership Conference of Women’s Religious is comprised of over 1,500 members who represent 80 percent of the 57,000 women’s religious in the United States. The women’s religious strive to “further the mission of the Gospel in today’s world.” To realize their mission, the sisters work actively to shape policy and their communities in order to effect change to benefit the economic and social situation of the less fortunate. This tension between the Papacy and Conference is a manifestation of a prominent cause for contention within the Catholic Church: the women’s religious seeks primarily to cultivate the Church as an agent of social justice, whereas the Vatican mandates the importance of actively promoting the Church’s position on issues of sexuality. This conflict was exacerbated by the advent of President Obama’s healthcare reform. While Catholic bishops were outraged at the president’s mandate that non-profit religious insurers fully cover contraception, the Sisters supported the provisions of the healthcare bill as a means to improve social conditions for the poor.

The questions raised by these concerns are particularly relevant to us as students at a Jesuit university. Boston College is renowned as an institution committed to social justice. As students, we are zealously encouraged to get involved in service as early as freshman year: the First Year Service Program, 4Boston, and PULSE are just a sample of the various opportunities that the University provides. The Jesuit “vision of service to faith and to the justice that faith demands” is manifest in BC’s mission to create men and women for others. At the same time, BC balances the Jesuit commitment to social justice with the preservation of traditional Catholic values.

Specifically, BC Health Services does not provide any form of contraception for its students. In this manner, BC reaffirms the Church’s position on issues pertaining to sexuality.

Personally, I am passionate about BC because I support its mission to foster an environment in which students are serving others, both in the local and global community. In the context of a capitalist, individualist society, I believe it is crucial to instill within BC students a tradition of working to establish social justice, with the hope of ultimately creating a better world. In addition, I think that this is a critical realization of BC’s commitment to Christianity as a Catholic institution. While I do not consider myself Catholic, I have the utmost respect for the Church as an institution and Christianity as a system of belief. I also believe that Jesus’ promotion of love, forgiveness, and service to the less fortunate as the core of the Catholic faith is invaluable regardless of one’s religious affiliation. It is this “mission of the Gospel” that the women’s religious seek to spread.

The Leadership Conference of Women’s Religious identifies the difficulties of promoting traditional Catholic values in the modern context of society. Consequently, they are willing to compromise on issues of sexuality to foster a universal culture of mutual love, support for the less fortunate, and community outreach. It is important to consider whether BC should follow the sisters’ example.

The necessity of contraception as a means of fighting STDs is a critical health issue, particularly on college campuses.

Sexually active teenagers and young adults are at a higher risk of sexually transmitted infection than the rest of the population: one-in-three people will have acquired a sexually transmitted infection by the age of 25. Many college campuses strive to mitigate these risks by using health services to make contraception available to their students. Should BC maintain its Jesuit commitment to social justice, yet modify its position on contraception in order to best provide for the safety of its students?

Katherine Dullea is a contributor for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com